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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," "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," and "kintsukuroi."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Nick Fury
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Minor character death. Bullying. Fighting. Suicide attempt (minor character).
Summary: This is the story of how a little boy named Flip grows up to save the world a lot.
Notes: Hurt/comfort. Family. Fluff and angst. Accidents. Emotional whump. Disability. Sibling relationship. Nonsexual love. Parentification. Manipulation. Coping skills. Asking for help and getting it. Hope. Protection. Caregiving. Competence. Toys and games. Comic books. Fixing things. Martial arts. Gentleness. Trust. Role models. Military. BAMF Phil Coulson.
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. Skip to Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21.
"Little and Broken, but Still Good" Part 16
For his tenth birthday, Flip asks for a human anatomy puzzle and a filing cabinet. The human puzzle will be fun to play with, but also useful for learning about bodies. Flip is studying anatomy in science class at school, and vulnerable points in karate. He likes the way that ideas from different lessons can fit together. The filing cabinet will be ideal for saving finished paperwork and extra blanks. He's building up such a big collection that he's running out of room for binders in his bookcase. This way, Flip can keep his just current favorites in a binder.
Mom laughs and says that a filing cabinet isn't a real present, and he should pick something else. She takes him to buy a filing cabinet anyway, though, at a thrift store. Flip finds the perfect one tucked into a dusty corner of the office section between two dilapidated desks. His filing cabinet is tall and black, marred by scratches that gleam silver against the obsidian surface. Every drawer locks with its own unique key, all fastened together on a metal ring.
"That's the one you want?" Mom asks, although Flip hasn't said anything out loud.
"That's the one," Flip says, and she gets it for him. Flip loves it instantly.
While they're at the store, Flip also spots a bicycle. It is a girl's bike and loud pink, with blue handles and a white seat. It needs a bit of work, but it's only ten bucks.
"Is a bike an okay birthday present?" Flip asks.
"It sure is," Mom says.
He gets the bike too.
He gets a broken arm falling off the bike a week later, but it's so worth it.
Alexa's present comes a little late, because she has found -- somehow -- six issues of classic Captain America & the Howling Commandos comics. Flip spends hours reading and rereading the comics, even though the pages are awkward to handle with one arm in a cast. Finally Alexa takes pity on him and holds the comics for him to read so that all he has to do is say, "Page, please," and she turns it for him.
Flip falls in love all over again when he discovers the team of misfits who save the day. Each of them has a different knack, and he can see how they work together. Dum Dum Dugan handles explosives. Jim Morita is silent and serious, adept at karate. James Montgomery Falsworth is something of a clown, but also a highly trained fighter. The jazz trumpeter Gabriel Jones speaks both German and French, which helps him connect with the Frenchman Jacques Dernier, who is adept in subterfuge and forgery. Flip likes the fact that some of the Commandos have subtler skills than just shooting the bad guys.
Then there is Bucky, Captain America's best friend. Flip knows that Cap needs somebody to watch his back, because he's always so busy watching everyone else's that he gets shot a lot. Unlike the other boys, Flip has never wanted to be Captain America. He knows that he's not a hero. Now he traces his finger over the shadowy figure of Bucky standing guard while Cap sleeps. Flip thinks, not for the first time, that it would be a grand adventure to be the guy who looks after the hero. Somebody has to do it.
* * *
Notes:
See the anatomy puzzle, filing cabinet, and pink bike that Flip gets for his birthday.
The Howling Commandos have appeared in many versions. I'm using the one from Captain America: The First Avenger. They're led by Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Dum Dum Dugan is the explosives expert. Jim Morita knows karate. Montgomery Falsworth provides some comic relief. Gabriel Jones speaks foreign languages. Jacques Dernier handles subterfuge.
Leadership means taking care of your people. That way, when you need it, they'll take care of you. There are tips on how to be a good and caring leader. Know how to take care of other people and yourself.
Most heroes don't think of themselves as heroes. It's one of those titles, like shaman or master, that's meant to be bestowed by other people. So don't argue. Just say thanks if you appreciate their work.
[To be continued in Part 17 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Nick Fury
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Minor character death. Bullying. Fighting. Suicide attempt (minor character).
Summary: This is the story of how a little boy named Flip grows up to save the world a lot.
Notes: Hurt/comfort. Family. Fluff and angst. Accidents. Emotional whump. Disability. Sibling relationship. Nonsexual love. Parentification. Manipulation. Coping skills. Asking for help and getting it. Hope. Protection. Caregiving. Competence. Toys and games. Comic books. Fixing things. Martial arts. Gentleness. Trust. Role models. Military. BAMF Phil Coulson.
