Story: "The Path of the Sun" Part 3
Oct. 29th, 2014 12:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis story belongs to the Schrodinger's Hulk series, a crossover between Hulk and Schrodinger's Heroes. It is a sequel to "Safe Keeping" and "Two Spirits, One Past," and "For the Very First Time." It fills the "original characters" square in my 6-11-14 card for the ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fanbingo fest, and the "sunny" square in the public card for the Birthday Bingo fest.
Format: Fiction
Title: "The Path of the Sun"
Fandom: Hulk/Schrodinger's heroes
Summary: Bruce is not a fan of birthdays, nor of parties in general. Pat is pretty sure he can change Bruce's mind.
Required Warnings: No standard warnings apply.
Notes: Gentle coaxing, laid-back planning, low-key celebration, party food, games, team as family, cottoncandy fluff.
Here ends "The Path of the Sun." Thank you all for sticking with the Schrodinger's Hulk series this far! I love your input. Final thoughts on the story overall are welcome, in addition to reactions on this specific chapter.
I do not have another piece of fanfic to post at this time. I've been crazy-busy the last few weeks and will be through the end of October. Sorry to break off like this, but when I'm overbooked I have to cut the nonpaying projects first. :( Keep an eye on the fiction and poetry tags here in my blog; I'll post more if or when I have some.
A note on feedback: While it's not necessary to comment on every post I make, remember that I don't know who reads/likes things if nobody says anything. Particularly on long stories, I've discovered that I get antsy if there's nothing but crickets chirping for several posts. So it helps to give me feedback at least once, even if it's just "I like this" or "This one doesn't grab me." First and last episodes are ideal if you rarely feel inspired to comment in the middle.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2.
"The Path of the Sun" Part 3
There was no formal presentation of packages. People just came up and handed them to Bruce. The gifts themselves were simple, homey things. Bruce recognized that people had gone out of their way to restrain their generosity for his comfort.
Half the team gave him used books, which was great; his bookcase was still only two-thirds full. Pat gave him a latch-top crock, white with blue flecks, perfect for storing snacks in Bruce's bedroom. Chris presented a rag rug in soothing pastels, which wasn't even wrapped, just rolled and tied with a blue ribbon. There were two t-shirts, a team tradition. The one from Alex was a delicate orchid color with dark pink and blue text reading, "Science Solves Problems" over an atom. Dakota brought a second from the thrift shop, the palest possible peach fabric worn soft and thin, decorated with a spray of silver foil stars. It was the nicest birthday that Bruce could remember.
Pat's picnic meal, of course, turned out delicious. Watermelon agua fresca glimmered pink in crystal glasses, catching the sunlight. In addition to Bruce's requested cucumber dish, there was an egg salad with jalapeños and a potato salad with bacon bits. A platter held piles of turkey-avocado burritos. Bruce enjoyed the salt-sour tang of the cucumbers even as the Other Guy radiated approval for the sweet undertone.
Finally it was time for the cake. Bruce was surprised -- and relieved -- that it held no candles, thus sparing him the embarrassing spectacle of the "Happy Birthday" song. Pat simply offered him the knife and a stack of plates. Bruce dutifully reduced the cake to slices and passed them around.
The stuff was sticky and creamy-sweet, even better than he remembered. Everyone made appreciative noises. Pat bowed a little from the shoulders.
Bruce watched the shadows slowly creeping across the lawn. Everything was quiet and still as people lazed in the lawn chairs, staring up at the deepening Texas sky. Chris ambled around lighting tiki torches to ward off mosquitoes.
Bruce thought about the course of the past year and how far it had brought him. In his mind he traced the path of the Sun through the galaxy, the Earth going around the Sun, the Earth and the Moon dancing with each other. Heavenly bodies, vast and distant, yet eternally connected.
So too Bruce and Hulk circled each other, passing around and through the common focal point of their body. They never quite touched each other directly, yet their mutual influence was as inescapable as gravity. It would be better, perhaps, if they could learn to dance with it instead of fighting all the time.
Happy birthday, Bruce thought, an inward whisper.
Happy? came the reply.
Not angry, feeling good inside. This is happy, Bruce explained.
The moment reminded him of something he'd read in college -- back in his own dimension -- those weird feminist books that Betty Ross left scattered in her wake. There had been several novels, and a dictionary of an imaginary language. Something in them had always plucked at him, although Bruce never could quite pin down what it was.
He licked whipped cream icing from his fork. There were no candles on the cake, but Bruce made a wish anyway.
May there be peace between us.
* * *
Notes:
Birthday gifts don't have to be expensive or fancy. They can be simple and still memorable. See Bruce's crock, rug, science t-shirt, and star t-shirt.
And now, the long awaited menu for the birthday feast! I got some ideas from a picnic list. Here are recipes for watermelon agua fresca, sliced cucumbers in vinegar, jalapeño egg salad, texas ranch potato salad, turkey avocado burritos, and tres leches cake.
Some people hate the Happy Birthday song, and that's okay. Pat didn't ask; he simply inferred the probability from Bruce's other answers and behaviors, and quietly asked people not to sing.
Bruce is thinking about the path of the Sun, the Earth and the Moon.
Happiness is what you feel when your life meets your needs. Bruce-and-Hulk haven't had much of that, but they're getting there now. There are ways to be happy in your life.
Bruce is remembering some books featuring Láadan, including A First Dictionary and Grammar of Láadan and the Native Tongue trilogy. Wil sha is rendered as "Let there be harmony" in the online dictionary, but I've also seen it as "Let there be peace between us."
~ MISSION ACCOMPLISHED ~
fanbingo fest, and the "sunny" square in the public card for the Birthday Bingo fest.Format: Fiction
Title: "The Path of the Sun"
Fandom: Hulk/Schrodinger's heroes
Summary: Bruce is not a fan of birthdays, nor of parties in general. Pat is pretty sure he can change Bruce's mind.
Required Warnings: No standard warnings apply.
Notes: Gentle coaxing, laid-back planning, low-key celebration, party food, games, team as family, cottoncandy fluff.
Here ends "The Path of the Sun." Thank you all for sticking with the Schrodinger's Hulk series this far! I love your input. Final thoughts on the story overall are welcome, in addition to reactions on this specific chapter.
I do not have another piece of fanfic to post at this time. I've been crazy-busy the last few weeks and will be through the end of October. Sorry to break off like this, but when I'm overbooked I have to cut the nonpaying projects first. :( Keep an eye on the fiction and poetry tags here in my blog; I'll post more if or when I have some.
A note on feedback: While it's not necessary to comment on every post I make, remember that I don't know who reads/likes things if nobody says anything. Particularly on long stories, I've discovered that I get antsy if there's nothing but crickets chirping for several posts. So it helps to give me feedback at least once, even if it's just "I like this" or "This one doesn't grab me." First and last episodes are ideal if you rarely feel inspired to comment in the middle.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2.
"The Path of the Sun" Part 3
There was no formal presentation of packages. People just came up and handed them to Bruce. The gifts themselves were simple, homey things. Bruce recognized that people had gone out of their way to restrain their generosity for his comfort.
Half the team gave him used books, which was great; his bookcase was still only two-thirds full. Pat gave him a latch-top crock, white with blue flecks, perfect for storing snacks in Bruce's bedroom. Chris presented a rag rug in soothing pastels, which wasn't even wrapped, just rolled and tied with a blue ribbon. There were two t-shirts, a team tradition. The one from Alex was a delicate orchid color with dark pink and blue text reading, "Science Solves Problems" over an atom. Dakota brought a second from the thrift shop, the palest possible peach fabric worn soft and thin, decorated with a spray of silver foil stars. It was the nicest birthday that Bruce could remember.
Pat's picnic meal, of course, turned out delicious. Watermelon agua fresca glimmered pink in crystal glasses, catching the sunlight. In addition to Bruce's requested cucumber dish, there was an egg salad with jalapeños and a potato salad with bacon bits. A platter held piles of turkey-avocado burritos. Bruce enjoyed the salt-sour tang of the cucumbers even as the Other Guy radiated approval for the sweet undertone.
Finally it was time for the cake. Bruce was surprised -- and relieved -- that it held no candles, thus sparing him the embarrassing spectacle of the "Happy Birthday" song. Pat simply offered him the knife and a stack of plates. Bruce dutifully reduced the cake to slices and passed them around.
