Skip Navigation
A Stick of Trouble [Toki]
|
Post by Toki Akiyama on Jul 9, 2019 2:03:38 GMT
Toki crossed his arms as he listened to Morgan and Roger's sides of the story. Lilithmon...that one wasn't present during the negotiations. "Well the broken alarm clock sounds an awful like like the sleepy Belphemon. An eye over Terminus...Beelzemon, possibly? Leviamon would make sense for the Digital Sea. Those are just my thoughts, anyway. So you fought a Demon Lord known as Lilithmon before. She didn't appear during the negotiations, and that troubles me. A lot."
He paused for a moment and thought about the implications of this. Hiroyo's silence wasn't lost on Toki. He knew she had her own opinions on the matter and wanted to give her a chance to speak. However, he did have something to say "Our enemies when the negotiations were Phelesmon and Mephistomon. Phelesmon referred to a 'mistress' as someone they take orders from. Someone who specializes in honeyed words...and you said you were tricked, Roger? That sounds like Lilithmon, then. If that's the case, she put me, Rasielmon, Bagramon, Katsura, Adrian, and their Digimon in mortal danger. They intended to kill us all if we didn't go with their singular vision. That...doesn't reflect well on their leader."
Toki sighed and looked at Hiroyo and her Digimon "So...I have a few questions. I want you to go into detail what Lilithmon wanted with these flowers and what they could do...and what do you mean by weird egg thing? Was anyone hurt? Did she say anything strange to any of you?" He looked over at Hiroyo and smiled sympathetically "I know you have things you want to say, so please, say them. It's not fair to make a full judgement without getting every side of the story. You're right. They're not human, but they're still people. I honestly feel bad for the Demon Lords. The Digimon they were before...they must have suffered so much to desire this strength. I wonder if the attacks on the forest and other places of the Digital World lately triggered this return...if that's the case, then there needs to be more out there making sure that the Digimon are happy, safe, and can grow up in a peaceful world..."
He chuckled to himself lightly "I know a lot of Digimon like to fight. Humans like to fight too. But...fighting for sport and fighting to prove dominance over others are two different things. Digimon are incredible. Constantly changing to face new hardships and always trying to improve on themselves...we could learn from them just as much as they could learn from us."
|
|
|
Post by Hiroyo Oda on Jul 12, 2019 21:41:44 GMT
A soft breeze brushed past the group, carrying with it the scents of the town: cooked meat, freshly baked buns, and the dust brought by those travellers from the Village of Beginnings to here. The bangs around Hiroyo's serious face swayed before dropping back in the abscence.
"Well, at least you're willing to listen..." Toki's attempt at reassurance was met with a small, tight lipped smile in return. Hiroyo felt a little less out numbered at his words, and that in turn made her more likely to open up. She took a deep breath and stopped abruptly in the road.
They were off to the side enough that they wouldn't obstruct the main flow of traffic too badly, but the abrupt stop still got the group a quick glare from a Floramon that had to navigate around the group. "Alright, I'll start at the beginning. We and a few others were hired to escort a non-tamer and a Tsukaimon into Server Woods to find some flowers." Morgan narrowed his eyes at Hiroyo's wording but said nothing. "She had an example of the flower with her, it was dark and purple and to me it smelled like cake."
"The other humans thought it smelled differently." Roger said, almost accusingly. Hiroyo rolled her eyes and pulled her purse's strap higher on her shoulder.
"Yeah well, even their partners didn't agree on what it smelled like sooo yeah. It was like," Hiroyo paused to stare thoughtfully up at the sky for a brief moment before looking at Toki again. "it was like they smelled like whatever you liked most? Or whatever you wanted, maybe?"
"That would make sense. There was a Babamon who told Roger the flowers' seeds, when panted, would turn into whatever the planter desired most." Morgan added. "Roger and myself stayed far enough back that we did not catch their scent."
"I should point out that Babamon was protecting the flowers we eventually found! She knew the Demon Witch of Lust was coming!" Roger huffed. He drew himself upright on Hiroyo's shoulder like a snake, his antenna sticking out straight from his head. "She died to protect those flowers from Lilithmon!"
"She also was Lilithmon! Once!" Hiroyo twisted her head to try and glare at Roger but considering he was right on her shoulder it was obvious she couldn't quite get the angle right. Instead she crossed her arms and focused her sight on Toki. "If she thought they were such a problem she should've burned them before we got there, right?! Especially since she knew she couldn't hold the fog!"
Morgan shook his head in disapproval, although who it was in disapproval of was questionable.
