1226/Servants of Evil

Servants of Evil
Date of Scene:	19 March 2016
Location:	Mitakihara - Easter Corp. Skyscraper
Synopsis:	Ikuto's been out since the concert. Utau comes to visit, and two siblings silently curse their fate. Also Ikuto lies like a cheap rug, and Utau totally doesn't buy it.
Cast of Characters:	Ikuto Tsukiyomi, Utau Hoshina

---

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
For once, Ikuto's at Easter and not in that tiny little dark dungeon cell. No, this time he's in the infirmary, recovering from the concert a couple nights ago. Yes, still. He was made to expend a great deal of energy there, in the form of Death Rebel-- unbeknownst to Utau, of course-- and he now needs to recover that energy. As such he's been sleeping deeply since the concert. The technicians don't expect him to wake for another day or so, thus they've left their little machine off. So he is finally alone in his mind and the whine is gone.

Of course, the story that Utau had been told was far different from what really happened. Utau had been told that Ikuto had been evacuated another way once the barrier broke, that they'd used the distraction provided by Lunatic Charm and Death Rebel to smuggle him out. But the barrier stopped them from leaving with him, they said, and but before the barrier went down, Ikuto had been knocked around by all the ruckus going on out there. Hence why he was in the infirmary-- he'd hit his head and needed to recover.

Lie or not, Utau can finally see him. His location had been kept a secret 'till now. She's been instructed not to upset him, and if he's sleeping, not to wake him. But she's being let in. It's anybody's guess if that's whether they're willing to let her or because she glared daggers at the guards until they acquiesced...

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    So, it's the infirmary now, is it? Utau is once again dumbfounded as to what's going on with Ikuto. Since when was he so..So fragile? "Ikuto!" she pratically yells, once the guards finally allow her to see him. Ugh! Why does she need permission to see her big brother anyway? What the heck? this is so messed up! And Grr! She's already mad! But hey, at least he is safe...Right?

    Most likely, she gets some kinda reprieve from one of the guards when she yells like that and she sighs. "Right, right. I wont wake him if he's sleeping. Now leave us." her tone is firm and short, but hopefully not quite as loud. After all, she doesn't want to be kicked out before she's had a chance to at least see him.

    Only when the guards are gone does she approach Ikuto, checking on his condition? Is he wounded? Is he awake? "Ikuto..?" she asks softly. "It's me, Utau.."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
'Fragile' is an understatement. He looks pale and wan, like he'd been exhausting himself for a week straight. Dark circles decorate his eyes, and somehow he manages to look even thinner than usual. He's in a loose black t-shirt and sweatpants, though the latter is hidden under the blanket that's been drawn up over him. The black t-shirt could be making him look paler than he really is, but Ikuto's always favored dark colors.

Maybe it's Utau's voice that wakes him, maybe it's something else. What's clear is that, not too long after she speaks his name, his brow furrows slowly, and he turns his head slightly. His eyes seem to have trouble opening, but finally they do. He pauses, blinks slowly, as if having trouble keeping his eyes open. And then the movement draws his attention to the left. "...Utau...?" Suddenly there's an intensely pained look on his face.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Well, he's awake at least, and that's a start. But what she sees next is enough to break her heart. "I-Ikuto..? What happened to you?" it's true, they told her how he'd exhausted himself collecting all those hearts eggs, and Utau really has to wonder if it's more a strain on him than her, and why?

    She rushes to his side, pulling up a chair next to his bed, reaching out instinctively for his hand. "Ikuto..You look terrible. What's wrong? Are you hurt? I...I don't know what to do..Can I get you something?"

    No, no, this is all wrong. This couldn't simply be exhaustion. Did she not work hard enough that night? Did they do this to him because she failed to collect all the eggs? Dammit!

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto blinks, as if clearing his mind. "...What...?" He pauses, looking around. He seems confused, and her words don't seem to register for a moment. Instead he asks, "...Where...?" The infirmary? "...What happened? How did I end up here?"

...He doesn't even remember? The concert? The Guardians and their friends stopping them from collecting the heart's eggs? Maybe he did hit his head getting out. Between the exhaustion of drawing and controlling the eggs, and a concussion, maybe that's the reason for this state. His words are a little slurred too.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    "Huh?" Utau stares at him blankly for a few minutes. He..He seems almost drunk. This is so messed up! And she is certain that someone is lying to her! By what? Why?

