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Foreboding knowledge [W/ Ollie]
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Post by Kai Aizawa on Mar 29, 2022 5:44:19 GMT
Kai would be spending the evening silently cursing herself as she was at the end of a very wild goose chase, only this time she was looking through a library for something that her alleged peers should have done over a week ago. There was another inter school mock trial case coming up next week with students from another city coming in, and Kai was not originally part of that group as she was in another project that had recently wrapped up, she was asked the previous day to help them out. When she checked their progress, she found a few gaps, most of which were easy fixes, except for one she called the fissure. The case's argument hinged on a few bits of case law, that was improperly cited and was not even fact checked, Kai even had to check to see if she wasn't hallucinating when she learned the news. She heard that the group learned about the case second hand from a passing elder relative who had something to do with the courts.
However that wasn't good enough for the event, let alone Kai's, 'high' standards. However she was struggling to find evidence online so she knew she had to take matters into her own hands and spent hours today at an old library, searching through the library for the documents she was looking for.
Kai was no stranger to research, especially intense fact finding ones regarding case law or general research spent inside a library for hours on end. However the school or local library were not, adequate enough for her needs, which lead her to a more older library.
There were few people in at the time, and it was a big place, easy to get lost alone in for a period of time. She had been searching for clues in the records section for hours, and was at the moment taking a break as she would walk aimlessly throughout the library to stretch her legs and occasionally glance at some materials as she would try to clear her mind, learn a few things along the way as well.
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Post by ollieandprocopius on Mar 29, 2022 14:20:55 GMT
"S...so what ARE you exactly?" Ollie said, taking for granted the fact that he would be alone in the tightly packed reference section. The only thing back here were old legal casebooks and out of date scientific material. He had also vastly overestimated how sensitive his own hearing was, he assumed he would be able to hear footsteps on the carpeted floor, save for the fact that he was totally enraptured by the Tsumemon now standing on the table in front of him.
"Kid are you an egghead or not? I keep telling you, I'm a Digimon. Digital lifeform, whatever the hell that means." The digimon in front of him said, rolling his single amber orange eye. Though Ollie was also boggling at how the beast didn't seem to know what "digital lifeform" meant just by context of the words used.
"Do you...do you have a name?" Ollie said, momentarily pausing the sketch he was making of the spider-hand creature in front of him, not seeming to be thrown off in the slightest by the slightly off-putting sight of the creature in question.
"A name? I uhh...no, no I guess not. Not really." The creature said, as if that fact was just settling on him in full. Everyone he knew just called him "boss" but that wasn't a NAME. he'd never known his parents, always BEEN a caretaker, never HAD one. Somehow the idea of naming himself had always slipped his mind
"If I may?...How about Procopius?" Ollie said, fully looking up from his book and locking eyes with his strange little hanger on with a smile. A pang going off in his heart for a creature who also didn't seem to know how to define themselves. Both of them were without mooring, just left adrift to define themselves. "He's my favorite historical figure, a historian." Ollie said sheepishly, knowing the gruff seeming digimon would probably reject it out of hand. He seemed to be the kind of reject things as "nerdy". Turns out he was wrong.
"Procopius huh? Sounds...what's the word? Big. Like, important. I like it." Procopius, newly christened, said. Equally drawn into the conversation despite himself, not realizing Kai was peeking out between the shelves.
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Post by Kai Aizawa on Mar 30, 2022 7:39:39 GMT
Kai was reading a book in silence, however she was able to hear a conversation nearby, not really paying attention to many words, but, she did get concerned when she thought she heard one word in particular that was a bit nerve racking... 'Digimon'. Kai assumed she was greatly mistaken but did not want to take any chances and would start to slowly approach the sound of the voices. She kept low and silent as she would walk over to where the tables were, hoping she was wrong and just about to walk in on two people who had no idea what Digimon were, only to see the In-Training Digimon on the table.
Kai was confused on whether to find the tiny Digimon cute or creepy, she looked at the one eyed Digimon for a moment. "I think a more fitting name for both of you is Icarus and Daedalus, only not sure which is which." She said monitoring her volume as she got close. "What are you thinking having a Digimon out freely in public?! They're supposed to be kept secret." Kai said as she kept a hand ready to rush for her Xros Loader if she needs it. "Reabsorb him into your Digivice or stuff him in a bag, there are consequences to this!" She said in a bit of a panic as she did not want to entertain the notion of the circle of exposure getting bigger right now.
