Elementary
Title: Elementary
What: Digimon Tamers fanfiction - short story
Rating: K+
Words: 1996 + graphic
Summary: Ruki is into Jenrya's detective novels (and I pull an entire hobby out of a throwaway dub line), and eventually, into him as well. Jenrya/Ruki; part of the Sane People continuity. Written for 30_ways using theme #05 - books.
Notes: Some events mentioned are going to sound like they're out of my Fiberglass universe. They're not, it's just that Ryo's surprise sixteenth birthday party as orchestrated by Juri and Takato and Jen's weekend in Okinawa are canon across all my Tamers continuities.
Alternate link: Fanfiction.net
Sample: I didn't know you read. I didn't know you could read.
It starts with The Hound of the Baskervilles:
Including the transfers at Tokyo and Osaka, it’s roughly five hours to Kitakyushu on the train. All worth it for Ryo, of course, but after trouncing Hirokazu in Digimon cards for the fourth time in a row (some people just don’t know when to quit), Ruki wishes she’d had the foresight to bring something to do.
Or someone. “Has anyone seen Takato and Juri?”
“They went off about five minutes ago,” offers Kenta. “Think they found an empty carriage?”
“Ew,” summarizes Hirokazu, and Ruki is inclined to agree.
Jenrya glances up from his book. “It’s Takato and Juri. Of all people, I’d say those two can be trusted alone together.”
“And if not, I call shotgun on first man!” Hirokazu declares.
Off Hirokazu and Kenta go on a discussion of Takato and Juri’s apparently imminent shotgun wedding. After pointing out that they’ve only been going out a couple of weeks, it’s usually the bride and groom who pick out the bridesmaids and groomsmen as opposed to the groom’s sidekicks, and she will not be maid of honor if she has to wear a dress, Ruki looks (as she always does) to Jenrya as a beacon of sanity. “What are you reading?”
“The Hound of the Baskervilles. Classic English lit, translated into Japanese.” He looks at her sideways. “I didn’t know you read.”
“I didn’t know you could read,” she retorts reflexively, earning a laugh.
“Touché. Okay, so my parents being what they are, I can’t remember a life without computers, but books were one of my first loves before Digimon came along. I think I blame Jaarin.”
Ah, yes, Jaarin the doujin-ka. Ruki thinks back. “When Dad... Grandma gave me a book that was meant to help kids cope with that sort of thing, and I just started hiding behind books, I guess. Before, as you say, Digimon came along. Reading kind of took a backseat to the TCG, and I haven’t picked up a non-schoolbook since Renamon came to me.” She hasn’t read anything now that Renamon’s been taken away from her, either.
“You two are nerds,” announces Hirokazu, who seems to have taken it upon himself to fill in for Terriermon in the eavesdropping department.
This effort is sadly ignored. “Can I read over your shoulder?” asks Ruki.
Jenrya looks torn, but eventually relents. “Ooookay. Feel privileged, I normally say no.”
“Thank you,” Ruki gushes, thankful for a distraction from Kenta and Hirokazu.
Neither of them can tell who’s more surprised when it turns out they read at about the same speed, but Ruki is definitely surprised when it turns out... “Hey, this is pretty good.”
“Well, it didn’t become a classic for nothing,” Jenrya replies, but there’s a smile in his voice.
“Aw, isn’t that cute,” Takato teases, startling them.
Ruki attempts to cover the embarrassing fact that she had her head on Jenrya’s shoulder (for ease of reading!) for the last five minutes by concentrating on Takato and Juri. “When did you get back?”
“A few minutes ago,” Juri smiles. “You two looked adorable.”
“We did not!” Ruki snaps. She looks to Jenrya for help, but the older Tamer merely smirks into his book.
For once in her life, she feels grateful for Hirokazu when he provides a welcome diversion, turning on Takato and Juri with a beam. “So, when’s the wedding?”
Then it turns to Nancy Drew:
“That,” says Ruki, making Jenrya jump, “was just about my favorite book series. When I was eight.”
