#'Riga. It's a city near the Baltic sea'

[bucktopherbarnsley]

Gotta love Sam explaining to Zemo and Bucky that Riga is “a city near the Baltic Sea”.

Why thank you Sam, yes certainly these two specific people have never heard of the capital of Latvia before.

#tfatws #tfatws ep3 power broker #can you tell I’m rewatching tfatws for the millionth time #Sam wilson #Bucky barnes #helmut zemo

[girlitfeelsgood]

not the writers of tfatws having sam describe where riga is located fhkhkgd do people in the us genuinely not have to learn about capitals and major cities of the world???

#tfatws #he really said riga a city near the baltic sea like yeah?? obviously???

[theconstantsidekick]

Power Broker (7) | b.b

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Stark!Reader, Past Steve Rogers x Stark!Reader, OC x Stark!Reader (brief)

Genre: Fluff with a touch of angst.

Summary: Bucky breaks out Zemo. Sam suggests they need help handling him, seeing as he can push Bucky’s buttons unlike anyone else. So they go to the only person who can handle both Bucky and Zemo, the only Stark left in the Superhero business… well kind of. Only problem is, she seems reluctant.

Warnings: Swearing, definitely.

a/n: These are snippets of scenes that introduce y/n into the story as a character without making drastic changes. The plot points remain mostly same as they take place in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, except that y/n is also a main character with them. The rest of the MCU events stay the same as well. No drastic retcons. The reader is not only a Stark but also enhanced. Thanks for you support. And oh, I guess the tag list is open?

sidenote: this really is a method I use to calm myself down from a panic attack.

Power Broker (6) | The Whole World Is Watching (1) | Series Masterlist

“You okay?” Bucky asks Sam, when he finally sits down after getting off the phone with Torres.

He’s sitting diagonal to Sam, with Y/n in front of him, who he notices keeps looking down where Bucky’s cleaning his left palm with his handkerchief.

“Yeah,” Sam breathes out. “Just thinking about all the shit Sharon had to go through. And Nagel referring to the American test subject like Isaiah wasn't even a real person.” Sam sits up straight and turns over to look at Bucky, fury evident in his voice. “Just makes me wonder how many people have to get steamrolled to make way for this hunk of metal.”

“Well, it depends on who you ask. That hunk of metal saved a lot of lives.” Bucky argues.

“Yeah, I get that. All right,” Sam concedes. “Maybe I made a mistake.”

There’s a determination in his voice, Bucky can’t yet place.

“You did,” Bucky agrees.

“Yeah. Maybe I shouldn't have put it in a museum. Maybe I should have destroyed it.”

Ah, there it is. 

Bucky looks back at him, his voice is soft when he says, “Look, that shield represents a lotta things to a lotta people, including me.” He leans forward, turning to face him, “The world is upside down, and we need a new Cap, and it ain't gonna be Walker. So before you go and destroy it, I'm gonna take it from him myself.”

“Besides,” Y/n finally chimes in, both men turn to look at her, “You can’t kill a symbol, Sam. Most you can do... is wear it.”

Sam’s phone begins ringing, he picks it up as Zemo walks over with a plate full of…? Who knows? Poisoned biscuits probably. He takes a seat behind Bucky, their backs facing each other. 

“Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Good work,” Sam says into the phone, presumably to Torres. “They found Madani... Dead. She died in Riga, a city near the Baltic Sea,” He informs the group in front of him.

“I have a place we can go,” Zemo suggests. “I, for one, am looking forward to coming face to face with Karli.” That doesn’t sound fucking ominous at all. “Oeznik, we're changing the course,” Zemo calls out.

Eventually, they all settle in for the night. Each grabbing one corner of the fuselage for themselves.

But sleep is a precious commodity for people like Bucky. It should be sold in tiny little boxes at the jewelry store along with diamonds. At least then maybe Bucky could probably afford some.

He wakes up gasping, unable to breathe, almost choking. Everything around him is hazy except the faint voice that pulled him out of the slumber to begin with.

“James?” The voice calls out, but Bucky can’t fucking focus. There isn’t enough oxygen going into his brain. He isn’t even sure he’s fully awake yet because it kinda sounds like his maa’s calling him, like she did when he and Steve were kids. Nobody calls him ‘James’ anymore… right?

“James?” The voice is louder this time, more urgent. Bucky wants to go to it, see who the fuck actually gives enough of a shit about him to sound so damn worried. “Come back to me, James?”

Y/n.

His eyes fly open, he’s still disoriented and the world still feels like a dream. But he can see Y/n kneeling in front of him, so it really can’t be a dream. Bucky doesn’t have such fucking pretty dreams anymore. 

“There you are, sunshine,” She coos at him. Her voice is hushed and so very soft. “Can you do me a solid and breathe with me?”

Bucky can’t really understand much at the moment but he trusts her, so he nods. And begins breathing in tandem with her. He inhales and exhales heavily a couple of times, coming back to enough of his senses to realize that he's holding her hand. She doesn’t seem to mind though. Instead she’s running soothing circles with her thumb over the back of his hand. And again he’d blame faulty wiring for the feeling of electricity coursing through every inch of contact their skins are making, but it’s not his damn left hand.

“Can you hear me better now?” She asks.

He nods an assent.

“Good, that’s good. Just listen to my voice okay? Focus on my voice and keep breathing. Can you do that for me, sunshine?” She asks gently.

Bucky nods again.

She smiles a small adorable smile and begins, “Rehabilitated? Well, now let me see. You know, I don't have any idea what that means,” She recites. “I know what you think it means, sonny. To me it's just a made up word. A politician's word, so young fellas like yourself can wear a suit and a tie, and have a job. What do you really want to know? Am I sorry for what I did?” She leans over and carefully wipes away the thin layer of sweat that was coating Bucky’s forehead with her hand, as she continues, “There's not a day goes by I don't feel regret. Not because I'm in here, or because you think I should. I look back on the way I was then: a young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I want to talk to him. I want to try and talk some sense to him, tell him the way things are. But I can't.” She pushes his hair back with one hand, still rubbing small circles on his hand with her thumb, with the other. Bucky’s not even sure she knows she’s doing it. “That kid's long gone and this old man is all that's left. I got to live with that. Rehabilitated? It's just a bullshit word. So you go on and stamp your form, sonny, and stop wasting my time. Because to tell you the truth, I don't give a shit,” She completes.

Bucky realizes he’s breathing much easier now. His vision is fully restored and he’s painfully aware of Y/n crouching in front of him on her knees.

“Feel better?’ She asks, a kind smile on her face.

“Yeah,” Bucky chokes out. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” she dismisses easily. 

“I’m sor—”

“—Are you really about to apologize for having a nightmare?” She cocks her eyebrow, her voice coated in annoyance.

“I just—”

“—Fuck off,” she throws back.

“Sor—” He’s cut off by the glare she throws her way. “Fine, what would you like, then?” He asks, completely lost.

“My hand back…”

Well, fuck. 

He’s still holding her hand… Bucky is still holding her fucking hand… and he doesn’t let go even after she asks for it… He looks down at their hands and then looks back up at her. And yet, does not let go. Oh how he wishes it could’ve been the left one so he could’ve claimed innocence, blaming it on Shuri’s  equipment.

Let go, you fucking creep! He scolds himself.

“I kinda need it to go get you some water, that’s all,” she explains patiently. Bucky looks down at their joined hands again, and still doesn’t let go. He can’t put his finger on why. “I’ll be right back, I promise,” she swears genuinely. 

And the moment he hears those words, he relaxes and lets go easily. 

Well fuck times two.

She makes her way over to the cockpit, picking up two water bottles  from the broken fridge and walking right back to him. She urges him to shift a bit and sits down on the extended seat next to him.

“Drink up, cowboy,” she gives him a bottle while setting the other down on the seat between them. “It’ll help.”

When the first drop of water touches his lips he realizes he was parched all along. He chugs more than half the bottle in one go before she interrupts, “Eaasyyy, cowboy. Easy," she says brushing a gentle arm over his shoulder. He looks over at her. “Go slower. You’re taking all the romance out of it,” she suggests, laughing at her own joke.

He’d laugh too, but he just had a gut-wrenching nightmare. So excuse him. 

He finishes the rest of the bottle, putting it down on the floor. They both settle into their seats. He looks over at her and finally it clicks, “Did you— did you just quote Shawshank Redemption at me to calm me down?” He asks, incredulous.

“Maybe…” She replies slyly, her lips curling up at the edges.

“Wha—And I say this with the utmost respect, but what the fuck?” He asks.

And she breaks out laughing. Bucky decides then and there, flying over the Caspian Sea, that he would fight wars to hear that sound again.

“It’s just something I do for myself, you know? To get out of my head, when I’m about to get caught in it…” she speaks in whispers, with a calmness not often associated with nightmares and panic attacks. He can’t help but admire the sight in front of him. The sun’s beginning to rise and the soft rays of the sun filtering in along with the dimmed lights of the cabin makes her look almost angelic. 

There’s a silence between them. It’s comfortable but he doesn’t mind it when she breaks it.

“How did you even know it was Shawshank Redemption?” She asks suddenly.

What is it with people thinking Bucky’s fucking illiterate?

“I read it,” he defends.

“With all the rest of Stephen King’s collection, of course.” She nods in understanding.

“Who told you that?”

“You just did,” she says looking at him, a smile finally breaking out on his face, “nerd.”

Bucky chuckles, “Come on, he writes good stuff, alright?” He defends himself.

“And a lot!” She throws back. “And I mean, a lot, a lot. That like, at least 50 books.”

“62,” He corrects her. “And well, not much else to do when you can’t sleep you know?” 

“Touché,” she agrees with an understanding in her voice that only comes from experience. “Kinda how I ended up with a law degree,” she adds after a pause, almost to herself.

“About that,” Bucky begins, but is cut off by her yawn. She mumbles out a hushed apology, looking embarrassed. “Oh shit, we can do this later, you should get some sleep.” He feels like an ass.

“No, no. Come on, ask whatever you were going to—”

“It can wait. I woke you up—”

“You didn’t—”

He barrels on “—and now I’m keeping you up.”

“I wasn’t exactly having the most peaceful sleep, alright? This is much better than whatever twisted scenario my brain had cooked up... “ she says with a hint of resentment in her eyes. “Besides, I don’t want to miss this…”

Bucky has no fucking clue if she means the sunrise or this conversation because she’s looking at him and he’s looking back at her and the world is fading away.

Until she says, “Ask away, Sarge.” She pushes herself back to the edge of the seat, resting her back on the wall. She takes off her boots, and pulls her legs up, folding them halfway and rests her arms over her knees. Her feet brush over the leg Bucky has folded up sideways on the seat while the other one remains hanging off. He cherishes the small intimacy of the touch.

“Where’d you go?” She asks, her head tilting to follow his gaze.

He looks up at her, “Nowhere,” he dismisses.

“You’ve got me on the edge of my seat here. What’s the damn question?

He chuckles softly, “Oh, nothing big. Just… Did you really get my pardon..?”

She shrugs in response, “I am technically the official lawyer for the Avengers.”

“What?” Nobody told him about that!

“Oh yeah, you wouldn’t know, I guess,” she smiles. “Well, I was Tony’s lawyer, but then I made a deal with Fury to work with Shield and then Washington happened, then the accords and somehow I ended up becoming the whole team’s lawyer.”

“You could’ve told me before,” Bucky says, desperately trying to convey his gratitude. “I didn’t even know it was you. I thought it was Sam pulling strings for me. Least I could’ve done is get you flowers or something.”

She chuckles, “I ain’t dead yet. And I like tulips.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He will.

“Like I said, it all got too much. I just wanted to get things settled and done away with as soon as possible, without much human interaction. I wasn’t coping very well with the whole thing... Morgan was the only person I talked to... I’m sorry.”

“No, no!” He rushes to console her. “I’d just like to have expressed my thanks before, is all. You must be pretty damn good at your job to get a former assassin for Hydra off scot free.”

“Umm… but it wasn’t scot free though, was it?” She asks rhetorically with a cheeky smile.

