（ 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

[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. ]