oorah | ☠ ic contact ☠

[ he laughs outright at that. he's not sure if it's the arrogance that strikes him or something else, but damn, that's funny. she's funny. he's enjoying this, he realizes a little too late, just spending time with her. ]

It's not like I'm not flattered. [ she's a good-looking woman, it's not like he's blind. just fucked up and super ultra bad at this. there's something else, too... jessica jones might just be the one person in this city who has nothing to lose. that he couldn't bring his own bullshit down on because she's already buried under her own. maybe that was the appeal for her when she called him? things are slowly clicking together in his mind and he gives a thoughtful hum as he turns towards the bar to place his second empty down and gesture for another. ] Since we're already here, may as well get a little shitty, right?

Ugh, don't. [ she stops him right there. that is the last thing she wants out of him right now, some kind of compensation or a comment that'll make her feel better. no, all she needs is a drink. ] Don't make this sound any more pathetic than it already is. I can handle rejection just fine, thanks.

[ she slumps forward, heading back for another drink. when she takes a glance at him, she begins to wonder if his face looked like that, how bad did the rest of him look? even if he was up to it, he probably... wouldn't really be up to it. especially with her, of all people. ]

We're pieces of shit. Other than ruin peoples day, what else are we supposed to do? [ other than strike out miserably, apparently. ]

[ people usually reject him not the other way around so he's just kind of... staring at her as he realizes that's exactly what happened. it would be really stupid to say he didn't mean it, but... well, no, he did. he's going to revisit it though, even if he doesn't tell her that. ]

See, that's the spirit.

[ he likes that, so he clinks his bottle against her glass again and takes a long sip. ok... now he's ready to say something about the actual topic at hand. well, maybe. (probably not.) ((frank shut the fuck up)) ]

So you thought... hey, the Punisher probably isn't doing anything important and he's kind of a loser so I'm gonna hit him up for...?

[ oh god, two and a half beers on no food and very little sleep is a recipe for disaster, he's laughing again, laughing so hard he has to wipe his eyes. this looks bad. he thinks it makes him out to be way more pathetic than her but he knows he's being an asshole. ]

Sorry, fuck— sorry. I'm not laughing at you. It just honestly didn't... [ even occur to him, because...? ] Kind of assumed you were outta my league, you know.

[ he still 100% thinks that btw. ]

Holy shit, shut up. [ she says through his laughter, desperately holding back her own as she watches him essentially call her out and lose his shit over it. she doesn't even have a valid argument against it because... well, fuck. it's true. they're both pretty undesirable as far as normal standards go. ]

I tell you not to try and make me feel better so, what... You decide if you can't be nice you're just going to be the biggest asshole? [ the corners of her mouth are fighting back a smile that her lips are naturally curving into from all of this. ] Go to hell, Frank.

[ when she laughs at him laughing, he loses it all over again. it feels like a victory, honestly, since she doesn't seem like the type to laugh too easily. if he can do that just by being an asshole, well. she'll be laughing a lot with him around. ]

That's kinda just the way I was made, you know, but... if it makes you feel better, I guess that's a bonus, right?

[ she looks... younger when she smiles. lighter, somehow. it makes something flutter behind his breastbone and he has to look away, his own grin lingering as he leans his head over the bar. ]

Edited 2019-01-30 20:45 (UTC)

[ he's not the only one who's taking note of smiles. as silence falls between them, she can't help but notice how different and how... normal he looks. despite all the bruising and gashes, from this angle, the punisher seemed like such a misleading title for the man sitting in front of her. ]

I don't know. Sounds like I dodged a bullet.

That I can't argue with.

[ possibly literal, you never know with the way things go for him usually. it takes a long time for his smile to fade even after a few more sips, but eventually he laces his hands against the counter to rest. ]

You're not workin' on anything interesting then...?

[ probably bad business to tell him anything, he realizes, but he's still a nosy dick-for-brains at the end of the day. ]

I'm assuming you've never heard of client confidentiality?

