driftfleet | ( closed

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Who: steve rogers, peggy carter and one tiny natasha romanoff.
Broadcast: nope
Action: on the starstruck
When: backdated to nat's glorious augment malfunction.

[ it's just one of those days on the starstruck in yet another drifting week.

it's the time that steve spends busying himself with his work and his reading, trying to fill the time without feeling too idle. as he lacks a place to jog, he uses the treadmill more often than not, letting out the excess amounts of energy that seem to build up while the ships drift towards a new planet.

it's one of those days but on his way back from another run, he stops solid at the entrance to the kitchen, momentarily frozen mid-drying his hair with a towel.

finding peggy there isn't unusual, not by far.

but then there is the child. the girl he knows is natasha and at once, it's clear how uneasy he is around her, staying awkwardly rooted where he is. ]

Hey -

[ natasha might be one of steve's closest friend but this smaller version of her really, well.

to say that she creeps him out wouldn't be a lie.

he still makes no attempt at moving, whatsoever. ]

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[ whatever peggy's doing -- and it appears to have an element of messiness about it -- she's doing it while speaking in russian. forced, augment-bypassing russian. ]

Put the knife back, Natalia, [ peggy says, sharpish, while also demonstrating how to make fire with an orange, a stick, and a rock. because that's good and educational, right? sooo safe.

when steve speaks up, however, she raises her eyes and... ] Careful. I don't know where she's stashed the potato peeler.

[And Peggy doesn't want to know. Natasha can get to it in split seconds though, if she has too.

She slides the boning knife back into place casually. Nothing to see here. She might have an eye on Steve as she does it.]

You're going to scare him off.

[ he doesn't want to ask, he honest to God doesn't want to ask the obvious - ]

what are you doing?

[ and why did this girl even have access to anything sharp to begin with, for the love of - ]

Is it safe?

[ for the girl. for peggy. for anyone on board, really! steve usually quite enjoys children, they were the better part of his USO tour days but this here, this is not a child. ]

[ she offers the girl a sly smile -- and a terse whisper. ] Don't let his bluster fool you; it'll take more than this to scare him.

[ it's nearly a challenge. peggy washes sticky, pulpy orange juice off her fingers and dries them on an old rag. she has her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. ]

Safe enough. What's safer than knowing how to make a lick of fire when you're caught outside, without shelter, and nothing but the contents of your Christmas stocking?

And have an orange.

[Which isn't to say that Natasha doesn't enjoy being able to light a fire with whatever she has on hand. She just finds it amusing to assume she would have an orange specifically.]

He seems scared to me. Of a little girl.

He should be ashamed.

[Amused by that.]

I know you speak English, you can cut it out with this farce.

[ curtly, perhaps even a bit too curly for someone who is usually more on the gentle side. Suddenly, it's more Cap and less Steve who takes the reins here. He doesn't like this, not just because the girl is a living proof to a twisted past Nat is keen on hiding; but because the Atroma choose to expose it like this. he wasn't supposed to see her, wasn't supposed to know unless Natasha chose to tell him.

and yet. ]

Are you sure about this?

[ the question is meant for Peggy rather than the girl. he looks away from her, seemingly determined not to indulge her as long as the pretense lingers. ]

-- We put oranges in our Christmas stockings, Natalia. [ a soft explanation. at least, that's what they did back home. in her year. she ignores steve for a moment longer and adds: ] I think he's more scared of what I'm allowing you to do -- though I'll also suggest there's no shame in him recognizing the threat you pose. You're a formidable little creature.

[ peggy tosses aside the rag, glances at rogers, and seems to weigh her choices. she doesn't begrudge him the sharpness in his tone, and doesn't scold him for it.

instead: ] I know what I'm doing. So does she, I suspect.

[Natasha shrugs at that. She can't say she got many Christmas stockings; apparently the oranges detail was one overlooked by her trainers. She does file it away.]

She is also sitting right here.

