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Whose Child Is This!? (Kiyoshi)
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Apr 30, 2016 3:35:15 GMT
Okay, maybe they should stop exploring the Dark Area on a regular basis. Their sparring session with Luke and Iko was intense and fun, but it left them very turned around in the horrible, expansive wastes of the Dark Area. Having been to the area on a regular basis, Isaac figured it would be a trivial matter of finding his way back. Instead he found himself in the exact opposite direction, reaching the very end of the world. It didn't help matters that they were very tired from their sparring match, and had degenerated to Impmon and Veemon forms in order to conserve their energy for later. They were lost, relatively unprotected, and currently looking into the abyss at the end of the universe.
Isaac didn't even need to turn around to know that Elliot was giving him The Look. "So. You know where you're going, huh?" the boy asked, part irritated and part taunting.
"Hey, this is the first time I've gotten this lost so far, okay?" Isaac asked, somewhat irritated. Sure, this was also the first time he had gone more than a tiny bit into the Dark Area, but he was really good at navigating that tiny bit! "We're gonna get out of here any second now. I promise. Just follow me and trust me. Besides, we're so close to the edge of the world. I don't even think half the Digimon in the Dark Area are going to want to go here. We should be safe here for now."
"Well, okay. But be careful please. I'd like to keep not-dying, if that's okay with you."
Isaac nodded, making sure to pay attention to the nearby area. Who knows what he'd find this far in the Dark Area? Waves of blood. Falling rocks. Strangely out of place small children, perhaps?
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Post by Kiyoshi Inoue on Apr 30, 2016 4:19:19 GMT
WHAM.
A child comes tumbling out of nowhere and lands atop Elliot...Veemon...whoever. Moments later, a pair of small, cherubic Digimon come plummeting out of the sky as well, and crash into Isaac. Fortunately, the human boy is only four feet tall, and can't be more than seventy pounds so...at least there aren't any more debilitating injuries for Elliot.
Equally fortunately, the boy is quick to roll over and rub his backside, eyes watering somewhat. "Owwww,". He's just...what even. Tiny, blonde, with a ridiculously angelic face. No doubt he also possesses a smile that could melt the hardest of hearts or Digicores. He tries to take in the situation around him and...utterly fails. This is not his bedroom. Not even close. So how did he end up in the middle of Mount Crazy! "Where'm I?"
The two identical Digimon who came with him, both clearly In-Training level, begin bouncing up and down, alternately greeting the two Spirit Wielders they'd used as impromptu crash pads. "Hi!" "Hi!" "Hi!" "Hi!""Hi!" "Hi!""Hi!" "Hi!" Okay. So that's happening too. Good.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Apr 30, 2016 4:33:33 GMT
Unfortunately, Elliot as a Veemon was only three feet tall. His sturdy stance and strong scales meant he wasn't so hurt, but he was still quite dazed by the sudden appearance of the child. Clutching his head slightly, he dizzily rose back onto his feet. "I thought we were alone here, Isaac?"
Isaac the impromptu babysitter looked back and forth at the two angels hopping around him. Unlike Elliot, he wasn't knocked on his arse by a small child and was therefore more than capable of seeing what had happened. Apparently they just spilled out of a random portal. The boy was too stunned by this revelation to pay his full attention to the group, trying to get it through his head. People could just fall into the Dark Area? Small, innocent children could just fall into the Dark Area? The freaking Dark Area? Isaac did a double take, only barely remembering to actually address the cheering Digimon. Maybe if he did they'd stop chirping "Hi!" and splintering his train of thought. "Oh. Uh, hi," he said, clearly very awkward about the situation. What was he supposed to do here? Being lost was bad enough without there being a kid running around!
As Elliot rose to his feet, he tried to help the poor kid out. He looked so young! He didn't deserve getting lost here. The hard part would be trying to explain himself without getting the boy too worried. He couldn't just say "You're lost in the scary hell place! Have fun!" and leave it at that. It'd be horribly irresponsible of him. At the same time, he knew the kid wouldn't buy the "this is just a bad dream" lone. Nobody bought that one. Especially not when they could feel and experience the Digital World themselves. The smell of ash alone would be enough to remind him that this was reality. "You are in the Digital World," Elliot finally said, plain and simple. "But you are not in a very nice part of it. So we are gonna try and help you find your way out, okay? Just follow us!
