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Post by ricochet8-Kshin on Feb 19, 2022 1:18:24 GMT
"I don't know if I fully agree with you there, Dux. Sure ones' values are important but things like opposing those that don't value ones' goals is not how I go about things. I will achieve my goal of being a great stage magician through hard work while practicing many different tricks." Kshin said as he began fiddling with a coin in his paw before closing it around the coin. When he opened his paw again the coin was gone. Then he carefully reached underneath Grace's scarf pulling the coin from there causing Grace to gape at Kshin shocked she didn't notice the coin somehow finding its way under her scarf which made Kshin smirk mischievously.
As Kshin put the coin away he smiled at Kazu and said "That is quite true. Life is not always fair. I was just lucky I was adopted by a kind pair of digimon after being orphaned. Not everyone is as lucky as I am in life."
Grace picked up on Dux's tone of disdain and began growling at the Yaamon before she said "You know what. Your arrogance is starting to annoy me. Kazu is alright but you act all high and mighty. Not only that you talk of fighting your 'master's' enemies but at the level your at you can barely look out for yourself so how do you expect to keep Kazu safe."
Kshin saw dark flames begin to surround Grace from her anger and before things went more out of hand he stepped between Grace and Dux and said "Stop it, Grace! He's not worth it!"
Upon hearing this the dark flames around Grace vanished before she seemed to return to her normally peppy self as she said "You're right, Kshin. He just set me off. I never met anyone as arrogant as he is but maybe being around someone like Kazu will be good for him."
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Post by Kazuya Fujimoto on Feb 19, 2022 13:13:10 GMT
"A magician, huh?" Kazu asked neutrally, in truth quickly losing interest in that subject. He had tried learning magic before. It had been an interesting diversion for a while but like everything else he had tried, it had failed to hold his interest then and nothing about that seemed likely to change any time soon. It was a relief to find that Digimon did apparently have more conventional goals and hobbies than just violence. Hopefully he could steer Dux away from his current attitude.
"That may suffice for your own goal, to serve a role of entertaining and serving others," Dux acknowledged dismissively. "But my master is meant for greater things. To take his proper place at the top of society, others must inevitably be pushed down," he stated with utter confidence. Kazu sighed, deciding that he should probably try to more firmly interject.
"Let's just hold on a moment. I haven't decided what exactly I'm going to do with my life. I'm all for aiming high but let's hold off on starting my campaign for Prime Minister, okay?" he attempted to pacify the overeager Yaamon. Dux's attitude was looking increasingly to be a problem and the way his eyes narrowed upon hearing Kazu's request suggested it was not about to change so easily. In a stroke of fortune that could be interpreted as good or bad for Kazu, Grace called him out on the attitude he had already shown before they could get into an argument about Kazu's own ambitions.
"Losing your temper like this only proves my point," Dux commented bluntly, no longer even trying to disguise his disapproval and Kazu realized that this was most definitely a bad turn of fortune. "While your companion at least attempted to compose himself and acknowledged his lapse as the failure it was, you appear to revel in your weakness of mind," he went on, even as Kshin was managing to calm Grace down. "You may call me arrogant but the truth is I simply acknowledge the truth of the world. Some people are simply better than others and while lessers may rage against their circumstances, the worthy few will fulfil their roles with the calm born of their undeniable superiority. My current form may be limited in power but that does not change the fact that my role is to serve and protect Master Kazuya. As mighty a destiny as he possesses, serving him directly is too noble a station to indulge in petty tantrums or to offer up feeble excuses. I will protect and serve him in whatever manner he requires and if he requires something beyond the limits of my current form's ability to accomplish, then I will find a way to go beyond those limits."
"Oh, for the love of..." Kazu cut himself off as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Dux's entire speech had been delivered so matter-of-factly that it was clear he wasn't even trying to provoke Grace further. This was something the Yaamon clearly held as true as the fact that the sun would rise in the morning and set in the evening. Holding such unconventional beliefs would be problematic enough but he also seemed to have no interest in hiding them or even delivering them more tactfully and Kazu began to suspect he would have to put an undue amount of effort into playing peacekeeper. "Hey now, why don't we just take a step back? Dux, clearly you have some very strong beliefs and I'm... flattered by your faith in me but maybe you could actually give other people a chance instead of just deciding they're somehow inferior based on a hasty impression," he suggested as firmly as he could. He wasn't sure why exactly Dux had fixated on him so intensely but if he could take advantage of that to defuse the situation then so be it.
