#have one other random half-written story i'd like to finish before baby gets here and my brain is complete sleep-deprived mush but we'll see

[ayatai]

An Old Acquaintance Part 2

Alexander wandered the Daventrian market green, searching for the perfect gift for his daughter. As much as she hated when she couldn’t accompany him on these trips to his homeland, she loved the surprises he would always bring back to her. Perhaps he did spoil her a bit much sometimes, but then, he couldn’t help but want her to have everything he hadn’t.

A small stand holding a variety of wooden carvings caught his eye. He wandered over; the vendor was busy conversing with another customer so he stood to one side as he looked, out of the way. Some carvings were in the shape of animals, and he reached toward a small dog, posed to be laying down, its tail curled up beside it. Dogs as the rest of the rest of the world thought of them were rare in the Green Isles, and his daughter had grown up instead used to the humanoid “guard dogs” that made up the majority of the castle’s guards. The four-legged ones fascinated her; he was fairly sure she would adore the little carving of one.

“Gwydion?”

He froze, one hand still held out as the back of his neck prickled at the name. A name he hadn’t heard in years, and yet it still seemed to turn his blood to ice. For a moment he could do nothing but focus on slamming up a mental barrier against a flood of emotions and memories.

When he was able to focus externally again a second later, he noticed the vendor still staring at him, surprise clear on his own face. A face Alexander vaguely recognized - but from where?

The tattoos visible on the older man’s arms suddenly awakened old memories. The gentle slapping of ocean waves against a wooden hull. The sharp taste of salty sea air. And the soft words of a sailor’s stories falling as steadily as the wood shavings did from his hands as he carved.

Kaiden. One of Captain Reid’s men, who had tricked him and would have sold him into slavery had he not escaped first. 

Alexander flipped his hand over as he let the magic within him flow, a fireball starting to appear in his open hand. He’d used magic to protect himself the last time and he would do so again if need be.

His guard, sensing his distress, moved quickly to place himself between Alexander and the stall as he drew his sword.

“Easy, easy!” cautioned Kaiden as held up both hands. “If it’s Reid you’re concerned about, haven’t been with that rat in years. Just me now, sellin’ my carvings.”

Alexander glanced around. Other than a few onlookers who were staring at the sudden commotion, everything seemed normal. Certainly no signs of an ambush or anything else nefarious.

He let the fireball die out, but kept the magic flowing, ready to call it back at any second. He nodded at the guard, who sheathed his sword and stepped back, though he kept one hand on the hilt. Kaiden cautiously lowered his arms.

Heart still hammering, Alexander said, “So you’re a proper wood carver now. Pirate no longer?” The word pirate left a slight bitterness on his tongue; he held little fondness for those of the profession which had so nearly doomed his journey home.

“Left that long ago. Pretty soon after yer, uh… voyage with Reid, in fact.”

“Mmm. It’s Alexander now.”

Kaiden looked him over for a second. “New name, and you’ve grown. Took me a minute to remember where I knew you from.”

“Ten years will do that, I suppose.”

“Good to see ya, in all honesty. When we found yer trail headed over the mountains, was half-sure you wouldn’t be able to survive the trek, what with the cold and wild animals.” He paused briefly before continuing, “If you’ve got a few minutes, I always did wonder how exactly you managed to pull one over on Reid. And the fireball is… new…”

Alexander started to say no but paused. Kaiden had been one of the very few on that ship to treat him with any sort of respect or kindness. One of the first people to do so in his life, in fact. He found himself oddly drawn to the man who in other circumstances he might have called a friend. He nodded at the former pirate’s wares. “What about your stall?”

“Market’s closing soon anyhow. Won’t take me a minute to pack it all up.” He did so with practiced ease and efficiency, stowing the carvings securely in a crate. As promised it didn’t take him long.

Further down the green, tables had been set up amongst several large trees. The ones placed in the lengthening shadows were already occupied by others seeking relief from the heat, so instead they opted for one further out. While unshaded, it was also more private. A pleasant breeze started blowing in as they sat, keeping the bugs off and giving them a small taste of the rapidly approaching evening cool.

“So. Last time I saw ya was right when the lookout spotted Daventry. Next thing I know I’m waking up on the deck, ship adrift miles offshore. What on earth did ya do?”

“Sleeping spell. Reid took all my things when we left, but I shoved a bunch of pitch into the fire to make it smoke like crazy-”

Kaiden chuckled. “I remember; so that was you.”

“While everyone was running around worried about a fire, I slipped into Reid’s room and stole the sleeping powder back. Used it as soon as we were close enough to Daventry.”

“Clever,” said Kaiden, shaking his head slightly. “Reid really had no idea what he was getting himself into, huh? Would’ve been much better off just honoring yer agreement with ‘im.

He was spittin’ mad when he woke, let me tell you. And even more so when he realized you’d gone and dug up his chest. When we found yer tracks headed over the mountains he had half a mind to follow. Managed to convince ‘im you were too long gone by that point, though.”

“Thanks for that, then.”

“Eh - well, I had no desire to trek through snow, anyhow. Did leave his crew shortly after, though. Smugglin’ black market artifacts is one thing, but kids? Not what I signed up for. Besides, I’d gotten well enough on with my carving to make a livin’ with it anyhow.”

He stood and stretched. “Imma grab a drink right quick. You want one?”

Alexander shook his head. The conversation was interesting, and as far as he could tell Kaiden seemed to be exactly as he said, but he didn’t trust the man all that much.

Most of the non-food vendors had closed their stalls by now. As the crowd shifted to their end of the green, long lines were forming in front of the carts still selling food. The last of the empty tables had filled, leaving latecomers to spread out on the grass, or on blankets if they had them. Children weaved among the picnickers, playing tag or doing cartwheels, their yells punctuating the general hubbub of dozens of conversations occurring at once.

Someone had started lighting the torches ringing the area, fending off the encroaching darkness. Leaning back against the table behind him, Alexander let the noise simply wash over him, idly watching as the pool of warm light grew larger and larger as the man moved from torch to torch.

Seeing Kaiden again reminded him of so much he hadn’t thought about in quite a while. His thoughts drifted to Liliana’s tavern, where he had first stayed and worked right after freeing himself. The similar din of the common room there had seemed so loud back then, annoying and grating to ears more accustomed to quiet. 

Ten years had changed so much. Even Kaiden seemed different - more open and talkative. Happier.

But then - the same could be same for himself, he supposed.

This train of thought was interrupted as Kaiden returned and settled back down on the bench, pointing his mug in the direction of Alexander’s guard.

“Daventry seems to have treated you well. You a lord now or somethin’?”

The question took Alexander by surprise; he was so used to everyone in Daventry knowing exactly who he was. Even after so long the story of his return was still widely told and celebrated.

“Or something; I haven’t properly introduced myself, have I? Formally, my titles are King Alexander of the Green Isles and Prince Alexander of Daventry.”

Belatedly he realized he could have timed the revelation better; Kaiden, who had just taken a sip of his drink, half choked on it. After he’d coughed enough to clear it out, he managed, “Seriously? Prince of - “

Alexander couldn’t help but find some slight amusement in the reaction, especially as he noted the moment of realization take over Kaiden’s face and the wood carver started laughing.

“Did hear somethin’ about a missing prince returned home several years ago, just never put two and two together. If Reid had had any idea, ha!

Well, then, good it all worked out for you. Sounds like you’ve got quite the stories of yer own to tell, now.”

Alexander nodded his head in assent, his mind going to his daughter. She wasn’t yet old enough to hear most of them yet, but she was growing quickly.

His guard approached. “Sorry to interrupt, Your Majesty, but we’d best head back up to the castle if you still want to make it in time for your parents’ dinner…”

“Yes, thank you, Aldric. Time got a bit away from me.”

“If you have just a moment more…” Kaiden said as he shuffled through the contents of his crate. “Ah, here it is. This is the one you were interested in, yes?” He held out the small dog carving.

Alexander nodded as he took it. “How much?”

“Nothin’. Least I can do, after my part in… well, you know.”

