#thunderbirds ask game

[squiddokiddo]

Hey, I made a funky new Thunderbirds ask game for y'all to play with!! I decided to make the questions a bit more obscure than our usual games/bingo sheets and I tried to make it adaptable to all 3 main versions of Thunderbirds.

Please make sure you mention which adaptations you'd like to talk about in your reblogs and asks. Have fun!!💛💛

[uniwolfcorn]

Hii Uni!! Hope you're doing well <333 Saw this going around and wanted to pop into your inbox :) For the TB ask game number 8! What's a topic you don't usually get to talk to the fandom about? Any continuity!

Omg hey Lou! I'm doing well and I hope you are too!🧡💛❤️💚💙

Tbh this is a bit of a tricky one. But if I have to pick, it would be probably Pokémon crossovers.

Pokémon is an absolute obsession of mine. I can't think of any other fandom without having some Pokémon influences on it. So of course I have to let my Pokénerd shenanigans on our funny lightning bird show XD

Though honestly, I sorta keep Pokémon discussions private in dms most of the time because in my opinion, the direction Pokémon has been taking over these few years can spark debacle (not saying I don't feel safe in any servers or anything like that. I just feel more confident chatting about it privately). And not that many people (as far as I'm aware) in TB aren't either into Pokémon or don't have much knowledge of it (which is completely fine! Y'all do you🧡💛❤️💚💙).

To sum it up, I'm kinda sensitive to different opinions and Pokémon definitely takes that cake. So I often don't talk about it publicly as much compared to privately, just to avoid causing any conflict or something. I am learning to take certain negative opinions in stride and just keep enjoying the funny monster catching game💕💕💕

Thank you so much for the ask! I really hope this doesn't come across as mean or anything. I respect y'all and your opinions, just giving my personal feelings🧡💛❤️💚💙

[idontknowreallywhy]

The lovely @hebuiltfive sent this ask from @squiddokiddo’s excellent March of the OC’s ask game about four OCs. I will answer conventionally about three of them, but the fourth requires a little extract to explain…

Bez’s favourite Thunderbird

🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴

Scott cautiously patted Bez on the head and murmured his thanks for the gift of… err… whatever the giant green drool-soaked plushie monster Bez had deposited at his feet was meant to be. Some kind of chunky lizard? A turtle… but with a zip on its belly?

The dog backed away and looked at him expectantly. Ah. He needed to physically accept the gift. Ugh… but he could literally see dog-spit-bubbles gleaming on the fuzzy surface. Shudder. Come on Tracy, you’ve dealt with grosser things in Gordon’s bedroom…

Acting with the kind of caution he’d exercise towards potentially explosive toxic waste, Scott picked the item up with a thumb and forefinger, and dangled it in the air as far from his body as possible to inspect. It spun slowly in the air to reveal a very familiar yellow, red and white pattern on the top side and his jaw dropped in delighted surprise.

The shape, he could now see, was almost recognisable but it had been significantly squashed and white stuffing was poking out from several holes. Other sections had evidently been firmly re-stitched together which only emphasised how the rest of the original seams were on the point of bursting. The tail was hanging on by mere threads. Bez sat up tall on his hind legs and looked immensely proud of himself.

“Oh Bez… whatever would Virgil say?”

Scott coughed to repress the snigger that thought had prompted and then bit his lip, not wanting to offend the giant animal by laughing in his face. His body shook a little as he crouched and reverently placed the mutilated toy back down in front of its owner but he kept his cool. Said owner eyed him and then promptly picked it up and put it more decisively on top of Scott’s shoes.

“Goodness you are highly honoured Scott, he won’t let me near Thunderbird Chew! I’ve had to sneak her away while he sleeps to carry out routine maintenance in the dead of night and… err, Scott? Are you ok?”

Scott lost control and his shoulders shook as he crammed a hand into his mouth to suppress the giggles.

Thunderbird Chew! Now he really couldn’t wait to tell Virgil!

🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴

[room-on-broom]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tug by @marvellouslymadmim thank you so much me luv

Tagging @heathtrash @teapotteringabout @holdmecloser-gandydancer @womble1 @janetm74 @kiwi-cackles and YOU! and who else wants to do it! more questions under the read more

1. How many works do you have on A03?

48 (60 on fanfic)

2. What's your total A03 word count?

I've no idea, i messed up on my calculator and dont have the pactience to go back over it

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently Stingray and Thunderbirds. and worst witch. its always worst witch

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Jabberjay-ded (128 vs 4 comments lol) Little Wizard, The Broken Hand mirror, Mildred's Monstrous Misadventures, (ah yeah witching kind!) and I saw Seven Idiots.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Fanfic.net dosnt let me reply any more??? but I do try to. even if its just a key smash and a thankyou. or if its an emoji spam i emoji spam back. I love those.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hm. The closest ones I could think of are Death's acquaintance and In grief we bake. I don't tend to do agnsty endings. even the sad ish ones are kind hopeful.

EDIT: JABBERYJAYED! I forgot!? litreally a hunger games fic ends up in devistation?? fool.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I couldnt narrow it down so top 2: I saw 7 Dogs and Christmas Cards

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Onlya few times in the past. two of those times were Worst witch ship trolls and just deleted them. one was my fault, i got uppity with an 'UPDATE NOW' comment and user just went a few my other fics being rude. againn deleted.

9. Do you write smut?

write yes. post no. (not yet-!) :o

10. Do you write crossovers?

yes. Ive have a good half a dozen under my belt and a couple in the works.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

angain no not that i know of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No but I would count @teapotteringabout @kiwi-collideoscope and Princess Sammi as , the amount i've bouced ideas about with them.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

Mary Poppins and Bert. the OTP before i knew what the internet was.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Froot, SEASICK and Cherrytree Carol. plus a bunch of WW ones. I keep picking them up but i feel like they might be left on the shelf a little longer.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue and character voices. I also love mixing humour in too, even just a little sprinkle into sad bits and I think i do that quite well.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Plot bunnies. and not finishing current WIPS. Ive made a mountain of improvement on that frount but yeah posting chapters before before the fics even 50% done. To the point ive sequeals to fics that are only two lines of an epic.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Massivise kudos who can do that. not my forte. The closest I've come is writing the odd burst of ASL and BSL for Unshackled and Chest Compressions, and a pinch of welsh for Lucretia’s Baller but as yet Hypothetical Birthday Cake.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Corpse Bride (2005). a sad little fic for a le sad victor van dort.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Ever? Probably have to Mildred's Montorus adventures. but Your mother and Mine's got a special place in my heartjust cos family and the catharisis .

Thank you!!

[hebuiltfive]

Just in case the last ask failed:

Sickness prompts:

snoozeville: [character] falls asleep somewhere that isn’t their bed. With Scott please

Thank you @janetm74! I hope this suffices!

Snoozeville (feat. Scott Tracy)

Scott was undoubtedly an early bird. He preferred sunrises over sunsets, and he found something refreshingly cleansing about early morning air. Whenever duty wasn’t calling him, Scott often found himself down in the gym, purpose-built on the island to cater to all their needs and to save the residents trips to the mainland every time they wanted to pump some iron. 

This morning was no different. 

Nor were the bags that he carried under his eyes, the dull throb of a headache just beginning to form or the feeling of limp muscles.

Perhaps burning the candle at both ends wasn’t the best idea these last few weeks. Rescue call after rescue call, a mountain of work for the business that kept everything afloat and then general insomnia on top of it all because God only knows why… Scott was tired. 

Of course, he could have slept through the morning if he really tried, but he had things to do, and a Scott who hadn’t managed to fit in a morning work-out was like a Virgil who had gone without coffee. So, yes, whilst he was beginning to feel sleepy now the birds had started their tweeting, Scott actually getting some sleep didn’t seem like his most favourite of options. Thus, the gym.

