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.
[ 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. ]
well my family died when i was just a kid and then i got put with a psycho bitch who just wanted to use my adoption as good PR for her actual daughter, so
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[ 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.
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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. ]
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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. ]
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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. ]
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[ 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? ]
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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. ]
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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.
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[ 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.
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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. ]
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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. ]
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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
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[ you guessed it here comes another ]
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didn't work out so well for me
next
[ she's reaching for the orange chicken right about now questioning her life choices. ]
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don't have an argument for that one
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both
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good night, you son of a bitch
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[ he's ignoring you, you just said you're eating orange chicken not sleepinG!!! ]
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yeah, i'd go with always
[ she's moved onto mongolian beef now, tyvm ]
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i'm sorry about your family.
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at least i have your shitty memes
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2/2
boo 0/10
<3 he's enjoying this sorry jessica messica
that is the absolute cutest name and i am here for it
it's her legal name ok
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