driftfleet | (no subject)

[ For the first time since... Well, since she woke up here, really, Lauralae is not actively avoiding being sociable with her crewmates. She's not hiding in the shadows, she isn't tucked under a desk in the lab, she's not holed up in her bunk - she's walking around, trying to keep her head held high - and while she isn't actively speaking to anyone she isn't frowning or trying her best to avoid their eyes, either. She's not trying to hide, but she's not trying to suddenly be the most vocal member of the ship; perhaps there's a somewhere in between.

While she can still most often be found in the lab or her room, she does move around, spending more and more time in the cargo area; it soon becomes obvious why, as a little black wolf is constantly on her tail, chasing her around and learning simple commands that Lauralae offers in soft spoken words, in a language not English.

... She sometimes even smiles at the wolf, soft and sweet as she bends down to touch behind his ears. ]

[ the previous planet has been a much needed reprieve from all that came before. and as much as steve knows he will miss clear air and open space, there is at least work to throw himself into. you might catch him at the weaponry, keeping all the weapons marked and numbered, fixing what's needs to be fixed. at times, he may be looking around the room with a little frown because in all honesty, he can't see what they need all these weapons for and while he likes being prepared, he usually likes to know what he's armoring himself for

at quieter hours, you could also find him sitting in the kitchen either putting various shells from the planet into glass jars or otherwise sitting and sketching something into a little notebook. ]

[Felix comes across her in one such moment. The glimpsed smile is unexpected enough to make him pause, considering her mystery.

He still isn't quite certain of what to think of Lauralae. He knows she has power, and had stopped himself from reacting badly to finding out the source of it. So far he'd considered her somewhat suspicious but nothing she'd done had merited a label of evil. Perhaps she deserved to be seen as something other than what her magic had made her.

And if it turns out he's wrong, being on the same ship means he can keep an eye on her.]

This is a surprise.

[ Tensing when she hears him, Lauralae pauses, hesitating for a moment before she lifts her head and turns to look at the man, watching him almost warily.

It's not as if she's afraid of him, not really. She has no reason to be, and she's comfortable enough in her own skin and her own powers to feel as though she might be able to shrug it off and manage, but at the same time - she hesitates, her gaze narrowing before she takes a step back. Lazarus moves with her, peeking out from under her skirts, little head held high with his ears back - he's trying very hard to appear dangerous. ]

May I help you?

[ Charles wasn't expecting to find him here. Granted, he knows a lot more about Steve Rogers than he intended to. Even though Bucky's memories blurred together and it was difficult to tell what was real and what wasn't, there were fragments, crystallized and untouched. ]

Mr. Rogers, I presume?

[ so many people know little fragments of Steve Rogers' life. some know it through the grandparents' stories and vintage comic books, others through their visit at the Smithsonian for the Captain America exhibit. Though people knowing him through other people's minds, well, that's a new one.

He knows of Charles but not much, the little Peggy had told him, her quiet words offering, he could help Winter and as much as Steve had wanted, childishly, to claim that it is his own duty, he had accepted the possibility and in all honesty, if it ever works, he will never be anything less than grateful.

he puts the weapon done and wipes his hands on a mop before offering one ]

That's me.

[When Wanda first spots Lauralae in the halls of the Starstruck, she doesn't quite recognize her fellow shipmate. Having only returned to the Fleet herself recently, she was trying to meet the new crew members of the Starstruck, and she was guessing that this girl was one of them. Then, she spots the little, black wolf pup, and she immediately knows that she has to be friends with this girl. Or at least friendly enough acquaintances that she'll let Wanda play with her companion. Wanda greets Lauralae with a friendly enough smile as she approaches the duo.]

Quite the handsome companion you have escorting you.

[She resists the urge to immediately bend down to pet the pup. That would be rude without asking.]

[When Wanda's not visiting Pietro aboard the Bloodsport -- which is kind of often, she can mostly be found in either her bunkroom or in the kitchen. In fact, if any visitors or fellow crew members were to enter the kitchen at the moment, they would be greeted by the pleasant smell of paprika, salt, pepper, and cooking meat. Yes, Wanda is making Paprikash. And no, Vision is not helping this time. Luckily, for anyone looking to sample some, she appears to be making plenty. In fact, she appears to be making enough for two ships worth of people. While it started as just a meal for her and Pietro, along the way she had decided it would be rude to not make some for both her shipmates and Pietro's aboard the Bloodsport. Her attention is rather fixed on the cooking, but she's still willing to chat a little with anyone that comes by. In fact, if you're nice enough, she might ask you for a little taste test.]

[He hasn't had the chance to properly meet Steve, considering he'd been confined to the Pathstone during the time that the man had transferred to the ship. So far he only knows the man is a friend of Peggy's, because he pays at least some attention, but their acquaintance has very much in passing.

But they're both here now. Still, it seems strange to introduce himself straight away to someone who's been his crewmate for weeks, so he moves into the kitchen to fix himself a drink without any comment. And it's also without comment that he comes to be standing behind Steve, eyeing his notebook with interest, the only sound announcing him being the musical ringing of his spoon as he stirs sugar into his cup of coffee]

Edited 2016-08-06 21:38 (UTC)

[It always gets his attention when someone other than him is making actual use of the Starstruck's kitchen, but he's lured out of hiding as much by the strong spices in the air as much as he is by curiosity and a vague territorial instinct. He would honestly be quite relieved if the Starstruck earned itself a second cook once again, so he could return to doing as little as possible without guilt.

Felix appears in the kitchen doorway, a book tucked under one arm and one eyebrow raised.]

What's all this?

[ There's an uncertainty that comes with Lauralae meets new people, and she shifts and moves back, trying to make sure she has room to escape if she needs to. She's not afraid, however, and she relaxes, the puppy moving forward a little with his wagging tail, all fur and tiny little paws that shift on wobbly legs. It would be distractingly adorable if Lauralae wasn't entirely focussed upon the new woman, stepping back quietly before she nods her head. ]

His name is Lazarus.

[ He puts on his best unassuming smile - the one that usually puts people at ease. Not that Charles has ever presented himself as a threatening figure. ]

I was wondering if I could ask you a favor. Winter helped me out with something and I thought you could write a testimonial in this journal.

[Wanda turns her head, giving Felix a smile over her shoulder.]

It's paprikash. A dish from my home country.

[She pulls a spoon out of the large sauce pot for a taste test. She then pulls out another spoonful, turning around fully and offering it to Felix.]

Can you taste this for me? Let me know if there's too much pepper.

[Wanda smiles down at the pup.]

Hello there, Lazarus.

[A bit of an unusual name, but Wanda's certainly not going to judge a pet owner's choice of name. Not when Vision has "Officer Snuggles" patrolling the Windrose with him.]

[Wanda begins to bend down to pet the little wolf but stop shorts. She looks up at Lauralae, remembering her manners.]

Is it all right?

[ The pup wiggles at the greeting, but turns to look at Lauralae before he does anything else. It's obvious that he trusts her, and she nods her head once - and it's all he needs before he goes bounding over to Wanda, all legs and excitement. ]

It is fine. He won't harm you.

[ Not unless Lauralae told him that he should, at least, and she doesn't intend to do anything like that anytime soon. ]

He must learn to become used to other people.

[Wanda smiles broadly. She's always been a sucker for cute animals. She kneels down as he bounds over to her, petting him as he comes to say hi, and giving him a scratch behind the ear.]

What a handsome boy you are.

[She then looks up at Lauralae.]

I'm sorry. We haven't formally met yet. I'm Wanda.

[She offers up a hand to shake.]

[ the starstruck's captain is once again at her helm -- so to speak. she's back on the bridge, and she's certainly back on her feet. although her ribs are still wrapped beneath her silk blouses, and she's rather slow-moving, she is (at least) independent. and a lot of that is owed to a cavalcade of overly generous nursemaids who'd made certain she wouldn't over-extend herself while healing.

today, she wanders into the room where all the weapons are stored. it might be by aimless; it might be by design. she won't tell.

peggy doesn't so much greet steve as slide smoothly into the middle of a conversation: ] Worrisome, isn't it? All of it. Like they're just waiting to conscript us.

