Story: "Hairpins" Part 7
Mar. 5th, 2014 12:32 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. Skip to Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12.
"Hairpins" Part 7
Phil's fingers moved across the screen, playing with color chips. Tony favored red and gold, of course. Red is too energetic to use as the main color. Gold is better, but he doesn't look as good in that, except in smaller amounts, Phil thought. He toyed with a combination of warm caramel and brick red, then discarded it. Tony gravitated to pure bright colors, not earth tones.
Maybe blue? Phil considered the lucent shine of the arc reactor. No, he might not appreciate anything too close to that. Tony tended to dress in two or three layers to hide the light. In the workshop, though, occasionally he stripped down. Phil had seen him in nothing but a muscle shirt, starfire blazing through the thin cotton. Whatever jammies I order will need felt lining on the chest to cover the arc reactor.
The recollection of how sick Tony had been from palladium poisoning, and how close they had come to losing him before they really got to know him, made Phil shiver. He pushed the memory away.
"Let's see, what does Tony like?" Phil asked himself, dragging his attention back to the task at hand. "He worked with the military for years." Phil flicked through images from Tony's professional pitches. "Camo fabric is easy to find. Maybe he'd like that ..."
Phil's voice stalled out over the image of Tony beside a beaming young soldier, moments before an attack blew away the convoy.
"Scratch that idea," Phil said as he moved the picture into the trash. "Okay, friends, acquaintances ... party dress, business dress ..."
He shuffled through far too many scenes of Tony gallivanting through various events, usually drunk or at least with a drink in hand. That worried Phil a bit. Tony draped himself over beautiful women and, more rarely, beautiful men. None of their outfits ever matched his, except for a few posed pictures with Pepper; Tony preferred to find his dates on the fly rather than plan ahead.
Then came the cover of Forbes with a young Tony shadowed by Obadiah Stane. Another memory sliced through Phil, this time a night he spent comforting Pepper after she killed Obie to save Tony from him. She had not hesitated. She had not regretted doing what needed to be done. She had waited until it was safe -- days later, in fact -- to fall apart. It was the close call of almost losing Tony again, right after she got him back from Afghanistan, that wrecked her composure. Phil had been there, and had done his best to put her back together again. Tony had been down in his garage dealing with the ravages of betrayal in his own way. Taking a human life was never easy, no matter how necessary. Phil's hand clenched over the screen.
Something crinkled.
Startled, Phil lifted his hand away and saw that the image had crumpled, just as if it consisted of actual paper instead of pixels inside the Starkpad. A vicious swipe of his hand knocked it into the trash. Phil heard the distinct sound of a paper ball hitting metal. It made him laugh a little.
* * *
Notes:
Read the color symbolism of gold and blue.
Here's one of the pictures of Tony stripped down to a muscle shirt. So much of the focus falls on him in the Iron Man suit, people tend to forget that he has the body of a blacksmith underneath it.
This is Tony with the soldier shortly before the convoy blew up.
"Demon in a Bottle" is the original storyline about Tony's alcoholism. See a review of all the things Tony drinks in the movies. Now consider how much of that is him drinking on or near duty, and you can see why Tony has a drinking problem. There are tips to help a friend with alcohol abuse. So far, Phil isn't really close enough to Tony to have a chance, but he's plenty close enough to worry.
I found the fake cover of Forbes to be very disturbing. That Obie is such a creeper.
One interesting thing about Phil is how he tries to buffer Pepper and Tony, who are in a very weird place between civilian and soldier. They've gone through kidnapping and killing and explosions, all of which can seriously mess up even trained military personnel. Generally, it's polite to avoid asking a veteran if they've killed anyone, but to provide solace if they bring it up. There are ways to approach and support a veteran, and to comfort a friend in a crisis.
[To be continued in Part 8 ...]
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. Skip to Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12.
"Hairpins" Part 7
Phil's fingers moved across the screen, playing with color chips. Tony favored red and gold, of course. Red is too energetic to use as the main color. Gold is better, but he doesn't look as good in that, except in smaller amounts, Phil thought. He toyed with a combination of warm caramel and brick red, then discarded it. Tony gravitated to pure bright colors, not earth tones.
Maybe blue? Phil considered the lucent shine of the arc reactor. No, he might not appreciate anything too close to that. Tony tended to dress in two or three layers to hide the light. In the workshop, though, occasionally he stripped down. Phil had seen him in nothing but a muscle shirt, starfire blazing through the thin cotton. Whatever jammies I order will need felt lining on the chest to cover the arc reactor.
The recollection of how sick Tony had been from palladium poisoning, and how close they had come to losing him before they really got to know him, made Phil shiver. He pushed the memory away.
"Let's see, what does Tony like?" Phil asked himself, dragging his attention back to the task at hand. "He worked with the military for years." Phil flicked through images from Tony's professional pitches. "Camo fabric is easy to find. Maybe he'd like that ..."