“Wait… the therapy? That was you?” He asks with disbelief washing over his face. He’s jumped up from his seat and is sitting straighter now. 

“Shh!” She shushes him.

“Don’t shush me!” He whisper yells back at her.

She chortles and then, “I thought it would be good for you.”

The honesty of her words, makes him relax and fall back in his seat, “It is… sometimes.”

She smiles, “That’s better than none of the time…”

Bucky hums in agreement.

Another silence falls over them, just as comfortable as the previous one. She’s looking out the window and he’s looking at her. He doesn’t want to break it but he wants to know her.

So he asks, “Is that what you wanted to be?”

She looks back at him, confused.

“You said the hero gig wasn’t for you… Did you want to be a lawyer?”

“Well, not exactly. It was kind of an impulse decision taken cause of boredom.”

“Boredom?” He repeats the word, hoping to understand how someone can become a lawyer because of boredom. He doesn’t. He chooses to ask, “Care to explain?”

“Alright,” she takes a deep breath, sitting up straighter, “I had a shit time sleeping, and Tony—that overachieving asshat—had just gotten into MIT. He was a teenager now, and thought that made him ‘too cool’ to hang out with me.” Her voice is drenched in sarcasm and mock offence but adoration, evident. She even uses fucking air quotes. Bucky can’t help but smile. “So with nothing better to do after having finally stepped out into the public as Tony’s adopted sister, I went and got a law degree.”

“There a reason you specifically picked law? He asks, genuinely curious.

“Of course there was; Anthony Edward Stark!” She exclaims. He has to reach over and cup her mouth to stop her yelling from waking up Zemo and Sam. The moment he realizes what he’s done he’s about to apologize. But she continues undeterred, simply pulling his hand off gently and adding, “That kid had a fucking neon sign over his head, the size of Ohio, just screaming, ‘Litigation’.”

“He was a troublemaker since the beginning, I take it?” He asks, laughing.

“Oh, If we had to hire him a legal team, he’d never have become a millionaire, let alone a billionaire.” 

Her face is lit up so bright, Bucky thinks he might need to invest in some really good quality sunglasses if he wants to keep seeing her smile like that. And oh boy, does he want to keep seeing her smile like that!

“Couldn’t have been that bad,” Bucky ventures.

“No,” she says, “it was worse.”

Bucky snorts  in disbelief.

“You don’t believe me?” She asks rhetorically, before crossing her legs over one another and moving closer to him. “21st birthday. He can legally drink now, like that had ever stopped him before. But anyway, he’s not only drunk off his damn rocker but higher than the Empire State building, alright? It’s like 3 am in the morning and he stumbles out of the club, leaving behind the most extravagant party of that year, cause the young genius is craving a fucking donut.” Her hands are moving around in animated motions and Bucky has never been this captivated by anything before. “The nearest 24 hour Dunkin’ Donuts is about a 20 minute ride away. Now, the kid might be hungry but he isn’t suicidal. So his brilliant mind supplies him with the most Stark solution there is.”

“Which is?” Bucky urges.

“Breaking into the local convenience store two blocks away from the club, and make the damn donuts himself,” she deadpans. And Bucky can’t help but fucking giggle. “Oh you laugh now but the police did not find it funny at all.”

“Where were you when this was happening?” He asks in between his chuckles.

“Right behind him screaming instructions at him on how to pick a lock,” she replies plainly. “Why do you think they called the police?”

Fuck! Bucky can’t hold it, he breaks out into a hearty laugh, doubling over..

“Will you two quit your giggling?” Sam chides from behind them. They both hush each other but can’t stop their laughter. “Us regular folk need sleep!”

He doesn’t really get any though. Cause the two of them spend the rest of the flight telling each other stories from their childhood. Their giggles even manage to wake up Zemo by the end. 

tag list: @thisisparadisemylove @justab-eautifulmess @intothesoul @buckyisperfect @aryksworld @ceo-of-daichi @ireadthensuetheauthors @fckdeusername​ @hotleaf-juice @itspetitfantomestuff

Read next part here.

Find series masterlist here.

#bucky x you #bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #bucky x stark reader #bucky imagines #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x y/n angst #bucky banres x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x stark!reader #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barns x y/n angst #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes x reader flufff #james bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fan fiction #mcu fanfic #mcu imagines #mcu fanfiction #tfatws fanfic #tfatws fanfiction #the falcon and the winter solider spoilers #the falcon and the winter soldier fanfiction #bucky barnes fan fic #past steve rogers x stark!reader #past!steve rogers x stark reader

[redwingsupportgroup]

“— in Riga, a city near the Baltic Sea.”

“I have a place we can go.”

TFATWS favourite locations -> Riga // s01e04 - The Whole World is Watching

#sam wilson #bucky barnes #helmut zemo #john walker #lemar hoskins #karli morgenthau #tfatws #fatws #caatws #* #sambucky #TFATWS location

[marvelmusing]

Twin Flame

Helmut Zemo x GN!Reader

Part 7

My Masterlist • Series Masterlist

You and Helmut don’t talk much until the plane has set its course. You’re quiet, keeping your gaze out the window or on the table in front of you. Anywhere but Helmut.

“I heard what you said to Sam.” He says quietly.

“What did I say?”

“That we weren’t at the stage where I’d run my decisions through you.”

“Was I wrong? Would you have told me what you were planning with Nagel?”

“You couldn’t tell what I was thinking?”

“I don’t need a soul link to see your hatred for anything super soldier related. But there’s a difference between being angry and wanting to kill someone. So no, though I really should have seen it coming.”

“Would you like me to?” You frown at him in confusion. “I give you my word, that should I make any sort of decision which could impact the two of us, I will tell you beforehand.”

“That sounds rather inconvenient for you when you betray us.”

“I’d never betray you Liebling.” You can feel the strength of his honesty. You give him a small nod in reply. You hear Sam finish his phone call.

“They found Madani, dead. She died in Riga, a city near the Baltic Sea.” Helmut leans back in his seat.

“I have a place we can go. I, for one, am looking forward to coming face to face with Karli.” You don’t like the tone he’s using. He then calls out, “Oeznik, we're changing the course.”

Riga’s a beautiful city. It’s a shame you’re not here on a better occasion. You walk beside Helmut as your group makes their way through the streets. Sam and Bucky trail behind you two. Latvia is quite close to where Sokovia was, Helmut must have spent some time here, as he seems familiar with the streets.

“I heard what became of Sokovia. Cannibalized by its neighbors before the land was cleared of rubble, erased from the map.” You’re reminded of what you found when you first visited former Sokovia. The gaping crater in the Earth. The long list of names, the lives lost. Helmut glances at you for a moment, and you feel a wave of concern which helps you gather yourself. Satisfied that you’re okay, Helmut returns his attention to Sam and Bucky. “I don't suppose any of you bothered visiting the memorial?” He asks, looking at Sam. “Of course not. Why would you? We are here.” Helmut stops at a rather elaborate looking door.

“I'm gonna go on a walk.” Bucky announces.

“You good?” Sam asks him, to which he nods.

“Yeah. I'll see you guys in a bit.” Bucky makes his way down the street, whilst you follow Helmut into the apartment.

If you weren’t sure of Helmut’s riches before, you are now. The apartment is a lot bigger than you’d thought it would be, and it’s almost ridiculously ornate. You and Sam sit at the kitchen island while Helmut disappears into a nearby room. It’s not long before the bathroom door opens and Helmut steps out. He’s dressed in a bathrobe and he’s dabbing a fluffy white towel against his face. As he approaches you and Sam, you hear the front door open and Bucky stalks into the room announcing,

“Well, the Wakandans are here. They want Zemo. Bought us some more time.”

“Were you followed?” You ask Bucky.

“No.”

“How can you be so sure?” Helmut asks.

“Cause I know when I'm being followed.”

“It was sweet of you to defend me at least.” You shoot him a ‘please stop pushing Bucky’ look. Though that’s clearly too much to ask for.

“Hey, you shut it. No one's defending you. You killed Nagel.” Sam adds.

“Do we really have to litigate what may or may not have happened?” If you weren’t so annoyed with Helmut, you would have found that funny. He senses your lingering amusement and smirks.

“There's nothing to litigate. You straight shot the man.” Sam argues, you nod in agreement. Bucky’s attention is on his phone.

“Sam.”

“What?”

“Karli bombed a GRC supply depot.”

“What? What's the damage?” You lean over to look at the screen.

“Eleven injured, three dead.” You read out. “They have a list of demands and are promising more attacks if those demands aren't met in full.” Sam sighs.

“She's getting worse.” Helmut states. “I have the will to complete this mission. Do you?”

“She's just a kid.” Sam argues.

“You're seeing something in her that isn't there. You're clouded by it. She's a supremacist. The very concept of a Super Soldier will always trouble people. It's that warped aspiration that led to Nazis, to Ultron, to the Avengers.”

“Hey, those're our friends you're talking about.”

“The Avengers, not the Nazis.” Bucky feels the need to mention.

“So, Karli is radicalized, but there has to be a peaceful way to stop her.” Sam adds.

“She’s only been radicalized by her circumstances. It’s the world that has pushed her to do this, not some belief that she’s better than everyone else.” You argue.

“The desire to become a superhuman cannot be separated from supremacist ideals. Anyone with that serum is inherently on that path. She will not stop. She will escalate until you kill her.” Helmut pauses. “Or she kills you.”

“Maybe you're wrong, Zemo. The serum never corrupted Steve.” Bucky says.

“Touché. But there has never been another Steve Rogers, has there?” Bucky sighs, crossing the room to sit on the couch.

“Well, maybe we should give him to the Wakandans right now.” He calls out. Helmut continues to look through the cupboards.

“And you'll give up your tour guide?”

“Yes.” Bucky states shortly. Sam ignores them both,

“From my understanding, Donya is like a pillar of the community, right? So, when I was a kid, my TT passed away.” Sam explains. Bucky frowns lightly.

“Your TT?”

“Yeah, my TT, yeah.”

“Who is your TT?”

“Fine. When I was a kid, my aunt passed away and the entire neighborhood got together for a ceremony. It was like a week long. Maybe they're doing the same thing for Donya.” Bucky shrugs.

“Worth a shot.” Sam turns to you, and you nod.

“Your TT would be proud of you.” He says, a little awkwardly. He pulls out a tin, opening to pick up a small sweet. “Turkish Delight.” He explains, tossing the sweet to Sam. He then pours the contents onto the counter in front of you. “Irresistible.”

The four of you set out to the local GRC refugee centre where Donya had been living. It’s a short walk, before you enter the courtyard.

“Shame what's become of this place.” Helmut says, as your group looks at the building. “When I was young, we used to come here for fabulous dinners and parties. I knew nothing of the politics of the time, of course, but I remember it being beautiful.” His tone is almost melancholy, and you can sense he’s lost in his thoughts for a moment. Sam turns to Bucky,

“I'm gonna take a look around upstairs. See what you can find out here. And keep an eye on him.”

“I’ll scout around the building.” You add. Helmut gives you a small nod as you head back the way you came. You hear him say to Bucky,

“I'll stay out of your way.” You shake your head at how passive aggressive he is with Bucky. You walk slowly around the edge of the building, admiring the architecture. There are a few people wandering the streets. Then you spot a small boy. His clothing is a little grubby, and his face is tear stained. You crouch down beside him.

“Are you alright?” You ask him, in Latvian. You sit with the boy for some time, before he tells you his name is Ivan and he’s lost his sister. You pull out a Turkish Delight from your pocket. You’d taken a handful from Helmut before you’d left the apartment. It isn’t long before he’s more comfortable around you, and you tell him you’ll help him find his sister. So he takes your hand and you head back to where you’d left Helmut and Bucky. You scoop Ivan up into your arms, propping him up on your hip. A small flare of sadness seizes your heart, making you concerned for Helmut, but he soon pushes it down. As you return to the courtyard, you notice Sam and Bucky standing together. You approach the two of them.

“No luck?” You ask Sam.

“It's starting to feel like a dead end. You made a friend?” He nods to the boy in your arms.

