Open; practice has gotten dull, time to hunt.

[asheaveniswide]

Who: Zenos, Gabumon, Open
What: Canon typical violence.
Where: o/` In the jungle the mighty jungle..
When: Early July
Warnings: ...Canon typical violence.



Zenos is fully recovered by now. Recovered, and growing bored with fighting Gabumon. While his ... 'partner' was nothing if not enthusiastic and could fight him to a standstill, it didn't come with the rush he preferred in combat, there was no thrill, no risk--

But he had been mindful of the creature he'd been bound to. As much as Gabumon had not even made a single serious effort into killing him, he had done likewise, wary of stepping perhaps too far and denying himself potential interest later on. This first, smallest combat form wasn't what Gabumon was truly capable of, and the ways to encourage growth were ...not things he favored. Save one. They both did enjoy the hunt, it seemed, though in vastly different ways.

And so, as the afternoon wanes, the Garlean prince-turned-exile and his partner board a Trailmon destined for the jungle some distance away, and its promise of something more diverting. He's armed once again, scythe strapped across his back, and while they wait, he deigns to tend to his animalistic companion, carefully honing Gabumon's claws to points once more with a small file, the black-pelted digimon seeming utterly pleased with the attention. The claws not tended to just yet are remarkably dull, as if they'd been used repeatedly on stone or metal.

The scythe bears faint scratch marks up and down its length.

"What are we looking for?" Although Gabumon's voice is low, he's easy enough to be overheard, eager and twitchy.

"We shall wander about until something comes looking for us. All jungles have predators seeking prey. And then we will prey upon it."

We. A strange concept, but it is one Zenos is coming to accept.

Comments

[fallenstarmagnet]

As with any train there are stations. A certain Ancient has boarded earlier and with him is Elecmon.

"Themis, look! It's Gabumon!" Of course the latter had been looking out the window of the train. Honestly so had her Tamer, though it was another one. Since her tone indicates it's a Gabumon she knows, the giant looks to see who.

"Ah, the partner to Zenos?" The prince was right there after all even if Elecmon hadn't specifically mentioned it; a habit when she's still wary of certain digimon or tamers. Was there intent in their actions as they boarded the train? It was certainly different than when they first met, where Gabumon was implying he had to all but drag the Garlean prince into doing anything and the witnessed indifference.

"Since they're boarding, shall we greet them?"

"Sure!" Elecmon pushes away from the window. Zenos isn't scary, especially when Gabumon's there (and Themis is coming with). She hops down and gets her things together before preparing to follow Themis.

Which brings us to a little bit after the train departs from the station. Themis is hardly trying to sneak up but the doors to one side of the connecting cars are slid open and he enters the carriage both prince and Gabumon.

Rasping file of nail. The marks of claws on metal weapon. Themis isn't any stranger to the art of combat. It's a necessity for some even on his Star's utopic society. That is after all part of the natural world's beauty.

"Good day to you both. May we join you?" Not on the hunt, at least not yet. It's clear the Amaurotine speaks of the more mundane seating arrangements for the time being.

Elecmon looks at Gabumon before looking at her own clawed paws and then back up. Sure they're sharp enough for their purpose but it hasn't occurred to her to have them sharpened further. She'll have to speak with Guilmon sometime to see if HER tamer does that.

"Hello, Gabumon! We saw you from the window and thought we'd stop by!" is her offer to their greetings.

[asheaveniswide]

It is indecently hard to be that stealthy when you're ten plus feet tall. Zenos, at seven and a half, often has difficulty with that - Themis blends in about as well as he otherwise might were he wearing flashing neon signs that say NOTICE ME.

Nonetheless it's Gabumon who notices first, because he's faced the right way and Zenos is not. Although their encounter hadn't been extremely lengthy it had been, in his opinion, perfectly good, so his free paw raises to wave, which in turn draws the Garlean's notice, who turns only slightly to see who or what it might be. Then returns to maintenance.

"Hello Elecmon! ..And. ... Um. Tim?"

"Themis."

"Themis! You can sit with us, I don't mind." While the declaration comes from the digimon, the lack of any denial from Zenos might as well be approval. It's not like they're going to interfere with his nighttime plans, right?

[fallenstarmagnet]

Certainly no intention of interference here. Elecmon's ready to take a seat but it's pretty obvious she's waiting for Themis to choose where. That way if needed she'll have a barrier to duck down behind. Perhaps in time she'll get accustomed to the uneasy feeling about Zenos but for now, they've barely interacted.

Themis settles for the nearest seat that he can comfortably fit on which faces the other two. He nods to acknowledge the name correction but he doesn't seem troubled that it had been gotten wrong.

"It has been a while. I'm glad to see you both well," Themis begins easily. He's doesn't seem as bothered as his partner is by the prince's presence. "May I ask where you're heading this afternoon?" It's not yet night but surely will be soon.

[asheaveniswide]

Of all the perfectly reasonable actions to take, finding something to hide behind is certainly one of them. Elecmon wasn't an interesting target.. but she didn't know that. Her partner on the other hand, was at the least worth remembering the name of. That really didn't bode well for anyone who knew how Zenos operated.

Nobody here currently does, though.

"We're headed out to the jungle." Gabumon tests his newly filed claws on the bare edge of the pelt he wears, seeming pleased with the result. "There's probably stronger digimon lurking around and we're going to find them. I think we're running out of things we can learn just fighting each other."

It's an open, honest response, as if there were nothing at all strange or alarming about it. Zenos, disinclined to add to the conversation, continues his silent work, but it's certain he's listening and paying sharp attention.

"Everyone says in order to get stronger we need to strengthen our bond, and ...well, we both like fighting, so it seems to be a good thing to build on. But fighting digimon in the city doesn't seem like a good idea, you know? And my partner wants a real challenge." Which Gabumon .. isn't. And he's fine with that, he's not supposed to be the challenge, he's supposed to be the digimon that makes overcoming the challenge possible.

[fallenstarmagnet]

No one here knows Zenos so well as to be alarmed. Not Elecmon, who sees the man remembering Themis's name as a positive sign of investment (inasfar as she cares to think about such things). And for the Ancient it's just another day. What it means or its significance has no reason to register at this time.

Both seem to show more interest when the jungle is mentioned. Elecmon is drawn away from considering the window view and climbs to Themis's knee instead.

"Oh the jungle! We're going there too!"

"Though our reasons may differ," adds Themis with a faint smile. The fact that the pair are out looking for a fight is not troubling to him. Even in his society there were those that sought challenge, adventure and their calling took them to these places. If that wasn't the case, who would ever be able to claim the seat of Azem? Who would explore or take care of threats so others could peacefully pursue their own fulfilling life? Their world was beautiful and it was also potentially dangerous. That they had another scale of what 'danger' meant doesn't change the fact.

And certainly, the pursuit of one's bond through a mutually enjoyed activity is nothing to look down upon.

"That's right! We're going to investigate! Themis thinks if the Dokunemon the Goblimon were moving around a while back were being shifted around to disrupt things, maybe the Kunemon would also be targeted. And it's worth getting to see whether the Kunemon are a potential threat like Dokunemon." Elecmon then lifts her front paws again and looks at them speculatively.

"I wonder if I should get my nails sharpened too. What do you think Gabumon?"

What with going into the jungle, it's not like they're on a pleasant day's walk and all and she knows that.

"Though my intentions are to investigate, I'm sure we will encounter some danger. If you've no specific goal in mind, perhaps we can travel the same road," Themis offers, this time seeming to include the Garlean prince in the conversation, if the slight shift of his gaze from one figure to the other is an indication. "If you find a suitable target for your bonding, I'd have no objections to stepping aside while you challenge it."

Whether the Amaurotine understands this is supposed to be a nighttime venture for the two, rather than a 'wait until morning to start' remains to be seen.

[asheaveniswide]

Gabumon rubs his chin with a free paw, a distinctly humanish gesture, looking thoughtful. "We weren't investigating the dokunemon." Definitely different goals, in that case! Besides, how much experience could they really get out of a bunch of bugs? "They probably eat the same, but if they belong in the jungle then there's probably things there keeping them from getting out of control."

On the other hand, he might have a good shot at handling a lot of bugs! Gabumon's attention briefly drifts, to study Elecmon's paws. "If you fight with them a lot," he says after a moment of thinking. "Walking around all the time gets them dull. But if you use them for running then no, because they're worse for running when sharp." There's a glance to Zenos as if to confirm this is correct, and the silence that follows is taken as agreement. Disagreement would surely draw comment!

As Themis suggests they travel together though, the Garlean's gaze rises to study the Amaurotine unblinkingly for just long enough to verge on impolite. Making the allowance of Gabumon as a 'partner' such as it was, he could accept - after all it seemed true that his power was tethered to the little beast's. The more they worked together the more he could feel some of his strength returning. But this towering stranger? "Do not expect aid if it does not suit my purposes." That's not a no, precisely. Surely Themis and Elecmon can defend themselves!

"That's a 'yes',"Gabumon says, his whisper a little too loud to be a proper whisper. "Though we're gonna be out in the dark, so you might not want to be wearing all that white."

[fallenstarmagnet]

"Other, stronger digimon perhaps," Themis agrees. That is the cycle of the natural world all in all. "One of my aims is to investigate whether someone will attempt to make use of displacing the Kunemon in the same way as the Dokunemon."

And after that he'd intended to find the Dokunemon's natural forest habitats and learn more about the specific subspecies, but it seemed worthwhile to make sure there was no further danger from a variant of the problem.

Well that and it's a fun little adventure. He'd never gotten to travel so much before. That's neither here nor there. The point here is not whether the Kunemon will provide ample challenge and sport, but whether it's worth traveling together until something is found or they must go their separate ways.

"I see! Probably best to leave them as is then. I wouldn't want to poke holes in Themis's robes." Elecmon puts down her paws and looks satisfied with the advice. Her ears are straight up as she looks over the other pair. "You two seem to be closer these days! It's good you've gotten to know one another better."

Although she might be wary of Zenos, his words still draw a protest out of Elecmon; probably because the safety net that is the Amaurotine's lap. "Suit your purposes? I'm not sure what that even means." She uses a digit of her right paw to scratch the side of her head. "If we're traveling together, doesn't it suit to help one another by default? Unless you're talking about the investigation. I mean that would make sense considering you're there for other business. And what if it's us that needs to help you?" She does seem a little puzzled while trying to understand the logic.

Themis meanwhile, isn't going to interrupt with any input on his behalf. He had nodded acceptance of the prince's caution and turned to Gabumon's words. There's a little bit of surprise in the youthful features, followed by contemplation.

"A night excursion?" He sounds more intrigued than hesitant. Though he'd have to agree with the assessment that a person of his stature in this world wearing white through a dark jungle may be a little much in the context of things. Coming out of his thoughts, Themis favors the digimon with a slight grin. "You may be right, it would conserve my aether to simply change my clothes to not stand out as much."

He'd intended to use obscuring magicks before but this seems a much simpler solution he'd not have thought about.

"I'll be sure to change them when we reach the station," he assures. "Thank you for the advice."

[asheaveniswide]

Zenos' attention shifts, to the fan-tailed digimon and not her partner, gaze just as steady and measuring. "If you attempt to aid us I will kill you."

It's said as if it's simple fact. The sun's setting, they're in a Trailmon, Elecmon will die if she 'helps'. Gabumon looks startled, but doesn't speak up ... he wants to hear the reasoning behind it. "One cannot put skill and power to the test with safety nets and waiting bandages. Victory must be seized of one's own determination and strength, and challenges are nothing more than mild diversions with 'allies' and 'backup' and the shallow surface 'concern' of strangers rushing to see blood and claim it aid. I seek a fight, not an evening's sheltered amusement, stripped of it's risk and its reward."

His own partner considers this long and hard for a silent few moments. "...Do I count as outside help and backup?"

The Garlean sits back, a faint frown crossing his face, the only real sign of any kind of emotion in ... probably days. "No. For weal or woe, our strength is tethered to one another. In that, we are one, and must rise in unity or not at all." One hand rises, fist slowly clenching in a creak of gloved leather, wisps of void-shadow rising, outlining the bare tips of claws that aren't quite there. "Mine previous pact from beyond the rift no longer grants the might it once did. You, however.."

No matter how disturbing this has been until now in even concept, Gabumon puffs up a little in obvious pleasure. It's one thing to know you're needed, it's another to have someone as recalcitrant as Zenos actually say it. But he's also aware that it's kind of ..well, harsh. "I guess we'll do it on our own for the fighting part, Elecmon. It's nice of you to say you'd help, I'm sure you really would, but if we can't do it ourselves, how will we ever know what we're really capable of?" He grins, showing off every sharp tooth, but it's still friendly and not a threat. "We'll need to know if we're going to help save the digital world. All of us are. Don't worry, it's going to be amazing."

Now the question is, will there be clothes available in Themis' size??

[fallenstarmagnet]

Elecmon doesn't fight the urge for her ears to flatten back. Despite the mild delivery of Zenos's words, she's sensitive to the sincerity of them. Starting to back up on Themis's lap...

Only to find his hand has gently come to rest as a barrier of support along her back. It may be a simple gesture but without a word it implies he is willing to support her if there is a threat.

"Aside from any threat that we would be forced to engage or defend again, there is no reason to aid you unless you ask. And many reasons not to." Besides respecting what each party is here to do, there's also a keen interest in observing other partners and maybe a little in Zenos himself.

Especially after those wisps of aether, flooded with near complete darkness, are briefly glimpsed. It would be difficult not to see the giant's eyes sharpen a little with momentary interest- not alarm, just interest- before returning to the more peaceful expression.

"And likewise, I hope you would not think to interrupt our investigation," the Amaurotine continues just as pleasantly, as if no one had spoke of killing anyone currently present. Despite the reassuring hand, Elecmon does look worriedly at her partner. Themis smiles down at her. Maybe she finds something in this exchange to calm herself. But her ears slowly go back up as she focuses on Gabumon.

Could just be that deciding to focus on the digimon instead of the prince makes it easier to pretend everything's normal.

"That makes sense. I hope you find something to test yourself against. But you know, if you do really need help and we're around..." She glances at Zenos before cutting off there as though deciding not seeming pushy about it may be the best way to go.

The digimon is clearly worried about certain parts of present company than the fights ahead. Or clothes for that matter! Themis can take care of the latter at least.

Speaking of upcoming stops, provided there's no other matters to talk about - other than perhaps small talk - Themis himself won't have much more to ask about that can't be first observed should the quartet continue to travel together in the jungle. An announcement for the approaching station will be eventually heard.

"It will only take me a moment to adjust my robes," Themis states pleasantly. "Shall we meet up again on the platform?" It really won't take long. In fact he could have done it while the transport was making its way to the station. But that wouldn't have really afforded an opportunity to speak a little with Elecmon in private.

Just to be sure she was going to be okay travelling with the other pair. She will be but that doesn't mean he hadn't missed her discomfort and won't make sure all is as well as it can be.