Fanfic bunnies are fearless
Mar. 25th, 2015 01:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethSo I dreamed something that seemed pretty awesome, but then I woke up and was, like, and my audience would be?
And then I realised, fanfic. There is always an audience.
... virgin princess Clint / Dragon Coulson, not even very much an AU.
The basic theory was that SHIELD runs a dating service because otherwise lonely SHIELD agents go around putting their details into databases, and SHIELD would rather they look after each other, even if they have some kind of unusual needs.
So new recruit Clint has some stuff to work through, and just wants someone who'll treat him like a Princess and can keep a secret. So they're like, we know this level 5 agent, and he's like, okay. And the secret is that when he's recruited he's still legally Claire but he's thinking seriously of ditching that, and just kind of wants to take it for a test run one last time.
And then they have this one awesome date, including abducted-princess-restrained fantasy sex, but there's a misunderstanding, someone put Coulson's preferences down a bit wrong, he thinks Clint's been set up to manipulate him, so he ends up storming out and it's all very awkward.
But Clint is like screw him anyway, it's a big organisation, what are the odds he'll even have to see that guy again? And he gets on with living as Clint full time as he starts working at SHIELD. So by the time he gets assigned to Coulson he's not going to ping as familiar from his paperwork, up until they get into the same room. And then it's all just icy professionalism and being awesome because screw you.
So then there must be plot with SHIELD operations in it so they get to trusting each other professionally. And then Clint gets captured, and thinks it's all over, but Coulson tracks him down and rescues him. And then maybe Clint stops being mad at him and they start actually getting along.
But next time they're captured together, and just left in a room with a bunch of supplies and no way out. And over a few days Coulson starts getting very, very twitchy, and eventually he instructs Clint to restrain him, because he's off his meds and his... instincts are playing up. Which Clint doesn't understand but hey, if a guy wants to be tied to a bed, it's not like they've got anything else to do. Plus he's still stupidly hot. And heat is of course the problem, or rather the guy version, rut or whatever. Deagons have a mating season. Clint has to help him through it, and Coulson has to trust him to help, which is harder when he thought that first date was a setup to manipulate him by his instincts. He'd been really hurt by the lack of trust SHIELD showed in trying to get extra leverage on him. But it hasn't been like that at all since then, so here he is, as vulnerable to his instincts as he gets, having to trust Clint to look after him, and not really trusting himself to do right by Clint, hence the restraints. Except really he knows that he could get out of them any moment, they're both highly trained, they've only got their own clothes to work with, they're more the idea of restraint. So they're showing each other that instinct is not the boss of them and they're not trying to use or manipulate each other. Just showing it fanfic style, with porn.
So they get rescued by SHIELD, which possibly involves knocking walls down because how else do you keep those two locked up? And Coulson gets his meds and goes all embarrassed and is ready to curl up and stay away again, and Clint is pissed because now he knows there's physical attraction there but he thinks it's only when he's ill, or worse, it's all instinct aimed at the girl he isn't. The mutual avoidance can go on indefinitely. It's a problem. But Clint says enough that Coulson realises how he's been misreading and misread, and he's mortified, and there's arguing and angst and Coulson says he just wants a do over.
So Clint's like, okay.
And Coulson's like, okay?
And then they're like :-D , dinner, Friday?
and then when they're out of sight of each other they're both like /o\ and panic and how do we even?
So Clint goes and gets the dress from last time, which he kept but is relieved to find does not fit in pretty much any respect any more. He takes it to a friend in SHIELD costuming and they alter the hell out of it, until it's definitely a man's dress, and totally shows off his shoulders and arms. It's held on mostly with ribbons and the petticoats are all frills and he's going to look fabulous, but he's no how a girl Princess no more. Also he can totally run and shoot and fight in the revised version, SHIELD is good at that.
