[GP/EP] Check-in Day

[st_oneswidow]

The woodwinds in her collection were for noodling mostly, and the violin was for memory of her family, but when Curnen really wanted to play she turned again and again to her guitar. This would probably always be her best instrument. It was the first of the month, she’d been here over a year, and it was probably a check-in day. So she sat on the lawn with her instrument in her lap, sending out a subtle magic to call anyone stranded in their little world this way.

At one point, though, she set aside the guitar and turned her face to the sky. For just a few minutes she required a different kind of magic.

It had been a week now since Scanlan had vanished in the battle. And Pike, too, though Curnen honestly couldn’t have cared less about her going away if she tried. Still. The two of them were family to people very dear to her, people who missed them. And Scanlan had been her friend. You marked something like that with a song.

Of all the money that e'er I had
I spent it in good company
And all the harm that e'er I've done
Alas, it was to none but me
And all I've done for want of wit
To memory now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all

It was a traditional Irish goodbye, a farewell to friends said with love, drinking, well wishes, and the hope of meeting again. She couldn’t think of a better one for the occasion. And as she sang she twined her magic into her voice in a new way, sending the song to any ears that needed it, ears of those who knew and missed the departed. Not all of them might understand it, not all of them knew what she was, but she didn’t particularly care about that right now. The song was more important than the hiding.

Once the last note had dissipated she picked up her guitar again and resumed her work. If there were anybody out there, they had to know where to go.

Comments

[st_ranger]

"Huh. Out of time and space," he said. Just like River had told him. He nods his head and turns back to Peter. "Four hours?" He was tempted in trying to test that theory, but that could wait till another day. "Like, it turns you around or you just wind up back here, hmm? Poof?" Bucky bit his lip.

"No contact," he murmured. "No going home." Even if he wasn't sure he wanted to go home, he still wanted to be able to have his choice and not have it taken away from him. He'd been used to controlling choices. "Who... Who else is here? I... I saw Tony." He looks over at Peter and his face says everything. "Stark... He... He wasn't happy."

Re: Bucky and Loki

[st_ratagem]

He had a good smile, even if it really didn’t look at home on his face, and the only feeling about the arm was... concern? Ah, worry about hurting him. If Loki hadn’t already been sure his new friend (so to speak) had no idea who he was, that would have clinched it.

For the moment, Loki marked but ignored the new rise of tension. It wasn’t an immediate concern yet. “Which do you prefer?” ‘Bucky’ sounded like a small animal prone to chewing things, but there probably were worse names.

Re: Bucky and Loki

[st_ranger]

"I... I'm fine with Bucky. Really only he, er... Only one person really ever called me it. In the army, they did call me James." At least until Steve had showed up. He told the guys about his nickname. some had used it. Most had not. Either way, it was just a moniker. Hey you would also work just as well with him.

If Loki was reading Bucky or trying to see into his mind, Bucky wouldn't notice. There were feelings of trepidation in regards to the new person in his room. And fear. There also was love. He would never admit it outright, but he was glad that Steve wasn't here, trapped in this situation like he was. It wasn't fair to the soldier.

Nobody deserved the private hell Bucky would have to go through here or in his mind.

Re: Bucky and Loki

[st_ratagem]

Only an idiot would have trusted Loki, even if you didn't know who he was. Without the rest of it - and he was entirely willing to admit that there was a lot of rest of it - he was still a random person who turned into cats and invited himself into the personal space of a stranger who was already rattled. Nothing about that exactly bred trust.

Fortunately, it didn't seem to be breeding specific mistrust either, and that was good enough. "Until and unless you find a preference, I'll stick with Bucky." If nothing else, the fact that it was the first one mentioned might indicate a less-than-conscious preference.

Loki uncurled his legs and hopped off the bed. "Your room and a drink was our deal, I believe, but not here. Come with me?"

Re: OTA

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony reassured her with a brief smile.

"I appreciate the validation," Tony began as he reached for another piece of the sweet, "and if I encounter your counterpart in my world, I'll say the same."

Re: OTA

[st_artliving]

"I do not know what my counterpart in your world would look like." Were there Runaways in his world? Had either set of parents, Skrull or Majesdanian, have made the same bargain? "But she would no doubt appreciate the reminder." On some level, anyway.

Re: Bucky and Loki

[st_ranger]

It wasn't so much trust for Bucky. To him, it was more apprehension that was slowly dissipating the more he had conversations with Loki. Nobody would ever have his full trust, not even Steve Rogers, not after everything. It would take time to build up a report. And in Bucky's case, that would be a long, long time.

Still, the man had been kind, helped him. Not tried to shoot him into the wall. Really though, all things considered, Loki didn't seem too bad. And he turned into a cat. Who wouldn't want that in their life?

"A drink. Yes." Bucky nodded his head. "You did, uh... Back downstairs, I guess?"

Re: Bucky and Loki

[st_ratagem]

"Upstairs, I think." Loki looked the man up and down speculatively, then nodded slightly. He wasn't usually in the habit of inviting other people into his space. Thor was always an exception, because keeping him out was impossible, and Stark had turned up once, but beyond that he'd taken a number of steps to ensure privacy.

A little time away from people and in a space that was not, in itself, stressful, might actually help Bucky. If nothing else, he'd find it easier to keep watch when there was no chance of having to be on guard against anyone but a god of mischief.

Not actually that reassuring, was it? Oh well! "My room has roof access via a balcony. Plenty of escape options, doesn't look like this," brief gesture around at the red, white, and blue, "and I believe I still have some liquor left over from my brother's last visit."

Re: Bucky and Loki

[st_ranger]

"Up..." Bucky blinked, realizing just what was happening here. He wasn't really sure he wanted to go see the other man's room, but he also wasn't sure he was ready to go back downstairs either. At least up here, in the private, he knew he wouldn't run into Tony again? Really, he wouldn't have blamed Tony for running to the bar after their encounter.

Balcony? His eyes widened when Loki mentioned escape options. "Huh, okay." Perhaps he had more in common with the man than he had originally assumed. There was a slight smile, a crook of the lips and a glimmer of something that almost reached his eyes as he nodded in acquiescence. Bucky moved over to the door and opened it, stepping through and waiting for Loki to lead him up to the fourth floor.

"So," he murmured. "You, uh... You have a brother?" At least the man had family here and he wasn't alone. Some might have preferred that. Bucky still wasn't sure how he'd feel if Steve showed up here. Rogers was the closest thing he had to family. Even his faulty memory had told him that in not so many images.

Re: Bucky and Loki

[st_ratagem]

"Thor," Loki confirmed, hiding the satisfaction of successful and well-judged temptation as he slipped out of the room and headed for the stairs. It had been the escape options that did it, as he'd half-suspected. They were among his favorite things about his room, after the space and the inoffensive décor. "I'm sure you'll meet him. You'll most likely like him. Everyone does."

Re: OTA

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony made to stand. "I'll pass the memo on to the others, too."

Just in case he wasn't around by the time it mattered.

Re: Bucky and Loki

[st_ranger]

"Thor." The name meant nothing to Bucky, not really. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to know it, but it set off no alarm bells with him. There was no name recognition and no flash of face in his mind. A small shrug of his shoulders and he followed Loki up the stairs.

Of course, Loki had been correct. Bucky really was following just like Loki would like him to, without even realizing he was doing it. "Huh. Sounds like my friend, Steve." He tried to smile, but there was something sad in his eyes as he spoke. "Are you glad to have someone from your home here with you, at least?"

Re: Bucky and Loki

[st_ratagem]

"It varies from moment to moment. Mostly yes, but sometimes I'm glad I have knives." That was perhaps slightly more honest than he generally wanted to be with other people, but Loki decided to stand by it. It was nothing more than Thor himself recognized as true. "He's not the only one from my world here, there are at least two others." One he'd met and one he hadn't yet.

And Steve, was it? Red, white, and blue. A soldier. He'd been suspicious, but this might be proof. "Or at least three, if your Steve's last name is Rogers. What a coincidence." It actually was, but it didn't hurt to sound like he did these things on purpose.

Re: Bucky and Loki

[st_ranger]

Bucky laughed, a small chuckle coming out, the first honest and real one he'd had in quite a while. He couldn't help but smile, imagining Loki flinging knives at this imaginary brother of his. If that didn't define sibling rivalry, he didn't know what would. Most siblings do fight, but with knives?

His smile faded when Loki kept talking. "Wait, what?" He swallowed, his good hand reaching out to press palm side against the wall. Three others were from his world. And Steve was one of them. Did that mean he was from Loki's world too? He froze staring at Loki in shock. Steve was here? "Uh... Huh. Um," he stammered. "Yes, that... That's his name."

Re: Bucky and Loki

[st_ratagem]

The laugh was a win. If someone like Bucky was comfortable enough to laugh, it represented progress. Or it meant he'd decided Loki was funny, which was an entirely different kind of win. People often forgot that 'funny' didn't mean 'not dangerous'.

At the slight noise and halted footsteps of the other man, Loki stopped and turned. He spared a glance for the hand on the wall, but otherwise didn't remark on it directly. If this was new information, good: better than being taken by surprise. "I haven't had a lot of direct contact with Captain Rogers myself, and unless he arrived at the same time you did, he's not one of them. There's my brother and a fellow by the name of Tony Stark. Or Iron Man, if you're willing to indulge him. And you for three. Again, allowing certain assumptions to stand as true."

Bucky & MIldmay

[st_onecoldfox]

"It's too fu- too much. Or it was for me. Takes awhile to..." To what, Milly-fox? Not feel like someone's playing in your head? Making you see and feel and think things that weren't real? Not like you ain't been there before. He didn't say any of that, though. Instead he looked around, gave a half-shrug. Either the guy would get it or he wouldn't. If Mildmay'd been placing bets, he woulda gone for would.

"I like maps." Going back to the guy's question was easier. And maybe a reason Mildmay'd picked an atlas if he was gonna have a book out in public. "And where I come from, it ain't, it ain't the world this place is supposed to be from."

Re: Steve and Bucky

[st_evengrantrogers]

Steve turned around, unsure what he was going to find. But there was something behind him there, something he couldn't ignore. His eyes went a little wide when he caught sight of Bucky standing there. Not moving.

"Buck?" He asked as he turned his body completely and took a step forward. "Is... is that you?"

[st_makemeastone]

She didn't know either, but she was willing to try.

"I am very smart but I am not always easy to understand. I will try." She poured a cocoa packet into her mug of hot water and stirred. "Answers here are... rare."

Re: Steve/Alec - the halls

[st_x5_494]

"Believe it, sure. Happy about it, nope." He shrugged. "I've been trying different ways to get out, but so far, none of them seemed to work. I'm still pretty sold on the idea this place is some sort of training ground or observation bullshit. Bring a bunch of people who are special in some way. See how they react to different things. Let the shoe drop eventually - whatever that happens to be."

[st_arkintern]

"Other people you might know?" Peter pauses and thinks. "There's Mr. Star-Lord and Rocket," he says. "They're from outer space. Thor, too." Also from outer space. "Other than that, there's no one else from our world."

At least that Peter knows of. Still, there's one last thing that Peter needs to address.

"I don't really know what's going on with Mr. Stark," Peter says, honestly. If Mr. Stark wasn't happy, there had to be a reason for it, though, right? "I can try talking to him if you want me to."

[st_ranger]

"No!" Bucky raised his hands, shaking his head slowly. The last thing Peter needed to do was anger Stark, especially when he was probably on his good side, not his bad side like Bucky. "I mean, er, no. Don't. I..." He sighed. "You're his friend. Don't ruin that. Don't mention me, he..." His voice trailed off a little. "I don't blame him, if what you say is true about us fighting. He... He has every right to kill me. I'd deserve it."

Bucky shook his head, sighing as he began to slowly pace in front of Peter. "I... I don't know them. Just Stark, well and you now. And Steve." Steve Rogers, who he had not seen and almost hoped the man wasn't here.

"Our world," he said softly. The more he said it out loud, the more he really came to grips with the fact he wasn't going home anytime soon. "Huh. Okay then..."

Re: Steve and Bucky

[st_ranger]

"I..." Bucky paused. "I am the one you used to call Bucky." His words were soft, his head tilted to the side as he stared curiously at Steve. It's odd, the way that he is speaking. He'd cognizant of it, and yet he doesn't stop himself. He's not sure he wants to be the man Steve remembers, not sure if he can be.

His eyes move down, glancing at the floor as he struggles not to take a step backward. Steve gets closer, approaching him and he doesn't know how to react. He's shy, nervous even. He had not want to be found, but this place just keeps making sure everyone would find him.

"You... You're the man from the museum," he tries to say.

Re: Bucky and Loki

[st_ranger]

For Bucky, it was a small combination of them both. Loki had amused him. And while he wasn't sure that he was comfortable with the man beside him, it had been a start.

Until he said Steve's name.

"Four," he said softly. "I... I met a kid. He... He knew me. From the future, I think." His words were broken, stilted almost as he struggled to find the right words. "Fought me. Fought Steve. Fought for Tony..." Bucky shook his head slightly. Reluctantly, he lowered his hand from the wall and resumed moving forward with Loki. "He's here too. From... Our world, I guess." Even if Loki didn't know the kid, the kid had known him.

"Said there was a video... Of us fighting." He frowned. He still wasn't sure he wanted to see it. "I... I don't remember anything he said. From the future..." He glanced up at Loki. He really didn't know if he wanted to run into Steve or not. "Let... Let's go get that drink."

Re: Allison & Snow

[st_arkcrowblack]

Snow had never particularly been a girl for knives; the only time she'd ever carried one had been when she'd stripped all the weapons off that Pinkerton her stepmother had sent to cut out her heart. It had been a badge of victory to carry the weapon meant to dress her like a deer. But somewhere in two world hops she'd lost that blade. She hadn't missed it all that much.

Neither had she ever put Rose Red into another person's hands for more than a minute. Percy had held it longest, and that mostly so he could provide her with bullets.

Though all the same, the idea of a mutual introduction rather than just handing over her gun, that made the idea bearable. Even intriguing.

Another time, maybe. She nodded.

"I was in Montana. Then Gotham. Now here. This is the Madonna Inn. Though..." Not quite used to this and never very good at talking to people, she paused in hesitation for just a moment. "From the sound of it, you've done this before, too." She supposed that made it easier. When she'd first arrived, she hadn't been able to make herself tell Sam or Dean or Steph about the reality she'd recognized immediately, not for days.

Re: Bucky & MIldmay

[st_ranger]

"To settle in." Bucky knew what he was saying, the idea he was trying to convey at least. His head tilted and he glanced down at the atlas, looking a little closer at it. Bucky was getting it, for the most part. He really didn't have any choice in the matter, either.

He had to admit, he liked maps too. "The information is factual. Resolute. Doesn't change. Very few variables." He turned to Mildmay, nodding his head. "She said we were out of time and space. Wouldn't be in any atlas." He frowned, hating the idea of just being stuck somewhere that nobody would ever find them.