I am Elliot, by the way. And this is my brother, Isaac. It is very nice to meet you!" Isaac gave a small nod and wave, trying to mentally plan his way out of this place. Now that there was another life at risk, he couldn't afford to just take his sweet time.
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Post by Kiyoshi Inoue on Apr 30, 2016 4:48:33 GMT
"Oh." Kiyoshi pulls himself to his feet and rubs his knee. He'd torn his pants there and scraped away some skin, but all things considered his landing could've been much worse, "Ow. Um. Yeah. My brother didn't say the Digital World had such...gloomy bits," He looks around. Yup. This is more-or-less 'Hell', huh? Yup. Oh well. At least there are some friendly locals! "It's really nice to meet you too, Elliot!" Ahhhh. There's that heart melting smile. Is he even real?
The two Kyupimon stop bouncing for a few moments, and then continue, although they don't speak this time. Apparently they just...really love jumping. Doubly curious since they both clearly have wings that, although tiny, could almost certainly carry them through the air.
Kiyoshi straightens the hoodie he'd 'liberated' from his brother's closet that morning, his white D3 Digivice momentarily popping into view on his waist. "Follow you. Okay!" Oh gosh, he's so trusting. Well, the pair seem nice enough, and Kiyoshi likes to give people the benefit of the doubt! "So, um. Do...do you two live here?" A momentary pause, "Oh! Sorry. I'm Kiyoshi Inoue, and these are my partners! Kyupimon and Kyupimon!"
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Apr 30, 2016 5:04:21 GMT
From that day forward, Elliot knew he would fight to protect this smile. He already failed, considering the boy had already skinned his knee crashing into the Digital World, but it was the thought that counted in the end. However, while Elliot was busy checking to make sure their friend was okay, Isaac happened to notice his familiarity with the Digital World already. Older brothers? Looked like Digimon ran in the family for more people than just him and Isaac. "You already know all about Digimon? Oh, thank goodness. That's gonna make our job much easier!" Isaac said, letting a sigh of relief.
"It's awesome having a brother you can rely around over here! What's he like?" Elliot asked, curiously. He knew he always chomped at the bit to tell people about Isaac, and it was a pretty easy way of bringing him out of his shell. Kiyoshi didn't seem nearly as shy, but it would still likely be a good conversational topic to help ease him into his trip to big scary fire hell place.
"We don't live here, no. We're actually from the human world, like you are," Isaac explained. "You hear of spirit users before? 'Cause that's what my brother and I are." Isaac materialized his Digivice to help show it off to Kiyoshi, the D-Tector model quite different from a tamer's D3.
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Post by Kiyoshi Inoue on Apr 30, 2016 23:27:42 GMT
"Spirit Users?" Kiyoshi blinks, and then shakes his head, "Whassat, Isaac?" From the human world?! Utter insanity! He plucks his D3 off his belt and compares the two devices. There's something that seems similar about the pair, but they're clearly quite different aesthetically. Huh.
"Shichy? He's the best big brother ever!" Yoshi grins, and then rubs the back of his neck a little bashfully, "but, uh. I'm sure you two each have an amazing brother too!" D'aww. That's so sweet. "Um. He's smart, brave, kind. Worries a little too much about me sometimes, I guess," Although he understands why that is, of course. Their relationship is ridiculously close, even for brothers.
The two Kyupimon hop up, one clinging on to each of Yoshi's shoulders as they walk. He's really glad he met these two. They both seem pretty nice, although he feels like he has more in common with the little blue dragon so far. Why? There's just something familiar about his tone.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on May 1, 2016 1:37:10 GMT
Okay, so that was one thing he needed to explain. "Well, we are humans that landed in the Digital World. Like you. Except instead of partners, we have these artifacts that turn us into Digimon. It is not as fun as having someone else around on our journey, but it is better than nothing." For a second, he debated the safety of what he was planning to do. However, he figured it'd be fine. It wasn't like there were many enemy Digimon this far into the Digital World, and he'd be able to Digivolve back up a short while later. What harm would a quick demo be? "Keep a quick eye out, Elliot? I'm degenerating for a bit." A cocoon of light surrounded Isaac, and where the Impmon once stood now there was only the 15-year old human. At least now Kiyoshi wasn't the tallest one in the room anymore!
