savetheearth | [ Closed ] It's almost like I knew this man from another life

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[ Closed ] It's almost like I knew this man from another life

Who: Kotetsu Kaburagi and Barnaby Brooks Jr.
Where: Some random cafe
When: September 21st, late afternoon-evening
What: The reunion of a Tiger and Bunny

[It'd be his luck.

Of course the cafe he'd chosen for a (very) late lunch after subsisting on a bagel and coffee for most of the day would be having some sort of big sale, leaving the place completely packed despite his attempt to beat the dinner rush, which he would most certainly run headlong into if he decided to leave and find somewhere else to eat.

He heaves a sigh and gets in line, and after finally reaching the front and paying for his food, he begins the arduous process of searching for a place to sit.

...It's really packed, and after at least two rounds of the place, he can't find a single empty booth or table. Eventually, he stops by a young blond man, who at least seems to be by himself, and asks, sheepishly--]

Hey, mind if I join you? It's kinda way busier than I was expecting today...

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[Barnaby had almost run into the same problem getting a seat - thankfully the cafe staff had been polite enough to hold a recently cleaned table for him while he waited for his order. It's a lot noisier than usual, though, which pretty much shoots his hopes of a relaxing meal in the foot. He's pretty well focused on his salad, so between that and the noise he doesn't notice the man stopping at his table until he actually speaks.

Which is totally the only reason for his startled pause when he looks up. It has nothing to do with the fact that the man is a uniformed police officer in any way, shape, or form. Really.]

Um, sure. I don't mind.

[Don't mind him, officer, he's just a completely ordinary citizen who's going to be all of the tense until you leave. NOT SUSPICIOUS IN THE LEAST.

God he is so screwed.]

[The thing is, despite everything with the network and the alien invasion situation never being far from Kotetsu's mind, when he's out in public, he doesn't tend to think of people he meets as possibly being among the numbered. So at the young man's twitchy reaction, he assumes the other is simply uncomfortable in front of an authority figure, rather than assuming the other would consider himself as having a legitimate reason to be afraid for his life.

He chuckles, the sound as warm as it is boisterous.]

Chill, I'm off the clock right now.

[He puts down the tray and raises his hands, flashing the younger man a grin that says look Ma, no handcuffs! If he were any other person, he might have taken the blond's discomfort as a cue to eat quickly and quietly and leave, but alas, there is no such luck, because he's already extending his hand across the table as he for a shake as he sits down.]

Kotetsu.

Edited 2013-09-24 02:20 (UTC)

[The friendly attitude doesn't help much. Barnaby can't even tell for sure if it means that the officer doesn't find anything suspicious about him; he doesn't think he's done anything to attract attention, but he doesn't know exactly what the police would be looking for as "suspicious" anyway. It could just as easily be an attempt to make him drop his guard.

He blinks at the hand being held out to him before reaching out, too tense to do better than a rather stiff and awkward handshake. He really just wants to eat and get out of here, but refusing would be rude at best, and at worst might just put the officer on alert.]

I'm Barnaby.

[...way to use your real name, dumbass.]

[Alas, mind-reading is not on the list of things Kotetsu will ever echo back, so he remains largely ignorant of the young man's fears. He also isn't entirely incapable of taking a hint, however, and his smile fades a little--in something akin to disappointment. Even without all the mess surrounding the police department, being feared is an uncomfortable feeling. Before he'd gotten his numbers, he'd always believed the police existed for the people's benefit, and though every now and again there was some sort of corruption scandal, he'd never thought much of it. Just bad eggs, rotten apples in the basket, but in the end, justice would find its way, somehow or another. Idealistic views, some would even say naive, but it had gotten him through some painful times, and he worked hard every day believing that if there was some small amount of good he could do for--if not the world, at least the people of Locke City--maybe his life could be worthwhile after all.

Things like this are a painful reminder that he was wrong, of the decade and a half of his life that feels wasted. He supposes he should be grateful enough that this person isn't outright stating an expectation to be struck, like that girl from before. Then again...he's not exactly stopping a kid on a bike to tell them to wear a helmet, either.

