estoria | Thought for food [Open!]

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Thought for food [Open!]

Who: Eiji (

powertotearer), more adorable robot buddies, and you
When: IC 8/10
Where: In the gardens, along the water
What: Eiji needs to think a bit. And eat. That would be good too.
Rating/Warning: None so far

Eiji had not enjoyed his last stint in ViViD. Locked in a threatening place, dead people that looked way too familiar, and of course the terrifying moment of being strapped to an operating table for experiments, again.

There was really only so long he could spend in his apartment, moping, especially when most of the appliances weren't working and he really needed to eat.

So, if you were Eiji, you'd go out, find a spot along the water, and start a fire to grill up some fish--fish that he'd had to buy, when he realized he had no idea what species in the water were sentient and/or poisonous. But an impromptu cookout was enough to help clear his mind for a little.

What also helped? Three new candroids--two Battas and one Kujaku, who were happily playing with Eiji's two Takos.

Also, if any of the candroids were celebrating the malfunctioning of the inferior CYbuddy oppressors? Well, Eiji was trying not to notice.

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Before Takeru could say anything, that's when he raised an eyebrow or two. Now that he got a closer look at those candroids, they do look a bit familiar. He can't quite place his finger on it but for some odd reason? He knew he had seen something familiar.

But until he figures it out? He'll focus on the other thing instead! "Yeah, I am! But...I guess you must have seen her with Tailmon haven't you?"

So much for trying to surprise him with Patamon.

He nodded. "You're not her brother, are you? I know she mentioned one."

In that moment, Takeru couldn't help but burst out laughing! While he didn't mind being compared to Taichi, the thought was pretty funny to him!

"No, I'm not Taichi-san! I'm her friend who went to the Digital World with her! She didn't mention someone named Takeru did she?"

That and he couldn't help but be a little curious.

"Oh, so you were the one who found her in ViViD! Yeah, she told me a little about it. It's good she has so many people helping look out for her."

Because clearly, Takeru was always older than Hikari, right?

"Well, I don't know about that! She has Taichi-san, Han-san, and a lot of other people who can look out for her. I'm just only one person."

Nevermind that he still has some issues about not doing enough to protect people but oh well. He'll just keep that quiet for now.

"One person can do a lot more than you'd think. Even if you think you can only go as far as your own hands reach, it's like a link in a chain--you're stronger the more people you have with you."

It had taken him a long time to get that lesson hammered into him, and it was almost a mantra now.

Then there was a pause. He knew that, he would haven't gone this far without his friends to help him out. And yet, why was it so difficult for him to understand that?

"I know, I have defeated a lot of evil Digimon and I wouldn't be here without my friends. I'm just glad that they're all safe and that we'll be able to defeat CERES really soon!"

All said with a fake smile on his face.

Takeru would meet an analytical look. Eiji was an expert in fake smiles--practically had his doctorate in them.

"You're sure you're okay?"

And leave it to him to volunteer to help a virtual stranger.

"I mean, I know we just met, but you're a friend of Hikari's, and I figure you probably don't want to worry her. If there's anything you need, I can try to help."

As soon as Eiji called him out, that smile broke slightly. So much for trying to fake it until he made it, now he really felt like he was 7 years old all over again.

"Yeah, I'm okay!" But then again, he really shouldn't be that surprised. If Hikari can call him out, why couldn't other people.

"I'm glad that Hikari-chan got a friend like you, I can tell you really care about her!" He's still going to fake it anyway!

"Actually, we only just met." Not that that ever stopped Eiji from caring about everyone, but still.

"It doesn't really answer the question, though. Is something wrong that you don't want her worrying about?"

Yes, there was. Ever since he came back from, he wanted to tell her about the adventures that he been on but why was it so difficult for him to explain it?

As he opened his mouth, he immediately closed it back up. A part of him wanted to tell him everything, and yet, another didn't. Sometimes, he really wished that he could just be an open book and have somebody else see what was going on.

It really would save him so much trouble of explaining how he felt.

Eiji gave him a slightly puzzled look, but he didn't try to pry too much. After all, he was kind of the poster boy for not explaining what happened in his life.

"Well, if you need, you can always contact me."

This was it, this was the moment that Takeru could say something to him. But if he did that, would that mean he was weak for saying something? With that, he just simply smiled at him once more.

"Don't worry, I will! You're a really kind person for offering that! I'm glad that there are nice people here in Cerealia!"

Yep, he was sure now. Eiji knew that redirect too well.

"It's not that I'm nice, but thanks. Just...if someone could use help, I really can't not offer it, you know?"

He couldn't make Takeru talk, after all, but he can at least show him he's sincere.

Now he could see why Hikari was friends with him. He definitely reminded a lot of her and how he just wanted to help as many people as he could.

"Neither can I..."

If Eiji managed to listen closely enough, he might be able to hear the faint mumble from the blond.

Eiji definitely heard that, and he gave Takeru a concerned look.

"I know it's probably weird, coming from someone you don't know, but if you need to talk about it...well, I've kind of seen enough that maybe I can help. And even if I can't, I promise I won't tell anyone what you tell me."

Takeru didn't say anything. It wasn't that he had trouble trusting people, it was that he wasn't comfortable expressing how he felt in front of others.

Was this how Hikari must have felt when she kept quiet and tried to tell everyone she was fine? Especially when she wasn't?

"...I....don't know what Cerealia is planning on doing." Pause. "And it scares me more than anything because I don't know."

Eiji nodded, rubbing lightly at a scar across his left palm.

"I know the feeling. It's really hard being ready for something when you don't know what's coming. You start to feel paranoid, and you hope no one notices you jumping at shadows."

"It is and especially when you want to help everyone. But you can't."

He said before swallowing that last word of his. He wanted to hope for the best but it was getting more difficult each day.

"And that's what makes it worse."

Eiji nodded. Oh, has he been there.

"It's hard. And sometimes, you lose hope. But what helped me was trying to focus on just what was in front of me. What could I do on my own?"

Admittedly, he'd over-focused on it, to the point that he gave up on considering any day past today.

He reached out his hand into the distance, as far as it went.

"That's as far as I can reach, just on my own. And it took me a while to realize that someone else can reach out just that far and take my hand. So that's twice as far."

This was oddly familiar to the talk he had with a certain lawyer many years back. When he was 7 years old and how he lost Patamon in the ViViD, he told him that he should trust others more.

It didn't mean he wasn't strong enough if he asked help from other people. And yet, why was it?

"Even if there's a chance that reaching out twice as far could end up hurting a lot more people than you think? It's...not as easy as you think."

"I know. But sometimes..."

Eiji stopped for a minute and looked at his hand. A scar there from something he hadn't been able to handle by himself, and now that he actually looked at it, it reminded him of a crack in a Medal that he'd tried hard to put back together.

"Once, I was caught up in something pretty bad. A friend of mine had betrayed me, and even though I tried to say I could handle it, I couldn't. I was so mad I couldn't think straight, and I was starting to do things that were hurting me, but no matter what my friends told me, I didn't listen."

Now, he looked back at Takeru with a sad smile. "But in the end, my friend came back. He didn't exactly say he was sorry, but I knew he was. And I was, for everything I'd said and done to him during the whole thing. But the both of us still had really big problems going on with ourselves, and neither one of us wanted to admit it to each other. He knew mine was bad, though, so he made himself worse off trying to help me. I still haven't forgiven myself for making him worry so much about me that it ended up hurting him."

Oh if Eiji knew how much he related to his story. While it wasn't quite the same, the idea of pushing himself to the point where he was hurting himself and others? That's the part where Takeru winced a little. After everything he been through, he knew he couldn't back down.

He just had to keep moving forward no matter what. There was no option for him to slow down or second guess himself. If he did, who knows what might happen. However, that didn't stop him from wondering should something go wrong. What was a boy like him suppose to do when so many friends were getting hurt? And especially here?

"I...I'm glad that you and your friend were able to make up and things were okay after everything that happened." Although, it would never be the same it still brought a smile to his face. "It makes me wonder if there might be a chance that things will be all right in the end."

"I can't promise it'll be soon. But it's like going on a journey--no matter how far you go, you have go to one step at a time."

He took out his Cerevice and tapped out his contact information.

"Here. If you ever need to find me for any reason."

That was rather surprising. As he stared at Eiji's CereVice, all Takeru could do was just burst out laughing. He didn't mean to be rude but when he really thought about it?

"You really are kind, aren't you Eiji-san? Most people wouldn't offer such a thing to a stranger, you know!"

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powertotearer - 2016-08-16 00:57 (UTC) - Expand

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