riverviewlogs | missing pieces

Entry tags:

missing pieces

who: Bucky Barnes (MCU), Ivar Ragnarsson, Dick Grayson, Stephen Strange, Ellie, Tony Stark, Suigetsu Houzuki, Clark Kent, Fatima Merali, Eichi Tenshouin, Shai Ebbisaryn, Steve Rogers (MCU), Líadan Ní Donnabháin, Bucky Barnes (616), and Jonathan Kent
what: Various prompts
when: April 1st/2nd
where: Abandoned city
warnings: Probable violence
note: Though this log has closed prompts, if you would like to do anything with Bucky please just send me a PM or hit me up at

bibbety and I will be more than happy to add in a prompt for you!

[i: Sparring partners; CLOSED to Ivar Ragnarsson]

[Bucky spends a lot of his time out in the abandoned city, even sleeping there some nights when the feel of people all around him becomes a bit too much to handle. He's doing better than he was when he arrived here, he's even spoken to Steve fairly courteously once, but he's got a long way to go and he still prefers to do it alone.

Which is why he's out in the city training himself, running between buildings, jumping and vaulting various debris fields, and occasionally testing his acrobatic skills with flips and kicks off one surface to catch hold of another. What he's not expecting, after jumping one particularly large gap between rooftops, is to land by a man on the ground.

At first he thinks it's someone hurt, until he recognises the man that fought him when he was recently arrived and remembers how he couldn't use his legs. It's pretty impressive that he got up this far, let alone out here to the abandoned city in the first place.]

You okay?

[He was just going to go, but maybe Ivar really is hurt and can't get down.]

[ii: Meals on wheels; CLOSED to Dick Grayson]

[There have been a couple of times while Bucky has been skulking around the city that he's seen the man he doused in yoghurt, still patrolling in that costume. He knows his name now, made sure to look it up based on the usernames and the apartment - Dick Grayson. Not that he plans on using it, he just likes to have all the information, it can be the difference between life and death.

But what he doesn't realise is that he's the one that's been spotted tonight by Dick, as he slips out into the abandoned city and turns into one of the nearby ruins. A sleeping bag and rucksack are already stashed there, along with a surprising array of weapons. He slides into his sleeping bag, sat up against the wall, completely unaware that he's not alone... for now.]

[iii: Magic and Mayhem; CLOSED to Stephen Strange]

[Bucky has very few things that he would count as personal possessions. His weapons, clothes, and sleeping bag were all just tools that could pass in and out of his ownership without him caring that much. Though he would never like to be unarmed, he could always find more weapons if he lost these.

But he had a book that was precious to him. Just a tattered little notebook which was a quarter full of news clippings of all the various Avengers, some information both bought and stolen from the Smithsonian gift shop, and several choppy paragraphs in his own handwriting. Notes on information he's found out, memories that have resurfaced, that sort of thing.

He's sitting on the rooftop of one of the buildings in the main city, riffling through the book, when a sudden gust of wind catches it and sends it out of his hands and over the side to land at either at the feet of, or directly on the head of, the poor unsuspecting person walking by.

Sorry, Stephen.]

[iv: Dance lessons; CLOSED to Ellie]

[The flower festival isn't exactly Bucky's natural habitat, but he keeps finding himself drawn to the dance lessons and performances in the various open park areas. He doesn't really remember dancing himself, it's definitely not something the Soldier has ever done even though he has the dexterity for it, but it feels familiar.

So even though spending so much time in the crowds goes against a lot of his instincts, Bucky keeps finding himself back in the throng.

It's where he is that morning, sat with his back against a tree to make it slightly harder to sneak up on him from behind, intently watching a couple perform an exhibition piece in the style of swing dancing. These are the ones he likes the best, the ones that feel the most oddly familiar, and he has an almost peaceful expression as he watches.]

[v: Running into you; CLOSED to Tony Stark]

[Bucky spends a lot of his time either hiding, skulking in the shadows, or moving at a carefully steady pace through crowds so as not to attract attention. But sometimes he just needs to blow off steam, sometimes he just needs to burn through the excess energy that the bastardised serum gives him.

