riverviewlogs | First light, a second chance [semi-open]

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First light, a second chance [semi-open]

who: Ava and Friends
what: Catchall log for September
when: All month
where: Around town
warnings: Will warn if anything comes up, etc

I. You'll never make it to the great unknown [Open]

[It takes a little bit of research, some casual words to a few people before she's certain that touching the SkyTram system wouldn't have the possibility of feeding back into the city. Well, she's reasonably certain, at least. If there's excess she should be able to divert it into the fence. Enough distance to hopefully keep from overloading anything if she loses control or misjudges. Her precautions aren't perfect, but she makes an attempt at least.

And then one late night there's a blue light that traces along the lines of the SkyTram system in the Abandoned City. It's a test; gives her a feel for it. And there's something attractive about the sight of it, the current of blue energy that traces through the woods, the overgrown underbrush. But no fire, nothing catches, just a streamer of light in the darkness. And then she lets it fade: she's got work to do. Some of the lines sparked to life, some need more than just power. She can do this.

She needs this. She spends a lot of time out here these days, erratic hours, working too long. Sliding along the rails in the sky, or dangling precariously from one of the bullet cars, blue light in her hands. She identifies the easiest one to repair that first night. While it's still definitely a project, she wants to get one up and running. In a way, it's sort of a penance for the fire, too. Like James had said: make up for it.]

II. 'Till you keep your eyes open [Closed to Bucky]

[She's really good at overworking herself. She's got a direction, and it's so easy to just throw herself into it. Do what she can, make a list of questions she needs to ask Tony later, and keep pushing herself. It's physical, tactile, and she's always liked that. Things in her hands. And much like Loki had suggested, it's an outlet for her powers, even if it's not enough doesn't entirely dim that feeling like she might explode, but she doesn't really like to admit just how hard coping with it is.

There are some nights where she doesn't make it back to Bucky's couch, and instead ends up curled up on the Tram car she's working on. Just a nap, is what she tells herself. She's just going to close her eyes for a second, and then she'll be better at parsing out the right angle for the coils. They'd been knocked out of alignment, and she needs to fix them before powering the system will make much of a difference.

But five minutes turns into an hour and more. She's honestly not getting enough sleep, scared of her own nightmares, of the power that crackles just under her skin. It makes it difficult to get a good night's sleep. Even out here, she shifts and turns every so often.]

III. So show me your fire, show me your heart [Closed to Steve]

[It's one of those days when she's up early, before the sun, intending to hit the gym. She doesn't always catch Steve, but today she does, sees him in the kitchen as she leans against the counter, duffle bag over her shoulder and sipping at a mug of coffee in between her hands. She likes hitting the gym before stopping for breakfast, but coffee makes her feel alive first thing in the morning. Black, with a little sugar as a relic from a few years accustomed to coffee machines with sugar packets and only powdered creamer on the lucky days.]

Hey, morning.

[There's a smile and an easy wave of her fingers. She's not actually a morning person, but she tries to avoid the crowds. Or just, well-- other people is the more accurate statement. Avoid the looks from being too fast, too good, or the way her eyes sometimes glow if she doesn't watch herself very carefully. Alone is usually best. But with Steve, well, a lot of those concerns are less present. And she does like sparring; the other Steve was pretty fun when they managed to meet up for it. So she's interested, at least.]

You hitting the gym?

IV. Wildcard

[If you have an idea, toss it at me. I'm always up for plotting either via PM or Plurk at

natalia_vdova. I'm totally willing to toss up starters for anyone interested. Ava is fairly antisocial, but I'm always up for pushing her to interact with people. She draws and dances and skulks around outside the wall and she likes the gun range.]

