Hi, hello, mexican anthropology student who is really passionate about mesoamerican cultures here!
With the release of the Wakanda Forever teaser trailer and the reveal of the changes made to the character of Namor i want to make some clarifications:
• At the time of making this post there's no official statement that confirms if the changes made to Atlantis are based on mayan or 'aztec' culture, so please try not to refer to this as a specific culture unless there's some official information
• In fact there are other mesoamerican civilizations outside of these two, like the olmecas, zapotecas, mixtecas or teotihuacas, and the elements used for the movie could be a mixture of all these cultures, wich is ok since they're being used for a fictional civilization on a fictional world, however if that is the case still try not to refer to it as a specific culture, it would be erasure of the other mesoamerican cultures that inspired this
A little history lesson here:
Aztec is actually not the correct term to refer to the most studied mesoamerican civilization along with the mayan civilization, the one that founded Tenochtitlan, the place where mexico city is now, the correct term is mexica, which means 'people of mexico' or 'child of Huitzilopochtli'.
Aztec is a term that anglo-saxon historians used hundreds of years after the colonization of Mexico to wrongfully refer to the mexica civilization, aztec actually means 'people of Aztlán', an arguably mythical place where the mexicas came from, but they abandoned that identity once they parted to find the place where they would built Tenochtitlan.
Even if the mexicas came from Aztlán before building their own civilization, aztec still is the wrong term to refer to them since Aztlán (till this date) could be considered a legend cause there's not enough information of where it was placed, and presumably a lot of other civilizations parted from Aztlán besides the mexicas.
Anyways, thanks to those that stopped to read this, i'm really excited for this movie, Tenoch Huerta is one of my all time favorite actors and i am really happy for him!
Let's hope that they've done a wonderful job on the worldbuilding of this new version of 'Atlantis' for Namor, fingers crossed!
Edit: Also is important to note that the correct pronunciation of mexica is 'meh-shee-kha'
Thank you so much for all your patience with and encouragement of this blog. When I first joined the Platonic MCU Family, I was convinced that this blog would never get the same kind of attention that the other Avengers garnered because most people consider him a Second-String Avenger. But after only a few weeks, it became clear that people valued Viz, and I’m so grateful that you have trusted me to provide what is hopefully quality content for people who enjoy Marvel’s best synthezoid and for those who want to get to know this little-explored hero. You all have helped make this blog what it is with your incredibly creative requests, and you’ve helped me to become a better writer in the process. Thank you all so, so much for all your contributions. If there’s anything you guys want to do in celebration of this milestone, let me know, and I’ll work on it as I finish up the other requests in my inbox! Thanks again, everyone!!!
The reader and Wanda are having a sleepover and they invite Vision.
Listen, this is a scenario I wish I could actually experience, and I’m so grateful to you for thinking it up, Darling Anon. Thank you for your patience!
You’re friendly with all the Avengers
It’s an important part of being a member of the team
But being close to Vision meant that you were bound to get close to Wanda
The two of you always enjoyed talking and watching movies together and often gave each other music recommendations
You shopped together at least once a month and were constantly swapping recipes
After a few months of bonding, she had started to tell you stories of Sokovia, of Pietro and her parents
She always appreciated that you never pried beyond what she was willing to say out loud at any given moment and was grateful that she could cry in front of you if she got overwhelmed by the memories
You were honored that she trusted you enough to share such a vulnerable side of herself with you
One day while she’s telling you a funny story about her brother over lunch, she mentions one of her favorite childhood movies and pauses, struck by a sudden realization
“Wanda, you okay?”
“You would love that movie! Things were so unstable in Sokovia when Piet and I were growing up, there weren’t a lot of new films being made. Most of the ones we loved were ones our parents saw when they were young. They weren’t exactly kid-friendly, but they were what we had. Thinking about them now, they’re very predictable, but with the commentary you like to give, you’d have a great time watching every single one.”
“I’d love to watch them with you, Wanda. You think Miss F.R.I.D.A.Y. can pull them up?”
F.R.I.D.A.Y. assures you she can
And you and Wanda decide to make a whole night of it—your mattress in her room, pizza, a Sokovian dessert that she used to make with her dad, and of course, your world-famous chocolate chip cookies
All to the sights and sounds of favorite childhood movies, courtesy of your favorite disembodied AI
You look forward to it for the rest of the week
That Saturday when the two of you get together to start the festivities
You have the same realization at the same time
You voice it first because you know Wanda’s more likely to be shy about it since she never wants you to feel like a third wheel
But she and Vision are always really careful not to be “couple-centric” when you’re with them, so you have no issue bringing it up
“Hey, Wanda. It’s totally cool if you want it to just be the two of us…but you know it’s also totally fine with me if you want to invite Viz.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’d literally love for him to join us. Here—I’ll order the pizza, you go find our favorite synthezoid.”
A few minutes later, you’re finishing up on the phone as Wanda walks in with Vision
When you hang up, he gives you a tentative smile
“I truly don’t want to intrude if you intended to spend the night solely with Wanda.”
“Clearly, you’ve never done a sleepover before, Viz. The golden rule is the more best friends, the merrier.”
And so, the three of you start off your adventure by jumping into the kitchen to bake the cobbler Wanda’s dad taught her to make on the days when Pietro went to the market with their mom
“Pietro would always make the cream with the milk they had just gotten. He was always better at that part than I was. But we would all eat together on the back balcony. The sunsets in Sokovia weren’t usually very pretty, but we never minded much.”
You and Vision complete every instruction under her watchful eye, clarifying each step because you’re highkey terrified you’re going to ruin her favorite dessert
Thankfully, you don’t
Just before you finish, F.R.I.D.A.Y. alerts you that the pizzas have arrived and you answer the door, always loving the expressions of unsuspecting pizza delivery workers when they realize that they’re pulling up to the New Avengers Facility
When you finally settle in, the first round of food at the ready, the opening movie is one of Wanda’s choosing, a film about a group of art thieves and forgers
Following that, you pull up “The Incredibles”
You don’t think about it ahead of time, but when they mention the Superhero Relocation Program, it smacks of the Accords and you quickly pause the film, looking over at Wanda
But she waves off your concern without a word, insistent that you start the movie again
She wears a fond smile every time Dash is on-screen
Another parallel you hadn’t considered
And laughs really hard every time he does something silly, telling you and Vision that Pietro was the same way growing up, even before he got his speed
The “no capes” part?