"Sichy sounds so cool! I hope I can meet him someday." Elliot said, not realizing the Kouhei-shaped levels of dramatic irony slowly mounting. "You are right, we do!" Elliot said, cheerfully in response to Kiyoshi's words. "I am so lucky to have Isaac with me. I would be a goner around here without him. He worries about me a ton, too, but big brothers are just like that I guess." More often than not, Isaac was the one to pull his butt out of the fire in times of need. His worrying was probably perfectly warranted. Hopefully, Kiyoshi didn't get into nearly as much trouble as he did!
"Have you been to the Digital World before? I promise, it is not all this weird and scary!" Elliot couldn't imagine a worst first impression, and his was being chased down by a maniacal tank-dragon.
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Post by Kiyoshi Inoue on May 1, 2016 2:20:36 GMT
"I'm sure you'll meet Shichy!" Kiyoshi smiles, and then gasps as he sees Isaac degenerate, "Wow! That's so cool!" Yoshi bounces up and down on the spot, "How'd you do that? How do I do that?" Whoa. It's like someone just fed him a bunch of pixie sticks. He shakes his head, "Oh, but no partners. ...But you have each other, that's just as good, yeah?" His smile only disappears for half a second before returning in force.
The two Kyupimon occasionally make 'Beep'ing sounds as Yoshi walks, seemingly for no reason, "I've only, um. Had these two little guys for a few days, but it feels like they've been around forever!" He's super-attached to them now. Almost literally, with the way they're hanging off his shoulders like that.
"Yeah, Shichy's awesome, he, um. Yeah. I guess he's the person I care most about in the world," Yoshi thinks about that for a moment. His parents are great, sure, but he just kinda...connects with Shichiro on a level he doesn't with anyone else, "Y-yeah, um. No. This is my first time. Shichy mentioned it, but...yeah. I think he wanted to wait a while until he brought me here,"
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on May 1, 2016 2:50:25 GMT
"I don't think you can have both spirits and partners, sadly," Isaac said. "As for how I do it, I just load up the artifact in my Digivice, try to focus on claiming its power for my own, and then just-" He paused. How did he do it? As far as he knew, he just squeezed his eyes shut and believed really, really hard. He shot Elliot a look, but the other boy simply shrugged in response. Same method? Same method.
"Hope, I guess," Isaac finally concluded. What kind of hope tended to vary heavily. Hope to make his enemies suffer for daring to hurt the people he cared about, sometimes. Hope to have the power to protect everyone in his life. Sometimes just hope to get out of this crazy situation alive. He couldn't reach new heights of power without the totems associated, but that didn't stop him from needing the proper emotional catalyst to trigger his new transformations. Simpler ones like Veemon and Impmon could basically be accessed on command now, but even Strikedramon and Yasyamon would refuse to come out if the brothers didn't at least feel mildly threatened by their current situation.
"I know, right? This place grows on you fast," Elliot observed. "I turn into a Digimon, and even I'm starting to feel comfortable with it." Being a spirit user was not very easy to adjust to. Learning how to adapt to changing physiology, changing sizes, and changing mindsets was really tricky. It took him at least a week of practice to learn how to move Strikedramon's tail! It was becoming easier with each transformation, though, and the skin-crawling feeling of no longer being himself was gradually starting to fade. He wasn't fully comfortable with it all, but it was less of an ordeal than it used to be.
Wait, this really was his first time? Elliot looked very worried at this fact. "Well, don't you worry. We'll be sure to get you home as soon as possible. Then I bet Shichy would love to show you around." Part of Elliot wanted to show him the much nicer parts of the Digital World to help him feel better, but how could he steal that special moment of brother bonding? Getting him to the safety of Terminus City would be more than enough, and there'd likely be plenty of cool sights to see on the way there.