Phil's voice stalled out over the image of Tony beside a beaming young soldier, moments before an attack blew away the convoy.
"Scratch that idea," Phil said as he moved the picture into the trash. "Okay, friends, acquaintances ... party dress, business dress ..."
He shuffled through far too many scenes of Tony gallivanting through various events, usually drunk or at least with a drink in hand. That worried Phil a bit. Tony draped himself over beautiful women and, more rarely, beautiful men. None of their outfits ever matched his, except for a few posed pictures with Pepper; Tony preferred to find his dates on the fly rather than plan ahead.
Then came the cover of Forbes with a young Tony shadowed by Obadiah Stane. Another memory sliced through Phil, this time a night he spent comforting Pepper after she killed Obie to save Tony from him. She had not hesitated. She had not regretted doing what needed to be done. She had waited until it was safe -- days later, in fact -- to fall apart. It was the close call of almost losing Tony again, right after she got him back from Afghanistan, that wrecked her composure. Phil had been there, and had done his best to put her back together again. Tony had been down in his garage dealing with the ravages of betrayal in his own way. Taking a human life was never easy, no matter how necessary. Phil's hand clenched over the screen.
Something crinkled.
Startled, Phil lifted his hand away and saw that the image had crumpled, just as if it consisted of actual paper instead of pixels inside the Starkpad. A vicious swipe of his hand knocked it into the trash. Phil heard the distinct sound of a paper ball hitting metal. It made him laugh a little.
* * *
Notes:
Read the color symbolism of gold and blue.
Here's one of the pictures of Tony stripped down to a muscle shirt. So much of the focus falls on him in the Iron Man suit, people tend to forget that he has the body of a blacksmith underneath it.
This is Tony with the soldier shortly before the convoy blew up.
"Demon in a Bottle" is the original storyline about Tony's alcoholism. See a review of all the things Tony drinks in the movies. Now consider how much of that is him drinking on or near duty, and you can see why Tony has a drinking problem. There are tips to help a friend with alcohol abuse. So far, Phil isn't really close enough to Tony to have a chance, but he's plenty close enough to worry.
I found the fake cover of Forbes to be very disturbing. That Obie is such a creeper.
One interesting thing about Phil is how he tries to buffer Pepper and Tony, who are in a very weird place between civilian and soldier. They've gone through kidnapping and killing and explosions, all of which can seriously mess up even trained military personnel. Generally, it's polite to avoid asking a veteran if they've killed anyone, but to provide solace if they bring it up. There are ways to approach and support a veteran, and to comfort a friend in a crisis.
[To be continued in Part 8 ...]
(no subject)
Date: 2014-03-05 05:36 pm (UTC)Yes...
Date: 2014-03-08 03:04 am (UTC)I'm glad you enjoyed this.
>> So many landmines to avoid! <<
Sadly the Avengers have a lot of baggage due to their disadvantaged childhoods and rough adult lives.
And yes, that's really what it's like when you're trying to shop for someone with PTSD. There are a billion little hidden triggers with subtle connections to things that suck. Finding something safe and positive can be a challenge.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-03-06 03:24 am (UTC)The list of what Tony drank, it isn't that much, volume-wise(at least, it isn't as much as I would have thought), but when and where he was drinking is very troubling.
Helga
Okay...
Date: 2014-03-06 03:49 am (UTC)Fixed, thanks for catching these.
>> The list of what Tony drank, it isn't that much, volume-wise (at least, it isn't as much as I would have thought), <<
The scotch, not so bad. Drinking champagne out of the bottle adds up. Plus I think of this as just sort of a summary of the fact that Tony drinks a lot, compared to everyone else having one or two.
>> but when and where he was drinking is very troubling. <<
Yyyyyeah. It also shows that he has a lot of control, which means a lot of practice, which is also worrisome. He can be that drunk and still do his superhero job.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-03-06 03:47 am (UTC)Maybe that's just me. :-D
Keep up the good work, and I look forward to seeing how Phil and Jarvis get to Captain America p.j.s.
Thank you!
Date: 2014-03-07 08:30 am (UTC)JARVIS has actually done the burning-paper routine, but he seems to reserve it for work-related semi-secret files.
>> Keep up the good work, and I look forward to seeing how Phil and Jarvis get to Captain America p.j.s. <<
I'm glad you're enjoying this. The next installment is up.
Book that takes an academic look at fanfiction
Date: 2014-03-07 08:51 pm (UTC)http://now.uiowa.edu/2014/02/new-ui-press-fan-fiction-studies-reader
I haven't read it- but it looks intriguing, and it looks like something that you might find interesting, along with the other Love is For Children fans.
Also: U of Iowa has a dedicated fandom studies collection. http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/resources/fandomresources/
Road trip, perhaps?
