Story: "Birthday Girl" (Part 1 of 18)
Apr. 22nd, 2013 09:27 pm![[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," "Saudades," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," and "Touching Moments," "Splash," and "Coming Around."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hulk, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Inferences of past child abuse. Current environment is safe.
Summary: Doombots crash a beautiful spring day in the park. The Avengers clean up the mess. This includes Natasha's rather confused longing for something she never had: a birthday party.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Teamwork. Canon-typical violence. Friendship. Confusion. Hulk is a genius too. Multiplicity/Plurality. Fluff. Making up for lost time. Birthday. Cultural traditions. Games. Gifts. Cake. The cake is never a lie! Tickling. Trust issues. Safety and security. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Personal growth. Family of choice.
If you've been reading this series for the ageplay, that's about half of this, and everything in the story angles toward it. If you read between the lines you'll see some darker psychological stuff, mostly relating to Natasha and Bruce. The tone is mostly fluff.
A note on feedback: While it's not necessary to comment on every post I make, remember that I don't know who reads/likes things if nobody says anything. Particularly on long stories, I've discovered that I get antsy if there's nothing but crickets chirping for several posts. So it helps to give me feedback at least once, even if it's just "I like this" or "This one doesn't grab me." First and last episodes are ideal if you rarely feel inspired to comment in the middle.
Anonymous commenters: You don't have to specify exactly who you are, but it helps to have a first name or nickname or a username from some other service, so I have some idea of who's saying which and how many different "Anonymous" folks there are. You can just type some kind of identifier at the end of your comment.
Skip to Part 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.
The sequel is "No Winter Lasts Forever."
"Birthday Girl" Part 1
A beautiful spring day drew people outdoors in droves. They filled the parks and spilled out into the streets. Naturally Victor von Doom decided to ruin this idyll with an attack on New York. The Avengers dealt with the Doombots while the Fantastic Four went after Victor himself.
Most of the heroes came through combat unscathed, but the Doombots managed to drop an entire truck on Captain America. Agent Coulson called for immediate extraction so Captain America could be hustled to SHIELD medical in time to set the broken bones before they healed in all the wrong angles. Iron Man took out his extreme displeasure on the remaining robots.
The citizens of New York likewise expressed their resentment over the villain's intrusion. Agent Coulson surveyed the aftermath of the battle, noting examples of their outrage. A small Hispanic gang had beaten one Doombot to scrap with a garbage can and several crowbars. An unknown party or parties had locked another onto a lamppost with bicycle chains. The SHIELD technicians will be delighted to get their hands on a relatively undamaged specimen, thought Agent Coulson.
Hulk walked through the remnants of a birthday party. Brightly colored paper lay scattered around, trampled into the short green grass. A Doombot had faceplanted into the rose-pink cake. The balloon vendor's cart sprawled on its side, surrounded by balloons. "Sad," Hulk said, his massive shoulders drooping.
"Yes, it is," Agent Coulson agreed. He jotted down what identifying details he could make out. The Avengers would want to know what happened to the children, and if possible, make up for the spoiled party. "We'll do what we can to make things right."
Hulk lifted the cart and set it upright, though it sagged over a broken wheel. Black Widow and Hawkeye picked their way through the wreckage. He rested a light hand on the small of her back. She looked down at the ruin of cheerful colors, torn paper blowing in the spring breeze, her face an impassive mask. Agent Coulson worried about her; Black Widow could be unpredictably sensitive or indifferent to matters concerning children.
"Pretty," Hulk said as he reached for the remaining balloons.
"Whoa, hey, careful!" Hawkeye exclaimed, waving his hands at Hulk. "Those balloons will pop if you squeeze them too hard -- make a loud noise. You might not like that."
Agent Coulson froze. He'd seen people react badly to balloons or fireworks that sounded too much like gunfire. It made sense that Hulk had an increased startle response after his experiences. Frightened Hulk tended to raise the collateral damage quotient by a sizable margin.
"No bloons?" Hulk said mournfully. He gave them a pleading look.
"You may play with the balloons if you wish, Hulk," Agent Coulson said. "Just be careful with them. Don't smash anything if the balloons pop." The Avengers were trying to give Hulk more opportunities for interaction after a battle. Broadening his experiences beyond violence might help him stay calm.
"Such silliness over a bit of rubber," Black Widow said in a cool tone.
"You have something against balloons?" asked Agent Coulson. If she does, better to find out this way than by causing an incident, he thought.
* * *
Notes:
Idyll refers to a scene evoking the delights of nature. Most often this refers to a rural setting, but parks and other idyllic areas are gaining popularity in cities. There's a strong aspect of fantasy to this as people like to imagine the world being nicer than it is. Hence the heightened reaction when Dr. Doom -- with his particularly technological flavor of villainy -- ruins the illusion.
The Fantastic Four are a team of superheroes based in New York. They are opponents of Dr. Doom, and allies of the Avengers.
Increased startle response is a common symptom of PTSD. Sudden motions or noises may remind the survivor of hazards. Any loud popping sound -- balloons, fireworks, a car backfiring, etc. -- can sound like gunfire and have a negative effect on anyone who's been shot at before. I typically write Hulk as having a low startle threshold, but that applies to a lot of the other Avengers too, just not all in the same ways.
There are tips for staying calm in a stressful situation and how to practice calm in everyday life. The Avengers are helping Hulk develop a more balanced life so that he has experiences other than just violent ones.
[To be continued in Part 2 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hulk, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Inferences of past child abuse. Current environment is safe.
