Winter Wonderland [OTA]

[doubled_speed]

WHO: Tommy Shepherd, OTA
WHERE: Twin Roses, Winter Event Planet
WHAT: Winter Wonders, Cold Speedster, Baby Speedster, Post Baby Shenanigans
WHEN: Event Start until 1/31
WARNINGS: None will update if any are needed

Didn't Agree to This | Twin Roses Crew

It's official. Tommy wants to punch an Agrii in the face. He doesn't CARE that they only mean well. They've decided to trap him in the ship. AGAIN. This time with music. He doesn't like that he can't TRUST MUSIC NOW. Fucking assholes. Wants to punch them in the heads.

Which of course is what Tommy is grumbling under his breath as he works through the awkward process of stripping the mattress from one of the beds in the quarters and navigate the floppy thing toward the cargo hold. Strange thing to be doing, right? But damn if the super-strong speedster isn't doing it anyway, trying to get the mattress to the cargo hold and then tucked into a nice, secure corner that looks warm but not too bright.

And once that's done he's busy getting the bed made up and super comfortable.

Strange kid.

Fuck the Cold | Planet Arrival

"Oh come the fuck on!" Tommy snaps when he heads down the ramp of the ship at full speed and then comes to a skidding stop at the edge of the snow. "Snow and Speedsters don't MIX!" he shouts fruitlessly at the sky.

With a grumpy look Tommy wraps his arms tightly around himself, trying not to shiver too much. The cold is so much more acute to him. Makes sense given he runs quite a lot hotter than most other people, what with the enhanced metabolism that came with his mutation. How the hell was he supposed to eat enough food to stay warm enough with what he's wearing while they're here.

There is a part of him that is almost tempted to go back onto the ship, curl up in his bunk and never come out. But the thing is COLD in there too. So at least here he might be able to warm up some by running. So, with a distasteful look on his face he rushes onto the snow. Maybe if he goes fast enough he can Legolas this bitch and walk on top of the snow.

Nope. His foot goes through immediately and he yelps at the cold before frowning and slogging off to go find shelter. Or his family. Either works. Both work. Anything is better than standing around pointlessly in the snow.

And his first destination? What looks like a gingerbread house. Hopefully he either gets some company or someone foists something warm on him first.

"You could have warned us," he grumbles as if the Agrii could hear him. "Coulda brought my space blankets. Assholes."

Tiny Little Speedy Baby

The houses aren't bad. And the food in them isn't bad. A lot of the things in them aren't bad because it's warm and cozy and there is warm clothes. But most importantly? Sugar based candies. Damn but Tommy needs all the terrible for him sugar he can get. He works his way through some pieces in one of the houses as he pokes around, curious about the place out of boredom.

He even picks up a piece of gelt, thinking 'wow I've got to get Billy one of these, he's gonna love this shit, even if the candles here are over done'. Unwraps the piece of milk chocolate goodness and devours it in one bite.

...

And then there isn't a Tommy Shepherd poking around in the room. Instead there is an eight year old boy with his eyes and his hair and standing in his far too big clothes, crying because his clothes are too big. Maybe someone could help with that.

Once that's dealt with, well, now there is a new special sort of menace in the village. A little kid with winter clothes, joy, wonder and... Speed. Ever try and catch a kid running sixty miles per hour through the snow who wants nothing more than to dump snow down the back of your shirt? Hope you like snowballs, because once the boy learns how to make them the green clad menace will be throwing them with utter delight at anyone who gets too close. And when he gets tired the boy, friendlier and happier than Tommy ever actually was as a kid, is going to look for the nearest warm body and cuddle up next to them.

Whatever is this place going to do with an eight-year-old superboy? And how will the other kids keep up or argue the shouted challenge across the village of

I'm the fastest there ever was!

Comments

[doubled_speed]

"Your Steve is a HELL of a lot like our Steve. And trust me, I have. I've seen some damn bad things that he's been through."

But he does put Bucky down and doesn't even need to stretch. That wasn't even a jog. He does, though, step past Bucky and tap the house.

"I mean, I could break part of it off, if you want. I'm also strong."

[stillgotmyleftarm]

That's a hell of a thing to hear; not that Bucky doubts it's true, but he just doesn't like hearing about any Steve going through any shit. And he knows Steve's gotten more than his fair share.

And he also knows this isn't even really his Steve. Because his Steve... his Steve is, he hopes to God, back home giving HYDRA hell.

Fortunately, he recovers from that morose thought pretty quickly, schooling his face back into something bordering on bemusement. "You know, you seem really eager to impress me," he points out, stepping up to the building and poking at it, too. "I don't know that it's a good idea to just go breaking pieces off of somebody's house and potentially eating them, y'know. It's probably kinda rude. Maybe we should see if there's anything inside to eat, first?"

[doubled_speed]

"Don't care about impressing any fucking body," Tommy lies. He wants people to like him. People who like him won't try and hurt him immediately. "Inside works too. But that's even more stealing. Just gonna point your faulty logic out, kay?"

[stillgotmyleftarm]

"Mm-hm," Buck hums; he knows all about wanting to impress people, wanting people to like you. And Tommy is a good kid; Bucky does like him, and he trusts him to try to do the right thing. That means a lot.

He tilts his head, going for the door instead. "I'm Captain America, I don't hafta be logical," he points out. "But yeah, you can tell 'em it was my idea to steal their food instead of eat their house, if it comes to that."

Frankly, if there's anyone here, Bucky would rather trade for food than steal it; he's got plenty to offer, from repairing things to just plain hard labor - but when they open the door, there's no one there. But... "Does this all look deliberately laid out to you?"

Because it sure does to him.

[doubled_speed]

"Fucking Agrii," is Tommy's answer as he walks in and starts poking around. He does grab a few pieces of candy no chocolate yet and starts poking through drawers.

"If the can provide us all this shit, why don't they give us what we need from the start?

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Bucky blows out a breath, but... he can't say he disagrees with the sentiment Tommy's expressing.

"Before," he says, stepping up to one of the tables, looking at the spread: the food, the candy, the candles. "when it was the Atroma. Everything was for... whatever the hell the intergalactic equivalent of reality TV is. It was always a game. It was always a spectacle."

And while a lot of times, that mostly just meant letting people be people...

"Sometimes I wonder if the Agrii aren't takin' a page outta their book, considering how they stole a lotta us right out of the Fleet."

He picks up a piece of candy - a plain old candy cane, from the looks of it - and twirls it between his fingers.

[doubled_speed]

"I don't want to be entertainment," Tommy snaps angrily before popping a peppermint into his mouth. "See, that's the thing. I'm cool with helping them to fucking help save their people. I'm a hero. It's what we do. But this?"

They've been making things bad because they don't get it. And it makes him angry.

"Those Atroma, did they like, keep you guys from religion and faith and that shit? Because B's Jewish, seriously Jewish. And like, I want him to not have to give that up because these people decided 'fuck your lives'. And instead we're here on snow planet and he's miserable and he doesn't have his fiance and all hat shit."

[stillgotmyleftarm]

"Yeah, me either," Bucky agrees. He'd been painfully aware that it had been out of his control, in the Fleet. And he knows that's not what the Agrii want them for - well. He knows that the Agrii have told them it's not what they want them for. But while Bucky's always been willing to put in the hard work and do the right thing, he's not as trusting as some other people he knows.

"I think we do what we're asked, because it's worth doing, if it's really what they're asking," he says. "But I think we keep our eyes open for the possibility that there's more than what they're telling us."

And as for the rest of it; he shakes his head. "Not that I know of." He frowns. "But I don't know if anyone I knew was particularly religious."

He and Steve both might have fallen into that category, once upon a time. Bucky... doesn't, so much, anymore. He isn't sure Steve does, either. But that's not what matters: "Is there something you think we can do to help him? I mean, not with the fiance, but. The rest of it."

[doubled_speed]

Wow, paranoia. Who would have figured it from Bucky fucking Barnes. Totally par for the course from Tommy's book. But he guesses he can agree with all that shit.

"I tried asking for candles. And the whatever it's called candle holder. But nope. They didn't get why. Gave me birthday candles. Those won't last eight nights."

[stillgotmyleftarm]

This Bucky is not your run-of-the-mill Bucky Barnes... although maybe yours would surprise you, too, given the chance.

"Not if they've gotta burn all night, no," Bucky agrees. "Does it gotta be candles? I know it's not - the same. But we could do... I dunno. Torches or some shit."

It's probably just creating the same problem in the first place.

[doubled_speed]

"I don't know," Tommy shrugs. "The Shepherd never actually practiced. Even though we're... yanno. So, like, I don't even know how the shit works except what I've seen from Billy's family."

So he doesn't know how to be a good Jew.

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Bucky smiles, wry but understanding. "I don't, either. I mean - yeah, I knew some growing up. But all I can help you with is the stations of the cross and Hail Marys." He'd grown up very Catholic, and while his part of Brooklyn had had all kinds... it wasn't something people always advertised. Especially not as he got older.

"I knew some guys, in the service. But they were pretty quiet about it, too." He pauses in what he's doing, glances over at Tommy.

"I think it's probably personal for everybody, you know? What you're willing to compromise on. How you feel about it. Shit like that. But if he wants help... I think there are people here who can help him."

[doubled_speed]

Strange. Tommy would have thought that Jewish servicemen during the war were more open about what they were. As a reminder of what the cost would be. But apparently he was wrong. Really wrong.

"I mean, he could magic up what he needed himself. But I just... wanted ot be there for him."

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Bucky figures it was probably a personal thing, just like any other. Some were probably loud about it. Just not the ones he knew.

"Right," Bucky says, and now... well. Now he really gets it, because he's felt that way. He's felt that way most of the time since Steve showed up in that lab where Bucky was strapped to a table, and sure as hell didn't need Bucky Barnes to be bigger or stronger than him anymore.

But just because Steve could win his own fights hadn't ever meant Bucky didn't want to be there to help him do it.

"So be there for him, huh? It doesn't gotta be with candles. Maybe it's just gotta be with you. That's what religion is really about, isn't it? People - caring about other people. Being with them when they need it."

He might just be talking out his ass, given what he does (aka, doesn't) know about Judaism, but... he thinks it might be okay advice.

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, he knows. He just... wants it to be more. He's Billy's older brother, and he wasn't there for almost all of Billy's life. SO it's not easy. In ways that he can't even put into words.

"I don't know, man. It gets complicated because he doesn't need me. But yeah, I try."

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Bucky snorts softly, but it isn't actually aimed at Tommy. "Don't I know it, pal.

"But yeah. Try. That's what counts. He'll see that."

He keeps rummaging through the food on the table, glancing over with a raised eyebrow. "We could bring him back some food, even if it ain't candles, huh?"

[doubled_speed]

Maybe he will. Tommy hopes so. That's the best thing he can do, right? Surviving is the best he can do, and being there for his brother too. Still, food is something, so Tommy nods.

"Mostly, I think I want to get him into a nice warm house."

[stillgotmyleftarm]

"I can understand that," Bucky says, with a smile.

"Well - if this stuff is all from the Agrii, or whatever, then I don't see why we can't stay here."

[doubled_speed]

Well, that's the thing, isn't it? They can't be certain. Which means it's all a mess to try and figure out, right? And he doesn't want to STEAL from people.

"not that simple, right? But if you can prove no one lives here, then I guess I'm in."

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Bucky laughs a little; "Not entirely sure how to prove a place isn't taken." Although, "I do want to make sure there ain't anybody lurking around, whether they live here or not."

Which means he's going to leave Tommy at the table for a moment, and concentrate on clearing the rest of the (admittedly small) building. He hasn't heard anything since they walked in, but that only counts for so much.

[doubled_speed]

Tommy lets Bucky explore as he flops down onto a couch. Like, yeah, he could check the building faster, but he doesn't want to waste the energy when he's got himself a super soldier willing to do it. Plus if something untoward happens he'll be there by the time the man yelps.

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Thanks for your help, Tommy.

Bucky does a quick recon of the place, but just as he expected, "There's no one here," he reports, coming back into the room. That doesn't mean no one lives here, but it does mean it's not occupied at the moment. "Might be worth checking out some of the other buildings, but I'm not sure where else anybody would go."

And also, if there were people here... wouldn't the Agrii have already recruited them, too? Not that Bucky knows what their real criteria are, but still.

[doubled_speed]

"Ice fishing?" Tommy suggests. That's at hing, right? He's heard that is a thing. Is it true?

Who knows, and Tommy frankly doesn't care.

[stillgotmyleftarm]

To say that Bucky gives that suggestion a dubious look would be... a massive understatement.

Like, yeah, it's a thing. But... he doesn't think it's the thing they should be pursuing right now.

"I was thinkin' more like, I don't know, an ambush."

But then, he's still kind of in the military state of mind. "I don't think everyone goes ice fishing all at once."

[doubled_speed]

"Could be an ice fishing holiday," Tommy suggests. Surely that's a think. Can it be a thing? Could deal with all the boredom of fishing by making it a community sport.

"Dude, if nothing else, I'm good at catching ambushes before they can do the thing."