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ysabetwordsmithThis story belongs to the series Love Is For Children which includes "Love Is for Children," "Hairpins," "Blended," "Am I Not," "Unworthy," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys," "Duende," "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," "Little and Broken, but Still Good," "Byzantine Perplexities," "Up the Water Spout," "The Life of the Dead," "What It Means to Me," "If They Could Just Stay Little," "Anahata," "When the Wheels Come Off," "Against His Own Shield," "Coming in from the Cold: Saturday: Building Towers," "Coming in from the Cold: Sunday: Shaking Foundations," "Coming in from the Cold: Monday: Memorial Day," "Coming in from the Cold: Tuesday: Facing Fears," "Coming in from the Cold: Wednesday: Coping Techniques," "Coming in from the Cold: Thursday: Digging for Answers," "Coming in from the Cold: Friday: Bug Hunt," "Coming in from the Cold: Saturday: Revisiting the Past," "What Little Boys Are Made Of," "Rotten Fruit," "Trying to Find Prui," "Life in Quicktime," "Sunday Dinner," "Cafuné," "Fatherboards and Other F-words," "The Artists Among Us," "Cool Digs," "Keep the Homefires Burning," "Their Old Familiar Carols Play," "Fluffy," "A Leg Up," "Wabbit Season," "No Quarrel with a Boot," "And You Became Like Coffee," and "A Painful Process."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Hulk, Bucky Barnes, Phil Coulson, JARVIS, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Betty Ross.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Past Trauma, Anxiety, Secrets, Flashbacks, Arguments.
Summary: Tony widens the doorway between the common room and the kitchen, so Hulk can fit through it more comfortably. The Avengers talk over what happened between Hulk and Bucky.
Notes: Renovations, Teamwork, Training, Hugging, Food, No Sex, Intimacy, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Asexuality, Friendship, Team as Family, Avengers Family, Artificial Intelligence, Intellectual Foreplay, #coulsonlives.
Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.
"Coming in from the Cold: Monday: Renovations" Part 3
When they reached Bruce's door, a meal cart sat waiting for them. Wisps of fragrant steam escaped from the cover.
"Oh, that smells so good," Bruce said as he opened the door, still leaning on Phil.
The cart rolled smoothly behind Phil as he towed it inside. When he lifted the cover, he found a basket of herbal bread sticks and a pot of soup. Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with Herb & Garlic Bread Sticks, read the small card. Phil dished the soup into two bowls and then put a few bread sticks on each plate. "Here you go," he said.
"Thanks," Bruce said as he accepted his.
They ate in companionable silence for a while. After years of combat experience, stakeouts, and trips to inhospitable places, they had both learned to savor the pleasures of a simple meal. The soup was warm and rich, the bread sticks chewy with a green note from the herbs.
After they finished eating, Phil stacked the empty serving dishes back on the cart and left it outside the door for retrieval. Then he asked Bruce, "Are you up to reviewing the events of yesterday?"
Bruce shuffled in his seat. "I don't know ... I guess ... if I have to?"
"The team will be debriefing this afternoon," Phil said. "I thought you might like to view the footage first, in private."
"Yeah, that's ... probably a good idea," Bruce sighed.
"Hulk did very well, both yesterday and today," Phil said encouragingly. "I'm quite proud of him." He didn't add that Bruce should be proud of Hulk too.
Bruce nodded, though. "He didn't hurt anyone. I remember that much."
"Hulk asked to help today, too," said Phil.
"He didn't fight with me," Bruce agreed. "He seems to be doing that less. I suppose we must be doing something right."
Phil resisted the temptation to cheer and punch the air. "I think so too."
"Come on, then," said Bruce. "We can watch the footage in the living room."
It was quiet and comfortable there, with a large viewscreen that Bruce often used to critique Hulk's appearances. JARVIS showed the recording. Hulk must have given him permission for it at some point.
"I've never seen anything like that before," Bruce said, watching Hulk shelter Bucky against the wall. "He always reacted violently to threats against me."
"Hulk is quite protective of his teammates," JARVIS said. "I can show you further examples after this one."
