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First Guest Ever (Manami)
Suu Ueno
In-Training
Posts: 4
OOC Name: Bocchi
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Post by Suu Ueno on Nov 2, 2022 23:31:23 GMT
Visiting hours were often the time when Suu liked to stay in her room. As a very long-term patient, she had the luxury of having her own, albeit small place. The preference for solitude arose partially from the fact that she never had a guest, but she was hiding because the number of strangers walking through the corridors dangerously increased. And with that possibility of running into them... The girl was able to walk a little in the morning but after taking medication and the head physician's visit nurses chased her back to bed.
Suu obediently burrowed herself into the covers and blanket, as residents began the usual treatment. The folded sleeve of her sweater showed the cannula, a thin needle inserted in her left forearm fastened with a bandage. The translucent tube was transferring fluid that in a characteristic pocket was hanging from the hanger above her bed. The clip thingy, as she called the pulse oximeter was attached to one of her fingers and some of the cables from the sensors on her chest were sticking out of the gown, plugged into the machine on the side. The rhythmic, beeping sound was as familiar as her very own breathing.
The usual, right.
After a short chat with the hospital's staff, she was left alone. The day was cloudy, so Suu turned on the lamp beside her pillow. The white overbed table was full of colorful papers and origami animals made by the girl's hands. Some of the shapes weren't ideal, and the sheets weren't folded perfectly, but the number of paper turtles, cats, and cranes was only growing. An hour passed. Or maybe two?
After that time the girl's head became heavy and she decided to close her eyes for just a moment... And now she was resting her back on the pillow, her head tilted to the side and breathing even. In the palm of her hands was sitting a blue paper fish, while the room was shrouded with silence.
The door opened when a passerby peeked in and the girl raised her gaze, waking up due to the soft creak of hinges. Her sleep was always rather shallow. Was that nurse or someone who opened the wrong door? Softly shaking her head and rubbing her eyes with a small fist, she was blinking, trying to get rid of the sleepiness. Suu dozed off again... With that weather, it wasn't anything special but - what time it was? Did she sleep through the dinner again? A moment was needed to collect her thoughts.
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Post by Manami on Nov 3, 2022 6:07:17 GMT
That hadn’t… really been a smooth landing. Being given a task and thrusted amidst an alien environment with pretty much zero support or tools to thrive was a dire situation, and, at least initially, one with few prospects to succeed. On a further look, however? It was also a sign of infinite confidence on what was otherwise a newborn’s abilities. Mochiko only counted with knowledge regarding her task at hand and a disguise to not annihilate any pretense at stealth and subtlety. Besides that? It was only her, her wits, and the seemingly random place in the Human World where the digimon had appeared.
It looked like a communal building of some sort; and even at plain sight, she could identify that there were at least three types of humans inhabiting it; the ones dressed in uniforms that had mostly serious looks on their faces and looked like they didn’t have time for anyone, the ones that wore a variety of different clothes and expressions; whether aimless, distraught or others, they seemed to be in way less of a hurry than the first group on average. And the third, the convalescent humans that lied on the beds that populated the various rooms inside the building. To Mochiko, this was the most interesting by far, and probably the one that was the most apt to answer her queries.
With her starting point established, she only needed to pick a room and hopefully start her investigation. There didn’t seem to be any criteria that differentiated the various rooms, at least at plain sight, so she just went with the nearest one. Making sure to enter as silently as possible, as if to not raise suspicion, she found herself inside a relatively small and a somewhat cramped room; various machines and furniture occupied most of space, but the silhouette of a tiny human amid the bedsheets could be observed at plain sight. The disguised digimon smiled gently, then spoke.
“Hello there.” She greeted, her voice soft, yet inviting. “How are you doing today?”
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Suu Ueno
In-Training
Posts: 4
OOC Name: Bocchi
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Post by Suu Ueno on Nov 3, 2022 19:35:59 GMT
Perhaps because her mind was still shrouded with sleepiness, Suu didn't immediately realize that she isn't alone in her room. The lights and shadows of this cloudy day weren't working in her favor, creating a gloomy, slow forenoon... And she wasn't being as attentive as usual. That is - until she discovered that she had company. The little girl flinched in her bed, startled by a sudden sound of an unknown voice. She raised her gaze to see who it belongs to - a stranger. A teenager, a girl obviously older than her by a couple of years, was greeting her with a friendly smile and gentle voice, standing by the door. Long brown hair was neatly brushed, her clothing resembled a school uniform and she had a pretty face with soft features... How come someone like her just walked into this room?
