[ with her daylight ring, caroline's back to a reasonable schedule. not that she was ever particularly given to insomnia or nocturnal behavior, but the temptation had certainly been there when she'd been held on (safe)house arrest during the first few weeks of her new amsterdammer existence. but with the familiar circle of silver and lapis lazuli on her index finger, she's back to rising early and staying up late, the benefit of needing less sleep making her particularly useful to the citizens of the safehouse and the city both.
and, in the wake of all that's happened in new tokyo (not to mention digitally on the network), caroline's wanted to be useful. she's thrown herself into supply runs, both on the routes gaby had given her and on ones back and forth between the new and old safehouses — and while it's physical work, it's enjoyable, too.
by the time she bumps into fitz in the safehouse kitchens, it's mid-day; she's a little tousled from so many hours running around, but looking no less chipper than as if she'd just risen from a beauty nap. ]
Leo! [ always happy to see her favorite man. ] What are you doing here?
shifts to evening bc he's a working man baby & also halloweeeeen
[ unsurprisingly, on the evening of the 22, she find him mid-snack, just as he's caught a halloween sweet in his mouth. though he does have his digital personal assistant rattling off the old safehouse medical inventory in his skull as he searches the cupboards for essentials. have to keep it stocked for the last batch of arrivals, yeah? they're a troublesome and hungry lot.
for the sake of ease, he remains in costume today, black tactical gear lined with glowing blue. fitz is dressed as a rather famous, fan-favourite character who spun off from Salazar's recent UN flick: the brain of a black ops taskforce (likely based on something very real) off to quell brewing crime on a far-flung space colony alongside his fellow agent of peace (Carter, dressed similarly and likely on the move, enacting her duties). outside, there are at least a few others dressed similarly to him on every block, though he doubts very many of them have a real blaster holstered at their side (or the attention to detail, thanks). the character's signature helmet sits on the countertop. no better way to move about the city undetected and anonymous, eh.
Leo draws his attention, with how few call him that. ]
Caroline. [ faintly surprised. he pops another sweet, ] Needed some protein.
[ a beat. his brows arch. ]
Keeping busy around here?
[ he noticed her doing runs today (and the day before that). ]
[ does candy count as protein? probably not, but it would take a particularly keen eye and/or nose to spot that the sweets he's knicking aren't exactly bites of protein bar. isn't that convenient that she happens to have those? isn't it luckier for fitz that she opts only to smile knowingly, head turning away just long enough to shove the last items away in a pantry.
she hasn't changed yet, but it's on her agenda. she hasn't wanted to muss its white fabric up in errands and busy work, so the costume and its accoutrements still hang in an otherwise empty supply closet long since emptied out in preparation for their upcoming safehouse shift.
she appreciates fitz's detailed costume, though, and makes no effort not to look it over a time or two. ]
I'm just trying to be helpful. Plus, none of the fun stuff is starting until after dark, so I figured I might as well make the most of the daylight.
[ now that she can do that. ]
I love your costume. Are you going to post a picture?
[ the protein bit is a joke, seeing as he's been munching on sweets since gaby brought them in, but he doesn't mind that she seemingly misses it, eyes sparking with faint amusement. despite his uncertainty of her, caroline's always fascinating. (and he's interested in her newfound ability to manage the sunlight, too).
he taps his fingers against the counter absentmindedly. ]
We always need the help, so — [ with supplies and morningstar both. ] Thanks, from all of us.
[ at the compliment, one corner of his mouth hooks into a smile. ]
Yeah? Suped up the tech myself. [ for the glow. ] Won't post till the end of Halloween, though. The aim's for me to move about undetected and all.
[ as undetected as he can, at least, in a surveillance state. what better time for spywork than halloween? he's using this as an opportunity to move scrambler tech around. ]
[ but she smiles back all the same, clearly pleased by the acknowledgement if the duck of her head is anything to go by. it's nice to get a thank you from gaby or from the other displaced, but a sincere thank you from fitz feels like more. like an accomplishment, in some way, a higher bar reached. ]
But you could take a picture with me afterwards, right?
[ it's a much more grown-up reason to dress up for halloween, much more practical — she's awed (and impressed) by it, and though her hand itches to reach out and brush over the glowing pieces, she resists. if he's using it for proper reasons, she should at least avoid potentially breaking it. ]
I don't think I could pull off the serious secret agent look as well as you do.
