[The first year that the alien headquarters appeared, a ragtag team of five heroes was sent in to stop the supposed invasion- and they all died except for the youngest. Then the youngest, a teenage boy, was sent back to STAR Labs mostly fine and the aliens just... didn't do anything else. Even after a new team was formed to take the place of the old, they didn't instigate anything. If they fought, they had it in an unpopulated area. A quarry. The deep woods. There wasn't so much as a wayward camper. There might be a fight on a rooftop, but it never ended in civilian casualties.]
[What happened when the alien base was invaded? No one knew and not even the lone survivor was sure. But this was many years ago, and that was about the same time a strange man moved into a small apartment next to where Harley lives today.]
[He's quiet. He doesn't really make a mess, and the loudest thing he does is sometimes cook food that smells really good. If something he's watching becomes audible, whoever is eavesdropping will be regaled with stories about zookeeping, a koala rescue, or the development of a panda habitat. Nature documentaries and the occasional food. It's likely most residents just assume that he's some strange meta, or that he's got some scientific enhancement. Not that he's some space alien. He's 6'3'' which is tall but not unreasonably so. They just accept the largely uneventful man with the pointed ears that stick out and the reflective yellow eyes that he tries to keep hidden with his hair worn shaggy.]
[The weird-but-simultaneously-achingly-plain neighbor doesn't really go to building meetings (who wants to, though?). He'll stop and help a single mother carry her stroller up after a walk with her baby or an old woman carry her groceries. It's always a little reluctant- like he's thinking of walking by, and then turns back to do the right thing. He'll leave and come back at the hours an office worker might keep. He's largely uneventful, and the first time he really interacts with Harley is when she's taking her Hyena out and he stares at it. He doesn't balk or run or panic or grab his phone. He just looks at it with his strangely colored gaze, lets it smell him without overreacting, then nods to Harley before going into his own apartment.]
[It's the next evening, after grocery shopping, that he knocks on her door. He's got a bag of frozen beef bones (usually for stews, but this time for fuzzy babies) and a bag of catnip because he read that Hyenas like it.]
[ Harley is nowhere near as conscientious a neighbor. She keeps odd hours, lives too loudly, and that hyena is absolutely not in line with the pet policy. Still, there's something about her that's hard to dislike. She's always got a smile, and though she's terrible with names she always remembers idle small talk and checks in on someone having a hard time. There's often a gaggle of children trailing behind her, which Harley pretends to hate. But she lets them pet the hyena and teaches them the cool swears and only sometimes throws cans at them, which sends them scattering in a flurry of giggles. ]
[ The neighborhood, overall, seems happy to let Harley claim it as her territory. She's one of those frogs that warns predators off with bright colors. The apartment building is her bromeliad, giving shelter in exchange for protection. A mutually symbiotic relationship. She learned all about it listening to one of her neighbor's nature shows. Quiet guy. Seems alright, but nothing worth paying particular attention to. She doesn't see him much, and hasn't decided yet if he's hot or just tall. ]
[ He's the last person she expected to see when she opened the door (a hammer in one hand, just in case). She blinks owlishly up at him, still can't quite place him on the hot-or-tall scale, and tips her head like a confused dog. ]
[When she opens the door, she seems as pleasant as ever. She actually kind of reminds him of one of his coworkers, Trigger. Just... yknow... mostly happy? Trigger only seems happy when he's actively in a fight. She has the same chaotic joy on demand.]
[And she has a hammer. Was she expecting far worse company? Or is she just prepared for far worse company.]
I found out hyenas can chew bones with their enormous bite strength so I brought her a bag of frozen beef bones while I was at the store. And it turned out that my cat is unresponsive to catnip [-which isn't surprising, as his cat is a repurposed drone weapon modelled to look like a cat rather than a real cat-] and hyenas are supposed to enjoy it.
[He holds them out in polite offering, giving her a little polite bow as he does.]
Edited (fucking misfired and hit post before preview) 2025-11-23 08:40 (UTC)
[ She lets the hammer slip from her hand to the floor, which is apparently where it lives. Harley doesn't invite him in, but she does leave the door open for him to follow her. ]
Brucie, it's for you!
[ There's an answering yip from another room, and the hyena pads into the room. Bruce gives a curious sniff at the air and then makes a beeline for the bag of bones. ]
I never heard the thing about catnip before. Where'd you learn that?
A big cat refuge was posting videos after Halloween. They had jack-o-lanterns with catnip and were tearing them apart. They had some hyenas.
[He awkwardly follows her in, not sure of what to do with himself, but surprised nontheless as he takes a look at the hammer on the floor, around the place idly. >He opens the bag of bones when he realizes he's going to be allowed to give the hyena its treats, puts down a few of the frozen bones and then a little mound of catnip beside it, and then puts both the items on the counter.]
[He's still so unfamiliar with Earth animals he just thought Brucie was a strange dog for... months? Long enough until one of his documentaries informed him differently.]
Hello, Brucie. [Baby talking an animal? No. He's terrible at that. He talks to that hyena like he's making a business deal. No amount of babying enters that voice. He talks to that hyena like it's an actual person, tone just as deep and stoic as ever.] I have brought you food and catnip my cat had no use for. I hope you enjoy it.
[He looks to Harley.] Would Brucie mind if I pet them sometime?
[ Bruce snuffles at the mound of catnip until he sneezes. He takes a step back and worries at his snout with a paw, until he decides it's worth further investigation. He drops onto the 'nip and rolls around to rub it into the rug.
Harley giggles and claps. She pulls out a phone to start recording. ]
Awww, look! He loves it! Sooo cuuuute!