"This was a rather fresh experience for us, please pardon the tempers that fly hot. Are we making sense so far?"
|
|
|
Post by Toki Akiyama on Jul 17, 2019 5:48:33 GMT
Toki was listening to the story and hung on every word to see if he could figure anything out from it. "Okay...there are a few things I want clarified, but it sounds like you and the others involved got roped into something more than you bargained for." He said, leaning against the nearest tree. "So...a flower that blooms into what the planter desires...the possibilities for something like that are endless."
"Hold on..." Something about what they said caught his attention "Roger...Morgan...you seem very suspicious of Lilithmon and you didn't catch the scent of the flowers? Did the others there seem to act strange in any way? I'm sorry for these questions, but they're important."
He frowned at the mention that Babamon died protecting flowers "If she would die for those flowers, then there must be something dangerous about them even if they're destroyed. Maybe the flower's death makes...something happen. Something bad, and that's why she protected them. Perhaps since she was once Lilithmon, she knew the dangers more intimately than anyone, or perhaps it's a holdover from the time as her that kept her from destroying them, who knows..." he mused.
Hiroyo was getting really heated about this and worried about where this conversation was eventually going "Hiroyo...I'm going to need you to tell me exactly what happened. What was that about fog? That wasn't mentioned before. Please...if you want me to understand you need to tell the whole story. Also...you might not like this, but during my meeting with the Demon Lords, one of Lilithmon's envoys was there acting as the ambassador for the Demon Lords. When it was clear we weren't going to be on their side, do you know what they tried to do? Kill us."
|
|
|
Post by Hiroyo Oda on Jul 19, 2019 1:48:14 GMT
Hiroyo started to shake her head before Roger and Morgan were able to answer Toki's rather pointed question. "It wasn't like that! Tsukiko and her partner, Eleonora, they smelled the flowers too but the moment Layla, Lilithmon dropped her disguise they were immediately hostile!"
Roger wriggled his antenna in irration at being cut off and immediately jumped in to the conversation. "Babamon didn't die just to keep the flowers away from Lilithmon, she did it so we could escape!"
He paused and seemed to hesitate before turning his head away from the group and speaking again. "And...she might not be dead? I heard her, right before that Angemon variant with a Key opened the portal for us. She asked me to stay and fight but I was carrying the General and everyone was hurt and tired so I...I didn't."
"Wait, what?" Hiroyo asked and in her shock seemed to forget that twisting her head around to look at Roger would no doubt leave her with muscle pain in the morning. "Why didn't you say something?! I didn't hear that at all!"
"Nor did I..." Morgan tapped his mouth with one claw thoughtfully as he considered his sibling's words. After a moment he sighed and shook his head. "We were in the fog then," he said by way of explanation to Toki. Although chances were good that that would only confuse the man more! "Things were...different in the fog."
"B-grade horror movie bullshit." Roger grumbled by way of agreement. He shook himself and turned back to the conversation, more subdued than before. Hiroyo sighed and reached up to scratch at the back of her neck.
"Do you really think something bad might happen from destroying the flowers?" She asked Toki. She peered up atthe taller man with an anxious expression. "Because ah, I don't think there's more than three plants remaining?"
"The two Tsukiko has and then the one Lilithmon had originally." Morgan clarified. He looked thoughtful but didn't seem to troubled by the thought of the destruction of the plants causing an issue. That had not been his read of the situation.
After a moment of silence from the three Morgan sighed and gestured to Hiroyo. "He is right, Hiroyo, we all had very different experiences in the forest I suspect and it is best if we go through everyone's story one by one."
With an uneasy shift of weight Hiroyo glanced at Toki then to Morgan, then back up at Toki again. With a sigh and a slight slump of her shoulders she nodded.
"Alright so, back to the beginning. We met up with the person we knew as Layla at the outskirts of the forest. She was there with a Tsukaimon, she said she wasn't a tamer but that she wanted to go into the woods. We met the other two humans, Eleonora and Tsukiko, there. Layla said she wanted to get a second flower to give to her brother and showed us the first one. We went in the woods but there was this thick fog and the group got attacked. There were two monkey digimon...?"
"Apemon and Gorillamon."
"Right, thanks. Apemon grabbed Tsukaimon and ran off in one direction and I threw Roger after and then we all got seperated." Hiroyo glanced up at the sinking sun and then gestured back to the road. She smiled weakly as she gave a weak excuse to get moving again. In reality she just found it hard to be the subject of such scrutiny, especially with the topic at hand. "Maybe we should walk and talk? Stories go good with food right?"
