#fictivekaleidoscope

[tsarisfanfiction]

The Tale of Scotty-Bear

Fandom: Thunderbirds Rating: Gen Genre: Family Characters: Scott Tracy, John Tracy, Virgil Tracy, Gordon Tracy, Alan Tracy

And another fic for @gumnut-logic‘s #irrelief!  The prompt used here is “Any aged bro – The missing Teddy Bear.” from @fictivekaleidoscope 

When Lee Taylor bought a bog-standard teddy bear for his best friend’s baby, he probably didn’t expect it to be quite so popular.

He was, rather unimaginatively, named Scott.  That was all Lee Taylor, the man who after much debate and hair-pulling over what, exactly was an appropriate toy for a new born baby (a build-it-yourself rocket was vetoed by Lucille before he could even suggest it), had appeared with a bog-standard fluffy teddy bear and presented it to a two hour old Scott Tracy.

You didn’t need two new names to remember, he reasoned.  Scott the boy, and Scott the bear.  Simple.

(It would have been more convincing if he hadn’t started calling the baby ‘Sam’ the next time he saw him).

Why no-one ever changed the name before baby Scott was old enough to recognise that his favourite teddy shared his name, no-one ever knew.  Perhaps it just never occurred to them that they didn’t have to go along with Lee’s idiosyncrasies, or maybe they couldn’t pick a better one.  Whatever the reason, his name was Scott, and Scott it stayed.

Scott the bear, eventually nicknamed Scotty-bear after one too many occasions of a too smart toddler with an attitude ignoring his parents because “I thought you meant him!” despite knowing perfectly well that the scolding for scribbling on the wall was for him, became the heart of one brotherly tradition as the Tracy clan began to grow.

Scott the boy was four when he realised Scotty-bear wasn’t in his bed.  Lucille promised that she hadn’t moved him while he’d been out at kindergarden, making friends and already showing his future colours as a leader, but the fact remained that Scotty-bear was missing.

A thorough search of the house ensued, Scott running up and down the stairs with reckless abandon during his search and about ready to scream at Jeff when he walked in through the front door.  Luckily for Jeff, he didn’t return home from work to an irate Scott with accusations of bear-napping after a suspicious search into his younger brother’s room revealed an unlikely culprit.

Two year old John was curled up in his bed, taking a nap.  Around him were various stuffed toys, as usual, but in his arms Scotty-bear was tightly clutched.  Scott was furious, waking up his younger brother with a shove that almost knocked him off the bed and wrestling him for control of the bear until Lucille stepped in to stop him.

“Why did you take Scotty-bear?” she asked her sobbing ginger son gently, holding Scott at bay as she gathered him into his arms.  “You know it’s not nice to take things that aren’t yours.”

“Scott not here,” was the hiccupped reply.  “Wanted Scott.”

Scott stared at his brother before walking out of the room, and that was how Scotty-bear changed hands for the first time.

At this point, the tale of Scotty-bear is probably already clear.  With a toy passing down from the elder to the younger, it was a given that the pattern would continue for as long as there were more youngers.

Virgil’s acquisition had occurred with less temper tantrums, but that was probably more to do with the milder dispositions of both boys involved, as opposed to their eldest brother and his fiery temper.

At four years old himself, John was no less willing to part with the bear than Scott had been, but Virgil was enamoured with his biggest brother, and found it highly unfair that John had a bear called Scott and he didn’t.

“There can’t be two Scotty-bears,” John said bluntly when Virgil declared he would get his own. “This is Scotty-bear, and he’s the only Scotty-bear.”

Scott himself, now six, was away at school and didn’t hear the exchange.  Jeff was largely ignorant to the events that had transpired for the original handover, barring the fact that however it had happened, Scotty-bear now lived in John’s bed, but Lucille saw the signs and gave a subtle prompt to her second son.

“You can share Scotty-bear with Virgil, can’t you, John?” she asked, gently.  John thought about it, defensively holding the teddy close with a frown on his face.  In front of him, Virgil employed large brown puppy dog eyes and a quivering lip.

Just as Scott before him, John caved, and thus Scotty-bear once again changed beds.

Virgil held Scotty-bear for the longest time yet, a larger age gap between him and the eventual next younger sibling giving him plenty of time to drag the little bear everywhere with him, and drag him around he did.  Virgil and Scott-bear were inseparable, to the point that Scott himself began to sulk that he’d been replaced by a ‘stupid stuffed toy’ when Virgil had tried to give Scotty-bear the last sweet from the packet rather than his actual brother.

