》 ＶＩＤＥＯ

[uprightness]

Who: steve rogers & open
Broadcast: yes, for a change.
Action: aboard the starstruck, if you're so inclined.
When: current.

[ it seems to be a once-in-a-six-months-thing, Steve Rogers addressing the network like this. it's always when there's something official to say, business to attend to.

he doesn't seem too good at communicating anything else through these. at least he did away with the uniform. this post sees him in a simple black t-shirt and jeans.

and not all too cheerful, big surprise. ]

If you have any official business or need anything from the Starstruck, take it up with me for the time being. I know most of us stocked on things at the planet but if there's anything that you need, just send a word over, we'll see what we can do.

[ that's it for this subject. no, he doesn't want to explain why he's stepping up to the active role of a ship captain, thank you very much.

in fact, he almost looks awkward in light of the next matter: ]

I don't suppose anyone has any spare bags of sand? I could use a bit.

[ he doesn't explain that odd request, either. ]

Comments

[ladybro]

[ she does. she does care -- so damn much. she cares from toe tip to finger tip and she can feel it, still, whenever she draws back her bowstring. it's seeded a doubt in her.

and doubt is no good. ]

I don't think someone comes back from what Clint did.

[ there. simply said. ]

[uprightness]

Maybe not. Not as the same person.

[ he can give her that. ]

But that doesn't mean it's all lost, either. Some things change us and we can't go back. It took me a while to understand that.

[ after the ice, that is. ]

it doesn't mean that person won't care about you and it definitely doesn't mean you won't care about them. maybe you could still build something. new foundations. I don't think that's impossible.

[ladybro]

It's not him and me I'm worried about. [ kate lies. she doesn't lie often, but she lies about this. ] It's him and the world. The court case was public and...

You guys have Bruce Banner, right? [ the black widow confirmed so, but kate's trying to paint a picture without outright saying it. ]

[uprightness]

We do.

[ he nods and adds, ]

Most of us aren't best friends with any court these days

[ his doing, he won't shy away from that. ]

not the first time that happened. I don't think any of us ever had an easy relationship with the world.

[ladybro]

Mmhm. But that's the problem, I guess. Plenty of people are cheering on the guy who took out the Hulk.

[ the public would even come up to her and shake her hand, even though she wasn't the hawkeye who did it.

problem is, it wasn't the hulk clint killed. it was the man. ]

It's the kinda relationship with the world none of us want to have.

[uprightness]

I think I know what Banner would say but.

[ he shakes his head. it's not his place to speak for him. ]

Sounds like you guys took a serious hit. Have you talked to him since that happened? about - any of that?

[ladybro]

Tried to. [ but clint hasn't been willing to be so chatty. ] Bastard didn't even call me from jail. Who even knows who he wasted his one phone call on.

[uprightness]

[ he smiles a bit. that's the same thing he would have done, probably. ]

Sounds like you two have a lot to talk about when you do meet. But you know - if I were him, I'd be glad to see there's someone who cares about me, even after alla that. He's lucky. Make sure he knows that.

[ladybro]

You realize I'm still looking after his dog? Here and home. Both. [ ... ] He's a dead-beat dog dad.

[ it's a stupid thing to complain about, and god she loves lucky, but -- but she doesn't know how to articulate her disappointment over the whole thing. ]

[uprightness]

You have a dog?

[ EVERYBODY HAS A DOG BUT HIM. ]

You know, lately I've let someone down as well. It was pretty serious. I couldn't face him after that, I ended up sending him a letter. I know many people don't do that anymore but. It was probably the easier way out.

[ he shrugs ]

I regret that now. I wish he were still here so we could try and fix it. He'll feel like that, too. He's not going to avoid you forever. Eventually you'll talk and - he'll have to do his best to rebuild things. It's the same for me, too. It's all we can do.

[ladybro]

Clint has a dog. I just happen to have Clint's dog. Story of my life. [ ... ] His name is Lucky and you're free to visit him on the Blameless whenever you want. [ kate huffs. ] Steve.

[ but now she's curious. ]

Who'd you let down?

[uprightness]

Lucky, huh?

[ look, he's so cheerful already. dogs :> ]

I think I might just take you on that offer.

[ and as for her question, well. ]

Seeing you don't use names, you probably know him as Iron Man.

[ to steve, he was and always will be tony. 'stark' when he's pissed off at him but generally, tony. ]

[ladybro]

Thought so. [ that old chestnut. ] And by 'let him down' do you mean butt heads? Duke it out? 'Cause that's how I ended up in jail the last time around and...

[ well, he doesn't need to know about that. ]

And I can tell you at least that Captain America and Iron Man were on the same side of the last spat that went down. The one with -- the one where Clint...did what he did.

[uprightness]

I mean I let him down. I wasn't being as good as a friend as he expected me to be. There was a fight, things were bad, very bad.

[ he holds her gaze. ]

still, I don't doubt we can somehow build something new. I don't doubt that about you and him, either.

[ladybro]

[ but hey, you survived. that's more than can be said for her world's captain america. ]

You make it sound all a little bit like a kid's movie.

[ neat. tidy. easily solved with friendship and good will. ]

[uprightness]

some days I wish it were.

[ it's a bit of a confession, in all honesty. ]

I try to strive for the ideal and then make do with what I get.

[ it might not be the best of approaches, seeing it leads to disappointments, but it is what it is. ]

[ladybro]

[ she nearly (nearly) laughs. no wonder clint and he (the other he!) must have butt heads so often -- clint had his own idealism streak about ten miles wide, but never quite so disneyfied as this. ]

How's that been working out for you?

[ making do. ]

[uprightness]

Depends on the day.

[ he tilts his head and smiles ]

Some are better, some are worse. Still, gotta keep believing in something.

[ladybro]

That, I can agree with. [ but what she believes in is herself. she has to. in a world of superpowers and mutations, what else has she got? ] Of course, it doesn't hurt to love what you do.

[uprightness]

I suppose it doesn't.

[ that seems to change with time, too. there were times when he loved his job, there were times when he hated it. ]

do you love what you do?

[ladybro]

Every minute of it.

[ which is more or less true. truth is, it's harder to enjoy these days. but she's not admitting that to captain futzing america. ]