#where he just popped up like a little meerkat too

[musette22]

there he is!

[calamari-ao3updates]

Raph's Chicken Coop has been finished :D

Definitely not procrastinating Turtle Hot Pot <.< I ended up extremely disliking the rewritten chapter 7 while coding it and I'm very badly reconsidering rewriting it once more.

So it might take a tad longer TvT

Anywho o/ here's the labours of my procrastination

Raph's Chicken Coop

Obviously Raph kept the chickens, no matter how much Mikey protested. They've been his little treasures for years, coming a close second to Chompy.

The chickens themselves have always loved and favoured Raph over his brothers. Even if their favourability with Raph himself shifted when his Number One spot became shared between three different parties. The chickens have known Chompy since they came to live here, just like they have Mona.

And when they adopted a tiny little Meerkat mutant, the chickens didn't think too bad of her when the little girl started chasing them.

Also, fun fact! More often than not does Raph "forget" to lock the fence gate behind him, resulting in his chickens finding their way out. And if Mikey just so happens to be outside, let's just say his day is about to get a little wild.

Leo's Garden

Since Leo is physically unable to participate in missions, he's taken on a role as Bishops counsellor. And because cases are spread out far and wide between, Leo keeps himself occupied to a little veggie garden right outside in their backyard.

Mikey, Chloe and Casey collaborated on making him a scarecrow, while Donnie installed a sprinkler system (even though Leo does prefer to water everything by hand, on a Bad Knee Day it is welcomed with big relief). Raph makes sure to bring seeds from the city whenever he visits the place, making sure Leo's chest stays stocked.

And if one of the kids asks to help in the garden, Leo just can't say no. He absolutely loves having them do small tasks and teach them about things in ways a child can understand.

Leo's Greenhouse

Aside from his vegetable garden, Leo was also gifted a greenhouse!

Yes, gifted, because he had no idea it was being built. It just popped up between his visits and his name had been hung on the doorknob alongside a multi-coloured ribbon. "For your new hobby!" had been written on the backside, the squiggly handwriting evidently had been Mikey's.

And he thought nobody had been listening or thought him to be serious when he'd expressed an interest in floral arrangements and gardening.

The picnic basket on top of the chest usually signified one of his brothers had brought him something; Mikey usually brought snacks, Raph always gave him seeds known and unkown and Donnie - although rarely - left him little booklets on gardening or newly discovered plants from some corner of the world.

The little bonsai tree is Leo's way of remembering his father, and is extremely well cared for. When he gets particularly nostalgic for Splinter, you'll find him absentmindedly preening it. His brothers have to pull him away from the little tree more often than not when he turns up late for dinner.

The tables is where the magic happens, where Leo puts together flowers he grew into bouquets to cheer up the house. He makes a lot in a single month, both to give to friends for special occasions or to just hang up around the house.

The multitude of flower wreaths hanging around the house is definitely his handiwork.

The Patio

Where the adults hang out on warm summer evenings. Kids (and pets) allowed.

The bar is equipped with all kinds of beverages; juice for the kids, plain water, beer and all necessities to make yourself a gooooood cocktail (Donnie doesn't care they're considered "feminine", Casey). Not to mention the alcohol brought back from Mona's planet, but that's only accessible when the kids have already gone to bed or went to spend the night at Hiroto's and auntie Karai's.

That's about it for now!

I'm very much procrastinating on all my projects, and I do apologize for that. I'm, again, unhappy with the rewritten chapter and am in a similar situation like chapter 4. I pray that it won't take me too long.

[macisms]

fuck it...last minute dtamhd ficlet. i finished this at 4:30 am. [ao3]:

And when its all over, when Dennis has screamed himself hoarse, he's just...tired.

What the fuck is the point of any of this, really? He just wasted the whole day trying to get to this goddamn beach, and instead of relaxing like he needed to do, he had boiled over, ranting and raving and kicking at the tide until the other beach-goers scurried away with fearful wide eyes. His curses against the universe were carried away by the wind and swallowed up by the ocean, lost in an endless frothy tide. And all he has to show for it was sand in his shoes and an ache in his knees.

He's getting too goddamn old for any of this. The unsavoury thought tastes acrid, and he tries to bite it back, shove it into the deep trenches of his brain where he keeps many, many things, but he can't. He fails to suppress, and the bitter, sticky defeat clings to his body like the shitty piss-stained sand of the Jersey shoreline. The pretense weighs heavy on him, dragging him under. He'll never be the type of guy to drive a flashy new electric vehicle with an iPad jammed into the dashboard. He'll never be the type of guy who does weekend getaways, or drinks at classy uptown nightclubs, or any of that shit. Get fucking real.

The sun crawls down the horizon, painting the sky in golds and oranges - mark of another day ticking away, unfulfilled.

At this point all Dennis wants is to go home, crawl into bed, and skip forward to the next day. Even tuning out his friends' incessant drivel sounds more pleasant than another day of random people grating up against him, taking up his time and space at their own liberty. It's too late for him to turn his life around, so at least let him crawl back to his hidey-hole. But, no. The prissy little eco-friendly machine he rented ran out of charge, of all things. Fuel efficiency his fucking ass. He can't even call an Uber - the stupid car-app made his phone battery go kaput. Three cheers for modern technology.

So he's stuck on the beach, with nothing but his inner thoughts for company. Fine. At least there aren't any people left milling about - just him, the wind, and the sea. The sky grows dimmer by the minute and the air gets chillier even through his coat, but he doesn't move. He knows he'll regret this tomorrow when his back feels the consequences of sitting in the lumpy sand for who knows how long, but he feels held in place. By what, he can't say. Whether its because of the sludge of exhaustion creeping into his bones, or the hypnotizing dance of waves silhouetted against the sunset, or just the bite of salty air as he breathes in, he stays. And he breathes in, and holds it in, and lets it out. The bow of his back relaxes, ever so slightly.

He doesn't know how long he's been sitting there, watching the high tide lap closer to his shoes, staring into the dusky purple sky, when he hears the rumble of an engine behind him. He clenches his jaw, almost unprepared for the wave of irritation that swells in him knowing that some anal-retentive ranger is going to shuffle him off the beach like he's some kind of thickheaded tourist lout - he can't have a moment of fucking peace on this godforsaken day, can he? He turns to give the asshole a scorching glare and a piece of his mind, even though he has very little fight left in him and this confrontation might be over sooner rather than later - but it's his own goddamn car staring back at him from over the dunes. Not that awful yuppie piece of trash - his car. And (ruining the magic slightly), some very familiar voices coming from that direction.

"There he is!"

"Hey, Dennis! Is that you?"

Well, fuck.

Their faces pop up over the sand dunes, like - like meerkats or something, Dennis thinks, somewhat hysterically. No, he's not just imagining - it really is all of them, even Frank bumbling down in the back, nearly tripping over his own feet and the sand.

"Dude, we've been looking for you everywhere," Mac says, panting as he reaches Dennis.

"You would not believe the day we had," Charlie speaks, panting even harder. "Pressure cooker was a total bust, by the way."

"Which was not my fault!" Mac interjects, clearly anticipating an argument that had been rehashed many times.

"Oh, please," Dee scoffs, "It was completely your fault. You idiot!"

"Give me a break, Dee, if you hadn't tried to cook your own formula-"

"I don't want to know!" Dennis holds his hands up, mercifully stopping them in their tracks. Something agitated is stirring inside of him. "I do. Not. Want. To. Know. How the hell are you guys here?"

"Oh, easy, dude," Mac says, "We tracked your location."

"You-!"

Dee rolls her eyes. "Oh, you're so shocked. You know we shared locations when we were staking out that department store."

Oh, yeah. Let it never be said that they didn't have their bargain hunting/shoplifting strategy down to a science.

"It shut off after we got here, though," Mac continues. "Did you block me, man?"

"We've been driving around this goddamn shithole for two hours," Frank blusters, gesturing wildly.

"Also, we found your fancy new ride by some gas station?" Charlie says, "Weird place to park a car."

"But we called triple-A for it, so, boom," Dee finishes smugly.

Dennis blinks at them. Just half a day apart from them, and already their conversation sounds like a whirlwind to his ears, jeez. He tries to muster some righteous indignity, which he feels very entitled to - they caught him completely wrong-footed, and they're spouting nonsense as usual, and they're all standing around him while he's sat down like a chump, which he hates.

"Wh- well, how'd you get my car?" he asks, with that very righteous indignity.

"Stole it right out of the yard," Mac said, with a smugness that doesn't befit him.

"We rigged up the pressure cooker right outside the place, y'know, as a distraction-"

"Then I shot it with my gun-"

"The sound it made - bro, you should have been there-"

"And all the security bozos were so distracted thinking it was a bomb, we could just cruise right out of there!"

Dennis stares up at them and their expressions of wild, devilish pride, and comes to a dizzying conclusion: the life he has chosen is insane. It's fucking certifiable, is what it is, they all are, and they're probably going to end up locked up one day.

"You idiots," he says, but he's laughing, pressing a wrist against his mouth trying to contain it. "You goddamn lunatics!"

They grin at each other, so proud and pleased at having set off a bomb threat right next to a government facility. It sets Dennis off again, and they start snorting with laughter too, first Dee then Charlie then Mac and Frank, until they're all cackling like a pack of goddamn hyenas.

"Seriously, though," Dennis continues, pretending like he isn't wiping moisture from the corner of his eyes. "I'm going to kill you for touching my car. If there's a single scratch on it-"

"Hey, all yours now, bro." Mac tosses him the keys; Dennis catches them against his chest. "And, um, if there's a problem...Dee was driving it!"

"Fuck you, Mac! I was not."

"Well, it was really out of necessity. I mean, come on, we couldn't use Dee's car. Those things crash all the time."

"Fuck you, too, Charlie!"

"All of you shut up," Frank cuts off the brewing argument. "Look, we got a ripe opportunity here - sunset, beach, couple of beers, perfect to kick back with. Let's take advantage!"

"Oh, fuck yeah!" Mac claps his hands together. "We have a cooler in the car. I mean, obviously."

"Yeah, lets go get some beers! Come on, man." Charlie holds a hand out to help Dennis up with, and after a moment's hesitation, Dennis accepts it, though he nearly regrets it when Charlie's tug yanks at his already battered body and nearly unbalances them both. Mac calls for them to hurry up, and Dennis rolls his eyes but acquiesces to follow.

They grab their bottles of Coors out of the cooler and settle at the crest of the sand dune, their backs to the Range Rover. Dennis sits with one knee pressed atop of Mac's, and the other leg nudging Charlie's. With a smirk, Dee reaches over to clink the top of her bottle against Dennis', and then he does the same with Mac, and Charlie, and even Frank.

Then they kick back, sip their beers, and watch the sun slip into the sea.

[jwooyoung]

Saw this game going around and wanted to ask you— who would you set your mutuals up with on a blind date? 🌸

okay well first of all the real answer is ME <3 I'm telling them I set them up on blind dates with someone else and instead I show up to woo them 💝💓💝💞💝💕💖💓💝💞💘

but i will also give real answers LMAO

@karube and bibi idk why but the vibe is just THERE it would work out really well <3 roller skating date. don't ask why that's just what immediately pops into my head. OR. yangyang. and they're going to a skate park where he can try to impress her and maybe fail but also maybe NOT fail we shall see :)

@eviljongho and seonghwa to ruin her day 😗 and they're going to the lego store where he gets them both lego sets then to a boba place that lets them just chill and do whatever and they build the sets there and have boba and maybe ramen. TOO fucking cute.

@jongintual and well. we all know. mr jacob bae himself. sending them to like the cutest little cafe with a really exotic menu and a great view of probably snow capped mountains like this (I guess I'm sending them to switzerland)

@gneocchi self explanatory it's baekhyun and they're going for a drive where he serenades her <3 don't need to go anywhere else tbh (but also maybe like a really cute intimate little french restaurant)

@baekhyunnybyun and wonwoo I just think it would be really cute <3 maybe on like a picnic or to one of those animal cafes! maybe an out of the box one like meerkats or wallabys or something fun!!

@kee-per and kyungsoo. idk what they'd do together but they sure will do something !!!! just sit and absolutely fucking vibe together

@yunogf and me, we are going to the cafe where they print jaehyun onto the foam and play forever only. jaehyun is also inexplicably there to crash our date but it's fine bc we love him

[redroseinsanity]

Make your ex a bug (feed it to the beasts) - Daisuga

TW: Mentions of bugs and frozen rodents getting eaten, nothing gory but just in case!

Basically I found out you can do this for real, cackled then decided I had to do a drabble. Details below!

"You named a cockroach what?" Daichi asks flatly, his incredulity tamping down the urge to rub his temples where a tension headache is already forming. 

"Zach!" Noya chirps, puffing his chest out with pride, "You know, your stinky ass ex who-"

"No, I know who Zach is," Daichi interrupts. He's been trying to forget the guy, not get a rehash, "What I want to know is why you paid ten bucks to name a cockroach after him?"

"Cause he's scum like roaches!" Tanaka jumps in, indignant anger on Daichi's behalf lining the frown on his face. 

"Yeah and also cause you can watch Roach Zach get gobbled up by a ferocious animal like he justly deserves!" Noya announces and he's lost Daichi there. 

"What."

Daichi darts a look at Ennoshita for support but his assistant manager just shrugs with a resigned expression as if to say that Daichi's on his own for this one. 

"The zoo! They have this awesome valentine's day special and you get to pay to name a bug or rat or veggie after your ex and then watch it get eaten up by the animals!" Tanaka shoves his phone in Daichi's face and after three minutes, Daichi has to admit it's a pretty interesting concept. 

"We got you a ticket and this is your timeslot so go watch Roach Zach get chomped on," Noya stuffs a flimsy paper ticket in Daichi's hand and Tanaka nods fervently over his shoulder. 

Daichi casts one more helpless look at Ennoshita who, the traitor, just pats Daichi on the back as he heads to the door.

"No harm, right?" Ennoshita throws over his shoulder as he steps out into the night.  

Apparently, no harm doesn't mean no emotional casualties considering that his team has just sent him to the zoo on Valentine's day. It's practically choking with saccharine couples who somehow all seem to have flowers and matching outfits. 

Daichi considers turning around twice, once at the bear exhibit (he doesn't because he gets distracted by how cute the cubs are) and once more just before he reaches the meerkat enclosure. 

