#I have had A WEEK

[raiiny-bay]

b/a for the boys’ anniversary edit :-)

[noble-atomics-railway]

8 - Impact - Tornadoyoungiron's traintober list

More of the BBC level drama, this time with writing. Context is under the cut.

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The sound of a blaring alarm woke Gordon up from his sleep. He stretched with a sigh, pressing the alarm to silence it.

He felt better rested than he had in weeks, ever since Henry had been promoted to engine driver and switched to nights. He usually woke him when he returned, running showers and banging doors.

It would be nice if Henry would be just a bit quieter when he came back. It would be nice if he went back to days so he didn't wake him up every night.

When he stretched his fingers further, he didn't meet his partner. Was it possible that he was still angry after their spat last night?

He ran his fingers further, the other side of the bed was cold. Henry hadn't slept there at all last night. A small pit of anxiety curled in his stomach. What if he had yelled at him too harshly the night before? He'd just had enough of being woken up every night. He was not the nicest creature when he hadn't had enough sleep and Henry, as his culprit, had faced his wrath.

Quickly, he pulled his uniform on and walked down to, as far as anyone else was concerned, Henry’s room on the other side of the hallway. He paused to knock on Thomas’ door on the way past, ensuring that he was awake. If there was one thing that Thomas had inherited from him, it was a hatred of waking up in the morning, and Gordon would never put it past him to sleep through several alarms, making him late for work.

Slowly, he opened the door, not wanting to disturb Henry if he was asleep. He could make up with him later. He just wanted to know that he was in the house.

He wasn't. He hadn't been in here either. It wasn't that this room was unused. Henry would store his personal effects in here, like his uniform and spare clothing, but it obviously hadn't been used last night. The bed was still made and Henry was nowhere to be seen.

Gordon's anxiety spiked. Perhaps he was still at work? Stuck at a different station overnight after a breakdown? As much as Henry loved the engine that he'd found under a bricked up tunnel, Gordon was wary of it. Sure, his engine was a prototype, too, but at least his engine was reliable. The only accidents he'd had in his engine were minor and down to his own stupidity. Henry's engine required Welsh coal to even have a chance of running, and even then, it was known to have issues. It was obvious it had been bricked up for a reason and it was past Gordon why the Fat Controller had allowed it to run on the rails again.

He wandered downstairs, waiting for Thomas to be ready so that they could leave together.

He was sure that he was fine. Anything could have happened.

Anything could have happened. Engine driving wasn't the safest profession.

He was just going to torture himself if he kept up that cycle in his head. He'd just have to ask Edward if he had any idea when he arrived at the yards. After all, Edward usually arrived at work about when Henry left. His engine being what one could refer to as an antique meant that it took longer to troubleshoot in the morning, or so Edward claimed. He was just paranoid, Gordon guessed, but usually rightly so.

After what seemed like an eternity of fretting, Thomas was ready and they departed from their house and headed down towards Knapford Shed to clock in. Snow lined the ground, making the short walk time consuming and slippery. Gordon knew that they'd have to take extra care to not slide past the stations in weather like this.

Thomas laughed as they walked together. “It's unusual to not hear you muttering about Henry waking you up. You finally learned how to sleep through him?”

“No,” Gordon snapped.

“You can't still be continuing that argument from yesterday, can you? I don't expect better from you, but Henry isn't one to hold a grudge.”

“How do you know about that?” Gordon pulled at his hair.

“You've never been quiet when you've lost your temper, Dad. I think Annie and Clarabel heard you as well.”

“You'd be annoyed if you got woken up every night, Thomas.” Gordon sighed. “It was at least slightly justified.”

“I wouldn't get myself in that situation in the first place,” said Thomas proudly. “Because I wouldn't-”

The resounding glare from Gordon shut him up quickly.

“Anyway,” Thomas continued, “You must have gone off at him if he's still mad.”

“Considering he never came back to the house last night, Thomas, I frankly have no idea where he is or if he's still mad at me. At this point, I'm hoping he is still just annoyed.”

“Well, what else would he be? He's probably stuck at a station master’s house because his train has broken down. I bet he's not even mad anymore.”

“It's not the safest profession, Thomas.” He shook his head, “I hate being on such opposite shifts. It's no great joy being woken up, and as he pointed out, we're waking him up coming and going from the house during the day. It's a nightmare. I hate being tired all the time. I do wish that he'd never got promoted in the first place.”

Thomas playfully knocked his shoulder. “Just because you hate not seeing him every hour of the day, you mean.”

Gordon smiled softly. “Perhaps, Thomas. Or perhaps I'm just too old to appreciate change.”

“You're hardly that old yet.”

“Old enough. I’ve seen two great wars and may live to see another.”

“It's hardly that melodramatic, Dad.”

“If you say so, son.”

