driftfleet | ship mingle: february is for starstruckers.

[ It takes him a few weeks but Kubo finally manages to settle into a routine much like the one he had at home. He wakes up just before dawn before heading down to the kitchen and turning on the stove. Kubo managed to purchase a few cans of baked beans and other food supplies from the planet which he stores in the cupboards above (and some he left for Max outside his door as thanks).

Otherwise he wanders around the ship, exploring places he hasn't seen before. One of the storage spaces becomes a tiny area for origami animals propped up in a row. You could even catch him poking at the droids and giggling as they beep at him. ]

[As Kubo places a new folded origami creation among the collection already amassed in one of the ship's storage spaces, he'll hear a voice from behind him.]

Ah, so you are the one behind the little critters.

[Turning around, Kubo will find Wanda leaning against an open door opposite from Kubo. She smiles, seeming friendly enough despite her possibly accusatory greeting.]

I was wondering where they were coming from.

[ Kubo whips his hand away, startled before he calms down. ]

I can move them if you want.

[Wanda giggles softly at his reaction. She always did seem to have a snack for sneaking up on people. Naturally, it helped that her powers gave her a certain heightened sense of others' awareness. She steps over to Kubo, getting a better look at the little display of paper animals.]

They are more than welcome to stay.

[She turns her attention to the origami.]

I was simply curious as to who was building up this little zoo on our ship.

What's a zoo?

[ He moves the tiger so it's in the center, cautiously eyeing her. ]

[Wanda blinks at Kubo for a moment, caught off guard for a second by his question. She recovers quickly though, returning to her gentle smile from before. She's been in the Fleet long enough now that she can recognize when someone is from a different time or place where things may differ vastly from her own home.]

It is a place where people can go to see many different types of animals. Lions, tigers, polar bears, monkeys, elephants, all sorts of different species.

[She looks again at the origami critters. They were kind of cute really.]

Though they tend not to be made of paper.

I haven't seen many of these animals. My mother described them to me and I just make them.

[ It's easy when you have magic at hand - his imagination and the words filled in a more realistic picture than his hand-made origami could. Though he still practiced the folds. ]

[She leans in to get a better look at one of them, but she doesn't touch. That'd be rude without asking.]

Your mother taught you to make these?

( 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?

Edited 2017-02-07 17:59 (UTC)

[ 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?

[ 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.

[ 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?

[ 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. ]

[ 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. ]

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. ]

[once or twice, kubo may return to his origami storage space to find an addition hanging out with his other buddies.

never a note, signature, or indication of who left it.]

[ 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.

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. ]

I nearly did, got a bit sidetracked.

[ it's a light tease. It takes him a second to understand what she's doing and when he does, he almost laughs. So things are still floating. He thought he must have been dreaming one morning when he woke up to see one of her lipsticks floating above her table.

He figured out the why, mostly. He thinks that it has more to do with the light feeling of peace and simply being content. He says nothing, for now. ]

[ he says nothing and she can't say for certain whether that's a blessing or otherwise. she doesn't underestimate him; she knows he's bound to have worked out a pattern by now. you don't need to be a bletchley alum to figure it out. but she can't decide whether he's acting with discretion or merely chambering his understanding for a future strategic reveal. either way, she takes few chances. ]

Sidetracked. [ look! she plays it off all innocent-like. ] It wasn't that tough of a task I set you.

Yeah. She used to be really good at origami.

[ He pulls his hands back. ]

[ Kubo picks it up gently, squinting at it before giving the other animals a dubious look. He's quite sure he hasn't lost control of his powers recently. After a few minutes, he simply shrugs and puts it in the center with a grin. ]

[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.]

You seem pretty good at it yourself.

[Her eyes fixing on the crane for a moment. She'd always wanted how to make one herself.]

It's part of my work so I have to be.

[ He'd be a pretty poor magical story-teller if he didn't know the intricate ins and outs of origami. ]

I can teach you if you want.

ship mingle: february is for starstruckers.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

peggy carter » ota

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

not technically here

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

REST OF THE MONTH

no subject

no subject