spectoral

[spectoral]

➶ OKAY, THIS LOOKS BAD ... #AWBRO, an independent earth-616-based clint barton ( aka hawkeye ) from marvel comics.

MCU-based blogs welcome. prose-heavy, multi-verse, multi-ship, panfandom, & oc-friendly. written by bucku, 30+. engages with writers 21+ only. graphics by calisverse. CARRD for more info.

[spectoral]

#ALIASINVESTIGATE. maybe it's enough that the world thinks i'm a hero. maybe if i work long & hard, maybe i can fool myself. independent jessica jones from marvel comics & the marvel cinematic universe. hired by bucku ( 30+, she/her ) since 2015. CARRD for my standard contract. ©

[spectoral]

if you say with great power comes great responsibility, i swear i'll throw up on you.

independent jessica jones rp blog from marvel comics & the marvel cinematic universe. hired by bucku ( she/her, 30+ ) since 2015. formerly profanemouth. ©

[spectoral]

baby is on sleep strike day 2 ( i just got him to nap! success! ) and i also have to go clean out my office tonight, so i'll probably not be around until tomorrow.

[spectoral]

added jackie as a muse

[spectoral]

matt lets an idly stitched smile -- mild, friendly, affable -- thread its way across his lips. his own hands sit abreast of his walking stick, folded over itself to rest in his palm. his knuckles are patient while he bites down a sharp response where it brews in his throat to the gesture flapping in front of crimson lenses. ( he hears the pull of tendons, revolution of bone against cresting cartilage & joint, can see the shadows of movement set to torturous blaze ; all of it a cacophonous symphony that plays just for him ). " with all due respect, mister stark, " he says, voice even amidst a gentle clearing of his throat. " i doubt you'd find what goes on behind my glasses very interesting. "

there's a ticking pause while his fingertips pinch the outside rim of said spectacles. " ---------- i'm afraid there's some interest in you as an expert witness in a case i'm trying. "

okay,  so  maybe  it’s  rude  —  it’s  definitely  rude  if  the  look  his  honey  bear  was  giving  him  was  any  indication,  but  tony  can’t  &  won’t  stop  the  intrusive  thought  as  he  waves  his  left  hand  in  front  of  the  devil’s  face  before  snapping  it  back.  thumb  &  forefinger  pressing  into  the  curve  of  his  mouth  ;  nestled just  beneath  the  crux  of  his  nose  instead.  “how  much  can  you  actually  see?  see  being  the  optimal,  not  to  mention  theoretical  word  here.  i’m  guessing  colors  are  out,  but  can  you  perceive  textures?  fine  details?”  the  part  of  his  brain  that  thrives  on  knowledge  is  itching  at  the  prospect.  practically  screaming  –  a  flash of  movement  catches  his  eye  &  tony's  expression  turns  incredulous. 

“what;  inquisitive  minds  want  to  know.”  this  is  more  directed  towards  rhodey  in  the  corner,  who's  all  but  steaming  &  3  seconds  from  absolutely  losing  it.  so,  tony  relents  &  flashes  a  sharp  grin  that’s  more  teeth  than  not.  “we’ll  put  a  pin  in  this,  now @spectoral,  what’s  brings you  to  my  humble  tower  at  this  borderline  egregious  time?” 

[spectoral]

their laughter carries centuries of husked leaves whispering across the forest floor, desiccated, dry, yet hosting a hint of the warm humor once possessed by life. rio cants their head, lips drawing into an expression put on completely for agatha's benefit, to show a practiced mask of a taunt.

" i am a cosmic being, " is all rio says in return to agatha's beseeching. slowly, rio withdraws a forearm to the breadth of their thigh. this time, agatha is under death's firm grasp. & no amount of wriggling will set her free. " that's kind of the whole point, agatha. " they are at the chess board once again & with them, the queen is always in play. rio sits back a step, waiting for whatever manipulation of the pieces agatha plans to make ( & waiting for the inevitable, impossible pull that she seems to have over death, to tempt them into a different action ).

maybe this time, rio has the table in a checkmate.

