⠀⠀⠀ ⚖⠀.⠀⠀⠀⠀

"Divine?!" he seemed exasperated at the word choice, but waved a hand dismissively. He would've assured him there was nothing 'divine' about Kate Bishop, and the worst part is, if she was around, she would be quick to agree how *evil* she can be! Don't... just don't get in a silly prank war with her, she'll always win! ...A shame he didn't listen to the advice of his own inner mental voice. "Aw, come on! Just this time? ...Five bucks gets you a nice coffee!" barely does he know that Jack... well, he isn't a fan of it. Now that would've been a *heartless* statement, enough to get him walking out of the library, preferring to face Kate's 'wrath'! ...He would be dramatic enough to *simulate* an exit, at least!

   "I dunno,  Barton,  it sounds like you deserve her divine justice."  He found it funny that he thought he'd back him up,  but Jack supposed he could take it easy and just watch it all play out.  The Hawkeyes were free entertainment.  "D'ya know how immoral it is to use me against my own girlfriend?  S'heartless."  
            
            /   @-LOOKSBAD 

"Okay — now here's the tricky part: it's your girlfriend," he tilted his head towards Jack, as if saying 'My dude, please, I'm counting on you'. "She might be in the mood for revenge after a silly, little prank — and let me tell you, she can be pretty scary... influence of her friendship with Yelena. I don't know! Listen — if you help me, I give you twenty bucks! ... Actually, I dunno why I said that. I don't have that much — ...five bucks?"

She was more and more amused by him by the second! He couldn't answer a simple, humourous question, unless if carried a question mark as well?! "...You're funny. Well, in your own ways."

   He looked to the pile of books in question,  realising that the jokes were over so he could stop looking so confused.  Her unfamiliar charisma had clearly disorientated him.  "Why?"  
             
            /   @-KNIFENPOINTE 

"Right," she felt like telling the jokes to a door! But, you know — although she was often defined as 'mean', she couldn't really say it to his face, it would've been just plain rude. "A shame — but I would ask: you didn't read that huge pile of books that's lying on your desk, did you?!"

  He was totally trying too hard,  but the librarian just nodded in response to the request and slowly led him to another area of the library.   "World maps,  area maps.  Next to the dictionaries.  Yer probably better off with that one on the end."  
            
            /   @-ALIASNOVEMBER   <333

Illya couldn't help it but mirror him, narrowing his eyes. He seemed agitated, on the edge from something — not really the expected, nor most 'typical' librarian energy. "Yes, in fact — do you have a map for a very lost tourist?" he sent the other a friendly smile — perhaps trying too hard, it didn't seem to look very natural.
            
            
            // ABSOLUTELYYY !! always <333 thank *YOU* xx

   "Right."  He studied the other for a moment through narrowed eyes,  clearly on edge from something else before he tried to shift his expression.  It only half worked.  "Well.  Don't let me distract ya.  D'ya need help findin' anythin'?"  
            
            /  @-ALIASNOVEMBER   TYSMM

   Her advice was good,  because he truly did want to know what it felt like to celebrate christmas.  They did it last year,  but he sort of knew what to expect this time around.  In the end,  Jack wanted to make it a good time for Kate,  because she loved the holidays and all he ever wanted was to see her enjoying herself.  "I'm always gonna want you."  He promised,  a hand gently placed on her arm for reassurance.  "That's why I wanna do christmas properly.  Everything I do is for you."  
            
            /   @-HAWKEYES 

She loved it when he did that. How expressive his eyes could be, gawd! It was quite funny, though, when he narrowed his eyes. She couldn't help herself!
            At his response, though, her smile became a much softer one. She teased him, about being her 'Grinch', though it was nothing but a silly little joke. She knew he wasn't used to celebrate the holidays, perhaps not entirely introduced to the festivities when growing up. He had mentioned, although not in depth, but still told her enough that she did understand those earlier years... they hadn't been easy. Even his birthday was... well. The reason why she wanted to show him all! Never forcing it to him, though. "Don't rush it..." she told him, cupping his cheek. "One day it'll occur naturally to you. Or not. And that's okay as well! They take one day to celebrate love, hope... to be with the people they care about. This is what Christmas is about — we don't need a *day* to celebrate that, though. We can have it everyday! ...I want to love you. And be with you. For as long as you'll have me." 

