Day 56: Bill's Hardware (early afternoon)

[yin_yang_fox]

The day progressed, and still the Digimon had maintained a casual air despite herself, moving around the town to take note of the going-ons instead of see to something herself. The credit given was still a question, but the more realistic side of her demanded that she purchase something, and test the boundaries that were set for them. Thought

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[gald_digger]

[from here]

When Anise entered the store, her ice cream was just about done, so she stopped to finish eating the cone before going ahead. Once it was done, she threw the paper cone-holder in a garbage can by the entrance door, then nodded to Edgeworth to show that she was ready.

"Where should we start...?" Anise mused as she looked at the signs hanging over each of the aisles. Tools, adhesives, paint... "Oh! Camping and outdoor! Let's try there." That had to include things like survival tools, right? Just what they needed. Without waiting for his opinion, Anise started in that direction, though she walked slowly enough for them to start talking while they walked.

"So, um... how long have you been at the institute?" she asked. She guessed it couldn't have been long, but knowing the specific time could help Anise understand just how much this guy still needed to know.

[the_prosecutor]

Baffled as Edgeworth was as to Anise's selection in venue, he pressed on regardless, his expression mirroring his slight trepidation at being guided around by a girl who appeared to be nearly half his age. Items from a hardware store didn't seem particularly helpful for anyone her age, nor did he think that he could make use of them at the institute

[gald_digger]

"Whoa! That recently!?" Anise cried in surprise when Edgeworth answered her question. It wasn't the first time Anise heard of someone arriving on the field trip day, but she still had to sympathize over how confusing it had to be. The military complicated things even further, too. "I guess there's a lot you don't know then, huh?"

Letting that question linger for a moment, Anise's attention was grabbed by a row of binoculars on a nearby shelf. Her face lighting up, she picked one up and started looking it over, thinking about the possible uses it could have. It wasn't long, however, until her attention returned to the man with her, though she kept the item in her hands, occasionally glancing back to it.

"By dispute, you mean like... someone says they saw you here before, and you don't remember it? Something like that?" It had happened enough times with Anise's friends that it wouldn't be a surprise if it happened to someone else, too. Still, it was probably a big surprise for Edgeworth.

[the_prosecutor]

Once again, Edgeworth found himself pausing before answering, his sheer surprise at just how much Anise seemed to know (and how much she could piece together) leaving him stumbling mentally as he attempted to keep up with her. It seemed that his penchant for slowing down the conversation in the hopes of grasping for details was only hindering him at this point - and once he realized that, he continued as though nothing of interest had occurred to him

[gald_digger]

"... Yeah," Anise answered, nodding slowly. Her smile had faded a bit, and she now looked to the man with a more sober expression. "It happened to some friends of mine, too. Sometimes even more than once." Luke came to mind immediately. Would he turn up a fourth time some day, with his memory gone again? It sounded ridiculous, but Anise knew it was very possible

[the_prosecutor]

Though Edgeworth had a few comments related to Anise's explanation, he ultimately let them go - her subject change and her expression had said volumes about the subject that he felt would be inappropriate to touch on - and he lifted his hand from the hammer after she finished, his gaze moving from her and back to the tools in front of them.

"...to be frank, I don't know what has the potential to be useful," he said, turning his attention to the tent stakes and the mallets of various sizes. "I've heard...rumors, of course, of the nature of the institute, especially at night, however..." He motioned to the items in front of them. "I can't say that I know what would sort of tools would provide the best functionality for the supposed 'dangers ahead'."

The last of his words were laced with a fair amount of incredulity, though it was mostly to make light of the situation - even Edgeworth couldn't deny that something devastating went on during night shift, even if he wasn't enlightened about the particulars.

[gald_digger]

Oh - that was right. Anise supposed she should explain that kind of stuff, too

[the_prosecutor]

Right, well, all of that made sense. Edgeworth wasn't exactly sure what sort of weapon he could find at the institute (or worse than that, one he was capable of wielding), but it was certainly an avenue worth exploring. It wouldn't do to be caught without some form of protection, though the idea that he wouldn't be able to buy something for it here was rather troubling.

"The institute is a hospital of sorts - wouldn't there be medical supplies there as well?" he asked as he looked over the flashlights Anise had shown him. The temptation to acquire one with a large range of light coverage occurred to him, but it seemed best to see just how effective the flashlight waiting at the institute would be for him. After all, he didn't even know how much money he had...which raised another question.

Slipping his hand inside the pocket of his jacket, Edgeworth began to fiddle with his credit card again. Just how much had they provided him with?

[gald_digger]

Anise nodded and promptly answered without missing a beat. "Yep! I found a lot of those in a storage room on the second floor. It's on the east side - the opposite side of the building from the patient blocks." It wasn't that long ago that Anise traveled there with Ilia, so she still remembered the location clearly.

It was kind of neat to see all the different kinds of flashlights, but one in particular caught Anise's eye. She didn't even recognize it as a flashlight until she read the label on the package. Keychain Flashlight...? She picked one up and turned it over, though she couldn't examine it very well through the bulky plastic packaging

[the_prosecutor]

Edgeworth made a mental note to investigate the building for first aid supplies; after all, it didn't make sense to purchase them if he could procure them on his own...which once again lead to the thought of how he would handle the money he did have. Saving was a good idea, but Edgeworth also didn't know how often he would have the opportunity to spend it. Seemingly oblivious to Anise's interest in the flashlight, he pulled the card from his pocket, looking at it front and back before he returned his gaze to the young girl in front of him.

"Anise," he said to garner her attention, his gaze flickering from the flashlight in her hand for a brief moment before returning to her face. "How much money have they provided us with, exactly?"

[gald_digger]

Deciding to purchase the flashlight along with the binoculars, Anise hugged both items to her chest. She didn't really need to look at them anymore - not until she was free to rip open their packages and play around with them. Er, work with them. Work. This was serious.

Edgeworth's next question reminded her that she might have heard something about their allowances on the intercom, but she didn't remember exactly what was said. "I think it depends on our ranks, and that depends on seniority." How that was measured, exactly, she wasn't sure, but it definitely seemed to be a major factor. "I got 25 dollars! I bet you got chump change, huh?" Poor guy. He wouldn't even be able to buy a cute little flashlight like hers!

[the_prosecutor]

Frowning, Edgeworth inspected the card for a moment longer before pocketing it once again. "Right, well...I suppose that I can hold onto it for the time being, then," he said, his gaze flickering down to the price tag on the flashlight Anise was holding. It was clear that she had been at the institute for a long time, and for them to only provide her with twenty-five dollars...that didn't say much for what they might have given him. It was best to save it, he surmised.

The binoculars in Anise's hands seemed to finally call a contradiction into question in Edgeworth's mind, and he instantly looked back at Anise, his brow tensing in thought. "...incidentally, did you say that you would be using those," he paused to motion at the binoculars, "while you explored outside the institute? Why not simply just escape if you can go outside?"

[gald_digger]

"Mm-hm!" Anise confirmed with a nod. Edgeworth's question made sense, though. When Anise was still new, she always thought that all it would take to escape from the institute was getting away from the building itself... but the reality of the matter wasn't so simple.

"If I could do that, I would have already. But... when it gets late into the night, I always end up blacking out and waking up back in my room. I don't know how they do it, but it happens every time, and it doesn't matter how far I get." The whole blacking-out-at-the-end-of-night thing was hard to get used to in the first place, but it was pretty bizarre how it still happened to people who weren't anywhere near the building. Then again, it seemed like the institute's sphere of influence was pretty huge...