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bakerstreet2012-09-15 01:19 pm
the train to the afterlife meme.
Congratulations: You are dead.
Maybe you know how, maybe you don't. Perhaps the memory is fuzzy, or perhaps it's crystal clear down to the look in your comrades' eyes. Maybe it was your time; you've done all you wanted to. Or maybe you weren't at all ready to go, maybe you went out kicking and screaming - but none of it matters. You know you're dead, and the train is taking you to an afterlife. Perhaps an afterlife of your choice; you might've earned that heaven. Or perhaps you've earned something else entirely.
It'll be a bit of a journey, though, so you might as well take your time and talk to the other people in your coach. Death knows no place: most of them are strangers, even from faraway worlds. But death knows no time either, so who knows, some of them may be people you know, even if last you knew, they were alive - or long gone.
Oh look, here comes the snack cart.
All the usual:
- Post with your character's name and canon in the subject line.
- Said character is now dead for whatever reason - canon, AU, what have you. They are on a train with other dead people from many other times, places and worlds.
- Characters don't know for a fact where they're headed - just a general awareness that they're going to some kind of afterlife. Whatever they think it is is up to the player.
- This meme is built especially for cross-canon interaction, and potentially for threadjacking and group threading - if you're interested, may be a good idea to state as much in your subject line.
- Tag around and play nice!
- TRIGGER WARNING: Meme obviously deals with death and may deal with other unpleasant themes as a result. Please be cautious.
Steve Rogers | Marvel 616
Would you mind an MCU Tony?
He can't care to. Not until he looks up and sucks in a breath. The release of it brings a hard smile to Tony's face. "You too."
absolutely not!! <3
He makes room silently, turning his knees to the side with a conscious attempt at ease. Normalize. Adapt. And then react.
He glances out the window, tracking uncharted scenery. He composes himself and finds Tony's eyes for answers he can't readily provide.
"We've assembled in stranger places."
Yay!
"Expecting the rest then, Cap?" he asks, swinging his head to the side as if he expects a 'My friends!' boomed from the space behind timid, small Banner as he apologizes to people whose feet he might step on in the aisles.
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He tries again to catch Tony's eyes. "I don't believe we failed, Tony."
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He reaches out, touches Tony's knee gingerly. To be honest, he'd had some irrational apprehension that he might slip right through him, but even death has its surprises. Now he supposes the last hurdle is the words. The right ones, after all the tension between them. "We've done good."
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And yet, it's all right there, isn't it? Right there, waiting. They'd made advances in the space of hours and now--
Tony brushes Steve's hand away and moves to sit beside him and not across from him. "They need us."
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"Easy to say," he says, curt. "If by some miracle you know the code to unlock resurrection, I'm all ears." He turns fully in his seat, fervid. "I'd wager the most we can do on a moving train without an inkling as to our coordinates is try to gather ourselves a sitrep, compose, and make sure we're of sound mind and body. That's what I'm trying for."
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Tony cuts the wire.
He's up and out of his seat in a moment, that drunken, not quite drunk enough haze seems to have lifted. "I could kiss you. C'mon, Capsicle, we're getting out of here."
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"Done joking? Elaborate," he tells Tony. He readies his shield as a bulwark and steps up beside Tony.
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"Joking? Never. When you die, you don't end up on a train with a guy in spangled pajamas, Cap. And if you do, and he's not wondering where all of the clouds and angels are, you know it's not real."
Or so he thinks. Tony has a way of convincing the world and himself of his crazy schemes. That's the problem when you're dealing with a genius. They don't really listen to reason. They make it up as they go.
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He reminds himself there's no use being argumentative where he can help it. There's little to be gained from debating the ostensible perks of a 'proper' afterlife. "-- Then it's real enough. But if we made it in, there's bound to be a way out."
He looks askance down the train's long corridor, shield trained before them both and defaulting to the lead. "To the end of the car," he decides. "On me, eyes open."
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But he does follow Steve behind that ridiculous shield.... Maybe not so ridiculous, though. If this is something crafted by some not-as-genius-as-himself genius or worse, another trick up Thor's baby brother's robes, they could be in for a nasty surprise.
"Hey Cap, what got you any way?"
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He's certain that once the two of them finally grasp the nature of their situation, they'll put their duality to good use. However --
He blinks a couple times, unsettled. "There was a covert operation." He calls forth the moments leading to the sudden sting, and darkness. He sounds burdened. He steps out into the rocking corridor, waiting on Tony to set their pace. "And," he tries. He forgets.
"And, I don't recall. No -- save, Sharon was there. Maybe I never even knew what hit me, because I can't..." He's becoming distracted -- a liability. He shakes his head. Keeps his gaze forward. "Sharon was there. She's not here. I can appreciate that."
He glances at Tony, asking silently for his own recollection.
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I'd say I was sorry but I'd be lying. Mwahahaha
Long, gangling legs spread out in front of him in a rude sprawl of limbs in bright blue pants and crimson red boots that tapped out a silent rhythm only Buck seemed to hear. "Ya think this thing could go any slower if it tried, Cap? Jeeze, I don't think we're ever gonna get there at this rate."
Young Bucky Barnes, bringer of tears--!
He passes a hand over his face. He points his booted toe and taps Bucky's foot. Tangible. This could be a tortuously life-like dream, or it could be what he's beginning to think it is.
He tries, with great difficulty, to keep on script. Steve's eyes, with their ferocious search of Bucky's face as though he may vanish, might give him away.
"Where," he asks, "are we headed, pal?"
Yes, Steve. Enjoy one of your greatest failures being shoved in your face. -reaches for tissues-
Somewhere along the way, Bucky had lost the army fatigues he'd been wearing when they'd gone over the edge holding onto Zemo's bombs. He seemed rather amused by Steve tapping his foot and knocked the taller man's booted foot back. "I ain't playing footsie with you, pal. You ain't a cute dame, don't matter what kinda dress you wear." He teased, hoping to lighten the situation somewhat. The fierce way Steve was looking at him, as though he was staring right through him was a little unsettling.
"I dunno, I think I might have dozed through that part of the briefing."
:c It makes me all joyous-like to see a WWII-era Bucky, though; can't lie <3
He pulls back his cowl and lets it drop limply to his lap; he's torn. "Bucky," he says. "James." He raises his hand, wanting touch, afraid of it. "We both missed something here. ... Do me a favor and tell me the last thing you remember."
Yes! You have no idea how gleeful I am to find a Steve to toss him at <3<3<3!
He had no such reservations about touching his friend and reached out to clap Steve affectionately on a broad shoulder. "You're starting to freak me out, Cap." Dark brows knit into a frown over brown eyes as he considered Steve's words more carefully. "I...dunno. Lemme think on that, it must have been one heck of a nap because I'm kinda having trouble recalling."
now if only DW would behave, what the what
"Yeah," he says, "yeah. Damnedest thing..." He runs a hand through his hair, takes a breath. "Buck, the last time I saw you -- last time we set out together, we were in a mess. A whole lot of mess. My fault."
He stops himself there. He looks out toward the corridor, wondering should he be finding solutions and working back toward the world he knows -- or can he take this moment to finally, finally give Bucky what he deserves.
Sorry, my bed sneaked up and attacked me.
More alarm bells were going off in Bucky's head. Desperately, he tried to remember the last thing that came to mind, what he'd been doing before they stepped on this train. "What are you talkin' about, Cap? Don't be silly. Last thing I recall is...well us being at Zemo's castle."
The memories were trickling in faster now. The wind slapping his face like a physical blow, the scream of the engines and he desperately trying to reach the control panel of the bomb. "....what the hell..."
Timezones for you, man.... I'll be in bed within the hour. Wacky.
And yet.
Working the admission out takes Steve a few breaths. He keeps Bucky near to him, and visible, planting his hands on Bucky's shoulders. He means to steel himself. He means to make his confession.
"I didn't do right by you, Bucky. I let you down back there, at the castle. You... I let you go on alone." He breathes in because there is more he could say, however hackneyed. He shakes his head to clear the cobwebs and looks at Bucky. "You shouldn't be here with me, dammit."
Yep, they're a killer. I also just realized I reversed the colors of Bucky's uniform. DERP
The heat licking at his skin, the sheer level of pain from his left side as his arm was dislocated and torn free of the socket. Ligaments tore in his mind and memory as flesh was ripped to ribbons. The wordless cry of dismay that tore itself from Bucky's throat was more animal than human.
Horrified brown eyes sought out his friend's. "Steve--what? No! I-I just." It was hard to form a proper argument telling your stupid ass friend off when you were still shuddering from sudden muscle memory. "You're an idiot, pal."
That was the best he could manage.
Re: Steve Rogers | Marvel 616