Summary: Doombots crash a beautiful spring day in the park. The Avengers clean up the mess. This includes Natasha's rather confused longing for something she never had: a birthday party.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Teamwork. Canon-typical violence. Friendship. Confusion. Hulk is a genius too. Multiplicity/Plurality. Fluff. Making up for lost time. Birthday. Cultural traditions. Games. Gifts. Cake. The cake is never a lie! Tickling. Trust issues. Safety and security. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Personal growth. Family of choice.
If you've been reading this series for the ageplay, that's about half of this, and everything in the story angles toward it. If you read between the lines you'll see some darker psychological stuff, mostly relating to Natasha and Bruce. The tone is mostly fluff.
A note on feedback: While it's not necessary to comment on every post I make, remember that I don't know who reads/likes things if nobody says anything. Particularly on long stories, I've discovered that I get antsy if there's nothing but crickets chirping for several posts. So it helps to give me feedback at least once, even if it's just "I like this" or "This one doesn't grab me." First and last episodes are ideal if you rarely feel inspired to comment in the middle.
Anonymous commenters: You don't have to specify exactly who you are, but it helps to have a first name or nickname or a username from some other service, so I have some idea of who's saying which and how many different "Anonymous" folks there are. You can just type some kind of identifier at the end of your comment.
Skip to Part 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.
The sequel is "No Winter Lasts Forever."
"Birthday Girl" Part 1
A beautiful spring day drew people outdoors in droves. They filled the parks and spilled out into the streets. Naturally Victor von Doom decided to ruin this idyll with an attack on New York. The Avengers dealt with the Doombots while the Fantastic Four went after Victor himself.
Most of the heroes came through combat unscathed, but the Doombots managed to drop an entire truck on Captain America. Agent Coulson called for immediate extraction so Captain America could be hustled to SHIELD medical in time to set the broken bones before they healed in all the wrong angles. Iron Man took out his extreme displeasure on the remaining robots.
The citizens of New York likewise expressed their resentment over the villain's intrusion. Agent Coulson surveyed the aftermath of the battle, noting examples of their outrage. A small Hispanic gang had beaten one Doombot to scrap with a garbage can and several crowbars. An unknown party or parties had locked another onto a lamppost with bicycle chains. The SHIELD technicians will be delighted to get their hands on a relatively undamaged specimen, thought Agent Coulson.
Hulk walked through the remnants of a birthday party. Brightly colored paper lay scattered around, trampled into the short green grass. A Doombot had faceplanted into the rose-pink cake. The balloon vendor's cart sprawled on its side, surrounded by balloons. "Sad," Hulk said, his massive shoulders drooping.
"Yes, it is," Agent Coulson agreed. He jotted down what identifying details he could make out. The Avengers would want to know what happened to the children, and if possible, make up for the spoiled party. "We'll do what we can to make things right."
Hulk lifted the cart and set it upright, though it sagged over a broken wheel. Black Widow and Hawkeye picked their way through the wreckage. He rested a light hand on the small of her back. She looked down at the ruin of cheerful colors, torn paper blowing in the spring breeze, her face an impassive mask. Agent Coulson worried about her; Black Widow could be unpredictably sensitive or indifferent to matters concerning children.
"Pretty," Hulk said as he reached for the remaining balloons.
"Whoa, hey, careful!" Hawkeye exclaimed, waving his hands at Hulk. "Those balloons will pop if you squeeze them too hard -- make a loud noise. You might not like that."
Agent Coulson froze. He'd seen people react badly to balloons or fireworks that sounded too much like gunfire. It made sense that Hulk had an increased startle response after his experiences. Frightened Hulk tended to raise the collateral damage quotient by a sizable margin.
"No bloons?" Hulk said mournfully. He gave them a pleading look.
"You may play with the balloons if you wish, Hulk," Agent Coulson said. "Just be careful with them. Don't smash anything if the balloons pop." The Avengers were trying to give Hulk more opportunities for interaction after a battle. Broadening his experiences beyond violence might help him stay calm.
"Such silliness over a bit of rubber," Black Widow said in a cool tone.
"You have something against balloons?" asked Agent Coulson. If she does, better to find out this way than by causing an incident, he thought.
* * *
Notes:
Idyll refers to a scene evoking the delights of nature. Most often this refers to a rural setting, but parks and other idyllic areas are gaining popularity in cities. There's a strong aspect of fantasy to this as people like to imagine the world being nicer than it is. Hence the heightened reaction when Dr. Doom -- with his particularly technological flavor of villainy -- ruins the illusion.
The Fantastic Four are a team of superheroes based in New York. They are opponents of Dr. Doom, and allies of the Avengers.
Increased startle response is a common symptom of PTSD. Sudden motions or noises may remind the survivor of hazards. Any loud popping sound -- balloons, fireworks, a car backfiring, etc. -- can sound like gunfire and have a negative effect on anyone who's been shot at before. I typically write Hulk as having a low startle threshold, but that applies to a lot of the other Avengers too, just not all in the same ways.
There are tips for staying calm in a stressful situation and how to practice calm in everyday life. The Avengers are helping Hulk develop a more balanced life so that he has experiences other than just violent ones.
[To be continued in Part 2 ...]
You're welcome!
Date: 2013-04-24 12:15 am (UTC)She has a tendency to shut down her emotions under stress, yes.
>> I can't wait to see where you're going with that (I think my own inner child can't wait for Natasha's party:)!)<<
It takes some time for her to work through things, but you should enjoy the party.
>> On another note, what's happening to Steve? <<
At the moment he's recovering from having a truck dropped on him. Don't worry, he'll be back later in the story. There are some interesting dynamics between him and Natasha.
>> Ah, I'm so looking forward for the next part! Thanks for this, and waiting for good things is part of the pleasure ; )! <<
Yay! That's good to hear.