Ranbir's B(l)ack

Ranbir Chopra 28 || Black Ranger

[ranbirsback-blog]

naomihall:

‘’Wait, is this your first time here, then?” Naomi asked with a smile still lingering on her lips. Grabbing a towel, she placed it around her neck and the bottle of water was now in her hand, she pointed towards the door. ‘’Same way you got in here, through the vortex.’’ She explained and opened the door for them to exit the room. ‘’Come on, I’ll show you.’’ She suggested, stepping into the neon light of the hallway. ‘’By the way, I’m Naomi.’’

“Something like that.” Second, actually, but the first day he’d been in a confused daze, unable to even register half of what was going on. “Thanks. Ranbir,” he replied as he slipped out into the hall after her. After a silence, he finally spoke up. “You’re another.... power ranger?” 

[ranbirsback-blog]

I’orchidranger:

“My parents passed and left me everything. I’m going to college online for interior design. I’m also getting ready to open a dance studio in town.” Alexis chuckled and shook her head. This last month had been quite busy. “And now I’m fighting some ‘evil’ beings. Although I still don’t get why we can’t just alert the police of it. I’m not trying to be the next Catwomen.” Alexis shrugged before taking the orange, quietly peeling it. “And yourself? What are you here for?” Alexis asked curiously.

“Interior design and dance?” He raised an eyebrow, wondering how those ever got near each other. He nodded in response to her comment about the police. This seemed bigger than the police to him, but maybe he was biased. He was just used to police being useless. Or maybe it was the lost widower in him that just needed something to believe in again. “I’m just here. Got drawn, got that same talk you did. Nothing better to do.” 

[ranbirsback-blog]

orchidranger:

Alexis nodded her head. After she gets done with training, her and her best friend google could spend a few minutes finding the book store. “I lived here until I graduated high school and left. The city seems a lot different now though.” Alexis admitted with a shrug. Maybe it was because she was a bit more grown up and aware of things that isn’t just the mall and shopping centers.

“Hmm.” His reply was short, quiet as he digested her response and pulled it back to her previous question. “You’re back for college?“ And to save the Earth apparently. There was an order there, he was vaguely curious about which came first. Ranbir held out an orange to her in offer as he accepted the fact that, yes, the silence was going to be replaced with conversation.

[ranbirsback-blog]

jaymillers:

“Nice to meet you, Ranbir.” Whether Ranbir wasn’t a particularly chatty person by nature or he just didn’t have the energy for small talk, Jay made a mental note to go easier with his own tendency to ramble. Nodding to the waitress as she filled their cups, his attention momentarily shifted, he glanced through the window and onto the street, the scene nearly idyllic for a small town: friendly neighbors chatting outside their businesses, people smiling as they walk down the street. It really was out of a movie. “Yeah, I was kinda surprised, too. It’s definitely not something you see everywhere.” Of course, the other side of the coin was that sometimes you just needed to be on your own, away from your friendly, but nosy neighbors, and there was nowhere to go without being followed by curious eyes. “No, not a lot changes, you’ve got that right. But for us, creatures of habit, it’s great.”

“Creature of habit.... So that means routines, usual orders, knowing everyone.” He was wrapping his mind around the possibility of life here but it seemed to contrast so heavily with what he was hearing on the Nexus... The Nexus. He wondered what people in the area knew about it. Ranbir dragged himself away from asking Jay about if he’d seen anything strange lately-- no use fixating on the Nexus. He was trying to get away from it and breathe for a while, not jump headfirst into a pile of crap. “ Do you... have any idea where I’d get started a place to live? And a job. I can do anything, I’m not picky.” 

[ranbirsback-blog]

naomihall:

The two ‘’No’’ responses puzzled Naomi for a second or two only – and then her lips curved into a smile. He seemed a little out of place but was she really going to hold that against him? They were literally in outer space – or wherever – and it was no wonder that he must’ve felt a bit awkward to begin with. You don’t just randomly see people dancing in big spaceships. If she asked herself why the hell was she dancing in an empty room in space, she wasn’t sure she could provide a good answer. Or a reasonable one, at that. ‘’The exit? You gotta be more specific, buddy,’’ Naomi let out a breath as she took the bottle of water and took a sip. ‘’Out of this room or out of Nexus?”

“Nexus.” His reply was immediate, but after a pause, he squinted a little at her. “I think I can find my way out of his room.” Unless it was one of those where the room slammed closed and he was locked in there.Considering this place, he wouldn’t be surprised if that did happen. He left his hand on the door, just to be safe.

[ranbirsback-blog]

orchidranger:

Alexis rose an eyebrow before shrugging her shoulders. “Whatever,” Alexis said. That was the closest the other was going to get to a apology. Alexis was never mistaken for a humble person. Alexis went back to looking at her phone before sighing. “Do you know if there’s a college book store around here?” Alexis finally asked after a few moments of silence.

He picked at the white strands left on the orange and placed them on his pile of peels, appreciating the silence. Until it was broken, he was tempted to point out her request for peace, but decided better of it. “I saw one. There’s one somewhere.” Anticipating her next question, he went on. “I’m new, I don’t know where.” 

[ranbirsback-blog]

silverintraining:

“It’s your funeral, man.” letting out a small, barely audible, laugh, Caleb shook his head when Ranbir ordered just what he suggested he shouldn’t. “Fair point though. I know how you guys are with spices. I tried some of your food. Well, I do believe it was made by Americans but alas.” he waved his hand and settled himself comfortably onto one of the chairs right next to an empty table. “Dude, this one’s on me. I was the one butting in and I am so not gonna let you pay for this.” he turned his head towards the barista and smiled. He knew the guy from the countless times he was here while on patrol. “The usual, Earl.” he winked at him and as he did so, his gaze fell back upon the guy in his company. “Earl knows how much I hate foam in my coffee. One of the reasons I like this place. They pay attention to your order.” he cleared his throat and thought for a second before speaking once more. “So—” a little lower now. “What color do you think you’ll be getting?” he was curious, of course. Color was something he thought of the most since the day he first learned about his new destiny. It was fun to shuffle different scenarios in his mind. Imagine getting yellow.

“But alas?” The man’s graceful addmitance thathis Indian food was probably more American than Indian brought a smile to Ranbir’s lips. He almost offered to feed him. Maybe eventually, he would be. “Color?” Ranbir’s eyebrows knitted together, lips pursing for a moment. “What color do you... Oh.” God, the color’d been the last thing on his mind, he’d barely even registered that bit.  “I don’t know. Do you?... Do you have yours?”  He hesitated a second before reaching into the pocket and pulling out the small stone. 

[cvmdrunks]

“You know, I get we’re supposed to be a team and all that Barney Bullshit…But can I please have five fucking seconds alone?” Alexis wasn’t used to this. Alexis has spent most of her life either by herself or surrounded by party people or people wanting to have her money. She wasn’t used to being around people who depended on her…People who, as much as she disliked the thought, she might have to depend on someday. “A girl just can’t eat in piece and quiet these days…”

[ranbirsback-blog]

“I’m not here to talk to you.” Ranbir raised an eyebrow at the woman sitting at the table, then shrugged. He wasn’t much of a talker himself and instead just took a seat on the other end, putting as much space between them as possible while he peeled his orange. “No need to snap.”

[ranbirsback-blog]

jaymillers:

It seemed as though Jay’s act of kindness broke through the man’s dejected demeanor and he was more willing to chat, instead of giving up at the first sign of trouble like he did the first time. Maybe, however, was kind of a familiar answer. When he reached Angel Grove, Jay wasn’t sure if it was the destination or just a pit stop either. Honestly, there was a moment when he even considered going back home to Maine, as crazy as it was. But something about the small town kept him around ever since he first arrived and Jay didn’t complain about how his life turned out so far. Nodding his head as the man explained himself, Jay completely related to the sentiment. “I know exactly how it is. But if you decide to stay, I can’t imagine there being a better choice, as long as you’re ready to accept the small town routine,” even though Angel Grove needed very little talking up, its charm doing most of the convincing, Jay still felt the need to put it out there. 

“Ah…,” he chuckled, wondering how to put it. He considered himself local. He knew just about everyone around the town and when he would greet people on the street, they would greet him back. But seven years didn’t seem like enough time to become a local. “Not really. I moved here when I was eighteen, and though they’ve accepted me into the community, I don’t think I’ve quite earned that title yet,” he explained just as they finally reached the diner he was leading them to. “You’re gonna want to remember this place if you’re staying, ‘cause it’s got the best soup and waffles in town. But I wouldn’t eat that as my dinner combination,” he added for good measure, chuckling as they entered the place. It was bright and clean inside, and all he could smell in the air was that fresh pot of coffee the waitress was carrying around the place, refilling cups. Jay let the man pick the table he wanted and headed there with him. “We’ve won you over already? That’s great. You won’t regret it, you’ll see. Oh, and I’m Jay.”

