HAPPY CENTENNIAL, BUCKY BARNES [open to all]

[zymasoldat]

Who: OPEN TO ALL. PARTY LOOOG!
Where: Wayward Pines's roller skating rink/bowling alley.
When: TODAY, MARCH 10th
What: It's Bucky Barnes's 100th-- uh. 31st. Yeah. 31st birthday...
Warnings: Just warn for anything in your headers.
[Open]

[ This wasn't Bucky's idea. If he had his way, his 100th birthday would come and go without any fanfare. But it's not up to him, really; it's up to Natasha. She's pretty good at getting her way. And it's not that she forced his hand, so much as strongly encouraged the party, using very persuasive arguments to get him to go along with it. It'd look suspicious, after all, if Bucky Barnes, friendly, outgoing local-boy mechanic, didn't celebrate his birthday. Right?

Now here he is, at the bowling-alley-slash-roller-skating-rink (complete with a small 'arcade' with pinball and claw machines), with Steve, Natasha, and anyone else who felt like showing up. Of course, it's not a 90s roller skate birthday party without a kick-ass mix full of songs he's never heard before. Food's a mix of whatever the concession stand's got available and some snacks they stocked up on. And-- oh, does that birthday cake actually have one hundred candles? Yeah. If asked about that, they'll just say it's an inside joke. You know, because Bucky's so old at 30...something... ha.

Anyway. Mingle. Skate. Bowl. Have fun. ]

[OOC: OKAY NOW THE PLAYLISTS ARE GETTING MOVED HERE: PLAYLIST 1, PLAYLIST 2, PLAYLIST 3.]

Comments

[zymasoldat]

[ Her height-- or lack thereof-- doesn't mean anything to Bucky. He knows well enough from his real memories that small Russian women are a force to be reckoned with. See: Natasha. He holds his ground, looking baffled for a brief moment, when she makes a reference to him being angry about something. ]

Why would I--

[ He shuts his mouth as the answer comes to him, supplied by memories he didn't have moments ago. Steeling his jaw, Bucky looks around the rink, though he's not quite sure who, exactly, he's searching for.

In a flat, exasperated deadpan: ] Tell me you didn't bring him.

[ He doesn't even know who the 'him' in question is. Her husband, yes, but beyond that? He can't conjure up a name or a face, just an almost overwhelming sense of dread and apprehension that he has to force back down. ]

[onteamdyson]

[Wow, of all the possible responses he could have given, that was probably the MOST rude. Kenzi rolls her eyes and resists the urge to punch him right in the left tit.]

I didn't bring him.

[But that sparkly ring on her finger, glinting in the terrible lighting of the roller rink, says they're still together whether Bucky likes it or not.]

First of all, he's the nicest guy ever. The age gap isn't even a thing, so I don't get why all of you are freaking. [All of you meaning the family. Because that's what Bucky is! Family. It's all fitting together so well, it's all so clear in her head. Things are starting to stick and make sense.]

Second of all, you can't just ditch your fave cousin for eloping. I never miss your b-day.

[And now she's totally pouting at the thought of almost missing this one! Shit... she didn't even get him a present this year! Memory loss is a decent enough excuse, but she still feels shitty for forgetting her fam.]

[zymasoldat]

[ That's a relief. He exhales a little, some of that sudden tension draining away. With that potential threat out of the way, it's easier for Bucky to slip back into the role he's supposed to play here: somebody a whole lot more carefree than he really is. ]

I don't want to get into it. [ Just leave it at that. No more talk of the unnamed husband that he definitely doesn't approve of, even though he's not sure why-- besides an apparent age gap. ]

Look. We threw this together at the last minute. There wasn't any time to send out invitations.

[ It was all word of mouth! So please don't be upset, fake-cousin. ]

[onteamdyson]

[Yeah, Bucky, you exhale all that tension and pretend to be carefree. Kenzi's just going to make the least intimidating face ever in your general direction, pull her arm back, and PUNCH YOU RIGHT IN THE TIT-- oh god her hand. Shake it off, Kenz, shake it off. Don't let him know his stupidly hard bod just bruised your entire hand because you are still the tough one that sat on him and made him eat dirt despite his stupid growth spurt!]

You could have called! I have a phone. I have a door, you could have knocked on that. Just... just show up and be like "Hey, Kenz, I haven't talked to you since your accident and your brain has been all messed up but just a reminder, it's my Bday soon." But ya didn't!

[She is so offended, Bucky. Hence the boob-punch.]

[zymasoldat]

[ Bucky glances down and watches as her hand, balled up into a dainty and unintimidating fist, connects with his left pec. To be honest, the ring on her finger makes more of an impact than anything else, so though he doesn't budge even slightly from the punch, he does furrow his brow and direct a mildly disapproving frown at her.