Lucille had to intervene more than once when Scott’s temper started to flair, convincing Virgil that Scotty-bear would be just fine without his attention for a few minutes and “Mommy will look after him, so why don’t you play with your brother for a bit?”

However, all things must come to an and, and so did Virgil’s time with Scotty-bear.

Gordon was a monster. Loud, inquisitive, and determined to follow Virgil around like a limpet as soon as he could crawl, there was nowhere for the dark haired brother to escape from his blond shadow.  Attempts to palm him off onto John were met with a raised eyebrow – John had learnt that one young – and Scott was reaching the age where he was always busy with friends, and rarely in the house for any length of time.

It was an act of despair, Virgil determined to shake the nuisance once and for all, that he turned to the stuffed toy equivalent of his elder brother.  Scott might be too busy to play with little Gordon, but Scotty-bear had no such restrictions.  Two years older than either of his brothers had been when they had surrendered the toy, and markedly less selfish than either to boot, it was a more mature boy who hugged Scotty-bear goodbye and quietly snuck him onto the blond menace’s bed during one of the toddler’s naps.

Gordon stopped following him around immediately, the cut-off so abrupt that the thought crossed Virgil’s mind that, somehow, the bear was all Gordon had wanted.  Lucille was quick to comfort him as the idea upset the kind-hearted boy, assuring him that Gordon was just distracted by a new toy and would still want to play with his brother.

As always, mothers knew best.  After a week of insistently playing with Scotty-bear (to the amusement of John and Scott, who both shared amused ‘join the club’ looks with Virgil), Gordon decided that actually his brothers were cooler than a stuffed toy who by that point had seen better days, and started to trail behind them all again.

Still, Scotty-bear was never relegated from Gordon’s bed, and was found once or twice stuffed inside a swimming bag smelling of chlorine and in need of a wash.  Lucille swore the toy had never needed so many washes in the hands of his other three brothers combined.

The fourth handover, Gordon to toddler Alan, was a far more sombre affair.  Despite his penchant for sneaking the toy with him wherever he went, amid claims that Scotty-bear was no more special than any other toy – transparent claims that no-one believed but no-one called him out on, either – when the time came, it was without any hesitation at all.

Alan was crying.

Mommy was gone, Daddy was somewhere off planet, Scott was trying to get the microwave to work with help from Virgil after John hurt his hand with water from the kettle, and Alan was crying.  Gordon wasn’t allowed to pick Alan up until he was bigger – Mommy had said so, and Gordon was going to be a good boy for Mommy in case that would help her come back – so he did the next best thing.

The appearance of a teddy bear seemingly from nowhere had Alan pausing mid wail, staring at the coveted, tatty bear Gordon made dance towards him.  Alan knew the bear – of course he did, the stories of hand-me-downs had been recounted several times and even young as he was, he’d known that meant that one day it would be his.

He’d been scheming to steal it with Mommy just last week.  Now, Gordon was holding it in front of him with a sad smile, and Alan wanted that bear.  He snatched it, and Gordon let him.

Scotty-bear was Alan’s faithful companion for many years.  Kids laughed at the threadbare toy when it was found in his school bag, and harder when they found out it was named after his biggest brother.  Alan refused to be dissuaded – Scotty-bear was special and if they didn’t understand that then that was their problem. Known troublemaker and big brother Gordon stepped in from time to time when Alan’s classmates got too raucous, and word quickly spread that it wasn’t worth picking on the teddy bear.

With no younger brother to pass Scotty-bear down to, Alan believed that Scotty-bear would be his forever. First the death of his Mommy, and then the world-shattering loss of Dad had him clinging tightly to the toy.  His brothers doing the same thing Dad had been doing when he’d disappeared terrified him, and Scotty-bear was the keeper of his fears as he listened dutifully with fabric ears to Alan’s confessions in the middle of the night when he was the only one home.

It was only once he joined their ranks that Scotty-bear was set aside, a childhood toy not suitable for the launches into space and beyond, and the well-loved old toy ended up in the bottom of his closet, out of sight and, eventually, out of mind.

But that was not the end of Scotty-bear’s travels.  For the cycle of brother-to-brother to complete, there was one more transition to make.

