The first thing Ryland Grace pushed for when he transfers to Midtown High School was the reinstatement of the annual science fair.
In his experiences, science fairs are considered sacred no matter what age. Despite not teaching middle schoolers anymore, he know that with a big enough reaction that the baking soda volcano still slaps with the kids. Especially when he doesn't tell them its actually elephant toothpaste—the kids go wild for the unexpected reaction.
Either way, for a school that specializes in STEM-focused materials he doesn't understand why they aren't allowing the kids a way to showcase their skills.
Its relatively easy to convince the school board to approve the project. He promises to reach out to a few old colleagues that he still talks to about coming in to judge while the kids get to network with future employers. The fact that some of his contacts might have some internships available just sweetens the deal.
The fair is voluntary to students, but extra credit in some classes is offered in exchange for participation. With project approval from at least one teacher of course. He will not have another instance of the Great Ant Caper this year.
Midtown High was not expecting Tony Stark or Bruce Banner to contact the administrative office to confirm their interests in the event. They are, however, surprised and overjoyed to learn that their newest faculty member has connections in such high places.
When a little spider was telling Tony about his project for the fair and he mentions that his favorite new teacher, Mr. Grace, was the one to convince the board, Tony decides to do a little snooping. Grace is a common last name, but it never hurts to double check.
When Bruce Banner receives a forwarded email from an old colleague, he was not expecting to see the name Ryland Grace attached to the message. While not directly to him, the man was reaching out to possible candidates willing to volunteer their time to 'help grow the minds of tomorrow' at a school science fair.
Tony Stark and Bruce Banner were not expecting to see each other when they went to Midtown High that morning.
Ryland Grace was definitely not expecting to see two of his college flings show up the day of the science fair as judges either.
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A ghost dragon who only can possess different kinds of dough, making it possible to alternate and shift shapes and sizes from a long-neck fatty to a completely immobile blob of dough. Also weak against freezing and being baked alive, turning him into dragon-shaped pastry thing and making him to let the dough go and get it being eaten or whatever.
I am not immune to propaganda, specifically Tony Stark/Ryland Grace and coltland
I love they meet in their youth at the conference or decathlon as much as the next person but hear me out
They meet on a movie set of this new space action adventure that Peter had been excited for. Tony wanted to surprise him or just do something nice for the kid so he uses his status to be on set for multiple day
Jody is of course directing and Colt is still doing stunts, but you know what this movie needs. A microbiologist. or at least that's what Colt told Ryland when he roped him into spending time on set
Ryland is being 'consulted' when the two show up and Tony needs-to-be-the-smartest-person-in-the-room Stark zeros in. Science talk is science talk and you don't have his kind of history without having your foot in a little bit of everything
Now science sadly isn't my forte but something about this man sticks with Tony. The way he listen to Peter and answers all of his questions in kind, never once speaking down on his kid. The silly science pun shirts he wears or maybe the way he speaks to Tony.
Sure he might have been a bit starstruck and nervous when he introduced himself, he's used to that, but once he got going ohHhhH boy, let it be said that he a man who appreciates someones brains
Peter makes fast friends with the Ryland and finds himself equally attached to his twin brother, Colt. The stuntman takes him under his wing and shows him all the cool behind the scenes stuff that most get to watch be he actually gets to experience. They talk risk calculations and how to properly roll. A lot of which Peter already knew but could really talk about with those outside the hero community
With Peter in trusted hands I guess Tony and Grace get to spend more time together on the sidelines. Shame. At least they have each other to talk too *winky face
Not 100% sure where I'd take it from there but they would definitely exchange numbers by the end of their last of visiting day on set. Maybe Grace has a transfer in place to teach at midtown. Maybe he hasn't realized yet that this won't be the last time he sees Tony and Peter. Maybe this could become something more then fleeting interest between the two
I'm sure someone already said it but I'm gonna yell it again for the people in the back
I think Simon, once he is chill with Rocky and Grace (either in Grace's dome or the Hail Mary) would be deeply touched when they say they'll watch him sleep.
He would be completely against it at first. Offended even. Being in a position where he is at his most vulnerable and then have two stranger watch him sleep would be deeply upsetting
He doesn't know them, doesn't trust them like he did with his brothers and sisters from Eden and even then he was never truly safe or relaxed. They survived by surviving and sometimes that meant that peoples best interest could not be put above the betterment for all
In the same way Rocky immediately wanted a total stranger (Grace) to watch over him; Simon wanted complete isolation while he slept, no matter how much his heart was telling him to trust these strangers
They don't push, don't tell him they'll watch him sleep, they let him go at his own speed. If that speed just so happens to be isolation while he sleeps then so be it. Grace may have to hold Rocky back and he may be sending glances every so often in the direction where Simon is, but they get through it
The first time he asks them to watch him sleep is stilled and awkward, starting and stopping his sentences until he just forces it out.
Rocky is ecstatic, collecting projects and whatnot before heading to Simon's designated sleeping area. Grace is happy too, understanding how must trust Simon is putting in they by asking this. They stick to outskirts of his room the first few times, slowly making their way into his space.
Grace tries to stay awake in the beginning, but its hard to have opposite sleeping schedules to the only other human he's seen in so long. To know that if he wanted to watch Simon sleep then he would get less and less 'waking time' with him before he would need to rest as well
So, Simon and Grace start sleeping in the same room. Rocky keeping guard as they both rest. Its a learning curve for sure but they get there
Sleeping in the same room eventually leads to sleeping in the same bed which eventually leads to cuddling in the same bed (platonic or romantic take your pick) and its nice. Nice to be protected in another persons arms. To have someone watch you rest knowing they would protect you. to find safety in another person
Its an honor now, when they ask him to watch him sleep. To know that they trust him so much to protect them when they're most vulnerable
Rocky also uses this to his advantage too when Grace decides that staying awake for 72 hours is a good idea. Rocky can nag and pester all he likes but he can't forcefully move Grace to his bed. Simon has no such stipulations, often leading to throwing Grace over his shoulder and depositing him in his bed before curling up in Grace's arms
Like hell Grace is going to try and detangle himself from Simon. Touch-starved for the win
Either way, it takes time but Simon feels honored every time Rocky and Grace ask and feels honored in return every time they tell him they will too
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More of a thought then an actual plan, but Ryland as Maria, Simon as Manolo, and Ryder as Joaquin. Can end with just Ryland and Simon together but what about the polyamory, what about my three amigos?!
I want the friends to lovers, I want long distance longing, I want Tom be be less of an asshole, but still have a big head. I want them still to 'fight' over Ryland but I want the undertones of knowing this is still your friend at the end of the day, the person you grew up with and have a profound relationship with
Do I know where people like Colt or Jody are? No. Where's Rocky and the rest of the crew? We'll figure it out. Are either of the two movie plots going to be integrated in? To early to say.
But... consider Ava and Stratt as La Muerte and Xibalba? Consider it! Two character that were so intertwined into the narrative of life and death being the actual personification of it.
I haven't the slightest clue who the Candle Maker would be.
Ryland goes away, but comes back with so much more knowledge and skills. Confident and witty (more book actuate than the fanon based) and missing his friends. Where is the science you say, its there just hiding behind the wall. Keep looking you'll find it eventually
Simon is the Butcher. I don't know if I want him to kill the bulls and be regretful and outspoken about it or not kill the bulls and have the same arc as Manolo. Butcher stays as a sort of antiphrasis (opposite to its prior meaning) as a mark of shame if we follow the Manolo route and becomes a point of great inner turmoil if he does kill the bull. The choice is still in the air right now
Tom, the big hero, goes town to town (doing his own stunts) saving the day while making a name for himself. Known far a wide, only returning to rekindle his relationship(s) with his childhood friend(s) *wink*
Haven't thought too much past character development and plot stuff but the thoughts are gonna simmer on the stove for now. Throw a rock through my window if this seasoning is flavored right for you, would love to hear if anyone has some thoughts on this.
Ryland Grace x Bruce Wayne Gala meet cute when grace is still working under the Patrica task force. Why he needed to be there, *shrug* Stratt like having her emotional support science lad with her at all times. Maybe he's gonna give a presentation, either way
This can still be early on in Bruce’s Batman career but late enough that Dick would still be fighting crime along side him. The justice League hasn't formed yet and there are very few hero currently know by the public. Bruce and Grace would be close in age, mid 20s to 30s
Stratt would never let any of her crew anywhere near the most crime ridden city of the west coast so the gala is hosted by someone else or just not in Gotham
Grace would absolutely hate it. He’s forced into a stiff suit, the food stinks, and all the rich socialites keep talking down to him or hide their insults behind stupid rich people talk. This isn’t his scene and he is more then well aware of it
Enter stage right Dick Grayson. And oh that is a child and gosh does Ryland misses his students. Misses their brutal honestly, misses being told he's 'cringe' when he attempts to use some of the kids hip slang
And Dick, still getting used to the spotlight and harsh comments, is weary at first. He doesn't know this man and a lot of adults he's met at these events can be real jerks sometimes but he treats him with respect. He listens to him talk about anything and everything, not getting upset or rushing him when he has to think of the proper word (english is not Dicks first language)
It comes up that Grace is a teacher and just talking to dick turns into reteaching him what he learned. They're drawing diagrams on napkins and using real life examples to explain concepts that Dick currently was confused about
That is where Bruce finds his ward. Sitting at a table near the buffet, hunched over several napkins, talking animatedly with a Ryland Grace, current head on any and all things astrophage and second in command to Eva Stratt.
