A smirk crossed James lips. "It might be a risque way to teach a lesson. But some people tend to learn better this way than others. Besides, it's more fun." He'd be lying if he said that disassembling Ginnie's defenses to prove a point wasn't amusing. He listened to her talk about his qualities as a leader and her need for him to teach her, before setting her glass down and trying to move away. "I'm very good with teaching people. I'm sure we can make you a wonderful leader and teach you a few other important things along the way."

It was rare that he could catch the Iron Maiden off guard like this. The sudden shudder told James all he needed to know. Her defenses had collapsed under the strain of his blitzkrieg. He thought briefly about kissing her, but then realized that her head would probably explode and he'd probably get beaten by a bunch of Iron Maiden armors. No sense in pushing his luck. His point was proven and even if he was sure she was fun, neither of them could be ready for something like that. At least as far as James knew.

James grinned at her comment, voice cracking and all. "Well, you don't hang around Nick Fury without picking up a few things here and there." He noticed she didn't say no to his offer and decided to let her make that move if she was so inclined. James dropped on the couch next to her. "So, what do you say to ordering some dinner and taking stock of the team? Chinese? My treat." His demeanor changed slightly, since he had decided he won this little match. "Also, random question. How do you feel about camping?"

Here's to being human and taking it for granted

It honestly didn't surprise her in the slightest that he preferred to seemingly teach lessons in such a risque manner. It was definitely a way to keep it stuck in her head. At least for a time. But then again, it also just seemed like more of a challenge. After all, in the long run, this might just be one small battle in a yet to come war. It was one way to think of it. And certainly a way she didn't mind thinking of it, actually. After all, if this was a war, there was still the chance to win it in the end. A lost battle or two here and there were nothing compared to the big picture. 'But in the end, would it really be worth it? Would it really be worth that trouble? Because you know damn well if you start this war, it will only end one way.' Or, at the very least, she could only imagine one way of it ending. And then she'd have a nosy Hawkeye poking about why Captain America'd been in Ginnie's room. Bad, bad Ginnie. Just take a deep breathe. Except breathing with him so close seemed nearly impossible. it was shaky, that was for sure, and a shaky breathe wasn't going to do her any good in calming herself down.

"Oh, I'm sure there is plenty of other little things you can teach me," she said, practically whispering. It was the only way she could try and keep her voice from breaking again. Though it didn't quite help in that aspect as much as she'd hoped. She kept her head as high as she could with such little space to herself. What she hated more than the fact that she'd lost this little fight wasn't the fact that she'd lost, though. No, because in her head, she'd already resigned herself to the fact that this wasn't quite over. No, what she hated more was the fact that, not only did she know she lost, he knew all too well that he'd pushed through her defenses and won. He was in control, the one leading this little show, at least at the moment. And that fact stung more than she'd ever want to admit. Failure wasn't an option for her. But she knew what JARVIS would say if she complained about it. 'To err is human and you are just as human as the rest of them. You seem to keep forgetting that, Miss Stark.' What was even more annoying was could hear the inevitable perfectly in her thoughts. What more, she knew that she'd still argue it in the end out of sheer stubbornness.

Virginia was almost relieved when he shifted to fall to the couch rather than continue to hover over her. Oh thank goodness. Room to breathe. That was so very nice. After taking a few deep breathes, she could feel her racing heart start to slow back to normal. That was even better. She shifted slightly so she could look at him, her legs kicking up to be beside her on the seat. "After all the waiting you made me do earlier, I think that I can let you buy me dinner," she said, almost teasingly. Besides, she probably shouldn't try drinking much more on an empty stomach. Funny, though, how he'd been the one joking about her buying him dinner before and now he'd be paying for it. Well, she supposed he'd pay him back eventually, then. After all, if he stayed on this team, she'd certainly have plenty of opportunities to do just that. "And Chinese certainly does sound pretty delicious right about now." His question struck her as a bit odd, though, as it seemed to be suddenly interjected into the conversation. Where it was leading, she wasn't entirely sure but she figured that it something to do with the entire team. Or at least she hoped it did. "Never done much camping myself, but it's not something I'd object to. Why, exactly?"

671	James Barnes Jr
Shamelessly posting back to this before getting the stuff i shoulda done first done. Some things just can't be helped xD I hope that this is okay.

The highs and lows of living, to getting second chances

✿

There was that smirk again. Ginnie's breaths were coming in short, shaky bursts. He wondered if she was nervous that he'd make a move on her or excited by the prospect. "I'm very sure I could too." He could lean over and kiss her right now. And while James was sure that would make her head explode, he wasn't sure he wanted to do that. Better to let something like that be her idea. He didn't want to push too far. Besides, Cap felt like she was a challenge and he liked a good challenge.

James listened to her take a few deep breaths. "Let me know when your heartbeat is under a million and half beats a minute. I don't want to push you too hard just yet. I'd hate to have to use your armor to keep you alive too."

After Ginnie got comfortable and accepted James' offer for dinner, he gave a grin. "Perfect. I'm starving. Just let me know what you want." James took her order and then dialed the phone. He gave the order to the person in Mandarin and thanked them. "I order from that place all the time. They make the best food in Chinatown. They only deliver out here because I'm willing to speak the language and tip decently."

The plan was simple. Get Ginnie comfortable and then pitch his idea for leadership training. It wasn't anything too extreme. He just thought that it would be a fun little idea for team building. Maybe she'd like it. Maybe she wouldn't. James supposed he did want to impress her a bit. "Well, fearless leader. I think we should all leave our respective toys and tech at home and go on a little survival camping trip. Learn to depend on one another. A good team building exercise for the whole family. I was thinking we could go to the Savage Lands. It's remote, but there's a SHIELD outpost hidden there if anything goes wrong. And also, dinosaurs." The last point being a single word, as if no other explanation was needed.

Here's to being human and taking it for granted

Virginia shot him a glare at his little comment about her racing heart. Stupid Captain. She'd win this war, even if it killed her. She was more than determined now, even if she ended up losing a battle or two... or three... or four, but that wasn't the point. Because even a few lost battles could still result in the war being won in her favor. And she wasn't going to make any sort of win on his part easy. Oh no no, she was far too stubborn for that. Still, her glare was short lived as a smirk seemed to cross her lips, slowly pulling at the corners of them. You know, just because the little game of chicken was seemingly won, it didn't mean that she couldn't at least try to be a little slick still. "I mean, that is one way to get my heart starting again, though I'm sure a man taking the name of Captain America would know how to perform CPR." Okay, so it wasn't a best. No, rather, it was horrible, terrible, but it was still her trying just a little. Why was she even trying though?

She tilted her head slightly to the side in thought. What did she want? She hadn't really had Chinese in some time, so it took a second to even think of what they might have. "Orange Chicken, Fried Rice of any kind, really, doesn't matter to me, maybe some Spring Rolls or Chinese Donuts?" She gave a small shrug. "Honestly, i'm not all that picky. Order what ever. I don't care." It was true, she wasn't that picky. Chinese was always delicious, no matter which of their dishes she was served. She did look a little in awe as he rattled off the order in perfect Mandarin, though. It was pretty impressive, she had to admit. As he thanked and hung up, she rolled her eyes with a small laugh. "I'm guessing that they're also on your speed dial, first name basis perhaps?" she chuckled. It honestly didn't surprise her, though. Nothing would really surprise her about, well, any of her team. She pretty much learned that after week one.

She leaned over towards the table to grab her cup again so that she could take a sip. The alcoholic tang on her tongue was still very much appreciated, especially given the situation. She settled back to listen to his little plan. She shook her head lightly at the little 'fearless leader' bit. She actually got that reference, which probably surprised her more than it should. Rocky and Bullwinkle was something of a favorite of Ned's. "Our respective toys? You mean our gear..." She thought it over, his proposition. As crazy as it sounded, it might just be drastic enough to work. Besides, he did have quite a point. Dinosaurs. "Alright, I'll bite. Say we go to the Savage Lands for a team building trip. What sort of quote unquote 'activities' would we have planned to bring us closer together. Aside from basic survival training and the whole, you know, evading a Jurassic Park death."

