Digital Survival Matrix - We Exist to Serve Your Purpose (Digimon IC)

Spoiler: Lizardblob Fillet

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Surprise and apprehension flash across Sen's face.
This lardball doesn't know anything. But, if this is my chance to find out... to show everyone that these things aren't real...
She crouches down in front of the blob and flicks a boxcutter out of her sleeve, fully extending it. Her eyes glaze over a bit, meathead's exclamation failing to register.
"Alright, let's try some lizardblob fillet..."
She puts her left hand firmly on the thing's back... touches the knifepoint to its flank, above and outside the ribs... Swallows hard...
They're not real!
And plunges down!

"Huh, wait, that looks dangerous, are you sure this is how it wor--AAHHHHHHHH!!!"

After Eiji's shouted warning was ignored - the hell is wrong with this girl? - Eiji moves closer, and reacts to Sen actually cutting into the little guy in the way he usually reacts to this sort of thing. With a punch, aimed squarely at Sen's face.

Blood.
The thing's scream echoes distantly in Sen's ears.
Blood. Pain.
The next thing she knows, she's tumbling backward through the dirt and her face feels like it's been cracked open.
Blood. Pain.
This... is real...?
She rolls to her feet, then falls to her knees with a gasp when one ankle reminds her that it's not taking weight right now. Her eyes are distant, looking inward and far away - though somehow she still manages to make the bruises and swelling attractive.
"...I... I'm s... so--"
She registers Eiji standing over the thing she hurt, fist raised. Speckled with blood. Her blood.
I can't stay here.
She pushes herself to her feet with a small backward hop, putting a little more distance between her and the threat.
She tries to speak again, but suddenly clutches her stomach - knife still open - and all that comes out is a wet gag. She edges backward, dragging her bad foot, until she can turn and attempt to disappear into the treeline.

Seeing Sen leave, Eiji stands his ground, still angry but also...also...he can't quite figure it out. If nothing else, he still feels like he was right and justified, but still...
He doesn't move or say anything for a few moments, until Sen has hobbled off a little. He then speaks, a short exclamation seemingly more to thin air than anyone in particular.
"Dammit!"

Babydmon sighs as he watches the drama unfold. Most of these humans had really failed to impress, and this was no exception. At least Ariko seemed to be above such nonsense, despite her lack of confidence. Nonetheless, Gigimon was the closest thing he had to a friend, despite his idiocy, so Babydmon approaches him, looking him over before speaking.

"It looks worse than it is, Gigimon, you'll be fine. In any case, you brought it on yourself with your naivety, and lack of awareness about the girl's nature. If we are to fight the battles laid out ahead of us, you cannot afford such weakness. I know you're capable of more."

Gigimon just lays there in the grass, not really wanting to try to stand right now.

"Nghh... Did I...say something wrong...?"

Babydmon sighs again in response to Gigimon's question. "Well, I suppose not. She's just dangerous, with no respect for us as beings. Your oblivious nature only gave her an opportunity to show that without you defending yourself. I can't really blame you for that."

Moonmon only stares in shock as their chosen does... something weird to Gigimon. But after Sen runs off, they follow without hesitation- they can't leave their human behind, no matter what!

---

Ariko sees Sen run off and the blob hop off after her, then looks over to Eiji. "I-I'm gonna go check on her... we can't split up, no matter what, it's not safe." She nervously makes her way out, then stops to look to Babydramon. "Um... can you come with me? Just to be safe?"

Yoshii crosses his arms disapprovingly.

This isn't acceptable. You kill the animal first - otherwise, it's just cruelty.

"I'm not even going to pretend that's what happens in our world. Look, you're supposed to- ugh." He looks over at the others running off and starts to follow. "Keep up and I'll explain. You're supposed to kill the animal first. This takes a few forms. Hunting is more what I know about. You usually try to kill the animal in one blow. If you can't, it usually means chasing them down and finishing the job. If you're on a farm, there are a few other ways to go about it, depending on the animal, but the point is still a clean kill. It's only after that that you start carving them up."

