31 Plays in 31 Days, #21 - “Lost Cat”

[breakinglight11]

Lately the tactic of drafting conversation scenes of what is eventually intended to be prose is working for me. As is chipping away here and there on fan fiction for the quick and easy readership. So here’s a bit that will eventually build on the longer Captain America piece I’d been working on for a while— “His Part to Play,” the recounting of Steve’s life post-retirement after time traveling back to the midcentury. I’ve mentioned that I’ve reached the point where the genre will change from slice-of-life to a more plot-driven adventure portion, and as usually, I find anything that requires more structure like that to be more challenging to plan. So I’ve been diverting myself with shorter pieces and side moments rather than plunging ahead.

But part of this adventure section will involve Steve reflecting on how this is the first real action he’s seen since retiring— except for one vignette he will recall as he begins investigating the new issue. It was a suggestion of Bernie’s that there should be an occasion where an enemy of Peggy’s finds out where she lives and sends operatives after her family, planning to take them hostage to get to her. But they weren’t counting on her mild-mannered stay-at-home dad househusband having been Captain freaking America in a previous life. 

This is a small conversation section at the beginning of that vignette, which I’m setting about seven years after Steve’s return. He and Peggy have two kids by that point, and I have already introduced an original character named Rishun Hayward, a Nisei woman who lives on their street now also apparently a normal wife and mother, but who mentioned she served in a “special unit” during the war. Which Steve, having performed special service once himself, suspects may mean she has some superheroing of her own in her history. All of this has been established in the “domestic” half of His Part to Play.

Fun fact— the character of Rishun was one I originally came up during a previous 31 Plays in 31 Days, when random brainstorming led to scenes about an all-female superhero-ish WWII unit I was calling “Bombshells.” She would have been on the same team as the characters in these scenes. Two of whom were named after my grandmothers, Gertrude Hamilton and Julia Gush. I may just import that team and characters wholesale into the Marvel universe via these fan fics. 

Day #21 - “Lost Cat”
From Forever Captain
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~

STEVE ROGERS, now retired to the midcentury, living as Grant Carter, 46
DON HAYWARD, formerly Allied supply clerk, married to Rishun, 38
RISHUN HAYWARD, formerly an Allied special agent, 34

Schenectady, New York, 1954
~~~

(Steve is awake late at night in their Schenectady home, sketching at his drawing table as his young children sleep elsewhere in the house. He glances up as he hears a strange sound from outside, but after a moment relaxes and returns to his work.

(Then, he hears the sound again. Slowly he approaches the windows one by one, peering out into the dark yard, but keeping just outside of the window’s view. He watches for a long moment. Then He sets his jaw, and goes to the phone to dial his neighbors, the Haywards.

(It rings four times, Steve’s tension mounting. Finally his neighbor picks up.)

DON: (on line, blearily) Hello? Hayward residence.

(Steve speaks in a light, unconcerned tone of voice.)

STEVE: Hi, Don, it’s Grant. So sorry to bother you at this time of night.

DON: Grant? Is everything okay?

STEVE: Rishun wouldn’t happen to be around, would she?

(Pause.)

DON: Yes. I’ll put her on.

(Long moments pass. Steve white-knuckles the receiver.)

RISHUN: (on line) Grant? What’s going on?

STEVE: I hate to trouble you this late. But… I think I’ve found that lost cat of yours.

(Pause. There is no lost cat.)

RISHUN: Something’s wrong.

STEVE: That’s right. But I’ll have to bring him back tomorrow. It’s just me in the house tonight, and I don’t like to leave the children.

RISHUN: My God. Are they in danger? Do you need help?

STEVE: Yes, I think that would be best. If it isn’t too much trouble.

RISHUN: I’ll be there. Hold on just a little bit longer.

STEVE: Thank you, Rishun. I really appreciate it. Goodnight.

(He lays the receiver back in the cradle, and takes a silent deep breath. He draws the curtains over the front-facing window and leaves the room.)