It's Okay

Dr. Elizabeth 'Betty' Ross - Cellular Biologist currently employed at NYU's Biology Lab. My name is Betty, and I work with cells and their mutations.

[dr-bettyross]

Late Night Bookworm // Betty & Pietro

[fallenheropietro]

Why was she winking at him? Pietro was a bit confused by the woman, but shrugged it off. It was odd that she was holding the door open for him (shouldn’t it be the other way around?) but then again, America was a very different place than Sokovia, or the other backwaters places he had been in Europe. Most likely, it would just take some getting used to, and a few awkward encounters before he got the hand of everything.

“Pietro Maximoff,” he replied after she introduced herself. The mutant shook her hand, careful that his grip wasn’t as strong as it usually was. Betty was a kind and talkative stranger, not someone he wanted to respect him for his strength. To her, he was just a regular guy…who happened to have a thick accent and weird white hair. And he preferred to keep it that way.

Meandering through the store, Pietro picked up book after book, scanning the front and back, and if it seemed interesting enough, read the first chapter. With his accelerated thinking, he was able to get through it within a minute or so. Nothing seemed to stand out, though, until he found a small section in the back labeled “classics.” Perfect. These books had real writing in them. He grabbed a handful and just inhaled the smell, shutting his eyes and smiling wide as he was overcome by the scent. 

Hopefully no one was watching. Hopefully.

[dr-bettyross]

“Very nice to meet you, Mr. Maximoff.” Ross replied with a warm smile, tightening her grip as soon as both names were up in the air. Being the general’s daughter did bring about a few side effects. Like knowing self defense, giving firm handshakes, and not being afraid to raise her voice to men in uniform if she needed to. 

After a few minutes, Betty felt her uncomforted ease away as she grew more comfortable with the books and atmosphere. The owner that came by to speak was sweet and almost ten years her elder. When he found out she was a cytologist, he clapped his hands and shooed her to the back of the shop, insisting she go and look at the framed Nilsson photo he had gotten from one of his children. 

Betty rounded the corner in time to catch her newest acquaintance Pietro bringing books up to his nose and smelling them. It made her smile at the sight- she swore no one else but her and Bruce enjoyed doing that. Forgetting the photo for a moment, Betty walked to the shelf and slid a volume of Eyre out, flipping a few pages as she leaned closer to smell. “You know, if you flip the pages while you smell, it’s even better. Trust me, I’ve tested that hypothesis for years.”

[dr-bettyross]

What is the ultimate gesture of total trust?

Being yourself around someone. So in my case, not the teacher, or the published cytologist, or the general’s daughter, being me. The nerd, the worrier, the strong, confident, loving woman I am. Not many get to see it, and I doubt most of them even know it’s the real me. But it’s my idea of total trust; no masks.

[dr-bettyross]

Nerds of a Feather Flock Together

[tasersandpolitics]

“Yeah…I guess. It’s weird, I didn’t use to be this…shy? I think? Maybe it would help if I got off the internet, too. Been spending way too much time on here instead of actually meeting people.”

[dr-bettyross]

“Well you don’t exactly strike me as the shy type, so I’m glad to hear that. Will I have to invite you to the campus to make sure you meet more new people?”

[dr-bettyross]

Nerds of a Feather Flock Together

[tasersandpolitics]

“I don’t know, what if it’s all weird? Like, what if I’m wrong about them? And that’s just a theoretical ‘them’ because there isn’t anyone actually in the picture.”

[dr-bettyross]

“Well how would you know it would be weird unless you tried? You won’t know anything for sure without trying, Darcy. Take that from personal experience. And if that’s not enough, here’s more food for thought; what if this person turns out to be your everything? You never know what the universe has cooked up for you.”

[dr-bettyross]

Offspring

Offspring :: What kind of parent would they be? Would they prefer one, or multiple?

Betty always liked the idea of having children, so that was always a plan in the back of her mind. She knew her career would never be more important than a child, so she would be more than happy to leave cytology for a few years to spend time with her baby/toddler/young child. When they began attending school full-time, she would undoubtedly need to go back to work to keep herself busy without a child. But, if the young lady wanted to come into the lab, she was welcome anytime. 

Betty wouldn’t mind having only one child, but she would place her personal limit at two. She wants a daughter more than anything, though she would feel blessed with a boy as well. 

[dr-bettyross]

Alignment :: What would be their D&D alignment? How might it come into play? ----- Beverage :: What do they most like to drink, and why?

Alignment

Betty is actually a mixture between lawful good, and neutral good. She has no problem following rules and being the proper lady, but she won’t hesitate to go against her father or anyone else in the military if they aren’t right. 

Beverage

Betty really enjoys drinking iced tea. She’ll take a tea pouch, brew it, then pop in ice cubes. She realizes that’s not typical, especially with tea meant to be hot, but she just enjoys drinking cooler drinks than something piping hot. 

