[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

[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?

[mucked]

[ well. she wouldn't say bad, exactly. peggy waggles her fingers as though to mitigate her opinion (just a little) while he takes a seat to her left. ]

More -- unusual. Unexpected. [ a huff of breath. ] It's not exactly up to dress code.

[ -- which is what she expects with him, even now, ever since their days in the war. a close haircut and a good shave. ]

[uprightness]

Dress code?

[ he arches an eyebrow; evidently surprised, evidently charmed by this line of reasoning. It reminds him of how they've met, it reminds him of the twinkle of gold pins on the collar of her uniform. ]

What dress code?

[ his smile indicates how pleased he is with this choice of words. ]

[mucked]

[ there's nothing safe or reasonable about the way he questions her slip of the tongue. because that's exactly what it had been: a slip, indicating a bit too much about whatever preferences she might harbour. how she might view him, in her mind's eye, when she thinks about steve rogers.

peggy plays up her consternation. ]

I'm not saying there is a dress code. [ clearly not; look at the rest of their bloody crew. ] But -- you're looking far from regulation.

[ which, again, is saying just a bit too much. ]

[uprightness]

Regulation.

[ he echoes and not without a smile. He finds it all ( her frown and her explanations ) to be sweet. She's being charming but steve knows better now than trying to tell her that. ]

Never thought outlaws have those.

[ regulations . But! ]

Alright. It'll be gone by tonight.

[mucked]

[ well that was a bit too easy. peggy doesn't trust it -- not least of all because he's still smiling, and that smile has the dual capability of making her heart flutter and raising her ire.

she's won, she's got what she wanted, and yet she pushes that little bit further. ]

Besides, [ peggy huffs, ] it scratches.

[ nevermind that he'd already agreed to get rid of it. ]

[uprightness]

What?

[ the word is embedded in a bark of laughter. He starts peeling the tape off of his left hand, trying not to think too hard on the context of this accusation. ]

Really?

[mucked]

[ oh, for heaven's sake. now he's laughing as well as smiling. this has been a rather clumsy mistake, she decides. telling him anything. she was better off when she still at least paid lip service to some air of mystery and indifference.

peggy looks at his hand -- a rare dip away from his eyes -- before answering. ]

Yes, really. [ she echoes his word. not one she'd use, in a pinch. it sounds odd. ] I don't see why it should be so surprising to hear.

[uprightness]

I guess I didn't think about it. I probably should have.

[ he considers her words before shrugging. ]

Alright, you got it. But you know.

[ he says in a tone of someone who is in possession of the best plan in the world. ]

You could help.

[mucked]

[ the moment he says you know, peggy realizes it won't indeed be half so easy as his agreement first suggests. she tilts her head, brows raising while she waits for the other shoe to drop. ]

I could help. [ she echoes, but not with agreement. ] What? By holding your towel and dabbing your brow?

[ she won't make this easy either. ]

[uprightness]

I could do those.

[ he's not very picky about the delegation of duties in the process. it seems that he's simply very keen on her being there. ]

After all, you're the one who wants it gone so badly.

[ so it's really only sensible. ]

[mucked]

Now, Steve. I wouldn't go so far as to say so badly.

[ because she damn well will mitigate this leverage he seems to have found over her. yes, she'd like it gone -- but the moment he believes it's imperative, the moment he believes it's something she wants so badly, that's the moment she's lost.

perhaps she already has. ]

[uprightness]

Oh.

[ well then! he collects the tape and shrugs. for someone so big, he almost makes the gesture seem casual enough and not at all pre-planned. ]

well then, see? Told you it's not so bad.

[ :) ]

[mucked]

[ -- goddamn.

her eyes narrow.]

There will -- of course -- be natural consequences.

[ two can play, rogers. ]

[uprightness]

[ what. ]

-------------- to my having a beard?

[ dear god, what did he get himself into? ]

[mucked]

[ she curls her nails against her palm -- inspecting, perhaps, a bit of chipped polish with a curl of her lip. ]

I can't be blamed for avoiding something so scratchy. And, dare I say it, ticklish.

[ and so opens yet another classic carter-rogers negotiation. ]

[uprightness]

You have got to be -

[ can't be blamed, she says. ]

You know that's not even remotely fair, right?

[ SIMPLY MAKING SURE. ]

[mucked]

It feels fair to me.

[ she counters, altogether too pleased to suddenly have him on the back foot once again. there's even a glimmer in her eye because of it. ]

After all, I'm the one getting scratched.

[uprightness]

Really? And there is no way I can say the same thing at all?

[ the way he eyes her fingernails is nothing less than skeptical. ]

[mucked]

[ she swallows a rather charmed smile before, yes, waggling the tips of her fingers as though she knows precisely what he means. ]

I believe that's a horse of an entirely different colour.

[uprightness]

I think the result is just about the same.

[ he is so terribly pleased with himself. ]

And I've never complained.