Metaphoric Superheroes (MMPR/Power Rangers, K+)
Akume: I still totally want someone to write me Adam and Aisha getting Rocky a frog balloon attached to a teddy bear while he's in the hospital. I'd write it myself, but I just had to figure out how many 'o's were in 'balloon'.
phantom_blue: Write it in first pers0n R0cky P0V. Then it's c00l.
Akume: -Ponders- That could work.
Akume: Maybe Rocky has a head injury from a putty attack?
phantom_blue: I'd buy that.
Akume: Whoot!
Akume: This will be fun!
phantom_blue: It will!
Title/: Metaphoric Superheroes
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, season 3
Characters/: Rocky
Pairings/: Extremely vague hints of Rocky/Adam/Aisha
Rating/: K+
Disclaimer/: Nope, still don't own them. Then I'd be a little less concerned about paying for my hospital bills.
Summary/: Rocky suffers from a concussion, boredom, and a bit of self-doubt.
Warnings/: Language, character with self-doubt issues. Written while *I* am actually recovering from three seizures, and very dizzy. My spelling and comprehension is like zero right now, as is my attention span. Consider this CrackFic.
Author's Notes/: For me, who wanted it, phantom_blue, who encouraged it, and purplestripe66 who found the balloon and contributed two of the three pictures for the banner. Also challon86, because if I'm dedicating it to most of Phoenix Family, I should dedicate it to all of Phoenix Family.
I was planning for this to be ... more. Something. I don't even know. I think I just decided to consider it what it is from here. Feel free to love it or hate it; I won't mind either way.
Concussions suck.
No, really. They do. First of all, 'cause they hurt. Like, in ways you never knew your brain *could* hurt. I never knew that just thinking could be painful until I got my very first concussion.
And yeah, that's not a metaphor. Metaphore? Well, whatever. One of those thingies.
And then, there's the fact that you can't *think*. Like, just trying to focus your attention on one thing at a time is a total pain. You start thinking along on one track, and then something else catches on and *bam*, you're thinking about something completely different. Like going from wondering where the nurse went and what's taking so long to thinking about superheroes.
Everyone knows that superheroes aren't real, right? I mean, they're something you think of when you're a kid, something you dream about being when you grow up. You're gonna grow up to save the world, right? I mean really, who doesn't want that?
The thing is, I'm not so sure anymore that I do.
When I was little, I *totally* wanted to save the world some day. I had it all planned out: I was gonna be the team leader, the funny guy, the go-to-person for all the ideas. Because the leaders are always the ones who get the most respect. Because *they're* the guys that everyone else wants to be.
But now ... I know that being the guy everyone looks to for ideas? Not all it's cracked up to be. I mean sure, I'm not the *real* team leader - that's Tommy. But when Tommy's not around or he's busy taking on the Monster of the Week like a one-man superhero army, we've all gotta look to someone, right? And hey, guy wearing red? That's the default place to look.
But I'm not all that smart. I'm not great at strategy. What redeeming qualities do I have for a superhero? Making other people laugh?
Yeah, that's just what everyone needs in the middle of a fight: a good laugh. Forgive me if I don't roll my eyes right now, but it tends to make my head spin.
It was just a stupid putty fight. Run-of-the-mill battle in the park, all of us kicking butt and taking names. And then all of a sudden, something caught my foot from behind, and the next thing I know I'm going flying through the air and okay OW MY HEAD REALLY FRIGGIN' HURTS.
The thing is, it should have been nothing. The Power should have taken care of it, at best I should have made a quick trip back to the Command Center for Alpha to look me over. But instead, this just happened to be the sort of day when there were people in the park. People like Bulk and Skull, who couldn't be left alone with Putties around, and random parent-type adults who saw me get hurt and called 911.
... So much for letting the Power fix me.
My head hurts.
Ambulances aren't as much fun to ride in as you'd expect, either. For one, there's a lot of bouncing, and when your head hurts? Yeah, OW. Plus they keep stabbing at you with needles until they can get an IV into your arm. Have I mentioned I'm not a big fan of needles before? 'Cause really, I'm not. And so you're bouncing around, your head is hurting and your arm is being stabbed and people keep rambling at you about nothing, just because they're trying to keep you from falling asleep. Which is really all you *want* to be doing at the time.
Looks like becoming a paramedic is off the When I Grow Up List, too ...