[dr-bettyross]

Decor :: What kind of home do they keep? Are there any defining details?

Betty likes to keep an ordered and tidy home. There have been times when random piles of papers emerge, but she swears she knows exactly where things are. When she’s near a deadline, that’s when the home becomes a lower priority, expressed through an unvacuumed carpet, dusty shelves, and piles of clothes a few days old from the drier. As for a defining detail, there are numerous books all around her. Most are on cytology, plants, or science in general. She has numerous biographies of famous scientists, but a few volumes of poetry tucked here and there. 

[dr-bettyross]

Late Night Bookworm // Betty & Pietro

[fallenheropietro]

You could never go wrong by going to a bookstore. There was something just magical in the air, an energy that couldn’t be made anywhere else. Now that Pietro was staying in New York for a while, he couldn’t help but scrounge around and find as many book stores as possible. There were always hidden jems, especially in cities as large as this one. 

Pietro found that he could quite possibly be standing outside of one this moment, but he was cautious on whether or not he should really enter. There was a woman also looking in the window, just a few feet away. He was curious about her–ever since he came to the city, he had been meeting quite a few people, and most of them, he liked. So, he decided to throw caution aside and slide up closer to her, to further gauge her potential for kindness.

Within minutes of his movement, she was speaking to him. He made sure to adjust his cap to make sure no hairs had escaped, and smiled at the woman. She had long brown hair, gentle eyes, dressed in a classy style. Although he had no idea who she was talking about, he nodded like he understood. 

“I might have to try it,” he responded. “I could always use a good laugh.”

[dr-bettyross]

Running a hand through her hair, Betty stepped up closer to the door and pushed it in, holding it open for the man beside her. “After you, sir.” She winked and looked further into the shop noticing the lack of people inside the store. Apparently she was a bit later into the evening than she expected. 

Feeling the familiar uncertainty move up through her spine, Betty made a mental note to stay close to the man. At least then she could have a witness or help if things got bad. “I’m Betty Ross.” She waited for the introduction until he was inside with her, offering up her hand easily. 

The store was warm inside, but more comfortable than on the street. And it smelled much better; dust intermingling with the smell of ink on paper. It was an amazing smell, and Betty was more than happy to just stand in the middle of it and breathe it in all night. But then again, she also wanted to read something, and that was hard to do if she only focused on inhalation and the store itself. She strayed off to the side, picking up a random book to check the back’s description. 

[yourfuckingmuse]

A-Z HEADCANONS FOR MY CHARACTERS

Send an ask with one or more of these for the answer!

Alignment :: What would be their D&D alignment? How might it come into play? Beverage :: What do they most like to drink, and why? Co-Habitate :: Do they live with anyone? What’s “need to know” before moving in? Decor :: What kind of home do they keep? Are there any defining details? Escape :: What do they do to destress? How successful is it? Fluff :: What hits their soft spot? Does anything them into emotional goo? Grudge :: How bad does an insult go over? Do they hold a grudge long? Hobby :: What’s something they do for fun that might be surprising? Insomnia :: What’s their sleeping schedule like? Snorer? Sound sleeper? Jaded :: Do they buy into the “happily ever after” ideal? What’s their standard? Kin :: What’s their role among their relations? Do they consider others family? Law :: What do they think about abiding rules? Are they selective about it? Magic :: In a magic series or not, are they accepting, or is each instance a shock? Network :: Are they connected to the people? How much do they reach out to others? Offspring :: What kind of parent would they be? Would they prefer one, or multiple? Pistol :: Is this character skilled with a weapon? What’s their opinion of violence? Question :: How often do they feel doubt? What topics are they defensive about? Reminder :: How are they at remembering daily needs? What falls through the cracks? Sing :: Do they like music? Do they listen often/sing/hum/play songs in their head? Touch :: How do they handle contact? Is their personal bubble big? Upcoming :: How much do they think of the future? Do they make long-term plans? Vice :: What bad habits do they have? Is there something they would be ashamed of? Wardrobe :: What’s their fashion style? Do they have any staple pieces? X-Ray :: How’s their health? Any problem areas? Do they take care of themselves? Yack :: What’s their favorite thing to talk about? What do they go on about? Zodiac :: What’s their astro sign? Does it fit? What would you pick, if it’s unknown?

[samanthashford]

Let’s Go Halfsies|| Betty and Sam

[samanthashford]

It was almost frightening how quickly Sam’s expression changed between a smile (proud at Dr. Ross’s–no, Betty’s work), to outraged (and frankly wanting to punch the man herself), to smiling again. “That I would have liked to see,” she said, already imagining what it might have been like, this seemingly “innocent” looking woman, kind in everything from the way she dressed to the way she smiled, decking that misogynistic ass hole right across the jaw. Hell, the woman had famously dated the Hulk and stood up to her own General of a father; she might look nice, but Sam could almost feel the fire inside her ready to burst out. 

