InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Best to visualize it."

Clint Barton is going back to bed. (today_sucks) wrote in snapthread,
@ 2019-12-09 20:11:00

Entry tags:

beverly marsh, clint barton (616)

Who: Clint Barton and Beverly Marsh
What: Shopping, meeting
Where: Through the doors
When: Dec 9th

It was always a gamble, going through the doors — sure, most of the time it was at least possible to see a little bit of what they’d be walking into, but not always. Sometimes things got really weird when they’d looked normal to begin with. And sometimes they looked weird from the start, but Clint was sort of a glutton for action and went through anyway and either regretted it or had some fun.

In this instance though, he’d made sure to open and close about a hundred door opportunities (some that looked fun, some that did not) in order to get something relatively normal. Beverly was new, and had never been through before and it didn’t really matter if Clint had a bow with him or not: a bad time was a bad time. He didn’t want anyone to have to deal with that on the first go.

So here they were, standing in some kind of big-ass mall in — well. Clint looked around curiously, spotting out stores that looked familiar but only in a nostalgic kind of way. The late 90’s, maybe? “What do you think?” He asked his new pal — not that they really knew each other, but Beverly seemed nice enough, and he’d always had a soft spot for red-heads so he figured they’d probably get there. “Good enough, or should we try for someplace else?” If this place had a Suncoast DVD store, they could go for absolutely broke, filling up the library with watchable options.

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today_sucks
2019-12-12 11:30 pm UTC (link)

She didn't have to mention her friends - Clint didn't need the full story (they didn't know each other like that, she owed him nothing) but he was aware they existed anyway. They all hung around together in town. The loud angry one, the quiet one, the tall one that liked fucking with people's lovingly crafted playlists at parties. Losers, they called themselves, and Clint thought it was charming. He was always glad when people had some of their own around. He wouldn't know what he'd do if he was all alone.

"Man, I wish trash talking was a more common way to beat evil stuff," Clint said, kind of bemused. He was sure it wasn't as easy as all that, not the way that group all looked haunted around the edges. But that wasn't his business either.

He picked up one of the lava lamps and thought he was sure there was someone in town who'd love to hate it. He was definitely going to get it. "Me? I'm the idiot who runs around with gods and superheroes and fights evil stuff with a bow and arrow." His smile was boyishly charming. "I guess that's the short of it anyway."

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mollyringwald
2019-12-13 12:04 am UTC (link)

"Me too," Beverly smiled wistfully because, yeah, bullying something to death? If only they had known. Maybe they could have saved Stan in time. But no, then again, it really wasn't as easy as a few taunts and insults - there was the whole failed Ritual of Chüd, a battle of wills, a way to defeat evil spirits, first off. Not to mention everything else they'd endured before they even got to the very end of that chapter anyway. "So you don't use insults, you use a bow and arrow. That works as well."

She really fucking loved those lava lamps, truth be told - maybe even had one in her college dorm despite it probably being some kind of fire hazard. They were just so mesmerizing. "You must be pretty good?" she guessed, glancing at Clint before picking up a blue lava lamp box to study. "Do you give lessons?"

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today_sucks
2019-12-13 03:58 am UTC (link)

"Well, I use insults too," Clint said, like it was obvious. He stuck another lava lamp into his basket, and then one of the vibrators too, for good measure. Hey, you just never knew. "But mostly that just makes me feel better, not much else good comes of it."

He offered a gesture at the store, eyebrow raised like he wanted to know if maybe there was anything else she needed here before they moved on to the bigger, better world of lemonade, hotdogs and cinnabon. And then other stores, too. Funcoland had existed around...whatever now was, he was pretty sure.

"I'm the best," he agreed, and it wasn't even like he was trying to brag, he just was. No one had better aim, and he never missed. It was kind of his thing. "Are you looking to learn?"