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Post by Kiyoshi Inoue on May 3, 2016 19:53:36 GMT
"Oh. Hope. Hope's a good thing to use to get superpowers!" Yoshi beams at Isaac's half-assed explanation. What? He likes Hope! It's a very positive emotion, and clearly an indication that these two might be just as cool as they seem! Bad guys don't have hope after all, do they? Uh. Let's come back to that.
The two Kyupimon make 'beeping' sounds again as Kiyoshi talks about them, "I mean, um. I met my brother's Digimon even before he told me about him, and before he told me about all'a this stuff. So I guess I got a head start? It's still a little weird, but you're right, it all grows on you really quickly! I can't imagine life goin' back to how it was!" Well, that's fortunate then, isn't it? What with you being fairly close to the literal edge of an entire planet. Somehow. And not even your planet.
Weirdly it's the lost child who gives his rescuer, Elliot, a little encouragement with a big smile, "I'm not worried! I have the Kyupimon and you guys with me! You're so cool!" It's all just one big adventure to him, "I know Shichiro'll wanna meet you too!" Looks like the boys will be making at least two new friends out of this, whether they want to or not. Yes. Forced friends. The best kind.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on May 3, 2016 20:21:27 GMT
"Yep! When I've got my brother and my friends backing me up, I feel like I can do anything!" Elliot chirped merrily. It was interesting how Elliot and Isaac viewed their powers differently. To Isaac, they were imperfect, fallible, and risky. Despite this, they were the best things he had access to. By harnessing them he'd be, if not heroic, at the very least less powerless. It would always be a struggle using them, but it would also be his one chance to maybe make a difference. For Elliot, they were pillars of strength. He believed in himself, and in his ability to help, and with it he could finally rise to the lofty ideals of heroism. To Isaac it was simply a transformation of the normal. To Elliot it was a full rejection, one he could never turn back from. Some days it hurt, some days it was a delight, but either way both brothers knew there was no turning back.
The least they could do was embrace it.
Getting to encounter friendly Digimon first made for a far better first impression than dangerous ones. Even if the Dark Area would be a terrible second impersonation, at least he'd have the best of the Digital World to offer firsthand. "Neither can I," Isaac admitted. Elliot nodded in response. Even if oftentimes the two of them wanted to turn back and return their lives to how they were before, the Digital World itself was surprisingly easy to adapt to. If anything, it was the move to Japan that hit them even harder than the concept of the Digital World. The latter was a fantastical adventure that they could strike back against. The former? That was just real life. Fighting real life just wasn't possible.
"You're so nice!" Elliot said, already fully won over by how sweet and kind of a kid this was. "You and your Digimon are really cool too. I wonder what they'll be like when they start Digivolving. It's gonna be awesome!"
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Post by Kiyoshi Inoue on May 3, 2016 20:46:39 GMT
"I feel the same way! I mean, in life in general! As long as you've got friends or family cheering you on, you can do basically anythin'!" Yoshi agrees enthusiastically with Elliot...again. There's a pattern forming here. Erk. Still, he seems really nice, and that's won Yoshi over immediately. Isaac seems nice too, just a little less...uh. He seems more grown-up. Like Shichiro can get, sometimes. Sigh.
"Digivolve? Oh! Is that where they change? They already did that once right after they hatched!" Yoshi bounces on the balls of his feet, excited to relay things to his new friends, "they were these little blobs called, um. Puttimon! And then they changed into these guys a few minutes later! ...Does that mean they get even bigger?!" he gapes, astonished! Maybe they'll be able to lift his school above their heads. That'd be awesome...
"So, um. Are you two from Shibuya? Your accents sound a little...different," That's the nicest he can put it, apparently. He's not having any real trouble understanding them, but there's something slightly off.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on May 3, 2016 23:35:24 GMT
"And thanks to us, they can do anything too," Elliot concluded. Like the time that Kuu Digivolved just to bail their asses out of the fire. Or how Iko Digivolved because they were doing such a good job at being training partners. People didn't live in a vacuum, no matter how often Isaac thought he could get away with being a lone wolf. Maybe Elliot was to the point of relying on others at times, but it didn't change the fact that the expertise and motivation of others was integral. He wanted to be the beacon of strength for others that other people were for him, and he knew it was a reciprocal transfer. Trying to do one without the other would burn you out bad.
