[open] august starstruck mingle

[wingedman]

Who: Everyone!
Broadcast: n/a
Action: Starstruck
When: August 1-31

Everyone on the Starstruck is regretting their life and their choices. Why does anyone want to visit this ship again?

Comments

steve rogers ✮ open.

[uprightness]

[ we took a hit, steve would say if someone had asked how they were all doing. there's a strained, pained atmosphere on the ship that doesn't seem to go away. it's a bit more confusing to him, owing to the three weeks he had lost in the duration.

one would think that after missing seventy years, a three-wee coma would be nothing, surely. however, there's still an odd sense of lost time, of nothing between now and the marsiva. when he wakes, that's when he's only starting to process the events, what he saw, what people had seen in his mind.

that in mind and quite like many others, steve's natural reaction is to withdraw a bit. he spends most of the time on the ship, surely. but so many of those hours are spent at the weaponry behind closed doors or at cargo bay on the treadmill. the first mate seems to be sporting a beard that he hasn't bothered to shave yet.

when he's not there, one could surely bet he's at the gym on the iskaulit, taking out his anger and frustrations and sadness on the sandbags. you might spot him when he leaves, wrapping tape around his palms or on his way back, removing it and flexing and unflexing his fingers.

he's very rarely seen anywhere else. almost as if, even after he had awaken, he sticks to staying clear of everyone's way.

and then there's the odd day or two he spends behind locked doors at the weaponry, coming and going from the room with a pile of odd equipment, scissors, needles, thread and a bottle of fabric dye, of all things. nothing about his posture says ask me what i'm doing but you can try your luck anyway. ]


[ （  ｐｒｉｖａｔｅ  ｔｅｘｔ  ｜  ｓａｍ  ） ]

[ it's one late evening when the message comes, as polite as always:

hey, got a minute? ]

[outstandingbalance]

[It isn't the first time Natasha has seen Steve since he woke up. He'd done his duty by her and checked in—checked up on her. But then it's radio silence a few days. That's on Natasha too. She's not entirely sure how to help Steve with what he's dealing with, and it's awkward when she's had more time to process (or dwell on) injuries that are still fresh for her.

But she figures this time it's her turn to reach out. So she does, as she usually does, without much warning. Instead of loitering in the kitchen this time, she seeks him out.

And when she finds him, it's trying his hand at arts and crafts, apparently. Which is to say nothing of the beard.

Except she'll absolutely say something about the beard:]

Getting a little farmers market there, aren't you?

[uprightness]

Very funny.

[ oh so dry. he gives her a look, however and shifts on the floor. she can sit next to him, if she'd like, while he alters his uniform. he's removing a star at the moment, another symbol of something steve is sure he's not. ]

Are you sure you don't want to go with lumberjack? Sam said lumberjack.

[ look he'd rather discuss the beard than anything else. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[Don't think she won't sit down next to him, either. She settles herself easily on the floor, knees tucked up near her chest.]

I don't think you've hit full lumberjack yet. This is still looking pretty good. Lumberjacks aren't looking good.

[This is the important distinction, clearly. Her eyes settle on his project there, but she doesn't ask about it yet.]

Farmers market beards don't scare people off.

[uprightness]

Oh yeah you know many Lumberjacks?

[ it's an easy conversation to have. this back and forth he and natasha do, their banter that disguises the deep friendship they share. steve knows her, however. before he knows it she'll make it meaningful. Natasha's pretty good at figuring him out after all this time.

he'd like to think it's mutual. still, hard to know with romanoff. ]

Thank you. I think.

[outstandingbalance]

Willing to bet I know just as many as Sam does.

[She elbows him just gently in the ribs, the sort thing they can pretend is just messing around, and not a silent question or an offer of comfort.]

So you're working on a new look? [She glances down at his sewing work.] I think I could get used to that.

[uprightness]

Just fixing it up a bit

[ the stealth suit. The uniform . He might need it, he understands that but he also knows he can't wear it as it is. The colors, the stripes and the stars, they all have to go.

With a knife and scissors, he works on removing the white star at the center of the upper part. He doesn't look at her. ]

The shield will go to Sam.

[edwinjarvis]

[Jarvis hadn't found Mr. Rogers during his visit to the Starstruck; really now, everyone is just terribly dark in spirits right now, aren't they? He couldn't blame them. He's never been quite this low in his own, not since he was jailed for treason. That's a fairly high bar to hit, isn't it? But he does magically appear, like some grand mirage or ninja, holding a glass of iced tea. However did he know? Well.]

You and Miss Carter both have a fondness for terrifying a local punching bag.

[uprightness]

She won't let me touch hers, says I'll ruin it.

[ he says, mid-punch, mid several punches. it's not a bad way to work through issues and blow some steam, surely. ]

She's probably right, these ones are more durable.

[ he spins at place, delivers a kick to the sandbag's side. oddly enough, if jarvis watches him long enough, he might notice that their style is quite similar, more worthy of a brawl, really. vicious-looking and effective. ]

Thanks.

[ he says after a few minutes have passed and he can let his routine go and reach for that glass. ]

[edwinjarvis]

[He GULPS quite loudly, which is practically "you two are terrifying" in his own language.]

