How Kind of You [Closed for Patchies~]

[Kuu [32]]

Junk.

It was all junk.


Or at least most of it.


Was he even in the right place?

"When I was told this would be a good spot to gather materials, this is not what I had in mind," the lone stitchpunk said as he went through a pile of rubber duckies. Perhaps the outside of the toy store wasn't where all the more practical supplies were? Either way, the ragdoll stroked his synthetic black hair with his hand. He was fed up with this place, and perturbed by spending a lot of valuable time getting there when he could rather be working on a tough case that only he could solve. Even if he was doing yet another tinkering job, he could at least get something out of it.

Just as he was about to turn toward the direction of home, there was a sudden rustling amongst one of the piles in the distance that caught stitchpunk's attention. His eyes darted to try and pinpoint the lurker, yet he stayed fairly calm... as he was sure the exact scurrying noise he heard was not at all similar to that a Machine usually makes. Another scavenger perhaps? It seemed a worthwhile mystery to investigate... as Kuu figured he might be able to get some pointers from the stranger on where he could pick up some decent supplies in this practical garbage heap. Assuming, of course that the stranger was someone willing to divulge such information without the need of violence. Yes, violence was nothing that 32 wanted in the slightest, currently.
Briskly, yet quiet and cautiously the male ragdoll made his way in the direction of the noise. As he approached, there was some mumbling and rummaging sounds that allowed him to better locate the individual. Clearly, this stranger was someone else looking for decent materials for something. As 32 peeked his head around the side of the pile he passed to spy on the stranger in question, he pondered if this person too had come seeking supplies in this location based on some random tip. All Kuu knew is that who ever the figure was, he was completely unfamiliar with them.
"Excuse me," he said to try and get the stranger's attention as he approached from behind. "You wouldn't know where I could find some better supplies around here, right? I mean, the good stuff. Like sand paper, saw blades, D batteries. Anything like that around here you know of?" he then asked with a casual expression on his face.

[Dove]

This place was the best place ever.
Full of lots of fun things- trinkets and metals and odd things she didn't understand because of how small stitchpunks were(they couldn't use them quiet like humans, you see). This was only Dove's second time here, but her love for it was just as strong as it was on her first visit. Oh- she wanted everything! But being more choosy would help to keep her cage roomy, so she'd have to at least try to not take as much as she did last time. Today would be a day of 'not-taking-everything-you-see', she decided. A smile was stretched over the dolls face as she looked over a cute little toy that had somehow found its way out here. It was so lonely looking, so she couldn't help but go to keep it company for a while. The toy was some sort of animal she was not familiar with. It had big feet and a tawny color to it, then on one side it had a plastic bit protruding from the thigh. Dove knew what that was- it was a thingamajig that would make the toy move if she turned it! Moving things were much more fun than boring things that always sat at rest. She gave it a light pat on the head, though, rather than taking time to play with it. It didn't hold much interest to her while she was looking for metal things on this particular day. A toy store wasn't the greatest place to scavenge for metal, now that she thought about it. Maybe some opposable figures would have little screws in them, though. She'd have to dig deeper into the place to find those a bit later; after she was finished picking through things on the outside of the store, the inside was her next destination where the better things would be.

A few colorful things caught her eye, so she left the odd animal figure behind to see if there was anything of more interest. There wasn't, of course. Nothing useful whatsoever. She sighed and poked a dirtied stuffed animal with her needle, contemplating ripping a hole to steal away some cotton. Unknowing of the approaching stranger, she'd already gone about trying to tear the small hole she made wider. Her needle wasn't much, and certainly wouldn't help her if she were discovered by a beast- let alone another intelligent stitchpunk turned hostile.

Then- "Excuse me?"
Dove nearly fell back in panic; she hadn't expected company! Before she knew it she had lost her balance and rather than nearly fall back- she did fall back- leaving her needle stuck in the stuffed animal in front of her. She found herself on her back, staring up at the stranger that had come to her for advice on finding supplies here. Poor fella didn't know she'd be of no help, he was only wasting his time(more than he had already to come to this place).

"W-what?" she asked dumbfound and shaken. It wasn't like her to stammer, so she quickly corrected herself. "I mean, what?" she wasn't too sure how to answer to a strange ragdoll. It felt rude of her to not try to answer though, so she went about answering the best she could. "I don't know" was, truthfully, the best she could think of.