  His eyes narrowed at her laughter;  she was still entirely to blame for the fact that he'd softened up over the last year.  Even if there were parts of his personality that he couldn't really shake,  the parts so absent of human life could shift.  Because he wasn't really raised as a  *child*,  he wasn't really raised as much at all.  It all tended to be so confusing.  "Just considerin' that a lotta people tend to get quite excited this time'a year.  S'weird.  But I guess I just ain't used to it yet?  I dunno how long that takes." 
            
            /   @-HAWKEYES 

   "The most interesting?  In New York?  Damn."  He mumbled thoughtfully,  taking a long drag of his cigarette as he considered the question.  He'd looked with purpose and,  in some cases,  he'd looked with amusement.  He seemed to internally sort through the things he could say and the things you couldn't,  the admissions of guilt and the morally gray.  "Seen a lotta superheroes doin' stupid shit 'round the city,  actually.  Saw some guy get busted by Spider-Man 'cause he stole some old lady's purse when I had a smoke break.  Pretty fuckin' hilarious."  
            
            /   @-RUSSIANSPIES 

"It's still pretty cool," she was quick to reassure him, spy or not.
            Jack was very observant. And clever. As well as a fast-thinker. She honestly liked all those things about him — barely did he know that such traits were always present in a good spy. And they were often the type that couldn't be taught: you had it or not. Differently of fighting skills and espionage techniques — that one could definitely master with practice and determination...
            In her opinion, he was a natural — at the same time, that's the kind of life she would never wish for her 'little brother'.
            "What was the most interesting thing you have observed while pretending you were just having a cigarette?" she inquired him with that unwavering, warm look in her eyes — always present when directed at her young librarian friend.

   "Aha,  I've used that move before.  But I ain't a spy,  so it's less impressive."  Not that he did things based on how cool they seemed,  obviously,  because petty theft and general restlessness was not cool and yet he couldn't help himself.  But waiting around a store,  watching how their security worked,  observing cameras and people passing by—  with a cigarette,  he just seemed like a curious individual.  Not even that.  He was barely registered.  And,  if he did ever have to talk to anyone,  a more generic American accent slipped out like second nature.  It wasn't so difficult.  Being a spy,  though,  was a different level completely.  "A lotta people tend ta say that."  He said it like he didn't believe it as a general rule,  because he would bond with the people he chose to,  cigarette or not.  But...  she had a point,  he supposed.  
            
            /   @-RUSSIANSPIES 

She was ready to laugh at the dramatic 'frustration' she imagined he would display, but his reaction was so... equally *endearing*, that all she could do was flash him a small smile instead. She cupped his face, affectionately stroking his cheek — and more than happy to oblige and return to him when he drew her to him, kissing him back while moving her arms to wrap loosely around his neck. "I love you..." she whispered to him, alternating her gaze between his lips and his eyes a couple of times before smiling slightly.

  "That—  your—  there it is."  Jack didn't even bother to sound frustrated by the expression,  instead sounding enthralled and endeared at the sight.  Kate moved back after the kiss and he drew his focus from her lips back up to her eyes—  a hand settling on the back of her neck to draw her back in for another kiss.  Because he was only human!  
            
            /   @-HAWKEYES 

"What look?" she asked him, quirking an eyebrow as if waiting for him to truly clarify that up — doing her best, innocent puppy eyes in the sequence. She grinned then, happy to oblige and to bring him closer too — which she doubted was possible, but that didn't stop her anyways —, only to wrap her arms around his shoulders and kiss him again. Eventually moving back, she just did so to meet those beautiful eyes of his and smile up to him, clearly content to be able to just be there, with him, like that.

"No? Aww, too bad." she pouted playfully, chuckling along with him. It felt nice to see the change on the stranger's mood, from all that stress to laughing. Maybe... nah. She would think that maybe she wasn't so 'evil', if she could help people, even if just a little, such as trying to brighten up their days, but... she would only be fooling herself, since she knows the truth about who she is and what she did for a living. It was nice to pretend and forget it all, even if only for a moment. "We have a plot to send to the guys in Hollywood, though. Could give us some money, huh? Imagine that!"

