Entranceway
Name: Claire
DW username:![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
slan
E-Mail: yue.katou @gmail.com
IM: ebonlucifer
Plurk:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
slanndalous
Other Characters: N/A
Character Name: James Buchanan Barnes
Series: Marvel 616
Timeline: March 1945, a month before his swan dive into the ocean
Canon Resource Link: Basic | Unabridged (Most important bit from the Unabridged version is the Early Years as previous origin stories have been retconned and I am following Ed Brubaker's version of his origin story)
Character History: Born in Shelbyville, Indiana, Bucky's family is eventually relocated to the Camp Lehigh military base in New Jersey where his father instructs. As a military brat living on base, he spends a lot of his time emulating the enlisted men. He looks up to them as older brothers and is inspired to follow in their footsteps once he becomes of age.
But despite this seemingly honorable goal, Bucky is a juvenile delinquent through and through with anger issues he inherited from his father. As a kid he was always picking fights with his peers and men bigger and older than him. His father would admonish him for his lack of control and unbridled aggression. However, it isn't long after feeling his father's disappointment that he dies in a freak accident during parachute training. Without a mother, who died years ago, his sister is taken to a boarding school and Bucky is left to remain on base out of respect for his father at the age of twelve.
For the next four years, he becomes the camp mascot and little brother. The trainees occasionally teach him marksmanship and combat training when they can. And while they take care of him, he strives to find ways to make himself useful. With his quick wit and short size, he becomes adept at sneaking out to the local town and smuggling in contraband for the base. And not just for trainees. Even officers begin to see the benefits of Bucky's services. One night when he's around sixteen, in exchange for some porno mags, a few officers take Bucky to town to the dance hall. He has the opportunity to flirt and dance with town girls, which pisses one local man off. He hits Bucky, while the woman calls him a kid in defense, and then all hell breaks loose. Inevitably, Bucky bears him down to the ground beats him senseless, starting an entire bar brawl in the process. He asks the man just who the kid is now. The police are called and, before Bucky can escape, he's arrested and thrown in jail.
Fortunately for Bucky, a General bails him out because he has plans for a guy like him. He's shipped to Britain to be trained by the British Special Air Services where he masters hand-to-hand combat, marksmanship, reconnaissance, etc. and becomes a perfect kid killing machine. When he returns to the United States, he's greeted with the truth of his special assignment: To become the partner of Captain America (Steve Rogers), a super-soldier who embodies the hope and strength of the American people during the War.
For the next two years, he puts all that anger, his thirst for violence, and proving himself a man to the test (This is, like, 70 years of short episodic events that have been retconned and tweaked and... it's just a mess. So I will do my best to work with important missions that give evidence to his personality traits).
1941
During the honeymoon phase of this partnership, they learn more about each other, their combat tactics, and how to fit together seamlessly. They look to each other as brothers, as family. Despite being the little brother in this situation, Bucky's big personality eclipses Captain America's more subdued and quiet one. He calls him Tiger and his boy, as if Bucky is the one really in charge. This attitude is playful and genuine, but it's a brave facade that bellies his insecurity and obsession to be useful and noticed by others. When he's much older he considers the friends in his life, but doesn't list Steve as one of them. As much as he loves Steve as a brother, he apparently doesn't feel like he can be vulnerable in front of the man. To the bitter end he must come off as confident and dependable, which can put a serious psychological strain on a kid.
As America has not officially declared war at this point, many of their missions are recon and espionage on their home soil and in Europe; they are not yet on the front lines of the War effort. Together they fight off spies, saboteurs, and side villains; some of which become arch nemeses in the future, like the Red Skull, U-Man, Master Man, Dr. Zola, and Baron Zemo.
During one early and memorable mission leading American troops for the first time as a real Captain, Captain America and Bucky meet with Logan, the mutant who will come to be known as Wolverine. Because this is one of Captain's first operations to oversee tactically, Bucky overcompensates for his partner's authority by bullying the troops when they don't hop to and follow his orders immediately. His good-natured mood can change to aggressive at the drop of a hat if he feels he is being mocked or undermined, or by extension if Captain is being mocked or undermined.
They meet up with Logan, whom has known of Captain America and his previous exploits, and Bucky takes it personally when Logan offers to be his partner if he's still in the market, not realizing that is the kid's job. Bucky immediately tells him the position is taken. From then on their relationship during the missions is fraught with tension. It only gets worse when a side missions issued to Bucky is revealed to Captain during the raid on the Nazi camp. He has been instructed to assassinate a Baron, the man responsible for sewing the seeds of the group that would eventually be known as Hydra. Captain is upset by this mission, but Bucky tells him that this is what he's trained for. He is regularly given orders that go beyond what Captain America can do because his public image is too important to tarnish. Bucky will do what has to be done, the unspeakable things, in order to keep Captain America looking good in the citizens' eyes. To this length, he gets himself kidnapped and beaten by the Baron's lackeys just so he can get close enough to kill him. There is very little he wouldn't do to get a job done. This mission is a dark look into the attitude of a boy trained to be an unstoppable, unflinching force in the War.
Things change, however, when Pearl Harbor is bombed. An unlikely group forms from the outcome of this tragic event, each one pulled to this event for their own reasons. This includes: Jim Hammond, the Human Torch. The most lifelike android so far created, he was buried until such time he was no longer a threat to humankind. In his design, the solar panels to generate his energy would spontaneously burst into flames when in contact with oxygen. Namor (aka the Sub-Mariner), the king of Atlantis and its people living within the ocean, were likewise threatened by the presence of Nazis invading topside. With some of his own Atlantean kind siding with the Nazis, it was his duty to protect and bring his people together against this evil force. An enemy of my enemy is my friend treatise was established between the humans and Namor as they fought against Hitler. Last but not least is Toro, Jim Hammond's own kid sidekick. The original Marvel mutant, he also learns that he can burst into flame when he first comes into contact with Jim. Together with Captain America and Bucky, they formed The Invaders several months later at the behest of the President when their individuals goals kept coinciding together.
1942
Together this group begins decimating troops across Europe together. Rarely does everyone seem to get along, however. Bucky constantly picks on Namor, calling him Subby or making fun of his imperial arrogance that he casts at everything and everyone. The both of them are generally picking at each other throughout their missions together. His good friend among them is Toro, the Human Torch's sidekick that's around his age. He acts like an older brother to the somewhat naive kid, trying to make him into a man. However, despite these friendships, they don't save anyone from Bucky's hot temper when push comes to shove.
At one point, Toro is doubtful of a plan of attack from Captain America, but Bucky barrels in to tell Toro that whatever Captain says is true and that if the wants to make something of it, they can fight. Everything is a fight or a fight for others with him. At one point, Namor encounters one of their nemeses, U-Man who had tempted some of his Atlantean people into following the Nazi regime. Of course, Namor takes this personally and goes to seek vengeance on his own. And surprisingly, it's Bucky who backs him up on this. Not only because they are, ultimately, friends, but because he believes in selfish, passionate vengeance that may not be for the greater good. Even after a year of being part of a team, of being a do-gooder for America, his baser need to beat and enact street justice doesn't leave.
Another important mission occurs in Poland. The rest of the Invaders have been mysteriously kidnapped and it is up to Bucky to save them. He doesn't hesitate, but inside he is not full of confidence that he can do this. Constantly being picked on by Namor for being a burden on the team as an average human, it weighs on his shoulders constantly. Bucky never thinks he is good enough, which makes his bravado even more gaudy and his need to prove himself more self-destructive. Somehow, though, he stumbles upon a large building in the distance and happens on an experiment in progress. The three Invaders' powers are being used to power a Nazi guinea pig. He must defeat the pseudo Frankenstein's monster with all three of the Invaders' powers single-handed. He does a good job keeping up with him since most of his enemies are bigger and older than him at seventeen.
He frees Captain America and the others, who finish him off after Bucky gets his ribs cracked and mauled by the monster. From then one he receives some respect from Namor, even if the Atlantean will never admit it.
Sometime during the year, he takes a break from the Invaders and creates his own groups with those his own age, like the Kid Commandos and the young Allies, much like a countermeasure to the Hitler Youth at the time. The young Allis consists of several men Bucky's age, including Toro. Together they take down enemies of the state and saboteurs, much like his early work with Captain America.
