#(the doctor doing a specific thing to jack sort of by accident)

[doctorwhoisadhd]

im at almost 7.1k words in my 12jack sequel

[thesoulspulse]

Regarding Ecto-Acne...

I was going through some of my likes on tumblr and I can’t remember which Danny Phantom related post got me thinking about this, but it suddenly hit me just what this line from the show implies from the episode “Masters of All Time”...

Maddie: We have an outbreak of ecto-acne. And there's only one place on Earth that knows how to treat ecto-acne.

Think about that for a sec. Vlad was in the hospital for YEARS, and while we don’t know exactly how many years or what treatments he was given one thing I always wondered is why Jack and Maddie never tried to visit him once in all that time before their college reunion if they were really his friends. I talked about it a briefly on my discord once before about how Vlad was probably kept in isolation due to the seemingly radioactive nature of his condition since he’s also patient zero as far as Ecto-Acne is concerned because up until that point no one had had it before (that we know of.) So by the time Vlad was probably allowed to have visitors he had already developed that huge grudge against Jack for ‘ruining his life’ and assumed his best friend had abandoned him and stolen Maddie too...

However, because of this particular line of dialogue Maddie says in “Masters of All Time” I just suddenly got this feeling that she and Jack buried themselves in their ghost research at first specifically to HELP Vlad. To put it simply, after the accident with the proto-portal, Jack and Maddie began SEARCHING FOR A WAY TO CURE VLAD OF HIS ECTO-ACNE THE WHOLE TIME!

I think that’s why they had all this equipment and finally had the knowledge to treat ecto-acne in this episode unlike before when they were mere college students and were forced to rely on normal doctors and nurses to help their friend. But sadly they could only do so much to treat Vlad’s condition back then and he had to worry about hiding the more ghostly side effects he was experiencing as much as possible...

That said, despite their good intentions all we know is that Vlad somehow recovered from his ecto-acne on his own some time later, most likely after being released from the hospital when it became clear there was nothing else the doctors could do and he seemed stable enough all things considered and then doing similar research on his own condition. So by the time Jack and Maddie COULD have tried to do anything for Vlad to cure him, it was already too late. Still, they were probably just relieved to find out Vlad was ok and since Jack and Maddie were already married and Vlad was still resentful against Jack they probably never got the chance to visit him after his “miraculous recovery” and from there just kinda moved on with their lives leading up to their college reunion 20 years later.

Regardless, I’m sure the reason they kept all their equipment and such on hand was just in case something like this happened and Vlad was reinfected with ecto-acne. Not to mention they like to always be prepared for the worst and  were probably concerned something like that might happen to one of them too while working on the Fenton Ghost portal. I mean, they SAW what it did to Vlad even though they never found out about his half-ghost transformation. That’s also the ONLY reason Danny I think never got infected with ecto-acne himself, it’s because they were a lot more careful when creating that portal to avoid a repeat of the accident with Vlad.

Sadly, the same could not be said of Vlad...

We talked about this on my discord as well, but why on earth did Vlad have that weird gas to infect Sam and Tucker with ecto-acne too..?

The answer is simple.

For one thing, like I mentioned earlier originally Vlad had to research a way to treat his own condition after leaving the hospital and as a result likely knew how to make some sort of medicine for himself initially at least. On that note, being the fruitloop he is, Vlad probably decided one day as his latest evil plan to give Jack a taste of the pain he endured for years by recreating the toxins that caused his ecto-acne to begin with. Not sure why Vlad waited until now but whatever...

Now you’d think that’d be the end of it but no, Vlad somehow messed up royally and wound up reinfecting himself instead because I have a hard time believing his ecto-acne magically reappeared on its own 20 years after the original accident. If that were true then ecto-acne is a condition he’d have to constantly keep in check with special ghost medicine for all these years. I suppose that would make sense to some degree given that his transformation was slower than Danny’s and much more unstable. He would have to take some sort of ecto-purifier medicine CONSTANTLY to flush out any ecto-impurities in his system after every visit to the Ghost Zone.

I could probably come up with a few more theories but this is all I really wanted to say. I really think there’s a reason WHY Jack and Maddie had all this prepped and I’d like to believe a large part of it was Vlad and their plans to help make up for what they did to him. Yes, THEY because while Maddie did warn Jack that their calculations were wrong with the proto-portal, she was his friend too.

Also, I’m kinda surprised Vlad didn’t try to infect Danny with ecto-acne instead. But maybe Vlad still cared about him to some degree and was afraid that infecting Danny would cause even worse symptoms than his. Small consolation I know since he didn’t care about infecting Danny’s friends, but I personally doubt Vlad actually wanted them to die any more than he did and had faith that Danny would find a cure. That’s just me though, trying to excuse Vlad’s fruitloopness since I like to think he’s redeemable.

Bonus:

On a side note I bet someone has already mentioned this in the phandom but I still think this kid IS a ghost that dressed up as a ghost to go trick or treating. Since he’s so young he probably didn’t know how to fully disguise himself as a human, hence the sheet, and at the most could only hide his ghostly aura. I mean if Jack DID have all of Vlad’s powers after getting infected instead, that probably means he had a ghost sense too.

Why else would that kid still look kinda ghostly unless he was wearing a double costume? Just a thought. Do with it what you will!

[inevitably-johnlocked]

hello! i hope you have a happy holidays!! just a question: do you know any good crossover fics? :0 thanks so much! 🥰

Hi Nonny!! 

Thank you! My holiday season was great <3 Sorry for the delay on the reply, but your ask was a great one because I’ve wanted to do an update list to my “movies and books” list, so I’m updating it to just “crossovers” because I have more to add and that makes me happy!! 

This list ended up getting split across two asks, so for this one, this list is all my bookmarked fics. A part 1.5 with my MFL’s is coming shortly with another ask, and I ask y’all hold off to add your own suggestions to that list instead, please :) Thank you!

CROSSOVERS and FUSIONS (Feb 2021) Pt. 1

See Also:

Fairy Tales and Fantasy

TV, Movies, and Books AU (Fantasy Pt. 2)

Wonderful Life AU

Sherlock / Hannibal Crossovers?

Science Fiction / Fantasy

Faes / Faeries

Disney-esque Fics

Moulin Rouge AU

Crossovers & Fusions Pt.1.5 [MFLs]

It's After That Hurts by jonnyluvssherlock (T, 2,791 w., 1 Ch. || City of Angels AU || Fantasy, Fallen Angel Sherlock, Soldier John, Pining Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, Permanently Incomplete Fic) – Sherlock's an angel stuck as a guardian to danger addict John Watson. Everything is fine until he gets too involved. Now he has to make the choice, eternity alone or one life time with a man who may or may not love him.

Caffeine and Adaptive Programming by DemonicSymphony (E, 5,540 w., 1 Ch. || Androids AU / Bond Fusion || Android Sherlock, Coffee Shop AU, Pining John Hinted Bond / Q, Toplock) – Sherlock is a coffee shop android slowly falling for a regular customer. But he's not supposed to be able to feel emotions.

Captain John Watson, Genetics, and Other Crazy Things by cyerus (M, 5,581 w., 1 Ch. || Torchwood Crossover ||  Humour / Crack, Jealous Sherlock, Sexual Magnet John, Captain John, UST / RST, Three Continents Watson) – The explanation for John "Three Continents" Watson? Jack Harkness is his father. Sherlock doesn't know whether he's going to die from jealousy or sexual frustration first.

The Frost Child by twistedthicket1 (M, 9,994 w., 2 Ch. || Frozen-ish AU || Magical Realism, Christmas, Angst, Fluff, Powerful John) – In a world where people are born with a Gift of varying levels, simple John Watson is the last person one might look at when thinking of any strong Magick capabilities. Hiding comfortably in the shadow of Sherlock's brilliant deducing abilities, John is content to keep it that way...

London Gods by a_different_equation (E, 11,092 w., 5 Ch. || American Gods Fusion || Magical Realism, Sex Magic, True Love, PTSD John, First Kiss/Time, Marathon Sex, Sensuality, Genie Sherlock, Human John, Internalized Homophobia, Star-Crossed Lovers, Soul Mates) – Sherlock Holmes is a jinn who does not grant wishes. However, when Dr. John H. Watson, recently returned from the war in Afghanistan, gets into his cab by "accident", it might not even need magic to grant both men their deepest wish: love.

Equilibrium by augustbird (M, 12,351 w., 1 Ch. || Flowers for Algernon Fusion || Jealous then Worried Sherlock, Sick John) – At Baskerville, John is infected by a virus that turns him into a genius. But when the infection progresses into neurodegeneration, it's a race against time to save himself.

The Nutcracker by Odamaki (T, 13,758 w., 7 Ch. || Nutcracker AU ||  Christmas, Dark Magic, Dolls) – Sherlock is unimpressed with Uncle Rudy's present. A doll? What does he want with a doll?

Wonderful, Etcetera. by VictoryCandescence (T, 16,955 w., 3 Ch. || Wonderful Life AU || Alternate Timelines, Brotherhood, Homophobia, Suicidal Ideations, Mentions of Drug Use, Friendship, Different TRF, Sherlock’s Past, Victor Trevor is Past Boyfriend, Depression, Hallucination, Love Confessions, Christmas, First Kiss) – Sherlock thinks everyone would be better off if he had never existed, including and especially himself. When he finds himself in a world in which his wish has been granted, he begins to think perhaps even he could be wrong – but it takes an unlikely chaperone to make him not only observe, but understand.

Uncharted Territory by J_Baillier (T, 19,603 w., 4 Ch. || Dystopian Future / Black Mirror AU || Alternate First Meeting, Angst, Drama, Homophobia, Bisexuality, Technology, Humour, Romance, Near Future, Happy Ending) – The System puts people through a series of assigned relationships in order to determine who their Perfect Match is. John believes that it works; Sherlock really, really doesn't. One of them is probably going to be wrong.

Once Upon a Beast Becoming by antietamfalls (T, 24,042 w., 6 Ch. || Beauty and the Beast AU || Magical Realism, Folklore, Celtic Mythology) – An act of pride, a druid’s curse, an enchanted leaf; Sherlock’s torment has lasted an age. Hope arrives in the form of one John Watson, a man uniquely suited to break the spell. But with a single night to win his affections, Sherlock finds his carefully laid plans disrupted by a monstrous killer whose sights are set on the only thing he has left to lose: John.

Classified(s) by blueink3 (E, 36,153 w., 4 Ch. || Wedding Date AU || Fake Relationship, Jealous, PIning, H/C, Idiots in Love, Happy Ending, Mary is not Nice, Escort Service) – Clara's American father is the ambassador to some such territory that Great Britain probably used to own, but she (and Harry’s undying love for her) is the reason John is getting on a flight at 12:30pm, flying across the second largest ocean in the world, and pretending to be in a perfectly happy, healthy relationship with an undoubtedly perfectly coiffed stranger. See, Clara is not only American (and wealthy to boot), she's also best friends with John’s ex-fiancée. Whom she's placed in the wedding party. As Maid of Honor. And John just happens to be Best Man. Bloody brilliant.

The Boy Who Drank Stars by kinklock (E, 36,157 w., 4 Ch. || Howl’s Moving Castle AU || Witches and Wizards, Slow Burn, Magic, Jealous John, Happy Ending, Bed Sharing) – “I’m looking for a castle,” John informed the scarecrow. “A moving one.”Except that, as it turned out, it was not a moving one at all.

we have never seen a greater day than this by Lediona (T, 36,420 w., 7 Ch. || A Royal Night Out AU || WWII / VE Day, Prince Sherlock, Soldier John, Alternating POV, First Kiss, Bittersweet Ending, Homophobia, Dancing) – Peace. At long last. It’s VE Day and Prince William desires to join the celebrations. It is a night of excitement, danger and the first flutters of romance.

Malediction by MapleleafCameo (M, 36,680 w., 11 Ch. || Ladyhawke AU || Magical Realism, Romance, Curses, Eventual Happy Ending) – Cursed to a half-life, John and Sherlock must fight the forces of evil to be reunited once again.

Only To Be With You by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John (M, 40,768 w., 4 Ch. || Black Mirror / Future AU || Character Death, Future Technology, Sickness/Cancer/Illness, Heavy Angst with Happy Ending, First Person POV John, Pining John, Heart-Wrenching Angst) – I tell myself that next time I’ll come near this same place again. Wait around for the mysterious stranger in his coat to dash past me, hot on the heels of a new criminal in black. I think this all the way back to my Exit, planning where I’ll wait and what I’ll say when I see him. Scheming on how to get his name. It’s only once I reach the Exit Point door that I realize two hours and forty-five minutes have passed, and I realize that this won’t be the last time I Visit. It won’t be the last time at all.

The Curious Adventure of the Drs. Watson by ShinySherlock (M, 40,883 w., 14 Ch. || BBC & ACD Fusion || Victorianlock, Time Travel / Magical Realism, Friends to Lovers, Love and Kissing, Romance, Body Swap) – What if ACD Watson and BBC Watson switched places...  “Imposter!” Hands clenching the lapels of John’s coat, Holmes shoved him anew. “Yes!” John agreed, nodding, and then grimacing. “Sort of!”

The Soul Remembers by i_ship_an_armada (E, 43,636 w., 10 Ch. || Oblivion AU || Post-Apocalypse, Movie Fusion, Science Fiction, Action/Adventure, Angst, Dreams, Bittersweet Ending) – John Watson is the lone security repairman stationed on a desolate, nearly-ruined future Earth. His dreams are plagued by a tall, dark-haired man, and when his dreams meet reality, he will be forced to question everything he believes is the truth about his life.

Anchor Point by trickybonmot (E, 49,856 w., 80 Ch. || Truman Show AU || Psychological Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Dark Characters / Fic, Alternating First/Third Person, Protective John, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Tender Moments, Love Confessions, Hand/Blow Jobs, Cuddling, Jealous John, First Kiss/Time) – The world tunes in nightly for Sherlock, the ultimate in reality TV: Sherlock Holmes, a real person with a legendary name, unknowingly lives out his life in a staged setting contrived by his brother. Things get complicated when a retired army doctor joins the show to play the part of Sherlock's closest friend. This fic borrows its concept from the 1998 film, the Truman Show. However, you don't need to have any knowledge of the movie to enjoy this story.

Coventry by standbygo (E, 52,020 w., 26 Ch. || Dollhouse AU || Case Fic, Slow Burn, Sci-Fi / Fantasy, First Kiss / Time, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, BAMF John, Falling in Love) – “Let me get this straight,” John said, wondering when his life had become a science fiction film. “Some guy orders up a personality, a person, to his specifications, and they program this into a real live person, who has consented to do this, and she goes to this person and acts as his wife, or lawyer, or Royal Marine, or Navy Seal or what have you, and she has all the skills, all the knowledge, everything? Then you say the magic words, and she follows you back to The House, and they erase it all until her next appointment?”

floating through a dark blue sky by Lediona (M, 58,966 w., 15 Ch. || Notting Hill AU || POV John, Celebrity Sherlock, First Date / Time / Kiss, Past Drug Addiction, Angst with a Happy Ending) – Of course, I’d seen his films and always thought he was, well, brilliant -- but, you know, a million miles from the world I live in. Or, when John is the owner of a travel book shop and the famous Sherlock Holmes stops in one day.

Perdition's Flames by i_ship_an_armada (E, 63,435 w., 21 Ch. || Treklock AU, Est. Rel, Genetic Engineering, Angst & Fluff, BAMF!John) – Sherlock would do anything to save him. Risk anything. Give anything. His money, his life. His soul. What he does, though, is change both of their destinies forever. Genetic re-engineering is the only option left. It turns out researchers underestimated the life expectancy and potential abilities of genetically re-engineered subjects. The British government and what would eventually become the United Federation of Planets, however, had not. Part 1 of PF Universe

This Thing All Things Devours by cypress_tree (E, 63,844 w., 15 Ch. || In Time AU || Science Fiction, Dystopian Universe, First Meetings, Action / Adventure, Romance) – In 2169, time is money—literally. Humans are genetically engineered to stop aging at 25, when the numbers on their arm start counting down from one year. When that time is up, they die. The only way to get more time is to earn it, borrow it, or steal it.John Watson lives day-to-day in the crowded slums of Zone 13. He never imagined living any differently—until he meets the practically-immortal Sherlock, and helps him on a case to track a local time-thief...

Being John Watson-ish by elwinglyre (E, 69,902 w., 17 Ch. || Bodysnatcher AU || Author John, Cranky Sherlock, Angst, Sexual Tension, First Kiss / Time, Falling in Love, BAMF John, Past Soldier John, Feelings, Inside Someone’s Brain, Shy Sherlock, Sherlock Loves John, POV Sherlock, Switchlock, Slow Burn, Internal Dialogue, Mental Turmoil) – When consulting detective Sherlock Holmes steps on one toe too many at a crime scene, he's consigned to a desk job in an archaic office on the seventh-and-a-half floor of the New Scotland Yard. It’s in this bleak office that Sherlock discovers a portal into the mind of renowned author John Watson. Grander than his mind palace, this new wonderland affords Sherlock new vistas of experimentation. To learn more about the mystery behind the portal, Sherlock seeks out and befriends Watson. But then it all goes wrong when others find the secret portal door—including the man whose brain he visits.

The Baker Street Nativity by SwissMiss (E, 99,662 w., 23 Ch. || Nativity! AU || Teacher Sherlock / TA John, Pining, Sherlock POV, UST, Angst, Christmas, Music/Song Fic, Anal / BJ’s, First Kiss / Time) – Fusion between Sherlock (BBC) and Nativity! (2009 movie starring Martin Freeman). Sherlock is a primary school teacher and John is assigned to be his classroom assistant. Together, they are charged with putting on the school's Nativity play. What could possibly go wrong? Part 1 of The Baker Street Nativity Verse

The Cost of a Wish by slashscribe (E, 102,493 w., 12 Ch. || xxxHolic Fusion || Spirits / Ghosts and Magic, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Soul Mates / Fated Lovers, Adventure, Immortal Sherlock, Powerful John, POV John, Frottage, Wish Granting, Angst with Happy Ending, Nightmares) – John has been plagued by a secret his entire life that has made him feel hopeless until he meets a mysterious, seemingly omniscient man named Sherlock Holmes who owns a wish-granting shop. Their meeting sets off a series of inevitable events that will change the course of both of their lives forever.

The Swan Triad Series by Pennin_Ink (T, 121,660 w. across 3 works || Swan Lake AU || Magical / Fairy Tale AU, Romance, Falling in Love, Pining, Psychological Torture, Transformation) – Sherlock and John grow up spending every summer together. Their mothers' attempts to play matchmaker only fuel their mutual resentment and scorn. But then, one summer.

Colors by Quesarasara (E, 140,537 w., 17 Ch. || Pleasantville-Inspired AU || Soulmates, Colour Bonds, Alternating POV, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Case Fic, Medical Procedures) – Everyone on earth is born with eyes that see in black, white, and an endless series of greys. When you meet your soulmate, you finally see the world in color. We're all searching for the person who brings color to our lives. John and Sherlock are no exception. Part 1 of The Colors 'Verse

Mise en Place by azriona (M, 161,004 w., 28 Ch. || Restaurant (Kitchen Nightmares) AU || Sherlock is Gordon Ramsay / Celebrity Sherlock, Restauranteur John, Harry Plays Prominent Role, Alternating POV, Mutual Pining, Cranky Sherlock, Bed Sharing, Slow Burn) – John Watson had no intentions of taking over the family business, but when he returns from Afghanistan, battered and bruised, and discovers that his sister Harry has run their restaurant into the ground, he doesn't have much choice. There's only one thing that can save the Empire from closing for good – the celebrity star of the BBC series Restaurant Reconstructed, Chef Sherlock Holmes. Part 1 of Mise en Place

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court. Part 1 of the Care And Companionship series

[doctenwho]

Should Be Me

Hello! Thank you for the prompt, and all the kind things you said! It means a lot that you like what I make :)

I wasn’t sure what to do with the someone who likes/ flirts with reader, so I just went with Jack Harkness. It adds a bit more because the Doctor isn’t really Jack’s biggest fan, and I thought it added more of a blow to the sitaution! Hopefully you don’t mind, and I got Jack’s character decently right.

Warnings: None

Word Count: 4,505

Summary: Read the prompt above!

(Gif is not mine! Credit to creator!)

You’d met very few of the Doctor’s friends. Well, you weren’t even sure you could call them friends, the Doctor never really seemed too happy to see any of them. So... acquaintances maybe? People who knew of the Doctor, but had never really seen the man as much more than a savior, or a guardian of sorts. There was usually at least one where ever you went, the Doctor had really made a name for himself. 

You’d asked before, of friends he had around the universe, or of people who stood out to him in his years of travels, and even people who he thought about from time to time. He of course mentioned his past companions—Rose, and Martha and Donna too, as well as a few others from before he’d regenerated, but you weren’t really sure that was the same as a friend.  

Companions were really on a field of their own when it came to the Doctor.

He tended to avoid the question whenever you brought it up, or whenever you talked about some of your own friends back on earth. You knew he didn’t really like talking about himself—nothing too personal because he didn’t like getting attached, but that didn’t mean you weren’t curious.  

Few people ever called out to the Doctor, and never in friendly tones. If the Doctor was being called out in a crowd, he was usually ushering you along and insisting that the two of you run from whoever was calling.  

And on earth, whenever he was noticed (which did occasionally happened) it was never someone who really knew him, and instead fans, or people obsessed with the aspect of aliens, who’d heard stories of the Doctor.  

So... you’d never really met anyone the Doctor had told you about. Not really past companions, or creature on other planets, or just anyone who knew the Doctor more than occasional conversation.  

Well, until one evening in an alien bar not so different from any of the ones back on earth.  

The day had been long, you and the Doctor escaping danger, but just barely. The Doctor had come out of the event chipper and energized, but you, well, you were a bit tired. It turned out threats on your like tended to wear you out.

The Doctor had perked you up with the promise of a nice bar within the galaxy that he was happy to take you to, since you were a bit down. You’d agreed only because you could do with a drink right now. The Doctor didn’t have any liquor in the TARDIS, and you wouldn’t even really trust anything you found in the kitchen, even if you did happen across something.  

There was always that thought in the back of your head that you were in a space-time ship, even if looked very much like a house down the twists and turns of the TARDIS. You couldn’t just trust everything you found, as safe as the Doctor tended to be.  

The Doctor promised it was a popular bar among the aliens and human space travelers alike, and that nothing truly harmful for you to ingest could be found (and at your raised eyebrow, the Doctor promised to taste everything before you, just in case).

It hadn’t taken long to arrive at said bar, the Doctor managed to land the TARDIS in a broom closet in the bar, and then the two of you were stepping out the TARDIS doors, and then the broom closet doors, and greeted by a lively bar.  

True to the Doctor’s word, the bar wasn’t just filled with aliens, but many humans too. The bar tender was a creature you’d never seen before, but looked friendly enough as he took people’s orders and served drinks. The atmosphere was great, there was music that was noticeable, but not overwhelming, as well as some sort of sport playing on a weird looking television above the alcohol lining the shelves behind the bar.  

There was friendly chatter, that faded off into multiple different languages that probably would’ve overwhelmed the TARDIS if she would’ve tried to translate everything for you. A lot of the patrons were speaking English, and the bar tender seemed to be switching to whichever language he was spoken to in.

Over all, it wasn’t much different than any of the bars you’d been to on earth. The same energy. The same scene. Alcohol. Patrons. The only noticeable difference was, of course, the aliens sitting on stools around the small but crowded bar.  

“Fantastic, isn’t it?” the Doctor asked at your side, leaning into you so he wasn’t shouting over the music, or whatever game was on the space TV. “I told you there would be humans here too.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you laughed, leaning towards him so he could hear you as well, “you were right.”

“Of course I was,” the Doctor grinned, prideful and playful, “let’s get us a drink, shall we?”

“Sounds like a plan,” you agreed. You followed close behind the Doctor, who was sparing greetings at some of the patrons who looked your way. Everyone seemed nice enough, which was all you could really ask for as a human in a space bar.  

You were just happy you weren’t the only human for the first time in what felt like forever.  

You could thankfully read some of the alcohols lining the shelves, a couple from your earth. There was a bunch of alcohols that you had no idea where they’d even come from, and a couple drinks on patron's hands had you confused.  

You were curious about them, but not curious enough to try anything. You’d stick to drinks you knew this time. You just weren’t sure which drink you should go with. There were quite a few to choose from, and you really didn’t know what the bar actually had for making drinks.  

“Order for me?” you asked the Doctor, sliding into one of the empty seats at the bar while the Doctor stood beside you for a second. The Doctor studied you for a second before bowing his head in an easy nod and looking back towards the bartender. He moved swiftly to an opening at the bar a few feet away, waiting to be noticed so he could order the drinks.  