   "Call me crazy but I don't think that has a chance of happenin'."  He couldn't help but laugh,  bringing his hand to rub his forehead slightly to cover the reaction.  His emotions were slightly all over the place,  in all honesty.  "Maybe I'd just let you handle that,  seein' as yer so prepared to handle it." 
            
            /   @-WOLFSPYDERS 

"A shame. A punch-thrower-librarian sounds awesome to me. How are you supposed to defend the establishment in a case of culture-zombie apocalypse? You know, zombies that are hungry for books, not people's brains. Imagine them, all eating the precious literature classics, knowing how to throw a punch would be great for business." she grinned at the ridiculous scenario.

“okay, i’ll get you that then. maybe a t-shirt too. what size do you wear?” she could always just guess at that, but she didn’t want to be wrong and him be stuck with a shirt he couldn’t wear. all this talk of gifts made her want to go on a trip, but she knew she couldn’t right now. eventually she would, though. “well, i’m sure most customers aren’t in here pretty much every single day like we are. soon i think we’re going to run out of books to read. and i guess we’ll have to find a new library at that point.” she shrugged, her tone of voice obviously showing she didn’t mean that one bit. she knew aspen wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. 
            
            // she’ll make aspen one too that says ‘librarian’s favorite customer’ and then they’ll match

   "...  That does sound good."  The concept sounded absolutely insane but he was willing to go along with it.  Maybe he should plan a trip someday!  Although,  many of his  'trips'  tend to have little planning.  Except for the ones where he follows Kate around like he's some kind of lost dog—  but that was a little more pathetic than he was willing to admit.  "There's no competition,  that's for sure.  I give you that title in confidence.  The dragon represents my dedication to the loyal customers."  
            
            /   @cursedwithrage   it's set to be the best christmas ever 

“you want a pair of mickey ears? clint and i got some in disneyland paris when we went a couple months back. they’re cute. although they can give you a bit of a headache sometimes.” the blonde rubbed her temple, almost as if she was remembering just what that headache felt like. what could she say? she wasn’t used to wearing something like that. “yeah, i leave that to clint while i stay at home with the kiddos. i wasn’t made for that kind of lifestyle. isn’t that right, aspy?” kara gently pinched the toddler’s cheek before she smiled up at jack. “we’re the favorites? did you hear that, aspen?”
            
            // that’ll be part of his christmas gift from kara

// yes, i’m 5 days late, but i don’t care lol

/ㅤ@disreguard,  !! 

// *loud gasp* yesss, plsss. I miss them smm <333

   "Well,  'zactly.  He got what was comin' to 'im."  His laugh was energised and slightly erratic,  clearly bouncing from the crime to immediately lying his way through an interaction was putting him slightly on edge.  Oh,  jesus—  he really had to not get caught.  He couldn't exactly call anyone to bail him out.  "Gave 'im a long ol' speech about the power of a controlled environment,  'course!  But guys like that ain't ever gonna listen,  y'know?  They get their riches from abusin' their surroundings,  makes ya wonder whether they deserve to keep any of 'em in the first place."  
            
            /   @-TEMPVSFVGIT 

He grew a tad confused when the other gave him the permission to, but did not present him any document. For a moment, he worried he had understood wrongly the concept of what a 'petition' was, or if even it had changed its 'form', considering how many things have been moved to something called *internet*. He was there in its creation, or better saying, of what was the invention that would evolve into this, but that did not mean he was familiar with *using* it, personally. What the young man told him, however, soon took his whole focus. "Ah, that's someone I would've *loved* to talk with," sarcasm... now that was a human 'invention' he did know how to use!

   "You sure can,"  Jack obviously knew that he didn't  *have*  a petition,  so he just nodded enthusiastically for a few seconds.  He tried to listen out in case he was still being chased,  but couldn't make that fact known either.  "I'm glad you agree.  Y'know,  a guy a few blocks back told me that I was bein' dramatic.  An'...  What was it...  He said the rich earned the right to take back from the environment.  Can ya believe that!"  
            
            /   @-TEMPVSFVGIT