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Souls were a terrible thing to waste, thought Bazzite.

The blue locust of a man was stretched out over the roof of a small sedan, wings splayed out in a languid posture. He'd recently devoured the occupants just an hour before - one man, one woman and a teenage boy, all delicious but none very satisfying. None of them were awakened beings with a sparkling soul to match, just mundane and boring old sacks of meat born just for his predatory purposes.

Bazzite frowned when he realized these souls were hardly satisfying. It was then that a familiar little girl - Hypnos, was it? - had waltzed into his field of vision. Perhaps he could entice her over with candied words since his appearance was more monster than man? Stretching out like a cat, one leg was rest on the car's trunk and the youma appeared all but melted as he called out to her. "Isn't it late for a young one such as yourself to be out and about? And what is the net for, little one?"

Perhaps if he appeared sleepy, she wouldn't use the damned dust on him again.

"Keeper of Sleep? That would explain a few things." Bazzite tapped his claws against his chin, propping himself up on one arm. "That dust of yours makes things sleepy. Now the whole getup makes sense."

A languid stretch of his wings accompanied the statement, buzzing in quick succession like the locust he was. Bazzite then locked eyes with the chibi and gave her a smile though it wasn't sinister. "Am I different? Why yes, yes I am." Bazzite chuckled, almost reliving the story of his life and his predicament in that very moment. Without going into detail, the youma frowned for a moment. He couldn't just give up his whole life's story, the culmination of all his efforts, just because a chibi senshi asked him to. No, he needed something to make that story worthwhile.

Bazzite then gave Hypnos a quick once-over. "There are other youma who talk but we are very few and far between. Now, in exchange for my story, would you be so kind as to bring me some food? Energy would be fine but you can't gather it. You're cute though. Maybe lure some ***** over here to me and I'll take care of the rest, hmm?"

Bazzite blinked. So the child was smarter than she appeared.

Good for her.

"Kill them? Hmm... just for you," A smile peeled across his face though it wasn't long enough to start showing too many teeth. Not yet. "Just for you, I won't kill them. They'll just sleep, like you tossed some of that dust on them. How does that sound? Think of it like they wore themselves out by working too hard all day. I can pinkie swear if you want to come over here." Lifting up a huge claw, the youma knew Hypnos wouldn't come any closer than she had to but the idea was simply too much to let slip by.

But now she had the ball in her court. "What do you say, Hypnos? It my story worth a little snack for a hungry caterpillar?"

The youma chuckled, stretching but never once moving from his spot on the car. "Bazzite. My name is Bazzite. But you can call me Bazzi if you want to, Hypnos."

Would he keep his promise not to kill the prey she brought to him? There wasn't a pinkie swear, so only time would tell.

The sudden appearance of a confused teenager made Bazzite smile. While the teen's back was turned, Bazzite slithered off the car and crawled across the street to stand up right behind the unsuspecting boy. "Thank you, Hypnos."

The youma unhinged his jaw and leaned in towards the boy's head, white smoke lifting from his form to pool in Bazzite's mouth. This was the energy extraction process Hypnos was unable to perform. The boy started to slump, unable to keep standing while his energy was being drained and a clawed hand shot out to catch him. Once the boy was hovering in the space between life and death, Bazzite gently let him down onto the street. He looked like a homeless teen, sleeping in the gutter.

Satisfied, Bazzite rubbed his belly. "Much better. Thank you very much, Hypnos. Now for my end of the bargain..."

The youma turned around to return to his lounging spot on the car. "I used to be like you, Hypnos. I was human. I was a boy, older than you, of course, but I had a family. I had school and friends; I had my whole life ahead of me. But I was a Negaverse agent, a Captain. I worked for Benitoite, my General."

Benitoite's name held a special place in the youma's heart and the name was uttered with a kind of love and admiration all but impossible in monsters. "But bad things happen. My father killed himself and everything went downhill from there. I asked my General to promote me after trying to avenge his mother's attempted murder, and I ended up here." The youma motioned to his near seven foot form draped across the car in a single fluid gesture. "So to say I'm different is an understatement - I'm the only youma I know of who was once fully human."

"Do I wish things were different?" repeated the youma, tilting his head to and fro to gaze at her in confusion. "Goodness no. I would just be a General who lived seeing his father hang himself on a doorknob at home. I would be a General who couldn't avenge the attack on Benitoite's mother. How could someone live with that? It would just be too much, I think. I was a boy of a fragile constitution and even more fragile psyche. I'd probably succumb the way my father had, sooner or later."

Another stretch and Bazzite's wings buzzed happily behind him. "It's hard to describe, but it's liberating, actually. I don't have to worry about bills or whether or not I'll marry and have children. I don't have a job or schoolwork to concern myself with. All I have to do is follow orders and keep my belly full. It's a much more... simplistic lifestyle. Sure, I have to live in the Rift where there is no sun, but you get used to it. And speaking of keeping my belly full..."

A claw reached out to point to the sleeping boy's body in the gutter. "Did he look to be in pain, Hypnos?" he asked quite seriously, leveling his gaze at the chibi who seemed so concerned for a complete stranger. "Draining energy is just like wearing yourself out exercising - it's not a painful process. And not everyone has a good soul, either. So to say I live off the pain and misfortune of others would be a... misconception on your part."

Are you saying you will never rip a starseed out of someone's chest because that's certainly not painless.

Bazzite had to chuckle at that one. "No, no, it's certainly not painless. But you don't ask the cat what the mouse thinks when he leaves it half-dead on your doorstep. And you don't think about the fish when you catch them, kill them and then eat them wrapped in rice and cucumber, do you?" The youma tilted his head oddly and stretched it unlike any human would be capable of doing. "Do you think about the cows who would become your steak that night? They have families and feelings too, you know."

He was about to go on another lecture about the food chain, how youma had no personal feelings for the people they devoured, nor the souls they consumed, just like the humans who raised chickens and cattle for themselves and others. He was going to try and explain that the glory of youma was that they didn't care about the people they ate and therefore were the perfect predators, simply another part of the food chain above that of humanity. No doubt the thought of being something's prey struck fear into the hearts of a species so used to being on the top of the totem pole.

However, Hypnos' offer of energy gathering was simply too good to pass up. "Really? You'd help me like that?" asked the locust, blinking once or twice at the chibi who took a few cautious steps towards him. She was a lamb and, well, he wasn't about to slaughter something that offered to pay him in droves with hapless people to drain. "My dear, I think we have a deal. I'm not picky in who you bring me so... whatever keeps you content will keep me full and happy."

He sat up then, crossing one long leg over the other. Extending a hand to Hypnos, Bazzite offered to shake. "Or would you prefer a pinkie swear?"

Oh Benitoite was going to love this.