realpolitik | Murasaki | Nice

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Murasaki | Nice | 063

[It was almost possible to forget about the whole explosion with everything else that was going on. It was crazy, like a train going off the tracks, and it wasn't like they had time to stop and smell the roses.

But they have time now, time to lick their wounds and decide what to do next, and time to look at the remains of Cafe Nowhere.

And they really are just remains. It's a shell of a building, hardly anything left, blackened and unrecognizable.

Murasaki's boots crunch through the wreckage, and his expression is tight and unhappy--this was, in a way, part of their home, and now it's gone...but in proper Murasaki fashion he has to immediately glance over to Nice to see how he's taking this. It was one thing to know it happened. It's another entirely to see the aftermath like this.]

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[Nice liked to think that he wasn't all that attached to people (besides Hajime) and things, but as he stands in the remnants of Nowhere, he can't really pretend that it didn't hurt. It was such a silly thing too, when he knows that those memories weren't gone because the building was only a shell...

But it still hurt.

He knows that Murasaki's probably looking at him at this point, waiting for an outburst...or anything, really. But he kind of found himself a lot like Cafe Nowhere right now -- hollow.

Maybe if things weren't so fucked up right now, it would've hurt less. But right now, Hajime was gone, Art was somehow mixed up in this, and Murasaki's Minimum was gone. Whatever they were planning...it was successful, so far, even though he didn't want to admit it.

He finds a spot that's not still smoldering, and he sits on the ground, bringing a knee up to his chest and propping his chin onto it. Maybe he felt as if he stared at the ashes long enough, something would make sense. Anything, after Art came back on that boat, would make sense. He knew he shouldn't be holding his breath for it, but he felt as if not knowing was slowly driving him crazy.

And now...he had no idea what to do next.]

[In a way, it's nice that this is a way to focus on something other than his lacking minimum, which is another gaping hole where something once was and should be. It's gone--and so is this place. They just keep losing things, over and over and over again, and...well, for someone like Nice, who doesn't have much to lose, it's not fair.

Murasaki doesn't have much to lose either, no...but, well--here, in Cafe Nowhere, all he can think of is the future of Nice, and the future of Hamatora. It goes together, after all.

This is what they are. This was their partnership, based around an idea, a table in a cafe, and their minimums.

Two out of three appear to be disappearing fast. So when Nice sits on the floor, Murasaki is already stepping closer, though he pauses when he's close enough to touch, and doesn't crouch to do so, instead staring down at Nice from where he stands above him.

...]

Nice.

[He doesn't even know what to say, at a time like this.]

[He doesn't really feel like talking, but he knows he's going to have to eventually. His eyes are stinging, but those must be from the last of the smoke in the air, right?

Of course it was, because if he'd held it together this long, he can hold it together for a little bit longer.

He doesn't answer Murasaki immediately, instead staring into the ashes for another minute or two before straightening his leg and putting his hands on the ground behind him so he can lean up and look at his partner. The only person he had left out of the three, and another one he thought he'd lost once.

His eyes unfocus after a moment, looking past Murasaki like there's something else he should be looking at.]

I have a question, Murasaki.

[Well, at least his voice is even enough. He's just out of it otherwise.]

[That's a concerning gaze, honestly. He doesn't know what Nice is thinking about, or why his expression is so distant and unfocused, but...

But he's speaking, and Murasaki isn't going to take his blessings for granted, and so his response comes immediately, even if his throat feels a little tight and scratchy.

(He knows it's not from the smoke, but he's not going to bring it up either.)]

...Yeah? What is it?

[Maybe he'll have an answer. Maybe not. He hasn't had much of those lately, but... At least Nice is talking to him, even if he's not looking at him.]

[Nice opens his mouth and then closes it, as if reconsidering his question. But it wasn't really him without being blunt in some respects, so he's going to come out with it eventually.]

People say I'm a genius...but why can't I figure this out? They're always one step ahead of us.

[He'd pulled all nighters, looked at everything, replayed conversations in his mind...everything. And he still could come up with nothing. While there were some people, like Saikyou, he could accept as doing bad things because it was entertainment, Art wasn't that kind of person. So why can't he figure it out?

His gaze goes back to the ground.]

That old man said he should've been able to figure things out because he was his partner.

[THREE GUESSES ON WHO HE'S TALKING ABOUT, MURASAKI........

Also and he's my friend is on the tip of his tongue, but it's unsaid. He figures that Murasaki would get the sentiment, anyway.]

[Why is it not surprising that it came back to that asshole in the end...? Murasaki can't help the way he tenses--though a moment later he just sighs, tension leaving his shoulders. Yeah, Art messed him up, but he did the same to Art in turn. Regardless, that's not what's the problem right now. The problem is Hajime, and the shell of Cafe Nowhere, and Nice sitting on the floor like this in the soot and dirt.]

...You can't always figure out everything just because you're someone's partner. [or friend.] Sometimes people hide things.

[...]

Or they change.

[He considers this for a while. The idea that Art had changed was kind of strange to him, and he's not quite sure he believes it.

Either way, he's going to get up off the ground, now that he's composed himself to the point where he didn't feel like he was going to throw some sort of tantrum. He's dirty from sitting in the mess, but he doesn't really look like he cares about that too much.

Whether or not he's taking Murasaki's opinions into consideration, he's not exactly letting on right now.]

We should see if there's anything left.

[He still looks slightly upset, but he never really was one to sit and mope when he could be doing something else.]

[It's not like Murasaki can throw a fit about that. So long as he doesn't look so lost and dazed, Murasaki's going to take it as a small victory.

Not like they can pull off a bigger one at the moment.

So instead, he shifts his gaze to the shell of the building, expression growing a little pinched. He adjusts his glasses, and sighs.]

...Yeah. Might as well while we're here.

[And not because they need anything that's a bit more like home...? Regardless, he's going to start walking, not even looking to see what way Nice is going. Mostly because he thinks he sees a glint in the ash, and he has to lean over to pick it up.

A twisted, half-melted nameplate... honestly. Is this what they're reduced to?]

[Nice isn't moving around much with his hands in case things are still hot. He'll nudge certain piles of ash over with his foot though, in case there's something interesting or of use in there.

And it's not like he really knows what he's looking for either, but maybe he's hoping something was dropped and not destroyed so there was something for him to go on.

He sees Murasaki pick something up out of the corner of his eyes, and he wanders over to investigate. When he notices it's the nameplate, he sighs. This was where it all had started, and that was the only remnant of it. Not that there had ever been a big advertisement of it in the first place, but...it was still sad to see it, regardless.]

...That needs to be thrown away.

[His voice has a hard edge to it, and he takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly.]

We'll get a better one for when this is all over.

[Just in case Murasaki was wondering...]

[Harsh. It's not surprising, honestly. They don't really have the time to be sentimental right now. They've got so much to deal with without getting emotional over nameplates and little pieces of home.

Metal, that is. Little pieces of metal.

Murasaki pauses, and then slips it into his pocket.]

...Yeah. I'll take care of it.

[He'll toss it. But...not here, on the ground, in the dirt and ashes like this. If he's going to throw it away, he'll do so properly. Littering is bad, clearly. That's the only reason why.]

[Nice watches Murasaki slip it into his pocket, and he chooses not to say anything about the decision to do it. Whether Murasaki wanted to keep it for sentimental reasons or not, Nice didn't really care. It just made him angry, currently, to see it, because it reminded him about how fucked up everything was.

Which...he's still determined to make right.

And as he moves away to look around some more, he can't quite get the image of the nameplate out of his head. So...]

What kind do you think we should get next time? Maybe something fancy.

[Anything to distract him from what they were currently standing in.]

[Something fancy...the thought is ridiculous enough that it startles a bark of laughter out of him. That's...nonsense. They don't even have the money to do something like that--even if they could be sure that everything would turn out okay enough for them to manage to bring the detective agency back together.

There isn't even Cafe Nowhere, now, and that has always been a safe place.

...But after a pause, he finds that he can't outright deny the statement either. It's as if putting words to it would make it true.]

No... someone will just spill soda on it again. [...] It's not worth it. Something similar to what we had before should be fine.

[At least he'd been able to get Murasaki to laugh, and his own expression softens into something a little less serious because of it. Sometimes having no brain-to-mouth filter was okay, right?]

Well, that won't be me.

[No one said you would, Nice...]

I don't know...I mean, it could be a new and improved Hamatora, with a new and improved nameplate. It might make us look cooler.

[. . .]

Well, the only one who needs to look cooler here is you.

[Says the person with the fucked up outfit and bandages on his face??]

[too much denial makes you look suspicious, Nice......

But wow that's rude!!! Murasaki's eyebrows draw together at that, even as he scowls in return.]

What are you talking about?! I look plenty cool!

[lmfao]

I don't want to hear that from you anyway.

[He never looks suspicious!!!!]

...Yeah, okay.

[Okay you guys neither of you look completely cool.]

I'm just the coolest, aren't I? Is that why you don't want to hear it from me? Because I'm just too cool to talk about coolness?

[Nice....................]

[Nice.........]

That is nowhere close to the actual reason. That is the opposite of the actual reason.

So you say. But I know the truth.

[Why does this always happen]

What's this?

[And he'll be looking at something behind the counter now...well, at least it's something to break up whatever this conversation had turned into.]

[... well, onto more serious things, that's definitely necessary. Murasaki looks up at that, blinking, and then moves to see what Nice is looking at.]

Did you find something?

This computer isn't that damaged.

[Some...how. He pokes at a couple of keys carefully, because there are parts of it blackened from the explosion but whether it's actual damage or not, he's trying to decide.]

Wanna see what Master had on his computer?

[He should say no. That's private information. They shouldn't be accessing it now.

But he wouldn't be a detective if he wasn't also nosy as hell, let's be real here. So instead of denying it, he just steps closer to look over Nice's shoulder.]

... Probably nothing too unusual.

[...right??? what could Master even be hiding on his computer.]

[Oh come on Murasaki......GOD WHY AM I WRITING THIS TAG AGAIN

He's clicking around though, looking mildly interested -- it's a distraction anyway.]

Well Master's such a secretive guy, right? You don't know what he's really into--huh?

[And he's found a program...]

What's this?

[MAKES YOU WRITE IT FIVE MORE TIMES--

okay no he just frowns slightly. The invasion of privacy wars with his general natural curiosity.

When Nice finds something, curiosity wins out, and he peers closer.]

What did you find?

[Good! Nice will topple you from your pillar of responsibility yet.]

A tracking program, maybe?

[But what are they tracking...clicking around and stuff for a few more minutes.]

Whatever it is, it says it's outside?

[You know, as far as things he was expecting to hear are concerned, "a tracking program" was not one of them. His brow furrows, and he peers closer.]

Nearby?

[They can at least figure out what it's tracking, then. That might explain this bizarre new mystery--that's at least enough to take his mind off of the rest of the problems they have to deal with.]

Yeah.

[He looks closer, and points to the indicator that's on the map.]

Isn't that where you parked the car? [That hideous hideous car of Murasaki's--] Do they have a tracker on us?

[Or........]

Or is it something in the car?

[WHAT.

Murasaki is immediately shoving away to stalk out towards his car. lOOK, don't touch the car, okay!!]

There had better not be anything like that on my car--!

[HRRGH]

[YEAH!!! YEAH DON't TOUCH MURASAKI'S CAR.

But he'll follow after him, curious.]

I said it might be in the car, too.

[Wait.]

Hey, unlock it. I'm going to look at something.

[YEAH!!!!!

... but okay, seems like Nice has a theory, so he just unlocks the car, tilting his head vaguely.

???]

Look at what?

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Murasaki | Nice | 063

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