raisetheearth | (no subject)

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Who: Keldek & Associates, Ryuuzaki and maybe others
Where: Gateway and Infinita City
What: The recruitment drive continues. This time we're looking for brains over brawn. Also, there might be something with some kid who showed up on his doorstep.
Warnings: Ryuuzaki. Maybe a little violence? I dunno.
Status: Closed

Number One: Closed to Ryuuzaki
It's well into the night by the time the black car pulls into the motel parking lot. It really was one of the... seedier places that the otherwise bright city had to offer, populated by the human detritus that eagerly fed off a society that allowed them to exist.

Circling once, the car came to a stop at the room number that had been indicated as the one that currently housed the one they were there for. The driver's door opened up and a large man in a black suit stepped out, straightening his jacket before opening the passenger side to allow a tall, black-haired woman in business attire to step out.

Of course, the sudden arrival drew some attention. They were approached only once, but three applications of an enormous fist left the poor fellow more concerned with picking his broken teeth out of a pool of blood on the concrete and the rest sufficiently dissuaded from trying their hand.

The brief burst of violence didn't even slow the woman for a step. In fact, she seemed to ignore it entirely as she strode up to the door and reached out to knock with a slender hand.

Part 2. Closed to Alexandra
Somehow, the days seemed to grow both longer and shorter all at the same time. Longer in that his work often kept him busy until well past sunset, but shorter in that no matter what was accomplished there was always more to be done. Nonetheless, there was a satisfaction there. Things were progressing smoothly. He'd managed to recruit a number of "special" individuals to his cause and the little test they'd conducted the previous month had gone well and that particular project was ready to progress to the next level.

Now, however, the day's work was done and he sat in peaceful solitude in his large office. Or at least it was for him. He turned his chair toward the window and watched the lights outside as his construction crews changed shifts, sitting back in his chair and breathing out a cloud of smoke from the cigarette in one hand, the other holding a glass of whiskey. So much progress in just a few short months. Very soon his city, his domain would finish rising out of the depths of this wasteland and then....

... Well, that was still in the future. For now, he could rest easy knowing that all matters of importance had been dealt with for the day.

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It might seem cliche to say so, even vulgar, but as far as Ryuzaki's concerned, night is the only time that anything worth doing gets done. Of course he's awake, happily crushing pills into powder so he can go from alert to euphoric. Ironically, he's not addicted, will never be addicted no matter how much he persists in abusing substances. He is, after all, Lazarus' opposite, and that comes with a few perks.

Wallowing in semi-anonymous depravity, he's had what he considers a very good year. The grimier the motel, the gladder he is to book it, and if it glows like a disco under a blacklight, it brings a twinkle to his eye and slings a song into his hollow heart. He's insatiable, but that doesn't mean he ever stops trying, and fortunately, the pursuit offers him enough pleasure to sustain and amuse him, at least for now.

He's rolling a $100 bill into a narrow straw, convinced that the high is better when administered expensively, when he hears a soft knock. Shrugging, he snorts two lines, and he's still blinking and rubbing at his nose when he answers the door.

"Am I expecting you?" he drawls, leaning against the door frame and crossing his arms over his chest.

Unfortunately, Ryuzaki's opinion isn't entirely shared by his guests this evening. Not that either of them were strangers to places like that. In fact, the simple act of surviving the dark places of the world could be said to be at least part of what had drawn the eye of the man they worked for.

The two of them stand outside Ryuzaki's door. The large man with an expression on the razor's edge between bored and vigilant as he mops the blood off his knuckles with a handkerchief before replacing it into his jacket pocket.

The woman simply casts a dispassionate look around the room, taking in the sight of the filth this prospect chose to surround himself with. It isn't a particularly impressive sight... in fact, it almost makes her wonder why they're here at all. But... she is paid very well to follow orders, not question them.

"You should be." She answers Ryuzaki, in a slightly patronizing tone. "We're here to escort you to your meeting. You spoke with my employer over the network not long ago."

Ryuzaki's dark, round eyes go right to the blood on the man's knuckles, registering what it is with interest but no other real reaction. The wheels are turning, though, and his gaze pivots to the woman at his side, trying to evaluate whether or not he's in danger.

His good year can't end here. He won't let it.

"Did I...?" his eyes wander toward the ceiling, as if searching there for the recollection. "Right... yeah, I remember. That was so interesting. I hope you'll let me get my things and come quietly, because while I am into that..." he glances indulgently at the big man's knuckles, "I prefer to get a safe word in place first. I don't give a damn about safe and sane, but consensual's actually pretty important to me."

