wouldn't it be nice if we were older

[mightymortal]

WHO: mightymortal Cap and OPEN!!
WHERE: All around the City!
WHEN: After 3PM till around 11ish on monday-friday.
WARNINGS: Nope!!
SUMMARY: Cap superheroes around town all week!
FORMAT: Tag in with whatever you'd like and I'll match it!! Exclamation points!!!

Comments

6:30pm Tuesday

[technophantom]

Ghost had taken to sitting on a certain rooftop to work at night, looking up and fancying he could see satellites, or at least likely locations for them. He had netbooks all over the gravel, sitting on an upturned wooden box as he organized and cataloged data.

He saw the red and gold streak from some distance and dropped a computer in pani surprise, before focusing with the suit's extended vision to confirm it was not Tony Stark.

His ...friend...? Captain Marvel.

"Captain." He got up with a crunch of gravel, floated close, suddenly caught by an urgency that the sight of the man had woke in him. "May I have a few minutes of your time?"

[mightymortal]

It takes Cap a second, but he's beaming brightly in almost no time flat. And not breathing anymore, either. "Of course, Mr. Ghost!"

He's a little worried, though. He knows that sometimes it's hard to keep clean when you're homeless, but he's almost certain Ghost isn't. He's got a lot of expensive technology, and that stuff probably doesn't last long outside and exposed to the elements.

He's so thin, too.

Maybe it seemed different when he was lying in the clinic; people are supposed to look sickly while they're in the hospital, but out here it's a little jarring. He wonders if there will be a way to bring it up without hurting Ghost's feelings.

[technophantom]

"I feel I owe you a considerable amount for your intervention, some time ago..." This was unplanned and so Ghost was speaking very slowly, trying to organize his words as they came, which was not easy for him when what he mostly did was lurk in large groups and listen, and offer facts.

"If you require something that aligns with my skillset I will assist you."

There, it was out now, the offer, and it couldn't be rescinded. It wasn't about fairness or reciprocity or owing anyone really (although that did sound good), it was about trying to return goodness in the world. He had for so long fought and bloodied his hands trying to repay evil, he had vastly eroded the part of himself that genuinely enjoyed doing kindnesses.

"..please?"

[mightymortal]

It tends to be hard to tell, with Ghost's mechanical voice and the lack of readable facial expressions, but the please makes it seem so sincere that Cap can't help but smile. "You'll be the first person I call if something comes up."

Prepare to be called at odd hours because Billy can't figure out how to hook up a wireless printer to his horrible dinosaur computer, Ghost.

Either way, he is seized by a sudden idea, and he practically bounces on the balls of his feet. "I found a malt shop! Just like the ones they have in Fawcett City. You should come with me." And eat something so you don't blow away in the next stiff breeze.

[technophantom]

"Thank you."

And he meant it too, at least until he was blindsided by the comment about the malt shop and abruptly wondered if Captain Marvel's original universe was based in the 1940s or something (which would, admittedly, be kind of cool). "Heheh. Alright. Lead on."

He agreed so readily to this because he really only thought Cap wanted accompaniment, not because he realized his starving and waifish appearance was kind of seriously alarming to others. Self-awareness, thy name is not Ghost.

He'd probably deny it, as well, but as he turned to shut off his computers and lock them against possible tampering, he was a little happy that someone as clearly decent-hearted as Cap even wanted him around anywhere. He was used to people being repelled, so much so he'd almost become comfortable with it, but, like gasping for air after drowning a while, this wasn't a kind of discomfort he minded.

"What is your favorite kind?"