[Kuu [32]]

As soon as the other ragdoll fell backwards, Kuu feigned a slight wince. It was fairly comical looking the way it happened, yet it seemed rude to just burst out. 32 then crossed his arms and looked at the ragdoll he now confirmed to be female. His patience and demeanor were bound to be worse now, but he kept his typical poker-face and near smile, even as the girl replied.
"Oh. Well, then..." was how he approached next, pausing as his natural perception honed on the several different aspects of this new acquaintance.
"Silver frame, silk and cotton fabric, the feathers are flatteringly... a bit much... young minded, though..." Kuu muttered out loud, rather quickly. As the deduction as far as his opinion of the girl at first glance was coming to his mind, he ventured another idea that came to mind as well. Kuu took a cautious step forward, and another(less cautious) coming within a centimeter of the stranger. "Maybe we could help each other out? You help me find what I need, and I'll try my best to help scout out for what you... need."
As he paused again before saying 'need', he flashed a comforting smile. Kuu then stretched out a copper arm offering to help get the stranger back on her feet.
"The name's Kuu," he stated with his best attempt at a look sincerity. Really, he was into getting what he wanted and getting back to the Cathedral as soon as possible. The windy atmosphere was getting on his nerves.

[Dove]

She made a face as he went about describing her, the face wostening when he had called her feathers a 'bit much'. Her feathers were fine. If anything they were too dull for her tastes. The girl didn't say anything about this though, it wasn't that big of a deal really. "Yes," she replied to his offer "but I need a lot of things." She let herself be helped back up, muttering "Thanks." The dirt on her back was about to drive her nuts. Once she was up and balanced on her clawed feet again, she quickly dusted herself off, spinning around and trying to look while doing so. It was quiet a silly sight! Once she was clean enough, she returned her attention back to Kuu, while feeling the feather over her chest unconsciously.

"I'm Dove!" she said, beaming. "And I really wouldn't mind a little help with my collecting." it was true she was out looking for nice metals, but if she was going to have an extra pair of eyes with her might as well look for feathers. This was going to be fun. It wasn't often she had companionship- being too busy with her own hobbies and habits. It got in the way of socialization. Not like she would travel far enough from home to get to the big places, though. Nuh-uh, that's simply just too far!

[Kuu [32]]

"Alright, then!" the male stitchpunk said as he turned away from Dove to gaze at the Toy Store building. "Well, seeing that this is actually just a toy store, I doubt any sand paper or saw blades are going to be found in there. But there has to be D batteries galore," he continued to say without actually looking at Dove. Even though she was "young minded", she was still female. It brought up Kuu's natural, albeit slightly irrational defenses.
"Just help me find one of those, and I'll help you find as many things as you need me to," he then said with a side glance. Kuu then began to make his way towards the building to find a way into it.

[Dove]

While he talked, Dove turned to pull her needle free from the stuffed animal. She ran a hand over it, smiling at the sharp little thing. "There'er plen'ny batteries there, in little packages. I think." She looked back at him to see what he'd do next, tapping her fingers upon the thin needle. She didn't reply do his last obvious statement, nodding her head and taking a moment to think of all the things she wanted, before remembering she was going to try and 'not-take-everything'. Dove turned to grab a handful of cotton from the hole she made in the victimized stuffed animal- only one though. She tore it out like it was the creatures fluffy organs, stuffing it into her pocket.

When she turned back Kuu had already started toward getting inside, so she quickly double checked to make sure the cotton was in good before trotting behind him. "We could get in side with'th door if it's cracked open, but I don't remember if it was last time or not!" Dove really couldn't recall how she got into the quaint store the first time, it'd been a little while. "Also," she hesitantly began "if we run into danger, can you fight any?"

[Kuu [32]]

After a side glance to Dove, Kuu looked to the doorway as he approached it. It was shut all the way.
"Hmh," he let out, putting his hands on his hips and looking around for something on the ground. After finding something close enough to what his eyes were currently searching for, Kuu removed the bag that he held on his left shoulder. He then briskly walked toward the object on the ground, and pried it out from under the dirt and rock. It was a small screw driver, fairly large in a stitchpunk's perspective, yet just the right size for what Kuu intended to do with it. He hauled the tool onto his right shoulder, then returned to the door. Kuu thrust the tip of the tool as far through the door crack as he could.
"As far as danger goes, I'm sure I can manage for us," he said to finally answer Dove's question. Kuu then gave a hard tug on the tool to try and pry the door open. "Eghhh! It's not like I came here-heghh!-un...prepared. Aughh!"
Each grunting sound he gave, he gave another "man-tug" with little success until a slight budge of the door on the last try. It just went right back into place, though. Kuu looked at the door with a humbled expression then a side glance to Dove again.
"I even brought a weapon in that bag of mine, just in case. Chances are I won't need it myself, but... Uhm... think you could help me out with this?"
The question was asked in the utmost humility and while there was a wincing smile on his face, he wasn't in a laughing mood. As Kuu wasn't exactly looking to impress with his strength, he wasn't looking to fail so easily either.

[Dove]

She waited for his reply with a slight nervousness, following his eyes to the door. They'd probably need to find another way in. Before she knew it Kuu had pulled something up and had it held- goodness it did look heavy! At least to her, that is. "What'er you going to do with that?" she asked before he could even answer her first question about his defensive skills. Oh. Oh! Wasn't that clever! Using that tool to try and pry the door open! A gust of wind caused her feathers to flap and flutter as she finally got an answer to her first question; that was a relief. "Good," she replied "I'm sure you're quiet prepared indeed!" She watched with some amusement as he tried his best to get the door cracked open, to no avail it seemed. She took a breath and looked around, waiting for the other to have some luck so they could get inside already. As much as she enjoyed breezy days, she was getting paranoid that it'd get worse and they'd end up being blown away.

She returned her attention back to him when he finally stopped to address her again, finding it both humorous and depressing that he needed help to pry the thing open. Humorous that he'd need help(he did look oh-so-pitiful), and depressing because she wanted to get the heck in already. "D'okay." she agreed, stepping closer "Just gotta pull on that together yeah? If we can't get this open we could break some glass maybe. ." she suggested, under her breath noting "If we can reach any of the windows that is.[/size]"

[Kuu [32]]

Kuu now was looking straight at Dove, and as she was suggesting other points of entry besides the door he gave an impatient grunt-like sigh.
"Just. Get along side of me, and give as good a tug as you can. On the count of three," he said, almost interrupting her. As soon as she was in position, he started the count.

"One. Two. Three!"

As soon as 'three' came out of his mouth, he gave his all into one firm, manhandling heave while hoping Dove did the same. Once again, the door began to budge ever so slightly. Before it came a few centimeters close to opening, though the (assumed to be) combined strength of Kuu and Dove couldn't make it open farther. The male stitchpunk slipped on his feet a little, and without thinking he supported himself by placing a hand on Dove's shoulder. The hand removed itself as soon as Kuu stabilized himself. He then struck the screwdriver, which was now pretty well wedged into the door. It didn't even need a hand to keep it in position. Kuu blinked a few times as he gazed at it, and a determined look came on his face as he made a side glance to his "companion".
"I say we give it the ol' Finnish try. On 'kolme', then," he said with no regards to whether Dove knew what he was talking about at first as he turned his glance forward at the screwdriver. "...Just pull when I say 'kolme'," he then added to dispel any confusion in his instruction. After bracing himself to give the third go, he began the count in the foreign language.

"Yksi. Kaksi. Kolme!"

Once more, Kuu put all the strength in his copper frame and average brawn into tugging the tool. Within a split second, the door budged to the same length as the last attempt. Millimeter after millimeter, it inched open even further this time. And...

Snap!

The screwdriver broke where it met the handle, letting centripetal force send both tuggers backward. Kuu couldn't find his footing in time at all, and landed right on his back with a groan.
"Augh! Well. That did fail. So, I suppose now we-..."
But just as Kuu recovered and got to his knees, he looked up at the door and saw that it was now open.
"Heh. It's as they say, then. 'Third time's the charm.'" he commented with a satisfied smirk. Then Kuu gave a side glance to Dove again as he stood up straight. With a nod, he extended an arm and open palm pointed at the doorway. "'Ladies first.' (Also as they say.)"

[Dove]

"Got it!" she nodded and dropped her needle, ready to pull. Then taking her self up beside him, and rolling her shoulders with a silly, determined expression. I can do this. .

