ship mingle: february is for starstruckers.

[mucked]

Who: Crew of the Starstruck
Broadcast: N/A
Action: Y, aboard the ship
When: All month

[ welcome to february. y'all know the drill. ]

Comments

peggy carter » ota

[mucked]

( EARLY FEBRUARY )

[ first things first: peggy, acting as both captain and communications officer, gets whiff of some of the other ships fiddling with those scrambler devices found not long ago on some of the fleet's vessels. shipmates are free to discuss the possibility with her, and ultimately the device gets installed back into the system. she chooses a brusque but informative hailing message: this is the ss starstruck. is anyone out there? during this time, she can be found tinkering on the bridge. extra credit to anyone who brings her a cuppa while she works.

additionally, she sticks to her early morning training sessions in the cargo bay -- either clocking cardio on the treadmill or by throwing heavy punches into the hanging bag. in these moments, she's always at her most casual: hair tied back, plain white cotton shirt, loose trousers. she's stopped applying lipstick before her morning workouts. there's a renewed toughness to her. ]

( REST OF THE MONTH )

[ -- her schedule remains much the same, barring a few trips off-ship to poke around this new planetary system. but there are a few notable oddities. one morning, she's brushing her teeth in the communal bathrooms, humming to herself, and a pile of washclothes starts to float a few inches off the counter. or she's drinking tea while tackling paperwork and the subsequent calm she finds in its completion causes her (and her chair) to lift fractionally off the floor.

or, perhaps, she's caught in a foul mood -- and everything in the room starts to feel a little heavier. simple dishes are suddenly a chore to lift and move. ]

( 02/14 -- PRIVATE TEXT: STEVE ROGERS )

Do you think the Starstruck could manage without us for a day?

[uprightness]

[ February brings with it a planet that offers plenty of open space, sunshine, rivers and sandy beaches. The abundance of fresh air serves as a call of a sort and steve ventures outside frequently and at times, for a few hours at a time. there's plenty of ground to cover, plenty of views to enjoy and wildlife to draw.

and as Valentine's Day draws near, there is a gift to find.

The message finds him in the kitchen, pouring over his sketches, writing down names and terms he heard the locals use.

he looks at it and smiles; ah, seems like she beat him to it. ]

It's a peaceful planet. I can tell Wanda to call us if there's a need.

Why?

[mucked]

[ she's planet-side -- gathering supplies for an adventure he hasn't yet agreed to take. but peggy believes he'll join her. she peruses a selection of canvas and hide shelters. not quite tents, but close enough.

and she texts him at the same: ]

Got given a map to a spot in the mountains with stellar views of the planet inside the ring. Thought we could check it out together.

[uprightness]

[ he arranges his notebooks, gathers them up and sends his rather obvious answers. ]

Where are you? I'm on my way.

Need anything from here?

[mucked]

[ it's entirely possible that she'd banked upon this very level of helpfulness from him. ]

Pack us an overnight bag. Some spare clothing, a few blankets, anything you think you'd need. I've got rations and shelter handled.

[ surprise! we're going camping. ]

[uprightness]

[ he smiles a bit - she has a plan but then, he's not really surprised. ]

give me twenty. Where do I meet you?

[ and he sets to work. Some of the things she asked for are easy enough, blankets, his phone if only for the camera, some pencils and papers and sweaters - but as far as Peggy's things go, well.

Steve has gotten terribly used to spending his nights with her. there was the hotel and now there's here but he never actually made himself familiar with her things. he draws a blank for a moment, what would she take if she were here?

be brave, rogers.

he's perhaps a bit fascinated by her clothing, how her scent seems to linger on the fabrics. he has to remind himself that she's waiting.

he gathers up his senses. Peggy would go for comfortable and practical, he knows this, he knows her. this shouldn't be so difficult.

and evidently, she doesn't mind him searching, which is sweet, really.

it takes a little longer than he anticipates, trying not to move anything out of place, trying not to stare too openly at things that are hers and are private ( he definitely doesn't trace at the hints of lace and silk that are more familiar that they ought to be ).

he's running a little late, he realizes and that alone makes him put aside his nerves and finish packing up.

he packs her gift as well - at an inner pocket of his jacket. ]

[mucked]

Just outside the market in that small town we visited yesterday. Pick me up, and we can take the shuttle to the mountain's foot together. From there, it'll be a bit of a hike. I'm assuming you're up for it.

