Open; Tonight Tonight Tonight

[asheaveniswide]

Who: Zenos viator Galvus, Gabumon, Mystery Guests
What: Catch-all/intro/etc
Where: Access City
When: Early May
Warnings: Some behavior may be deemed offensive, violent or inciting. Do not use as a projectile. Sudden acceleration to dangerous speeds may cause injury. This Garlean is not designed to sustain gross weight exceeding 12,000 lbs. May contain the following: gore, mayhem, swords, scythes, violence, obsession, Gabumon, speeches, ennui, Endwalker spoilers and a lack of morals. Do not eat. Mis-use may adversely affect your health. Store in a cool, dry place.



In The Dark Of The Night

It's late. Very late; dawn might only be a handful of hours away, and the shadows are deep and all-consuming, the halos of streetlights and the glow from windows comforting pools of light in an otherwise dark and gloomy night.

And in the dark is the sound of something heavy being dragged. And rather slowly at that. There's much that could be getting towed about in Access City, but this ... also has the metallic scent of blood with it, and sharp eyes might note a long path through the patches of darkness where lamp and street light don't touch, marked in drying red. The generalized path, if one were to follow it for any length of time, seems to be headed towards where the arrived Tamers have been offered homes, albeit in a route that seems maximized to try to stay hidden.

But not much can be hidden forever, and as the persistent efforts of dragging rasp through the space between two buildings, it stops for a time - just long enough for a lone black-pelted Gabumon to peek out, eyes bright and alert, to see if anyone might have noticed, then disappear back into the alley in a Completely Unsuspicious Way. Nothing at all is happening here, surely!

In the shadows between buildings, a blond man lay in the ground, blood-speckled fingers neatly folded across his belly, eyes closed. The blood's either his or on something he's wearing, the coat rather fancy to quick glance but awfully ragged about the shoulders, full of tears and punctures, and he himself not moving. Definitely breathing, and there's a twitch now and again as Gabumon once more seizes the shoulder of his jacket in sharp teeth and begins hauling him backwards along the ground bit by bit by bit. He must be rather heavy, by the way the small digimon has to dig in all four sets of claws to get enough purchase to move his considerable bulk.

That digimon has been at it for quite a long time now by the trail. Persistence pays off, surely, sooner or later!!

The Stale Cold Smell Of Morning

With sunrise and some Adventures at night, Gabumon has ventured out presumably on his own! What's one more Gabumon, really? Sure, he's got black fur instead of white, but that's not that uncommon!

What might be more uncommon is the way he's weighing the morning crowds, looking, listening, searching for -- Aha!

What he needs is humans. Or what looks enough like humans; any will do, and as soon as he spots one that doesn't look particularly dangerous, he approaches with all apparent boldness. A tap on an elbow, or tug on a hem - anything he needs to do to get some attention will do!

"Excuse me! You're a human, right?" It's never wise to assume! There's some awfully human looking digimon.

Comments

In the Dark of the Nighth

[aetherweaver]

Nara'a prefers the nighttime. Maybe it's because of being a Keeper of the Moon, maybe it's because he works with magicks that take practice and night is quieter, or maybe it's the crisp air that he prefers. Either way he does enjoy his nighttime walks when he can't sleep, and Kotemon is reluctantly trudging along at his side, carrying his weapon with him. Nara'a stops when he smells something, though. It's almost like... blood?

He picks up speed, following the scent to its source. The dragging sounds catch his ear and he pulls out his rapier and focus, prepared to offer healing to whomever it is, but - but he stops as the glow illuminates one of the last people he'd have expected to see here. Kotemon picks his shinai up as he senses a flood of emotion from his Tamer.

"Zenos?" He should be angry, he should be frustrated, but all he can muster is a sad tone. The man who'd caused so much pain and despair, and here he was... covered in blood and barely moving.

[asheaveniswide]

Honestly, checking on things in spooky places with weapons drawn is absolutely the right decision to make, even when the foe is a lone and terribly startled looking Gabumon. He'd made it all this way and now ... .. these two, and there's a moment of visible uncertainty before he straightens up to his full, not exactly big height.

From the ground is a quiet sigh. For a moment blue eyes slit open, but whatever is found doesn't seem to be worth watching.

"No! Absolutely not!" The striped digimon waves his arms, stepping firmly between the figure on the ground and the two newcomers, who clearly must be digimon. They even had similarish looks! And what would any digimon want with a tamer? "This one's mine! I found him, I'm keeping him! Go find your own! Shoo!"

[aetherweaver]

"I don't - I'm not a Digimon, I'm a Tamer." Kotemon nods as Nara'a's ears fold back in frustration. "And I know him. He's from my world."

Well... "Or one very similar to mine - just... hang on a moment." He sets the focus down on the hilt of the rapier, channeling aether into a Vercure and aiming the soft green energy into Zenos. It can only do so much - and he's not going to waste his entire aether pool on Zenos - but it feels wrong to leave him in this state.

That done he looks down at the Gabumon, sighing. His tail curls around his leg in an attempt to keep from twitching nervously. "There's a few of us here from worlds that are... extremely close. And if he hasn't already responded to the sound of my voice then he's not from the same version as me. I saw you open your eyes, Zenos."

What to do, what to do... "I can... help you carry him, if you want. If things played out in his version of events like they did in mine, I'm honestly surprised he's alive."

[asheaveniswide]

It's no surprise that someone might recognize Zenos, he's hardly a mystery figure to a truly remarkable number of countries and peoples, and all of them reasonably want him dead. Not that they could ever hope to accomplish such a thing, with even death now an elusive thing in the wake of unexpected immortality.

"Oh."The human world. Ergo, Zenos is definitely a human, which he already figured on, and so was Nara'a, who ... looks a bit tailmon-ish, if he were perfectly honest, so apparently humans also came in different appearances, just like digimon. That's both reassuring and troublesome, he was hoping they'd be easy to identify at a glance. "...Well I'm keeping him anyway, even if you're from the same place." They were already partners, Zenos just didn't know it yet! Or at least acknowledge it, and Gabumon was perfectly happy to take some initiative and work on it himself.

He's not really sure Nara is actually a human though, that looked like something a wizardmon might do a minute ago. He'll have to be careful; he didn't know if a digimon COULD steal someone else's tamer but he's not interested in finding out. "No, I can do it, I got this far already, he's just really heavy. It's like trying to drag around a big rock in a coat."

"It would take more than you can fathom to hope to kill me." That's definitely Zenos' voice, but he doesn't sound injured, just tired. One hand unfolds from where he has them neatly laced on his stomach, giving a brief, small, dismissive gesture.

Gabumon looks pleased, meanwhile. A strong tamer surely meant he'd get stronger too! "Besides, if I can't even get my new human to somewhere proper to sleep on my own, then I'm not really good for a partner. You have to be reliable, you know?" He pats the nearest bit of Zenos (an arm) in a way that's almost proprietary. "Besides, I think he could get up if he really wanted to, so maybe it's a test."

Whether he could or not, the Garlean isn't saying.

[aetherweaver]

He puts the weapon away and crouches down a little bit. "Probably. Permanently, anyway." Is it a joke? It's half of one at least - he's well aware the tenacity that Zenos clung to life with, even without meaning to. Though he can't fathom how, exactly, the man looks at the world. All he really knows is that Zenos has an obsession with him - or the person in his place in this Zenos' world.

"Look. As long as you don't hurt any of the Digimon here without prior provocation, we won't have any problems. If I do catch you hunting them just for 'sport' we're going to have issues." He's well aware Zenos is unlikely to listen to him, especially since this one isn't the one he knows. He's also not going to let on that there's another Warrior of Light here - Taiki doesn't need this nonsense in his life right now. He'll have to go talk to the other Warrior later, though.

Nara'a stands up and shakes his head. "Look... if you're going to keep dragging him, just... mm. He shouldn't be bleeding anymore, at least. You were kind of leaving a trail." Not like the smell of blood is totally gone, but at least if there were any open wounds they should be closed. "I know you were being careful, but you might want to just take the straight route there and not worry about being seen."

ramble. ramble. introspection.

[asheaveniswide]

Even if Zenos was inclined to respond, it's the black-pelted Digimon that responds, looking cross. "Keep threatening my human, and we are going to have problems."One claw rises to attempt to jab Nara'a with it in the leg to make a point, but not cause an injury. "I don't care what happened somewhere else, that's somewhere else, not here. This is our world, you're here to help, not pick fights. And no 'well if he does what I want it'll be fine', because that's not right either. He's mine, not yours, and you don't get to tell someone else's tamer what to do."

Does Gabumon have ANY IDEA WHATSOEVER exactly what sort of human he's decided is his? Nope. But he sounds as fierce and determined as anyone could ever hope for, even though he's certainly not a match for a Warrior of Light. But neither Gabumon's defense or Nara'a's threats seem to disturb the Garlean any, who doesn't bother to even open his eyes again. If Nara's unrecognized, then he's just yet another Eorzean who thinks they're tougher than they really are ... utterly irrelevant. Unworthy of further response than the single comment he's offered. And he hadn't even bothered to get up to make things easier on his own new 'partner'.

More would take effort, and he is tired, exactly as tired as one might be if one chose to fly to the end of the universe and then get into a bloody fight there just for the fun of it, and thoroughly entrenched now in his own thoughts. A new world did indeed offer new prey, but ... was there a point? Would it even offer what he had sought before? Or now? Whim had told him to pick 'yes' when asked if he wanted to save the world, but he's no hero.

"..And anyway he's too big for me to lift, so it's the only way to do it." Gabumon glances further down the path between buildings, frowning. It's still a ways to go, but he has time! "I was wondering what the leak was but he wouldn't say anything about it." Bleeding, not 'leak'. "There's all kinds of digimon who'll try to take advantage, you know. Straight there might seem faster, but then some Devimon comes along.."

[aetherweaver]

He can't help but admit that Gabumon has a point, though he isn't about to apologize for threatening Zenos of all people. He nibbles on his lip a little in nervousness, trying to think of what to even say. "I guess you have a point." About the Devimon or about the threat? He's not about to say. "Of course he wouldn't say anything about it. He's too proud to."

He's doing his best to keep his temper under control - he's not a wrathful person. He doesn't hate the Garleans themselves, just the ones who have attacked without remorse or pity. And even then he has to keep in mind people like Julles - too young to know how to rebel or too pressed in a position to be able to do so. Not everyone can stand up, and from their perspective... if he couldn't manipulate aether at all he supposes he'd be terrified of people who could, too.

But Zenos has no such excuses, and he still remembers the sight of the flames and the sound of the screams at Rhalgr's Reach and in Yanxia. He'd like to think that the man has grown, but he's not so stupid - not when he teamed up with Fandaniel. He'd just wanted to watch the world burn - or at least didn't want to do anything to stop it. Getting angry at him isn't going to change things, though - and his adrenaline has started to drain, leaving him just... weary.

"I can go on ahead and make sure there's no one around, if it'll make you feel better." Not that the Gabumon is like to trust him - but he might as well make the offer.

[asheaveniswide]

"Pride's not a bad thing." Since there's talking going on, Gabumon's not going to use his teeth, instead he digs his claws into the rather ragged-at-the-shoulders jacket and works on trying to pull in this fashion. Leverage is very much obviously harder, and now it's a REAL struggle. In the dark and gloom, he does his best, and bit by bit, inch by struggling inch, works on getting Zenos moving again. It's hard to spot the faint, very brief smile that flickers across the downed man's face. Amusement? "I guess you really aren't a digimon. You'd know going looking for fights is how we get stronger if you were."

That's ... inaccurate, but not from his perspective!

Which means maybe Nara really is a tamer, which would make the wooden-sword weilding digimon his partner? But if he's a tamer, then he's not likely to try to steal Zenos, they're already paired up. That's ... a little soothing. There's some hesitance when Nara offers to look around, burnt orange eyes sweeping the area briefly as if fully expecting some Virus to appear and attack, but nothing of the sort happens. "...Okay."

Tug. It's slow going, he's going to have to use his teeth again. "We should fight, later. Not ... trying to erase your data level, or anything like that, but we do get stronger that way." He LEAAAANS with all his weight, and Zenos moves another inch. This is going to take all night. "And I could really use it, this is tough. I wonder if it goes faster if I fought both of you? Then he'd be easier to move." That is NOT how it works, not even a little.

There's a soft huff from Zenos. Not a laugh, even a muffled one.

[aetherweaver]

He walks a little ahead, but not out of conversation range. "We can, if you want. I've noticed my attacks aren't as strong as they usually are here... it's a little frustrating." His ears flick back in annoyance for a moment before returning to their normal state. "I don't know if that's how it works. I mean, I'm not a Digimon, but..."

Oh, he heard that. He chooses to ignore it. Zenos has decided not to be a part of this conversation, so he won't be. "Botamon digivolved when he and I had a sort of... connection. I think you have to do something like that. At least, from my experience." He's not all that experienced, though, so he could be wrong.

[asheaveniswide]

Gabumon's paying a lot of attention to their surroundings; his concern about suddenly being ambushed by the unethical does seem to be legitimate at least, whether or not a digimon IS lurking out there waiting for opportunity. He drops back down onto all fours and grabs on with his teeth again, this method seeming to make far better headway as soon as he can use four limbs instead of two.

Downside: it interrupts talking, and a couple feet of dragging later he pauses and straightens back up. "Maybe it's because you're in a new place, so everything got left behind somehow. And if your attacks aren't as strong then I have a better chance of winning!" Especially against two of them, though nothing in Gabumon's voice or bearing suggests he's interested in a serious fight. Most people would call it 'sparring', probably.

And then he buckles back down to hauling a good two hundred and fifty pounds of deliberately dead weight. There probably are easier ways to do it, and probably it would be much faster if he just accepted help, but then that'd just prove he couldn't do it! But Botamon is being eyed speculatively as he works, carefully still trying to keep Zenos out of the pools of light. A fresh evolution? "What.. ..what does a connection feel like? Is it different from how it feels to just know you found your human? Or, uh, your digimon?"

[aetherweaver]

Kotemon looks over at Gabumon and tilts his head. "It feels like... a strong surge of emotion. It feels like you can feel what they're feeling and you respond to it. It's hard to describe, but you can feel it in your core. I'm sorry it's not that helpful..." "No, you did fine." Nara'a responds, using the glow of his focus to help cut through the gloom.

"In my world we'd say that your aether connects, but in this world it would be... data? I believe, at least. Emotions are powerful and can influence a lot of things. Determination, friendship, love, protectiveness... these are all feelings that you can share with someone else and that can be used to connect with them." There doesn't seem to be anything coming, so he drops back and keeps his ears up. As much as he's not fond of the act of hunting, he still has a hunter's instincts and senses.

"I think it's a similar feeling, just with different emotions."

[asheaveniswide]

By such an implication of how Nara and Kotemon did it, Gabumon's efforts may be completely in vain. Did Zenos even experience friendship, love, protectiveness, or anything else beyond obsession? Would any such connection even be possible? Gabumon considers this for a long quiet few moments, dragging away at Zenos' uncooperatively still form, his hands still neatly folded as the only real sign he's not completely unconscious.

Maybe the Garlean is enjoying seeing something so small struggle so pointlessly.

"I think fighting might be easier,"the black and white digimon concludes morosely, eventually. "We only just met, I don't think a lot of that applies yet." Clearly, Nara and Kotemon have been working together for a long time for that sort of thing to develop!"I don't know how long we have before ALIAS gets us all in trouble. We might not have long enough, like you two did."

"There is always time." Zenos' addition is quiet, as dry as ever, and without inflection. "So long as there is a goal worth pursuing."

"Saving the world is a goal worth pursuing," Gabumon says confidently.

"Is it."

He pauses, glancing down. "Of course it is. You agreed to help, didn't you?"

[aetherweaver]

"We can try. And -" Oh. He speaks. Nara'a takes a deep breath and pushes his feelings aside. It's like when he's controlling aether - one wrong emotion can get him in trouble. If he thinks of it that way, it's easier. Easier to look at him as a person and not... whatever he'd thrown away everything to become.

"It is. And as I recall, this wasn't the only world you volunteered to help - even if you only did so for a chance to fight."

He isn't above pushing a few buttons if he has to. "We all agreed to help. Even if you didn't mean to, you've agreed to it."

[asheaveniswide]

"Your recollection errs." Fairly true to habit, he doesn't seem bothered by any of it, but very little ever seemed to evoke a reaction to begin with. If there are buttons to push, that one doesn't seem to have gotten a rise out of him. "I swore no oaths to this place or its creatures, not that any oath would mean more than air had I done so."

Some things truly never change.

Gabumon's expression turns troubled for a few moments, one hand reaching up to pull absently on a long false ear as if the action was somehow soothing. "Well, I'm going to do what I can. And I have to be stronger to do that." And surely Zenos was, if nothing else, good at being strong ... and thus surely could show him how to be!

Or he just needs to get into enough fights. "We're partners. ...Will you help me with being stronger, if nothing else?" Anyone might be moved by the plaintive, unhappy note in the digimon's voice, who might, might be coming to the realization that his destined partner isn't quite what he'd hoped. The addition is even quieter. "Either of you?" It's shameful, shameful to even suggest some OTHER tamer might be able to help when his will not--

Zenos opens his eyes again to regard the darkened sky, silent for a time. Then: "We will see if you prove worthy of such an investment." No, that's not fair, and not accurate. Zenos has, indeed, already made his choice, betrayed by simply allowing himself to be dragged like so much meat through back alleys and hells-knew-what by a little alien animal.

[aetherweaver]

"I'll help. If you want." He reaches down towards Gabumon, but then stops. Maybe the other Digimon doesn't want to be comforted, not by another Tamer. "I'm going to do what I can to help this place, and the people in it." Digimon are definitely people, by his standards. They're a Spoken race that's organized and complex. They have to be!

Kotemon toddles forward, handing his weapon to Nara'a and reaching out towards Zenos. He doesn't approach too close, not yet, but looks over at Gabumon. "I can help carry him, if you want. I'm a lot stronger now than I used to be." The miqo'te winces slightly, tail twitching and ears flicking back. He's pretty sure Gabumon doesn't want help with that, but he'll let the other Digimon speak for himself.

"... We're all going to have to help each other. Whether you participate or not, you're one of us Tamers now."

[asheaveniswide]

Another Tamer, no, that might somehow suggest he wanted to change Tamers, if that was somehow possible, and leave Kotemon in the same position he was worried he'd be in when the two first appeared. But there were more categories people could be put in besides 'tamer' and 'digimon'. He doesn't recoil from Nara's hand. "That's good." ALIAS was a scary thing to think about for long. Saving a world is a big task. "Every way that could work ... should be tried, right?"

Be it getting help or fighting each other, or alongside each other or ... any other way. What mattered was saving every world, the Digital and every one attached to it.

He does reach a paw up to try to grasp Nara's arm though, and pull him down to head-height. Not with claws, and not hard enough where should Nara resist it would be difficult to do, escape would be easy. His small voice is very, very quiet, as if he doesn't think ANYONE will overhear them, even with Zenos and Kotemon RIGHT THERE. "I don't think saying things like that makes anyone cooperate. We'll figure it out, don't worry."

It's certain EVERYONE heard that.

Allowing Kotemon to help would just prove he's not worth the time and effort, wouldn't it? But then they'd be somewhere safer faster, and he could make up for it later. It's a real struggle for him to come to any kind of a conclusion, shifting from foot to foot and wringing his paws together in an all too human gesture of uncertainty. "...I think if we can lever him up a little I can get underneath and carry him that way," he concludes eventually. "Then I can stop eating his coat."

