//SCENARIOS.EXE
PHASE I [ 20 00 ]
The evening begins promptly at 8:00 PM. There will be crowds gathered, lining up to get in. Everyone will be allowed, children, adults, the living and flesh-filled, the robotic, and the undead. The music will be thumping as far as the sidewalks outside, and the first thing everyone will notice would be bowls of candy everywhere as far as the eyes can see. They'll be sitting on top of the tables in all their innocent glory. For the most part, they are harmless.
But not the candy corn. Never the candy corn. Within it is a secret chemical that causes those who consume it to exhibit attraction to the nearest object/person to them, whether it be inanimate or otherwise. They will feel compelled to be close, to kiss and touch whatever is around them, though the effects only last an hour or so. Consider it a low-leveled aphrodisiac of sorts.
PHASE II [ 2122 ]
You're dancing. You're moving to the music. Or you're clinging to the walls and wondering why you're even here to begin with. That's when the holograms start playing around with you. The image flickers frequently until a face appears. You can swear it's talking to you beneath the music.
'We need you. We want you. Join us. Come to the back room. Number 005.'
The closer you get to the hologram screens, the louder the voice becomes until it disappears completely, leaving you to question how real it was.
PHASE III [ 2217 ]
For those brave enough, you go into Backroom #005. What awaits you there is a room full of masked and costumed figures. You don't know if they are human or not, but they watch you eagerly, inviting you to join their private party. Unfortunately, if you chose the backroom, you chose wrong. You chose very wrong. The door is going to be slammed shut and locked, and all the figures will then pull off their masks and reveal faces familiar to yourself. Faces from your world. They'll ask you accusingly why you haven't saved them yet. What's taking you so long. Did you forget them?
Their eyes will glow as they crowd in on you, yelling and growing more caustic until the lights flicker. When you can see clearly again, the entire room will be empty save for a single glass of wine sitting on the table. You'll be sure someone was inside just a moment ago. You were definitely talking to someone. You can't be going crazy, right?
PHASE IV [ 2345 ]
Fifteen minutes to midnight. The music is getting louder and more intense. You've been eating candy or drinking all night (or avoiding food entirely if you're wise enough). Yet the music lures you in with its haunting tone, and you spot in the middle, a masked figure dancing more hypnotically than the rest. He's waving his chainsaw around as he puts out his lethal dance moves, and you are being drawn by the music into a violent dance off. You can fight the feeling, you can try and run. Unfortunately, none of the other natives and robots see the masked man but you. Only outsiders can see him, and the closer you get, the more you reach out to touch him-
you discover he's only a hologram like any other. Your fingers move through his shape, and distort it, but you're still so sure it's real.
BONUS [ whyo'clock ]
One of the back rooms has a beautiful fortune teller by the name of Aria. She will be seated inside, welcoming individuals or groups of people to give them their fortunes, and she will be giving them bizarrely specific and intimate details about their life from their underwear preference to how many partners they've slept with and how many moles they have on their ass. Prepare for awkward embarrassment. Ah, but what does the future hold in store? She'll smile when asked, and then her face will fall apart until a drill protrudes from the center to try and stab through your face. If your reflexes are fast enough, you can dodge it. If you're too slow, prepare for a hospital visit to the CERES Medical Facility.
Once that ordeal is over with, her face will reconstruct itself back to normal, and she will smile and say your future looks very bright in CERES.
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with trigger-y or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the meme. ]
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Kaoru Kamiya | Rurouni Kenshin | Action or Prose is fine!
The mask at least covered her face but it didn't keep Kaoru from feeling completely embarrassed that this dress they made her wear was not only so tight but it also showed her shoulders and her bare arms and she really had no idea how to do anything about it with the sleeves so short as they were. The skirt - big and poofy as it was - at least covered her legs. She felt strangely almost naked and as a result wound up standing awkwardly by the food, marveling at all the weird dishes she wasn't familiar with. The little tiny multicolored pieces caught her attention and she was left turning one over in her hand without realizing. Playing with her food was bad, yes, but she couldn't help but be curious by the strangeness of it all.