“He’s lost his sister.” Sam nods, looking concerned.

“The hell is he doing?” Bucky says. You follow his gaze to see Helmut surrounded by a small huddle of children. Ivan then tugs on your sleeve, noticing his sister among the crowd. You head towards the children, before setting Ivan down near his sister, who’s just whispered something in Helmut’s ear. You smooth Ivan’s hair over, before telling him to stay near his sister. Feeling his eyes on you, you glance across at Helmut. When his gaze meets yours a faint smile curls at his lips. Helmut stands, tossing his Turkish Delights into the small crowd of children. They scamper around, seizing the sweets from the cobbles beneath them. You follow him as he makes his way back to Sam and Bucky.

“Cute kids.” He remarks casually. The four of you are quiet as you make your way back to the apartment. Bucky and Sam have no leads, and you have a feeling Helmut knows something. You just hope that he won’t refuse to tell them about it.

Tagslist: @justfangirlthingies @handmaiden-of-mischief @mischief-siriusly-managed @somethingthatsaysbubbles @fillechatoyante @fandom-lover-4 @chipster-21 @homosexualjohnwayne @greeneyedblondie44 @morganwilliams @kinismanditory @yellenabelovaa

#helmut zemo x reader #zemo x reader #baron zemo x reader #baron zemo x y/n #zemo x y/n #baron helmut zemo #helmut zemo imagine #baron zemo imagine #zemo imagine #zemo fic #marvel au #tfatws au #tfatws #soulmate au

[roguelov]

An Old Colleague 

Summary: Zemo calls up a former associate who could help find Karli and give the team a place to stay

Reader: Gender neutral

Warnings: Mostly just fluff with a little angst sprinkled in the middle, mentions of Zemo wanting to end his life but very brief, also takes place during the 3rd/4th episode of TFATWS

Gif credit to deputyrook

How did Sam and Bucky’s life keep on becoming more and more bizarre by the second? One second, they were chasing a terrorist group named the Flag Smashers, then the next second they were in the company of Helmut Zemo in his private jet. 

The domino effect was truly an odd phenomenon.

Now, their goal was to get into contact with the leader of the Flag Smashers, Karli Morgenthau. The only lead any of these men had was a woman, Donya Madani, who appeared to be relatively close to Karli. However, luck never seemed to be on the side of the heroes.

Sam sighed as he hung up the phone. “They found Madani … dead. She died in Riga, a city near the Baltic Sea.”

Zemo tilted his head in thought. A name popped to mind. A name he hasn’t thought about in years. “I have a contact there, someone we can go to. Hopefully, they are still there.”  

Sam squinted his eyes at the jail breaker. “Someone? A friend?”

“Friend, colleague, ally, whatever term you wish to use.”

“Can we trust them?” Bucky asked the obviously glaring question.

“We can trust them,” Zemo responded quickly. “We do not have any bad blood between us so we should be able to take refuge with them. And they are well connected, so they may have some information for us.”

Sam and Bucky shared a look. To trust Zemo? Or not? Unfortunately, they didn’t have a choice. If this person, colleague of Zemo’s, can inch their mission along in anyway then they will take it.

Zemo stood up from his set and stepped towards the galley at the front of the plane. “Let me make a call and we should be there in a couple of hours.”

With your eyes closed, you sighed sinking further into the tub. Steam rose fogging the mirror, and the glass of the shower and windows. The morning sunlight streamed in dancing over your closed eyes, but you didn’t mind. Bubbles tickled at your nose as multiple aroma floated up. All the while, soft instrumental music played in the background.

After a long night, you needed this. Your muscles ached as a headache continued to pound against your skull. A smile graced your lips as you sunk completely under the hot water.

Ring!

You jerked up coughing up water. You snapped your head over to your vanity sink seeing your phone perched on top of your clothing buzzing and ringing. You glared debating whether or not you should answer it. After the third ring, you begrudgingly hopped out of the rub. You marched over ready to chew out whoever ruined your sweet tranquil moment. Not even bothering looking at the ID or number, you answered it.

“Hello?” You hissed out.

“Ah, (Y/N), have I caught you at a bad time? Apologizes.”

Your rage vanished. Confusion swiftly replaced it. You knew that voice. You knew that specific rumble with that thick Sokovian accent.

“Zemo?” You asked in utter disbelief. It has been years since you heard from him.

“So, you do remember me, it’s nice to know that even with my time away I wasn’t forgotten.”

“I – I thought you were in jail.” Water began to puddle around you. You shivered at the cool air, but you wouldn’t move. Stunned by the voice on the other side.

“Yes, I was, but uh –“ he cleared his throat “ – I was hoping you could help me.”

“Help you? Like erase your identity and live somewhere in the Bahamas kind of help?”

He chuckled. For some reason, your heart leapt at the noise. “Ah, no, no. More along the lines of my work with the super solider serum.”

You crossed your free arm over your chest. You knew well of his work: to end super soldiers. It was a unique goal to have and you oddly supported it. Hence, how you came to know each other. Your job was trading in information. Anything and everything. Nothing was off limits to you. From basic political corruptions to the strange and unnatural such as the super solider program and secrets from Hydra.

You knew it all.

Of course, with all of this information, you’ve created many, many, enemies and a very few allies.

One of which of Helmut Zemo. He came to you early on his mission to ending the Winter Solider program. You pointed him in the right direction, on multiple occasions, as well as aided in gathering information from Hydra and the rest was history.

You huffed and twisted around to lean against the counter. The marble countertop was cold against your steaming skin. “So, you need my help?”

“Yes, if you would be so kind.”

You puckered your lips in contemplation. “It’ll cost you.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything less.” There was a slight teasing tone in his voice.

You laughed through your nose and craned your head back staring up at your ceiling. “Well, last I heard someone called the Power Broker was dealing with the serum in Madripoor.”

Rumors surfaced of the serum months ago. At first, you thought it was nothing but mindless chatter but seeing how Zemo was calling you now. Those rumors must be true.

“Yes, well, we got there –“

“We?” You scrunched your brows together.

A weighted paused. “Sam Wilson and James Barnes.”

“The Avengers?” You leapt off the counter pacing a few feet. What have you gotten yourself into Zemo?

“Yes, and it’s a bit complicated, but for now could we put this conversation on hold?”

“I guess? But, if you knew about the –“

“We need a place to stay for the time being.”

“Ah,” you nodded now understanding the whole reason for Zemo calling. “You don’t need info, you need a roof and place you know is safe.”

“Well, I wouldn’t be against any information that will help accomplish our goals.”

You snorted. “Well, staying at my house? With two Avengers? That’s something big, Zemo, and I don’t know if you will be able to pay that price.”

“I know I can.”

You shook your head smiling to yourself. Why am I willing to do this for him? “Fine, but you owe me big time.”

“Of course, anything.”

You chuckled. “You might not want to say anything.”

“Then we will discuss it later. Are you currently in Riga?”

You smiled. “Looks like luck is on your side because I am.”

“Excellent. I’ll see you soon, (Y/N).”

“See ya, Zemo.”

Zemo pressed the end call button. A smile twitched on his lips. It has been years since he last heard your voice and he didn’t realize how much he missed it until now. What surprised him most was your willingness to help. Without hesitation. Again. His eyes darted over to the two Avengers who were talking amongst themselves.

Pocketing his phone, he cleared his throat. “My contact has pulled through.”

Always has, Zemo thought to himself.

Sam and Bucky looked over at Zemo.

Sam nodded, “That’s good. At least we have one thing going for us at the moment.”

Hours later, you laid across your couch with your legs kicked up. Your heart raced with the idea of Avengers coming to your home. They wouldn’t arrest you seeing how they needed you. Then again, they probably don’t know your whole criminal history.

But, there was another reason.

Helmut Zemo.

It was strange to hear him call out of the blue, yet you didn’t mind it. Didn’t mind hearing his voice, didn’t mind that you would see him again. Your lips curled into a smile.

Knock. Knock.

Your heart jumped. You craned your head over to the front door. Taking a deep breath, you got up from the couch and strolled over to the door. Your hand instinctively wrapped around the gun tucked in your waistband as you peered through the peephole. And just like he said, Zemo stood outside in broad daylight with two Avengers.

This is fucking insane.

You dropped your hand from your gun and adjusted your shirt to hide it. Opening the door, you smiled, “Hey, Zemo.”

Zemo easily returned the smile. “Hello, (Y/N) – “ he stepped in and kissed both of your cheeks “ – you look wonderful as always.”

“Flirting will not drive down my price,” you joked. “And it’s nice to see you too.”

He chuckled.

You glanced over to the two Avengers who hesitated in the doorway. “You can come on in I won’t bite.”

The Falcon nodded then walked in first with the Winter Soldier directly behind him. You shut the door and turned to face the strange trio. Helmut Zemo, a rich man who joined the military then went to the life of espionage when his life took an unexpected turn. The Falcon, Sam Wilson, a pararescue gifted with his gear who was found by Steve Rogers and together they brought down Hydra and other enemies. The Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes, a man out of time who was kidnapped, brainwashed, and trained by Hydra to do all their dirty work until recently when he became a free man.

A really odd bunch to be working together.

“Please help yourself to any drinks, food, whatever.” You pointed to a hallway off to your left. “There’s two guest bathrooms, one is down that hall the second door on the left and the other is upstairs the first door.”

The Falcon approached you with his hand reached out. “Sam Wilson, and this is Bucky Barnes. Thank you for letting us stay here.”

You accepted his hand with a kind smile. “Nice to meet you, Sam. (Y/N) (Y/L/N).”

He nodded then dropped your head. He placed his hands in his front coat pockets as he spun around taking in your townhouse. “It’s a lovely place you have here.”

“Thanks.” Your eyes wondered over to Bucky who now sat down in one of your living room chairs. However, his eyes never left yours. Pressing and demanding. You cocked an eyebrow, “If you’re trying to burn a hole through me I’ll tell you now that many have tried but no one has succeeded.”

“I know you,” he stated. A faint memory flickered in the back of his mind.

Sam’s eyes widened as they bounced from you and Bucky. “What?”

“From his Winter Soldier days,” Zemo interjected. He was in your kitchen specifically rummaging through your liquor cabinet.

“What?” Sam repeated as looked to Bucky. “Like … seriously?”

Your kind smile sharpened. “Yes.”

You strolled into the kitchen where Zemo graciously had already poured a glass for you. You thanked him as you sipped the strong alcohol. You eyed the pair of heroes in front of you. “I wasn’t sure if you would remember me or not.” You sipped your drink as you locked eyes with Sam. “When you deal with information, you tend to make enemies and because I want to know everything that included Hydra’s secrets. So, I had my chance of having the lovely Winter Solider visit my doorstep on night.”

“And you survived?” Sam asked in utter surprise.

“Survive, sure, but escaped is more accurate. One quick slip and I was gone. Even Hydra in all their man power couldn’t track me down.” Your eyes slid over to Bucky. “But, no hard feelings. That was the past and frankly I don’t care who you were then or who you are now as long as you’re still not killing me then I don’t care.”

Bucky actually liked that answer. A bit harsh, but it was better than the alternative: the hatred and fear. To see a former victim, or almost victim, not be bothered by his presence it was comforting in an odd way. Also better than those who tread carefully around the topic of his past or him in general as if he could snap back at any second.

“So,” Sam drawled out wanting to change the conversation, “do you know anything about Karli? Or Madani?”

You glanced to Zemo and joked, “All work and no play?”

“Please, (Y/N), answer the man’s question.” Zemo replied softly.

You sighed. “Well, after asking around Madani died due to tuberculosis and she was a mother to Karli along with all of those in one of the displacement camps near here. There will be a funeral tomorrow to honor her and I know that Karli will be there to lead the ceremony.”

Sam perked up, “Great! Where is it?”

Zemo leaned on the counter next to you. In the corner of your eye, Zemo glanced to you and quickly nodded his head. You looked to Sam’s hopeful face and said, “Can’t say.”

“Meaning you don’t know?” Sam raised an eyebrow.

