Arc 3 Preview: The Cursed Book [PG13, NDE, Hard]

[Sozen Kuchiki]

Name: [Arc 3 Preview: The Cursed Book]

Participants: [Hokori Kuchiki and one more RPC Soul Reaper of his choosing]

Location: [Soul Society]

Difficulty Level: [Hard]

Setting: [NDE]

Plotline: (A break-in to the Kuchiki Library was alerted to Hokori Kuchiki, who in turn would find the book that had been read by the intruder. While efforts to locate the intruder and how he got in are currently under way, Hokori has stumbled across information to which he was previously not privy. The knowledge of a prisoner at the lowest levels of the Senzaikyu Prison System. Saeki Kuchiki, sister to Sozen. It has been centuries since Hokori last saw her, and she had been announced dead by Sozen's grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki. This is something worth checking out. As a Captain and a Kuchiki high rank no less, Hokori already has the clearance to visit Saeki Kuchiki. He simply was not privy to her location... until now. And, with a simple visit to her... There is a startling revelation personal to he himself.]

Estimated Enemy Strength: [3-1]

Estimated Time Until Completion: [4 pages]

Starts: [Now]

Special Conditions: [None]

[Hokori Kuchiki]

Play this

There was a flapping of fabric and the sound of firm footsteps that strode into the Kuchiki library with purpose. Hokori Kuchiki, the book keeper and captain of the fifth division strode into the library. His eyes were glowing neon green and were filled with a murderous rage, walking deep within the library he plucked a candle stick from a passing table and began to walk towards the private stores. Sections locked away from the common shinigami and even from some members of the Kuchiki family, walking forward it became apparent that the break in had spread to both his private store and even the Kuchiki Head section. His face began to turn into a sharp snarl. He walked into his section and walked forward each footstep thunderous in his ears.

He began to run a finger over the spine of a number of books with crimson red and black cracked leather, he shivered as the touch set a set of euphoria and paranoia into his system. Whispers flooded his mind, "Get out!" he hissed and the whispers dulled but did not fall silent. Walking forward, he sealed his personal section of the library. Walking over to Sozen's section, the Kuchiki put down the candlestick and picked up the book that was left open on the table. On it was... no... His eyes widening, the look of fury drained from his face. The contents of the book were clear and concise, a documented log by his grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki. They had secured her it said, Saeki Kuchiki sister to Sozen Kuchiki and daughter to Mephisto. His cousin, was alive...

Summoning up reiastu, he created a hell butterfly sending it to the fourth division. With it he requested the presence and assistance of Rose the captain of the fourth division and sent the coordinates of a location not far from Saeki's prison. Turning and returning the book and leaving the head section, Hokori re-sealed the library's private section and the Library itself. Passing by one of the servants, he murmured without breaking stride. "See to it that the library is put under guard, no one else but my father, the elders, or Sozen is allowed inside until I return. Is that understood?" The man bowed and low and spoke, "Yes Hokori-Sama." He turned and left the mansion, leaving with the setting sun in his wake.

Arriving as the sun had reached twilight, Hokori walked up to the captain and began to lead the way. "Thank you for coming in response to my hell butterfly. The situation's severity has yet to be fully ascertained, but we're going to see someone, and you must swear by your soul you will tell no one of what transpires next until we leave this place." Upon her affirmation, they traveled to the Senzaikyu Prison System. Travelling lower and lower into the system, Hokori had memorized the route from the book at a mere glance. Upon coming forward and seeing a separate corridor, he took it and proceeded down the platform that lead out to a cavernous room. In the center was a Giant torqued cube. Hokori was aware of what was in there, or rather who. "Rose, you can either wait here, or you can join me, but either way this will be unpleasant." He remembered Saeki and what she could do.

Walking through the first cube whether or not Rose followed, he entered the proper passwords. Mostly there were sayings to the Kuchiki heritage. Upon walking through the final door, his neon green eyes fell onto blue eyes. Wrapped in chains of Iron, her jumpsuit still radiating power. She was still powerful and beautiful after even hundreds of years. His mouth was a thin line. Though she probably was reading his thoughts as he was thinking them, he still deemed it polite and curteous to speak first especially since he was the one calling upon her after all this time. "It's been a long time, Saeki..."

[Sozen Kuchiki]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this now ;D}

"Hokori, dear, you can't possibly be very smart if you're here to see me..." the girl before Hokori Kuchiki said. Well, not a girl. Not anymore. When Hokori had last seen Saeki, she had been a young girl. Physically, she couldn't have been more than 14 the last time Hokori had seen her. She had been young. She had been beautiful and strong, and abnormally mature for her age, but she had still only been young. They all had been, then. Hokori, Sozen, Saeki, all of them. They had been very young. Saeki had always been the one with whom Sozen seemed to spend the most time with, of all his siblings. Therefore, as one destined to serve Sozen as left hand, Hokori had seen Saeki quite often.

And now, she was different. Her face, for starters, was more gaunt than before, most likely thanks to the imprisonment. She was probably not fed as well as she could be. Then again, given the state of some of the prisoners, Saeki still looked pretty healthy by comparison. Likely Sozen had seen to it that she would at least be treated relatively well in her imprisonment. Relatively well had given her high cheekbones and a thin frame. Not that much of her frame was seen. She was bound, practically in a cocoon of metal, suspended by all sorts of lasers, gravitational fields, and other contraptions. She probably hadn't physically moved by herself in years. The physical deterioration must be horrendous on her body.

It was a practically inhuman situation to be in, but if what the books said she had done was true, then perhaps it was deserved. It was still a sore sight to see. Well, she didn't seem to be doing too badly with her humor, though. She still had that same wry smile... nearly identical to Sozen's. Mocking, daunting, and all the more frightening. And her eyes... Those eyes which were so blue... so mocking... So intelligent. If Sozen was the one with the physical power, it was Saeki who had the political power. That wasn't to say that Sozen lacked political power... It was just that Saeki, if she weren't imprisoned, would have been revolutionary. No one would have surpassed her in power.

Her ability to dominate the nobles had been unparalleled even when she was a young girl, before her imprisonment. It had been her that had given the Kuchikis a dominance so lasting that, even with the death of Sozen's father, and later the death of Sozen's brother, the Kuchikis had been able to remain so extremely powerful. Maybe she wasn't necessarily Captain level in combat strength. But did that matter? Saeki's mind was sharp. And, by visiting her, Hokori had opened Pandora's box. Once again, she would become akin to learning... Once again, she would have access to hoards of information. Of all things, Hokori's visit was perhaps the worst.

"You are the book keeper for the Kuchiki Family..." Saeki said. "And the left hand of the Kuchiki Family as well. You're even a Captain now. Just by getting this close to me, you have shown me hoards of data. Centuries of information. I know your secrets, my brother's secrets, and even your dirty little Amaya's most sacred secrets... And more..." Saeki lectured Hokori immediately upon her cousin entering the prison. And she didn't even greet him. She was scary now. She had always been scary in a way, but once had been extremely sweet in a way too. Now...? Not so much. Today... Her mind had become everything which would have one day destroyed all Kuchiki enemies anyway, had she not been imprisoned. She was perhaps the most intelligent, most dangerous person ever to come out of the Soul Society. And Hokori had just armed her with enough information to wage war on all of Seireitei.

[Hokori Kuchiki]

OOC: It's now Rose's post lol i think?

[Rose✿]

[/font]She stated, only giving that much away as she spoke, giving him her own confirmation that she wasn't going to go around and be some gossip.

The two traveled through the Prison system at this point, going further and further down. Rose may be high, but she wasn't stupid enough to not realize that what ever was down here was meant to either stay down and away from everyone, or kept a secret, perhaps both. She walked with a bit of carelessness within her steps as they proceeded down to a corridor and then to a platform that lead out to another room. A small 'hmm?' sound left Rose's lips as Hokori stopped to speak to her once more. She was given two options both guaranteed to be unpleasant. She would either join him or wait where she currently stood.

