7359/Dining Hall Meetings

Dining Hall Meetings
Date of Scene:	30 April 2019
Location:	The Triskelion, New York City
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Winter Soldier, Sonya Blade, War Machine, Melinda May

---

Winter Soldier has posed:
So, now that he's a real boy again, in SHIELD terms....it seems damn near impossible to pry Buck out of the Triskelion. Maybe it was his series of encounters with Frank. Maybe it's a fear of being snagged by any given law enforcement agency - you can't demonstrate that you're one of SHIELD's rehabilitation projects if the NYPD fills you full of lead before you can say anything. But it's another evening where he's at a table, dining by himself, as he sort of absent-mindedly munches through a salad and sandwich. He's reading - it's a worn copy of 'A Soldier's Story' by Omar Bradley that's propped up before him on the napkin dispenser. By his feet a big black and gold German Shepherd is also eating her dinner, crunching a bowl of kibble with her black-tipped tail waving in pleasure.

Sonya Blade has posed:
Walking into the room, Sonya doesn't even pause for a moment that someone else is here. She's on a mission. A mission for food. Of course, it's not that important of a mission in terms of some and yet it is as every bit important as any other in some ways. She orders up her own salad, a pile of lunch meats, some cheese and then heads out to look around. She spots Bucky and hmms as she sees him before walking over and dropping her tray across from him and sitting down. She eyes him carefully as she does and then states, "Bucky Barnes, right?"

Winter Soldier has posed:
That has him looking up and swallowing hastily. "That's me," he says, meeting her gaze with a very neutral expression. For all the effort of those who've chosen to champion him within SHIELD, from May on down, there are still plenty of agents who are overtly displeased that the Soldier is on the payroll.

The dog, however, is apparently friendly, because she also looks up, but with a big doggy smile.

Sonya Blade has posed:
A smile at the dog and Sonya ruffles her head before looking up to Bucky, "So, why you here?" SHe asks and tilts her head, "Why are you in SHIELD?" Straight to the point and those piercing blue eyes stare right into him with a near unreadable requirement of answer.

Winter Soldier has posed:
Well, it's a direct question, and worth of a direct answer. He's silent for a little, considering it. "Because I spent decades as a slave of HYDRA and this is my best chance of doing them real damage. Because with my past, I can't ever really be a private citizen again, and if I'm gonna belong to someone, at least I can choose. Because I trust the people here to give me orders I can follow, and to watch my back."

Then he sits back, lazily, laces his hands over his belly. "What about you?"

Sonya Blade has posed:
A hmmph and she nods before taking in some meat as he continues before she swallows it down and states, "I'm here to serve, protect, and kick people in the face who deserve a swift kick." She states and then looks at him, "That and they recruited me out of the military." She shrugs, "Well, at least you have a good enough reason to be here. Except for that second one." SHe shakes her head and takes anotehr bite before washing it down with some water, "Never belong to anyone. Never." She looks at him, "Never give in to that idea. It's what a lot of people in the military think. They are owned." She sits back, "You only get one shot. Never give it to someone else."

Winter Soldier has posed:
"I was," Buck says, and his tone is utterly matter of fact. No hint of self-pity or sadness. "And it's the truth. I try to go it alone, I'm a dead man....or HYDRA gets me again, and I'm back to Square fuckin' One." Steve's not here, he can use the four letter words. The dog, as if channeling the Captain, gives Bucky a somehow censorious look. "So, I picked SHIELD. 's a good place to be. People both competent and worth fighting for."

Sonya Blade has posed:
"Then you are here by choice. They don't own you. You can't own people. You can control them, you can tie them up, you can lock them up, and you can even forget about them. No one ever owns anyone until they give up on being a person." She looks at him, "If you were controlled by Hydra, then they didn't own you. As a matter of fact, if they had to use someone to control you then it shows how little they owned you." She nods her haed, "Never give up on being human."

Winter Soldier has posed:
Winter Soldier shakes his head at her. "No," he says. "They got into my head," He taps a temple with the forefinger of his human hand. "Wiped away my will and identity. I wasn't a person, not to them. I was a weapon and a tool. Wasn't a matter of giving up, that's just how it was. Now....now I'm working on being human again." He takes another deliberate bite, chews, swallows. "But being with SHIELD gives me the option of doing that. Weren't for my friend Steve, HYDRA'd still have its claws in me."