Vision is gone
You watch one more Sokovian movie after that before baking cookies and breaking out one of the other pizzas
By the time the marathon part of the night is over, Wanda has managed to teach you and Viz some basic Sokovian
Viz, of course, picks it up without issue
But Wanda is actually very impressed with how well you do for your first time
Every time one of the movies used one of your newly learned vocab words, you yelled it triumphantly, which Wanda and Vision both found hilarious
The three of you build a fort in the middle of Wanda’s floor and settle into casual conversation, laughing often and giving one another silly dares
You and Vision definitely get into a friendly argument about who can do a better job braiding Wanda’s hair and have to declare a contest to provide a true answer
Wanda awards you first place before kissing her boyfriend’s cheek briefly to break his playful pout
The night lasts to the near-morning hours when you and Wanda finally fall asleep while listening to her Spotify playlist
Vision quietly leaves the two of you to sleep, making sure both of you are covered by blankets with pillows under your heads
When the two of you wake up just past the threshold where morning transforms into afternoon, you head downstairs and are greeted by three place settings and an array of brunch foods (including the last of your pizza), Vision washing dishes at the sink
When you and Wanda ask what’s going on, he dries his hands before explaining that it’s his way of thanking you both for including him in a very fun night that helped him feel even closer to his two favorite people
You’re touched by his efforts, both of you thanking him in Sokovian
But you wouldn’t be a best friend if you let him off easy
“Did you get Steve or Bucky to make the French toast?”
“You’ve both seen me practicing my cooking. Is it so unlikely that I could have improved enough to put this together?”
“You’re right, I have seen you practice, and that’s how I know your bread doesn’t get this golden. So which of the vets was in the mood for breakfast this morning?”
“…”
“…”
“Sergeant Barnes insisted.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he did.”
May all your sleepovers be filled with food, fun, and French toast! Thank you again for your patience with this request, my dear–I know you sent it a while ago!
The reader and Vision doing that being handcuffed for a day thing.
Truly, a fantastic concept, Anon. Thank you for the request and patience, Love!
Peter has a habit of starting up friendly competitions with you
Sometimes it’s about engineering things
Sometimes it’s about how many rounds you can last sparring with Cap
But most of the time
It’s about how many lines of a movie you can quote
Or who’s better at the newest line dance
But the day he really opens the floodgates
Is the day he sends you a video of himself and Ned handcuffed together with the ending message of, “Your turn”
“Oh, it’s on, Parker.“
You show Vision the video, and, surprisingly, he is immediately down
“For real, Viz? You don’t have any issue with that? I thought it would take some convincing.”
“It would be far more of an inconvenience for you than myself. There is very little I am required to do in the course of a day. You, on the other hand need to eat and sleep and…relieve yourself.”
“That’s true, but if Peter can make it work, I’m more than convinced we can.”
And so on a Friday night at 5 PM
You find yourself recruiting Sam to film as Wanda handcuffs your left wrist to Vision’s right one
And the 24 hours begins
The beginning hours are a breeze
You and Vision watch “Ready, Player One” without incident
Afterward, the two of you learn the secret of making food in tandem—leaving your linked hands out of it
Viz grabs whatever you need from the cabinet with his left hand and you mix or pour or plate whatever you need with your right hand
It’s a highly effective strategy
And totally Vision’s idea
Bruce and Steve, entirely unaware of your current condition, call everyone down to the common room for game night
It’s charades and Pictionary
You and Vision usually make a fantastic team when one of you gives clues and the other guesses
But giving clues together isn’t nearly as effective
Which shows in Wanda’s face as she tries to guess what your nonsense is supposed to be representative of
At one point, they mix up the teams and declare that you and Viz are on separate teams
Which is even worse because one of you has to stand there, letting the other drag your chained hand around as they move completely unpredictably to act out their word
The team keeps you two up there for longer than necessary, finding your struggle hilarious
You’re positive Tony sends a recording to Peter
Vision learns that you take a long time to get ready for bed
But he’s extremely respectful, averting his gaze at you during the awkward moments when you have to go to the bathroom and making pleasant conversation when you rub your acne medicine into your face
“All in all, I’d say we’re off to a pretty good start, Viz.”
“I agree. I feel we’ve completed the first fourth of this challenge quite successfully.”
Sleep is an uneventful eight hours for you
And a fairly uneventful eight hours for Vision
He keeps himself entertained by looking through some of Tony’s newest blueprints and suggesting some tweaks for a new prototype of Cap’s shield
He spends some time reading through the electronic copy of “Hamilton: The Revolution” you bought him for Christmas
And he does sleep for a few hours, sorting out the information of the day and cleaning out his neural systems for optimal functioning
But he doesn’t sleep very deeply
Because every time you shift in your sleep, Vision is careful to adjust his arm so you can have as much slack with the handcuffs as you need
The wake-up routine is bathroom, breakfast, and funny Internet videos
And a long walk through the compound to make up for the fact that your normal workout is too hard to do while handcuffed to another person
You skip the customary post-workout shower
Because walking doesn’t work up the same sweat that your typical routine does
And because some things are just too awkward to even think about, let alone attempt
You sit down for second breakfast and round two of Internet videos—specifically ones that discuss theories about your favorite film series
Lunch with Wanda follows
Accompanied, of course, by brilliant conversation
After she leaves, you realize you’ve gotten off remarkably scot-free—a total lack, excluding charades, of harrowing or even embarrassing moments
“This has truly been too easy. We’ve got to kick it up a notch, Viz.”
“You want to go looking for trouble?”
“…”
“…”
“We need to get at least one good story out of this.”
“I quite believed charades qualified as exactly that.”
