FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Kyn returned soon after, with heavy duty gloves on, as well as a large coil of razor wire. He then dropped the razor wire in front of her, and waited for her to react before saying anything himself.

She watched the coil fall, her nose even dipping to look at it. She looked up at him, eyes rather resolute. "If you're waiting for me to tell you 'no'...you're looking at the wrong 'mon. If you want it -sharper-....I can do that."

"So then, you'd be able to to make it sharper in a quick amount of time? Also, these are still already damn sharp. The sharper you make them, the cleaner and more precise the cut. Which, considering the fact that there were rusty knives in that box, wouldn't be that much of a point made. I'm wearing gloves for this but I wonder, can you actually handle this material?" His tone was neither overly excited, or monotone, but rather his normal tone, in which he would be carrying on a casual conversation.

She picked up the wire in one clawed hand, just a loop, and actually squeezed an area that would have cut a huge gash into a normal hand. When she unclenched the limb, there was a slight line of blood, but no more than if she had just been scraped by a branch while running, or by a thorn. To answer the other question she brought it up to her fangs and ran it at an angle against therm, then brought the sharpened edge to her claws again, and this time when she ran a digit over it, it only took a little pressure to cut into her hand. "Yes, and yes."

"Very well then. The next stage is awakening Royce, if you would. He needs to see this." Kyn said, the first being a request, and the second a direct statement.

She dropped the metal coil, licking the blood from her claws, then pressing the claws to the metal post, and instead of awakening him mentally as she had before--because she wanted NO part of being in his mind at this point--she let what little static charge she had left from her training with Heji; and sent it down that arm through the post, and into the binds, a very basic jolt, but proof that she was working on learning to control more elements...that was exactly what she was showing there.

Royce did, of course, wake up with a jolt, had he had any room to move at all--which he didn't--he would have jerked, as is, he grimaced and looked down over his snout at the two of them. "Ah, you two, again...most would have run away after finding out that they were about to lose their lives, yet you two keep coming back; though I don't suppose Serena has even shared that with you yet...no, simply because she -can't-." Even now, he taunted her in the only way he could, by trying to sever the trust that was growing between them.

"I've brushed death many times before. However, that one was the most memorable. Now, Royce, you've exhausted your last chance with me. There will be no more trusting you. Ever. But, that's not the important part. I believe you and I are in need of spending a different type of quality time together here." It was then at this point, that he held up the razor wire, so that Royce could see, but he figured that Royce would... act like Royce and stick to what he was best at, but it was only to show him what exactly he would be feeling soon.

"Oh goodie, more quality time with one another, I rather enjoyed learning that you were capable of getting off on other people's pain, It means both of you have something ELSE in common aside from brushing death with me."

There was a slight twitch, either from because she was accepted her own electrical charge back, or because of the statement that Royce had made, it didn't matter, her shell crackled with the electric charge, and then she let it fade. "If you insist upon speaking, perhaps it should be more of a begging tone Royce. I'm not going to stop him as I did with the switches...not for quite a while at least." Her tone held a promise, and she responded to a look of confusion from him, with only a chuckle. "You're right though, I -AM- going to enjoy this."

"I will not get off from this, Royce. There is a major difference between us there." He then took a length of the wire, used a wire cutter, and then wrapped some of it around Royce's right wrist, creating a macabre bracelet, and pulling it tight. <Unlike Royce, I make a distinction between consensual pain, and non-consensual pain. I would have to be true sadist without a conscience to be able to get off of on torturing someone.>

<...I would say that you should be glad that you can make the distinction, but unlike you, I don't have that sort of conscience when it comes to him.> she answered simply and watched Kyn work.

Royce gave a hiss of pain as the blades bit into his skin, which soon faded as he got used to them being there; letting the blood start to ooze from the wounds.

"So, you fancy yourself as a butcher, eh Royce? Well, that is not something I go by. When you started making those cuts, I knew EXACTLY what you were doing." His tone wasn't vengeful at all, despite that fact that Royce had tried to kill him. He was keeping his temper.<Serena. Do you know what happens when Nomel juice gets in a wound...?>

<Even if I did not know before the first time you asked me, I would know now.> She answered.

"So you were able to admire my work then, good, so few 'mon are able to understand that sort of thing; and 'mon have to eat, they don't care WHERE the food comes from." He chuckled. "Even Anana has learned not to ask questions."

"Actually, about that... as of these past few months... it's been coming from me. That's the order you apparently overheard. Now then. What's one bracelet without another to match?" He chided, before cutting another another length and wrapping it around the other wrist.

"Then the fact that you've not been outed as a human yet is proof of what I've Sssaid." The hiss in the word 'said' was unmistakeable as the other 'bracelet' was added to his opposite wrist.

<Overheard....What?> That had caught Serena's attention.

"Unless someone decides to break the illusion, I'll still be a Sceptile, so I've been careful about that. Royce... would your tail grow back if it were cut off? That is one thing I do not know about the Slowpoke evolutionary line." <Apparently you mumbled in your sleep about me. Specifically the Tauros, and Anana's order.>

<....perhaps investing in a gag wouldn't be too much of a bad idea...if I can't keep my mouth shut while I sleep, that might prove problematic.>

"Eventually." he chuckled. "Month or two's time. What IS it with you and my tail? It sounds like its an aphrodisiac to your kind."

"I thought I've covered this before. Slowpoke tails are eaten because for some reason humans find them delicious. Nothing sexual about them. Though oh god Royce, now you've got me thinking about humans using those tails for a whole 'nother reason. But the main reason was because... you're going to lose part of your tail tonight." He said, preparing some more wire, and deciding what area to apply it to next. <I do not know. Sleeping with one of those in... unless you're REALLY good at breathing through your nose... which I'm sure Heji might like... mind in the gutter, um, then wouldn't that be a problem for you?>

She gave an amused wave of emotion to him through the link in response to his train of thought, though the answer would have probably been enough. <It will not be a problem for me.>

"I think I'm watching a rerun, you've made that threat before." He tried to twitch his tail in emphasis, but only managed to hurt his shoulders as there was JUST enough slack for him to pull on things, which made him hiss in pain again. "Hah, maybe I taught Serena too well when it came to the use of chains."

"This isn't a threat though, Royce. I've actually got something that isn't a knife, that will go RIGHT through bone, flesh, everything." He reached into his pack, and pulled out a clay wire cutter, that was simply two pieces of wood, and the wire itself, and held it up to Royce, AND Serena.

Serena tilted her head at it with an unspoken question, it reminded her of something she had seen the construction workers use, but...bone, really? They had been really careful not to get their fingers caught in it, so she supposed that it made sense.

Royce, not having seen the construction people working, simply laughed at the device. "You think that THAT, is going to be able to take my tail off? It doesn't look like it would be able to cut through anything, much less anything alive."

"Oh it will definitely. The fact that is... it's going to be very long and painful. I think I'll start with... three inches." He wrapped the wire around his tail, and then tightened it for emphasis.

Royce couldn't pull his tail away from the device, still it wasn't for trying, and even as his bluff was called, aside from the sweat that started to trickle down the side of his face, he didn't seem nervous at all. "Go ahead, two days and it'll be back."

Even as Kyn wrapped the wire around his tail, Serena walked over to, and grabbed a scrap of rather blood stained cloth, and wrapped it tightly around the base of his tail, cutting off the blood flow. "Don't want you passing out too early on us, now do we?" there was a slightly dark chuckle accompanied with the statement. <For the record Kyn, even though there are things I can't -tell- you about my time with Royce, you can easily go into my mind and look through the files yourself...when this night is over, I mean.>

"Well, since you say so." The next thing he did was he went over to Royce's tail, stepped on a part that was further down the base and then increased the pressure. He pulled the wire in an up and down motion, after the point in which he felt the most tension, which if it were rope, would be generating rope burn, but it wasn't.

The way he was set up, the mere action of having his tail stepped on was agony to his shoulders and hip joints, as was quite obvious from the wince and hiss, the wire on his tail made his eyes widen in shock, and earned a grunt from him.

Serena walked away from the backside, and actually closed the door, if the others needed them they could get to them through mental passageways anyway, and it wasn't as if the door would be locked; but with that done, she withdrew her head back into her shell to where her green eyes would glow in the darkness, leaving just her snout outside, and drew her claws across his knee, just a touch--that was all that was needed to leave blood in their wake, to mar his hide, as that was all she was really doing, they would sting, for sure, perhaps make the pain from being pulled backwards even greater, but it was the first time since the first night that she had touched him with such open hatred.

"Really, Royce? You couldn't piece together HOW exactly this type of thing would work? Oh just wait until you REALLY start to feel it." He continued moving until he saw blood, and then he waited for another response, and if it didn't come, he'd continue again, and again, applying the same amount of pressure but continuing the motions.

Royce growled and grunted at the taunt, as that was what he saw it as, that this would get worse, and there was nothing that he could do about it. The fact that it had made it's way through his outer layers of skin to those that were blood fed beneath, he gave no real response, not going to give him any more fire to use against him later, and definitely not going to behave as if this was just a friendly chat.

<Well, now that the formalities are over, I believe it is time to begin.> He now pulled with as much force as possible without breaking the line, and pivoted up and down. He continued like this for a while until he saw that it was actually digging pretty far into the skin. He wasn't sure how many inches it was digging in, but at this point it didn't really matter because the end result would still be that that part of his tail would be gone.

Serena didn't answer him, she was idly making the occasional mark in his thigh to test how high his blood pressure was becoming, and when it immediately oozed from the wound and refilled as she wiped it away, she licked her lips, tempted to bite, but since it would take away from what Kyn was doing, she refrained, instead standing up and putting MORE pressure on his shoulders, listening to the tendons strain, her ear flicking to the sound. Being a hunter, that wasn't something unusual to her, but she wasn't sure that Kyn could even hear it, and wondered that if he could...what his reaction to it might be.

Royce huffed and groaned, until finally it became ragged breathing, between the strain on his shoulders being added by the dragon in front of him, and the pain in his tail (quite literally) he was at the point of becoming even MORE intransitive than he normally was. He spit at Serena, uttering a curse at her that even for him, was a weak attempt at an insult.

<Serena, what the hell ARE you doing over there?> At the current rate he was going, he judged that, within fifteen minutes of this constant motion, that part of his tail would be severed, so he knew that in the meantime it would be agony for Royce since it wasn't a clean cut like a cleaver or sword would make would be PROBABLY some of the worst pain he had felt before, though he didn't know Royce at ALL apparently, and Serena knew him WAY more.

<Letting his body work against him.> She answered, and dropped back to the ground which of course, pulled on his tail to the point that the gash stretched wide open, ragged and bloody. Of course, that might make his foot slip a bit, but with all his weight on it, she doubted that seriously. She wiped the spit off of her nose, and in exchange, took a slice out of his side with her claws.

Royce haa'ed at the fact that it cut deeper, but when it was stretched, he screamed and cursed her again once he found his words. Then his tail was gone, that bit, and it felt like it was on fire, his breath in a pant, he managed one long exaggerated word. "Fuuuuck...Nng..."

Kyn sighed. "Now, perhaps maybe I'll see what all this fucking hype is about." He held the bit up to his mouth, avoiding the bone, and then bit into it.

Serena stepped over the chains on the other side to watch Kyn questioningly. "You're sure that they didn't cook that first?" She did do Royce a 'favor', though she was sure he wouldn't see it as one, and instead of leaving it as a ragged end, she made it into a clear cut, bringing yet another scream from the Slowking, who's nerve endings were still on fire as the blood was rerouted from the tail to other places instead of building up

"It doesn't really matter to me at this point, but maybe they did. I'm so used to eating raw Pokémon meat, I might as well be a wild. The next bit I'll see if you can cook for me." He realized that the way he was talking, any regular Pokémon would probably be appalled.

They were eating him? THEY were EATING him? Those words made his heart pound with not only pain, but fear, and he didn't dare look backwards, at least the Pokémon that he fed to people were dead first, this...this was a bit much, even for his twisted mind. "At....least have the courtesy.......to tell me....how I taste...." He worked to get out.

Serena chuckled at the statement. "I remember when you preferred your meat cooked, look at you." It wasn't and admonishment, in fact it seemed to be just the opposite. She licked up the stray bits of meat that she had clipped off with her claws and resisted the temptation to lick the blood from both the floor, and likely Kyn's face as well. <Annnnnd that realization just hit him, the fact that you're actually eating his tail.>

"No, I don't think you'll know. The reason why Slowpoke were targeted, was because they wouldn't feel the pain for hours. You on the other hand however... can feel it right away. It's amazing, the culture shift. From an area like Tao, where not a single shred of Pokémon meat is imported, to a place like this, where in some cases, your patrons are literally fed to others. Of course, they're usually dead before. Royce, the sensation of being eaten alive is what some predators give to their prey. Right now, YOU are MY prey. Do you understand?" The last part was said with such viciousness that Kyn believe that he may have actually growled at some point without realizing it.

Serena's eyes went wide, and she looked away from Kyn, there might have been a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks, though if there was it was hidden in the darkness of her shell. <Well, that was strangely...arousing to hear from you.> Not on the same level of Heji's dominance, but definitely there, a bit like one might feel for an idol of some sort.

"Oh, I understand. You think that that's going to make me give up and submit too, I bet." He snarled. "Beg for you to just kill me...It's REPLACEABLE, I've lost my tail a few times, when someone has tried to break me."

"Oh no, this isn't about getting you to submit at all. I'll be right back." He left the room again, did his thing, and then returned with a whole bunch of items. Namely, something that he figured Serena and Royce would both be able to recognize. Nomel Juice, and Tamato Berry Puree.

Royce looked positively horrified when he came back, before he hardened his face. He could guess what was coming, being that he had several cuts on his body. "I see..."

Serena even took a step back, had it not been Royce, she might have even shuddered, as it was she managed to avoid most of it by looking at the Tamato Puree, it LOOKED interesting, and it wasn't something that they had spoken of using previously, but SHE could guess the possible uses as well.

"Not a lot of Pokémon can eat raw Tamato Berries. There's a reason for that. Chemically... ... ... ...and that has all been combined and concentrated." He actually removed the razor wire from Royce's wrists, not bothering to be careful, which did cause more cuts.

Royce hissed as the wire was removed, and winced at the additional cuts that were added to them, still, more blood spilled as he tried to force his heart rate to slow, this would hurt enough without having more blood lost.

Serena was of course, curious, and carefully walked around to where he was holding the puree, Spicy things weren't her -favorite- thing in the world, but they were a close second after all.

Kyn switched the types of gloves that he was wearing. They were now disposable blue surgical gloves, and the first dipped his fingers into the jar filled with the Tamato Berry puree after he opened, it, took some out, and then applied it to some of Royce's wrist, making sure to actually RUB it in.

To say that Royce shuddered, hissed, grimaced, or even grit his teeth to try to bear through the pain that he felt, would be to insult the words, although he did do SOME form of each of them as the pain became worse and worse, to the point that there were tears in his eyes when he finished.

Serena was SURE that this was going to bite her in the ass, being the way that Royce was acting, still...she sniffed, and then licked the lid. Her tongue burned, still, not in a bad way, and she sat down even licked her fangs. "Pussy, it's not that bad."

"You're a Dragon Serena. You don't count as much. You should see what this stuff does to human skin." Next step was back over to jar full of the Nomel juice, and he experimented with that by taking an eye dropper, and slowly dripping into the wounds that already had been filled, to see if he could get away with combining the two effects.

The look she tossed him was a clear 'maybe later.' Which, if anything, probably would have reminded him of what she said about giving her ideas. <Heh, I don't count? Well, I suppose that since it wasn't on a cut, I really have nothing to compare it to.> Serena watched him drip the Nomel juice, and did shudder this time, even not being in Royce's mind, she could feel that one. <...Even I wouldn't be resistant to that one...>

If the Tamato berry had burned, this felt like he had been submerged in a firepit, and instinctively he tried to jerk his arm away, resulting only in more pain than he was in previously. "Gaaah, Fuck you." The curse came out before he could stop it; and he knew that eventually he would pay for the remark, one way or another, but he wasn't going to be reduced to a sobbing mess by a bit of berries.

"So then, that's more of your tail you say? Very well. I'll have it cooked this time." He said, and then went over and stepped on it again. He repositioned the clay wire cutter, and did the sawing again, only doing an inch this time.

His claws clenched as the wire started to cut into him again, once more trying to bear the pain, and instead only managed to increase the volume of his screams, his pain tolerance was slipping, that much was obvious, each bit did drive him closer to being numb, but part of him knew that Serena wouldn't let him get that far...even not being in his head, he could see the analytical looks that she was giving him, judging how much pain he was in, how much he could take...tears streamed down his face by the time that Kyn was through this time. It might have been replaceable...but it was still his limb, his appendage...now four inches of it was gone.

Serena laid down to watch, about as stoic as a guard dog, she was guarding something, of course, Royce's life--but she couldn't help admire the dominance of what was being done here, it clicked with her instincts; yes, he definitely deserved her respect to be able to adapt to her world from the human civilization, still, even this to most of her world would be cruel, unusual punishment...perhaps even to her it was on some level, but not when used like this. She did however, relay Royce's bodily status to Kyn, and the fact that with that amount of blood loss he would begin to get foggy headed as well. She suggested also that she cook the juices into the tail piece slowly, rather than a flash fry.

Kyn then did what would be considered the near unthinkable, and actually took more more razor wire and wrapped it around Royce's currently being severed TAIL, and then pulled THAT tight. Kyn did all of this without saying a word, not enjoying it, but not hating it either.

The mouth was open, but no sound came out, a silent scream, in the most literal sense of the words, had he had anything in his bladder, it would have drained...ironically, to the drain in the room, proving their designated use. His tail twitched under his foot, under the treatment, and he trembled in his bonds, his breath shaky at best.

<So he's lost his tail before in attempts to break him? Well, what happens when he meets someone who isn't trying to fucking break him anymore?> Kyn's voice was beginning to tremble, but once again, it still wasn't from excitement.

Serena took the comment and measured it carefully, and in exchange she sent a measured amount of peace to his mind set...that was something he would need amidst what she judged to be a quiet rage, and true, it was a small kernel of peace to stand up to a torrent, but where a seed was planted, it would grow. <I suppose we'll see...> She did move away from the drain, and the acrid smell; towards where he was working. <Give me the end of the razor wire, Kyn.>

Royce focused on trying to catch his breath, if he had found his voice, he was choosing not to use it.

<Tell me what you want it for, first.> He was wondering what she would possibly want it for, if not to do something with it.

<Surely you know what happens when someone grabs the end of something and pulls it from a place that it's dug into.> She answered, bringing her head out to look at him, ever predatory eyes filled with dominance. <After all, it's only going to get in your way with it stuck there. Of course, you might want to step away too, when it comes loose...> she hoped she didn't have to finish the sentence.

<Oh. Good. Though, Serena, I will step back, though for the next thing I do, I want you to heat up the length of razor wire I cut to the point in which you see it glow.> He did hand her the end of the razor wire, after switching gloves on one hand.

Serena took the wire in her mouth, careful to position it so that her fangs were the ONLY thing that came in contact with it, as her mouth had next to no protection against the sharp blades, that was definitely one of her more sensitive places. <You didn't honestly think I was going to give him a reprieve from pain, even if I was giving your arms a break, did you?> When he was far enough away, she quite literally let it rip, running to the opposite end of the room, and leaving only the sickening sound of flesh tearing, and a scream in her wake. She padded back to examine the wound, and then dropped the piece with the others. She didn't respond to the request immediately, rather waiting for him to cut the wire.

<And another thing you seemed to not be paying attention to... is that, you're literally playing with my toy here. In some sick strange way, I may thank you for helping later, but not now.> At this current point, Kyn wasn't even listening to Serena if she was giving him mental updates as to Royce's current status. He would stop when Royce passed out, and then ask Serena to cauterize the current wounds.

<Don't accuse me of not paying attention to who's property he is. I know that very well.> There was a touch of venom to her words; of course he didn't realize it was built into her via instinct at this point. <Just because -I'm- doing what you asked me to do to begin with doesn't mean I'm going to not participate in things that YOU'VE already set in motion.>

She did as she was asked, per usual, and left the Slowking hung up on the chains when she was done, then she snorted the smoke from her nose, and pulled the cloth from the base of his tail to allow blood flow back into what was left of his tail.

<Now I'm wondering, what exactly Royce has gone through in his life, that would make him turn out like he did.> Kyn's mind shifted now, applying more Tamato berries puree to various areas before stopping completely and letting Royce feel every last bit.

<You want to know? You'll have to wait until after this night is through, then I can find out, if you honestly want me to do so. I'm not touching his mind with a ten foot pole right now.> she answered, walking away from Royce to lay down and watch again; since he seemed to be working with a 'if I want your help I'll ask for it.' pretense.

<Then, I'll wait a bit for now. Let the message sink in deeper, if it hasn't already, that I'm not messing around here. I believe that ONE of the more... fearsome things one can do to a sentient Pokémon is eating them alive.> He did go over to Royce and actually licked some of the blood that he hadn't applied Tamato to, before going back a ways and sit down, and after that, he waited; not sure how long it would take.