Quickly, Thomas hugged him before running off towards Percy in Tidmouth Sheds. “It'll be fine, Dad. Stop worrying.”

Gordon shook his head at his son's antics and slowly walked over towards his own engine, ready to start pre-use checks. Wickham was already at work stoking the engine's fire for the first run of the morning. Henry's engine was not in the sheds yet, not helping the anxiety in his chest.

“Good morning, Edward,” he called as he began to check the wheels of his engine. “Old Iron alright this morning?”

“Alright as he ever is.” Edward smiled, patting the side of his engine. “Be careful this morning,” he warned. “The snow hasn't cleared fully yet. It’s been forcing signals down and causing delays all night.”

Gordon sighed. “At least that explains where Henry is. I'm guessing he's caught at a station somewhere, waiting for a signal that's never going to change.”

“Get a full night sleep for a change?”

“Why does everyone know about that?” Gordon shook his head. “I feel insulted.”

“Easy. Me and Henry talk.” Edward turned away from the engine. “He's all ready to go now, Sidney,” Edward called up to his fireman.

“I just want to get his fire burning a bit stronger before we depart. I'm in no rush to go out without a fire to keep me warm,” Sidney replied. “Come back in five.”

Edward followed Gordon arround to the other half of his engine, watching as he inspected it. “Henry wants to get moved to days, you know.”

“I've heard,” Gordon snapped, irritated. “He wants my Express.”

“No, he doesn't,” Edward replied.

“That's what he told me.”

“Honestly, Gordon, what does it matter?” Edward shook his head. “All it means is that you don't get woken up by your lodger and he doesn't get woken up by you.”

“That doesn't even matter, Edward. It's the principle of it. After all, after everything, how dare he?”

“Tell him how you feel, then.”

“He should just know,” Gordon stressed. “He's been so full of himself since he's been promoted.”

“And you never are?”

“No, I-“ Gordon paused for a second, feeling himself go light-headed. He placed a hand on the running board to catch himself before continuing more calmly. “I love that job, Edward. I don't want to lose it.”

“You won't, I'm sure,” Edward reassured. “Are you alright, Gordon? You look paler than usual.”

“Honestly, I'm just overthinking Henry not being back. I've just got this horrible-”

“Gentlemen,” Sir Hatt said, interrupting the conversation.“ I regret to inform you that there was an accident on the line last night.” Gordon's body tensed. He knew what he was going to say before the words came out of his mouth. “A faulty signal caused it, weighed down by snow. The engine is a write-off and needs a total rebuild. Henry Stanier is in hospital in critical condition.”

Suddenly, Gordon found himself on the hard gravel of the floor, Thomas on one side of him, scared and gripping tightly onto his arm, and Edward on the other, looking at him in deep concern. “What just happened?” he muttered.

“I don't know,” Edward said, letting go of him cautiously. “You just passed out.”

He nodded. That made sense. He felt like someone had tipped a cold bottle of water on him.

“I think you've just traumatised your son.” Edward laughed with relief. “I think he thought you were gonna die.”

“I'm alright.” He moved to stand up, ignoring the pounding in his chest and perhaps relying a bit too much on Thomas to do it. “I'm alright,” he reassured Thomas, gripping his arm.

“Trust me, you don't look it”, Edward said. He leaned to mutter “You're too light to catch.” Edward at least understood not to embarrass him more than he already had been. Passing out over a bit of bad news. The indignity.

The bad news.

Henry.

“Sir. You said Henry was in hospital?” He turned to Sir Toppham Hatt, who looked taken aback by the question.

“Yes. And I thought you were going to be, then. Thomas, take your father home.”

“Yes, sir.” Thomas nodded eagerly, pulling at Gordon's shoulder.

“I can still work. I'm fine now. It was just a bit of a shock.”

“No, Gordon.”

“I can be useful. I know that run like the back of my hand. I was just shocked.”

“I said no, Gordon. Clearly, I misestimated how close you and your lodger had got. You acted like the wives do when I turn up at their doorstep with bad news.” Gordon looked at the floor, not wanting to reveal any emotion on his face. Sir Toppham Hatt turned to Edward. “Edward, you take the Number 4 with Wickham. Sidney, take the Number 2 with Bob. We can do without a shunter for a day.”

All the men nodded as Gordon stood there, embarrassed.

“If you'd like to make yourself useful, the hospital will probably appreciate you taking a spare change of clothes for your lodger to the hospital.” Gordon nodded again, turning to leave with Thomas, his embarrassment and worry slowly turning into a slow and fiery anger.

He wasn't even angry at being sent home. He was angry at the world. Go to hospital, he scoffed. If he did, he was no next of kin, no relation, despite the fact that they shared a bed every night. If he disclosed that information, at the very least, they'd find themselves unemployed and at the worst, arrested.