“You could have knocked?” Jenrya points out.
Ruki enters the room properly and seats herself by Jenrya’s computer. “I did, you were in book land. Isn’t Nancy a little young for you?”
“Please, she’s eighteen, that’s older than Ryo. And I heard they’re turning it into a movie in the next five years; I figured I’d better re-read it before it comes out.” Jenrya sets down the book by his side. “Can I ask what you’re doing here?”
She throws him a book, and he catches it with a look of horror. “Returning The Valley of Fear. Got any more?”
“Don’t throw books,” Jenrya admonishes, “it’s like throwing a baby Digimon!” They both wince almost imperceptibly at the reminder of what they’ve lost. The older Tamer attempts to cover it. “But anyway, no, that’s my last one. There’s this thing called a library, you know.”
“You don’t charge me for overdue books.”
“Maybe I should,” he mutters.
The girl smirks. “I don’t suppose you have any more Nancy?”
“A few. Down the back of the big monitor, I think. You didn’t collect them when you were eight?”
She can feel rather than see him averting his eyes as she leans over the monitor he points out, and appreciates the effort; Ryo’s blatant checking her out always makes her feel a bit weird. “I had the first fifty or something. We had to sell them when Mom was between jobs.”
“Ouch.”
Aha! There they are. Ruki seizes The Scarlet Slipper Mystery, leaving the others for her next visit, and straightens. “It’s okay. Digimon cards were out. And I don’t get as sentimental over books as you do.”
“I resent that,” he replies with a smile. “But play nicely with this book, it’s very old.”
Ruki tosses her head. “I always play nicely with books.”
“Except for that one you threw at me, apparently,” Jenrya reminds her. “Seriously, that one used to be Jaarin’s when she was little.”
Time for a quick calculation. Jaarin’s six years older than Jenrya, so she’s twenty now, and if she had this book when she was, what, nine... “Wow, that is old.”
“Told you.” The older Tamer glances at the clock. “Look, wanna stay for dinner?”
“Oh, fine. Let me call Grandma...”
The Hardy Boys take a little longer:
“So? What’s the big emergency?”
“We were miraculously spring cleaning, and look what Renamon found.”
Jenrya squints at the books Ruki holds up. “Well, that’s great, they’re in English.”
“They used to be Dad’s,” Ruki explains without flinching. “Anyway, it’s about two brothers who, you guessed it, run around solving mysteries.”
“Lucky for some,” he remarks, tilting his head sideways at them.
Ruki raises an eyebrow. “Did you really think I was going to be a book tease? I’ll read them to you.”
“But they’re in-”
“By ‘read’ I obviously mean ‘translate’,” points out Ruki, rolling her eyes.
“Oh,” Jenrya says, surprised.
She tries to keep the hope out of her voice. “It does mean we’ll be spending far too much time around each other...”
“That’s fine,” replies Jenrya a little too quickly. Maybe the questioning glance she shoots him is a little too sharp, because he follows it up just as quickly. “I mean, good detective books, right? It’s just for the books.”
“Right,” Ruki agrees hastily. “Just for the books.”
Then there’s the detour through Veronica Mars:
“Jen! Turn on your TV!”
“Rinchei’s watching already. What channel?”
“I don’t know, we only just got cable yesterday; channel surf until you see an American girl!”
“Ri-niisan, go away! ...and she’s blonde?”
“Yes, and her name’s Veronica!”
“I can’t tell that just from looking at her. And she’s...investigating a murder.”
“Exactly!”
“I think I’ve found my new favorite TV show.”
“No, I found your new favorite TV show, and it’s mine too.”
“Go away so I can watch it properly?”
“Okay, bye.”
“The dialogue!”
“It’s not set in the late eighteen hundreds!”
“Or the nineteen-forties!”
“The characters!”
“Veronica’s not all that bad-looking!”
“...I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.”
“Hey, blondes aren’t normally my type, it’s a big deal.”
“So what is your type?”
“I... Er... It’s back on, see you!”
They regret The New Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen:
Ruki throws the book onto the grass, and for once Jen does not object to this cavalier treatment of books. “Well, that was stupid.”
Jen idly glosses his fingers over her scalp. “What did you expect, it had American actresses on the front. Who aren’t Kristen Bell.”
“But the ballet, and the card, and- what a stupid villain!”
“I know,” Jen soothes, massaging her neck.
“And the ballet?” she repeats indignantly.
“You said that already,” he points out calmly, settling his hands on her shoulders, “also at the beginning of the book when it first turned out they were going to a ballet. And in the middle when they went backstage.”
“Do that again.”
The older Tamer blinks down at her. “What?”
With difficulty, Ruki reaches up behind her and moves his hands back to her head. “That. Whatever you were doing before.”
“Head massage?” Jen offers.
“That’s the one.”
Hesitatingly, Jen starts over. His technique isn’t quite as good as Ryo’s, but somehow the fact that it’s him makes it better. Ruki tells herself she’s being sappy, but can’t help making a pleased little sound in her throat and half-closing her eyes.
The moment is long before Jen speaks again. “It might be easier if your hair’s down.”
“Do it.” No one’s going to see them here, right?
He runs his fingers through her hair, then returns to the head rub. “Have I ever told you how much I like your hair when it’s down?”
No, says Ruki’s mind, you haven’t. “Don’t ruin the moment,” says Ruki’s mouth.
“Sorry.” He sounds it, too.
When she looks up at him again, Jen’s giving her this soft look she’s seen before but never really thought about, and she can’t look away.
“Are we interrupting?”
Startled by their Digimon, Ruki jumps to her feet. “No, not at all. Terriermon, what are you doing here?”
“Renamon offered to beam me up,” Terriermon replies, hopping up onto Jen’s shoulder. “Never again!”
There’s a slight smile in Renamon’s voice. “I will admit, the otherworld I travel through is not for everyone.”
“I guess it’s time to go home?” Jen deduces.
Terriermon grins. “That should have been elementary, my dear Jen. Come on, your mom’s trying that mimigaa recipe she found on the Internet.”
“Good, I’ve been having cravings for it lately. That was possibly the best part of Okinawa.” Jen stands, expression carefully schooled into neutrality. “See you ’round, Ruri. And never get Mary-Kate and Ashley books out again.”
“I won’t listen to the librarian,” she promises, watching him and Terriermon go.
“Ruki?” Renamon asks, watching her gaze.
“...it’s nothing.”
She only realizes later that Jen still has her hair tie.
And it settles on The Secret Seven:
“Happy Saturday, by the way,” says Jen, shoving a book at her.
Takato pouts. “How come I didn’t get a happy Saturday present?”
Ruki looks over the book, curious. It’s in English, called something like The Secret Seven...?
“Because I didn’t see anything when I was in town the other day that made me think of you,” Jen shrugs. “Anyway, we have to go. Terriermon?”
“Coming!” Terriermon glides down from the tree he and Guilmon were climbing, and settles on his Tamer’s head. “Bye, guys! Ruuuki, I’d read that soon if I were you...”
“Shush, you,” Jen admonishes him, and Ruki thinks she might see the hint of a blush on his cheeks. Weird. “See you!”
Takato and Guilmon also run off with the sooner sunset that autumn brings. Walking home, Ruki opens the book, trusting Renamon will tell her she’s about to walk into something. Inside the cover is a label with Jen’s handwriting on it. Huh?
She bursts out laughing.
“Ruki? Stop laughing, you’re making me nervous.”
“Yes, you idiot.”
“Well, that’s a relief. It wasn’t that funny, was it?”
“No, it was just kind of desperate and adorable, so please don’t do that again-”
“I won’t need to, will I?”
“That’s true. Anyway, when do you want to come over and read The Secret Seven?”