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. Skip to Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21.
"Little and Broken, but Still Good" Part 16
For his tenth birthday, Flip asks for a human anatomy puzzle and a filing cabinet. The human puzzle will be fun to play with, but also useful for learning about bodies. Flip is studying anatomy in science class at school, and vulnerable points in karate. He likes the way that ideas from different lessons can fit together. The filing cabinet will be ideal for saving finished paperwork and extra blanks. He's building up such a big collection that he's running out of room for binders in his bookcase. This way, Flip can keep his just current favorites in a binder.
Mom laughs and says that a filing cabinet isn't a real present, and he should pick something else. She takes him to buy a filing cabinet anyway, though, at a thrift store. Flip finds the perfect one tucked into a dusty corner of the office section between two dilapidated desks. His filing cabinet is tall and black, marred by scratches that gleam silver against the obsidian surface. Every drawer locks with its own unique key, all fastened together on a metal ring.
"That's the one you want?" Mom asks, although Flip hasn't said anything out loud.
"That's the one," Flip says, and she gets it for him. Flip loves it instantly.
While they're at the store, Flip also spots a bicycle. It is a girl's bike and loud pink, with blue handles and a white seat. It needs a bit of work, but it's only ten bucks.
"Is a bike an okay birthday present?" Flip asks.
"It sure is," Mom says.
He gets the bike too.
He gets a broken arm falling off the bike a week later, but it's so worth it.
Alexa's present comes a little late, because she has found -- somehow -- six issues of classic Captain America & the Howling Commandos comics. Flip spends hours reading and rereading the comics, even though the pages are awkward to handle with one arm in a cast. Finally Alexa takes pity on him and holds the comics for him to read so that all he has to do is say, "Page, please," and she turns it for him.
Flip falls in love all over again when he discovers the team of misfits who save the day. Each of them has a different knack, and he can see how they work together. Dum Dum Dugan handles explosives. Jim Morita is silent and serious, adept at karate. James Montgomery Falsworth is something of a clown, but also a highly trained fighter. The jazz trumpeter Gabriel Jones speaks both German and French, which helps him connect with the Frenchman Jacques Dernier, who is adept in subterfuge and forgery. Flip likes the fact that some of the Commandos have subtler skills than just shooting the bad guys.
Then there is Bucky, Captain America's best friend. Flip knows that Cap needs somebody to watch his back, because he's always so busy watching everyone else's that he gets shot a lot. Unlike the other boys, Flip has never wanted to be Captain America. He knows that he's not a hero. Now he traces his finger over the shadowy figure of Bucky standing guard while Cap sleeps. Flip thinks, not for the first time, that it would be a grand adventure to be the guy who looks after the hero. Somebody has to do it.
* * *
Notes:
See the anatomy puzzle, filing cabinet, and pink bike that Flip gets for his birthday.
The Howling Commandos have appeared in many versions. I'm using the one from Captain America: The First Avenger. They're led by Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Dum Dum Dugan is the explosives expert. Jim Morita knows karate. Montgomery Falsworth provides some comic relief. Gabriel Jones speaks foreign languages. Jacques Dernier handles subterfuge.
Leadership means taking care of your people. That way, when you need it, they'll take care of you. There are tips on how to be a good and caring leader. Know how to take care of other people and yourself.
Most heroes don't think of themselves as heroes. It's one of those titles, like shaman or master, that's meant to be bestowed by other people. So don't argue. Just say thanks if you appreciate their work.
[To be continued in Part 17 ...]
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(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-06 07:27 pm (UTC)IRRC The rationale behind the 'boys' frame used to be that building it that way made for a lighter bike, but I've always thought it was asking for a painful 'bike meets bits' accident.
Can you tell I've just finished curating an exhibition on the blasted things?
(There was a rather large bike race this weekend in the county I work in, and part of the route ran by the site I manage. Summer exhibition this year was therefore on historical cycling...)
I am now officially cycled out.
Back to Flip though - I love his pragmatic approach and willingness to work to get what he wants.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-06 07:49 pm (UTC)Yay!
Date: 2014-07-06 07:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-07 12:06 pm (UTC)Was pretty interesting to research, as I am distinctly not a cyclist myself.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-07 01:15 pm (UTC)So, yes, I'd like to read your sources please. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-07 03:34 pm (UTC)Ones that I can remember off the top of my head:
Fiction:
Wheels of CHance - HG Wells
War of the Worlds - HG Wells
Three Men on a Bummel - Jerome K Jerome.
