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LOCKED TO preybeforemeals

[One would think that Kureo Mado would be ill-suited for a peaceful place like Johto. He's a fighter, and a pretty damn good one for a man his age. Being stuck in a world without quinques - without ghouls - probably should have been enough to drive him crazy (or crazier).

But Mado always rose to the challenge, and this was no different than anything else he'd done in his life. The investigator is currently seated in the Olivine library, surrounded by books. The piles are fairly neat but the books open in front of him certainly aren't. He has two notebooks open in front of him and flips back and forth between them, writing notes and reading passages in the books he has out. This is the sort of care and dedication that would go into any of his research back home, but what exactly is the former ghoul investigator looking at?

...Pokémon type matchups. To be more specific, he's studying dual-type Pokémon and what sort of strategies work best against them. He seems perfectly content to scribble away in the notebooks, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings.]

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[Tsukiyama is never certain whether he's disappointed or relieved that this world has no equivalent for Takatsuki Sen.

Oh, it's certainly a relief to know that her work won't be utterly butchered by whomever felt the need to rewrite it with Pokémon inserted awkwardly at every turn; even beyond that, there are some things that won't hold nearly the same meaning, some things that just won't translate well, and he's fully aware of it. Just the same...he's found that he misses her turn of phrase, her ability to take him somewhere outside of his own head for a while, and as little as he'll admit it he's found himself missing a bit more than that lately and so the escape would really be nice right about now.

But c'est la vie and so it goes; he's currently got a book lying open in his hands and he's just...pacing around the place and paging through it absently, trying to decide if it's something he wants to check out properly or not (the title on this one's got a pun in it that's actually clever, if a bit terrible, and perhaps he'll reward that cleverness with a bit of his time spent actually reading the author's work instead of rolling his eyes and deciding that absolutely everything is terrible) when a sense of familiarity hits him, and it's not good familiarity, either.

He can't say what it is per se - a scent, a feeling, that strange sensation that hits when your body decides to alert you to the fact that you're no longer alone in a room and gets your hackles up, who knows. It's just something that's there and it's bothering the hell out of him and he stops abruptly and just kind of shoots those columns of books over there and the shock of white hair behind them an odd look.

Malheureux. Of course. Of. Course.

He manages to bite back the initial unpleasant response, the agitation at seeing the dove here, because such things aren't acceptable in places like this; just the same, he can't quite fight the thought that this place is his and it's being encroached on and - ]

I didn't even have to seek you out this time.

[...and his voice is quiet, but it's very, very pleasant.]

If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're making it too easy for me.

[Mado doesn't look up right away. He finishes the sentence he's writing, caps the pen, and places it aside before folding his hands in front of him and looking up at the ghoul. If he's surprised, he doesn't show it.]

Are you accusing me of going soft?

[There's a lightness behind his words that's almost teasing, but that's directly at odds with how cold his expression is. Oh, he's still smiling and as usual, one of his eyes is narrowed, but there's definitely something there. It's the same sort of expression he's always reserved for ghouls, because no matter how horrible a person is, at least they're not a ghoul.]

I didn't expect to find you here. Libraries don't seem like the sort of place you'd haunt.

[Granted he doesn't know very much about this ghoul or his likes and dislikes, but the joke just had to be said.]

[Did you just.

...anyway. You know, he's...actually not quite sure what to do with that assumption, given that he hardly thinks the dove knows him well enough to say either way. So. Only one conclusion to be drawn then, isn't there?]

It seems too "civilized," is that it?

[He raises a finger, still smirking.]

Exactly.

[Mado has seen his fair share of ghouls and just like people, they're all different. It's not unbelievable to think that a ghoul would have interest in books, but most of the ones he's hunted down have been more interested in eating.]

So did you come here merely to read or did you sniff me out?

[He's on a roll today.]

[Why not both, though. Granted, this one probably knows of him because of how active he was in the 20th Ward before all hell broke loose with Aogiri Tree, so assuming he's fixated on food is entirely reasonable (and by absolutely no means incorrect, let's be honest with ourselves), but it's not like books and food are somehow mutually exclusive.]

You flatter yourself, indagatore - this is hardly an ideal place for a fight.

[...says the guy who once desecrated the shit out of a church.]

If I intended to fight you here, I wouldn't still be sitting here, now would I?

[Mado rests his chin on his hand, watching the ghoul carefully. Presumably he's here just for a book - Mado can't tell exactly which book he's picked up from over here, unfortunately - but running into him here is almost cruel. Picking a fight in the library is the last thing anyone needs and while they might enjoy it, literally no one else will.]

[Well, yes - but let's not lie, has "this might ruin everybody's day" ever stopped them before...]

I should hope not, actually! Then I really would be insisting you'd gone soft.

[That's... very true, but then they'd get kicked out and he's not quite done with his research yet!]

Well that certainly won't do, I do have a reputation to keep, after all.

[Ah, that is a point to be made. He would really rather not be barred from this place, all things considered.

That said, however - ]

Do you, now.

[The words are brief, but the intonation is more than enough to get the point across; your name isn't exactly one that strikes fear in the hearts of ghouls everywhere, just saying.

Arima, surely. Mado, not so much.]

Whatever that reputation may be, I can't imagine there's much here that's relevant to it.

[And with that his gaze will flick back to that...everything you've got there, clearly questioning what the hell you're finding so fascinating.]

[He shrugs, not bothering to rise to the bait. He doesn't care what some ghoul thinks of him, after all.]

There are other things to focus on here.

[As for what it is he's doing... well, he's not about to get into that. You might be able to tell from some of the books' titles though, Tsukiyama.]

[Oh, he's not going to bother asking directly. Especially since he doubts having your little microcosm upset for five minutes will really hurt anything, so surely you won't mind being joined at that table of yours - don't worry, he's not anywhere near touching distance unless someone wants to stand up to attempt it, there's a fairly good expanse of table blocking the way.

That said, he's entirely more fixated on the books than anything, though he's slipped one of his fingers between the pages of his own to keep his place; his brow furrows a little bit while he looks them over, but if he has any particularly judgmental comments - ]

Your selection actually isn't bad, for what you're trying to do.

[...they...surprisingly aren't happening now.]

[Mado's expression doesn't change, though he does study Tsukiyama for a long moment before shifting his gaze to the stacks of books surrounding him.]

I take it you've studied this before?

[If that's the case then he really is slipping.]

Some, but not much - I've always preferred to learn via experience, you see. Reading is something else entirely for me.

[He pauses for a moment, briefly, turning over the next thought in his head for a moment before he continues.]

I know someone, however, who absorbs knowledge via books. I think they would appreciate some of what you have.

[It's vague, intentionally so, but it's something, anyway.]

[Again, Mado's expression doesn't shift as he files that piece of information away. Even if this particular ghoul isn't the sort to study these sorts of things, one of his acquaintances is. Interesting. It's almost like they're human!]

They've been interesting reads so far.

[He'll just say that because he has no idea how he should respond to Tsukiyama's... that.]

[Oh, ew. Don't even start putting him on your level.

People, yes. Humans, no.]

Is this what you consider interesting, then, indagatore?

Naturally. A large part of my job involves research and I wouldn't bother doing it if I had no interest in that aspect.

[...Does this seriously not interest you at all?]

Well, of course - most of us do try to not make things too easy for you.

[And then there are the raging morons like Naki who don't even try.

...if he's going to be honest, he sort of wonders where on earth Naki disappeared off to once in a while.]

That would be boring.

[There's always the thrill of the chase to look forward to, after all!]

And you claim we're uncivilized?

[There's nothing harsh behind the words, however; if anything he sounds more amused than he should.]

[He laughs at that before shifting to rest his chin against his other hand, tapping his fingers of his free hand against the desk. He's not agitated, the gesture is an idle one.]

I never claimed to be a representative of the best of humanity.

Oh, none of you are.

[Tsukiyama.]

Your sort has always amused me, indagatore. Always.

[Now isn't the time or place to get into it, and Mado doesn't feel like attempting to explain things to a ghoul.]

I suppose you find it fun to watch us chase your trail, is that it?

[He just laughs a bit at that.]

Can you blame me? You make such a display of it when one of us catches your attention.

Ah, but I'm not going to say I enjoy watching you chase mine, per se - that implies I've drawn your eye, n'est-ce pas? I haven't done anything to warrant it.

Ah, but of course not.

[He seriously doubts that, since they have notes on as many different ghouls as they can find through the details. It's possible this one isn't a big name, but isn't it also possible that he's just trying to cover for it? Either way, it doesn't really matter here, and it's not like it would matter if Mado were to return home.]

Mm.

[He traces his fingertips lightly over the spine of one of those books as he thinks.]

No, what amuses me about the likes of you is the logic that goes into your work. Human logic has always struck me as a bit of a funny thing, actually - it's interesting, but horribly flawed.

LOCKED TO preybeforemeals

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