The stuff was sticky and creamy-sweet, even better than he remembered. Everyone made appreciative noises. Pat bowed a little from the shoulders.
Bruce watched the shadows slowly creeping across the lawn. Everything was quiet and still as people lazed in the lawn chairs, staring up at the deepening Texas sky. Chris ambled around lighting tiki torches to ward off mosquitoes.
Bruce thought about the course of the past year and how far it had brought him. In his mind he traced the path of the Sun through the galaxy, the Earth going around the Sun, the Earth and the Moon dancing with each other. Heavenly bodies, vast and distant, yet eternally connected.
So too Bruce and Hulk circled each other, passing around and through the common focal point of their body. They never quite touched each other directly, yet their mutual influence was as inescapable as gravity. It would be better, perhaps, if they could learn to dance with it instead of fighting all the time.
Happy birthday, Bruce thought, an inward whisper.
Happy? came the reply.
Not angry, feeling good inside. This is happy, Bruce explained.
The moment reminded him of something he'd read in college -- back in his own dimension -- those weird feminist books that Betty Ross left scattered in her wake. There had been several novels, and a dictionary of an imaginary language. Something in them had always plucked at him, although Bruce never could quite pin down what it was.
He licked whipped cream icing from his fork. There were no candles on the cake, but Bruce made a wish anyway.
May there be peace between us.
* * *
Notes:
Birthday gifts don't have to be expensive or fancy. They can be simple and still memorable. See Bruce's crock, rug, science t-shirt, and star t-shirt.
And now, the long awaited menu for the birthday feast! I got some ideas from a picnic list. Here are recipes for watermelon agua fresca, sliced cucumbers in vinegar, jalapeño egg salad, texas ranch potato salad, turkey avocado burritos, and tres leches cake.
Some people hate the Happy Birthday song, and that's okay. Pat didn't ask; he simply inferred the probability from Bruce's other answers and behaviors, and quietly asked people not to sing.
Bruce is thinking about the path of the Sun, the Earth and the Moon.
Happiness is what you feel when your life meets your needs. Bruce-and-Hulk haven't had much of that, but they're getting there now. There are ways to be happy in your life.
Bruce is remembering some books featuring Láadan, including A First Dictionary and Grammar of Láadan and the Native Tongue trilogy. Wil sha is rendered as "Let there be harmony" in the online dictionary, but I've also seen it as "Let there be peace between us."
~ MISSION ACCOMPLISHED ~
Satisfying!
Date: 2014-10-29 05:46 am (UTC)Re: Satisfying!
Date: 2014-10-29 05:50 am (UTC)Yay! I'm glad that comes through.
>> They're okay that /this/ is his tolerance, for now. They're not convinced that this will /always/ be his comfort level, but they don't push. <<
Pat's strategy is not to push, but to pull. He creates a welcoming vacuum that encourages people to unfold into it -- a space where it's safe to come out and be themselves, whatever that happens to be. He gets some pretty amazing results.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-29 01:43 pm (UTC)*hugs*
Date: 2014-10-30 06:38 am (UTC)I tend to offer people a birthday meal of their choosing. Festivities are adjustable based on personal taste. I'm not much of a party person but I can cook.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-29 09:44 pm (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2014-10-30 04:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-31 05:07 am (UTC)Yay!
Date: 2014-10-31 05:11 am (UTC)Lovely!
Date: 2021-01-12 06:34 pm (UTC)Btw, a little "heads up" that this work doesn't seem to be included with the rest of Shrodinger's Hulk on the Shrodinger's Heroes Menu Post,
<https://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/1752525.html>.
I'm glad I decided to read it even though <http://penultimateproductions.weebly.com/crossover-content.html> only shows "Part 1".
P.S., yes, I belatedly decided to make an account, just so I can comment and then track responses.
Re: Lovely!
Date: 2021-01-13 02:40 am (UTC)Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed this.
>>Btw, a little "heads up" that this work doesn't seem to be included with the rest of Shrodinger's Hulk on the Shrodinger's Heroes Menu Post <<
Fixed, thanks.
>> I'm glad I decided to read it even though <http://penultimateproductions.weebly.com/crossover-content.html> only shows "Part 1". <<
I'll see about fixing that too.
>> P.S., yes, I belatedly decided to make an account, just so I can comment and then track responses. <<
:D Yay!