The tiny patient wasn't feeling well around strangers but at this very moment, Suu was so surprised that her initial shyness hasn't yet kicked in. Her grey eyes were glued to the lovely teenager, giving her just a tiny bit of heartache. Growing up to her teen years might be something that fate won't grant her... No, it was never good to think about that too much. Anyway. She wasn't a new resident around, was she? She lacked the hospital scrubs and the aura accompanying the girl wasn't like that. And she didn't seem to be someone given admission here, judging by the clothes. Did she get lost while looking for the right room? The pale little girl didn't get any visitors, so she deduced that it must have been the reason.
For a moment Suu was just gazing in wonder at the teenage girl, both surprised and curious. Then, as the realization that she was staring - and staring a lot - started to sink in, she blinked and let out a startled meek gasp. Oh no. A nervous, soft blush painted her cheeks with a pastel pink color. The stranger alert now started to ring in her head when she grabbed the blanket laying on her bed. Her instinct told her to hide, and without thinking, Suu pulled it up right over her face, too shy to confront the person in question. It must have looked funny - a tiny girl using the dark blue blanket as a shield and a hideout, bashfully peeking from above the fabric. The machines skipped a beat when reading the action of her heart, but aside from that, the room was still quiet. A couple of paper animals and colorful sheets fell from the covers on the floor, but now Suu was safely concealed behind the woolen blanket. Only grey eyes were visible, though white strands of hair were obstructing her averting gaze.
"H-Hello..." she stuttered shyly after a second. It would be rude not to answer, right? But the little one was gathering resolve to at least look at the stranger, though it wasn't that easy - her eyes were slipping away. Her fingers were trembling nervously, squeezing the side of the blanket. "T-The nurses' station is down t-this corridor and on the left..." Suu explained soflty, assuming that the pretty girl came into her room by mistake. After all, there was absolutely no reason for anyone to come to visit her here.
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Post by Manami on Nov 5, 2022 20:29:36 GMT
Mochiko was surprised, yet entertained at the same time by the little girl’s reaction. She couldn’t avoid letting out a soft giggle at the reaction. “Was my entrance such an inauspicious event that you immediately want to send me off?” She said, her voice betraying no negative feelings. “You didn’t even answer my question. Was I prying in a topic I shouldn’t have?”
Despite them, the disguised digimon made no effort to move out of the room, at least for the time being. Slowly. She gave the room another once over before her gaze focused on the small form of its main occupant. “If my presence is making you uncomfortable, I can leave at this very instant. If not, however, I’m not in a hurry to be anywhere for the time being, and wouldn’t mind a little bit of conversation. What do you say?”
In hindsight, a reaction like this one was quite expected; she was an unknown intruder into what seemed like a fairly hidden corner of this building that had what looked like a reclusive inhabitant. Being suspicious was a favorable outcome when compared to outright aggressiveness, at least.
It wasn’t optimal, though. It’d only take another negative for Mochiko to leave the room, likely never to be seen again by the little girl. Not exactly a big loss for either party, but probably not the best outcome.
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Suu Ueno
In-Training
Posts: 4
OOC Name: Bocchi
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Post by Suu Ueno on Nov 6, 2022 1:49:07 GMT
It was supposed to end quickly - she expected the girl to nod, maybe thank her for the directions, or apologize for the intrusion and leave. As simple as that, but instead... Suu heard a giggle which made her self-conscious. Was it something she said? Or does she look f-funny? The little patient anxiously looked around and decided to pull the blanket over her head, as if it was the smartest way to hide. Still, the guest only started to ask why she was chasing her away. Oh... There was a hot, embarrassed flush on the girl's face when realized that perhaps she was mean to this stranger..? That wasn't good, was it?
"I-I mean..." Suu's voice cracked from under the blanket, both from nervousness and eagerness to explain herself. The girl wasn't mad or even irritated by her response, but she already felt bad. She didn't know what to say... "N-N-No, that's not what I meant. And I'm o-okay..." she mumbled lowering her voice.
