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

[messianic]

[He's not supposed to be in an electronics store HE HAS NO MONEY FOR THIS. all of their funds go to weapons.

Like normal high school students.

But no, here he is, looking quite longingly at the mp3 player accessories. Hey, he's allowed to look, even if he can't afford them.

Still, when some person randomly grabs a bunch of things, he can't help but watch, because...that's strange........]

Excuse me.

[inlets]

[All of Tao's funds go to espionage technology.

Like a normal high school security guard.

Unfortunately, Tao ran out of space in his hands and arms, so he's got a pair of headphones clenched between his jaws when he turns his head around to face Minato.]

Mm?

[messianic]

[So he's dying of curiosity, but this guy is going to drop something, and Minato's helpful nature kicks in almost immediately.]

Can I help you carry some of that?

hacking yo

[afflictive]

[you know what screw you!!

Fujimaru stares at the screen for a moment, before he begins to initiate countermeasures, left hand doing what it needs to and his right hand pressed against the computer to talk to it.]

Hey, what's going on? Where is the attack coming from?

[inlets]

[Is this what they call a good samaritan?

What luck!

Half the junk in his arms is promptly dropped into Minato's.]

aw ye

[inlets]

Heh . . . so there's someone on that side, after all.

[The computer's about to feel mighty violated, because Tao returns with a vengeance. He won't go overboard just yet. But let's go with an intensity mirroring, oh, say, ten hackers at once.

That's a gentle start.]

[uncalled]

.... I can't make any sense of it at all....

[This is Sakon. He probably has some free time on his hands.

And he's kind of just. Observing as Tao picks up all the parts. And tilting his head and swinging his feet back and forth at he sits on a random counter someone should tell him to get off.]

What're you even gonna make, man?

[inlets]

[Whatever, man, as long as he's not sitting on a counter of valuable parts Tao needs.]

There's a couple of things I need to make for my coworkers. After that, these are for my personal use. I was thinking, I could do with another laptop . . .

[messianic]

[well that was...easy

and unexpected.

Minato fumbles with it all for a moment, because he wasn't expecting all of that to just be dumped into his arms, but then he just manages to balance it all and. Blinks again.]

...What do you need all of this for?

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.]

[inlets]

[After that, Tao reaches for the headphones and rests them against his neck. He huffs.]

My hobby, of course. I still needed to grab a few more parts before I head for the counter. It looks like they're low on stock, so I'll just order the rest on the internet.

Ah, let's not forget this, too.

[And then he grabs the basket on the side, which is packed full. That one he'll keep for himself. Don't you worry, Minato.]

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.]

[uncalled]

Wow! You can build a laptop just out of all this?

[sakon do you think laptops are made out of magic or something]

That's so neat. What else do your coworkers need? How can they get any more complex than a laptop?

[inlets]

[Sorry, man, but Tao ain't a witch.]

It's not really that complex. What they're getting is smaller.

[uncalled]

Yeah? Like... Mini laptops?

[but they already go on your lap does that make them-]

Like a wrist laptop? That'd be cool.

[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]

A wrist laptop? That's a good idea. But the screen might be too small . . . It'd be more like wearing a phone on the wrist instead.

[uncalled]

[He's just tilting his head at that.]

But doesn't the fact that it's attached to your wrist make it less portable? You'd need to put your hand up to your ear and look like a weirdo.

[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.]

[inlets]

[Is that even supposed to be an insult.

Weirdo.]

It wouldn't be that unusual for people with earpieces. They do it all the time.

[uncalled]

So you have an earpiece connected to your wrist? isn't that a little unnecessary?

[seriously this is the most sensible sakon will ever be and he's mostly just doing it to be contrary]

[inlets]

[They're destined to just misunderstand each other forever.]

Ah, no, the part about raising your hand to your ear, because you'd be wearing the earpiece there . . . But you're right. A wrist phone doesn't sound all that practical.

[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?]