A Bit Fishy (Zeus)

Where those... footsteps? Blinking several times, Ikou tilted her head to face the stranger that had trespassed into her moment of tranquil repose. To her surprise, the arrival turned out not to be a human, but another digimon that lingered outside the view of Tokyo's population. It was a rarity to meet someone of her kind that was not attached to a digidestined, at least on Earth. Considering the current conflicts, that was hardly astonishing. Xenophobia ran rampant in both species, which was obviously a great tragedy. Whatever the future would be, it was marred by today's strife.

"Excuse me... who?" The BlackSalamon asked coyly upon hearing his boastful introduction, not yet realizing that this question was likely to impose ginormous chagrin on her in due time. For now however, she had no idea who Zeus was supposed to be. The way he carried himself with pride and gaudiness was irritating, but it left the option that he was a member of the Royals. He had not been in their register the day she had skimmed it, so was he perhaps a new fosterling of theirs? Curious... as was the fact that he was a Gatomon with a male voice. That's an oddity she had seldom encountered before.

Initial inquisitiveness immediately changed to vexation when the white cat decided to contumeliously stand in front of her to behold the radiant sunset. There was enough space on the rooftop for this ill-bred action to be rendered completely unnecessary. Bearing her teeth slightly if only for a second, the otherwise fine lady raised a hypothetical eyebrow in displeasure. Clearly she was not here to regard the lout's behind, hence she leaned backwards a bit. "Was it by chance a mirror?" She asked rhetorically and bitingly, though she had doubts that he comprehended her antipathy born from his boorishness...

... much less the vocabulary she utilized to formulate her thoughts. And why was he flexing like those martial artists in their mediocre tournament movies? Well, at least he had a good sense of balance.

Zeus perked his ears, bringing a claw against his chin as he'd take a few seconds to ponder. "Mmm, I've seen this before. A momentary cessation of one's ability to recall things. It's very common when one is dumbfounded, you need not worry." The Gatomon explained, cracking what seemed like a kind smile as he'd dig his claws deep into the fur of his chest. "Be it the noble circle of Diode, or this forsaken little corner of the world - I remain Zeus." The feline reassured himself as he would take a sit directly next to the Black Salamon. The notion that he wasn't great was something that Zeus simply lacked the ability to comprehend. It wasn't cognitive dissonance as much as complete refusal, yet it didn't seem like he was agressive.

He'd give a hearty chuckle, slapping a hand against the roof, causing the echo of metal vibration to spread through the quiet atmosphere in a sharp ring. "By my whiskers, you truly thing a mirror would be worth attention form me? Though a work of art when I stand before it, I have no time for such petty squabbles." The cat decalred, giving yet another chuckle to himself. Zeus was cheerful, or according to many too cheerful. "It was but a powerful insect type. Foolish beast... it dulled its mandibles by gnawing on my indestructible body. No wonder it was swiftly defeated by some week passerby shortly after!"

The cold breeze, felt nice as it brushed against his whiskers, causing the cat to lay back in a much needed moment of silence. "So, now that you are surely over your starstruck phase; who might you be? Don't tell me you're a devote follower."

Was he... humoring or patronizing her? No, the BlackSalamon did not think that was the truth behind this unpleasantly bizarre encounter. Considering his poise and silly bravado, there was a decent chance he actually thought that his self-image and etiquette were adequate, which of course was not the case. And though he was clearly clumsy when it came to mannerisms, there did not appear to be any malice within the malcontent's core. His coltish smile and patience were evidence for this conclusion. This unfortunately meant that the fine lady had to suffer through this strange farce. If anything, she could at least consider it a test of her character.

"Fancy meeting you, Zeus." Ikou calmly acknowledged his introduction, taking in a deep breath to regain her composure as she sat next to the male Gatomon. Regretting her previous hostility, the dark kitten was glad to know that her new acquaintance was hardly affected by it, as to be expected. Sighing and nodding once, she did her hardest to muster a genuine simper while listening to the chummy strutter. Thankfully, he took her biting remark as nothing more than a mere jest. Rarely was she happy due to someone else's ingenuousness, but today had been one of those fortunate moments.

