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Different Colors on the Blank Canvas (Open)
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Post by dredhed on Feb 28, 2020 18:08:22 GMT
'Reverberate with realer tone
Fill in holes till it hurt deep in your bones
I mean really drill it home to your inner zone...'
The sound of rap eeked out from the headphones over Kai's ears as he checked the camera settings on his phone. Time and time again, he would glance between the phone screen and the wall in front of him, not saying a word, but merely humming. This action continued on for the better part of 20 minutes, much to the growing irritation of Maumon, who remained firmly hidden within the artist's hood, her own cloth hood helping her small form blend into its muted color easily.
"I don't see whats so interesting about a wall. Theres walls EVERYWHERE. Its not special."
After a moment of no response, Maumon's eyes twitched, the In-Training mon letting out a small growl at being ignored so easily. Opening her mouth slightly, she bit down on the exposed back of Kai's neck, earning a surprised gasp from the large human, filling her with a sense of satisfaction.
Satisfaction that quickly vanished the moment a large hand reached back and pinched one of her ears.
"OW! HEY!"
"No Biting." Was the flat response she recieved as Kai rubbed the sore part of his neck. With his other hand, he raised the phone to take a picture of the wall in front of him. "And it's not about the wall...but whats on it."
Maumon let out a small spit and hiss at that, staring derisively at what Kai was referring to. While it was one of many building walls that littered the colorful area that was the infamous Cat Street- the haven for artists, hipsters, and teenagers alike- what had drawn Kai to it previously was the mural painted onto it. A mix of vibrant greens, blacks, and reds, it depicted a demonically grinning....man? Woman?....Joker Cosplayer?....thumbing at a bright red sumo on his right, and a pair of zombie twins on hte left.
To Maumon, it was just a bunch of spastic scribbles and colors mashed together, like inhaling an hour's worth of her vapors.
But for reasons she could not understand, the moment he saw it, her new "meal ticket" had decided to wayleigh their original plan of visiting that sushi restuarant she smelled, to just stare at it and take pictures.
Things like that had become increasingly frequent, she found, during the two weeks since the strange human had found her, bloodied and injured under that overpass. Loathe as she was to admit it....she owed him for that at least, and for not outright kicking her out after she essentially invited herself into his small apartment after she was patched up. In her defense, she hadn't expected to remain stuck in her In-Training form for this long, somewhat worried she hadnt been able to regain her Rookie form.
'That damn mutt....must've hit me harder than I thought...' Shaking her head at a memory she'd rather not remember, the small ball of fur continued to watch with irritation as Kai adjusted his phone for another picture, her ears flickering back and forth.
She was really starting to get hungry and didn't know how much more of this she could take.
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Post by tetsushi on Feb 28, 2020 21:07:43 GMT
".....................Are we lost?"
"I think we're lost," a voice deeper than the first one answered.
The first voice sounded like a kid... and well, while it's a good spot for tourism and whatnot, seeing a kid alone in this part of Shibuya is probably very rare, all thing considered. But hey, it's not like the kiddo himself minded that. He just wondering if he's lost... he got automap though thankfully... but even so, this place looked like...a wonderland? He never been to this place before honestly. Graffiti... cafes, arcades... it felt like a completely different world somehow.
....Anyway, the boy in thick parka is looking around the places. "...Don't seem like this place is the kind that will get attacked," he muttered lowly.
Ever since the Golden Week, part of KIZNA is very keen on watching signs of further attacks. On top of it, it felt like there's some strings being pulled. Thunder probably wouldn't strike twice. Therefore... instead of going to the three spots that was attacked, how about going to places that has yet attacked? At least that was Tetsu's thought. However, if he can be honest, it's more because he wanted to explore around the city.
..."I wonder if there is any spot I can do some parkour," he muttered.
