[SEMI-OPEN] Mafia Dream

[toobigtohandle]

WHO: Kenta, Iwai, Fai, Majima, and possibly YOU!
WHERE: Kenta's (AU History) Nightmare (head here for Taroutachi memories and nightmares).
WHEN: Throughout October
WHAT: Kenta has nightmares not only of those strange Retrospec memories, but also of his own life
WARNINGS: Yakuza, abduction and attempted assassination of a child



[At first, the scene seems innocuous enough.

A wealthy neighborhood in Japan. The street is empty and quiet, lined with traditional houses, each one bigger than the next. It's mid morning and the place is quiet.

From afar once can hear some voices. A woman and a child. They soon appear into view. The woman is wearing a kimono and holding the child's hand. A little boy with long dark hair tied up in a ponytail and slanted dark eyes. They're talking in excited voices, in Japanese. Behind them, a tall man in a dark suit and wearing sunglasses follows in silence.

All of a sudden, there's a screech of tires as a car barrels down the street and stops abruptly. Someone runs out and pushes the woman away, trying to grab the little boy. The child tries to resist and cries for his mother, but he is obviously too small. Thankfully, the man in the suit jumps forward, immediately trading blows and pulling out a gun and grabbing the boy from his would-be captor and getting him to safety behind him.

Only to see the muzzle of a gun come through the car window, aimed at the child. The man moves so that when the gun is shot, the bullet pierces his shoulder rather than the boy's head that it was aimed at.

The ruckus has finally attracted more people, men in dark suits who come out of the nearest house with guns blazing and start gathering around the woman and child, opening a barrage of fire until the assailants finally jump back in their car and drive away as fast as possible.]

'Aneki! Kenta-bou! Are you alright?'

Comments

[geckoman]

[Iwai remembers having a dream of his own only to wake up...here. It's...Japan? That ain't possible. He lives in Recolle now because if he lived in Japan then...

It's weirder still that he feels like he might recognize this area. He can't say why that is but it just looks so familiar to him. And that's when he sees the woman and her child. When he sees the child almost killed and the man save him.

What the hell is he watching?

The car speeds past him and he stares with wide eyes. What is going on here? Just...what?]

[toobigtohandle]

[The woman is already standing up, helped by someone. All the men are acting very deferential to her, and calling her 'Aneki'. She is trembling slightly but once she has ascertained her son is alright, she starts giving orders in a steady voice.]

Takahiro, trace the car. I remember the license plate, I will give it to you. Someone take Muramasa inside and call Izuki-sensei for his wound. Masaki, call my husband immediately.

[And then she turns to Iwai as if he were one of the many men around her.]

Please bring Kenta inside.

[The little boy runs to Iwai and grabs his pants leg.]

[geckoman]

[Why is he so aware that he doesn't belong here? Is this...someone else's dream or...?

The kid actually runs to him and grabs him? He doesn't even know this kid. Looking around he tries to find some person or something that this kid could belong to. Because what?

Wait, Kenta? Ain't that the name of the guy who...]

You're Kenta?

[toobigtohandle]

[The little boy frowns.]

Of course I am!

[The kimono-clad woman also frowns at seeing Iwai doesn't move.]

'Hurry! Someone could come back. He needs to be brought inside!'

[geckoman]

[How the hell is he wrapped up in this? Where's the real Kenta? The giant? And why do they think he's one of them?

Tch. He doesn't have time for this.

Reaching down, he picks up the kid and holds him close as he follows after the woman. Okay he'll figure this out in a second. And hope this dream doesn't...loop or something.]

[toobigtohandle]

[There's a flurry of activity as people go back inside what is clearly a big compound, but as soon as everyone is inside the woman disappears somewhere else, escorted by two or three bodyguards and obviously in a hurry, leaving Iwai to fend for himself.

Kenta point at a corridor.]

My room is that way.

[The voice is soft, and the small body is shivering slightly in Iwai's arms. This may be someone's dream, but whatever just happened, it's clear it's had a rather deep impact on whoever this happened to.]

[geckoman]

[The hell is up with this kid?

Okay then, he'll go down the hall. As he does, he holds the kid close and even gently rubs his back to comfort him. To let him know that he's safe and has him. Because this is a nightmare, right? Something else is bound to happen.

If that's case he's got to keep this kid safe.

Because...logic?]

[sotenbori]

[ majima watches, mostly horrified because he's so powerless. he can't go running into save this woman and child with so many people involved, isn't stupid enough to run out in the middle of a firefight but then it's over, and thank god, these people are okay. ]

Shit, ya guys should go inside.

[toobigtohandle]

[People are already starting to move inside. The kimono-clad woman is giving orders, her voice barely trembling, after having ascertained that the little boy is okay. She's sending some of them to trace the car, others to call for a doctor for the injured guy... and then she turns to Majima as if he were one of them.]

Bring Kenta inside to his room, please.

[sotenbori]

[ he just nods - what else is he gonna do? - and offers his hand to kenta. ]

I'll take care of him.

[toobigtohandle]

[Kenta grabs Majima's hand without hesitation apparently used to being foisted onto unsuspecting men in suits all the time.

Once they enter the house, they find themselves a long corridor lined with decorated fusuma. It's rather dark, and completely silent.

And then, out of nowhere, a small red dot of light flickers into existence in the middle of Kenta's forehead. Even though no one is visible.

Even if one were not acquainted with the mafia, this has been seen in enough movies and TV shows for it to be obvious. Someone really has it in for this kid.]

[sotenbori]

Holy fuck it is just not our day.

[ majima moves quickly, pulling him out of harms way and through a door - any door, it doesn't matter - so they can be out of this line of sight. ]

We gotta keep movin', kid.

[toobigtohandle]

[It's a valiant effort... except this is a dream and logic doesn't apply here. As soon as they're in the room - which is completely empty - the red dot is right back in the middle of Kenta's forehead even though it's physically impossible for here to be a scope trained on him given their surroundings.]

It's not going to go away. They want to kill me to hurt Otou-sama.

[Kenta sounds way too calm about this, too. This not something such a small kid should see as a normal part of their lives.]

[flowrite]

[This... is definitely not one of Fai's usual nightmares. He's never seen this neighborhood, never even been to Japan (for all that he likes Japanese men, ahem). He doesn't understand the language and he's not really sure why he's here, although... honestly? This kind of beats his own nightmares. Maybe roaming around a new place for a while will keep him from seeing--

The car and the shooting all happen so fast, Fai is all but useless. He can't summon up a shield in his dreams; it doesn't even occur to him to do so. All he knows is that he's suddenly terrified for the child, but there are a lot of tough looking men around to protect him and his mother, so he should be safe now right?

...wait, Kenta?]

[toobigtohandle]

[The woman is being helped up by one of the bodyguards, and once she's made sure Kenta is alright, she starts giving orders in a slightly shaky voice. It's clear she's shocked by what happened, but there is a steely resolve in her gaze as she starts speaking.

And because this is a dream, slowly the words become recognizable for Fai. He will be able to understand as she asks for a doctor for the injured man and orders some people to trace the car and call her husband and tell him to come back home.

One of the men in suits has picked up the little boy and all but thrusts him at Fai.]

Bring Kenta-bou inside. It's not safe out there.

[flowrite]

[Fai is still stunned even as the voices around him slowly start to make sense. It's only when the little boy is pushed into his arms that he reacts, reaching to take the little body automatically. The blond may not look like he's made of much, but he's at least strong enough to hold a little boy in his arms. And because this is nightmare logic he does as he's told, hugging the boy to his chest and turning to take him inside the house.]

Kenta... are you okay?

[So this is what Kenta dreams about?]

[toobigtohandle]

[Kenta nods against Fai's chest, but the little body in Fai's arm is shivering and his face is rather blank, a telltale sign that he is in shock. Yet his eyes are dry and he looks like he is stubbornly refusing the cry somehow.

And as soon as Fai reaches the inside of the house, he finds himself in a long corridor, lined with closed fusuma. It's rather dark in here, and there's no one in sight... and yet, suddenly, something flickers to life. The red dot of a laser pointer, the same kind you can see in movies, appears on Kenta's forehead.]

