Time to change topics, then, since distance and compartmentalization is happening. Not that River can blame them really; none of them are okay. Not her, not him, not the other one he's desperately avoiding.
Which, actually: "Why are you running away from your other friend?"
"What other--?" Oh. Rogers. He frowns. "I ain't runnin'." He's just... trying to handle his freedom at his own pace. And he knows Rogers' attachment to this memory of 'Bucky' will force him into more painful memories than he's ready to handle.
"You kiiiiiind of are. Just a little." Nosewrinkle from one Miss Tam as she pauses eating to investigate her own tea, adding sugar to it a moment later. "Do you think you'll let him find you? Eventually. Sometime."
"If he's as good as everyone seems to think he is, he'll find me whether I let him or not." The Winter Soldier might be a ghost, but the Winter Soldier had a place to hide. He's not the Winter Soldier anymore. And Captain America has a lot more resources— and friends— to help him.
River could argue that having more friends will probably do more good than harm in the long run, but...well. She knows that is possibly inaccurate and she's already pushed today. Some things will have to be left alone.
Not that she's ever known how to do that.
So: "Okay." And then she changes the topic to something else. "What would you be if you weren't what you've been before?"
"I... don't know. I 'spose I'd do something I was good at." Except what he's good at is killing people. Executing orders with prejudice. Sniping enemies from a hundred yards. How is he supposed to think of something else?
"What about something you like to do?" Instead of just something he's good at. Adults worry too much about what they're good at. "We could find out. Pretend to be real people until we know what we like."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
Which, actually: "Why are you running away from your other friend?"
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Not that she's ever known how to do that.
So: "Okay." And then she changes the topic to something else. "What would you be if you weren't what you've been before?"
no subject
"I... don't know. I 'spose I'd do something I was good at." Except what he's good at is killing people. Executing orders with prejudice. Sniping enemies from a hundred yards. How is he supposed to think of something else?
no subject
no subject