[ she weathers his studying look. rather than rush him into his answer, rather than fill the quiet, peggy seizes the opportunity to lock her eyes with his. it takes only a dip of her chin and a sincere glance to catch his look and keep it there -- something she doesn't always achieve with him, depending on his mood. but just now it's not part of some more intricate power-play.
just now, she's hanging on his every word. and -- heavens -- they aren't pretty ones. not that peggy was expecting a pretty answer on this particular line of questioning. after all, she knows (one side of) the story: rip hunter, then captain, kidnapped his crew. like the navy in some of its darker hours, he pressganged them into service.
but that detail is one thing; the clarification that rip now provides is quite another. the inevitable takeaway is a word that no one is saying. expendable. and peggy wonders (just briefly) how on earth any one person could ever be unimportant to any timeline. the thought runs against her grain but -- but neither of them are here to argue over esoterica. ]
And I imagine you didn't tell them so. Not at first.
[ she doesn't ask. she can't waste energy being surprised by rip's description of his own hiring practices -- as subtle as the man can be, she's got an ear for his more earnest moments. this is undoubtedly one of them and it harmonizes with what else she knows about him. pragmatic, hypermetropic, and trained with diligence to overlook what's personal. something peg won't do, really, when she stays near and pays sharp attention to how his mouth turns and when he drinks and the way he'd leaned his head just to give her his answer.
it's not guilt she sees. but it's not pure conviction either. gently (glad to have something to focus out outside of her own birthday celebration) she confiscates the flask for good. the last few mouthfuls will he hers. her right, she decides, as guest of honour. ]
no subject
just now, she's hanging on his every word. and -- heavens -- they aren't pretty ones. not that peggy was expecting a pretty answer on this particular line of questioning. after all, she knows (one side of) the story: rip hunter, then captain, kidnapped his crew. like the navy in some of its darker hours, he pressganged them into service.
but that detail is one thing; the clarification that rip now provides is quite another. the inevitable takeaway is a word that no one is saying. expendable. and peggy wonders (just briefly) how on earth any one person could ever be unimportant to any timeline. the thought runs against her grain but -- but neither of them are here to argue over esoterica. ]
And I imagine you didn't tell them so. Not at first.
[ she doesn't ask. she can't waste energy being surprised by rip's description of his own hiring practices -- as subtle as the man can be, she's got an ear for his more earnest moments. this is undoubtedly one of them and it harmonizes with what else she knows about him. pragmatic, hypermetropic, and trained with diligence to overlook what's personal. something peg won't do, really, when she stays near and pays sharp attention to how his mouth turns and when he drinks and the way he'd leaned his head just to give her his answer.
it's not guilt she sees. but it's not pure conviction either. gently (glad to have something to focus out outside of her own birthday celebration) she confiscates the flask for good. the last few mouthfuls will he hers. her right, she decides, as guest of honour. ]