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[Ever since their talk, in the middle of the night, still surrounded by the scents of smoke and ash, where Ava had looked at him and said I'm not a kid, Bucky has tried to give her space and hasn't pried too much about her project. It's good to have something to do, he knows that, so he usually tries not to worry if it keeps her out at all hours of the day and night. Still, one night she doesn't come back at all, and Bucky can't sleep anyway, so he throws on his Perimeter Guard jacket over his sweatpants and t-shirt, pulls on some boots, and heads out to the abandoned city to see if she's just working or if something's happened.

The fresh night air is nice anyway.

It's not hard, out here, to find where she's been working. This outer part of the city is just that, abandoned, and it isn't hard to find the signs of recent human activity. Poking his head into the tram car, he glances it over, calling in a soft whisper,] Ava?

[If it had been almost anyone else, Ava would have been on her feet about as soon as his boots hit the metal, definitely by the time he said her name. But his voice is safe, cuts through that instinctual panic, and so all he gets in response is a groggy murmur from the redhead curled up on one of the less-ruined seats. It's a visceral kind of trust, doesn't even trust Natasha in quite the same way.

She's in a tee-shirt with her jacket pulled up over the small ball she makes there like a make-shift blanket, head pillowed on her elbow. She's working on the coils and the alignment of the magnets, which hasn't been easy. Her tech familiarity is more hat she can do with her powers and spy tricks, engineering is a bit out of her normal playground, but she pushes herself anyway.

There's a murmured sound of what might be his name.]

[Bucky isn't sure how much he deserves this kind of trust, that sort of instinctual trust that lets you sleep through the approach of a certain person over others, but he doesn't think about it right now. He leans in the doorway of the tram car for a moment, glancing over the scene. When he steps inside, it's carefully, to keep from moving or disturbing any of her work.

He keeps his voice soft, a hint of laughter in it as he whispers again,] Ava? C'mon, that can't be comfortable.

[There are some charts laid out, things she'd been able to scrounge up, diagrams of the rail lines. There was nowhere near as much literature as she'd have liked, but she was making do. There was also some of the parts she'd had to remove in order to get to the coils. Her long eyelashes flutter and she looks across at James blearily. She hasn't been sleeping well, but that's hardly a new problem.

She yawns, body curling in a little tighter.] 'M not done. Just--

[Her words a little slurred from what's clearly exhaustion, and she seems pretty out of it, words trailing off. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, been up before dawn and stayed out all night working on whatever she was doing with the SkyTrams.]

--Just for a minute.

[While he glances over the diagrams and parts, he leaves them be. He wouldn't know how to go about fixing any of this stuff, or he might offer to help. Right now, though, his concern is getting Ava back to the apartment to sleep, where it's at least safe. Out here in the abandoned city, there are still monsters that pop up unexpectedly, if not as many as out beyond the outer fences.]

You're worn out. C'mon, let's go back to the apartment and you can sleep. What kinda guy would I be if I left you out here to eaten? [He teases quietly, leaning down to rest a hand on her shoulder.] Do I gotta carry you?

[Ava's still trying to work through this stuff herself. But, Tony's helping a bit, so she's making progress. She knows a fair bit of science, but the practical, hands-on stuff was mostly spy stuff. And the SkyTrams need a bit more work than just power. But, well, she'd wanted a project. And she's far more willing to ask for help than give up.

She murmurs a little, just a little drained, but she blinks up at him, a touch of something almost a smile that curves her lips.]

Wont get eaten, it's metal. They wouldn't make it through the door. [Teasing a little in return, yawning as she shifts into the contact of his hand on her shoulder. The idea of curling up back at the apartment did sound nice, but she was still only half-awake.

She just kind of leans in toward him and hums softly.] Couch does sound better.

[It's a big undertaking, but he gets needing something to do. The perimeter guard is that for him, leading rescue expeditions into the forest and the jungle, patrolling the fences. If this helps Ava, he's not going to discourage her from it.

He snorts at the sleepy mumbling.] Some of these things are pretty determined, you know. Metal wouldn't stop 'em. [He coaxes her up a little farther and turns around, stooping down. Piggy-back style is probably the easiest way to take the walk.]

