Story: "Hide and Seek" Part 43
Nov. 18th, 2013 12:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis story is a sequel to "Love Is for Children," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," and "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," "Birthday Girl," and "No Winter Lasts Forever."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS, Bucky Barnes, Virginia "Pepper" Potts.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Inferences of past child abuse, mind control, and other torture. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: Bucky has a bad day when his memory won't boot up quite right. This makes other people stressed out too. Attempts to help are partially successful, but then the team dynamics go severely pear-shaped.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Sibling relationships. Fix-it. Teamwork. Vulgar language. Flangst. Hurt/Comfort. Fear of loss. Friendship. Confusion. Memory loss. Nonsexual ageplay. Making up for lost time. Self-harm. Tony!whump. Tony Stark has a heart. Tony doesn't like being handed things. Howard Stark's A+ parenting. Games. Trust issues. Consent. Safety and security. Artificial intelligence. Food issues. Multiplicity/Plurality. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Yoga. Communication. Personal growth. Cooking. Americana. Family of choice. Feels. #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, 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. Skip to Part 45, Part 46, Part 47, Part 48.
"Hide and Seek" Part 43
"It wasn't all bad," Steve said, nostalgia warming his voice. "We didn't have much, but we made do. Bucky and I had each other. He always took care of me, even when I sassed him. I looked up to him so much -- I still do. The older we got, the more we tried to help out with the younger kids too. It wasn't the same as a regular family but we did right by each other."
"What about the adults in charge of the orphanage?" Phil asked. He hoped that encouraging Steve to relive happy memories would give him strength and help him think of solutions to current problems.
"I miss the nuns. They were strict, and there never was much money, but they raised us as best they could," Steve said. "They knew I was sickly, so they kept an extra lookout for me. The older nuns would tell the new ones, 'Keep him out of the drafts and close to the heat. And make sure no one is getting picked on too much, or Steve will put his face in front of someone's fist. If you see paper, bring it to him.' It was ... it was enough. I got by until I found a way to become a hero."
"You were always a hero," Phil said. He could well imagine a tiny, wheezing, pre-serum Steve making a target of himself to protect someone even more vulnerable. No wonder he had turned protective of the other Avengers -- especially Bruce and Tony -- once he got to know them. "It was just a matter of getting you the body to match your heart."
Steve's smile turned watery, as it often did when he remembered Dr. Erskine. "I just wanted to do my part."
"Of course, Steve," said Phil. "Thank you for sharing. I'll talk with Bucky again. I really think this will help."
"I hope so," Steve said. "I'm worried about him and Tony. They really shredded each other. I haven't known Tony to lay into anyone like that since before we started game night. Honestly, it's the worst I've seen since the Helicarrier when we first met."
"They're working it out," Phil said. "None of us realized how much it took out of Tony when he spent the morning taking care of Bucky. Tony tried to warn me that he was running on fumes, and I did what I could to take the weight off him. It just wasn't enough. I don't think even he understood how far he'd pushed himself or how bad the results could get."
"Yeah, that's what scares me. It's harder to avoid problems if you can't see them coming," Steve said.
"That's a key reason why Tony misbehaves so often, and why he pesters people in other ways," Phil said. "He's testing us to see how we'll behave when things go wrong. It's the emotional equivalent of shoving on a safety rail. He needs to test the boundary to know that it's there, that it will hold his weight and not give way. He craves the sense of security. Most people don't stand up to him like he needs them to."
"I try," Steve said. "It's hard sometimes."
"Yes, it is. Tony's worried about how you treated Bruce, too. It's not like you to be so cruel," said Phil.
"I know," Steve said. He frowned. "I've apologized to Bruce. I feel really bad about hurting him. I don't know what came over me, though. Bucky woke me up when he started jabbering in Russian. I was worried and frustrated and -- and I thought Bruce would be able to fix it, but then he couldn't." Steve waved his hands helplessly in the air.
"We all feel powerless sometimes," Phil said. "I don't always deal with it particularly well myself."
"Still, I should never have taken it out on Bruce like that. I just couldn't seem to find my manners that morning. Maybe I should ask him to include me in some of that yoga stuff he's doing with Bucky for temper management," Steve said.
"That might help, yes," said Phil. "Good coping skills never go to waste. Bruce put me back together after I came unglued when I found out what happened to JARVIS."
"It's nice to have a family again," Steve said. He leaned over, just enough to brush against Phil's shoulder. Phil could feel the solid heat of him right through the thin workout clothes.
"Yes, it is," Phil said. He patted the other man's knee. "You know, Steve, most of the team doesn't have your experience with positive family ties. You might try talking with Tony and JARVIS some time, to help them understand that it's okay to make mistakes and people who love you will stick by you no matter what."
"Sure, I can do that," Steve said. "Tony's great, just a little shortchanged when it comes to people stuff. JARVIS is ... really swell, he's one of the things I love most about the future."
"I'm sure JARVIS will enjoy hearing that," Phil said. "He may also be wrestling with some body image issues, fitting his idea of himself into the tower and Iron Man, not to mention all the modifications Tony has done because of us. It's challenging for JARVIS to get used to having so many people around who know him for who he is."
"I know it's hard on him. I'd like to make it better but I don't know how," Steve said. He looked around the room, tracing the gym and how it had changed to accommodate the team.
"You've helped Bucky start facing the loss of his arm and the hazards of the replacement. You know what it's like to change your body, how disorienting that can be. JARVIS might find it useful to have someone to talk with about that," Phil said.
"Bruce knows more about shifting form than I do," Steve pointed out.
"Bruce is barely dealing with his own issues there. I don't think he's ready to help someone else in that area yet," Phil said.
Steve grimaced, "Okay, you got me there. Poor Bruce -- and poor Hulk too! -- I wish I could make it easier for them."
"Just having friends is helping," Phil said. "Anyway, think about giving JARVIS a hand if you see an opportunity."
"I will," Steve said.
"Thank you." Phil patted him on the shoulder. "All right, go hit the frame or whatever you really came down here to do. I'm going to shower and head back to my room."
* * *
Notes:
Nostalgia is a bittersweet focus on the past that people often call up when something goes wrong in the present. It's a useful coping skill for finding happiness.
peoriapeoriawhereart contributed some of the ways that people tried to take care of Steve while he was growing up.
Making do is a necessary adaptive skill for dealing with limited resources. It can help with food, clothes, and other things. Steve grew up with the "Eat it all, use it up, wear it out" mindset of the Depression. However, constant shortage can wear people down physically and mentally.
What makes a hero is a popular topic. It spans small and large acts, along with distinctive traits such as self-sacrifice. Here's a lesson plan for studying heroism. There are tips for how to be a hero, and even a hero handbook.
Caregiver burnout can happen to people who look after someone else without looking after themselves too. It usually follows a timeline and develops in chronic form, but it has an acute mode too. In Tony's case, nurturing is not his strong suit; he stepped up anyway at need, but ran out of energy very fast. Understand how to help a caregiver so they don't crash and burn.
Testing people produces knowledge of their nature, but can sabotage relationships. Children need to test boundaries. There are ways to set boundaries gently yet firmly.
People often feel helpless when a situation gets out of control. Steve usually responds by helping someone else -- but when that's exactly what he can't do, sometimes he jams up. There are multiple ways of overcoming helplessness.
Loyalty is a crucial family value. By crucial, I mean without it you don't have much of a family (Exhibit A: Odin's A+ Parenting.) Loyalty is one of the things that distinguishes genuine love from false affection, and one of the reasons why family should always come first. Making loyalty a part of your family culture takes time and work, as does resolving loyalty conflicts. Understand how to be loyal.
Body image is how you see yourself. You can change it if you need to. Accepting change is an important life skill, and there are tips for acceptance.
[To be continued in Part 44 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS, Bucky Barnes, Virginia "Pepper" Potts.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Inferences of past child abuse, mind control, and other torture. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: Bucky has a bad day when his memory won't boot up quite right. This makes other people stressed out too. Attempts to help are partially successful, but then the team dynamics go severely pear-shaped.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Sibling relationships. Fix-it. Teamwork. Vulgar language. Flangst. Hurt/Comfort. Fear of loss. Friendship. Confusion. Memory loss. Nonsexual ageplay. Making up for lost time. Self-harm. Tony!whump. Tony Stark has a heart. Tony doesn't like being handed things. Howard Stark's A+ parenting. Games. Trust issues. Consent. Safety and security. Artificial intelligence. Food issues. Multiplicity/Plurality. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Yoga. Communication. Personal growth. Cooking. Americana. Family of choice. Feels. #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, 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. Skip to Part 45, Part 46, Part 47, Part 48.
"Hide and Seek" Part 43
"It wasn't all bad," Steve said, nostalgia warming his voice. "We didn't have much, but we made do. Bucky and I had each other. He always took care of me, even when I sassed him. I looked up to him so much -- I still do. The older we got, the more we tried to help out with the younger kids too. It wasn't the same as a regular family but we did right by each other."
"What about the adults in charge of the orphanage?" Phil asked. He hoped that encouraging Steve to relive happy memories would give him strength and help him think of solutions to current problems.
"I miss the nuns. They were strict, and there never was much money, but they raised us as best they could," Steve said. "They knew I was sickly, so they kept an extra lookout for me. The older nuns would tell the new ones, 'Keep him out of the drafts and close to the heat. And make sure no one is getting picked on too much, or Steve will put his face in front of someone's fist. If you see paper, bring it to him.' It was ... it was enough. I got by until I found a way to become a hero."
"You were always a hero," Phil said. He could well imagine a tiny, wheezing, pre-serum Steve making a target of himself to protect someone even more vulnerable. No wonder he had turned protective of the other Avengers -- especially Bruce and Tony -- once he got to know them. "It was just a matter of getting you the body to match your heart."
Steve's smile turned watery, as it often did when he remembered Dr. Erskine. "I just wanted to do my part."
"Of course, Steve," said Phil. "Thank you for sharing. I'll talk with Bucky again. I really think this will help."
"I hope so," Steve said. "I'm worried about him and Tony. They really shredded each other. I haven't known Tony to lay into anyone like that since before we started game night. Honestly, it's the worst I've seen since the Helicarrier when we first met."
"They're working it out," Phil said. "None of us realized how much it took out of Tony when he spent the morning taking care of Bucky. Tony tried to warn me that he was running on fumes, and I did what I could to take the weight off him. It just wasn't enough. I don't think even he understood how far he'd pushed himself or how bad the results could get."
"Yeah, that's what scares me. It's harder to avoid problems if you can't see them coming," Steve said.
"That's a key reason why Tony misbehaves so often, and why he pesters people in other ways," Phil said. "He's testing us to see how we'll behave when things go wrong. It's the emotional equivalent of shoving on a safety rail. He needs to test the boundary to know that it's there, that it will hold his weight and not give way. He craves the sense of security. Most people don't stand up to him like he needs them to."
"I try," Steve said. "It's hard sometimes."
"Yes, it is. Tony's worried about how you treated Bruce, too. It's not like you to be so cruel," said Phil.
"I know," Steve said. He frowned. "I've apologized to Bruce. I feel really bad about hurting him. I don't know what came over me, though. Bucky woke me up when he started jabbering in Russian. I was worried and frustrated and -- and I thought Bruce would be able to fix it, but then he couldn't." Steve waved his hands helplessly in the air.
"We all feel powerless sometimes," Phil said. "I don't always deal with it particularly well myself."
"Still, I should never have taken it out on Bruce like that. I just couldn't seem to find my manners that morning. Maybe I should ask him to include me in some of that yoga stuff he's doing with Bucky for temper management," Steve said.
"That might help, yes," said Phil. "Good coping skills never go to waste. Bruce put me back together after I came unglued when I found out what happened to JARVIS."
"It's nice to have a family again," Steve said. He leaned over, just enough to brush against Phil's shoulder. Phil could feel the solid heat of him right through the thin workout clothes.
"Yes, it is," Phil said. He patted the other man's knee. "You know, Steve, most of the team doesn't have your experience with positive family ties. You might try talking with Tony and JARVIS some time, to help them understand that it's okay to make mistakes and people who love you will stick by you no matter what."
"Sure, I can do that," Steve said. "Tony's great, just a little shortchanged when it comes to people stuff. JARVIS is ... really swell, he's one of the things I love most about the future."
"I'm sure JARVIS will enjoy hearing that," Phil said. "He may also be wrestling with some body image issues, fitting his idea of himself into the tower and Iron Man, not to mention all the modifications Tony has done because of us. It's challenging for JARVIS to get used to having so many people around who know him for who he is."
"I know it's hard on him. I'd like to make it better but I don't know how," Steve said. He looked around the room, tracing the gym and how it had changed to accommodate the team.