Regardless of whether they stayed in place or started moving Hiroyo would pickup her part of the tale again. "I was with Layla at this point and I tripped in some mud. We wandered around talking and then found a river and I washed the mud off and we started trying to find the group again." She tapped a finger on her chin as she recalled her tale. There were a few small details she was leaving out but since most of it was girl talk was she didn't think it mattered. "Uh...we got chased by a Dinobeemon I think she called it? Anyways, that's how I lost my first purse, I threw it as a distraction and then we took off running and we ended up in the clearing where everyone else was." Hiroyo's face went pink and she looked away, one hand resting on her arm. "That's...that's when we found out Layla wasn't telling the whole truth but...I don't really blame her. She was wearing a holo-suit or something and she removed it."
|
|
|
Post by Toki Akiyama on Jul 19, 2019 3:49:42 GMT
Toki continued listening and focused on each fact being brought up. This was definitely a complex story that would take a lot of consideration before coming to any sort of conclusion. That is, if a conclusion could even be reached. "This fog sounds like it messed with the perception of those within it...or was designed to separate people. Or even both." He said as he kept walking at Hiroyo's request.
Still, the fact that a few flowers remained meant one thing "They can cultivate more with a few flowers. That is, if they managed to get a few more of them. I'm still struggling to figure out what exactly those flowers could be used for..." He sighed, unsure of what it could mean for the future.
"And you say Babamon said something to you after you thought she died? Either she survived or...alright, time for some more clarification. You said that Babamon was Lilithmon at some point. Was Lilithmon with you at that moment? It could have been her in another form trying to get you to listen to her...though I'm not sure if that's possible."
"This all just seems...strange. What are these flowers and why are they important? What was the deal with that fog, and why would she disguise herself as a human without a Digimon? I'd be suspicious if she was knowledgeable on Digital World things without being a tamer or Digimon herself."
Toki stopped once more in front of the restaurant and looked around to make sure no one was in earshot before addressing Hiroyo again "Well what's done is done. That's all in the past and we can't change what happened...we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out. I'm just...hoping you're okay. All of you. Feel free to tell me more if you're up for it, but Hiroyo, you seem very protective of Lilithmon. I don't like to judge beings based on what they are, but her minions tried to kill me, so I need to understand what's going on."
|
|
|
Post by Hiroyo Oda on Jul 27, 2019 23:30:12 GMT
There was an obvious sagging of Hiroyo's shoulders at the comment that the flowers could probably be regrown. The quiet sigh and accompanying nod were relieved.
There was another nod from Morgan at Toki's questions. The spirit wielder was raising very realistic concerns for He could see where the spirit wielder was going, and in truth the possibility of Babamon being another disguise of Lilithmon had not occured to him.
"Wha-No!" Roger spluttered. His antenna stiffly raised and his tail vaguely wiggled in Toki's direction. "She's not! She was fighting Lilithmon with us! That's how we got out, she and I'm guessing Tsukiko came up with a plan or something! When I said she use to be Lilithmon I mean in a previous life you tall idiot."
"Hey don't be rude!" Hiroyo scolded as she reached up to rap him sharply with her knuckles. "He didn't know! You haven't told your story yet."
"Hmph!" Roger settled, though whether it was because of Hiroyo's words or the loud growl from his stomach was anyone's guess. It was probably a good thing the group was headed for the restraunt.
"It gets stranger. My time in the fog included a meeting with Mephistomon, whom you met, and Bagramon." Morgan assured Toki. The Fanbeemon's tone was light, amused even. "As far as her knowledge of the Digital World, Tsukaimon, or what we believed to be a Tsukaimon, was acting as though she wished to become Layla's partner. It was not a set up that would be strange, many seek the companionship or ease of strength that it appears to grant."
"Yeah, as long as the human puts in some effort."
Hiroyo's hands clenched into fists but she gave her head a shake as they came to a stop again. She lifted her eyebrows at Toki's glancing around, an amused expression on her face. "Something wrong?"
Her smile turned softer at Toki's first words. Her expression shifted to something a little more tense as he continued speaking. She had heard the criticism about her feelings toward Lilithmon from the twins already. In fact Morgan was nodding along quietly with Toki's words as if agreeing with them.
The red head fidgetted with the edge of her shirt as she spoke.
"Look, Roger isn't the only one that heard something when we were leaving. She apologized to me for the egg-thing's actions! She said she let that one get out of hand and honestly, I got the sense she was new to the whole," Hiroyo made vague movements in the air with her hand. "Demon Lord thing. Like she was just starting out. New to the position."
She paused to lick her lips, hesitant about her next words. Finally she shifted her gaze back up to Toki's face, her gaze troubled. "And in the woods, while we were walking...you know when you talk with someone and you can tell they're not hearing what you're saying? I...I was talking to her about some stuff that happened recently and she cared! She really did!" Hiroyo paused, her eyes searching Toki's face for a reaction. Her face crumpled a bit as she continued speaking, as if realizing her words were perhaps not the most sensative to his situation.
