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It's a tiny, dingy shop on the Lower East Side. "Housewares and Repairs", the sign says. Inside, it's ruthlessly organized and clean, even though the worn linoleum can't really look clean anymore. A transistor radio is playing a local Spanish station: salsa, at the moment. Elmo, coat off and sleeves rolled up, is sweeping the floor with mindless efficiency. Someone in the back calls something to him in Spanish, and he answers, "Yeah, I got it," in English, sounding annoyed.
Kaleb walked in looking straight like he got lost and fell out of upper Manhattan which was really the case in many ways. Was he over dressed? Hell yes. He was so tailored to fit it doesn't look like he knew what a shop even was. Curious eyes squint and wandered around the shop, the only oddity being he was wearing little silicone swimmer's earplugs. He looked so lost but still, professionally he made question that could pass as proclamation, "You work here?"
More Spanish rolls out of the back office, urgent. Elmo yells back, "I'm working on it," with a lift and dip to 'working' that expresses volumes. He's clearly a local, with a Lower East Side accent strong enough to scour a bathtub. "Sad to say, I do," he says to Kaleb, hanging up the broom. He then is given pause by Kaleb's extremely high class wardrobe. "Hey, great suit."
Kaleb looked over his shoulder waiting for… someone? to catch up. Giving the employee his undivided attention he offered a startlingly genuine "Thanks." Hearing footsteps that he was expecting well before they were an audible thing, Kaleb ventured a guess, "You have electronics, what might you be able to do in regards to short wave radio?" There was the onrush of grumbling in Espanol which was, weirldly, just becoming a quiet murmur and then there was no sound from teh back. He really hated being interrupted, especially by people who felt a need to raise thier voice.
The door to the shop opens a moment later and Kellan wanders in, looking like a slightly less sheveled version of the initial Miller who had walked in the door. Identical to Kaleb, if his hair wasn't a little longer, his jeans and t-shirt clearly not in line with his twin's fashion sense, and his easy smile a little more expressionless — then he might actually be confused with his twin. As it is, the significant differences in their attire and demeanor is a clear enough indication of which is which to those who have been introduced to them. "Hey, sorry I just had to stop in that other place a few doors back." He looks around and grins, then says "Heya," to Elmo in greeting.
Elmo gives this sharp-dressed man a lopsided look. "A short wave radio? Not a lot of call for 'em in a place like this. More on the blender and washing machine side, here." Another version of Kaleb walks in and Elmo gives this one an eyebrows-hiked look, like two identical customers is a personal affront. "Hey," he says, nonetheless amiably enough, then continues talking to Kaleb. "But I got one I can sell you, if yer interested."
Kaleb blinked to Kellan and actually was interested in that side trip, "Kell, you find anything good? Oh, Endora's. There's a record shop a street back I want to hit up before we head home." Important parts of distractions. His attention went back to Elmo and he shook his head nuuuunonono, "I have a drycleaner, I'm okay there." Like he'd know what to do with a machine that was for washing. 10-to-1 he'd mistake it as a dishwasher and complain it was faulty. Still undaunted he considered this, "Well, maybe people don't know what they're missing out on. It's still servicable?"
Kellan shakes his head a little when Kaleb asks if he found anything good, but then he's quiet amidst the exchange between Elmo and his twin, waiting to see what the outcome might be. He shoves his hands into his pockets and peers around the place curiously, taking everything in. "Sure, we can hit it up," he says, about the record place.
Blenders, toaster ovens, vacuum cleaners, cleaning supplies, air fresheners—all this and more are lined up in neat ranks on the perforated metal shelves. All lower priced brands, for the local customers don't have a lot of spare money. &r&rElmo was on the verge of deciding whether to be offended or not, and that question tips him over. "I repaired it myself," he says, eyebrows quirking up and mouth quirking down. "I repair something, buddy it /stays/ repaired. Yeah, it's more than serviceable. What do you wanna do with one, anyway?" Dubious, he takes in the way-out-of-place clothes again. And this other guy, sure he's wearing jeans, but he's probably just as rich.
Kaleb tilted his head as if picking something else up. His eyes drifted absently to one of the lower shelves, but his right ear tilted just slightly towards Elmo. He could hear the heartrate elevating which brought the hint of a wry grin to the sonic's features. He ganced over his shoulder to Kellan, and the odd grin broadened to an amusement when he looked back up to Elmo. There was a nod, "I want to run mid and low frequency broadcast tests with it; sending and receiving. But good. If you're willing to slug me over your work, then you're reliable enough to stand by the quality." Tests he says.
