pokebox | LOCKED TO preybeforemeals

LOCKED TO preybeforemeals

[Ryuunosuke kind of hates work. He doesn't mind the stealing or the Pokémon training, but he does mind having to wait tables in the game corner. It isn't a difficult job and most of the time he's as cheery as usual despite his distaste for the job. What he really hates is the downtime. When he's not working with customers, he's at a loss for what to do. Sometimes he thinks about which customers would make for the most fascinating sculptures, but the majority of the time he's stuck sweeping areas of the floor and hating literally everything his life has become.

Who would have imagined he'd be here, dressed in one of those snazzy uniforms all the game corner employees wear (with leopard-print shoes; he's been scolded numerous times for them not meeting regulation, but it's not like he cares), looking bored out of his mind? He certainly wouldn't have, but then again he's never really held a real job for any length of time. One might even say that he's grown up during his time here in Johto, but that would be a horrible mistake. He's only here for the money, after all. It's not like he's really matured any.

Once he's sure his manager isn't looking, Ryuunosuke fishes his 'Gear out of his pocket and begins to flip through the recent network posts. That's also not allowed, but it's not like he cares about that. Worst case scenario, he'll get fired and he'll get a job at the Pokémon Center or something.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[...he'd probably be offended if he knew Caster, yes.]

It can hardly be considered healthy, staying caged up all day in a place like that - what made you decide to work there in the first place, anyway?

Well, to be honest, I thought it would be more interesting than working at a Pokémon Center or a mart. I kind of did the mart thing back home, actually, so I'd rather avoid that.

I thought working there would be way more interesting than it actually is, but I guess that's what I get for thinking work could ever be interesting.

I think most would probably tell you that you're doing the wrong jobs, if you feel that way.

Yeah, I guess so, but there aren't as many job options here, right? I don't think I can become a Gym Leader or a doctor or anything, even if I did have a degree. It probably wouldn't matter here since it's not a Poké-degree.

[Does Johto or Kanto even have a college???]

Out of the jobs I can get, nothing really sounds all that interesting. Oh, but what about you? Are you working anywhere?

Yes, I -

[...wait.]

...a doctor, Uryuu-san?

[You're interested in that?

...You?]

Yeah! When I was in high school that's what I wanted to be!

[...]

Well, I guess "doctor" is kind of a broad term. I was thinking more like "surgeon".

[RYUUNOSUKE NO]

[UH

let's just

try to roll?]

Is that still a dream of yours, then?

Oh no, no way! It's way too much work to get a degree and try to get into the medical field. I'm much happier being an artist!

[YOU ARE NOT AN ARTIST STOP THAT]

Tell me about your art, amore. I'm curious about what someone like you would create.

[The statement is an easy one, rather than anything overly invested; his gaze has darted downwards, focusing on those flowers again.]

Well, this might not be the best place for it...

[THERE ARE CHILDREN PRESENT too bad people don't die when they're killed here or it'd be fun to show Tsukiyama exactly what he does!!]

...Oh?

[...do you make porn

you make porn, don't you]

What would you prefer, then?

We could discuss it elsewhere if you want, or we could just drop it. I don't really care either way.

[IT'S NOT PORN IT'S ART

VERY CLASSY STUFF

LIKE PIPE ORGANS!!!]

[...this is really doing nothing to dissuade him from the thought that you make porn.

He's quiet for a moment, making a noncommittal humming noise at the back of his throat while he finishes lacing those flowers together; you can have the finished garland he's been making rather gently settled on your head once he's done with it, however!]

Dolce.

[You look fucking ridiculous.]

As I said, Uryuu-san, I would like to hear about your art. You're a fascinating person, after all.

[Shall we, then?]

Ah, thank you! It's beautiful!

[He looks like a hot mess, doesn't he...?]

Okay, sure thing! Let's go!

[He's perfectly content to get a hotel room and pay for it; he does have a job after all and the pay from Team Rocket is enough to cover it. He takes the keys and finds the room, sitting on the bed and leaning back on his hands once the door is shut and locked.]

Well, there really in't a nice way to describe my art, so I guess I'll just cut to the chase. I'm fascinated by death - what's the most incredible way to die? What's the most satisfying way to cause death? But of course my art doesn't end there - bodies make for wonderful sculpting tools, you know!

[HE CASUALLY SAYS, NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES]

[The hotel room should probably be setting off more warning bells than it is; as it stands, Tsukiyama's thoughts are quick to shift from "amateur pornographer" to "prostitute", and he's admittedly more confused than disturbed at the fact that he's being taken somewhere out-of-the-way like this just for the sake of discussing something like art - this isn't something that humans usually do and he's fully aware of it.