He acted like a wife. He was, of sorts. It's just that nobody could ever know. He thundered back home, cursing his bad luck of falling for another man.

[cloysterbell]

Emails should be illegal

[attemptinghaikyuu]

~Choose your own Ending~

“What do you wanna listen to?”

Suna’s got control of the music for the last bit of the ride back. With Osamu having been in control of it for the whole way back, it was a true show of friendship when he agreed to let Suna have the last hour. Instead of plugging in his favorite songs however, Suna was letting you take control of the music.

It was a start to a bigger apology from him. He seemed to be working his way up to the right things to say, and you kept melting at his little gestures.

While you waited for that big apology, addressing what you had dubbed internally as the “Osamu situation”, you were happy to take advantage of the music.

“Hmmmmm,” you make it look like you’re thinking about it hard, even when you both know the song you’ll play. Your favorite song eventually rolls off your tongue-

once you’ve been poked in the side by Suna, one, two, three times.

“Ah, my favorite song I see,” he says with a grin, when you’ve finally said it. You stick your tongue out at him. He turns it on and quickly begins his work butchering the song.

You can’t stop yourself from joining in

It isn’t long till you have a terrible mix of your voices, rising far higher in volume then according to both Komori and Osamu “It fricking, fucking should!”

The terrible singing continues far longer than necessary and you laugh far harder than warranted.

“Stop!” You laugh. “Please, your beautiful singing- its, it’s too much, really no. You can stop.”

He sings a high note, and keeping in almost pitch with the song that’s playing, sings, “I will serenade you whenever I feel like it!”

“Uh, that doesn’t mean you have to serenade us too?” Komori interjects. Osamu has his hands over his ears but he somehow heard that and is nodding.

You roll your eyes.

“Come on you big baby’s,” you shout, “you love us!”

“Eh,”

You gasp. “Osamu!”

He’s looking the other way as he gives in.

“Fine, you’re ok..”

“Hmmp!”

“Nah, don’t worry you’re great.”

Suna’s finally stopped singing and you’re warm and fuzzy from hearing his sincere words. Seeing the look in his eyes, you turn away fast. You think you’ll probably burst if he apologizes the way he just spoke.

“Thanks,” you say. “I guess I am.”

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Knowledge Revenge.

[godsplatter]

i like when they kiss

[glassiskies]

so…um. how are we feeling good omens fans

[ardri-na-bpiteog]

Also increasingly aware that a LOT of people "manage" getting through the 40+ hour work week by sleeping less than is healthy and relying on stimulants like coffee and energy drinks to keep them going.

For people who are unwilling or unable to do this...work really does just dominate your life. Like we really should not have to rely on unhealthy practices just to have a social life or keep on top of housework or whatever.

I know I post about this a lot but I'm so TIRED all the time and it's just so depressing that this is how we're expected to spend the one life we have.

[reginalusus]

Not these two again (I will do it again).

Ummmm, soon-to-be father-son angst or something.

Jason's line after this was originally: "I don't need a lecture from the guy who swapped his scales and sword for cigarettes and guns," but I have other stuff I wanna move on to and the frames kinda got fucked, sooo.

Ko-Fi.

[fox-mulder-gets-pegged]

I just wanna say bc I KNOW you're somewhere on tumblr, to the teenage girl who attended Take Your Kid To Work Day at an office building in Ontario, Canada circa 2013 and had a conversation with a middle aged woman in which you showed her your Black Veil Brides fanart and fanfics and ship content and told her about different fanfic tropes including a/b/o verse bc she happened to know who Panic! at The Disco and Fallout Boy were and thus you felt the need to show her your bandblr ship art, that was my fucking mother and I had to clarify all that to her including looking my mother in the eye and trying to explain a/b/o verse without sounding like a lunatic.

It's been 10 years and I still regularly sent evil energies in your direction. Since you'd be probably two years younger than me and thus legally an adult now, please know if this post reaches you it's on sight.

[cozylittleartblog]

nobody can stop me from chewing on concept art like a wild animal

[heartorbit]

MWAH!

[lemonebar]

*please hold music abruptly stops*

[demigods-posts]

i don't know man. but sometimes i think about percy breaking the news to nico that his sister's dead. and nico plummetting into depression, screaming at the boy he once thought of as a hero to die. and percy watching this ten-year-old disappear into the shadows mid sobbing. and percy's shaking and traumatized and exhausted. but he forces that pain down his throat and accepts the role as the prophecy kid so nico has a chance to create a future he wants. while percy's is set in stone. and i don't know man.

[yardsards]

surrounding myself with a bubble of diversity and self love and body positivity online and then being exposed to normies who actually care about conventional beauty standards feels so fucking bizarre. like you people just live like this??? are you not tired???

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

It's just guys night talk! Don't worry about it!

(Read Tiger Tiger and shake this man awake so he can finish that thought!)