[ it's his turn to be flattered. hasn't ever really been the cool guy or the mentor (stuck as the young lad of the team for so long). that caroline looks to him for something like approval makes him uneasy, but — she's charming, in her way. (unpredictable, too, though she seems to be mellowing, with daylight and without clarke). ]
You might be alone in that opinion.
[ lightly said. fitz knows his appeal isn't the Cool Factor. ]
But, I mean, we could take one whenever. [ he drags a hand across his jaw. ] Just save it for after.
[ clarke is caroline's new amsterdam amy bradley. she's irrationally triggered by the mention of the woman's name, defensive over her irrationality, and endlessly paranoid that the friendships she's so carefully curated will slip out of her hands in favor of someone else. so it's for the best, really, that fitz doesn't say anything about it.
better for caroline to focus on reaffirming her opinion — that fitz is particularly swoon-worthy in his costume, that he's always been in his own way, the scruffy nerd vibe one he carries really, really well. ]
Oh, please. [ the smile she flashes him is fond, sincere even as she rolls her eyes at his self-deprecation; she shakes her head a bit, curls tumbling out of place. ] You know, if you went around asking people to sign up in that get up, I bet you'd get more volunteers.
[ for morningstar, she means. sign up for the cause. which she hasn't done yet, though she's done nothing but help where she can. ]
[ he leans on the counter, propped up by one hand. there's a slight skip in his expression (a twitch of his mouth and slide of the eyes), re-calibrating with that statement. can't tell if she's joking or not. fitz never thought anyone would follow him, let alone in this (morningstar... or the outfit...).
but the displaced have. gaby and el must, to a lesser extent. strange. ]
I think the rebellion will be putting Dameron up on our posters first.
[ like, have you seen that guy... he is Hot. ]
Haven't gotten you to sign up, have I.
[ hasn't asked, but he isn't asking now and he won't, either. that's not how recruitment for this works. it's not about a man or whim; it's down to the cause.
[ something falters in caroline's expression. it isn't disagreement or disapproval — no, but rather uncertainty and surprise that pry her lips apart, a small circle between them as she considers the question. he hasn't gotten her to commit, but in truth, caroline never considered it as an option. it hasn't been that long since she'd had damon offer to kill her for her own good, so convinced as he was that she'd only ever be a liability, an inconvenience, an albatross around all their collective necks.
no one — not even stefan, endlessly patient as he was, saw her as an asset. her death and subsequent rebirth had been a challenge, her bloodlust something to overcome; her strength and stamina and invulnerability paled in comparison to the more experienced among them, and so what she could do had never been taken seriously.
she wants to help, but she hadn't thought her help would be wanted in return. ]
You never asked. [ she realizes now, a bit shyly, that perhaps he never would have. it's not a secret club. invitations aren't a requirement, are they? ] I didn't know anybody wanted me to.
[ does it matter if he wants her to? maybe, with their strange meeting and subsequent connection. ]
[ canting his head, ] Do you — want to, I mean.
[ a delicate balance to strike. morningstar matters to this world, so fitz handles all matters related to it with care. he still has a great deal to prove to its agents (and himself). has to be sure everyone with him and peggy also cares about the people of this world — that they want to listen, not just be the big damn hero. ]
You're already helping with a core project. [ outreach. it's a casual observation, moved past with a shrug. ] And anyone can join, if they believe in what we do. [ a gesture to himself. ] That's why I'm here.
[ 'cause Gaby had every right to turn him and Peggy away, when they came calling. ]
[ it should be that simple, caroline thinks. to help themselves, to help other people — she'd taken up the supply runs because she'd wanted to help gaby when she'd looked and sounded so stressed out, and she'd kept doing them even after she'd gotten her daylight ring back because it had been a nice way to feel like she was doing something worthwhile with her time.
sure, she could laze around in the safehouse like some dull version of summer vacation, but that got boring really fast already back when she was on house arrest 2.0 right after arriving in new amsterdam. without a real girl job, having a morningstar to-do list kept her occupied enough to actually enjoy her quote-unquote time off.
so if joining morningstar means helping people, caroline thinks that's obvious. of course she wants to help. (maybe, too, there's a selfishness in it. if she helps them, maybe they'll help her if the time comes for her to need it.) ]
[ the corners of his mouth soften, edges sanded off. it's a gentle counter, one few would receive from him, as straightforward and bullish as he can be in all things. ]
If you do believe in it, [ he raps his knuckles on the counter ] and you want to act on it, [ a level of belief great enough to support action. he takes a few steps closer, so he can assure her, ] then there's nothing else to say but — welcome to the team.
