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Post by ricochet9-Kima on Jun 6, 2023 22:03:49 GMT
Kima and Takoda sprinted after Katsumi. Sure Kima was be no means an athlete but she always had pretty good stamina for a non athletic person. While she was a snail compared to Takoda for obvious reasons she had gotten modestly fast as part of growing up forced to endure bullying. Due to that bullying she had learned to avoid bullies sometimes by outrunning them too.
The three of them passed by a garden teahouse while the forest also became thicker. Soon they had reached Kiyomasa's Well. Soon the brief image of the fox diving under the cover of nature was spotted. Then Katsumi said she was heading towards the well before telling Kima and Takoda to remain there. This made sense seeing as chasing the fox for hours would get them nowhere. As Katsumi bolted out of sight Takoda said "If only there was a means to convince the fox to give up the phone. Shame we don't have any food because that just might do it since Fuzz has been pursuing the fox underground."
"Trying food is not a bad idea, Takoda. Hang on let me contact Fuzz." Kima said bringing out the groups communicator which each member of her army had. "Fuzz can you hear me?"
"Mes here yous, Kima, Fuzz is still following the fox." Fuzz answered.
"Do you happen to have any kind of food on you? Takoda and I were thinking of using the food to try and convince the fox to drop the phone. Remember, Fuzz, foxes are omnivores."
"Fuzz got it but mes no have food but Fuzz can easily find some. Fuzz call back if successful." Fuzz said deactivating his communicator before moving quietly on looking for food. Since foxes ate a wide variety of things all he needed was something to grab their friend's attention. Sniffing the air the crafty Prairiemon searched for food and soon caught scent of something sweet smelling from above ground. He began digging upward poking his head out of the dirt. No humans were insight and he was careful not to pop up with humans around. Soon he spotted a chunk of fruit on the ground and grabbed it before diving back down into his tunnel sensing the fox and slowly and quietly made his way to where he was slightly ahead of the fox before making a really small hole before reaching out setting the fruit on the ground. Then he filled the hole and waited. With luck the fox will be interested in the fruity smell and drop the phone before going for the fruit.
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Post by Katsumi Hirata on Jun 6, 2023 22:58:20 GMT
It would seem as if the little entourage that Katsumi had picked up for herself thought it wisest to agree with her plan, and chose to stay behind in order to come up with one of their own. This suited Katsumi perfectly; the more ground they covered, the greater their chances were at spotting the fox that nabbed her phone. She wasted no time running down the path leading towards Kiyomasa's Well. According to legend, the feudal lord Kato Kiyomasa was possessed of black and white views, and being a follower of Nichiren Buddhism, he hated other religious beliefs and prioritized the arts of war above all other things; one day, while trying to build a house, he struck a spot in the ground that has continued to pour crystal clear well water to this very day. Katsumi's awareness of its purported mythical qualities would have been incentive for her to pay the site a visit earlier in the day, but having her phone stolen by the local wildlife and taken in its general direction was not part of her itinerary. Eventually, after much struggle to find the proper channels to reach it, Katsumi found herself atop the stone walkway leading straight to Kiyomasa's Well. She scanned her environment for signs of the fox, noticing only trees, a fence that walled off a nearby incline, and a small staircase leading toward an indentation in the ground. Inside this indentation was the famous well itself, a modest little reservoir submerged at the head of a small stream and filled with smooth pebbles and rocks; nobody was falling down that well any time soon. Simply allowing herself to stand among nature, immersed by it, gave Katsumi a feeling of calm she had never quite experienced before. It was certainly of no wonder to her that Kiyomasa's Well was deemed a 'power spot' by the local news outlets. She could practically feel it coursing through the elements here. That's when she saw it: a nondescript little object sitting under the water, half-concealed by rocks, visible only through virtue of its plastic-looking appearance. Who in the world litters at a shrine? With cautious steps, Katsumi lowered herself into the space where the well sat, humming nervously as her best pair of casual shoes got wet, then tried crouching low until she could reach her hand inside the reservoir, grab the foreign item, and properly retrieve it. Closer inspection caused Katsumi to tilt her head in plain confusion. " What's this?" she asked herself, holding the object in the palm of her hand, noticing that it was barely large enough to cover it. It seemed to have three buttons and a little antenna protruding from its side, and also sported what looked like a liquid crystal display. Had someone lost their Tamagotchi toy? Pushing the buttons didn't seem to activate