Fandom Starting Fresh, Starting New

[Writer_Princess53284]

"Ah, I see." Steve nodded understanding before seeing the spoon move, not exactly deciding to make a scene about it in case it was just a case of him seeing things as he tended to do. "Thank you." He took the mug and turned to look to the sound of footsteps and shutting doors.

"Walls seem a bit thin, don't they?" He asked. "I could swear you could hear them in the apartment." Steve tried making small talk, thinking it was just the neighbours making the racket.

"Oh, I'd do it myself if I didn't want you to get in trouble." Charlotte eyed the Hummer with disdain before laughing. "Someone with a member like rice would drive such a thing." She shook her head and gave a soft smile as she linked their arms together, starting back inside with a content hum as she hiked her purse up.

"We could always order some Italian delivered, might not be the same, but it's better than nothing." She offered gently as she hailed the elevator.

 

[Lady_Rema]

Corinne was oddly quiet as Steve spoke, distracted by the deafening whispers; unfortunately, she knew it never stopped at these harmless mind games. She took a small sip from her hot chocolate, trying to ignore the attention-seeking behaviour from the unseen forces. Corinne then spoke the chilling truth. " I have no neighbours on either side or above me at the moment. Not many want to move into this place, especially with its history in the past 2 decades."

The spoon that had been inched away from Steve was suddenly thrown off the table onto the floor. An empty kitchen chair forcefully moved away from the table. Corinne pinched her nose. The activity was extreme even for them. She suspects it had something to do with someone new in the apartment, which sparked the escalated activity. Either way, she felt drained and nauseous. Unsure how to explain the activity, she decides to ask him a question and ease him into it. " sigh... Do you know what Carolyn does for a living?"

"Honestly, I think these Hummers look stupid unless they are the military ones that can take a missile strike." James found the ones they sold based on the appearance alone was stupid, not to mention it is overpriced and steep gas prices just to keep the thing going. In his mind, the vehicle just made no sense. " Must be nice to have more money than brains...Certainly would make living easier, possibly actually affording a house."

James nodded in agreement as to the best option, for now, would be to be ordered in food than risk being chased off from another restaurant as he knew by tomorrow his updated appearance would be in the papers with the usual speculation about his intentions. Still, he worried they would try to dig further into figuring out who Charlotte is and that had him concerned. " I want you to be careful when you go out on your own. I did my best to shield you from the cameras, but I cannot be sure if they got your face."

 

[Writer_Princess53284]

Steve immediately jumped when the spoon went flying off the floor, glancing back towards Corrine at the mention of no one wanting to move in. "What events?" He asked, taking a drink of hot chocolate and almost slopping it down his front when a chair went flying. This was absolutely not what he was accustomed to seeing on a regular basis. Sure, he's dealt with HYDRA, aliens and gods. He didn't think that anything would phase him. But this...this was something you'd only see in a...haunted house.

Steve paused when he looked to Corrine at the mention of Carolyn again, eyes widening when the theories came to him only to hold a hand up to stop her from answering when he shook his head. "The building is haunted, isn't it?" He asked, piecing things together.

"Whatever money he's making he's no doubt blowing most of it on gas for that thing." Charlotte turned her eyes back to the hummer rolling her eyes. "At least from what I've heard." She added with a blush shaking her head. "So a house may be off the market for him until he gets something with better kilometres per litre." She explained, pausing. Right, she was in America now. "Sorry. Miles per gallon. I forgot about the freedom units." She teased."

Charlotte paused and looked back up to James at the idea that she may have been captured on film but gave a grin. "Don't worry about me any, James. I'm a big girl, I'll be just fine." He gave his arm an affectionate squeeze. "I've handled worse than a swarm of rabid paparazzi."

 

[Lady_Rema]

Corinne didn't even flinch when the chair moved; yes, she had hoped that the activity would calm down by now, considering the amount of energy needed to move objects and generally being a nuisance. When he guessed the place was haunted, she decided to clear the air before the assumptions made him run for the hills as this was not his brand of weirdness that he is used to.

" Not exactly...but it is difficult to explain. Everything has a history...a story not always known. I tend to stir what was forgotten. I see things differently...not as the past and present as separated, but rather as one thing. I can pick up pieces of the history by photographs or objects or even touching a person...places with a record like this building. I tend to amplify what you would call haunted... it's always been that way." Corinne did her best to explain that it was less likely the apartment, and more likely herself being used for these entities to perform their haunting. It was complicated to speak on this aspect of her life as she had tried to permanently hide it; the only one who knew was Carolyn.

