wild thyme

DECEMBER 2024, BROOKLYN.

The muffled noise of the city filled her room as a comforting form of white noise whilst she attempted sleep. If, of course, she was able to be graced with it. Her mind was constantly buzzing from the events over the last couple of days, leading to the big Christmas Day. She had followed Yelena on her mission to kill Clint Barton, which led her to the ‘therapeutic’ answers the two women did not to face.

There have been many events in her life that she had to face. One being the lack of memory of her before. All she truly knew was Hydra, The Red Room, and now the aftermath of Thanos. The death of Natasha, someone who became so entangled in her life that the only word she could think of when she thought of her was just simply sister. Clenching her jaw as her bright eyes stared at the illuminated ceiling of her bedroom, she pushed back the painful memory of seeing everybody but her on that platform. Clint’s eyes… the look on his face, they were enough to bring her to her knees that day. Her throat felt a phantom rawness as she remembered that loss, the same pain she felt with Natasha when they found out Yelena was stolen from them. She has hated Barton since that day. In fact, she hated most of the team since Tony’s funeral. Of course, she would rationalize, Tony was a major player. He was why they were even able to give him a funeral in the first place. But what about Natasha? Vision? Everyone they had lost during the course of the great Thanos debacle? Why couldn’t she grieve? Why couldn’t Wanda grieve? Or Thor? Where were the funerals or tributes to the ones who made the sacrifice even come to be?

Another sleepless night, isn’t it? The girl thought to herself, adjusting herself slowly while she let out a soft sigh. In all honesty, she didn’t remember the last time she even had a decent night’s sleep. It had been like a nonstop nightmare since, according to Bucky, 1945. Fuck, she thought, 1945? A groan escaped her lips that she quickly silenced by grabbing and gripping her black satin pillow against her face. A final groan of defeat. Too many thoughts in her mind and not enough sleep in her eyes. In a sick, sadistic way: she missed the nonstop danger. Maybe that was another reason why she attached herself to Yelena’s hip while she was in New York.

Rolling over to her side, Eurydice slowly brought herself up to a seating position, her bare feet meeting the cold wooden floors of her studio apartment. The digital clock blinking the time on her wall: 1:43 am. A defeated sigh left her lips as she got off her bed to begin her late night routine.

Ever since the nonstop had actually come to an end, Eurydice was finally able to breathe and suffer in silence. She finally had time to think, process and absorb everything that has happened to her over the course of her remembered life. As relaxing as it sounded to most, it was her definition of hell. Everyone had a beginning. Before the pain. All she had was during the pain, becoming from the pain, and dealing with whatever the hell was left over. She had no comforting thoughts of a family or best friends, all she had was remembrance of a cold cell that turned into a glass cage. In fact, the only family she had gained were her cell mate neighbors, the ones who suffered her fate. According to Bucky, they had been good friends for a while before everything was taken from her. And Yelena? Natasha? They trained together after Hydra finished with their lousy experiments. In between the training and the beatings, they would tell her tales of the life they lived before the Red Room.

In the end, Eurydice was more than happy to take what she could get. With a sketch pad in hand, taking a seat at her little desk next to her favorite window, she began to craft the small things she actually could remember of her before. She didn’t have the memories of staging fake holiday photos or seeing the Mets play the big game with her best friend. No, what she did have was a set of hooded eyes. In her dreams, they were the ones that flashed in between each nightmare. Blue was supposed to be one of the coldest colors, however, those blue eyes somehow felt warm. Frustrating, but warm. They didn’t belong to Bucky, nor anyone she had hunted down with Yelena after the fall of Dreykov. They belonged to someone that made her heartache in waking and being her comfort between the terrors. So why couldn’t she remember?

With nostrils flared in frustration, Eurydice shaded and lined everything with perfect precision as a desperate prayer for answers. Tears began to fall onto the paper, staining the now perfected set. Why? Why can’t I remember?

xx

Ever since everything had died down, Bucky had always taken her to this one sushi joint. Of course, they always sat in awkward silence as a form of an unspoken joke between the two. Honestly, in Eurydice’s opinion, Sam would be having a riot at their private get togethers. He would most likely call it a walking ad of social anxiety, try to get Bucky another date with the hostess and drink an entire bottle of Sake. It’s why Eurydice would always argue with Buck to bring him along.

“No, no, no. A million times no, Euri!” Bucky would exhaust, rubbing his brow.