December that year: When Sane People Are Asleep
What: Digimon Tamers fanfiction - short story
Rating: K+
Words: 1996 + graphic
Summary: Ruki is into Jenrya's detective novels (and I pull an entire hobby out of a throwaway dub line), and eventually, into him as well. Jenrya/Ruki; part of the Sane People continuity. Written for 30_ways using theme #05 - books.
Notes: Some events mentioned are going to sound like they're out of my Fiberglass universe. They're not, it's just that Ryo's surprise sixteenth birthday party as orchestrated by Juri and Takato and Jen's weekend in Okinawa are canon across all my Tamers continuities.
Alternate link: Fanfiction.net
Sample: I didn't know you read. I didn't know you could read.
It starts with The Hound of the Baskervilles:
Including the transfers at Tokyo and Osaka, it’s roughly five hours to Kitakyushu on the train. All worth it for Ryo, of course, but after trouncing Hirokazu in Digimon cards for the fourth time in a row (some people just don’t know when to quit), Ruki wishes she’d had the foresight to bring something to do.
Or someone. “Has anyone seen Takato and Juri?”
“They went off about five minutes ago,” offers Kenta. “Think they found an empty carriage?”
“Ew,” summarizes Hirokazu, and Ruki is inclined to agree.
Jenrya glances up from his book. “It’s Takato and Juri. Of all people, I’d say those two can be trusted alone together.”
“And if not, I call shotgun on first man!” Hirokazu declares.
Off Hirokazu and Kenta go on a discussion of Takato and Juri’s apparently imminent shotgun wedding. After pointing out that they’ve only been going out a couple of weeks, it’s usually the bride and groom who pick out the bridesmaids and groomsmen as opposed to the groom’s sidekicks, and she will not be maid of honor if she has to wear a dress, Ruki looks (as she always does) to Jenrya as a beacon of sanity. “What are you reading?”
“The Hound of the Baskervilles. Classic English lit, translated into Japanese.” He looks at her sideways. “I didn’t know you read.”
“I didn’t know you could read,” she retorts reflexively, earning a laugh.
“Touché. Okay, so my parents being what they are, I can’t remember a life without computers, but books were one of my first loves before Digimon came along. I think I blame Jaarin.”
Ah, yes, Jaarin the doujin-ka. Ruki thinks back. “When Dad... Grandma gave me a book that was meant to help kids cope with that sort of thing, and I just started hiding behind books, I guess. Before, as you say, Digimon came along. Reading kind of took a backseat to the TCG, and I haven’t picked up a non-schoolbook since Renamon came to me.” She hasn’t read anything now that Renamon’s been taken away from her, either.
“You two are nerds,” announces Hirokazu, who seems to have taken it upon himself to fill in for Terriermon in the eavesdropping department.
This effort is sadly ignored. “Can I read over your shoulder?” asks Ruki.
Jenrya looks torn, but eventually relents. “Ooookay. Feel privileged, I normally say no.”
“Thank you,” Ruki gushes, thankful for a distraction from Kenta and Hirokazu.
Neither of them can tell who’s more surprised when it turns out they read at about the same speed, but Ruki is definitely surprised when it turns out... “Hey, this is pretty good.”
“Well, it didn’t become a classic for nothing,” Jenrya replies, but there’s a smile in his voice.
“Aw, isn’t that cute,” Takato teases, startling them.
Ruki attempts to cover the embarrassing fact that she had her head on Jenrya’s shoulder (for ease of reading!) for the last five minutes by concentrating on Takato and Juri. “When did you get back?”
“A few minutes ago,” Juri smiles. “You two looked adorable.”
“We did not!” Ruki snaps. She looks to Jenrya for help, but the older Tamer merely smirks into his book.
For once in her life, she feels grateful for Hirokazu when he provides a welcome diversion, turning on Takato and Juri with a beam. “So, when’s the wedding?”
Then it turns to Nancy Drew:
“That,” says Ruki, making Jenrya jump, “was just about my favorite book series. When I was eight.”