Scott, a young man who had owned the bear for all of two years and barely remembered that it had ever been his past stories and photos, found Scotty-bear in Alan’s closet one day in the weeks leading up to the launch of the Zero-XL.  A fine layer of dust had settled over his fur, adding to the illusion of age, but Scott made no move to clean him.

Life was stressful, with the piles of responsibilities on his shoulders growing ever heavier, and the realisation that soon they would be chasing after Dad, to whatever end that might lead, just another one to add to the pile.  He was a fully grown man, and had no need for childhood comforts, but Scotty-bear looked at him with chipped beads for eyes and almost without realising it, Scott took the toy back to his own room.

John noticed, because of course he did, but it wasn’t until Dad was home and safe and recalling, amongst many other things, Alan and his favourite bear, that Alan discovered Scotty-bear’s disappearance.

Before it could get too out of hand, Alan threatening to tear the villa apart for the sake of a teddy bear he hadn’t looked at in years, John pointed the finger and stopped all arguments in their tracks.

“He was always Scott’s. We just borrowed him.”

Scott wasn’t the only one dumbfounded at the admission, but it didn’t take three devious younger brothers long to agree that of course the old-age teddy belonged to the old-age brother, and why didn’t they see it before?

Jeff watched with delight as four sons (John declared guilty by association) found themselves thrown into a pool by an older brother trying and failing to feign offence, who himself ended up dragged in when he didn’t back away from the edge fast enough.  It was good to be home.

(If Scotty-bear ended up back in Scott’s bed again that night, no-one commented.)

[eirabach]

If it’s still free then suffocation with Virgil 😊

ohhhh a Virgil ask! Yours, darling! 

[gumnut-logic]

Yay! And Viiiiiiiiiirg 😁💚 ::hugs you::

I actually managed to write something 🥳 for one of my many WIPS

(From an, as yet, untitled project)

“I’m actually not that hungry.” Virgil protested backing towards the open doorway.

“Nonsense, breakfast is just what you need… Now sit!”

Knowing there was no escape, Virgil tentatively slunk into a chair.

...

An hour later and desperately needing a distraction, Virgil headed to his piano. It had always helped distract from various afflictions, hopefully the magic extended to soothing a complaining stomach.

[gordonthegreatesttracy]

I posted 1,104 times in 2021

137 posts created (12%)

967 posts reblogged (88%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 7.1 posts.

I added 370 tags in 2021

#thunderbirds - 48 posts

#thunderbirds are go - 48 posts

#thunderbirds 2015 - 47 posts

#gordon tracy - 44 posts

#sea bean - 42 posts

#plush life - 37 posts

#team sea bean - 36 posts

#the adventures of the sea bean - 36 posts

#alan tracy - 19 posts

#scott tracy - 13 posts

Longest Tag: 42 characters

#land cabbage is not the only family artist

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Doh a deer, a female deer! @janetm74 @5hadow-alpha @drileyf @misssquidtracy @godsliltippy @inertplanetary @its-lovelyhappycollection @nourelle-tracy @rachfielden-xo @melmac78 @cg29

57 notes • Posted 2021-02-20 16:44:40 GMT

#4

Bye bye baby 😏. @janetm74 @ak47stylegirl @misssquidtracy @godsliltippy @5hadow-alpha @cg29 @inertplanetary @drileyf @rachfielden-xo @mrmustachious trust me. He wanted to abseil out the window

58 notes • Posted 2021-03-23 12:30:15 GMT

#3

@5hadow-alpha ‘s Gordon requested a big toothy colourful sea monster attacking thunderbird 4!! How can I get out of this @janetm74 @misssquidtracy @inertplanetary @godsliltippy @drileyf ?! 😳

62 notes • Posted 2021-02-11 12:33:35 GMT

#2

62 notes • Posted 2021-01-10 15:58:25 GMT

#1

We heard a rumour that Parker jr is going to take down our tree so we are staging a peaceful protest! WE SHALL NOT WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED!! @janetm74 @misssquidtracy @5hadow-alpha @inertplanetary @fictivekaleidoscope @drileyf

63 notes • Posted 2021-01-03 14:24:38 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[5hadow-alpha]

A Rambly New Year’s Message for the Thunderfam

So it’s almost a new year, and that means taking a bit of time to look back on the last twelve months and everything that has happened. Admittedly 2020 has been, to put it bluntly, awful. But there is one thing that has made it bearable.

You guys. The Thunderfam.

