music and mayhem

[advanced]

who: Bucky and OPEN
what: A variety of prompts, serious and more light-hearted, for existing and new CR
when: The month of September
where: Quarantine and the ruins
warnings: Minor injury/blood discussion

[i: thief at the hospital]

[Bucky has used the last of what Steve brought him on the night he was pulled from underneath the girder and patched up, but the wound still isn't completely healed and he doesn't want to risk it getting infected from substandard care. The bastardised serum he has might help keep infection at bay, but he's still human and he knows better than to risk it.

So clearly the best thing to do is head on over to the hospital, right?

Anyone passing by the hospital on a few days throughout the month might catch sight of a man subtly climbing in through one of the upper windows, and then climbing out again a few minutes later with his hoodie noticeably more full as if he's been pilfering supplies... mostly because that's exactly what he's doing.]

[ii: a stitch in time]

[Following the hospital raids, Bucky can be found out in the ruins tending to himself.

He has his shirt off, meaning that his metal arm is exposed to view for once, and is dealing with a nasty looking gut wound. It's already been stitched up, he's not in danger of keeling over any more, but he's cleaning out the dried blood and wrapping with fresh bandages.]

[iii: kiss and tell]

[After the disaster with Obi-Wan, Bucky has been keeping a very close watch out for those stupid little lights, determined not to get himself trapped under someone else's influence again. But they're more numerous than he'd like and sometimes one doesn't get seen until it's just a bit too late...

A warning to anyone getting themselves caught with Bucky in the kiss and tell, he may not react well and it could lead to fighting rather than kissing.]

[iv: songs from the old days]

[Bucky doesn't have much of a solid base, more a few bolt holes that he uses in a random pattern to keep him from being easy to track down, and that means that he doesn't have much in the way of possessions. It has to be easy to carry and flee with at a moment's notice, after all. But he has one or two indulgences that he's picked up on a whim, driven by half remembered days from before the Soldier.

He has a kite that he can sometimes be seen perched on a rooftop flying in the breeze, looking unaccountably peaceful. He also now has a record player. He found it in a little curiosity shop, a proper old one with some vinyls to go with it. He doesn't play the music too loudly, but anyone passing by some of the abandoned buildings or ruins might hear the quiet strains of the Andrews Sisters.]

[v: wildcard]

[Bucky can also be found at nights having nightmares, skulking around at the gun range watching others play, or generally observing the world around him. If you would like to play any of these, or have a completely different idea for a prompt, just go for it and I'll follow your lead! You can also hit me up on bibbety for plotting.]

Comments

[ i ]

[jedies]

[ He's really starting to wonder about this man. Obi-Wan can make a few educated guesses, but he's not familiar with Earth to believe they have any weight. Instead Obi-Wan merely clears his throat pointedly. ]

Need something?

[advanced]

[Oh. This guy again. Seeing him elicits guilt and regret, as well as slight fear, but he keeps his expression neutral.]

I have what I need now.

[jedies]

That is a relief.

[ Though probably illegal? Who knows. ]

How are you feeling? I was worried.

IV

[ragnarsson]

[Ivar's mood had definitely reached an all-time low with Letha's departure. Half the time he wanted to strangle her with his bare hands and the other half he spent crying his eyes out. This was absolutely no way for a proper Viking to be. But he couldn't sit around and mope forever. Eventually, he had to get out before his thoughts turned to homicide.

Leaving Winter in the care of a friend, he went off to wheel himself where he could be alone in the ruined city. He wasn't sure what he was looking for. He'd know when he found it. As he went past a condemned looking building on the verge of falling down, he heard faint notes of music coming out. Curious.

There was too much rubble blocking the way for his chair, so he took to his arms, and started crawling. When he saw Bucky and the curious looking machine, he paused, watching without saying anything. There was something subdued about the Viking, his usual anger and passion both missing. He just had an air of sadness about him, the gloomy emotion as intense as his usual ones.]

[advanced]

[Bucky doesn't yet know that Letha has gone, but he can tell that something is wrong the moment he notices Ivar and sees the expression on his face. He reaches over and takes the needle off the record, though not so quickly that it's out of embarrassment for having been caught listening, more so they can talk without the flippant distraction in the background.]

Are you coming in?

["In" being subjective, just to the part of the building less ruined than the rest.]

[ragnarsson]

I'm coming.

[It didn't take too much time for Ivar to crawl over. He was proficient enough with his arms that he could almost, but not quite, keep up with the walking speed of a normal person. Once he had reached Bucky, he got into a sitting position, fixing his legs so they were in front of him.

He didn't speak at first, instead, fiddling around with one of the leather vambraces he was wearing. Fittingly enough, they were the ones that Bucky had given to him several months ago as a gift. When he finally spoke, it had nothing to do with how he was feeling. That would come only in time.]

What kind of music was that?

iii

[buildsomething]

[The thing is, Tony can get distracted pretty easily. There are a million things going on in his head at any given moment, and his focus tends to fade in an out on them depending on what else he's doing. So it stands to reason that he might not always be paying complete attention when he's just walking down the street, trying to get to his workshop before the idea taking form at the back of his mind fades away

And then there are those bubble things. He can at least feel when one of them closes in on him this time, at least soon enough that he doesn't walk face first into the all-too-physical wall.]