C'mon, your couch awaits.

[What she'd meant about the metal was that it was conductive, which meant that anything stepping foot in that tram car she didn't want there would not have a great night. But, she doesn't feel a particular need to clarify, to remind him that she's dangerous. So she just murmurs in quiet acceptance.

James coaxes her up, stooping down, and her slender arms wrap loosely around his neck. She's never actually had a piggy-back ride, but it's easy enough to figure out how to position her body; knees lightly pressing in at his waist as she lets him take her slight weight.]

Thanks.

[A soft whisper, because she does appreciate the things he does for her.]

[After the fire, he's very aware that she's dangerous, he does make the connection, but at the same time, who knows how things would go if something very large or something resistant to electricity and heat and fire found her out here. It's easier to play it off as teasing.

He hoists her up easily, her weight almost nothing, the flesh hand hooking under her knee to keep her secure. He leaves his metal one unencumbered in case they do un into anything, though he doesn't think they will. It had been a pretty quiet walk out here, the night still and cool, the planet beyond the moon a soft indiscernible shape in the sky. He starts the walk back, sure-footed in the dark.] Anytime.

[Tony will get a text with a few pictures, which appear to be the coils of some kind of large maglev system. There's a math equation that accompanies it with a question mark at the end. There's no explanation accompanying it, but a few moments later, he gets a video call. She figured it was the best option in case he needed better visuals.]

The alignment's off and I don't like the numbers the equation is giving me, so I think I'm missing something. Think you can help? Engineering isn't exactly my strong point.

[The phone's clearly hanging from something, and Ava looks like she might be upside down. Hi Tony, how are you? Sorry, she's sort of focused at the moment.]

[Tony's face, when it appears, looks both faintly bemused and more than a little thoughtful.]

I think I might be able to manage some engineering, sure. Where are you, exactly?

[She smiles at his face on the video feed, a shrug of her shoulders, which is a little awkward given her position.]

You know the skytram lines out in the abandoned city? Probably easier if you just pull my location instead of having me try to give you directions.

[She's not even going to pretend that she doesn't think he can. He is Tony Stark, c'mon.]

[Bemusement shifts to just straight amusement, but Tony doesn't contradict her, either.]

I can do that. Give me, hm, ten to suit up and track you down?

[Not like he isn't already standing up and looking away from the camera towards where the armor presumably is or anything.]

Sounds good. I'm not going anywhere.

[She flashes a smile toward the camera, a lift of an eyebrow. She can guess where he's looking. It'll probably be easier for him to help her if he can actually see what she's working on.]

If you have trouble, I can leave you a trail.

[She's teasing.]

Gonna send up a flare?

[He shoots the camera one last wry look then vanishes off screen, followed by the sounds of metal on metal. A moment or so later, the camera shifts as it's lifted and Tony's armored face comes back into view, the faceplate lifted.]

Do I need to bring gear for this or do you have enough to share?

I was thinking more path lights.

[She waits as there's that sound of metal on metal that she recognizes. When he returns, she considers for only a moment at the question, then nods in affirmation. He gets a smile, a slight shrug of her shoulders.]

Tools would be good. I've mostly been cheating, to be entirely honest.

Cheating.

[It's echoed with something like amused disbelief, but he does at least detour to grab his tool kit. Or at least his most portable one.]

Alright, I'm on my way. Try not to break anything we can't fix.

[He flicks her one last smirk before the faceplate comes down and he ends the call, tossing the phone down onto the desk. He can pick it back up from his HUD if he really needs to.

But for the moment, he just takes a few steps outside and launches into the air, trusting JARVIS to lock up behind him.]

Powers. And I'm not breaking anything! Seeya soon.

[She sounds just a touch playfully offended by the implication. She'll be the first to admit this isn't exactly her wheelhouse, but she needed a project. And hell, maybe she could pick up some things along the way. Make things better.

That said, a proper toolkit is no doubt better than using her hands. She waits for Tony, working on removing the rust from the underside of the tram car.

She's about fifty feet in the air without a harness, but that doesn't seem to bother her much.]

[It's a good ten minutes later before the metallic shape appears in the sky heading towards her, and that's only because Tony isn't going at top speed. No real need to, mostly, even if breaking the sound barrier is amusing every so often.

But he floats over towards the red speck on the rail line fairly lazily for him, pulling up into a hover a couple feet away from Ava's perch.]

Delivery.

[It's a dry announcement as he pulls off the bag he has slung over his shoulders. Hard to know exactly what to bring for this kind of thing, so he'd just brought everything. Mostly everything. Can't hurt.]

[Ava almost feels a little self-conscious at the prospect of it, but at the same time she was helplessly starry-eyed. This was another one of those things she'd never had; bar crawls and dresses and dances and celebrations she didn't feel like she had to hide from.

It happened because that whole idea of embracing history had seemed fun, and Ava had never really identified with her homeland. Too much pain and torture -- the Red Room wasn't home to anyone. For her, home had been the Brooklyn streets, the basement of a YMCA-turned-nursing home, the Red Hook community center, the Fort Greene soup kitchen, and an old-time ice cream shop with an owner that would give Ava and Sana discounts on malteds once in a while.

Classic 40s had been what she'd decided on, so she'd asked James -- who better to know about clothes from the war years? And picking out a dress had been amazing in and of itself, down to those old-style high heels. But it was another feeling entirely when it all comes together. She didn't think she'd ever worn a dress in her life before this, not really, not aside from those scratchy jumpers she'd worn sometimes in the Red Room. Nothing like this.

Ava is admittedly an objectively gorgeous woman- of course she is, with that almost-similarity to Natasha- but she usually hides it as much as possible. Shirts and jeans that don't really fit, too-big jackets and sweaters. She always draws as little attention to herself as possible, despite the red hair. But not tonight. An excuse to give herself permission to enjoy it.]

What do you think?

[If Bucky was embracing history, he would choose something actually historical to him, but... well. He's not much for dressing up in costumes and things. (His career notwithstanding.) Instead of a costume from some far-flung past, he chose something a little more current, from his own recent past. The replica of his Army uniform fits well, and he's combed his hair neatly, like back then when he would go out with Toro to pick up girls and check out the sights.

He had even gone with Ava to help her pick out a dress from the same era, though honestly all he knew about fashion was what he used to see on girls in his youth. She looks nice in the swishy dress and heels, like she'd fit right into the time period.]

I think you're the cat's meow.

[She smiles bright, still a little awed by all of it. And at those words she laughs a little shyly, twirling in her dress for a moment, letting the skirt swish against her legs, just enjoying the feel of it. That this was something she was allowed. She really did like the dress; and it wasn't like she knew a hell of a lot about fashion anyway. Ava generally kept as far away from it as possible, so she just thought this was all great.]

You look pretty sharp yourself.

[And she means it, because he certainly does clean up nice. The uniform fits him well, and with his hair combed back, he looks like something out of one of those war films. She tries not to make it too obvious just how new this all is to her, but she can't help herself. It's just nice. Feeling like she's allowed to enjoy this, despite her faults. And to have someone she could enjoy it with.]

[Bucky isn't much for fashion himself. Luckily an Army uniform is easy for him, sharp and good-looking but mindless, in a way; he doesn't have to think too much about it as long as his hair is tidy and his face is shaved. He offers his arm like a gentleman, corners of his mouth turned up in an easy smile. It's been a long time since he's done anything like this.]

Thank you, miss. Shall we go see what this souped up renfaire has to offer?

[She'll admit that she enjoys it, even if it's new. Being something other than a shadow, and just the feel of it. Going out. He offers his arm and Ava smiles, warm and bright as she reaches out and takes it, hooking her arm into his.]

Sounds good to me. Maybe I'll even buy you a drink.

[It seems like a nice start to the evening, even if parties aren't usually her sort of thing. It reminds her a little of going to some concert or dance or any number of things with Sana, though she was a lot more willing tonight instead of being dragged along by the elbow.]

Or I can buy you a drink. Be the gentlemanly thing to do. [He teases lightly, the style of dress and the night out seeing what the festival has to offer (for once it's not a festival that brings on a lot of uncomfortable feelings, like every single romance-focused one so far) taking him back to an older place, a happier time. When things were easier for him, when he wasn't so broken. It still feels like a mask when he slips into Plucky Bucky Barnes, but it's one he can wear easy enough tonight.

He leads the way to where they're holding the fair, food carts lining the streets offering food and drink and last-minute costumes, bits of cultures from across the galaxy, pieces of times long gone.]

Well, I wouldn't say no, since you're being a gentleman. [She teases in return, with an easy smile, a sparkle in her blue eyes. Ava doesn't have the same sort of associations with the era, but she did live in Brooklyn, have fond associations with some of the old style diners and ice cream places. But it's also just nice to dress up, let herself enjoy this in a way she never has.

He leads the way and she walks with him. Looking around at the carts of food and costumes, drinks and displays of things she recognizes and things she doesn't. Lights strung up that glint and there's a bit of a skip in her step.]

This is nice, isn't it?

[It's a mishmash out here, of different eras and cultures. Plenty of it is absolutely alien, but plenty of it, still, is vaguely familiar in a sense. The scent of roasting meat is heavy in the air, and old-timey flagons of ale are sold at several different stands, but finally he stops at what proclaims itself a 50s-style milkshake cart with a twist. Boozy milkshakes? Sounds more special than beer, anyway.]

It is nice. [He agrees, waving a hand grandly at the cart's menu.] Vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry?

[She likes what a mess it is, of all different eras and cultures- some she can't even place, wondering if they're from other worlds or just part of Earth that she doesn't recognize. She grins as they stop at a place selling alcoholic milkshakes. Sana had a thing for cupcakes, but chocolate malteds and strawberry milkshakes were Ava's favorite treats. She hums thoughtfully, even if she likes the standards.]

Hm, strawberry. [She can't entirely hide her pleasure at the idea of it from her voice. She might actually be enjoying herself a little and the night's just started.]

[Bucky turns with a smile to the vendor and orders a vanilla and a strawberry. They come in those tall novelty glasses, part of the deal apparently, and he mixes in the booze right in front of his customers.]

Definitely not skimping on the bourbon. [Bucky comments with a note of approval as he takes his plain vanilla (the better to taste the booze) and hands the strawberry-pink, whipped-cream topped shake to Ava.]

Well, I wont complain.

[Something light and warm to her voice as she takes her milkshake. She can't entirely resist the urge to dip a fingertip into the whipped cream before she takes a sip. Things like this had always been a treat, rare and special and there's still that flavor to it as she takes the drink and lets the strawberry blend with the warmth of the alcohol on her tongue.]

Mine's good. What about yours?

[Souvenir glass cupped in her hands as she looks up at him a little impishly.]

It's good. A little sweet, maybe. [But you can't really go too wrong with vanilla. It's the kind of thing he would have loved when he was younger. Still, he seems relaxed and happy enough.] Could use more booze, maybe.

[One thing Steve has kept the same in coming to Quarantine is his routine of getting up early. Starting the day before things get crazy is Steve's way of trying to keep some control of his life. When he doesn't know what might happen once things wake up, it's nice to have those quiet moments to prepare. He's surprised to hear Ava come to the kitchen this early. Even when people are awake, they usually don't do much together. Occasionally he'll see Bucky, but they both have their own routines and there is no pressure for them to get together. He smiles as he pours his own mug of coffee, leaving some for later. Her question seems to be aimed cleverly and he almost chuckles.]

