-=;all the wrong places;=-

[[Shoe ♥]!]

This just had to be the place, didn't it? While to the average person, the building was concealed well off the city route, looking more like an abandoned warehouse of sorts. Such a place wasn't where Tarou belonged - it was a place much more inviting to the criminals of the day. The people the ex-prosecutor had once pursued in his quest for justice. Like it or not, all these people would be much more akin to those total jerks back in the day. The kind that didn't give half a Rattata's ass whether or not their fellow human was in proper care. Tarou couldn't keep down a sigh as he shut his eyes tightly, standing in front of the door as if suspended in temporary purposeless. As far as Organizations went, this was supposed to be the darkest - turning Pok?mon into beasts and chewing up grunts before spitting them out. If they couldn't respect their own members, how could the world count on them to work in... anyone's best interest?

However, nine years ago his brother Illu had run off with the hare-brained scheme to go join this notorious organization. If it had been anyone else, Tarou wouldn't have even given a care, and continued his life and practice back in Lilycove. But... this was Illu - the man's best friend and all around everything. The ex-prosecutor would give up anything and everything for him - even his view on righteousness. As long as they could find each other once again....

Which led him to where he was now. Loitering in front of a building when the man clearly had scheduled an appointment. It wasn't as if he had time for this sort of thing. No, Tarou had only left room for two hours (and that was at the very most) for this little trip. There was no use in stalling in front of the door when he could clearly just get this over with. Besides, this Mr. Nox couldn't be as bad or as strict as a few of his overseers back in his intern days. The man was probably just planning on using all the grunts he could get for his 'diabolical' plans - not that they could be that intelligent. Ten years and still struggling, Mister Nox? How groundbreaking. Though, it wasn't like Tarou exactly minded, except for the fact that Illu might have come home after excusing himself from the organization. Or at least given him a call.

The intentions of Nox had been clear ever since the man had picked up the phone to schedule an appointment. He was to be a puppet - a simple pawn in the wide came of chess between the white and black side - Levis and Nox. Malcolm and the other were the Queens, while the Kings were the overall secrets of the different balls. There were other players, of course, but those were the important ones... as far as he was concerned. It was unlikely that he would be promoted - not like Tarou wished to be, anyway. The less involved the green haired man became with the team, the easier it would be to slip away. Sure, that may not be legal... but... he was sure that any respectable judge would understand. Especially if said judge had heard of him before, the fantastic Miyagi. No one would object to a simple 'investigation' on his part, to save his brother from their evils and such. Then he could launch a full-scale lawsuit on the entire team, with the evidence to support it. So Illu would be free, and Nox would be destroyed from the inside out.

What a perfect ending.

With this fresh and bright outlook, Tarou stepped proudly through the door, holding a very respectable position. Even though the man was short, there was just something about him... from the rectangle glasses and air of importance, that just demanded proper company. A no-nonsense sort of look to him, even. Crimson eyes darted to the secretary seated behind her desk, idly flipping through papers and arguing softly with a disgusting looking Pok?mon. Tarou wasn't normally so picky, but the purple aura surrounding the poor creature was just brimming with pure evil. What a disgusting way to treat a Pok?mon - even Tarou, who wasn't as obsessive with the animals as most others were, could see this. Well, he's have his one Shadow-tainted beast, and the rest would be respectable, pure Pok?mon. Something that Illu might be proud of... well, if he wasn't corrupted.

You may call him an optimist, thinking that life would be just the same as soon as he and his brother were reunited. Though, it was the only hope he had, and he was grasping for straws by this point. How ironic was it that the precious Illu that graced his dreams and he remained loyal to had been dead for seven years? Due to his own rebellious stupidity, of course. Which would explain why he never called.
Not like Tarou had any clue as to this.

No, in his mind (and what he believed to be true), Illu was just busy and hadn't bothered to give him a call. His brother just had to be successful, even if the receptionist hadn't grasped the name. Though she was a woman - what she did know?

"Excuse me, Miss?" No malice tinged his voice, which was calm and flat, nothing to be afraid of. However, he couldn't help with be slightly annoyed with her, as she failed to even look up from her little world to address him. What kind of service was this? Oh, right, he was to be a tool. A setting that came rather naturally to him... and so it wouldn't be difficult to fake loyalty to such a despicable cause.

"Oh, yes? What do you want...?" The lady answered slowly, taking in her visitor.
"My name is Miyagi Tarou... I have an appointment with a Mr. Nox? I'm a new recruit, you see. If you're organized enough to write these sorts of things down, you'll see I scheduled for two PM... I'm only two minutes late, and for that I apologize..."
"Oh, right... Mr. Miyagi, then. Go right in - I'm sure he's expecting you."
"Thankyou very much, Miss. Much obliged." With that final word, Tarou turned and entered a long hallway. It wasn't like he needed directions to find a well-crafted door with a nameplate on it.

Just as he suspected, he saw the door with the golden plate screaming 'Malcolm Nox' in serious, bolded capital letters. He straighten his tie smartly, readjusted his glasses, and rapped sharply on the door.
"Excuse me, Mister Nox? My name is Miyagi Tarou... I have a two o' clock appointment... I know I'm about three minutes late, and I apologize fervently for my impunctuality. Though, I would be very appreciative if you would still allow me in... you'd have my sincerest gratitude.

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[`jαzz]

Punctuality. This was a quality that all aspiring Nox employees should possess. The opportunity to appeal to Malcolm Nox himself, in attempts to possibly secure their own position within the infamous organization, was not a right, it was a privilege.

He'd been sitting in his office for the past thirty minutes, awaiting the arrival of the young male who had made a two o' clock appointment. Normally Malcolm Nox didn't have to wait for very long for these new recruits to show up; they all arrived at least fifteen minutes early for their interviews. But not this time. The boy who was presently standing outside his office door was three minutes late! Mind, the three extra minutes was not the reason the boss himself was angry. It was the fact that he'd been kept waiting -- by someone who was not even a part of the organization yet, no less!

The sharp knock at the door caused him to flinch. That must be him. The fool. He paid no mind to the man's apology; he could care less at this point. "Athena! The door," Malcolm barked, motioning towards the sound of the foreign voice. The Delcatty nodded delicately, leaping off of her master's lap. Padding gently towards the barrier, she pressed her nose to a button that had been specially installed at ground level. The door swung open slowly, allowing the cat-like creature to move out of the way.

"Take a seat. I know why you're here, and I trust that you do as well. You wish to join the great organization that is Nox. Be aware that the job you're choosing to involving yourself in should by no means be taken lightly. Should you fail to uphold your end of the bargain...well, let's just say we have ways of eliminating those who are of no use to us any longer." He paused, taking a moment to silently address his Pokémon. There was a mutual understanding between the two, and the Delcatty wasted no time in retrieving what her master had requested.

After a few moments, Athena returned, carrying a crisp manila envelope in her mouth. Approaching her master, she gently laid the document in his outstretched hand. "Before we begin, you must pledge your allegiance to me, Malcolm Nox, and swear to uphold the law that has been the foundation of this establishment for years. Do this, and I will do everything in my power to secure you a position within our...prestigious coterie." Smirking, the young man removed the contents of the envelope, placing the paper neatly in front of Tarou. He didn't hesitate in answering any unvoiced questions the other man might be having about the document. "A contract, as you can plainly see. You'll notice that there are no pens available for you to use, but I trust that you're innovative enough to determine an alternative method," Malcolm conveyed casually, chuckling softly to himself.

[[Shoe ♥]!]

Tarou certainly hadn't been expecting the door to swing open seemingly on its own accord, though a sharp bark of 'Athena, the door!' had alerted his senses to something. Certainly not the ghost-like feel of something much smaller than him pressing a button and then retreating from sight, however. The young man didn't waste time in looking dumbfounded while his surprise may have been genuine. There was simply no patience illuminating from the leader figure sitting in front of him. In fact, by the plain exasperation on his face, Tarou could already deduct that he had long overstayed his welcome already. Not that he had known, of course. It wasn't like he was on his clockwork schedule yet. However, lighting to the obvious discontentment on his future boss's face, this was not a mistake that would best be repeated.

An instant mental note sprang into place, something to the lines of 'if you're on time, you're late,' and was immediately ingrained. How did Illu handle this on his own? The serious minded man himself may have been more than adept at this sort of behavior, but his brother... the rebelling, bending the rules type... this didn't seem to be his place. It may have been a bastion of evil, but it was wickedly organized. A very admirable display of passion, if Tarou would allow himself to think in that manner. In any case, this Nox team was already becoming a bother in his mind, what with it demanding much from a man that simply didn't even care about it... besides the facts that Illu may be working inside.

