(Because "Cresise Is Probably Making The 387683746th 'Steve Had Two Compasses' Post But She Figured It Out Herself And Is Way Too Proud About It Please Hang This Post Up On Your Fridge And Give Her Cookies" is a bit of a mouthful for a post title)
This compass (from CATFA and CATWS):
And this compass (from Endgame):
Are different.
And guess who found the same as the first one on eBay.
...fine, bought. Fortunately I was lucky to snag it on bid for a comparatively good price, otherwise owie. And this is how I'm thinking people might already know about this, because these two are the ones that are harder to find and tend to go for more unless you can get luck on an offer or an auction.
I printed the picture, though. I didn't make it, I just found one. I'd like to figure out a more accurate one, but my photoschopping skills are over ten years old.
From what I read, the first one is probably slightly radioactive because of the radium ink used on the dial. (I've read up a wee bit, and apparently if I refrain from licking it every day or breaking it I should be fine. Don't quote me on that and let me know if you know different!)
For those curious, it's a W. & E. Gurley Engineers Lensatic Field Compass from Troy, NY. (Though if you look for it on eBay I recommend searching Gurley Compass. Their other compasses show up too that way but this has been the easiest way for me to find it.)
The other one's a bit harder to find the exact compass on. I have one that is almost the right one except the hand goes the wrong way. I have been able to find one, maybe two, of the one from Endgame and both were slightly outside my current budget, but one of these days I want both.
There are a few that are super close, though, that are more budget friendly. (I think the one above cost $10.)
There's a few things to keep in mind if you wanted to look (complete with super scientific terms...):
texture and color of the outside
writing and screws on top
shape of the lid flippy thing
shape and color of the hinge
shape of the sight thingy
color of the arrows and compass guts
whether the inside disc is flat or has a seperate x area for the directions
direction of the handle
There is one that sort of has the feel of both. The writing on top is different, the hinge is a thick bronze, and the sight is circular. I'm not sure if it's the lighting, but in some of the images the directions look yellowish, the others they're more green.
Pictures found from an eBay listing.
Like the one from Endgame, it's hard to search for this one specifically. However, unlike the one from Endgame, it is usually a lot cheaper. (Under $20 that I've found.) If you don't mind sorting through page after page and getting frustrated because the others are so close, i just type 'engineer compass' and then wonder how it got to be 6am when I swore at 2am I was going to go to bed soon...
Alright, that's enough nerding for one night morning! None of this was planned and I was scattered and distracted about fifty times. So if anyone has questions, feel free to ask, I'm pretty sure this was clear as mud.
Headcanon that the gov altered the footage that showed the inside of Steve's compass.
In the original footage the picture was of Steve, Sarah, and Bucky before she got sick. It was the last birthday he had with his mom and it was one of the only pictures he had with his two most important people just with him.
The compass is the first thing Steve gets back from Shield and he's never apart from it. Not until the love of his life comes back and then decides to go back into cryo. Its then that Bucky holds onto it for him, for luck and safety.
Bucky argued that Steve would need it more but Steve won the argument simply by saying, "I'm not going anywhere, not without you."
Summary: When you lose your grandfather’s pocket watch, you pick up a stranger’s compass by mistake.
Word Count: 1096
Square Filled: Steve’s Compass
Pairings: Steve x Reader
Warnings: Maybe the tiniest bit of angst if you squint
@star-spangled-bingo
When your grandfather passed away, one of the things he left to you was his pocket watch. It was worth quite a bit of money but to you, that didn’t matter; it was the sentimental value that was important to you. Your grandfather received it on his 21st birthday, he carried it throughout his time in the army and because of that watch, he met your grandmother. The watch held a picture of her inside. You carried it everywhere with you, keeping it in pristine shape. Your grandfather’s pocket watch was your most prized possession.
...
One afternoon, you were in a big rush to catch a particular store before they closed. You were in such a hurry, you didn’t notice when a person walked into your path, causing you to collide, sending both of you to the ground.
“Ow...” the man groaned.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!”