Actually, I am. Since you're up, how about coming with me?

[He saves her the trouble of asking to come along. It's nice to actually have the company, and it's been a while since he got a chance to spar with a friend. Even with monsters, things tend to be quieter in Quarantine and Steve misses the action.]

[It's been nice, being around Steve and James, even if their schedules don't always overlap. Just having people in her orbit was one of the few things she had missed about the SHIELD Academy. Not being quite so isolated; so it's a good feeling, even if most of the time it's just saying hello while she grabs a cup of coffee as James heads off to the Perimeter Guard.

Ava smiles at his offer, having been about to ask if he wanted some company, but he saves her from worrying about how to word the question.] Yeah, that'd be great. Always nice to have company. Wouldn't mind sparring a bit, if you're up for it.

[It'd be fun to spar with him. See where the differences are between him and the other Steve. And she can't deny she really enjoys being able to spar with people who can match her.]

[Having Ava stay with them is actually a nice change for Steve. He perks up when she mentions sparring, his blue eyes seeming brighter somehow in the kitchen light just because she brought up a subject dear to his heart. And, being Steve Rogers, it is actually difficult to find people that want to spar and have the time. The ones that know him well enough to be willing to take him up on the offer are usually the most busy, which is a shame but also understandable, so he never actively seeks out a partner.

It just so happens that Ava is interested, and he feels lucky to be able to work against someone that has experience. Workouts are nice, but being pushed is something he likes a lot more.]

I would love to. It's been a while since I've gotten a good session. We can have breakfast afterwards, maybe talk about some things.

[He drinks down his coffee, standing straight as he gets his own bag from the floor.]

[His eyes brighten and she smiles a little warmer. It's always nice to see that sort of enthusiasm, and to be true, Ava enjoys it herself. The tactile physicality, the way it reminds her of sparring with Sana back at the Y. And, well, she wont say that she's not interested to see how things go against Steve. He'll probably hold back, and so will she, but it should be good fun anyway.

She grins as he mentions breakfast afterward, talking; she enjoys conversation. It takes her a while to pull out of her shell and approach people, but once she trusts someone, she's fairly personable.]

Sounds good. Been a while since I've had anyone to spar with, either.

[Breakfast pretty much means pancakes as far as she's concerned. Bucky had been the one that had introduced her to them, really, and they have effectively become her favorite breakfast food since. She finishes the last of her coffee, setting the mug down.]

[ As soon as they are done, Steve is ready. Even though he's reserved about it, he can't help showing a little more energy in his step as they both get ready for the gym. Working out and going on missions are fine, but he's been sorely missing the sparring sessions he used to have with the various Avengers, and there is really only so much he can put Bucky through before it takes up too much of his time. The man has his own schedule and life to worry about and Steve requires a lot of activity. ]

I'm glad you're here, then. It'll give us both something to wake up to.

[ He leads the way, walking briskly, the goal ahead of him making him move with more purpose. ]

[Ava misses it too. When she'd been in the Academy, sparring was a mandated part of her day. Even if there weren't many people that could keep up, and she'd had to learn how to be careful, it had been a good thing. She misses it. When she goes to the gym she doesn't often have a partner, so going with Steve puts a definite spring in her step. It'll be fun.

Truth is that she keeps up her exercise regimen more for the easy rhythm of it, and to burn off some energy, than because she's worried about falling out of shape. Though keeping her form sharp certainly doesn't hurt, that comes easier with other people to bounce off of.]

Which is always a good thing. Usually I just go through it by myself until it takes the edge off.

[She follows with Steve, her stride shorter given her height, but she doesn't have too much trouble keeping up. Miracles of Soviet engineering, and so on.]

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First light, a second chance [semi-open]

ii

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For Tony!

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Tavernfest! For Bucky!

and then somehow i lost this tab

ahhh that happens to me all the time tbh

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