[closed] as an escape from commotion.

[obediences]

WHO: Luther Hargreeves & Brandon Heat
WHERE: Maurtia Falls
WHEN: circa July 8?? [BACKDATED]
WHAT: a meet cute for fellas with weird shit in common
WARNINGS: nah. will update if necessary!

Luther still finds himself gravitating back to this city; maybe because it reminds him of home, of messes to clean up, of opportunities to roll up his sleeves and unofficially intervene. It wasn't patrolling — except it was definitely sort of patrolling, despite the fact that only one Hargreeves remained in this city, and it wasn't the one he was closest to by far.

But he still liked keeping an eye on things. The idea had caught like a burr, this city practically reeking of petty crime and the kind of people who might actually give someone of his size and stature a try. So he takes long walks, and half-hopes for trouble.

Which he eventually finds, congregating around the mayor's office. The crowd is still abuzz from the Shieldbreakers' presence in the city yesterday; the native citizens are still annoyed about imPorts, concerned and near-vibrating with loud voices and irritation, looking to vent their frustration at the nearest convenient target.

Most are just here to exercise their civic discontent. But there's a familiar buzz in the air from the angriest members of the crowd, potential trouble brewing and the smell of a metaphorical storm oncoming. A dark, shaggy-haired man emerges from inside the building, and Luther pauses where he's been standing across the street, watching; he cocks his head, waiting to see what's going to happen.

Comments

[codeofiron]

The biggest issue with the protesters is that they're unpredictable. Theoretically there are permits involved in protesting; in practice nobody bothers to enforce that, at least in Maurtia Falls. Theoretically staff could plan their schedules around the worst of it; in practice that rarely works out. There appears to be no avoiding the throng around City Hall today, and after some consideration Brandon decides it'd be better for them to spend their energy yelling at an imPort before the other staff are harassed too much.

It barely takes any time for Brandon to be recognized. (Being recognizable is unfortunately fairly unavoidable for him these days.) A man near the front of the crowd dodges out into his way, making it impossible to continue without pushing past him or the other protesters. "Where do you think you're going, imPort?"

Brandon's usual strategy for dealing with both the press and protesters is simply to let them speak for a while and then go on his way. Baelish could talk his way past nearly anyone; Brandon has always found that people eventually give up when met with silence. There's a different mood in the crowd today, though - more openly confrontational, more impatient. They have been out her a while.

He considers his options. "Excuse me."

ugh sry for the delay, july has been murder!!

[obediences]

There's a kind of polite, steely placidity to the new arrival -- and Luther has a pretty good sense that it's not stillness born from fear, but rather capability. It's evident in the way the other man doesn't shrink from the crowd, just sizes them up patiently. Plus, it's a pretty easy guess that imPorts can generally handle their own, stocked and plied with superpowers as they are.

So this isn't Luther's problem. He doesn't need to get involved.

(But when did Spaceboy ever not go charging into danger, literally smashing through doors and windows to get to the scene of a fight?)

"Even the elected officials are imPorts," one of the protestors is complaining. "So who's gonna look after our rights? You're everywhere, all of you fucking freaks are everywhere—"

Rising tension about to snap like a rubberband. Luther's already made up his mind, an automatic kneejerk thing, and started walking across the street right when the first person yells and lunges for Brandon, swinging a sign.

man is that a mood. sorry for my own delay!

[codeofiron]

The easiest response, the one Brandon still has to fight an instinctive urge to use, would be to punch the attacker in the stomach and knock his feet out from under him. But you're not supposed to attack citizens as a public employee, even in self-defense. And even Brandon will admit that inviting more of a fight from an entire mob would, in fact, be biting off more than he can chew.

So he dodges beneath the sign ("imPorts are inVaders!"), doing his best to keep his back towards the wall of the building. Which is useful when the next person tries throwing a punch and ends up hitting the stone where Brandon had been a second ago. "Ow. That hurt, you asshole!"

Some of the crowd which had been peeling off to start blocking City Hall's doors turn back. Maybe not so useful, then.

[obediences]

Some of the things in yesterday's presentation had lodged deep in Luther's conscience. How firm Aegis had been about not engaging, not provoking the protestors, just letting them vent their energy — even if it meant egg yolk dripping down his shirt.

"What do we do when the mayors just port out? Our leaders should be natives, from this dimension, not—"

Just like yesterday. Same shit, different day. Maybe they even do have something of a point. But a dozen people ganging up on one government employee is an unfair equation, and so Luther wades right into the crowd.

And the first thing they're startled by is his sheer size. 6'5" and broader than any human has a right to be, even a gym rat; he seizes another one of the signs and twists it out of a woman's grip, then catches one of the nearer men by his jacket, just easily lifts them like holding a kitten by the scruff of its neck.

"I think this guy's just trying to get out to the street. Mind letting him by?"

Someone else swings a sign and it just bounces right off his shoulder. Luther turns a long-suffering stare at them.

[codeofiron]

Someone further towards the back of the crowd, and thus safely out of range, shouts "we don't listen to any imPort!" Some of the people who are closer, though, are starting to shuffle backwards. They may be angry, but they're not all stupid.