The Doctor knew a few drinks you liked. You had been traveling with him for a few years now, and you had dragged him to a human bar a couple times on your many trips to earth ever few months. Plus, this way, you didn’t accidently order something wrong. The bartender spoke English, as far as you knew, but that didn’t mean things couldn’t get lost in translation.  

The Doctor was ordering drinks as soon as the man tending the bar came around to him, both leaned towards each other on either side of the counter to hear the other over the noise of the bar.  

“Well, hello there,” a voice beside you called. You turned fast, looking away from the Doctor and coming face to face with a human looking gentleman. “You’re not from around here.”

It wasn’t a question, but you being a human was fairly obvious. And humans were greatly lacking in space travel, where most other planets were not. There were far fewer humans than any other creature in this specific bar, even if there were more than what you were expecting.  

You wanted to say the same to him, but you just didn’t know. He honestly could be from around here, despite him looking so very human. He looked pretty human, just as human as you looked. But then again, the Doctor also looked pretty human, and he was a Time-Lord many, many years older than you.  

You couldn’t help but notice just how familiar (in the human sense) the man was. The little quirks and traits of the man. He had a nice, flirty smile, and bright eyes that were watching you closely, but not in a creepy way.  

Like ninety percent human, you were sure.  

“I’m not,” you cleared your throat before agreeing easily, “and what about you? From around here?”

“I’m from everywhere, been here and there, you know,” the man gave you a dazzling grin before leaning a bit closer, “Jack,” he introduced, holding his hand out for you to shake—a familiar and very human gesture, “Jack Harkness.”

You hesitated for a moment before deciding to be bold and taking his hand into you own, “(Y/N).”

“(Y/N),” he repeated with that grin, “a beautiful name for a beautiful gal.”

You could barely stop your cheeks from heating up at the compliment. You could already tell this guy was a flirt, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t friendly. And... well, you kinda liked the attention from the man. It was nice, considering the Doctor was always so guarded whenever he was around you.  

You knew the Doctor liked you, but sometimes it really didn’t feel like it. He was always guarded, and watching himself—holding himself back for whatever reason.

“You must be from earth,” Jack continued on, “someone as pretty as you would have to be from earth. Gems like you are always from earth.”

“I am,” you told him, before briefly wondering if that was like telling a random guy in an earth bar your street address. Would you be easy to find if he knew your planet? “Are you from earth too?”

“I am,” he flashed another grin, “I was an earth time traveler turned space traveler. Different points in time on earth was great and all, but I was shown a world far greater than ours, and I just fell in love with it, which,” he lulled his head in your direction as he took a sip of his drink, “I’m sure is not far off from you, am I right?”

It sounded a lot like you. The Doctor had really shown you a world greater than you own, and now you weren’t sure you could ever be content living on earth again—not when you knew there was so much out there. “You could say that,” you agreed.  

He gave you another grin, “so, can I buy you a drink?”

You opened your mouth to reply, but before you could, someone was brushing up beside you, and a drink was set right beside your hand. You turned, smiling up at the Doctor, who was giving the stranger a hesitant, guarded look.  

You looked back at Jack, just as his eyes trailed up from the cup still int the Doctor’s hand, up to the Doctor’s face. He stared for a second, before he broke into a grin brighter than anything, he’d given you since sitting down beside you, “Doctor! It’s been a while!”

“Captain,” the Doctor frowned.

And then you were confused. “You two know each other?”

“We do,” Jack turned his attention back to you, eyes warm, “he’s the one who introduced me to space travel. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the Doctor.”

You looked between the two of them for a second, from Jack’s gleeful look at finding the Doctor again, to the Doctor’s look of masked disdain, before it finally clicked, “Jack was one of you companions?” you turned swiftly, jaw dropping in surprise.  

You’d never met a companion—and definitely not one the Doctor had never breathed a word of. This was a huge surprise, and you weren’t sure if it was a good one, or a bad one. You’d never really thought of the Doctor having any male companions, not when all he talked about was the female ones.  

The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows in the way he did while he was trying to figure out how to explain something to you, before frowning at Jack, “for a while, yeah.”

“Well, a bit longer than a while--” Jack paused, now looking between you and the Doctor, “wait, if she’s here with you, that must mean (Y/N) is your companion, right? We were just getting to know each other, small universe.”

“Clearly,” the Doctor frowned distastefully. “What’re you doing here?”

“The same as everyone else,” Jack informed with a grin, taking another sip of his drink, “having a drink, and talking with the pretty patrons.” The man all but fluttered his eyelashes at you, and you had to glance away before your face flushed brightly at the compliment.  

“Some lovely ladies here tonight,” he slid a bit closer, and you couldn’t find it in yourself to be mad at it. The Doctor however, looked as if he was barely containing himself. And that in itself was a sight to see, since the man was usually so well put together.  

The Doctor scowled at Jack, then dropped his attention to you, frowning at your flushed cheeks before returning his scowl back onto Jack. “No,” the Doctor’s expression hardened, “stop that.”

“Stop what?” Jack raised his hands in mock surrender, but his smile was teasing and he was clearly trying to rile the Doctor up in a way you couldn’t understand. “I’m not doing anything.”

The Doctor glowered at Jack, who simply lifted his drink to his lip and took a sip, “we were just talking, weren’t we? No harm there, Doc.”

“Just talking,” you agreed, looking back at the Doctor with a raised eyebrow. “Is there something going on between the two of you that I don’t know about?”

“No,” the Doctor said with a sigh as he finally withdrew his hand from your drink, “it’s not important. Nor the time, or the place to get into that. He’s just a companion who could no longer travel with me.”  

Jack was frowning at the Doctor as he spoke, but he didn’t say anything to refute it. They were tense, the both of them. You desperately wanted to know what had happened for the Doctor to not want Jack as a companion anymore—just to know what not to do.  

You lifted your drink up to sniff as a way out of the stiff atmosphere the men had created, frowning at it hesitantly, before holding it out to the Doctor. The man looked at you for a moment before he was taking the glass and taking the promised taste test sip. “It’s completely fine, I promise,” he told you with a fond smile that had wiped away the glare he’d had locked on Jack.  

As soon as he glanced away from you though, the grim expression was back.  

“So,” Jack cleared his throat, tension disappearing and flirty smile returning as he rested his chin in his hand, and looked towards you. “Where were we?”

“You were offering to buy me a drink,” you gave a laugh as you lifted the drink the Doctor had brought you to your lips. It was not something you’d ever had on earth, but it was delicious. “Someone beat you to it. Tough competition around here.”

“Right,” Jack laughed as well, “maybe I can buy the next one?”

“Maybe you could,” you couldn’t resist the tease in your voice. You didn’t bother looking back at the Doctor who was sitting himself on the seat on your other side. The other patron must’ve left.  

The Doctor didn’t say anything, which was slightly worrying. But if he wasn’t going to give you a solid reason as to why you shouldn’t be talking to Jack, you were going to go off your own experience with him, which was pretty good.

Conversation with Jack was easy. He liked to talk, and he was very intriguing. Everything he told you, had you on the edge of your seat. He threw in compliments that had you blushing, and talking in a sultry tone that had the Doctor scoffing beside you.  

Jack told you stories of his time at war, and his travel stories—which you shared a few of you own. He told you about his adventures with Rose and Martha, as well as his meeting with Donna. You were a bit jealous of that, since you’d never met any of them, but you supposed you’d met Jack now, who still counted as one of the Doctor’s companions.  

Jack told you stories of his time with the Doctor, to which the Doctor jumped in and steered the stories away from himself and onto Jack. Some kind of rivalry between the two of them?

You talked with Jack for ages, the Doctor sitting near silently beside you, listening as well, but also completely dismissive of everything Jack was saying. It was weird to see the Doctor like this. He was usually so chipper and happy. And by the way he talked about his other companions, and the few run ins he’d had with them after their travels, you’d expected the man to be a bit happier about seeing Jack.  

You did have a second drink, which Jack insisted you try one of his favorites and then bought for you. You thought about asking the Doctor to test it, like the first one, but Jack had ordered the same thing for himself, and had taken a sip of his first, so you decided it was probably okay.  

That drink was good too, but you liked the one the Doctor ordered for you more.  

It was nice to be talking to another human who’s seen the things you’d seen, as well as who’d travelled with the Doctor. And Jack seemed like a really nice guy, and had you not been completely enthralled by the Doctor, you might’ve even been interested in really getting to know him.  

He was a bit too... friendly for you currently though, especially when you had no interest in any man besides the Doctor, not that he’d ever looked at you in that way.  

“Well,” Jack smiled widely, “it’s been great meeting you, (Y/N). I’m sure it’ll be ages before I meet someone as lovely as you again.”

You bit your lip to stop yourself from blushing again, watching as Jack drained what was left of his drink. You saw the Doctor roll his eyes out of the corner of your eye as he muttered a ‘stop it’ under his breath.

“I’ve gotta get going,” Jack finally said, “but I hope I’ll see you again sometime, (Y/N). It really was a pleasure.”

“Maybe,” you smiled with shrug. You weren’t really flirting back, just playing a bit, “if you’re lucky.”

“Well, I sure hope I am then,” Jack gave you a wink before giving a small laugh. He stood from his seat, and grabbed his coat from the back of his chair before he looked towards the Doctor, “it was nice seeing you as well, Doctor.”

“Yeah,” the Doctor sigh, finally looking at Jack with something that wasn’t a scowl. He didn’t look happy by any means, but it was a step up from scowling, “I’m sure we’ll meet again. You’re pretty hard to get rid of.”

“You know it,” Jack gave another bright smile, but this one was more knowing than the others. Some secret you probably couldn’t crack even if you tried, “you know better than anyone, Doc.”

The Doctor huffed what could almost be a laugh, as he gave Jack a small smile. With that, Jack threw a wave over his shoulder and disappeared into the crowd. You watched the way he’d gone for a second before looking back at the Doctor, who was frowning as he stared off into space.  

“Doctor?” you questioned hesitantly. He looked towards you with a blank expression before he gave you a small smile as well. This one was a bit bigger than the one he shot Jack though. “Are you alright?”

“Fine,” he answered quickly, “let’s get back to the TARDIS. Places to be, things to see.”

He stood up, staying in place as you quickly finished off your glass and stood to follow him. Like coming in, you stayed close to the Doctor on the way out. He pulled the door to the broom closet open, letting you in before following suit and shutting the door behind himself.  

The two of you stepped into the TARDIS, and as usual, the Doctor was quick to leave.  

You sat silently on the chair, as the Doctor did circles around the control console, flying the TARDIS as he usually did. But something was different. Something was different with the Doctor. He was quiet. Quieter than you’d ever seen him, and the only thing that could’ve caused that was Jack.  

“What’s the matter?” you asked quietly from where you were sitting. The Doctor gave a hum of acknowledgment, but didn’t bother looking at you.  

“I’m fine,” he told you, but his voice gave him away. He didn’t sound fine.  

“No,” you huffed, “really, what’s the matter?”

When he finally looked at you, his eyes were sad, and he was trying not to frown, “why do you think something’s wrong?”

“Why won’t you tell me what’s wrong?” you asked, a bit hurt he wasn’t saying what was bothering him. You’d been with his for years now, and he still told you nothing. He still refused to let himself be sad or vulnerable around you. “Did Jack do something wrong?”

“No,” the Doctor sighed, running a hand through his hair, “not really. It’s... it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“I am worried about it though,” you told him honestly. “Please tell me what’s wrong.”

The Doctor looked at you with a kicked puppy look before he dropped his attention to the floor. He didn’t say anything for a moment, like he was trying to figure out how to say something, “I... well, I didn’t like that.”

“Didn’t like what?” You raised a confused eyebrow, unsure of what the Doctor was talking about. You’d thought the even was nice.

“Jack and... and you. The, uh, flirting.”

“The flirting?” You blinked, “what was wrong with it?”

“I just didn’t like it,” the Doctor frowned, “Not with.... not Jack. He shouldn’t be flirting with you. Honestly, he’s far too friendly with everyone he meets, and I don’t think he’s good for.... for you.”

You scrunched your nose up as your eyebrows furrowed. You didn’t know what that meant, but it didn’t answer any questions. It actually annoyed you a bit, that the Doctor would be mad you were flirting with someone else when he didn’t give you the time of day.  

“I liked Jack,” you told the Doctor, crossing your arms across your chest. “He was nice, and I have no reason not to like Jack, Doctor. And I can flirt with whoever I want too, why would that upset you?”

“Of course,” the man agreed quickly, looking spooked and apologetic, “I didn’t mean anything by that, you’re free to do as you please, I just... never mind, it’s not important. Anywhere you’d like to go?”

“Stop doing that,” you told him annoyed. “You always do that, just tell me it's not important and change the subject. Why don’t you tell me anything?”

The Doctor frowned, dropping his attention from you once more. You narrowed your eyes at him, debating between continuing the conversation and leaving to your room for the night.  

“I didn’t like him flirting with you because I don’t like anyone flirting with you,” the Doctor spoke into the room, “I don’t like anyone flirting with you, not while I’m around... Well, not at all, but certainly not while I’m around. It should be me, I should be the one making you laugh like that and flirting with you. And it irks me when people do so anyways, because you’re not mine. I have no say, it truly is your choice, (Y/N). You could leave me tomorrow—back to earth, or to join Jack or someone else, and there’s nothing I can do about it because you’re not mine.”

“Not yours?” you repeated before you froze, blinking at the Doctor, “you... you were jealous? Of Jack?”

The Doctor made a face of embarrassment before giving an approving dip of his head. “I’m sorry. I have no right to be jealous, I know. But I can’t help it, you’re my companion, and I’ve never... felt like this with any of my other companions.”

“You like me?” You asked softly, because you thought he didn’t. He’d never said anything.

“More than anything,” he breathed with a frown, “I tried not to get attached, like I always do with companions,” he told you, “I really did. But you’re just... you’re you, and it was a lost cause. I was destined to fail at keeping you at arm's length from the moment you first smiled at me.”

You’d never imagined the Doctor could say anything like that. That the Doctor would ever be jealous of a man flirting with you, because he never showed any interest in you.  

“I can’t stand seeing you with someone else,” the Doctor told you, “it breaks my heart, because I want so badly for it to be me you like--”

“It is you I like.”

The Doctor stopped, blinking repeatedly at you. He looked like his brain had just short-circuited. Like he couldn’t believe what you’d just said.  

“What?”

“I like you too,” you replied in a soft, fond voice, “I have from the start. I just... didn’t think you liked me in return. And I didn’t want to ruin this, Doctor. I couldn’t ruin our friendship if you didn’t feel the same way.”

“Really?” the man looked completely overjoyed by the news. “I... never noticed. You-- you’re serious?”

“Completely,” you gave a laugh, “I thought you just didn’t want to mention it. I didn’t know you really didn’t know.”

“I didn’t,” he assured with a surprised expression, “I didn’t think you’d ever like me like I like you, so I... never said anything. I suppose I just couldn’t handle seeing Jack flirt with you.”

“You really don’t like the guy, do you?”

“It’s not that I don’t like him,” the Doctor huffed, “it’s just that—you know what? We can get into that later. Right now, though... I’d really like to kiss you, if that’s alright with you?”

“Fine with me,” you grinned, watching as the Doctor returned the smile and made his way towards you. He’d stabilized the TARDIS right after you’d gotten angry at him, so he didn’t have to worry about it.  

“You’ve no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this for,” he muttered as he leaned towards you. His eyes were locked with yours, warm and adoring.

The Doctor settled one of his knees beside you, his other supported him on the floor, pressing against your knees as he leaned into your space. His arm curled around your waist as he brushed his nose against yours.  

You tilted your head for a better angle, as your arm wrapped around the back of his neck. You smiled as you pulled him just a bit closer by your hold on him, fluttering your lashes at him.

“Well,” you teased, “get on with it then, Doctor.”

<><><><>

Don’t mind me trying to write Jack because I couldn’t come up with a whole character with a personality (which I’m truly terrible at) for this prompt. Hopefully no one minds, and I didn’t butcher his personality to badly. What I know about him is just from seasons 2-4 of Doctor Who, and a bit of research, so sorry if anything’s wrong!

Anywho, as always, feel free to prompt again if this wasn’t what you were looking for! Thanks once more for sending a prompt, and I hope I did it justice!

[chuuulip]

The First Kiss of Love

Pairing: Hannibal Lecter x Female Reader

Warning:  Fluff with a smidges of angst

Words: 3262

Prompt: hey i was wondering id you could do a hannibal lecter one where the reader doesnt realize that hannibal likes her and she gets jealous when hes talking to another woman. when she calls him out on it he cant help but laugh. the reader is basically a oblivious dummy type and way too much of a klutz .

Summary: “Dr. Bloom is really beautiful.” your small, joyless voice continues its sentence. “Ah...yes indeed.” Hannibal replies casually.

A.N: This is for an anon that request some Hannibal fanfic. I’m sorry that it takes me so long xD I hope you like it! whoever you are ❤️ Thank you for @jewels2876​​ for helping me with this piece, love you ❤️ Also tagging fellow Hannibal fans 😉 @venusdemonroe​​​ and @detectivehannibal​​​ thanks for feeding me Hannibal content and discuss him with me ❤️

__

It’s been a couple of months since you’ve worked with Dr. Lecter. You were once a librarian; due to an accident, you lost your job as a consequence of a long time recovery.  Hannibal Lecter literally was an angel or your angel to be precise. Vividly, you remember the time you met him. By chance, Hannibal is in the clinic when you do your physiotherapy. He catches a small stack of books that you buy that day. He manages to balance the books in his left hand while his right-hand catches you before your face kisses the floor.

Long story short, both of you have some sort of conversation that leads to you applying for a job to be Hannibal’s secretary. You are excited but also nervous when you do your interview. You have no idea that Hannibal is a well-known psychiatrist not only just in Baltimore but also in Maryland. There is a fear that Hannibal will not choose you because of your clumsy tendencies. You are naturally what people will call a klutz. Physical activity somewhat hinders your ability to shine among others. You are either too slow or too weak. Not to mention lucky stars seem to distance themself from you. But not that day, the day when you get an email of your employment. Hannibal is pretty impressed with your CV and how good your skills on scheduling and data management, 

“Good morning.” the soft, accented voice of Hannibal greets you. Today, he wears a dark blue windowpane pattern jacket suit. He chooses a somewhat dark metallic floral pattern adorning the red-brown tie. His white buttoned-up shirt makes the color of his suit and ties pop. Hannibal always dresses elegantly, something that you always look forward to seeing.  

“Good morning, Dr. Lecter.” You stand up and follow Hannibal inside his office. He takes a seat on his brown leather chair. Everything looks immaculate as always.

“Schedule for today?” he unbuttons his suit jacket and you quickly help him hang the suit. “Thank you, my dear, you didn’t need to do that.”

“It’s alright Dr. Lecter.”

Sometimes when it’s only you and Hannibal in the office, he accidentally calls you my dear. You aren’t sure if it's because that’s the way he usually addresses someone he is in contact on a daily basis, or it means something more? Oh, you wish.

“Dr. Lecter…, for this morning you will have two appointments. Mrs. Potter and Ms. Randall. Also-- Mr. Franklin said he might need to reschedule.” Your slightly breathy voice points out other appointments Hannibal has outside the office. Your work had become kind of a blend between his secretary and personal assistant, to be honest. It was actually Hannibal's idea to engage you more into work that’s not strictly his office related. Not that you are complaining because it let you take a peek on Hannibal’s other persona. Not to mention that the payment is pretty generous. 

Not once does Hannibal ask your input on what type of thing should be added in his office, and by that, you are pretty proud of yourself. Not a lot of people give any thought about your opinion. Although Hannibal, like when his office has this sleek look and somewhat minimalist style, he always mixes something that you could say was classic inside his office. You have been inside his office quite a lot, but sometimes you help him tidy up his books and document. He’s somewhat more of a hard copy type of person than a soft copy one. Like you. You like the smells of an old book although some of Hannibal’s books smell too clinical for you. Like the smells of a hospital or a place with a lot of disinfectants.  

Pretty proud of your experience as a librarian in the past, and knowing Hannibal is a perfectionist himself, you practically turned the side of his office into a perfect mini library. The medical record shorts are alphabetically arranged while his other books are listed by genre, then in an alphabetical manner as well. When Hannibal stays longer in the office, sometimes you catch him drawing. A hobby that he said he has since childhood. One day he told you, “Growing up, I found my hobby really useful when I decided to be a medical doctor.” and you can’t help but agree. After he finishes with what he sketches at that time, he specifically calls you into his office and shows you the final product. That action simply makes your heart flutter in excitement.

“Thank you, you can leave for now.” He gives you his subtle yet beautiful smile. Those eyes of his when he smiles always send some sort of quick rush to your brain.

Giving Hannibal a short nod, you quickly excuse yourself. You stumble upon your own shoe and almost fall, face first. Luckily you can prevent that from happening, hoping Hannibal doesn’t notice, although you think he did. Scurrying from his office, you station yourself on your spot. Continue typing and archiving what Hannibal asks you. 

Sipping your now cold latte, your eyes shift to the books next to your PC. It’s a book called Les Fleurs du mal renaissance, a volume about French poetry that Hannibal had lent you after you finish some short of psychology 101. You have read a few pages of it, and since it’s in French, it takes you some time to understand it. 

Sometimes Hannibal invites you to his office to let you read his book while he draws things. Trying not to get caught red-handed, you glance at him from the corner of your eyes, savoring the scene in front of you. Wondering what Hannibal actually does on his day off, is there anything he can’t do? Your brain likes to take a detour on what Hannibal does at home when he’s not seeing other people’s minds.

A soft clink of steps on the mahogany floor wood, momentary pauses your fingers on the keyboard. 

“Good morning Mrs. Potter.” you stand up immediately. Greet her with a polite, shy smile. One of the things you are still learning from working with Hannibal is being confident. Since the secretary is usually portrayed as bold and beautiful, while you on the other hand are quite the opposite, Hannibal makes sure you take your time to adapt from ‘less contact with people at work’ to ‘in contact with different people almost every day.’

“I’m here for my appointment.” her British accent tickles your ear. It’s rare for you to meet a Brit, especially as posh as Mrs. Potter. Although you never glance at a patient’s medical record, you do actually google them. When you find out Hannibal’s reputation, you know that most of his patients are a somewhat well-known person. Mrs. Potter is an owner of exquisite but limited jewelry store on the east coast. From several articles that you read, she has had quite a lot of scandal. Despite that, you will not deny her beauty. She may be quite older than you, but the way her cheekbones stay supple and very few wrinkles decorating her face sometimes makes you jealous. 

“Yes, sure. Please wait a moment,” immediately, you walk to Hannibal's office door that's just a foot away from your desk. Giving a soft knock, you open the door and inform Hannibal that Mrs. Potter is already here. He gives you a quick nod, and you open the door wider, to let Mrs. Potter start her session. 

Hannibal isn’t a strict boss. Or that’s actually what you thought about him. Of course, you are a professional employee as you can be, but sometimes you spend time reading the book you borrow from Hannibal between your desk job. Mostly because you already do whatever Hannibal tasks you with. On some occasions, you join Hannibal when he attends some appointments, such as when he needs to be a keynote speaker in a well-known conference around Maryland and DC. An experience that you guess is his way to widen your social ability. 

“Thank you Mrs. Potter. I’ll see you in the next session.” Hannibal’s accent cues you to stand up and bid your goodbye to Mrs. Potter. The rest of the day comes out like it usually is. Typing and arranging schedules for Hannibal while also scrolling on another book to read. Even though you were a librarian before, there’s just so many books and so little time to read. 

When it’s time for you to go home, you knock on Hannibal’s office door and open it slightly when he answers you with a soft, “come on in”. You excuse yourself while also giving Hannibal’s friend a smile. Although Hannibal doesn’t have a lot of appointments today, his friend, Jack Crawford visits the office and you know that means Hannibal will stay late until dinner time.   

*** 

The next day your work finished earlier than you thought so you spend some time at work to continue reading the poetry book. Some people may find it weird that you like to stay a little bit longer at work than going back home. There’s always this thought of knowing there is someone close to you, without the need to do conversations in every millisecond, calming. When your eyes shift to your gold bronze table clock, you haven’t realized that you are pretty late, as the sky already turns dark. 

You know Hannibal is still in the office and you plan to excuse yourself before it’s getting really late. You don’t want Hannibal to drive you back home since you feel embarrassed about it. He always makes sure you arrive at home safely when you spend more time at the office or going home pretty late since Baltimore isn’t the safest place on earth. However, there is always a thought in your head that Hannibal being a little bit protective towards you, his employee because you are just a much of a klutz and he feels responsible. 

