Status : taken by dorkiest_nerd

Title : Flying High

Timeline : pre-avengers — ca:ws — ca:cw — iw — endgame — tfatws

Love Interest : Steve Rogers

OC Name : Marabelle Ilao Carson

CAST

Marabelle Carson portrayed by Nadine Lustre

THE CRUSHED HEART
"Fury, I'm a therapist not a babysitter."

Steve Rogers portrayed by Chris Evans

THE MAN OUT OF TIME
"I can explain why there's a man hunt for my head, but I would rather do it inside."

FEATURING

Riley Carson portrayed by Darren Charles Barnet*
THE FIRST LOVE

Sam Wilson portrayed by Anthony Mackie
THE BROTHER-BEST FRIEND

Bucky Barnes portrayed by Sebastian Stan
THE BROKEN SOLDIER

PLOT

     Riley Carson knew exactly what he was going to do when he graduated from high school - join the U.S. Air Force with his best friend. Before that however Riley literally stumbled into a once in a life time high school romance, oh did Riley know that Marabelle Ilao was the one.
    Mara only had one thought for Riley when they graduated, seeing him get into the Air Force because she would never be the one to take away his dream. He was her dream after all. But Riley had one last thing to do before he left — marry Marabelle, and so he did and the next night he was kissing her goodbye before heading out with Sam Wilson.

    Mara had to say goodbye to the love of her life and their best friend that day. She moved forward with her life while her boys were out fighting to keep the world together; she got into an esteemed college where she got her degrees and became a lawyer, she decorated the Carson apartment and made it a home, and she got a job at a firm in Washington D.C.

Only Marabelle Carson's life came to a crashing halt with the remorseful knocks of a man in uniform holding a folded flag. 'Ma'am, I'm so sorry for your loss,' the words echoed in Mara's ears as she fell to her knees clutching the only piece of Riley the Air Force could give her. Her spiral of complete despair caused her to flounder in the deep, oh and she welcomed the flood coming to take her, especially when she was informed that there was no body to be placed in his grave.

Mara quit her job and destroyed the coffee table that she had dreamt of chasing Riley's children around. After putting on a painted face for the funeral numbly taking the pity and cold hands squeezing hers, Mara let herself fall into a never ending circle of self hate and tears. Alcohol filled her glass every few minutes with pain killers on the side and sobs when they stopped working the way they had and the feelings came hurdling back to sweep her off her drunk feet. Voices filled her head, screaming that his death was all her fault. That she was the one who told him to go, that's she's the one who made sure he was out there just to die.

She shut people out just as quickly as she could down a shot. She blocked out the knocks on her door and the pleas leaking through the keyhole.
That is until one day her front door is unlocked and her long-gone best friend walks through the front door with a couple bags of groceries and Sam Wilson panics at the sight of the woman he once knew. This Mara who sobs at the sight of him and tries to down a bottle of beer while mumbling for him to leave isn't the woman who kissed his cheek goodbye.

He takes the drinks, and tells her to pack up her bags at the sight of the overdue bills on the kitchen table. He helps the drunk, close to overdosing, woman empty the apartment and move into his house on the outskirts of D.C..
As sobriety comes to Mara again through Sam's help and the help of a therapist, guilt pours into Mara's overwhelmed soul. The day that she comes home from therapy with a small slip telling her best friend that she's no longer required to go, the woman hugs him tightly. Sam's shirt is soon soaked as Marabelle sobs out apology after apology because she knows he was there when her husband fell from the sky. Sam begins to cry with her, trying to calm her all the while breaking down himself because he lost his best friend too.

Mara's life changes for the second time. Fully setting away her rising career as a lawyer Mara takes to becoming a therapist, she wants to do something good in this world and help the people who have stories just like Riley's, Sam's, and her own. She changes in the next few months too as she dedicates all of her time to studying, the veterans center, and training with Sam. That was one of Mara's requests from Sam when she explained to him how she wanted to turn her life around.
"Step one, become a therapist and work at the veterans center. And step two, teach me to protect myself."
For the two being pulled apart by battles inside and out the runs and spars become exhilarating rushes of freedom from heavy burdens they can't quite seem to let go.

Marabelle Carson's life finds its new track, Mara keeps living and she knows that somewhere Riley is smiling proudly because of her coming back to herself at last. Of course though, once a SHIELD agent appears on the Carson and Wilson doorstep, Marabelle can almost feel the tension of a new wave rising on the horizon.
But when the third big change of her life comes - Marabelle Carson knows she'll fly far above it. Even if the wave sweeps along a certain blond haired, blue eyed super soldier from the forties that looks at her in all the ways she's not yet prepared for...