It was the aching, dull muscles that had Scott choosing the bench press over the treadmill once he’d limbered up as his first work-out of choice. The weights would help his body wake up, right? Somewhere in the depths of his mind he heard a voice, that sounded a lot like Gordon’s, telling him that his choice was a dumb one, but Scott chose not to listen. He was too tired to listen.

He loaded up the barbell, choosing weights that were just under his normal tolerance (because he wasn’t a complete idiot, give him some credit), and laid himself down on the bench. The lights of the gym were set to a soft glow, bright enough to light up the space but not too bright to blind him, though that had been considered as an option to help him wake up. 

Now, lying there, he was thankful he decided against that. Scott breathed deeply as a pain shot across his forehead. Perhaps he should have taken some painkillers before coming down here. Perhaps he shouldn’t have come down here at all. Ugh, whatever. He was too tired to care. Besides Scott was certain the aches would pass in a moment and then he could start his work-out… in a minute… he just wanted to close his eyes for a second first…

“Scott! Are you insane?”

To his credit, Scott did not jump up and hit his head on the barbell that was still cradled on the stand above him. He did, however, jolt awake.

Awake? Hold on…

“Actually, don’t answer that.” His brother continued, coming to to a stand beside the bench. Virgil hovered a scanner over him as Scott blinked his eyes into focus.

“… Virg…?”

“How many times have I told you not to use the gym unless you’ve had a proper rest before?”

Scott’s brain had a hard time catching up. Had he… fallen asleep? Impossible. Surely he hadn’t been that tired. “I was only resting my eyes for a few seconds.”

“Under the weights?”

“He’s been in here for over an hour.” The unmistakeable tone of EOS echoed through the hall from Virgil’s handheld monitor. “I told you he was acting recklessly again.”

“Hold on, you used EOS to spy on me?” Scott’s attempt to sound offended fell flat due only to his still sleepy head.

“Not spy…” Virgil quickly clarified, his eyes darting to the weights on the end of the bar in guilt. “She woke me up after seeing here and… This isn’t about me. Stop deflecting, Scott!”

Scott sighed, carefully sitting himself up despite his body’s protests to just stay there for a little longer. He didn’t dare chance a glance at his brother, who’s eyes Scott could already feel were staring him down.

“Bed. Now.”

“It’s seven in the morning, Virg…”

“I don’t care if it was midday.”

“Virg, I am fine.”

“These readouts don’t back up your theory. You need to sleep, Scott.”

Scott knew when to pick his battles, especially with medic-mode Virgil. Denying the evidence that was now being put before him — ouch, those are a lot of red areas — he knew that this was not a battle he would win. 

“Fine. I’ll… try and get some rest.”

But Scott didn’t move.

Virgil waited a moment. “Now, Scott.”

A sharp intake of breath and Scott was back. Had he almost just fallen asleep sitting up? Yikes. “I’m fine, I’m fine, I just.. need a minute.”

“Do I have to carry you?” Virgil lightly swatted at his shoulder. “Do not fall back to sleep. You’ll fall backwards and hit your head on the bar.”

“I thought you wanted me to sleep.”

“Scott.” Virgil pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly exasperated. “Do not start. Get your butt to bed and, for the love of God, please stay there until you’ve had a decent amount of sleep.”

[thunder-pride]

Reblog and send each other numbers to play! Let’s generate some wonderfully queer discussions 😄

Text version of all questions is under the cut 😊

What’s a queer headcanon you enjoy?

What’s your favourite queer ship?

Do you have a favourite queer fanwork?

Which character(s) make you proud to be yourself?

Talk about a fanwork with queer themes that you’d like to make

Do you have any queer OCs?

Share a queer headcanon for a background character

Talk about your first experience with queerness in fandom

What inspires you to make queer content?

What has been your favourite experience creating queer content in fandom?

Send in a character and I’ll…

11. …tell you a queer headcanon for them 12. …tell you how they’d show off your identity 13. …tell you how they’d celebrate Pride 14. …tell you how I think they’d come out 15. …tell you how they’d support someone else coming out 16. …tell you what queer media they’d obsess over 17. …tell you what queer artist they’d listen to 18 …tell you what queer character they’d connect with

[katblu42]

Konnichiwa Kat!^^

This is for Truth or Dare asks: 🎨

Hi! Thanks for the ask.

🎨- Link your favourite piece of fanart and explain why you like it.

I knew someone was gonna ask one of the hard ones!!

The good news is this one is hard because there is just so much to choose from, and so many talented artists out there that I don't want to leave anyone out!!

I considered sending shout-outs to some of the Thunderfam artists who have multiple favourite artworks I love, those I've collaborated with, commissioned art from, or who have made fanart from one of my fics. Even then the list would be very long, so I hope you all know who you are!

So, I'm gonna go with a piece of art that I'd seen before I landed here and found the Thunderfam. One I'd probably stumbled across on that pinning site, by an artist whose works absolutely captivated me - @lenle-g

Amongst so many wonderful creations this one in particular is a favourite because it tells so many stories! I want to gush about all the little details in each little portrait, the expressions, the things they're doing, the details of the wallet and the table it's sitting on . . .

but I think the art speaks for itself far better than I can!

[squiddokiddo]

Me watching the absolute chaos that my "for sh*ts and giggles" ask game is leaving in it's wake:

It's currently 3:30am here.

[tracybirds]

Hello!

Loving your responses to the sickness prompts so far!!

Wondered if you might come up with something for Careful Care with John as Character A. Dealer's choice for Character B.

Please and thank you.

:)

We'll pretend it hasn't been a couple of *ahem* months since I got these - but thank you for your patience and the late night inspiration <33

careful care: it’s hard for[character A] to accept help. [character B] knows which care methods are “acceptable”. 

--

Another anomaly.

EOS catalogued the newest data point, the slow trend away from the norm growing more evident with each passing hour.

It wasn’t yet enough to confront John, but the data flooded in as he coughed, bracing himself against the wall.

EOS remembered the more colloquial term from Gordon – ‘hacking up a lung’ did seem more appropriate for the situation in front of her, despite her dislike of figurative speech.

“Ugh,” John said, grimacing slightly. His posture was slumped, his eyes bleary. He barely glanced in her direction as she settled in front of him and lowered the array.

“John.”

“Don’t,” he said, cutting her off instantly.

“I just–”

“Doesn’t matter.”

She kept her display a bland white and her tone neutral.

“There’s tea in the galley.” No reason, no judgment. “We are monitoring three weather systems and five major engineering projects. No sign of current danger.”

You should rest. Words she didn’t say.

John gave a sharp nod.

There was none of his usual ease in motion, fluidity lost to the ache in his bones. He turned away from the stars as he reached for the mug with a shaky hand.

EOS withdrew.

She had what she needed.

A channel opened to Tracy Island.

“You need to be here,” she informed Virgil, before he could say a word.

He frowned, leaning forward as though looking for John in the holo.

“He’s in the galley,” she said, responding to his unasked question. “I made him tea, but I don’t know what happened next.”

“Is John sick?” asked Virgil in a soft voice.

“Nearly,” she said, and he nodded.

“Good job,” he said, and the praise made EOS glow even brighter. “I’ll look after him.”

“I wish he’d let me.”

Virgil hesitated, halfway out the door.

“Someday, he might,” he said eventually. “It’s hard for him.”

“What’s so hard about staying in bed and watching television and drinking soup? All my research suggests that minor illnesses are easily treatable and highly predictable.”

Virgil could only offer a half-smile.

“It’s simple enough, EOS. But it sure doesn’t feel that way when your body’s fighting against you. Imagine if you woke up and you suddenly couldn’t access all your systems. And those you could were sluggish and you know it’s not right but there’s nothing you can do about it.”