Serena did get up and walk over to him as he waited, more for the company than to actually bother him. <One of them.> She agreed, then paused. <and once he has learned that you're not messing around, what then? I can't imagine that it will end because he learned that you mean business.> She laid her head down at his knee, forelimbs crossed beneath her chin.

It was a short while later before Royce's body came back to consciousness, squirming from the feeling of his body on fire, like he had brushed up against a Typhlosion while wearing a Cottonee cloak, hot, too hot...his eyes opened and almost immediately closed in a wince, and when he lifted his heavy head he found himself looking at his captors. Even to Kyn, the fear in his body posture--what little he could manage--and in his eyes, should have been plain as day.

<Then... I will continue even more. That is all I am going to say for now. He will not die, either.>

After Royce awoke, Kyn spoke again. "Serena... do me a favor and cauterize every single one of his wounds would you? Even his tail, which I still have plenty to go, and of course, I've only just got started on his tail." He said, indeed noticing the fear in Royce.

Royce heard the words, even saw her get up, and walk over to him, smelled the smoke as her fire built to the point that it would singe the flesh, he tilted his head down, and mouthed a word at a volume that he knew that Kyn could not perceive. 'Please....'

Serena looked up at him, gave a snorting laugh, and responded at a decibel that Kyn could indeed hear. "Funny, you're beginning to sound as you made me sound, while I was in your care." She set to work on his wounds, searing and sealing the Tamato berry into the wounds, ignoring his cries of pain. She had taken this level of pain with NO complaints...to hear him yelping like a dog at this level of pain made her question just how strong he was. <You're not allowed to take him to the brink of insanity either, if he's not able to function as an owner of the casino, then he may as well be dead.> Finally she clamped down on the squirming tail and seared that closed too. Honestly? Had she been more in the mood, she would have let him flail a bit more and just breathed the fire over it, but since he was being such a little bitch about the pain ANYWAY, she decided to give him a taste of what the inside of her mouth was like. Aside from being almost five times hotter than the flame she had been using to cauterize things; it would also induce that fear of being eaten alive again. Of course, she didn't actually bite him, or eat him, and she did move away once she was done.

<The only thing that can save him from being taken to the brink of insanity is you, Serena, and you know how.> Kyn looked closer at the way the wounds were sealed and then he switched to a new tactic. "I'm going to try something new here for a bit."

Serena stared at Kyn as if he were something she could not identify, if not crazy, her mind went over what he meant twice, looking for a more complex answer, then she snorted at the OBVIOUS answer sitting right in front of her nose...it was a good thing that her mind worked on many different levels at once, or there would have been an awkward silence to answer him. "Do as you will."

Royce had just caught his breath when Kyn approached him, and it caught in his throat as he looked over the human, shivering at the mere mention of his words to a degree that the chains binding him shook with him.

Kyn took out his hunting knife, and then he began laying various not too deep but deep enough to hurt, more than what Royce did to him. "With surgical precision, and the knowledge of a butcher. I'd say then... for every Pokémon I believe you've killed, or had killed, one particular cut will be made. I know how to avoid arteries as well, so that you do not bleed to death." Kyn said, and then he made twenty cuts into Royce's left arm, slowly, and separate from where the wounds on his wrist were.

Royce closed his eyes with a sigh, twitching at each cut. "Wouldn't matter if you know how to avoid arteries, by the time you get finished with those I'll be dead anyway. I can give you an exact number on how many, what they were, and how it was done." Fragments of his old attitude flared with the -pride- in what he had done to them.

"So it's rather a lot then? I take it you've been doing it for quite a while. Why don't you go ahead and give me an exact number?" He immediately stopped. Here was yet another opportunity for him to learn MORE and more about what Royce had committed. Just adding more fuel to the fire that would be burning him to oblivion. If he WOULD still talk that is.

Talking...this would be interesting, if he could drag it out, he would prolong the pain from happening. "Ah...I don't suppose telling you to take the current number of residents in the bay area and doubling that result would do you much good...40,324...You would have been the next quarter. Pity really, now my record his TWO marks on it for unsuccessful kills. Ironically they both circle around Serena."

"Well then... it seems as if... I've got a long way to go. I really wish that number weren't so high though. Now I'm actually going to have to take you back to my world." Kyn then did something that he hadn't before. He dipped the razor wire IN the Nomel juice, and let it sit there for a while. After it soaked for about two minutes, he then wrapped THAT length around the twenty cuts.

"Everyone wishes real numbers weren't so high." He snarled in pain, the muscles twitching. "Everyone from the parents, to the children, to Anana herself, who if you're angry at me, you should be more angry at her. She KNEW what I was, and still sent you into the Luxray's den, and I bet she didn't warn you once, never once told you to be careful, DID she?"

"She may have. Royce, where I come from... there are casinos that are run the way you used to run yours. They were controlled by criminal organizations. This is not the same world, and the rules are different here. However, one thing still remains constant here. That makes you a mass murderer in my world. Though of course, I'm not even sure WHAT defines murder here. The fact that they weren't simply wild is what makes another major difference to me." He finished talking, keeping the introduction of NEW pain out, in order to make Royce feel like there was SOME level of control. <Serena, he's right you know. Anana didn't warn me. But YOU did.>

"'Mon die here every day, they move on, it's a part of life, 'murder' doesn't exist here in the bay, we don't put up wanted posters for the people that we'd like killed because of who they are, and we don't seek out 'vengeance' or 'JUSTICE' as you seem to want to be the hand of. Who gave you the right to be upset over something that didn't happen to you?"

