（ ００１ ｜ ｖｉｄｅｏ ）

[mannerism]

(un: p. carter )

[ Well, here we have a username that hasn't been seen on the network in a while. The video itself is, alas, distorted at the moment. It seems the device itself is being moved rather quickly from hand to hand. ]

-- bloody well doing alright by myself.

[ And then there's Peggy Carter and a native nurse who has apparently made the mistake of trying to open and hold the device for her. It's enough to get her chased out as the woman struggles to sit up. On her way out, the nurse does take a few bloodied bandages with her. ]

Well, turns out one can get promoted in their absence.

[ She holds up a file of pages, apparently her new job description. ]

Is it too much to hope that my house is still intact?

Comments

video;

[livingsymbol]

Are you saying you don't think I look good?

[ He's enjoying this and not even trying to hide it. ]

Nope. You're probably better off giving in now.

video;

[mannerism]

I doubt there's anyone who would say that.

[ lord help her and she thought she was over this cheeky, easy charm. She looks at her hands before raising them, signaling defeat. ]

The one win you'll ever get from me, Rogers. I'll have some dim-sum, if they still sell them downtown.

video + action;

[livingsymbol]

[ He looks all too pleased about getting her to agree to food. Apparently this means a lot to him and he's taking it on like a personal mission. ]

I'll be right over. You sit tight.

[ It takes him a bit to get what he wants, but he shows up at Peggy's room, knocking on the door frame with fresh take out in a paper bag. ]

How're you doing?

[mannerism]

As if I've got any other choice.

[ but to sit tight, that is. Indeed, that's exactly what she's doing when he comes in, resting in bed with her hair braided and a fresh jar of orange juice by her bed. She's tired, exhausted really, but she smiles and struggles to sit straight when he walks in. ]

I'm having a wild time as you can see.

[livingsymbol]

[ When he sees her in person his smile is more concerned. Steve likes to act calm, but he's actually worried about Peggy's health and what might have happened to her back home. He comes into the room, pulling a few plastic containers out of his bag and offering them to her. Real food and a bottled water. ]

What did the doctors say?

[mannerism]

Good man.

[ a soft praise as she takes it; it's be followed by a softer groan - pain is laced in every move and every breath. Eating hurts, moving hurts, drinking, staying still, it's all the same. ]

They said I have a hole in my side but nothing important was damaged. It's all stitches, it's alright.

[ though her hand shakes around the fork. she places it down and takes a breath before trying again ]

Just a bad fall, Captain.

[livingsymbol]

[ His look becomes slightly stern because even though he'd be the first one to brush aside serious injury he hates seeing someone else suffer through it. Especially someone that he cares about. He doesn't say anything about the way she tackles the food, though. Peggy still has her pride intact. ]

Bad falls can be serious. Are they keeping you? I imagine you'd be more comfortable recovering at home, but I'm not sure how much recovering you'd actually do if they released you.

[ You know, objectively speaking. ]

[mannerism]

They think they are. Once the effect of the pain killers wears off, I'm letting myself out.

[ A sharp mind is a must, even if it does mean she'll have to face the pain of her injury in its full effect. ]

I can't stand for hospitals. I'll be alright at home.

[livingsymbol]

Don't push yourself too much. You can take the time off, you know. Whatever happened, you could use the rest.

[Steve can relate to the feeling of being cooped up, but he still worries about Peggy trying to do too much too fast. He stands next to her bed like a protective dog, watchful and persistent.]

Have you had a lot of visitors?

[mannerism]

You know be better than to expect me to take time off, Rogers.

[ especially after everything she's heard. Tony's a mess, Wilson looks like a mess, everything seems to be falling to pieces slowly but very much surely. And then there's the bit about her own time, her own world. ]

-- Everything went pear-shaped. It was all miscalculations, mostly on my part. Steve.

[ for a moment, she looks almost vulnerable, as if admitting to her own failures and faults - to him of all people - has pained her twice worse than the wound. ]

I thought I could make things right, in the end I achieved nothing.

[ and now she's here, with a hole in her side and ten thousand more worries to fret about. ]

-- Quite a few but not too many. Won't you sit?

[livingsymbol]

It wouldn't hurt. Your health's important.

[ His brow creases, though, because even though he doesn't really know what is going on, he imagines that Peggy has come back to a whole laundry list of issues that the people from her world seem to constantly face. That sort of obligation is demanding and he knows she wouldn't let it slide, but the last thing Steve wants to see is a friend tear themselves up. ]

I'm sure you did what you could. If you're here, then it must have been serious. You're lucky to be in one piece.

[ He hesitates, then pulls a chair up and sits with the bag on his lap. ]

Is there anything I can do? Aside from lunch duty, I mean.

[mannerism]

[ it wasn't enough, she's not sure it'll ever be but something about this conversation helps her relax, eat another mouthful, take another deep breath. ]

Yes, actually. Tell me how you've been. It's been a while since I've left, so I've gathered.

[ months here and almost a year at home. ]

[livingsymbol]

[ At least whatever happened seems to be settling in her mind. Steve takes cues from her body language more than anything and when Peggy calms down a bit, he does too. ]

It's been a while, yeah. I wasn't sure you'd come back. It always seems like things are getting out of control in every other world but this one.

[mannerism]

This does seem like the eye of the storm.

[ She'll agree to that. Though the troubles in her own world, however jarring, seem like nothing in comparison to everything else she's heard about. Still, Quarantine remains peaceful and she's willing to count her blessings, ever now. ]

Has it all been well, then? around here? Monthly festivals and all?

[ she looks at the file near her bed, the one containing the details of her new job. ]

God, I won't miss securing them.

[livingsymbol]

[ Steve's face creases with annoyance and concern, and he might for a split second consider lying, but it's barely a consideration before he abandons it. He knows that it won't do any good. Not when he's the one talking. ]

Recently we've had problems with a cult. There was a tunnel we opened up, something left behind by the people that used to live here before all this. Some magic cultists decided they needed to kidnap our people and hand them over to a greater power. As far as we can tell, they're just crazy, but people were hurt.

[ And who knows what will happen next. He still thinks that's miles below the actual destruction of planets, thanks. Steve reaches into the paper bag once more and pulls out a small bottle of scotch, setting it at the edge of Peggy's bed. ]

Welcome back, Agent Carter.

[mannerism]

You are a good man, a wonderful, wonderful man.

[ she takes a plastic cup, in lieu of anything else and after a moment, reaches for another. ]

It'd do nothing for you, but you could humor me.

[ as she pours two fingers of scotch into each cup ]

[livingsymbol]

[ Steve is still worried about her, but the reaction Peggy gives him gets a warm smile. It's good to see her perk up at least. And he's pretty sure that the morale boost is in fact what she needs. Maybe they both do. ]

I can do that. I thought I was humoring you.

[ He thinks he's funny. ]