She looked miserable.
"So, I'm sorry if her minions tried to kill you but, but I think if she wasn't there then she didn't want that. That was the sense I got from her, even when the fighting started breaking out. She really just wanted the flowers, I think she needed them to stronger in some way? And after, when we were in the Angels' map room her symbol just...faded away. Like she wasn't strong enough to be picked up."
"Or like she was hiding her presence." Morgan remarked, an annoyed look on his face. "For the record I did not hear Lilithmon's supposed apology, nor could I imagine what topic would possibly be so important that simply being heard would cause you to act this way towrd a Demon Lord."
Hiroyo breathed heavily through her nose and looked away, her shoulders set stubbornly.
|
|
|
Post by Toki Akiyama on Jul 28, 2019 16:46:34 GMT
Toki listened to the other part of the story, his expression never once judging the group, though it did shift slightly to be rather sympathetic occasionally. He rubbed the back of his head and tried his best to think about what to say "Why would Mephistomon and Bagramon be together in the fog like you said? This all doesn't make sense at all. It's like some of you saw events the others didn't." he tapped his foot, angry at the situation and not at the trio. What did it all mean? Why was it so complex?
He shook his head at the explanation that the Tsukaimon wanted to be Layla's partner "If you ask me that's a pretty weak explanation as to why a human knew about these flowers, what they did, and why she wanted them. Why not just say she and Tsukaimon were already partners and save the confusion? I'm sure with everything a fake Digivice could have been made...it's just such a strange thing to conceal..."
Was Lilithmon truly new to this 'demon lord business' or was it just another part of the plan? He looked at Hiroyo, looking extremely concerned for her well-being "Hiroyo, I want you to listen to me, okay? I'm not doing this to be on some kind of demon lord witch hunt. Some of the Demon Lords seem downright agreeable, but I have a lot of problems with what I'm hearing right now."
He tried to figure out how to word it "I apologize if I sound harsh..." he said in advance "...Maybe she did really listen and cared about what happened to you...or she was using that as a weapon against you. Ways to dig deeper into your mind and give you these positive feelings about her. You sound supportive of her but I can tell from your expression you're miserable and struggling through something. Like you're actively trying to find reasons to support her."
For a moment he almost lost his cool when she tried to rationalize what happened with her minions, but he took a deep breath "Hiroyo. Hiroyo...listen to yourself. You are trying to rationalize her after people directly involved with her tried to have me and other people killed. I want you to ask yourself...what if we did die? How would you have reacted to Lilithmon and her followers? Would you have just forgiven them? Forgiven her? Her inaction makes her pretty complicit in what happened, especially if she knew what they were up to. She could have stopped them, but she didn't. While I understand leaders can't possibly know what their followers are doing at all times...Phelesmon himself told me that his 'mistress' specializes in honeyed words."
He looked at Hiroyo, then Morgan, then Roger "The three of you...don't you think it's a little odd how none of you have the same memories of the experience? Or at least, they're all muddled slightly? I think...I think whatever force was at play is trying to drive a wedge into your relationship. To push you apart." He looked genuinely heartbroken at the idea "To see you three seem so...distant and arguing like this...when you're supposed to be great partners and friends...it's upsetting. It truly is."
|
|
|
Post by Hiroyo Oda on Aug 19, 2019 23:10:45 GMT
Roger groaned loudly and rolled his head on his neck. "Of course we saw different things, we got split up in the fog."
"Roger!" Morgan glared daggers at his brother then gave Toki an apologetic look. "I apologize, I understand it was a confusing situation but you seem to be grasping it very well."
He glanced sideways as Toki addressed Hiroyo, the bee trying not to make his interest too obvious. She'd been quieter than normal after the meeting with the angels, and during as well now that he thought about it. He was hesitant to push her himself, but he and roger had noted that something was off ever since they'd left the forest.
She had already heard the words so often from himself and Roger that Morgan hoped hearing it from an outside source made it sink it.
Made it obvious that this was about more than just being angry about being tricked.
She was chewing on her bottom lip as Toki talked. Morgan narrowed his eyes, had she done that before or was this something new? Something influenced? He couldn't remember, he'd never needed - or thought he needed - to observer her so closely before. He shifted uneasily in the air. Had he been negligent in that way? He had known all of his former tamer's tells but before today he had simply attributed it up to lack of time spent with Hiroyo.
What if it wasn't?
