driftfleet | 001 } Can't keep my eyes from circling skies.

Entry tags:

001 } Can't keep my eyes from circling skies.

Who: Howard Stark & You
Broadcast: Network
Action: SS Bishop (cockpit)
When: Right meow!

( OPEN BROADCAST )

[ howard has been here a few days, enough to suss out that something has happened. it's caused a bit of disquiet among his crewmembers already since apparently their captain died or something?! whatever. he's finding it disturbingly easy to fall back into this role. peggy told him how long it's been and who else is among them, but in usual peggy fashion: not much else. it's left him bereft and even a bit listless which is very uncharacteristic indeed.

he sets his communicator on the control panel so he can record as he flies. as a result, the feed is much more low-key and features a cool, collected version of howard those who know him might not expect. howard nods his head once to show that he is in fact recording on purpose. ] I hope my Huntress is in good hands. Though I guess... she isn't mine anymore. Forgive me, I'm usually not so bittersweet when saying goodbye to a lady friend. [ something of a wan look shadows his gaze, but it's quick, just a glimmer really. ]

Howard Stark. Ace inventor, innovator, pilot, and now director. [ a bit of a lopsided grin begins to spread across his lips, his mustache twitching with the movement. ] I'm also usually pretty charming if you can believe it. I would say you all missed me, it's been so long, but the turnover in this place is something else.

[ he hesitates over this next part, but he needs the intel. he knows questions will follow, but right now he doesn't care. later he'll be annoyed with himself, naturally. ] And if any of you used to know a Tony Stark or are holding his research... get in touch. [ tightly: ] Please.

( ENCRYPTED TO EDWIN JARVIS )

Hi-de-ho, old pal. [ a warm smile is reserved for his closest friend, even if he doesn't always treat him that way. or most of the time. whoops. ]

( ACTION SHENANIGANS )

Howard has been more-or-less just going through the motions since being assigned to the Bishop. He was actually a bit releaved to be off the Marsiva and have something to occupy his time with, truthfully. But with their captain MIA and everything more than slightly hectic, he's thrown himself into the work full on. He can really only be found in the cockpit or in his quarters for maybe two hours a night/morning. Even trips to the galley are extremely short-lived and involve toting snacks to the pilot's seat. With that said, he will be outspoken when matters of the ship come up that the captain would usually handle. It's easy for him to become attached and though he doesn't know these people yet, he feels responsible for them.

He hates responsibility.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

We should wait and let me find a good time to drop that particular bombshell, I think. [ which makes her look queasy for a number of reasons. ] Not that there's ever a good time.

[ there's alarm and concern in peggy's eyes. only now does she reach for howard's elbow. ] How's Ana doing?

You want... I mean. Don't you think I should be there? [ or not??? is this something he's screw up :( he's making faces over here, very conflicted. ]

What? Oh! She's just fine, Peg. She's going to be... just fine. [ howard swallows. how to say this next part... ] She just... That is to say-- I mean. She and Jarvis, they. [ um!!!??!? help ]

I have a hunch Mister Jarvis would not appreciate being put into such a -- a delicate position while his employer was watching. [ she doesn't put it mildly. jarvis, she knows, tries to put on a very strong face for all of them. having to fight to maintain that face in front of both peggy and howard might be too much for the man.

and she can still remember the cracked and broken look on his face as he'd told her about howard's murder. no, if he learned about ana with howard present he might be tipped over the edge. ]

-- You're stumbling over how to say they can't have children, aren't you? I already know. That particularly nasty revelation is just about the last thing I remember before waking up here once more.

Oh. [ he keeps saying that. but what else is there to say? this is why he makes an actual effort to be scarce except when they need him, after all. apparently this isn't one of those times. so. ] I'll leave you to it then.

[ he has to laugh. it's a dull, mirthless breath of a thing. ] Thank God for that. [ bc he was really struggling. ]

He'll need you. [ ... ] Afterward.

[ simple. straight forward. ]

[ he smiles, an impossibly sad smile and not at all his usual. ] I'll be here. [ for him. he knows he has a lot of catching up to do here in that regard. ]

[ and with any luck, by then she'll have convinced steve rogers to do right by howard and tell him what needs telling. not an easy prospect, no. but better it be told by choice rather than at the atroma's whimsy. ]

He's carved himself quite the productive little existence out there in space.

[ that gets a better smile from him. ] So I keep hearing. I'm not surprised in the least.

