[Open] There and Back Again

[soul_mods]

Characters: Rescue Operation volunteers, kidnapping victims, medics
Location: Underground tunnel system, beneath Death City
Rating: Varies
Time: May 13th, 7 AM
Description: The mission's simple: Arrest the perpetrators, and get our friends back. Of course, the kidnappers aren't going to make it simple...



The first step was finding a way into the tunnels connected to the sewers. Thanks to Guest investigators and the Death City Police Department, two entrances were found, allowing for a pincer movement. The mirrors are primed and ready to go, situated in the sewers proper by dawn and ready for a quick extraction of the abduction victims. On the other side, in the Shibusen clinic, medics are on standby for medical treatment of the victims and the fighters heading in to clear out and apprehend the masked weirdoes.

But the masked weirdoes have tricks up their own sleeves: The tunnels are littered with pit traps, thin wire triggers waiting to be sprung (or disarmed) with darts, arrows, or even falling rocks and debris in store for any intruders that decide to enter these makeshift halls, and the perpetrators themselves are armed with melee weapons, smoke and pepper bombs, and sheer numbers.

Today is also the day that the kidnappers have decided that a little isolation would make the prisoners more compliant. Roughly hauled up bright and early one by one, they're on their way to individual chambers when they each get a message via clairvoyance as promised:



"We're coming."




[ooc: You know the drill; tag your characters in and make your own threads using the following format: [Character(s)][Location][Open/Closed], and the victims are welcome to make threads as well for interactions among each other and those that find them. The operation will be complete at around noon with arrests taking place for a few hours afterward, for those in need of a timeline!]

Comments

[Yako][Cell][Takuto first, then Open]

[itaidakimasu]

{Yako hasn't been quite as rebellious as some of her other fellow captives, but she knows it would seems a little strange not to at least try to escape when being moved like this. She actually slips free of her captors for a brief period, which either says something about their competence or her experience at getting free of restraints, and she actually makes it a few meters before one of her arms is grabbed and twisted behind her in a hold that would make Neuro proud.

She's dragged off to her cell and tossed to the ground. Before she can push herself up, a foot slams down on her forearm a few times. That's probably a mixed blessing—she'll definitely bruise pretty badly, but if she had been levering herself up, the force at that angle might had cracked or broken something—but a swift kick to her ribs and then the slam of a door minimize any thankfulness she might feel.

After a moment she sighs and pushes herself up, without so much as a wince. There are bruises on her face and more beneath her clothes, and the drugs may be all but out of her system, but her hunger is sharper than ever as punishment. Yako sighs and settles down against one of the far corners. It's only a minor inconvenience, she reminds herself, struggling to retrieve her optimism. She just has to wait a little longer.}

[tauborn]

[A guard standing in front of a door can only mean one thing. They've finally found where the prisoners are being kept. Without a moment's hesitation, Takuto punches the guard directly on the venetian mask, cracking the plaster and sending the back of the guard's head into the doorway. The guard drops like a stone, the flash of a key glinting as he falls.

In a heartbeat, Takuto frees the key from the guard and unlocks the door. There's no way to know who is really on the other side, but he has a hopeful feeling that perhaps...

It is Yako.]

Yako! [He rushes to her side, dropping whatever weapon he was holding with a clatter, and crouches beside her, pulling her tenderly into his arms.]

[itaidakimasu]

{Yako's head snaps up as soon as she hears the signs of a struggle. Relief floods her, about the same time a silly little hope worms it's way in. The odds are against Takuto finding her first; she knows this isn't some fairytale where the hero tracks down his damsel straight off.

Takuto doesn't, apparently.

She hugs him back, a bit desperately. She's missed him, and knowing he's probably been going insane with worry in the meantime hasn't helped at all.}

Takuto...

[tauborn]

[There are some tears in his eyes but he's going to ignore them. Going insane with worry is a pretty apt assessment of what he did while Yako was missing, and feeling her hug him tightly is the best kind of reassurance that things are going to be okay.

He pulls back just enough to stare into her eyes for a moment--yes, it really is Yako and she's alive and everything--and then kisses her with so much feeling that part of his soul seems to bleed through with it.

In all fairness, he's been resonating with several different weapons on his way to rescue Yako. But the emotion running through his soul isn't the determination from before, it's filled with relief and happiness, and probably at least a little bit of love itself.]

[itaidakimasu]

{It's probably a little reckless to get caught up like this when there's still an escape to make, and kidnappers to round up. It's probably awkward for anybody hovering at the doorway, wide open to such a tender, private moment.

It's probably a lot of things, but Yako can't bring herself to care very much right now.

She's too busy meeting Takuto, mouth to mouth and soul to soul. She's too happy to see him to feel nervous about resonating again, and he probably can feel his own emotions mirrored back as her soul latches weakly onto his.}

[tauborn]

[He finally pulls back, more for air than anything else, but there's no way he can pull his soul away from hers when it feels like she so desperately needs him. But looking at her more closely...

He can see the bruises on her face and it breaks his heart. She's been held prisoner and these so called minor injuries had continued while he'd been powerless to come save her.]

Let's get out of here. [He gently releases her, but only enough to quickly slip an arm under her knees and lift her up princess style as he stands. Even though he won't make any claims about being a fairytale knight come to rescue his damsel in distress, he definitely plans to personally carry Yako out of this mess.]

[itaidakimasu]

{Yako has dealt with far more painful forms of abuse in the past, but that's the last thing he needs to hear right now. They're lucky she doesn't think to say it out loud.

She's startled by the sudden change in altitude, and wraps her arms around his neck quickly.}

Um...is it alright that your hands aren't free?

{She knows better to imply that she's too heavy to carry; she didn't even break one hundred pounds before BREW nabbed her, and she's actually lost weight since then.}

[tauborn]

[He nods. It isn't as if it's just Takuto that came to the rescue. There's half of the city's guests in attendance, beating up the creepy kidnappers left and right. Besides, Takuto didn't exactly leave very many standing on his way in.]

Any of the traps are already set off, and I think most of the bad guys are cleared up, too. [He places a quick kiss on her forehead and starts heading towards the doorway. He's not letting her go.]

/BUSTS IN ON YOUR CUTENESS

[diedforyoursins]

Either way, he is not alone. It will be alright.

[of all the people who had been hovering in the doorway, at least there's one who isn't too concerned about making things awkward -- and who has been waiting to see yako for a while now.]

/WOW RUDE

[itaidakimasu]

Kaworu!

{It's not for the same reasons, but he was one her mind just as much as Takuto has these past few days. Her face immediately clouds with guilt, and she's too tired to try and downplay how much being forced to stand him up tore at her.}

...sorry. I ended up keeping you waiting.

...at least you didn't try to kiss Yako first

[tauborn]

[Takuto shifts Yako a little in his arms, gently chiding her.]

The last thing you should think about right now is apologizing.

wait for it

[diedforyoursins]

[he looks a little surprised at the apology, like maybe he expected her to be upset at him still, but his expression softens almost instantly and then he's right there hugging her tightly regardless of her position in takuto's arms.]

It was not your fault. I missed you, Yako.

...

[itaidakimasu]

{Sorry Takuto, she's going to make this a little hard on you. She lets go of his neck in order to cling to Kaworu, burying her face in his shoulder.}

I missed you too. And...and I really did want to talk.

[tauborn]

[It's not that he minds so much that Yako and Kaworu want to give each other hugs. It's just an awkward position to hold a girl while she's hugging someone else. It also puts Takuto in quite the proximity to Kaworu, which, given everything that's happened recently... is much less awkward than it really should be.

Still, Yako needs this hug and so he's fully supportive of her having it.]

[Sugata & Nanami][to the side of the above thread][Open]

[morecowbell]

[Nanami lays awkwardly on the ground where Takuto has left her to get the keys from the guard. It takes her a moment after she watches him drop Shinji to realize he isn't coming back for her. At least he had set her down somewhat nicely, she could have been dropped like Shinji.

That isn't to say she's not slightly irritated at being left behind after she put aside her differences to help out. With a loud sigh, she changes back to her human form. Most of the group had already moved forward and they wouldn't be watching her to transform with the action happening up front anyway.]

[peacocked]

[sugata mostly stayed behind so he could give his friend the privacy he needed. he was actually about to leave but stops when he sees one of takuto's friends on the ground. he looks up as he heaves a sigh. really takuto? really? feeling the need to take up for his friend's rudeness he offers the blonde a hand.]

I apologize for my friend's one track mind.

[morecowbell]

[She had been planning on leaving as well so Sugata's voice comes as a bit of a surprise to her. Sadly, a while back if she had been in Taktuo's place and her brother had been in Yako's she might have done the same but that was neither her nor there.

Nanami accepts the hand and stands up and brushes herself off.]

Thank you. [At least someone around here has some manners] I don't think we've met yet, I'm Nanami Kiryuu.

[peacocked]

[he shakes his head and smiles down at her.] It's alright. And we haven't, I'm Sugata Shindou. [and with that he offers nanami a small formal bow.] It's a pleasure to meet you Nanami. [he pauses momentarily as he looks up.] Were you just about to leave?

[morecowbell]

[Nanami returns the bow, it's been a while since anyone has been so formal with her which is actually quite refreshing.]

Ah, yes, or at the very least wait somewhere out of the way until the others are ready to leave.

[peacocked]

[it's in his nature to be formal and polite!]

I can accompany you, if you'd like. I was just about to leave myself. As much heat as I'll be under I think he needs to be alone right now. [he pauses as he looks on forward.] If you know what I mean.

[morecowbell]

[She doesn't bother glancing in the room where the reunion is taking place because she can pretty much guess what's going on in there]

Thank you, I'd very much appreciate your company.

[she begins moving away from the room] So you're friends with Takuto?

[peacocked]

[aaaand with that he offers her his arm.] Yes, I am. For the short amount of time that I've known him I can confidently say that we're the best of friends.

[morecowbell]

[oh mai what a gentleman, Nanami just goes ahead and threads her arm through] Hmm? Well that's nice. He seems to make fiends rather quickly, did you meet him here or are you from his world?

[peacocked]

[he tries! once nanami is settled he'll continue his way down the tunnel.] He does, I'm sure it's one of his quirks though. Making friends easy, that is. But no, I'm from his world. We met in a rather interesting way. One I wouldn't really recommend to anyone else.

[morecowbell]

[she follows] Oh yeah? And how was that?