Day 63: Crossroad's Bar (Late Afternoon)

[baniichan]

Aside from Kotetsu's briefly negative response outside of the electronics store, the rest of the day passed without incident. They had decided to take turns in deciding where to visit next, and, predictably, Kotetsu had chosen the places Barnaby wouldn't have gone by himself. A trip to the toy store allowed the older man to find a cheap mask to replace the one he normally wore for his Hero work, though Barnaby couldn't say how effective it would be. This wasn't Stern Bild, where someone could easily assume he was a cosplayer or Wild Tiger wannabe.

On the other hand, Barnaby didn't have an identity to protect, nor was he under any obligation to continue acting as a Hero in an official capacity, so he didn't say much on the subject. If Kotetsu wanted to operate under aliases and masks, then that was his right.

Once they'd taken care of that, Barnaby hadn't wasted any time in finding a first aid kit. Although he still didn't think he had a solid idea of what they were up against, he figured it was better than having nothing at all in the event that either of them (or an innocent bystander) were injured. Of course, that meant he didn't have much money left on his card, but that didn't matter so much now that it was Kotetsu's turn to pick their final destination for the day.

Thankfully, it wasn't far from the hardware store. The strong, biting gusts of wind made it difficult to walk much further, but Kotetsu was perfectly happy to duck inside the place just down the street. It didn't take Barnaby long to figure out why -- he'd been talking about getting a drink for awhile now, and he still seemed eager to buy something for his partner.

Brushing some of his wind-blown hair from his face, Barnaby did his best to look presentable and warm up while he let Kotetsu decided where they ought to sit.

Comments

[oyaji]

"Ahh, don't worry!" Kotetsu offered, waiting behind Barnaby as he continued to comb through his curly, wind-swept hair. "It looks fine." His hand came up to pat the blond on the shoulder for a brief moment before wandering further into the quaint bar. It was rather old school and pretty dangerous, what with all the impulsive gambling you could get up to.

He settled for sitting at the bar. It was easier to actually receive service since the bartender couldn't ignore them--Well, he could actually. It was his bar, after all. Still, it was the better option and who knew! Maybe his exuberant and infectious charisma would seduce the bartender into giving them a free drink. It could happen! The man looked a bit rough, but Kotetsu knew even the biggest bears could be teddy bears.

So, taking a seat at the bar, the former Hero put on his best smile and rested his weight on the bar counter. "Hey, man! I'll take uhhh... Ehhh... What've you got imported?"

"Guinness, Heineken, and NewCastle." His words were short and gruff. It seemed to suit him well, Kotetsu thought. Unfortunately, the selection was rather poor.

"Alright, get me a Heineken and uhh..." What was he going to get for Barnaby? "I need something classy for my friend. You know, real fancy and everything." The bartender stared at him for a moment before he turned to put something--No doubt classy and fancy--together for him. Kotetsu, then, waited for Barnaby.

[baniichan]

There was a reason he didn't consult Kotetsu for hair advice, which was why he didn't put too much stock in his assurances that his curls looked okay. Still, there was only so much Barnaby could do with just his hands, and he had to eventually admit defeat and settle down beside his partner at the bar.

A place like this didn't seem like it would have a large selection (at the very least, he doubted they carried his favorite rosé wine), but Kotetsu wasn't deterred. Barnaby had no idea what "classy and fancy" entailed in a town like this. Since he wasn't the one paying for it, though, it didn't matter much to him.

"It wasn't necessary for you to order anything for me, you know," he quietly pointed out.

[oyaji]

"Yeah, I know," Kotetsu said pleasantly as he watched the bartender mix up some concoction for his partner. "But I wanted to." It was the least he could do for Barnaby, especially now. Every time he looked at Barnaby, he was looking at a man incomplete. His struggles had been reset like it was all just some game.

There wasn't much Kotetsu could control in this situation (which ate him up more than his smiling face would ever admit), but he could certainly be as compassionate and supportive as humanly possible for Barnaby. He owed him that and so much more. But for now, though, all he could offer was a drink. It was a start.

When it came, Kotetsu's triumphant smile slipped momentarily. It was set in front of them, bright pink in a martini glass, and he gently slid the cocktail over to his partner. "Well, it certainly's fancy..."

[baniichan]

"Thank you," he murmured as he reached for the dainty glass. It wasn't the sort of thing he would have ordered for himself, but he didn't have any complaints, either.

Once Kotetsu received his beer, Barnaby took a sip from his drink. Although the sweet flavor masked some of the alcohol's bite, he could still taste some of it. As relaxing as this may have been under different circumstances, however, Barnaby couldn't bring himself to completely unwind.

After lapsing into silence for a moment, he bowed his head, and his eyes faintly narrowed. "This is all so frustrating."

[oyaji]

"Yeah, tell me about it. They don't even carry Japanese beer here." After he had said it, Kotetsu realized Barnaby wasn't even talking about his drink. "Right. No, it is," he amended quickly. Especially when the older man was pretty sure he knew who was behind this and he couldn't get any support from his partner. Not that it was his fault--Barnaby had yet again been molested--but even if Kotetsu told him, the absurdity of the whole thing... He wondered if he could simply blame it on Ouroboros in general.