Eiji nods, still feeling confused and angry and all around a bit of a mess. The most annoying this was that he had no idea why he was like this. He'd expected plenty of people for messing with his people before, even friends a few times. This was different, and not being able to figure out why was annoying.

"Uh, yeah. Gonna stay here. I can't see her right now."

-----

Babydmon nods in response to Ariko. "Very well, I shall accompany you. Be careful, she's unstable, particularly now." He looks back to Gigimon. "Rest, my friend. Things will be resolved soon."

Spoiler: Ariko x Sen

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Sen staggers through the forest for several minutes before her adrenaline gives out and her leg's throbbing gets too bad. She puts her back against a tree and slides down to the ground, legs curled in front of her. She stares at the bloody knife in her hand, still shaking.

Her mind is empty.

Not that she can't think.

She's afraid to.

Ariko manages to find Sen after a few minutes of searching. She takes a few trepidatious steps towards the other girl. "A-are you okay...? Sen?"

The voice reaches Sen somewhat distantly.
"...Nn..."

Ariko nervously crouches next to Sen, then gives her a hug.

Sen reflexively tenses, but barely reacts otherwise. Her wide eyes stay fixed ahead, as if she's barely aware of the other presence.
She whispers in Ariko's ear.

"What's... happen...ing? to us...? Am I still dreaming...? I w-want to go home..."

Ariko shakes her head. "I don't know. But I don't think this is a dream. I... it feels real."

Sen suddenly grabs Ariko by the shoulders, dropping the knife wherever. She squeezes, though not quite painfully, as if proving to herself that it does feel real.

"We were at summer camp, right? Hiking by a river? The trees were different. Where're the other kids? Did they turn into the talking blobs?!"

"I-I don't think so..." She pulls out her digivice. "I... think it's these. They brought us here. Right?"

"But you... remember the same things I do, right? Right?!"

"Yeah. I remember it all, we were at summer camp, and then... we're here. But we have to be able to find a way back, right? If we look?"

"I... yeah..."
She relaxes a little with a long breath, pulling Ariko's shoulders closer as her arms hang under their own weight.
"We have to look. There's people waiting for us, aren't there? Even if there's nothing..."

Ariko smiles a bit awkwardly. "Yeah... and besides, don't you want to help these people? They... you saw what happened, and they're saying we're heroes, and you and Eiji already..."

The broken pieces floating inside Sen come back together. She turns her head down so her hair falls to hide her face.
"You're..."
"..."
"...Your face is really escalloped."

She pushes down roughly on Ariko's shoulders to get herself standing, then holds out a hand toward the girl she just shoved to the ground. Looking pointedly away like that... is she embarrassed?

Ariko winces as Sen pushes down on her, but doesn't say anything and just takes the hand. "S-so... you're feeling better?"

It's around this point that Moonmon comes bouncing around, screaming. "MISS SEEEEEEEEEEEN!"

Sen shoots a glare at Ariko out of the corner of her eyes.
"My knife, creampuff. I can't get back down like this."

She... she does her best to ignore the blob. It won't save her for long.

Ariko scrambles down and picks up the knife, handing it to Sen. "S-sorry."

Moonmon hops over and wraps its headtacle around Sen's not-hurt leg. "You're safe! You can't run off without me, I have to protect you!"

Sen swipes her knife back from Ariko and stows it with her other hand, while the open one quickly grabs Ariko's hand before she can withdraw it. She doesn't seem to be in any hurry to let go.

"Ugh, gross! Blob, get off!"
She shifts her weight, intending to shake her leg, but remembers the problem with that before going too far.

Ariko doesn't know how to respond to the handholding. She suppresses a blush.

Moonmon pulls off. "You aren't gonna run off again, are you?"

"Do I look like I'm gonna be running on this leg? Gruyere, I have to hold onto this creampuff just to stand."
(Despite her protest, she's not actually putting any weight on Ariko.)

"...Hey, uh... What's your... name again?"

"Moonmon! Your destined champion, Chosen Child!"

