turn back time;

[advanced]

who: Bucky and OPEN
what: Various prompts spanning Prijata, the AU, and just random things.
when: The month of June
where: Around and about
warnings: Panic attacks

notes: Because this spans pre-AU and during-AU Bucky, I don't mind if anyone wants to tag in more than once to interact with both bits. Open to new or existing CR. If there isn't a prompt you like, just PM me and I'll work one out with you!

[i: Prijata; around the abandoned city and Quarantine]

[Bucky has been delivered a lot of unexpected things for the Prijata celebrations, gifts from people he never expected to get anything from, and gifts from anonymous sources. They're all thoughtful - food vouchers, clothes vouchers, survival equipment - but there's one gift that really takes him by surprise. A dog. An actual dog. The letter that comes with it states that this is a service dog designed to help veterans, she's his to borrow for six months and then either give her back or take her full time.

The things is...

He has no idea how to take care of a dog. It's not something he had as a kid, and the Soldier certainly wasn't given pets. He knows common sense things, like that she'll need to be fed and walked, but that's about it. Which is why he can be found in one of several places:

a) skulking around the various pet shops of Quarantine with a black lab trotting at his side.
b) sitting out in the outskirts of the abandoned town, throwing a stick idly for her and watching her return it.
c) awkwardly hoisting said dog into his arms so that he can climb the side of a building.]

[ii: Good and bad; at night down an alleyway; cw: panic attacks]

[Maybe it's being given the dog that's meant for a specific purpose that brings it to the surface, but Bucky has been dwelling more and more on his time as the Soldier. It leaves him on edge, tenser than usual, and less willing to mingle with the crowds. He doesn't sleep for as long as he can, unwilling to leave himself vulnerable to attack, but in the end he's only human.

Whenever he does manage to get some sleep, his dreams are far from pleasant, enough that he's not exactly a silent sleeper. The occasional moan might draw attention to his hiding spot, and anyone who tries to disturb him will find that he's not in the mood for it at all.]

[iii: Sergeant Barnes; AU plot; the park]

[It's absolutely amazing!

Of course he's been here for a few months now, but it's still mind boggling that he could be living in a place where there were people from all sorts of places and times. It's like one of those dime novels he used to read, all aliens and fanciful technology. He can still barely believe cell phones are a thing, he can only imagine how much this might have enhanced the war effort back home.

The only problem is... he doesn't seem to have a place to stay. All of his stuff was down an alleyway with him, and that's not exactly ideal. He's dressed in world war two uniform, having not quite got round to getting changed yet, with the insignia of a Sergeant clearly visible. Though he's obviously still Bucky, same face and same body, there are differences that might make him hard to identify. He's clean shaven, he doesn't walk with the wariness of a predator stalking prey, and he's smiling.

He even raises a hand in a friendly and lazy sort of greeting, friend or newcomer.]

[iv: Wildcard; anywhere; anytime]

[Got something you want to do with Bucky or Sergeant Barnes? Put it here, and let's do it!]

Comments

[advanced]

I'm not sure, maybe they needed the bed for someone else? I think I remember this pretty dame thanking me for the bed.

[It's all a bit fuzzy, to be quite honest.]

[followhim]

You gave your bed to someone else? That's awfully sweet of you, but don't forget to look out for yourself, too. [they make it to the communal housing, and poe leads bucky up to the third floor. welcome to poe and dick's beautiful abode where hopefully nothing is on fire right now. nothing was on fire when he left, but who knows, okay.]

[pixieboots]

[ He'd known of course that he'd need to be back at some point, if only because that's where Officer Grayson kept most of the essentials of life, and he can only go so long without food, money, and a change of clothes. That, and it wouldn't be right to impose on Loki's generosity indefinitely, ongoing existential crisis notwithstanding. He'd also left the place a wreck, which makes him feel a little bad for the other poor guy who lives there. Alfred would expect better from him.

He hadn't found the key in his cursory investigation, which is how a boy no older than 12 came to be on his knees in the hall, carefully picking the lock with a deft hand. ]

[advanced]

[Bucky's eyebrows shoot up when he sees a kid obviously trying to pick the lock into the apartment. He gets ready to grab the little burglar if he makes a run for it, though his tone is friendly enough.]

You're looking a little lost there, son, need some help?

[followhim]

[ he tilts his head ... and squints ... what. what is happening?] Don't worry, you're not in trouble. We just wanna help.

[pixieboots]

[ Stupid, he'd been stupid. Dick scrambles to his feet, lockpick disappearing into his sleeve, the flash of cornered terror in his face shifting at once to what he hopes is an easy friendliness.

Surely they're just passing do-gooders. He can head them off easy. ]

Uh- hey. So, you guys aren't gonna believe this, but I sorta dropped my key down a well.

But I was almost there. You guys don't have to worry.

[ He says, entirely reassuringly. ]

[advanced]

[There's something familiar about this kid, something he can't quite put his finger on yet. He takes off his hat and tucks it under his arm, leaning against the wall to casually block the escape route.]

Oh really? You live here too? That's a coincidence, because this is my friend Poe's house, and we were just coming back in.

[followhim]

Yeah ... [he squints, trying to figure out why the kid looks so familiar.]

You're not — are you related to Dick, or ... ?

[pixieboots]

Uh- yeah! That's Officer Grayson, right? [ Dick arrests his aborted run, expression clearing slowly. This must be the roommate. And just like that he sees a path through this mess that doesn't end with him having to either run or land a knock-out punch on one or both these guys. ]

He's gone now. I'm replacing him. [ He sticks his hand out for Bucky's, since he's the guy who looks most keen on chasing him down. ]

My name is, um. Freddy.

[advanced]

[He doesn't for a moment believe that this kid's name is Freddy, but he can see the relation to Dick, so he'll believe that for the moment. At the very least, he's only a boy and so Bucky wants to give him the benefit of the doubt.

He offers his own hand in return and shakes "Freddy's" firmly.]

James Barnes, I'm a friend of Dick's, do you know where he's gone?

[followhim]

[his a little dubious but at the same time ... way too trusting, so he's sort of inclined to believe that maybe freddy is real ... maybe?? but it is suspicious...]

I'm his roommate, Poe Dameron. When you mean gone, do you mean he went back through the portal?

[BECAUSE HE WIL PULL RECEIPTS.]

[pixieboots]

I guess. [ The fact that he doesn't know that for sure only really bothers him in the sense that he really can't be sure he won't be back any day now, and Dick doesn't know what he'd do if he had to face him head on. Face that ugly future he doesn't want.

He hesitates, weighing the cost of some part of the truth. ]

...I woke up here, a few days ago. In his room.

I have proof. I can tell you what's in every room, if you name it.

[ That's a totally normal thing normal kids can do right ]