01. VIDEO

[unfulfilledstrex]

[A man comes on the feed and it clear to those watching that he is neither short or tall, nor fat or thin. He is dressed in a fine suit, with a yellow bow with orange polka-dots tie to match. The only problem is that his suit is covered in blood, is that blood? It certainly looks like it.

He sports a smile, which stretches from cheek to cheek in an unnatural way. His eyes, oh those eyes, are dark, black , forgotten and soulless. They glimmer and you can feel an eerie chill down your spine as he stares into the feed. ]

Hello Listeners! OH, Ohhh! Viewers in this case! I’m sure all of you who are choosing to listen, view or both, look well off and nice! This is nothing more then an assumption of course but I am safe to assume and will assume you look nice!

Now, I have a bit of an issue, listeners. This thing…. A Strex pet, probably the new model has followed me around for a few minutes and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be doing that. My own pet in my studio that is trained to eat mice and enjoys a good stick in the face, but this fellow…he is not eating what I give him. I am fresh out of mice! Does anyone have any that want to sacrifice for the little guy!

The shop clerk I spoke too did not have live food and it was very disappointing, but that did not stop me! Instead I suggested human flesh, since I am to assume Strex is allowing me to test out the new Strex pet model. It’s probably a Beta and they feed from the soft skin of humans, also their blood. However the clerk seemed…shocked at the inquiry.

[He shrugs and widens his smile as he looks down at the Sableye.]

We will just have to improvise little fella. Of course we need to begin your proper re-training!

Comments

[VIDEO - PRIVATE]

[preybeforemeals]

[...Oh. Oh, no, nononono, that's -

The video Tsukiyama sends out is private, locked down; he can't be sure what happened here and he normally wouldn't be so quick to show his appearance to someone like this when one's identity is everything where he comes from - but if this is anything like what he thinks it is, it's something that probably needs to be. Um. Handled. In some way.

His voice is calm and even when he speaks, however, and at the very least he doesn't seem off-put.]

Ah, bonjour - I can't be sure what you're expecting, as I've never heard of this 'Strex' that you keep referencing...but I can assure you that anything that seems like it should be consuming human flesh here won't be able to.

[INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY YOU.]

It's fine, however; just listen to the shop clerks' advice, it'll work out.

[VIDEO - PRIVATE]

[unfulfilledstrex]

[He truly is shocked that you have never heard of such a forgiving and generous company. Everyone knew about Strex and if there were any who didn't, he felt it was his job to educate!]

I would have considered a the employee's advice if what he gave me was advice, but advice is usually helpful and what presented me with was not advice.

[Quickly he jumps topics and chooses to ignore that mention of human flesh. Instead he takes this opportunity to speak about Strex. ]

Stex! Is a company that is ever growing and I would describe it as bamboo: it's strong, independent, it can not be stopped as if expands and what a company it is. Strex allows for it's employees to be happy, with force! I would highly recommend that you get involved with Strex and you can find yourself seeing the blinding light that I surround myself with, creeping into the corners of your everyday life! It is very, very blinding, one might even go blind!

[He laughs.]

But of course Strex can even fix that.

[preybeforemeals]

[Oh, good, he's dealing with a crazy person. All right, he's...handled...worse...]

Is that so?

[And still, his words are patient; maybe even interested, a little. Let's see where this goes.]

It sounds as though this corporation can do just about anything; that's a fascinating idea. How does it go about procuring your personal happiness, monsieur - what does it do for you?

[unfulfilledstrex]

[In response he just smiles, a wide, deep, smile that cuts deep into the contours of his face.]

Strex is Strex, inquisitive stranger. I am happy if Strex is happy. When people are productive, which Strex ensures, I am happy and when there a insured perfection in my life and all that surrounds me, how can I not be happy!

[preybeforemeals]

...I see.

[he sort of doesn't see

why does he even bother talking to the new people oh my god]

Well, I'm afraid there's nothing like that here, amore, so you'll have to find your own happiness, it seems.

NOT HERE

[nvcr]

[...Cecil's not sure what to make of this post.

Should he stay the hell away? Should he talk, should he do anything

Eventually, indecision wins out, and he finds himself staring at his Gear in abject terror.]

ANON TEXT

[nvcr]

I'm pretty sure Strex isn't here.

Your life is void of any higher purpose, which is exactly as it should be.

