[video]

[grudgebow]

[The young woman that appears on screen is petite, dark-haired, and obviously displeased with her situation. She is, apparently, also not human, what with the pointed ears and strange wing-like appendages sprouting from her back.]

Hey! Who's in charge here? Because whoever it is, I've got some things to say to them!

[With her free hand, she hefts a Digimon into view of the screen. It's a Dracmon, and it looks kind of distraught. Well, as much as something can when its eyes are in its hands.]

First of all, where do they get off calling these things monsters? They're practically a joke! If you put one of these things in front of any real youkai, they'd probably laugh themselves sick, and that's assuming they don't just eat it as an afternoon snack.

[Yes, this is apparently the first thing she saw fit to complain about. She unceremoniously releases her grip on her partner's collar, letting him drop back to the ground below as she continues her ranting without pause.]

Secondly—

[But whatever she had intended to say next is cut off by a whimpering sound. Nue looks downward, and then she crouches, still holding D-Terminal out and away from herself to continue recording. The whimpering must be coming from Dracmon, as she promptly reaches out to jab its cheek with a finger.]

Hey! You're not going to cry, are you? If you want to make me take you seriously, whining isn't the way to do it.

[Looks like she'll probably keep bullying him until someone says something about it.]

Comments

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[codes]

I find kicking and punching is a lot more effective than insults. [ Speaking of course about the Digimon. Whether or not she's actually done any of that--well, that can be decided on those who choose to listen in. ] Youkai huh?

Is that what you are then?

[grudgebow]

I'm not insulting it. Those are just facts. [It's not harsh if it's true, apparently.] Yeah, that's right. What's it to you?

[codes]

Funny, I just didn't think Youkai had any involvement with technology. [ Ufufu. ] We're in what's called a digital simulation, I believe.

You know, the inside of a computer. Don't worry, if you're lucky some religious nutjob will build a temple just for you.

[grudgebow]

That's because we don't. [Well, except for the kappa that live on the mountain, but she's too old-fashioned for that to even occur to her.] To tell you the truth, I don't know what any of that means.

[She wears her age with pride, so she doesn't mind admitting her ignorance in these matters. Rin's comment about religious nutjobs actually makes her pause.]

...A temple, huh...

[She seems to be giving that some serious thought.]

[codes]

Yeah, I kind of figured. I guess since I'm adept with the concept of Youkai, demons, and other various things in mythology that I could hold your hand through it.

[ Can't hurt to kiss a little ass of something powerful. ] Ha, you think you could talk someone into that? I'd pay to see it.

[grudgebow]

Are you? I didn't think there were many humans like that that in the modern world. [Well, she assumes all this "computer" and "digital" nonsense is from the modern world, anyway. In any case, she seems intrigued.]

Maybe. I'm used to humans fearing me, and being worshiped isn't much different than that.

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[brentwood]

You stop that! They might be different from what you were expecting but that doesn't mean they deserve to be pushed around by you. [Those wings of hers might have made him pause before he spoke up. Might have, if he wasn't angry at the situation.]

[grudgebow]

...Eh? [She stops in mid-poke. Behind her, her wings swish back and forth, each moving independently of one another, the motion more like a tail's despite their position. The effect might be a little disorienting.] I'm not pushing it around. If it wants to be taken seriously, it needs to toughen up.

[brentwood]

You're terrorizing the Digimon. [Pray tell how that's not "pushing around".] There's training for the partner teams at the training hall. Take a look there if you're so interested in toughening up, but don't take it out on someone who's smaller than you.

[grudgebow]

Please. If you want me to show you what it means to be terrorized, I'll be more than happy to demonstrate, but I wouldn't recommend throwing that word around, either. [Other things Nue takes very seriously: Spreading fear.] A training hall, huh? Well, at least you've said one thing that's useful.

[brentwood]

Usually so many words wouldn't have to be put into "don't be a jerk".

Yes, the training hall. Look it up on the D-terminal.

oh god worst typo ever sorry ><!!

[scratchitti]

You know, if these things are as much like a Mon show as they look I'm gonna laugh when it turns into a six headed wanna be Godzilla and eats you.

nah, you just accidentally slipped into Latin :3

[grudgebow]

[Well, she stops prodding it, at least.]

"Mon show"?

i like this explination

[scratchitti]

...[Yeah the wings kinda give away that their points of origin might not be that similar. Okay he can work with this]

Stories about stupid kids catching little animals and making them transform through the power of friendship and using them to fight each other in really cute cock fights. Mostly.

