Subject: [o] of determined make 284 views

[esper]

A game. This was all just a stunning collection of data, beautiful and carefully crafted programming. "Haha... It's so beautiful, but if you strip it down and show it to people they won't find it so appealing." Esper muttered to himself as he held that item to his chest. No one but him would be able to touch it- after all it didn't really even exist in this carefully crafted world. It was Esper's book of secrets and it was forbidden here.

"What do you mean, Esp?" The hesitant Phascomon managed to speak, but it didn't feel like it should have. Sometimes when the Digimon looked to it's master it felt like there was something terrible within. It felt like Esper could look deep within it and see every last little detail of what made it what it was. It was right to think that.

When Esper looked to his Digimon his gaze was sharp, but not cruel. "You speak uselessly, Caitiff. Assuming there is point to answering you though, to speaking with you, I mean this world. For everyone indulging in this place and it's settings it is real, but were I to show them what makes this beautiful place function they would no longer find it quite so beautiful. Few can really appreciate the truth behind the little play that's being put on. I value it though."

Phascomon cringed at it's 'nickname' and regretted asking anything in the first place. The time the creature had spent with it's master was limited, but it should have known better. That's what it imagined at least. Despite everything, Phascomon said, "I prefer you to them, then. If they don't value what makes this place they don't really value Digimon at all..."

Esper's hand traced the edge of his book as he considered what his Digimon said to him. Fascinating creatures they were, but he never imagined they would be so different from one another. Within their data there must have been a specific kind of programming that was so stunningly advanced it created a genius AI. In the end, that would explain why someone would want him to pilfer the data.

"You confound me," Esper stated simply. Without needing to utter a word more, the young man breezed by the little Digimon and came to a stop before the waters. Ebbing in and out. It truly was a magnificent thing.

The man came to a knee and while the water lapped at his form he opened his book to read from. More information was stored in that little volume than should have been possible, but Esper wasn't just any other player.

"Are you going to look into the data again?"

"Yes."

[xavi]

Her encounters were limited which wasn't entirely awful but, at the same time, it was a bit odd to find no one with whom she could converse with. This world was still so foreign to her. Although it was truly beautiful, the woman couldn't help but sense its fleeting life. Sooner or later, all this would come to an end. Games, after all, could only last for so long.

As she moved along, her BlackGabumon continued to keep in perfect sync with her. Never a step off beat. They truly were getting this walking thing down pat. Coming to an abrupt stop (both of them), Bullet's eyes shot over to a man who was gazing into the water that was before him.

"What do you suppose they are doing," the Digimon said while turning his face up to read his human's facial expressions. Although he knew she wouldn't answer, for it was a rhetorical question, the monster still couldn't help but wonder what this man was doing. Why was that water so intriguing to him. It was just water. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

Wandering off in front of Bullet, the 'mon stopped just short of the water's edge to look over the two. "Phascomon," he said when his human opened her lips to ask a question.

Both standing off to the side of the other pair, the woman rested a hand on her hip before blowing a stream of air up at her hair. "Mind sharing what you're doing?" the woman said in a semi-sarcastic tone.

Perhaps he had dropped something in there and was looking for it? Leaning over her partner some, the woman spied a sparkling object of sorts. Was that what he was looking for?

"The necklace is over there," her hand slipped from her hip and extended forward to point at the object that laid static in the water. "I've always been really good at these sorts of things," she mused before turning on her heel.

BlackGabumon, a bit confused as to why his human was leaving so quickly, shrugged at the other Digimon before trudging after his partner.

"Uhh, Bullet. Why are we leaving so soon? I thought we were going to have a picnic lunch with them. They seem nice. And I'm hungry."

---

OOC: Hope you don't mind me joining you~! I figured Bullet could use someone like this right off the bat. Ha ha

[esper]

He snapped his book shut with a start. Business interrupted again just as he had begun to tear at the veil. Esper's claws were so close to tearing away the wrapping to look deep into the code and someone had foolishly assumed he has searching for a worthless trinket. "You leave too swiftly," Esper uttered as he came to his feet. It was almost dangerous, how calmly he spoke despite his motivations. This woman could have caught what he was truly doing and used the necklace as an excuse to leave. Esper could not allow that.

"I wasn't searching for anything, but I suppose it was... kind of you to offer your assistance regardless." An even and a tone that revealed nothing. Esper looked her over and slipped his book away somewhere only he could access it. The woman had a username he would expect from a game like this, something with 'babe' in it.

At his heels the Phascomon shifted uncomfortably and glanced to the intruders. "Why are you here?" The Digimon asked with trepidation. It was not concerned with them so much as it was with Esper. It's partner had been somewhat unpredictable since they began to travel together and there was no telling what he would do with some interactions with other players. As a matter of fact, if he drew out this conversation much it would be the first time he saw Esper having any kind of extended contact in the game.

But Esper had manners, surely enough. He would not jump straight for the throat because before all of this... he was not a bad man. In fact before hacking at all, Esper had been cautious and somewhat unsure of himself. Now though he had to protect himself and the decisions that had been made for his life. No, the decisions he had made for himself. The art of hacking would take him down a dangerous road. "Don't mind the Phascomon, it seems to lack manners."

[xavi]

No, I didn't leave fast enough. Her lips pulled back to reveal a bit of a scowl. But that was rude to say aloud, especially to a stranger -- a stranger who could have had a hidden agenda or perhaps a knife for her back. If she wanted this to benefit her, she would need to think smart but act quick. Time was of the essence and with each second she didn't reply, this male might assume her to either arrogant or timid. She was anything but timid; however, she could easily live with the assumption of being an arrogant woman.

"If I truly offered my assistance, you would be in my debt." Bullet's eyes rolled so the left to peak a glance at Esper. "I see an exchange for such a trifle finding to be… pointless."

That cold gaze of hers honed in on the Digimon that addressed she and her partner with such a caustic question. Was that this Digimon's way of saying that a "new user" shouldn't be in such a location? If so, then she, if anything, needed to prove this pair wrong. New or not, Bullet was on a mission. She was to "rule" this world and gather as much information as possible for the man show owed a debt to.

BlackGabumon remained silent throughout the entire interaction that was until now. "We have just as much a right to be here as you. We were simply passing through looking to gather data and get our bearings straight."

Taken back by her partner's words, the blonde drew a smile to her lips. Well, more like a smirk of approval. Maybe this punk isn't so bad after all.

With a simple shrug, Bullet waved off the dismissal of his mannerless partner. What was she to do now though? Their conversation was minimal, at best, and it didn't appear that it would pick up. She was thankful for this, though. Talking, especially small talk, was just tedious and, quick frankly, annoying.

At this point, though, it was more likely that things turn awkward before they grew annoying. The air between them and the silence that surrounded them was rather pathetic. How was it that she, a prime, young woman prepped for greatness, was traveling down such a lowly road these days. One step down a wrong path truly set off a change reaction.

"So what were you two searching for?" The monster put air quotes around the searching term he used. "Perhaps a second set of eyes would help make the finding of the unfindable… findable. And then we can have that picnic lunch, right?"

[esper]

At the very least, Esper could admit he respected her for being... blunt. The partnered Digimon as well, he supposed with a skeptical glance. It would have been so exciting to peek into that code and the compare it to the code of Phascomon, perhaps actually discover what fuels the personality in them.

The outstanding question he most wanted to answer concerned if their personality was determined by the personality of their partner. For all intensive purposes it would make most sense for the Digimon to mold to the person to a certain extent, lest unhappy game-goers flood the system with messages about how their Digimon was defective or generally not what they wanted. There was probably enough incessant whining that one couldn't pick whatever species they wanted, just one from a small sample.

"I don't believe it was trying to say you shouldn't be here," Esper began in reply to the Gabumon. He debated what all he would say, but with an oddly uncharacteristic smile he actually uttered, "More of a warning I think. Warning you about me, perhaps. Caitiff and I haven't had much time to get very acquainted though, so I very well could be wrong." For a moment he was less who he was due to his career choice and more who he was before all the hacking.

It passed quickly enough.

Phascomon looked up to Esper with a mix of fear and confusion, not quite daring enough to say anything. It considered it's options and wanted to try and say anything to perhaps defuse the situation if he really had made a mistake, but it was interrupted before it was given the chance at all. "Hush," It's partner held up a hand and turned his gaze back to the girl.

"As for what I'm 'searching' for, it's as I said. I'm not searching for anything. Doing research on the game would be a better way of putting it. That's no matter though," Esper dismissed the issue with a pinch of honesty. Speaking only in lies was perhaps the best way he knew to get caught, so he consciously did no such thing. If Bullet had seen what he was doing and put two and two together then he would find out in due time. If she had no clue he could cut her loose after a little investigating.

"He really appreciates the game..." Phascomon muttered softly.

"That's correct. And of course there's my reason for being here. What, pray tell, happens to be yours?" It was almost too dangerously close to small talk for Esper's tastes. If there were a way he would get rid of the nuisance entirely.