men murdered themselves into this democracy

[caballero]

Who: Bruce Wayne Tom and Kalinda Sharma.
What: An interrupted mugging. And more.
Where: Syriac Well, near Stoneshell.
When: Tonightish.
Warnings: Violence.

The roads linking Stoneshell to civilization have become familiar to Bruce of late, in particular a twenty-four-hour coffee shop whose courtyard is constantly overgrown with grass and ivy, laced in fairy lights. It's quaint, hovering between rural and classic, though he doesn't often stay for very long; the people who frequent and operate it are polite, good, and if he stays still for any extended amount of time they start trying to engage him in conversation and, well. He's walking down the street into Syriac Well, now, gauging the temperature of whatever it is the barista made him. (Salted something? He always lets them pick.) It's innocently near-deserted at this hour, in an already sleepy corner of town. And then - something.

Most people would have missed it: a seemingly-average looking man hopping up on the sidewalk to pace a young woman, arm around her shoulder. They turn into a side-alley, her coat covers any body language cues that might be sent out. On the surface it looks fine, but Bruce couldn't not notice the way she flinched when she was first touched, the way the man's outside arm and shoulder twisted forward out of view, like he was holding something against her.

Maybe it's nothing.

Bruce sets his coffee cup down on top of a metal trash can near the entrance to the alley, almost an afterthought, as he walks over, following the would-be couple.

At first no one notices him; they're halfway down the alley (that lets out on the other side to another sedate, equally empty street) and he's got her up against a wall, wooden cross held to her throat. Her face is twisted in horror, red eyes half-shut, trying to struggle away. Bruce's expression doesn't change, but something like a wry, disgusted smile twists in him as he steps forward; what bold timing.

Comments

[betterthansubpoenas]

"So I've noticed." Kalinda nods her head graciously, stepping through the held-open door past Bruce and into the shop. She's been here long enough that she doesn't even blink at the barista's interesting colouration. She's nothing if not quick to adapt.

"Nice place." And she means it. It's got character, which she definitely appreciates. "You come here often?" She procures her CiD again, so she can check in on Tableau. She's helping Angela test. Don't judge, Bruce.

[caballero]

Hey, he's just happy Angela's got her feet under her after the mugging. If someone's beta testing her app, that's fantastic. He glances at what she's doing, but doesn't comment. Maybe if Kalinda squints, she might notice Bruce almost smiles.

"I've been in before, but I'm an annoyingly unloyal customer everywhere." Sometimes despite that, people remember him - it's either the cheekbones or the occasionally unnerving demeanor. Who knows.

He orders 'coffee' and the barista giggles. Sigh, this dance again.

[betterthansubpoenas]

Venue checked into and review pending. She doesn't squint, but she catches that almost-smile all the same. She also attributes the notion of being an unloyal customer to a desire to avoid having a predictable routine. Call it a hunch. "They say variety is the spice of life."

She orders chai.

[caballero]

Bruce ends up with black coffee and cream, and he pays for both of their drinks (because he asked) and then gestures at Kalinda, positing an inquiry as to where she'd like to sit without words. Outside, someone zooms by in quite a hurry on horseback. Maybe the deputy finally picked up his phone.

Wooden chairs and benches are littered with multicolored pillows, the windows strung with beads. It would be annoyingly colorful if the intent seemed to be perkiness versus care. He doesn't mind it.

[betterthansubpoenas]

A table is chosen in a corner that's not so much quiet as it is more or less out of view of the windows. She'd normally like to watch out of them, but considering what she's been up to tonight, it's not surprising she'd want to avoid being seen. She slides her bag under her chair before taking her seat.

She crosses one knee-high boot-clad leg over the other and stirs the cloud of milk in her tea. "This was a good idea," she commends.

[caballero]

He raises his cup (which totally has some real kind of concoction in it, honest) in a friendly almost-salute. "There's something to be said for unique moments." Slightly wry, because every heartbeat in Baedal is unique for the abductees. But there's something to be said for the details of this moment, too.

"You adapt well." What a weird fucking compliment, Tom.

[betterthansubpoenas]

Fucking weird, but appreciated for what it is all the same. A compliment. "Thanks. So do you." That's partially an assumption on her part, but he also hasn't batted an eye at anything. She feels it's an assumption that's reasonably safe. Kalinda mimics the salute before she takes a testing sip and nods approvingly.

"What are your plans for the rest of your evening?"