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mollyringwald
2019-12-13 05:26 pm UTC (link)

It was one lava lamp for Beverly, and that stocking stuffer for Richie, and maybe a couple other things for her Loser friends (a Fuck a Duck blowup doll she was going to put in Stan's room without a word or any explanation, and a rainbow sour penis lollipop for Eddie) - and yes, now she was good to go. "All set," she told Clint, happily shifting her basket on her arm. "And if you're the best, yeah. I'm definitely looking to learn."

Her aim was pretty good, but nothing professional. Mostly she just had practice with rocks and, you know, snowballs. It was also that she wanted to learn how to use at least some kind of weapon - knives seemed pretty self-explanatory, and guns made her nervous. Anyone could pull the trigger on a boomstick, but a bow and arrow required precision.

"How much do you charge for lessons?"

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today_sucks
2019-12-13 10:21 pm UTC (link)

"I'm definitely the best," Clint agreed before putting all his stuff (it all amassed so quickly) on the counter at check out, gesturing for her to do the same and then pulling out his card. Or, well, Tony's card. What was the point in being friends with a billionaire if you couldn't have some of his money in order to go on shopping sprees? Well. Beside that whole general friendship angle. Whatever.

"Money's pretty useless," he said after a beat -- because it wasn't used in Starklandia, and well -- again, because he literally just had free reign with a credit card that had more on it than could ever even feasibly be spent. "But I'll trade favors, if you wanna go that route? I could use a few more people to watch the shop now and again."

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mollyringwald
2019-12-14 12:14 am UTC (link)

Ah, gifts. It was nice to have a way to pay for them, because Beverly would have felt guilty about stuffing everything into that bottomless pit of a bag and then whistling a jaunty tune while exiting, hoping the store alarms didn't go off. The credit card was about as handy as Alice's rabbit hole of a purse, so, she wasn't complaining. "Favors? Yeah - "

She took her shopping bag, everything having fit into one, and slung the plastic handles over her wrist. "I can do that. Watch the shop for you, I mean. I'm best with clothes but also good with coffee." So, Clint could show her the ropes and she could test out her barista skills, and her skills at creating latte art (a flower was possible, perhaps a heart, maybe even dicks or boobs - depending).

"I mean, it'll be good, right? You can spend more time with your significant other," she pointed out. Beverly didn't have that setup. Toiling away at the coffee shop to allow for couples time, for someone else, was no big deal.

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today_sucks
2019-12-14 01:03 am UTC (link)

Clint would have felt guilty too -- not that he hadn't stole before and probably wouldn't again -- needs must, after all, and he couldn't feel too bad about a loaf of bread for hungry mouths situation, but it wasn't quite the same for gag dildos, was it?

Once they were out of the store, Clint took to stuffing all his newly found items into his Bag of Holding and grinned at Beverly. "Cool. It's not like -- a huge deal. It's not like there's a huge crowd of people to be helping but, I dunno. It feels more like home when there are places to go, y'know? So I keep it open like it's real business hours or whatever." Not like there was much else to occupy their time and wasn't that weird, some days? Clint had gone from running like crazy around the clock to a whole lot of nothing. But he did like spending time with Bucky.

"Anyway. What's next?" He glanced around them, neon colors and teenagers everywhere.

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mollyringwald
2019-12-14 01:19 pm UTC (link)

"Definitely - and a coffee shop is just one of those places where people gather and can make connections or whatever," Beverly said, shuffling along to a store directory. "It helps people feel at home." There was just something about it - a coffee shop, a bar, and it seemed like Starklandia had both, so. That was a positive thing. What other parts of a town did they even need?

Well, maybe like an actual grocery store or an actual hospital - they had a library though, so that was something? "Hm, oh - there's a Suncoast," she added, finger tapping onto the store name. "We could stock up on movies for people to check out of the library? If there's a system. I'm not sure how it works. But like, especially holiday movies."

And no matter what Richie said, Die Hard wasn't a holiday movie. Deal with it (and neither was Lethal Weapon, for that matter).

