#if only missy could see him now... she would consider it her triumph

[dandelionjack]

like i said before. twelveclara is a gothic romance. enough to strip away all his defining attributes and reveal the rage and desperation underneath. love is an undoing force more deadly than any killing machine. you will break all your promises to yourself to save the one person who gives your life meaning

earlier in the episode, ashildr and twelve have this interaction. doctor is no more than a title to live up to – and sometimes, when you are no longer able to save the life of the one person that matters the most, it becomes a useless and meaningless label. as davros tells him in the witch's familiar, when twelve stands helpless facing his foe's death: you are a very bad doctor.

has being a good man ever stopped anybody you loved from leaving? has it ever protected you from the endless spiral of loss that follows you around?

[gloryofluv]

Traditionally Obscure Chapter 31

Oh, fun. Marius, you jealous gadfly.

Previous Chapter

Vyn turned the horse and stretched his arms during the small lapse of time before the final round for the day. His mood was spectacular for practice, and he enjoyed the feeling of the skirmish. He had been glanced at a few times by his teammates. Was he wearing a particular smile this late morning?

Possibly. It could be the most apparent transition, considering, despite his lack of flamboyant perfection for what he wanted for a courting proposal, it still met marks. She still said yes—different things cluttered around the concept of the present ever-moving into the future.

Then like a beating of wings, the thoughts cleared. His eyes touched on a familiar form in the stands—one of which he wasn’t expecting to see.

Vyn directed his horse toward the railing and paused with a tilt to his head. “I wasn’t expecting you here today,” he smiled.

Rosa beamed and leaned on the railing toward him. “You told me you had practice. I figured after I had breakfast, I would come over to catch a portion of it.”

He laughed and pivoted the horse, so he was closer. “You surprised me. How long have you been here?”

Her smile grew, and his heart fluttered in his chest. “Long enough to see you’ve been a bit lazy, Dr. Richter,” she teased.

He groaned, and his body leaned closer to her. “Well, I’ll have to actually try now that I know you’re watching, Rosa.”

She leaned further and kissed his cheek before returning to her secure position with both feet on the ground. He was glowing, and it could be seen lightyears away. Suddenly, his age was far more apparent. Youthful and excitable.

“Richter!” One of the players shouted.

He chuckled and gripped her hand, kissing it. “I’ll see you after this last round, my dearest.”

Rosa smiled and blew him a kiss before he raced off toward the game. A fire was in his gut. With her by his side, he could triumph any task handed to him.

It could have been her clapping for him or just the renewed vigor of hearing her voice. He dominated that round, ruining his teammates playing opposite of him. Truly, he felt on top of his game. Claps on the back, the usual farewells except for the chin nudges and eyebrow wags. They noted his change in demeanor, and he didn’t blame them.

Vyn paced the horseback toward the stands, and Rosa came down to meet him. A few whistles from his teammates riding by, and Vyn ignored them as he offered his hand. “Join me on the ride back to return my horse?”

She nodded and took his gloved hand. “Of course.”

He assisted her onto the horse as he bent and slid back. Rosa was careful and managed to maneuver onto the slick saddle and closer to his frame. Vyn knew he should care that she was pressed close to his chest in such an inappropriate manner. He even confirmed that he was on a chemical high from the match. However, knowing these facts didn’t lessen his happiness when she smiled back at him.

“How was your morning, Rosa?” He questioned as they began their trek to the stables.

She rocked her head and adjusted her position in her black pants. “It was decent. I wanted to see you before our week started. The first one back.”

“Yes,” Vyn agreed. “I was going to see if you wanted to accompany me to lunch today, but I also didn’t want to be presumptuous.”

“Was I presumptuous?” Rosa glanced back.

“You were exemplary,” he clarified and leaned closer. “Thank you for the nice surprise.”

When they arrived at the stables, Vyn assisted Rosa off the horse before returning it. It gave him a chance to cool down and breathe. Stripping off his gear, he counted backward while reviewing the chemical process of love. Rash actions after finally receiving what you desire would only be a plight of impatience.

Vyn felt the dopamine rush. He experienced the addictive properties of seeing the object of his affection without hindering actions. Well, to a particular level. Vyn inhaled as he reached the single digits and rubbed his face under his glasses. That kiss. Vyn zealously wanted more. He chided himself, and that gave him enough composure to recover.

Time. The timing was everything. Yes. Control.

Gear stripped off and bagged; he strolled out of the stables to see her chatting… with Marius. Vyn immediately felt frustrated at the intrusion. What was he doing here? When approaching, Marius waved and grinned.

“Good morning, Professor,” he smirked.

“Good morning, Marius. I’m interested in finding out what you're doing at the equestrian center today,” Vyn declared as he shifted the bag in his hand.

Marius straightened his jacket and shrugged. “Rosa said she was going to get some fresh air; I figured it was to come to see the horses since she shared such a fondness for them from what she said.”

Vyn allowed his lips to rest pleasantly as he gestured toward the path. “Shall we?” Seething. Frustration. Illogical, but human. Vyn breathed through his nose and allowed the steam to settle.

“Of course,” Rosa nodded. “Marius, I’m starting to think you have a trace put on my phone.”

“If I did, I wouldn’t tell you, Missy,” Marius laughed.

She rolled her eyes as they reached the gravel path toward the parking lot. “I didn’t tell you anything this morning in our texts that would elude me coming here.”

