[A counter, immediately, and while it may well be a good one Rip still drops back against the sofa all the same. It's quite true that this little conversation has opened a door Rip has not had opportunity to peer into for far too long. Understanding of what Wonderland is, escape from it, putting an end to this horrible little dimension once and for all--
It's a place that should not exist. Of that, he is absolutely sure.]
Either way, his is the one attempt I've known of that has managed to actually breech any of the dimensional barriers in Wonderland. [Not the one leading to their own worlds, of course, but rather the barrier between the mirror realm and the one they linger in now. He holds out the notebook once more, gesturing to the words written on that same page.] And beyond that, so much of the failure was due to the manipulation of one of the researchers by a force among the mirrors. That is what set them off course before, and unleashed so much of that chaos you experienced upon your arrival.
[ once more, she takes it from him. her fingers bite (barely) into the notebook's spine. and peggy slides to the edge of her chair while she takes a better, closer look at his scribbling. it's been so long since she's last taken a drink; the glass is nearly forgotten in the rush and heat of the discussion.
she scrubs a hand across the back of her neck. feeds her fingers through her hair, head tilting while she pushes her way through a multitude of thoughts. the science is so far beyond her -- and that worries her when it comes to even talking around the periphery of this problem. peggy's clever, yes, but she knows when she's flanked by giants. there are scientists and engineers here the likes of which her peers at the ssr could only hope to emulate in shades and shadows. fitz and simmons. howard's son. ray palmer. even rip, it seems, with his diagrams and formulas -- a piece of his puzzle she'd never seen before tonight.
alongside all this energy. and peggy has to ask herself whether that faint tinge of determination isn't just a little too similar to something seen in the man she'd met by the firing range. but, of course, that man and this man are one in the same. another thought among the many. she breathes in. ]
I imagine you're near to suggesting he and I should have a chat. [ agent fitz, that is. it's hard to ignore what quality rip seized upon first and foremost: looks to you as a leadership figure. peggy's not so blind to her own machinations to think she hadn't thought of exploiting that same edge before now. although never in pursuit of another bloody portal -- and that qualm isn't exactly squashed when rip alludes to the 'manipulation' seething behind the corner of the initial attempt.
but the portal's details? maybe. theoretical frameworks. the like. she knows the value of intel like that. it's unpleasant work, but hasn't it always been?
there are lines to be drawn, of course. she won't abuse a relationship with her own people -- and fitz is decidedly that. has been since the first moment he called her ma'am. ]
[She reads, considers, and Rip in turns shifts forward in his seat, suddenly once more fueled by an energy demanding release. But unlike the hint of nerves from before, odd and unwished for, this is something far more familiar. This is hope, that deadly and dangerous thing, capable of blinding so many to truths that must always be kept in the fore, that must be seen for what they are regardless of the goals a person might be after.
But he is trained in exactly that. To measure costs, take note of their weight, and proceed with the best course of action. This avenue, when it had closed, had felt so much like a blow, particularly with Rip in no position to offer up words of encouragement or a voice to the contrary.
Now there is opportunity. He sees it; Peggy knows he does. The key is convincing her that the path is justifiable with the risks paving it.]
I am. But not if you don't believe in this possibility. [So he measures his words carefully. Peggy Carter is a smart woman, brilliant and stubborn both. She's been reluctant to take up the mantle of the founder of SHIELD; indeed, Rip himself has cautioned her to avoid it, as part of that nebulous cloud called the future of which she should not know.
She won't stand to be manipulated. If she suspects Rip might play her, even in the slightest, it will not only end this endeavor, but likely their friendship as well.
Always, always there are risks.
He's got little choice then: temper his enthusiasm. Prove he understands the danger. Be truthful in his words. He presses his hands together, not unlike a prayer, gesturing towards her in cadence with what he offers at this alter.]
I am not suggesting he build another portal straight away. But he stopped his research because of the guilt he felt. The weight of those people hurt and killed because of what happened. If anything, that will grant him wisdom towards his approach should he take up the task again--and he need not be alone. Dr. Palmer might be enlisted in the effort, or Mr. Stark.
[Both men who desire to do something, from what Rip has gleamed--although with Ray's recent marriage, his might be a harder sell.]
It's a worthy endeavor, Miss Carter. A promising beginning to what might well prove the way to end this dimension once and for all.
[ she likes rip. honest, she does. he makes her laugh, he's got good taste in scotch, and he keeps her on her toes with his mercurial answers -- by times ruthless and others sentimental. from the night she'd stepped out of his closet, arriving abruptly in wonderland, she'd found something in him that she could work with. but he's right to think that all the appeal in the world would not help rip hunter if he crossed her now. and deeply, indelibly, with utter conviction...she takes his measure and understands that she must always always always keep herself between him and leo fitz.