You scrambled to your feet to help the stranger up. He smiled sheepishly and got to his feet. You were both dusting yourselves off when you realised you were missing something. The pair of you searched the ground in a panic before picking up your lost items with a sigh of relief.
“Oh, shoot! Now I’m really late!” you cried, running off once more. “Sorry again!” you called over your shoulder.
...
Later that day, you took out your father’s pocket watch to check the time when you realised something. The photo of the woman inside the lid was not your grandmother... and this was a compass. Panic rose in your chest. Why did you have this object? You suddenly remembered your collision earlier in the day. This compass must have meant just as much to the man as much as your compass meant to you. He would be long gone from the place you bumped into him but you knew you had to return it to him.
...
Steve had a bad day. He didn’t sleep well the night before meaning he didn’t get up in time for his usual morning jog, nor did he make it to his favourite diner before they stopped serving breakfast, the training session with Nat later in the day had been brutal and to top it all off someone in the park ploughed into him. Steve didn’t really blame the stranger but he was tired and cranky. Wanting to feel a little better, he took out his compass to look at the photo of Peggy only to find not only was this not his compass but the woman was not Peggy. Why did he have this pocket watch? The abrupt crash in the park with the stranger entered his mind. He must have picked it up then by accident. Maybe Stark could help him track down the watch’s rightful owner using facial recognition or whatever it was they used nowadays.
...
Using the newspaper clipping as a clue to the mystery woman’s identity, you were deep into your research, completely forgetting your original mission. Peggy Carter truly was an amazing woman with incredible accomplishments. She was definitely the type of strong female role model you looked up to. You jumped as your phone rang, the sound pulling you from your thoughts.
“Hello?” you answered.
“Hi. Um... is Y/N L/N?” a male’s voice asked on the other end of the line.
“Yes, it is. Who may I ask is calling?”
“My name is Steve Rogers. I think we bumped into each other at the park... literally.”
“Oh, it’s you! I’m so glad you called. I have been doing research to find the rightful owner of the compass... how did you get my number?”
“I have a friend who helped me track down any living relatives of the woman in the compass. I called your father first and he gave me your number...”
“I see... Well, shall we meet up? I imagine you’re just as anxious to get your compass back as I am to get my watch back.”
“I am...”
After arranging a time, a place and what you would both be wearing so you could correctly identify each other, you hung up.
...
A while later, you were sitting at a cafe nearby waiting for Steve when a man wearing a blue baseball cap and sunglasses approached you.
“Y/N?” he asked.
“Yes. You must be Steve,” you replied, encouraging him to take a seat as you retrieved the compass.
Steve sat down and got out the watch and soon the pair of you had your items back with a small sigh of relief.
“She was beautiful,” Steve remarked, referring to the photograph.
“She was... my grandfather met her in a watch shop back when he was in the service. Her father owned the shop and he brought this watch in for repairs. He carried her picture in it when he was shipped out as a promise to return to her. When he did, they were always together until the day she passed... the watch brought great comfort to my grandfather, especially when the dementia set in...”
Steve listened to your story with interest. He briefly wondered if it was the kind of story he and Peggy might have had if circumstances had been different.
“Who was Peggy to you?”
Steve looked at you in surprise.
“How did you...?”
“I used the newspaper article to work out who she was so I could try to find you. I got so distracted by everything she did; I forgot to look for any next of kin... so, who was she to you?” you repeated.
Steve became flustered and that’s when it dawned on you.
“Are you...?”
Steve looked at you, silently begging not to blow his cover.
“You really are, aren’t you?”
He nodded and looked at his hands.
“This... this is amazing,” you whispered reverently. “May I buy you a coffee? It’s the least I can do after crashing into you the way I did...”
Steve thought about it for a moment. Perhaps this was the universe telling him to move on and start a new life.
“Sure,” he smiled.
You spent the rest of your day getting to know each other better and swapping stories. In a way, losing your grandfather’s pocket watch was one of the best things that could ever happen to you and Steve could say the same about his compass.