You aren’t sure what possessed you to move too quickly and it just messes up your footing. The point of your left oxford shoes hit the castor office chair. Ungracefully you trip to the floor and bring the chair with you. The falling chair let out a loud bang while you landed on your hands and knees, grimacing in pain. 

You aren’t sure when but your brain kind of mid freeze for a second. When you look up, you see Hannibal crouching down and calling your name, worried, “-- are you ok? Can you stand up?”

“I--I’m ok Dr. Lecter,” you try to stand up but you hold up your right hand in a sign of I need a minute. 

Hannibal takes care of the office chair first, putting it back in its original position. He carefully lifts you up, supporting you and letting you sit back on your office chair. “I’m sorry my dear, but I need to check?” He asks you for your permission and you quickly give him your approval. With an expert examination of his hands, Hannibal checks your knees for any swelling or visual deformity. Since your past accident, you are prone to any joint and soreness on the knees. Delicately, he gives a little pat on both your knees. “I think everything is ok, you may need to have some pain killers.”

“Thank you Hannibal.” you blurt it out. Sometimes you call him by his first name when you aren’t in office hours, although rarely.

He graces you with that smile of his, subtle yet it always makes your heart quiver, the kind of smile you infrequently see. You notice that sometimes he has his professional smile, it is short and kind of cold. The smile you always notice when he meets his colleague. You don’t know a lot of Hannibal’s friends, but when he has some impromptu meeting with Jack, you slightly witness more smirk and sometimes there’s this naughty element like he is planning something evil, although humorously.

“Wait a minute, I will drive you home.” Hannibal left you to go inside his office. 

There’s a guilt in your stomach that you feel you are being a burden to your boss. When your concentration dispersed like vivid smoke, the corner of your eyes caught the beautiful woman you have seen a couple of times visiting the office. Unlike other women who mostly visit Hannibal for a session, this woman is indeed different. 

“Ms. Bloom.” You greet her. Your smile may look blankly courteous even, but you definitely are not in the mood to give her your big smile this evening.

“You look unwell, are you ok?” 

“I-- I’m ok.” you try to answer her, less tense.

“Alana?” your eyes shift to Hannibal as he opens his door.

“Hey, Hannibal. I try to call you but I thought I might as well just drop by.”

Hannibal’s eyes divert from you to Alana, and he gives Alana a quick nod, letting her quickly enter the office. “It will be quick. Can you wait for a while?” you give him a nod and smile at him nervously.

At first you aren’t sure why you are nervous but something finally clear on your head. Maybe you are jealous. You know a lot of women near Hannibal are not only beautiful, or rich, they are also acutely intelligent. Although you aren’t rich, you aren’t that bad looking and you will not say you aren’t intelligent but when you compare yourself to someone like Alana, there will always be inferiority engraved in your mind. Not to mention that she has known Hannibal longer and better than you.

Hannibal's office door opens and Alana exits the door with Hannibal following her. “I heard what happened to you from Hannibal.” Alana stops in front of your desk and gives you her sympathetic smile. “Get well soon.” She gives you a pat on your shoulder and says her goodbye to you and Hannibal.

“Shall we?” Hannibal changes his focus towards you and you nod in agreement. Let him help you out of the office. 

***

“So…,”

“So?” Hannibal glances at you momentarily while driving, asking you to continue what you have in mind.

“Dr. Bloom is really beautiful.” your small, joyless voice continues its sentence.

“Ah...yes indeed,” Hannibal replies casually. 

Your eyes glance at the dark street. Hannibal’s office is located in a quite busy place and it’s nice to see less traffic when you get out of the area. 

“Did both of you date?” you blurt it out. Your eyes widen in horrors as you blatantly just spill out something unprofessional. “Hanni-- Dr. Lecter, I-- I-- didn’t mean to pry on your personal life.” 

Hannibal looks at you and lets out a laugh. Something really rare, something that you even have witnessed. The crinkle on his eyes when he laughs lets his somewhat cool and calm demeanor melted. It takes you sometimes to register on what just happens. 

“I’m sorry my dear, that’s just quite funny.” Hannibal stops laughing and sends you a quick smile.

“Also that might not answer your question but the answer is no, Alana and I, we aren’t dating. I’m her mentor and our relationship is more of colleagues and friends.”    

You aren’t sure why you hold your breath, but after listening to Hannibal's answer, you let out a long exhale, feeling that something heavy has been lifted up from your shoulders. 

Hannibal’s Bentley stops in front of your apartment complex. Ever the gentleman that he is, Hannibal asks you if you need help. You decline his help as if you can’t embarrass yourself enough in one day. 

“Before you go, I have something to tell you.” Like a deer caught in a headlight, you look at Hannibal. He switches on the light inside the car and pulls his bag from the backseat. He handed you several papers that looked likely to be a job application. Your eyes widen, vision blurry as a sudden tears drop from your eyes. This is it, maybe Hannibal has enough of your clumsiness. He doesn’t find you worthy as he sometimes needs to ‘babysit you’ when you do something you don’t intend to do. 

Feeling that he may be approaching this the wrong way, Hannibal tries to comfort you. You put both of your hands in front of your chest, like a shield in a defensive manner. Try to accommodate his tall frame, awkwardly Hannibal turns his body to the passenger seat and embraces you. He shushing you and pat your heads 

When your silent cry turns into a hiccup but more calmer, Hannibal pulls away from you. With a stutter, you explain to Hannibal that you understand if he doesn’t want you to work with him again and you are thankful that he’s been a very great employer to you. 

“Hey,” Hannibal swipes the tears that rolls down on your cheeks with his thumbs, “--it’s not that. Look, my dear, the reason I handed this paper to you is not that I want to fire you, but I have been pretty impatient lately.”

You look at him, eyes full of question on what the fuck he means by that? Although you don’t let it out loud because you don’t want to make any rude comment. Because Hannibal doesn’t like that.

“I’m one of those people who do not agree with office romance.” 

Office? Romance? What the hell? No one has any romance in the office, you thought. 

“I have been pretty much intent to court you,” his eyes flicker to your lips and back to your reddish eyes. “Alana came today because she wants to give me the application personally, there’s a librarian vacancy in her University and I pretty much just want to hand it to you.” Your brain wiring, try to connect the words as if you forgot how to speak English.  

“Apologize if I’m being rude my dear, but I have observed you for some time and I encourage myself to just lay it all here so I didn’t make you upset. Of course, if I am proven wrong, you can stay and still work as my secretary. No harm, the position will always be yours.” 

“Hanni-- Hannibal, does this mean that you like ‘like’ me?” 

He answers you with a quick nod and the smile that always makes your heart flutter. You try to reach Hannibal but your knee prevents you from doing such a thing. Hannibal let out a small chuckle as he finds your difficulty quite amusing. 

You eye him in disbelief but your anger melts right away as his face gets closer to yours. His right hand's cup at the side of your face as his lips inches closer towards you. With eyes close, you feel the brushes of Hannibal’s lips. The kiss is soft and delicate as if he is just testing the water. 

You let your hands sneak at the back of his collar as you seek more contact. Both of your lips slide and glide against each other. Letting out a whimper, you grant Hannibal’s tongue to slip past your lips. Teasing and flicking languidly, exploring something that makes you shudders in want. 

After some time, Hannibal withdraws his lips from yours. Eyes fluttering open, you can see Hannibal’s pupils expand. He let his foreheads rest at yours while his hand still cups on your face. “So...I believe it is a 'yes''?” There's humor in his voice. 

With a broad smile and less reddish eyes, you answer Hannibal with a confident nod and grant him another kiss on the lips.

__

As always, like, comment and reblog are really appreciated ❤️. Let me know what you think about this xo

[tearsofgrace]

Don’t Forget Me, I Beg

read on archive!

Cas

“Cas?! Thank god, you’re awake. Look, the doctors said you wouldn’t remember anything… but I figured, well, since you’re an angel, ya know?”

Cas blinked and looked around him, trying to get his bearings. He had an IV connected to his arm, and a heart rate monitor taped to his finger. There was a slight stinging on his chest, but besides that he felt fine. Then he froze. What had the man said? Angel?

“Yeah, of course,” he muttered, looking into those earnest green eyes. 

Looking back on it, he would have no idea why he said it. Why he lied. Why he pretended to know what was going on when he knew a total of three things about himself. That his name was Castiel (seriously, what kind of a name was that?), that he was in Longmont, Colorado, and that he was in love with a man named Dean Winchester. 

He had no idea where Longmont was in relation to anything else, and he had no idea where to find this Dean Winchester. But his mind clung to those facts desperately, trying to block out the swirling confusion that threatened to overwhelm him. 

“So, your grace blocked whatever spell that was?” Cas nodded and busied himself counting the freckles on the man’s face. He had a lot of them. 

“You scared us, man. You were out for four days. They said you were in a coma, and you probably wouldn’t wake up. But Sam and I figured that your grace would heal you faster.” 

There was that word again, grace. Every time he heard it something inside him seemed to glow, to buzz with a fiery heat. 

“I’m sure you need your rest. I’ll go find Sam. He was finishing up the hunt.” The man looked him up and down one more time then walked from the room. 

A hunt. Okay, so he’d been hurt in a hunting accident. Though that didn’t seem right. He didn’t feel like a hunter. And what was that about a spell anyway? And had the guy seriously called him an angel?

Angel must be a nickname. Or maybe it was his last name. He wasn’t sure if he had one. 

A nurse walked in and smiled warmly at him. 

“Mr. Dougherty said you remember. That’s really good news, Simon. We should be able to get you out of here in just a few days.”

“My name is Castiel,” he said automatically, squinting at her. 

She nodded with a smile and glanced pointedly at the IV drip connected to his arm. Great. So she thought he was delusional. 

Which really, might be better for him. He had no idea why he’d pretended to remember--what had she said?--Mr. Dougherty. But now that he had, it seemed he would need to play the part. 

“I need to find Dean Winchester,” Cas said as the nurse turned to leave the room. 

“I’m sorry, but I only know the two men that brought you in.” 

“Did I have a phone?” She shook her head and glanced quickly at her clipboard, clearly anxious to get back to her rounds. 

“What happened? I only remember leaving the house and then it all goes black.” He wasn’t sure if he even had a house. But it seemed like a plausible story, and he needed at least a few answers. 

“You were in a hunting accident. They said you hit your head, but we can’t find any bruises. To tell you the truth, Simon, you have us puzzled. The cuts on your chest… well, it’s not important now. You’re doing okay, and that’s what’s important.” She smiled again, tight and close-lipped, and then hurried from the room. 

Cas ran a hand through his hair and rubbed his eyes. He needed to find Dean. Dean would help him. He shifted in the bed and lifted the collar of the loose hospital gown. He nearly cried out when his eyes found his chest. 

Pure white light was shining through the deep, blood red cuts. They were meticulous, almost like they were forming some symbol. And they were disappearing. Where the light touched, the skin knit back together and left light pink scar tissue. 

Cas watched mutely, then dropped the hospital gown and leaned back in his bed. His tired eyes found the IV and he shook his head slowly. He wasn’t thinking right, and he didn’t know what he had seen. 

He needed to find Dean. 

Cas ripped the IV roughly from his arm and pulled the heart rate monitor from his finger. Then he stumbled to his feet, surprised when he didn’t feel woozy. In his experience (as far as he knew it to be), coma patients generally were very disoriented when they woke up. And he’d only been awake for an hour and thirty-six minutes. Cas frowned at the number--it was oddly specific--but shrugged it off and walked to the cabinet in the corner of the room. 

He found a trenchcoat and a wrinkled suit and started dressing under his gown. 

Then he slid the thin fabric over his head and looked at his chest. The barest outline of a scar remained, and he closed his eyes, determined to ignore it. It must have been an old scar anyway. An old scar he was turning into something more than it needed to be. 

His fingers struggled on the buttons of his shirt, and he guessed he didn’t get dressed in a suit often. After he’d shrugged the trenchcoat over his shoulders, he turned to the window. His reflection was faintly visible, and he looked right. He felt like himself again, whoever that was. 

With detached interest, he noted that his hair was black and his eyes were blue. Not what he would have guessed, but that didn’t matter. He smoothed his hair carefully, trying to stop it from sticking up at odd angles, but it didn’t work so he gave up. Something in his pocket hit against his hip and he pulled out an old flip phone. 

He quickly flipped it open and opened the contacts. There were only six. Sam, Bobby, Rowena, 666 (that had to be a joke), Jack and Dean. His breath quickened as he clicked on the name, finger hovering over the call button. 

But he didn’t click it. When he’d woken up, he told himself he knew three things about his life. That had been a lie. He remembered four. His name was Castiel, he was in Longmont, Colorado, he loved Dean Winchester, and Dean Winchester did not love him back. 

So he didn’t call, but he figured a text wouldn’t hurt. His fingers felt unpracticed on the keys, but he managed to type, Where should I meet you? 

He frowned at the message. It didn’t make sense, really. Not if Dean had no idea where he was. Then he clicked send anyway. 

For a minute, he stood staring at the dirty window with his reflection faintly visible on the dirty glass. Then he walked from the room, glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention before leaving the hospital. He pulled his phone from his pocket again and clicked on the notification.

We’ll pick you up at the hospital. Sam killed the witch, so we’re leaving town. 

Witch. Alright. That was normal. 

Dean

“He remembers, Sam.” His brother stood and shrugged, gathering the last of their things from the room. 

“Really? Because that witch seemed pretty sure he didn’t. She cast a spell designed for angels, Dean.” Dean frowned and threw the room key on the table, leading the way to the car. 

“That’s weird. I thought she didn’t know what Cas was. And it’s the same spell she cast on all the other vics, right? They were all human.”

“Right, they were. But she got wind we were in town and used a different one that would work on him. She told me herself, right before I killed her.” Dean rolled his eyes and got in the car. 

“So you believe her? You were about to kill her, Sammy. She was just trying to freak you out.”

Sam snorted but stayed silent. 

They got to the hospital a few minutes later, and Cas was standing outside, back in his trenchcoat and suit. Dean couldn’t help but smile a little. The angel looked so lost. The nurses had probably given him a bitch of a time.

When the car pulled up to the curb, the angel stood there, just looking at the street. Dean sighed and rolled down his window. 

“Hey, Cas. We kinda need to roll, what’s the hold up?” 

“Dougherty?” His voice was a little higher than normal, more like Jimmy Novak’s had been. Dean frowned but raised his eyebrows.

“Dude, that’s the name on the insurance. Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, sorry. I have to wait for-- I can’t go with you.” His stomach was starting to sink and he took a deep breath.

“See, Dean? I told you.” He was tempted to tell Sam to shut up, but Cas spoke first. 

“Dean? Wait, Dean Winchester?” 

“Yeah, that’s me. You really don’t remember anything, huh?” Cas was staring at him like he was back from the dead. Well, back from the dead again. 

“If you remember me, or at least my name, get in the car. We’re here to help, okay? I promise.” The angel gulped, his eyes never leaving Dean’s. Then he nodded and got in the backseat. 

Dean drove away from the hospital with the pedal almost flat against the floor, hands gripping the wheel. Cas didn’t remember anything. Didn’t even know who he was. 

“Call her.” 

“Calm down, Dean. I’m working on it.” Sam dialed slowly and raised the phone to his ear, holding up a finger for silence. 

“Hey, Rowena… yeah, I know we’re sorry about that… listen, we need your help.” Dean glanced at him, ignoring the road.

“Put her on speaker.” Sam rolled his eyes but lowered the phone. 

“Rowena, you have to help us fix Cas.”

“Dean, always with the pleasantries. I wish I could say it’s good to hear your voice.” 

“Cut the crap, Rowena.” Her sigh blew through the speakers, and her accent managed to seep into it.

“Fine. What seems to be the trouble with the angel?” Cas perked up in the back seat and leaned forward. 

“A witch. Some sort of memory spell.”

“That worked on an angel?” She sounded mildly impressed. If she’d been in the car, Dean might have strangled her. 

“I’ll come to you, boys. I know of two spells that could do this, and the cure is very different for the both. Although, I must admit I hope it’s the second of the two.” Dean pulled the phone from Sam’s hand and held it to his mouth. 

“Why? What’s the second?”

“Now now, Dean. We mustn’t spoil the surprise. Now where are you?” Dean opened his mouth to spit something back at her but Sam grabbed the phone. 

“Mead, Colorado.” 

“I’ll be there in two hours. Bye, boys.” Sam hung up before Dean could take the phone again and Dean rolled his eyes, slamming a palm into the wheel. 

“I’m… an angel?” Cas’ voice had started to drop in register, and he was sounding more like himself. 

“Yeah. One of God’s finest. Well, not really. But you’re one of the not-dick angels, so that’s good.” When Cas didn’t answer he looked in the rearview mirror. The angel was staring out the window with a thoughtful look on his face. 

They pulled into the nearest motel and waited in tense silence for Rowena to get there. Dean didn’t really see a point in trying to explain to Cas who he was. He meant too much. To him, to the world. 

Everytime he looked at the angel, he found him staring. He would look away as soon as he saw Dean’s eyes on him, but by the fourth time Dean stopped trying to convince himself he was imagining things. 

He couldn’t place the emotion on Cas’ face, but it was far different than how he looked at Sam. And it hadn’t been Sam’s name he knew. 

Dean was almost glad when Rowena knocked on the door. 

“Hello, boys.” The minute the words left her mouth, he decided he wasn’t glad. She was a pain in the ass. 

When Dean didn’t reply, she sighed and walked over to Cas.

“I drop everything for you bloody Winchesters and when I get here, I’m greeted with cold silence. Are you sure Cassie wants his memories back?” Sam stood up and took her bag, setting it on the bed.

“Thanks for coming, Rowena.” She sighed again, more dramatically if that was possible, and put a hand on Cas’ head. 

Her laughter rang through the room and she took her hand back, folding over. 

“What?” Dean growled. 

“It’s a very interesting spell, one I’ve only used once myself. It’s designed for fallen angels. Well, angel’s who’ve fallen.” Dean squinted at her and instinctively reached a hand to the gun in his waistband, so she hurried to go on. 

“Fallen in love, that is. It leaves the angel with the memory of the name of the one they’ve fallen for, and a few other details. The best part,” she laughed again and then went on, wiping her eyes, “Is that it can only be undone by a kiss from that person.” 

“A fucking true love’s kiss. Are you fucking kidding me?” She raised her eyebrows but laughed again. 

“Well, this shouldn’t be too hard for you, boys. I would be on my way, but I’m afraid I’ll have to stay for this.” 

“Whatever, we’ll just find the girl and get her here,” Dean said, the blood in his veins running cold. Cas was in love with someone. That didn’t bother him at all. 

He could feel heat rising in his cheeks and he tried desperately to calm down. Rowena was laughing again. 

“Oh, you poor, sweet thing.” She turned to Cas, who was watching the whole exchange with wide eyes. 

“It’s okay, Castiel. You can say who it is. He won’t be mad I promise.” She said it softly, especially for a witch, but Cas still stared back at her with wide eyes before dropping his gaze. Dean looked over at Sam, his heart pounding. His brother seemed to be hiding a smile, and not very successfully. 

Then he looked back to Cas. The angel’s eyes were fixed on the floor and his ears were tinted pink. Dean could see his shoulders rising and falling in deep, controlled breaths, like he was trying to calm down. 

“It won’t matter,” the angel finally said. 

“Cas, he feels the same,” Sam said, crossing the room to stand next to Rowena. 

“What the hell is going on?” Dean glanced between the two of them, trying to read their faces. Besides laughter, he found nothing.

“I know he doesn’t. I can’t remember why I know. Or anything else about who I am. I know that though.” Sam nodded slowly and looked at Rowena, who was staring at Cas with an incredulous smirk.

“Okay, this has been fun, but I really need to get going. I left a very… interesting party for this. Cas, say the name. You want to remember who you are, don’t you?” He nodded and looked up, finally meeting Dean’s eyes.

“I’m in love with Dean Winchester.” Dean froze. At least his face wasn’t bright red anymore. It was now white as a sheet. He ran a hand nervously through his hair and looked at Sam and Rowena. They weren’t laughing anymore. 

Then he walked to Cas and cupped his face gently, pulling him up so they were chest to chest.

He looked scared, but Dean didn’t blame him. He had no idea who he was, just one name and the knowledge that he wasn’t loved back. At least Dean could do something about it. He ran a thumb over the angel’s cheek down to his lip, grazing it softly. 

Then he gently threaded his hand into the angel’s hair and pulled him into a kiss. Their lips met gently, barely touching, and then he pulled back. 

The angel’s eyes glowed white, and then widened. 

“Dean?”

“Hey, Cas.”

“You didn’t have to--” Dean pulled his hand from his hair and set it gently on the angel’s waist, pressing their bodies together. Sam cleared his throat and Dean raised his middle finger, smiling as he pressed his forehead into Cas’. Sam sighed (Dean could almost hear the eye roll) and quickly left the room, followed closely by Rowena. 

“I love you too, Cas.” The angel smiled softly and leaned in for another kiss. 

[searching-for-arcadia]

Sea-Hearts by Margo Lanagan & Vita Nostra by Maryna and Serhiy Dyachenko

torchwood fanfic asks

9. AUs? what kind?

Edits aren’t quite responsive since they’re not quite AUs that I’d say I gravitate towards, but more AUs I’d love to see people’s take on (I’ll actually answer the question below).

First, Gwen as selkie (and not the Torchwood selkie which seems to be an opposite selkie) isn’t something I’ve seen done (though if you know of a fic that has done this, please send it my way!). There is something about the soulfulness of her eyes that says selkie to me. A little snippet of something for flavor:

Gwen loved Rhys. He was a much kinder man than the man whole stole her from the sea. He loved her because he loved her, not because he owned her. That was more than many mortal men could boast.

Second, I would love to see a Torchwood/Vita Nostra fusion where Tosh was recruited to the Institute of Special Technologies and goes through the terrifying transformation and education we witness in the novel, but ultimately rejects her place and her power. She retains her brilliance but is always a little afraid from that point on of what she is capable of of. A little snippet of flavor:

She built the sonic modulator with the same sick feeling in her stomach that she had carried with her when she first joined the Institute of Special Technologies. She remembered when she sleep deprivation was driving her to madness and incoherence; she remembered when her studies suffered and her mother was in a near fatal automobile accident. A reminder, her mentor had said, and an incentive to study harder. She remembered the horrible accidents that befell all her classmate’s family members (broken bones, heart attacks, just-too-coincidental deaths); remembered that they were all taken hostage, their families held as ransom or collateral, until the lessons overtook their senses and they fell into the heady trap of being powerful. She was careful, while building the sonic modulator, to not become too interested, to not let her sense of capability outstrip her sense of fear. She would not forget how to be human twice.

And to actually answer the questions. YES, I love AUs. Excluding my already professed love of Chosen One!Ianto and my continual insistence that everybody, Suzie included, should live, here are some of my favorite AUs (in general, I love things that decrease the stakes for everyone involved because these days I just want to be coddled and comforted):

1. Time Lord Tosh or Ianto: I just think Time Lord Tosh makes a whole lot of sense and that she would make a fantastic companion to the Doctor (regardless of whether she’s human or a Time Lord, so that’s another AU for you, Companion!Tosh).  And of course, I love the different ways that people tackle Ianto and Jack after Ianto regains his Time Lord senses (Does he get over it by sheer force of will/love? Does Jack’s fixedness not bother him at all? Does he choose to live as a human because he can’t bear to be with Jack as a Time Lord and he also can’t bear to be without him?).

2. The Team in Boeshane: I love the idea of the whole team being taken by the Rift and dropped off in Boeshane, either with or without Jack and while past-Jack is there or not. I just love Jack’s mother taking members of the team in.

3. Harry Potter AUs: I think that it’s our prerogative to pry this universe out of J.K. Rowling’s hands, take the interesting bits, and then tell better stories in it. I headcanon Ianto as a Slytherin, Tosh as a Ravenclaw, Gwen as a Gryffindor, Owen as a Hufflepuff, and Jack as a Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, or Slytherin (depending on what happened to his family life prior to his sorting; if there are no incidents, Hufflepuff; if there was an incident with Gray, but his parent(s) didn’t reject him, Gryffindor; if there was an incident with Gray and he has a fraught or non-existent relationship with his parent(s), Slytherin).

4. Daemons AUs: I especially love Daemon AUs that keep the touching taboo and think about how the existence of daemons would impact modern life. I think that the existence of daemons also has interesting ramifications for Suzie and Ianto. Does Suzie persist with the glove even though it can’t bring back a person’s daemon? I think you could characterize her either way. Does Lisa retain her daemon despite her partial conversion? I tend to think so and that the persistence of her daemon is the reason why Ianto doesn’t give up; when her daemon disappears is when he knows its over even if he can’t accept it yet.  I don’t have a lot of defined thoughts about the daemons I’d give the team except that usually, I think of Suzie with a bird, Ianto with a scavenger, and Gwen with a canine. Jack, Tosh, and Owen are more variable in my head. I would also love to see broader HDM AUs that take more of the universe than just the existence of daemons (give me witches and the science of dust).

5. Coffee Shop AUs: Kinda. I’ve never really been particularly into Coffee Shop AUs specifically, though I do love them in the general way that I love fluffy Torchwood-doesn’t-exist AUs (Jack is a traveling artist and Ianto his muse, Gwen is a legitimate psychic who consults with law enforcement, Rhys and Ianto run a restaurant together, Owen as the A&E doctor who treats Tosh after a welding accident, Jack is a sci-fi author and Ianto writes mysteries; the possibilities are endless!), but now I’m a bit of a coffee snob (this happened independent of Torchwood; I developed my coffee habit and snobbery years after watching Torchwood) and know people who roast coffee, so I just want to see more coffee geekery. I do wonder how blasphemous it would be to update Ianto’s coffee tastes to be more in line with third wave coffee roasting preferences/innovations (which was certainly alive and well in the 2000s, especially in certain cities, but hadn’t seemed to hit Cardiff yet).

6. Role Reversal AUs: For when I feel like keeping the stakes the same, I love AUs that put Ianto in charge of Torchwood Three by whatever twist of fate you’d like with Jack working under him. Sometimes he’s immortal (so he takes on Jack’s backstory minus the coming from the future bit), sometimes he’s not (he gets put into power before or after Canary Wharf, though after seems most likely). Sometimes Jack grew up on Earth (either because his entire backstory has been changed or he was taken by the Rift as a child) and sometimes he didn’t (he can still be immortal or he can be a stranded Time Agent/Time Agent in hiding).

7. Dogs AU: Honestly I can’t explain myself. It’s completely silly and I love it. I don’t know if I’ve seen one of these in the Torchwood fandom, but AU where the whole cast are dogs and they meet at a dog park or their humans are neighbors. Jack is a retired military dog. Ianto spent some time as a street dog, was rescued, then there was some incident that put him back on the street, before being adopted (possible by Jack’s human(s)). Gwen is a former police dog that was pulled to join an experimental medical program and she now spends her days sniffing out neurodegenerative diseases. Owen is a therapy dog; his humans don’t get it because he hates strangers, but it’s like he’s a different dog around those in need. Tosh is a scarily intelligent dog who is part of the cohort of animals that is being taught how to communicate using a speech board.

[musingsofanunorgainizedmind]

Top 10 Things I Love About Supernatural

It’s been almost half a year since the show ended and now that the dust has settlIed, I just want to list ten reasons I love this show. Despite it’s flaws, it’s been quite the ride.

1. Team Free Will

When I first got the idea to make this list, I originally planned on doing entirely separate entries for “Sam & Dean” and “Destiel”. Except then I wanted to pay tribute to “Sastiel”. And then I wanted to do an entry for “Team Free Dads”. By that point, I was already halfway through the list and I hadn’t even moved on from the main characters. A few months ago, I made a post about why I love every single pairing in this group. Obviously, Sam and Dean are a legendary duo. Obviously, Dean and Cas have an unparalleled story. Obviously, Sam and Cas are an underrated team. As for Team Free Dads, I’ve always had a soft spot for father/mentor figure characters and and all three tackle the role in different ways. I love Jack, too. I love how everyone in this bizarro family is “broken” in some way. We’ve got the Allistair’s prized pupil, the spawn of satan, the boy with demon blood, and the angel who nearly obliterated all of heaven. But they help each other heal by being supportive and seeing the good in each other. They all love each other so deeply and when together, nothing can stand in their way. Not Michael, not Lucifer, and not God himself. They tore up the book and wrote their own story. And it was a pleasure to watch it all unfold.

2. The Suppporting Characters

To list every single supporting character I have loved and lost in this show would take way too long. I don’t know if it’s the writing or acting performances, but I love pretty much every single supporting character on this show. Even villains like Azazel or Allistair are top-notch villains. Hell, I even like characters like Metatron, Lucifer, Mary, and John! Characters like Rufus, Charlie, Crowley, Rowena, Kevin, Ellen, Jo, Bobby, Gabriel, Balthazar, Mick...how am I not supposed to love them??? All of their stories were cut so short. I’d watch a show about any of these characters. The Wayward Sisters were robbed. So many ships were gone too soon (Sam/Rowena, Dean/Jo, Cas/Meg, Etc.). So many heartbreaking deaths. I want to be best friends with all these characters. Why be a “dean-girl” or a “sam-girl” when you can be a garth-girl? A kevin-girl? A claire-girl? A bela-girl? There are so many great characters with interesting and compelling backstories and so much untapped potential. I could go on forever on this, but I digress.This show has one of the best supporting casts I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

3. The Themes

It’s no accident that I got addicted to this show at the time that I did. Namely, my Senior Year of College and 2020. Graduating college and entering the “real world” felt like it’s own sort of apocalypse. 2020 definitely exacerbated my worst tendencies. Messages like “family don’t end in blood”, “you can write your own story”, and “always keep fighting” really resonated with me. I could definitely relate to the feelings of insecurity these character’s felt and the ways they suppressed/repressed their issues instead of facing them. I could relate to the feelings of not fitting in and I could definitely relate to the loneliness. This show helped remind me that I’m not alone. That it’s okay if my values and identity don’t line up with the what I envisioned for myself. And, most importantly, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that I should never give up. If Dean, Sam, and Cas can keep moving forward despite their demons and despite how bad it gets, so can I. Regardless of how the story ended, these themes resonated with me and I’ll still hold them with me. A single episode can’t take that away.

4. The Fun Episodes

This show has so many legendary standalone episodes. Changing Channels. Ghostfacers. The French Mistake. Fan Fiction. Tall Tales. Bad Day at Black Rock. When this show goes for the absurd, it goes all-in. It takes the risks it needs to take, it gets completely insane, and it pulls it off. So many of these episodes could have easily been the moment that the show “jumped the shark”. Yet, time after time, the show delivered on it’s potential. I don’t know how much I can say about these episodes except that they made me laugh out loud, made me fall even harder for these characters, and that they’re the episodes I remember best. If I were to rewatch any episode, it would be one of the fun ones. This show knew how to not take itself too seriously and how to poke fun at itself. I’ve always had a soft spot for shows that can make me laugh and cry (X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel, Doctor Who, etc.), and this show definitely nails the fun part. 

5. The Sad Episodes

Death’s Door. Hammer of the Gods. Despair. Carry On. Abandon All Hope. In My Time of Dying. Swan Song. When this show wants you to cry, it doesn’t pull the punches. It gets downright devastating. No character is safe. Literally every character you love will either be forgotten or will die. Or both. The amount of trauma Sam and Dean have to go through is insane. Both have literally been to hell and back. Both have killed countless people, including innocents. When this show decides it wants to wreck you, it’s overwhelming. I sobbed when Bobby died. I sobbed when every single member of Team Free Will died for the final time (I still can’t watch any of those scenes). I still wish Jo, Ellen, Charlie, Kevin, Mick, and Gabriel had been given more time to tell their stories. Being a hunter means a life of endless angst. Being an angel or demon doesn’t get you off the hook, either. I remember going into this show thinking it couldn’t hurt me. My favorite character type is “mentor/father figure”. But holy hell...I don’t think every single sad moment was necessarily good writing, but when it was? Damn. 

6. The Biblical Themes

I’m not a relgious person. But, despite this show being steeped in Christian mythology, it really touched on my feelings about the Old Testament in a profound way. Well, really just Ben Edlund and Robbie Thompson did. I’ve never seen a show really hit the overall feel of the bible the way this show does. The idea of Angels as mystical and terrifying creatures. The idea of God as a flawed father figure with a penchant for wrath. The sheer epicness of the biblical stories. The idea of family members constantly being turned on each other. Cain and Abel. Jacob and Essau. Moses and Ramses. Moses and Aaron. Abraham and Isaac. The bible is full of stories of family drama. This show doesn’t always give angels and demons weight. Sometimes it’s silly and stupid and cheesy. But when it hits right? It’s epic. This is more of a personal thing I love about the show, but definitely a plus!

7. The Music

The early seasons music is so good. I really miss the classic rock of the golden era of the show. I mean, there are still some great musical moments later on, but damn. I loved hearing songs I recognized and I loved learning new songs. I loved when the song and the scene hit perfectly in time (Death’s intro. Cas’s return in Season 13.). Also Supernatural wouldn’t be Supernatural without the ‘Carry On My Wayward Son’ song at the end of every season. Even at the end of a season I didn’t love, that recap would always get me pumped. Also Chuck singing Fare Thee Well? Dean and Lee singing together? Fan Fiction? All great. 

8. The Cast & Crew

I never care about the actors or actresses in a show. I definitely don’t bother with the names of specific writers and directors or their styles of writing/directing. They’re just random people who happen to write for or play these characters I love. They’re not actually the characters. But these guys? Well, for one, I’m pretty sure half this cast actually is their character. At least to some degree. They’re also just...really cool people? Who are all friends? They make a point to do community service, to interact with fans, and to promote positive ideas. Jared’s Always Keep Fighting campaign. Misha and GISH. The fact that they all participate in fundraising opportunities and encourage fan engagement. Do they all have issues? Definitely. Have they said stupid things? Yes. But the good far outweighs the bad. They’re an entertaining bunch whether onscreen or not and I hope they all do well in whatever their future endeavors may be.  

9. The Fandom

I joined this fandom late. To be honest, I thought this fandom was obnoxious before I found myself a part of it. Now that I’ve been in the trenches? It’s got it’s ups and downs like any fandom. There are some parts that are more toxic than others. A lot of people yelling that their opinion is the only opinion. But overall? The good outweighs the bad. And the good? The good is great. Some fanfictions I’ve read are better than actual books I’ve read and just as moving. The fanart? Incredible. I love reading all the metas about random aspects of the show I never would have noticed. I love the music videos and I love the analytical videos. In real life, I’ve made many friends through our mutual love of this show. Hell, even getting sucked into GISH once or twice has given me some solid memories and brought me closer to friends. I wish all fandoms were this much like family. I’m so glad I got to be a part of this fandom and I can’t wait to continue being a fan. After all, nothing ever stays dead in Supernatural.

10. The Chaos & Insanity

Season 16 has been a time. First, Destiel went canon. Then suddenly Sherlock was having a 5th season, Putin was retiring, and Georgia was going blue. Destiel going “canon” and Joe Biden winning the presidency will always be correlated in my mind now. Things in the fandom went from quiet to blaringly loud real fast. Carry On happened. The fandom went into a civil war. I can’t even remember half of what happened in Season 16, but it’s been a wild ride. There’s been ups (my personal favorite being the french dub and the Saileen wedding). There’s been downs (Jared’s controversial statements and the original scripts being leaked). At one point Misha Collins had sex with Bill Clinton???? It’s been a wild time. It’s honestly gotten me through the end of this pandemic. At least it’s entertaining. I would say that at least all the craziness is over, but is it ever really over? Every time I say that something else completely insane happens. But it’s been fun. I’m glad I started watching this show despite my reservations and here’s to whatever happens next. 

[immabethehero]

Schneeplestein Apparently Has a Heart

The good doctor’s birthday is here and of course I wrote a story! Just warning, this story is quite dark. Read the trigger warnings below.

TW: Suicide attempt by gunshot (not seen, just implied), suicidal thoughts and words, extreme distress, minor violence, blood mentioned.

For the short amount of time that Jackieboy Man and Marvin the Magnificent have lived with Dr. Henrik Nicholas von Schneeplestein, MD, PhD, MVP, FFS, they have learned a few important lessons, or rules:

NEVER, under any circumstances, touch the top left cupboard on the outside of the kitchen opening. That’s where Schneep’s coffee supply is, and if you touch it, even ONCE, Schneep will be out for your blood.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you mention Schneep’s wife, Lisette Schneeplestein. Apparently, the French brunette whom Schneep has been married to for the past 7 years has fucked off (Schneep’s words) back to France with her tennis instructor, Rick, short for Ricardo (Italian, apparently) and taken their two daughters with her. (Schneep has cleaned out Lisette and the girls’ rooms, and all the belongings they have left behind, in their efforts to leave so quickly, are packed away in storage containers in the garage. Schneep has yet to mail them to Lisette’s new address.)

DO NOT wake Schneep earlier than 10 AM in the morning if it’s his one day off. Despite having an early bird’s job, Schneep is not a morning person. Another reason why Schneep is dependent on coffee.

UNLESS it is an emergency, no one but Schneep is allowed in his office. As there are so many things to keep track of, and so many papers that could easily be misplaced, it is best not to touch, or even go inside the office, lest you want to throw the doctor off his game or have the doctor throw you off a cliff.

Despite these four unspoken yet very specific rules, Marvin and Jackie have learned one more this past month: despite the doctor’s arrogant, haughty, snappy, disgusting, even FERAL demeanour, he truly is a good person.

It just took a new ego to show them that.

March 30th, 2017. Schneep’s mail has been unceremoniously thrown onto the dining room table. Schneep’s hands, long and graceful, slide through the envelopes and fliers, organizing them into piles, from taxes and business inquiries to subscriptions and sales.

Jackie lazily eats his cereal, watching Schneep sort through the mail like a madman. Geez, just how popular is this guy?! It’s almost as wild as Jack’s mail. At least there’s more interesting stuff for Jack... drawings, letters of encouragement and thanks, even the rare crocheted or sculpted gift.

Schneep freezes when he comes across a particular letter, one with a cutesy pin cupcake logo. His eyes grow solemn as he picks it up and shakily opens it. Jackie cocks his head.

“Something wrong, doctor?” he asks lightly.

Schneep looks up. “Hm? Oh!” He sighs. “It’s from a baking class Sophia and I used to take together. Lisette had insisted I learn how to cook as well, so it wouldn’t always be her making the meals, and she figured it would be good bonding for me and Sophia. Soph loved those classes. We’d learn all sorts of fascinating recipes and bring the results home. They were fun, and very sweet.”

Jackie nods seriously. He knows he should leave it there, but something’s confusing him. “It’s been quite a few months since you stopped going. Why are they sending you stuff now?”

Schneep unfolds the letter. As he reads it, his eyes widen and a smile begins curling at his lips.

Somehow, that only makes more questions. “What…?”

“It’s not the company themself, it’s Chase! He was a friend from the classes! I haven’t spoken to him in forever! He’s such a lovely person, it’d be nice to see him again!” Schneep grabs his phone and hastily types in the number at the bottom of the letter. He squeals and runs off, like a teenager who just got a text from their crush.

The letter lies on the table, open for all to read. Jackie knows better than to pry into other people’s lives, but this letter is wide open, and it’s not like Schneep needs to know, so the superhero leans over and reads.

Hey Henrik,

This is probably weird to get, but I lost your phone number and I don’t know what your address is, so I asked the dudes at the baking class if I could send a letter to you via their services.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, and I thought I’d better check in and see how you’re doing, see how bachelor life is treating you. Stacy and the kids miss seeing you as well. I wanna talk to you again.

My cell is #1273-545-8903.

Hope to see you soon!

Chase Brody

Chase Brody. That sounds like an American to Jackie’s ears. He does seem like a good person, if Schneep’s reaction wasn’t enough. He must have been a friend for Schneep when the doctor went through his divorce.

The name itself sounds familiar, like a local celebrity or something. Jackie makes a mental note to look it up later. He leans back and finishes his cereal just as Schneep comes back, holding his phone out. Marvin finally emerges, his green hair resembling a rat’s nest, and no mask. Jackie takes pride in the fact that Marvin now feels comfortable enough to show his face in front of Schneep and Jackie.

“Well, change of plans, I won’t be able to come home in time for dinner with you guys,” Schneep announces. Jackie nods.

“Wait what? Why?” Marvin slurs, slumping down at the dining room table.

“I’m going to see Chase after my shift today. We agreed to meet in the park,” Schneep explains curtly, and leaves.

“Did I miss something?” Marvin asks, turning to Jackie. Jackie nods down to the letter. Marvin leans over to read, only for the letter to be snatched up by the doctor.

“Who said you could go through my stuff?!” Schneep snapped. He stormed off, letter clutched firmly in his hand. Marvin sneers at Jackie, who only shrugs and winks. The magician rolls his eyes, but he understands. A shrug and a wink means I’ll tell you later.

Schneep throws on his brown coat and grabs his bag. “Have a nice day, boys. If I don’t see you later tonight, sweet dreams and I’ll see you in the morning.” He flies out, coat flapping behind him.

“He’s gotta show me how he rocks an overcoat so well. I’m jealous of the way he holds himself. So professional,” Marvin remarks. He quickly turns to Jackie. “Spill the tea.”

“Schneep’s meeting an old friend from a baking class he used to take with his daughter,” Jackie says. “His name is Chase Brody. The name sounds so familiar to me, and I don’t know why.”

“Look it up on your phone,” Marvin suggests. Jackie does just that.

Immediately, Wikipedia comes to the egos’ rescue. Chase Brody, (born April 11th, 1988)  is an American-Irish Youtuber who is best known for his Youtube channel, Bro Average. As of February 2017, his channel has over 20 million views and over 10 million subscribers.

“Oh yeah, the trickshot vlogger!” Jackie says. “I like watching his stuff, he’s a funny dude.”

Marvin nods. “He must have kids as well.  He wouldn’t be taking classes if he didn’t.”

Jackie scrolls down to Personal Life. “‘Chase is married to Stacy Matthews, and they have three children as of 2017, two biological twins, and one recently adopted daughter.’” The selfie provided shows a man with fair skin and bright blue eyes standing next to a red-headed lady doing a duckface.

“Hm. Sounds like he’s living the good life,” Marvin says. “A well-paid job, a nice family, a happy life.”

Boy, is he wrong.

At 5 PM exactly, Schneep sits at the bench by the great oak tree, waiting for Chase. He wraps his blue and navy scarf tighter around his neck as a cool breeze whisks by. Despite what the weather people promised, Athlone is nowhere near warm, despite it being spring. He examines the park-goers who walk by, picking up on every accident that could occur.

Parents swinging their child up and down: a broken arm, arms could pull out of their sockets, or the child could fall on their head and get a concussion. Or worse, permanent brain injuries.

Kids climbing trees: Another chance to fall and hit their tiny heads and sustain brain damage, if not that, broken limbs and splinters.

Teenagers skateboarding: more broken bones and limbs, but at least SOME are smart enough to put pads and helmets on. Others have no chance of recovering fully from brain damage or concussions should they fall on their heads-

“Henrik!” Henrik snaps to life and looks around. A man wearing a puffy black jacket, torn jeans and a snapback with a pink skull on it runs over to him. Schneep stands up.

“Chase Brody! Wie geht es dir mein freund?” Schneep cries out in delight, holding his arms out. Chase happily throws himself into them.

“I’m doing as well as I can, at least. It’s so good to see your face,” Chase sighs. He nuzzles Henrik’s hair, taking in the sanitizer and mint smell he’s gotten used to. “I’ve missed you.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Schneep says. “Come, sit down next to me! Tell me how things have been.  How are Stacy and your kids? Has Chloe adjusted to the new timezone yet?” Chloe is Chase’s recently adopted daughter from China. Schneep’s last visit with the Brody’s involved meeting her.

Chase’s smile fades and he sits down next to Schneep. “Um…”

Schneep’s stomach sinks. “That’s never good. What happened? Who died?!”

“Calm down, Henrik!” Chase exclaims. “No one died! Everyone’s fine. Chloe’s adjusted quite nicely.”

“Then why do you look so sad?!” Schneep cries.

Chase fidgets with his jacket zipper, mumbling incomprehensibly. Henrik leans closer. “Didn’t catch that.”

“StacyandIaregettingadivorce,” Chase whispers. Schneep’s stomach flips and sinks.

“What?”

“Stacy and I are getting divorced,” Chase repeats, louder now. “She said she still loves me, but not quite in a… romantic way, I guess. She wants us to just be friends.”

“Well, at least she still wants to be on friendly terms, I guess!” Schneep says. “Still, I can’t believe it… you two were such a sweet couple… so in love…”

“There’s another reason why she wants a divorce,” Chase admits. Schneep’s eyes turn wide as saucers.

“She’s seeing someone. An old friend from high school. I’ve seen her texts,” Chase says. He scrunches up the end of his shirt, nose wrinkling. Schneep hears him sniff.

“I don’t know how long it’s gone on… and I know she didn’t mean to… but still…” Chase finally looks up, eyes tearing. “How could she do that? I would have been okay with it! Maybe. I don’t know!” Chase buries his face in his hands.

Schneep pats Chase’s shoulder gently. He can’t believe Stacy cheated! She and Chase were such a romantic couple! They seemed so happy! Why would Stacy throw that all away for some whore? “What a bitch…”

Chase suddenly whacks Schneep’s hand off, eyes fierce. “Don’t call her that! It’s not like that!  At least she still wants me in her life! She’s not like Lisette!” An awkward silence fills the air.

Chase gasps. “Henrik, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it that way-”

“Oh!” Schneep cries. “It’s fine! It’s no big deal!” Yeah, that was a low blow, but he would rather Chase doesn’t end up like him: cranky, alienating, friendless, alone. He needs a friend more than ever.

“No it’s not, I just sunk really low! You must be furious-”

“I’m not, I promise!” He’s not, surprisingly. Is this growth?! What the fuck?!

“I need to control myself better. I’m a grownup, for fuck’s sake, I should know better…” Chase moans, burrowing his head in his hands again.

“Chase!” Schneep exclaims. “You mustn’t beat yourself up like that! You’re one of my very best friends, which isn’t saying much because I don’t have any, but still! You have to be one of the nicest people I know! You’re anything but a dick!”

“I feel like you’re just saying that to make me feel better,” Chase mumbles, rubbing his eyes.

“I’m not, I swear !” Schneep says.

“I’m sorry, Henrik, I really am,” Chase says.

“I forgive you,” Schneep says, and means it. “I’m serious.”

“I should go,” Chase decides, standing. Schneep gets up as well.

“What? No! I’m not mad!” he protests.

“It’s my turn to pick the kids up,” Chase snaps. “I’ll see you around, Henrik. Sorry I can’t stay long.” He briskly runs off.

Schneeplestein yells and kicks the bench. “FUCK! FUCK! AAAHHH!!!”

Other park visitors turn in confusion, watching the strange man kick the bench and scream.

Schneep freezes when he notices everyone staring at him. He storms back to his car, slams the door shut and continues his screaming.

Once Schneep has finished “releasing his anger” (Jackie’s words, not his) he “reflects on the situation” (also Jackie’s words). What could he do to make Chase feel better?

He stays in the car for an hour, letting the world pass by as he thinks. By the time the sun has set, he has an idea.

Jackie and Marvin glare at each other from across the hall. Sirius the cat has hidden, choosing not to get involved. The little pegs in the cribbage board are neck-in-neck, both pegs exactly 4 steps away from the end hole. The egos stare at their cards.

“Four,” Jackie announces, putting the card down.

“Fourteen,” Marvin says.

The door flies open and Schneep rushes in, hair windswept and out of breath. “Where’s Jack?!” he demands.

“Out in his universe,” Jackie responds. “Fifteen for two!” He puts down an ace.

“Sixteen for two!” Marvin slams the ace down, looking triumphant. Jackie flips him off.

“When will he visit?!” Schneep questions.

“When he wishes,” Jackie responds. “Twenty-five!”

“How can I contact him?!”

“Why are you so interested?!” Marvin asks. “Thirty-one, bitch!” He flips Jackie off.

“I have a request for him!” Schneep responds curtly. 

“What kind?” Jackie asks.

“It’s for a friend,” Schneep brushes him off, heading to his lab.

“Chase Brody?” Marvin guesses. Jackie kicks him.

Schneep turns around. “What did you say?”

Marvin gulps. “You left your letter on the table for me to read. I was fast enough to catch the gist before you snatched it up. So how is Chase Brody?”

Schneep growls softly and walks back to the table. Marvin sits up with his head held high, bracing himself for the punishment. No matter what Schneep does, slugging, kicking, ruining his hair, the magician can take it.  He’s been through worse.

To Marvin and Jackie’s surprise, Schneep pulls up a chair and sits down. The doctor takes a deep breath. “Chase Brody is divorcing his wife. That’s all I’m going to say.”

Jackie and Marvin nod in understanding. “That’s sad to hear,” Jackie remarks, solemnly.

“But how’s talking to Jack going to help?” Marvin queries.

“I want him to make a video for Chase,” Schneep says. “If this so-called community exists, I want to see them show their love for Chase! It’s the least he deserves!”

Marvin and Jackie catch each other’s gaze. Schneep glares at Jackie expectantly.

“Well? You’ve lived with Jack the longest. How do you contact him?!” Schneep demands.

“I have his number in case of emergencies, but I’ve never had a reason to call him! I don’t even know if he’s available,” Jackie explains.

“He has to be.  What else does a man who plays video games for a living do?!” Schneep snaps, incredulous. “It’s not like he has to be places or anything!” He looms over Jackie, a desperate, pleading look in his eyes. Jackie nearly topples out of his chair.

“I guess I could give it a shot,” the superhero mumbles.

Schneep squeals in delight and wraps his arms tightly around Jackie in what Jackie assumes to be a hug. The superhero pats the doctor’s arms, taken aback by his strength.

After a few sickeningly sweet seconds, Marvin pipes up, “Uh, doc? I think Jackie needs to be able to breathe in order to call Jack.”

Sheepishly, Schneeplestein lets Jackie go. The superhero gulps in big gasps of air, before grabbing his phone and dialing Jack’s number.

A day later, Jack McLoughlin sits at the egos’ dining room table, chomping away on mashed potatoes and a juicy steak.

“My goodness, you never told me what a good chef you were, Schneep!” he sighs in ecstasy.

Schneep bows his head, face glowing red. Jackie raises an eyebrow. Schneep almost NEVER blushes when given a compliment. It’s strange to see the doctor act so shy and humble around someone, especially Jack. It feels like only yesterday Schneep was bombarding Jack with questions about where he came from and how the alternate universe worked. Since that day, Jack has quickly risen to become one of Schneep’s favourite people on the planet. Not that Jackie is jealous or anything…

“Just a little recipe I learned for my wife…” Schneep mutters, playing with the end of his lab coat. Across the table, Marvin snickers lightly, watching the doctor fumble for words. Finally, some entertainment!

“So, what was the call for?” Jack asks. “Just wanted to say hi?” His expression darkens. “Is it Anti? What did he do?!”

“It’s not Anti.  We haven’t heard from him for a while!” Jackie says. Jack sighs in relief.

“I mean, I know I made that video for PAX and all but I just wanted to make sure,” Jack says.

“You made an Anti video for PAX?!” Marvin cries. “Why?”

“Because the fans would enjoy it! Also because I was running out of ideas for what to do for an opening,” Jack admits. “It just seemed like the right amount of fun and originality without being too over the top!”

“When is Anti not over the top?” Jackie scoffs. That earns a laugh from the others.

“Actually, it’s Schneep who has a question for you,” Marvin says.

Jack turns to Schneeplestein. Schneep’s smile disappears. He looks around the table, watching everyone’s gaze. He grins nervously at Jack.

“Could I ask you in private? This stuff… it is… personal.”

“Sure. Let’s go,” Jack says, standing up. Schneep follows after him.

In the upstairs hallway, Schneep spills everything. He explains who Chase is, what’s going on in his life, and how he believes making Chase an ego could help his situation.

“Make another ego? Oh god, I’m having enough trouble managing you all right now,” Jack admits.

“All you have to do is make one video. The fans can do the rest,” Schneep presses.

“How?”

“By showing their love for Chase! He’s a funny and sweet guy! Your fans would love him!”

“How will the community’s love help a man struggling with a divorce?” Jack questions.

“Their love will lift his spirits and he will feel more confident and happy! You said you noticed a difference in us after the community made content of us! If that is really true, then I want to see them show their love for Chase. It’s the least he deserves!”

Jack is silent, contemplating the pros and cons. Finally, he sighs and says, “Can you show me what he usually does?”

Schneep types something into his phone. He logs onto Youtube and types a channel name into the search bar. Bro Average.

“Bro Average? Is that a parody of Dude Perfect?” Jack asks, chuckling.

“Well, it’s because there’s only one person performing every stunt, and because it’s less... professional than the other channel,” Schneep explains. “For example-”

The video shows Chase at a park, holding a Nerf gun and wearing a goofy grin. “Sup, guys! I’m Chase, and welcome to Bro Average!” He shoots a nerf dart off-screen, only for it to crash into something, invoking a cat screech. Chase pretends to be startled.

It flashes forward to Chase in a tree. “This one’s called, ‘Multitasking’!” He hangs off a branch while trying to knock over six cups stacked up on each other with darts. Jack can’t stop snickering at Chase’s antics, as he wobbles and threatens to lose his balance. Chase yelps and squeals, and a few times, swearing can be heard, though it’s censored by loud beeps. Finally, Chase hits his target, just as the branch snaps. Chase whoops with glee as he crashes onto the ground, the branch smacking into his head. His cameraman runs over to him, worried, but Chase is rolling on the ground in laughter as tears run down his face.

“He is not nearly as good as the professionals, but his humour and authenticness bring in the fans,” Schneep says, smiling.

“He sounds like a blast!” Jack takes the phone and begins to skim through Chase’s videos. “I bet I could make something work! I’ll borrow an office space, bring a couple friends and film a few shots! Can’t be that hard!”

“So you will do it?!” Schneep cries.

“Absolutely! Give me a couple days and it will be ready!”

Schneep cheers and engulfs Jack in a bear hug. Jack laughs and pats his friend’s back. It’s nice to see the doctor open up at last to his new roommates and creator, and so quickly, as well. Jack decides Schneep can be rewarded for his good nature by granting his wish and helping out a new friend.

A few weeks pass. Schneeplestein schedules more visits with Chase. The two fathers laugh and chat, learning more about each other and discussing whatever they please without the worry of kids hearing. Schneep feels his spirits lift whenever he sees Chase’s snapback and hears his cheerful voice.

In the night, a familiar sensation returns to the egos’ dreams. Sounds of a Nerf gun, kids laughing and on the rare occasion, a man crying fills the egos’ heads as they sleep. Schneep feels his heart break when he hears Chase’s cries. He hopes this video will help Chase. It has to.

April 11th, 2017. The egos are gathered around the dining room table, Jack’s Youtube account open on his laptop. 

Jack idly sits at the centre, waiting for Schneep to arrive with Chase. Marvin and Jackie play another round of cribbage, and this time Jackie seems to be way ahead on the board, much to the magician’s dismay.

“I’m going to be skunked! I hate this game so fucking much!” Marvin gripes, as he receives two points for his math efforts.

Jackie snickers as he counts his cards. “This takes both luck and skill. You’re a fast learner, Marv.  I’m sure you’ll pull through soon.”

“Not soon enough,” grumbles Marvin as Jackie moves his peg 16 points.

The door opens and Schneep walks in with Chase Brody right behind him. Compared to the laughing man with the warm aura in Google Images, this Chase looks cold and kind of grumpy.

“Chase, this is Jack McLoughlin, our ‘creator’ and a wonderful man,” Schneep introduces. Jack awkwardly holds his hand out for a shake. Even though he’s seen versions of himself several times this past year, it’s still rather unnerving to be given death stares by himself but with yellow hair, snapback and a fair share of freckles.

“Jack, this is Chase Brody, your newest ego and the face of Bro Average!” Schneep continues. Chase raises an eyebrow.

“Ego? Like alter ego?” Chase turns to the others, and realizes that they share the same hair and face. “Oh... my... dog. Am I a fictional character?! Is this a character intervention with the narrator?! Whatever happened, I promise, I didn’t do it! Sally encouraged me to eat the worm!” Chase kneels before Jack, cowering and whimpering.

Jack chuckles nervously. “Relax, Chase! Technically, you are a fictional character-” Chase shrieks in alarm.

“But only in another universe. You’re very much a real person in this one,” Schneep concludes, helping Chase up by the arm. Chase shakes the doctor off and Schneep tries his best to hide his hurt.

“To put it simply, some of the videos on my channel don’t exist in this universe. This is because they’re about you… egos,” Jack recites. “You’re the most recent ego, however, your video and beginnings are a bit different because I already had some course material to go off of.”

Jack clicks play on the video. Chase sits down and gasps as Jack-as-Chase flies around the office, performing trickshots and screaming like a toddler who drank too much apple juice. Is… is this him?! The accuracy! Holy shit! They even got his bloopers right! Creepy!!! Is he being stalked?!

Schneep watches from afar, fidgeting with his lab coat. Chase hasn’t moved once since the video started. He doesn’t look angry… but at the same time, he doesn’t seem to be enjoying his Power Hour. Truth be told, it’s not like the Doctor particularly likes his Power Hour either. Jack didn’t have to go and mention his cheating wife… or the fact that Peter did die at one point… Nonetheless, Chase is just sitting there, with wide eyes.

Jack, on the other hand, is already regretting what he did. Perhaps he emphasized too much on the “Not-As-Professional-Or-Successful” part. Maybe he made Chase too goofy or not as three-dimensional as he could have. The Youtuber catches a glimpse of the screen. Oh no. It’s the part with-

“Stacy, please, I know, I’m trying to get all the shots, look, just please don’t take the kids!” Jack-as-Chase pleads. Schneep and Jack-in-the-flesh turn white as a ghost. Chase frowns.

“This one’s called, ‘I’m Staying At My Sister’s This Weekend’!” Jack-as-Chase announces. It flashes back to him on the phone. “Well, I don’t care what your sister says! Just please! At least let me see them on the weekend still!”

Jack scratched his neck nervously and teethed on his knuckles, face beet red. Chase looks horrified. Schneep looks just as worried. Marvin and Jackie awkwardly stand up to leave.

Chase pauses the video just as Jack-as-Chase sobs. He takes a deep breath and turns to face his “creator”. “So… are you the reason my wife and I are getting a divorce?”

Jack gapes, taken aback by Chase’s accusation. He doesn’t want to throw Schneep under the bus, but at the same time, Chase wasn’t exactly “created” like the others-

“Not exactly!” Schneep interferes. “It… it was my idea. I thought if I got Jack to make a tribute video in honour of you, it would help you!”

“Help me?!” Chase laughs, a harsh and cold sound compared to his whoops and chuckles in his videos. “How?! By running my wife’s name through the dirt?!” Jack flinches.

“Fair enough,” Schneep says with a groan. “I should have been more specific when I said divorce and kids.”

“You told-?!”

“I thought if you knew you had a big name on your side you’d feel better! It was supposed to be a little treat!” Schneep counters.

“Oh, what am I, a little pity party to you?” Chase snaps. “My divorce was private information, Schneep.  Why else did you think I wanted to talk to you alone?! Now the whole world knows and Stacy’s going to be treated horribly because of you shits-”

“Not the whole world!” Schneep exclaims. “Just… all… of Jack’s world.”

“Shut up,” Chase hisses. “I don’t care that there’s more than one universe. So be it. What I care about is the fact that you betrayed my trust and now people are going to treat Stacy like she was a freaking bitch. This may come as a surprise to both you and Jack, but not all women are cheating whores like Lisette, asshole!”

SMACK. Chase cries out. The egos and Jack huddle together. Schneep’s breathing slows as he registers the sting in his hand and Chase rubbing his red cheek.

Schneep takes a deep breath, and in chilling, low, icy words, he snarls, “Don’t ever say her name again.”

Chase recovers from the slap and storms over to the door. “Whatever. You know what?! Stay away from me and whatever’s left of my family. I don’t care if I’m a part of your ‘creator’s’ story or whatever, I JUST WANT YOU OUT OF MY LIFE.” Chase grabs his coat and slams the door shut with a loud BANG. Schneep remains at the dining room, breathing unsteadily, vision somewhat blurry.

“Doctor? Are you alright?” Jackie whispers, reaching a hand out.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Schneep runs upstairs to his room and slams the door. Muffled sobs soon echo down the hallway.

Jack’s heart breaks in two. He really thought this video was a good idea. Somehow, all it brought was pain. He sighs defeatedly and slumps down at the table. Marvin closes the laptop.

“Shit… that was awful…”

“And it was supposed to be Chase’s birthday present!” Jack moans. “Ahhhhh, I feel like an asshole… I shouldn’t have been so mean…”

“It’s not your fault…” Jackie soothes. “You made an assumption and played it with satire. Schneep shares some of the blame as well. He should have kept that part quiet.”

“And I should have kept that out of the video…” Jack sighs. “Now Chase feels even worse about the divorce and he wants nothing to do with us…”

Jackie and Marvin sit down beside Jack and rub his back. Jack sighs again and rests his head on the table.

Upstairs, Schneep screams into his pillow, tears finally flowing. He hates himself and Chase and everything that’s happened. That’s what he gets for helping a friend. Ungrateful bastard-

No. Schneep should have known better! That was private information, he had no right poking his nose in and telling everyone. Well, it was just one person, but still! Now Chase never wants to speak to him again and he’s lost the only friend he’s had in a while and everything sucks and he just wants to curl up and die. Schneep pulls his hair and screams again. He can’t sleep, but at the same time, he can’t do anything else. So he remains in bed, crying and thinking. Eventually, long into the night, he falls asleep, cheeks wet and eyes sore.

Schneep wakes up feeling like absolute shit. His cheeks are somewhat sticky and damp. He must have been crying in his sleep. His stomach feels awful. But it’s a work day, so he gets out of bed.

Schneep stumbles into his ensuite bathroom and splashes cold water on his face. He shudders when he sees his reflection. Grey skin, messy hair, red eyes. He doesn’t smell so good either. Sighing sadly, Schneep throws off his clothes and turns on the shower faucet.

When he hops out of the shower, he puts on his scrubs and grabs his spare labcoat. He trudges downstairs, where Marvin is waiting with fluffy chocolate-chip pancakes on the table.

“Morning, doc,” Marvin greets cheerfully. His smile fades when he sees Schneep’s ashen face. “Everything alright?”

“I’m fine,” Schneep replies hoarsely.

“I made you some coffee,” Marvin continues. “I know you like it.”

Schneep grunts softly and pours himself a large cup. As he drinks he heads to the hook of keys by the front door, only to find-

“Where are my keys?” Schneep asks, staring at the space where his car keys used to hang.

“I saw Sirius knock them off earlier,” Marvin replies, flipping through the nearest magazine. “I tried to catch her, but she’s so fast.”

“Where is she right now?” Schneep inquires, trying to sound as calm as possible.

“Beats me. I can’t control her,” Marvin says calmly.

Schneep growls and pounds on the table. Marvin jumps slightly, but quickly recovers and goes back to his reading.

“This isn’t funny, Marvin.  I need to get to work!” Schneep snaps. “I’m already falling behind schedule.”

Marvin snorts, looking up from the magazine. “You think you’re fit to go to work? Your face is bright pink, you’ve got large shadows under your eyes and I heard you crying for who knows how many hours last night.”

“I have allergies! They were just acting up!” Schneep snaps.

“Oh, really? Allergies? That’s rich coming from the man who claims to have ‘the strongest immune system in the world’!” Marvin scoffs.

“Even the strongest immune systems have off days, okay?!”

“That doesn’t even make any sense! Henrik, are you even hearing yourself?!”

Schneep fights back more tears. “Marvin, please, tell me where the keys are! I can’t be late for work!”

“And you won’t be! I called the hospital and asked them to give you a day off!” Marvin says.

Schneep almost drops his mug. “You… you did what?!”

“I told them it was a family emergency,” Marvin admits. “And that we didn’t know how long it would be. They understood, told me to tell you to take as many days off as you need.”

“Which is none,” Schneep scowls. “I’m fine.”

“No you’re not.”

“Yes, I am!”

“Henrik, you said you didn’t want Chase to go through his divorce alone and friendless, like you. You’re going through a tough time right now.  The last thing you need is to be alone.”

Schneep gapes at the magician, tears threatening to fall. Marvin stares back, heart thumping loudly. He prays he didn’t say the wrong thing. He hopes this works.

Maybe it’s because he didn't get enough sleep, or maybe it’s because he’s never had anyone be so concerned for his well-being that they screwed up his schedule, but Henrik finally lets his anguish go, and collapses, bawling like a little baby. Marvin gets down from his seat and wraps his arms around the doctor, soothing him and singing softly.

Jackie finally emerges from the bathroom, and joins the cuddle pile in the kitchen. As Henrik finally slumps completely into Marvin’s arms, he and the superhero high-five and move the sleeping doctor into the living room for a day of Netflix and cuddles.

Five days pass. Henrik sits at his desk, tapping his pen. In front of him is the start of a letter, with only the words “Dear Chase,” written on it.  He needs to apologize to Chase, but just doing it by text seems insensitive. So written letter it is! Now… where to start…

Dear Chase,

I’m sorry. What I did was wrong and there’s no way to excuse my behaviour. I really believed I was doing the right thing by telling Jack, but I should have known better than to air dirty laundry.

The doctor shakes his head and crumples up the page. He can do better than that. Now to start over-

His phone begins playing the familiar sound of a monitor beeping. He really needs to change his ringtone.  It’s too painful to hear after all the dead patients that came with it.

Henrik freezes when he notices the name. Chase. Why is he calling? Heart thumping and hands shaking, Henrik picks up the phone.

“Hello? Chase?”

“H-hi, d-doc…” Chase answers in a raspy whisper. The sound of sniffling is not lost on Henrik.

“Chase? Are you okay?”

“Not really…” Another sniffle. “But I will be… soon.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m sorry for all the shit I said… It was wrong of me to bring up your own divorce… I-I shouldn’t have been so harsh…”

“No, Chase, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have brought up your divorce in the first place! I thought I was doing good by telling Jack, but he clearly misinterpreted it. I shouldn’t have mentioned it…”

“It’s alright… you were just trying to make me feel bet-better… I just overreacted… I overreact to eve-everything… I’m such a bay-baby.” Chase sounds like he’s holding back tears.

“No you’re not. You had every right to be mad… I’m sorry for slapping you. How’s your cheek?”

Schneep hears Chase chuckle softly. “It’s fine… It doesn’t hurt as much as other injuries…” The laugh turns into a sob.

“Other injuries?! What do you mean?!” Henrik demands. “Chase, you’re worrying me!”

“I’m sorry… I can’t seem to do anything right… All I do is upset people…” Chase is outright crying now.

“Chase, please tell me where you are,” Henrik pleads, getting up. “I need to make sure you’re okay!”

“No… I don’t think you’ll want to see this…” Chase mumbles. He takes a deep but shuddery breath. “I have to go. Goodbye, Henrik.”

“Chase?! CHASE?!” Henrik screams. The phone line goes dead. Henrik yelps and quickly rushes into his contacts. He finds Stacy’s name and calls her.

She answers on the first ring. “Henrik? It’s been so long! How are you?”

“Where is Chase right now?”

“What?”

“Where is he living?”

“What’s going on? What did he say to you? Is he okay?”

“Call 999. I don’t believe so.”

Henrik hangs up and dashes out of his office, up the stairs and to the front door, where he grabs his keys and coat. Marvin and Jackie sit at the kitchen island, both on their phones.

“Henrik? What’s going on?”

“I have to go to the hospital. I’ll be back,” Henrik answers curtly. He throws on his coat and leaves.

Henrik runs into the hospital and quickly signs himself in. A nurse comes by and squeaks in surprise when she sees him.

“Dr. Schneeplestein? What are you doing here? Isn’t today your day off?”

“Time is broken, Cass,” Dr. Schneeplestein replies. He dashes off to the emergency room. Cass quickens her pace, trying her best to catch up to him.

“Have there been any emergencies yet?” Schneep demands.

“I think an ambulance is arriving soon-” Cass begins.

“Who’s the patient?” Schneep asks.

“A man attempted suicide-” Cass starts.

“I’ll treat him,” Schneep announces.

The doors open and medics rush in, driving a man on a gurney. Schneep pales when he sees red. The good doctor swallows his fear and tears. Now is not the time to be a baby. He’s not called the good doctor for nothing. Time to save Chase’s life.

Hours later, five nurses come in to find Dr. Schneeplestein exhaustedly sobbing against the wall, shoulders convulsing as he cries into his hands. On the gurney lies a man with yellow hair poking out of a large bandage wrapped around his head. The monitor beeps rhythmically, and the man’s chest rises and falls slowly. So why is the doctor crying?

Three nurses wheel Chase out while the other two bend down next to Schneep. One nurse, Kate, tentatively places a hand on his shoulder. He jumps in shock.

“Schneeplestein? Are you alright?” Kate asks.

Schneep smiles shakily. “He’ll live…” He shivers and whimpers. “Oh god… so much could have happened… So much could have gone wrong… I thought I lost him a few times...” the doctor breaks off with another sob.

“Why don’t you head home? Today is your day off,” Kate suggests.

“In a little while… I need to speak to the patient first…” Schneep replies in a raspy voice. Kate nods. She and the other nurse, Matt, help the doctor up. His legs wobble and almost give out. Schneep takes a deep breath and slowly  makes his way out of the operating room and into his office.

An hour later,  Henrik reappears, wearing his comfy labcoat and drinking some tea, a rarity considering how much the doctor prefers coffee. But he needs to relax, and so Matt whipped up a nice cup of tea.

Henrik pulls up a chair and sets his cup down. He looks down at the sleeping man, face as white as the bandage wrapped around his head. Chase has never looked more fragile and vulnerable. His cheeks are sunken and there are large bags under his eyes.

Henrik rubs his face. Truthfully, he’s just as tired. He looks up at the clock. 1:11 am. God, he was in the operating room for quite a while. He doesn’t think he’ll ever be as stressed as he was today. He leans back and closes his eyes. Maybe he can get a quick nap before-

“Dr. Schneeplestein?” He opens his eyes and looks up. His stomach flips when he notices a woman with red hair that falls in waves down her shoulders.  Her soft brown eyes are full of compassion and worry. Stacy Brody. Or Stacy Matthews, to be more precise.

“Stacy…” Henrik mumbles. “What… I mean, I’m sorry. I understand this must be a lot for you.”

“I can’t believe it… I mean, I knew about his depression, I just didn’t think it would get this bad,” Stacy says, voice soft and sad.

Henrik nods. “Yes. One can’t help but wonder what the breaking point was.”

“It’s because of me, isn’t it?” Stacy whispers hoarsely, staring down at her ex-husband’s skinny frame. “I did cheat on him. I told him I wanted a divorce after he found out… I wonder what would have happened if I told him straight up about Delilah… I wonder how he would have reacted…”

Henrik is speechless. He can’t really say it isn’t her fault, but at the same time, it wasn’t as if she could straight up tell him. There really was no way of telling how he would have reacted. Henrik groans and rubs his eyes again. He can’t think straight.

His mind flickers back to the video, and his stomach sinks. Did that video… influence his decision? Should he tell her about it? Would she be mad? He takes a deep breath.

“I mentioned your divorce to another friend,” he finally says. “Said friend made a video that I think mocked Chase more than flattered him. I thought it would help… but it didn’t. Only made him even more upset.”

“A video? Was this the video that ‘Jack’ made?” Stacy asks. Henrik opens his eyes, horrified. How long has she known?! Oh god, she must despise him! Henrik whirls around to face her, face riddled with guilt.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t think he’d take it in that direction- It was a shitty idea, I was so invasive and it was absolutely despicable of me and-”

“Hey, calm down, it’s okay! It was an honest mistake!” Stacy responds calmly. “Chase told me about it. He felt awful and he was so pissed with you guys. I will admit I was a bit peeved at first, but Chase said he yelled at you and broke off his friendship with you, so I figured it was punishment enough.”

“He also brought up my wife,” Henrik says. “So I punched him.”

Stacy nods. “Ah, that’s where the bruise came from.”

Henrik cringes. Damn, did he actually hit Chase that hard? He really is a dick. He sighs and stands up. “You are more than welcome to punch me. I deserve it. I never should have brought up the divorce. It was hateful of me, really.”

Stacy shakes her head. “Oh no, I couldn’t! You saved Chase from the brink of death. It’d be so insensitive of me!”

“I insist.” Henrik holds his head up. Stacy reluctantly stands up, and raises an open palm.

“I’m sorry,” she squeaks.

“It’s fine, I can handle it,” Henrik says.

Stacy takes a deep breath… and punches him. Henrik falls back into the chair from the force. Stacy cringes.

“You… have a very strong punch,” Henrik remarks, holding his throbbing cheek. He holds a finger up when he sees her mouth move. “Don’t apologize. You were right to do so.”

“I took karate as a kid,” Stacy boasts. “I won a black belt at age five.”

“Good for you! To be honest, it wasn’t nearly as hard as my wife’s,” Henrik admits.

“Well, at least I got my ‘revenge’- wait, what?!” Stacy does a double take. “Lisette used to punch you?!”

“She only did it once,” Henrik quickly adds. “After I called her a whore.”

“Oh. That explains a lot,” Stacy deadpans.

“I deserved that as well,” Henrik says. “I just wish she hadn’t moved so far away… I wonder how the girls are doing...”

“Have your children contacted you?” Stacy lightly presses.

“I’ve tried to contact them,” Henrik says. “I don’t think Lisette lets them write or call me.”

“Then Lisette really is an ass,” Stacy explodes. “What if they do want to talk to you? She can’t hide them from you just because she doesn’t like you.”