[ she realizes that's a rhetorical question with him, and also that she doesn't really give a shit, anyway. ]

No, nothing interesting. People live sad and boring lives. Most of the cases I get are cheating cases, so... I basically watch people fuck for a living.

[ a case is a case, but if she never had to spy on someone sleeping with someone else, she wouldn't be sad about it.

she looks over at him, thinking he probably has more interesting stories than anything she's ever worked on. between being in the military and being the punisher, he's probably loaded with them. hell, his face was a perfect example of that, but she tried going there and he wasn't having it, so she wasn't about to continue to pry. if anyone knew what it felt like to deal with your demons and walk away from it, it was her. she images he just wants to forget, move on. like she did. ]

I've heard of it.

[ doesn't mean he abides by it, or any other hard and fast rule not set about by well, himself. so yeah: 100% rhetorical despite his answer. her follow-up gets a loud laugh and a gentle shake of his battered head. ]

I guess you, uh, must see some pretty freaky shit. [ shit guys won't do with their wives, right? lieutenant vanilla over here wouldn't fucking know okay. he resumes drinking, a short sip as he turns to bottle in his hand. ] My job can get like that too.

[ he means boring. though occasionally... whatever. ]

Stakeouts are the worst. [ especially for an impatient piece of shit like frank castle. ]

Sometimes. [ his response gets another small chuckle out of her. ] But just enough to get what I need. I try not to get more involved than I have to. Everyone has their own shit they're into and their reasons for doing it, myself included. [ she wiggles her glass at him. ] So I try not to judge... Too much. [ because lord knows she's not perfect. ]

For you? I can only imagine. Patience doesn't really seem like a trait you excel in. No offense. [ there's a break in the conversation that causes her to reflect on everything that was just said. she couldn't be the only one to see the correlation, right? ] You know, if you ever needed something like that done you can always call me. I might charge you extra for rejecting me, but the prices are still pretty competitive, all things considered.

[ that gets him another grin and glance in his direction. ]

What's that phrase? T-M-I.

[ frank, stop embarrassing yourself. he starts to look like he might take her up on her offer before she brings up the "rejection" again, and he has to laugh again. she's never letting this go, is she? ]

Man, you really know how to kick a guy when he's down.

Oh, "when he's down?" Please. [ she scoffs at him, wondering what sequence of events he just lived through. ] Tell me again, out of the two of us, who was the one who made a complete ass of themselves?

[ she takes another drink, and maybe it's the alcohol kicking in--okay, who are we kidding, it is the alcohol--she decides to poke a little fun at him. ]

You know, the more I think about it the more I think you probably couldn't handle me, anyway.

[ two completely different ones?? because he still absolutely believes it's him. and her statement only gets met with further incredulousness. ]

Pretty sure that's exactly what I said, yeah. [ it's a bit dull as he takes a swig, but the amusement is plainly there also. don't beat a guy up for knowing his limitations, lady. ]

No, no. [ she quickly snaps back at him, pointing a finger at--not in--his face. ] You said out of your league. Which is bullshit, by the way. We both know as far as society is concerned, we might as well be the same shit on the bottom of this city's boot.

[ her hand retracts back to it's position at her glass, sliding it close to her chest. ] From my angle, you're someone who likes it rugged and rough on the battlefield. But when you come home, you live a pretty low-key life. No real friends or relationships--because they just get in the way, and you're trouble, anyway. And then life throws you someone and you say, "Goddamn, I miss the simple life" and during that moment when you're inevitably fucking her and things feel normal you think to yourself--just for a split second--you're not the Punisher, you're just Frank Castle.

And me? Well,.. [ she begins, purposely adding in a pause for dramatic effect as she leans forward. ] I'm not normal, I could never have a normal life even if I wanted to, and I don't want that kind of passion. All that shit you leave out there on that battlefield? That's what I want. That's the kind of shit I give. I would break you, Castle.