Phil nodded. "I've seen it too, especially with Hawkeye, because he works up high and sometimes has to jump for safety," he said. "Keep watching, Bruce. Does anything seem remotely familiar?"
"Just snatches, from what I remember -- wait." Bruce cocked his head. "Okay, that's odd. It reminds me a bit of Betty. The way Hulk is, um, cuddling Bucky and talking him down. Sometimes she did that for me when things got too intense, back in college."
"Hulk is mimicking Betty's handler style?" Phil said, leaning forward. "That's very interesting."
A minute later, Bruce frowned. "That status check ... it sounds like they've been doing it for a while."
"That is correct," said JARVIS. "At first, Hulk had difficulty parsing his environment and its hazards upon emerging. It reminded me of how some others experience disorientation upon waking from restless sleep."
"Yeah, it's ... you're not wrong," Bruce said. "Waking up, or switching places, is hard on both of us more often than not."
"Hulk and I discussed the matter, then developed protocols to assist him in making swift assessments of environment and threat level," said JARVIS. "Until recently, he has requested a high level of discretion to avoid upsetting you."
Bruce scruffed a hand through his hair. "Probably a good idea."
"Hulk is making great progress," Phil said. "Compare yesterday with that time you dropped a blender on your foot. He's learning to distinguish accidental harm from deliberate threat."
"Never thought I'd see the day, but yeah," said Bruce. "Yesterday was awful, but it could've been a whole lot worse."
"It wasn't really your fault," Phil reminded him.
They watched as Hulk lifted Bucky, carefully squeezed through the door, and carried him into the living room. The camera shifted to show Hulk settling Bucky gently onto the couch.
"Well, huh," said Bruce. "Now he's copying me."
"How so?" Phil wondered.
"I've done a lot of back-alley health care in places where most people can't reach a real doctor," said Bruce. "I guess Hulk has seen me carrying people, taking care of them, when they can't move well."
"That makes sense," Phil said. "He's very protective and nurturing."
Bruce rubbed a hand over his face. "I am having a hard time processing that concept."
"Don't push yourself too hard," Phil said. "Just observe. You can't make good assessments without good data."
They watched Bucky's crying and guilt trip. It was uncomfortable to see again, but from this perspective, Phil could see more of Hulk's response now that Buck didn't need immediate care. It was impressive how much Hulk had learned about emotional support and possibly even psychology.
Curious, Phil took out his Starkphone and checked personnel records. Sure enough, Bruce had been consuming some of Dr. Samson's video lectures, and rather more of the alternative exercises for self-regulation and emotional intelligence. Hulk must have absorbed them too.
"Anyhow, we need to do more to help Bucky feel like a member of the team," said Bruce. "He shouldn't have to worry about getting kicked out. Bucky is Steve's brother and one of us now."
"That, too, is a work in progress," Phil said. "If you think of more ways to include Bucky, that would help."
"I'll do my best," Bruce said. Then he laughed outright at Bucky referring to Hulk as "tiny."
"Nicknames build connections," Phil said mildly.
"So I've heard," said Bruce. "JARVIS, did my tie-dye lab coats arrive?"
"Yes. I had them delivered to the lab supply area," said JARVIS.
"Can I get those sent to ... where are we even meeting?" Bruce said. "The common floor is a mess."
"We're using a conference room on the next floor," Phil said. "The Tower has plenty of them."
* * *
Notes:
Instant Pot Creamy Chicken And Wild Rice Soup is one of many comforting soup recipes. Enjoy it with Herb & Garlic Bread Sticks. You can use pretty much any herb blend you like, fresh or dried, to make bread sticks.
Derealization and disorientation are dissociative symptoms commonly associated with traumatic stress. Most of the Avengers experience challenges in this area, which is why JARVIS has a whole set of parameters for handling it that can be adapted to individual needs. Grounding techniques, such as reciting date and location, can help people to reconnect.
Nicknames increase human bonding. Bucky and Tony are particularly prone to use nicknames, often ridiculous ones.
