( canon is im3 | possible spoilers. )

[ficus]

If this is your idea of a joke? Y'know, can't really say I'm seeing the punchline.

Look, we're both intelligent people here. Spare me the explanation, spare me your ... reasoning behind it all. Just — do me a favor, huh? Don't waste my time.

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[fistmele]

[ He quirks a cursory brow, whistling long and low. ]

Lady knows what she wants, huh.

[ficus]

[ The brow is returned, expression unamused. ]

Lady doesn't intend to let her proverbial second chance go to crap.

[fistmele]

[ Clint ticks a shoulder, insomuch as that kind of expression can look careless even if it's not intended to be. ]

Hey, I can respect that.

[ficus]

[ Her arms fold now. It isn't so much she's uninterested in the conversation as it is something of a defense mechanism. ]

Respect. [ Eyes roll. It isn't Clint's fault her mood lever has been tugged all the way to outright perturbed — Life after death isn't leaving a necessarily pleasant taste in her mouth. ] Big word.

Barton, right?

[fistmele]

[ He takes it with a grain of salt — these places, you've got to make allowances. So instead of taking it personally he just grins, huffing out a smile that's two steps closer to charming and three steps closer to yeah, you got me. ]

You could say I'm a supporter of second chances. [ He tips his chin. ] Yeah. You're the doc, right? With the— [ He mimes a small exploding motion with his hands, cheeks pillowing out with a small sound. ] —plants?

[ficus]

[ There's this glimpse of a smile on her cheeks, but thinking it's anything more than that might be taking things too far. ] The doc with the exploding plants. [ Great. So, her legacy is a body count and exploding ficuses. Livin' the dream. ]

Most just stick to Dr. Hansen. But I think we'll go with Maya for now. Four letters is a little less complicated than an unwarranted prefix.

[fistmele]

[ Everything that happened aside, since the thing with Killian was pretty fucked up — Clint gets the exploding ficuses. Or rather, he gets the appeal. Like, what's not to like, right? Explosions are cool. ]

Maya. Sure. Then that makes me Clint, though.

[ Because that's what normal people do. ]

[ficus]

[ Explosions and ficuses — Why was it that the men in her life were only interested in one, the other, or both at the same time? Jesus, if that was all it would take to hook a guy in college, her life would have taken something of a different turn, huh? Instead, she was stuck with an egotist and a megalomaniac. Good work, Hansen. ]

Clint's good. [ She tucks hair behind her ear, shrugging her shoulders. ] See how much easier that is without the pesky "Agent" tacked on? You keep this up and passerby might mistake us for two normal people having a normal conversation.

Scary stuff.

[fistmele]

Hey. [ He lifts his hands, palm-up in mock surrender. ] A guy's gotta have some mystery. Not everybody's born with James Bond's accent, you know?

[ Because a scientist and a specialist walk into a bar no I'm just kidding this is the penultimate in normal duos. ]

And we are two people having a conversation.

[ficus]

[ She frowns in thought, before her lips part to let loose a genuine chuckle. Imagine that. ] No, but the general consensus is that it helps. You're already losing points somewhere out there, I think.

[ Try this one for size, then: The creator of the Extremis design and the specialist who can hit virtually anything from a tall, tall building slash Avenger who just helped save the world from an alien invasion walk into a bar — Right. So typical. ]

You skipped the most essential word. "Normal", remember?

[canyouregulate]

Maybe you're not looking hard enough.

yes, excellent.

[ficus]

[ Oh, good — It's you. As you can see, Eric, her amusement is endless. Seriously. You can even hear it in Maya's deadpan. ] So, you double as a comedian now.

\o/

[canyouregulate]

{Well, he's just so amusing, isn't he.

Or maybe that's you.]

Oh, I double as a lot of things, sweetheart. I'm talented like that.

[ficus]

You've made that abundantly clear, Savin, thank you. [ Sweetheart. Mm. Always the charmer, Eric. How did she get so lucky? ] Talented is one word for it.

[canyouregulate]

Well, I just want to make sure everyone knows where I stand.

[Oh, the world may never know. She should count those lucky stars of hers.]

And what else would you call it? Don't hurt my poor, fragile feelings, Maya.

[ficus]

Something tells me they could never really forget. I think you've seen to that.

[ She's never found these antics particularly endearing. And yet, there's always something to be said for a successful Extremis candidate. If she was capable of the idea, you might even consider it something of a soft spot. ]

Versatile — is harmless enough, I think. [ See also: Volatile. ]

[canyouregulate]

Exactly. [And he grins, wickedly, at the thought.] Nothing like making a statement, don't you think?

[Well, it's just, he gets bored easily. And what else is he supposed to do with all his time? Besides. You're responsible for... well, him, and the power to make said statements that he so enjoys. And he can't - won't - forget that, regardless of whether he ever lets you know.]

Versatile... I like that. [Actually, he'd probably even like volatile, too.] Think I should add it to my resume?

[ficus]

[ Maya chuckles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. ] Not quite.

[ She folds her arms across her chest, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. Her shoulders shrug and her lips pull down in thought. ] I think it's worth a shot.

Versatility can be the key to qualification. Suits you. [ Okay, so, her pride is showing a little bit now. ]

[canyouregulate]

[Not that he expects it to. And it doesn't bother him in the least.] Well, I guess that's because you're a works-behind-the-scenes kinda girl. [Not that he doesn't do the same - in fact, he's a master of working behind the scenes - unseen. Still, he likes people to know he was there, even if it's never actually traced back to him. He takes pride in his work.

So he grins when she says it suits him, folding his arms behind his head.] That's right. Versatility and a do-or-die attitude. [Though of course... he clearly knows how to take that to the extreme. Thankfully headspace doesn't care if he's supposed to be dead.] 'Course, you might be able to list the same. [She's got guts. That's not a bad thing.]

[donttakemystuff]

Bit of an ironic statement, don't you think?

[ficus]

[ Is this the direct hotline to the fucking Peanut Gallery? ]

If I knew which part you were referencing, probable exceptions could be made, sure.

[donttakemystuff]

It's not as if you have any time to waste. All of yours has already been used.

[ficus]

Is that right? Wow. [ Deadpan: ] I had no idea you were so observant, Tony.

[donttakemystuff]

I'm just saying, maybe you shouldn't be so ungrateful until you figure out what's going to happen. [beat] And you don't have to be so bitter, I'm not the one that pulled the trigger. Or convinced you that playing villain was really the best option you had available.