![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[ now, there's a tricky question. and one she certainly doesn't care to answer with anything but a bland attempt. peggy is tempted to lie and tell him what's probably easiest to hear -- that she doesn't miss a moment of it, that the top brass were bastards and the enlisted men were worse and what a fine thing life is in the wake of active service. but it's not true, is it?
she misses parts. she misses many. and, of late, she can't help but look back on those years with a guilty fondness. peggy misses the difference made and the way colonel phillips never minded when she punched out any wanker who opened his gob a bit too wide. ]
Truth is, I still serve. In a manner of speaking. [ ... ] My branch was never disbanded after the war. The only difference is that these days I get to wear something other than olive green.
[ so, not an answer at all. ]
she misses parts. she misses many. and, of late, she can't help but look back on those years with a guilty fondness. peggy misses the difference made and the way colonel phillips never minded when she punched out any wanker who opened his gob a bit too wide. ]
Truth is, I still serve. In a manner of speaking. [ ... ] My branch was never disbanded after the war. The only difference is that these days I get to wear something other than olive green.
[ so, not an answer at all. ]
[ ray thinks he can feel her hesitation. he wants to reassure peggy that it's ok to just say she'd rather not talk about it. but she's only just pointed out her discomfort with how he attempted to make her comfortable before. instead, he nods and prompts her a little more gently. ]
It's the little things?
[ bad jokes. he's here all night! tip your wait staff... ]
It's the little things?
[ bad jokes. he's here all night! tip your wait staff... ]
Oh, now, that's awful.
[ really, raymond. hard to say whether her nose scrunches up in dismay due to the joke itself or else the notion that he should try for humour in the middle of this dreadfully awkward conversation.
but in another version of this moment it might have been funny. what settles poorly in her gut is that peg, his assistant never minded silly jokes. she would have laughed and she would have meant it. ]
But as we're on the subject, [ she swings things lock-step into order, ] you must have a hell of a time keeping your -- your suit -- out of the hands of the military. Those scavengers will go after just about anything.
[ she would know. one of her earliest substantial missions with the ssr had been to secure erskine from the red skull's fortress. quite apart from it being the right thing to do, she'd known how the allied forces had hungered for any drop of the serum he was rumoured to have developed. ]
[ really, raymond. hard to say whether her nose scrunches up in dismay due to the joke itself or else the notion that he should try for humour in the middle of this dreadfully awkward conversation.
but in another version of this moment it might have been funny. what settles poorly in her gut is that peg, his assistant never minded silly jokes. she would have laughed and she would have meant it. ]
But as we're on the subject, [ she swings things lock-step into order, ] you must have a hell of a time keeping your -- your suit -- out of the hands of the military. Those scavengers will go after just about anything.
[ she would know. one of her earliest substantial missions with the ssr had been to secure erskine from the red skull's fortress. quite apart from it being the right thing to do, she'd known how the allied forces had hungered for any drop of the serum he was rumoured to have developed. ]
[ he manages to look very pleased with himself, but it's not long before it's his turn to scrunch his face up in displeasure. ]
Not military, no. But police, maybe. Eventually. [ he sighs. stupid future. ] Since it's technically proprietary technology of my company's, and I'm technically dead...
[ yeah. he doesn't think about it often-- or, rather, there are usually more pressing issues for him to distract himself with. ]
My brother apparently sells them out as drones at some point in the time line. The vulture.
Not military, no. But police, maybe. Eventually. [ he sighs. stupid future. ] Since it's technically proprietary technology of my company's, and I'm technically dead...
[ yeah. he doesn't think about it often-- or, rather, there are usually more pressing issues for him to distract himself with. ]
My brother apparently sells them out as drones at some point in the time line. The vulture.
Edited (redundant redundancies much?) 2017-08-27 00:36 (UTC)
[ once more, she's met with an onslaught of things that just about barely toe the line of logic. the idea of police maybe eventually comes across as wishy-washy and ridiculous until she remembers the pertinent detail of time travel.
and the rest? well -- peggy delves straight to the heart of it. ]
'Technically' dead?
[ how is she meant to interpret a description like that one? good lord. ]
and the rest? well -- peggy delves straight to the heart of it. ]
'Technically' dead?
[ how is she meant to interpret a description like that one? good lord. ]
[ oh right. ]
Oh. Uhh yeah. [ he drags that out while he thinks, and then decides the hell with it. ] When I was developing the suit, I blew myself down.
[ flippant, and matter of fact. for once, ray isn't as forthcoming as he usually is with his own personal details. it had been a hard several months. but he says it like it was simply a few months off the grid, as if he went on vacation and was simply forgotten about for awhile. ]
There was an explosion, but I didn't die. I was just ... small. But, I mean-- got the suit working!
