riverviewlogs | [OPEN] back home for the holidays

who: Bucky Barnes and OPEN
what: Catch-all log for the month, including Search and Rescue stuff.
when: December
where: Around the Quarantine and beyond the fences.
warnings: Possibly some monster fighting or something.

[A. Early Dec., Around Town, OPEN]
[Bucky slips back into town like a ghost, almost. One minute he's gone, the next he's back. It's easy to lose himself in the Hygge shuffle, though he doesn't participate much in any of the local traditions. What family he has, is small, and he's still not sure if he's on any of their good lists; he did sort of bail on everything last month.

He's easy to find if you know where to look for him, though, or he's easy enough to bump into if you're not. Bucky browses shops some afternoons, looking for gifts to make it up to the people he cares about, hands in his pockets and a little too quiet to be holiday-cheerful. Or he drops by the skating rink once in a while, to watch Yuri practice. He does the household grocery shopping to take the task off Steve and Ava.

After the time he's had, though, he also frequents his favorite bar in the evenings. He never gets sloppy drunk, it would take a lot to break his careful control, but some nights see more empty glasses on the counter in front of him than others.]

[B. Early Dec., Perimeter Guard/Gym, OPEN]
[Bucky is a little bit 'on notice' at work. While some of his time spent out in the jungle in November was in an official capacity, mapping some trails and checking out some potential dangers, for a lot of it he was incommunicado. Needless to say, the higher ups were a little tetchy with him upon his return. Part of his so-called punishment is mandatory time spent in the Perimeter Guard gym, available as a sparring partner to both new and seasoned recruits.

He's on the mats, barefoot and in loose workout clothes, moving through a series of almost-painful looking stretches when he glances up at whoever might approach,] Need a partner?

[C. Mid-Dec., Winter Rescue, OPEN]
[As a Squad Captain with Search and Rescue, the moment the blizzard starts and traps a bunch of cadets in their camps outside the walls of the inhabited city, Bucky is called in. His experience in Siberia certainly helps with something like this; snow is a pain in the ass, but he knows how to work through it. He's checking the equipment, a small sled with emergency supplies - first aid, battery powered heaters, blankets, and his own cold-weather gear when someone else approaches.]

You about ready to head out? The faster we get these kids home, the better.

[D. Mid-Dec., Snowed In, OPEN]
[He's on his way back home, taking the path along the riverbanks, when the snow gets bad, kicking up flurries and dumping white powder from the sky like a dumptruck. Visibility shrinks to nil, and it's just by luck that Bucky manages to fight his way through the flurries to one of the Hygge cabins. Stumbling through the door, snow falling off his head and shoulders, he curses loudly, not totally dressed for weather quite THIS bad. He barely seems to notice the other person who has taken up shelter here.]

Shit. I hate snow.

[E. Wildcard]
[Either ping me at

nekky for a custom prompt or throw something else at me! Bucky is actually around this month and trying to be a little more cheerful, but he also hits up the bar more than usual.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[As soon as Bucky mentions Ava's name, Steve is alert. He watches Bucky sharply, like he's more convinced the man will either suddenly throw a punch at him or, worse, simple vanish right before his eyes. His fingers tighten around the curve of the mug, muscles clenching over the ceramic. The only thing that keeps him from doing more is that Bucky opts to sit rather than leave, which is at least a gesture to prove he's not going anywhere.

Yet. Or maybe he's just giving you a chance to get used to the idea. Maybe he'll go back to another world too. The one where-

Steve moves. He has to, to get away from the spot and leave those thoughts behind him. He paces the kitchen floor restlessly, slowly but with a heavy energy in his steps.]

If I knew what was going on, I wouldn't have a reason to "fly off the handle."

[Not true, but he's not willing to acknowledge that. There's a sour edge to Steve's answer, because even if Bucky is finally talking to him and giving him exactly what he asked for, Steve wonders if it's coming with a price. A small voice whispers that maybe he's been working with Fury too long, starting to suspect people he loves. He doesn't like that thought either.]

What do you mean you're working on a plan? What's going on?

[Steve is tense and restless, and he almost wonders if they should have gone up to the roof after all, but... no. It's way too fucking cold and he's tired of freezing his balls off already. Bucky can't help the line of tension in his shoulders, but he stays seated, fingers curled around his mug, right hand drawing warmth from the fresh coffee. He watches Steve pace, over the rim of his cup, taking a sip.

For half a moment, he thinks about how to soften the blow, but there's no beating around this bush.] Alexander Pierce is here. He was one of Barnes' handlers. HYDRA, I'm pretty sure. [The pieces all fit together, from what he's heard from the other Bucky and seen in his memories.] I think that's what's got Ava so squirrelly. I don't know if Barnes has seen him yet. [It's a little strange to talk about another person with his name like this.]

As much as I'd love to put a bullet between his eyes and call it done, we need an actual solid plan for this. [And here there is an edge of warning - this is what he wants Steve to not fly off the handle about.]

[It actually helps to have the explanation. At least knowing the source of the problem takes weight off of Steve's mind. But that anxiety is replaced quickly by anger as Bucky mentions HYDRA. He doesn't know who Pierce is personally, but he does recognize the name. It was a passing note, not worth thinking of, but having Bucky connect it to HYDRA, that they are very familiar with, instantly has his attention.]

His handler? Since when does HYDRA-

[The point where he remembers they are dealing with different worlds and different rules is visible on his face as he shuts his mouth. It stays tight when he closes it, jaw grinding.]

He hasn't run into him yet.

[If he had, they probably would have been called to the spot. Or at the very least caught wind of a serious incident in the city. He hopes, because the other option is that one of the two lost too quickly to fight back.]

We'll arrest him. [It's his first instinct, still thinking like he's back home where that is easy to explain.]

[And here it is. He knew Steve would be angry - hell, Bucky is angry, too. But they have to be smart about this, as much as he'd love to go with his gut and break out his Dragunov.] The Winter Soldier was a Zola project, in his timeline. HYDRA. I don't know how exactly it was tied to the Red Room, but there's probably some connection there.

[That assumption makes Bucky purse his lips tightly.] We don't know that. He's not me. I don't know how he would react. [Their experiences are too different, they're at two different points in their lives.

He blows out a frustrated breath.] For what? He hasn't committed any crimes here, and we can't prove his crimes from back home. You wanna drag Barnes in to testify in front of a court? To talk about shit he's only just now remembering and probably still working through? We're stand-up guys here but they still ain't gonna take just our word for it.

[It's difficult for Steve to ignore his initial feelings. Even if he doesn't act on them, he can't ignore the rising anger and constant tension certain touchy subjects bring with them. He's never been one to divorce himself from his opinions, which can be a strength when he's fighting for his beliefs and a weakness when he needs to be objective. As the information Bucky gives him all clicks together, Steve processes it with a soft, deliberate utterance of two words.]

Arnim Zola.

[The white mug cracks in his grip, spilling hot coffee over his hand, and Steve, startled by the sudden change, hisses and moves to drop it in the sink. He quickly fetches a handful of paper towels to clean up the mess, irritable, but thankfully distracted enough not to act before hearing what Bucky has to say. Because Bucky is right, they don't know how this is going to play out.]

Then we find proof. We'll talk to Barnes, see what he can tell us about Pierce, and we watch Pierce. HYDRA always slips up eventually.

[He'd be much happier forcing the issue, but this is Steve's attempt at a compromise. Which is far from perfect. He's still learning to give ground. While he's sopping up coffee, something hits him.]

What about Ava? Do you think she knew him personally?

[There goes another mug. That's okay, this is why the cabinet is filled with the cheap white ceramic ones you'd find in a low-end diner. It's not a surprising reaction for Steve to have, though, and Bucky just silently gets up to fetch the broom and dustpan, to sweep up the shards once Steve has mopped up most of the coffee.]

We gotta play our cards right, and we can't force Barnes to talk. If it were me, if this were Karpov, or Lukin... I would be clamming up right now. I would keep myself damn well hidden. We don't know what Pierce has on him. [Bucky's head has been cleared of any trigger phrases, any leftover commands from the Russians, but has Barnes'?] We do need more information on this guy, though. I was thinkin' we should ask someone else first. See what we can get. And we watch Pierce.

[There is a steely glint to his eyes, a slight twitch in his jaw. He's angry too, but restraining himself.] I don't know. She hasn't told me anything. I ran into Pierce myself, on the beach.

[Steve's frown grows, and the stiff way he holds himself shows that he is holding back. He recognizes that Bucky is right. They can't force their friends to talk. Steve still remembers chasing him across country, trying to bring him back at any cost, and maybe... Maybe that was right, in the end, but they aren't the same. He moves to the trash to throw his wet paper towels and pieces of mug away. There's too much they don't know. And Steve hates that.]

I spoke to him too.

[He's regretting not knowing then he should just punch the guy on sight. It would have saved them some time. But he seemed harmless to him. It's hard to rationalize.]

You're sure that's him?

[Bucky still looks back with no small amount of shame that it took Steve's- his death, to bring Bucky back to the world fully. Before that, he flew under radars, stayed hidden, stayed quiet. Did some jobs for Fury and gained access to a lot of his resources. It was a dark time then and it was a dark time right after.

Right now, the thought is there, that he needs to run and take care of this on his own. But ultimately, what good is that going to do anybody? Pierce could have something on Barnes, or Ava. He's got nothing on Bucky but a name, an identity. He and Barnes are so different, too, that the bastard won't know what he's dealing with in Bucky. The bigger part of him wants to stand his ground.]

The guy in charge of fryin' the other me's brains? That's not a face you forget. I'm sure. [After seeing that memory, having that talk with Barnes, he could never forget.] I know you have the instinct to chase anybody that runs, but trust me, it's probably better for now if Barnes lays low, assuming he's rabbited.

Ava, on the other hand... if this is why she's run, we should bring her back.

[OPEN] back home for the holidays

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