"It was a joke. But didn't you say that it was you who slew the beast, not a passerby?" She questioned the white cat's story, although not with a tone of resentment in her voice. Instead she adapted to his carefree personality, trying to tease him a little and see where this got her. Certainly her current companion did not mind, did he? Anyway, she noticed the fresh breeze that started to linger as well and chose to relish it with partially closed eyes.

"I am Ikou. And no, I am not a devote follower. As I said, I don't know you. Besides, I prefer to be my own role model." She answered, hoping that Zeus was not bothered by her honest response. Then again, there was the possibility he'd ignore it to protect his big yet fragile ego. To each their own she supposed.

Though one would expect Zeus to defend himself against the contradicting statement, the feline simply raised a claw, his grin widening to reveal a single golden fang on the upper left side. "Ah, I had already weakened the beast to the point where it's fate was already sealed. All they did was finish off my pray. It was mine by right as well as by might." The feline swiftly explained, seemingly convinced that he had done enough work to rightfully claim he had slain the beast. "Besides, if I hadn't spotted the threat with my keen vision, then who knows when the beast would have emerged to slay the meek?"


Zeus shifted himself to a sitting position, nose twitching for a few moments before he'd sneeze.This blasted breeze, it was nothing like what he had been used to lately. It almost reminded him of home, how ghastly that thought was. The feline shivered for a moment before he'd glance sideways to his newly found company. So, she wasn't a follower, nor was she affiliated with Anathema, nor the upper circles. This made no difference to him whatsoever given that even if she was all of those things, not being Zeus meant being a few steps below Godhood by default.

"Good. I prefer to work alone as my feats are too dangerous an my personal code would never allow me to put others in harms way." Zeus chuckled once more, stretching himself wide as a toothy yawn escaped his muzzle.
"To what do I owe my long string of triumphs and victories, you ask? As I said earlier, the key is in my personal philosophy, the 'Precepts of Zeus'. Particularly relevant here is the first precept: "Always Win Your Battles". As for the other precepts? Well... that's for another time.I'm more interested how you've found yourself in this hamlet."

The feline narrowed his eyes, observing a truck pull over at the mouth of the market for fresh goods to be unloaded. How menial, an endless cycle of consumption and replenishment. A state of limbo so fierce that those trapped in it don't even realise the boundaries they've set for themselves. "Oh yee of little faith." He'd think, resting a cheek against a fist as he'd look down on the figures marching across the district.

A strange mix of amusement and lighthearted perplexity stur up within Ikou's core as she listened to her new acquaintance's anticipated explanation. And by Yggdrasil it sounded just like one of those stories where an adult male attempted to open a glass of pickled vegetables in vain only for a small girl to accomplish the deed effortlessly. Refraining from giggling was difficult with heavy breaths visible on her cheeks, chest and tummy. "Hear ye!" She coltishly played along, fueling the chutzpa of the companion that sat by her side this evening. That was probably a mistake, but for once she decided to not care.

Thankfully, due to Zeus' sneeze, her 'maternal' instincts immediately kicked in, allowing her to regain composure almost instantly. "Bless you!" The BlackSalamon wished the white Gatomon nothing less than absolute well-being. Certainly such a nice if brash soul did not deserve sickness, right? She would have offered him a blanket or another item to warm himself up, but alas she had no belonging to share with the exception of her own body. Since it was swart, it was easier for her to absorb heat, hence she did not experience the summer breeze as anything than wonderfully pleasant.

Returning the sideways glance she smiled faintly yet genuinely. She was not quite sure why, but there was something about this digimon that made her appreciate his company. It clearly were not his modesty or social skills, but perhaps his benignly gawky attitude. Maybe, if their friendship blossomed and lasted, she'd understand someday. For now, the dark kitten was glad to simply listen to him and learn from his experiences. Filtering the truth out of his statements was possibly even an amusing challenge.

