twenty one ✪ video & spam

[imfollowinghim]

[Public Video, Backdated to Thursday]

[It's pretty dark when Bucky clicks on the video feed, but that's nothing new. He's sitting on the couch in Steve's room, and the light from the comm's screen is illuminating his face. He's not wearing his Commandos jacket, although it's folded over the arm of the couch, and he's still got his uniform pants on, even if he's swapped the t-shirt or fatigue green sweater for one of the plaid shirts Stiles had gotten for him.]

Alright, for anyone who's new, I'm Bucky Barnes. I'm a sergeant with the US Army, it was 1945 before I got here, and anyone who says "hail" or "heil" anything around me's gonna get a fist in the face.

I was running some people through basic training before stuff went to hell. I'm gonna need a headcount of who's still interested. That includes anyone new - we cover endurance, strength training, hand to hand, weapons and survival skills. It's gonna be hard, and you're gonna be mad as hell at me sometimes, but it'll be worth it next time we wind up somewhere dangerous. We're gonna meet in the gym until whatever's going on with the missing room's gets fixed.

[If it ever does.

There's a quiet rustling noise some somewhere off camera, and Bucky looks off to his left, distracted. He drops his voice, and manages to look irritated and amused at the same time.]

One more thing: if anyone wakes up the star spangled dummy here- [Bucky jerks his thumb towards what's presumably the bed and therefore a sleeping Steve.] In the next eight or so hours, I'm gonna kick your ass.

I don't know what you guys did to him while I was gone, but Steve's taking a week off. If you really need Cap, call me or one of the other twelve superheroes you've got on board. Pretty sure we can handle it.

[There's a soft swoosh of air as a pillow goes flying towards the camera. Bucky catches it almost without looking and puts the comm down, turning away as he kills the feed.] Go back to sleep, you dumb punk.

[Spam for Helena, backdated to Tuesday]

[Before Bucky had finally put his foot down and more or less guilted Steve into taking a break - he hates admitting he feels shitty, that he's back to feeling like his skin's about to crawl off of him, but if saying he's worn out gets Steve to take it easy, he'll say he feels like shit - he'd been doing his best to just keep things together. It's easy enough when he's got something to focus on, like running sweeps of the ship with Steve, figuring out what they do and don't have on board now, damage control, all of it.

But then there's downtime, and it's suddenly a lot harder to take his mind off the fact that he was strapped to a table and poked and prodded and drugged again, and that this time, he'd gone into it knowing exactly what he was getting himself into.

He doesn't regret it, but his skin itches like it doesn't quite fit anymore, and he knows he should be tired or at least try to sleep, but he winds up staring at the ceiling in his room, or Steve's, and he just... can't.

On Tuesday, he gives up. It's late, or early, and he throws on his Commandos jacket and uniform pants over his sleep shirt and boxers before heading up to the deck. Times like these, he almost wishes he was a smoker. Maybe it'd help calm him down at least a little, especially considering most of his usual haunts for stress relief - the CES, the CTS, the firing range... - aren't around, so he tries to make do with pacing around the deck and chewing gum. It's better than nothing.

Most everyone else seems to be asleep, but Bucky's not out on the deck long before he spots a familiar figure slinking into his peripheral vision. Helena's been scarcer, he realizes, and he's not sure if he's more worried or relieved. Worried, because they haven't exactly talked much since what happened, and relieved because Bucky has no idea how he's supposed to talk to her about what he did for her, or about what she'd overheard him admit to. He's never told anyone what Zola did to him, not really, even if he knows and can't pretend like he doesn't anymore.

So there's some hesitation before he glances over to acknowledge her, but he does. He even manages something that might be considered a smile.]

Hey. [He reaches into his jacket pocket and produces a chocolate bar, offering it out without commentary, as one does when you're both basically constantly hungry.]

Comments

video;

[chaotica]

As lovely as that sounds: been there, done that, have absolutely no desire to revisit that experience.

If he needs something to help him sleep, do let me know.

video;

[imfollowinghim]

Thanks, but he's fine. Wouldn't work on him, anyway.

video;

[chaotica]

Oh, I'm sure I could figure out something.

video;

[dinosize]

Still not welcome?

video;

[imfollowinghim]

You gonna go nuts and try to kill everyone?

video;

[dinosize]

Constantly.

[adelphoktonos]

[The thing is even though Bucky's her warden, even though he's there for her, even though he's protected her consistently since they were paired up, when Banner had taken her (she hates that it had been so easy for him) she hadn't expected Bucky to come. The thing is, she'd sort of hoped he would - her thoughts hazy and groggy and unformed - but she hadn't expected anything. And then he'd come.