“You could have knocked?” Jenrya points out.
Ruki enters the room properly and seats herself by Jenrya’s computer. “I did, you were in book land. Isn’t Nancy a little young for you?”
“Please, she’s eighteen, that’s older than Ryo. And I heard they’re turning it into a movie in the next five years; I figured I’d better re-read it before it comes out.” Jenrya sets down the book by his side. “Can I ask what you’re doing here?”
She throws him a book, and he catches it with a look of horror. “Returning The Valley of Fear. Got any more?”
“Don’t throw books,” Jenrya admonishes, “it’s like throwing a baby Digimon!” They both wince almost imperceptibly at the reminder of what they’ve lost. The older Tamer attempts to cover it. “But anyway, no, that’s my last one. There’s this thing called a library, you know.”
“You don’t charge me for overdue books.”
“Maybe I should,” he mutters.
The girl smirks. “I don’t suppose you have any more Nancy?”
“A few. Down the back of the big monitor, I think. You didn’t collect them when you were eight?”
She can feel rather than see him averting his eyes as she leans over the monitor he points out, and appreciates the effort; Ryo’s blatant checking her out always makes her feel a bit weird. “I had the first fifty or something. We had to sell them when Mom was between jobs.”
“Ouch.”
Aha! There they are. Ruki seizes The Scarlet Slipper Mystery, leaving the others for her next visit, and straightens. “It’s okay. Digimon cards were out. And I don’t get as sentimental over books as you do.”
“I resent that,” he replies with a smile. “But play nicely with this book, it’s very old.”
Ruki tosses her head. “I always play nicely with books.”
“Except for that one you threw at me, apparently,” Jenrya reminds her. “Seriously, that one used to be Jaarin’s when she was little.”
Time for a quick calculation. Jaarin’s six years older than Jenrya, so she’s twenty now, and if she had this book when she was, what, nine... “Wow, that is old.”
“Told you.” The older Tamer glances at the clock. “Look, wanna stay for dinner?”
“Oh, fine. Let me call Grandma...”
The Hardy Boys take a little longer:
“So? What’s the big emergency?”
“We were miraculously spring cleaning, and look what Renamon found.”
Jenrya squints at the books Ruki holds up. “Well, that’s great, they’re in English.”
“They used to be Dad’s,” Ruki explains without flinching. “Anyway, it’s about two brothers who, you guessed it, run around solving mysteries.”
“Lucky for some,” he remarks, tilting his head sideways at them.
Ruki raises an eyebrow. “Did you really think I was going to be a book tease? I’ll read them to you.”
“But they’re in-”
“By ‘read’ I obviously mean ‘translate’,” points out Ruki, rolling her eyes.
“Oh,” Jenrya says, surprised.
She tries to keep the hope out of her voice. “It does mean we’ll be spending far too much time around each other...”
“That’s fine,” replies Jenrya a little too quickly. Maybe the questioning glance she shoots him is a little too sharp, because he follows it up just as quickly. “I mean, good detective books, right? It’s just for the books.”
“Right,” Ruki agrees hastily. “Just for the books.”
Then there’s the detour through Veronica Mars:
“Jen! Turn on your TV!”
“Rinchei’s watching already. What channel?”
“I don’t know, we only just got cable yesterday; channel surf until you see an American girl!”
“Ri-niisan, go away! ...and she’s blonde?”
“Yes, and her name’s Veronica!”
“I can’t tell that just from looking at her. And she’s...investigating a murder.”
“Exactly!”
“I think I’ve found my new favorite TV show.”
“No, I found your new favorite TV show, and it’s mine too.”
“Go away so I can watch it properly?”
“Okay, bye.”
“The dialogue!”
“It’s not set in the late eighteen hundreds!”
“Or the nineteen-forties!”
“The characters!”
“Veronica’s not all that bad-looking!”
“...I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.”
“Hey, blondes aren’t normally my type, it’s a big deal.”
