𝖘𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖉 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊.

     “so that should give us a minimum of TEN MINUTES before the owner notices.” dick spoke, after having turned the sign around as to avoid disturbance. 

@thephoenixstart​

..

          “  that’s  fine. ”  he  responds,  digging  into  his  pockets  for  the  set  of  tools  he’ll  need.  “  i  only  need  seven. ”

.

          hearing and smelling bucky’s dilemma, clint chuckled as he got up and moved into the kitchen. “here, it’s still over half full.” he held out the cup to the other “now, step aside and let me work my magic.” clint grinned as he looked at the coffee machine. it took him a couple of minutes to work it out but once he did he got the machine going, the coffee starting to brew. “there we go. this wasn’t in the right position.” he pointed to the trouble maker “just make sure after you add the ground beans that you push it all the way to the right to lock it in.” the blonde smiled before he leaned against the kitchen counter “so, is the coffee kicking in or do i need to sick lucky on you?”

..

he  doesn’t  hesitate  as  he  accepts  the  coffee,  pivoting  out  of  the  way  so  that  clint  can  take  a  look  at  his  coffee  machine.  realistically,  from  an  objective  point  of  view,  he  can  admit  that  coffee  has  more  of  a  placebo  effect  on  him  thanks  to  the  serum,  but  that’s  hard  to  remember  as  he  downs  nearly  the  entire  cup  in  one  go.   insomnia  can  be  a  bitch  and  while  existing  on  45  minutes  a  night  isn’t  unheard  of  for  him,  he’s  not  a  fan.  “  my  hero. ”  he  says  as  he  thanks  him,  toasting  the  to  go  cup  in  the  air.   “  my  coffee  maker  owes  you  its  life.  it’s  hard  to  get  one  without  those..”  he  waves  his  hand, looking  for  the  right  words.   “  fancy  touch  screens  with  the  pictures. ”  while  they  might  work  good  for  most  people,  he  likes  his  coffee  a  little  well-done.   hard  to  do  when  the  machine’s  designed  to  be  perfect.   “  no,  i’m  good.  i’m  booting  back  up. ”   he  straightens  up,  a  hand  rubbing  over  the  back  of  his  neck.   “  what’s  up? ”

The boy doesn’t stand up off the ground yet, deciding to stay where he ended up out of fear that the ghosts will return if he tried to leave on his own. RJ has been trained to take down anyone that comes in his way but none of those lessons could have taught him how to handle being approached by the spirits of the dead. How do you fight back against something you can’t touch? He killed them once already so it makes sense why they were angry. Maybe he deserved to wear these bruises and get scarred from those scratches. It goes to show that any progress that’s made to be better can also come with having to remember the bad memories too. RJ thought that he could live with it and has been trying to make peace with what he has done. There’s still a long road of atonement ahead of him. Who better to understand than Bucky? It wasn’t something they’ve discussed but RJ is glad that his uncle isn’t busy. He knows most people are partying or doing something that’s festive.

“O—Okay. I’m sorry if I ruined your plans.” RJ doesn’t know what Bucky is being torn away from but knowing he wouldn’t be alone in five minutes makes him sigh in relief. Only for a moment at least. “I don’t understand why they were all here. They’re dead. I know they are … I’m the one who killed them. HE was there too with them. The only logical explanation would be that they were ghosts but I’m not sure I understand …” His voice cracks again, maybe starting to cry while speaking the words. “They took out their anger on me. I’m bleeding I think, I haven’t checked. Did I deserve it? I think I might have.” His gaze looking ahead just waiting to see Bucky come into view. He’d be here soon, right?

...

