Tao | please indulge me

[inlets]

[Pick your poison:

• A reputable high school, populated by students in white uniform. Are you perhaps a transfer student? A teacher? A new addition to the security guards?
  
• You're on a computer or some database or another when the screen behaves strangely. You are now being hacked.
  
• An electronics store. Tao is picking up a copious amount of parts, almost at what looks like random, and not bothering to be quiet about it.
  
• Your choice.

Mmhahahaha.]

Comments

this is where i pretend i know what i'm doing

[afflictive]

[Fujimaru doesn't panic. Instead, with information coming from his right hand, he immediately sets up his firewalls.]

Tch. This guy's good...

[Muttering to himself and with the occasional question to the computer, he begins disconnecting some of the networks that the attacks are coming from—pinpointed using his communication with the terminal. He'd rather not have to disconnect everything altogether unless he's sure he can't handle this, but.]

this is where i also pretend i know what i'm doing

[inlets]

Wow, he's precise. I didn't think somebody like this would be here . . . I wonder what he has to hide?

[Not one to be deterred, Tao merely reroutes his disconnected attacks. He doesn't increase his aggression just yet, but there's the consistency to watch out for. He's going to try to probe around, get a feel for the goodies if he can manage a proper breakthrough.]

[afflictive]

Hang in there a little longer...!

[Still talking to the computer with one hand, Fujimaru makes to fend off Tao's attempts with the other, again disconnecting networks as Tao reroutes his attacks.

Given that he has access to most of the systems in the city, though, it's pretty important that Tao not get access, and so Fujimaru makes the decision to shut down most of the systems, keeping the necessary ones running, and reworking a few others to rely on those.

At the very least, it should hopefully narrow the other guy's windows of access—which should hopefully give Fujimaru enough breathing room to attempt to hack back.]

[inlets]

[Tao didn't get to see much. But he at least got a glimpse of what's there.]

I thought it'd be a regular database, but it was much bigger than that. Well, it's expected they'd put someone this good in charge of so many systems. Let's see what else I can do . . .

[And as Fujimaru soothes the computer, Tao furiously types away on his. Fewer channels mean stronger, concentrated attacks unlike the preceding actions. He'll hop in to swipe a piece of data or two, just for fun.

It's not like he really needs any of it.]

[afflictive]

[Well, he can afford to have a piece of data stolen (and if he were completely desperate to stop the hacking, he could end it easily by using his full power, but as far as he's concerned, this isn't worth it).]

What's this guy after...?

[On Fujimaru's part, he's now focusing less on defence and more on offence, trying to get into Tao's side.]

[inlets]

[Oh.

With such a smooth transition, he can tell this guy is proving to be way better by the second. When will he reach his limit?]

All right! Why don't you come in?

[But Tao won't make it easy, and he's now moving faster, fired up.]

[afflictive]

[Similarly, Fujimaru is working away at it, trying to get what information he can from his right hand as he attempts to hack into Tao's system.

At the moment, what he wants first is to get a sense of whoever this guy is—who'd be hacking into his system in the first place and be good enough to do it?]

[inlets]

[Tao's pulled back from attacking, a little, in favor of checking out and fending off what Fujimaru has to offer. It takes a considerable amount of concentration to counter what's being thrown at him, and the very thought of that sends thrilling chills down his spine.

But Tao is cautious, and he doesn't have much in the way of telling data on his computer. This one, anyway. He knows better than to leave a trace.]

[afflictive]

Who the hell is this bastard...?

[Once he realizes that there isn't much to gain here, Fujimaru pulls back, again focusing on keeping Tao out of his side.]

[inlets]

[Success! Only sort of, because Fujimaru had still managed to penetrate an impressive degree before pulling back. Tao follows suit.

Eventually, he slips in a small virus with the single word: Hey.]

[afflictive]

[Fujimaru just stares for a few moments—is this guy seriously making conversation with him?

Eventually, Fujimaru sends his own message.

Who are you?]

[inlets]

[Oh, good. He actually responded.

You couldn't figure it out?]

[afflictive]

[An annoyed click of his tongue, before:

You didn't leave much of a trace.]

[inlets]

[Neither did you.

You're good. That was fun.

If short-lived. But it's better that they cut it early, given that this guy was forced to shut down so many systems. That can't have been good, can that?]

[afflictive]

[Fun? Seriously? That's not the word Fujimaru would've used.

A quiet mutter to the terminal to tell him if the guy tries to pull anything while sending these messages—

Going to tell me what you were after?

He doubts it, but.]

[inlets]

[Nope, nope, he's not going to try anything. Don't you worry, computer.

I was just looking around. I only stayed because you were here.]

[afflictive]

What...?

[What's that supposed to mean?]

[inlets]

[It was interesting. You have a lot to manage, don't you?]

[afflictive]

[That's none of your business.]

[inlets]

[That's okay, Fujimaru. You don't have to answer. Tao saw it all. So he'll be positive.

At the very least, I got to meet you.]

[afflictive]

[asldkjalsd?

Fujimaru stares at the message for a few moments, as if there's some kind of deep, complicated meaning that he's not getting, before he manages a response.

You call that a meeting?]

[inlets]

[Does he strike your tsundere heart, Fujimaru?

What would you call it?]

[afflictive]

[More like you're a weirdo, Tao!!

You hacking into my systems.]

[inlets]

[Everybody is a critic!

That, too.]

[afflictive]

[There is no "too" about it.

aka that's all there was to it—it wasn't exactly a meeting.]