Kellan doesn't particularly need anything, but the two were wandering and shopping, and picking up a few things here and there. However, he bears no bags and doesn't seem to have acquired anything yet this trip. He smiles a little at Elmo's response, but it's a friendly smile, with really nothing behind it other than that he seems pleased that they'd managed to find what Kaleb was looking for. The more casual twin peers along the aisles of things, idly looking to see if any of the repaired items stood out as interesting.
Elmo glances to where Kaleb is looking, following the line of sight. There's nothing interesting there, only a few hair dryers. He flicks between Kaleb's eyes and the shelf, trying to spot what exactly it is the man is looking at, and gets crankier as he starts to suspect the rich guy is having a laugh at his expense. "That ain't all I might slug you over," he says, with a certain sour amusement—not really a threat, just regular old New York rude remarks. "What's your deal?" The ranks of repaired stuff include, as promised, a washing machine. 'Like New!' a card on it says. It's obviously not like new. It has dings and scrapes like it's been through the wars. But the knobs and panels and each individual piece practically gleam with mechanical good health. It's clear by looking at this machine that it will go for another twenty years, whatever its sordid past holds.
Kaleb looked back up not trying to hear so hard to the acute nuissance dryly remarking, "Eh you and half New York, I'm pretty certain." He made no illusions about is abrasive demeanor. Hey, at least the kid admits it. He looked to Kellan, his own hands dropping into the pockets of his overcoat before looking back to the irritated Elmo. "I'm looking to run tests on signal retention and work on tracing and tracking broadcast signal…preferably without the fisticuffs." Just in case Elmo was considering it. He never knew and had no personal fight with anyone…ish.
There's a glance between Elmo and Kaleb and then back again, brows raising a little at the agitation of the shopkeep. "As much as he deserves a slugging every so often," he says, "he really is just interested in getting a functional radio — and if your work is as solid as you say it is, and by that washer I'd say it looks like it is — then yeah, we'll take it." He smiles a little lopsidedly.
Now that gets Elmo interested. He drops the annoyed body language and listens intently. "You're gonna need an antenna," he suggests. "A good one. You work in TV or something?" Now that Kaleb has demonstrated that he knows what he wants, all is forgiven. He shoots Kellen half a grin. "Oh, my work is solid. I got all kinds of stuff—not here, my own projects."
Kaleb was honestly so used to being that antenna it didn't even occur to him. Those sharp, blue eyes drift back to his more amicable brother like 'thanks for the endorsement'. He had no intent to tell Kellan he was at all wrong, but still. At least the prat was self-aware. Looking back to Elmo he nodded and Echo asked curiously. "What… kind or projects are you in?" He considered the question and wobbled his head. "Or something. The project is simple: have something that can transmit and broatcast and see if device number two can catchor jump the signal or even read the signal. Sounds creepy, I know, Think of it as an emergency meansure in case of…well emergency."
Kellan nods his head to Elmo when he claims that his work is solid, seeming to agree and not arguing that point at all. He lets Kaleb doing the talking about the project since frankly he only sort of understands the details, and so instead he goes wandering about, hands in his pockets as he examines things in the shop. He can hear them. But his curiosity gets the better of him.
Elmo's eyebrows shoot up and his grin turns real. "You wanna hijack a broadcast," he says, glancing to the back room and lowering his voice. "That's the best idea I heard all day. I can boost the juice on the radio—my name's Elmo," he interrupts himself. He doesn't offer to shake hands, instead actually cramming his hands into his pockets, signaling that he's avoiding a handshake.
Kaleb didn't look from Elmo to his brother this time. He knew where Kellan was and seemed… pleasedat the engineer's sudden shift in enthuasim. "Yeah. Yeah you could say I do." And he didn't want to have to be device dependant to do it someday if he could manage it. It'd be a long way off. "Yeah I can boost signal right now and relay, but I can't over radio wave. Not yet. Hence… why we came to see you. Our roommate had your shop's card. I trust this was for good reason." Oh yeah, pleasantries. Right. Still he was being more helpful than teh 'help' an that should be rewarded, right? "Kaleb. Kaleb Miller. My brother Kellan. I'll be happy to take teh radio off your hands, and if you have an antennae and adapter for it that'd be helpful. Then I can leave my turntable out of the project." Not that he'd ever let anything come near his record player. The faint smile was actually genuine, "I'd love to talk what you know on the topic when your man back there isn't baout to pop a blood vessal." Which was odd as the fella in the back seemed perfectly silent. That's what happens when you prevent sound from reaching the front of the shop. Funny that. Kaleb reached inside his coat for his wallet to pay in cash 50 large, and then slid a ten to Elmo with a business card in it. "For your help."