“That doesn’t seem to stop her. I keep my phone nearby in case Sophia calls when her mother isn’t around.” Henrik pats his pocket. “Or maybe Rick will let her. He’s quite nice and he’s good with kids, which is why I was quite surprised when he turned out to be-”

“A homewrecker?” Stacy suggests. Henrik glares at her, scandalized, but she can tell he’s trying to suppress a smile.

“Sorry,” she mumbles, snickering.

“I was gonna say an ass, but that’s better,” he says. Stacy bursts out laughing, but it quickly fades when she notices Chase. She clears her throat.

“I’m going to take the kids away for a while,” she reveals. “At least until he’s emotionally stable to look after the kids.”

“You know Chase would never let his depression get in the way of being a good father,” Henrik protests.

“I know. I just feel he needs a break from it all,” Stacy says. “Mostly family life, me and Delilah in particular. Maybe she and I could go to my cottage in Scotland. We can stay there until he feels ready to share custody once more. He can’t be alone, though. We know what will happen if he does. He can’t go back home either. We still need to wash out the blood and dispose of any guns he might have. Of course I mean the real guns, but he might not want his Nerf toys either. He needs to be with someone , and that can’t be me. I just don’t know anyone he could stay with who lives in Athlone. We only just moved here.”

Henrik lights up. Holy shit. It’s like destiny! This is the perfect opportunity! “He can move in with us. He’s already an ego. He’d love it there. Sure it’s a bit chaotic, but I think he’d love it!”

Stacy raises an eyebrow. “What sort of chaotic?” she questions.

“The local superhero likes to crash there, we have a magician who INSISTS on using us for test subjects for his latest tricks, and me, the ‘feral doctor’,” Henrik lists off. “Come to think of it, I’m actually the voice of reason.”

Stacy tries her best to hide a shudder. “I feel a little worried about his safety. And no offense, but it’s a bit concerning that you’re the voice of reason in that house.”

Henrik scoffs in mock insult and shoves her gently. “Oh screw you! To be honest, Jackie is actually the smart one. I’m the one who pays the taxes and keeps a roof over their head. They’re the ones who overstayed their visit.”

Stacy rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling. She looks more relaxed than when she walked in. She stands up.

“I think it’s time I left. Good luck, Chase. I wish you all the best with your recovery.” Stacy leans over and gently kisses Chase’s cheek before turning to Henrik and holding her hand out. Henrik returns it and gives it a small squeeze, only to be pulled in for a hug. He gasps in surprise.

“Thank you Henrik,” she whispers. Henrik nods and returns the hug, holding her tightly until she signals to let go. Stacy picks up her bag and leaves.

Henrik sits back down and takes out his cellphone to call the egos. Jackie picks up after the first ring.

“Henrik? Are you okay?”

“I want you to clean the house and make some hot chocolate. We’ve got a new roommate coming to stay with us!” Henrik announces.

“Is it Chase? Is that who we’re taking in?” Jackie asks.

“Yes. I want everything to be perfect, so go! Get cleaning!” the doctor commands.

“Need us to pick you up?” Marvin suggests.

“I can drive just fine! See you soon!” Henrik hangs up just as Chase begins to stir. The doctor watches him apprehensively. He hasn’t seen Chase since the argument. How will he react?

Chase groggily opens his eyes. He can see a bright light shining down on him and closes his eyes. “Where… where am I?”

He slowly attempts to sit up. A soft pair of hands gently help him sit up and rub his back. 

Chase blinks, trying to clear his vision. The blurry blue shape slowly comes into view… Henrik! The good doctor sits beside him with an anxious expression on his face.

Chase wracks his memory to try to remember what had happened. He can feel a heavy fabric wrapped around his head. He lifts a hand to better investigate… oh.

Henrik’s heart breaks when he sees Chase drop his hand, expression forlorn. Here we go, he thinks.

“Chase?” Chase looks up. “Before you say anything, know that you have every right to be mad at me and Jack. What we did was despicable and absolutely awful. You don’t have to forgive us, and I completely understand if you never do. But you can’t be alone right now. You’re going through a really tough time, and the last thing you need to be is alone. I don’t know if you’ll accept it, but we have an extra room at home that would be a perfect spot for you to stay while you recover. I know you might not want to talk to me, but Jackie and Marvin are living with me, and they will ensure your time there will be as comfortable as possible. It’s fine if you don’t want to go, but just know that we will always be there when you need a place to stay.”

Chase is silent, simply gazing at Henrik with unshed tears. Finally, he throws his arms around Henrik’s neck. Henrik startles, but returns the hug.

“Is that a yes?” Henrik mumbles. Chase nods. Henrik sighs in relief and squeezes Chase tighter. Now all he has to do is hope Jackie and Marvin have the house ready by the time he returns.

Henrik parks the car in the driveway and turns to Chase. The vlogger fidgets with his t-shirt. Henrik puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Just warning you now, while Jackie and Marvin have good hearts and intentions, they can be little shits and there’s a good chance the house will still be a mess when we get back in. Good luck.”

Chase whimpers in fear. Henrik nods solemnly. “My thoughts exactly.”

The fathers unload the car and walk up to the front steps. Henrik takes a deep breath and opens the door.

“FIFTEEN FUCKING POINTS! I WIN AGAIN MOTHERFUCKER!” Jackie screeches. Marvin roars in anger and tosses a pillow at Jackie, who backhands it. The pillow soars across the house and slams into Henrik, who grunts in alarm and falls backward. Chase shrieks in alarm, gaping at his fallen friend.

Marvin and Jackie turn around, bright blue eyes glaring into Chase. Marvin’s eye twitches sporadically and Jackie smiles like a madman. Chase nervously waves. Marvin clears his throat and forces a sleep-deprived smile.

“Howdy, Chase!”

[mistoelectra]

Why Jack Harkness deserved better

I said I was going to write this so here it is

WHY JACK HARKNESS DESERVED BETTER (SPECIFICALLY FROM THE TENTH DOCTOR)

Okay, so this is something I’ve been meaning to write for a little while, because I’ve been rewatching New Who from the beginning, and Jack is probably one of my favourite characters, and seeing the way Ten acts towards him makes my heart hurt. It also makes me really wish they could have brought Jack back in to interact with other incarnations of the Doctor because I feel like seeing the different dynamics would have been really interesting (also let’s face it, John Barrowman would be hella up for it).

This is gonna primarily focus on Doctor Who events but draw on things from Torchwood because that obviously gave us a lot more info on Jack and his past. But also I’m not going to go too in depth with Torchwood stuff, because that’s a whole different essay with full in-depth vaguely shitty psychoanalysis (I have a degree but I am far from proficient).

Let’s start at the beginning with Jack’s first appearance in The Doctor Dances/The Empty Child, which are admittedly two of my favourite episodes of series 1. Admittedly, he does at first come off as cocky, brash, a little callous, and of course, a self-professed con-man and criminal. Except at the same time, we already get to see some of his heart. His cons are based selling space junk to (what seem to be) rather wealthy parties, then getting that junk destroyed before they find out what they’ve actually bought. He himself states that he believes the Chula ambulance was completely empty, so wouldn’t do any damage, and specifically programmed it so it wouldn’t hit anything living. While this doesn’t necessarily make things any more moral, it still says something about Jack. There are plenty who wouldn’t have even bothered to do that. There’s also the fact that he’s not doing it for money, but in an attempt to get back his stolen memories.

Continuing on, Jack rescues Rose and the Doctor from the hospital, proving further that he is not quite as callous as he might make out to be. Given he now knows they’re time agents, there’s technically nothing stopping him from just abandoning them and getting the hell out of this time period (except possibly his time agency training reminding him that he may have done fucked up and he needs to fix it). He almost immediately places his trust in the Doctor, jumps at the chance to help him, and when the time comes, he doesn’t even hesitate in getting the bomb (and don’t tell me he doesn’t know the risk to himself, because he totally does. He knows his chances of getting out of this are slim, but Jack Harkness is a self-sacrificing bastard if ever there was one).

(Brief sidetrack to Torchwood- Jack mentions in Countrycide (1x06) that he’s proficient in torture and once had a reputation as a go-to guy for getting answers, but it’s never really made clear when this occurred, or if it’s even truthful. Was it the Time Agency? Was it Victorian era Torchwood? Who knows?)

Next appearance. Boom Town. That interesting outfit choice. But that aside, this is where we get to see how smart Jack is. Sure, he’s from the future so he’s going to have knowledge that will sound impressive, but there’s also his plan to catch Margaret, which is pretty tactically sound. Again, Jack was a time agent, so he’s definitely not going to be just any old idiot, not to mention he was a soldier as well. We also see him working on the TARDIS, which is pretty much something we don’t really see other companions do much of in New Who, and certainly not in their third episode, which I think says a lot, both about Jack, and about the trust the Doctor now places in Jack.

The final two episodes. For one, and on a different tangent, Jack keeps a gun up his ass. Is this a common thing? Is this just so the Doctor can’t take it off him like he did before? How is this safe? For two, and on the same tangent, Jack stop groping the robots. Finally, can we appreciate how efficient Jack is? Sure, he’s a little confused at first, but he throws himself into the situation, lets them give him a few different outfits, then calmly takes them down, makes himself a gun and gets out of there without much hassle. His reaction to Rose’s ‘elimination’ absolutely breaks my heart just as much as the Doctor’s, because while the Doctor is just completely silent and lost looking, you can hear and see Jack absolutely going off in the background, lashing out. Similarly, his reaction upon realising that Rose is alive…just yes.

Second side track- how quickly did Jack get that TARDIS key? I mean, I know there were multiple adventures between episodes, but regardless, he had a key by Boom Town. That’s hella speedy.

And then there’s dealing with the daleks. Jack knows how big a deal this is, he was a time agent after all. One hit, that’s all it takes. The Doctor probably would have let him leave Satellite 5 if he’d asked, but he didn’t. He stepped up, almost certainly knowing he was going to die, but willing to do whatever he could to give the Doctor any little scrap of time he could. And he gets killed for it. And then he gets brought back to life, and he’s surrounded by dalek dust, and he gets to watch the TARDIS leave without him. And his expression is just so heartbroken, and it hurts so much. What is he thinking? Is he hoping they’ll come back for him? Does he think that they think he’s dead so they’ve left without him?

And this is the first of the Doctor’s assholery (albeit this is still 9 and not 10). He just abandons Jack, without any form of explanation as to what has just happened, on a satellite surrounded by dalek dust and corpses. While I appreciate all the Doctor was going through and the whole ‘Jack now makes me physically sick’ thing, like dude, c’mon, you owe him an explanation. He has literally just died for you, it’s the very least you can offer.

And then there’s all the shit Jack goes through before they reunite again. I could spend all day going into depth on this but let’s just summarise it: managing to get back to Earth, ending up in 19th century Cardiff, 150 years of waiting which include: dying a lot (like seriously, he has at least two separate times where people essentially kill him on repeat just because he can come back, don’t tell me that doesn’t have an effect on your psyche), being tortured, being more or less coerced into a job, two world wars, several lost loves, his boss killing the entire team and then himself, being forced into a leadership position that he does not want, recruiting his own team, Canary Wharf and Rose’s name on the list of the dead, Suzie, being shoved into the rift (Thanks Ianto), a cyberwoman in his own basement (Thanks Ianto), being blamed by his entire team for the faeries and Jasmine, watching another man out of his time kill himself and being unable to do anything but keep him company, watching one of his team more or less let a weevil attack him, being mutinied against and killed by a team member (Thanks Owen), and then getting his life energy devoured by a legitimate hell beast.

And then the Doctor shows up, and Jack runs for him, and the Doctor runs away. Nothing like a stinging sense of rejection and a jaunt to the end of the universe to help your self esteem. And pretty much the first thing the Doctor does is criticise him. And what’s worse is that the Doctor won’t even admit that he abandoned Jack. ‘Busy life. Moving on.’ It’s just such an incredibly callous statement that just completely ignores Jack’s feelings and just seems to treat him as a piece of trash to be discarded. And Jack would be wholly within his right to go off at the Doctor, but he doesn’t. Instead he asks about Rose, and there’s the hug, because he can just tell that the Doctor has something against him, but Rose is a somewhat neutral territory.

Cue the Doctor being blatantly rude to Jack for an entire scene about both his vortex manipulator and his abandonment, as well as making it more or less clear to Jack that he knew all along about Jack’s immortality. That him being left on the Game Station was no accident. And that’s just cold. And yet despite all this, the moment Jack’s with them again, the Doctor’s immediately controlling him. Dictating what he can and can’t do, and in all honesty, it feels very much like he’s still treating Jack as the brash playboy he knew in his last regeneration? Like he can’t see just how much Jack has changed since they last met, how he’s most certainly not the same man he was. He also willingly throws Jack into a situation which is dangerous and will probably cause him pain (don’t tell me that radiation chamber didn’t cause Jack pain. Just because it can’t kill me doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt) just because he knows Jack will do anything for him (and also Jack would probably volunteer anyway because he’s that sort of person). And he admits to Jack’s face that he’s known all along, that he ran away from him. He point blank tells Jack to his face that he’s wrong and that he can hardly bear to look at him, without so much as a thought to how that’s bound to feel. Asks Jack if he wants to die. The whole conversation just makes me feel on edge because it does not feel at all like a healthy friendship.

Then, when Jack tells him he’s with Torchwood, there’s the Doctor’s reaction, and it’s just so vehement. His lack of belief in Jack is just heartbreaking, because it’s such a switch from his relationship with the 9th Doctor. It’s like Jack isn’t a companion to him anymore, but more of a sort of tool. And in the Year That Never Was, we pretty much get implied that Jack gets repeatedly tortured and killed for at least the third time in his existence, over and over for an entire year. It seems pretty likely too that the Master probably executes the rest of the Torchwood team too, probably using them in an attempt to break Jack. Sure, it all gets reversed, but it clearly fucks with Jack (and we can see that in Torchwood series 2). But Jack holds up the brave front, destroys the paradox machine. And you can bet it probably hurt him like hell when the Doctor mentions keeping the Master in the TARDIS, because it kinda seems like he’d rather have the Master there than Jack. And sure, he offers to let Jack come with him, but I feel like it’s an empty offer. He knows that Jack has found something else in their time apart, knows he’s probably not going to accept. And then of course, he breaks Jack’s vortex manipulator. While I do understand this, it also makes me sad, because if he’d at least left the teleport function working, there’s a chance that Owen and Tosh could have been saved.

Jump to their next reunion after Jack has faced the following: dealing with the psychological trauma from all the shit that just happened to him, losing Owen, bringing him back, finding his long lost little brother and being stabbed by him then buried under Cardiff for nearly 2000 years, being frozen for like a century, having to stop his little brother, losing Tosh, losing Owen again. And when the world needs saving, Jack doesn’t hesitate to jump straight in, especially once they get through to the Doctor, even though he is quite clearly terrified of the daleks. He’s the only one to actually be somewhat calm and methodical when the Doctor is shot. In the dalek ship, he willingly sacrifices himself in order to be able to explore the ship more and find some way to help them. But the moment he starts making threats, there’s the Doctor’s disapproval back again. But they do it, they save the world, they go home.

And then Children of Earth happens. Jack’s entire world shatters. He loses Ianto. He has to sacrifice his own grandson to save the world. The Doctor is nowhere in sight. Jack leaves Earth, crushed. And the Doctor does his little journey through the companions to say goodbye. He saves Martha and Mickey. He gives the scratch card for Donna. He saves Luke for Sarah Jane. He visits Rose just to see her again.

And Jack?

He gives Jack Alonso. And maybe it’s just me, but I find it wholly uncomfortable. It’s a possibility the Doctor doesn’t know about the whole affair with the 456 and what Jack went through, or that he more specifically doesn’t know about Jack’s losses. But it’s also possible that he does. And he feels like the best thing he can do is to essentially offer him a shag. Even though he’s very clearly heavily grieving (No hate to Alonso, I love him) and has just lost someone he deeply loved. It feels like further confirmation of the fact that Ten still sees him as the playboy he was. Because let’s face it, Jack still flirts like a champ, but Torchwood very much paints him as that only extending to his flirting. Any further seems to fall exclusively within having relationships, which are considerably infrequent in the series (with Estelle, Angelo, Lucia and Ianto seeming to be the principal partners in his life over his 150 years). To be fair, this ‘gift’ to Jack doesn’t really seem so much an asshole move, as just Ten no longer understanding Jack, not in the way he used to.

But yeah, this got kinda longer than I initially expected and could probably do with severe editing but oh well, here it is in it’s entirety anyway.

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

The Girl Next Door (Part 7) - Hunter’s Garage

Summary: Dean brings Jack to his first day of work and has a chat with his buddies about his new girlfriend...

The Girl Next Door Masterlist

Pairing: Neighbor/Mechanic!Dean x baker!reader

Word Count: 3,400ish

Warnings: language

A/N: Parts of this series are told from two different POV’s. Dean’s POV are written from limited third person. Reader’s POV are second person (like a typical reader insert). Enjoy!…

Dean’s POV

“Later, Eileen. Sam’s extra rascally today so I’d keep an eye on him,” teased Dean on the way out of the house the next morning.

“Oh but that just makes it more fun,” she said, laughing when she heard Sam shout for her inside. “Have a good day at work, Dean.”

“You too,” said Dean, hopping down the front steps. He glanced over, catching Jack sitting on Y/N’s front porch, looking over. “Well get over here. We got work.”

Jack was across the yard like that, sliding into the passenger seat of Baby quickly. Dean turned on a quiet rock station and backed out, heading for town.

“So, how’d last night go?” asked Dean. “At your sister’s.”

“Good,” said Jack, staring out the window. “I’m sorry for being rude the other morning.”

“S’all good,” said Dean. “You feeling any better?”

“In a way. Just…”

“Just…” said Dean.

“Y/N’s expecting a lot from me. I don’t want to screw it up,” he said.

“Jack, buddy. Your sister wants you to be happy again, trust me. She doesn’t want to stress you out. She wants to help. A job gives you some responsibility and independence and the whole curfew thing, I think that’s more so she knows you’re home safe at the end of the day,” said Dean.

“I’m not...I don’t want to hurt myself. I can’t believe I ever thought that way in the first place,” he said. “She’s the one that made me realize the mistake I was making.”

“Well it sounds like life was a bit rough for ya. You ever get feeling like that again though, talk to your sister. She ain’t around, come find me or Sammy or one of the guys from the shop once you get to know ‘em,” said Dean.

“You don’t even know me. Why would you even care?” asked Jack.

“I care about your sister. Probably more than I should for how short a time we’ve known each other. But your sister cares about our family too so we pay that back. She doesn’t have a lot out there so that means taking care of you is pretty important to me. You get that?” said Dean.

“You like her so you want me to be okay,” said Jack.

“Yeah but, I get what it’s like to have asshole parents, even if ours fixed their shit. It’s hard being the big brother.”

“You’ve never tried to off yourself,” he said.

“No. I haven’t. But I understand what it is to feel low, feel you’re less than other people. You’re not, Jack. Try, for your sister, and for me. She’s not trying to babysit you or control you. She wants you to be okay, that’s it.”

“You must really like her, huh?” said Jack, cracking a smile.

“Shut up,” said Dean, smiling in return. “Let’s go survive your first shift. You’ll have to get a ride in days I’m not working but-”

“That’s fine. I’ll manage,” said Jack. “Promise.”

“Pst,” said Dean, waving over Benny from where he was talking to Cas at the front desk. “How’s the new kid doing?”

“Kid barely knows what a steering wheel is,” deadpanned Benny.

“Come on, dude,” groaned Dean.

“I’m not gonna cut him loose. He’s a bit green is all. He’s your girl’s brother? As long as he shows up to work and learns, he’s more than welcome,” said Benny. “Unlike our suit wearing friends.”

“Really,” said Cas. “I work in a doctor’s office, Benjamin.”

“Oh. Benjamin,” said Dean with a smirk. Benny whacked him in the back of the head, leaning back against the counter. “Ass.”

“Aren’t you like, supposed to be helping people sort out their shit?” asked Benny. “I mean, we know you’re a lazy ass but golf don’t start this early in the day, hm?”

“You’re a little shit, Benny,” said Cas with a big smile.

“Love you too, kitten,” said Benny.

“We need a boys night,” said Cas. “Been a few weeks.”

“More like a month. Last one we had was before Sam had his accident, wasn’t it?” said Benny.

“I kind of got a date on Saturday,” said Dean. “At that music festival.”

“Oh, what a refined gentleman we have,” said Benny.

“I bet he bought supreme nachos, not just the basic kind,” said Cas.

“Fancy,” teased Benny.

“I really like Y/N, assholes, and I basically have zero time to actually be a good boyfriend and take her out and-”

“Dude. We’re fucking with you. Go hang with your girlfriend. We’ve only known you for like our whole lives,” said Cas. “We can handle a boys night without Dean Winchester.”

“Hey, you know what? Why don’t we have boys night at Sam’s place on Friday? Invite your girlfriend over and the new kid. We’ll keep it tamer than normal but we can keep an eye on ‘im, you know?” said Benny.

“Tamer than normal? We ain’t visiting Cas at college anymore,” teased Dean.

“I still do not remember what happened spring break my senior year,” said Cas.

“We do,” said Dean with a laugh. “If Sammy’s good with it then sure. Couple rules though.”

“Eh, we know Avy’s around. We’ll behave,” said Benny.

“No, I know. I mean...like no messing with Sam like normal, like taking his beanie off or something,” said Dean.

“Hey, we’re all for mentally scarring little Sam, been doing it since we were kids. We ain’t going to actually be cruel though. We like the pup.”

“Pup that turned out to be bigger than all three of us,” said Cas.

“Yeah, why you so short, Winchester?” asked Benny.

“Shut your face hole,” said Dean with a laugh. He saw Jack walk over a bit nervously, swallowing before he came to a stop. “What’s up, Jack?”

“I uh, I finished changing the oil,” said Jack. “What should I do now?”

Benny looked over to the wall and up at the clock.

“Take your break,” said Benny.

“But I’m only part time. I shouldn’t-”

“When boss man tells you to take a break, you take a break,” said Dean. “Besides, I got a buddy of ours I want you to meet. Jack, this horrifically ugly human being over here is Castiel. We call him Cas.”

“Sometimes I really wish I wasn’t your friend,” said Cas, turning and giving Jack a smile. “I’m sure you’ve learned the joys of working in a garage with a bunch of brutes already.”

“Oh, they’re great,” said Jack.

“Cas is just jealous cause he has to do office bullshit all day,” said Benny.

“And I get to work with three very attractive women,” said Cas. “Including my girlfriend.”

“Dammit,” muttered Benny.

“S’okay. You’ll get him next time,” said Dean, nodding Benny away. “Give us a minute?”

“Mhm,” hummed Benny, going to check out Jack’s work. Jack looked back and forth between Dean and Cas, Dean breaking out into a laugh.

“Relax, Jack. Cas works in the same office as the therapist that worked with my parents. Cas is the junior partner there. He deals more with younger folks or kids most of the time,” said Dean.

“Oh,” said Jack.

“Dean explained a little bit of your situation to me, Jack, without giving specifics. We spoke last night and after talking it over with my senior partners, I think maybe you and I should work together,” said Cas.

“Okay,” said Jack.

“Do you want to work with me, Jack?” asked Cas. “It’s important to find someone you feel comfortable with. We can go take a walk around the block and if you don’t think we’re a fit, that’s perfectly okay and I’ll help you find somebody that is, alright?”

“Why are you helping me?” asked Jack.

“Dean and I and Benny...we’re shits to each other because we’re best friends. We help each other. I almost dropped out of school when those two bozos drove for five hours in the middle of the night and stayed in my dorm and talked me out of it. It’s not easy to find people that care about you, Jack. It’s not. But they’re out there, sometimes right in front of your face and you just don’t know it yet. If you need help, I want to help,” said Cas. “That night is why I changed majors and went into therapy instead. I like helping people. If you’ll let me that is.”

“Do you think I’m nuts?” he asked.

“No. I think very few people are ‘nuts’ Jack. Those people, it’s very easy to see that there is something off and I believe it’s because they are missing something in them. It’s not their fault, it’s how they were born. But most of us, all of us, we all have issues and fear. You strike me as someone that needs a bit of love and compassion again is all. Certainly not nuts,” said Cas.

“But…” said Jack. Cas lifted his chin.

“I don’t care what other doctors said. Understand? We’ll start from scratch. Let’s go take that walk, alright?” he said. Jack nodded, following Cas outside the garage.

“Thank you,” mouthed Dean, Cas giving him a smile back.

“Cas gonna take care of the kid?” asked Benny when he wandered back over.

“Yeah. He’ll probably end up mayor or something now,” teased Dean. “How’d he do on the oil?”

“Pretty good. A little slow but better than I expected for a first time,” he said. “I think he used to work with his hands. They’re rougher than I was thinking they’d be.”