"But we've been in tight spots before."

[baniichan]

He arched an eyebrow at Kotetsu's initial quip, but was inwardly relieved to see that he wasn't just trying to avoid the subject. While Barnaby understood that no one enjoyed talking about unpleasant things, tiptoeing around those sorts of subjects didn't do them any favors.

"We have." Barnaby's gaze drifted back toward his drink, the corners of his mouth tugging into a faint frown. "But nothing like this."

They'd always had the support of Apollon Media, their sponsors, and Hero TV while carrying out their Hero work. While that certainly didn't make their job easy, it did mean they had a large pool of resources available to them when things got rough. But here? Barnaby had almost nothing.

In some ways, Kotetsu was the only thing here tying him down to reality. Barnaby wasn't about to forget that anytime soon.

"There's something I'd like to know, though," he added, his tone still just as quiet and calm as before. "Before we arrived here -- was I still working as a Hero, or did I end up retiring as well?"

[oyaji]

Kotetsu didn't bother correcting him about how eerily similar this was to their last encounter with Ouroboros. He took a long swallow of his beer and set it back down on the bar counter, rubbing the bottle clean of its condensation with his fingers. There would be time later to dredge up the past and re-open wounds--Or in this case, carve new ones.

When the questions eventually came, Kotetsu was surprised that Barnaby was curious about his career first and foremost. He supposed it made sense, and it was the least publicly sensitive question he could ask right now in a room of strangers.

"You retired with me," he said plainly, staring down at the bottle in his hand.

[baniichan]

With everything that happened over the past several days, Barnaby had been fully prepared to hear an answer like that. After all, he had been on the verge of quitting after his disastrous discussion with Kriem. Giving up both his advantageous position as a Hero and the only way to properly repay Mr. Maverick wasn't a decision that needed to be made lightly. But Barnaby knew it would have been irresponsible of him to continue if his mind was deteriorating at such an alarming rate.

He had indeed been prepared for it, but the pill of failure and defeat was still difficult to swallow. It sank into the pit of his stomach like a cold and heavy stone, until there was nothing -- just the empty realization that everything he had done to avenge his parents had been futile, his life's work meaningless. On top of that, he wouldn't -- no, couldn't be at peace as long as he thought his parents' murderer was still at large.

Barnaby wanted nothing more than to put that part of his life behind him, but it seemed the fire that had set his life ablaze that Christmas Eve would never stop tormenting him.

"I see." He sounded remarkably composed. Barnaby could scarcely believe it was his own voice. "Given my condition, I suppose I had no choice."

It had been his dream to make Hero TV bigger and more exciting. But in the end a Hero with a broken memory would only be a hazard to himself and those around him. Even Barnaby could clearly see that.

[oyaji]

"What--?" Kotetsu put down his beer before he spilled any of it. He should have known Barnaby would take his retirement the wrong way. He should have phrased it a bit more delicately, but it all came with so many strings attached he knew he would trip over them all. Now his partner felt unfulfilled and unsuccessful--Not as a celebrity, but as a man seeking answers. Crap.

Why did this all have to come out right now? There was only so much refereeing he could do before he made this whole predicament worse. "No, no... It wasn't like that, trust me. You had better reasons than just your 'condition' or whatever you wanna call it. It's--I can't really talk about it, you know, here." The bartender looked like he could care less about conspiracy theories concocted by two mental patients, but Ouroboros was so thoroughly saturating, you could never be too careful. "Just--Believe me, okay?" They would talk about it later. They would have to; all of these vague answers were going to get him in trouble in the long run.

Taking another drink of his beer, the older man snorted, thinking about Barnaby's reaction. "Like I'd let you retire in shame or something... C'mon..."

[baniichan]

Better reasons? Like what? Even when he'd been naive enough to believe he'd solved the mystery behind his parents' deaths, Barnaby was more than happy with continuing his work as a Hero and Kotetsu's partner.

Granted, the latter was no longer possible now that Kotetsu had decided to go back home for good. It made Barnaby's heart ache even if he knew there was nothing either of them could do to stop Kotetsu's waning powers. But he'd still been committed to helping Mr. Maverick achieve his goal of a society more accepting of NEXT. He owed everything to that man for not only taking him in when he'd had no family left in this world, but also for using his influence to help him land a rare position with Hero TV in the first place.

Even if Kotetsu was reluctant to explain everything in public, though, he seemed adamant that there was more to the situation than what Barnaby realized.

"You're right," he spoke before taking a small sip of his drink. "You're far too meddlesome to allow something like that." There was no bite behind his words, just the comfortable assurance that his partner had his back.

Still, although he recognized Kotetsu was trying to cheer him up, it was hard for Barnaby not to feel bothered by how little he knew.

"It must be troublesome for you, though," he carefully continued as he set his drink down onto the counter again. "Having to explain things I should already know, I mean. I'm sorry."