[To be continued in Part 4 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Hulk, Bucky Barnes, Phil Coulson, JARVIS, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Betty Ross.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Past Trauma, Anxiety, Secrets, Flashbacks, Arguments.
Summary: Tony widens the doorway between the common room and the kitchen, so Hulk can fit through it more comfortably. The Avengers talk over what happened between Hulk and Bucky.
Notes: Renovations, Teamwork, Training, Hugging, Food, No Sex, Intimacy, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Asexuality, Friendship, Team as Family, Avengers Family, Artificial Intelligence, Intellectual Foreplay, #coulsonlives.
Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.
"Coming in from the Cold: Monday: Renovations" Part 3
When they reached Bruce's door, a meal cart sat waiting for them. Wisps of fragrant steam escaped from the cover.
"Oh, that smells so good," Bruce said as he opened the door, still leaning on Phil.
The cart rolled smoothly behind Phil as he towed it inside. When he lifted the cover, he found a basket of herbal bread sticks and a pot of soup. Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with Herb & Garlic Bread Sticks, read the small card. Phil dished the soup into two bowls and then put a few bread sticks on each plate. "Here you go," he said.
"Thanks," Bruce said as he accepted his.
They ate in companionable silence for a while. After years of combat experience, stakeouts, and trips to inhospitable places, they had both learned to savor the pleasures of a simple meal. The soup was warm and rich, the bread sticks chewy with a green note from the herbs.
After they finished eating, Phil stacked the empty serving dishes back on the cart and left it outside the door for retrieval. Then he asked Bruce, "Are you up to reviewing the events of yesterday?"
Bruce shuffled in his seat. "I don't know ... I guess ... if I have to?"
"The team will be debriefing this afternoon," Phil said. "I thought you might like to view the footage first, in private."
"Yeah, that's ... probably a good idea," Bruce sighed.
"Hulk did very well, both yesterday and today," Phil said encouragingly. "I'm quite proud of him." He didn't add that Bruce should be proud of Hulk too.
Bruce nodded, though. "He didn't hurt anyone. I remember that much."
"Hulk asked to help today, too," said Phil.
"He didn't fight with me," Bruce agreed. "He seems to be doing that less. I suppose we must be doing something right."
Phil resisted the temptation to cheer and punch the air. "I think so too."
"Come on, then," said Bruce. "We can watch the footage in the living room."
It was quiet and comfortable there, with a large viewscreen that Bruce often used to critique Hulk's appearances. JARVIS showed the recording. Hulk must have given him permission for it at some point.
"I've never seen anything like that before," Bruce said, watching Hulk shelter Bucky against the wall. "He always reacted violently to threats against me."
"Hulk is quite protective of his teammates," JARVIS said. "I can show you further examples after this one."
Phil nodded. "I've seen it too, especially with Hawkeye, because he works up high and sometimes has to jump for safety," he said. "Keep watching, Bruce. Does anything seem remotely familiar?"
"Just snatches, from what I remember -- wait." Bruce cocked his head. "Okay, that's odd. It reminds me a bit of Betty. The way Hulk is, um, cuddling Bucky and talking him down. Sometimes she did that for me when things got too intense, back in college."
"Hulk is mimicking Betty's handler style?" Phil said, leaning forward. "That's very interesting."
A minute later, Bruce frowned. "That status check ... it sounds like they've been doing it for a while."
"That is correct," said JARVIS. "At first, Hulk had difficulty parsing his environment and its hazards upon emerging. It reminded me of how some others experience disorientation upon waking from restless sleep."
"Yeah, it's ... you're not wrong," Bruce said. "Waking up, or switching places, is hard on both of us more often than not."
"Hulk and I discussed the matter, then developed protocols to assist him in making swift assessments of environment and threat level," said JARVIS. "Until recently, he has requested a high level of discretion to avoid upsetting you."
Bruce scruffed a hand through his hair. "Probably a good idea."
"Hulk is making great progress," Phil said. "Compare yesterday with that time you dropped a blender on your foot. He's learning to distinguish accidental harm from deliberate threat."