"...I don't think you can do parkour around here, brother," a voice came out from his cellphone-like object answered. "Either way, perhaps we should--"
"Whoa, check that out!" Tetsu suddenly ran toward one of the grafitti, not noticing a really tall man that seem taking picture of the wall. "Gee, that's quite the detailed grafitti... Not my kind though. I prefer something more cheerful. Heh, I bet if I saw this the first time I came to Tokyo I'd have nightmares..."
"That bad?" the voice from the phone asked.
"But it's sure creative looking... I wonder if these are legal though..."
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Post by dredhed on Feb 29, 2020 22:51:13 GMT
Maumon was very much starting to grow impatient with Kai's seeming fascination with the art before him, if her constant headbutting against his neck were indication. However, with her small and fuzzy frame, it felt more like a warm cushion being rubbed against him than anything, so Kai was content enough to ignore it.
"You took enough pictures, Bead Curtains. Im really gettin hu-!!!" The sudden trailing off of Maumon's voice followed by her body suddenly freezing up, earned a raised eyebrow as Kai tilted his head back.
"Yo, you okay back the-"
"WHOA! CHECK THAT OUT!!!" The sudden shout made Kai pause, head snapping around to now see a young boy clad head to toe in winter clothing, suddenly appearing right in front him, marveling over the graffiti art in wonder. Raising an eyebrow, he glanced back at the small creature hiding in his hood and back at the child. Shrugging, he patted the shivering mon and quickly made to lower her into his duffel bag by his feet, keeping an eye on the still distracted kid that seemed to be having a conversation. Bluetooth headset? Kai didn't see one on him, so maybe it was a new, smaller model.
Either way, it wasn't his business.
Once a reluctant, and slightly hissing Maumon was secured, he made his way over to the kid, who was commenting on the art, noting the wild hair and tanned skin. A brief memory of a friend back home talking with the same excitement earned a small upturn of the mouth as Kai cleared his throat a bit.
"Not exactly legal...but hey, art is art."
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Post by tetsushi on Mar 2, 2020 9:54:12 GMT
Oh, there's someone here! "Whoah, you're tall, mister!" Tetsu commented. "Are you a tourist?"
The voice from his phone did not seem to say anything for the moment. Regardless, Tetsu looked back at the wall. "Huh, not quite legal? So this is something like act of vandalism, except the kind that is like an art?" he tilted his head. "...Huh, so it's not commissioned, I see I see..."
He whipped out his phone and took a picture of the wall. "...Hmmm, who would like it, who would get spooked~?" he chuckled as he imagined a friend immediately shouting 'Why on earth did you sent that photo to me!?'. He quickly scrolled up to someone in particular and tapped 'send'.
...Not even a minute, the exact reply came up. Tetsu laughed, and quickly typed "but isn't it cool?"
Either way, best not being rude in here.
"Are you often here, Mister? If yeah, can I ask you something? Well, more like if you seen anything weird around here really. Like... for example, a rumor that suddenly appeared or something."
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Post by dredhed on Mar 2, 2020 18:31:27 GMT
Kai shrugged off the comment on his height, used to it-especially from children. To the tourist question however, he was about to answer when, to a slight amusement, the kid turned away to look at his phone, excitedly talking to himself over whether or not he should send it.
"....." Kai watched the child in front of him for a moment, eyebrow raised as he excitedly mused over who to text the picture of the wall art to.
'Exciteable kid...kinda like-' For a brief moment, a grinning face flashed through Kai's mind, of a friend back in the US. Tanned skin, wild black hair and green eyes. In fact, the more he watched, he couldn't help but note the similarites, both in looks and general energy.
'I wonder how he and Quince are doing...haven't called them in a week...' Anymore musing Cairo had was cut off by the suddenly rustle from his bag nearby. Noting the brief flicker of a pair of cat ears from within, he glanced back at the distracted kid and quietly slid back to his bag, looking down to meet Maumon's cautious gaze.
"We need to go, NOW." The cloth-wrapped head hissed quietly and quickly, earning a slight frown. As if sensing Kai's suspicion, Maumon rolled her slitted eyes with a growl. "The small human....he smells dangerous. Very dangerous."