Sonya Blade has posed:
A blink and then she tilts her head at Bucky before saying, "Well, that's different." She then takes a bite of food and looks up at him, "Still, don't be owned by SHIELD either." She shakes her head, "Firs tpart of being human is being free. Inalienable right." She nods her head, "All created equal and all that." She shrugs and then looks at him again, "So, what do you do, Bucky Barnes? Still run around and kill people or changed to a new past time?"

Winter Soldier has posed:
Buck's expression is....patient. "You believe that. I believe that. HYDRA, alas, does not. Yeah, when it needs doing. I've got a very unique skill-set, shame to let it go to waste." A gulp of his drink, and he notes, ruefully, "I think it's a little late for me to go to art school on the GI bill."

Sonya Blade has posed:
"Fuck Hydra." Sonya states and shrugs before looking up at him with a smirk, "Never too late to improve yourself, though I think art school is a giant joke." She then takes another bite of food, "If art is subjective, why do you need to go school for it?" She shrugs, "All the same, the name is Sonya Blade." She nods at him and then looks at her food, "I am not sure my skill set is exactly unique but it is very effective."

Winter Soldier has posed:
"I don't think it is subjective, not really," Buck says, brows going up. "But I'm a product of an older era. Also, I don't know how to use all this digital art stuff. Still strictly analog." He shoves his empty plate away. "I'm James Barnes, that's Lili," A nod for the big Shepherd, who twinkles up at them. I'm best dog, yes, I am. "What do you do?"

War Machine has posed:
     "Language." Comes a somewhat stern sounding voice from Rhodes as he walks into the area with a standard shield flightsuit adorning his frame. He's still got the face mask hung off to one side where he'd been very recently flying. He's not exactly had time to swap out of the uniform yet it from the looks.

     There's a bit of a singe that shows that there's been some damage done to him fairly recently, most likely while testing. Either way he makes his way over towards the food court proper getting himself a bit of food to enjoy between test flights.

Sonya Blade has posed:
"Long story short? I hurt people." Sonya chuckles and nods her head before looking at her hands, "I am a trained martial artist and I can use my ki." She gestures, "Basically means I can hit way harder than I should." She nods her head as she then looks at her food, "Pretty good with poisons as well." She nods her head, "THat and I have quite a bit of unique gear I got for a little thing I did a while..." She pauses and looks over at James and then tilts her head, "Funny, he doesn't look like Captain America."

Winter Soldier has posed:
"That's the real Iron Man," Buck says, entirely deadpan. "That Tony Stark joker you see on TV is just a stand in. And he stands in now and again, to defend my innocent ears from terrible things like profanity."

Then, suddenly, he grins that brilliant grin. "Melinda May's Home For Wayward and Abandoned Assassins," he says.

Melinda May has posed:
Not long after Rhodes arrives to be a slightly singed stick in the mud, May enters the food court in her usual quiet manner. She looks over at Barnes and Lili greeting a WAND agent she hasn't interacted with much, and then goes to get something to eat. It doesn't take her very long to do so -- perhaps she sent a request ahead, as she goes to the counter where cook-to-order things are usually handed off to people. Once she has a tray in hand, she collects silverware and a glass of water before walking directly toward Barnes and Blade.

Huh. That sounds like a buddy cop movie, or something.

War Machine has posed:
     Rhodes just smirks as he gets his own food being passed by May, he makes a few rapid fire comments her way in manderin of all things. It's a rapid fire flow of words for a few moments before he just gets a quick pudding cup, of the butterscotch variety, and an apple to go alongside it.

     It's a rather short trip down the line before he moves just more walking next to may before saying. "He's not wrong. Everyone knows I just let Tony take the credit so I can still do my test flights without everyone deciding they need to pause me for an autograph."

Sonya Blade has posed:
An arched eyebrow and Sonya looks at Bucky before glancing at James before nodding her head, "Yeah, sure." She states, "And I moonlight as Wonder Woman." She then looks down at her food, "Though I suppose I could believe that that Stark guy is arrogant enough to take credit for it based on some of his interviews." She then looks over at Melinda and blinks before shaking her head and looking down, "Agent May." She nods her head to the woman.

Winter Soldier has posed:
"No, it's true," Buck assures her, all earnestness. "That's James Rhodes, and he has more piloting ability in one little finger than Stark does in his entire body. My hand to God." A solemn nod for Rhodes. Then he smiles at May. "MA'am," he says, pleasantly.

Melinda May has posed:
May replies to Rhodes in kind, mostly with greetings and mild pleasantries. "I never doubted that, Rhodes, though you might want to check to make sure Stark's overinflated sense of ego isn't rubbing off on you."