“Thanks,” replied Alexander. “I’m glad to have ran into you this afternoon.” 

Night had fully fallen by the time they finished their goodbyes and wound their way back through the town and approached the castle gate. As he fiddled with the dog carving in one hand, he decided his statement had been more than mere politeness. It truly was good to hear how the former pirate had turned things around, and how he had looked out for Alexander even back then. Perhaps, after his daughter tired of playing with it, he might just keep the little carving for himself.

[corvixa]

I have this thing, that when an idea gets in my head, I either get it out on paper or it will create a traffic jam in my head and bugger up everything. So, not including my ongoing Fics, which includes the Gold Universe as part 4 is still nearly finished, I just need that last push on it. These are Ideas that can have anything from a few scenes, an idea, plots, or several chapters.

So I call this -

Winteriron WIP

(because what else 😅, I have a problem.)

In Fire & Flames - In this universe, Phoenixes and Humans live together, if one species dies then the other will too. When a Phoenix does for good, lots of natural disasters happen, starts with Tony'parents dying and then Rhodey, who is also a Phoenix, finds Tony. Who is now familyless and dying as lone phoenixes tend to die. There are several different kinds, and they come in pairs general. Golden and Ice, for example, Golden are high in magic, Ice tends to protect, especially the rare Golden, it's more tribes than individuals, there is no requirement for who likes who. It's surprising how much making a few other Avengers phoenixes tweaks things here and there, this actually goes up to the fight in Siberia and is one of the bigger WIP's. (26k)

Flash of Gold - Avengers are shifters or humans with magic, and they think they know what Tony is. They believe he is a human with magic, but they notice that he has some shifter traits, which is odd as shifters can't have magic in this AU. Only in very old stories and myth. Tony, however, is a dragon, which are myth. Instead of being like most shifters a, a human that shifts to something, he is the reverse. It only has a few scenes. Full shebang, team as Family. Steve is even a good guy. James is brought to the tower after being found and slowly integrated into the group and is wondering wtf Tony is. (13k)

The Operative Program - Howard was never meant to be a father; he was a weaponsmith. So he took the red room and the wolf spider programs and decided to create himself an Operative that he hoped would be the darker side to help Steve when he found him. Two sides of the same coin, one for the light and one to work in the shadows, Tony would be under Steve's control, he would be a weapon for the man who only picked up a shield. (Also assassin Tony is just fun.) Tony in this is a mash-up really, Tony traits, like Gold but different as he has been trained his entire life, the only reason he has developed a sense of self is Rhodey and the fact his parents died at 17. Rhodey got there first after the car crash, getting to Tony before anyone else who knew what he was could potentially claim him. Tony definitely collects people. Yinsen and Vanko for example. Chapters from Ironman up to Avengers (not complete). But enjoyed myself rewriting some out of sequence chapters, so there is a nice big scene in Siberia. (15k)

Another Persons Wish - Now this was based on a post I saw going around. Person A is married to Person B. Person A is looking back at their life and wondering if they should have married B, etc. So, A is offered a wish. Poof. Goodbye Marriage. Person A is Steve, and the story is from Tony, person B's POV. It goes from Tony planning his anniversary(because I was apparently extremely angsty when I started this!) to waking up in the past, alone and wondering what the fuck has happened. 6 chapters entirely written. Chapter 7 is in a different file and in progress when I dabble on it. (30k)

Tarnished Gold - This is an AU from my AU AU XD. Basically similar set up to the Gold Universe, Tony escapes Hydra Captivity but is brought in by Rhodey instead of spending 2 years on his own cleaning up Hydra. He only spends about 7 months before Rhodey convinces him to come in. Few other tweaks here and there but that is just side. Rhodey and James are pals too. The plot here is Howard and Maria are brought back from the Dead and Rhodey is trying to work out how to tell them what has happened and that he can't just bring them to Tony, because he doesn't know if Tony will remember them yet. Tony is a little less 'give me orders, and I'll gut you, and more 'orders made things easier'. I basically flipped his and James reactions from the original Gold universe. Tony is more in need of a hug. It's very loosely put together. I wanted something where Howard was a good dad to offset the fact I kind of made him Hydra in the next piece, and I wanted a good family man Howard with the bringing the parents back because I love reading fics that bring Howard and Maria back. (9k)