And so you attempt a challenge that requires the utmost coordination—
Learning choreography
The two of you fall over each other many times, narrowly dodging hitting one another in the face often and dissolving into laughter even more frequently
But by the time you’re done, you’ve actually managed to master a significant amount of choreography
And you’ve sworn to finish the job next weekend
The final hour passes uneventfully
You and Vision talk casually, reminiscing about your favorite missions and adventures
It’s a nice walk down memory lane
And it continues long past the moment when Wanda finds the two of you and releases you from your handcuffs as the clock strikes 5
“We really did that, didn’t we, Viz?”
“We did. I believe it’s appropriate to say Peter Parker and Ned Leeds have met their match.”
“Peter and Ned, who?”
Thank you again for the great request and for your patience with the time it took me to write it, dear Anon!
Hey, all! Once again, I’m here to thank you for your patience. Over the weekend, there was an emergency in my house, and my family is still trying to get back on our feet. As you can guess, writing got pushed to the back-burner. But I am still working through your requests! They will get done--and hopefully you’ll find them worth the wait! Thank you guys for your interest, patience, and support! 💛💜
The reader is quite fond of bugs and doesn't mind holding and touching most of them. Vision, finding this interesting as most humans are afraid of bugs, comes to her with his hands clasped together and tells her to close her eyes for a suprise. He hands her a centipede not knowing that they are terrified of centipedes.
Thank you for your request, Anon! Anyone who gets kinda squeamish about bugs–skip reading this scenario! I’ll put it below the cut so that you don’t have to scroll past any descriptions you don’t want to see. Hope you enjoy, Anon!
You don’t really have an origin story for it
But as far back as you can remember
You have loved bugs of almost all kinds
Scott Lang and the Pym-Van Dyne family are some of your favorite people in the world because they teach you all about ants
Which is awesome
They even introduce you to their giant worker ants one day
And you almost pass out because
Wow
This is amazing
Scott even lets you name one
And every time you visit Hank’s lab afterward
You bring a sugar cube for Alex-ant-er Hamilton
And he has actually grown really affectionate towards you like a dog with extra legs
Scott beams every time you call him by his name
Hank just hangs his head
Tired of your ant-ics
But you don’t drop by the lab all that often
Meaning, most times, you’re content to simply look at the bugs you find outside the compound
And to be the resident spider-catcher
Watching your fascination with bugs fascinates Vision
He is well-aware that most people are scared of or at the very least uncomfortable with bugs
But you regularly let them crawl across your arms
And he’s seen you stare at a praying mantis you found in the grass for a full five minutes
And then grab your journal to record all the interesting things you noticed about it
“Liturgusa krattorum—arguably the coolest of all the praying mantis species. Crazy fast, incredibly strong jaws, flight-capable, and of course, trademark mantis raptorial arms.”
“You knew that from a glance?”
“…”
“…”
“If you’re indirectly asking me if I’ve spent a lot of time looking at praying mantis photos, you already know the answer.”
So he’s become very accustomed to the fact that insects and creepy-crawlers are just your thing
Which is why he’s sure he’s doing you a favor when he spots a long-bodied little dude crawling on the asphalt of the landing strip as he steps out to greet you when you’re returning from a mission and promptly picks it up
When you disembark from the Quinjet, Tony, Rhodey, and Sam behind you, Vision greets you with the utmost enthusiasm, holding out his clasped hands
“Whatcha got there, Viz?”
“Another bug for you to add to your running tally.”
And now you’re hyped, too
And at last, Vision shows you what he’s found
Which immediately turns your excitement to dread
You yell in shock and bat Viz’s hands away, stumbling backwards into Sam’s chest
“Ohmygoshohmy—where did it go? Viz, where did it go? Is it on—oh my God, did it land on me?”
“No! No, its trajectory from your hit sent it in the opposite direction. Are you alright?”
It takes you a minute to calm back down
And Vision, Sam, Tony, and Rhodey are all equally bewildered, just trying to make sure you’re not going to hyperventilate and/or pass out
But eventually you do start breathing normally
And then everyone wants to know—
What the heck was that?
Luckily—well…kind of—there is a backstory for this
“I had absolutely no intention of frightening you. I believed I was aiding you in your entomological observations.”
“No, I don’t do centipedes, that’s—oh no, that’s aggressively not it. I do not mess with centipedes at all.”
“I apologize profusely.”
“Not your fault. You didn’t know. It’s a thing that dates back to when I was a kid. We had a centipede problem in my childhood home and they—oh God, they got into everything. And they really liked—when we were sleeping, they would—oh geez, I still can’t even talk about it. But it was gross and bad and to this day, I still don’t do centipedes, and I still shake out my pillows every night.”
“I promise you I will never bring another one to your attention.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
And, true to his word, he never does
“Do millipedes have the same effect?”
“Yeah. If it’s got more than eight legs, it’s not for me…What do you have in your hands right now, Viz?”
“…”
“…”
“I have to step outside for a moment.”
Thank you again, Anon! I also don’t do centipedes or millipedes because my old high school–and to a certain extent, my college–have some of these little visitors, and it’s never a pleasant surprise! But Liturgusa krattorum and ants are dope af (yes, I–a full-grown adult human–sure do watch Wild Kratts)
The reader is a pretty talented artist and they like to doodle in they're sketchbook when nobody is around and they hide their sketchbook when someone comes by. One day Vision catches them on accident when he phases through the floor and sees them making small doodles of him in their sketchbook.
Thank you for this awesome request, Anon! I love drawing but typically don’t show my work to anyone until it’s completely done and erased several times over, so I really related to it!
Art was something you’d grown up with
You’d always enjoyed drawing as a kid
But never felt it was a particular strong suit of yours
Until about seventh grade
When an art class and a very patient teacher helped you hone your skills—teaching you how to shade and estimate proportions correctly
The amount of time you spent practicing your art after that skyrocketed
For birthdays and holidays, you started asking for sketchbooks
And while you own more of them now than you could probably ever actually fill
They bring you a lot of comfort
And you love working in them whenever you can as a form of self-care and relaxation
Since arriving at the compound, you had taken to sketching scenes of daily life with Avengers
There were quite a few drawings of Clint and Natasha training together
You’ve done a ton of Steve reading throughout the compound
You were pretty sure he had caught you a few times
But he never said anything, knowing personally as an artist that some work you just do for yourself
And, of course, your current sketchbook has many, many pages featuring your best friend’s face
Sometimes they’re little cartoon strips
Sometimes they’re gestural line drawings
Sometimes they’re detailed close-ups
Whatever you’re in the mood for
And, always the master of modesty
You elect to show no one
Let alone Vision himself
Especially since sketching is a pastime and not a career pursuit
When people walk by while your sketchbook is out, you have a habit of pulling it to your chest as nonchalantly as possible and closing it as quickly as you can, always praying that they never ask what you’ve got
But
Sadly
That only works when you notice the person coming
As in, when they use conventional means of entering a room
And phasing through the ceiling is anything but conventional
Which is why you definitely don’t see Vision come in
He never phases through walls into people’s rooms anymore
But he hasn’t quite kicked the habit of phasing between floors
He’s completely silent as he watches you work from memory, pencilling in lines that transform into a scene of Tony and himself
It’s a sketch of a conversation the two of them had in the lab a few days ago
Tony is smiling with a hand over his eyes as Vision laughs, explaining something you were too far away to hear
Their expressions had been so happy and free—Tony smiling without Pepper or Peter’s presence was a rarity—you’d wanted to draw them from the moment you saw them
After a few moments of absorption in your work, your training kicks in and you sense another presence in the room
You look up from your sketchpad and glance behind you to find Viz hovering a little ways in the air, his eyes on your page
You quickly shut it and stand, facing him with wide eyes, cheeks positively aflame
“Geez, how long have you been there, Viz?”
“My sincerest apologies. I had no intention of startling you or intruding upon your private time…I didn’t realize that you were an artist.”
“Oh, Viz, I’m really not. I’d really rather you forgot what you saw. And please don’t mention it to anyone else.”
“I would never betray your confidence.”
“Thanks…Sorry I was drawing you without your permission. I didn’t think anyone was going to see.”
“I could never be offended by being featured in your work. I assure you, it’s a great honor. Although, if I may ask, why do you keep your drawings hidden?”
“I don’t know…it’s not something I have enough confidence in, I guess. Art is both objective and subjective, and when you’re trying to capture the way someone looks, it feels like if you get it wrong, they’ll be offended. Plus, it’s not really something I do for anyone else’s benefit, ya know?”
“Well, you have my word that no one else will learn of your talent without your express permission.”
“Thanks, Viz. I appreciate it.”
But a funny thing happens after that encounter
You don’t start putting your work on display or anything
But if Viz happens past while you have your sketchbook out
You stop closing it so quickly
Which, with a little time, allows him to ask what you’re working on
And every once in a while
You volunteer to show him some of your sketches of him
And it always brings a smile to his face
Thank you again for the request, Love! Another request down, 5 more to go–look forward to an influx of content!
Vision, the reader, Wanda, and any other Avengers of your choice on a road trip somewhere. Someone thought it would be a nice bonding experience and everyone there was pretty much brought against their will. Fun nonsense, loud singing and hijinks ensue and the reader gets to see a playful side of Vision they never even knew he had.
Alright, my friend. So here’s the deal. This request was so flipping good that I really had to go a little overboard. So, instead of a bulletpoint scenario…I may or may not have started a, uh…full-on fic? It started getting out of hand, so I’m breaking it up. Here is the first part, and it’s going to be, I estimate, about 2 or 3 segments long. I just felt that an overview really didn’t do this request justice. So, this is part one, and be prepared for much more after I finish the six other requests in my inbox.
THE AVENGERS ROAD TRIP, PT. I (2.5k words)
It starts as a sort of joke, a wild fantasy proposed by a couple of day-dreamers.
The common room in the New Avengers Facility is filled with an uncommon and uncharacteristic peace—no arguments, no hurt feelings, an all-around remarkable lack of tension and room-dominating elephants.
Steve reads the paper from his favorite chair directly under one of the overhead lights. On the floor beside him, Bucky tinkers with the unloaded crossbow Clint and Natasha were teaching him to use. Vision and Bruce examine and discuss blueprints for one of Tony’s new blaster prototypes pulled up on a holoscreen. Viz’s arm is wrapped around Wanda’s shoulders, and he absent-mindedly rubs circles into her sleeve with his thumb as she chats with you.
“Oh, I listened to that band you were telling me about!” Wanda exclaims, gesturing excitedly.
“I’ve given you hours’ worth of recommendations, Wanda,” you tease good-naturedly. “You’re going to have to narrow it down for me.”
She laughs. “Ah, they had a strange name. I can’t think of it. Hang on.” She closes her eyes and racks her brain for a melody. One pops to mind and she hums the chorus expectantly. Recognition clicks in immediately for you.
“WALK THE MOON! Oh my gosh, what did you think?”
“I loved them! They make music that makes me want to travel.” She quirks an eyebrow. “Does that make sense?”
You leap to your feet, pointing at her fervently. “It makes perfect sense! I know exactly what you mean—they’re the perfect road trip band!”
Wanda, Viz, and Bruce stare at you with wide eyes, and, realizing that your shout has definitely disturbed the peace, you glance behind you to find Steve and Bucky wearing the same expression. You smile in sheepish apology and spin back around to face Wanda, who hides her laughter behind her hand.
“Sorry, everyone. I promise I’ll be quiet after this, but you all look skeptical of my claim, so now I have to defend my point.” You cue F.R.I.D.A.Y. with a wave of your hand. “Miss F.R.I.D.A.Y., play ‘Surrender” by WALK THE MOON.” Vision chuckles quietly. He always called the AI “Miss,” insisting that for all she did, she deserved the utmost respect, and the habit had rubbed off on you.
There’s a rustling as Steve gives up on reading for a moment, folding his paper and putting it in his lap. Bucky continues to fiddle with a mechanism of the crossbow, but you know enough about him to know he’s listening carefully, too. The opening notes of the song fade in, and the images of all it could be a soundtrack to are vivid in your mind’s eye.
