tushanshu | [ video ]

[ For a moment, the video appears to be stuck, as if in pause. The girl looking slightly askew of the camera is very still, and only the faint flutter of wind disturbing the bits of dark baby-hair sticking out from the top of her head indicates that the feed is, in fact, perfectly fine--

--and then, she snaps out of it, face gaining back it's animation and she blows her cheeks out, follows it up with a deep breath and nods. ]

So, uh.

Right.

[ Her hands come up in a sort of surrender, sort of awkward 'Hi, this is me' because wow this is weird, video calls when she is in her pajamas. Her salt-water-soaked-but-nevertheless-now-dry pajamas.

It is not comfortable. She doesn't mind Skyping with friends while dressed in her bedtime clothes, but wow, not like this.

She shakes her head, runs her fingers through her hair and huffs: ]

Okay let me start over.

[ The change is subtle, but the difference is huge. Shoulders straightened but not tense, she looks directly into the camera with purpose and suddenly it doesn't matter what she looks like. ]

Hello, my name is Katherine Bishop and I've just arrived in the city.

I've been appraised by the people who fished me out of the water on what little they seem to feel they can divulge, so you can consider this a shout-out to anyone who can supply me information that will give me a better idea of Turtle Land.

I haven't seen the city much, but I'm a keen observer and no stranger to tension in the atmosphere when I see it.

[ There's a brief and considering pause before she continues in a less blunt tone that leans more to negotiation. ] I have currently nothing to trade with or pay you by for the information and I know I don't really look like much at the moment, but I guarantee that I can offer you my resume and list of skillsets if you require all of that in writing.

[ A beat.] Also, if there is anyone from home out there who sees this, please drop me a message. I'm not even going to lie, guys. It would be awesome to see familiar faces right about now. [ There's a faint twitch of a smile at the corner of her mouth before she reaches over and the feed goes dark. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It's the way he says "Ma'am" that clarifies everything. ]

Oh wow, awkward [ she winces visibly as if to say WHOOPS, my bad ] sorry, sorry.

Would it be really weird if I said that my reaction was the way it was because I knew a Bucky Barnes back home?

[ She opens her mouth to say more and then decides against it and presses her lips shut. ]

Edited 2012-09-29 14:30 (UTC)

[His smile flickers back on.]

Yeah, actually. It's better than the comics thing. And Rikki already covered alternate realities, I guess.

[Thoroughly.
And then the smile disappears.]

Knew? Sorry 'bout that.

[ It's a bit... unsettling, seeing him smile in that easy way. Bucky Barnes from back home was a lot more serious. A lot more -- she'd say angsty, because it's kind of how he came across, but given his history, she figured the man was entitled.

This one though... it's easy for Kate to smile in response when he does, even if it falters after awhile ] I think the term soldiers commonly use is, "died in the line of duty". He was [ a good man? someone they all looked up to? ] A hero [ she chooses to say, instead ] I suppose you'd know though. You're him... sort of.

[ And then the name he mentions registers and Kate blinks ] Rikki? As in Rikki Barnes? [ She'd only met the girl a handful of times, but Kate had a memory for faces and names. ] She's here too?

Weeeeell, that makes two of us dead in the line of duty, then. [The smile twists some, but doesn't quite go away. And... well. Steve is a hero. Bucky's just a guy that's got a good friend and tries to be a good friend back.] And I dunno. There seem to be differences between the universes, it seems. I mean, besides the obvious one, where he lived through the war.

[He must have, right?

... back to bright smile!]

You know her? Yeah, she's been here probably as long as I have.

[ She nods ] Reminds me a little of this thing I read that went something like... "in one of the possible pasts you are my enemy, in another, my friend."

[ she makes a face ]

We've been introduced. [ it makes her mind spin a little though. so many people back from -- or dragged here before they wound up dead. ] I don't know her that well, but she's good people. Then again, those with 'Barnes' for a last name usually are.

[... now, this is... curious.] Enemies? How did that happen?

[Katherine Bishop. You are this close to making him blush, and that ain't easy!] Leastwise I try, and I know she is. Jeez, know other Barneses or anything?

[Since he's been pretty much alone since he was almost six. The thought is still odd. And making him want to know.]

[ Whoops, backpedaling a bit. Because really, she only knows the stuff she's heard. ] Um, it's a long... story? [ she pauses ] One I am probably not the most qualified to tell?

And as for Barneses, I think at this point you, your other incarnation and Rikki are about it? [ Brilliant save, Bishop (yeah, right).

But because she is curious as to how much this Bucky knows... ]

...So uh, did Rikki tell you about her connection to you -- er, the other you.

[Eyebrows all the way up. That's an interesting reaction...] Yeah? Who is, then?

Right. Got it. Then I hope I live up to that - sounds like a good opinion to have on somebody, and I know Rikki is.

[And another frown.] The one from her original world, yeah. The one from the version of reality she ended up in, not... really?

First person I'd truthfully suggest is Cap. But, since the Cap here is yours and not mine... [ sheepish ] It was a very brief thing? I don't even know all the details, but alternate you did some spy work for the Russians at one point in time.

[ Expert on superhero histories, Kate is not. ] I'd honestly refer you to two of my friends if they were here? They're huge superhero fanboys and know most of this stuff better than me.

Ah. The former's the one I was talking about. [ sly grin ] So what's it like, meeting your alternate universe counterpart's granddaughter?

[~~Brief? Kate, you're waaay too kind. That's sixty years...~~] Steve? Yeah, I'm pretty sure Steve has no idea what you might mean. Plus, I kind of am past the whole working for anyone else, back home.

[Shrugs.]

Who'd the Russians need to spy on? Germans? [Last he heard, Russians were allies, after all. Ahem.]

Heh. Gotta say it was almost more of a shock than - waking up here in the first place. But other than the fact that she doesn't seem likely to be going back, either, the good variety. It's been a long while since I've had blood relatives.

[ ~~She's trying not to freak him out? /cough~~ She smiles awkwardly through the video feed, feeling a little sheepish. ] There was um, some conflict between America and Russia after... years after the second world war [ she shakes her head ] I don't want to talk your ear off with history though. But... yeah.

[ You worked for the 'enemy' sounds like too harsh a way to put it. And she wasn't even born back then so it feels wrong to say it out loud in that particular manner of phrasing.

So she switches topics, and manages to surprise herself when the next words out of her mouth are: ]

Do you think the turtle chooses the people it brings here for special reasons? [ and because she's started -- and it would be awkward to no explain -- she ducks her head, looking away when she continues ] I-I mean... do you think there's a reason it takes people who have... [ died ] would have otherwise passed on?

[ She didn't mean to think of Cassie and Vision. It just happened. ]

Well, not like there's much I could do with the knowledge?

[But he shrugs. He can take a change of topic when it's blatant enough.]

One, it's not the turtle that has anything to do with it. Apparently, it's the Emperor who does the whole magic thing and bringing us here and all. But she's been known to say it's not a very precise process.

And she's trying to bring in heroes. I think that might matter more than... whether we were alive or dead to begin with. And that's a weird thing to say.

[ video ]

Re: video;

video;

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject