asthehawkflies | [#000] Appointments

You have quite the resume.

[His tone is teasing, disguising the part of him that's actually impressed.]

No handicap. I'll take my chances. I'm not to bad at throwing things at targets either.

Oh, I've picked up lots of things. I had an unconventional upbringing.

[He chooses his darts and passes the others over to Steve.]

So I've seen. That shield has to be pretty heavy to hurl around like that.

[He raises a brow.] Really? Sounds like there's a story there.

[Steve accepts the darts and fiddles with them. Looking at Clint, he nods towards the dart board. You can do the honors.]

You would think so, but it's not really. At least, not for me. I haven't really seen anyone else handle it the way I do though.

Oh, it's a pretty common story. I did what every kid dreams of doing. I ran away to join the circus when I was ten.

[He grins as he says it and then turns to the dart board. He takes a moment to aim and then throws the three darts in quick succession into the triple twenty.]

I'm not sure there is anyone else could handle it. You're not exactly any guy off the street.

[That gets both brows raised.] Really? So you're an ex-carny. That sounds about right. [He teases.]

[Whistling at Clint's score, Steve steps up to take his turn. He considers the board thoughtfully for a moment before throwing his darts. He hits a double twelve, a single twelve and, after a brief pause to adjust his aim, a triple twelve.]

I'm a little rusty. [He'd been aiming for the triple the whole time.]

Yeah yeah. If you need balloon animals or a juggler I'm your man.

[The surprise he expects, and honestly the teasing is better than a lot of reactions he's got before.

He eyes the result that Steve gets, and nods.]

Not bad for rusty. Think you'll be up to speed in no time.

I'll remember that if I ever get stuck at an eight year olds birthday party.

[He nods, eying the dart board again.]

If nothing else, I'm consistent.

Might not be as unlikely as you think here.

How about you? They teach you in school about Captain America, the hero. Don't think I've ever heard much about Steve Rogers though.

[It would be nice to know something about the man, not the myth, something that doesn't come from a SHIELD file.]

That's a good thing to start with. Better to hit a target consistently than get in a rare, excellent shot and miss the rest of the time.

[He considers that for a moment. Even back in his own time, during the war, most people only knew about his public side. Once he became Captain America, the hero, Steve Rogers, the man, tended to become second best.]

Well...what do you want to know?

[His past isn't any big secret. It's just not something that's widely known about.]

Right.

I'm not asking for anything private. Everyone has stuff they don't share. Just... things like your favourite food or what you do for fun when you aren't being an all-American hero.

[He's curious, what can he say? Not every day you hang out with a genuine hero who you're supposed to work with.]

Snipers have a lot of time to get philosophical. Not much to do except think when you're stuck on a roof for days on end.

Well my favorite food would have to be Brooklyn-style pizza. It's the best and it reminds me of home. It's also one of the few things that hasn't changed much over the years.

[He smiles a little thinking about it.]

And what I do for fun...is draw. I had been enrolled at an art school when the war broke out. You can image what happened after.

I think pizza is pretty much a constant throughout the ages. Have you had much chance to look around New York since you woke up?

[It was surprisingly simple but it fit him. Maybe after this, Fury'll let him slip the leash for a bit.

Drawing on the other hand was a bit more of a surprise.]

Not much time for art when there's a fascist dictatorship snapping at your heels, I guess.

I did a lot of wandering once SHIELD thought I was fine to be out on my own. I soon had to admit to myself that it's changed a lot and I have to stop expecting things to be as I remember them.

[He chuckles.]

No, not really.

I can't even begin to imagine how much things have changed. Even since I was a kid, the advances in technology have been incredible.

[And Steve is dealing with seventy years of that. Did computers even exist in the 40s?]

Guess you can take it back up now though. When there aren't aliens to contend with.

Yeah, it was like stepping into a new world for awhile. Still is actually, but I'm more or less used to it by now. The buildings are bigger and the cars are faster. Not to mention the clothes.

I already have. A little bit at least. I've been working on a few pieces to Pepper and her gallery.

Damn, the clothes. I hadn't even thought about the clothes. Yeah, that must have been a shock.

[Women couldn't even show ankles back then, right Steve? It's one o those things you don't really consider until it's pointed out to you.]

Pepper mentioned the gallery when I saw her, yeah. I'll have to go and see it for myself then.

It was at first. But eventually I got used to it.

[And by 'got used to it' he means that he learned how to avoid looking anywhere but at a woman's face.]

You should. It's coming along pretty nicely. A few of us helped build it and it's still standing so apparently we did a good job.

[Wise man, Steve.]

You do seem to have adjusted pretty well.

I have trouble imagining you doing anything but a good job.

[He gives a wry smile, because Steve just gives off this air of being entirely competent.]

Really? Because sometimes I feel like I don't have a clue about what I'm doing.

[He wanders back over to the table and takes a drink from his soda.]

Nothing comes without a lot of hard work. If I seem incapable of doing a bad job it's only because I'm hardworking, cautious and...really good at looking like I know what I'm doing apparently. [He grins.]

You think anyone in this kind of life does? There's no such thing as a normal operation. The best you can hope for it to make educated guesses based on what you've done before.

[Even with the best analysts and startegic minds in the world, simple missions still went to hell.

He grins back, an easy smile.]

You've definitely got me fooled.

You're right. Sometimes I feel like I should have a better idea what I'm doing though.

From what I've heard, you led a group of the most prickly and overbearing personalities on the planet into battle. And won.

Sounds like you know exactly what you're doing.

[#000] Appointments

[Action | October 19]

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