I’ve been on Tumblr for about five months now, and like every newbie I’ve seen on here, have been welcomed with open arms into an incredible family of people I am so, so proud to be a part of. It’s almost contradictory to feel so close to a group of people I have never even met.

I’ve always been wary of social media, and the few apps I do have are used for messaging friends - I don’t post or react to anything. Yet somehow you guys have given me the confidence to put up drawings and even a story, and like and reblog and comment and still feel safe. Occasionally it’s still hard to pluck up the courage to interact, and sometimes I can’t comment because I’m so amazed by what I’ve seen someone create that I can’t find any words that would justify it, so a like or a reblog has to do. I’ve gone from laughing until my stomach hurts, to literally sitting on the edge of my seat, to crying my eyes out a couple of minutes later, all because of the incredible talent I see on my feed every day.

I’ve also lurked in the shadows of a few fandoms over the years, and have watched them slowly die once the shows have ended. It’s heart-breaking to see, but even though TAG is over (for now! We can always hope) we’re still thriving. My biggest regret is not discovering Tumblr five years ago because I would have loved to watch this fandom grow and blossom into what it is today.

I wish there was some way to let everyone who worked on the show, or even any part of the Thunderbirds franchise, to see what an amazing community of people we’ve built here. Because then they would be able to see what an incredible thing they’ve done by bringing us all together. You lot are a fantastic group of people who just personify everything that International Rescue and the Thunderbirds stand for. You’re there to catch people when they’re falling and put them back on their feet, and there’s so much kindness and love here that is almost impossible to find out there in the big wide world.

To quote a certain dark-haired pilot we all know and love, “when you send out an SOS, you deserve to know there’s someone out there. Listening.”

That is completely and totally you guys.

I’ve seen the SOS posts on my feed and I’ve felt awful because I haven’t been able to do much for you aside from a fairly feeble attempt at support in the form of a few words. I don’t have any screenshots and there aren’t enough hours in the day to draw or write something for you even though each and every one of you completely deserve it.

I’ve been there, I’ve struggled. This year has hit us all hard, and we’ve all dealt with our challenges. I’ve been struggling through a sudden loss in November that really knocked me off my feet after everything else that has gone wrong this year. I’m slowly getting back up now, but you guys need to know that is was the people on here that gave me a lifeline when I needed it most, and you didn’t even have to try.

And for the people out there still struggling, believe me when I say it won’t last forever. I can’t promise 2021 will be magically perfect, but we’re slowly but surely getting there. It might take while, but things will get easier. And if you ever want to talk, I’m only a message away. One of my favourite quotes has always been ‘things will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay it’s not the end.’ So keep going, you’ll make it to where you want to be!

Do you guys realise how amazing you all are? I was catching up on all of your posts the other day and suddenly realised I had this little smile on my face just from seeing all of your incredible drawings and stories and videos and photo edits and screenshots (there were so many and they are so good that the app crashed XD). And I have a hard time believing that I am the only one who realises that scrolling through those posts leaves you in a much better place than it did before. There is always something there to brighten your day.

It’s mindboggling to think that so many of you are at the opposite end of the country, in completely different continents, or even on the other side of the planet. But it makes absolutely no difference where we are in the world, because you all contribute so much to this community and give so much to people who need it.

I feel like for all of the hours of work and effort that you put into what you do whilst still managing to live real life, all the appreciation in the world wouldn’t be enough to express how fabulous you all are. So this is my attempt at stringing a few words together to make up for the fact that I can���t always do justice to the amazing things I’ve seen and the breath-taking people on this site. The imagination, kindness, and talent here is endless!

I know I’m not a big account, and I don’t know how many people will see this post. But I hope it gets a lot of reblogs, because every single member of this fandom should read it and realise how much you mean to me and all the others here.

I’m so grateful to have found you, and when I look back on 2020 I won’t remember it as the ‘Year the Pandemic Happened’, but as the ‘Year of the Thunderfam’.

So thank you Thunderfam, from the bottom of my heart, for being the highlight of my year and a ray of sunshine during some really tricky and horrible times. Here’s hoping 2021 will take us onwards and upwards!

