( open )

[redactions]

| characters | Bucky and you.
| date/time | Thursday afternoon.
| location | Around
| rating | G.
| summary | The best way to greet your neighbours is to feed them.
| note | I wrote in prose but feel free to use brackets.



He falls asleep instantly on the moss bed, the smell of it familiar and steadying. Combat lends sleep of no restful kind but he barely dreams at all, waking up as soon as the first ray of light peers through the window. There's a moment of bewilderment, and then reality introduces itself to him all over again as he notices the wings are still there when he picks up his gem. He flattens them self-consciously, before finally deciding they take up too much space and leaves the gem carefully tucked under his pillow.

Breakfast, however, is the immediate problem. He saved some water from the rains and an edible mushroom, and it's boiling away merrily on the stove. The glow worm is unusually cooperative, but Bucky supposes that if he's now the size of a dragonfly it's not the weirdest thing in the world.

It's actually nice. He could get used to it.

Once the worm's been sent off with an appreciative scratch on the head, he picks up the large bowl of stew and starts knocking on a few doors.

'Hello?'

Comments

[millionyearsentence]

[ It's probably a good thing for Bucky that Wyrden is already awake - if not, her Accessory would have barred the door completely. The soldier had been sitting on her bed doing weapons maintenance, and counting the disposeables that she still had left. Without her facilities, she would be stranded...

The knock takes her mind slightly off the state of her supplies, and she motions for Ramiel to open it. The Accessory fumbles a little with the door (it isn't the automated sliding door of her cell) but manages to get it open after a few seconds, standing back so Wyrden could see who was outside.

Another human, interesting. She stands, as per protocol. ]

Hey. Anything I can help with?

[ ooc: permissions post! ]

[redactions]

[ He eyes the Accessory curiously - just one more on the Grand List of Things That Are Part of Life Now - and nods briskly at her, straightening just as she stands. ]

I'm one of your neighbours. Just poppin' by. Would you like soup?

[millionyearsentence]

[ Ah, friendly people. Much more friendly than the folks back home, definitely. This she acknowledges with a nod, expression becoming less serious. ]

Thanks. [ But she isn't one to take things without paying, so: ] I don't have anything of value with me, though. Hope you're fine with that.

[ Free things is such a foreign concept to her that her mind immediately goes to bartering. ]

But if you'd need any building work, or the like, I can do that, yeah.

[redactions]

[ This is a language he understands and would insist on the same himself. She gets a bright smile. ]

You don't have to. Way I see it, we're all stuck here, wouldn't hurt to do a few things for free now and then.

[ But he won't stop her if she wishes to owe a debt. ]

What did you do back home? [ he eyes the Accessory, thinking maybe she built it. It's certainly fascinating. ]

[millionyearsentence]

[ Heh, that's true. But she has been in hardship too long to unlearn the fact that every gift must be returned.

So she just tilts her head, motioning to signal that he could come in and perhaps set the bowl down somewhere. ]

Soldier. [ Easiest way to put it. ] Field work mostly, but I have to maintain all my equipment on my own, so there's that.

[ The blade left on the bed is one indication, as is the intricate polearm leaning against one wall. Her machine gun is currently stashed in her Will'O Drive, so it isn't out. ]

Life isn't easy back home, so I'd learned to do lots of things. Think I can help out 'round here, too.

[redactions]

[ He checks the sole of his boots discreetly to make sure they're clean enough to enter a home with, and then walks in and places the bowl on the sturdiest wood outcrop he can find. Looking around the blade catches his eye first: he admires the craftsmanship, and whistles softly. ]

Me too. [ standing at almost parade rest next to where he put the bowl ] Which war?

backdated;

[dissemblance]

[She's unpacking her selection of 'leaf' clothing when he enters. She starts, but it's a subtle motion, not a jump but a slight tensing of her muscles before 'Anna' recognizes him, and smiles.]

Sorry, you startled me. Are you looking for someone?

[redactions]

[ Now that's interesting, not what he'd expect from an art director from the Bronx. ]

Uh - [ he gives her a wan smile, he'd wanted this one for himself but he's already backing out of the door ] not at the moment. Just lookin' for someplace empty. Sorry to bother you.

[dissemblance]

[She fiddles with the leafy little top for a moment.]

The rest are kind of... taken. I already looked. Guess whoever built this place figured we'd all just bunk together.

[redactions]

Oh.

[ Hm. Already at the door he just twists to peer at the other doors, quietly listening for footsteps, voices, and heartbeats. ]

Right. I'm stayin' here then. Guess we can get to know each other a little.

[ He's going for a bright, cheery smile, in the neighbourhood of rakish - who wouldn't want to stay in the vicinity of a beautiful dame? But he's out of practice. ]

[dissemblance]

[A smile, and she sits down on the edge of her moss bed.]

What, like twenty questions? I'm game. Favourite movie?

[twilightlegend]

Link was the sort of guy who wasn't that picky when it came to food, so the available options didn't bother him at all save for the noticeable lack of cheese. Yet the smell of soup was something that the boy had a hard time simply ignoring.

... Would this man mind though? If Link just wandered up to him and inquired about a soup? He did have his own bottle... But it looked like he was busy speaking with people in the houses, so Link would just have to wait until the other man was free before he walked up to him to ask for some soup.

Now... How does one ask about whether they were allowed to have a bottle of soup from a stranger? Even if he was offering it-- Oh, forget it.

Link made his way over - surely if his wings were out or if he were a wolf, there would be visible signs of excitement, such as flapping or tail wagging but he was just himself so the biggest cue was the focused look he had on the pot in Bucky's hands - and simply waved first to try and get the other man's attention and as a greeting.

[redactions]

Blissfully unaware of Link's mental dilemma, Bucky just smiles brightly at him as he approaches. 'Hey,' he says, cheerfully. 'Guessin' you want some soup?'

Nothing delights him more than to be immediately useful to someone, and he tilts the pot towards Link so he can inhale the aroma.

[twilightlegend]

His eyes light up when Bucky freely offers the bowl of soup without Link having to actually ask. Were he a wolf right now, there might just be a Pavlov's dog reference to be made here; the boy looked like he was about ready to start drooling (even though he's eaten but soup though). He nods furiously in response and whips out his empty bottle in a jiffy. Soup? Of course he would like some!

... Oh, would he mind if Link just dipped his bottle into the pot? Coco and Yeto hadn't minded but it might look weird to anyone outside of Hyrule. And he wouldn't want to offend someone who was offering him one of the best foods known to mankind.

[redactions]

Well ain't you excitable, kid. Or just extremely hungry, and he's sympathetic. On the front there wasn't a regular food supply and they just learnt to ignore the hunger pangs. The bottle - least Link's prepared. Buck would've suggested a bowl and spoon.

'Help yourself. There's plenty more where this came from.'

action rolls in here

[sleepwardsnored]

Plenty more, huh?

Then, then surely Bucky wouldn't mind sharing more soup with--

The same kid?

Wait, no, not exactly. They're probably brothers or something (well, not really..) but the way he excitedly walks over to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the other boy, his own empty bottle in hand might be a little over the top for most.

It's soup. He can't help it, okay.

[betterthanwu]

Kuvira opens the door out of her armor and most of the heavy outer garments that come with it. She looks younger and more feminine in a tank top, her hair in a long braid, bandages around her arms, but those are the same strong features and direct eyes, and that same low voice. Her cable spools are still at her hips, and her armor is propped up on sticks against the wall inside.

"Sergeant. This is a surprise."

[redactions]

Oh hel-lo pretty lady — and then his brain catches up with him. Whoops. To his credit the almost slip doesn't show on his face, and he smiles pleasantly, nodding to her, holding up the bowl as though ready for a spot inspection.

'Captain. I have soup, if you'd like some.'

[betterthanwu]

She looks at the bowl, and then at him, quirking extremely expressive eyebrows like this is something serious she's not impressed by. "Getting to know the neighbors?"

Then, Kuvira twitches one side of her mouth, letting her face ease, and gestures with her head back into the room. "All right, you have permission to come in. What's in it?"

[redactions]

'Soup,' he says brightly, like he's just scaled Everest, absolutely undaunted by her initial disapproval. He spares a quick glance downwards at his boots to make sure they're clean - the rest of his uniform isn't pressed but passes muster - and walks in carefully, not looking or going where he might not be wanted. This is her space, after all, young as she is she's still a captain.

[alley_kit]

Kit smells the stew before she even opens the door. Thus, Bucky has already made a positive impression before she's even set eyes on him. When she does open the door, Bucky is greeted by the sight of a little girl about eight years old, with purple faerie wings on her back. Unusually, though, the girl has some features that look decidedly feline. Especially the short fur covering most of her body and the long, fluffy tail.

She doesn't seem the least bit intimidated talking to a strange adult man, though, so that's a plus. "Hi!", she says cheerfully. "Were you looking for somebody?" Cause even if that soup smells really good, it's not really polite to just assume it's meant for her.

[redactions]

At this point the obvious feline aspects don't even serve to make him blink. Why should they - when he's dead, in a place where he's about the size of a pixie, and has a stone that gives him wings? Plus, at some point one just had to accept all the weirdness and move on with one's life. Compartmentalise. It saved a lot of headache.

He smiles at her brightly. 'I'm lookin' for the lady of the house,' he says, with a wink to let Kit know he definitely means he was looking for her in particular and not a roommate. 'See, I have this soup, and I can't eat it all myself.'

[alley_kit]

Well, that sure makes her smile. And maybe even blush a little, though probably not enough to be visible through her fur. Even if he is joking a bit, no one's ever really called her a lady before.

"Well then, I'd be glad to help! I'm good at eating soup," Kit says, stepping aside to allow him to come in, then closing the door behind him.

"You can put it over here," Kit said, indicating the house's dining table. "And I'll get us bowls and stuff. Just look before you sit down; my glow worm likes to curl up on the chairs."

[redactions]

Mission accomplished: a smile. Maybe he'll try for another few before the morning's out. He steps in deftly, careful to follow her, and glances around to take in the room. The windows are letting in a lot of sunlight, which makes the place look especially bright and warm. It's a home, when his have been dark foxholes or a barn, or some poor family's abandoned house.

'So you've got one of these too, huh?' he says, pulling up the chair next to the one said worm is snoozing on. 'They're pretty friendly.'

[alley_kit]

He probably won't have to try especially hard. Kit's generally fairly cheerful, and is taking the whole 'kidnapped to a giant tree and given fairy wings' thing remarkably well, especially for someone her age.

"Uh-huh," Kit says, returning from the kitchen area with two bowls and two spoons. "I've been trying to figure out a name for him, but well... it's hard coming up with names for a worm that don't sound bad, you know?"