“But Vyn’s polo practice was today,” Marius shrugged.

He was fishing about the date. Which, all things considered, wasn't horrible but an unneeded annoyance. The envy was clear. He only wished this would have been a bit of time away from their bubble. Rosa didn’t need the exposure just yet. Well, a mistake on his part for his pride.

Vyn ignored the probing Marius was subconsciously tossing out and turned his attention to Rosa. “Did you walk over?”

She nodded. “It was a pleasant walk.”

He smiled and pointed to his car. “Then shall we take the car?”

Before she could answer, Marius, wrapped his arm around Rosa. “Oh, we could use the exercise, right?”

“Stop it,” Rosa groaned and shoved his arm from her.

“Now, Miss Attorney,” Marius snorted. “You’re never this annoyed.”

“Maybe she’d prefer not to be touched,” Vyn declared as he opened his trunk, setting his bag inside.

Rosa exhaled and straightened her sweater. “Where were you thinking of eating?”

“Possibly that lovely cafe that serves crepes on Sunday?” Vyn offered as he shut the trunk and walked toward his passenger side.

Rosa grinned as she rocked her head. “That sounds delicious.”

“I thought we were having lunch?” Marius hummed and glanced up from his phone. “I just booked a reservation at the bistro down the street.”

Vyn adjusted his black t-shirt and slid on the buttoned shirt. “Marius, why don’t you go eat at the bistro then? We aren’t on your time today.”

“Oh, Dr. Richter,” Marius tutted. “I’m just trying to do something nice. It’s great food, and I would like to go over a few things.”

Vyn breathed and walked around the car to continue with his buttoning next to Rosa. “Do you feel partial?”

Rosa smirked and reached over, assisting with his shirt. “If he’s paying, then at least we can order whatever we want.”

Marius arched an eyebrow as he observed the pair. “Who said I’d be paying?”

“Me, because you're interrupting my Sunday,” Rosa voiced.

“I suppose that’s settled then,” Vyn smiled.

“Rosa, what were you busy doing last night?” Marius asked.

The woman turned around as Vyn finished situating his shirt and tilted her head. “You’re awfully involved in my personal life, Mr. Von Hagen.”

“Of course I am. You’re going to be my future girlfriend,” he winked and waved her along.

“I never agreed to such nor would ever. Besides, as I’ve always told you, it isn’t your business,” Rosa declared.

Was there some signal Vyn needed to read in this situation? He walked up next to Rosa as they began their trek toward the sidewalk. Her hand grazed against his as Marius smiled over at them.

“Missy, why are you so grumpy today? Do you need me to brighten your day with some good news? Vyn’s practice must have bored you,” He teased.

She huffed and shook her head. “Marius.”

Vyn took her hand in his, and her fingers knitted perfectly. There was a bit of tension in her grip, and Vyn could see that her jaw had a bit of tightness. Had he made an error in not being decisive? He had a summary of courtship behavior from his uncle quite a few months back when he first mentioned Rosa. However, this wasn’t Svart, nor was it clear as to how comfortable she was vocal.

The man tends to lead with dancing. It’s a performance of confidence, and the premise is to allow the flower to be admired among the blooms in the garden. In courtship, the similarities were as to such a statement. In modern dating, however, Vyn found himself at a bit of a loss, unfortunately.

“So, have you both eloped?” Marius asked.

Rosa coughed and stared at him with wide eyes. “What?”

“Isn’t hand holding a bit bold for you, Vyn? I thought you were rather boring,” Marius continued with a wave of his fingers in front of him.

Envy is a silly thing, even for a confident man. Vyn arched an eyebrow as his pleasant smile remained. “Marius, if I didn’t know any better, I would suggest you’re jealous.”

“Jealous?” Marius was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “Of you? Or of her?”

Rosa gasped and poked Marius with her free hand. “Don’t be so snide. Just say what you need to say.”

“Okay, Rosa,” Marius nodded. “You both are likely the worst couple I’ve ever seen. He’s rigid and boring, and you’re too sweet to tell him otherwise.”

“Only those who have a deficit for those without the ability to retain conversation, Marius. It’s a shame you would speak so poorly of yourself,” Vyn responded.

Rosa covered her mouth. “Vyn.”

Marius laughed and shook his head. “Don’t worry, Miss Attorney. He’s not a morning person.”

Rosa revealed her smile as she peeled away her hand. “I wasn’t worried about it, Marius. I’ve debatably regretted represented you at times, but that’s all.”

Marius scrunched his nose and stopped. “Well, that’s such a horrible thing to say,” he sighed with a dramatic pout, and then he smiled and waved when looking in front of them. “Seems Artem and Luke are here. Excellent.”

What? Both Vyn and Rosa glanced at each other and then toward the pair waiting outside the restaurant. Von Hagen… Vyn bit into his cheek to press down a sour retort and melted into a masked appearance of mild indifference.

“Why? Why would you do this?” Rosa hissed toward Marius.

He grinned and tilted his head. “Well, I thought that since all of us work so closely together, it would be important to get this out of the way! Vyn understands the complexities of secrets among us, don’t you? Wasn’t it you who was upset at Neil for keeping a few to himself as well?”

Vyn traced his tongue along the ridges of the back of his teeth. “You’re absolutely correct, Marius.”

“Great, then let’s all have lunch,” Marius said as they closed the distance on the two men.

