Story: "Hairpins" Part 28
Apr. 23rd, 2014 12:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis story belongs to the series Love Is For Children which includes "Love Is for Children," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys,""Saudades," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," "Birthday Girl," "No Winter Lasts Forever," "Hide and Seek," "Kernel Error," "Happy Hour," and "Green Eggs and Hulk."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, JARVIS, Clint Barton, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanova, Bruce Banner.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: This story is mostly fluff, but it has some intense scenes in the middle. Highlight for details. These include dubious consent as Phil and JARVIS discuss what really happened when Agent Coulson hacked his way into Stark Tower, over which Phil has something between a flashback and a panic attack. They also discuss some of the bad things that have happened to Avengers in the past, including various flavors of abuse. If these are sensitive topics for you, please think carefully before deciding whether to read onward.
Summary: Uncle Phil needs to pick out pajamas for game night. He gets help from an unexpected direction.
Notes: Service. Shopping. Gifts. Artificial intelligence. Computers. Teamwork. Team as family. Friendship. Communication. Hope. Apologies. Forgiveness. Nonsexual ageplay. Nonsexual intimacy. Love. Tony Stark needs a hug. Bruce Banner needs a hug. #coulsonlives.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, Part 27. Skip to Part 30.
"Hairpins" Part 28
"Well, I can just custom-order the pajamas, make a note to take care with the measurements, and not mention that to Steve," said Phil. His fingertips danced over the screen, taking color chips from Steve's clothes and furnishings.
Steve actually did like red, white, and blue. Phil didn't want to dress him as an icon when he was supposed to be relaxing, though. He moved those to the bottom of the page. There were a lot of earth tones: rich chocolate browns, warm tans and ivories, dusky blues, a whole swath of dull greens that must have reminded Steve comfortably of the Army. A smattering of brighter colors hinted at Steve's taste for art. He seemed to like the pure primaries. Phil moved those up the page.
"Steve enjoys art. Let's see what we can find in that area," Phil said. Several sets of pajamas appeared, including one eye-searing Warhol Chihuahua print. "Oh god no, less modern pop and more Norman Rockwell."
"More like this?" JARVIS asked. The offending image vanished, replaced by a t-shirt with children cuddling.
"Hmm. Steve doesn't mind wandering around the house in an undershirt," Phil said. "Add sleep shirts to the list of possibilities along with regular pajamas." The image floated to the top of the page. "Come to think of it, check other examples of Americana. Skip the stars-and-stripes stuff, but ..."
"Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet?" JARVIS said, a smile audible in his voice.
Phil laughed. "Yes, exactly. Images of nostalgia. Something to help Steve bridge the past and the present."
JARVIS offered samples of baseball footie pajamas and a deep blue t-shirt featuring a 1957 Chevy. "Closer?" he asked.
"Somewhat. You're drifting back to red, white, and blue though," Phil said.
"Statistically speaking, it's that or the earth tones, and Steve does not seem to share Bruce's desire to fade into the woodwork," JARVIS pointed out. "May we consider those colors if they are not in a flag-like configuration?"
"All right, that's a valid point," Phil said. It felt good to hear JARVIS come out of hiding a little more, showing his own personality beyond the scope of formal search protocols. One thing Phil could do for him was simple inclusion. "I like the Chevy t-shirt but that's a little after his time. Maybe look for characters or concepts familiar to Steve?"
"Searching," JARVIS said. The page flickered with fresh images, only some of which Phil recognized.
"Wait, I like this one," Phil said, grabbing a Mickey Mouse baseball uniform. "This has definite potential. I remember Steve following baseball, and Mickey Mouse is a good piece of cultural art."
"Found it," JARVIS said, his voice satisfied and a bit smug. There on the screen was Babe Ruth's 1938 Dodgers uniform. It would be no trouble at all to turn that design into a set of pajamas and add a pair of house shoes.
"That's it," Phil agreed. "That's perfect." He entered the order. Phil was coming to rely on JARVIS for his insightful judgment, even as JARVIS was trusting Phil enough to reveal more of his true nature.
There was no way to know if Steve would ever show interest in game night, or if he'd accept when Phil felt ready to invite him. Just in case, though, the pajamas would be waiting for him.
Task complete, Phil set aside his Starkpad. Then he changed into workout clothes and headed for the gym. An hour's exercise would give him a good excuse to take the shower he already wanted.
* * *
Notes:
Andy Warhol was a pop artist famous for vivid color contrasts. See the Chihuahua pajamas.
Norman Rockwell specialized in nostalgic art. See the t-shirt with children cuddling.
Sleep shirts are an alternative to pajama sets or onesies, usually worn with pajama bottoms. You can mix-and-match sleepwear separates, or add pretty much any loose comfy tee to a pair of sleep pants.
Americana is the cultural material of the United States, and something categorically precious to Steve. "Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet" is the tagline of a classic Chevrolet commercial. It plays on common motifs to evoke a sense of nostalgia.
Phil is starting to realize that it takes a little extra effort to coax JARVIS from computer mode into something more social. There are tips for including people with disabilities or from disadvantaged groups. Similarly interfacing human and AI people requires some forethought to accommodate their differences.
Shyness can be a personality trait or a contextual feeling. Both are okay, but sometimes people feel limited by their own shyness or don't want to see it hindering a friend. There are ways to make places more welcoming for shy people and to talk with them comfortably. Know how to teach children about social interactions. You can overcome shyness and learn to participate more in groups. While JARVIS is snarky and voluble with Tony, he is far more unobtrusive and diffident around other people, unless either coaxed or provoked.
See the baseball onesie pajamas, Chevy shirt, and Mickey Mouse baseball pajamas.
Babe Ruth was a famous baseball player. This site has some information about his later career, along with a picture of the Dodgers uniform from his coaching season. It combines Steve's home timeframe, his favorite team, a famous player ... and then the house slippers are modern.
Washing eases guilt. Humans seem to have an instinctive desire for water when they feel spiritually or morally dirty, and they want to wash their hands or bathe. Phil is working through the guilt from what he did to JARVIS, but he still really really wants that shower. He just doesn't want to be as conspicuous as bolting for the bathroom for no other obvious reason.
[To be continued in Part 29 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, JARVIS, Clint Barton, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanova, Bruce Banner.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: This story is mostly fluff, but it has some intense scenes in the middle. Highlight for details. These include dubious consent as Phil and JARVIS discuss what really happened when Agent Coulson hacked his way into Stark Tower, over which Phil has something between a flashback and a panic attack. They also discuss some of the bad things that have happened to Avengers in the past, including various flavors of abuse. If these are sensitive topics for you, please think carefully before deciding whether to read onward.
Summary: Uncle Phil needs to pick out pajamas for game night. He gets help from an unexpected direction.
Notes: Service. Shopping. Gifts. Artificial intelligence. Computers. Teamwork. Team as family. Friendship. Communication. Hope. Apologies. Forgiveness. Nonsexual ageplay. Nonsexual intimacy. Love. Tony Stark needs a hug. Bruce Banner needs a hug. #coulsonlives.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, Part 27. Skip to Part 30.
"Hairpins" Part 28
"Well, I can just custom-order the pajamas, make a note to take care with the measurements, and not mention that to Steve," said Phil. His fingertips danced over the screen, taking color chips from Steve's clothes and furnishings.
Steve actually did like red, white, and blue. Phil didn't want to dress him as an icon when he was supposed to be relaxing, though. He moved those to the bottom of the page. There were a lot of earth tones: rich chocolate browns, warm tans and ivories, dusky blues, a whole swath of dull greens that must have reminded Steve comfortably of the Army. A smattering of brighter colors hinted at Steve's taste for art. He seemed to like the pure primaries. Phil moved those up the page.
"Steve enjoys art. Let's see what we can find in that area," Phil said. Several sets of pajamas appeared, including one eye-searing Warhol Chihuahua print. "Oh god no, less modern pop and more Norman Rockwell."
"More like this?" JARVIS asked. The offending image vanished, replaced by a t-shirt with children cuddling.
"Hmm. Steve doesn't mind wandering around the house in an undershirt," Phil said. "Add sleep shirts to the list of possibilities along with regular pajamas." The image floated to the top of the page. "Come to think of it, check other examples of Americana. Skip the stars-and-stripes stuff, but ..."
"Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet?" JARVIS said, a smile audible in his voice.
Phil laughed. "Yes, exactly. Images of nostalgia. Something to help Steve bridge the past and the present."
JARVIS offered samples of baseball footie pajamas and a deep blue t-shirt featuring a 1957 Chevy. "Closer?" he asked.
"Somewhat. You're drifting back to red, white, and blue though," Phil said.
"Statistically speaking, it's that or the earth tones, and Steve does not seem to share Bruce's desire to fade into the woodwork," JARVIS pointed out. "May we consider those colors if they are not in a flag-like configuration?"
"All right, that's a valid point," Phil said. It felt good to hear JARVIS come out of hiding a little more, showing his own personality beyond the scope of formal search protocols. One thing Phil could do for him was simple inclusion. "I like the Chevy t-shirt but that's a little after his time. Maybe look for characters or concepts familiar to Steve?"
"Searching," JARVIS said. The page flickered with fresh images, only some of which Phil recognized.
"Wait, I like this one," Phil said, grabbing a Mickey Mouse baseball uniform. "This has definite potential. I remember Steve following baseball, and Mickey Mouse is a good piece of cultural art."
"Found it," JARVIS said, his voice satisfied and a bit smug. There on the screen was Babe Ruth's 1938 Dodgers uniform. It would be no trouble at all to turn that design into a set of pajamas and add a pair of house shoes.
"That's it," Phil agreed. "That's perfect." He entered the order. Phil was coming to rely on JARVIS for his insightful judgment, even as JARVIS was trusting Phil enough to reveal more of his true nature.
There was no way to know if Steve would ever show interest in game night, or if he'd accept when Phil felt ready to invite him. Just in case, though, the pajamas would be waiting for him.
Task complete, Phil set aside his Starkpad. Then he changed into workout clothes and headed for the gym. An hour's exercise would give him a good excuse to take the shower he already wanted.
* * *
Notes:
Andy Warhol was a pop artist famous for vivid color contrasts. See the Chihuahua pajamas.
Norman Rockwell specialized in nostalgic art. See the t-shirt with children cuddling.
Sleep shirts are an alternative to pajama sets or onesies, usually worn with pajama bottoms. You can mix-and-match sleepwear separates, or add pretty much any loose comfy tee to a pair of sleep pants.
Americana is the cultural material of the United States, and something categorically precious to Steve. "Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet" is the tagline of a classic Chevrolet commercial. It plays on common motifs to evoke a sense of nostalgia.
Phil is starting to realize that it takes a little extra effort to coax JARVIS from computer mode into something more social. There are tips for including people with disabilities or from disadvantaged groups. Similarly interfacing human and AI people requires some forethought to accommodate their differences.
Shyness can be a personality trait or a contextual feeling. Both are okay, but sometimes people feel limited by their own shyness or don't want to see it hindering a friend. There are ways to make places more welcoming for shy people and to talk with them comfortably. Know how to teach children about social interactions. You can overcome shyness and learn to participate more in groups. While JARVIS is snarky and voluble with Tony, he is far more unobtrusive and diffident around other people, unless either coaxed or provoked.
See the baseball onesie pajamas, Chevy shirt, and Mickey Mouse baseball pajamas.
Babe Ruth was a famous baseball player. This site has some information about his later career, along with a picture of the Dodgers uniform from his coaching season. It combines Steve's home timeframe, his favorite team, a famous player ... and then the house slippers are modern.
Washing eases guilt. Humans seem to have an instinctive desire for water when they feel spiritually or morally dirty, and they want to wash their hands or bathe. Phil is working through the guilt from what he did to JARVIS, but he still really really wants that shower. He just doesn't want to be as conspicuous as bolting for the bathroom for no other obvious reason.
[To be continued in Part 29 ...]
Re: Getting Through
Date: 2014-04-24 03:46 am (UTC)Re: Getting Through
Date: 2014-04-25 07:33 am (UTC)*ponder* However, any large group of people might have one. A tenement might share a washer. A large family might let Steve and Bucky use theirs in exchange for chores. Steve obviously couldn't do the kind of heavy men's work expected of Bucky, so he did other things instead.
Re: Getting Through
Date: 2014-04-25 01:28 pm (UTC)There are some very interesting 'shared economy' innovations with the Modern Flats for the upscale markets. Things that a much richer society could make standard.
Steve's day is closer to 1950s Russia; now much poverty is a lack of will to be humane, then there were serious limits on production and transportation.
Re: Getting Through
Date: 2014-04-25 07:17 pm (UTC)Steve has impressive social skills. That means, despite growing up variously sick, with a single mother, in an orphanage, and during the Depression ... he somehow got quite a lot of social support. So I think he and Bucky found themselves a tight-knit tenement where people compensated for each other's weaknesses. Bucky could go out and work for cash, while Steve stayed home and did odd jobs on the good days or had someone to look in on him for the bad days. They'd share scarce resources so everyone could get by. This leaves a very different imprint than if they'd picked out the kind of place Bruce favors: where people studiously ignore everything.
>> The social history for this period is profuse and uneven. I never took the statistics needed to get into the primary sources; my skill is more at puncturing the assumptions that may be lurking in the write up. <<
The advantage to a patchy history is that you can pick the part of it that suits your current needs, and it'll be valid as one option among many.
>> There are some very interesting 'shared economy' innovations with the Modern Flats for the upscale markets. Things that a much richer society could make standard. <<
Yes. I admire the cohousing movement myself, which neatly balances small private spaces with lavish public spaces. Avengers Tower draws on that a great deal, although Tony being Tony, the private spaces are large and lavish too. But still, in proportion, there is more Avengers-common and tower-common space than their private apartments.
>> Steve's day is closer to 1950s Russia; now much poverty is a lack of will to be humane, then there were serious limits on production and transportation. <<
Painfully true. Steve is livid over willful construction of poverty. It's one thing to be poor for lack of resources, quite another when someone is hogging the supplies.
Re: Getting Through
Date: 2014-04-26 03:17 am (UTC)Re: Getting Through
Date: 2014-04-26 03:21 am (UTC)Re: Getting Through
Date: 2014-04-26 03:53 am (UTC)The boys likely were renting a room where more than one toilet per floor would be a height of luxury. Likely they had light sockets but no electrical outlets.