 So many tags, and I know I don’t have everyone!  @psychoseal @seathesilverlinings @misssquidtracy @gentlebluelizard @dragonoffantasyandreality @olliepig @weirdburketeer @tsarisfanfiction @rachfielden-xo @angelofbenignmalevolence @lenna-z @gumnut-logic​ @gordonthegreatesttracy @drileyf @ak47stylegirl @thunderskybird @scarlett3drag0n @photowizard17 @weathergirl8 @inertplanetary @1bluesilvertracy @thunderbird-one-ai @soniabigcheese @neuroticphysiologist @singmetothesun @hironojp @louthestarspeaker @eirabach @mrseviltedi @i-am-chidorixblossom @the-lady-razorsharp @bonsaiiiiiii @fictivekaleidoscope @thundergeek59 @janetm74 @myladykayo @willow-salix @incorrect-thunderbirds-quotes @fearlesstracy @hedwigstalons @tinglingsquidsense @thunderbirds-are-fab @lenle-g @vegetacide @godsliltippy @misstb2 @gordoncoopertracy @sonatanotwo @flyboytracy @tag-rewatch 

[gumnut-logic]

Daily Dose of Thunderbirds

It seems like Team Virg is taking a hit this week, though admittedly most peeps aren’t having a great time since the world in general is up shit creek ::hugs everyone:: But in any case, here be a serve of gorgeous and concerned plaid boi for @weirdburketeer @thunderstorm-bay @fictivekaleidoscope and anyone else having a shitty time plus those like me who just like gazing at the boi :D

::gets distracted by those eyes::

Nutty

(who got woken up out of a dead sleep this morning by a thunderstorm and is consequently vague)

[inactive-seathesilverlinings]

Merry Christmas Thunderfam! 🎄✨

It was supposed to be Santa Virg and all of his elves but time has gotten away from me 😂

I can’t even begin to find the words to express how much you’ve brightened up the second half of my 2020 ❤️

2019 wasn’t a good year for me, it started off with a loss that I’m still struggling with and there was a lot of health stuff off the back of that, so by the end I was well ready to see the back of it and then 2020 rolled around... I don’t have words to describe this year.

But you guys have provided the brightest of bright sparks ✨

I started creating again and I’m feeling more myself than I have in almost two years and it is in a large part down to all of you.

So thank you, thank you all SO MUCH for helping me find my way back to myself, even though you didn’t know you were doing it 💕

💙🧡💚💛❤️🖤💖🤍💜🤎

@janetm74 @5hadow-alpha @thundergeek59 @coffee-and-lenna @hedwigstalons @ak47stylegirl @eirabach @misssquidtracy @myladykayo @gumnut-logic @islandsandstars2 @womble1 @willow-salix @tsarinatorment @katblu42 @scarlett3drag0n @neuroticphysiologist @drileyf @that-tag-nerd51 @kattenjager1 @the-lady-razorsharp @rachfielden-xo @fictivekaleidoscope @louthestarspeaker @photowizard17 @vegetacide @kenzie-running-free

My mind has blanked on names at that and I know there are more of you to add and tag but my brain won’t allow me to think of them right now so if I haven’t tagged you I’m sorry but this does go out to all of the Thunderfam, thank you for making me feel so welcome ❤️

[inertplanetary]

So I'm learning to crochet and thought that since my first try was in green yarn Virgil could have it as a scarf.

Gordon then asked why he didn't get made one.

I told him it was a practice piece but he said it would be good practice to make him one too.

Now the both have scarfs ☺️

@willow-salix @misssquidtracy @olliepig @myladykayo @hedwigstalons @psychoseal @5hadow-alpha @fictivekaleidoscope

[psychoseal]

These lazy little beasts just sit around waiting for their next meal like warm blooded pot plants!!! @janetm74 @5hadow-alpha @misssquidtracy @fictivekaleidoscope @drileyf

[tracybirds]

Bad Things Happen Bingo #2 Virgil + Hearing Loss 

for @fictivekaleidoscope​ (EVIL!! EVIL THAT WAS!!) Had to get it out of the way early or my heart would have gotten all cowardly xD

What it says on the tin, so hope you enjoy it!

Edit: hi, my brain is tired, I must also shout out @gumnut-logic​ for helping me with the ending and reading things through

—————————————————————

The door at the end of the corridor was all the mattered. John is telling him to move, his voice getting sharper and sharper, the intervals between that same instruction being issued getting shorter and shorter. As though he was simply ignoring that one simple direction.

If he had focus to spare, he’d be yelling right back at his brother. He’s running already, he can see the display in his helmet just as clearly as John can. The hydrogen level is rising. The fire is getting closer.

He doesn’t intend to be in the room when they meet.

Steam is hissing from the pipelines, and he lifts his gloved hand to wipe away the condensation. He can’t get at the sweat, dripping down his nose. He can’t escape the heat.

He’s lifted off his feet before he registers the sound, the shockwave blowing through the building.

A sharp crack and the display in front his eyes flickers and dies. His breath quickens, making the most of the oxygen spilling out between the polymer seal in his helmet.

A wave of dizziness keeps him on his knees even as he spots the fire on the ceiling above him.

The pressure is building, his ears screaming against the change in equilibrium.

Virgil has just enough time to recognise the danger and pull himself into a protective ball when the second explosion hits.

Heat seeps into his helmet, the rest of his body strangely cool in a room filled with orange and yellow flame.

He can hear all his brothers now, indistinct as the pain in his ears flares.

It’s the last thing he hears.

Yellow and orange fade to black.

***

Awareness returned with a ringing nausea. Virgil could just make out the strains of muffled conversation bleeding into his consciousness. Blearily, he tried to open his eyes and a deep groan escaped him. He could feel a frown forming even as he shifted to find a more comfortable position.

Something felt off. Beyond the way the ground had changed from hard concrete to soft mattress. Beyond the way his head protested at the slightest movement. His senses were too dulled by exhaustion to work out what had changed.

A hand lightly touched his arm and he flinched away, eyes flying open to see a room filled with harsh sunlight. A silhouette sat next to him and the muted words seemed to take on a more urgent tone.

He peered at the figure, and Scott swam into view, his eyes drawn together in a frown.

“Hey, Scott,” whispered Virgil, the sound getting lost on the way.

Scott made no reply, only frowned more deeply, and Virgil felt his attention start to wander. He didn’t recognise his surroundings, not warm enough for the island and not sterile enough for a hospital.

A sharp tap against his shoulder drew his eyes back to his brother. His lips were moving and Virgil stared at them, trying to blink back the fuzzy feeling in his head.

Scott shook his head, the frustration evident in his sharp actions.

Virgil closed his eyes, struggling to comprehend what he was trying to communicate.

Too soon, he thought. He was rapidly sinking under a wave of exhaustion and the persistent buzzing was starting to wrap around his head in a dizzying manner.

A gentle pat pulled his eyes open one last time and he smiled dopily at his brother’s worried face as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

***

His awareness slowly returned to the sight of silent moonlight spilling over the covers. Every part of him ached and he had vague memories of being thrown across a room. His breath felt tight in his lungs, but worse than that was the dial tone ring that accompanied his every waking moment thus far.

It was starting to get annoying.

“Oh, hey, Virgil,” came a slurring voice out of the dark.

A shadow leaned across the bed, and he scrambled away, unsure of who was in the room with him.

“Hey, hey,” said the voice again, slightly louder now. “It’s me, it’s Gordon.”

The light at his bed clicked on and he stared wild-eyed at his younger brother.

The motion had done little to help his cause, and the buzzy sentences were starting to overlap like two people speaking over each other, arguing and pushing against his own frustration that the world didn’t sound right.

And he still felt sick.

“Wha’ happened?” he rasped, releasing the covers from his grip.

Gordon’s response was rapid, seeming to slice right through him as he tried to untangle the start of the sentence from the end.

“Double explosion.”

Virgil closed his eyes from the effort, no longer interested in the rest of the sentence he had missed.

“I feel it,” he mumbled. He brought a hand to his face and winced as he prodded a strange, goopy substance.

“Yeah, let’s leave that,” said Gordon, pulling Virgil’s hand away. “You want that where it is.”

Virgil stared at his brother, concentrating on the sounds.

“Your voice is weird.”

Gordon’s perpetual smile dropped and his eyes grew tight.

“Yeah?” he said, slowly and clearly over that incessant buzz. “Tell me how, big guy.”

Virgil slowly rocked his head back and forth.

“You’re all muffled. And the timing’s off.” He stared at Gordon, expression pleading. “Keep talking.”

Gordon’s lips quirked, but he obliged without question. Virgil couldn’t make out the content, already his attempts to process the sounds were wearing on him, but he needed to know what had changed. There was a reason he’d mistaken his brother for a stranger. There was a reason his brother sounded like a conversation with a meaning just beyond his reach.

“I can’t hear it,” he snarled, shaking his head.

Instead of replying, Gordon grabbed a tablet and began to type.

Virgil stared at him, emotions welling up within. Gratitude that his brother had noticed his distress warred against the hateful feeling of helplessness, that things might have forever changed.