After a minute of listening, you can see that no one’s objecting to the music, but they’re also not visualizing what seems painfully clear to you. Wanda and Vision are searching to find whatever it is you had in mind, but Bruce looks like he’s not hearing the track at all as he frowns and zooms in on the blueprint before him.
“Alright, everyone close your eyes. You’ve got to let it wash over you.”
Much to your surprise, everyone does as you ask. As a younger, newer member of the team, sometimes you could get the others to indulge you for little requests like this.
“Really listen now,” you instruct as the chorus pumps its driving beat through the air. “See? Don’t you get a vibe like you’re driving through the Grand Canyon with your hair flying in the wind and the red rocks rising around you? It’s just blue skies and open air and freedom, ya know?” The longer they have their eyes shut, the more you see everyone’s expression shift, and you know they’re feeling it.
When the song ends, Steve and Bucky are looking at you, nodding in satisfied agreement. Bruce still has a small smile lingering on his face as he goes back to scanning over Tony’s blueprint, and you hope the music was a welcome distraction for a moment. Vision opens his eyes and grins.
“That was lovely. I can understand why you both enjoy that song so much.”
You look to Wanda to get her opinion, but stop yourself from speaking when you see that her eyes are still closed. Another few seconds pass before she opens her eyes. There’s a faraway expression on her face when her gaze meets yours, and it startles you. The sadness that tints her irises haunts you, and you quickly sit down beside her. Vision notices the same thing and gently shakes Wanda’s shoulder, looking at her worriedly.
“Wanda, are you okay?”
She blinks rapidly to reel in the emotions threatening to spill over and nods.
“I…I am fine, yes. It’s just…it sounded so nice.” She brings her hands up and gingerly flicks her hair off of her forehead. A gentle smile graces her lips. “Maybe…maybe someday we can see something like that.”
Vision takes Wanda’s hand and kisses it softly, rubbing her knuckles soothingly. “That sounds like a wonderful idea, Wanda.”
“I agree,” you say, searching for a way to bring her back to the state she was in before. “Hey, do you want to watch this really cool set of covers Steve and I watch sometimes?” She nods, and you ask F.R.I.D.A.Y. to bring up YouTube.
Everyone returns to their tasks, but the calm is skewed, squished, like it can’t quite settle back into the same shape, like the room suddenly has less space than before. Wanda falls back into easy laughter as you show her Postmodern Jukebox, but you catch Vision’s eye behind her back, and you both know that you’re going to have to find a way to help Wanda see the world.
In looking at each other, neither of you catch the glint of determination in Steve’s eye as he turns to the sports section.
It’s 10:45 the next morning when F.R.I.D.A.Y. sends out a compound-wide alert to let the team know that an 11:00 meeting has been called. Everyone who spent the night in the compound shuffles down to the boardroom in various states of alertness; 12:00 is optimal functioning time for most Avengers. Bruce rests his chin on his hand, dozing lightly as he sits, and across from him, Natasha watches, fighting the smile threatening to cross her face. The smell of coffee hangs heavy in the air as Clint hunches over his mug next to her, Sam throws back his caffeine like a shot, and Wanda sips quietly from her cup. Vision smiles brightly as you enter, and you pull up a chair beside him.
“Any idea what we’re in for?”
“None whatsoever.” Tony beats Vision to his reply, striding through the door. “I pulled up this morning ready to get to work and got re-routed on my way to the lab, so it better be good.” He slides into the seat next to Bruce, clapping him on the shoulder and startling him awake. “You get a chance to take a look at those blueprints, buddy?”
Bucky and Steve walk in last. Bucky takes a seat near the head of the table, and Steve follows but remains standing.
He gives a close-lipped smile before starting in. “Morning, Avengers. I’m sure you’re all wondering why I called this meeting.”
“Rogers, if this is about trying to get the Department of Education to finally retire those PSAs—”
Steve snorts. “It’s not that, Stark. We’re in need of some team bonding.” He looks around meaningfully at all of you. “I think some time together outside of the compound would do us some good—time when we’re not looking at blueprints or punching secret agents in the face. Time when we’re just…you know, living.”
“I like our movie nights,” Bucky interjects with a shrug. That was an understatement—Bucky adored movie night.
“So do I, Buck, but I was thinking of something a bit beyond that,” Steve responds cryptically.
Natasha narrows her eyes. “Well then, what do you have in mind?”
Steve draws in a deep breath, pointedly meeting your eyes and then Wanda’s. “A road trip.”
Clint, Sam, and Tony burst into laughter simultaneously. Natasha smiles.
“Oh, you’ve really done it this time, Steve.”
Steve had anticipated as much in the way of reception. “Before you totally shrug me off, really think about it for a minute. It’s a much-needed break, a chance for us to see some new sights, and I know for a fact you’ve all wanted the opportunity to test out Stark’s car collection.”
“Hey, don’t volunteer my luxury SUVs for your little teenage summer fantasy.”
“You can shake your finger at me all you want, but I guarantee they’ll look better on the road than in the garage.”
“I think it’s a fantastic idea,” Vision finally says. Everyone turns to look at him, and at last, they catch sight of Wanda, of the hope shining in her eyes. The atmosphere shifts with the recognition of her childlike wonder. You tap your fingers on the table.
“I agree. Honestly, nothing cements family ties more than a good, old-fashioned road trip.”
The beginnings of a sense of triumph lights Steve’s expression. The tide is turning in his favor.
Bruce sits up in his seat to object. “I don’t think we want to risk putting me in a very confined space for an indeterminate number of hours.”
“I don’t know, Dr. Banner,” you pipe up. “I’ve never seen you Hulk out over nothing. It’s always seemed like you’ve been pretty in control over the kinds of minor annoyances that would pop up during a road trip.”
“That’s true, Bruce,” Steve agrees. “I think you might really end up enjoying yourself.”
Sam stretches in his seat. “Yeah, you all have a good time with that. Take lots of selfies, alright?”