[flowrite]

[The dark hallway is a little intimidating, especially after the scene outside. Fai pauses, considering asking Kenta which way they should go, when the red dot appears.

Now, Fai may not be from this kind of lifestyle, may not have much of anything to do with the criminal element short of some of the people he spends time with, but he's seen enough movies to know what that red dot is. Even as some part of him is praying it's just a laser pointer, maybe another kid in the household and if he turns he'll spot them, Fai is holding the little boy in his arms closer and twisting to try to put himself between Kenta and the source of the light. If he tucks Kenta's little head against his shoulder and folds himself around the boy maybe they won't be able to get him--

But where the hell is the light coming from?]

[toobigtohandle]

[Kenta doesn't resist, curling himself up in Fai's arms as he's held protectively, but when he speaks, his voice is almost unnaturally calm about the whole thing.]

It's not going to go away. As long as I'm in the house, it's not going to go away. They want to kill me to hurt Otou-sama.

[spes_phthisica]

[Soujirou struggles to orient himself at first, taking in the surroundings - there's a familiar feeling to them, even if he hasn't been there before. Then he sees the woman and child, hears them talking, and the penny drops. He's in Japan?

And then everything happens so fast, and even though it's stupidprotect, and suddenly he's in the middle of the cluster of men, another of the bodies shielding the woman and child, although he's helpless to do anything else without a weapon.

Then, as the attackers retreat, he half expecting to be grabbed and interrogated, but perhaps it's better to act as if he belongs? The name of the child doesn't quite register yet, as he crouches down next to the woman and child, smiling and asking them in Japanese:]

Are you both unharmed?

[toobigtohandle]

[No one seems to find it strange that he's here, quite the contrary. The woman nods at his question, then quickly moves to check on her son. He's fine, too, physically at least, but he's holding onto his mother's kimono with a white-knuckled grip.

She starts giving orders, asking for a doctor to be called for the injured bodyguard and sending people to trace the car, before she turns to Soujirou.]

Bring Kenta inside, please.

[Kenta doesn't say anything. He just lets go of his mother's clothes and grabs Soujirou's instead.]

html did some shenanigans w the last tag :P

[spes_phthisica]

[Disoriented, Soujirou glances down at himself for a split second. He's in Japan, and somehow no one is questioning his presence and- and he's wearing his old practice clothes, and just a moment ago he'd been trying to get out of the kendo tournament before he collapses...

Oh. It's another dream. Someone else's dream, now. Which means that the little boy is probably-

Inclining his head obligingly, he deftly picks the child up, feeling rather strange about doing so.]

Come here, let's get you somewhere safer, okay? Do you want to go to your room? [He at least assumes that the building in question is their home.]

No worries!

[toobigtohandle]

[Kenta nods, curling into the arms holding him. He's rather tall for his age already, but still small enough to be carried comfortable even for someone who is not as tall as others.

The inside of the house is dark and opens onto a long corridor, and Kenta points down the hall.]

It's that way.

[The corridor is barely lit and lined with beautifully decorated fusuma. It's also completely empty. And yet after a few seconds a light flickers to life. A red dot, right in the middle of Kenta's forehead. The laser pointer of a sniper as anyone who's watched an action movie or TV show could tell. Yet they appear to be completely alone.]

[spes_phthisica]

[For someone who is actually a bit squeamish about real blood and gore, Soujirou does consume a lot of violent video games and movies. Certainly enough to react rather instantly to the steady red dot on the child's forehead and jump immediately to the worst conclusion. He's got nothing to fight back with and his arms full of child, so he does the only thing he can think about and spins around, putting his own body in the way.

It's just a dream, intones a voice in his head. It's not actially going to hurt him. Another part of him points out that if it's just a dream, why try to protect the child at all? But he overrules it.

His shoulders braced for impact despite himself, all he can think of is to say:]

Who's there?

[toobigtohandle]

[There's no answer coming. The place is still eerily silent. And even though Soujirou has clearly put himself between Kenta and the source of the light, the red dot is still there on Kenta's forehead.]

It's not going to go away if I stay here.