Skillbuilding Trust Exercises [Barnaby's Apart]

[gryfeathr]

Luckily, he'd not been far from Bunny's apartment when he'd stopped to call him, and the milk was still mostly kinda safely coldish when he took the elevator up to the familiar floor. Bunny's apartment was depressingly empty, with only a robot toy and a laptop to recommend the occupant's personality, but he'd gotten used to it after badgering his partner enough times about eating, sleeping, and having a life.

The front desk didn't mind him anymore, so he had no trouble going up, and he stepped into the hall with the same, usual sense that he should apologize for the squeak of his shoes on the floor. He leaned on the buzzer at the front door, impatiently shifting the bag up in his arms. "C'moooon, c'mon."

[tyska]

Barnaby wondered vaguely if everything about this miniature golf business was a mistake. Perhaps this was how Kotetsu felt about interviews; it would certainly explain why he protested them so persistently.

The door swung open to a familiar face and stiff shoulders. He adjusted his glasses as he quietly stepped back to invite his partner inside.

[gryfeathr]

Kotetsu swung inside, taking a moment to tilt back his hand and blink to adjust the light inside. "Don't look so happy to see me, Bunny," he chided, carrying the groceries into the kitchen. He started unloading into the fridge milk, orange juice, some other variously shaped bottles and containers. "This is way too empty, you know. What were you even going to eat for dinner?"

[tyska]

"I have leftover in there somewhere," He shut the door behind himself, rolling his eyes. "Didn't I ask you to take your groceries home first? This isn't a warehouse!"

He walks over and leans a shoulder against the wall of the kitchen's entryway, arms crossed casually a he watches the older man unpack a variety of goods into his fridge.

[gryfeathr]

Kotetsu sits on his haunches, slipping some green groceries into the bottom drawer of Barnaby's refridgerator with the casual air of a squirrel hiding goods for future winters. "Eh, ma," he flapped a hand at Barnaby to wave off the scolding, barely noticing it. "At least you can pretend you actually live here."

[tyska]

"You mean I can pretend you live here." He snorts, shifting away from the wall. "A fridge doesn't need to contain that much for one person living alone."

He watches him load thing into the crisper and frowns. "You could just leave things in the bag and stick the whole thing in the fridge to save time when you leave, you know."

[gryfeathr]

He hummed lightly to himself as he finished, rocking up to his feet to shove the door shut. "Eh, you'd be surprised," he replied, and swung around with a grin as he made sure the door was shut with a shove of his heel backwards. With lucky, Bunny might forget long enough he could excuse it as 'forgetting about it'.

"Anyway, mini-golf's not really all that hard, but its tricky." He leaned back against the fridge, hip cocked and gaze turned upward as he drew on a distant memory. "Nothing you can't handle, but if you want to impress the ladies, better to figure it out ahead of time, right? You're always talking about planning ahead this, thinking ahead that."

[tyska]

"...Impress the ladies?" He arches a skeptical brow, clarifying with the flattest of tones. "With mini-golf?" Kotestu spoke as though he were offering sage advice. Barnaby took a moment to admire the strange beast before him for what it was.


"I just need a handle on the basics, that's all. We'll likely want to let the girls we're playing with win, anyway."

[gryfeathr]

"Don't look at me like that!" Kotetsu's mouth dragged at one corner as he crossed his arms, then lifted his hands up defensively. "Apparently its romantic or something."

He swung away from the fridge, hands slipping into his pockets as he brushed past Bunny to head for the broad bank of windows that looked out onto the Sternbild's golden skyline beyond. A golden era made flesh. "There's a place downtown that has a basic one on a rooftop, it would be good for practice."

[tyska]

"Romantic?" Funny, he'd never heard that before. Then again, it was what Agnes had chosen for their publicity stunt date. Still... "You're definition of romantic might be out of date."

Barnaby rolled his shoulders and sighed before following him. "When are we going then? Tonight, tomorrow? How late is it open? Later in the evening might be best to avoid being interrupted by inconsiderate criminals."

[gryfeathr]

"Out of date?!" He grumbled, shooting him an unimpressed sidelong look as he slid one hand into his pocket. He scratched at the edge of his carefully groomed beard. "Mm, maa, should be open pretty late. No reason to put it off more than you need to.... when is this thing happening anyway?!"

[tyska]

"Not for a little while, the event has only just begun and there needs to be adequate time to sell a profitable amount of tickets." He gestures Tiger to follow as he heads over to the computer to bring up the email Agnes had sent them on the large screen.

"...Still, sooner rather than later would be preferred. Knowing our circumstances we may have the misfortune of needing to reschedule."

[thecurtain]

To Wild Tiger and Barnaby, the email reads:

HeroTV and OBC would like you to participate in a highly publicized PR event that will not only continue to raise interest in and support for the Hero objective and HeroTV and its activities, but will also raise money for local charities to help improve Sternbild City in other ways.

In a week's time, OBC will begin selling tickets to a raffle. Two winners will be chosen to spend a day with you two as a double date. The date will include a game of miniature golf, a walk around Center City Park, and dinner at a local restaurant. All preparations and expenses will be taken care of by OBC. We expect you to show the winners every courtesy and attention as this will bolster the image of the Heroes and HeroTV's objectives.

Tickets will be sold for one week throughout the city, and the date will take place on The email lists the date one week from today. and portions of it will be broadcast on HeroTV two days later. The rules of the sweepstakes are as follows:

• Must be thirteen (13) years or older and a citizen of Sternbild City to purchase tickets
  
• Tickets must be purchased from approved ticket vendors
  
• A maximum of ten (10) tickets may be purchased at one time by one person
  
• Winners will be notified within two (2) hours of drawing by email. Winners will have twenty-four (24) hours from the time of notification to claim their prize. If prizes are not claimed within this time, new winners will be drawn
  
• Acceptance of a prize constitutes the winner's consent to the use of his/her voice, name, likeness, biographical information and/or photograph by HeroTV and OBC for promotional or advertising purposes in connection with the event
  
• HeroTV and OBC reserves the right to disqualify any person tampering with the operation or conduct of the event, including, without limitation, the entry process or otherwise violating these rules
  
• HeroTV and OBC are not responsible for any injury or damage to personal affects sustained while participating in this event.
  

You two will be dismissed from your normal Hero duties for the duration of the date. If for some reason there is a crisis that demands your attention, the date will be rescheduled.

Please respond as soon as possible if you have any questions or concerns.

Regards,
Agnes Joubert

[gryfeathr]

"I wouldn't call it a misfortune, exactly," he muttered to himself, turning to look on at the giant projector. He squinted as he read through the bullet points, frowning a little as he got to the end.

"I still don't see what this has to do with saving anyone," he added, wandering across the room to stand behind Barnaby. "One week is plenty of time to learn how to minigolf!"

[tyska]

Barnaby's lips twitch to a frown. "Well, if you consider being interrupted to be a blessing, let's forget it. If its really a concern I can always go by myself, I'm sure if I take the time I can figure it out fine."

He closes the email and resumes his single seat in the dark, spacious room like the king of a court long since fallen and faded. "Saving people isn't all there is to being a Hero. Stop complaining so much."