Re: Book that takes an academic look at fanfiction
Date: 2014-03-07 10:21 pm (UTC)That's an interesting concept. I have to admit, in recent years I've gotten intrigued by the rise of canonical fanfic. These are offerings based on canon and sold for money, but with explicit fanfic motifs like changing time (Sherlock and Elementary), genderbending and racebending (Elementary) and the addition of original female characters (The Desolation of Smaug).
(no subject)
Date: 2014-03-11 01:54 pm (UTC)It's interesting that Hawkeye 'poses' and this stand in a very multifaceted view of 'female representation'.
Yes...
Date: 2014-03-12 06:11 pm (UTC)Agreed! I am fascinated by the way that what would be appalling and obtrusive in a female character arc is subtle and interesting with a male character instead. It reminds me of a brilliant feminist essay on the relationship between Captain Picard and Q, also mentioned here although I don't think this is the original one I read.
>> It's interesting that Hawkeye 'poses' and this stand in a very multifaceted view of 'female representation'. <<
Also true. I had so much fun with "The Hawkeye Initiative."
Re: Yes...
Date: 2014-03-12 06:34 pm (UTC)Re: Yes...
Date: 2014-03-12 06:48 pm (UTC)I agree. To make it an interesting story with a female character, you'd need to do something other than what usually happens -- for example, she complains to her boss, who fires the creep, and the rest of the story is about the challenges of finding a good replacement on short notice.
>> Two, we're used to seeing men a certain way, and we'll overlay that on what's really going on, and it's like 3-D glasses. <<
Yes, that usually works well. It plays against expectations.
I also like the fact that Obie and Tony highlight some common aspects of abuse, just in an unusual variation. It's all about targeting a vulnerable victim. Tony's alcoholic family and the early loss of his parents left him exceptionally vulnerable, enough to counteract the advantages that being a rich white male would normally convey. Hence the white-collar nature of the abuse, which in canon is finanical exploitation and emotional manipulation; but I wholeheartedly support folks who add a sexual component in fanfic, because after the handsy scenes, that is quite plausible. It just didn't fit my storyline here.
Re: Yes...
Date: 2014-03-13 03:51 am (UTC)Never stack on more trauma than can be carried by your story. Different stories, differing max load.
Yes, you have to mix it up, otherwise it becomes hand-wringing.
Re: Yes...
Date: 2014-03-13 04:04 am (UTC)This is particularly true later in the movie where it becomes clear that Obie could have kept taking advantage of Tony, but just plain felt like murdering him. That must have been devastating to Tony, the realization that no amount of usefulness was enough to convince Obie that it was worthwhile to keep him alive. :(
>> Never stack on more trauma than can be carried by your story. Different stories, differing max load. <<
Exactly. That's why I love hurt/comfort, because the fluffy scenes make it possible to crank the tension much higher without burning out either the characters or the audience.
>> Yes, you have to mix it up, otherwise it becomes hand-wringing. <<
Agreed.
Re: Yes...
Date: 2014-03-13 04:25 am (UTC)Re: Yes...
Date: 2014-03-13 04:58 am (UTC)That more than anything highlights the level of idiot that Obie is. The stupid, it burns like hydrogen.
I think I've only got one character who's done something dumber than that: a sultan who decided to rape his most loyal henchman. It's just ... WHAT were you THINKING? How was this ever going to have been a good idea?!
>> Really, you think you've hit bottom, and Obie has got more layers. <<
Tried to have Tony assassinated.
Tried to cheat the hired killers.
Villain-monologued Tony.
Tried to murder Tony personally, and villain-monologued him again.
I pretty much have to chalk it up to death by testosterone poisoning.
>> It really lays things on the perpetrator. <<
Yes it does. I think Tony is still having a hard time coming to terms with that, because he loved and trusted Obie so much, it doesn't just make Tony feel guilty over the damage done with his equipment, it makes Tony doubt his own judgement ... which he probably didn't have a lot of faith in to begin with, given his history of bad decisions both personal and practical.
And then Natalie Rushman happened, and Hammer, and .... smash.
By the time Steve came along and popped Tony in the tender spots, it's no wonder Tony pushed the big red button right back.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-04-09 07:14 pm (UTC)I'd like to hear more of your thoughts on the Forbes cover?
Okay...
Date: 2014-04-09 10:42 pm (UTC)I'm glad you liked this.
>> I'd like to hear more of your thoughts on the Forbes cover? <<
I think it's creeptastic. It shows Obie as this looming, lurking shadow in Tony's life (which is true) and highlights a split between them (which is also true). If that were a real magazine cover, I'd say it was made by people who disliked both of them and wanted to stir trouble. It implies economic and psychological abuse (which is canon) and is often cited as evidence for people who interpret Obie as sexually abusing Tony (which I agree is more than justified, although I haven't interpreted that way myself in Love Is For Children).
Obie is a creeping creeper who creeps, and that creepy picture has all the hints about his creepy creeping.
Re: Okay...
Date: 2014-04-09 11:19 pm (UTC)