<I did.> She confirmed. <And I tried to protect you from it too, three times...but you'd made up your mind, and you had to see for yourself.> She paused <Anana entrusted me with warning you, she hoped that I was capable of doing so. I'm still not sure if I've succeeded or failed at that task.>

Kyn ignored Royce's question, and then changed his tone, to a tone that he'd heard, quite a long time ago, and used himself, a tone that Serena had requested that he never use again. "Then I suppose that makes you one thing. Practice." Kyn immediately took his swords, and slashed two deep gashes across Royce's face diagonally, avoiding his eyes. He didn't care if the blood stained his clothes or not.

Serena twitched at the voice, not so much at the drawing of weaponry, but the fact that she now had to watch what Kyn was doing seriously, that and the fact that he had switched to that tone nearly cracked the dam on her cool head; as was obvious by the claw marks now in the tile floor where there had been a solid tile.

Royce hissed in pain, it felt like his head had just been split open, and the blood that trickled down his snout and made him snort only made him angry. He sputtered curses at the human in front of him, if he was going to use swords on him then he at least should have been able to defend himself. For the first time in a long time, he cursed the fact that he had placed Dusk Stones all over this building and not just near the game floor, if he hadn't he wouldn't have been restricted as he was right now.

"If there's no concept of murder here, then why should I limit myself to only non-sentients? Of course, doing it one at a time in a secluded environment away from the public eye is different than openly going on a killing spree out in a town square." His voice changed from the 'Royce' tone, he was debating on whether or not he would use his swords on, which area, skipping the whole approach, and then use them to open a direct gash from the point above his original wire cuts, all the way up to his shoulder. "So I should be upset at Anana? Did you EVER stop to think that the reason why when I first met you, the reason why I didn't play your game was because of knowledge beforehand?!"

Royce winced in pain, the words made no sense. "HA! Who's been telling you to limit yourself? Certainly not me. If you're going to be around Serena and take HER word for how she sees the world, ask HER why she limits herself, why she suggested that you not kill those of us who KNOW that our reflection in the mirror, is who we are. Go on, ask." He snarled in pain again, and then his eyes widened in shock. At first, it didn't click, but when it did..."Ha...hahaha...YOU little...ha...you submitted him to the darkness of the void, submerged him, and then decided to give him a torch to light his way? Ha....that's funny."

"Narrow-minded fool, it's all you ever were, Royce." She answered. "You really need to re-evaluate the times you've seen me, but I can see that you're busy, so I'll wait until Kyn's done with you, to show you your folly."

Of course this was a time when he was not exactly completely in the most generous of moods, and so he decided to reveal something to Royce. "I happen to be insane, Royce. I don't know why you are the way you are, but I've been through hell and back, in a way that someone like you... someone like you could never ever survive. Serena wasn't there for that. In fact, Serena wasn't even ALIVE when it happened. I doubt even YOU were alive either." After that, he didn't use his swords, but he did something that would be rather sickening for MOST to see. He delivered a roundhouse kick to Royce's Jaw, followed immediately by a kick to his stomach, and chest.

Being unable to cover himself, defend himself...and the fact that he was still staring at Serena in shock, the kicks landed perfectly, and through the pain in his chest, as he got the wind back in him, he laughed again. "Your keeping...company...with an...insane human...."

"Mmmph...Perhaps he is, but then, to be able to interact and understand Pokémon completely, you have to give up a few things." She quoted, rather amused. Of course she knew what Kyn was speaking of, but she felt like there was something -wrong- with him saying that she wasn't alive back then, it just...struck her wrong. Of course she didn't make mention of it, she didn't even linger on it any more than she had to.

"I am only insane by my own definition. To others I appear perfectly normal for the most part. Royce the Butcher... that is the title I gave you... while I was talking to Serena. Now, I believe the best way to transport you back to my world, would be in a Poké Ball. Oh and Serena, you should probably seal his arm before he bleeds too much. That's a pretty deep gash."

Serena stood with an inward sigh, and pulled the one arm downward with the chain, balancing against the post as she built up that fire again, and this time, predictably when dealing with Royce, her anger colored the flame blue as she squeezed it and seared it shut; she purposely made it hurt worse than was necessary, until her jaws snapped shut, and the chain was returned back to its previous position. <I don't have to tell you that you gave your word that you wouldn't take him to your world only earlier this day, do I?> She stared at him until he answered.

Royce winced and yelled obscenities at Serena for--essentially sealing a wound and keeping him from passing out....and then the chain was pulled back up, almost dislocating his shoulder in the process.

<I also had no idea that I would brush with death either Serena. Or that I would be doing this to him.> "Royce, honestly, if you don't keep your mouth shut the next thing I will do is carve out your tongue and FEED it to you!" <I wouldn't... actually cut out his tongue since well... those don't usually grow back.>

<You're better than that.> She snorted at him. <Both things, the lying and the going back on your word...> She paused. <If you must...do try to remember though, it's a pain reflex to curse what's hurting him...as you might recall, I did the same thing until I got Inferno to seal my wounds the second day.>

<I may have forgotten. Now, there is a place, in which time is not an issue all, which is is not my world, yet is similar to. Though, I do believe your main point was him not leaving this world. Unless you were specifically referring to something else. Perhaps you should clarify.> "I doubt you'd be able to close the wound on his face that way. There's only two things that will fix that." He said, calm this time, having taking out a major portion of his emotion on that last gash.

