First Fight ;text ;locked from hostiles ;action for the Jinnouchi house/friends

[readyforwar]

Shinohara Natsuki and Koiso Kenji have been sent home.

[action]


[Kazuma has skipped class today to pack up Kenji and Natsuki's room at the Jinnouchi house. He can be found there with a scarf covering his hair, in shorts and a teeshirt, putting things in boxes and being quieter than usual. The only sound seems to be coming from his laptop which is playing music while he works.]

Comments

[dive_npc]

There's the sound of gently flapping wings, followed by Patamon landing on a box next to Kazuma.

"Um... I just wanted to say I was heading out," Natsuki's former partner said.

[readyforwar]

Kazuma looks up, his expression rather placid but a clear sign of upset in his eyes. He already misses them, not that he'll admit it out loud.

"... alright," he says softly, putting a notebook in one of the boxes. He almost leaves it at that, but then adds curiously. "Where are you going to go? I don't really know what happens to partners who lose their tamers..."

[dive_npc]

"... Most digimon just go back to their lives, but..."

Patamon sighed, closing his eyes.

"I didn't... really have much of a purpose before Natsuki... and even then, she was mostly afraid of me..."

[readyforwar]

"That wasn't your fault... not after everything that happened with that bastard Akumaro..."

Kazuma just shook his head. His injuries had healed, but there were moments he still felt the sting where Nadeko's arrows had gotten him. No one was to blame but that demon, though.

"... you could stay here. No one is going to chase you away just because Natsuki is gone. Once a Jinnouchi, always a Jinnouchi."

[dive_npc]

"..."

Patamon looked away. "There's something you should know, Kazuma..."

[readyforwar]

"... what?"

[dive_npc]

"..."

He sighed. "Before Natsuki... I think.... I think I was a digimon in the Virus Busters... I was... I was one of those monsters... and when I started to remember that, I became as angry and hateful as they are..."

[readyforwar]

Kazuma blinked a few times, setting down the books he had just picked up, moving to sit cross-legged in front of Patamon.

"People can change. I think Digimon can, too. Natsu-chan wouldn't want us to give up on you just because of that."

[dive_npc]

"... and what if I lose control again?" Patamon asked, turning back towards him.

[readyforwar]

"Hey, I dealt with Paulo and his stupid out of control partner... I can handle you, too," Kazuma answered with a faint smirk. Granted that entire battle had gone poorly and the end result was Kazuma almost losing his partner, but the point was there. He wouldn't give up just because of 'what ifs'.

[dive_npc]

"... Alright."

Patamon smiled. "Thank you, Kazuma..."

[readyforwar]

Kazuma smiled silently, reaching over to rub Patamon's head affectionately.

[homerunyumi]

[Silently, looking as timid as a mouse Yumi tip toes in with a plate of fresh steamed bao setting the plate down at his side.]

[readyforwar]

[Kazuma looks up before she gets out of the room, not really smiling but looking quietly thankful towards his aunt.]

[homerunyumi]

[A smile and a gentle nod, she'll come back later to take the plate when he's finished]

[ninjacephalopod]

[A cough announces the arrival of Mansuke fresh from his work at the docks.]

[readyforwar]

... ojii-san...

[ninjacephalopod]

I'm going out for a jog, I thought you might like to join me.

[Though the tone is that this is not entirely a suggestion]

[readyforwar]

[He starts to say something, and 'but--' nearly comes out. He decides against it, though, and stands wearily while pulling off the scarf around his head.]

Okay...

[ninjacephalopod]

[Mansuke leads him outside and through some warm up stretches.]

I understand your desire to stay inside, but it's unhealthy to go such long periods of time without sunlight. They say that the Salerymen of the world are more prone to health problems then a blue collar boy.

[readyforwar]

I know that...

[Kazuma stretches with him, voice barely above a grumble]

I'm not gonna stay inside all the time ojii-san... I just wanna get Natsu-chan's stuff put away so nothing happens to it...

[ninjacephalopod]

But when was the last time you came outside?

[And now the legs, and we're ready to go]

[readyforwar]

[jogging after him, rolling his eyes a bit]

Uh, Friday? When I went to school? Like I do every day? I only took today off to clean up. Why is everyone acting like I'm going to become a hermit all of a sudden?

[ninjacephalopod]

[A smirk keeping a steady but demanding pace]

Do you really have to ask?

[readyforwar]

[Kazuma just huffs, keeping pace with his grandfather.]

I'm fine.

[ninjacephalopod]

That's good. Because we're gonna take the route with extra hills to get home.

[Boisterous laugh]

[readyforwar]

[groaaaan]

Master! Do we have to?

[ninjacephalopod]

Of course we do! Come on now. Double time. The sooner we get you home the sooner you can finish your work.

[readyforwar]

Ugh. Fine.

[going to hate this entire jog]

[birdcrest]

[Somewhere along the line, Sakae will come in and start helping to clean as well.]

[readyforwar]

Thank you, obaa-chan...

[Kazuma looks tired. He hasn't slept much since they left.]

[birdcrest]

[She can tell, but it's also understandable.] You should get some rest. I will finish this.

[readyforwar]

No... I wanna finish it...

[nevermind that he can barely get up without wobbling]