Misao and Yahiko were nowhere to be found and Kaoru would go looking for them were it not for these strange shoes being hard to walk in. She felt like her toes were being smothered by their narrow shape but at least the heels were lower to the ground so that her ankles were not screaming in protest just yet. Even so, she felt quite luxurious despite the situation and couldn't help but twirl her skirts a little bit in interest. She'd never seen or worn anything like it and it was rather pretty. All the same, she had more pressing matters.
"Oh, what if they find me first? Yahiko will probably make fun of me in this dress..." It reminded her somewhat of the western clothes from the Akebekko but it still wasn't something she would ever wear herself. At least her only saving grace was that her ribbon was still in tact even if her hair had been woven into a nice and neat bun instead of her usual pony tail. It felt too mature, in her opinion, and showed off far too much of her upper back this way.
"Uhm, excuse me? I'm looking for someone. I was hoping maybe you could help?" She stops to tap a stranger on the shoulder, hoping at least that Kenshin might somehow be here. He was certainly her main target right now, given she'd left home to find him to begin with but now she also had Misao and Yahiko to find as well. Those two kids were resourceful, even if she worried after the both of them. Kenshin on the other hand... what could she even say to him? That she missed him? That she was sorry she didn't listen and followed him anyway? That last bit was a lie, obviously. She wasn't sorry but she also didn't know how to face him after talking to Misao about her feelings for him. It felt almost too much to think about right now.
Bonus - Closed to Kenshin
The encounter with the fortune teller left Kaoru shaken physically and mentally. She should have known somehow something wasn't right, right? Instead she'd nearly been impaled in the face. Dodging had only gotten her so far but the woman got a nice bokken smashing into her face as a result after it had been righted again. Kaoru didn't take lightly to being attacked, far too used to it by now, unfortunately. Knocking her seat over as she went, Kaoru took another swing at her, stopping before causing real damage and instead retreating as fast as her feet could take her, fear of retaliation making her heart race. It was while she was distracted that she hadn't realized her feet had given out on her and that she was now falling forward into another person - a markedly familiar person if she would only realize it.
"Ah-!!" She grabs onto him, the other hand trying to keep her dres from catching on anything as she aims to keep herself upright. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin such a beautiful article of clothing. "I-I'm so sorry it's just-!!"
Her words catch in her throat, eyes widening and heart stopping in her chest as she realizes who it is. How long had she lain in bed wishing he hadn't left? How long had she wanted to see him again? Misao had told her that if she was looking for him then her feelings had better be sincere and she had been right to say so because she realized then how much she missed him and how much she needed him in her life. It wasn't anything like love in epic stories but it was close enough. Unfortunately the first thing he was going to get to see was her nearly out of breath, frightened looking, and with blood dripping down her cheek in a long gash.
"Kenshin...? You're here?" She'd been told their home was gone, that all her loved ones gone with it, but here he was. She had refused to believe it and here was the proof right in front of her. She was so happy she could cry or even hug him. Instead all she can do is stare and hope that he doesn't think she look incredibly ridiculous in this dress. She wasn't as easy on the eyes as someone like Megumi, after all.
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Parties have never been Kenshin's thing, costumed or otherwise, and yet here he is, dressed in an unassuming suit with his hair tied up a little more nicely than usual. And really, it's silly for him to have a mask at all, considering his hair is a dead giveaway as to his identity for anyone who knows him, or knows of him.
While the night has gone on surprisingly easy for him, he's still felt uneasy. Nothing has gone wrong, but it's all just felt wrong. Or wrong enough to cause the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end and his hands to twitch, wanting to keep the sakabatou even closer to his person than it already is. It doesn't help that the past events in the city proper have put him on edge, as well. Being blind is not what he considers a good time, after all.
But maybe he is over-thinking things a little bit, maybe he's just extra paranoid.
...No. Nothing has happened so far, but he would rather things stay that way, as well. He should just leave.
Of course, it's at that moment that someone barrels into him, and Kenshin has to hop from foot to foot a couple times to stay upright, as well as hold the woman - for it's clear now that this is a woman - steady. But as he does and as her voices reaches his ears, his eyes widen and he quickly pushes the mask on top of his head, as if this will help him see more clearly.
"Kaoru-dono...?"
He can't say if it was coincidence or karma that put him in just this place at just this moment, but...well, he can't be too upset, all things considered.
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"There you are." She says simply, almost as if it was obvious she took great pains to find him. Oh how she wanted to just hug him right then, but still she remains frozen on the spot despite the warmth of his hand practically making her insides warm up. "Do you know where this place is?"
She still refused to believe their home was gone. She'd wanted so badly for him to go back to it with her.
All the same she isn't sure if it's happiness or anxiety that settles in her chest. She found him at last and she should be happy, right? Yet she still feels nervous, as if she's crossed a line and he might even be upset with her. He had left for important reasons, after all. She should have respected that but at the same time she'd gone with Megumi's encouragement, had taken Yahiko with her to help in her endeavor, and here they'd somehow ended up on a different path but still with the result she wanted.
Fate was strange like that, it seemed.
Almost as if realizing her face is injured, Kaoru gasps, bringing her hand up to her cheek only to withdraw it with bloodstains. She hadn't wanted him to see her in a mess like this but unfortunately she wasn't getting that wish tonight. He would have to take her blood smears and all, it seems.
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It's never easy.
Nonetheless, he takes a breath, about to answer her, but he notices her cheek at the same time she remembers it. "This one will explain later. Come." Keeping hold of her hand, Kenshin gently tugs her along until he reaches a beverage table. Here he grabs a napkin and fills up a small glass with water before turning back to Kaoru. He wads up the napkin and dips part of it in the water, gently cleaning the cut on her cheek. "What happened?"
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"Uhm, well... I'm still making sense of it, actually. One moment I was speaking to a woman. She said-" she falls silent, immediately feeling heat rise to her cheeks as Kenshin had definitely been a topic of conversation and not one she was willing to admit to. Taking a breath to gather her thoughts, Kaoru continues speaking,
"She said she was a fortune teller and we spoke for a while and then she just- she changed this weird metal thing came out of her face - or where it used to be - and nearly drove itself into my head! I moved away as much as I could and then I hit her a couple times and ran when I was sure she stopped moving."
Hesitantly, she raises her bokken. She'd used it to hurt an innocent, hadn't she? Surely she was the shame of her dojo, but at the same time it was alright in self defense in this instance, she thinks. She had been attacked after all and she wasn't an idiot either. She still felt some guilt about it. Lowering the wooden sword again to her side, she shifts her gaze away from his so that she can't see the disappointment or worry that would surely follow.
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He hopes it isn't some trick, some new development as the night goes on that will just try and drag him further down. But she feels real. Looks and sounds real, and Kenshin has grown used to the sound of her voice and how frustration, as well as a little bit of embarrassment, can color it.
Looking back to her face, he can tell she's upset, probably about attacking this fortune teller, but Kenshin doesn't scold. Instead, he just lightly rests his fingers upon her wrist. "Not everyone here is human. There is a good chance she was a machine." Besides, if Kaoru was attacked first, then of course she would have protected herself. She shouldn't be ashamed here.
He takes his hand away after a moment. "Is Kaoru-dono hurt anywhere else?"
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"No, I'm not hurt - not seriously - but... are Yahiko and the others really gone? Is what they say really true?" She reached out then, feeling like he could anchor her in the harsh truths of their situation. His hands were weathered by years of swordsmanship but still were warm to the touch as always. She had gone in search of him but had lost Yahiko as a price. It made her feel hollow to realize it.
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The others.
It isn't Kaoru's fault that her bringing them up only reminds Kenshin of the situation they're in; of course she's worried, she's Kaoru. But he can't say that everyone is fine, because as far as he knows, they aren't. Soujirou is here, yes, and Kaoru now, as well, so there's still a glimmer of hope, but there's just as good a chance that no one else will be saved. Kenshin cannot, in good conscience, give Kaoru false hope.
He just looks down at their joined hands and remains silent for a few long moments. He wants to offer up something, but it's difficult. "As it stands now, it appears to be true. This one cannot tell what the future may hold."
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"You're right." She bows her head, trying to shove her worries down beneath the surface. He needed her as she needed him right now and it wouldn't do to make him bear the brunt of all her insecurities about all of this.