Without missing a beat, Steve looks at Sam. “Sam, you’re coming.”
“What?” Sam sets his mug on the table, disbelief in his face. “Come on, why don’t I get a choice?”
“Because you don’t have a wife at home already prepared to chew you out for missing dinner last night by staying at the compound,” Clint retorts. He laughs fiendishly in victory, his voice playful, but his expression falls a bit and his laughter dies off as he realizes the truth behind his promise of an imminent incoming lecture.
“Look,” Steve sighs, a muscle in his jaw tightening as his tone changes. “It’s been one major hit after another for this team. If we’re being honest, I think it’s a miracle we’ve managed to stay together this long. It just seems like we could use a little vacation, a way to reaffirm that we’re in this together. That we’ve got each other’s backs.”
A few seconds pass in silence. Bucky breaks it, grinning as he speaks.
“Alright. An Avengers road trip.” He chuckles lightly at the sound of it; it’s a proposition only his best friend could make work. The room settles into an energy of acceptance, a few other laughs breaking free from your teammates. You and Vision look at Wanda at the same time. She’s ecstatic. “That begs a pretty important question,” Bucky continues. “Might start a brand new fight before it brings us together. Where are we going?”
The task falls to you and Vision. Steve feels that it’s only right. He extends the invitation to Wanda, too, but she declines, saying she wants to be surprised.
You briefly consider having a city as your destination, tossing around Boston and Pittsburgh and Cleveland. But the national parks have always had a special place in your heart, and as soon as you suggest it, Vision concurs that it’s the way to go.
“Cuyahoga or Acadia?” you ask, biting your lip and drumming your fingers against your chin.
Vision considers this seriously for a minute. “Maine might be a bit more secluded,” he suggests. “Easier to stay hidden and inconspicuous.”
You clap and point at him in agreement. “You’re so right, my dude.”
“We could complete the first half of the trip and stop in Providence for the night before making our way into Augusta.”
“Good idea. I love Rhode Island.” You type in your new destinations and look at the times for each leg of the route. “Looks like it’s broken up into three travel days this way. Should prevent us all from being at each other’s throats too quickly, right? On the way back we can do longer stints in the car and get back in two days because everyone always wants to get home by the end.”
“We could stay over in Concord, New Hampshire.”
“Perfect!” You survey the route you’ve mapped out in awe. “Viz…I believe we just planned a road trip.”
He raises his eyebrows and smiles at you. “I believe we did.”
Ultimately, Steve grants Tony the option to skip out on the road trip so that he can spend time with Pepper—although he did extend the offer to let Pepper join the expedition; she respectfully declined. Clint had automatically qualified for exemption because of his family. The thought of the confined quarters of the car had made Bruce too nervous, and he opted to remain at home after you made him promise to tag along for the next road trip—you were exceedingly optimistic—as long you all came back in one piece and still mostly enjoying one another’s company.
But you did succeed in dragging Natasha, Sam, and Bucky along, and you even manage to get Peter onboard. Not that it had been much of a struggle.
“A road trip?” He had gawked. “Uh, yeah, of course I want in!”
It’s a Thursday when you leave, piling into the Lincoln Navigator Tony agreed to loan you. Peter, Sam, and Bucky settle into the back row. Peter doesn’t mind, even being in the middle seat, and Bucky doesn’t mind the back either. But Sam wears an exasperated expression already. He hadn’t had much of a choice in coming or in his seat selection, mostly because you had begged that Wanda and Vision’s first road trip experience not be from the back of the van. Window access, you had argued, was key for the trip. But you promised he could have first pick on the way back.
And so it had come to pass that Nat, Wanda and Vision would occupy the middle row—the snack row. The three hoist the big snack-filled canvas bags Wanda had assembled throughout the week into their laps. You slide into the passenger’s seat as the appointed DJ for the journey, and Steve exchanges a few words with Tony as Tony hands off the keys.
And then Steve takes the wheel, and the road trip begins.
Again, thank you for the great opportunity to bring this to life, my darling Anon. Look for the next few parts with some great Viz moments over the next few weeks!
I’ve got 5 requests in my inbox right now, and they are all being worked on! Thank you so much for sending in such awesome material, and I hope to have them all complete and out to you by Sunday night!
You had tried to use the electronic calendars and note-taking apps the Internet was fond of suggesting
But things didn’t tend to stick with you that way
And you found it easy to get distracted by text messages and notifications when logging things in your phone
So you switch to the bullet journaling method
When Tony sees you with your little notebook, he pokes fun at you for it—careful to make sure you know without a shadow of a doubt that he’s joking and totally supports your system
Steve thinks paper and pencil are a superior way to keep track of things
Which
Of course
Draws more good-natured taunts from Tony
And Sam
But Vision?
Vision is positively enamored the first time he sees you with it
He doesn’t say anything at first, just watches you throughout the day when you jot down notes
But after a few days of watching you pull out your little blue book
He decides to inquire
“I hope you don’t mind my asking, but what is that notebook you’ve been carrying?”
“Oh, it’s my bullet journal. It helps me keep my thoughts and events and to-do lists organized.”
“Is it more effective than other forms of journaling?”
“I think so, yeah. For me, anyway.”
He asks you to walk him through your system for defining what all the bullets mean
So you sit him down and show him the difference between your dashes, open circles, and the little exclamation marks and asterisks decorating the margins of your pages
You even read a few entries for him
And he listens attentively
As he always does when you talk
And once you’re finished explaining
He congratulates you on your successful implementation of an organizational system, thanks you for sharing another piece of your life with him, and leaves to help Tony with some troubleshooting for a new Stark Industries AR device
A few days later
You pour yourself a bowl of cereal
And sit at the kitchen island filling out your bullet journal for the morning
When someone takes a seat beside you
And when you look over
You see Vision sitting next to you
With a little red notebook open on the countertop beside yours
And a pen in hand
“Viz, what are you doing?”
“I’m following your lead and adopting the bullet journal strategy.”
“But…you could literally keep a perfect electronic schedule in your own mind.”