It's right next to the reptile exhibit so he ducks into the darkened room and finds it more crowded than he would expect. 

Trying to just huddle in the corner to regain his bearings he parks himself at the wall facing the snakes and adjacent to the lizards. 

It's strangely fascinating to watch the lazy way they coil and uncoil, their little tongues occasionally popping out to taste the air. 

Things get heated when booted feet appear and a package drops into the enclosure. The snake eagerly slithers over to inspect it before carefully swallowing it whole. 

"Take that, Jacob, you ratass bitch," A gorgeous voice mutters next to Daichi and honestly, with the combination of that voice and the sentence it had uttered, could anyone blame him for turning to look?

Illuminated in the faintly greenish light from the exhibits is a man who seems too beautiful to be human. Except for the fact that he's in combat boots, ripped jeans and a very comfy looking sweater. And except for the fact that he's cussing out someone named Jacob with every rat that is fed to the reptiles. 

"That's right, you don't even deserve to get chewed, just marinate in digestive juices until you die," Comes the voice again, filled with murderous rage and stunning for it. 

"You piece of crap, you know why I didn't name a veggie after you even though the thought of you being munched to death by a tortoise was quite satisfying?" The beautiful stranger continues under his breath, his face charming with all its expressive movements, "Because vegetables are good for you and you weren't good for me at all!"

It's then that he catches sight of Daichi's gaze and it seems like he flushes a little bit under the dim light, Daichi can't tell. 

"Sorry, I just um, need to get this out of my system," Beautiful stranger smiles and Daichi forgets they're in a couple-ridden zoo for a blinding second, "Or else I'll be feeding my real ex to the snakes instead of just rats."

"Oh, no, I understand," Daichi is quick to assure him, suddenly grateful for the little timing stub in his hand, "My ex is a cockroach."

There's a brief pause wherein Daichi panics about whatever he's just spewed, but the man's face positively glows as he lights up.

"Oh man, I wanted to get a cockroach naming slot cause I thought the meerkats were so cute! But they'd all sold out by the time I tried," He pouts a little but that's really all Daichi needs to hold out his ticket stub. 

"You can come with me later, if you want, I mean, to see the meerkats eat my ex."

It's the weirdest sentence Daichi has ever said in his entire life but the stranger gives him such a look of child-like delight that Daichi doesn't dwell on it too long, overwhelmed by the sight of joy on this angelic face. 

"Can I! Yes, please, lemme just finish watching Jacob get decimated by reptiles," He turns his attention back to where the bigger lizards are also getting fed.

"Yeah, that's it, mess him up!" He cheers as one of the frozen rodents gets flung around in a tussle for food. 

"Wait, wasn't Jacob there?" Daichi gestures vaguely at the first tank. 

That's when the edges of the stranger's smile turns into something devious. It should make Daichi want to run for it but all it does is make his knees go weak.

"I bought every rat for feeding time today so I could watch my rat bastard ex receive his just deserts," He explains.

Daichi has to admit that paying for twenty over frozen rodents just to name them after your ex is pretty dedicated. It's also cheaper than therapy. 

"Anyway, the money goes towards saving more animals so it's all good," The stranger laughs and it's free from the hardness in his eyes that have been there from the start. 

Daichi can't look away.

"Must be a pretty big rat ass to deserve this," He says as the stranger pinches Daichi’s sleeve and starts walking them out. 

"He was beyond controlling, it was always 'Suga, wear this, eat this, do this' or 'Suga, why can't you see things from my perspective, everyone in your life sucks', I'm Suga, by the way," Suga flashes a grin back at Daichi as they weave their way through the crowd. 

Daichi, still reeling from the thought of such a horrible ex and the effects of that brilliant smile, offers his own name in a clumsy and belated manner. 

"Also, he took all the money in our joint account and ran for it," Suga's eyes are hazel in the sunlight when they step out of the reptile area, and they turn steely at this point. 

Daichi is angry beyond words, over a stranger, but tha fact that he just met this man does nothing to ease the vehement emotion that rises up as Suga tells him about Jacob the Rat. 

Suga glances over when they find a good spot at the meerkat enclosure and bumps his shoulder against Daichi in a familiar gesture. 

"Aww don't need to get angry, I'm letting it all out today so that I can move on," Suga's smile has lost some of the strain and there's a calm attitude that seems to settle over him as he watches the meerkats scamper around.  

“Besides,” Suga adds in a light tone with a quietly ferocious expression that Daichi is desperately hoping to see more of, “I got the money back and I didn’t even need to break any fingers to do it.”

Daichi nods slowly as the keeper strides into the meerkat enclosure.

His brain is going, Welp, seems dangerous, we should go and never speak to him again.

Every other part of him screams, ARE YOU KIDDING, I love it, we’re not going anywhere.

Contrary to what Noya and Tanaka were expecting, Roach Zach is not fed to any bloodthirsty animals but fuzzy meerkats that Daichi and Suga coo over as they munch on their bug treats. Either way, Daichi can’t really feel disappointed when the meerkats tear into his ex with such relish and he’s happy that such cute critters get a delicious snack. 

“You should take a video and send it to…” Suga turns questioningly to Daichi.

“Zach,” Daichi supplies, but makes no move to take his phone out, “Nah, this is pretty gratifying in itself.”

Suga whips his phone out to film it instead, telling Daichi he can just keep it for days when he feels down and Daichi has to admit, it doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. 

“What about you?” Daichi asks, when they exchange numbers and the video gets sent to him, “You didn’t take any videos of uh, Jacob getting demolished?”

“Oh,” A wicked grin curves Suga’s lips and Daichi is gone, “I picked the option to have it filmed professionally and sent to my email.”

“Also, it gets sent to Jacob’s email since I provided that too,” Suga adds with vindictive glee. 

The expression fades a little when Suga sees Daichi’s somewhat dazed look. 

“Sorry, too much?” Suga bites his lip, “I know I’m a bit intense but I-”

“Please date me,” Daichi blurts, flushing immediately when he registers what he’s just said while Suga’s grin returns full force.

“I mean, you don’t have to,” Daichi backpedals, remembering Suga’s controlling ex, “I would love to grab a meal or just-”

“Yes,” Suga interrupts. 

Daichi is so out of his depth. 

“What?”

“I said, yes,” Suga tugs Daichi towards the exit as the last bug is fed to the meerkats. 

They’re surrounded by lovey dovey couples but it doesn’t feel as suffocating as it did before. All he can see is Suga’s radiant face with a hint of mischief, laughing as they leave the zoo.

“I hate Valentine’s day,” Suga confesses over their lunch, “So if anyone asks, we got together on the 15th, okay?”

Daichi doesn’t care about Valentine’s day or the calendar or anything else. Suga could have proposed a non-existent date and he would have agreed. 

“Have dinner with me tomorrow? I’ll ask you again and you can say yes again” He asks, watching a smile light up Suga’s face. He doesn’t really know this man, but he’s dying to learn more. 

That’s exactly what he’ll do. 

It’s the first of many, they’ll learn, as Suga grins and says, ”Yes.”

I found out that this is a real thing that the SA zoo does and they offer this internationally so no matter where you are you can also get a video of your least liked person getting eaten by an animal. 

The money goes towards the animals so it’s funny and for a good cause~

[theorphaninthetardis]

Chapter Thirty-Four

The car slows to a stop, and Sophie stretches, checking the time. Her eyes widen, "Oh my gosh. It's half past midnight." She drops her head on the car's dash, "No use going home now," she shrugs.

"You're welcome to spend the night here."

She looks over at the immortal, and smiles, "Okay," she says, sounding sleepy.

Jack points his finger at her, "Hey, no sleeping until you're in my bed." He freezes, "That came out a lot more sexual than I intended."

Sophie opens the car door, and pats the side of Jack's face, "Everything sounds a lot more sexual coming out of your mouth."

He rolls his eyes, and wraps an arm around her shoulder, "Yeah, whatever, kiddo."

***

She wakes up the next morning, and yawns. Jack is nowhere to be found, and she simply shrugs. She wraps the blanket from the immortals bed around her shoulders, and trudges for the ladder.

Her head pops out of the ladder hole, and she looks around like a little meerkat. Jack watches as she squints against the light, and tugs the blanket over her head. "Morning, sleeping beauty."

She waves, and climbs the rest of the way into Jack's office. She trudges over, and wraps her arms around Jack. "I should really be going," she says, looking at the time displayed on the Captain's computer.

"I thought you were staying until the New Year."

"I was just going to get some breakfast," she mumbles, as she frees herself from the blanket.

Jack turns around in his seat, "You could just make something."

Sophie snorts, "Do you have anything in?" she asks, before hastily adding, "Besides cold pizza." Jack shakes his head. "That's what I thought. You live in the sewer and all you eat is pizza."

"Sometimes I don't eat anything at all!" he protests.

Sophie rolls her eyes, "That does not help your case. There's a little diner not far from here where I can go and grab some food." Jack sighs, and pulls a money clip out of his pocket. He removes a couple twenty pound notes, and hands them to her.

"Jack, you don't have too." she protests.

"I know, but I want to," he pushes the money to her once again. "And I figure you can pick me up something as well," he smirks.

"Yeah, alright," she smiles, and heads for the exit.

Sophie glances down at her phone as she steps onto the Plass. Starting down toward the diner, she sees that Jack texted her, asking specifically for flapjacks. She's going to respond something about him sounding all American, but glances back up to find herself in the middle of nowhere. "Well Toto," she mutters to no one in particular, "I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

A normal person would freak out, scream, throw things, maybe call the police. Sophie is not a normal person. She starts off back in the direction she came from, keeping her head on a swivel. She nearly stops dead in her tracks, as a military facility appears in front of her.

She glances around, and sees nothing for miles, except for this facility. She starts up the long gravel drive. The woman spies the sign, which says U.N.I.T in big letters. Sighing, Sophie continues up the drive.

The door comes into view, she approaches. Knocking on the large metal door, a window slides open. A man in a soldier's uniform peers through, "Can I help you, Miss?"

Sophie gives him her best smile, "I sure hope so. I'm looking for the Doctor."

His eyes widen, and then narrow slightly, "We have a lot of doctors here, Miss."

"I know that, but I'm looking for the Doctor. Dr. John Smith, your scientific advisor."

"Can I have your name?"

She rolls her eyes, "Sophia Jaclyn McCoy."

"One moment," he says, and closes the window on the door.

She leans against the wall, waiting as the soldier contacts his superiors. A minute later the door creaks open, and the soldier nods, "Welcome, Miss McCoy. The Doctor is currently out right now, but he told me to escort you to his workshop."

She nods, smiling, "Right, thank you, Corporal..."

"Bates, ma'am."

"Thank you, Corporal Bates. Lead the way then."

They go through winding hallways, each looking exactly the same. They're stark white, soldiers marching through as well. They reach a garage, laboratory type room. The TARDIS pressed into the corner, with Bessie taking up a prominent position near the centre of the room. Various technology, and mechanical bits straggled across the table. There's a wheelie chair in front of the table, and she approaches it. Corporal Bates stands in the doorway, "Can I get you anything, ma'am?"

"Could you tell me the year? I know it seems like a strange request."

"1970, ma'am. The Doctor is always going on about time travel, so you don't need to explain."

She smiles, collapsing into the chair, "Could you maybe grab me a cuppa?"

"Course. The Doctor should be back any minute."

"Thank you, Corporal Bates. And it's been lovely to meet you."

He steps out of the room, and she starts to spin in the chair, waiting for the Time Lord. She pulls out her phone, pulling up Solitaire. She's not sure how long she's playing the game, Bates coming in and dropping off the tea, before promptly returning to his post. What Sophie assumes is a half an hour later, the Time Lord walking into the room, removing his cape, hanging it on the coat rack just inside the room. Sophie, who has her legs flung over the back of the chair, looks at the Doctor from her upside down position. She waves at him, smiling.

The Time Lord stops the chair from spinning by setting a hand on the chair. "It's nice of you to drop in, Miss McCoy." She grins at him, sliding down the chair. "How exactly are you here?" he asks, as she finally flops onto the floor.

Sophie rolls over, easily standing up, shrugging. "Don't know. Was just walking through Cardiff, next thing I know I'm in the middle of nowhere. Just started walking, till I found UNIT."

"Most people would have probably started having a mental breakdown," the Time Lord tells her, as he scans the tech on the table in front of him.

"I'm not most people," she tells him, with a raised eyebrow. "I figure it has something to do with the rift in time and space that runs through the middle of Cardiff, but it's just a thought," she shrugs.

He busies himself, rifling through the tech, "Yes, that is an idea."

Sophie blinks, "Sorry, am I interrupting something important?" she asks, as he grabs a strangely shaped object off the table.

"Unfortunately, yes," he responds.

"I'm sorry my quandary seems to be inconvenient to you."

The Time Lord rolls his eyes, "We'll figure out why you're here as soon as I fix the mess that UNIT has caused."

"Fine," Sophie grumbles. The Doctor breezes back out of the lab, and Sophie resumes her place in the wheelie chair.

[rhysdarbyarchive]

2017 interview with Rhys in Shortlist Magazine (source) Transcription under the cut

Comic and trained killer, Flight of the Conchords' Rhys Darby? Present!

Hi Rhys. What you doing?

I'm on top of a palm tree on an island in the South Pacific, trying to get signal. Technology, eh? I'm in Fiji filming the second season of Wrecked - like a comedy version of Lost. I play the character Steve.

Is he from New Zealand?

Of course.

You've finished shooting the new Jumanji with Dwayne Johnson. What's he like?

A very big, busy man. He'd make these little phone videos with me for his Australian friend. I never saw what happened to them. He'd get up at 4am for some big physical regime.

Did you do a workout with him?

I didn't hear any of that. Sorry, I'm now walking the streets of Fiji, trying to get better reception. Something about a meerkat?

No, did you work out with him?

Oh, no. Kevin Hart's very much into his muscles, too - he'd pull on an elastic band between takes. Jack Black wasn't doing much of that. He was just sitting talking to me. He was more my scene.

What's the latest on a Flight of the Conchords film?

It hasn't got past the wouldn't-it-be-great-to-do-it stage. But the dream's still alive. There's certainly been no progress on it, though.

What's your favourite Conchords song?

I'm a big fan of Hiphopopotamus Vs Rhymenoceros.

How does that go?

Well, I'm not going to rap it down the phone. But it goes: 'I'm the Hiphopopotamus, rhymes are falling off the top of oesophagus.' Like that. I can't go past my own rendition, though. Oh God, what's it called? Something about walking...

Leggy Blonde?

Yeah, that's the one. Another one of my favourites is Angels. It's about angels doing it in the clouds. Having sex. I like their more obscure numbers. A true fan.

What do you think band manager Murray Hewitt is up to now?

He's definitely back in New Zealand, probably fired from any cultural position. I think he's on a small goat farm, still managing the Conchords. Let's not forget: they're the fourth most popular novelty folk band in New Zealand.

Post-Conchords, you created and starred in mockumentary series Short Poppies. What's it about?

It's a deep dive into the mindset of New Zealand life. David Farrier, a real journalist, has been tasked with getting under the skin of what it means to be an ordinary New Zealander. We soon find out his budget hasn't stretched far - he only ends up finding people from one town. All played by me.

And are you playing ordinary New Zealand types?

A lot are facets of me. I grew up with three sisters, so it was easy playing an arty-farty fun girl - which I had fun making David uncomfortable with. There's a ufologist, too. I'm into that.

Do you believe in UFOs?

Yeah, I do. I've seen them. Only small ones. They could've just been shooting stars [laughs]. I believe there's alien life out there and the truth will come out soon, in our lifetime. Governments know more than they're willing to tell us.

Role to role, your voice never changes. Will we ever hear you in a non-Kiwi accent?

If they wanted me to. But then if I did a US accent people would go, 'That's weird.' They wouldn't buy it. I'm proud that I can keep this voice.

Sean Connery never changed his, and that worked out for him.

Exactly. And he's my hero. I'm just waiting to play that Russian submarine commander.

What's the biggest misbelief about New Zealand?

That there's little besides sheep and paddocks. In reality, the sheep numbers are down [laughs]. Also, people think New Zealand's part of Australia, when, really, it's very different. We don't have animals that'll kill you. And the ice cream's much better.

You seem to pop up in every New Zealand comedy. Are you contractually obligated to?

No. The irony is, no one pays you in New Zealand. There's no money there. I should stop promoting it.

Where's the most far-flung place you've performed stand-up?

The Falkland Islands. It was desolate. I did a routine to the British Army stuck in a remote base. I did impressions of various machine guns - they liked that.

You spent three years in the New Zealand Army. Is it true you can kill a man with your bare hands in under five seconds?

[Laughs] Yeah. An unarmed combat specialist taught us some moves. Then we all had a go on a dummy. My time was 4.7 seconds. I keep that in my back pocket whenever I'm at the bar: "You might be mocking my accent now, but in 4.7 seconds you're dead, mate!"

[darkdevasofdestruction]

An Angel and A Demon ~ Pyramid Head x Reader

Update 2: My laptop restarted when I was in the middle of writing this, and trust me when I say it, I am positively pissed off, and I want to end my days, that's how bad of a day this was.

And I didn't leave the house.

That says a lot about today...

Update 1: But, without further ado, I was half-way writing this story, and I received this ask, and let me tell you...

helloooo, i absolutely adored the fanfics you wrote about kazan and danny🥺 could i request one where pyramid head is just really whipped for and in love with the survivor! reader but he doesnt know how to announce it to them so he brings her random ,,gifts" in and outside the trials and protecting her bc well, im pretty sure he cant speak so he doesnt really have any other options on how to express his feelings??

I live for it.

Bless you for sending me this, it's the reason I'm still sane right now.

I love you, baby-cakes.

Update 3: I want to kill myself so bad. Just smash my head on a wall until it explodes or sth. I was so happy with how this imagine turned out, only fuck fucking tumblr to just fucking delete EVERYTHING just as I was about to put the last gif and hit POST NOW.

--------

For the 5th time writing this :

FUCKMEDADDY - but this time - FUCKMYBRAINSOUTPLEASEIWANNADIE

Thanks.

-------

Hell - What was that place, anyway?

Some would describe it as an infinite ocean of flames and lava, where it's eternally melting-hot, and a bunch of hooved, horned, tailed red demons torture you with acid, with their red pitch forks, or boil you alive in their cauldron for soup. Or maybe you just get tortured by Stalin, who knows?

But never would have anyone thought that 'Hell' could look so...Normal. Well, normal in a very demolished, desolate, ravished way, but still...Normal, by human standards. Albeit, the never-ending loop of madness, anguish, agony and desperation of getting killed in different gruesome ways or fleeing for their lives and feeling a myriad of emotions pumping adrenaline through their veins so badly that their anxiety-meter skyrocketed to abnormal levels.

All this darkness, this hatred, this...Everything...It changed all the survivors. They became selfish, stubborn, rude, some even went as far as to sacrifice their fellow survivors in trials, just so they could survive. It was a complete mayhem that defied all kinds of reason, normality, morality or even ethics. Everyone became devoid of any laws that used to bind them to their humane sides, and now, you weren't sure if the killers were saner than the survivors or not.

But even in this abyss where you couldn't even see your hand in front of your very eyes, there was a little star - A beautiful angel radiating brightness and warmth, someone who was somehow able to guide everyone's straying souls with her benevolence.

In reality, she was merely a survivor, not the little lantern from an angler fish's head, but she treated everyone with such an untainted kindness...It was beautiful, and yet, unrequited for most parts. Everyone was still putting their own lives above all - And who could condemn them? - Perhaps their cowardice, for the girl preferred to save her fellow survivors as much as possible, even if that oftentimes assured her place on the hook, to be a sacrificial lamb for the Entity.

On the other hand, she rarely ended up on the hook - Most killers prefer to kill her themselves, instead of letting her become pray for the horrible Entity who tortured so many of them for refusing to cooperate - The Trapper, Evan MacMillan - He knew the best, with those hooks digging into his flesh, impossible to extract. He was the first to protect this girl. It wasn't much, but if he had to, he'd rather give her a swift, painless death, than seeing her without that serene, angelic smile on her face, as the Entity feeds on the last bits of her soul's beauty, the last parts of her humanity.

The other Killers were confused at the Trapper's actions, but little by little, they began to understand why this girl was so precious and special - And this domino effect hit Rin Yamaoka next, with Y/N stopping in the middle of a chase and taking off her jacket, just as Rin was about to butcher her with her katana, and she smiled, extending it to her. 'You must be cold' she said, realising that the Spirit was merely wearing a few bandages, not even her school uniform, or her kimono.

The ghost girl was shaken up by this, and told the others at the killer camp, but they just shrugged it off - Rin was a little girl who faced close to no kindness, they weren't surprised she was so taken aback by such a feat. That is, until Adiris, in a particularly terrible day, when everyone at the camp was staying away from her, as her profane censer wasn't able to cover the stench of rotting flesh - Y/N came over, taking out a small yet elegant glass bottle with pink liquid on it, spraying some on her - And now, The Plague smelled of roses and vanilla - 'You can come to me for perfume whenever you want, I always carry some with me!' she grinned at the Babylonian High Priestess, before leaving back to the survivor's camp site, leaving the ancient God symbol to stare with her mouth agape at the girl.

These words began to spread, and it was no surprise when the killers saw Susie clinging and begging her Legion friends to spare Y/N, for she was there to hug away her worries more than once, to tell her sweet words, to play with her hair and play the guitar whatever songs she wanted to hear, to get reminded of her home - She was so home sick that she freaked out, but now she was better, thanks to Y/N - 'I know you miss home, but sometimes, home is where your best friends are, and all three of them are here!' she tried to encourage the cute pink-haired girl who could only squeal and hug her new friend.

Even Ghostface wasn't exempt from falling to her charms, and they would often take silly selfies and mess around, making fun of the old horror movie tropes and doing lots of puns and pranks - So much that she even got his trust to be told about the Danny/Jed thing, and how he began his killer profession - 'You're a very talented photographer, Danny! You deserved all that recognition you got, both as a journalist, and as a killer!'

And very soon, Y/N found herself in the crushing arms of an overprotective Anna, humming her mother's lullaby together with walking through the forest, Y/N making flower crows for all the female killers at the camp site, and little by little, she somehow managed to worm her way under everyone's skins.

Y/N was the survivor with the highest survivability percentage, and maybe the Entity sometimes got pissed off, but at least she still got killed sometimes, so who cares? Well, that was soon to change as soon as a new Killer was added to this sick game - Pyramid Head, the terror of Silent Hill, as Cheryl, the new Survivor, called him - or The Executioner, as he was known now. He was ruthless, merciless, grotesque - He had his own criteria of killing, his own moral compass, ethics, conscience and understanding of the concept of life and death. Nothing that could compare to the visions of humans, clearly - Everything was gravitating around Divine Retribution and Justice, but the from the outside, he was nothing but a killing machine.

He would kill everyone and anyone that crosses his path, without fail.

Y/N felt like her fortune ended completely the second she found herself in the new, overly cramped map, with Pyramid Head as the killer - She couldn't help but run around like a spazzic meerkat, trying to find and fix as many generators as possible, without having to get face to face with the walking hazard...

Only to run past a stuck Pyramid Head.

Slowly backtracing her steps, she saw the mountain of a man with his metal pyramid stuck in the frames a low window which he tried to walk over. He was trashing like a raged bull trying to attack a matador, but it was clear he was getting nowhere with this.

"H-Hey, u-uhm...Need some help?" she asked in a soft, careful voice, almost like a meek cat trying to test the waters, but in return, he started groaning even louder from the wrath he wanted to unleash upon the whole world. "Okay, uhm...I think I saw a can of vaseline in one of the chests around. I'll go fetch it and I'll come back for you. Don't move." she said, only to then realise how horrible that sounded, considering the situation, and it only seemed to anger the killer. "...I'm sorry, ignore me, I'm an idiot." she slapped herself pretty harshly before bolting out of there trying to find the chest.

However, Y/N cursed herself for not having perfectly memorised the whole map by heart already, since she found the vaseline can after the 3rd chest, and then, it took quite a while to find the bloody window that got the killer stuck - And by the time she got there, she was dead tired. "Okay, I'm here, I found the vaseline! Let's try to get you out of here." Y/N muttered as she put her feet on the low window pane to get to his level. "If it's not too much trouble, could you please hold onto me? I can't balance myself with both hands occupied, and I'd rather not fall." she explained as she opened the vaseline can, only to shiver as she felt two big, strong hands getting a firm grip on her hips. It was almost...Endearing, were she not too busy trying to get the killer unstuck. She kept massaging the metal edge, trying to push and pull, also praying to whatever deity that existed in her human world that she had her tetanus shot done on time - Until finally, she was able to get hear a loud screech, like a pop, and the killer got unstuck, and in the process, he stumbled backwards, while Y/N fell down on her butt.

"Ouchie..." she muttered, rubbing her back and sides to take away the pain surging through her body. "Are you okay?" she asked, almost intuitively, without realising it at first, until she heart a low grunt that brought her back to reality. "O-Oh...! You have glass shards stuck in your side! And you're bleeding too! Hold up, let me help." she hurried to his side, while the killer merely stiffened, feeling her delicate, slender fingers tracing his body, while he heaved and slouched his shoulders from the repressed wrath. "It may sting a bit, and I'm really sorry, but I promise it will be better soon." her voice was so motherly and warm, which also resonated in her actions, as she gingerly took a water bottle and imbued some tissues with it, to wipe away the blood smearing down his skin as she extracted the glass shards, and then..."This is grandma's marigold ointment. It's really good, and it smells nice." she explained as she carefully smeared a thick layer of the yellow ointment on the biggest wounds, while the little ones were covered by smiley-flower patterned plasters. They were cute, and colourful, and they never failed to make her smile. "Okay, there we go, all better! I hope you'll feel better very soon!" her voice got a tiny bit more cheerful and upbeat.

It made the Killer think about a trillion things, as he stepped in front of her, towering over her like the Empire states building next to a smiling pomeranian. What was with this girl? Why did she help a killer? And why did he feel so...Warm inside? He could sense a foreign kind of luminosity, a naivite and innocence that he only witnessed in children and animals. This woman in front of him was untainted by the darkness and evil of the world.

It didn't matter how many hardships she's been through, or how much sadness she had to endure - Her soul remained as pure as any snowdrop, as the first snow of winter, as the fleece of a baby lamb who let out its first 'meeeeh' to its mamma sheep.

He couldn't allow this human to be maimed in any way - Not by the world, not by the Entity, and certainly not by him. - Screw the Entity, Pyramind Head kills by his own rules, and now, he was blessed to be faced with a human who bore no real hatred for her peers, or for the world, despite the horrible situation she was thrown into.

He didn't understand, obviously, especially as he remembered the myriad of abominations that lurked through Silent Hill, all of them created by the torment of humans - The very torment that distorted their own reality, which resulted in him needing to solve the purpose as The Executioner - Eradicating the world of all evil.

"Th-This sword is so heavy...H-How can you carry this around like that...?! Your muscles must be so strained and sore...Y-You really need a massage, I'm sure." she stuttered as she tried to lift the much taller and heavier sword from the ground, only for the brute to simply bend and pick it up with extreme ease, putting the girl to shame with her complete lack of strength. "Hehe...You're really strong. I'm embarrassed now." she chuckled softly, scratching the back of her neck.

Before she could leave or do anything else, Pyramid Head picked her up by the throat, careful not to hurt her or restrict her air intake - I mean, how else was he supposed to carry her so he wouldn't hurt her with his metal head or sword? - and it was pretty clear she didn't feel any malevolence from him, as she clinged on his forearm, trying to keep herself up, only to be dumped on top of the hatch, as the killer pointed towards it, so she would leave.

"O-Oh...! Thank you so much! You're really kind! I really appreciate this...I-I know it probably doesn't matter much to you, since you'll be doing this over and over again with all the survivors...But I really appreciate you for your kind gesture, and I appreciate you for being so nice with me. Thank you. Take care!" her dazzling smile lit the whole place up, but he couldn't talk, nor could he tell her how he should be the one thanking her for showing him that, despite the hundreds and thousands of years he had to roam the 'Earth' and execute the injust, miracles still existed.

As soon as she reached the survivor's camp, everyone cheered for her, asking how in the world could she have escaped the wrath of the butcher. "Oh, but he wasn't that bad. In fact, he's much more humane than I anticipated! I think he has a beautiful, blooming heart!" okay, she's lost it - the other survivors thought - but even so, she's always been a bit...Out of it, so who cares?