" Unless he is making good money, most likely doll." James agrees this vehicle was a waste of cash. First of all, it was more of an eyesore than Betty at times. Second, it wasted gas like crazy and third, the damn thing had become a more significant issue due to the parking disputes it had been causing these past few months, which the landlord had failed to resolve. " Doesn't matter to him, it seems. I really want to slash those ugly tires."

James knew that the press had drastically changed since their time. It was more aggressive and lacked any moral compass or remorse. They only cared about the next big story. It didn't matter if they had to lie or mislead the public to push sales of their dying media. Always needed to paint someone as the monster no matter what situation. " The press is different today doll, wouldn't be surprised if they would hurt you just to sell more papers. The press doesn't even realize they are just another Hydra tool that was used to shape the modern world into what Hydra wanted."

 

[Writer_Princess53284]

Steve took a minute to let her words soak in, trying to figure out what on earth she meant by them as he glanced around. The building wasn't haunted...but how could she possibly be? No person has ever been haunted by spirits and not considered possessed. Right?

Steve took a drink of hot chocolate and took a moment to let it sit in his mouth, thinking back to the Coney Island adventures with Bucky, where a psychic would tempt people in with promises of communicating with their departed loved ones. Bucky had tried it once to communicate with his dad after he died, and Steve had admittedly gone multiple times. Once when they first saw her to just check that his dad was okay, again when his mother died, and again when World War II started, to ensure that what he was doing was the right thing to do. Maybe it was desperate, but any sign was better than nothing.

His thoughts went to that medium again at Corrine's mention before it hit him, prompting him to look to her. "I think I know what you mean." He murmured. "You can see the dead."

"If that man was making any decent money he wouldn't still be here pissing his neighbours off with his hummer strapped to his otherwise flat manhood." Charlotte stifled a smirk at the thought and shook her head almost ashamed of herself for the idea before smiling up to James with a soft sigh.

"I agree. Times really have changed." She sighed shaking her head again. "But I'm a tough girl, I'll be okay." She assured him.

 

[Lady_Rema]

"It's not just the dead...but past events as they are happening a repeating cycle...not all hauntings deal with actual dead people but rather the energy that we leave behind...an impression of the past repeating moments like a broken record. I amplify hauntings in a location...if I wasn't here, it would just be cold spots or doors opening by themselves." Corinne tried to explain things she wasn't clear enough, but it ended up a confusing mess. She looked down at her hot chocolate and sighed before taking a long drink, not caring if it burnt her tongue.

" This is why I avoid being around others. Too much information ends up being taken in, or I end up drained and feeling weak." Corinne explained the hardship of her abilities vaguely made social isolation necessary for her own peace of mind. That normalcy is not an option for her and never will be. Friends were few and far because she couldn't trust a soul not to make a concern call to authorities.

James hardly accepted the assurance because he had experienced how harsh the modern world can be for much longer than she had; yes, most of it was under Hydra. He just did not want to see her get hurt. He stepped out of the elevator once they reached their floor, glancing back at Charlotte. " I mean it, you see reporters return home. They are the reason Princess Diana died. They will kill for a story."

He walked to the apartment, taking out his set of keys to unlock the door. The door and entered their apartment. He sighed, kicking off his shoes before walking to the couch, throwing himself on it. James was mentally exhausted from the incident but knew his body would refuse to rest out of habit from the winter soldier days. His muscles were tight from the stress of not knowing if those reporters might figure out where he lives. " I think I might call Steve tomorrow; maybe he can help get the press off my back for even just a few days."

 

[Writer_Princess53284]

You would think Steve would be alarmed, or even concerned that a person he had just met that day was essentially haunted. Some back in his time would even have arguments for straight-up possessed. But, Steve didn't look much phased.

In the last decade or so, he learned of life on other worlds (and essentially BEING on another world briefly to return a stone to its place in time), a person who would literally turn into Jekyll and hyde at the drop of a hat, and the people presumed dead rising again like stories from a book, a deadly rock collection that wiped out half of humanity, and time travel. After being a first-hand witness to all of that, a person who amplifies the supernatural energy in a place really didn't sound so wild.

"You know, it's times like this that make me more than a little grateful that I've seen so much worse that that's tame in comparison." He gave a soft chuckle.

