fancy meeting you here

Toby had an ambitious project in the workings, and as much as he'd like to light the lights, say showtime, it was nowhere near finished. No, no, terrifying schemes were never quite as flashy behind the scenes. It was the end result that'd really mean something and come together more beautifully. For now, it was a nerd hobby in practice, not yet criminal.

That wasn't to suggest the location wasn't already unsettling. What'd been a mere condemned building a ways off from the city and civilization, falling apart and useless to any normal person, was starting to look like an abandoned hospital straight out of a gritty horror movie (on the inside, that is, outside still appeared innocently the same). His setup was going well, the props and atmosphere charming. Hell, he even had lore, fake documents and clues about the building and its completely imaginary history, a story to follow. Toby was excited as hell, this place was like a playground for him.

But it really wasn't finished, wouldn't be for a while. These things took careful prep, dedicated time, and a lot of love. Which is why Toby had decided to ask for some help from his… well, really only friend, Jett. He hadn't told the other man much about what he was up to before, and then recently, had only said he was to assist with 'decorating' and given him an address. He'd also offered free snacks, which was always good for bribery.

Now, if Jett was to make the trip out, the front doors were open, and a creepy lobby awaiting. Toby was lurking somewhere, busy until he figured Jett would arrive and call out to or hunt him down. He certainly wasn't just going to wait around in plain sight, he had shit to do, and would play host when actually needed. Jett could deal with that. It certainly wasn't as though Toby was expecting another guest, either, especially in this setting, except... that was exactly what he was going to get.

It was very dark here. Toby stood in wait until footsteps approached, an unnerving feeling in the air to go along with it, then, lit his eerie lantern, the single light source. It illuminated his face oddly. His expression was chilling at first. Then, Jett was laughing, and he couldn't help but break into a big grin.

"Thank you! I've been wanting to do something like this for… christ, since I was a kid, must've been. Outlast's a fucking great game, I can't deny getting inspiration fro--" He stuttered to a stop as the next words registered, along with the other presence.

He turned his head, slowly tilting it as he did so- just a bit too far, like an owl. "Jett…" he said, tone stony and with an unspoken warning, without looking at him. His attention was now fully fixed on the new addition. Comments on his costume being cute didn't sway him, and where he'd usually play along in character, he ignored the chance.

Toby looked over the kid, who only seemed around eighteen or a little older. Had Jett really decided to bring one of his toys here? He'd never done this before, and Toby had rather thought it was common sense that his extremely criminal practices shouldn't be exposed to ordinary people. Unlike Jett, he didn't have a fucking record, and would prefer to keep it that way. Even if this was someone he'd stolen away from the Underground, it didn't mean this pretty tiger boy could be trusted. And this whole thing, it was more than everyday, petty crime most would be used to.

"Who are you. What did he tell you?" Toby asked, voice quiet, but with a demanding edge to it. He acknowledged Jett again. "Why him? Will he snitch?" He was starting to wonder if he was finally getting screwed over. It was simply a matter of time before something got messed up, with his lifestyle. He knew that. He just didn't know when, and until then, he was going to keep taking advantage of his luck to pull as much shit as possible.

Toby didn't relax. Being told to relax made him do the opposite, really, bristling, on edge. This hospital wasn't open for business yet, no guests allowed, only staff. He kept sharp eyes on the intruder in his self-made sanctuary. Jett threw reassurances his way, but so far, they meant nothing. Then, they made a little scene.

Threats, however, meant more than reassurances. Processed easier in Toby's mind. He nodded very slowly, thoughtfully. "Okay… okay…" His eyes lit up momentarily at the knife. It was nice to see Jett was ready to pull a sneak attack, or chop things off on command. However, Toby had a machete somewhere here, and the edges of his lips curved in amusement.

He made eye contact with Jett and didn't break it, entirely unintimidated. He didn't have anything to say to that. Many thoughts, but nothing that needed to be spoken. Jett, of all people, wanting balance was laughable, and Toby had never been a true team player. He was interested, of course. He liked trainwrecks.

New boy was rambling. It was cute. "At that point, we should just kill you, don't you think?" Toby said, softly. "Unless you'd like to live an empty life with no taste, no touch, and no sight, waiting to be put out of your misery. In that case, I could surely oblige, but it'd be quite the waste with someone as young and pretty as you are."

He snapped his fingers a few times, breaking the tense air, and made shooing motions. "Hey, back off and leave him alone from now on, you filthy mongrel. You, Jeong is it? Walk with me, please, and Jett can bring up the back." He gestured for them to follow him and his lantern, then started down the hallway.

"You're the new roommate, huh? I'm the old, looks like we share something in common. Name's Tobias York, call me Toby. Not gonna cut out your tongue as long as you treat my operation with respect, and silence outside this group. You wanna tell me how you met and decided to live with this jackass, even though you're scared of him? We can exchange stories."

After winding through a couple of the mazelike corridors, knowing the layout like the back of his hand, Toby stopped at a heavily locked up and hidden away door, got it unlocked through some complicated and handmade looking methods, and pushed the door open. He went into pitch black, padded around inside without sound, then switched on the lights.

The room was downright pleasant, equipped with sofas and pillows, food and drink, not dark and gross in the slightest. "I'm calling this the employee lounge," he explained. "I'll show you the storage room after this, but you had a bit of a longer than usual drive out, and I'd like to pause and get to know Mr. Tiger here, and tell him what he'll be an extra pair of hands for. So. Sit, consume edibles." Toby himself flopped down on a couch bonelessly, like the wiggly ferret he was. It'd be evident, here, that he wasn't wearing any shoes, and didn't appear to have any laying around-- and was, therefore, wandering around his own nasty hospital setup barefoot.

Toby rolled his eyes when he realizing he'd spoken as if to the both of them for nothing, as Jett had already bailed. His pride was hurt, and he was probably off for some kind of vengeance. Whatever. He'd wait until he showed back up, then repeat the thing about the storage and snacks. Jett would be missing out on relaxing time, but that was fine, his own choice and fault. Besides, this way, he had a chance to peer at Jeong, who apparently didn't want to chat with Jett nearby. He relaxed as soon as it was just them, too.

Toby raised his eyebrows as he listened to Jeong, and wondered how offended the other would be if he gave him an abusive relationship self help book. "Ah. That's certainly in character. Why didn't you call the police, back then? You don't feel like us, and Jett even said you were here for… balance." He peered closer. "Who are you, exactly, Jeong Ju-Min? Let's… forget your questionable relation to Jett for a moment. Tell me about yourself."

He shrugged off his for-show weird posture to mirror Jeong's relaxing. "I'll return the favor. I'm twenty-four, been here since I was seventeen. I work at LuxTV and own a costume and makeup store in the city, Smoke and Mirrors. I'm obsessed with monsters, hate humans, and I also happen to be a human. My abilities are immortality and fast regeneration. I'm kind of a nerd along with a criminal, for horror in particular among other things, and this whole setup is mine. You're here to help with continued decorating."