IC Inbox

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This is the IC inbox for Bucky Barnes at Riverview.

Network name: user.name

This is the place to contact Bucky over the network. Contact by voice or text is perfectly acceptable, and there is no need to plot with me prior to posting in this inbox.

Note: As of the end of December 2017, Bucky has no phone, he has destroyed it. Consequently, this inbox can only be used for in person interaction. You are still more than welcome to post here without plotting with me first.

Comments

[signifies]

[ The reply takes a while. Clark is in the library with a dictionary.

He answers in English. ]

Six hours. [ A self-conscious pause. ] I had to pretend to throw my roommate off the scent. He doesn't know.

[advanced]

[There's a long pause, before Bucky just snorts in disbelieving laughter.]

Is there anything that you're not super at?

[signifies]

[ He doesn't know how to be a superhero. He can't understand how other people look at him like an ideal of hope. Clark has had to work hard for every scrap that he has. Even as he likes humans, he can't trust humanity. Proof of that is how Jon's had to grow up.

Bucky's amused, and Clark can't bring himself to answer very honestly and bring down the mood. He replies with quiet amusement. ]

I don't think you want to hear me yodel.

[advanced]

I don't think I want to hear anyone yodel.

[That's not exactly good music as far as he's concerned, though it is better than some of the absolute noise that people listen to these days.]

Fine, learn Mandarin, then.

[signifies]

I'll text you for practice.

[ He'll learn this more quickly than Russian. With Lois and Kara both gone, Clark copes by throwing himself into work. ]

[advanced]

Sure.

[He doesn't know that anyone has gone, so after a moment he responds again.]

Won't your housemates think it's strange you're learning all these new languages?

[signifies]

[ Clark replies after a short period of silence. ]

It's just me and Jon.

[ Illya already knows there's something weird about him, and isn't going to think anything is off. Clark has promised to tell him when Illya is ready to share his own true identity. ]

[advanced]

[The phone line goes dead.

Bucky may not have Clark's super hearing to track someone down, but he does have decades of experience in hunting specific targets, so it shouldn't take him too long to locate Clark and drop in on him. Probably literally, depending where he is.]

You didn't tell me.

[The underlying 'why not' is pretty clear.]

What happened?

[signifies]

[ Clark's not hiding from him. It'd be hard for a master assassin to chase him if he was in the sky.

He's sitting in one of the discussion rooms in the library, with his notebooks and some audio tapes, and looks up in surprise, clearly not expecting Bucky to drop in on him like this. ]

You have other things on your mind. [ Clark has a lifetime of only having his parents to talk to. He's not used to having friends. ] I think the Portal sent Lois and Kara back. If they were anywhere here, I'd be able to track them.

[advanced]

[Bucky's eyes narrow slightly, but his tone of voice is completely level and without judgement when he speaks, as if he's curious rather than accusing.]

Am I a charity case to you, or a friend?

[He already knows the answer, or thinks he does, but he's making a point before they get into whatever has truly happened to Lois and Kara.]

[signifies]

[ He answers quietly. ]

I remember telling you I don't really know how to have friends.

[ Bucky would never be a charity case. Clark has no pity for anyone except Zod. ]

[advanced]

Friends rely on each other, it's about trust and mutual respect.

[It's why he doesn't really have any, he finds it very hard to lean on anyone or trust them, even if he wants to help them in return.]

Tell me next time.

[That out of the way, he slides into the seat opposite Clark.]

When did they go? Have you asked the authorities about it?

[signifies]

[ It's hard to trust someone when he's an alien and has always desperately tried to hide it.

Pete was the closest he got in school other than Lana. ]

There's a list of people who've been sent home. They're on it.

[ He's not sure what else he should add. If Clark can't hear their heartbeats, they're gone. Tearing up the city looking for them is pointless. ]

[advanced]

[He hadn't even known about this list, he'll have to pay better attention in the future. But at least they know.]

Then they're safe.

[It's probably not much of a comfort for Clark, left behind as he is.]

[signifies]

Yeah. [ He'll see Lois again back home. ] Kara was from a different universe. I don't know if she's out there in mine.

[advanced]

Probably.

[He shrugs, unsure how to really comfort Clark properly.]

I've met people from other versions of my universe, seems like we all exist in each other's in one way or another.

[signifies]

[ He's a hugger, Bucky. ]

Mine's a little different from the others like it.

[advanced]

So's mine, different in some ways, still has the other people in it.

[Trust him, the other Bucky is very different.]

[signifies]

In Kara's, there was only another me and her. In some others, Kryptonians don't exist. [ Or he died with his planet, which is a cheerful thought. ] There's no guarantee. That's the only thing I know to be true about all these alternate worlds.

[advanced]

[He shrugs, he can't give guarantees as much as he'd like to.]

Then at least you got to meet her for a while, ain't that something?

[signifies]

Yeah. [ His shoulders drop. It doesn't make him miss her less. ] Better than not knowing she existed.

[ He knows what's missing now, and feels more alone than ever. ]

[advanced]

[Apparently that wasn't as comforting as he hoped it would be, not with the way Clark's shoulders drop. He reaches out very tentatively to rest his hand briefly on Clark's shoulder across the table.]

Friendships, family, it's all ephemeral. It all passes. It's the memories that stay, hold onto that.

[It's why he's so fucked.]

[signifies]

[ The physical contact has an immediate positive effect. Clark smiles faintly, and leans into it. He looks up at Bucky. ]

It's a lot, sometimes, isn't it?

[advanced]

[He sees that and so he leaves his hand in place, but that's the most touchy-feely he's going to get.]

Yeah.

[Here, home, everything. It's a lot.]

You going to keep the same house with your kid?

[signifies]

Yeah. [ He has more family than Kara and Lois out there. More than even Tim might know about. ] We'll manage.

[ Clark reaches up to touch Bucky's wrist gently. He can let go if he wants. ]