"Moonmon... Fine. Call me 'Master', like that other blob does. 'Master Kuroshi' if you have to be clear. If the baby gets a fancy pet... champion, whatever, I deserve one at least twice as cool. C'mon, let's get back; we've got a lot of work to do if this bunch of insalatas is gonna get us home in one piece!"

She starts shuffling back the way she came, still pulling Ariko by the hand, still refusing to meet anyone's eye.

Ariko hides a smile as Sen drags her along, and Moonmon hops by her side. "Yessssss Master Kuroshi!"

Sen returns to the clearing with Moonmon hopping beside her and Ariko in tow. She shifts so that the hand holding Ariko's is somewhat hidden behind her back. Can she... not let go?

"Awright, cheesecakes, listen up! We're under-equipped and stuck in some Gouda-knows-where crepe-hole, but we four are getting home! All we gotta do is look for a way back and stay alive long enough to find it!"

She gives the big lizard an American thumbs up with her free hand.
"Sorry Rex, but we're gonna be parting ways after all. Humans don't do so good with deserts, and none of us packed suncreen. We're gonna take the forest to Gate Castle so Creampuff here doesn't go home as baked Alaska!"

Next she tromps up to Gigimon (still dragging Ariko...).
"Hey, yeah... Sorry for... y'know, hurting you like that. I wasn't taking this seriously before... But I won't do that again! No promises about Meathead if he gets hungry though - so let's hurry up and get that fish cookin'!"

With Ariko's help, she gets a long stick and starts tracing out a firepit while they wait for Yoshii to return with dry wood and Eiji - if he knows what's good for him and does as told - find something sturdy enough to dig with. No sense setting the jungle on fire if they have to live off of it for a while.

When Sen returns, Gigimon half-crawls, half-rolls over behind Eiji, afraid she'll try something again.

And then she apologized. Gigimon still didn't fully get what happened, but... it was an accident?

"...You promise? You really-really promise?" Gigimon's eyes poke around the side of Eiji's leg, big and huge and adorable and staring right at Sen.

Sen gags and recoils from Gigimon's adorableness - it's not even meant to be spiteful, it's a visceral reaction.
"Ack! Ugh! Fine, fine, I promise! Just stop looking at me like that! C'mon Ariko, let's get something made so I can refill my stomach after I barf!"

She pulls Ariko away from Gigimon to find a stick and start preparing the fire pit.

Eiji doesn't seem as forgiving as Gigimon, still looking at Sen with some anger, and a fair amount of confusion. "Is that it? You cut one of them on purpose, and we're just supposed to say 'okay' and move on? That's not how any of this works! What's wrong with you, Sen? How do you just not get it?"

He doesn't say anything in particular to Gigimon as he hides, but Eiji does shift a little to make sure that he's still between the little guy and Sen.

----------

From a slight distance, Babydmon watches Ariko, pleased with himself. She handled things with Aohara much better this time, and naturally he puts this down to the talk he had with her earlier. As for Aohara herself...he was less pleased. She seemed better now - or at least, less willing to randomly harm the others - but he still didn't trust her, and her attitude still offended him.

Sen whirls on Eiji, more indignant than angry.
"Look, I said I'm sorry! What more do you want? If you expect me to start kissing boo-boos, maybe I'd better start with your brain! Now, you can keep whining about the past or you can find a concasse'd shovel and do something so we'll have a future, meathead!"

Sen's response just winds Eiji up more, setting him off on a small rant. "You're one to talk! You don't get to just start being useful then act like nothing happened! You cut one of them for kicks! Whole time, you're the one being rude and useless! You don't get to act like this! No explanations, just changing suddenly and expecting us all to just forget who you are? Screw that! I know you. You lie and cheat and set people up. Well, not here. Not now!"

Ariko, still being dragged along by Sen, looks between her and Eiji. "E-eiji... Sen... let's take a step back, okay? Sen is genuinely trying to help, she wants to do what we need to so we can figure things out here... but Eiji is right to be suspicious, after what happened before... would saying that I trust that she's doing the right thing help at all? That I don't think she's trying to set us up for anything? And Sen... if Eiji is willing to talk and listen, would you be willing to too?"

