deontological: (06)
senhime 「 千姫 」 ([personal profile] deontological) wrote in [community profile] recountal2014-10-20 09:56 pm

we're going to get up to 10 threads at once again at this rate good lord;;

[The contestants of the second season haven't been a priority of the producers in a very long time.

They're old news, after all. The fans that had grown up watching that season are old now, and only the really pretentious revamp fans go far back enough into the archives to watch them. But the producers also know from their background research that Chizuru is a friend of one of those contestants, and that Kaoru would move heaven and earth for his younger sister. The survivors have been cautious thus far and they haven't been able to get any of them back for the damage they've caused...

But Chizuru is reckless when it comes to her friends, as they well know, and it isn't a difficult matter at all for them to let the location of the second season's survivors slip. There are only three of them: Sen and two of the Designated Killers that had been selected after Sebastian's group had proved so useful in the first season, who had turned on their mastermind in the last week at Sen's urging. The rest had been lost in a terrible bloodbath and hadn't been recovered.

It's a somewhat roundabout plan - lure out Chizuru and capture her in order to lure out and capture Kaoru. The trap is a little too obvious, though, and Chizuru is left behind in safety (probably being babysat by Sebastian, because it's highly unlikely that Kaoru would ask Okita to look after his sister) while Kaoru comes to investigate the building where the survivors are being kept in stasis. It's rather innocuous-looking, a three-story office building just like any others in the town's business district.

Sen and the other two survivors are in the basement, having passed the last 48 years in blissful oblivion. The two Designated Killers are in a separate room; Kaoru will come across Sen first, seemingly in a very deep sleep. She is hooked up to an IV of some kind, and a monitor - it tracks her heart rate, her breathing, and all her other vital functions. Below the monitor is a keyboard; pressing any of the keys will pull up a command prompt.

The room is utterly silent, save for Sen's gentle breathing.]
souredsweet: breadcrusts (do your own grocery shopping)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-10-21 06:17 am (UTC)(link)
[It's a set-up designed for disaster, which Kaoru knew from the second word had hit the street. He knows this corporation well by now, after all; the Producers are, for all of his criticisms and complaints, a very capable group of people. They wouldn't be able to man an operation like this for so long if they weren't, and so he's learned to keep his guard up at all times in every situation. The second it slips...

Well, that's why Spain had been recaptured. That's why Alice was gone for so long. That's why Minatsuki had vanished one day and never returned.

He knows that just a single, tiny mistake can be enough to be fatal - or worse than fatal. Ending up in the hands of the Producers again is far, far worse than death, and Kaoru would do just about anything to avoid it. ...But they're right to assume that he would also do just about anything for his sister. If Chizuru wants to walk into an obvious trap on the off chance that she'll actually be able to save a friend, who is he to say no? The most he can do is ensure that she won't be the one risking her life, which is why he's taken such pains to get out of their bunker and head over here by himself, even though this is absolutely a mission that would be easier with more than one person.

He faces it alone instead, relying on his experience and wariness to get him through. He makes it into the building with enough ease, though he's well aware of the fact that it's likely intentionally easy. He won't let his guard drop.

The monitor - the IV - those are all definitely new. His brow draws downward a little and he steps quietly and cautiously into the room, skirting around the perimeter. His eyes automatically rise to search for any sort of camera, already knowing exactly what to look for and where to look in most cases. Stepping inward - that's not something he'll do just yet. He doesn't even touch the keyboard at first, since it's obvious that they want him to touch it, but it seems like the better option between just rushing in and trying to free her or dicking around with technology for a little bit.

Cautious as ever, though, he doesn't touch the keys directly. Instead, he holds out a hunting knife (preferred weapon for these little jaunts, very light and manageable compared to a sword!) and uses the hilt end to tap the enter key. WHAT DOST THE COMMAND PROMPT SAYETH]
souredsweet: jackandtink (you can have it)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-10-21 07:53 am (UTC)(link)
[gOD, MONITOR CAMERA, rude as hell!! Kaoru stares at it with a sour look, knowing that there probably isn't a point in attempting to cover it. They've likely already seen him, if they're monitoring this at all. Clicking his tongue in mild annoyance, he scans over the options quickly. Hm, hm...

Information first, of course!! He won't touch awaken until everything else, most likely, and reset will also be avoided.]
souredsweet: jackandtink (???)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-10-21 01:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[HE WILL NEVER LEARN THAT. But yes god wow CHEERY INDEED...