"I presume you're recently restarted your life or something like that? Digimon aren't exactly common in this world, luckily it was me that walked in on you two otherwise you may have scared a poor librarian." She said still in the midst of being cautious, but not reaching for her Xros Loader yet.
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Post by ollieandprocopius on Mar 30, 2022 13:07:22 GMT
Both Ollie and Procopius very nearly jumped out of their skins, the young human boy even letting out a slightly undignified little squeak as he jumped out of his chair with the force of his own shocked, tensing muscles shoving him out of his chair, both of them turning to face Kai instantly as they saw they weren't alone.
"Who the hell are you, lady?!" Procopius said, pointing an accusing finger at the young professional type in their midst though he didn't actually seem eager to instigate anything, just tossed into a confrontational attitude after being surprised. He had already lived the kind of life where he did NOT like getting surprised and usually ended up with a bruise or worse every time he let focus get away from him.
"We-w-w-well I didn't know that!" Oliver said, nearly falling over as he had to account for the weight of his rucksack almost immediately after getting shoved to his feet by the surprise, he wasn't used to sudden bursts of energy and motion and the fading shock and tension in his muscles made the little guy pant a little. "Who are you and what are you doing back here? Nobody comes back here." Oliver said, almost sure of that. Kai was the first other human being he had seen even look back here in the better part of a year, it was why he felt so secure in using this backroom as a space to read, write and think away from the prying eyes or shoving hands of his unfortunate classmates.
"Will you BOTH chill out?" Procopius said, holding up one of his "fingers" as if holding out a hand for calm, shaking out the last of the sudden adrenaline rush. "Nobody saw anything they weren't supposed to ok? Not yet. And us barking at each other is the best way to attract unfortunate attention." He said. He was gruff, but he was also probably right. He was a much better diplomat than looking or listening to him would give the impression of.
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Post by Kai Aizawa on Mar 31, 2022 6:24:07 GMT
"Actually I'm here once or twice a month at least, I'm Kai Aizawa, part of the Mock Court club at school. I am here looking for some cases my peers forgot to actually cite it and only referred to it by word of mouth." Kai said calmly, keeping her voice quiet before she would reach into her blazer inner pocket and pulled out her Xros Loader for a moment before putting it away, definitely not wanting to risk having any of her own Digimon make an appearance since they would definitely make a ruckus. She figured unless the Procopius tried to pull any stunt or any move against her. She would carefully keep an eye out .
"Now I believe it's your turn." She said as she would put a hand on her hip as she would look at the two. "Still, it's dangerous for Digimon, especially those without Holosuits, to be out in the open in any regard. Humans are unaware of the Digital World, except those chosen by an unknown force..." She said before she would start to piece toegher a reasonable hypothesis. She noted the boy's behavior an d the fact that he was here frequently, inside a rather old and sparsely busy library, with the Digimon on the table.
"You're... trying to research Digimon from the human world aren't you?" She asked as she was quite curious at the notion, albeit finding it a bit weird. She knew that the impact of Digimon in this world was not as notable as one would think. She was trying to not presume too much into their behavior, but she did want to be certain the two were not risking anything fishing in a dry well. She would start to worry about what was going to happen if things went more chaotic. However she did her best to keep calm and avoid frekaing out at this point as she assumed the worst was most likely over.
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Post by ollieandprocopius on Mar 31, 2022 13:36:41 GMT
"Um...well...yea. Where else would i research them?" Ollie said, as if not fully understanding the question. he was still having a rough time wrapping his head around all of this. A large egg hitting him in the chest as he stalked the library late at night, hatching into the little spider hand that then began talking to him. His intellectual curiosity had gotten the better of him before he actually had a chance to think it all through and let it sink in just how absurdly weird this all was.
"I think she's asking why we're not doing this in the digital world." Procopius said, saying it as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Kai on the other hand, who was looking at Ollie would be able to see Ollie's eyes explode into excited stars, turning instantly to Procopius.
"You mean we can go there?! To a world that nobody has written about?!" Ollie gasped, turning to the table and instantly beginning to stuff as many pens, pencils and notebooks back into his bag as he could grab, filling his already insane rucksack even more full until it looked like it would crush the little man as he threw it over his shoulders.