"An admirable personal code." Ikou encouraged Zeus to continue his selflessness by giving him exactly what he desired - praise. Naturally, she did not know if he had accomplished feats that actually warranted a creed, but what not was still had the chance to be. Observing his teeth and yawn, she continued to pay attention to the amicable dork's tales. "That's my first precept, too." She commented with a wink, always preferring victory over loss. As for her story... "I went for a long stroll. Tokyo is a fascinating town in my opinion. The lights, scents and... delicacies."

Grinning briefly herself, the BlackSalamon shifted her gaze and focus to where the Gatomon was looking at. To her surprise, it appeared something had gotten to the chap. Gently nudging his shoulder, she looked at him with sincere interest. "Is anything the matter, dear?" She confidently expressed her confusion of his sudden change of mood. It did not seem befitting.

The Gatomon proudly announced, as if the sentence was a complete fallacy. Still, Zeus didn't seem all that impressed about the description of Tokyo he had just received. In fact, he believed quite the contrary. "Hmph. I think this is a squalid little hamlet. The air is foul and the townsfolk have beady eyes. I'll be heading back as soon as possible. I only wanted the experience of being here." His reply was swift and to the point, though he didn't seem agitated about being here. It seemed like his issue was deeply routed in the way things worked around here, rather than the place itself.

"Nothing is the matter. I just can't grasp this kind of life. Down there." He would motion at the market with two claws."I suppose you're impressed by how big the market is. I've seen much bigger ones in my travels. Much nicer, too." Zeus seemed certain that this place wasn't all that big of a deal, yet his eyes would constantly fall on the street, darting between the different stalls. "Asking me for payment for the privilege of me trying their goods. Bah, as if someone like me would willingly give them publicity and pay for it. I am only so kind." Suddenly, the issues that clouded the cat's mind seemed just a tad clearer.

It was not only as if Zeus' statement was a fallacy - it was without doubt one. "I disagree." Ikou responded concisely, not wishing to dwell on the matter except in her thoughts. Mistakes and failures were a part of life, and any effort to strive for perfection was ultimately in vain. Certainly her new acquaintance had made plenty experiences that involved stumbles and hindsight from which he learned. That he refused to admit that was thankfully of no concern to her, nor likely anybody he encountered that was not a naif. Unfortunately, even if she attempted to convey this message to him, he would refuse to listen.

"Toyko; a hamlet? Hardly." The BlackSalamon stated amusedly, honestly wondering if the white Gatomon had ever been to a spot of civilization in the digital realm. Those were most often localities at best, and at worst caves adorned with dry grass. Although she agreed that the air was not very pleasant on the ground and many eyes were indeed tired, the possibilities this varied metropolis provided were staggering. The dishes that were actually cooked food were usually fantastic and fine entertainment lingered on every corner. Of course it was difficult for a digimon to savor either, but the dark kitten definitely intended to in the future.

Nodding affirmatively in understanding of her companion's desire to familiarize himself with his surroundings, Ikou calmly yet attentively listened to the response he gave her. "I never said I was impressed." She commented in between as she kept her composed poise. Truth be told she had similar views of this place as Zeus. It was simple and mundane, especially for the people that lived here. Sadly, instead of attempting to philosophize and change things, everything came back to the sole thing that appeared to be of importance to her dialog partner - himself.

Sighing, the BlackSalamon rolled her eyes and leaned slightly forward. How could she possibly talk with him in a way that he did not reject. Scratching her cheek, she eventually thought to have found a method that was not too disingenuous. "You may have proven yourself to the digital world, but not Earth. They don't know you... how could they? So why not give them reasons to genuinely exalt you?" She suggested, though she wondered if this was bound to do more good than harm or not. The division among species was already vast and she had reason to doubt his actual skills and heroism.

But perhaps goodwill sufficed - if Hypnos did not prevent his deeds.

