𝒸𝕆Ň𝓽Δ𝔠ᵗ 👌😈

[oorah]

𝓜𝓻. 𝓜𝓪𝔂𝓸𝓻

𝖙𝖊𝖝𝖙, 𝖛𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖔 (𝔲𝔫;𝖍𝖔𝖙𝖉𝖔𝖌)

𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 (𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖆𝖋𝖊 𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖘𝖊)

𝖋𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖈𝖑𝖚𝖇 𝖛𝖕 (𝔰𝔞𝔣𝔢 𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔰𝔢 𝔤𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔤𝔢)

𝖈𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖑𝖊𝕮𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖑𝖔𝖔𝕶𝖔𝖚𝖙 (𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔬𝔯)

𝖔𝖈𝖈𝖚𝖕𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 (𝖘𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖕𝖆𝖙𝖍 𝖙𝖊𝖈𝖍 : ₁₀₋₃ | 𝖕𝖆𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖑 : ₁₁₋₇ | 𝖋𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖕)

𝖛𝖔𝖑𝖚𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖗 (𝔭𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔬𝔫, 𝔠𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔦𝔠, 𝔥𝔬𝔰𝔭𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔩)

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lookout

[underachievement]

[ After the camping trip, Frank cleared the second vaccine test and Micro confirmed it, but Jess wasn't there to witness this time. She's stopping by to check on David, now that he's been injected too, but she doesn't find him nor his roommate while snooping (turnabout is fair play, she figures, for Frank's stalking). When making her way out, enough dusk has fallen to show the nearby treehouse illuminated from within. Kids around here know what's up, so Jess ascends quietly, intending to poke her head in for just a minute to get the neighbours' take on the latest happenings in the Castle house.

Because surely this is not a place for adults to hang out in. ]

[oorah]

[ rain is falling lighter as night begins to fall and frank is slipping in and out of a pleasant (enough) doze, never one to look comfortable even when he is and now is no exception. max the dog is pressed against his side predictably, and when jess opens the door even soundlessly the creature issues a tiny rattle as a warning. seeing that it's "just her" and no one he necessarily feels threatened by, however, the pit sets his heavy head back onto his paws and shuts his eyes. for his part, frank rolls his head back until he can meet her gaze, a barely-there smile curving his lips. he knows he's already missed a lot from taking a day off as resident snoop, but he's finally starting to feel more human as a result of taking care of himself for a change. and it's clear even in the minutia of his expression that he's pleased to see her.

after a second of just taking her in, he sits up properly and takes down his hood that was still caught around his ears and waves for her to step inside. this place has become a switzerland of sorts, a place for meetings without the tilt of his usual fatherly concern. for lack of a better and far less lame term: this is a no judgment zone. one can air their grievances or merely hide from responsibility -- the latter being what he had done for the better part of the day. hours he's already wishing he could get back somehow, but that's put aside for any visitor. maybe especially this one. ]

[underachievement]

[ Coziness and comfort bleed from the sheets and pillows, and it makes Jess feel better about how sentimentally she's been treating her construction project. She wouldn't be surprised if he just finished knocking this fort out and then laid back for a nap. Jess steps in and shuts the door behind her. With the floor covered in blankets and her boots dirty with wet sand, drywall dust, and god knows what else, she's reluctant to go any further. ]

I just wanted to check in on Micro. [ Jess whispers, no louder than the pitter patter on the wooden shingles above them. He's practically gone native; she has no doubts he'll catch it all. Even she's not half bad at lip reading now. ] He's not at the clinic, is he?

[oorah]

[ when she stops moving forward, he can't prevent the crease of disappointment in his face, but nor does he try and bridge the divide himself. he's ready and willing to hang on every word that comes next, not bothering to locate his device when he knows she'll risk speaking even now. her voice is barely there and almost too soft to be picked up, and yet frank does pick it up and easily in fact. micro is still the one thing he most stands to lose in this place, and he knows it must be the same for jess with trish. he pulls a long breath in and shakes his head. ]

You just missed him. He's fine. [ so far. but flu-like symptoms in exchange for immunity is such a small price to pay anyway. frank gestures for her to come closer, but he doesn't know if she'll listen at all. she's making him nervous with her hovering, not like that's any different from the usual. his voice is raspy and only a measure louder than hers as a result. ] How's Trish? [ the fucked up thing is he really sounds like he cares ]

[underachievement]

She's fine. [ Jess would be watching her every second of every day if she could, even with the shot. She's pretty sure she's driving Trish crazy despite the restraint she is mustering. Hence walking over here to get an update instead of using the network. Anything to eat up the minutes. She can let a dozen or so get devoured here.