Ah, but that's assuming he's human to begin with, isn't it - is it possible that Ryuunosuke is one of theirs, maybe...?

Either way, he's still willing to follow without much complaint, though he keeps his hands at his sides and away from his pockets; if this turns bad, he would prefer to be able to fight easily and immediately rather than risk getting snared by his clothing. Not that he believes himself to be capable of fighting at his full strength now as it is...whatever this place has done to his body has proven highly inconvenient, and he can never shake the constant hunger twinging through his system no matter what he consumes.

It's annoying, but it's something he's getting used to; the explanation, once Ryuunosuke starts in on it, is -

...

...not anything like what he'd expected, hold on.]

...You kill people for fun, then?

[Is that what you're telling him because ahahaha well then.]

[Why would you think he's a prostitute??? There's nothing weird about dragging a guy up to a hotel room to talk about his socially unacceptable hobbies!!]

Yep! I'm sure there are some people who would insist you can't make an art of that, but personally I find artwork using people to be the most fascinating kind of art! There's no color more beautiful than blood red, after all!

[Someone stop him before he hurts himself. Actually, don't.]

[Oh. Well, that's...]

How do you select your...ah, "sculpting tools", you called them - do you have anything in particular that you look for?

[He sounds a bit too invested and he knows it; just the same, it's a valid question.]

What it really comes down to is whether or not they'll be missed easily. I usually find women at bars and just talk to them for awhile; it sometimes takes two or three tries to find one who will work, but from there it's a matter of getting her drunk or at least tipsy and convincing her to come home with me! Sure, I like good-looking women, but I'm not going to say no to any potential victims!

[He fiddles with the flowers for a moment before continuing.]

After I summoned Bluebeard, he made me a magical bracelet that allowed me to control children just by touching them. We were trying to kill as many people as possible, so at that point it wasn't really about the art, which was kind of disappointing. I definitely prefer women since there's more of them to work with than kids. Men are fine too, but I'm not really able to overpower most men easily, so I tend to target women.

[Hey, invested is way better than running from the room in terror!]

[Tsukiyama is aware of several things as the explanation goes on; the way his heart rate is speeding up ever-so-slightly, the realization that his eyes must have dilated given how he's suddenly very aware of the way the light is falling in the room, the fact that he can feel that familiar hunger kicking up again and the knowledge that it's tied to the explanation itself in a way that takes him a moment to put into words. There's something almost irresistibly tantalizing about the idea of consuming a human that preys on other humans; granted, it wouldn't be a conquest, nor would it even be much of a challenge if Ryuunosuke's inclination to just wander into a secluded area like this with him is any indication - unless he intends to kill Tsukiyama himself once he's done talking about this, of course, but he just indicated that that's likely not the case, and if it is then he's in for an unpleasant surprise whenever he tries to overpower him...

It occurs to him, vaguely, that he would rather like to see Ryuunosuke try it; were they back home, he might have even found a way to try to encourage it. But as it stands, no one can die here, and Tsukiyama is hungry as hell, and he hasn't wanted to consume anyone in Johto nearly as badly as he wants to consume this one.]

You're making me think of something you said earlier - do you think I'm like you in this way, too, Uryuu-san?

The fact that you're still here after hearing all this kind of implies that, yeah. Though I don't know if you do the same sort of thing or if you're just morbidly fascinated. It could be either, really.

[He doesn't seem bothered by it at all, though given the way he's studying Tsukiyama, there's definitely more to it than his words imply. Tsukiyama is very calm about all this, so he most likely doesn't want to attack Ryuunosuke - if he was one of those hero-types that gets all up in arms about things like this, he wouldn't have bothered asking such a question in the first place.]

[He expected the studying; he would have been disappointed otherwise, actually.]

And what would you have done if that wasn't the case?

Well, it depends on what you would have done. I don't really care if you told everyone, though that's not exactly ideal or anything. I mean, I guess I could have tried to kill you to keep you quiet, but death doesn't stick here, so what's the point? If you wanted to leave, I would have let you.

...Of course if you had chosen to attack me instead, I would have defended myself, but it's not like I'm all that great at fighting or anything.

[He actually mulls that over for a little while, though that light smile isn't leaving his features.]

I'm not going anywhere, Uryuu-san, unless you particularly want me to.

Why would I want you to go anywhere? It's great to have someone who will listen to this without immediately saying I'm the worst person they've ever met or something like that.

[And that? That gets a laugh out of him.]

Oh, you're far from the worst! I've known some terrible people, believe me.

LOCKED TO preybeforemeals

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