"You've helped Bucky start facing the loss of his arm and the hazards of the replacement. You know what it's like to change your body, how disorienting that can be. JARVIS might find it useful to have someone to talk with about that," Phil said.
"Bruce knows more about shifting form than I do," Steve pointed out.
"Bruce is barely dealing with his own issues there. I don't think he's ready to help someone else in that area yet," Phil said.
Steve grimaced, "Okay, you got me there. Poor Bruce -- and poor Hulk too! -- I wish I could make it easier for them."
"Just having friends is helping," Phil said. "Anyway, think about giving JARVIS a hand if you see an opportunity."
"I will," Steve said.
"Thank you." Phil patted him on the shoulder. "All right, go hit the frame or whatever you really came down here to do. I'm going to shower and head back to my room."
* * *
Notes:
Nostalgia is a bittersweet focus on the past that people often call up when something goes wrong in the present. It's a useful coping skill for finding happiness.
peoriapeoriawhereart contributed some of the ways that people tried to take care of Steve while he was growing up. Making do is a necessary adaptive skill for dealing with limited resources. It can help with food, clothes, and other things. Steve grew up with the "Eat it all, use it up, wear it out" mindset of the Depression. However, constant shortage can wear people down physically and mentally.
What makes a hero is a popular topic. It spans small and large acts, along with distinctive traits such as self-sacrifice. Here's a lesson plan for studying heroism. There are tips for how to be a hero, and even a hero handbook.
Caregiver burnout can happen to people who look after someone else without looking after themselves too. It usually follows a timeline and develops in chronic form, but it has an acute mode too. In Tony's case, nurturing is not his strong suit; he stepped up anyway at need, but ran out of energy very fast. Understand how to help a caregiver so they don't crash and burn.
Testing people produces knowledge of their nature, but can sabotage relationships. Children need to test boundaries. There are ways to set boundaries gently yet firmly.
People often feel helpless when a situation gets out of control. Steve usually responds by helping someone else -- but when that's exactly what he can't do, sometimes he jams up. There are multiple ways of overcoming helplessness.
Loyalty is a crucial family value. By crucial, I mean without it you don't have much of a family (Exhibit A: Odin's A+ Parenting.) Loyalty is one of the things that distinguishes genuine love from false affection, and one of the reasons why family should always come first. Making loyalty a part of your family culture takes time and work, as does resolving loyalty conflicts. Understand how to be loyal.
Body image is how you see yourself. You can change it if you need to. Accepting change is an important life skill, and there are tips for acceptance.
[To be continued in Part 44 ...]
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-18 12:43 pm (UTC)Mind you, many of marvel!verse's super-villains would be less of a problem with some therapy.
Yes...
Date: 2013-11-18 09:08 pm (UTC)Yes, he would. It would be a rough journey for everyone, but greatly rewarding. I'd like to write that if I have time.
>> Canonically he's er, helped out, the Avengers a few times... when his interests and theirs coincided. <<
That makes sense.
>> And I think once got assigned to their care after Odin stripped him of his godhood or something. [well, technically, he got given to Thor to look after, but he had no idea what to do.] <<
I am deeply disturbed by Odin's penchant for soul violence. That is all kinds of not okay, including what he did to Thor and Loki in Thor.
Mind you, many of marvel!verse's super-villains would be less of a problem with some therapy.
Re: Yes...
Date: 2013-11-18 09:50 pm (UTC)Re: Yes...
Date: 2013-11-20 09:16 am (UTC)There have been a few. Buddha, Jesus, Kwan Yin, and White Buffalo Calf Woman all leap readily to mind. Of course, humans do have a tendency to drag said image through the mud, but that's a flaw in the humans rather than the divine. More often, people go for somebody like Zeus who can't keep his toga tied.
>> and you know what happens when humans are given absolute power....Odin is no exception to this. <<
The saying is: "Power tends to corrupt." That's what usually happens, but it doesn't always. Look at the difference between Red Skull and Captain America, or Bruce-and-Hulk and the Abomination. What power really does is bring the inside to the outside by removing progressively more of what keeps ordinary people in check. "Good becomes great, bad becomes worse." Even Tony, for all his dickishness at times, holds his power rather lightly. He has enough wealth, weaponry, and charisma to take over the world if he wanted it. He doesn't want (and that's why Obie tried to kill him). He wants to be liked and to make awesome stuff and have people appreciate him for it.
