Owner	Pose
Cael Becker	A dress. An honest to goodness //dress//. Cael tries not to look as uncomfortable in the period get-up as she feels - as she settles in at a quiet booth at a bar, a pair of beers in her hands. She had a dress, a little handbag, a pair of gloves (what the hell were they for?) and a matching //hat//. She didn't know what to do with all these accessories, and she hasn't cursed in several hours. It was enough to make a girl quite irritable.     But at least, for the moment, there was beer, in a bar, as she tries to take a moment to enjoy an experience that so few people would ever get to know. Genuine time travel.     "Ain't this all a kick in the head," she murmurs to her companion, before taking a sip from her pint. "I mean. ...never would have expected any of this when I woke up this morning."
Sam Wilson	Sam's got it easier in the clothes department, at least in the sense that suits haven't changed drastically in the last 80 years. But also it's June in New York City and he's wearing a suit. A linen one, at least, and once they'd found a bar that would serve the both of them he'd immediately taken his jacket off, so it's not as bad as it could be.     Wearing suspenders is kind of uncomfortable, though. At least in 2021 suits were tailored to fit well.     "I'd say I'm used to it, as an Avenger," he says as he accepts his drink from Cael, following it with some murmured thanks, "But that would be a lie. Where do you think this falls in the Big Three?"     He takes a sip, makes a face--it's fine, sure, but Sam has the refined tastes of a guy who has access to literal hundreds of craft beers and has tried a fair few of them--and then shrugs one shoulder. "The clock could've been cursed by a wizard. Maybe we got Cedric Diggory'd."
James Barnes	"I'm tellin' ya Danny, the dames in this place, won't find a dead hoofer one," Wow that boisterous voice sounds so very familiar. "It's a little early, but the band starts in about half an hour." So... very familiar. Is that /Bucky/ walking in with someone. Well, it sure is, but wait. It /looks/ like Bucky.     ...but there's no dark circles under his eyes, no haunted shadows in those baby blues. His smile is wide and bright and open and worth a million bucks. More than a few of the 'dames' in the room turn when he walks in. One even waves and calls out, "James! Over here! Heard you got your orders!"     Bucky winks at Daniel and mouths, 'Told ya'. Before he starts for the brazen woman that called his name. "Connie," he greets before placing a kiss to her cheek that's just a hint over the line of appropriate for the time, a little too close to the lips. "So, what are drinking?" he asks. "On me."
Cael Becker	"'The Big Three,'" Cael repeats in that universal tone of total incomprehension. She simply fixes Sam with a stare for a moment, before taking a sip of her beer.     She's pretty sure she can feel someone staring at them, and she wants to yell at their stupid bigoted faces. ...she refrains. For the moment. "A wizard?" she says instead. "Oh, com'on, man. Magic isn't real. I mean, there's plenty of weird sh-" There's a moment of silence. This is hard for her. "Weird stuff in this world, but magic is not one of them. There's a scientific explination for everything, if we know how to look... for... it..."     The last three words come out slowly as she turns her head, watching Bucky walk in with an open stare for a moment, before her brain catches up with what she's seeing.     "Holy shit."     So much for not cursing.
Daniel Sousa	The man beside Bucky is tall, olive skinned with a runner's build with a lieutenant's rank on his spotless uniform, all the same he's mighty chummy with the Sergeant Barnes as he walks in the bar. "Hey I'm here strictly as an observer. I've got an O.A.O. back home," he says of the dames though he's got to admit Bucky's not wrong about the women in here. Wow. "And whatever beer you New Yorkers drink'll be fine," he says the officer from Idaho with a grin waving to the girls as they head that way.