(and it's not just about fitz. it's about all of them -- the good bits of shield, tony, a whole rank and file of people whose presents are her future. she feels responsible for them; in moments like these, she feels protective. possessive, almost.)
while rip weighs his costs, peggy weighs hers. what does she risk by shutting him down? what does she provoke by keeping her finger out of the pie? at least, if she has a seat at the table, then maybe she can temper some of that eagerness she sees so barely-hidden behind rip's pressed hands and inside his bent frame. it's the kind of eagerness that could steamroll a person, she thinks, with enough impetus. ]
Guilt's more than wisdom. Guilt can be a useful barometer, too. [ peggy sits up and lets his notebook flop shut on her fingers. she returns it to him. just now, she doesn't need to read any more of it. ] And if his guilt tells Fitz that the gamble is too steep, then he's not your man.
[ it's not the plan she objects to, but the too-ripe potential for it to churn a person up and spit him out. ]
[There are as of yet unknown factors that would weigh more heavily on Peggy's side than Rip's; the fact, for instance, that the young scientist in question doesn't care for Rip at all. It's only chance (or destiny, as some might argue) that has aligned the three of them thus, put Peggy in each of their orbits; without that connection, Rip would likely stand no chance of inspiring Fitz to return to work on his own.
And Peggy won't either, if she doesn't have faith in the possibilities.
She takes something of a protective stance, which Rip at least realizes on some level is fair, if not ideal. He doesn't know Fitz well enough at all to say if he will need a push, or if he'll simply retreat into his self-doubt and fear. But in the end, he supposes they all might get a glimpse of the Peggy Carter who eventually founds an organization, and who inspires those who come years after to look at her with respect and awe.
Rip cannot say that it is a sight he doesn't also want to see.]
That is all I can ask. [And good still might come of it, if Fitz refuses. He might at least share his research for those who can build upon it. Rip sits back against the couch once more, lets out a breath--lets out something almost akin to a laugh, now that the deal seems to have been struck.]
It's been quite some time since there's been even this much promise of progress against this place. I'll confess, it's quite a positive, yet unexpected turn for this evening.
[ he hasn't, of course. asked. rather, rip has dashed his way around the periphery of his request -- letting peggy fall for the oldest gambit in the manual. she'd filled the details in for herself, leaping from one assumption to another. sparing him the indignity of a question, however unwittingly. if she were angry enough, she would then refuse to also spare him the next obvious question: what had he expected for the evening?
but peggy thinks she doesn't want that question answered honestly. but she doesn't want it answered dishonestly, either, when she has got herself convinced she could likely sniff out the lie. besides, the subject at hand is far more fascinating than the difficult politics of the heart -- a subject that's only grown more and more complicated the more she studies it.
best stick to these more familiar mountains and valleys. even so, she's not quite so quick as rip is to celebrate this thin edge of possibility. she shakes her head even as she admires the way in which his whole composure seems to relax.
no -- relax is the wrong word. unwind, perhaps. her attention ticks from the angle of his elbow to the rise and fall of his breath.
dourly: ] Don't let your hopes get so high.
[ admiration only takes her so far -- the rest of the way sees her slide almost naturally into the role of counter-weight to rip's exuberance. ]
[She not only spares herself the question of expectation, but also Rip. There are a few things he could provide in reply if pressed, quiet conversation and the warmth of the drink to be sure. But if she were to ask him, boldly, brazenly, just what he might have planned for the night, their first together since their dance at the wedding?
The only answer he might have been able to voice would have been Elton John.
Things takes a different turn, however. She chides him for that sudden spark of optimism, and on some level Rip understands that Peggy is right to do so. After all, this is hardly a guarantee of anything resembling escape, or even of securing the data. Still--
Still.]
I'm hardly one known for unfounded optimism, Miss Carter. [Even if the hint of a grin still plays along his lips, and there's a light in his eye that does not often nor easily shine.] I assure you, it's nothing more than celebration of a singular moment. You have my word that I will keep all hopes well checked.
[He must; Rip can remember the last time he believed a solution in view, one celebrated too soon with a drink of whiskey. His eagerness nearly led to the death of them all, a reminder now cemented as he picks up his glass for another sip.
She isn't wrong to have slapped his wrist as she has.]
