everybody's starstruck in june.

[mucked]

Who: starstruck crew & visitors
Broadcast: n/a
Action: aboard the ship
When: june

[ another month; another mingle. but there are changes in the air! the starstruck has some fresh crew to boast of, as well as a spiffing new lounge. things have been difficult, lately -- the common area might make for a great place to decompress and socialize with your fellow starstruckers.

after all, it seems the captain's gone and requisitioned max's record player. for the first week in june, it'll be returned again and again to the new lounge. good luck hiding it from her, rockatanksy.

ready steady go! ]

Comments

[outstandingbalance]

I realize that. And believe me, I am. But there's a lot to consider.

[Natasha considers if she should say more about the matter. It's been on her mind, and there's a part of her that might be hoping that Peggy will dazzle her with some compelling argument in favor of changing ships that will minimize the arguments against.]

It'd be easy to say yes, but in the long run... I can see it causing problems.

[mucked]

Stark-shaped problems, [ she guesses. it's not a difficult line to follow now that she knows a bit more about what happened. not every detail; far from it. but she knows enough to be recognize where certain lines must be drawn and other lines negotiated. ]

I suppose I can appreciate your foresight. Yet another enviable skill, destined to serve well whatever ship has you.

[outstandingbalance]

That is one of the biggest. If he comes back... There are optics to consider.

[And Natasha's own perspective. Keeping a little distance would be the easiest way to make sure she didn't lose sight of the big picture.]

[mucked]

One might argue that considering those optics too slavishly will only give them both a crutch to keep on bickering. [ the balance must be tipped -- at some point or another. ]

[outstandingbalance]

One might. It's not always that simple, though.

[A pause while Natasha considers if she wants to play out that argument. She's already been over the sides in her head, though, and the ways that both of them might be hurt have impressed her more than the potential of tough love to help Tony or Steve see reason.

So instead, she says:]

Has one considered she might not have quite as much privacy as she's used to with me underfoot?

[mucked]

[ aha.

one certainly has.

peggy's answer is as careful and curated as ever: ] I doubt I've got any privacy aboard this ship to begin with. I'm not too worried.

[ off the ship, however? well. that's another story. ]

[outstandingbalance]

You say that now. [She sounds amused by it, and perhaps not entirely convinced.]

Well. It is still under consideration. I do like my privacy too.

[mucked]

And you're concerned I might prove myself a bit too prying? [ a smile. ] I suppose any defense I tried to raise for myself would sound a bit hollow at this point.

[outstandingbalance]

Prying might be the wrong word. Maybe just too perceptive.

[mucked]

[ that so? her smile sharpens. ]

I hope you're not suggesting my powers of perception worry you, Natasha.

[ -- it's all in good fun. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[It was said in good fun to start with. That and to lighten the conversation, keep the topic of her possible transfer as noncommittal as possible.]

Your powers of perception are a factor to consider.

[mucked]

Perhaps I could use the practice.

[ she's getting rusty out here in space; she knows it. things are comfortable, recent defeats not withstanding. ]

[outstandingbalance]

So you're saying I should join your crew to keep you sharp?

[mucked]

That depends. [ her head tilts. ] Would it work?

[ to convince her; peggy already knows it'll keep her sharp. ]

[outstandingbalance]

Couldn't hurt. Whether or not it would help...?

[Natasha shrugs. Maybe she likes being a little less sharp—but her instinct says that's not a good thing.]

[mucked]

I suppose we wouldn't know until we tried. Is that correct?

[outstandingbalance]

You're not wrong about that. I guess we'll just have to see.

[mucked]

-- There isn't any rush. [ she reiterates. ] It's not like we haven't got our own little influx of fresh meat to contend with, just now.

Best to let the rookies get settled.

[ before they might have to cope with living alongside both peggy and natasha. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[Maybe Peggy should ask the crew before inviting Natasha over. That really is a lot of spy to deal with.]

You'll have to tell me how they do.

[A half smile, amused and mock impressed.]

I noticed you poached Sam off the Heron.

[mucked]

[ peggy raises a hand, as if in self-defense. ]

No. That's -- well, sort of. [ a bob of her head. ] I don't poach off the Heron. I told him if he wanted to join the Starstruck, then he'd need Barnes's permission to transfer. I'm not interested in stripping his ship of anything it might need.

[ clearly, she doesn't offer that same courtesy to the other ships. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[Clearly, which is interesting. Natasha lets it go through.]

I could say something about honor among thieves here, but Sam wouldn't have transferred if it wasn't where he wanted to be. Not surprising that he followed Steve.

[Natasha just might have liked having someone else on Heron to keep an eye on Barnes too.]

But I have to give you a little bit of a hard time.

[mucked]

-- He's got a way of inspiring loyalty. [ steve does. it doesn't show quite as often in the fleet, perhaps -- but that's because steve allows himself the back burner.

nevertheless, she'd seen it during the war. ] Sam could hardly wait before putting his transfer request in. Do him and Barnes not get along?

[outstandingbalance]

I wouldn't know. Never had the chance to spend much time with the three of them. But I can guess...

[A sort of smile, sad and covering it only in the most perfunctory manner.]

Sam is a good guy, but it's not hard to see why there'd be tension between the two of them.

[mucked]

[ -- she recognizes the art to natasha's leading hint and can't help but smile. ]

I'm not looking to make guesses. [ but nor is she asking, either. not really. ] It can't just be the bit about the Winter Soldier.

[outstandingbalance]

No, I don't think it's that.

[What Natasha does know is that when Bucky was under Hydra's control, Sam wasn't his greatest advocate. He also doubts Sam loves the way Steve gets stupid where his friend is concerned.

But there's more to it than that.]

I can just imagine why they might not mesh.