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]

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."

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Bucky raises an eyebrow. "You really want it to be ice fishing, don't you."

But based on the ride he just took, he does know Tommy's telling the truth about being able to head off any ambushes.

"Yeah, but even you can't be everywhere at once."

[doubled_speed]

"No, I'm just saying you're super anti-ice fishing, bro. It's impressive."

He's trying to offer options that aren't 'hey people out there are trying to kill you'.

"And I can be a lot of places at what people think of as 'once'.

[stillgotmyleftarm]

"I guess somebody's got to be against it," Bucky says, maybe rolling his eyes a little bit.

He is still intrigued by Tommy's powers. Especially now that he's gotten a taste of them firsthand. "Yeah. I'll bet you can. What's that kinda stuff take outta you, though? Eventually you're gonna run out of juice."

[doubled_speed]

"It requires a lot of energy," Tommy admits with a shrug. "I've... been trying really hard not to mess with my powers often. It's not like it's easy on me. The speed is who I am."

And fuck you, man. Fish is tasty.

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Fish is great, but does everybody need to go fishing at once? He doubts it.

Bucky just hums. "That's kinda what I've heard from the mutants I met," he admits. "It's a big part of them. I guess I can't really imagine, but that doesn't mean I can't try and respect it."

It does make him worry, though. What's to say these aliens won't be able to mess with powers, or worse? He remembers how the implants from the Atroma could glitch. "It sounds kinda isolating, though. To operate so differently from the rest of us schmucks."

[doubled_speed]

"Yeah," Tommy agrees as he picks a chair and flops down on it. "Back home there were at least some speedsters. Like Uncle Pietro. But there aren't here."

Here he is alone and no one can comprehend it.

"I'm lucky, actually. With Vision being here I can at least talk to someone at my rate. Agrii tech? It can almost keep up with my text speeds. So I can talk to him almost as fast as I can think. Well, not actually, but close enough."