And while he is proud of the cause, he is disappointed in its public image. The Young Allies are turned into short comic strips by the American government and many of the Allies, among them an African American member, are caricatured horrendously. It takes away their power as capable young men and turns them into a ragtag bunch of kids for America to exploit. This is the kind of thing Bucky has always wanted to get away from and makes a point to berate those facilitating the propaganda shtick from time to time when it gets out of hand. He wants to be seen as a force to be reckoned with, respected, and feared by enemies.
Months later, he returns to fight alongside Captain America across Europe.
1943-45
During a mission in Italy, a strange gas transports several Invader members to modern day New York. At this time, America is embroiled in the Civil War between those super heroes that support the registration of all mutants and those who oppose public registration. Tony Stark is the leader of the Mighty Avengers (a group of registered super heroes assembled in the aftermath of the Civil War) fighting against unregistered super heroes that made up the group New Avengers. Caught in the scuffle between the two factions, they are detained by Tony Stark until they can find a way to send them back to the past. However, unbeknownst to the Invaders, they feel threatened by this display and seek to break free.
Bucky, of course, being underestimated as an average kid constantly, uses this to his advantage. Pulling out a fake nail that doubles as a razor blade, he cuts open his arm where he stores wrapped explosives for emergencies such as these. As shown here and in other examples, Bucky has an unhealthy drive to be worthy of his place as Captain America's partner, going so far as to sew explosives into his arm in case he needs to rescue himself or others. Russia really has nothing on the whole twisted assassin brainwashing thing. America's already got that covered in the name of freedom.
This need does not outgrow him, unfortunately. Even after his "death" in 1945 and inevitable resurrection in New York during the twenty-first century, he still compares himself harshly against Captain America and everything he stood for as a super-soldier and symbol to the American public. It's something he struggles with behind the devil-may-car attitude that he wears as a thin mask over a bubbling cauldron of misplaced aggression and insecurity.
Once they have been released and ally themselves with the New Avengers for the time being, they work together to send themselves back. But before this is accomplished, a man masquerading as Captain America stops him with some advice (unbeknownst to Bucky at the time, it is his future self). He tells Bucky that he will encounter Zemo later in the year. He will launch a bomb across the ocean and Bucky must let it go. He must not try and dismantle the bomb. And while Bucky returns to the past and considers this warning, he realizes that he is not a man who will ever give up or concede even if he knows the odds aren't in his favor. When the time comes months in future, Bucky will not save himself. He will try and save others and sacrifice himself in their stead.
Abilities/Special Powers: He was trained by British Special Air Services. He's skilled in hand-to-hand combat and martial arts. Despite being young and small, he's learned how to take men down twice his size and fight alongside super humans like Captain America and Namor. He's also fluent in French, German, Japanese, and Russian.
He's also an incredible marksman with sniper rifles, assault rifles, pistols, and throwing knives.
Bucky is also a skilled acrobatic and saboteur, which makes him an excellent recon scout and assassin. He's a badass basically.
Third-Person Sample: [ One good thing about endless waiting between missions while the brass pull their heads out of each other's asses to form cohesive plans is the skills you obtain in order to whittle away the hours. Case in point, winter in Europe has really polished Bucky's snow day shenanigans. On a popular path on the way to a bunny slope, he's successfully constructed a hut out of the snow. Nothing too big, just enough to hide in and collect a stockpile of lethally packed snowballs.
He's got a system in place now: He waits for the unsuspecting to walk on by and levies them with a toll. Nothing extreme, really, just a candy bar, pack of gum, maybe cigarettes. Most people don't cough anything up the first time, but they quickly regret that mistake. With sniper accuracy Bucky attacks until they relent. Then he's all compliments and good cheer while he's collecting what's coming to him. ]
All in a day's work...
First-Person Sample: [ The audio starts before video's established. Two voices are already talking in the background. One neutral and subdued and the other thick with a Jersey accent. ]
So you've got a connection running—
Yeah, yeah, I'm not an idiot.
—But you've only got audio. There's video, too, if you—
I know! I might be new, but I'm—
[ The transmission is suddenly dropped. But it comes back in a few seconds. ]
—was the wrong button.
.......... Yeah, I see that now. I mean I know! Maybe I just didn't like the connection.
[ Silence stretches for a moment before the more authoritative voice picks back up. ]
So, instead, hit this button—
I got it! I've got this! At ease, vendor man! It's not that hard to figure out!
[ Finally, video is activated and the audience is given a wonderful view of a young man in the most unflattering uniform the Army could and has ever handed out. He's scowling at someone off camera, allegedly walking to the door now that his job as a native is over with. ]
Yes, thank you! You do your land proud! Criminy...
[ There's one last screwed up look before he returns his attention back to his portable device. It's like something right out of a Flash Gordon movie! His face brightens for his new audience. ]
Okay. [ Welp, Bucky's taking this rather well despite the whole not being where he should be. But that's par for the course in his life. ] So, is this a fever dream? Maybe some sleeping gas... I'm guessing gas. It's gas, right? A magic transporting menace gas.
DW username:
slanE-Mail: yue.katou @gmail.com
IM: ebonlucifer
Plurk:
Other Characters: N/A
Character Name: James Buchanan Barnes
Series: Marvel 616
Timeline: March 1945, a month before his swan dive into the ocean
Canon Resource Link: Basic | Unabridged (Most important bit from the Unabridged version is the Early Years as previous origin stories have been retconned and I am following Ed Brubaker's version of his origin story)
Character History: Born in Shelbyville, Indiana, Bucky's family is eventually relocated to the Camp Lehigh military base in New Jersey where his father instructs. As a military brat living on base, he spends a lot of his time emulating the enlisted men. He looks up to them as older brothers and is inspired to follow in their footsteps once he becomes of age.
But despite this seemingly honorable goal, Bucky is a juvenile delinquent through and through with anger issues he inherited from his father. As a kid he was always picking fights with his peers and men bigger and older than him. His father would admonish him for his lack of control and unbridled aggression. However, it isn't long after feeling his father's disappointment that he dies in a freak accident during parachute training. Without a mother, who died years ago, his sister is taken to a boarding school and Bucky is left to remain on base out of respect for his father at the age of twelve.
For the next four years, he becomes the camp mascot and little brother. The trainees occasionally teach him marksmanship and combat training when they can. And while they take care of him, he strives to find ways to make himself useful. With his quick wit and short size, he becomes adept at sneaking out to the local town and smuggling in contraband for the base. And not just for trainees. Even officers begin to see the benefits of Bucky's services. One night when he's around sixteen, in exchange for some porno mags, a few officers take Bucky to town to the dance hall. He has the opportunity to flirt and dance with town girls, which pisses one local man off. He hits Bucky, while the woman calls him a kid in defense, and then all hell breaks loose. Inevitably, Bucky bears him down to the ground beats him senseless, starting an entire bar brawl in the process. He asks the man just who the kid is now. The police are called and, before Bucky can escape, he's arrested and thrown in jail.
Fortunately for Bucky, a General bails him out because he has plans for a guy like him. He's shipped to Britain to be trained by the British Special Air Services where he masters hand-to-hand combat, marksmanship, reconnaissance, etc. and becomes a perfect kid killing machine. When he returns to the United States, he's greeted with the truth of his special assignment: To become the partner of Captain America (Steve Rogers), a super-soldier who embodies the hope and strength of the American people during the War.
For the next two years, he puts all that anger, his thirst for violence, and proving himself a man to the test (This is, like, 70 years of short episodic events that have been retconned and tweaked and... it's just a mess. So I will do my best to work with important missions that give evidence to his personality traits).
1941
During the honeymoon phase of this partnership, they learn more about each other, their combat tactics, and how to fit together seamlessly. They look to each other as brothers, as family. Despite being the little brother in this situation, Bucky's big personality eclipses Captain America's more subdued and quiet one. He calls him Tiger and his boy, as if Bucky is the one really in charge. This attitude is playful and genuine, but it's a brave facade that bellies his insecurity and obsession to be useful and noticed by others. When he's much older he considers the friends in his life, but doesn't list Steve as one of them. As much as he loves Steve as a brother, he apparently doesn't feel like he can be vulnerable in front of the man. To the bitter end he must come off as confident and dependable, which can put a serious psychological strain on a kid.
As America has not officially declared war at this point, many of their missions are recon and espionage on their home soil and in Europe; they are not yet on the front lines of the War effort. Together they fight off spies, saboteurs, and side villains; some of which become arch nemeses in the future, like the Red Skull, U-Man, Master Man, Dr. Zola, and Baron Zemo.
During one early and memorable mission leading American troops for the first time as a real Captain, Captain America and Bucky meet with Logan, the mutant who will come to be known as Wolverine. Because this is one of Captain's first operations to oversee tactically, Bucky overcompensates for his partner's authority by bullying the troops when they don't hop to and follow his orders immediately. His good-natured mood can change to aggressive at the drop of a hat if he feels he is being mocked or undermined, or by extension if Captain is being mocked or undermined.
They meet up with Logan, whom has known of Captain America and his previous exploits, and Bucky takes it personally when Logan offers to be his partner if he's still in the market, not realizing that is the kid's job. Bucky immediately tells him the position is taken. From then on their relationship during the missions is fraught with tension. It only gets worse when a side missions issued to Bucky is revealed to Captain during the raid on the Nazi camp. He has been instructed to assassinate a Baron, the man responsible for sewing the seeds of the group that would eventually be known as Hydra. Captain is upset by this mission, but Bucky tells him that this is what he's trained for. He is regularly given orders that go beyond what Captain America can do because his public image is too important to tarnish. Bucky will do what has to be done, the unspeakable things, in order to keep Captain America looking good in the citizens' eyes. To this length, he gets himself kidnapped and beaten by the Baron's lackeys just so he can get close enough to kill him. There is very little he wouldn't do to get a job done. This mission is a dark look into the attitude of a boy trained to be an unstoppable, unflinching force in the War.
Things change, however, when Pearl Harbor is bombed. An unlikely group forms from the outcome of this tragic event, each one pulled to this event for their own reasons. This includes: Jim Hammond, the Human Torch. The most lifelike android so far created, he was buried until such time he was no longer a threat to humankind. In his design, the solar panels to generate his energy would spontaneously burst into flames when in contact with oxygen. Namor (aka the Sub-Mariner), the king of Atlantis and its people living within the ocean, were likewise threatened by the presence of Nazis invading topside. With some of his own Atlantean kind siding with the Nazis, it was his duty to protect and bring his people together against this evil force. An enemy of my enemy is my friend treatise was established between the humans and Namor as they fought against Hitler. Last but not least is Toro, Jim Hammond's own kid sidekick. The original Marvel mutant, he also learns that he can burst into flame when he first comes into contact with Jim. Together with Captain America and Bucky, they formed The Invaders several months later at the behest of the President when their individuals goals kept coinciding together.
1942
Together this group begins decimating troops across Europe together. Rarely does everyone seem to get along, however. Bucky constantly picks on Namor, calling him Subby or making fun of his imperial arrogance that he casts at everything and everyone. The both of them are generally picking at each other throughout their missions together. His good friend among them is Toro, the Human Torch's sidekick that's around his age. He acts like an older brother to the somewhat naive kid, trying to make him into a man. However, despite these friendships, they don't save anyone from Bucky's hot temper when push comes to shove.
At one point, Toro is doubtful of a plan of attack from Captain America, but Bucky barrels in to tell Toro that whatever Captain says is true and that if the wants to make something of it, they can fight. Everything is a fight or a fight for others with him. At one point, Namor encounters one of their nemeses, U-Man who had tempted some of his Atlantean people into following the Nazi regime. Of course, Namor takes this personally and goes to seek vengeance on his own. And surprisingly, it's Bucky who backs him up on this. Not only because they are, ultimately, friends, but because he believes in selfish, passionate vengeance that may not be for the greater good. Even after a year of being part of a team, of being a do-gooder for America, his baser need to beat and enact street justice doesn't leave.
Another important mission occurs in Poland. The rest of the Invaders have been mysteriously kidnapped and it is up to Bucky to save them. He doesn't hesitate, but inside he is not full of confidence that he can do this. Constantly being picked on by Namor for being a burden on the team as an average human, it weighs on his shoulders constantly. Bucky never thinks he is good enough, which makes his bravado even more gaudy and his need to prove himself more self-destructive. Somehow, though, he stumbles upon a large building in the distance and happens on an experiment in progress. The three Invaders' powers are being used to power a Nazi guinea pig. He must defeat the pseudo Frankenstein's monster with all three of the Invaders' powers single-handed. He does a good job keeping up with him since most of his enemies are bigger and older than him at seventeen.
He frees Captain America and the others, who finish him off after Bucky gets his ribs cracked and mauled by the monster. From then one he receives some respect from Namor, even if the Atlantean will never admit it.
Sometime during the year, he takes a break from the Invaders and creates his own groups with those his own age, like the Kid Commandos and the young Allies, much like a countermeasure to the Hitler Youth at the time. The young Allis consists of several men Bucky's age, including Toro. Together they take down enemies of the state and saboteurs, much like his early work with Captain America.
And while he is proud of the cause, he is disappointed in its public image. The Young Allies are turned into short comic strips by the American government and many of the Allies, among them an African American member, are caricatured horrendously. It takes away their power as capable young men and turns them into a ragtag bunch of kids for America to exploit. This is the kind of thing Bucky has always wanted to get away from and makes a point to berate those facilitating the propaganda shtick from time to time when it gets out of hand. He wants to be seen as a force to be reckoned with, respected, and feared by enemies.
Months later, he returns to fight alongside Captain America across Europe.
1943-45
During a mission in Italy, a strange gas transports several Invader members to modern day New York. At this time, America is embroiled in the Civil War between those super heroes that support the registration of all mutants and those who oppose public registration. Tony Stark is the leader of the Mighty Avengers (a group of registered super heroes assembled in the aftermath of the Civil War) fighting against unregistered super heroes that made up the group New Avengers. Caught in the scuffle between the two factions, they are detained by Tony Stark until they can find a way to send them back to the past. However, unbeknownst to the Invaders, they feel threatened by this display and seek to break free.
Bucky, of course, being underestimated as an average kid constantly, uses this to his advantage. Pulling out a fake nail that doubles as a razor blade, he cuts open his arm where he stores wrapped explosives for emergencies such as these. As shown here and in other examples, Bucky has an unhealthy drive to be worthy of his place as Captain America's partner, going so far as to sew explosives into his arm in case he needs to rescue himself or others. Russia really has nothing on the whole twisted assassin brainwashing thing. America's already got that covered in the name of freedom.
This need does not outgrow him, unfortunately. Even after his "death" in 1945 and inevitable resurrection in New York during the twenty-first century, he still compares himself harshly against Captain America and everything he stood for as a super-soldier and symbol to the American public. It's something he struggles with behind the devil-may-car attitude that he wears as a thin mask over a bubbling cauldron of misplaced aggression and insecurity.
Once they have been released and ally themselves with the New Avengers for the time being, they work together to send themselves back. But before this is accomplished, a man masquerading as Captain America stops him with some advice (unbeknownst to Bucky at the time, it is his future self). He tells Bucky that he will encounter Zemo later in the year. He will launch a bomb across the ocean and Bucky must let it go. He must not try and dismantle the bomb. And while Bucky returns to the past and considers this warning, he realizes that he is not a man who will ever give up or concede even if he knows the odds aren't in his favor. When the time comes months in future, Bucky will not save himself. He will try and save others and sacrifice himself in their stead.
Abilities/Special Powers: He was trained by British Special Air Services. He's skilled in hand-to-hand combat and martial arts. Despite being young and small, he's learned how to take men down twice his size and fight alongside super humans like Captain America and Namor. He's also fluent in French, German, Japanese, and Russian.
He's also an incredible marksman with sniper rifles, assault rifles, pistols, and throwing knives.
Bucky is also a skilled acrobatic and saboteur, which makes him an excellent recon scout and assassin. He's a badass basically.