So, to try and set the record straight, or at least attempt to mend it into place, the Japanese man wasted no time in bowing lowly, then striding over to Mr. Nox's desk. He didn't start to pick up a conversation, and in fact didn't see the point in the useless bantering. They were simply waiting for... something, after all. Within moments that 'something' was revealed, carried in the mouth of a disgustingly tainted Delcatty. A manila envelope? They did have their functions, after all, but what could it be hiding...?

Tarou didn't have to wonder for very long at all, for Mr. Nox seemed to not want to leave too much unanswered. His contract, hmm? This early? Well, this was a business meeting, so of course they'd hunker down as soon as possible. But what did he mean about no pen? Did he have to find one of his own? No... that couldn't be the case, as then he wouldn't have even made a statement so vague. The boss was demanding something much, much more diabolical. But what could be more fiendish than selling your life to some crack-pot, justice-slandered hooligan? To actually believe in his ideals? Yeah right....

But a signature was a signature, correct? Though.. this one had the effect of being 'special.' Like his life depended on it... or at least his mission of finding Illu. Which it did entirely. That's right... Illu had done this before him, nine years ago. What was the harm in something his older brother had already done before? It was perfectly custom, and it didn't mean he supported the group... though using an alternative to ink was a little severe....

Especially when it finally clicked that he was expected to use his own blood.

However, this was his last shot, and it wasn't like he would be given any second chances, especially with how crabby this leader seemed. So, without further ado, Tarou reached into a suit pocket, producing a slim feather quill with a steel point. The kind one may use for ridiculously fancy signatures - just to add to his own image. There was no hesitation in the slitting of his own wrist, and the man did not so much as screw his face up in distaste as he spread his blood on the tip. Without bothering to read the material (since there was only one option anyway) he signed extravagantly, 'Miyagi Tarou,' and that was that.

With sharp crimson eyes, the ex-prosecutor stared at his new boss, as if questioning what his next move would be. And while he knew it might be considered disrespectful, Tarou simply must know an aching question resting on his tongue.
"Excuse my interruption, Mr. Nox, but have you ever seen a recruit by the name of Miyagi Saito?" It was asked casually, as if the speaked didn't honestly care for the answer. Just the perrfect way of reverse psychology...

[`jαzz]

A small smile graced Malcolm Nox's lips as he watched the man before him sign his life way. From this point forward, Miyagi Tarou belonged to him. Mm, it felt good, knowing that recruits would rather work for him, and not that Levis fool. "Wonderful. Now we can proceed with this...interview, if you will." The man snatched the contract away from Tarou, rolling it up neatly in his hands. From inside one of the drawers on his desk, he removed a wax seal. With one quick and fluid motion he branded the paper and then handed it off to Athena, who fled into another room with the document.

The boy's question didn't come as a shock to him, surprisingly. This wasn't the first time that someone had inquired about a family member or friend. He thought these queries to be quite funny, actually. They were obviously curious of their whereabouts; did they not know that the people whom they allegedly "lost", had deliberately gave themselves to the organization? It wasn't Nox who sought out members, after all. Recruits came to the nefarious syndicate on their own free will.

"I'm assuming that this is a family member of yours, considering that your surnames are identical. ...But let me inform you of something, boy. Countless amounts of people have come to me over the years, and continue to come to me even now. They seek recognition, and a power beyond what any ordinary trainer could even begin to comprehend. I would not be surprised if your sibling came to us, looking to join our ranks. I think I vaguely remember the name Miyagi, but I cannot say for certain that I remember the face. I've been in this business for years; I don't keep track of all of the grunts. Unless your brother had worked his way up the ladder, I wouldn't really be aware of who he was. And to be frank, I do not recall there ever being someone by the name of Miyagi who has filled a notable position within Nox.

[/b]" Malcolm replied, looking bored. As far as he was concerned, this segment of the conversation was over. He didn't have time for something as trivial as this. He was a busy man, after all.

"So, Tarou, is it? Tell me, why is it you're willing to offer your services to Nox? What can you offer us that we do not have already?" Mr. Nox began, leaning against the back of his large leather chair. Meshing his fingers together, he laid his hands gently his his lap. Emotionless eyes bored a hole into Tarou's as he awaited an answer.
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