(Untitled)

[npcz]

At 3:00 in the afternoon, there's quite a crowd gathered at Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. Most of them look pretty much like any citizen of Chicago - all races, all ages from early teens up to the smattering of grey-haired but stalwart protestors, people from every apparent profession and walk of life. A few have shown up in their work

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[soundofarrows]

Eilir is standing just inside the tree-line of the park surrounding the fountain. The can't hear what the man on the podium is shouting, but she knows why the crowd has amassed. She has wandered around the city the past few days to reacquaint herself and she read more than one of the fliers. The situation in the city had intensified since she was last here, and it has her concerned. That's why she's here

[with_coffee]

The narration has no idea why Robin is here. It's possible that he needed a break from the hotel, from everything in his life, and somehow (because it's his luck) ended up here. He certainly has no desire to be anywhere near a mob, because it's situations like these that are so chaotic that threaten to create a situation that ignites his anger in a way he can't escape from. It only takes one drunk person or one passing around of a beer bottle, and he's royally fucked in the worst sort of way.

He's trying to make his way the fuck out of here when he notices who he, at first, thinks is Natasha (who is dead so that's silly and he's already done this once before this week so one would think he'd get that by now), and then he thinks that she is Fred. Robin meant that he didn't want to lose another- Not that- He doesn't want to let wanderers wander around at a place like this, especially Fred she seemed... enough like Natasha. It worries him

[soundofarrows]

Eilir knows she shouldn't still be here. It's stupid, and she could be caught in the middle, but she has to be there in case something does happen. She won't be anyone's scapegoat for the ills of this city, and she won't allow them to take their anger out on some innocent. There is no fucking way

[with_coffee]

Oh, bloody hell. Not Fred. How many of them are there? Did she just speak to me telepathically? Right. Focusing.

Robin has no friends. He has followed her though as much as he'd rather walk away entirely. It would be the perfect opportunity. It seems, however, that people keep putting people that look like Natasha in front of his face. He'll help them once, and then stay as far away as possible.

"I'm not trying to-" She was signing earlier. Great. Right. Don't know how to sign. I've got to try to look like I'm not going to harm her so as not to scare her unnecessarily. This will work out wonderfully.

[soundofarrows]

Gods damn it. Eilir checks beck to see if she's lost the guy. But no. There he is only a few yards behind her. A quick glance around shows no one near but the two of them. And the rally's out of all but shouting distance.

{"Okay, what?"} Eilir plants her feet and faces Robin. {"Look, I'm not here to hurt anyone. No one at all. In fact, the assumption is insulting. But if you want to start a fight, I will end it. Your choice, but I won't have you following me"}

That's somewhat an assumption on Eilir's part, but they're about the same height and she doesn't yet know Robin's an angel. Totally would try to kick his ass.

[with_coffee]

Robin tries to look as nonthreatening as possible, but it's not that easy to do when looking at her makes him overemotional and tense, because she has Natasha's face.

"I'm not assuming anything of the sort. I am not one of them." He has no idea if she can understand what he's saying so he's using emphatic gestures to make his point.

He looks rather silly.

"I didn't want you to- I was just going to suggest that you not be here in case it gets... bad. I didn't want you to get hurt. They have a tendency to do that."

Yeah, Robin doesn't really care if any of the CLF overhears him. He doesn't much care if he lives or dies, and hasn't for a long, long time.

[soundofarrows]

Oh, oooh. Well, shit. It takes a moment full of pure skepticism, but Eilir finally notices the man looks really uncomfortable. Even if she couldn't lipread, Robin's flail emphatic gestures helped convince her.

Eilir relaxes slightly, and checks around again. Holding this conversation with the CLF in the area is a really bad idea, especially with Robin shouting, but what the hell. If she signs, perhaps it'll look less suspicious. Yeah, sure.

{"If you're not with the CLF, please forgive the insult. Who are you, then? Why did you follow me, and why...warn me? And, if I may ask, how could you tell I'm not native?"} Because she's not used to being noticed if she doesn't want to be.

[with_coffee]

Robin will feel bad if he gets her hurt with his emphatic not-giving-a-fuck-what-happens-to-him-ness, but he is not thinking about that now. He's too distracted by the fact that she looks like Natasha. Again. How many of them are there?

"I'm Robin. Rice. I'm...an angel. We can tell. You're-" He groans and rubs his hand over his face, looking further down the street, behind her, on the ground. "You look like someone I- Someone I used to know who looks like- There's someone else that looks like the both of you, and it's just- I'm-"

Failing at conversation entirely? Natasha look alikes tend to do that to him in the flail-y kind of way. He bows his head like a little boy in trouble.

"I was trying to help."

[soundofarrows]

Eilir's expression softens at that. Though his flail made him harder to read, Eilir got the message. Trying to help a friend, simple mix-up. It's the same thing she would have done. If the rally hadn't had her so on edge, she wouldn't have reacted to him so badly. Now she feels like a jerk.

{"Thank you. I'm used to being the one to help people. I'm sorry I assumed you were- that I reacted-"} Eilir sighs. Sentences that work, right.

{"Thank you for trying to help. I should have gotten out of there sooner, but I needed to see what was going on."} Pause. {"My name is Eilir."}

[with_coffee]

"No, I understand that you'd think that way. And I understand needing to be informed, but a lot of people- My friend included, have gotten hurt, because they got in too deep." Because suggesting that everyone stay indoors and never leave is at all probable or smart.

Robin sighs.

"Hi Eilir. I would say it's nice to meet you, but under the circumstances..." He tenses, and then turns back around to look at the group behind them. Robin looks back at her and shrugs. "I'm afraid it will turn violent."

[soundofarrows]

Eilir gives Robin a sharp glance, but lets the reprimand pass. He doesn't know she's survived worse than this rabble, or that, despite her slight build, she's well trained to defend herself. {"I was a scout back home. Surveillance and information gathering were a large part of what I did. I wasn't risking danger idly. The more I know, the more I can try to stop it."} Her brows narrow in concern. {"There are more people than I was expecting, though. The crowds of cities make me nervous."} Not that she'll let that hinder her, but it does throw off her normal calm.

Eilir's gaze drifts to look back over Robin's shoulders and there is a haunted depth to her eyes. {"I'm afraid so too. I could do without another war, but these people seem determined to start one. As little as they know of it."}

[with_coffee]

Robin has no idea. The one woman that he really knew who looks just like Eilir needed to be saved. He failed at doing that.

"You're probably better suited here than I am," he admits, quietly. He has more strength than the average human, but he refused to learn how to fight, because of what he is. "There... are a lot of people in Chicago. A lot of non-people, too."

He looks in her eyes, recognizing something that he doesn't want to. "I think they're confused and ignorant. The city has suffered more and faster than ever before."