[ because that's part of the appeal, too, at least for fitz. home is the team is family. and here, too, he has a home — vibrant with life, anchored with a partner in agent carter, and devoted to ensuring this world is better off than they found it — one worth fighting for. ]
I do. [ simple as that. what comes next, though, requires a little more guidance. ] I'm just not sure how.
[ she isn't a politician's daughter or a nurse in training. she can't compel their way towards favors or out of scrapes here, and while her blood carries a healing capacity unknown to modern medicine in her time, it's perhaps unnecessary in the face of the mediunits still tucked away in the safehouse for emergencies.
and, sure, she knows how to carry a needle and thread, but her bloodlust might make her a poor medical attendant — not to mention of the two people with any medical training, one thinks she's a loose cannon and the other isn't sure about her control. (beggar's choice whether to apply strange or clarke to either description.)
so what direction fitz can give, if any, might be helpful in redirecting caroline's boundless energies. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
approx oct 22 (give or take)
and, in the wake of all that's happened in new tokyo (not to mention digitally on the network), caroline's wanted to be useful. she's thrown herself into supply runs, both on the routes gaby had given her and on ones back and forth between the new and old safehouses — and while it's physical work, it's enjoyable, too.
by the time she bumps into fitz in the safehouse kitchens, it's mid-day; she's a little tousled from so many hours running around, but looking no less chipper than as if she'd just risen from a beauty nap. ]
Leo! [ always happy to see her favorite man. ] What are you doing here?
shifts to evening bc he's a working man baby & also halloweeeeen
for the sake of ease, he remains in costume today, black tactical gear lined with glowing blue. fitz is dressed as a rather famous, fan-favourite character who spun off from Salazar's recent UN flick: the brain of a black ops taskforce (likely based on something very real) off to quell brewing crime on a far-flung space colony alongside his fellow agent of peace (Carter, dressed similarly and likely on the move, enacting her duties). outside, there are at least a few others dressed similarly to him on every block, though he doubts very many of them have a real blaster holstered at their side (or the attention to detail, thanks). the character's signature helmet sits on the countertop. no better way to move about the city undetected and anonymous, eh.
Leo draws his attention, with how few call him that. ]
Caroline. [ faintly surprised. he pops another sweet, ] Needed some protein.
[ a beat. his brows arch. ]
Keeping busy around here?
[ he noticed her doing runs today (and the day before that). ]
no subject
she hasn't changed yet, but it's on her agenda. she hasn't wanted to muss its white fabric up in errands and busy work, so the costume and its accoutrements still hang in an otherwise empty supply closet long since emptied out in preparation for their upcoming safehouse shift.
she appreciates fitz's detailed costume, though, and makes no effort not to look it over a time or two. ]
I'm just trying to be helpful. Plus, none of the fun stuff is starting until after dark, so I figured I might as well make the most of the daylight.
[ now that she can do that. ]
I love your costume. Are you going to post a picture?
[ get those cooltalk followers!!! ]
no subject
he taps his fingers against the counter absentmindedly. ]
We always need the help, so — [ with supplies and morningstar both. ] Thanks, from all of us.
[ at the compliment, one corner of his mouth hooks into a smile. ]
Yeah? Suped up the tech myself. [ for the glow. ] Won't post till the end of Halloween, though. The aim's for me to move about undetected and all.
[ as undetected as he can, at least, in a surveillance state. what better time for spywork than halloween? he's using this as an opportunity to move scrambler tech around. ]
no subject
[ but she smiles back all the same, clearly pleased by the acknowledgement if the duck of her head is anything to go by. it's nice to get a thank you from gaby or from the other displaced, but a sincere thank you from fitz feels like more. like an accomplishment, in some way, a higher bar reached. ]
But you could take a picture with me afterwards, right?
[ it's a much more grown-up reason to dress up for halloween, much more practical — she's awed (and impressed) by it, and though her hand itches to reach out and brush over the glowing pieces, she resists. if he's using it for proper reasons, she should at least avoid potentially breaking it. ]
I don't think I could pull off the serious secret agent look as well as you do.
sorry for the wait!!!