She rolled her light green hues, glaring at the soldier in a way that would even bring the mightiest warrior to their knees. “I know you don't do this to have fun, Barnes. At this point, I’m starting to believe that you’re doing this as a form of punishment.”

Bucky chuckled, motioning his beer towards her as a sign to finish up. “Promise I won’t hold you here much longer, doll. I’m just… you know, making sure you’re okay.” Eurydice rolled her eyes. Ever since Bucky got himself back in order, he’s been like an older brother, refusing to let up. According to his therapist, holding things in is the quickest way of having them explode out. How could her issues do that? She doesn’t even know what most of them are besides grief, which in her opinion, she has been very open about.

“I know nothing I say would change your mind,” She began, leaning back into the bar stool, “but I genuinely am fine. Truly. Just trust me, Buck.” She pleaded, with her hand shooting down to her cardigan pocket once it began to vibrate. Bucky stared at her with suspicion in his eyes, watching the girls’ expression turn from nonchalant to pure annoyance. He knew exactly who texted her.

“Valentina again?” He asked, bringing the beer bottle to his lips. Eurydice sucked her teeth and nodded.

“She has a target for me. Some guy named Kingo.” She shrugged, scrolling through the details that were sent over.

Bucky chuckled, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Sam is gonna lose it.”

Furrowing, Eurydice shot a confused look at the 90 year old. “Why?”

“You may not know this, but Sam is a big fan of Bollywood. Kingo sounds awfully a lot like one of his favorites. You’re gonna end up on his shitlist if that’s him.” Bucky took another sip of his beer, turning his full attention over to the girl who was rolling her eyes.

“Bucky, we all know that he likes me too much to put me on his shit list, even if that’s the guy. I could literally light Sam on fire and he would STILL act like my best friend. Unlike you.” She jabbed, raising a brow. Eurydice sucked on her teeth, bringing her forearm to rest atop of the chair. Bucky, pursed his lips. She was right. To Sam, it was like Eurydice lit up the whole sky, she was like a little sister to him, though she refuses to believe it.

“Yeah, whatever.” With a grumble of defeat, Bucky and Eurydice began to sit in comfortable silence again. Soft music filled the restaurant as she scanned through her phone, looking at the details that Valentina sent. She pursed her lips to the side, sighing.

“What?” The man next to her asked, looking over at her with risen brows.

“I kinda missed it when she hand delivered them.” A pout formed, as she shoved her phone back into her pocket.

It was at this time, Bucky finally let out a genuine laugh. Something that was rare to come by and hard to get. “You actually miss those random, out of the shadow pop ups? You really must be bored.”

SOMEWHERE IN NEW YORK.

Gasping awake from a sweet dream, Druig rolled over on his side and allowed his head to fall towards his chest as he tried to calm his breath. The moments before they parted… before he made them part. Her hair reflected so beautifully in the moonlight, and her eyes made the reflection of the fire dance more vibrantly.

Just a sweet dream. His heart ached. How could he be so stupid? So naive? So selfish. She begged to go with him, she begged to stay by his si—

“Druig?” A knock interrupted his racing thoughts. He bummed in reply, allowing Sersi to enter his room. She looked exhausted as he peered over his shoulder. Like she had been scouring the Earth for information from the past century about her.

“Is something wrong?” His voice sounded weak, almost begging for a distraction.

“Well, two things have happened. But I’ll give you the worst first.” She began, walking over the chair neighboring his bedside. Makkari stood in the place at the door that Sersi once stood, keeping a keen eye on their lips as a way to make sure that Sersi delivers the news she had found on her missing, sweet friend. Taking a deep breath, Sersi straightened up in the chair with her hands lightly gripping her knees. “Kingo suspects that someone has sent an assassin after him. Someone in his industry wasn’t too keen regarding some choices he had made.”

Druig let out an exhausted laugh. Of course Kingo had to bring assassins to his door, the man couldn’t just have this one thing be in attention for long. He wasn’t too bothered by it, however, none of them were. Wasn’t the first time Kingo brought unwanted violence to their doorstep. “And what’s the second piece of news?” He asked, trying to rush the moment along. Ever since the battle against Ikaris, he’s grateful for any sleep he could get.

Sersi examined him before she took a breath, warning suspicion from the blue eyed man. He furrowed his brows, growing concerned. “Sersi, what is it?”

Makkari stepped forward, “Tell him”, she signed. She tried to prepare Sersi for this moment, knowing how he’d react.