[ she pulls back and looks down at the bar, a single finger tapping on the edge of it. another moment of silence falls between them, and she clears her throat to break it apart before speaking, not looking in his direction. ] Anyway, it's like I said, you couldn't handle me. I guess you did yourself a favor.

[ he tips his head to concede her point, finding his theory more-or-less confirmed for how she arrived at the conclusion she should fuck him of all people. he's not above a little analysis, so he doesn't mind that she does it, but then she keeps going. and it's almost... impressive? they've said, what? two goddamn words to each other and she thinks she knows everything there is to know, is that it?

frank sets down his beer and sits up, listening to her with his full body, expression impassive. she's practically shouting his name from where he's sitting, but no one even bats an eye. what a classy place. he has better things to worry about anyway. he can't figure out her goal here. does she want him to get pissed and leave, or maybe reneg on his supposed 'rejection.' he still doesn't feel like he was propositioned to a degree he could actually answer to, but that's him, right? old-fashioned. he misses the simple life. right. ]

You wanna hear something sad, Jones? I mean, really sad. [ she probably doesn't, but he's licking his busted lips and rearing back to tell her anyway. ] I don't. Miss it. That married life, that family life... I loved my family, of course I did, more than anything in this whole goddamn rotten world, but. I sucked at it. I was never there for my kids, because being a Marine? That would always come first. You think I look back on it with rose-tinted glasses, but the truth is? The real truth is this is who I am. This is who I always was.

[ he leans real close to her now, hand out on the counter to stabilize himself. It's just as bruised up as his face, if not more. ]

You think you could break me? I know you've got some knockoff Captain America shit going on, but I've been shot, stabbed, bitten, tortured. That's a Sunday afternoon to me. A goddamn stroll through the park. The Punisher is Frank Castle. One in the fucking same.

[ his eyes flash dangerously, he'd gone from prey to predator in an instant, but the real truth is... he really wants to kiss her right now. his gaze draws down to those full lips before he remembers himself, snapping back up. yeah, okay, he admits it: if anyone's in trouble here, it's him. ]

[ this must be the part where people are intimated by him, where they start to cower and regret whatever topic it was that brought him to this point... but not jessica. she sits there, silently, watching him with no real expression on her face. internally, she's feeling a little victorious because this kind of reaction? not necessarily something someone does unless she hit on something a little too close to home.

she will admit that bringing back memories of his family isn't really the string she intended to pull on, but that's always what it comes back to, doesn't it? whether or not she meant to bring them back to the surface, he still struggled with it. she can see it now, in his eyes, as he talks about them and all she can do is understand and sympathize internally for him, because she knows. she knows what it's like to lose an entire family, and that thought is always with you, and always will be for the rest of your life. it never really gets better, you just keep on living.

his captain america comment does get a small nasal laugh out of her before she quickly resumes her deadpan expression. frank has expert military training under his belt. she might have the strength to do it, but what good is it if you're not properly equipped with how to use it? there is no losing with the punisher, the only way you win is if he dies. he didn't need to tell her that, his face, his hands--his entire body did.

despite everything, she can't help but wonder how fucked up she is by being even more attracted to him now more than ever. she feels tension in the air and whether or not it's one sided, she holds herself back from grabbing him and pulling his lips into her. ]

I know. [ she responds coolly, her voice having no real emotion to back it up. ] Not so funny now when you think about it like that, is it? [ she lets that sit--linger there for a minute as she watches him intensely. ]

[ she stares at him like she's devouring him and it shouldn't get under his skin like it does. he swallows but refuses to look away. if there's any annoying quality he has, it's the inability to back down from a challenge, and this certainly qualifies. ]

I didn't say it was funny.

[ frank's voice is small, he's leaning towards her still, but the violence has drained out of him just like that. she knew he would never have hurt her anyway or she wouldn't be here. she's not as into being as harm's way as he is by far. ]

Though, seems like you got your laugh anyway.