Sen turns her nose up and looks aside.

"Hmph! Meathead's just saying that because my words haven't sunk through that molasses brain of his yet!"

...She does look back at Eiji out of the corner of her eye, not moving her head yet, and there's something softer there.

"...But... if he did come around, yeah, maybe I'd hear him out. If he's not a shallot about it. ..."

Ariko's intervention gets Eiji to look at her, his expression softening a little, but Sen's response gets his back up again. "Eh? You hear me out? You're the one who needs to explain! Ariko might trust you...but I need something else! Something..." He pauses. "Something to let me trust you again! I thought I could, when you fought with me, when you showed you were pretty cool, but it didn't last! That's why I can't just leave this!"

He sighs, losing a bit of steam and looking a rather less angry, his face and voice softer and calmer."Just...give me something. Something I can trust."

Sen stomps with her good foot, into an aggressive stance that she can't really follow up, on account of being dependent on Ariko for balance right now.

"I never asked for your trust!! I never asked for any of this!! I made a mistake, okay?! Now you can either grow up and get to work, like I'm trying to, or you can keep throwing your little tantrum until you're left behind!! Here I thought Shiba was the baby of the group! Now find a shovel and do what you're good at, 'less you're warmin' up to eat out a fire pit! Or maybe you're gonna sit and talk at the dirt until it gets so annoyed that it leaves on it's own?! What'll it be, meatb--?!"

She clamps a hand over her mouth, eyes wide and staring into the middle distance. Her other hand squeezes Ariko's tighter.
Ohcrepeohcrepeohcrepeohcrepe! I sounded like-- I'm turning into-- That was my mother...!

Eiji doesn't seem to pick up on Sen's realisation, and just keeps going. "Tantrum? I'm not the one who acts out then just expects everyone to do what she wants after she gives a meaningless 'sorry' when forced, like a spoilt little kid! You're the one who needs to grow up, realise that what you do means something later on. Like now! You can't just hide and get someone else in trouble for it! Just face it."

"You keep calling me an idiot, but at least I get how things work in a group! You look out for each other, help each other, have each other's backs. Of course I'm going to help us survive! That's what you do! What you don't do is insult and attack everyone around you and then expect them to do what you say, like you're some kind of princess! You're not any better than me, so stop acting like it! You keep calling me meathead, and you think I'll listen to you? Are you stupid or something, or just that up your own-"


He finally actually notices the way Sen is, and that takes the wind out of his sails somewhat. "Sen? Are you even listening? What is it now? Are...are you okay?"

"Hmph! Just... just shut up! C'mon Ariko, let's give the meathead time t' cool off!"

Him and me both...

Sen turns her back, limping away with Ariko. Maybe the ba-- maybe Yoshii would come back and keep meathead occupied for a while.

Since she ends up moving toward the river, she grabs a couple big leaves in passing.
"Ever learned to gut a fish, Arik-- creampuff?" She smirks.

Yoshii stands awkwardly next to Eiji, holding a pile of firewood in both arms and staring at Sen as she walks off.

"So, uh... how 'bout them Knicks?"

Good job, kid. That'll fix it.

Eiji just watches Sen leave without responding, that mixture of anger and confusion still churning inside. At least, until Yoshi speaks, causing him. To just be confused as he looks at the boy.

"What? I... Anyway, let's do something useful while she sulks."

----------

When he sees Ariko leave with Sen, Babydmon follows them. For now, he doesn't say anything, although he doesn't at all hide his presence - he was still wary of Sen, and didn't want her alone with Ariko if he could help it, but he didn't need to intervene quite yet.

Ariko almost giggles when Sen has to hurriedly correct herself to not say Ariko's name. "N-no, I'm not... that's not really something I'm good at. It sounds kind of... gross?"

Moonmon is hopping alongside the pair. "Ooh, ooh, that sounds fun! ...what does 'gut' mean?"