Coulson sends a limo to pick him up, because they're doing this proper shiny, and he gets to Coulson's place and steps out and Coulson does the total tripping over his tongue yowza wows. And he has presents, gold ribbon shinies, and they're totally meant to draw attention to the muscles. Not that Hawkeye would have been short of those at any age, but it has been a lot of years and a lot of work and wow does he have more going on now. And Coulson likes it. So they have this really great date, again actually, total Princess for the evening but without the awkward mis-gendering. And it all leads to bed again, but this time Clint has much more idea what he actually likes, and Coulson is very much okay with the changes. And this time the two of them get tangled together with the ribbons and all, colours mixing and arms joined, like handfasting but with more bondage sex.
And afterwards this time is all glowy happy, like super happy. And they get to talking about what went wrong last time, and Coulson is sort of evasive but explains the theory SHIELD were trying to lead him around by his dick, and Clint laughs cause he'd be like the last person to try that, he's not even that into dick. Well, looking forward to his own, if SHIELD ever deliver on that part. They know a guy who knows a spell. But other than that, he's pretty much avoided guys, certainly not slept with any other guys. And Coulson... reacts to this news, possibly more positively than he'd really be comfortable with people seeing, but also with slight panic. Something is up, there, and he's still not explaining it. But he's all snuggly now and there's cuddles and this time he definitely stays to sleep.
Only then they go back to SHIELD, and they're Agent Coulson and Hawkeye again, and Clint is kind of tired of this bullshit. And kind of tired in general. And slightly nauseous? And oh, hey, needs to check in with medical to get his meds rescheduled after that long interruption due to cells. Except, oops, pregnant.
And now Coulson is seriously totally avoiding him. As in, he is locked in his office. The door is locked, he won't let him in, it's the opposite of awesome. Really, Clint never thought he'd be this much of a dick... again, anyway. But if last time is panic maybe this time is? And maybe the trust thing, and feeling manipulated again, and, okay, he'll give him one last chance to explain himself. So he ends up standing outside Coulson's office yelling through the door that Coulson can stay in there as long as he likes, he just needs to know one thing: is he going to end up laying an egg?
Coulson yanks the door open and looks up and down the corridor, and Clint is like, please, I have some experience with secrets, here. But Coulson still pulls him in to the office. He locks the door, then goes to sit behind his desk all official like, and fiddles with the edges of the paper. And very quick and quietly he finally gives Clint a rundown on Dragon reproductive physiology. Mating season, gold dependence until full grown, obligate monogamy leading to the virgin fixation, and *mumble mumble* matesforlife /mumble AND! Live births. So! That's okay then! But, and this is when Coulson finally looks him in the eye, Clint should not feel obligated in any way shape or form. Coulson's wonky biology is not the boss of anyone, least of all Clint, and Clint should totally decide what is best for Clint, and so on and so forth very sincerely virtuous with the freedom and all.
But Clint kind of sagged back against the wall at 'mates for life'. Like, er, hang on, this is not relevant data for the dating service? Seriously? How can you date around and mate for life?
... sighing and explaining. That basically it's fine if their partner has other partners. Because of the gold thing, the way they have to feed it to infants and the way it's a scarce resource so they both can't risk doing that to human babies and can't spare any for accidents, there's a whole biochemical thing where they can only reproduce when they're sure their mate is exclusively all theirs. Which Coulson is all embarrassed about. And also, he was pretty sure Clint dated? But Clint dates women, and biochemistry is apparently stupid, so, well, here they are. For life? Coulson nods and then winces and says usually not the dragon's life. They just get very invested. Which is Coulson's problem! It should totally not be a thing! It doesn't have to be a thing!
Clint is getting it by now that (a) he was total dragon bait in a way that could have decided the whole rest of Coulson's life and (b) still is and so logically 3 follows.
*much blinking*
Coulson kind of curls up of miserable.
Clint starts apologising really, really sincerely. Because now the guy is stuck with him. Screwed up so bad.
But Coulson is all surprised and blinky, because no, the problem is now Clint is stuck with him, and he doesn't even like guys!
And Clint shrugs and just says he likes Phil.
So now he gets all hopeful. And his eyes flick down to Clint's belly. And so Clint asks the really important question: does he want this baby?