" but detached ... " a shrug, one that pulls this face's mouth into a plying, smirking reaping scythe, draws at their shoulder. " like i said, this goes how you want it. all you have to do is quit running, agatha. " that grin goes dark, solemn & sharp. " every dance with death has an ending but you know that. "

THE CHANGING OF THE TIDES UNBALANCES HER. used to be, whenever agatha had to resort to begging ― well, it was a mutual turn of their game. she had always had the upper hand in the end. but everything is different now. as it turns out, actually dying puts quite a twist on one's perspective.

rio doesn't seem to get that, or, they're reading perfectly between the lines and coaxing it out purely for their own enjoyment. that seems more likely, and . . . objectively deserved, but god, she hates it. despises being caught so vulnerable, even when it's an approach she had deigned to take.

“ i don't want one of your detached, cosmic being answers, ” the witch huffs, unable to fight the petulant look on her face and the magnetism trying to pull her closer to rio at the same time. her arms are crossed as if to withdraw herself, like she is wounded her lover hasn't taken the bait ― which is, so to speak, herself. her feet drag closer but she is rolling back on them to keep some excuse for distance, tucking her lip between her teeth. “ i'm asking you, rio. ” what does she want?

[spectoral]

" that's privileged information. " jessica's response is such a heavy punch that it slacks her shoulders forward, mouth so lax & gaze so sharply tuned that it might as well say duh out loud. " seriously, cornfed, do you think anyone goes around hiring people like me if they expect me to just blurt out every tom, dick, & asshole who books a private eye? " her patience is the threads on her chewed up scarf, bare, scraggly, hanging out by the thinnest string.   " if we're going to braid each other's hair & tell secrets, i'm gonna need some collateral. so, you first. "

" you tell me what you've got so far & i'll consider coughing up one of my sources. " she huffs an asperous, displeased sound that shifts her from boot to boot before she adds. " & this better not end up on some front page headline, because i'm sick as shit of turning up in print. "

" i don't tattle. " jonathan kent had raised him better than that. the idea is so outrageous to his son, the very muscles of his jaw tense up at the thought. still, clark motions forward —  one careful step after the other, lest he may set her off with any sudden movements. his eyes land on the papers, one quick look already committing the contents to memory. " i just want some information, is all. " eyes flicker back to her. behind the thick lenses, they don't seem so boy scout-y. " starting with who sent you down here. "

[spectoral]

" do i look like the kind of asshole who cares about your opinion? " her jaw hangs open enough to suggest disbelief, brow cocked with all of the force of a challenge. the bristling is artifice, but she wears it as well as the worn-soft leather jacket slung across her disaffected shoulders. " i have an hourly fee. you can pay me in cash. "

" ------------- the booze is just a bonus. "

“ i’m not judging. you have your things to do, so by all means do it .” dirty secrets of those willing to pay whatever it took to what closure was needed. emma understood the likeness, only never felt necessary to hire the role. “ if you’re ever available for some photoshoots, i’ll make sure my liquor is restocked .”

[spectoral]

whatever kate had been playing at, dragging herself down to the ass end of town with an internal protest threatening to drag her back toward good old fashioned kevlar & knuckle brawls at every lamppost-studded corner, this hadn't been it. normally they're cat & mouse, each taking turns at dancing close enough to tempt --- sometimes even tangling --- before yanking away at the last minute.

it pisses her the hell off.

so, selina, nearly saccharine, snags kate's eyebrows & send them leaping up behind her bright red fringe.

" invasion of the body snatchers on tonight? " selina's body crowding hers is a challenge. kate nudges a step forward, the space between them claustrophobic with the tension. " next thing you know it you'll be telling me you think i'm cute, too . "

it’s not a rebuke. she yearns for company when she doesn’t have it. it makes her palms itchy. she finds herself quietly shocked sometimes, whenever kate comes around. it’s freakish. doesn’t she understand that selina’s trouble, on every level? even just to know.

and when she’s alone it creeps up on her. how much she fucking hates it. how much she hates being alone.

“i’m bored tonight.”

a glance back is casual as she kicks the door closed carelessly, lock resuming just behind it. her space invades kane’s without fail. her eyelashes never so much as bat.

“you might even say it’s nice to see you.”

[spectoral]

money means power, means leverage. to a monolith like vought, it has bestowed a golden fist that rules like an iron one.

she thought ... chin bowed, swallow cracking a frisson of frailty remnant of the unhealed bone fissured apart in her forearm ... at first, money had been a platform, an opportunity to do good. the effulgent hope in her breast had been so quickly doused with a bourbon, bitter splash, the promise that if she did the right things in front of a camera that the rest would follow so obviously vacant, so clearly just another line in a focus group-sourced script.

each shutter flash had only served to dampen the light in her eyes.