The tall man's expression twists into an unpleasant sneer at Ryuzaki's statement. He remains wordless though, simply looming over the whole interaction and filling the doorway with his bulk.

"Of course. This isn't a kidnapping." The woman's expression doesn't shift a bit, both it and her tone never losing that simple, detached calm. She turns her head slightly, lifting a hand to indicate the towering enforcer at her back. "My associate is merely present to ensure the trip is... uneventful. Please, take your time."

Take his time, but there's no room for misunderstanding there. He will be coming with them.

"Not a kidnapping..." he muses, gnawing his knuckle thoughtfully. "Great. And it should only be a moment, I want to just grab some essentials."

He turns, whistling as he packs what appears to be an overnight bag. A couple spare pairs of boxer shorts go into it, as well as a toothbrush... followed to two different varieties of flavored lube and an assortment of five different colorful sex toys, including some dildos and what appear to be nipple clamps.

He winks at the big guy before slinging the bag over his shoulder and rejoining them, locking his room up.

"Essentials grabbed. I'm all set. I hope you have a spacious backseat in your choice of transportation."

As promised the two of them wait patiently while Ryuzaki gathers his... essentials.

The big guy's sneer turns into an outright grimace when Ryuzaki sends that wink in his direction and he turns his head to focus on some convenient something else over yonder.

The woman appears considerably less affected, although perhaps slightly amused at her associate's discomfort. The two step back as Ryuzaki exists, quietly ignoring the commotion happening nearby as the newly toothless stranger's buddies try to contact an ambulance.

"Will this do?" She turns slightly to indicate the goddamned limo parked nearby.

That big guy (he looks just like a Carl) is going to be lots of fun. Ryuzaki is already thinking of all the ways he can get to him and taking immense pleasure in the process. Like the woman, he's amused by the clear display of discomfort. He peers down the hall at the commotion; he's very interested in what's going on, but taking his cues from his new companions, he doesn't dwell on it too much.

He peers in the direction of the limo, considering it.

"...it'll do," he decides.

"I thought it might." The woman replies before taking the lead back down the hallway.

The crowd who'd had the unfortunate luck to cross Carl's path back away immediately at their approach, pulling back against the wall. As they pass, Ryuzaki will get a pretty good look at the meager trash with a mouthful of blood and a handful of broken teeth. But they don't get any further attention paid to them as they move right on by and outside to the waiting car.

The car outside is rather luxurious but not overtly so. Spacious and comfortable and even coming with refreshments if Ryuzaki is so inclined. The woman sits across from him and doesn't speak a word for the entire drive, sitting in stony silence unless spoken to, and Carl take the driver's seat. Determinedly avoiding eye contact with the creepy little scarecrow man in the back seat as much as possible. Thankfully for Carl, it's a short trip, and they're soon pulling up to their destination.

A pub, somewhere in the lower parts of town. The kind of place that Ryuzaki might enjoy spending a weekend night in. The kind of place that drew in the more questionable members of society, where drug dealers went to buy and sell their wares, and where you could probably catch somebody being knifed out back.

On this night, however, none of that is going on. This night, save the a few nervous looking staff members behind the bar, the place is deserted.

Save for one occupant, sitting at a table further back, facing the door. The flick of a lighter is enough to make his presence clear. He breathes out a heavy cloud of smoke and lifts his head in Ryuzaki's direction, smiling a cold smile.

"I was starting to think you'd changed your mind." He gestures toward the open chair across from him. "Have a seat and let's talk."

There's something insanely gratifying about being accompanied by people that others cower from and avert their eyes as they pass. It feels like power; it feels like fear, but not being on the receiving end of either. Ryuzaki could get used to this.

The trip's a short one, giving him little time to torment Carl (although he does help himself to an orangina from the limo's selection of beverages.) When they arrive at the bar, his face lights up; it's just the kind of place he enjoys frequenting, certainly not just on weekends.

Though on any other night he might have been disappointed by the lack of a crowd to mingle, flirt with, swindle and tease, tonight it feels like a private engagement arranged just for him, just for them, and he's impressed with the way the atmosphere crackles with that same fear and respect he'd picked up on earlier. His eyes meet those of the man he's here to see, and there's the source of it, drawn to a chilling pair of twin points in those eyes.