He'd gotten the impression that he'd already been aware of the details behind Kotetu's retirement before now, and yet his partner had still been saddled with the task of opening those wounds a second time. Although Barnaby wasn't sure what he could have done to prevent it, he still felt responsible.

[oyaji]

Kotetsu laughed. "Exactly," he echoed his partner's sentiments. Unfortunately, the humor died once Barnaby began to backtrack and apologize. The mouthful of beer suddenly tasted all too sour for his taste. He set the bottle back on the table and swallowed with a wince.

"Why the hell are you apologizing, man?" Kotetsu wasn't going to have any more of this. He had told Barnaby yesterday that he didn't need to apologize. Well, it was just human habit, common courtesy. "It's not like you wanted to--" The older man stuttered briefly. It wouldn't really do to reveal all in a crappy podunk bar with an unsympathetic bartender as witness. "--to forget. Really, it's nothing--Besides, you'd do the same for me..."

He wanted desperately to change the subject. His amber eyes locked on the young man's cocktail. "How's your drink, by the way?" It was a pretty obvious ploy, but when was he ever tactful?

[baniichan]

Gazing at his drink as though lost in its deep, pink color, Barnaby listened to his partner's words.

Although Kotetsu made a valid point by reminding Barnaby that he would have done the same thing for him, he still hated feeling so inadequate and so lost. A million questions pressed against his mind, seemingly sapping him of some of the energy he'd been struggling to hold onto since yesterday. They needed to talk, but he could understand Kotetsu's reluctance to do so in front of people they didn't know. The vivid memory of their falling out at the skating rink reminded him why timing mattered. At the same time, though, putting things off until the last possible moment had been a large contributing factor to that awful argument.

Kotetsu's awkward change of subject only seemed to emphasize that point. Like it or not, Barnaby knew he very well might have to become more forceful if he wanted Kotetsu to explain anything to him. But now wasn't the time to do that, and there was still a chance that Kotetsu would come to him on his own terms -- and, quite honestly, that was what Barnaby preferred.

He looked up from his drink, his expression growing more neutral to mask how vulnerable he felt right then. "It's fine," he murmured. "Not my favorite, but it's not bad, either." Barnaby picked up the glass and took a longer sip this time.

It occurred to him that most people would have asked about Kotetsu's beer as a nicety, but he generally couldn't stand that kind of small talk, especially for small talk's sake.

"You know, all of this would be much harder if you weren't here," he suddenly added in the same soft tone as before, turning to look Kotetsu in the eye. Barnaby realized it was a throwback to what he'd said before, when he'd foolishly told the man that life would actually be easier without him. But he meant every word right now. "I don't think I would have known what to do with myself."

[oyaji]

Kotetsu had finished his and was playing with empty beer bottle on the counter, spinning it gently and walking it against the lacquered wood like a restless child. Barnaby's last comment put a stop to that, though. In fact, he felt his face burn and he really hoped it hadn't been the beer because that would have been more than a little embarrassing at his age.

He opened his mouth, about to wave it off since they both knew he was the brains of this operation, but thought better of it. Barnaby didn't say flippant things; it wasn't in that vast vocabulary of his. Shrugging it off and telling him he was being dramatic or nice was just another slap to his face and the blond had had enough of those. Out of the two of them, Kotetsu still believed his partner was probably perceptive enough to figure a way out given enough time, though.

The problem was that he had no recollection of who put him here. Sure, he could blame Ouroboros, but that didn't ultimately mean anything. Without his memory, he was open and vulnerable to relapse or whatever hell this latest episode came from. Barnaby did need him and it was very flattering. Yeah, he could actually feel his ego inflating. It was the best feeling ever. But no! He had to accept this compliment gracefully!

"Ah, well..." For once, the former Hero was at a loss for words, even bad words. Instead, he took his empty beer bottle and clinked the neck against the wide lip of Barnaby's glass. "Thanks." Pretty damn adult of him he had to say. Barnaby was going to be all surprised and impressed, which would totally double his usefulness and thus his ego. Ah yep, now there was nothing to do but sit back and rake in the gold.

[baniichan]

If Barnaby was surprised or impressed, he certainly didn't show it. Instead, he calmly watched as Kotetsu clinked his beer bottle against the glass, more at ease about the man's seemingly quiet acceptance of what he'd said than anything else. He realized that, with the loss of his powers and his unwanted retirement, Kotetsu likely felt out of sorts and insecure about his worth as a man and his place in their partnership. The harsh reaction outside of the electronics store said as much.

Barnaby wanted him to know that, regardless of whether he had five minutes or ten seconds of Hundred Power at his disposal, the emotional support and stability Kotetsu's mere presence offered was of more value to him than anything else. After practically forcing that stopwatch onto him despite his misgivings, he felt like he owed him at least that much.

"There's no need for thanks," he intoned, not quite looking at the man beside him. Each word was slow, soft and deliberate. "It's the truth. When I first woke up in that bed, I honestly thought I belonged here. Finding you helped bring me back to my senses." Granted, he'd been angry with Kotetsu at the time, but they both knew that well enough without him saying it out loud.