[Closed] Fruit Picking Shouldn't Be This Hard

[chalicejoker]

Who: Hajime, Kouga, and their partners
What: attempts at gathering fruit for Ebidramon go awry
When: early April
Where: Material Jungle


Hajime hadn't really wanted to get involved any more than he had to, but Cutemon was another story. Cutemon wanted to get into all the things! Do all the things! And considering that Cutemon was this close to signing them up for babysitting duty, Hajime knew they had to do some sort of job. Going to retrieve some fruit from the jungle seemed as though it would be easy enough for Cutemon to handle and feel included, with the added bonus of getting a bit of time away from the ever-bustling Access City. Piece of cake, right?

It should have been a piece of cake, anyway. It's just that Cutemon decided he wanted to get the very best fruits, and when Hajime's back was turned, he found a really nice basket of really nice fruits! He did not realize they belonged to someone! And even when he tried to apologize, that apology wasn't good enough! The Diatrymon who owned the fruits was really not very happy with him at all.

Hajime has none of this backstory. All he knows is that he heard Cutemon yell, and then he turned to see a crying Cutemon running from a very angry Diatrymon. It is with this in mind that he quickly transforms to Chalice and charges at the angry Digimon, heedless of how any sort of effect this place has had on his powers might hamper a battle with an Adult-level Digimon.

Surely nothing can go wrong.

Comments

[steelfanged]

Kouga had likewise been convinced by Dodomon to get away from the city and start picking fruit. There wasn't anything stopping them from not doing things, but Dodomon... as much as he hates being followed around, there's something innocent and charming about the little Digimon.

So Kouga heads to the jungle, watching out for any danger when he hears someone - or somemon? - yelling. He rushes forward and sees a small Digimon being attacked by a larger one. In an instant he has his sword drawn, hesitating a moment before going ahead and summoning his armor. The golden Garo armor forms around him, and he rushes towards the Diatrymon.

Dodomon bounces after his tamer, trying to rush over to Cutemon to comfort him.

[chalicejoker]

Oh, come on. Hajime's not quite sure who the gold asshole is, but this is a complication he's not interested in. "Back off! This is between him and me!" The Diatrymon had upset Cutemon, and now this is personal. He's pulled his longbow out of thin air and charges at the Diatrymon, fully intending to use it as a bludgeon. The hit connects, and--

--this was not the devastating blow Hajime had expected. Sparks fly between the metal of the bow and the metal of the Digimon's feathers, but Diatrymon does not go flying backwards. The Digimon shakes off the blow quickly, rears back, and charges at Hajime with a "MEGA DASH IMPACT!" that sends the Kamen Rider flying.

"I'm fine," Cutemon tells Dodomon, wiping his nose on his wrist, but "--oh no!" Hajime going flying was not at all what he was expecting. His Tamer had been doing so well with this! "I gotta do something!"

[steelfanged]

Oh, great. Please tell him this isn't a Horror. Zaruba picks up on Kouga's worry. "I don't detect any Horrors, Kouga. Be careful with your strikes!" "I know." He's only supposed to attack Horrors, but he dashes into the large Digimon, and -

Nothing. Even pushing with all of his strength he doesn't get much of a reaction out of the Digimon. He brings his sword up, but striking the Digimon doesn't get much more of a reaction from him, either. "Kouga!" Dodomon looks between Cutemon and his tamer and bounce-charges towards Diatrymon.

He starts to glow slightly and his body expands, his fur puffing out and striping with a tail popping out from his butt. Wanyamon rushes at the bigger Digimon, prompting Kouga to scoop him up before he can get there. "Hey!"

[chalicejoker]

Now more tiny and defenseless Digimon are rushing out there. Great. Hajime's picking himself back up again. He opens fire at the Diatrymon, just two shots, before realizing that those shots aren't hitting as hard as he'd hope. Diatrymon doesn't seem too phased by it, but it's enough to stop the big birdlike Digimon from charging everywhere. He stops moving and roars in frustration--there are so many targets now, and he's lost sight of the one who set him off in the first place.

Cutemon's running out there too now. "Hey! Hey! I said I was sorry, you big meanie, it was an accident! You need ANGER MANAGEMENT!" And oh...he was definitely not expecting Diatrymon to focus on him like that.

"You have a problem with him," Hajime says, "you take it up with me." He's running to put himself in between Cutemon and the Diatrymon. Everything's pretty tense right now.

[steelfanged]

Wanyamon wriggles out of Kouga's grasp as he evaluates the situation. There's not much he can do in terms of attacks, it seems. And time is ticking down on his armor - there's no sense in losing his mind here.

"Kouga, what are you going to do?" He huffs and stands in front of Wanyamon, sword drawn. He's a little further back from Hajime, but if the other needs him he'll rush in. There's not too much he can do, other than -

"Just leave. Take the fruits and go. We don't need any more trouble here."