Charlotte remained quiet, simply giving a nod at the request and sighing as they got back in, bending down to straighten up her heels after taking them off and hooking her jacket back on the coat hook before turning to look for a beer, hearing the creak of James flopping onto the couch. "Yeah, that might be a wise idea." She agreed as she used the counter to take the cap off a beer and went to sit with him to hand it over.

She gently set the bottle down on the floor beside him, seeing how tense he looked as she put a hand on his back briefly, her gaze turning to the phonograph in the corners she started searching for a decent record and pulling one out with a soft smile, setting the needle down to let the music play.

 

[Lady_Rema]

" I guess it is not as traumatic as alien invasions and killer robots," Corinne answered softly, a bit surprised that he was taking it as well, considering most people would have left the apartment with haste by now. Unfortunately, all the cabinets open at once. She sighed and got up from her table and began to close each cabinet individually, not at all phased by the events going on around her; she was just tired of it.

"Carolyn....used me a lot for high-paying clients...she was the only one that knew...because I made a mistake believing she was a real psychic. That is why she wants me to go back to working for her because I make things happen, and I can get the client what they want...even if it physically hurts to channel-specific people through me." Corinne spoke softly, explaining why Carolyn was so dead set on getting her back, and the threats now made more sense; not many would believe Corinne if she talked about spirits and energy; it sounds like non-sense.

James glanced up at her and took the beer, thankful she went to get his beer, taking a big gulp to calm his nerves. It was emotionally draining to deal with the press. He glanced at her, a bit confused as to what she was doing. He silently watches her go through the collection of records. " Going to play some music, doll?"

Music was a way to brighten spirits; it is how it was during the war despite the horrors of the front lines. Music had a way of calming the soul and lessening the burdens of hardships, even until the song ended. James closed his eyes as the music started to play, just focusing on that for a few minutes attempting to clear his mind of the guilt and frustration he felt.

 

[Writer_Princess53284]

"To me, no," Steve explained, simply trying to explain that he didn't find what Corrine was going through anywhere near as bad as some of what he went through when it comes to scaring him. "But I bet it must not be so easy for you to manage." He couldn't imagine having to live like that, and that in itself was impressive.

At the mention of Carolyn, his face immediately fell, almost nauseated to say the least at the thought of Carolyn trying to scam poor people out of their money, and worse, their emotional well-being. "It's disgusting how she's being allowed to get away with this. If I had any proof that she's just trying to scam people, I'd leak it. She isn't entitled to someone else's abilities, whether they like using them or not." Steve shook his head with a huff.

Charlotte turned after setting the record on the turntable, giving Bucky a soft smile of her own as she chose one to fill the silence in the room. "Yep." She agreed with a soft smile as Edith Piaf filled the emptiness.

She took a seat beside Bucky after she set up the first record, closing her eyes as she went back to the last time that La Vie en Rose had played for the both of them. Piaf was still alive then. The last night they had spent together before James left for the last time with the Commandos, allegedly never to be seen again.

For as long as that song had played that night at Guy's, there wasn't a war. Just two foolish kids in love trying to make the most out of one last dance together. Hydra wasn't a thing to contend with, or the Tesseract, or super soldiers...her gaze turned to Bucky and she took a moment to consider the idea before she got up, gingerly setting the beer down on the table before pulling him up with her. "Come on, Sargent, let's forget about the world for a while." She gave him a cheeky smile. "No press, no Hydra, no making amends...just dance with me." She grinned.

 

[Lady_Rema]

It is complicated to expose frauds like Carolyn because there will always be someone who does not believe it or simply refuse to believe it. I just worry, despite your threat...she will find a way to get me to fall in line. Carolyn is not used to not getting her way...if you had not been there. I would have likely given to her demands." Corinne admits that she would have a difficult time defending herself from Carolyn.

" You can't tell anyone about me...knowledge is a dangerous thing... a temptation. People tend to use others for their own agenda, and after the shield leaks, if people knew about my ability to see the past for what it is...you know people would do their best to recover lost secrets." Corinne had always been afraid of her abilities, but she was more fearful of what people would try to use her for.

At first, when music began to fill the room, James was confused; the song had a haunting familiarity like this song was essential to them, yet he could not recall why. The song held a familiar beat that teased him as he tried to remember the song's name that continued to elude him. When she called him Sargent, it caught him off guard; he hadn't been called that for over 80 years. He takes her hand and gets off the couch, not one to deny a pretty lady's request to dance with him.