Ranbir couldn't manage a reply for every sentence, quite aware that he couldn't process and think fast enough to manage all the small comments in between. Little nods of acknowledgement answered Jay's responses, hopefully just enough to show him he was still there, thinking. The man seemed to answer his soup and waffles before he'd even had a chance to silently Judge the strange combination. he pulled together the point of what the other man was saying and the bigger ideas of it all.

"Ranbir," he answered as he took a seat in a cozy looking booth. Once his backpack was tucked between him and the window, he reached out to shake his hand. He murmured a thanks to the waitress who placed two cups of coffee at their table. "I didn't realize that little towns like this existed outside of movies." The comment was half to himself as he looked out the window to his right. "Can't imagine much changes around here. Even in 7 years. Good for routine?"  

[ranbirsback-blog]

naomihall:

It took her a split second to realize that someone else was in the room with her. It wasn’t even the fact that she naturally sensed someone’s presence like people normally would – she felt like all of her senses were heightened to exaggeration, and she was still learning to cope with it. So when the door behind her closed with a thud, Naomi lost the rhythm and her body stopped moving to the music. A little out of breath, Naomi pushed the loose strands of hair out of her face, beads of sweat slowly forming, as she tried to recognize the person – but with no success. This was someone she hadn’t seen before at Nexus, not that she knew many people to begin with. ‘’Hi,’’ She said, breathing hitched. ‘’D’you need something?” Her hands now on her hips, she wondered who was he.

Ranbirs hands flew to his sides where they flapped for a second to long before he crossed them over his chest. “No.” The music drowned out his reply, though it could hardly even be called a reply in the first place. He cleared his throat and spoke up, his voice gruff. "No.” Hesitation, then a jerk of his head out the hallway. “Which way is the exit?" He offered no explanation about why he was lurking in the hallway, figuring she could draw conclusions herself. At the best, she’d assume he was lost, at the worst, she’d assume he was a creepy stalker watching her dance.... . His lips pulled into a frown.  Maybe he should explain himself

[ranbirsback-blog]

greenjanellybean:

She hears him repeat his name in attempts to correct her but she just naively waves him off. "Yeah, yeah. I got it. I’m just really stuck on the name Ranboob for you. What’s the harm in a fun nickname?” She says with a smirk. “It’s totally funny and also real cool cause of the reference. You just need to lighten up. Don’t worry, I won’t wear it out too much. I know that feel.” It was the main reason why she never goes by Janelle.

She was still adjusting to the change of pace that she was now put in so of course she was uneasy about speaking about her reason she was in town. “Not much of a story. Or at least, not yet. I gotta still figure that part out.” She says. “And it’s not like I said I didn’t want to talk about. Just that you probably don’t care to know since it’s not that interesting. Why, how about you? Why are you new around here?” She asks, shooting the question back at him.

 He considered walking away for a brief moment but the awkward if the situations had him just wave the option off. He could deal with her, she was loud but she didn't seem like a bad person. He was quiet for a moment, then he just shook his head a little. "Eh ." He ran a hand through his hair and looked down the street for somewhere to rest, letting a little silence linger before he turned to prompt her. He wasn’t in the mood to navigate the intricacies of a real conversation.  "Talk about yourself. Make up a story if you don't like yours."

[ranbirsback-blog]

greenjanellybean:

She didn’t mind the back to back response from the man. She was more so relieved that he had given an answer in the first place. “Ranbir? That’s a really cool name. Ranbir.” She keeps repeating, a big smile on her face from just the smallest bit of amusement but furrows her brows at it sounds familiar in her head the more she thought about it until she vaguely realizes what she was thinking of. “You know what? That sounds like something from one of my old video games as a kid. Uh… Ranboob! Yeah, that’s what it was.” She says, glad that she could remember such a thing and then smirks, a great idea coming to mind. “I should call you that. Yeah, Ranboob totally fits you so I’m gonna do that.” She decides on her own with a nod, not waiting for any confirmation. “Oh! And anyways, my name’s Jae.” She says, remembering he had also asked for her name.

Her smile falters at having to now respond to the next question, letting out a bated chuckle at how inevitable it was. “Eh, it’s not that big or interesting so you probably won’t really care to know. I just traveled around a lot and ended up here.”

