BE SEEING YOU.

Unexpected was the right word for sure. Jane recognized the face of the man in front of her, but it took a moment for her brain to cough up his name. Wick, that was it. John Wick. She’d only met him once, back when she was still the Winter Soldier. He was a hitman for some Russian crime family that HYDRA had been interested in, and the two of them had been paired up to carry out an assassination in Slovenia during the Yugoslav Wars.

Shit. Of all the people for her to stumble across…

She didn’t know what he was up to these days, what kind of ties he might still have, but she couldn’t help hoping it wasn’t going to come to a fight. She’d seen him in action, and he would be a challenging adversary. But for now, at least, he didn’t seem belligerent.

The fuck are you doin’ out here, she was tempted to ask. But instead she said, “I’m just passin’ through. Don’t mind me.”

John remembers the mission well. Remembers... her. The more he thinks of the assignment, the more he remembers how brutal she had been. Her stance. Her confusion, even. Definitely different from how she was back then. Then again... he was, too. Maybe not by much, but there was a few things that have happened since they last encountered one another. The farm being one of them. Technically, they weren’t exactly on his farm. Just... on the land. It was a good drive to his house. He was only here for the mail that was placed in the box on the main street.

She was... walking? Wandering, even? Town was a few miles back... and yet, it looks like she kept on walking? John wasn’t very sure what the entire story was. He didn’t even know if she was still affiliated with the people she used to work with. What were their names, again? He couldn’t remember. Then again, he wasn’t spared a lot of information from Viggo during that mission in particular.

No, hesitation doesn’t do. Timing is everything, and something must always be taken at the best possible moment; especially opportunities. And that’s what she is; sometimes. For some people. And for others, she’s a downfall. Power, is power, and power can be bought; but not everyone can pay the price. 

Grey eyes watch him, too close and too sharp, and she half-smiles, sly and thoughtful. “I do that,” Muninn agrees. “And if you heard that, you heard it from darker means. Or more desperate ones.” Not evil, not nearly; she didn’t deal in absolutes. But… Still. The circles that knew her name were few. 

“What do you need help with?”

John is already paying. Paying with his body, with his life. But what was life if he couldn’t spend it in peace with Helen? John knew he needed help. Viggo... didn’t want him to leave. That was obvious. Tasking him with this... impossible mission. Leaving would not be easy, but he would complete this mission no matter the cost. But that cost... it needed to be permanent. Nothing unstable like a marker to his name. This cost... needed to have its time limit pronounced instead of leaving him to wonder when it was his time to pay.

He stands tall. Stands strong. His expression is the only thing that falters. Analyzing her, analyzing her words. She was right. He heard them from darker means. You hear a few things in this line of work. Most, you shrug off. Others... you save for a rainy day. But this day was storming. This day was a hurricane.

Calming horses was never an easy job, let alone when the weather set the poor things running wild. The aches of having to wrangle as many animals as she could to safety from the storm were certainly showing, limping her way into the kitchen, hoping to distract from the exhaustion with a jug mug of coffee. Old wounds always quick to flare. Startled by the sight of the food carefully prepared- hell John was not a man she would have taken for a cook. Then again, he had to feed himself somehow.

”No need the thank me, couldn’t not help. Thank YOU for cookin’.” Glad to sit opposite him, head turning to the soft pattering of Dog and Merle crossing to sit by the table. Hell, if she’d been more awake, a breakfast like this certainly would have had her darting to the kitchen. “God- it smells so good. Didn’t think you’d be a cooked breakfast kinda guy.”

It was... certainly one of the first times John has had to deal with rowdy farm animals. The horses were hard enough, but somehow, he thinks running after all the chicken was worse. A lot of them were scared into their keep, but others didn’t quite get the memo. He would probably be sore himself if he hasn’t broken about every bone in his body at this point. Pain wasn’t too much for him to deal with anymore. Especially knowing that all of his animals were safe. The storm wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but it was still... something. Enough for him to even let Guard and Mother in, too.

1. john has a necklace with helen’s wedding ring on it. on him at all times, either he’s wearing it or carrying it in his pocket. in his retirement verse, you can find him wearing that and a bracelet that looks a lot like helen’s did. (undecided if he grabbed it before the house was blown up or if he bought one like it)

plotted starter with @remembersher​ !

