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[mucked]

Who: Peggy + you
Broadcast: N/A
Action: Starstruck, Iskaulit
When: All day.

[ as compelling an attraction as the asteroids can be, peggy wakes up on what could have been april 21st and promptly decides that a captain's work is never done. despite a short holiday on one of the less glitzy asteroids, she storms her way back onto the starstruck around midday. she'd have preferred to be back earlier, of course, but a certain stubborn steve rogers had delayed her more than usual this morning.

because, you see, today is peggy carter's birthday. and up until recently, she'd thought this particular piece of sensitive intel might have remained under wraps. certainly, she's never announced it to the fleet (not had it announced for her) but over the last year there'd been an influx of individuals who might otherwise be privy to that sacred knowledge.

and so surviving the day becomes a little trickier. her first precaution is to not even address the network -- indeed, she hasn't got her device with her at all. so if some friend or ally does try and contact peggy, they may be forced to seek her out in person instead. after all, it's rare that she should persist with so much radio silence. visitors and crew on the starstruck will find her in her quarters trying very hard to dodge the likes of both steve rogers and edwin jarvis. and trying to busy herself with 'paperwork', though closer inspections might prove she's doing little more than working on a few hobby ciphers. and let's not forget the copious trips to the kitchen for tea, of course.

for visitors and crew: it seems steve's left the odd 'hint' and trinket around the ship. flowers here, candles there, and there's at least one cake chilling in the kitchen. perhaps more. when asked about it, the captain feigns innocence.

later, when that diversion fails, she heads to the iskaulit. first to the firing range, where she squeezes off just enough shots to counterbalance the creeping sensation of domesticity. and that done, she stops by the space bar for a drink of whatever-the-devil most resembles whiskey. ]

Comments

[mucked]

No, see -- me? [ with practices ease, she fills the kettle and set it to bubble. ] I treasure a good dance. Somewhere with good linen and a lively horn section.

[ easier to romanticize, now that she had someone to be romantic with. once upon a time, just the thought of a good dance would turn her stomach sour. now, she almost revels in it. ]

Suits don't hurt, of course. But no one seems to wear them like they used to.

[collegedropout]

[He smiles. Peggy, your sap is showing.

But ah, it makes him reflect a little, too.]

I guess I've managed a slow dance before. I, um. My girlfriend liked to dance. It was a long time ago, though -- back when I was in college. I forget I was ever that young, sometimes.

[mucked]

I've been to parties. Here, in the fleet. I've seen what they call 'slow dancing' -- my dear, that's not dancing. That's shuffling side to side with an excuse to be near enough you can hear someone's heart beat.

[ honestly, no art to it. ]

[collegedropout]

... Is that so bad?

Listening to someone's heart beat.

[oh no sam winchester's a sap]

[mucked]

It's not dancing. Not the way it's meant to be done.

[ doesn't mean, of course, that she doesn't do it. ]

[collegedropout]

Oh? Then what way is it supposed to be?

[mucked]

With steps. [ and style. ] Like the lindy hop, of course.

[collegedropout]

What a nice thought, actually doing dance moves and being good at them.

[He shakes his head, smiling down at his feet.]

I think I'm pretty hopeless, though. Even at a lindy hop.

[mucked]

-- It's alright. I think nearly everyone's a little bit hopeless with the lindy. [ it's not an easy dance. peggy herself can't profess to be any expert at it. ]

[collegedropout]

Yeah? Well, there's a movie where a guy's friend tries to help him hopelessly learn how to dance — maybe you'll have to help me out one of these celebrations, sometime. If Mr. Rogers isn't the kind of guy to lob shields at unexpected dance partners, anyway.

[He's usually pretty shy, especially when it comes to dancing.

But... like... fuck it, you know? Confidence building in space; why not?]

[mucked]

I promise you, Sam, that he only uses his uncanny ricochets for good. And not, indeed, for nefarious or jealous purposes.

[ a playful beat. ] At least, I don't think.

[collegedropout]

I see that ominous pause you threw in there to unnerve me.

I don't know, though. I kind of need dodging practice; been a bit lazy lately.

[mucked]

-- Then you're better off putting the moves on Steve, [ she jokes, ] if you'd like something to dodge and duck. I'm the one with the reputation for turning a bit green.

[ there's a story there. for sure. ]

[collegedropout]

... Well, I mean.

He's pretty handsome, and his shoulders are nice.

[:^)]

[mucked]

They certainly pass muster. Yes. [ peggy affirms, letting her power of understatement say it all. it's easily ascertained that the more she undersells a thing, the more fervently she must believe it. make no mistake: peggy adores a broad, strong shoulder. present company ticks that box too. well enough.

what peggy doesn't say, of course, is that steve will always be more than the sum of serum-granted muscles he is now. although she feels no shame in that love, it's simply not the sort of thing she's keen to advertise with any indulgence. ]

[collegedropout]

Well, I mean, it only seems right someone as pretty you gets a decent pair of shoulders to push around.

[It's friend-flirting, it's not normal flirting, so it makes it A-OK.]

I bet he's planning on taking you somewhere for your birthday, if he hasn't already. If the butler doesn't let it slide, I bet she sure won't.

[mucked]

[ oh, mister winchester! stop it! his flattery earns him a rather well-meant backhand to the (you guessed it) shoulder. ]

If he knows what's good for him, he won't take me anywhere. [ good lord she doesn't want a fuss. ] Steve damn well only knows the date because he went and looked it up seven decades later, likely once he finally had the clearance. That's cheating, that is.

that last tag i wrote is why i shouldn't tag at like 2 am lmfao

[collegedropout]

[He cocks his head, looking too humored. Bless you, Peggy.]

I thought it was a mark of a good relationship, when they know the important dates.

[mucked]

For some, perhaps. [ she continues -- remarkably candid. perhaps because of the day, or else her growing comfort with discussing steve. or perhaps she simply likes sam just that much. ] But I'm not that bothered.

Steve and I -- [ hmm. ] We're fortunate enough to have met again, here. All else is gravy.

[collegedropout]

[He smiles fondly, thinking about golden hair and a soft, sweet smile.]

I know how that feels.

I mean, I wasn't with her anymore or anything, but I got to meet someone I loved again. In the last world I'd been stuck in.

It's... uh, freaking awesome when it happens.

[mucked]

[ peggy smiles. perhaps because it's easier to do so if the other person understands even a glimpse of the position she's in. ]

Not quite how I'd put it. [ 'freaking awesome'? really, sam? ] But it's certainly wonderful. I was certain I'd never see him again.

[ putting it mildly, of course. peggy was certain he'd been dead. ]

[collegedropout]

[He nods, looking a bit sheepish about it himself, barely meeting her gaze.

He doesn't talk about his love life much.

Or at all, really. Even Nami isn't really that privy to it, and Nami's Nami.]

I'm glad you get to have that. It hard to get past it and try to, y'know... Move forward as a different person than when you met them, I guess.

[mucked]

I don't imagine I'm all that different from when we met. [ a beat, then peggy holds out a hand to indicate someone that might be roughly 5'4''. ] But he has. Steve was about yay tall when I first set eyes on him. Little thing

[collegedropout]

[A chuckle.]

I saw him around like that. Glitch, right? I didn't wanna ask, though.

Glitches can get pretty personal.

[Sam was a hellish fragment of himself not too long ago.

Yeah, it can get pretty damn personal, huh.]

[mucked]

They can, yes. But there's nothing about that glitch that isn't a matter of public record back home. [ a twitch of her lips. she's quite fond of him, pre-shoulders. ] That's how the army found him.