He briefly wonders if the rest of them have "updated" profiles like this reflecting their trek through their own seasons. Seems about right, though - Sen's always been the type he would peg to kill for more noble causes. Protection, defense... Very much like her. In the back of his mind, he imagines Chizuru being the one to read this over and react, and he can only be glad he's taken the stand for her instead.

But he knows he doesn't have a lot of time here, so after blitzing through that screen, he'll try to bring up the command prompt again. If successful, "progress" is what he'll go to next.]
souredsweet: mewtube (eugh plebeians)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-10-21 09:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[NO ONE SHOULD EVER LEAVE KAORU ALONE WITH THIS MANY OPTIONS.....

But he does notice pretty quickly that there seems to be a connection between the screen itself and between Sen's body, which is both disturbing but not entirely unexpected. There are a lot of unexplained things and unanswered questions when it comes to exactly what "storage" and being in "stasis" entails, after all. On the run, the chance to learn more about those closely guarded secrets are few and far between.

He hums gently to himself, but he'll eventually rewind the feed before pausing it. "Reset"... Nope, still not gonna touch that. "Awaken"...

He's very wary about pressing that button. He'll wait first to see what messing with the controls on the video does.]
souredsweet: jackandtink (too tired for this shit)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-10-22 11:03 am (UTC)(link)
[CHIZURU.... DAMMIT he really can't leave her unattended for more than like 5 seconds at a time. He at least appreciates the fact that Sen seems to be feeling similar sentiment, though. Good... he knows he's not surrounded entirely by morons.

That said, it seems to him like this is about as far as he's going to be able to go with the limited amount of time that he has to work with. It's with extreme wariness that he toggles back to the command prompt and goes with "awaken", though he's immediately backing away from the screen just in case and dropping into a crouched, defensive position.]
souredsweet: breadcrusts (do your own grocery shopping)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-10-22 11:23 am (UTC)(link)
[Kaoru remains dropped with his guard up, eying Sen warily like he expects her to attack her at any second. Which... he does. Not because he thinks Sen is an inherently violent person, but because he doesn't trust the Producers at all. This could be like, some crazy Sen doppleganger or something!! TRUST NO PRISONER.

Except Touko, apparently. Touko the eternal exception...

That said, she doesn't seem ready to immediately attack, so Kaoru will slowly unfurl himself from his tucked up position. She's still being watched closely and warily and he still has his hunting knife pointed outward, which surely won't help much. BUT HERE THEY ARE...]


I've come to get you and take you back to the base. Try anything funny and I'll leave you here, though.

[This... this is it. Sen's 48 year wake-up call. HERE IT IS.]
souredsweet: jackandtink (he's got a ghost cape or something)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-10-22 09:08 pm (UTC)(link)
It's one of two options. The other is that you don't, and I leave you here. [HE'S TRYING SO HARD FOR YOU, CHIZURU!!!

No okay he might just have a little lingering, bitter sentiment toward the other demons in general. He knows it's ridiculous by now, at least, but the feeling is somewhat reflexive. His thought process right now is basically something like GOD here I am risking my life for this nerd and this is the thanks I get this is the last time I do anything for any other demon ever why are we all shitheads even though her reaction is perfectly reasonable. Beyond that, it's basically the same reaction he'd have if their positions were reversed...

But his patience is already wearing thin, so he'll lower his knife a little, keeping a paranoid eye cast about the room.]


Kimigiku? If she was a contestant, she's somewhere else. Different storage. We won't be able to get her on this pass. If not, she's still safe at home.
souredsweet: breadcrusts (he probably stole this cat)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-10-23 06:33 am (UTC)(link)
[HE ONLY SEEMS VAGUELY SURPRISED and it's only because Kaoru actually can't recall who Kimigiku is for a second. He's dimly aware that the Princess of Yase keeps a bodyguard at her side at all times, but hasn't ever cared enough about her or her situation to memorize much information there. Stalking Chizuru takes a lot of effort okay...

BUT IN THE MEANTIME he'll just continue to be the worst rescuer ever. He's too paranoid about waiting here to show any of the gentleness that he's gained over the years.]


She may still be alive. ["May", because his own season was a rare exception. He honestly doesn't know what happens to the people who died in the seasons before his own. Sure, some arrived in storage, but others...

He gestures with his knife over his shoulder.]


