#the best tardis trio

[fivenyssateganadric]

lol just spent the last hour making this random and incredibly specific edit

[geronimomo-spd]

i recently had the vision of the Eighth doctor making Charley and C'rizz create a band! (mostly in the space between them leaving the Divergent Univerce, as i headcanon that time to be wayy longer then the standered Tardis trip, and the Doctor was bored as all heck)

coming up to them all school of rock style, Charley was part of the high class so she probably sorts of knows the basics for something, not just the piano i mean, i see it more as a violin, so the doctor just turns it around to like "no you defenetly can play this electric giture!!" and Charley will be like "ok fine lets crack at it" and being very bad

and the doctor bringing C'rizz to the drums like "this will help you let off some steam C'rizz!!"

and C'rizz suprisengly loves it because wow load noise, anf the doctor presented a band to them like "they express themselvews through music!!" and C'rizz is like i can express myself and only myself?? find myself through this music thing?? and i can hit things???

he of course breaks a bunch of drums when he gets reallly into it

and the doctor is the solo singer and he loves to do weird ass movments and sing for too long, but C'rizz and Charley are the background singers and roll their eyes at the doctor's anticks

and of course the doctor starts them up on like, "welcome to the black parade" because it really fits their themes and he has no self awearness for how diffcult it is for beginners dfgdfgdfg, and Charley has a long but barable giture solo

down the line he sometimes joins in with his violin playing powers and impresses the fuck out the other two, who genunly feel like he is not the best musician

[fivenyssateganadric]

The best part about Colin and the hat was that he couldn’t wear it since it was too tall to fit through the doorways but they’d already filmed another scene first with him wearing it so he just had to carry it around the whole time. He also named it Ermentrude.

Also: the original plan was for Nyssa to leave/die in Earthshock but Peter Davison stopped them because he wanted her to stay.

Some behind the scenes tidbits I feel normal about (classic who edition):

- apparently every story Matthew Waterhouse's hairstylist would say they were going to trim his hair and never did, resulting in all the variations from crusader triangle to fuck ass bob to shaggy mullet

-Peter Davidson was unaware he was many people's sexual awakening in his dressing gown in black orchid

-Colin baker was mistaken for a runner by another actor in arc of infinity and asked to go fetch a coffee (which he did)

-he would also walk around making chicken noises on the set of arc of infinity (until he was told to stop)

-Matthew didn't know adric died in part four of earthshock until he read Peter's script whilst shooting, and was apparently more upset over the fact he was being killed off rather than just leaving

-Janet Fielding was told she was good casting for doctor who because she "looked slightly alien"

-Deborah Watling and Frazer Hines used to joke that she left the show because she got pregnant, as she left almost nine months after arriving

-Sylvester Mccoy once couldn't find a filming location until after the doctor who fans, who had been waiting there for an hour

-Paul Mcgann thought all the doctors companions were their kids

-Peter and Sarah Sutton had to stop Janet from accidentally prostituting herself in the red light district

-Sylvester once played the spoons on a guy that tried to menace him

-Paul had to wear a wig because he was casted with the long hair you see in the movie but cut it all off for another role a couple months before they started filming

-Janet called Matthew "matte-finish" and "boom-boom waterhouse" whilst filming earthshock

-the cast bought a prop gun for arc of infinity from a sex shop in amsterdam

(Just to stress I obviously don't know the validity of these I just sourced them from interviews and commentaries!! Please don't come for me if these aren't accurate! These are just some funny things I've heard and if anyone else knows any random facts or stories feel free to reblog/share!!)

[pushpressure]

Reorganizing the Konoha teams

I know this is an old discussion that doesn't matter anymore, but I got back into Naruto and watched a video rearranging the teams, and it was weirdly bias for Sasusaku and added team 3/team Guy which was weird. So I decided to try my hand at it for fun:

So here are our teams

Okay to start with, we have to acknowledge the purpose of why they're together.

Team 7 is together because they're meant to help Naruto become a better ninja. Kakashi was Minato's student so there's the whole vow of protecting your master's son thing going on. Sasuke is there because he was the second top student in the academy (Ino being the first) and Kakashi has the sharingan, and Sakura was placed there because of her intelligence and chakra control. On paper, the combination made sense, but when you look at their grades on cooperation...

Putting two of the least cooperative people together with Kakashi as a sensei in a 4 man team was not a great move. I'm guessing they were hoping that Sakura could pull the team together, but did not take into account of her crush on Sasuke which set this team up for failure. Also, Kakashi's teaching method to solely use real life missions and his tardiness was not effective. These kids needed a more hands-on strict approach. Team practices back-to-back as if they're trying for the Olympics.

Team 8 is together because they're meant to be the manhunt team. They all have abilities to track people and take them down. With a sensei who doesn't play favorites, they're very effective as a group and as individuals unlike team 7.

Team 10 are together because of the Ino-shika-cho tradition which are absolutely perfect balance for reconnaissance missions.

If we had to choose which team is the best between Team 8 and Team 10, it naturally has to go to Team 10.

With 15 generations of team work perfected with the help of the Sarutobi clan who carries the Will of Fire, they have every angle of their team work covered. Yes, Team 8, is an effective team, but their skills are too similar that they don't blend well together on the battlefield and work better as individuals.

So taking that into consideration, we're going to have to permanently split the ino-shika-cho trio.

Because in all honesty, you can take out Choji and replace him with anyone else except maybe Shino. I'm sorry! I know Choji is a good boy, but as unique as his attacks are, he's just the muscle. And in all honesty, Naruto being in Team 10 would've helped him a 100 times more than team 7 because Shikamaru is a genius and actually likes Naruto, so he can help Naruto utilize his shadow clones better, and Ino actually cares about cooperation and her abilities that leave her vulnerable will give Naruto a sense of responsibility.

But we want Team 10's skills to be shared with everyone, so they cannot be together. In order for that to make sense, I guess imagine that they have older siblings who is already upholding the tradition as the 16th generation.

Moving forward, naturally one student on each team cannot leave their appointed sensei because they're compatible:

Team 7: Sasuke has to remain with Kakashi because of the sharingan, the lightning jutsu and their similar personalities. Yes, Kurenai uses genjutsu, but it's not a genjutsu at Itachi's level, and can't provide much more than that on the matter of skills. She may be able to provide a more motherly support, but taking Sasuke's background into consideration, I think a male role model similar to Itachi is more effective.

Team 8: Hinata has to stay with Kurenai because I can't imagine the other two giving Hinata the much needed attention and confidence she needs, especially from one female to another.

Team 10: Shikamaru obviously needs to stay with Asuma because they have that special bond as if Asuma is a second father to him.

Now we move on to the student who actually needs this sensei to help enhance their skills:

Team 7: Kiba would do better under Kakashi because the man uses dogs who he personally raised as his main summoning animal. Kakashi could've had Pakkun or his other dogs help train Akamaru with Kiba as his partner.

Team 8: Sakura is supposed be talented with genjutsu so naturally she should've gone with Kurenai in the first place in order to tap into that talent. I also think Sakura would've also seen a role model in Kurenai as a kunoichi.

Team 10: Naruto naturally has to be teammates with Shikamaru, but also because Naruto has a natural affinity for wind chakra, Asuma would've been perfect in training Naruto to wield it just as Kakashi taught Sasuke to use light chakra. It also helps that Asuma is the son of the hokage, so he can help Naruto on that as well.

And so we move on to the last three students:

Who I honestly struggled to place since again, Choji is a close-combat person which the other teams already have covered. So I had to consider where he would be the most useful.

I wanted to make an all-girl group with a flower-theme going on:

Hinata being the Sunflower, Sakura the cherry blossom and Ino the florist and they have a teacher who uses floral genjutsu. It was perfect! But then I thought about how they would actually perform starting out, and while Hinata does know some taijutsu, she's not very proficient at it, and the girls can't really help her in that department early on in this teamwork.

So here we go:

Team 7: I placed Ino under Kakashi more for Kakashi's sake than Ino's because the man would be inspired to actually train them as a team in order to take Ino's skills into consideration. Ino is a Sasuke fangirl like Sakura, but Ino is the heiress of the Yamanaka clan so she has more important responsibilities, and has applied herself in the academy to become its top student and likes to take the lead. She won't let her feelings for Sasuke get in the way of making everyone work together.

Team 8: I placed Choji in this team to provide some muscle, and be the training partner she needs to put more oomf in her strikes.

Team 10: I placed Shino in this team in order to do Sasuke's job and that was to cover Naruto's weaknesses and act as the tactician to Shikamaru's strategies. The poor boy also needs the spotlight, and the gags would be funny.

With all these teams covered, how would they work:

Team 7 (The Cool Group): The show makes it seem like Kiba is a copy of Naruto, but honestly, he's a lot more chilled (granted he's not a hated orphaned boy with a demonic animal inside), so with Sasuke, I can only see them having a friendly rivalry if not at all. If anything, even on different teams, Naruto would still declare himself as Sasuke's rival, and the chunin exams would alight that intensity. But even before that, it's not like they won't see each other and fight on sight so the bond is still there. Other than that, Kakashi would train them each separately (not just Sasuke) and together to help Ino use her jutsu which will instill that necessary teamwork. And with Ino's assertive attitude and Akamaru being everyone's support animal, they would have them eat meals together, and won't let Sasuke or Kakashi get out of it if they didn't have something urgent going on. Is it wrong to say this is the more functional version of team 7? Of course, shit hits the fan when Orochimaru attacks, and I'll leave how that turns out for others to imagine. Comment cuz that'd be interesting.

Team 8 (The Gentle Group): I believe Kurenai would've trained Sakura in not only genjutsu but on how to be the team leader in order to fully use her intelligence. She would have Sakura on mock survival trainings in the forest in order to not crumble under pressure, and use her team effectively. Kurenai would have Choji and Hinata train together to strengthen their taijutsu and their confidence.

Team 10 (The Weirdo Group): I believe Asuma, Shikamaru and Shino would collab together to help Naruto become a respectable ninja. Asuma would help Naruto learn taijutsu before introducing him to wind chakra. Shino would help teach Naruto what should've been drilled into him in the academy and under Asuma's observation, help Naruto on his tactics which Naruto is pretty good at since he's a clever prankster, but Shino helps him refine it. Naruto respects Shino for that, but is incredibly weirded out by his attempts to become friends and doesn't know how to break Asuma to do as he wants since the sexy jutsu doesn't work on a womanizer like him. As for Shikamaru, he's more involved in Naruto's training when actual missions are involved since he actually has to use his brain for them.

I could say more, but that's all I should say.

[cantwritethetword]

(2023) TickleTober Day 8: Alien - More Human Than You Think

Fic Descript - The Doctor maintains that being tickling is a strictly human thing. While Rory is quick to accept it, Amy knows him too well.

~A/N  - BLAME @carrie-tate FOR THIS HER 11TH DOCTOR ART HAS REIGNITED MY LOVE OF THIS TRIO AND INSPIRED ME TO WRITE THIS FIC (ngl heavily based on this art)

These guys were my first introduction to doctor who when I was like 8 so they are very very important to me I love them, so hopefully I write this well ^^

(also feel it's important for everyone to know that I watched this wonderful montage the whole time I was writing it lmao)

- Enoy! ~

Tag List: @fullsongphilosopher

Masterpost Link 

TickleTober Masterpost

"I keep thinking I'm used to you." Rory said with a light chuckle.

The Doctor popped up from where he was working. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked with a scrunched face, wielding a modified hair dryer and what looked like washing machine tablets.

Clearly the irony was lost on him.

The TARDIS needed a little TLC (in the Doctor's words), and so the team had taken the rare opportunity of peacefully floating through space to get some adjustments done. The Doctor was banging and tinkering at the console, Rory was watching, and Amy had gone to take a shower (because apparently she had no desire to listen to the Doctor's consistent yapping as he worked).

"Well, I've been here for long enough to feel like I know you." Rory explained. "But then you go do something... odd... And it's like the first day I met you all over again."

"Are you forgetting Rory," The Doctor half-shouted over the whirring of the hair dryer. "I'm an over 900 year old Time Lord from another planet, of course I'm odd. The best people are."

Rory softly tilted his head, taking a moment to fully appreciate that perhaps it was the overall circumstance that was weird rather than the person in front of him, before circling around the console closer to his friend.

"That looks better." The Doctor sat upright and clicked off his tool, turning to face Rory. "What do you think? After this I've just got a few more tweaks and we can be off again."

"You look human though." Rory continued from his previous train of thought. "You eat human food, you dress in human clothes, surely you aren't completely Alien."

"I'm just as Alien to you as you are to me." The Doctor chirped, scurrying over to the next stage in his TARDIS-repair plan.

As he moved, however, he failed to realise the space (or lack thereof) between his head and the edge of the console. He let out a tight-lipped groan as he rubbed the impact site on the top of his forehead.

"And you feel pain like us." Rory added, jumping to add the spontaneous example that would back up his point to the list.

The Doctor shot him an agitated look. "Don't they teach you bedside manner at your nursing job? I near enough break my skull and all you do is point out that we both feel pain? Most beings do!"

Rory, ignoring the Doctor's initial complaining and instead focusing on his last statement, nodded in contemplation. "I suppose they do..."

"I sUpPoSe tHeY- ugh..." The Doctor rolled his eyes, accepting that he wasn't getting any sympathy from the usually most sympathetic person on the TARDIS. "Any other questions? Or can I get back to doing something important."

"Hmm..." Rory scratched the back of his head. "Are you ticklish or anything?"

The Doctor froze momentarily, before jumping to his feet with a spin and a smile. "Nope, that's unique to you humans."

Rory gave him a doubtful but unsure look.

"Honestly, if anything you lot are the weird ones with your... hyperactive nervous systems... and... involuntary laughter responses..." The Doctor rambled, but his flow was a little more disjointed than usual.

"I guess so..." Rory nodded, but he still couldn't shake the memory of the Doctor's odd reaction.

But, there was little time to think about it.

"Has he bored you to death yet?" Amy said with a grin from the stairway.

"Hey!" The Doctor complained as Rory laughed. "I'm the most quality entertainment out there."

Rory opened his arm for Amy to tuck herself under it. "The Doctor was just telling me how weird we humans are."

Amy gave him a look. "You're one to talk Mr Bow-Tie."

The Doctor tugged on the aforementioned accessory. "Bow ties are-."

"Bow ties are cool, right." She finished for him, rolling her eyes. "My point still stands, how exactly are we the weird ones?"

As Rory opened his mouth, the Doctor jumped in first. "Well, weird might be a strong word. Humanity is wonderful and beautiful and terrible and strange and-"

"We're ticklish." Rory interrupted. "But that was the only example he could give me so I'm not sure I-"

"Oh you're not ticklish, Doctor?" Amy asked halfway through Rory's statement, but something in her grin made The Doctor suspect she knew the answer already.

"Uh..." The Doctor rubbed his neck. "Well I... Well..."

"He said it was just a human thing." Rory offered a response, oblivious to the rising tension surrounding the Doctor.

"Is it now?" Amy took a few steps closer to the Time Lord, her face trying to seem innocent and confused. "Just humans?"

The Doctor stumbled backwards, his hands fumbling over themselves. "Well, perhaps sometimes... some Time Lords may... may be a little more uh... susceptible to uh... to things like that."

Amy continued her devastatingly slow pursuit around the console of the TARDIS, leaving Rory on the opposite side. "And would you be one of them?"

Rory finally caught on as the Doctor backed up towards him. "Wait you lied to me?!"

"Rory it was nothing personal I just-" The Doctor babbled nervously, his hands now forming a semi-protective barrier between him and his pursuer.

Amy made eye contact with her husband, that evil grin still plastered on her face. "Rory, how do we feel about liars?"

Without a word, Rory stepped behind the Doctor and hooked his arms under the Doctor's shoulders.

"Waitwaitwaitwait no!" The Doctor shrieked, wriggling in Rory's hold. "Plehease!"

"Huh..." Amy paused, an inquisitive look on her face. "Humans normally wait for the tickling to start before we start laughing... Is that a Time Lord thing too?"

The Doctor whined. "Yohou know that's not truhue!"

Rory chuckled from behind. "You're not really in a position to talk about truth right now."

The Doctor was about to argue when Amy lunged, lightly scribbling her fingernails all over the poor Doctor's torso. He inhaled sharply, the effort of containing his reactions forcing out squeaking noises.

"Seems pretty ticklish to me." Rory commented, struggling with the sudden responsibility of keeping the Doctor upright.

Amy smirked, pausing her attack. "Oh, I don't know... He's not laughing anymore, maybe he was right..."

"I'm-" The Doctor panted out. "Always... right-"

Before he even had the chance to finish there were ten fingers digging under his armpits.

His eagerness to jump at the opportunity to talk after being unable to for the last ten seconds was exactly what Amy was counting on, and the sudden unexpected attack brought out a shriek of helpless cackles from the poor Doctor.

With a grin, Amy looked up at her husband. "Now this is what I'd call ticklish."

"OHOKAY FINE FINE FIHIHINE!" The Doctor yelped in between giggles. "I'M TICKLIHISH! JUST LET ME GOHOHO!"

Rory and Amy locked eyes, smirking.

"What do you think Rory?" Amy asked, letting her fingers skitter up and down the Doctor's bony ribcage. "Have we proved our point?"

Rory hummed in thought, drawing out his response to mess with the Time Lord as long as humanly possible. "I might be convinced, but he still hasn't apologised for lying..."

"I DIHIDN'T HAVE A CHOHOHOICE!!!"

Switching to drilling her thumbs into the Doctor's hip bones in response to his claim, Amy gave him a fake-confused look. "That doesn't sound like an apology."

Rory laughed, while the Doctor scrambled to put together something that sounded like speech through his laughter. "FIHIHINE OKAHAY I'M SOHOHORRY!"

Amy withdrew her fingers as Rory guided the Doctor to the floor, letting him rest his head on Rory's leg.

"I think you're more human than you think." Rory chuckled, patting the Doctor's shoulder.

"Right." The Doctor glared up at him, but there was a hint of softness behind his eyes. "Can we go now?"

[stelliyue-cafe]

A/N: First time writing for Love and Deepspace- (More notes at the end). 

Fic Notes: 

SLIGHT CHAPTER 4 SPOILERS

Canon divergence(?)

The number of times I had this song on REPEAT as I wrote this

Pairing: Caleb / Female! Reader

Genre: Mutual pining; Slow burn; Fluff; Romance; Angst

Summary: Falling in love with Caleb wasn’t love at first sight. Falling in love with him was more like a thief in the night- unexpected.

Growing up with Grandma exposed her to two people: Caleb and Zayne.

Caleb had invited her and Zayne over. Why bother having two different playdates when he could have one playdate with his two best friends in the world, right?

She looked up at the boy standing in front of her. “You’re the famous Zayne that he keeps rambling about. Besides getting into the Aerospace Academy, you’re all he ever talks about.”

“He talks about me?” Zayne asked, a bit shocked.

She nodded. “Mhm!” 

“Zayne! (Y/N)! You’re here!” Caleb said, running into the backyard where they had been waiting.

“About time, Caleb.” Zayne scolded, his arms crossing over his chest.

Caleb put up his hands in defense. “I was only five minutes late, Zayne!”

“Then next time, you should set an alarm.”

She laughed at their small argument. “You two act so much like brothers!”

They stared at each other before Caleb joined in on the laughter. Zayne huffed, his friend’s tardiness erased from his mind.

~*~*~

Caleb and Zayne were like the brothers she never had. Despite going to different schools, she was there for them as they were for her. They always walked her to and from school. They studied, played, and had sleepovers. And as the years went by, the trio became inseparable. Following the boys she looked up to so much, she did everything she could to get into the same private university. Sure, it was a difficult process, but her hard work was worth it.

She loved Caleb and Zayne and she told them every single day. Yet… there was a different subtext whenever she told Caleb that, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“You’re dating the one guy in your coding class, right? Yet you set everything aside for Caleb and Zayne. Not to mention the whole saying “I love you” to them. Is your boyfriend okay with that?” The words of her friend echoed in her mind as she walked home.

“That’s a stupid question.” She muttered. “I love them, but in a familial, platonic kind of way.”

“(Y/N)!”

Her gaze shifted up from the concrete to the direction of the voice that called her. “Zayne?” She breathed out.

She stopped as he caught up to her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he shook her gently. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? After our classes ended, Caleb told me that you weren’t feeling well.”

(Y/N) blinked, putting her hands up in reassurance. “I’m fine, Zayne! I just have a small headache.”

His eyes looked up and down, head tilting left and right, making sure she had no symptoms of any other illness. Zayne grumbled, cursing Caleb under his breath. She held onto his arms, comforting him. “Hey… I’m okay.”

He exhaled as he released his grip from her shoulders. “He exaggerated, didn’t he?”  He said, letting his hands drop to his sides.

She giggled, already walking past him. “I swear, you believe him a little too easily sometimes.”

“Hey, I was worried.” He said, turning to catch up with her. Now walking at her side, he continued. “I promised your grandmother that I’d watch you both.”

They continued to walk in the semi-comforting silence. The street lights lighting their way home. The conversation stopped there, leaving a lingering tension. It wasn’t a bad feeling. More like- there was something else that needed to be said.

‘It’s not me you should be concerned about. Caleb worries and cares about you more than I ever could.’

“Hello?”

“Hello, just called to update you on the status of his exams,” Zayne replies.

“Wait, is that (Y/N)?” She heard a second voice ask.

“Of course, it’s-”

“(Y/N)! Guess what happened!” She heard Caleb butt in, taking the phone from Zayne.

She laughed. “How’d the exam go? What happened?”

“I got into the Aerospace Academy!” He cheered.

“Caleb, that’s amazing! I’m so proud of you! You deserve it!” She cheered.

“Thanks (Y/N). You’ve always been my number one supporter!”

“And what am I? The understudy? I got into the top residency program in the city, can I get some applause?” Zayne mumbled.

“I heard that, Doctor Zayne!” 

“I’m not a licensed doctor yet.”

“We should go out and celebrate this weekend!” Caleb suggested.

“Of course! Just text me the details.”

“For sure! Alright, we’ll stop bugging you now! Come on, Doctor Z.”

“Give my phone back,” A small pause. “and (Y/N), don’t be like Caleb and overwork yourself, okay?”

“I won’t, but the same goes for you.” She huffed.

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Good. See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

CLICK!

She put her phone back in her pocket and walked back inside the library. Her boyfriend took a break from his laptop and looked up. “What was that all about?”

“Oh! Caleb got into the Aerospace Academy and Zayne got into his residency program which I think is pretty cool!”

Her rambling fell to deaf ears as he had enough of her constant babble about her friends. “(Y/N), we need to talk.”

“I’m sure we can talk about it later! Come on, we need to study!” She said, sitting back down and pulling her textbook close.

“(Y/N), will you just listen?” He groaned in frustration.

She closed her textbook. “This sounds serious. What’s on your mind?”

“What I’m trying to say is…”

“Is…?”

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long while now…” He paused, all prior confidence leaving him in that instant- insecurities quickly filling his mind. 

Despite Caleb and Zayne being her childhood friends, her boyfriend thought they were the type of guys that he hoped she’d avoid, but he wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. They were skilled, intelligent, and popular. Who wouldn’t want to be like them?

“Hey, if you have something important to say, then say it.” She said, trying to get his attention.

“I… I want to break up.”

“Oh, okay.” Her expression softened.

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”

“What else is there to say? You’re the one that wants to break up.” 

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. She wanted to say more, but she decided against it. Her eyes went back to her textbook as she slowly reached for her pencil. “We can finish this exercise and we can call it a day.” The sound of flipping pages and pencil lead scratching against the paper made the room feel so much bigger, and her feeling so much smaller. 

Once the work was completed, they parted ways. “See you at school, (Y/N).”

“Yeah, you too.” She didn’t like the heavy, yet empty feeling that sat in her heart.

~*~*~

Observant as ever, Caleb and Zayne knew something was wrong. However, it didn’t take long for the news to reach their ears. No words were exchanged when they looked at each other. They just nodded, knowing that they were going to do whatever it took to cheer up their best friend.

After classes, they made their way to the convenience store to buy ice cream and other snacks. When they got to her place, her grandmother let them in right away. She knew that if anyone could cheer her up, it was those two.

Now, actively ignoring her best friends was a bad idea, but it wasn’t her first breakup. The weight of it all was too much to bear, and she knew she had to be strong. Besides, what did they know about healing hearts? Zayne knew how to fix a heart in the literal sense, not metaphorical, and Caleb was usually the cause of his fangirls’ broken hearts. Granted, he wasn’t leading them on, he just wasn’t ready for a relationship, but that didn’t soften the blow of rejection.

Her head rested on the pillow she held close to her chest. Her hair was unkempt and the tears kept flowing down her cheeks. Earbuds were playing the music that once brought her joy. The words that made her heart flutter were now just a painful reminder of what she once had. When she saw her ex in class, he seemed unphased by the break-up. He smiled brighter. Last night, she was so nonchalant about it, so why was she crying now?

She hated being alone while being in a headspace like the one she was in now. It caused her to overthink, but she didn’t want to burden her loved ones with such trivial problems.

The sound of faint knocks on her door broke her from her spiral of intrusive thoughts, causing her to look up from her tear-stained pillow and towards the door. She sniffled, wiping her nose with her sleeve. 

Brushing the hair that stuck to her cheeks, she cleared her throat. “I’m fine, grandma! Just need some alone time…” She said, her voice coming to a whisper by the end.

She heard the doorknob turn which caused her to panic. She gripped onto the fabric of her pillowcase. “I said!-”

“Hey, we heard what happened,” Zayne said as he slowly opened the door. He and Caleb slowly made their way to the edge of her bed, snacks in hand.

“B-But we can leave if you want some alone time.” Caleb cut in.

Who were they kidding? How could they possibly make her feel better? Surely, she’d want the company of her girl friends. They’d know what to do, right?

She didn’t meet their gaze at first, her fingers now playing with the fabric. Could she depend on them for temporary comfort? It wasn’t until she heard the bag full of snacks being placed on the work desk that made her look up at them. She quickly grabbed the sleeve of Caleb’s jacket.

“Please don’t leave…”

“We weren’t planning to,” Caleb replied, sitting down next to her on the mattress. Zayne sat down on her other side, rubbing circles on her back.

‘If you were mine, I’d never hurt you.’ Caleb thought as she continued to cry into his shoulder. But he knew better.

To say he had a crush was an understatement. No- Caleb was in love with her. Despite him wanting to be something more, her happiness and feelings came first. They were friends and that’s all they ever were.

“Caleb… I-”

“You need a pick me up?”

“Yeah…”

“Zayne said he’s got things to do so he can’t make it. But I’ll be there in twenty-five, okay?”

“That’s okay. Zayne has already done so much and I don’t mind spending some time with just you.”

He chuckled. “Do you want me to bring some snacks?”

“Yes, please! Do you know those honey butter chips? Could you get some of those?” (Y/N) sniffled.

“Of course. Okay, I’ll start heading over. See you soon.”

“See ya soon…”

CLICK!

When Caleb walked inside, he almost dropped the bag due to her almost immediately bear-hugging him. “Whoa, (Y/N)! At least let me put down my bag.” He said, awkwardly patting her head.

Once she let go, they walked into the living room and settled on the couch. Caleb pulled out a bag of honey butter chips and handed it to her. She mumbled a small thanks.

They both sat in silence as she munched on the crunchy heaven. He knew that something wasn’t right. He felt like he was stepping around eggshells as he tried to figure out a way to start talking to her, not knowing what to say or how to say it.

“(Y/N)… Are you okay?”

She paused for a moment and put the bag of chips down. “I’m just… having a hard time lately. Exams, some group projects that I’ve had to shoulder most of the weight, and moving on from him. I loved him! I gave my all to him, but he said I spent too much time with you guys…” She sighed.

Caleb gave her a sympathetic look, trying to understand what she was going through. Who was he kidding? He couldn’t possibly put himself in her shoes.

His mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but closed back up in fear of making the situation worse. Instead of saying a thing, he moved the chip bag to the table and scooted closer to her. He gently grabbed her wrist before pulling her into a hug, holding her firmly but gently in his embrace.

He knew that under her confident, carefree yet hardworking personality, she carried the world on her shoulders. She ran fast- her head was always looking forward, preparing for the next phase of her life, always analyzing, always changing. She laughed hard- even at the most trivial things, like Zayne having rice crumbs on his face because the food was so good that all manners were out the door. And she was kind- she tried her damn hardest to accommodate everyone’s concerns.

To Caleb, actions spoke louder than words. When it came to hugging her, he knew to make sure that she was the first one to pull away. “Things will get better… Zayne and I? We’ll always be here for you. And your other friends too. Just don’t be afraid to ask for help.” He whispered.

“Thank you, Caleb.” She replied softly.

(Y/N) sniffled, burying her head into his shoulder, her tears wetting his jacket. He held her tighter, rubbing circles on her back, trying to soothe her. After a while of quiet sobs and sniffles, she pulled away, looking up at him. “Thank you so much.”

Caleb leaned in and kissed her forehead. “You’re welcome.”

~*~*~

The months passed by and graduation had finally arrived. “Stop thinking too far ahead, (Y/N)! We just graduated.” Caleb said, playfully nudging her shoulder as they walked away from the university campus.

“I have to agree. You need to learn to live in the moment.” Zayne jokes, nudging her other side.

“Hey!” She squeaked as she bumped into Caleb’s side.

“Careful, (Y/N)! I won’t be here to catch you all the time~” Caleb teased, gently holding onto her arm, making sure she was steady.

Zayne huffed. “That’s why I’m here to make sure you two don’t do anything dumb.”

She rolled her eyes, playfully smacking their arms with her diploma case. “Ugh, you two are so mean to me!”

The crimson sky soon faded to a dark shade of navy blue. The stars were more evident than ever. The winter winds were making their last rounds before handing the torch to spring.

As they made their way home, Caleb and Zayne got lost in their conversation about their future endeavors. She ended up trailing behind, but still close enough to hear their rambling.

When she looked up, it came to her attention how much taller they were. Since they were little, the three of them were always similar in height. Now they were giants. Giants with plans for the future. Up until that day, she always looked forward. Now, she wanted nothing more than to look back- for this moment in time to stand still.

~*~*~

Zayne was aware of their late-night rendezvous. It started with the three of them sneaking out to buy ice cream and watch television until the ungodly hours of the night. But as he caught on to their feelings for each other, he purposefully made excuses to not go.

“Zayne didn’t answer. So I guess he fell asleep.” Caleb said, slightly relieved. 

“Let him sleep. We can hang out without him!” She cheered in a hushed tone, careful not to wake her grandmother.

“I feel bad. You’re getting good at Mario Kart. You might beat Zayne next time.” He teased, interlocking his pinky with hers.

She adjusted her hold, now fully holding his hand. “Don’t tell him that! Then I might feel bad when I inevitably win~” She said, feeding into their banter. She tugged on his hand, “Let’s go get the snacks first!”

It didn’t even register in his mind that they were holding hands until he noticed that his thumb was rubbing hers.  Caleb looked down at their hands just as she began to pull away. He took that as a sign to gently squeeze her hand in reassurance.

That night, they did their usual activities. They ate the snacks as they raced each other on different tracks. (Y/N) throwing a pillow at his face to shut him up when he groaned in frustration when she bumped him off the track on Rainbow Road. Then they proceeded to watch movies, cuddled up in each other's arms.

Every time they had their late-night hangouts, their feelings for each other increased just a bit more. They fell in love for the night, but when they woke up, they would forget- or rather, push aside said feelings- in the morning.

From an outsider’s point of view, they’d think of them as a couple. And in a sense, they were. In everything, but the title.

“Caleb, who are we waiting for?” Rafayel asked, his hands resting on his hips. Waiting for a fifth person was not how he wanted to spend his day.

“Chill, Raf! She’s about five minutes away.” Caleb pouted.

“You’re bringing your girlfriend to our hangout?” Xavier added.

“What happened to the bro code?”

“Not his girlfriend,” Zayne mumbled.

Before anyone could say anything else, (Y/N) turned the corner. “Caleb! Zayne!” She cheered, running to the friends she missed so much. 

Caleb held his arms out, bracing for impact from her hug. Being used to her surprise hugs, he braced himself. When she ran into his embrace, she relaxed, nuzzling her face into his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist. 

‘Lavender and vanilla.’ He thought as he caught a whiff of her perfume.

He took a step back, making sure he was steady before setting her down. Once letting him go, she went over to hug Zayne. “Sorry, Z!” She said sheepishly.

“It’s fine, (Y/N)!” Zayne said, patting her head whilst giving her a side hug.

“Care to introduce us, Caleb?” Rafayel asked.

She removed herself from Caleb’s side to introduce herself. “Nice to meet you! I’m (Y/N)!” 

“I’m Rafayel!”

“Xavier.”

After breaking the ice, the five of them started to make their way to the nearest cafe. Rafayel and Xavier had already warmed up to her. “(Y/N)! You’re so sweet and kind! Smart, but you can kick ass too!” Rafayel started.

Xavier hummed. “I thought a guy like Caleb would be the type of guy you’d avoid.” He said, continuing his friend’s train of thought.

Caleb wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Don't waste your time on jealous guys, (Y/N). You know you love us. And by us, I mean, me."

She let out a snort. “That’s subjective.”

He gasped whilst dramatically placing his hand over his chest. “Zayne! Make her take it back!” He said, earning a burst of laughter from his other friends.

Zayne shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “That’s not for me to decide.”

Seeing her interact and get along with his other friends was everything he ever wanted. As the outing continued, Rafayel had taken more of a liking to her. “You’re as cute as a goldfish!” She teased.

“Yeah, and this goldfish needs protecting! So get to it, Miss Bodyguard!”

Caleb’s head quickly turned in their direction. Wait, where was his cute animal association?

Xavier chuckled. “Oh, that’s gold. I’m never going to let you live that down.”

A blush tinted Rafayel’s cheeks. “Piss off, Xavier!”

“(Y/n)-”  Caleb started before Zayne nudged his side. They didn’t exchange any words, but Caleb understood. He knew better.

The years went by in a flash and they were right by her side, just like they promised. When Caleb left for the Academy, their trio was reduced to a duo. Sure it was a bit difficult to adjust the dynamic of the group, but they made it work. She made sure that she and her friends never lost touch. 

But Caleb always came back for the holidays. They sat at a table at the cafe closest to her grandmother’s house. “If I had the time to do a full analysis paper on this, I would. I’m not boring you, am I, Caleb?” She asked, wondering if he’d even be interested in hearing what she had to say about her most recent hyper-fixation.

Caleb nodded. “No, please continue. You want to talk about something you love and no one should shut you down for it.” He said before taking a sip of his coffee.

She flashed a smile at him. God, he could look at that smile forever. 

He stared at her in awe. In his eyes, she was still the same girl as she was in university, ever so analyzing. During his school years, he was able to improve his people skills. Being more observant, he noticed the small things about her. The way she’d tap her feet to the beat of the song, yet her fingers were tapping the melody. The face of anticipation she had whenever she’d gotten a new idea for her next project. The list went on.

She giggled, breaking him from his thoughts. “Thanks for listening, Caleb. I feel like I have to hide this side of me from this guy I’ve been seeing. He and I have been on a couple of dates, but we never made anything official yet... I think he's still in love with his ex. And I don’t blame him. Just hearing about the way he talks about her… He’s in love with her and I don’t want to get in the way of that.” She said, rubbing the lid of her latte.

Even though she was fixated on her cup, his eyes were fixated on her. He chuckled. “I've listened to Zayne talk about anything and EVERYTHING for years. I can handle a little nerd talk from you. And you shouldn’t be with someone who makes you feel like you need to censor yourself.”

When she looked up, their eyes met and he felt it. His heart skipped a beat.

“Don’t look at me like that or I might fall in love with you.” She teased. Lies- she was already in love with him.

Caleb’s departure date was nearing quicker than expected. And she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could- she regretted not doing that with Caleb before he left the first time. 

After a full day of activities, they made their way to Caleb’s hotel room. When they reached their destination, they rushed inside and leaned against the door to catch their breath.

“Caleb… Never make me run... in uncomfortable shoes... ever again.” (Y/N) said between breaths.

“Duly noted.”  Caleb chuckled, resting the back of his head against the wall. “You know… You're the most amazing person I've ever met. (Y/N), when I'm with you I don't feel so... alone.”

A pause. “Sometimes it's better to be alone.” She said, rubbing her upper arms.

“What makes you say that?” He asked, pushing himself off the wall.

“Nobody can hurt you.” She said, trying her best to not look at him.

“(Y/N)... Are you afraid to fall in love?”  He quickly replied.

"No- I'm afraid of being the only one who falls." She turned to face him, not realizing how close they were to each other. Her mouth acted faster than her brain could comprehend. 

“I know you’re going back to the academy tomorrow. I’ll be left alone. Sure there’s Rafayel and Xavier and I don’t know them as well as you and Zayne do. But spending time without you this past year made me realize things. And I don’t know if I’m in denial or what, but I feel something for you. I can’t explain it, but my heart beats just a bit faster when I’m around you and I don’t want to assume things… So, let's both do ourselves a favor and stop this before we-”

He glanced down at her and pressed his lips against hers. Shocked at his actions he pulled away. “I’m sorry…” 

“Caleb…” She blushed before looking at his lips and then met his eyes. “Could you do that again?”

“A-Are you sure?”

“Just kiss me.” 

He nodded, kissing her once again- this time with more emotion. She froze but found herself reciprocating with the same passion. They drowned in each other. Once it started, they couldn't bring themselves to stop. He could feel the connection that was between them and she could too.

They pulled away for air. "I'm sorry, Caleb.” She apologized.

“Shh…”  Caleb leaned into her until his lips were inches away from hers. "Let’s pretend that we love each other for one night…"

… It wasn’t pretending for either of them.

However, the topic of their feelings was pushed to the back of their minds when Caleb suggested that they spend their last night together eating snacks and watching movies.

When the sun rose the next morning, she woke up in the arms of the man she loved. Nothing happened after the kiss-it just got a bit heated. Their hands explored each other like newfound territory, but it was only on the surface: Messy hair, wrinkled clothes, and heavy breaths.

Rays of sunshine peeked through the curtains, waking her up from her peaceful slumber. Deciding to close the curtains, she tried to sit up, but the weight of Caleb’s arm wrapped around her waist prevented her from doing so. 

"It's too early for us to be up..." His husky voice rang out in the quiet room. She slowly turned in his hold to face him.

"Caleb… You’re leaving today.” She whispered, running her fingers through his bedhead. 

"I know… Can we just stay like this for a little longer?” He muttered, burying his face in the crook of her neck, making her sigh in content. They stayed like that for a while, his arms wrapped protectively around her, and she almost fell asleep, only to force herself to stay awake. 

"Caleb! We need to get you to the station."

Caleb shook his head, making her chuckle at his childish behavior. "But (Y/N)~" He pouted, his eyes still closed, as he tightened his grip on her waist, just enough to keep her at bay. Seeing no clear way to victory, she sighed, giving in for just a moment longer.

~*~*~

No amount of handbooks, study guides, or crash course videos could prepare them for this moment. Now at the train station, they leaned against the railing near the seating area. They’d gotten there in advance so they could avoid any last-minute casualties that could occur.

They spent those moments listening to Caleb’s playlist that he made consisting of songs that reminded him of their friendship. From various genres, (Y/N) smiled at the song choices. What he failed to remember was the one love song that was in that playlist.

“Let’s fall in love for the night and forget in the morning.”

“Hey! I love this song!” (Y/N) cheered.

“Yeah? Me too.”  Caleb stuttered, moving his head to the side to hide his blush. 

“Play me a song that you like, you can bet I’ll know every line.” She sang along softly, but Caleb could hear it.

“Cause I’m the boy that your boy hoped that you would avoid. Don’t waste your time on jealous guys, fuck that noise. I know better than to call you mine.” He chuckled at the line he sang.

“Caleb! Language, what would granny say!” She scolded, playfully smacking his arm.

“It’s just lyrics, (Y/N)!” He replied, rubbing the area of impact.

She smiled at him, wanting to savor their last moments together. 

They spent years hiding their feelings behind shy smiles, hugs that lasted way too long, and hand-holding that always carried a romantic subtext. They had suspicions of each other’s feelings, yet they did nothing about it after that.

The song was only 3 minutes and 10 seconds long, but to them, it felt like an eternity. They hummed along to the song, with Caleb singing the lyrics near the end. They wished they had more time.

“Cause I’m the boy that your boy hoped that you would avoid. Don’t waste your time on jealous guys, fuck that noise. I know better,”  He sang as he faced her, having the courage to hold her hands in his.

(Y/N) blinked the sudden gesture. She realized that this was it. This was his confession, albeit a somber one, but a confession nonetheless. “Caleb… Don’t finish the song…” She whispered.

“I know better…” He sighed deeply, lifting one of his hands to cup her cheek. Caleb knew that would be the last he’d ever see her until the next holiday. His eyes met her gaze as he thought about the missed opportunities.

‘She deserves better. Someone who isn’t afraid to admit their feelings.’ He thought. 

Caleb kissed her forehead. “I know better than to ever call you mine.” He sang, soft enough that only she could hear. She gasped before he pulled away. Caleb gave her a slight nod before turning to walk over to his gate. The smell of lavender and vanilla slightly lingered around him.

And like before, they fell in love for the night and forgot in the morning.

End notes: 

Woke up and chose violence :) Every time I write angst, let’s drink a glass of water. 

I don’t think my friend is ever going to listen to sad love songs around me anymore.

stelliyue-cafe © 2024 | all content and its rights belong to me. please do not modify or repost.

[freak-accident419]

when worlds collide (literally)

Josh Futturman x GN!Reader

Summary: As Josh had the audacity to change the radio station, depriving Wolf of the legendary sounds of Corey Hart, things begin to escalate. Once the car gets out of control, it accidentally collides into you.

Word Count: 2.5k

Content: gender-neutral reader, fluff, based on “We Live in Time”, minor car crash, strange meet cute, cursing, takes place in Future Man S1E04 “A Fuel’s Errand”, Josh drives a car instead of the Lyft, awkward but cute

(A/n: first fluff in MONTHS!!!!!! Thank you guys for being patient with me and still being here <3 In theory I might make a second part with smut but who knows :) i haven’t watched the movie yet so no spoilers please! i love you all, happy reading!)

-

“GUYS, FOR THE MILLIONTH FUCKING TIME, this is my dad’s car, so just be extra careful with it, okay?” Hushed Josh as he started the vehicle, setting the GPS to Lyle’s address.

As the trio found their TTD awfully low on Cameronium, Josh, Wolf, and Tiger went on a mission to obtain more. Hearing Tiger describe the biofuel, Josh was completely unable to identify it or its whereabouts. Luckily, he had connections; Josh knew that Tracy, one of the video game store clerks, had an ex-boyfriend, Lyle, who was some sort of chemist. Therefore, he could be a useful source to identify whatever the hell Cameronium was. Soon after retrieving the address, in which Josh had to expose his entire mission to the two unconvinced cashiers, the highly dysfunctional team would be on their way to find Lyle.

“You better not fuck this up again,” Tiger warns petulantly from the backseat (and very unhappy to be, at that), staring daggers at the back of Josh’s head.

“Oh, come on, Tiger, I’ve got us the address!” he reasoned tiredly, trying his absolute best to reinforce his dependability. “Because of me, we’re one step closer to getting our hands on Cameronium!”

Starting the engine, the radio turned on with it. The station was just in the middle of playing ‘Sunglasses at Night’ by Corey Hart, making Wolf’s eyebrows furrow in curiosity.

“What is this music, janitor?” He asks in a gruff voice as Josh drove out of his parking space, letting the GPS guide his way.

“Uhhh, this is Corey Hart,” Josh replies briefly, squinting from the California sun in his eyes, lowering the visor to give them shade.

Wolf continued to listen to the speakers admiringly. Finally something respectable in the year 2017 (which, ironically, was actually from 1983). “I like Corey Hart,” he says, prompting Josh to turn up the volume. He actually and genuinely likes something for once, he thought with relief.

And it was nice to see the previously apathetic sadist enjoy some tunes from the ‘80s, until he discovered the car’s replay button. The institute where Kyle was would be about half an hour away, and for the most part, Wolf had just been replaying the damn song every time it ended.

“Can we just—” Josh sighs as he reached for the skip button, his hand immediately being slapped away from Wolf.

“No.”

YOU WERE SO TOTALLY FUCKED.

Goddammit, did you have to sleep in this morning? This would be the hundredth damn time of the month you’d be late to work, and you couldn’t afford to show up tardy again.

You ran clumsily on the sidewalk, taking frequent sips of your coffee, which was stored safely in a stainless steel tumbler. You were making your way to your workplace as fast as you could, feeling as if your ankles could cramp up anytime. Your boss was quite brutal, and there was a slight chance you could even get fired from being late again, so you ensured that your journey there would be efficient.

After at least a minute of running, you were met with a damn intersection. In response to the light across the street that showed a big, orange palm, you smashed the crosswalk button multiple times and violently, expecting the light to change. And all you could hear was the robotic ‘wait, wait, wait’ every time you slammed it with your fist. God fucking dammit.

Well, actually…

There wasn’t much traffic at all in the intersection. Barely any cars, and even if there were, they would most certainly stop for you. You guessed it wouldn’t hurt if you made a run for it to the other side. Hell, people have done that shit before when you drove, and now it was time for you to cash in your right of way privileges. Would you rather be honked at by an angry driver or face the wrath of your unhinged boss?

Okay. Alright. Fuck this.

Letting your shoes drop from the sidewalk to the asphalt of the street, you began to walk, never once expecting what would happen next.

“Fuck, Wolf, let go of the wheel!” Josh exclaimed in terror as the vehicle skidded and squealed, moving dangerously fast down the narrow road.

“Not until you change it back!” Wolf retorts angrily after Josh had changed the station, tired of the soldier replaying the same damn song for several times in a row.

“Jesus Christ, I don’t even remember the fucking station! And I wouldn’t be able to tell which one it was since the next song is probably already—fuck!”

At the mere sight of you in the middle of the crosswalk, Josh slammed his foot on the brakes, causing a loud squeal from the tires. However, he wasn’t exactly fast enough because the car would collide into you before it would completely stop.

“HOLY FUCK—”

“OH, SHIT!”

***

PAIN WAS QUITE LITERALLY THE ONLY THING that you could feel. Like, everywhere in your entire body. That, and a really shitty migraine.

As you slowly woke up, you could feel an incredibly bright light against your closed eyelids, hearing a blaring, constant ringing in your ear. And when you gradually came to your senses, you could feel various bandages covering your body, wrapped snugly around your tender skin. And you were also…

in a chair.

Your eyes opened instantly. You were in a narrow hallway at a hospital, sat down in a goddamn chair. Some kind of transport chair with small wheels, at least. There was a row of normal chairs across from you. A person in that chair across from you. Also, your posture was literal ass. Why the fuck were you on a goddamn chair instead of an actual bed—

“Oh, shit—” Josh blurted as he realized you were awake, sitting up and fumbling with the objects around him.

You began to acknowledge the appearance of the stranger sitting in front of you, after hearing his sudden, muted curse. He was a young, boyish man, brunette, and there was an almost comical look of extreme fear in his eyes. He immediately sat up from slouching and tapping his foot the second he realized you were awake. Before the interruption, his phone had also been lazily held over his lap, the screen angled towards your line of vision. You quickly recognized that he was playing an online game of sudoku—struggling, as well. And at the moment, you couldn’t think about anything else except for the fact that he needed to place a seven beside that two.

He blinked at you, then noticed your face, whatever expression you had. Your face felt numb, but you presumed it instinctively reflected your internal thoughts, because he somehow read you right away.

“They, uh, they needed the bed back,” the man stuttered out, placing his phone back in his pocket.

Your eyes still scanned the white hallway, slightly turning your head to observe the many doctors and nurses rushing from one place to another. Then you looked back at the man in front of you again, curiously.

“I, uh,” he began once more, presenting a clear plastic bag in front of you. “This is what you had with you. Uh, your phone… which is… a bit cracked, actually. Damn. Uh, wallet. Oh, and uh,” he reached for a bigger item from the ground, holding it up, “a tumbler. Nice stickers, by the way.”

He was… painfully awkward, to say the very least, holy shit.

“U-uh, thanks,” you nodded, feeling your throat dry, as this was the first time you spoke ever since waking up. The man, seeing that you were in no condition to grab or even reach for your belongings in that plastic bag, set it on the empty chair to the left of him.

There was another pause, you hearing only the buzzing of the fluorescent lights above the two of you, alongside the swift footsteps or screechy wheels of gurneys at the end of the hall. You were unable to properly acknowledge anything at the moment because your mind was occupied with something entirely different. You had sensed an irritable thought lingering in your head until you instantly realized what it was.

“Seven,” you blurted out randomly.

“What?”

You cleared your throat. “Your sudoku. Seven should be under the two in the first column. That was your, uh, missing number.”

Josh immediately pulled his phone back out, opening his sudoku app. He tapped and typed in your suggestion before letting out a small gasp, either in surprise or relief. Both, actually, as the number you told him was correct.

“Oh,” he sighs.

“Yeah.”

“Oh, shit.”

You simply nodded.

“I’m, uh—I’m Josh, by the way,” he says, possessing a friendly smile on his face as he puts his phone away in his pocket for the second time.

Considering the very shitty position you were in, you appreciated his smile nonetheless and mimicked it.

“Y/n,” you answer softly. Josh smiled warmly and nodded at your response. That is, until you asked, “I, uh… Do I know you?”

His eyebrows raised with guilt, pupils looking anywhere but at you, until they mustered up the courage to at least glance at the tip of your nose.

“Oh, um… yeah, no, I uh…” he paused culpably. “I ran you over.”

Well, shit.

“Well, shit,” you mumbled.

And in this moment, you realized—pretty privilege really did exist in all possible scenarios.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“It’s okay,” you reply, surprising him and even yourself. You normally wouldn’t let this slide, but you weren’t sure if it was the overwhelming lights, the morphine, or the guy’s stupidly charming face that drowned out any possible anger from you. Maybe it was just all of them combined. Anyways, you realized that this hospital visit would’ve given you a valid excuse to not only be late to work, but be a complete no-show. Hell, if anything, you felt grateful for this.

“So, um…” you began, “how did… I mean, did you not see me, or…?”

“Oh, uh,” he scratched the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I… My passenger was acting out because I changed the radio station. He has, uh… issues.”

“Wow...” It could’ve been a drunk driver. The sun could’ve been in his face. Hell, he could’ve pulled a Lucy Whitmore and dropped a CD in the car, but you could’ve nearly died because of a goddamn radio station?

“I changed the station after he looped the hell out of the song,” Josh adds.

“Jesus Christ,” you huff in disbelief. “How—How old is this passenger of yours anyway?”

“Uh, right… About… About ten…” he sighs.

“Yeah, I mean, that makes sense—”

“…years older than me,” he finished. Dammit. This literally could not get any worse.

“Oh—”

“In theory,” he adds, making you raise an eyebrow in bemusement. Realistically, since Wolf was from 2162, he would be, like… more than a hundred years younger than Josh. Of course, he couldn’t explain that to you. Hell, he thought he seemed crazy to you already. He probably already lost his chances with another cute person. And no, he wasn’t hoping to charm you just to avoid a large, angry fine. You were genuinely quite pretty to him.

“Oh—” Inappropriately, you felt a smile begin to form on your lips as you started to giggle. “Oh my god, what? You’re kidding, that’s—” As you chuckled, you felt your weak, stiff body vibrate. And consequently, you felt a sudden, unpleasant stab in your chest, hissing from the pain.

“Shit, are you okay?” Josh asks instantly, looking into your eyes with pure concern.

“Oh, yeah, no, uh, it just… hurts like hell whenever I laugh,” you huffed.

Guilt washed over him once again like a violent, mortifying wave as he remembered how much injuries you suffered because of him. “Fuck, I am so, so sor—”

“No, no, don’t worry,” you whisper, “I just… God…” A big, humored sigh left your lips as you gazed softly into Josh’s eyes. “Okay, what—what song was he even listening to?”

“Funnily enough, it was, uh… ‘Sunglasses At Night’ by Corey Hart.”

“Oh my fucking god,” you scoff, trying to hold yourself from laughing as you felt the sharp pain coming back. “Jesus Christ, you’re kidding me, right? Why—Why would anyone in their thirties throw a tantrum over Corey Hart?”

“I know, this guy’s just…” Josh twirled his finger by his temple, signifying that his passenger was indeed “cuckoo”.

You scoffed in amusement by his gesture, and then the two of you were silent after. Just smiling at each other, gazes switching from the floor, to the walls, back to one another’s eyes. You enjoyed his company, actually, and he definitely enjoyed yours too.

“Oh,” Josh mutters in recollection, grabbing your attention. “So—so anyways, uh… Are you… Are you gonna sue me?” He asks with slight caution in his face, his big eyes softening with furrowed eyebrows. “Because, uh, I understand that, but—”

“Can I be completely honest with you?” You interject with a weak chuckle as the brunette gives you a nod. “If anything… I’m kinda… grateful that you hit me with your car.”

Josh’s eyes widened immediately. “Seriously?” He scoffs in disbelief, unsure if you were joking or being morbidly serious.

“Look, it’s—it’s ridiculous. I was, uh, on my way to my job… Actually, I was terribly late, I slept past my alarm again, I literally had to run to my workplace, and then… Then I had to, uh, jaywalk, which, um, definitely explains this… predicament. So it’s not entirely your fault. But… yeah. I mean, I was on my… like, millionth late strike this month and my boss is a total asshole. Luckily, I have an actual excuse to not show up this time, so… he can’t exactly yell at me for being run over.”

“Wow,” Josh replies shortly.

You sucked the air between your teeth. “Yeah.”

“I mean, I get it,” he remarked with a shrug, recalling how Stu Camillo replaced Kronish, which was a result of him meddling with the past. “I have an asshole of a boss now too.”

“Hm, really?” You raise an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” he chuckles.

The two of you shared another friendly, soft glance as a contented sigh left your lips afterwards. “Well… Thank you, Josh, for… well, running me over and therefore helping me avoid the wrath of my boss.”

“You’re welcome,” he says hesitantly, “I… think?” God, he was actually charmingly adorable. You really couldn’t even consider suing that face.

“Yes,” you grin widely, “and if it makes you feel any better, you were way more pleasant than that one guy I had a fender bender with.”

Josh laughs softly. “Yeah?” You nodded in response.

There was another pause, a comfortable moment of silence between the two of you as both of your faces turn flustered.

“Look, I’d—I’d feel bad if I didn’t at least offer something to you, other than paying for your hospital bills, of course, but my work has this holiday party coming up in a few days. Maybe I can bring you along? I just—I really wanna make this up to you. It’s—it’s nice, there’s drinks, food, is that—does that seem good?” He fiddled with his fingers as he spoke, hoping you’d be content with his proposal.

You smile brightly, almost in disbelief as you were given the offer. “That sounds lovely.”

“Great! Great, uh, I’ll—I’ll text you the information. Can I… get your number?” He asks, getting his phone out from his pocket for the last time.

You agreed cheerfully as you began to list the digits in your phone number. “You gonna send me your insurance and plate number too so I can properly report you for this?”

Josh tensed up at your words, which were amusing only to yourself. “I—”

“I’m just messing with you,” a giggle left your lips as the man in front of you sighed in relief. “I’m sorry.”

“No no, I deserved that,” he chuckles softly. “So… Will I be seeing you there?”

You smiled widely. “You will.”

[companion-showdown]

Who is the best TARDIS team?

12, Clara, Missy tied with 10, Donna, Martha, so now everybody has another chance to get into the quarterfinals

TOURNAMENT MASTERPOST

propaganda under the cut

8, Charley, C'rizz

The world's worst toxic trio! Each pair dynamic is pretty rough and then they combine like Power Rangers into one group only slightly more functional than the sum of its parts. The Doctor and C'rizz get along so well because any time something goes wrong they flip the metaphorical mass murder/suicide coin. C'rizz and Charley were both dragged from their homes by the Doctor in a way that did save them but nevertheless makes them dead people walking, sometimes literally. Charley and the Doctor kissed, once, so that their mouths would meld together and a sound creature couldn't use their voices. Who else is doing it like these three (@regicidal-defenestration)

i LOVE companions from non-modern times, alien companions, AND alternate universes, and charlie+c'rizz combine all of that. also being alongside charlie + 8 it would be easy for c'rizz to just be a third wheel but he complements BOTH of them in a really great way and actively enhances the team. also (sui cw) they meet because the doctor tries to kill himself by jumping into an alternate dimension + charley jumped right in alongside him + the very first thing c'rizz does upon meeting them is try to drown himself. theres something here and it's that they are all deeply unwell and perfect for each other. heart.

8, Anji, Fitz

Anji Kapoor is the most underappreciated companion and she was the essential ingredient that made her team work. She and Fitz had fabulous friendship chemistry, and then Fitz and the Doctor had their weirdness (affectionate), and Anji didn’t let any of the Doctor’s shit go unquestioned, and there was just this great crackling energy between all of them all the time. Like I love Fitz and Eight but I love them less when they're not paired with Anji, and i desperately wish Anji had gotten to meet another companion, but idk that anything could ever match the magic the three of them had going on

[cacti-are-like-flamingos]

Enter Sandman

Gojo Satoru x Reader x Geto Suguru

The Cursed Trio | Lover is a Day

**poor Gojo. what did he do to deserve this hehe

**so sorry for the tardiness, I had a hyperfixation on CoD men and physically couldn't continue until it went away 💀

...

Gojo couldn't pinpoint exactly when he sensed the change, but it was undeniably there. It wasn't a glaring transformation; instead, it manifested subtly through the way you and Suguru interacted. He had always recognized that the two of you were cut from the same cloth, born of the same feather - you could use any analogy, but the essence remained the same.

Even without the benefit of his Six Eyes, Gojo couldn't overlook how close you and Suguru had become. Initially, he didn't mind it, or at least he convinced himself as much. He attempted to brush off the feeling as best as he could, but he couldn't help but notice how you slightly tensed under his touch yet effortlessly melted into Suguru's warmth. He observed it in the way Suguru openly expressed his emotions to you, and how you reciprocated, all while Gojo remained in the dark.

The ironic part is, he couldn't harbor resentment over it. Especially not when both of you made sincere efforts to include him in every aspect.

Whenever you ventured around with Kento and Haibara, you'd return with an assortment of captivating trinkets, gifting them all to Gojo. Each one somehow reminding you of him. Your manner of bestowing these gifts had a certain nonchalance to it, as if the act was more of a hassle. Yet, Gojo could easily discern the genuine satisfaction that flickered in your eyes each time he accepted your offerings with a smile.

(Side Note: His room, once relatively bare within the mansion, had now transformed into an overabundance of these seemingly insignificant items you had collected during your travels. Few were privy to this fact, but he had explicitly instructed the servants not to disturb these items, opting to personally tend to their cleaning whenever the dust settled. However, based on how frequently he handled them, barely a speck of dust managed to find its way onto them.)

Each morning, on his way to Jujutsu High, Suguru would purchase konbini delicacies for Gojo. The bag would be packed with an assortment of ready-to-eat foods, including an egg salad sandwich, three garlic and mayonnaise-laden pork sausage onigiris, a variety of puddings, and a couple of those sparkling water drinks that Gojo was obsessed with.

(Side Note: Suguru, naturally, would purchase some food for you as well. However, just to ruffle your feathers, he'd opt for items you'd never laid your taste buds on before. Since your arrival in Japan, you'd ventured into trying a variety of new cuisines and managed to identify some go-to favorites that you indulged in regularly. Yet, this man had a peculiar penchant for introducing you to peculiar flavors that either awakened your palate or left you traumatized by their taste.)

(Add-On: Not to imply he didn't also buy your beloved comfort foods. Those were discreetly stashed away in his backpack. Given how often he pulled this trick, you usually had to wrestle his backpack off his shoulders just to access your treats. And then, Gojo would swoop in and grab them before you, playfully holding them above your head, taunting and teasing you.)

Either way, Gojo couldn't shake the feeling that something transpired between you and Suguru last week. The exact timing eluded him, but what he does know is that both of you were absent from school for two consecutive days before eventually resurfacing. There were no messages in either group chat, no responses to Gojo's texts—just an absolute wall of silence.

When the duo finally returned, it was almost as if nothing had occurred. They deftly evaded every inquiry with well-practiced nonchalance, much to Gojo's exasperation. And then came the shift in Suguru's and his behavior towards you. Well, if being honest, it wasn't entirely novel. Suguru had always displayed a protective streak when it came to you. Think back to the time Gojo accidentally hurt you during a footsie game beneath the table. If looks could kill, Gojo would've been six feet under by now.

Nevertheless, his protective instincts towards you had become subtly more pronounced. He hovered closely, always a step behind, though it might be attributed to your joint missions together. It appeared the higher-ups had taken pity on you, transitioning you from solo missions to partnered ones.

Throughout the week, the two of you had been dispatched on various missions. Occasionally, when Gojo completed his assignments early (he had been partnered with Kento, and their compatibility was less than stellar; Haibara had been granted a day off due to a mild illness), he would swing by to check in on you and Suguru. And he had to confess, watching the two of you collaborate to vanquish curses was truly a remarkable sight.

So, with your cursed chains, you've got this knack for putting curses in a tight spot, just enough time for Suguru to work his magic and send them packing. But, you know, you two aren't into keeping things simple. Nope, you like to go all out and make curses' lives a little more interesting.

Picture this: you set up traps that are like a spider's web, and the curses are the unlucky bugs that end up stuck right in the middle. The real brilliance? Suguru's the maestro who guides these curses right into your web of chains. It's like teamwork made in heaven.

What Suguru truly values about working with you is your unique ability to alter the core of curses. Your chains aren't limited to subduing; they possess the exceptional capability to absorb and transform. Through this absorption, you wield the power to modify various aspects of curses, turning their own energy against them and granting Suguru an edge in his exorcism efforts

When Suguru takes in curses, he's devouring the darkest fragments of humanity. So, when you saw him extend his hand toward a writhing mass of malevolence, you couldn't help but offer to share the load.

He hesitated, his doubt hanging in the air like a fading whisper. It was almost as if he feared believing in your words, as if hope itself was a fragile thing. Yet, in that unspoken trust you both held, he conceded. So he stood there, silently watching your graceful dance of spiritual chains, invisible to all but the likes of Gojo.

When it was time, you handed it back to him, and he consumed it, slowly, cautiously. It was like witnessing a smile returning to his eyes, a spark reigniting in the depths of his being. The taste was...nothingness. And the pain, the relentless ache he usually carried, dissipated dramatically.

You'll forever hold onto that memory, of his dark green aura lightening, his eyes turning toward you with a glimmer of hope and something deeper, something you dared not name.

Nevertheless, the shift in dynamics among the three of you left Gojo with a bittersweet taste, like the remnants of a fading dream.

He had nurtured a hope, delicate as the petals of a cherry blossom, that the fortress guarding your heart had begun to crumble, revealing the vulnerability he had longed to see mirrored in your eyes.

Yet, like elusive stardust slipping through his fingers, something veiled him from fully breaching the walls surrounding your soul. He wondered in the quiet hours of the night if it was an oversight, a missed note in the melody of your intricate life story.

Memories of that September night hung in the air, suspended like the phases of the moon, each one a query without a response. How had you ventured into the labyrinthine embrace of the Jujutsu world?

It was Ieiri who found herself in the unusual role of comforter—or at least, her unique brand of comfort. If you could even call it that. She had a knack for subtly peppering him with teasing and sly remarks, cleverly diverting his attention from the shift in dynamics. It was her way of dealing with the situation, her way of saying, "I've got your back, even if it means poking fun at you."

Amidst this unspoken tension, their gazes occasionally flicked to catch the fleeting frowns that played on Gojo's lips whenever he observed the interactions between you and Suguru. It was as though they were all tiptoeing around the elephant in the room, leaving Ieiri as the bold soul who chose humor as her weapon of choice in navigating the uncharted waters of this evolving relationship.

(Side Note: Although Kento wasn't particularly fond of Gojo and his often infuriating antics, he couldn't stand to see his...well, let's just call him a "companion," frown. So, from time to time, when Kento was aware that Gojo was in the vicinity, he'd pick up something sweet. He knew Gojo had a soft spot for these treats, so he'd casually toss one in Gojo's direction. Most of the time, it would collide with Gojo's Infinite Void, but occasionally, on those rare moments, the confections would find their way to the back of his head.)

Ieiri had never been one for beating around the bush. So, when the two of you found yourselves once more beneath the weathered embrace of the wooden bridge on campus, stars winking overhead and smoke spiraling around you, she confronted you. Her approach was careful and cautious, an acknowledgment of the gravity that hung in the air.

"Something happened with Suguru, didn't it?" Ieiri inquired, her gaze fixed on the water trickling through her black socks. The nonchalant action struck a dissonant chord within you.

You squinted your eyes, considering briefly the path of feigned ignorance. However, the weight of truth beckoned, and you decided that the burden of falsehood was far too heavy.

With a casual shrug, you admitted, "You could say that."

As she exhaled another plume of smoke, the brunette posed another question, shrouded in the gentle cloak of uncertainty, "And what about me?"

At this, you hesitated, the lines of your brow etched with genuine perplexity.

"I don't follow."

In response to your words, the young teen let out an irritated click of her tongue, a spark of fading fire in her golden-brown eyes. She frowned at her own reflection rippling in the water.

"Of course, you don't."

For a time, the quietude settled between you, punctuated only by the celestial dance of stars above. From your vantage point, nestled beneath the bridge's embrace, you had a perfect view of their shimmering freedom, despite the barrier before you.

They twinkled with a grace foreign to your own world.

"Gojo's sulking."

"I know."

"So, you're ignoring it?"

"...Yeah."

"You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"So, you keep telling me."

Another stretch of silence enveloped you both before you posed a question of your own.

"How exactly... did you find out about the deal?"

Ieiri reached for another stick from the box, drawing closer to you, seeking your assistance in lighting it.

"Overheard it from the Zenin's when Yaga took me over for something."

What?

The atmosphere thickened with tension, a sensation that didn't sit well with the young Shoko. Shifting uncomfortably where she sat, her brunette locks framing her face, she observed you through the rippling reflection in the water.

"Why were you near the Zenin household?" The chill in your voice unsettled her, but she could discern the restraint in your tone, an effort to temper the sharpness.

She offered a nonchalant shrug, attempting to downplay the unease that had settled over the conversation.

"They asked if I could help with a cursed technique gone awry. They didn't divulge many details."

Here we go, mind your words. Ieiri thought.

"What specifically, though?" Ieiri had always placed her trust in you, even after uncovering the layers of your past. Yet, in moments like these, your intensity still sent shivers down her spine, a blend of composure and wrath.

"I...don't know. It's hard to put into words. I mean, I never really saw it clearly — I think it was a person, though. But...it's all so confusing."

In that very moment, it was as if the harmonious symphony of nature — the crickets, the birds, even the whispering wind — had been swallowed by an eerie silence. Even the water, for the briefest of moments, seemed to take on a murky, uncertain hue.

"How come?" Your voice came slowly.

She clicked her tongue, eyes squinting at the ripples, "I swear... it was half-human, half-curse."

Ieiri's revelation hung in the air, a half-human, half-curse entity — a concept so enigmatic it seemed to defy the laws of their world. She had ventured into uncharted territory, and you couldn't resist exhaling a relieved sigh much to her surprise.

"And here, I thought you were going to say something else. Not gonna lie, feels like you're being a bit paranoid, no?"

Perhaps it was the way you suddenly regained your composure that cast doubt upon her words. Your eyes returned to their usual nonchalant demeanor, accompanied by that ever-charming lazy smile she adored so much.

Taking the cigarette from Ieiri's mouth, to her surprise, you allowed the burning end to dance playfully between your fingers, leaving them adorned with soot and a hint of injury.

"I don't think that's possible, Ieiri," you chimed in a sing-song manner. "Though, I must admit, it would be quite the intriguing twist if it were true — as fucked up as that may sound."

It was Ieiri who had to intervene, flicking the burning stick from your fingers, unwilling to witness further harm.

A soft chuckle escaped your lips at her gesture, and your hand reached out for hers. Her skin was smooth, unmarred, in stark contrast to your own. With your thumb, you traced gentle circles upon the back of her hand.

Ieiri found herself almost melting under your touch. It was a rarity, your tactile contact. You allowed a few into your personal sphere — Nanami, Suguru, and Satoru — but even then, physical closeness was a privilege extended sparingly. Ieiri nodded, finding solace in your warmth.

She unveils the box, and with your assistance, a slender stick finds its way into your fingers. You delicately place it upon Ieiri's awaiting lips, a small smile gracing your features as you ignite the tip. Your eyes remain locked onto her warm, brown gaze.

An addiction.

She leans into you, her head resting gently upon your shoulder. Together, you both peer down at the tranquil stream below, while your gaze finds solace in the expanse of the night sky above.

Kindred spirits.

The closest of confidants.

For she is your dearest friend, and you are hers, right?

Right?

Still, a question lingered in the recesses of her thoughts.

Despite the burning desire to give voice to her question, she'd rather keep the peace.

Perhaps, in that moment, it was her silent acquiescence that marked her eventual undoing.

...

(A/N): Nothing in the Jujutsu world is healthy, so don't expect healthy relationships and friendships. Toxicity all the way 😁

Nah, as soon as I saw Idalia heading up to Florida I said nope. Canceled everything. Luckily, I got my concert tickets fully refunded so now I'm a few dollars richer than before. However, for all of my Florida fans, hope you're safe!

Is Ieiri in love with you? That's a good question that I'm willing to explore. (I was in a mood lol)

This is the beginnings of Suguru's and your's unhealthy co-dependency. And I'm not sorry whatsoever.

What Gojo didn't quite grasp was that it wasn't a matter of trust. Instead, it was a deep-seated, almost inexplicable shame that held him back from touching the very edges of your soul.

Your eyes often gravitate towards the night sky, quietly marveling at the stars' freedom, your expression almost content but tinged with a hint of bitterness. It's a testament to your ability to conceal your true feelings.

Conversely, Ieiri's gaze tends to be drawn downward, fixating on the flowing waters below with a solemn demeanor. Witnessing the relentless flow of time as each ripple becomes a reminder of moments slipping away. It's the cruel paradox of her life, forever tied to the present while yearning for the elusive permanence of the past.

The irony lies in their contrasting perspectives, for while you yearn for the freedom of the stars, you remain tethered to your earthly burdens. And Ieiri, who gazes into the depths of time, is paradoxically trapped in the present, unable to escape the relentless flow of existence.

Irony: The act of looking up at the sky has always been viewed as a hopeful action.

Irony: Sitting by a river, holding hands, is an intimate act. Almost romantic. (This is one-sided.)

Some people use pain as a way to ground themselves back in reality. Such as snapping a plastic band on their wrist, pinching themselves, and what-not. But burning yourself is a dangerous and unhealthy method. I only use this is to show your more unhinged side.

The only reason 'Satoru' is used in this episode is because it was written in Ieiri's POV. You have yet to say it yourself.

You are not against gaslighting your friends in order to get what you want. You're not a good person just as you aren't a bad person. You're just a slave to circumstance.

You also know that Ieiri is a fan of physical touch so you use it against her. Confusing her with incredibly intimate actions to distract her.

Just as I was finishing this up, I realized I hadn't turned in an essay that was due the 30th and everyday it's not submitted is 20 points less. Please manifest with me 🥹

Guilt, imprisonment, and something else are your current running theme.

Originally:

I had absolutely no idea what did episode was going to be about.

Initially, this episode was intended to bear the title 'Cirice.' The plan was for it to be chock-full of lore, unveiling some significant, long-held secrets. However, during a call with my bestie, I experienced a breakthrough and made a radical decision to overhaul it entirely. Some of you might have witnessed the chaos I caused with the TCT Masterlist and the TCT Timeline - that was actually me attempting to find the most suitable pacing for everything.

Initially, Suguru was meant to dodge your attempts to retrieve your snacks and dangle them above your head. However, I wanted to incorporate a more trio-based interaction into this scenario.

Ieiri was initially meant for a brief appearance, but fate had other plans.

"...his eyes turning toward you with a glimmer of hope and something deeper, something you dared not name..." The emotion you dared not name is adoration.

"...left Gojo with a bittersweet taste, like the remnants of a fading dream." Is a direct reference to Gojo waking up from his dream. His dream is the Hidden Inventory Arc.

"And what about me?" This is Ieiri's way of asking you if you've not is how your actions impact her personally. When you respond, "I don't follow." You are lying. You do know, you're just ignoring it.

"An addiction..." This line concealed not just her nicotine craving but also her yearning for your undivided attention.

"For she is your dearest friend, and you are hers, right?" It is a direct reference to how Suguru and Gojo are Ieiri's best friends yet she isn't their's.

"...Despite the burning desire to give voice to her question, she'd rather keep the peace..." I'm a firm believer that had Ieiri taken a bit of initiative in creating a more intimate connection with the boys, they might've considered her a best friend. At the very least, a close one.

"...Perhaps, in that moment, it was her silent acquiescence that marked her eventual undoing..." Foreshadowing.

Cursed technique gone wrong? Half-human, half-curse? The fuck?

Also, how the fuck do you know the ZENIN CLAN? Like yeah, you play the game but even then, what exactly is this so-called game?

The question you should be asking yourself, as a reader, is simple --- on which side are you? Are you on the winning side with Gojo and Ieiri? Or are you on the losing side with Suguru, Haibara, and Kento?

And what did you mean by 'Deal'? It's like the second or third time we hear this.

Oh, Halloween's coming!

Drop a comment!

Feel free to donate me a 🦩

Hope you enjoyed!

[casasupernovas]

17 years since my fave doctor who episode aired: 'the sound of drums'.

17 years since we were introduced to the toclafane and probably rtd's best twist (tell me if you guessed because i couldn't have in a million years)

17 years since a whole lot of celebrity cameos

17 years since a sequence that had my jaw on the floor

accompanied by THIS masterpiece

17 years since the tardis trio went on the run

17 years since the doctor said the words "he's cannibalised the tardis" and it turned a very omimous red

17 years since the master played 'voodoo child' as the toclafane killed 10% of the world's population

and 17 years since with three words from the doctor, martha jones set off to save the world accompanied by THIS (skip to 2:20 i know it's the part everyone was searching for after they first heard it!)

thus concluding one of the most iconic and my personal favourite doctor who episodes ever.

[gretavanmaas]

Angel Straight From Hell (Part I)

|Pairings: Jake Kiszka x fReader

|4.2k Words

| 18+ only! Minors do not interact!!!

| Warnings: 18+, smut, drinking, language, angst, praise kink, fingering, masturbation, and probably spelling and grammar errors lol. Let me know if I missed anything!

You were part of a trio and not in a third wheel-y kind of way in a good way. In a way that two best friends is better than one. Danny and Sammy had always been your best friends. Well at least since you were old enough to pick your friends. You guys had grown up together, the three of you had been a package deal for as long as you could remember. You three were basically inseparable. Hell, they even convinced you to move out to Nashville a year after they did. Danny’s family loved you but the Kiszkas had all but taken you in. You’d spent countless nights crashing on their couch, holidays with them, and gone on many family vacations with them. 

And here you were rushing to pack for yet another vacation with the Kiszka boys and Danny. This time sneaking away to the Smoky Mountains for a week. You were getting off the grid and reconnecting with each other and nature. You were running around your apartment grabbing your final items off of your checklist. “Phone charger, underwear, sweatshirt…” you mutter to yourself mentally going over everything you had packed in your head. “Shit toothbrush!” you say rushing back to your bathroom. You do one final visual sweep of your bedroom and rush out of the door. You were running late but not by too much. And the boys were used to your tardiness at this point anyways. Besides, at least one of them was usually running behind as well and nine times out of ten it was Josh. 

You and Josh had gotten close over the years and he had also become one of your best friends but for some reason Jake had never liked you. And you didn’t mind because you didn’t care much for him either. He had always been an arrogant smug little shit. You don’t know why you didn’t get along just that it had always been this way. Your disdain for each other had gotten worse in your adulthood. The two of you constantly bickering and shooting each other dirty looks and as you pulled into Josh’s driveway it appeared this trip wasn’t starting any differently.

“God bless, have you ever thought about being on time once in your life?” Jake rolled his eyes and yanked your suitcase from your hand tossing it in the back of Josh’s Jeep. “Good morning to you too asshole,” you said sharply. 

Before either of you have the chance to say anything else you feel yourself being pulled into a hug and immediately know the embrace. “JOSHYYY!” you say pulling him in tighter. “Good morning mama! I’m so glad you’re coming with us. Gonna be such a great time” he says with a toothy grin. “Me too, I think it’s gonna be so good to get away for a little bit. Thanks for always letting me crash” you smiled back. “Never crashing my dear, you’re always invited,” Josh replied, squeezing your hand. “Speak for yourself,” Jake scoffed, walking up toward the passenger door. “Are we ready to hit the road now that we’re all finally here?” Jake said, staring daggers at you. 

“Hey you,” Sammy says, pulling you into a hug. “Morning, Sammy!” you say squeezing him. “My turn!” Danny shouts before wrapping you in a bear hug and spinning you around. “Hi Daniel,” you giggle. “You ready to be stuck between the two of us for four hours?” Danny teases. “As I’ll ever be,” you sigh back sarcastically.

The three of you pile into the back of the Jeep as Josh and Jake take their respective spots up front. “We ready to roll?” Josh asks. Everyone nods their heads and you all begin your trip. You start to settle in and relax. You had meant it when you said it’d be good to get away for a while. Work had been beyond stressful recently and you hadn’t gotten to spend much time with your best friends recently. This getaway to the Smokies with them was exactly what you needed even if that meant spending a week with Jake as well. The drive up there was a normal roadtrip with your favorite people, retelling stories of road trips past, playing the license plate game, and screaming your favorite songs way too loudly.

You all pulled off in a small town before you reached your cabin and went to the local grocery store to stock up for the week. Jake took the cart and started down the aisles. You knew he’d be cooking most of the meals and as much as you hated to compliment him, he was an incredible chef. He had a way with food in the same way he did with music, always piecing just the right things together to make a masterpiece. You wander the aisles picking up junk food, you turn a corner and get smacked in the hip with a cart. “Fuck!” you exclaim looking up to see Jake with an annoyed look on his face. He moves to go around you and you grab the cart stopping him forcing him to look up at you. “Really Jacob, not even an I’m sorry?” you say. “Whatever, maybe just watch where you’re going,” he says, dropping his eyes back down to his shopping list. “Unbelievable, truly unbelievable,” you spit, pushing away from his cart and walking toward the checkout. 

You meet up with Sammy as you approach the cashier dumping your purchases on the conveyor. “Your brother really is a piece of work ya know? I just don’t understand how you and Josh turned out so kind and funny and sweet and he turned out so… so… Jake,” you let out a frustrated sigh. Sam lets out a light laugh “I’ll never understand what it is about the two of you that clashes so royally but there’s just something.” “There certainly is,” you reply.

You all finish up in the store and all load back into Josh’s Jeep to drive the last 30 minutes to your secluded cabin. This wasn’t your first time going up to the Smokies since relocating to Tennessee but you were still so in awe of the beauty and serenity of the area every time you came. You watched as the last bar of cell signal dropped off your phone and breathed a sigh of relief knowing that work wouldn’t be able to get a hold of you anymore and the only thing you would be using your phone for this week was to take pictures. 

After what felt like a never ending winding gravel driveway you pull up to the cabin. You all unload your luggage and after putting yours just inside the door you go out to the Jeep and start grabbing the groceries and bringing them in. As you’re stocking the fridge you hear the guys fighting over who gets which bedroom and resolving yourself that you will get whichever one is leftover. You see Danny emerge from one wing of the house and watch as he grabs your luggage and heads over to the other wing. He comes back to the kitchen sitting down at the island bar. “Put your stuff on your bed for you,” he says with a soft smile. “Thank Danny, I appreciate it,” you say, putting the last of the groceries away. 

You check the time on your phone and see it’s a little before 4:00pm. Perfect you think to yourself. “Hey, I am going to settle in and unpack and probably shower and relax before dinner if that’s cool,” you say walking past Danny. “Mmm, sounds good,” he says looking up from the game he was playing on his phone.

You walk back to the wing you saw Danny put your stuff in and notice what appears to be two bedroom doors with a shared bathroom in the middle. One of the bedroom doors is shut so you poke your head in the open one to see your luggage sitting on the bed. You unzip your suitcase to start unpacking. It seemed silly but it was something you did on every vacation since you were young. You liked to feel settled. So you did just that, you pulled out your airpods and started your favorite playlist zoning out as you put your things neatly away into your home for the next week. 

You’re suddenly startled by a loud “Hey!” as you see someone waving their arms in the doorway. You look up annoyed to see Jake standing in your doorway and pull out an airpod. “Yes?” you question. “I just wanted to let you know I’m about to take a quick shower,” he says. “And?” you respond wondering why that would concern you. “And I don’t want you to try to get into the bathroom while I’m in there, the locks to the bedrooms look shoddy,” he says bluntly walking out. And that’s when it clicks the boys had put you in the room next to Jake, sharing a bathroom with him. 

You drop the clothes in your hand and storm into the living room where Sammy and Danny are sitting. “What. The. Fuck?” you whisper shout. “What?” Sam looks up at you with a shit eating grin. “You know exactly what, why the hell am I stuck in a wing of the house sharing a bathroom with him? This was supposed to be a relaxing week where I have fun with you two and Josh and stay as far away from Jake as possible while sharing a house with him,” you say quickly. Danny looks up with an apologetic smile, “Josh wanted the room with the balcony and Sam and I took the room that had two beds in it so that no one else had to share. That just left the other two for you and Jake. I’m sorry.” You feel your frustration start to ease when you hear the explanation that it wasn’t really intentional. “Fuck, well okay it’s not ideal but it’s fine. I’m gonna have a good trip. I'm here with my best friends in a beautiful place. Also it’s not like our paths are gonna cross that much anyways. We’re just sharing the bathroom, it's fine,” you say, trying to reassure yourself. 

You head back to your bedroom and finish unpacking the rest of your stuff. You start gathering your stuff to take a shower and realize you haven’t heard Jake leave the bathroom yet despite him being in there for quite some time. You go out to the hall door since he had mentioned the locks to the bedrooms being less than adequate and bang on the door, “Jake! You almost done in there?” You wait for a minute or so with no response. You knock loudly on the door again, “Jake!” You’re met with silence, you raise your hand to knock a third time when the door swings open. Steam fills the hallway, and out walks Jake. “God patience really isn’t your strong suit is it?” he says. His hair is damp and clinging to his face and neck, he’s fully nude aside from a towel slung low around his hips. Your eyes may have lingered a little longer than they should have. “So no patience and a staring problem huh princess?” he quips. You feel heat rushing to your face. “No, just wanting to take a shower and you were taking an eternity,” you respond, rolling your eyes and quickly pushing past him and into the bathroom. You shut the door behind you and lean your back against the door. What the fuck was that? Princess? Princess. He called you princess. And you kind of fucking liked it?

You took your time in the shower hoping to scrub off whatever feelings that interaction with Jake had stirred up. But the longer you spent trying to erase it from your mind the stronger the feelings it had brought up felt. Fuck, I just need to get laid. That’s what it is, it’s just been a while and any male attention feels good. Just need to take care of myself and then I’ll stop thinking about it. Just need to get off. That’s all. You try to rationalize with yourself in the shower. 

Your hand wanders down as you find your clit and begin to pleasure yourself. The entire time fighting thoughts of Jake that have started to pop up. Everytime you try to fight the thoughts of him, the sight of him just moments ago reappears like it's burned into the backs of your eyelids. You feel yourself nearing your end and give in allowing yourself to think about him. The way his brow furrows when he looks at you annoyed, the way he looked with his hair plastered to his neck, the way the water droplets clung to his skin just above his towel, the way he said princess. And with that the band in your stomach snapped and you were overwhelmed by your release. As you came down you silently cursed yourself for thinking of him as you finished. You wrapped up your shower and threw on some comfy clothes before heading out of the bathroom.

You smell dinner cooking and toss your stuff in your room before heading toward the common area. You greet Danny, Sam, and Josh who are in the living room all sitting on the couch watching some movie they had started while you had been showering. You turn towards the kitchen and see Jake in his element at the stovetop. He’s got his hair tied in a low bun at the base of his neck as he focuses on the ingredients in front of him. 

Against your better judgment, you make your way into the kitchen and lean across the island, “You need help with anything?” you ask. Jake tears his focus away from the stove turning around to meet your gaze and for a split second you swear you see his scowl soften before quickly returning. “Help?” he scoffed, “You’d just get in the way.” You turn around not responding and silently scolding yourself for even trying, you knew better. 

You plop down on the couch next to Sam and curl into his side and shift your focus to the tv, realizing they’re watching The Shining. You should have known this would be the first thing they would pick since Halloween was right around the corner. You zone out for the next 45 minutes until you hear Jake call from the kitchen that dinner was ready. The five of you enjoy a meal around the dining room table and thankfully the tension between you and Jake is kept at a minimum. As dinner wraps up you start collecting everyone's plates and taking them to the kitchen. 

“Daniel and I are going to go start a fire in the pit out back!” Sammy says excitedly. “Please just don’t catch the cabin on fire, I’m gonna clean up the kitchen real quick and then I’ll come out to join y’all,” you giggle starting the sink. “Can I raincheck and do my kitchen duty tomorrow? I haven’t gotten my yoga in and was hoping to do a bit on the balcony before we spent the evening around the fire,” Josh asks you. “Of course Joshy, go find your zen,” you say mimicking a tree pose. “Thanks, Y/N,” Josh chuckles and gives you a quick peck on the cheek before running back to his room.

It was now Jake who stood awkwardly at the kitchen island as you began washing the dishes. “Mind if I help?” he says, making his way around the counter. “I don’t know, you’d probably just get in the way,” you reply, flatly. He lets out a small chuckle, “Yeah okay, I deserved that one.” He starts to clean up his mess from cooking and the two of you clean the kitchen in silence for the next 15 minutes. 

After finishing up you head out to the fire pit where Sammy and Danny have a nice bonfire going. Jake follows you out taking an open seat next to Sammy, and you sit down on a chair between Danny and Sam. Danny reaches over and hands you a white claw. “Well, any big plans for this week gentlemen?” you say cracking open your drink. “I am super excited to go hiking, I hear this area has some super great trails,” Danny replies. Your eyes shift to Sam. “Yeah same,” he replies “but I also brought some art supplies and I’m excited to paint. I haven’t gotten to do that for quite awhile.” “That sounds really nice,” you reply. There’s a beat of silence and your gaze finds Jake. He clears his throat, “Hoping to get some song writing done, have had some riffs bouncing around in my head recently and hoping I’ll be able to fine tune them while we’re here.” You nod. “Hopefully you’ll find the inspiration you’re looking for,” you say softly. Jake's eyes haven’t broken yours yet. “Bajabule, bitches!” Both you and Jake break away from each other’s stares to find his twin walking down to the fire with a solo cup raised in the air. “Welcome to the party, brother,” Sam says, raising his Topo Chico towards Josh. 

The five of you spent the next couple hours joking around the fire and drinking. It felt so good to let loose with your best friends. It reminded you of many nights when you three were in high school and making stupid decisions and you felt your heart swell with gratitude that no matter where life had taken you all, you had still remained this close. “Remember that night in high school that we went to that party at Kara’s family land and they had that huge bonfire? And we were all shitfaced and Michael Jackson came on the speaker?” you say starting to giggle. Sam starts dying laughing, “I absolutely do, keep going, Y/N,” he says between laughs. You continue “And Danny, you cleared the crowd because you wanted to show everyone how good you were at moon walking?” “And I am, for the record, very good at moonwalking,” Danny interjects. “Yeah yeah but then you started and you ate shit in front of everyone?” you and Sam bust into a fit of laughter. “Whatever, we all know if it wasn’t for that stupid branch on the ground I would have looked cool as hell,” Danny says, defending himself. “Daniel, we both know there was no branch involved, just a lot of alcohol and the need to impress Kara,” Sammy responds. 

“Was that the night we all got fucked up because we got confused and all thought someone else was DDing?” Danny asks. “Oh my god, it was. Shit that was a crazy night. Jake, I think you were the one that ended up coming to get us that night, weren’t you?” Sammy questions. Jake looks up from the fire, “Yeah you were all so gone by the time I got there. I got you and Danny loaded up in my car then had to go find Y/N. I had to get her away from that creep Jason that graduated with you guys and literally carry her to the car. He had her cornered and kept trying to convince me that he was going to get her home.” He says. Everyone got quiet. You raise your eyes up and see him looking straight at you. You swallowed hard, “Fuck, I literally have no recollection of that. I guess as the night went on I blacked out. Thanks for not leaving me, Jake,” you reply quietly. Jake just nods. 

While you and Jake had been having that interaction, Sam and Danny had started telling another story that brought your attention back to the present. After a while longer, you started to yawn and felt your eyelids getting heavy. You rose to your feet, “Well boys, it’s been a lovely evening but if I don’t head to bed now I think I’ll end up falling asleep out here. I’ll see y’all in the morning,” you said, stretching your arms above your head. “Goodnight, Y/N,” they all respond.

You take yourself to your room and grab your toiletry bag slipping into the bathroom to brush your teeth and hair. You then change into an oversized tshirt and slip into bed. Tonight was one of those that your head hit the pillow and it felt like you were asleep seconds later. You wake up what could have been seconds or hours later, you really aren’t sure, with an insatiable thirst. You groggily slip out of bed and make your way to the kitchen grabbing a bottle of water. As you are heading back to your room you hear someone else stirring and as you round the corner heading down the hall to your bedroom your body slams into someone. 

“Fuck!” Jake says, his voice heavy with sleep. “Oh shit, I’m sorry,” you whisper into the darkness. You move to go around him and as you walk by you feel a hand reach out grabbing your wrist. Before you know what is happening, Jake has you pinned against the hallway wall behind you. He leans in dangerously close to you, his lips ghosting just above yours. “Tell me to stop and I will,” he says. You couldn’t fully process what was happening but you felt your core aching. You lean in encouraging him to continue. He pulls back slightly “Words, princess.” “Don’t stop,” you say, your voice barely audible. 

He finally closes the distance between the two of you. Your mouth’s working furiously against each other, your hands tangling themselves into his hair and his gripping your hips. Jake swipes his tongue across your bottom lip and you quickly grant him the access he had been silently asking for. He still tasted like the bourbon he had been nursing all evening. 

You felt his hips unconsciously rut against you and feel his hands starting to explore your body. You feel one of his hands sliding under the hem of your shirt. “Hmmm?” he hums into your mouth questioning if he’s okay to continue. You nod never letting your mouth leave his. Jake’s hand makes its way under your shirt and up your body. He reaches up cupping your breast and gently kneads it and then ghosts his fingers around your nipple causing you to arch your back slightly. “So reactive to me,” he says, pulling away slightly to look at you. The only thing illuminating him is the glow of the moon pouring in from a skylight above the two of you. But even in the low light you can see his sinister grin and he pinches your nipple between his thumb and pointer finger eliciting a sharp inhale from you as your eyes roll back.

He maintains eye contact as he drops his hand down between your bodies and runs his finger slowly under the band of your underwear. You buck your hips into his hand silently asking him to keep going. He clicks his tongue, “Here we go again with the impatience.” “Please Jake,” you shamelessly beg. “God you sound pretty when you beg for me princess,” he practically moans out. 

He grants you mercy dipping his hand into your underwear and swiping his middle and ring finger through your slick. “Shit, so wet and all for me?” he questions. “Mhmmm, all for you,” you echo. He dips the two fingers into you drawing a moan from you. Jake’s free hand flies up to your mouth where he shoves his middle and ring finger harshly into your mouth. “Gotta stay quiet for me, we can’t let anyone hear us okay?” he says. You nod wrapping your mouth tightly around his fingers and circle them with your tongue. You see him struggling to maintain his composure. “An angel straight from hell,” he chuckles to himself. 

Before you have a chance to respond he starts to pump his fingers in and out of your heat at a punishing pace. Jake’s fingers curl up to hit your sweet spot on every pump and his thumb finds its way to your bundle of nerves working quick circles. Your eyes roll back and you moan around his fingers in your mouth. “Mmm you look so pretty when you are coming undone,” he whispers lowly into your ear. “You gonna be a good girl and cum for me? Soak my hand?” The pressure starting to build is almost unbearable. You try to ask him not to stop but it comes out garbled with his fingers still in your mouth. “So close aren’t you, be a good little princess and let go for me would you?” Jake growls, “There you go, cum pretty for me.” 

And just as you feel your release starting to come you are jolted awake. You sit straight up and find yourself still tucked away in your bed and drenched in sweat and absolutely aching for Jake’s touch. What the fuck.

[dandelionjack]

this may be my worst take and get me blocked by people but i have to speak my truth… i love bill i truly do she’s funny she’s energetic pearl mackie can pull a great unimpressed face and she has some character development (particularly in the monk trilogy) but i feel like it’s just … not enough. which isn’t down to her series length either, i mean martha only had a series and a half; donna only had 1 series (barring the specials), look how 3-dimensional and fleshed out both of them ended up being. i feel like bill never really progressed from being the inquisitive young lesbian who asks a lot of questions and misses her mum, and not much else. she’s nice. she’s sweet. i’d love to have her as a best friend if she was real. you’ve barely had time to figure out what her deal is and then before you know it she’s already been cyberconverted and you’re like oh okay . maybe it’s because she has to share her time on the TARDIS with nardole but there’s none of that weird psychosexual tension present that makes the other TARDIS-trio dynamics so appealing (see: ninerosejack, amyrory+11, tenjackmartha) because. because bill likes women and nardole’s nardole

[pitbullwithaship]

DOCTOR WHO LIVEBLOG S4 EP13

HOLY COW IM DYING YALL

WHAT HE DIRECTED IT AT THE HAND

HES THE SAME

MICKEY AND JACKIE HOLY SHIT

He's so fucking fuck

Donna I love you

Ooh they're in a time lock that's really cool

Oh man that's fucked

Yay Sarah Jane and Mickey and Jackie and Martha omg

They're saying Exterminate in German!!! Lol

Rose and the Doctor are so cute

Why can Donna hear her heartbeat

Brilliant. All of them

Walk to their fates

TEAM TARDIS

Holy hell Donna Noooo

HEARTBEAT WHATS AHAPPENING HERE

Omg omg girlie that's time lord energy right there the watchamacalllit stufd

OMG ITS THIS CLIP LOL

YAS JACK PLAY DEAD

LOL LOL LOL I LOVE THIS OMG

That's insane

She is very worth it

Thata insane that's insane destined holy shit

Ooh she speaks German

Omg traitor woman?

Aww poor woman

YAY JACK

Ooh the three are inside the house

Dalek is very very insane

Oh shit oh shit jackie

Omg what us it doing

Oh food Jackie got out

THEY DISINTEGRATED

I hate Davros' voice but maybe that's just cuz of what he's saying

Holy shit he's insane

MICKEY AND JACK REUNITED

Aw Rose likes Martha

JUST LIKE EXPLODE THE EARTH WHAT

JACK AND MICKEY AND JACKIE AND SARAH JANE

Fuck don't guilt trip him so much (I mean yes this regeneration can be a dick sometimes but he's complicated! He's a complicated character!)

Omg omg doctor2 and Donna you better have figured it all out in time

Omg omg omg omg omg omg

DONNA YAY

DONNA HOLY HELL

OHyes

DoctorDonna!!!!

I love her ao much this is hilarious

This is amazing

Jackie looks on disapprovingly

JACK YOU DUDE

SUPREME DALEK HAS A CONCIENCE

Oh wow that's a lot of dying Daleks

Davros stop playing the victim

As it's meant to be flown this is amazing

K9 AAAHHHH

I love this so much

AS ITS MEANT TO BE FLOWN

Yeah Jackie don't touch anything

Oh wow that's amazing

This is so cute the teams all together god (can you tell my favorite trope is found family)

HUGGING LOTS OF HUGGING

Everybody hugs!!!

Awwww

Aww maybe Martha's joining Torchwood

Aww Mickey

BAD WOLF BAY

Donna oh my gosh

Awww he can spend it with her

It's so cute

And so sad

I LOVE YOU AAAAAHHHHH AAAAHHHHH AAAHHHH AAHHHHH KISS

And other Doctor leaves with Donna omg this is so happysadterribleanamazingendingforrose holt crap

Binary x100 jeezus

Oh no Donna

Doctor is so sad

Oh Donna

Oh Doctor

FUCK THIS IS SAD AGAIN

...and the worst of times but the best are the best and they are times

One last HUG FUCK

Okay definitely not what she wanted consent and all but he's incredibly traumatized and doesn't want to lose anyone else so I kinda understand

Fuck he's just a story for her Fuck

This is breaking my heart

Aww poor Doctor

Fuck I'm crying

He's a fucking wetpuppydog in the rain fuck sadness

WILF IM CRYING

Alone again alone again (this song plays in my head a lot watching this damn show)

End note. End note. Fuck this I'm bawling my eyes out. Okay. All I can say is he's so frickin lonely and he's always the odd one out and "all the others have got someone" you idiot they love you you could crash on their fuckin couches for ten years and they'd fondly just deal with it cuz they love you you fuck. Aaaghh. But also I totally understand that as the third in a trio and the fifth in a fifth and the seventh in what should have been a six. But also dude. Develop an EQ please. And also I am crying so much, even more than frickin Doomsday made me cry. Fuck.

[borrowedtimeandspace]

