Battle Plan [c/keiko]

This is outrageous. Why had no one woken her up? Why did Vulcan fall asleep? As the little cog pushed the chair from within the backpack, apologizing profusely, she looked around to figure out where she was. She was in no state to be getting lost today; her phone had died on the train while playing her music. The signs read it as Ōta, a ward she had heard of but was very unfamiliar with. In fact, she'd never been here, but she liked the coastal air.

She had gone to see her old schoolmates. They'd emailed her (how they got her information was worrying itself) a few days ago to come out for lunch, which went about as well as could be expected. It was very tense, quiet, and uncomfortable for both parties. On their side, well, they had seen her hit by a truck. The only 2 bystanders she knew, but she didn't blame them for not doing anything. There was no possible way of knowing what that girl was going to do. Yukira hadn't even come to her in the hospital. Hadn't even apologized. Surprise, surprise, she had declined the lunch idea. Keiko was certainly miffed about that since her attire was far from her standard fair. The milky pink was there, she wore a nice flowy blouse, but it was the shorts that really made her uncomfortable. The scars were very faint now and everything had set correctly, but she didn't like her legs all that much. Hidden under a dress she could ignore them, forget about them.

The shorts had been for Yukira. So she could finally see what she did.

The more she thought about it, the more bitter she became. Aggravated, almost furious.

"Ms. Keiko, you're grinding your teeth again."

She turned to look at the bag, but instead caught sight of the most...elaborate hairstyle. Under it was a very, very frustrated young man in a bit too much leather. She slowly grabbed the wheels, much to Vulcan's confusion, as she drove herself over to the railing. She cleared her throat lightly into her hand to try and get his attention.

"Excuse me, stranger, but do you know a café close by? My phone's dead and I'm more than a bit lost." She couldn't help but feel that hot wash. Asking the staff at school was only slightly embarrassing, asking strangers was almost mortifying.

Watching the anger wash away on the young man's face was not expected. Perhaps he had been too deep in his own head and now he was coming back to Earth. The look he gave her though seemed...like hers almost, deep and analytical. She wouldn't say suspicious...no, it wasn't that. Ugh, she couldn't focus; inwardly, she was still too aggravated to think. She probably missed a café on the way here, eyes having been downcast to the rolling concrete.

The nervousness of his reception, slight though it was, managed to loosen the grip on her anger, receiving the slightest smile that she brought close to her chest, still looking up at him as he looked about for any establishment that may work. He seemed capable, but kind of lonely. Maybe he had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend and sat at the river moping, like so many of the films Keiko had seen.

The offer of escort caused her spine to straighten and hands to fiddle with her hair like a rosary. She would just ask him for directions, but by the way he answered it seemed he didn't know exactly where one was. Lord knew that she wouldn't want to wander around lost here. She made an excellent mark for thieves. Maybe he was a thief?

No...no, no thief would be this recognizable.

"I appreciate your gallantry, sir. Such a gentleman." She gave a much brighter smile to him, cheeks losing the bright red ever so slightly.

"Lead the way."

It was a lucky break that Yun had taken to that hawk-like observation of signage. Every rumble of thunder was a stone that fell into the pit of her stomach, sending fractures into her porcelain composure. Keiko was a driven young lady, very knowledgeable, very regal and put together. However, there was a loneliness that had spawned from a one parent household. Late nights with pre-packaged sushi or instant noodles, waiting for Mom to come home to a house far too grand for two people. It was during the storms, though, that it compounded her fears. No one to run to and every corner of the house cast sharp shadows too hostile to hide in. After her accident, the first few nights where she was awake were nothing but sobbing fits. She had no one to run to, and she couldn't run.

Her hands froze on the rims of her wheelchair for the first few seconds.

"Keiko, it's okay," came the quiet, metallic echo, "just follow him. I'm right here."

She took a small gulp and straightened up. She started off slow, unaccustomed to unassisted movement. She'd grown so dependent on Vulcan to get her from point A to point B; hopefully she could keep up.