Kai blinked and glanced back at the kid, who was now laughing to himself as he texted. He then glanced back at Maumon, noting the erratic way her ears twitched, tails rigid. It reminded him of when she first woke up after he saved her.
"..." A small sigh escaped his lips before the tall artist knelt down a bit, cupping a hand gently around Maumon. The plush head froze up, but slowly began to relax slightly as his fingers began scratching behind her ears, a tactic Kai used to use around his dog, CD.
"Look, I'm sure it's no-"
"Have you seen anything strange around here, Mister?"
The moment the boy turned around, Kai was facing him, hand deep in his bag is if he was looking for something. In actuality, Maumon was flattened beneath the hand, deeper into the objects held within.
Including a very sweaty towel.
"....." Kai shrugged in response to the young boy's question, trying to ignore the soft, tormented mewls from within the bag. In his mind, he offered a silent apology ot the small cat-thing.
"What? Like...ghosts or something? Every place's got those kinds of rumors."
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Post by tetsushi on Mar 2, 2020 18:58:34 GMT
...That's really some awkward posture to hold into. What's there on the bag? He can guess, but from the sound of it, perhaps they should look for a different sort of venue. Tetsu put on his best "I have no idea what you're doing there, but must be none of my business" smile and listened to what the big guy have to say. Ghosts?
"Hmmm, well, I'm not really good at that supernatural sort of thing, but I admit I never hear any ghosts before around hee---eh wait, that's not the topic! I mean more to... appearance of claw marks, or any marks that felt... different, you know? Vandalism, perhaps... Not the graffiti kind, I think, or any symbolism in general?"
Tetsu hoped that the guy knows or something, but then again... Perhaps he should tell him a bit about the background?
"Ah, well, you see, I'm asking because apparently there was a sudden act of vandalism going on. You know, they covered it up with that construction in Miyashita Park and near Hachiko Square? Weeeell I'm just interested... I don't think a single person could do that alone. They said it's a gas leak or something, but that's hardly believable right? ...Unless I guess someone dropped their cigarette down the manhole or something..."
...Now, should he wait for the answer?
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Post by dredhed on Mar 2, 2020 19:51:05 GMT
"Claw marks....?" From behind his bead curtain, Kai glanced down at Maumon, noting her lack of claws. While it wasn't something he actively looked for or paid attention to, he DID in fact notice small things here and there.
Claw marks, a gouge in a pole or two....burn marks...
The struggling Maumon went still when she suddenly felt Kai's grip tighten slightly, as if not wanting to let go of her.
"....."
"....Nah, not really. Heard somewhere that some guy's pets got loose, so maybe that's whats up." Kai's answer was short, betraying nothing of his thoughts as he heft his duffel bag over his shoulder, partially zipping it up so that Maumon could get some air, yet remain hidden.
"Vandalism...thats probably it too. Gangs and that shi-stuff." Watching his words upon remembering he was talking to a child, Kai coughed a bit to clear his throat. Being reminded of the circumstances under how he found Maumon was making the usually unflappable young man admittably uncomfortable, even if he outwardly didn't show it. Of the things that had remained in his mind since that day, it was HOW he found Maumon that really remained at the forefront.
Scrapped and scratched, looking as though parts of her fur were bitten clean off....and covered in burns, bits of the area around her scorched and scratched. Considering her apprehension about being seen and his own attempts at getting answers being met with defensive denials and even bites from her, Kai was fairly sure she didn't come here alone.
And all this talk about...odd happenings was making him remember the man he had help Maumon the first time he met her.
"....." Something in Kai's gut was telling him there was alot more going on than he thought...and he was already not liking it. His frown tightened for a moment before he shrugged it off and offered a small, if not awkwardly out of place smile at the kid.
"Whatever's goin on, the police probably got it under wraps. So uh...you should probably stay outta it. Kids could get hurt messin with vandals and that kinda shi-STUFF."