"...I hear you." Her miserable voice brought him out of his thoughts. She finally looked up from where she had been very carefully not looking at Toki, her eyes bright and her hands fisted at her sides. Roger opened his mouth to say something and Morgan shot him a very hasty look and a quick flicking of his antenna that meant don't and the Kunemon shut his beak again.
Hiroyo's voice continued as if she hadn't noticed at all.
"I don't want to believe what you're saying, not that she did something to me or caused what happened to you, none of it." She admitted and Morgan internally winced at not only the bluntness but the denial. What would it take to get her to admit that she was wrong? He grit his beak but held his tongue as she continued on and the more he listened the more he relaxed. Toki's words hadn't fallen on deaf ears after all. "But...everyone keeps saying that the Demon Lords are bad, that they're evil and can't be trusted and it's not just you and the twins, its other people too. You say that the others, the other Demon Lords, weren't all dislikeable and I can't change what her minion did or what she might've ordered and I can't forgive her on your behalf and what happend is really, really bad but! But-"
She paused for a breath and Morgan waited, his eyes narrowed. He wasn't sure if he liked where she was going with this, wasn't sure if Toki liked where this was going. He watched the other human out of the corner of his eye as Hiroyo continued to speak.
"What I felt in the woods, I want that to be true but I realize that maybe it isn't. I want to talk to her again." She admitted as she took a deep breath. She wrung her hands together, an unconscious gesture that Morgan wasn't quite sure she was aware she was doing.. "I want to hear what she has to say, and maybe if I can convince her that that the stunt with the meeting was wrong and that if she tries there might be a better way to-to exist. To do the Demon Lord thing. Maybe it's naive or dumb or foolish but I, I want to try."
She had stopped looking at Toki at some point during her speech, but now she faced him straight on. Her shoulders set, her chin up, her eyes defiant. If only Morgan could guide that will toward better endeavours! He held his peace and flicked his antenna in the rapid pattern that meant wait to Roger. The Kunemon hissed softly and flicked his own response of wrong-angry back.
Morgan was grateful that Roger held his peace as Morgan waited for Toki's response. His eyes shifted from Hiroyo's determined-yet-eager expression to Toki's face.
What would the spirit user have to say about this misplaced optimism?
|
|
|
Post by Toki Akiyama on Aug 20, 2019 0:13:14 GMT
Toki looked at her, arms crossed. She seemed to slowly understand what's going on, but desperately wanted to believe that alternatives could be possible as well. Toki sighed heavily, but offered her a patient, kind smile in return "I know that look. That's the look of someone stubborn enough stand by their ideals. I can't say it'll end well, Hiroyo, but it looks like you have your mind set." He said, relaxing his posture.
"Honestly...Digimon are capable of a lot of incredible things. So many of them, though...seem to be so convinced that their data and behavior is a hardwired thing. The thing about the Demon Lords is...they were once ordinary Digimon, but something happened to trigger this change into what they are now. I'd...like to believe who they were still exists deep down. They don't have to live by what their 'Sin' dictates. Whatever the case, something miserable happened to them for them to accept this power. And I think it had to do with what happened during the attack on Rosewood and other areas. I can imagine a lot of Digimon were driven to hopelessness..." He said, looking upset about the whole scenario.
"Though let me tell you this. Lilithmon could potentially be pulling more strings than either of us actually realize. She's planning something. What that is, I can't begin to imagine. I just...don't want people to get hurt. Emotionally or otherwise." Toki was serious about this. Not once was he trying to bully or ridicule Hiroyo for her thoughts and opinions on this, but he was genuinely trying to get her to accept other possibilities.
"The truth can hurt, but sometimes it's what we have to accept. Even if...Lilithmon isn't who you want her to be, you shouldn't lose sight of those who truly do care about you in the here and now. Morgan and Roger clearly just want you to be safe and happy. I want you to be safe and happy. I don't want you to lose sight of those who are here with you now, okay?"
|
|
|
Post by Hiroyo Oda on Sept 11, 2019 23:23:33 GMT
For a moment all was quiet as Hiroyo and the twins digested Toki's words. Relief bloomed on the red head's face. The fact that someone unbiased wasn't completely putting down her idea was a relief. A serious expression crossed her face as she nodded in ascent. She wouldn' forget those closest to her.
"I know I'm-"
"Crazy? Yeah, THANKS FOR DRAGGING US ALONG." Roger cut in. He reared up on to tower as high as his front two-thirds length would allow him, his beak snapping angrily one very word. The lack of support made him sway, or perhaps that was merely his own will that was causing the motion. "Nice of you to think about us in your little 'oh I just want to play nice with her! I'm sure she's not such a bad guy!'"
Hiroyo winced at the high pitched mimicry of her voice, but when her head came up her expression was gritted teeth and a flash of determination in her eyes that said she wasn't backing down easily. Her eyes flickered over the semi-crowded surroundings and a couple rookies that had stopped to gawk. It wasn't everyone on the street stopping to look at them, but it sure felt like it to her!
"You don't have to come! I'd think you'd like to tangle with the Demon Lords but if you'd rather cower at home then I'll-" She paused, a flash of realization on her face as she mentally completed the sentence.
"'Go on without us'?" Morgan asked, more gently than Roger had. Hiroyo flushed and looked away, chastized by her own slip of the tongue. Right after she had been about to promise she would consider the twins and already she had...!
Awful.
"I can see some... merit to the plan of talking with. Layla again," he ignored an angry 'WHAT' from Roger and continued talking, his tone firm. "But it is important that if we do so then we do so as a team. You may intend to keep us in mind, but you need practice. Changing a behavior is not done on the strength of resolve alone. It takes work, work that may be long and hard."
"I get that but it can't be only about what you two want you out number me, it wouldn't be fair!" She glanced between Morgan and Toki as if hoping to find support from him. Was it in bad taste to drag him in the inter-group spat, probably! She did not care, with two voices seemingly against her was it really so bad she was looking for support? "I don't want to sit back and just watch everything happen, I can't stand it!"
"Do you think I want that either? Do you think I want to hide when I could be involved in the most interesting thing to happen in memory?" Roger almost-snarled. He gave an angry shake of his head and leaned around awkwardly so he was almost nose-to-beak with Hiroyo. "I want to be involved! I can't be if you're just going to run about and get yourself, and us killed by running into something we can't handle if it goes wrong! Even Mr. Old Man Zen gets it, right?!"
It sounded less like a question of if Toki aggreed with the Kunemon and more like a demand that he did so. Morgan raised his eyes toward Toki with a mildly curious expression.
Apparently none of the three had a problem dragging the spirit-weilder they'd met not even an hour ago into the arguement.
|
|
|
Post by Toki Akiyama on Sept 15, 2019 6:10:02 GMT
Toki listened intently, only the faintest bit of irritation displayed as he tapped his foot. He frowned and thought about the situation from start to finish based on what he knew, though the shouting and bickering was beginning to be a bit much. These three didn't seem to have any idea what it meant to be an actual team and that was difficult for him to watch without saying something.
So much anger and frustration among them...what could be done about it? Toki figured it was time to be a little tough on them "Okay that's enough! All of you listen to me!" He said in a harsher tone of voice than he's used to. "I go back to what I said before. This is likely what she wants, understand? The three of you bickering and being angry with each other? Making you three more likely to split up and not listen to what the others have to say? Do you know what that makes all three of you? Easier targets." He said with a somewhat chilling bluntness.
"The three of you, for better or worse, are a team. This isn't all about any one of you anymore. It's about what's important for all three of you. That means that you, Hiroyo, have to be willing to accept what Morgan and Roger have to say and accept that the will go with you because you're not just their tamer. You're their friend and they want you to be safe! They care about you! Please, see that! Don't you dare call them cowards for wanting what's best for your safety."
He then looked at Morgan and Roger "You two also need to be as patient as possible. What's going on is bigger than all of us individually. We need to proceed with conviction and understand everything we possibly can. We can't do that if we can't even understand each other. As it stands, it'll probably be difficult for you to sustain powerful forms if your trust with each other seems so strained right now."
This was difficult for Toki. Was he saying the right thing? Was he reading the situation right? He took a moment to collect himself before addressing Hiroyo again "I'm sorry. I try not to get this worked up over things. All three of you are important. All of your thoughts, worries, and suggestions are valid and you have to come to terms with that. Them suggesting ways to proceed or voicing their concerns isn't them bullying you or ganging up on you, Hiroyo. They just want to voice what they think about the situation, though they could admittedly do with a little more tact."
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, unsure what else to add "The point is...you three need to trust each other more. This goes beyond bickering. It sometimes sounds like you can't stand to be around each other. Do you know how difficult that is for me to watch? I don't want to see the connection you have just...fall apart." He looked up for a moment and pinched the bridge of his nose "I...don't have any experience as a tamer. I'm a spirit user, so I don't know if my input is really valid to you...but if there's anything I know, it's that you're not just sitting in the sidelines watching. Your willpower is their willpower. Your strength is their strength. Your trust and love in your Digimon is what makes them capable of these amazing things. If that bond is threatened, none of you can reach your full potential. Understand and respect each others' strengths and weaknesses. Then build yourselves up from there."