EOS didn’t have to imagine. She remembered her early existence with perfect clarity, and she remembered also how hard she’d fought to shake off her chains.

“What would you do?” asked Virgil. “If that happened?”

“Tell John.”

Perfectly logical.

Virgil’s lips quirked, biting back a grin.

“If John wasn’t there?” he asked. “Would you tell one of us?”

EOS found she didn’t have an answer. Logic dictated that she must answer affirmatively. Yet something held her back, a strange distaste at the idea that anybody other than John would see her in so vulnerable a position. She’d grown to trust his family, but John was different. She’d held his life aloft and he’d created her with his hands.

Virgil nodded.

“He thinks the world of you, you know,” he said gently. “He’d rather push through and pretend everything was fine than let you down.”

“This is hardly something in his control. Nor would illness be cause to ‘let me down’.”

“Give him time, that’s all I’m saying. And until that day, I’ll look after him.”

EOS nodded.

“Thank you, Virgil. I am pleased that he has you.”

 “I’ll see you up there,” he said. “I’ll show you what to do.”

“If you can convince him to go back to bed, that will be a lesson worth learning.”

--

[prompt list is here if you want to reblog for yourself!]

(or if you want to send one through feel free although there is a decent backlog :P)

[uniwolfcorn]

Hi! For Squiddo's ask game, could I request number 13 please? "What is something annoying/out of character that your fave has done in canon?" Any continuity you like.

Thankyou in advance!

Thank you for another lovely ask and no problem!💕💕💕

Honestly, I'm hot and ready to tear into how that monstrosity of TB 2004 did to my baby boi Alan.

But I think it's more or less obvious how, and I kinda want to flex out with something different rather than rant about TB 2004 for the millionth time XD

This might be a detour from the show, but I didn't like how Brains was acting in Thunderbird 6. I could see him getting frustrated once in a while, but smashing a model for TB6 kinda hurt to see, not gonna lie. Brains is an adorable sweet nugget. I understand the movie wanted to show kids that even scientists/adults get frustrated, but it still rubbed me the wrong way.

I wasn't a fan of how Jefferson acted in the first parts of the movie either. Why the hell would he want a Thunderbird 6 when he doesn't even know what kind of vehicle he wants? Why would Jefferson even consider a TB6 if he knew that it'll create suspicion about where a TB5 is? Jefferson was strict and had some faults in the show, but I never imagine him to be this stupid and incompetent. His character also felt a bit too harsh in rejecting Brains' ideas.

Also, Jefferson getting angry at Alan in TAG (the movie) didn't sit well with me either. My memory of it is sorta shotty because it was mostly a yawn-fest I distracted myself with the whole time, but Alan is 19/20 years old my guy. I'm pretty damn sure Alan can leave and go wherever the fuck he wants and they would be fine. Why don't you stay at the base if it was for security reasons, Jefferson? You're a military man. You can roundhouse Hood just fine XD

Jefferson yelling at Scott in Atlantic Inferno wasn't a great moment for him as well. But I mostly chalked it up to stress. Trust me Jefferson, I know the feeling way too well :')

And that's all I can think of. It kinda takes a lot for my favorite characters to do something in canon that would bother me (we don't talk about 2004). This was another fun ask to write! Hope you're doing well Alex🥰🧡💛❤️💚💙

[angelofbenignmalevolence]

Stuck in New Idea Hell

Would that be the Worst Thing - (Hood/Havoc) - Angst - Same Universe as Bathroom Trash. Havoc has the conversation with the Hood about having his child

The Liquor Cabinet Series - (Tracy Brothers, Jeff?, Kayo?, Penelope?, Grandma?) - character studies - based on alcholic drinks I associate with them

"Lady Like" - (Penelope, Kayo, Grandma) - Three part exploration of the major female characters based on the idea of what it is to be "Lady Like"