Zeus paused for a moment before shaking his head. He didn't seek to go out of his way to gain approval. That would undermine the prospect of being great to begin with. A true king is identified by his ability of being recognised without having to explicit state so. "Reasons will come. I need not burden myself with their folly."
His statement lacked the slightest hint of doubt. Every word the feline spoke echoed with sheer conviction,something that some found inspiring, yet many more found to be nothing but hubris.

At the edge of the market a small statue stood. If one were to get close to actually inspect it, they would find that it was erected in memory of a loving hound that accompanied some local fishermen a long time ago. From the roof, it was hard to make out the exact features. Zeus pointed a claw at the statue. "Statues serve no purpose. Do pay them any mind nor honour them! No one has ever made a statue of you nor I, so why should we pay them any attention? They are but false idols to dishonest legends." The feline announced, brushing a few of his whiskers between two claws to straighten them. "That was another precept of Zeus."

Zeus resting his chin against a fist once more, observing the Black Salamon for a few moments in silence. "Hmm. You wouldn't happen to know of the way to the Digital World from here, would you?" A strange question, but the motivation behind it was clear. Tokyo might have been an interesting venture, but the fresh air and the lack of any currency made this trip a terrible bore. His audience wasn't actively engaged either. Poor focus.

Folly... so that was how Zeus perceived the lives and their value of others. It was without doubt an ironic statement that came from a rather supercilious individual, but she did not expect to change his attitude through mere words alone. Considering everything Ikou had witnessed thus far, likely not even deeds were capable of such a magnificent triumph. The simple fact was that he was insane. He was not babbling incoherently nor was he unable to utilize his free will, but his delusions and narcissism were obvious to anyone. He existed outside either reality and foolishly desired those he encountered to adapt accordingly. A pity...

Still, the BlackSalamon was not willing to play along for long. Truth be told she grew weary of this farce despite that she appreciated her new acquaintance's cheerfulness. It was a rare yet positive trait these days, but it was unfortunately enshrouded by uncountable faults that nobody could simply overlook. However, it made the dark kitten wonder whence his mental dissonance originated from. Was it perhaps a foretime forgotten to the sands of time, or a trauma that he needed to suppress with every ounce of his volition. Strangely enough, Ikou knew both all too well.

Thankful that she had evolved to be a mostly gracious person who some people were fond of, her thoughts quickly shifted to the statue that the white Gatomon pointed out. She did not see anything wrong with it, but as to be expected her presumptuous dialogue partner did. "All statues serve a purpose. This one might be a memento. You know what they say - learn of the past or be doomed to repeat it." She speculated calmly, obviously indifferent towards the sentiment of having an idol of her own nor Zeus' second precept.

If he craved to be remembered then he had to actually earn it. Though it seemed that this was nothing the jolly cat was interested in either. No... he just wanted praise for no reason. But maybe it was for the best that he had no intention of staying on Earth where his fumbling had the potential to cause serious damage to the fragile relationship of humans and digimons. Him being in the digital world was the better solution. Quietly she returned the gaze, observing his lost in thought posture while the BlackSalamon kept her equanimity. "My apologies, but no. I have arrived here by accident. Neither did I search for a portal thus far."

Zeus gave a hearty chuckle at the notion that anyone or anything was obliged to learn from the past or be doomed to repeat it. If the past was so grand and important, then why was it the past? If anything was worthwhile it would be the present. Why, event he future was irrelevant. Who cared about what's next when all that mattered is the now. People really should learn to differentiate between the two. In summary, that's what Zeus thought during his 5 seconds head shake, eyes wide shut as his arms crossed. "Bah." The feline loudly exclaimed before standing up.


"Forget the past. The past is painful, and thinking about your past can only bring you misery. Think about something else instead, such as the present, or some food. That's another precept. As expected by someone with boundless wisdom such as I." Zeus chuckled, clearly pleased with himself as his eyes would fall on the market once more. So it seemed that his companion was unaware of the gate to the digital world. Due to nothing more but a self imposed challenge, the Gatomon also didn't know the way. He didn't intend for the challenge, but it goes to show how a true master is able to craft and set obstacles to promote growth without even consciously trying.

