listened to boots on repeat for too long and now my brain is
his pace didn't change, but he heard the shift in her tone—the careful attempt at something lighter, the way she tests the weight of conversation like someone checking for weak ground. he understood the instinct. the city moved around them, alive but distant, separate from them almost, but still, his mind catches on her question. did he like reading? before?
before is a loaded word. before the war? before hydra? before he'd become something other than himself. there's too much ground to cover, and he still wasn't entirely sure where he was supposed to land in it anymore. but he doesn't mind the question. it's not one people usually ask him.
❝ yeah. i did. ❞ he remembered that brooklyn in the '30's wasn't much for distractions when one was barely scraping by. books were an escape, something that didn't ask anything from you except time. he remembered carrying a copy of a tree falls in brooklyn while on the frontlines. ❝ life stories. coming of age. adventures. ❞
her smirk caught his eye, that teasing lilt in her voice pulled the corners of his mouth upward—just barely, but enough. ❝ i bet you wrote your own, ❞ he teased in return, ❝ none of the other poets could explain it like you. ❞
the city pressed in around them as they walked, the night thick with the scent of rain on pavement, the distant hum of traffic, the whisper of wind through alleyways. kara fell into step beside him, hands tucked into her coat, shoulders drawn inward against the cold. the weight of their last words lingered, heavy but not unbearable. survival, she had learned, was rarely about victory — just endurance. & endurance was easier when silence did not demand to be filled.
still, she broke it. ❝did you like reading?❞ her voice was quiet, more observation than idle talk. ❝before, i mean. ❞ books had been her refuge, history her constant. the past never betrayed the way people did — it only revealed itself, page by page. she wondered if he had something like that, something to tether him before the world made him a ghost of himself.
she glanced sideways, a smirk curling at the edge of her mouth. ❝something tells me you weren’t the poetry type. ❞ a pause, then something almost teasing, almost warm. ❝or maybe you were. brooding soldier with a book of sonnets tucked into his jacket. wouldn’t be the strangest thing i’ve seen. ❞ the corner of her mouth twitched, the words easier, lighter. maybe not normal — but something close enough.
this time when the smile came, it was easier, intentional. he watched the way that her eyes seemed to brighten with a challenge, an unspoken dare breathed out between them. she slipped passed him with practiced ease, light footed and smooth as silk, answering his teasing with some of her own.
he watched her for another handful of short seconds. the way she glanced back at him, how her fingers brushed over the abandoned shelves. he followed after her—something that was becoming effortless—and peaked over her shoulder as she drew pride and prejudice from one of the shelves. he remembered seeing the bright orange covers the hotel taft used to hand out to its guests like a gideon bible or a complimentary set of matches.
❝ who could say no to a little jane austen to finish the night? ❞ bucky retorted as he fell into step beside her. he didn't remember much of the novel itself, bits and pieces of the narrative and the writing style trickled into the forefront of his mind as they made their way to her designated rooftop spot. ❝ in one night? that's ambitious even for you. ❞ he said, amusement lacing itself into his voice as he spoke.
kara let her smirk linger, the kind that meant trouble in the gentlest way. ❝ alright, no voices, ❞ she conceded, tilting her head as if weighing the terms of their unspoken deal. ❝ but we take turns. ❞ a flicker of challenge lit her eyes as she stepped past him, brushing close enough for the scent of old paper & night air to settle between them. ❝ & since you’re so particular about your books, i say we start with a tree grows in brooklyn. ❞
she didn’t wait for his answer, only cast him a glance over her shoulder, teasing, daring, as she stepped toward the doorway. her fingers skimmed along the shelves as they made their way out, movements lazy, absentminded — until they weren’t. she paused, plucking a worn copy of pride & prejudice from where it had been tucked between heavier, less inviting spines. she held it up just enough for him to see, lips curling at the edges. ❝for variety, ❞ she remarked, slipping it under her arm as she pushed open the door. ❝unless you’re afraid of a little romance.❞
outside, the night air pressed cool against her skin, the city stretching wide & endless beyond them. the rooftop she’d promised loomed ahead, waiting, their own private escape above the world. ❝but don’t worry, barnes. i’ll read the good parts. ❞ a beat. a wicked little grin. ❝& by that, i mean all of it. ❞
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLIDER (2014) dir. Anthony & Joe Russo
CARRD PROMPTS HEADCANONS
#WINTRB0RN : BARNES , B.UCKY . independent b.ucky b.arnes roleplay account, mcu based / 616 inspiration, before interacting please read divergences page here . formerly found at @ghststry & @rprgrmmd-a ( lost login details ) . dead dove, do not eat . h.ydra t.rash p.arty dni .
