8582/Dinner at Quon's

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Dinner at Quon's
Date of Scene: 07 November 2021
Location: Quon's Restaurant, Chinatown, NYC
Synopsis: Peg and May catch up over dinner at their favourite restaurant - Quon's. Some truths come out. May ducks the hard questions, as often, Peggy worries.
Cast of Characters: Peggy Carter, Melinda May




Peggy Carter has posed:
Peggy got there a little earlier than planned, having ducked out of work the moment that any pressing business was done. She wanted out of her office and, more so, she was looking forward to a weekend with few obligations beyond her bed. But before that, a lovely dinner planned. She simply hoped her stomach cooperated a bit more, but there were always things she loved to eat at Quon's. Especially their pickled ginger and aromatic soup. She gave warm greetings to the staff, apologizing for just how long she's been away, promising May would be there shortly, and getting their usual table. And tea.

Melinda May has posed:
When May arrives, she greets Wendy Quon with a brief hug, but then wends her way through the tables to join Peggy back in their little corner booth. "You're here first? Now, I'm really impressed. Who'd you have to kill?"

Hey. It's not out the realm of possibility.

Peggy Carter has posed:
A husky laugh escapes Peggy's throat at that question, slightly shaking her head, "Oh, no one, no one. I mean... the dozens of HYDRA we've taken out over the last year or so, but things are remarkably almost... Quiet? And the pleasure of mostly having a desk job these days means if nothing is on fire, I can get out at 5 pm. After all, I am Chief. I set my schedule." Peggy grins almost proudly as she says that, but the fact she's dared LET herself leave on time is a strange miracle in the first place. Maybe she is learning to have a bit more of a life.

The tea having been steeping for a bit since she arrived, she now reaches over to it and pours them both steaming little cups. May first, of course.

Melinda May has posed:
May laughs at that. "Mm. How does setting your own schedule actually change things for the better?" she asks, a hint of impish twinkle in her eye. It's almost reminiscent of Lily, save that Melinda will likely never truly recapture the lightness she lost -- lightness Lily has had decades to reclaim.

As the tea is poured, she inclines her head slight in a more formal gesture of thanks. Even so, she waits until Peggy has her cup before she touches hers. "Have you been here long?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Not even ten minutes. Just long enough for Wendy to catch me up on the family and scold my ear off for not coming by more often." Peggy mutters with a grin over her cup. She then raises the tea to May in a silent toast before bringing it to her lips to take a good, deep sip of the familiar, light flavor. This close, the feelings off of Peggy are almost comforting. She's in a good mood, more relaxed than she's been in ages. It's like a part of her is just radiating warmth at being back in this familiar place, with a dear friend, after a good week.

Melinda May has posed:
May takes a certain comfort in Peggy's easier feelings. Though she does recognize them as somehow 'foreign' to the woman. Or, more accurately, 'uncommon'. Most of the emotions she's sensed from Peggy since her Terrigenesis have been pretty heavy. It's nice, this brighter cast, really.

Raising her cup in turn, she takes a smaller sip than Peggy. "I expect we won't even get a chance to order, tonight," she says. "Wendy has probably already decided what we're having."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Oh gosh. Well... I hope soup is on the bill. Not the wonton, but the aromatics one. I'm in the mood. But that's fine, I trust Wendy to know what we want even if we don't." Peggy admits with a wry grin. She really is more relaxed than she's been in a while. It somehow makes her look even younger, like she really is just the 29 years on her face and not the 100 that are normally behind her eyes. "And...how are *you* holding up?"

Melinda May has posed:
May gives a mild half-shrug. "Same as always. Lots to do, never enough time. Still chasing cadets and keeping an eye on Phil." The empath isn't really interested in tearing open any seeping wounds, tonight. She did hear tell that Daisy went after List again. But that's done nothing to settle her.

Indeed, her life, right now, is mostly work and little else... mostly because there *is* nothing else.

Peggy Carter has posed:
There is a slight narrowing of Peggy's eyes as May gives the more flippant answer than Peggy was hoping. She's silent a few heartbeats, considering if she wants to try to push more. Melinda can feel the gentle trickle of worry off of her, slightly overcoming the general contentment she was feeling at first just being in this place. "Been the same as always since... well, since we all came back. Have you let yourself take *any* time to... I don't know... Handle things?" Peggy finally seems to have dared push a little more. She is that worried.

Melinda May has posed:
"Back from what?" May counters. "The Sphere? Our unknowable trip through time?" She's not hostile as she says it, she can feel the sense of that worry in Peggy's emotional signature. But she has no decent answer for her. "Things have been quiet since then. It's a nice change." She shakes her head lightly. "If I thought it would make you happy, I'd tell you I need time just to unwind, but the reality is: That's not how it works with me, and you know it."

She gives her a small smile and reaches out for her tea again. "You're more content now than I've ever seen you. It's nice. The fact is, you feel almost happy. That's good. You don't need to worry about me. I'm fine." A beat. "I'm content."

It's not a lie. Not exactly. It just doesn't verge on the sense of happy Peggy carries. But, then, she doesn't have Peggy's motivation, either. Melinda's life is very straightforward, right now. The only time it was more straightforward was when she had herself assigned to a desk after Bahrain. She's not quite 9-5, as a Commander, but the rhythm is similar.

She needs to be out *doing* something. Not tied to her desk. Adrenaline junky? Maybe. Aren't they all? But it sure does help with to have regular aggression therapy that's a little more blood-pumping than taking wet-behind-the-ears cadets to the mats.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peg is about to say something, but then the first round of food does come. Steamed dumplings and two kinds of soup -- wonton and the aromatic one. Apparently, Wendy either heard Peggy talking or simply had the feeling. Some gentle words are exchanged, happy relief for warm food in Peggy's voice, but she doesn't linger on small talk too long. May's comments are hovering in her head too much.

"Fine is... I..." Peggy sighs, her expression not entirely convinced about it, but also not wanting to push so hard she pushes Melinda away. "I *do* need to worry about you. I mean...even if I don't need to, I worry. I *care*. You're my best friend. Time, and messed up... other reality dreams... Nothing changes that. And I feel like things... something changed over all of that. I don't know what it was and I don't know how to fix it. But I do *care*. That doesn't change."

Melinda May has posed:
Melinda smiles to Wendy who watches the servers from a polite distance across the restaurant. Satisfied that the two women have been properly attended, the restauranteur retreats, her staff following suit -- at least while this course lasts. Melinda reaches out for a bowl of soup and adds some dumplings to her small plate.

She uses the time to compose her thoughts. "You are my best friend," she agrees, Phil not withstanding. Very different relationships. "Nothing has changed that. But you are also very busy -- that's not a criticism, incidentally. You're a section chief for the biggest intelligence and security agency in the world. And it's not like I'm *not* busy."

She spends a moment or two with her soup."You also have Daniel to go home to. And, if I'm not mistaken, probably more than that to look forward to." At least, she suspects so. "That takes time, energy, and focus. And why shouldn't it?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
As Melinda dares suggest there is more to look forward to, Peggy's eyes go momentarily wide. There's a flush of guilt for a moment and an awkward bit of a smile, but no denial about it. Still, that matter was not the focus of their discussion. "I'm not denying any of those things. And I'm incredibly lucky to have him back. But just because I have Daniel doesn't mean that this... this means less. It doesn't. And the work has been more quiet as of late, giving me more time to... Recover. To think. To worry. Just because there are other parts of my life, doesn't mean I don't miss YOU in it."

Melinda May has posed:
Melinda smiles softly, though there's a faint crease to her brow. Her thoughts stray briefly to Lily Chen -- dynamic, playful, with a far different history than she. And somewhat the bane of her existence. She pushes the thought away.

"Well, I'm here now," she says, instead. "We can make a habit of this. I'm certainly not opposed to it." It won't become one, though. The thought of a different Lily intrudes, also dynamic and playful... and all consuming in the attention she commands, as all children are. As all children will be.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The thought of making this a habit draws a far warmer smile across Peggy's features. "That... that would be very nice. Perhaps every Friday, unless we are on a mission? And if so, we try to Monday or Tuesday the next week? I'll tell Daniel, so he knows not to schedule things." Peggy seems quite serious about that, and content at the thought. She'd enjoy having a night out with her friend, aside of work obligations and family life. "But... I can already see your mind is somewhere else. I don't have to be an empath to know that." She smirks, her head slightly tilted. She then goes quiet again, taking a good sip of her soup, but her dark eyes never really leaving May across from her.

Melinda May has posed:
"Old wounds," Melinda says, lifting a hand to dismiss them. "You know how it is." She lays her spoon down. "So, have you told Daniel, yet, about your suspicions?" She smiles now. "I know they're technically only suspicions. I can feel it. Unless, of course, you've peed on a stick since breakfast the other day." Always possible.

Oh hell, yes, Melinda is redirecting the conversation if she can. What is she to say, otherwise? She hates these gaps in her memories? She knows something happened while they were 'working with the TVA' or whatever the hell that was. She knows Lily has been tacitly on her case about it. But she doesn't know what it was and waiting for it to all come out in the wash is maddening.

And the fact her best friend is now making at least part of those 'virtual reality dreams' a reality is... actually more disconcerting than she expected. And not something she ever intends to share.