“I’m not sure what he used to do. He’s a little older than Y/N and it doesn’t sound like he went to college. I know he didn’t follow their parents plan for him so who knows,” said Dean.

“Speaking of your little gal,” said Benny, nodding across the street, Y/N carrying two pink boxes into a store. “She ain’t from around here, right?”

“No. We didn’t go to school with her. Probably wouldn’t have had a shot back then,” said Dean.

“What are you talking about? You dated pretty much every girl in school.”

“Exactly,” said Dean.

“When’s the last time you had a girlfriend Deano? Like a real one?” asked Benny.

“Lisa,” said Dean.

“So forever ago,” said Benny.

“I’ve been on plenty of dates since,” said Dean.

“You scared of this new girl, huh,” said Benny.

“The one’s I really liked...Cassie found problems with me. Jo did. Lisa did. Y/N will too I’m sure,” said Dean.

“Yeah, I’m sure she’ll hate the fact you’re helping out her brother so much. That’s a real asshole move,” said Benny, rolling his eyes.

“We’ve gone out by ourselves once. Once. Somebody’s going to the hospital every other day around here and she’ll find out I’m an idiot soon enough,” said Dean. Benny was quiet, wiping off the counter. “Benny…don’t. I’m shooting the shit is all.”

“You’ve been this way since we were kids. I never understood it,” said Benny. “You’re the smartest guy I know.”

“Sammy’s the smartest guy you know,” said Dean.

“Hey. I’m trying to compliment you here,” said Benny. Dean rolled his eyes, moving to go back to work when Benny tsked him. “If it makes you feel any better, your girl is fixing her ponytail in the window across the street and keeps glancing over here. Oh, now she’s taking it down, putting it up again...hm, now she’s just put a hat from her back pocket on. Looks like one of yours. Oh, she threw her head back, she’s pointing at her shirt. Looks like something pink on that white shirt of hers. Must be a stain.”

“Hey, Mr. DVD commentary. Your point?” said Dean.

“My point is Y/N’s fixing herself up and walking over here in a white little tee and short shorts and I should really start talking to my neighbors if you’re anything to go by,” teased Benny.

“Shut up,” said Dean, rolling his eyes, spinning around just in time to give her a smile.

Reader’s POV

“Hi, Dean,” you said, trying to keep your arm over the splotch of pink food dye on your shirt.

“Well hi, beautiful,” he said. Benny pretended to gag and walked away, Dean taking a deep breath. “Excuse the neanderthal.”

“Oh, I already like your friends,” you said, looking around. “I was making a delivery, wanted to see how Jack’s first day was going.”

“Good. He’s getting the hang of everything. He’ll do fine,” said Dean.

“Awesome. Thank you for getting him in here. I think getting him feeling normal and in a regular routine will be good for him,” you said. “Thank Benny for me too.”

“Ain’t no problem, cher,” said Benny, your face in a wince.

“It’s a garage. Voices tend to carry,” said Dean, stepping outside with you. “I really should get back to work. Been talking more than working today it seems.”

“Oh, sorry. I-”

“Still ain’t a problem, cher. Slow this morning anyways,” said Benny.

“Thank you, Benjamin,” said Dean, chuckling as he pulled you around the corner of the building. “Sorry. Yeah, Jack’s okay.”

“You too?” you asked. “You seem a little...stressed.”

“I worry about stuff,” said Dean.

“I’ve noticed,” you teased. “I actually did have a reason to stop by though. I hit a pothole this morning and my back wheel is making a weird noise now.”

“Weird nose huh. Those are my favorite,” he said. “Pull her in. We’ll take a look if you got time.”

“Sure thing.”

“Looks like you got a flat is all. Slow leak which is why you ain’t driving on the rim yet,” said Benny. “We can pop on a new one like that.”

“How much that gonna cost me?” you asked.

“Well small business to small business, maybe we can negotiate some kind of deal?” asked Benny.

“I’m listening,” you said, Benny smirking as Dean went to go look for a tire in the back.

“A box of your pastries every Friday morning through the summer, until September starts up. Jack can bring ‘em in,” he said. “Deal?”

“You realize you’re losing money, right?” you said.

“Yeah but we get fresh pastries every Friday. Plus you get the family discount,” he said. “So we got a deal?”

“Deal,” you said, shaking his hand.

“Hey, Jack,” called Benny. You looked behind you, Jack saying something to a man in a suit on the sidewalk before he took off. “You ever change a tire before?”

“No,” said Jack.

“Well you can learn on your sister’s car,” said Benny. “Dean’ll show ya.”

While Dean rolled out a tire, Jack explained who Cas was and that he had a timeslot from two to three o’clock everyday that would work perfect for him. He seemed excited but you didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. You were just happy he was willing to talk to someone.

Fifteen minutes later, you had a new tire on and Dean was patting Jack on the back for a job well done.

“Thanks. I gotta run home and do some more baking. I’ll see you guys later,” you said.

You were halfway home when you took a slight detour, hoping you had enough space in the back for it.

“Y/N, I’m home,” said Jack, walking into the kitchen about two hours later. “I brought home some carrots for you as requested.”

“Thank you. I wanted to make up a carrot cake tomorrow. That’s still your favorite, right?” you asked.

“Yeah,” he said, sitting down at the counter. “You’re very good at this. Baking, I mean.”

“Honestly, I started doing it because I couldn’t sit around sad anymore. We used to love doing it with grandma I remember,” you said.

“She’s the one that told me I didn’t have to be a doctor if I didn’t want to be,” he said.

“Grandma was awesome,” you said with a laugh. “I still got some of her recipes I’ve wanted to try but you know me and her handwriting.”

“You have the worst handwriting in the world. Totally had that part of being a doctor down,” he teased. “I can try to interpret for you if you want.”

“Yes please,” you said, grabbing a bag of frosting. “Hey, you want to help me decorate some of these? Good destressor.”

“I’m not any good. I don’t want to mess ‘em up,” he said.

“You won’t,” you said, handing him a bag. “Come here.”

He stood and walked around the counter, watching you show him how to hold it and squeeze the tip. He was pretty sloppy and you could see him getting anxious, shoulders stiffening up.

“You know when I was in med school, I accidentally gave the wrong dosage of medicine to a patient. I almost killed him,” you said. You felt his stare but you kept on working on your own cookies. “I was terrified to treat a patient again. But I did.”

“How?” he asked.

“My dorky big brother called me one night, he was venting about mom and dad. Apparently they called him a failure, again, which was a shitty thing of them I thought but he told me that it didn’t matter that he screwed up because he would just try again. I never told him but that really meant a lot to me,” you said, finishing up your sheet. You set down your frosting and grabbed one of his cookies, taking a bite out of it. “S’good.”

“Can I help out with the bakery in the afternoons after therapy? I don’t want to be paid. I’d like to...learn to destress,” he said.

“Yeah. I’d like the company,” you said. “Would you mind grabbing me a new bag of flour? I forgot it in the back of my car. In the garage.”

Jack thankfully didn’t pick up on the fact your car was parked in the driveway and headed outside, returning back through the door twenty seconds later with a cock of his head.

“Really?” he said. “A bike?”

“Well my car won’t always be available and exercise is good for you. Until you get your own wheels, you got a way to get into town at least if I’m not around,” you said.

“How much that cost ya?” he asked.

“Call it last year’s birthday present,” you said. “Wear your helmet too.”

“Seriously,” he said.

“I don’t know, maybe go talk to our neighbor with brain trauma, get his opinion on it,” you said.

“I missed you being a little shit,” he said with a smile.

“I missed you too. Go take it for a spin around the block, doofus,” you said.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, stopping halfway out the door. “Hey, can I cook dinner tonight? Like, I get to pick?”

“As long as it’s not revolting, sure,” you said. “Oh and as long as you’re living here, you’re doing your share of the chores, got it? So you’re making dinner at least three times a week, deal?”

“Mhm,” he hummed, stepping outside. “I’ll be back in a little while.”

“Have fun, Jack.”

A/N: Read Part 8 here!

[fly-flower-fanfics]

Except You

Eleventh Doctor x Immortal Male Reader

Warnings: Alcohol breifly

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meeting the Doctor was an absolute life-changing event for me. After spending years in a facility, I took any chance I could to get out. The facility had done test after test to figure out how I got to be immortal, but they could never figure it out. Hell, I couldn't even figure out why I was immortal. Everything before the accident — and the accident itself — was a big blur, and it physically hurt to try and remember it. (That was simply if I actively tried to think on it, not just a fleeting thought of ‘what if.’)

When I had first arrived there, I was just pushed off to the side. The hospital had sent me over after a test they did was abnormal. After that, it just sort of... spiraled. Slowly at first, then splat. All at once. The Doctor showed up in the nick of time because who knows what they were planning on doing next. 

And ever since then, I’d been on the run with him. 

We’ve been together long enough now that I’ve seen him regenerate once. He told me about it in passing, but as soon as the floppy, brown-haired, trench-coat-wearing Doctor was about to become the bowtie-obsessed Doctor, he gave me a better run-down of it. It was a bit of a scary process to watch to say the least, but at least I wasn’t the only freak of nature.

Others had traveled with us in the past. Some were only for a few trips, others were longer. Either way, they all noticed one thing: my adoration and love for the Doctor. Everyone knew about it, and our new traveling friends — Amy Pond and Rory Williams — had also picked up on my love for him.

Even though it bothered everyone, they had always managed to keep my secret. I don’t know if they just figured it was because I had met someone who I could live through time with — and vice versa — but no one said. It lead me to believe that they never truly understood the extent of my emotions. How much I loved the Doctor.

He was drawn to me after finding out about my immortality. He all but begged me to stay with him, and I all but screamed yes.

Currnetly, the four of us — me, the Doctor, Rory, and Amy — were out having a picnic. We were at a park in the middle of nowhere, which made me wonder why there was even a park here in the first place. It was clear no one ever visited here. Maybe at some point it wasn’t so alone.

We had sandwiches and chips along with wine and grape juice. I didn’t drink alcohol, but I knew that Rory and Amy did, so I packed that along with the juice. Amy was in charge of the food, and Rory was in charge of everything else, like plates and forks. The Doctor just chose the location.

The Doctor reached for his glass and filled it with some wine. I chuckled softly to myself, know the exact reaction that he would have.

“Since when have you started drinking wine?” Amy asked.

“He doesn’t,” I answered, taking a sip of juice from my own glass.

“Yes, I do! I’m eleven hundred and three; I must’ve drinken it at some point,” he protested and took a drink of the liquid, only to spit it out in the grass beside us. “Ugh, wine’s horrid. I-I thought it would taste more like-“

“I told you,” I interrupted. I turned my eyes back to Amy, and we shared a look.

The Doctor was a literal child. He was more childish in this regeneration than the last. But he was also more reserved with his feelings and quiet. Learning the Doctor all over again was a bit of a hassle because I’d grown so comfortable with the last. Now it was long fine, and I loved him.

“Having a good time?” I asked, but not to anyone specific.

“As always,” Amy replied.

I relaxed, turning to lay on my back while the Doctor laid on his side next to me. Rory and Amy sat on the other side. I lifted my glass, swirling the dark liquid around in it before laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Rory asked.

“I was just thinking about what would happen if I tried to drink from this laying down,” I replied.

“Oh, god, you’re just as much a hazard to society as the Doctor is,” he muttered in reply.

“But not a coward,” Amy piped up. “Do it.”

“Amy!” the Doctor piped up. “You know he will!”

Even as he spoke, I was already in the process of doing it. Everything worked fine until I wanted to stop which ended with my mouth being slightly overfilled and some dripping out the sides of my lips, and I started to laugh as I sat up, swallowing at the same time which lead me into a fit of coughing. The fiasco ended with a concerned Rory, a disappointed Doctor, a giggling Amy, and a red-faced, teary-eyed me.

“I guess I am a hazard to society,” I said once I had stopped coughing. “Maybe that’s why they had me locked up so long.”

Amy and Rory knew about my imortality and my being locked up, but not really how much else. The Doctor did though, and I caught his concerned glance towards me.

Amy, however, was still laughing, which caused me to smile and chuckle. 

“I love you, Amy. Rory better make his move before I do.” 

“Hey!” Rory shouted, and I sent him a wink.

“Would you prefer if I hit on you?”

A blush heated up Rory’s cheeks, which caused both Amy and I to burst out laughing. The Doctor, however, had fallen silent. He got up and walked away from the situation. Amy leaned towards me and nodded in his general direction.

“I think it’s ‘bout time you went and told him what he’s too thick to notice.” My hesitance made her sigh. “That you’re in love with him! He’s clearly jealous.”

“The Doctor? Jealous? He doesn’t even like me though,” I replied.

This time, Rory groaned. “They’re both completely thick. No wonder they make a perfect match.”

I laughed as I pushed myself up into a standing position. “Shut it, Williams. You and Amy refuse to admit your love for one another, too.”

I turned and left the two of them in their silence, smirking as I did so. The Doctor hadn’t gotten too far, but far enough that I had to jog to catch up with the long-legged Time Lord.

“Hey! Why did you ditch the party?”

The Doctor turned towards me. “Why do you that? You’re always doing that with them and everyone else we come in contact with that travels with us. You’re-you’re like Jack.”

I found myself laughing again. “Because that’s how I show love to my friends. I flirt with them; I tease them. I always tell them that I love them so they never forget.”

“Then why don’t you do that to me?”

His words sounded so soft and sad that I couldn’t bring myself to laugh at his thickness. “Oh, my sweet Doctor. My silly, sweet, thick Doctor. You really think that I don’t? Maybe I don’t do it as much as I do with everyone else, but it’s a well-known fact that I am head-over-heels in love with you. I utterly adore you, and I would do anything and everything for you. Everyone knows that! Well, everyone except you. Then again, I was told that you apparently love me, too, and I’m just way too dumb to realize that.” I hesitated a moment, feeling insecurity creep up my neck. “Do you...?”

“I didn’t intend on telling you like this,” he admitted.

A smile formed over my lips. “Then how did you expect to tell me?”

“Oh, I don’t know...” He trailed off.

“Sounds like you weren’t ever going to get around to it,” I said with a laugh and took the Time Lord’s hands. “Just kiss me.”

“I’m a bit out of practice-”

“Just kiss me.”

I pulled them alien closer to me and pressed my lips onto his, genuinely surprised not to be met with an hesitance. HIs lips were soft and a little too wet, telling me that he was indeed out of practice. But then again, so was I. When the two of us separated, it seemed like both of us had enjoyed the kiss anyway.

Neither one of us backed away from each other, leaving on centimeters between our noses. It was almost at the point where the Doctor’s face was blurry, but I was only focused on his eyes. For once, his eyes didn’t have any hints of sadness in them. He seemed happy, genuinely happy. I wished that I could keep his eyes that way: happy and carefree. But I knew the weight of multiple worlds rested on his shoulders. I only hoped that I, too, would be able to carry this load with him so he knew he wasn’t alone anymore.

“Doctor?” 

He hummed in response.

“Whatever happens, know that I’m here for you. It’s not just you anymore. It’s you and me. And we’re gonna face the worlds and universes together. I can’t fix the past, but god I wish I could. All I can do is the now and alter the future.”  I cupped his cheeks in my hands and smiled. “I love you.”

The Doctor remained silent for a few moments before taking my hands from his face and holding them tightly in his. His eyes bore into me, something that they had only done this intently once before: when he first saved me. Centuries had past since I had seen such a gaze, but it was one that I most definitely couldn’t forget. 

He leaned forwards, and I closed my eyes, totally unsure what he was going to do. His lips stilled directly next to my ear, and I listened to his breathing for the next couple moments. Nothing in any universe or world could prepare me for the next thing that he said. My eyes flew open as his name — his real name — registered in my head. The Doctor backed away a few steps from me as I was left staring up at him in utter shock. 

“You-You just-”

The Doctor laid a finger on my lips, a small smile pulling on his lips. “I know.”

“That’s critical infor-”

“I know.”

“Doctor-”

“I know, love,” he insisted. “I don’t know what I can promise you. I don’t always know what’s to come or what’s going to happen. Knowing that-that information, that’s my promise to you. For now — for what I can do now — hold that close and dear to your heart. The weight of that information...”

The Doctor trailed off which gave me the ability to lay a finger on his lips. “I know.”

He gave me a small smile and bent down, pressing another kiss onto my lips. My heart filled with love and adoration — more than it already was, if that was even possible. This man, this alien, was the only one I loved, and he trusted me with information so precious.

Tears filled my eyes, and I chuckled softly as they fell down my cheeks. “I love you, Doctor. I love you. I love you so much.”

“And I love you.”

[sugar-petals]

Sub!Namjoon A-Z 

note: posts for other members linked in m.list!

⚠️ warnings: dom/sub dynamics, smut, bdsm

a = aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

In the mood to talk a lot. Might appreciate a high five. I’m not even kidding.

b = body part (their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Confident about his legs. Always uses a metric ton of lotion to make them extra soft for you to fondle. Might go through a few bottles a month because wow, his legs have a lot of well um leggy leg to be slathered. For you... similar area, he likes your feet to worship. 

c = cum (anything to do with cum basically… i’m a disgusting person)

How much more playful can he get. At your command, he’ll lick it off your butt. Sex with Namjoon is always super creamy-sloppy-sweaty anyways, he has a lot to gobble up.

d = dirty secret (pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Most of the other members have as many secrets as they have fingers, Namjoon, however, will exceed that by far. He wants to try shibari, sounding, pet play, flogging, collaring, and basically everything that comes with spreader bars and gimps. Clearly spends too much time on the internet because holy cow, that’s ambitious. But you can take it as a compliment to your skill, or rather, Namjoon’s conviction that you master a lot of kinks.

e = experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

In his mind, and in general terms of knowledge, very much so. He’s not just well-versed with humanitarian thought, kink is not safe from his curiosity. Practically, less so, but he learns fast with your lead.

f = favourite position (this goes without saying.)

Up against a wall. He is not above begging for you to pin him to one everywhere. Also his favorite mode of making out, by the way.

g = goofy (are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

Oops! By accident. Like when removing pants, trying to at least, because his boner often gets stuck, or stumbling across the room entangled with you, trying to head towards the bed.

h = hair (how well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Will definitely experiment with razors a lot. Because let’s face it, Namjoon is like straight out of a shaving commercial. Imagine him in those scenarios where the guy is all sensual under the shower with cream dripping everywhere, or leaning against the mirror wall. It’s totally worth filming.

i = intimacy (how are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

You probably have to prevent him from getting super cheesy... or allow it because oh my, he becomes even more hopelessly subby from that.

j = jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Edging, edging, edging. Him masturbating gets him into all sorts of trouble and everyone in BTS has at least one Kim ‘Fap Monster’ Namjoon story they can drunkenly tell at a party to embarrass him for eternity. He’s most infamous for moaning far too loud during climax and even talking to himself, or accidentally streaming his session into the group chat. The first sex-related thing that you’ll ever do is establish a couple rules for Fap Monster to follow, and generally engage in more guided masturbation than having him do it alone.

k = kink (one or more of their kinks)

The question remains, what kink doesn’t he have! But I get it, something specific, let’s see. That would be breast sucking. And not just on you, we all know the perks of Namjoon’s chest.

l = location (favourite places to do the do)

Now hear me out. It’s not the library, but something even more... out of the ordinary. Namjoon would totally be ready to have sex in abandoned places of some sort given that there’s not a spider every corner and unsafe debris. Maybe for nostalgic value, or the sheer thrill. You’ll have to talk about it.

m = motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Different every week. He will gladly explain that to you in his 2 AM texts that read like a Kant chapter each. 

n = no (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Now we had that, it’s more difficult to pinpoint that one. Nams would probably mention something that doesn’t go in accordance with his moral values and is general common sense either way, like some kind of creepy race/non-con play or certain forms of edge play torture that take hygiene concerns to a new level and would shred anyone without 10 years of experience. Besides exchanging thoughts with you, he’ll get busy in some BDSM forums online and inform himself on how the consensus is. Namjoon is definitely the type to know about what is controversial and being careful with that. He is kinky, but role model kinky. 

o = oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

Oh man. What can’t he do with his tongue. And those lips... fit perfectly on your labia. Surely equal amounts giving and receiving, 69 ahoy.

p = pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Sex with Namjoon is so dynamic, speed hardly stays the same over the course of a few minutes. Ever heard his tracks? You can assess how a rapper fucks by his mixtape alone. He switches flow every ten bars. That’s how Namjoon is in bed. 

q = quickie (their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

You can jump on his dick as often as you please, problem is that Namjoon’s masturbation troubles transfer to your quickies as well. I think there’s a reason why abandoned places are perfect because otherwise, the whole world will know.

r = risk (are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

90% risk, 10% contemplation. That might seem unusual for him, but in your presence, Namjoon quickly becomes a bit of a carefree guy. Hormones are one hell of a drug. But! It’s good to see him leave his mind palace.

s = stamina (how many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

To be fair: He tries and tries and tries. All that edging does give him a few bonus minutes of endurance, but 15 minutes is the limit. Two rounds max. 

t = toy (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

One of the few members who isn’t caught up in the toy mania. Seriously, can you imagine Joon operating something like a Sybian? It’s not him. Instead, he prefers you to bring your own collection along, who said Kim Namjoon doesn’t like some anal beads to stretch him out.

u = unfair (how much they like to tease)

His teasing is so subtle, it’s a test for your intelligence. If you don’t get it, he can still do one of his infamous simple, but effective winks to get your attention. The guy has several methods up his sleeve and thinks you’re cool anyways. Namjoon is a pretty sophisticated flirt, you’ll love that.

v = volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make)

Boy, what a confusion is that going to be for the neighbors. “Is Y/N watching Jurassic World again?” Nope, it’s your man making some weird inhuman noises and he’s proud of them. 

w = wild card (get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

You can definitely take him hiking and have a lot of fun in the mountains, you know. Again, that saves civilization from Namjoon’s lack of vocal control and you have free reins to really make him choke and moan in the meadows.

x = x-ray (let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

Doctors hate him! How did Kim Namjoon grow such an impressive 8th member of BTS reaching from Ilsan to Seoul? Citizens use it as a bridge! Buy his secrets for just 70.99$! Now I’m joking, Namjoon dabbles around upper average independently of his body height, and you can be glad because if that was in true proportion your gynecologist would be the one hating him and that third leg. He’s definitely material for cock and ball torture, lots of areas to work with. Add the ass he’s been growing to spank. I swear the guy’s a sex symbol.  

y = yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

How to describe it. Namjoon has a lot of pizzazz. It magically goes to sleep in the presence of books though.

z = zzz (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Click! Lights off. It happens pretty fast so you have to wrap it up quickly and kiss your koala goodnight. 

[what-even-is-thiss]

I kinda want to stick the boys in an urban fantasy setting like the one I’ve been developing for a few years.

Virgil wasn’t born with magic but made friends with a witch and is now a warlock that specializes in rune magic. He knows how to perform blood magic too but only uses it for larger spells. In this universe real, effective witchcraft done through rituals can only be performed by people with a shattered soul. It’s a sort of consolation prize the universe gives them for having to live with the emotional pain that comes with that. Virgil’s soul was broken in increments throughout his childhood through extreme bullying that he never reported to his parents. Like with many other witches and warlocks learning ritual magic and finding a community saved his life. He can see the state of other people’s souls and read what kind of inherent magic they have at a glance.

He’s a student getting a doctorate in the hopes of becoming a research professor at a prominent university. He’s that graduate student that’s also teaching an into to chemistry class to mostly freshmen and walks in to every class one minute late and with a bunch of disorganized papers in hand. A lot of people are surprised he’s trying to become a professor, especially when they see the weird runes tattooed on his arm. “what do they mean?” they always ask. “Some old poem thing.” he always replies, leaving it at that.

His introduction to the underground community was slow because registering witches and warlocks is complicated. Technically they’re not supposed to exist but the government learned long ago they’re not going anywhere so they just have to accept them in if they manage to master their craft.

Logan is an A-class weapons master. A-class is the highest level of natural power one can posses and a weapons master is someone that can summon weapons and learn to master them far faster than any other human would be able to. They also have the ability to enchant or curse weapons. Logan would randomly accidentally curse knives by accident when he was a little kid and the government was monitoring him from a young age because something was detected when he was a baby. When his “little problem” as his mother called it showed up they had people knocking on their door basically the next day.

He’s been taught how to fight and be a killing machine since he was a little kid for two reasons. 1. All magical persons are guaranteed through international law an opportunity to receive mentoring and instruction in their abilities and how to control them and Logan’s abilities are basically only useful if you’re fighting or cursing your uncle’s hunting rifle. 2. Magical persons are actually usually in danger of being attacked or turned into the authorities because most people in the world don’t know magic exists or understand it and A-class persons are especially vulnerable because they don’t always have control over their abilities so able bodied A-class magic users are strongly encouraged to learn how to fight and defend themselves. Logan’s parents took this advice and basically let his mentor shape him into a fighting machine.

