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Post by Katsumi Hirata on May 29, 2023 12:46:22 GMT
" Checkmate," said a young girl, age sixteen, as she folded both hands into her lap. Sharp green eyes peer down at a wooden chessboard as a complex array of pieces sat atop its checkered surface. A balding man sitting across from her, dumbfounded with surprise, slaps his scalp with a healthy chuckle. " Well, I'll be! That was one rather mean game you played, miss!" he exclaimed with no intention of being anything but sincere in his observations. It took twenty-five moves for her to checkmate the Black king, and she had done so by using his own pieces against it. His compliments had put a small smile on her face. " You played remarkably, as well, Inomori-san," she squeaked out softly, before moving to gather her belongings off the ground, as the chess set belonged to him. " No no, I mean it! In all my years of playing, I think that's the first time I've ever seen somebody run me in circles so badly. You must be some kind of prodigy, I bet!" The girl averts her eyes, running slender fingers through her dark brown hair as if to deflect his kindness. " N-no, I'm nothing of the sort," she corrected , "I simply just love to play." She couldn't have spoken any more truthfully, even if she had tried to. But if she had a yen for every time somebody called her such a thing... " You're certainly a cut above some of the old codgers I play with, that's for sure," the man she called Inomori admitted, laughing as hard as his aging lungs could muster. " You oughtta join a chess federation! They'd love to have you among their ranks!" " Maybe some day, after I finish my studies," replied the girl, who politely bowed her head in gratitude for the opportunity to play him, then stood up from the stone bench. " Ah, yep! That's right, I forgot you're still a student," Inomori chuckled, rubbing his head as if trying to polish it. He then pointed to her, " Good fer you, fer bein' so responsible! Your parents must be so proud of you!" " I do my best." The words mechanically left her mouth. It has become routine now. She bowed to the old man out of gratitude for the game, said her final farewells, and simply turned to depart for home. The words rang like hollow bells in her mind. She has said them a thousand times before, and will likely say them a thousand times again, and again, and again. They are a reminder of one simple truth, one that has plagued her since the day she was born. Wherever she went, Mom and Dad weren't far behind. -------- Katsumi Hirata disliked the thought of being haunted by the shadow of her parents. From the moment she woke up to the moment she went to bed, it was the same. Mom would make her a bento for lunch, and had full control over what went in it. Dad would give her constant reminders to keep her grades high and her mind free of distractions, mantras he used to ensure she would never think of anything else. It wasn't always successful. Katsumi secretly thrived on the rush of playing games whenever time would allow it, and though her parents knew of this hobby, they certainly didn't approve of it as much as her late grandmother had. It made sense; Dad was a salaryman, and Mom worked as a designer for a big fashion company. They wanted her to focus on cultivating practical skills and achieving realistic goals. Playing chess, among other things, was not one of them in their opinion. Going to the Shibuya school systems had, at least, proven beneficial to Katsumi's schedule, because the time it took for her to travel from home to school and back enabled her to visit Miyashita Park every once in a blue moon and try her skills against some of the elderly folks. But only on occasion. Mom and Dad were strict about punctuality. Today was that occasion, and she was certain to get grief for it when she returned home. Katsumi found it fortunate, to say the least, that she had an alibi to use in her defense, that being the acquisition of certain groceries for the house. It would require a trip to the supermarket, but this allowed her to take her time and be deliberate with the ingredients she picked out for tonight's dinner. Her parents would appreciate that, if anything. After that, it was simply a matter of walking home. Mom and Dad had recently purchased a home in a community called Society Hill, as it was closer to where Katsumi went to school, which was also located in the Shibuya ward. If she knew better, it was probably to keep tabs on her more closely. She had preferred taking the trains back to Machida, as this put a gap between the three of them, but they were no longer residents there. This was her life now. Slow, evenly paced footsteps carried Katsumi through the streets of Shibuya, with one hand carrying a bag full of food parcels while her bag for school hung freely from the opposite shoulder, held securely in place by the other hand. Her mind raced with thoughts on how to best prepare the ingredients for tonight's dinner, as it was also her responsibility to help contribute around the household. Just like always.
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Post by ricochet11-Lilly on May 29, 2023 20:50:05 GMT
Unknown to the girl known as Katsumi another youngster was making her way around Northern Shibuya. However the disguised MagikGrowlmon's holosuit not only gave her the appearance of a young adult despite her probably being the equivalent of a human in their early teens at most so at most the equivalent of thirteen maybe fourteen. The young adult appearance was that of what appeared to be a performer specifically one that was likely a magician by trade. If someone made such an assumption they would definitely be right on the money cause Lilly was a magician just like one of her fathers which was a Wizardmon named Mandrake. Though she didn't travel with her fathers anymore she was determined to make them proud by helping others just like not only her parents did but her two older brothers as well.
The reason she was currently walking around the streets with her energetic pace was that she had just finished a performance and had just gotten paid. Smiling she, to herself, said "I think if anything my technique as a magician is improving by leaps and bounds. I bet soon I would be able to impress my parents." After that Lilly chuckled before she not only caught sight of a human girl but, due to her energetic pace, almost crashed headlong into her managing to stop herself just in the nick of time before she, to the girl carrying groceries, said "Oops. I'm sorry about that. I almost didn't see you until it was too late. Normally I pay more attention to my surroundings."
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Post by Katsumi Hirata on May 29, 2023 21:42:38 GMT
Making her way through the suburbs, Katsumi hadn't given much attention to any of the people that passed her by, even if she had walked by someone that recognized her from school or elsewhere. Such was her usual disposition; she almost never involved herself in the affairs of other people. Truth be told, she didn't know how to. Her parents weren't the kind of folks that approved of their only daughter consorting with the "common rabble", as it were, which only made her predicament all the lonelier. It is why she had barely noticed another person coming at her rapidly, which only gave Katsumi enough time to stop her forward momentum and yelp, closing her eyes in anticipation of a collision. But one never came. Katsumi opened one eye, mostly to make sure she hadn't dropped her groceries all over the pavement, and found a...rather strangely dressed girl standing in front of her. She could only blink in bewilderment, unsure of how to process her choice of wardrobe. Was she a fashionista from Harajuku? A cosplayer? She looked like one of those Western women who performed stage magic, right down to the top hat... Then again, Japan was full of all sorts. When the other girl had gone the lengths to apologize for her lack of attentiveness, Katsumi simply bowed her head politely. " Please, it's no trouble at all," she said, before quickly moving out of the other person's way as if trying to decline any further opportunities for conversation; Katsumi still had groceries to bring back home, and schoolwork to finish. " Excuse me." She had no reason to keep her from, well, whatever it is she did in her spare time, nor did the student really have any incentive to strike up conversations with somebody she didn't know. Besides, her parents wouldn't appreciate it if she dawdled, let alone spoke to a complete stranger. But there was no hostility behind her words, or her actions. Katsumi's soft, stoic gaze and the silence that followed it reflected this.
Notes: None right now! Feel free to work your charms. |
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Post by ricochet11-Lilly on May 29, 2023 22:01:49 GMT
Lilly took in Katsumi's silent reaction watching the young girl blinking in bewilderment while gazing at the disguised digimon. This caused Lilly to gaze at herself for a moment before she smiled. Yes she looked as if she stood out quite a bit but then those dressed as magicians did tend to outwardly stand out. Then again much like the holosuits of her parents it seemed she picked up their flare for standing out but in her own way.
When the girl responded to Lilly's apology it wasn't in the way the young disguised digimon expected. See Lilly was the friendly type not just polite and studious so for someone to only speak so briefly to her that wasn't her little sister was baffling to her. Was this other girl shy like Circe or was there another reason? When the girl excused herself Lilly walked alongside the girl and asked "Are you shy or something? If you are that's okay since I have a younger sister who is. Or are you in some kind of hurry?" Lilly's friendly words flowed from her mouth before the disguised youngster remembered she hadn't introduced herself even and then said "I can't believe I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Lilly and I am a humble magician. Not the only magician in the family but I'm still learning after all."
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Post by Katsumi Hirata on May 30, 2023 1:14:37 GMT
It wasn't easy, being approached in so... confrontational of a way. Katsumi's parents had always expected her to keep everyone at arm's length, so to encounter someone without the social graces to recognize that she had become very uncomfortable with her insistence had all but made the teenager clam up. Shy was just one way of putting it. But on, the girl talked, telling of her younger sister also being socially challenged, before she issued another question. " Y-Yes, I'm afraid. I'm expected at home, you see..." Katsumi explained as best as she could muster, hoping that the presence of her groceries would be sufficient enough to thwart the weirdly dressed girl's efforts to strike up a conversation. Her thoughts began to travel toward ever more tenebrous places; she could only imagine what her parents would say if she had arrived even a minute late. Still, the girl in the top hat seemed determined to treat their encounter as if it had some significance, introducing herself as Lilly and claiming to be a magician. Who would have guessed? Katsumi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her entire demeanor. In all honesty, she'd never thought it possible to run into such a person like this... " I apologize for asking, but..." Katsumi hesitated on asking her question, trying to find words delicate enough to get her message across without sounding uninformed. " Are you also a practitioner of the Tarot?" Her gaze faltered a little, telling of her embarrassment. If she claimed to be what she was, then it wasn't every day that Katsumi had the chance to look into her future. " I-I'm sorry if it's presumptuous of me, but...maybe I could...have my fortune read...?"
