nysalogs | so shine bright tonight.

Who: steve rogers (

starspangle), peggy carter (

revlon) and some of peggy's closest friends (u kno who u are)
What: peggy's birthday is on the 9th, but they're celebrating on the 8th with an intimate dinner
When: april 8th
Where: at the rogers-carter residence
Warning(s): possible cavities from the sheer sweetness of this entire event tbh

❚❚❚❚❚ i. ARRIVAL

[ It's the weekend and it's just a couple of days before Peggy's birthday. Steve Rogers has never hosted a party before, let alone a party for his partner, but life is all about trying new things and being the best boyfriend (hard to think of himself as such, still, even after all of these years, but he likes the feeling) he can be, and Steve takes both of those things very seriously.

So he sends out invitations and makes plans - nothing fancy, nothing big, because everyone's just survived one of the worst events since crash-landing on this planet, and also because he knows Peggy isn't the kind of woman who relishes in big, flashy parties. He certainly isn't.

A quiet dinner with her closest friends feels right.

The small, cozy apartment is well-lit and tidy. When you enter, you come up a small set of steps to enter the main space - a kind of living-dining room combined. It's cute and comfortable and somehow reminds you of an older time without actually being dated. There are a couple of poetry books stacked on a side-table by the couch, and leaning against it is the possibly familiar, but very much noticeable circular star-spangled shield. Around the room you'll find drawings on the wall - sketches, meticulous and detailed but with a loose, free spirit - of the New York City skyline, Brooklyn, the Empire State Building.

There's a delicious scent coming from the kitchen area. If you brought a gift, or some wine, you can leave it at the table with the single bottle placed there already and make yourself at home. Chat it up with the host, or with other party guests until the guest of honour arrives. ]

❚❚❚❚❚ ii. DINNER

[ Considering the smallness of the space, it makes a little more sense for guests to grab food from the 'buffet-style' arrangement set out on the dining table and find any place to settle and eat. Soft music plays in the background, something jazzy and a little big band-y. There are enough plates and cutlery to go around (thank God), and there's more than enough food and drink too. Most of the ingredients are very similar to Earth's, but still manage to have a ... strangeness to them that feels uncanny. It's the alien-ness of this place. Thankfully it doesn't affect the taste.

Steve's made some assortment of meat, stew, rice, and salad - not combined, don't worry. It's very vaguely Japanese-ish, if only because his culinary sensei happens to be You Watanabe, but he's picked up a couple of tips from some of the locals too. He's no Gordon Ramsay, but he's a good student and the food should taste pretty decent.

Cake (bought at a local Olympian bakery) will be served at the end. ]

❚❚❚❚❚ iii. A LITTLE WINE, A LITTLE COFFEE

[ After dinner, guests are welcome to mingle and stay for however long they'd like. Music continues to play, and everyone should feel happy and full. It's a pleasant night and the company is delightful too.

At one point, Steve will offer guests coffee or maybe some of that wine from earlier - he's not entirely sure where it came from but it seems all right, and while Steve can't get drunk from it, it tastes fine enough. ]

❚❚❚❚❚ iv. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

[ more of an ooc note, but! please feel free to leave your own top-levels and mingle amongst each other! these prompts are really, really general and are mostly meant to set the tone of the party. pick a prompt and play with it, take some cues and make your own, etc etc.! if you have any questions, absolutely feel free to hit me up! pls have fun and wish our best girl a happy birthday! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's your sword, innit?

[ eggsy would like to see how it holds up, too, even though they both recognise it's a bad idea. maybe one day... ]

Is it made of special shit?

Yeah.

[ he pulls a ballpoint pen out of his pocket -- capped, black ink, looks like the kind you can buy by the bag, totally unextraordinary except for the ancient greek script engraved down one side -- and twirls it through his fingers. ]

Doesn't look like much like this, but the blade's solid Celestial bronze. It won't hurt mortals, but I've used it against monsters and immortals plenty, and it can cut through most things.

[ celestial bronze... jesus fucking christ. the pen/sword is cool, though, and not unlike his gadgetry. ]

That is sick. [ he grins. ] So what you're saying is, I could do some clever magic tricks with that blade of yours?

