Abel and Kain
25.
'Oh, you're not a Tamer? Neither's Tomomi.'
Tomomi blinked. That was a rarity - though she couldn't say she liked the tone of their voices when they said it. Though she hadn't noticed their group had a new member. The red haired girl, he realised, wearing a goofy grin and looking excited when the others explained that world, like it was the utopia it was all ramped up to be.
'You don't seem too excited,' she mused, as they fell behind on the walk to the terminal.
What was her name again?
Tomomi shrugged. 'It's not as glamorous as it looks,' she explained. 'Digital pets you fight with - or not even "pets". Most don't even talk.'
She frowned at that. 'That's sad.' Not what Tomomi had meant at all. 'I'd much rather be friends with them than make them fight.'
So the girl was idealistic.
'Aki!' the others called. 'Come on!'
So her name was Aki.
She hovered a little longer. 'I'll give it a try,' she said. 'You said most don't talk. Some do?'
'Bosses that have scripted lines,' said Tomomi, 'and apparently, the few rare partners that have an atom's worth of intelligence.' Which seemed to be what she was aiming for.