"Never thought I'd see the day, but yeah," said Bruce. "Yesterday was awful, but it could've been a whole lot worse."
"It wasn't really your fault," Phil reminded him.
They watched as Hulk lifted Bucky, carefully squeezed through the door, and carried him into the living room. The camera shifted to show Hulk settling Bucky gently onto the couch.
"Well, huh," said Bruce. "Now he's copying me."
"How so?" Phil wondered.
"I've done a lot of back-alley health care in places where most people can't reach a real doctor," said Bruce. "I guess Hulk has seen me carrying people, taking care of them, when they can't move well."
"That makes sense," Phil said. "He's very protective and nurturing."
Bruce rubbed a hand over his face. "I am having a hard time processing that concept."
"Don't push yourself too hard," Phil said. "Just observe. You can't make good assessments without good data."
They watched Bucky's crying and guilt trip. It was uncomfortable to see again, but from this perspective, Phil could see more of Hulk's response now that Buck didn't need immediate care. It was impressive how much Hulk had learned about emotional support and possibly even psychology.
Curious, Phil took out his Starkphone and checked personnel records. Sure enough, Bruce had been consuming some of Dr. Samson's video lectures, and rather more of the alternative exercises for self-regulation and emotional intelligence. Hulk must have absorbed them too.
"Anyhow, we need to do more to help Bucky feel like a member of the team," said Bruce. "He shouldn't have to worry about getting kicked out. Bucky is Steve's brother and one of us now."
"That, too, is a work in progress," Phil said. "If you think of more ways to include Bucky, that would help."
"I'll do my best," Bruce said. Then he laughed outright at Bucky referring to Hulk as "tiny."
"Nicknames build connections," Phil said mildly.
"So I've heard," said Bruce. "JARVIS, did my tie-dye lab coats arrive?"
"Yes. I had them delivered to the lab supply area," said JARVIS.
"Can I get those sent to ... where are we even meeting?" Bruce said. "The common floor is a mess."
"We're using a conference room on the next floor," Phil said. "The Tower has plenty of them."
* * *
Notes:
Instant Pot Creamy Chicken And Wild Rice Soup is one of many comforting soup recipes. Enjoy it with Herb & Garlic Bread Sticks. You can use pretty much any herb blend you like, fresh or dried, to make bread sticks.
Derealization and disorientation are dissociative symptoms commonly associated with traumatic stress. Most of the Avengers experience challenges in this area, which is why JARVIS has a whole set of parameters for handling it that can be adapted to individual needs. Grounding techniques, such as reciting date and location, can help people to reconnect.
Nicknames increase human bonding. Bucky and Tony are particularly prone to use nicknames, often ridiculous ones.
[To be continued in Part 4 ...]
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-27 03:11 pm (UTC)I could use some comforting soup myself today... Thanks for the links. :)
You're welcome!
Date: 2020-12-27 06:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-27 05:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-27 07:42 pm (UTC)I wish someone would send me a food cart. That sounds so good. I do not have the gumption to cook and leftover pizza sounds awful. I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do for dinner.
Thoughts
Date: 2020-12-27 09:17 pm (UTC)Yeah, it's hard to work past the mound of past data to see that things are changing -- but the more new examples cluster together, the better Bruce can see those changes.
>> I wish someone would send me a food cart. That sounds so good.<<
Avengers Tower is so big that it functions as a mini-village within the larger urbanscape. Among its amenities is a cafeteria that serves a range of food from light to high-nutrient. The food carts are a necessary accommodation for a building with many genii who often forget to eat if not prompted, or zone on a project and get up only to realize that they're famished because they skipped a meal and need food now.
>> I do not have the gumption to cook and leftover pizza sounds awful. I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do for dinner.<<
Bummer. Okay, let's see ...
