A Simple Light [Cion]

"Aaah... that's life..." Cion uttered as finished taking a sip of a delicious, fruity and ice cold drink. Her voice young and full of bliss, the Arniomon smiled and beheld the radiant colors of the tasty juice inside her glass, quietly contemplating her current state of being. She had been promoted to the rank of officer in the organization of PROFIT with short time and set record levels of earnings, had ascended to her apex form of which she already had control over its restrained subtype she decided to make her status quo, and overall led an existence of pride, accomplishment and of course pleasant luxury.

Not to mention all the fantastic friends, companions and colleagues she gladly accepted among the ranks of her friendship circle. The only matter that still needed to be properly dealt with was that of her family, for Owen, Logan and Koharu had seemingly widely different idea of what kin meant to them. As the silver fennec saw it, providing the Offmon with a stable life and proper home to return to, even as a partner of a digi-destined, was of utmost importance to her. Money was of no concern due to her efforts, yet... there was uncertainty and a lack of communication.

However... she refused to let herself be affected by these recurring thoughts as there was in reality nothing she had to worry about - the two exceptions being the black vitiation and the crimson parasite currently plaguing the digital world. But she had enough faith and trust in those she called siblings and nephew as to not be concerned of their well-being. Besides, she knew exactly what a fanatic desire for control was and felt like, and it was not something she wished to impose on the four she treasured.

Sighing with the almost full glass in her hand, she calmly sat at a pseudo-Hawaiian bar, her legs crossed as she leaned against the counter as to behold the beauty of the slowly yet steadily setting sun. As mundane as the sight actually was, it never failed to amaze her and reminded her of life flourishing on their planet. Some were unfortunately haunted by bane, a condition Cion sought to change with every passing minute, but overall their realm was a decent place to exist in. Not perfect and definetly demanding, but certainly with one inherent aspect - hope.

Briefly looking at her signature green, short scarf, the Arniomon shook her head and stretched herself good. Letting out a chary yawn as to not bother the few others, her mind drifted away and back into her checklist while her gaze lingered on the aureate sunset reflected on the ocean's glittering surface. ..... Whitewater seemed to be the best city for a youngling to grow up in, not?

"Huh?" Cion uttered quietly as she got pushed out of her thoughts by a voice that was... not unfamiliar. Blinking several times for the glittering spectacle of the radiant ocean at dusk had unknowingly bedazzled her, she shook her head and tilted her gaze to the large, fluffy stranger who had approached her. With an ever so slightly open maw, the Arniomon beheld the odd entity of humanoid proportions next to her. Light brown to beige armor, bizarre pseudo-armor, cyan talons... winged ears? The being was sort of a feline Leomon with a obvious attributes of chimeras added - and above all something she had never encountered before.

As the silver fennec listened to the words the newcomer spoke, her spirit was immediately beaming with curiosity and wonder. She looked a lot different than the male digimon remembered? Who could this lad possibly be? Thankfully, the answer revealed itself shortly afterwards, and the restrained cosmic sentinel's response did not keep the old friend waiting either. "Kan..." She said with an almost dreamy tone, eyes and toothy smile widening dramatically as her floppy ears peaked. Sincere joy overcame the vulpine warden; one that came from the reunion with a missed companion

Unable to hold herself back, Cion gently leapt towards the Silvermon-X and gave him the tightest bear hug she was able to do with her small, slender frame. Heck, she was barely capable of fully closing the embrace as her arms were too short. But the cozy pelt on Kan's chest was sufficiently inviting and cuddly for her not to mind. Biting her lower lip, unaware of her comrade's and colleague's reaction, she savored this desired encounter for all that it was worth - with a cute murr.

Eventually, her state of trace caused by bliss ceased and the polite, graceful fox returned to properly interact with Kan. However, that did not mean she let go off him! Taking another close look at him, her elation definetly did not diminish. "You look... good!" The Arniomon stated without hesitation, curious about why the to her sudden shift in appearance from gloomy beast to a colorful one. After all, she had meant it both figuratively and literally.