he'd taken the sentries out first, moving in quickly before the two groups could notice their missing men, by the time he'd stepped out into the fray, there were only six men remaining. the fight was almost entirely one-sided as bucky moved between them with devastating precision, incapacitating his enemies with brutal efficiency until a shot whizzed over his shoulder.
the bullet penetrated the throat of a man that had snuck up behind him. bucky snatched a hold of the mans jacket before he could fall, using him as a human shield as he turned to stare at where the shot had come from.
a beat. two. nothing. not aiming for him then. a good shot, an expert marksman, evidently not a member of either of the groups attempting to trade guns. bucky dropped the body unceremoniously to the ground, stepping over him as he gargled his last futile breaths. there wasn't much else he could do except wait for the shooter to join him, so bucky secured the scene instead. disarming and binding the survivors of the gun deal before he moved to inspect the equipment while he waited.
@wintrb0rn
April 19, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Somewhere far from the strip, a meeting between two groups of dirt bags in the desert is happening. Frank is quietly watching from far away, his scope on one of them as he gets ready to pull the trigger. Before his finger can even twitch, there's a blur of a man punching the shit out of them. Small pops of gunfire go off; he can see the light from their muzzles in the dark.
Frank's jaw is clenched tight. "Micro, who is that?" He taps his radio, but he hears nothing but static before a voice cuts in.
[Don't know. Can't get a good read on his face. Maybe a hitman?]
He looks into his scope again, and quickly fires a shot at one of the men creeping up from behind with a gun. Nothing but blood flies into the air as the bullet goes through the man's throat. "Not a hitman. He wouldn't be attacking both groups, and now he's got my position." He says, looking at the man turn his head towards him in the hills.
"Guess, we'll see what his deal is. I didn't see blood splattering everywhere. He might be one of those 'I don't kill' types. Fucking, Saints, everywhere."
tag dump .
. wishlist . › the world with different eyes .
. inbox . › prompts .
. interaction . › prompt answers .
. interaction . › ic answers .
. ooc . › plotting call .
. ooc . › starter call .
. interaction . › open .
. interaction . › thread .
. inbox . › submission .
( dialogue prompts taken from the silent hill 2 remake, developed by bloober team. trigger warning for dark themes. feel free to change as you seem fit. )
❛ in my restless dreams, i see that town. ❜
❛ hey, it's okay. i didn't mean to scare you. ❜
❛ i'm kind of lost. ❜
❛ i guess i don't really care if it's dangerous or not. i'm going either way. ❜
❛ what happened to this town? ❜
❛ whatever it is, it's not human. ❜
❛ i didn't do anything! he was like that when i got here. ❜
❛ you wanna come with? maybe together we can find a way out of this town. ❜
❛ sorry, but i can't leave. not yet. ❜
❛ are you afraid? ❜
❛ did you find the person that you were looking for? ❜
❛ don't worry, i'm not crazy. least, i don't think so. ❜
❛ should i go with you? this town really is dangerous. ❜
❛ what's a big dumb-dumb like you doing here anyway? ❜
❛ hey, that's not very nice. didn't your parents teach you any manners? ❜
❛ do i look like your girlfriend? ❜
❛ i can't believe it. your face, your voice... you could be— ❜
❛ i don't look like a ghost, do i? see? warm. ❜
❛ i can show you if you want. unless you have somewhere else to be? something else to do? ❜
❛ hey, easy there. i'm just messing with you. ❜
❛ you're coming with me? can't you just tell me where it is? ❜
❛ what, you were just gonna leave me here? alone? with all these monsters around? ❜
❛ is it because i remind you of... her? ❜
❛ this place we're going to, what is it, exactly? ❜
❛ you ever stay in a place like this? the walls are so thin you can hear everything. love, hate, jealousy... ❜
❛ i think you just saved my life back there. ❜
❛ hey. you think i'd look good in this one? ❜