YOU’VE SEEN A LOT IN YOUR FEW YEARS AS A NURSE  .  even in your years as a nursing student  ,  you saw a lot  .  but  ,  this  ?  this was something new  .  you were on your way to work  ,  ready to work a long night shift  .  coffee in one hand and phone in the other  .  that’s when you heard it  .  the sound of someone hitting the ground  .  at first  ,  you thought someone might have fainted  .  that is  ,  until you caught sight of him  .  that was more than just fainting  .  your nurse instincts kick in and without a second thought  ,  you rush over to him  ,  checking his pulse  .  he was breathing  ,  thankfully  .  pulling up your phone  ,  you thought about whether or not you should call the police  .  

You never knew a knife could dig so deep. It was worse than the pain from the fall. Worse than getting hit by countless cars. Worse than when he chopped his own finger off. This pain, this journey, all to preserve what memories he had with Helen.

Where did that get you, Boogeyman?

continued from here with @remembersher​ ! 

YOU SLOWLY LOWER THE GUN  ,  confusion flickering on your features  .  you don’t know who he is and why he’s here but he seems to be one of the good guys  ,  so far  .  he didn’t put a bullet in your head or try to drag you somewhere else and that made him a good guy in your book  .  you came here for information  ,  papers and evidence that you’ve seen with your own two eyes  .  though  ,  it’s hard to get them now that they’re trying to kill this guy  .  

his words are painfully obvious  .  you’re a reporter and most people didn’t like your kind as it was  .  but  ,  you know for a fact that they’re smart enough to know why you’re here and that would give them reason enough to kill you  .  ocean blue hues met his gaze  ,  nodding slowly  .   ❝  yeah  ,  that much is kinda obvious  .  i got it  .  stay hidden  .   ❞

Who is he? Some call him Baba Yaga. Some call him the Boogeyman. John Wick is the name he’s mostly known by, his history makes sure of that. But even that name has its own title. He left it behind, nearly five years ago. No more was he Baba Yaga, or Boogeyman, or John Wick. He was just... John. But when vengeance came to drag him under, all the names attached to him like a suit of armor. Locked under chains, holding him down. But no more. The key is here, with these Tarasovs. The key was in his car.

He didn’t know who she was much like how she doesn’t know him. But he knows she isn’t Tarasov. What she’s here for, he doesn’t know. And maybe he doesn’t care. He hasn’t really made up his mind whether or not he does. He’s only here for one thing. John spares her a stern glance and he curtly nods. It’s then he does what he does best. Charging at the men, gun taking its aim and shooting one in the head, neck, onto the next. Swift movements from the very experienced fighter.

One things clear...

It’s foreign to him, all of this. People have whispered all around him to call upon her for power. For strength. This task that lies ahead of him... this impossible task... he needs this power. For him. For Helen. For if he completes this task, he’s a free man. He can finally be with Helen.

John keeps his distance, wary of who exactly he’s called upon. Who exactly he’s found. But she appears shortly thereafter. He can’t be hesitant. Not now. “I... heard you... help people.” He doesn’t know how to put it into words, exactly. Really, he’s not sure what she actually does.

There wasn’t much explanation that was done. Those who had hired him gave him one task and one task only: take out Big Boss. It wasn’t really John’s right to question it. He’s gone into missions with less descriptors before. So here he is now. Any obstacle in his way defeated, all to be face-to-face with the man he needs to take care of. Silence, gun held tightly in his hand as he stares at the man.

The man held himself like a soldier. A soldier, just like John used to be. He’d knew it would be a challenge. It didn’t make it any better as John made his way to Big Boss, there were things that stood out as... weird to him. But he persisted nonetheless.

It was... unexpected. Out of all the people to stumble to his farm, John would have never thought she would. He remembers, the two of them working together on a mission before he met Helen. And now that he’s officially retired, he’s... having a hard time understanding why she’s here. She looks... different. Not like how she presented herself back then. Eyes narrow onto her. “Can I... help you?”

Where is it?

Hand having gone to his chest, not feeling the ring attached to the necklace there. She had gotten him to her place, he remembers, surely patched him up. He fell unconscious... and now the ring’s gone. John quickly sits up despite the sharp pain he experiences, looking around for the necklace.

“... thanks.” For the drink, he means. Even if it was just a shot. John couldn’t really relax a lot. Having made this war between him and the High Table, knowing one of the consequences was constant running. No doubt they knew he was alive. He had killed everyone they threw his way thus far, but now he needed to meet back up with the Bowery King and get some more ammunition. Even if he’s playing the part of a soldier more than a general- he needs to be careful.