“You think they’re a plague on the city?” Sam asked, resting her chin in her hands as she read a few more of the ads upside down; as far as New York and New Yorkers went, Betty was probably spot on–rats in every direction, both the literal running under your floorboards kind, and the sort of human-looking ones she had to put up with at work. “Fucking rats. Why can’t we just live in the big fancy tower itself?” she asked wistfully–like that would ever happen.

[dr-bettyross]

“I doubt you’ll have to wait long to see me get fired up again. . . there’s a biology professor at the university who seems hell-bent on downplaying my professional capabilities. He heard about Doctor Banner and I’s relationship, and he claims that’s the only reason I got the job at the university. Very political, apparently. So if anything breaks out, you’ll be the first person I call.” Betty shook her head and took a bite out of her muffin to calm herself. The man was a thorn, and she never liked dealing with him unless it was necessary. 

Hearing Samantha’s sigh and wishful thinking, Betty bit her lip and looked down to fold the edges of the paper. She remembered Tony’s offer for the Avenger’s Tower- it was an open door to her. She could always just text and ask him. . . not like any problems could come from a question. “I have Tony Stark’s number. If you wanted, I could see what rooms he has available.” She lifted a shoulder and looked over Samantha carefully. “Do you have anything against him or the team?”

[dr-bettyross]

Late Night Bookworm // Betty & Tony

[tonyshellheadstark-blog]

The re-boot was quick, silent, and if Tony hadn’t just spend four hours straight repairing the outer-layers, wasn’t drenched in motor oil and scrubbing a particularly stubborn patch of grease off his forearm, he would have said it was effortless. As it was, basic every day repairs were hardly the most difficult item on his to-do list. He contemplated a shower–he could no longer tell the difference between what he smelled like and what the workshop as a whole smelled like, that stench of metal and electricity all around–but the restlessness won over. He splashed his face with some cold water, put the workshop into lock down mode, and called the suit. It buzzed to life–white Iron Man eyes glowing from the outside while the inside HUD screen flittered between weather conditions, emission statistics (still zero, thank you very much), and battery life. Everything was high, new, and ready to go. As his boots came to life, Tony lifted up off the ground and flew out of the garage. 

It was a hot night according to the weather report–go figure–but Tony was easily able to ignore that particular part of the HUD screen in favor of pulling up a calendar (the Iron Man suit was, thankfully, temperature controlled; if it wasn’t, he would have burned to death inside of it years ago). Dates weren’t exactly Tony’s speciality–there just wasn’t room in his brain for them–but Steve’s birthday wasn’t hard to remember, not on Fourth of July, not with a coincidence like that. Contemplating birthday presents and something for Rhodey–he was coming in later that week–Tony took a lap around the city skyline and felt the relief just to be out of the workshop, just to feel the night air on his face–figuratively speaking. 

He landed at a store front–the team had marked it on the city map long ago with a single smiley face: safe for Avengers, and so Tony knew all the shop owners: the man with best bagels in the city, sushi to die for next to that, and of course, the book store Steve dragged him to every time he needed to add to his collection. Allowing a single gauntlet to absorb back into the Iron Man wrist plate, Tony reached for the a couple of the books that sat just outside the door in the special “deals” crate (because that was where Steve always seemed to go first). He’d just picked up a romance novel that he was determined to give to Rhodey when a familiar voice beside him caught his attention. “Colbert?” Tony took a hold of the offered book, reading over the back (or rather, JARVIS read it over and relayed it inside the Iron Man helmet so only Tony could hear–a rather useful, and okay, sort of embarrassing feature of the AI). “Yeah, guy’s good. You always shop for books this late, Dr. Ross?” 

[dr-bettyross]

“That depends. Do you always shop for books while in the suit, Mr. Stark?” Betty laughed lightly and picked up a slim novel from the crate, reading over the back description as Tony browsed as well. “But to answer your question, no. I don’t often shop this late. I just wanted to enjoy New York at night. I’ve yet to properly see it. . . beyond the hotel window I mean. And even then, it’s not spectacular enough.” 

Remembering her earlier fears, Betty looked up to the suit and cocked her head- lost in the thoughts that occupied her during the walk over. It was almost humorous how startling the differences were between cytologist and engineer. He was flashy and larger-than-life in his suit while she tried to blend in with the book display in front of her. 

“How are you this evening, Mr. Stark?" Spying a book of poetry in the back of the closest crate, Betty began working the paperback out, attention evenly split between response and book. Despite the fact that this was her first official face-to-mask with Tony Stark, she preferred to stay as realistic as possible. He was just another friend of Bruce’s. . . just a normal man. 