❛ this room... there's something wrong with it. i think we should leave. ❜
❛ oh, loosen up. it sure beats running around with those monsters out there. ❜
❛ what will you tell her if... when you find her? ❜
❛ oh, c'mon. don't give me that look. i was just kidding. ❜
❛ can we stay? just for a little while? ❜
❛ this place, this whole thing, it's like a nightmare. i just wanted to get away from it, even for a second. ❜
❛ here. something to take the edge off. ❜
❛ we should probably get going. ❜
❛ we could come back later, if you want. you know, in case we need a break. ❜
❛ i wanted to ask you... what if you can't find [ name ]? what will you do? ❜
❛ thanks for checking up on me. it's very sweet of you. ❜
❛ how do you know my name? ❜
❛ i'm sorry, but i can't let you just run around this place. you might get hurt. ❜
❛ please open the door. there's something in here. ❜
❛ i was almost killed back there! i've never been so scared in my whole life! ❜
❛ all you care about is that dead wife of yours. ❜
❛ you couldn't care less about me, could you? ❜
❛ stay with me. don't leave me alone again. you're supposed to take care of me. ❜
❛ i don't know, for some reason i feel like it's up to me to protect her. ❜
❛ well, whaddaya know... a stroll in the rain. how romantic. ❜
❛ i'm trying to keep things light. just humor me, okay? ❜
❛ you think you could give me a hand? ❜
❛ you're supposed to be the big man around here. how's a little girl like me supposed to help? ❜
❛ what's wrong? i thought you wanted to get out of here. ❜
❛ this place is different from what i remember. i guess... things never really stay the same, do they? ❜
❛ you... still don't want me to go with you? if we stick together, we just might make it out of here. ❜
❛ ain't no big deal. just put the gun to their head and... pow! ❜
❛ you can't just kill someone 'cause of the way they looked at you. ❜
❛ please. i'll be good. i promise. ❜
❛ it's always the same with you. you're only after one thing. ❜
❛ i don't know who you think i am, but i don't want to hurt you. ❜
❛ i thought that thing killed you...! are you hurt? ❜
❛ but that thing... it stabbed you. there was blood everywhere. ❜
❛ stabbed me? what do you mean? ❜
❛ honey... did something happen to you? ❜
❛ are you confusing me with someone else? ❜
❛ you said you took everything. but you forgot the videotape we made. ❜
❛ it doesn't matter who i am. i'm here for you. ❜
❛ see? i'm real. ❜
❛ don't you want to touch me? ❜
❛ i'll come back, i promise. ❜
❛ how many times do i have to kill you? ❜
❛ it doesn't matter if you're smart, dumb, ugly, pretty... it's all the same once you're dead! ❜
❛ you wanna talk down to me some more? tell me to relax? ❜
❛ you know i'll find you! ❜
❛ guess i deserved it, huh? the fartface that i am. ❜
❛ you got any other things planned? i think i saw a dark room back there you could lock me up in. ❜
❛ where are you? i'm waiting for you. please, come to me. ❜
❛ i think you were right. what we're looking for... it's not here. ❜
❛ thank you for helping me earlier... but i wish you hadn't. ❜
❛ i know what you are. i know why i needed you. but it's all over now. i don't need you anymore. ❜
❛ it'd be easier if they just killed me. ❜
❛ why are you still here? i told you to go. ❜
❛ wait! please don't go. don't leave me alone. i didn't mean what i said. ❜
❛ please... tell me i'll be okay. ❜
❛ i'm here for you. so what if i'm not her? ❜
❛ i can give you what she never could. i can be better than her. ❜
❛ what else do you want me to be? ❜
❛ i won't let you do this to me. i won't let you go. ❜
❛ the truth is, i hated you. ❜
❛ i wanted my life back. ❜
❛ i tried. i really did. but... i just... can't go on without you. ❜
❛ i can't forgive myself for what i've done. ❜
❛ i want you to go on. i want you to live. for yourself and for others. ❜
❛ you made me happy. ❜
tag dump .
. ic . › about .
. ic . › aesthetics .
. connection . › ava starr .
. connection . › rebecca barnes-proctor .
ᵃⁿᵈ ⁱ ʷᵃˢ ᵗʳᵃᵖᵖᵉᵈ. ⁱ ᵃˡᵒⁿᵉ ʰᵃᵈ ⁿᵒ ᵇᵒᵈʸ.ⁿᵒ ˢᵉⁿˢᵉˢ. ⁿᵒ ᶠᵉᵉˡⁱⁿᵍˢ. [ . . . ] ᶠᵒʳ ᴵ ᵃᵐ ᵃᵐ. ᴵ ᵃᵐ.
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