"Fuck that I'll join you where the action is." She said simply as her trademark devious smile formed on her lips. She wasn't entirely sure what was down here, but her mind wondered on the possibilities on the journey here. It was either someone or something that was being locked away. Bits of mystery like this somewhat excited Rose as Hokori was now entering his passwords. Once the two walked through the final door Rose locked her eyes on a woman with blue eyes, wrapped in iron and yet still radiating power. Rose had no clue on who this woman was or her capabilities. However she could assume this woman was a threat considering the prison that surrounds them.

Rose's brows furrowed as Hokori spoke to the woman like they were well acquainted. There was quite a few questions that popped up into Rose's mind for Hokori, however she felt like she would ruin this moment so she kept her mouth shut for the time being. Instead she looked at this woman in chains and god knows what else, how her body must be kept still like a statue, how her muscles must be deteriorating beneath. What had this woman done to earn this? How dangerous was she now after god knows how long in this imprisonment? What has Rose been pulled into?

The words this woman spoke were almost menacing and brought only more questions to Rose, now these were questions on the woman's powers. Was she able to retrieve information just by being this close to Hokori? Or was this her bluff? At the mention of 'his dirty little Amaya' Rose glanced at Hokori, putting some pieces together mentally and now realizing that her Vice-Captain and Hokori totally had banged. It made sense how. Jumping to a new topic Rose could only wonder what business Hokori had with the imprisoned woman. What intentions did Hokori have, and what did he need her for? Rose, being a fairly new captain didn't make it her business on learning about the noble families. In fact for a good portion of her life as a shinigami the woman had excluded herself from the divisions and people alike, giving Rose her own air of mystery as she stepped into the captaincy of the 4th division.[/ul]

[Kento Waffles]

OOC: Actually, I was gonna post, BUT! Let's have Hokori do a post first so I have dialogue responses. Then I'll reply.

[Hokori Kuchiki]

OOC: Short Post is Short. Having trouble placing the Chronological point in this thread exactly in place of the hell tomes and Kagami.

"Yes, You seem to have learned much. However, I'm here because someone was careless and now there is something I want to know. Someone broke into our records, and I want to know who." Despite the lack of actual reiastu, there was still killing intent. Actual pressure as glowing green eyes looked on locked with the ice blue eyes of the Kuchiki restrained within the chains and restriction suit. He walked forward looking her straight in the eyes. "Who was in my library Saeki Kuchiki?"

There was of course risk having Rose in this cell, in this room. Secrets were being laid bare, for all to see. Saeki was like a viper. Beautiful, colorful, and deadly. All it took for someone like her was to open her mouth and let words drip from her full lips like venom into the hearts and minds of those around her. She was dangerous, but it was a calculated risk. Of course, if the threat ever became too great. He would kill her, he would do what it was apparent none of the heads could. It seemed including Sozen. A slight sliver of anger was kindled in his stomach, Sozen was a fool for letting someone like Saeki live.

But if the threat proved to be too great, Hokori would kill her and Saeki would see it in his soul. She who had the ability to read those around her would see the duty and devotion in him. He would slit her throat without pause, without mercy, and without fail. So he would continue to strive forward as she said, as the left hand of the Kuchiki, as a captain of the Gotei 13, and as the book keeper. Ignoring her comments about Amaya, and of Sozen. He waited for her response.

But as he waited, it began to stir in him. The darkness, the vice of greed of his precious books were weighing on him. The voices were whispering. 'kill her' 'cut her' 'drag her down' it was starting to truly dig into his mind. He needed to get his information and leave this place. He was becoming unhinged in parts of his mind fighting with the taint of hell in his mind. Saeki was the least of his problems.

[Sozen Kuchiki]

"Who...?" Saeki mimicked. And suddenly, there would be a feeling of reiatsu completely akin to the feeling she had given off as a young girl. That feeling which had made her someone to be feared even way back then. Mephisto Kuchiki, Sozen's father, had had no problem using Saeki as a weapon when her talent had been discovered. Just by gazing into Saeki's eyes, Hokori might find a flashback in his own mind of the days when a far younger Saeki had stood up in front of a member of the Central 46 and bought his allegiance not with promised funds for his next campaign, but with secrets, and extortion. Secrets he had never told another soul, but which Saeki knew just by looking at him.

"You know that I'm not going to tell you that without payment of some sort," Saeki said. Once, Saeki had encountered Azumi Kasumi'Oji, and encountered her trademark phrase of Knowledge is power, and I know everything. Saeki, at that time, had smiled coldly, and said later something that built even further upon the phrase. Knowledge may be power, but sight is the origin of knowledge, and I see everything. I am omnipotent, and nothing happens in this Soul Society that I do not know. Those were the last words Hokori would have heard her say, in fact, for they had been from a speech she had given at a dinner. Her last speech. Her last public appearance. She had then disappeared and been declared dead.

"Surely, you understand my methodology by now, Hokori, my darling cousin. If I am to give you information, I want something in return. Even if you try to kill me, it does you no good, because all it will do is feed into the darkness inside you..." Saeki knew about that as well. She knew about the darkness that had been eating Hokori since his encounter with that which was Hellish, and it pleased her to think about everyone struggling so much in this new world that she hadn't gotten to be a part of. In a way, Saeki seemed to be some sort of parasite, feeding off the pain of others while she could not live on her own. But, while Sozen was alive, Saeki would never be free.

Saeki's eyes fell suddenly upon Rose, and a twisted smile came to the Kuchiki woman's face. "Oh, you would know all about that too, wouldn't you...? Your father died battling it... And you still struggle against it... Just as Hokori does... A darkness in your heart that wishes to eat you. To consume you. To make you its advocate. You've felt it for years, and my dear cousin's heart too is being rapidly consumed by it... Yes, I can sense it, now, in both of you... The darkness." Saeki was close to home, being able to even pick out such fine details of either Hokori or Rose's histories. Then again, it came as no surprise for her to be able to read her cousin, Hokori. But to know this much about Rose, just at a glance too...

"Would you like to know how to dis-spell your darkness forever?" Saeki asked.

[Hokori Kuchiki]

OOC: Short post is short... getting back in the grove. Going to take some time. sorry sorry

Hokori's blade wavered for only a moment, and the killing intent became palpable blood lust. "You make one mistake Saeki, you assume that I don't ever enjoy feeding the darkness." It was a bitter truth, and something that Hokori consistently lied to himself about in his mind. During combat, this truth had a tendency to spike during his proximity with people of darker minds and souls. The only reason that he has admitted this fact, she could see it anyways. There was no point in hiding it, his blade was firm in his hand and it was inching closer and closer to Saeki's throat. But, Hokori through much sheer willpower sheathed his blade and began to ebb the flow. He knew that taking Saeki's offer was dangerous, but it was of course inevitable. "What is it you want?"

[Sozen Kuchiki]

Saeki seemed to relish every second of Hokori's blade closing in on her. Even when it was just an inch or less from her throat, something about that ravenous look on her face said that she was starved for this sort of encounter. Maybe it was because Hokori had lost his cool in a way that Sozen wouldn't. Because as it was, Saeki wanted to break Sozen. To make him cave in to his darkness. He had it, just as Hokori did, though in a different way. But Hokori's was strong in his heart right now, put there not by his own meddling, but by the meddling of someone else. And that just made him that much closer to breaking, and Saeki could sense that.

"You think that you know all of the books in Kuchiki control," Saeki said to Hokori. "But you don't. Only those of us who are descended from the Head's bloodline know..." She was giving him new information that he hadn't heard before. Because it was true. He didn't know all of the books. And obviously he had probably suspected before that there were, you know, secret books and stuff, that weren't part of the library or records. Just the kind of traditional stuff passed down between the main bloodline members. So in a way, he did sort of know that something like that existed. But not on the scale Saeki divulged to him a few seconds later.

"Just think about it. The two tombs." Saeki was referring to two tombs, Kasa-Basoru's and Seijuro's, the second and fourteenth Heads of the Kuchiki family respectively, which lay underneath the Kuchiki Manor, even beneath the torture dungeons. Far, far underground. It would take two days journey of walking underground just to get to those tombs, but all of Hokori's rank in the family knew they existed. "Only three Kuchiki Heads in history have died," Saeki said. "The others all went to the Royal Guard to continue to serve. Kasa-Basoru and Seijuro Kuchiki are not Heads who died. ...So then why do they have tombs? If there are no bodies, what do you think is kept there?"

Saeki's eyes narrowed in on Hokori with a smile. She glanced at Rose, who still hadn't actually responded to what she'd said about Rose's father. And, it was strange of Hokori to be fine with Rose listening to all of this information. "The Cursed Book, Hokori..." Saeki said. "Something no one in the family has read, yet all in the main bloodline know exists. And if knowledge is power, then it's a shame to know nothing about it... I want that book. You read it, then come to me, and then I will tell you who broke into your library." Oh, right. Saeki was bound and couldn't read it herself. Hokori had to read it for her, so she could read his mind and take the information later.

Wait, but... The tombs were not easy to find. Hokori probably couldn't just ask Sozen Kuchiki to lead him there, without giving away that he'd committed the crime of seeing Saeki. Sozen would not be pleased, no matter Hokori's justification. So, he'd have to find someone else to ask to show him through the tombs. Someone that was part of the main bloodline and less involved in Saeki's story... Maybe one of the Kuchiki Elders? In the meantime, Saeki looked over at Rose with a smile. "The blood curse... Painful way to die," Saeki said. "Very, very painful. Be careful with that Zanpakuto of yours."

[Rose✿]

It didn't take a psychologist to tell that Hokori was unsettled. At the mention of a break into records, Hokori's area that no one should tread upon lightly, Rose bite her tongue and held her silence. The stoner of the 4th may be an aloof woman, but that didn't mean she couldn't be brought into these kinds of situations. With Rose being in this very room that was a risk, a potential danger, yer the severity was unknown to Rose.

As silence fell upon Rose, commotion seeped from Saeki, a woman who like Rose had an air of mystery around her. Dazed eyes looked at this chained woman, Roses mind focusing on small odd details; an effect from her high. To Rose this woman before her was playing a game, starting off with bargaining with her fellow captain. With the two being cousins, family that might have memories going years back, it was more then likely that they knew how to push each others buttons. From Saeki's words, Hokori was battling his own inner demons, then again who isn't?

Eyes fell upon Rose now, who kept her silence, being the third party out of the discussion. Now the could feel Saeki's menacing aura directed onto her, trying to rattle her core. Rose was a new player in Saeki's game. Crimson colored eyes squinted at the mention of her 'father', a finer detail of Rose's sealed past. the captain was usually an open ear for people, but it was a one way track. Rose always hinted about her past, finding empathy in others stories; her personal book however was explained as a story with tattered torn out pages, a full story unable to be told. Her real name even kept hush hush, while 'Rose' was simply a remodeled name of the person she crafted herself into. Saeki wasn't far from wrong however, an unknown darkness existed within Rose that grew in a dormant state for years. It was until recently that this... presence within herself started to torment her with unanswered questions floating around.

when it came to light and darkness Rose knew she had fallen from what ever holy person she could of been, she knowingly tainted herself and kept only loyal to her own ways. Rose welcomed darkness with open arms, she just wasn't going to become its bitch. It seemed like Saeki wanted to bargain with Rose, sure the offer was tempting and Rose would be lyng if she said she didn't want to know details about her personal darkness at all, however she didn't want to play games, she was to high for that. Raising a hand Rose broke her gaze from the unsettling woman, giving her head a light shake.
"Naw, I don't use cheats in my games." She answered simply, the tension didn't seem to waver in the room. Her eyes drifted back to Hokori, who held his blade with a grip that could crush a mans throat.

the topic lifted from Rose and back onto the Kuchiki matter, information and mention of certain books meant only for certain people's ears seeped into Rose instead. It seems like a potential quest was laid out to them, if they retrieved what Saeki wanted Hokori could ease his mind slightly and gain information on who treaded through his library.

A cursed smile was aimed at Rose as she held her silence once more. The mention of her father was probably suppose to get a rise out of Rose, well she wasn't putting on a care free face for nothing. The 'father' that Saeki mentioned wasn't Rose's real father. William was a father like figure who basically kicked Rose in the ass to become the fighter that she was today. He was consumed by a cursed zanpakuto which lead Rose to be his bringer of death. Rose's darkness was similar to Williams which seemed to be the reason he was drawn to her. However William died trying to find a way to tame Rose's darkness for good rather then his own, in the end he considered himself to far gone to turn back into who he normally was. Rose's real father was a poor farmer who sold her into slavery.

Saeki mentioned the blood curse, which caught Rose's attention more now. Her zanpakuto Sangre Gundan was an odd blade, like two souls fighting for dominance, dragging Rose into the crossfire. Rose heeded Saeki's warning because she knew that her years up until recently was lived believing a lie about her zanpakuto. It wasn't what it appeared to be. It was mysterious, cunning and deceiving; all to fuel and let the 'hazard' that lived within it grow.
"All knowing one don't forget I like the pain." She said some what teasingly as she narrowed her eyes and waiting for Hokori's actions.

[Sozen Kuchiki]

All knowing one, don't forget I like pain. Rose's response to Saeki was cheeky. But had Rose been Hokori, she would have known that cheeky didn't do well. Then again, had Hokori called upon older memories, he would have known that being threatening wouldn't work, either. Saeki, who through the worst of tortures could perfectly keep her cool. There might be flashes in Hokori's mind of a time when Saeki had allowed herself to be captured by the enemy. There, they had stripped her naked, and hung her upside down with chains, and interrogated her. And gotten nothing out of her. But, by the end of the exchange, she knew everything about them, including weaknesses. This had allowed Hokori and Sozen to annihilate the enemy entirely.

"Ah, but your curse isn't a physical pain, now, is it?" Saeki asked. "It's an affliction of the heart... A venom working its way through your soul. It's been there for a long time. Your father tried to stop it, but the best that he could do was contain it." There was something uncanny about how sharp she was. It was almost scary to encounter her. Once, she had encountered Azumi Kasumi'Oji, Sozen Kuchiki's childhood friend, who had been the Heir to the Kasumi'Oji nobility, and who had been strong enough to be Sozen's rival. A woman like that, and Saeki, in the same room. That had been interesting. That was where Saeki's catch phrase had come from.

From Azumi's statement, Knowledge is power, and I know everything, had come Saeki's remark. Knowledge is power, but sight is the origin of knowledge, and I see everything. I am omnipotent, and there is nothing in this entire Soul Society that can escape my gaze. Later, one of Sozen's children would take this catchphrase for himself, though for now, it belonged to the most powerful of Mephisto Kuchiki's children. Not the one who was most able in combat, but the one who had the most power over anyone... Saeki Kuchiki. Had she been born before Sozen... had she been the Heir of the Kuchiki family, then it likely would have absorbed all the others too.

"Forgive me if this question sounds rhetorical, given that I already know the answer, but tell me something, Rose..." Saeki said. "How long have you feared being overtaken by the Hazard...?" Something about how precise Saeki was... Something demonic... When it came time to go on this mission she happened to be sending Hokori on, perhaps Rose would be compelled to go. In fact, no. She would be, for what Saeki said next would be even more shocking. "You can stop the Hazard, you know... The cursed book can tell you how. But careful... Only one of you will be allowed to read the book once you have it... You will see why." That was it. Compelling Rose, indeed.

What was all the more shocking, though, was what Saeki said next. What she whispered was a name, and it wouldn't make any sense to Hokori. But to Rose, it would. Those sounds... The syllables that left Saeki's lips. They were a name she had nearly forgotten. Which had been lost to time and to history... to a past life. But Saeki knew it. Saeki saw everything. And knew everything. She was truly omnipotent, to a level where even Sonken Kouhai would be ashamed. Saeki had just uttered Rose's true name. And Hokori might not understand why a name had been said, but Rose would know. She would know that someone else lived who knew her name. Someone whom even Sozen Kuchiki himself feared deeply.