It took quite a while for the other three survivors to reach the camp, all bloody, in fact, like the new killer, who dragged himself with the same menace to the Killers' camp. "How the hell did you manage to survive?!" they yelled at her in utter shock, seeing that she got out of there unscratched. "Oh, you see...I found the hatch." she shrugged simply, not wanting to give away that the person who massacred those three was a soft one and he basically threw her down the hatch to her safety.

As she took a twig to roast a marshmallows, she noticed how Pyramid Head was standing much farther away from the rest of the killers - She knew that silent killers were bound to stay away from the more obnoxious one, remembering how Michael Myers almost killed Ghostface and The Legion at least a dozen times - But this time...He seemed kinda...Lonely? So Y/N took the matters into her own hands, roasted another marshmallow in another twig, and when it was done, she went to the killer's camp, calling out the lonely one's name - She has no idea why, but he actually followed her, pushing her further deep into the forest, until he was sure nobody was going to hear, see or interrupt them...

"Hey. You seemed pretty lonely out there...I thought you could use a friend. Thank you again for what you did at the trial...Here, this is a marshmallow. I don't think you've had many before...Cheryl told me of that horrible place you had to live in...So I hope this will make your day a bit better!" Y/N extended one of her hands towards him, so he could take the marshmallow - And a long, black tongue erupted from underneath the pyramid, snatching away the fluffy marshmallow and gulping it in one go.

What the hell was he turning into?

A towering man built of pure muscle, wrath and divine justice, with a pyramid representing the evil of humanity burdening his body, and a sword taller and heavier than the average human being constantly dragged in one of his hand...He now was a slave to a cute, innocent girl who was putting flower plasters on his minuscule wounds that would heal in a heartbeat regardless - He saved this girl who was now offering his these soft, squishy things that tasted overly sugarly, just like her upbeat and cheerful personality - If he could eat her, he was sure she would taste even sweeter than this - A sickish kind of sweet, that is.

She was indeed a beautiful angel in this tragic hell. But he didn't wait to snatch the second marshmallow either.

"Ah...! You liked it, didn't you? Well...Next time, I promise I'll give you more!" she grinned at him the same way a princess would to her chivalrous knight who saved her. The since he couldn't talk, silence took over them - It wasn't an uncomfortable one, per se, but it made it feel as if the conversation was over. "W-Well...I'll guess I'll see you around! Take care and I hope to see you again soon!" she waved cutely, trying to turn around back to her camp, only to feel a rough hand on her shoulder, turning her around and urging her to stop and wait for him and he went deep into the forest, leaving her alone and undefended by the potential malevolent forces of the forest.

When he returned, however, he stepped right in front of her, creating the perfect shade as he towered over her - Then he kneeled in front of her, so he would reach her eye sight, then he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and put a beautiful pink flower - As pink as the blush that started creeping on her face - He wanted to see her luminous face better, to highlight her dazzling smile and her glimmering eyes as the warm, silver light of the mother moon caressed her face.

Y/N felt her heart picking up the pace - It was beating so much faster than ever before - But this time, it wasn't out of fear or anything negative...It was something good. Something she never felt in her life, especially with her human acquaintances from back home. None was as chivalrous and gentle with her as this butcher of tormented souls - The bringer of justice, the merciless Executioner who was supposed to end the life of every living being that would cross his path.

It was insane how every Yin finds its Yang, even if that comes in the form of a little lamb of a small, frail girl, and a huge abomination of a brute man who knows nothing but death, bloodshed and carnage. It was truly crazy how opposites attract, and here she was, holding the killers large hands and gingerly putting them on her face, leaning into his touch - She felt safer now than ever in her life - Now, in the arms of an ancient killer.

An Angel and A Demon brought together in a perfect union.

As she leaned down, she touched the metal of the pyramid where she anticipated his forehead would be with her own forehead, and closing her eyes, she finally felt herself calming down. There was no need for words, actions spoke louder than anything, and she appreciated it...She appreciated him.

"Thank you." she whispered to him, knowing that yes, even though nobody else would hear it anyway, it was much more intimate than anything she ever experienced.

She was hooked.

Hope you liked my completely shameless pun, I couldn't stop it, especially after the pain I went through trying to write this...3 freaking times.

Yay.

[mccoyyy]

so i’ve never shared my fics before. but the jurassic world trailer has me utterly reeling and i ended up writing this and i’m kind of proud of it? so uh yeah here x

invisible string

The blazing heat of the sun hit the back of Ellie’s neck the second she stepped out of the jeep. It was the oppressive kind, the kind that took no prisoners, not even in the shade. If it where anywhere else in the world, then the occasional breeze would have been a welcome relief from the inescapable heat, but not here. Not in the Montana Badlands. Here, it was just as disgustingly hot and dry as the sun, and brought with it dust that hit your face and any other exposed piece of skin with such force that it stung. It was unappealing, inhospitable to even the most hardened of creatures, and quite possibly the worst place on earth. 

And God how she had missed it. 

She had taken a step back from field work after Charlie came along, choosing projects a little bit closer to DC over the month-long excursions, and then after Grace she had stopped entirely. She knew it was irrational, but even years after what had happened at the park, being too far from Mark and the kids left her uneasy. 

She let a smile grow as she walked through the pits filled with a mix of volunteers and students and towards the cluster of caravans and tents ahead, the ground crunching under her boots. She loved her life. Loved being a mother, loved the teaching and writing, the academic work. But a little piece of her heart would always be out here. Spending hours in the blazing heat crouched over a five-by-five plot of land and chipping away at dust, rock, and dirt waiting for that first flash of off white within the rock. 

There was a grad student standing by the water fountain filling up a canteen, or at least trying to. She was looking directly at Ellie with a look of dazed shock and mouth slightly agape and hadn’t noticed that her hand had drifted away from the tap, the water going right past the canteen and puddling at her feet. Ellie smiled at her, and she went bright red, quickly unfreezing and going back to filling her canteen, clearly embarrassed that she had been caught staring. 

More heads started to pop up from the pits like meerkats, people nudging their colleagues and whispered debates over whether it really was Doctor Sattler walking through the site. No one stopped her as she walked towards the tents at the centre, no security checks, or inquiries into why she had suddenly appeared, presumably uninvited and clearly not dressed to work. A flush grew at the base of her neck. They knew who she was, so they clearly knew why she was here. Or rather, who she was here for. Her and Alan were never exactly a secret. 

Walking into the tent felt like she had stepped back thirty years. Every surface was littered with paper, drawers, and stray notes. Bone casts and miniature raptor skeletons lay on the table in front of her, and books were piled up in seats and on the floor, her own lying open on the desk closest. Cups, canteens, and bottles hung from the roof of the tent and the walls were littered with planners and maps, and she ran her finger along the drawings pinned up on the notice board. Alan had stopped drawing after the park, and it warmed her to see that somewhere along the years he had picked it back up again. 

It dawned on her at that moment just how long it had truly been. How much she had missed. Her move from field work to academia had been the final nail in the coffin for them. Dinners and coffee faded into run-ins at academic conventions, birthday and thanksgiving cards lost through changing addresses, and they had slowly fallen out of contact. A part of her regretted it, letting them fade out of each other’s lives in the way they did. He was once her constant, even after their relationship ended. With everything they’d gone through together she couldn’t imagine him not being a part of her life. And now, here she was. Waiting for him like a stranger. 

Were they truly strangers though? even without his physical presence in her life, he was still very much a part of it. The research papers, the et al’s, the faded photos in her study, just behind the kids first days and graduations, Charlie’s faded memories of the dinosaur man, and his childhood love of fossils that never fully faded. 

Even now, standing in the tent of a man that she hadn’t spoken to in over twenty years, a part of her still felt at home. There was no worry about awkwardness, or distance between them, because this was Alan. It was them. 

Taking in her surroundings fully, a small laugh left her. No computer. How very Alan. It comforted her in an odd way, that even after all this time some things never changed.

Turning to face the right wall, a flash of faded white caught her eye. Sellotaped to the front of a cabinet was a photo of them standing in the middle of some desert. Her heart twisted a little bit. God, those where the days. When hours were spent under the blazing sun and the time could be measured in empty crates of beer. Before Hammond came along and changed everything. 

When they were just Ellie and Alan. 

She was lost in memories, leaning in closer to read the items on the wall. His notes and memos littered with his dry humour; excerpts of books filled with his critiques, hearing his voice through the written remarks. It was the clang of a dropped shovel that pulled her out of her reverie. 

“Ellie Sattler”

His voice was slightly breathless and more gruff than she remembered, but it felt just as familiar as it always had. 

She let the smile fill her words. “Alan Grant"

much love to the wonderful @iam-bironman and @mobbucky who are both my platonic soulmates, as well as utter TALENTS and read whatever i send them x

[willow-salix]

Happy Birthday Plus a Chapter

I know, I know it’s supposed to be TOS John’s birthday today, but this idiot wants all the attention and we all know that I CANNOT say no to him. It’s physically impossible. So, not only does he get a full chapter today, he gets another on his TAG birthday (the 28th) and AND he gets an anniversary chapter in two days time. He’s spoiled I tell you. Anyway, here’s a picture of him looking beautiful as always, I did my best with it and explored some new techniques to make him look as handsome as possible. I’ll drop the story under the cut so those that don’t want to read it don’t have to.

-x-x-x-

“Have you seen your husband?”

“But where is he?” Rachel, the assistant of the committee chairman, asked, looking a tad desperate.

“I have, yes, he’s very handsome.”

“I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.”

“Where?”

“I’ve no idea,” Selene smiled sweetly. “Have you tried calling him?”

“Obviously, he’s not answering.”

“Does he already have your number?”

“I…I’m not sure, I’ve only ever called from the office.”

“He only ever answers callers he knows on his personal cell.” Or he has your number and is avoiding you, she silently added, that was infinity more likely.

“Can you help me find him? He’s due on stage in under an hour.”

“I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try,” Selene assured her, although she was starting to get a little pissed off at the woman’s tone. They had an hour, panicking and demanding to know where John was at every given moment was taking things a bit too far for her liking. "He's probably just gone to the bathroom or to get some air."

“Thanks.” Rachel was gone without another word, leaving Selene standing alone.

OK, so she’d been lying. Yes she was going to track down her husband, but only because he’d vanished in the time it had taken for her to navigate the endless hallways to find a bathroom, to wait in the line that every ladies room seemed to magically form at any function and then find her way back. She didn’t care that Rachel needed him, she cared that he was missing.

She looked around, hoping that he would appear in a puff of smoke or that there would be some kind of clue as to his disappearance, but she saw nothing. No flash of gorgeous red hair in amongst the more boring browns and blondes, no strong arm looping around her waist to pull her in closer to use as a shield, in short…no spaceman.

“Where is your husband, young lady?” 

Damn, this was getting old real fast. Selene turned to the older gentleman that had popped up like a meerkat beside her. He had that look about him that some overweight, past middle age men had. He looked rather like an uncooked sausage trying to burst out of its skin, all pink flesh oozing from his too tight collar, his shirt and jacket buttons straining valiantly to hold back the tide of his belly, and a perspiring brow that he was mopping with a monogrammed handkerchief.

“Bit bad of him to leave such a lovely thing as you unattended,” the man continued, his eyes blatantly checking her out as he folded the sweat rag and tucked it back into the small ticket pocket of his jacket where it stuck out like a wilting flower. “I feel it’s my duty to keep you company.”

“He’s just gone to the bar to fetch me another drink, he’ll be back in a moment or two, so don’t let me take up any more of your time.” The last thing she wanted was this man hanging around any more than he needed to, creep would be too nice a word to describe him.

“Then I’ll just wait with you until he gets back.”

“That’s OK, I see my father-in-law over there, I think he needs me,”  she babbled before making a swift and not at all dignified exit, almost plowing into Jeff in her eagerness to seek the safety of his company.

“Whoa, where’s the fire?” Jeff greeted her, steadying her with a hand on her arm when she wobbled dangerously.

“Have you seen John?”

“No, I thought he was with you.” Jeff's face sported a confused frown, showing that no matter how old your kids were, you still worried when you couldn't see them in a crowded place.

“He was until all that orange juice from dinner went straight through me, the second I left he took full advantage to do one of his disappearing acts.”

“Ah.”

“Yes,” she paused to look around. “Where’s Alan? Why do we keep losing Tracy boys?”

“He’s not lost, he said he was going to the bathroom but he’s actually in the cloakroom watching videos on his phone. I’ll fetch him if he doesn’t come back on his own in the next fifteen minutes.”

“Good plan, I’m gonna go find John, but in case I don’t, can you be on standby to take his place if needed?”

“Sure, if I need to,” Jeff said with a shrug. 

“Thanks,” she said, planting a kiss on his cheek. “I’m going John hunting, I might be a while.”

“I’ll hold down the fort,” Jeff promised. “I’ll claim there was an emergency, it’s not like they can argue that.”

Selene saluted as she wove her way through the crowd towards the exit.

“I’m going on a hubby hunt, I’m gonna catch a hot one,” she chanted to herself as she wandered through what seemed like an endless mix of corridors and dark rooms that were either locked or totally empty when she stuck her head inside.

“I need a damned map or something,” she grumbled, pulling out her phone to search for one. She eventually located it, hidden deep in the university's website on a questions and answers list. 

“OK, labs...think I’ve checked those, observatory is out because that’s too close to the function room and he’ll be avoiding that like the plague…” She continued to search the map for any likely hiding places that might attract a John. She almost facepalmed herself into unconsciousness when she realised that she was completely missing the obvious. He’d be wanting quiet, he’d be wanting somewhere he could be alone but, most importantly, not bored. 

She peeked in through the door, spotting him immediately and once again she found herself caught almost unawares by just how amazingly handsome he was. He always looked good in a suit, but this one, a charcoal grey with a perfectly white shirt, set his pale skin off to perfection, creating a beautiful contrast to his hair.

Standing as he was, leaning back against a bookcase full of leather bound books, one of which was currently open in his hands, he looked like an advert for the world's most perfect man.

Since her phone was still in her hand she readied the camera before pushing open the door. As predicted he looked up the moment the door opened, just in time for her to snap a couple of pictures in quick succession.

“Was that really necessary?” he asked by way of greeting.

“Of course it was, I need all the decent pictures of you I can get since you avoid cameras just as much as you avoid social situations.”