... and Phil has actually been having a panic on this very question, because he is just not that old by dragon standards, he can't even shapeshift yet (which explains the ongoing not breaking out of locked rooms problem, though that was also why they put a squishy human in there with him, so he couldn't break the room without squishing a friend), and by dragon standards that's what makes you an actual adult, the ability to, you know, dragon. And he isn't. And now he's going to be a parent?
And this particular panic is one that Clint knows well, with bonus added what if we've screwed them up already.
But, basically, together, they decide actually yes, they want this baby. Yes, very much. Even though Clint wasn't planning to use those parts in that way, and was in fact planning to get rid of them in the near future, he's finding the idea of a tiny Phil entirely cute enough to put off that plan a few months. And Phil is just adoring the idea of a tiny Clint. And oh, hey, possibly this mated for life thing is in fact a bonus?
So then there is Happily Ever After.
:-D
... except of course eventually Avengers? So eventually Phil gets a spear where spears epic do not go? Except that's not how you kill dragons, or at least so Clint stoically maintains. Phil went away for a while, but it's cool, he'll be back when he heals. Dragons do this hibernation thing while they get better. No problem!
... his team kind of think he's crazy of sad, but that's probably the least crazy among them, so whatever.
(Cuteness as they help with the child goes here. And dragons age slow, needing the extra time with extra brain learnings to learn to manipulate magic, so the child can stay tinier longer, which comics seem to find a bonus.)
But of course Clint is right, and Phil comes back, and Happily Ever After!
... but Phil is still studying how to dragon. It's a spell, it's a complex one, he had to study all the way up to it, he's very nearly there now. And he's teaching the kidlet, so he's been spending more time on his magic than he did since his own childhood. And he's pretty sure he maybe could?
But he's also pretty sure he's been happy as a human shaped dragon, and sees no reason to change that.
But then one day Clint falls from high places, as he tends to, and Phil is the only one there who could catch him, so he has to finally do the spell and whoosh, giant dragon Phil!
Phil is a tuxedo dragon once he transforms. He's black and white until you look closely, and then he's iridescent and shimmering, with a white belly. I know exactly where to blame for that, and all the x is a dragon stuff my subconscious lately turns up, it's the Flight Rising dragon breeding game, you have to name the dragons and so you end up making super teams of them. I think he's a Guardian dragon, they look good and their whole reason for being is to protect. Be the shield.
So Phil transforms and flies up and saves the day, and it's pretty awesome, buuuuuuut, when he gets down again? He has to admit, he can't actually do the spell to change back.
... spells have gestures and dance and spoken words, and while he can still speak, he has like claws now? And wings? And what's he even supposed to do with his tail?
So it might take just as long to learn how to change back as it did to learn to change in the first place.
... and he's 50.
Clint isn't worried though. Phil has always been badass. There's nothing he can't do if he sets his mind to it. So, he's got to go away to find other dragons and study for a while. It's okay. He'll be back.
*brave brave brave*
So once again it's the Avengers looking after tiny child dragon. And he's been studying the transformation spell, only as a game, like a clapping game, and a little dance, and a rhyme. The rule is you only do two out of three at once, so you can sing and dance or sing and clap but never all three. But he teaches Steve the game without teaching him the rule, until one day, *bam*
Giant dragon Steve!
... because in this setup, if a dragon doesn't get their gold as a child, they grow up weak and sickly and slow, so they're still child size in their 20s, and really really ill. So Steve is secretly a dragon. Another Guardian dragon of course. And he's blue with a white belly and red wings. ... I have a whole page and like a dozen dragons devoted to breeding this dragon, Steve the dragon is going to exist, he will look like this.
And then Phil the dragon comes back and tries to teach Steve how to change back, because the spell takes a lot of practice before it'll take (200 hours taught or 400 hours self study, under GURPS rules). So they're spending a lot of time together as dragons. Getting along. Closely. In dragon ways.
And it's getting towards That Time Of Year again.
... I'm not saying Clint is crazy insecure jealous, but, you know, that could be a thing?