It doesn’t take long for you to cook and eat some of the fish and, with Tyrannomon’s help, an additional helping of fruit from the treetops, making it a decidedly filling portion... if not much else. The fish is unseasoned and the fruit is bitter and crunchy from the cooking process. It’s the kind of meal you’d almost certainly skip in better circumstances, but... there’s nothing else you can think of to eat in the foreseeable future. You’re set to throw out the leftovers - fish isn’t known to keep well - but, after some confusing back-and-forth with Tyrannomon, you eventually suss out that, whatever kind of place this is, food doesn’t go bad here. Or at least fish doesn’t. That’s awfully convenient.

You all spend the rest of the day slowly making your way in the general direction of Gate Castle, not that you make any meaningful progress, between Sen’s injuries and Tyrannomon having to be very careful not to wreck the forest. In the evening you reach a small cliff side with a cave in its side, which Tyrannomon assures is very good at keeping out moisture if it rains, and it’s got enough ventilation that you can have a fire going without getting smoked out. He appears to consider this a sign of high luxury.

The solid stone ground is... rather unappealing.

Tyrannomon decides to spend the night with the lot of you, then start heading towards Steak Mountain in the morning. Anyone is free to sleep on or against him - he’s marginally comfier than most of what else would be available to use as a pillow or bed, though he’s more the size for the little Digimon to sleep on, not quite so much all the children.

You’re all dead tired, but by the time camp is properly set, you at least have time to notice the sky. It’s a little bit of beauty to offset the garish reality you’ve been plunged into - without any artificial light to wash it out, the sky is brilliantly lit up with stars, galaxies, colorful blotches of space dust... Not like anything the city-dwellers have ever seen.

Shall you set a watch cycle? Or just collectively soak up as much sleep as your fatigued minds and bodies need? Any more conversations before bed?

Yoshii knows they really should do a watch rotation. They're in a strange place, with no way to seal the cave. However, he quickly formulates a list of things he's not interested in:

1. Staying up late
2. Waking up early
3. Having his sleep broken up in the middle for a two hour watch shift

He looks around, sizing up the cold stone floor. There wasn't going to be a bed for him unless he went out and gathered sticks and leaves, but that seemed a lot like the first item on his list. A pillow, however...

"Hey Nyaromon, do me a favor and lay right here..."

"Yes, Master Yoshii!"

Nyaromon lays her very best lay.

Yoshii's head is a bit heavy on her, but also warm.

She lays her tail across Yoshii's neck and quickly falls asleep, her tail curling ever-so-slightly tighter as a coping response to her body's slowly being crushed.

It twitches sometimes in her dreams of glory.

---

Sen... almost considers sleeping outside, given the choice between foliage or stone.

Almost.

Seeing what Yosh-- the baby does with his blob, though...

"Moonmon, come here."

Sen goes up to where Tyrannomon is laying and eases herself down, first to knees, then to sitting, while she waits for Moonmon to approach. She takes the blob in both hands.

"I'm going to use you as a 'pillow' - a thing humans need to cushion their heads, or else we die gory deaths. Hold still and be quiet. Do you things even sleep?"

She lays her head on Moonmon's body much as Yoshii did at first. But as she settles down and drifts in and out of consciousness, rolling around to get comfy, she eventually ends up with her head on her own arm and Moonmon cuddled tightly to her chest.

"Mmn... Kazue... don't let go..."

Looking at the cave, Eiji quickly. Comes to the conclusion that Sen was right in picking Tyrannomon as her spot. Sure, she was still there, but there was space for both of them and he wouldn't let her get in the way of his sleep, so he also headed over in that direction.

Seeing some of the others use their partner as a pillow, Eiji chuckles, looking over at his one. "Don't worry. You don't need to do that. Come sleep over here if you want, though."

Eiji does succeed in getting to sleep without getting into more drama with Sen, and pretty quickly at that. Being that intense all the time takes its toll, apparently. It turns out that Eiji is not an elegant sleeper, ending up sprawled out and taking up most of the space not used by Sen.