He strides briskly forward, turning his chair around and straddling the backrest, resting his chin on his folded wrists. "Nice to meet you," he greets with an impish half-grin. "I'm Rue Ryuzaki. You liked the way I made them all so mad on the Network. And you are...?"

Fear and power both were something Keldek had become very accustomed to wielding. He'd learned long ago that a man who was feared could gain power from the fear, and he'd been on both sides of that exchange. Though not for many years now in the latter case. After all, the man who wielded all the power also felt none of the fear.

Even now, aside from a pair of armed men watching the door, he sat alone in this place. Unarmed and unafraid, and why should he be? He was the one with the power in this room.

"I did. You have a particular talent for manipulation and chaos, and that's something I can certainly appreciate." That frigid smile never shifts, as cold as his dark eyes. "My name is Anton Keldek. I can only assume somebody like you is familiar with that name."

Ryuzaki's learned a lot about the world since his inception, and among those things is that fear is a kind of power that he'd like to wield, even if he hasn't been able to up to this point in time. There are some exceptions; Cesar, for instance, is wary of him and thinks he's insane and capable of some horrible things. In all fairness, he is, but that's not the same kind of chilling, far-reaching influence this man spreads through a room just by being in it. It gets his instant respect and appreciation.

"Thank you," he says, accepting the praise earnestly despite the smirk on his face. His brows raise when he hears the name, because of course he's heard it, considering the circles he runs in. "The Anton Keldek, requesting an audience with me and offering me a job? It really is a lucky day."

He leans forward a little further.

"I want benefits. With dental."

Sometimes all that's needed is a little boost to bridge the gap between what one is capable of doing and what one actually can do. Exactly what kind of person Keldek was going to find at this meeting had always been in question. Whether he would actually find a cunning manipulator, or merely a troublemaker, perpetually caught up in some kind of adolescent humor.

Now, sitting here and getting the opportunity to speak face to face and look the younger man in the eye he's pleased to see that his instincts were correct. He can see it all in his eyes. The hunger for power, the interest in spreading fear and chaos. This is a dangerous man, and one that will need to be watched closely. Still, one who can suit his purposes for now. So long as it is entertaining for him.

Ryuzaki's demand gets a laugh from him. A sort of cold amusement.

"'Dental' is just one of many benefits I can offer, as long as you do your job well." His hand moves, flicking cigarette ash to the side uncaringly. Places like this rarely had ashtrays these days, since smoking indoors was largely banned, but laws like that are petty things to him. "I have plans in motion. Plans that will likely earn me the enmity of your 'other half' and those who follow him. I'm assembling my own countermeasure but raw power will only win so many battles, as I'm sure you can understand."

He smile widens at Keldek's laughter; he has an instinct for the nuances of human emotional expression that Lazarus lacks, which is ironic, considering that only one of them truly feels bad about hurting others. What matters is that he can tell he's not being mocked.

"When you love your work, and you're talented, there's no option but to do your job well," he assures the man across from him, lighting up his own cigarette. This one is hand-rolled and smells strongly of cannabis, and he figures that it's probably OK by this point. "I'm interested in your plans, and as for my 'other half'..." his tone takes on a dismissive, cold quality. "I can do what he can. All his memories before the lights over Neuschwanstein, all the dozens of echoes he's gotten back, belong to me, too. But that's where the similarities end, got it? I'm the strong one. You picked right, and I don't give a fuck about enmity from that brittle little ghost or the people who keep him from breaking."

The smell coming off from the smoke is very noticeable, but doesn't earn more than a glance. His interest here hardly lies in the other man's habits after all. He's seen people use worse, indeed even profited from it here and there.

"Understood." He gives a short nod. That tone spells everything out clearly. There's no love for the Numbered here, no concern for morality or wellbeing of others. That makes things much simpler, no need for masking his intentions with pleasant words or flowery speeches. His grin grows. "I plan to take over the world. I can do it, and when I do anybody who takes part will be rewarded very well. With whatever their heart desires."

Ryuzaki will (and has) tried anything. Obsessed with feeling alive and real, he's fairly reckless about his habits, and only careful enough about concealing it to avoid getting arrested. It would really harsh his reason to exist if he had to spend that time in jail, where he doubts he'd get along well even if he eagerly agreed to take anything up any orifice.

He ashes his joint, cupping his cheek in his palm and smiling beatifically.