It seems right about then that Zenos' patience has expired, for he places one hand on the ground and shoves himself into a seated position in one sudden movement. The earlier vercure has stemmed some of whatever had ailed him, but he doesn't move with ease or swiftness. Probably for the best.

[aetherweaver]

Kotemon goes to help pick up Zenos, but stops when the man sits up. Nara'a opens his mouth, but he's not sure what he'd even say. He stops and takes another breath, watching Zenos cautiously. A moment passes, and then another.

"... Good to see you up." Is it? He's not sure. He'd like to think that even Zenos can change, but he's not sure of that, either. "Are you going to be okay?" His tone is carefully neutral, trying to keep his emotions out of it. It won't do to get mad right now. Zenos doesn't care about him, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't have a lot of emotions connected to Zenos.

"... Your partner was worried about you." Not that Zenos probably can't tell. Whether he cares or not is another matter.

[asheaveniswide]

With Zenos sitting up, Gabumon takes this as a clear sign that he should work on seeing if he can push the Garlean all the way upright, pulling and tugging and getting absolutely nowhere with someone who probably outweighs him four times over. Out of Zenos' line of sight, there is a careful little motion to Kotemon to join in. Between the two of them, surely!

Is it still on the same scale of proving himself worthy if Zenos is already moving on his own? Gabumon's willing to take a chance, they're halfway to up.

The scent of blood is still there. It's sharpened now that he's shifted position, but there's no telltale runnels of crimson onto the ground to betray where, if any, such wound might be. Given it's Zenos, it might be a minor annoyance at best. The glance Nara is cast at the first two comments is the only response there is. Would it be comforting that Nara is very clearly not the focus of terrible obsession anymore? Or would it be somehow worse, knowing his focus must therefore be on someone else?

"I wasn't that worried," Gabumon says defensively, somewhat muffled by a curtain of blond hair getting in his way as he works on finding a better way to grab on and try to lift. "I mean, he breathed and made noises sometimes."

Zenos' gaze shifts away, as he weighs whether or not he should entertain the little black furred creature's efforts to get him to rise, or simply stay where he is again. "Why do you not seek to take advantage of a foe's supposed weakness? Surely there is some courage to be found among Eorzea's rabble."

There's no heat to it, no fire that suggests it's more than idle musing. "Well it's a good thing they're not, because I want my fight to be in a better spot than this alley. And maybe when it's daytime!"

The one thing he could appreciate.. "The battlefield matters less than the opponent."

[aetherweaver]

Kotemon nods and moves over, trying to help Gabumon lift and shove. He's going to do his very best to help Gabumon - they're friends now!

... Maybe. At least he hopes they are. But then again, Kotemon wants to make friends with most people. It's a little silly of him, and he knows it... but friends can't be a bad thing, right? Right.

The goad - even if it was unintentional - has Nara'a clenching his fists hard enough for his claws to leave indents on his palms. He can't say that he 'owes' Zenos - despite his world's Zenos definitely helping to save the world it still doesn't add up. There's nothing that can excuse the slaughter he's seen. It's past a 'score' of any measure, and he can't truly say that he believes Zenos can change. He's not sure the former prince is capable of change.

His feelings are complex and hard to name at the moment. A sense of curiosity mixed with anger mixed with shame mixed with... a score and more of feelings. He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, ignoring the Look of concern Kotemon is giving his partner. "It's not for lack of courage that I'm refusing to fight you. It's because you chose to come here, whim or not. There's things you can do here - and besides, I prefer to fight fair."

It's tempting to switch to Warrior, to let his inner beast shine through and channel it in the way that he knows how, but he resists. He resists despite his hand moving to his pocket, resting just above the opening. He wants to take advantage of the situation, but he... can't. Not in this place. If he's pushed, he will... but right now Zenos isn't doing anything. There'd be no way to justify it to any of the Tamers or Digimon besides Taiki. "If I'm going to fight you, I want it to be when you're not half-dead. There's no challenge against a weakened opponent."

As much as he tries to deny it, Zenos was right about a few things. He does seek to push himself harder and harder, dancing on the edge and hoping one will finally prove worthy. He's a hero, but his curiosity still has the better of him - and he can't help but wonder where his limit is. And he does seek out thrills for their own sake - going after a wounded opponent isn't a thrill - it's just a slaughter.

[asheaveniswide]

"It would be the only way to make such a confrontation 'fair'." It's not said mockingly, it's said as if it were simple fact. The sky is blue, the ground has rocks in it, Zenos would murder whatever uppity Eorzean this was without him being severely hampered in the process.

There was, on some other star, some other time, a different Eorzean, one that would have garnered very different reactions. Different words, different confrontations, a person he had called friend and meant it even through the course of intending to kill them -- That person is not Nara'a. A thousand variations of the Warrior of Light, but ever only one type of Zenos, reflecting the same troubles and suffering and trail of destruction over and over and over. Instigating the same fights, pursuing the same hunts.

With two of them now pushing on the Garlean, it seems the giant of a man is actually going to allow himself to be hauled upright; even Gabumon is small next to the full height of Zenos, but he keeps steadying paws on the man regardless, as if doing so might somehow, impossibly, actually keep him there. Surely between him and Kotemon this can be achieved! They got this far! "Besides which," the dark-furred digi says brightly, completely unphased by the darker undertones that are as clear as blood in the water, "I'd have to fight too, and then so would Kotemon, we're all partners now and we DON'T leave our own to fight alone. I don't know about any of you three, but I think it would be the most fun for everyone if we're all nice and rested and healed up, and then find a fun looking spot to fight at. Like a beach! Then we can have a swim and a snack after."

Zenos sways in place a little, hair a blond curtain over his eyes. What a strange little creature. It seemed to enjoy the idea of fighting but was treating it like it was a game.

But wasn't fighting a game, in the end? Just for the thrill of it and naught more?

"Combat is about winning, not about having a swim and a snack. If your foe can rise again, then you did not defeat them." This advice is just a touch weary.

Gabumon considers it, studying Kotemon for a moment, then Nara. "Yeah, but that's only for the ones you need to stop forever. The ones you don't need to stop forever, if you fight them and they can't get back up, then you can't ever fight them again later. And that's just sad. Not every fight needs to be a very serious fight, they can be fun fights too. Who's going to be left, if everyone's defeated and gone?"

Silence, at that. Someone had made a vaguely similar argument before.

The little digimon pats one leg lightly. "But first you have to get better. Kotemon and his partner won't mind waiting. Right?"

[aetherweaver]

"Exactly! It'd be fun, wouldn't it?" Kotemon looks at his tamer, but looks away when he senses the emotion coming from Nara'a. His tamer is really upset about this even if he's not showing it - he really needs to ask about it later and figure out exactly what the issue is. Maybe he can ask Taiki and Gazimon? Nara'a seems to trust them, at least.

'Fun'. Right. "... Right. I don't mind waiting." He'll take Zenos on at any time if he feels the need to - but right now he owes the Garlean at least one shot at proving he's not going to cause mass chaos. There's plenty here to help stop him if need be, and at least their abilities seem to be weakened so there's less of a worry.

Of course a sword or a scythe can still cut, no matter how strong the force behind it... but he can't think about that now. Think of the positives... maybe this place will be good for othe ex-prince. There's a possibility, at least - and he has to hold on to hope wherever he can. He watches as Kotemon helps push Gabumon's partner upright, stepping back to give Zenos some measure of space.

"... There's housing not too far from here. If you get up you can rest there - there's places of all different sizes so I'm sure there's one that will fit you." No sense in giving him a tiny bed, as funny as it would be to watch him try to squeeze into one.

I feel like I should be apologizing for Zenos' ... zenosness.

[asheaveniswide]

"Anything can be fun with the right people and the right place," is Gabumon's instant, thoroughly confident response. He sounds so utterly sure of himself that maybe it'll go a little way to convincing everyone else! Carefully he lets go of his partner, keeping sharp watch for any sign of Zenos toppling over again.

Gabumon at least seems to be exactly what's expected of a digimon partner. Obstinately loyal and determined to help ... and paired with a mass murderer who's only ability to feel seems tied to more murder. What a fate.

For a moment, the gaze Zenos turns on Nara'a is distinctly measuring, certainly weighing him against a certain absent Friend. A shining beacon of ferocity and determination ... and ... a stranger who can only be found wanting in the comparison. He doesn't have his grandfather's eye for souls. If he did... this would be a very different situation altogether, wouldn't it? "I did not abandon the ends of reality alongside my friend to waste my time with mediocre prey." The comment is not a whisper, but it's meant mostly for Gabumon as his gaze shifts away, towards the direction Gabumon had been so carefully working on getting him to go. "Test yourself as you please against them."

This is, as far as Gabumon seems to be concerned, implicit agreement by the way he perks up and gives Kotemon what looks awfully like a quick thumbs-up. There's gonna be fun! They just have to wait! "Thank you for your help." Both of them! "I don't know how long it takes a tamer to heal up, but give us a couple days, and then we can work on getting stronger!" He can tell Nara is less than pleased by all of this but surely once they actually had time to practice and stretch their claws and have some fun, that would change. Carefully he tugs on Zenos' hem, encouraging the Garlean to move - and with slow deliberation, he actually does so.

No rush. But Zenos never did rush about.

The Stale Cold Smell Of Morning

[fallenstarmagnet]

Given his height, Themis has probably gotten used to discerning tugs at the hem of his robe as a way of getting his attention. On feeling this occur, he looks down. What had he been doing? People watching; it's something he commonly does and the locals of the area have probably gotten used to it.

"Human?" Well it's not like he hasn't heard the word before and it's usually attributed to many Tamers or toward a type of digimon- humanoid if you will. Themis then smiles and offers.

"If you're looking for a Tamer, I would say I'm one. And I'm certainly a member of mankind." By his peoples' standards anyway. "May I inquire why you are searching for a human?"

It's best to find out what's the actual issue; then Themis can determine whether he's able to help or might direct Gabumon to another.

Elecmon? This early in the morning, she's probably nested down for a bit more sleep in his hood. For now anyway.

[asheaveniswide]

Themis is absolutely enormous. But digimon range in similar sizes, so surely humans do too! As the towering figure speaks, Gabumon's head tilts to one side, as if trying to reconcile 'tamer', 'mankind', and possibly NOT 'human'.

Nah, all that sounded like an admission of human to him! It's good enough. "Ah. Well." He taps his claws together for a moment, as if trying to figure out how best to phrase it. "Well, I caught my tamer just last night, so he's still pretty uh, how do I say it..." Tap tap tap tap. "Well, he's my first tamer, and I'm not sure what to feed him, or if he needs something special for care that isn't normal for digimon. So I thought I'd just find another one and ask!"

This isn't quite how that's supposed to work, is it?

[fallenstarmagnet]

This... certainly wasn't the phrasing, much less the answer, Themis had expected. He looks a bit surprised before settling back to a pleasant and attentive expression. But he keeps in mind the... interesting dynamic implied here, taking it into account with a moment's thought before speaking again.

"Even among mankind, judging what needs your Tamer may have without meeting him would be irresponsible. In even the same species, those needs can change because of age or condition."

Themis speaks honestly. But there's probably some curiosity hidden under this polite explanation. And either way it'd be no surprise that he then makes a request.

"Would you be willing to take me to meet your Tamer?"

[asheaveniswide]

Ordinarily this sort of thing simply isn't necessary. Tamers know what they need, and generally take control of the situation. Tamers take the lead, they're the ones who make the choices and prompt actions. Zenos ... isn't doing any such thing. It's left Gabumon on very uncertain footing. He KNOWS Zenos is his Tamer, and he also knows Zenos isn't doing, or saying, much of anything at all, never mind taking control of the situation.

He's doing the best with what he can guess at, or extrapolate. He fixes Themis with a speculative eye, leaning back a little to try to get a better idea of how big he is.

"Yes, but you're not going to fit inside. You're much too big." Buildings were made for all sizes of digimon! But not every apartment was, it's more efficient to scale properly to certain generic size ranges. "I'm not sure I can get him to come out. I can try."

[fallenstarmagnet]

"Ah, yes. I can wait outside of course." Of course it's not offensive to point out the obvious size constraints in this case. But there's a few solutions. One of which will be to turn his head as if glancing over his shoulder. But it's actually to let his voice carry better to the digimon nesting in his hood. "Elecmon?"

After a moment or two the cloth bunched around the back of his head stirs and out pops a sleepy looking face, rubbing one eye with a forepaw. "What is it, Themis?" At least this time it's no surprise they're outside of the house.

"We're going to help a Gabumon with his Tamer. Would you be willing to help if needed? It seems their home is to small for one of my size."

While his partner is waking up, Themis looks down to Gabumon again and explains. "Elecmon has been learning many things about the smaller Tamers with me. If yours can't be convinced to leave the house, she might be able to offer insight."

Elecmon has gotten to the point where she seems to be perking up with interest. And she definitely raises a paw to wave down at Gabumon from the shoulder perch she's clambered to by now.

[asheaveniswide]

That certainly solidifies that not only is Themis a tamer, but also that yes, tamers are supposed to be doing most of the proverbial heavy lifting. Gabumon rubs the side of his head, ruffling up the dark fur there. Well, surely it'll be fine eventually!

"That sounds alright." Both are partnered, both won't be trying to take his partner, that's great! Elecmon is given a fairly friendly wave, any help from those who won't try to steal his human was fine.

With that decision made, the pelt-wearing digimon turns and trundles towards the apartments the new arrivals generally get assigned. "I have to say, I thought my human was pretty big, but you're as big as a Wargreymon. I wouldn't have gotten someone your size anywhere!"

[fallenstarmagnet]

There's a pause before Themis follows. This is because Elecmon indicated she was going to make her way to ground level and while in no way would the digimon let something like 'giant perch moving' stop her from reaching her goal, there's still a matter of courtesy here.

Once she's scampered down to the road using foot-and-hand-holds in his robes, the two follow Gabumon, letting him set the pace.

"You should see his friend, he's even taller!" Elecmon seems pleased Gabumon has recognized the scale on which Themis exists. But of course she's awfully prideful about this. "But you'd be shocked to find out how much Themis eats," is added. And obviously- at least to herself and Themis if not Gabumon- with a bit of mischief.

That sort of mischief is nothing to chide her about and besides, Themis is looking thoughtful by what the digimon seemed to imply. "I'd wondered when you first mentioned it. But is your Tamer unwell in some way? Perhaps injured?"

Admittedly he had been thinking of whether the earlier description suggested that Gabumon had somehow kidnapped and imprisoned his Tamer in some misguided effort but it really is sounding more like there is some type of incapacitation the digimon is trying to cope with.

"Would you be willing to share what happened since you found him?"

[asheaveniswide]

"Wow, really?" A glance back at Themis; he's already pretty big. He supposed they just must come in all sizes and shapes! "It must take a lot of shopping to get enough food." Big digimon eat more, therefore big humans ate more! It just made sense, bigger things needed more energy because they used more energy.

Honestly he's walking into a trap without knowing it, on that front.

Gabumon knows right where he's going at least, and with someone Themis' size along, getting through morning crowds is rather easy! "I don't know," he admits after a moment. "I don't know a lot about humans. He might just be really quiet and still normally. He's alive, but he doesn't say much and does less. So maybe he's hungry and out of energy, but I don't know what humans eat." Thus the question!

And maybe it was a test, to prove he's worthy too. He didn't know. There's a certain guilelessness to his explanation, as if the idea of lying about any of it simply hadn't occurred to him. "Not much happened, and that's the problem. I found him just.. lying down, about sunset. I knew he was my Tamer, and told him so, but he didn't say much. And then it got darker, so I took him somewhere to sleep, with a little help from a tailmon-looking human."At least it's not overly far where he's going, since the appointed buildings are right ahead! "And then he slept a bit, and then got up again and sat by the window and hasn't gone anywhere since. He said he wants to be sure it's 'worthwhile'. But didn't say what he meant when I asked."

[fallenstarmagnet]

There is definitely a twinkle in Elecmon's eye when Gabumon answers. "That's what you'd think, right?" She scurries ahead a few paces so she can pose and do her best Themis impression. Which... really doesn't come across except in the sense of words repeated by rote.

"My kind has a dense amount of aether and we do not need to replenish it as often as the other Tamers I've seen might."

It's clear she doesn't really get aether. Other than by following it in a normal voice while falling into line with Gabumon again. "He also says aether is like data. So I guess if he has a lot of it, this does make sense." There's an approximation of a shrug. "Every so often he eats a regular, Themis-size meal or a snack." But hey, no need for outrageous shopping right?

Hungry may well be a problem. But so is mental state. Elecmon seems a bit more empathic at first than Themis on this count. "Wait, so you don't have any food at your home? Themis, I'm coming up!" Without waiting for a response, Elecmon darts back to the obligingly paused Amaurotine and squirrels her way shoulder and nest-ward. Soon she reappears (and descends) with pack buckled into place on her back.

"Okay! I've got a lunch I have seen other Tamers also eating so it's probably okay for your Tamer!" Elecmon logic. Also food makes everything better and more worthwhile!

More mysteries are presented. A 'Tailmon looking human'? And what might this Tamer be wondering when he asks if it's 'worthwhile'. Themis's first thought isn't on ennui or apathy; it's simply not a default assumption, if he was the type to even assume much at all.

"I would be glad to see if he's willing to talk to me about his concerns. I hope I can offer him some perspective he's familiar with." And thus the group continues on their way.

[asheaveniswide]

The look Gabumon casts over one furry shoulder is HIGHLY SKEPTICAL, as Themis' size is weighed against the idea of not burning energy like a furnace. "I don't know how that works," he says doubtfully, "But obviously it's getting him somewhere or he wouldn't be so big." Tamers were WEIRD.

Anything else that might have been added is somewhat stalled by Elecmon climbing her partner again and fetching a .. pack of some kind! He needed to get one. Then he could keep all kinds of stuff in it.. Once Elecmon returns from her climb, he nods, as if her logic is perfectly reasonable. And it is to him, that was precisely the reason he was asking around; clearly they all ate the same stuff! "I wanted to get some, but you know how it is. I can't even really tell if humans like to eat meat or plants or everything or ... rocks, I don't know. Their teeth are so small and stubby they could eat anything."

Or they DO eat anything.

Oh there's a second idea, now that Gabumon's thinking about it. "You know, I bet I could just open the window. I mean, you're not quite tall enough to look into a second story I think, but you're pretty close! It might be easy to talk that way."

They're almost there, for what it's worth. One of the many buildings set aside for Tamers, with digimon like usual, all over the place.

[fallenstarmagnet]

Elecmon also doesn't understand how it works. Or how Themis doesn't use up all this 'aether' stuff while using his abilities and regressing into a previous evolutionary stage. Tamers are like that. But she is grinning when Gabumon looks skeptical.

Now the backpack... yes. That's something Themis created for her when she expressed interest in having an item to carry stuff around in while possessing good range of movement. She's quite proud of having it, so there's a good chance she's showing off a little.

"I've seen them eat plenty of things even with those teeth. Sometimes they have to cut it up into smaller bites though." Elecmon speaks with authority. There is a short pause before she corrects herself. "I don't think I've seen any of them eat rocks though." Yet.

Themis has been listening to the conversation but not interrupting. Still when Gabumon speaks about opening a second story window it's then the Amaurotine speaks up. "Even if it's higher, I know a levitation spell. Whatever your partner prefers, I'm willing to accommodate him to some extent."

And if that means hovering a foot or so off the ground to speak with someone through a second story window, so be it.

Tamer buildings... definitely sized for much shorter partners. And with the increased traffic, Themis is mindful of where he's going and what the digimon on the streets are doing. No one's particularly surprised of course, what with the different sizes of digimon alone. Though it wouldn't do to startle someone who'd been focused on a task.

What is left of his attention goes into searching for signs of the place Gabumon's taking them both to.

"Would you like me to stay back until you tell your Tamer about my arrival?"

It has of course come to Themis's attention that many a Tamer on the other hand, do get quite startled to see one of his stature approach.

[asheaveniswide]

Tiny teeth, tiny bites. Cutting it up did make sense, a lot could be accomplished with some tools and dedication!! Not that Gabumon had any such need, nor likely did Elecmon. The information is nonetheless stored away for later, it might prove relevant while trying to find Zenos appropriate things to eat.

He stops suddenly, squinting up at the building nearest- it's not the one he'd originally been heading for. "That sounds like flying." Levitation, getting off the air. Maybe humans were like wizardmon. But there's no actual answer to any of those questions! Perfectly reasonable to ask if it's best to stay behind for a minute, but Gabumon just gestures for Elecmon to follow and dives through the doors of the nearer building. In theory Themis COULD get through but they're definitely made for more normal sized beings.

Meanwhile he seems to know where he's going finally; it could be any other bit of housing. He scrambles up a flight of stairs, fully expecting Elecmon to follow, grabs a door seemingly at random and flings it open."I'm back! And I brought a friend. Maybe a friend for you too!"

The apartment is exactly as barebones as they were upon acquisition, with the very bare basics. A bed, a table, likely a washroom, a nice big window, and Zenos sitting in front of it watching the digipeople below with narrowed eyes. Themis is likely down there as well - but there's hardly more than a glance to acknowledge Gabumon's presence as he all but bounces across the room, STRETCHES to reach the windowsill and without so much as a by your leave flings the window open and stretches a bit more on tiptoe to peek out.

Zenos turns narrowed eyes to Elecmon, and then the window. "What," is the dry, not entirely pleasant rasp, "Are you going on about? What is that?"

"Who, not what! That's Elecmon, and that's another Tamer there." Gabumon points out the window, with one claw. "They're going to help me figure out what you need."

Either Zenos has fantastic control or simply lacks the ability to react to much, given the utterly bland way this information is received. But he does look out the window, and probably does expect to see a rather ordinary hyur or something.

There's a single blink. That's as far as any kind of reaction gets.

[fallenstarmagnet]

It's a little like flying! At least the beginning of it. Themis does grin a little at this but doesn't try to over-explain it since it's clear Gabumon is in a rush to enter the building they've finally arrived at. Elecmon follows and Themis waits patiently. This is important because not only is it polite not to try and peek in before he's announced, it'll prevent any accidents concerning the outflung windows and some part of Themis's head in the immediate future.

Woah, this guy is pretty tall among the other Tamers (besides Themis and Erichthonios). But not nearly as tall. Thoughts of this nature bring Elecmon to smugly nod her head before being interrupted by the sound of Zenos's voice. Something about it briefly made her ears draw back but she firmly flicks them forward once more and puts on a bright expression.

"Hi!" If things go pear-shaped, surely Themis will have her back! Besides this guy's a Tamer so he can't be all bad. Right? Thus she's already taking her pack off and bringing it around to rummage through. Lo, a box with sandwiches and a piece of fruit and a box of juice emerge.

"Gabumon told me you might be hungry, so I wanted to give you this meal. And Themis is outside, if you want to talk to him! What's your name?" That's enough information about what's going on here right? So she steps forward to offer the items. Of course this is going while Gabumon is trying to direct his attention outside so who knows how it'll pan out.

Outside, the Amaurotine has watched as the window was opened. There may well be a foot or so left to make it easy to see in. He certainly could stand on his tiptoes but for the moment chooses to continue looking up. Opening a window and seeing the blonde man blinking down at his presence isn't exactly an invitation however.

So Themis smiles. "Are you the one Gabumon spoke about? He asked Elecmon and I to come over and see if you've any needs. I hope we aren't disturbing you?" Themis looks like a hyur at least. And from his perspective would be a perfectly normal man.

[asheaveniswide]

It's an appropriate reaction. There's something not right with the blond man, and that isn't only the measuring way Elecmon is studied, as if she's being sized up as a potential target - and Themis as well. Gabumon is aware of it as well, but chooses deliberately to disregard it, as if by pretending there isn't something off somewhere, then it wouldn't actually BE off.

With excruciating slowness, his gaze shifts from Themis to the sandwich, fruit and juice box. How... utterly mundane a meal. And held by animals' paws no less. While Zenos does wait until the little red creature is done speaking, he turns his attention without any sort of verbal acknowledgement back to the white-robed Ancient outside. Of the two, it's the latter that holds more potential at first blush, and that because the voice is ... rather familiar. But the appearance and behavior certainly is not.

It's a large world. He could be mistaken. But instead of actually answering ANYTHING they say directly..

One calloused hand rises to make a small gesture. "Lift your cowl and don your mask." It's stated, not a request, as if he expects to be obeyed without hesitation, and Gabumon visibly winces. They were both being so nice and Zenos is ... well, doing exactly what he'd been doing since he arrived.

"Please don't be upset, my tamer can be a little.. um, abrupt, but he means well!"He's sure of it! He's completely wrong of course but he sounds SO utterly convinced that maybe he can be convincing in turn as he sidles over to his fellow digimon, voice dropping to a low whisper. Zenos is aware there's whispering going on but his hearing's not so fine as to know what."This is what I mean, I think he needs some kind of care I'm not providing. He should be a lot friendlier, shouldn't he?"

[fallenstarmagnet]

Elecmon might be overly curious and at times sticks her nose in too far, but she's not entirely foolish. Her instincts suggest she stay on high alert, even if she's putting her faith in Themis's protection, her own skills and a positive attitude.

Privately she suspects it's going to take more than a positive attitude to help Gabumon's partner though. Also she knows when she's been snubbed.

"I'll just put it over here." It might be a tiny bit forced but determinedly the digimon brings the items to the room's table and places them on it. She won't give up that easy on helping this fellow. Even if Zenos is dangerous it was Gabumon that asked for help.

When Zenos turns his attention to Themis, Elecmon seems content to settle in and watch carefully... while whispering to Gabumon. "Most Tamers seem to be friendlier," she slowly and reluctantly agrees. "But... digimon can be friendly and not. And I know Tamers have different personalities. So maybe yours is one of the extremes? Or maybe something terrible happened before he was brought here."

It's clear she doesn't really know. And she's never been in a situation that's quite like Zenos.

Meanwhile Themis seems to weather the first words that come from Zenos rather well. His expression doesn't change, nor the pleasant smile.

"It's fine, Gabumon. I'm not offended by his request." ...Yes, request. And Themis truly seems to consider it no more or less despite the tone Zenos made his command with. It also comes as no surprise; given he's already met two individuals who seem used to his people.

The second-nature ease and dignity of drawing his cowl up is only marred slightly by a brief rustle in the depths of the fabric to make sure Elecmon hadn't left anything behind. Themis turns his face down and lifts the mask into place before looking back to the figure in the window. He remains silent, though his head does tilt a bit as if questioning what Zenos might have to say about him now.

Elecmon whispers to Gabumon, "You should totally go look. Themis doesn't wear his hood up much any more and he looks a bit cool and spooky." Absolutely helpful.

[asheaveniswide]

"..When I found him, I thought he looked like he'd recently lost a really big fight."Maybe something terrible did happen after all! How to approach that eludes Gabumon, but the insight Elecmon may have accidentally offered is something he's going to keep in mind. If Zenos had lost an important fight, he could have a lot of bruised feelings! That might explain a lot!

Zenos however is pointedly not paying attention to the whispers going on in the room. There are more important things afoot, like Themis doing as bidden, and his eyes narrow. There's no sudden shock or recognition, more ... confirmation than anything else. As Elecmon suggests Gabumon take a look, the dark furred digimon sidles back over to the window to try to peek out again.

"I have encountered one of your kind before." There's still no real inflection to his tone. But him recognizing an Amaurotine, mask up ..almost unsurprising, given others have recognized Ancients here too! "But your manner of dress is far less colorful."

.. But that's a description that doesn't really apply to Amaurotines much. Colorful? Black robes or white is hardly colorful. The Watcher had been starkly boring to deal with, no challenge and no fight.

"..What colors did the other one wear?" Gabumon can BARELY see over the edge, and he's doing his best. There's a hood! And a mask!

"A rainbow of pastels, which glittered in the light of the star."

[fallenstarmagnet]

Elecmon's going to be helpful here! Even though a part of her doesn't really want to get in grabbing range of Zenos, Gabumon does need help looking over the window ledge. And she did want him to see! So she comes up and will bunch under him to boost him to proper lookout height if he's willing!

"Here, let me help!"

Themis isn't surprised at all. A small creature that has 'met his kind before'. It's almost the norm in the Digital World among Tamers.... relatively speaking. Three, now? Though he does entertain that perhaps Erichthonios had met him at an earlier time this is soon dismissed.

Colorful, pastels and glittery does not describe the Warder's attire.

But one possibility (among others) does present itself for consideration.

"That is certainly unusual. Is it possible you mistook someone's familiar for one of us?" If that's the case, Zenos has seen a familiar of a more common stature. "Their attire is often more fanciful. Though without having met such a person myself, it's possible you met someone in a moment of whimsy." Both are intriguing thoughts and seem equally possible. Themis also grins faintly. Rainbow robes glittering in the light of the star? What a wonderful image, however it may be a touch inappropriate for an Amaurotine.

Breaking out of his musings, Themis focuses once more on Zenos. "Ah, forgive me. The possibilities continue to be very interesting to think about and I've yet to introduce myself. My name is Themis. Could I have your name?"

[asheaveniswide]

There's a surprised squeak when Gabumon is lifted enough to actually see better, there's a brief scrabble of claws on windowsill as if he expects to suddenly be let go but when that doesn't happen, he has more leisure to simply look!

And Themis, hood and mask in place, has lost all recognizably defining features except his voice, and it is indeed a little disturbing! Gabumon glances down, voice quiet. "Are you sure he's not some wizardmon evolution we don't know about yet?" It's a perfectly legitimate question.

"Unless your familiars run about in identical outfits save for color, and share similar stature and bearing, then no, I have made no mistake." There's a brief edge to his tone, as if it's a bit insulting to even be QUESTIONED about it. "Though I cannot say if it was whimsy or not, for our interactions were limited by time." And a certain lack of interest if he were perfectly honest, the Watcher simply hadn't been interesting to challenge and thus was irrelevant. "Were I to venture a guess I would call the situation rather dire however, and not fanciful."

Not that he had ANYTHING to do with that.

There isn't an immediate response when asked his name, as if weighing if Themis was worthy of such a grant as what to call him. "Zenos." No calling to any form of Galvus, for it's not required.

[fallenstarmagnet]

"I'm sure." Really, Elecmon is and should be in a position of authority on the matter, given she rides around on his shoulders and in his hood all the time. But her next words, presented as if they're unassailable logic, are what cinch the deal for her.

"There's no way he wouldn't need to eat more to keep up that level of evolution!" Prove Elecmon wrong!

Does Themis hear the conversation going on between the two digimon? Maybe. But Zenos is the focus of his own interest right now, both per Gabumon's request and with this realization of yet another who has at the very least encountered a familiar if not one of Themis's own people engaged a somewhat indiscreet indulgence. Of course the Amaurotine won't be phased that the Garlean prince is a bit insulted but it will be noticed.

"Forgive me. Though in answer to your question it's not uncommon. The size of the familiars I've encountered here is far more unusual in my experience. Attire would be made that's suited for their purpose or environment." The cowl dips down briefly as Themis muses. Honestly there's a myriad of possibilities, from Zenos catching an Amaurotine with their proverbial pants down to a familiar whose master had thought they would look nice in shimmery robes.

"But I can't say you didn't encounter one of my kind either." Maybe Themis could review the aether and find out. But it doesn't seem to be necessary to do so. Not for something as trifling as mere curiosity about the matter. He looks up again. The cowl and mask haven't been removed but this probably because it doesn't occur to him to switch back to what others might consider the 'norm'. He'll remember eventually.

"Zenos. A pleasure to meet you. As you've been told, I am Themis." While his name has been dropped before, it seemed appropriate to bring it up during the reintroductions so to speak. The masked Amaurotine seems to be studying the tall blond man.

"When Gabumon spoke of finding you, he implied you might have been suffering from some type of ailment, if not injury. May I inquire whether you need some aid? I'm not unfamiliar with restorative magicks. Should any discomfort linger, I would be willing to see what I can do to help."