Ariko opts to keep her distance from the others once Sen lets her go. She doesn't want to make anyone uncomfortable, and... well, she still didn't know them. She looks to her little dragon partner. "Sleep well, Babydramon." Finding the softest patch of dirt she can in the cave, she curls up on the ground.

Moonmon squirms a little when Sen tries to use her as a pillow, but eventually gives in. "Um... sleep well, Master Kuroshi! I'll try not to move!"

Gigimon goes to sleep leaning against the other side of Tyrannomon from Sen; he'd mostly recovered physically, but he was still a bit scared of what she might do.

Spoiler: Perception DC 17

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Sen and Kokomon are stirred awake by a strange, flickering light. Getting their bearings enough to look around, they can spot a strange mote of light floating about above where your campfire was.

After a few moments of it simply sitting there, the flicker of light expands into a hologram of what looks to be a woman draped in chains. Her left arm ends with a dangling metal claw, and tattered black wings hang from her back.

Spoiler: LadyDevimon

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https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20090128165110

She's facing the general direction of the group, but not particularly looking at any of you.

"Hello, is this thing on?" She pats the air in front of her as though tapping on an invisible microphone. "I suppose it is. Well then!" She clears her throat, adjusting her posture to be more imposing.

"Greetings, Chosen Children. I am LadyDevimon. I had sent DarkTyrannomon to escort you to my castle; it was awfully rude of you to deny my invitation. And on top of that, you even went so far as to attack him afterward! Tsk tsk. I am very disappointed in you all." She wags the finger of her metal claw at the Chosen.

"But never mind that; I am nothing if not magnanimous. In fact, I would like to give you a gift! The Digital World is a harsh place; certainly not somewhere a small group of mere human children have much hope of survival. Fortunately for the four of you, I know a way for you to return to the Human World."

"On the southern edge of the island, along the coast, there is a cave among the shoals. Deep within that cave is a mysterious door that is unlocked for only 24 hours each millennium. They say it was the original link between the Digital World and the Human World, but that is likely of little concern to you. What you should be concerned about is that it will open in just two weeks' time. It may already be too late, even if you should leave now~ Ohohohoho~!"

"I am not sure as to what you have been told by other Digimon, but allow me to leave you with this bit of advice. If the Digital World appears to be a simple tale of Light against Darkness, it is because that is the story that was presented to you. I am certain you are all intelligent children; do not disappoint me by taking said story as untested gospel. Ta-ta!"

With that, the hologram dissolves, leaving nothing behind.

Kokomon quickly wakes up and starts bouncing on Eiji's chest.

"Human! Human! Human! Human!"

Once its human is awake, it quiets down, but keeps bouncing around him. When the speech is over, it resumes excitedly talking.

"Hurry! We have an adventure to go on! Come oooooooooooon, there's no time to lose!"

---

Yoshii eventually wakes up from the incessant noise and groans. He sits up and rubs his eyes, looking at the hologram until it vanishes.

"She's just trying to mess with us. We'll go running off, and when we get there, there will be no portal. Then she'll show up again and say, 'Oops, I sent you the exact opposite direction. Ha ha.' Just ignore her and go back to sleep."

He sets the example by clutching Nyaromon like a plush doll and curling up around it on the floor.

As he gets woken up, still groggy, Eiji takes stock of the situation around him. One of the little guys up next to him on the right (oh, Gigimon, that's good, he should know Eiji has the little guy's back), another bouncing on him (his partner...makes sense, guy won't let him miss anything) and then an elbow and...Eiji freezes, starting to blush as he notices who's cuddled next to him - who he's cuddling - and currently leaning on him. Sen. His brain doesn't quite reach a conclusion on what do do about this, so he looks for something else to do, listening to the message instead and doing nothing about the Sen situation.

After all of this, Eiji only actually catches a little bit of the speech, but that's enough for him to make his mind up. He can't quite be as animated as usual with the amount of people on and around him, but he still has his voice. "Screw her! I'm still going after her, and her crap won't stop us!"