[The only photographs she has are of him. Or his friends. Well, their friends after everything they accomplished together. They share a bond forged in war, and those are bonds that are impossible to break.
It takes Steve a single turn around her apartment to realize that the only personal effects Diana has in her apartment, her grey, lonely looking apartment are from decades ago. Like she was physically in the present but mentally in the past, and he doesn't know entirely what to make of it except that it makes him sad.
He didn't want her to spend her life pining over him. And he didn't realize that she'd age so much slower than everyone around her.
It's been almost seventy years since he died and none of them were exactly young during the war. Steve isn't under any delusions that Charlie, Sammy, Chief or Etta are still alive. What would he even say to them now if they were. He has no idea.
Steve picks up the picture of Etta and Diana, smiling at his two favorite girls together.]
[ diana can't help but say it with a little smile. any mention or thought of etta candy has that effect. she thinks that her friend—their friend—would be thrilled with that. her vivacious energy lives on years later, just as steve's memory does with her.
standing behind him with her arms behind her back, she looks down at the picture of the two of them. she wishes she had more. her entire apartment is sparse but with only a few memories she could collect. their friends had been camera shy, and some of the photos have been lost to time and disarray. she wishes she had more time with each and every one of them.
if she suspects anything behind the reason why he's chosen to point out etta's photo, she doesn't clue in. he's missed out on so much—lives, celebrations, deaths, goodbyes. ]
She had a good day. She was bossing me around and everyone who dared be in her way. You know how she can be.
[ could be. a lot of diana's old friends are just that: past tense. ]
Oh I know. Who do you think she practiced those bossing around skills on?
[Though it is true that Steve would've been dead several times over if it weren't for Etta so what did it really cost him to let her tell him what to do and give him a stern talking to when he messed up. He couldn't have done any of it without her. And he never got a chance to say goodbye to her, tell her how much she meant to him. Like an annoying little sister he couldn't live without.]
I'm glad you two stayed in touch. [Steve squints at the picture for a moment, and then finds he's unable to really place when it was taken. Though he thinks the where was New York.]
How long....?
[ago was this taken? did she make it?]
i hate that you made me THINK about when that damn photo was taken
[ diana chuckles, leaving his question be. etta had missed him after he had died; she thinks telling him as much may upset him. it's best to focus on the positives, like the photograph she sometimes can't bring herself to look at. etta and her had remained in contact after his death, and she had remained by etta's side until she had chosen to join him.
she still smiles, although it feels sadder now. ]
It was taken a few decades ago. She enjoyed the 1950s for the lipsticks.
[ maybe a decade would give him some peace. etta got to live her life, and she lived it as flamboyantly as she dared to do so. ]
She died a few years after this photo was taken. It was one of the last I have of her.
[It's by no means surprising that Etta is gone. The surprise would've been if she were still alive and kicking but the confirmation of her passing... it's like a little dagger to the heart anyway. Steve inhales sharply and finds it impossible to exhale for a moment.
She was happy, that's what matters. And she finally made it to the States like she wanted.
Steve sets the frame back where he found it. It takes another long moment before he's able to look at her again.]
[ diana bites her bottom lip and nods. it's a quick answer and one that she's more than happy to give. they were as happy as they could be, given the circumstances of losing steve, losing a purpose when the first world war ended and during the second world war. diana doesn't think to inform him of the first war's sequel. best to focus on what will settle him in this new and unfamiliar world. ]
They were happy, Steve. You don't need to worry. Charlie sang many times and Sameer was slapped by me at least once for a very crude comment.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ohwow what happened here, has it been 3 days already
It takes Steve a single turn around her apartment to realize that the only personal effects Diana has in her apartment, her grey, lonely looking apartment are from decades ago. Like she was physically in the present but mentally in the past, and he doesn't know entirely what to make of it except that it makes him sad.
He didn't want her to spend her life pining over him. And he didn't realize that she'd age so much slower than everyone around her.
It's been almost seventy years since he died and none of them were exactly young during the war. Steve isn't under any delusions that Charlie, Sammy, Chief or Etta are still alive. What would he even say to them now if they were. He has no idea.
Steve picks up the picture of Etta and Diana, smiling at his two favorite girls together.]
She looks happy.
YOU'RE LATE.
[ diana can't help but say it with a little smile. any mention or thought of etta candy has that effect. she thinks that her friend—their friend—would be thrilled with that. her vivacious energy lives on years later, just as steve's memory does with her.
standing behind him with her arms behind her back, she looks down at the picture of the two of them. she wishes she had more. her entire apartment is sparse but with only a few memories she could collect. their friends had been camera shy, and some of the photos have been lost to time and disarray. she wishes she had more time with each and every one of them.
if she suspects anything behind the reason why he's chosen to point out etta's photo, she doesn't clue in. he's missed out on so much—lives, celebrations, deaths, goodbyes. ]
She had a good day. She was bossing me around and everyone who dared be in her way. You know how she can be.
[ could be. a lot of diana's old friends are just that: past tense. ]
my apologies
[Though it is true that Steve would've been dead several times over if it weren't for Etta so what did it really cost him to let her tell him what to do and give him a stern talking to when he messed up. He couldn't have done any of it without her. And he never got a chance to say goodbye to her, tell her how much she meant to him. Like an annoying little sister he couldn't live without.]
I'm glad you two stayed in touch. [Steve squints at the picture for a moment, and then finds he's unable to really place when it was taken. Though he thinks the where was New York.]
How long....?
[ago was this taken? did she make it?]
i hate that you made me THINK about when that damn photo was taken
she still smiles, although it feels sadder now. ]
It was taken a few decades ago. She enjoyed the 1950s for the lipsticks.
[ maybe a decade would give him some peace. etta got to live her life, and she lived it as flamboyantly as she dared to do so. ]
She died a few years after this photo was taken. It was one of the last I have of her.
no you don't
She was happy, that's what matters. And she finally made it to the States like she wanted.
Steve sets the frame back where he found it. It takes another long moment before he's able to look at her again.]
And the guys? Were they happy too?
you're right
[ diana bites her bottom lip and nods. it's a quick answer and one that she's more than happy to give. they were as happy as they could be, given the circumstances of losing steve, losing a purpose when the first world war ended and during the second world war. diana doesn't think to inform him of the first war's sequel. best to focus on what will settle him in this new and unfamiliar world. ]
They were happy, Steve. You don't need to worry. Charlie sang many times and Sameer was slapped by me at least once for a very crude comment.