purrtagonist | [Day 10, night: Ichigo; CW: lots of blood and injuries]

Entry tags:

nope's peak: r1

[Day 10, night: Ichigo; CW: lots of blood and injuries]

[secret AGENT man plays in the background]

[their agreed meeting spot is in the hallway of the dormitory wing, halfway between each of their rooms. Akira quietly hopes no one else stumbles across him while he waits for Ichigo to arrive, because he sure does look suspicious. mostly because he had managed to fish out a replica of his thieving outfit from his closet, mask and all. but hey, gotta wear the right outfit if your plan is to sneak around, right?]

[he waits, arms folded, back leaning up against the wall, right foot propped up at his side. his mask, at least, is pushed to the top of his head. and he isn't wearing glasses]

[and for the first time, he's wearing the kitchen knife he pilfered openly at his waist. hello, Ichigo. someone is ready and raring to go]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's alright, they'll have that discussion a lot later.

He nods, his gaze turning determined and steely.]

Let's go. We'll be the ones who'll shatter fate.

[Which...is a line he'd been working on for a poem, but it feels appropriate in this moment - as they get ready to try and stop their captors from continuing these horrible nights.]

[. . . WOW]

Oooh, good one.

[he gives Ichigo a cheeky grin]

I feel like you just stole my thunder.

[time to make their way to the fourth floor]

[He actually blushes a little when Akira praises that, bringing his hand up behind his head sheepishly.]

Thanks. It's, uh...part of a poem I wrote here. 'Give me a strong blade and enough strength to shatter fate' is the final line of it.

[But yes, they'll move - they do have a bit of time to talk as they get there, since going up four flours takes a while, and they're not even aware there's a fourth one now.]

Edited 2018-01-01 05:08 (UTC)

[they do have a ways to go, and Akira's pretty alert for the entire journey. he keeps an eye on the hallways in front of them and moves cautiously, carefully, subconsciously sticking close to the walls]

[but as they walk, he can't help but say]

I like it. It's a good, strong line.

[head tilt]

What's the rest of the poem?

[He also keeps watch as they move, following Akira's lead as they stick close to the walls, but he's a little taken aback by Akira's request.]

Ah -

[He looks away for a second, then takes a deep breath - and when he next speaks, it's with the cadence of someone reciting from memory - hesitant and stumbling at first, but slowly becoming more and more assured as he goes along.]

....'It's rotating.

The world changes with each rotation
And every time it touches the sun and moon
Its appearance always changes to something new.

If there is something that does not change
Then it is how powerless I am.

I can see the people here
I can touch them
I can speak with them
But that is all I can do.

They sometimes disappear in front of me
And I don't know why
But all they leave behind
Are their blood-stained bodies
And the lingering sense of pain and regret.

No matter how much I train myself
I cannot protect them
And every time I think that
My heart becomes a blade in my chest.

...It's rotating.

If fate is a millstone
then we are the grist.
There is nothing we can do.

So I wish for strength.
If I cannot protect them from the wheel
Then give me a strong blade
And enough power
To shatter fate.'

[As his voice gains more confidence, so too do the emotions contained in the poem come out - and when he finishes, his voice is resolved - the same determination in those words as the determination in his gaze when he approached Akira.]

Edited (formatting) 2018-01-01 05:23 (UTC)

[. . . Ichigo might notice that they stop walking at one point on the third floor, near the corner of a nearby hallway. they stop walking because Akira has stopped to lean his shoulder against the wall while he watches Ichigo recite the poem. every word rings like a bell in his ears, resonates within him with each chime. and when it's over?]

[he's smiling. it's a mixture between a sharp, determined grin, and something softer and more. . . fond]

. . . you're really good with words.

[He doesn't notice - because each line, each word takes his attention as he recites, mindlessly following Akira no matter if he stops and starts.

When it's over, his heart is thumping a bit hard in his chest - because it was the first time he'd ever shared anything he'd written with someone else, but -

That smile soothes any anxiety he has, spilling over him in a sense of relief.]

...Ultimate Poet, remember?

[He gives a little laugh, scratching at the back of his head.]

I...I normally hated my poems, because I couldn't find the right words for what I wanted to express - it always felt like I was...I don't know, trying too hard or...something. But...if you like it, then I guess it's not all that bad.

[silence follows as Akira tilts his head to the side, contemplative. he's searching for the right words to say, here. . . as someone who isn't nearly as good with them as Ichigo is. and after a moment?]