The least they could do was embrace it.
"Oh, you bet! There's lots of times that they can change. I think there's at least-" Elliot tried to do a quick mental recount. The two baby forms, Rookie like most Digimon, Champion like Kuu, Ultimate like Iko, Mega like Yasuo and Yuudai. And then a level beyond, like that horrifying knight of darkness. "-five or six times that they change. Usually only the first ones are permanent, though, so you're not gonna have to worry about them getting too big or anything like that. Instead they just get all big and strong to help protect you. It's really cool! Makes me kinda wish I had a partner, instead of doing it myself." Spirit totems were cool enough, but compared to manifesting the strength of your determination and heart into a new form? They were just, well, rocks.
Then the topic of where they were from was brought up. Elliot fell a little quiet. Even if he was in Shibuya to stay nowadays, and he was enrolled in school and everything, it still stung a little bringing it up. Thankfully, Isaac was able to easily take the lead here, sparing Elliot his lament. "We're from California," he explained, figuring that the American twang in their voice was unmistakable. "We haven't really been here for long. We only just made the move official a few days ago." Sure, they were still in Japan for all that time due to their "vacation." But as far as being official denizens was concerned, they only recently got all of the paperwork sorted.
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Post by Kiyoshi Inoue on May 4, 2016 0:30:24 GMT
Yoshi gives Elliot a thumbs up. He couldn't agree more! Sure, it might not really apply with Digimon for him, yet, but the rest of his life was a different story. He wouldn't've learned to swim, or ride a bike, or do a lot of things without his brother's support, or the support of his friends. Does...does he rely on people too much? He's never even considered that before, but...maybe he does. Maybe he should learn to be stronger on his own.
But how to do that is a mystery for another day.
"Five or six! Wow! That's crazy! I can't wait to see what the Kyupimon twins turn into next!" Yoshi seems almost giddy with excitement. And who can blame him? Having superpowered monster friends is every nine year old's dream! "Well, them getting big to protect me would be cool! But it's just as cool for you!" Kiyoshi assures Elliot, "You can protect yourself without having to rely on someone else! You must be really tough!"
"Oh, well. You both speak Japanese really well!" It might be an exaggeration, or it might not, but it seems like the right thing to say. He looks at Elliot, sensing that something is off. Maybe he was upset by the move? He sure would be, if he'd moved halfway across the planet from his friends overnight. "Oh. Well. California's loss is our gain! We're really lucky to get two guys like you! If you need any help with anything, you can always come to me or Shichiro, we'll be happy to help! Or, um. Whatever. Y'know. Uh. Yeah," He's sure they'll form their own social bonds before long (if they haven't already), but he really means what he's saying. Helping someone is the best thing you can do with your time, especially if they've helped you out already like the two boys have done for him!
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on May 4, 2016 4:37:07 GMT
Kiyoshi was right. The power was his, and his alone. No need to have anyone else tell him what to do, or drag the power out of him. When Elliot needed to step up to the plate, he could with relative ease. Still, he felt like his power was being a little oversold. Compared to Iko, or Yasuo and Yuudai, or even Alicia, he was really quite low on the totem pole. He smiled gently at Kiyoshi, still somewhat sad about memories from home flooding through him. "I try my best," he said, voice still a little bit soft. "It's really the least I can do." He still didn't feel too comfortable taking forms beyond Strikedramon, a Champion-level, even if in times of need he always had Sandiramon in his back pocket. He hoped that neither would end up coming up today, though. He was low on energy and tired, and just wanted today to be a perfectly incident-free trip. Fighting Iko for practice was way more fun than fighting for his life.
Of course, what Kiyoshi said next broke the glumness. Elliot couldn't help but start grinning, infected by the boy's enthusiasm. It was also a pretty good pick-me-up for Isaac. He left a lot of bad baggage behind in California, and to hear that he was all the better off for dumping it there was always reassuring. So was the offer for help. It was quite bold of a move to make to two complete strangers, but if anything that made it all the sweeter in the brothers' eyes. "Thanks. I think we needed to hear that," Isaac admitted. "Same goes to you, okay? Elliot and I can always take a bit of time out of our day to help a friend in need."
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