... also it's possible this is going in a Steve/Coulson dragon form mating on the wing mpreg direction, but it's possible that's weird even for fanfic.
But the thing is with GURPS shapeshifting spells if you can turn yourself into a dragon you can do all sorts of minor editing too, and changing sex is, magically speaking, minor, hence availability of that particular tweak for Clint, when other shapeshifters study harder and can shapeshift others.
And the idea was that all dragons are male and go looking for a princess, and then all their children are little male dragons, though they won't have many, low fertility / high investment. But at Stark Tower they've got all the resources they could possibly want, including as much gold as they can eat, so it's like dragon overdrive time? And then it turns out that dragons aren't necessarily male, it's more like they're nonbinary but born male, and they mature until they can shapeshift, and then learn how to become lady dragons. And in that form they can make eggs and have nests and it's all a lot more convenient than the version involving humans, it just requires a whole lot of gold up front. But also they all start out human and learn to blend in, so they pretty much got socialised into thinking they were and had to be male. Which kind of only works if there's a break in dragon social transmission of knowledge, like an era of dragon hunting driving them into secrecy, which, hey, works.
So basically Phil grows up and learns how to make himself able to make eggs? But still sees himself as a him?
And maybe that whole mates for life thing has a loophole ...
... but I don't think I want to write it that way. Like, I'm sure Steve thinks Coulson is a nice guy and all, but no, nope, not going to let instinct do the thing. Neither of them are going to let biology be the boss of them. (Though Coulson is currently having issues in that respect, hmmm.) So then Clint could get all worried and then maybe all noble and like, you have found your own kind, fly be free...
but Shapeshift Other is a thing.
So basically this ends up with black and purple dragons flying around Stark Tower, right?
Right.
... why is my imagination full of genderqueer mpreg dragons...
I've spent actual plural hours writing this down.
... aaaaand that's just me kind of chickening out of actually writing this, isn't it? Like, if I write it, it might not be to everyone's taste, but somebody somewhere will read it, so that's not even the issue.
I'll see if this is still in my head after I sleep again.
And then I realised, fanfic. There is always an audience.
... virgin princess Clint / Dragon Coulson, not even very much an AU.
The basic theory was that SHIELD runs a dating service because otherwise lonely SHIELD agents go around putting their details into databases, and SHIELD would rather they look after each other, even if they have some kind of unusual needs.
So new recruit Clint has some stuff to work through, and just wants someone who'll treat him like a Princess and can keep a secret. So they're like, we know this level 5 agent, and he's like, okay. And the secret is that when he's recruited he's still legally Claire but he's thinking seriously of ditching that, and just kind of wants to take it for a test run one last time.
And then they have this one awesome date, including abducted-princess-restrained fantasy sex, but there's a misunderstanding, someone put Coulson's preferences down a bit wrong, he thinks Clint's been set up to manipulate him, so he ends up storming out and it's all very awkward.
But Clint is like screw him anyway, it's a big organisation, what are the odds he'll even have to see that guy again? And he gets on with living as Clint full time as he starts working at SHIELD. So by the time he gets assigned to Coulson he's not going to ping as familiar from his paperwork, up until they get into the same room. And then it's all just icy professionalism and being awesome because screw you.
So then there must be plot with SHIELD operations in it so they get to trusting each other professionally. And then Clint gets captured, and thinks it's all over, but Coulson tracks him down and rescues him. And then maybe Clint stops being mad at him and they start actually getting along.
But next time they're captured together, and just left in a room with a bunch of supplies and no way out. And over a few days Coulson starts getting very, very twitchy, and eventually he instructs Clint to restrain him, because he's off his meds and his... instincts are playing up. Which Clint doesn't understand but hey, if a guy wants to be tied to a bed, it's not like they've got anything else to do. Plus he's still stupidly hot. And heat is of course the problem, or rather the guy version, rut or whatever. Deagons have a mating season. Clint has to help him through it, and Coulson has to trust him to help, which is harder when he thought that first date was a setup to manipulate him by his instincts. He'd been really hurt by the lack of trust SHIELD showed in trying to get extra leverage on him. But it hasn't been like that at all since then, so here he is, as vulnerable to his instincts as he gets, having to trust Clint to look after him, and not really trusting himself to do right by Clint, hence the restraints. Except really he knows that he could get out of them any moment, they're both highly trained, they've only got their own clothes to work with, they're more the idea of restraint. So they're showing each other that instinct is not the boss of them and they're not trying to use or manipulate each other. Just showing it fanfic style, with porn.