"I can appreciate that kind of goal," he says. "It's the kind of goal that only one person can productively have, which makes it fortunate that it's not my goal. But I think that if I help you, you can make what is my goal happen without too much trouble, so... I'll take part. There are probably things you want or need done that no one else wants to do, but I relish."

Most of the time Alexandra only stopped by her grandfathers office when she was asked to make an appearance. He was a busy man and she didn't want to disrupt him if she could help it. It was the least she could do considering how kind he had been when it came to taking her in. Today she had to make an exception to this. She had known for nearly a month now that her numbered abilities and memories were connected to a larger group of numbered that were already around. She couldn't help but feel a little uneasy that someone might end up recognizing the changes that had happened to her or her alter ego and connect the two, either could be very problematic with her current line of work.

At first she tried to ignore it, but the thoughts continued to nag at her despite her best efforts. She knew now was the best time to explain her situation and find out what to do about it.

Anton will hear a faint knock at his office door before it creeks open just a touch.

"...Mr.Keldek? May I come in?"

The decision to take in the young girl hadn't been quite as altruistically motivated as she might hope. He'd barely known her before she joined him here, having only seen her at all once or twice as an infant before his daughter had severed contact. As it had stood, he probably would have lived out his final few years without any family at all, had fate... and an alien invasion not intervened.

But the fact remains that the girl is his. His kin, his blood, and no family of his would simply rot away in some slum or on a street somewhere. Anton Keldek has no illusions that he could be called a good man, but he looks after his own.

Or at least, he sees to it that there's a place for them.

He turns his head slightly at the knock on the door, and the quiet sound of it opening. There's a moment's pause as he doesn't answer right away, tapping the ash from his cigarette before speaking without facing.

"What is it?" It might as well be a yes. At least as close to one as he might come.

His intentions may not have been completely pure of heart, but they did provide her with a place to stay after she had lost everything. She wasn't about to start nit picking over every detail with him, she could find other plenty of other places to misplace her frustrations.

She pauses for a moment after he speaks before she opens the door enough for her to slide into the room before closing it again. She kept silent at first and took a few steps closer to his desk. She wasn't exactly sure how he'd react to this issue and it made her a touch a more nervous than she already was. Enough to get her to beat around the bush before getting to the point.

"It's been a couple weeks since I last saw you, I thought I should stop by and see how you were doing?" ...Hey, the first part is true at the very least. He'd likely be able to see right through that though.

Edited 2015-09-26 00:58 (UTC)

A couple of weeks? It had been that long, had it? Hm... perhaps it had, but he's a busy man and could hardly concern himself with the day to day upbringing of this child. She should be able to handle herself by now, and she had enough access to staff and resources to take care of what she could not.

He turns his chair to face her, stirring up the heavy cloud of tobacco smoke that seemed to perpetually hang around him.

"I'm doing well, as you can see." He eyes her for a second. "Is that all you came here to find out?"

She would have stopped by sooner but there wasn't anything really new to report. She had caused a little bit of trouble in Gateway but that was more to stretch her legs and test out her abilities than anything. She didn't want to bother him if she didn't have to.

She takes one nervous step back as he turns to face her and states what she could indeed already tell.

"Yes, I just thought a personal visit was in order." Okay. Those eyes on her were starting to wrack her at her nerves just a little. ...Maybe it would be better to just get things over.

"N-no, of course not." She said and gave him a rather meager shrug.

"I've... Learned something new about my abilities when I was out last. I thought it was something you should know about."

Nervous or not, those eyes are never really leaving her. Cold and dark and calculating. Not unlike a hunting wolf's... or maybe a snake's.

He doesn't invite her to sit in either of the open chairs in front of his desk, settling back into his own high-backed chair, the slightly raised platform his desk is seated on giving the appearance of being much higher than whoever he's speaking to.

"Hm." He nods, drumming one finger on his armrest. "You're talking about your... escapades in Gateway City not long ago."

She can't say that she's surprised that he knows about that. Her alter ego and abilities were secret to most people but certainly not to him. It's still a little unsettling that he brought it up though, and it is partially why she was here.

"Yes, and no." She said with a bit more confidence than what she had shown a few moments ago. "I regained memories during the event... I-uh-think that my powers are connected to another group of numbered here." She said and took a few more steps toward the desk.

"No, I don't think they're connected. I know they are but I'm not exactly sure how."

