Day 42: Crossroader's Bar and Casino (evening)

[she_is_ruin]

[Free, no limits.]Grungy establishments like this 'Crossroader's Bar' weren't Yomi's typical style--what she saw in Japan were much different than this. But everything about where she was and what she was doing was out of the ordinary; Yomi had to put oddities behind her

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[damned_town]

The title of customer was reserved for those who could pay. Mathers wasn't the sort of guy to give freebies and he wasn't the sort to appreciate these crazies coming into his bar every week without anything to do but fill up space. It annoyed him. Even more so when he took stock at the end of the day and realized that he was missing things. Damn bastards from up the hill were stealing somehow.

When someone new entered, Mathers moved behind the bar from the back room, the same towel tossed over his shoulder that he always had. Setting a bowl of roasted nuts on the bar in front of the new girl, he regarded her carefully and asked, "Well? You just here to sit?"

[she_is_ruin]

Well? What was she doing here? If this man could tell Yomi that, she’d be ever so grateful.

Yomi considered her hands, folded on the bar, until the bartender returned her attention, and even then she inspected the bowl of nuts put down in front of her before turning her gaze on the man. He seemed so average, predictable, but the amount of weight she could rest on that conclusion was still small. It would be nice to know the “Head Doctor’s” secrets, the secrets to how everything moved like clockwork, in or out of the hospital.

She picked up a nut between forefinger and thumb. “Would that be a problem? I’m open to suggestions,” Yomi inquired innocently, keeping her eyes on the bartender as she popped the nut in her mouth.

It tasted like nothing.

[damned_town]

Great, one of those. Mathers rolled his eyes and went to wipe down some of the glasses from earlier. Why did the bums always end up here? It wasn't like they thought they could weasel something out of him, did they? Anyone in town could tell them that Old Man Mathers didn't give freebies and didn't take to strangers not paying their bills either.

"Do whatever, just don't expect anything for free here. I ain't like those other softies in town." He picked up a glass from the dish drain and started wiping it down, keeping a wary eye on the girl. "Not in business for the charity of it."

[she_is_ruin]

She made a sound of acknowledgement under her breath, picking up another nut from the bowl to roll between her fingers. “Aren’t you taught not to feed the zoo animals?” Yomi questioned rhetorically in much the same vein. After all, giving freebies to the crazy strays could be dangerous, right?

This prison was like no other she could’ve imagined, before or after her transformation. A change in identity could completely alter the rules of engagement. That, she knew.

“It wouldn‘t be smart to give money to a mental patient, anyway,” she continued, objective, like admitting her position was about as moving as the color of his dish rag, “and I’m not much of a drinker, so I guess that settles that.” Yomi stopped toying with the nut, fixing the man with a subtle smile laced with self-mockery. “But I was cute enough to win these out of you for free. That’s something.” She let it drop back into the dish. “I suppose you must be used to that, though. What number do I make today?”

[damned_town]

Not only was she one of those, she was a smart ass to boot. Mathers grit his teeth and set the clean cup up on the rack, noting the other two who walked in with displeasure. That redhead was the jackass who threw peanuts the last time he was in here. If he tried it again, Mathers would kick him to the curb.

"They're free to anyone in the bar - even if you're one of them," he grumbled, picking up a new glass to wipe down. "And you're one too many - how's that for a number?"

[she_is_ruin]

Ah, ‘one of them‘. She liked that. And she smiled to show it.

Granted, being perceived as some delusional incompetent was the kind of mantle Yomi would be shaking off quickly. People like that, sick people who couldn’t control themselves, people who needed others to ground them in reality and take care of them… those types of people had always been weaklings in Yomi’s mind. Oh, a part of her had always thought it wasn’t always their fault, that enough misconception went around that blame didn’t need to be added to the mix too, but wasn’t it all just justification?

Deep down, they were more pathetic than the average human, and Yomi knew it.

“It’s a fair one,” was what she said in return. “Every week, there has to be more and more of us, there doesn’t seem to be an end to it. No one wants to visit a town on the weekend when the number of special visitors runs into the hundreds.”

[damned_town]

Mathers finished drying the glass and set it on the shelf with the rest of them, giving the girl at the bar a wary eye. Was she even old enough to be in here? Upon closer inspection, she really didn't look like she was over 21 and the last thing Mathers needed was the Sherrif walking in here and seeing him talking to a minor at his bar. Narrowing his eyes, Mathers dropped the towel over his shoulder and crossed his arms.

"Don't know what you're playing at, but I don't care much for your type or any visitor's type, so don't try asking." Whatever visitors he had, they were usually passing through and Mathers had better things he needed to do. Like right now? He had to keep the bald one and his fire-headed friend from doing anything dumb. So far they weren't causing any trouble, but Mathers never forgot a troublemaker's face. "Besides, you don't look old enough to be sitting at bar, so just be glad I'm not throwing you out."