Not caring for any sounds of surprise the deeply missed friend had let out, Cion instead savored their reunion happily yet firmly for as long as possible. When Kan put his furry paw on her head to gently stroke it, the silver fennec purred the most adorable of all pleasant murrs. Similar to the trio she dearly treasured, she felt like she did not have to keep up a persona of grace and sophistication in the presence of the Silvermon, despite not having spent much time together. Call it intuition, but their shared trip to the funfair had been such great fun that mutual sereneness seemed natural.

After clearing her throat and taking a good look at the strange yet lion-heartedly looking, humanoid beast, the Arniomon nodded and let go off him to carefully climb on one of the bar's stools. There, she took a few more moments to inspect the unique appearance of her companion, wondering how former crepuscule had shifted to these nice shades of brown and cream. The man almost looked like a big, crunchy cookie, which was likely another reason why she had lovingly pounced him. Or maybe she was simply starting to feel hunger creep into her system. But banter was prior-ranking!

Upon hearing that Kan was as fit as a fiddle, both physical and mentally, her rapt, toothy grin widened ever so slightly, happy to know that he was doing well for himself. As for her... gosh, it was kind of embarrassing to even talk about it considering their common vocation. "Oh - splendid for the most part, thank you. Working for PROFIT and becoming one of its officers was incredible balm to the soul. And yes, I indeed have reached my... eheh... final form, thanks for noticing." Cion stated, doing her absolute best to not appear boastful much less superior. Their powers and ranks were not meant to define their relationship and friendship after all.

Letting out a hushed sigh, vulpine sentinel folded her hands together and motioned her acquaintance to take a seat next to her. Swiftly, she took her ice cold glass of fruit juice back into her clutches, her gaze often swaying between it and the spirit-wielder. "And how have you've been?" She asked with genuine, audible interest in what the part-time lone wolf had done over so many months of walking separate paths.

There had been a certain sense of suspense as Kan took a few moments to think about a proper response to all of her previous answers, leaving Cion with wide eyes and faintly fidgety extremities. Upon hearing Kan's first comment however, a brief second of shock and denial overcame the modest, at times shy fennec. Shaking her head violently, she tried her best to make herself not appear 'superior'. "No I'm not - well... technically I am, but you know. Business and relationships are different things, right?" The apex digimon rhetorically asked with a nervous chuckle, her grin turning equally jittery.

The canine warrior's soft laughter calmed her soul down ever so slightly, her mind grasping that someone like her friend did not hold her promotion and position against her. Still, for people as humble as Cion, it was often difficult to call themselves the boss of anyone else. Especially when considering how much she cared for the opinions and contributions of others - she simply did not want to be treated differently and possibly achieve worse results due to a lack of input. Yet again this train of thought was probably fatuous, for those she considered dear and treasured were clearly open-hearted chaps.

Clearing her throat, the restrained Arniomon was in the end just happy to see her companion accepting her invitation to take a seat next to her. Taking a sip from her fruity, ice-cold drink, another pleasant sigh escaped her barely visible lips as she beheld the aureate radiance of the sunset's light reflecting on the glittering surface of the ocean. If nothing else worked, the beauty of the natural world, despite it being digital, helped. However, Kan's compliment immediately turned her cheeks similarly auburn. "Hehehe... uhhm... thanks. Yeah, most tend to be hulking paladins, not? And I'm sure yours will be magnificent as well."

Inhaling a deep breath, the vulpine sentinel whispered inaudible prayers of gratitude to the very concept of fate, thankful for the young, furry man's verbose answer to the question she requested a response for. Quietening down, the silver fox listened to what her friend had to say about himself, "Sounds great. I'm happy you are doing well for yourself. And hey, if you're ever bored, just come to me and we'll smack some common sense into baddies." She offered without hesitation, excited by the idea of erasing the existence of those who savored to do the same to others.

Vigilantism and bounty hunts were rather enjoyable in her point of view - and next to another trip like the previous visit to the funfair, it gave the two beasts something to do in pleasing togetherness. But first they had this wonderful evening in Whitewater to relish.