Sersi drew another breath of courage, knowing damn well where this news would lead him. “Makkari found some information about Eurydice.” She stammered, watching as the man’s face turned white. “In a museum.” “A museum?” He breathed out, heart jumping to his throat. Sersi nodded, looking at Druig as he took it all in. “And Ajak never thought to look into any of that?” He asked, anger lacing his tone. Makkari placed a hand on her dear friends’ shoulder, squeezing in support while she kept her gaze towards the window, watching the snow dance happily to the ground. She knew this anger. She felt this anger. She felt it the moment she walked through the museum dedicated to one of Eurydices’ mortal friends.

It was many moments before he spoke up again, Sersi gripping his now knuckle white fist as he gripped the sheets. “Take me there.”

xxxxxx

Tag list: @high-preistess-motel @thecaptainsbride @joficrec

New York, December 2024

A soft sigh escaped the lips of the immortal man as he watched the performance in admiration and awe. Orpheus. Eurydice. A wave of nostalgia came over him, causing a chill to wrack through him like a tidal wave. Eurydice. Eurydice, Eurydice, Eurydice. He remembered when the humans made this tale up about him and his beautiful, beautiful girl. The only downfall is that it seemed that they knew of her fate way before it even occurred. Eurydice, leaving Oprheus behind into the depths of Hades. A pang shot through his chest, a memory.

Australia, July 2024

“What do you mean that Ajak didn’t manage to keep track of her?” He argued, Irkaris sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you, Druig, she just wasn’t able to. According to what she told Sersi, she wasn’t able to find her after 1939.” Ikaris responded, obvious annoyance written all over his face. Of course Eurydice wouldn’t want to be under Ajaks’ watch. The gaul of him. “I mean, it makes sense. You left her behind like she was nothing.”

Druig clenched his jaw, balling his fists as guilt festered into the depths of his being. “Doesn’t mean Ajak should’ve lost her.” He gritted through his teeth, avoiding the sympathetic gaze from the others. However, Sprite scoffed. “Who cares, Edie is probably sipping wine in Tuscany for all we know. Besides, do we even need her to do whatever we need to do with Tiamut? From what I remembered, it’s not like she had any powers anyway.”

“Just shut the fuck up,” Druig shot back, glaring at the petite girl, “Regardless of power, Ajak should’ve let us know she lost her right when it happened. She knows that we would’ve helped find her. T-That I would’ve helped.”

A sigh escaped Sersi as she stood up from the chair she was once in. Before Sprite could jab back, the ravened hair Eternal held her hand up, before she could get another word out. Thena, who was on the couch next to Gilgamesh smirked. Ajak picked the best to resume her role of caretaker. “Regardless, we still do not have time to find her. Tiamut is to arrive soon and we need to stop it. Unfortunately it has to be without Kingo. Without Eurydice. If we somehow manage to survive this… Druig, I swear we will find out what happened to her. I promise.”

Licking his lips, Druig felt a hand squeeze his shoulder. He quickly placed his own on top of hers. He didn’t need to look to know who was offering their comfort: Makkari, his dearest and closest friend. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded his head. “Okay. Okay, but we don’t stop searching until we find her.” He agreed, earning a nod from Sersi.

New York, December 2024

The great Hermes bellowed in response to Orpheus after being inquired where his beloved was, “What if I told you she was down below?” The unspoken fear seated with the Eternal began to stir, fingers tingling as he began to envision himself as Orpheus. “Down below?” He’d ask, a cold sweat shot through him. Hermes nodded, eyes devoid of empathy or care. “Six feet under the ground be–” Shaking his head fast, as if to wipe the thought and scene before him out of his head as he shot up out of his seat to leave the theatre. With hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket, Druig left the crowded Broadway scene and emerged onto the streets of New York. In past letters that he was able to find with the promised help of Sersi, he found out Eurydice lived in Brooklyn before her disappearance. She often spoke of her friends, Steve and Bucky, but after the United States became engaged in World War II, communication between her and the now deceased mother of the Eternals had ceased.

His mind began traveling at a million miles a second as he began to go through any scenario that could’ve caused her to disappear like that. It was unlike her. Even with an unspoken pain between her and Druig, Eurydice still kept some sort of contact with him. The occasional card or gift that she would send every couple hundred years. But to go silent with Ajak for almost 86 years? Absolutely unheard of. But he couldn’t keep focusing on the past, as Makkari told him, he needs to focus on bringing her home. Back to him, even though it was Druig that caused this (newly admitted) unnecessary distance between them.