it. Maybe it's broken? Rustling noises near her location break the girl's concentration, and she hurriedly shoves the mysterious apparatus into her dress pocket, feeling somewhat thankful it had pockets as the fox emerged yet again, except this time, it now carried a chunk of fruit in its muzzle. Katsumi gasped. That could only mean it dropped the phone somewhere! Clamoring out of the well space, Katsumi grunted and groaned as she made her way up the incline, noticing that the fox had seemingly refused to budge now. Good; after all she's been through, she was of half a mind to skin it and sell its pelt on the market. But in trying to close the distance between herself and the critter, a familiar shade of pink entered her peripheral view, and she immediately went running for it, which caused the fox to finally bounce out of the way, and out of sight. Getting closer to it, Katsumi leaned in, praying for another stroke of good fortune. Instead, she could feel her heart sink deep into her stomach. " N-No... No, no, no, please, don't be..." Cracks could be seen sprawled across the phone screen, but some of them appearing closer to puncture marks. No sound emanated from its speakers. Katsumi's hands shivered, hesitating to pick up the damage device. Rationale told her to follow through, but in doing so, she instinctively tried to push the 'on' button several times, hoping that would send a spark of life through it. She was too late. The fox had gnawed her phone to destruction. Tears began to well up inside of Katsumi's eyes, and before long, she couldn't stop herself from sobbing out of sorrow for her circumstances. Today had been going so well, too, and a broken phone was how it was going to end? How was she going to explain this to Mom and Dad?
Notes: Mission failed! We'll get 'im next time.
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Post by ricochet9-Kima on Jun 6, 2023 23:24:16 GMT
Apparently Fuzz's efforts were a success as he had poked his way out of the ground while he was out of sight of Katsumi. With that he made his way silently back to Kima and Takoda and when he caught up with them he gave a thumbs up gesture before Kima called him back into her Xros Loader and pocketed it. Then she and Takoda made their way back the direction Fuzz came from soon spotting Katsumi running for a familiar pink object on the ground and the fox bounded away from them. While Takoda hung a few feet back Kima bounded over to Katsumi and asked "Hirata-san. What's wrong?"
Then after seeing the damage and the tears in Katsumi's eyes she said "Oh sorry." Then a thought came to her mind as her eyes had a hopeful look to them before she then hesitantly placed a hand on Katsumi's shoulder before she said "Hirata-san? Maybe if we go back to where Tamaki-kun is waiting for us then perhaps he can fix your phone. It's worth a shot isn't it?"
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Post by Katsumi Hirata on Jun 6, 2023 23:53:46 GMT
Crying amidst the embrace of nature, Katsumi had barely heard Aiuchi-san trekking her way through the gardens and toward the well, but the damage had already been done. Part of her wanted to simply throw her damaged device as hard as she could, salvage be damned, but her rational self knew it wouldn't erase the past. This was all her fault. If only she had been more careful... Listening to Aiuchi-san recommend Suoh-san's mechanical expertise had served as a small point of comfort, but it wasn't an option for Katsumi to take. " There's a warranty on my phone, and it's void if I have a third party try to fix it," she said remorsefully, looking down at her cracked and chewed apparatus with a sniffle. " This sucks..." She had prayed for prosperity, and was instead cursed with the misfortune of losing her only means of connection to Mom and Dad. If only the well could magically repair her phone the same way Westerners believed that rice could absorb water damage from them. Wouldn't that be something? If anything positive could be taken away from this ordeal, it was the fact that Katsumi did have a means of getting her phone repaired, however it would likely take several days to make it functional again. A retailer would probably just tell her to purchase a new one, but that would require explaining the situation to Mom and Dad, and neither of them would be pleased to find out that she had been so careless. There was also the chess match between herself and Suoh-san to consider. At this point, Katsumi couldn't bring herself to pull through with the rest of the game, seeing as how she had just tried chasing a thieving fox across Yoyogi Park and into the Meiji Shrine complex. Maybe they could finish it another day? After all, it was common for players to adjourn a game if it took too long, and Katsumi would be sharp enough to record both sides' positional pieces. Otherwise, she was likely to suggest a draw to Suoh-san, that is, once they got back. " I need to go back and grab my things..." Katsumi told Aiuchi-san, unable to look in her general direction. " Suoh-san and I should probably finish our game some other time..." It shamed her to walk away from such an incredible match, but Katsumi wasn't of a sound enough mind to negotiate or make concessions, much less play at her best level. Hopefully they would understand.