Quick easy recipes:
https://www.eatthis.com/easiest-recipes/
https://www.eater.com/2020/4/3/21203517/easy-cooking-recipes-tips-tricks-roast-chicken-vegetables-rice-beans
https://ifoodreal.com/clean-eating-recipes-dinners/
https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/moms-best-4-ingredient-recipes/
https://tasty.co/article/hannahloewentheil/dump-dinner-recipes
These sites tell you what you can make with what you already have on hand:
https://myfridgefood.com/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/17567/ingredients/
https://www.penningtonlibrary.org/finding-recipes-for-ingredients-you-already-have/
There are also apps that do the same thing:
https://www.escoffieronline.com/top-apps-for-finding-recipes-for-ingredients-you-already-have/
These recipes focus on pantry staples:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahloewentheil/recipes-with-ingredients-you-already-have
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/easy/g31704197/best-pantry-recipes/
Or things in the fridge:
https://tasty.co/article/hannahloewentheil/19-recipes-that-use-what-you-have-at-home
For future reference, there are many ways to ensure that you have easy food options for when you lack the time or energy to cook from scratch.
* Food/meal delivery services. These range from snacks to ingredient packets to heat-and-serve meals, so there's something for most people's needs.
https://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/best-subscription-boxes/best-snack-boxes
https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/every-meal-kit-delivery-service-in-america-article
https://www.cnet.com/health/best-prepared-meal-delivery-service/
* Healthy convenience foods. There are now quite a few of these in the freezer and snack aisles. You do need to read labels carefully and experiment until you find something you like, but then you can stash a few and have food in 5-10 minutes.
https://thrivinghomeblog.com/70-healthy-freezer-meals/
https://www.theleangreenbean.com/healthy-packaged-snacks/
* Canned and jarred foods. Some of these work as ingredients (like tomato sauce) while others stand alone (like chili). Many can go either way (like soup).
https://themodernproper.com/pantry-essentials-canned-goods
http://www.eatingwell.com/article/290673/the-top-5-canned-veggies-ranked/
https://www.primalsurvivor.net/best-canned-meat/
https://www.bestproducts.com/eats/food/g645/healthy-canned-soup/
https://www.foodandwine.com/cooking-techniques/best-jarred-foods-chefs
* Pantry staples. These include not just single ingredients for cooking from scratch, but prepared items you can throw together with minimal time, energy, or skill.
http://www.eatingwell.com/article/37009/how-to-stock-your-pantry/
https://www.prudentpennypincher.com/100-cheap-easy-pantry-recipes/
https://www.fannetasticfood.com/15-minute-dinners/
https://www.budgetbytes.com/stock-kitchen-pantry-staples/
http://specertified.com/blog/view/q-which-fruits-and-vegetables-should-i-keep-in-my-pantry
* Appliances. Certain appliances lend themselves very well to preparing food with minimal time and energy.
https://pulptastic.com/10-reasons-need-slow-cooker-life/
https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/most-shared-slow-cooker-recipes/
https://www.families.com/5-reasons-why-you-need-a-george-foreman-grill
https://foremangrillrecipes.com/
https://www.eatthis.com/canned-food-recipes/
https://www.kent.co.in/blog/pop-up-toaster-a-perfect-companion-for-busy-mornings/
https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/ways-to-love-toast/
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2020-12-27 11:29 pm (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2020-12-28 05:54 am (UTC)You're welcome!
>> I think for tonight, I'm going to just peel the pepperoni off yesterday's pizza and make a sandwich and find some fruit or veg for a side. The crust wasn't very good, but the pepperoni was very tasty. I hate wasting food. I could make pasta out of it, too. Hmmm. <<
Sometimes we find packages of different pepperoni. I take tortillas, spread them with a little tomato sauce, add cheese and pepperoni, then cook in a skillet. They're like tiny pizzas. :D
>> That's even easier since I still need to get a toaster oven. The little table top oven went belly up. I've been dragging my feet on replacing it.<<
If you have space, I suggest a countertop oven. They're more versatile than a toaster oven. Ours has a rotisserie.
https://www.chefsresource.com/best-countertop-convection-ovens/
https://www.thespruce.com/best-convection-ovens-to-buy-4138209
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2020-12-28 11:19 am (UTC)Thanks for the links to the ovens. It's what stopped working last year that I never replaced. I keep seeing ones now that have air fryers and dehydrators. I need to start looking. I miss it.