" look around, " she flits her fingertips around the room, the marbling, the expensively obscure artwork on the wall, the luxurious furnishings. her chin is too high. a brow arches up, sharp, defensive, unyielding. " ------- isn't this everything? "

Diana watches Maeve with her eyes alight with curiosity. It is her mouth that shows the weariness she feels, too, with how it droops into an expression akin to a frown. All of it fails to express her admiration for Maeve, which runs as deeply as the ocean, and is just as unexplored.

Diana's fingertips graze the mouth of her own wine glass, but this is not what she wishes she was cradling. ❛ Has money given you everything, Maeve? ❜ She asks in that special way of hers, one that is defined by warmth rather than judgement. She asks, because she truly wishes to know.

❛ I cannot deny it has its benefits, ❜ the woman smiles. One truth for another? ❛ And yet, it has always made me feel so... hollow. ❜

[spectoral]

bitter penny flavor slakes over her tongue & she spits a shower of crimson to the pavement, chewing off a coarse laugh along with it. her cheeks pull into a terse grimace beneath the cowl as she works the rest of the way to standing. " growling? sounds like him alright. i keep telling him he really needs to get out more but he insists on the gerard way fanboy way of life. " the whirling swish of ruby spun into her cape whips out against the night sky behind her as she slides into combat position.

one elbow hugs her battered ribcage, the other hiking higher so that she can poise a gloved fist under her chin & ready to strike out.

" though ... heh, " batwoman shrugs a self-effacing chuckle, their opponents spreading out into the alleyway under a spill of lamplight. " i can't say that i'm exactly known for being a chatty cathy. i guess action over conversation runs in the family. " pipe metal haloes through the air & she thrusts up the spines on her suited forearm to stay it & punts a toe to her assailant's jaw to send it cracking backward. " ----- though i don't mind throwing out a quip here or there. keeps the mind active. "

superman descends as he always does —  extending a helping hand. the red cape flows gently in the breeze, with the golden crest of hope shining brightly in his chest. a heavy burden that none carried with his ease, much less with his grace. even in the light of rejection, when his help is denied in lieu of price, he takes no offense. the sun warrior remains solemn, allowing his lips to curve just so, an invitation to optimism more than anything else.

luckily, it finds reason to widen at her words. he can see it then, clear as the daylight she rejects . . . the family resemblance.

" oh, really? are you about to be chatty and sunny with me? 'cause i'd really appreciate a change of pace there. i tell ya, your cousin isn't the greatest conversationist i've come across. i could do without all the growling. "

[spectoral]

he catalogues the vibrations of boot leather resounding against concrete & its echoes tickling a creak out of neighboring fire escapes. an even, sure-footed gait --- there's no hesitation in the speed with which he approaches.

& they don't have much time.

" ------- you have a funny way of considering things handled. " is all he says, copper tang still rolling thickly along his palate & flooded into his nostrils from her wound, the shredded sinew & flesh & straining stitches attending his senses. stilled in the hallway, matt's ears prick to capture any other movement in the building aside from the omnipresent, scrabbling symphony of rodents scurrying through the walls & jimmying drywall between their teeth mingling with all the way the city screams.

" ------- this way. you can thank me later. " his palm curries under the bow of her elbow & he takes the second to catalogue her drilling pulse alongside her hitching breath surrounding the tight bands of her girded ribcage.

" it was a coincidence, " matt murmurs under his breath as they turn the corner. " you just happened to be there. those men ... they're part of something bigger. "

hold still. this is going to sting.

and doesn't everything ? now isn't the time for licking wounds and petulant regrets, not when the rest of the world sits just beyond - waiting to gnaw at the hunger that fresh blood provokes.

" yeah. yeah, " she accepts the outstretched hand and relies on matt heavily to make her way to her feet, obviously favouring the side that hasn't just been tended to what is essentially a battlefield medic. what are they without their wars ? how could they ever find their way home without their scars leading the way ? there is only one way to momentary safety and eve is already well prepared to accept matt's reaction.

so she starts walking, brisk and determined, towards the ornate grand stand of yet another continental hotel that will give them both sanctuary ... for a price.

" so, in a world where you and i both know i had that handled - what ? were you just bored ? "

[spectoral]

@blindfated | starter call.