It's enough that Brandon should be able to make it to the street. He gives the big man a nod of thanks before starting off in that direction. The fellow will clearly be able to handle himself.

Someone throws a rock at Brandon. He catches it and keeps walking.

[obediences]

Brandon's movement is a quick flash, a blink-or-you'll-miss-it flick of the hand as he catches the rock. Luther notices it, unconsciously logs it in the same mental spot he retains for Diego's speed, his brother's own ease with projectiles. While the bodyguard strides off, Luther drops the civilian, who shakes himself off and glowers back, affronted.

But since Brandon didn't even miss a beat, something about that nonchalance cuts the people's aggression, too. They're no longer eager to pick a fight with these two imPorts.

Luther watches them enough to determine that nobody's going to follow, and then he turns and catches up to the other man in a few loping strides. His curiosity pushes through his shyness.

"Is this common?"

[codeofiron]

Brandon's a bit surprised to find the big man catching up to him. He'd assumed the fellow was just passing through. But the company's not unwelcome, and Brandon automatically adjusts his stride to match.

"It's been more common in the last year." There's a beat of silence before he adds "thanks."

[obediences]

"No problem." Luther says it automatically, unthinkingly — there hadn't really been any doubt in his mind that he would help. "Are you a government worker? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just— I'm new. Trying to wrap my mind around the relationship between natives and imPorts."

[codeofiron]

Brandon nods. He doesn't mind questions, when they're not too personal, he just knows he's not the best choice to answer them. Never been good with words. But he can help a little bit, at least, since he's here. "Security. The Mayor was an imPort, but he Ported out." He misses Baelish. The man had been an encouraging and understanding leader.

It seems, for a moment, that might be all he says. But the newcomer did ask about the state of things overall. "Relations are the worst here. A lot of things have happened. Other cities like imPorts more."

[obediences]

"Yeah, I've noticed that. I've lived in both De Chima and Nonah. The people there are..." Almost obnoxiously pro-imPorts, dogging him with questions and pictures and publicity and and he hates it, "friendlier, I guess. Must make working security here hard."

Luther's fallen into line beside the other man, his long legs keeping pace easily, though his hands curl into his coat pockets and he seems to shrink into himself. A somewhat different picture from the authoritative figure that had shut down the rioters earlier.

[codeofiron]

De Chima, that must be a rough place to live. Brandon can handle crime and unrest - insistent questions about a love life he doesn't even have, not so much.

He shrugs. "It's not bad." He knows he can protect people, at least. That's what's important, and especially so in Maurtia Falls. Though that purpose is a little less focused, with Baelish gone. It feels smaller without the former Mayor's resources and vision.

Brandon doesn't shrink, outside the crowd, but he has a way of fading. A shift in his posture makes it just relaxed enough that he's easy to dismiss as part of the background. It's a gloss over an always-present tension, but an effective one. An easy habit to slip back into.

"Do you live here now?" He's a bit curious. Generally, imPorts from other cities prefer to avoid Maurtia Falls, for obvious reasons. (Brandon feels most at home here. But he doesn't have a typical background, if you can claim imPorts have such a thing.)

[obediences]

A twitch at the corner of his mouth. Luther's aware how unusual his choice of Maurtia Falls might be, when he doesn't even live here and doesn't have to deal with its particular troubles; most people probably wouldn't gravitate to this city if they had a choice.

"No. My, uh... teammate from back home used to. And I come here to see Aegis. I was at their open house yesterday." Which had devolved into protesting, too, but the agents had it under control, had encouraged non-reaction. "And it seems like the best place to find..."

How to describe it in a way that isn't 'I wander the streets at night in search of criminals'? Luther chews over his words, finally settles on: "Best place to find trouble that needs cleaning up. As a registered hero."

Because that was his job, wasn't it? Even without being on a team, the government still brought them all here to be heroes.

[codeofiron]

Brandon's silent for a few moments, keeping a steady pace as he walks. He doesn't quite get it, to be honest, but then he's not a hero (whatever the government may say). Far too much blood on his hands for that. He doesn't have a grand vision to clean things up or anything like that. He just wants to protect what he can.

But he understands the desire to be useful. To be helpful to the people around you, and the people who have helped you. So, finally, he nods, and picks through the offered information for something he can offer in return. "Jacob's a good man."

yours to wrap? :>

[obediences]

"That he is." There was a whole wealth of other things Luther could say on that front, more he could add: the way he looks up to the man. His own interest in Aegis. Asking this other man's opinion on the super-teams, because he seems— knowledgeable, if quiet.

But Luther's never been the most talkative or confessional besides, and they're getting further away from the emergency, and his hackles are lowering as the immediate danger's passed. The crowds were mostly clotted around the municipal buildings, and the streets are clear. He should probably let this guy go.

"Anyway, uh. It was nice running into you," he says, as if they'd nonchalantly bumped into each other in the park, not defused a brawl together. "My name's Luther. Hargreeves. Might see you around some more, if you work here."