A girl and a black dog materialize in the middle of the street, heralded only by sparks of light. The dog is disoriented, the girl more so; it's been a long time since she's traveled by portal, and it's not to a place she's ever been to before, so she's not sure if her attempt has even worked. That, and she'd already failed several times, each landing the pair of them in a different part of the Ironwoods, though progressively further away from her initial location.
There's a screech and the furious honking of a car. Her eyes open and she stumbles back, though she lunges forward a moment later to put her arms around the dog, catching him before he launches himself at the car. The driver is swearing, yelling at them, and she's considering turning him into a squirrel or something just as small if not for the dog's incessant barking. Above anything else, she'd hate to be noticed. Even if she's already glamoured herself to hide the ugly parts of her, it feels like the people around her are staring at her.
There are so many people.
"Sorry, so sorry!" Hel mumbles, backing into the sidewalk, where there are more people. Inside the buildings, walking along the streets. Damn it, maybe they should go back. But how? They're clearly out of the woods now, and she's not even sure she knows the way back. Not when the shop sign in front of her is exactly as she remembers from that picture: The Meatball.
She pulls out her phone to double check. Yeah, they're in the right place. Garmr starts to whine, also caught off-guard by their unfamiliar surroundings, and she sits down on the pavement next to him. Still feeling that people are staring, she pulls up her hood in a futile effort to hide her face, then texts Bucky:
No reason to get mad. I don't have a whole lot goin' on right now anyway.
Do me a favor and stay as close to that building as possible, alright? I'll come and find you.
It's not like the picture he took was a long walk from his place and it was only a few minutes away because it initially was about finding a place that didn't seem too busy and was still public. He's en route to the location after he sends that second text, not waiting for a reply from her because he hopes she'll trust him enough to stay put and not go anywhere.
He won't touch the fact he's looking for someone he only just met to trust him enough for that, because that's probably some kind of discovery his shrink would comment on and he's not interested in that line of thinking right now.
In being back in society in a much more open way than he was back when he was on the run, he's gotten a little more used to the crowds that he once felt at home in. New York wasn't a place that slowed down over the decades and the crowds of people only serve as a test of skills he can't help but keep fine tuned even if he's a civilian and not a soldier or a weapon anymore.
He's scanning through the people as he gets closer to the spot from the picture he sent to her, ready to curse that maybe she used up all the trust she had to extend to him in her travel here when his eyes land on something. He doesn't waste time with his strides over, because maybe he recognizes something in that need to be as hidden as possible.
"I'm hopin' it wasn't too hard to find the place." He's doing a bit of a teasing once he approaches and extends his flesh hand forward, his palm facing out for her dog with her to know he's not a threat. "You don't look like a Maiden of Hell, for what it's worth."
Well, sitting on the pavement right across the building should be close enough. She pockets her phone and reaches an arm out to tuck Garmr into her side so he doesn't wander off or bark at the people. Even then, and with the hood of her jacket pulled over her head as far as she can make it go, people still slow when they pass by. She's not sure if it's because she looks like a homeless person just sitting there like that, or if it's Garmr's size.
A few stop to try to talk to her, asking if she's lost. She shakes her head at all of them, with Garmr growling at them when they don't leave her alone after that.
She almost, almost just decides to start finding their way back when a man addresses her with a familiarity that couldn't come from a complete stranger. She lifts her head to find a normal-looking human standing over them — but a handsome one, with pretty blue eyes. Her cheeks grow hot as the thought occurs to her, along with the realization that, well, this is Bucky.
Garmr, picking up that she doesn't think the human is a threat, only sniffs Bucky's open palm.
Hel pushes herself to her feet, barely coming up to his shoulder. She's half-Jotun, yes, but because of the circumstances of her birth, she's small and frail, more human in countenance than the others in her family. She averts her eyes at his comment on her appearance, waving a hand to indicate the disfigured side of her face, which now looks completely normal. "Magic," she murmurs, uncharacteristically shy. "Hi, Bucky."
Without knowing that she's small and frail compared to others in her family, Bucky only sees this as her looking like a fair amount of people when they're next to him. He's tall, broad shouldered, gives off hard stares most often, is typically quiet and has a vibranium arm. It's when he covers up his arm and hides his hands behind gloves, all the while making a point to blend in, that he looks his most normal around everyone else.
The corners of his lips tick upward just a smidge, not a full blown smile or a dazzling grin but something pleasant if momentarily lapsing into apologetic. He should have offered his other hand ( the vibranium one ) out to help her up, because that would have been the right thing to do and he realizes that a moment too late. He was too busy trying to make sure that her dog realized he didn't mean any harm to Hel and let him approach.
"Magic or not, you don't look scary." He does bring his attention back to Garmr a moment later, because he notices his hand hasn't been bitten off. "Guess I don't smell like steak to him." He's keeping an eye on the people passing on the street out of his peripheral, something that he can't help doing despite not really needing to keep an eye out for threats like that and this being their first meeting in person. "Hi, Hel."
There's a quick glance behind them, as he's trying to make sure there would be a clear path for them to make their way away from the building and he'll make sure to lead her through the people walking through the streets, keep her protected.
"You gotta have a minute or something? I know you just got here..." He's asking because while they've planned a road trip to the Smithsonian, he's only gone through a portal a sum total of once and didn't get to think too much about it because a battle was going on at the time. He has no idea what that kind of travel is like.
"You didn't forget not to shower in steak," she says with a nod and a knowing smile. He'll find that she's great at paying attention, especially when it comes to matters pertaining to people who are important to her. They might not have known each other for long, but he's pretty much her first friend outside of the woods, which kind of already puts him in that 'important' category.
