But I stood my ground and I'll fly once more, it's the last oath that I ever swore

[ibelieveinarrows]

Steve is not having a good day.

That's fairly rare for him. Normally he can keep it together, or at least have the appearance of keeping it together. His bad days are quiet affairs, private ones, not the screaming, crying breakdowns he's seen some of the others come to. Usually.

He's not screaming now, but he is crying, curled in the quietest, darkest corner he can find to squeeze himself into. It's still too loud, too much. He's bleeding from crescents on his palm and if he keeps scratching at the skin around his ears he's going to start bleeding there too. He's not sobbing anymore, at least; tears are just slipping quietly down his face as he sits there, rocking slightly and trying to focus on the sound of his own breathing. Anything to calm down, to stop listening to all the thoughts that pass through his brain. To be better, like he usually is.



Clint is practicing, holed up with the targets and his weapons. And it is weapons this time, plural; his favorite bow is in his hands, quiver strapped across his back, but there's a gun lying on the bench and a target full of bullet holes instead of arrows among the ones he's been working with. He still likes his arrows better, but it never hurts to stay sharp with multiple weapons. He's considering trying throwing knives too.

But for right now, it's him and the bow and the bullseye. Anyone dropping by should maybe try not to startle him.



Coulson has files in hand, but he's not looking at them at the moment, his eyes closed and the other hand rubbing his temples. He needs a second before he can dive back into it. It's important, looking over the evaluations of the newest rescues, figuring out who needs to be put into safe keeping and who might be approached to help them out, but it's also hard to read about what these kids have been through. This girl is only a year younger than Darcy, and he can't stop putting his daughter in her place; it turns his stomach to think about it.

He'll go back to it, but he needs a moment first.



Loki is tied up, so securely that he can't slip the bonds, even just enough to get to one of the knives they missed when they took his weapons. It's for his own safety and everyone else's, this time, and just in the nick of time. It wouldn't have been much longer before he'd done something to endanger them all.

He isn't gagged, just tied, and he's humming to himself as he works against his bonds, not accomplishing anything but rubbing his wrists and ankles raw. It doesn't seem to bother him very much, but then, not much can get through the manic fog at the moment.

Comments

[wewithoutwarmth]

"Yeah, well," Tony says. "It's not y call. Maybe if you pay nice someone can come down here with him."

He's not stupid, he knows Loki is up to something but he's not going to be the one who gets caught in that trap.

[roomforonemore]

He doesn't know how long they've been sitting there before he can bring himself to look up at the world again. He's singing softly by the time he does, his throat aching, his shoulders and side and ears sore from awkward angles and scratches and tension.

He takes one slow breath and then another, not letting go yet, but not holding on as tight either. The echoes of the world are still loud, but he could hide it now if he wanted, could pretend to be normal. He's very good at acting normal. But he doesn't have to do that until he lets go.

[herbestdisguise]

And neither of them are going to move until he does, they won't stop doing what they can for him until he pushes them away and even then they'll watch out for him. It's what they do What they all have to do because no one else will understand, no one else gets it the way they do.

She's not singing quite as loudly though, not quite as desperately now that he's a little calmer. She still keeps it up though, her fingers running through his hair and her mouth always moving,always making some sort of pretty noise for him to concentrate on.

[ibelieveinarrows]

He takes a look at the target and grins, turning back to her. "Nice. Even if it's not a bulls-eye. Want to give it another try?"

[forthoseilove]

"Head-spinning?" he suggests. "Tiring? Not leaving any space on anyone's desks?"

He smiles a little. "I appreciate the help. I know it's not exactly your job."

[roomforonemore]

He snarls, any pretenses of calm dropping. He strains forward against his bonds and snaps again, working his wrists furiously and getting nowhere.

"What do you want?"

[roomforonemore]

If it was anyone else -- when it is anyone else, because everyone watches them and the others that pass through from situations like theirs, waiting for one of them to be judged wrong, waiting for one of them to make a mistake and prove they can't handle it -- he might have a problem with them watching. But it's them, and they understand, and he does the same things, keeping an eye out when things are alright and doing his best to help when they're not.

He falls silent, but only physically. His mind is humming now that it's easier to separate his thoughts from the pack. Nothing urgent, nothing loud, just a slow steam -- the undercurrent of gratefulness, passing thoughts on what may have happened today or needs to happen soon. He does his best to keep from broadcasting most of it, but his doors seem to be jammed still.

[herbestdisguise]

She nods, holding out her hand for another. She probably shouldn't., should go somewhere else, do something else, but this is almost...fun.

[wewithoutwarmth]

She laughs. "Yes, that."

That makes her smile and she leans over, touching him lightly. "I'm happy to do it. Besides, I don't think half the people on this ship know what my job is and if I keep agreeing to help I encourage a betting pool."

[wewithoutwarmth]

"I told you," he says lightly. "I came to see the show. What's a little mania without an audience, right?"

[herbestdisguise]

And all she is putting out is love and understanding and songs. She know it's easier now so she's not trying to overwhelm him with it but it's still there all the same. There for when he needs it.

Bruce is doing the same, though he has shifted positions so that he's laying on his side, lightly curled around the other two.

[ibelieveinarrows]

He doesn't hesitate to hand it to her, taking a few steps back so that the area is clear for her to move. Granted, she probably doesn't need it, but he might as well give her room. Anyway, it's easier to watch her movements from a little bit behind and off to the side.

There's a few arrows in his hand, and he'll offer up another one when she finishes her throw.

[herbestdisguise]

She throws the arrow, hitting the bulls eye witb ease. It is easy enough and she turns to him, taking another arrow and makes a spiral design with the arrows she has left.

Then she turns to him and looks quite pleased with herself.

[forthoseilove]

He smiles, shaking his head a little. "I would start it, but then I don't get to win it. Maybe I'll drop a few hints and see if I can get someone else to start one."

[roomforonemore]

"More enjoyable," he snaps, struggling hard for a few more seconds before slumping down, crumpling in on himself as much as he'd allowed.

[roomforonemore]

He slows down a little after a few minutes to nudge them, mentally, a tiny psychic bump checking how they are. He probably picked up on it at some point, but he's picked up on so much and so many people that it all blended together. He can't be sure what's them and what's somebody else.

[wewithoutwarmth]

"You're a creative man," she tells him with a wink. "I think you could get something started."

[wewithoutwarmth]

"Fine," he sniffs, looking jokingly offended. "I'll just go then."

He's going to be surprised if Loki calls him back but hey, you never know.

[herbestdisguise]

Natasha is a little rattled today, a little of but it mostly has to do with Steve. She's not used to seeing him like that and it threw everything else off. Even so, she's not doing badly, not exactly.

Bruce projects an air of calm with a constant undercurrent of anger Nothing unusual for him. The calm may be slightly more forced than normal but it's only because he's masking concern.

[ibelieveinarrows]

He laughs, inspecting her handiwork and then giving her a nod. "Decorative. I don't know whether to pull them out or use it as a wall hanging," he adds, teasing her just a little.

[forthoseilove]

"I do my best," he answers dryly, though the tone is ruined by the smile he's still wearing. He leans back in his chair, taking a long sip of coffee before setting it back down on the desk, looking at her more seriously. "While I've got you here, though, how does this group look to you so far?"

[roomforonemore]

He won't, even if he doesn't want to be alone as much as he tries to pretend. That's something he'll only stoop to doing when he's broken, when the facade is cracked; not when he's manic and angry.

He does call to Tony when he's halfway out the door, though. "Get my brother. Make them bring him here."

[herbestdisguise]

And that? Actually makes her laugh a little. Not much but it's enough to show that her silence is a chosen act, not one she has to do because otherwise she'll be spilling out all the thoughts around her.

[roomforonemore]

He's apologetic as he picks up on it, closing his eyes and holding on a little tighter for a second. He knows she won't blame him for having a bad day, but still. He tries to keep it together, as best he can.

The fact that they're mostly okay is a relief though, and Steve relaxes a little more, leaning backwards into Bruce and almost pulling Natasha along the way. Everyone else matters, both the others that have been through similar things and the ones who haven't -- they're working together, fighting together, or else he understands why they can't and he's fighting for them.

But these two? They're family, as far as he's concerned, and he worries about them, cares about them much more than anyone else.

[wewithoutwarmth]

At the question, her easy smile grows just a little tight. "I was waiting for that," she says, though she doesn't sound pleased by it.

"From what I've seen so far, a quarter of the kids aree too lost at this point." It makes her wince but they've had worse intake sessions. "There are a few of them that they didn't get to yet, at least in my set, and the rest are..." she gestures for a moment. "They need time to recuperate before I can say anything."