Story: "Up the Water Spout" Part 17
Oct. 6th, 2014 12:18 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," "Hairpins," "Blended," "Am I Not," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys,""Saudades," "Querencia," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," "Birthday Girl," "No Winter Lasts Forever," "Hide and Seek," "Kernel Error," "Happy Hour," "Green Eggs and Hulk,""kintsukuroi," and "Little and Broken, but Still Good."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Natasha Romanova, Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Betty Ross, Bucky Barnes.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Mention of human trafficking and nonconsensual drug use. Slightly offstage sexual violence. Dubcon/Noncon.
Summary: Sometimes the Black Widow needs to hunt, and sometimes she needs help settling her personality afterwards. Uncle Phil arranges an extra ageplay session.
Notes: Hurt/comfort. Family. Fluff and angst. BAMF!Black Widow. Black Widow is creepy. Spiders. Coping skills. Asking for help and getting it. Hope. Nonsexual ageplay. Caregiving. Competence. Girl stuff. Toys and games. Gentleness. Trust. #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. Skip to Part 19, Part 20.
"Up the Water Spout" Part 17
Phil felt pleased that Natasha enjoyed her new pet. A desire to take care of a smaller creature showed a growing sense of empathy and compassion -- which of course was exactly what made her feel icky about Black Widow's urges. Phil began to hope that some of the self-sustaining aspects of the Red Room's training were finally beginning to wear away.
The spider, however, was ... a concern. Not an issue. Certainly not a phobia. It wasn't even hypervigilance, exactly. It just niggled at his awareness if he was in the same room. It distracted him. Since Phil only went into that room when he wanted to interact with Natasha or Clint, that was inconvenient. He had expected the effect to dwindle after a few days, but so far it hadn't. Plus there was always the chance of another work-related tarantula encounter, and he didn't care to face that with a wrinkle in his composure.
He wasn't about to broach that topic with Natasha, though. That was her space and she had every right to decorate it as she pleased. She needed that level of autonomy. Clint had no problem with the new pet, but then he was a sniper. He had wound up in SHIELD medical once because some imbecile had stationed him in a tree being harvested by leafcutter ants. Hawkeye had damn well stayed in position until he made the shot, then come back covered with tiny bites.
Phil did some research, and couldn't quite find a match for his feelings. The material he could find either dealt with extreme fears, like not being able to look at a picture of a spider; or it focused on generalized anxiety and more personal fears, like abandonment or inadequacy. The most relevant technique he could find was exposure therapy, which he knew worked for him -- thanks to being thrown out of a helicopter into a pond until his fear of dying washed away altogether -- but in this case he worried that it might make a minor distraction stronger instead. Phil frowned, poking at his computer screen.
The website hazed out. "Phil, may I suggest that you consult an expert?" JARVIS said. "With Dr. Samson working at SHIELD, you have someone reliable to ask for advice on matters of psychology and emotion."
SHIELD had always employed people for that, but they weren't often highly rated; sometimes you had to take whatever you could get. Dr. Samson, however, was pulling in positive feedback at a rapid rate. This gave Phil an opportunity to test the man's skills before deciding whether to recommend him to the Avengers.
"Thank you, JARVIS, I'll do that," Phil said. Quickly he typed a summary of the situation and then asked if Dr. Samson knew of any other techniques for reducing uneasiness, preferably something less liable to backfire. Then Phil set aside the personal research and switched to SHIELD paperwork.
Within half an hour, a reply pinged into Phil's inbox, and JARVIS helpfully popped it onto his screen. Try anchoring. Use a strong positive stimulus to counteract the effect of a weak negative one. It works on major aversions too, but it should go faster with a minor one, said the note. Thank you for asking! Phil followed the attached link, and there indeed was a set of straightforward instructions that sounded quite promising.
So Phil emailed Natasha and Clint, asking if they'd like to spend an evening watching cartoons at their place. Both of them pounced on the offer. Natasha's reply said, May we invite Bruce also?
Of course Bruce can come too. I'll let him know, Phil sent, and then dashed off the new invitation. Natasha and Bruce were still working through their relationship, after the rough beginning in Kolkata and the Helicarrier, followed by the awkwardness at the advent of game night. More positive exposure could only help.
* * *
Notes:
Distraction happens for a wide range of reasons. There are ways to stop and overcome distractions, so as to stay focused both at work and in family life.
Children, teens, and adult women need to have and decorate their own space as an expression of identity and security. Natasha had very little opportunity to this prior to moving into Avengers Tower; she shares the floor with Clint but they do each have their own areas because it's just so much space. Here Phil is deviating from his usual policy of open discussion because he worries that his feelings about the tarantula could disrupt Natasha's tenuous ability to pursue personal desires. He's probably right about that.
Leafcutter ants don't sting but their powerful jaws can bite deeply enough to draw blood. and have even been used as bush sutures to close cuts. They are fascinating to watch in action, but you really do not want to stand near a tree they are harvesting.
Fear is a necessary warning system. Regrettably most of what's been written focuses on major malfunctions such as phobias and general anxiety. I did manage to find one good resource for dealing with ordinary fears. Wariness of something that has hurt you in the past is perfectly rational; it only becomes a concern if, as Phil finds here, it interferes with what you want to do. Exposure therapy works great for some people if done right, but it really can backfire and make matters worse. Basically fear is like any other allergy: sometimes increased exposure wears it down, other times turns it up.
Anchoring is a technique of memory that can be used to dissolve fear. The same principle works matching memory-to-memory or with live stimuli. Much of game night and these extra ageplay sessions is about using positive experiences to blunt the effect of negative ones, whether past or present.
Dr. Samson appears in various iterations including the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he was the boyfriend of Betty Ross for a while.
[To be continued in Part 18 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Natasha Romanova, Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Betty Ross, Bucky Barnes.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Mention of human trafficking and nonconsensual drug use. Slightly offstage sexual violence. Dubcon/Noncon.
Summary: Sometimes the Black Widow needs to hunt, and sometimes she needs help settling her personality afterwards. Uncle Phil arranges an extra ageplay session.
Notes: Hurt/comfort. Family. Fluff and angst. BAMF!Black Widow. Black Widow is creepy. Spiders. Coping skills. Asking for help and getting it. Hope. Nonsexual ageplay. Caregiving. Competence. Girl stuff. Toys and games. Gentleness. Trust. #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. Skip to Part 19, Part 20.
"Up the Water Spout" Part 17
Phil felt pleased that Natasha enjoyed her new pet. A desire to take care of a smaller creature showed a growing sense of empathy and compassion -- which of course was exactly what made her feel icky about Black Widow's urges. Phil began to hope that some of the self-sustaining aspects of the Red Room's training were finally beginning to wear away.
The spider, however, was ... a concern. Not an issue. Certainly not a phobia. It wasn't even hypervigilance, exactly. It just niggled at his awareness if he was in the same room. It distracted him. Since Phil only went into that room when he wanted to interact with Natasha or Clint, that was inconvenient. He had expected the effect to dwindle after a few days, but so far it hadn't. Plus there was always the chance of another work-related tarantula encounter, and he didn't care to face that with a wrinkle in his composure.
He wasn't about to broach that topic with Natasha, though. That was her space and she had every right to decorate it as she pleased. She needed that level of autonomy. Clint had no problem with the new pet, but then he was a sniper. He had wound up in SHIELD medical once because some imbecile had stationed him in a tree being harvested by leafcutter ants. Hawkeye had damn well stayed in position until he made the shot, then come back covered with tiny bites.
Phil did some research, and couldn't quite find a match for his feelings. The material he could find either dealt with extreme fears, like not being able to look at a picture of a spider; or it focused on generalized anxiety and more personal fears, like abandonment or inadequacy. The most relevant technique he could find was exposure therapy, which he knew worked for him -- thanks to being thrown out of a helicopter into a pond until his fear of dying washed away altogether -- but in this case he worried that it might make a minor distraction stronger instead. Phil frowned, poking at his computer screen.