He doesn’t like it but he was coerced into joining the marines as a teenager and he didn’t see until he was in the thick of things how much he actually hates the cards that he was dealt in life. It was at about his fifth confirmed kill on a special mission with two other weapons masters that he realized he didn’t want to be there. He tends to not answer questions about all the scars he has. If he does he just claims to be accident prone.

His day job now is working as an editor for a prominent literary magazine. Unfortunately for him he’s still really infamous and his uncle’s hunting rifle still teleports to another room whenever a person with A- blood touches it. His ex-boyfriend broke up with him because he one time conjured a dagger in his sleep and injured both of them in the process. Because of how infamous he is in certain parts of the magical community there’s always someone that wants to blackmail him into helping them somehow. Logan usually ends up snuffing the problem out relatively quickly though. He’s made it very clear that he wants to continue spending his days sorting through poetry submissions and he’s willing to get a little more blood on his hands to make sure that it stays that way. His current interaction with the underground doesn’t go much further than the occasional veterans support group meeting and maybe a visit to the magical clinic to have his energy levels checked.

Patton is a C-level spell caster. Different from a witch or warlock, often called a wizard or sorcerer instead. C-class is the lowest level of magic where inherent abilities are able to be used reliably (rather than just in moments of extreme panic like with most humans) and spell casters are persons with undifferentiated magic that can be directed with helpful objects. Wands, jewelry, magical knives, whatever. Hands only magic is also taught but is less exact unless you put a lot of effort into your training. Patton did not put a lot of effort into his training.

Basically think of spell casters as jack of all trades master of none type of magic. They can do anything, just not super powerfully. They can summon fire, sure, but someone with fire specific magic would be able to easily burn down an entire building while they can maybe light a candle. The most powerful of them might be able to do a flamethrower for a few seconds.

Patton uses his magic for fun, mostly. He works at the magical community center and teaches an intro to history of magic class and a basic magical law course for adults that discover their powers late and parents of magical children. If anyone without an “in pass” (permission to access the underground and granted immunity from memory wipes) asks what his day job is, he teaches adult school. He speaks Spanish and ASL as well as English and just generally shows a lot of love and patience to people being thrown into this world. He’s a supporter of the movement to integrate magic into everyday life and expose it to the world but knows that’s probably not going to happen in his lifetime.

Sometimes his classes will get bored and he’ll ask if they want to see something he’s been practicing and then he’ll try a new spell he’s been practicing with his expensive looking watch that he uses as his casting device and sometimes he causes a power outage. Only sometimes though, as he will quickly remind his boss.

Roman is a B-class charmer. That is, a person with moderately powerful charm magic. He can influence people easily and make them ignore some of the bad things about him and focus on the parts that they like instead. As a rule charmers aren’t usually introduced to the underground or made aware of their status as a magical person unless a friend or family member fills out the paperwork to let them in on their secret or someone int heir immediate family turns out to be magical. The reason is that charming is by far the most common magical ability (they almost outnumber the entire magical population on their own) and can only learn to control their powers to a certain degree. And of course of a B or A-class charmer learns how to control their abilities more the potential of them becoming more dangerous skyrockets. Charmers that powerful are quite rare, but they can’t make an exception for them.

Roman found out that he has this charming ability because as it turns out, his adopted daughter has the ability to control plants. When the scary people with clipboards and neckties and weird looking guns on their hips came to his door to explain to him and his husband that magic is real they also brought up Roman’s own magic. When they explained how it worked suddenly Roman got a horrible feeling in his stomach. Suddenly his whole life made a lot more sense, and suddenly he felt sort of bad for making a career as an influencer (he makes Instagram videos and YouTube commentary videos and confession type stuff, sort of akin to Dan Howell’s old stuff). And understandably this has but a lot of questions between him and his husband and if his husband was influenced by this ability Roman didn’t know he had. He is really conflicted. On one hand, he has something to talk to his daughter about and he’s learning to control himself better and find other people that relate to him. On the other hand, he feels a bit bad whenever one of his videos goes viral now, his husband doesn’t like appearing in videos anymore, and there’s a weird rift int heir relationship they have to get over now.

I’m sure you’re wondering now how they all meet. Well, Virgil and Patton are old college roommates and Virgil is staying with him while he goes to grad school because graduate students make not a lot of money and as great as witchcraft is, it unfortunately can’t make money out of thin air.

Roman is taking Patton’s class with his husband. The husband stops going in the middle of the class and Patton senses something’s up. He invites Roman to have a friendly coffee and Roman ends up spilling everything that’s been going on and probably his coffee too.

Logan shows up at the university from time to time to go to poetry readings or talk with people in the literary community or see a lecture and Virgil catches a glimpse of him on one of his visits and thinks “Oh. An A-class with a cracked soul. That’s some valuable blood for potions and such.” and he proceeds to worm his way into Logan’s life to try and convince him to let him bottle some of his blood. Unfortunately for Virgil he ends up liking Logan so much that this request becomes more and more awkward sounding as time goes on and eventually he gives up on the idea. Logan deduces what he wanted when Virgil reveals that he’s a warlock and then shrugs and goes “I have plenty of scars already. What’s one more?” and then there’s a weird visit to Patton’s house where Roman and his husband are having an informal bit of couple’s therapy and Virgil is thinking about taking Logan int he back room to do some bloodletting which is being delayed because guests are here and Roman and Virgil hate each other immediately of course.

I could take all of this two ways. Magical friends living a weird everyday magical life and doing weird everyday shenanigans, or some weird dangerous event happens like someone killing off witches or Roman’s daughter getting kidnapped, forcing Logan out of retirement and Virgil into using some of those weird bottles of blood he’s been holding onto. Big or small. Who knows? Not me. This is just an outline for the au who knows if I’ll actually do anything with it

[nemetonisevilpassiton]

Where we’re going we won’t need Eyes to see - a teen wolf meta

With Teen Wolf meta we have this tendency to name check Event Horizon (1997) and run off without explaining it - especially in regards to the episode “Ghosted” where they were in Canaan which uses a lot of the same techniques and tropes. But before I explain how Teen Wolf got there we have to explain Event Horizon.

A friend of mine once called Event Horizon the greatest horror movie almost made, and that sums it up nicely.

Following the success of Mortal Kombat [1995 starring Linden Ashby] the studio gave give the director Paul WS Anderson [the Resident Evil guy] a budget of 60 million dollars, the large soundstage at Pinewood and Carte Blanche to deliver an R rated horror. The film he delivered was 121 minutes long and X-rated. It was externally editted down to 91 minutes or 96 minutes depending on region and legend has it that most of the narrative exposition went out of the airlock. As gory as it is - and it IS - it was much much worse and it’s entirely possible that this studio inflicted hatchet job is the reason Event Horizon has the cult following that it does.

Anderson did not waste a dollar of the money he was given, everyone in the film is a noted character actor and most of the dialogue makes them feel real [with the exception of one distinct line which is just hilariously bad]. The ship was a set [there is minimal cg and it’s bad as you’d expect for 1997 but it’s things like a floating water bottle] based on actual gothic architecture specifically notre dame. The crew of the Lewis and Clark [the rescue ship] is seven people because they were meant to represent the seven sins - maybe in the longer version they did. The “stranger” in their midst is Doctor Weir, who following the suicide of his wife whilst he built the Event Horizon, became obsessed with the ship is the one who wants to bring it “home”. The shot of the rotating space station where Weir is based was a miniature. As most of the effects were practical, as opposed to CG, they stand up to modern scrutiny.

The film was a critical and commercial bust, but over the years since it’s release it’s been insanely influential on the field of Sci Fi being responsible for IPs such as Warhammer 40k, Deadspace and even the Alien franchise [which Anderson dipped his toe in with Alien vs Predator] and is considered one of the greatest Lovecraftian horrors ever made.

Event Horizon is not a great movie, it’s…. I’m one of the people who adore it, as scary movies go it never fails to make my skin crawl but let’s get into the plot.

The Event Horizon was an attempt at FTL travel, instead of going really fast it punched a hole through the universe creating a worm hole that would allow the ship to exit somewhere else with a device called “the gravity drive”. On its test flight it vanished. Seven years later it reappears where it should have with no crew and only a mild distress signal. Weir (Sam Neill), the original creator takes the crew of the Lewis and Clark, a rescue ship captained by Miller (Lawrence Fishburne), to bring it back.

On finding the ship the youngest member of the crew, Mr Justin (Jack Noseworthy), goes into the drive room in full EVA and is dragged into the black liquid at its heart. He is rescued by Cooper (Richard Jones), but when they confront Weir he denies it’s possible despite that they could not have known what to describe. Justin is comatose. They find a recording of screams which has a latin phrase which DJ (Jason Isaacs) translates as save me. The med tech Peters (Kathleen Quinlan) starts to see visions of her son covered in sores. Weir starts to see his dead wife as she was when he found her but with empty eye sockets. The ship starts to pull at their sanity damaging the Lewis and Clark, Smith (Sean Pertwee) refuses to leave the Lewis and Clark and in the middle of that Justin gets up and puts himself in the airlock, setting it to open.

All of the characters are shown to have a dark history but because of the editting we often don’t know what that is. We know Peters has left her terminally ill son because of her visions. Miller tells us about a crew member he had to leave to die in a burning ship. Weir has his guilt over his wife, but the rest was cut.

They find the ruins of the old crew with a tape showing them dismembering themselves and each other and it turns out the translation wasn’t save me but save yourself from hell. Fans have actually translated it more accurately as save yourself from the fire.

Miller comes to the conclusion the best thing to do is go home and blow the ship from orbit but Weir refuses to go. He takes one of the explosives from the nave hallway and blows up the Lewis and Clark and Smith, this sends Cooper into space [where he has the worst line in cinema, seriously https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUozFOlxVnM] and Miller and Starck [Joely Richardson] confront Weir on the bridge where he has ripped out his own eyes. DJ is found disembowelled over the medicine table. Distracted by Cooper’s return Weir fires a rivet gun at the ship’s window causing the decompression to suck him into space. Miller tries to use the explosives along the nave corridor to separate the ship from the gravity drive which he considers the source of his evil but he is separated from his crew by a burning man who turns into Weir. They fight, the corridor explodes and Miller is sucked into the black hole.

There is a gotcha ending where Starck sees one of their rescuers as Weir but wakes up screaming before the very ominous door closing.

So what happens? what is the one sentence synopsis?

See that’s where Event Horizon sort of wins. On its surface the ship went to hell and became alive and is now luring people in and trying to drag them into Hell. Except even within the movie that explanation doesn’t make sense. The characters talk about the lack of good air, that they are running out of air and it turns them on each other to an extent so did anoxia cause the hallucinations combined with the very gothic imagery to create a mass hysteria? Is it a pseudo Catholic vision of Hell where the characters unable to deal with their own guilt at ultimately tortured? Maybe? Was it all of the above? I don’t know. Other people have amazing explanations of what happened and here’s the reason why Event Horizon freaks some people out and others are meh, it’s not that easy.

It has holes and contradictions and huge chunks obviously missing. It has a narrow focus and it never lies to the audience, it misleads them by assumption but it’s consistent. Weir is the hook character we expect to be the hero, he is the outsider amidst the crew of the Lewis and Clark, he is the one with the answers and the refusal to see alternative answers. He has the most fleshed out back story but he turns into the human manifestation of whatever is going on with the ship yet he is the one who becomes the face of the villain. The ghost apparitions are genuinely disturbing. The quality of the acting could carry a much weaker script. The effects are excellent and the gore is astounding, and best shown briefly [although production stills are available if it was too quick for you]. The Lovecraftian questions are presented and NOT answered. They are isolated in a place where they are in constant danger and the hallucinations mean even their thoughts are unsafe.

Did the ship go to hell? Or was it an explanation Weir made up when he broke? Or is this a purgatorial nightmare where Weir is sent out to fetch more victims for the ship? Is he repeating this ad infinitum with this crew or is it a new crew every time? Is the she Weir speaks of the ship or the manifestation of his wife, Clare?

The film doesn’t answer any of these questions. They are all valid ways to see the movie. And based on Anderson’s filmography the reason that these all DO work is because the film was butchered like one of the ship’s crew.

Recently they found a copy of the uncut film in a salt mine in Transylvania so maybe we’ll see it.

But people who take it on surface value that the ship went to hell and is now evil wooo, generally just dismiss it as poor. It is clearly a mishmash of things Anderson thought was cool instead of deep, sets are so Alien inspired that the xenomorph could pop out of any of the lockers and no one would be surprised. The ship’s set is so gothic Dracula could be drinking tea in the med bay and it would make perfect sense. Yet it somehow, probably despite itself, works.

So back to Teen Wolf.

Event Horizon clearly had its shadows over the production and it’s in the ambiguity more than the cinematography [which owes its debts to Silent Hill]. What Event Horizon managed by accident [Anderson couldn’t have pulled it off deliberately] Teen Wolf tries.

Every character in Teen Wolf, no matter how minor, has a backstory but it is not one we are necessarily given. They have their own stories which intersect with the story we are being told. If we look at the chimera, for example, we saw Tracy’s complicated relationship with her father, we saw Lucas and his boyfriend, Corey, and Corey before we knew he was a chimera told us about Lucas. Caitlyn’s girlfriend Emily was taken by the Darach but she was nervous about her first time having sex so Caitlyn tried to make it special for her. This makes the characterisation rich and this one of the complaints about the show. We learn as much about someone who gets murdered five minutes later as we do about the show’s mains. Beacon Hills feels real because the people in it feel real.

Teen Wolf offers a surface answer which does not hold up to scrutiny - at all -ever and which is often ridiculous. @Sublimeglass refers to this as the show vs tell, Teen Wolf tells us one story and shows us quite another. Solutions to problems are often best guesses with the information that they have and are often contradicted seasons later as characters learn more.

The main character is presumed to be the hero but by the end is very clearly the agent of whatever it is that is going on that wants conflict - however defining that very clear presence in Teen Wolf is like getting rid of glitter, you know it’s there but you’re never going to get it out of the carpet.There is clearly an evil presence, and it is clearly in the water, specifically the lake beside Lydia’s lake house [which Lorraine set up a mountain ash barrier to protect her from] but the character’s don’t know it’s there. I am not saying that Scott is evil or villainous in this - that’s a very different meta - but instead that he is continuing the war that existed before him. He is recruiting a character like him to carry on the story. He is repeating the cycle like Weir sacrificing another crew to the ship.

One of the arguments with EH is that the ship is freeing them from “the fire” which is light and energy, which is complicated, basically that our universe with its physical reactions is Hell, and that by removing the flesh [I did mention Hellraiser was a huge influence, right, and the video game Doom 3] you could be “free”, and there is a similar idea in Teen Wolf where characters try to escape the detriments of flesh - Gerard looking for a cure for his cancer, the dread doctors extending their life, the attempts to build a better beast for their own immortality, the leonmensch trying to capture the Wild Hunt.

Yet if you reduce Event Horizon to “the ship went to hell and is now evil” the two do not match but both are phantasmagorical.

Phantasmagoria is where one or more reality might not be real but is instead a dream/hallucination that is indistinguishable from reality, and thus brings the “reality” in question.

In Event Horizon this is several dream sequences, Weir and Starck both have nightmares whilst in stasis. This means when Clare starts appearing to Weir and the child appears to Peters we are primed to know they are not real and this knowledge means we’re primed for a scare even when the subject is not scary, such as Peter’s visions of her sick son.

In Teen Wolf we have several sequences that are not “real”: Scott’s visions of the school bus attack; Stiles’ visions of the bandaged figure; Scott’s dreams of killing Liam with the mute. Then we have sequences where reality is much more loosely defined in Motel California - where the characters hallucinate - and Ghosted which is the most obvious point for the Event Horizon characters.

We also have flashbacks which are subject to the “Rashomon effect” where several variations of the same narrative are shown and the whole is unreliable [the Fox and the Wolf, Blitzkreig and Visionary] What we are shown in Teen Wolf is only slightly more reliable than what we are told, and the telling is from Scott’s point of view - although it is unclear if it is only the last episode, the last season half or the whole show which is narrated. Personally I think it’s the whole. Either way Scott is an unreliable narrator. We cannot trust the narrative as it is presented even if it didn’t openly contradict itself.

The Lovecraftian parallels have to be mentioned even if when it comes to writing Teen Wolf meta I find him popping up like a particularly obnoxious infestation. Combined with that is the heavy influence of Hellraiser [3 metas later I am quite confident that Hellraiser was involved] and the whole is unsettling if not disturbing or scary.

The visual language of Event Horizon is medieval gothic, with columns, long empty corridors, flourishes and twists and the ship itself is a cross based on Notre Dame. In Teen Wolf colours have meaning, characters have symbolic associations [although unlike the intent for Event Horizon they do not represent anything as overt as the seven sins. They reveal the characters but not general themes.] Each of the first five seasons has a symbol which is represented by Godai, Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Void [if six has one I haven’t cracked it yet but it is probably the ethereal or the other] and the cinematography is certainly as deliberate.

I can’t just end this meta because it’s one of those as soon as you see the movie you can see the parallels because they’re pretty much laid out on a plate but the two are so different that unless you sit down and think about it you’d never consider it.

I can’t say that Beacon Hills is a phantasmagorical town that exists outside space and is poisoned by its proximity to Hell - but I can’t say it’s not either because of the ambiguity and contradiction. I can’t say Weir is a victim driven mad by his own guilt or the ship possessed him because of the same contradictions.

Event Horizon managed what it did despite itself. Teen Wolf might have done the same.

[viostormcaller]

Ego Headcanons: Marvin the Magnificent

This one might not be AS long since we don't have a lot of canon info on him, but it still might be long but anyway here gooooes!:

Marvin was a performer. He can do card tricks and basic magic tricks and the more advanced tricks you see in theaters. However, he can actually do real magic. The cat mask he wears on his face is a magically charged relic of his. While it's not the source of his magic, it helps amplify it and he's rarely seen without it.

Marvin actually has natural markings on his face that look like the patterns on his mask

Marvin has the longest hair out of the Egos, keeping it at shoulder length. It's normally tied back or kept in a bun.

Marvin's pupils appear slitted most of the time. Schneep has looked into this and he can't for the life of him figure out why that is

Marvin is Genderfluid. He goes by both he/him and she/her pronouns and often wears feminine clothing. Most people use he/him pronouns and that's fine by Marvin unless he specifically wants people to use something different. The other Egos respect this entirely

When Marvin met Jackie, it was when a supervillain attacked the theater that he had been performing at. When it seemed like Jackie was having a hard time, Marvin stepped in and used his powers to get everyone to safety and fend off the villain. Once the villain was defeated, Jackie thanked Marvin for his help and offered to meet up that next weekend to talk. Marvin agreed and met Jackie out-of-uniform. They became fast friends, and shortly after partners on the field.

Jackie and Marvin made for an amazing duo. Jackie's hand-to-hand combat style mixed with Marvin's ranged magic attacks balanced each other out and made them both stronger.

Eventually, Jackie and Marvin got a small apartment together. They were just as close as brothers, despite not being related. They see each other as such and, for a time, were hardly ever seen without each other. Marvin eventually gave up performing to study real magic and help Jackie fight crime at night.

On a day they had off, Marvin found that Jackie wasn't doing well. He had stayed in his room all morning and hadn't left. Marvin, naturally concerned about his brother, went to check up on him. It was then that Jackie confessed to Marvin that he was transgender, and he was feeling dysphoric and couldn't bring himself to get up. Marvin completely understood, and admitted he was genderfluid and also felt dysphoric sometimes. When he heard Jackie had gotten top surgery but hadn't gotten bottom surgery, Marvin offered to use his magic to finish the process. He looked up a transformation spell that would permanently give him the correct parts. The process was slow and painful for Jackie and lasted a few days, but by the end of it he was so thankful to Marvin that none of it mattered. Marvin was happy he was able to help his best friend in such a huge way.

Marvin and Jackie met Schneep after Jackie was gravely injured during a fight. Once Schneep healed them both and they recovered, they felt a connection towards Schneep and stayed in touch, eventually making sure they only saw him when they needed a doctor. Once Schneep bought a house, he offered them to move in and they both accepted.

Marvin is naturally knowledge-hungry. He always craves new information, and his room is filled with books from floor to ceiling. He's always trying out new spells or mixing new potions, and he's become close with Schneep by swapping notes with him as their interests overlap.

Magic is Marvin's special interest. More often than not, it's what he's thinking about. He loves performing magic and writing about magic and talking about magic and he gets so excited over it that the others can't help but listen and beam over how happy he is.

Marvin, on top of his study of spells and potions, is a botanist. He tends to the garden in the back of the house. Most of the plants are magical or have magical properties and he studies them. He can usually find magical properties in common flowers and plants and herbs, as well. Jameson was amazed when he saw the garden for the first time (it's rather large) and Marvin offered to give him an easy plant to tend to. Jameson waters it twice a day every day and keeps it in the windowsill of his room. He talks to it on occasion, as well, and is always excited to share with Marvin when it's grown.

When Chase moved in and took over the channel, Marvin focused his magic into wards and protection spells. He became Chase's protector while he recorded videos, in case Anti were to come back, and through this the pair became close. On days where Chase isn't feeling well, Marvin steps in and covers for Chase

Marvin stopped being Jackie's crime-fighting partner, as the superhero insisted that he was needed at home, protecting the others from Anti while he was away. It hurt them both, as they missed fighting crime together, but they knew it was for the best. They remained close as ever, despite seeing each other less.

Marvin often helps Jameson learn to control his magic. They study together and Marvin helps him practice. He hopes Jameson can master it one day, as time magic is very powerful and could be put to good use against Anti.

Marvin and Jameson work together a few times a week to use their magic to get through to Jack and wake him up. They've gotten through a few times and that alone is enough to keep the hope alive between all of them.

Marvin's very bubbly and bright and very intelligent. He's easily excitable and loves talking with other people about their hobbies. He's one of the best people to have a conversation with. The others could talk with him for hours and never get bored.

Marvin gets anxious very easily, despite what his previous jobs suggest. He worries a lot, but it's only because he cares. Normally, though, he has a level head, and he gives some great advice.

Marvin's very graceful. He can do different types of dances and is very good at ice skating. When he found out Schneep can ice skate too, they started a friendly competition between each other. Their score is currently tied

Marvin found out on accident one day that Chase can dance. And, even more suprisingly, he was doing ballet. Chase admitted he had taken lessons when he was younger and he dances when he has the energy to and no one else is home. He requested it to be kept secret and Marvin obliged, though sometimes when the pair are home alone, they dance to music together.

If you run your hand through Marvin's hair or rub his shoulders, he'll purr like a cat. Chase found this out on accident and could not stop laughing afterwards. If he's panicking, though, they found it's a good way to calm him back down, so they use this trait to their advantage when Marvin needs help grounding himself

Marvin and Jackie spar sometimes, practicing their powers on each other and testing the other's strength. It helps keep them on their toes and makes sure they don't get rusty.

Marvin and Jackie are both the chefs of the house. When they lived together, they almost always had a home cooked meal of some sort, and they always cooked together. Now, since Marvin is home more, he's usually the one who cooks. They're both very good at it, and Marvin can use his magic to do multiple things at once.

Marvin doesn't drink often. He usually saves drinks for special occasions as his focus is needed for magic (which he cannot do while drunk). He can hold his alcohol pretty well, though. Since he doesn't drink often, if he's not drinking tea, he's having hot chocolate. He's not too fond of coffee, but if offered he'll drink it. It just has to be very sweet.

Both Chase and Marvin have the worst sweet tooth. They're always hiding candy from each other, considering they share the same taste. They do share on occasion, though.

Marvin sleeps a lot. He's usually the last one up every day. But that means he stays up well into the night studying or researching some magical thing or other. He does get enough rest, though, so he's always full of energy when he wakes up.

Marvin is gay. He's had a few boyfriends in the past, but they didn't last. What with all that's going on now, however, he doesn't have the time to date. He has to focus on protecting his family.

Marvin is extremely good at puzzle solving. He has a Rubik's cube that he's solved many times. His record is 17 seconds, and in his free time he can be seen trying to beat it. He often plays puzzle games in his free time, too, and loves games like The Legend of Zelda because of the puzzles.

When Marvin performs magic, his eyes glow blue. To see him with glowing eyes and a magic circle under his feet is quite the mesmerizing sight.

And I think that's it for Marvin! I have two more that I need to make, and then all the headcanon pages will be done! I know these posts have all been super long and I apologize for the fact that I can't put a read-more link since I'm on mobile, but I hope seeing a whole bunch of these hasn't been too annoying!