There really was a list, despite what Adam will tell you. We made charts and graphs and notes like 'coolest' and 'easiest to do' and 'highest pay' and 'best of all categories'. Aisha always wanted the ones that paid the best, but Adam and I were more concerned with being cool. Because if your job isn't cool, why bother doing it? I mean, who wants to be stuck in a suit and tie just because it pays so many thousand dollars a year?
Me, I was gonna be a superhero. I was going to drive some big robot, and wear a power suit, and save the world. And it'd totally be a secret, because all the best superheroes have secret identities. You're not a real Good Guy if you let everyone know you're doing it.
But there's so much more to it than that. There's sneaking out of class because you have to go fight a battle and then dealing with make-up homework later. Trying to keep your grades up when you're barely getting enough sleep at night from the nightmares where your friends turn evil or your homework really does try to eat you. Being afraid to have your old friends and family come visit because they could be used against you. Worrying about the latest hot topic of the week and if the bad guys have heard about it or not.
Just imagine what Rita and Zedd would've done with sex ed week.
Wow, my head hurts. I really need sleep, but they keep waking me up every time I try. With smiles on their faces too, the bastards. Like they honestly think giving me a nice smile will make the pounding in my brain hurt less.
The thing is, the pounding is making me think. And not in the good way, no matter what Aisha might have teased me.
'Cause honestly thinking about it? I've kinda gotta wonder. Sorceresses and sorcerers, magic wands and all? Walking skeletons and winged monkeys? Master Vile? 'The Hate Master'? It sounds like something out of The Wizard of Oz.
And really, who would've picked *me* to be a superhero when you really think about it? Because I saw the Blue Ranger take his helmet off?
Rocky DeSantos: Picked Because He Was There.
In the end ... what says it's even real? I mean, how do I know it wasn't just some really elaborate dream? Where I get to be a superhero, the Red Ranger, and save the world every day. Where I've got five people I can honestly say would die for me. Two people who mean even more than that. People that *I* would die for. Have killed for.
There's a balloon in the corner of my waiting room. I haven't been admitted; I'm just in an ER room for now, under observation until someone comes to pick me up. But I have a balloon already. It's a bright green frog that says 'I love you!' on it, tied to a small brown teddy bear. And somehow I know it's only brown because they couldn't find a yellow one.
I smile a little, even as my head continues to pound. Maybe I do know. Maybe ... maybe I don't need to ask if it's all real.
Maybe I'd rather just keep dreaming.
phantom_blue: Write it in first pers0n R0cky P0V. Then it's c00l.
Akume: -Ponders- That could work.
Akume: Maybe Rocky has a head injury from a putty attack?
phantom_blue: I'd buy that.
Akume: Whoot!
Akume: This will be fun!
phantom_blue: It will!
Title/: Metaphoric Superheroes
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, season 3
Characters/: Rocky
Pairings/: Extremely vague hints of Rocky/Adam/Aisha
Rating/: K+
Disclaimer/: Nope, still don't own them. Then I'd be a little less concerned about paying for my hospital bills.
Summary/: Rocky suffers from a concussion, boredom, and a bit of self-doubt.
Warnings/: Language, character with self-doubt issues. Written while *I* am actually recovering from three seizures, and very dizzy. My spelling and comprehension is like zero right now, as is my attention span. Consider this CrackFic.
Author's Notes/: For me, who wanted it, phantom_blue, who encouraged it, and purplestripe66 who found the balloon and contributed two of the three pictures for the banner. Also challon86, because if I'm dedicating it to most of Phoenix Family, I should dedicate it to all of Phoenix Family.
I was planning for this to be ... more. Something. I don't even know. I think I just decided to consider it what it is from here. Feel free to love it or hate it; I won't mind either way.
Concussions suck.
No, really. They do. First of all, 'cause they hurt. Like, in ways you never knew your brain *could* hurt. I never knew that just thinking could be painful until I got my very first concussion.
And yeah, that's not a metaphor. Metaphore? Well, whatever. One of those thingies.
And then, there's the fact that you can't *think*. Like, just trying to focus your attention on one thing at a time is a total pain. You start thinking along on one track, and then something else catches on and *bam*, you're thinking about something completely different. Like going from wondering where the nurse went and what's taking so long to thinking about superheroes.
Everyone knows that superheroes aren't real, right? I mean, they're something you think of when you're a kid, something you dream about being when you grow up. You're gonna grow up to save the world, right? I mean really, who doesn't want that?
The thing is, I'm not so sure anymore that I do.