It wasn't the truth. Of course, it wasn't the truth - after all, she was still in the hospital with a PICC line leading medication straight to her weak heart. She didn't feel strong enough to walk on her own, and there was no appetite for today's meals but she couldn't say that. Even if Suu would admit that she isn't feeling well, what would that do? Doctors would give her medication and do some more tests, but there was no one to pat her head, tuck her to sleep, or hold her hand when her chest would ache. But if she would admit that, she'd just make others uncomfortable... Work in the hospital was difficult already, they didn't need her complaints. She knew there were things she couldn't have, so Suu should stop thinking about them. But - a small talk and some company would be appreciated...
After a little while, the white-haired head peeked from above the blanket, when Suu slowly started to put her shield down.
"I'm s-sorry if I was rude," she apologized, her fingers nervously clutching to the edge of the fabric. A pair of gray eyes were still avoiding looking at the young lady standing by the door because Suu didn't know how she should talk with her. "I, just... No one visits me, s-so I thought you entered my room by mistake," she finally admitted, now raising her head shyly to glance at the pretty girl. The question appeared on her lips before she realized what she said. "Why are you here..?"
The meek voice wasn't good at hiding hope, but at the same time, the undertone sounded like Suu was ready to accept any excuse that the visitor will come up with to leave her room.
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Post by Manami on Nov 8, 2022 6:02:51 GMT
From what little interaction the digimon had with the room’s occupant, it seemed fairly obvious that she wasn’t very used to socializing in a casual setting. Or that she had an awkward streak; in any case, that wasn’t a big deal. A nod was given to the initial response; having taken into account the gestures before and during the answer, it wasn’t hard to guess that it wasn't very sincere, but pressing the issue would be beyond unbecoming.
Mochiko seemed undisturbed by that fact, and gazed lazily towards the room’s window; the blinds were down, obfuscating an uncertain panorama, and reinforcing the light’s artificial glow that inundated the room. Without saying much, she stood up and walked towards it. “Do you mind if I raise these? The day outside is quite pretty.”
Another warm smile was directed towards the small as a hand waved dismissively at the apology. “Don’t worry about it. Thanks for bearing with me imposing on you with this small visit; I can’t blame you for being caught out of your element.” After hypothetically opening the blinds, she went back to her seat, opting to answer both the girl’s worries with a single answer. “Entering here was pretty deliberate, so no mistakes were made, I think!” She began. “I can’t deny it was a matter of chance, though. You see… I’m trying to orient myself a bit on this place, and you’re the first person I’ve stumbled upon that wasn’t in some kind of hurry to get somewhere and that outright rejected some moments to talk to me. Thank you for that.”
She couldn’t blame anyone for having to be somewhere else or being in a hurry, considering the apparent purpose of this building. But, Mochiko wasn’t afraid of allotting credit where it was due. Even if awkward, this girl had proven to be the first genuinely friendly being she had encountered. “The actual reason for me being here is a bit embarrassing, though. Let’s just say I’m new in this city, and somehow ended up in this place. Isn’t that embarrassing?”
The digimon couldn’t completely hide her embarrassment from her expression, but that was fine. “My name is Mochiko, by the way. What is yours? I apologize for the unseemly gesture of wanting to strike conversation without introducing myself. That was unbecoming.”
Hopefully that'd suffice, as far as introductions went. Only time would be able to tell how this girl felt towards this situation underneath that mask of awkwardness.
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Suu Ueno
In-Training
Posts: 4
OOC Name: Bocchi
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Post by Suu Ueno on Nov 8, 2022 19:03:52 GMT
The situation was outright unusual and Suu wasn't sure how she should act. Or how to respond, how to talk with a friendly stranger? Maybe it was the right time to have her first practice... The nervous yet pale blush wasn't leaving her face. So far she decided to remain quiet - she placed the blanket and her hands clutching the fabric on her lap, glancing cautiously, but with curiosity, at the young woman. Suu nodded when she asked about blinders. The day might have been pretty, considering merely a few clouds now obstructed the sky, but looking outside the window was only entertaining for a certain amount of time. Suu couldn't leave on her own and there were moments when gazing at the nearby park felt like she was hungry and staring at the bakery's display of freshly baked goods. She wanted - but she couldn't have. It was easier to cover the glass and focus on origami to keep her head busy, instead of thinking about something like that.
"Doctors and nurses are very busy..." The girl agreed with her visitor, watching her as she uncovered the windows. The hospital's staff had a lot of work on their hands - and people's lives. No doubt they were always in hurry, but there were moments when Suu could shortly chat with nurses that were taking care of this pediatric unit. If it wasn't for their work she wouldn't be here, but... That was only leaving a very mixed feeling.
"Oh, so y-you got lost..?" The little girl blinked, looking at the lady with compassion and worry. Anxiously, she joined her hands. Did the brown-haired person have any troubles because of that? She could only imagine that it wasn't a pleasant feeling, being lost and wandering into an unknown location - but the stranger didn't seem to be bothered by that in the slightest. Was it weird to think that she wouldn't be so calm in her place..? Suu gently scratched her cheek, not sure how to respond. "I'm sorry but I c-cannot help you with that," she started, slightly lowering her head. "I a-am not allowed to leave so I don't know the city, I m-mean..." Suu's hands rested on her chest, on the sensor that was plugged into a handful of different machines surrounding her bed. Not the mention that the IV just started and won't end in a few hours, but it's not like she could just walk out and show Mochiko the way out. "M-My heart hurts a little bit today, so even with an adult, I c-can't possibly go out. I do leave sometimes, b-but not enough to know Shibuya... B-But I'm sure that if you'd be ready to go, nurses will show you the way you need to go," she did her best to explain, with a bashful smile blooming in the corners of her mouth.
There was no use saying otherwise - she was in a hospital bed, with machinery all around her, and looking pale and frail. Denying that she's not sick would be an outright lie, so she could at least try to avoid that subject, at least as much as possible.
"I-It's fine," she said softly, looking at Mochiko with wonder and curiosity veiled with uncertainty. "I'm Suu... I-If it's okay to ask," she scratched her cheek shyly. "Where you were going before you walked here?" If a girl got lost, that means she had a path and a place she wanted to go, right? Suu was able to deduce as much but couldn't say that she was right.
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Post by Manami on Nov 9, 2022 16:33:21 GMT
A nod was the immediate response to Suu’s comment. Mochiko herself hadn’t actually expected to be given the time of the day by what were pretty much complete strangers, so stumbling into this situation could be considered a strike of luck. “I don’t blame them. After all, I’m little more than needless distraction when compared to more important matters they have to attend to.” She seemed to ponder for a couple of seconds before continuing. “I wasn’t sure regarding the place I’d end up, but I’m glad they are as professional as they are. It means all the convalescent humans here are in good hands, aren’t they?” Or, at least, she hoped they were.
Once the blinds were open, the warm light of the calm afternoon began to slowly permeate into the room; it was a good feeling, especially when compared to the previous synthetic atmosphere; Mochiko’s disposition wasn’t precisely bad, but she could already feel it improving. It was only then that she answered the girl’s following question. “You could say that I got lost, yes. But it’s also… not in a bad way, if that makes sense?” That was probably a little confusing. Maybe that statement deserved further explanation? Going around it was a little hard, though, and that showed in the digimon’s expression. “It’s not, but you can think of it as a game of sorts, at least in the sense that the situation is meant to be a challenge rather than a risk. No need to worry about me.”
With some luck, that would dispel Suu’s worries regarding the matter. Mochiko even went as far as to firmly shake her head when offered the assistance the small human could muster. That was commendable, but unneeded. “It’s a shame your matters prevent you from leaving. I’d have been delighted to take a stroll with you. Maybe at some point in the future? I wouldn’t mind visiting again when you feel better. Won’t be an issue now that I know where this place is.” Was this fitting to be the digimon’s first contact in this strange world? Hard to say, but certainly enough to make her content. For the time being, she was thoroughly enjoying her newfound company.
She had to admit, however, that Suu’s next query had somewhat given her pause. Mochiko didn’t seem troubled by it, but thought about it for what felt like almost a minute. “Nowhere in specific.” She finally said. “You could say that this was my destination as well, but I feel like that answer would be a little cheap. I have nowhere to be in the present, but this place has been pretty good to me thus far. I guess I eventually have to return home, too, but that’s a nonissue”
With some luck, that would be clear enough. Only after formulating that reply, the digimon pointed at the many different pieces of folded paper resting on the overbed. “Did you make those?” She asked, her eyes glinting with curiosity. “Can I take a closer look?”
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