[center][h3][color=silver]Shogo Tatsugami[/color] and [color=#4682B4]Vigilemon[/color][/h3](And a brief appearance from [b][i][color=DarkBlue]DemiDevimon[/color][/i][/b])

Location: Gateway
Skills/items used: None[/center][hr][center]Collab with [@Byte][/center][hr]Well, that was... a not-inconsiderable amount of profanity in a very short timeframe. Shogo stared at the strange bat-like creature as the little wisp of flame continued to float around him, the anger that had already been quelled by their calming influence fading further into the background of his mind as he marvelled at their (her? she sounded like a granny) torrent of abuse towards the apparent angel. Despite his prior words he couldn't help but feel a mote of sympathy; he definitely wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of [i]that[/i].

Vigilemon’s body flickered into a soft white, awareness. Her body orbited the tall man’s upper half closely, helmet dipped sideways as she turned her attention to the crazy bat lady; now scooped up like some gothic teddy bear. Her eyes blinked once, twice. Then she radiated her warmth more noticeably. [color=#4682B4]"Dangerous?"[/color] She seemed to ask.

Shogo watched the wisp's movements carefully, noting her curiosity. It was strange. He didn't really know anything more than he had a few moments prior, but the warmth radiating from her brought an almost supernatural calm that had him at ease in even these apparently alien surroundings. A voice at the back of his head spoke to him to be wary of that, as he should be of anything in the bizarre situation unfolding around him; but if nothing else it did give him a moment of respite to collect his bearings and try and assess the situation from something more than a position of pure panic response.

"I don't think so," he responded cautiously to the question seemingly posed by the wisp's shift in body language, though he himself watched with a jolt of concern as the the short woman he'd briefly snapped at scoop up the bat-like creature, who almost immediately started fighting back against the sudden contact ([b]"Oi, put me down before I bite yer fucking fingers off!"[/b]). 

The flames licked cooler now, the familiar blue hues a trail of thoughts and emotions settling. Vigilemon watched the DemiDevimon closer, because so far that one was the only individual present that had no stake in whatever outcome the world could be shaped in.

Instinct pushed her to float toward the girl holding the plump ball of swears and attitude. Blank eyes somehow darkened and serious, something protective flaring with the sign of potential danger. She dipped close enough her natural heat was felt, yet didn't lash out. Simply watchful, her helmet straighter.

It seemed, however, that for the intense vitriol that had spilled from the creature's mouth just moments before, Vigilemon needn't have worried. Despite the clear power in her frame, the other creature's struggle seemed less [i]passionate[/i] than her words, fighting her grip furiously but otherwise seeming to hold herself back from doing anything that would seriously hurt the young woman, limiting herself to trying to wriggle free while her talons seemed more intent to touch the ground than anything else.

The wisp's flame eased, like a set jaw going slack when the other Digimon showed less bite than bark. Vigilemon's body dipped to acknowledge the false alarm with a nod, the wisp's heat not as oppressive now that she had allowed a respectful distance. The helmet flopped lopsided once more, imagined shoulders lowered when she orbited her own human again.

Shogo let himself breathe as well, momentary tension leaving him. He couldn't rule out that the creature's sudden gentleness was, like his own, by dint of Vigilemon's apparent influence rather than pure empathy. But also much like his own, it didn't seem to be an entirely intrusive or involuntary response; perhaps, regardless of anything else, these beings weren't as alien as they appeared. At the very least, if their values weren't entirely dissimilar to humanity, that'd give him something to work with.

The young woman holding the bat-creature begin to speak again. Shogo hadn't really meant to raise his voice at her, and he realized now that it more than likely hadn't served to do much than worsen the already-stressful situation: but he was taken aback by the sudden shift in her demeanour. She was no less loud than before, but now she was [i]significantly[/i] more collected, more animated than panicked as she leaned into the creature's own words with her own impenetrable vocabulary to try and take control of the situation. Something about it, about the way she spoke, seemed oddly familiar: had he met her before, somewhere? He didn't recognize her, but that voice and that parlance...

Well, he could worry about that later. For now, like her, Shogo couldn't help but feel like there was something to what the creature in her grasp had said. At the very least, as another apparent native of whatever bizarre world they'd been pulled away to, she appeared to have have a better idea of what was going on than anyone else here besides their host: an impression compounded by how with how confidently and casually she threw his words back at him.

Throwing themselves into the corruption? Getting mangled beyond recognition? That didn't sound very cash money, to borrow the expression. The angel (Dominimon, was it?) seemed earnest, if exasperated, but Shogo could tell when he was being run through a rehearsed script. He didn't know enough to know whether they were being mislead, but Dominimon was clearly banking on them falling in line with his designs now that he'd brought them here; he was willing to bet his presentation of the information was more strategic than objective to that end, however well-intentioned it may be.

He certainly used far too many proper nouns for his liking. God, it was like sophomore year all over again. 

The knightly instincts called Vigilemon to action, a yellow glow around her small body projecting her willingness to help in Dominimon's quest. With all her wispy strength she pushed at the tall man’s shoulder with a determined flicker. The helmet’s jagged edges digging firmly, insistent. [color=#4682B4]"Help. Protect."[/color]

The wisp gestured to the silver smartwatch with a fading trail of ember, the device's buzz seemingly in rythm to Vigilemon's own flame-like glow. [color=#4682B4]"Together."[/color]

... It was difficult not to be immediately taken in by Vigilemon. Setting aside anything else about the wisp, there was a breathless natural charm to her behaviour not dissimilar to an acquaintance's puppy bringing you a favourite toy and pleading one to play with them. Despite what his countenance suggested, Shogo wasn't made of stone; her pleas compounded in his mind that there was more at stake here than pride. 

"Look. The phrasing was... less than ideal, let's call it, but what she said wasn't entirely baseless." But he wasn't ready to set aside his qualms [i]just[/i] yet. He looked away from Vigilemon, turning his attention fully back to Dominimon; though he offered her the watch-bearing hand, half reflexively and half to assure her he wasn't deaf to her in spite of his words. "Emergency or not, you did bring us here without giving anyone the opportunity to consent. Where we're from, you'd get drowned in an ocean of litigation for significantly less."

"There are things I want to say, but they'd feel half baked after [i]that[/i], so fine. I'll hear you out." He didn't sound as sure of it as the other man who had spoken up had, but it wasn't for a lack of sincerity. He just sounded [i]tired[/i]. "I'm not concerned about a reward, but I'm not without duties of my own, so I'd appreciate a honest account of how you expect us to help you: I'm sure that much goes for everyone here."

Vigilemon beamed a bright blue shade, something between emotional warmth and... happiness as she hovered proudly beside her companion's stiff posture like he was leading a presentation and the Digimon acting as his silent moral support glowlight.

In spite of everything else going through his head, Shogo couldn't help but feel the side of his mouth creep up slightly as he looked briefly back to the little wisp. Her energy was certainly infectious: it was only the hard-wired necessity to stand his ground that smoothed it back out as he looked back up to their host. He supposed that just left the matter of...

"Tatsugami Shogo." The other man had thought to introduce himself, so he supposed it was proper. Part of him nagged that naming himself so casually wasn't advisable, but if it helped to ground the others he'd accept the consequences. "I don't know if I'd call it a pleasure, but for now I'll trust you have a good reason for bringing us here."