Bruce has done his research. He knows this man is in a very high position of power and that he doesn't seem to realize the power he hold. He also knows that before this he was a junior high school teacher and maybe that's why he waits before he approaches them
Watches his ward laugh and smile. Act like a kid talking to their favourite teacher. God Dick acts like he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders some times for someone so young and its good to see him actually act his age
Introductions fly and Dick begs Grace for his number to keep in contact. Stating all his other teachers gloss over his question and confusions (something Bruce will be looking into) and he relents (with approval from Stratt of course)
Now every two weeks on the Vat Grace gets to spend time teaching/talking to little Dick Grayson, first ward of Bruce Wayne and self-proclaimed enemy of physics
Bruce is present for all conversations and slowly gets gets to know Grace too, keeping him on call when Dick goes to bed
It's a constant in both their lives now and it's good
It isn't until Grace misses their scheduled call and Bruce and Dick learn that Grace is shot into space that they realize another person in their life is gone without warning and there was nothing they can do to stop it
I read the first chapter of The Lost Prince by chubbysloth11 on ao3 (it has updated since chapter 1 but I haven't read past yet) and couldn't stop thinking about the implications of how perfect a tangled au would be. They have it as Bloodymary and Coltland Gentry au but I'm keeping this strictly Bloodymary.
Spoilers for Tangled the movie and slight spoilers for the animated tv show below the cut. Warning that this is long as hell and its mostly figuring out character motives and plot devices.
Firstly… hear me out. Shits gonna be a bit wiggly to fit the narrative. Some characters are going to be recast while others will stay the same for continuity's sake.
Secondly, magic and alchemy are canon in Tangled the Series so I will be using both
Third—and final—@roach-works has an amazing theory (that they posted back in 2022) that I am completely in love with. Basically, Maximus was the former captain of the guard that was cursed to be a horse and instead of trying to fix it he just kept going to work. As a horse.
Eva Stratt is not hindered in the slightest by her transformation. She has a job to do and the loss of opposable thumbs will not hinder her. Useless conversations have basically dwindled to zero and productivity is technically at an all time high.
Similarly, Ava, Stratt's prior second in command, has now gained the title of Captain. While she knew the position would fall to her one day, this is not one of the outcomes she could have predicted leading to her new promotion.
The sundrop flower doesn't just heal the sink or the injured. It directly correlates to the agriculture of Corona and its surrounding area. The centuries that the flower was hidden brought incredible soil retention and bountiful produce to the far corners of the kingdom.
When the Queen drank the flower petals elixir her illness was cured, but it created a small steady decline to the environment. Something the kingdom wouldn't even figure out till years later. With the flower taken out of the ground, the magic within couldn't properly 'light' its surrounding area.
Now the sun's power flows not through the roots in the ground, but the blood of the new crown prince, Ryland. The physical land of Corona waits for the babes first crawl—first steps—where the magic could once more flow freely into the ground and enrich the land. It takes seventeen more years before the sundrop will ever touch the natural earth again.
Gothels character will primarily stay the same, however, she will be renamed to Mother Patrova. (The Patrova line housed the Astrophage or Sun Eater, so it seemed fitting that 'Mother Patrova' would take the suns magic a.k.a Ryland) Special thanks to Dr. Irina Petrova for discovering the line, but her name shall be used as a villain.
Ryland is her little petal that is far too weak to be let outside, so in the tower he stays. Early on Patrova realizes that any plants kept in the tower thrive far better then those she tended too outside, so the tower also becomes its own self sustaining garden. It lessens her worries for when she is gone for longer extensions of time.
Ryland is alone—stuck in a tower for years—with only Carl at his side. He tends to the tower most day, reading his books and minding the garden. He never stops hoping for a chance to learn more about the outside world. Asking Mother to bring him different samples from her travels for him to further understand. She complies to most of his requests, but she can't touch the floating lights.
An occurrence that only happens once a year and a scientific mystery Ryland can't explain. They aren't stars, he knows they aren't, despite Mother's insistence. He only has one chance to observe the floating lights and so far each year he comes to the same conclusion: more data required. Surely she knows he wants to understand them, find out what they are. He knows he can convince her. This year he's sure.
Simon 'The Butcher' is a thief and convicted killer. Why would he be interested in stealing the crown jewels? The honest answer? He's not. He's interested in the roots and stem woven into the frame.
The Queen only consumed the flowers petals during her sickness, keeping the rest of the plant to hopefully repot or be on stand by in case the petals weren't enough. with her clean bell of health they decided that the rest of the plant was then to be interwoven within the crown. To show the history of the the royal family and how the little prince came to be. It would represent the happy ending they expected, but never got.
Despite being uprooted for so long the flowers remains continue to survive—without the help of soil or water. No new leaf or buds bloomed from the stem but it didn't wither or crumple either. Preserved in perfect suspended animation.
With that stem he thinks he can get out of the kingdom. Go somewhere far away and build a lush, green home for himself, where no one knows his past. Working together with the Sabbington brothers may not have been the smartest move, but a heist of this caliber was not something he could achieve alone.
Realistically I know that they're both going to be ooc in some moments or act more like their fanon portrayals but there are some good roots here that'll create such nice themes and dynamic parallels.
I have soooo many thoughts about this that I'm not even incorporating in this post (long lost Prince Simon of the Dark kingdom, the arm detaching, colour theory, the Bloodmoon Opal, and how The Brotherhood gets tied into this, to name a few) that i want to talk about but no one would know what the hell I'm yapping on about without reference.
More will definitely be coming soon. I'm already thinking about scenes and conversations. About little character quirks and framing. I lie awake at night with them on the brain.