From the outside. Consider us a rebel faction. [And it's probably easy for her to see that even though his face is familiar, his clothing indicates that he belongs in a time even farther ahead than most of the shows are "set" in.] My sister wanted to come for you herself - Chizuru - but there's no way I'd let her.
souredsweet: mewtube (hesitation)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-10-24 11:35 am (UTC)(link)
[He tried once and he just ended up with two people to obsess over instead of one...

THAT SAID, he doesn't seem to yet realize that he's responsible for setting back her canon point, good job cowabunga. He'll nod at that, though, reaching up to tuck some hair behind an ear in a gesture of anxious energy as his gaze continues to bounce around the room.]


Chizuru Yukimura, the one staying with the Shinsengumi. Anyway— [That's a discussion for a later time, quite obviously. He's a little relieved that she's agreeing relatively readily since that saves him a lot of hassle, and with a gesture behind himself, he'll turn and set back off toward the door.]

Stay to the sides, but not too close. [Just in case THE WALLS BECOME LAVA or some ridiculous shit.] We'll leave that way. As soon as we get out of the complex, the trip back shouldn't be too difficult.

[It's getting out that'll be the hard part, he assumes. When he approaches the door he entered through it's with an excessive amount of caution; he doesn't even reach for the knob with his bare hand, reaching instead to touch it with the handle of his knife first. Sen won't know how to handle things like electrical traps, after all; that much is solely up to him.]
Edited 2014-10-24 11:35 (UTC)
souredsweet: mewtube (unjust)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-10-28 10:49 pm (UTC)(link)
You were.

[He casts her a sidelong glance, answering once he's observed the length of the hall and both of their apparent options. His mouth twitches downward, displeased and thoughtful.]

Not for me, but like I said, there's no way I would let Chizuru come here. [And there's a little displeased noise that punctuates that sentence, because DAMMIT CHIZURU why does he do these things for you... (Because he actually managed to sort his feelings out enough to love her properly, basically.)

That noise is quickly followed by an irritated click of his tongue against his teeth, because he's got a few annoyances stacking up here now. He gestures with the blade toward the elevator.]


Too obvious. I can't tell if they actually expect us to be so reckless, or if they're trying to play on a false sense of security. "Ah, it's such an obvious trap that it can't be one", but of course it is. [The blade is raised again and Kaoru taps it against his chin, gaze shifting to the stairs.] Not safe, either. There's no predicting what might be behind the door. Going up in buildings like this is never good; fighting on stairwells is difficult. [A beat.] We don't know how far down the elevator shaft goes. If they cut the wires, we'd take a huge hit. It'd be easier for them to trap us inside. We could always scale through the roof exit and climb the supports up...

[Being Naturally Paranoid Helps Kaoru Out: the documentary, in action. BEHOLD...]

...Irritating. I don't like either. It's not a matter of trying to pick which one is the trap - it's a matter of picking which trap we'll be better equipped to face. [A grumbled "I can't guess something like that" might be heard, if she's listening, but he'll eventually set off toward the stairs with no small measure of reluctance.]

Stay behind me.
souredsweet: mewtube (eugh plebeians)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-10-29 09:02 am (UTC)(link)
[That earns her a bit of an odd look and Kaoru opens his mouth like he plans on contending against the statement, but it snaps shut again soon after. Now isn't really the time or place to be grilling someone about who they do or don't remember, after all. Given enough time to think about something that doesn't involve dying or getting recaptured and Kaoru will probably put two and two together himself. Maybe even apologize! Memories are, in his opinion, a very serious thing. That's a blunder he's going to have to own up to in full.

That said, he feels a little grateful for being on a mission of sorts with someone who actually knows what they're doing. Not that there are a high number of people among their own ranks who don't, and the noncombatants stay behind anyway, but rescue missions are always so hit and miss. They become thrice as difficult when "let's both escape" turns into "well I guess I will have to keep your ass from dying while we escape".

AND THEN THERE'S A NOISE and Kaoru tenses for a second, but doesn't stop moving. Avoiding a sitting duck scenario is a lesson that he's well learned over the years, especially since his initial fighting instincts had included much more evasive maneuvering.]


—I'm not sure.

[Not sure because he has some ideas, but they're all pretty comic book villains-y. This time, he does seek her input.] Press on? Do you see anything down that way?
souredsweet: jackandtink (you can have it)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-10-29 10:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[That more or less has him extremely wary about touching the door, considering he did.]