Which is why he's running.

He's at least chosen a time when he doesn't think anyone else will be near the outskirts of the city, and he's running down side streets and back alleys rather than the main streets, but he is pushing himself all out. Running faster than a normal human could, vaulting trash cans and practically skidding around corners.

It's probably lucky he hasn't crashed into anyone before now...]

[vi: Festival Fun; CLOSED to Suigetsu Houzuki]

[This festival, much like the last festival, is a good place to gather free food. The stall vendors are often so busy that they don't notice a little something here or there going missing, and lots of people end up buying food that they can't finish and just abandon. Which is why one suspicious hobo type is now casually wandering the picnic area, stooping as if to tie his shoe every so often when he's really stealing leftovers.

Don't mind him...]

[vii: A serious talk; CLOSED to Clark Kent]

[See the comments for starter.]

[viii: Kites and trees; SEMI-OPEN to anyone plotted with on the CR meme]

[Bucky has spent most of the flower festival skirting the main events, on the fringes of the crowds, or watching from a distance. But some things keep drawing him in deeper, like leftovers at the picnic area, or dance contests, or the smell of food.

To anyone wandering, he can be found in the following places:

i) staring into the window of a bakery as if the pies on display have the answer to life.
ii) up a tree in the park, watching a dance demonstration like a skulking creeper
iii) flying a kite that he got pressured into buying, sitting on the grass in a relatively secluded area. If this kite accidentally drops and wraps around your character, more's the pity.]

[ix: Football; CLOSED to Jonathan Kent]

[Bucky doesn't look like someone who's in the park to play a nice game of football... for one, he doesn't actually have a football. He's also skulking under the trees, wearing a long hoodie and gloves despite the warm weather, and is looking around at everyone entering the park as if they might be a threat to him.

But he said he wanted to do this, so he's here.

Even after he got the message from Clark that said he had somewhere else to be that morning, he was sorry, but hopefully Bucky could still have fun with Jonathan. Which was why Bucky was skulking out of place, waiting for a kid and hoping that said kid brought a football with him. Or they might be kind of scuppered.]

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[He shifts very carefully and very quietly to peer down at her through the leaves, assessing her for what sort of threat she might pose.]

No.

[He's sort of already taken the joke as far as he can, he's not good at this sort of stuff.]

I wasn't doing anything wrong, just watching the dancers.

[Well, he's welcome to the fact that she holds herself absolutely like someone who is well-accustomed to danger. She's got myriad scars she doesn't bother to hide, like the ones on her face and more across her bare arms. She also seems terribly, spectacularly at ease with the whole 'there's a guy above her in a perfect ambush position' thing, which seems to hint at the fact that she considers herself well-equipped to handle just about anything life throws at her.

Well, that and the fact she still doesn't bother looking up. She just sort of waves one hand in a vague little gesture that might just be swatting a fly to anyone watching her but is half a hello.]

You needn't justify anything to me. I reckon they're there to be watched. Otherwise what's the point in practicing publicly?

[A faint hmm.]

Name's Shai, sweetheart.

[None of that is comforting. It's the same sort of read he'd get off someone like the Widow, deceptively calm and casual, while being completely confident in their abilities to kick ass if needed to. He's confident in his own abilities, of course, but he'd rather not have to use them.

The way she waves tells him that she is different from normal people. She can see or smell or hear him beyond the norm, she has to, and that sends a prickle right up his spine.]

I didn't ask.

[Nor will he give a name unless she pushes for one, then he'll just pluck one of his many aliases off the top of his head.]

[She makes a quiet little hum of agreement. He didn't ask, but as far as certain tidbits of information go she's quite free with them, which is something entirely on her rather than any given company she could keep.

He was at least up for banter and then abruptly was not. That's telling. Something she's said - or done, more likely - has made him uncomfortable.]

I got you a bit on edge, darling?

[She's an unsettling person, to the right (wrong) folks, to be sure. Can't exactly get away from that, even all this long, long way from the Lattice.]

[He considers denying it, but there's not a whole lot of point.]

You knew I was here.

[That's unnerving in itself. While he's not especially arrogant about his skills, he does know that he's good enough to hide without being seen by mostly anyone. She spotted him no problem.]

Mm.

[It's an agreeable noise, she's not about to deny it. She's never really tried to hide or been ashamed of her powers. She doesn't usually use them with intent to scare people (though she certainly has, when the situation calls for it) but this fellow just seems a mite skittish more than anything.]

I can explain how, if you'd like. Not the exact science behind it, frankly I was never fussed to learn it, but the general-- [a wave of her hand.] you know, gist.

Yeah.

[It's the only answer he gives.

He's not the best conversationalist even when he's talking to someone he relatively trusts, but with someone that he's wary of then he practically becomes monosyllabic. He does want the explanation, though, he wants to know what he's dealing with here.]

[Skittish, she's beginning to realize, is one very underwhelming word for it.]

I'm an electrokinetic.

[No sense beating around the proverbial bush. Shai leans back against the tree, pressing her shoulders to the bark and raises up one knee. Easy thing, to drape her wrist across it casually and with a little flick of her hand generate sparks that drive her point home.]

Means I can suss out things that generate it. Humans being one. Makes me a hard woman to sneak up on.

[And hard to kill. But that's sort of self-evident, as far as she's concerned, she isn't inclined to brag about it.]

[He's not entirely sure what an electrokinetic is, but he can make a good guess based on her demonstration and the word itself. Does that mean she can hear his arm? His stupid arm that always seems to be giving him away to superpowered people.

Damn it.

He shifts in the tree and then all of a sudden drops out of the branches to land next to her, silent and graceful as a cat, so that he can look at her properly.]

You human despite that?

[Scarier than that, Buck, she can divine the presence of a human's sinoatrial node half a mile out. You could rip the arm out by its dangling nerve impulse cables and she'd still find you, like a very terrifying and cheerful bloodhound.

Oops.

She gives him a glance as he descends from the tree, but is otherwise supremely unruffled by this sudden appearance of her guest of honour. She gives him a little wave and a sunny smile that pulls at all her ugly scars.]

Depends on how you define human, I suppose. [That's an asshole's reply, she knows what he's asking.] But I am flesh and blood and bone. All the juicy stuff.

[She wiggles her fingers again, no sparks this time, just a universal gesture for ooh, spooky.]

Though my world's gravity is ['was'] quite a bit heavier. I bet I outweigh you, Mr. Bird.

[And she's considerably stronger than most people she's met, culgenic abilities beside.]

[Okay, so she's not human. She's another alien, great, how many of those are there here? Like he doesn't have enough with Clark flying around being invulnerable and super strong?

It's a little unnerving to know how many people could probably take him out if they wanted to, he's used to being up there with the strongest. On the other hand, it's good to know he might not be able to hurt a lot of people before he gets stopped if the worst happens.]

I'm heavier than I look.

[Thanks to the serum and the metal arm. He just leaves it at that, he's so bad at small talk, or talking in general.]

[He doesn't really intend for it to be funny, but she laughs a bit dryly anyway.]

Well, I won't argue with you on that account.

[It'd be a rather ridiculous thing to get in a pissing contest over. She cocks her head at him. He might be bad at conversation, but Shai's always been a talker. If you act as if you are completely transparent, as if you wear your heart and your emotions on your sleeve, if you're as shallow as a reflecting pool, no one ever cares or chances to look deeper. It's a tactic she's used like armour now for well over a decade.]

Do I frighten you?

[At best, she sounds simply curious. She's used her abilities to evoke a like reaction. She's been a bogeyman for a great many people, entire planets when she deemed it necessary. There's a part of her that enjoys the fear, because it means that in that particular situation, she is as far from helpless as one can possibly be. But here, she sees no need for that frankly and admittedly awful aspect of her personality. It's nice to be able to step away from it.]

[It's asked so casually, almost like either she's so used to people being afraid of her that it's the norm, or that she's so unused to anyone thinking she could possibly be frightening that the very idea is ludicrous. He's not about to admit to her that she sort of does, it's displaying far too great a vulnerability.]

I don't like people being able to find me.

[Which is pretty much a yes, but without actually saying it.

It's true, though, he hates the idea that there are people in this place that can find him no matter how well he hides. All of his skills, all of his false trails, all of his experience count for nothing when someone can literally hear his body and track him down.]

[And she hears it as a yes, regardless. People try to play tough in front of her almost as often as they piss themselves, so.]

All right. So then, how does one go about setting you at ease on that count?

[It's not a promise she actually will. Just a measure of her willingness to compromise.]

You can't.

[He doesn't mean that to sound as if he's always afraid, it's more a statement of fact.]

You can't alter what you can do, I can't stop you doing it, and I don't trust your word if you said you wouldn't.

[She has put a lot of effort, a lot of work into being the master of all her impulses. But there is one that time, experience and age have not managed to beat out of her. He says, I can't stop you doing it and she, unbidden, lifts a hand to her throat.

The only scars she had the regenerists remove were the ones worn into her skin there. Of course, she is neither altruistic enough nor, frankly, does she care to set his mind at ease in that way. There are things that can stop her. Blackwalls, suppression collars. Things of Iraphine design meant for the sole purpose to combat her kind. Make them helpless.

She shrugs, instead. She's not the least bit offended. That would require considerably less self-awareness than what she has, and she actually appreciates the honesty.]

I do look a mite shady, don't I?

[It's lightly said, with a laugh that punctuates it. She's obviously making a joke. Truth is, Shai has a soldier's soul, simplicity incarnate. She rarely lies unless there's no other recourse.]

Well, I'll not begrudge your paranoia. My limit's a mile out. I'm not about to wear a bloody GPS for you, but you're welcome to keep your distance.

[She won't change the patterns of her comings and goings for a stranger, but he's welcome to adapt his schedule around hers if he's so bothered by it.]

[That could be a lie, she could be able to see much further or much less, but since he has no way of knowing that then there's no point in doing anything other than take her at her word.

He notices her hand go to her throat, though, and that makes his gaze sharpen a little. Perhaps she can be stopped if necessary.]

As long as you don't actively seek me out, it doesn't matter.

[He'll cross the bridge of if she helps someone else find him another time, hopefully she'll never learn that there are people who would probably pay her good money to help them find him.]

[She sighs theatrically.]

So dramatic.

[What does she care? She certainly did her time as an angst-ridden teenager. In fact, in retrospect he reminds her awfully of her younger self.

(She had better hair, though.)]

In the meantime, my touchy friend.

[She rummages through the tote beside her, and comes up with a bag of potato chips. She opens it, has a handful herself (see? not poisoned) and then she holds it out for him.]

We may as well finish enjoying the view.

[He has a feeling that she might be laughing at his paranoia on the inside. It doesn't matter, he knows what's necessary to keep himself safe and he's not about to lose sleep over a stranger not understanding that.]

Don't you know that you're not supposed to feed a roosting bird?

[It's delivered completely deadpan.

He doesn't take any of the chips, he just takes a step back.]

I think I've seen enough of the view.

[Not the least bit of laughter here. She just knows trauma when she sees it,
and while she understands it and has sympathy for it, has no desire to pander, and she's long forgotten how to be gentle.]

Suit yourself.

[She stretches out her legs, back to the tree, and gives him a cheery little wave.]

Enjoy the festivities in the interim.

[He doesn't bother explaining that he's not sticking around for any more of the festivities, or saying goodbye. He's still not good with social skills and he's said all he wants to say, so he just turns away.

He's gone pretty quickly, heading out at a steady pace beyond the mile marker just in case she was telling the truth. Until next time, Shai...]

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missing pieces

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