[Maybe that's true, but she doesn't think so.]

I think he's afraid of me because I'm not like the children he knows. The girls—coddled.

[There's something in the way Natasha says the word 'coddled' that might remind Peggy of another Black Widow, a certain resentment toward women that life was kinder to.

As an adult, Natasha's grown out of it or learned to make peace with it. As a child, the injury is far more raw.

She continues, still in Russian, knowing it gets under Steve's skin:]

He's not hard to read.

That's what worries me.

[ that child knowing what she's doing. he had seen Nat in action more than once, he knows exactly what she's capable of but the Nat he knew, the older one, is still different from the girl.

one of these days, if they ever do catch up with the atroma, they'll have to answer to Natasha about this, certainly but also to Steve, who mostly worries about the woman more than the girl. ]

Better here than on Nat's ship, I suppose.

[ at the very least, if she tries anything, she's with someone who can stop her. Better Peggy than others. He knows how Nat fights, he also knows how Peg fights. at least he can be calm about that as long as that girl doesn't get away. ]

[ -- peggy had been about to speak. something, maybe, about the situation at hand. but it's the girl who catches her attention now. coddled. oh, she hears it. and it sends a shiver down her spine. for a moment, she's caught exchanging hard glances with 'natalia'. she's too smart; steve's candid conversation threatens to undo the careful status-quo they've established. the last thing she needs is the child starting to doubt her all the more because of stories of her older self.

quickly: ] You're right. As reads go, he's among the easiest. Usually.

[ a virtue, in steve's case. peggy almost admires it. but he isn't all easily-read. there are corners to him that even she can't quite access.

she draws her palm across her face and -- almost in reaction to the latent stress of the moment -- puts the kettle on like it's second nature.

in english, but to the girl: ] My dear, he knows you speak English. I told him you did. I'll go another 'round of twenty questions with you later if you'd be so obliging as to put him out of his misery and switch over. I don't much fancy playing translator all afternoon.

I don't see why. He doesn't want to talk to me anyway.

[obligingly in English, lightly accented but clear, confirming that she does understand just fine. More than just the language.

She still directs it at Peggy.]

And your answers are getting cheap.

Thank you.

[ for all that he is uncomfortable, his manners seem to return slowly but surely. he doesn't seem to find this to be a situation not entirely beyond the realm of 'thank you' and 'please' ]

You understand English on your own. I don't like using knowledge that I never acquired by myself.

[ he understands Russian, partly, because of the augment but as someone who so fiercely opposes the augments themselves, he does try to refrain from letting it dictate the way he experiences the world. ]

My answers were always cheap -- [ peggy divulges. it's not much of a secret, because the moment natasha is herself again she'll recognize how freely peggy had given most of her answers -- even under the guise of currency.

but she's happy to fade into the background for a moment. to make tea, and tidy a little, and allow the two of them to take those first few conversational steps. she'd jump in, if needed. ]

[Natasha realizes that now, but she doesn't let it gall her.

She addresses Steve, since Peggy has made it clear that she ought.]

That seems like a strange rule. How far do you take it?

If the intel is good, it's good.

I'm not after intel.

[ not here and not now. This was never steve's forte and it'll probably never be. the one in charge of those things is the older version of the girl he's speaking to. ]

Not from you, anyway.

[ the atroma, probably. ]

[ she's content to watch. decipher, really, both natalia's frank logic and steve's ethics. given the opportunity, she's not convinced either herself or natasha would be able to help themselves from needling and picking and prodding. ]

Tradecraft isn't really his thing. [ ... ] Not like it's ours.

Then what are you after here, big man?

[Natasha pins Steve with a sharp stare, suspicious of the motives behind it.

She doesn't trust either of them, but she is fairly confident that she understands Peggy's game, what she's after.

Steve on the other hand, just treats her like an eyesore.]

[ he shrugs, as casual as that, as if the answer is obvious. ]

We all found ourselves in the same circumstances, here. Some people want to stay, others want to go home or to other worlds they visited before.

