Day 63: Pearl's Beauty Salon (Late Afternoon)

[freewill]

While Castiel had been forced to spend his meal with that strange man, he'd still accomplished what he'd set out to do, which was to eat and replenish his energy. He didn't know if it was simply the power of suggestion, but his head didn't seem to hurt quite as much after eating. He wasn't going to question it too much, as it was the first bit of relief he'd gotten since last night.

After leaving behind his so-called lunch partner, Castiel realized that he had still used only a very small amount of his spending money. That wasn't so surprising, though. The very idea of buying things was foreign to him, and he didn't have a good understanding of what would be a smart purchase. It harked back to what he'd discussed with Lust, which was that non-humans didn't seem to have the same attachment to material items unless they were of some use.

Nonetheless, spending the entire rest of his day inside "Tasty Burger" would be pointless, and so Castiel stepped out into the wind in order to find somewhere to else to explore.

He didn't make it far down the street before he felt like he was going to be knocked over by the gusts, however, and a concerned nurse ended up tracking him down, grabbing him by the shoulders to make sure that he didn't lose his balance.

"Mr. Collins, you should get inside," she urged. "Here, why not check out Pearl's? It's really quite nice."

Before he knew it, Castiel was inside an establishment that, judging from the sign outside, was a beauty salon. From what he understood, this was where humans went to get their hair styled and their nails painted, but he had never seen the point of it. Apparently it was for aesthetic reasons, but that was more or last thing on his mind. It did offer protection from the wind, although part of him wished that he'd been allowed to explore for a little longer.

Instead, he was left to stand near the entrance awkwardly and scan the strange products lining the shelves.

[For Renamon.]

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[diamondstorm]

There had not been much to be found out today, and of the places she had visited, there was little to gain. Despite the chill, the Digimon was resolved to maintain the reminder of the day outside, and at least take in the fresh air, if she was unable to enjoy the freedom that should have come along with it. A passing nurse coming from a nearby building, however, seemed to have another idea.

"Reiko, the weather's too poor for you to stay outside. I just helped one of your friends inside, why don't you--" And that, as said, was that. The nurse continued to chatter as she herded Renamon through the door, and the Digimon was left only to wonder who still counted as a friend in this place with the amount of people that left on a daily basis.

The question was soon answered in a way the Digimon couldn't complain about. To the angel intently staring at the shelves, Renamon stepped closer. "Castiel."

[freewill]

As someone stepped over and spoke his name, Castiel turned away from the displays, taking in Renamon's familiar features. He found himself relaxing slightly at the sight of her, if only because she was much easier to understand than this place they had been forced into. His guess was that she had also been urged here, if the nurse nearby was anything to judge by.

She wasn't even in her normal form, after all. These beauty methods would mean nothing to her. Castiel nodded to her in greeting, wondering what they could do beyond lingering near the front part of the store.

"How have you been?" he asked, since the last thing they needed to dwell on was their surroundings. There were more important things to discuss. "Have you uncovered anything of use since our last talk?"

[diamondstorm]

The Digimon gave the shelves a wary look, then returned her attentions to the angel. "I'm fine," she answered perfunctorily, before considering what had happened since the last time they had spoken. For himself, Castiel seemed fine, and she wasn't prone to asking after others unless there seemed a need. There was always the curiosity of the one he called a demon, but that was, again, likely none of her business.

So what had happened? "A few things, but nothing detailed. I've been further to the basement, with nothing to speak of yet. I'll likely go down again in order to open the next door. As well, a few and I have come to this town a few things at night, so if there are any supplies you wish to procure, let me know, and I can either try to gain it for you, or you could join me one night."

Then, there was, of course, what Daemon had said. "...Another thing is that I let others know what you experienced the night the military left. One of the people I know encountered Lydia and Harrington after they left you--fought with them, then saw them off to join the people on the outside. I thought it was something to note."

[freewill]

The basement again. It seemed that many patients were interested in searching that avenue. It hadn't grab Castiel's attention so far, but having someone else he knew who was investigating it meant that he would be able to keep an eye on it without having to devote the time just yet.

What interested him more was when Renamon mentioned Doyleton, as that was somewhere he'd been attempting to get to during his nights. "You've made it here? How?" he asked, his words coming out sharply mainly due to urgency. Hopefully Renamon wouldn't take it the wrong way -- sometimes Castiel forgot that most of the patients here weren't used to his straightforward way of things.

And as it turned out, she had even more information for him: a confirmation that the two military traitors had made their escape successfully. Castiel wondered how they had done it, and why the methods hadn't been shared with them at the time. "I see. Thank you for informing me," he replied with a nod.

[damned_town]

Pearl had been occupied with a phone call when a few customers wandered into the shop. Normally she was able to count on her part-timer to greet and take care of the guests, but minutes had passed and the girl made no move from her place behind the counter. Pearl knew how nervous Janice got around the patients that sometimes visited on weekends, and she didn't want to push the girl into doing something she was uncomfortable with.

So once her little conversation was over, Pearl made her way over to greet the customers herself. Heaven knew the poor dears could use a friendly smile, what with everything they were going through.

"Anything I can help you with?" she asked, approaching the two with a broad smile. She looked from the man to the younger woman, trying to assess their possible beauty needs. "A manicure, perhaps? If you like the polish we use, I can even give you a special discount on a bottle to take home!" She winked, as if that were an offer she wouldn't have made for anyone else.

[diamondstorm]

Another one who didn't know. She couldn't remember if Castiel had been here that night. The days in which she met others were beginning to blur. A flaw she couldn't afford. "After the night the doors opened to other places, some gained rings--"

And there was where the Digimon stopped, prompted to silence by the arrival of a human from town. The smile and timing was almost suspicious, and the offer of services that Renamon only had a vague knowledge of gave a wariness. "...No, thank you." A beat, then, as an afterthought. "We were prompted to come in here. Should we leave if we aren't customers?"

[freewill]

The night the doors opened to other places, Renamon said. That sounded intriguing, and Castiel would have liked to hear more, but the woman who was apparently in charge of this shop clearly had other ideas.

It made sense for someone who was selling a product to come and offer their services, but that didn't mean Castiel had any idea of how to handle this situation. It was frustrating, seeing how neither of them had wanted to enter this particular store in the first place. Luckily, Renamon spoke up first, giving him a moment to gather his thoughts and try to come up with the proper words.

"We were... only looking around," he said awkwardly. There was a term for that, when you were looking at wares without any intention of buying, but the phrase wasn't coming to mind now.

[damned_town]

"Oh, now don't you worry about that, dearie," Pearl quickly reassured the young woman, "You're always welcome here at Pearl's. As the owner, I guarantee it." The last thing she wanted was for anyone to feel unwelcome under her own roof.

Still, she had to wonder if they weren't just being shy. Not all of the townsfolk were so friendly to the institute patients, she suspected. "Are you sure I can't interest you in a manicure? I'd hate to see those coupons of yours go to waste." At least, she assumed the hospital was still giving those out. But really, who could resist a free manicure?

"And don't go getting shy just because you're a mister, mister," she added, pointing a finger at the man she was addressing. "I'll have you know my treatments are popular among gentlemen, too!"