Not this again.

[It's a low, annoyed grumble as he turns to see who's stuck with him this time.]

...ah.

[Figures.]

[advanced]

[No.

No, damn it, no!

He feels it as soon as the invisible barrier comes down and he's immediately tensing up, the response to being trapped, but that just gets a thousand times worse when he sees who he's trapped with. The expression tells him that Stark knows who he is this time, has his memory back, and that's going to make this a hell of a lot more awkward.]

Keep back.

[It's a low warning, eyes hard, as he presses back as far as he can against the invisible wall.]

[buildsomething]

[The last remnants of dry amusement fade from Tony's expression as he registers that he is very literally trapped with not only someone he has uncomfortable history with, but someone who could very literally kill him without breaking a sweat. Because Tony has nothing, right now. No armor, no tricks, not even a goddamn screwdriver. He may still be Iron Man without all of it, but that's not going to help much against a goddamn super solider.

He goes completely still on pure instinct, ignoring the way his breath has sped up as the look in Barnes' eyes hammers on his fight or flight response.

So this is going to be a fun hour, he can tell.]

What, you don't want to kiss me?

[It's thin and not really his best material, but the day Tony can't manage anything smartassed is the day he's actually dead.]

i

[mysophobic]

[ Well working in the hospital for late night shifts is something Shigeru has gotten used to. What he's not used to is seeing someone pilfering supplies from the medicine closets. Shigeru might rush over and grab the other's arm, but its a brief hold, before he pulls away.

His phone comes out immediately as he types something. ]

Do you need medical assistance?! [ Or did someone he knows need it?! He looks pretty worried regardless. ]

[advanced]

[If Shigeru tries to grab Bucky's arm, however briefly, he'll find that Bucky dodges away on instinct. It's hard not to lash out, threat buzzing at the base of his skull, but he's getting better at that now.]

No.

[The slight bloodstain on his top probably says he's lying, but his expression is completely free of pain.]

Back off, I have what I need and this doesn't need to be an issue.

[mysophobic]

[ Shigeru might flinch and move away slightly before typing up something. ]

I'm a doctor here. I can help you if you need it. Just tell me what's wrong. I promise I won't tell anyone, if that's what you're worried about?

[ Honestly he wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't push the issue, but Bucky seems pretty steadfast in his decision for the moment. The bloodstain only fuels Shigeru's worry even more, however. ]

My powers let me heal things quickly, so whatever the issue is, I could try to fix it.

ii;

[nostalgiabomb]

[ So it's kind of Peter's job to explore the ruins – he's even got the fancy armband denoting him as part of the Perimeter Guard's Surveyor unit. He never really expected to hold down, like, a full-time job like this, figuring the structure of it would leave him choking. But even if he gets paid for it, and even if he's on a schedule and gets assigned to shifts and has to contend with boring shit like overtime and meeting quotas or whatever, it's not so bad. Exciting, even.

And it's especially exciting when he accidentally stumbles upon random dudes with glinting metal arms sitting in the middle of the ruins. ]

What the shit—

[ For the way Peter yelps and jerks back, you'd think Bucky jumped out of the shadows and screamed at him. Peter recovers quickly enough, though, and his gaze flicks down to that gnarly-looking wound. ]

... You need a hand?

[advanced]

[Bucky is usually pretty attuned to the idea of people sneaking up on him, but he's been a little busy with redressing his injuries and so the first he knows of Peter there is that really loud shout.

He jerks up to his feet, bandages unspooling and forgotten about as both his hands raise in a defensive position. He only lowers them a little bit when he sees the face of a man who doesn't appear to be an immediate threat and hears the offer.]

You a doctor?

[Not that he particularly wants help from a stranger anyway.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter holds up both hands – a habit, when he wants to appear unthreatening. ]

Not exactly, no.

[ That is, Peter isn't a doctor at all, but he's always been pretty bad about giving straight answers. ]

But I know my way around bandages and dressings.

i

[inebriety]

[Tony is in and out of the hospital with more regularity than most for check ups on Anthony's size. He's heard the hospital staff mention that they've been missing supplies here and there and hadn't thought much of it, but now that there's a man climbing in through the window he's having to revise that.]

Hello.

[advanced]

[He really needs to be more careful about checking the windows before he slips through them, but he just didn't see the man in the corner. He looks-- sort of familiar, but the reason why doesn't quite twig yet.]

...the door was broken.

[Subtle.]

iii

[worldsaway]

[Thus far, Thor has really only heard of the Bucky from his universe through hearsay and stories. They've not had much cause to be in the same room and so, Thor is starting to imagine he's more a myth than man.

Granted, he knows the Bucky from the other universe quite well. It's hard to imagine he could be an iteration of the Bucky he's heard the occasional story or comment about.

Thor isn't on the look out for him by any means. He doesn't recognise him in passing, but as he realises he can walk no further, he has a moment to take in his appearance and make what seems to be a logical assumption. He notes the other man's posture, the way he tenses does not read as friendly to Thor. He doesn't shrink back, but he'll keep to his side of the bubble.