“They tend to go hand in hand,” he said, closing the book, although she noticed that he kept a finger between the pages, as if he wanted nothing more than to get back to it, like he couldn't quite give up his little place of solitude.

“Everyone’s looking for you.”

He made a face. “ I don’t know why they couldn’t have done this virtually, that way I wouldn’t have to be here.”

Selene moved a little further into the room, coming closer. “You don’t have to go back out there if you don’t want to.”

John snorted out a humourless laugh. “Yes, I do.”

“No, you don’t,” she repeated, a little more firmly this time.

John had yet to put down the book, it was still clutched in his hand like a life preserver. She saw his eyes dart down to it, then back up to hers. He took a deep breath, as if steeling himself.

“I do, they’re all here for the award ceremony and I...I just…” he hesitated, not sure how to verbalise it. He didn’t want to sound ungrateful but at the same time it just wasn’t a comfortable situation for him.

“You just can’t deal with the people,” Selene supplied, once again showing her uncanny ability to know exactly what he was thinking without needing to be told.

“Exactly,” he sighed, pleased she understood. “I could feel their eyes on me even when we were eating, it’ll be worse later. Everyone looking at me, watching me.” He shook his head, not even liking to think about it. “What if I say something stupid? What if I make a fool out of myself?”

“You won’t,” she soothed, perching her butt on the back of a chair, taking some of the weight off her feet in their beautiful, but rather uncomfortable, heels. "I have total faith in you, because you’re you and you’re amazing.”

“I don’t feel it,” he whispered, so low she almost didn’t hear him, his eyes studying the cover of the book in his hand. “This was all so sudden, I’ve had no time to prepare, not like when I lecture. Then I’m in my comfort zone, it’s my research, my words. I’ve had time to practice, to know exactly what I’m going to say and when. This is different.”

“This is uncomfortable,” she supplied. “Because it wasn’t your choice. You choose when and where you lecture, you are in charge of the subject and everything is on your terms."

He nodded slowly, not liking to admit that certain situations still got to him, it made him feel weak and useless. 

“Babe, you earned this award, it’s your night, that means we can spend it however you want.” She shifted, trying to get comfy on a chair back that wasn’t made for such a thing. 

“We?” he clarified, but she could see a small smile beginning to form on his face, replacing the doubt and worry that had been there.

“Of course we, you don't think I'm going to go out there and leave you here on your own, do you?”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”

“Sweetheart, we're here to celebrate your award, an award you got because of your hard work, your dedication and research with Maurice.”

“I know that.”

“You also knew that the lectures were being filmed and that people would hear about it, your ponicpod is revolutionary and you deserve this.”

He opened his mouth to argue but she cut him off with a raised hand. He did as he was told and closed his mouth, gesturing for her to continue.

“But you also deserve to celebrate it how you want to and if that means spending it here reading books then that's what we do.”

The small twitch of his lips grew into a full smile as he finally put the book aside and held out  a hand to her. She got carefully to her feet, not sure what had been worse, the pinching of her toes due to her shoes or the now aching buttocks from the back of the chair.

“But you got all dressed up, you bought a new dress and everything.” His hands skimmed the length of her arms, coming to rest on her hips, his fingers spanning her waist. 

“The only person I got dressed up for is you. I planned on spending the whole night with my husband, it doesn't matter to me what we do or where we do it, as long as we do it together. This is your night, so you call the shots.”

“I don't deserve you,” he said, and he meant it. He didn’t know what he had done in a past life that meant he got to spend the rest of his life with the woman he adored more than anything, but he was extremely grateful. 

“Yes you do. It's me that doesn't deserve you. Look at you, looking so delicious in that suit.” Her hands slid along the front of his jacket, getting a hint of the spectacular chest that it hid. She wound her arms around his middle, feeling his fingers tighten on her waist as she moved closer.

“I really should go back out there and accept my award,” he murmured, letting his chin come down to rest on her shoulder, giving every indication that he still had no desire to leave the comfort of the library.

“We can if you want to, but your dad's on standby. He’ll make our excuses and accept on your behalf if needed.”

He made a noncommittal noise, a little hum in the back of his throat that could have meant anything or nothing.

“We've got time so there’s no pressure,” she continued. “We could stay here for a bit longer and just see what happens, yeah?” She looked up at him then, her beautiful eyes full of love and understanding.

"Yeah,” he agreed, pulling her fully into his embrace, his arms sliding around her waist. He honestly didn’t know what he would do without her. She understood him, she knew when to push him outside of his comfort zone and when to camp out in it with him. And this was definitely one of those times.

From the moment he had received the invitation he had been undecided about attending. He’d never been one for parties, in fact there was nothing he hated more. Spending time in a room full of strangers, being expected to make small talk and be sociable when he felt anything but. It had only been the additional invitation that had arrived a week after the first, no doubt spurred by the lack of RSVP for the first.

He’d felt like he didn’t have a choice but to agree, they were giving him an award after all. But the closer the night had gotten the more he’d been dreading it. Selene had stuck close to his side during the pre-dinner mingling and they had gotten through the dinner itself with minimal trouble for which he was grateful. But as soon as the meal had finished the vultures had begun circling. When Selene had excused herself to go to the bathroom he’d been vulnerable and the vultures had descended, all desperate to talk to him about their own research, to ask questions or to try to talk him into providing some kind of funding for their projects.

His dad and Alan had been caught up somewhere out of his sight and he’d felt a familiar anxiety washing over him. He’d needed to get away before he succumbed to the panic that threatened to overcome him and made his escape.

The hallway had been just as crowded as the hall itself and when he’d seen someone approaching him with the same determined step that others had done that night he’d abandoned his idea of waiting for Selene and ventured deeper into the building.

He hadn’t really known where he was going, he’d just wandered, following his instincts as to where he should go and they hadn’t let him down. The library had been blissfully quiet compared to the noise and crowds of the main hall and he’d felt his heart rate slow as he took a deep breath of the familiar scent that every library carried. Cedar wood, leather, old paper, the lingering fragrance of a hundred fires that had filled the hearth, warming the room’s occupants as they absorbed the knowledge contained within its walls.

He hadn’t meant to stay long, he’d planned on waiting a few minutes then texting Selene to see if she had returned, but then his phone had rung with an unknown number, a slightly demanding voicemail following and he’d turned the damn thing off entirely. He’d wandered the shelves, his eyes scanning the spines, more as a distraction than a desire to find something to read, but he’d ended up being drawn to a well loved title and had plucked it from its spot before he’d even realised he’d done it.

That was when Selene had found him, ten pages in and calmer than he’d felt all day. He’d expected her to tell him he had to leave, that his presence was required. He should have known better.

“So,” she said, breaking into his thoughts. “What are we reading?”

He lifted the book to show her the spine. "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

"That's one of my favourites."

"I know, mine too."

Selene pecked a kiss to his chin and released her hold on his waist. "Go sit down, if we're gonna be here we might as well be comfortable."

"Are you sure you want to stay?" he asked as he picked out a squishy looking armchair and settled in it.

"More than sure."

He nodded, not needing to say anything else and patted his lap in invitation. Selene didn't need asking twice.

"I do believe that I neglected to tell you that you look beautiful tonight."

"You know, I think you did, how mean of you."

"You look beautiful," he whispered, turning his head to steal a soft kiss. She did look particularly gorgeous in the simple sheath dress she was wearing, an off the shoulder number in a dark purple, almost indigo colour, that skimmed her ankles without brushing the floor enough to annoy her or trip her up. Although he'd still think she looked beautiful if she was wearing a sack.

She'd left her hair mostly down, just the front sides swept back off her face and fixed with a comb at the back of her head, the rest tumbling down her back in gentle waves. Her makeup was a little more subtle than usual, her eyeliner not quite as dramatic but still accentuating the shape of her eyes. 

"Definitely beautiful," he repeated, stealing another, slightly longer kiss.

"Don't think you're going to get out of reading to me by means of flattery and distraction," she mock warned, making him smile once again.

"You only want me for my voice," he accused in the same joking tone she had used as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in tight to his side and opening the book.

That was her cue to get comfortable, letting her head rest against his shoulder as he picked up where he had left off when she had interrupted him.

"O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence!

Love takes the meaning in love's conference.

I mean, that my heart unto yours is knit

So that but one heart we can make of it;

Two bosoms interchained with an oath;

So then two bosoms and a single troth.

Then by your side no bed-room me deny;

For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie."

He kept his voice pitched low enough to just break the silence of the library, but not to disturb the peace. The ebb and flow of the words, their rhythm, their pace, all perfectly matched to create a relaxed atmosphere, one that she knew would affect him as much as it did her.

She cared about his award, she cared about the fact that he had won it and that his work had been recognised, but she cared about him more. And if he didn't want to be there, if he wasn't comfortable, then she would do her damnedest to make it better. He was all that mattered to her. 

Who cares if they spent the rest of the night tucked away in a library instead of at the party? She didn't, and she could guarantee he felt the same. Life never went according to plan, you had to roll with the punches and make the best of the time you had. Life was too precious to spend it doing things you hated just to please others.

This, this right here, was all she needed.

[keerishima]

HELLO! I saw you were a new blog that needed requests and I was wondering if you could write head-canons for todoroki, bakugou, and kiri (separately) with a s/o that has a witchcraft quirk? TY

well hi! thank you for the request, it was so cool to write! now i’m assuming you mean like a quirk that works like potions and herbs/crystals and spirit summoning and spells which is the road i’m taking i hope that’s okay?

now this boy is

excited

when he first saw the mist swirling around your fingers as you fought the robots in the UA exam, a shock went through his body

what was that? 

okay he didn’t mean to stare- considering he was in the middle of an exam- but the way you moved and the glints of a crystals around your body was just so cool

time passed and he got closer to you, during the dorm competition your room was the only room he wanted to see and boy did he love it

the green ivy and plants in your room, the pots and white smoke curling from diffusers and shelves full of powder and inks organised in a neat row

your room felt like a whole new world- like magic

literally after everyone had left he was still in your room looking around like a meerkat assessing it’s surroundings

fast forward; you guys are dating and he was VERY curious as to how your quirk worked, and you explained how your spells and energy came from the crystals and jewels

each crystal gave you a different energy, which converted to your power!

kirishima literally watched in awe as you pointed at all the different coloured gems and jewels and the symbols on your walls

he even asked to touch some of them and asked where you got them

he also asked to see them in battle, and asked if you had any similar to his own quirk!

the both of you engaged in LOTS of different mock battles, which almost always ended up in a play fight rather than real training- just because he ends up enjoying watching you use your quirk too much to actually focus

once you two had engaged in a long, breathless make out session against one of the walls- what can I say? you wanted to see what it felt like to kiss kirishima in his red riot form and have him melt back to normal under your touch

yeahh...it was a bad idea to do that in the school gym, where half of class 1-B caught you two mushed together against a wall

back to the hc!

he asks SO many questions

sometimes just sits on your bed for ages and asks one after the other after the other, to the point where aizawa has to come and send him back to his side of the dorm

let me tell you now: if you are 1) planning to get anything or 2) NEED anything, don’t let him find out

you once let it slip that you were considering getting pouches to carry these crystals, and the sweet, sweet boy went out and bought BUCKETS of bags

yes buckets because he didn’t know if your crystals would be affected by material or size of the bag or- god forbid what if it did and he ruined your quirk in battle?! 

he’d never forgive himself.

ever.

like literally he’d be on his knees ready for punishment of how you saw fit because of his mistake

what can i say? the boys dramatic

but its endearing :,)

it ended up being the cutest date of you cuddled up on his bed wrapped in his blankets like you were drowning in them,

whilst he sat on the floor, presenting each little bag and pouch to you, all teleshopping style.

‘and THIS 🤩 gorgeous article comes with not just 1😱! not just 2 😱! but THREE 🤯🥵🥳🥳 buttons to clip close to ensure a tight, secure hold of your 😏 special package’

yeah he made a sleazy face

yeah you threw a plushy at him

all of them were bought with your costume in mind and how could you not keep some of the bags? with kirishima watching you with the biggest eyes and slightly-pouting-lips-but-he-would-never-admit-it there was no way you didn’t keep the most useful ones

you asked him to return the extra bags so he wouldn’t have wasted his money, whilst you repaid his kindness with lots and lots of kisses and cuddles

;) or more depending on how you want it

todoroki is uhh...

emotionally constipated

but thats not his fault

#fuckendeavour

sometimes it comes off that he’s not interested in your quirk in a general sense, but it’s only because he doesn’t know how to ask without seeming pushy

he gets shy (but doesn’t show it) but with time that decreases to a sort of dry affection

i’m not saying he’s a dry boyfriend but he definitely isn't as spritely as someone like Denki might be

the way you’d see that he wanted to know more was if he asked you to come and fight with him, train with him and study

this is where he asked about your quirk

he didn’t ask to the extent of kirishima, who said everything that came to mind, he asked precise questions that gave him all the information he was desperate to know because you are so cool it makes his heart burn needed

and he also knew you would add more information as you explained, which he loved because he loved hearing you talk so passionately

this time your quirk allowed you to control people to an extent, depending on different plants and herbs you used

the plants each had a special line, muttered as you dropped the herbs anywhere on your opponent for it to activate

best believe todoroki asked for one to knock endeavour out, literally out of nowhere💀

once, one night you had been laying on your bed, and todoroki had popped over to see you. it was still quite early on in your relationship so you weren’t expecting him to cuddle up beside you and tuck into your smaller body, chin hooked onto your shoulder whilst his eyes bore into yours from below todoroki loves eye contact

‘Do your plants have meanings?’

that’s it, that’s all he softly whispered in your ear

‘What do you mean?’ You whispered back

‘Like...like roses mean love...do your herbs have a meaning linked to what they do?’

okay now he was blushing, very gently because he didn’t want to annoy you, or ask you a question you’d never thought of and make you feel silly or insecure about his quirk

YOU on the other hand were smothering a dopey grin. you knew your boyfriend and his boundaries, and you knew that him asking you in such an intimate setting meant he was trying hard for you

you also knew that he’d just given you free reign to ramble however you saw fit

so you explained, how each herb did this, how if you mixed them they did that, if you made a liquid infused with them it helped with your application in battle and so much more

todoroki listened silently, but his eyes were gleaming

literally glowing in the darkness- I mean was that even possible? it had to have been considering how todoroki looked at you that night

after you were done, he replied with a similar thing about his own quirk, and both of you had a long long chat that went from quirks, to schooling, to life, to aliens and more

todoroki had the weirdest humour, he never knew he was being funny until your quiet giggles morphed into full blown laughter- and caused a knock from the next room over because you were being too loud

he would let out his own little chuckles and smirks, seeing you enjoy his company so much

it was a while after that day when something new happened

you’d sent him a message, whilst he was sitting right next to you, and your contact name flashed on his screen suddenly, catching your eye

‘my calendula’

you looked at todoroki

todoroki looked at you

you both blinked

‘calendula?’ you asked

‘yes’ todoroki replied

‘why calendula?’

