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Floating Sea
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Your scattered thoughts eventually weave together into a list of items you could afford. Unfortunately, while each fell within your $3.09 cap, you couldn’t say for sure that they all added up. The variably priced goods would be the deciding point on how much you would be getting. Still, it will still do you well to lock down prices on everything you had an interest in for future reference.
Alright, time to go make some purchases. You just have to... stand up and walk over... Ugggghhhhhhhhh.
Honestly, making it this far on a Sprained Leg and while suffering from severe Vertigo should have earned you a break, but there just kept being more and more to do. Yes, it’s more efficient to get this done now than it would be to go to Clive’s house, rest up, and then come back. It certainly isn’t enjoyable however.
Adding onto that: Your Voice still hurts, and you haven’t given it a significant break to recover yet. Even on your mostly silent walk over, you struck up conversation to ward off the awkwardness. You’re going to do permanent damage to your vocal cords if you don’t give them a rest.
Still, your only partner at the moment is Clive, The Antisocialite. Could you really leave the conversation to him? This was somebody he seemed to know. In fact, he clearly knows more about Rebecca than you do. Perhaps you could let him take the lead, going off a simple list prepared by you.
Albert: “Do you have a pencil and notepad?”
Clive: “Yes.”
He digs around his pockets, before handing you the requested implements. You take them, and hand them back shortly after filling a page out with your requests.
Albert: “My throat hurts. Talk for me?”
Clive: “...Yeah. I’ll handle it.”
As he reads through the list, he squints at something.
Clive: “Why are you trying to buy Food from her?”
Albert: “...Is there a problem with that?”
Clive: “...No. Guess not.”
He pulls out the piece of paper he was glancing at earlier, and starts writing something down on it. You don’t know what, and you’re too tired to ask. As the sun’s warm rays blanket you, you decide to flip onto your back and enjoy however long this break would be.
Slowly... You begin to drift……
‘Bec: “D@%#, you’re hanging out with this dweeb now? My opinion of you is dropping Clive.”
Clive: “...I still have money.”
‘Bec: “Yeah, that puts you at the top of the list still, but man. You’re really trying to let John outrank you.”
...No, it’s really your fault for actually thinking you’d get to rest.
It’s clear even before you’ve opened your eyes that Clive decided to drag Rebecca over, likely to spare him from having to relay all of her answers to you later. Normally, this would be appreciated. At the moment however, it left you groggy and irritated.
Oh well, there would be time for rejuvenation soon enough. Plus, as long as you kept your interjections limited, your voice would have a chance to recover at least.
‘Bec: “What the h3!$ happened to him? He get hit by a truck or something?”
Clive: “...Here.”
Ignoring the question completely, he pulls out his own list from before and hands it to her, a few bills hidden below it. She takes them, quickly stuffing the cash in her pocket as she reads over the page.
‘Bec: “Yeah yeah, same as usual- wait, hold up.”
‘Bec: “What’s up with these? Razzles, 100 Grand Bars, Cherry Sours… What’s with the Sweets? You never buy candy.”
Clive: “...It isn’t for me.”
‘Bec: “Ohhhh, so egghead’s got a sweet tooth. I hear ya.”
You absolutely did not request any candy. And what even is that list, what is he ordering? Thankfully, Clive seems to pick up on your curiosity when he glances back at you.
Clive: “...’Bec handles my grocery shopping. It’s less suspicious than if I do it.”
‘Bec: “Oh, so he knows about... y’know…”
Clive: “Yeah.”
‘Bec: “Huh. Whatever, if it’s not his, then that doesn’t answer my question. What’s with the candy?”
Clive: “...It’s... for Rodney. If he comes back.”
‘Bec: “...Dude…”
For the first time since you’ve met her earlier today, the aggression surrounding her drops, being replaced by a more sad expression.
‘Bec: “Your brother graduated, Clive. Kids don’t come back from that.”
‘Bec: “It won’t be forever, you’re almost thirteen, right? You’ll see him again soon. But y’know... don’t kid yourself.”
Clive: “...”
‘Bec: “...Yeah, whatever. Doesn’t f@$#ing matter what I say. You’re just gonna keep hoping for the impossible no matter what, won’t you?”
...Even now, does he still doubt that Rodney actually graduated? Or is he just not ready to accept the truth?
She frustratedly mutters something to herself, and then tells her to go on. Perhaps too quickly, as if trying to escape the topic of Rodney’s graduation, he jumps into one of the bigger questions.