“Meaning they won’t tell us,” Bucky grumbled.

“What? Come on, we –“

“Look, I know what you need to do, super soldier serum and stuff, but for the time being let a community grieve. Let them prepare. If I did tell you the location what would you do? Run in? Karli might not even be there at the moment, but I know for certain that tomorrow afternoon she will be there so in the meantime … enjoy yourself.”

“Thank you gathering this information, (Y/N).” Zemo said.

You smiled at him. “You are so very welcome.”

“Well, this is just great,” Sam muttered.

You sipped your drink enjoying both the burning sensation and how two Avengers grew restless. “Hey, you’re in this beautiful city so I suggest you go and explore. You got the time. Karli will be there tomorrow and that’s a guarantee so there’s no use in trying to rush.”

Sam crossed his arms over his chest. “We just want to talk to her.”

“You can talk to her tomorrow.”

“People might get hurt.”

“People get hurt all the time. This one person just happens to have the whole world watching so all your focus is on her. Go out at night and into the alleyways I know there will be someone slumped over in pain.”

Sam bit the inside of his cheek. “I’m going to go take a walk.”

Bucky stared at you then to Zemo. Without saying a word, he followed after Sam. The front door open and shut. You groaned and dropped your shoulders.

Zemo chuckled.

“Thank you for that,” he stated.

You downed the rest of your drink and let out a hiss as the alcohol burned the rest of the way down. “Well, now I see what’s really going on. They came to you for help and you’re withholding information so that you can still be useful.” You eyed the Baron. “Are you planning on escaping?”

“I have to see my work is finished.”

“So, yes?”

He smirked. “Possibly.”

“And you want help in that area too?”

“If the time comes and if you would be so kind to.”

You didn’t respond. You simply twisted around and directly faced Zemo. He swirled his amber drink watching as the two ice cubes spun around. His attention deep within his mind. With a tilt of your head, you asked the question that has been bugging you since he called. “Why did you come to me?”

“Beg your pardon?” He peered at you with knitted eyebrows.

“Why did you come to me? You don’t really need my help. I know you are more than capable of getting this information and can find lodging almost anywhere.”

He sighed and set down his drink. “There is nothing that I can get past you, is there?”

“No, there isn’t.”

You hoped up onto the island and rested your forearms on your knees. A few inches separated the two of you. Yet, Zemo continued to stare at his drink.

“Talk to me, Helmut,” you whispered. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

He clicked his tongue then looked at you. “Do … do you remember our time in Brazil? Our last time together?”

You sat back leaning on your hands. “You mean when we were following a Hydra lead? I mean yeah I remember the mission but that was years ago.”

He downed the rest of his drink. He licked his lips then said, “No, do you remember what we discussed our last night there?”

You shook your head. “Vaguely.”

“You said –“

“What are you going to do when this is all over?”

You laid sprawled over a couch. One arm covered your face while the other draped over the side holding onto an empty bottle. Zemo, on the other hand, sat hunched over in a chair staring down at his bottle clasped tightly in his hands. Distant music and chatter rumbled in the background despite the late hours. The only light came from the street lamps and from the moon and stars through the windows.

After a covert mission to collect intel, specifically on Hydra and its Winter Soldier program, the two of you were in one of your safe houses relaxing. Even with a few hiccups, the mission was a success. Zemo was now another step closer in finding and destroying anything related to the super soldier serum. Along with getting revenge for his family.

You peeked out from under your arm to see Zemo still hasn’t moved. He appeared more exhausted than usual. His usual gel backed hair fell in front of his face, a five o’clock shadow speckled across his jaw, and bags more evident under his eyes.

“Do you have any ideas on what you will do after?” You repeated the question.

Of course, he had a particular idea of how it would all end, but he wouldn’t voice it. Instead, he replied quietly. “I haven’t thought about it that far.”

You snorted, “That’s bullshit, Mr. Always One Step Ahead.”

Zemo stayed silent.

You huffed then pulled yourself up. Zemo’s eyes were distant. Trapped in his world. A habit you noted early on with working with him. Moments of peace, or at least what should be peace, he would retreat within himself to dwell on his past. You knew about his family. You knew everything of course. But, it was the one topic you never talked about.

You got off the couch and strolled into the kitchen. Tossing your bottle away, you grabbed two new beer bottles. You walked back into the living room and held one out for Zemo. He lazily looked up at your offering.

Wordlessly, he placed the empty one on the floor by his feet and took the one out of your hand. He didn’t take a sip right away. Just let it sit in his hands, letting the icy cold shock his system.

Taking a swig, you plopped down on the table in front of him. “Talk to me, Zemo.”

“There is nothing to discuss.”

“You and I both know that’s not true.”

Zemo glanced over to you. You cocked an eyebrow and sipped on your beer.

“I am leaving tomorrow for follow this lead and you are going to Turkey, what else needs to be discussed? We are going our separate ways again,” Zemo said matter-of-factly.

You rolled your eyes. “Are you going to make me say it?”

“Say what?”

“We both know what.”

Zemo’s eyes hardened. “There is nothing to say.”

“It’s the anniversary tomorrow, Zemo.”

He clenched his jaw.

“I just wanted to know if you’re okay –“

“Why do you care?” He growled, his accent more prominent.

You leaned forward unafraid. “Because Helmut we’re friends.”

“We are not friends. This is a simple business exchange. I pay for your information, for your services, and that is that.”

Zemo was trying to put a wedge between the two of you, you knew that. His words were there to invoke anger but instead you felt nothing for pity for the man. A man who lost his whole family and driven into this quest of super soldiers and revenge on the Avengers.

Years of working together, you were the only one who understand fully what this all meant. Years of seeing each other for weeks or months at a time. Days and nights constantly working close together. Late night calls or discussions. Morning breakfast together. Take-outs. Infiltrating parties. Then all of a sudden one of you to disappear into the wind for months or longer. Whiplash was a fine word to describe your relationship. Unbelievable close one minute and the next continents divided the two of you without so much of a phone call sometimes. But, in your eyes, you would say you were close to the Baron. You didn’t have many trustworthy friends, but you did trust Zemo with your life.

Zemo took a swig. His attention back on the bottle and the warming liquid.

“Work with me.”

Zemo’s head snapped up to see you staring at him. “What?”

“After all of –“ you waved your air gesturing to everything “ – this, work with me.”

“Why?” He squinted his eyes.

“Why not?”

“Why would you want my help?” He especially didn’t understand given what he said moments ago.

You smiled slightly. “Well for starters it’ll give you something to do after all this is over and it would be nice to know someone has my back.”

“You think I won’t betray you?” It was an honest question. You and Zemo has done multiple missions together, but that was for the sake of the mission. He didn’t think you trusted him fully to have your back turned to him. However, you are proving him wrong now.

Your smile shifted into a smirk. “You can try but it might not work well for you.”

He laughed through his nose then leaned back in his chair staring at you. “So, you will do all of this to help me? How generous.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

“Better to keep moving forward then constantly dwelling in the past.”

He glared. “You have no right to lecture me on how I should live my life.”

“I’m not.” You stood up and walked next to Zemo. “I’m just simply offering you a deal if you choose to accept.”

Zemo looked away from you.

Stay with me. The words on the tip of your tongue. But, you wouldn’t say it. Not when he had this mission of his, you wouldn’t take that from him.

“It’s late, Zemo. You should probably get some rest seeing you have an early flight tomorrow. So, goodnight. Hopefully I’ll see you around again,” you whispered then walked off into your bedroom.

“… goodbye, (Y/N).” Zemo mumbled to himself.

Zemo left early in the morning before the sun rose. He didn’t wake you to truly say goodbye. He gathered his things and continued on his mission.

“– and I wish to apologize for my behavior that night,” Zemo finished retelling the night. He leaned on the counter across from you with his arms crossed. He appeared genuinely upset for how he acted back in Brazil.

You tried to contain an eye roll and hopped off the island. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“You may not think so, but I do.”

“Fine then, apology accepted.”

He smiled and muttered, “Thank you.”

His attention drifted back down to the floor. Something he did when he was in deep thought. Slowly, his eyes wondered up to see you smiling softly at him. His heart skipped a beat. He didn’t know someone could make his heart race again, but there you were with a simple smile.

He licked his lips. He wanted to say a million of things, instead he said, “I wasn’t planning on living much longer after I completed my work.”

It was the last thing he wanted to say, but it tumbled out before he could stop it.

Your smile faltered but quickly recovered. “I know.”

“You knew?” His eyes widened.

“Well, I know everything so,” you joked. Seeing his confused face, you sighed, “I had a feeling but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure.”

His eyebrow scrunched together. “Is … is that why you offered me a job?”

“Part of it.” 

He shook his head and stepped forward. “I can’t hide anything from you, can I?”

“Nope.”

He smiled. A true genuine smile that reached ear to ear. “(Y/N), if the offer –“

“Tell me, later.” You cut him off.

“What?” He blinked.

“After you’re done with your work, give me your answer.”

He chuckled. A beautiful deep rumble. “Okay, I will.”

#marvel #mcu #marvel cinematic universe #the falcon and the winter soldier #tfatws #baron zemo #helmut zemo #zemo #tfatws zemo #baron zemo x reader #zemo x reader #helmut zemo x reader #marvel imagine #marvel one shot

[postmodernmulticoloredcloak]

@deletingpoint replied to your post

i dunno, i've only seen like 2-3 mcu movies and 2 seasons of Shield, but for some reason i tried to watch this show. 'she died in Riga, city near the Baltic sea' was where i backed away and decided never again. i dunno why i found that particular sentence painfully hilarious but i did. it's kinda true, but just sounded so weird. plus, the whole show was so american right from the start.

i'm sorry, you guys were listing actual real reasons and i'm just like 'sounded weird'

aha no you’re right, the mcu is 100% meant for people who don’t know where things in europe are relatevely to each other.

#deletingpoint

[gncrevan]

absolutely transfixed with marvel's version of europe, and i don't just mean hiring one of their only german-speaking actors to play an eastern european while their "german" extras don't speak the language and have utterly bizarre names, but also describing riga, the capital of latvia, as "a city near the baltic sea", which leads me to assume that american audiences have never heard of latvia, but do know where the baltic sea is

#why is zemo in a german prison in the first place wouldn't den haag or something make more sense #falcon and the winter soldier

[kippykasey]

Snowdrop Chpt 4

Paring: Bucky x Reader

Word Count: 4115

Series Summary: Bringing Zemo in to help fight against the rise of the new group of super soldiers brings in a new, yet familiar face into the mix.

Chapter Summary: The team found the refugee camp and now look for information on Donya Madani.

Chapter Warnings: Episode level violence.

A/N: If you missed it there is now a drabble that talks a bit more about how Reader got the nickname 'Amazing Grace'. Also send me feedback! I would love to hear your thoughts about the story so far.

Disclaimer: All languages that are not English were provided by Google translator with the translations following in bolden italics. Gifs used were found under the gif tab provided by tumblr.

Catch up on Snowdrop here: (1) (2) (3)

Sam was on the phone with a member of the air force to get information on Donya Madani, the refugee that is the next lead. Bucky was lounging on a sofa-like bench intently trying to clean his metal hand. With a slight nudge to the man’s leg on the seat he pulled it in, not looking up at the woman who lowered herself into the seat across from him, one leg tucked underneath herself. She held her hand out wiggling her fingers next to where his eyes were trained on his own hands. The blue eyes raised up off his hands to look into her waiting eyes. His eyes rolled as he silently placed the cloth into her hand, extending his arm so his hand was in her reach. She silently began to clean, his hand making sure to get into every nook and cranny that she could.

Sam’s call with Torres ended and he sat down letting out a deep sigh. Bucky turned his head, pulling his eyes away from the smaller hands working to clean his prosthetic. “You okay?” the man across the aisle from him turned his head to look at him before looking back up at the dimly lit ceiling of the plane. “Yeah. Just thinking about all the shit Sharon had to go through. And Nagel referring to the American test subject like Isaiah wasn’t even a real person. How many people have to get steamrolled to make way for this hunk of metal.”