The Lantern Beneath the Waves - (Gordon, Scott?, John?, EOS?) - Thriller?, Horror? - Gordon finds an old, abandoned city beneath the sea and finds more than he bargained for

Untitled AU - (Ensemble Cast, Contains OCs) - AU, Sci-Fi - Lucille had a life as part of an experimental program before she escaped and met Jeff and created a family

Rescue/Rescued - (Ensemble Cast) - Thriller/Suspense - Some of the Tracy Boys are called out to a rescue where they become those in need of rescue as they are hunted by those they were sent to rescue

Marionettes and Chessmen - (Ensemble Cast, The Hood, Havoc, Fuse, Contains OCs) - AU, Thriller - International Rescue only believes they have caught the hood, but the rabbit hole goes deeper than they thought as they delve deeper into the Hood's organization.

I'm trying to figure out which one piques the audience's interest as well as my own. :) Let me know what you think :)

[idontknowreallywhy]

Helloooo!

For the OC ask, and for all four of your wonderful OCs!

🌩️ What's your OC's favourite Thunderbird/IR vehicle?

Ooh hello! Thanks for the ask! Let me see now…

Ash

Ash was Scott’s airforce wingman. They worked together as test pilots then were both posted to Bereznik. He can’t fly fighter jets himself anymore, as he lost his arm in the same incident that saw Scott shot down and captured. He stayed in the airforce though, rose up through the ranks and now is pretty senior. His particular interest is in the development of new tech, particularly things that would keep his pilots safer / allow them to do their jobs more efficiently. He’d love all the Thunderbirds but if he ever got to visit the hangar, his eye would be drawn to Shadow… yes… he’d very much like to order 40 of those please!

Val

Scott’s slightly older childhood friend, terrible influence, teenage crush and squadron buddy in Bereznik. She didn’t make it out of the mission Scott got shot down in, so sadly she never sees the Thunderbirds, but she would have loved One for all the reasons he does - fast is better. Fast is ALWAYS better!

Estera

Will absolutely refuse to say which her favourite Thunderbird is because it winds Scott up something chronic: “You MUST think one of them is slightly cooler? Tell me… I won’t tell the others. It’s One isn’t it? If you don’t say, I’m assuming it’s One.” Years of mediating passionate arguments between 8 year olds have given her an excellent sense of when to remain firmly on the fence. In reality, at the point we’re up to in the story she is… not a fan… of flying because last time she did it she was sealed inside a makeshift coffin and the sounds and smells of aircraft are tied up with that experience. Scott intends to work on it. Eventually she’s always going to have a soft spot for Tracy Two for that reason. But her favourite of all? Mole pod. Because that’s how Virgil eventually got her, Scott and the school kids out of the cave.

Bez

@sofasurf and I’s favourite floof has some very firm views as can be seen in this snippet. I now have so much lore surrounding Thunderbird Chew and the other softies in the set but that can wait for another day :)

Thank you for asking! I had a lot of fun thinking about it!

[such-a-random-rambler]

For Squiddo's Thunderbirds Ask Game!

15. Which Protagonist Would Make A Good Villain?

&

16. Tell Me About An Idea For Thunderbirds Merch That You Wish Existed!

Hi!

15. OK, I know this is going to sound biased, but John would actually make an excellent villain! of course he's got the smarts to come up with some convoluted plan, but I also think you could push his personality from 'confident' to 'arrogant and superior' really easily. or put him into some 'wrong thing for the right reasons' situations.

16. I will admit I haven't really looked at / for merch, so don't know what's out there, but I think models of all the 'Birds that fit together to form the ZeroXL would be really cool

[hebuiltfive]

Loving your stories and couldn't resist sending a prompt.

Conversationalist: character rambles in their sick state.

My absolute top trope. Gonna ask for John, but will accept whatever the muse decides.

I'm still slowly working through the last half of these prompts 😬 

Sorry for taking so long! This one is about John, it's just with Gordon as the POV. I hope that's okay! It also ended up taking a darker turn than I'd first anticipated... still, I hope you enjoy it, @sofasurf!

Conversationalist (feat. John)

The fever had taken a hold during the night and had so far refused to let him go. Long, drawn-out bouts of shivers and sweaty delirium had kept both of them from getting a good night’s rest. Gordon tried not to think about the consequences of that, pushing the worries to the recesses of his mind until he needed to give them contemplation.

Nothing about their current predicament had him holding much hope. Gordon wasn’t usually one to lose faith so easily, however having a sick brother stuck in the middle of the Outback with no way of being able to help him was apparently was the key. John wasn’t even supposed to be out there with him; it was supposed to be Virgil… God, how Gordon wished their resident medic was with them now. 

Virgil would have seen the signs. 

Virgil would have known what to do. 

Virgil wouldn’t have allowed John to get this bad.

Gordon had often sat with and tended to his brothers during moments of sickness before plenty of times, but this was different. He was alone, with a delirious John, in the middle of nowhere, with his already very limited medical kit running out of supplies fast. They’d managed to get through one night, but Gordon feared what would happen if he couldn’t get John some urgent medical assistance soon.

He took a deep breath, trying to will those fears back into the box they had escaped from once again. 

Worry later.

The call he had tried to make several times over the course of the night had been a wasted effort. It wasn’t because they were in the middle of nowhere — their comms systems operated even in the more remote parts of space — but because his radio had been damaged during the ensuing fight that had followed dinner. If Gordon hadn’t lost his temper in such an uncontrolled way when that shot was fired towards John, he may have fought better. Remembering the fight reminded him to get his ribs checked when they next had access to medical equipment; he was certain there were a few cracked, if not broken, bones. But that didn’t matter. He came out of it unscathed compared to John.

Gordon hoped Tracy Island picked up his SOS. All he could do was hope, given he had no way of receiving transmissions anymore, but given the fact that he’d already begun to lose that optimism… It wasn’t looking good.

John’s clammy hand squeezed around Gordon’s, bringing the aquanaut back to the present again. His eyes were still closed, no trace of the green Gordon longed to see, but chapped lips began to move. He didn’t dare check on the wound on his brother’s side, too scared to see the infection and thus make any of these last few hours real. Gordon knew that burying his head in the sand wouldn’t help the situation but he still couldn’t bare it. 

They’d run out of water in the early hours. Gordon had shared his rations with John, encouraging his brother to take small sips whenever he thought he was able to. It was clear by John’s hoarse voice that he was still in need of more.

“S-S-Sorry… I…. Sor-Sorry.”

“It’s alright, John.” Gordon pressed the back of his hand to John’s forehead, ignoring the hair that sweat had adhered to his skin. His brother was still too hot, but without more water the rag used to cool him down during the night was useless. “You’re going to be okay.”

“C-Can’t… Can’t do a-anything r-r-right…”

“No, no. You’re not doing anything wrong. Just… Hold tight. Help is on the way.”

The lie came easy to him. That was the worst thing, Gordon thought. He tried not to berate himself over it. What else was he supposed to say to his brother who was quite literally dying in front of him? God, he really was the wrong person for this. Words had never been Gordon’s thing, and, even if they had been, he probably would still have found himself at a loss.

“A-All…. All my fault.”

“None of this is your fault, John, okay? I promise you, none of it—”

“C-Couldn’t save… Couldn’t save… My fault…”

Gordon halted his replies, allowing John to use his hand as a squash toy because that didn’t make any sense.

“F-faster… Not f-f-fast enough… Broken n-now. F-Family b-broken… and it’s all m-m-my fault.” Tears began to leak from the corner of John’s eyes, sobs breaking through his lips. “S-Sorry… Dad, sorry…”

Gordon’s heart lurched in his chest and he felt nauseating cartwheels being performed in his stomach. If he had thought his brother had been bad with the delirium last night, that was nothing compared to this. At least John was semi-conscious then. Now, his brother was completely out of it. Was that a sign of his system getting worse? Gordon could hardly see how it was a good sign.

