video, 01

[unbridles]

Who: John Laurens
Broadcast: Fleetwide video
Action: Aboard the Marsiva
When: Right the heck now.

[He wasn't expecting a bed. More to the point, he wasn't expecting to wake up at all; did someone wake up when they were dead? He's not sure. Well. At least he doesn't hurt after dying, though John can't remember it hurting much before, either. He sits up anyway, still clad in his continental uniform, now with a mysterious lack of bulletholes. In doing so, he jars the communicator nearby, and it falls to the floor with a clatter.]

Shit, what -- [Oh. Okay. There's a thing on the floor, he's surrounded by mysterious silvery walls, and he's trying not to panic. This is great. Maybe the thing will have some answers. So he picks up the comm and pokes at it, tentatively. That manages to activate the video, and behold, there's one seriously perplexed lieutenant colonel onscreen.]

--Um. Can anyone maybe tell me what the hell is goin' on? Is anyone there?

Comments

[mucked]

New York. With the occasional detour toward California.

[unbridles]

[!!! New York! A place near and dear to his heart. Aside from, y'know, the battles that were happening until recently. California, he's not so sure about, ain't it a colony of Spain right now?]

One'a my dearest friends lives in New York. Or, well, he does when he ain't with the General.

[mucked]

Military man, is he? [ she could go on and on about the person dearest to her from new york, but she's grown too accustomed to protecting that part of herself. no matter; steve can make his own friends. ]

[unbridles]

Yeah, he's a lieutenant colonel, same as me. Haven't seen him in a while, though, I've been down south an' he's up there with his wife an' son.

[mucked]

[ -- she eyes the uniform. considers the implication of military action. ] Peggy Carter, Lieutenant Colonel. Pleasure to meet you.

[unbridles]

[And he offers a gentlemanly bow. As much as he can over the comm.] John Laurens, miss. Pleased to meet you as well.

[mucked]

[ a crinkle of her nose. there's no immediate recognition there -- of course not, her education would have only provided her with bigger names. comparatively. back in england. ]

And what year did you leave behind?

[unbridles]

[Well, yeah, and the fact that he died before the war properly ended might have a bit to do with that, too.]

Last I can recall, it was August 1782.

[mucked]

Good God. [ peggy knows the uniform now, she realizes. a living, breathing revolutionary. well -- so long as he's here, it seems. ] Helluva year, Lieutenant Colonel.

[unbridles]

Yeah; it's definitely been an eventful one. [He hadn't been at Yorktown proper, but he'd definitely heard about it.]

[mucked]

I'm afraid I'm a bit beyond it -- 1947, in fact.

[unbridles]

So there's people from all sorts'a different times here. Good to know I'm not the only one playin' catch-up.

[mucked]

All sorts of times. Usually, I find I'm the one lagging behind -- many people you'll meet are from the 21st century.

[unbridles]

Damn. [A beat.]--Sorry, miss. [But to go back to an earlier topic, since it's caught his attention:]

You mentioned California, earlier. I'm gonna assume the states are a lot bigger'n the thirteen colonies I know for you, probably, yeah?

[mucked]

Much bigger. America takes up her fair share of the continent, now. Your thirteen colonies have grown to some forty-eight states.

[unbridles]

[--He can't help but laugh, there.] Really? Holy shit. That's amazing.

[mucked]

It's -- [ she pauses, unable to hide her smile. ] Remarkable, really. Utterly remarkable.

[unbridles]

Yeah! I mean, I wasn't around for a whole lotta the Congress an' the declaration 'n all that, but I heard about it. It's good to know that the republic survives.

[mucked]

Not only survives, but thrives. [ ... ] She's a superpower in her own right, these days. Europe's been knocked to hell and back twice now -- leaving plenty of room for America to grow.

[unbridles]

[He gives a low whistle.] Twice? Should I ask what happened?

[mucked]

Wars. Two of them within the last fifty years -- and large enough to be considered World Wars.

[ -- at least that's what those from future years tell her. world war. what a term. ]

[unbridles]

Holy shit. I'm glad they're over, for your sake.

[mucked]

So am I. [ a little wry. there are parts of her -- merely parts -- that misses the freedom and agency that had existed for her during the war. afterwards, it seemed the world had wanted her to go back to her box. go back to her role.

even so, peace is preferable. ] It's only been about two years since. Back home.

[unbridles]

War ain't even properly over for me, yet. I mean, yeah, there was Yorktown, but nothin's been signed yet.

[mucked]

I suppose I've already gone and spoiled the end.

[ suggesting how large the country's grown, for one. ]