Peggy Carter has posed:
A little glare, accompanied with a smirk, is given to May across her soup. "Don't think I haven't noticed your redirecting conversation quite so smoothly away from talking about yourself, hmm? I'm not going to let it rest forever. And you shouldn't either. You can't just keep pushing things aside, waiting for them to go away." Peggy's expression is a bit more serious as she says that, her concern primary in the mix of emotions May is getting from her now.

"But..." She looks down to her soup for a heartbeat, a quieter smile returning to her lips. "Not... just suspicions. Daniel knows. We... well, it really is much easier than killing a rabbit these days, isn't it?" She gives a little laugh, still somewhat in shock about how easy tha tall ways.

Melinda May has posed:
Melinda snirks softly at the threat, but gives a half-shrug that suggests she both knows and accepts that. She's just not going to dish here, in Quon's, and without a whole lot more alcohol in them both -- which definitely puts Peggy at a disadvantage for the foreseeable future.

Thus, she chuckles softly at the talk of rabits, instead. "Well, congratulations, anyway. Any guess as to the due date?" She's assuming early-to-mid July, but who knows? A small part of her wonders just when fetuses start to display emotions... and if she'll ultimately be able to sense that. It's a weird thought.

She returns Peggy's smirk. "Wow. You just willingly set yourself up for months of desk duty..."

Peggy Carter has posed:
A little groan escapes her lip as Melinda points out the desk duty. Peggy's eyes roll to the ceiling for just a heartbeat, "I'd say in my defense but, well, it isn't really, Daniel and I didn't quite... Plan this. We simply were a little over excited about the prospect of him being here for... Good. You'd think we've be old enough to know by now." Peggy clears her throat, looking back to May with a half guilty expression. But she can't be too ashamed at herself. She gives a little shrug, a toast of her tea, "To happy accidents," and takes another sip.

"July...sounds about right. I'm not totally certain. Haven't told anyone else or... spoken with Jemma or anything. We're going to keep it rather quiet at first, for... a lot of reasons. You understand? Just between us for now."

Melinda May has posed:
"I understand," Melinda says, though her mein shifts a trifle more serious. "But you *need* to speak with Jemma. Yes, by all accounts, your body's been reset to the way it was in 1949, which means you likely don't need to worry about the effects of the serum or anything else like that, but... She needs to know. Just in case. Let's not borrow trouble. But let's not give it room to hide, either."

Yeah, she'll keep her mouth shut. But that doesn't mean she won't do some fretting of her own. She'll just be careful not to hover. Because that would drive her crazy, in Peggy's place. And it might drive her crazy in her own place as it stands now. So... No hovering.

Peggy should be grateful.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peggy clears her throat a bit, looking down to her soup once more and poking it with her spoon. It seems she's just a little nervous about telling Jenna she made a basic teenager mistake to this proportion, though it probably wasn't quite so accidental as her and Daniel are pretending. They are old enough to know what they are doing, even if they are good at lying to themselves. She finally gives a little sigh, "I'll...talk to Jemma next week. I promise." She looks up, seeing if that seems to leave May content.

"But, this isn't what we had planned over dinner. I did just want to relax. Catch up... And hopefully find whatever my stomach *does* think is appealing nowadays. I forgot how... picky I get at the beginning of this all."

Melinda May has posed:
Melinda looks at the spread of dim sum delicacies. "You might be in trouble," she admits. "We can always pick you up some pickles and ice cream on the way home." It's a joke. She really can't imagine what women see in that craving. But, then... she has zero experience with pregnancy.

At least she seems temporarily mollified by Peggy's agreement to go see Jemma.

"So. Catching up. The cadets should be back at the Academy come Monday. That's good. I can get back to work on my restructuring. Maybe follow up on a couple of rumours I've heard."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"...Rumors? Now what are these rumors? I've clearly not heard them... And I'm happy to bounce ideas about the restructure, but it felt like you had STRIKE in a good position..." Peggy lets that hang curiously, not certain if that is the exact restructuring that Melinda is talking about or not. Peggy takes another bite of dumplings, her stomach steady enough, or this food familiar enough, that she's managing to get some food in her. The herbal soup helps a lot more than she'd care to admit. She'll need to take some home.

Melinda May has posed:
"It is," Melinda replies, taking more of the wonton soup rather than the aromatic -- simply because she noticed Peggy gravitating toward the spicier variety. "But now that Bobbi's narrowed her focus to that Cabal, or whatever it is, I've had to pick up some slack." She flips a hand dismissively. "It's not a problem. It just means shifting agents around and setting up longer-term ops." Nothing out of her experience.

"The rumours I've heard, though... If there's any truth in them, they may keep us busy." She just doesn't have enough information to know one way or another. But, then, between the pair of them, she and Peggy will figure it out.

At least, the rest of their meal won't lack for conversation. And soup. There will always be soup.