519	James Barnes Jr
Happy?

The highs and lows of living, to getting second chances

✿

There was another smirk, bordering on wicked grin. James' face might start to hurt at the rate Ginnie was making him grin. "That's not CPR you're thinking of. That's a more fun thing that you've got in mind. And quite frankly, Ms. Stark, you're flirting with me. I think we should hire an HR person so I can tell them my boss is hitting on me." He chuckled at his own statement. "I am completely CPR certified, however. Just in case."

James nodded. "Yeah, they're on my speed dial. I can cook, I just don't have the time very often to actually sit down and prepare a meal. The family that owns the place are old family friends." They actually were. Natasha had helped the family out in the past and they were always very nice to James growing up. He kept giving them business, and the food was rather amazing, so everyone won.

Ginnie got a lot of credit in James' book. She listened to his entire proposal without looking at him like he was insane. He'd basically just suggested they go camping in Jurassic Park with no enhanced offense or defense. "Yeah, your armor and tech, my gear, etc. It's a bit drastic, but its the kind of thing we all need, I think. Well, aside from learning to rely on one another to survive, we could all stand to learn some basic skills. I can teach you and Hawkeye how to make a weapon or survival tool in most any environment, which you both could use. No offense, but you do rely on your armor an awful lot. And she relies on her bow. I can teach both of you how to make bows, arrows, fishing poles, the works. Unfortunately, I can't teach you how to build Iron Maiden armor out of coconuts. You need the Professor from Gilligan's Island for that." 

After a moment's thought, James spoke again. "T'Shan's going to be a bit more interesting. He's got an ego that borders on arrogance. He relies too much on his super abilities. I think this will be an interesting learning experience for him as well." He took another moment to gather his thoughts. Then he gave an assessment of himself. "Then there's me. I'm not used to being a team player. Usually, I'm the one that gives orders if anyone else is involved. I need to learn to be a team player and take orders just like the rest of them. This exercise will be as much a learning experience for me as it will be for the rest of you. I will need to learn to rely on everyone else, as well."

Here's to being human and taking it for granted

"How can you be so sure what I have going on in my mind, hmmm? After all, it's not as if you're psychic. Maybe I really did mean cardiopulmonary resuscitation." She feigned a look of shock at the accusation. Though she supposed they were only accusations if they were untrue. She could easily lie and say he was misconstruing what she said to make it sound as if it were flirtation. But she had a feeling that he'd point out just how horrid a lie that actually was. It took all of her strength not to chuckle at that. "I am dreadfully sorry. I must behave then. I wouldn't dare have you call human resources on me," she teased. She really should try behaving at least. It seemed like she was being such a hypocrite with her actions and she didn't quite know how she felt about that fact. She didn't make much of a comment on the fact that he actually did know CPR. It was something anyone could have easily figured, really.

She did, however, give him a curious look at the fact that the restaurant owners were family friends. It wasn't like it was all that hard for her to believe. It was more so that... no, actually it was exactly that. But, then again, it really shouldn't come to be of that much a surprise. So rather than asking a question, she just took another small sip of her drink. She figured it wasn't really much of her business. She'd say that she didn't really care that much but, well, that would have been rude, even for her.