‘because,’ todoroki blushed deeply, eyes flickering away from yours

‘because you said calendula means joy...you’re my joy. arent you?’

and god help anyone who tries to say you aren’t todoroki’s joy

because you would literally throw them to the ground

your heart soared at how todoroki loved you and your quirk so much

even though it wasn’t blatantly obvious, it was the little things he did for you 😍

he originally going to call you his basil until Bakugou came round behind him asking him if he was writing the dorms grocery list. safe to say that plan was aborted immediately :D

oho

sorry I just

*pfft*

bakugo amuses me, he really does he’s so entertaining

okay sorry back to the headcanon

I headcanon you’re REALLY strong

like STUPID strong

Remember bakugos reactions to all the students quirks and he was like ‘shit I cant beat them 😨’

And his reaction to todoroki? yeah he’d literally see you use your quirk and just

no I’m joking

but I feel like as your s/o he’d be super obsessed with your quirk

he’d always want to train with you, he’d see it as an amazing part of you that he wants to help hone so you can be the best of the best

not better than him obviously but the best anyway

not that he’d SHOW all of this awe and pride to you, it’s normally delivered in a bunch of bakugo sentences:

‘oi your form is shit. do this instead.’

that means he’s realised a new way you can throw this punch, with much more force

‘tch, go train. you need the training.’

he wants to train with you. again.

‘....finally. took you long enough to learn that.’

you’ve just done something successfully and he’s trying so hard not to blush at how well you did it.

here your power is more destructive

you can create sigils using a your finger in the air and they create attack power

this with bakugos quirk makes a formidable duo, and if he doesn’t get partnered with you he will most likely throw a fit

but not a long fit more of a like ‘oi why is she over there we work better together’

but he realises as heroes you need to work well with anyone you meet, so he’s not too fussy

because of the fact that you draw the sigils, you have a habit of tracing out patterns and new symbols and any sort of designs subconsciously

this is done normally on any part of your skin, with a pen

bakugo being old man bakugo 🙄 got mad at you

he told you off for almost giving yourself ink poisoning and ruining your hand and making it all dirty drama queen

but throughout all of this bakugo had been clutching your hand, and best believe he wasn’t letting go

he used the hand he was holding to pull you along and sit comfortably, dropping his own palm into your lap and mumbling something that kind of, sort of, might have been along the lines of ‘use my arm dumbass’

now you had bakugos arm to scribble on to your hearts content.

you used this when you were stressed, worried that your nerves were causing you to forget things or simply because you wanted to hold bakugo close

in fact, bakugo himself had adopted this habit, and you’ll notice I said arm instead of hand

bakugo got nervous around you, and therefore sweaty, which therefore lead to tiny little explosions in his palms when you were near

but this habit had started to make him feel comfortable with his hands around you, it made him trust himself more

he knew his power was strong and he didn’t want to hurt you, your quirk was something that helped him with that

and he wouldn’t tell you that but he was grateful. VERY grateful

he once asked why you used pen, and not your finger on your skin considering the pen ink is toxic

you answered very quickly, by pulling out a sheet of people and sliding your finger across the surface in a sigil shape

promptly the paper burnt into a cinder :)

and bakugo never asked again

and that is the end! I hope you liked it and I did the idea of Witchcraft justice 😅 please do send some more requests!

god I loved this so much they’re all so cute :,) thank you for this request!!

[densi-mber]

Raccoons and Meerkats

A/N: Based off today’s prompt: Kensi and Deeks visit the Meerkats.

***

“Leaving on Monday is going to be really hard,” Kensi said with a sigh as she and Nell walked out of a small cafe with coffee and Japanese pastries.

“Well, you could always extend your visit,” Nell suggested hopefully. “I know Eric and I would love to have you and Deeks for a little longer.”

“We’d love it too, but we wouldn’t want to overstay our welcome. Or take advantage of you guys.”

“Oh please.” Nell waved off Kensi’s concerns with a wave of her hand. “Eric hasn’t been this excited in months. He loves getting to geek out about weird things with Deeks.”

Kensi supposed it was easy to be so blasé about the cost of keeping them for an extended period of time when you co-owned an extremely lucrative tech company. Eric had been insistent that he and Nell foot the entire bill for their stay. At first, both she and Deeks felt a little uncomfortable with the idea, but Nell had calmly pointed out that treating friends to a vacation was a much better use of money than buying another luxury car.

“I thought that’s what he has you for,” Kensi pointed out, nudging Nell’s shoulder teasingly.

“Different kind of weird,” Nell explained, making a face. “ I can do the comicons, Ren Faires, and talk techy things all day long. The things that they find mutually interesting, however, I do not understand.”

“Mm, they do have a unique relationship,” Kensi agreed, watching as Eric and Deeks exited a a store that promised to sell only the finest styles. It didn’t look like Deeks had purchased anything, but Eric sported a hat he wasn’t wearing earlier. “As grateful as we are for the offer though, I think even Callen’s generosity would be tested if we stayed away for a month or more.”

“Fair point. Well, it has been great to see you guys and not have dead bodies popping up everywhere.” Kensi snorted on a sip of her coffee. As she wiped her mouth, Nell glanced at the boys and then at Kensi. “You guys seem happier than when we left,” she commented with a leading lilt in her voice.

“We are.” Sighing deeply, she smiled a little wistfully. “We’re communicating better and the adoption is moving along. I think we’re in a good place.”

“I’m glad. As two of my favorite people in the whole world, you guys deserve it,” Nell said sincerely.

“And what about you and Eric?”

“We’re good friends too.”

Ignoring Nell’s attempt to evade the question, Kensi pressed, “Is that all?” She’d noticed that Eric and Nell seemed closer again, but it was difficult to tell if they were actually in a romantic relationship again.

“Let’s just say we’re very good friends,” Nell elaborated, glancing down pointedly as Eric and Deeks caught up with them.

“Didn’t find anything you liked?” Kensi asked Deeks.

“Eh, you know I’m more of a t-shirt and jeans kind of guy,” he said with a shrug.

“Fine, but you have to let Eric take you to his tailor. They’ll make you the best suit you’ve ever worn,” Nell suggested. “And even if you don’t enjoy it, Kensi will. And a lot of other ladies,” she added in an undertone.

“Your interest in putting me in tight clothing is still concerning,” he commented, raising one eyebrow. “So, what were you talking about?”

“Nell was trying to convince us to stay indefinitely.”

“Hey, I’ve got like five apartment buildings you can choose from,” Eric offered. “You can have any spot you want.”

“Thanks man, but I’m pretty sure Kilbride would hunt us down if we never came back.”

“Or burst a blood vessel,” Kensi added.

“Mm, he was pretty stressed,” Nell mused.

“Hey, I offered to take him to goat yoga, but he declined for some reason,” Deeks shared. He fell into step beside Kensi, dropping his arm around her waist.

“Now that I would pay to see.” Eric smiled at the thought. “No one can be grumpy around goats.” They’d been walking in the general direction of the garage where Eric’s Lamborghini was parked.

“So, since this is one of your last days here, we thought we could take you somewhere really crazy,” Nell said.

“What do you mean by “crazy”?” Kensi asked suspiciously. Eric grinned, sliding on a pair of his favorite tinted glasses, which clashed horribly with with his new hat.

“Let’s just say that it will involve karaoke, alcohol, flashing lights, and you might lose your pants,” he explained mysteriously.

“Wait, why would we lose our-?” Deeks started to say, frowning as Eric slid into the drivers seat. Putting a hand on his shoulder, Kensi shook her head.

“It’s probably best if we don’t ask too many questions.” She shook her head. “Remember when they told us about the furry cafes?” Deeks grimaced and shuddered at the memory.

“Oh yeah.”

“Our friends are so weird,” she sighed.

“Yes, they are. I really missed that about them,” Deeks said, drawing Kensi with him towards the back seat. “So let’s bask in the craziness for as long as we can.”

[hanniiesuckle17]

Getting to First Base

A/n: just a little something. i need more seungmin on my masterlist anyway and i would do anything for my babies so! (not thoroughly edited)

Requested by: @pixielix 

Tag List: @distrikt9 @mini-meanhoe @poeticallyspaghetti @hanstagrams​ @desertofdessert @hoes4hoseok @yangomangos @jeonqqin​ @geminirules​ @crscendoforsung​ @mrsunshine999​  @multi-net​

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: cheeky seungmin that's about it i think

Summary: Kim Seungmin is the star of Cheongdam High. His grades are top-notch and he is the star pitcher of the school’s baseball team. Every girl wants date him and every guy wants to be friends with him. But, little does Y/n know he only has eyes for her. All it takes is one night and one extra private practice for things to change for both of them.

Genre: romance, fluff, non-idol!au, baseball player!seungmin, softball player!reader, highschool!au, popular kid!seungmin

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An ominous buzz filled the lunchroom. Not the kind attached to any flying pest. This was the sound of gossip seeping from every table in the cafeteria. Despite the conformity inspired by our school uniforms, clear, distinct borders were made in the large room. 

 Near the window, were the candidates for valedictorian and their study groups. Their trays always lay untouched and books took their focus. In the right corner were the Netizens and resident fan-girls and boys alike. They were mostly harmless unless it was comeback season. Across the way in the left corner was the ‘cool’ kids. Cool meaning the guys smoked behind the schools and the girls cut their skirts to short and glared at anyone who looked their way. Towards the back were your general outcasts and weirdos. They usually kept to themselves, but if you were caught sitting with them it was the social equivalent of suicide. 

The center. The center was where everyone wanted to be. The focal point of the cafeteria was the two circular tables that housed the school’s pride and joy. The baseball and softball teams. And at the heart of it all, seemingly lit by a ray of sunshine, was Kim Seungmin. Star pitcher of Cheongdam’s baseball team. 

Seungmin sat atop the lunch table, his shaggy brown hair falling across his forehead. His tie was loose and hanging lower than it should be and the silver bracelet he always wore dangled over his tan wrist as he waved over another member of his team. 

It was no secret I liked Seungmin. Almost every girl in our school had a crush on Seungmin. Girls flocked to give him gifts before games and they waited for him before and after practice. I watched from the girls’ field as they lined up at the fence and cheered for him as he pitched inning after inning. 

My less than white sneakers squeaked over the white tiles as I carried my lunch tray to the softball table. “Y/n!” My friend Jia waved me over, a bright smile illuminating her face. At the sound of my name, Seungmin’s head popped up like a meerkat and searched the cafeteria. His eyes met mine and I gave him a smile before sliding into my seat. 

The cold metal of the cheap tables chilled the bare skin on my legs. “Did you hear about Miyoung?” Jia said twirling the aluminum chopsticks in her hand before stabbing them into a sausage. I nervously laughed at her exhibition of violence towards the innocent piece of meat. 

“No. What about her?”

“Apparently she’s failing a class. Her mom is pulling her from the team.” 

My jaw dropped, halfway full of food. Without looking she pushed it up, prompting me to finish chewing. “But we have Sectionals-” Jia nodded stabbed yet another sausage. “She’s our star pitcher-” I could hear the meat squealing in pain at her unhindered violence. I noticed some of the boys at the next table staring at her with terrified eyes. When she turned they looked away, hands hiding her next possible sausage target.

“I’m going to take these away from you.” My hands reached for her saucer but an animal like growl escaped her throat so I left her be. 

Jia sighed looking at our team around the table. “I just really wanted to win Sectionals this year.” We ate the rest of our meal in silence, waiting for the bell to ring. The hall was flooded with students. The sea of blue jackets made it hard to weave my way into Room B23. 

Class droned on for the next hour. Just as my eyes started to droop, I was hit in the back of the head by a paper projectile. The ball of notebook paper landed on the floor at my feet. My eyes fell on a familiar shaggy head of brown hair. With happy puppy eyes, he pointed towards the paper, eyeing the teacher warily. 

Why Seungmin felt the need to throw the paper at me I had no clue. He sat right beside me. The teacher seemed preoccupied with scolding a student about using their phone so I reached down and picked up the note. I smiled seeing Seungmin’s handwriting. 

Do you have practice today? 

He was asking if I had practice? Did he suddenly drop every brain cell in that big head of his? It was a known fact that the baseball and softball schedule was practically identical. Every day he had practice and every day I had mine. That’s why the school invested in a second field for the softball team.

Of course. Same as you. Why?

My hand moved across the paper, making every letter neat and in beautiful handwriting. Quitely folding the note, I slipped it between two fingers and held it down by my side, staring at the board. I desperately tried not to withdraw feeling Seungmin’s fingers brushed mine as he took the parchment.

Quietly he unfolded the paper and I listened to his pen scrawl across it more than I did read the lessons from my textbook. My hand stayed ready to receive his message but it was once again tossed onto my desk. Rolling my eyes I opened his message.

I like knowing things. 

Not bothering to write anything back I crumpled the sheet and tossed it at his head. Seungmin laughed, our teacher’s head shooting up and sending us a stern glare. 

That was such a Seungmin answer. He always loved being the smartest person in the room. Putting the weird interaction in the back of my mind, I focused back on my work and waited for the school day to be over.

◈

I stood in line with the rest of the now twelve girls of Cheongdam’s softball team. The sound of the boys’ practice was carrying over the chainlink fence onto our field. Our coach walked the line, clipboard in hand.

“I’m sure you all are aware Miyoung has dropped from the team.” Most of the girls nodded, several gasped and turned to the others looking for confirmation. “With Sectionals coming up we need an immediate replacement for our pitcher.” His eyes scanned down the line, holding a stare with every single girl. “L/n. Congratulations, you are our new pitcher.”

“But- I’m just a shortstop?”

“Not anymore.” He tossed me a mitt and called for everyone to take their positions. A heavy weight landed on my shoulders as I stood atop the pitcher’s mound. I felt all eyes on me as the first girl stepped up to the plate. 

