An All American Birthday Abroad [Open Thread, backdated to July 4th]

[juststeverogers]

There were no fireworks, no parades, no flags waving when Steve was out in the Nexus. Why would there be? It's a day like any other here. One more summer day of decidedly nice, if not a bit warm, weather and people strolling about living their lives as though nothing were different.

It should be special, though. A birth of a nation. His home. The same home that for all he knows is still caught up in a terrible war. He wonders if the parade still went by his old apartment. If Missus Johanessan upstairs is wondering where he is when she bakes that swell cobbler of hers and tries to invite him up for dinner like she always does on his birthday.

Even if he was home, it wouldn't be the same. He'd be alone. Wouldn't be worth going out to the dance halls, or down to the pier by himself.He'd probably be doing what he is now. Sitting on the steps out front of the apartment complex with his sketchbook in his lap, idly drawing memories.

He's drawing the parade he remembers today, trying to remember what it would be like if he were home on this holiday.

Comments

[rogueinladysclothing]

That sounds lovely. I'll be there in 15 minutes.

True to her word, Amelia arrives at Steve's apartment when she says she will, dressed in her usual manner (but in lighter weight fabrics given the heat outside) minus the visible weapons. Hanging over her shoulder is one of those fancy soft lunchbox sized coolers, colored in the manner of the American flag. She thinks it might be a little much, but the sales woman had been insistent that it was the best thing for the holiday. And given Steve's love for his country, who was Amelia to argue?

Knocking on the door, she calls out brightly, "Steve? It's Amelia. I have something I'm certain you'll like..."

[juststeverogers]

Steve had retreated inside after noon had settled, the heat becoming too much for his constitution to deal with comfortably. He wanted to be able to take a walk later in the day so staying out of the sun now was for the best. He opens the door after a moment or two, giving Amelia a soft smile.

"Come on in, it's not as though it's locked."

Not that he's sure that would stop her if she was intent on getting inside. He spies the cooler right away, tilting his head to the side slightly. How could he not, really.

"What's that?"

[rogueinladysclothing]

"It's for you." She smiles brightly and offers the cooler to him as she walks over. "It's got milk chocolate fudge, taffies, and something called... "M and M's" in it. Oh, and something to make sure it all stayed cool and solid as I brought it over."

If he hasn't taken it from her yet, she's going to push it into his hands excitedly. This whole giving presents thing is wonderful. "I wasn't sure about the colors for the cooler, but considering your choice of favorite colors and the holiday and that it's your birthday... Well, I hope it's not too much." A beat. "And I have something else that's not candy for you, too, but it'll require a trip out after we have some of that iced tea you offered." Another, slightly nervous smile for him.

"Happy Birthday, Steve." She hesitates for a moment and then asks, "That is the right greeting for a birthday on Earth, right?" So many different customs and so little time to make sure she knows them all before she opens her mouth.

[juststeverogers]

Steve gapes like a fish for several long moments before the cooler is pushed into his hands. Candies from his home, an acknowledgement of the holiday and his birthday? He hadn't expected any of that truthfully so this has him completely stunned. He absently takes a step back so Amelia can come in and get out of the oppressive heat. Inside the apartment it is properly cool. Air conditioning is a wonderful invention.

"Amelia..thank you." When Steve finally manages to find his voice, it's quiet and full of emotion. He set the cooler down on the ktichen counter before pulling a couple of glasses from the cubboard and filling them with the sun tea he'd made the day before and stuck in his fridge. It's something for him to focus on so he doesn't get overly emotional about her kind gestures. "Here. There's sweeteners if you need it."

[rogueinladysclothing]

It's hard for her to tell if it was what she got him that went too far or if it was the gesture itself. As it is, she hopes he'll still be open to receiving the second half of his present later, because that one's even better.

"You're welcome, Steve." She smiles softly at him and then accepts the glass of ice tea with a nod. "And thank you for the tea - no need for sweetener for mine. It's perfect as is on this warm Summer day."

With another nod, she motions toward his couch and takes a seat, smiling all the while. "I also feel like I should apologize while I'm here - it's been a while since I last stopped by. How have you been? Work is going well I hope?"

[juststeverogers]

Steve swirls the tea in his glass and sips at it slowly while he considers Amelia's words. The apology makes him shake his head.

"Really, it's alright. Between the strange magic going on in the Nexus and work, I've kept myself pretty busy. Plus I haven't been real swell company for a bit now. Homesick, I guess."

[rogueinladysclothing]

"That I can understand." Both the homesick feeling and not being good company, but she won't be specific about it. "I hope all the candies are all right? I remembered some of your favorites from Christmas, but I wanted to bring something else festive from your home to you, too. That's why the M and M candies are red, white, and blue." Might've taken a little persuasion, a raise in price, and a little magic to get them in those color, but it was totally worth it.

She waits a moment before she asks, "Do you have any plans for the rest of the day? If not, can I convince you to come out with me for a bit? I have one more gift for you today, but it requires going out to get it." She tilts her head slightly at him and smiles, the corner of her lip trying hard to pull up into a smirk. "I'll bribe you with a meal, if that helps.'

[juststeverogers]

"It's a holiday back home today." Steve says quietly, holding onto the small cooler Amelia had given him. "The anniversary of the founding of our nation. I was more...homesick about that than I was being alone on my birthday."