Of course, what she'd gotten up to hadn't gone unnoticed. They'd had their own operation running in the city at the same and, as such, heavy observation had been necessary. They hadn't been watching for Alexandra's games but she'd been seen nonetheless.

Ah, that's better. That little extra confidence in her voice and stance is clear, and preferred. If there's one thing that Anton could not tolerate in his presence, it's weakness. Deference, respect and obedience, yes, but never weakness. Even less so in someone of his blood.

He doesn't offer a seat yet. She's earned his attention but not that much just yet.

"Well, you wouldn't be the first. Why don't you start with what you do know?"

Focus on what she did know. That seemed simple enough, she could work with that. She took a moment to mull over her thoughts before started to speak again. When she did she was able to maintain that same bit of confidence she had earlier, it wasn't much but it made talking to him feel a little more comfortable.

"Well, you see, sir. I found out my past is somehow connected to a group called Precure. There are few numbered that are a part of that group. I don't know exactly how I'm connected to the group, but I'm fairly sure mine aren't the same as theirs." Seeing as she's pretty sure the precure don't make violent monsters like she does.

"I'm more concerned that eventually one of them is going to recognize what I can do or who my past self was."

"Precure." The name almost comes out as a scoff and his face twists into a frown.

Out of all the Numbered that he might try to recruit, he's already certain that nobody from that particular subset would be willing to take his side. In fact, he already anticipates them being quite stalwart in their opposition when the time comes.

"Enough of them have appeared that I suppose it was only inevitable." He pauses for a moment, taking another puff of his cigarette and exhaling the smoke as he speaks. "They call themselves warriors, so it only stands to reason that they'd have had enemies. ... Does anybody else know anything of your powers?"

His reaction gives her the strangest sense of relief. She had been humiliated by two of the Cure's during her excursion at Gateway and did't think she'd find anyone on the Network that would see eye to her with her on the matter. She was glad she was proven wrong there.

"I suppose that's true." She said thoughtfully. An enemy of the Precure? She could live with that.

"A few saw my transformed self in Gateway and the monster I created, but that's as much as anyone knows about it. I haven't mentioned anything about my powers on the network, so no one should know about that aside from you."

That had happened, but that one defeat wasn't a great cause for concern. The next time would simply have to go better.

"That doesn't matter, it was only ever a matter of time before that was discovered." He looks down at the cigarette between his fingers, before abruptly standing up and walking to the large windows that take up the wall behind his desk.

He looks out over the construction, building up the city that would be his domain.

"Alexandra," he doesn't turn around when he addresses her, but the rare utterance of her name should serve just as well, "do you understand what I'm trying to achieve here?"

She gave a small nod of agreement at the first comment. She had gone out to pick a fight with her powers, it was only natural that someone would notice and start swinging back at her. She just wished the end result had gone a little better. She'd have to try harder next time.

She takes a small step forward and her eyes track him as he steps toward the window, ever curious to see just what he would do next. She freezes when he actually says her names and blinks a few times in surprise.

"I Believe so." She starts then pauses and glances to consider her words carefully. "I can't say I know exactly what's going on in your head, but I don't think I need to that either." She takes a breath, thinking over how he took her in and helped her get back on her feet again.

"I know that you assisted me, and I'd like to do what I can to do the same for you."

A lesson learned then. If she did act again, perhaps next time would find her better prepared to deal with the so-called "heroes" who would interfere.

He smiles a little bit, hearing her step closer and then at her simple statement. She won't even question him, will she? Such loyalty can be especially useful. Very well, he'll see how far that loyalty extends.

"They'll try to stop me, those Numbered." He turns his head slightly, watching her reactions. "... I need your help to keep that from happening."

It wasn't her place to question what he was doing. She owed him a great deal for helping her, she would repay him however she could.

Her eyes narrow slightly at the comment and she could feel her hands clench into fists. It only lasted a moment but her annoyance and anger with the other numbered was clear enough. That only lasted for a moment though as she was suddenly assaulted by strange sensation as new memories found a way into her mind. Her eyes widened slightly as she realized how similar this conversation was to one that her past self had been through. That was strange, very creepily strange.

At the same time it was comforting to know that her past self was dedicated to a cause. It made it easier for her to respond to what her grandfather had said. She waited for a moment to compose her thoughts, to let her anger toward the other numbered die down and for these new memories to solidify her resolve.

"I'll do what I can, they wont interfere."

Edited 2015-10-03 02:35 (UTC)

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