The ball was familiar in my hands. I stared at the girl waiting to bat. With as much aim and accuracy as I could muster I threw the ball. It sailed over the plate before connecting with the wooden bat with a loud crack. 

The rest of our practice seemed to last an eternity. The coach yelled at me more than anyone else on the team. By now everyone had left. The floodlights had been shut off and I stood in the dark on the pitcher's mound. The ball felt heavy in my hand.

Staring down the makeshift target I created at home plate, I wiped the sweat off my brow. The ball flew from my hand missing the target by just an inch. Sighing, I collapsed onto the ground head in my hands. Cold sweat lay on the back of my neck, becoming freezing as the night breeze blew over it.

“Shouldn’t you have left already?”

Looking up I saw Seungmin walking towards me with a long stride. A duffle bag hung loosely over his right shoulder and he smiled at me from the gate entrance. His hair was messy and I could see the sleeve of his uniform hanging out of the bag.

“I heard you’re the new pitcher. How is that going?”

“As you can tell, not so great.” Setting down his bag Seungmin grabbed onto a basket full of softballs and dragged it over to the mound. He placed on in my hand before standing back and watching expectantly. “What are you doing?”

He shrugged, scuffing his shoe in the tan dirt. “Helping you. Obviously.” Nudging my shoulder he pointed to the target. “Let me see what you’ve got.” Pitching in front of Cheongdam High’s star player. This was certainly not how I imagined this night to go.

Taking a deep breath, I aimed my stare towards the target. Seungmin watched me with an analytic gaze as the ball left my hand. The round projectile grazed the second most outer ring of the target. He shrugged as I turned back to him.

“It’s not bad. I’ve seen worse.”

“Thanks for your vote of confidence.” Seungmin shrugged once more and watched me pick up another softball. “Here. Why don’t you show me how it’s done then. A smirk played at his lips as I tossed him the ball.

He listed his head, playing with the spherical object. “You do realize, pitching a baseball and pitching a softball are technically different.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes as I stepped back from the top of the mound and motioned for him to step up.  With perfect form, he let loose the ball, long fingers seeming to extend as it flew towards the target. A large thunk could be heard and all that was left was a dent smack dab in the center of the target.

“Want me to teach you?” Slowly I nodded and walked over to him. His fingers brushed mine as he handed me another ball from the basket. “Try inhaling when you prep and exhaling as you let loose the ball.” 

Following his instructions, I took a deep breath and let go as the ball flew past my fingertips. Seungmin burst out laughing when the softball bounced off of the target’s corner. “You’re supposed to be teaching, not laughing dumbass!” 

“I can’t help it,” Seungmin gasped, doubling over in laughter. “That was too cute!” My body froze involuntarily and I prayed that he assumed the blush on my cheeks was from the cold. His eyes raked over my face clearly noticing the heat flooding over my skin. “Try again?” Seungmin proposed picking up another ball. 

Knowing my only chance of a scream-free practice tomorrow was standing next to me I turned back towards the plate, the ball passing between my hand and the mitt. Hearing Seungmin’s sharp intake of breath had me turning to wait for criticism. To my surprise, I felt his hands on my waist and his chest brushed against my back. Again I froze, choosing to look anywhere but the boy behind me. 

“Is something wrong?”

He shook his head, breath fanning over the back of my neck. With a gentle touch, his hands turned my hips parallel to his. “Try angling your hips this way. IT might help-” Seungmin stopped and stared seeing my eyes dragging over his lips. Ghosting over the corner of his mouth was a smirk that would make the Chesire cat proud. “Your staring.”

“Well...you were talking.”

“Please, you were practically undressing me with your eyes.”

“When did I-”

He laughed, keeping his hands on my waist. “I’m just kidding, Y/n.” Embarrassed, I stared down at my shoes. “Though...if you did want to kiss me, you should just do it. I’m very tired of waiting.”

“You’re tired of waiting? What about me?” I asked turning around, crossing my arms. The rough leather of the mitt was tucked under my arm in an awkward way, but I ignored it. “Why do you think I always buy an extra banana milk on Fridays? I know you’re going to ask for one at study group.” 

Seungmin laughed as I lightly swatted his shoulder, dropping the softball on the field and letting it roll away from the pitcher's mound. “Why do you think I go to study group? My grades are fine.” 

“Well...I-”

Before I could come up with an answer, Seungmin leaned down and pressed his lips against mine before pulling away hands behind his back. “You what?”

“I-.....uh...well-”

Again, Seungmin leaned down and pecked my lips. “Yes?”

“Kim Seungmin would you stop for one second!”

“So, you don’t want me to kiss you?”

“Yes. Wait- no. Wait.....what?”

His eyes crinkled and he pulled me towards his chest, kissing me deeply this time. It was a kiss that made me weak in the knees. Still not entirely processing that Seungmin was in fact kissing me, my hands hung by my side. “I’m doing all the work here. Are you going to kiss back or what?” Seungmin said with a laugh. Shaking myself out of the confused trance I grabbed his cheeks and pulled him back down to my lips. 

Wrapping my arms around his neck I kissed Seungmin with every part of my being. He smiled, holding me as close as possible. Suddenly a blinding light flashed over us. “Hey! What are you kids still doing here?” The voice of one of the security guards yelled. 

Seungmin and I shared a look before dropping the mitts and running towards the gate hand in hand. Grabbing our bags, Seungmin pushed me through the gate as we ran from the school guards. “Run!” I screamed dragging him through the looming iron gates that bordered the school grounds. 

The two of us laughed as we ran down the dimly lit street. “So, can I tell people you are actually my girlfriend now? We can officially be the best team in the sports department.” Leaning up I kissed his cheek before pulling him around a corner towards my house. 

“Yes. Why would I turn down a boyfriend when he comes with free pitching lessons?” I joked making him roll his eyes and ruffle my hair.

◈

Requests are Temporarily Closed!

Masterlist

[oneyeartowrite]

First Fic: Bugged

Gordon strolled into the middle of the room, smug grin splitting his face, and just stood there, waiting for one of them to ask.

Scott opened his mouth, but Virgil’s finger wag snapped his jaw shut.

“Don’t ask…”

Gordon threw his arms out. “What do you mean don’t ask?”

Virgil turned his finger towards Gordon, jabbing it at him. Despite being stood across the room Gordon still clutched his chest at the suggestion of his brothers stabbing finger.

“I recognise that look.”

“What look?” Gordon threw his arms up again, still grinning smugly. His amber eyes crinkled, and he chuckled, a full-on pantomime-villain-kind of chuckle.

Scott lifted his eyebrow. “You’re aware we heard that, right?”

Gordon didn’t answer, he continued to grin, and look shifty as hell. Super-villain vibes rolled over the room. His face reddened and he curled his fingers towards his mouth, still laughing. Like a giggling child.

Scott spoke out of the corner of his mouth, directing his question to Virgil. “This freaking you out too?”

Virgil huffed. “I’m used to it.”

Gordon didn’t appear to be breathing. Too lost in his dastardly deeds. Scott and Virgil shared a concerned glance, then decided, if he needed to breathe, he’d breathe.

Alan strolled in, and instead of stepping down into the seating area, he jumped over the back off the sofa and landed on his knees.

“So…what’s happening?”

“We’re having a well-earned rest.” Scott told him. Then added with a glare. “And don’t climb over the back of the sofa like that.”

Alan didn’t apologise, he threw a look in Gordon’s direction, and smiled. “He told you yet?”

“No.” Virgil said. “And we’re not asking.”

Scott performed a zip motion across his lips.

“He’s gonna burst if you don’t ask him.” Alan said, looking to Gordon. His grin climbed higher. “Actually, keep it up. I want to see Gordon’s head go pop.”

“Alan.” Scott snapped.

He rolled his eyes in response. “Two strikes to me, I’m shutting up.”          

Gordon breathed finally, a long gulp of an inhale that made him bow. Scott and Alan didn’t react, but Virgil shuffled forward on his seat, mildly concerned his sibling might dropped to his knees.

He did, but not in a medical emergency kind of way, more the over dramatic—Gordon—kind of way.

“Is nobody going to ask me?”

“No.” Virgil said. “Get up.”

“I’ll hold my breath until I pass out if you don’t.”

Scott slammed his palm onto his forehead. “Fine—

Virgil’s eyebrows flew into his hairline. “Scott, no!”

“What have you done?”

Gordon sprung to his feet. “What have I done?”

“Yes. That is what I asked.”

Virgil dropped his head into his hands and growled. “Damn it Gordo, just get on with it.”

“Okay, okay.” He shook out his hands. “I’m a little excited that’s all.”

Alan glanced at him. “This isn’t going to go the way you think it will.”

“Don’t ruin it.” He took a deep breath. “So you know how John’s always listening, dropping into conversations, and generally, sticking his nose in where it’s not wanted.”

“Gordon,” Scott sighed. “Let it go. It wasn’t John’s fault he called you while you were practising your seductive poses in the mirror.”

Gordon narrowed his eyes. “He said I looked constipated.”

Alan grabbed a cushion to muffle his laugh.

“Anyway, I thought I’d get my own back on big brother in the sky.”

“Did you send him mouldy bagels?” Virgil asked.

“No, but I may one day. When I was up there helping him with maintenance, I might have hid a microphone.” He giggled into his fingertips again. “So we can hear Johnny.”

“That was your evil plan?” Virgil raised his eyebrow. “You put a microphone up there so you can hear him?”

“Yes!”

“We can all hear him. All we’ve got to do is press the button.”

Alan shrugged. “Not even press it, we wave our hand in the air over it.”

“Yes, yes.” Gordon said. “But he knows we’re listening. He doesn’t know about this, and it means we can listen in any time.”

Scott’s eyebrows met in the middle, and he spoke slowly, trying to keep the reins on his anger. “So let me get this straight. You decided it would be a good idea to invade John’s privacy by bugging thunderbird five.”

“Yes.”

“You think that’s a good idea?” Scott’s cheeks began to redden.

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

Virgil sighed. “Gordo doesn’t understand subtly, Scott.”

“It’s a spectacularly bad idea!” Scott had released the reins. The blue of his eyes popped. “You know how sensitive he is about his privacy.”

“What about mine?” Gordon said.

“He called you for a rescue. It wasn’t your fault you were pouting and posing to Prince’s kiss and didn’t hear him.”

Gordon rolled his eyes, and looked away. “No privacy, and we live on an island!”

“Told you they wouldn’t like it.” Alan said. “I’m surprised Scott hasn’t ordered me up there to help John find it.”

Scott opened his mouth to do just that, but a finger wag from Virgil stopped him. Virgil, who was the second most sensitive Tracy brother behind John. Virgil who valued his privacy, and understood John’s need for his own. He was the one that stopped Scott.

“You would be able to hear him right now?”

Scott and Alan’s jaws dropped, and Alan, surprisingly, recovered his ability to speak first. “You can’t be serious?”

“It was a difficult last mission.”

He’d been on the comms to Virgil throughout, and when the mission ended, John had seemed quieter than normal. Something had been off, and when Virgil questioned him, he got the expected but no-less-frustrating, ‘fine’.  

Scott stood up. “Then let’s call him. The proper way.”

“He’ll just say he’s fine, but he’s not fine. I know he’s not, the whole time his voice, it sounded softer than normal.”

“You think he’s just gonna be walking around thunderbird five talking to himself? He’s alone up there.” Scott blinked. He’s alone up there. That outburst hurt. He dropped back down to the sofa.

“He’s not alone,” Alan said. “He’s got Eos.”

Gordon stood before them, not giddy and giggling anymore. He looked uncertain, like his grand plan had been a bad idea. He’d only wanted to lighten the mood, but maybe—just maybe eavesdropping on his John was a bad idea.

“Just once.” Virgil wasn’t speaking to Gordon, but Scott. His hands twitched on his knees, gripping them slightly. “Please Scott, just once, and then we can send Gordon back up there to debug five.”

“Just. Once.” Scott’s cold tone made them all shudder. He didn’t want to listen in, he didn’t want to spy, but this was John, and John was never forthcoming when something was troubling him. Virgil’s concern had sparked his own, and he wouldn’t be able to sleep, eat or think before it was resolved.

“Do it.” Virgil said.

Gordon spun around, tapped on his wrist strap and connected to thunderbird five.

“He can’t hear us though, right?” Scott asked.

“No. It’s just us that can hear him.”

There was only silence. They passed around a worried look then John spoke, sending Gordon a foot into the air. He screamed, then hid when John spoke again.

“I know what you’re doing.”

Alan hid under a cushion pretending to be a corpse, Gordon hid behind a plant making the leaves shake with his shivers, but Virgil and Scott froze helplessly, hearts racing and apologies tangling their tongues.  

“I’m not doing anything.” Came Eos childlike reply.

John sighed. “You’ve been nonstop talking at me for the last hour, usually I don’t mind, but why Eos, why are you asking me about celebrities, and pop culture, and make-up?”

Gordon’s head popped up from behind the plant. He blinked and looked around like meerkat. “Make up? John likes makeup.”

“Quiet.” Virgil snapped. “We’re supposed to be listening.”

John made a weird noise, it was only Alan who seemed to recognise it. “He yawned. He was doing that a lot on my mission earlier, but when I asked him how much sleep he’d gotten, he just said he was fine.”

“Fine.” Virgil muttered. “The evillest four-letter word.”

Gordon’s gaze trailed across the ceiling. “Wouldn’t the evillest four-letter word be evil?”

Virgil launched a cushion at him.

“You know why.” Eos whispered. “I’m trying to send you to sleep, and I might add, it appears to be working.”

John slurred something not one of them understood.

“But I think you’ll be more comfortable in your bed.”

“I can’t just go to bed.” John complained.

Something warm and gooey ran through Scott’s chest. John sounded like he did when he was younger, when he fought sleep like it was a demon just so he could read more.

“Things to do, rescues to coordinate, people to save,” John’s voice trailed off, “bagels to eat.”

“You need to sleep, John. Your brothers are starting to notice how tired you are.”

They all froze, and three pairs of guilty eyes fell on Virgil, the only one who’d thought John wasn’t quite himself. The one who rubbed his chin as he listened. Thick eyebrows pressing together as he frowned into space.

“They haven’t noticed.”

Scott’s heart twisted suddenly. How had he not noticed. John didn’t sound upset though, he sounded relived. Then he added just for good measure, and to irritate everyone listening in. “I’m fine Eos.”