He chuckles slightly.

"It just drove home that I'm not there. I'm not there and there doesn't exist anywhere here in the Nexus."

[rogueinladysclothing]

Surprisingly, Amelia's first response is to laugh. "That's not true, Steve. 'There' has to exist at least a little in the Nexus because you're here." She smiles and shifts to turn toward him more. "Besides, if I can find the perfect cooler for all of our old fashioned candy, I get the impression that others here would like it if we celebrated this holiday."

A thoughtful pause as she takes a sip of her ice tea. "Think we could change that? The fact that people don't celebrate the holiday, that is."

[juststeverogers]

He hadn't really ever thought about it like that. Steve tries real hard to be positive and upbeat as much as he can, but this is a pain he's been holding onto ever since he got stranded here nearly a year ago. He knows it's one that Ameila can understand very well.

"I guess, eheh." There's a smile that creeps onto his face. He can't help but to really. He feels a bit silly for moping so much.

"Well, I mean maybe? I don't know who all would care."

[rogueinladysclothing]

She huffs another small laugh as she shakes her head. Does he really not see what she thinks is so obvious? It seems impossible - isn't she usually the one missing things in conversations?

"I'm certain every one of your friends would care - myself included. If it's important to you, then it's important to us." She smiles softly at him before setting aside her half-finished glass of tea. "So, what do we need to celebrate this holiday? And what makes this one different and special compared to the rest on your world? Are there large parties? Special foods? Decorations?"

Seeing as her world doesn't really have holidays like this, with one or two exceptions, she's going to need him to guide her through all of this. But once he's laid out a few ideas, she can see about bringing a few of them to life.

[juststeverogers]

"Well I..." Steve rubs at the back of his neck slightly. He seems well and thoroughly embarrassed for being such a Negative Nancy about all of this. He's been so busy feeling sorry for himself he forgot about all the friends and place he's made for himself here in the Nexus.

It isn't quite home yet, and it may never be. But it can sure be a place he feels safe and comfortable in. IN many ways it's already become a place like that for him.

"Lots of block parties. I mean like...people mingling in the streets. Cooking food outdoors. Hanging their good flags. There was a parade that used to go by my apartment. Mostly I think..what made me so homesick was not knowing, a year later....not knowing if my home was still there to celebrate the holiday. What if we lost the war? What if my city got firebombed or worse?"

[rogueinladysclothing]

This is the part of being someone's friend that Amelia feels the worst at. When she sees someone hurting, her first impulse is to hurt the person hurting her friend. But how does one go about punching something like homesickness in the gut? How does she find the people responsible for sending Steve here when they're on a world no one can get back to? It all makes her frown before she carefully, and with no small amount of trepidation, reaches a hand out and rests it on his knee. The muscles of her arm are tense, but she's making an obvious effort to stay calm as she tries to comfort him.

"Worrying about things like that will drive you crazy. Trust me, I understand the fears very well, which is why you can't focus on them." She hasn't shared what she's done to her world yet, but how he currently understands her situation should suffice for the purpose of this conversation. "Let's focus on what can be done, all right? These parades, for instance, what kinds of performers were in them? Jugglers? Fire eaters? Dancers?" A beat as her lips draw into a thin line. "Or is that... not what happens in a parade on Earth?" There's still so much she doesn't know about Earth, so she has to go off of what people tell her every time she asks.

[juststeverogers]

"I try not to. Just harder than it usually is today."

Steve rubs at the back of his neck, shrugging his slim shoulders at Amelia's admonishment. He needs to get better about sinking so far into his own head that he forgets about all of his friends out here who care about him. It's a rather bad habit of his.

"You really want to put on a parade here? Don't they take a long time to set up?" He sounds incredulous, really. How would they organize such a thing? And who would even want to?

[rogueinladysclothing]

Amelia really shouldn't be one to talk about such things. The number of days she's spent hiding from the Nexus at large and interacting with no one are not few. But in this moment, she means what she says. She truly wants the best for Steve and it feels like the best way to do that is to encourage him to keep his chin up and his mind away from dark thoughts.

"I have no idea," she admits with a shrug and a small smile. "But wouldn't it be fun to try anyway? To see how many people we can find to join in on the celebration? Or, if nothing else comes of it, to see how many new red, white, and blue colored things we can find for your apartment?" Optimism is not her strong suit, but today calls for trying, because it's her friend's birthday and he deserves all the silver linings she can find.

[juststeverogers]

One of Amelia's comments catches Steve's attention, and he looks around his apartment a good moment before he gives Amelia a small smile.

"You know, I wouldn't mind getting a nice flag to hang out on my balcony. A little piece of home, you know? Especially today."

[rogueinladysclothing]

It may be a small smile, but she'll take it. It's Steve's birthday and his favorite holiday, so he deserves to be happy.

The corner of her lip tugs upward into a smirk as she regards him. "So you're saying we should go out and find you an appropriately sized flag, then? I saw a few shops that had some on display while I was trying to find the perfect candies for you today."

And his favorite art store just so happens to be a few shops down, so they can easily stop in to let him know about the credit for his next few purchases she set up for him there while they're out and about, too.