She nods politely to Sonya. "Agent Blade. Barnes. Lili." The greetings are possibly noteworthy in the differing levels of familiarity each implies. "Mind if we join you?" She's not about to just claim a spot at their table without asking.

War Machine has posed:
     "Trust me, any time I need to deflate my ego, I just need to go out on the town and I'll have people lining up to remind me I'm just Tony's friend." Said with a genuine laugh and a smile as he lets it roll off of him like water off of a ducks back. "Say what you want. Tony is the best damn inventor, I think I've ever met, and not too bad a businessman either, guy's a real visionary ahead of his time."

     He does a very slight tilt of the head as he adds. "If not more often then not under the bottle." Sort of counterbalancing his own point a little. "Point still stands that while I might be a good pilot I couldn't come up with even half the solutions he does, and whatever happens he's still my best friend." Before snagging a bite from an apple. With a bit of a smirk left on his face as he enjoys a nice granny smith.

     "Truth be told most of what I do is just push planes, suites, just about anything shield needs till they break," Apple finished and the core tossed away. "The finding what broke and why it broke is more people like Tony, and the Researchers here on base's gig then mine."

Sonya Blade has posed:
"I don't mind." Sonya shakes her haed in response to May before looking to James. She listens to him and then she nods a little as she sips her water before considering, "So, you really in with this guy?" She asks Rhodey and nods her head, "I mean I don't judge but you seem pretty infatuated with this man." She nods her head as she looks over at the food and then looks back to James, "Also good to know you are a good pilot, I suppose. I'm Sonya Blade." She nods her haed.

Winter Soldier has posed:
Winter Soldier chokes on his water, sputters, thumps himself on the chest. "Nah. Not infatuated. Envious of the flyboys. No time spent down in the dirt with the Poor Bloody Infantry." He shakes his head. "His dad was better," he says, simply. "Howard.....was in a class by himself." Speaking from experience.

Melinda May has posed:
May claims a seat while the others chat around her for a moment, then looks at the others. "I only met Stark Sr. a few times before his death. I hadn't been working for SHIELD very long at that point." Did she just hint at her age?

"Rhodes, are you going to loom over us or sit down finally?" Maybe if he does sit, Lili will put a drooly chin on his lap. Better than it happening to her, anyway. "Ms. Blade, what do you do for WAND, if I may ask?" It's polite curiosity, really.

War Machine has posed:
     "I'm a flyboy May, my place is in the clouds." Said with a bit of that same smirk, before he sets down. "But if it's an order I'll come in for a landing on this runway." Setting down on the free spot at the bench while pulling off the lid from that butterscotch pudding cup.

     The spoon is spun round in his hand from one finger to the next as he starts to speak. "Yeah, well Tony's dad never saved my life, Tony di- dammit." Said as he drops the spoon clattering it down onto the tray. "Someday I'm going to figure out how to do that without dropping the damn thing after the second pass." Looking back at the spoon before trying more slowly to pass it between fingers using nothing but the fingers on one hand spinning it from one finger to the next again dropping it to the table.

     Finally he just sets the spoon back down. "Tony drug my ass out of a fire after my heilo crashed, and I drug his ass out of the desert, so forgive me if I'm kinder towards the guy then most people." As he finally gets to eating a bit of that delicious pudding. "Stark's good people, even if he can burn a bit too bright." He pauses a moment. "and yeah pretty much famous for being 'Tony's friend' it's what tends to get me in more parties then the medals I actually got for saving people."

Sonya Blade has posed:
A look over at Bucky and Sonya arches a brow, "I was talking about him." She points to Rhodes, "And his Stark infatuation but if the shoe fits, Barnes, feel free to lace it up." SHe then nods her head as she then looks to May, "As for me, I'm used to the weird, good with tech, know my poisons..." She then takes a sip, "And I can fight things better than most given my capabilities." She nods her head, "And the tech made to go with it." She nods her head, "Honestly, once you've seen a four armed man rip a guy in half and another man then eat that dead man's soul," She sips her water again, "It kinda makes it easy to face off against anything."

Winter Soldier has posed:
There's another rusty little laugh from Bucky. "Sorry, jumped on that one when I didn't have to," he says. "And I'm not arguing Tony's good people....but tell me about it. That's me, Captain America's friend....when I'm not being mistaken for Captain America's boyfriend."

Melinda May has posed:
May eats steadily but neatly while the others chat, dropping in random comments as she goes. "Could be worse," she replies to Sonya. "You could be assigned to a strike team with the bobsy twins here." She eyes Rhodey trying -- and failing -- to get all fancy with the spoon. She can do that with a coin because she learned for an undercover op, but not with silverware. Seems off-balance and ungainly to her eyes.