"Well plenty of people have written about it, probably, it's just that all of those people were Digimon. I don't...no, I don't think any humans have ever written about the Digital World. And if they have it's never made it back here. I dunno nothin' about that though." He said, showing just how different he was compared to his randomly chosen partner. Procopius could read at a second grade level and barely sign his own name, compared to the intellectual and scholarly Ollie who was already bouncing up and down in place at the mere idea of a world with so much left to write down, so much data and knowledge left to put in one place. He didn't seem to have any worry about going, showing there wasn't much in the human world he worried about leaving behind.
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Post by Kai Aizawa on Apr 1, 2022 6:07:53 GMT
"Never made it back, or never could talk about it. After all, there are reasons we don't see Agumon walking up to a hotdog vendor in the states or see many business men having lunch with a Zenimon. I believe there may be a few, bodies on this side of the line dedicated to keeping that secret." Kai said as she was trying to build on what the Digimon said as she had a bad feeling about Ollie and his, ambitions.
She maintained a cold emotionless look on her face and tone as she was speaking with a seriousness that was intended to be scary. "If someone were to try to publish work on the Digital World here in our world perhaps suddenly they wake up in a mental ward unable to verbalize their thoughts coherently, or perhaps they lose all ability to get to the digital world. or maybe, the easiest solution was taken." She said drawing her thumb across her neck to symbolize how dangerous it could be to write and publish papers on the Digital world could be to a human. She did not want to come off as threatening but she wanted Ollie to know what exactly he was being excited about.
"Nah, more likely this kid's gonna get eaten, might be interesting for someone to document the process as it happens." A feminine voice coming from inside Kai's blazer spoke up. Kai sighed as she broke her concentration on her intimidating before rolling her eyes. "Ruined the ambiance Tera, I was trying to exploit the dangers of publishing works on the Digital World, not scare him away from the Digital world or give him suggestions for his last actions." She responded to the voice before resuming her more pleasant demeanor. "Sorry bout the intimidation scare, just you reminded me how intense I can be about some subjects and sometimes someone cold use some cold water splashed on them, or an ice bucket dumped on them to prevent going off the rails."
She said before she would remove a small notepad from her purse as she was writing down more specific directions as she explained the general directions. "If you want to see the Digital World, head down to the Central Train Station or the Shibuya river. In both cases you'll find something like an abandoned terminal, show the device you got with your new friend to it, and the path to the Digital World will open." Kai said before ripping off the small page, folding it with one hand and handed it to Ollie. [font color="4d56eb"Should be everything you need to know in here."[/font] She explained as she would have faith before looking back at Tsunemon. "Though, I don't suppose you're able to get much beyond that form right now can you? Don't rush back if you feel you're not ready to be able to defend yourself or him." She offered the wisdom to both before looking back at Ollie.
"The Digital World, is a place of dreams, and nightmares. The world operates under different laws of physics. Life there has different concepts. If you're gonna go, which I'm sure you will, take this warning to heart. Be prepared to offer your sanity and soul. I saw something there, something I can't forget... Something that even defied that world's laws, horrors that would definitely have killed me if not for circumstances favoring me by the slightest degree." She informed him as she was reliving the memory in her head of the Corrupted Wisemon. "There came a point there, where... I almost cried and begged for a swift end if it weren't for a miracle." She explained as she did not want to go too deep into it as she looked away from Ollie.
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Post by ollieandprocopius on Apr 1, 2022 15:06:53 GMT
The warnings didn't seem to phase Ollie all that much, if anything the timid seeming young man seemed to become...hardened by the threats involved in gathering the knowledge that he wanted. He gripped his pencil tightly before stuffing it behind his ear, fully completing the look of a scholar on a mission.
"Knowledge is everything." He said, seemingly totally unphased by the threat of being actually killed or any of the other terrible outcomes Kai was warning him about, if anything the threat of being attacked or killed on this quest seemed to just make the drive in him stronger in the direction of going. "Knowledge that is being hidden or protected that strongly is all the more reason to uncover it, write it down and share it as openly as possible. Fear, hate and injustice all come from ignorance and misinformation." He said, digging through his bag for something else, something special. he pulled out a black box, thick and made out of shimmering plastic. it looked brand new, or more like the young man kept it in perfect condition. "If it's really as dangerous as they say, I can't demand that you come with me. Even if we are...joined or whatever." Ollie said, clicking open the box to reveal the treasure inside. A black fountain pen, perfect in its shimmering shine from silver head to smooth black end, inlaid in intricate patterns of silver engraving, each line intricate in its delicate nature. "But I can ask you. If we're really meant to be partners, I can offer you everything I have, the most important thing I own." He said, pulling out a string from the top of the case and laying it at the Digimon's clawed feet so the digimon could look it around his body if he so chose.
"I uhh...umm...this is the most important thing in the world to you?" Procopius said, reaching out and clicking open the case himself, getting a good look at the pen inside. As someone from the "wrong side of the tracks" like he was the black and silver pen looked like it might as well have come from the throne of a king. It was clean, it was shiny, it looked expensive and fragile as He lifted the string with one "finger" and hesitated. "I...I can't. I don't...I don't know how to use it." Procopius seethed, flinching as if saying the words was as painful as being struck across the face. It was only slightly less embarrassing than saying "I never learned how to read and write". He had lots of skills but it was hard for him to think of himself as anything but stupid when that skillset was lost on him.
"That's ok. I can teach you." Ollie said, his plump cheeks turning upward into a rosy smile that made Procopius visibly shaken. He had never just been...offered so much like this. Given a change, given a place he hadn't even had to fight for. It smashed up against everything he had ever assumed to be true and now...He looped the pen case around his body so that it dangled out in front of him.
"There's...a lot of places I can show you then. Spots that even most digimon in Terminal don't know about, stuff that needs to get written down while there's people still alive to tell it." He said, getting infected with some of Ollie's drive. he was from a run down, ratty part of the Digital World, still full of stories and small beauties worth recording before they were gone forever. If Ollie really meant what he said about taking it all down then...then Procopius knew he owed it to...to everyone really to help him find the things that might otherwise get lost.
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Post by Kai Aizawa on Apr 6, 2022 6:07:47 GMT
"I mean, I just told you nearly died, I watched my friend nearly get ripped apart by an eldritch horror when I was nearly killed myself in the same attack. No offense Ollie but I can run a a full kilometer and just be warmed up while you look like you'd keel over trying to keep up with my daily jog." She said as she would try to make sure that Ollie wasn't just blindly accepting a deal with a devil he knew little about. She would be careful about how Procopius was enticing Ollie. She felt that the ambiguousness of the true dangers the other world holds. She would start to try to find there would be little she could say to dissuade the man from trying to go.
"Alright, if you are so dead set on going, take this one piece of advice. Death for a human, and death for a Digimon are completely different concepts. Digimon don't die, They have a reincarnation process, sometimes even recalling who they were before. That alone has different implications, meaning some may be..." She said as she built up a slight dramatic pause. "more liberal with cutting loose in the wild world then any human in this world would. You are aware of what I'm telling you right?" She said as she was under the impression the boy was genuinely unaware of the fact that he could die at any moment in the Digital World. "Stop scarin' the kid into takin' the safe way ya naff dobber, either Darwinism gets him or he thrives with the help of his partner. Let 'em be." Came the gruff voice of an older man with a Scottish accent from inside Kai's Xros Loader still inside her blazer.
"Yeah, I got about five Digimon in my Xros Loader at the moment, so don't be surprised at the three different voices." She said knowing full well that the math didn't add up, but she did not want to try to explain the Missies at the moment.
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Post by ollieandprocopius on Apr 6, 2022 13:36:04 GMT
"I. Do not. Care." Ollie said, turning to face Kai with a look of determination that almost looked alien on the cute and chubby face of the young man, his rosy cheeks puffing up in a look of pure will and drive. "it's like Procopius said. There's stories in the Digital World that need to be told while there's still someone around to do the telling. If there's some knowledge to find, some story to share, some understanding to be granted then that's the only thing I need to go there." He said, shaking his head. He wasn't sure the older girl got it. If what Procopius was saying was true, if there was knowledge at risk of being lost then he HAD to go because there was a good chance no one else would.
"Man, humans don't get reborn?" Procopius on the other hand actually seemed to be listening more closely to what Kai was saying. He looked down at the pen case now hanging around his head. "Yknow kid. Maybe she's right, we might not want to..." He was instantaneously cut off by Ollie raising a hand and turning to look at him, dead in the eyes from past the glittering lenses of his glasses.
"Can you honestly tell me all the things you can show me will still BE there if we wait for the "safe moment"?" Ollie said, looking into his eyes and raising an eyebrow. Procopius's face dropped and his sighed, shrugging and shaking his head.
"No, some of the little things are on their last legs as we speak. Old corners shops and dives that could crumble, die out or get shut down any day now." Procopius said in response. The details of a poor neighborhood were undefended and more transient than he would like. He of all people knew that. He had fond memories of stores, hangout spots and points of relaxation that were forever vanished from anywhere save his own mind.