[ he had a conversation with Hermione, months ago, how the concept of home changed for her, from her original world to another. ]

Until we do, we need to have each other's backs. We're not each other's enemies here.

[ big man! she doesn't a very good job of not laughing -- training her expression into little more than a twitching smirk. truth is, steve's boldly owned positions are worth protecting. she suspects natasha, in her accurate age, understands that as well as (if not better) than peggy herself. but she can just about predict the contempt the girl will feel for a claim such as his. ]

Put another way: our circumstances make for strange bedfellows. For alliances -- opportunities -- never thought possible. We'd be remiss not to see what advantages they might bring us. Sometimes, it involves looking at a stranger more like a potential ally.

[ on the outside, it looks a lot like idealism. scratch the surface, and it's pragmatic. ]

[Natasha flashes a thin smile. Peggy's estimation isn't all that far off.]

He doesn't want me as an ally. He's made that clear.

[Peggy, on the other hand, seems interested in it. Probably she'd be only too happy to win Natasha over, though she can't expect it to be easy. She's pragmatic enough to appeal to Natasha's own pragmatism.]

He says we have to have each other's backs, but he would not trust me at his.

[With good reason; he shouldn't.]

I won't.

[ he doesn't lie about that. She won't appreciate it and it's not in his nature anyway. ]

Not right away. It's hard to trust someone who didn't tell you the truth.

[ he gives her a little look. ]

But if the - things that brought us here tried something, I would still stand by you.

[ and suddenly, he looks pained, as if this conversation is taking a toll. mostly because it reminds him of another one; he and Nat sitting in Sam's house, If it was the other way around, and it was down to me to save your life, and you be honest with me, would you trust me to do it?

I would not, he told her. and he can't say that to the girl. he can't give her the same promise he made the woman she'll grow to be, as much as he would have wanted to. ]

[ peggy sees it: the way the conversation hurts him. and she knows 'natalia' will take it as a victory. he's letting his heart be worn on his sleeve, and she can hardly fault him for it. but she's gotta do something to divert the unhappy turn.

peggy claps her hands together. dusts them off, like she's dismissing the moment. ] Trust takes time, or else it takes a crucible. But talking about trust expedites nothing.

[ and maybe she reveals a little too much about her own vulnerabilities when she's so quick to shield his. give it time; natasha will understand when she's older. so goes the same old mantra she's lived by in nearly every conversation with this younger iteration. ]

[Don't think she didn't notice that. As unflappable as Peggy seems, she has her weak spots as well.

Steve just happens to be one of them.]

I'm not asking for trust. Just observing that it will not be found here.

[Her lips tighten. For all she knows, or thinks she knows, she can also tell there are things she doesn't understand here.]

You promised me food when you invited me to you ship.

And a dog.

[She changes the subject abruptly. It might be a mercy, or it may be that she's not without her own discomfort in this conversation, as cold as she presents. Hard to say.]

You promised her a dog?

[ it's mostly directed at Peggy and it's more amused than scolding. There's a dog somewhere on board, certainly but still. He shakes his head, decides to go with it. ]

Most of the food here is protein in different textures but we'll work something out for you.

[ we, he says as he moves to the cupboards, getting ingredients out. if he learned one thing about the fleet is that a certain measure of creativity is needed when it comes to the kitchen. ]

I promised a meeting with the dog. [ she clarifies for all involved. ] His name's Rock, and I'll go and fetch him if you two promise not to snark each other into an early grave while I'm gone.

[ legitimate hesitation. she's not certain she should leave them alone together. ]

I'll try not to eat him while you're gone.

[Snark? What snark.

The response is for Peggy. She just watches Steve as he starts moving around the kitchen. The comment isn't even worth commenting on.

Except maybe it is.

She raises he eyebrow meaningfully before Peggy leaves, tilting her head toward Steve.]