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today_sucks
2019-12-17 01:28 am UTC (link)

"I always just really liked coffee," Clint said with a goofy sort of smile -- of course, Beverly wasn't wrong and it was basically what he'd been saying a second ago but Clint just. Well, he sort of liked playing dumb and goofy. It was a good, friendly approach to life and everyone needed that more than the serious stuff.

"Let's get one of everything and scare all the employees," Clint decided gleefully. Mind, it was one of every movie in the mid 90's so it wasn't like, the cream of the crop or anything. But hey, any selection was better than what they had now. "I don't think there's a check out system. You just kinda take stuff and live on the honor system of not keeping books and dvds under your bed for the rest of your life." Clint was.... not good at that.

But Bev was wrong, and Die Hard was 100% a Christmas movie.

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mollyringwald
2019-12-17 02:32 am UTC (link)

"One of every movie? Oh god, checking that out would take hours," Beverly laughed, but it was actually kind of amusing to picture. The Suncoast employees would have to call for backup - she might feel too much like a Karen who needed to speak to the manager, but. 'Tis the season? And hoarding movies was for a good cause. It would be for everyone in town.

But alright, she at least wanted to jolt her memory when it came to 90s nostalgia movies. When they got to the Suncoast, she went right for the holiday display in front, and nary a Die Hard was to be found. "What's your favorite Christmas movie? I think mine is the Santa Clause."

Or maybe Santa Clause 2: The Mrs. Claus. It was so stupid and what kind of a girl would just run off to the North Pole to marry Santa Claus because he was on a time commitment? Regardless, she could not look away. It was the best kind of trainwreck.

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today_sucks
2019-12-19 01:34 am UTC (link)

"Maybe hours, yeah," Clint agreed. "We could warn them. Make it easier." It wasn't a Karen move, was it? They weren't going to complain. Clint wouldn't even make a scene about half the movies in this time era not having subtitled options, even though they definitely should have and he kinda needed them. "But I bet everyone back home would dig it. Makes it worth it, right? Wasn't it your fellas trying to start up a movie theater?"

He looked over the Christmas movies on display before snatching up Nightmare before Christmas, a 1993 classic. "This is my favorite. What's not to like? Thrilling plot. Music. The guy has a ghost dog. Is that the one with Tim Allen? God. Home Improvement used to make me so mad." Didn't matter if he liked it or not, they were definitely getting all the Holiday movies. They had to have a marathon.

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mollyringwald
2019-12-19 01:18 pm UTC (link)

"Was it? That sounds like something they would do," Beverly chuckled fondly. Movie theaters were great no matter what age you were - who didn't like escapism in a dark room for a few hours, and with terrible-for-you snacks to boot? "Well, I guess we can help their project along, then. Since we're actually in a Suncoast now."

So, every movie it was. She started with the holiday movies, because she agreed with Clint - they needed to get every single one. Hence why she started piling them into her arms, didn't matter what it was. The 'classics' were in there, Miracle on 34th Street and White Christmas, but some newer films too - Home Alone, Jingle All the Way. "I love that one also," she chimed about Nightmare Before Christmas. "It serves as double duty, both for Christmas and Halloween. Good taste. Oh, look!"

She started laughing when she pointed out the cover of the film 'Jack Frost,' with Michael Keaton. "I remember this one - how horrible."

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today_sucks
2019-12-25 10:17 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah, one of them at least. The little angry one?" Everyone came into the coffee shop eventually, but Clint wouldn't say he always remembered names all that well until he personally talked to people. He did pay attention though -- at least to things that seemed reasonably important. And movies obviously were -- Clint was always waiting for an excuse to see Blade Runner on a bigger screen again.

"Oh my god," he said, behind a stack of dvds in his arms -- he was literally going A to Z up and then down again and it was taking more trips than he was ready to admit. Good thing this wasn't on his credit card. "I remember that one. That's -- that worst. That one was the worst. Like, was it not meant to be a horror movie? It felt a little like a horror movie."

In fact, he was pretty sure there were horror movies based on exactly that same plot and with the exact same title. No Michael Keaton though. Which was probably for the best.

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