"...As you wish," Dux acceded reluctantly, choosing to fall silent for the moment. If Master Kazuya wanted to avoid offending these two then he would obey as befit a loyal servant but he would not lower himself to make nice with riffraff unless he absolutely had to.
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Post by ricochet8-Kshin on Feb 19, 2022 13:46:15 GMT
Kshin nodded before he said "Yeah. I want to be like the Wizardmon who adopted me but I have no magic powers like he does. His name is Mandrake and he makes money in his travels by performing for others though that is not his primary work." Though Kshin noticed Kazu's neutral tone he couldn't help but praise the name of one of the digimon he admired the most.
Dux's attitude was a bit of a problem as the little digimon seemed dismissive of Kshin's humble goals which confused the young Gumdramon. Cocking his head to the side he asked "What's wrong with being an entertainer? It's good honest work and it brings happiness to others if only for awhile." It seemed Kazu was more humble than the Yaamon that was his partner. Yes those two were quite the odd pair.
If Dux was trying to bait Grace into loosing her cool again he must of been somewhat crazy. However Grace didn't rise to the bait and merely crossed her arms before rolling her eyes and muttered "Yeah, Yeah, whatever." This made Kshin relieved that Grace did nothing drastic. Though unknown to anyone else the thought of punting Dux like a football entered her mind which made the young Gammamon smirk mischievously. Then Kshin watched as Grace uncrossed her arms before she began making a gesture with one of her paws that indicated she thought Dux was talking too much but strangely the mischievous smirk had not left her face. Kshin thought better than to ask what was going on in her head because he had a feeling no one would be amused by such an answer.
Kshin looked at Kazu as the teen pinched the bridge of his nose before stepping in to play peacekeeper. Then after Kazu took a firm tone with Dux, Kshin heard the Yaamon say as you wish. "Okay now that that's taken care of. Maybe we can direct the conversation to topics other than goals of crushing others below you." Kshin said hoping that Dux wouldn't mind doing so.
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Post by Kazuya Fujimoto on Feb 20, 2022 1:23:53 GMT
Kazu listened as Kshin elaborated on his goal and the reasons behind it. While he may not have had the most interest in the subject, he could still gain information from the conversation. The fact that some digimon had explicitly magical powers. Also, it seemed the names of the digimon species weren't necessarily the most creative if "Wizardmon" could pass without comment. He also remained silent as Kshin defended his choice of profession to Dux. While he had nothing against the goal intrinsically the fact remained that having tried and grown bored of it previously, he had trouble understanding why Kshin or anybody else would remain so dedicated to the craft. Of course, he typically had trouble understanding why people were dedicated to anything but he had learned that trying to ask people why they didn't find their passions boring and pointless tended to result in a lot more stress than just remaining silent and nodding along. He certainly didn't want to start another argument now that the previous one seemed to have ended, albeit with a touch of petulance on Dux's part and smugness on Grace's. He appreciated when Kshin helped by offering to change the subject.
"Yeah, this is all a lot to take in," Kazu admitted, rubbing the back of his head as he cast his gaze skywards. This was certainly not how he had pictured the day going, though it was proving to be a break from his usual humdrum existence. "You mentioned that you guys come from some other dimension but you all clearly got here somehow so I'm guessing that they're not entirely separate. Are there that many digimon wandering around this world in disguise?" he asked uncertainly. It seemed like a pretty big coincidence that Grace and Kshin just happened to be passing by when all this happened but if they hadn't revealed themselves to him, he would never have guessed that they were anything other than normal kids. How many digimon in disguise had he passed by and never realized it? Were any people he knew not truly human?
"That is correct, Master Kazuya," Dux confirmed, looking directly at Kazu and seeming to ignore Grace and Kshin entirely. "I myself managed to cross over into this world from the Trailmon Terminal in Terminus City, located in the heart of the Digital World. As far as I know, it is the only reliable way to cross over. As for how many digimon are currently at large in this world, I can't say for certain although I imagine the number is quite low, as relatively few digimon have any interest in this world. Given that this city is where the Trailmon brought me, however, I suspect that they will be concentrated in this area," he hypothesized. In truth, his search for knowledge on the human world prior to crossing over had mainly been about how to get there and what sort of things to expect from humans. He hadn't put much thought to the other digimon that were already there, having assumed that it would be some time before he encountered any.
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Post by ricochet8-Kshin on Feb 20, 2022 1:42:59 GMT
"I get how learning about a parallel world inhabited by monsters is a lot to take in. I don't think such a reaction is uncommon among humans. Some just take the news regarding digimon related matters better than others." Kshin said as Kazu began asking about how they got here to asking how many digimon were in the Human World.
Dux then mentioned how he crossed over via the digimon known as Trailmon from the Digital World city of Terminus City. Understandably Dux was unaware of how many digimon were in Shibuya but that was also understandable since digimon tended to come and go only a small portion living in the Human World often living here with tamers and xros generals. Some even didn't use holosuits like Kshin and Grace did.
"Indeed it is hard to say how many digimon are in Shibuya on any given day whether they live here or are visitors passing back and forth between the worlds. Like Dux, Grace and I also periodically come here to Shibuya via various Trailmon Terminals as we and my older brother attend school here in the Human World." Kshin said as he looked at Kazu and said "Though none of us would be going to the same school as Kazu since he seems to be a high schooler and we go to middle school."
"School in the Human World is so fun! Then again I've always loved being around others and both of us enjoy learning." Grace said her good mood having returned as if Dux had never provoked her in the first place. Grace was forgiving that way.
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Post by Kazuya Fujimoto on Feb 20, 2022 12:16:08 GMT
Kazu absorbed the information thoughtfully, absorbing it all. He still didn't have a good estimate of the number of digimon in the city but Grace, Kshin and his brother made three digimon that apparently regularly spent time in this world and Kshin's father, Mandrake, presumably spent at least some time here. Briefly, Kazuya wondered how Grace and Kshin had managed to get enrolled in a school when they presumably lacked any records in this world but given that Mandrake was apparently literally magic, perhaps it wasn't that difficult to produce fakes.
Kazu was somewhat thrown by the enthusiasm Grace showed when discussing her time at school. He could vaguely recall being similarly invested in his education when he was much younger but by now that seemed like a completely foreign concept and the subject was one that he could usually discuss without fear of tripping over somebody else's passions as most people his age were at least somewhat disinterested. "Uh, yeah, school can be great," he offered half heartedly, trying and largely failing to convey at least the memory of his former investment in his tone of voice. Sensing that there was little to be gained from carrying on that conversation, he hurried to change the subject again.
"So this Trailmon Terminal, is it like a train station? Run by digimon called Trailmon, I guess?" he asked curiously. He wasn't sure if he wanted to do anything as drastic as travel to another world just yet but it would be wise to know exactly where the bridge between worlds was.
"Saying it is run by Trailmon might be a touch misleading," Kazu interjected. "They are effectively living trains, with the ability to cross between worlds," he explained.
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Post by ricochet8-Kshin on Feb 20, 2022 13:23:42 GMT
Grace caught something up with Kazu's tone and ran through the sentence he said about how school could be great. There was no mistaking it, Kazu's words sounded half hearted as if he wasn't invested. She had heard that tone when earlier in the conversation but the brief mess with Dux made her momentarily forget about it until now. Looking up at the teen with a confused look in her golden eyes, she asked "Kazu, what's wrong? You seem to not be interested in some parts of this conversation. Is there something else you would prefer to talk about?" Kshin smiled. Leave it to Grace to want someone to feel better even if they were basically strangers.
"Dux is right. The Trailmon are large digimon that come in several variations and tend to carry not only passengers throughout the Digital World while occasionally making stops at Shibuya Terminal. Trailmon also carry cargo as well so I guess they are very like Human World trains in that regard." Kshin said as he thought of the few variations of Trailmon he had personally seen. "There are also other digimon that resemble Human World vehicles with some sharing a closer resemblence to others. However the Trailmon are the least likely to refuse passengers as long as you are respectful and don't get on their nerves."
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Post by Kazuya Fujimoto on Feb 20, 2022 18:45:05 GMT
Kazu winced as Grace picked up on his lack of investment. "No, it's not that there's anything wrong. I'm just not really the type of person who gets invested in things easily, so it's a little tricky to talk about other people's interests," he admitted. "I've tried focusing on a few different things before, including school and magic," he added, taking a moment to fish a coin out of his pocket and mimicking Kshin's earlier trick, albeit not as smoothly as the more practiced Digimon. "But they never really hold my attention for long," he finished before quirking an eyebrow at Dux. "But I can't say I've ever tried anything like this, so maybe this is what I was looking for."
