[Bucky didn't really mind that flood one way or the other. There were worse things than being six years old again, and while getting some insight into Natasha's childhood was kind of horrific, he hadn't been one of the people she'd stabbed in the thigh so. Again, there were worse things.

He's out on deck, and since it's gotten colder, he's got his Howling Commandos jacket on instead of just his regular service uniform.]

So, New York's not exactly an easy place to grow up when you're a kid and you don't have any parents, and, you know, kids can be assholes. There were these kids who used to wait in an alley over near Tenth Avenue to jump kids and make 'em pay a toll to pass back and forth across the street. This one day, when I was about six, I was walking back to the orphanage and heard these kids picking on this scrawny blonde kid who apparently didn't wanna pay the toll. They were really trying to beat the crap outta him, but for some reason, he wasn't just running away or handing over the cash, and I'm thinking what the hell is wrong with this guy? When I say he was scrawny, I mean it looked like the wind could snap him in half, let alone some bully with a decent right hook. But he was still mouthing off at them and trying to land a decent hit, when any sane person woulda been high tailing it down the street.

But I'd seen these kids doing this routine for weeks, right? And I figured you know, if this kid can stand up to them, why the hell couldn't I? Takes guts not to run away from a fight. So I jumped in and helped him out, [And he grins sort of self deprecatingly, because this is sort of filling his feelings quota for the month and it's not exactly hard to figure out who he's talking about considering 1. the flood and 2. it's not as if it's a totally unknown story.] and the rest, as they say, is history.

[Private to Banner]

Thanks for looking out for me and Steve. You another one of his Avenger pals?

[Private to Peggy]

Is it really too much for you to call me Bucky even when you're a ten year old, Agent Carter?

[He is entirely just teasing you but lmfao. Really Peggy.]

[Private to Natasha]

[Ahaha what even to say to you Natasha. :c I mean it is extremely unsurprising that your childhood was awful - happy people don't become spies - but just. Holy shit. :c]

... I know being social's probably the last thing on your mind right now, but if you need anything, let me know.

[Spam for Ben]

[A while after Bucky made his post, he realized his item wasn't registering Ben anymore, which was, frankly, all kinds of concerning, because he really had come to care about the guy, even if he was nuts, and so he hurried down to his (former?) inmate's room to see what the hell was going on. The door was still the same, which was at least quasi reassuring, but that still didn't explain what had happened, so he banged on the door a few times, not bothering to filter the concern out of his voice.]

Ben? You in there?

[Forward dated Spam for Natasha]

[Bucky wasn't an idiot, he knew Natasha would need space after what had happened and considering the way she'd acted the last time they'd come back from being different people, he was pretty sure he wasn't high on her list of people she wanted to see. Admittedly, this was a little different than coming back from being married, but still. He'd kept his space.

But she still wasn't out and about, wasn't on the network and he hadn't heard from anyone else if they'd actually caught up and talked with her, yet, and he couldn't help it. He was concerned. So, not really expecting anything to actually come of this, because whatever their relationship was here - they weren't really friends, weren't really coworkers, but acquaintances seemed stupid, and since when did he have to categorize shit like this anyway? - it wasn't like they were actually close, he headed to her room and knocked on the door.]

Natasha? It's B- [He cut himself off, because she never used his nickname and he didn't really get why, but. He didn't get a lot of stuff with Natasha.] It's James. You in there?

You know, I don't really remember what year the breach was supposed to be in, but I was a kid, back when Prohibition was still on the books. Kinda weird to live through it again as an adult, considerin' three year olds who just moved to New York from middle of no where Indiana usually don't pay all that much attention to that kinda thing.

What are the odds we'll stop over that way, any time soon? Not that Redemption wasn't nice and all, but I haven't been home in two years and it kinda sounds like things are pretty different now. [Since you know. Most of you are from way past 1945.]

[Private to Natasha]

[... So this is awkward. It was easy enough to shake off having been in a failed relationship with her as teenagers at a magic school, but being married and in love and all that was... weird. And he hasn't really known what to say about it since it happened, so when he does finally decide to send her a message, it's something short and hopefully not really acknowledging the not sure how feel about the whole thing.]

You're not actually related to those Romanovs, are you?

[Private to Ben]

How're you holding up, kid?

[ooc: Pretend this got posted closer to the beginning of the week before school ate me. >>]

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.

[Bucky sounds a little more level than he did in his last post, back to his normal, not oh god I suddenly have superpowers self, and he sounds more vaguely amused/annoyed by the flood than anything else.]

I guess as far as first floods go, that coulda been a lot worse. [And that's all he really wants to say on the subject for right now, if that's cool with the rest of you.]

[Private to Ben]

Hey, kid. I've got your file. [And he's thumbed through it a little and holy shit, your life :|] You got anywhere you wanna meet up and talk? [He figures you're likely to agree to whatever he asks you to do, right off the bat, but he wants to give him the option to pick where he'd like to sit down and talk about stuff.]

[Private to Steve]

I think your friend Nicole has a crush on me.