The website hazed out. "Phil, may I suggest that you consult an expert?" JARVIS said. "With Dr. Samson working at SHIELD, you have someone reliable to ask for advice on matters of psychology and emotion."
SHIELD had always employed people for that, but they weren't often highly rated; sometimes you had to take whatever you could get. Dr. Samson, however, was pulling in positive feedback at a rapid rate. This gave Phil an opportunity to test the man's skills before deciding whether to recommend him to the Avengers.
"Thank you, JARVIS, I'll do that," Phil said. Quickly he typed a summary of the situation and then asked if Dr. Samson knew of any other techniques for reducing uneasiness, preferably something less liable to backfire. Then Phil set aside the personal research and switched to SHIELD paperwork.
Within half an hour, a reply pinged into Phil's inbox, and JARVIS helpfully popped it onto his screen. Try anchoring. Use a strong positive stimulus to counteract the effect of a weak negative one. It works on major aversions too, but it should go faster with a minor one, said the note. Thank you for asking! Phil followed the attached link, and there indeed was a set of straightforward instructions that sounded quite promising.
So Phil emailed Natasha and Clint, asking if they'd like to spend an evening watching cartoons at their place. Both of them pounced on the offer. Natasha's reply said, May we invite Bruce also?
Of course Bruce can come too. I'll let him know, Phil sent, and then dashed off the new invitation. Natasha and Bruce were still working through their relationship, after the rough beginning in Kolkata and the Helicarrier, followed by the awkwardness at the advent of game night. More positive exposure could only help.
* * *
Notes:
Distraction happens for a wide range of reasons. There are ways to stop and overcome distractions, so as to stay focused both at work and in family life.
Children, teens, and adult women need to have and decorate their own space as an expression of identity and security. Natasha had very little opportunity to this prior to moving into Avengers Tower; she shares the floor with Clint but they do each have their own areas because it's just so much space. Here Phil is deviating from his usual policy of open discussion because he worries that his feelings about the tarantula could disrupt Natasha's tenuous ability to pursue personal desires. He's probably right about that.
Leafcutter ants don't sting but their powerful jaws can bite deeply enough to draw blood. and have even been used as bush sutures to close cuts. They are fascinating to watch in action, but you really do not want to stand near a tree they are harvesting.
Fear is a necessary warning system. Regrettably most of what's been written focuses on major malfunctions such as phobias and general anxiety. I did manage to find one good resource for dealing with ordinary fears. Wariness of something that has hurt you in the past is perfectly rational; it only becomes a concern if, as Phil finds here, it interferes with what you want to do. Exposure therapy works great for some people if done right, but it really can backfire and make matters worse. Basically fear is like any other allergy: sometimes increased exposure wears it down, other times turns it up.
Anchoring is a technique of memory that can be used to dissolve fear. The same principle works matching memory-to-memory or with live stimuli. Much of game night and these extra ageplay sessions is about using positive experiences to blunt the effect of negative ones, whether past or present.
Dr. Samson appears in various iterations including the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he was the boyfriend of Betty Ross for a while.
[To be continued in Part 18 ...]
Decorating spaces
Date: 2014-10-06 06:57 pm (UTC)(Sticks head back into fiction writing for awhile.)
Re: Decorating spaces
Date: 2014-10-06 07:13 pm (UTC)Conversely the argument for a woman needing a room of her own is that men control the world. Since Natasha is the focus of this particular story, I cited the reference for female territory. If you look at the rest of the series, you can see that Tony has his garage and lab, Bruce has his own lab space, and so forth. The private floors are big enough that even with two people sharing, each person can have their own space if they want it. Aside from the shared part of their quarters, Clint and Natasha do each have their own private sitting room. If Clint had said "I don't care if you keep a pet spider, but I don't want to have to look at it," then Natasha had somewhere else to put it besides their living room.
Re: Decorating spaces
Date: 2014-10-06 07:33 pm (UTC)Re: Decorating spaces
Date: 2014-10-06 07:44 pm (UTC)I'm glad this cleared up.
