I'm Stuck in De Chima Prison ( OPEN )

[sidecars]

WHO: Bucky Barnes sidecars and YOU!
WHERE: De Chima Prison
WHEN: 6/20~
WHAT: After asking to spend his sentence in jail, Bucky is visited by friend and doe alike
WARNINGS: Mention of past gun violence


[ It would have been nice to say going into his trial that James Buchanan Barnes had never set one whole foot in prison or jail before. But that was not the case. This is nothing new to him—Well, that's not completely true.

He always found himself thrown into county jail and let out the next day. Usually. It happened often enough as a kid that he became friends with some of the regulars and those on duty. He was no true threat, just a wayward punk with no outlet for his anger issues, stuck between a rock and a hard place after his father died.

This ain't exactly the same. This is prison, where people commit real crimes. And Bucky's come no realer than murder in cold blood. There's no pretense of whiling away the hours before release with an out of date supply of magazines the guards would toss at him. He sits in his cell in grim silence with only his memories to recycle and dissect. It really, really bites.

Every so often, though, the monotony is broken when Bucky receives a visitor. It's not a maximum security prison, so the visits are face to face. That's nice. When he's released into the visitor's room, he looks for anyone familiar sitting alone waiting for him. ]

Comments

[heliophilic]

[Today's visitor is M, who is leaning back in his chair as Bucky comes in. He has the decency to lean in once he enters, though.]

I'd have called but I got the distinct impression you would have ducked them.

[sidecars]

Gosh, you think so little of me.

[ It`s light and flippant, but it`s clear the comment is an automatic response, nothing more. His sober expression just doesn`t match his usual witty retorts.

He takes a seat opposite M, one hand holding up his head. ] So. [ This would be where you start talking, pal. ]

[heliophilic]

You all right?

[He means that in a "as well as you can be" sense. He highly doubts any part of Bucky is "fine" right now.]

[sidecars]

Yeah. [ He shrugs casually. ] No one's hasslin' me. 'Course, that might be more because of my record. I'm sure some poor soul'll come along and call me a kid.

[ That bastard will rue the day. Or would if Bucky wasn't all about good behavior to keep his sentence short. ]

My shoulder's still sore, just so you know...

[heliophilic]

I didn't think they would.

[That wasn't exactly what he meant, but he won't push further.]

A month ago I would have broken it without a second thought.

[liverletdie]

Hey there.

[ He says, with a casual wave, like it's no big deal that Bucky was in prison. That his employee was in prison. ] I thought I'd bring you the HR forms for your leave of absence.

[ Note, he didn't say firing. Really, a little murder? Not a big deal -- at least not when he wasn't really himself when that happened. Stark had experienced that already before, so he knew what it was like, to start seeing the repercussions for the things he did and didn't wholly remember. There was only so much digital memory could do, after all. ]

They treating you alright?

[sidecars]

Hey yourself. [ Yeah, you should be used to this right? You visited Steve in jail, why not his sidekick? At least this time you didn't put Bucky in there, huh? He pulls the form closer to himself, reading the title of the document. ]

Is it gonna look bad on me if I trust you didn't add anything weird into this? [ No offense, but you're kind of shifty, Stark. But even as he says it, he signs his name. ]

Yeah, actually. [ Bucky hadn't really expected that. Not that he would be labeled a villain perse, but back home everyone at the county jail knew him. They took extra care of him, gave him special treatment. Here, well, they're fair and that's all he can ask for. ] You won't believe how many cigarettes I've already won.

[liverletdie]

Well -- [ But then he signed it.

Sorry Buck, that was your soul. ] Does it make me sound like the devil if I say there was a soul caveat in there? [ The way his lips quirk at least gives it away. He's joking. ]

Isn't smoking bad for you? What're you going to do with those?

[sidecars]

Nah, sounds like every businessman I've met.

[ What's Bucky going to do with a soul anyway? Passing the paper back to Stark, he smiles and it's not exactly humorous. ]

Pretty sure black lungs are the least of my worries for the future. [ You know, what with the brainwashing by the Soviets—Oh wait! That basically just happened to him. He'll be more than prepared for the next run. ] And obviously I'm gonna use 'em for currency and favors. Don't you know anything about prison, pal?

[performance]

[ It isn't his fault. It isn't his fault. Dick knows that, on every level, and yet somehow he still manages to feel, more than anything else, angry with Bucky. Maybe it's just that it's easier than pitying him, he doesn't know. There's a cold, tight knot in Dick's stomach when he thinks of it. It wasn't his fault, but it still happened.

It takes him too long to psych himself up to visit his friend in prison. It isn't the first time he's been in one (ha, god no) but he's usually wearing a cape. There on business. Not... this.

