vital_root
Fandoms
Recent works
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Plasma Donation is a Lie by biscuit (vital_root), keroseneSteve
Fandoms: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
01 Nov 2018
Tags
Summary
Things are changing.
Supposedly unfeeling androids have begun to express emotion. A caretaker says she loves a child. Construction workers complain about exhaustion after a long shift. The general public has turned a blind eye to these small, human expressions. But when androids suddenly start disappearing, people take notice.
CyberLife takes action, ready to dismantle a revolution before it starts. The company's previous attempts failed, but the newest RK model exceeds their highest expectations. It's driven. Focused.
A machine.
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Anchored in Dust by biscuit (vital_root), keroseneSteve
Fandoms: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies)
11 Sep 2018
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Summary
SHIELD finally captured the pseudo-terrorist Iron Man, aka Tony Stark, after several years of searching. But the man is near death, and SHIELD can't find a cure for him. Fellow fugitive Bruce Banner has that cure; however, he was forced to hide from SHIELD in Wakanda. With Tony's time running out, Bruce unable to help, and the world wondering where Iron Man went, the last thing SHIELD needs is another problem.
Such as, maybe, a leak from within their walls telling the rest of the world that the long-dead Stark is alive in America.
Or Loki.
Series
- Part 2 of Drought
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I Hate to Say This by biscuit (vital_root), keroseneSteve
Fandoms: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Captain America (Movies), Thor (Movies), Hulk (2003)
09 May 2018
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Summary
After a hurtful argument with the other Avengers on top of the flu, Tony's not feeling too charitable when the call to Assemble comes. Of course, the villain of the day has to prove that yes, in fact, his day can get worse.
Series
- Part 1 of Truer Words
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I Wanted to Say This by keroseneSteve, vital_root
Fandoms: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Iron Man (Movies)
18 Mar 2018
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Summary
After a nasty argument amongst each other, the team separates to cool off and calm down. But when an alert sent out by SHIELD tells them Tony and the Tower have been attacked, the rest are forced to come back together and solve their problems in order to assist their stricken team mate.
Series
- Part 2 of Truer Words
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Summary
It's supposed to be quick and quiet: go in, meet the mysterious family friend who somehow has connections to a tribe of druids, let this friend take Stiles to those druids, and leave the kingdom that would happily slaughter him for having magic in the dust, never to return. Only, that's not quite how it happens. A Merlin AU.
Recent series
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Truer Words by biscuit (vital_root), keroseneSteve
Fandom Captain America (Movies), Hulk (2003), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
09 May 2018
- Words:
- 40,785
- Works:
- 2
- Bookmarks:
- 172
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Drought by biscuit (vital_root), keroseneSteve
Fandom Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
11 Sep 2018
Summary
What if Tony ran away, rather than return to his Malibu home? What if he became Iron Man from the corner of a mechanic's workshop in India? What if he and Bruce met up before Helicarriers existed?
What if Steve Rogers recognized the face of a dead man? What if Fury told him Iron Man is a terrorist? What if he and three very special agents looked for the armor but found the Hulk?
Also, Pepper the cat.
- Words:
- 62,620
- Works:
- 2
- Bookmarks:
- 273
Recent bookmarks
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The Wire Mother by nopaintjustpain
Fandoms: Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary (2026)
24 May 2026
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Summary
I lived with this hunger long before the Hail Mary. This is nothing new. I’m fine.
Right up until Rocky asks another question.
“When last time you touch other human person skin, question?”
Oh. Oh no. “When I… a few days after I first woke up here.”
Rocky starts to relax for a split second, but then tightens when something occurs to him.
“Grace crewmates dead when you wake up. You said this, statement. You not even know your own name, remember nothing, see dead bodies, confirm?”
I nod, because if I open my mouth I will gag.
“When last time Grace touch ALIVE human person, question.”
I swallow thickly. I don’t answer aloud because I know Rocky can hear the hitch in my breath. My stomach churns with fresh bile. He senses my vital signs tick over into stress patterns and goes very, very still again.
“Grace. When last time, question.”
I clench my jaw so hard my temples ache, and beg him with my eyes to just stop.
“Grace. Please say not when… when Evil Stratt humans put you to sleep.”
I can taste grass.
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AKA: Grace starves for more than just food on the journey to Erid.
Series
- Part 1 of Ave Maria
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 55,307
- Chapters:
- 4/4
- Comments:
- 733
- Kudos:
- 3,961
- Bookmarks:
- 1,241
- Hits:
- 46,348
Bookmarked by vital_root
18 Jun 2026
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Never Break the Chain by melting_obelisks
Fandoms: Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary (2026)
17 Apr 2026
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Summary
Rocky is perplexed by Grace humming, so Grace explains human music.
Or: I really wanted music to be addressed in the story, but it wasn't, so I made it happen.
Series
- Part 1 of Eridian-Human Cultural Hour
Bookmarked by vital_root
15 Jun 2026
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Lonely but not Alone by BlueJay2
Fandoms: Project Hail Mary (2026), Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
29 May 2026
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Summary
If Grace had to pick one word to describe the trip to Erid, it would be boring.
If he had to pick a second word to describe it . . . it would be lonely.
Or, on the way to Erid, Grace is getting pretty touch starved, but he had kinda already been touch starved? So he improvises.
Series
- Part 10 of Blue's Project Hail Mary Fics
Bookmarked by vital_root
11 Jun 2026
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Now Trending: My Mate and the Human They Didn't Want by Acewithapaintbrush
Fandoms: Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary (2026)
16 Apr 2026
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Summary
It's not jealousy. Adrian is adamant about that. They are actually insisting that it’s not any emotion at all. Not even dislike. They are simply completely uninterested in anything that concerns “the human”.
Rocky believes them. Adrian has always been the level-headed one out of the two of them. They are too logical to be jealous. They acknowledge that Grace and Rocky have a special bond after everything they went through together and also understand that none of that will ever pose a threat to their relationship.
Neither are they heartless or ungrateful. They know that Grace is the only reason that Rocky is back at all, the only reason their star has stopped dying. Adrian has told Rocky again and again that they are grateful and happy and wish the alien no ill will. They even helped with the construction of the biodome.
And yet they have no desire to get to know Grace.
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You know those videos where the dad is like "You may keep the cat but I will have nothing to do with it" and a few days later they are smothering the kitty with cuddles and love?
Adrian never stood a chance.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 4,122
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Comments:
- 456
- Kudos:
- 11,652
- Bookmarks:
- 1,834
- Hits:
- 45,094
Bookmarked by vital_root
10 Jun 2026
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False Friends by IvyLee
Fandoms: Project Hail Mary (2026), Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
07 Jun 2026
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Summary
In linguistics, a false friend is a word in a different language that sounds similar to a word in your own, but differs significantly in meaning. No word in any Eridian language could possibly be mistaken for English. But Erid absolutely has false friends.
In his right mind, Grace would easily identify the mistaken assumptions inhibiting his integration on Erid. They are:
1: A molecular biologist and a sapient rock can cobble together translation software that reflects the etymological nuance of an entire alien language.
2: Eridians are enough like humans to have an area 51 and look forward to using it.Unfortunately, Grace hasn’t been in his right mind in years.
Or: a ‘Return to Erid’ story where Grace struggles to touch down alone.
Series
- Part 1 of The Gift Receipt Rockimatic Universe
Bookmarked by vital_root
09 Jun 2026