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]

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.