So they get rescued by SHIELD, which possibly involves knocking walls down because how else do you keep those two locked up? And Coulson gets his meds and goes all embarrassed and is ready to curl up and stay away again, and Clint is pissed because now he knows there's physical attraction there but he thinks it's only when he's ill, or worse, it's all instinct aimed at the girl he isn't. The mutual avoidance can go on indefinitely. It's a problem. But Clint says enough that Coulson realises how he's been misreading and misread, and he's mortified, and there's arguing and angst and Coulson says he just wants a do over.
So Clint's like, okay.
And Coulson's like, okay?
And then they're like :-D , dinner, Friday?
and then when they're out of sight of each other they're both like /o\ and panic and how do we even?
So Clint goes and gets the dress from last time, which he kept but is relieved to find does not fit in pretty much any respect any more. He takes it to a friend in SHIELD costuming and they alter the hell out of it, until it's definitely a man's dress, and totally shows off his shoulders and arms. It's held on mostly with ribbons and the petticoats are all frills and he's going to look fabulous, but he's no how a girl Princess no more. Also he can totally run and shoot and fight in the revised version, SHIELD is good at that.
Coulson sends a limo to pick him up, because they're doing this proper shiny, and he gets to Coulson's place and steps out and Coulson does the total tripping over his tongue yowza wows. And he has presents, gold ribbon shinies, and they're totally meant to draw attention to the muscles. Not that Hawkeye would have been short of those at any age, but it has been a lot of years and a lot of work and wow does he have more going on now. And Coulson likes it. So they have this really great date, again actually, total Princess for the evening but without the awkward mis-gendering. And it all leads to bed again, but this time Clint has much more idea what he actually likes, and Coulson is very much okay with the changes. And this time the two of them get tangled together with the ribbons and all, colours mixing and arms joined, like handfasting but with more bondage sex.
And afterwards this time is all glowy happy, like super happy. And they get to talking about what went wrong last time, and Coulson is sort of evasive but explains the theory SHIELD were trying to lead him around by his dick, and Clint laughs cause he'd be like the last person to try that, he's not even that into dick. Well, looking forward to his own, if SHIELD ever deliver on that part. They know a guy who knows a spell. But other than that, he's pretty much avoided guys, certainly not slept with any other guys. And Coulson... reacts to this news, possibly more positively than he'd really be comfortable with people seeing, but also with slight panic. Something is up, there, and he's still not explaining it. But he's all snuggly now and there's cuddles and this time he definitely stays to sleep.
Only then they go back to SHIELD, and they're Agent Coulson and Hawkeye again, and Clint is kind of tired of this bullshit. And kind of tired in general. And slightly nauseous? And oh, hey, needs to check in with medical to get his meds rescheduled after that long interruption due to cells. Except, oops, pregnant.
And now Coulson is seriously totally avoiding him. As in, he is locked in his office. The door is locked, he won't let him in, it's the opposite of awesome. Really, Clint never thought he'd be this much of a dick... again, anyway. But if last time is panic maybe this time is? And maybe the trust thing, and feeling manipulated again, and, okay, he'll give him one last chance to explain himself. So he ends up standing outside Coulson's office yelling through the door that Coulson can stay in there as long as he likes, he just needs to know one thing: is he going to end up laying an egg?
