[OPEN] apple pie is officially banned from this party, aka Steve Rogers' birthday

[anotheroldsoldier]

who: ANYONE
what: 616 Bucky, Peggy, and 616 Tony throw a birthday party for Steve.
when: July 4th, afternoon into the evening
where: A nice park
warnings: Birthday fun. :v


Steve Rogers, former (and still) Captain America, was born on the Fourth. It was pretty much fated. That said, he deserves a party that has nothing to do with Independence Day, and that's what Bucky, Tony, and Peggy set out to do. They rented a nice little park with some good open, grassy space perfect for a pick-up game of football (American, of course). On one end of the park, in the relative shade of a couple of large trees, they've set up two long tables - one for food, and one to deposit presents for the birthday boy on. The picnic tables already in the park have nice blue tablecloths to eat on. A banner hung between the trees proclaims, "Happy Birthday, Steve!", in blue letters on white.

The decor tries to stay away from Fourth of July colors - there isn't a speck of red, just shades of blue and white, and it's all very put-together and classy looking (thank you, Peggy and Tony). It's the sort of party they thought Steve would want, outdoorsy and casual, just a gathering of friends and whoever else wants to come by to wish the birthday boy a happy one.

Invites
Invitations have mostly been word of mouth and texts sent to people Steve is friends with, nothing too fancy. They just say to drop by and wish Steve a happy birthday, have some food, and spend some time hanging out; Rogers wouldn't want anything fancy anyway. That said, they won't turn anybody away from the barbecue if someone decides to just crash the party, as long the behavior stays respectful.

Food
The food is mostly standard American barbecue fare. Two large grills have been set up near the tables and someone (often Bucky) is usually cooking on them - an array of burgers, hot dogs, steaks, even some ribs and chicken. Side dishes are laid out on the food table, the usual simple things. Here and around the picnic tables are a good place to mingle; there's plenty of food for everyone, and metal tubs full of ice and bottled soft drinks. There isn't much alcohol present at this party, though, just one of the tubs set aside with beers in it.

There's also a massive cake for Steve, with close to a hundred candles dotting its layers - Bucky's idea, payback for the time he couldn't see his own cake for all the candles.

Tossin' the Old Pigskin
They're all (mostly) adults here, so there aren't 'party games' necessarily, but there are a couple of footballs and some frisbees in the grass for anyone who wants to play a game in the lush field. Just be careful if the heavy hitters decide to arrange a game, it could get pretty out of hand.

Comments

MCU Tony | OTA

[buildsomething]

[So this is awkward.

Tony has no idea where he stands with half of these people and no idea what to make of the rest. He doesn't even have anything to bring with him, and that just feels weird. He's turned up empty-handed to things before, but that's generally because he was being an ass on purpose.

But. However grudgingly the invitation was offered, it was still and invitation. And here Tony is, making an effort. Slightly uncomfortable or not, it is a bit of familiarity in the middle of an incredibly strange situation. Frankly, he'll take it.

So maybe he's lingering to the outskirts more than he normally might and maybe his smile is a little too camera-ready, but he'll be perfectly sociable if anyone happens to start up a conversation with him. And he's staying as far away from the alcohol as he can get, even if it probably would make things easier.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Well. He wasn't expecting to see someone less at ease than himself and Loki had a convenient excuse on hand. What excuse was floundering around in Stark's head? ]

Not enough drinks for you?

[buildsomething]

[The voice makes Tony stop and sigh, but his expression is already shifting into something arch as he turns to face Loki. This, at least, he knows how to deal with. No ambiguity here.]

Beer's not quite my style. What happened to the cape, or is that only for formal occasions?

[dothelokimotion]

The cape works best for presence, not for birthday parties. No matter how momentous it may seem to mortals.

[buildsomething]

[Tony gives him a dry look and somehow resists the urge to point out that momentous or not, Loki actually deigned to turn up. The fact that he was invited at all means that Tony's going to play nice.

Or try to, anyway.]

Yeah, that's definitely what I think when I see capes. Presence. Do you ever get stuck in revolving doors?

[dothelokimotion]

[ His expression flickers minutely. It's still telling, a little off center for someone like Loki. There's a lot on his mind right now. ]

Do you still have those? I thought Midgard society would have outgrown their need to fixate on spinning objects.

[buildsomething]

[That flicker makes Tony pause for half a second, but he honestly has no idea what to make of it. Something to file away for later, maybe. It's not like he knows the guy well enough to have any concept of what's standard for him. Maybe he's just wishing they were a little higher so he'd have something to throw Tony off of, who knows.]

No, we're still big on spinning. It's a sign of progress, very important.

[anotheroldsoldier]

[Bucky takes his break from the grills to cool off, unable to take the July heat and the roar of charcoal flames for too long. The party is getting along nicely. People are socializing (mostly), eating, enjoying cake and ice cream and games. He grabs a cold drink - water, right now - and makes his own rounds.

He stops when he spots Tony - a Tony, and catalogs the physical differences between this one and the other two, wondering just how many differences there are. Still, this version of Barnes, shorter in stature, sweat-damp hair cut short, eyes brown instead of blue, arm sleeker and bearing a white star in a blue circle, looks good-natured enough when he approaches to talk.]

We're gonna have to get you guys name tags.

[buildsomething]

[He spots the arm first -- hard not to, really -- and Tony starts for half a second before he registers the obvious differences. Well, he had been told that there were multiple Barnes' too, hadn't he? The look on his face alone would make it pretty obvious that this is not the one Tony...knows.

He still shifts just a little, a bit of nervous energy he's not quite sure what to do with even as he flicks the man a quick, reflexive smile.]

Not sure that'd help. Names aren't exactly different.

[anotheroldsoldier]

[He approaches with just a touch more caution after he notices the startled half-reaction, brief as it is. He watches Stark's body language somewhat closely, wondering if he's tried to kill this Stark too. It was just the one time, for him, but he's met the other Bucky.]

We could label you with your Earth designations. Or nicknames. I might be tryin' to make 'Baby-Faced Steve' catch on.

[buildsomething]

[Tonys eyebrows lift a little, both at the statement and the obvious caution. But hey, he can't exactly argue the need. He's not afraid -- not of this Bucky or even the other one -- but there's too many emotions flying around in his head to pick out which one is actually causing the issue.

So he's just going to ignore it. That usually works out well.]

Somehow I get the feeling I'm not going to like any nickname someone here comes up with. [He's noticed the obvious age differences. He's not blind.]

What are 'Earth designations' anyway?

[anotheroldsoldier]

[He doesn't want to spook Tony, not really. It's not his intent to make him uncomfortable. He likes his world's Tony, even considers him a good friend, almost on par with Steve and Natasha. There are definite timeline differences, and he doesn't know what kind of history this Tony has with that Bucky, but Bucky is trying to make an effort.]

Probably not. Carol used to call me 'Buckaroo'. [The comment is offered with a slight smile and a little self-deprecation. An olive branch.] Not that she's here, but.

Identification numbers for different alternate universes, I guess. The eggheads use 'em. I don't know any but my own.

[buildsomething]

[One eyebrow goes down but the other stays up. Buckaroo? He can't see it. Not that Tony knows this man at all to judge.

He can't help but smile faintly back, though, if only because Bucky is trying so hard to put him at ease. He can respect that, even if he's not entirely sure how to feel about it.]

Might as well stick with the nicknames, then. Go on. [Tony shifts a little like he's bracing himself, but the wry twist to his mouth says it's not serious.] I guarantee you that anything you can come up with, I've heard worse.

[wingedman]

[Sam just sighs and heads over to press a plate with a slice of pie into Tony's hands.]

Thought you were supposed to be a party animal, Stark.

[buildsomething]

[Oh good, one of the people Tony's been avoiding. Not out of any real issues with the guy so much as Tony still trying to make heads or tails of what exactly had happened to him right after he'd gotten to this place. And Sam just happened to be in the middle of it. And Tony does not handle embarrassment well, strangely enough.

But his hands are suddenly full of pie. You don't say no to pie.

So he sucks it up and gives Sam a quirked grin.]

Yeah, well, party animal-ing hasn't exactly been working out well for me lately. Thought I'd try something new.

[wingedman]

No offense, but a lot of stuff hasn't been working out real well for you lately.

[It's not meant to be a barb; Sam's tone is soft and sympathetic. Which might make it worse, actually.]

I know you'll probably tell me where to shove it, but if you need someone to talk to, my door's always open. Or my phone. Whatever. And I can promise you that nothing you say will ever find its way to anyone else.

[He might be Steve's best friend, but that doesn't mean Sam has to tell him everything. And, frankly, Tony probably needs the kind of help he can give just as much as Steve does.]

[buildsomething]

[Tony goes still, his expression completely unreadable. Even he can't tell if the reaction is at the too-true statement or the too-easy offer.

There's a dark kind of amusement at the fact that everyone wants to talk now when the damage has already been done. Tony will probably appreciate that later.

But he's not going to bring any of that up at a party. Especially not this party. He shrugs a little instead, aiming for unconcerned.]

I will keep that in mind. Thanks.

[wingedman]

No, you won't.

[The smile he gives Tony is more of a wry twist of his lips. If there's one thing Sam's used to, it's having his suggestions politely blown off. The hazards of being a trauma specialist on a team of stubborn assholes who insist there's nothing wrong with them.

As for talking now...well, Sam had been maybe a little too focused on Steve before, and for good reason. Not like that had worked, either. Tony's never really been his concern, but meeting the other two here has made him realize that maybe he's been a little unfair towards the man, and maybe he should start.]

You're afraid of therapists - not that most therapists are equipped to handle trauma on the scale you've been through - and you probably don't wanna talk to me, specifically. And I understand both those things.

[There's a pause, and Sam glances down at the ground and away, fidgeting with his hands for a moment.]

How's Rhodey doing?

[He knows it's not his fault, as much as he'd struggled with it when he'd been dumped onto the Raft (and, Christ, he'd spent too much time there in a mess, everything looping and replaying in his mind), as much as the ghosts in his mind still try and insist it is. But he's not sure whether Tony sees it that way, if he's pouring salt in the wound.]

[buildsomething]

[Tony's gearing up for a response to that -- he didn't ask to be psychoanalyzed, thanks, and who's afraid of therapists? -- and then the question catches him completely off guard. He winds up just blinking at Sam for a moment, apparently having forgotten that he's holding something.

But. He doesn't know Sam as well as he probably should, but he's pretty sure he knows why he took Rhodey's fall as badly as he did. It wasn't anyone's fault, at least not any more than the rest of that clusterfuck. Even at his worst, Tony won't blame anyone for it, and he knows Rhodey doesn't either.

Maybe it's the way Sam looks slightly uncomfortable, or maybe it's just the fact that he's asking at all, but Tony feels his posture unbending a little.]

He's...well. Managing. Stubborn, you know? [A slight smile lifts at one corner of his mouth, something between fondness and pride. Rhodey was always the stronger one.]

We were working on braces, keep him walking. And he better still be practicing with them or I'm gonna kick his ass.

[livingsymbol]

[ Steve has only had the one exchange with this man, but it's actually not hard to pick him out. The man looks like Tony Stark, with the stylish appearance and recognizable facial hair. He isn't the Tony Steve knows, though. And he isn't the other one he has come to know, who looks constantly underweight and unsteady. This man is much more clear, but sharper, and Steve notes that he doesn't cling to the bar like the other one does. Good start. He slips up to Tony's side and stands next to him. ]

You can relax, you know. It's supposed to be a party, and if you're tenser than me, people will ask questions.

[buildsomething]

[Tony turns a little as someone comes up to him, and is only slightly surprised to find Steve. The other Steve. In person, the differences are even more pronounced, in a way that Tony finds difficult to categorize. Maybe he just looks older. More sure of himself.

Or maybe he's just not looking at Tony like he's an unexploded grenade. Hard to tell.]

Maybe. [He shrugs a little and flashes him a quick smile.] But you're supposed to be the belle of the ball here, not me. Happy birthday, by the way.

[livingsymbol]

[ Steve is naturally comfortable in this rhythm. It's familiar to him, even if the man he's dealing with isn't, and he easily slips into teasing Tony because that works best. When he gets a smile, however brief, it's enough encouragement to get Steve to offer the man a plate of cake and slightly melted ice cream. Yeah, he might have come over intending to feed the newcomer happiness. Steve has to fuss over him. ]

Thanks. I honestly think it's a little overrated, but that happens when you start bearing down on the century mark.

[ The joke is mild and slightly dry, but it's still a joke. ]

I'm not good at holding anyone's attention. Show me how it's done?

[buildsomething]

[There's a brief moment where Tony just blinks at the plate before reaching out to take it. Okay, Steve trying to feed him is nothing new, apparently this one has similar impulses. Weird, but not the weirdest thing he's come across.

At the offer, though, he lets out an amused snort.]

Yeah, no thanks. I doubt you'd like my version of being the center of attention.

[Tony can hold a crowd alright, but it generally involves either not caring about what the assembled people think of him or doing a good job of pretending he doesn't. The first one is pretty obviously a lie and Tony's not sure he has the energy to pull out that particular mask at the moment.]

You're pretty hard to miss, anyway.

[livingsymbol]

[Steve waits politely and actually looks pleased when Tony takes the plate and at least seems to consider eating. He has to fuss, even if he barely knows this man, he feels like he needs to reach out to him. It's only fair, considering the effort he is putting in for the other two. This Tony looks like he needs it.]

You mean showing everyone your fancy tech? Yeah, I guess I wouldn't know much about that. But crowds aren't my thing, unless you want me to direct them.

[He smirks a little.]

Or stop them. But being center stage has never been something I could pull off like you probably can. I think I'm doing pretty good here at laying low. You didn't say anything until I came over.

[Yes, he might be trying to convince Tony he's sneaky.]

[buildsomething]

[Something about that startles an amused snort out of him, and Tony takes a pause from considering the cake to give Steve a look that's almost downright mischievous.]

So I'm guessing you never did the USO shows, then?

[They're just going to put the issue of a 6'2" blonde linebacker managing to sneak anywhere to the side. Tony can only manage so many so many sarcastic comments at once.]