The Last Voyages: IC Inbox

[worthallthis]

There is no voice message here. Better hope you got the right box.

Comments

[musicdied]

A couple days after the flood ends, there's another little cloth bag outside B's door. This time, it's a stuffed animal inside: a little teddy bear, mostly brown except for the left arm, which is white and stitched on neatly enough that it's almost impossible to tell it's been modified after the fact. There's another note, also on scrap paper, in block letters:

Thank you for taking care of the puppies.

[worthallthis]

Holy shit that is so cute. And also awful, because it brings up a memory of a 40s-era toy that he remembers the goddamn team heckling him about. B spends a good minute leaning on the wall by the door just laughing at the damn thing.

Yelena gets a note on her phone for this one: please tell me you did not already know about Bucky Bears

[musicdied]

She's in the middle of a custodial shift, so it's about an hour before she responds to the text.

No, but now I really wish I did.

[worthallthis]

back in the 40s Steve made some offhand comment in an interview about me and suddenly there were toy bears with my name on it being sold in the States

it was horrifying

[musicdied]

That does sound very embarrassing.

A second text follows a few seconds later.

I'm going to have to try to track one down if I ever get to go home.

[worthallthis]

B types and then deletes a reassurance that she will get to go home. Inmates hate hearing that. He hated hearing that, even though he never had any real desire to go "home" because he didn't even have one at the time.

Instead he sends,

they're probably collectors items now so you might have to pay a pretty penny

[musicdied]

I make good money.

She's not feeling actively hostile today, so she forgoes any mention of exactly how she makes that money, adding instead after a moment,

And I'm good at haggling.

And then,

Did you know they had little bobblehead toys of the Avengers, after New York and Sokovia?

[worthallthis]

yes and they were creepy as fuck :P

They'd weirded him out especially when he was fresh off the Barge and trying to get his bearings. So creepy.

a lot of the modern Avengers merch is kinda creepy to be honest

[musicdied]

She snickers a little at that, in the privacy of her own cabin.

I had the entire set at one point.

[worthallthis]

did you line them all up on a shelf and watch them wobble?

At least he knows there wasn't one of him. He hasn't ever been an Avenger, or even a decent guy, in the eyes of the world. The Bucky Bear is his only legacy among toys.

[musicdied]

It was very soothing.

But mostly I wanted to see the look on Natasha's face, if she ever came to see me.

[worthallthis]

[B can only imagine. Also, that's the first time she's mentioned Natasha herself. He's not going to make a big deal out of it, though.]

were you expecting disgust or humor?

[musicdied]

Disgust. Maybe trying to burn them. That would have been funny. We could have toasted marshmallows.

[Except probably not. Chemical fires aren't great for cookouts.]

[worthallthis]

[B spends a moment trying to imagine that.]

that would definitely have been funny. and probably poisonous.

I definitely wanted to burn that bear sometimes

[musicdied]

I don't think it would have shortened either of our lifespans. And even poison marshmallows are tasty.

[worthallthis]

have you eaten poison marshmallows before to know this?

[musicdied]

You haven't? We should correct this immediately.

[worthallthis]

does that mean you're going to make me poison marshmallows now?

[musicdied]

:)

[That's it. That's the message.]

[worthallthis]

[It makes B smile, too, though for real. He doesn't reply, either, leaving the conversation there, but it felt-- nice. To just banter a little, like actual friends. Even if she isn't, and he knows that. B is pretty good at not thinking about stuff he doesn't want to, after all.]

[musicdied]

This time, there are two bags, woven from thin, colourful plastic strips, and given the tightness of the creases, it's definitely an industrial job instead.

Inside each of the two bags are a sack of dog treats, claiming to be antelope meat, and a small but durable puzzle mat, tightly rolled. There's a note clipped the handle of one of the bags.

One for Libby and D, and one for the kennel.

finally found this!

[worthallthis]

She will indeed see, the next time she swings by the kennel, that the puzzle mat has been laid out in the puppies' side of the kennel proper. He doesn't send a thank you, because that would be acknowledging that she gave him a gift again, and their relationship is delicate enough that he doesn't want to risk it, but it's clearly being used, and he thinks that will be enough for her.