[ slowly, he turns back to his drink and wraps his hand around it, his big meatfist practically disappearing the bottle it encircles as he drains the rest of his beer. this is the part where he goes, right? he should... go. he doesn't, though, just hunching over the bar until he thinks of something clever to say or gathers the wherewithal to leave. something about this feels unfinished and he can't quite put his finger on it. ]

Yeah, I laughed. You compared me to Captain-freaking-America of all people, what did you expect?

[ there's a small part of her that wonders if this plan to push him to his limit backfired on her, because the more he stares at her, the more she refuses to admit that his gaze might actually be making her feel something inside. ]

You laughed at the idea of me wanting to have sex with you. And even now, I still don't think you believe me. You're goddamn infuriating, you know that? What, you think you're protecting me or some shit? Well I've got news for you: I'm a big girl and can handle myself.

[ and she's immediately frustrated, because she knows he's just going to agree with her... about being infuriating, at least. she finishes off her drink--again--and roughly places it back on the bar top. jesus, she'd never had to work so hard at convincing someone to have casual sex with her. weren't hookups supposed to be easy? ]

[ he laughs, a rough and gravelly sound. ] Yeah, you liked that? [ being compared to cap. obviously, he was only referring to her powerset, something he only vaguely knows the limits of anyway. ]

I don't think you need my protection, no. [ more like he needs protection from her, if he were honest. he'd like to avoid that if possible. ] This isn't chivalry, so don't get it twisted.

You had your joke at my expense, it was funny. But it's getting old now.

[ he laces his fingers on the bar, no fourth beer for him it would seem. ]

[ she inhales deeply, pushing her hair behind her ears. this definitely isn't where she had wanted the night to go--the note she wanted it to end on--but him sitting there on stand-by after finishing his drink lets her know that even the punisher has his limits. ]

Shit... [ she whispers softly to herself. ] I guess the last thing you need after being beat up physically is to be beat up verbally.

[ digging into the pocket of her jacket, she takes out a messy wad of cash and sets it on the counter. ]

It's on me. [ a small pause, before she continues. ] I'm sorry.

Hey, hey, don't do that. Don't do that. Put that away.

[ he waves his hand, but if she wants to tip their bartender handsomely... well. they probably should. frank doesn't try to remove the money from the bar just, wow this is mortifying. thanks, he hates it all. ]

I can take it, you're fine. [ but he's getting up, since he's guessing this fucking night is over. he checks his hood to make sure it's all the way up and turns away from her with a pitchy sigh, stopping so he can (of course) have the final word. ] Next time, just say what you mean. To some people, a drink is still just a drink.

[ he snorts to himself, truly in self-deprecation. ] I really am an old-fashioned son of a bitch.

[ next time, he says, and it draws her glance over to him. all she does is offer a small nod. ]

Yeah? You can reach out too, you know. I know this whole one sided friendship deal is kind of your your thing, but... It doesn't have to be. With me.

[ the good thing about her not having expectations for herself means she usually doesn't have expectations for others. ]

[ he stays there, stopped in his tracks as he lets the words wash over him. Frank, people give a shit about you. curt's voice in his ear. first she says she just wants to screw him, now after beating him up all night, she wants to be friends. if he wasn't legitimately into this sort of thing, he'd probably tell her off. as it is, he nods, ducking his head to hide his smile though she'll probably hear it anyway. ]

Yeah, I'll uh. Send you a meme or something.

[ amy's been teaching him all about those, bless her heart. okay, now he's really going to go or he probably won't... ever.

but then true to his word, just about exactly 48 hours later she'll receive this text message from a burner number. ]

[ clearly this is appropriate for their every interaction so he sends it sans commentary. ]

[ she kind of looks to the side before looking back at him, and just kind of nods back at his response with a brow raised.

and then about 2 days later that mother fucker actually sends her a meme and it's funny but she also kind of wants to hit him for it, too. ]

sorry, wrong number

didn't like that one huh

[ you guessed it here comes another ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

thank you for giving me a reason to actually use my smile icon

yes good yw

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject