Antique Store I: Kamilly

Antique Store I: Kamilly

I. On a Complicated Transaction

         “What do you mean you won’t be working with us anymore?” Rita proclaimed, slamming her fist against the front desk. “This is one of our main sources of income. How am I supposed to fund my organization without our agreement?” The imposing leader locked eyes with the man behind the desk.

         “I don’t think I’m being unreasonable.” He stammered, tensing up under Rita’s threatening glare. As he wiped the sweat from his brow line, he swore he could feel the woman’s stare boring into his soul.

         “Not being unreasonable?” Rita exclaimed, tossing her arms upward in a mad gesture of surprise and disgust. “Do you know, even remotely, how much trouble it is to get these antique pieces? I had to haul all these desks from a burning wooden building into my time portal as a literal pillar of fire was rapidly approaching. I didn’t risk my life in the glorified tinderbox that was 1871 Chicago to not sell these to you.”

         “Maybe you should have thought of that before your goons burst through here yesterday demanding protection payments.” The large, mustached man’s hands articulated quotes as he said “protection.”

         “What? I genuinely do not know what you are talking about.” Rita articulated as she rubbed her forehead, attemptingto remedy her encroaching migraine. “We have never gone around exacting bribes. That’s the kind of crime that sends the police straight to your doorstep.”

         “You are the mob. The. Mob. So don’t even try to tell me you don’t shake people down for bribes. It’s practically what you’re known for.”
Rita raised an eyebrow at the storekeeper. “Luca. You are aware that we have no ties to the Cosa Nostra, right? We’re an entirely separate entity from the Mafia. In actuality, they despise us. Not just them, the Camorra and ‘Ndrangheta, too.”

         The young leader fumed a bit as she stumbled through the word en-dran-get-ha. Whenever she attempted an Italian word she felt as if she was detached from the ground, like a weed pulled up from its shallow roots. The half moment it took for her business partner to process the word was enough to exact a sigh and a despondent glance at the floor.

         “So the people who are demanding cash from me are real mobsters, then? Alright, alright. I’ll pay you for the desks.” Luca confirmed, walking over to one of the hand-carved pieces and beginning to drag it back into the shop.

         “Wait, what are you going to do about the people holding your business hostage?” Rita asked.

         “Well, I guess I’ll have to pay them.”

         “I apologize for imposing, but I don’t think that’s an option. We both rely on the financial success of this building, and I have dealt with much worse than a extortion committee. When are they next coming to collect?”

         “Two days from now. Late. They didn’t say a time.”

         “I will be here with an ally no later than four. I guarantee you that by the time these ransomers leave they will never even think it possible to threaten you again.”

II. On a stakeout

         The next 48 hours passed unceremoniously. At the exact strike of 4 pm, Luca tensed up as he heard a knocking at his door. Relief washed over him as he saw Rita waiting outside.

         “Thank you for coming.”

         “It’s no trouble at all - we both need this business running smoothly. We’ll wait in the security room, you just run your store as usual.”

         Mima suppressed a chuckle as she walked in behind her boss. “You’re both so formal.”

         “Oh, wait,” Luca interrupted, “The two people you sent here to set up the back room are waiting for you.”

         “What?” Rita stopped in her tracks in the middle of an isle. “I did not send anybody in here to set up-”

         "Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention. When you said we would have to stake out for several hours, I decided to bring Kamilly for moral support. But then, like, Däsmarchen overheard, and she said she should come to, because then it could be a girls' night out." Mima explained, twiddling her index fingers together gently.

         "I- I don't even know where to begin with what you just said- let's just head back." Rita groaned as she walked through the center of the furniture outlet. She opened the door to the back room to see, as Mima had described, Kamilly and Däsmarchen, both head to toe in cheap textile pajamas.

         "You both realize that this is going to be a serious combat mission, correct? And that most of our time tonight is going to be spent watching the security cameras?"

         "You need to take a moment to chill, Ri-tah." Däsmarchen took pleasure on butchering the name, pausing mid-word and putting an emphasis on the second syllable. "I've allocated 10% of my processing power to face and body recognition on all the cameras."

         "Is that even an ability you have? I'll have to speak to Onion about that. Either way, I only brought enough boat rations for two."

         "I don't eat, and even if i did, I'd gag at the thought of eating those glorified protein bars. Kamilly brought a pizza."

         "How did you even get here? You have lavender skin and metallic wire arms."

         "When clothed, I can put on a fat glob of makeup pass as an anorexic." The purple witch claimed, retrieving a glass vial of skin-colored paste from her satchel. "I took this one from your bathroom. You don't mind, do you?"

         Rita's disapproving glare was ineffective against Däsmarchen's smug expression. "And what about when our targets show up? Kamilly isn't combat trained. She is a doctor, she is not even qualified to be on the field."

         "I don't like to cast spells with part of my brain gone, so she'll watch the cameras for any sneaky shit while we're waxing the mobsters."

         Rita sighed. "Alright, despite my better judgement, I guess this stakeout is a girls' night."

         Mima and her Brazilian moral support chimed with joy as Däsmarchen spread a blanket along the floor. The quartet of girls sat cross-legged on the corners of the sheet. Kamilly retrieved a cardboard box and lifted the lid, revealing a still warm classic Italian pizza.

         The giant of a woman eagerly devoured two pieces as Kamilly removed several toppings before chewing at the end of a slice. Rita ate a single piece, and the robotic witch waited impatiently through the half hour they took to eat and scoffed at them.

         "You humans with your eating. It takes so long. It's pretty gross." She taunted, nudging the pizza box towards the others with her feet.

         "I thought you could eat. I've seen Meines. I could be wrong, though." Kamilly articulated, hardly above a whisper.

         "Meines is basically a kid. She turns into a damn tomato every time somebody even mentions doing the nasty. That's why I didn't invite her, so we could talk adult stuff."

         "That response didn't explain what I was wondering at all." The Brazilian doctor mumbled.

         "So what do you do on a girls' night, anyway? I'd say we should share secrets if I didn't already know everybody's." Däsmarchen wondered aloud.

         "How." Rita interjected, tensing up. Her mind immediately turned to the inner-workings of her organization and the concealed information therein. Her voice was stern, indicating more of a command than a question.

         "Did you miss the part where I can fragment my mind and put it in the security system? I can't hear anything, but I see some weird stuff go on in those rooms." The purple witch replied, putting a hand on her boss's shoulder. "For example, it's not exactly a secret because of the damned whinnying noises, but Mima and Onion bump uglies 3 to 5 times a week."

         Rita blushed in embarrassment for Mima as Kamilly's jaw dropped into a mortified expression. Mima, however, was completely collected and unashamed.

         "I- I thought there was an actual horse in one of the gardens. I had no idea it was-" Mima's companion mumbled, trailing off at the end.

III. On a question circle

         "Oh! I know! Let's do a question circle thing. Each of us asks something, and the rest of us have to answer. I don't really know Kammy over there, and I doubt she really knows us, given she's only been around for a month." Däsmarchen suggested, while drawing something on the floor using ash.

         "I'd like that. I only really know Mima. And even then, there were clearly bits I was missing..." Kamilly articulated.

         "Anything to change the topic." Rita added.

         "Nice. I'll toss the first question. Oh, and by the way, I just finished drawing a spell circle on the ground that will ignite anyone who lies or doesn't answer. So like, you might as well tell the truth."

         "Däsmarchen!" Rita shouted, throwing her hands in the air.

         "Shhh... it's more fun this way. My question first. What is your superpower? This one will help out little Kammy."

         "I can cure wounds or call upon the light to hurt people. I can do some crazy light tricks, too." Mima articulated.

         "I don't have one." Kamilly whispered.

         "I do not really-" Rita began, but then stopped and sighed. "Well, since somebody is breathing down my neck with the threat of bursting into flame, I suppose I have to explain. I am enhanced by a serum used on soldiers from the time in the future I'm from. I have an integration, but it does not seem to actually do anything. When I activate it, I just see a bunch of circles that converge around seemingly random objects, and my eyes change color. I haven't figured out what it does."

         "Well now it's my turn. What is the most valuable thing you own?" Mima questioned.

         "I don't really own stuff outside my spellbook and clothes, so my spellbook, I guess." The purple witch commented.

         "I value nothing more than you guys, and everyone in the Time Mob. I guess my possession most connected to that is my time key, or maybe the land deeds to the Time Mob safe-houses." Rita spoke gently and warmly, and both Mima and Kamilly made an "aww" noise. Däsmarchen even had the grace to pat her boss on the shoulder.

         "My most valuable possession... That would have to be the wishing stone. It's the only thing left from Brazil." Kamilly retrieved a carved circle of stone the size of her hand with an unbelievably large glittering emerald embossed into the center. The smooth, almost reflective black stone was decorated along the edge with cuts and markings. The rectangular cut emerald glowed with an eerie, otherworldly light.

         "Holy hell in a hand-basket." Däsmarchen interjected, staring at the object. "That's a double S class corrector time key with level 10 pre-charge and solar regeneration."

         "Onion already told me it's really strong. But it's meaningful to me for different reasons." Kamilly mused, moving her fingers over the polished surface. "When I wished for safety, it brought me out of Brazil to the Hokosa Nine in Japan. After they discharged me, I wished for companionship and that's when I met Khori- or, Don Sick- at the college, and eventually met you all."

         Mima wrapped her arms around Kamilly, and the two held each other for a moment. An hour and a half passed in this fashion, learning about each other, until the circle came to Mima for what must have been the fifth or sixth time.

         "Okay, I want something juicy this round. Who are you most attracted to?"

         Däsmarchen turned and looked at Kamilly, who had tensed up completely at the question. "Hey, maybe you should ask something else. You know that everyone has to answer honestly, right?" The purple witch remarked.

         "Nonsense, don't be silly. I won't judge anyone's answer."

         "Okay but Kamilly writes in her journal directly under the security camera and based on what I've seen she really doesn't want to talk about it. Also, the window to take back the question before the rune forces us to answer is about to close."

         "There's nothing Kamilly could say that would make me mad." Mima proclaimed, patting the short doctor on the head.

         "Alright, well the window just closed, so I guess this is happening. I'll start. All humans are gross and they're all terrible but if I had to pick one I guess Don Juan's pretty cute." Däsmarchen ridiculed.

         "I do not believe that Kamilly desires to answer until the last moment, so I will go next. Attraction is a strong word, but officer Brendon has made me blush." Rita admitted.

         "I- I really don't want to answer- especially after tonight, I learned they were taken.” Tongues of flame appeared around Kamilly's feet, rotating around her slowly. She curled up tighter, eyes growing misty.

         "I'm sorry, Kammy. I can't undo the rune now." Däsmarchen spoke, her voice marked by a sincerity previously unknown to her. The small Brazilian curled up tighter as two tears trickled down her cheeks. She was paralyzed and mortified as the flames grew larger and closer.

         "Is it Onion? I won't be mad if it is. Please just answer, I'm sorry for asking, I don't want to hurt you or make you cry!" Mima exclaimed, her voice growing raspy in fear.

         The fire roared as it began closing in. Kamilly shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Her three allies looked on in horror.

         "Kamilly, please!" Her large companion cried out, beginning to tear up. The doctor rose to her feet, eyes still shut and breath still held. Her mouth hardly opened as she gave her reply.

         "It's you, Mima."

         The blazing wisps bent backwards away from her as if a met by a gust, and were extinguished instantly.

         "What?"

         "I-" Kamilly hesitated. "I love you, Mima. You're kind, and beautiful, and I know you don't feel the same, but I do."

         "Kamilly-"

         "I'm such and idiot. I should have never come here. I know I'm inept. All I do is make people uncomfortable."

         "Kamilly, I'm so sorry. If I liked girls, you would make me the luckiest girl alive."

         Däsmarchen arose from the floor, gesturing at the security cameras. She walked over and opened the door.

         "They're here."

         The three fighters drew their weapons and rushed out, leaving Kamilly alone the room.

         The lone girl sighed as Mima ducked out of the door. She held the wishing stone up to her chest.

         "I wish I could find love."

         And upon this mumble, green light radiated from the stone, then a brightness flooded the room. Kamilly had disappeared.