... Ranbir's steps falter a little as the girl comes to her brilliant relevation. His lips purse and eyebrows furrow a little as he looks to her. "Ranbir." He repeats his name again, this time solid and firm, his Indian accent strong. He'd run into plenty of people who couldn't wrap their mouth around the different syllables of his name. Some people never had experience with the soft r or the subtle difference between the b and a v. But he'd never had someone butcher his name so badly before and it left him unsettled. "That's not funny, Jae." He did his best to pronounce her name just as she did just to drive his point home.

He would've been interested in how she faltered completely at talking about herself but at this point he really didn't care to ponder. "Yeah. I can see that. You must have some story if you don't want to talk about it." 

[ranbirsback-blog]

greenjanellybean:

She nods at his response taking that as something that didn’t need urgency so she decides there was no harm in leading him through a little run around part of the town first before heading the right direction. She did say she had no clue where the coffee shop was after all. She also didn’t take his response as a cue to quiet down, assuming that he meant he wanted quiet at the coffee shop and not at this immediate moment. “Oh okay, cool. That sounds solid.” She says with a nod and smiles up at him as they continue walking through the streets. “Hey, what’s your name by the way?” She needed to know a name that she can call out if she ever spots this guy ever gonna.

He wasn’t sure how she missed the hint. Maybe he still hadn’t figured out American mannerisms yet and how to do those subtle hints. He answered without pause, not realizing the horror he was setting himself up for. “Ranbir. Yours?“ He didn’t stop for a response from her and instead pushed on, figuring that he’d give her enough content to talk about and that she’d take over from there. Maybe he could just zone out and ignore her like he did when his grandpa started talking about his garden. “You’re new here? What’s your story?”

[ranbirsback-blog]

jaymillers:

Jay took in the man’s appearance, noticing how tired he looked, and not just from the actual, physical burden on his shoulders. As the man pointed out the drink in Jay’s hands, his gaze trailed down to the cup he was holding, and then back to the stranger, listening to what he had to say. “Oh, yeah, of course. Do you just want coffee or maybe something to eat, as well?,” in all honesty, the guy looked like he could use a nice bowl of soup and some actual food to put in his stomach, rather than any coffee. “’Cause I can point you to whatever you’d like.” He’d been in those shoes himself a while ago, and he remembered just how important kindness of others was to him. 

Confirming all of Jay’s thoughts, the man actually asked for help carrying the load on his back and without even blinking, much less giving it a thought, Jay bobbed his head in a nod and reached over to help with one of the backpacks. “Yeah, sure, no problem,” he said as he swung the backpack onto his shoulders now, noticing how heavy it was, like one half of this man’s belongings was in the backpack Jay way carrying, and the other half in the backpack still on the stranger’s shoulders. “Come on, I know just the place, I’ll walk you there. Are you just passing through the town?”

"Thanks" It worked. After a quick exchange of words, one where he hadn't even stopped to consider if he did, instead, want a bite to eat, the second backpack was off his shoulder and he had someone to lead the way. It was unclear where they were going but he didn't bother to ask, honestly just glad to have the help. He'd happily follow the other man anywhere at the moment... Well, except that cave.

Normally Ranbir preferred silent walks but the kindness of the stranger left him warm. "Maybe," he admitted honestly. Leaving home hadn't been anything like what he'd expected. Gone was his job and home. Instead he was walking down this strange down with all his stuff, a dashed hope of reuniting with his wife and some strange coin weighing down his pocket. "I think I'll be staying." It was the first time he'd said it out loud. "Moving, life changes, you know how it is," he murmured in explanation, amazed at how normal it all sounded. What was a good, sane reason for moving to Angel Grove, CA? "Are you local?" he asked, hoping to change the topic, direct it away from him. Hopefully the man would find something to latch on to and talk about. Alright Ranbir, praise him, people love praise. And humor. "The people here are pretty helpful. Congrats on solidifying my decision to stay. Warn me now if I should get back in my car."

[naomihall]

The Nexus was a handful, alright. Naomi didn’t even realize how it seemed that time passed somehow differently over there. She wasn’t sure if it was faster or slower, she just knew that it had an unusual effect on her and she was still trying to decide whether that was a good or bad thing. But Nexus also carried a feeling of serenity with it, away from the city noise and real world. And so when she found an empty room (or was it vice versa?) she had one thing in mind: dancing. Naomi equaled it with her whole life since that’s what it was, and the fact that she was able to have a piece of mind while doing what she loved most – there was no reason for her refuse it. There, she didn’t have to share any space with the sweaty gym goers because of the lack of resources. And so she danced, the rhythm instilled in her bones, becoming one with her.

[ranbirsback-blog]

Ranbir followed the music, curious, which echoed down the corridor s in a way that left him unsure of where it was actually coming from. He was just about to give up, thinking it could simply be the hum of the ship, when he stumbled upon an open door. Careful, not knowing what was on the other side, he opened the door and peeked his head in. A woman was dancing.... Some people baked pies, others danced. What the hell was this place really? She didn’t seem to notice him, so he lingered in the doorframe just to watch a little longer as she moved with a fluidity he’d never seen before. He’d watch, just a minute longer, then slip away again before she realized he was there. The door, however, seemed to have other plans because a little knock of his foot had it screeching open as though it hadn’t be used in years. He reached out to catch it before it slammed against the wall, though his reflexes weren’t the quickest and it slammed agaisnt the wall with a loud thud, leaving a breathless Ranbir standing awkwardly in the doorway and trying not to look up at the woman who surely had to have noticed him now. 

[ranbirsback-blog]

greenjanellybean:

She must have been deaf to the grunt or had selective hearing since she just continued to cheerily stroll along beside the man without a care. She doesn’t find the one word reply strange or off putting, figuring that he must have an easier time making conversation when asked questions directly or simply liked silence better. She was fine with any of those options. She was flexible. “Do you like timbits? Or do you prefer just the normal, classic donuts? Oh! What are you planning to do at the coffee shop? You seem pretty set on going there so it must be important.” She figures it would be nice to know if it was important and he was going to be late for something. Then maybe she might consider turning around and actually showing him to where she believed the coffee shop was, as far as she remembered from yesterday when she was scouting this place with her friends.

Ranbir paid attention to the storefronts they passed, keeping an eye out for a place for... Them to sit. He cast the girl a sideways glance wondering how she managed to talk so fast. She'd directed another question his way before hed even begun pondering what timbits were supposed to be. Either way, she had amazing lung capacity. "I'm just looking for some quiet," his reply was short but had a tired edge to it. Maybe she was a singer. Oh, hopefully not. He waved off the mental image in his head of her climbing on to a building and announcing that she had a song to sing for the town.

[ranbirsback-blog]

silverintraining:

At first, Caleb wasn’t sure if his question was in place. It wasn’t too unusual to him to ask someone for coffee and a chat, but most of those cases, if not all, it was someone he was already friends with or at least someone he knew for some longer time. This guy, he didn’t even know his name. When he accepted, the policeman felt some relief and only smiled while catching up, steps turning into jogging until he was shoulder to shoulder with him. “Nice place it is.” As they walked, Caleb assumed it would be more quiet, and neither of them would say nothing until they got to the café, but not more than a minute has passed and another question was lingering in the air. “—I, u, I dunno.” Pursing his lips, he started remembering the people he saw while he was there. Sure he met Ophelia already, and another dude, but he forgot his name. “I think I have seen more than 10. But I haven’t really spoken to many of them. Everyone was kinda awkward and keeping to themselves.” Another shrug before his mind wandered elsewhere. They are supposed to train and he didn’t actually start it out at all. It wasn’t long before they reached Colossus and without much thinking, Caleb opened the door and held it. “Fair warning, don’t order the chilly mocha. It’s really fucking hot.” He ended up laughing at his own words and the memory of not being able to finish the cup that one time…

Ten? He didn't know what he'd expected, honestly, but the number stole his breath. He'd seen a couple as well, watched from afar, wondering if they were in the same place he was in all this. They'd all acted how he had, at least. Awkward and keeping to themselves... Was this actually going to be some team of heros? Ranbir was thankful that the other didn't press him for conversation and he enjoyed the silence of their walk as he turned the number 10 over in his head. Ranbir slipped into the new place, with a muttered thanks, barely paying much attention to the typical coffee shop atmosphere. The comment about coffee startled him out of his thoughts and brought him back to the real world. "Chili mocha? Huh..." He pondered the juxtaposition of their topics. Two guys who had to save the world (or whatever that mission was supposed to be) just talking about coffee.

It brought a small smile to his lips. "Too hot? Are you really telling an Indian man something is too spicy for him?" His smile took a bit of a teasing tone before he nodded towards the barista and ordered the exact drink the other man had warned him against. It'd probably wake him up just as well as tea and, honestly, Ranbir was drawn to the little challenge. "And what do you want?" He nodded to him while fumbling around all the stuff he was carrying to pull out his wallet. He didn’t think twice about asking, considering it simple courtesy -- though he’d bow out of the way if the other man argued, Sure, Ranbir was a grumpy old man but you could never say he wasn’t polite.