>> Save for Betty and Bucky, who are more private to begin with (even more than Bruce and Hulk!) <<
Betty has a suitelet on Bruce's floor, as well as her own apartment elsewhere, and at least a section of lab space. Bucky stays on Steve's floor and I'm not sure if they have established separate space in their -- quite likely not, as they've been so enmeshed since childhood. It would be good for them to have a little bit of separate space. Bucky has also taken to the garage, where Tony invited him.
>> and Steve, who seems to treat the kitchen, a deliberately shared space, as his retreat. <<
Come to think of it, Bruce uses the kitchen that way too.
Phil has both the den on his own floor and his office on the office floor as personal territory, one private and the other semi-private.
The shooting range was originally made to Clint's specs, although other people use it occasionally and Bucky is sniper enough to be seriously engaged there too.
Tony did the best he could when designing the floors for his teammates, and starting the process of decorating them. You can see glimpses of what he put in, and what the residents have added, in some stories where people are going into each other's quarters. Clint and Natasha actually have a double-floor with a lot of 3D features like stairs and nets because of how they move through space. That's the most customized because Tony dug into "Natalie Rushman" after finding out what was really going on. For everyone else, he had to guess more.
Re: Decorating spaces
Date: 2014-10-06 08:38 pm (UTC)Re: Decorating spaces
Date: 2014-11-04 02:03 am (UTC)Re: Decorating spaces
Date: 2014-10-07 06:42 am (UTC)These territorial issues are why men often cede the kitchen to women, especially during family holidays.
Re: Decorating spaces
Date: 2014-10-07 07:07 am (UTC)Wow, you are absolutely right, although I had not thought of that before. That is definitely a major drive for Steve; he desperately needs to reconnect with people after losing so much.
>> It's a way of ensuring that someone will come along and do things with them; <<
Yes, that's highly effective. That also plays into how they use the common floor living room as shared space, going there when they're hoping for company. It's a way of not being alone with all the horrors in their heads.
>> and if they happen to have made something (like food), they have a convenient way to share with others (time, gifts, and acts of service, three of the four primary love languages). <<
Five, actually: touch and words are the other two.
Tony's main love language is obviously gifts, and he does some of that at home, but rarely in a communal setting. He gets ideas, retreats to his garage, and comes back with goodies. The public version is his gala performances: dress up, show up, schmooze the room, write a big check. He probably has, in addition to the endless groupies, a rather small circle of people he actually goes to those events to see: the ones who truly appreciate what he's doing and will give him a sincere thank-you in a quiet corner. And those were the crumbs he was surviving on until the Avengers, because Pepper and Rhodey and Happy don't share the same love-language.
>> Bruce might also be keying to the idea of always having food at hand, reassuring him and Hulk that they are in a safe place with plenty of resources for them to enjoy. <<
Absolutely. That's true for Steve and Bucky too. It's why a lot of the cabinets have see-through crystal fronts instead of solid wood, so that people can see the food. They cook so that the house smells like food and therefore feels reassuring to them.
>> However, if that public space is hostile, these people will tend to become argumentative instead of helpful -- the unpleasantness is invading their space, which by time spent and use made of it is obviously their personal territory as well as shared space. <<
True, but it manifests in different ways. Bruce will almost always withdraw because he's so conflict-avoidant, but if you run him out of a kitchen, you'll pay for it later. He won't come talk to you to fix it. He'll hide and sulk and be passive-aggressive until someone else patches up the damage. Steve might argue or might withdraw, but it won't be more than a day or so before he comes to apologize and work it out. Bucky and Betty are both proactive about quashing fractious discussions or displays in public space, especially arguments over the dinner table.
>> These territorial issues are why men often cede the kitchen to women, especially during family holidays. <<
Often true, although it depends on "whose" kitchen it is. Some families the husband does the cooking, so it's "his" kitchen. There can also be serious dominance fights over who is the "head" cook. Fortunately the Avengers don't have that problem: Steve and Bucky are both good team players, they're the most active cooks after Bruce, Phil is equally fluent, Betty is Bruce's partner, and everyone agrees that Bruce is the most skilled cook.