The tablet made it too real.

You ruptured both your eardrums. Grandma says they can run tests tomorrow. Your brain scan was registering some weird stuff. No need for hospital, so Lady P offered a room.

Virgil read the text in silence. The frustration that had so freely bubbled up only moments before faded away, leaving only exhaustion.

There was one more thing he needed to know before he would allow himself to rest easy.

“Why here?”

Gordon shrugged.

“In case we needed to launch.”

His brain offered up the sound he’d stopped registering, hearing it in his memory as if for the first time. He inhaled sharply, squeezing his eyes shut at the phantom pain.

“Aw crap, Virg, hang on.”

Gordon ducked into the ensuite and returned with a damp flannel. Virgil took it gratefully and cradled it around his ear, warmth chasing away the steady ache.

He could feel himself relaxing, sinking down into sleep once more.

“Yeah, go to sleep, V,” said Gordon, settling into the chair next to his brother’s bed. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

 ***

He was pretty sure it was the incessant talking that woke him next.

He rolled over, dragging the covers with him in the hopes his family would get the hint that he was still firmly asleep.

There was to be no such luck as Alan pulled the covers back with a blinding smile.

“Virgil! You’re awake!”

The response in the room was deafening, the sounds overwhelming as they all tried to grab at his attention. The ringing increased, syllables overlapped and all the while Virgil’s brain tried to sort through the mess of sound, to try snatch any kind of meaning from the burst of chatter. But no matter where he turned, only a jumble of noise was left behind.

It would be easy to lose himself, he thought, watching his brothers pile words upon words on top of each other. The world had turned into a foreign soundscape, muffled calls, sentences slurring and sliding into each other, and dissonant voices he could no longer align with his memories.

“Boys! Enough!”

Sharp and discordant in a way that tugged on his ear, Grandma Tracy cut clear through the cacophony. The buoyant white noise subsided until he was left with just one sound. He was ready to gouge out his inner ear than continue to deal with that particular annoyance.

He didn’t catch what was said, still unused to the energy required to partake in conversation, but he watched his brothers leave without protest.

Grandma’s cool hand brushed against his flushed cheeks and she smiled softly.

“Now,” she said. “Tell me how you’re feeling.”

Virgil knew that fever was setting in, knew that the ache deep in his bones told a tale of injuries more serious than ruptured eardrums, but he saw his Grandma and his defences fell to their knees as she brushed the hair away from his forehead.

“Grandma, I can’t hear right.”

“I know, hon,” she soothed. “Your left ear’s got an infection, we couldn’t keep it out. There’s a course of antibiotics waiting for you and it’ll come back, right as rain.”

“The world…” His breath caught in his chest. “The world sounds wrong.”

He wouldn’t cry, not here, not now. Not over this.

“Tell me how, sweetheart.” Her fingers ghosted over his skin. “It’s okay, just tell me.”

The tears pricked against his eyelids.

“You don’t sound like you should. Like there’s two of you talking.”

“That can happen, that’s your ear infection messing with your sound perception.”

“Everything’s making the wrong sound. I can’t hear the pitch anymore.”

Virgil sucked in a breath and bolted upright, staring at Grandma Tracy in terror.

“Grandma, I won’t be able to play.”

Her steady hands found their way back to his cheeks and she pulled him close, careful to avoid the burns across his face.

“You will when you’re better,” she said, slowly and clearly, making certain he couldn’t mistake her meaning. “There’s been no damage to your inner ear, it’s not going to be permanent.”

He relaxed against her, folding into the hug.

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely.”

She smiled softly as he sank back into the pillows, before straightening in her chair, eyes firm as she looked him over.

“Anything else to tell me?”

Virgil shook his head.

“Sore. Tired. The usual.”

“Good,” she said, patting his shoulder. “This could have been a lot worse. In a few weeks, your ears should be healed and you can go home to work through the duty checks.”

Virgil smiled weakly. He didn’t want to sit around listlessly, with sounds blurring together and two-toned. He wanted to be up and moving, impatient for health and the world vibrant again.

Grandma Tracy leaned forward, and her lips moved with a murmur that couldn’t penetrate his ears.

He’d heard it enough times that it didn’t matter. His brain conjured the sound in her place and lulled him to sleep. At least he could still hear in his dreams.

***

The days went by and Virgil could stay awake for longer and longer periods. The antibiotics took care of the infection and the overlapping voices that had plagued his hearing. The tinnitus faded to almost nothing following a visit to a specialist who had patched his eardrums. Even his bruises had yellowed and started to fade.

