everything sucks.

[fcrgedbyfire]

[     starter.    ]

     @nctironfist

“ So what happens when you, like, run out of arrows? ”

[nctironfist]

                     ❝ i usually try to AVOID that. ❞

         his shoulders lift, a casual indifference. it wasn’t like he couldn’t handle himself without his bow and arrows, but it was generally a PAIN IN THE ASS.

[nctironfist]

SQUIRREL GIRL:

another chuckle   /   sincere.          ❝  funny ,   but no..     i actually don’t know why i’m like this.   my parents and i spent a   while   trying to figure it out  ——   but the only thing we learned is that i’m not a mutant.   don’t have the gene. ❞           she shrugs ,   tail curling.    would have been nice to fit in ,  but she’s okay with being a lone squirrel.                ❝  what can ya do ,  right ? ❞       

                 ❝ you seem pretty at EASE with it,                                   all things considered. ❞          he’d seen all manner of things since the AVENGERS had formed, all kinds of people. as long as they were on his side, as long as they weren’t hurting anyone: who was he to judge? a carnival raised archer wasn’t exactly above reprieve, and he had a dirtier history than most. 

                                              ❝ it makes for a KILLER crime                                                  fighting                        shtick. ❞

[goddessofchaoss]

[nctironfist]

         why couldn’t it be a NORMAL day? seriously — why was it that EVERY FUTZIN’ TIME he left his apartment something like THIS happened? not this exactly [ if he had to split hairs, he’d say this ranked a little WEIRDER than usual ] but it was still the third time this week he’d been stopped short on his way to coffee with ‘ work ‘, and at this rate, he’d have to look for a new coffee shop.                                ❝ hey, buddy. i don’t know how to tell                                   ya   this,   but   you’ve  got  a   little                                   SOMETHING     on     your      face. ❞

              [ if he could call that black ooze little ]                                     @klyntarvenom

[katekatiebishop]

[nctironfist]

         cornering a STRANGER in a hospital room wasn’t the epitome of SOCIAL SKILLS [ but it all came down to how you defined stranger ] he knew about her and her association with STRANGE, and she’d probably heard about him [ it was hard to tell these days ] and when it came down to it, he wasn’t close to the AVENGERS FACILITY — he had to compromise, a bloodied hand slamming the lock on the door before holding itself out in front of him in a show of surrender, his other arm slung around his waist firm.                        ❝ doctor palmer, right?                              i’m a ‘ friend ‘ of stephen strange’s. ❞          [ a work associate seemed more accurate ]                                              ❝ how steady are your hands? ❞ 

                      @dctrplmr​

[nctironfist]

alright, pal. i think it's time we get you home.

          KISSING MEME           — [ open ]

                   ❝ one more drink for the road?                                      no? c’mon — ❞

         clint barton wasn’t much of a DRINKER when it came down to it, a regular ol’ lightweight [ four and a half beers in and he was done ] his shoulders sloped, skin warm, and his smile a lax, exhausted thing that didn’t seem to know when to subside, even as he slid his wallet back into his pocket and surrendered — he’d been there for longer than he should’ve been, and he knew the bartender well, she lived in his building and had APPARENTLY seen fit to send an SOS out to his more recent contacts.                            [ barnes had happened to be among them ]          making a sound of complaint as he eased himself out of his seat, and let himself be ushered to the door, stumbling over his feet enough times to end up leant into barnes’ side. his arm slung itself around broad shoulders for balance, and he yammered on, drunken musings and idle thoughts as they walked the two and a half blocks to his rundown old building [ and when he swings the door open he’s reminded why he’d been out drinking ] it’s empty, and cold, and it’s HELL on him — enough for his hand to bunch into barnes’ sleeve, anchoring itself there, neck craned aside.          as close as they are it isn’t a reach for his lips to end up against the slither of skin exposed above barnes’ collar, his breath huffing against it, a crook of a smile hoisting itself into place. 

                               ❝ you don’t have anywhere to be, right? ❞                                                          @metalplated

[nctironfist]

"You can have your chocolate milk if y'plant one right here." James taps his cheek, with a big, shit eating grin.

           KISSING MEME            — [ open ]

                       ❝ — low, barnes.                                   even for you. ❞          a feign look of conflict crossed his face, hand still hovering an inch away from where he’d moved it to nab his drink before barnes had offered up the ULTIMATUM. a bemused snort escaped him [ mind already made up ] and he pressed his lips against the scratch of stubble on the other’s cheek. it was downright restrained for all of a few seconds before clint muffled an exaggerated  ‘ mwah ‘ into skin, his hand drawing back from his drink and catching barnes’ chin, pressing a few more kisses against his cheek [ each with a loud, excessive sound for punctuation ] and before the other man could shake him loose, he eased back with a chuckle, prize clutched in hand. 

                                                      ❝ next time it’ll be WORSE. ❞                                   @collectiiive

[ask-ballora-the-dancer]

FIRST FIVE ASKS GET A KISS

[firebend]

she’s been writing for minutes now :/

[thatmouthymerc]

@xne-eyedwilly

[nctironfist]

BANNER:

    This time being gone and off the grid wasn’t like running from the military. Bruce had no say in where they were, no say in the decisions that were made or what happened. That all belonged to the Hulk whom had control, all Bruce could do was struggle against that beast in their mindscape. The scientist’s noses scrunches as the voice of Clint Barton rings loudly. There’s a huff because the man is terribly annoying, but it could be said that Hawkeye was still a friend and Bruce cared about him as a former team member. 

  “And what’d the welcome wagon consist of? Streamers, a banner, an excuse to drink? I think I’ll pass. It’s good to see you, Barton. You look well.” They comment kindly. 

   “So I’ve heard. I’m rather glad I passed on the pissing contest.” 

                     ❝ you kiddin’? i don’t  have   that                        kinda ENERGY — not that  i’m                        not happy  to  see  ya,  but   i’ll                        save     the     streamers      for                        THANKSGIVING, or  somethin’. ❞

         he folded his arms over his chest, a loose breath of laughter escaping him as his head dropped [ shaking in a dismissive, careless kind of a way ] he knew a lot of them were still working through all that, and as much as he’d had a chip on his shoulder at the time, he hadn’t held onto it as much as the rest. he’d been living with the paranoia of BETRAYAL around every corner for as long as he could remember, and in all honesty it felt NICE for it not to be all in his head for once.                                 [ if he could forgive his brother,                                        he could move on with the AVENGERS ]                     ❝ believe it or not, all i wanted was  to                        say hey and see how you were doin’,                        but if you don’t  want  this  coffee   i                        PAINSTAKINGLY  went  outta   my                        way to get for you — ❞

[nctironfist]

STRANGER:

          the only reason ky was here in the first place was due to the fact he was looking for answers. he’d been down this path before and the problem was each time things got worse - much worse actually. this time, the only reason he was following the same trail again was due to the fact it was easier to put his mind towards something constructive than to go back to his usual amount violence. 

     ❝ have you ever considered not being annoying? ❞

      a simple question. one that ky didn’t expect an answer to, but all the same, he knew it had to be ultimately be asked. after-all, while they might have been looking for someone - that didn’t mean ky couldn’t use them… even if it would backfire in their own face eventually.

          ❝ — an’ i never heard of a walt - sounds like some sort of dance. ❞ 

                    ❝ it’s been suggested. ❞          he hasn’t really had the time to take it under ADVISEMENT, but it’d probably mean less trouble in his life, less enemies and unpleasant interactions leaving him teetering back and forth between reaching for a weapon. as it stood, he hadn’t. but sometimes it was safer to air on the side of CAUTION. 

                                        ❝ you’re talkin’ about a waltz.                                           BIG DISTINCTION.      i’m                                           more interested in  a  short,                                           kind of  unpleasant  looking                                           guy with a comb-over,  and                                           while we’re on  the  subject —                             do you USUALLY hang around places like this? ❞

[nctironfist]

FAMILIAR FACE:

          hands are stuffed into her hoodie’s pockets despite the light gloves she’s already donned.   she’s not cold ,  but aurora’s learned that covering her hands mutes her ability to feel other’s pain.   and ever since SHIELD fell ,  she’s been doing her damned best to forget about who she was and what she’d been.   but just like every other time her in life ,  aurora can’t fight it and she can’t run from it ,  whether it’s helping an innocent stranger or people calling her out in the middle of the street.           eyelids drop as she exhales in trepidation ,  forcing her lips into a tight smile ;  all she wanted was a cup of coffee.   he could be any number of people with any number of things he could want from her ,  but his face remained tucked in that box of memories you just can’t quite reach.     ❛   yeah ,  um  –  i’m sorry ,  i don’t have that skill.   i mean ,  you look familiar ,  but i don’t ,  um  —    do you need my help ,  is somebody hurt ?   ❜

                                     [ ouch ]          being mistaken for rand was ONE THING but ‘ you look familiar ‘ from a previous SHIELD EMPLOYEE stung. his infamy had really taken a hit — not that he’d ever been the most WELL KNOWN AVENGER.                          ❝ barton. ❞

         he budged a shoulder lazily, filling in the blank for her, lifting the lid of his coffee to blow a cool breath against the scorching hot dose of ENERGY, making a face in the process. he couldn’t exactly scrape her name up from the recesses of his mind, in all fairness. but he’d known hundreds of AGENTS, and she must’ve been something worth note for him to even recall her face [ much less let the curiosity urge him into conversation ]                                       ❝ not that i  know  of, i was                                         curious,  that’s   all.  don’t                                         see any of the  old  faces                                         anymore. ❞

[nctironfist]

BARNES:

         ❛  i don’t know —- watching you struggle is a little bit more amusing than i expected. ❜     he blinks, SLOWLY just a couple of times as if the dust kicked up by clint’s sluggish movements had temporarily slighted his vision. his hand brushed over his face to clear the disturbance away until eventually he looked up at the hawkish perch in which he only delivered a somewhat incredulous expression,              ❛  all right, all right ————- unless you want me to toss you through the damn window. ❜

       he SCOFFS at clint’s offer, and makes a motion with his hand as if to tell him to get on with it already. it was going to be a long day, he could feel it already. 

                      ❝ how ‘bout we  try  that  tactic                         next time? i think it’d ruin  the                         element         of         surprise. ❞          after their banter and some back and forth, clint found himself balanced precariously on the sill, and managed to slide the window up, using pressure to keep the movements silent. it makes things CLEARER — he can spot the exits, a couple extra men, and a few weapons. making a sound at the back of his throat, he reached up for the top of the window, contorting himself with the ease of a man who’d been raised in a carnival [ it came in handy now and then ] dropping to the floor outside the room with a muffled sound.          it leaves him free to work the padlock free, ears straining for footsteps as he worked the lock, opening the door after a telltale CLICK and making a sweeping gesture ahead of him, an easy smile spared in barnes’ direction. it didn’t seem like they’d been detected yet, and it was one hell of a BONUS.                            ❝ you want first pick? ❞                                         [ his voice dropped to a whisper ]                   ❝ i’m  kinda  partial  to  blonde                      sylvester stallone over there. ❞

[nctironfist]

DOC:

     ❝ I am a doctor-doctor, as you say, as much as the ones you seem to avoid. It isn’t because I focused on psychiatry that I cannot take care of physical injuries, but it seems that you have no wish to have someone like me around. A shame really because now I cannot help but wonder why. ❞

         okay so he feels a little BAD for his choice of words, his abrasive remark, and his standoffish air. it isn’t like him to criticize someone’s choice of career, even if SHRINKS made him skittish [ he’d seen one during his recruitment to SHIELD and another after he’d attacked and killed his own people under someone else’s influence ] and neither had been a positive experience.                                 [ nothing he should’ve put on her ]                         ❝ SORRY. ❞

               ❝ i’m guessin’ if i say  i’m FINE or that                  there’s NOTHING going  on, i’m  not                  gonna   dispel  the  MYSTERY,  huh? ❞

[nctironfist]

CROOK:

❝  Avenger  ,  right  , ❞  A  small  ,  amused  chuckle  hums  in  Sylar’s  throat  ,  not  a  look  spared  to  the  man  playing  h e r o.  Fingers  trace  idle  over  the  cheap  ,  worn  leather  of  what  he’d  come  for.  Not  anything  of  the  valuables  in  the  jeweler’s  shop  –  instead  ,  a  simple  address  book. A  beat  &  eyes  finally  pull  from  the  book  ,  to  the  man.  ❝   Which  one  were  you  ,  again  ?  ❞ 

                      ❝ i’m the one who hasn’t had his                         mornin’   coffee  ‘cause  of  this. ❞          it makes him a little less PERSONABLE, but so does crime, and he positioned himself in the door, arms folded over his chest and expectation written into his features, a single brow raised. it would’ve been simple to leave this to a cop [ in the grand scheme of things, burglary wasn’t AVENGER LEVEL crime ] but it was in his neighbourhood, and clint happened to take those things personally.                 ❝ don’t  make  this  hard,  man.                   come   along   quietly.  you’re                   probably    only    lookin’    at                   PROBATION,   as   long   as                   you don’t make this a THING. ❞

[nctironfist]

NAT:

     Natasha just shrugged at his comment, a small smile sliding on her face. No broken ribs… this time. Quite possibly no broken bones at all, from what she could tell, and no stitches needed, just antibiotic ointment, few bandages, and rest. Not a bad deal… and definitely better than she’d initially assumed.

     “Hey, we’ve gotta keep you conscious for a bit. If that means I’m forced to deal with sitting through Jaws 4 or something, that’s what it will be.”

     (    Look at the lengths I go to for you.           Suffering through asinine entertainment.           Saving you from bleeding to death.           Y’know, typical best friend things.    )

     “Go on, pick something before I change my mind.”

                  ❝ oh   i’m   WAY PAST  that,  now.  i                     moved onto sharknado weeks ago. ❞          is he being genuine? playing up being a regular pain-in-the-ass? who knew. lips budged in a lax smile, and he lent his weight into the crook of the sofa, letting the arm keep him up, vision swimming for a second or two after the movement [ nothing new ] it wasn’t his first concussion, and it wouldn’t be his last. it was the kind of business he was in, and the LIFE he’d stumbled into, at this point he didn’t really have many other marketable skills.          selecting his movie of choice [ sharknado: global swarming ] he hit play and adjusted the subtitles, decidedly working his hearing aids out and letting his ears rest. he didn’t need ‘em around her, for as long as they’d been working together he could read her better than most, with or without leaning into his habitual lip reading [ or SIGN when he could muster up the strength ] craning his neck, he nudged her lightly with his elbow.                                         ❝ so, haven’t seen you in awhile. ❞

                          [ and who’s fault is that, barton? ]