Bucky’s attention turned back down to the palm of his hand that was now in the process of being cleaned. “Well it depends on who you ask. That hunk of metal saved a lot of lives.” (Y/n) never looked up from her task as she listened. Barnes turned back to Sam making sure he understood that he was fully listening. “Yeah, I get that all right. Maybe I made a mistake.” There was a slight nod from Bucky as he verbally agreed, “You did.” There was a slight pressure in his hand as it was squeezed by the woman as a sign of her disapproval.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have put it in a museum. I should have destroyed it.” Sam’s admission made her raise her head and look over at him, her hand stopping from cleaning. “That shield may cause a lot of fuss but it also means alot to some people. It’s the person behind the shield that brings a problem.” The woman spoke up for the first time. Bucky say up pulling his hand out of her grasp while doing so, “Like me, that shield means something to me. So before you destroy it, I’ll take it from Walker myself.” Conversation paused and like she always did a comforting hand rubbed small circles in the ex Winter Soldier’s back. The anger slowly left his face in the blank stare he mastered, but there was a softness in his eyes.

Zemo carried over some food as Sam answered his ringing phone. He passed one of the plates over to the two ex HYDRA soldiers and set the other down for Sam. Sam spoke on the phone, most likely to Torres, while he watched the two across from him effortlessly pick at the plate they were sharing. “They found Madani...dead. She died in Riga, a city near the Baltic Sea.” Sam informed everyone. Zemo holds a finger up and nods, “I have a place we can go.” The baron sits back in his seat, “I for one am looking forward to coming face to face with Karli.”

With the new heading set and food eaten everyone was settling for the remainder of the flight, and most likely to sleep. Bucky was still on the sofa, one leg out on the bench the other hanging off the edge. The nurse was tucked up in his arms, her head resting against his chest. Bucky’s eyes were already closed as he started to drift to sleep. However the woman he held onto was still awake looking across the aisle and out the window of the plane. Her view was blocked by Sam as he came back from the restroom. He turned to face them and their eyes met for a moment before he glanced over at Zemo who had a sleep mask over his eyes. “So what’s the story between you two? Were you two ever like a thing?” Sam’s voice was soft not to disturb those already asleep, especially Bucky.

“No. When we first met I was engaged. Not saying HYDRA didn’t want us to be.” She answered looking slightly up at the sleeping man holding her so casually. “What do you mean?” The woman’s eyebrows furrowed and she just slightly nuzzled into the warm chest below her, the owner’s arms flexing around her waist. “They wanted us to reproduce and create genetic super soldiers. Never got that far.” Sam watched how peaceful the two looked laying together on the small sofa bench, comfortable even. “You went back for him and you were engaged.” Sam pointed out to her. “He saved me. That day Steve broke him out of isolation in that camp. He came for me. Since then I swore myself I would keep those two idiots safe. I think my engagement unofficially ended the day I refused to get on that plane to the US and instead became the nurse for the Commandos.” A ghost of a smile appeared on the woman’s face as she went on. “He ended up having a son, who turned out just like his dad. Even had a granddaughter too. I got the chance to meet them, kind of. Maybe once this is all over I’ll get the family I wanted.” Her voice slowly began to soften into a slur as she began to fall asleep.

Sam sat there for a moment. He never thought Bucky Barnes could ever look so peaceful but he did. Normally even napping the man was stiff as a board but this was completely different. Here he was asleep, head lulled to the side resting against the back of the sofa, a woman in his arms, and not a scowl or anything visible on his face. It's interesting how much you can learn from someone just from watching them sleep, as weird as that may be. Sam smiled at the two before turning his head and letting himself fall asleep.

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

Riga, Latvia was the new location the group found themselves in. The group walked in a ‘T’ shape, Zemo leading with the other three following, (Y/n) in the middle. As Zemo led the way he mentioned Sokovia and how it was taken over by the neighbors before the land could even be cleaned up. Now it doesn’t even exist. As they turned the corner to one of Zemo’s many residences Bucky began to fall back from the group.

“James?” The soft voice of the nurse called to him. The man’s head turned to her and smiled softly. “I’m just going to go on a walk.” His statement drew the other two men’s attention as they stopped walking to turn towards the taller man. “You good?” Sam asked. “Yeah,” Bucky started to walk backwards. “I’ll see you guys in a bit.” The nurse turned to follow out of habit but Sam wrapped his arm around her. “He’ll be okay.” He told her even as her eyes still trailed Bucky as he left for his walk.

With the three of them now inside the apartment sized space (Y/n) ran her fingers through her hair hissing slightly at the knots and tangles in it. “You really care for him don’t you?” Sam asked her softly, making the woman glance at him with large doe eyes playing innocent. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Wilson.” She tapped against the bar top that she leaned against and looked at Sam. “I am curious though, Bucky’s new arm, where is it from?” Sam crossed his arms looking at the woman who wouldn’t meet his eye, “Wakanda. He spent some time there.” She nods and smiles at the realization that the metal his arm was made out of. “I visited Wakanda once. Back in, well I guess it was 1940 maybe even 1939 I can’t remember exactly. It’s where I was proposed to. It’s probably much different now than it was then. Maybe in the future I can see it again.” Sam watched the far off look clouding over her eyes. The conversation died after that, neither pushing farther.

Zemo had taken a bath before Bucky had returned, the closing of the doors announcing his arrival. “Well, the Wakandans are here. They want Zemo. Bought us some more time.” Bucky spoke as he walked towards the bar where everyone was centered around. “Ouch Sam.” The nurse hissed as the comb Sam had been pulling through her hair got caught. Bucky raised an eyebrow at the sight before him. “Were you followed?” Sam asked, ignoring the woman as he put down the comb. “No.” Although amused by Sam combing someone’s hair, his voice didn’t reveal anything. “How can you be so sure?” Zemo asked, peeking through the stained glass window. The nurse’s head whipped around as she stared at the back of the baron’s head like he was crazy. “‘Cause I know when I’m being followed.”

Zemo turned from the window to look at Bucky, “It was sweet of you to defend me at least.” Sam merely turned his head over his shoulder to speak to the German. “Hey, you shut it. No one’s defending you. You killed Nagel.” The woman in the room rolled her eyes as she hopped off the bar stool she was perched on to walk behind the bar. Her hand just barely brushed Bucky’s back, unseen by anyone else in the room, as she passed to grab a glass and pour herself a drink as she listened to the men. “Do we really have to litigate what may or may not have happened?” Sam’s eyebrows furrowed as his eyes moved left and right, “There’s nothing to litigate. You straight shot the man.” Zemo raised a hand to point at the only woman in the room, “She wanted to.”

“Sam,” Bucky called, drawing an end to their little argument. Sam turned his attention to Barnes who was standing on the opposite side of the bar from him. “What?” Bucky glanced up from his phone for a moment before informing him, “Karli bombed a GRC supply depot.” “What? What’s the damage?” The slight influx in Sam’s voice showed slight surprise and interest. “Eleven injured, three dead.” The nurse next to Bucky looked over his shoulder. “Where is it close enough to help?” She asked, trying to see a location. “Sugar, you are more help with us,” Bucky told her before continuing to inform Sam, “They have a list of demands and are promising more attacks if those demands aren’t met.” Sam let out a deep sigh, one that could visibly be seen pulling the man’s shoulders down. “She’s getting worse.” Helmut pointed out the obvious. He stood at the end of the bar between both Sam and Bucky. “We,” He began before the nurse shook her head and pointed at him. “Nuh-uh. Do not wrap me in with you. I’m done. I am here to help because of the serum. As soon as this is all over I am going with Sam or Bucky.”

“Fine. I have the will to complete this mission. Do the three of you?” The Baron tried again this time changing his phrasing. “She’s just a kid.” Sam reminded him. Zemo turned to him and shook his head. “You’re seeing something in her that isn’t there.” Sam sat back as he listened, eyebrows furrowed. “You’re clouded by it. She’s a supremacist.” Bucky’s head tilted and his eyes glanced over at the woman slightly behind him who was looking down at the floor with her arms crossed. “The very concept of a Super Soldier will always trouble people. It’s that warped aspiration that led to Nazis, to Ultron, to the Avengers.” Bucky walked around to the opposite side of the bar from Zemo and leaned against it. “Hey, those are our friends you’re talking about,” Sam warned. “The Avengers, not the Nazis.” Bucky quickly added which made the ex World War II nurse smile and nod her head.

“So, Karli is radicalized, but there has to be a peaceful way to stop her.” Sam turned so he was talking to everyone even if his eyes were primarily on Zemo. The nurse opened her mouth but Zemo began to talk, cutting off what she had to say, “The desire to become a superhuman cannot be separated from the supremacist ideals. Anyone with that serum is inherently on that path. She will not stop. She will escalate until you kill her.” There was a pregnant pause before he adds an afterthought, “Or she kills you.”

Bucky stands up straight as he looks at the man who just spoke, “Maybe you’re wrong Zemo. The serum never corrupted Steve or (Y/n).” The German raised a finger and his eyebrows. “Touche. Yet the former Amazing Grace did turn her back on everything to come after you and helped you within her own free will. She’s probably more guilty than you are. So there really has never been another Steve Rogers, has there?” The woman’s eyes never left the floor as she quickly shuffled her way out from behind the bar to try and get away from the conversation. Yet she was stopped by Bucky who gave her a concerned look. She shook her head and moved farther away.

Her mind involuntarily flashing through ever murder she was assigned to help the Winter Soldier with. She lowered herself onto the couch and held her head trying to will the memories to go away. She could feel the intense concerned look on her back from Bucky as he spoke. “Well, maybe we should give him to the Wakandans right now.” His voice got closer as he neared the woman currently lost in the dark corners of her mind. “And you’ll give up your tour guide?” Zemo asked while opening cabinets. “Yes.” Bucky’s answer was as firm as the warm hand that fell onto the woman’s shoulder.

“From my understanding, Donya is like a pillar of the community, right? So when I was a kid my TT passed away.” Sam spoke as Bucky’s hand rubbed gentle circles around the woman’s back as he sat next to her, the way he remembers her comforting him years before. His hand hesitates just as much as his voice as he asks, “Your TT?” Sam turns to him and nods, “Yeah my TT.” Bucky’s face scrunched up in confusion as he slowly started to rub her back again, “Who is your TT?” Sam rolled his eyes and holds his arms up, “Fine. When I was a kid, my aunt passed away and the entire neighborhood got together for a ceremony. It was like a week long. Maybe they’re doing the same thing for Donya.”

(Y/n) slowly raised her head as she focused on what Sam said instead of the nightmares in her memories. “It’s worth a shot.” Bucky comments looking back at the woman next to him. She looked into his eyes and he gave her a silent nod of understanding. She leaned her head against his shoulder for a moment and took a deep breath. Then under her breath she whispered to him, “Do you think Sam was a dorky looking kid?” She felt his shoulder shake in a small silent laugh. “Definitely.” The two laughed silently as Zemo made a comment about how Sam’s TT would be proud of him. The woman stood up and ruffled the dark hair of the man next to her, earning her one of his signature stares. “I’m going to wash up a bit then we can head into town and look for more leads.” She told them men before leaving to the bathroom.

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

With their trusty ‘tour guide’, as he so graciously called himself, the group headed out to gather information. Zemo talked about the location they were at with fond memories from his childhood where the place they stood once was home to grand parties. Standing at the entrance the group divided into two. Zemo and Bucky stayed on the ground lever and courtyard while Sam and (Y/n) went to see what was upstairs.

(Y/n) stayed at Sam’s side but followed his lead as she looked around the building. Spotting a kid Sam followed him, calling out to him once, as they entered what looked to be a workplace for seamstress’. “Excuse me, have you heard of Donya Madani?” Sam spoke gently but the women quickly got up and left. Sam looked over his shoulder at the woman scanning the room behind him, then adjusted the case in front of him to show her the red handprint symbol of the flag smashers. They continued to walk through the upstairs rooms, each time they came across someone to ask about Donya they would quickly leave the room. Each room having at least one item with the flag smasher’s insignia on it. (Y/n)’s brow had furrowed by the second room. She glanced out the window, down at the courtyard where she could see Bucky and Zemo.

