I THOUGHT THE COLD WAR WAS OVER!

[zymasoldat]

Who: Bucky Barnes and OPEN, with a few specific closed prompts.
Where:
When: April 1-12
What: Catch-all for Bucky things!
Warnings: N/A, will update as necessary

[Open & Closed Prompts]


I: HOUSE [OPEN TO HOUSEMATES AND CR]
[ The Romanoff-Rogers-Barnes household has been busy lately, having recently been the site of a clandestine autopsy, under the radar from the local law enforcement, thanks to a well-timed 'diversion' in the form of blowing up a cop car.

Unfortunately, it was decided to hold the autopsy in the second bathroom-- ie Bucky's bathroom, so he's been steering clear of the tub for a little while, despite the repeated bleachings.

After that, things returned to normal-- except that they didn't. With Rumlow in town, and the mystery sickness, and the malformed body at the root of said sickness, suddenly laying low and staying off the radar has become less of a priority. Which isn't to say that Bucky's going to be throwing caution to the wind and acting restlessly, but it does mean that he's a little more willing now to let the 'townie' mask down, at least around those who are similarly eager to get to the bottom of this town's mysteries: what happened to them, and why are they here?

With the new month came the arrival of another batch of 'friends' and 'neighbors'-- except, this time, some of them were people he actually met before. And now, the Romanoff-Rogers-Barnes household is the Romanoff-Rogers-Barnes-Wilson household, which is... It's fine. Really. It is.

It's just a bit of adjustment. Kind of like when he had to get used to living with Liho, only Sam takes up more space and can talk back. And it's certainly made game nights even more competitive. (Bucky just can't seem to get the hang of any video games, and Mario Kart is the worst of them.) But at least now there are more people to split the household chores between.

Bucky spends more time home now than he used to, living as more of a housemate than a sad ghost who hides upstairs. The guilt and shame is always lingering somewhere in his mind, but it's easier, now, to be part of... not the world, exactly, but his friends' worlds, at least. Steve's and Natasha's and, now, Sam's (even if 'friend' is a stretch there). Each relationship carries a different set of complications, but as long as they're stuck living in a snow globe with no exit strategy, he's not going to hide anymore.

Lately, Bucky's been experimenting more with cooking, branching out from meals that are more practical and utilitarian in nature, to things that might be... tasty? He's no chef, but it's a work in progress. He's also broadening his horizons with books and movies and music. And, sometimes, he'll even practice with the SNES. He's going to beat Natasha at Rainbow Road one day... ]

II: SCHOOL [OPEN TO STUDENTS AND FACULTY]
[ Back in Brooklyn, he used to tag along to Steve's art classes. He wasn't any good at it, but it was fun, getting to paint the models. He didn't think much of it, and he might've made a few dumb, snickering comments to Steve the first time a model took off her robe. Thankfully, he grew out of that quickly enough.

And now here he is, modeling for the kids in 'Mr. Rogers's' art classes. Not in the buff, but in a too-tight tank top and a pair of tactical leggings, so that the students can study his musculature for their drawings. Holding the various poses Steve and Allison request of him is easy enough, but after living in the shadows for so long, it takes some getting used to, being on display as the center of attention in a room full of people.

Sometimes, he gets to see the students' drawings of him, which is always a... mixed bag. He definitely has a whole lot more empathy now for the models in the classes he and Steve used to take. And he has to wonder: how did he let Allison talk him into this?

Anyway, feel free to talk with him when he's not striking a pose. When he's not in the classroom, he'll be covered up in sweatpants and a zip-up hoodie. ]

III: NAIL SALON [CLOSED: KENZI]
[ She's not his family, and she's 'married' to an agent of HYDRA. For those reasons, Bucky ought to stay away from Kenzi. But it's kind of hard to when he still feels like they're family, when his false memories are as vivid as his real ones.

And when his own family is long dead.

Kenzi may not be related to him through anything but lies implanted in both of their heads, but he thinks of her as a second chance. And avoiding her doesn't do any of them any good, no matter who her husband is.

(Besides, Kenzi could help him keep tabs on Rumlow, while he's keeping tabs on her safety and wellbeing.)

So, with reconciliation in mind, Bucky shows up at the nail salon where Kenzi works, around her usual lunchtime (don't ask how he knows) with a box of pizza in tow. He knows her well enough (even though he hardly knows her at all) to know that pizza's always a way to Kenzi's heart. ]

Kenzi... Hey. [ He holds the pizza box out in offering. ] Peace offering?

[ You know, for vanishing from her life after that awkward run-in with her husband. ]

IV: CAFE [CLOSED: WANDA]
[ TO BE WRITTEN IN THE MORNING, I'M SO CLOSE TO PASSING OUT. ]

WILDCARD [OTA]
[ Whatever you want! Bucky goes running early in the mornings, stops by Java Joe's for coffee and reading before work, works at S&D Automotive as a mechanic (penance for destroying so many vehicles back home???), occasionally goes to bars to people watch, and goes to the veterans' support group, where he refuses to talk. ]

Comments

[zymasoldat]

[ Well, it's been a long time since this has happened. 'This' being flirting, of course. At least, Bucky's pretty sure the woman (a teacher?) is flirting. It hits all those old, familiar beats he used to be so adept at. And, one good thing about life in Wayward Pines is that it's given him a chance to settle, somewhat, for the first time since he shipped off to war.