Then, at Bucky's words she can't help but quip just before a sip of water, "You mean you're not his boyfriend?"

Sonya Blade has posed:
A look over at Rhodes a moment before she looks to Bucky and nods to him, "Honestly, maybe the shoe really did fit." She rolls her eyes and looks over at May a moment before chuckling and nodding her head. She then looks down at her food again and picks up a bit of meat, "I am not sure hanging out with these two is worse but I'll take your word for it."

Winter Soldier has posed:
Buck rolls his eyes ceilingward as if begging some unseen deity for strength. "No," he says, patiently. "I am not. I am not queer. Nor, to my knowledge, is Steven Rogers. We've been best friends since we were kids. And apparently the rules of how you treat your friends have changed so much in the past seventy years that people think we're gay for each other."

Melinda May has posed:
May tilts her head to one side slightly, looking at Bucky with a brief quirk of one eyebrow. "You have a point there. No one seems to truly understand platonic relationships anymore." She's definitely run into her share of that herself in her time with SHIELD. Doesn't mean she's not going to poke fun at Barnes when she gets a chance.

"So answer me this, if you've been friends with Rogers for so long. Has he always been a contrary little shit?" It's almost like she's DARING Rhodes to call her out on that language.

War Machine has posed:
     "Language." Said with a smirk and a bit of a chuckle from Rhodes. He see's the bait and goes right for it, willing to take that dare in a heartbeat. Even as he digs into that pudding finishing it off in short order. "I mean people can enjoy spending time with eachother without wanting to jump bones."

Sonya Blade has posed:
Looking at Bucky, she rolls her eyes, "Sure, you're just relaly close." She grins and winks at Bucky before she takes the last bite of meat and looks to May, "Anyway, speaking of things I do, I have to go back to that." before she blinks at the exchange at Rhodes, "I think she can probably speak however she wants and I know I damn well can." SHe then drops her tray on to the return and looks to James, "BItch, I kill people..." She then nods her head and then looks to Bucky, "Spar me later, could be fun." And she is heading out.

Winter Soldier has posed:
May's done the thing that so few can do - she's hit Buck in a stress fracture bad enough to make a hint of his original Brooklyn accent show up....for back in the haze of days past, Bucky was the kind of guy who'd give directions to Toity Toid and Toid. "Oh, my Gawd, he's been like that since he was born. I spent my entire school career after I met him trying to get him out of fights. Jesus."

Melinda May has posed:
May nods to Sonya as she takes her leave not at all minding the language (have you MET Darcy and/or Skye?), and makes a mental note to see what WAND missions are coming up soon. She's fairly certain the young woman could be helpful in many ways.

And then Bucky responds about Steve, and while May's expression seems unchanged, there's a definite sense of amusement about the faint crinkles next to her eyes. "And somehow, I find myself being completely unsurprised by this. Let's see, who else can we gossip about now?"

War Machine has posed:
     "Don't tell anyone this but" Rhodes says once Sonya is out of range having not really reacted much to the whole moment of cursing to curse. He takes a quick sip from a small cup that he'd grabbed in the line, Orange Juice mixed with pomegranate. "Needlessly childish responses like that?" He takes a longer sip. "Are exactly why I enjoy taking caps shtick."

     He chuckles quietly to himself, before checking his watch for a moment. The smirk broadens into a full smile as he looks at the little text message on the surface of the device. "Always plenty of times that we should take things seriously but in the middle of the lunch-room between ops doesn't exactly seem the most appropriate time."

     "You see that Bob guy down in accounting managed to trip right in front of that artifact transfer on b3?" He pauses a moment taking another sip of his juice. "Wound up taking 4 hours to get him dislodged from the ceiling and out of that goop."

Winter Soldier has posed:
Bucky just shakes his head. "You know, there are days when I feel like being Steve's friend as a kid took a whole lot off my time in Purgatory," he says. "I saw that guy. He looked like he lost a fight with a whole barrel of gelatin."

Melinda May has posed:
May, chewing on a bite of food, raises her eyebrows at Rhodes then Bucky. It takes a second, but then her expression shifts ever so slightly to register recognition. She DID see a report about that.

"Sounds like we might need to have the admin sections revisit safety protocols around potential slip hazards." She then turns her attention back to Bucky, with a glint of something in her eye. "He can't have been /that/ bad, Barnes." She just might be trying to see if the two men will try to one-up each other with stories of their respective best friend's antics. Because that will never not be amusing.

