Day 63: T&M Electronics (Noon)

[baniichan]

((From here.))

The moment Barnaby stepped into the store, he caught sight of the store clerk as she looked up from the register. He wondered if she would gaze at them as suspiciously as some of the passersby he'd seen since they'd exited the bus earlier this morning. No doubt that, in a rural town like this, everyone knew exactly who everyone was, and strangers (especially a large crowd of them) stuck out like sore thumbs. In all likelihood, they already heard they were from the nearby institute -- which meant no one would believe them if they tried to tell them they were being held against their will.

As much as Barnaby hated their situation, he had to admit that it was the perfect setup. Granted, someone who was more familiar with the mental health field might question the merits of an isolated facility that separated "patients" from friends and family, but he didn't think the average person would concern themselves with it.

That was why they couldn't afford to rely on anyone else for help. After giving the woman at the front a polite smile, he began to search through the store's shelves. He wasn't sure whether Kotetsu would help or hang back, but Barnaby decided it was better to let the older man do what he wanted while he searched for a stopwatch. The sooner he found what he wanted, the sooner they could get this over with and leave.

Comments

[oyaji]

Kotetsu dutifully followed Barnaby in, trying very hard to dampen down the regret he felt after snapping at him. You would think months of hindsight after their terrible endeavor last December would have taught him when to bite his tongue and allow Bunny to just be a concerned partner. Time had certainly smoothed some of his rougher edges, sure, but it sure allowed other things to fester. This wasn't something that could be fixed simply by being open and honest.

Barnaby, despite trying his hardest (and he would, bless his heart), couldn't fix this and that was what made it so agitating. Every day, it shortened a second or two fewer. He didn't like to talk about it and so when it came up, he just got... irritated.

And now he felt irritated and like an asshole. Great. Well, he would deal with this when he could, apologize to his partner, and move on like he should have done at the beginning. Being responsible was hard; no wonder he had avoided it at all costs.

When the clerk caught his eye, Kotetsu gave her a big smile and a "Hello!" before continuing further into the small store. He had to marvel--Well, more like whistle--at how big some of the televisions were, at least compared to his tiny retro piece. Nothing as big as an apartment wall, say, but still impressive. They didn't seem as sleek, though. Big, but in terms of depth (not screen size), like most of them were still using cathode rays.

"Huh," was about all Kotetsu could ultimately say. "This place is kinda crappy." Maybe it was because it was such a small town, but it seemed like even in Oriental Town he could find something state-of-the-art. Weird.

[baniichan]

Leave it to Kotetsu to insult the shop within earshot of the person working there. Not that it mattered what the townspeople thought of them, but Barnaby didn't particularly want to get on their bad side, either. Someone could charge them extra for supplies if they were irritated enough.

"This isn't Stern Bild, so the selection isn't going to be what you're used to," Barnaby responded without looking back at his partner as he browsed through the store's wares. It was his way of agreeing, but they also had to keep things in perspective. They weren't exactly here to buy a television set, after all.

Unfortunately, the selection for other devices wasn't that great, either. Actually, Barnaby couldn't find any proper watches at all, which was strange enough. All he could dig up was a simple stopwatch that recorded laps, and little else. Eyebrows faintly knitting together, he tried to come up with a reason for it. Were the townspeople actually in on this whole charade as well? Or was it just a very strange coincidence?

Either way, Barnaby didn't like it, but he had little choice but to make his purchase. The whole ordeal was uncomfortable for the both him and Kotetsu, so he needed to make it as quick and painless as possible.

Although the store accepted his cash card without any complaints, he wasn't pleased to learn that he had only 18 dollars left. That amount was normally pocket change to someone with his resources, which was frustrating to think about.

There was little use in complaining about it, though. This detour had been his idea, and it was an item they would probably need later.

"I'm finished," he coolly informed Kotetsu as he waited by the exit.

[oyaji]

Kotetsu stood for a moment, staggered by the brush off, before following him out. He thanked the woman as he passed by the register and jogged out the door. He wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure what. The best course of action, he thought, was just that.

Picking up his pace so he could fall in line beside his partner, the older man suggested, "Yeah, so why don't you let me pay for half of that... We can split it since, you know, we're partners. Fifty-fifty!" Of course, that was easier said than done when working with credit.

"So if you buy anything else, let me pay for it! Whatever you want--Or hey! I can buy you a drink!" The very thought perked the older man right up. He was pretty sure they both had passed one in their search for a watch and man could he use a stiff one right now. They both could. Now, Kotetsu wasn't sure if the nurses would allow them to get drunk, but they hadn't said anything about it, so it seemed fair game to him.