EXTRA INFORMATION

— Marabelle is chosen to help evaluate Steve's mental health when he is found, as she works mostly as a well paid SHIELD consultant more than anything
— Marabelle is also ordered by Fury to help Steve adjust into the modern day world and they grow closer until she returns home and they lose contact
— in Winter Soldier Marabelle still lives with Sam and she still works at the veterans center so she first sees Steve again at the center and later when him and Natasha come to Sam's and her house for help
— Natasha and Marabelle have met, they're lowkey hilarious together m'kay
— Marabelle and Sam both help Steve and Natasha, Marabelle getting to show off her little bits of skill
— when they infiltrate SHIELD/Hydra Marabelle stays with Maria to help with the tech and to watch her back instead of in the heat of the battle
— during the time which aou would take place there's a bit of fun planned. in agents of shield the fish oil vitamins had the remnants of the stones which brought out inhuman abilities, I've moved up that timeline a bit to have that as already happened.
— so when Mara pulls out her vitamins one day and pops the fish oil one she finds herself being covered by the grey rocks of an inhuman 'cocoon'. Sam finds her frozen in the rocks, and just as they crumble and she falls out of them
— her abilities do not affect her physically other than a bit of extra strength and her eyes glow a honey, goldish color when she uses them
— her powers are: light manipulation and creation. she can direct sunlight rays in other directions; can make light brighter or dimmer; she can also create light; use light as a weapon as well by 'heating' light up; it's a very fun power for her, and with a smaller frame and as a not quite expert fighter it means she can use her powers in a sneakier manner
— you can choose whether or not to have the aos team slide in to try to help her out around this time or not
— throughout all the time that Steve and Mara have known each other it's kinda angsty and flirty. in the beginning Steve actually realizes his feelings too fast for Mara who is still feeling Riley's death. as the book(or books if you break it up) goes however Mara realizes she likes him to do the angst and the flirting starts
— when civil war occurs Mara is on Steve's side ofc!! She helps calm Bucky down all the time, and she almost gets placed as the therapist questioning him instead of Zemo
— this is also the first time that the other Avengers (everyone except for Sam lol) even discover that she has powers because she uses them and becomes a huge advantage for team Cap
— she does stay behind though (not before finally kissing Steve). in the prison she receives the same treatment as Wanda does, although not in the form of a shock collar. her cell is with the others (right by Sam's) but all the light's have been shut off. chains that look like they're built for hulk are on her hands and ankles and she's blindfolded because now she can't see or feel any light at all
— she is freed with the few who do go with Steve and Bucky. Mara stays in Wakanda a lot more than the others do, not as much of a warrior as the rest so she helps Shuri with Bucky and walks him through that journey
— when Infinity War comes around she's still in Wakanda with Bucky (her and Steve have been doing long distance) so when the Avengers file in she gets to see everyone again with a slightly better Bucky Barnes
— Mara won't get snapped away, but she gets really torn up when Sam and Bucky do. Steve helps her get through this loss, no drinks and no drugs
— Steve and Mara take the next five years with all that they have. They'll get married with only a handful of the Avengers, friends, and her parents.
— they'll have a little girl too. Riley Grace Rogers, who just so happens to have regular play dates with the youngest Stark. (Mara was genuinely friends with Tony and Pepper, and she works to bring their relationships back more than Tony and Steve ever do).
— Endgame should go differently. and by going differently I mean that Steve snaps the second time. when Mara losses Steve here she still has a lot left to live for, especially their little Riley
— and I'll go into the ideas I have for tfatws with whoever gets the plot!!
— Nadine is a Filipina (plus she's incredibly gorgeous and adorable) and Ilao (i-l-a-o) is a Filipino last name!! With the name Marabelle I've had an inner debate since I picked her name whether it should me Marabelle or Marabella
— I researched Riley a lot for this plot so here's just a bit: the marvel community has very little about him other than that he was Sam's wingman and that he's dead. I found that Riley is the only name given for him and although in the army they usually go by their last names I want Riley to be his first name. another thing is that the mcu cast in list has no actor or faceclaim down for Riley so Barnett is a personal choice/'stand-in'

PASSWORD

how do you feel about Mara being an inhuman? would you want to change that about her, and if so why would you change that AND how would you write the book once that is taken out? if you like that she's an inhuman, do you like the abilities she's been given or would you want to change them?
(this isn't meant to be judgy I'm just curious lol)

PLOT BY
dorkiest_nerd
(aka katie)