[ hmm. once again, her expression crinkles. it's painfully obvious how little she enjoys discussing herself and her experiences. ]
It's a rather long story. [ or so she'd position it. ] But I was trapped somewhere for well over a year before being brought into this city. A lot of the trappings were similar, however -- we were there against our wills, with people from all manner of different universes.
[ But he can also tell that she definitely does not want to discuss this any further. ]
It's just that I haven't met anyone else who has had the same experience of being pulled into another world prior to this one, one that isn't their original.
We don't have to talk about it. You did ask for casual conversation and I think we've both offered up more than that. I don't want to make you uncomfortable.
I know of at least one other. [ she admits -- but stops short of saying his name. it's not her secret to spill. ] And, for my part, I'm trying not to share that information around. Almost no one from my own world knows that I was somewhere else first. It's...better like that.
[ she takes a sip of tea, and finds herself more at ease discussing these circumstances rather than the world she used to inhabit. ]
I've learned that there's an awful lot of risk in learning about the future. An awful lot of pain, too, and -- perhaps it's best if those I meet from home never need to know how much I've learned about them. Which of their secrets I already know.
I don't know who it is you know from home, but I assure you that they will not find this out from me.
[ He supposes it would be too much to ask about the other person that she knows, perhaps because he might feel the same way. But Erik can find him and he's sure if there's anything relevant to their current situation, Peggy would let him know. ]
Must have been awhile since you were home. Brooklyn did pretty well for herself in the fifties, has Jackie Robinson been added to the Dodgers for you, yet? It was big news for a few years.
Indeed he has. [ she bobs her head with a nod. ] That news is still only a few months fresh. It was July when I was last home -- and from all I've learned since, it seems as though we were on the precipice of a great many things.
[ but now she turns a little impish. and why shouldn't she? it's nice to not have to fake it for the moment. ]
And I must confess I've long since adjusted to certain "modern" conveniences -- [ although there is a kind of irony in how she says the word. to her, '47 felt rather modern after all! ] Texting, for one. Microwaves. Grant Green. Liquid lipstick.
I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this texting business. I thought it would be like letter writing but I seem to have breached protocol. The shorthand makes me nostalgic for telegrams.
[ Considering that he's younger than she is, he is starting to feel a little dated, like an anachronism or a museum piece. He imagines it must have been just as bad for her to have once been privy to the forefront of technology and of human knowledge only to reappear in her natural lifetime to discover that humans are now carrying around devices with a thousand times the capability in their pockets.
It gives him hope that he too will adjust, that he can go back to being the competent man he used to be, not a grandpa who can't figure out emojis. ]
But it's remarkable, isn't it? How far we've come in some regards and how much we haven't in others.
You will adjust. [ she assures him. ] It's a shift, to be certain, but a rather useful one.
[ the way data can be transferred, communicated, not to mention concealed. and she suspects that a man capable of navigating the world in an entirely different fashion -- moving metal with instinct and thought -- should have no problem adjusting to this, too. ]
I find technology changes considerably quicker than people do. It's hard not to have a lot of hope for such a far-flung future. I don't always like what I hear, however.
A useful one unless they decide to take us elsewhere.
Don't you think that the technology should be greater than our everyday lives would imply?
[ He still thinks things are suspiciously low-tech for what they could possibly do. He'd have thought they'd have some transportation better than the elevators, considering most of them must have been teleported here.
They don't even have flying cars. ]
Anyway, I suppose it's not the thing that makes the least sense here.
It's entirely possible that the technology we're being exposed to isn't even the full breadth of what our captors are capable of deploying. [ it's a cynical position, yes, but she doubts she's the first one to take it. ] In a society that pivots upon the ownership and obedience of half its population, it isn't hard to imagine those in power might be keeping their flashiest toys just out of reach.
[ her fingertips tap against the edge of her tea cup. ]
Then we'll have to figure out just how out of reach it is.
[ He heaves a sigh, knowing just what a tall order that is, especially since they're obviously outclassed in this department. They might need a little help-- and it's going to be difficult, if their captors are obviously putting on this facade.
[ it must be bewildering. alarming, perhaps. to own this sensory insight that, for all he knows, could be blinded by something beyond his ken. his very wording implies something about his abilities. and she -- a touch surprised at the prospect itself -- fidgets in her seat. ]
Can you, usually? [ a beat. ] Feel the metal around you?
It's a bit like seeing, or hearing. I can tune it out, or sometimes there's an overwhelming amount of it, but in general, yes. And if I concentrate, I can feel anything in the city.
[ He notices her fidgeting and asks: ]
Does that make you uncomfortable?
