video; un: sg.rogers

[livingsymbol]

How do you go about picking gifts?

[ He's just going to dive right in. No real introduction, but Steve figures that most people won't care too much about who is asking this or why. ]

I'm sure a lot of you are better at this than I am, so I guess I need some advice. How do you find a good gift for someone that already has far more than you've seen for half your lifetime? Not that I'm aiming to impress anyone, but it'd be nice to pull it off.

[ He grins a little. Okay, so maybe he's trying. Just a little. But Steve is rarely the one that surprises anyone else. He just wants a chance at doing something cool for a change. Of course, he's realistic and knows this is unlikely, but he can try. ]

I'm in a little over my head on this one. Everyone else always has the flashy stuff covered.

Comments

text;

[livingsymbol]

I don't want to make anyone pretend to like my gifts.

[ If he could sputter over text, he would. ]

If he's disappointed, it'll be a failure.

[bastardofipswich]

oh come on, the pretending is just a backup failsafe thing. ideally he'll actually like it. most people are happy enough with sentimental crap

[ Trust him, he's 18, which means he's a total expert at life in general! ]

[livingsymbol]

Most people. But not all of them. Not you?

[ That's what Steve is getting. ]

What do you like?

[bastardofipswich]

[ Hey wait, why is Steve turning this around on him? NOT FAIR. He'll just... keep acting like everything's a joke, because that's what he's comfortable with. ]

lol my family wasn't big on sentimental stuff. dad's idea of a gift was a firm handshake and a silk tie

[ Yeah, he had no real relationship with his adoptive parents, and definitely none with his birth parents. As to the other question, he'll go ahead and give a genuine answer. ]

books. hard to go wrong with that unless your guy's read everything in the universe

[livingsymbol]

[ He doesn't like how people keep speaking about their lives with that painful kind of distance. While he can understand being brought up in less sentimental situations, the way they talk about them makes him feel that the people around him are lonely because of it. That they are struggling. ]

Tell me your favorite books. So I can get some ideas.

[ And because this person clearly needs someone to talk to. ]

[bastardofipswich]

off the top of my head? uhhh

[ He's been utterly consumed with addiction and vengeance for the past... however-many months, so he hasn't really put much thought into this in a while. ]

pretty much anything by stephen king or clive barker or neil gaiman. hp lovecraft too.

[ That's the safe answer, anyway. The one that doesn't tell anyone anything beyond 'I like horror.' But, hey, maybe it's the fact that he's got a little bit of a buffer of (semi) anonymity right now that has him opening up a little more. ]

but i don't know this guy, maybe he doesn't like horror. when i was a kid, i read where the sidewalk ends until the spine broke. and the golden compass. and oz, wonderland, all that whimsical crap

[livingsymbol]

Hm, I don't think he'd like horror books. He needs happier things to focus on.

[ Which might be true for a lot of people, really. Steve thinks that maybe once Loki has resolved some of his personal pain he'll be able to digest others' horrors, butt for now pleasant is better than bad. ]

What's wrong with whimsical?

[bastardofipswich]

oh hm ok...

OH GET HIM TWILIGHT! it's a love story

[ THAT'S RIGHT, HE LIKES TWILIGHT. ]

nothing i guess? i'm just not 10 anymore. real magic beats all that kids' stuff anyway

what kind of books do you like?

[livingsymbol]

A love story. I guess he might like that. He did say he reads all kinds of things.

Real magic?

[ Is he going to follow that up with something, or...? ]

I like history books. Ones that let you experience places you haven't been and explore different things you haven't seen before are nice.

[ So coffee table books. ]

[bastardofipswich]

yeah real magic. witchy magic. all that 'double double toil and trouble' stuff ;)

[ Okay, his magic involves 100% fewer cauldrons and incantations than the witches in Macbeth, but never let it be said that Chase ever puts substance before style. ]

once you realize you can do anything, reading about other people going on magical adventures isn't that interesting anymore

[ Teen vampire romances, though? Totally interesting. ]

i guess i can get that. history's pretty cool sometimes

[livingsymbol]

I guess it would be. I have to say, I've been on a few adventures and I'm still impressed.

But I don't know magic.

[ And maybe Steve is just easily impressed. ]

Heh. You don't sound convinced. History not exciting enough when you have magical adventures?

[bastardofipswich]

[ INTEREST: PIQUED. ]

yeah? what kinds of adventures?

[ Called out! Chase probably deserves that. ]

no i mean it! i've done a lot of reading on colonial america, like local history stuff. it's interesting

[livingsymbol]

Well, I've traveled to a few different countries and met some interesting people. And wildlife.

[ That is definitely downplaying it, but he isn't sure he wants to lead with "and I'm a superhero." ]

Mhm. It's okay, it's hard to compete with real magic, I guess.

[bastardofipswich]

is that what passes for an adventure where you're from, or are you MASSIVELY underselling it to me??

[ HE'S ON TO YOU.

Well. Not on to the superhero part. ]

no seriously i like history!

wait

you're making fun of me, aren't you?

[livingsymbol]

Well, there was a little more to it than that. But I'm sure you don't want to hear about boring non-magic history.

[ He is absolutely teasing. It's one of his hobbies. ]

Especially since all we've got to talk about is farming and building cabins.

[bastardofipswich]

you're killing me here! i want to know about your boring non-magic history!

[livingsymbol]

Well, back home I was a superhero.

[ Who would believe that? ]