Kotetsu covers the momentary lapse in expression quickly, though his smile isn't entirely lacking in affectation now.]

It's nice to meetcha.

[Something about that name feels...familiar, in a way that he can't place. Nostalgic, almost. Kotetsu starts to look away, and his eye catches the cane resting against the table--can't help but stare for a second before he realizes that's probably rude as hell, and suddenly his soda is the most fucking interesting thing in the whole cafe. A second to collect himself, two, and then he tries another grin, one hand reaching back to rub at his neck.]

Aa, sorry for the trouble. I'll get outta your hair soon, huh?

[Grabbing a bite of his sandwich, now. Pity he doesn't feel all that hungry anymore.]

Ah, likewise.

[That little shift in his expression doesn't go unnoticed; but before Barnaby can really think about it, he notices the officer is staring at his cane. He braces for the predictable questions (is it yours? why do you need it? what happened to you?) and is honestly surprised when he simply smiles and apologizes. He's not quite sure how to react at first - he'd been expecting the man to try to drag him into a conversation, not...whatever this is.

He certainly went from incredibly friendly to in a hurry to leave pretty quickly when he spotted Barnaby's cane.

Now he's tense for more than one reason, and while part of him would like to just try to ignore the officer until one of them finishes and leaves, the other part has to know for sure:]

...does it bother you?

Edited (shh that punctuation was always there) 2013-09-25 01:56 (UTC)

[Please hold, Kotetsu is currently drowning his feelings in ham, cheese, and a truly obscene amount of condiments. He almost doesn't hear Barnaby when he asks his question, and it's about a second belatedly that he looks up, mouth half-full and ketchup dripping from his chin.]

...Huh? Does wha--[oh dear, let's not choke, one second.]

Does what bother me?

This. [Barnaby taps the table, right next to where his cane is propped.] You seemed pretty uncomfortable after you noticed it.

[He sighs. He doesn't want to make a scene, both to avoid "suspicious behavior" and out of respect for the cafe staff. At the same time, he's not sure if he'll be able to keep his cool if the officer's answer presses the wrong buttons, no matter how much he wants to believe he can. Prior experience isn't in his favor.

And yet still he cannot shut up for the life of him.]

Is it because you didn't expect it, or because of me?

...Oh.

[Dammit, so the other had caught him staring, even if it was only for a few seconds.]

That's...

[--not what I was uncomfortable about. But then he'd have to explain what he was uncomfortable about, and that is every sort of awkward.]

It's not...

[He worries at his lip a bit, looking off to the side and scratching at his neck again--three guesses what his nervous mannerisms are, and the first two don't count. Ugh, why is honesty so hard? He doesn't want to be rude, or make it out to be Barnaby's fault, but he sounds angry already and the idea of using the other man's disability as an excuse doesn't sit right with him.

Awkward silence reigns a few moments longer, and then he just, takes a deep breath and starts talking really fast.]

I mean, yeah, it caught me off-guard, but that's not it. I, I thought, you were afraid--of me. So, I figured, I'd go, quick.

[Boy this soda is reaaaaally interesting.]

Edited 2013-09-25 06:40 (UTC)

["Oh" indeed. Barnaby knows he should apologize, but the odd combination of nervous fear and guilt makes it difficult to figure out what to say. His gaze darts about uncertainly: from Kotetsu to his cane, then his food, out into the cafe, Kotetsu again, the surface of the table.

This is officially The Most Awkward of Lunches.]

I shouldn't have said that. I just...

[Another sigh. ]

I'm sorry. It's not you, specifically. I've been stressed out for a while and sharing space with strangers is...it sometimes doesn't go well. I let my nerves get the better of me, and I'm sorry it made you feel uncomfortable. And I'm very sorry for snapping at you.

[Hey, it's not completely a lie. It's just a carefully gathered collection of truths arranged in a not-quite-accurate way. The apologies are genuine, at least.]

[Not-quite-accurate as it is, it does make Kotetsu feel better. Quite a bit so, in fact--it's foolish, but even if the thought that Barnaby's discomfort might just be because he's shy or socially awkward would have been the logical first assumption, the knowledge that it's not him eases the sharp ache in his chest. The grin returns, a genuine one, if somewhat faint.]