Artem’s eyes bounced between them, and his brow sunk at the vision of Vyn holding her hand. “Good afternoon,” he hummed.

Luke smiled and ran a hand over his hair. “Well, that was quick.”

“What do you mean by quick?” Artem asked as his frown grew.

“Lunch, everyone?” Marius beamed.

“Lunch sounds great,” Rosa sighed and released Vyn’s hand.

He likely would have been upset had it not been for the glowing smile and shrug she sent his way. The conversation was light as they walked into the restaurant, but the stares were not to be missed. Artem was scathing, and Luke seemed more than a little amused.

At least there was one out of the three that seemed adjusted. It was a start. By invitation, it did seem that Marius was still a competitor, despite some physical form of solidarity to their relationship. Vyn had to admit, his jab yesterday might have provoked this. However, the error margin was minuscule, and there was merit to open communication.

Just not yet. Not when there was still a twirl of newness to it. He wanted to keep it perfect and secluded for a bit longer.

As everyone sat down at the table, Rosa turned and gazed at Vyn. “So, how was practice today? You appeared in good form, and the weather was pleasant.”

“Yes, it was productive. A few of my teammates had improved their technique over the last two weeks, and it brought more enjoyment from the skirmish.”

Luke leaned forward and set down his menu. “Oh, yeah, you play polo too, right? That’s what your aunt alluded to, at least.”

“Yes, I do,” Vyn agreed.

Rosa caressed Vyn’s arm. Well, that wasn’t unusual for them. However, the context of her subconscious behavior was certainly a request for assistance. The anxiety wasn’t visible, but Vyn could sense it. “Yes, he’s actually quite stellar on the field. I don’t know as much about polo as I should, but I’ve seen his previous matches.”

“Do you have an interest in professional polo?” Artem questioned.

Marius chuckled and pointed at the pair. “I imagine Vyn dragged her along.”

Luckily the conversation wavered at the appearance of a waitress. She introduced herself and took their drink orders with ease. Vyn noted the familiarity immediately. However, it wasn’t until she reached him with her vision that she gasped.

“Oh, Professor Richter! I almost didn’t recognize you!” She giggled and shifted.

Not ideal. He rocked his head with a smile. “Good afternoon, Miss Higgens.”

“Are these your friends?” She questioned with her notepad and pen hanging in the air.

“Yes,” he agreed.

“I never imagined you out of your professional attire. A bit odd, I suppose. It’s quite unusual,” she explained and beamed.

“It’s not unusual to segregate collegiate life from social.”

This coiling conversation caused a bit of constriction. Vyn breathed and retained his neutral disposition as she chatted. He finally was about to give her his drink order, and she skirted off. Rosa glanced over, and relief tinted his emotions. She was smiling.

“It’s pretty remarkable that all of your students thoroughly enjoy your class,” she conveyed.

“Thank you, Rosa,” he said.

“That is quite shocking. Maybe they’re able to get into their extra hour of sleep,” Marius teased.

“As much as I don’t mind the free meal. What’s with the family lunch?” Luke questioned.

Marius laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “I just thought after their date last night. We wouldn’t mind getting clarity. I thought we all agreed that secrets were an issue in the past and shouldn’t be now.”

Artem straightened his tie and scowled at Rosa. “You went on a date... With Vyn?”

“The very!” Marius laughed.

Luke shrugged his shoulders. “Not surprising. They were close in Svart.”

“Wait, more happened after his little hand-holding when his father showed up?” Marius prodded as he gestured to Luke.

“She pretty much said this was going to happen when I arrived there. It’s not a shock,” Luke laughed, and his smile grew.

Rosa was pinching the bridge of her nose. “Can we not talk like I’m not here?”

“I would like clarity on the subject. I thought we agreed this was unsound for what we do,” Artem voiced.

Rosa peeled her hand from her face and scowled. “I was never a part of this conversation.”

“Of course you weren’t, Missy. You were the subject matter,” Marius chuckled.

Vyn inhaled and relaxed in his chair. “I never agreed to such terms, Artem. You suggested such, and nobody concurred. The fault lies with your concept of agreement. Silence isn’t agreement.”

“It’s not an objection either,” Artem voiced.

“Wait, just hold on a second,” Rosa groaned. “This actually was a topic when I wasn’t there?”

“No,” Vyn shook his head. “Artem had brought up his feelings in a rather indelicate manner. It wasn’t engaged in conversation.”

Artem’s jaw grew tight as he narrowed his eyes at Vyn. “Your argument in the matter isn’t valid, Vyn.”

“Are we really going to argue about this? So what if I’m seeing Vyn? Why is that even any of your business? Any of you,” Rosa huffed as she glowered at each of them.

Quite the declaration. Vyn let the tension in his chest subside. This was a rather large hurdle to jump, and in her finest form, Rosa was tackling it. He could easily have plucked at the situation for favorability, but it served little purpose if it wasn’t known that this was her choice.

“Rosa,” Artem sighed. “It’s vital that we,” he paused and scrunched his eyebrows. “Contort our business with possible private matters.”

“Artem, I’m an adult. I made this decision for my personal life. It has nothing to do with my working relationships with any of you. Mr. Von Hagen, as usual, had a hand in dragging my privacy through the mud.”

“I wouldn’t say through the mud, Missy,” Marius pouted. “It moreover is bringing developments to light, so we don’t have to be shocked later when you dump him,” he laughed and grinned.