             “  you  haven’t  ruined  anything. ”  bucky  assures  him,  the  words  coming  out  quickly;  like  a  reflex.  “  but  for  the  record,  if  you  ever  need  me  —  doesn’t  matter  what  i’m  doing.  i’m  here. ”   he  means  it  too,  which  is  something  he  never  thought  he’d  be  able  to  say.  too  many  years  spent  dulled,  detached  from  his  own  emotions,  that  he’d  figured  hydra  had  managed  to  cut  whatever  humanity  he  had  left  out  of  him.   he’s  glad  it’s  not  true,  glad  he  feels  everything,  and  that  he  can  do  his  best  to  be  there  for  RJ.   there  are  few  people  out  there  who  understand  what  it’s  like  to  be  trained  to  be  something  you’re  not...  to  have  someone  try  and  strip  your  very  essence  and  leave  you  just  a  husk.   a  WEAPON  to  be  trained  on  anyone,  at  any  moment.    

the  more  RJ  talks,  the  more  confused  he  gets.  he  never  should  have  left.  stuffy  as  it  was,  a  big  crowd  like  that..  of  course  someone  was  going  to  pull  something.   there’s  no  time  to  kick  himself  for  it  though  as  he  turns  the  corner,  relief  washing  over  him  as  lux  comes  into  view.   “  the  things  that  you  did. ”   he  starts,  remembering  the  first  time  he’d  ever  heard  those  words..  when  steve  had  said  them  about  him.   “  it  wasn’t  you. ”  he’s  looking  around  as  he  approaches,  speeding  up  when  he  thinks  he  sees  someone  in  the  distance.  “  you  never  wanted  to  hurt  anyone.  you’re  a  good  kid.   what  you’re  seeing...  it’s  not  real  and  you  sure  as  hell  don’t  deserve  it. ”   he’s  not  sure  exactly  how  he’s  supposed  to  fight  ghosts  but  he’s  more  than  willing  to  give  it  a  shot  as  he  approaches.   “  RJ ? ”   he  calls  out,  trying  to  confirm  its  him  before  he  hangs  up.   “  RJ ! ”

[ closed starter // @bxckybcrncs ]

          clint leaned against the doorframe, lucky sitting at his feet panting slightly, sipping his coffee. shield had wanted him to put together a team to look for, capture, and interrogate a hydra operative and well… clint knew exactly who he wanted to work with. “buckaroo, i will pick this lock if you don’t open up. i heard you shuffling around in there.” he shouted, banging his fist against the door again. sighing, he looked down making eye contact with lucky “alright bud, hold my coffee for me.” the blonde knelt down setting the over sized to-go cup down before pulling out his lock picks. it took him a few seconds ( thirty-seven to be exact, ‘tasha would be disappointed in him ) to get the door open but once it was unlocked he pushed it open and walked over to the couch. both he and lucky plopped down, making themselves at home. “i got all the time in the world pal, you can’t hide forever.”

..

it’s  not  that  he  hasn’t  heard  the  knock  at  the  door...  because  he  definitely  has.  it’d  be  pretty  hard  to  miss  the  fists  banging  against  the  frame  and  he  screws  his  face  up  as  he  waits  for  his  coffee  maker  to  roar  to  life.  his  apartment’s  not  much,  just  some  hole  in  the  wall  in  brooklyn  —  a  borough  that  looks  nothing  like  how  he  remembers  it  from  before  —  but  it’s  his  home,  dammit,  and  clint  can  wait  until  he’s  poured  his  coffee  for  him  to  get  the  door.   he  thinks  he  grumbles  something  to  that  effect,  hand  slamming  against  the  coffee  maker  that  barely  works,  but  it  comes  out  more  like  a  grumphsahasdss.   

he’s  got  his  forehead  pressed  against  the  top  of  the  machine,  begging  it  to  please  work,  for  the  love  of  all  that’s  holy,  when  he  hears  the  sounds  of  a  lock  clicking  and  paws  on  his  floor.   despite  his  caffeine-deprived  existence,  he  cracks  a  smile  and  looks  over  at  clint  and  lucky.   “  no  one’s  hiding.   just  —  fighting  with  technology. ”   to  further  prove  his  point  he  pushes  the  button  again,  only  for  it  to  beep  loudly  and  power  back  down.  “  —  really  wish  i  had  some  instant  right  about  now. ”

He thought she was deaf? How did she tell him she knew how to hear, looking around, she chewed on her bottom lip as she finally came up with a way. Pointing to herself, she then gave him a thumbs up before pointing to her ear. Hopefully that got the message across. Then she saw it - the charger from heaven itself. Thankfully grabbing it from him, she managed to plug her phone in and turn it on to begin communicating again. ‘Thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me. You don’t need to sign though, I can hear’

