Private Calming fists of fury

A clean and modern interior, a by the books professional air. The Reincarnation Clinic had opposition and support alike, but as it never had actually broke any laws nor freak accidents, it had managed to make an appearance on the island. The security of such was important. So, how someone like Bran Owens had become a member of the security team had been a surprise as much to him and to anyone else.

But he had got the job, and he tried to behave with it. Since he was newer, Bran only worked in the reception area during open hours and downstairs occasionally. Something to do with disposition and whether he could be trusted alone. Normally he stood in the reception area wearing a security uniform that felt more comfortable to him than casual clothes. Normally nothing happened. A lot of people who came by were skittish and Bran could easily observe. Sometimes he talked, and he found it relatively easy to do. Just act like they were a superior he had to listen to.

Slow weeks sucked. Bran appreciated not doing much work, but damn it made him bored. So when some random guy came in shouting how the Clinic was an affront to the moral integrity of the island, Bran had to approach to ask them to leave. The poor receptionist tried to be more charismatic than Bran, and the guy started to get violent.

Bran acted in his role as security. He restrained them, and used necessary force while authorities were called. Then he... may have used a bit too much force. Not quite enough to be excessive, but enough that Bran went overboard. Though Bran hadn’t really thought that, a bruise on his jaw when he’d been taken by surprise.

The Clinic would have an early close. The receptionist was shaken up, and they had been told a detective would probably come down. When a woman came in on a wheelchair, Bran yawned. Probably another client. When the receptionist who asked if she was alright pointed in his direction, Bran looked left and right. With a groan, Bran walked over.

“I’m Bran Owens, is there anything you need help with?”

Bran looked at the woman with a neutral expression that hid his annoyance. He was used to pretending he wasn’t annoyed when someone had to talk to him. He had been a soldier after all. Then the woman showed a badge and Bran slowly blinked. Well, he knew a detective would come by, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t surprised that this was the detective. His face went from disinterested neutral to a more critical look, Bran’s eyes giving the fairly high tech wheelchair a look over, then the detective’s face.

He clicked his tongue. “Right. Yeah.” Bran murmured, and he gave a look over at the receptionist. She simply nodded her head and Bran sighed. “Yeah I have a moment, we’re closing earlier today anyways.” Bran replied.

Now that he wasn’t in ‘treat them like your superior, soldier’ mode, Bran had a more annoyed look. He didn’t seem annoyed at Cris, but Bran ground his teeth quite noticeably on the side of his face that had been hit. Bran crossed his arms over his chest, hands gloved so no one would be able to see his robotic left arm. “What do you want to know, Detective?” He asked.

Although he had been briefly surprised, Bran decided he should treat Cris just as a detective. Not like he could exactly talk, since he had a robot arm himself. Oh, he definitely was aware this would go down on record. Even if Bran wasn’t familiar with the criminal system of the island, he was used to being monitored. So, Bran gave a nod when she asked if he realised he was going to be recorded.

“Yep, I understand it being recorded.” Bran replied after he had heard the beep. He rolled his shoulders and tried to loosen his jaw, Bran knew he was irritated. Since he hadn’t sought out other people much, Bran hadn’t been in a lot of fights since he got to the island. He hadn’t expected the first one had just been at his job and he got surprised.

His side of the story. Oh, Bran was certain the guy who caused this mess was trying to make it Bran had caused this. At least they had security footage and the receptionist’s perspective to back him up. As Cris moved them over to some chairs, Bran decided to remain standing, a rigid posture to him noticeable.

“It’s been a slow day. Not a lot of people were coming in today, so we weren’t exactly on guard. I heard from the other security guys that some people would linger outside to harass some the clients that came by, and that they were against the Clinic. But they told me none of them ever came in. Then we had this guy. No signs or posters or anything, he just ran in and started yelling some anti-clinic stuff. I get this place is probably controversial and all.” Bran shrugged and paused for a moment as he thought of what he would say next. “There were one or two clients in the back, so I asked him to leave. He refused to leave, so I attempted to enact a forced exit from the premises, and he resisted. The lady over there tried to talk him down, and he shoved her away before punching me.”

Bran’s jaw was grinding again, and he gestured at the bruise that had formed on the side of his face when he got punched. “I forcefully restrained him as authorities were called, he kept struggling, and eventually the police arrived to take him away.” He closed his eyes, his arms still folded and he periodically clenched his jaw. Bran had left out how he himself roughed up the guy, since he wholeheartedly felt it was deserved. It wasn’t quite excessive force, but Bran was more forceful than he had to be.

The detective gazed at Bran with sharp eyes, and surprisingly it made him feel more relaxed than uneasy. People who looked at him with a calculating look, he knew he couldn't trust them. They could easily convince him of their goals then discard him once his use as a pawn had been fulfilled. But it was a look he was familiar with. He grew up with others modified like him who became more involved in the technical aspect of their reason for existence.

Bran sighed as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I roughed him up, yeah. He hit me, I hit him back. Nothing beyond the realms of what is allowed." He offhandedly mentioned, a hand waved dismissively. Bran had been rough, more than he needed to, but it was still permissible, and he had been attacked. "Took him outside while he was off balance, and held him there till police came." Bran continued, looking into Cris' eyes while he spoke. There wasn't a shred of belief that what he had done was wrong.

"Hey, I've been telling the truth. I'm not a liar." Bran shrugged as he looked away from Cris again with a somewhat bored look. He could bet that rat was exaggerating about what Bran had done. Well, Bran was a lot of things, but he'd take responsibility for his own actions. "If this really is an issue for whatever reason, then the beef is with me, isn't it? Not my employers."

Well, he could've easily left that out, but the job wasn't bad to him. He wasn't in active danger, they hired him even with knowledge of how he was, and his colleagues were decently respectful of how he wasn't someone who wanted to be bothered. It'd be unfair if they got into trouble cause of something he had done, he supposed.

As Cris went through the procedure to shut down the recording, Bran stretched his arms and looked out the windows. He thought it would be the end of that, and he'd just have to hang around a bit longer until the next shift came in. He was sure they weren't happy they'd be doing some overtime, but at least they were going to be paid more for their trouble.

Bran was about to walk away when Cris spoke again, so he turned back to look at her with the same neutral expression he wore when she first came in. Practiced neutrality, to seem interested in the conversation without expressing negative emotions. He did it to help people he couldn't defend themselves? Bran had to stop himself from outright laughing, but the smallest smirk appeared on the corners of his mouth.

Though, he could see where she was coming from. It had been a few years since he really had to consider how his actions affected the image of those in charge of him, and even then he had acted out for the purpose of making them look bad at times. Bran didn't really want that in this case. Damn this island and decently functioning society.

With a sharp inhale, Bran grumbled a response to Cris. "Yeah, yeah. I know. I don't play nice with others, I'm aware of that." He almost looked like a child that had just been scolded. "I'm usually not pestered here, and I try to avoid people outside of work. No point seeking trouble." Bran shrugged. At the very least he was somewhat self aware. "I'm not what you'd call a people person."