Story: "No Winter Lasts Forever" (Part 1)
May. 11th, 2013 12:02 am![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis story is a sequel to "Love Is for Children," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys," "Saudades," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," and "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," and "Birthday Girl."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hulk, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS, Bucky Barnes, Nick Fury.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Mind control. Inferences of past child abuse and other torture. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: A mission in Russia introduces the Avengers to the Winter Soldier. Steve wants Bucky back and will stop at nothing to make that happen. Everyone else helps however they can.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Sibling relationships. Fix-it. Teamwork. Canon-typical violence. BAMF!Avengers. Vulgar language. Drama. Rescue. Hurt/Comfort. Friendship. Confusion. Memory loss. Nick Fury makes stupid-ass decisions. Fluff. Nonsexual ageplay. Making up for lost time. Tony Stark has a heart. Games. Trust issues. Safety and security. Food issues. Multiplicity/Plurality. Sleep issues. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Yoga. Personal growth. Family of choice. ALL THE FEELS. #coulsonlives.
The preliminary notes for this story ran long because the story is long, so I've posted them separately. I also have a list of photogenic scenes from the whole series for fanartists to consider.
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.
Anonymous commenters: You don't have to specify exactly who you are, but it helps to have a first name or a username from some other service, so I have some idea of who's saying which and how many different "Anonymous" folks there are. You can just type some kind of identifier at the end of your comment.
Skip to 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, Part 28, Part 29,Part 30, Part 31, Part 32, Part 33, Part 34, Part 35, Part 36, Part 37, Part 38, Part 39, Part 40, Part 41, Part 42, Part 43, Part 44, Part 45, Part 46, Part 47, Part 48, Part 49, Part 50, Part 51, Part 52, Part 53, Part 54, Part 55, Part 56, Part 57, Part 58,Part 59, Part 60, Part 61, Part 62, Part 63, Part 64, Part 65, Part 66, Part 67, Part 68, Part 69, Part 70, Part 71, Part 72, Part 73, Part 74, Part 75.
"No Winter Lasts Forever" Part 1
It began as a simple surveillance mission in Russia. Black Widow and Hawkeye infiltrated a group of arms dealers from Department X, which they gladly targeted given the connection to the Red Room. They followed a long chain of leads that actually had its roots back in the interrogation Black Widow was conducting when Agent Coulson announced Hawkeye's capture by Loki.
Things went so well, they needed an extra pair of hands. They pulled in Captain America, carefully undercover. Then Iron Man turned up a connection with Ten Rings while trying to track down some misappropriated Stark Industries weaponry. So Agent Coulson sent him in because he could control some of that ordnance in case of trouble. When Dr. Ross discovered a cache of AIM equipment in the same vicinity, she all but threw Banner at them with an admonishment to get the gamma cannons out of the hands of the crazy people.
That's when things stopped going quite so well.
"See, this is what happens when you try to privatize world peace," Hawkeye complained. "Now all the people who hate us suddenly want to make friends with each other. This arms exchange could turn into a flaming death trap."
"Quit whining, Robin Hood," said Iron Man as he tapped away at a holographic keyboard. "This way, we get a whole bunch of bad guys in one place at one time. We bowl a strike, and none of them will have enough command structure left to bother us for months at least. The head honchos will be too busy replacing their right-hand men."
"Yeah, but if we drop the ball in the gutter, we're fucked," Hawkeye said. "They have enough firepower to hurt us for real."
"We can't pull out now without scuttling the entire deal," Captain America said. "They set it up so that if anyone doesn't show, everyone scatters. Black Widow's our buyer, Hawkeye and I are her bodyguards, we're locked into this deal tonight and that's it."
"Paranoid little darlings, aren't they," Iron Man muttered.
"It's not paranoia when people really are out to get you," Banner said.
"Less chatter, more work, people," Agent Coulson said firmly. "We're approaching the drop zone now." The idea was for the transport to hang back and provide a quick escape in case something went wrong. "Stick to the plan. Your first priority is to gain control of the weaponry for sale, unconventional first and then conventional. Your second priority is to capture or kill the various arms runners, with intent to cripple as many of the criminal organizations as possible. Get moving."
They got moving. Agent Coulson monitored their progress on his screen.
The initial stage unfolded as anticipated, everyone in their places around the dark frozen parking lot. When Black Widow signaled that all the weaponry was on site and in transaction, Iron Man and Hulk ambushed the dealers. Given the attendees at the event, everyone had expected trouble, but most of them had not expected the Hulk. He was a smash hit. Three of AIM's officers went down under a single blow from a missile that Hulk swung like a baseball bat. He was still angry about that last lab of theirs.
Black Widow and Captain America worked to corral the Russian hosts, who would be the most useful for questioning as they had arranged the event. Aware of Department X's role in Black Widow's past, Captain America dropped one fleeing lieutenant with the edge of the shield, shattering his pelvis. Iron Man targeted the Ten Rings contingent. Hawkeye provided cover fire for him, putting a broadhead through one terrorist's chest just to the right of his heart. Hulk finished folding a lamp post around the surviving AIM leaders. Then he bounded over to help Iron Man. Agent Coulson noted their steadily improving teamwork.
That was when the plan came apart at the seams.
The Russians clustered together around an imposing figure clad in black leather who stood out boldly against the snowy background. Shaggy brown hair hung to his shoulders. Each hand gripped a massive gun. He watched the battle with an impassive gaze. Seeing his firepower blocked by Captain America's shield, he coolly dropped the muzzle to shoot the car under his opponent's feet. The explosion of the gas tank chased away the shadows to give everyone a clear view of his face.
"That's a positive on the Winter Soldier, sir," said Black Widow.
"Bucky!" Steve cried in the same instant, and it was definitely Steve rather than Captain America. His voice was a torrent of shock-joy-grief-guilt.
"Get me a close-up visual on that," Agent Coulson snapped. The camera zoomed in. He knew what James Barnes had looked like from certain pieces of Captain America memorabilia. Strong resemblance, but I can't be sure -- and it's impossible anyway -- Agent Coulson thought, scrambling for an explanation.
"Steer-fucking HYDRA bastards," Steve snarled.
Well, that was one possible explanation. Agent Coulson recalled the reports from Captain America's first spectacular mission rescuing prisoners from a HYDRA base. Given that James Barnes had survived a turn as a human lab rat, maybe he had somehow survived his fall from the train ...
"JARVIS, assist, we need facial identification here," said Iron Man.
"Identity confirmed. The Winter Soldier matches the physical appearance of James Barnes," JARVIS replied a second later.
Captain America came back online at the same time, somehow perfectly calm. "Agent Coulson, I hereby notify you of an urgent change in mission parameters from capture/kill to extraction," he said.
"Mission update acknowledged," Agent Coulson replied. "Use your best judgment and inform me if you require any further assistance." He shared Captain America's policy of never leave a man behind. Barnes had been an American soldier when he fell off that train. They'd failed him once before; they wouldn't fail him again now.
"Hawkeye, can you hit the Winter Soldier with a tranq arrow?" Captain America asked.
"If you can get him out from behind that truck, yes," Hawkeye said.
"His metabolism is metahuman, so you'll need to use one of the ones meant for us," Black Widow said. They'd developed those in case of emergency, if someone took control of their heavy hitters, so they could neutralize a teammate safely. Agent Coulson was profoundly grateful for that foresight even in this unanticipated situation.
The Winter Soldier was doing his level best to kill Captain America and Black Widow. They were hampered by their unwillingness to hurt him. Iron Man tried to draw him out with repulsor fire, but the man was just too quick and canny. Hulk finally put an end to the violent dance by yanking the truck out of the way. It went skidding across the ice and left the Winter Soldier exposed.
"I have the shot," Hawkeye announced.
"Take him," Captain America said quietly.
The Winter Soldier dropped to the ground with an arrow in the back of one thigh.
"Target down," Hawkeye said.
* * *
Notes:
"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." -- Hal Borland
Department X is connected with Red Room, behind the development of Black Widow according to some versions of Marvel canon.
Ten Rings is the terrorist organization that kidnapped Tony Stark in Afghanistan.
AIM combines mad science and terrorism.
Here's a clip from Black Widow's cunning interrogation scene.
Bucky Barnes grew up with Steve Rogers, essentially taking the role of an older brother. Steve believes that Bucky died in a fall from a train, for which he still blames himself, as shown in Captain America: The First Avenger. In some versions of canon, Bucky falls into enemy hands and becomes the Winter Soldier. I found this image of the Winter Soldier which I used as partial inspiration. This fanart of the Winter Soldier captures how terribly young he still is.
[To be continued in Part 2 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hulk, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS, Bucky Barnes, Nick Fury.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Mind control. Inferences of past child abuse and other torture. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: A mission in Russia introduces the Avengers to the Winter Soldier. Steve wants Bucky back and will stop at nothing to make that happen. Everyone else helps however they can.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Sibling relationships. Fix-it. Teamwork. Canon-typical violence. BAMF!Avengers. Vulgar language. Drama. Rescue. Hurt/Comfort. Friendship. Confusion. Memory loss. Nick Fury makes stupid-ass decisions. Fluff. Nonsexual ageplay. Making up for lost time. Tony Stark has a heart. Games. Trust issues. Safety and security. Food issues. Multiplicity/Plurality. Sleep issues. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Yoga. Personal growth. Family of choice. ALL THE FEELS. #coulsonlives.
The preliminary notes for this story ran long because the story is long, so I've posted them separately. I also have a list of photogenic scenes from the whole series for fanartists to consider.
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.
Anonymous commenters: You don't have to specify exactly who you are, but it helps to have a first name or a username from some other service, so I have some idea of who's saying which and how many different "Anonymous" folks there are. You can just type some kind of identifier at the end of your comment.
Skip to 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, Part 28, Part 29,Part 30, Part 31, Part 32, Part 33, Part 34, Part 35, Part 36, Part 37, Part 38, Part 39, Part 40, Part 41, Part 42, Part 43, Part 44, Part 45, Part 46, Part 47, Part 48, Part 49, Part 50, Part 51, Part 52, Part 53, Part 54, Part 55, Part 56, Part 57, Part 58,Part 59, Part 60, Part 61, Part 62, Part 63, Part 64, Part 65, Part 66, Part 67, Part 68, Part 69, Part 70, Part 71, Part 72, Part 73, Part 74, Part 75.
"No Winter Lasts Forever" Part 1
It began as a simple surveillance mission in Russia. Black Widow and Hawkeye infiltrated a group of arms dealers from Department X, which they gladly targeted given the connection to the Red Room. They followed a long chain of leads that actually had its roots back in the interrogation Black Widow was conducting when Agent Coulson announced Hawkeye's capture by Loki.
Things went so well, they needed an extra pair of hands. They pulled in Captain America, carefully undercover. Then Iron Man turned up a connection with Ten Rings while trying to track down some misappropriated Stark Industries weaponry. So Agent Coulson sent him in because he could control some of that ordnance in case of trouble. When Dr. Ross discovered a cache of AIM equipment in the same vicinity, she all but threw Banner at them with an admonishment to get the gamma cannons out of the hands of the crazy people.
That's when things stopped going quite so well.
"See, this is what happens when you try to privatize world peace," Hawkeye complained. "Now all the people who hate us suddenly want to make friends with each other. This arms exchange could turn into a flaming death trap."
"Quit whining, Robin Hood," said Iron Man as he tapped away at a holographic keyboard. "This way, we get a whole bunch of bad guys in one place at one time. We bowl a strike, and none of them will have enough command structure left to bother us for months at least. The head honchos will be too busy replacing their right-hand men."
"Yeah, but if we drop the ball in the gutter, we're fucked," Hawkeye said. "They have enough firepower to hurt us for real."
"We can't pull out now without scuttling the entire deal," Captain America said. "They set it up so that if anyone doesn't show, everyone scatters. Black Widow's our buyer, Hawkeye and I are her bodyguards, we're locked into this deal tonight and that's it."
"Paranoid little darlings, aren't they," Iron Man muttered.
"It's not paranoia when people really are out to get you," Banner said.
"Less chatter, more work, people," Agent Coulson said firmly. "We're approaching the drop zone now." The idea was for the transport to hang back and provide a quick escape in case something went wrong. "Stick to the plan. Your first priority is to gain control of the weaponry for sale, unconventional first and then conventional. Your second priority is to capture or kill the various arms runners, with intent to cripple as many of the criminal organizations as possible. Get moving."
They got moving. Agent Coulson monitored their progress on his screen.
The initial stage unfolded as anticipated, everyone in their places around the dark frozen parking lot. When Black Widow signaled that all the weaponry was on site and in transaction, Iron Man and Hulk ambushed the dealers. Given the attendees at the event, everyone had expected trouble, but most of them had not expected the Hulk. He was a smash hit. Three of AIM's officers went down under a single blow from a missile that Hulk swung like a baseball bat. He was still angry about that last lab of theirs.
Black Widow and Captain America worked to corral the Russian hosts, who would be the most useful for questioning as they had arranged the event. Aware of Department X's role in Black Widow's past, Captain America dropped one fleeing lieutenant with the edge of the shield, shattering his pelvis. Iron Man targeted the Ten Rings contingent. Hawkeye provided cover fire for him, putting a broadhead through one terrorist's chest just to the right of his heart. Hulk finished folding a lamp post around the surviving AIM leaders. Then he bounded over to help Iron Man. Agent Coulson noted their steadily improving teamwork.
That was when the plan came apart at the seams.
The Russians clustered together around an imposing figure clad in black leather who stood out boldly against the snowy background. Shaggy brown hair hung to his shoulders. Each hand gripped a massive gun. He watched the battle with an impassive gaze. Seeing his firepower blocked by Captain America's shield, he coolly dropped the muzzle to shoot the car under his opponent's feet. The explosion of the gas tank chased away the shadows to give everyone a clear view of his face.
"That's a positive on the Winter Soldier, sir," said Black Widow.
"Bucky!" Steve cried in the same instant, and it was definitely Steve rather than Captain America. His voice was a torrent of shock-joy-grief-guilt.
"Get me a close-up visual on that," Agent Coulson snapped. The camera zoomed in. He knew what James Barnes had looked like from certain pieces of Captain America memorabilia. Strong resemblance, but I can't be sure -- and it's impossible anyway -- Agent Coulson thought, scrambling for an explanation.
"Steer-fucking HYDRA bastards," Steve snarled.
Well, that was one possible explanation. Agent Coulson recalled the reports from Captain America's first spectacular mission rescuing prisoners from a HYDRA base. Given that James Barnes had survived a turn as a human lab rat, maybe he had somehow survived his fall from the train ...
"JARVIS, assist, we need facial identification here," said Iron Man.
"Identity confirmed. The Winter Soldier matches the physical appearance of James Barnes," JARVIS replied a second later.
Captain America came back online at the same time, somehow perfectly calm. "Agent Coulson, I hereby notify you of an urgent change in mission parameters from capture/kill to extraction," he said.
"Mission update acknowledged," Agent Coulson replied. "Use your best judgment and inform me if you require any further assistance." He shared Captain America's policy of never leave a man behind. Barnes had been an American soldier when he fell off that train. They'd failed him once before; they wouldn't fail him again now.
"Hawkeye, can you hit the Winter Soldier with a tranq arrow?" Captain America asked.
"If you can get him out from behind that truck, yes," Hawkeye said.
"His metabolism is metahuman, so you'll need to use one of the ones meant for us," Black Widow said. They'd developed those in case of emergency, if someone took control of their heavy hitters, so they could neutralize a teammate safely. Agent Coulson was profoundly grateful for that foresight even in this unanticipated situation.
The Winter Soldier was doing his level best to kill Captain America and Black Widow. They were hampered by their unwillingness to hurt him. Iron Man tried to draw him out with repulsor fire, but the man was just too quick and canny. Hulk finally put an end to the violent dance by yanking the truck out of the way. It went skidding across the ice and left the Winter Soldier exposed.
"I have the shot," Hawkeye announced.
"Take him," Captain America said quietly.
The Winter Soldier dropped to the ground with an arrow in the back of one thigh.
"Target down," Hawkeye said.
* * *
Notes:
"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." -- Hal Borland
Department X is connected with Red Room, behind the development of Black Widow according to some versions of Marvel canon.
Ten Rings is the terrorist organization that kidnapped Tony Stark in Afghanistan.
AIM combines mad science and terrorism.
Here's a clip from Black Widow's cunning interrogation scene.
Bucky Barnes grew up with Steve Rogers, essentially taking the role of an older brother. Steve believes that Bucky died in a fall from a train, for which he still blames himself, as shown in Captain America: The First Avenger. In some versions of canon, Bucky falls into enemy hands and becomes the Winter Soldier. I found this image of the Winter Soldier which I used as partial inspiration. This fanart of the Winter Soldier captures how terribly young he still is.
[To be continued in Part 2 ...]
![[identity profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
O.o
Date: 2013-05-11 06:48 am (UTC)Love how this hit the ground running with all the action, can't wait to read more :)
--Siren
Re: O.o
Date: 2013-05-11 11:52 pm (UTC)That's a deliberate goal, yes.
>>Steve and Bucky being reunited have always hit an emotional spot for me,<<
Me too. It's a tricky maneuver, though; the author has to sell it just right or it doesn't work because there are soooo many issues all tangled together.
>> but I know this is going to be another hit. <<
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
>> Hmmm...another candidate for game night too...*speculates* <<
Yes, that's part of why this story runs so long. There's too much to resolve quickly, especially with that in mind.
>> Love how this hit the ground running with all the action, can't wait to read more :) <<
This series has action in it, but it's not an action series. The themes are emotional. The action is a means to that end, so there are several stories that start in media res right where the action starts to drop a spanner down somebody's emotional engine. That can look like a mistake if readers are expecting an action series, but it's not; it's a deliberate focus on the personal dynamics. So that's another thing I'm practicing in this story, following the theme and trying to figure out what to put in and what to leave out (the latter being a perennial challenge for me).
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-11 06:54 am (UTC)>>Three of AIM's officers went down under a single blow from a missile that Hulk swung like a baseball bat. He was still angry about that last lab of theirs.<<
*boggles* Hulk is *holding grudges* now? He's remembering specific, named targets now? Ummm, bad guys of the world? QUIT NOW WHILE YOU'RE STILL ALIVE!!!!!
It's a completely understandable, logical, and even to-be-expected result of the growing meshing between Hulk and the team, and between Bruce-and-Hulk, but that does not make it in the least less terrifying. Jeebus.
*glee*
Date: 2013-05-11 07:16 am (UTC)Have I mentioned recently how much I love you?
Interesting, yeah ... back in high school my friends and I racked up about 17 different definitions of "interesting." This will probably hit most of those.
>> *boggles* Hulk is *holding grudges* now? He's remembering specific, named targets now? <<
It's not entirely new: Hulk was perfectly clear on General Ross hunting him and "soldiers" in general being bad. What is new, is Hulk being able to grasp a smaller abstract group like "AIM" and connect "the bad lab we smashed earlier" with "this different bunch of little guys making trouble tonight." Hulk tends to live in the now, but as he grows more fluent with Bruce, he's getting better at certain types of timebinding. Big step.
>> Ummm, bad guys of the world? QUIT NOW WHILE YOU'RE STILL ALIVE!!!!! <<
You'd think they could get this clue out of the slot, wouldn't you? And yet people keep shooting at the big guy even though it just pisses him off.
On the bright side, when bad guys are stupid, good little fen get to see them Get Theirs.
>>It's a completely understandable, logical, and even to-be-expected result of the growing meshing between Hulk and the team, and between Bruce-and-Hulk, but that does not make it in the least less terrifying. Jeebus.<<
I have always quietly considered Dr. Banner more dire than Hulk. Hulk can only hit people and break things. Dr. Banner works with gamma rays; if he set his mind to it, he could probably boil the planet.
The two of them cooperating, regardless of which form they are in? Bend over and kiss your evil asses goodbye, bad guys.
By the way, you might get a kick out of this thread about bridging and adoption and Odin's A+ parenting:
http://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/
Re: *glee*
From:Re: *glee*
From:Re: *glee*
From:Re: *glee*
From:Re: *glee*
From:Re: *glee*
From:(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-11 07:30 am (UTC)...oh look, it's nearly 3:30AM. I should really stop staying up to look for new posts :) Totally worth it though, and I know I'm not gonna stop that habit any time soon.
-Wynjara
Yay!
Date: 2013-05-11 07:36 am (UTC)*happydance*
>> ...oh look, it's nearly 3:30AM. I should really stop staying up to look for new posts :) Totally worth it though, and I know I'm not gonna stop that habit any time soon. <<
*laugh* I love my late-night fanaddicts.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-11 07:42 am (UTC)You're welcome!
Date: 2013-05-11 08:08 pm (UTC)Yay! I'm glad you like it.
>> Thanks for sharing - I'm very excited and looking forward to read the next part :)! <<
Excitement is good. It's fun to see how enthusiastic everyone is about the new story.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-11 08:09 am (UTC)*fangirl flailing*
Action packed and so much emotional shit going down.
<3<3<3
Yay!
Date: 2013-05-12 02:10 am (UTC)*fangirl flailing* <<
Yep, I thought people might enjoy that. I laid down some foreshadowing early on with Steve's issues in previous stories, in hope that I'd have time to take the story this far.
>> Action packed and so much emotional shit going down. <3<3<3 <<
Yep, canon-typical violence and ALL THE FEELS. The feels machine will be all out of little emoballs by the time I am through.
I'm glad you're enjoying this.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-11 11:45 am (UTC)Ditto
Date: 2013-05-11 02:16 pm (UTC)Thank you!
From:(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-11 12:21 pm (UTC)And your conversation with Sherza above is a great teaser too :)
Yay!
Date: 2013-05-12 02:41 am (UTC)Oooo, this is gonna be good!
Date: 2013-05-11 01:49 pm (UTC)Re: Oooo, this is gonna be good!
Date: 2013-05-11 03:21 pm (UTC)Re: Oooo, this is gonna be good!
From:Re: Oooo, this is gonna be good!
From:(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-11 02:59 pm (UTC)Yes...
Date: 2013-05-12 03:16 am (UTC)Re: Yes...
From:(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-11 03:36 pm (UTC)This story is definitely exciting! I wanted to read your preliminary notes but I don't want to be spoiled. I was hoping "Winter" in the title meant Bucky, YAY! The opening feels a bit rushed but it looks like we'll get to the meat of what your story is about quicker that way, which is ok by me.
I'm really glad I found you as a fan fiction author. I recently finished reading along with another author's story a few weeks ago that updated regularly twice a week. Her story was excellent and the joy it gave me with the frequent updating was really kind of mind boggling and I thought I'd never find that again. In my YEARS of reading fan fiction, I've rarely encountered it. Now there's THIS and YOU and you've made me have this joy EVERY MORNING and taught me how to accept it. Really, seriously, THANK YOU, for writing, for the links and the help! PLEASE keep it up, but if real life gets in the way, that's OK, you've made me better than before I've read your stories and I'm grateful for all that you've already done.
This is the big reason I've stopped posting/blogging, I leave long winded replies and make posts that take me an hour or so to write up!
Thoughts
Date: 2013-05-13 01:38 am (UTC)I hope this is a good thing. I like inspiring people, especially inspiring them to write. Or edit -- I've actually gotten folks hooked into that, which is a lot rarer thing to do.
>> I've stayed away from logging on to this one & my LJ forever because I don't know where to pick up after mainly quilt blogging on blogger and stopping that too. So I'm taking a leap here and may start posting again. <<
Well, I think it would be cool if you have the time/energy to post. I love quilts, by the way. If you have not found my story "Coming Together at the Seams," it's worth a look: a story of Clark Kent's life told in quilts.
>> This story is definitely exciting! I wanted to read your preliminary notes but I don't want to be spoiled. <<
They're pretty general. I wanted to lay out some basic parameters without spoiling too much. There are notes about my process and goals, plus a little about main themes. If you wait a few days, the story should scroll past most of what I said. It doesn't take too long for the pattern of challenges to emerge, although working through them takes a lot longer.
>> I was hoping "Winter" in the title meant Bucky, YAY! <<
Yes, I've been hoping I could get to this and it's a fun storyline to explore. I wanted a title that would evoke both the despair and the hope that are the heart of the Winter Soldier as a character.
>> The opening feels a bit rushed but it looks like we'll get to the meat of what your story is about quicker that way, which is ok by me. <<
The technique is called "in medias res" for "in the middle of things." It's used to jump-start a story right where the important stuff happens, without a long setup. It's not something I do a lot, but this series lends itself well to that, so I'm practicing.
We already know that the Avengers are superheroes. This particular series isn't about the action part of what they do, but rather about their reactions on an emotional level. Therefore the action scenes get condensed or excerpted to set the stage and remind people that yes, these characters do good and get hurt and use teamwork. But we get to the real story promptly, which is how they deal with the aftermath. It's a way of telling the part of the story that canon usually doesn't.
You can also contrast this with other common forms of the Winter Soldier story in fanfic. Sometimes it's about finding Bucky. Sometimes it's about rescuing Bucky. In darkfic it may even be about finding and then losing him again. Here those aspects are just the beginning; this story is about how everyone deals with bringing Bucky home. Superheroes are completely comfortable with adventures and rescues. Cleaning up the mess afterward is a lot harder for them ... and I like to give my characters a hard challenge.
If I did it right, people familiar with the series will recognize that I'm explaining how Bucky comes back into Steve's life and then promptly focusing on the emotional impact of that, and look forward to the social aspect without wanting to linger over the firefight too much. If I muffed it, then the beginning really will seem rushed, especially in proportion to the rest of the story. Either way, if I'm lucky, experience I gain here will let me do a better job when I tackle this in original fiction.
>> I'm really glad I found you as a fan fiction author. <<
Yay! That makes me happy.
>>I recently finished reading along with another author's story a few weeks ago that updated regularly twice a week. Her story was excellent and the joy it gave me with the frequent updating was really kind of mind boggling and I thought I'd never find that again. In my YEARS of reading fan fiction, I've rarely encountered it. <<
That sounds cool. What story?
>>Now there's THIS and YOU and you've made me have this joy EVERY MORNING and taught me how to accept it.<<
I'm happy to hear that.
>> Really, seriously, THANK YOU, for writing, for the links and the help! PLEASE keep it up, but if real life gets in the way, that's OK, you've made me better than before I've read your stories and I'm grateful for all that you've already done. <<
You're welcome. I'm glad I could help.
Yes, I have to keep a careful eye on the balance between what I write for fun and practice vs. what I write to put beans on the table. My wordsmithing is most of the earned income for our household. I've got some good projects going, though, like the Poetry Fishbowl -- if you watch my whole blog and not just the fiction feed, you'll see those pop up.
>>This is the big reason I've stopped posting/blogging, I leave long winded replies and make posts that take me an hour or so to write up!<<
I'm okay with long replies; I like talking with people. I can see how it would be a time sink for you, though. I hope you have some time to hang around and talk, at least occasionally.
(no subject)
From:Well...
From:(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-11 04:51 pm (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2013-05-12 06:19 pm (UTC)I'm happy to hear that.
>> Bringing Bucky in is a much looked forward to development. The changes in the dynamic of the team and the way they all react to Bucky and he to them will make this an interesting read. <<
That's why it ran so long. Because of how wrecked Bucky is and how he relates differently to each member of the team, it takes a lot of development to work him into position.
>> I'm very glad you keep writing this series! <<
*bow, flourish* Happy to be of service.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-11 05:41 pm (UTC)Anyway, nice little chapter! I liked the setup bit where people just kept jumping in. Especially this line.
'When Dr. Ross discovered a cache of AIM equipment in the same vicinity, she all but threw Banner at them with an admonishment to get the gamma cannons out of the hands of the crazy people.'
Also the bit where Coulson was trying to think of why Bucky could be alive, and then Steve's mentioning Hydra, was a nice touch as well. :)
Anyway, I will be reading this one the same as all the others! I like my fluff but drama is fun as well. :)
~Radum Person
Thoughts
Date: 2013-05-12 08:28 am (UTC)How exciting!
>> No pressure. (:P) <<
The great thing about posting a completely written piece is that I can't be discouraged from finishing it.
>>Anyway, nice little chapter! I liked the setup bit where people just kept jumping in. Especially this line.<<
Yeah, the mission really snowballed on them. And Dr. Ross is one formidable lady.
>> Also the bit where Coulson was trying to think of why Bucky could be alive, and then Steve's mentioning Hydra, was a nice touch as well. :) <<
I'm glad that worked. It was implied in the movie, so I wanted to set it up here too. Takes a lot to make Steve swear, but he was in the army so he's heard alllll the words. This is an example of his threshold for letting them out.
>> Anyway, I will be reading this one the same as all the others! I like my fluff but drama is fun as well. :) <<
I'm happy to hear that. It will be interesting to see how people respond to the deepening tone and plot.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-11 06:52 pm (UTC)Yay!
Date: 2013-05-12 08:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-11 10:22 pm (UTC)I do like well written Winter Soldier stories. I'm totally expecting this to be awesome. No pressure. :)
Well...
Date: 2013-05-12 08:44 am (UTC)I'm glad this perks you up.
>> I do like well written Winter Soldier stories. I'm totally expecting this to be awesome. <<
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
>> No pressure. :) <<
Happily the story's already in the can, so I can't be discouraged from finishing it. I hope people will like this deeper story as much as the fluff -- though it has some fluffy bits too.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-12 04:34 am (UTC)And now fanfic! Long fanfic! From YOU! Happy days!
Thank you!
Date: 2013-05-12 06:23 pm (UTC)Eh, it's okay. My attention is sprawled all over the place. I'm mostly working from recent movie canon, but I pick up other stuff as I do research for that.
>> And now fanfic! Long fanfic! From YOU! Happy days! <<
I'm glad this appeals to you so much.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-16 02:47 am (UTC)I love that - the way he just flipped the "professionalism" switch in his brain and rose to the occasion.
Hulk finally put an end to the violent dance by yanking the truck out of the way. It went skidding across the ice and left the Winter Soldier exposed.
So this is what I'm wondering: did Hulk do that on purpose? did he realise that the truck was blocking Hawkeye's shot?
Thoughts
Date: 2013-05-16 03:08 am (UTC)Steve is very effective at doing that; you can see it in canon. It costs him, though. It's the emotional equivalent of taking painkillers to be able to run around on a broken leg. With the natural alarm system turned off, he can't feel how much extra damage he's doing to himself. The effects of that appear later in the story.
>>So this is what I'm wondering: did Hulk do that on purpose?<<
Yes, and furthermore, he chose this method as something that would accomplish what was needed without harming Bucky.
>> did he realise that the truck was blocking Hawkeye's shot? <<
Yes. Hulk has terrific situational awareness. His social proprioception, however, is much more recent -- a result of all the teambuilding work. He couldn't have done this back during the Avengers movie. He probably couldn't even have done it a few months ago.
Re: Thoughts
From:Re: Thoughts
From:Re: Thoughts
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2014-03-28 07:22 pm (UTC) - ExpandRe: Thoughts
From:Re: Thoughts
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2014-03-28 11:19 pm (UTC) - ExpandRe: Thoughts
From:Re: Thoughts
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2014-03-29 07:30 pm (UTC) - ExpandRe: Thoughts
From:Re: Thoughts
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2014-04-02 03:21 am (UTC) - ExpandRe: Thoughts
From:BUCKYYYYY
Date: 2013-05-18 08:32 pm (UTC)Re: BUCKYYYYY
Date: 2013-05-19 06:47 pm (UTC)Yay! Thanks for letting me know that.
>>and omg Bucky, Bucky and Steve and Bucky and Natasha and Bucky and Tony and Bucky and Clint and all the BUCKY. <<
Yep, this story seems to have that effect on many people.
>>But first delicious Winter Soldier angst offcourse. <<
There is a considerable amount of angst in this story, not just up front but throughout, because the characters are dealing with such difficult issues. It's going to take a lot of work to salvage Bucky from the Winter Soldier.
>> I'm loving it, sorry I'm not more eloquent. <<
That's okay, you're doing fine.
>> It's late and I'm using the various parts as 'treats' for when I've read enough study materials for my finals. So far it's working awesomely (is that a word? It should be) <<
Yay! I do something similar, spacing out comments between more serious work. It's a very effective technique.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-20 04:41 am (UTC)I will also admit that, while I find your characterization of Nick Fury to be plausible, and have come to agree with it to a certain extent, I have to play devil's advocate and say that I don't think the creators intended it that way. The scene from the end of The Avengers keeps coming to mind, he essentially tells the WSC that he can't control the team, they need some downtime, and the WSC would be stupid to try to interfere. He then tells Maria Hill that he trusts the Avengers, trusts them to do the right thing, and thinks they are good people(and I am paraphrasing like hell right now). Not disagreeing with you, per se, just maybe seeing it a little differently.
All that aside, I am enjoying this so far, having read up to part nine, and am interested in seeing how it plays out.
Also "Steer-fucking HYDRA bastards"? Made me squee. It's my headcanon that Steve can and does curse when appropriate, just, his definition of appropriate and everyone else's don't always match.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-20 04:43 am (UTC)This and the above,
Helga
Thank you!
From:Re: Thank you!
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2013-05-20 06:36 am (UTC) - ExpandRe: Thank you!
From:(no subject)
Date: 2013-06-03 10:58 am (UTC)Yay!
Date: 2013-06-05 08:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-06-24 10:35 am (UTC)Yay!
Date: 2013-06-25 03:17 am (UTC)I'm glad to hear that. There's a lot of this one posted. I'm working on the next.
>>You are hands down my favorite writer.<<
How exciting! Now that you've followed me over here, you might want to check out some of my original writing. While the ageplay is new for this series, a lot of my other themes -- like families of choice and personal growth -- are things I repeat often. Schrodinger's Heroes is a fun place to start.
>> Thank you for this!(I'm Fidelius over on AO3 btw). <<
You're welcome! Yes, I've seen your name over there. It's good to see you here too.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-10 12:52 am (UTC)Everyone pointedly referred to by their codenames because, well, business.
And then, STEVE.
Nice touch for the setting of scene.
Thank you!
Date: 2013-08-10 06:01 am (UTC)I try to use names carefully in this series, because the characters have such strikingly different personas ...
>>Everyone pointedly referred to by their codenames because, well, business.<<
When they're out superheroing, they go by the codenames. For other secret agent stuff, like at SHIELD, it's usually last names. First names and nicknames are mostly for family time, which is a majority of the series.
>> And then, STEVE. <<
They can get jarred from one mode to another by a sufficiently hard emotional whump.
>>Nice touch for the setting of scene.<<
Yay! I'm glad this worked for you.