...Whatever's on the hob, it smells delightful.

[ peggy's opinion is offered up without any accompanying greeting. she strides (slowly) into the kitchen with a pair of mugs in her hand, intending to wash them in the sink. her steps are ginger, but she's clearly better healed now. sprained and tender, but no longer bed-ridden.

she glances sidelong at wanda while she twists the tap and lets the water flow. ]

[ Lauralae keeps her eye on the puppy as an attentive mother would, careful and sure, and her gaze flickers over him even as Wanda speaks. She takes a moment to lift her head up, to watch, but then she hesitates.

Well, Lazarus is handsome. She cannot deny that. ]

I am Lauralae.

[ Pausing, she stares at the other woman's hand before she frowns. ]

I cannot shake your hand.

[Wanda looks over at Peggy, a bit surprised to see her up and about, but certainly still happy to see her nonetheless.]

Thank you.

It's chicken paprikash. My mother used to make it for Pietro and I when we were little.

[Wanda looks at her hand a moment, confused and even looking a little offended. This was a first, having a handshake rejected like this. However, Wanda has been in the fleet long enough now to understand that many other cultures exist out there, and so perhaps hand-shaking was simply not in Lauralae's. So, she tries to salvage the situation, but simply returning her hand to scratching behind the Wolf's ears as she slowly stands up.]

Handshaking is not a customary greeting where you come from, I take it?

Winter.

[ he's not surprised to hear the name. after all, he only knows of this man in relation to Winter. He has a semblance of Peggy's trust, which puts Steve more at ease. Winter and Peggy both have healthy instincts. he doesn't ask what Winter has done, though there is a hint of a smile, one of a man who feels an odd sort of pride a friend who is evidently doing better. ]

Of course.

[ at once. he takes a last look at the weapons before turning his back to them. ]

What sort of testimonial?

[ Steve breathes a little easier now that Peggy's mostly out of the woods. He doesn't fret at her as much as before, not now when she walks without her cane and without as much as pain as before. It's a relief to her too, he doesn't need to be told as much, Peggy likes the idea of bed rest even less than Steve, after all.

Her voice calls him back from the whatever it is he was thinking about ( Pietro's arrival, Tony wanting to tell him of his death, Wanda's tears; her admission of being terrified of him being taken from her again, never to be seen again, how it rang true in his own chest -

true, indeed. he breathes out a sigh of relief. She's right there, just to his left and he smiles a bit ]

To fight against invading aliens.

[ and, all of the sudden, a thought occurs, a memory that is ancient history to most people but to them, not too far away ]

Remember the radio program? War of the Worlds? My next door neighbor was scared half to death, was planning to hit 'em with her cooking pot.

[ in truth, Steve's time on the Starstruck has been eventful from day one. There was the initial shock of Bucky turned Winter, of Peggy, of the entire situation, turned into the worry for the people of the poisoned moon and quickly into panic at whatever it was the Atroma did to Winter that made him lash out at various people, injuring himself, injuring others and after that, it was suddenly the planet, with his sunny beaches and odd magic.

so perhaps it's also his own doing, failing to notice those around him as readily as he did before. he knew who they were, of course but perhaps an introduction is long overdue.

his pencil is creating a city against the page, an old looking neighborhood, something one would see in a vintage postcard; brooklyn of the 40s. ]

How are you doing?

[ he looks up and sits back, puts aside his notebook. captain america is not without manners, after all. ]

-- Good God, yes. I remember that. [ the programme, not his neighbour. peggy sets aside the odd blaster she'd been idly examining and hitches her fingers around the edge of the counter. she watches him with kind but careful eyes. ] It feels like a lifetime ago.

[ close! within their lives, certainly. but peggy had been a very different woman the year that programme came out. or, rather, she was play-acting someone different. an adventurer's soul laced tight beneath a would-be housewife. that role didn't take, in the end. ]

What about you? [ she teases. ] Did you promise your neighbour you'd protect her? Fend them off?

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lauralae

STEVE ROGERS ✮

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[ weaponry ]

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Wanda ; Starstruck kitchen (a.k.a. an excuse to use this icon)

kitchen

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