Backdated to before the Knight's Message

[in_over_his_head]

1) [One Thread only please.]

[Calvin is standing before the Stone door with a very wary look. He probably shouldn't have brought along a particular stone with him... but it was better to have it on hand in case they found something inside. He feels his stomach churning in a horrific way that Asagi would be familiar with on bad days. With this he carefully looks back to the others accompanying him.]

On a scale of one to ten, how much of a bad feeling are you getting from whatever might be behind here?

2)



[After everything that has happened Calvin has retired back to his quarters. As soon as the bag holding the Stone is put away... he crashes to the floor, curling up into the fetal position and shaking badly with a wide eyed expression. Clearly the day's excitement along with discovering the fact that Project Pedantic Blue not only existed... but there had been actual living physical proof of it on the same base as he was currently occupying freaked him the hell out.]

[Bother him?]

Comments

1

[star_of_sad]

...

[After what Setsuko has been through recently, her nerves are pretty torn up as well. Watching over insane brainwashed prisoners was bad enough, and now...]

About seven and a half. Maybe an eight.

[What a strangely specific answer.]

[in_over_his_head]

About eight and a half over here. It'd be a seven on its own, but being right next door to that.

[He points over to where a certain project was run.]

Well it kind of adds atmosphere of the worst sort...

[He's going to look at the stone door and approach it ever so carefully.]

[star_of_sad]

The Ebon Court... that's how they called themselves, right? They said they have good reasons for doing what they do.

[keep_your_dignity]

SO SAY HALF THE CRAZIES WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING THE LAST YEAR, OHARA. I'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT. [The massive shape of Kagura comes in, flanked by a couple of her Executors. She raises a hand and makes a curt gesture at them]

SPREAD OUT, CONTAINMENT PROTOCOLS TWELVE TO FIFTEEN. IF ANYTHING COMES OUT OF THERE I WANT IT SUBDUED OR DEAD BEFORE IT HAS TIME TO SNEEZE. UNDERSTOOD?

"Yes'm!"

[Well, Calvin, you got your backup. On the other hand, said reinforcements are apparently Graveyard thugs and some kind of heavily armed, huge robot also bearing the Graveyard insignia. So, be careful what you wish for, is what we've learned today.]

SO, EDWARDS, DID YOU ACTUALLLY LEARN HOW TO OPEN THIS THING OR ARE YOU GOING TO TRY OPEN SESAME?

2

[majestic_keiki]

What was that crash?

[Kei's voice can be heard from the other side of the door.]

[cloningblues]

Can't we just force it open? The pressure is killing me...

[Fortunately Blue One doesn't suffer from stomach ulcers, unlike its pilot, so it can stand there and aim its gun while Asagi is busy being in pain.]

[in_over_his_head]

Considering we only found out about this thing today?

[He gives the heavily armed robot a shaky glare.]

Sarcasm despite a monotone. For all I know you're that mistletoe's best friend.

And for all we know forcing this thing open might make it worse and-

[As if whatever was behind the door heard them...]

"You are not of the Court."

[A symbol seemed to burn to life on the stone. Calvin let out a startled yelp before swinging around to regard it.]

I'm not the only person who heard that right?

[in_over_his_head]

N-

[Calvin takes a deep breath and tries to keep a level tone.]

Its nothing. Just tripped. I'm fine n- now.

[star_of_sad]

Who's that?!

[Setsuko's reaction shows she too can hear it.]

[keep_your_dignity]

PROBABLY SOME SORT OF AUTOMATED SYSTEM OR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BOUND TO THE DOOR. STAY SHARP.

[Kagura herself is positioned so as to be able to counterattack in an instant or dive people out of the way. Her SOL capacitor is already humming audibly in the silence]

[in_over_his_head]

"You are not aligned with those who had brought the madness upon the Ancients. You bear not the mark of the court. What is your purpose here? Those who had dwelled here over the ages were so willing to ignore this place."

[Calvin was going to sidestep a little to make it easier to throw himself out of the way if things get shooty. He was NOT having all that Graveyard etched firepower pointed too close to where he was thank YOU very much.]



This is seriously... what do you guys think we should say?

[majestic_keiki]

...Are you sure? [He certainly didn't sound fine.]

[in_over_his_head]

... Not really. Kinda freaking out here right now!

[Calvin's voice raised in both pitch and volume before he started to hyperventilate. Oh yes. This was pretty much routine. Survive an investigation. Go back somewhere safe and THEN collapse into a quivering ball of fear.]

[majestic_keiki]

[There's a long break before anything else is said from the other side of the door.]

Do you need to go see the medical staff?

2

[mc_of_mcs]

[A certain purple-haired girl was walking by when that crash happened. She can't see what's beyond that door, but she sure as hell heard the noise.]

Nepu?! What's going on in there?!

[For some reason, she sounds almost like a generic guard here.]

[star_of_sad]

Umm.

Who are you? Who are we speaking to?

[in_over_his_head]

Nothing. Nothing's wrong... except the entire goddamn world just turned itselfonitsheadagainohgoodgodwhydidIeventakethisjob

[Que hyperventilation.]

2 - the batman thing never gets old...for the people doing it

[brought_it_back]

You don't seem well.

[Said physical proof is sitting at Calvin's desk, looking over some of his papers.]

[mc_of_mcs]

[Well, that settles it. Because it doesn't sound good at all.]

Give me a sec! I'm busting in!

[And the door goes down with another crash. However, what she sees in front of her has her completely stunned...]

...Huh?

[in_over_his_head]

[Neppu. The place is cramped and looks like the head on collision of a detective's office, an occultist research area and a witch doctor's hut. The door kinda went down on the person you were talking to as well. There was a yelp of pain right there.]

[in_over_his_head]

"I am the keeper of the old knowledge that lies behind this door. I am the Archivist."

[The shimmering sigil on the door wavers for a moment.]

"It has been countless years since I have spoken to another living being, let alone several. Even through the gateway I had placed. Though you have not answered my own question. What is it that you seek here?"

[in_over_his_head]

Would it lead to me getting tied down, sedated heavily, lobotomised or any combination of those things?

If yes then no.

[in_over_his_head]

[Yeahno this doesn't help Calvin at all.]

Gah! Whatareyou- howdidyou-

[He's gonna back up a lot.]

What... Why are you here?

[keep_your_dignity]

WE SEEK THAT WHICH YOU KEEP. KNOWLEDGE. KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE COURT, AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE ANCIENTS, FOR THE NATURE AND REASON OF BOTH HAS BEEN LOST TO THE AGES, AND CONFLICT SEEMS TO SPARK ANEW.

[Yeah, Kagura can keep up with Minogame, she can do the whole mystic talk if necessary. In her experience most weird pseudo-sentient guardian creations are more cooperative if you speak like an idiot. And the fact that she has experience enough to think that sentence probably tells you a lot about Kagura's job.]

[mc_of_mcs]

What did I just stumble onto? A dungeon? Or is it a villain's lab?

[At that moment, she finally remembers the yelp of pain.]

Yipes, hang on!

[She heaves the door off the poor guy soon enough.]