[ like a sword-swallower gig because it can't hurt him?? listen, he's very intrigued by magic not being about killing average dudes, for once. ]

[ his eyebrows pretty much leap up as high as they can go. ]

Yeah, how about no. Riptide's already got into mortal hands once since I got here, and that was enough for me. [ no...no offense?? but he realizes how that sounds, a little, so he amends, ] During the riots. And it might not be able to hurt you, but that could've gone pretty badly for me.

[ which is, truthfully, embarrassing to admit. he's normally better than this! in any case, ]

Besides, it's not a toy.

[ he says, not five minutes after eyeing someone else's shield like....well, like it's a toy. ]

[ at least they're agreed that the shield is a toy. ]

Got it, bruv. [ he holds up his free hand in surrender, as unfazed by this as when harry had scolded him for nicking and toying with gadgets. it's a fair stance to take. harry would be pissed if any of his gear got into untrained hands, too. ] No more mortals playing with your magic sword. [ it does sound like a toy he's js, but even so — ] Swear down.

Wouldn't want people goofing around with my gun, either. [ ah. ] Well, before I melted it and all.

[ maybe he shouldn't be trusted with...anything. ]

[ gods, he sounds like...such...a buzzkill. but at least eggsy gets it. ]

Thanks, [ he sighs. then, ] Wait, melted it?

Melted it — [ he flexes his free hand, the one swathed in bandages. ] My TT-30 was designed to withstand more than your average pistol, but the chemical reactions on our last job got the better of it eventually. [ and pretty much seared most of his forearm in the process. ]

[ he knew what was happening, but he kept firing. hell, he noticed that no other human assailants were using firearms as soon as he and peggy split off from the group, yet he made the choice to act with spectacular stupidity. ]

[ spectacular stupidity maybe, but percy likes him more for it. eggsy had been willing to prioritize saving people over his own well-being, and that takes a certain kind of person. ]

With how much you did, I'm not surprised. [ they might've not seen a lot of each other in the chaos, but it was clear eggsy more than did his part. ] Are you going to be able to replace it?

[ didn't do enough, in the end, with richie and others dead. eggsy shrugs and moves to return the shield to where he found it, leaning against the wall. ]

Can get a new firearm anywhere, [ his mouth thins. ] but that one was a gift.

[ gift isn't the right word, exactly, although it conveys the specialness of the item. he still has his signet ring, of course, which remains on his left hand in case of an emergency, but his kingsman-issue gadgets are dwindling: the only physical reminders of his commitment to a higher vocation than the royal guard or the gilded cage. ]

It's just a thing, though, in the end.

[ people were hurt, which matters more to him. ]

I know, [ percy says, to every part of that: the souring of eggsy's mood at the compliment, same way percy refuses thanks or praise when two people died; that the weapon is, theoretically, more than replaceable; that it's just a thing at the end of the day.

not two minutes ago he refused to let eggsy even joke about his sword, though riptide was just one of many celestial bronze items at home. that's not the point, though. sometimes having these things can mean as much as having a trusted friend watching your back. ]

Whoever gave it to you would say you did the right thing. Honestly? It's pretty clear to me you do a lot of that.

[ the right thing, that is ]

[ oh, geez, those words hit him squarely in an issue that he only termed the harry thing, which isn't confined to harry but rather extends to all those care for him. in this case, he doesn't think harry would have said that. in fact, he's fairly certain he'd be in more trouble than ever — at least, that's how he imagines it now, when he ducks his head.

still, percy's words make his stomach twist, though not altogether unpleasantly. it's simply not the sort of reassurance that he hears often (or has ever heard, until quite recently). in their short time together, eggsy has already grown fond of percy. easy camaraderie and mutual respect do that to a relationship, particularly when combined with dire circumstances. it helps that percy is good in a way that's foreign to him, like a proper hero.

his features soften, but in lieu of addressing it, he throws his good arm around percy's shoulders, equal parts genuinely affectionate and performatively laddish. ]

You can't just look at me with those big green eyes and say shit like that, Perseus. [ a reassuring squeeze. ] You'll get me all choked up.

[ percy just laughs, says, ]

Sorry. I'll try to dial it back some next time.

so shine bright tonight.

apologies for the delay!!

no worries!

<3

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