He expects me to be picky. See what I mean? Coddled.

[ it gets a smile, rare but still very much present at the moment. How quickly he went from moody to amused and as a result of an insult, no less. ]

He has a name and I for someone who acts as if she's used to being right all the time, you got it wrong.

[ and perhaps he sees a bit of Nat in her, now. ]

[ wow, the both of you. ]

So be picky, [ she suggests to 'natalia' with a dismissive wave as she leaves the room. ] If you think he's made a bad assumption, make him live with the fallout. It's what I do.

[ good luck with that, steve. ]

[Unconvinced by all of this. She wasn't expecting Steve to take her snide comment so cheerfully.]

So correct me. If not coddled, what?

I like to know what I eat, figured you might want to know what all of this is, too. Not so you can be picky so much as you can have - intel.

[ knowledge. but he'll use her language if that's what will make his point clear. ]

Some of it looks foreign. I appreciated an explanation about it all when I showed up here, thought you might want the same thing.

You can only ask questions like that if you know there's another meal coming.

[She shrugs it off. Protein paste doesn't scare her.]

You could tell me what you're doing with it though.

We don't really know anything, here. It's not really up to us. So far they let us keep whatever it is we had and store food we found on planets but if there's anything I learned about the Atroma, they're unpredictable.

[ it's more of a briefing, really. the soldier in him kicks in, it would seem. ]

those are protein cubes, they taste like chicken. we'll heat them up but we'll need the gel for the flavor. If I ask you to taste them and see what you prefer, will you sass me some more?

I make no promises.

[Meaning that she probably will.]

Fair enough.

[ at least it's honest. he'll line up the gels in front of her, anyway. Taking out an apple from the little fridge, he works on slicing it. if he's concerned about sharp objects around the girl, it doesn't show. after training with Nat, he knows enough to expect the unexpected and that is, at least, something that seems to hold true to the girl as well. ]

verdict?

[She takes her time trying them, making a show of not being particularly impressed by any of them. But not disgusted, either. She pretends not to notice the knife at all.

When he asks, she nods to one of the gels, half shrugging.]

It tastes like food.

[Not exactly high praise.]

Teriyaki?

[ he reads the label. makes sense. ]

right. so we'll mix the two of them and heat them up.

[ he pockets that knife, thank you very much. ]

The apples are from the last planet we've been at. It was mostly a jungle. ]

[ he'll push a little jar in her direction. it's filled with something that smells quite like cinnamon ]

alright?

Dessert?

[She doesn't trust treats, and a spiced apple is enough to seem like a treat to her, but she doesn't refuse it outright.

She considers how she can get it without give anything in return.

But for the moment, at least, she can't even find the hook.]

[ she gets a small shrug in return. ]

A version of one. You can just look at it as flavored fruit.

[ terms seem to mean a lot to her. the semantics of these things matter and so he maneuvers around them as best as he can. ]

we'll warm it up just like we'll do the protein.

[Natasha is suspicious of all of this, which is perhaps why she seems so intent on categorizing and qualifying things. Organizing information. Dealing with it in what she considers the most rational way.

It's not a very natural way for a kid to deal with a baked apple though.]

I'll eat it.

[ dare he smile at her? oh he dares. ]

alright then.

[ warming it all up it is. ]

have you kept that jacket?

[ he does hope she did. it can get chilly on the ships and for all her toughness, he does want her to have something on her. ]

I didn't waste it.

[She has few things of her own here, and the jacket is warm at least. It also gives her somewhere to hide weapons.

That was a priority.]

Why? Did you want it back?

Not at all. I'm just glad you kept it.

[ she lied about so many things, he wasn't even sure she had an actual need for it. the fact that she kept it is already encouraging. ]

Here you go.

[ he'll place two plates in front of her. ]

[That earns him a suspicious sideways look. She doesn't understand what his game is.

She is, however, starving. After very little hesitation she starts eating like she's not sure where her next meal is coming from.]

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