Notes: ---
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Post by ricochet9-Kima on Jun 7, 2023 0:13:49 GMT
Kima listened as Katsumi mentioned there was a warranty on her phone that would be voided if she had a third party try and fix it before she removed her hand from Katsumi's shoulder and stared at her shoes. After a while Kima looked up as if in thought and said "Well then maybe my friends and I can help pay to have your phone to be repaired if a third party can't take a shot at repairing it due to your warranty."
"Either that or maybe there is the remote possibility he can build you another phone that appears identical in appearance for you to use temporarily while your phone is repaired. Though even I don't know the full limits of Tamaki-kun's technical know how." Takoda said offering his two cents in the matter.
When Katsumi said she needed to go back and grab her things she also said that maybe she and Blaster should finish their game another time. "Don't worry, Hirata-san. Tamaki-kun is one of the most understanding people I've ever met. So if you explain everything he is no doubt going to understand."
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Post by Katsumi Hirata on Jun 7, 2023 0:57:48 GMT
Katsumi could only shake her head, declining Aiuchi-san's rather generous attempt to call upon her friends to help pay for the damages and Blackhawk-san's suggestion to have Suoh-san build her an identical device. " It's my fault I'm in this mess to begin with... I have to take responsibility for my decisions." she said, bowing her head as she touched the ornament that dangled from her hair. What would Grandmother do in this situation? If she were still around, the likelihood of her simply buying a new phone would have been high, but this would have done nothing to teach Katsumi the importance of being accountable for herself. It stung just as much to hear Aiuchi-san reassure her that Suoh-san would not fault her for wanting to continue their game another time. Considering how well he played for a total novice, it further deepened Katsumi's guilt for having to part ways on so sour of a note. She would have to remember to oblige him with a proper match the next time around. Still, it came as a surprise to Katsumi that they were as sympathetic to her issue as they had been. Japanese people were well known for their stoic cultural outlook and extreme adherence to modesty; even as Katsumi panicked internally over what might happen when she got home, she could not allow her anxiety to show itself in full display. Even now, she worked to compose herself and wipe away the tears that had streaked down her face. " I hope so..." Katsumi muttered to herself, as if she were still unsure if Suoh-san would grasp the gravity of this recent turn of events. At the very least, they could leave Meiji Shrine through the main entrance, but it was going to be a long walk back to Yoyogi Park. If only she had her melon bread with her...
Notes: ---
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Post by ricochet9-Kima on Jun 7, 2023 1:17:06 GMT
Upon Katsumi admitting to it being her fault she was in this mess to begin with and that she had to take responsibility for her decisions. Then when Katsumi bowed her head and touched the ornament that was in her hair, Kima quietly said "I can totally understand and respect you wanting to take responsibility for what you have inadvertently done. I know how it feels to break a phone that I had promised to take care of as it happened to me a couple of years ago with my first phone. While getting off a train I had accidentally dropped it on the tracks where it shattered on impact. When I showed the remains of the phone to my parents they were more disappointed than angry with me. Though I was grounded for a short time and had to do extra chores to earn a new phone what I learned from my mistake made it all worth it."
Takoda noticed how Katsumi was working to compose herself while wiping away her tears on her face. When Katsumi said "I hope so.." Takoda said "Don't worry, Hirata-san. Kima-san is right about Tamaki-kun. Though he was enjoying the game he will definitely understand your need to finish the game later."
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Post by Katsumi Hirata on Jun 7, 2023 12:15:43 GMT
Aiuchi-san had tried to comfort Katsumi with anecdotes of her own, claiming that she had broken a phone at some point in her life as well, that her parents grounded her, and that she had to perform extra duties around the house to have it replaced. Somehow, Aiuchi-san walked away from the experience learning a valuable lesson in responsibility, but from Katsumi's point of perspective, all she took away from her story was that she would need to be even more reliant on her parents, something she already begrudgingly did in spades. Katsumi stared mournfully at her destroyed phone as Blackhawk-san mentioned Suoh-san's supposed patience for these sort of events, gripping it slightly as the thought of disappointing him crossed her mind. There was no helping it, she reminded herself, he at least deserves to be told the truth. Drying the tears that still welled up behind her eyes, Katsumi took a deep breath, filled her lungs in with the supposed healing properties of Kiyomasa's Well, and exhaled. " Right... We should head back to Yoyogi Park now." she said, looking around for a path that would lead back to Meiji Shrine proper. She grimaced at the thought of having to walk an extra twelve minutes in wet shoes, but, that was the price she paid for being careless with her phone. " Aiuchi-san... Blackhawk-san... Thank you for your kindness..." Without another word, Katsumi Hirata began the long and mediocre trek back to Yoyogi Park, carefully navigating the pathways until she reached an exit point that led toward Meiji Shrine's primary natural corridor. She had expected the other two to follow behind her closely, but there was far too much running through her mind for it to be useful in a conversation.
