Bleed The Gods

Raihan honestly wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Against pronouns? He didn’t know if that meant that Kirin accepted all pronouns, or if it meant that the other didn’t want to be called by any pronouns altogether.

He supposed he would just play it safe, and he would avoid any pronouns altogether with the other. Might as well.

“My name is Raihan Mazin. I decided to give up my seat as Champion to my apprentice, Iris. And then I decided to come here, so I could compete in the world crowning tournament.”

Pharmaceutical? He was a little bit curious about that. He honestly didn’t even know that the energy corporation dealt with medicine.

“What are you working on? If it isn’t classified.”

“A name to a face I’m sure I will remember.”

A truth, unfortunately.

“You are a curious man, aren’t you? I’m sure that makes you quite a socialite.”

A small laugh and a shake of their head, “I do have things I cannot tell you via my contract... but something we are working on is a cheaper alternative to the medicine we already produce. Lowering the ingredients without cutting corners will ensure a top quality product at a much lower price.”

“We hope, of course, to keep medication in arm reach of the people in Galar.”

“Doctor Kirin.”

Interesting, he supposed. He took in the appearance of the other–long hair, a labcoat, glasses that were solid and reflective. The other person looked every bit the picture of a mad scientist–someone eccentric, and someone who was probably genius.

“Nice to meet you as well. What sort of section do you work under, then? And…ahh. I’m sorry if this is rude, but I genuinely can’t tell…”

Raihan gave a bit of a shy grin, and rubbed the back of his neck.

“What’re your pronouns? I hope I’m not offending you by asking.”

The small talk, the small talk, the small talk.

The elevator wasn’t moving fast enough. He could blink out of the glass and metal box and get to exactly where he needed to go without this headache, but- he promised he wouldn’t anymore. At least to not freak out the staff or visitors or the men like the ex-Unovan Champion, shiny and new and who needs a good first impression if they were to lay their roots down.

Ugh-

“I work in the Pharmaceutical branch. No. 1 Pharmaceutical, to be exact.”

The pronoun question was... newish. Usually people would make an assumption and run with it. Kirin, personally, could not be paid to care even less about than they already do.

“I’m against them, actually.”

@cosmicblooded

He looks over at the man standing in the elevator with him, and holds out his hand.

“Hello. I’m Raihan, champion of Unova. I’m coming here to study the history of dragons. Who are you?

There was a hope once the shorter of the two had entered the tiny cable car, that the complete and utter stranger would have kept to his own. Pleasantries were... unnecessary in the long run. The amount of time it would take to talk about their names, where they work, and what the weather was like or will be like made the scientist want to chew glass.

Instead of chewing glass the moment the man turned to acknowledge them, Kirin smiled as they pressed their tinted visor higher above their nose in greeting.

“It’s a pleasure to meet such an esteem guest of our region, then. I’m Dr. Kirin, a researcher director under Macro Cosmos.”

vanilla

"Oh c'mon, we were listenin' to that." He gripes as Kirin turns off the radio he and the Hatterene had turned to a classic rock station.

Hatterene in question squinted her eyes in displeasure at her partner. Kirin stared back at her, and whatever conversation they had had the Pokemon turn her head with the softest sound of a huff.

Kirin turned their unwavering stare at the patient in the bed before taking a seat in the other free seat.

“And you can listen to it again once I leave. Not everyone is a fan of it.”

The tablet in their hands were placed in their lap as they crossed their legs over their knee.

“Because we’re so much the same.”

He looked back out, towards the windows.

“Angry at the world. Unhappy. Vitriolic. Selfish. Smart.”

They ran their thumb over their nails briefly before looking up from his tablet. Hatterene stands by the door, impassive, though her purpose was obvious with the careful amount of space the scientist has put between themselves and the dragon.

"We could have been friends."

The statement has him pausing in the moment. Nothing really had been said before now to prompt such a thing, but he frowns about it all the same.

“OH SHIT! LOOKS LIKE I’M ABOUT TO CUM SOON! WHAT’RE YOU GONNA DO?”

“HOW IS IT, GOD?”

[CONTINUES TO FONDLE THE BALLS]

“HOW IS HUMAN PLEASURE GOING FOR YOU?”

[JERKS OFF EVEN SLOWER]

[LANGUISHES IN EVERY STROKE. PRE IS BEADING ON THE HEAD]

[BANGS ON THE WALL]

"Who... in the GODDAMN is missing company time--"

The question catches her by surprise, evident in the slight widening of those icy blue hues.  The woman grows silent, crossing her legs and resting those palms at each side of her hips.

“Wasting time on people not worthy of my own.” She answers flatly, not too keen on continuing the topic and simply hoping the answer would be enough, instead turning to offer flattery, “I find your company much more entertaining, at least you have a constant feed of fear that keep me sustained.”

The answer was chewed and digested. Though he lifted his cut brow at her behind his visor. A subject she wasn’t keen on touching more on.

“You don’t like speaking of your past. Would you say it’s trauma related? I’ve only recently learned of the strain it can be on a person’s mind and emotions.”

Soft eyes watch the other curiously, the quiet tapping finally coming to a stop before the subject of her attention relaxed within their work.  Sure enough everything needed to be documented for research purposes, but settling into a routine was what really began to wear on the entity looming over.

Days felt like seconds, fleeting to her.  Yet every single one of them mattered to Kirin.

“I suppose you can only have so many variables before something changes.” A mutter, bored in her own right, “Nothing of value, meeting after meeting.  They drone on so long that it makes me wish they would breathe their last, perhaps then I could enjoy your company over theirs.”

“With how I work, I’m sure my company could not be better than theirs.”

He watches her with a small tilt of his head. Truly, he wouldn’t have pictured someone like her would have much use for business or anything relating to the sort. Masquerading as some other chaotic person in power, somewhere elsewhere it could be tolerated far more than here.