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

[ 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.

[ he had no idea there was another option god!!!! if you wanted something different to happen you should have told him. he carefully sets her tea in front of her and brings his to the other side of the table and sits before speaking up again. ]

I gathered that. I can understand why Tony-- [ oh. he swallows, looking down into his cup. ] She seems like a stand-up gal is all.

[ it's such an inappropriate time for laughter. but laugh she does. stand-up gal might be theoretically correct, but it's quite the rollercoaster of reactions to consider natasha being referred to in that light.

peg reaches for her cup and wraps her hands securely around. ]

I do hope you told her so to her face.

[ he laughs too, a little manic as it the sound piggybacks off hers. ] Heck no. She's almost as scary as you are, Carter.

Your vote of confidence is heart-warming.

[ if it can even be called that. ]

Isn't it? I pride myself in being... warm. [ if peggy will skip the point so will he, okay? it's more natural to banter anyway. he takes a sip of his tea and makes a face, whether it's at the temperature or the taste is inconclusive. ]

[ oh, you baby. at least she enjoys the tea. or makes a ruddy good attempt to do so. ]

So warm. A sort of warmth which risks you getting your head smashed into the nearest wall. If you're not careful.

[ but it's somehow? affectionate? ]

So please. Be careful.

[ he has to laugh. she isn't wrong but that's what makes it funny (and mildly terrifying. ]

I'm playing my part. Don't worry about me, Carter.

Besides, I can always call on you if... something goes awry. [ aka he pisses off the wrong person. ]

Oh, is that so? [ eyebrows up. ] What makes you possibly think I could be on-call to bail you out of your own mishaps, Howard?

[ wow he never completely thinks through the things he says to peggy. and he should really fix that so he can stop getting into these sticky conversations... chances of him actually doing that are practically zero tho. ]

That wasn't-- I meant we're there for each other. When the moment calls for it. [ like when one of them screws up. ]

...You're saying we're friends.

[ oh! look! two years in the fleet and she's just managed to no longer be allergic to the word. ]

[ his eyes light on hers. ] Aren't we?

We are.

[ she's...remarkably quick to own the word. she hasn't said it in relation to howard stark since that day in the plane, delivering steve to his little awol mission. ]

Perhaps I never said it enough.

[ he makes a face and shakes his head at that. ] Don't go all soft on me, Carter. [ but his expression clears almost immediately to one of fondness and gratitude. it's almost like she knows he's vending machine that only takes validation for currency. ]

Good God, man. I'm not going soft. [ she sits up straighter, oh so quick to argue the point. old fire in her eyes. ] Merely -- trying out something new. Looking to harbour fewer regrets, I suppose.

[ which means saying things -- friendly things. ]

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

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