When I was little, I *totally* wanted to save the world some day. I had it all planned out: I was gonna be the team leader, the funny guy, the go-to-person for all the ideas. Because the leaders are always the ones who get the most respect. Because *they're* the guys that everyone else wants to be.
But now ... I know that being the guy everyone looks to for ideas? Not all it's cracked up to be. I mean sure, I'm not the *real* team leader - that's Tommy. But when Tommy's not around or he's busy taking on the Monster of the Week like a one-man superhero army, we've all gotta look to someone, right? And hey, guy wearing red? That's the default place to look.
But I'm not all that smart. I'm not great at strategy. What redeeming qualities do I have for a superhero? Making other people laugh?
Yeah, that's just what everyone needs in the middle of a fight: a good laugh. Forgive me if I don't roll my eyes right now, but it tends to make my head spin.
It was just a stupid putty fight. Run-of-the-mill battle in the park, all of us kicking butt and taking names. And then all of a sudden, something caught my foot from behind, and the next thing I know I'm going flying through the air and okay OW MY HEAD REALLY FRIGGIN' HURTS.
The thing is, it should have been nothing. The Power should have taken care of it, at best I should have made a quick trip back to the Command Center for Alpha to look me over. But instead, this just happened to be the sort of day when there were people in the park. People like Bulk and Skull, who couldn't be left alone with Putties around, and random parent-type adults who saw me get hurt and called 911.
... So much for letting the Power fix me.
My head hurts.
Ambulances aren't as much fun to ride in as you'd expect, either. For one, there's a lot of bouncing, and when your head hurts? Yeah, OW. Plus they keep stabbing at you with needles until they can get an IV into your arm. Have I mentioned I'm not a big fan of needles before? 'Cause really, I'm not. And so you're bouncing around, your head is hurting and your arm is being stabbed and people keep rambling at you about nothing, just because they're trying to keep you from falling asleep. Which is really all you *want* to be doing at the time.
Looks like becoming a paramedic is off the When I Grow Up List, too ...
There really was a list, despite what Adam will tell you. We made charts and graphs and notes like 'coolest' and 'easiest to do' and 'highest pay' and 'best of all categories'. Aisha always wanted the ones that paid the best, but Adam and I were more concerned with being cool. Because if your job isn't cool, why bother doing it? I mean, who wants to be stuck in a suit and tie just because it pays so many thousand dollars a year?
Me, I was gonna be a superhero. I was going to drive some big robot, and wear a power suit, and save the world. And it'd totally be a secret, because all the best superheroes have secret identities. You're not a real Good Guy if you let everyone know you're doing it.
But there's so much more to it than that. There's sneaking out of class because you have to go fight a battle and then dealing with make-up homework later. Trying to keep your grades up when you're barely getting enough sleep at night from the nightmares where your friends turn evil or your homework really does try to eat you. Being afraid to have your old friends and family come visit because they could be used against you. Worrying about the latest hot topic of the week and if the bad guys have heard about it or not.
Just imagine what Rita and Zedd would've done with sex ed week.
Wow, my head hurts. I really need sleep, but they keep waking me up every time I try. With smiles on their faces too, the bastards. Like they honestly think giving me a nice smile will make the pounding in my brain hurt less.
The thing is, the pounding is making me think. And not in the good way, no matter what Aisha might have teased me.
'Cause honestly thinking about it? I've kinda gotta wonder. Sorceresses and sorcerers, magic wands and all? Walking skeletons and winged monkeys? Master Vile? 'The Hate Master'? It sounds like something out of The Wizard of Oz.
And really, who would've picked *me* to be a superhero when you really think about it? Because I saw the Blue Ranger take his helmet off?
Rocky DeSantos: Picked Because He Was There.
In the end ... what says it's even real? I mean, how do I know it wasn't just some really elaborate dream? Where I get to be a superhero, the Red Ranger, and save the world every day. Where I've got five people I can honestly say would die for me. Two people who mean even more than that. People that *I* would die for. Have killed for.
There's a balloon in the corner of my waiting room. I haven't been admitted; I'm just in an ER room for now, under observation until someone comes to pick me up. But I have a balloon already. It's a bright green frog that says 'I love you!' on it, tied to a small brown teddy bear. And somehow I know it's only brown because they couldn't find a yellow one.
I smile a little, even as my head continues to pound. Maybe I do know. Maybe ... maybe I don't need to ask if it's all real.
Maybe I'd rather just keep dreaming.