“Yes, but I enjoy sharing hobbies with you. And I believe it would be helpful for me to be able to record my emotions and inspirations as they happen, since you are not available every time I encounter new emotional experiences. Especially as they relate to Wanda. Also, I’d like to practice my handwriting.”
“Vision, I’ve seen your handwriting. It’s so perfect it looks typed.”
“And I seek to change that through practice.”
“You’re practicing to make your writing look messier?”
“I’ve seen you practice making your signature illegible, and I would like to emulate that.”
And you laugh at that before leaning into him
And he puts his arm around your shoulder
“You’re the best, Viz.”
This was a joy to write! I may take up bullet journaling myself now, in fact :) Happy holidays, my dear–Merry Christmas, Joyous Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year!
Okay, so y’all remember how I was like, “I’m not gonna watch the A4 trailer, so don’t spoil it!” Well, Marvel has grown so powerful they had the gall to play their most highly anticipated trailer preceding their rival company’s movie when I went to see Aquaman today. So talk and and theorize and request away.
I have elected to go rogue and not watch the Avengers 4 trailer if and when it drops in order to go into the movie blind. So if you’re looking to submit requests based on the trailer, I would recommend looking to one of the other platonic blogs--no spoilers here, please! Thank you!
Viz at reader's graduation, please? (also, I absolutely love the way you write Vision!! keep up the great work!!!)
YOU ARE A PATIENT ANGEL AND YOU DESERVE THE WORLD THIS TOOK SO SO LONG AND I APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY FOR NOT HAVING IT TO YOU SOONER GIVE ME A VIRTUAL SLAP ON THE WRIST I DESERVE IT I AM SO SORRY PLEASE ACCEPT THIS VERY LONG SCENARIO AS MY APOLOGY
When graduation is finally in sight
The whole team is ready to celebrate your achievement
Tony offers to throw a party for your entire graduating class
But you politely decline, telling him that you’re looking forward to attending all the student-held parties—looking forward to, for a few nights, just celebrating a milestone not as an Avenger but a regular non-crime-fighting kid
Unfortunately, graduation is not without stressors of its own
There’s far more to do than you anticipated—checkout lists and deadlines to turn in team uniforms and library books, meetings with counselors and advisors to assure the many forms that need to be filled out for your next step are completed, and class meetings and practice run-throughs
Two weeks before graduation, you arrive at the Compound as stressed as if it was junior year’s standardized test week
Vision immediately notices how frazzled you are and pulls up a stool next to you as you splay your final assignments, to-do lists and various sheets of paper requiring your signature across the granite island in the kitchen
“Are you alright?”
“All I want to do is just finish, ya know? Like, just take my tests and be done and celebrate with my friends about not having to do calculus ever again.”
And Vision nods sympathetically and lets you indulge in your pity for a minute or two before he’s pulling your planner from your backpack and helping you sort everything into piles according to due date
Which calms your frustration and panic immensely
With the organization of your have-to-dos well in hand, you’re able to enjoy your last weeks in school
When commencement day itself finally rolls around
You show up at the Compound to get ready
Everyone is down to help you with whatever you need
Natasha, Sam, and Steve are in the kitchen making dinner for after the ceremony
Wanting your reveal to be a grand surprise for the team, you only allow Wanda and Vision into your room to help you do your hair and makeup because Wanda’s a natural at it and, not surprisingly, Vision is the perfect assistant
He’s got F.R.I.D.A.Y. playing your favorite music from the past four years throughout the Compound, and he’s regularly singing along with you
“No way—Viz, I know you did not put this deep cut on my graduation playlist.”
“I know you said it will always remind you of that time your friends took you to jazz night at that café in Midtown.”
When you’re finished getting ready, Vision is sitting on your bed looking a little verklempt, so Wanda leaves to give the two of you a minute alone
“Nothing changes, Viz. I’ll still be an Avenger, ready to show up any time you call.”
“I know you will. I know you’ll continue to have a family in us here and continue to take your membership with the team seriously, and I’m grateful for it. But this is a big step. There’s more to life than classes and crimefighting, and I’m excited for you to go live that.”
And you’re both crying a little bit as Vision pulls you into a hug where the two of you stay for a few minutes, trying not to cry harder
Until a totally ill-fitting rock song from your Breaking Benjamin days blasts through the speakers and the two of you are pulling apart in a fit of laughter
You brush your foundation off Viz’s shirt and he helps you touch up your mascara—which, apparently, is not as cry-proof as you had believed it to be
And the two of you set off down the stairs, Viz holding your hand to help you balance in your heels
The team is in awe when they see you
Tony has F.R.I.D.A.Y. take group pictures before he sends you off in one of his cars with Vision behind the wheel
The car ride there is filled with laughter and loud singing and it trips you out—because in this moment, all of you aren’t the Avengers traveling in the Quinjet to face down some deadly foe; you’re just a bunch of people in slacks and baseball caps, sundresses and sunglasses (a few wigs for good measure), people with given names instead of codenames, people riding together in an Audi, off to celebrate something as excitingly normal as graduation
Peter and May are already there in the seats you reserved for them along with Clint and his whole family, his kids playing with your cousins while Laura and your aunt laugh together in casual conversation
Tony livestreams the ceremony, not wanting to steal the spotlight or accidentally give away the vaguely disguised Avengers by striding in as The Tony Stark
When your school calls your name, the applause from the balcony where your family sits is thunderous
After the ceremony and more hugging and pictures
You all head back to the Compound
Where, much to your surprise, Tony is waiting in the brightly decorated atrium
Once your initial shock wears off, you look at Viz
“Is this payback for the surprise party on your birthday?”
“What you call payback, I call repayment. Besides the entire team wanted to put this together.”
The party is perfect—not the extravaganza Tony had suggested earlier, just a gathering of the people you care most about: the team and even Dr. Cho, a few of your closest friends who knew about your “Stark internship,” your aunt and cousins—complete with embarrassing yearbook photos and the home-cooked food Steve, Sam, and Nat had put together earlier
Halfway through the celebration, Vision calls everyone over to one of the bigger screens in the Compound and sits you front and center
He proceeds to play a video compilation of your time in school and with the team
It doesn’t have any of the epic battles you’d been in as you defended the streets of New York or Boston or Kansas City
It’s sweeter stuff—like when Peter tried to teach you to throw a backflip, when Bruce taught you how to read genetic markers in blood samples, when Tony let you tinker with the more basic functions of his old suits, Sam and Rhodey helping you catch up on schoolwork after you’d gotten seriously injured (your school friends still thought you’d fallen off a roof cleaning your aunt’s gutters), lots of shots of you cooking with Viz and Wanda
And there’s Snapchat videos and photos of you with your friends as you take study breaks and spend nights on the town and have movie marathons
The part that really hits you, though, is the short interviews interspersed between the memories—each of your friends and fellow Avengers wishing you nothing but good things for the future
Vision is, of course, the last one in the video to speak, his voice layered over your favorite song as more videos and images dance across the screen
“I’ve had the privilege of watching you grow all these years. You’ve taught me much more about life than I could ever hope to teach you in return. But always know that I’ll be here to help you any time you ask. I’m lucky to call you my family, and wherever life takes you, always remember, ‘If there is a light we can’t always see, if there is a world we can’t always be, if there is a dark that we shouldn’t doubt, then there is a light, don’t let it go out.’”
And as the last few notes of your song fade out and the screen goes black
You’re crying pretty seriously
You hug Vision again and after a few moments, you thank them all, prompting everyone else to pile on for the most bone-crushing group hug you’ve ever been a part of
And, clinging to your best friend through all of the craziness of homework, finals, graduation, and, of course, Avenging, you wouldn’t have it any other way
Again, Anon, I am so sorry about how long this took. I wasn’t sure if you wanted high school or college graduation, so I tried to keep it as ambiguous as possible. I leaned a little more towards high school because I’ve lived through that, but I’m assuming most of the mechanics are the same for college. In any case, my Dear, I hope that you enjoy this very belated request and when your graduation rolls around (if it hasn’t already) that you get to go all out like the Avengers are celebrating alongside you. Thank you for your patience and readership, Darling.
Also, happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone! I am so grateful for every single one of you!
reader regularly fosters and rescues animals. occasionally, they'll ask vision to help them out (especially when it comes to supply runs or if they're trying to socialize feral animals)
So this took far longer than it should have, but I hope you like it, Anon!
Long before you joined the team, you had a soft spot for animals
It was a habit of yours to take in strays
You had spent time volunteering in shelters and even held an internship at the zoo for a few summers so you could learn to take care of more than just domestic animals
You were known to set bowls of food and water outside the compound and had even convinced Tony and Steve to let you rehabilitate a falcon once much to Sam’s delight
From time to time, Vision would watch you work, sitting quietly while you cleaned and bound whatever paw or wing or furry head needed attention
More than once, you asked if he wanted to help
But he preferred to watch, only walking up to pet the animal after it was resting and recovering
The day everything changes, though, is the day you walk through the door and Vision looks up from his game of chess with Rhodey to see you carrying a schnauzer, fur matted with dirt, eyes sad with pain and distrust
“Hey, Viz, you mind helping me out a second?”
He’s already in love with this dog for no discernible reason and is on his feet before you finish your sentence
There’s just something about him—a look of possibility in his eyes where vibrant life was once and could be again—that just genuinely yanks Viz’s heartstrings
He follows you to the little space tucked away on the first floor where you housed your dog food and cat food and all the medical supplies you had bought and spirited away from the Med-Bay
You ask him to grab a towel and lay it on the table before you put the dog down and look to Vision
“He’s a nervous boy, so if you could just keep a hand on him while I work, I think that would be comforting for him.”
And he does exactly that
Viz keeps the little dog calm, just petting him slowly and gently so you can do your work unimpeded
And he doesn’t leave the dog after you’re done, either
“He’s just resting now, Viz, you don’t have to keep petting him.”
“It feels as though this contact is proving beneficial for his comfort and my own. I would like to continue.”
As the dog recovers, Vision stays by his side
He helps him complete the agility courses you set up for his rehabilitation, carries him whenever he gets too tired or is in pain after an exercise
The only time you’re able to pull Vision away from the dog’s side is when you convince him to go on supply runs with you while Peter takes a shift petting the puppy
You pick out the food and other practical things you’ll need
And Viz picks out chew toys and a new blanket
He helps you put up posters and advertise your found friend
But a few weeks later after no one responds
He comes to you with a question
“Do you think it would be appropriate to call him Sparky?”
“Are you talking about the dog? You want to name him? Does that mean you want to keep him?”
“…”
“No one’s claiming him, so it’s okay if you do.”
“…”
“…”
“I’m going to call him Sparky.”
And once Sparky is back to full health
The two of them are inseparable
And it’s a turning point for him
Where Viz was interested in your work before
He’s now actively participating
Some of the animals he helps you with get a little nervous because they can tell he’s not quite as “natural” as you
But he’s so gentle with every single one of them that they warm up and Viz becomes incredibly helpful in socializing them
He takes walks with the express purpose of scouting for wounded, lost, or abandoned animals, sometimes bringing back baby birds cradled in the palms of his hands or even kittens wrapped in his jacket, once
“So, is this—this is a thing that we’re just doing now? Just animals all the time?”
“We are Avengers, Mr. Stark. We save anything that needs saving.”
Okay, so my girlfriend sent me this fic that I drew a lot of inspiration from and I would ask that you please give it a read if you have time because it’s so valid:
Tony Stark’s Home for Wayward Animals
Imma be honest, I know very, very little about fostering animals which was probably incredibly obvious from this but I do love the idea of Viz getting attached to lil wounded animals and helping nurse them back to health! Again, I’m so sorry for the wait, Anon, and thank you for your patience!!!
To the two lovely anons who sent requests in so long ago that are still sitting in my drafts, I apologize immensely that they’ve taken so long. I have been working on them in fits and starts with limited time and motivation that has not allowed them the attention they deserve, but they will be completed at the end of this week! Thank you so much for your patience, lovelies!!!!
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