entry 001 ɞ video | action

[readytocomply]

[It had been the right thing to do. For everyone. He wasn't safe, couldn't trust himself, and while he hadn't wanted to do it, it had been the only choice. But he's been in and out of cryostasis enough to know when coming out this time isn't the same. It's not just the breeze on his skin causing his too-long hair to dance across his forehead, or the sweet, dry smell of fruit trees. No, it's the way he wakes up. Slow, naturally, like he'd slept the whole night through, and there's nothing normal about that.

The communication device his fingers are curled around doesn't bother him. Bucky's used to not remembering things, but the stalls and the vendors with their strange shapeless masks who stand nearby do. He walks past one, their face completely smooth, as featureless as a blank wall, and his breath catches in his throat, freezing him in place. There's a million explanations going through his mind and none of them make any sense except one and he doesn't want to think about that.

It takes a vender getting too close before he snaps out of it long enough to go through the motions. Better clothes, sweats and a white tank aren't cutting it, and a relatively safe place to hide so he can figure things out, grabbing a pamphlet on the way.

Bucky's face is half-hidden when the feed starts, voice low, and he wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't necessary. He was on shaky ground and he needed something to steady him.]

Name's Bucky. I'm looking for someone. Steve Rogers.

[It's risky to put it out there like that. He doesn't know these people and he's been alive long enough to know that even the prettiest people with the brightest smiles can be hiding the worst lies and secrets. But he needs to find someone he remembers. Everything is muddled and this place looks like something his mind has made up.]

He might go by Captain America.

[Just in case he's alone in Wonderland, he adds a little more.]

If someone could tell me what the hell's going on here, I'd appreciate it.

[There's a brief pause. He considers mentioning the obvious physical difference that would set him apart, but they'll figure it out when they see him.]

I'll be on the first floor, entrance hall, if anyone wants to talk in person. This way's fine, too.

[ooc: spoilers for civil war possible in this post; if anyone doesn't want them, please let me know.]

Comments

Video 》Action /SLAMS INTO THIS

[sorryitasedyou]

Bucky...

[ Sorry, she's just going to stare at the screen for a hot sec while everything falls into place. The expression is a conflicton of happiness with a little heartbreak. He was back, but like with Natasha - it was time to start over again. ]

Steve's - he's normally here but not right now. Along with Natasha and Wanda, I think. They'll be back soonish. [ Less cryptic, c'mon Darcy. ] I'll be there in a hot sec, just stay put.

[ Cue her bolting out of the coffee shop and making a beeline to where he is, trying to slow down to a walking pace when she's close. ]

Hi. [ Play it cool, Lewis. Don't word vomit. Don't word vomit. Don't word vomit. ]

[readytocomply]

[She'd said his name, so that's not what surprises him. No, it's the almost familiarity in her tone that she says it with, the expression on her face like she's glad to see him but upset by it, too. It raises a lot of questions, but Bucky doesn't get time to mull that over much, because then she's mentioning people that he knows.]

If they're normally here, but not now, where are they?

[Bucky's disappointed when the feed ends, but it's not long before she finds him in the entrance hall.]

You know Steve and the others?

[Her being the first person that he's spoken to since he woke up here, he's still entirely too tense and it shows.]

[sorryitasedyou]

[ She knows that body posture, it's why she's keeping her hands in full view and a balanced stance. There's a reason she'd rushed to hopefully be the first person here to see him. Two years of training from both him and Natasha are enough to hopefully keep her upright if things go downhill, or keep her even enough to work through some of his tension and confusion about this place. Especially considering how the training had upped for a little while after the incident with Steve on the stairs while he'd been Hydra. She could do this, right?

Hell, if things had been more her style and Wonderland was cooperating - she'd have avoided Bucky like the plague for at least a week until Steve said yay or nay because this was one welcoming committee she didn't really feel she should be on... But when did things ever go as they should. ]

Very well. Steve and I have been here for a little over two years. Natasha was here and then left for a little while before being pulled back. It happens, it happens a lot actually. People come and go. His stuff is still in his room, though. Which means Wonderland decided to send him home for a little while to live life before they'll drag him back in about a week. Him, Natasha, and Wanda - they left yesterday, I think?

[ A beat. ]

I can show you, if it helps - his room. It's across the hall from mine. I'm Darcy, by the way. You probably don't know me considering, as far as I know, we never met back home. But, I can help you.

[ She's just gonna swallow that hint of sadness she can't seem to shake because now's not the time. And just in case... ]

I make pretty good food and random baked goods if you're hungry.

[nascensibility]

[Evelyn has seen an indeterminate number of people come and go, has observed the sinking realisation that there is no way out - their faces drawn, shocked, angered - countless times. She has patiently welcomed old friends, those who look through her or regard her with marked suspicion. It is no different here: when last she saw Bucky they had rifled through his records and listened to music, he had distracted her from her recent fate by taking her out to the shooting range.

She waits for the invitation to meet in person and prefers that sort of interaction herself, understanding that he has been gone for too long to remember her.

Accepting it.]

Bucky.

[Evelyn clears her throat from the doorway to the foyer, loitering in the liminal space between familiarity and being a stranger. Again.]

You...said that you didn't mind, if anyone made introductions face to face. I'm Evelyn O'Connell.

[readytocomply]

[His eyes track her the moment she steps into the entrance hall, flicking from head to toe in a way that borders on appraising. Bucky's not hung up on gender, a woman is just as likely to be able to do some damage as a man is, so he's assessing the threat level there.

She's polite, though, and that's something at least.]

Prefer it this way.

[He's only got the one hand, which is holding the phone and pamphlet so he can't offer it up to shake, not that he's necessarily sure he would have had it been free. His other arm isn't hidden, the clothes he'd shown up don't allow for it, but he does try to angle his body away so it's not the forefront of conversation.]

It's nice to meet you, Evelyn.

[nascensibility]

[The appraisal she expects - welcomes, even - as an acceptable toll for meeting again, for starting over and hopefully making a better impression than she had the first time around. (Evelyn would argue that just about anything would be better than the first time around, which had involved Bucky falling into the swimming pool and Evelyn having her day-dress soaked to her skin.)

He's turned himself in such a way to keep his arm from being so conspicuous, which might be a half-decent tactic if he were wearing something that actively covered the slotted plates of metal. She doesn't draw attention to it.

"It's like something out of an H. G. Wells!"

"Be careful, it'll pinch your fingers."

Evelyn stops just shy of six feet or so, fingers laced in front of her.]

Given the circumstances, [she concedes with a nod, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the relative "niceness" of their introductions.] I understand this may be overwhelming.

Action

[actualwizard]

[ Billy is already on the first floor when he hears the familiar voice. Bucky. But...a Bucky that doesn't remember which might actually be even worse than a Black Widow who didn't remember. He silently curses the fact that Steve isn't here right now. Great timing Wonderland; he'll remember this.

He approaches the entrance hall slowly, if this Bucky is anything like the Bucky that was here before then well he's probably even more confused then a normal new person. He spots him and his eyes immediately track to his arm, or well, where his arm should be. Exactly how far into the future is he? It reminds Billy all too clearly of the HYDRA event from the fall and that's not something he wants to think about too closely. ]

Hey. I, uh, saw your message. You're looking for Steve?

[ Billy is probably the least equipped person to deal with this. Oh well. ]

I can explain, but I'm not sure you're going to believe me.

[readytocomply]

[Shifting his torso so that his arm is less in the other's line of sight, he nods once, maintaining his position as he simultaneously tries to relax. He doesn't pull it off, but he'd given it an attempt, though not his best. People opened up to friendliness quicker than tension, but it's hard for him to shake.]

Do you know where he is?

[There was a lot of people claiming to know him or claiming that he's gone but will be back soon. Neither of those meant much to Bucky as they didn't put Steve in front of him.]

Probably not, but I want you to try.

[It was honest, at least. Considering what he saw first when he woke up, and after everything, Bucky wasn't really sure what was real and what wasn't.]

What's your name?

[actualwizard]

[ Billy nods. He watches Bucky try to relax and he tries to figure out how to explain this place. ] I'm Billy.

Currently, I think Steve's back in your world, normally he's here though, and judging by the fact his stuff is still here he'll be back, probably within the week. [ He pauses for a moment. ]

You ever read Alice in Wonderland?

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[hypoxic]

[There's a very literal squeak. Bucky is looking for Steve Rogers and Bucky is probably Bucky Barnes and SHIELD records ties that to the Winter Soldier.

Oh, dear. Oh dear.]

I should tell someone...

[Should they prepare a containment unit? Haven't they been waiting for the Winter Soldier to come back into custody? So much work to do suddenly. D:]

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[readytocomply]

[The sound is.. unique and it's odd enough to give him pause, but it's the words that put him on edge. It almost comes across as a threat, though he doesn't know why anyone would make it obvious if that was their goal.]

Tell someone what?

[He doesn't expect an honest answer, but he's hoping for one.]

video

[therapize]

[Honestly, Cami is tempted to forgo a video reply in favor of simply heading down to the first floor--but there are likely any number of people planning on doing that. She suspects Steve will be the first in line, since Cami's currently unaware of the man's absence, and that alone will be massive for Bucky. So in the name of trying to keep from totally overwhelming him, she sticks to the phone for now.]

I'm guessing your request is going to get you a lot of replies. My name's Cami, by the way.

[Because Bucky doesn't know her. He won't remember having ever spoken to her about mind control, or making the choice to trust her when he decided he wanted to try and piece his shattered psyche back together. She's simply a stranger, a gently smiling face over a video feed.]

If you've still got questions, I'll do my best to help.

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[readytocomply]

Do you know Steve?

[There are other questions he'd rather ask, but he'll build up to him. Better to start small and see where they stand before getting to bigger things. It was almost as if he were using Steve as a base line for measuring people, and he'd feel guilty about that if it weren't for the fact that his Steve was a good man. If he trusted them and they were friends, then it helped.

If this wasn't the Steve he knew, then he'd have to change his stance, but for now this is fine.]

I read the welcome packet. [It's said almost wryly, but he does appreciate having it all written out.] Tell me something useful that it doesn't say.

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[lifeskills]

<sub>[Victor vaguely recognizes the face on the video as someone who'd been a resident here in the past. He recognizes the name "Steve Rogers" for the same reason, having acquainted the man in question.

That's where the extent of his familiarity ends, though. He's blind to what's at the heart of Bucky's coiled tension and chalks it up to a newcomer's confusion and sense of disorientation, things he notices and has every intention of addressing... eventually.

But first things first.]</sub>

Captain America?

_{[What kind of name is that? It bears asking. Hi, Bucky, here comes a not-so-pretty person definitely lacking any trace of a bright smile. The curve of Victor's mouth can only be described as someone making a concentrated effort not to laugh at a stupid Americanism.]}

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[readytocomply]

[Bucky rolls his good shoulder, a brow raised as if he's dismissing the question. He didn't pick the nickname, he's pretty sure Steve didn't either, but it's something he's known as.]

Yeah, do you know anybody that goes by that?

[If not, they could move onto other questions. Bucky didn't expect everyone to know Steve, but it was best to ask first.]

What's your name?

[He didn't recognize the face, but that didn't very much to him at the moment. Reputations and the name's attached to them, were sometimes the only thing a man was known by, even if they weren't everything the man was.]

action;

[oversight]

[ It just so happens that John doesn't spend nearly enough time on his phone as he used to. As such, he has no idea that there's someone waiting around the corner when he heads into the entrance hall.

He just barely stops himself in time, skidding to a halt with his hands raised to show he's keeping them to himself. ]

Whoa, sorry, I— [ Oh. He blinks. Oooh. Swallowing thickly, Blake laughs thinly and takes a step back. Figures. Another day in Wonderland means another unexpectedly familiar face with no idea what's going on. ] Didn't see you there.

[readytocomply]

[This guy was jumpy, which could mean a few different things, and Bucky's not sure he'd like any of them. Everyone he'd come across so far had reacted similarly, like they knew him and were equal parts happy and unhappy with that.]

It's a big room. There's plenty of space for both of us in here.

[Which is sort of a half-apology for scaring him. It makes him self-conscious in a way that Bucky never is, his distinct lack of arm and the all white clothes T'Challa had put him in probably painted a unique picture.]

I'm Bucky.

action;

[araneidal]

[ She passes him in the entrance hall on the way out, a goal that changes when the silver of the arm catches the light. Natasha doesn't need a double-take, and her footsteps would've tipped him off anyway, the quietest ones are the most dangerous. ]

[ Instead, she looks over him curiously. As a stranger might. It's always a matter of faces. Before, he was most comfortable with the predator. ]

« What do you remember?​ ​»

[ Sharply, in clear Russian. ]

[readytocomply]

[Bucky was strong enough without his arm, but it's almost as if he's standing there without any kind of real protection now that it's gone. A few inches of metal is all that's left, capped and covered by black fabric.

Then she's speaking in perfect, clear Russian and he's comforted by the familiarity of it. It also puts noticeable tension into the situation.]

- None of this. The place, the people. I don't know any of it. -

[Also in Russian.]

action

[thesamurai]

[There's a while before Michonne decides what she wants to do. She knows this won't be the same Bucky, but still. She doesn't want to do this via the device, not with Steve recently gone, so she makes her way to the entrance hall deciding to ultimately leave her katana in her room.

When she sees him, she approaches slowly, offering a small smile]

Bucky. I'm Michonne. Friend of Steve's, and yours once. But you probably don't remember that. You liked to kick my ass in the gym.

[readytocomply]

[Bucky doesn't mind the way she comes at him slowly, appreciates the attempt to ease herself into his space with that small smile. He's not good with fast movements or too much all at once, survival instincts usually take over which isn't good for anyone, but he's getting better with that.

He offers a small smile in return.]

Nice to meet you, Michonne. [Confusion flickers across his face, masked over as quick as it came.] We know each other?

video.

[intelligently]

You're in Wonderland.

( She knows that he doesn't remember, that's a given with the questions but he'd also been gone too long - too long for the chance that Wonderland might let him keep his memories )

You might find people who tell you know you but you've never met them. It can be confusing.

( The lack of a straight answer can also be confusing, Lydia, but she doesn't know how exactly to say it )

[readytocomply]

[Bucky appreciates that she's straightforward. Honestly, it helps. He still isn't a place where he can easily trust someone else, but he needs information and this is the quickest way to get it.]

Why did they bring us here?

[Wonderland, that part, was even more difficult to wrap his head around. Even after reading the pamphlet, hearing some of the others, it still didn't feel real. He's not so sure that he'd feel any different about that even if everything wasn't swirling around inside his mind, but it's a lot all at once.]

Do we know each other?

[At the rate he was going, he figured that they did.]

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[agentxthirteen]

[ No fucking way. No. Fucking. Way. Bucky Barnes, back in Wonderland. Of course he is.

He looks different from last time she saw him. She doesn't want to say feral, but the Bucky who had been in Wonderland, the Bucky she had known all-too-briefly, hadn't been so... brisk?

She takes a long, deep breath. She's tempted to turn off the feed and monitor him from afar as best she can, but this is the Winter Soldier. He'd catch her in no time. Moreover, this is Bucky Barnes, the man who had served with Peggy in the war and Steve's best friend.

She turns on the feed. ]

Bucky Barnes. My name is Sharon Carter, the great-niece of Peggy Carter. You knew her in the war, remember?

I have to ask. Are you... you? Or... the other guy? Do you remember your last time here, by any chance?

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[readytocomply]

I remember Peggy, and I remember you, too.

[They'd fought when he was the Winter Soldier, and then she'd helped them out anyways.]

I'm not the other guy. Just Bucky. [They don't know each other well enough for him to prove that.] I don't remember being here before.

I didn't get to thank you before, so I'm doing that now.