madimpossibledreamer

That moment when you realize one of your colleagues is literally Takahashi-san (Casual Fail in the Average!AU or Prince of Junes from Unbreakable Ties).
#awkward
(but really, the second she does something from the fic I am going to lose my mind)
~dreamer~

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: faster to read
Word Count: 140
Rating: Gen

         “So you’re overseas why again?” Dessie sounds confused and a little concerned.  She also starts in the middle of the conversation, but Krista’s used to that by now.
         Kris pauses in the unpacking and leans against the wall.  “I told you, I got a job.  At an international company.  It pays pretty well and my boss isn’t a total lunatic, so there’s that.”
         Her friend is really quiet, before she asks, “Are you happy?”
         “So far, yeah.  I didn’t expect to get the job—or really, any job—but here I am.  And I never got to do that work study in the UK, so that’s nice.”  Dessie wouldn’t care about more of the details, so she doesn’t give them.
         “Well, good.  Give me a head’s up when you’re in the States.”  And with that, Dessie hangs up.  Pretty typical.

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero); Dialoguefic
Summary: faster to read
Word Count: 30
Rating: Gen

       “Boss?”
       “Uh.  Hi.  What?”
       “Maybe you should go to bed.  You’ve been working on this since yesterday morning.”
       “How many hours is that?”
       “Too many.”
       “That math adds up, yeah.”

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: Krista's full of surprises.
Word Count: 625
Rating: Gen

Note to reader: this is actually partially based on real life.  My friends in Uni made me watch Buffy in the first place so you have them to thank for all this lovely fic, but also I assume they were looking out for me.  We're fairly certain that the place is situated on a Hellmouth (possibly in the abandoned and haunted high school we bought years ago and still haven't done anything with that sits on the property), which means that the watching was actually partially survival training.  We're also all entirely uncertain as to why everything in the town closed when it did, which prompted this fic.
It's maybe a bit of a nostalgia trip, but that's entirely understandable given that I attended a wedding of theirs today.  I arrived just when they started.  Talk about timing!
It's also partially prompted by The Sunnydale Press on Tumblr that got me thinking about exactly how weird it would be to live on a Hellmouth, and how much that's just normal for these people so that's all they know.  Sorry about the notes longer than fic, but enjoy!
~Dreamer~

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: #hellmouthquirks
Word Count: 175
Rating: Gen

          “What’s one of the weirdest parts about living on a Hellmouth?” Kris asks out of the blue, and it says something that Xander doesn’t even act like her suddenly popping into his office and starting a conversation midway was out of the ordinary.  ‘Course, given the content of the question, maybe it wasn’t that odd?
          “I mean, I’m sure part of it is being a rural Hellmouth, since I don’t hear about this in Cleveland, but…it took me forever and I still don’t always remember that stores aren’t closed by 3 o’clock.  I mean, dance clubs like the Bronze, sure, but things like grocery and hobby stores?”  He shakes his head.  “Thinking about it I’m pretty sure it’s because people wanted to get home well before dark to avoid being eaten, but growing up it just seemed normal ‘cause I didn’t have any frame of reference.”
          She thinks about that for a second then nods before turning around and striding back to her office.
          “That better not be a crossword answer!” he bellows after her.

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: Xander (Paladin) takes out Krista (Warwolf) for her first mission.
Word Count: 422
Rating: Gen

        “Wolves don’t fly, you idiot,” the thug hisses as the white and teal hulking suit descends.
        “Well, maybe you just don’t have enough imagination, because I can guarantee you there are a lot of things you don’t think about which is why you’re so cliché—” she responds, and is interrupted by a gauntleted fist punching the man in the jaw and knocking him out.
        “I get that you’re enjoying yourself but we’re not here to chat with the minions,” Paladin tells her, voice modulated, and despite that she thinks she can hear the amusement in his voice.
        “Hey, your least favorite Slayer cleared me.”  It’s probably not the best way to say it, but given that he doesn’t flinch, she hasn’t messed up.  “Besides, isn’t quipping an essential part of the fight?”
        Armored shoulders shrug, but he doesn’t glance in her direction—probably keeping an eye on her through the monitors in the suit.  “You’re talking to Mr. Stealth, you know.  I mean, there have been Paladin sightings, now, so I can slightly step out of the shadows, but you’re talking to the guy who didn’t step outside until I knew my stealth functions were functional.”
        She pouts.  “Aww, you’re no fun, bo—I mean, Paladin.”  She doesn’t have to see him roll his eyes.  That’s what her secretary senses are for.  “I’ve heard a few of the stories of your strictly Exoskel days.”
        “That’s a little less in yo’ face than a full armor suit.  Easier for people to ignore evidence,” he responds.  They walk in silence for a little ways before he breaks it again.  Probably not on board with the whole ‘stealth first’ thing he’s trying to show her, but whatever.  She’s not buying the whole ‘not a showoff’ thing.  He’s not all the time, but he definitely can’t argue he isn’t ever.  “You know, this smells nostalgic.”
        Inside the suit, she wrinkles her nose.  “You’re kidding me.”
        “You have no idea how much time I spent in sewers as a kid.  Sunnydale was a weird town,” he replies slightly wistfully.  “Of course, I’m blocking most of it with the filters.  I’m not an idiot.  And I kinda favor disposing of these suits in an incendiary way after this mission.  It’s a little wasteful but it’s not like I can’t afford it.”
        “Nah, we clean ‘em and use ‘em for only the dirtiest jobs.”  She pauses, then, because she’s noticed he enjoys puns, adds,  “Done at a reasonable price?”
        As expected, he snorts, undignified, and nods in agreement.

