Day 42, Noon: The Twin Pine Restaurant

[thatdamnedninja.livejournal.com]

Yuffie took the long way around, practically making it a tour of the entire town. She collared--not literally, since the nurses would've thrown fits--a few random citizens along the way, asked as many inconspicuous sounding questions as possible, and then moved on. Wash, rinse, repeat. Sneaking a few covert glimpses into stores and windows confirmed what she'd been talking about with Sam earlier; no dates, no explicitly mentioned locations outside of the town itself… how weird was that? Even the most insular of towns back on Gaia would've coughed up some kind of connection with the outside world.

It was almost like a living ghost town.

Well, maybe she was just thinking too hard. Maybe she was throwing shuriken too hard at the wrong target. Back home, she had a concrete frame of reference. Here, she couldn't take anything for granted; she had no local or international knowledge whatsoever. All she could try to do was get a profile of the immediate area and build it up and out from there. Theories were already budding, popping up like weeds hit by Quadra-Haste, but without facts to back them up, theories were like sand in a desert.

Not that she didn't want to share those theories, sand or not. She did. A lot.

Once she'd developed a viable mental map of the place (as viable as she was gonna get given the time constraints), Yuffie swung back around and jogged back to North Street. From there, she took the alley; a quick right turn; slow to a trot, and there. Her cheeks were tinged pink from the cold winter air, and they stung as she poked her head in through the door.

Okay, so maybe she was a little early after all. That was cool. Very cool. She had some time to set things up, to pretend that she wasn't hideously under prepared for this lunch date. Stepping into the warmth, Yuffie surreptitiously cased the place out as she headed to a table. Homey, in a way that almost reminded her of some of the up-and-coming rural towns. Automatically seeking out one of the more strategic seats--one with a good view of the rest of the restaurant, and one that didn't leave her totally vulnerable to mutant chairs or murderous sandwiches--she made herself comfortable, whipped out a few crumpled pieces of paper and a pen, and began to jot down her findings.

[Closed to Edgeworth.]

Comments

[secret-orchard.livejournal.com]

"I wish the bookstore had more interesting books," he said. After just a moment, he offered TK the rest of his meat. He'd eaten his fill. Armand sipped somewhat nervously at the chocolate.

[loyal-soldier.livejournal.com]

622 took the offered food, managing a "Thank you" before starting in on the meat. "Some of the shops look like they might have useful tools in them, but they'd need to be stolen, and I've never done anything like that before."

[secret-orchard.livejournal.com]

"I haven't either, not exactly. Do you think we should try?" He didn't think they'd get in trouble with the law, being considered mental patients. Knowing his own supposed history, though, Armand wasn't positive that he'd not get into trouble. Trouble with the staff could be annoying enough.

[loyal-soldier.livejournal.com]

"I don't know. If there's a good chance, then possibly, but I'm not sure how well I'd actually do at this." He wasn't really trained to be stealthy, after all, otherwise he wouldn't have been given bright white armor.

[secret-orchard.livejournal.com]

"I know a few things about stealth, but not theft." Armand pursed his lips as he thought. "How angry do you think the staff would be with us if we were caught? The risk may be worth it."

[loyal-soldier.livejournal.com]

"Well, I at least know how to act innocent. Maybe if they think we didn't mean to, they won't get angry. And if they ask any questions, I'll try to see if I can get them directed towards me." If nothing else, he could definitely do a good innocent face.

[secret-orchard.livejournal.com]

Armand lowered his voice and drained the last of his hot chocolate. "What store did you think we should try? We aren't required to do this..."

[loyal-soldier.livejournal.com]

"I'm not sure. Maybe the hardware store? There might be some useful basic equipment there." and truthfully, he didn't have the faintest idea what was in any of the shops, but 'hardware' was a word he could at least recognize, and didn't sound so useless as a 'Bath and Beauty' shop.

[secret-orchard.livejournal.com]

"We could look anyway," Armand said eventually. He still didn't know if he'd be capable of stealing, but if they went and saw what the store was like, it could help them decide. "Are we done here?"

[loyal-soldier.livejournal.com]

622 looked down at his plate, completely picked clean, then looked back up at his friend "I'd say so."

[secret-orchard.livejournal.com]

Armand suddenly grinned and jumped to his feet. He pulled his coat free from the back of his chair and then fished out and left the coupon as payment. "Then let's go!"