A Whole Lot of Precious Time

AU: A Patient, and Time (Donna AU); set right after Picking Up the Pieces

Note: Some emotional hurt/comfort, as a treat. Bit of a long one under the cut, couldn't find a good place to chop it. Some of the dialogue inspired by these hurt/comfort prompts.

~~~

It was unbearably quiet in the TARDIS for a very long time.

Zepheera was emotionally exhausted when they returned, and understandably so. Ever since the incident with the Time Beetle, it had all been non-stop. The stolen Earth, Davros and the Daleks, Rose and everyone all coming back, coming together and going their own ways… Losing Donna… It was a lot to process, to say the least. Even for the Doctor.

While she insisted on making her own way down the corridor toward the hidden ‘room’ she now occupied within the walls of the TARDIS, the Doctor stayed behind in the console room to set all the lights to dim. Having a simulated night cycle usually helped his companions get their sleep, and Zepheera was certainly in need of rest now.

And as the room around him slowly darkened, leaving the blue-green glow of the center column of the console as the main light source, the Doctor dropped heavily into the old seat alongside it.

He was still there hours later, staring into the shadows.

Every fiber of his being felt wrong without Donna on board the TARDIS. Zepheera was obviously taking it hard as well.

They had become an inseparable trio, a far cry from how things were when the Doctor first brought Zepheera aboard. She'd slowly come to trust the human and the Time Lord, opened up to them as individuals and truly came into her own as a member of the team. They weren't just travel companions who quite often banded together to save people across the universe. After everything they'd been through, they were equal peers and close-knit friends.

Donna was a load-bearing pillar in that dynamic. That much was clear now.

When the Doctor removed her from the picture, it shattered the trust he and Zepheera built. It had to be done, and no amount of protesting from Zepheera or Donna would have changed that. Either it happened, or Donna died. Zepheera was just the one still around to feel the consequences of the judgment call the Doctor had made. 

She hated him for it, and he couldn't blame her. He hated himself for it. One of the best friends he'd ever made in over 900 years, and he had to destroy the remarkable woman she had become. And it wasn't just that Donna had saved the whole of reality. She was there for the Doctor when he needed someone to keep him in check. She was there for Zepheera when she needed a confidant, someone to support her healing process.

Now Donna was gone. Because the Doctor couldn't save her. Not in a way that mattered.

He wondered briefly why Zepheera stayed, after what she surely saw as a betrayal of the friendship they all had. He'd tried to offer her a way out, and she'd told him off. Did she feel some sort of obligation to stay, think she owed the Doctor anything? Surely if any of that were true, it would all have been erased by what he'd done. What she'd tried to stop him doing, begged him. And he'd ignored her, and didn't even give her a chance to say goodbye to Donna herself.

With all that and more in mind, the Doctor struggled to think of a good reason Zepheera would continue to put up with him.

He hadn't found an answer yet when he felt a small impact on his lower back.

Blinking in surprise, he squinted this way and that in the darkness before his thoughts could catch up to the present.

“ ‘Ey! Quit your squirming,” called a small voice from behind him. The Doctor froze as it was accompanied by tiny but rather pointed jabs from that same area on his lower back and tugs at his jacket.

“What are you doing?” the Doctor asked Zepheera, baffled by this turn of events. He hadn't even heard the borrower come in, let alone get close enough to pull such a stunt. 

The jabs and tugs reached the back of his ribs, and it was so odd to feel them offer the tiny woman better footholds. “Climbing, what’d you think?” Zepheera shot back. Then, with a huff, she added, “Although, at this point, more like crawling. Can't be good for your back, slouching like this. Keep it up, and your age will start to show.”

The comment drew the Doctor's attention to his posture for the first time in hours. Evidently, all the tension in his body had caused him to curl in and fold forward. Shoulders hunched nearly up to his ears, elbows rested on his knees, forearms crossed as his hands clutched at his sleeves with white knuckles.

It wasn't terribly comfortable, now that he was aware of it, but he couldn't just sit up straight all of a sudden now. For all she'd griped about it, and as thrown off as he was by it, the Doctor was loath to make Zepheera's climb more difficult. He could feel her drawing closer to her usual perch of his shoulder so, with a deep breath, he slowly released his shoulders to a more natural position to give her some room.

Even though he did his best to move the rest of his body as little as possible, Zepheera's movement paused briefly somewhere behind his shoulder blades. “See? That's more like it,” she said before continuing her ascent.

The Doctor chanced a glance toward his shoulder when he felt her pull herself up to it. She sat there so often that he was used to mostly making out her blurry shape in the corner of his eye. With a small grunt of effort, Zepheera swung her legs forward to dangle over the edge and stretched her arms over her head.

“Alright?” the Doctor gently asked, still unsure of what she was doing there.

Zepheera gave a yawn and dragged her hands down her face. “Couldn't sleep,” she sighed. “It's all…too quiet.”

Something in the Doctor clenched. She felt it, too.

He nodded, gaze turning downward. Now that he'd forced his shoulders to relax, his hands followed suit. They were quite sore from all the clenching. He gave his fingers a small stretch in place, which helped a bit.

“Times like these, I find I sleep a bit better with some… well, in company, I guess,” Zepheera went on, sounding a little sheepish. “And you didn't seem busy, so… Alright with you if I stay?”

That drew the Doctor's attention back to his shoulder, and his brow jumped nearly to his hairline. Dozens of questions swirled around his head all over again, but the one that eventually stumbled out was, “You…want to sleep here? On my shoulder?”

He saw Zepheera's shape glance his way for a moment before she shrugged. “Well,” she said, leaning forward to look down toward the Doctor's lap directly below, “preferably not from this angle.”

“Right,” the Doctor blinked. “Hold on.”

Carefully, the Doctor uncrossed his arms to brace one hand each on the matching knee. He could feel Zepheera shift positions herself, ready to adjust to the inevitable shift of gravity. He slowly began pushing himself to sit upright once she felt settled, and eventually his back pressed against the seat’s.

“Better?”

“Getting there…” The Doctor felt Zepheera's weight shift again, and he froze in place. She scooted closer to his neck, too close for him to even think about glancing her way, and then he felt a tug at his left collar.

When her weight left his shoulder entirely, accompanied by a stronger tug at his collar and then his tie, the Doctor couldn't hold back from looking down at her with complete bewilderment. His right hand lifted to hover below Zepheera before he could think better of it when he saw her dangling from the left side of his tie. All that movement was hard for the borrower to miss, and she lifted her chin to meet his gaze.

“Oh, er,” she uttered, “well, shoulders aren't as good for sleeping as sitting, y'know. And there's a good bit of white noise down here that's surprisingly calming. Suppose I should have asked, though…”

Slowly, the Doctor let go of the breath that had caught in his chest. He hardly needed reminding of the handful of times Zepheera had curled up in that spot on his chest after a panic attack or night terror. It didn't take a genius to understand that she'd grown to find some level of comfort there. This was just the first time she'd basically asked to stay there, albeit in not so many words.

“Of course, yeah, I'll just…” Since it was already hovering under her, the Doctor lifted his hand to gently meet Zepheera at her level. She immediately let go of his tie to drop down into his palm, and the hand curled in just enough to offer her a bit of security as he moved.

The Doctor scooted forward in the seat and carefully leaned back in it, propping his feet up on the console for ease of maintaining the position. He'd ideally be in it for hours, after all. In tandem with his movements, Zepheera's weight made the transition from his palm to his chest, in the gap between his tie and his lapel. The angle wasn't close to flat by any stretch, but enough for her to comfortably nestle in there. The Doctor's hand stayed curled around her, kept her from slipping downward and offered a bit of warmth in the console room that Donna had always declared to be chilly.

“Thanks,” Zepheera murmured as she settled in place.

“Sure,” breathed the Doctor in return, mindful of his volume with her so close.

Silence fell between them for a good while. With Zepheera meant to be falling asleep, the Doctor was left with his thoughts once again. He was even more confused than he was before Zepheera showed up. 

He thought for sure that it would be a few days at least before he even saw the borrower again. With her having access to the rare gap in the walls of the TARDIS, and being more than capable of finding and raiding the kitchens, she could easily survive without having to interact with the Time Lord at all if she didn't want to. 

The question remained, and in fact rang even more strongly in the Doctor's mind: Why?

A touch at his fingertip startled him out of his thoughts once again. It took a moment for his brain to settle enough to register the feeling of a tiny hand, tentatively laid across the tip of his pinky.

“It's not your fault.”

Zepheera's soft voice drifted up to the Doctor, slightly muffled by his hand and clothes. Still, it cut straight through him.

“What you did… If you hadn't, Donna would really be gone. Not just from here. And that would be the worst thing in the universe.” The light pressure on the Doctor's fingertip brushed like pins and needles toward the side of his finger. It stopped just above the first knuckle, and he felt Zepheera's grip tighten on his skin as she said with conviction, “I'm not angry with you. Never really was. I just. Hated feeling so helpless.”

The Doctor felt he should say something, but nothing came out when he opened his mouth to try. Meeting her gaze wasn't an option anymore, either. All he could do was gaze up toward the glow of the central column as though it would help him find the words.

After a few breaths, Zepheera continued. “I can't imagine how it must feel for you. Because you were right, you had to do it. But that doesn't mean you have to just be okay with it. And I don't think you are. I don't think anyone would be.”

He felt his jaw lock, as though her verbalizing the pain he tried to keep to himself suddenly and physically made it all real. His free hand clamped into his hair as his head fell back, utterly defenseless.

“You're always trying to be the strong one,” Zepheera pointed out with a quaver in her voice that she couldn't quite keep under control. “And you're really good at that, but it's not the kind of thing anyone can keep up forever. ‘Cause sometimes, the one who needs saving is the one who's trying the hardest to save everyone. So…this is me, telling you that you don't have to be the strong one this time.”

Stunned, the Doctor was in no position to resist as Zepheera tugged his little finger to curl in closer to her. Her arm wrapped around the knuckle to keep it in place, and something else touched the fingertip. Concentrating on the second sensation was almost enough to calm the swirling in his head.

Warmth. The tiniest wisps of hair. Zepheera's forehead, pressed emphatically into his fingerprint.

“We're not alone,” the borrower all but whispered, and yet the Doctor heard each word loud and clear. “We've got each other. We will get through this. Together. It's… It's what she'd want.”

The Doctor squeezed his eyes shut as he forced himself to take in and release a long, slow breath. 

That…certainly answered his questions. Before he'd even asked them.

As he felt Zepheera's grip relax around his finger and her tiny weight settle in his grasp, the Doctor noticed the tension gradually unwinding in his own body. Speaking her mind so honestly yet bluntly… it was something Donna would have done to talk sense into him.

Zepheera was right. It didn't lessen any of the hurt, but having someone around for mutual support made all the difference in feeling like they could get through it.

One by one, the fingers of the Doctor's free hand detached themselves from the desperate grasp they'd had in his hair. He rubbed at his face, ignoring the moisture caught along the way.

“Thank you,” the Doctor finally managed to murmur in return. 

He wasn't sure if Zepheera was even awake to hear him, as she stayed silent for a few moments afterward. Then, he caught the barely audible, half-awake breath that gently carried the word, “Yeah…”

For the first time in what felt like ages, a comfortable silence fell in the TARDIS.

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Doctor Who, but Chronologically: 38

It is STILL 1941. I just want to point out that there are no episodes in 1940. None in 1942. But 1941? THIS IS OUR THIRD. It's a wonder the Doctor still goes, given the high chance of meeting a past or future self, frankly.

Anyway, we get a Christmas episode! The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. The Doctor starts on a big spaceship in space that looks very cool, which he possibly blows up. Eventually he sort of falls off it and falls through Earth's gravity well, trying to grab and don a spacesuit. He takes ages to do it. That's actually quite dangerous - the vacuum of space does dangerous things to living tissue, and yet he survives entirely unscathed. That's good information. It's good to know officially, for example, that if the Doctor is exposed to the vacuum of space, he will not, for example, go blind.

Anyway after landing he meets Madge, a woman who helps him back to the TARDIS. Three years later - in 1941, when "everything in the world happens" - the Doctor Who showrunners, apparently - Madge's husband dies in WW2 when his plane is damaged and a propella stops. She doesn't want to tell her children (a wet boy called Cyril and an annoying girl called Lily) until after Christmas, but they all go away to a... random manor house, IDK that part is weird. I think it's Stradey Castle.

The Doctor is the caretaker. He decides a suitable Christmas present is an interdimensional portal to Narnia Androzani Major aka the twin planet of the place with the caves that are haunted by the Phantom of the Opera in the English series. It's a big snowy wood. For the record, I am 100% on board with this present.

The wet boy opens it early and crawls inside, because of course he does. The Doctor and the annoying girl follow. This is the least fun bit of the whole episode, actually. She's annoying because every single one of her lines is her demanding answers while never working out a single thing for herself or doing anything useful, plus haranguing the Doctor at random points. In return, he's consistently a cunt to her ("GOD Lily weren't you LISTENING?" is a line he has a good four times, plus additional derivatives thereof.) After a while you start to wonder what the point of the episode is.

Madge also follows after them all. A trio of comedians (best scene of the episode) headed by Bill Bailey turn up, and explain that deforestation is about to happen via acid rain, which is literally the worst harvesting procedure I've ever heard of, and I would like you all to remember at this point that what I do for a living is lecture in environmental conservation and climate change with a specialism in trees and woodlands, so I have heard a great many terrible harvesting procedures, both hypothetical and real. Where's the Phantom of the Opera guy and his androids when you need them? This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Explain this business model to me, Androzani Major. Fucking idiots.

But it means the forest is trying to escape. They wish to do this by putting all their souls into a living human. It has to be a woman, because at this point Steven Moffat had read a book on gender theory and was trying to make up for past crimes, I assume, but it's patronising as fuck regardless (also there is a viscerally GROSS line about the Forest of Cheem "fancying him" which I know I'm furious about but as we technically haven't seen that episode yet I can't be but YOU JUST WATCH ME add it to the question list). Everyone ends up in a tower with some beautiful tree people and they all fly away in a spaceship - the tree souls just settle among the stars, which is... really not a resolution for trees, actually, but okay. Meanwhile by flying back home through the time vortex, Madge accidentally provides a light for her husband in his broken plane to navigate by. This does not make much sense, given that the issue with the plane is that it has visibly lost an engine and a bright light is hardly helpful to that problem, but okay. It means he lands outside the manor house on Christmas day when they do, though, so they're reunited? I mean there were two other men in that plane, neither of whom are seen or heard from again, fuck knows what happened to them, BUT OKAY

This would have been an okay episode, but regrettably, the actors are woefully not up to the task of the emotional weight and nuance it was built around. Also it bears repeating what the FUCK is that harvesting technique I mean

PLOT THREADS THOUGH

Almost none and then right at the end the Doctor reveals that his friends think he's dead??? So he goes off to visit Amy and Rory and tell them he's alive. Turns out they already knew because River told them. The scene is sterile and lacklustre because they have no chemistry, but Matt Smith does his best to save it.

So that's fun! Maybe next episode we'll get to move to 1943, as a treat

“She” (an unknown person) is returning (perhaps River returned as Missy. Maybe Me? Maybe Clara???!)

There is something on Donna’s back

An entire planet, Pyrovilia, just… disappeared, somehow. (Maybe because the TARDIS is exploding??? Saturnine was also lost, and that WAS because of the TARDIS exploding. The lion man’s planet was also lost but he was a bit of a knob about it if I’m honest.)

Amy is maybe dead (she’s not)

The Doctor has been cubed (he’s out, but how?)

River is possibly blown up  (unless she’s Missy. Nope: she is definitely not blown up)

The TARDIS has blown up  (It’s fine now. Except it’s sort of melting now because it’s corrupted, but it’s fine again)

The universe appears to have ended  (the universe is back again)

The Doctor has employed(?) Nardole

(And Nardole was “reassembled???” Nardole had glass nipples and invisible hair?? WHAT THE FUCK IS HE)

There’s a vault in the TARDIS and it contains Missy but we don’t know why (sometimes she knocks for the bants)

There’s an immortal Viking girl now. Her name is Me and she’s now looking after the people the Doctor abandons

Why was Rory entirely unconcerned by the entire world suddenly going silent when that is Not Normal and should have been, at the very least, extremely disconcerting?

What did the Doctor do to Queen Lizzie One?

Why is Amy seeing a one-eyed woman in a vanishing window? (She’s with the Silents, but we don’t know why Amy saw her)

Why is Amy’s pregnancy inconclusive? (Maybe because the baby had Time Lord DNA?)

Who is Sarah-Jane Smith?

How is the Doctor Bill’s teacher and why/where does he have an office?

What is going on with the Cyber War and the Cyberium???

What happened with the Other Cyber War?

What happened with the Third War that deleted the void?

Why does Rose seem particularly important?

What order do these Doctors go in? (Eccleston, Tennant, uncertain, Smith, Capaldi, Whittaker)

Which companion just… forgot the Doctor, and how?

Yaz and Vinder are about to die as Mori/Mwri/Muuri

There is a Lupari shield around Earth.

What’s a Time War?

What’s the Rift?

What’s Bad Wolf?

In which war did the Doctor become a war criminal, and how?

Who is the Master?

Why has Amy forgotten Rory? NEW INFO: how did she forget a Dalek invasion?

Is Rory plastic or not?

Why is the Doctor sulking on a cloud?

How exactly does the Doctor have a cloud?

What exactly happened with Strax to, uh, tame him?

Which friend killed Strax?

Which friend brought Strax back?

Where did this lesbian lizard and human couple come from?

What happened with Clara as Souffle Girl and the Daleks?

How does Clara actually join?

Why so many Claras?

Why is Missy apparently in robo-heaven?

Why is probably!Missy pushing Clara and the Doctor together?

What is Trensilor and what happened there?

Who is Handles?

The Doctor is about to be dissolved by a beautiful geode man

The universe is being crushed by the Flux

Will the Doctor open the fobwatch?

Sontarans are invading Earth again

Who is Kate?

Who is Osgood? Another name of Clara’s again?

The fuck is the deal with the Grand Serpent

Does Martha get to go to an ice cream planet with 12-fingered massage aliens?

How did the Doctor forget Clara?

Who is Bill’s puddle girlfriend Heather?

How did Nardole die?

When does Bill get Cyberman-ed and die?

When does the Doctor shrink and enter a Dalek called Rusty?

Whittaker is falling to her death rn

Was that ring relevant?

Does anyone know the Doctor’s name?

When did Yaz talk to Dan about fancying the Doctor?

When did Dan talk to the Doctor about fancying Yaz?

What’s happening with the bees?

What happened with Donna’s ex and a giant spider?

What war wiped out the Daleks, and is it one of the ones already mentioned?

What did the Doctor mean when he said “The (Daleks) always live, while I lose everything?”

If Dalek Caan is the last Dalek left why are there more now?

How did the rest of the Time Lords die?

How and why did Amy melt?

What’s the question that will make silence fall?

Why do the Silents… want silence to fall?

How and why are Silents at war with the Doctor when he… hasn’t even heard of them?

How does Hitler get out of the cupboard?

What’s the significance of fish fingers and custard?

Why does the Doctor feel guilt about Rose, Martha and Donna?

What happened with the space whale?

When does Rory defend Amy for 2000 years?

How does the Doctor survive River

How does he erase himself from history

Did Captain Jack lose his memories to the same people as the Doctor? What did he lose?

When did the Doctor send the Daleks into a void to save the universe?

What’s with the weird crack in the wall and is it affecting memories?

Why do Amy and Rory think the Doctor is dead?

Is Matt Smith's Doctor a tree racist?

[pers-books]

Children of the Circus

Friday, 3 November 2023 - Reported by Marcus

A new audio musical drama, Children of the Circus, is reuniting the cast of the seventh Doctor story, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy for a unique special.

The limited edition CD set will be released on December 14th, 2023, exactly 35 years to the day that the first episode of The Greatest Show in the Galaxy was broadcast on BBC One.

Once upon a time, there was a circus. A Psychic Circus, to be precise. A glorious haven for the misfits of the universe. But then, as is so often the way, it was hijacked by a trio of malevolent Gods. Things grew unpleasant.   Now, years later, the Gods are gone, but the scars of those who survived the Circus remain. After all, you can't change the past.   Unless you're the Children of the Circus... and you're willing to sing.

Based on the Season 25 story by Stephen Wyatt, Children of the Circus is a brand-new, original, musical play on audio from AUK Studios; written by Kenton Hall (with songs by Christopher Guard) and based on an idea by Barnaby Eaton-Jones.

The special features the return of Sylvester McCoy (the Seventh Doctor) and Sophie Aldred (who played the Doctor’s traveling companion, Ace). But not as you’d expect. McCoy plays the High Poet; all befuddled charm and with a whisper of duplicity and danger. Aldred gives two magnificently different characters in the form of Captain Gren (the gruff owner of a Time Ship) and AJ (a sentient piece of rust, who navigates the Time Ship).

McCoy himself sums it up 

To return to the worlds of Stephen Wyatt's imagination, but as a wholly new character called the High Poet, means I get to be involved with the Psychic Circus rather than fighting against it! As a lover of the circus myself, juggling this new role was a joy (though I'm sad I didn't get to play the spoons). What fun to be reunited with all the wonderful cast from 'The Greatest Show in the Galaxy' again, 35 years later, and I hope you'll all enjoy this time-sliding, sidestepping sequel from Barnaby Eaton-Jones and his bunch of clowns!

Joining the cast in a major role is 1980’s icon (singer/actress/songwriter), Toyah Willcox. It’s long been known she was a fan of Doctor Who, as she appeared in Kevin Jon Davies’ acclaimed documentary 30 Years in the TARDIS, but to get her to create a multi-voiced role as The Band of Infinite Harmony (and get her own solo song, which can heard in full after the end credits as a bonus extra track) was something she clearly relished…

At last, I get to play all four members of the band and still have the last say…. love it. Seriously it was wonderful to play THE BAND and equally wonderful to hear this rather fab story unfold, a rock and roll odyssey of comic proportions.

Ever since producer/director Barnaby Eaton-Jones saw the original broadcast of The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, he was fascinated by the world that Stephen Wyatt had created…

There was such a wild mix of horror, science fiction, music, and fantasy, that it blew my adolescent mind; with images and characters forever stuck in my head. I wanted to revisit some of the characters and introduce new ones. With the permission of Stephen Wyatt (who came up with the title for this new production), and the help of writer Kenton Hall and actor/musician Christopher Guard, we were able to create something rather unique in the audio medium.

Kenton Hall himself says:

Like most swinging, modern people, I receive a daily deluge of emails that begin with the fateful words “would you be interested in…” As a result, I have developed a tendency to give them, at best, a brief, withering glare. In this case, however, it read “would I be interested in playing in the sandbox of Stephen Wyatt’s marvellous ‘The Greatest Show in the Galaxy’?”  Does the lesser spotted gumblejack smell faintly of cinnamon? Spoiler: the answer to both questions is yes.

Songwriter, Christopher Guard, who played Bellboy in the original TV serial, added…

As with all the best things in life, I don't remember quite how or when it began. I think I'd sent some of my songs - recent and ancient - to Barnaby just as he was dreaming up a sequel to ‘The Greatest Show in the Galaxy’. It was more a shooting star than a light bulb moment. Irresistible synchronicity had struck, and ‘Children of the Circus’ was a THING! It was just a question of time. Or timelessness. Stephen Wyatt blessed us, Kenton Hall seized his cosmic pen, and the rest is mystery. Unravelled. With music. How amazing to act and sing with so many of the original cast, to slip into Bellboy's loons once more, and to travel seamlessly beyond our wildest dreams.”

Starring Christopher Guard as Bellboy, Dee Sadler as Flowerchild and Ella, Sophie Aldred as Captain Gren and AJ, Toyah Willcox as The Band of Infinite Harmony, Ian Reddington as Delios and the Chief Clown, and Sylvester McCoy as the High Poet.

With Daisy Dunlop, Verity White, Kim Jones, Kenton Hall, Barnaby Eaton-Jones and Ian Kubiak.

Special guest appearances by Ricco Ross as The Ringmaster, Jessica Martin as Mags, Chris Jury as Deadbeat, Deborah Manship as Morgana, Gian Sammarco as Whizz Kid, Daniel Peacock as Nord, and Dean Hollingsworth as the Bus Conductor and Station Announcer.

Produced and directed by Barnaby Eaton-Jones, for AUK Studios.

A preview can be heard here

Limited Edition CD available to pre-order now