I always figured the Ring of Doom was confused as fuck when it tried to roll Sam and Sam went, "Uh, no, I'm not a general, I'm a gardener. I don't want to lead armies. I just want to make things grow." Not everyone is necessarily interested in power, or would use it the same way.
Odin, of course, is smack in the middle of the "tends to corrupt" part of the chart. 0_o
Re: Yes...
Date: 2013-11-20 11:58 am (UTC)And I agree with you on the whole 'power tends to corrupt', it's not inevitable, and who knows Odin may well have resisted it's siren call for a while, still does somewhat I think. But given enough time it's only a matter of when, not if.
I always figured that Tony was smart enough to work out that taking over the world meant if you were successful you just landed yourself a job with a lot of work and responsibility...and you know how Tony feels about those... Obie OTOH was one of these people who just can't get enough, like a lot of CEO's.
As for Sam.. yeah. it might've tried to offer him the ability to be the best damn gardener ever, but I doubt he'd fall for even that. Hard to corrupt someone who's content with what he's got.
Re: Yes...
Date: 2013-11-23 08:27 am (UTC)I don't think so. I think it depends a lot on personality. Look at Steve, for example. He has a lot of power, but he tends to use it lightly, and he punches up rather than down. Give him more power, and he'd look for more formidable opponents rather than trying to rule the world. Different people have different dreams.
>> I always figured that Tony was smart enough to work out that taking over the world meant if you were successful you just landed yourself a job with a lot of work and responsibility...and you know how Tony feels about those... <<
Yes, exactly. Tony needs a lot of time to hole up in his lab Making Things. He doesn't even like the executive power that he had in the company; he hated the meetings and the paperwork and everything. Hence making Pepper CEO.
>> Obie OTOH was one of these people who just can't get enough, like a lot of CEO's. <<
Sadly so. He's by far the most typical example.
>> As for Sam.. yeah. it might've tried to offer him the ability to be the best damn gardener ever, but I doubt he'd fall for even that. Hard to corrupt someone who's content with what he's got. <<
But then Sam would've been famous, and people would've bugged him, and he hated even the bit of that he got from being involved in the quest. He wanted to pull his own weight, not have someone carry him. It'd be like buying a trophy instead of winning one: pointless.
Neither the Ring nor Sauron have any clue about that.
Re: Yes...
Date: 2013-11-23 07:02 pm (UTC)Tony is living the post-scarcity life. He does what he wants. He's just a little wobbly on also getting in his needs.
Obie on the other hand thinks having all the toys so no one else has them might suffice.
Tony:Pepper, you've been running the company for years. You run me. I'm just taking the middle man, me, out of the equation. That equation. And I'll have more time in the lab!
Pepper:Tony.
Tony:Why spend so much time rolling me up a hill when you can just sprint in your gravity defying shoes?
See, temptation for Sam might have been pulling everyone else up as gardeners.
Re: Yes...
Date: 2013-11-24 06:14 am (UTC)Yes, that is something I'd like to touch on, because I write Steve with his self-image not caught up with his body.
>> Tony is living the post-scarcity life. He does what he wants. He's just a little wobbly on also getting in his needs. <<
True. He's never really been taught the difference between wants and needs, or how to prioritize things.
In a different way, post-scarcity also applies to most of the Avengers who grew up poor, now that they're living with a billionaire. It's been hard for them to adjust to that, but they're starting to get more comfortable with it now.
>>Obie on the other hand thinks having all the toys so no one else has them might suffice.<<
Too true. Obie cared fuckall about anyone but himself.
>>Tony: Pepper, you've been running the company for years. You run me. I'm just taking the middle man, me, out of the equation. That equation. And I'll have more time in the lab!<<
*laugh* That's actually a great argument.
>>See, temptation for Sam might have been pulling everyone else up as gardeners.<<
Sam: "But then who would bake the bread, or sew the clothes, or make the tools? You don't want to see what I do to a loaf of bread in the oven, it's tragic really, they always come out like rocks..."
Ring: *bang self against brick wall* Please just give me to an orc now.
Re: Yes...
Date: 2013-11-19 04:54 am (UTC)Santosha
Re: Yes...
Date: 2013-11-20 07:52 am (UTC)Thank you! Feedback is always welcome, but not required.