[ The fact that he can do all this, or the fact that he can't feel anything out of the ordinary that their captors might have on them? ]
[ she confesses -- easily and honestly. there's no point in hiding what's obvious. which is part of the problem, really. ]
Not so much because of the ability itself, Mister Lehnsherr, but because I value my privacy. My ability to conceal things on my person for my own peace of mind, for example. [ there is a small knife and a handgun both tucked into a snug garter holster underneath her skirt, after all, and it only now occurs to her that those likely haven't been secret since the second she entered his flat. ]
And it's a rather...odd experience to realize what's considered concealed to me isn't considered concealed to you.
Trust me, I try not to peek, but it's like ignoring people in a room yelling your name.
[ He sits back, because at least she's not acting on how uncomfortable she is. She's just trying to soak it in, he can't blame her for that. ]
I will tell you, we have several psionics. I've met at least two here, and I knew several at home.
None of them attempt to invade your privacy, but if you're concerned, don't concentrate on thoughts too much-- it's much harder for them to turn a blind eye, so to speak.
[ she wishes she could feel comforted by the assertion: none of them attempt to invade your privacy. but her training is bone-deep and her aversion to letting information spiral out of her own grip is an ingrained one. peggy has long since learned how to school her expression, her voice, her movements, her words -- but everything beneath the facade?
that's trickier. ]
Several. Heavens.
[ helluva statistic. peggy clears her throat. ]
My vocation is one of -- discretion. Confidentiality. Surely, you can understand how the prospect of even an accidental "eavesdropping" of any sort gives me cause for concern.
[ it isn't (perhaps) that her secrets are the worst -- but rather that they're not always her secrets. peggy is beholden to law, to the official secrets act, and letting even one cat out of that bag is often associated with treason. with execution. those rules hardly apply here -- she understands as much -- but the old instinct remains. ]
I'll certainly do my level best. [ she answers -- not doing too much to hide her grimace. ] I've come up against hypnosis, back home, but not mind-reading. That's a rather new beast for me.
[ she does hear it in his voice, yes, and she's not in the least bit surprised -- look at the debacle over project rebirth and its fallout. ]
I've worked long enough in military intelligence -- [ and there it is! the full on confession ] -- to see more than my fair share of warmongers looking to weaponize anything they can get their hands on. Including other people.
[ her confirmation -- a soft hum and a tip of her chin -- suggests that she certainly did (still does do) her level best to intercede in those instances. risking job and neck and treason charges. but until she finally does co-found shield and start taking its reins, she can't be certain her efforts stick.
the irony, really! to work all her life to become a field agent only to learn, so soon after, that being a mere field agent affords her almost no ability to change the course of the ssr. she got one thing; now she's hungry for another. ]
I'm no stranger to enhanced individuals. [ she confesses. ] And worked rather closely with one during the war. But he was, as far as we knew at the time, the first of his kind. [ a beat. ] A brave volunteer.
[ Clearly Erik's not up to date with anything past Age of Ultron, but hey. He also assumes the way that Peggy is talking about him that he's a thing of her past, and possibly someone she hasn't seen for awhile.
He gives a pause, because he wants to let her ruminate on old memories a little. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
It's a rather long story. [ or so she'd position it. ] But I was trapped somewhere for well over a year before being brought into this city. A lot of the trappings were similar, however -- we were there against our wills, with people from all manner of different universes.
no subject
[ But he can also tell that she definitely does not want to discuss this any further. ]
It's just that I haven't met anyone else who has had the same experience of being pulled into another world prior to this one, one that isn't their original.
We don't have to talk about it. You did ask for casual conversation and I think we've both offered up more than that. I don't want to make you uncomfortable.
no subject
[ she takes a sip of tea, and finds herself more at ease discussing these circumstances rather than the world she used to inhabit. ]
I've learned that there's an awful lot of risk in learning about the future. An awful lot of pain, too, and -- perhaps it's best if those I meet from home never need to know how much I've learned about them. Which of their secrets I already know.
[ she's asking for his discretion. ]
no subject
[ He supposes it would be too much to ask about the other person that she knows, perhaps because he might feel the same way. But Erik can find him and he's sure if there's anything relevant to their current situation, Peggy would let him know. ]
Must have been awhile since you were home. Brooklyn did pretty well for herself in the fifties, has Jackie Robinson been added to the Dodgers for you, yet? It was big news for a few years.
no subject
[ but now she turns a little impish. and why shouldn't she? it's nice to not have to fake it for the moment. ]
And I must confess I've long since adjusted to certain "modern" conveniences -- [ although there is a kind of irony in how she says the word. to her, '47 felt rather modern after all! ] Texting, for one. Microwaves. Grant Green. Liquid lipstick.
[ pop tarts, but she keeps that to herself. ]
no subject
[ Considering that he's younger than she is, he is starting to feel a little dated, like an anachronism or a museum piece. He imagines it must have been just as bad for her to have once been privy to the forefront of technology and of human knowledge only to reappear in her natural lifetime to discover that humans are now carrying around devices with a thousand times the capability in their pockets.
It gives him hope that he too will adjust, that he can go back to being the competent man he used to be, not a grandpa who can't figure out emojis. ]
But it's remarkable, isn't it? How far we've come in some regards and how much we haven't in others.
no subject
[ the way data can be transferred, communicated, not to mention concealed. and she suspects that a man capable of navigating the world in an entirely different fashion -- moving metal with instinct and thought -- should have no problem adjusting to this, too. ]
I find technology changes considerably quicker than people do. It's hard not to have a lot of hope for such a far-flung future. I don't always like what I hear, however.
no subject
Don't you think that the technology should be greater than our everyday lives would imply?
[ He still thinks things are suspiciously low-tech for what they could possibly do. He'd have thought they'd have some transportation better than the elevators, considering most of them must have been teleported here.
They don't even have flying cars. ]
Anyway, I suppose it's not the thing that makes the least sense here.
no subject
[ her fingertips tap against the edge of her tea cup. ]
no subject
[ He heaves a sigh, knowing just what a tall order that is, especially since they're obviously outclassed in this department. They might need a little help-- and it's going to be difficult, if their captors are obviously putting on this facade.
He tops off their tea again. ]
Whatever it is, I can't feel it.
no subject
Can you, usually? [ a beat. ] Feel the metal around you?
no subject
It's a bit like seeing, or hearing. I can tune it out, or sometimes there's an overwhelming amount of it, but in general, yes. And if I concentrate, I can feel anything in the city.
[ He notices her fidgeting and asks: ]
Does that make you uncomfortable?
[ The fact that he can do all this, or the fact that he can't feel anything out of the ordinary that their captors might have on them? ]
no subject
[ she confesses -- easily and honestly. there's no point in hiding what's obvious. which is part of the problem, really. ]
Not so much because of the ability itself, Mister Lehnsherr, but because I value my privacy. My ability to conceal things on my person for my own peace of mind, for example. [ there is a small knife and a handgun both tucked into a snug garter holster underneath her skirt, after all, and it only now occurs to her that those likely haven't been secret since the second she entered his flat. ]
And it's a rather...odd experience to realize what's considered concealed to me isn't considered concealed to you.
no subject
[ He sits back, because at least she's not acting on how uncomfortable she is. She's just trying to soak it in, he can't blame her for that. ]
I will tell you, we have several psionics. I've met at least two here, and I knew several at home.
None of them attempt to invade your privacy, but if you're concerned, don't concentrate on thoughts too much-- it's much harder for them to turn a blind eye, so to speak.
no subject
that's trickier. ]
Several. Heavens.
[ helluva statistic. peggy clears her throat. ]
My vocation is one of -- discretion. Confidentiality. Surely, you can understand how the prospect of even an accidental "eavesdropping" of any sort gives me cause for concern.
no subject
Everyone believes their own are the worst, you know.
[ Like, you weren't incarcerated for killing the president, at least?
Yeah, hopefully none of that gets around. ]
But I'm telling you in case you want to do something about it. Keep your thoughts closer to your chest.
no subject
I'll certainly do my level best. [ she answers -- not doing too much to hide her grimace. ] I've come up against hypnosis, back home, but not mind-reading. That's a rather new beast for me.
no subject
[ Which is a damn shame, and she can probably hear it in his voice a little that it was just... something that he knows from experience. ]
You become used to it, in a way. And just because they can read your mind doesn't mean they're omniscient to it.
no subject
I've worked long enough in military intelligence -- [ and there it is! the full on confession ] -- to see more than my fair share of warmongers looking to weaponize anything they can get their hands on. Including other people.
no subject
[ He doesn't imagine she is the type to care that it would be above her clearance level. But clearly this is very personal for him. ]
But yes, there are people here with such vast powers, abilities and schools of knowledge and I won't lie, it's something that I like about this place.
no subject
the irony, really! to work all her life to become a field agent only to learn, so soon after, that being a mere field agent affords her almost no ability to change the course of the ssr. she got one thing; now she's hungry for another. ]
I'm no stranger to enhanced individuals. [ she confesses. ] And worked rather closely with one during the war. But he was, as far as we knew at the time, the first of his kind. [ a beat. ] A brave volunteer.
no subject
[ Clearly Erik's not up to date with anything past Age of Ultron, but hey. He also assumes the way that Peggy is talking about him that he's a thing of her past, and possibly someone she hasn't seen for awhile.
He gives a pause, because he wants to let her ruminate on old memories a little. ]
Are you done with this?
[ He asks, as he starts to clear up the table. ]