"Aha! So you have found yourself lost and trapped in this terrifying world. I, of course, know the way thanks to my powerful memory. Fret not, for Zeus will NEVER abandon a misguided creature." The Gatomon placed a paw over his chest, tail curling behind him as he'd crack a wide grin. "I shall escort you to safety, whilst promoting you to find your own way." Zeus pointed at the distance, unsure if he had the right direction or not, but given the next precept, he was sure it would all work out. "Go now, lead the way! I shall follow you closely and dish out helpful advice, such as this; Seek truth in darkness!" A momentary awkward pause followed before the Digimon added an explanation. "Self explanatory precept, really." Or not...

"Makes me wonder what happened in your past that you consider so painful." Ikou responded calmly, seeing no point in arguing with Zeus as it was practically impossible to leave a mark on him. If he rejected both what used to be and what may be for the here and now then that was his choice to make. She however disagreed wholeheartedly. True wisdom could be derived from the mistakes and achievements that once were, leading to potentially bigger chances of attaining own success. It was a selfish way of perceiving the previous existences of others, but they were effectively but a good guide these days.

Carrying no anguish within her despite her immeasurably vast foretime, the BlackSalamon quietly watched as the white Gatomon got back up on his feet. Raising a hypothetical eyebrow while listening to her new acquaintance, she wondered why he possibly believed that she was needing his help. "I didn't and I am not." She asserted firmly yet composedly, making perfectly clear she did not long nor appreciate any interference with her internal and external freedom. Unfortunately, as to be expected, mere words did not suffice to dissuade her charming fellow to cease his bravado.

Sighing, Ikou figured that this might as well was a decent chance to get a move on and return to her temporary home - one of the many residents of the royals. Standing up as well, she beat the city's dust out of her velvety fur and pelt, her golden eyes lingering on the jolly rascal. Gosh... why was he so incredibly, almost insufferably brash... but also ever so slightly likable. Zeus was an enigma - that was a fact. "Very well my votary. I suppose I thank you for your companionship." She commented as she proceeded to oblige him.

Thankfully, the direction he pointed at was similar to where she intended to go anyway. Regardless, the seeker of truth and her adherer's little adventure commenced. Certainly it was bound to be interesting.

"Pfft, my past? Painful? It was as glorious as now, yet irrelevant because it is but the past. Some interesting fellas, but that's about it. They're still around I reckon, so no need to talk about it." Zeus gave a series of rapid nods in agreement with himself, cracking a smile at his own reaffirmation. There was no cause to be upset, that was but a menial feeling getting in the way of his boundless deeds.

The feline would purse his lips, pondering for a few seconds before slapping a gloved paw at his thigh. "Zehaha! How noble! You are modest even in your time of need because you think my time is worth more than your troubles! Nonsense! Utter and complete nonsense! Why, I live for sharing my heroism, there's no need to feel bad!" Zeus gave a swift bow, ears lowering on either side. "Though, I will respect your modesty. " With a swift leap, the Digimon found himself in the air and promote into the ground below face first. Luckily a crate was there to cushion his fall, crushing what looked to be loaves of bread that some poor soul left unattended. "Ah, tribute! How generous!" The Gatomon didn't seem at all bothered that he botched his landing, instead interpreting it as the God's granting him a gift for his travels. He'd swiftly stash a piece into his pouch before glancing at the roof.

"Ah, there's no need to thank me! I do this to fulfill a promise to someone special after all!" Zeus would proudly exclaim as he'd wait for the Black Salamon to lead the way, hopefully before someone took notice of the shattered crates. "Say, you wouldn't happen to already be a part of a faction, would you? I'm supposed to pitch you mine, but, I didn't bother to memorise the details, such things are trivial for someone like me. I like rotate