[ this isn't an off-the-cuff sort of plan. likely, she's been formulating it for days now. but putting him on the back foot by asking him to pack their bags is certainly intentional -- a way to game the day, perhaps, and keep the emotional high ground. with this pesky augment glitch, she fears she'll need every ounce of control she can find.

true to her word, however, she's waiting in a clearing at the market's edge. there's a pair of duffel bags propped up at her feet. she looks ready to go on a mission more so than a valentine's date. ]

[uprightness]

[ it's a beautiful day outside. he's getting used to this planet, the clear air and the vast spaces; it's quiet, not as crowded as some other planets have been. after the raiders, it's a good place to be, especially today.

most would valentine's day is to be spent with candlelight dinners but then, he and Peg have never been ordinary even before space.

it's different, now, more comfortable. he takes her hand in his when he arrives at her side. ]

I know, I'm late.

[mucked]

Par for the course, really.

[ and when he steps off the shuttle, she steps on the thick canvas straps of both duffels at her feet. it wouldn't do to have them react to how pleased she is to see him -- sunlight hitting just so. slowly, she's learned to compensate for this awkward glitch. ]

I never actually believed you'd manage it in twenty minutes in the first place.

[ her expression crinkles but she takes his hand nevertheless. ]

REST OF THE MONTH

[outstandingbalance]

[Steve had lectured Natasha about visiting more often. So, here she is. On the Starstruck, poking around.

That's how she happens across Peggy in the dining area, sipping her tea while everything around her gets a little... lighter.

Natasha included.]

That's new.

[If there's a little more hiss in her voice than normal, it's only because being lifted like that comes as a very real surprise.]

[mucked]

New and annoying is what it is, [ peggy growls without looking up from a narrow pad of paper. it looks as though she might be working (quite happily) on a new cipher for the network's entertainment. however, the moment she expresses her disapproval for the current phenomenon, everything thuds gently back on the ground.

peggy at long last glances up -- frowning. it takes a certain amount of concentration to keep her good mood at bay long enough to let natasha keep her feet on the ground. ] Sorry about that.

[outstandingbalance]

[Nice to be back on solid ground. Natasha moves closer, glancing over Peggy's shoulder.

Or around it.]

Don't worry about it. Clearly not something you're doing on purpose.

[mucked]

-- It's been a few days, now. Utterly inconvenient. [ a scowl. her pen starts to feel heavy; she sets it down. at the moment, the notepad's contents just look like a jumble of letters. ] I hear some people are struggling with, say, being busybodies. I'd take that over this any day.

[outstandingbalance]

Really? This doesn't seem so bad to me.

[Natasha can't say what's causing it—what the trigger is for the floating. She feels when things get a little heavier though and she can already start to speculate.

If it's what it seems, then no wonder Peggy's annoyed.]

Give or take your stationary floating away.

[mucked]

Can't decide what's worse, actually. It floating away, or suddenly becoming as heavy as an elephant. It's a pain in the rear either way.

[outstandingbalance]

You know what's triggering it?

[Does Natasha want to see if Peggy will confirm it? Of course she does. She won't force it, but it's a start. And it shows a degree of trust that she comes out and asks plainly.]

[mucked]

I've got an inkling -- [ peggy's answer is just as plain. she'd been tempted to deny it outright -- but some lies are clumsier than honesty. ]

[ rest of the month ]

[shamisens]

[ Kubo, of course, cleans up after people finish eating. It's another habit that he doesn't think too hard about. However, when they get heavier, he's visibly struggling to pile them onto the sink. ]

[mucked]

[ -- after dinner, peggy's hung back in the kitchen. all throughout dinner, she'd been quiet. absorbed in whatever puzzle or cipher she'd been cracking in her notebook. evidently, she's dissatisfied with the results. and that dissatisfaction is what lends the dishes their heaviness.

she grumbles -- pushes the notepad aside -- and crosses the kitchen so she can flip the switch on the electric kettle. ]

This is a problem which needs tea, I think. Copious amounts of tea.

[shamisens]

I'll . . . get it. In a minute.

[ He grimaces as Kubo finally manages to lean on his toes and put the plates in the sink and fills it with soapy water. Automatically, he goes for the cups and scowls again when he feels the weight of them. ]

[mucked]

Don't be ridiculous. [ a shake of her head. ] I can make tea, Kubo.

[shamisens]

Okay, but everything's kind of . . . heavy right now.

[ Kubo turns, trying to show the cup which he has to hold with both hands. ]

[mucked]

[ a scowl. ]

-- You've noticed it, too, hm? [ peggy gives her head a shake. ] How bothersome.

[shamisens]

[ Kubo is not sure bothersome is the word for it. ]

Uhm. Can we . . . fix it?

[mucked]

We can try. [ a puff of her cheeks. peggy shakes her head -- almost rueful. it doesn't help the situation. ] I'm afraid it's my fault.