Toki then smiled again, sighing heavily "Phew...it's not every day I rant. Sorry. I guess the long and short of it is that there's something more important for you three to worry about than Lilithmon right now. It's your relationship with each other."
|
|
|
Post by Hiroyo Oda on Sept 25, 2019 23:48:55 GMT
There was a collective movement among the three when Toki demanded their attention. A flinch from Hiroyo, a twitch from Morgan and Roger. But they listened, they quieted down. It probaby helped that they had been dragging him into the fight to begin with, but they paid attention.
When he named them as easy targets, Hiroyo winced. She'd seen the bugs bleeding and carapace cracked fighting the D-Reaper's agents, had fled the area with them to prevent more such damage. His next words flowed around her but she found it hard really believe some of the things he was saying.
Morgan went still and quiet and narrowed his eyes in deep thought when Toki mentioned their evolution. Toki probably didn't know it, but he had hit on a very sensitive issue for the bugs. They had reached beyond Champion before Hiroyo took up their digivice but not since.
There was a moment of silence as Toki collected himselves and the three at least mulled over his words. Whether they had taken them to heart was something that would only be revealed with time, but at the very least he could be confident that they had listened.
It wasn't Hiroyo that answered him.
"You are new to us but the fact you were able to identify some rather sensitive areas immediately is rather telling I think. It isn't just Hiroyo who needs to put effort into nurturing the bonds between us." He ignored Roger's dismissive snort and continued speaking. "We did not get off to the best start, and honestly we haven't attempted to bridge that gap the way we should."
He moved an arm to indicate himself and Roger and then turned to face Hiroyo. He stared at her for a moment and she stared back until finally he took a deep breath an spoke. "It won't be as easy as an apology, and it's not something any of us will get always correct right away, but Toki is right. None of us wnat to admit it, but we all have things to work on."
"I guuessss I'm in it too. Someone's gotta do the fighting around here. And if it gets us past champion, its worth a shot." Morgan shot his brother an annoyed looked but realized that was as close to genuine as he was going to get from the Kunemon and nodded. Roger had never liked what he called 'touchy-feely' moments, so his reaction was to be expected.
"Okay." Hiroyo smiled a little, reaching up to run a hand across her eyes before she picked her head up and gave Toki a determined grin. "You don't need to apologize for going off on us like that, if anything we were pretty much asking for it?"
Her laugh was embaressed as she rubbed at the back of her head and Roger gave an impatient toss of his head. "Yes yes, we were dumbasses, etcera, etcera. Can we eat now? I'm starving!"
"How about it? Still up for hanging out? I'll cover your meals." Hiroyo offered with a quick flash of a grin. There was still awkardness lingering in her movements, and the movements of the bugs, but it was obvious they were trying to get past that.
|
|
|
Post by Toki Akiyama on Sept 28, 2019 9:30:52 GMT
Toki watched the three of them quietly think over what he had said. Clearly it had some kind of impact because they weren't being immediately dismissive of the lecture. It seemed he had talked about some pretty sensitive points regarding the group as they looked contemplative. Not angry or annoyed, but just looking thoughtful.
Morgan was the first to respond to him, admitting that the group had struggled to nurture their bond together. It was a lack of effort on all sides that stemmed from a rocky start, something that Toki understood completely. Then Morgan told Roger and Hiroyo that they all had things they had to work on. Toki nodded "Great start. Understanding that you all have something to work on is the first step to getting over that hurdle. I know it's something that's going to take time and there are going to be mistakes along the way, but what's important is...we don't give up. Not on ourselves...and not on each other."
He grinned slightly at Roger "Excellent, that's the spirit! I believe in you guys. You'll get through this and you'll be all the stronger for it." He said, confident that they had what it takes. Something that he, honestly, needed to work on himself. He sighed a bit to himself as he thought about his own faults.
Suddenly, they all wanted to move on from this topic. Toki welcomed it, since he's said all he wanted to say. "Well...still, I'm glad I was able to help out if only a little bit." Then the topic of food came up "O-oh right...that's what we were going to do, wasn't it? I lost track of what we were doing..." He laughed nervously "You don't have to cover my meals...but I'm definitely still up for hanging out." He said. It seemed Toki had his own faults. While he enjoyed spending time with people, he struggled with allowing them to show him the same kindness he would show others.
Thankfully the restaurant he wanted to show them was just a few buildings down. "Here we are." He smiled as the smell from the restaurant reminded him of how hungry he was. "Looks like it's right after the busy hours, so there should be plenty of room to relax."
|
|
|
Post by Hiroyo Oda on Oct 12, 2019 2:00:37 GMT
"No, no, I insist! You've helped us start helping ourselves!" Hiroyo said with all the cheerful forcefulness of a hostess delicately coaxing a customer to order another bottle of the most expensive liquor. She fell into step beside him with Roger on the shoulder away from him and Morgan flying close behind. "We've got a lot of money still from the, ah, flower job! I kinda have concerns about where it showed up because it just sorta did and I don't really know what to do with it now."