[ snuffing out his gleam of optimism would have been an unenviable task. peggy finds herself grateful -- pleased, almost -- to see it persist in his eyes even after she censures him. it's not the sort of pleasure she can commit to words given the harsh stance she's already taken on his 'celebration' of a singular moment. as he calls it.
although, in peggy's ears, that rings an awful lot like rationalization.
still! it's good to see it in him: hope. she feels it's a far cry from the scattered personality she'd come across, him in his slippers, when she knocked on his door however many wednesdays ago. and watching him come to life with possibility reminds her a little of another conversation, years past, where while sitting under a tent in the rain she'd been the optimistic one. and not too long ago she'd told rip of her quiet believe that they should live in the world as it should be, could be. but that had been admitted under duress. tonight, she can choose to present only her pragmatism. ]
Well. [ her eyebrows raise and she puts on a warmer expression. peggy raises her glass in a kind of mock salute. ] Now that I have your word on the matter?
[ -- as if any of them could ever give promises about how hope and faith might tug at their hearts -- ]
I'm looking forward to us working together.
[ working. it's an important word, and it immediately defines them going forward. it's the sort of definition she'd felt had been lacking in the wake of their unexpected (albeit wonderful) dance. but this exchange of notes, this tempered promise to pursue something together...? that puts boundaries on this friendship. just-in-bloody-time. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
It's a place that should not exist. Of that, he is absolutely sure.]
Either way, his is the one attempt I've known of that has managed to actually breech any of the dimensional barriers in Wonderland. [Not the one leading to their own worlds, of course, but rather the barrier between the mirror realm and the one they linger in now. He holds out the notebook once more, gesturing to the words written on that same page.] And beyond that, so much of the failure was due to the manipulation of one of the researchers by a force among the mirrors. That is what set them off course before, and unleashed so much of that chaos you experienced upon your arrival.
no subject
she scrubs a hand across the back of her neck. feeds her fingers through her hair, head tilting while she pushes her way through a multitude of thoughts. the science is so far beyond her -- and that worries her when it comes to even talking around the periphery of this problem. peggy's clever, yes, but she knows when she's flanked by giants. there are scientists and engineers here the likes of which her peers at the ssr could only hope to emulate in shades and shadows. fitz and simmons. howard's son. ray palmer. even rip, it seems, with his diagrams and formulas -- a piece of his puzzle she'd never seen before tonight.
alongside all this energy. and peggy has to ask herself whether that faint tinge of determination isn't just a little too similar to something seen in the man she'd met by the firing range. but, of course, that man and this man are one in the same. another thought among the many. she breathes in. ]
I imagine you're near to suggesting he and I should have a chat. [ agent fitz, that is. it's hard to ignore what quality rip seized upon first and foremost: looks to you as a leadership figure. peggy's not so blind to her own machinations to think she hadn't thought of exploiting that same edge before now. although never in pursuit of another bloody portal -- and that qualm isn't exactly squashed when rip alludes to the 'manipulation' seething behind the corner of the initial attempt.
but the portal's details? maybe. theoretical frameworks. the like. she knows the value of intel like that. it's unpleasant work, but hasn't it always been?
there are lines to be drawn, of course. she won't abuse a relationship with her own people -- and fitz is decidedly that. has been since the first moment he called her ma'am. ]
no subject
But he is trained in exactly that. To measure costs, take note of their weight, and proceed with the best course of action. This avenue, when it had closed, had felt so much like a blow, particularly with Rip in no position to offer up words of encouragement or a voice to the contrary.
Now there is opportunity. He sees it; Peggy knows he does. The key is convincing her that the path is justifiable with the risks paving it.]
I am. But not if you don't believe in this possibility. [So he measures his words carefully. Peggy Carter is a smart woman, brilliant and stubborn both. She's been reluctant to take up the mantle of the founder of SHIELD; indeed, Rip himself has cautioned her to avoid it, as part of that nebulous cloud called the future of which she should not know.
She won't stand to be manipulated. If she suspects Rip might play her, even in the slightest, it will not only end this endeavor, but likely their friendship as well.
Always, always there are risks.
He's got little choice then: temper his enthusiasm. Prove he understands the danger. Be truthful in his words. He presses his hands together, not unlike a prayer, gesturing towards her in cadence with what he offers at this alter.]
I am not suggesting he build another portal straight away. But he stopped his research because of the guilt he felt. The weight of those people hurt and killed because of what happened. If anything, that will grant him wisdom towards his approach should he take up the task again--and he need not be alone. Dr. Palmer might be enlisted in the effort, or Mr. Stark.
[Both men who desire to do something, from what Rip has gleamed--although with Ray's recent marriage, his might be a harder sell.]