What happened to you?

She knows, now. His hands had been gentle when he'd helped her to her feet, his voice quiet even after she'd watched him admit the fact that she knows gives him nightmares, after he'd thrown himself back into the same situation, for her. (She'd left him there; she couldn't do anything and she hates that too.) Was it the first time he'd ever said it out loud?

They did it to me, too. I'm a super soldier.

He'd given himself up for her. He'd given himself up to a scientist who was planning on tearing him apart and sifting through his blood and flesh for amusement with no second thought. Who else would do that for her? It's humbling and it makes her angry and it spreads a glowing warmth through her chest. She doesn't know what to say to him, how to thank him or tell him he shouldn't have or tell him she's sorry; she avoids him instead. She gets used to being back on the right Barge again. She keeps to herself. New drawings appear in her cabin, stick figure scenes growing up from the base of Beth Childs' walls, spreading her scrawled emotions out so she can try to sort through them.

She can't avoid him forever, though, and when he makes his way up to the deck in the small hours of the morning, she follows. He offers her a chocolate bar and she takes it in one hand, pulling out an orange to give to him from her deep jacket pocket with the other.]

Hello, serzhant.

[imfollowinghim]

[The exchange of food helps settle him a little. Whether or not she brought the orange specifically for him or just happened to have it with her and thought to offer it to him isn't exactly important, because at least it feels something close to their normal patterns of behavior.

Bucky accepts it with a smile, holds it carefully in his hands, and tries to think of what to say.]

You doing okay? [That seems like an obvious place to start, doesn't it?]

[adelphoktonos]

[Her own smile in return is small but it's something at least; she brought the orange specifically. In answer to his question she nods, toying with the chocolate for a few moments before starting to eat it, glancing at him. It doesn't quite feel right, that he's asking her after what happened, but it does feel nice. She likes it despite herself.

That doesn't mean she's going to be distracted from asking about him, though.]

Are you?

[strangehistorian]

I am still interested.

Are you sure you shouldn't be resting as well?

[imfollowinghim]

I will in a while. I just wanted to get this out there before the next crisis sneaks up on us.

[strangehistorian]

Good.

I hope we get at least a bit of reprieve before that...

[sharpsurprise]

[Even though his relationship status with the US military is 'complicated', Souji feels a little obligated to greet a military man.]

Ah, it's nice to meet you, Sergeant Barnes! You're training people...?

[imfollowinghim]

[Right back at you, pal, things aren't exactly so great on his end, either. B(

But hey, different time, different place, and it's not like he was in the Pacific, so hopefully it should be fine!]

Yeah, I was. Then stuff happened with the other Barge, and we kinda had to put things on hold. You're new?

[sharpsurprise]

[At least he wasn't in the Japanese army... because it didn't really... exist yet...]

...I am! Ah, Souji Okita. [he bends a little at the waist in greeting, as much as it can be seen on the dark video feed. He winces slightly when he does so.] It seems I've arrived at a complicated time.

[Video]

[tricksandmischief]

Twelve superheroes? That does sound like overkill.

[Video]

[imfollowinghim]

Does it?

[Voice]

[mercurialize]

This training is supposed to be open for both wardens and inmates?

[Voice]

[imfollowinghim]

So long as your warden says it's okay and you get that if you try anything funny, you're gonna get dogpiled by a bunch of guys who can and will kick your ass, sure.

[fireincarnate]

Count me in. [She's starting a whole new training regimen, okay.

She knew, logically, that she wasn't truly helpless on the other Barge. And she doesn't know if more training will make any difference, when it comes to those emotions.

But she's damn well going to try, and the ferocious determination is plain on her face.]

[imfollowinghim]

[Hey, Bucky's the last person to try to talk anyone out of it, regardless of previous skill or experience.]

Alright. How's a week from today sound for you?

[Private]

[youwillgotohell]

[Some time after this, Morgana still looks agitated and angry, and worse, her hand hurts. She was going to just heal it, but she's angry with herself for not just reaching for her magic first. She doesn't know how to throw a proper punch. Her knuckles are bruised and red, now, and she lets the pain fuel her anger as she turns on the video.]

I'm not interested in your regime, but I would like to know how to properly hit someone in the face.

[Private]

[imfollowinghim]

What happened?

[Note that this is absolutely not a "no". Bucky just also looks like he wants to go fuck some guy up.]

Video | Actual latest.

[themissingpiece]

Wasn't around when you started the whole thing up but I'm interested.

Video | no worries!!

[imfollowinghim]

Pretty sure I wasn't around when you showed up. What's your name?