Aa, that's alright. We all have those days.

[A beat. He looks between the younger man and the tray, and then makes a decision, picking up his tray to go.]

Listen, I'll just take this stuff to go, it's fine. I've gotta shitton of paperwork to finish anyway. It was nice meeting you, hope things ease up soon.

[But as he's turning to leave, his eye catches the window, the pink light in the sky, and just like so many times before, he's overcome by the sensation of an Echo, heartbeat pounding in his ears as the world around him fades away.

His grip on the tray goes slack, and it crashes to the ground, but he doesn't notice, just staring at the light with a slightly vacant look in his eyes.]

[He's a little surprised when Kotetsu stands up, but mostly Barnaby's just glad he didn't end up pissing the man off or raising any red flags. He's about to offer a (probably awkward) "thank you" when the man suddenly drops his tray, visibly out of it, and his first instinct is something is wrong.]

Hey, are you okay?

[As Barnaby starts moving to help - not that he has any idea what to do, just that he should try to do something - he follows Kotetsu's line of sight, glancing out the window to see if there's anything that could've prompted this. He barely registers the pink glow before his thoughts are interrupted by that noise, the pounding in his head (ringing in his ears, tightness in his chest, vice-grip on his throat can't breathe can't breathe going to have a heart attack going to die). His expression goes blank for a few brief moments, but unlike Kotetsu everything else locks up. Even when he comes out of it he still grips the edge of the table tightly, fighting to keep his breathing steady.

It's not a panic attack. It's just one of those stupid pulses, it's not an attack, it's not, I'm going to be fine and I'm not going to die and everything is fine, it will be fine, I will get through this because it's not an attack.

If only the rest of his brain agreed with him. That..."pulse" sensation is so close to being a trigger all on its own that he hasn't even noticed the ring he's suddenly wearing on his right hand.]

[Barnaby’s voice is but a distant rumble on the periphery as the echo pours over him--there’s no vision, this time; when the world fades out, scenery of another time and place doesn’t replace it. There’s only a voice ringing out in his ears, soft, gentle, almost melodic, but no less firm for it. No matter what happens, please be a Hero. Promise me that.

There it was again, that word. Hero. The one that carries so many connotations and expectations that he’s shrunk away from the concept from his very first echo. It wasn’t him. It couldn’t be. People like him weren’t cut out for saving the world; he wasn’t charismatic, or inspiring, or even particularly brave or strong-willed. And yet…

By the time the real world fades back in, he knows there’s no longer any doubt in his mind that “he”--whoever he once was--must have been what the pulses say. He feels it deep in his heart, the absolute certainty that he’d made the promise that woman had requested, and it meant everything in the world to him.

--It’s terrifying, that certainty. That realization that from now on everything he remembers will be of a better man than himself.]

[It’s a couple blinks before everything returns to normal volume, the pulse “completed” as it were, and that’s when he sees the young blond suddenly in much more evident distress than the thinly veiled discomfort of before. He doesn’t stop to consider whether his interference could make this worse, just reacts--one hand squeezes the blond’s shoulder as he crouches down to lock green eyes with amber.]

Barnaby? What’s wrong? Hey. Can you hear me?

[He nods.]

P-panic attack.

[The words are breathy and shaky, and come out in a bit of a rush as he crams them into a single exhale. He's not willing to risk compromising his breathing rhythm if he doesn't have to; not when it's helping him slowly calm down, and keeping him from hyperventilating. A few more inhale-exhales, then he adds in another rush of words:]

Don't freak out.

[Yes, Kotetsu, he means you. It's bad enough that he's already fighting with his own mind over whether or not death is imminent, please don't give his brain a reason to think more panicking is the best course of action right now.]

Edited (WHAT IS WITH ALL THESE STEALTHFAILS I CAN'T) 2013-11-11 05:51 (UTC)

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[ Closed ] It's almost like I knew this man from another life

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uses this icon bc i can >.>

oh god I love it

8D

<3

i'll write out the echo beginning of next tag :|b

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1/2

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