"Uhm... did you think I was dead too? A girl told me that you were here already but if that's true, they told you the same things about me, right?" It made no sense. How would whoever they were even know that sort of information? They clearly were not in Japan anymore for that sort of thing to reach here quickly. Somehow it didn't seem to add up, but at the same time if it was true of Yahiko and the others was it really a good idea to hold even a small bit of hope>
phase i!
Except there's only a pretty, friendly smile present when this nerd turns around to greet the mystery shoulder-tapper. By appearance alone, it seems like Kaoru isn't at all bothered by the request, or by being stopped at all. It's not like there's anything else going on that requires more attention right now, after all. Parties in general tend to be boring, no matter what the theme is or what the mode of dress happens to be, and this one hasn't been an exception yet.
As for the question? It's met with a gentle nod, and Kaoru raises one hand to readjust the eye mask so it's resting up like a headband instead. Even though they're required wear, no one said they had to be worn over the face the entire night...!]
I'll certainly try to. Who are you looking for, miss?
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If it isn't any trouble... his name is Kenshin. He has bright red hair and a scar on one side of his face, which normally isn't hard to miss.
[What if he doesn't want to be found?
No.
She could not think like that!! She was determined to find him here whether their home really was gone, and he with it.]
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Hm... Ah! Himura Kenshin-san? I met him a while ago, but I haven't seen him here yet...
[Another pause, and Kaoru's gaze sweeps the dance floor instead. It turns up nothing though, and there's a thoughtful-sounding hum.]
Perhaps he hasn't arrived yet.
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Excuse her while she grabs you Kaoru. Nothing personal but you know her stupid rurouni. He is totally property of the Kamiya dojo...]
Wait he's- he's not dead?! But this place - they told me home was gone!!
[Wow, where are her manners?]
You have to help me find him!!
[Good luck shaking her off, evil name twin...]
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Please calm down, miss—! He arrived with the last group of newcomers, so he's quite fine, I can assure you of that. But if you'd like help looking for him, I'll try my best.
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Can you take me to him? Or maybe point me in the right direction. I just want to bring him home, that's all!
[She might be going about it a little too forcefully but it wasn't as if Misao didn't get the same treatment. Kaoru was just a little bit of a rough person sometimes. Sorry about that other!Kaoru.]
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I'm not certain where he is, miss. I don't know where he lives or works, so he could be anywhere in the city...
[Gosh, it's almost like she thinks Kaoru stalks people for a living or something!!]
But I can help you look? Or - chances are high that he'll show up to this eventually, so waiting by the door may not be a poor idea.
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I'm not sure if I can stand waiting around but if you think there's a chance he might come here, I'll stay a bit longer.
[She certainly can't picture him wandering in here but if by some miracle he did then she didn't want to lose her only chance to see him again, not knowing that he was the only companion from home she had left to her. This girl telling her that he was here had lit even a small bit of hope back into her where it had been previously gone upon arriving.]
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If you would like, I could wait with you. Perhaps it won't be so difficult if you have a little conversation for distraction?
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If... if it wouldn't be too much trouble? I would really like that.
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It's just over this way.
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Oh! I just- I feel like I've completely forgotten myself. My name is Kaoru.
[Yes, because her running around like a crazy person made it so easy to forget to be nice and actually introduce herself.]
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Is that so? My name is Kaoru, as well. [A very brief nod is given, since there's not really any way to do a proper bow while walking.] Nagumo Kaoru. It's a pleasure to meet you, miss.
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[What a pleasant surprise that she should find someone with the same name as her-!! Clearly this is a lucky day for her.]
I guess we both had parents with good taste in names? Or something.
[Though she only truly speaks of her father
stupid canon ignoring her mother's existence boo hiss.no subject
It seems so. [And then moving right along, because who doesn't want to talk about families with a stranger?? IT'S KAORU. They're about at the entrance anyway, which is pointed out.]
Ah— there's the set of doors that everyone will enter through. If your friend isn't yet here, you'll be able to see him when he arrives.
that icon looks so terrifying... haha
[And she starts towards the door before turning back to face Kaoru with a smile on her face.]
Thank you, so much. I'd really like to see you again sometime to thank you properly if I do find him, if that would be alright?
lmf suiting for kaoru....
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