The knife that cuts deep

[in_over_his_head]

[1] [Postmission]
[The situation was resolved. What was left of the Organization known as Scylla and Charybdis was being apprehended. Their underground base was in ruins and their ties to the Ebon Court were all but destroyed given the events in the tunnels. Not only that but they also managed to get the third key.]

[Yet despite this Calvin remains silent as he looks up at his battered Genoace. Shield cleaved, guns dented and its knife bloodied. There was clearly something bothering him as his gaze now turned to the recovered artifact. A rusted and very horrifically painful looking knife. Rather than speaking though, the air around the knife just seemed to have the faint scent of blood along with somehow making the air around it sound sharp as impossible as it was.]

Do you ever get the feeling that there's more to a story than you think you know?

[2] [Some time later]
[Calvin's out in town, with coffees in a cardboard carrying tray in hand as he walked down a row of shoplots. Somehow he didn't notice you at all as he kept moving through the area, moving to the older section of the lots and standing in front of one place in particular. From the looks of the place it was a magic shop. Not one of those places that sold stage magician tricks, but one that actually catered to people with a certain set of beliefs. Or in Calvin's case a certain level of wariness for things that people believed in.]

[He lingers at the entrance, trying to compose himself a little as he stared at the door. For a while he looked a little unsure about entering.]

[He still hasn't noticed you either. Try to get his attention?]

Comments

2

[mc_of_mcs]

...Heeeeeey~

[A hand is waved in front of Calvin's face. Given the other person's height, though, the most he'll see are her fingers.]

I've been trying to ask you something...

This stretching is hurting my back too.

1

[star_of_sad]

[Setsuko nods.]

Yes.

Very much so.

2

[actuallyselfish]

Dido suddenly appears behind Calvin. "Worried your girlfriend will be mad?" She blurts out.

Re: 2

[in_over_his_head]

Guh! Nep!?

[Yeah, Calvin jolted at hearing and seeing the goddess. Thankfully not dropping the coffee though.]

What are you doing here.... and what's the question?

Re: 2

[in_over_his_head]

GAH!

[Yeah, Calvin jumped at that one Dido. There's a splash and surprise... its the leg of his pants ruined this time.]

Owowowow! Ah! Jeez! Don't speak up out of nowhere! Ow!

[Yeaaah. And now no coffee.]

Ahh.. dammit... that was good coffee...

[in_over_his_head]

They went from trying to kill us to helping us the moment their 'friend' showed up. Not just that but they actually let us off too...

They killed a lot of people and messed up an entire town but...

[They aren't as evil as they seemed.]

1

[a_monetized_mind]

Pretty often.

[Jen wanders around, leaning in to look at the knife more closely.]

What was up with those guys, anyways?

[mc_of_mcs]

You must've been really spaced out there if you didn't notice me.

[Or maybe it's just that she's really that short.]

Anywho, you're standing suspiciously in front of a magic shop with coffee in your hands. What's up?

[in_over_his_head]

...I'm just trying to figure out what to say.

Do you ever have the problem of telling someone that you care for that you're in serious trouble?

[in_over_his_head]

[Despite its extreme age and the coating of rust Jen, the blade still looked as absurdly sharp as a monomolecular blade.]

That's what I'm trying to figure out. The person they're trying to let out using these things apparently caused their civilization to collapse...

But then they could also get affected by whatever drove that girl back in the tunnels insane before the Nazis made it worse.

They're willing to work with terrible people and resort to mass murder but at the same time they're actually better people than most of the guys we've fought.

[star_of_sad]

No.

[Setsuko shakes her head.]

There are no buts, please do not forget what they did, inspector.

This just shows that they have... had friends, they cared about. Even evil people have friends.

Even Asakim did...

[a_monetized_mind]

...Okay, I'm going to have to stop you right there. Repeat that last sentence in your head again, get back to me when you figure out what's wrong with it.

[Turning back to the knife, Jen takes out a pen and sloowly moves it across the blade, like cutting a cucumber.]

[in_over_his_head]

[Calvin pinches the bridge of his nose.]

I know how absolutely idiotic it sounds. I was stuck in that town they were trashing for four days. Hell... I know more than anyone what kind of bastards they are.

But there's just something about this picture that's really off and its bugging me like crazy. I just can't figure out what it is...

[As for that pen... there's a clack on the floor as it just was sliced cleanly with almost no resistance.]

[in_over_his_head]

I won't... I definitely won't...

Its just hard to match up what I saw when they first appeared to what just happened. Its like looking at two different people who look and sound the same.

[star_of_sad]

They showed us their kinder side but...

When we meet the next time, how will they act then?

[mc_of_mcs]

Only if I stole their pudding!

[Said while standing proudly.]

[in_over_his_head]

I think this might be a little harder to deal with than snack theft.

[Calvin does not get how much of a big deal pudding is.]

[in_over_his_head]

...Probably back to square one. I don't know if it'll be a relief or not.

[mc_of_mcs]

It's not just any snack theft: Pudding is love. Pudding is life!

Ah, but that's not the problem here. You wanna know how to go about telling this person, right?

[in_over_his_head]

[He really has no idea how to even reply to that first part. Thankfully as Nep carries on, the potential awkward silence is dealt with posthaste.]

... Yes.

[totallyhonest]

Hey, it's mister detective guy! Fancy meeting you here. Are you going shopping as well?

[star_of_sad]

There is only one way to find out. In the meantime, we should expect anything.

But... at least that key is ours, right? How many similar artifacts are there?

[in_over_his_head]

Yes. And there's at least five more... but they don't exactly have much help left to look for them and we have a map.

1

[keep_your_dignity]

[Kagura is floating by with a few boxes marked "hazard" while Calving talks to himself, so she makes a comment as she floats past]

NO SHIT SHERLOCK. THERE PRACTICALLY ALWAYS IS. IF YOU EVER THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON IN ANY COMPLEX SITUATION PUNCH YOURSELF IN THE FACE AND THINK AGAIN.

THE QUESTION IS WHETHER WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW MATTERS OR NOT.

[in_over_his_head]

Wha-

[Calvin startles, nearly dropping the coffee. Thankfully he doesn't though.]

Er... kind of?

[Now that he thought about it, his 'emergency kit' needed a restocking.]

What about you? I mean this is the old lots... its antiques, weird stuff and dodgy things here-

[Wait. He forgot who he was talking to.]