The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist; The Adventure of the Priory School - Arthur Conan Doyle (both are in the The Return of Sherlock Holmes collection of stories.
I think there's also quite a few mentions of cycles etc in some of DH Lawerence's work>
Non-fiction
Wheels of Change - Sue Macy
Fancy Cycling 1901 - Isabelle Marks
Cyclopedia: It's All About the Bike by William Fotheringham
The Literary Cyclist - Kevin Schaeffer
Children's books that reference bikes (we've put all the above books, and these children ones I'm about to list out for people to read as part of exhibition
Miffy's Bicycle - Dick Bruna
MY first bicycle - Susan Akass
Mrs Armitage on Wheels - Quentin Blake
THe Bicycle - Colin Thompson (lots of wonderful quotes about cycles in this one)
Monsieur Albert Rides to Glory - Peter Smith & Bob Graham.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-07 04:01 pm (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2014-07-07 08:07 pm (UTC)Re: Thank you!
Date: 2014-07-07 09:04 pm (UTC)The Fancy Cycling is hilarious for some of the suggested poses etc. You read it going 'that's just not going to end well....'
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2014-07-07 09:14 pm (UTC)It's wonderful when displays can turn people on to new things like that.
>> The Fancy Cycling is hilarious for some of the suggested poses etc. You read it going 'that's just not going to end well....' <<
*giggle*
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2014-07-07 09:48 pm (UTC)That one's not in this selection of photos http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/gallery/2013/jun/13/edwardian-stunt-bikers-in-pictures?picture=410604207#/?picture=410604848&index=16 but some of the others are.
I quite like the idea of the jousting though!
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2014-07-07 10:35 pm (UTC)Wow!
Date: 2014-07-07 07:59 am (UTC)That makes sense.
>> They became associated with female riders, as you couldn't ride a bike with a top strut in a long skirt and jacket. (Maybe if you were wearing Rationals, but that was daring enough without riding the wrong type!) <<
Oddly enough I've seen people cope with a long skirt just by bunching and wrapping it around their legs. What won't work is a narrow skirt over a straight bar.
>> IRRC The rationale behind the 'boys' frame used to be that building it that way made for a lighter bike, but I've always thought it was asking for a painful 'bike meets bits' accident. <<
Yeah, it's not safe with a bar there. People can get really injured, boys more than girls.
>> Can you tell I've just finished curating an exhibition on the blasted things? <<
Ah, that explains it. But thanks for sharing! This was fun to read.
>> Back to Flip though - I love his pragmatic approach and willingness to work to get what he wants. <<
Yay! Those things are so much a part of his character, I figure they must have grown in early.
Re: Wow!
Date: 2014-07-07 12:03 pm (UTC)There were skirt protectors designed to stop it catching in wheels/chains.
Rationals and bloomers were the next step in cycling wear, but only the young and daring women wore them. We have a pair on display, they're rather lovely things. No real signs of wear, so we think they were robably just worn the once, and then put aside as bit too daring....
It's actually been a pretty fun exhibition to work on - there was a cycling cafe based out the building in the 1900s so we could tell that story. I had an excuse to read a lot of literature that features cycling. (Three Men on a Bummel, couple of Sherlock Holmes stories amongst other things)
For instance, although everyone associats HG Wells nowadays with science fiction, he was a keen cyclist and wrote a whole novel about a drapers assistant on a cycling holiday. And War of the Worlds has a whole segment where a cycle comes in handy.
Turn of the century, cycles were seen as the vehicles of the future. And of course, they were far more accessible to those of limited means, and they freed women to be allowed to chose where *they* wanted to go.
I'm glad you liked the information I shared, its nice to be able to pass it on again!
Re: Wow!
Date: 2014-07-07 07:55 pm (UTC)Point.
>> It's actually been a pretty fun exhibition to work on - there was a cycling cafe based out the building in the 1900s so we could tell that story. I had an excuse to read a lot of literature that features cycling. <<
That is so cool. I'm glad people are keeping history alive.
Literature, hrm, there were knights on bicycles in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Then in Turtledove's WorldWar series, there are several places where characters travel on bicycles because that's all that is available with so much of the infrastructure smashed or in alien hands.
Re: Wow!
Date: 2014-07-07 08:38 pm (UTC)It's such a privilege to be able to do what I do, and I love being able to pass on information from history.
Holding history in my hand, literally sometimes!
Re: Wow!
Date: 2014-08-06 07:13 pm (UTC)<3!
Re: Wow!
Date: 2014-07-12 03:19 am (UTC)And, baseball.
(not sure when Steve will be ready to read that series.)