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but_can_i_be_trusted) wrote in
fandomweekly2016-08-07 12:31 am
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Entry tags:
[#009] Hypercompetitive (Doctor Who)
Theme Prompt: #009: The Night Before
Title: 'Hypercompetitive'
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating/Warnings: G; No warnings
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000
Summary: "Do you know what an idiot you're making of yourself? This isn't an Olympic stadium; it's just the TARDIS gym!"
This Morning...
River sauntered into the kitchen, helping herself to a mug of coffee. "Hello, dears," she grinned.
Her parents, seated at the table, returned her smile over their breakfasts.
"Hello, yourself," Amy replied, leaning back in her chair. Her eyes twinkled with amusement. "He's not still in there, is he?"
"Last I checked," River told her, pulling out a chair.
"Seriously?" Rory stared at her, lingering somewhere between tickled and appalled. "You just left him there? All night?"
"What else could I do? He was being perfectly impossible."
"He sort of was, yeah," Rory nodded, taking a sip of orange juice.
Last Night...
"Haha! Beat that, Ponds," the Doctor crowed. He pointed a triumphant finger at the scoreboard against the far wall. "Beat that!"
"Doctor, seriously," Amy groaned, sagging on the bleachers. "Do you know what an idiot you're making of yourself? This isn't an Olympic stadium; it's just the TARDIS gym!"
"Just?" He stared at her. "Just? Are you jealous, Amy?"
The TARDIS' gymnasium had apparently gone overboard, turning into a huge obstacle course.
She rolled her eyes. "Is there something in Time Lord testosterone that makes you lot even more hypercompetitive than human males?"
"Not sure if I should resent that generalization or not," Rory put in. He flinched at Amy's glare.
"You don't have room to resent it," she reminded him. "You're in second place."
"By a huge margin," he pointed out. "I'm honestly amazed that River isn't the one in second."
"I'm saving myself," River grinned coyly.
"For what?" Rory blushed as the coy grin took a much more wicked turn. "Never mind; forget I asked."
"Clever old Dad. I do have to agree with Mummy, though," she continued, turning to the Doctor. "You are overdoing it. I thought we were going to just have a fun family night. But you've turned this into a competition."
"And I thought we were having fun," he returned, looking put out.
"It's not whether you win or lose, remember."
The Doctor stared from her, to Amy, to Rory. He sighed and sagged, deflated. "Fine," he mumbled. "Maybe I overdid it a smidge. If I promise to tone it down, can we go back to playing?"
The others exchanged a contemplative glance.
"Fair enough," Amy said after a moment's thought.
"Fine with me," Rory agreed.
The Doctor grinned widely. "That's more like it," he declared, spinning away from them. "Now. Last one to the top of the bungee web's a rotten Dalek!"
He began to spider his way up, paying no attention to the dismayed moans beneath him.
"What are we going to do about this," Amy demanded.
A devilish glint formed in River's eyes. "Don't worry. I've got this." She moved apart a little, brushing her hand against the nearest wall. Closing her eyes, she leaned in, until her forehead touched the surface.
"River? What exactly are you doing," she heard Rory wonder.
She giggled to herself, turning to face her parents again. "Just asking the old girl for a little help. She'll know what to do."
Amy leaned in, curious. "And that would be...?"
River folded her arms in front of her, slowly looking up toward the web. "Just watch."
Meanwhile...
The Doctor's hand, inches away from gripping bungee, suddenly clasped nothing. He tumbled forward, just catching himself before he could fall.
"What the hell," he murmured, perplexed. "I could have sworn..."
He reached out for another piece of elastic cord. It dipped out of reach. He reached further; it stretched further away.
"O...kay," he breathed, frowning. "That's not supposed to happen."
"Everything alright up there," River called from beneath.
"Perfectly fine," he fibbed, trying to grin in her direction. "Nearly to the top."
"We know that, dear. Just do your best not to get stuck there."
"Not a problem! Why," the Doctor muttered under his breath, "would that ever happen?" He took a good, sturdy grip on another length of bungee cord.
And watched, flabbergasted, as the cord separated into filaments that wrapped around his wrist.
"Oi!" He tugged hard, trying to keep steady as the bungee web vibrated all around him. "Let go!"
Luck didn't seem to be on his side. Pressure at his ankles made the Doctor look down. Both legs were bound in place before he could try to pull away.
"What--what the hell is happening," he shouted, struggling.
"Looks like the spider's getting caught in his own web," he heard Amy shout through hysterical laughter.
Her words were true enough. All around, pieces of bungee cord were acting of their own volition, wrapping around any limb that was close enough. Thick braids of it wound themselves around his waist. Before he knew what was happening, he was completely helpless.
Far below, he could hear the laughter building.
"Cute," he growled. "That's just adorable. Somebody come up here and help me!"
"Do we look like we're going to do that," Rory called.
"Damn it, help!"
"No."
Trapped in his elasticized web, the Doctor writhed and twisted, trying not to be sick as he bounced in place. "This isn't funny anymore," he shouted, bungee cords keeping him suspended in place like a breathing, struggling, extremely unwilling piñata.
He risked a glance down to the floor. Amy and Rory had left. River stood in the center of the gymnasium, grinning wickedly.
"This is all your doing," he accused.
"My doing," she asked him, the picture of innocence. "The TARDIS did all this. I...only asked her to. It seems that she's as fed up with your competitive behavior as we are." She sidled over to the door, a hand toying with the light switch. "Good night, my love."
"No--River, don't! Why are you doing this?!"
"It's called getting your comeuppance, dear."
The gymnasium was plunged into darkness, illuminated only by the lights pouring in from the corridor.
"River," the Doctor shouted, straining helplessly. "Please--I'm sorry! Get me down from here! Help me!"
