'til the end of the line

PLAYER
» Journal: ace_marksman
» Birthdate/Age: October 1987 / 26
» Characters Played: Derek Hale
» Re-App Status: N/A

CHARACTER FACTS
» Name: James "Bucky" Buchanan Barnes
» Canon: MCU
» Reference: Winter Soldier @ Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
» Canon Point: Captain America: The First Avenger, prior to falling from Zola's train
» Gender: Male
» Age: 28

CHARACTER INTERPRETATION
» Appearance: A description of Bucky Barnes starts with "classically handsome" and ends with "but a little mischievous." With a distinguished jaw and soulful blue eyes, Bucky earns the eye of nearly every dame he meets. His brown hair cropped short to keep with military regulations, and cheeks mostly kept smooth for the very same, he makes for a clean cut appearance. It does nothing, however, to hide the oft found playful smirk on his lips, or the come hither eyes that dare you to take him on. He may have grown more serious expressions after joining the war, but those furrowed eyebrows and almost pouting lips are in no way foreign to Bucky.
          Being a member of an elite combat unit means that Bucky's body has to be fit and ready for any type of engagement. His upper body is strong from carrying the weight of his rifle and his legs muscled from trudging miles through rough terrain. He carries himself like the soldier he is, but there's still a swagger there, a cockiness that'll never be stripped of him. When he can, he combs his hair back so his short bangs don't come across his high brow, and if he doesn't have access to a razor, grows a proper crop of stubble.
          Bucky's attire is more often than not some type of uniform. From his service dress to the outfit designed for him while he serves in the Howling Commandos, Bucky likes to dress smart. He takes care to look good, but is far from prissy. His uniform is functional for both the cooler weather of the European theater and the thickness required to dull a blow, if necessary. There's a hint of sentimentalism there too, with the winged emblem from his best friend and commanding officer, Captain America's helmet, sewn onto his left arm. Ammo pouches hang at his belt and shoulder holster is worn beneath his right arm, reminders of Bucky's lethal prowess with a firearm, of which he's not often without.
» Suitability: N/A
» Orientation: Heterosexual
» Personality: Bucky Barnes has what almost seems like two personalities, but they say battle changes you. What he was before the war, was quite a charming fella. A lady-killer, a stand-up guy and a loyal friend. One couldn't talk about Bucky Barnes without mentioning Steve Rogers. Like two peas in a pod, they were the closest of buddies. Bucky's loyalty to Steve was unquestionable. They were together through the thick and the thin.
          Bucky's role was that of the protector. Steve, the hotheaded guy that he was would often get into fights, ones that Bucky would have to finish, to save Steve from getting the tar beat out of him. He provided too, or at least offered, when times were tough. Bucky was devoted to making Steve's life better, in whatever way he could. When he wasn’t watching after Steve, however, Bucky was working or taking out girls. Times were hard, but Bucky always made time to have a little fun. Whether it was his charming personality or his pretty face, it was easy enough for him to get dates, even two, when he wanted to take Steve out along with. Easy as it was, though, Bucky was ever the gentleman, always making sure that she had a good time.
          As sweet as he was with girls, Bucky was still a smart ass kind of guy. He enjoyed teasing Steve and being teased in return. They had great banter, but Bucky never let it get too far. Even though Steve had a fiery temper, Bucky never let Steve bait him into something bigger. He took no nonsense, but he never made his point so sharp it hurt. It was always more Bucky’s prerogative to let the other person see what they’d gotten themselves into.
          Even so, Bucky knew when to quit. Sure, he didn’t like the idea of Steve trying to enlist, but that’d never stop him from giving him the best chance he could. The cause was worthy, Bucky knew. He hated bullies as much as Steve, but he knew the danger inherent. The chance that neither of them would come out of this alive still drove a chill down his spine, but worse was the thought that Steve could fall first. Bucky wasn’t no coward, but neither was he eager to leave or lose his best friend. So maybe it was a little selfish of him to be relieved when Steve was classified 4F, but if it was one less thing to worry about, it was better.
          Of course, nothing ever goes exactly as planned and Bucky was drafted. He told Steve he’d been enlisted, but it was only to cover up the fact that he’d be shipped off against his will. Call it putting up a brave front, Bucky didn’t want anyone to worry. Still, despite the circumstances, Bucky would never let anything go half-assed. He rose through the ranks quickly enough, becoming a sergeant before long. Earned him and his unit a deployment too, straight to the front lines, but Bucky was courageous. Enough that he could hide his apprehension from everyone else, at least.

Bucky: "You're about to be the last eligible man in New York. You know, there's three and a half million women here."
Steve: "Hell, I'd settle for just one."
Bucky: "Good thing I took care of that." [he waves to the dates he's lined up]
Steve: "What did you tell her about me?"
Bucky: "Only the good stuff." - Captain America: The First Avenger

Steve: "I should be going with you. Look, I know you don't think I can do this..."
Bucky: "This isn't a back alley, Steve. It's war!" - Captain America: The First Avenger 

          During the war, on a mission gone wrong, Bucky was captured, taken to a HYDRA facility along with a few other soldiers from the Allied Forces. Weakened by pneumonia, Bucky struggled with the workload HYDRA was forcing him and the other prisoners to undertake, not that it stopped him from exhibiting a rebellious and smart-aleck attitude. It earned him a beating, and the role-reversal with Steve wasn’t lost on Bucky. Fortunately, it was the act that brought the prisoners together, and they organized an “accident” to befall the commander. They couldn’t protect Bucky for much longer though, and he was taken for a HYDRA experiment of some sort, reducing him to reciting his name, rank and serial number. Whatever they’d done to him, it left its mark, and it wouldn't be forgotten by Bucky, even if he never spoke of it.
          Reuniting with Steve was a remarkable event for him, forcing Bucky to see things from a new perspective. First being that he had his best friend back, but more that Steve was more than capable of taking care of himself. It left him a little lost, wondering what role he would now play between them. Fortunately, even though their dynamic had shifted, their loyalty to each other hadn't. Bucky was still Bucky, even if he did see the world as a little darker after his stint with HYDRA.

[Steve finds Bucky strapped to a table in one of Schmidt's testing labs and quickly releases him from it] Steve: "It's me. It's Steve.
Bucky: [groggily] "Steve?"
Steve: "Come on."
Bucky: "Steve."
Steve: "I thought you were dead."
Bucky: [aware of Steve's new size] "I thought you were smaller." - Captain America: The First Avenger

          Bucky truly began to understand how war changed a person, and his protective instincts towards Steve had expanded to encompass the rest of the Howling Commandos. It was like he had been meant for this, a tight-knit special operations unit, where everyone had the other’s back. The Commandos were a force to be reckoned with, and that suited Bucky just fine. Even if things had changed, leaving him with moments where he struggled with what was and what had become, he knew he had something good in it. He understood that it was all a part of something bigger, his world-view widening beyond that of just him and Steve, of dames and dancing.
          Nothing, in the end, however, would ever change Bucky’s deep, undying loyalty to Steve. His last mission would be spent fighting to the last against HYDRA. Every action he took on that train was to defeat HYDRA, the single point of focused enmity he’d been fighting against for so long. Even so, it was that last act, grabbing Steve’s shield when it was blasted away from him, though he hardly had the strength to hold it like Cap could, distracting the HYDRA soldier so Steve could make his move - that would be his end. Blasted out of the car, Bucky clung to the piece of wall for dear life, struggling to make it back, not ready to die, to leave everyone, leave Steve, behind.

Steve: "You ready to follow Captain America into the jaws of death?"
Bucky: "Hell, no! The little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb not to run away from a fight. I'm following him. But you're keeping the outfit, right?"
Steve: "You know what? It's kinda grown on me." - Captain America: The First Avenger

Bucky: "I had him on the ropes."
Steve: "I know you did." - Captain America: The First Avenger