Which means that it's easier, now, to respond to a bit of flirtation the way he would've back in more carefree times, even if he doesn't really feel like that Bucky Barnes anymore. (And he doubts he'll ever be that man again. The Winter Soldier will always be a part of him.)

So the smile comes easily, along with an accompanying laugh. ]

I'll do, huh? What've you got in mind?

[seeyaduke]

Welll...[Ana drew out the word with a grin, and she stepped closer to him with her hands slightly raised. It was an instinct that she couldn't place, but it was the one that someone with training made when they wanted to show someone that they were unarmed. Still, it was probably nothing that was worth worrying about. Besides, it felt nice to be flirting with someone on her own terms, which was an odd thought.

When had she been flirting on someone else's?

Pushing aside those thoughts, Ana moved towards the art that he had been working on, and then past it, instead heading for the whiteboard that seemed to be standard in all of the classrooms here at the school, even at the ones that weren't being used at the moment. Too bad that Ana had already purloined the dry erase markers from there.]

I'm betting that you can keep a secret.

[zymasoldat]

[ His own art's nothing to write home about. Doodles of faces, of Natasha's cat, of trees, whatever crossed his mind before she entered the classroom. But as Ana walks towards the whiteboard, Bucky cranes his neck to watch her, then stands and comes up behind her, brow raised. ]

I'm pretty good at it. Depends on the secret.

[seeyaduke]

That's promising. [Ana grins at him over her shoulder before she leans back against the whiteboard and faces him. Leaning against the whiteboard is something that Ana's done multiple times, so she knows just how far to go back so that she doesn't end up wearing whatever was written (or drawn, in this case) on her back.

It's one of the reasons she's only wearing dark colors to school from now on; the last thing that she needs is for another set of her notes about Austen to be etched into her clothing.]

Because this secret is a big one. It's huge and probably illegal here. [Her tone is teasing, and her hand is behind her back, for a second.]

[zymasoldat]

[ Bucky tilts his head a little, regarding the way she leans back, her hand hidden from sight. Her body language may be relaxed, but it's enough to put Bucky on alert, even if it's only out of habit.

But though he's a little more tense, he's still smiling, friendly. She's just being playful, but it's hard to break out of that vigilant mentality. ]

I might have some experience with that.

[ Some experience with huge and illegal things. More like a hell of a lot. ]

[seeyaduke]

[Ana has been trained to notice the changes in body language, and she catches the slight tenseness there. It's odd but he's still smiling, so she is. Nope, nothing bad, nothing to see here, not even when she grins and holds up one hand in an open manner and speaks again.]

Good. See, darling, I knew you'd be perfect for what I had in mind. You'll definitely be able to keep my terrible crime a secret.

[Then with a little laugh and a flourish, Ana pulls the marker out from behind her back, the color cap a blue to go along with the red and the black ones that are still stuck forgotten in her bun.]

Behold, [Her grin is a little wider now.] the object of my great theft.

[zymasoldat]

[ His eyes dart to her hand as it moves from behind her back. Just a marker. Really, what else should he have expected? They're two normal (seeming) people in a normal (seeming) school, suspicious as life in Wayward Pines is. Though he has to wonder: is she like him, with the way she carries herself? Or does she really believe in the lie of this town?

Bucky laughs, crossing his arms as he glances from the marker in her hands to the ones in his bun. He lifts his brow and raises his chin pointedly in a little nod at her hair. ]

So what's wrong with the ones you've already got?

[seeyaduke]

[Hmm. That was a fast reflex to watch her hand and idly Ana wonders if he would get the drop on her if they ever needed to go up against one another. The thought was random and filed with the rest of the random thoughts that were slowly starting to piece themselves into something that was less random in the back of her head. Still she allows some of her confusion to blend in with the look that he gave her towards her hair.]

What...? [The hand with the marker comes up to brush against the top of her bun and then slides so that the plastic of the marker collides with not one but two plastic sounding plinks.

Yes, she does in fact look as embarrassed as you can get involving something with markers that doesn't have them involved with penises being drawn on your face. With a shrug, Ana just chuckles softly.]

Well, clearly I need to add them all to my collection. I'll be the dragon hording markers instead of gold.

[zymasoldat]

[ There's a smile still lingering on his face as she comes to her realization. Even more admirable is her confidence, the way she shrugs her little mistake off so easily. ]

Not a bad investment. I'll bet there's a lot of demand here.

[ Soon, all the teachers will be looking for markers, because she's taken them all. ]

But I don't know if Steve'll be happy if I just let you walk off with his marker. [ Teasingly, with a bit of a smirk: ] Got anything to trade?

[seeyaduke]

I expect so. People can live in fear that I might come and steal their markers in the night. I can be a cat burglar... or a marker burglar, I guess.

[Ana grinned and walked closer to him with a matching smirk, and a flirty, assessing look.]

Are you worth the trade, darling? After all, I don't even happen to know your name yet.

[And then she was standing within touching distance, as comfortable in her teacher's clothing as she would have been within her leather catsuit, and with that same amused and knowing smirk.]