[he pushes away from the wall, reaches out to place a hand on Ichigo's shoulder, and squeezes]

It's better than "not bad." It's really good.

[and then he pulls away, his fond smile disappearing only because he's turning away from Ichigo to continue down the hall]

Thank you for sharing.

[That warm feeling spreads in his chest, and as Akira squeezes his shoulder, Ichigo's smile turns into that open, genuine one - for just a moment, because it feels really good to get praise for something you worked on from someone you admire, and...he's not really used to that, for various reasons.

Still, even as Akira turns away and begins to head down the hall, his smile still lingers on his face, if more constrained in.]

No problem. I'm glad you liked it.

[He follows as before, shadowing Akira as he walks.]

I have more in my notebook - but those aren't as finished, so I -

[and he stops mid sentence, eyes focusing on something that definitely wasn't there before during the day.

Another staircase going up.]

- Akira. There's another floor.

[Akira's about to ask him to share his other poems, but. yeah. a staircase up? that's suspicious]

[he pauses in front of it, expression hardening]

How many floors do you think are in this place?

In total? If they keep giving us floors every killing night, then there would be six, wouldn't there?

[A floor for each killing night, right?

But...]

...Then again, six floors would make this place pretty damn big. Why don't we go up there and see what it's like?

That's assuming there will only be six killing nights.

[AND HE DOESN'T. . . HAVE MUCH FAITH ABOUT THAT, HONESTLY]

[but at Ichigo's question? his mouth quirks into a confident grin, and he hooks his index finger into the edges of his gloves, pulling them down tightly over his hands]

Nothing risked, nothing gained.

Let's go.

[and he immediately strides up the stairwell, the tails of his coat fluttering behind him]

[HE'S OPTIMISTIC, LEAVE HIM ALONE.

Ichigo just nods, quickly following Akira (while noting how stupidly cool Akira's coat looks in motion, god damn) up the stairs, until they're all the way up there.

The floor looks...dusty. It obviously hasn't been used or maintained as much as the other three.]

...This might actually be the last floor - look at this place.

[it's funny, how Akira seems to move with way more confidence when he's in this outfit compared to his school uniform or casual wear. funny how that works!]

[the floor looks dusty, and the hallway stretches out before them, seemingly unending. most the overhead lights work, but a few of them are burned out, and Akira frowns]

It's a mess.

. . . I wonder what they're keeping up here.

[and he presses forward, giving Ichigo the briefest of glances as he does so]

Probably all the stuff they didn't want us to see when we first came here.

[He meets that glance with a determined look as they press forward, down the corridors. None of this looks well maintained, and as they keep going, the dust intensifies and the lights dim and flicker out, until they're eventually just forced to walk in darkness for a long stretch of time.

Ichigo stays silent while they walk, keeping his eyes peeled for danger - until there's suddenly a light ahead of them, coming from a tiny window in a door absolutely covered in caution tape.]

What...? Is that -

[He moves closer, noting the writing stuck to the glass and that the caution tape on the door comes off easily if you pull it - and a smirk comes to his lips.]

...Akira - I think we might've just found what we were looking for.

[Akira is also quiet while they walk, especially when the lights go out. because that is never a good sign (he's genre savvy enough to know this). his fingers flex and curl around the handle of his knife, too. . . just in case]

[he can't help the feeling of triumph when they stumble across that tiny, brightly lit window indented on a door covered in caution tape]

Jackpot.

[and while Ichigo tears off that caution tape, Akira's going to try the handle. which is, of course, completely locked]

Looks like we'll need to force our way inside.

Do you want to try one of your lockpicks on it, or should I try busting it down?

[He piles the caution tape into a corner as he works, and soon it's all gone.]

...Kind of weird that they don't have any guns or weapons guarding this door, though. You'd think there'd be something.

[Akira draws a lock pick from his pocket in response]

No that much force. We don't want to draw anyone's attention.

[LEAST OF ALL THE ATTENTION OF THOSE SHITTY RACCOONS. and with that, Akira kneels in front of the door, lock pick in hand, and gets to work]

There's likely a reason a sign and caution tape is the only security they have. [he speaks while he works, nimble fingers flying across that lock] Be careful when we go inside.

Right. I just thought it was a little...well, subtle for them.

[Because, well.

The raccoons are not subtle in the slightest. He keeps his eyes on the corridor behind them as Akira works, listening for the horrible sound of plush raccoon feet stomping on the floor.]

I'll follow your lead - you're the thief here, not me.

[a laugh, short and dry]

Comparatively, you're right. This is subtle, and maybe that's the point.

[it isn't weird at all to hear Ichigo willingly placing his faith in Akira as a leader. his team did it all the time back home, after all. so when the lock finally gives way with a click, Akira stands, twists the knob, pushes the door open, and makes sure he's the first one to enter. just as a leader should]

Stay behind me. Follow my every move, and go slowly, all right?

[the room ahead may be lit, compared to the hallway behind them, but who knew what waited ahead of them?]

Edited 2018-01-01 07:18 (UTC)

Sure. Just didn't think they were smart enough for something like this.

[He nods, letting Akira go first as they enter the room - which is decently sized, even if most of it is obscured by the large curtain a couple of feet away from the door.]

...Why the hell is there a curtain in here?

[That's hissed out in a stage whisper, and as much as he wants to reach out to shove it aside, he doesn't. That's Akira's job, and he just continues to look around the room, stepping wherever Akira does, trusting in his confidence and abilities as a phantom thief.]

Edited 2018-01-01 07:25 (UTC)

[later, when Akira reflects on this moment, he'll be glad that Ichigo let him go first. if only because he'll be glad that Ichigo wasn't the first one of them to suffer from his sheer stupidity.]

To hide something. What else?

[Akira's voice is a bit louder than a stage whisper, but his words are still murmured quietly. he moves forward with cautious, almost silent steps, and once he's close enough his gloved fingers close around the curtain and grip it tightly. with a breath, he prepares to draw it back--]

[the lights flicker, then shut off. something clicks in front of them, behind them, all around them. the sound of a bullet settling into its chamber is crisp and clear, the barrel leveled right at Akira]

[and then the sharp rapport of a gunshot slices through the silence as the Rube Goldberg Machine hidden in the crannies of this room suddenly burst to life]

[In hindsight, Ichigo will just wish he'd followed his gut - the sense that something was wrong, that this room should have been more trapped than it was, that they shouldn't have touched the curtain.

But in the moment? When the lights in the room go out, and the noises start? Ichigo's eyes go wide, trying to figure out exactly where it's coming from, ice running down his spine -

The clack of a bullet is what gets him to move, instantly grabbing Akira's coat from the back and yanking them both down as the gun goes off.]

Shit! We need to -

[Behind them, the door they walked in on slams shut, the click of it automatically locking and trapping them both inside, in the dark of a room coming to life with what has to be a myriad of horrible, horrible traps.]

No!

[Everything has just gone wrong.]

[Ichigo is the reason Akira doesn't die, right here and right now, with a bullet lodged in his brain. the sound of a gun cocking and loading in preparation for fire hadn't escaped his notice, but Ichigo is just one second faster than him in reacting. and later, when they're both bruised and bloodied but still very much alive, Akira won't be able to thank him for that one single second enough]

[he goes down, hits the ground hard, but even then he feels burning, liquid metal sear his cheek as he goes. the pain is sharp and white hot, followed by the feeling of blood trickling down his chin, dripping onto the ground]

[he moves, reaching instinctively for Ichigo's arm, grasping it tightly as he pulls himself to his feet. but he stays crouched on the ground, especially since he can't see in this darkness, and especially since they're still surrounding by ominous clicking and whirring and buzzing]

-- out! We need to get the hell out of here!

[abort mission!!]

[He holds back to Akira's arm, just as blind as the other teenager - but this isn't entirely unfamiliar to him, and he gets to his feet, still crouched as well but moving forward, nearly dragging Akira with him.

Out, out - with no light from the hall, they can't see where the door is, and the rough fall has disoriented him. Still, he tries to get to one side of the room, so they can feel their way out -

Shing.

The sound of something sharp swinging through the air breaks through the noise of the room, followed by a sensation unbearably familiar to Ichigo - the sensation of being sliced with a sword.]

Ghhk-!

[Pain lances through him - a pain that's much more intense than he's used to, given that the pain in shinigami form is somewhat lessened - and he feels his blood drip to the ground from a newly opened wound on his arm. It seems to be shallow enough to let him move his arm, at least - even as it burns and warm fluid runs down to his hand.

But if Akira is still alright, it's fine. Gritting his teeth, he reaches out to the wall with his bloodied hand, tugging Akira with him when he gets a hold of it so they're against it together.]

The-The door-

[They need to get to the door. They need to get out, before they both fall victim to the traps inside this room.]

Edited 2018-01-01 10:46 (UTC)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject