Matilda's Sci-Fi Drabbles (Updated Jan. 22)

[matilda3948]

Hi all! I haven't done drabbles in ages but I love the freedom to not have to commit to an entire story, so I'm going to create a sci-fi themed drabble thread. Right now I'm starting with Doctor Strange  but I suspect there will also be Avengers, Star Trek, maybe some Doctor Who. I don't know--basically whatever gets in my head. I've just been very sci-fi oriented in my TV/movie preferences lately. Feel free to make suggestions if you want but I can't make any promises that I can make them work. Never know what the stories are going to want to do  

I think it's Garnet's list of prompts that I'm working from. Such a good list.

1.Allergic 2. Desperation 3.Cat 4.Summer 5.Itch 6. Light 7.Hands 8. Fever 9.Finally Alone 10. Worried 11.Broody 12.Loud 13.Grass 14.Genetics 15.Control 16. Dinner for Three 17. Doctor 18. Dust 19. Feather 20. Anticipation 21. Bed 22.Drugs 23.First Time 24.Headache 25. Handkerchief 26. Dog 27. Garden 28. Hoarse 29. Kink 30. Scent 31. Hold Back 32. Double 33. Harsh

 

34. Smoke 35.Making Dinner 36.Impatience 37.Incense 38. Horses 39. Pillow 40. Suffer 41. Nervous 42. Stare 43. Contagious 44. Relief 45. Temperature 46.Terrible 47.Wool 48. Tissues 49. Tease 50. Quarrel 51. Lonely 52. Snuggle 53. Asleep 54. Waiting 55. Frost 56. Rest 57. Flu 58. Phone Call 59. Apologize 60. Sore 61. Accent 62. Fur 63. Haze 64. Spices 65. Under the Weather 66. Stifle 67. Frustrated 68.Caught in the Act 69. Attack 70. Listless 71. Pressure 72. Muffled 73. Annoy 74. Humiliated 75. Disproportionate 76. Bath 77. Spring 78. Message 79. Headcold 80. Clinic 81. Confess 82. Tears 83. Dream 84. Polite 85. Sniff 86. Shower 87.Induce 88. Jealousy 89. Pills 90.Interrupt 91.Chill 92. Office 93. Remedy 94. Weird 95. Soft 96. Purr 97. Honey 98. Defeat 99. Smother 100. Gratitude

 

Prompt: Bed

 

HuhhTSHHHeew! He sniffled and rubbed his nose against the back of his wrist. It had only taken five minutes, but he finally managed to sneeze. His breath immediately hitched several times in a row and he turned from his desk sneezing towards the floor.

Ehh Huhh…huhh’TSHHeew! hh’TSHHeew! EhhKTSHHew!

Perhaps he was coming down with something. What originally seemed like simple fatigue was starting to morph into something very close to a cold and the Sanctum, while lovely, was drafty and cold. The Cloak of Levitation drifted into the room and wrapped itself around Stephen’s shoulders.

“Not sure if I would sit up there if I were you,” he said. “I might sneeze on you.” The Cloak tugged on his shoulders trying to get him up and away from the desk. “I’m fine. Just a few more chapters and I’ll go to bed.” A flick of crimson fabric threatened to blow his notes off the desk. “Stop that,” Strange said. “I told you I’m almost done.”

He only read two more lines of the ancient text before sneezing again.

Huhptshhhew! hh’TSHHeew!

“What the—Hey! Put me down!” Thanks to his Cloak, Dr. Strange was now being levitated across the room and was deposited on his bed with a soft thump. He knew a losing battle when he saw one, so he ran his hand over the fabric. “Am I at least allowed to change and turn out the lights?” When he wasn’t assaulted by his own relic, Stephen figured he was safe to get ready for bed. The Cloak hovered near the desk in case he tried to go back to work but the moment Stephen got into the bed he was enveloped a wave of crimson fabric. Stephen coughed into his fist and he felt the Cloak tighten around him a little more. “It’s alright,” he said. “No need to worry…but thank you for quite literally putting me to bed.”

Prompts: Tissues and Humiliated

Christine stood in the doorway to the kitchen and watched Stephen.

“I guess not everything has changed,” she said. He might have responded except he was terribly preoccupied. Stephen Strange had a notoriously slow, agonizing, all consuming process of building up for a sneeze and it only got worse when he was sick. He sat at Christine’s small table with his hands steepled several inches from his face. His head was tilted back slightly, his lips barely parted as he took deeper and deeper breaths. Strange’s nose seemed to be particularly irritated that evening. Already pink from sneezing and manhandling in tissues, a deeper red was spreading around the edges of his nostrils each time they expanded and contracted in a teasing series of almost-sneezes. By the third false start, the tickle had spread until his eyes watered in irritation. He wiped his thumb under each eyelid before returning to its previous post.

Christine supposed there was thing that had changed. The old Stephen would have been humiliated and furious at this display. This inability to exert control over his body was unacceptable. First he would have hidden from as many hospital staff members as possible and yelled at whoever was left so they would leave him alone. Then, despite being unable to speed up the process, he would grouse and curse and generally be a miserable pain in the ass until he finally managed to sneeze.

Hehh Huhh—EHH!

She really thought he had it that time but the sneeze disappeared at the last second leaving his nose twitching and his breathing erratic. She had put a box of tissues on the table for him and felt a pang of sympathy when he grabbed a handful and simply rested his head in his hands, nose buried in the Kleenex. The tea kettle whistled and she took it off the stove, before sitting down across from him waiting for the tea to steep.

“I’m sor—huh EHH…Huhh…sorry,” he said, barely able to keep his eyes open long enough to look at her. Christine smiled and shook her head.

“You can’t help it. I didn’t think you were actually sick or I wouldn’t have made you come over. Thought you were just trying to avoid talking to me,” she said. Christine had more or less demanded he explain, “exactly what the hell had been going on.” She had a long list of questions and Stephen had to admit it wasn’t an unreasonable request.

huhh…Ehh HEHH…Huhhn’Tshhheew!

“Finally,” he sighed.

“Bless you,” Christine said, pushing the box of tissues closer to him. Another thing she had learned was that the first sneeze was just the beginning. Thankfully he didn’t have to repeat that unbearable buildup process for each one—that would just be cruel. The rest would come easier, but they would come as a group.

huhh’TSHHeew! hh’TSHHeew! EhhKTSHH! heh Ehhh…huhpTSHHeew!

They weren’t particularly loud but each sneeze caused Stephen to curl in on himself a little more until he settled on resting his elbows on the table and letting his head dip into the fistful of tissues he held firmly over his nose and mouth.

“Bless you,” Christine said.

HuhhNTsshhhew! TSHHHeew! Huhh HuhhEHHTSCHHHEEW!

“Bless you,” she repeated. That last sneeze seemed to do it for now. He wiped his nose before lowering the tissues and she winced a little when she finally got a good look at him. His nose was an irritated red and his eyes were watery and distant. He took fresh tissues and blew his nose before coughing a few times, resting a hand on his upper chest as though it hurt.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said with a stuffy sniffle.

“Are you okay?” she asked. “Fever? Any wheezing or tightness in your chest?” No matter what they were, they were doctors after all. He shook his head and went to throw the tissues away and wash his hands.

“No. Just a cold. Nothing some tea, meditation, and sleep won’t fix in a few days. Thank you,” he added as he sat back down to a waiting cup of hot tea.

“Tea? Meditation? Sleep? Who are you Stephen Strange?”

[Shamaël]

This is utterly brilliant! The levitation Cloak, oh my God!!!

On 22/12/2016 at 3:06 AM, matilda3948 said:

“Not sure if I would sit up there if I were you,” he said. “I might sneeze on you.”

Loved it! I totally picture it in my head, with Benedict Cumberbatch's voice... (sigh) The whole prompt was very cute.

I also enjoyed Christine's point of view and her reflexions about how Stephen have changed. And, of course, the incredible build up...

On 22/12/2016 at 3:06 AM, matilda3948 said:

“I guess not everything has changed,” she said. He might have responded except he was terribly preoccupied. Stephen Strange had a notoriously slow, agonizing, all consuming process of building up for a sneeze and it only got worse when he was sick.

Oh. Just OH! And, well, I'll stop here, because I should quote all the prompt. Thank you so much for starting this thread, I'd be glad to read some more (Star Trek? YES!)...

[kushamisukii]

Oh man that was amazing. I loooove that second one so much. Him now having learned some humility and apologizing and suffering from the build ups, ugh that was too cute for my life. Who are you Stephen haha cries:'))

 

[VoOs]

22 hours ago, matilda3948 said:

Stephen Strange had a notoriously slow, agonizing, all consuming process of building up for a sneeze

HEADCANON ACCEPTED (unf >///<) I'm gonna have to steal that, actually...

First drabble is exactly what I've wanted to read ever since I first started reading the comics, tbh, even before I saw the film. The idea of a sentient magic cloak looking after its master when he's ill is just so perfect (and executed perfectly here <3).  Aww, haha, and the Cloak carrying him to bed... All the warm, fluttery feels.  

Ahh, I'm so happy you're writing Dr Strange!  

[matilda3948]

Thanks so much for the comments! It's always fun to get the feel for a new fandom and cast of characters.

4 hours ago, VoOs said:

HEADCANON ACCEPTED (unf >///<) I'm gonna have to steal that, actually...

First drabble is exactly what I've wanted to read ever since I first started reading the comics, tbh, even before I saw the film. The idea of a sentient magic cloak looking after its master when he's ill is just so perfect (and executed perfectly here <3).  Aww, haha, and the Cloak carrying him to bed... All the warm, fluttery feels.  

Ahh, I'm so happy you're writing Dr Strange!  

Yes!!! Slow, terrible buildups are officially a thing for him. 

I'm so glad you liked the one with the Cloak. It's a bit odd to figure out how to write it as a character. 

Okay, two more for today:

Prompt: Cat and Anticipation

“Were you a house cat in a previous life?” Stephen asked his cloak while absentmindedly stroking the fabric. Stephen was in bed, propped up against several pillows with the Cloak of Levitation spread across his lap. While he may be the new Sorcerer Supreme that apparently did not come with any sort of improved immunity to colds or flu. A particularly stubborn head cold had been nagging Doctor Strange for over a week now and, since there were no immediate threats to the stability of the universe, he was trying to give his body a chance to recover. The Cloak seemed to be delighted at how much time that meant Stephen spent in bed, always covering the man up, curling into his side, or wrapping around his shoulders.

One of Cloak’s corner reached towards the bedside table and lifted a box of tissues over, setting it directly in Stephen’s lap.

“You’re right. It is about time for that,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose and sniffling. He leaned his head back and let his eyes drift shut, focusing on the tickle that would take ages to finally build into a satisfying sneeze.

Huh hehh…

He coughed into his fist but the hitch in his breath continued.

Huh HEH…

He pulled three tissues from the box and held them several inches from his face in anticipation. Never quick, he thought to himself. The Cloak rippled against his chest and Stephen smiled. How odd his life had become: he was being comforted by a magic cloak.

Ehh Hehh…Huh…

He snapped forward.

HuhhIHHtsschhh!-Tishhheww! Tschhhew!

The sneezes tumbled out nearly on top of each other. He shook his head slightly and sniffed twice before being overtaken with another small fit.

HuhTSHHHeew! TSHHHEEW! HuhhIhh’KTSHHHHew!

He felt the Cloak snake up and wrap around his shoulders, giving Stephen a slight squeeze. He patted the fabric with one hand and used the tissues to wipe his nose with the other.

“Thank you,” he said.

 

Prompt: Incense and Itch

Of all the many (many) things the Ancient One was trying to teach him, the most frustrating for Stephen Strange had to be meditation. Although she promised it would get easier the more he practiced, Stephen found the prospect of sitting in silent reflection to be excruciating. He was either overcome with infuriating boredom or his thoughts ran around like a cage full of squirrels on speed. Not once had he come anywhere close to the sort of serene peace that the Ancient One seemed to find during their meditation sessions. He was tempted to ask her exactly how ancient she was before meditating became anything other than a chore.

“Good morning, Stephen,” the Ancient One said as she came into the room. “Are you ready for today’s meditation session?”

“Good morning. As ready as I ever am,” he said. She smiled and lit a stick of incense before sitting down across from him.

“I know it is difficult,” she said. “Today try not to chase your thoughts. Just notice them arise and then let them go. The goal is not to empty your mind but to stay centered no matter where the mind goes.”

She might as well have speaking Greek for all the sense that made to Strange but he nodded and pretended to understand. She rang a small chime that prompted the start of their session. Stephen closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing. It soon became clear that today was going to be a cage full of squirrels day—his thoughts bouncing from performing surgery, to his accident, the first time he saw his mangled hands, Christine. Christine. He was ashamed of how he treated her, both in their relationship and afterwards. Especially after the accident. She tried so hard to help him and he returned her kindness with nothing but malice and—nose itched!

It interrupted his thoughts without warning or mercy. Stephen sniffed and felt the tickle spread up into his sinuses and prick at his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to rub his nose but during meditation you were supposed to remain still and tolerate discomfort. “Become curious about the sensations in your body” the Ancient One had said (whatever that meant). At least he had something to focus on now, so that was something.

It didn’t take long before his nose began to run, causing Stephen to sniff audibly every few seconds. He knew what was coming next—the sneezing. Stephen tried to keep it as quiet as possible (at least the Ancient One should get to meditate undisturbed) but eventually his breathing became audible.

huhh…Ehh HEHH…

The sneeze disappeared (of course) and made his nose both congested and runny at the same time. He sniffled wetly and tried breathing through his mouth but it did nothing to help.

Huh HUHH…Ehh—

Ugh. He was officially miserable. It had to be the incense she had lit. His symptoms had come on too quickly and too severely to be a cold. Plus his eyes were on fire and his ears itched—very common with allergic reactions. This was probably one of her tests but with his nose threatening to actually drip, Stephen raised his right hand and pinched his nostrils between his thumb and forefinger and wiggled his nose back and forth. What little relief it brought him was short-lived though.

heh Huh…HEH—huhh…

He was hovering right on the very edge of a sneeze. Allergic tears escaped past his closed lids and dripped down his face. The fluttery, burning sensation continued to expand until Stephen felt like his entire head was revolting against the heavy incense that had filled the room.

Heh Huhh HUHH—

Meditation be damned.

huhh’TSHHeew! EhhKTSHH! hh’TSHHeew! huhpTSHHeew!

Definitely an allergy.

Huhptshhhew! hh’TSHHeew! huhTSHHH! TSHHHHeew!

“Stephen?”

He heard the Ancient One’s voice and assumed it was her hand on his shoulder—couldn’t be sure because he was currently unable to open his eyes.

Hehptshhh! hhTSHHeew! HuhhEhhTSHHEEW!

Left with little choice, he pressed the cuff of his robe to his streaming nose and finally managed to open his eyes. The Ancient One was kneeling in front of him looking at him with that intensity that always made him uncomfortable.

“Do you know what’s causing it?” she asked. He nodded towards the incense. She was on her feet in a second and put the smoking stick out in the hall and then opened the two windows in the room to let in some fresh air. Then she knelt back down in front of him and pulled a linen handkerchief from inside her robe. “Here.”

“Thag you.” He winced at the sound of his own voice before tending to both his eyes and his nose. It didn’t help much. “I’b sorry I didn’t last longer.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I’m assuming this was some sort of test to see how long I could ‘sit with discomfort’ as you say.”

“Not at all. Stephen, I would never purposefully expose you to an allergen. We should honor the worldly things our bodies reject,” she said. He might have shouted in frustration if he hadn’t sneezed first.

huhpTSHHeew! EhhKTSHH! hehh…Huhh hh’TSHHeew! Ehh—huh…huhh’TSHHeew!

“Blessings,” the Ancient One said. She stood and held out a hand to him. “You should return to your room and rest.”

“I’m fine,” he said and stood up without her help but was surprised by a wave of dizziness that swept over him. She took his arm and waited until he was steady on his feet.

“You need to learn to respect your body’s limits and accept help when it is offered to you,” she said. “Now please return to your room. I will bring you a cool compress for your eyes and a cup of tea.”

He felt the argument rising but took a deep breath and nodded.

“Thank you,” he said.

Perhaps he did make some progress today, she thought.

[kushamisukii]

O_____O

Ugh the long drawn out build up is just too much. Dr. Strange<33

Too good , it's too much for my life. Hehe;)

[VoOs]

<3 <3 <3!!! 

I love The Ancient One so much (she's my favourite character in the film apart from Stephen himself) and I adore how you've written their interaction here, her Wisdom meeting his Frustration. x)

19 hours ago, matilda3948 said:

He might have shouted in frustration if he hadn’t sneezed first.

Everything I want.     

[Red]

These are all so great! I love those fandoms you mentioned and what you've written so far is wonderful!  I'm looking forward for more!

[Shamaël]

Okay... I'm not sure I can answer in a coherent way because I LOVE THE BUILD UPS SO MUCH!!! The first one was cute (the Cloak, best character in the movie) and the second one... Well... It was... a bit too much for me. 

18 hours ago, matilda3948 said:

“Become curious about the sensations in your body” the Ancient One had said (whatever that meant). At least he had something to focus on now, so that was something.

Oh Stephen... (sigh)

[ID2006]

I love the cloak and Christine and amazing cold sneeziness.

[AngelEyes]

Stephen x Cloak. I ship that.

[matilda3948]

I'm so glad you all like these 

I decided to try my hand at caring!Stephen. We'll see how it goes. I loved all the unresolved feelings and angst between him and Christine in the movie. Good stuff  

Hope everyone had a nice day yesterday whether you Christmas-ed or not  

(Even though I separated them by prompt, it's all one continuous read)

Prompt: Rest

His computer pinged alerting him to a new email. Stephen smiled when he saw it was Christine. Their friendship had improved significantly in the last few months. He was impressed with her ability to simply roll with the bizarre changes in his life. Disappeared and became a sorcerer? Okay. Have the ability to manipulate time? Sure. Separate his astral and physical forms? All in a day’s work. Not for the first time he marveled at Christine Palmer. He opened her email:

*Do wizards still make their mother’s chicken soup recipe when their friend has a cold? Or are they too busy?

He quickly tapped out a reply:

*I’m a sorcerer not a wizard and you’re in luck. Slow day at the Sanctum. I’ll bring soup to you in a few hours. Need anything else?

*Right—sorcerer. How could I get the two confused when they’re obviously so different? Thank you, Stephen. Been thinking about that soup all day but leave it at the door so you don’t risk catching what I have.

*Get some rest, Christine. See you soon.

Stephen stood up from his desk and the Cloak, which had been lounging on the bed, rose up as well.

“Yes, it’s a distress call but unless you can conjure up chicken soup I’m not sure you’ll be a lot of help to me on this one,” he said. Stephen could have sworn his Cloak was pouting.

 

Prompt: Gratitude

Two hours later he was in front of Christine’s door with a pot of homemade soup still warm from cooking. Years ago, when they were dating, he’d made it when she had a cold. First, she was impressed that he was sentimental enough to even have an old family recipe, then that he was able to cook. After she ate some it became the one thing that could make her feel better no matter what. Stephen took it as a good sign that she would ask for it. Of course, he did owe her more favors than he wanted to count but that was beside the point. He knocked on the door and she only opened it a crack.

“Thank you so much,” she said. While her voice was full of gratitude is was also raspy and hoarse; it did something funny to Stephen’s heart.

“Come on, open the door,” he said.

“I told you I don’t want you to catch my ahh…ahh Ahh…cold…” she managed. Ahh’ntchh!

He took advantage of her momentary distraction to nudge the door open and come into her apartment. As Christine dug a tissue out of the pocket of her sweatpants and blew her nose, he put the pot of soup in the kitchen. She was still standing in the entryway when he came back, the now crumpled tissue pressed to her nose, eyes closed, and her head tilted back slightly. He spotted a box of tissues next to her sofa and got her a few fresh ones.

hahh Ahh…AHHntschh!

“Bless you,” Stephen said. “Here.” Christine nodded and took the tissues. She tried to blow her nose but her sinuses were so swollen it did next to nothing. Stephen frowned: she looked dazed and unfocused. And cold, he added when he saw her shiver. He nudged her towards the sofa. “Come on,” he said. She shuffled over to her couch and flopped down with a stuffy sigh. Stephen sat down next to her, picked up a discarded blanket off the floor and wrapped it around her shoulders.

Prompt: Doctor

“How long have been sick?” he asked.

“About a week,” she said.

“Why didn’t you call me sooner?”

“Because.”

Not much of an answer but he could think of at least a half dozen possibilities: Because they still had unresolved feelings. Because she couldn’t trust him after everything he’d done. Because he was no longer the person she relied on in situations like this. Because he still had to earn that right back. Stephen nodded and shifted so he could face her directly.

“May I?” he asked, raising a hand towards her forehead. She nodded. Stephen put a hand on her forehead and noted the low grade fever. Then he felt the lymph nodes on either side of her neck and then tapped on the top of her cheekbones. Christine winced and jerked her head back. “Sorry,” he said before repeating the procedure (and getting the same response) on the sinuses above her eye. “This cold has completely spread through your sinuses,” he said. Christine grabbed a tissue

AhhNtschh!

“Bless you. I’m sorry I can’t write you a script for antibiotics. I don’t have my license anymore.”

“Not much use for it in your new profession?”

“Not really,” he said.

Ahh AHH’ntschh!

“Bless you.”

“Thags. I didn’t need you to come over and be my doctor,” she said.

“Your chef then?” he asked with a smile.

“Just my friend, Stephen. I just needed my friend.”

Ahh…AHHntschh!

“Bless you.” He put a hand on her shoulder and brushed his thumb back and forth. “I’m here, Christine. For whatever you need.” All it took was that little bit of contact and a few kind words to crack her resolve. She slid closer to him and leaned her forehead against his shoulder.

Prompt: Terrible

“I feel terrible,” she said. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed slow circles on her back.

“I know.” Stephen leaned down and lightly kissed the top of her head. “Settle in and rest,” he said, pulling her closer and leaning into the sofa so she could really stretch out.

AhhNTSCHH!

“Bless you.” He knew she didn’t like to be alone when she was sick. Old Stephen used to find that trait a complete annoyance, seeing no reason why he should be chained to the sofa just because she had a cold.

hahh Ahh…hhntSHHH!

He had been such a coldhearted fool back then. All she wanted was for him to stay with her while she felt bad and make her some soup and he would always behave as though she was asking the world of him. He tried to keep his distance, claiming he couldn’t afford to be ill as well. His work was too important. The medical world couldn’t—

AhhTSHH!

—spare the great Stephen Strange because he got sick caring for his girlfriend. He often wondered why she tolerated him for as long as she did. And not just tolerated, but seemed to genuinely love him for much longer than he deserved.

ahh Ahh AhhTSHHH!

“Bless you,” he said softly and rearranged the blanket to make sure she was covered up.

AhhSNSHHoo! hhNTshhh!

“Okay?” he asked, dipping his head down to get a look at her.

“So hahh—so sneezy,” Christine gasped. She already had the box of tissues within easy reach and she pulled three from the box and held them to her twitching nose. Stephen felt her body shudder with each sneeze.

Ahh Hah…hahh’ntshhh! Ahhtishhoo! ahh AHH...ahhTISHHoo!

“Bless you,” Stephen said, tightening his hold on her.

“Sorry.” She yawned and he could feel her finally start to relax against him.

“Rest,” he repeated.

[VoOs]

My heart has melted over this.  Especially when he was examining her, assessing her symptoms... *happy sigh* Soft Stephen, still feeling so much guilt. ;__; <3

[Red]

2 hours ago, matilda3948 said:

I decided to try my hand at caring!Stephen

You did a great work! It's adorable! 

 

2 hours ago, matilda3948 said:

“Bless you,” Stephen said, tightening his hold on her.

“Sorry.” She yawned and he could feel her finally start to relax against him.

“Rest,” he repeated.

This is SO cute! 

[Shamaël]

20 hours ago, matilda3948 said:

He was impressed with her ability to simply roll with the bizarre changes in his life. Disappeared and became a sorcerer? Okay. Have the ability to manipulate time? Sure. Separate his astral and physical forms? All in a day’s work. Not for the first time he marveled at Christine Palmer. He opened her email:

*Do wizards still make their mother’s chicken soup recipe when their friend has a cold? Or are they too busy?

She is impressive indeed. I really like the way you write Christine. We don't know much of her from the movie, but she's very in character here.

And the Cloak pouting LOL!!!

Caring!Stephen was a great idea and you wrote it beautifully.

[ID2006]

I love caretaking Stephen, but you know me, I love caretaking everything. Thank you for continuing these 

[AngelEyes]

On 12/26/2016 at 1:37 PM, matilda3948 said:

Stephen smiled when he saw it was Christine. Their friendship had improved significantly in the last few months. He was impressed with her ability to simply roll with the bizarre changes in his life. Disappeared and became a sorcerer? Okay. Have the ability to manipulate time? Sure. Separate his astral and physical forms? All in a day’s work. Not for the first time he marveled at Christine Palmer.

LOL. Indeed.

 

On 12/26/2016 at 1:37 PM, matilda3948 said:

“Yes, it’s a distress call but unless you can conjure up chicken soup I’m not sure you’ll be a lot of help to me on this one,” he said. Stephen could have sworn his Cloak was pouting.

I love your interactions with the cloak!

I love all the introspection Stephen does on the couch. Looking back on himself.

[matilda3948]

Happy 2017 all!  Some Doctor Who today featuring 12 and River because I love them individually and as a couple. I wish there was more of them onscreen together. One Christmas special was just not enough. These are separated by prompt, but read as a continuous story. I'm trying to balance the spirit of drabbles being short entries with my total inability to keep things short.

Prompt: Quarrel

hh’NGTs! hh’Ngtss!

“Bless you, sweetie,” River said, glancing at the Doctor. He was lying on his back fiddling with a mass of wires at the base of the TARDIS console. He replied with another sneeze and an itchy sounding series of sniffles. “Bless you again. You catching a cold?” she asked.

“I’m a Timelord. I don’t catch colds,” he said. River laughed.

“Since when, exactly?”

“Since always,” he snapped.

“Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?” she asked, kneeling down on the floor next to him. “What about the time on Flaxis 7? Or after that little incident on Trisspen? Oh, and the weekend we spent in 35^th century London—you were in bed for days.”

“River—”

“I’m just saying for someone who never catches a cold you have less than impressive track record.”

hh’NTshh! Ngtss!

He rubbed his index under his nose and glared at his wife as if daring her to say something else. She smiled and kissed his forehead.

“I’m not going to quarrel with you. I’ll be in the library when you’re done.”

Prompt: Defeat

Once alone in the console room the Doctor closed his eyes for a moment. There was a throbbing ache behind his eyes and he was getting dangerously close to exhausted. He cleared his throat and took up his sonic screwdriver to solder together a couple wires but he felt a shock as soon as he attempted it.

“Ow!”

He tried again and the same thing happened—a shock severe enough to hurt but enough to do any real harm.

“You’re not supposed to side with her,” the Doctor said to the TARDIS. He suddenly sneezed into his fist and the loose wires of the TARDIS sent out a warning spark. “I’b going,” he grumbled as he slowly got to his feet.

If River was surprised when he came into the library she didn’t show it. She was sitting at one end of a sofa with a book balanced on the arm. There were two cups of tea and a box of tissues on the table in front of her. The Doctor sat down next to her with a sigh that immediately dissolved into a harsh cough. She handed him his tea and immediately went back to her book.

“Not a word,” he said.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, sweetie.”

Prompt: Frustrated

She turned the page in her book and he took two tissues from the box, folded them in half, and held them a few inches from his face. His eyes fluttered shut and his breath hitched twice.

huh Huh…huhhIhhNGSHH! hh’IhhSHHoo!

Even his sneezes sounded tired. River marked her place and put a pillow on her lap. She placed a hand on his leg and waited until he turned his head towards her.

“Rest, you stubborn thing,” she said. Despite his monumental heavy sigh, the Doctor stretched out and put his head in her lap. River resumed reading but slowly ran one hand through his wild hair, smoothing it back from his forehead.

huh…huh

The tickle was enough to almost sneeze but not quite enough to push him over the edge. The Doctor huffed pinched the bridge of his nose right between his eyes.

“I hate this nose,” he mumbled.

“Really? I rather like it,” River said. “In fact I think it might be my new favorite.”

huhhNSHHoo! hh’snSHHoo!

She reached across him and got him a couple tissues.

“Though I suppose I can understand being frustrated with it today,” she said. He nodded his thanks and blew his nose. After tossing the crumpled tissues on the table, the Doctor yawned and rubbed his forehead. River placed her hand over his and took over responsibility to massaging his aching head. His eyes drifted shut.

“What are you reading?” he asked.

“Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” she said.

“I met Verne once. Remind me to introduce you to him one day.”

“Sounds lovely. Shall I read to you?”

“Mmm.”

River took that as a yes. Even though she was certain he’d fallen asleep before she finished the page she was on, she kept on for another twenty minutes just to be sure.

"Feel better, sweetie."

[VoOs]

9 hours ago, matilda3948 said:

“I hate this nose,” he mumbled.

“Really? I rather like it,” River said. “In fact I think it might be my new favorite.”

You and me both, River. <3

I squee'd. This is the sweetest.  I love 12 so, so much. 

[matilda3948]

On 1/3/2017 at 7:43 AM, VoOs said:

You and me both, River. <3

I squee'd. This is the sweetest.  I love 12 so, so much. 

Right??! There will be more soon. Promise  

Tonight it's Avengers. The first two are set right after "Civil War" and is a retelling of the same scene with different sick characters. The third one is just general science bros because who doesn't love science bros?

Prompt: Contagious

Tony stared out the window and down onto the expansive lawn of the Avengers compound. The building was empty and he was both grateful and a bit depressed at finally being alone. The letter from Steve lay discarded on the table; there would be time to think about that later. It was more than he could handle today.

huhhTSHHoo!

That was the tenth time he’d sneezed in the last three hours. He supposed given the stress, injuries, fatigue, emotional trauma, and—oh yeah—the below freezing temperatures he’d been exposed to in the last 48 hours a cold wasn’t altogether unexpected.

HuhCHHoo!

“Are you contagious? Because you know how I feel about germs.”

Tony spun around to find Natasha standing in the doorway.

“You’re like a ninja, you know that? How’d you get past the security system anyway? I changed all the passwords.”

She gave him her standard, “You must be kidding me” eye roll and came to stand next to him, looking him over from head to toe. He looked like hell.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Not yet. You?”

“Not yet,” she said.

Prompt: Finally Alone

Finally. He was finally alone. He was both grateful and a bit depressed. The letter from Steve lay discarded on the table; there would be time to think about that later. It was more than he could handle today.

n’Kts!

“You know it takes away from the impressiveness of hacking my security system to give yourself away by sneezing,” Tony said, turning around to find Natasha standing in his doorway.

“I’ll admit I may not be at my behh ehh best. ahhTishhew!”

“Are you contagious?” he asked. “Because I don’t do the whole germ thing.”

She rolled her eyes and joined him at the window. In the sunlight Tony was able to get a better look at her. Natasha looked like hell.

“Seriously though. You okay?” he asked.

“Not yet,” she said. “Came to ask you the same thing.”

“Not yet.”

Prompt: Weird

Bruce glanced over at Tony for the third time. His friend was uncharacteristically quiet. Sometimes the tech genius would be silent but only when he was completely absorbed in a task. Otherwise, the man seemed to keep up a near constant running commentary.

“Is everything okay?” Dr. Banner finally asked. Tony made a noncommittal noise before he could stop himself.

“Just a headache. Too much time in the…you know…3D visualization…thing,” Tony said. Bruce frowned and readjusted his glasses before walking over to his friend. He tilted a desk lamp so that it illuminated Tony’s face. “What are you doing?”

“Checking to see if your pupils are dilating normally or if you managed to cause damage to your—”

“I’m fine,” Tony snapped, getting up from his chair.

That was weird. While he might be a little…prickly…with other people, Tony usually let the doctor look after him without too much complaint. Okay, maybe some halfhearted complaints but there was never any real bite behind his words. Bruce smiled when his friend at least had the common sense to look embarrassed for his outburst. They seemed to reach an understanding without actually having to say anything and Tony sat back down.

“Pupillary responses seem normal,” Bruce said. “Is the pain more here or here?” he asked as he touched the back of Tony’s head and then his forehead.

“Sort of all over,” Tony said. Bruce’s hand lingered on his friend’s forehead for a moment.

“You have a fever, you know that?”

“Thought I might.”

“So a cluster headache from the visualization room was a lie?”

“My head does hurt,” Tony mumbled. Before Bruce could respond, Tony ducked his head down and sneezed into his fist.

HuhhSHHoo! hhRUHHSHHHoo!

“Bless you. Your head hurts because you’re sick. Which is also why you’re running a fever and—”

huhSCHHoo! hhTSCHHoo!

“—and sneezing,” Bruce added.

[matilda3948]

A little Doctor Who this evening with sick Clara and 12. I took the bit about the glass of water in his pocket from the Christmas special...which was too adorable.

Prompt: Handkerchief

Clara sneezed for the third time that morning. She sniffled and glanced across the TARDIS console to see if the Doctor had noticed. Didn’t seem like it. He was heavily involved in adjusting the settings on the console. Well, more like some combination of complaining, banging on it with a hammer, and occasionally typing in some calculations. So his version of adjusting.

“I don’t understand why you can’t just do what I ask,” he said, hammering away at the keyboard again. “You’re the most sophisticated piece of hardware in the universe and I can’t type in simple coordinates.”

hihhTshhew!

“And you,” he said, turning to Clara suddenly. “I send you back to earth for three measly days and you catch yourself a cold. Maybe you infected my TARDIS and that’s why she won’t run.”

“How could I infect the TARDIS?“

“It’s possible. You’ve merged with the TARDIS before. Can’t discount the possibility that you managed to pass along a virus through the remnants of that connection,” he said.

“Really? I could make the TARDIS sick?”

“Don’t be stupid. It’s a time machine—it can’t catch a human cold. But I got you to admit you were sick, didn’t I? Saved us half a day of arguing over you denying it.”

“Oh. Clever,” she said.

“Clever is my specialty,” he said, pulling a handkerchief from his jacket. “Here.”

“ThaahhIHHtschh! Tishhew! Thanks”

Prompt: Snuggle

“Bless you,” the Doctor said. “So, time for some honesty Clara Oswald. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. Just a little cold.” His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms. Clara bit her lip. “Okay, I don’t feel great.”

“Clara.”

“Fine, I feel rotten.”

“Yeah, I know. Could tell the minute you came on board. You’re all pale and pasty looking, your nose is red like that strange mythical deer you all are always on about around Christmas, and you keep swallowing like your throat hurts. Which reminds me.” He stopped talking and took a glass of water from his pocket.

“How do you have a glass of water in your pocket?”

“Skills. Now, since the TARDIS seems to be refusing to move it’s seems like the opportune time to—”

hihhTshhew! hh’ktschh ehhTSHHew!

“Bless you. Yes, the opportune time to take care of that. So, off to bed with you,” he said.

“I’m not going to bed now. It’s two in the afternoon. What am I supposed to do?”

“Sleep. Rest. Be all drippy and gross in your own room.”

hehKTshh! hihTSHH! hhtishhEEW!

She caught the sneezes in the handkerchief he’d given her and she glanced up at him with watery eyes.

“Oh no! Not the eyes! Anything but the eyes,” he moaned.

hh’ktschh hihhTshhew! ktsshhEEW!

“Fine. I’ll come with you.” He nudged her towards her room. “But no snuggling. I don’t snuggle,” he said.

[AngelEyes]

On 1/20/2017 at 11:21 PM, matilda3948 said:

“You okay?” she asked.

 

 

“Not yet. You?”

 

 

“Not yet,” she said.

This sums everything up so much!

 

On 1/20/2017 at 11:21 PM, matilda3948 said:

While he might be a little…prickly…with other people, Tony usually let the doctor look after him without too much complaint. Okay, maybe some halfhearted complaints but there was never any real bite behind his words.

Awww, science bros! My fav!

 

On 1/20/2017 at 11:21 PM, matilda3948 said:

They seemed to reach an understanding without actually having to say anything and Tony sat back down.

They're so cute.

 

On 1/20/2017 at 11:21 PM, matilda3948 said:

“You have a fever, you know that?”

 

 

“Thought I might.”

I don't know why but I really like this part, it's just so easy going straightforward companionable. I can picture them like this.

 

23 hours ago, matilda3948 said:

Well, more like some combination of complaining, banging on it with a hammer, and occasionally typing in some calculations. So his version of adjusting.

LOL

 

23 hours ago, matilda3948 said:

“Don’t be stupid. It’s a time machine—it can’t catch a human cold. But I got you to admit you were sick, didn’t I? Saved us half a day of arguing over you denying it.”

LOL, clever doctor!

 

23 hours ago, matilda3948 said:

“Fine. I’ll come with you.” He nudged her towards her room. “But no snuggling. I don’t snuggle,” he said.

Sure...