That part of him that really feels like he's her cousin does feel a small thrill of vindication for all those times she did manage to knock him down when they were kids. Intellectually, he knows it never actually happened, but he can't help but wonder if this is what it felt like with his sisters-- his real family, who he does remember (and has for a while, in a scattered, disjointed way), though the memories feel so distant and faraway. Seventy years as a brainwashed weapon will do that to a person.

It's a bittersweet feeling, one he wants to push away and cling to at the same time. It's what motivates him to roll his eyes in mock exasperation and pull her, this stranger who's also family, into a hug, the kind he'd kill to give to Becca or any of his other sisters, all dead now.

Don't mind the odd burst of affection, Kenzi. ]

Guess I had my head up my ass. Sorry, cuz.

[onteamdyson]

[OH! Oh, that's a hug. For a second, she thought he was gonna get her in a headlock and mess up her hair for that punch. Hugs are better. She prefers hugs. Her arms wrap tightly around his waist and she gives him a squeeze like she hasn't seen him in forever.

Which... no, never mind, that's ridiculous. It just feels like forever because she bumped her head real hard and everything's still scrambled.]

You better be sorry. Don't wanna have to kick your ass in front of all your friends at your own party.

[She smiles up at him before pulling away and reaches up to smoosh his face between both of her hands.]

You are so scruffy, holy crap, you never heard of a razor? Your beard is almost bushier than Aunt Ludmilla's.

[zymasoldat]

[ Bucky huffs out a laugh. ] You'd only win 'cause you fight dirty.

[ Does she? Or is he just saying that to tease her? He's not so sure either way, but it doesn't much matter, because soon enough, she's got her hands on his face. It's a good thing she's supposed to be family, or he'd be startled right about now. ]

You don't like it? I think it makes me look tough. [ He's kidding, of course. It's the muscles and the robot arm that make him look tough. In any case... now he's going to muss up her hair with a quick scrub of his hand. ]

[onteamdyson]

UGH! Bucky, I swear to Vidal Sassoon, I am a grown-ass woman, you can't mess with the hair anymore!

[He's right, though. She does fight dirty. Messing her hair up was a good strategy, she's dangerous. Now she's harmless, hands flying to her head to try and salvage this mess while she scowls at her much, MUCH bigger cousin.]

You're not tough, you're a punk!

[zymasoldat]

[ He holds his hands up in surrender, letting out an affectionate scoff. ] You're right. When you put it that way. [ You truly are a grown-ass woman, Kenzi.

'You're not tough, you're a punk!' It's a familiar remark, tugs at his memory in a way that makes him pretty sure somebody said the same thing to him before, back in Brooklyn. Maybe his sisters. Maybe Steve. Maybe some other pal of his. A touch of sadness bleeds into his smile, causing it to falter, but only for a moment. ]

Only to you. [ ANYWAY. He nods at the rink. ] You remember how to skate?

[onteamdyson]

[She's always right! Even when she's wrong. Just let her have this, you huge jerk.

She probably would have caught the change in his expression if she wasn't so busy fixing her hair. She does, however, catch the nod to the rink, following his gaze before staring wide-eyed at the skaters. HAHAHAHA no.]

I'm graceful as all fuck, but you aren't gonna catch me dead in roller skates, slowly circling around to the dulcet tunes of vanilla ice. I'm here for the claw machine and to demolish people at space invaders and that is it.

[Wait. She forgot one important part.]

... And your birthday, obvi. How old are you now? Fifty? Seventy-one? A MILLION?

[zymasoldat]

[ SURE, KENZI. He totally believes you. That's why he lets that excuse slide. It's definitely not because he doesn't want her to challenge his... nonexistent rollerskating skills. ]

So, is my birthday present gonna come from the claw machine? [ He jests! Bucky has no need for stuffed animals, since he's a little old for all that. Speaking of: ]

Is 31 really that old to you? [ It's a perfectly youthful age! Unlike... 100. But it's not like he's really 100 years old, since he spent most of the past 70 years frozen. ] Just wait 'til it's your turn.

[onteamdyson]

Not gonna lie to you, Buckaroo, that is totally where your present is coming from. And like, not even a thing I win from the claw machine, just whatever I can grab when I reach my thin, flexible arms up in there and swipe. Sidenote, please check on me later in case I get stuck.

[She snorts, shaking her head.] Nah. I guess not. Another decade and you'll be something verging on distinguished and experienced and aged to perfection...

[She... she might not be talking about Bucky anymore. God, is she sighing? She totally sighed. Like a full on dreamy sigh. This is pathetic.]

Please, you and I both know I'll be lucky to make it past 25.