..

it  takes  him  a  minute  to  process  what  she’s  trying  to  say  but  when  it  clicks  his  cheeks  color  in  embarrassment.  “  you  can  hear  me.  of  course  you  can.  i’m  so  sorry. ”   he  barely  resists  the  urge  to  drag  his  palm  over  his  face,  wondering  if  his  instincts  will  ever  be  like  they  were  before  hydra;  before  the  ice.   even  now,  years  later,  he  still  feels  like  he’s  trying  to  fight  his  way  to  the  surface.  he  peers  down  at  the  phone  screen,  nodding  as  he  reads  her  words.   “  it’s  no  problem.  i’m  glad  i  could  help. ”

Her phone had died and she felt like she had no way of talking to anyone in town. Unless she was lucky enough to come by someone who knew how to sign. Stopping someone, she deliberated her next words before remembering she could write in the air with her light manipulation. Charger? she wrote, holding up her phone as she let out a small sigh before the person backed away and ran off, visibly scared by either how she looked or what she could do. Sighing, she leaned against a wall and slid down it before sensing a figure near her

..

bucky’s  no  stranger  to  being  on  the  receiving  end  of  strange  looks,  or  wary  apprehension,  so  his  jaw  clenches  when  he  sees  someone  back  away  from  the  girl  spelling  out  words  with...  light?  huh.  that’s  new.   he  approaches,  raising  a  hand  and  using  the  very  minimal  sign  language  he  knows  to  sign;  hello.  maybe  i  can  help.   he  digs  into  his  pocket  and  produces  a  power-bank  that’s  seen  better  days  with  a  charger  attached.   sure,  there’s  a  chance  it  won’t  work  on  her  phone,  or  she’ll  run  off  with  it  and  he’ll  never  see  it  again,  but  for  the  $4  it  cost  on  wish...  he  decides  it’s  a  risk  worth  taking.   “  it  might  not  fit  but  have  at  it. ”   he  adds  as  he  hands  it  over.  

“i did not steal it.” despite the words, her tone was playful, and she offered a quick shrug. “i left cash on the bar. if it’s the right amount, who knows…if they’d actually paid attention to me, i’d have been able to order.” not that her id was even remotely real or accurate, so it was probably less of a headache this way overall. pulling off the cap, stephanie moved forward to refill the man’s glass before taking a drink directly from the bottle herself. “be warned, that’s not champagne, it’s whiskey.” 

..

“  still  sounds  like  stealing  to  me. ”  he  points  out,  but  he  accepts  the  drink  nonetheless.  what?  it’s  not  like  he’s  some  saint.  he  might  not  have  lived  through  prohibition  but  he’d  heard  stories  from  some  of  the  guys  that  worked  down  at  the  docks.  liquor,  when  you  couldn’t  come  by it,  was  a  hot  commodity...  and  now  here  they  were  giving  it  out  like  it  was  water.   i  love  the  future,  he  thinks  with  a  sigh,  sipping  from   the  glass.   it’s  not  so  bad  after  all.   “  it’s  expensive  whiskey. ”   he  corrects.  you  can  tell  by  the  taste  and  how  smooth  it  goes  down.   “  no  offence  to  the  champagne...  but  i’d  take  this  over  that  bubbly  crap  any  day. ”

RJ slowly sits up, pulling his sleeves down over his arms, trying to hide the hand-shaped bruises littering his skin and but the scratches bleed through the fabric a little. The only thing they can’t be hidden is the reddening cheek from being hit. Colt did enough of that growing up so maybe the ghost of him doing it shouldn’t surprise him. His hand shakes while reaching for the phone in his pocket and calling someone who might understand but was also the first number he saw in his contacts. He sniffles when the other line picks up. RJ doesn’t know what he would have done if nobody answered. Maybe he would have just stayed here for a while but maybe deep down is afraid they’ll come back.