Finally they moved onto probably the final room, a small smile falling onto the woman’s face as she saw the children’s crafts in the makeshift classroom. “Excuse me.” Sam called out to the sole teacher in the room, who was kneeling down next to one of the desk’s helping a child. The man turned his head towards them and Sam continued to ask him, “Do you know a woman by the name of Donya Madani? She was a refugee here.” The man stood and turned towards Sam. “We’re not refugees, for we have nothing to seek refuge from. We’re internationally-displaced persons, for what it's worth, and we don’t trust outsiders.” The man pat the student he was helping on the back as if giving him permission to leave since the kid stood and exited the room.

“No, I understand, “ Sam spoke and there was a certain calmness to his voice, something soothing about it. “I’m not from here, but I have a pretty good track record of helping out.” The man in front of her looked as non threatening as he could make himself so she tried to relax and do the same but her eyes kept scanning the room as she listened. “I know what happens when people say they’re going to help. Nothing. The Global Repatriation Council promised to send more teachers, supplies. That was six months ago.” The woman’s head snapped around at the news. How could things have gotten so bad? She frowned as she looked over to the two smaller children in the room. “What’s your name? Maybe I can make a call?” The man shook his head. “I know who you are. But I can’t trust you. I’m sorry. “ He turned to the two children, picking one up as the other went to leave the room. Sam watched them leave and the woman behind him ran her hand over one of the desks. “Sam,” She whispered out the raw emotion for how much she wanted to help these people clear in her voice. “I know.” His voice, while more stable, held the same sadness in it. “Let’s head back down.”

Sam and (Y/n) came to stand on either side of Bucky who was watching Zemo interact with some local kids. “It’s starting to feel like a dead end.” Sam mentions as he too watched Zemo. “The hell is he doing?” Bucky said the same question they were all asking themselves. “Being smart. We won’t get anything out of the adults, they don’t trust us. Kids however, they don’t know any better yet. Is that...turkish delight?” Her head tilted to the side as she watched. Zemo stood and handed a handful of the candy to the children. The baron then turned to walk over and join the waiting trio. “Cute kids.” He comments, walking by the three of them. “He’s up to something and I don’t like it.” (Y/n) muttered putting her hands into the back pockets of her pants.

Without much information to go on they returned back to the apartment. “I got nothin’.” Bucky sighed, “No one’s talkin’ about Donya.” Zemo made a straight line to pour himself a drink while Bucky went to sit on the couch along with Sam and (Y/n). “No surprise there.” She comments before Sam explains,” Karli is the only one fighting for them. They have no need to cross her. And she’s not wrong.” Bucky sighs, turning his head towards them. “What do you mean?” Sam slaps his knees and holds his head back for a moment. “For five years people have been welcomed into countries that have kept them out using barbed wire. There were houses and jobs. Folks were happy to have people around to help them rebuild. It wasn’t just one community coming together, it was the entire world coming together. And then, boom.” Sam snapped to make emphasis on the event that brought everyone back. “Just like that, it goes right back to the way it used to be. To them at least Karli’s doin’ somethin’.”

“You really think her ends justify her means? Then she’s no different than him or anybody else we’ve fought.” Bucky replied, gesturing to Zemo who was pouring himself tea. “She’s different from them. She’s not motivated by the same things.” Zemo carried in the tray that held all of the fixings for the tea he had just prepared. Bucky turned to him, “That little girl. What’d she tell you?” Zemo looked at each of them before answering as he set the tray onto the table. “The funeral is this afternoon.”

The information peeked everyone’s attention. Out of the corner of her eye (Y/n) watched as Bucky’s jaw muscle flexed, a sign that he was annoyed or getting upset. “You know the Dora’s coming for you any minute. In fact, they’re probably lurking outside right now. Keep talking.” However the threat didn’t scare Zemo into telling him any more. “Leaving you to turn on me once we get to Karli. Hmm, I prefer to keep my leverage.” The woman in the room rubbed her temple as she mentally thought about how this may turn out. Bucky standing up from his seat and rounding the coffee table to stand in front of the man he helped escape prison, yeah that definitely wasn’t a positive one.

The low clink of the glove-covered vibranium hand against the cup Zemo was holding only took seconds to become a shattering splash of the cup hitting the pillar behind Zemo’s head. Bucky’s jaw was set as his hard gaze locked onto the shorter man in front of him. “You wanna see what someone can do with leverage?” The low rumble threat that came from Bucky made the woman slide to the edge of the couch and prepare herself to jump in to stop him. “James.” She said at the same time Sam stood and said. “Take it easy. Don’t engage him.” Sam held his hand out right above Bucky’s chest. “He’s just going to extort you and do that stupid head tilt thing.”

(Y/n) stood from the couch and moved to Bucky’s side. Sam glanced at her and she gave a nod. “Let me make a call.” Sam told them as her hand gently grabbed onto Bucky’s elbow, the man’s attention still locked onto the baron. Sam walked away, patting Barnes’ on the shoulder as he did. With Sam gone, Helmut spoke again. “You want some cherry blossom tea?” Bucky finally broke his eye contact to look down at the tea. “No, you go ahead.” Bucky turned in the direction that Sam walked and gently patted the small hand on his elbow before walking off.

“Keeping information from them won’t keep you from being taken back into custody Zemo. Not to mention playing with him needs to stop. Or maybe next time I’ll be the one you need to handle. Do you understand?” The voice she spoke in was calm even as Zemo let out the breath he was holding. “You feel like that with him staring you down, try not upsetting us both.” She gave a friendly smile as her hand reached up to gently pat the side of his face.

#snowdrop #bucky x f!reader #bucky x reader #fatws fanfic #Snowdrop

[sir-pyllero]

American TV show: Riga...

Me, a European: ...the capital of Latvia.

American TV show: ...a city near the Baltic Sea.

#idk why i found it so funny :D #the falcon and the winter soldier #marvel

[mixelation]

i watched episode 3 of FatWS and this is the level their expository dialogue is at: Sam informs the other characters that someone died “in Riga, a city near the Baltic Sea.” let’s break down why this is hilarious:

i guarantee you both characters sam is talking to know where riga is

riga is the capital of latvia. it’s not an obscure town you’d need orienting for?

even if you don’t know that, the scenes we were previously shown in riga all say RIGA, LATVIA as the location

people who don’t know where latvia is also don’t know where the baltic sea is 

we don’t even see the baltic sea!!!!!

who wrote this line and just went “good enough!” who green lit it. what’s going on here. like there are little pieces of awful expository dialogue all over but this line is the one that made me lose it

[estoniandrinks]

Bars in Kuressaare

Kuressaare is a beautiful town in beautiful Saare County or Saaremaa in Estonia. Well known for its natural wealth Saaremaa is a pristine paradise unexploited and unpolluted. Ecological rich region in this county are notified as UNESCO Heritage Wealth for its biodiversity and scenic splendor. 

Kuressaare is the administrative center of Saaremaa Islands, and a happening place to be. It is situated between gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea. The town offers lot of recreational prospects to its citizens and travelers alike. The Capital City of Saaremaa houses many historic buildings and a museum. The castle in the center is a well known edifice Estonia famously known as Kuressaare Castle or Fort. Fine dining restaurants, bars and pubs make up for what you have missed in the daytime. Find below some of the popular bars in the town. 

While in Saaremaa enjoy the famous craft gin Osel, smooth, aromatic and a pleasing taste from Baltic Shores. 

Bars in Kuressare  

MÖNUS VILLEM

Tallinna 63, Kuressaare, 93815 Saare maakond, Estonia

Well  known for delicious Estonian recipes it serves a wide range of liquor and wine. An ideal place to spend evening while in Kuressaare.  Decent selection of beer and a place to imbibe Osel G&T from Lahhentagge Distillery. Good food, good service a place to freak out with friends while in Estonia. The reviews are full of praises for this pub which is mid priced and well maintained. 

Vinoteek Restoran Prelude

Lossi 4, Kuressaare, 93819 Saare maakond, Estonia

A fine dine restaurant with bar facility. It serves fine delectable food besides a choice of craft liquor, beer and wine. The restaurant excels in selection of spirits. Good place for vegans in Kuressaare. The reviews are raving about the food hence worth a visit when in the town. This is a reservation only eatery so book before you enter. 

John Bull Pub

Kuressaare lossipark, Kuressaare, 93813 Saare maakond, Estonia

Reviews speak of cozy ambience good food but high price. Offers outdoor seating as well besides some fine collection of spirits. Get the breathtaking view of Kuressaare Castle while enjoying a fine combination of Osel Gin and Estonic Tonic. 

Pub Vaekoda

Tallinna 3, Kuressaare, 93813 Saare maakond, Estonia

Friendly staff serves in a beautiful historic building with authentic furniture. The building dates back to 17th century. It serves a fine selection of spirits besides some good Estonian food.   A  nice pub to hang around. 

Pritsumaja Grill & Bar

Tallinna 4, Kuressaare, 93819 Saare maakond, Estonia

Excellent food and large portions a place to drink and revel. Place is cozy and  good for a nice chill with friends but alcohol is bit overpriced according to one review. 

Chameleon Lounge

Kauba 2, Kuressaare, 96814 Saare maakond, Estonia

Outstanding customer service with some delectable Sushi, Wok and Tom Yam. Quality cocktails and wide range of spirits and beverages. It is the place to be near Kuressare Town. Good chill out music. 

#kuressaarebars

[escaperiesworld]

Regardless if you are an outdoor enthusiast, hiking addict or simply a casual nature lover and adventure seeker, hiking in Latvia is what you should consider when traveling to Northern Europe.

There are many hiking trails to choose from in Europe. Yet there are not many places left in the Old World, where nature has kept lots of its original pristine beauty. Latvia is one of them.

Hiking in Latvia is mostly a soft adventure unless you make it a thrill. That said you can choose to do it on your own pace. You can go 10, 20, 30 km a day or more. It’s all up to you.

Here are 5 reasons why hiking in Latvia will be the ultimate travel experience for every nature lover.

#1: Latvia Is Green

Latvia is the second greenest country in EU in 2019 and mostly because of its vast forests, abundant freshwater resources and leading position in renewable energy ratio.

More than 50% of Latvia are forests. There are more than 12,000 rivers and 3,000 lakes here. Our wetlands (bogs) are among the most untouched in Europe.

Endless forests of Slitere National Park

So, why Latvia is actually so green?

First, our culture and traditions are closely related to nature. Since Christianity came pretty late here, Latvians are still a bit pagans “worshiping” nature in a way. Don’t get me wrong, as everywhere in the world we have our dose of environmental problems. Yet, most Latvians are taught to take care of nature since childhood. We simply love trees, greenery and clean environment around us.

Secondly, the Soviet occupation of 50 years made Latvia even greener (in a way). Before the WW2 Latvia was an agricultural country with some 28% of forest coverage only. During the Soviet times, many rural lands were abandoned giving more space for forests again.

Hiking in Latvia will let you immerse yourself in various natural ecosystems that you won’t find in other parts of Europe anymore. You choose where you want to go.

#2: Coastal Hiking In Latvia Is Stunning

The stunning coastline of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga is probably the main reason we get more and more hikers from all around the world.

Vidzeme Rocky Beach

The new Long-distance hiking trail “Jūrtaka” is an amazing discovery for every hiking lover. Altogether it is more than 1,200 km (746 miles) long and stretches from Latvian/Lithuanian border to the Latvian and Estonian coastline up to Estonian capital Tallinn. It takes around 60 days to complete it all. The good news is that you can split this long-distance hiking trail into 60 around 20 km long day-hikes and choose as many as you like.

Coastal hiking in Latvia is really something you don’t want to miss. Sandy beaches, pristine nature, amazing scenery, fresh air, dunes, and lush coastal pine forests is what makes hiking in Latvia so very special. Besides many hiking sections are wild and untouched.

