#[ sparring is also ok. applications are being accepted ]

[drakainaea]

please like this post if you want to (ง'̀-'́)ง!

[arienheart]

💘 + stinerva

                 accepting — @sanctidente

where they first met and how: they first met when jiemma brought together the four mages that he was recruiting to sabertooth, and he brought them to his home to have them all meet each other. as the master’s daughter, she was already there, at his side as he greeted them. how long their ‘flirting’ phase was before feelings got involved: it took a while. there was probably some light flirting at first, as they both acknowledged the other’s physical attractiveness, but neither sting nor minerva were one to get feelings involved easily. who fell for who first ( if applicable ): possibly sting? mainly because minerva’s emotions are just so messy post-tartaros and she needs time to sort through them. where their first date was and what it was like: intentionally bad. the worst date possible, because minerva lost a bet and sting wanted to rub it in her face.. who asks who out and how ( with a sign? spelled out on a cake? just a simple ‘will you go out with me’? ): sting asked minerva on the ‘worst date ever’. she had to say yes. who proposes first: sting, but mainly because minerva is traditional enough to not do it herself. if they keep / kept their relationship secret or let everyone know right away: i feel like it was the worst kept secret in the guild, once it stopped being a joke and started being real? where the proposal happens and how ( kiss cam at a baseball game? on a hillside surrounded by ducks? at a disney park? ): part of me can see sting doing something public and dramatic, but i can also see it being more private because he knows she’d actually prefer that? so... hmm... if they adopt any pets together: mini wants a cat sting. let her have a cat. who’s more dominant: it depends on the situation, honestly. both of them have moments when they are the more dominant one. where their first kiss was and what it was like: ok but. sting kissing minerva to stop her complaining about something~ if they have any matching couples stuff ( mugs? sweaters? pillowcases? ): eh, they might have some things sting got as a joke. how into pda they are: fairly? it’s not really an issue to either of them. who holds the umbrella when it rains: sting, unless minerva’s mad at him in which case she holds it and makes him have to stoop if he wants to be under it. where their usual ‘date spot’ is ( if applicable ): i don’t think they have one regular place? who’s more protective: both of them. do you really wanna face a dragon and a demon? how long it is before they sleep together ( can be as in ‘had sex’ or as in ‘shared a bed’ ): sex probably came quickly, but actually sharing a bed together knowingly? that took some time. if they argue about anything: IF? more like what don’t they argue about. these are two prideful people, who butt heads often. who leaves more marks ( lipstick, hickeys, scratchmarks etc. ): minerva tho~ she likes to mark her territory. who steals whose clothes and how often: if sting wore actual shirts, mini would probably steal them. but alas, he doesn’t. how they cuddle ( spooning? facing each other? ): mini uses sting as a pillow. and groans when he gets up before she’s ready. fight me. what their favourite nonsexual activity is: bickering. actually sparring, but the verbal fighting is fun too. how long they stay mad at each other: oooooooh boy. they’re both stubborn enough to stay annoyed for days. what their usual coffee / tea orders are: minerva likes peach black tea. sting... i’m not sure? something sweet, i feel? if they ever have any children together: PLEASE. LET THEM HAVE BABIES. if they have any special pet names for each other: ‘idiot.’ ‘milady~’ if they ever split up and / or get back together: oh definitely. it’s almost a drinking game for saber. what their shared living space is like ( messy? clean? what kind of decor? ): i feel like there’s conflicting aesthetics sometimes. but they make it work somehow. bright open spaces for sting, with some darker furniture and reading areas for mini. what their first christmas / hanukkah / etc as a couple was like: i can see both of them getting worked up, trying to make it perfect, but since neither knows how to do that, they kinda failed. but it was sweet anyway. what their names are in each other’s phones: ‘sting’ ‘milady’ probably. or some variation on it? if they have any ‘couple traditions’ ( buying a new mug for their collection every year? baking every friday evening? ): maybe, but it wouldn’t be minerva’s idea. who falls asleep first and who wakes up first: sting for both. minerva is far too much of a night owl for it to be her. who’s the big spoon / little spoon: sting big spoon. mini little spoon~ who hogs the bathroom: minerva, because she takes her damn time with her hair and makeup every day. this is why sting gets up early so he gets it first~ who kills the spiders / takes them outside: mini kills them. sting... it depends on the mood.