Notes: ---
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Post by ricochet9-Kima on Jun 7, 2023 21:23:15 GMT
It appeared Kima's efforts to attempt to make Katsumi feel better didn't exactly work out which caused Kima to stare at the ground while the group was making their way back to Yoyogi Park to meet back up with Blaster who she knew was patiently waiting for everyone to return. Though she was staring at the ground she said "Hirata-san, is the reason for you being upset related to you being worried about how your parents would react to your phone being stolen by that fox and chewed up? Sure you weren't as careful as you should have been but the damage done to your phone wasn't totally your fault." Then she looked up looking like she was feeling guilty for most of what she said before she then said "I'm sorry, Hirata-san. I didn't mean to come off as insensitive. I was just trying to make you feel better but I guess I may of blundered that horrendously."
Despite Katsumi thanking them Kima was staring at the ground while rubbing her arm. Meanwhile Takoda gently placed his hand on Kima's shoulder in an attempt to make his general calm down before he said "Your welcome, Hirata-san but we would do our best to help out anyone in need." Both Kima and Takoda followed not far behind Katsumi as Kima lifted her head but was still rubbing her arm clearly looking as if she was feeling guilty.
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Post by Katsumi Hirata on Jun 8, 2023 1:10:53 GMT
" Aiuchi-san, please, it's alright," Katsumi said with an insistent tone to her voice, trying her best to remain patient with her in spite of Aiuchi-san's feelings of insecurity. She was too busy stating the obvious to realize that Katsumi's parents were not the sort of people you could negotiate with, and that no amount of consolation would help her to escape the inevitable encounter that was to come. The next twelve minutes would be spent walking in awkward silence. Katsumi felt no contempt for the girl or her companions, even though her demeanor was all but emotionally cold and distant from the rest of the world. Eventually, Katsumi and her retinue of acquaintances would arrive back at the entrance of Yoyogi Park, and it would not take her very long for her to spot Suoh-san sitting patiently at the table where they had left him. With a steady breath, Katsumi would calmly approach the table and offer him a respectful bow of her head, unconcerned with how dirty some of her skirt had become. " Please forgive me, Suoh-san, but we must continue our game another time," Katsumi said, continuing only after allowing the words to hang in the air for a little while, " The fox ended up ruining my phone..." She would show him the destroyed cellular device for emphasis of this fact, determined to avoid coming off as a flake or a coward for being unwilling to finish playing. But, it was as Suoh-san had said earlier, there were more important things in life than winning games.
Notes: ---
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Post by ricochet9-Kima on Jun 8, 2023 1:32:37 GMT
"O-okay...." Kima softly, but still audibly, replied. Sure Kima was still somehow a kind hearted girl despite being tormented by her bullies most of her life. The one thing she did like about being a Xros General was her partners accepted her for how she was even though she was a walking pile of insecurities. The digimon who called her their general were the few lifeforms that accepted her other than her parents. Perhaps Katsumi could be among those people some day.
Traveling awkardly quiet for the next twelve minutes didn't hurt neither Kima or Takoda's feelings. Yet they were wondering what a fox wanted with a phone. Perhaps it had a scent that grabbed the fox's curiosity and that could of triggered the whole disastrous mess in the first place. 'If only I was in my digimon form when the whole thing started then I could of known for sure if there was an unusual scent connected with Katsumi's now broken phone.' Takoda thought as the group made their way back to Yoyogi Park.
Blaster saw the group approaching his eyes lighting up before catching on to the less than happy facial expressions from the others. Apparently not everything went according to plan. When Katsumi respectfully bowed her head he got a look at how dirty her clothes were before she asked for forgiveness and said they must continue their game at some other time. Before he could ask she mentioned the fox had ruined her phone and then showed it to him. Blaster slowly stood up and in a gentle tone said "Don't worry, Hirata-san. Ah understand. Ya had a rough time with tha fox and ya want some time ta be back in at full capacity in order ta play at your best." He then bent down and grabbed her bag before handing it out to her as he said "Here ya go. Ah kept an eye on it while ya'll were gone."