It's a worthy endeavor, Miss Carter. A promising beginning to what might well prove the way to end this dimension once and for all.
no subject
(and it's not just about fitz. it's about all of them -- the good bits of shield, tony, a whole rank and file of people whose presents are her future. she feels responsible for them; in moments like these, she feels protective. possessive, almost.)
while rip weighs his costs, peggy weighs hers. what does she risk by shutting him down? what does she provoke by keeping her finger out of the pie? at least, if she has a seat at the table, then maybe she can temper some of that eagerness she sees so barely-hidden behind rip's pressed hands and inside his bent frame. it's the kind of eagerness that could steamroll a person, she thinks, with enough impetus. ]
Guilt's more than wisdom. Guilt can be a useful barometer, too. [ peggy sits up and lets his notebook flop shut on her fingers. she returns it to him. just now, she doesn't need to read any more of it. ] And if his guilt tells Fitz that the gamble is too steep, then he's not your man.
[ it's not the plan she objects to, but the too-ripe potential for it to churn a person up and spit him out. ]
But I'll talk to him. Get a reading, so to speak.
no subject
And Peggy won't either, if she doesn't have faith in the possibilities.
She takes something of a protective stance, which Rip at least realizes on some level is fair, if not ideal. He doesn't know Fitz well enough at all to say if he will need a push, or if he'll simply retreat into his self-doubt and fear. But in the end, he supposes they all might get a glimpse of the Peggy Carter who eventually founds an organization, and who inspires those who come years after to look at her with respect and awe.
Rip cannot say that it is a sight he doesn't also want to see.]
That is all I can ask. [And good still might come of it, if Fitz refuses. He might at least share his research for those who can build upon it. Rip sits back against the couch once more, lets out a breath--lets out something almost akin to a laugh, now that the deal seems to have been struck.]
It's been quite some time since there's been even this much promise of progress against this place. I'll confess, it's quite a positive, yet unexpected turn for this evening.
no subject
but peggy thinks she doesn't want that question answered honestly. but she doesn't want it answered dishonestly, either, when she has got herself convinced she could likely sniff out the lie. besides, the subject at hand is far more fascinating than the difficult politics of the heart -- a subject that's only grown more and more complicated the more she studies it.
best stick to these more familiar mountains and valleys. even so, she's not quite so quick as rip is to celebrate this thin edge of possibility. she shakes her head even as she admires the way in which his whole composure seems to relax.
no -- relax is the wrong word. unwind, perhaps. her attention ticks from the angle of his elbow to the rise and fall of his breath.
dourly: ] Don't let your hopes get so high.
[ admiration only takes her so far -- the rest of the way sees her slide almost naturally into the role of counter-weight to rip's exuberance. ]
no subject
The only answer he might have been able to voice would have been Elton John.
Things takes a different turn, however. She chides him for that sudden spark of optimism, and on some level Rip understands that Peggy is right to do so. After all, this is hardly a guarantee of anything resembling escape, or even of securing the data. Still--
Still.]
I'm hardly one known for unfounded optimism, Miss Carter. [Even if the hint of a grin still plays along his lips, and there's a light in his eye that does not often nor easily shine.] I assure you, it's nothing more than celebration of a singular moment. You have my word that I will keep all hopes well checked.
[He must; Rip can remember the last time he believed a solution in view, one celebrated too soon with a drink of whiskey. His eagerness nearly led to the death of them all, a reminder now cemented as he picks up his glass for another sip.
She isn't wrong to have slapped his wrist as she has.]
no subject
although, in peggy's ears, that rings an awful lot like rationalization.
still! it's good to see it in him: hope. she feels it's a far cry from the scattered personality she'd come across, him in his slippers, when she knocked on his door however many wednesdays ago. and watching him come to life with possibility reminds her a little of another conversation, years past, where while sitting under a tent in the rain she'd been the optimistic one. and not too long ago she'd told rip of her quiet believe that they should live in the world as it should be, could be. but that had been admitted under duress. tonight, she can choose to present only her pragmatism. ]
Well. [ her eyebrows raise and she puts on a warmer expression. peggy raises her glass in a kind of mock salute. ] Now that I have your word on the matter?
[ -- as if any of them could ever give promises about how hope and faith might tug at their hearts -- ]
I'm looking forward to us working together.
[ working. it's an important word, and it immediately defines them going forward. it's the sort of definition she'd felt had been lacking in the wake of their unexpected (albeit wonderful) dance. but this exchange of notes, this tempered promise to pursue something together...? that puts boundaries on this friendship. just-in-bloody-time. ]