"One. Two. Three!"
She grunted and pulled back on it the hardest she could, curling her clawed toes into the ground a little. She nearly slipped along with Kuu when he used her for support, but her feet helped keep her steady. When it didn't do any good, she stopped and panted, letting her arms tiredly drop to her sides. This was exhausting already. She let herself rest a few seconds while her acquaintance decided what to do next. When he did, Dove looked at him with a confused look, tilting her head to the side at the word 'kolme'. That was certainly not a word she'd ever heard before.

He didn't tell her what the word meant, but- "Okay, kolme then pull. Let's do this!" she clapped with enthusiasm despite her tiredness. She readied, waited for that funny word to be called, and put on her silly determined look again.

"Yksi. Kaksi. Kolme!"

PULL. They were doing it! It was opening! Oh, but it'd just close again once they stopped, she thought. Then, in a second of confusion, she was thrown back. The metal tool had snapped and sent them flying! Dove flailed and flapped her arms before flopping down in a painful way right next to the other. "Ow. ." she complained, eyes shut and body sore. She began recollecting herself as Kuu stood up and- oh, it had worked! They were pretty darn strong after all, huh? Dove grinned in triumph, grabbed her needle, and got herself back on her feet. Then, she dusted herself off quickly like when she'd fallen earlier. Stupid dirt. She unconsciously stuffed her hand down into her pocket to push down the cotton in case it had begun to come out, and looked up at Kuu.

"Ladies first."
She strode past him with a funny walk, rather impressed with his sudden manners. "Why, thank you, Kuu!" the girl said very cheerily with a nod toward him. Her feathers had a bounce as she walked, and her head was held high. Today was turning out to be pretty good so far! Now, time to explore the inside of the little shop. Where to begin?

[Kuu [32]]

The bright, cheery, cute response caught Kuu off guard a little. He meant to make his smile a frown as soon as she passed him by, yet it just flattened a little. In his head, Kuu was now thinking his comment about the feathers earlier "being too much", might have actually been too harsh. The artistic quality they had was now better seen by him after his defenses were momentarily at rest.

After picking up his bag, Kuu quickly followed to come face to face with the dull black of the toy store's insides. As he came beside Dove, he opened his bag and rummaged through it with one hand. After a moment, he stuck his other hand in to take out an LED light device. With a flip of a switch, the small coin battery that powered the device lit the LED and let a sharp beam of light partially illuminate the dim. There was a particular familiar feeling in the back of Kuu's mind as the beam first shone on a simple plush doll. He didn't want to say anything about it out loud, as he didn't want to worry his current companion. Yet, he couldn't ignore the feeling as he inched the light to the side and shed light on the head of the plush doll. Something was certainly off about it.
"Pretty strange lookin' toy, eh?" said Kuu to Dove as a way of trying to keep light about it while Kuu had some sort of inclination as to why it looked so strange tucked away behind his poker-face. He neared the plush doll casually, and yet if he had a human heart it would be beating in his chest. For there was no doubt in his mind, that the tan fabric around the head of the plushy was different from the rest of the blue and black fabric the plushy was made of.

Perhaps it was coincidence,


he tried to tell himself as he stood just over the plushy. The head was fairly oval shape, and one would be left to guess what animal the whole plushy represented, if any. At least, if one didn't notice what the particular head was at first glance. Kuu lifted up the head with his free hand to look at the face. There were two deep holes serving as eyes supposedly, and a well embroidered mouth underneath.

"Easy now. If it doesn't have that in there, then it's just coincidence." Kuu assured himself, yet to no avail. As what he was hoping wouldn't be there in the left eye socket of the head, was in fact there plain as day as he looked.
"Hey, I think this one came with a special message. Y'know, like a little poem or something for the kids that would get them," stated Kuu to Dove after some quick thinking. "Why don't you come read what this one says? 'Might be cool."
He suggested this for a couple reasons. Kuu wanted to keep Dove at ease in the much more blissful, albeit oblivious nature that would probably be better for her nerves. He knew that he was going to be unnerved completely if he tried reading the "message" himself, which would make it harder to keep the very dark and gruesome truth about this particular plushy from troubling the innocent young minded girl of a stitchpunk.

Gently, he reached into the left eye socket of the plushy and produced from it a folded piece of paper, which Kuu then held out to Dove.
"Go ahead and read it out loud, if you want," he said with a light smile. Kuu held the light at the ready to help Dove see the lettering that was no doubt written and concealed in the folds of the paper.

(((the writing on it reads as follows when opened up. Just highlight the hidden text between the quotation marks)))

"
Every dawn begins with me
At dusk I'll be the first you see
And daybreak couldn't come without
What midday centers all about
Daises grow from me, I'm told
And when I come, I end all cold
But in the sun I won't be found
Yet still, each day I'll be around

~D
"

[Dove]

It was awful dark. So dark that it made her just want to huddle up in her bed back home, and spend the rest of the day alone. She stopped her forward waltzing when the wall of dull shade had hit her, and stared off into it blankly. "Kinda hard to see, I think." she said in a quiet voice, as if not to disturb the peace. Just as she mentioned it, Kuu had flicked on a light to aid them. "Gee, you've got'n answer fer everything!" the girl grinned, her accent coming out a bit more obviously with 'fer'. Why couldn't she be as handy as this guy? Having him around more often would be great for getting past obstacles! She took a few steps and looked about the darkness despite his light, before he spoke up and turned her attention back again.
"I guess so." she tried to agree to his musing on the doll, looking at it. It wasn't a toy she'd ever want, anyways.

She strode over beside him as he'd gotten considerably closer to the plush, which he seemed to be considering something about. Curious, she thought. Maybe he was like her, and had a uncontrolled attachment to things from his past? That doll could have brought up memories maybe, like how feathers do her. Mostly gray ones, but she likes colorful ones best by taste rather than obligation of soul. She waited beside him as he looked it over, checking the face and talking to himself. She tilted her head but didn't say anything, until he finally addressed here once more. "Poem?" she said with interest "I like poems." she took her hands from behind her back as she had them before, putting her needle into her pocket (sharp end up) and stuffed the cotton down a second time, even though she pushed it down just a few minutes earlier. Things fell out too easy and no way was she losing that cotton.

Kuu seemed nervous- she could feel it in the air. Maybe she was just being silly though, because she was indeed very silly! He handed her a piece of paper that he'd taken from the plush thing, implying gently he wanted her to read it for a second time. "Alrighty then!" she said with zeal, unfolding it. Taking a second to glance over the first line, she began and read with a rhythm one normally has with poetry.

"Every dawn begins with me
At dusk I'll be the first you see
And daybreak couldn't come without
What midday centers all about
Daises grow from me, I'm told
And when I come, I end all cold
But in the sun I won't be found
Yet still, each day I'll be around

~D"

Finishing, she cocked a stitched eye brow. "Huh. I like it!" she complimented the poem and looked up at Kuu with a smile. "Dunno who 'D' would be though. Are they a poet? Well of course they are, you can't write poetry and not be a poet." Dove went on, folding the paper back up. though she had a bit of trouble with it.

[Kuu [32]]

"D. Heh," Kuu repeated while putting his hand over the hair on his head. His smile remained, in spite of the air of insecurity that was getting harder to keep hidden. "The poem is a riddle. And the letter 'D' is just the answer to it," explained Kuu to Dove. Then the full memory of a passed case back on Savior territory played out in his head.

~
The memory of a particular cadaver found just outside the southern doors to the Cathedral, more than several months ago; one of his first major cases following the uncovering of the Racketeer spy within the Savior's midst. The cadaver was mostly that of a male stitchpunk. Yet, the part that wasn't, was the cranium of a medium sized Machine skillfully welded onto the former stitchpunk's body in place of the ragdoll's head. There were no signs indicating that there was any intention of breathing life into the body. The Machine's optics were in fact removed, and there was a note to be discovered within the left eye socket. Kuu was given the note to read himself for his expert opinion.
"At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen."
"Think you can figure it out?"
"Well, a big hint is in the answer this sicko left just below the note. This star didn't scream it out for you?"
"It was a riddle about... a star? And the murderer left the answer to it on the same note. What would be the point of that?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. Heh. It could be telling us to consider the stars for a clue on a next victim, or it could just be his calling card. Heck if I should know, based on what I see here... If we ever found this poor gentlestitch's head and did a more complete autopsy, that might tell you more on who this guy is targeting. As far as why, ...I can't quite say right now."
~

The flashback brought a shudder down Kuu's back, and he turned to gaze at the plushy once more under his light. The collected dust could be seen caked on it's surface. It had been sitting there for... months. Perhaps just as long as it had been since that case first came about. How could it have been sitting here all this time and not be noticed? There couldn't have been that much traffic through here, or if there was no one must have thought to take a closer look at the plushy and discover that the head was that of a former stitchpunk.
The fabric around the head was the same on the rest of that cadaver.
"Anyway, I suppose we could... go on now. 'Just some weird old toy, heh heh," Kuu stated as he regained his cool. "I think you were about to show me where those batteries might be found?"
The expression he held was now a much more focused and gentle poker-face, with a calm expecting grin. After a moment he then let his smile fade for just a moment.
"Oh, and, uhm, you think I could have that?" he poked with a point of his finger at the paper he let Dove read to him. "To be honest, I've got quite a thing for riddles. And that one is a doosy. Hahaha!"
As he explained his feigned reasoning, his smile returned in full and he even made a slight shy looking rub of the back of his head with his free hand.

[Dove]

"Oh, silly me!" Dove said with a awkward laugh "Should've known. Don't quiet understand it but okay." she pressed the edge of the paper tightly and looked off to the side. "Not very good at riddles." she then admitted, trying to fit the paper into her pocket with her needle and the bit of cotton fluff. It was tight, but it would do. Looking down at her clawed feet, she swayed to and fro, contemplating exactly how dumb she just made herself sound. Which, she concluded, she made herself exactly as dumb as a rock. Because everyone knew rocks were dumb, you know. They couldn't even be bothered to move on there own, so they were lazy too! For a second she laughed to herself; how funny it would be for a rock to grow legs and start walking away. No, rocks weren't even alive, but you get what I mean.

She looked up at Kuu with her head still tilted down, stroked a feather, and continued rocking on her feet. "Yeah, we should look for your stuff." she nodded and raised her head back up. "The batteries would be. . um. . er. . somewhere." The girl seemed unsure, glancing around. Her gaze turned back to Kuu as she explained "I know they were in packets lined up in here, maybe in the back?" she shrugged. Before Dove could turn and lead the way, he requested of her that she return the riddle to him. "Um." she poked her fingers together and looked off. "I can't keep it?" She sounded just a sad as she looked. Words were as lovely as material things, and even greater when written down. Reluctantly, she took it from her pocket (knocking her needle out in the process, it fell with a 'clink') and sadly extended her arm out to him. This was breaking her heart. Oh my gosh this is so sad. "Nono I can just. . keep it till we go our separate ways." She suddenly changed her mind, withdrawing her arm before he could take it. She was in love with this poem. She was IN LOVE with this poem.

"It can't hurt'chu to wait." she gave a half-smile, hoping her inability to give things up didn't show as easily as she thought it did. " Okay?" She tried to confirm as she reached down and picked her needle back up, paper still in the other hand.

[Kuu [32]]

"I just... want it. Uh," Kuu said uncomfortably with a sigh, after Dove's sad reply to his last question. He felt guilty for the girl's attachment to the poem, yet he still extended an expecting hand. It was vital evidence in an ongoing investigation, and Kuu was going to get hold of it one way or the other. Even if Dove tried to-
"Nono I can just. . keep it till we go our separate ways."
-do something like that. He was kicking himself now, as the important piece of paper was stuffed into Dove's pocket with... what ever the heck else was in it. Kuu could guess, but didn't quite care what else was in the pocket just as long as it wasn't filthy or otherwise capable of staining and contaminating the evidence, whatever it was.
"It can't hurt'chu to wait."
This was another cute remark that took Kuu off guard. The uncomfortable expression turned to a slight smile on his own face.
"Oookay," he then repeated in agreement as he waited for Dove to collect her needle and lit the way for her to continue in guiding the way to where ever those pesky batteries were. Of course, now Kuu's plan on abandoning the girl as soon as he got what he first came for were shot. 'Didn't really matter now though, with this sudden discovery and possible break on the most puzzling and yet disturbing case he had yet investigated. Also, Kuu would eventually have to come back for that ragdoll head and bag that up as evidence too, anyway. "After you," he then said politely, and followed as soon as Dove made her way.