River's giggles--and what little light was left--got cut off as the door slammed shut.
Title: 'Hypercompetitive'
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating/Warnings: G; No warnings
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000
Summary: "Do you know what an idiot you're making of yourself? This isn't an Olympic stadium; it's just the TARDIS gym!"
This Morning...
River sauntered into the kitchen, helping herself to a mug of coffee. "Hello, dears," she grinned.
Her parents, seated at the table, returned her smile over their breakfasts.
"Hello, yourself," Amy replied, leaning back in her chair. Her eyes twinkled with amusement. "He's not still in there, is he?"
"Last I checked," River told her, pulling out a chair.
"Seriously?" Rory stared at her, lingering somewhere between tickled and appalled. "You just left him there? All night?"
"What else could I do? He was being perfectly impossible."
"He sort of was, yeah," Rory nodded, taking a sip of orange juice.
Last Night...
"Haha! Beat that, Ponds," the Doctor crowed. He pointed a triumphant finger at the scoreboard against the far wall. "Beat that!"
"Doctor, seriously," Amy groaned, sagging on the bleachers. "Do you know what an idiot you're making of yourself? This isn't an Olympic stadium; it's just the TARDIS gym!"
"Just?" He stared at her. "Just? Are you jealous, Amy?"
The TARDIS' gymnasium had apparently gone overboard, turning into a huge obstacle course.
She rolled her eyes. "Is there something in Time Lord testosterone that makes you lot even more hypercompetitive than human males?"
"Not sure if I should resent that generalization or not," Rory put in. He flinched at Amy's glare.
"You don't have room to resent it," she reminded him. "You're in second place."
"By a huge margin," he pointed out. "I'm honestly amazed that River isn't the one in second."
"I'm saving myself," River grinned coyly.
"For what?" Rory blushed as the coy grin took a much more wicked turn. "Never mind; forget I asked."
"Clever old Dad. I do have to agree with Mummy, though," she continued, turning to the Doctor. "You are overdoing it. I thought we were going to just have a fun family night. But you've turned this into a competition."
"And I thought we were having fun," he returned, looking put out.
"It's not whether you win or lose, remember."
The Doctor stared from her, to Amy, to Rory. He sighed and sagged, deflated. "Fine," he mumbled. "Maybe I overdid it a smidge. If I promise to tone it down, can we go back to playing?"
The others exchanged a contemplative glance.
"Fair enough," Amy said after a moment's thought.
"Fine with me," Rory agreed.
The Doctor grinned widely. "That's more like it," he declared, spinning away from them. "Now. Last one to the top of the bungee web's a rotten Dalek!"
He began to spider his way up, paying no attention to the dismayed moans beneath him.
"What are we going to do about this," Amy demanded.
A devilish glint formed in River's eyes. "Don't worry. I've got this." She moved apart a little, brushing her hand against the nearest wall. Closing her eyes, she leaned in, until her forehead touched the surface.
"River? What exactly are you doing," she heard Rory wonder.
She giggled to herself, turning to face her parents again. "Just asking the old girl for a little help. She'll know what to do."
Amy leaned in, curious. "And that would be...?"
River folded her arms in front of her, slowly looking up toward the web. "Just watch."
Meanwhile...
The Doctor's hand, inches away from gripping bungee, suddenly clasped nothing. He tumbled forward, just catching himself before he could fall.
"What the hell," he murmured, perplexed. "I could have sworn..."
He reached out for another piece of elastic cord. It dipped out of reach. He reached further; it stretched further away.
"O...kay," he breathed, frowning. "That's not supposed to happen."
"Everything alright up there," River called from beneath.
"Perfectly fine," he fibbed, trying to grin in her direction. "Nearly to the top."
"We know that, dear. Just do your best not to get stuck there."
"Not a problem! Why," the Doctor muttered under his breath, "would that ever happen?" He took a good, sturdy grip on another length of bungee cord.
And watched, flabbergasted, as the cord separated into filaments that wrapped around his wrist.
"Oi!" He tugged hard, trying to keep steady as the bungee web vibrated all around him. "Let go!"
Luck didn't seem to be on his side. Pressure at his ankles made the Doctor look down. Both legs were bound in place before he could try to pull away.
"What--what the hell is happening," he shouted, struggling.
"Looks like the spider's getting caught in his own web," he heard Amy shout through hysterical laughter.
Her words were true enough. All around, pieces of bungee cord were acting of their own volition, wrapping around any limb that was close enough. Thick braids of it wound themselves around his waist. Before he knew what was happening, he was completely helpless.
Far below, he could hear the laughter building.
"Cute," he growled. "That's just adorable. Somebody come up here and help me!"
"Do we look like we're going to do that," Rory called.
"Damn it, help!"
"No."
Trapped in his elasticized web, the Doctor writhed and twisted, trying not to be sick as he bounced in place. "This isn't funny anymore," he shouted, bungee cords keeping him suspended in place like a breathing, struggling, extremely unwilling piñata.
He risked a glance down to the floor. Amy and Rory had left. River stood in the center of the gymnasium, grinning wickedly.
"This is all your doing," he accused.
"My doing," she asked him, the picture of innocence. "The TARDIS did all this. I...only asked her to. It seems that she's as fed up with your competitive behavior as we are." She sidled over to the door, a hand toying with the light switch. "Good night, my love."
"No--River, don't! Why are you doing this?!"
"It's called getting your comeuppance, dear."
The gymnasium was plunged into darkness, illuminated only by the lights pouring in from the corridor.
"River," the Doctor shouted, straining helplessly. "Please--I'm sorry! Get me down from here! Help me!"
River's giggles--and what little light was left--got cut off as the door slammed shut.