You might be alone in that opinion.
[ lightly said. fitz knows his appeal isn't the Cool Factor. ]
But, I mean, we could take one whenever. [ he drags a hand across his jaw. ] Just save it for after.
no subject
better for caroline to focus on reaffirming her opinion — that fitz is particularly swoon-worthy in his costume, that he's always been in his own way, the scruffy nerd vibe one he carries really, really well. ]
Oh, please. [ the smile she flashes him is fond, sincere even as she rolls her eyes at his self-deprecation; she shakes her head a bit, curls tumbling out of place. ] You know, if you went around asking people to sign up in that get up, I bet you'd get more volunteers.
[ for morningstar, she means. sign up for the cause. which she hasn't done yet, though she's done nothing but help where she can. ]
no subject
but the displaced have. gaby and el must, to a lesser extent. strange. ]
I think the rebellion will be putting Dameron up on our posters first.
[ like, have you seen that guy... he is Hot. ]
Haven't gotten you to sign up, have I.
[ hasn't asked, but he isn't asking now and he won't, either. that's not how recruitment for this works. it's not about a man or whim; it's down to the cause.
you have to want this life. ]
no subject
no one — not even stefan, endlessly patient as he was, saw her as an asset. her death and subsequent rebirth had been a challenge, her bloodlust something to overcome; her strength and stamina and invulnerability paled in comparison to the more experienced among them, and so what she could do had never been taken seriously.
she wants to help, but she hadn't thought her help would be wanted in return. ]
You never asked. [ she realizes now, a bit shyly, that perhaps he never would have. it's not a secret club. invitations aren't a requirement, are they? ] I didn't know anybody wanted me to.
no subject
[ canting his head, ] Do you — want to, I mean.
[ a delicate balance to strike. morningstar matters to this world, so fitz handles all matters related to it with care. he still has a great deal to prove to its agents (and himself). has to be sure everyone with him and peggy also cares about the people of this world — that they want to listen, not just be the big damn hero. ]
You're already helping with a core project. [ outreach. it's a casual observation, moved past with a shrug. ] And anyone can join, if they believe in what we do. [ a gesture to himself. ] That's why I'm here.
[ 'cause Gaby had every right to turn him and Peggy away, when they came calling. ]
no subject
[ it should be that simple, caroline thinks. to help themselves, to help other people — she'd taken up the supply runs because she'd wanted to help gaby when she'd looked and sounded so stressed out, and she'd kept doing them even after she'd gotten her daylight ring back because it had been a nice way to feel like she was doing something worthwhile with her time.
sure, she could laze around in the safehouse like some dull version of summer vacation, but that got boring really fast already back when she was on house arrest 2.0 right after arriving in new amsterdam. without a real girl job, having a morningstar to-do list kept her occupied enough to actually enjoy her quote-unquote time off.
so if joining morningstar means helping people, caroline thinks that's obvious. of course she wants to help. (maybe, too, there's a selfishness in it. if she helps them, maybe they'll help her if the time comes for her to need it.) ]
Isn't that what I'm supposed to believe in?
no subject
[ the corners of his mouth soften, edges sanded off. it's a gentle counter, one few would receive from him, as straightforward and bullish as he can be in all things. ]
If you do believe in it, [ he raps his knuckles on the counter ] and you want to act on it, [ a level of belief great enough to support action. he takes a few steps closer, so he can assure her, ] then there's nothing else to say but — welcome to the team.
[ because that's part of the appeal, too, at least for fitz. home is the team is family. and here, too, he has a home — vibrant with life, anchored with a partner in agent carter, and devoted to ensuring this world is better off than they found it — one worth fighting for. ]
no subject
[ she isn't a politician's daughter or a nurse in training. she can't compel their way towards favors or out of scrapes here, and while her blood carries a healing capacity unknown to modern medicine in her time, it's perhaps unnecessary in the face of the mediunits still tucked away in the safehouse for emergencies.
and, sure, she knows how to carry a needle and thread, but her bloodlust might make her a poor medical attendant — not to mention of the two people with any medical training, one thinks she's a loose cannon and the other isn't sure about her control. (beggar's choice whether to apply strange or clarke to either description.)
so what direction fitz can give, if any, might be helpful in redirecting caroline's boundless energies. ]