" Just for a little while." He repeats, never knowing when he would be forced back to reality. James, although he was a bit hesitant about dancing only because he had not done it in so long, well, as long as he had not developed two left feet, he should be fine. At least it wasn't a fast-paced dance like the Foxtrot or the Charleston. He doesn't even remember how to do those types of dances. " Might be a little rusty when it comes to the dancing doll."

 

[Writer_Princess53284]

Steve gave a soft grin. "It might be difficult, but not impossible." He told her calmly as he took a calm sip of his hot chocolate. "I'll ensure that you're safe, I'll be at the cafe during the day so she can't harass you there, and if I need to, I'll be close by at the park so she doesn't have a chance to harass you there." He offered.

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone. Though I will be mentioning you should the time come to get a restraining order against Carolyn." Steve promised. "But no one will know about your talent." He assured her. "I just feel everyone has the right to not be harassed." He explained.

Charlotte gave a tender smile as she settled her head on his shoulder. "That's fine." She murmured. "We only need a little while," she added as she looked up to him with a sigh, wrapping her arm around his back as she gave his other hand a squeeze. "Even if you're rusty. I hadn't danced since you left for the last time." She admitted, settling back against his shoulder.

It had been so long since the pair had danced at all, never mind with each other. She couldn't blame him for being rusty. She was herself, to be fair. She hadn't danced with anybody since Bucky left Guys the last time they had seen each other before he had allegedly died on that train.

 

[Lady_Rema]

"I don't believe I will be harmed by Carolyn. However, I do appreciate you looking out for me. It feels odd I'll admit to having someone that might have my best interest in mind." Corinne spoke carefully before taking another sip of her hot chocolate. It was felt good to trust someone, even though she did have her doubts deep down. Her blue eyes stared at him and then glanced away.

"Restraining orders can be challenging to get; there needs to be a severe threat to the person's safety before the courts would be willing to grant it. Carolyn is annoying to deal with, and this is the first time she has decided to seek me out in months. I know she won't risk lousy publicity as it could affect her ability to get clients." Corinne knew that money drove that woman and had some severe entitlement issues but knew her focus on public image prevented her from acting out too poorly in public. It was a saving grace.

"Just a little while..." He repeated mainly to assure himself that the problems they faced could wait. James didn't realize how badly he needed it. He is hesitant to place his metal hand on her waist. Always afraid something could happen, and he could harm her. James knew what his arm could do when he was in control, but there was always a nagging fear of what if he did not have control. James felt reassured by the gentle squeeze of her hand and slowly, from muscle memory, began to dance.

 

[Writer_Princess53284]

Steve had to admit she was right. Restraining orders were going to be hard to come by. Especially if she didn't prove that Carolyn was a threat to her well being. He had to come up with a plan. Something to keep Carolyn away for good.

"I do have your best interest at heart. No one should be forced to worry about someone retaliating against you for not wanting to do what they want you to." Steve said taking a moment. "Perhaps I should stick close by when you're at work, or at the park. That way if she shows I can record the conversation. If she threatens you with getting you hospitalized again, I can take that to the police. I have a few people that can manipulate it to make it seem like she threatened to put you in the hospital for completely unrelated things." He told her.

Charlotte gave a nod, not hesitating to settle herself against his shoulder as they began to dance, closing her eyes to enjoy the moment and starting to hum along to the record. Any sort of talk about what their next steps were could wait. This was their relief of what would come when they were finally at peace. When James' mind was finally at peace with what he had gone through. The quiet life the both of them had planned out when they were just talking all those years ago.

 

[Lady_Rema]

"I do not want this to become a more significant issue than it needs to be, Steve. I already deal with a lot as it is. "Corinne explained calmly rather have the situation become water under the bridge than to have to consider dealing with having any form of Legal battle with Carolyn knowing that if it came down to it. Carolyn would win on the virtue of being able to afford better Lawyers. She also knew that the system is unfair, and even with evidence, restraining orders were not freely granted.

"My boss has made it clear she is not welcomed in the cafe even as a customer as she decided to cause a scene a few months ago, but it is a kind thought you would offer to do such a thing." Corinne is thankful that she might have someone on her side for once. Yet there was still a level of hesitance, considering Steve had strong ties to people who honestly did scare her, whether the Avengers or the Government.

The activity began to die down in the apartment; sometimes it was steady but easy to ignore, but other times like today it can get rather explosive and be quiet for a few hours or, in some cases, the rest of the evening. Corinne is thankful that most of the activity was harmless attention-seeking behaviour, but she wasn't sure how well Steve would handle an unseen force trying to harm him...at least her unwanted roommates weren't that rude.

James silently swayed to the music, letting the melody monopolize the silence. The familiar song tugged on the part of his mind, urging him to remember the finer details of those nights they danced together at that pub all those years ago and yet his ability to recall the more delicate information was lacking. James could not remember the colour of her dress, the name of the perfume Charlotte preferred or if they even danced to more than just a single song. Despite the irritation in not recalling what should be a fond memory, he kept his face neutral as he continued to dance with his dame.

Eventually, he let go of his focus on remembering and, more so, the rhythm of the music. James knew holding on to his turmoil wasn't healthy, but a habit he had developed once free of Hydra, Yet letting go was the hard part and trying to find peace. He knew that he had to try to let go if he wanted to keep the person in front of him. She won't wait forever and has sacrificed too much already. James cannot keep asking her for more. He needed to work on a lot, but that could wait.

 

[Writer_Princess53284]

Steve was glad she was thankful for the help, but he couldn't exactly say he was pleased that Corrine just wanted to let things keep going as they were. Steve knew people, people who would probably take this case as a favour for him that could outrank any lawyer that wild old cow could hire. But, for now he'd keep quiet. He wasn't going to pressure Corrine into doing something when she wasn't ready.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't keep an eye out for her. "Well, if you ever change your mind, I'll help you in a heartbeat." Steve smiled to her. "But I'll still be coming to the cafe. Carolyn or not, there's really good coffee there." He joked to lighten the subject, deciding to drop the depressing stuff for now.

"So, what's there to know about this artist?" He asked gesturing to his paintings. "What's interesting about you aside from your abilities?" He asked.

Charlotte knew that Bucky could manage better when he wasn't so stuck on remembering everything. With all he had gone through, it would take time for whatever memories that come back to come back. She had heard that the senses were tied to memory, which is why part of her was tempted to squirrel away some extra money for that perfume she had worn so long ago, or the record that played their song. Hell, even the cigarettes that he loved so much (that she couldn't stand) could jog something eventually.

But she was patient, it would come sooner or later. And even if it didn't, it promised to be a wild ride. Because, hey, it's not often you get to fall in love all over again.

 

[Lady_Rema]

" Thank you...but I hope it is not needed. I dislike conflict...it tends to make it challenging to be in control..." Corinne explained carefully, her abilities had links to her emotional state and stress or fear and anger tend to make things worst in her mind. Corinne had, for better or worst, learnt to ignore Carolyn's threats and demands.

" It starts out as one coffee, then soon it becomes two and then three. I'd be careful; I wouldn't want you to become a coffee addict. So drink responsibility." She attempts to shift the topic to more positive things rather than her unusual predicament. Yes, the coffee at the place she worked was good, mainly the sweet ones in her opinion. However, Corinne did find that people often over-hyped their coffee sometimes.

Corinne paused at the question Steve had asked her, leading to her asking the same question herself. Was there something interesting about her besides her odd circumstances? Honestly, nothing. There is little excitement as she lived in her isolating rigid routine with little outings and no friends in her age group to speak of. She held the mug in her hands, staring down into the dark liquid as she answered his question. "The truth is...nothing. I simply live with my quiet and rigid routine. I don't go out much and don't have many friends to speak much on... it's always been like that. I mean, compared to what you have done in the past, my life would seem kind of dull."

James continued to dance. His muscles were less rigid and stiff as he began to relax as familiarity provided him with a small amount of comfort, where he could pretend that things were okay that he was okay. All that mattered at that moment was the dame dancing with him. He twirls her around, becoming more confident in his dancing as memories slowly resurface. James also realizes they might have to make significant changes in the future to live in peace. It was difficult enough to rekindle a romance without the media demonizing him and following him around. James knows what Charlotte is going through is hardly fair, and she does not deserve to get wrapped up in his problems.

As the music is abruptly cut off, marking the end of the track, he glanced at Charlotte briefly, slowly parting from her to get a drink of beer. He offered one of his rarer smiles, one that lacked the sorrow in his eyes. Healing was a slow process, especially when that healing needed to come from within. James often considered what her life could have been if he wasn't captured by Hydra. Maybe they could have had the American dream, a house with the white picket fence, a family, perhaps a dog. " Charlotte I think we might need to make a radical change for our safety, the media is escalating things. I know you don't want me to talk about it...but I think we should find an apartment maybe in a different part of New York or perhaps leave the city until things die down."