“Uncle Bucky? I’m outside Lux. Can you take me home? I don’t know if you’re busy but something happened.” His voice cracks, not meaning for it to. “Please, I want to go home.” Normally he could handle making the journey on his own but NOT TONIGHT.

[ private event starter for @bxckybcrncs​ ! ]

...

after  about  an  hour  of  polite  conversation  and  a  couple  glasses  of  champagne,  bucky  had  slipped  away  from  the  party  in  favor  of  a  long  walk.  with  his  tie  loosened,  hair  ruffled  to  free  it  from  the  styling  gel  he’d  used  to  look  presentable,  and  his  suit  jacket  thrown  over  his  shoulder,  he  just  looks  like  any  average  person  stumbling  out  of  a  wedding  reception..  or  a  funeral.  he  blends  into  the  cover  of  the  night,  maybe  even  better  than  if  he  were  wearing  dark  shades  and  a  ball  cap.  the  normalcy  is  nice.  he’s  gotten  used  to  the  stares  --  both  wary,  and  revered  --  from  people  who  recognize  him  from  the  history  books,  or  the  news,  but  he  likes  the  half-smiles  from  cute  baristas  who  don’t  know  who  he  is,  or  book  store  owners  who  ask  if  he’s  a  history  buff  when  they  see  his  easy  reading  materials,  the  best.   

with  a  coffee  and  a  new  book  tucked  under  his  arm,  he  plans  on  making  it  an  early  night  when  the  call  comes  in.   his  phone  number  is  really  only  ever  called  by  shield,  or  one  of  the  avengers,  so  he  answers  without  hesitation;  worry  tinges  his  tone,  even  more-so  when  he  hears  rj’s  voice  on  the  other  end.   “  i’m  never  too  busy  for  you. ”   he  answers  quickly,  already  turning  to  walk  in  the  direction  of  lux.   “  i’m  ten  minutes  away. ”   then  he  hears  the  crack  in  rj’s  voice,  and  he  breaks  into  a  run.  “  make  that  five.  i’m  on  my  way.   can  you  tell  me  what  happened?  we  can  stay  on  the  phone  until  i  get  there. ”

[ sent message > sgt barnes ] i don’t know if it makes you feel any better but it didn’t end up that way in the alternate timeline i was in. peg spoke fondly of you and steve, when i could get her to crack that thick shell of hers [ sent message > sgt barnes ] i guess i just got lucky. they took a chance on me, helping to fake my death and pluck me from the timeline, and i am glad they did. got to meet daisy and she took me to space, gonna be a tough act to follow for a date. [ sent message > sgt barnes ] even from the 80s to now, things advanced by leaps and bounds. i’m still trying to figure it all out. they just gave me a blackberry to replace the flip phone from when i first got here.

@thephoenixstart​

“ somehow you look more miserable than me.” lena commented before she took a sip from her drink, and sat it down on the bar.

she honestly had no real idea why she came to the masquerade, if lena wanted to get drunk and stew in her own misery then she could that in the comfort of her penthouse. but at least she didn’t seem to be totally alone in feeling horrible about life decisions.

..

he  almost  spits  his  champagne  back  into  the  flute,  eyes  drifting  over  to  the  dark  haired  stranger  before  him.   sometimes  he  forgets,  when  his  mind  blanks  out  in  a  crowded  room,  how  detached  his  resting  face  looks.   it’s  a  learned  response,  one  he  still  hasn’t  quite  managed  to  shake  when  he’s  not  thinking  about  it.   “  miserable’s  a  little  strong. ”   he  searches  for  a  better  word,  pausing  too  long  as  nothing  springs  to  mind  right.   “  alright. ”   he  concedes.   “  maybe  a  little. ”

[ sent message > sgt barnes ] they had some on the zephyr when i first joined them and it was not a pleasant taste. i went from the 50s to the 70s in minutes and it was culture shock to say the least [ sent message > sgt barnes ] boba. i agree about starbucks though, very good but extremely expensive.

