Captain America/HDM: Big in Heart

[awanderingbard]

Title: Big in Heart
Characters: Steve Rogers, Ishild (daemon)
Rating: G
Warnings/Triggers: none
Spoilers: Generalized story spoilers for the first Captain America movie
Pairings: none
Word Count 215
Summary: People were always surprised by Captain America's daemon.
Author's notes: I was reminded that I wrote this last night, and realized I never cross-posted it. It was written for consci_fan_mo last year. This is a daemons!verse fic.

Knowledge of His Dark Materials is not required. All that's necessary to know is that, in this world, humans' souls live outside of their bodies in the form of animals. There's an excellent primer here.

For reference: Ishild (A Teddy Roosevelt terrier).



People were always surprised by Captain America's daemon. Ishild was small. Surely he should have a lioness or an eagle or a great bear. Not a little, albeit fierce, Teddy Roosevelt terrier, with an alert face and kind eyes. She wasn't intimidating. People underestimated her.

They'd warned Steve before the experiment that the serum might make her change. Daemons didn't often change form after they'd settled, but sometimes when there were massive life changes, they'd been known to choose a different form to cope with them.

She hadn't, though. She hadn't even gotten much bigger. She was maybe an inch or two taller and had put on a few pounds, but now he dwarfed her like some great giant.

People were surprised by her, but Steve supposed he wasn't, really. Erskine had made him promise not to change. To still be the same man he had always been before. To remain a good man.

Issie reflected that. Issie was still Issie, and Captain America would always be Steve Rogers. He didn't need a lioness or an eagle. It might look good, but it wouldn't be right. She was who he was. And Steve was still the skinny kid from Brooklyn who didn't know when to stay down.

Not big in body, but big in heart.

Comments

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I think I commented when you posted this at conscifanmo, but I still love this so much. That breed of dog is just so perfect for Steve and Captain America, it was such a wonderful choice.

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

You did comment! I'm glad you still enjoy it, though. :-D Thank you.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

The terrier is perfect for Steve! His body may have changed, but he's still totally that guy!

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

Isn't it sweet? I'd never heard of the breed until I went looking for dog breeds originating in America, and it was so perfect looking. I"m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting.

[joonscribble.livejournal.com]

As I'd noted before, Issie actually looks like Steve. It's totally the angular face and alert eyes. Issie might not have grown very much post-serum but my heart grew about three times reading about her and Steve. Hugs for everyone! (What have you done to me?)

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

I"m sorry! I'm a terrible person. Please forgive me for going all Cindy-Lou Who on your Grinch heart, and getting you into this daemons mess. I'm glad you liked the story at least!

[joonscribble.livejournal.com]

The story was excellent. And now I've got rainbows and hearts coming out of my eyes. It burns! It burns!!

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

Hahaha!

I am now writing a story about Tony and Steve and pens. So, at least we're terrible influences on each other.

[joonscribble.livejournal.com]

I am now writing a story about Tony and Steve and pens.

Oh good! I love the idea of Steve actually enjoying modern pens as a nice convenience. Especially since he sketches a lot.

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have him talking about how annoying it was to work on a drawing for six hours and then have your pen explode all over it. In fact, he got quite passionate about pens, and I've sort of convinced myself they are actually pretty cool inventions. And ball point pens were actually invented during the war, so it is relevant and stuff. Research for the win!

Maybe I can be a Pen Expert, too.

[joonscribble.livejournal.com]

In fact, he got quite passionate about pens,

Tony's probably pleased that Captain America's got at least one thing he can get passionate about that's not attached to freedom or ethics and Doing the Honorable Thing.

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

Tony's probably pleased that Captain America's got at least one thing he can get passionate about that's not attached to freedom or ethics and Doing the Honorable Thing.

Hee! There's a little bit of that as well.