Calm stood tall at the doorstep, chest out, chin high, brimming with a confidence that could only be described as unjustified. He had rehearsed this, every word, every grin, every casual shrug. The first step of his masterful plan was moments from execution, and in his mind, it would be flawless. A dumb, cocky smirk hung uselessly off his face. He blinked, then the door creaked.
It burst open.
Standing in the frame was a beautiful young woman, her radish-red bob bouncing at her shoulders, her deep green eyes bottomless and alluring, dressed in a crisp white robe cinched at the waist with effortless style. She radiated a divine glow of pure arua. Her smile brighten, her eyes narrowed.
"Yo, Turi! Long time noooo—AHHHHH!"
THWACKKK!!
A fist collided with his face like a meteor kissing a planet.
His smirk shattered instantly. Calm sailed through the air in a clumsy arc, arms flailing, what little dignity he had dying. He crashed into the ground several meters away with a spectacular THUD, bounced once, and groaned like a creature on the edge of death.
And just like that, his foolproof plan died a violent, airborne demise.
From the doorway stepped Turi, her knuckles cracked and each step brought unfathomable foreboding. On her face still hung the pleasant bright smile, however the circumstance made that smile haunting.
She is going to kill me
"You have any idea as to why, I am upset?"
Calm pushed himself up pathetically with a show, giving himself more time, his mind racing.
Did she have to pay my tavern tab again...? Or was it... no... did I forget her existence day...? Of course. That must be it! I forgot her birthday!
Calm finally stood up straight and composed, then let out a breath.
"Turi.. I am so sorry for forgetting your birthday.. I really mean it. Let me make it up to, I promise.."
Calm directed the most sincere and pleasant smile he could muster at the young woman. But her next words erased that sincerity from existence.
"Calm, you have the gall to come here after agreeing to take my shift, and then why did you not show up"
Damn.
Turi's smile had disappeared at this point.
"YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH TROUBLE THAT CAUSED ME?"
Calm nodded.
Pretty certain I just forgot...
"Yes, I can imagine."
"I HAD TO COME BACK FROM MY TRIP EARLY, I FINALLY HAD TIME TO GO ESTABLISH MY REALM, AND I HAD TO LEAVE."
Calm nodded harder.
But what was i doing instead?
"Yes, that sounds frustrating."
"IT TOOK ME WEEKS TO FIX THE MESS, THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WAITING THERE, TRAPPED ON THE REINCARNATION PLATFORM, THEY WERE TRAPPED WITH NOTHING TO DO."
Calm nodded so hard he created a localized vortex swirling around his head.
An image of hundreds of people crowded on the small platform flashed through his mind. Under normal circumstances he would have laughed at the thought, but for now, he desperately buried the seed of a grin in the recess of his brain.
"Yes, that is a very unfortunate circumstance indeed."
"YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF MESS IT WAS, I HAD TO ERASE THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE FROM THEIR MEMORY AND START FROM SCRATCH, SOME OF THEM EVEN BECAME ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED DURING THE WAIT."
Calm gave one last short nod.
an incredible mystery for sure..
"Yes."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."
Her scream erupted like a long dormant volcano, rising to shower the village in pure, world-ending doom. Yet the inhabitants of the village barely spared it more than a glance, for the gods were quite accustomed to witnessing all manner of spats and divine disputes.
Across the street, an older woman paused and looked up at them for a moment before shaking her head and continuing to sweep her porch.
Calm waited respectfully for her to finish.
"Well, if it helps, I am sorry."
Turi turned to look at him. No sign of anger or frustration remained, just the pleasant smile of the pleasant goddess.
"It does not matter, you will assist me at work during your free time until I am satisfied."
Her voice came out strained, and she finished with a huff.
Normally, Calm would have done everything in his power to get out of unnecessary work, going to incredible lengths not to engage in such behavior, perhaps even spending more energy avoiding the work than the actual task required. But this time, he did not. He had an ulterior motive.
He cleared his throat and looked up at her.
"Very well," he said, then bowed respectfully.
Turi's eyes glinted, then she nodded.
"Good, NOW WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
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Turi and Calm sat together inside her small, but pleasant and cozy abode. Her living room was adorned with pleasing brown wicker chairs and couches aligned with several homely plump green pillows, several plants hung from the ceilings and covered the various walls, and lastly the unmistakable smell of Turnip soup radiated from the kitchen
Calm laid back into the couch nonchalantly, Turi leaning forward in her chair.
"So to get this straight.. You want me.."
Turi said pointed to herself
"To help you.."
Turi then directed her very pointed finger towards Calm
"Come up with a disguise.."
she said with a dramatic pause
"So you can use scrap materials you stole... from your work."
Calm, very familiar with the act of nodding, nodded once again.
"And sneak into a Crucible.. so you can create an all powerful creature and win the Millennial Games..?"
Calm leaned back even further, his confident smile choosing to exist once again. Turi's eyebrows twitched.
"That's right.. fool proof.. I know.."
Calm then waited for the pushback he was sure was coming. But to his surprise, It did not come. Instead came the sound of Turi's voice
"Okay!!" She said with a pleasant, beautiful and terrible smile..