“Wishful thinking?” Vyn asked.

Luke snorted and shook his head. “His aunt was practically begging him to get her a ring. You didn’t see it, Marius. It actually was quite entertaining. Also, I think Rosa didn’t mind him dueling for her honor either.”

“Luke,” Rosa snapped.

“Dueling?” Artem asked.

“Swords and everything. Real knightly stuff,” Luke chuckled.

Vyn held his tongue as the waitress came back and delivered their drinks. She stopped at Rosa and beamed. “I just love your necklace. That’s beautiful!”

“Oh, thank you, it was actually a gift,” Rosa smiled.

“From Professor Richter’s aunt,” Marius snickered.

The girl gasped, and her cheeks tinted. “Oh, well, that’s nice.”

Vyn smiled and rocked his head. “Yes, it was quite generous. Deservingly so. Thank you, Miss Higgens,” he said as she set down his glass.

Miss Higgens bounced her head a bit too erratically and took their lunch order. Well, it was an unfortunate mixture of work and social life, but it couldn’t be helped. Not with the grinning violet-eyed annoyance at the end of the table.

She disappeared, and Marius grinned. “Oh, how many broken hearts will suffer.”

“What do you mean?” Rosa asked.

Luke arched an eyebrow. “I don’t think Vyn will ever have to worry about jealousy, Watson. You’re pretty dense about this stuff,” he finished with a laugh.

Rosa gasped and turned to Vyn. “She was flirting with you?”

“No,” he huffed.

“I just thought she was nice,” Rosa frowned and touched her necklace.

“She was one step from flirting. No wonder you’ve never accepted my dinner dates, Rosa,” Marius teased.

“No, I didn’t accept them on purpose, Marius,” Rosa grumbled before reaching for her glass.

Artem was silently staring the pair down. It didn’t go unnoticed by Vyn. He had hoped for an average week for her after the events for the prior fortnight. However, the senior attorney was quite put out.

“Oh, I came across something today,” Luke said and set down an antique bauble.

The conversation shifted, and Rosa engaged him on the item, leaving the other three men to trade glances silently. Marius and Artem were frictional. The defeated often were. Vyn felt the calm of the tense afternoon subside when she caressed his arm while she spoke. That was enough for him. Whether they approved or not, she did.

[kprciffdw]

Kim Possible: The Extremely Secret Files-Part 16

Ratchet and the rest of the group made their way to and arrived at the Planet Boldan. They landed themselves in a large, silver colored metropolis and jumped out of the ship. Kim: "Let's go find Mr. Fizzwidget."

They rushed off as fast as they could. As they made their way to the entrance to the city, they got themselves involved in a fight with the Thugs-4-Less goons. Kim: "Oh, great! More of those boneheads! What could they want from us, this time?" Ratchet: "I'm guessing whoever bought them off also has an agenda with us." Kim: "Well, then, let's see to it that they don't get anything that they need from us."

As they continued further into the city, they fought through more Thugs-4-Less goons. There seemed to be more and more of them coming as they progressed into the city while searching for Mr. Fizzwidget, with no end in sight of the barrage. Many of the Thugs stood in their way, but they were able to manage them, except for Ron who always ran away screaming at the sight of them. Ratchet: "I'm guessing he'll want a special order of those Nacos he keeps asking for." Kim: "Grande size. Absolutely."

They kept on their way, with the path becoming tougher for each step. They were eventually able to find someone that appeared to be Mr. Fizzwidget. Kim: "Look! There he is." Ratchet: "Let's get him."

However, when they got close enough towards him, they found that it wasn't him, but a robotic duplicate. Ratchet: "What the…? This isn't Mr. Fizzwidget!" Fizzwidget bot: "Would you like a free Protopet sample? Available today only…" Ron: "Aw, man! It's just a cheap, broken-down knock off!" Ratchet: "You can say that again." Thug Leader: "Freeze, knuckleheads!" Clank: "Oh, no!" Kim: "What!? You again!?" Thug Leader: "You've got that right, missy redhead! Yous alls are under arrest for attempting to bump off Mr. Fizzwidget!" Ron: "You're kidding, right? This isn't…" Thug Leader: "Save it, blondie boy! You're not fooling anyone!" Kim: "Brainless as always." Thug Leader: "Good thing a loyal employee of Megacorp informs me of your scheme."

Stepping out from behind the Thug Leader was Dr. Drakken. He had an evil grin displayed on his face very vividly. Drakken: "Oh, quite right, my good man." Ratchet: "Drakken!" Ron: "You bought off these Thugs-4-Less guys from that thief girl?" Drakken: "That's right. Megacorp has given me special ties to their corporation so I have been doing some work on the side for them along with my…other obligations." Kim: "Don't think for a minute that you will succeed, Drakken! We're going to stop you!" Thug Leader: "Oh, I wouldn't count on that, missy redhead. All of yous will be sent to our new prison. Check this out."

He pulled out a monitor. Displayed on it was a preview of the new Thugs-4-Less prison and a few things that it provided. Thug Leader: "(laugh) So, what did you guys think of that?" Ron: "Well, that didn't seem so bad. In fact, it sounded really nice." Drakken: "Did I forget to mention that it's full of rabid monkeys and I will destroy Bueno Nacho if you and your friends try to escape?"

Within a split second, Ron went from calm to screaming and running all over the place. Ratchet: "Uh…well…this is awkward." Thug Leader: "You guys, take the girl over to the blue guy. These other 3 are going separate."