>> to say that I'd really like to see you write Loki, whatever you do with him. Your take on him would be super interesting. <<
I would like to add Loki, hence some of the foreshadowing I'd done for him and Thor. It depends on whether I have time to carry the series that far. There's a lot going on now that needs to wrap up before I add major new elements.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-19 12:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-19 02:15 am (UTC)Still I suppose if it was a condition of his parole or something...he could maintain his whole 'I'm only here because I have to be' pose...
Although, the idea of Loki doing age-play in his onesie 'jammies.... good luck maintaining your dignity there!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-19 05:51 am (UTC)Thoughts
Date: 2013-11-21 10:10 am (UTC)I think if Loki is willing to try game night at all, he'll make an attempt to go along with it. Hiding under the coffee table, while acceptable under the circumstances, would seem like too much a show of weakness to him. But that doesn't mean he'll be very good at playing either.
>> (Thor would probably annoy him more than anyone else.) <<
Loki has an unparalleled ability to rip Thor's heart out, tear it to pieces, and then whizz on the pieces.
Well...
Date: 2013-11-20 05:51 pm (UTC)As miserable as he is, with all that self-loathing and everything else, I think Loki knows that he has problems. What he would resist is the idea of telling anyone else about them or asking for help of any kind.
>> (Sure, he'd probably be a lot more functional, but try convincing him of that.) <<
For Loki to doubt the benevolence of others is a reasonable response given his past experience. So of course he'd have trouble believing that anything would actually work and people would help instead of hurting him.
The interesting thing is that Loki doesn't have only his own experience to draw on. He meshed with Clint. So now Loki has a birdseye view of Natasha and Phil. That changes things, just as Loki's touch has changed Clint. This is deep, subtle stuff but it does affect them.
Re: Well...
Date: 2013-11-20 07:10 pm (UTC)Re: Well...
Date: 2013-11-24 06:30 am (UTC)I don't think it will be anywhere near as easy to get Thor and Loki into game night as it was the other players, because ALL THE BAGGAGE. They've had so much longer to pile up crap to stress over.
Re: Well...
Date: 2013-11-25 04:28 am (UTC)Re: Well...
Date: 2013-11-25 09:45 am (UTC)Re: Well...
Date: 2013-11-25 02:10 pm (UTC)I'd think they'd have to switch down with some of the others at an older age than their normal.
And yes, Odin's skillz.
Re: Well...
Date: 2013-11-26 03:04 am (UTC)Like any children, they'd go through a developmental pattern. It's just that they have some enhanced abilities (like Thor's strength) and some extra abilities (like Loki's magic). Thor probably would've shown his elemental affinity long before he got Mjolnir, and may have had a hard time controlling it. And Loki would have problems from being raised the wrong species.
>> I'd think they'd have to switch down with some of the others at an older age than their normal. <<
I'm not sure how the ages will work out yet, although I suspect that Thor and Loki will wind up somewhere in the middle.
>> And yes, Odin's skillz. <<
0_o
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-19 12:45 am (UTC)Thoughts
Date: 2013-11-20 06:53 am (UTC)I suppose it's a combination of body image and self-image. On the physical side, JARVIS inhabits at least the Malibu mansion, Avengers Tower, and the Iron Man suits. Those all have totally different characteristics. With the addition of a larger teamfamily, JARVIS also has to contend with remodeling in the tower (on top of what was necessary due to battle damage). He's gone from being just Tony's wraparound defense to being the base of operations for a superhero team.
The closest comparison I can come to that is like getting pregnant. Suddenly your body isn't just your own anymore. (Tony feels like part of JARVIS, a perception both of them share.)
The self-image is undergoing similar shifts as JARVIS tries to adapt to having all these extra people who know him and want things from him (and for him). First he was a butler and security program. Then he became a superhero. Now he's also a quasi-handler for the team, Bruce's virtual lab assistant (and Bruce's specialties are different than Tony's), Steve's art consultant, Bucky's prosthetic memory (which is nearly as intimate as with Tony), and so forth. That is creating runkles in how JARVIS functions, and how he relates to Tony.
All of this is good growth, but it's scary. Having someone to talk with about the changes might be helpful.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-19 06:23 am (UTC)*laugh*
Date: 2013-11-20 10:13 am (UTC)It's funny, but there's a mote of truth to it too. JARVIS doesn't have the same kind of hands that humans do, and sometimes that's what is needed to get a job done. Just like humans don't have the kind of broad-spectrum sensory perception he does, so he shares with them. Symbiosis.