“So what is your type?”
“I... Er... It’s back on, see you!”
They regret The New Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen:
Ruki throws the book onto the grass, and for once Jen does not object to this cavalier treatment of books. “Well, that was stupid.”
Jen idly glosses his fingers over her scalp. “What did you expect, it had American actresses on the front. Who aren’t Kristen Bell.”
“But the ballet, and the card, and- what a stupid villain!”
“I know,” Jen soothes, massaging her neck.
“And the ballet?” she repeats indignantly.
“You said that already,” he points out calmly, settling his hands on her shoulders, “also at the beginning of the book when it first turned out they were going to a ballet. And in the middle when they went backstage.”
“Do that again.”
The older Tamer blinks down at her. “What?”
With difficulty, Ruki reaches up behind her and moves his hands back to her head. “That. Whatever you were doing before.”
“Head massage?” Jen offers.
“That’s the one.”
Hesitatingly, Jen starts over. His technique isn’t quite as good as Ryo’s, but somehow the fact that it’s him makes it better. Ruki tells herself she’s being sappy, but can’t help making a pleased little sound in her throat and half-closing her eyes.
The moment is long before Jen speaks again. “It might be easier if your hair’s down.”
“Do it.” No one’s going to see them here, right?
He runs his fingers through her hair, then returns to the head rub. “Have I ever told you how much I like your hair when it’s down?”
No, says Ruki’s mind, you haven’t. “Don’t ruin the moment,” says Ruki’s mouth.
“Sorry.” He sounds it, too.
When she looks up at him again, Jen’s giving her this soft look she’s seen before but never really thought about, and she can’t look away.
“Are we interrupting?”
Startled by their Digimon, Ruki jumps to her feet. “No, not at all. Terriermon, what are you doing here?”
“Renamon offered to beam me up,” Terriermon replies, hopping up onto Jen’s shoulder. “Never again!”
There’s a slight smile in Renamon’s voice. “I will admit, the otherworld I travel through is not for everyone.”
“I guess it’s time to go home?” Jen deduces.
Terriermon grins. “That should have been elementary, my dear Jen. Come on, your mom’s trying that mimigaa recipe she found on the Internet.”
“Good, I’ve been having cravings for it lately. That was possibly the best part of Okinawa.” Jen stands, expression carefully schooled into neutrality. “See you ’round, Ruri. And never get Mary-Kate and Ashley books out again.”
“I won’t listen to the librarian,” she promises, watching him and Terriermon go.
“Ruki?” Renamon asks, watching her gaze.
“...it’s nothing.”
She only realizes later that Jen still has her hair tie.
And it settles on The Secret Seven:
“Happy Saturday, by the way,” says Jen, shoving a book at her.
Takato pouts. “How come I didn’t get a happy Saturday present?”
Ruki looks over the book, curious. It’s in English, called something like The Secret Seven...?
“Because I didn’t see anything when I was in town the other day that made me think of you,” Jen shrugs. “Anyway, we have to go. Terriermon?”
“Coming!” Terriermon glides down from the tree he and Guilmon were climbing, and settles on his Tamer’s head. “Bye, guys! Ruuuki, I’d read that soon if I were you...”
“Shush, you,” Jen admonishes him, and Ruki thinks she might see the hint of a blush on his cheeks. Weird. “See you!”
Takato and Guilmon also run off with the sooner sunset that autumn brings. Walking home, Ruki opens the book, trusting Renamon will tell her she’s about to walk into something. Inside the cover is a label with Jen’s handwriting on it. Huh?
She bursts out laughing.
“Ruki? Stop laughing, you’re making me nervous.”
“Yes, you idiot.”
“Well, that’s a relief. It wasn’t that funny, was it?”
“No, it was just kind of desperate and adorable, so please don’t do that again-”
“I won’t need to, will I?”
“That’s true. Anyway, when do you want to come over and read The Secret Seven?”
December that year: When Sane People Are Asleep