Nor am I. [ there isn't anything false in her smile. ] Although he still finds the time to bring me supper. On occasion. Which is fabulously useful on account of I've only recently lost my ship's cook.

[ and being very brave abut it all, really. ]

Yeah... About that, Peg. I'm sorry about before. [ saying insensitive things is kind of his schtick but even so. ]

[ a short motion with her hand. it's a dismissal of sorts. ]

You've said worse. [ which is hardly forgiveness. but it's something. ]

I know. [ it's not an apology for those times like her statement isn't forgiveness, but he's aware that this isn't a new screw-up for him okay?? ] ...Also, I kind of dropped the ball on our tour. [ whoops. admittedly that's about all he knows of the ship so far. he's going to learn the rest tonight now that he's all self-conscious about it tho ]

[ so here they stand in the armoury. tour derailed, yes, but some important things said. some. there's more to it, of course. there's reams more to discuss. but perhaps this is enough, just now.

peggy clears her throat. ]

Might I suggest inviting me back up the galley for tea, Howard?

[ wow, don't make her do your job for you. what a lousy host. ]

[ oh, good idea. his expression perks up again just like that. ] An excellent idea, as always, Carter. [ he offers his elbow again, this time for the express purpose of her batting it away. with that accomplished, he leads her back around the other side of the ship and up to the kitchen. ]

[ and doesn't she just sit down like she owns the place? peggy's not certain howard even knows how to boil a pot of water, let alone prepare tea. but she'll leave him to it.

except, of course, for conversation: ] Alright. I'm curious. Give me your impressions of those you've met thus far.

[ he smiles to himself, his back to her as he opens up cupboards looking for tea. he waffles over how to turn on the range but eventually gets there. he supposes he'll fill enough water for both of them, even if he's not much of a tea drinker. it seems more companionable that way. he's not totally helpless!!! maybe. ]

You mean on the ship? I like our engineer. She's smart -- though it took me a minute to figure out what makes her tick. [ just the same as he does with everyone. a chameleon more than he's ever been his own person. it's why he needs the anchoring presence of peggy & jarvis to remind him where he came from and where he's going. ] We already talked about Matt. He seems fine, and he's much more... forthcoming than the rest of the future types from our world. There's another guy, from further back than us. Haven't gotten to the bottom of him yet, but he likes to be a personal alarm clock. [ which they all know howard needs otherwise he'd wile away day's in the pilot's seat. ]

[ peg nods -- folding her arms on the table. more interesting to her than the actual people he's describing are the descriptions themselves. what approximations does howard fix upon? what points are deemed important? ]

And what about off the ship? [ see, she wants to know about those other future types. who's checked in, who's said what. ]

[ maybe she thinks she's being slick. or more likely she knows he'll know exactly what she's doing but go along with it anyway. either way, she's right because he doesn't let on that she's gathering intel, turning to lean against the bare countertop while their water boils and faces her. ]

Natasha checked in. Said she was a teammate of Tony's. I heard from Sam, too. [ neither has said much, so he doesn't have much of an opinion but all the same. ]

[ but not steve. peggy presses her lips into a thin line. ]

And tell us your impression of Agent Romanoff, then.

[ god -- that would have been worth witnessing. ]

Agent. [ she didn't say that, but he doesn't comment further. ]

She impressed upon me... almost nothing. Which I've come to expect from Russians, so.

She used to work for SHIELD.

[ which -- she watches his reaction in the aftermath of the word. curious, really, to see how much he remembers from the last time he was here. ]

SHIELD. [ he can guess what that is, but he doesn't like that guess. he's just going to do this until she tells him more things tbh. howard crosses his arms across his chest. ]

She and I came to an understanding. I don't have anything against her.

An 'understanding,' Howard? And what sort of understanding is that?

[ -- stiff-backed. she's curious. and she'll learn more asking howard than she ever will with nat. ]

[ he shrugs a shoulder, though it quickly turns into a jump when the kettle sounds. howard scrambles for a moment to turn the heat off and put tea bags in cups. it's all terribly foreign to him really. ]

Just that... we have each other's backs. [ well more that she has his in a fighting type way, and he has hers in a smart guy way. so yeah, that. ]

[ she watches him with a measure of amusement. bright and curious, despite the topic at hand. she nearly chides him for making it in the cup but -- well, she does that all the time aboard the starstruck. she'd made pots while mister hunter was still part of her crew. but these days...

well. the coffee-drinkers outnumber her. ]

Good. [ but something sticks in her craw about it all. ] Natasha is excellent to have on your team. At anything, really.

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »

action »