@bxckybcrncs she had laughed off the idea of the masquerade at first, dismissing the idea almost immediately. stephanie didn’t do formal wear or fancy events, even back when she’d been affiliated with batman and therefore bruce wayne’s foundation events. but still, as much as she found herself huffing and re-adjusting her dress, it was nice to able to be out without much fear of being recognized. even as the spoiler, there were chanced that she’d be recognized unless she did an entire suit overhaul. no one would ever expect stephanie brown to be caught dead in a full length ball gown and heels, and yet…here she was. she stuck with her normal color scheme, though. purple was the shit. what was not, however, was having to wait for the bartender to get to her. she knew he had seen her, and she was getting more impatient by the minute. sure, her id was fake, but her money was mostly good. growling a curse under her breath, she leaned forward over the bar, feet temporarily leaving the ground as she snagged the closest bottle on the other side. she paused as she realized someone nearby had seen, and she offered a shrug. “he was taking too long. i’ll share if we don’t talk about it.”

..

he  wears  his  discomfort  like  an  accessory  as  he  shifts  his  weight  from  one  foot  to  the  other,  eyes  constantly  shifting  around  the  room  to  scope  out  the  exits.   OLD  HABITS  DIE  HARD.  he’s  never  felt  comfortable  in  crowds,  not  since  he  got  back,  and  though  he’s  come  to  appreciate  the  bustle  of  the  city  a  crowded  nightclub’s  hardly  his  scene.  if  it  weren’t  for  some  of  his  friends  and  coworkers,  he  probably  wouldn’t  have  bothered  leaving  the  apartment.   as  is,  he’s  longing  for  his  shabby  couch,  microwave  popcorn,  and  the  season  of  i  love  lucy  he’d  left  off  on.   

he’s  trying  to  make  the  most  of  things  though,  making  conversation  with  strangers  and  sipping  expensive  champagne  like  he  belongs  in  a  place  like  this.   the  first  person  he  sees  that  makes  him  feel  a  little  less  like  a  fish  out  of  water  is  the  girl  practically  crawling  over  the  bar  to  get  a  drink,  a  snort  slipping  out  before  he  can  stop  himself.  “  that’s  one  way  to  speed  things  up. ”  he  comments,  finding  himself  nodding  all  the  same  as  he  holds  his  empty  champagne  flute  out.   “  eh,  sure.   you  already  stole  it  ...  the  DAMAGE  has  been  done. ”

[ 𝔬𝔭𝔢𝔫 𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔢𝔯 // @thephoenixstart​ ]

“Bloody hell,” he grunted as he brought up the shovel and threw the dirt over his shoulder. He was digging up a grave on what he presumed was a quite corner of the cemetery. The old bag of bones that lay in the coffin six feet below him had been disturbed by some dumb teenagers who’d been playing with a Ouija board and now he had to put the woman to rest again by burning her bones. Only, he had to dig them up first. It was bloody exhausting. He was debating taking a break from digging when a flashlight beamed directly into his eyes. John dropped the shovel and brought his hand over his face to try to get a look at the individual. “It’s not what it looks like,” he lied. “I’m just…visiting my nan…” 

..

it  might  seem  a  little  weird,  encountering  a  man  digging  up  a  grave  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  but  he  figures  it’s  no  less  weird  than  searching  through  the  rows  for  your  own  headstone.  he’d  heard  they’d  put  one  up  here,  something  beyond  the  memorial  at  the  old  s.h.i.e.l.d  headquarters,  and  his  curiosity  had  gotten  the  best  of  him  whilst  in  the  throes  of  insomnia.  he’d  felt  a  little  STUPID  as  he  crunched  leaves  under  his  feet,  shining  a  light  so  he  could  study  the  names,  but  he  feels  infinitely  better  now  that  someone’s  topped  him  on  the  weird-o-meter.   “  visiting. ”   he  repeats,  a  brow  raising  as  he  gives  the  man  a  proper  once  over.   he  thinks  he  might  recognize  him  but  the  name’s  escaping  him  at  present.   “  —  and  you  had  to  dig  her  up  to  do  that  ? ”

[ sent message > sgt barnes ] it’s so strange! like, even on the zephyr they didn’t get it and i was so confused [ sent message > sgt barnes ] like, i’m glad not everything is boiled but the msg and fake flavours are so strange