Sins of The Father - Arno has just buried his father. His mother is in a coma, he is 20 and mourning his life now he's expected to take on the business when a visitor flips his work upside down worse than the phone call about the crash. His Father? Part of a program that summoned a creature known as a Void Walker. (A creature from the Void Loki fell into, the only native species to that area, most others can't survive the void, so Loki will read as Void Touched and is 'To Be Protected' because I think that could shake up the Avengers section nicely.) Oh and he has Howards DNA. So Arno is freaked that he has a brother, that someone released and sent to him and Arno is 100% sure he is not meant to deal with severe traumatised half-human assassins that could be his kid brother. That is how Arno meets Tony and becomes very invested and turns up big brother protective instinct to 13. When summoned they're tired to a person and has to obey orders, that person was chosen as The Asset under the idea he can't disobey, which obviously fails as Winter does everything to protect Tony, including freeing him and sending him to Arno. His last order is that Tony is not allowed to go looking for or rescue Winter, which I think will be some nice drama when Bucky gets brought in (I really like this one) It has mostly set up but 2 scenes for in the future, Tony finding Coulson threatening Arno in IM2 and the data dump. (21k) (in this S/S Helped is Yelped, I'd fix it, but I've been working on this post forreeever)

Blood and an Arc - This came about from reading the Tony is a vampire fic and noticing that when he gets turned, generally Tony hates being a vampire. There aren't many where he comes back from Afghanistan a vampire and goes, huh... Well. This could be interesting. Loosely based on Vamp the Masquerade but I've tweaked it because my brain takes ideas and then runs off madly into the sunset. It is however utterly all over the place, some from Ironman and then random out of sequence chapters that I'm unsure about as I hadn't slept in a very long time on writing them and Tony went kind of Spike-ish calling James 'Pet'. I do like the idea of Tony fully embracing his changes. Yinsen never intended Tony to live, so he did something extra whilst turning him, so he is not an ordinary baby vampire and is convinced (justifiably so) that if he meets any other vamps, they'll try to kill him. In notes have Sam considering being a werewolf who works out Tony is a vamp and freaks out, because Vampires vs Werewolves and Tony is utterly confused and tells Sam he smells of mint (seriously, insomnia) Sam is baffled to find out the centuries of hatred that is claimed to be instinctual is actually taught. Sam gets kind happy he has a Vamp friend. (20k)

The Original Plan - This sets up around the end of the Mandarin (because honestly, I prefer working with Tony that has powered, especially because James has the serum and I personally think it would expand life span more than shown in Endgame. So I like evening things out and powered Tony is my jam) Tony has a bunch of plans, and they go awry. He doesn't see why and has zero clue what's going on. It's because no matter how well he plans this out, he's caught up in other people's plans. Steve is a little more "End goal justify the anything and everything." In other words, getting Bucky back is his plan and everyone are just pawns in said plan. I've taken that tactical genius title and also pushed him a little darker. After Ultron, he brings Wanda on for 3 reasons. 1 Precedence. 2 Fixing Bucky. 3 Making sure Tony doesn't find out about his parents and making sure he is on the team and available to fix Bucky's arm. That last bit changes things as instead of pulling away from the Avengers, Tony fully moves into the compound(just after AOU, it's not good). There will be no accords and Steve will find Bucky and just move him in and general plans on telling no one about the Winter Soldier. I summed up a chunk of AOU in this format, and I liked it (in an angst and pain fashion.) But it's quite long for a screenshot, so here's a chunk. Bucky is being brought in soon, but as it is, Tony is not having a good time, there might be Wanda conditions in his mind that Steve can use to convince Tony to do things... Also, because he is living there, I couldn't justify Sam not noticing there is something very wrong, so he is asking questions he didn't in canon as Tony's PTSD is more in his face living together you know? (16k)