“You’re sure you’re up for this?” asked Scott, hovering anxiously. “You’re meant to be resting.”

“I’ve rested plenty,” said Virgil. “I’m fine, a short walk won’t kill me.”

“Yeah, but if your not, it’ll be my head Grandma come after.”

“Stop worrying and help me tie my damn shoes.”

“Sure,” muttered Scott. “Can’t even reach down to tie his shoelaces, but no, Virgil Tracy is fine, just peachy.”

Virgil kicked him.

“I liked you better when I couldn’t hear you.”

“Not like it matters, seeing as you ignore me either way,” shot Scott back at him. “You ready?”

Virgil nodded, grasping the offered hand and hauling himself upright.

They walked in silence for the most part, no need for words between them. With no chatter in his ears, Virgil could focus on why he’d needed to get outside – he’d needed this. Needed to feel fresh air on his skin, to feel the warmth of the sun sink into his bones. To hear the birds chirping their songs.

He stopped and grabbed at Scott’s arm.

“Do you hear that?” he whispered, hardly daring to interrupt the joyous sound.

“Hear what?” Scott jumped to attention, slipping in front of his brother and eyes roaming the garden.

“The birds, Scott. I can hear the birds.”

“Oh,” said Scott, relaxing. “Yeah, man, I can hear them too.”

Virgil closed his eyes and listened, a smile creeping up from the hope blooming in his heart.

Scott grinned as he watched, his own spirits lifting with his brother’s discovery.

“I guess you’ll be able to hear the mouse in your room now too.”

He opened one eye and glared at his brother.

Scott’s lips curled just a fraction.

Virgil shoved him off the path.

[katblu42]

Big thank you HUGS

So, um . . . I was totally not expecting this.  You guys pretty much rendered me speechless (or whatever the written equivalent of that is).  I am totally overwhelmed with the reaction The Hug Shirt has received.  Thank you all so, so much for the likes, the reblogs and all the wonderful comments.  (Nutty, I’m sorry for reducing you to a puddle of goop!)  There will be more, but please be patient because I don’t write fast!

I am very grateful to all of you for your support.

(I’m trying to tag people, but I’m not sure if I’m doing it right, and I hope I haven’t missed anyone)

@janetm74 @lenna-z @gumnut-logic @dreamycloud @singmetothesun @thunderbird-one-ai @solarpunkladybird @fictivekaleidoscope @womble1 @thundergeek59 @interplanetary @purfectpurple

[gumnut-logic]

Viiiiirg!

::hugs @fictivekaleidoscope so much::

Nutty

(Crashed out on the couch, initiating lauch procedures to get this stiff carcass up, moving and productive)

Been experimenting (AKA: Wasting Time) with photo filters and collages on one of my favourite Virgil screenshots - and thought I’d share my favourites... Enjoy 🥰

💚 Filters...

💚 Collage...

[gordonthegreatesttracy]

For Christmas we got this colouring book from Parker jr’s mum and because we don’t want to ruin it when we want to colour We make Parker jr photo copy the page we want and we had a colouring contest. Who’s is better @janetm74 @misssquidtracy @fictivekaleidoscope @drileyf @inertplanetary

Virgil’s which frankly is boring and unimaginative

OR

Mine. I think the answer is obvious but I will let you decide!

[5hadow-alpha]

Celebrating getting my last semester 1 assignment submitted with a movie night 🎉

You might want to share some of that popcorn Virgil, Scotty’s starting to send glares your way!

@gordonthegreatesttracy @inertplanetary @janetm74 @ak47stylegirl @drileyf @fictivekaleidoscope @seathesilverlinings

[gumnut-logic]

Daily Dose of Thunderbirds (Part 1 of 2)

This one is for @fictivekaleidoscope and @weirdburketeer , both of which adore this boi :D I thought we could play with a little TOS Virg to start.

A serious question: Did they paste Virgil’s eyebrows on backwards? Isn’t the pointy bit supposed to be pointing at his ears?

Nutty

(who loves a little TOS Virgil because there is some fantastic TOS fic out there and fanon is a wonderful thing)

[weirdburketeer]

Life is still a bit rubbish,it’s snowing so felt the need for a tropical island & #VirgilTracy #ThunderbirdsAreGo @gumnut-logic @fictivekaleidoscope 💚