002: Video

[hulkbusted]

[It's Saturday morning and Bruce's NV is propped against something to show him seated with a cup of something (tea, considering the string and tag hanging over the cup's lip) in the foreground. People move behind him, some holding cups of coffee before they take seats out of the camera's view. Looks like he's at an outdoor cafe. It also looks like he's found a charity that offers clothes to the poor and/or new arrivals because he's wearing a slightly dingy pale green button-down shirt with the cuffs rolled up over his forearms and a couple of buttons left open at the collar.]

Hiring in Siren's Port doesn't go the way it does most other places, does it? I couldn't give the panel at Siren's Port University my CV and published papers for examples of my work, but a few days of filling white boards with equations seems to have done the trick. It's much faster than hiring back home, too, but I guess there's a lot of turnover around here.

In addition, I'm offering my services as an after hours tutor while the days are long and until I go home, whenever that may be. If you need help with math or science up to the post-graduate level in most disciplines, contact me [he leans forward and swipes his fingers over the display, and a link appears at the bottom of the video screen] and we can make arrangements.

In the meantime, I'm at Cafe Bijan, and there are a few people who have been helpful to me since I arrived that I would happily buy a coffee. [He smiles, and the humor is meant mostly for himself and maybe one other person.] Unless you don't drink... coffee.

Comments

[hulkbusted]

It's true. It's my teaspoon. It just happens to currently be a scorpion.

Loki dropped by before you did.

[symmachy]

[Oh.
Well.
Her nose wrinkles, and she leans back in her chair.]

Still a brat, no matter the universe.

[hulkbusted]

And lucky me, he wants to get the Other Guy to make an appearance.

Scorpions don't do it.

[symmachy]

[Her eyes narrow a bit.]

He would.

[hulkbusted]

It seems to be a pattern. The one where I'm from succeeded.

[symmachy]

Just ignore him. Eventually he'll get bored and move on.

[She takes a sip of her tea, which arrived a few seconds ago.]

[hulkbusted]

That's the advice they give about bullies. See how well that works.

[symmachy]

[She snorts a little.]

Would you rather I tell you to punch him in the face until he leaves you alone?

[hulkbusted]

I hear that I did better than that in my world. I wish I had a clear memory of it.

[symmachy]

[An impish grin. She runs a finger around the rim of her teacup.]

I'd like to hear that story.

[hulkbusted]

To summarize, Loki opened a portal to the other side of the universe to allow an invasion. My friends and I disagreed with him on that. Hulk doesn't have much patience for monologuing and sometime during that disagreement they were in the same room and Loki monologued. It apparently ended with the Hulk beating him out like a wet shirt on a rock.

[symmachy]

[The redhead tilts her head back so she can laugh, a melodic sounds.]

Really. I'll do my best to not get on his bad side, if that's possible.

[hulkbusted]

[Bruce smiles ruefully because it is funny and would be funnier if it weren't the Hulk.]

He's protected people I... I like. Just don't screw either of us over and you're probably okay... if there's any of me in him at all at the time.

[symmachy]

[This is the point when Scatty gives him a brilliant smile.]

I don't plan on screwing anyone over, so that'll be easy enough.

[Screwing them over.]

[hulkbusted]

[Down boy. It's been more than five years, closer to six since that was on the menu for Bruce.]

You're the one who was asking him out on a mayhem date. I think you can probably take care of yourself around the big guy anyway.

[symmachy]

[That poor bastard. It's okay, it's been like, a year for Scatty.]

It would be a casual thing, I promise. [Don't get jealous, Bruce.]

[hulkbusted]

[Bruce tilts his head, confronted by something he's never given deep consideration to, because when was he really going to think through a "Hulk meets a 10,000 year old hot vampire for monster killing and long walks on the beach" scenario?

Dear god, what if the Hulk developed a crush?]

I'm generally a pretty smart guy, and I just don't know what to say to that.

[symmachy]

[Haha she's outsmarted a super genius scientist. Mentally brushing off her shoulders right now. But Scathach just finishes off her tea and flips her cup upside down as well, just so Bruce won't feel weird.]

Don't think too hard, who knows what'll happen.

[hulkbusted]

[Bruce pretty much always feels weird, but the gesture is still appreciated.]

If past history is to be taken into account, either an academic paper or a disaster, and given my history on women with the Other Guy, I'm not expecting a paper.

[symmachy]

[She leans in, one eyebrow raised, chin resting on her steepled fingers.]

Your history on women. Do tell.

[hulkbusted]

[Bruce can't meet her eyes.]

It isn't as easy to condense as the fight with Loki. There was someone before the accident, but when it happened, the Hu-- I hurt her. Nearly killed her. The Other Guy protected her later and she's forgiven us, but she's moved on. [And he's still trying to do the same.]

[symmachy]

[While she doesn't regret asking, the slightest bit of sympathy touches her face. Her voice lowers a smidge.]

I'm sorry that happened to you.

[hulkbusted]

[He shrugs and looks up] I happened to me. No one forced me into that chair, no one forced me to try the serum or expose myself to the gamma rays. That's all on me and I can't take back what I've done as the Hulk.

[He shrugs again and picks up her teacup, putting it upright at the edge of the table while he slides his teacup over to the table's edge, moving quickly to trap the scorpion inside the two cups before standing up to lean over the low fence that delineates the cafe's outdoor area from the street. After a moment he stretches and opens the cups to let the scorpion drop down into a sewer grate and out of sight before he sits down again.]

If the Hulk didn't exist, maybe earth would be ruled by Loki and the Chitauri right now, so I'm not going to be sorry he's around.

[symmachy]

[She can't say she knows exactly what it's like to have a monster trapped inside. She's battled with her nature before, but probably never to the point that he has. She's very aware of this.]

You really give meaning to the term "double edged sword," don't you.

[hulkbusted]

[Bruce gives her a faint smile]

You can have the brains or you can have the brawn.