Sam Wilson	"Yeah," Sam says. "The Big Three. You know," and his voice pitches lower to keep their conversation between them only, "Androids, aliens, and wizards." There's a gleam in his eye as he watches Cael over the top of his pint glass, and he cuts in, "There's a literal witch on the Avengers, you know that--the Sorcerer Supreme is a consultant for SHIELD!"     His laughter at companion's rebuttal is a bit louder, at least able to be overheard. He's still got his beer half-raised to his mouth, having not quite yet managed to actually take another drink, when he follows Cael's line of sight.     He looks swiftly away, and then back again in a literal double-take, and then Sam and Cael are speaking in tandem: "Holy shit."     Immediately though he ducks his head, adjusting his posture so the rest of the bar is mostly just looking at the back of his head. "Damn, what are the odds?" he asks, but then can't help sneak another look over his shoulder. Sure, Sam's seen pictures of Bucky as he was back in the day, mostly from when he was serving with the Howling Commandos, but it's something else to see it in person. Weird as hell. The man isn't even staring!
James Barnes	His hair's short, his face smooth... a baby face really compared to what HYDRA left behind for the people in 2021. He looks so. fucking. happy. Once he finds out what Connie and Daniel are both drinking, he flags down a waitress and orders. "Hey, Doll, keep'm comin'." It's hard to say where he's come up with that cash flow. Probably odd jobs around the neighborhood.     "So, where's Bonnie?" he asks ... Connie. "I was thinkin' maybe me and you and her and Steve could do something tomorrow night. What with me shippin' out the next day and all."     He bumps shoulders with Daniel and winks again. "Don't mean you can't cut a rug?"     "I'm not sure Bonnie's all that keen on Steven, Buck."     "Well, she will be, she just doesn't know him yet," Bucky points out.     ...as if on cue, Bonnie makes he way out of the powder room and settles down at the table next to Connie. "What'er we talking about?"
Cael Becker	Any thought of arguing about magic is forgotten as Cael stares at the glass in front of her. "Seriously," she agrees quietly. She's mentally running through everything she knows from the man's file - which is not much. Anything of interest is deeply classified. She'd been able to look up a little on the subject of 'James Buchannen Barnes' once she'd known the name, but even that had been redacted. "Things go... bad after this. Huh?" she asks in a low voice - looking towards Sam.     He must know the whole story. ... right?
Daniel Sousa	A smile cuts across Daniel's lips. "Good point, I suppose a dance or three won't hurt," he says with a shoulder bump returned to Bucky. He takes a stool next to Connie. "Daniel Sousa," he greets, extending a hand before nodding to Bucky's remarks. "I'd take his word on the guy myself, they don't make you sergeant for collecting bottle caps, Bucky knows what he's talking about," he chimes in support of his new pal. When Bonnie arrives she gets a nod of greeting but leaves it for Bucky or Connie to fill her in on the topic of the night, taking a long sip of his beer when it arrives.
James Barnes	"Steve, you, me and Connie, tomorrow night. Hittin' up that Tomorrow Expo or whatever it's called and goin' dancin' after," Bucky explains to Bonnie. "He's a swell guy, you'll have fun, I promise." When his beer arrives, he polishes off three quarters in one elbow bend. Seems he's decided.     But Bonnie asks, "What about you, Lt. Sousa, you have plans tomorrow?" She's blushing fiercely, that was a bold question for a 1940s woman.     "I's a pleasure," Connie replies. Her hand slips so very delicately into his, no firm grip or trying to prove herself, just ladylike.
Sam Wilson	The realization that *he's* the one staring has Sam twisting his head to blink at the wall, eyes wide. "I think maybe we've fallen into the Twilight Zone," he decides, and then takes a fortifying drink of beer. A long drink. Yep. Still drinking. Uh huh.     It's empty, suddenly, and Sam puts the pint glass back down on the table. "Holy shit," he says again, and his expression is briefly blank as he mentally reboots. Hell, that means Sam's the one with the cyborg brain and the staring problem in this instance, doesn't it? It kind of feels like the ground has pitched out from beneath his feet.     So Sam is really glad he's still sitting down.     "Yeah, it--," and then Sam swallows. He fixates on a point over Cael's shoulder for a second or two before he nods. "It gets real bad. Not my trauma to tell, though." He glances with regret down into his empty glass, but there's no way he's going to risk going up to the bar when Bucky Barnes in the flesh is standing over there.