[chalicejoker]

"Fine! But keep your little friend out of it in the future!" Diatrymon grabs the basket in his beak and bounds off into the jungle, grumbling about "kids these days" and "no respect" and "buggy little weirdos" and "gold twits" before finally moving out of earshot.

Hajime manages to stagger over to a tree to slump to the ground with his back against it before admitting to himself that he really did need to break transformation. Screw witnesses, he thinks as he draws his Two of Hearts card across his belt--"SPIRIT," the belt says--and his form ripples back to something more human. Beaten up, angry about getting kicked around like that, but more human.

"I'm really sorry!" Cutemon says as he hops over to Hajime's side. "I didn't know those fruit belonged to someone and he wouldn't listen to an apology! Now hold still." He's totally unfazed by the green bleeding cut on Hajime's cheek, and he holds his glowing hands over it to start the healing process. "I can heal you guys too, if you need it!" he calls over to Kouga and Wanyamon.

[steelfanged]

Green blood? Kouga is immediately in Hajime's face, looming over Cutemon. Wanyamon yelps and rushes over behind his tamer. "What are you doing? He's hurt! Leave him alone, Kouga!"

Kouga ignores his Digimon's cries and lifts his hand towards the other's face. The ring on his finger belches out a green flame and he stares the other in the eyes.

... Nothing. Not even a hint of runes. He steps back and allows his armor to unsummon, steely gaze still not flinching away from Hajime. "You're not one of them." He looks to the wound and huffs. "I don't know what you are, but you're not a Horror."

[chalicejoker]

It's lucky Cutemon ended up partially in between Hajime and Kouga. Hajime would have reacted pretty violently otherwise. As it is now, his transformation belt's back and he's got a card in his right hand. The left's moved to cover Cutemon. "The hell was that?!" He knows what it was, knows that look. The look of someone who's realizing he's looking at a monster.

Cutemon has stopped in his work and is just staring back at Kouga with big eyes. "He's my Tamer!"

[steelfanged]

Should he attack? Should he not? He's not sure. He also isn't sure what the other intends to do with that card, given the cards that he's seen already.

His jaw sets and he steps back again, giving Hajime a bit more space.

"I don't know what you are, but you're not a Horror. As long as you're not a threat to humans, I'll let you live."

"Kouga, what are you -" "Quiet. ... My job is to protect humanity from monsters. Horrors are the biggest threat. But if I find that you're a threat, I won't hesitate to cut you down, tamer or no."

He'd had to cut down other monsters before. Beings held together by spite... but not humans. With very few exceptions, not humans.

[chalicejoker]

The card is there in case Kouga tries something; Hajime doesn't trust the other not to attack. He gently moves Cutemon out of the way and gets to his feet. Not like he's got any advantages in the height department, but it's the principle of the thing. "I would like to see you try."

Master of diplomacy over here.

"He's not gonna hurt anyone, you big meanie!" Cutemon looks fit to be tied. "You're the only one threatening to cut people over here! You're just as bad as Diatrymon!"

[steelfanged]

"I've cut down worse than you."

He looks down at Cutemon and sighs. He hates explaining himself, but maybe he does owe the little thing an explanation.

"My world's been threatened numerous times by monsters. Monsters that take human form. Your tamer isn't human. Humans don't bleed green." Not in his world, at least.

... Maybe they do in some other world, but he's banking on that not being true.

"Kouga, you're being mean!" Wanyamon huffs and growls slightly. "Even if it's your job at home, you're not there!" "That doesn't mean my responsibility stops!"

[chalicejoker]

Before Hajime can bite back at Kouga with some remark that would paint himself as one hell of a monster in a heated fit of ego, Cutemon cuts in, stepping in between the two of them. "Hajime's protecting people too, you...you...poopyhead!" He's got his cheeks puffed up and he's looking pretty upset. "I dunno why you're making such a big deal over blood. It doesn't matter." He pauses. "Poopyhead."

What are you supposed to say after that? Hajime doesn't know.

[steelfanged]

The remarks don't seem to deter him in the slightest, and he just sighs. "It does matter, but I suppose I can't get that across to you." He doesn't have time to deal with pointless exercises. He finally sheathes his sword.

"Dodomon -" "Wanyamon." "Whatever. We're leaving. We'll find fruit to pick elsewhere." He meets Hajime's gaze and then finally turns, white coat billowing behind him. He takes a few steps away, careful to make sure that he keeps his senses aware in case the other tries to attack.

[chalicejoker]

When the sword sheathes, Hajime puts away his card. His transformation belt vanishes. He remains staring at Kouga as Kouga leaves, though he doesn't try anything.

Cutemon pulls down one of his lower eyelids and sticks his tongue out at Kouga. It is the only respectable way to end this conversation.

[steelfanged]

Good. He's done with this. He's going to figure out what to do later. Wanyamon hops along, silent and upset. He looks back at Cutemon and frowns, before hurrying after his tamer.

Kouga doesn't look back, just disappears into the brush.