Mentally cursing at yet another verbal slip up, Kai nodded to the kid before turning to go, feeling that he should probably find a place to talk to Maumon. As he began to step away however, Maumon nudged a bit of the bag open a little further to get a better look at the boy.
And her slitted, silver eye landed on the phone in his hand and widened.
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Post by tetsushi on Mar 2, 2020 20:10:32 GMT
...pets won't cause such disturbances. At least that's what Tetsu wanted to say, but he instead just chuckled. "Maybe, maybe not."
Someone wouldn't say 'pets' when they heard the word 'vandalism' and 'construction' in one sentence. That pretty much sealed the deal that he's a chosen too. Seeing someone being this awkward in front of him... it's fun! However, Yakuza? "I don't think Yakuza are involved, or at least that's what I think."
Would be funny if somehow he's part of Yakuza, huh? But nah, his grandfather doesn't have that sort of background at all. If he is, boy, he's going to have some words with him. But either way, Tetsu kept his smile.
"Eeeeh~? But if it's exciting I can't help it to get involved, you know? Well, I understand that the adults don't want us kids to snoop around, but at times there are things only kids notices you know?" Tetsu grinned widely. "Plus, I think I can punch a thug or two to next day, or maybe next week~"
...Is he joking? Either way, Tetsu still smiling. "Ahaha, maybe just joking~" and thus he twirls his phone, noticing the gaze directed at him. "Oh, by the way, I think you're pressing your little pal a bit too strongly there, Mister. Though the question is are you new or not?"
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Post by dredhed on Mar 3, 2020 18:35:09 GMT
Despite himself, at the "Punch a few of them into next week" comment, Kai held a small smile, albeit a haunted one as he shook his head.
'I really should call him up and see how things are back home...'
"Oh, by the way, I think you're pressing your little pal a bit too strongly there, Mister." Kai's blood ran cold as he stopped, mid-step. In his bag, he could feel Maumon tense up, her low hissing reaching his ears. Hand moving to cup the bottom of his Duffel bag, he slowly glanced back, exposing an eye from behind his braids, eyebrow raised.
"Sorry, but what frie-"
"Though the question is are you new or not?" Kai stopped abruptly, and turned fully to face the kid across from him, eyes darting to the phone in his hand. Was he going to call the police or something? The FBI? .....Japanese Illuminati?
Kai's frown deepened, even as Maumon's hissing grew slightly louder, a small mist already forming from her bag.
"We need to go. NOW."
Kai held a hand to his bag to calm her, not looking away from the child. He didnt want to jump to conclusions, not yet. He was fairly new to all this and clearly, this kid probably knew something given the way he was acting.
"...So what exactly are you talkin about? If you mean new to the country, then yeah..."
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Post by tetsushi on Mar 4, 2020 4:32:06 GMT
Hmm? Still pretending? That's a bit concerning. Did he somehow came off as a bit too much of a creepy child? Either way, Tetsu still kept his smile on his face. With its strap still connected on his wrist, Tetsu spun it slightly... and lo and behold... it's not really a phone. Well, it is shaped like a phone, and it's definitely looking like one and functioning like one... but it's... overly elaborate for a piece of technology. Either way, Tetsu looked straight at the guy now, hoping that he will not walk away or anything like that. "...Let's just say that I know some of what you know, but I don't get the full picture. That aside, would you please come with me? We'll talk where we can get a bit of privacy to explain everything.... but let's just say you're not alone in having a... friend that inflates your daily budgets." Tetsu looked around, and... he picked what seemed to be a sushi joint, but the revolving kind. "I don't think they'll allow a kid without a guardian to be around an adult that's not his relative to be in a private room together... so this is the best compromise we can do," Tetsu told him. Either way, if he follows, Tetsu will pick a spot that's not so suspicious that people will immediately notice what's going on.
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Post by dredhed on Mar 6, 2020 4:00:24 GMT
"....Look kid, if you're trying to flex by showin off your new phone, then its not working..." Kai replied, frown deepening. The....Phone looking thing did look pretty hi-tech; definitely unlike any phone he's ever seen. But the way the kid talked, maybe it had something to do with all this....buddy business?
'Hn...why is it the more I hear, the less I actually know?' He thought to himself with a grumble. Even moreso, the fact that a little kid seemed to hold more info than him on this whole situation made him feel oddly...uneasy? A small sense of irritation flashed through Kai's hidden eyes before he shrugged it away.
No use getting angry over something out of his hands. If this weird kid had answers, then he'd give him the benefit of the doubt...even if being told what to do by someone clearly half his age left him a bit disgruntled.
And besides....he WAS getting hungry, much like Maumon was complaining about earlier.
"....Fine."
"WHAT." Apparently, Maumon didn't quite agree with that decision, enough so that she forgot she was trying to hide, and began thrashing about quite visibly within Kai's duffel bag, the tall human himself remaining in place, his expression unchanging in spite of the angered hissing. He stared right at Tetsu, a single amber eye poking through his hair, narrowing.
"Lead the way." Jostling his bag to get Maumon to calm down, Kai followed after Tetsu, hands in his pockets as he watched the child in front of him. Many questions came and went through his brain as they walked, yet he voiced none of them during the trek, keeping silent. If anything, Tetsu did say he would answer once they were sitting, so he would wait till then.
Even as he came to that decision, Kai's eyes trailed over to the "Phone" Tetsu was flipping around without a care. What did that have to do with Maumon? Did he also have a Maumon with him?
'Cant believe Im doing this....but he better have some answers. Im already starting to hate not knowing what the hell is going on...'
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Post by tetsushi on Mar 6, 2020 4:27:17 GMT
As he walked, Tetsu crossed his arms behind his head. He took big steps, humming as he walked toward the venue.
"Well, it's a phone, but I hoped you know that it's not really a phone... was that not obvious enough?" Tetsu asked. "For example, you might be carrying similar thing yourself, right? Something like a... Tamagotchi-like item, probably a palm sized one... I think it's shaped like a nugget, except with an antenna. Two buttons, one central button on the bottom. You probably have no idea how to operate it. It's something that either appears suddenly in your inventory, or your phone turned into one. At the same time you got a cute friend that bonded with you through the item... now until this part, am I correct in my assumption?"
Either way, in the revolving sushi store, he hummed and picked some appetizer...
"Oh, by the way, do you mind if we pay separately? I'm a big eater, and I don't think it'll be nice to ask someone I just met to split the bill with me."
And when the appetizer come, Tetsu gleefully eat it. He left his "phone" beside him... said phone immediately lits up, showing face of a bear...-like creature? It have hat with "GRYZ" written on the front.
"Greetings, been listening to the conversation since a while ago. I'm sure you're confused, but first and foremost, perhaps it's better if we introduce ourselves first? Let me start this with... we have no idea who you are or who on your bag, at least I don't. Second, my name is Gryz, I'm partnered to Tetsu, this little guy who's with you."
Tetsu meanwhile has moved from appetizer to what looked like ramen.
"Fuu~ Shoyu broth is the best!"
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Post by dredhed on Mar 8, 2020 16:10:55 GMT
"...." To his credit, Kai's poker face was on point during the entirety of Tetsu's seemingly rambling explanation, the older young man keeping silent as the kid continued to explain the situation to the best of his ability. And while he appreciated the explanation, and the enthusiasm behind it, Kai couldn't help but notice once important thing.
The more Tetsu told him....the less he seemed to understand about any of this. And going by the occasional snort or muttering by Maumon from inside his bag, she seemed less invested in it than anything. However, when mention of the....phone thing...and some sort of...Tamogatchi?, Kai raised an eyebrow behind his braids.
"Nope....never got one." he said, suddenly cutting in. "Also...Friend? Making alot of assumptions there."
"Assumptions? He's basically seeing rain and telling everyone the sun exploded."
