Voice Testing

[honeyibrokeharlem]

[The ragged man looks up at his username. He lets out one puff of air from his nose that someone who doesn't know him might mistake for a laugh, then bows his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a strained smile.]

You know, you're not very funny.

[He pulls his hand away after briefly adjusting his glasses, joining his hands at his abdomen and running his finger across his knuckles.]

I don't suppose you have any plans to share with me? Something you want me to do? Because I should warn you... [He shakes his head and lets out another huff of a not-laugh, looking more self-deprecating than anything.] I'm not really the kind of guy to 'pick up' if you don't have a plan.

Comments

[like_a_gerbil]

[Steve gives Bruce a wry, amused look while nodding to his own user name.]

They seem to think they're funny.

[He really doesn't mind the name since it reminds him of Doctor Erskine but he knows that it does help to let others tease him about it.]

It might be better if your mundane doesn't have plans for you.

[honeyibrokeharlem]

[He looks up at Steve's username, then nods.]

Yeah. I don't think they understand what 'funny' is.

[At least his doesn't refer to him as a rodent.

He starts running his thumb on his knuckles, slowly pacing the room with nervous energy. He avoids looking at Steve directly, instead glancing around the room, trying to find possible exits in case something goes south and the Abomination falls through the ceiling or something. (He has learned to plan for any bad luck possible.)]

Maybe you're right, but the only other option is being stuck in a cage inside of her head. In case you haven't noticed, I really don't like cages.

[like_a_gerbil]

I don't really mind it. I've been called worse.

[Steve watches Bruce, waiting until he's checked the room before speaking. Whatever reassurances he might give won't have a chance of being noticed until Bruce has done what was needed to reassure himself that there were no dangers nearby.]

This place is usually safe, Bruce. [Unless you have brainwashed friends hunting for you.] It's neutral ground. You know I'll help if something happens.

Not having plans doesn't mean being stuck in a cage. Just means you might be able to avoid those games mundanes throw us in.

[honeyibrokeharlem]

Nowhere is safe. [He keeps pacing, keeps running his thumb along his knuckles, but his eyes aren't darting everywhere anymore. He glances at Steve, a minute amount of tension leaving his jaw.] But I know. Thanks. [And it means a lot, because no one besides Betty has had his back since the accident. Better yet, he has full confidence that Steve would try to help him if anything happened, because Steve doesn't have a dishonest bone in his body and that's what he's said he'll do.

Even so, Bruce is still nervous. He's always nervous if he's stuck in one place without obvious escapes.] It also means I'm trapped in someone's head, doing nothing and not being able to get out. How's that not a cage? [He concentrates on breathing. That generally helps the anxiety.] Most games wouldn't be much better, but at least I'd be able to move around.

sorry to butt in but

[therightagent]

[Bucky is just. Eyeing Steve.

.... gerbil what?]

[like_a_gerbil]

[Steve tries to look serious but there's a hint of a smile tugging his lips upward.]

Whatever you want to say, Bucky, you can say it.

[therightagent]

Like a gerbil?

[arach_nerd]

Especially if you don't have superstrength. The other guy is kind of heavy.

[honeyibrokeharlem]

[He will arch one eyebrow, but the edge of his lip quirks just a little. It's not a smile so much as an acknowledgement that he gets it.]

Yeah. Maybe she could manage it if she had a crane for a neck.

[weaponmadeperfect]

[ Sherry's going to just smirk. ] I don't know it's kinda cute, the username I mean.

And you'd have better luck letting the other guy beat plans out of a mun. Though... Doesn't seem to work too well with mine. [ She's still trying to get plans out of her mun after all... ]

[honeyibrokeharlem]

Cute? That's a first. [The devastation of an entire neighborhood doesn't strike him as cute, but then again, he has absolutely no sense of humor when it comes to the big guy.

Speaking of, he gets a strained smile at the 'beat up the mun' crack, pulling off his glasses and starting to clean them so he can have something to fidget with.]

I, uh, don't really want to set the other guy on anyone unless there aren't any other options. [He puts his glasses back on.] I don't suppose you have any other ideas?

[weaponmadeperfect]

[ She smirks ] Harlem was fixable therefore cute.

[ Mun would like to apologize for Sherry, but really she's an au Sherry Birkin so really can't. ] Nothing that wouldn't cause serious damage. But then again apparently I'm the violent version my mun has... First option for me is usually violent and destructive.

[honeyibrokeharlem]

Some things can't be fixed. [Like death. Broken lives.

But he doesn't want to think about that.] Violence doesn't always have to be the answer. Diplomacy works sometimes.

