eight ✪ voice

[imfollowinghim]

I'm heading up to the CES if anyone feels like tossing a baseball around for a while. I've got an extra glove if you need to borrow one.

[And for the curious, not that you can see him anyway, but Ben is within eyesight while making the public part of this post, because someone has been pretty much glued to him when he's not sleeping or working in the dining hall since that incident.

However, the next part is done in private so there isn't the awkward of talking about you while you're standing right there. :|]

[Filtered to Steve, Peggy and Natasha]

I've got a favor to ask you guys, and I get that it's kinda asking a lot, so I just wanna put it out there that there's gonna be no hard feelings if you're not up for it.

I really need a couple other people keepin' an eye on Ben and making sure he isn't getting into trouble when I'm not around. I've been trying to keep up with him, but the kid barely needs to sleep and I don't want to just order him on lockdown because I need a couple hours of sleep every few days. [He's kidding, but he honestly really doesn't sleep all that much, and hasn't since he was overseas, and so the fact that he's starting to feel kind of worn down is saying something.] We don't need a rotating schedule or anything, and honestly, the kid could do with a couple good influences in his life that aren't me and Rhade. He's really not a bad kid, he's just kind of messed up.

[And basically he trusts you guys and thinks you'd be good people to teach Ben how to not be such a robot and hopefully won't treat him like shit because he attacked a guy for basically no reason. :V]

[Private to Natasha]

I know we don't know each other all that well [Someday he will realize the irony in this statement BUT TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY.] so I understand if this isn't up your alley, but Steve said you're reliable and I figure the more eyes the kid has on him, the less likely it is that he's gonna cause problems.

Comments

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

Baseball?

[imfollowinghim]

Yeah, you know, white ball, red stitches? Do they not have it, where you're from?

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

No. Why isn't it just called a ball?

[imfollowinghim]

Because you use it to play baseball. It's a sport.

[Private]

[persuadeyou]

[Ahahah AHAHAHAH this is the worst message she's read yet. Well okay after finding out about Coulson.

But damn this sucks. :c]

I don't mind it. I work with him every night, anyway.

[Private]

[imfollowinghim]

[Someday he'll apologize. :C After hating his zombie existence here a lot, anyway. :C]

I know. Have you guys talked at all?

[Private]

[persuadeyou]

[Not you are not allowed to find out >(]

Some. More of the 'pass the ladle' variety. We got stuck together in the last flood.

[Private]

[imfollowinghim]

[There are other forces at work here, Natasha. Ones who like playing the Winter Soldier. :V]

How'd that go?

[ Spam ]

[warisart]

[In many ways, Ben seems to do best on a steady routine; he's calmer, anyway, which seems to make him as comfortable as he ever is. The down side is that he also shows very little interest in breaking the routine himself, content to observe silently, copying the preferences of others and generally keeping to himself.

Which is what he's doing while Bucky is talking to his communicator, having climbed a bit further up one of the levels to squint up at a passing constellation. At least, that's what he was doing when Bucky turned away - at some point while he was fussing with the device, Ben apparently dropped back down onto the main deck and has come to stand, patiently, quite close. His gaze is intent when Bucky turns back around.]

Bucky. [This is a test, and he says it as such - watching closely for an adverse reaction to what others have been telling him they would prefer he do for some time now, though he's only just started experimenting with it. Then it's just the hesitancy as he tries to decide how to put what he wants into words that might not get him reprimanded.]

Are you certain you should be spending your time on additional recreational activities instead of resting?

[ Spam ]

[imfollowinghim]

[Bucky startles very slightly when he turns back around and realize Ben's snuck up on him almost to the point of invading his personal space, but almost immediately grins when he realizes Ben had addressed him as Bucky and not sir. He will definitely be counting that as progress, and honestly hopes it sticks. Yeah, he'd sort of been in a position of authority in his unit and then kind of with the Commandos, but he preferred being called Bucky or Barnes over sir or Sarge. He was only twenty one, for God's sake.

He stashes the communicator in one of the pockets of his uniform and looks at him curiously, still grinning a little, clearly surprised by the question.]