[ always look on the bright side of life, ok. ]
Oh. Uhh yeah. [ he drags that out while he thinks, and then decides the hell with it. ] When I was developing the suit, I blew myself down.
[ flippant, and matter of fact. for once, ray isn't as forthcoming as he usually is with his own personal details. it had been a hard several months. but he says it like it was simply a few months off the grid, as if he went on vacation and was simply forgotten about for awhile. ]
There was an explosion, but I didn't die. I was just ... small. But, I mean-- got the suit working!
[ always look on the bright side of life, ok. ]
[ aha. so 'technically' dead actually meant 'presumed' dead -- that, at least, she could stomach with a bit more familiarity. not least of all because of a few other stories she's heard, lately, that follow a similar line. but just as he's disinclined to share personal details, she's in no rush to share steve's. ]
And yet you're not small now. [ she observes, flippant in her own way. ] So what happened? Did you not see fit to correct the record?
[ it's a guess -- a good one, she thinks, but one that's made with a tilt of curiosity. there's a fly in this ointment; she needs his clarification, first. ]
And yet you're not small now. [ she observes, flippant in her own way. ] So what happened? Did you not see fit to correct the record?
[ it's a guess -- a good one, she thinks, but one that's made with a tilt of curiosity. there's a fly in this ointment; she needs his clarification, first. ]
Some things are more important.
[ and if that sounds like something he'd stitch on a pillow, that's because it is. he's not ready to accept that his hero's journey is more self-serving than he wants. because that might mean that someone like thawne, someone ray despises, might be right.
he could've given the city free clean energy. instead, he shrinks down like an idiot and tries to get himself killed every week. ]
I got rescued, and then I got recruited. And we had a megalomaniacal psychopath to save the universe from...
[ and if that sounds like something he'd stitch on a pillow, that's because it is. he's not ready to accept that his hero's journey is more self-serving than he wants. because that might mean that someone like thawne, someone ray despises, might be right.
he could've given the city free clean energy. instead, he shrinks down like an idiot and tries to get himself killed every week. ]
I got rescued, and then I got recruited. And we had a megalomaniacal psychopath to save the universe from...
Nothing about Sarah could concern me. I don't think you get that, and I'm sorry that this is what you've been made for, but you should quit while you're ahead.
[ mirrors are built for lying and chaos, this ray knows. but he also knows that if he can learn anything about them at all, it's worth the risk. he's been blindsided too many times to feel otherwise. ]
[ mirrors are built for lying and chaos, this ray knows. but he also knows that if he can learn anything about them at all, it's worth the risk. he's been blindsided too many times to feel otherwise. ]
Some things certainly are.
[ -- she wants very badly to ask about it. to ask about everything. from whether he'd like to correct that record now, to any sort of further details about this psychopath. it's a miracle she stops herself, and even then only under the steam of recognizing she's already asked many more questions than she's answered.
ask more, she realizes, and she might as well invite that criticism. and it's a criticism she truly doesn't want to invite.
peggy clears her throat. instead of running headlong into whatever it is he's not quite saying, she tries to route herself a gentler path. ]
Look, [ she begins, ] I don't mean to be pushy -- [ lies ] -- but I can't help but mention you'd said something about there being brownies.
[ -- she wants very badly to ask about it. to ask about everything. from whether he'd like to correct that record now, to any sort of further details about this psychopath. it's a miracle she stops herself, and even then only under the steam of recognizing she's already asked many more questions than she's answered.
ask more, she realizes, and she might as well invite that criticism. and it's a criticism she truly doesn't want to invite.
peggy clears her throat. instead of running headlong into whatever it is he's not quite saying, she tries to route herself a gentler path. ]
Look, [ she begins, ] I don't mean to be pushy -- [ lies ] -- but I can't help but mention you'd said something about there being brownies.
Edited 2017-08-27 01:37 (UTC)
That was pushy?
[ peg, dear. you bruised his actual chest with tools.
but he lets her off that particular hook with a head bob over toward the couch. there on the coffee table is a plastic container full of fugdy goodness. ]
Help selfy! There are wheat-free ones wrapped in wax-paper. They're a little fudgier than the ones made with flour.
[ peg, dear. you bruised his actual chest with tools.
but he lets her off that particular hook with a head bob over toward the couch. there on the coffee table is a plastic container full of fugdy goodness. ]
Help selfy! There are wheat-free ones wrapped in wax-paper. They're a little fudgier than the ones made with flour.
Page 26 of 31