[dr-bettyross]

Nerds of a Feather Flock Together

[tasersandpolitics]

“Yeah, I mean, they probably wouldn’t but…”

[dr-bettyross]

“C’mon Ms. Darcy. What’s the but? Is there someone else in the picture?”

[dr-bettyross]

Late Night Bookworm // Betty & OPEN

It was nice to say she was starting to get a hang of the New York streets, walking as quickly as those around her without getting too many curses thrown her way for her simply being there. She counted it as progress, and she was more than happy to see it. Not like she was really in a position to change anything in her life- she had to get used to New York no matter what. This was her new life. 

What a life. 

The city was gorgeous at night; all the buildings seemed to glow and radiate warmth, something that made her more comfortable just thinking about. Instead of staying in tonight, Betty chose to slip on a pair of flats and go enjoy the evening and its warmth. She had always tried to make it back inside after dark, the fear of men lurking in shadows too real for her to test. But tonight? Why not enjoy what New York had to offer?

Stepping out into the street, Ross looked both ways before deciding on heading to her right. Maybe she could run by the bookstore, see what they had to offer her for a good read. As she neared the little hole-in-the-wall, she started doing a bit of window shopping as well, noting the cute little pieces each storefront had to offer. As she stood in front of the bookstore, eyeing the newest reads, she could feel someone else sidle up closer to her. “I hear you can’t go wrong with Stephen Colbert’s twist on comedy, if you’re interested in that sort of thing.” She offered it gently, looking over to smile at the person beside her.

[dr-bettyross]

Nerds of a Feather Flock Together

[tasersandpolitics]

“No problem, doc.”

“Yeah! There’s plenty of good-looking people around here, but to be honest, I don’t anyof them well enough to be more than friends…for now, I guess. I don’t know.”

[dr-bettyross]

“Have you tried talking to any of these guys and asking them out to coffee? I’m sure they wouldn't turn you down.”

[dr-bettyross]

Text @ Betty Ross

Tony: Patient is my middle name. I'll be good. I promise.

Tony: Sounds great. Look forward to some afternoon reading.

Betty: I'm sure you will be, Tony. ;)

Betty: Glad to hear it, thank you! Be safe, alright?

[samanthashford]

Let’s Go Halfsies|| Betty and Sam

[samanthashford]

“A few publications,” Sam said, laughing over the words. She set her muffin down and leaned in across the table as if letting Betty in on top secret information. “Women don’t just get published every day. Sad reality? Sure, but still true. I bet you had to fight tooth and nail to get all the big boys out of the way and show the world your stuff.” She shrugged. “Women in science, women fighting crime, women killers? That’s what I like to hear about. Even if you’re just killing the expectations.” She shrugged, still grinning, and stuffed a bit more muffin into her mouth. As she swallowed, she watched Betty investigate the map, feeling those old insecurities welling up inside of her–rich friends buying $300 dresses for prom while she’d stayed at home with a pack of stolen beer, attending birthday party after birthday party by her friends’ pools, in their mansions, and watching them sneer when she’d invited them over to her small house for her party–just a single table in the back yard and a cake she’d made herself. But Betty’s expression was kind as she settled on the “fixer-upper;” Sam might have known she’d end up as the “silver lining” sort of woman. 

“I can paint,” she offered, leaning her elbow on the table as she leaned closer to the paper, re-reading the ad for what must have been the hundredth time that day. “I can do a sort of mural thing if we wanted.” She ripped off a piece of muffin, shrugging again. “That part would be easy. Just maybe chasing out the rats might give us some trouble.”

[dr-bettyross]

Betty listened carefully to Sam’s thoughts, enjoying the passion she presented with the inequality between women and men. She understood the increased interest in women versus men, but she knew there had been men in her life who helped wedge open the door for her as a cytologist. Of course, there were still those who insisted her time was up and she needed to move aside for a new male counterpart. “There was a man who once told me the greatest gift I could give to cytology was my son. After informing him I didn’t have a husband, much less a son, he scoffed at me and went on a rampage about how women were wasting everyone’s time these days.” Betty allowed her eyebrows to raise at the memory, still remember the burn she felt in her heart. “God I wanted to punch him.”

Relaxing her shoulders before they cracked from the tension, Ross turned her attention to the article and Sam’s offer. A mural would be beautiful to have in the home, and surely it would be a unique touch no one else in the neighborhood had. “Well we can always look around more, if you’re worried about rats, though it’s my understanding they’re a constant problem. Though I’m sure we could trap them easily enough.”

[leofitz-engineer-blog]

Hiatus Notice

I love you all, and my life kinda tripped on a brick, hit its knee on the ground, and got a face full of dirt. I’ll be back on Tuesday (hopefully). If anyone needs anything, send it to any account or my Skype. Be good to yourselves, and you’ll be in my thoughts. Love you.