Coulson yanks the door open and looks up and down the corridor, and Clint is like, please, I have some experience with secrets, here. But Coulson still pulls him in to the office. He locks the door, then goes to sit behind his desk all official like, and fiddles with the edges of the paper. And very quick and quietly he finally gives Clint a rundown on Dragon reproductive physiology. Mating season, gold dependence until full grown, obligate monogamy leading to the virgin fixation, and *mumble mumble* matesforlife /mumble AND! Live births. So! That's okay then! But, and this is when Coulson finally looks him in the eye, Clint should not feel obligated in any way shape or form. Coulson's wonky biology is not the boss of anyone, least of all Clint, and Clint should totally decide what is best for Clint, and so on and so forth very sincerely virtuous with the freedom and all.
But Clint kind of sagged back against the wall at 'mates for life'. Like, er, hang on, this is not relevant data for the dating service? Seriously? How can you date around and mate for life?
... sighing and explaining. That basically it's fine if their partner has other partners. Because of the gold thing, the way they have to feed it to infants and the way it's a scarce resource so they both can't risk doing that to human babies and can't spare any for accidents, there's a whole biochemical thing where they can only reproduce when they're sure their mate is exclusively all theirs. Which Coulson is all embarrassed about. And also, he was pretty sure Clint dated? But Clint dates women, and biochemistry is apparently stupid, so, well, here they are. For life? Coulson nods and then winces and says usually not the dragon's life. They just get very invested. Which is Coulson's problem! It should totally not be a thing! It doesn't have to be a thing!
Clint is getting it by now that (a) he was total dragon bait in a way that could have decided the whole rest of Coulson's life and (b) still is and so logically 3 follows.
*much blinking*
Coulson kind of curls up of miserable.
Clint starts apologising really, really sincerely. Because now the guy is stuck with him. Screwed up so bad.
But Coulson is all surprised and blinky, because no, the problem is now Clint is stuck with him, and he doesn't even like guys!
And Clint shrugs and just says he likes Phil.
So now he gets all hopeful. And his eyes flick down to Clint's belly. And so Clint asks the really important question: does he want this baby?
... and Phil has actually been having a panic on this very question, because he is just not that old by dragon standards, he can't even shapeshift yet (which explains the ongoing not breaking out of locked rooms problem, though that was also why they put a squishy human in there with him, so he couldn't break the room without squishing a friend), and by dragon standards that's what makes you an actual adult, the ability to, you know, dragon. And he isn't. And now he's going to be a parent?
And this particular panic is one that Clint knows well, with bonus added what if we've screwed them up already.
But, basically, together, they decide actually yes, they want this baby. Yes, very much. Even though Clint wasn't planning to use those parts in that way, and was in fact planning to get rid of them in the near future, he's finding the idea of a tiny Phil entirely cute enough to put off that plan a few months. And Phil is just adoring the idea of a tiny Clint. And oh, hey, possibly this mated for life thing is in fact a bonus?
So then there is Happily Ever After.
:-D
... except of course eventually Avengers? So eventually Phil gets a spear where spears epic do not go? Except that's not how you kill dragons, or at least so Clint stoically maintains. Phil went away for a while, but it's cool, he'll be back when he heals. Dragons do this hibernation thing while they get better. No problem!
... his team kind of think he's crazy of sad, but that's probably the least crazy among them, so whatever.
(Cuteness as they help with the child goes here. And dragons age slow, needing the extra time with extra brain learnings to learn to manipulate magic, so the child can stay tinier longer, which comics seem to find a bonus.)
But of course Clint is right, and Phil comes back, and Happily Ever After!
... but Phil is still studying how to dragon. It's a spell, it's a complex one, he had to study all the way up to it, he's very nearly there now. And he's teaching the kidlet, so he's been spending more time on his magic than he did since his own childhood. And he's pretty sure he maybe could?
But he's also pretty sure he's been happy as a human shaped dragon, and sees no reason to change that.
But then one day Clint falls from high places, as he tends to, and Phil is the only one there who could catch him, so he has to finally do the spell and whoosh, giant dragon Phil!