War Machine has posed:
     Rhodes finishes off his pudding and enjoys a cool refreshing sip of his fruit juice. "Never a time I was more glad not to be on the cleaning crew except maybe Guatemala." He thinks back with a bit of a distant expression on his face before finally he shudders a bit from the memory, whatever may have actually happened there.

     "I mean some people would have given everything they had to grow up being friends with Rogers." Spoken with a bit of a shrug of his shoulders Rhodes just commenting in a nonchalant manner on the whole thing. "I mean better to reduce your time in purgatory then to get banned from ever setting foot on Moldovan soil, because someone forgot to lock down the Gravaton-displacement-resonator."

Winter Soldier has posed:
"They didn't know Steven Rogers as a kid," Buck retorts. "Even with asthma and rickets, he was hell on wheels. Lemme tell you - when he rescued me in Italy, I thought I was hallucinating, how he'd changed. And the next day, when I woke up in the 'firmary tent and saw that it was I real, I knew I was gonna die tired and in Europe, because now he had had the brawn to back up his guts, and that he'd keep fighting until they put him down for good.....and that I wouldn't leave him to it."

Melinda May has posed:
May turns to Rhodes, intent on asking him to elaborate on the 'banned from Moldovan soil' comment, but he's called away and departs quickly. She turns back to Barnes and says perfectly calmly while pushing her plate away, "And then there were two. Though honestly, Barnes, most people can only dream of having a friend as loyal. Rogers had better realize how lucky he's been for the majority of his life." If he doesn't, she just might have to swat the realization into him.

Winter Soldier has posed:
"Yeah, I'm a really luck-" Buck chokes on his water when he realizes she means him. "I.......what? Yeah. I....he does. He's never let me down."

Even if he has let him go.

Melinda May has posed:
May looks at James squarely for several seconds, as if evaluating somethign she sees in him. Finally, "Remind him. Don't let him forget, and don't let him become complacent." She already knows quite well that if at any point Bucky feels adrift from his lifelong friend, there are others here ready to take him in and help him feel more ... human.

"If you can manage it, take him over to Clint and Skye's at some point. Let me know when you're going, and I'll meet you all there."

"I might even cook."

Winter Soldier has posed:
He looks back at her, and it's something that isn't quite sadness in the pale eyes. Wistfulness, maybe. "He won't forget," he assures her, very gently. "But yeah, I'll see if I can get him to come by. He's a busy man."

Melinda May has posed:
May nods at that, fully aware of the look in his eyes and letting some of her own mask slip enough to show a hint of her ever-present protectfulness in her dark brown eyes. "Good. And putting this out there, I don't enjoy cooking. I don't do it for just anybody."

She watches Barnes for another assessing but not at all pitying or judging moment before adding, "What food do you miss from when you were young?"

Winter Soldier has posed:
Solemn in return, for a moment. "I appreciate the compliment. I don't mind cooking. I like it. Did it for my dad and sister and Steve and Mrs. Rogers. I was even a cook for work, for a while, as well as a soda jerk."

The question gets her a snort. "Not much. Food back then was pretty goddamned bad. And they still make my favorite candy bar, so...."

Melinda May has posed:
May breathes the faintest huff of amusement, and makes a mental note to find out which candy bar that is. "Perhaps we should collaborate on the meal, then. Make the chore a bit less onerous for one person. Not to mention someone else has to clean up afterwards." Another few moment longer, she glances at the items on the tale. "You done here?" She moves to stand and reaches to collect her dishes and whatever else is left on the table.

Winter Soldier has posed:
Winter Soldier blinks at the remains of the meal, as if he'd forgot it entirely. "Yeah," he says, getting up to take care of plates and tray, "And sure we can. I don't mind clean up, either." Domesticity doesn't seem to dismay him.

Melinda May has posed:
"That's one of the perks of cooking at Clint and Skye's place. Their rule: the cook doesn't clean. Why not take advantage of that?" She carries her tray to the return area and sets it there before turning to Bucky again. "I'm heading back up to Ops. Want to see if your eyes can be helpful there?"

Winter Soldier has posed:
He nods at that, motioning for Lili to follow. Glad of what's been offered, and what's been implied.

Melinda May has posed:
May leads the way out of the food court, sure that Barnes' sharp eyes and even sharper mind will catch things faster than some of the junior analysts. It'll be good training for the analysts, and hopefully a confidence boost for Barnes. He seems like he could use it.

And nobody had better say word one about Lili.