these are the times that try

[deadthenred]

WHO: Bucky Barnes + various
WHERE: Red Wings, the safehouse, ???
WHEN: Late March.
WHAT: Catch-all log for March, with some open prompts.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: N/A, will update if it changes.

[ Prompts are in the comments below. PM or message me at lightfellows if you'd like a closed starter. ]

Comments

[deadthenred]

Yeah, I wouldn't bother, I'm pretty boring.

[ Bucky looks off to the side, moving his eyes but not his neck. In fact, Bucky's generally pretty good at small talk. He is quite socially competent with little old ladies, to whom he is a "very polite young man." ]

Dick didn't tell me about any of the sidekick stuff.

[ Only powers. ]

[overrate]

He told you enough that you know it's a thing.

[ a beat ]

Or maybe he didn't say jack shit and you heard it from someone else, since you wanna telegraph so bad.

[ he can only play dumb for so long. ]

[deadthenred]

Second one. [ He raises an eyebrow, there. ] Dick said he was a detective.

I don't know how you're supposed to help me figure out my powers. Gotta be your power, right?

[overrate]

Yeah, I figured Dick might not advertise that. But then he decided to advertise my power, so who knows.

[ there's a shrug. ]

I can copy powers. So, whatever power you've got, I can copy it. Even if you don't know what it is yet.

[deadthenred]

Oh. [ He lets that settle a moment. What did he want, someone who could wave a magic wand and take the powers away?

Yes, that is what he wanted. But who gets what they want, really. ]

Well, here, catch. [ And he tosses Jason the can of beer, underhanded. ]

[overrate]

[ he catches it, and just looks at him, again, confused. ]

Thanks, again?

This is super fucking awkward.

[deadthenred]

Well, you're not gonna make it any less awkward by pointing that out.

[ Manners, kid. ]

[overrate]

If I point it out, maybe you'll stop.

Who told you about the sidekick thing?

[deadthenred]

Jason Todd.

[ The one whose name is Jason Todd on the network. ]

[overrate]

Figured it had to be him or Kate.

[ he doesn't sound surprised, just a little annoyed. ]

Anyway, thanks for the beer.

[ he tips it lightly towards him. ]

You don't want my help, we probably don't have much to talk about.

[deadthenred]

Nothin' that wouldn't be fucking awkward.

[ He has also met future alternate universe versions of himself, but who really wants to join that support group? ]

You can use my power on that.

[overrate]

I can't use your power at all right now.

[ he basically has no power right now. it's the nature of being a copycat.

he's got something for an hour, and then the rest of the time, it's like being back in Gotham. ]

[deadthenred]

Then how does it work?

[ Maybe that's prying, but it's not like the kid has to tell him anything. ]

[overrate]

I have to touch you.

It's not like some radar or whatever. And it's not like I know what I've got when I get it.

[ maybe he shouldn't tell him, but, you know. he's putting some faith in the fact that dick trusted him. ]

[deadthenred]

[ Touching is tricky, but… ]

Do you wanna do this?

[ He can make the offer, at least. ]

[overrate]

Sounds like you already know what your power is.

So why are you offering?

[deadthenred]

Maybe I wanna see how yours works.

[ Basically. And if he's honest, there's one other thing, which is a lot harder to explain. ]

Also, maybe you want a power for… however long it is you get to keep it.

[overrate]

[ suspicious.

but he can handle himself without a power, so. he looks at the beer, considering. ]

Fine.

But I don't need powers. Let's get that part straight.

[deadthenred]

Believe me, I get it.

[ He really does. ]

[overrate]

[ he glances at his arm.

raises an eyebrow, and says nothing else.

but he does shoulder-check him as he passes, out into the night.

and he's staring at the can. what sort of power did he get passed-- something that could be used on beer. ]

This got an emotional trigger?

[deadthenred]

Do I seem like an emotional trigger kind of guy?

[ Probably not, right? Really, Bucky barely knows how this works. He hasn't practiced much. ]

My friend Toro told me that figuring out how to use his powers was like learning how to let go and hold on at the same time. I've been trying to figure out what he meant.

[overrate]

Yeah, and imagine how it is when you get a new power every couple of days. The only ones I'm pretty good at are Dick's and Jason's.

[ because he's gotten to use both more than once.

But fine. he has to dig deep to the same place he always does. he was able to figure out Caroline's, right? just. give him a minute.

he should probably be more careful about activating the blue glow-- but hey.

bucky was right, there isn't an emotional trigger. ]

[deadthenred]

So you improvise.

[ And soon enough the tell-tale blue glow starts up. Man, that's an awful feature. Who wants to start glowing in a combat situation? ]

Seems like you got it figured out pretty well.

[overrate]

Getting into a life or death fight with a vampire will do that to ya.

[ the frost starts to appear on the can-- clearly...

this was now a frosty cold beer. ]

... Ice?

[deadthenred]

Yeah. It's a joke.

[ It doesn't sound like he really wants to explain it, but then he adds. ]

My codename's Winter Soldier.

[ One of them, anyway. ]