Phil is a tuxedo dragon once he transforms. He's black and white until you look closely, and then he's iridescent and shimmering, with a white belly. I know exactly where to blame for that, and all the x is a dragon stuff my subconscious lately turns up, it's the Flight Rising dragon breeding game, you have to name the dragons and so you end up making super teams of them. I think he's a Guardian dragon, they look good and their whole reason for being is to protect. Be the shield.
So Phil transforms and flies up and saves the day, and it's pretty awesome, buuuuuuut, when he gets down again? He has to admit, he can't actually do the spell to change back.
... spells have gestures and dance and spoken words, and while he can still speak, he has like claws now? And wings? And what's he even supposed to do with his tail?
So it might take just as long to learn how to change back as it did to learn to change in the first place.
... and he's 50.
Clint isn't worried though. Phil has always been badass. There's nothing he can't do if he sets his mind to it. So, he's got to go away to find other dragons and study for a while. It's okay. He'll be back.
*brave brave brave*
So once again it's the Avengers looking after tiny child dragon. And he's been studying the transformation spell, only as a game, like a clapping game, and a little dance, and a rhyme. The rule is you only do two out of three at once, so you can sing and dance or sing and clap but never all three. But he teaches Steve the game without teaching him the rule, until one day, *bam*
Giant dragon Steve!
... because in this setup, if a dragon doesn't get their gold as a child, they grow up weak and sickly and slow, so they're still child size in their 20s, and really really ill. So Steve is secretly a dragon. Another Guardian dragon of course. And he's blue with a white belly and red wings. ... I have a whole page and like a dozen dragons devoted to breeding this dragon, Steve the dragon is going to exist, he will look like this.
And then Phil the dragon comes back and tries to teach Steve how to change back, because the spell takes a lot of practice before it'll take (200 hours taught or 400 hours self study, under GURPS rules). So they're spending a lot of time together as dragons. Getting along. Closely. In dragon ways.
And it's getting towards That Time Of Year again.
... I'm not saying Clint is crazy insecure jealous, but, you know, that could be a thing?
... also it's possible this is going in a Steve/Coulson dragon form mating on the wing mpreg direction, but it's possible that's weird even for fanfic.
But the thing is with GURPS shapeshifting spells if you can turn yourself into a dragon you can do all sorts of minor editing too, and changing sex is, magically speaking, minor, hence availability of that particular tweak for Clint, when other shapeshifters study harder and can shapeshift others.
And the idea was that all dragons are male and go looking for a princess, and then all their children are little male dragons, though they won't have many, low fertility / high investment. But at Stark Tower they've got all the resources they could possibly want, including as much gold as they can eat, so it's like dragon overdrive time? And then it turns out that dragons aren't necessarily male, it's more like they're nonbinary but born male, and they mature until they can shapeshift, and then learn how to become lady dragons. And in that form they can make eggs and have nests and it's all a lot more convenient than the version involving humans, it just requires a whole lot of gold up front. But also they all start out human and learn to blend in, so they pretty much got socialised into thinking they were and had to be male. Which kind of only works if there's a break in dragon social transmission of knowledge, like an era of dragon hunting driving them into secrecy, which, hey, works.
So basically Phil grows up and learns how to make himself able to make eggs? But still sees himself as a him?
And maybe that whole mates for life thing has a loophole ...
... but I don't think I want to write it that way. Like, I'm sure Steve thinks Coulson is a nice guy and all, but no, nope, not going to let instinct do the thing. Neither of them are going to let biology be the boss of them. (Though Coulson is currently having issues in that respect, hmmm.) So then Clint could get all worried and then maybe all noble and like, you have found your own kind, fly be free...
but Shapeshift Other is a thing.
So basically this ends up with black and purple dragons flying around Stark Tower, right?
Right.
... why is my imagination full of genderqueer mpreg dragons...
I've spent actual plural hours writing this down.
... aaaaand that's just me kind of chickening out of actually writing this, isn't it? Like, if I write it, it might not be to everyone's taste, but somebody somewhere will read it, so that's not even the issue.
I'll see if this is still in my head after I sleep again.
no subject
Date: 2015-03-25 07:33 am (UTC)