Morgan coughed pointedly behind her and Hiroyo giggled nervously, reaching up to scratch at the back of her head. "Right, right, getting off that topic. Oh! This place smells good!"
Roger leaned forward and opened his beak, sucking in a giant breath to take in the tastes and smells of the place. HIs tongue flicked out and he drew back onto Hiroyo's shoulder with a satisfied sigh as the red head stepped into the building, holding the door open for Morgan and Toki to slip in behind her. "Aaah, I can get some real food here! I'm ordering the biggest burger they've got."
"Please do not be a mess tonight." Hiroyo pleaded. Roger huffed and threw his hea but in honor of the topic they'd been discussing not more than ten minutes ago, relented when Morgan fixed him with A Look.
"Fiiine, meat-nuggets and fries and I'll even eat a vegetable. Happy?"
"Yess!" Hiroyo turned her attention to the dining area and pointed out a table along the wall that was clean and clear and didn't have a lot of others around it. "How about over there?"
That wasn't going to be all the questions Hiroyo would ask Toki. Once the group was properly seated and drink orders for the trio had bene taken she'd fix him with a curious look and raise her eyebrow. "So uh, you seem pretty exprienced in all this," she made a wide encompassing sweep of her arm to indicate the digital world in general. "am I correct about that?"
"Mmm, yes, you mentioned the refuge issue earlier and that you were a spirit user." Morgan remarked, cocking his head from where he was seated next to Hiroyo. His eyes were sharp with interest but not distrust. "What element is your spirit?"
Hiroyo looked vaguely confused by the question while Roger settled himself onto her shoulder more carefully. She had no idea what Morgan was talking about and Roger frankly didn't care. Unless it was something cool, or dangerous.
|
|
|
Post by Toki Akiyama on Oct 18, 2019 11:05:21 GMT
Eventually Toki relented at the insistence, deciding it would be best to accept her kindness in return. "Okay, okay, you win!" He said as he followed her into the restaurant. The mention of the flower job was a little worrying, but at the very least she got paid for all the trouble it put her through. That was good.
Now that they were moving past that topic, Toki took a moment to appreciate the lively restaurant and the busy workers going about their jobs. A couple waved at Toki, recognizing him from prior visits. "Hey guys." He said with a happy wave in their direction. "This place never fails to take away the stress of a long day." He said, content with the surroundings. Roger's enthusiasm to get some good food was nice to see, but Hiroyo urged him to hold back from getting anything too messy. Toki reassured him, though "Oh their nuggets are incredible, just you wait. The sauce they're served with is great. Their fries have all kinds of nice seasonings too, so believe me when I say you'll be satisfied."
When Hiroyo decided on a place to sit, Toki nodded "Yeah that sounds good! I like window seats." The fact it was in a quiet little part of the restaurant was also pretty nice. Once the group was situated and relaxed in their seats, Hiroyo had more questions for him, mostly pertaining to his experience with the Digital World. He chuckled nervously and scratched his cheek "Well I suppose you could say that." Though he seemed a little insecure about outright saying it.
He leaned back slightly and considered what to say "I've been around the Digital World for almost a year now...thought it feels like so much longer. Right now I have my Mega level spirit. It's surreal that I'm at that point..." He pulled out his Digivice and looked at it, nostalgic for the first days he was here.
Despite the difficult memories he decided to elaborate on the refugee situation and how he was involved "Hm. The refugees. That attack a while back was...something I think could have been avoided, but sadly it wasn't. I'm still unsure what the end goal of it all was or the nature of the mastermind, but I helped guide some Digimon out of the attacked portion of the forest. Some of the Digimon and I were forced to fight a Mega level Digimon, MetalPhantomon. I...to save energy I fought it as an Ultimate. I hadn't used my Mega because I was scared I'd lose control since I never used it in a combat situation before then. I payed for that. I now have this scar across my chest when it almost killed me...but still, we defeated it."
He touched his chest and sighed "Then I went back into the forest to help another group fight off the Megidramon that was rampaging and threatening to destroy the entire forest. That's when I first used my Mega form in battle. The battle was brutal...but we managed to save the forest, though not without casualties..."
He shook his head "But...we have to push forward, right? That's what they would have wanted." Then, Morgan asked about his spirit's element. He pulled up the holographic display on his Digivice "Earth. Here, let me show you." He displayed each of his current spirits in turn, up to ZenCherubimon, happy to share information about his spirits.
|
|
|