No, rather than really question it, she tried to wrap her mind around the idea of going to the Savage Lands. It would be pretty dangerous, she figured. After all, who would go there for fun if there were plenty of much safer spots to go camping or to team build. But there was something exciting about the prospect. Maybe it was the idea of a place that dinosaurs still existed that really had her interests piqued. She'd always wanted to take a trip there just to study the fauna alone. However, she did have to fight a blush from embarrassment at his words. About her reliance on her technology. She wanted to point out that, if you have it, why not use it, but what was the point? She'd had that argument a million and one times with JARVIS and he was just an AI. "I think I can live without my armor for a few days..." She paused, just trying to imagine herself wearing armor made out of coconuts. It'd be pretty ridiculous, even for her. She wasn't that big on wearing her armor,anyway. She could live without it. Maybe. Kinda? Probably not, actually, but she wouldn't panic right in the beginning at least. "I'll be fine without my armor, though I wouldn't mind learning how to make a bow. I mean, I'm not really an archer like Hawkeye, but it'd at least be useful, I'd gather." She really wasn't worried about the armor. Nope, no way, nu uh. Total denial there. She didn't think she really needed to have to vocalize her worries about not having her program with her, though.

"I'd say if there as a way to temporarily strip T'Shan of his abilities, it would make for a much more interesting exercise. However, how does one do that to a god? Or, well... demi-god, rather. He needs to learn how to rely on more than just strength in battle. And do not even get me started on his incessant shamelessness. Number one rule I want on this 'trip', I want everyone in separate tents and sleeping areas because I honestly do not want to have to deal with those two..." She didn't even want to finish saying it. Honestly, that was her biggest reservation about the whole thing. She brought her drink to her lips to busy herself with it rather than the thoughts, giving James a moment to continue on with his idea. "We have plenty that all of us need to learn. I suppose such a trip would be rather beneficial. And, so long as we have a fail safe to get out in case trouble we can't handle arises, I see no reason why we shouldn't give this camping trip a try."

733	James Barnes Jr
x3

The highs and lows of living, to getting second chances

✿

There was a momentary shrug. "You're giving enough signs that I can piece most of it together." He smiled at her. "If you can read people's body language, it's almost like being psychic." They were in
 full on flirting mode. This was strange for him. He didn't usually flirt with other superheroes very often. Usually, the prospect of anyone finding out that he was the winter Soldier at one point was a rather terrifying thought. It encouraged him to stay away from the powered types. "I'm sure you wouldn't." James gave her a knowing grin.


"Well, I figure it will give you a chance to do some fun things. You are an engineer after all. I'm sure you $can do more than a bow and arrows. You can probably come up with all sorts of interesting things with those sorts of resources." He smiled at her again. "I'm not saying it to embarrass you. It's just that, if your suit or all your suits fail you, you need some sort of skills beyond that. If you put all your eggs in one basket, well... You know how that goes." James wasn't trying to be a jerk. He really just wanted to make sure that his team could survive outside of their normal 'powersets'.


"I don't know how to strip him of his powers, but he does need to work on brains over brawn. That's what I'm hoping to drill into him with this trip. I'd like to think I can teach him a thing or two." That was

the plan anyway. If everyone took at least one lesson away from this exercise, it would be a roaring success in his book. "Separate tents is probably a good idea. At least that way, no one will get distracted

if raptors show up or something." The plan was working. Ginnie was being won over by the idea. That made him very happy indeed.


"As for failsafes, there's an old hidden SHIELD bunker there. If we need a quick out, we can use the teleporters there to escape the jungle and get back to the helicarrier. Maybe don't make a mention of it. I'm one of like 4 people who even knows the bunker exists. And most days, I'm not even sure if I'm supposed to. I'm telling you because if something happens, you'll need to know about it."

Here's to being human and taking it for granted

She leaned to put her glass back before shifting on the couch again so that her side leaned against the back of the couch. She kicked her feet up, trying to get herself all comfortable again. She wanted to seem more confident than she really was. Confidence was key, right? "Oh really?" she asked. "And my body language is telling you that I secretly want you to kiss me?" She let out a derisive little chuckle as she shook her head. "That is quite preposterous... Jimmy." She didn't quite know why she'd decided to call him that. Something about it seemed right. And besides, he'd called her 'Iron Lass' and 'Iron Princess' already in this conversation. Might as well trying something. She brought her arm up to rest on the back of the couch so that she could rest her head in her hand. With her other hand, though, she made an x over her heart. "Oh, cross my heart. i would never want to cross a line that could get Human Resources on me," she teased. And yet she'd been doing as such almost the entire time.

He had a point there, though. Imagine what she could actually create out of the resources in the Savage Lands! She wondered just want kinds she could actually find there that she could use. Probably nothing that she would be able to use for anything too interesting, but it might still be a fun little project. To be done when they aren't working on team stuff, that is. "I know you're not trying to embarrass me, I understand that. Just as I know you're right. I shouldn't rely so much on my equipment because, like you said. Putting all your eggs in one basket, if I drop it, they'll all break." She sighed lightly, her eyes glancing away. "I'm not a one trick pony, after all. But this trip will definitely be of help. And, if all goes well, it may even bring us all just a tiny bit closer together. Be a real team." 'One our fathers can all be proud of,' she added silently. And though she may say it all now, when the time actually came, she knew for a fact that she'd likely have a minor panic. But for now, she'd be fine. It was a good plan, after all. So long as it was executed properly.

"Such a shame. Maybe I should do some more research on Asgardians, see if there is a way to nullify power. It could be useful, after all," she mused. She did have a prototype suit and containment plans for the asgardian in case he ever needed to be... held or terminated, but aside from that, no real way to nullify his powers, meaning he'd likely always have some form of an advantage over anything she creates. Someday, though, she'll have something to take care of that little issue. Or so she liked to think. "I trust that you'll teach all of us a little something. Just as I hope that we all can teach you something about teamwork with this trip. As crazy as the entire thing might sound, it really would be for the best." She paused a moment in thought. "I'm trusting you with this, okay? Just tell me when you plan on departing for such a trip a few days early so I can make sure everyone understands that everything is to be left back here." She wasn't so sure she liked how that sounded, though. Trusting him with something like this. Though, when she really thought about it, who else on the team could she really trust? For a lack of better terminology, he was practically her unofficial right hand. And one she definitely needed, whether she wanted to believe it or not. Or, well, she trusted him enough to think of him with such a title. After all, neither Aileen nor T'shan really seemed like they were trustworthy enough for such a title.

"I get the suddenly feeling that we will also need to sleep in shifts just to make sure there is a look out for 'raptors'," she said, really thinking about it. Separate tents were, indeed, going to be a necessity. The urge to say something coy like 'But if it gets too cold, I'm sure you'll know where I'll be sleeping' filled her head. But she had to remind herself, she was trying to be a good girl for a moment. This was business and business, at the very least, should be taken seriously. She listened to the fail safe and let out a small sigh of relief. That was good to know, at the very least. "Well, technically, now you are one of five and it is a secret that will remain safe with me, I assure you."

806	James Barnes Jr
*whistles innocently*

The highs and lows of living, to getting second chances

✿

James smiled and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, pretty much. You're throwing out more mixed signals than a broken communication satellite today." He paused and snorted at her. "Did you just call me Jimmy? No one calls me that. Well, maybe my little sister when she was a kid, but no one since." They were flirting pretty intensely for two people who didn't want to do anything. James shook his head.

"Well, I know that you're not a one trick pony. I just wasn't sure anyone else did. Same with me. I do more than play a mean game of ultimate Frisbee." He nodded. "I think it will be a good chance for everyone to get to know everyone else and for us to work on team work. Though I'm not sure how much closer Hawkeye and Scion can get without it appearing on the internet."

James pondered the concept of depowering an Asgardian. He hadn't found a way to do that yet either. "We could work together on the issue. Maybe just for the sake of having a problem to solve. I'm pretty good with engineering myself. I'm sure, between the two of us, we could figure something out." James gave her another nod. "I'm trying to be a team player, Ginnie. I really am. I'll consult you on all the details." It wouldn't be too hard to plan a trip like that. He'd need maybe a few hours to throw some details together.

"Sleeping in shifts wouldn't be a bad idea. Especially with the dinosaurs and other various wildlife around. We can work on those details later." He pulled out a pad and wrote down a few details on it. "Now, if you get cold during the night, I'm always available to huddle for warmth." He added as an afterthought without looking up. "And good. Cause most days I don't think I'm supposed to know about it."

Here's to being human and taking it for granted

"Coming from someone who's supposedly completely uninterested himself? I'm not the only one mixing up the signals, I don't think." The way he snorted at the name probably made calling him that worth it. More worth it than anything else and it made her start to chuckle. "And no one calls me Iron Princess, but you didn't see me complain. Besides, what are you gonna do about, huh?" Her face was starting to hurt, she was smirking and smiling far too much. She leaned forward just the tiniest bit. And it wasn't even for purposeful temptation or anything. It was for the taunt. She made sure her eyes met right with his as she spoke. "Jimmy?"

She leaned herself back again, relaxing against the couch as she listened to him. She rolled her eyes at the comment about Aileen and T'shan. "Those two really need to stop thinking with the parts between their legs and think with their minds for just one second. They have so much more potential than they actually use. We don't need them any closer. We need us all working together. Outside of a bedroom." Said the woman who was seemingly flirting with one of her own team. But at least she was thinking with her head and not her... well, that's what she was telling herself.

Mention of working together on a solution to the Asgardian problem was definitely interesting. She was used to either working alone on such projects or having the help of family. But when she really thought about it, It could be pretty useful to get a second opinion and a bit of help. Besides, with someone such as T'shan, she probably could use the help to figure out a solution. "You know what? Why not! It could be fun, working on it together." Not to mention, it would be a great way to get to know one of her teammates better. "I know you're trying, James. It just takes a little getting used to sometimes. I trust you'll do just fine in keeping me in the know on this trip."

"Well of course it was a good idea. I have a lot of those. Though we should probably get the bigger details worked out first." She watched him get the notepad out and figured they'd be getting down to actual business. Though his little off-handed comment made her chuckle. "Of course you are. And i'm sure Aileen is. And T'shan is. But I think I can provide my own warmth, Cap."

421	James Barnes Jr
Not the most proud of this post. sorry if it's not the best. ^^;

The highs and lows of living, to getting second chances

✿

As Ginnie taunted him and leaned in, James licked his lips. He looked Ginnie in the eye and grinned. "You, if you play your cards right." He leans back and offers her a wicked grin. James was having a hard time focusing on the task at hand thanks to her. Or was it thanks to him? He couldn't keep track. James laughed, thankful for the subject change.

"Well, I think they'll live up to their potential. It's just going to take them some time to sort things out. Either they will or they won't. They just need a little push. We can make that happen. Hence the camping trip." James knew it was true. Sometimes the best way to teach someone how to live up to their potential was to throw them into a situation where they didn't have a choice. That was why he wanted a camping trip.

James shrugged. "I have the equivalent of a masters in mechanical and electrical engineering. I can be very useful when it comes to these sorts of things. Not to mention I have some access to intel on Asgardians that I can get you from SHIELD. I think we can make something nice." James started writing ideas and items they would need on his pad.

"That's the plan. Figured once the food is here, we can talk things out over some dinner. Make some plans, brainstorm. The whole nine yards. We can plan out every last detail, if it makes you happy." She had a point. There were others around to provide warmth. James smirked. "Well, just keep it in mind."

Here's to being human and taking it for granted

She was having far too much fun with this teasing, and she wasn't even entirely sure if she was being genuine or whether it was still her trying for chicken. Maybe it was a bit of a mix of both but she couldn't be entirely certain. She tried to not focus on the heat in her cheeks from that last little comment from him, simply chuckling softly to herself as she shook her head. She figured there, if anyway, was a good spot to end that topic and focus on what they were meant to be doing. Or at least try to focus. Though, if she was going to be honest, she wasn't entirely sure that keeping focus was going to be quite as easy as it sounded. Still, business. This was meant to be able business and she would do her best to keep it more on that front now. or at least that was what she told herself.

