3SF 2024 - Round-Up Post the Second!

[mad_madam_m]

Another threesentenceficathon round up, this one with a few new fandoms, including one for an anime I literally just finished watching like two days ago. I've been doing these fills for Ked's WIP Wednesday game over on Tumblr, and I've pulled at least one other person into checking out the 3SF, which is excellent.

So here are the fills since the last post (29 across 12 fandoms, plus original work):

Leverage

Parker/Eliot/Hardison, Technical Difficulties
Prompt: Any, any, computer issues

"What..." Alec had to stop, take a minute, and count to ten because otherwise he was going to lose his damn mind all over Parker and Eliot, and that wouldn't end well for any of them. He gestured helplessly at the computer, which was spitting out some frankly worrying error codes. "What did you do?"

"I don't know. We clicked a thing!" Parker looked at him pleadingly. "You can fix it, right?"

"Can I—" Alec sat down with a huff. "Can I fix it, of course I can fix it. Get me two liters of orange soda and a pack of Twizzlers. And neither of you are allowed to so much as breathe on this poor baby again, you got that?"

Eliot leaned over and blew across the back of the laptop's lid before he took Parker's arm and ushered her out of the room.

"I saw that!"


Parker/Eliot/Hardison, Something Something Saving Throws
Prompt: Leverage, Parker, video game references

Parker landed on the roof with a whoop. "Oh, man, I got so much XP for that!"

"Aw, yeah, that's my girl's first gaming reference!" Hardison said over the comms.

"I'll bake you a cake," Eliot groused. "Now let's go!"

Gargoyles

Gen, The Book of Lost Spells
Prompt: any, any, the lost spells

"Has the clan already left?"

"Yes, sir. Just after dusk. They seem to think they've found a lead on this book of lost spells."

"Really?" Xanatos drummed his fingers on the glass case, where the book of lost spells sat inside. "Well, good luck to them."

Owen raised an eyebrow. "I don't suppose you want to mention that you found it on our last excursion two months ago?"

Xanatos waved off the words. "Oh, come now, Owen. Where's the fun in that?"


Elisa/Goliath, Monsters
Prompt: any, any, monsters are better at loving than heroes

"But they're monsters!" the woman shrieked. "How could you even think about—"

Elisa swiped her hand through the air, cutting off the rest of the sentence. "Listen, lady. He's not the one out here trying to rile people up with fear and hatred. He's spent the past few years protecting this city, saving people like you who'd rather have his head on a pike. For my money? He's not the monster in this situation."

She whirled on her heel and stormed away, leaving the other woman spluttering in her wake.


Owen/Xanatos, It's So Hard to Find Personal Time These Days
Prompt: any, any, while the icy winds rattle the windowpanes

"Come on, Owen. Alex is asleep, half the clan is out dates, and the other half is out on patrol." Xanatos ran a hand up Owen's arm. "We actually have alone time. Maybe a full hour, if we're really lucky."

"Mr. Xanatos, I—" The icy wind outside blew snow and sleet into the windows, and Owen frowned. "I am afraid I have to decline. This is not a natural storm."

Xanatos sighed—if Owen said it wasn't natural, then it wasn't, and that meant it bore looking into—and resigned himself to spending the evening doing his second favorite thing with Owen, which sadly involved much more clothing than his favorite thing.

Tiger & Bunny

Kotetsu/Tomoe, Brushing
Prompt: any, any, hair care (washing, brushing, braiding, go wild)

The hairbrush caught on a knot and pulled, and Kotetsu winced. "Sorry."

He couldn't see Tomoe's face, with her back turned toward him as it was, but the smile in her voice was audible. "It's all right. It didn't hurt."

He believed her—he did—but his eyes still flicked to the IV in her hand and the medicine that steadily dripped into the tubing. The last thing she needed right now was her husband yanking on her hair, even if it "didn't hurt."


Barnaby/Kotetsu, Airplanes
Prompt: Any, any, slow day at work

The first paper plane that skidded across his desk and landed in the wastebasket, Barnaby ignored.

The second and third paper planes that zipped overhead and crashed into the wall were moderately more annoying.

The fourth paper airplane made a big loop in the air and then landed point-first in Barnaby's hair, and he slammed his hands on the desk and glared at Kotetsu, who scrambled to look like he was doing literally anything other than sending his paperwork flying around the office.

"Will. You. Stop," Barnaby snapped.

Kotetsu smiled—it did not help—and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, Bunny-chan."


Gen, Apartment
Prompt: any, any, living alone again

The apartment is dark and silent, like it has been every night over the past few months, with Tomoe in the hospital and Kaede in Oriental Town and Kotetsu being the only one still there to walk through the door. He's done this night after night now; it shouldn't be any different, and yet.

And yet, tonight, he walks in and it hits him like a freight train: Tomoe isn't coming home, she's never coming home again, and he sinks to the ground and stares across their little apartment and tries to breathe, tries to wrap his mind around the enormity of the grief.


Ryan/Karina, Gonna Be Blue Rose's Next Single
Prompt: any, any, “I might not be famous yet, but I'm gonna put you in a song that I write"

"Are you writing songs, Princess?" Ryan asked. "Are you writing one about me?"

Karina put her hand on his face and pushed him away from her notebooks. "I'm doing homework. I am in college, you know."

"Would you write a song about me?"

Karina huffed. "In your dreams."

He didn't need to know that she already had.


Gen (Barnaby/Kotetsu, Karina/Ryan), Just a Little Crush All Around
Prompt: Any, any, mutual pining

"It's so annoying to talk to them! I can't stand it." Karina slammed her wine glass toward the table and stopped just before it landed, belatedly remembering it wasn't a water glass and might not stand up to the force. "Any time you so much as mention Tiger, Barnaby gets this moon-eyed look on his face and won't shut up about him for an hour! And whenever they're around each other now, Tiger's stuttering and blushing like he's a teenager. He's middle-aged with a daughter. I wish one of them would confess already and stop this train wreck."

"Mm-hmm." Nathan smirked and tapped on the table with one perfectly manicured finger. "Just like a train wreck, you can't look away. Now tell me, how's Ryan doing?"

Karina's cheeks flamed, and she immediately took another sip of wine. "What? He's fine. He went home to visit family this weekend. Why are you asking me?"

"Oh, no reason. No reason at all."


Karina/Kotetsu (one-sided), Heartbreak
Prompt: Any, any, heartbreak

Karina couldn't say it was a surprise that Tiger and Barnaby had announced they were dating—frankly, it was a surprise they hadn't started sooner, especially given some of the cryptic things Fire Emblem had said over the past few years.

What was a surprise was how much it hurt to hear.

She'd thought she was over her crush on Tiger, but apparently not; apparently she'd still held out just enough hope that the truth had smashed her dreams flat, and now she was going to the nearest bar to drink the largest, most alcoholic drink they were capable of making.


Barnaby/Kotetsu, Remembering
Prompt: any, any, it's all coming back to me now

The apartment was dark and quiet when Kotetsu got home, which wouldn't have been weird except that he'd seen Bunny's car out front. "Hey, Bunny, are you here?"

He found him upstairs in the loft, curled up on his bed—their bed, really, at this point, given how much time Bunny spent over here—and looking too tense to be sleeping.

Kotetsu sat on the bed beside him. "Bunny? What's going on?"

Bunny hunched a little, turning his face further into Kotetsu's pillow, and he didn't answer for long enough that Kotetsu thought he wouldn't.

"I'm remembering other things," Bunny finally said, his voice half-muffled by the pillow.

Kotetsu started to ask what he was talking about when it hit him with the force of a brick.

Maverick.

He shouldn't have been surprised—Maverick had started messing with Bunny's memories when he was four; of course he'd done it more than once or twice—but the surprise was still there, somehow. It turned his stomach.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

Bunny shook his head.

Okay. He probably wanted to be alone, then. Kotetsu started to stand. "I'll go make—"

Bunny caught his hand. "Stay. Please."

And really, what was Kotetsu going to do, say no?

He crawled onto the bed behind Bunny, pulled him close, and wished like hell he could do more than just this. But there were some things even a hero couldn't fix.


Gen, Dealing with Customer Service
Prompt: any, any, And I Must Scream

Cain flipped through the schedules and dodged a coffee cart on his way to Agnes's office. He was supposed to have been there five minutes ago and she was not going to be happy about it.

He had one hand on the door to open it, an apology already on his lips, when—

"Just what the hell kind of stunt do you think you're pulling?!"

Cain froze.

"I don't care whose idea it was! You have until close of business today to fix this before I take it up with the Justice Department!"

He stepped back from the door and hurried back to the coffee cart. Their meeting could wait.

Sk8 the Infinity

Gen, Fun
Prompt: any, any, fun and laughter

Kojiro grabs his board and shoots out of the house, the spring air warm on his face. It's the first day in weeks that isn't snowy or rainy or just fucking freezing, and he's determined to make the most of it.

He drops his board as soon as he's at the street and kicks off, sailing across the asphalt, and he throws back his head and laughs with the exhilaration of it.


Gen, For a Given Value of "Fun"
Prompt: any, any, "We could get arrested for this."

"This is where you want to skate?" Kaoru sounded dubious.

Kojiro eyed the abandoned mine with some trepidation. "This place is pretty dangerous." His gaze fell on the giant NO TRESPASSING signs. "And we could get arrested. Very arrested."

"We could." Adam slung his arms around Kojiro's and Kaoru's shoulders. "But isn't that part of what makes it so fun?"


Joe/Cherry, Emergency Contact
Prompt: any ; any ; waiting at the emergency room

"I'm fine," Kaoru said through gritted teeth, cautiously holding his left arm close to his chest. "You don't have to stay."

Kojiro rolled his eyes and kicked back in the powerfully uncomfortable emergency room chair. "Yeah, yeah, you're not driving anywhere with that arm, and I don't have anything better to do."

It might have been his imagination, but he thought Kaoru relaxed a bit. "Your adoring fangirls will be disappointed to hear that."

Kojiro scoffed, more out of form than anything else—Kaoru was the most important person in the world, as far as he was concerned, and if Kaoru hadn't realized that yet, it was on him.

Castlevania

Gen, Sense
Prompt: any, any, the only one with any common sense

"Am I really the only one of us with any sense whatsoever?" Sypha yelled.

"I don't know." Trevor wound up his whip and winced at the way his arm twinged—he was going to have a hell of a bruise there later. "We did meet for the first time because you went off—alone—looking for a mythical soldier and got yourself turned to stone by a cyclops."

Alucard's eyebrows shot up. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that? More slowly and with far more detail."

Sypha spun away from them and stalked off. "I hate you both."


Trevor/Alucard, Chants
Prompt: Any, any, Under a blood red sky a crowd has gathered in black and white

Trevor looked up at the sky, which was turning an unearthly red in the midst of the chanting from the crowd below. "Well, that's not good."

Alucard drew his sword. "I believe the priest in the middle is the one we need to aim for."

"Bet I can beat you to him," Trevor said, crouching on the edge of the rooftop.

Alucard gave him a very toothy grin. "Belmont, I would love to see you try."

Teen Wolf

Cora/Lydia, Tracking
Prompt: Any, any, gave their girlfriend a tracking device

Lydia arched an eyebrow at the small black disc in her hand. "I'm sorry, you said this is what?"

Cora recognized the warning tone and refused to be cowed by it. "It's a tracking device. The new hunters in town are going after everyone who's even remotely related to the supernatural. That includes banshees. It's for your own safety."

"Sweetheart." Lydia stood up slowly. "There are a lot of things I will do for my safety, but this?" She dropped the tracking device onto the coffee table. "Is absolutely not one of them."


Scott & Stiles, One Night
Prompt: any, any, it was just for one night

"Aw, c'mon, Scotty, it was just for one night. What are you so mad about?"

"We were in jail, Stiles!"

"But we're not anymore!"

Mary Stayed Out All Night

Mary/Jung In/Mu Gyul, Mittens
Prompt: any, any, the magic of fibercraft

It had been a hard day, with a lot of meetings and a lot of arguments over a lot of very petty things, and Jung In was exhausted and ready to leave by the time the day was over.

He stepped outside and blinked dully at the air, speckled white with snowflakes swirling through the streetlights. When had it started snowing?

With a briefcase in one hand, all he could do was shove his free hand into the pocket of his overcoat, where he jammed his fingers right into a ball of something very soft. Frowning, he pulled out a pair of knitted mittens, and heard Mary's voice in his head, clear as day.

It's supposed to get colder today, Director! These will help to keep you warm.

He smiled to himself and pulled the mittens on. They were brightly colored, green and yellow and blue, a sharp contrast to his otherwise dark, sensible work clothes. And they were so, so warm.

Jung In flexed his fingers in the mittens, picked up his briefcase, and turned to head home.

Yowamushi Pedal

Toudou/Makishima, An Important Part of a Bicycle Race
Prompt: any, any, hydration

"Here."

Yuusuke blinked at the bottle of water that had appeared suddenly in front of his face, and he slowly raised his eyes to see Toudou glaring at him. "Huh?"

Toudou shook the water. "You need to drink more water, Maki-chan! You were too slow on that last stretch."

Yuusuke eyed him and cautiously accepted the water. "Thanks. But why does it matter to you?"

"Because." Toudou spun around to walk away. "The race isn't worth finishing if you're not there beside me."


Toudou/Makishima, Return Flight
Prompt: any. any, reunion kisses

Yuusuke strode through the terminal as he texted Tadokoro, letting him know that his flight had landed and he'd be at the baggage claim soon. The flight from London to Tokyo was long and exhausting, and he was looking forward to faceplanting into a bed until someone roused him for lunch. Or dinner? He wasn't sure what time it was.

He reached the baggage claim and was looking for the one for his flight when he heard, "Maki-chan!"

That was all the warning he got before Toudou was flying at him, and Yuusuke dropped his carry-on to catch him. Toudou immediately peppered kisses all over his face.

Yuusuke laughed. "Did you miss me?"

"Shut up," Toudou said, and kissed him on the mouth to make sure that he did.

Good Omens

Gen, Promotions
Prompt: Good Omens, any, if you were just a wee bit less of a wanker

"You know, Furfur, there could be something of a promotion for you, if you were just a wee bit less of a wanker," Shax said.

Furfur snapped his head up from the cup of coffee that was still scalding. "What, really?"

"Hm." Shax tapped one sharp nail on her desk. "Actually, no. I imagine you'd have to be much more of one."

Original

Binding
Prompt: any, any, the bookbinder

The basement window of the bookshop flickered orange and pink long into the night every night, and rumors swirled about the market in the daytime hours about just what the old bookseller was doing down there. He claimed to be binding books, but no one believed him; after all, the books he sold came already bound.

Anne could see the flickering lights reflecting on the wet cobblestones from her bedroom window, and after two weeks, she could take it no longer—she crept out and stole across the street to the bookshop and knelt by the window and gasped at what she saw: the old bookseller drawing magic from the air, orange and pink runes, pressing them into pages, and clamping the shivering, shimmering papers together.


The Village at the End of the World
Prompt: any, any, room at the end of the world

They call it the Village at the End of the World: a cluster of buildings in the shadow of the black, fanged mountains that no one has ever crossed and returned to tell the tale. The village has been there for decades—centuries even—although the reasons for settling in such an inhospitable land have been lost to time, as so many things are (perhaps it was for protection, an early warning for any dangers that may have come out of the mountains, but surely those are all legend now).

Few come that way—relatives coming to visit, traveling merchants making rounds, one very brave minstrel collecting stories to share at the capital—but every now and then, a determined traveler alights on the tavern with the goal to cross the mountains. The villagers always try to dissuade them, but it always fails, so they do the only thing they can: give them a clean room and a warm meal before they set off, and give them their final rites as soon as they pass from sight.

Voltron: Legendary Defender

Shiro/Keith, Homesick
Prompt: any, any, in our bedroom after the war

Keith woke up and stretched across the bed; the sheets were still warm, but Shiro wasn't there.

He found him in the living room, standing in front of the window and staring up at the night sky, his metal hand resting lightly on the glass.

Keith came up behind him and slid his arms around Shiro's waist, kissing the middle of his bare back. "What's going on?"

Shiro wiped his hand over his face. "I just...miss it. Being out there." He nodded toward the sky and the stars shining in the dark. "Don't you?"

Keith knew what he meant. With the end of the war, they'd all returned to Earth, but it didn't feel like home anymore. If it ever had.

"Yeah." He hugged Shiro harder. "I do."

Boys Over Flowers

Jan Di/Jun Pyo, Noodles
Prompt: any, any, "everyone shut up, I'm experiencing childlike wonder"

"Shut up!"

Jan Di gasped and swatted his shoulder. "Don't you tell me to shut up, Gu Jun Pyo! And what's wrong with you? Haven't you ever had noodles before?"

"I've had noodles." Jun Pyo hefted another giant bite with his chopsticks. "But I've never had noodles like this."

"They're just instant noodles from the corner store," Jan Di muttered, watching in confused fascination as Jun Pyo—the richest boy in school—ate her cheap noodles like they were the best thing he'd ever tasted.

My New Boss Is Goofy

Aoyama/Kinjo, Look At Me
Prompt: any, any, "look at me, look at me, look at me"

"Kinjo? What are you doing here?" Mitsuo stopped outside his house, where his subordinate was sitting on the front step, tipping from side to side. "Have you been drinking?"

Kinjo held up his thumb and forefinger hardly a centimeter apart. "Just a little bit, chief."

Mitsuo glanced back over his shoulder, toward the street. "Do you need me to take you to the train station? It's late, but I don't think the last train—"

"I want you to look at me," Kinjo whined.

"What?"

"You're always complaining that nobody is looking at you." Kinjo shoved himself up and stumbled a few steps closer. "But I want you to look at me."

"Kinjo—" Mitsuo started, but then Kinjo pitched forward. Mitsuo barely caught him before he would've smashed face-first on the sidewalk. "Kinjo!"

There was a soft snort. Kinjo was apparently fast asleep.