[therightagent]

[Oh look, an ex-Soviet spy. That'll definitely make him feel more comfortable, right?]

I think a lot of them don't care about having plans to start with.

[honeyibrokeharlem]

[Oh. Fantastic. Yes, this will definitely make him calmer.

Excuse him while he makes sure there's a lot of space between them.]

Then they should really think things through better, shouldn't they? [He runs his thumb against his knuckles, keeping his back straight and his eyes right on Bucky.] I'm guessing you got wrapped up in this just the same way?

[therightagent]

[She shrugs up the shoulder that's still... flesh-and-blood.] Seems like. I was a whim with more staying power than expected.

[A pause.] Looks like you've got more options than me, at least.

[honeyibrokeharlem]

What makes you figure?

[He doesn't clarify which statement he's referring to. Instead, he just begins to pace slowly. He keeps his eyes on her, but he's gauging possible escape routes just in case she makes a move.

Unfortunately, while Bruce trusts Steve, he doesn't trust Bucky. Trust is hard-won with Bruce, and ex-Soviet spy and assassin is not a good platform to start out with.]

[reasonability]

I don't know. You're very good at improvising.

[honeyibrokeharlem]

[Have a not-laugh Coulson, complete with a self-deprecating not-smile.] I don't like relying too much on improv. It usually ends up with me doing something dangerous. Like jumping out of flying things [Ah, the helicopter. He probably should have thought that one through a little more.

He's still running his thumb along his knuckles and eyeing Coulson cautiously--hey, after his dealings with SHIELD, he's a little wary of all agents--but he's not pacing around like a caged animal. He's moderately sure that Coulson's not going to randomly pull a tazer on him.] You look... better. [And less dead.]

[reasonability]

Thanks. Regular spa treatments. Does wonders for the skin.

[ He's not sure if he should even try to pretend. Keep up the lie. Does it matter, between worlds? Does it matter, if he's the director now? ]

If jumping out of flying things is the way to stop a fifteen-foot spiny madman from rampaging through Harlem, I'd like to encourage it.

[honeyibrokeharlem]

Really. Must be one hell of a spa.

[Considering Bruce has seen stranger things, he'll allow that line of questioning to go... for now. But he's filing away Coulson's evasion in his mental cabinet.

The corner of his mouth quirks just a little. It's not really happy, but it's something. He didn't even know whether or not SHIELD and other government agencies blamed him for what happened in Harlem.] Next time, I'd like to plan ahead and make sure the spiny madman doesn't rampage through Harlem in the first place. [Do you have any idea how hard it is to make sure you don't bleed on anything?] But I guess if it works, it works.

[busdriver]

[I'm not really the kind of guy to 'pick up' if you don't have a plan.

That's funny. She exhales, short sound, brittle sort of humor that isn't far out of tune with his small huff before. Chances are, he won't know her, but she's looking at him with undisguised recognition and all due caution. SHIELD uniform gives her away a little.]

What could possibly go wrong?

[honeyibrokeharlem]

That seems to be her thought process.

[He doesn't need to be introduced to know what that uniform means. The corners of his mouth quirk in a strained, resigned not-smile before he casually shows her his palms to show he's unarmed. Not that he needs to be armed, but he figures it's the thought.]

I don't think we've met.

[He keeps a healthy distance between them, then clasps his hands and starts running his thumb gently over his knuckles, but his eyes don't move from her.]

[busdriver]

[She falls easily into an attentive stance with her feet shoulder-width apart and her hands linked behind her, paramilitary conditioning more obvious on her than it was on Romanoff at this stage in similar proceedings. Banner's right, they haven't met, and a curt incline of her head at the right time ought to convey as much.]

Melinda May.

[She fully appreciates that he doesn't need to be armed, and historically speaking, neither does she. It could be a conspicuous absence: no holster, no chance whatsoever that she has a sidearm. Guns can be a necessity in her line of work. She'll be the first to admit that there are times when they tip the scales, but this wouldn't be one of those. If the Other Guy makes an appearance, then that's a hopeless outmatch. It's not like her to bring something useless just for the sake of it.

She likes her username. It sounds safe even to her, and that's part of why she likes it. Mostly, it works for her because it's not what it could've been. It doesn't reference anything she isn't proud of. Joke or no joke, they can't say the same for his.]

There's a woman here who wants us to talk about feelings.

[If she leaves the thought unfinished it'll just sound juvenile, and she thinks that's what she'd prefer. It might be better than indulging her mundane. She sucks her teeth, expression perceptibly tightening before she abides the necessary clarification:]

Anger.

[broke_harlem]

They don't listen, fair warning. Mine followed through and actually put me in a game.

[ Oh and their usernames match, cute. ]