" ketchup, mustard, you look like a goddamn hot dog. " it's a throwaway comment, a spearing insult off the fork of her barbed tongue just quick enough to cut. but it lets him know ... she's kept tabs on him just like she has with everything else in hell's kitchen. the 99 friends she'd counted a decade ago has doubled & tripled. vigilantes are anything but a dying breed these days.

------- in spite of fisk's campaign against them.

she hasn't exactly kept her head down either. the paint on her door sign is fresh, the glass uncharacteristically and temporarily whole. but right now, she's marching her way down a city block in the steep black drench of middle-night. boots sagging lazily around her heels, heels tromping out of oil-slicked puddles that lap the ragged hems of her jeans, she hears him step in time with her. her fist strangles a crumpled paper bag around a bottle. " what the hell do you want, murdock? "

" -------- because if it's to borrow my scarf, the answer is a resounding fuck no. "

[spectoral]

❥      NON - SEXUAL   ACTS   OF   DOMINANCE . 

feel free to edit or elaborate as you please .   ( add  ‘ reverse ‘  to your message if you’d like to see how my muse would perform the action ) . otherwise , send in one of these for my muse’s reaction to   …

[ lit ]  your muse lighting a cigarette , spliff , etc. for mine . 

[ order ]  your muse ordering for mine at a restaurant or bar .

[ guide ]  your muse putting a hand on mine’s back to lead them .

[ pay ]  your muse paying for mine at a store , bar , restaurant , etc . ( you can specify where or for what . )

[ open ]  your muse opening a door for mine .

[ dry ]  your muse drying mine off with a towel after a shower , bath , swimming , etc . 

[ instruct ]  your muse giving mine instructions / telling them what to do . 

[ groom ]  your muse adjusting mine’s appearance , such as straightening a tie , fixing their hair , or buttoning their shirt for them , etc . 

[ direct ]  your muse taking mine by the chin and telling them to look yours in the eye .

[ disagree ]  your muse sternly telling mine  ‘ no ‘ .

[ rest ]  your muse resting their arm over mine’s shoulder / s .

[ clean ]  your muse cleaning a smudge of something off mine’s cheek , forehead , etc .   feel free to specify what and how . 

[ answer ]  your muse answering a question meant for mine . 

[ coat ]   your muse holds mine’s coat out for them while they put it on .

[ pilot ]  your muse taking mine by the arm , hand , shoulder , etc . to lead them . 

[ stare ]  your muse staring mine down . 

[ placement ]  your muse telling mine to sit down .

[ teach ]  your muse taking control of mine’s hand , arm , hips , etc . to make sure they do something correctly .  

[ patience ]  your muse telling mine to be patient .

[ tears ]  your muse wiping away mine’s tears .

[ swat ]  your muse swatting mine’s hand away from something they’re not supposed to touch .  

[ jewelry  ]  your muse clasping a piece of jewelry for mine , such as a necklace , or earrings . 

[ enough ]  your muse commanding mine to stop talking . 

[ retrieve ]  your muse requesting or ordering mine to retrieve them something .

[ invite ]  your muse inviting mine to sit on their lap .

[ lean ]  your muse inviting mine to lean into their side while they’re sitting or laying together . 

[ calm ]   your muse telling mine to  ‘ just breathe ‘ .

[ scold ]  your muse scolding mine for something .

[ comfort ]  your muse pulling mine into a reassuring hug .

[ approval ]  your muse complimenting mine on a choice they’ve made .

[ beckon ]  your muse beckoning mine to them without speaking . 

[ laces ]  your muse lacing , tying , or zipping something for mine , such as shoes , a dress , or a jacket , etc .

[ stay ]  your muse telling mine to stay in the car . 

[ defend ]  your muse defending mine’s reputation , dignity , or safety for them . 

[ feed ]  your muse feeding mine something , feel free to specify what .

[ volume ]  your muse demanding mine speak louder .

[ read ]  your muse reading something to mine .

[ refill ]  your muse refilling mine’s glass for them . 

[ possessive ]  your muse resting their hand on mine’s leg or the small of their back while they’re sitting beside each other . 

[spectoral]

@asteritm | starter call.

" yeah, well .... i don't get asked on a lot of second dates. "

[spectoral]

@rejectory | starter call.

" ----- not bad for a couple of semi-stable, hundred year old men, huh pal? "