[log] soft toy exchange [closed]

[advanced]

Characters: Bucky, Steve, House, Ecks, and Castiel
Location: The museum
Date: Evening/Night of 223
Summary: Two sets of travellers run into each other
Warnings: Probable violence

[199: Though the building itself isn't the largest, the high ceilings and information desk through the double doors make it clear that this is a museum. This area is clearly marked as the West Entrance. Occasionally, information pamphlets can be found naming this place as the Norfinbury Museum of Art.

Surprisingly, most of the art has been left in the museum, and what hasn't been left still bears an informative plaque about the piece. None of the artist names are familiar, and nothing is dated any later than 2050. Unfortunately, probably due to the failed climate control, much of the artwork has degraded.

What can still be made out seems to indicate that this museum had an eclectic collection of traditional Alaska Native art as well as pieces contributed by other artists living in Norfinbury. Some of the plaques indicate that the museum was dedicated to fully encompassing the diverse and creative spirit of the town. There appear to have been a few works addressing the protests, but the information on these is minimal compared to less political pieces.

The building is bisected through the middle by the collapsed glass roof. Once buried in snow and rubble, a path has been carved through the mess, revealing the other half of the museum.

Where the western hall seemed to degrade from neglect, it's very clear that the eastern hall has been purposefully destroyed. Glass display cases have been shattered, sculptures dissected, frames knocked to the floor and paintings shredded. Information plaques have been painted over or broken entirely. Graffiti covers the walls, even up near the high ceilings. It doesn't resemble traditional vandalism, though, the illustrations chaotic and abstracted even where they represent recognizable subjects. Eyes feature prominently, in various stages of abstraction and occasionally grotesque in appearance. Though often barely legible, the words "long live the prophet" are also recurring throughout.Continuing on, the East Entrance area is architecturally a mirror of the West Entrance, but it has been similarly ransacked. There's barely an inch of wall that hasn't been vandalized, and the only informational pamphlets have been ripped to tiny pieces. But at least the double doors can be opened. Many of the prophet eye symbols have been blacked out with charcoal, but not all of them.]

Comments

[advanced]

[Bucky knows that House is here, as well as a veritable stranger, but he's trying not to let it spark at the paranoia in the back of his head too much. He's settling himself against one of the walls where he has a good vantage point of anyone coming in close, with two soft toys in front of him.

One pig, and one stuffed crow.

If anyone even enters the part of the museum where he's set up camp, perhaps Steve aside, he'll watch them with a creepy intensity.]

[fiteme]

[When they'd gotten to the museum, Steve had nearly vibrated out of his skin with the excitement of it. Art! He can go study real art! And it's still there! In... terrible condition, but still there! So when Bucky went to go set up camp, Steve broke off to tour through as much of the museum as he could access.

A few hours later and he's back, stopping a few yards away from Bucky's camp.]

Permission to approach?

[advanced]

[He's been slightly more relaxed with Steve the last couple of days, but he might not have noticed because he's still more or less completely silent unless he's addressed. But he's been mulling over something important, and he's come to a conclusion.

So when Steve stops a short way away, he offers the tiniest of smiles.]

Yeah, sit down.

[fiteme]

[Steve has been perhaps overly sensitive to Bucky's moods and facial expressions, always hoping that he'll be able to better understand what Bucky's thinking and going through. He's had to relearn his friend, and he's willing to do it, happy to do it.

So when Steve sees that smile, he immediately smiles back.

Okay. So. Joke went over good. Excellent.

Steve approaches and settles down close to Bucky, going through his sketches of the exhibits he's been able to see.]

Have you been in here before?

[advanced]

Yeah, a couple of times.

[He thinks this may be where he ran into House last time too, which makes this a place that he's not too keen on.]

You've seen the others here? Don't go near House.

[ecks]

[That's okay, Ecks will watch right back, matching his intensity apart from the way her gaze flickers to the fake animals in front of him. She stops a few strides away before it occurs to her to attempt overt friendliness. Bucky will be treated to a very deliberate sort of smile.]

Hello.

[advanced]

[He doesn't even mind that her smile is deliberate, his is genuine. It's not a big smile, but it is surprisingly warm considering it doesn't make it onto his face that often.]

Hey, Ecks. I've got your pig for you, and I picked up a crow too. You can have them both.

[ecks]

[Her exaggerated grin softens into something more real as she steps closer and drops into a crouch within arm's reach. She grabs up an animal in each hand, holding them beside each other and gazing at them.]

These are good. I like these. Thank you. I have good things also, do you want some things?

[advanced]

No.

[It goes against his instincts to not ask for trade, she might have something useful, but he wanted to give her these.]

They're a present for a friend, you don't need to give me anything in return.

[rubikscomplex]

[House remembers that creepy intensity. He remembers Bucky nearly attacking him when they were last here together. There's something in him that can't quite resist the temptation to needle, though.]

What're you looking at, One-Man Army?

[advanced]

[He was just going to leave it be, but House had to get a word in, didn't he? Bucky is on his feet in half a second, crossing over to try and pin House to the wall with his one arm across his throat.]

You're not that smart, are you?

[rubikscomplex]

[House finds himself pinned and his eyes go wide before he's fumbling in his pocket and pressing a scalpel blade to Bucky's throat, in turn. He doesn't want to use it. He probably won't use it, and he's barely looking at it. But the threat of it is there.]

Neither are you.

[advanced]

[He's not afraid of the blade at his throat, it just pushes him further into a state where he can fight. He's ruthless as he shifts to attempt to use his elbow to knock House's arm away, so he can headbutt the man with no repercussions.

He's banking on a moment or two of being dazed, if he manages it, to get the scalpel away from him.]

[fiteme]

[Steve is wandering every part of the museum he can access in awe. It's been... so long since he's been able to just go to a museum like this. Or maybe it hasn't, but it's felt like ages. A lifetime. And everything is new and unique, and Steve just wants to study it all, take notes and make sketches and spend hours examining details.

That it keeps him away from the other people in the area is... a beneficial side effect.

He doesn't really understand the weird unsettled feeling he started getting when he and Bucky realized they weren't alone, but it definitely feels better to be alone, or just with Bucky. The idea of being around too many people makes him anxious in a way he'd rather not think too closely about.

For now, he'll just study the artwork, since he has no idea when he'll get this kind of opportunity again. Besides, what kind of art a group of people collects says a lot about that group of people. Usually. Maybe it'll be helpful.]

[ecks]

[Ecks is a habitually quiet creature, but twice now she has elicited negative reactions from people who did not know she was nearby. With this in mind, when she turns a corner and sees the smallish man staring at one of the faded images on the wall she does not continue to creep up in silence.]

I am behind you.

[She is, indeed, behind him. Like...ten feet away. This is how you avoid startling people, right?]

[fiteme]

[Yeah that... isn't exactly how that works. Steve also has the bad luck of being hard of hearing, so even when people are being obvious he can't always catch it, so he really doesn't hear her until she speaks, so close by. He jumps and spins and clutches his chest.]

Jesus, I guess you are.

apologies for the delay!

[ecks]

[He'll be greeted by the sight of a patchwork woman in worn leather armor, a fireplace shovel in her hand. Normally she does not go about armed and armored after lockdown, but in such a large space with strangers, it seemed prudent. She stares at him, her scarred face expressionless until she twists her mouth into an approximation of a smile.]

Hello, correct. I am Ecks.

[rubikscomplex]

Wow, you were a skinny ass white boy before whatever serum bullshit happened.

[Hello, Steve. Don't mind House commenting from the doorway as he steps into the same section of the museum as the other man. He does, at least pause, not approaching fully, yet.]

How much do you weigh? A hundred pounds wet.

[fiteme]

[Steve turns in surprise, then scowls. That's... not a great way to introduce yourself to someone. Steve's not terribly happy about having a reputation to live up to on the best of days, but having to come after versions of himself that were enhanced by the serum... and then having it rubbed in his face, well that's really something that makes him mad.]

That's none of your business. Who are you?

[rubikscomplex]

Stevens. Roger Stevens. [House smirks at Steve.] You can call me Rog, Steve-o. Kinda rude not actually introducing yourself before asking my name, though.

[godsspeed]

[ Castiel splits off from the rest of the group after lockdown engages and begins to patrol the building, as is his custom. While he normally examines each room thoroughly then returns to House or Ecks as soon as he's done, the museum's size and the sheer number of distractions within it make that a less than feasible task to preform in the time he has before he succumbs to fatigue again. He's forced to settle for making a wide circuit through the halls, stopping only occasionally to examine the art.

It's difficult to limit himself, even though he knows there isn't time to linger. Seeing the ways in which humankind chooses to interpret and reflect the gift of his Father's creation has always been one of Castiel's favorite things about his rare visits to Earth. Under different circumstances he could spend days here, studying the still lives, portraits, abstract pieces - interestingly enough, he seems equally as transfixed by the graffiti in the east wing as he does by the exhibits. ]

[advanced]

[He's doing his own circuit of the museum when he spots Castiel, a face he doesn't really recognise looking at the artwork. He steps up behind, quiet, but keeps a safe distance back.]

Are you with the others?

[House and Ecks, he means.]

[godsspeed]

[ Being snuck up on is still a novel experience for Castiel, as a being accustomed to a very, very wide range of perception, and he pivots on his heel to face Bucky as he speaks, hand twitching towards the handle of the frying pan in his backpack. He relaxes quickly though, after having a moment to take stock of the situation. ]

I've been traveling with Ecks and House, yes. If that's what you're asking.

[advanced]

[Just that momentary reach for a weapon, even if it's aborted, is enough to have Bucky reaching for his own weapon. A scalpel slides out of his sleeve and into his waiting hand, and he doesn't quite put it away again even when Castiel relaxes.]

Who are you?

[rubikscomplex]

[The acoustics are terrible in the destroyed museum, but the sound carries, and House puts that to use as he plays his guitar. He runs through a few more tunes like that before he pauses to eat his dinner, meager though it might be. Trying to get through the pass means conserving so they're not just stuck with vending machine food.

Interrupting him in the middle of playing is liable to get a person ignored, but he's marginally more sociable, if on-edge, once he's finished with his 'set.']