She toes her boots off by the heels and pads over, mindful of the dog, whose name she can't remember. Her eyes stay on him as she kneels and sits, a respectful distance. He seems well-trained and -behaved; Jess just has very little experience with dogs. She looks over to Frank once she's settled. ] I thought you didn't sleep. [ Should she be worried? She won't be. But should she. ]

[oorah]

[ something about the way she sits down near him lifts his heart and he smiles at her more steadily as a result. micro, trish and dorothy would all be fine. and kilgrave would never be able to touch them again -- it's hard not to take a victory lap even if the rest is fucked up. when she sits, max reacts too, unpeeling himself from franks side to slink forward until his nose could rest on her knee. everyone else frank has near him on a regular basis pays him regular love to the point where he's come to expect it despite his checkered past. frank watches jess to see how she'll react, distracted by what she says next anyway. he lets out a low chuckle, ducking his head. sleep had become an even more elusive commodity than it had been back home, but when he actually feels exhausted enough to rest it's impossible not to take comfort from the feeling. ]

Thought I'd see what all the fuss was about. [ his smile turns lopsided as he meets her eyes again. hands still in the pockets of his jacket, his calloused fingers catch on the smooth surface of the gift he had brought back for her from the trip. slowly, he draws it out and hands it across to her. the base is chipped and there are scratches in the glass he couldn't get out, but the snowy effect still shifts prettily over the paris scene, contained and mocking them. ]

[underachievement]

[ Obliging the dog, she moves her knee an inch over, but he moves his head accordingly. She gives him an uninvested glare before setting her palm down on his big, broad skull. He closes his eyes and huffs a breath against her jeans, which she takes as approval, leaving her hand there and idly scratching. She thinks Frank's rummaging is to whip out a bone or a bottle, not a piece of crap souvenir. Her brow puckers at first, then through the mire of her memories there surfaces a vague recollection from the last week. Jess sighs, or laughs; both, a warm rattle that shakes up her nerves. She grabs the snowglobe and disturbs it similarly. ]

Should've been expecting that.

[oorah]

[ he snorts at her reaction and nods, she really should have expected it. he shrugs one shoulder a little helplessly, watching as max enjoys her idle attention. there's something captivating about the scene, and frank settles back against the pillows to memorize the image. ] Next time, you should come. [ it was a good time, all things considered. and no one had died, which put him leaps and bounds above the native-escorted trip. ]

[underachievement]

[ The dog takes some interest in the motion but seems to know the difference between a useless knickknack and a ball, and sets his head back down almost immediately after picking it up. Jess turns it over in her hand, running her thumb over the city's name. ]

I'm not big on group outings. [ She wouldn't mind seeing the tower though, as touristy as that is. Just along the skyline, not necessarily up close. ]

[oorah]

[ he pushes out a shaky breath, hesitating over what he's about to say. but the truth is, he's tired. tired of being responsible for so many others. he did that once, in a past life, and it had ended in a massacre of his family and then a vendetta he'd turned against the entire city. it's easier now than ever before to be a little selfish. ] Maybe just us, then.

[underachievement]

[ Jess smiles and then suppresses it, like she's heard a dirty joke in the middle of a lecture. They're both immune to Kilgrave now, which is exactly why they shouldn't go off together, even though she's never been more practically temped to, either. She's closer to bailing on everyone than she was when she had less control but nowhere near close enough to go through with it. Maybe when the majority of the community is inoculated and Trish has returned home like others are assumed to have. ]

Yeah? Who's gonna watch the kids? [ Her eyes make there way to him on a roll. He knows who she's talking about and it is not Scrappy and the gang. ]

[oorah]

[ does frank really think he'd be able to abandon everyone for more than precious moments at a time? no. but it was nice to think about before her words bring him crashing back through the stratosphere. the bemusement remains as a shadow in his gaze, but he's frowning again. ]

Bet we could convince 'em to watch each other. The buddy system still mean anything? [ he shakes his head, just glad they'd made it beyond another hurdle. he knows better than to think it's the last one where kilgrave is concerned, but they're a damn sight better off than a month ago, and certainly than they had been the first time he'd come back. ]

[underachievement]

[ Jessica Jones, professional buzzkill. She can't find it in her to feel any guilt as the easiness bleeds out of his expression. Well she can find it in her to feel tons of guilt but none that isn't currently in use. It wasn't much of a fantasy to go suspending their disbelief for, anyway. Jess doubts he could go two days without hearing from Micro before losing it. He would drive her crazy before that. Hell, she would set off resenting him, given how rusty her camping skills are. Depend on him? No thanks. ]

