ourtomorrow | pixieled 🐛 inbox

<lj-raw><main style="width:330px;height:300px;margin:0 auto;overflow:hidden;background-image: url('https://changelinged.dreamwidth.org/file/17051.png');border:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.1);line-height:1;font-size:14px;box-sizing:border-box;">
	<section style="height:100%;overflow:hidden;display:flex;justify-content:center;align-items:center;flex-direction:column;text-align:center;box-sizing:border-box;">
		
		<img src="https://images.plurk.com/2m8KOnLesbrDBMq7t6iDOZ.jpg" style="background: #darkgreen;width:180px;height:180px;border-radius:100%;;padding:1px;border:0px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);box-shadow:2px 2px 2px 2px rgba(0,0,0,0.3);margin:auto 0 0px 0;box-sizing:border-box;"></div>
<strong style="color:#darkgreen;font-size:36px;letter-spacing:1px;padding-bottom: 5px;padding-top:2px;box-sizing:border-box;text-shadow: 1px 1px #299f3f;font-weight:bold;">
 ken-chan
</strong><br><div style="background:#299f3f;padding:10px 20px;width:100%;font-weight:bold;max-width:60%;margin:auto auto -15px auto;color:#fff;font-size:10px;letter-spacing:3px;text-decoration:none;position:relative;z-index:1;box-sizing:border-box;ext-transform:uppercase;">

			@ken-chan

		</div><div style="background:#021906;width:100%;height:60px;margin:0 0 -17px 0;box-sizing:border-box;transform:rotate(2deg);"></div></section></main></lj-raw>

[There is the sharp sound of talons clicking against the stone as something approaches the room. At first, masked in shadow, four bright red eyes peer through the open door. They blink all at the same time.

And then Stolas steps into the room, all lanky bird in fancy clothing. He has to duck in, being so tall. He holds his spell book against his chest and takes in the room. His head turns in full one hundred and eighty degrees to take it all in but eventually all his eyes fall on his fellow roommate.]

Oh. Hello there. [Stolas walks over to Ken, bending low to take all of him in.] I thought I might be with a human. There's quite a lot of you. [Though difficult to tell with his large red eyes his gaze does flicker towards the large green worm.] I like your grub. Very... chubby. Full of nutrients for growing young humans, I'm sure.

Edited 2025-05-02 11:27 (UTC)

[ In response to this assessment, Ken stares. Wormmon, mandibles frozen open in a scream that never made it out (those EYES! that NECK! he's never met a Digimon that could DO that!) also stares.

Then collapses in a stiff faint into Ken's arms.

Handling this situation is up to Ken now. He hugs Wormmon a little closer to himself, supporting the back of his partner's head so he'll feel safe when he wakes up (and, somewhat, to guard.) ]

You're . . . . .

[ The owl from the post on the Leaf. Extremely confused about what Digimon are for. Carrying, incongruously, a book. ]

. . . . . . . . . .my roommate?

[ THIS CHILD WAS ONCE LAUDED AS A BOY GENIUS. ]

[Oh, the worm has passed out. Did he miss the human doing it in? Regardless, the human seems protective of his meal and he has no intention of taking it from him. After all, he seems quite small and lanky and could use the abundance of nourishment that this chunky worm will provide.]

That seems to be the case. This is the room I was assigned and if that's the same for you then we would be roommates. [He lets out a soft hoot.] It's rather exciting, no? Living in a house with a wife and daughter doesn't have the same "vibe" as a roommate. It's a bit like... roughing it. [He turns his head ALL the way around again to look at his bed.] I'm tall but I'll try not to take up too much space.

Keeping any books I procure on my side of the room and all that.

Oh! Right. [His head turns back around and he holds out his cape and bows his head politely to the young boy.] You may call me Stolas. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I hope to be very good roomies.

[ A wife and child...He's an adult. Ken is rooming with a (sophisticated, educated, well-off?) adult. Is there a significance to that? Hagalaz didn't seem like the kind of person to believe it's important children should have guardians. So there's some other reason....

(Entertainment. He's been told, point-blank, he's at the Winter Court or Hagalaz's entertainment. But Ken cannot accept that explanation. There must be another.)

In any case, Ken's new roommate has been so good as to introduce himself, and he should do the same. ]

I'm Ken. [ He bows - fairly deep, a child greeting an adult for the first time. ] This is Wormmon.

[ Hefting his partner, Ken realizes there's a point he should probably clarify. ]

He's not a meal.

A pleasure, Ken.

[But at the addressing of this Wormmon he blinks slowly. And then all four eyes blink individually as he takes in the green, at present looking, husk.]

Oh, I see. Is he a pet? Or are you waiting for him to becoming bigger? [He lifts a hand apologetically.] Whatever your intentions are I am not particularly fond of eating bugs so you need not fear.

[He finally stops looming over the poor young boy to make his way over to his bed to inspect it further. Looks comfortable enough... perhaps a little small? He is rather tall but it should be good enough.]

He's my partner. [ Ken shifts the Digimon in his arms so Wormmon can rest more comfortably, and feel safe when he wakes up. This situation has been hard on Wormmon, too, hasn't it? Yet he'd always put Ken's comfort first. Ken needs to return the favor. ] My world and his are connected. Think of him as - my best friend. An important part of my heart.

[ The one who'd shown him where that heart had been all along, and what filled it. That it had value.

.....Though, with that explanation out of the way, Ken's left without a topic. What to say? To an adult, clearly used to creature comforts, to whom he's probably going to have to explain quite a lot of human culture? Ken has never had a proper "roommate" situation before, where he hasn't known the other person. First there'd been Osamu-niisan, and then Wormmon. Never someone new.

He's left standing here blankly, holding an unconscious larva, having just said the most sappy nonsense on the planet like it's a matter of fact. ]

[He turns around at this explanation, gaze going from boy to worm then back to boy.]

Ooooh I see. That's quite sweet. [The worm is a pet. Understood.] So it's like having two roommates. [He claps his hands together with an enthused hoot.] Oh! And do you like plants?

[He returns to the center and holds out his hands, claws spread wide, and taking in his side of the room.]

Do you like plants? Or are allergic to anything? This room needs to be spiced up a bit and there's no better way to do that than with a couple of man eaters... or perhaps a few nice rose bushes.

[ Rose bushes? Indoors? Though Ken supposes this is a world where anything is theoretically feasible. And it's not like he's got any ideas for decor - or any inclination to develop any. He's used to living among other people's things. ]

No, plants are fine....

[ His mother was fond of them; their living room played host to a number of flourishing plotted specimens Ken is just now realizing he'd never asked her about. When he gets back - if time hasn't passed, if she knows she hasn't lost her other son - he'll inquire. He'll learn all he can.

In his arms, Wormmon stirs. ]

Oh good. We'll make a little garden in the Winter Court.

[He hoots happily, looking over his space a little longer before turning his head, in that weird bird way, to look at Ken.]

You seem rather young for a human. Are you going to be alright here? Are you in need of anything... [It does only just occur to him that this boy is quite young. Young and with nothing but a fat worm for companionship. Alas, if only Via would talk to him. He could suggest that they could be friends! Yes, maybe she might try and taxidermy his worm but that just makes it last longer!] If you find yourself in need you can ask for my assistance.

[Maybe that's why they put them together? So he can look out for this young man.]

[ He's making his new roommate worry. They've only just met, and already Ken is causing distress. He swallows, patting Wormmon's head as the bug slowly rouses. ]

I'm all right. [ That's not helpful, is it? He needs to provide context. Thoughtless Ken. ] This isn't the first other world I've been to, so please, don't worry......

[ A groggy, squeaky voice asks from his arms, like the world's most-legged damsel: ]

Ken......chan?

(OOC: This might just be a short interaction depending on whether Ken has anything to bring up; Laurent mostly just wants to check that he's okay after the May TDM. Hope that's good!)

Hey. Are you alive?

Yes. Thanks for asking.

[ And then, a minute later: ]

Are you all right?

I'm doing very well. They just put me in the jailhouse for a bit.

They didn't do that for everyone. I heard from someone else that the King charmed them. I'm not sure why the difference, nor why I didn't suffer the worst punishment as the ringleader, but now we know.

It’s good that you are in one piece.

You too.

Maybe they don't want even their punishments to be predictable....

[ Which complicates how to continue investigating. ]

It's possible. This is something we have to take into account going forward.

[They can't put their most risk-willing members in the position of ringleader and guarantee that they'll take the heaviest blame, in other words. But then again, there is no war in which the innocent are always spared.]

I think I'm going to lie low for now to lose any attention on me. At least until something else happens. You take care, and find someone to support you if you want to try anything risky. Alright?

Understood.

[ ... ]

I'm sorry we couldn't learn more.

Don't be sorry. It's not over yet.

Not every plan can be successful. What matters is to keep going. The worst you can do is not to lose, but to give up.

Or get yourself killed, that's also bad. Don't do that either.

I won't.

Please do the same.

[...]

It's a bit harder for me, because I'm bigger, there's more of me someone can aim at.

But I'll try, don't worry. I've gotten pretty good at it.

[ He's in more danger than Ken. He's in infinitely more danger than Ken, both by size and how much he'd done, and he's still reassuring Ken.

This really isn't the time to be worrying about what they couldn't do, but instead to be learning what they can. ]

Let's get out of here together.

[Kid you are like twelve years old, let him give you the McDonalds Happy Meal version of things. Or at least try to, knowing it's beyond his power to definitively stop the boy from facing danger.]

Let's do our best.

pixieled 🐛 inbox

FOR PERSONAL USE 🐛 raw text for GEIS header

Roomie meeting

i love every single word of this

:8}

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

text, after the May TDM | un: Charls

@ken-chan

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject