Subject: diving in [mewt] 530 views

[mewt]

What Mewt experienced could only be understood by those with low self-esteem. It was all of the subtle things that gave him pause, such as breaks in speaking that are a little too long, or certain little expressions. He felt a kind of constant anxiety about wanting to be... right. Not just, nor correct in an intellectual sense, but just acceptable as a human being. Or digital being in this case, he supposed. He wondered if other people ever felt like that.

It made him happier than he could express that Cyanide wasn't just brushing him off- in fact she actually said she was going to add him. Hearing her say she could use his knowledge did more for him than it would have for anyone else he imagined. Where others might have been concerned they were just being used, Mewt felt validated and like he was actually worth something. "A-anytime you need," the young man nodded with a bright smile.

The pleasant feelings stuck around as well, which was unusual for Mewt. A big smile from his partner urged him on. "Maybe we can f-find something fun," Mewt uttered optimistically. Honestly he didn't need entertainment much, not considering he was already feeling so content in this odd meeting.

Ritz squeaked her displeasure when Cyanide spoke again, ready to roll off into the city. It didn't take long for the Digimon to re-energize itself and resume jumping around like it had before shouting, "We're no slowpokes, right boss?"

"B-Boss...?"

"Come ooooon!" Ritz began the charge ahead, zooming by Cyanide and Nox in a blink. "There's always the Lamb Chop if you guys wanna sit and talk over a drink!"

A slight flush overtook Mewt's face as he considered that, automatically thinking of it like some kind of date. If she wanted to they could do that, but a date? That was just too far-fetched. No one would want to be with a guy like him, after all. "I-It might be a good place to get info about the recent happenings in t-the Digital World," Mewt said as he caught up with Cyanide.

[cyanide]

There would never be a time that she would openly admit it, nevertheless to Mewt himself, but she was enjoying the company. Perhaps putting it as "enjoying" came out as too strong a word, and liking it would have been better, but regardless, it was what it was.

The girl peered at Mewt briefly over her shoulder, unable to mask the impatience that painted her features. It couldn't stay for too long, though. For some painfully annoying reason, more apparent by the minute, it was almost impossible to stay in any form of negative toward him. The only likely explanation was the fact that he seemed...like he could be the biggest pushover. A huge softy. Was he even capable of being angry? Cyanide returned her attention to the fore. Really didn't look like it to her.

Sighing large, stretching out her arms, she rested them leisurely behind her head. So far, the easiest part of this online game: Strolling around the city like it was nothing. Which it was. "So far it's a reeeeal drag in Asuka City," the young woman promptly responded. Boring defined its very existence as far as she was concerned. There wasn't even anything interesting going on around them! For the most part, other players and their digimon partners put them out of sight, out of mind, perhaps too focused on the tasks they played out in their heads

"But there is the Lamb Chop!" Nox agreed without preamble, trying her best to catch up with the feisty Salamon. She was a lot faster than she looked - and a DoKunemon with rather stumpy legs was hard-pressed into catching up after all. "Ritz is right. You guys might have a bit of fun there."

Ah, the blissful ignorance of Digimon. The girl couldn't help but shake her head with amusement - and a bit of ire. Sit and have a drink? That made it sound like a date! "I guess it could be," she started stiffly, "But minus the drinks, alright? Don't wanna get off with the wrong impression or nothin'." Speaking of drinks.

Frowning, pausing in front of the establishment, she turned fully, and thoughtfully, to Mewt. "Actually, on that topic, how does that work, anyway?" Genuinely wondering, she queried further; "Like...do drinks and food and stuff like that actually have...sustenance and taste and all that jazz? The thought of it sounds really odd, honestly." If someone might know, it could be Mewt, right?

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[mewt]

A beat pause. Mewt looked up to her and caught that slight look of impatience, but for the first time in who knows how long he didn't actually take it to heart. It would not upset him or deter him from continuing to speak at least somewhat confidently with Cyanide. More surprising still was he did not even take her calling the city boring as a personal insult, which he was rather certain he would have on any other occasion. Looking it all over like that, Mewt realized... he was kind of dysfunctional. Well, this was a little off-putting after all...

"The city is as fun as you make it, Cyyy!" Ritz's oddly booming voice crashed in the instant Mewt was considering uttering something. The young man looked down to his Digimon who was smiling by now, looking oh-so-innocent. After having a moment to consider those eyes and what he might have said were it not for Ritz's unexpected little interruption, Mewt came to the conclusion that he should be a little thankful.

He was fine now, really, and just in time for them to have come to their decision on going to the Lamb Chop. It was so peculiar to him that both Ritz and Nox seemed to sort of... suggest a date-type thing. Neither seemed to notice/care though, so Mewt thought he could have just been reading into things too much. Until Cyanide added that they should nix the drinks lest 'wrong impressions' happen. Oh goodness that flush he might have lost for a short while was back and it returned with such flair. "S-Sounds f-fine to me," the young man stuttered, this time for a beautifully different reason altogether.

No one could have known how thankful he was when he was proposed with a logical question he could answer. "That's a v-very good question and I h-happen to have the answer," Mewt started, a little matter-of-factly. "A-As I read it, sustenance functions j-just like it would in the real world. D-Digimon need to eat and drink, as well. W-When you partake in anything it's n-not supposed to strike you as a-any different than it would outside of t-the game. B-but I'm not sure if you're capable of getting d-drunk now that I think about it."

"What's getting drunk?" Ritz asked with a hop.

Mewt wrinkled his nose a little and thought about how to properly explain that to a Digimon. "I g-guess it's something like purposefully impairing y-yourself. Making yourself l-less intelligent and sh-sharp minded," he grumbled. Mewt had never been fond of the drink himself, but a few schoolmates came to mind and they certainly were.

"Sounds dumb, boss."

"Y-yeah I obviously never u-understood it," Mewt added a little bitterly.

[cyanide]

It was becoming obvious to her: Maybe she should have read up a bit about Digimon Online. Becoming more reliant on Mewt to understand the aspects of the game, both technical and just generally, was cramping up her style severely. If there was a question to be had, if she didn't understand something quite well, she'd have to turn to either Nox or the young man - and it seemed Mewt was more use than her DoKunemon in that department by far.

It wasn't something she enjoyed with particular fondness. Then again, if she hadn't needed some help to begin with, would they honestly be talking still? A good question with merit right there however, not something she was keen on dwelling on too much. There was no point in it and it was just wasting her thinking space.

But geez, he really could light up as bright as a tomato when he wanted to. It was amusing in some respects, but she pretended not to notice what she saw - as tempting as it was to throw a smirk and raise a critical eyebrow at him for it. That was one disadvantage to playing Digimon Online. You couldn't hide behind a computer screen like most average multiplayer online games. It was more difficult to become an almost entirely new personality in a virtual reality game like this one; someone good in drama would most likely make it a cakewalk. Mewt here, though? He was obviously no drama student and probably wouldn't make the best actor.

"Wow, are you for real here?" Cyanide said in awe, letting that sink in. That was super impressive, honestly. What kind of game was like this even remotely? Not much, if any at all! She wondered what possibilities it bent and stretched. What the limits were. "I'd hope you wouldn't be able to get drunk in this. As nice as it is to get smashed every once in a while, can't say I'd fancy some drunkard running around." Now that she thought about it, it would be stupid on the developers' part if they allowed anything like that.

Though when the other said he didn't understand it, she shrugged. "Some people just can't handle whatever's in their life, y'know? Getting themselves drunk's just a way of coping."

"That really true? Seems almost desperate," the DoKunemon softly chirped.

Sizing her up, Cyanide shrugged again. "Sure it is. There's some desperate people out there after all." Wanting to change the subject, she grasped for straws. Just great, now what. "So uh, besides the whole drinking thing - though uhm thanks for the whole info on sustenance thing - got anything else in the smarty pants brain of yours you could share" Grabbing a chair, she sat with the back in front of her, crossing her arms over the top and resting her chin there.

"You've actually bothered to read up on this game, unlike me. Think you gotta good idea on where we would head off to first for training and such? Nox could use it."

The DoKunemon looked offended for a moment. "Hey!"

"Just sayin'."

[mewt]

It was true, the game itself was awe-inspiring. The concept of virtual reality was mind-boggling enough, but this was so much more than the virtual reality he had dreamed of as a child. It was all encompassing, well executed, and possibly addicting when one really thought about it. After being able to speak the real world might seem like an absolutely dreadful place to be. Mewt tried not to let that thought stick around too long.

"That a-actually makes me wonder... If you c-can't get drunk in-game, could y-you be drunk u-upon entering?" Mewt mused to himself. He didn't imagine he'd get an answer, but that wasn't actually such a big problem. When the young man asked questions like that it was really more about asking himself, inviting a new subject for study sometime in the future. That made it sound a lot more nerdy than he think he intended it to be. "No m-matter if you can get drunk i-in the game or not, I imagine s-some people will find a way to p-play drunk if they want."

"S-Some people can't cope..." the words felt a little empty as they left his lips and Mewt realized he was over-thinking again. He could cope just fine- he always had. When Cyanide changed the subject though, he was instantly thankful. An excuse to stop thinking about something he need not waste time on. "Ah y-yeah I read quite a b-bit! And I think, unless you want t-to test your luck in picking fights, the b-best place to go to after this would be the p-park," Mewt answered, trying to recall anything helpful he could add.

Ritz though, she didn't seem as if she wanted to give her Tamer time to think much at all. They had settled at a table with Cyanide and Nox, but she quickly jumped up on the table and yelped, "Fight me!" The little Digimon stood proud and serious, which was rather shocking for the quirky Salamon.

"W-Wha-?"

"I mean it!! I can take'em boss, and it'll be good experience for both parties involved. Even though I'm gonna be the winner!" Ritz quickly talked over Mewt, not letting him tell her no. Her expression really said it all: she was determined to prove herself. The great change from how she usually acted to how she was currently was... quite a leap.

Mewt was somewhat dumbfounded, but he looked to Cyanide and got a look on his face that was a mix of confusion and inquiry. If the other girl wanted to try a challenge he'd indulge Ritz, but they'd both just met their Digimon partners and he didn't think the battle would last long at all.

[cyanide]

Could you be drunk upon entering? Now there was some more food for thought. That begged an answer most certainly, but she was definitely not one to give it considering she had as little clue as Mewt. If he had known, he obviously would not have mused out loud. She also supposed it was something of a rhetorical question, not looking for an answer from her to tide him. All the girl could muster was a, "Gee, I'd hope not," in a half-thoughtful response.

That was a good point to make though. If someone wanted to be drunk in-game, they'd find a way to bypass the limitations and any safety measures the game provided to keep that in check. Maybe there was a certain threshold? Like, a limited high percentage of alcohol in your blood before the game itself kick-started its protocols to boot you out of the game for your safety?

Man, that was nerdy thinking. And she was in no mood for that line of thought. Leave that to the people who developed the game, and to those who even gave a rat's arse or simply wanted to over analyse the aspects of Digimon Online. She wasn't one of those people. All she cared about was the battling, the training, and playing the game as it was meant to be played, pvp and adventuring all rolled into one.

Anyway... "The park, huh? That sounds like it makes a lick of sense," the girl said, nodding her head more to herself than to Mewt. If anything, those just starting out would stick to the central sector, right? And she assumed the park was near Asuka City, and would most likely be a place where people ended up next as they learned the ropes. "If that's what you say, then I'm thinkin' the park should be where we mosey on off to next. What do'ya say, Nox? Sound good to you?"

"That it does!" the poison worm Digimon chirped, siding with her tamer quite readily. She wasn't about to argue with Cyanide, and besides, it did sound about right. Plus the park was a nice thought. Maybe some lounging around there could happen as they brainstormed what to do afterward! However, both Digimon and player started as Mewt's Salamon bounced onto the table to announce a "Fight me!"

Both eyebrows raised, the girl chuckled softly. "Fight you?" she repeated. The pup's confidence was quite out there, and rather amusing. Cyanide wasn't ready to underestimate the eccentric Digimon though. Just because Mewt looked like a puff of breeze might barrel him over at any second didn't mean that this ball of peach fuzz came from the same litter.

Re-positioning herself, and leaning back on the wooden chair, she acted as though she were giving the proposition some serious contemplation. It really couldn't do any damage, besides a good slight to her pride if Mewt and Ritz managed to beat her and Nox. but hey, she had said she wanted to do some training indirectly, and she'd be ridiculous to deny this opportunity.

"Weeeell, I suppose that would be okay. But don't count your chickens before they hatch!" she warned the pup. "Nox ain't goin' down without a fight! Ain't that right?"

The DoKunemon shuffled her feet briefly. "You know it!"

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[mewt]

Thoughts were beginning to pile up. Mewt was grateful he did plenty of reading about the game, but his reading couldn't make the Salamon any stronger, nor could it make him properly prepared to win a battle. Fighting itself didn't seem too hard and if the young man really needed he knew he had a beginner's kit he could access to help out. An HP Disk would save Ritz if they were losing the duel, so there was that at the very least. Of course... Cyanide also had a beginner kit she could use, assuming she knew how. Mewt frowned a little and went back to his usual fretting.

After their duel, perhaps it would have been wise of him to lend time to training Ritz himself. With the kind of mouth she'd proven to have she really did need to get stronger or she was going to get them both in plenty of uncomfortable situations. Death situations? Mewt wasn't sure what it was like to die in this game, but he didn't imagine it was a very pleasant experience. Death wasn't meant to be. It was settled. Once Mewt and Cyanide parted ways he'd find a quiet place where he and Ritz could devote themselves to getting stronger.

"Y-You don't h-ha..." the young man started, trailing off quickly. Cyanide didn't seem to have a problem with the duel, and his Salamon partner wasn't exactly going to back down- that much was clear. Unfortunately for the timid boy it seemed he would be moving forth with this little battle, so there was no use in trying to fight it. "Well, if t-that's the case we'll h-have to find some place to b-battle," Mewt muttered, tapping his index finger against his chin thoughtfully.

What the young man knew of the city immediately registered in his mind and he observed it like a map. "May-maybe we should head f-for the outskirts and then once w-we're done you can head straight f-" Mewt stopped himself when a digimon scurried over to the table and placed down a few glasses of water. Looking over the digimon, the young man completely forgot it was nothing but an NPC and said, "Thank you." After watching it walk away his gaze trailed to the glass of water before him and his brow furrowed skeptically.

"I-I'm sorry, where was I?" he shook his head and turned his full attention back to Cyanide. Mewt quickly continued once he picked back up on his train of thought, "Oh, r-right. If we h-have the duel on the o-outskirts you can head straight f-for the park once it's fi-finished."

"He's got a good point!" Ritz added with an all-knowing nod. She padded across the table after that, picked up a straw and dropped it in Mewt's glass of water. "Don't mind if I doooo," the digimon mumbled happily as it began to sip casually.

He stared at his cup for a few long moments and contemplated taking a drink of the water himself. There wasn't the risk of germs, he supposed, so it didn't matter much she was sharing a cup with a dog. That was a very peculiar thought. Finally, with a little trepidation, he picked up the glass and took a small drinks. "Amazing. Who could h-have expected it to be so... realistic," Mewt murmured in awe.

"Don't get too wrapped up in that, we still gotta focus on this fight. I'm convinced I'm gonna cream you, Nox. You may look tough, but I've got style!"

"Y-You're really getting ahead of yourself..."