Third-Person Sample: [ One good thing about endless waiting between missions while the brass pull their heads out of each other's asses to form cohesive plans is the skills you obtain in order to whittle away the hours. Case in point, winter in Europe has really polished Bucky's snow day shenanigans. On a popular path on the way to a bunny slope, he's successfully constructed a hut out of the snow. Nothing too big, just enough to hide in and collect a stockpile of lethally packed snowballs.
He's got a system in place now: He waits for the unsuspecting to walk on by and levies them with a toll. Nothing extreme, really, just a candy bar, pack of gum, maybe cigarettes. Most people don't cough anything up the first time, but they quickly regret that mistake. With sniper accuracy Bucky attacks until they relent. Then he's all compliments and good cheer while he's collecting what's coming to him. ]
All in a day's work...
First-Person Sample: [ The audio starts before video's established. Two voices are already talking in the background. One neutral and subdued and the other thick with a Jersey accent. ]
So you've got a connection running—
Yeah, yeah, I'm not an idiot.
—But you've only got audio. There's video, too, if you—
I know! I might be new, but I'm—
[ The transmission is suddenly dropped. But it comes back in a few seconds. ]
—was the wrong button.
.......... Yeah, I see that now. I mean I know! Maybe I just didn't like the connection.
[ Silence stretches for a moment before the more authoritative voice picks back up. ]
So, instead, hit this button—
I got it! I've got this! At ease, vendor man! It's not that hard to figure out!
[ Finally, video is activated and the audience is given a wonderful view of a young man in the most unflattering uniform the Army could and has ever handed out. He's scowling at someone off camera, allegedly walking to the door now that his job as a native is over with. ]
Yes, thank you! You do your land proud! Criminy...
[ There's one last screwed up look before he returns his attention back to his portable device. It's like something right out of a Flash Gordon movie! His face brightens for his new audience. ]
Okay. [ Welp, Bucky's taking this rather well despite the whole not being where he should be. But that's par for the course in his life. ] So, is this a fever dream? Maybe some sleeping gas... I'm guessing gas. It's gas, right? A magic transporting menace gas.
Third-Person Sample
With a sour mumble of thanks, Bucky sits on the edge of his bed to take his boots off. He only gets one pulled off when his attention is caught by the mirror against the wall. There's nothing off about it now that he's really looking. Maybe it was a bug or an effect of the lighting. Either way, he wrinkles his brow and moves onto the other shoes so he can lay out on his bed. Briefly he wonders if the pillow would still smell like her.
"You maroon..." What's the likelihood they could actually replicate something like that? He remains stubborn for all of four seconds before he leans over and smells the sheets. Nope, they smell clean. That's all. From the corner of his eye a lamp teeters over. He springs up waiting for the crash—Knowing there's no way he can get to it before it falls—but there's no noise. In fact, it hasn't tipped over at all!
"What in the world...? Hello?" is all he can think to say.
If some jerk is messing around in his room, they are in for a world of hurt! He keeps his eyes and ears open for any lingering sounds, but he doesn't catch anything but his own breathing and shifting. So he gets off the bed and digs around to find anything that'd prove he's not just nutty. Bucky has few possessions to overturn in his room, and it's not long before he's back to where he started. No answers, no noise, nothing.
"Weeiird..." Bucky gives into the ol' tried and true method of a head scratch now that he's come up empty. But uhhh, he's positive his reflection didn't bother moving. He'd almost accuse it of being lazy if he weren't so freaked out. It's staring back at him like it should with the same suspicious scowl Bucky's sporting. Getting closer fills up the entirety of the mirror as he searches behind it and around its frame. "Nothing," he huffs. "Always nothing..."
All out of ideas, he taps on the glass with obvious frustration. Of course there's no tap back. Why would there be? The, uhhh, handwriting, though, that's uhhh... that's definitely not what he expected.
llod yeH
That's enough to send a shiver all the way up his spine and leave his mouth in a sputtering yelp. His dependable legs suddenly feel like jelly when Bucky steps back; he almost falls right there! Talk about embarrassing.
"I'm... gonna take a walk! Yup takin' a walk, gettin' some fresh air here!" That'll fix the jumps, right? He scrambles out of his room with his boots held in his hand. Bucky'll take the time to put them back on outside.