Clive: “Do you have any gossip about Nicolas Neddy’s recent Assault?”
‘Bec: “Maybe. You got Fifty Cents?”
He hands over the requisite amount.
‘Bec: “Then yeah, I do. Keep your ears open, I’m only gonna tell you once.”
You scoot closer, not wanting to miss a word from your Tinnitus acting up. This is the moment of truth. What can she tell you about your father?
‘Bec: “I don’t know $!#@ about the attack itself, since I wasn’t there when it happened. But I do got a pretty good idea about who might’a done it.”
Albert: “Who!? Who is it?”
‘Bec: “Who are they. I’ve got more than one suspect. Not sure how many people were involved with the attack, like I said I don’t know $!#@ about it,, but I’d bet a pretty penny that one of those three were involved.”
‘Bec: “Min Leoi, Gazlene Horvitz, and Lana Foster.”
‘Bec: “It could be someone totally different, maybe someone with a quiet grudge that finally snapped. If you’re asking me though, those three chicks are the most likely.”
That’s... interesting.
Ms. Leoi is Louie’s Mom, Mrs. Horvitz was Jhonen’s Mom, and Mrs. Foster is Enid’s Foster Mother. Was there some reason all of the suspects were women? And why highlight those three specifically?
Clive: “...Why?”
‘Bec: “Now that will cost ya fifty cents per suspect. You really wanna hear all my reasoning that badly?”
Clive looks back at you. You certainly did want a more thorough explanation, but unfortunately you couldn’t justify the cost. This was gonna take some more thorough digging.
Clive: “...If it’s fifty per suspect, does that mean the reasoning for each one is Different? Not one shared reason, but three different ones?”
‘Bec: “That sure is a question I ain’t answering without some more coins in my hand.”
Clive: “...Hmph.”
Clive: “Moving on then. Do you have anything on Franklin?”
‘Bec: “Mortician or The Alien?”
Clive: “What?”
‘Bec: “They’re both named Franklin. So which is it, Junior or Senior?”
Before he even turns back to ask, you confirm that you’re asking about your classmate.
‘Bec: “Hmm... Thirty Cents.”
Clive pays her. The fee is lower, so you aren’t expecting as much from this one. Still, you’re just hoping it’s something worth the cents you’re spending on it.
‘Bec: “Meh. A lot of kids talk about Franklin, so most of the gossip I hear is total bunk.”
‘Bec: “When it comes to that kid, you can really only trust what you see. He definitely has a tail, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have a third hand growing out of his back.”
‘Bec: “Then again, who knows? Maybe the kid’s even weirder than we thought.”
Albert: “...He doesn’t, to be clear.”
‘Bec: “Hey, dumba$@, I know he doesn’t. It’s hyperbole, okay?”
‘Bec: “You can’t trust word of mouth when it comes to that kid. So I can only tell you what I’ve seen.
‘Bec: “You ever wonder why he’s always wearing that stupid green Turtleneck? I caught a lucky peek, so I know the answer.”
‘Bec: “You didn’t hear it from me (unless kids with pockets full of change ask, in which case you totally did), but Franklin’s got a huge Scar on his neck.”
A scar? That was...
...Actually, you don’t know what to make of that. It could be important, or it could just be another odd random detail about Franklin that has no relevance to the overall mystery encompassing him. A scar really seems trivial compared to the more pressing questions about his appearance; such as why he seems to lack any form of body hair, why his nose looks the way it does, or The Tail.
What does a scar on his neck really tell you? It’s certainly interesting that he’s had one all this time and you never knew, but what do you do with this knowledge?
Clive: “...Huh. I didn’t notice it.”
‘Bec: “Yeah, that’s what I just said. He hides it under that turtleneck.”
Albert: “...Are you sure?”
‘Bec: “I just told you I saw it for myself, didn’t I? Of course I’m sure-”
Albert: “No. That he’s Hiding it.”
‘Bec: “Believe me, I asked him about it when I noticed, and the first thing he did was play dumb. Then he regurgitated the dumbest lie I’ve ever heard and acted like that answered everything.”
‘Bec: “So yeah, I’m pretty d@$! sure.”
Clive: “Hmm...”
Albert: “...”
It all sounds sensible, you don’t see any problem with her reasoning...
...But it’s Franklin. Whatever ‘lame excuse’ he made could honestly be something he wholeheartedly believes.
You would have to ask him about it yourself later. The answer you get will probably end up being nonsense, but it’s worth at least trying.
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