Notes: Local high school girl buys into superstition |
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Post by ricochet11-Lilly on May 30, 2023 1:37:25 GMT
Lilly looked down at the girls groceries and said "So are your parents in some kind of hurry to have you come home? If so maybe I can help you carry your groceries home. I was just trying to be friendly and meant no true harm." Yes Lilly was practically harmless much like her fathers and even when they needed to protect themselves she and her family were known only to use no more force than absolutely needed so no one would be killed.
"There's no harm in asking such question." Lilly began as she processed how to answer the girls question before she continued "However I am not a practioner of Tarot. Though I do love learning new things. Maybe I can study how to read fortunes and maybe read yours in the future. The idea does sound fun now that I think about it. Say you also seem pretty educated with the excellent vocabulary you seem to have. Shame I don't know your name since I shared mine with you. I assure you I'm practically harmless."
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Post by Katsumi Hirata on May 30, 2023 12:34:11 GMT
" Th-Thank you, but that isn't necessary," Katsumi politely declined her offer to carry some of her groceries, primarily because it was her responsibility to bring them home, and not a task for some person who looked like they had just flown in from Las Vegas. " My home isn't far away from here." That much was true, to say the very least. A part of her couldn't help but admit feeling just a little bit desperate for some kind of a sign, anything that would tell her there was more to life than just living in accordance to the whims of her parents. Assumptions had led Katsumi to believe that this girl, who claimed to be a magician, could divine a person's fate, but it was not the case here. This is what she got for trusting superstition. Of course, the hat-wearing stranger remained determined to penetrate through Katsumi's emotional walls, much to her anxiety, and even went to offer her a compliment on her intelligence. In all the time it took for her to chew on this information, mainly because she didn't believe herself to be all that smart, Katsumi had been reminded of one simple fact: She had yet to introduce herself. " Ah! I, uhh–" Katsumi stammered, torn between keeping her name a secret and obliging her social graces. What would happen if her parents found out about this? Ultimately, reason gave way to etiquette, and she eventually takes a moment to collect herself once the initial wave of humiliation passed. " H-H-Hirata Katsumi..." she struggled to announce in a soft voice, eyes fluttering all over the place to avoid direct contact with the self-proclaimed magician's. " M-My parents told me n-never to speak with st-st-strangers..." They never accounted for people dressed like this. Groceries. She had groceries to get home. And the girl just kept trying to help, even when there was no reason to do so. Should she just humor her and let her do it? How in the world was she going to explain this to Mom and Dad, if she did? Just the thought of them scolding her made Katsumi's face flush red with embarrassment.
Notes: oof, Katsumi is not having a good time with herself right now |
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Post by ricochet11-Lilly on May 30, 2023 20:48:16 GMT
"Okay I understand. We don't know each other all that well." Lilly said with a warm smile as she then heard that Katsumi's home wasn't far from where they currently were. "Well if you don't mind I'll walk you home. You know safety in numbers and all." In her holosuit Lilly's empathic senses were blocked only able to pick up the faintest of strong emotions however extremely faintly. This only made her wonder just what other emotions were rushing through the teen she was walking with. So far all Lilly could sense were very vague hints of anxiety but why was the teen feeling this way? Lilly was gentle as digimon got considering she took after her parents in many ways including picking up their typically non violent gentle behavior.
Then as if experiencing some great inner struggle the teen stammered eventually revealing her name to be Hirata Katsumi. This caused Lilly to smile as she was fluent in both Japanese and English just like the rest of her family. "Normally such advice to avoid speaking to strangers is wise, Katsumi. "Victorious Beauty" The meaning of your name is beautiful. Definitely fancier than my humble name given I was named after my favorite flower. So what about your parents, Katsumi? Are they nice? Mine are." Then she caught herself giggling awkwardly before she then said "Oops silly me. I was babbling a bit there at the end. Sorry."
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Post by Katsumi Hirata on May 30, 2023 21:49:56 GMT
Katsumi could hardly believe it. How could this random person be so insistent on trying to connect with her? No matter what kind of a defense she put up, Lilly seemed to dance around them as if they were of no consequence to her. Unable to tell this person "no" for quite a few reasons, Katsumi merely sighed in defeat. " Okay, fine..." She minded very much, but somebody wasn't listening. As they walked down the street, Katsumi simply let the oddly-dressed person chatter her tongue and teeth off, half-tempted to slump her shoulders at the sound of her own words of wisdom being reflected back at her face. It wasn't wise to talk to strangers. Well, if Lilly knew this to be wise, then why did she insist on forcing Katsumi to participate in conversations she was clearly not willing to have? Hearing Lilly speak compliments about her name only made Katsumi further regret having her tag along. "Katsumi". Yet another part of her life that served only to highlight what her parents wanted out of her. Victory through excellence. It was a perpetual reminder of their influence over her. It was this reason that caused her to remain silent when Lilly asked if they were nice to her. Katsumi had no idea how to humor her question in a way that would not raise alarms. On the one hand, they were her providers, ensuring her needs were met in a way that was expected of anyone to take on the responsibility of being parents. But parents, they were not. At least, not in the way she needed them to be. Mom and dad were far too attached to their work to pay any sort of heed to their daughter's emotional well being, and it caused Katsumi great anguish on most days, yet there was no outlet for her sadness, save through the act of engaging in her favorite pastime of chess or other like activities. But even playing games got to become a chore when everyone treated her as if she were some untouchable ideal, a concept in the form of a person, embodied only by the degree in which they show their talents to the world. Perfection at all stages, no matter the cost. That was the intention behind her name. That was the meaning of "Katsumi" to her. " They're good people," Katsumi would finally speak after a long period of time, looking down at the pavement as she continued to walk forward. It wasn't a lie, but neither was it the complete truth. " Sometimes harsh, but they mean well enough." If you call their rigid schedule and herculean goal posts "meaning well", that is.
Notes: Katsumi isn't throwing her parents under the bus, she's too sweet for that |
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Post by ricochet11-Lilly on May 30, 2023 22:13:51 GMT
Lilly took in Katsumi's tone when she had said "Okay fine..." which Lilly new meant that wasn't completely what she wanted. Why was Katsumi so hesitant as Lilly was just trying to make a new friend? "Katsumi, I believe you don't seem to want to be in a conversation with me. I assure you I am just trying to make friends. If it is because I am a stranger I understand your hesitance but when it comes with making friends talking to some strangers is necessary." Then Lilly's face looked sad her tone changing from bubbly and happy to match as she said "Or did I do something wrong? If I did I'm so sorry, Katsumi."
Lilly listened to Katsumi as she described her parents but something didn't seem right to Lilly. The young disguised MagikGrowlmon was now getting the vibe that Katsumi was not speaking the complete truth but didn't want to risk upsetting the human girl by mentioning such as she still was feeling guilty for unintentionally making Katsumi uncomfortable. "I've heard some parents can be harsh but since my parents were fairly laid back but still could be stern when needed while still providing the love and care that most parents tend to do without hesitation makes me feel grateful to have them as well as my siblings. We are fortunate to be a loving family. If only all people were as fortunate."
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Post by Katsumi Hirata on May 30, 2023 22:54:41 GMT
It had finally dawned on Lilly that Katsumi was not the sort of person to engage in casual chitchat with other people, but the high school girl had instantly regretted being so abrasive when she had called attention to her behavior. For somebody who wanted companionship, she certainly wasn't going about it the right way. " No, please, forgive me, Lilly-san. I meant no disrespect toward you," Katsumi apologized, but was too ashamed to look this new acquaintance in the eyes. Yet another consequence of the grasp her parents had over Katsumi Hirata. She patiently allowed Lilly to speak nothing but kind things about her own family, wondering what it was like to have so close of a connection with people like that. Katsumi couldn't imagine her parents being supportive of her passion for chess; they'd think she was wasting her time pursuing stupid endeavors. And that's how they would put it. Katsumi could only agree in silence, staring blankly off toward the space in front of her as her address began closing in. If only some people were as fortunate.
Notes: None so far! |
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Post by ricochet11-Lilly on May 30, 2023 23:11:05 GMT
As it seemed that Katsumi noticed Lilly had become upset the teen asked Lilly for forgiveness and Lilly perked up a bit with a soft smile before she said "I appreciate you meant no disrespect either, Katsumi-san. I can see how my excitement isn't always contagious and that I can be unintentionally overwhelming to some people. Sure such large amounts of energy comes in handy with my profession as a magician but in some cases all that energy can sometimes make things awkward for me.
Lilly then quietly observed Katsumi for a few moments watching as the teen stared off into space. Lilly was curious what was on her mind but didn't want to come off as invasive or to potentially offend her so instead the young magician said "So, Katsumi-san, do you have any hobbies like reading or sewing? I know other than my love of magic I developed a love for learning. I definitely am like the shorter of my two dads." Then Lilly blinked realizing what she had said and got worried given some humans weren't accepting of same gender couples which made Lilly subconsciously worried she had screwed up potentially setting herself up for potential verbal abuse causing her to nervously bite her lip.
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Post by Katsumi Hirata on May 30, 2023 23:36:50 GMT
On the plus side, Lilly seemed to acknowledge Katsumi's remorseful attitude and accepted her apology with grace. Not that it made the high school girl feel any better about having snapped at her. But, it was water under the bridge now, as they say. Katsumi listened to Lilly express herself without any need for a prompt, going on and on about how her personality could come off as grating to some types, that it had its benefits when putting on performances, and that it could land her in awkward spots. This was one of them. It then crossed Lilly's mind to ask Katsumi about what she found interesting or fun. A part of her wanted to default back to her usual response of "studying for college", but she sensed that the girl in the hat wouldn't buy it. As if to offer an example of what a hobby was, which Katsumi found entirely redundant, the girl mentioned her love of learning, but went a step further and brought light to a detailed that struck her as unusual. She had two fathers? Hm. That was peculiar, Katsumi thought, especially in a country like Japan, where same-sex marriage wasn't widely recognized. The student could only imagine how difficult it must have been for them to acquire legal guardianship over Lilly and her siblings, but felt compelled to see their situation as an example of living against the grain of society. Good for them, Katsumi concluded. Not everyone could be so fortunate to live like that. Of course, Katsumi had been asked another question, and social courtesy required her to reply in kind. " Chess," she said plainly. The issue of Lilly having two fathers never came up. " M-My hobby." she added on, realizing there might have been no context behind her answer.
Notes: None so far! |
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Post by ricochet11-Lilly on May 30, 2023 23:58:41 GMT
While Lilly still had an uncertain look on her face and looked as if she was bracing herself for potential trouble even closing her eyes while still biting her lip nervously. Still after a few more moments of silence she cracked open one eye as nothing had happened from either the positive or negative end of things causing Lilly to breathe a sigh of relief as she opened her other eye while no longer biting her lip. Now less nervous she still silently awaited Katsumi's response to her curious question. Then, as if the knowledge of Lilly having two fathers wasn't that big a deal, Katsumi answered that her hobby was chess.
Hearing Katsumi's response made Lilly's eyes light up but the young one managed to reign in her excitement so she didn't become to overwhelming as she smiled and said "That's pretty cool! I think one of my dads play chess. Well better than me as I don't have much experience yet. Still chess is not only fun but I like that it stimulates the mind. I guess I have a soft spot for strategy games as well as learning."
"So Katsumi-san, do you speak any other languages than English and Japanese? It's okay if you don't cause I am only fluent in those two languages. Still I hope to learn at least one more as one of my dads is fluent in at least five. Well he is older than us and enjoys learning so maybe him knowing that many languages is logical. Oh and he also is a magician by trade as well. I was just the only kid to go into the same career choice." Lilly said before her older siblings came to mind as she said "Oh as for my brothers they go to school here in Shibuya. However I would be surprised if you've met them as they are both in Middle School. Sure the taller of the two could be mistooken for a high schooler like yourself but he is just tall for his age is all."
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Post by Katsumi Hirata on May 31, 2023 0:33:04 GMT
It came as a total surprise to Katsumi to hear Lilly speak of chess as if it were cool, because most other people her age thought it to be a rather dull and boring sort of game that only nerds played, and that apparently made her one by association. " It's my absolute favorite. I also play shōgi, xiangqi, and Go, but I'm not as familiar with those games," Katsumi spoke, finding herself on a diatribe regarding the various types of abstract strategy games that could be played atop a table. " I've played since I was really little." To hear those words come from her own mouth caused Katsumi to reminisce about her dear old grandma, who was no longer of this world. She unconsciously lifted her only free hand up to fondle the delicate barrette that hung from her left side, adjusting it so that it sat squarely above her temple again. Every time she came to mind, it caused Katsumi to reach for this innocuous looking accessory, for it was a memento of her late grandmother. If only she were here still... Lilly continued to jabber away, asking even more questions of Katsumi. " No, I only speak Japanese," she replied truthfully, but found herself being edged out of the conversation once more as the self-proclaimed magician shared even more details about her family being multilingual and her siblings, brothers by her admission, attending middle school here in Shibuya. " I haven't really noticed, sorry..." Katsumi admitted, as she was a second-year student and had no interactions with any of the underclassmen. Evidently, she was the only one who dressed like that. Eventually, they would arrive at the borders of Society Hill, and it would only be a matter of minutes before Katsumi's household came into view.
Notes: Now entering rich people neighborhood. |
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