I would be careful; she might hang you up as a punching bag if you did ruin her favorite.

[No she wouldn't, they both know it. But it's a silly image to conjure.

He hands over the drink.]

It's no trouble, captain. The aura of the Starstruck as been rather dreary, so I've elected to try and at least keep everyone hydrated while they... drear.

A temporary change in the ship's name might be in order.

... Gloomstruck, perhaps...

[uprightness]

Or worse.

[ but it's said with a shadow of something, a smile. it seems that no matter how dire the situation is, talking about peggy carter still brings a smile to steve rogers' lips. ]

The happenings on the Marsiva - atroma got what they wanted. morale has never been lower. Not that I can remember.

[ and he hates this. how they keep succeeding in controlling their moods and their reactions. ]

I like to think we've hit a low. the only thing left to do now is climb.

[ press onward, no matter what. ]

[edwinjarvis]

It certainly has never been, I do agree.

While the Atroma is to blame... we do have to pull ourselves out of it. I just have no clue how long it will take. There are — there were terrible things in those 'calibrations'. I suppose I can't blame anyone for feeling their lingering veil of moroseness.

[Like him. He's been battling those demons since they left the damn ship.]

[uprightness]

Everything that happened before it, too. Diamond and Beau - did you catch that?

[ it chilled him to the bone, honestly. when he thinks about it, it still does. their deaths. ]

They've never done that in the same cycle, that's what they said before they died. Almost as if they thought Atroma shouldn't be doing this.

[wingedman]

got nothing else out here.

[sam can be found in the kitchen, enjoying a late supper. with the bounty of the planet below temporarily available, it looks like he's made a hearty vegetable beef (or beef-ish) soup.]

[uprightness]

think you can drop by? I've got something for you. you could see the new room.

[ the shared room, erm. ]

[wingedman]

be there in a couple minutes.


[And true to his word, Sam's knocking on the door in about five minutes.]

[uprightness]

[ sam is steve's first visitor in this room, as a matter of fact. at least, his first visitor since the room got bigger. his old one merged with the one reserved for the captain. it's spacious now. his things ( books, pencils, sketches ) are on one table, peggy's papers and her make up on another. ]

Hey. Come on in.

[wingedman]

[Sam arches an eyebrow at the room when he steps in. It's big, at least in comparison to the single rooms. If things on board didn't feel so strained right now, he might make a comment about how he obviously needs to find someone to buy an upgrade with. He keeps his mouth shut, though, which is a rarity for Sam.]

Nice room. How official does that make things?

[uprightness]

Pretty official, I guess.

[ which says a lot for him too. Normally he'd be more cheerful about it all. But the weight of past and present mistakes sit heavy on his shoulders. He frowns, focuses his thoughts about what matters. He didn't bring Sam here to talk about his failures.

God knows that would have been much too long of a conversation. ]

I want to give you something. I wanted to for a while. Couldn't find the right time.

[mucked]

[ you know, the lounge isn't such an awful spot. it's comfortable -- more comfortable, too, now that max has done a few repairs on wobbly furniture legs. the best of bowie plays on the record player; peggy likes the saxophone.

she's pouring over something on her communications device when, looking up, she catches sight of steve passing through the hall. he's got his wrapping tape half-undone, so he must be on his way back from the cargo bay. ]

Oi, [ she signals him from within the room -- and when his steps slow she adds, ] don't you think it's time to give up the scruff?

[ really, she's been so patient. ]

[uprightness]

[ it's a rather ‫ordinary day really, Steve is indeed returning from the cargo bay ( and the gym before that ) when she calls him back.

He retreats a few steps, flashing her the usual smile she draws from him whenever he sees her. ]

Hello to you too.

[ her way of greeting, honestly. ]

Why? What's wrong with it?

[mucked]

[ what's wrong with it, he asks. and her expression crinkles into a frown. shouldn't it be obvious? what's wrong with it is that it isn't what she's known, nor what she's familiar with. not to mention the way it tickles.

after the coma, she'd figured he'd get around to it eventually. that he hadn't, even yet, surprises her. but now his question makes her wonder whether... ]

-- Are you planning on keeping it?

[ how is it that she sounds so indignant about his facial hair? ]

[uprightness]

Dunno. I haven't really thought about it.

[ it's just been there and so he hasn't bothered. Apparently, he has to be told. He tilts his head, runs a hand over his cheek and chin. ]

It doesn't bother me but I'm not too attached to it either.

[mucked]

[ good lord. how can he not have thought about it? it's right there -- she certainly hasn't been able to ignore it.

but for now, she slinks down the length of the sofa and invites him to join her for a spell. things have calmed, of late. peggy's not the happiest captain, certainly, but she's proven herself less volatile as both steve's status and max's presence on the ship have begun to normalize.

to say nothing of how little the topic of marriage has come up of late. ]

It's a bit disorderly, is all.

[ well. that's not all. ]

[uprightness]

Disorderly?

[ he moves to sit by her side, the sight is a little comical due to his large frame and long legs. He could never nap on these couches. He almost wishes they were there during the week when he was glitched into being smaller. He starts removing the tape again, flexing his fingers when it loosens. ]

That bad?