Garmr seems to have decided that he likes Bucky too, because the dog plops himself down in front of the man, practically sitting on his feet. Seeing that, she laughs. "Look at that, he likes you." So does she, but she's not going to ruin a platonic outing by being weird. Thankfully, Garmr knows just how to break the ice.
She glances uneasily around them. It's not fear he'll find on her face though, just discomfort. Which is reinforced when she tugs at her hood again, as if she can pull it further down over her face. "I'm alright from the portaling, if that's what you're asking." They almost got run over, sure, and people have been staring, but it could've been much worse. At least no one's actually injured. "I don't have the snacks and the books with me, though. I was just trying to practice for tomorrow and..." She smiles sheepishly. "Surprise?"
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There's a screech and the furious honking of a car. Her eyes open and she stumbles back, though she lunges forward a moment later to put her arms around the dog, catching him before he launches himself at the car. The driver is swearing, yelling at them, and she's considering turning him into a squirrel or something just as small if not for the dog's incessant barking. Above anything else, she'd hate to be noticed. Even if she's already glamoured herself to hide the ugly parts of her, it feels like the people around her are staring at her.
There are so many people.
"Sorry, so sorry!" Hel mumbles, backing into the sidewalk, where there are more people. Inside the buildings, walking along the streets. Damn it, maybe they should go back. But how? They're clearly out of the woods now, and she's not even sure she knows the way back. Not when the shop sign in front of her is exactly as she remembers from that picture: The Meatball.
She pulls out her phone to double check. Yeah, they're in the right place. Garmr starts to whine, also caught off-guard by their unfamiliar surroundings, and she sits down on the pavement next to him. Still feeling that people are staring, she pulls up her hood in a futile effort to hide her face, then texts Bucky:
Don't be mad. I think we're a day early.
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Do me a favor and stay as close to that building as possible, alright? I'll come and find you.
It's not like the picture he took was a long walk from his place and it was only a few minutes away because it initially was about finding a place that didn't seem too busy and was still public. He's en route to the location after he sends that second text, not waiting for a reply from her because he hopes she'll trust him enough to stay put and not go anywhere.
He won't touch the fact he's looking for someone he only just met to trust him enough for that, because that's probably some kind of discovery his shrink would comment on and he's not interested in that line of thinking right now.
In being back in society in a much more open way than he was back when he was on the run, he's gotten a little more used to the crowds that he once felt at home in. New York wasn't a place that slowed down over the decades and the crowds of people only serve as a test of skills he can't help but keep fine tuned even if he's a civilian and not a soldier or a weapon anymore.
He's scanning through the people as he gets closer to the spot from the picture he sent to her, ready to curse that maybe she used up all the trust she had to extend to him in her travel here when his eyes land on something. He doesn't waste time with his strides over, because maybe he recognizes something in that need to be as hidden as possible.
"I'm hopin' it wasn't too hard to find the place." He's doing a bit of a teasing once he approaches and extends his flesh hand forward, his palm facing out for her dog with her to know he's not a threat. "You don't look like a Maiden of Hell, for what it's worth."
no subject
A few stop to try to talk to her, asking if she's lost. She shakes her head at all of them, with Garmr growling at them when they don't leave her alone after that.
She almost, almost just decides to start finding their way back when a man addresses her with a familiarity that couldn't come from a complete stranger. She lifts her head to find a normal-looking human standing over them — but a handsome one, with pretty blue eyes. Her cheeks grow hot as the thought occurs to her, along with the realization that, well, this is Bucky.
Garmr, picking up that she doesn't think the human is a threat, only sniffs Bucky's open palm.
Hel pushes herself to her feet, barely coming up to his shoulder. She's half-Jotun, yes, but because of the circumstances of her birth, she's small and frail, more human in countenance than the others in her family. She averts her eyes at his comment on her appearance, waving a hand to indicate the disfigured side of her face, which now looks completely normal. "Magic," she murmurs, uncharacteristically shy. "Hi, Bucky."
no subject
The corners of his lips tick upward just a smidge, not a full blown smile or a dazzling grin but something pleasant if momentarily lapsing into apologetic. He should have offered his other hand ( the vibranium one ) out to help her up, because that would have been the right thing to do and he realizes that a moment too late. He was too busy trying to make sure that her dog realized he didn't mean any harm to Hel and let him approach.
"Magic or not, you don't look scary." He does bring his attention back to Garmr a moment later, because he notices his hand hasn't been bitten off. "Guess I don't smell like steak to him." He's keeping an eye on the people passing on the street out of his peripheral, something that he can't help doing despite not really needing to keep an eye out for threats like that and this being their first meeting in person. "Hi, Hel."
There's a quick glance behind them, as he's trying to make sure there would be a clear path for them to make their way away from the building and he'll make sure to lead her through the people walking through the streets, keep her protected.
"You gotta have a minute or something? I know you just got here..." He's asking because while they've planned a road trip to the Smithsonian, he's only gone through a portal a sum total of once and didn't get to think too much about it because a battle was going on at the time. He has no idea what that kind of travel is like.
no subject
Garmr seems to have decided that he likes Bucky too, because the dog plops himself down in front of the man, practically sitting on his feet. Seeing that, she laughs. "Look at that, he likes you." So does she, but she's not going to ruin a platonic outing by being weird. Thankfully, Garmr knows just how to break the ice.
She glances uneasily around them. It's not fear he'll find on her face though, just discomfort. Which is reinforced when she tugs at her hood again, as if she can pull it further down over her face. "I'm alright from the portaling, if that's what you're asking." They almost got run over, sure, and people have been staring, but it could've been much worse. At least no one's actually injured. "I don't have the snacks and the books with me, though. I was just trying to practice for tomorrow and..." She smiles sheepishly. "Surprise?"