A few of the Thugs grabbed Kim and pulled her over to Drakken. Kim: "Ratchet!" Ratchet: "I'll find you, Kimberly. Just don't worry. I will…"

Shortly afterwards, they were flown to the Thugs-4-Less prison on the Planet Aranos. Ratchet was placed in a cell with Clank. Kim and Ron were nowhere to be found. Ratchet lied down on a mattress, then sat up as Clank made a lot of noises. Ratchet: "Hey, keep it down, will ya…!?" Clank: "Sorry, I did not mean to annoy you." Ratchet: "Uh! No, no, you weren't. I…I'm just worried about Kimberly. Who knows what horrible things Drakken could be doing to her right now?" Clank: "Yes, I understand your plight. Just to let you know, I have analyzed our surroundings and I am afraid that there is absolutely no means of escape."

Just then, a female bot broke right through a nearby air vent. Clank: "Except that."

She shushed them then slipped back out. Ratchet: "Someone's got a girlfriend. (giggle)" Clank: "I will be right back." Ratchet: "Don't, uh, stop for anything along the way."

Clank glanced at him in an annoyed manner then walked out.

He made his way through the secluded interiors of the facility. With the help of a few robot companions of his own, he was able to navigate through the small corridors. There were many obstacles in the way, including several guard bots, but it wasn't anything that he and his robot brigade couldn't handle.

He fought his way through chamber after chamber, corridor after corridor until he was able to find a switch and pressed it. Computer voice: "Power failure on decks 4 through 14." Clank: "Hopefully that should be help us out with our situation."

Meanwhile, back where Ratchet was, his cell was deactivated. Computer voice: "Emergency generators online." Ratchet: "Way to go, Clank! Now to find Kimberly."

He rushed out as fast as he possibly could. As he made his way through the corridors of the facility, he fought against many robot guards; a lot of which went berserk from the power failure caused by Clank. Everywhere he looked, robots came at him without hesitation, but he was able to manage and fight through all of them. He made his way to another deck on the prison ship.

Elsewhere, Clank continued through the small corridors of the ship. He was aided by more robot companions that followed his every command. There were a few tough obstacles that kept getting in his way, but he was able to handle them all, with the help of his robot companions, of course. Thankfully, the trek was brief so it didn't take him long to get through. He was eventually able to make his way towards the hanger bay. Clank: "Alright, now I just need to wait here for Ratchet. Hopefully, he is able to find Miss Possible and Ron."

Meanwhile, Ratchet arrived on another deck of the ship. There, he continued fighting his way through more robots, but this time, none of them were going berserk. Ratchet: "Hm, seems as though these robots haven't been affected by that power failure that Clank caused. Perhaps it's because this is one of the decks that didn't experience the power failure at all. I have to keep searching for Kimberly."

He kept rushing through the corridors. He was able to arrive in an area where he could hear voices. Kim: "You so won't get away with this, Drakken." Drakken: "Oh, but I will this time. With those Thug-4-Less goons at my command, my plans will be a sure-fire win and you will witness my greatest triumph." Kim: "Oh, please, those Thugs-4-Less idiots will not guarantee you anything other than a less than average dependency that is probably much less promising than their bonehead leader's IQ points." Ratchet: "Kimberly."

He rushed over towards where the voices were coming from. Drakken: "Well, regardless, my plans will succeed and the Impossible Space Station of the Future will ensure my victory!"

Ratchet managed to find Drakken and Shego in a small room with Kim, who was hooked up to a restraining machine. Kim: "Yeah, sure, I bet you're not even aware of what is contained within that space station you stole." Shego: "Oh, we already know that the ISSF consists partially of alien technology. I've had my suspicions considering that no ordinary Earth spacecraft could reach another galaxy within 2 hours or even at all, for that matter." Drakken: "There are many more secrets that I have yet to discover, but once I unlock them, everyone back on Earth will tremble before the awesome might of Dr. Drakken!" Kim: "Oh? And how do you suppose you'll be able to do that?"

While Kim was still talking to Drakken and Shego, Ratchet crept around nearby. Drakken: "Like I told you before, I have established a special connection with Megacorp. The CEO of the company is providing me with the resources and know-how to unlock the ISSF's secrets, in exchange for the services that I am willing to provide for him and his company." Ratchet: "So Mr. Fizzwidget is working with Dr. Drakken. Just when I thought that geezer couldn't get any worse." Drakken: "And that cat alien boyfriend of yours was far too clueless and naïve to even realize that Mr. Fizzwidget was merely using him to undo one minor set-back on his own schemes and then planned to dispose of him when he was no longer needed."

Ratchet growled angrily. Kim: "We already know that Mr. Fizzwidget is planning to intentionally set off a terrible disaster, but why would he want to do that?" Drakken: "Eh, I don't know, but I don't really care. What happens in this galaxy is none of my concerns. I only care about taking over the Earth."

At that moment, they heard a blast. They looked over towards the nearby door and noticed Ratchet who was greatly angry. Kim: "Ratchet!" Drakken: "What?! How did you get all the way here?!" Ratchet: "I walked! How else did I get here?" Drakken: "That's not what I meant, what I meant was…!" Shego: "He means to ask you how you got out of your cage, but that doesn't matter because I'm going to throw you back in one way or another." Ratchet: "You don't scare me one bit, Shego!"