Why would I need to be resting?

[ Spam ]

[warisart]

[Ben doesn't smile, but there's a flicker of something in his eyes - it might, in someone otherwise so bland, be amusement - when Bucky startles. There's no threat in him, just the kind of curious way he tilts his head and regards Bucky's grin for a few moments before blinking back up to meet his eyes.]

You haven't been successfully sleeping as much as an average human requires to operate at maximum efficiency.

private

[thestarspangledman]

I'll toss a ball around with ya if you like. I can help with the kid, too. You know I don't sleep much and I don't want you making yourself sick over him.

private

[imfollowinghim]

I'm not making myself sick over him. [Pffffft.] But I'd appreciate it. I feel like he could learn a thing or two from you.

private

[thestarspangledman]

Well, I don't want you losing sleep over him, either. ....Shucks, you'll make me blush.

private

[notthatfondue]

[What is this? Peggy almost looks thankful/happy/some other positive emotion? Aside from concerned, that is.]

I'd be more than glad to offer a hand... It's not as though I'm busy.

[And really, she isn't. Because she's still without an inmate and freaking out over that.... This can be like a stepping stool for her!]

private

[imfollowinghim]

[Well, whatever emotion it is, he's honestly too grateful the three of you have been receptive to the idea to tease her about.]

Great. Have you run into him at all?

private

[notthatfondue]

I don't believe I've had a chance to... Aside from seeing him around, that is.

[As though she could say no. She really has no reason to not agree to this.]

[ Video ]

[surfaceshine]

Provided it ain't a frozen tundra or something up there, I'd like to swing by in a bit, if it's all the same to you.

[Dean hesitates, tilting his head so he can see what his transgenic facetwin is doing in the background. Looks harmless enough, although of course he heard about what happened.]

My mini-me there won't bother me any. [He shrugs. He's seen them around, he's pretty sure he knows what the deal is, and it would drive him up a wall.]

[ Video ]

[imfollowinghim]

Well, here's hoping it's a little less snowy. [Because seriously, he's kind of had enough of snow, if it's all the same to you.]

Shouldn't be a problem, if you wanna come up. [Hopefully, Ben hasn't attacked you yet so. That's. Hopefully not a bad thing...?] Steve said he might be coming.

[ Video ]

[surfaceshine]

[Dean has just been completely ignoring Ben's existence as best he can, which is pretty much absolute except for dinner periods and when others insist on bringing it up. Also, he hates snow, so this should be smooth as butter.]

Awesome. And I'll be needing to borrow that glove, unless you wanna take it easy on a guy who hasn't played in... god, years.

video;

[aggravating]

Yankees are better than the Dodgers.

[.......... That was not what he'd intended to come out of his mouth. Seriously. It had been something that might have sounded like an olive branch after that whole Peggy thing Bucky'd witnessed a few weeks back. And... you know... the rest of his douchebag tendencies.

And instead, he'd heard baseball, and that had come out.

Ah well, no backing down now. Besides. They are better.]

video;

[thestarspangledman]

....I'm half-tempted to make you wash your mouth out with soap for that.

video;

[imfollowinghim]

Only half tempted?

video;

[imfollowinghim]

Yeah, yeah, and they moved to California. Nicole beat you to that one. [And look, he's still not fessing up that he knows her real name because Steve told him not to.]

video;

[aggravating]

[Natasha you ass. Taking all the fun jobs away from him.]

Moved to California in 1958, Ebbets Feild was demolished just a few years later. [LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE DOES TONY KNOW ABOUT BASEBALL?

... Absolutely nothing, actually. But like hell that's stopping him.]

From that point on they had a few monetary issues, practically whored themselves out to whoever would sponsor. Pretty sure their games never had more than one full section of the bleachers filled for about two decades, became literally the worst team to ever play. Won one world series or something like that when the team picked back up.

Recently, though, LA's kind of gotten sick of them? Yankees want to buy them out, just to prove they're better. Turn the Dodgers into their Minor League affiliate. I'm also pretty sure the mascot change - they've been trying to decide for the last few years - is between Priscilla the Prissy Poodle and Sammy the Snail.