"I am not a seamstress." She replied, turning away from him and Royce. <I -said- if you must. Just remember that where ever you go, I'm going to follow.>

"Serena, a rather odd thought just occurred to me. Because of the way a Poké Ball works... if it were used on him in this particular state, I'm not sure what would happen. Would the chains be incorporated? I don't know. Would everything that ISN'T Royce get left behind...? Well, there IS only one way to find out."

Serena clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Would be an odd thing to have the parts eaten removed from your stomach if it encompasses everything that IS Royce." She answered, flicking her tongue out. <I should probably also remind you that pants would be a good idea to go anywhere that's not your house.>

Royce shuddered, really? between the blood that was dripping down into his eye, and the tension in his muscles, he wasn't sure that he would even be in a state to fight being put into a ball, not that he could move anyway.

"Oh, by the way Royce, I never really said this to you since I wasn't exactly sure if it was just you or not but I'll say it anyway. I think your neck frill is... very interesting. As this world is much different than mine, I'd say that... a Slowking with a frill that has your coloration is not something I've seen before. Even though it appears as though you might not go to my world... you'd be rather unique." It was said with true human to Pokémon fascination. A bit of himself returning for that brief moment of admiration. <So, Royce and I were having a discussion about the various uses of Poké in this world. I'm supposing, that based upon his understanding of the way I live, based on verbal clues I may have given him, that Poké is not necessary for a Pokémon's survival here. So then I asked him, what the big deal over accumulating a debt was if the only reason why they gamble is for the sake of gambling.>

Royce reacted almost exactly the same way that Serena had when Kyn first mentioned her deformities, he snarled at him, but gave no actual words, He DID spit at Kyn, however, for the insult.

<Well, if you're not able to be self sufficient you need Poké to survive, but not if you're essentially a wild...of course, now you know what the 'big deal' is about getting a debt here is.>

<Hm, I suppose he was right then. I don't need it to survive. Royce's frill is as unique as your golden plate coloration it seems. And no, I don't REALLY know what the big deal is. Unless it's an opportunity for him to do his thing, if they don't pay.> "If anything, I'm surprised that you didn't do that sooner. I do so wonder though... if there is an accessory that mimics a Slowking frill. I haven't seen a showcase, so I don't know at all. If not, I think it'd look rather nice on some Pokémon." He wasn't directly implying it, but to anyone who KNEW him well enough, there was an almost subtle hint at the idea that he'd want to remove Royce's frill.

<Do his thing is ONE way of looking at it...yes...though you probably haven't noticed...he actually has the same deformations as I do, his tail is longer than a normal Slowking's, and the coloration difference of course.> She went over to the wall and laid down on her side. "There's not, at least, not in Tao." She answered with a slight sigh. Yes, she caught the hint, being in his mind had that effect, she simply didn't make a further reference to it, or any move to stop him.

Royce twitched at the mention of a Slowking frill accessory, and it clicked with as well. Of course there was a reason that he hadn't done it earlier, he hadn't had enough blood in his mouth to do it and leave an impression--though he had spit at Serena and earned two gashes in his side for it.

"So then, let me get this straight... Royce if you no longer had your frill, AND your Shellder was gone, you'd look similar to a slightly taller than MY average Slowbro?" Now Kyn was being LESS subtle about the prospect of removing his frill.

Royce growled and gripped the chains, trying to get some slack in them. With part of his tail missing, he was free to move his stub around, but without the tip, those links of chain weren't moving. "So you're going to do some irreparable damage? Go ahead, the thing's never been much of a statement, thought about cutting the damn thing off myself a couple times."

<But he decided against it.> Serena noted, only watching from her vantage point.

Kyn, despite everything else going on, had another moment of weakness. "Lucky or Unlucky for you, Royce, that some human tailors can replicate your neck frill. Even if I DID cut it off, you'd still be able to HAVE a neck frill. But of course you just said that it wouldn't matter if I did or not."

Serena rolled back onto her feet, perhaps she wouldn't need to keep him from driving Royce to insanity, especially if he kept giving in like this. <Your claws have lost their edge.> She commented. <You're sure you still want to call him your toy?>

Royce snarled at Kyn. "What does it matter? Why would I want something made by a HUMAN anyway? We've survived without you, and your own cloth has proven not to be tear resistant."

Ignoring Serena temporarily he said, "It was just a suggestion. Besides, fine cotton is not meant to protect, it is meant for appearance. Now... I suppose I should get back to work. Though not here." He went over to his pack and pulled out an Ultra Ball. He didn't know exactly HOW much fight Royce had in him still, but he didn't want to take any chances, and the Ultra Ball was just the last step up from a Great Ball before... the Master Ball, which would be pretty much wasted. If anything, a Master Ball... would be used in a dire emergency situation, like... an uncontrollable rampaging Legendary, without having to resort to killing it. He then went into the stance he was taught, and then threw it at Royce at full spin, aiming for his head.

Serena twitched, she didn't have to know the differences between Poké Balls to know that that wasn't one of the baselines, and almost immediately felt the urge to crush it, which came out as a rumbling growl. Of all the things NOT to approve of, this was the one that she chose.

Royce felt the impact, with his face cut, the motion of it being thrown was enough to tell him that it would hurt. The characteristic red light absorbed him, and he fought tooth and nail to avoid being kept inside. The chains didn't go with him, nor did the weights that had been hung on his crown, and they dropped to the floor with a clatter of noise.