Sandy beach in Latvia

You’ll find vast sandy beaches near/in Liepaja City, cozy fishing village atmosphere in Pavilosta, amazing steep sandy coastline in Jurkalne, pure wilderness in Slitere National Park, “two seas” meeting in Cape Kolka and amazing stony beaches in Kaltene Town (western coast of the Gulf of Riga) and Vidzeme Rocky Coastline (eastern coast of the Gulf of Riga).

Coastal hiking in Latvia is a diverse and beautiful adventure. Check out the most beautiful coastal hiking trails to start with.

Best time for coastal hiking

You can do coastal hiking in Latvia in any season. Yet, the best time is late spring, summer and early autumn (from May till September), when the weather is warm and the days are long in Latvia.

#3: More Than 50% Of Latvia Are Forests

While coastal hiking in Latvia is the top choice for hiking lovers, our vast forests are not less attractive hiking destination.

As said above Latvia is a very forested country. The coastal woodlands are mostly pine forests. Once you go deeper inland, you’ll discover more deciduous trees and mixed forests.

Forest roads are the best hiking trails to follow both in the coastal and inland forests. There are also lots of dedicated forest hiking trails in Latvia. The most popular and accessible ones are in the famous Gauja National Park. You can choose among plenty of forest hiking trails of various distances here. Besides many of them are circle trails. That said you will return to where you started from. This makes them a more convenient choice for those traveling on their own or with the car.

Wooded meadows hiking trail in Gauja National Park

The main hubs to start your inland hiking in Gauja National Park are Sigulda, Ligatne and Cesis towns. You’ll find tourist information centers and information boards there explaining where to go and what to see.

For the hikers who are familiar with the hiking routes in Western Europe’s woodlands please know that most of the Latvian forests are not anything alike. Most of the forests in Latvia are dense and wild similar to what you can find in Finland, Russia or neighboring Estonia.

Boreal forest in Latvia

Don’t Get Lost!

It is almost impossible to get lost on a coastal hike, as you do hiking parallel to the coastline. The things get more complicated if you go hiking inland. It is not that rare that even the local mushroom pickers get lost in the remote Latvian forests. Most of these cases have a lucky ending though. However, please follow the maps or choose dedicated hiking trails, especially if you go in the forest alone. And remember that even the hiking trails are not always that clearly marked in Latvia. Latvians are not the big fans of the road signs. They spoil natural looks of the landscape after all (!)

Four National Parks And Other Protected Areas

While Gauja National Park is the most popular inland destination for hiking in Latvia, it’s is by no means the only one. You’ll find many amazing and off-the-beaten-path destinations in other four national parks, 42 nature parks and in other protected areas. Check out forests of Kemeri National Park near Riga, Razna National Park in Eastern Latvia (Latgale) and coastal and inland hiking trails in the remote Slitere National Park.

Razna National Park in Eastern Latvia

Pristine natural forest in Slitere National Park

Mysterious “Pokaiņi Forest”

There is one very special place for hiking in Latvia worth mentioning on its own. Different anomalies, mystical energy and strange piles of stones (the origin of which is still not clearly known) attracts lots of nature and mystery lovers from Latvia and abroad to “Pokaiņi Forest”. Many spiritual healers think that the Pokaini Forest is an ancient holy site. This mystery surrounded woodland is some 80 km south-west from Riga near the small town Dobele and is perfect for a day trip.

Hiking in Pokaini Forest

Best Time For Hiking In The forests

Best time for hiking in the forests of Latvia is autumn, winter and early spring (from September until the beginning of May). During the summer months (especially end of May and June) the forests are full of mosquitoes. This fact alone makes forest hiking in the summer a challenging task. Hence coastal hiking is a better choice in summer months.

#4: Discover Pristine Latvian Bog-lands

You’ve not been in Latvia if you’ve not visited any of its amazing pristine bogs, mires, swamps, wetlands or whatever you choose to call them.

Unique Raised Bogs

To make it clearer the most amazing places to go are so-called raised bogs. By definition, a raised bog is a wet habitat that is poor in mineral salts and is home to flora and fauna that can cope with such extreme conditions. Different species of Sphagnum commonly known as “peat moss” are typical for a raised bog. Peat moss stores lots of water. Raised bog habitats are rare in Europe and the only EU countries you can still see this natural wonder so unspoiled are basically Latvia, Estonia, and Finland. You can see this unique habitat if you go for a hike in bog-land.

  Natural raised bog in Latvia

Bogs That You Can Visit Near Riga

There is even better news. Some of the amazing well-preserved raised bogs are very close to Riga (some 40 minutes’ drive from the center). The most popular is the Great Kemeri Bog in Kemeri National Park and Cena Mire Nature Reserve. You don’t need any special boots to walk here as there are special wooden boardwalks set-up in these areas.

Boardwalk in Great Kemeri Bog

The boardwalks in Great Kemeri Bog and Cena Mire are 5 and 6 km long only but you’ll see amazing landscapes there. Don’t expect a lot of serenity though, especially if you go there on weekends or holidays. These trails are popular both among the locals and guests. Choose going there or working days or early mornings and there is a chance you will enjoy a nice hike there on your own.

Discover Other Pristine Boglands While Hiking In Latvia

If you have time and you are adventurous enough, I suggest you to try hiking in the bogs that are not so close to Riga and hence not so touristic. Good choices are more distant Suda Mire in Gauja National Park (central Latvia), Teirumnīku Mire in eastern Latvia (Latgale), Vasenieku Mire in western Latvia (Kurzeme) or even the wild bog-lands of Slitere National Park and Ziemeļu Mire on Latvian/Estonian border.

Tips For Utmost Experience Seekers In a Latvian Bog

If you are after exploring the raised bog at its utmost, you can go beyond the boardwalk experience. Be ready to get a bit wet.

Hiking in bogs where there are no boardwalks is tricky and you may need some local guidance to avoid getting lost.

The rubber boots are also “the must equipment” once you decide to walk in a natural bog. No way they give you the 100% guarantee you will stay dry though. In a real bog, the soil is wet and loose. From time to time the bog makes a joke on you and “swallows” your boot (or both). In most cases, you will recover your precious footwear. Yet, your feet will be wet, sometimes along with your whole leg. Hence hiking in a bog for longer distances is a challenging but fun and amazing experience. The difficulties come with a reward though: amazing views, true wilderness and the energy that only pristine nature can give you.

You can also try using so-called “bog shoes”. These are in fact ordinary snowshoes used for walking on the wet soil of the bog. They will allow you to reach sites that are otherwise probably not accessible.

Hiking in Latvian boglands – Remote Ziemelu Mire

Best time for hiking in the bogs

Latvian bogs are great places for hiking in all seasons. Yet, the best time is early autumn to spring (from September till May). You’ll see the bogs in different colors each season. The spring is blooming time. The summer is green and warm. The autumn comes with stunning colors of the fall and plenty of cranberries. But snowy winter turns the bog into a white frozen fairy tale.

Great Kemeri Bog in winter

#5: Hiking In Riga & Jurmala Is Awesome

Guess what? You can start (or end) you hiking in Latvia adventure in Riga and Jurmala cities.

Being very green, Riga is a great place for outdoor activities. The best place for hiking in Riga is Nature Park “Piejura”. “Piejūra” means “seaside” in Latvian. Hence the name itself says that it is the coastal area.

A view to Nature Park “Piejura” from above

Riga is proud with its amazing sandy Vakarbulli and Daugavgriva beaches on the left bank of Daugava River as well as with Mangalsala and Vecaki beach on the right bank of the river. All these places are worth visiting if you like fresh air, soft silky sand, pristine coastal pine forests, and some historic legacy sites.

Jurmala is the biggest resort city in Latvia. Yet apart from hotels, SPAs, and restaurants you can find excellent places for hiking here. Jurmala is also very green.

Daugavgriva

Daugavgriva is a very special place. The area itself is in Riga’s district called Bolderaja. It might not be the most prestigious place in the city. Yet you’ll find plenty of interesting things here.

First, it’s the Riga’s port area. During Soviet times, it was also the border area with very restricted access. Hence it keeps many of those old days’ witnesses in the form of abandoned ugly concrete houses, remnants of ships, old engines and famous Bolderaja military bunkers that are hidden in the dunes but fully accessible. Nature and human impact have mixed with each other in this wild place.

Old Soviet bunkers with graffiti on the walls here and there are unusual elements in coastal dunes of Daugavgriva

Second, Daugavgriva is where Daugava River ends its way in the Gulf of Riga. You can have a romantic walk on the Daugavgriva mall. Just be careful when you walk on the mall. If you are lucky, you’ll also witness ships leaving Riga or coming back. You can also have a picture with the beautiful Daugavgriva Lighthouse on the background. Just be careful when you walk on the mall. It is slippery and broken in some places. It is not a good idea to walk there in stormy weather.

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Standing on the birds’ migratory route Daugavgriva with its huge reedbeds and naturally wet areas is also an excellent place for birdwatching. You’ll even find a birdwatching tower and convenient wooden boardwalk that will bring you to the sea here.

Last but not least you can visit Daugavgriva Fortress. It is an amazing place keeping history’s secrets since 17th century.

You can get to Daugavgriva by bus No 3 from the center of the city.

Daugavgriva Lighthouse

Vakarbulli beach

Vakarbulli is another great place with an awesome beach, where you can go for hiking in any season, amazing sunsets or just for catching sunrays on a warm summer day. It stands between Daugava and Lielupe rivers. You can combine visit to Daugavgriva and Vakarbulli in one hike of around 10 km going from Daugava to Lielupe river or vice versa.

Lielupe River delta in Vakarbulli

Or you can hire a local guide who will arrange personal transport and will tell you a lot about this wild place in the big city on your way. This is a great adventure in a wild area that close to the city center.

You can get to Vakarbulli again by bus No 3 from the center of the city if you go there on your own.

Mangalsala and Vecaki beach

Mangalsala and Vecaki beach stand on the opposite (right) bank of Daugava River. It is as green as the left bank the river yet a bit different.

The mall in Mangalsala is to say more “civilized” and easier accessible. Also, Vecaki beach is not less popular among local beach lovers than Jumala city. Hence don’t expect a great serenity here during the summertime. Yet both places are great for walks in the fresh air and seeing Riga from another perspective.

Jurmala City

As said Jumala city is the biggest resort city in Latvia. It is also a very long one, stretching for around 32 km from the delta of Lielupe River along the Gulf of Riga. Yet, this all does not mean that the city is big in absolute terms. While being the fifth biggest in Latvia, it has only a bit more than 50 thousand inhabitants there.

The flattened sand in Jurmala’s beach is great both for hiking and for biking. Besides you can get back to your starting point or to Riga from almost everywhere, as the railway passes the city for all its 32 km and there are many train stations on your way.

Just at the Lielupe River delta, there is an amazing nature park “Ragakapa”. It is a green and rather quiet area of pristine pine forest and beautiful beach. Ragakapa is one of the highest dunes in Latvia. You will also find a boardwalk here leading through the pine forest. All in all, it is a great hiking destination that is very close to Riga.

Stunning secluded beach near Lielupe River delta in Jurmala city

Conclusions

Latvia is an amazing off-the-beaten-path hiking destination. Hiking in Latvia gives you a chance to see its amazing pristine nature and get authentic experiences that you won’t get by just staying in touristic areas and doing “ordinary things”. Besides, it is a healthy, safe and fun way to explore Latvia. You’ll discover amazing secluded beaches, vast forests, pristine boglands and wild places even in big cities like Riga and Jurmala.

What do you think about hiking in Latvia? Would you try it? Leave a comment below or contact me at [email protected]. You can also book amazing hiking in Latvia experiences here.

5 Reasons Why Hiking in Latvia Is an Ultimate Experience For Nature Lovers Regardless if you are an outdoor enthusiast, hiking addict or simply a casual nature lover and adventure seeker, hiking in Latvia is what you should consider when traveling to Northern Europe.