"A lack of excessive passion can be a boon when trying to achieve a singular focus," Dux offered optimistically. "And if you struggled to satisfy your drive with trivial ambitions then perhaps you could take this chance to aim for something a touch more grandiose. Warfare, ruling, grand manipulation, they are all noble pursuits that may be more suited to you," he went on in what was probably meant to be encouragement but somehow failed to excite Kazu.
"Lets just start with this partnership thing and we can decide where we want to go with it later," he suggested, diverting the topic away from what he was beginning to suspect was Dux's sole interest.
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Post by ricochet8-Kshin on Feb 21, 2022 1:01:16 GMT
"I see." Grace said as she began scratching her chin for a moment before she said "At least you are trying new things even if you aren't invested in them for long. It isn't always easy for some to find their true passion but you shouldn't give up on finding something that makes you happy." When Kazu mimicked the same trick Kshin performed Grace said "You still did pretty well with that trick even if you are out of practice. Maybe even if you don't become a magician it can be a relaxing hobby."
"As weird as Dux is he has a point. You shouldn't give up on trying to find your purpose in life. It is something worthwhile to work for." Kshin said with a smile.
Meanwhile Grace had reached under the scarf around her neck before pulling out a small camera that had been hanging around her neck in holosuit form before she said "When I first started out I wanted to be a photographer but as I wondered the land I enjoyed the thrill of seeing new things and learned as much about myself as I did about the places I visited. Now I am an explorer and sorta work as Kshin's magician assistant. I use my camera to snap photos of the places and people I see so my hobby is now part of my work. So, like Kshin said, don't give up on finding your purpose, Kazu."
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Post by Kazuya Fujimoto on Feb 21, 2022 9:09:42 GMT
Kazu nodded along with Grace and Kshin's encouragement though in truth he was less convinced. While he hadn't exactly given up on finding his passion, so many failures had left him a touch cynical about his chances. He did pay a little more attention when Grace mentioned her hobby of photography, however. That was one activity he had never tried before and while it didn't seem particularly likely to hold his interest for any longer than his last few goals, he made a note to try it out at some point. "I don't think I've tried photography before. Spent a while on an art kick but shifted away from the subject when drawing lost my interest," he mused aloud.
"A hobby can be useful," Dux admitted, surprisingly agreeing with the pair. "A pleasant diversion can help to relieve the stress accumulated in the day to day pursuit of power. And of course, there is little point in ruling if one can not indulge in certain simple pleasures," he acknowledged. Kazu couldn't help but note that this actually seemed rather reasonable, if he chose to ignore the references to Dux's megalomaniacal tendencies. Perhaps he could learn to filter out the more egregiously offensive parts of what Dux said to get some actually useful advice at times?
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Post by ricochet8-Kshin on Feb 21, 2022 10:38:32 GMT
Grace smiled at Kazu when he mentioned not trying photography before and said "Maybe you should at least try it out and if it doesn't hold your attention long you can always move on to another interest. There are so many things to try so there has to be something out there that fits you. Though I have to admit you taking up drawing for awhile is pretty cool. So are you any good at drawing? I'm awful at it but I still enjoy drawing on very rare occasions."
Kshin and Grace looked over at Dux genuinely surprised that the little Yaamon had agreed with them regarding hobbies given his somewhat abrasive nature. Guess there was more to that guy than they thought. "While there is nothing wrong with trying to become stronger as that is second nature to a digimon but the occasional pleasant diversion is good for both the mind and body."
Now Grace was curious of what Dux liked regarding hobbies, she asked "Speaking of hobbies, Dux. Other than crushing your enemies beneath you, what are your hobbies?" It seemed she had forgiven Dux for upsetting her earlier and was now willing to talk directly to him.
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Post by Kazuya Fujimoto on Feb 21, 2022 11:37:52 GMT
Kazu shrugged dismissively at Grace's queries about his artistic talent. "I'm alright. I can draw a decent sketch given a little time but I never really got the hang of adding in more details," he admitted modestly. His interest in art had come around the time that he had begun to switch between interests rapidly and had lasted about six months, enough that he had developed some talent but not long enough to master it by any stretch.
Dux was momentarily taken aback when Grace inquired about his own hobbies but quickly recovered and gave some thought to the question."My primary interest is serving Master Kazuya but there are admittedly tasks that I take an additional degree of personal pleasure. I have learned to prepare food, which can be quite enjoyable, and I have an appreciation for certain, refined pieces of music," he began before pausing. "I also... encountered information on a certain piece of human entertainment during my time seeking information on this world. This series of televised broadcasts unexpectedly proved both entertaining and inspiring, as the principal character was a remarkably competent and dedicated valet, a character I could respect and perhaps even admire," he admitted hesitantly. It was perhaps not the most proper pastime but he could not deny that he had been very much shaped and influenced by his discovery of the acts of the inestimable Mister Jeeves.