[VIDEO]

[unfulfilledstrex]

[Now this was odd. He had no idea he could collect small words to this receiver. It is just full of technological advancements! However those words, that tone...it seemed familiar and somewhere deep in the sanity of his mind, these little words annoyed him. Despite that he smiled vivaciously and quickly responds with the most cheerful disposition.]

Strex is always here, it can not willingly leave. I- [He starts to say something and thinks better of it.] The grand purpose, that is my life, has yet to be determined, but I am sure it will be grand and bright.

[Don't be silly tiny words, how can you claim to know so much and sound so like someone he knows. Obviously he is the only one here and you cannot be him]

[nvcr]

Yeah, sure.

[He's...not really sure what he should be saying in response to that, really. At least, nothing that could give him away.]

Have you named your Pokemon yet?

[unfulfilledstrex]

[He beams. Glancing down at the pokemon he pats it's head softly.]

Yes, stranger! Her name is Vanessa! I dare say her smile surely rivals my own, wouldn't you agree.

[He moves the Gear to look upon the grinning Sableye and casts back quickly to his own deep twisted grin.]

video;

[in_praetego]

[ There is a very very odd look on his face. It's confusion. Plain and simple. Strex pet? What's a strex pet? ]

I'm... pretty sure that's actually called a Sableye. It's a kind of pokemon and probably not anything from your homeworld.

Video;

[unfulfilledstrex]

Yes, the.... [He pauses as he smiles down at the pokemon and looks back to the feed.] Pokemon. Not a Strex pet.

[A pause.]

So he or she. Oh! Not like it's gender matters, but it seems to have suffered some severe eye trauma and it lingers...around me. Is that it's programming?

Video;

[in_praetego]

The Pokedex should be able to tell you if it's a he or a she.

[ Some part of him can't help but wonder what's going through that Sableye's head right now. That second bit makes him think though. ]

I wouldn't really say they've been programmed by anyone... they're more like how animals behave. More like sentient organic beings than robots.

Video;

[unfulfilledstrex]

Pokedex? [Oh yes the odd device he was given. A moment was taken as he held it up to the pokemon and the electronic voice told him all sort of facts about the creature as well as it's gender.]

A girl...female. [He pauses again.] Vanessa...that's your name.

[He continues to smile at the Sableye for a good moment, matching the pokemon's own smile. He looks back at the feed.] What are they good for then if they can't function as a mechanical slave?

Video;

[in_praetego]

[ He's gotta question your way of thinking, Kev. ]

They're... not really slaves. Most of the people in this world rely on pokemon for anything so partners might be a closer term. Most use them for battle. Others treat them like pets.

[ A pause though to ruffle his hair. How best to explain this. ]

They really aren't mechanical, though. At least not all of them.

[video]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Oh. Oh boy. This guy looked like someone she would know, as he was raising about several dozen warning lights in her mind. Maybe it's the blood? Maybe it's the soulless black eyes? It's probably both.

It's the smallest detail, but Veronica set her jaw as she thought about what to say.]

...Strex pet model?

[video]

[unfulfilledstrex]

Oh! Another! I assure you it is most likely not the newest model of the Strex Pet. It is some other creature with a smile that is so stunning, and eyes that even rival my own!

[His smile, never thought possible, widens.]

[video]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

A-another...?

[She stares at the... Pokémon. They just got weirder and weirder.]

I, uh, think that's a Pokémon. Not a... Strexpet.

[video]

[unfulfilledstrex]

Of course! I knew that.

The device I have in my hand called it a Sableye and it is going to be a fighting machine. She will be victorious!

[video]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

Uh, yeah. You can use her to fight other Pokémon.

[Just... sort of... staring.]

text;

[ladywithnovoice]

[What in the...]

[Red isn't actually sure she even wants to respond to this guy, but a quick glance at the conversations that have happened so far at least give her a bit more to go on. Well, she supposes it can't hurt...]

Does this retraining involve eating human flesh?

[VIDEO]

[unfulfilledstrex]

No, no, unless of course this little darling wants to, but I was speaking of training it to eat mice. I'm sure it will it certainly has the shredders for it.

[He beams and intertwines his fingers.]

[text forever, sorry kevin]

[ladywithnovoice]

I don't think it'll eat the mice no matter what you do.

Those teeth are meant to chew through rock. That's what they eat.

[Video, forever you coward!]

[unfulfilledstrex]

It eats rocks!! Well isn't that delightful, I never thought, but surely one can be trained to eat mice.

she's not cecil, kevin

[ladywithnovoice]

I don't think so.

That's like feeding nothing but vegetables to a dog. They'd just get sick.