[grudgebow]

Sounds stupid. [Said bluntly.] Well, if that actually happens, I might have a little more respect for him, but until then he'll just have to get used to being on the bottom of the food chain.

[scratchitti]

No you won't respect anything.

Because you'll be eaten. This is a pretty straight forward point.

[grudgebow]

Do people usually get eaten in mon shows?

[That might make them more interesting, if the monsters ate their human "owners."]

[scratchitti]

Not usually. But they go by story logic, not the real world. If some asshole tried to enslave me and I had the power of the elements or huge teeth I'd eat them.

[grudgebow]

Right. But I'm not trying to enslave this thing, see? It's the one that wants to stick around me.

[scratchitti]

I think they're compelled to.

[grudgebow]

That's not really my problem.

[scratchitti]

No, but if it can't help it that doesn't give you the right to bully it.

[grudgebow]

I'm not bullying it. It's just that applying the label of "monster" so liberally is an affront to real monsters.

[scratchitti]

You were hauling it around by the collar.

[grudgebow]

I was. So?

[scratchitti]

...

You really don't see the problem here, do you?

[grudgebow]

That's because there isn't one.

[scratchitti]

[There's no point arguing with her. Neku knows, he's kinda been here before, just from the other side.]

Hey- What's this one called, Terriermon?

Dracmon!

-thanks. Hey Dracmon. You know you can just bite her.

[grudgebow]

[This is promptly met with her shoving a hand over his mouth, the other one holding the back of his head still. Nue smiles, sweet as can be. (It isn't sweet at all.)]

If he tries it, I really will eat him for an afternoon snack.

[She's probably bluffing. Probably.]

[scratchitti]

[The fact that she moved to stop him, even if it was pretty easy to do, just proves to Neku that the idea of him fighting back was at least a worry. At least in his mind. He just crosses his arms and smirks]

Sure you will.

[grudgebow]

You think I won't? [Her grip shifts, holding Dracmon still between her hand, arm, and bust with one arm while her newly freed up hand pulls her lips aside to show off her sharper-than-human teeth.]

Monsters know the food chain's pretty harsh.

[betrayalcutsdeep]

I know they don't seem like much now, but I can personally attest that they get stronger. Which also means I wouldn't recommend abusing it, since I wouldn't be surprised if it decided to even the score once the playing field wasn't quite so one-sided.

[grudgebow]

Oh, yeah? You mean you think this little guy is going to grow up to be something respectable? [Dracmon makes a slight ghack noise as she snakes an arm around his shoulders, one hand holding his face still by the jaw as she continues to prod at his cheek.] How do you know that?

[betrayalcutsdeep]

Because I've seen one transform with my own eyes. He might not have become particularly monstrous looking, but he did prove far more powerful.

[grudgebow]

[That's enough to make her lose interest in her partner entirely, releasing him and turning her attention entirely to Jin.]

Oh, yeah? Can you tell me more about it?

[betrayalcutsdeep]

My partner, Veemon, transformed when we were under attack by an angel-like digimon on the mountain. He became a robed and caped humanoid with somewhat potent ice powers. I believe he called that form Sorcermon.

[grudgebow]

That's weird.

[A stunningly insightful contribution.]

[betrayalcutsdeep]

Stranger than an entire world composed of data with no obvious creator, capable of summoning people from other universes?

[grudgebow]

Most worlds don't have obvious creators. [She shrugs a shoulder.] As for the rest of it, I don't really get all this "data" and "digital" nonsense.

[And, based on her tone of voice, she doesn't particularly care.]

[betrayalcutsdeep]

Most worlds are also made of matter. Data doesn't behave the same way.

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[dekochan]

Hey! Don't be mean to your partner, weirdo!

[ Hypocrite tsundere reporting for arguing. ]

[grudgebow]

I'm not being mean. If he wants respect me to respect him, he's just going to have to earn it. Maybe you should mind your own business, human.

[dekochan]

And how do you expect him to earn it if you aren't willing to work with him? I was right, you really are a weirdo.

[grudgebow]

Who knows? That's not really my problem.

I don't care what you think.

[dekochan]

It is your problem, and it's everyone else's problem too. We're supposed to work together here!

[grudgebow]

[She shrugs a shoulder.] I don't have any intention of working with you humans, so it's probably best if you don't get your hopes up.

[dekochan]

Why not? Don't you want to go home?