Tatianna had been happy with her purchase of that little Process Upgrade for PurgeMan, having slotted it in and restored a previous version of his Bulwark of Faith! Awesome! Even giving it a few tests, Tatianna was proud of what she'd done, and the way she still stylized his new toy. It felt great, honestly, to have him starting to get back to his old self. It was like a million stars had just lined up and perfectly at that! Eagerly stepping aboard the tram she usually took between home and school, Tatianna gave herself to the nearest seat, and would flip open that PeT of her's.
As the dark-steel and silver device was opened, which had been searched and investigated on the way here past the usual security checkpoint, the small blonde would kick her feet a little eager to see PurgeMan still using his Bulwark of Faith. "Looking good, Purgykins! Did I do a good job restoring it?" She asked, those pearly blue eyes trained intensely on the Navi on screen, seven feet tall and fearsome. "Indeed, Tatianna. It works beautifully. It can intercept only two hits, or a single piercing attack, before it returns to dust. Regardless... You've done well, and done me proud yet again. You're brilliant, dear Operator, and-" "Oh stop it, you!~ Tatianna giggles in return, face flushing a light pink. It felt so nice that he was recognizing her work, and appreciating it. She knew just enough about Navi code to restore lost data after a reset with a few upgrades.
An Eventful Encounter
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"You're sure you know the way home by train?" The voice, slightly tinny through the PET speaker, was fraught with worry. Yan imagined it would be wringing its hands, had it any to wring with. What would PET hands look like, anyway? Would they be little mechanical dealies coming out the sides, or holograms, or wait, no, what if there were a little creature that lived in the PET like a little hermit crab and what was that distant 'Hello? Hello?' sound? Oh right, phone.
"I'm here, ma'am," With titanic effort, Yan lifted the phone back up and continued shuffling onto the subway. Her host-mother continued fretting; given the eventful first month they'd had upon realizing their boarder was narcoleptic, she figured it was coming from a good place. They went back and forth awhile longer, until finally she was left alone. The train took off with a rumble, throwing her into the side-wall. Finding a seat was deemed immediately necessary; she scanned the train, despairing at the lack of empty double-seats. Options were slim: smelly old woman, sleeping maybe-hobo-maybe-college boy, empty seat occupied with overly expensive purse...there, a girl who didn't seem too offensive. Yan shuffled over and flumped down, massive purple sweatshirt bunching around her neck and ears juuuust right.
"Want me to set an alarm for when you're supposed to get off the train?" SandMan piped up, popping out of the PET as a tiny winking hologram, perched like a pixie atop Yan's backpack.
"Mmmnh, nah, I know all the stops, we'll be fine," the girl replied around a yawn, nestling deeper into her jumper. SandMan's PET was fed to the black hole of her knapsack, as Yan peered past window seat-girl out the window (seriously, didn't she know that was the optimal nap-spot, why wasn't she napping?). The world whipping by blurred into a lovely dreamlike stream of colours when she squinted, playing with her eyes until the temptation to just close the darn things grew too great. The train rattled, and she let herself be pushed into the girl's shoulder. Wasn't this kind of a social faux-pas? Well, whatever, she was here now. This was fine...just...fiiiinnnne...
"Yan? Yan!?" SandMan tried to call for attention, but it was too late; Dreamland had claimed its favourite prisoner once more. She nestled into her pillow-of-the-minute's neck, but otherwise stayed dead to the world. "Ohhhhh, we're totally gonna miss our stop," he moaned.
"I'm here, ma'am," With titanic effort, Yan lifted the phone back up and continued shuffling onto the subway. Her host-mother continued fretting; given the eventful first month they'd had upon realizing their boarder was narcoleptic, she figured it was coming from a good place. They went back and forth awhile longer, until finally she was left alone. The train took off with a rumble, throwing her into the side-wall. Finding a seat was deemed immediately necessary; she scanned the train, despairing at the lack of empty double-seats. Options were slim: smelly old woman, sleeping maybe-hobo-maybe-college boy, empty seat occupied with overly expensive purse...there, a girl who didn't seem too offensive. Yan shuffled over and flumped down, massive purple sweatshirt bunching around her neck and ears juuuust right.
"Want me to set an alarm for when you're supposed to get off the train?" SandMan piped up, popping out of the PET as a tiny winking hologram, perched like a pixie atop Yan's backpack.
"Mmmnh, nah, I know all the stops, we'll be fine," the girl replied around a yawn, nestling deeper into her jumper. SandMan's PET was fed to the black hole of her knapsack, as Yan peered past window seat-girl out the window (seriously, didn't she know that was the optimal nap-spot, why wasn't she napping?). The world whipping by blurred into a lovely dreamlike stream of colours when she squinted, playing with her eyes until the temptation to just close the darn things grew too great. The train rattled, and she let herself be pushed into the girl's shoulder. Wasn't this kind of a social faux-pas? Well, whatever, she was here now. This was fine...just...fiiiinnnne...
"Yan? Yan!?" SandMan tried to call for attention, but it was too late; Dreamland had claimed its favourite prisoner once more. She nestled into her pillow-of-the-minute's neck, but otherwise stayed dead to the world. "Ohhhhh, we're totally gonna miss our stop," he moaned.
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"Projecting." PurgeMan spoke coarsely, appearing as a much larger hologram on Tatianna's lap, looking up at SandMan and the operator therein, to get a good idea of who was laying upon his lady. Tatianna laughed a little, and would let that person lay for a second, only to nudge her. "'Scuse me, miss? You're laying on me." That little voice of Tatianna's curtly projected. Her tone was much less boisterous than before with her almost obscene laugh. "Wakey wakey...~" Tatianna spoke singsongey, giving the fellow girl a nudge.
Meanwhile, PurgeMan was glaring daggers at the other Navi, who was he to just whine? Why didn't he ask her to move? Wake her up! Alarms! It's quite a simple solution, why not take it? The metallic, filtered voice called to the other Navi, hailing the other PeT's audio receptors to speak directly, like a local call. "Wake her up with an alarm, if my beloved Op can't." He crossed his arms, that presence was just outright palpable to any witnessing this interaction. "I don't want this to become an altercation." "Purgykins, play nice. This bean's got a bean navi. They're both adorable." Resulting in a huff, the white clad navi backed off, arms still crossed, threat very clear through the air still.
Meanwhile, PurgeMan was glaring daggers at the other Navi, who was he to just whine? Why didn't he ask her to move? Wake her up! Alarms! It's quite a simple solution, why not take it? The metallic, filtered voice called to the other Navi, hailing the other PeT's audio receptors to speak directly, like a local call. "Wake her up with an alarm, if my beloved Op can't." He crossed his arms, that presence was just outright palpable to any witnessing this interaction. "I don't want this to become an altercation." "Purgykins, play nice. This bean's got a bean navi. They're both adorable." Resulting in a huff, the white clad navi backed off, arms still crossed, threat very clear through the air still.
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For all his formidable presence, such was the state of SandMan's panic that the new Navi's appearance went entirely unnoticed. His attention was focused wholly on his Operator, who had picked a fine time for a nap by all accounts. She stirred a little at the woman's jostling, but otherwise didn't budge. "No, it'll take more than that," SandMan said as he shuddered at the very thought of setting the PET's overpowered alarm off in such a crowded place. He had to offer her the option, yes, but did he like it? Not as such.
PurgeMan chose that particular moment to chime in. "Yipe!" SandMan jumped at the interjection, his voice a choked squeak. While the larger Navi was only perhaps the size of a teddy bear, the effect was much more dramatic when SandMan, by contrast, could comfortably fit in Yan's palm. "I, I mean, I could set the alarm off, you are very correct, but that would cause the altercation," he cringed, hissing through his teeth a moment. He looked to Yan, around at the crowd of humanity sharing space with them, his gaze maddening by the second. Finally he threw his hands in the air and flicked open a PET menu, squeezed his eyes shut, and jammed his hand down on a button.
<(SANDMAN NO)>
Cacophony. All conversation ground to a screaming halt. All activity ground to a screaming halt. The train ground to a screaming halt, as everyone, conductor included, turned their head to behold a tiny boy with his head in his hands, atop a PET that sounded for all the world like an echo chamber full of jackhammers. Finally did Yan awake, blearily shaking her head and looking around the train. She shut the alarm off to a collective sigh of relief. "Hey SandMan, this isn't our stop," she complained around a sleepy grin. She turned to her pillow...seatmate...pillowmate? She faced her pillowmate and made a little seated bow of apology. "Sorry, that happens a lot," she smiled dreamily, still clearly hanging onto lucidity by a suggestion of a thread. "I'm Yan, what's your name? Know why everyone's looking at us? Oh jeez, do I have a huge zit or something?" She sounded almost a little excited at the prospect.
Meanwhile, SandMan had finally recovered from his mortification. "Sorry about that...Purgykins, was it?" he offered with a quaver still hiding in his voice. The Navi was still plenty intimidating, no matter what his name was. "Yan is narcoleptic, so she can't control her sleeping very well. Things like this...tend to happen a lot," he explained.
"I will nap on everything. Everything ever," Yan confirmed with an off-kilter giggle. Her eyes suddenly went huge, or at least very plumply almond-shaped. "Oh snap, SandMan, did you say that big dude's name is Purgykins? Ohhhh my gosh how did I miss out on that," she gaped with amazement, partially at the audacity of a huge dude with such an adorable name...and partially at the dude himself. Hey, hormones were a thing and Navis could still be nice to look at, it wasn't like she was defensive about it! It or her tiny pipsqueak Navi!
PurgeMan chose that particular moment to chime in. "Yipe!" SandMan jumped at the interjection, his voice a choked squeak. While the larger Navi was only perhaps the size of a teddy bear, the effect was much more dramatic when SandMan, by contrast, could comfortably fit in Yan's palm. "I, I mean, I could set the alarm off, you are very correct, but that would cause the altercation," he cringed, hissing through his teeth a moment. He looked to Yan, around at the crowd of humanity sharing space with them, his gaze maddening by the second. Finally he threw his hands in the air and flicked open a PET menu, squeezed his eyes shut, and jammed his hand down on a button.
<(SANDMAN NO)>
Cacophony. All conversation ground to a screaming halt. All activity ground to a screaming halt. The train ground to a screaming halt, as everyone, conductor included, turned their head to behold a tiny boy with his head in his hands, atop a PET that sounded for all the world like an echo chamber full of jackhammers. Finally did Yan awake, blearily shaking her head and looking around the train. She shut the alarm off to a collective sigh of relief. "Hey SandMan, this isn't our stop," she complained around a sleepy grin. She turned to her pillow...seatmate...pillowmate? She faced her pillowmate and made a little seated bow of apology. "Sorry, that happens a lot," she smiled dreamily, still clearly hanging onto lucidity by a suggestion of a thread. "I'm Yan, what's your name? Know why everyone's looking at us? Oh jeez, do I have a huge zit or something?" She sounded almost a little excited at the prospect.
Meanwhile, SandMan had finally recovered from his mortification. "Sorry about that...Purgykins, was it?" he offered with a quaver still hiding in his voice. The Navi was still plenty intimidating, no matter what his name was. "Yan is narcoleptic, so she can't control her sleeping very well. Things like this...tend to happen a lot," he explained.
"I will nap on everything. Everything ever," Yan confirmed with an off-kilter giggle. Her eyes suddenly went huge, or at least very plumply almond-shaped. "Oh snap, SandMan, did you say that big dude's name is Purgykins? Ohhhh my gosh how did I miss out on that," she gaped with amazement, partially at the audacity of a huge dude with such an adorable name...and partially at the dude himself. Hey, hormones were a thing and Navis could still be nice to look at, it wasn't like she was defensive about it! It or her tiny pipsqueak Navi!
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That earned a light laugh from Tatianna after the first bits of adorableness were going down. Seeing SandMan jump at PurgeMan's presence, and how these two were interacting so-
SWEET MARY MOTHER OF NAT 20 ROLLS THAT IS LOUD!
Tatianna nearly leaped out of her skin at the sound of the alarm, managing to keep still until it went off, and the sleepy little woman next to her awoke. Watching her groggy eyes and comfy looking clothes, it was no wonder she always slept. Besides obvious narcolepsy, that stuff was always awesome to snuggle in. After it was all taken care of, and Tatianna looked about, she had a plan. "Relax everyone..! J-Just her alarm! It's okay! Situation normal! Sorry!" The sporting young blonde would insist, before looking back over to her sleepy friend, to intercept those words of 'Purgykins' being his actual name. "No, his name's PurgeMan, but... Purgykins is his nickname." "Only Tatianna has permission to speak to me as such. You will call me PurgeMan."
With that out of the way, Tatianna would extend her hand to Yan, hoping to break the ice a little more formally. "Tatianna at your service. Nerd, gamer, NetBattler, virusbuster, aaand sociology student!~ You're Yan, and that's SandMan, right?"
SWEET MARY MOTHER OF NAT 20 ROLLS THAT IS LOUD!
Tatianna nearly leaped out of her skin at the sound of the alarm, managing to keep still until it went off, and the sleepy little woman next to her awoke. Watching her groggy eyes and comfy looking clothes, it was no wonder she always slept. Besides obvious narcolepsy, that stuff was always awesome to snuggle in. After it was all taken care of, and Tatianna looked about, she had a plan. "Relax everyone..! J-Just her alarm! It's okay! Situation normal! Sorry!" The sporting young blonde would insist, before looking back over to her sleepy friend, to intercept those words of 'Purgykins' being his actual name. "No, his name's PurgeMan, but... Purgykins is his nickname." "Only Tatianna has permission to speak to me as such. You will call me PurgeMan."
With that out of the way, Tatianna would extend her hand to Yan, hoping to break the ice a little more formally. "Tatianna at your service. Nerd, gamer, NetBattler, virusbuster, aaand sociology student!~ You're Yan, and that's SandMan, right?"
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"PurgeMan! Right, yes, that makes much more sense," SandMan backpedalled verbally and physically, to the point he would have fallen if not for his hologram's innate ability to laugh at physics. He stood on air, muttering PurgeMan's name to himself, tasting it on his tongue. There was a name worthy of a body like that; he couldn't help but give himself a rueful glance down. This had the added effect of giving him a look down, down, all the way down the empty space to the floor. "WAH!" He quickly darted back to Yan's side, regardless that he hadn't even been in danger of falling in the first place.
The crowd returned to their business once it became clear that the little Yumlandian girl was just being a teenager. The train resumed motion. "Awww, I liked Purgykins more," Yan snarked through a jaw-cracking yawn. As her slim fingers met Tatianna's, her smile softened into something a tad more rooted and genuine. "It's nice to meet you, Tatianna. That's a heckuva rap sheet you've got there," she remarked, sounding impressed. "I think mine'd cap off at, like...bookworm, high school student..." she fingered the hem of her uniform skirt, trying to come up with more impressive titles. Her grin grew mischievous.
"Yan no," SandMan pre-emptively facepalmed, knowing what was coming.
"...sleeper agent," she finished. SandMan just sighed a most put-upon sigh, to which her smile only grew more self-satisfied. "But hey, you said PurgeMan's a NetBattler? That's cool, I've never tried that before! Could you imagine, though?" She giggled, miming making muscles and holding a great big gun of some sort,. "lil' SandMan, muscling up like PurgeMan all DAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKA? That'd be hilarious," she sniggered to herself.
"We tried virus-busting once," SandMan interjected, looking over at PurgeMan with a look very much like a man in a confession booth. "Yan fell asleep and I got chased by Spikeys for...way too long," he shuddered with remembrance. "Haven't really been to the Net much since, especially not since Yan moved here. We don't, ah, really know anyone," he tried to smile, but it was so sheepish it looked more like he was apologising for their lack of friends.
The crowd returned to their business once it became clear that the little Yumlandian girl was just being a teenager. The train resumed motion. "Awww, I liked Purgykins more," Yan snarked through a jaw-cracking yawn. As her slim fingers met Tatianna's, her smile softened into something a tad more rooted and genuine. "It's nice to meet you, Tatianna. That's a heckuva rap sheet you've got there," she remarked, sounding impressed. "I think mine'd cap off at, like...bookworm, high school student..." she fingered the hem of her uniform skirt, trying to come up with more impressive titles. Her grin grew mischievous.
"Yan no," SandMan pre-emptively facepalmed, knowing what was coming.
"...sleeper agent," she finished. SandMan just sighed a most put-upon sigh, to which her smile only grew more self-satisfied. "But hey, you said PurgeMan's a NetBattler? That's cool, I've never tried that before! Could you imagine, though?" She giggled, miming making muscles and holding a great big gun of some sort,. "lil' SandMan, muscling up like PurgeMan all DAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKA? That'd be hilarious," she sniggered to herself.
"We tried virus-busting once," SandMan interjected, looking over at PurgeMan with a look very much like a man in a confession booth. "Yan fell asleep and I got chased by Spikeys for...way too long," he shuddered with remembrance. "Haven't really been to the Net much since, especially not since Yan moved here. We don't, ah, really know anyone," he tried to smile, but it was so sheepish it looked more like he was apologising for their lack of friends.
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Tatianna nodded after letting go, giving a slight pause of thought before offering, "Oh, well Purgykins and I could hel-" "You haven't experienced the SPLENDOR of VIRUS BUSTING?!" PurgeMan interjected and his hologram leaped up at once, and slammed his fist into his chest. Seemed he was very passionate about this sort of sport-slash-job-slash-hobby. "When we get you to your stop and home, Lady Yan, we MUST take SandMan on an expedition. We could even share our homepage as a jack-in point for him, and allow you both access to ACDC network for your routine. I've... gone through a reboot, and I require the experience gain once more." "Yeah, long story short, Purgy got formatted. We're working to get him back. It'd be nice to have you two to join us, if you'd like. PurgeMan was made for Virus Busting and Net Battles, he needs... practice with socialization." Even though Tatianna came off as quite the socialite, it was clear this wasn't her element.
Tatianna also began to think a bit on something. She was lost in a bit of thought while thinking of these old events, finally snapping back with. "If you stick around with us, I guarantee you that I could get access to an alarm system to keep you up while we bust. Would that be good?" With a remote alarm button, Tatianna theorized she could wake up Yan to keep her in the zone. PurgeMan, meanwhile, floated up to land next to SandMan. "What was your purpose? I'm curious now. How could a navi, whose systems are made for combat, not have anything in a fight? If it comes to skill, I will train you."
Tatianna also began to think a bit on something. She was lost in a bit of thought while thinking of these old events, finally snapping back with. "If you stick around with us, I guarantee you that I could get access to an alarm system to keep you up while we bust. Would that be good?" With a remote alarm button, Tatianna theorized she could wake up Yan to keep her in the zone. PurgeMan, meanwhile, floated up to land next to SandMan. "What was your purpose? I'm curious now. How could a navi, whose systems are made for combat, not have anything in a fight? If it comes to skill, I will train you."
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"An expedition?" Yan's expression went dreamy and unfocused, "like, SandMan and PurgeMan exploring the wilds, looking for trouble?" She and SandMan shared an eyecatcher glance, excited puppy-eyes warring for dominance against horrified dismay. "An expedition with built-in alarms? SandMan, we can bring friends over," her voice was a very quiet teakettle whistle.
"I have a moral obligation against looking for trouble! We get into quite enough of it as it is!" SandMan's voice hit at least three octaves over the span of his exclamation. "But...well, Yan could certainly use the socialisation herself," he backed up, musing to himself, "and having someone around might help keep her awake."
PurgeMan's question cut through SandMan's monologue, pausing him and Yan both in their tracks. "Purpose...?" Yan parroted. She looked down to face PurgeMan, brow furrowed. "Well, my brother made him for me when I was...twelve, I think?" She dug through her backpack until she came up with her moon-spangled PET, turning it in her hands as she thought. "All the other kids were getting their first NormalNavis and things, and I complained and complained about it until he just made one special for me." Her reminiscing was punctuated with a rueful little glance over at SandMan. "I don't really know why he made you, but I'm sure glad he did."
"He wanted someone to help watch over you," SandMan said suddenly, looking just as lost in thought as his Operator. He shook his head a little, making the pom-pom atop his cap swing to and fro. "Xinzhe said to look out for you, since he couldn't be around all the time." Yan went suddenly very quiet, ducking her chin into her sweatshirt and looking down. SandMan tapped his chin, then clenched his fists and looked up at PurgeMan with all the resolution of an angry kitten. "Okay, I'll do it! I'll train with you, and experience *gulp* all the splendours! Because you and Tatianna will help me keep an eye on Yan, and that way I'll be fulfilling my purpose even better!" He held his pose a moment longer, until his face went stark with panic. "Yan, this is our stop! The train's about to leave! WE'RE GOING TO MISS OUR STOP!"
"WHAA!" Yan jolted to her feet, flailing with her backpack and nearly decking a fellow customer. "Quick!" she offered a hand to Tatianna, nevermind that the older girl was a decent bit taller and sturdier than her and could surely get up on her own, it was a thing people did, okay? "Take my haaaand!" she said, because she'd always wanted to; the yawn spoiled the effect somewhat
"I have a moral obligation against looking for trouble! We get into quite enough of it as it is!" SandMan's voice hit at least three octaves over the span of his exclamation. "But...well, Yan could certainly use the socialisation herself," he backed up, musing to himself, "and having someone around might help keep her awake."
PurgeMan's question cut through SandMan's monologue, pausing him and Yan both in their tracks. "Purpose...?" Yan parroted. She looked down to face PurgeMan, brow furrowed. "Well, my brother made him for me when I was...twelve, I think?" She dug through her backpack until she came up with her moon-spangled PET, turning it in her hands as she thought. "All the other kids were getting their first NormalNavis and things, and I complained and complained about it until he just made one special for me." Her reminiscing was punctuated with a rueful little glance over at SandMan. "I don't really know why he made you, but I'm sure glad he did."
"He wanted someone to help watch over you," SandMan said suddenly, looking just as lost in thought as his Operator. He shook his head a little, making the pom-pom atop his cap swing to and fro. "Xinzhe said to look out for you, since he couldn't be around all the time." Yan went suddenly very quiet, ducking her chin into her sweatshirt and looking down. SandMan tapped his chin, then clenched his fists and looked up at PurgeMan with all the resolution of an angry kitten. "Okay, I'll do it! I'll train with you, and experience *gulp* all the splendours! Because you and Tatianna will help me keep an eye on Yan, and that way I'll be fulfilling my purpose even better!" He held his pose a moment longer, until his face went stark with panic. "Yan, this is our stop! The train's about to leave! WE'RE GOING TO MISS OUR STOP!"
"WHAA!" Yan jolted to her feet, flailing with her backpack and nearly decking a fellow customer. "Quick!" she offered a hand to Tatianna, nevermind that the older girl was a decent bit taller and sturdier than her and could surely get up on her own, it was a thing people did, okay? "Take my haaaand!" she said, because she'd always wanted to; the yawn spoiled the effect somewhat
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PurgeMan gave a sagely nod to the purpose of SandMan. It... was sobering. An honest navi, made without the need for datashed, or violence. What a life that could be. What horrors could build without him, though? The thoughts of the navi were cut short as Yan and SandMan began to panic, and at once, PurgeMan returned from projections to his PET.
Tatianna, regardless, was already jolting up at the sounds of poor Yan shouting in her dreamy craze, as though even through the panic, it was like the poor girl was so damn tired! She took Yan's hand at once, rushing ahead to exit the train before the doors fully closed, ensuring to take their belongings with them, including her own. Those doors shut, and of course, the two would be on their way home. Tatianna already had sent a text to her parents, letting them know she'd be staying with a friend for the evening. An a-okay from her end, the two were finally out to embark on a co-op virus busting adventure.
No matter how many times Tatianna had to wake Yan up.
Tatianna, regardless, was already jolting up at the sounds of poor Yan shouting in her dreamy craze, as though even through the panic, it was like the poor girl was so damn tired! She took Yan's hand at once, rushing ahead to exit the train before the doors fully closed, ensuring to take their belongings with them, including her own. Those doors shut, and of course, the two would be on their way home. Tatianna already had sent a text to her parents, letting them know she'd be staying with a friend for the evening. An a-okay from her end, the two were finally out to embark on a co-op virus busting adventure.
No matter how many times Tatianna had to wake Yan up.