...Do you see anything yet? They're trying to force us through this way, but we're going to have to get ready for a fight in cramped quarters if we try.

[A stairway fight doesn't sound particularly appealing to him, especially without knowing what they're going to be fighting or how aggressive whatever it is might be. He has a few other weapons tucked away just in case but not a lot of them are feasible for such short-range use.

After another second of listening, he pulls his jacket back a little, where the holster for his hunting knife rests strapped to his thigh. There's a secondary one there, which he quickly removes and offers handle-first in Sen's direction before stepping back to pull up level with her, even though he still faces the door.]


...I'm going to check below a little more closely. There's no way they'll just let us walk back so easily, but...

[HE ALSO DOESN'T WANT TO BE GUTTED BY PYRAMID HEAD as soon as he opens the top door...]
souredsweet: mewtube (bollocks let's just build a shelf)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-11-03 02:11 pm (UTC)(link)
No, we won't.

[GOOD, NO STABBING, ONLY REVENGE. He'll walk down carefully, straining to hear.

Turns out he doesn't have to strain too hard. In the sudden silence that had followed the cessation of rattling - which already had Kaoru on edge, because why - the sound of the elevator doors shutting draws his attention over immediately. It takes all of one second for Kaoru to process what's going on aND THEN NATURALLY HE'S JOLTING BACK UP THE STAIRS. He takes them two at a time, holding his knife to the side in a defensive sort of pose.]


Something might be coming! Don't open that door yet—!

[Just in case it's a smart Pyramid Head that just pushed the button to trick them into opening the door...]

Wait, wait a second, keep your eye below!
souredsweet: jackandtink (you can have it)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-11-07 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
[She will only need to meet Stiles once to determine exactly why Kaoru has to point everything out...

THAT SAID, Kaoru's still and quiet for the entire duration of the elevator's descent, clearly expecting some weird creature or an army of Producer goons to come pouring out and charge the stairs. That doesn't happen, though, and he scarcely thinks that was too easy before the beep of the countdown starts.

He curses under his breath.]


Looks like we're going to be opening that door after all. [Said with an extremely sour face because DAMMIT that was a smart tactic. Having no idea when the timer is set to go off means that they can't risk going back downstairs to look for a secondary exit or a safer place to stay, and being this close to the elevator means that if an explosion does follow, they'll be caught in a very unfortunate place during the blast.

He's immediately sweeping up to the flat before the door, testingly touching the knob with his knife handle yet again before glancing back toward Sen.]


Staying here would put us both at risk, so on the count of three, I'll open it. Are you ready?
souredsweet: mewtube (a magnificent end)

[personal profile] souredsweet 2014-11-09 11:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[Kaoru definitely doesn't go back to investigate at least, considering just from the sound alone he can determine what had happened. He's cut elevator wires before and knows the sound of a cart crashing to the bottom when he hears it...

SO THROUGH THE DOOR IT IS and while Kaoru is also taken by surprise reentering the once-dark room, he's also relatively prepared for things like this. Life is hard in the future where they have sound cannons and flash-bang grenades... He has a vague, passing thought as he holds a hand up to shield his eyes, remembering how Stiles had tried to shove sunglasses at him on his way out the door because cool guys don't look at explosions or something, and he had left them behind with little more than a "don't curse my luck".

His eyes adjust somewhat quickly at least - and the thing that had been pestering them endlessly earlier is so large that he doesn't need to strain them much to see it, anyway. The details come into focus soon enough. Suit, gas mask, club, box. His mind works quickly: the box might have been used to set off the explosive - there may be more around. Gas mask for protection, maybe? There are a lot of gases that can do damage even to a demon. All that thing needs is enough time to capture them, after all. Containment or death could follow quickly if they're incapacitated. The fact that the man is watching him also unnerves him, since it says to him that Sen is not as high on the objective list.]


—Here. [His eyes stay fixed on the man, but his free hand reaches up to unwind the scarf tucked tightly against him inside of his jacket.] In case you need to cover your nose or mouth.

[This is also one of those moments when he wishes he did prefer guns, because it would be a hell of a lot easier to test for any traps by firing off a few rounds first. He'll have to rely on his speed, then, though he doesn't set off like that immediately. They had been planning for the arrival of a demon, after all. Maybe not him, but he and Chizuru share the same abilities, so he takes a few cautious steps forward first.]