When Bucky enters the visitor's room, Dick's sitting, hands folded in his lap, expression pinched and concerned. ]

Sorry, [ he deadpans, ] I couldn't smuggle in a shovel.

[sidecars]

Ha, that's okay. I'm here voluntarily anyway. [ A shovel would kind of put him on the bad side of the law—Moreso than he already is. ] I dunno where you would've smuggled it, anyway.

[performance]

I'm resourceful.

[ That explains nothing. Dick looks over Bucky's face, trying to get a sense of... well, everything, really. How he's doing. God, this is upsetting. ]

So no prison breaks in your future.

[sidecars]

No. I've already had enough... problems to last me a very long time.

[ His eyes are focused on the wood grain of the table, hands spreading over the table back and forth a little anxiously. How is he doing? Not good.

Bucky looks beat down. Who knew the day would ever come, but this is not normal circumstances. Shame and guilt and fear turn him into a scolded dog. ]

Stark came by a few days ago. Let me keep my job...

[baetiful]

[ Have any of the victims come to visit? Petyr highly doubts it. And while it's probably not a smart move to make this close to the election just in case Bucky still harbors resentful feelings toward the ambassadors -- Baelish believes it's a valuable one. He walks into the visiting area and finds the young man who attempted to kill him. ]

I thought, since we've already had such a close first encounter, we could meet on different terms. [ He's alive. He's well. And he can say that with a faint smirk of humor. ]

I trust your mind is back to normal?

[sidecars]

[ And honestly Bucky hadn't expected it. Not that that would have stopped him from reaching out with letters to apologize once he was out of prison. He isn't going to run from his mistakes, especially ones this egregious.

Still, having to face one of the ambassadors so early after the incident makes his stomach tighten up in knots. ]

That's big of you. [ Bucky's pretty sure he wouldn't be so quick to joke about an attempted assassination if he was on the other end of it. ] Yeah, I'm... myself now.

[ And it's a shame that that can't fill him with relief anymore. Why should it? This is himself: a brainwashed assassin used year after year after year. ]

[baetiful]

What's past is past, I always say. It is the future that is worth investing our time in.

[ He settles into the seat casually, folding his hands on his lap. ]

I do not blame you for what happened. I cannot speak for all of the ambassador hopefuls, but I do wish for you to know that much. As a matter of fact, I am a bit impressed. It is not very often one can catch me off guard as you did.

[sidecars]

I was an assassin back home, so... [ He gives a flippant wave of his hand like it's all the reason why some small little punk would turn bright and cheery one minute and homicidal the next. It isn't exactly public knowledge back home either, but plenty of people here in this time and place know what he was and what he will be. Besides, the man is owed the truth; it's the least Bucky can do. ] But if this is a PR stunt, you're kinda wasting your time.

I'm from Nonah, and I won't be outta here in time to vote anyway. Not that it's not a good strategy, might as well milk an assassination attempt for all it's worth, but uh... Sorry to say you're not gonna get anything out of it from my end if you were thinkin' it.

[attainment]

[This time it's Barnaby who's waiting for Bucky. When the other man enters the visitor's room, he lowers his phone and greets him with a polite smile. Due to the circumstances, though, he skips the pleasantries.]

I was asked to sponsor you once you've been released. Not that it matters since I've already agreed, but did you have anything to do with it?

[sidecars]

And you really agreed? [ He's a little shocked since every time they meet it is under terrible circumstances. ] I, uh, may have said you were the responsible type.

[attainment]

[Bucky's shock receives a flash of amusement from Barnaby before it's quickly replaced with a perfectly professional, neutral expression.]

As a hero who's committed to keeping the peace, I consider it one of my duties to help imPorts reintegrate back into society. Besides, I've already been involved with your case from the start. At this point, I may as well see it through to the end myself.

[sidecars]

You're pretty good at speeches. Were you thinking about that all day or was that off the cuff?

[girlwithout]

[This time, he gets a great-niece, who looks pretty uncomfortable here but then, who is comfortable in a prison? No one, really.

It doesn't help that the last time she really saw him, she was helping to take him down.] Hey, Uncle James. How're you doing?

[sidecars]

[ Well, they will both look uncomfortable together, because this is really shitty. ]

Good. All things considered. [ He looks around the room at all the other criminals and their families. ] Honestly never thought I'd be back here.

[ The point of becoming Captain America's partner was to get out and stay out of lock up. ]

[girlwithout]

It won't be forever. You didn't - you know. You weren't you. [Well, that probably wasn't very comforting. Great going, Rikki, A+ choices.]

[sidecars]

[ No, it wasn't. Plenty of people have come to tell him the same thing. He's yet to be convinced. ]

I wish it were that simple. Maybe if I didn't remember it at all—But I do. It was me, like I'd been on the wrong side of the War all along.