Ratchet made an advance towards Kim, but Shego jumped in his way. Still greatly angered, he managed to fight her and tossed her directly into a switch that deactivated the shackles holding Kim, releasing her. Kim: "Ratchet!"

She ran towards him at great speed. Ratchet: "Kimberly!"

They embraced each other and had their moment as they reunited. Kim: "You came!" Ratchet: "I told you I would find you. I'm just hoping you didn't expect me here sooner."

She shook her head. Kim: "Forget that. I'm just glad you came at all."

Ratchet smiled. Soon enough, they both noticed Drakken and Shego rushing out. Ratchet: "They're getting away!" Kim: "Don't worry about them, we'll catch up to them later and we will, considering Drakken stole the container with the shuttle pieces we have managed to collect. For now, we just need to look for Ron." Ratchet: "But where could he be? We'll need to search this entire prison ship to find him." Ron: "AAAHHHH! MONKEYS!" Ratchet: "Or we could just follow the sounds of his screaming." Kim: "Yeah, I think that would be a lot more helpful."

They soon ran off.

[iamthestrangerinmoscow]

Nail Polish

Doctor Who, rated G, ~2000 words, Thoschei/Twissy implied

Just a fun little thing I wrote about Theta Sigma, Koschei and bottle of black nail polish. 

-...if you flip to section 13 point 4 of your books, you will find another, more detailed explanation of this theorem. Pay attention to calculations for secondary elements, especially combinatorial topological spaces. - The Professor lifted his tired eyes from the holographic lightboard and peered into the lecture hall. Four thousand years of teaching the same course, again and again, and barely any satisfaction. - Do you have any questions?

Evidently, the students didn't have questions. Most of them didn't even care about the subject at all, and certainly not this early in the morning. A few young Time Lords were dozing off at the top row of seats, not having slept for a week or so. Some were chatting telepathically, mouths covered to conceal giggles. Two or three were scribbling in High Gallifreyan, trying to finish homework that was already late. Barely anyone even knew what the Professor was talking about.

In the center of the hall, right next to an ancient column, sat two students who irritated the Professor the most – Theta Sigma and Koschei, as they called themselves. The first one was pale and skinny, with forever messy fair hair and a smile that stole many hearts. The second had the bluest blue eyes you have ever seen, and a bit patchy goatee beard. Instead of making notes, Theta was currently painting Koschei's nails with a black nail polish. He was nearly finished with his right hand, and was about to start on the left.

One of the girls on the left side of the hall was watching them with a smile on her face.

-Ushas? - She called, turning to her right.

-What? - Ushas was one of the few students who actually wanted to study, so she didn't appreciate the interruptions.

-Is Theta and Kosch... you know... a thing?

Ushas smirked. - He wishes. - She replied, pointing at Theta.

-Does that mean I have a chance with him?

-Probably. I mean, he has already hooked up with half the students his age, so...

The other girl looked surprised.

-Compensating. - Ushas shrugged.

At that point most of the people in the hall were staring at Koschei and Theta, amazed by their level of insolence. Rebellion was pretty much removed out of Time Lord genetic code a long time ago. Therefore breaking the rules like that was really rare, and, as a consequence, really cool. Unfortunately, students weren't the only ones who noticed the little rebellion.

-Am I interrupting you, by any chance? - He said, looking at the two friends with disapproval.

-No-no, it's fine. - Theta replied, now applying nail polish to Koschei's left pinky finger. - Carry on.

The hall roared with laughter.

-Perhaps you know how to prove this theorem then? - Professor asked, raising his eyebrows.

-I do, actually. - Koschei said, his voice calm and dry.

The Professor let out a single high-pitched laugh, bewildered by such a preposterous and arrogant claim. - Ridiculous! I've been a math teacher my entire life, and I can assure you, young man, that you don't. Dozens of Time Lords and Time Ladies have tried for thousands of years, scholars much wiser than you or me, and all have failed.

-But I can prove it. - Koschei insisted, carefully removing his hand from Theta's grasp. - Did that when I was seventy four.

-Well, why don't you show us then? - The Professor suggested, sitting down at his desk.

-No problem. - Koschei got up and walked down the steps, his oversized robes dragging on the floor behind him.

He approached the lightboard and glanced at his hands. Realizing that he can't use his right hand, he placed it behind his back and started writing with elegant movements of his left index finger. While he was writing, he mumbled something under his breath. Only five minutes later he placed a final symbol on the lightboard and stepped back, admiring his work.

-That's roughly it. - He said, returning to his desk, and taking the nail polish from the table to finish the work himself. - Go figure.

The Professor was reading the calculations frantically, eyes wide in bewilderment. On the left of the hall Ushas scratched her chin, rather impressed. She turned to the girl who was sitting next to her.

-Looks like he did prove it. - She said. - Damn.

-Impossible! - The Professor declared. - This is too simple, too obvious. Someone would have thought of it ages ago!

-But it does prove it. - Koschei told him. - Perhaps the wise scholars weren't that wise after all.

The Professor was still in denial. -Class dismissed! - He announced, and everyone jumped up from their seats.

-Thanks, mate! - Mortimus and Drax both saluted Koschei as they were leaving the room.

Magnus even snapped a photo of the poor Professor, his world shattered to pieces by one small equation.

-Do you want to get some food? - Theta Sigma asked, once they entered the lengthy corridor outside the hall.