"A television series?" Kazu asked in surprise, not having expected such from what he had hitherto seen of Dux's personality. "I'm sure you could find time to watch some more of it," he suggested, hoping to get Dux focused on his more mundane interests.
"Very good of you, Master Kazuya," Dux responded. His tone was even and controlled but in truth the idea did please him more than he would be comfortable admitting.
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Post by ricochet8-Kshin on Feb 21, 2022 12:15:04 GMT
"That sounds better than my attempts at drawing by a long shot." Grace said to Kazu's modest response. Then she chuckled before she said "My attempts at sketching looks like some sort of distorted mess looking nothing like what I intended but I guess it could be interpreted by some humans as some form of crude abstract art."
Grace then focused on Dux as he mentioned his hobbies and even Kshin was surprised he was into the arts to some extent as he mentioned a love for food preparation and refined music. "Food preparation also has practical purposes but it is still a cool hobby. So is liking refined music though I think one of Kshin's adopted dads also appreciates refined music."
"Yeah Mandrake does give off that vibe as he does like opera and ballet but then again so does his fiancé, Lothar." Kshin said addressing his adoptive parents by name which on the surface seemed odd but neither Mandrake nor Lothar were ever offended by being called by name and never pushed Kshin to call them dad in any form if he didn't want to which Kshin was grateful for.
Dux then mentioned that he had a liking for human entertainment especially television. Maybe he might of liked books as well. "Humans do have creative minds when it comes to their various forms of fiction though I must admit I haven't watched tv very much. I have read some of their literature and not only because it was required in school."
"Hey, Kshin. Remember what Mandrake and Lothar got you for Christmas?" Grace asked catching Kshin's attention.
"Yeah, they did. Hold on a minute." Kshin said before he began digging through his bag pulling what looked like a comic book from the depths of his bag before he said "They got me this superhero comic about a magician." Kshin held it up so Kazu and Dux could see the title and it was a comic of the DC hero Zatanna.
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Post by Kazuya Fujimoto on Feb 21, 2022 13:49:48 GMT
Kazu nodded along as Grace commented on his artistic talents and on Dux's own hobbies. The Yaamon didn't visibly react but did marginally raise his estimation of Grace at her evident interest in his professed hobbies. He also approved of Kshin's comments on his fathers' musical tastes."I can't say that I have observed much ballet but I can certainly enjoy a splendid coloratura or aria, as well as many pieces of classical music, and can even serve as a rather competent baritone, if I may say so myself," he preened. Kazu was again pleasantly surprised to find that Dux would have an interest in something as peaceful as singing and reflected that Dux's voice was surprisingly low considering his diminutive stature.
As the topic moved on to literature, while the comment was addressed to Dux and he listened politely, having no problem with reading as a hobby, it was Kazu who answered. "Yeah, I spend a fair amount of time reading. It's an interesting enough way to pass the time," he said. As Grace encouraged her friend to produce his Christmas present, he examined it curiously. "Never really read comics but I suppose they could be interesting," he remarked thoughtfully. Dux seemed more bemused than anything, though with the positive turn that the conversation had taken, he elected to at least try and say something positive.
"Well, at least she seems well dresssed... for the most part," he offered, observing the character's formalwear-inspired costume.
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Post by ricochet8-Kshin on Feb 22, 2022 0:40:43 GMT
When Dux mentioned he was a competent baritone after saying he had not observed much ballet Grace's eyes lit up before she said "Wow you can sing! That's pretty cool! Kshin and I are far from professional singers but at least we don't drive people away with our singing like some people can."
"No kidding. There are some people who are so bad that they don't seem to realize that or even care they are causing discomfort to others." Kshin said with a shake of his head.
As the discussion moved on to reading Grace said "Reading is something that many do without thinking about it since we tend to do it on an everyday basis so it becomes almost instinctive behavior. Yet reading can be both fun and relaxing as well."
When Dux mentioned how Zatanna was dressed Kshin looked at the comic and said "Well not only is she a superhero with magic powers but she is a stage performer as well. With performers presentation means a lot and though I don't have any costumes for my act maybe I'll eventually get some to spice up my act. I still have many tricks I need to master before I can be considered professional."
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