..Even though he feels somewhat compelled to close the distance between them. He knows how this goes.]

Have you been trapped like this before? This is not my first time.

[advanced]

[Bucky might never have met Thor, but he knows exactly who the man is. Even before coming to this place he made sure to do a lot of research into the Avengers so that he wouldn't ever be caught out by them, and an alien iteration of a Norse god was definitely one to look out for.

So how did he manage to miss him until they were trapped together?

His eyes narrow and he nods briefly.]

You're going to have to wait.

Option V: Nightmares

[dracolucmalfoy]

Draco had been visiting many place to speak to people since starting his position as Community Ambassador. But now only that, he had taken to walking at various points through out the day. Familiarizing himself with the area and the foot traffic depending on what time of day it was. However, such an excuse became flimsy as the sun fell and night descended.

Nightmares made sleep unappetizing, even here. Despite a distance beyond what Draco's mind was capable of understanding between him and his home universe, and everything that happened there... things didn't just disappear.

So, he wandered when sleep did not come. It was better than forcing the issue. Forcing it only lead to more vivid nightmares in his experience, and even less actual sleep.

It is for this reason Draco found himself in the right spot at the right time, if one could consider it such. Or, perhaps, the wrong spot at the wrong time. Either way a distressed sound came from what appeared to be an abandoned building. It gave Draco pause. Standing there in the jacket he found to wear - he missed his cloak something fierce - and studied the place. Stilling as he listened.

Draco knew he was not good or pure. He left tripe like that to the do-gooders, like the Golden Boy and his merry little bad of rainbows and unicorns consisting of bushy hair and red hair. Yet there was a tug there inside of him. A familiarity he was wholly uncomfortable with.

During the Dark Lord's occupation of Malfoy Manor Draco had heard many sounds, all imprinted into his mind. He'd largely stood by then. Would he now? He did not know what lay inside. It was an internal struggle for a time. Then, with a soft groan and muttering of 'you're turning into a bloody Hufflepuff' Draco moved into the place.

Moving carefully, trying to make little noise. Those few years of living in terror having given him those instincts that made him want to draw the least amount of attention to him, contrary to how he was when he had a margin of safety to grasp.

When he came across a form on the ground looking restless Draco produced a soft light with his wand and held it aloft, seeing closed eyes and deducing the man was asleep. Another moment of debating had Draco approaching cautiously.

"Sir, wake up," Draco said in a stern voice. Not touching the man, knowing how he himself lashed out sometimes upon waking.

[advanced]

It wasn't every night that he suffered, some nights were spent in blissful darkness without a single dream, but when the nightmares reared their ugly head it was always a potential danger. He tried to isolate himself from the majority of people, choosing spots that discouraged random footfall, but he couldn't account for someone being drawn in by the noise of his disturbed sleep.

As soon as he hears someone nearby he's on his feet, rolling up and pulling out a knife within seconds, obviously not fully awake even as he prepares to face whatever threat has come for him. He blinks rapidly, trying to get his eyes adjusted to the gloom before the inevitable fight begun.

"Who the hell are you?"

[i: thief at the hospital]

[thegreatninja]

[As a fellow thief, Yuffie has some pointers of Bucky.

She is perched next to the window as he climbs out with his hoard of... whatever it is that he's stealing. Her purple eyes are focused on a small dagger that she's flicking carelessly between her fingertips. When she feels Bucky's presence her head turns and she smiles.]

Hiya! [This isn't the first time she's interrupted someone who would most likely lash out at her and Yuffie is prepared to slip out of arms reach if need be.] What cha got there? Because I have to say. Your stealth needs some work or at least a better target. Nothing all that great in a hospital...

[Unless he's like... a druggy or something.]

[advanced]

[He didn't expect to meet someone coming out of the window, and so all his stealth had been used getting in and then stealing supplies, though he doesn't drop any of them even when he's startled.]

It's none of your business.

[She doesn't sound like she cares he's stealing things, so he'll try and just walk away.]

ii.

[krasnaya_vdova]

[Ava moves just about silently; it comes from knowing how to disappear, how to be invisible. She's small, wrapped in a roughed-up army surplus jacket that's a bit too big, a duffle bag over her left shoulder.

But then she sees him and she pauses. Even if all she knew was what had been on the televisions in the months since the hellicarriers crashed into the Potomac, she'd have recognized him. So when she kicks a loose stone, it's intentional; because if he's distracted with his injury and ends up not having noticed her, he's the last person she wants to sneak up on.

But she's not particularly inclined to just walk away, either.] How bad is it?

[She doesn't come in too close, but not so far to seem wary. Or, like she has much of a sense of self-preservation, either.]

[advanced]

[He's aware of her before the stone comes loose, but only just. She's good, quieter than most people he knows, he's just always intensely aware of his surroundings. It comes from a lifetime of people trying to track him down, monitor his every move, or kill him.

He frowns over at her as he takes her in, a young woman who doesn't seem hostile at the moment. Doesn't mean she won't be.]

It's fine.

[He says it mildly, but with a distinct ring of 'so back off' about it.]