-Might as well. - Koschei replied, and followed his best friend.

***

Koschei was sitting in a small, round room which must have belonged to a professor of the Academy. It was full of ancient books, obscure pieces of tech and relics of the past. He sat in a comfy armchair, feet up on the table, reading one of the old texts someone left unsupervised. It wasn't very entertaining.

At last the front door has opened, and a Time Lady stepped inside. She didn't look a day older Koschei, despite having lived a very long life and now being at her last regeneration.

-This is absurd. - Koschei proclaimed, not even looking up from the text. - You can't punish me for proving a theorem!

-Who said anything about punishment? - The Time Lady smiled, coming closer to the table.

He finally put the text down to see her for the first time, and realizing who she was immediately removed his feet from the table.

-Lady Cardinal. - He said, more than a little bit surprised.

-Indeed. - She nodded. - However I am not here as the Cardinal of the Prydonian Chapter, but rather as a scholar of math – one of those you called not so wise after all.

Koschei wasn't intimidated by her in the slightest. - It's a simple solution.

-It is. - She agreed. - And an elegant one too. It takes skill, and knowledge, and also imagination to come up with something like that. All the things I look for in my students. You could be one of them soon: work with advanced material, things you can't find in your textbooks. What do you think, Lord of Oakdown?

-Oh please, Lord of Oakdown is my father. And my grandfather. And all of my cousins. Call me Koschei.

-Koschei. - Lady Cardinal repeated. - Academy nicknames weren't so exotic in my time as a student. What does it mean?

-It's from an Earth fairytale. - He explained. - It is a name of a magical being. Powerful, intelligent and immortal. All the things I strive to be.

-Oh yes, I know your friend, Lord of Lungbarrow, is obsessed with Earth cultures.

-Obsessed is a strong word. - Koschei said. - Theta is curious, that's all. Curious beyond my understanding. That alien cultures course we took was the definition of boring, and he still enjoyed.

-Couldn't have been that boring, if you learned something from it. - She put her hand in her pocket and took out a tiny bottle of nail polish she picked up in the lecture hall. - Yours, I presume?

Koschei took the bottle from her hand and hid it in his bag, leaving her remark unanswered.

-I won't keep you here any longer. - Lady Cardinal said. - You are free to go now. Think about my offer.

-Sure. - He told her, getting up. - And if I decide to join you, maybe you would consider giving some extra credit to 'Lord of Lungbarrow'? - He asked.

Lady Cardinal chuckled. - What did he do to deserve it?

-He inspires me. - Koschei smiled, closing the door behind him.

This time, he was only partially joking.

***

Missy heard the Doctor walking even before he started messing with the Vault's opening mechanism. He had a heavy step that echoed across the universities corridors and inevitably gave away his location. As he was unlocking the door, she made an attempt to un-mess her hair, but it didn't work. So instead she leaned back in her chair and pretended to not be bothered by it.

-Good evening. - The Doctor greeted her. - Or is it good night already? I can't tell.

-You're just in time for Game of Thrones. - Missy told him.

-What's that?

-A TV-show I watch. - She said. - There's a lot of sex and drama and decapitations.

-Sounds like your thing.

-Well, we can't watch Disney all the time, can we?

They both paused for a moment, and then a smile appeared on the Doctor's face, for seemingly no reason.

-I nearly forgot. - He said, and took something out of his pocket.

He placed the object on the table in front of Missy.

-It's black nail polish. - She looked at him, waiting for an explanation.

-Do you remember it?

Missy thought for a few moments.

-Is it..?

-Yes.

-No.

-Yes it is! - The Doctor was beaming.

-How could you possibly preserve it? - Missy scoffed. - It's been hundreds of years ago!

-I am sentimental. - The Doctor shrugged. - Took it with me when I was leaving Gallifrey with Susan. Wanted to have something that reminded me of you.

She wasn't sure how to react to that.

-Did you enjoy Lady Cardinal's advanced math class? - He asked.

-Not more than the look on our math professor's face when I proved that theorem.

They both laughed, remembering that little moment of triumph. Then, without a word, the Doctor opened the nail polish bottle and gently took Missy's hand.

-You will never forgive me. - The words escaped her mouth before she had a chance to think about it. - I know you want me to be good and maybe, somehow, you will actually believe that yourself, but you will never forgive me.

-Doesn't matter. - The Doctor replied. - I haven't forgiven myself either, not even for the things I technically didn't do. - He sighed, and briefly looked her in the eyes. - One day, a long time ago, I had to come to terms with the fact that we are not, in fact, that different.

She smiled with a corner of her mouth and decided not to reply.

That night the darkness resided only in the latest episode of Game of Thrones and in the intense color of her favorite nail polish.

[drycerealthief]

Desperate Measures

Written for @phanfichallenge “Week of Fics” Challenge Day 4.

AO3 Link Fic Masterlist Nothing will stand in the way of Phil getting sweet treats "for his daughter"...

It’s been a rough morning so far. It’s sometime after 10am, and they’re both still in their PJs, both stained with an obviously un-appreciated selection of breakfasts, and there’s a mess of dishes dumped in the sink rather than in the dishwasher. Phil’s trying to run a bath, pick out some clothes for them both, and corral an increasingly cranky toddler hell-bent on escape towards the stairs, so he thinks he deserves to let his usual sunny disposition slip ever so slightly.

