prodigious

Honestly, Jacob didn’t understand what was going on. He knew a little about Tentomon, and knew how much the others mattered to his nephew. But he didn’t know what would exactly happen if he let the boy run off to save them. It didn’t seem safe in the slightest. Though he didn’t have much control over the boy, maybe he could stall his departure…at least until Newt and Tina could talk some sense into him. 

The boy’s voice shook, and Jacob’s frown grew. He wanted to make sure the boy was safe, and it seemed that he was trying to even convince himself that this was safe. “Are ya sure about that?” he asked, trying not to sound too suspicious. He trusted the boy, but he didn’t want him to do anything too foolish. If Newt and Tina lost him, he wasn’t sure what the couple would do. 

“Your family is here, though. What about your mom and dad? Auntie Queenie? Or me? We don’t want to lose you, you know that. It would…destroy your parents,” he said, shaking his head. The pair had already been through enough, and to add the boy running away to another dimension surely wouldn’t help. “Surely someone else can, I dunno, save the world. You’re just a child,” he said, his voice still sounding somewhat unsure. He didn’t want to insult Kou, but the boy needed to see reason.

It’s not as if Koushirou wants to cause trouble for his family. In many ways it would be easier to have left without telling them anything. Already he leaves the mentions of the Digital World scattered and, beyond Tentomon being allowed out, there’s hardly anything he mentions about the place. After their initial adventures a few years ago he’d spoken about it more, but as he got older it slipped away-- Even in the world-wide events. Not because he didn’t trust them, but worrying them wasn’t something he wanted.

This time, however, felt more real when there was no means of easily leaving the Digital World.

“I trust my friends. I’m sure of that,” He answers, the quiver turning to something more firm. After everything they’ve been through together he trusted his friends as much as he did any calculation on his computer. They would manage somehow, they always had.That was one thing he could believe in.

Of course, Jacob has to go and say that and his hackles raise. Brown eyes closing as he steadies himself, thinks everything through carefully and then speaks. “I’m not going to do anything reckless for the sake of it. If anyone’s job that’s Taichi-san’s. I know you guys don’t understand it really and even for us it’s difficult-- But I was Chosen. I might not have magic or be able to catch criminals, but this is part of who I am,” Koushirou tried, lowering his eyes, “it doesn’t matter if we’re children. Right now we’re the only ones that can do this. But it’s not just that--”

“My friends can’t do this alone. Tentomon is out there and after everything I’m not-- Tentomon is as much my family as anybody else. I can’t just...”

     Newt, for all his efforts, still didn’t know very much about the world in which his son practically lived (or so it seemed). The technology was beyond his understand, although he’d tried to learn a little. 

     He knew it meant a lot to the boy, though, so he listened whenever he could, while Kou talked about Tentomon and his computer. Paying him just as much attention as either of his biological kids was something Newt insisted on. No son of his was going to feel left out.

     Lately, though, Kou’s been rather distant. He and Tina had wondered whether perhaps it was just the transition into being a teenager, but they suspected it might be something more. The boy didn’t appear to be sleeping as much, or eating. But he wouldn’t say what was wrong, and so the two of them were left to guess, as parents often did.

     So he found himself climbing out of his briefcase one afternoon to see Kou making his way to the front door with a backpack. Convinced that there was something he wasn’t telling them, Newt attempted to stall him for information.

          “Out? Will you be back in time for dinner? Your aunt and uncle will be here.”

The smile fail from his lips as easily as it came. Certainly not the most convincing thing in the world. Hang tightening its hold on the bag, the young man turned his eyes away for a fraction of the second before offering a shake of his head. Which was only matched by a shrug of his shoulders, as if there was some confusion in the way his body was supposed to answer (and there was).

As much as he trusted his parents and knew they’d been through a lot more than normal parents-- or, at least the other Chosens’ parents-- the barrier between the magical world and the digital one was stark. As much as he wouldn’t ever truly be part of their world, his was one they wouldn’t fit into either.

“Maybe,” He answered quickly, the sound more fluid than his last motion, “I was going out to visit some friends.” It’s not a lie, but it’s not the whole truth. He can’t be certain that the time in the Digital World runs parallel to the Real World at the time or if it’s as fast as it usually was. If it was the latter and they found a way out-- There should be no problem. The former, however, dealt a much different scenario (regardless of if they made it out or not).

“We’ll be careful.”

The words seem somehow weighted. He hadn’t told his parents much about the Digital World, but the little he had went over the basics-- Digimon. Evil Digimon. Saving the world. That sort of thing, though the grimmer details were always left out as not to worry them.  Though eh was still rather certain they didn’t really believe him entirely, the whole thing was very real to him.

Saying we’ll be careful is merely a clue-in to the fact that it was something far more serious than simply visiting a friend. And he hopes Newt understands it without stopping him. As it was right now, even if his parents magically tried to confine him he’d find a way out. Tentomon was out there lost and without his memory. The other Digimon. The younger Chosen were stilll missing. His friends needed him.

          “There’s always something new to learn,” he replied, pulling out one of his old notebooks from an inside pocket of his coat. “Even if it’s just that there are no Fire Crabs around here any more.”

     He’d rather hoped to find at least a few today, but Kou trusted that Tentomon would do his best, though, and that was good enough for him. Of course, Newt found the Digimon fascinating and friendly enough anyway, though it was clear his son had a bond with the creature that surpassed anything he’d seen before.

