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★ Character Information ★

Character Name: James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes
Character Age: 106, though he looks like a much, much younger man.
Character Species: Human (supersoldier)
Current Health: Physically? Great. He has a prosthetic arm, but otherwise, he's fine.
Outfit: Dark jeans, t-shirt, leather jacket, boots, gloves.

Character Canon: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Link to History: Here.
Canon Point: Post episode 6 of The Falcon & the Winter Soldier.
Canon Iteration: Original canon.
Canon Iteration Explanation: N/A

★ Folkmore Roles & Attributes ★

Skills: He's a very skilled fighter, an excellent killer, an accomplished sniper, and good with most guns and bladed weapons. He also speaks English, Russian, Romanian, Xhosa, German, French, and possibly several other languages.
Canon Abilities: As a supersoldier, he's considerably stronger, tougher, and faster than a normal human. He can't get drunk anymore, he doesn't get sick, most poisons won't do much to him (for long), and he ages slower. He has higher stamina and agility, and he heals very quickly.
Role: Familiar
Role Qualities/Attributes: He won't have any visible traits in human form. His easiest change will probably be an arctic wolf for obvious reasons (called White Wolf in Wakanda, association with the cold/Russia/Siberia).
Role Reasoning: At his heart, Bucky's a follower, and he's content being so. He's also been on both sides of the hero/villain divide over the years, first as Captain America's partner, then as the Winter Soldier, and now as the new Cap's partner. His morality is pretty grey in some ways at this point, and he tends to look at things in terms of just getting the job done. He's not really interested in saving the world, but he's more than happy to follow someone else's lead if that's their goal and they sell it to him well enough.

★ Personality ★

OPTION 2 QUESTIONS (PICK 4-5) 100-300 WORD LIMIT EACH:

What was the most traumatic experience your character endured? How did this change them?
Hands-down, it's his capture by the Soviets. Bucky spent the next 70+ years being tortured and brainwashed and memory-wiped over and over and over again, conditioned into becoming an assassin at the beck and call of the Soviets and Hydra. He went from a pretty optimistic, even perky (considering the terrible things he and the others saw during the war) young man, to someone damaged and bitter and jaded. In some ways, he's barely recognizable as the Bucky Barnes Steve used to know. Most of his life was stolen from him, and although he's spent some time in Wakanda just learning how to be a human being again, actually readjusting to life has been a long, difficult road for him. Here he is in the 2020s, and basically everyone he used to know is gone, he has terrible nightmares, and entire generations of people that he hurt and killed. He has to live now knowing how much pain he caused, whether directly or indirectly, and try to make up for it the best way he can.

What is the most important and defining relationship(s) in your character's life and why?
This is easy mode: Steve Rogers. From the moment they met, Steve has pretty much been Bucky's primary focus. In childhood and young adulthood, he was Steve's best friend, occasionally his defender, the person that looked after and worried about him. Steve influenced his personal morality, especially once Steve became Captain America and entered the war with him-- he followed him everywhere through the war, gladly letting himself be led, grateful that they were together again. Even after so much time and everything that happened to him, he was still able to recognize Steve, and it's their bond that eventually allowed him to break from his brainwashing and Hydra itself. Even at his current canon point, Steve is still influencing his morality and his self-image. Steve's the best person he ever knew, and if Steve believed he could get better, be better, then he's willing to try, even when it's the hardest thing he's ever done. It's only because of Steve that he was willing to give Sam a chance in the first place, even if Sam's now become his important person in Steve's absence.

What is a headcanon (or two) you feel strongly about and that you prefer playing your character with? How is this supported in canon and why do you think it benefits the character's story?
I personally think that Bucky is a lot less comfortable with being touched than they get into during FatWS. He went through most of a century being handled against his will, forced to accept whatever beating, torture, or other pain inflicted on him without the capability or right to refuse. He has massive PTSD, and that's not resolved in six episodes and a few weeks, no matter how happy he seems by the end of the first season. Bucky went from sleeping on the floor in the living room of his barren apartment to moving to Delacroix to be with Sam and his family in what looks like a few weeks, so he absolutely has good days and bad days. I think that having someone to focus on is also a major component to his recovery. While he appreciates that he has freedom and independence now, the fact is, he seems to struggle with having it at the same time. He spent all that time under Hydra's control just obeying orders, not really making choices, so a little guidance from someone he trusts really goes a long way toward giving him reassurance.

What is your character's safespace? When do they feel the most settled and comfortable? When do they feel confident and relaxed?
From what we see in canon, Bucky seems to be the most comfortable and at ease in Delacroix, most specifically with the Wilson family. Delacroix is home now for him, and the culture of the area and the warmth of the people seem to be doing worlds of good for his mental and emotional wellbeing. Doing physical labor on the dock with Sam lets him tune out the rest of the world and his own damage for a few hours, and playing with Sam's nephews gives him something else to focus on. In general, being near Sam helps, too: as mentioned above, Sam's become someone incredibly important to him, and his calm energy and easygoing nature--and willingness to give Bucky shit--go a long way toward helping Bucky chill out, too. Family is something that was important to Bucky back in the day--both his biological and found families--and the fact that the Wilsons have so kindly welcomed him into their lives helps create a sense of normalcy for him, a new family and loved ones to continue to heal for.

APP