"Then we're going, as soon as possible, while as much of your old neighborhood as possible is where you left it. If you and your friends are so worried for my safety, you are welcome to tag along for as long as you like." Ollie said, turning to Kai. For a such a small young man it was easy to see that he was planting his feet and did not intend to move them any time soon.
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Post by Kai Aizawa on Apr 7, 2022 6:49:32 GMT
"I could just snatch the Digimon right now, outrun the boy... Save him from dying unnecessarily... but is that ethically right? Is that the right thing to do?" She thought to herself, the idea was tempting, however she shrugged those thoughts off as she would listen to the resolve of the boy who seemed to have some desperate need to go into the other world. However when she saw that Procopius was at least willing to consider her line of reasoning only to be shut down by Ollie.
In a twist of irony Kai saw how Ollie's obsession was leading him into an unhealthy mindset. Kai looked at the two as she knew she may want to put some distance between her and Ollie as she did not want to be in any way liable for any grim fate that Ollie would meet if he was not phased by the dangers she mentioned. However as Ollie finished, Kai had already turned around as she around as she would be done with the man. "You're too blind by your aspirations then your own life. I already told you how to get there if you want, I am not going to make myself responsible for someone who blindly chases into fire."
She said as she was greatly concerned for how he will be in the future, but she dud bit want him on her conscience and she did try her best to warn him. "Choice is yours." She said as she would start to walk.
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Post by ollieandprocopius on Apr 7, 2022 12:48:23 GMT
As Kai turned away Ollie instantly got back to work packing everything on his tabletop into the massive rucksack he was carrying, pushing the lip down until he could finally close that latches with a satisfying click. Kai had no way of knowing that he had nothing to worry about losing here in the human world, with only a cruel, neglectful orphanage to sleep in and the constant mocking and pressure from his peers to turn into something he wasn't, the idea of a quest for lost or hidden knowledge was what he had been envisioning for his entire life. To be able to pick up and just leave, to do something that actually excited him. it was like a dream come true and he was begging his mind not to wake him up.
"We should pick up some food, some water, yknow, the basics before we actually head out." Procopius said. He had already accepted that nothing was going to stop the little man from following his head, besides, the former digimon tough wanted to get home as quickly as possible. It was impossible to judge how long he had been away in order to get reborn and he needed to check in on his old neighborhood. If nothing else so that he could find the dirty rat who had bashed him over the back of the head and return the favor with extreme prejudice.
"I also need to pick up a large, blank book...how do you feel about "The Digital Codex"?" Ollie said, the smile on his face wide and glittering with its beaming happiness. He had never felt so excited in his entire life.
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Post by Kai Aizawa on Apr 10, 2022 5:15:50 GMT
Kai listened as Ollie and Procopius seemed to make up their minds regarding the Digital World. Before she would be out of earshot entirely, she decided to leave some parting words. "I won't stop you from going forward into the Digital World. Procupius, I pray you found something new worth protecting, Ollie, I hope you find something worth your life for. I attached my Phone and Digi-FM numbers at the bottom, if you need a lifeline... I can only try." She said as she would finally walk away as she would leave the two, texting her peers as she did that she was unsuccessful in finding what she came for, and that they would need to take advantage of whatever time remained in order to refocus their efforts. She was not surprised when they immediately texted back complaining, but she did warn them not to expect anything from her search.
"You know, you could've lead them into an alley or an abandoned lot, we could've flexed a bit to show him just what is in store in the Digital World. You know, enough to get the point across without stepping over the mine, I believe a famous earth guy once said something like if an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared." Tera said from within the Xros Loader when Kai entered the stairwell alone. Kai shook her head even if Tera couldn't see it. "Quoting Machiavelli? I do believe the ends justify the means, but you misinterpret what I want as the ending here. I want them to make their own choices, I'm not trying to scheme their loyalty, which is what that quote really means. It's about ensuring the loyalty of the men under your rule." Kai said as she was correcting Tera, who grossly misused the quote.
"Well I only heard from the old lady who loved human world stuff." Tera said as she was not really wanting to get into it right now.
"There's actually a more fitting Machiavelli quote for him. A man who is used to acting in one way never changes; he must come to ruin when the times, in changing, no longer are in harmony with his ways." She said as she would get to the main floor before she would leave the library, uncertain as to how Ollie would fair.
EXIT
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