/vt/ - Virtual Youtubers

Birdie let loose a long breath as everyone's holograms flickered and disappeared from the faux-conference room, signaling the end of their first formal meeting. While not easy and certainly not his area of expertise, being a part of the founding of a new corporate group was a stepping stone for Birdie. He'd been run out of his own company before and forced to start with nothing; he wouldn't let that sort of thing happen again.
He stretched backwards and looked out the windows. Light rain pattered the glass and the omnipresent darkness of the city left him staring into his own reflection. Dim neon green lights in the street below cast an unnatural hue behind the ghostly apparition. It unsettled him. But he shook the thoughts from his head and stood. As he turned towards the door he found a familiar silhouette blocking the exit.
"Did it go well?" asked Zero. For once he seemed to be in a good mood, rather than his typical and perpetual indifference.
Birdie shrugged. "I think so. I've never been in a keiretsu so I wouldn't really know. I do know that it wasn't very fun, though."
"Fair enough. Do you have a minute? I want to try something new."
Birdie groaned. He hated it when he was the guinea pig for 'something new'. It was never fun! But then again he had never ended up hurt because of it.
"Only if you tell me what you're doing first. I don't like surprises."
"It's a new firewall architecture. Something passive. Mouse told me about a guard at Temptation that took him by surprise. I was working on it all day."
He considered it for a few seconds. Physical altercations were sort of Birdie's strong suit, so the risk of getting taken down by somebody like that was very real. And Zero wouldn't ask to try something if it was actually dangerous. Birdie didn't know much about tech, but he knew Zero did.
"Okay, fine," he agreed while offering his hand out. "Make it quick."
"Great," Zero answered, taking Birdies slightly larger hand in his own.
Immediately he felt the familiar rush of Zero's mind into his body and the strange whispers that always accompanied it. It raced up his spine into his skull and in a split second he felt a firewall go up. Zero's presence receded and the whispers disappeared.
His hand was released. Birdie felt very odd, as if he were suspended in water. He relayed as much to Zero. The process repeated a few times before he felt completely normal with the firewall engaged. He could feel it there around his mind but it didn't interfere with any of his senses.
"That should do it. Even if you or Mouse are taken by surprise, you should have long enough to take care of the problem," Zero stated proudly.
"Thanks," Birdie replied. "But I don't know how many more of our 'jobs' I'll be able to do now with the whole keiretsu thing."
"Well I wouldn't be so sure. Mouse was saying he had something big in store for us but got jumpy when I asked what."
Birdie liked the sound of that. 'Big' usually meant payoff, but it also usually meant risk. He still needed the capital though, now more than ever. And hell, he kind of liked the danger of it all.
Familiar jingles filled the room. Zero and Birdie answered simultaneously.
"You two there?," Mouse asked excitedly. "I've got something for us. Might be our last if we play it right."
Zero spoke up. "Is this what you were telling me about before?"
"Yeah, yeah, it's the--" Mouse began, but quickly interrupted himself, "Wait, are you two together? Scandalous!"
"I was testing the new firewall on him, Mouse," Zero responded dryly.
"Whatever you say. Anyways, meet up at the usual spot. I'll let you in on the details there. Ciao!"
Zero turned on his heel and slipped through the door without waiting. All business. Birdie gathered the last of his things before following Zero out into the neon streets. Something big was in store; he just hoped it wouldn't be a big mistake.

Birdie let loose a long breath as everyone's holograms flickered and disappeared from the faux-conference room, signaling the end of their first formal meeting. While not easy and certainly not his area of expertise, being a part of the founding of a new corporate group was a stepping stone for Birdie. He'd been run out of his own company before and forced to start with nothing; he wouldn't let that sort of thing happen again.
He stretched backwards and looked out the windows. Light rain pattered the glass and the omnipresent darkness of the city left him staring into his own reflection. Dim neon green lights in the street below cast an unnatural hue behind the ghostly apparition. It unsettled him. But he shook the thoughts from his head and stood. As he turned towards the door he found a familiar silhouette blocking the exit.
"Did it go well?" asked Zero. For once he seemed to be in a good mood, rather than his typical and perpetual indifference.
Birdie shrugged. "I think so. I've never been in a keiretsu so I wouldn't really know. I do know that it wasn't very fun, though."
"Fair enough. Do you have a minute? I want to try something new."
Birdie groaned. He hated it when he was the guinea pig for 'something new'. It was never fun! But then again he had never ended up hurt because of it.
"Only if you tell me what you're doing first. I don't like surprises."
"It's a new firewall architecture. Something passive. Mouse told me about a guard at [CLUB NAME] that took him by surprise. I was working on it all day."
He considered it for a few seconds. Physical altercations were sort of Birdie's strong suit, so the risk of getting taken down by somebody like that was very real. And Zero wouldn't ask to try something if it was actually dangerous. Birdie didn't know much about tech, but he knew Zero did.
"Okay, fine," he agreed while offering his hand out. "Make it quick."
"Great," Zero answered, taking Birdies slightly larger hand in his own.
Immediately he felt the familiar rush of Zero's mind into his body and the strange whispers that always accompanied it. It raced up his spine into his skull and in a split second he felt a firewall go up. Zero's presence receded and the whispers disappeared.
His hand was released. Birdie felt very odd, as if he were suspended in water. He relayed as much to Zero. The process repeated a few times before he felt completely normal with the firewall engaged. He could feel it there around his mind but it didn't interfere with any of his senses.
"That should do it. Even if you or Mouse are taken by surprise, you should have long enough to take care of the problem," Zero stated proudly.
"Thanks," Birdie replied. "But I don't know how many more of our 'jobs' I'll be able to do now with the whole keiretsu thing."
"Well I wouldn't be so sure. Mouse was saying he had something big in store for us but got jumpy when I asked what."
Birdie liked the sound of that. 'Big' usually meant payoff, but it also usually meant risk. He still needed the capital though, now more than ever. And hell, he kind of liked the danger of it all.
Familiar jingles filled the room. Zero and Birdie answered simultaneously.
"You two there?," Mouse asked excitedly. "I've got something for us. Might be our last if we play it right."
Zero spoke up. "Is this what you were telling me about before?"
"Yeah, yeah, it's the--" Mouse began, but quickly interrupted himself, "Wait, are you two together? Scandalous!"
"I was testing the new firewall on him, Mouse," Zero responded dryly.
"Whatever you say. Anyways, meet up at the usual spot. I'll let you in on the details there. Ciao!"
Zero turned on his heel and slipped through the door without waiting. All business. Birdie gathered the last of his things before following Zero out into the neon streets. Something big was in store; he just hoped it wouldn't be a big mistake.