“Dad?” 

Those green orbs that Gordon had wished to see only moments ago were now visible, but the sight would haunt his dreams for days to come. John’s question had been spoken with such clarity that didn’t seem to match his eyes. They were glossy and unseeing. The light had dimmed in them. They weren’t as bright as they once were.

He was fading.

And Gordon still didn’t know what he could do to stop it.

“You’re okay, John. Dad’s not… Dad’s not here… Remember? It’s me, it’s Gordon.”

“D-Don’t… Don’t cry…” John continued, clearly not out of his delirious, fever-induced hallucination yet. “Don’t… Can fix it… I-I-I… Fix it…”

For the sake of his brother, Gordon tried not to tremble or let any of his fear show. Whether John was seeing Dad in his place or not, he didn’t want to risk making whatever hallucination John was dreaming up to seem anymore real to him.

“You don’t… You don’t need to fix anything, John. You just need to rest.”

John’s body lurched from some sort of pain Gordon had no way of locating let alone treating. He tried to hold his brother still, but the five inches John had on him made the task difficult. Jackets that Gordon had used as blankets to cover John were thrown across the small space as his legs spasmed out uncontrollably.

“John… John! You need to calm down! Can you hear me? John!”

“Useless… Useless… All my fault.” 

John’s self criticism continued in-between painful sobs. 

“Not your fault! John, listen to me.”

The scream that followed would remain with Gordon forever. So much anguish held in the God-awful sound, so much agony and distress. He wasn’t sure if it was from the hallucination or from the pain John had likely caused himself by thrashing his body around so violently. Gordon didn’t need to look down to know his brother had accidentally reopened his wound. The stitching wasn’t perfect by a long shot but Gordon had hoped it would have held until help reached them.

If he had the time, or the mental capacity, he would have scoffed at being so foolish.

There was no help.

This was it.

John was dying and in a painfully delusional state, and there was nothing Gordon could do about any of it.

The warm blood that had leaked onto his fingers in his attempt to hold John down, not to mention the tears born out of panic and fear that he refused to let fall in the aftermath of that scream, were a stark contrast to the silent calm that followed.

His brother, who had calmed from his tumultuous delirium, was lying so still that Gordon had thought the worst. The shallow breathes that were still being taken, the uneven rise and fall of John’s chest, had his worst nightmare subsiding for the moment. Not dead yet, just very, very sick.

Whatever had caused John to go into that mini-fit was, for the time being, over. Gordon would have breathed a sigh of relief if it wasn’t for the fact that he sensed it was just the beginning of the end. 

He pressed a gentle kiss to John’s forehead, trying to block out the wheezing in his brother’s every exhale, and stood with his comms unit in hand. Gordon may have lost hope in any help coming but that didn’t mean he had to sit down and do nothing.

As long as his brother still breathed, he wouldn’t stop, no matter how helpless the situation seemed.

For his brother, he wouldn’t give up.

So, he exited the small cavern, blinking as the morning sun, already so bright and parching, blinded him momentarily. Gordon lifted the radio unit up, whacking it twice with the heel of his palm.

“International Rescue, please, please come in!”

[llamawrites]

🐝 Under pressure

Scott has Atychiphobia, and the rest of Tracys slowly realize that Scott has a fear of failing, failing his loved ones, failing to save people.

[katblu42]

Writer’s Truth or Dare

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Hi. Thanks for the ask.

Hmm. Not sure how weird any of my search topics have been - mostly innocent things like minimum ages for pilots licenses and various motor racing categories, rich people hiding money and creating treasure hunts, geographical locations . . .

One (or two) of the most surprising research topics I found myself investigating for a fanfic involved information on raccoons, and ventilation/heating systems built within walls/roof spaces in American houses!

(For the fic Stuck)