Glad that Kan's previous statements had merely been a way to tease her, Cion actually let out a pleasant murr upon being petted by the big, humanoid wolf. As much as she attempted to be a gracile, sophisticated lady, her mammalian nature was often too difficult to overcome. Physical contact like this, cuddling and hugging were an intense, great pleasure to her, an aspect she clearly shared with Owen who loved belly rubs. Clearing her throat as the kind treatment ceased, a faint, nervous chuckle escaped her lips as she observed the Silvermon taking a moment to contemplate further responses.

Nodding calmly, it appeared that their perception of apex digimons was similar, as it was the truth. Most were hulking warriors or beasts, with only a few exceptions having an appearance akin to the Arniomon or something different entirely. Overall, the silver fennec appreciated the diversity in life that the digital world offered, regarding it just as beautiful as the radiant dusk they were beholding. There were obviously some exclusions that usually carried with them a wicked heart, but those were swiftly dealt with to be reborn into a frame and personality that better suited the increasingly modernized planet.

Though the restrained sentinel cheered upon hearing her friend's mutual interest in wrecking villains in their spare time as a team, when it came to drinking she truly had no idea of what he was talking about - after all, alcoholic beverages and burdens like inebriation and sickness were at best rarity in the virtual plain of existence. "But... hydration is healthy, not?" Cion asked with audible perplexity in her voice, scratching her cheek to pronounce her confusion. Shrugging, she awaited an answer, but until then decided to join Kan in his wish to watch the setting sun.

As she heard the young man's opinion of his latest contributions, a sincere, warm smile overcame the muzzle of the tiny fox. Knowing that he had found peace and tranquility, surpassing the hectic rush of his former life, was reassuring unlike anything else. "Yeah... seeing others cheerful because of one's own actions is quite the balm to the soul, isn't it?" She more or less thought out loud and rhetorically, fully aware of the fact that both of them knew the correct reply.

As for business, the Arniomon was honestly surprised to hear that her companion sought to get rid off his store - his lifework so to speak. Leaning forward, her large black eyes and the white sheen within them shifted to the cyan ones of the furry warrior. "What is it you dreamed to do with your money and freedom afterwards? Settle here to focus on PROFIT... perhaps?" She amicably questioned the impetus that drove the spirit-wielder to alter himself this way. But there was also... something... absolutely genuine to the way she voiced the words chosen. So was her inquisitiveness as if it came from understanding - which she indeed had.

Kan's explanation concerning hazardous juices was certainly disquieting, especially when considering the fact that he was happily chowing his own down without a care in the digital world. Ingestible liquids that not only dehydrated people but also had intoxicating effects on the mind and body - why would anyone consume them on purpose? They sounded more like poisonous means of torture than a refreshing beverage. "Then... why do you drink it?" Cion wondered openly, not seeing any reason for someone as astute as the young man to intentionally contaminate himself with such dangerous substances.

Perplexed by his calm simper and unwounded shrug, the Arniomon briefly licked her upper lip. Ultimately, she was glad that the topic at hand shifted to the positive impact of goodwill on the consciousness and soul. And rewarding was quite an accurate attribute to describe the way they perceived their benevolent acts. "I believe both are fine in their own ways. A job well done begets a smile just as much as a good deed." She calmly voiced her thoughts, knowing that as long as she was capable of helping anyone deserving in need she would be content with the time and energy spent. After all, that was one of her justifications to stay with PROFIT.

As Cion listened to the ideas her friend had in regards to getting rid of his previous life as a craftsman on Earth, many notions came to the vulpine officer's mind. Further cooperating with the organization they belonged to was of course a splendid plan, particularly since it possibly included his already existing set of skills as a mechanic. What truly caught her attention however was how much Kan swooned over his form as a digimon of a very high level, specifically when it came to its dexterity. The silver fox nodded, grasping that humans were frail and blundering in comparison to many digital entities.

Yet... although her companion appeared to be satisfied, a strange sensation of repressed frustration emanated from him. Scratching her chin, the Arnimon suddenly displayed confidence and firmly patted the furry man's haunch to get his attention. "Never say never, darling. Nothing's impossible here." She encouraged him to not lose hope, especially to negative influences like jealously and double-edged gratitude. Whatever he wished to accomplish... even if it was shedding his humanity forever... there wasn't a hint of doubt in her that would have ever made her dissuade him from achieving his dreams.