Eos ignored his fine, and continued. “Virgil has noticed. Virgil’s worried about you, and I know you hate it when any of them worry about you.”

“Telling them I’m tired will make them worry.”

“Not telling them will make them worry, and angry too.” Eos countered. “I won’t keep hiding this from them any longer.”

“Eos,” Desperation filled John’s voice. He sounded wide awake again, and slightly panicked, “Don’t you dare call them.”

“I’m not going call them John, I wouldn’t do that, but I’m not gonna help you cover this up anymore.”

The brothers stared at each other in the silence. Cover for him? What did that mean? John’s silence spurred Eos to say more, to slap John around the face with what she was now unwilling to do.

“I won’t adjust the pitch of your voice, so you sound normal. I won’t touch up the hologram to hide how tired you look. I won’t change the readings on your suit—

“Okay, I get it.” John said.

“You need to rest. Not here, sprawled on the floor, but in a proper bed.”

Virgil was on his feet at sprawled on the floor. He glanced at Scott, and grew alarmed at the vein jumping at his temple. Angry Scott wasn’t pretty. He brought his arm up slowly, about to call John on the proper channel

“Wait.” Gordon said. “Just wait.”

Air wheezed in and out of Scott’s nose. He cared, they all knew he did, but his care tended to be explosive first, followed by the coddle-care.

“Eos?” John said.

“Yes, John.”

“You’re right.”

“Of course, I am. You don’t need to state the obvious.”

John sighed.

Then the alarm blared in the room, and they all pretended to look busy, except Virgil who stood waiting for John’s hologram to appear. It did. They all stared. Ruffled hair, and dark circles under John’s eyes, and cheekbones that could cut glass. He looked haunted, and didn’t make eye contact with any of them.

“I…the…could…if…may…”

Scott was controlling his anger, Alan, his fear of ghosts, and Virgil, he rocked forward on his toes as if considering tackling John’s hologram into the room.

Gordon brushed his hands down his shirt. He had this. Gordo’s time to shine. Breaking the atmosphere was his speciality.

“A+++ for the communication, bro.”

John smiled and lifted eyes up to meet him. “I’m tired.” His eyes drifted shut, and Virgil took a step forward, closer to John. “I’m really fucking tired. I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry for being tired?” Scott said, exasperated.  

“No.” John lowered his head and looked slightly through the top set of his lashes at the brother mostly likely to strangle him for being an idiot. “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”

“Come down.”  Virgil said, flexing his fingers at his sides. He needed to get his hands on John, needed to play Doctor Virgil and fix the man masquerading as his brother on the hologram.

“Thunderbird five is already in position.” Eos chirped. “The space elevator is ready for John.”

“See you soon.” John said, cutting comms.

Scott glanced at Virgil. They nodded.

“That microphones staying where it is.” Scott said.

“What about John’s privacy?” Alan asked.

“We’ll only invade it when we feel like we have too.” Scott stiffened. “When we feel like we have to.”

Someone released a long blistering sigh. They looked for the culprit before realising they were still connected to thunderbird five.

“See,” Eos said. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Scott looks like he’s gonna kill me….”

Scott blinked, and made a conscious effort to relax his shoulders. Yes, he wanted to kill John. He wanted to smother him to death with his concern.

“Alan looks afraid…”

Alan jumped, dropping the cushion he’d been clawing at. He was afraid, but only because his brother looked so exhausted. He’d only stop being afraid when he was home, in bed, on the mend.

“Virgil looks like he’s fiddling with invisible needles to stick in my arms…”

Virgil stopped twitching his fingers. Yes, John was getting an IV as soon as his arm was within reach, but he knew John hated it, he’d be gentle, and sit with him while it brought colour back into his face.

“And Gordon?” Eos asked.

Gordon swallowed and looked up at nothing. John wasn’t actually there, but he still looked up as if he was.

John laughed softly, a sound that made everyone in the room relax a fraction. Gordon smiled too, because he was the joker in the family, and lightening the mood was his god-given right.

“Gordon?” They could hear the smile in John’s voice. “Well, he still looks constipated.”

************************************************************************

I’m thinking about continuing this, more times the brothers eavesdrop on John. Let me know if anyone wants more!

[onlyalittlecrazy]

sbi adoption oneshot? sure, why not!

feel free to check out my ao3 lol

Wilbur always wanted little siblings. So when he meets Tommy, the little curly haired gremlin finds a way to latch onto his heart and stay there. Which Wilbur doesn’t particularly mind. But in the foster care system, attachments can be dangerous. 

Wilbur learns this the hard way, when a kid named Dream takes in on himself to steal all of Tommy's stuff and burn it, right in front of him, just because Wilbur got dessert that day. 

Later that evening, Wilbur didn’t know how to console the crying boy. He thought Tommy would hate him forever, because it really was all his fault that his things were gone. But the little blond just reaches out and clings to Wilburs sweater like a lifeline, like Wilbur was the only thing he trusted in this world. 

So maybe Wilbur never had siblings, but he had Tommy. And Tommy was better than any little sibling he could have asked for. 

He was loud and full of life, quick to laugh but even quicker to anger. He would steal little things for Wilbur, little snacks from the kitchen or a guitar pick from a cafe. 

Wilbur loved Tommy, and Tommy loved Wilbur. They were brothers, and even if the foster agents told them to stop being ridiculous and just accept separate placements, Wilbur would stick with his little brother no matter what. 

Technoblade never wanted siblings. He never wanted anyone to tie him down, didn’t want any weak link in his life. He was fine on his own, and gods know that the foster system doesn’t take kindly to weaklings. And attachments, he knew, made you weak. 

But when Techno comes across a tiny blond, cowering in a bush with tear-streaked cheeks and blue eyes so full of pain and sadness, he couldn’t help but crouch down and say hello. 

He talks with the boy, walks him back to their group home and back to the brunet who introduces himself as Wilbur. He takes note of how Wilbur immediately tucks Tommy behind him, like he was worried Techno was a nuclear bomb that would explode at any second. 

Techno leaves the brothers, but he can’t shake the little blonds’ frightened expression from his mind. The next day, he manages to find Tommy. The little blond was sitting in the kitchen with his brother, the two of them sharing a piece of toast. Techno’s stomach had rumbled hungrily at the sight, but he ignored it for the sake of his mission. 

He had crouched down, ever so slowly, ever so gently, to meet Tommy’s eyes with his own. 

The blond was easily startled, he had noted, easily frightened. But Techno was patient and slow, and eventually he got what he came for. 

Dream needed to fight someone his own size. 

That evening he had stumbled back to the group home, knuckles bruised and head swimming with thoughts craving blood. He made his way upstairs, to the bedrooms and tip-toed down the hallway, past Dream’s empty room, past the matron’s room, all the way down to where he had known a little blond and protective brunet would be sleeping. 

He entered the room slowly, knowing his blood-spattered shirt wouldn’t exactly put the two at ease. 

Both heads had popped up at his entrance, like little meerkats. He had walked over to where the little blond was laying on his bedroll and gently set down the stuffed cow, kept clean of Dream’s blood. 

Maybe Techno didn’t want siblings, but Tommy and Wilbur were alright. 

Techno didn’t want siblings, but he got into countless fights defending Tommy. He didn’t want siblings, but he saved up all his money and bought Wilbur a guitar for his birthday. 

He didn’t want siblings, but when Dream asked him why he defended Tommy and Wilbur so much he spat back, “They’re my brothers.”

Philza never thought about having kids. It just never occurred to him, the thought of having kids seemed too wild and out there. 

Until he met Tommy. 

The little boy was lying, flat on his back, in the middle of Philza’s lawn. His eyes were closed, but soon they would open to reveal intelligent blue eyes. 

He would inform Phil his brothers were being ‘little bitches’, so he took a break from life. But he was back now, no need to worry. 

He strode down the street, shoulders hunched. Philza watched as he was met by two older, much more frantic boys. One with curly brown hair and one with bubble-gum pink hair. They ran up, kneeling in front of the younger boy and hands running over him, brushing hair out of his eyes and straightening his shirt. 

Phil watched as the one with pink hair straightened up and stared directly at Phil, nudging the brunet. 

The brunet met Phils eyes too before standing up and gently guiding the blond away. 

Philza had watched as the three disappeared down the sidewalk, turning into the foster home down the street. 

He had assumed that would be the last he would see of the three brothers. 

He assumed wrong. 

Not even a week later, the little blond was back on his lawn, only this time his expression wasn’t peaceful. It looked strained, like he was biting back tears. 

Philza had gone outside with a ham and cheese sandwich in one hand and a glass of milk in the other. 

He sat down next to the boy, resting the sandwich and milk next to him on the grass. He had sat up, watching Philza warily. Eventually, though, the young boy took the sandwich, cramming it into his mouth like he hadn’t eaten for weeks. With the second half of the sandwich, though, he behaved differently. He kept half an eye on Phil, taking small nibbles off the crust. Philza had then turned his head away, pretending to be watching a lady walking her dog. 

When he looked back, the sandwich was gone and the little boy was sipping at the milk. His pocket was bulging in a shape that looked oddly like a sandwich, but Philza decided to ignore it for now. 

Him and the boy just . . . talked. And Phil listened. 

He learned the boy was named Tommy, he was seven years old. He had a stuffed cow named Henry and two older brothers named Technoblade and Wilbur. He’d been in foster care since he was three. 

They had talked the afternoon away, until the brunet came down the street and taken Tommy back down the road to the foster home. 

Phil had gone to sleep that night thinking. 

The next morning he had opened his computer and googled ‘Brighton Foster Care Services’. 

In the month that passed, Phil had gotten to know each of the brothers. He learned that Wilbur knew how to play guitar, he learned that Techno dyed his hair monthly with his brothers. He learned that each of them took care of one another, whether it was stealing bandaids or stealing food, they would watch out for each other

And sure, looking back Philza should have seen it sooner. Should have seen the turtlenecks each boy wore, even in sweltering heat. Should have seen the way Wilbur flinched when Phil leaned in for a hug. Should have seen the way Techno kept one eye on the exit at all times. 

But it wasn’t until Wilbur knocked on Phils door, clutching a broken wrist and sobbing that Phil entered his paperwork for adoption. 

It was a long three months for Phil, watching the boys go back to the foster home each evening with their jackets overloaded with tupperware containers and water bottles. But it all was worth it when he got to see the words “Tommy, Techno and Wilbur Watson”. 

They all cried and Phil took them to get ice cream. 

That night, he had tucked them all into bed and awoken the next morning to a dogpile on his bed, with Techno curled into his side and Tommy bundled in the blankets. He just smiled and tried to wiggle out of bed without waking his boys. 

Maybe Philza never thought he would have kids. Maybe he thought he’d never deserve a family. Maybe he thought he’d never be enough for anyone. 

But then he met Tommy, Wilbur, and Techno. 

And they were a family. 

And they were enough.

[bootyful-seventeen]

Days at the zoo

I kinda like the bulletpoint scenarios and I just had to do this one

Y’all already know what’s up

This was Soonyoung’s plan the minute his kids asked if you could go to the zoo

You think that your kids are the most excited about zoo day?

Pfffff it’s gonna be Soonyoung who’s waking everyone up at the ass crack of dawn instead of your kids

Probably for the best because that would be too much energy in the morning even if you only have 2 kids

Just as you’re ready to leave Soonyoung’s picking the kids up and making a mad dash for the car

The faster you leave for the zoo, the faster he can see his precious tigers

Will not shut up about how excited he is to go to the zoo and it just gets your kids even more excited for the trip to the zoo

It’s a good thing you’ve came prepared with some running shoes because you’re gonna need good footwear to chase after Soonyoung

Cuz once he’s got the admission wristbands secured to his wrist and your kids, he’s picking them up and run right in

You won’t know where he’s going unless you think like a Soonyoung and even then that might not help

Adores how happy his kids are when they see all the different animals and will tell them cool little facts about them but he’s really reading off the info cards lmao

Will spend all day at the tiger exhibit if his kids didn’t whine and drag him off to see some of the other animals too

And since it’s a zoo trip y’all know what’s gonna happen. Oh yeah I’m talking about the face painting

It’s no surprise to you when you see him asking the artist to paint a tiger onto his face

Not a very big surprise when your daughter takes his seat after him and asks for a tiger too

Your son on the other hand ditched the face painting tent to get some snow cones with you

But the thing he’s really excited for is the giant inflatable slides and obstacle courses

Once Soonyoung and your daughter are done getting their faces painted, your son’s gonna be vibrating at the speed of light while asking if you can go to the inflatables now

Once your there... oh boy

He’s gonna be yelling for his parents attention for everything he did even if it didn’t end as spectacularly as he thought and landed flat on his face

He’s so cute I cry

Another cute thing is when you hit the petting zoo next

Your daughter’s scared to get on the pony by herself but will be really brave as long as she got to hold her dad’s hand the whole time she was on the pony

Oh god and wanna know what else would be super cute!!! Feeding the giraffes and your kids being amazed at how tall a giraffe really is

Tho they’d probably be half tired by the time you got there that they’d want to be carried to the top of the feeding platform

Your daughter would erupt in giggles when the giraffe’s tongue touched her hand while she fed it meanwhile your son would would start to cry when it licked him

Once the waterworks started you and Soonyoung would be doting on him until the tears stopped and you were heading off to the next exhibit

Your son would have completely forgotten about the giraffe by the time you were walking by the meerkats and he was curious about why some people were crawling into a tunnel

But once he crawled in with you behind him, and he popped up in the dome to see some of the meerkats running around, he’d get so happy that he’d start jumping in the small space

A very bad idea since he jumped so much that he hit his head but he was too excited and happy to cry

You’ve probably circled the whole zoo twice before exhaustion settled in their little bodies and you were carrying your children back to the front entrance

But not before you stopped at the gift shop to get them cute little stuffed animals as a surprise for when they woke up

Their cute little chubby cheeks would be smushed against your shoulders and Soonyoung smudging his face paint even more when he’s pepper soft kisses over his son’s forehead before he gave the same affection to your daughter

Then he’s pulling you closer by your shirt to steal a few soft kisses from you while staying careful of smushing you’re kids between your bodies before carefully getting your kids buckled in their seats

The whole ride home, he’d quietly gush about how much fun today was and how glad he is to have a perfect little family with you