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: Sometimes, having eidetic memory is a bitca.
Word Count: 265
Rating: Teen

          “But you—”
          “Kris, if you’re trying to spare my feelings, don’t worry about it.”  He’s hesitant and pained and it’s hard for him to talk about this, but he’s trying to get something important out.  “I just—she is a different person now, and I want to make it up to her.  Seriously.  I’d like her if I met her now for the first time.  I just…can’t do it personally.  And I delegate so much to you, and maybe it’s not fair to ask you of all people to do this, but…”
          She doesn’t respond for several long seconds, instead electing to continue to work on her KnightPad (it’s catchier than Knight Tablet, Xander argues, and she just rolls her eyes because it’s not like he’s marketing tablets yet even though he could; he has a weird sense of fair play) and then eventually nods when the silence begins turning to hurt.  “I’ll do it.  I’ll try to think about her just as another Slayer, because if I think about who she actually is and what she did I’ll get mad and she wouldn’t like me when I’m mad.  And I won’t tell you about it, just that it’s happening.”
          She giggles as he surprise hugs her from the back, arms snaking under hers.  “You’re in trouble if I break this.  I don’t care that you can fix it in an afternoon.  I’ve got important files on there.”
          “I can restore them.”  He leans in and presses a kiss to her ear, waggling his fingers goofily.  “Ma-gic,” he whispers, and she rolls her eyes.

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: Xander's a confusing boss.  He's also great to work for.  Except for sometimes, when he lets Tony out when he shouldn't.
Word Count: 375
Rating: Gen

         “This is unacceptable!”  Kris glances up and her heart sinks.  That’s her youtube channel on her boss’s Knightphone.
         “But…I don’t really want to delete it,” she mutters.  She really likes the job, but…
         “Delete it?  Whoever said anything about deleting it?  That, my dear Miss Chase, would be a travesty.  I’m wondering why you thought it was acceptable to conceal this.  This is fun.”  He’s beaming, but she can tell he’s been up longer than he should since he looks slightly manic.
         “O-okay…” she responds, not sure what else to say.
         Unfortunately, he’s picked now to stop being oblivious.  “You’re freaking out,” he observes, frowning and leaning in slightly.  “Why are you freaking out?”  And then he just doesn’t move.
         She tries to figure out how to say it, but then his gaze unexpectedly softens.  “Are you worried about not having enough time for it?  Because I can definitely—”
         She sighs.  “I’m great.  Weekends and after I get done are just fine.  It’s a hobby, not my source of income.  I did leave a lot of my collection in the States, but—” she quickly raises a hand to forestall any of the offers for him to ship it or re-buy it, because her boss is weird and generous and she knows he would, “—but that’s just fine.  With what you pay me even with a London apartment—”
         “Flat,” he interrupts helpfully and smiles innocently when she glares.  She’s not sure what’s up with him right now but she’d been doing work and after the initial shock she’s starting to get annoyed.
         “Even with a London apartment, I can still afford what I need and what I want.  So usually, this job is worth it.”  She narrows her eyes even further.  “Usually.”
         He grins.  Usually it’s also nice to see him smile, because he’s friendly and a nice boss, but she doesn’t particularly care for this one, because it’s the kind of smile that’s matching the rest of his annoying mood.  “Don’t worry,” he pats her shoulder, “…I’ll add a bonus for today.”  And then he wanders off, leaving her annoyed and restless and wondering how she’s going to be able to concentrate on her work for the rest of the day.

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: faster to read
Word Count: 25
Rating: Gen

           “Our supergroup name could be Chase Knight.”
           “That’s cheesy.”
           “So?  Perfect for us.”
           “And has secret identity issues.”
           In response, she sticks out her tongue.

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: faster to read
Word Count: 35
Rating: Gen

         Kris is the only one who notices he redoes the HUD after playing Dead Space.  The colors actually change with the suit’s integrity.  It may be goofy but it’s user friendly and she appreciates it.

By the way, there's a good reason why Krista's a little insecure at times.  Xander helps her get over it, eventually.  It's not simply for the lulz or for fanfic cutesy tropes or whatever.  If you want a hint...just think about the fact that she's related to Cordelia.
Just a hint.
~Dreamer~
PS: this fic was not sponsored by the Cheese Man.

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: Xander, despite what his teenage self might have thought, doesn't want just a pretty doll.
Word Count: 250
Rating: Gen

         “So, I’ve been told by a little sparrow that you’ve started wearing those deadly heels for me.  Any truth to that rumor?”  Knight appears behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder and kissing her hair before he moves past.
         “I-I-what?”  She hadn’t been expecting him.
         “Well, if it’s the truth, I should let you know that I couldn’t care less.  If people asked me who Superwoman was, I’d just smile and zip my lips for secret identities’ sake, but I’d know she’s right here in front of me.  You could show up in jeans and a t-shirt tomorrow and I’d still know the truth.”  He leans against the wall, crossing his legs and beaming.
         She tries not to, but she can’t stop herself from smiling in response at his utter silliness.  “That’s really cheesy.”
         “Good for me, I love cheese.  And I’ve got plenty of it.  Not even lying, here, that’s a literal one.  I got a plate of tasting cheeses waiting for us out on the veranda and I kinda don’t want to eat all of it on my own.  I could.  Cheese is awesome.  But I’m pretty sure my stomach wouldn’t be thanking me later.”
         “You are such a dork!” she says, grinning, but pulls off the shoes and joins him, slipping her hand into his.
         “And you somehow didn’t notice that before now.  I’m kinda worried about your observational skills,” he jokes, but pulls her closer, hand warm in his, and she could not be happier.