"Oh, I have no doubts they'll eventually live up to their potential. It's when that'll happen that i wonder about. Though I suppose I'm pretty much a hypocrite. We all have things we need to work on, that we need that push for." She paused a moment, thinking over her words carefully. They really did all have things that they needed to work on, things to help each other reach that potential. It'd take everyone, that's for sure. She just hoped that the other two would be just as open to the idea of it all as James and herself were. Because, if not, then really, there was nothing they could do. It relied on all of them working as a team, all of them pushing each other to be their absolute best. And if the did it right, they'd be able to be the perfect team. That she knew. Or, at the very least, that was the hope. "We just have to make sure we push them just right and hope they know how to push back. I have my absolute faith in this little plan, though."

Ginnie hadn't actually known about the degrees he held, but hearing of them did quite peak her interests. Hearing it seemed to get the gears in her mind turning again, as well. Well, that and the fact he could get her some intel on Asgardians that she herself didn't quite have the clearances to access. And she'd long ago promised that, unless she absolutely needed to, she wouldn't touch the SHIELD networks. And, well, she hadn't felt the need to in quite some time. Perhaps she could do it as an exercise some day... No, stop that, keep focus, Virginia. "We could certainly use all the intel that we can possibly get our hands on. Anything that can help us is nice." She tilted her head slightly as a thought came to her. "Just what kind of information does SHIELD have on Asgardian's, anyway? I've never really thought to ask before. Probably would have been useful before i had T'shan on the team."

She wanted to lean forward again to look at what he was jotting down, though didn't. She figured it was just quick notes and the like. She'd probably be doing the same later when she actually had something to write with. "That would very much make me happy. I like having the details all sorted out before hand usually." Though, after saying it, she shook her head. "Actually, I don't need to know everything. This is your idea. I just want to know the important things. I'll just have to trust her judgement with the rest." A smirk of her own crossed her lips as she chuckled. "Right, of course, i'll make sure to remember that your warmth is welcome for me to steal. Though, I can't trust just what could happen accepting such an offer."

647	James Barnes Jr
I think it's partially thanks to both of them that they can't seem to really focus as well as they should be able to xD also, get well soon, toots~

The highs and lows of living, to getting second chances

✿

"I'm generally very good at reading people. Not just you." James smiled at her. "I think I know the proper buttons to push to get them both to shape up a little bit. It's just going to take time and we'll all have to earn each others trust."

After a quick inhale, James suppressed his urges and listened to more of what Ginnie had to say. "Well, my thought was that once we get the core group stabilized, maybe we start looking to expand our numbers a little. Four people isn't enough to have a successful Avengers group. We'll need at least two or three more members. So I thought after we do this, maybe we start looking for candidates to expand. I mean if one of us is down and out, that leaves us with three and we don't really have much in the way of reserves to call on either. If the idea interests you, I have already started compiling a list of candidates for you to vet. Mostly, just dossiers of people we should keep an eye on."

It was rather obvious the mention of his expertise caught her eye. The questions were rather good ones. James thought for a minute. "We have all the knowledge accumulated from their time here on Earth as well as any information Thor thought to provide. That and we have some of the Avengers knowledge base to build on. So, I'd say we have a pretty decent amount of info at our disposal. I don't like the idea of making contingencies like that, but I'm also a realist and understand the need for them."

"Whatever floats your boat. I'll give you the general outline and we can fill in the blanks later." James' grinned his infectious grin. "Whatever happens, happens. It just brings us closer together and I wouldn't mind getting to know you a little better, personally." His phone went off. "You're saved by the bell, Ms. Stark. Our food is here." James got up off the couch and wandered out to the foyer, returning a few minutes later with their food and yet another grin on his face.

"Dinner is served."

Here's to being human and taking it for granted

"Oh, I'm sure you are just marvelous at reading all manners of people, James, never once questioned it. Just remember not to push some buttons too hard. I know Aileen, at least, can be a bit fragile," she warned. She wanted to add 'especially if you shout dodge', but it was more so an inside joke between Aileen and herself anyway. The fact it came from a video they'd seen didn't have much to do with it. But it had helped. "But i trust we can both get them straightened out. And i kind of hope that, if they're on this team, theu have at least a little trust in us."