She'd stay behind him, trying to keep at least 1 or so meters away. Trying to stay to one's side in a wheelchair was difficult with her level of control. She saw a flash of light blanket the storefronts and looked for a way out from acknowledging the storm. Her eyes nailed themselves to the leather clad gentleman. Her intense, desperate stare turned slowly to one of confusion and amazement. This man walked with sure steps and broad shoulders; a confidence that she had not been prepared for. She started to lag behind as she got caught in her awe of this complete change. She sped up, trying to find a suitable way to keep her mind away from the iron steel that coated the sky.

"Again, I thank you. Y-You're certainly the better company I've had today, it's very refreshing."

Oh, no. Now came the decision. On one hand, with all of the people coming out of the woodwork with Partners, it would be all too easy to be followed or found.

On the other hand, she believed in common decency.

"My name is Kojima. Keiko Kojima. Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier."

Tap.

Tap.

Tap-t-tap.

Tap-t-t-tap-t-tap.

Hshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhsssssss.

Her hair would only save her blouse for so long. She couldn't take her hands off the wheels; she couldn't take any time away from pushing to get anything from her bag. She would quickly match Yun's pace as they traveled on, but her arms were staring to burn deep in their core. She veered to his left, toward the center of the walkway and noticed he was off on some astral adventure again. Something was deeply eating at him and this well of concern was brought from deep somewhere in her and spilled into her glance. That was until they were both shaken awake by a thunder peel that made her jump and squeak just loud enough that she worried he'd heard her.

She took her eyes off him for a moment, trying to read through the torrent for something, anything that was the refuge they were looking for. Her hair was starting to pour over her forehead and with increasing swiftness could she feel her clothes and hair soaking to her skin. Her teeth began to chatter as her hands slipped on her wheels. She was starting to lose her speed when-

There it was. A small shop, Café Syrup. She wiped her hands on her shorts to get a refreshed grip, oh God. She felt like she had combusted with how her arms seemed to melt but she was not spending another moment in this rain. In a rare moment, she raised her voice over the rain, totally oblivious to the quiet drumbeats of thunder. "Well, Mr. Yoshimasa, I do believe I owe you a late lunch!"

Then there was this laugh. This rolling, loudening laugh that was only for a few seconds, but it was...childish, almost. Something that didn't seem to mesh with the image of a princess, but more of a fairy, some trickster of magic with the ability to utterly confuse and allure.

She ordered everything between heavy, raspy pants.

"Table...for two...near a socket...Towel...2 waters...please."

She had almost immediately become aware of her situation the moment she finished ordering. She was soaked like a rat, hair having lost all its plush volume and her clothes clinging to her for dear life like a second, shedding skin. Water was never kind to light colored fabric and more importantly, the fans blowing about the establishment sent icicles into her veins. Burning and freezing, her face cracked with eyebrows buried down into a scowl, staring at her knees. This was unacceptable for her, to be so unable to think calmly. She would not be drowning right now had she just taken the time t-

CRI-KAOW!!

She hunkered down immediately right in the doorway, feeling like she'd been struck down for such reckless and undignified behavior. The shaking was more that fear than the cold now and no doubt had he seen. She had to collect herself, she had to breathe. Slowly.

The mousy waitress, dressed quite plainly, gingerly handed her the towel which was huge, plush, and perfect. With her other hand, she gestured to the back of the establishment, to a hall with a sign above it that read 'toilets'. Keiko brought her gaze up to meet the woman and gave a small nod and smile. Before she would depart, she turned herself to half face Yun. She managed to crane her face to him and she had no clue what she looked like. Was she scared? Annoyed? Had her composure come back to her face? She felt so much pull at her she couldn't tell and the cold was getting worse. She had to go.

"Miss, p-p-please get him a towel, a-as well," her head only turned from the slender figure slightly to address the staff before trying her best to wrestle something genuine to give him before she'd disappear for the moment. It was a look of embarrassment, of 'I'm sorry', of how much she must look like a fool to him. This complete stranger and yet, it was one of the few genuine interactions she ever received in these days. He deserved honesty for making her smile.

"Y-You go ahead and order at your l-l-leisure. This m-may take a moment."

With that, she gave a curt nod, quickly turned from that analytic gaze, and wheeled herself off with arms of sludge. This must be what others feel like when she stares at them.



"Ms. Keiko, I think your blouse is about dry, what should I do with your und-"

"Throw them out, please. They were old anyway."

She was just now unwrapping her hair from the towel, sitting on the edge of the toilet with her feet parked on the hammock that made the wheelchair's seat. Vulcan was a whirlwind as soon as the door had been locked, taking clothes, wiping down the wheelchair, wringing and blow-drying clothes. This was nothing new to Keiko, Vulcan insisted on being involved and helping her at every step and she loved him for it. Yet, now, as she wiped away the water from her shoulders, she realized how it just crippled her further. Her arms were near useless for anything besides moving a mouse or holding up a book.

"Vulcan?..."

The low hum of him blowing on the the chair with that jagged mouth stopped instantly. He popped up and faced her full on, not a half a meter away.

"I'm going to push the chair for a while from now on."

His whole face took an 1/8th of a turn, "Are you certain, I mean it's really no-"

"Yes it is a problem, Vulcan. If you're away and I can't go more than a few minutes down a road, how am I supposed to keep up with you if we get in trouble?"

"Well, we won't, I can assure you-"

"Vulcan." Her tone had taken a snap change into something stern. Low. Commanding. The silence that followed the several moments almost illustrated in full color their relationship. "I want to be as good to you as you are to me. I have to get better. I can't rely on you for everything."

"I just want you to rely on someone."

Breath viciously escaped her. That hurt her deeper than she was willing to show. Willing to show him anyway. Grabbing the shorts off the handicap rail, she looked up towards the roof, where a sizable window was nestled. It had no bars over the outside.

"Wait outside for me. Try and stay dry." Her voice was dipped in that kind quiet she always gave him, tinged barely in annoyance. She began to slip on her lower attire while the shining cog gently draped the shirt over the back of the wheelchair, then drifted up and slid the window open.

"I love you, Ms. Keiko."

Her hands stopped a moment. Only when she took that roll of his commander did he truly listen without question. A respect of power, but a love of friendship that seemed to null that respect. He meant well...he always did. Yet, she knew she'd have to make him listen to her if she was going to get anything done. He'd have to rely on her judgement. No matter how much he thought he helped.

"I love you, too." She'd finished dressing and was now wrestling her way onto the chair. The window closed with a dull thud and she could finally breath again. She rolled out into the dining area a little damp, but none the worse for wear. She'd managed to restore herself, stress drained away with the rainwater. Her side of the table had no chair, which was considerate. After a few attempts of parallel parking, she was even with the table edge. Her hands interlocked and she brought her smile up to meet her company.

"So, what's caught your eye?"

Keiko wasn't exactly surprised by what she saw, but certainly hadn't expected it. Several older students and some adults were carrying those cards around nowadays, for various reasons. With no bag on him to speak of, he must've been carrying them in a pocket and taken to doing his own drying while she had taken to having a spat in the bathroom. Which was smart, you couldn't use damaged cards in official play or in a Digivice and just by the glimpses she got of them, she could tell he had some underlying understanding of the meta. He had some very good cards.

Maybe...no, she'd already given him her name, to implicate herself any further would almost be a lapse of good judgement. She unhooked her bag from the back of the chair and started moving through everything. Her wallet was still there, there was her charger, and she followed her earphone cord to her phone which had migrated to the bottom of the pocket. But right there next to it was a small, pink velvet card bag and her digivice. Strangely enough, her digivice had not come out just as pink when Vulcan first arrived in her life. It more resembled the digimon himself, with brassy accents on white.

Keiko's understanding of her cards were somewhat grounded, but she was far from an expert. Far from Yun's experience, which wasn't saying much; the difference was almost night and day. Yet, she wanted to try and calm that sheepishness. She moved the condiments just a few centimeters out of the way to stick her phone charger into the wall. She'd leave it off for now while it got a full battery. Her movements were very subdued, gentle as she reached back in the bag and pulled out the deck sleeve, laying it flat on the table. She was just a fellow card enthusiast. Nothing more, today at least.

"Rightfully so, I'd hate if my deck got ruined too." She set the backpack to on the ground, under the table, then loosened the drawstring and withdrew her own paltry deck.

"Mine's a bit more annoying, I think. A lot of defensive cards to try and bait out some stronger attacks." She simply flipped through her deck as she said this, a bit lazily but she was starting to feel more relaxed and warmer.

"Here's a good example." She snatched a card up and flipped in in her fingers, showing him a Board Reset. "All too often a card like this can upset a lot of strategies. They get very mad." By 'they', she of course met the younger children she learned from at the hospital. She still won, though. Her smile as she thought back to those kids and that fervor for what she thought at the time was a bit of a silly children's card game was warm and radiant. It wasn't broad, she could barely feel it on her face but it exuded a certain glow.

Outside, the tiniest fleck of gold peered into the window.

"I should have just listened to her. Now she's mad at me." Vulcan turned away and sulked on the wall underneath the window. He had no way of facial expression, but he still felt. Maybe he could distract himself with a little people watching? He pivoted to one side, then another. Oh right. Humans didn't like rain just like Keiko didn't. This annoying fast clicking of his internals grinding against each other served to vocalize his frustration as he leaned back against the wall.

This was the second complete change in him she'd seen today, from aggravation, to stoicism, to now...somewhere between childlike glee and genuine excitement. It was a shame he held it back though, it was admittedly very charming but a little sad that he was restrained by good manners. Apparently Board Reset was in meta and well used. Not much of an ace up the sleeve now, with that knowledge, but still a dangerous card nonetheless.

Her mind wandered for a minute to what its practical application could be. She pondered over the card for several moments, turning it in her hand while Yun shuffled through his cards. This could be good for repair efforts, if it was indeed as useful as it was in the game, could it in fact set the location of a fight back to zero? She'd have to look into getting her field agents equipped with this, some of them certainly didn't understand what 'clandestine meant. She had leaned over the table, cheek in her palm, when Yun offered up his response. Her eyes went wide as she put aside her cards a moment, both arms down on the table and leaning deep over them to better inspect the card. That impossibly long hair of hers, starting to frizz slightly, spilled onto the table as her eyes went to intense study.

She'd seen this card. Not in her deck, but in some of the higher ranking member's of her organization. This card had a strong prerequisite, it seemed like it was for a 'gotcha' moment in late game. Or...

Her eyes darted up to try and read some of the card titles in his hands and caught a glimpse of 'Goliath'. Maybe not as late game as she thought. The smile had shifted to something coy as he really did mean what he said about playing defensively. She took up a dainty finger and pointed at the card in his hand, then to the one he had willingly presented.

"And I thought I was mean. With that, you could pull that out before Mega Evolution, maybe even Ultimate. That's not even considering the amount of people that play -dramon types." She let her shoulders go soft and got much more comfortable, pulling her cards back to her to peer through. She responded with two cards of her own: Protect Driver and Overdrive.

"Add this and that's an absolutely deadly combination."



That was not a flash of lightning. Whatever that glint was had moved, yet there were no people on the street. He couldn't smell anything in this rain, usually he could know if another Digimon was nearby, but this was too much. The teeth of his gear-hands bent into small fists as he hopped a bit forward, rain starting to hit his metal exterior. With every moment that passed, the tension became stronger and the raindrops burned off his body in small popping hisses. Maybe he was being paranoid. He probably wasn't, but he could hope.