（ ＶＩＤＥＯ ）

[uprightness]

Who: peggy carter, steve rogers and all of you guys

Broadcast:  amazingly, yes

Action: on the starstruck, if you're so inclined
When: current.

[ New Year’s Eve has come and gone without anything exploding or going awfully wrong and so today is just safe enough for something else. Steve Rogers doesn’t address the network for no reason, after all. Only today he keeps looking back and eventually, calls: ]

Are you really going to stay there throughout the whole thing?

[ There’s a flicker to Steve’s left: dark curls and a flash of a silk blouse as Peggy leans into view. ] Perhaps. After all, of the two of us, you’re the one with experience in addressing the public.

[ But! Fine! Here she is, framed beside him onscreen, and refraining from making any more jokes about the old USO show. ]

Very funny.

[ but he is smiling, small but amused. For all of his experience, he seems as if he’s been practicing his lines for this one broadcast. ]

I know some of you will say this is long overdue, but after months of asking, mostly on her part, I’ve said yes and we’ve decided to get married.

[ -- and that’s when Peggy slaps the back of her hand against Steve’s shoulder, hissing something (something for him alone) about twisting the truth and tarnishing her well-earned cred. ]

I mean, after a careful observation of mutual interests, we’ve decided to get married. What this is really about is a simple matter of proving me right. I’d like you all to tell her three weeks is a perfectly reasonable duration for a honeymoon.

[ She reaches for the device, tugging its focus onto herself. ] -- For God’s sake, don’t encourage him. We’ve only just got engaged; it’s far far too early to start discussing the rest. [ Aside, to Steve: ] I warned you when I agreed to this ridiculous message. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

[ But she’s laughing. ]

It's not getting too ahead of ourselves. Call it careful consideration of facts.

[ he'll reach out and close the device for the sake of this banter. ]

Comments

video;

[selfhelp]

[hold the phone.]

That's- Cap and... Miss Carter? Peggy Carter?

[holy shit this is legendary.]

Whoa, congratulations.

video;

[mucked]

[ -- who are you, what's happening, what's all this about? although peggy doesn't even question how he might know her name. she has, after all, been a captain in the fleet for over two years now.

in the end, she just assumes he's someone steve knows. or who knows of steve, considering he calls him cap. ]

Thank you. [ a clearing of her throat. ] But I'm afraid you've got me at something of a disadvantage, Mister...?

video;

[selfhelp]

Sorry, sorry. Someday maybe I won't be so bad at this. Billy Kaplan- I don't expect you to know the name or anything. Either of you, actually. But, um. I've heard of you?

video;

[mucked]

[ oh, that sounds ominous. but rather than ask outright, peggy goes for the sidelong approach: ] I suppose both of us might have made names for ourselves in the Fleet. We've been here a long time.

[ she waits. he'll correct her, she suspects. ]

video;

[selfhelp]

Yeah... the fleet, and, you know. Elsewhere. Historically.

[wow he is being so unhelpful right now. stop that.]

Er- to be fair though, I try not to make assumptions. It's one of those same-name, different-universe situations, I think.

video;

[mucked]

-- Yes. I've heard about that situation before. But not, I confess, in relation to my own name.

[ mostly just steve's. ]

[selfhelp]

Oh.

[awk...ward...?]

Well, you're kind of a big deal, so... it's an honour, ma'am?

[it's not her fault that SHIELD went to shit, the core ideals were solid and she's practically a legend in her own right. and jarvis sure talked her up plenty.]

[mucked]

[ oh good lord. ]

There's hardly an need for that. [ awkward, a little standoffish, she has no idea how to absorb this unwarranted praise. ]

[selfhelp]

If it bugs you I won't do it again, but I had to at least once.

[and he may squee a little. in private. or at least when you're not watching.]

[mucked]

Did you, though?

[ have to? really? ]

[selfhelp]

I'm not gonna apologize for it, if that's what you're after.

[unsurprisingly hardassed about things. clearly her niece got it from somewhere.]

[mucked]

Goodness. [ -- she can't help laughing. ] Aren't you a strange chestnut.

[ tripping over with praise one minute; difficult the next. peggy doesn't mind it. ]

[selfhelp]

Not gonna deny that one, either.

[YOLO he knows he's weird.]

Anyway, congrats on being awesome, whether you want to hear it or not. And more seriously, congrats on the engagement. Long time coming, yeah?

[mucked]

Rather a long time, yes. [ no matter which way you account for it. ] And yet it's also one of those things that I doubt could ever have happened a moment sooner.

[selfhelp]

I mean, technically it could've, [especially if the "months of asking" bit is true,] But good things to those who wait, and stuff? No point in rushing things, especially in a place like this.

[mucked]

Technically? It could have. I'll cede that. [ but-- ] Some things take a bit of time to do right. No matter how certain you are.

[selfhelp]

Yep, agreed.

So, um, did you have a hand in SHIELD in your universe? Or is it too early for that?

[Testing, testing.]

video;

[uprightness]

thank you.

[ wait a sec - ]

hi.

[ look at the little smile. he won't outright imply they've never met but he'll definitely give him a chance to introduce himself. ]

[selfhelp]

[man there is just something about Steve Rogers that proclaims "good and righteous" to the world no matter which way you look at him. it's surreal how it can cross realities- though upon closer inspection, this one's not currently in Cranky Dad mode, unlike the Cap he's more familiar with.

Might just be the engagement thing. He knows that feel.]

Hi! Sir. ...Sorry, I'm acting weird, aren't I?

[uprightness]

Don't worry about it.

[ it's still better than Lang's staring and the 2 minutes he spent shaking his hand. steve smiles and shakes his head. ]

You can call me Steve. You're new here?

[selfhelp]

[Steve. Yeah, like that'll happen any time soon.]

New? Not so much, no. Been here a good four months, actually. Though I guess it's new relative to some.

[uprightness]

I think just about everything is.

[ relative. ]

what ship have you been assigned to?

[selfhelp]

Blue Fish. It's a nice ship, very homey. Ever been?

[uprightness]

Been there. It's been a while. some of the people I knew there have gone home. It's a nice one. How's your crew?

[ a crew becomes a second family of a sort. every person matters, steve has long believed that - but some people are easier to get along with. ]

helping you adjust?

[selfhelp]

Oh, for sure. There's good people on that boat. They took very good care of me in the first couple of months, and I've done okay since then.