She gave him a bit of a curious look for a moment at that. He had a very good point there. Four people just wasn't enough. Not even with the couple of reserves they had, reserves who all mostly had other priorities. S'fada had a kingdom to run, Daniel generally had X-men things to do, while Lilura? Well, she honestly didn't know what Lilura did with all her free time but she was rarely too big on calling upon the witch unless she absolutely needed help in the magic department. And with only James, Aileen, T'shan, and herself as the key members here, expanding out a bit more wouldn't just be helpful. It would be necessary. "I have a person or two in mind myself so i would definitely love to hear of some other people to keep an eye out for, see just how these heroes and like act before extending a proper offer?"

Ginnie simply nodded her head, though excitement at the idea of all the information they might have was bristling just under her skin. There was only so much she could do with the limitations of myth books and the data on T'shan and Thor, and she didn't even have complete access to all of that. She almost went to start clapping her hands from the excitement, but she contained it, though she started fidgeting a little from it. "Contingency plans like this are necessary for men like him. I'm not exactly against the Asgardians being here but you've seen what comes of them on occasion. We need to be prepared for anything. I know, it can be hard getting a plan like this together when you know one of it's biggest purposes is to take care of one of our own if he ever got unruly, so to speak. But that doesn't always make things like this wrong, James. Like it or not, at least you understand. I just hope everyone else does. Though it's best we keep the project our little secret, yeah?" This coming from the daughter if the man who made a suit specially designed to take on the Hulk really shouldn't be all too surprising.

Seeing his smile made her own grow a bit, though it softened just as quickly at the small hints he was trying to get at. She cleared her throat when his phone rang and thanked whatever actual higher powers there may be for such a lucky break. "Their timing was amazing," she mused. As he left the room, she self consciously tried fixing herself up a little. Mostly straightening her shirt and smoothing out her pants. As if all of that was really needed. She didn't really get long to do that and, soon, he was back with the food. She got to her feet to help him get it set down on the coffee table. "Oh, and it smells amazing!" Almost reminded her that she hadn't actually had much to eat yet today. "I'll go get us some plates." She quickly moved away to head for the kitchen to grab two plates, as well as some forks in case there weren't any chopsticks.

"Et voila," she mused as she came back. Probably took her less than a minute, wasn't like there was far to walk. "Don't know if they actually sent chopsticks so i grabbed a couple of forks for us." She handed him his and then went to kneel down on the floor, so she could be at the table. Why not, after all.

xxx	James Barnes Jr
hope this is okay, sorry the end is sort of crap :/

The highs and lows of living, to getting second chances

✿

"We'll make it work, Ginnie. This entire team has potential. We just have to figure out how to get our potential unlocked. I'm not going to push anyone hard than I think they can take it. Aileen seems like good people and someone I'd like to be a friend." He brought the containers over and set them down on the table. "We'll get the team squared away."

James liked that Ginnie took to his idea of expanding the team. He didn't want to take over the Avengers or anything, but he definitely wanted to make sure that the team succeeded. "That's pretty much the idea that I had. I have a list of potentials and I'd like to run them by you and we could check them out and see what you think. See what they look like in action and how they perform on team ups. That's pretty much the exact plan that I had." James started opening containers and checking on everything. "That way we aren't just four people who are dependent entirely on our reserves."

The way that Ginnie's face lit up when he told her about the information made James smile again. She looked very pretty when she got excited. "You know, I have a contingency for lots of people that I meet. So, I understand the need. You don't have to tell me twice. I'll help you develop it and we can go from there. I won't tell if you won't tell."

When she left to grab plates, James ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath. He grabbed himself a soda. When she came back, James held up chopsticks. "They always do. I just never know who knows how to use them." He smiled broadly at her and sat on the floor next to Ginnie. "Best Chinese food in the city."