[ She grins up at her neighbor. Damn, he's tall. ]
Now that he knows you carry presents, good luck getting him to leave you alone. Oh, but don't try to touch him while he's got a treat. We've been working on the resource guarding, but he's winning that fight.
[Ah. He gives her a greatful nod for the warning, but the hyena seems so satisfied that he seems pleased. Better not try to get too friendly while it's enjoying its new snacks.]
He's pretty well behaved for a hyena, so I think you've done a good job. Compared to the children upstairs he's actually pretty quiet.
[When he glances over at her, there's a glint of yellow in his eyes peeking out from behind his heavy bangs. Like his eyes are just catching a little too much light.]
If it's okay, I can start bringing by some treats for him. And maybe if he likes me one day I can pet him? [He really wants to try to pet the puppycat eventually.]
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[What happened when the alien base was invaded? No one knew and not even the lone survivor was sure. But this was many years ago, and that was about the same time a strange man moved into a small apartment next to where Harley lives today.]
[He's quiet. He doesn't really make a mess, and the loudest thing he does is sometimes cook food that smells really good. If something he's watching becomes audible, whoever is eavesdropping will be regaled with stories about zookeeping, a koala rescue, or the development of a panda habitat. Nature documentaries and the occasional food. It's likely most residents just assume that he's some strange meta, or that he's got some scientific enhancement. Not that he's some space alien. He's 6'3'' which is tall but not unreasonably so. They just accept the largely uneventful man with the pointed ears that stick out and the reflective yellow eyes that he tries to keep hidden with his hair worn shaggy.]
[The weird-but-simultaneously-achingly-plain neighbor doesn't really go to building meetings (who wants to, though?). He'll stop and help a single mother carry her stroller up after a walk with her baby or an old woman carry her groceries. It's always a little reluctant- like he's thinking of walking by, and then turns back to do the right thing. He'll leave and come back at the hours an office worker might keep. He's largely uneventful, and the first time he really interacts with Harley is when she's taking her Hyena out and he stares at it. He doesn't balk or run or panic or grab his phone. He just looks at it with his strangely colored gaze, lets it smell him without overreacting, then nods to Harley before going into his own apartment.]
[It's the next evening, after grocery shopping, that he knocks on her door. He's got a bag of frozen beef bones (usually for stews, but this time for fuzzy babies) and a bag of catnip because he read that Hyenas like it.]
no subject
[ The neighborhood, overall, seems happy to let Harley claim it as her territory. She's one of those frogs that warns predators off with bright colors. The apartment building is her bromeliad, giving shelter in exchange for protection. A mutually symbiotic relationship. She learned all about it listening to one of her neighbor's nature shows. Quiet guy. Seems alright, but nothing worth paying particular attention to. She doesn't see him much, and hasn't decided yet if he's hot or just tall. ]
[ He's the last person she expected to see when she opened the door (a hammer in one hand, just in case). She blinks owlishly up at him, still can't quite place him on the hot-or-tall scale, and tips her head like a confused dog. ]
Uh? What?
no subject
[And she has a hammer. Was she expecting far worse company? Or is she just prepared for far worse company.]
I found out hyenas can chew bones with their enormous bite strength so I brought her a bag of frozen beef bones while I was at the store. And it turned out that my cat is unresponsive to catnip [-which isn't surprising, as his cat is a repurposed drone weapon modelled to look like a cat rather than a real cat-] and hyenas are supposed to enjoy it.
[He holds them out in polite offering, giving her a little polite bow as he does.]
no subject
[ She lets the hammer slip from her hand to the floor, which is apparently where it lives. Harley doesn't invite him in, but she does leave the door open for him to follow her. ]
Brucie, it's for you!
[ There's an answering yip from another room, and the hyena pads into the room. Bruce gives a curious sniff at the air and then makes a beeline for the bag of bones. ]
I never heard the thing about catnip before. Where'd you learn that?
no subject
[He awkwardly follows her in, not sure of what to do with himself, but surprised nontheless as he takes a look at the hammer on the floor, around the place idly. >He opens the bag of bones when he realizes he's going to be allowed to give the hyena its treats, puts down a few of the frozen bones and then a little mound of catnip beside it, and then puts both the items on the counter.]
[He's still so unfamiliar with Earth animals he just thought Brucie was a strange dog for... months? Long enough until one of his documentaries informed him differently.]
Hello, Brucie. [Baby talking an animal? No. He's terrible at that. He talks to that hyena like he's making a business deal. No amount of babying enters that voice. He talks to that hyena like it's an actual person, tone just as deep and stoic as ever.] I have brought you food and catnip my cat had no use for. I hope you enjoy it.
[He looks to Harley.] Would Brucie mind if I pet them sometime?
sorry for the delay. holiday commitments.
Harley giggles and claps. She pulls out a phone to start recording. ]
Awww, look! He loves it! Sooo cuuuute!
[ She grins up at her neighbor. Damn, he's tall. ]
Now that he knows you carry presents, good luck getting him to leave you alone. Oh, but don't try to touch him while he's got a treat. We've been working on the resource guarding, but he's winning that fight.
No worries! Holidays be like that.
He's pretty well behaved for a hyena, so I think you've done a good job. Compared to the children upstairs he's actually pretty quiet.
[When he glances over at her, there's a glint of yellow in his eyes peeking out from behind his heavy bangs. Like his eyes are just catching a little too much light.]
If it's okay, I can start bringing by some treats for him. And maybe if he likes me one day I can pet him? [He really wants to try to pet the puppycat eventually.]