[surelybystarlight]

Season 4 Letters

Late 12th month, 100 AG Dear Fire Lord Zuko,

   Rebuilding the Southern water tribe is going along better than expected. So much had already changed by the time we got here. The benders from the north have made leaps and bounds in bending strong buildings. With the men finally back from the war we hope to have many newborns come end of next Spring and are building a hospital in expectation.    I’m writing to inform you that we will be proposing a formal medical exchange program at the First World Summit in 2 months, at the 6 month mark since the end of the war, in hopes of expanding our knowledge of healing by combining it with the herbal knowledge of the earth kingdom and the surgical knowledge of the fire nation. I am asking for your support of this program. An exchange of professional knowledge will not only be a sign of good faith and respect of other cultures on the fire nation’s part. It will also act as a symbol of the new age we are trying to build, one of mutual healing and support.

   I know it’s only been 3 months since we last all saw each other in Ba Sing Se, but I miss you and Toph. Suki and Sokka are doing well, with the help of our father, Sokka’s established a council of tribe members over seen by the chief to make decisions. Him and Suki are leaving for Kyoshi Island in a few days, Suki has new recruits to train and Sokka is traveling as “Son of the Chief” to formalize diplomatic ties with Kyoshi Island and Omashu. I think he’s just trying to avoid the days of endless sun coming up. I don’t know how they are going to make it work, but I hope they do. Aang's doing great, trying to be the avatar and mediate every conflict he comes across every chance he gets.    Tell me, how are you doing, How’s Mai? How’s Uncle? Has he driven you mad with tea and proverbs yet? Hows Toph? I know things are still rough with her parents. Uncles idea of taking her on as a pledge (word!!) was brilliant. Toph supposedly getting a courtly education in the fire nation pleases her parents, and in exchange she doesn’t have to go back to being sheltered.

       Wishing you the best,        Master Katara Daughter of the Chief

(p.s. Still feels weird calling you that but I’ll get used to it.)

Mid 1st month, 101 AG Dear Master Katara Daughter of the Chief,

   I can assure you that you will have the fire nation’s support behind your proposal, I agree an exchange of knowledge and skills will be beneficial for everyone. Water bender healers will be in high demand here once our doctors learn of what you can do. Will you be joining in the exchange? There would be a prime apprenticeship in Caldera hospital and a place for you in the fire palace waiting for you.

   Things are ok, it’s stressful being firelord. It’s hard to not just yell at everyone, but I have to set a better example than my father. I'm so glad uncle decided to stay as my adviser rather then retire to his tea shop just yet. At this point I’ll take any advice I can get, proverb or not. Toph’s doing great, you know how she is, she doesn’t talk about the painful stuff. She’s been very useful in vetting the staff and nobles for Ozai supporters. She’s kind of become my unofficial bodyguard. She’s even complained that she wished someone would make an attempt on my life just to spice things up. If I didn’t know her better I’d be scared.    Mai left on a sabbatical a little while ago, said she needed to find out what makes her happy, not just what she doesn’t hate. I know we weren't going to find happiness with each other. Not after everything we’ve both seen. Last time I was truly happy and at peace was at the summer palace with the whole Gaang. I hope she finds happiness wherever it may be.

       Hoping you’ve found your happiness,        Firelord Zuko

(p.s. It still feels weird being called that)

Early 2nd month, 101 AG Dear Zuko,

   Why didn’t you tell me Mai left sooner? I know you never really forgave yourself for leaving her at the Boiling Rock, but you deserve to be happy too. You deserve someone who loves you and you love in return. I miss the summer palace too, even though we were preparing for a war, I haven't felt so at peace since. I miss our night time sparring matches, letting off steam. And the day to day routine of our little family. There were moments I could have lived in forever.    I mean, I am proud of the work Im doing, rebuilding my tribe is important to me. And being in a position to effect change on the world, to usher in this age of peace is so empowering. Aang wants to start and airbender acolyte program after the World Summit, which is just as important to him. He wants me to join him once the healer exchange program is off the ground. Wants me to become an acolyte and help him “rebuild” the air nomad culture. Maybe I’ll find peace in the air nomad philosophy. I know that it didn’t exactly always work for me in the past, but maybe I’ll understand it better if I study it. I want to be able to be happy at the air temples. The days of endless sun are here, I’m sure I’ll find the idea of Air nomad philosophy more agreeable once I’ve seen the moon in the night sky again. For now, Aang's Air nomad diplomacy is not appropriate for handling midnight sun madness.    I know I won’t get your response before I leave for the World Summit, so I’ll see you then.

       Hoping you find your happiness too,        Your friend, Katara

Late 2nd Month, 101 AG Dear Katara,

   I know you wont get this before the World Summit, but I wanted to write you anyway. I am proud of my work, I hope I’ll find fulfillment in bettering the lives of my people. Love is not a given for Firelords, when Mai left my court started looking for suitable candidates for Fire Lady. Their concern is more with stability and producing an heir than ensuring I'm in love. Love was just never in the cards for me, I was never the hero of our story destined to get my girl. You’re lucky to have a chance at happiness with Aang. Even if, as we are both painfully aware, Air nomad philosophy isn’t always applicable, as long as you’re happy with him.    And if for some reason you aren't, there will always be a place for you in my country and home.

       Alway your friend,        Zuko

Early 4th Month, 101 AG Dearest Zuko, Dear Fire Lord Zuko, Zuko,

   The World Summit was very eventful and beneficial for all.    I know I said some things after the celebration ball. That certain things happened, but I want to assure you that I will be joining Aang at the Air temples, it’s where I am meant to be. I want to be happy with Aang.

       Katara

Late 4th Month, 101 AG Dearest Katara,

   I understand, like you said, We aren’t the ones who get our happily ever afters. Just promise me you wont give up your own happiness for the sake of his. I’m not saying you have to come to the Fire nation if you don’t find peace as an Acolyte, just remember you aren’t a prize. Your happiness matters too.

       Always your friend,        Zuko

Late 6th Month, 101 AG Dearest Katara,

   I heard from Ty Lee that you’ve returned to the Southern Tribe to help run the healer exchange program and train new healers. I hope you find your happiness there. I know it couldn’t have been easy to leave the Air Acolytes, but I am proud of you. One of us deserves to find happiness

       Hoping you find your happiness,        your friend, Zuko

Mid 7th Month, 101 AG Dear Zuko,

   Due to the reluctance of water tribe healers, I have decided to join the healer exchange program and set an example by taking a position in the Fire nation. I will be returning with you to the Fire Nation after the 1 year of Peace Celebration to begin my apprenticeship.    I’ve heard you’ve yet to accept or even entertain any of the potential Fire Ladies, I know you said love isn’t in the cards for you, that we aren’t the heros, but you deserve to be happy too. Thank you for your support, I haven't found my happiness yet, but I hope I will soon.

       Yours Always,        Katara

Early 8th Month, 101 AG Dearest Katara,

   I was genuinely happy to read that you’ll be coming back to the Fire Nation with me. Like I promised months ago, there will always be a place for you in my home. I hope you can find your happiness in the Fire Nation. I look forward to seeing you again at the Peace Celebration.

       Yours Always,        Zuko

Early 9th Month, 101 AG Dear Master Pakku

   You would be wise to never doubt the insight of a guardian in the ways of their charges's heart. For no one knows said heart better than the one who watched it form. I won the pot, time to pay up old man

       Better luck next time,        General Iroh

Chapter notes

Zuko and Katara got really drunk during the World Summit ball and ended up sneaking off together to have a heart to heart. They lamented both feeling like they were supporting character. Katara said she felt like she was just supposed to be apart of Aang’s happily ever after regardless of if it was her happily ever after. They end up admitting to each other that their happiest moments were with each other and share a drunken passionate kiss. 

Afterwards Katara tries to bite the bullet and make herself happy with Aang at the air temple, but she doesn’t last very long because it really isn’t where she’s happy. She ends up leaving Aang, giving him a speech about needing her own happily ever after. 

Zuko and Katara come together for discrete yet passionate love making at the Peace Celebration. They decide to keep their relationship a secret for the time being both to protect Aang's feelings and to avoid court gossip. However, Uncle Iroh figures it out right away, he had a bet with master Pakku since the end of the war when Zuko took the bolt of lightning that the two would end up together.

[hpsamantha]

the intern - avengers

Word Count: 3384

Warnings: Language 

POV: Clint Barton

Sam had insisted that they turn up a full day before Tony was expecting them, something that Steve protested at first until Natasha pointed out that they still didn't have written confirmation from Ross that all charges held against them had been dropped.

Part of Clint felt awkward about turning up unexpectedly; Tony would see it as a lack of trust. The assassin side of Clint thought that the precautionary measure was totally justified.

They approached the unmanned front entrance and paused.

"Umm...F.R.I.D.A.Y?" Steve tentatively asks the air, unsure if she would reply.

"Good evening, Captain Rogers," comes F.R.I.D.A.Y's smooth voice.

"May we enter?"

"Certainly," the A.I. replies, "though I should inform you that, since you were not expected until tomorrow, Mr Stark is not here to greet you."

The doors slide open and the foyer lights up as they enter.

"Is Vision here?" asks Wanda hopefully.

"No," F.R.I.D.A.Y replies. "He is attending a meeting on the east coast. Ms Potts and Colonel Rhodes are also unavailable. The only person currently in the building is Y/N. I will inform her of your arrival."

Clint looks around at the others. "Who's Y/N?" he asks them.

The rest of the team shrugs but F.R.I.D.A.Y responds. "She is Mr Stark's intern. Y/N is currently in the kitchen but she has just informed me she will come down to welcome you."

"Did anyone know Tony has an intern?"

More shrugs. They only have to wait a couple more seconds before they hear light footsteps running in their direction.

A teenager, dressed in leggings, a Sherpa and a t-shirt (reading: 'How can you speak 6 languages and sound like a dick in every single one of them?' Which also had the flash logo under it, with the name, 'Cisco Ramon') skids into the foyer. Clint notes that the child was semi tall, with H/C hair and E/C eyes that snapped rapidly from one Avenger to the next as she approached. Clint has spent years honing his instincts, and despite the girl's casual air as she approaches them, something tells Clint that the teen's movements are controlled and purposeful.

Clint almost ignores his instincts when the kid opens her mouth.

"Uh...hi! Hi guys! I mean, Avengers, I mean..." the child ruefully rubs the front of her neck. "Um...I'm Y/N, Tony's intern. He, um, he told me you were arriving tomorrow. Not that you're not welcome today, of course!"

The ramble cuts off and the team exchanges looks varying from amused to confused.

Steve takes the initiative. "We hoped we could turn up early. Get settled in ASAP."

"Cool, cool!" exclaims the teen, smiling now. "That's very cool. Um, would you like me to show you to the rooms Tony has set up for you? You could dump your bags and then I could either give you a tour or you could just explore the place yourselves, or whatever?"

Steve explains to Y/N that everyone but Scott has been here before, but they accept his offer to show them to their rooms, which is how they all end up walking after girl, who points out rooms to Scott along the way.

"...and that down there is the gym room. The weights on the bench press go up to 10 tons..."

Clint wonders what Tony was thinking, allowing a teenager to stay somewhere as risk-attracting as Avengers HQ. It just doesn't make sense.

Something else that doesn't make sense is Sam's attitude towards them. Sure, she appears excited and welcoming, nothing unusual about that. The thing is, kids her age usually do this whole 'gobsmacked-with-awe, hero-worship' thing when meeting even one of the Avengers, never mind a half dozen of them. Hell, adults do it too.

It's not like Clint wants the teen to be drooling over them all. The down-to-earth attitude is a really nice change when meeting a civilian. It's remarkably mature and a little bit odd.

He shows them all their rooms, asks if they've eaten yet and offers to make a stir fry when Natasha says they've haven't, claiming that she was making one for himself anyway.

Nat stands at Clint's door as he pulls clothes out of a bag and places them in the closet.

"Any thoughts on the kid?" She asks.

"I was hoping you knew," he replies, to which she shrugs.

"I've got a theory, but I'm not certain."

"Wanna share?"

"Not yet," she replies, tapping her nose before heading back to her own room.

A short while later, Y/N is separating stir fry out into bowls and the team converges at a large dining table. Clint watches as the girl helps herself to a bowlful of stir fry and then starts to head in the direction of the bedrooms.

It is Scott who stops her. "Hey, Y/N, aren't you going to eat with us?"

The teen looks surprised and a little bit anxious. "I don't want to intrude on your meal."

"Not at all," says Sam.

So Y/N sits down next to Scott and applies herself quietly to her meal.

Clint begins the interrogation. "So, Y/N, how long have you been interning for Tony?"

"Hmm....about, eight months?"

"Enjoying it?"

"Sure, absolutely. The tech is amazing."

Natasha takes a turn. "What do you do as an intern?"

Y/N reaches for her glass of juice and takes a long swallow before answering. "Whatever needs doing, I guess. Tony occasionally lets me tinker with stuff in the lab."

A few eyebrows rise at this. Tony's lab is sacrosanct. Bruce was always allowed free range but for everyone else entry was based on a 'look but don't touch' policy. Memorably, Sam was once banned from the lab after The Coffee Incident of 2015.

The kid then tries to turn attention away from herself by asking what brought the team to HQ earlier than planned, but Steve deflects that one nicely.

They all take it in turn to engage the child; clearly Clint isn't the only one who is curious. Y/N answers their questions (sixteen years old, Senior year, Midtown School of Science and Technology, an application to Tony's September Foundation), looking a bit harried by the time she finishes answering that last one about how she met Tony.