     Silence stretched between them again, and Newt glanced over at the boy, who was fiddling around with that strange device again, the thing that looks rather like a book sitting on its side. Curious, and knowing full well that Kou was just as enthusiastic about it as Newt was about creatures, he moved to crouch beside him. Hopefully, it would initiate some kind of conversation, because even though the boy had been living with them for years now, he still felt like he didn’t really know much about him.

          “What, erm, what are you doing, right now? With that?”

The boy smiled appreciatively at the man’s comment. While he was rather certain Newt knew everything there was about this particular creature, the trait felt familiar. Koushirou always tried to push the boundaries of what he knew. He felt the need to learn more about everything, irregardless of it was magical, digital, scientific, or another world entirely.

He doesn’t respond more than that, however, as his eyes turned to the computer screen before him. The screen flashed a rapid color in the various target areas he’d set up. The background was another map and a different set of data that at the moment he only flickered his attention to. Newt was suddenly there and he found himself pinkening at the sudden attention. Neither of his parents paid much mind to his work with the computer and as much as he wanted to explain things to them he knew their limited exposure to “muggle technology” wasn’t helpful. Even if he spent much of his time working on this.

“Ah,” He started nervously, “it’s a map. The red zones mark the places we’ve already passed through that didn’t have anything. The yellow spots are where the data-- I mean, where the Fire Crabs might be from your prior observations. As you can see there’s only a few of those left in this area. Tentomon’s heading towards the closest one right now, the one you pointed out....”

He paused to open another screen with all of the information the coordinates were working off of. “This is everything you’ve read or said about Fire Crabs. If there’s anything you want to add...” He mumbled apprehensively, “it uses this data and the known habitats in the local area to establish the potential points. Of course, those are only potential and some areas haven’t been fully gone into, but it’s nice to have...”

Koushirou hadn’t stopped even now. The Reboot had happened and the Chosen Children had taken to their various corners to recharge after the battle and the loss. He hadn’t allowed himself the chance to stop, however, if only because he needed to find out-- To see, somehow, if things had occurred as they suspected. The Digital World was as closed off as it had ever been the past while, however, and he finds with it his heart sinking and his determination reaching new heights.

Tentomon.

It’s not long before he comes to his decision. They could get back to the Digital World, they would have to. All of them. He knew they could do it, but there was still plenty at risk. It wasn’t like with Miyako, Daisuke, and Iori-- They wouldn’t just be able to return home when they wanted. The Digital World would likely be unlike the one they knew and had grown up with. So what would that mean for them...?

Pinching the bridge of his nose he pulled away from the computer screen. Slowly he made his way across the room and tucked his laptop back inside his bag. He grabbed some either items he might need, stowing it away within the confines of the bag. At least this time he could come prepared. His eyes glanced up towards his desk where a picture of him and Tentomon had sat. Frowning at it, he gripped the bag more tightly in his resolve. His eyes flickering over the family portrait that sat next to it and he swallowed roughly. What should he say? Should he say anything?

Rubbing at his eye, the boy sighed and turned on his heel before exiting the room. He’d already decided, nothing was going to change that. Pulling the straps over his shoulders he made his way down the stairs and only paused when he saw the familiar form of the man coming out of his case in the living room. 

He paused uncertainly before offering an uncertain smile and what he hoped was a convincing way.

“I’m going out for a bit.”

Koushirou had kept the Digital World a secret from his family for so long. It wasn’t until the younger chosen appeared and that Tentomon was able to join him that it became an issue-- As many creatures as his parents owned you couldn’t just bring home a talking giant-ladybug and expect them not to notice. He’s still not sure they quite understand what it means or the seriousness of the matters, but he knows what he must do.

Tentomon was his friend. The Digimon were their friends. He’d spent so long trying to find a way to save them, to prevent the Reboot from erasing their memories, just for it to be lost. To have Tentomon decide gallantly that he would not remember when his friends, rattled by a malicious virus, were trying to destroy each other. Tentomon chose to protect them, to help his friends, knowing that all of them would forget. 

Koushirou couldn’t let it stand that way. He couldn’t abandon the friendship with the Digimon that was essentially part of his family. “It’s been a while, but we’ve done this before,” he answered quietly. He wonders how much his family believes that during that summer of his tenth birthday he’d traveled to another world for not just days but weeks, months even, without anyone ever noticing because time here hadn’t changed that much.

“We’ll be fine,” he adds, the firmness to his voice shaking just slightly. As much as he wants to believe it he knows there’s a lot at stake; There’s always a lot at stake and with things the way they were they were back to not knowing if they’d ever make it back to this world. There was no certainty. He quietly evades the question about asking his parents, however, and adds determinedly instead, “They’re our friends. We can’t just leave them to be forgotten. We’ve got to find them.”

wow i feel old.

whispers: if anyone plays feel free to add me. i switch out urs depending on song type in jp. eng i just started over again like 3 days ago so i’ll prob keep dia up a while. though i have ssrs of kotori and umi so.

♔ : Finding your muse wearing their clothes

♕: Holding hands

♖: Having their hair washed by your muse

♗: Your muse falling asleep with their head in my muse's lap.

♘: Cuddling in a blanket fort

♙: Sharing a bed

♚: Head scratches

♛: Sharing a dessert

♜: Shoulder rubs

♝: Reading a book together

♞: Caring for each other while ill (specify which party is which)

♟: Patching up a wound

♤: Taking a bath together

♧: Your muse playing with their hair

♡: Accidentally falling asleep together

♢: Forehead or cheek kisses

♠: Your muse adjusting their jewelry/neck tie/ etc.

♣: Back scratches

♥: Your muse crying about something