".....What?" Instead of responding again, Maumon grunted and muttered under her breath about "humans" and "their inability to get good humor." Regardless, Kai looked at the odd phone thing Tetsu was twirling.
"I just brought her home and she started eating my food. Thats about it."
Once they finally were seated in the sushi restaurant, Kai didn't hesitate to start ordering himself, though he seemed to glare at some of the prices he saw in deep concentration. By the time Tetsu had started eating, Kai had already picked for himself several orders ofthe spicy Tuna and Salmon, as well as a few shrimp tempura rolls, one plate lowered by his bag, where a pair of twin tails whipped out and snatched the rolls. Watching this, the corners of Kai's mouth twitched upward just briefly.
And that was when the talking Post-Apoc lookin Teddy Ruxpin appeared on the phone screen, talking in a surprisingly polite manner. Maumon immediately choked on her roll and was hissing up a storm, eyeing him warily while burrowing deeper into the bag.
All Kai could do was stare for a solid minute in silence, Tempura hanging out of his mouth. And then slowly, he sucked it back in. Setting his chopsticks down, he placed his hands on the counter and shut his eyes (not that anyone could see that). Taking a deep breath, he looked back at Tetsu and Gryzz, frown tight.
"....I.....think we're gonna need to start from the beginning here." he said, reaching down to calm Maumon.
"What...exactly ARE you guys?"
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Post by tetsushi on Mar 15, 2020 4:06:55 GMT
"Hmmm, so basically you're not friends?" It's seem that he conveniently ignored some of what Kai said, but at the very least, he might be right on one thing. Either way, in the restaurant, Tetsu devoured his food, leaving Gryz to explain. He can't of course exit freely... And while on the phone, at the very best people would think that he's some virtual avatar on the screen anyway.
"What exactly you ask... Well, we're what many call "Chosens". These refer to mostly humans who are bonded with us, creatures called Digimon, who lives in alternate universe. A shadow of your own world, you can say. That friend of yours... well, I'm not sure if you're friends yet, but they came from the same world. There are approximately five digits figure of how many chosens are in the world, and each of them with their own kind of circumstances... but generally they shared one similar point, mainly that they came here, to Japan, where the entryway to Digital World happened to left behind.
I said left behind because apparently after some point in the past, there was a decision from the Digital World to close all portals around the world, except two in Japan. One in Shibuya River, and one in Shibuya Station."
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Post by dredhed on Mar 22, 2020 14:47:51 GMT
Kai listened intently to the virtual Teddy Bear's words, occasionally diving into his own food with slight gusto, in particular making note of the supposed gates near Shibuya Station and Shibuya River. The moment he had heard that, he glanced at Maumon, who had gone oddly silent during the conversation. His brows furrowed slightly beneath his braids, as he recalled where he had met her, an unspoken question rising to the forefront of his mind.
If she came here via one of those gates....then why did I find her near neither of those locations? A puff that small and that injured shouldn't have been able to make it htat far on her own...right?'
Catching Kai's stare and seemingly reading his concerns, Maumon looked away, burrowing deeper into her cloak. Exhaling slightly, Kai gently lifted her out of his bag and set her on his lap, before offering a tuna roll.
"...." Glancing up at him for a moment, Maumon took the roll into her mouth and chewed silently as Gryzz continued his explanation. It definitely cleared up some things for him, given what he had seen when he had met that Kan guy a while back, but just like before, it felt like he ended up with more questions than answers the more he learned
'Why were they coming t our world in the first place? What's this gotta do with how I found Maumon?' At the thought of his tiny companion, Kai glanced down again as he fed her another roll. A dark thought rose up in the back of his mind, a realization that now had him glancing suspiciously out the corner of his eye at the cheerful kid eating beside him, and the less than cheerful looking bear in his phone.
'Did one of these 'Chosens' attack her?'
"Right so...Why were the gates closed? And what are people being 'Chosen' for anyway?" he finally asked, taking a sip of his iced oolong.
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