Kyn waited to see if Royce had been 'caught' or not, before responding to anything that Serena might have to say to him.

The growl soon died down to a whine that might have been synonymous with a 'whhhy...?' but she didn't actually vocalize herself with words, her temper was flaring behind the dam that she had been using to keep herself calm, and her claws bit into the tiles again. Characteristically, the ball DID click off as Royce resigned himself to having been caught.

"Serena, it's kinda obvious that you were growling at something. I just don't know WHAT you were growling at. Perhaps you'd be willing to share?" He asked casually. He picked up the ball that contained Royce and then held it in his hand.

Serena snorted at him. "You should already know why I'm growling at you using a bloody BALL on him. Let alone a stronger one than than normal balls. Consider it this way...-I- had a choice when I let you put me into a ball, the others had a CHOICE to go consensually. 'A life style choice.'" Her voice held a rough texture to it, somewhere between the brink of tears and hatred. "Maybe I was wrong about you...maybe you're not better than any of the others you showed me."

"Oh sure, of all the things I've done here, THIS is one of the things that causes you to reevaluate me? I guess it doesn't matter that I already broke my vow about not using any of these to put NEW Pokémon into. THIS is a situation in which I was forced to."

Two steps and a leap, the growl was back in her throat as she aimed to pin him to the ground, of course, he could have just as easily avoided the action as he could have allowed it to happen, if he did, then she'd hook her claws into the ground to turn herself around to face him again. "Don't make excuses. You did not HAVE to put him in a ball, between the two of us, he could have EASILY been subdued...and don't even bother trying to reach out to the others, consider your signal jammed."

Since he didn't see any reason why it would be in his best interest at the current time to avoid the obviously angered Serena, he didn't make any move to get out of the way. "Do you even know what I was planning to do? If this is so important to you, then YOU deal with it." He then let go of the Ball containing Royce.

The snarl that came out was perhaps one of the more feral things he had heard from her; and he could consider himself lucky that her claws bit into tile and not flesh. She did pull her head away to minimize the ball and tuck it into her shell. "I've had enough of this Kyn, you asked me WHY this was the thing that made me re-evaluate you? This is the ONE thing that could draw my temper. I don't care if you maim him, maul him, bring him within an INCH of his life, but you're not going to mark him under your ownership, that's the ONE thing I will not allow of you." The hiss in her voice rumbled back. "I will not play with your toy any further than I have to; you made it clear that you didn't want me to, and I will not...I'm going to move; STAY, or you will be in more trouble than you already are, am -I- understood?" The scraping of tile accented her words.

"I understand you. However, the purpose of these things for me is not to mark ownership." He wondered just what Serena was thinking yet again. She had him thinking about what exactly he'd had in his head earlier. The memory of the first time Serena had ever BEEN in one of the balls flooded forth, causing him to continue to wonder if she even knew about his rather conflicting ideas on the situation.

"Shut up, I didn't say you could talk, until you leave this room, you will ONLY respond to what I ask; I'm sure you realize that even WITHOUT any of your torture devices, I could put you in worse pain than Royce was in previously." the rather forceful words growled out, and she stepped off of him, twisting the posts until they clattered to the ground with the other objects, nothing holding them upright, they slid to the ground; she simply kicked them aside, then pulled out the ball, pushed the button twice, once to increase its size, and again to let Royce out.

The ball rolled back towards Kyn as she pinned Royce down by his neck with one claw, and chose to break his knees with a single blow to each of them. Of course he cried out, and it was only paired with more as she wrenched his arms from their sockets at the shoulders. "THAT is how you subdue someone." The statement was clearly directed at Kyn, as she walked towards the box, taking out two pieces of wood that were tied at one end like a clothespin and iron pin, waiting for an opportunity to pull out Royce's tongue, and eventually one came. The two slips of wood were placed around the muscle, tightened down at the other end as well, and then the (now heated) iron pin was inserted through the center to keep the wood in place.

Kyn, as directed, remained silent. He took this time to reflect on the situation at hand. Here he was, yet again, in a situation where he had little to no control. Royce's words came back to him again, and he found himself, despite the oddness of it all, finding Royce to actually BE correct. Serena being the director. Here again, she had saved him, and Royce. He found himself viewing the situation in another way. Here he was, thrown into situational bipolarity; fits of insane rage, and fits of insane calmness. Despite everything that happened, every time he was either too trusting or too nice, he wound up in situations like this.

Whenever he was 'too nice' to Royce, the situation eventually got turned around on him, and he wound up in a situation similar to this. At this point, he wasn't even sure he could really trust Serena, and especially would not even think about trusting Royce, yet here something he had said turned out to be true in the most painful way, involving Serena. He of course, paid attention to Serena's little demonstration on subjugation, and listened to her comment and figured that it didn't really matter anymore. He decided, that no matter what he seemed to do, the in-the-moment effects of a situation, were always leading to something greater that would either wind up getting him killed, or closer to death. The fact remained that for the first time in a long while, he felt like a stranger here. The only thing that he could do was watch. But everything else, his drive, his motivation, were now gone.

It was a few minutes later that she walked away from Royce, and pulled the bed down from the wall, not really caring that the Slowking was now under the bed. When she next spoke, it seemed she had come back into control over her emotions, in fact, she sounded a bit tired. "Come Kyn....sit on the bed, unless you actually prefer the floor. You wanted to talk...as I recall."