“Fuckdamnit! I mean, oh, shhhhhh!, it’s ok!, it’s alright!” he exclaims, bouncing the baby gently on his hip, surveying the now ruined polo shirt he’d been trying to take off the hangar one-handed, and deciding to leave the now-detached button exactly where it landed on the floor. Choking hazards be damned, if he keeps hold of the baby, she can’t grab it and swallow it.

The hasty apology and reassurance doesn’t work, and soon there’s wailing and “real tears.” Phil feels quite like crying himself, if he’s honest. It’s just one too many frustrating events all piled up together, and naptime and the blessed peace and quiet it brings seems so far away. He nixes any remaining hope of getting to the baby-swim session they’d planned on going to that morning when he picks up his phone to message Dan and sees the current time, hoping instead just that he’ll manage to filter at least some of the frustration currently boiling through his bloodstream out of the message. Dan’s going to be out all day, helping launch a new campaign for Young Minds, and whilst Phil’s as proud of his husband as he always is, right now there’s a large part of him that would happily drag Dan away by his hair so he could have some help. And that in itself makes him feel simultaneously irritated at himself for being so dramatic, and guilty as hell for how easy a solution it suddenly seems. He quickly abandons the bath plan when the screaming gets both loud and high-pitched enough to be unbearable, instead sitting back on his heels with a sigh, relaxing as a nappy-clad butt wobbles out of view down the hall. He counts to five before he gives chase – it’s long enough for a couple of calming deep breaths, but not long enough for her to get into or onto anything she shouldn’t. “Right missy-” He says chirpily, scooping her up off the floor just as she crosses the threshold into the gaming room, filled with far too many tempting wires to pull and stick in her mouth; “-let’s go get us a nice snack, and watch some cartoons, hmm?” She babbles happily all the way up the stairs in his arms, and screeches delightedly when she’s placed on the floor at the top of the stairs, fingers wrapped round Phil’s much larger one as he first secures the stair-gate, then as they totter over towards the kitchen together, pausing to pick up the TV remote, always a prized trophy in their household. He pauses when they finally turn the corner around the kitchen counter, suddenly reminded of a critical flaw in his “cheer us up” plan. The lock on the treat cupboard. The combination lock on the treat cupboard. The combination for the lock on the treat cupboard that Dan had laughingly refused point blank to tell him when he’d installed it a very long (so it had seemed to Phil) week ago. After he finishes swearing for the second time that morning, Phil twirls the both of them around, smiling grimly as she giggles, before walking over towards the sofa, where she sits quite happily, alternately waving and mashing buttons on the remote control. He’s got time to fix this, at least. Whilst his daughter is happily distracted, he hurries downstairs and retrieves his phone, sending a quick message to his husband: •           SOS – hope you’re having a good day - i need emergency tantrum-diffusing milkybar buttons – where are they? x

He’d be lying if he tried to claim he wasn’t irritated when there’s no reply after five minutes. He flops down onto the sofa, smiling distractedly as he’s immediately babbled at, and sends another message. •           Dan, I NEED in the cupboard. What’s the code? Love you x

Ten minutes later, he gives up, dropping his phone onto the sofa with an exasperated huff, before going back to the kitchen, and rattling the cupboard door, just in case it magically opens. It doesn’t, unsurprisingly enough, but if life was at all fair, Phil reasons, it would’ve. Third swearing incident of the day. This one’s under his breath though, so it doesn’t count. Not really. Just as well, considering how prominently Dan’s name features in the outburst. He looks around the open-plan room, toying with the idea of just heading down to the shops, before quickly discarding that as the second-worst solution. Outside means clothes, clothes and a bath, and a change of nappy, and… probably no less than three tantrums. Each. The only thing worse would be having no access to much-needed and wholly-deserved treats the entire day. And that just won’t do. He’s about to open Amazon on his phone and see if it’s possible to get Prime delivery on snacks, (and congratulating himself on thinking up such a clever scheme) when his eyes land on the door of the store cupboard in the corner of the room. Where they keep all the cleaning stuff, but more importantly, where they stashed all the various tools kindly, but ultimately pointlessly given to them by well-meaning, but overly-hopeful relatives over the years. He strides across the room, automatically joining in a quick rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle” which has a certain someone cackling gleefully and yelling “di-mun!!!” repeatedly as he swings open the door, grabs the toolbox, and dashes back to the kitchen, opening the lid and upending it onto the counter. The fourth screwdriver he picks up fits the screws holding the latch in place, and although it’s fiddly, he soon starts removing the first screw, after the realisation he’d actually started trying to tighten it. Soon it falls to the floor and bounces under the counter, but he ignores it for now, focussed on the goal of removing the barrier between him, his daughter and sugary satisfaction. It’s not long at all before the latch, lock still attached falls to the floor with a soft jangle, and Phil whoops in triumph, grabbing it, picking up the screws where they’ve bounced or rolled on the floor, and dumping the whole lot on the worktop, before wrenching open the door, grabbing a few prizes to reward his success, and heads back to the sofa for a congratulatory episode or three of whatever’s on CBeebies. By the time Dan arrives home that evening, there’s even a new self-adhesive latch on the cupboard, carefully placed to cover up the screw holes in the woodwork. One of the ones Dan himself bought when they first started baby-proofing the apartment, before realizing they were also “lefty-proof.” He doesn’t say anything about it. Neither does Phil. Until the next morning when the practically empty box of cereal is discovered…