Only if at least half the people aren't assholes. [ While he does the math on that one, Jess shifts her legs from under to in front of her to ease herself back against the huge pillows lining the wall. ]

[oorah]

[ he wouldn't see it that way, but his patience would probably piss her off more. the image is kind of appealing for whatever reason. he can subsist off of these stolen moments alone though, it's what he's been doing all along even if he doesn't admit it to himself. when she leans back, he stretches one leg out too, his ankle tapping hers companionably. ]

I wouldn't bank on that, but my lot's already in with yours. [ a grim smile is spared here. since their second night, that had been the case. where she goes, he will follow-ow. ]

[underachievement]

No shit, buddy. [ Ignorant to what she is or isn't spared, her head lolls back against the top of the pillow. She's tired but not anymore than usual. Instead of tallying the list of worst case scenarios for the trillionth time, all involving Trish, Jess steers her thoughts over to the current situation, and the broader reality that she can only accept in increments: She can make people safe. He's breathing proof of a possible future here, a middling case on the spectrum of scenarios, and there's something to hate in that too.

Teeny, tiny increments. ]

[oorah]

[ frank snorts. yeah he knows that kind of went without saying. he shoves his hands back into his pockets and closes his eyes for a moment. for a change, he doesn't see horrors behind them, just blessed blankness. ] I think he likes you. [ max, who seems to already be dozing against jess' side. ]

[underachievement]

[ Jess gives him a nudge with her leg, which neither disturbs nor dislodges him. Dogs don't get insomnia, as far as she knows, so he can't be too tired to swap company. Must be putting down what Frank's picking up on, if she's to defer to his knowledge. Not like it's the dog's fault. They take after their (dumb) owners. ] What's his name?

[oorah]

[ a smile curves his lips as he opens his eyes again. ] Max.

[underachievement]

Frank n' Max. [ she muses with a mocking pout. Max audibly snuffles at the repetition of his name and she pets him down reflexively.

They sound like a pair of trenchcoat-wearing detectives or hippie wives. He's done a good job here of cultivating a reliable reputation. She doubts anyone would believe her if she told them who the Punisher was at home, now that she's figured it out. Between the two of them, she's done more to earn the title since they've arrived. ] Yours from home?

[oorah]

[ he shrugs again. that's them, as simple and americana as it gets. her question isn't met with his usual hesitation. even if she hasn't figured out who he is, she of all people deserves the truth. he tips his head as if he isn't sure whether to answer yes or no, they're both right to an extent. ]

I saved him from the Kitchen Irish. [ a beat ] Or maybe he saved me.

[ it's not a cheesy rescue dog slogan when frank says it. he literally means they would both have a bullet in their heads if they hadn't unwittingly worked together. ]

[underachievement]

[ Sounds cheesy but she doesn't doubt it's literal. Kitchen Irish, that was on Daredevil's beat, not hers. She'd rather fight the Hand again than take on the mob or some government conspiracy bullshit -- but then, if either ever came after Trish, she wouldn't have the luxury of a choice. Jess keeps thinking she's just too tired to be disgusted by who he is and that she'll work it up eventually. ]

Think animals reset? [ she poses lightly, regarding Max as she scratches gently through his fur. ]

[oorah]

[ the question has him immediately looking down at max and frowning. ] Not looking to find out. [ frank takes his hand out of his pocket to scratch max's back. he'd taken extreme precautions to make sure max survived here. he's a Dog Person. ]

[underachievement]

Yeah. [ she reassures Max, corroborating Frank's hollow promise by implication. a dog doesn't know when it's being lied to or care when someone breaks their word. if she weren't so debilitatingly terrified of having full accountability for another living thing, she would probably have had a few. ]

Is there anyone left for them to spring on you?

[oorah]

[ what a question. he swallows, fingers tightening in max's short fur as he regards her across the scant space. does she mean... all the people he's killed? or maybe his squad, his brothers? foggy nelson would probably be an annoyance for both of them. and he doesn't dare think -- not even in hypothetical. ]

Yeah. Always is, right? [ it's gravelly and he looks down at max rather than at her. ]

[underachievement]

[ She's thought about it and the only active risk is Malcolm. Her family is buried in the past, stored somewhere in cardboard boxes, Ruben barely knew her, and Hope deserves her ill-won peace. Just like Jessica deserves to be here paying for it, again and again, like a bad dream. Giving purpose to random circumstances isn't a sign of her staunch independence slipping, not if she's sane enough to know it might be. ]

I don't know. I had it good for a while there. [ She cocks her head at Max, as though her present and could confirm her solid job of pushing people away. ]