When F.R.I.D.A.Y announces that Tony has arrived back from wherever the hell he was, the child looks relieved.

They hear Tony before they see him. "Well, would you believe it, there was no Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough at the store I stopped at on the way back, so I hope you like Chunky Monkey, kid. I really shouldn't eat this crap, but..."

Tony enters the room, spots them all at the dinner table and stops cold.

"Hi," the billionaire says flatly, clearly not pleased about being caught off-guard.

Steve stands. "Hi Tony. I hope you don't mind, we pushed forward our arrival." He doesn't bother trying to explain why and Tony doesn't ask.

"Why would I mind?" Tony saunters forward and wanders over to pull up a seat next to Y/N, before turning to the kid. "You OK?" A silent conversation seems to go on between the two of them.

Y/N nods quickly. "Yup. We've had stir-fry. You want some?"

Tony shakes his head. "Nah. It's Chunky Monkey for me. You could get me a spoon though."

Y/N raises an eyebrow and gives Tony a look that can only be described as critical. "You know Pepper hates it when you skip meals."

"Jeez! I hate it when you two gang up on me. How much does she pay you to keep me on the straight and narrow? I promise I can better whatever she's offering you. How would you like a nice shiny new phone, hmm?"

Clint watches to two verbally spar and realizes that this Y/N kid is close to Tony. Close in a way only one or two other people are. Clint doesn't know what to make of it and, looking around the table he can see that the others don't either.

Tony eventually concedes to eating some stir fry and, standing up from the table, he ruffles Y/N's H/L hair on the way past. Y/N makes an annoyed noise, but grins as she starts collecting everyone's empty bowls.

Later that night, after Y/N has headed to bed, Sam brings it up.

"So who is he really Tony? The girl."

Tony gives him a bland look.

"My intern," he replies, before making his excuses and heading to his own bedroom.

POV: Sam Wilson

The following weekend, Y/N the Intern makes another appearance at HQ. She studies quietly in her room. She joins Tony in the lab (and Sam is not at all suspicious of the way they shove something under the desk when he approaches the lab at lunchtime).

At Tony's invitation, Y/N also sits and watches them spar in the training room, her gaze razor sharp as she observes evasive man-oeuvres, feints and offensive attacks.

She joins Steve, Sam and Scott on a morning run, and Sam is surprised at how fast the kid moves, for a Tall-ass.

However, it isn't until Sunday afternoon that the team comes to realize why Y/N is there. Sam, Nat and Clint head to the gym room for an afternoon workout, only to find her there, doing bench presses.

At first, Sam doesn't understand what has gotten Natasha's attention when she nudges him and gestures subtly towards the girl. He looks at Y/N, frowns at Nat and (at her repeated gesturing) looks again.

That's when he spots it. The weight counter indicates that the child is pressing five tons. Sam looks sharply back at Natasha who nods. Sam looks back at the counter. There's no way it can be correct. Steve can't lift five tonnes, never mind the rest of them. Only Thor and Hulk can manage that kind of weight.

Y/N is not wearing a suit, or technology of any kind, as far as Sam can see. She has a couple of thick bands around her wrists, but that's it.

After a moment, the girl returns the weight to its resting place and sits up. She gives the three of them a smile and a hello as she wipes the sweat off the bench. She hesitates a moment, as though trying to decide whether to stay or go, then she waves at them slightly awkwardly and exits the room.

Sam can't help himself. He goes over to the bench, positions himself and tries to lift the bar. It feels like he's trying to push a small moon out of orbit. Impossible. He sits up.

"What the fuck?!" He asks Nat and Clint.

POV: Scott Lang

That evening Scott is one of the last to arrive when the pizza is delivered. He arrives just in time to hear Nat asking Tony a question.

"Did you know your intern can bench press five tons?" Natasha asks Tony conversationally.

"Really?" said Tony, lifting an eyebrow. "I thought it was four and a half."

"Five tons." She repeats. "Who is she really Tony?"

"She really is my intern, and her name really is Y/N." Tony reached for a pizza slice. "Seriously, the girl has brains coming out of her ears. You should see what she can do with a chemistry set."

"She's enhanced. So spill the beans, Stark. I've got my suspicions, but I'm really not sure it's my place to air them."

"Y'do?" Scott chimes in. "Let's hear them then, your suspicions."

Y/N picks that moment to wander into the room, a thick physics textbook tucked under one arm.

"Kid, you'd better take this one," says Tony. "Natasha is convinced she saw you lifting five tons in the gym room earlier."

The rest of the Avengers all turn to look at Y/N. The teenager bounces from foot to foot, an expression of mild panic on her face.

"Uh...Mr Stark, can I see you in private for a minute?" The girl asks.

Tony nods and wraps an arm around Y/N's shoulders as they wander out of the room. They return fifteen minutes later. Tony sits back down and unconcernedly picks up another piece of pizza. Everyone else stares at Y/N in anticipation, the teenager standing awkwardly in front of them all.

"So?" Natasha raises an eyebrow.

Y/N clears her throat. "So...you're right. I'm...different. Enhanced. Whatever you want to call it. But..."

The child looks at Tony before taking a deep breath and continuing "...I don't really know you all like Tony does, so if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not share anything else about it, for the moment."

The room is quiet for a moment before Nat shrugs. "Fair enough."

And that is the end of that. For the moment.

POV: Tony Stank

Tony has a particular spot he likes to sit in on the modular couches in the Avengers lounge room. It's a corner single seater; no-one elbowing him and plenty of personal space. Clint and Sam seem to think this is hilarious and sometimes refer to Tony as 'Sheldon', ungrateful swine that they are. The Sheldon jokes are the only reason Tony doesn't put up a list of house rules on the fridge door; no need to give them any more ammunition, regardless of how annoying some of their habits are.

Tony gets back to the tower one day after a grueling Stark Industries board meeting (Pepper must have been in the mood to torture him – there was absolutely no need for him to be there) and heads towards his seat. All he wants is a drink and some soothing AC/DC in the background.

He reaches his seat and stops cold. On it is a pillow covered in an image of Edna Mode, from the movie The Incredibles, holding up a super-suit and accompanied by the words: 'Fine. I will also fix the hobo-suit'. Tony stares at it, stupefied, for a few moments before he hears sniggering from the direction of the kitchen. Turning, he sees Nat, Scott and Clint watching him, wearing various expressions of amusement.

"Which one of you dicks is responsible for this?"

Clint laughs out loud as Scott responds.

"We all really like your intern, Tony. She's got a wicked sense of humor."

"That little shit." He finds himself reluctantly smiling. It figures Y/N would worm his way into the hearts of the team quickly.

Vision wanders into the lounge from his bedroom.

"Is anyone able to explain this to me?" He holds up another pillow of Edna Mode, this one with the words 'No Capes!' in block letters. Tony snorts.

"Vision buddy, talk to my intern."

POV: Wanda Maximoff

It is Wanda who is next to pick up on one of Y/N's abilities. It isn't surprising, really. After all, she reminds her of Pietro. She is quick and lithe and has a ready smile. Plus, with her psionic abilities, it makes sense that Wanda would pick up on another person's unusual mental talents.

It is a Friday night and they had all greeted Y/N warmly when she arrived, smiling somewhat shyly at them as she'd slumped down on the lounge next to Tony.

"Hey, kid," greeted the billionaire. "How was school?"

A shrug. "Same old, same old."

Tony had remained tight-lipped about the teenager, only admitting that she was Enhanced and determined to use her abilities to help people, so Tony wanted her trained. As a consequence, Y/N now spent a couple of hours each Saturday learning hand-to-hand combat from Natasha and Clint.

Wanda watched now as Y/N discussed a school science project with Tony, who appeared more relaxed and animated talking with the teen than he had done all afternoon with the Avengers team.

Suddenly, mid-sentence, Y/N went silent. Her eyes took on a distant quality.

"Kid, everything OK?" asked Tony.

"Uhh..."

"Y/N?" asked Steve.

Y/N turned to look at Tony.

"Is anyone expected tonight? Like, guests I mean?"

"Noo..." replied Tony. "Why do you ask?"

Y/N ignored Tony's question. "Are there any threats on the horizon? I mean, are you guys on alert right now, for any particular reason?"

"You're making me pretty damn alert." Tony's eyes were sharp as he watched Y/N stand up and turn in a circle. "Talk to me kid."

Y/N rubbed the back of his neck in a frustrated gesture, before turning again to Tony.

"Something's wrong. I think...maybe...something's coming?"

Tony only narrowly beats the other Avengers in standing up.

"Can you be any more specific?" Steve asks as Tony started running F.R.I.D.A.Y through a series of security searches.

Y/N shakes her head. "Sorry, no. It's just a feeling right now."

"Are you sure you're not just being..." Sam trails off.

"Paranoid?" Supplies Tony, eyes flickering over the results from F.R.I.D.A.Y. "Y/N doesn't do paranoid. She does, however, have excellent instincts. If she says something's wrong, then something's wrong."