Cael Becker	"But it hasn't gone wrong yet." No, it doesn't take a lot of brain power to follow that statement to it's conclusion. Cael looks speculative for a moment. "I owe that man a lot," she breathes almost unconsciously.     "...but we're not supposed to derail the future." And changing Bucky's life? Changes the future. A lot. She knows enough to know //that// much. "Fuck," she murmurs quietly - before tossing back a good chunk of her own beer. //One// of them is going to have to go get refills.
Daniel Sousa	"A few of my pals in my unit and I went by the Expo the other day, it was a gas, you got to check out Stark's flying car," he says about the Expo before Bonnie's question has his cheeks flush too and he clears his throat. "Got to cover for the guy who's covering for me tonight, but you and Steve have a good time, cut a rug for me huh?" he asks with a tip of his beer before he takes another long swig.
James Barnes	"C'mon, doll, just give Steve a chance?" Bucky is pulling out all the stops pleading for his best friend. He's pouring on all the charm - and he had a LOT of it back then - and that SMILE, lord but that smile could melt the ice caps.     "Fine, Bucky, but you owe me," Bonnie relents, but her eyes are all a twinkle for little James Barnes. So. Happy, that smile grows even wider.     He's just about to respond when...     "We don't like ***** 'round here." There's always one, maybe two... no it looks like five? "... ****** don't know their place anymore," from another one. All five of them look drunk, ready for a fight and... probably not easily pushed around. This could get ugly.     Bucky's attention snaps in that direction. That's unacceptable. "'scuse me," he murmurs as he stands from the table. He's still holding a heavy beer mug in one hand. Everyone else in the bar, including the girls, fall pretty much silent. No one willing to step in on either side, at least there's that. The bigotry isn't *spreading* and at least one ally has made himself known. Or will when he says, "There a problem?! That happens to be a pal of mine," he's totally lying, but really is he? Does it count as a lie if it's only a lie in the moment, but not in the future? "...you got a problem with him, then you got one with me too?"
Sam Wilson	"No," Sam answers. He looks at Cael and then away again, their thoughts following similar tracks. It's basically the trolley problem, or the Kobayashi Maru, which is a moral quandary that Sam definitely isn't in any kind of mental state to sort through right now. So he's left to stew in his thoughts and maybe play rock-paper-scissors with Cael to see who gets to suffer through ordering them another round up at the bar.     Until it becomes rapidly obvious that they're done drinking. There's no obvious outward signs that Sam's even overheard the drunks at the bar spewing slurs his way, at least unless you're Cael, who's sitting right across from him. For her it's all there in the sudden tension in his shoulders, the way his left hand flexes against the tabletop. He doesn't look up, but his eyebrows dip down.     Sam's a glass-half-full kind of guy, that's just who he is. Hopeful. Optimistic. But not so blinded by optimism that he wasn't expecting this, because it's 1943 and he knows his history.     He pushes up off the table, onto his feet. "C'mon, Beck. We should head back before this gets out of hand." He doesn't make eye contact with anyone but her, just tips his head in the direction of the door.
Cael Becker	Cael's jaw tenses as soon as she hears the drunks, her gaze flicking to Sam in concern, and then to the men in anger. There's a moment of surprise on her features as Bucky jumps so quickly to- well, a //stranger's// defense. As Sam rises, though, she gets to her feet as well - catching his hand. "Com'on," she murmurs to him - mischief suddenly flaring in her eyes as she moves in close against him. He's not tall enough to make what she has in mind all that difficult, either.     Pulling him in, the white lady does what no self-respecting white lady of the era is supposed to do.     She kisses that black man in public, and seems to relish it, before she turns and gives the drunks a look. Well? What're you going to do about it, boys?
Daniel Sousa	Flinching at the slurs, Daniel takes a swig of his beer and pushes up from the bar, saying to the girls, "Might want to clear out, you're in the line of fire," then to the bartender. "Got a phone? Call the cops." Then his eyes shift to the drunks, "Alright, you guys've had enough, go on home and sleep it off, but first you apologize to that man there, his date, and everyone else who had to listen to that bunk you guys were spewing," he says firm and calm, eyes not leaving the five drunks. Until the kiss that is, he blinks and stares, hell even blushes a bit because it seems like the hell of a kiss. "Oh boy," he mutters to himself, feeling any hope of staving off a fight quickly slipping away; he squares his shoulders and braces for what comes next.
James Barnes	Bucky has just been through basic, he's not trained the way he will be years from now. He doesn't have decades of bloodshed and violence under his belt. He's fresh-faced, green baby truth be told. But he still knows how to kick a little ass, he's been doing it for Steve for nearly his whole life.     It's just who he is... who he was? Is he still? Is he *still* that guy that will always leap to defend the 'underdog'? Those that know him best can probably still see it in *their* Buck, even if he doesn't see it in himself.     At least Bucky's announcement takes a little of the *immediate* attention from Sam and Cael. "Really Barnes? You really want me on your dance card?" That's from the first of the five to speak up.     "Yeah, I do." Maybe Bucky could have, eventually, brought the situation to order. None of the five of them really seem to want to make a move against Bucky. They're all neighborhood boys, grew up together, just... with really different views of how the world should work. But that kiss? That does it.     Bucky doesn't hesitate, not for a second. When the group decides to move closer to Sam and Cael, young Buck is right there. He takes out the closest one with one shot, one good hard shot to the side of the head with that half full beer mug. Seems even then, he wasn't worried about fighting a little dirty to even the odds, Cap would probably frown at him, but no one's perfect.     Down to four. "Go! Get outa here!" he screams at the two 'strangers'.     Four against one, still not the best odds. They're better once Daniel seems to have his back. But even when it was just him? Well, he was still willing to take whatever was coming him so those two strangers could get out safely. Not much has changed there, huh?
Sam Wilson	Later, Sam will be able to look back and appreciate that he's got people in his corner, but right now his only real concern is getting the hell out of there. They don't need this kind of attention.     He's already reaching for Cael when he stands, though getting her hand in his is maybe not what he's expecting. He's also sure as hell not expecting her to press in close, lean up and kiss him, either. So it's not exactly much of a kiss to write home about, and a second or two later Sam's got both his hands on her waist, but only so he can gently press her back.     When they're face-to-face (but not real up close and personal) Sam's expression is a mix of incredulity, annoyance, and amusement... but to be honest, that last one's winning out. No one makes a habit of hanging out with Steve Rogers and doesn't get used to dealing with curve balls like that.     "Really?" he asks, and maybe he has more to follow up with, but then Sam sees movement in his peripheral vision. He steps forward, reaches, and with well-practiced ease redirects the momentum of the punch that's just been thrown at him, dumping his attacker on the table he and Cael have just vacated.     Then he puts his fists up.     "C'mon, Beck. We both know you've been dying to cause some trouble since we landed."
Cael Becker	"Really!" Cael chirps with a sort of cheer she doesn't always show. She spins around around - remarking to Sam's comment, "Isn't that what I just did?" before taking a step back like she intends to cower behind him. Oh, look at me? I'm a helpless little lady who couldn't possibly defend herself.     That is, of course, until the next guy takes a run at Sam, while he's busy slamming the other guy into the table. She steps forward - kneeing the guy in the junk in a most unladylike fashion, before sweeping his legs out from under him, and shoving him backwards towards his remaining friends.     "Are you //gentlemen// sure you really want this fight?" she asks. "You're clearly outclassed, you inbred backwater hicks."
Daniel Sousa	Daniel had wanted to avoid this fight, it was unbecoming n officer to be brawling in bars, but now that it was on it was on. "Call the cops," he repeats pointing at the bartender before he wades in on Bucky's tail, drawing a sloppy haymaker from one of the drunks and countering with a tight uppercut to the ribs, before stepping back and throwing a trio of punches to the jaw and breadbasket. The man goes down, and Daniel steps over him, kicking a chair in the way of a drunk charging from Bucky's right, he steps up to meet the man as he stumbles throwing punches fast and clean.
James Barnes	That bartender didn't waste any time calling the police the first time Daniel asked. In fact, sirens, much different sounding in 1943 than in 2021, but still obviously sirens, are already wailing in the distance.     Bucky takes one to the side of his face that rocks his head and has him seeing stars for a minute. Definitely not the trained killer he is in 2021, but he's got spirit. He takes a swing of his own and... misses? Hey, his head's spinning! And, really, Gods he's just a *baby* that thought he was tough. He didn't even know what tough was back then.     "Go, they're gonna lay it all on you!" he calls out, a little slurred. Champion of the underdog, always the pragmatist though, he knows it'll be the black man getting hauled out in cuffs. "Just go!"     When Daniel takes down the drunk that cleaned Bucky's clock, he shoots the man a wide, toothy grin and a, "Thanks, Pal."     People are hiding under tables, behind the bar... A few have stepped into the fray, some on one side and some on the other. It's just about to turn into a full fledged, all out bar brawl with people hitting each other for no other reason than ... other people are hitting each other. But, it seems the sounds of sirens are starting to mellow the crowd just a little. Even in 1943, jails sucked.
Sam Wilson	Sam just needs to accept that everyone in his life is out to cause trouble, no matter the time or place. And while 1943 in a New York bar is maybe not the best time *or* place for it... Sam can't deny that when he slams his fist into the face of a guy who decided it was perfectly acceptable to hit a woman (which would be a win for equality if he wasn't saying some very unkind things about her taste in men at the moment), it feels pretty good. Cathartic, maybe.     So he's been a little stressed since they stumbled into the past. Can anyone really blame him?     He blocks another incoming blow with his arm and snaps a knee up into someone's stomach, and then he's backing up. "Thanks!" he calls out, and then grimaces, hoping his voice won't be too distinctive seventy-five years in the future as he gets an arm around Cael.     Part of him thinks he's going to have just as much trouble hauling her out of here as he would if he stayed in the fight, so he does his best to bodily drag her out with a hurried, "Time to go!"
Cael Becker	"Shit," Cael mutters. Shit, shit, shit. Barnes is right, and she hadn't considered that when she started this mess.     They will pin it on Sam. And that's a mess none of them need to deal with right now. And it would all be on her head.     "That's two I owe you, Barnes!" she calls out! Let him stew on that, that for a while. That confusing remark delivered - she ducks out of Sam's arms to retrieve her little handbag and hat - and with those put properly into place, she's ready to beat a hasty retreat from the bar - letting out a heady laugh as they dash down the block in the opposite direction from the approaching sirens - and quickly around a corner - before slowing their steps.     "I really shouldn't have done that!" she laughs.     But no. From the size of her grin, she doesn't look like she regrets any of it.
Daniel Sousa	"Punch now, thank me later," Daniel says with a grin as he drops his second guy and sees the fight beginning to thin out. "You want to make sure the happy couple gets home safe?" he asks Bucky. "I'll stay put and talk to the cops," duty of an officer and all of that.
James Barnes	"Nah, I'll stay with you. This is my city, they know me."     No one seems willing to give chase when Sam and Cael make a break. Might be because Bucky has set himself up in front of the door. He may have gotten a good whack once, but he still does have a neighborhood reputation of being pretty tough and without motivation, most seem inclined to let it go.     It also helps, more than just a little, that Bucky had Daniel on his side and Daniel apparently had a lot more hand to hand experience on his than Barnes.     When the cops show, Bucky turns on the 'neighborhood boy' charm. James Buchanan Barnes was always a good kid for the most part, respectful... helped out the older folks in the neighborhood with their lawns and shoveling snow. Not a one of them has a reason to not like him. So it's easy for him to convince them that this was nothing more than a little drunken disagreement, especially with Daniel there to back him up. Thankfully the damage to the bar wasn't all that extensive.     One of the officers even claps Bucky on the shoulder and looks him in the eye to say, "You be careful over there, kid. I've seen it, the way it changes men, that war. Be shame to see that happen to you."     To which Bucky replies confidently, "Awww, shucks, Officer Barton, don't go gettin' all weepy now. Those Nazis won't see what's comin' when James Buchanan Barnes gets there, they won't know what hit'm. It won't change me one bit."