#hiking #hikinginlatvia #latvia #latviatravel #visitlatvia

[chrysaliseuro2019]

An Unexpected Bonus

We wanted to look around Benevento a bit more before we left. Despite almost stumbling on it it had character in terms of some majestic buildings and a laid back ambience and we wanted to make sure that we soaked a bit more up before leaving. After breakfast at the hotel we set off for a look around. It was Sunday morning so unfortunately a couple of very good clothes shops for both men and women were closed though that probably saved the budget. It was pretty hot and we stuck to the shade as best we could while taking in some grand buildings. We had not done too much research into Benevento (it doesn't make the guide books) though Liz thought it had possibilities and hence plucked it out as a destination. We also had read via crits of the hotel that it was a handy pitstop for travellers to/from Rome. Glancing down one of the laneways we saw a Roman arch which merited some investigation. We had stumbled upon a treasure. The arch of Trajan built between 114 and 117 AD essentially to honour the Roman emperor Trajan was imposing and well preserved, albeit with an element of restoration over the years. The original buildings around it had been demolished due to earthquakes over the years so the arch stood stolid, defiant and magnificent as a reminder of the past and arguably the best preserved example that I have seen of this type of structure. The arch has various sculptures and friezes depicting Emperor Trajan in processions or meeting dignitaries amongst other scenes. We probably spent 30-45 mins just walking around it to look at it from various angles. It was both one of those uncanny and moving connections with life 2000 years ago and a glorious piece of ancient architecture. With some reluctance we dragged ourselves away with a few glances over the shoulder to get a final glimpse. Again one of those monuments that you feel that you should visit every year or two and just reflect on and enjoy though that is going to be unlikely in this case. We headed back to the car thinking Liz had done it again and found a small gem in the city of Benevento when we weren't expecting much more than a feed and a bed. Next we had decided for our last day in Italy prior to heading for Latvia that we should soak up some rays and basically just relax by the beach. Also we wanted to keep heading towards Rome so that the final day's journey in the car would be reduced. The hotel Miramare near Latina was our choice. A couple of hundred kilometres away from Benevento. We arrived around 4.00pm, checked in and immediately headed for the beach. It was hot and pretty chokkers with people though through the hotel we had a reserved area to sit on and free beach beds and umbrellas. Settled ourselves down in the front row and went quickly for a swim to cool off. Very pleasant and sandy beach. I headed off for ice creams and on return found a disgruntled Liz was in the process of moving to beds nearby - "the blue beds". We had inadvertently parked ourselves on "the white beds" which though labelłed as Hotel Miramare had to be paid for and were often reserved for a week by the same people. Though empty at the time and it now being 4.30 pm the attendant advised that people may return despite Liz's protestations. She was not happy. Anyway all good and in fact the blue beds offered more shade beside a small building as the sun was getting lower and the umbrellas were of less use. It was a lovely way to end the Italy venture. Our room was very pleasant with a good sized balcony looking out to sea and despite the fact that it was a commercial sort of environment, given the setting, facilities and ease of access to the beach, another day there would not have gone amiss. Early evening post a freshen up we went to the small hotel next door which had an informal open air bar which looked out to sea for a drink. A very pleasant 45 mins or so spent there. Time for dinner. Not too many choices close to the hotel that we were keen on. Either too formal and pricey looking or menu boring but there were only a few options. We decided to walk along the beach road towards Latina which was a couple of kilometres away. Every few hundred metres there would be a restaurant or bar even a couple of campsites. We saw a couple of places that we liked the look of. At the first one we tried, which was really full, they said we were too late as the kitchen was closing (it was around 9.30) which seemed a bit weak. We reckon the owner had made too much, it had been a big night and he'd had enough. Second one was fine and though it also busy, with the staff under a bit of pressure, we enjoyed it. Nice seat in a sort of garden setting. Liz's risotto with seafood was unfortunately a bit more like basmati with seafood but my clam pasta very good. Friendly service too. We retraced our steps to the hotel and it was a very tidy walk but no hardship on a pleasant night. Next morning we set off around 10.30 for the 90 minute trip to Rome airport. A little task first. Our foam beach mats from Greece needed to be ditched. We thought the campsite would be a good place to gift them so drove down and Liz gave them to a mum with young son as they headed for the beach. Not needed on this sandy beach but might be handy in the future. After initial surprise at what the deal was, mum was very grateful. They had come in very handy for us those mats and not sure how you could enjoy Greek beaches without them, together with the protective foot coverings for when you traverse the pebbles into the water. Off we set for the airport and the car not due to be returned till about 1.20 pm. We could take it easy and not rush. Usual shenanigans at the end finding a garage to refuel. We found one after driving around a little, just a couple of kms from the airport though not on the main road in. The navigator was showing signs of concern especially as I had ignored a petrol station with about 17/18 kms still to go to the airport. Relief all round. Also finding our way to the car hire return necessitated negotiating a cryptic maze of signs. The trusty Narelle, the voice of google maps, proved not so trusty on this occasion and lead us up the garden path. She got us to the airport but then took us to the departure area even though signs were pointing to car rental in a different direction. In the end we closed her down and followed the signs which weren't exactly easy but we got there with around 45 mins to spare. Flight not parting for 4 hours so we settled down to wile away the time. It went. Flight took off pretty much on time around 6.00pm and was uneventful. Air Baltic which we booked through Alitalia. One bonus of booking thru Alitalia was that we got a baggage allowance of 23kgs as opposed to the air Baltic standard of 20 kgs. We were both just over the 20 kgs mark so handy. Plane was pretty new and seats much more user friendly than the Aussie squeezy ones with minimal leg room that we all now have to put up with. The flight landed at 9.45pm - on schedule. What I hadn't appreciated was that the Baltics are 1 hour ahead of Italy so the flight was only 2 hours 45 mins not the 3hours 45 that I expected. Usual bus to the terminal job which seemed to take a while by the time it was loaded up and also leaving the plane was a bit slow. However that all paled as from then on things went like a rocket. Appeared to be no customs to clear. We didn't show passports though the check in process had scrutinised them perhaps they rely on Air Baltic's processes. As we walked into the baggage area out came the bags. We were sitting in a taxi around 10.10 with a 15 minute drive to the centre of Riga. We were meeting good friends Sue and Peter Box in Riga so having spoken to and texted Peter from Rome saying we would see them in the morning given our late arrival, I now called him to say if they were still up we would have a jar in the bar. They were and we did. It was a nice way to end a pretty hassle free journey. Perhaps the only discordant note was a regular(ish) one. The taxi driver into Riga was an absolute grump. In fact downright rude. The hotel advised that we could get a slightly discounted taxi journey using red taxis who would be given a voucher when they delivered us to the hotel which the driver could then reclaim. This guy seemed ropable about it. Perhaps he wanted the cash but in truth the meter seemed to be less than the value of the voucher. We were staying at a Radisson and there are 4 Radisson hotels in town. He yelled at Liz " there are 4 madam which one is yours" and so on. Not a good intro. Never spoke the whole way there. No "where are you from", no discussion about Riga. He did lift our bags out but quickly disappeared. Another bloke in the wrong job or perhaps he'd had a bad day. Anyway, Latvia! After much planning we were here. A buzz. Also to be sharing it with Peter and Sue.

[juliepuskas-blog]

Music and the Hansetic League

How Musicians in the Middle Ages used the trade routes of the Hanseatic League to travel through Eastern and Western Europe. Hanse which is German for association, was the inspiration for the merchants who came together to create the Hanseatic League in the north German town of Lubeck in 1159. Going into the 13th century Lubeck became a thriving port near the Baltic sea and The North Sea also becoming known as the Queen of the Hanseatic because of its location in-between both Baltic and North Seas. Before the Hanseatic League the Baltic Sea had not been utilized as a serious trade route. in 1241 Lubeck had the access to both seas and formed an alliance with Hamburg a prominent city that was in charge of the salt trade routes from Luneburg. Soon after ,there was 75 member towns with over 100 Associate towns through out the Baltic coast. At it’s Peak The Hanseatic League covered over modern Germany,Poland,Sweden,Latvia,Estonia,Netherlands, Russia,Norway,Belgium, United Kingdom, Lithuania and Belarus.

In light of the Leagues amazing and vast trade routes, many musicians left their homelands to come study in Germany and do music on what can be called the Hanseatic League Circuit. Organs and Organ Music was new and popular so all of the royal courts wanted to hear and be apart of the new musical trends. Leading to organ enthusiasts who ended up choosing sides on what type of organ playing methods were more appealing to the ear, creating the split in North and South German Organ schools. Both with their own unique specific ways of playing and writing organ music.

In comes Johann Valentin Meder a German Organist and singer who though out his career worked many of the cities among the Hanseatic Route. Meder had come from a strong musical background with his father and four brothers all being organists as well! He was employed as a court singer in the Hansetic league cities of Hamburg, Copenhagen, Lubeck but finished out his career in Riga. He arrived to Riga now Latvia and was there to witness the take over of Riga by the Russians in the Great North War and even wrote music about the war. Over 130 of Meder’s works have been recovered including three operas.

For Many Musicians of the Medieval Period you had two options either travel north and south such as from London to Italy or to take use of the Hanseatic League trade routes and travel east to west. For the English composer and player William Brade his choice was to go east to Hamburg one of the popular cities in the Hanseatic League. Brade was a Vielle player which is similar to a Violin but longer and deeper shaped body with three to five strings and a leaf shaped pegbox with frontal turning pegs. He was in such high demand that at one time he was being employed at two separate courts at the same time! He also loved to compose songs that men and women of the time could dance too. Composing over 167 dances through out his career. What he is most famously known for now is his quarrel with the Count of Buckeburg. At the height of Brade’s popularity he enjoyed traveling to a different city or port every two years. The Count of Bukeburg did not want William Brade to leave his court so Brade asked for a much higher sum of money to stay. When the count of Bukeburg refused this Brade threatened to leave and go back to Hamburg. So the Count sent Hamburg some propaganda about how Brade’s ego had made him a ill tempered and rude guest among the court in Bukeburg. Lucky for Brade Hamburg payed it no mind and he was able to return and continue his lively musical career on the Hanseatic League Trade routes.

These are just two of many successful Hanseatic League musicians who made the most of its plentiful trading routes. Among people traveling from town to town the league was able to distribute goods to areas that had never had such luxuries before. It had great success because of its unique boats which were called Cogs. Cogs were a lighter and faster version of the popular Viking ships that had such durability to sail long distances along the coasts. The red brick of the buildings that lined the ports with marinas filled with Cog ships were the tall tale signs you were in a Hanseatic port! Some of these structure still exist such as the Hanseatic Museum in Bergen Norway.

In the late 16th century the league began to fall into decline as monarchies and war ships and self interest began the main focus of the individuals at the time. The Swedish Empire took over control of the Baltic sea. Bigger cites like Amsterdam became a more popular port and location for Schools in the Arts and Lubeck was no longer the Queen of the Hanseatic. The German Princes began to put more pressure on it local towns to pledge loyalty, and the league was no longer able to put its self first but had to bend to the will of the German Monarchy. At its last formal meeting in 1669 only 9 towns were left in the league and it did not fall into complete demise until 1862 under the German Empire, who’s leader was a Kaiser Wilhelm I. If you still need more Hanseatic League after this article you can take a road trip through Germany and stop at Historical Hanseatic League cities and landmarks. It is a 20 hour trip with over 25 historical cities on the way including the famous Lubeck! Thank you for reading!

https://mydrive.tomtom.com/en_gb/#mode=itinerary+viewport=52.66145,9.90216,6.74,0,-0+itinerary=%7B%22id%22:%22651d6ab2-58b5-42d4-8225-d2fcf407ad14%22%7D+ver=3 This is the Link to the Hanseatic League Road Trip

http://worldfacts.us/Germany-Lubeck.htm

https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/trading-places-and-travelling-musical-legacies-of-the-hanseatic-league

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxPErTtz6lA&t=834s The lecture that talked about music and travel through the Hanseatic league

http://vilnews.com/2013-06-hanseatic-baltics info for the picture of the port

http://www.bergen-guide.com/51.htm museum of the Hanseatic in Norway

#history #medieval #essay #article #music