(no subject)

[nerves_of_ice]

Shuri's made a few changes to the last version she'd had him test, and has sent him back out with instructions to try smaller things with the new arm this time, as she is looking for fine nuance and haptic feedback results.

As a result, Bucky's decided to settle in the bar at the ends of the worlds for a bit with a good cup of coffee and see what he can figure out to test next.

Comments

[mane_event]

"...right?" Simba echoes, uncertainly.

In his defence, he didn't know Bucky would mind, and definitely not that he'd break his... um...

"Do you want some more of the hot dirty water?" he offers in compensation.

[nerves_of_ice]

"The hot..." Realization dawns, and he shakes his head. "I'll get a refill in a bit," he explains. "I'd better clean the arm first."

Bucky finishes getting the blood off his face and picks up a fresh cloth, then begins to wipe down and polish the metal of his arm. The shirt's a lost cause, but he might as well wear it until the cub's done with his meal.

[mane_event]

At first, Simba considers the arm cleaning a strange action, partly because humans are very weird about the way they cleans themselves, but as he watches it, he realises that it's not responding the same way arms are supposed to, so he inches closer, curiously, and sniffs at the inorganic smelling limb.

What's a polite way of saying what's with your arm?

[nerves_of_ice]

He rotates his wrist, sending a ripple through the plates along his forearm as they adjust, and starts following along the edges of each one with the cloth to ensure he gets every trace. As Simba sniffs, he holds still for him to examine.

"Yes, it's metal," he says, matter-of-factly. "Vibranium."

[mane_event]

It smells weird, but also a little like blood, and sorry not sorry, Bucky that bit of blood you hadn't wiped off yet? That's getting licked like... well exactly like a kitten licking food remnants off your finger.

Simba looks suspiciously over at Bucky's other arm, confirms it's made of Bucky like an arm should be, and back at the metal one.

"...why do you have a metal foreleg?"

[nerves_of_ice]

He's startled, but holds still as the cub starts washing his arm. "Thanks," he says, amused.

"I have this one because - well, I lost the original in a fall from a mountain. A long time ago."

[mane_event]

"You're welcome," says Simba, who is more than happy to have had some fresh blood, and now turns his attention back to the rest of his food.

"I didn't know humans could do that," he says. If lions fall off mountains, they usually die.

[nerves_of_ice]

"What, fall? We're pretty good at that," he says, dryly. He turns his hand up and starts polishing between the fingers. "No, I was lucky not to be hurt any worse than I was."

[mane_event]

Simba rolls his eyes - of course he didn't mean fall.

"I meant, use metal body bits," he says. "If we lose limbs we just lose them."

And probably die, but maybe you could get by with three legs.

[nerves_of_ice]

"I think it depends on the world," he says, after a second's consideration. "And sometimes people use other things than metal, fastening it in different ways."

[mane_event]

"But," says Simba, his mouth now full, but looking at the arm again, "it moves?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"It does." He goes through a slow performance demonstration, flexing his wrist and elbow, opening and closing his fingers, all of it.

It helps to make sure he doesn't have any dried blood anywhere, too.