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Post by Katsumi Hirata on Jun 8, 2023 11:26:19 GMT
Fortunately for her, Suoh-san had, indeed, proven to be understanding of Katsumi's predicament and agreed to try having a proper chess game at some other point in time. She sighed in relief as he took the initiative and handed back her belongings. " Thank you, Suoh-san. I promise, we'll have a real game sometime. You played incredibly well for a beginner." She couldn't help but draw back to the match, noticing that his pieces had created a formidable barricade against hers. And she had been setting up a powerful offensive with her queen, as well. She then turned to face Aiuchi-san and her indigenous American compatriot with an expression of partial remorse for her earlier silence. " Thank you both for trying to help me at the shrine," said Katsumi, " I would have lost my phone entirely if you hadn't." And that was the unvarnished truth. Even Aiuchi-san's other friend had played a role in trying to lend aid, despite Katsumi having utterly no clue of this. Placing her broken smartphone into one of the bag's side pockets, Katsumi sighed again, still feeling antsy over having to confront her parents about this series of unfortunate events, but determined nevertheless to think of a way to break the news to them. " It was very nice to meet you all," Katsumi expressed before bowing her head one final time, hair swaying in the afternoon breeze. " Please take care of yourselves." And with that, the young girl would turn on the heels of her soaked shoes and begin making her way back toward the entrance of Yoyogi Park, leaving all three of her new acquaintances behind to process the day at their own leisure. Her thoughts traveled back to the moment she prayed at Kitaya Shrine, causing Katsumi to partially frown. Instead of sowing prosperity, the god Inari must've thought himself really clever by sending one of his vassals to damage her phone. She scoffed as the image of that grinning fox came to mind. If anyone was about to be prosperous here, it was Mom and Dad, because it almost seemed like they were looking for excuses to hold their daughter more highly than other people these days. She went to retrieve her phone again, still hesitant to come to terms with the reality of her situation, only for her fingers to brush up against something plastic and crinkly. Oh, she had almost forgotten about her melon bread! That must've been what the fox had smelled all over her phone. Katsumi sighed again, feeling even worse about the ordeal knowing it could have easily been avoided, had she just eaten the bread first. As she grumbled to herself, Katsumi would pass by the site of the Kitaya Shrine on her way to the train terminal, entirely unaware that the very same fox that destroyed her phone had ventured there to bask underneath the shade of the altar's canopy mere moments ago. It gave the passing girl a disinterested glance, as if its job had been finished, before returning to its nap.
Notes: Exit!
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Post by ricochet9-Kima on Jun 8, 2023 20:54:35 GMT
Katsumi accepted her bag which he handed to her before thanking him and promising that they would have a real game sometime. Then she said he played incredibly well for a beginner. Blaster smiled and said "Thank ya for the compliment, Hirata-san. Ah would like ta play again sometime too since playin' against ya was a lot of fun. Maybe Ah should consider joinin' the chess club myself."
Then Katsumi thanked both Kima and Takoda for trying to help her and Kima said "Your welcome, Hirata-san." After she said that she lightly bowed her head. It was a shame their combined efforts couldn't recover the phone before the fox had broken it however. Hopefully Katsumi's parents would be understanding when she explains what happened to them as such a thing could of happened to anyone.
Though Kima was quiet Takoda handled things when Katsumi said it was nice to meet them by slightly bowing in return before he said "It was very nice to meet you as well, Hirata-san."
"Don't mind, Kima. She enjoyed meetin' ya too but doesn't always know how ta express herself around strangers due ta confidence issues." Blaster said before he continued "It was nice ta meet ya and take care of yourself. Maybe we can be friends in the future. Who knows?"
As Katsumi vanished from sight Kima, after being silent for a moment more, said "Maybe that fox could of been a sign of good fortune for Hirata-san. I hope that is the case. After all good fortune does not always to come to a person instantly. It sometimes takes time." Kima then looked at Takoda and Blaster and her other partners were listening from within the Xros Loader as their general then said "As weird as this sounds, I might of found some measure of good fortune when I met you guys as you all have become among the first friends I've ever had."
After awhile Kima, Takoda, and Blaster began walking back to the apartment that the teen girl called home. Upon entering the apartment was when all the partners were let out of the Xros Loader which was okay as her parents were among the few partnerless humans that knew about digimon and were comfortable with Kima's partners after everything was explained to them when she first brought Takoda home.
[EXIT]
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