Wanda watches as Y/N suddenly swivelled towards the elevators which, as if on cue, give a friendly 'ding'. Y/N tenses, her hands fisting, and without conscious thought Wanda engages her telekinesis and braces herself.

The elevator doors slid open to reveal one of the cleaners; Wanda recalled that his name was Richard, although she'd never come into close contact with him before. Tony, still distracted by his screens, glanced over at the cleaner and then back to the readouts.

"This part of the complex isn't scheduled for cleaning in the evenings." Tony calls out, as his hands moved rapidly to pull up data.

Richard smiled and cold dread shivered up Wanda's spine. She knew that type of smile. So when Richard throws three small canisters in their direction, she reacts in a split-second, encasing the canisters in a telekinetic bubble. She held the bubble steady, unwilling to release it for fear of what might happen to the canisters if she did.

Natasha is across the room almost before Wanda can blink, knocking the guy out cold within seconds. And just like that, it is over.

The canisters are transferred to a decontamination lock-box before Wanda releases her hold on them. Almost immediately, they begin to hiss with the release of an unknown substance. A substance which, three days later, the CDC informs them is something unseen before and utterly, devastatingly deadly.

The following day, Wanda strolls into the common area to see most of the team quietly watching Tony argue with someone on the phone.

"I know. I know that M/N. I'm not arguing with you on that score." Tony runs a hand down his face. "But I promise you, steps have been taken in the last four days to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"What's going on?" Wanda asks Scott.

"I think that's Y/N's Mom on the phone," he replies, "and she's not happy about her coming back here after what happened on the weekend."

"No," says Tony. "Yes. Yes, M/N. I understand. Absolutely. You have my word."

"I've never heard Tony sound so whipped before," whispers Rhodey, who had arrived a couple of days ago. "I wish I was recording this."

When Y/N visits HQ again the next weekend, she is accompanied by a beautiful middle-aged woman who greets each of the Avengers politely but coolly. M/N, it turns out, is Y/N's Mom.

M/N says little. She watches as the Avengers train and as Y/N trains with specific team members. She joins them for meals and listens to the conversation. She watches how Y/N interacts with the team.

Tony is at pains to please the woman and Wanda realizes that the kid must mean a lot to the billionaire, for him to go to so much effort to accommodate M/N.

Wanda's curiosity gets the better of her. She dips shallowly into the other woman's mind, and encounters an intense well of emotion directed towards Y/N; deep love, overwhelming pride, curdling fear and fierce protectiveness, all rolled into one. It is so intense that Wanda backs out, but not before glimpsing a series of images M/N is projecting.

A man, with the same E/C eyes and warm smile as Y/N.

A small child who can only be a younger Y/N, crying as she lifts up a broken pair of glasses.

A blue mask. Tidal's mask.

Busted, thinks Wanda, eyeing the unassuming teenager.

[maggiewritesthings-blog]

Blooming: 5

Fandom: Final Fantasy 4 Genre: Character Study, ongoing Warnings: N/A Characters: Rosa Farrell, Cecil Harvey, Cid Pollendino, Kain Highwind

“Mama, I’m going to the range!” Rosa called as she took her training bow in hand. She had been taking lessons for five years-- her bow strength had gone up to a forty pound draw! At her young age, that was surely enough to get her into the military program. Cecil and Kain had both already started their squireships with the Red Wings and Dragoons respectively, and Rosa was ready for her own.

Joanna frowned as her daughter scampered out the door. “Be careful, and be home for dinner, please.”

“Yes, Mama,” Rosa called, closing the door behind her. She wore a fitted tunic that hugged her arms and chest, but hung low down her legs. She had convinced her mother to let her wear boy’s britches to the archery range, and kept her hair from her face with pins and a headband. When it got longer, she could pull it back.

Baron Town was active this afternoon, with market goers moving to and fro in the large squares. Rosa walked between them with a bright smile. Her steps bounced, almost as if she were skipping, as she headed up the steps towards the castle.

“Good luck, lassie!” Cid’s voice boomed as she crossed into the military grounds. Rosa looked up and saw the engineer looming over a parapet above. He held a device in his hand which measured wind speed-- no doubt preparing for a new test flight of his latest airship prototype.

She waved up at him, “Thanks, Cid!” 

Around the corner and under an arch, the range stood. Young applicants were in the aisles, taking their aim and trying their best to impress the Baron Archers Unit. Each captain in the unit was there, looking over the potential troops. Rosa had arrived early for the second group. The first gathering of applicants hadn’t finished yet, but she stood dutifully with her bow in hand and quiver over her back, ready.

“...You’re Sir Christopher’s daughter, aren’t you?” one of the captains asked her. She stood outside the range boundary, right beside the fence that separated a dangerous firing zone from the rest of the military yard. 

Looking up, Rosa nodded and dipped into a quick curtsy of respect. “Yes sir, I am. Rosa Farrell, I’m here to apply for squireship.”

The man frowned, but said nothing, walking away from her and turning his head back towards the first group of young archers. Rosa’s hands gripped the bow even tighter, her leather gauntlets rubbing against her palms. Her heart was beating wildly and she took a long, deep breath to calm herself.

You can do this, Rosa! They’ll be mad not to take you. Just don’t choke, and you’ll never miss, she told herself. In almost every lesson she’d had recently, she had hit the target every time, even the moving ones! The only thing that could stop her now was her own anxiety.

She had to wait half an hour before she could take her stance, but she had the first pick of firing aisles. Rosa knew that the second left from the middle was the best. The bullseye was stretched particularly tight, giving a satisfying thunk whenever an arrow hit it. The planks of the fence markings were especially straight. It was the perfect place to fire from today.

She didn’t notice the way the captains exchanged looks as she stretched her arms with the other hopeful recruits.

“I’m sorry... I know your father would have approved, but we cannot spare noble young women like yourself to monsters,” one of the captains had said.

Another added, “Your skills are admirable, have you considered going to the white mages? Your mother had been one, and that is much safer work for a Lady like yourself, Miss Farrell.”

In the end, she was not granted a squireship. Rosa wondered if it was because she had missed. Her nerves got the better of her, and she had missed the first shot entirely, the second and third were off just slightly. But after she had calmed her breathing, she’d fired flawless shots! Was she really that bad? Or were they telling the truth, and didn’t want a girl of noble birth to spill blood on her hands?

Rosa hadn’t gone home, she felt too ashamed. She knew what her mother would say-- that women weren’t suited for fighting in the first place, and that she should instead take to far more domestic hobbies than firing arrows.

Instead, she dragged her feet across the various training yards, reaching a place where squires were practicing jumps and polishing armor while knights sparred with lances and spears. Her eyes had gone foggy when she arrived, and she looked up to see Kain in the small sand arena, fighting with another Dragoon. At 15 years old, Kain would be knighted soon, and start rising in the ranks. He didn’t notice her where she stood, watching with her bow clutched between her hands. His blonde hair was worn long like his father’s, pulled back and whipping back and forth as he lunged, parried, blocked. He leaped into the air, right over the wide sweep his opponent tried to land, and came back down with a hard strike of the training pole.

After fifteen minutes, she turned to leave, making her way to a different training ground. It was similar to the Dragoons, but here, the knights all seemed to stare right at her as she walked into their grounds. Black helmets and black armor created an ominous atmosphere, and despite not being able to see the faces behind each shadowed armor, Rosa knew they were looking at her. 

She felt cold, and the sadness that was already held inside her by a thin dam of restraint was breaking. Tears welled in her green eyes, and she looked up from her feet, scanning the yard to find the one person here who wouldn’t have armor. Black Knights did not accept many into their ranks, and it was lucky that Cecil had been accepted at all. Still a squire for another two years, he did not have a helm of night to cover his beautiful eyes yet.

“Rosa?” he saw her the same moment she saw him, and rushed over to her, his training sword in hand. “What’s wrong? Did you get in?”

She shook her head, biting her bottom lip.

Cecil’s entire posture deflated like the sail of a ship in the doldrums. He dropped the short sword to the dusty ground and flung both his arms around her. Despite being surrounded by other Dark Knights, no one seemed to care the break in protocol. They watched, from a distance, but allowed the moment to take place.

Rosa buried her face into his shoulder, tears finally breaking free into an open weep. “I tried so hard, Cecil! I... I...”

“I know you did,” he muttered, one hand rubbing her back. He was so tall, so strong already. Rosa thought she had been strong too. “Rosa... I’m so sorry.”

“They want me to become a mage,” she blurted. “Everyone wants me to become a mage--”

Cecil didn’t say anything. The truth was, Rosa had an aptitude for both arrows and nursing. She was only thirteen and already reading high-level magic tomes and books on herb medicinals purely out of interest. Many said that she would make a good white mage, if she had some training behind her intelligence. 

But Cecil also knew that her father had taught her to shoot a bow, and he had called her his little archeress. 

“You’re going to be ok,” he murmured, letting her cry against him. “I promise, Rosa, you’re going to be ok.”

Her hands clung to his uniform tunic, feeling safe there.