    "What is the last thing you remember? Do you remember the concert? A few days ago? We had to draw out thousands of hearts eggs from those people in the stands, in the name of Easter.." she grits her teeth, snarling at the word 'Easter'. "They told me you must have exhausted yourself in the effort. Must have been that violin."

    She doesn't tell him how she seems perfectly fine, albeit a bit scratched up and bruised. No, that's not important right now. What's important is Ikuto.
    "You..Do you remember that, right? You were amazing.." amazing, yes, his technique was perfect. But there was definitely something off. Again he seemed like a zombie.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
The mention of the concert gets a further confused frown. He doesn't remember that. Ikuto doesn't remember ANYTHING, not since the conversation with Director-san. No, it was just after that. Something hit him... he woke up in the cell... and then... The confused frown remains until that one word Utau speaks--

'Violin'.

Then he understands. His eyes go a bit wide, and he draws in a surprised breath. Yoru's safe, he knows that. He trusts Amu to keep Yoru safe. But he can't let Utau know what's going on. Because he knows what she'll do. And he doesn't want Easter to do this to her, too.

So... he forces a smile. It's obviously forced, though one can easily believe it's because he's hurting. And damn if it isn't STILL lopsided, because Ikuto is incapable of smiling straight. "The violin, right... I asked them to do that," he insists. "It increases the amount of energy I can draw on, and in turn, makes it so I can draw out more Eggs. Like you can, with your song."

It's not true, any of it. But he doesn't want Utau getting in trouble.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau studies Ikuto's face long and hard, still grasping for his hand, squeezing it tightly if he'll let her, not only for his reassurance, but hers as well. To know that he's here, that he's alive. That he's not...Not dying of some mysterious something or other. But of course that's silly because why would he be? Still, something's not RIGHT..

    Then, there's the violin.."Violin?" Of course, it must be drawing on his energy reserves to do what it was designed to do: Draw out X-eggs. Her eyes narrow angrily. If she can find it and destroy it, maybe...

    "Where is it, Ikuto? Can I see it? If....If I worked just a bit harder, then maybe you wouldn't have to." she clenches her hands, almost crushing his hand. Dammit, she's mad. They're doing this because she wasn't strong enough alone, to do it? To find the embryo?

    "I'm sorry..." Utau immediately releases her grip on his hand. "I'll....Try harder next time. Next time I won't fail for sure, if I work just a little harder, then they wont be so hard on you, I'm sure.."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
What clued Utau in to the fact that she was squeezing his hand too hard was probably when he hissed a quiet, "...Ow." He winces slightly. But at her words, he shakes his head. "You already do a lot," he points out. "That's why we're working together now, isn't it?" He might not remember the past few days, but if he was on stage with Utau, that's probably why Easter's got them working together.

As for being hard on him? He smirks, the expression bitter. "That won't change anything," he says quietly. "Let's just try to work together-- problems shared are problems halved, right? Now we can both call out lots of Eggs. You saw how many it was, right?" He hopes so. Because he doesn't actually remember. He's just pretending he does. "They can't deny the effectiveness."

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau nods, "Sorry!" she smiles softly, "I'm just glad you're back. But I HATE how hard they're working you! I dont like it one bit! And maybe it's harder on you because you dont already have a chara to help you, but they shouldn't be pushing you so hard!"

    Damn straight! And she's stubborn, so she's sure as hell gonna work her tail off and not let..Distractions..Get in her way again. A flash of memory, of the dance last night, of the moment she shared with Kukai..Briefly softens her resolve. She looks away from Ikuto for a moment, blushing. Dammit! When did she become so soft? When did she start...Feeling such weak feelings?

    Even so, she wants him and the Guardians to defeat Easter, somehow. But can they? Can they defeat Easter, bring them down before the evil organization ends up killing Ikuto? Utau suddenly feels so powerless, only delaying the inevitable. But somehow, someway..Ahh yes! Eru! She knows about this place, knows the layout. Perhaps with a bit of luck, she can help them, maybe even rescue Ikuto from this hellhole. Maybe it's too late for her, though.

    She grits her teeth. "I'm happy to be working with you again, Ikuto..But I'll never forgive them if they let anymore harm come to you! So I'll work harder, work myself to death if need be. Somehow, we'll..." She lowers her voice, glancing around nervously. This whole place is probably bugged. She cant tell him about her plans to find the embryo first, to bring down Easter if the Guardians fail. No, not yet..

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto sighs, closes his eyes for a moment. In that moment, he insists, "I'm not doing anything I don't want." Bald-faced lie, that. Hence why he had to say it with his eyes closed. Because he isn't a good liar, particularly not with such complete and utter, flat-out lies like that. And now he understands something else. Bringing Utau into this was their insurance policy that this plan of theirs worked... they knew he wouldn't tell her the truth about what was going on...

Ikuto would laugh if he knew what Utau was thinking. It would be a bitter laugh. Two pitiful siblings trying to save the other, neither one of them really caring about their own fates, working to push the other away from the worst of it. Neither one ever realizing that they were hurting the other merely by the act of not caring about themselves...

But since he doesn't know what Utau is thinking-- at least not to that degree; some he can guess at-- he regards her last comment with a skeptical look. "Like I said. Problems shared are problems halved. We're both in this together anyway."

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    "Yeah.." She sighs, "I guess we are. Then we'll work together to survive.." Cold amethyst eyes narrow. She is dying to know what's going on inside his head. Like hell he wants to do this, any of this! Why's he lying? Just to protect her? Is there more to this than meets the eye? What isnt' he telling her, dammit!?

    "Do you think...If we find the embryo, they'll..." she lowers her voice, "That they will let us go? Do you think it will be that simple? I sure hope so, but, I dunno.." C'mon, that'll just be the beginning! With two powerful weapons at their side..But what else can she do? If she gives up, they'll probably kill Ikuto and make her watch, or worse, turn them both into zombies! Ugh, dammit! There must be a better way.

    While she ponders this, Utau remembers the promise she made to Mikoto. To protect Ikuto no matter what, to keep him safe. She could tell the girl loved him too. "Ikuto, there was something else. A girl named Mikoto. Do you know her?"

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto can't look at her. That narrowed-eyes look is a shrewd one, and he knows she doesn't buy it. But that's all he can do now, try to reassure her so she can concentrate. Even if he's not sure himself what will happen. Because he can't have her losing her composure at Easter. If he'd put together the pieces together right and understood what had happened... well, he doesn't want that happening to her too.

The question of the Embryo get an easy, if lopsided smile. "When we get the Embryo, it goes to Easter," he states. his voice is conversational level, not whispering. "If we both prove ourselves, Director-san will promote us. Our future would be assured." Though if Utau looks at him, she'll note a very faint wink. He knows this place is bugged and doesn't want to raise any suspicions.

And then the mention of Mikoto. Again his eyes go a bit wide... and then his face goes a bit red. "...Y-yes, I know a Mikoto. We're... acquaintances." He doesn't want Easter to know how close they are; they're liable to try to use Mikoto too. "Why?"

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Yeah, she's getting pretty suspicious. Things dont quite add up. Utau also realizes that they're not safe here or anywhere within this building. They're being watched. They're always being watched.

    Then there are more lies, and she knows it. But best just to go along with them. For now. "Right. Of course. I could..Ah, do with a promotion. We've been working hard right? We deserve it. We'll impress them for sure."

    Then she pays careful attention to his face when she mentions the name 'Mikoto'. And smiles a careful smile. So. He's in love with the girl too. Hmm. But Utau's not stupid. She knows just as well that they could use Mikoto against him. But there must be some way to assure the girl that Ikuto is alright.

    "Hmm, nothing much, just some fan of yours that I met at the concert the other night. She ah..Asked if I could get an autograph from..DL..on this post card, as she was unable to find you at the end of the concert the other night."

    With a perfectly innocent smile, Utau hands him a post card with a promotional photo of both Utau and DL on the front of it, and a few lines on the back of it to write her a short message if he chooses. She also hands him a pen. "Here, I'm sure she'd be thrilled if you would sign it."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
He gives a look to Utau at the smile. It's a brother going 'Don't tease me about that'. But then again, she really can't, at least not now. There's who knows how many people listening in on their conversation. However, he gets an idea when Utau mentions an 'autograph from DL'. He nods, and takes the card. He hesitates a moment. He wants to tell Mikoto what he can... but he doesn't want Utau to read it. And he sure doesn't want Easter to read it and realize he's trying to fight them still.

So he inquires, "...Mind if I put it in an envelope? It's just gonna be fan-pleasing drivel anyway." Though his eyes say something else. He looks... embarrassed! Maybe he's going to write a mushy love letter? It'd have to be a bitterly short one, though, given the small amount of space.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau watches him intently, curious about this new, unknown aspect of her life. Wow, he's actually in love with this girl? Interesting. He always seemed so very emotionally detached from the world, so..Stoic. Utau never imagined that he could have feelings like that for anyone. Heck, he was pretty distant towards his own, loving sister. But hey, weirder things have happened. Afterall, Utau's starting to experience some emotional turmoil of her own. But that's another story..

    "Hmm..I suppose so." She smirks, "Those types always like it when you flatter them, but go ahead. I wouldn't want to..Embarrass you. Your secret is safe with me." And she gives him an almost..Sneaky smile, believing that he is going to write some cute mushy stuff for his love. Which she wouldn't be rude enough to intrude upon anyway.

    So sad that they cannot share these experiences in the way siblings ought to.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Maybe if things change, they can tease each other over their respective love interests. That's a part of teenage life. And true, Ikuto's being spared the embarrassment, but it's also an aspect of bonding with his sister he's long denied. That and pretty much every other aspect of actually having a sister, only to try to keep her out of trouble. But that didn't so well, did it?

Ikuto offers a lopsided smile, and starts to write. He shifts, to sit up, and turns his body a little to sort of halfway hide the card. He looks for all the world like he's just trying to keep her from seeing what he's writing. Which... he is. Though not for the reason she thinks. The note is short:

The support of fans like you has never FAILED to TAKE my breath away. I hope you'll always support ME, and I'll look for you DOWN in the audience! Let's make this happen together, PLEASE.

He paused, to admire his handiwork. Ikuto had written some of the words in Katakana, which was unusual enough that maybe Mikoto would look deeper into it. Hopefully she'd be able to decipher the message. It had to be kept short, there wasn't much room on the card. Perhaps, if Utau did look at it, she wouldn't know that he doesn't usually write in katakana. And if Mikoto did decipher it, what would she find there?

Failed. - Take - Me - Down - Please.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau exchanges a small, sisterly smile with Ikuto. No doubt she is thinking along similar lines as he. Of course she doesn't exactly..Have a love interest herself. That whole 'moment' that she'd had with Kukai at the dance last night...Was really nothing, wasn't it? Just silly useless notions. Which she quickly tries to drive from her head because it'd just be too hurtful if it were something more than silly fantasizing.

    Instead she focuses upon Ikuto and his issues. Or she would if she could. It kind of sucks that she cants voice her thoughts aloud. Utau does politely look away however, letting him take his time. Honestly, she'd taken the biggest card she could find, hoping it would appear as generic and innocent as possible. It's one small thing she would be willing to do, for Ikuto more than for this Mikoto girl she doesn't even know, even if they have unknowingly encountered each other on the battlefield a few times already.

    "So?" She arches a brow. "All done? If so, then I can give it to your excited fan. But careful, she might become of the rabid variety." she sighs, "I hate those kinds. But, I'm glad you were so successful at the concert. A lot of people were amazed by your performance, even if it did seem you were a little..Tired." More like a zombie. But who was he fooling? Even under the pseudonymn 'DL' it seems Mikoto at least saw through his guise.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto nods, with an affirmative sound, as Utau asks if he's done. He places the card on the bed next to one leg, keeping his hand over it. He's got it writing-side down, too. Probably so no cameras can zoom in on it or anything like that. As for her 'becoming a rabid fan'? He smirks, the expression slightly grim. "That's exactly what I'm hedging my bet on happening," he says quietly. But he says no more about it. He can't tell her he's basically just given Mikoto the go-ahead to do whatever she needs to do to stop him. Utau would worry too much if he did.

He's scared. Scared for Utau, scared for Yoru... and yes, scared for himself. Whatever Easter did to him, he knows they took a chunk of his memory with that stunt with the violin. He doesn't know what they did really; he can only make guesses. And none of the things he's guessing are very pleasant to consider.

Ikuto will, however, admit one thing. "I... barely remember the concert. Maybe I hit my head somehow." It's a story that sounds right. "That new ability of mine... it takes a lot of energy, and I was tired. Nothing to worry about. It's a new ability. I'll improve with training."

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau smiles, "Hey, you know how it is. Being famous. It starts as a trickle. Next thing you know, people are dressing up like you, acting like you, wanting to BE you. Then everyone wants to marry you. Yeah, it's fun at first, but later on, it can get pretty crazy, people tearing at your clothes, your hair, mobbing you in the streets."

    She shrugs, "Dont get me wrong, being famous has its perks, but sometimes it can be exhausting. Just..Be careful about it." Yeah, she's probably trying to express her happiness at his having a relationship with this girl, but to be careful. It kinda sucks having to speak in code all the time.

    "Still, Ikuto...Onii-san..I'm proud of you. I will make sure that fan of yours gets this, I'm sure she'll be excited." If she is scared for herself, Utau doesn't show it. She's always been headstrong, always tried her best not to let her emotions get the better of her. But of course deep down, Utau's probably a little scared herself, not that she would admit it.

    "I dunno, maybe you just...worked too hard. Please, try to take it easy for a few days at least? I promise I'll work harder, at least until you regain your strength."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto actually chuckles at the statement of crazy fans. He's too tired to keep op the charade of pushing her away. Besides, what point is there in it now? Easter has both of them right where they want them, and Ikuto knows it. Playing one of them against the other, threatening one to keep the other under control-- Easter's always had the upper hand. But he had to keep fighting. For Utau, if for no other reason.

He does nod to her warning. "I'll try," he promises. Not a lie there, he's being careful about this message, isn't he? And there's a few other things he's being careful about. Not the things everyone wants him to be careful of, but still...

He nods at the mention of working too hard. "Probably." A smile as he hands the card to Utau. "Thanks." He hates to put her out like that. And he just prays she doesn't read the back of the card and figure out what he's done...

"You be careful too," he says, tapping her on a hand with his index finger. "Like I said, we're in this together now. If one of us goes down, we both do." Ikuto might be a good guy... but he's still a sneaky ass. And not above using concern to get what he wants.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Well, Utau would love to get some advice on what to do about a certain pesky 'bad penny', but it seems that she's already stretched her luck a bit here already. And she'd rather not do anything to cause trouble for Kukai. At the very least there's Eru in his care right now, and maybe she can help them think of some way to save Ikuto if she can't.

    She smiles as she takes the envelope, careful not to read its contents, but slipping it away somewhere safe. Lately, Utau's had it pretty easy, but with the stakes being raised constantly, and the chances she took at the dance last night, she's pretty sure she'll be stuck with those thuggish bodyguards more often in the future, to make sure she doesn't try to run away again like she did that one time.

    Utau's actually thrilled inside; She hasn't had a chance to spend this much time with Ikuto in a long time. And while they're never totally unsupervised, at least she can bring this letter back to Mikoto and perhaps give Ikuto a bit of happiness; Afterall, he deserves it. "I know, I'll be careful, aren't I always? And...I wont let you down either, I promise.."

    Slowly she rises from her seat as she sees the nurse through the window of the door, getting ready to enter. Dammit. Time's up already? "Well then, I suppose I should get going. There's another mission tonight, and I dont want to let them, or you, down. Take care of yourself, Ikuto.."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto looks up as he sees the nurse too, and scowls. Damn. The nurse knows he's awake now. That means they're going to flip the switch soon. And then Utau's words about a mission come. Yeah, they're going to flip the switch soon.

He looks to Utau, nods. "All right." He knows he can't stop her, not without raising concerns. Besides, he'll just make things worse. "See you later." He will, even if he doesn't remember it...

Once he's 'alone' in the room-- he knows he's still being watched-- Ikuto sighs. He can only hope that Mikoto can figure out the message... and that Utau doesn't. And that Mikoto can figure out a way to take him out, as he requested. Whatever's going on, he has no control of it anymore. He has no choice but to rely on others now.

Ultimately that's the bit he hates. He's putting people in danger for him. Again. And all he can do is stay where he is, and hope someone comes to help him...