вυςку (winterly) wrote in avengers_logs, @ 2020-08-08 08:13:00 |
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Entry tags: | -complete, bucky barnes, shuri |
Who: Bucky & Shuri
What: Wandering the beach
When: During the wedding getaway, before the actual wedding
Where: Hammer Bay Resort
Status: Complete
Well, it wasn’t exactly paradise, but it was a decent enough wedding destination, Bucky supposed. Not that he knew much about weddings in the first place. Oh, but of course their current locale looked like paradise to an outsider - and he wasn’t going to complain about a chance to appreciate the beach (so different than the beauties found in Brooklyn or Queens, this was more tropical paradise), the soft skies above and the sharp stones underfoot and brilliant blue waves with the white lace foam; when they crashed upon the shore it was an echo of a drumbeat, and the salty breeze could blow tension right from anyone’s bones. Except his. He was wary, and probably for good reason. “This place gives me the creeps,” he admitted, shuffling along through golden-hued sand. Out here he wore a baseball cap and shades, and jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt to cover his left arm - nothing fancy, that would come later for the actual wedding. But honestly, he was already set to just leave and go back home - there was badness afoot, in a place where the employees wore collars and blank, dead eyes. Their smiles were fake as anything and he felt terrible for them all; being manipulated hit close to home, and he was just - so uneasy. About everything. Shuri had to agree. She held the straps of her sandals between the fingers of her right hand and let the wet sand sqoosh between her toes as she walked beside Bucky. The ocean breeze played with the fluttering hem of her short summer dress. It was a beautiful setting - sun, sand and surf and all that - but the employees made her nervous. She was looking forward to hanging out with the Gang, as she thought of MJ, Peter and Ned, but this time with Bucky was nice. They hadn’t managed to visit much since his breakfast treat on the morning of her arrival; best bagels evah. Also, since she planned to do some exploring with the Gang and see what she could learn about the tech they encountered, getting Bucky’s impression of their surroundings was important. She nodded and said, “Yes. The staff seem like they are under the control of something other than themselves and I felt like I was being watched at the check-in. They probably have security cameras everywhere… maybe even in our rooms.” That was a sobering thought. If they did, she hoped it wasn’t in the bathroom. “No doubt they do. I’m surprised I was able to get past the checkpoint with my arm,” he snorted, and it was true - no other tech beyond a cell phone, maybe a camera, was allowed; and those were thoroughly examined. Bucky just thought that whomever was running the show here (anything with Hammer attached to it was nothing good) was just humoring him, but he’d wait and see how the wedding reception went. His arm was vibranium, so he could just imagine Hammer’s goons coveting such a thing. The sooner they got Loki and got out of here, the better. “They must keep their own tech hidden,” he added, glancing at Shuri. “You gonna go poking around?” She raised her eyebrows and graced him with an expression of mock shock. “Who, me?” Her face shifted to a smirk of glee and she waved her hand when she said, “Pfffft! Of course I will be poking around. The Scooby Gang is going exploring. We are just kids, after all, what harm can we do? All we need is a Great Dane.” And a van with a cool ‘Flower Power’ design and they’d be all set. Figuring out whether it would be Peter or Ned wearing the ascot was still pending, though she was pretty sure MJ was Daphne. She had the Look. One of these days, Pop Culture and TV Tropes would be her undoing. “As for your arm? Perhaps they covet it or they believe the medical papers we provided for you as an amputee of the Kingdom of Wakanda.” An amputee of the Kingdom of Wakanda. That was just too funny, and Bucky rolled his eyes - he was laughing though since, yeah, it figured. “Alright, Scooby Doo,” he acquiesced. He knew Shuri was very into pop culture (Back to the Future was her favorite movie - though she must have been disappointed to learn, after the Snapture, that flying cars still didn’t exist - not even five years later). “You do that, but be careful,” he added, blue eyes shifting toward her to give her a Concerned Friend look; it was written in his whole expression, damnit.. “I don’t want you getting kidnapped and...experimented on, or whatever goes on here.” It wasn’t anything positive, he’d place money on that. Hence the spine-chilling bad touch vibes he got after setting foot on the island. It was disappointing that there weren’t any flying, time-travelling DeLoreans, but you can’t have everything. Shuri couldn’t see Bucky’s eyes very well because of his sunglasses, but she was fairly certain he was rolling them at her. She didn’t mind. His words made her shiver a little, though. “We will be very careful,” she assured him, her smile fading. “I have no desire to be experimented upon and neither do the others. I do wonder, though, if there are others being held here besides Loki. To have such an extensive facility, with the ability to actually prevent someone like him from leaving? That is serious business and not something you develop overnight, nor is it done just with the anticipation of finding someone worthy of such security.” She really didn’t want to think about the possibilities, but she couldn’t keep such thoughts at bay. “It’s possible,” Bucky agreed. “This whole place is for people with money to throw around, and some have really depraved ideas about what to do with it.” Politicians, military officials, celebrities - those who wanted to get their kicks and, well. Let’s just say he trusted that rehabilitation facility about as far as he could throw it. The sunshine felt nice though, the rays like warm fingers - he could see how others might get caught up in the scenery, and really lose track of the ugliness beyond the first layer. When you peeled back the rest of the layers, he imagined it wasn’t pretty. He shrugged, rolling his shoulders as they walked. “Let me know if you find anything interesting, at least?” “I have you on speed dial,” she replied. “Though I doubt I will use my phone if we really do find something. It is probably being monitored, too.” Paradise with no privacy wasn’t Paradise to Shuri. She suspected she wasn’t the only one who found that... intrusive. Yes, she’d use that word rather than ‘illegal’, which seemed more appropriate. “What do you plan to do during this ‘wor-cation’? Swim in the ocean? Hang out in the weight room? Devastate the All-You-Can-Eat buffet?” How an ex-brainwashed, ex-assassin, ex-soldier spent his time when not on a resort island was unknown, beyond treating his friends to bagel breakfasts. How the same person spent his time when he was, theoretically, on vacation? She had no idea. Hm, good question. If it had actually been a getaway and not a breakout mission, Bucky may have had a few ideas about what he’d want to try. But since it wasn’t, he really ought to just stay the course and keep his wits about him. “Probably wouldn’t mind a buffet,” he chuckled. If it was indeed safe to eat anything here - call him paranoid but he just didn’t trust, well, anything about this place. “The scenery’s okay too. Maybe I’ll even get in a nap.” The rooms were cozy, it was simply a matter of letting his guard down for a little while. Which was very hit or miss on Genosha. “I might need a real vacation after the vacation though,” he added. Shuri laughed. “I do not know if they even have such a buffet, but I will let you know if I find one.” Though she wasn’t sure about eating the food here, they were a captive audience, as it were, and it wasn’t like they could stop eating for a few days. Besides, there were other guests here and they seemed fine. Why would a resort want to poison their income, anyway? “I think we might all need a vacation when this is done. At least the bride and groom will have a honeymoon for winding down.” She sighed. “It is a shame, really. It is beautiful here, when you don’t look too closely.” “Yeah, it is. I like tropical vibes,” Bucky nodded - of course, there were about a thousand other destinations he could think of, places he’d want to go before this one. But he didn’t really have a choice (a not novel concept for him, really). “But I like the cold too, as long as there’s a cozy fire involved and lots of blankets. So at least I can brainstorm vacation ideas to pass the time.” And unfortunately, they couldn’t stay out here forever. There was probably more exploring and poking around to do. “Well, should we head back?” he asked Shuri, with a glance toward the hotel in the distance. She sighed and looked over at the hotel, too. “Tropical vibes. Mmmm. I wish I was home. It is just…” She gestured with the hand holding her shoes in the correct direction. “... just over there. Ish. There-ish? Yes.” Shuri lowered her arm. “We probably should. My brothah might get it into his head that I have been kidnapped or something. Organize a search team, be all high and mighty and… I guess that would be a distraction for the Genoshans, but the timing is all wrong.” She shook her head and squinted up at Bucky. The sun was behind him and his face was hard to see properly. “Promise me something? Be careful, but if you can have some fun here, please do so. Must grab these opportunities while we can, uh?” Well, he generally wasn’t the fun type, but sure. Bucky supposed that wasn’t too tall of an order. “I promise,” he gave her a playful salute. “I guess mixing business with pleasure can happen sometimes.” He’d try, anyway. Now to just hope that nothing with their rescue mission went wrong and things just unfolded as they were supposed to - even if that was a tall order, but hey. He’d attempt to borrow some of Shuri’s optimism and all would be just fine. |