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whatif_auTitle: 'Oobleck'
Author:but_can_i_be_trusted
Fandom: The Monkees/Doctor Who
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Notes: Crossposted togenprompt_bingo and ficlet_zone
Summary: "It's the only explanation we're going to get," Peter answered.
The door to the Pad burst open, startling four very confused young men. An older man ran in, all silver-haired and frantic.
"Oobleck," he shouted. "I need oobleck!"
Mike frowned, pointing to the door. "You don't need it badly enough to be rude about it," he responded. "Now, go back out there and knock like a civilized human being!"
The man dashed to the kitchen, rummaging around in the cupboards. "I'm not a human. I'm the Doctor. And I don't have time to waste on knocking. Or manners, in general."
"Well, that explains everything," Micky muttered.
"Hang on," Davy protested. "Did you just say you're not human?!"
"Yes," the Doctor declared, snatching at a container of cornstarch. His next act was to fish out the largest bowl he could find, dumping the starch into it. "I also said I don't have time!" He turned to the sink, turning on the tap. Nothing came out. "Are they not putting water in pipes, these days?!"
Peter raised a nervous hand. "Uh, money's been a little tight, this month. The water company's cut us off for nonpayment."
"Cut you off?" The Doctor turned to him, aghast. "In the middle of the summer?! How are you supposed to stay alive?"
Mike nodded to a large tank. "Very generous neighbors have been helpin' us out with our water supply. Can't spare enough for your little science experiment, though."
The Doctor lifted a finger, listening. "Wait a minute. What am I hearing?"
"You just heard me tal--what the heck kinda whirlwind is that guy," Mike asked as the strange intruder swooped past him, and out the back door.
Peter, being the nearest, looked out from the patio. "He's mixing some seawater into the bowl--that is, he was," he called, quickly moving aside as the Doctor ran back in again.
"Ocean water's not ideal," the Doctor explained to nobody in particular, as he proceeded to mix. "But it's better than nothing. It'll do, in a pinch."
"But what do you need it for," Micky asked. He chuckled. "You got an overdue project for your kid's science fair?"
"What other reason could anyone have for needing that stuff on such short notice," Davy agreed.
Suddenly, there was a loud roar from just outside the Pad. The four Monkees cringed where they stood.
The Doctor turned to the still-open front door, bowl in hand. He smiled grimly.
"Here comes the reason," he warned. "Keep back!"
The quartet swiftly obeyed, clustering around the bandstand. Another roar pierced the air, sending them atremble. A shadow loomed on the floor in front of the door, before its owner entered.
Spindly, and standing on three legs, the creature swung its tennis-ball-sized head around, seeming to take in every detail through a single eye that looked like a faceted garnet. The intimidating beast was...shockingly petite; it looked like it would come up to Davy's knees.
"That's it," Micky asked, bursting out in surprise laughter. "That's what all the fuss is about?" He sauntered over, amused. "Hey, there, little fellah--"
It turned to face him, letting out a screech that even mangled metal couldn't replicate. Seen up close, it was more ferocious than its diminutive size seemed to indicate, bearing fangs that were thin, but needle-like.
Quickly, Micky backed off. "Uh, never mind."
Not waiting for anything that could pass for a prime opportunity, the Doctor swung the bowl toward the strange creature. Oobleck did its best to splash forth, coming out in a dense, clumpy mass that had just enough momentum to fling toward its target.
Instantly, the thing collapsed, covered in the non-Newtonian fluid glop. It writhed and made awkward squawking noises. Thick smears were left on the floor of the Pad with every movement.
The Doctor looked toward his unwilling hosts. "Got a cat carrier handy," he asked.
Four very troubled Monkees exchanged glances. First this weird man invaded their home, making demands for oobleck. Then, e made a mess, with the help of another, evidently more hostile thing. And now he wanted a cat carrier?! None dared to wonder what this peculiar man who called himself the Doctor might ask for, next.
"No, we don't," Peter spoke up. He shrugged. "We're not allowed to have pets. I don't suppose a pillowcase would work?"
For a moment, the Doctor contemplated, gazing at the thing he'd just defeated.
"It'll do, for a while," he said. "Not that it'll hold for very long; but it'll be long enough."
As Peter ran to the bedroom to fetch a pillowcase, yet another form stomped into the Pad.
"What the heck has been going on in here," Babbitt bellowed. He looked all around him, taking in oobleck, oobleck-coated monster, and oobleck-bowl-clutching Doctor. "Clean up this mess," he snarled, "and get rid of...whatever that animal is. And you," he added, pointing squarely at the Doctor, "haven't signed the lease, so you'd better not be moving in!"
"Have you always been such a ray of sunshine," the Doctor asked, sizing the newcomer up. "Or is this a recent development in your life?"
It was at that moment that Peter chose to reenter, pillowcase in hand. He let out a laugh at the Doctor's remark, then flinched when Babbitt's angry gaze--which, mere moments ago, had been nonplussed--was aimed at him.
"Sorry," he smiled nervously, before handing the pillowcase to the Doctor and slinking back to rejoin his roommates.
Babbitt glared at his four tenants briefly. Then, his eyes moved back to the Doctor.
"If you're not outta here in five minutes," he growled, "I'm calling the police."
Turning on his heel, he stomped back out, slamming the door behind him.
"Doesn't seem to be my day, today, does it," the Doctor remarked with a cynical smile. He knelt before the creature that he'd doused, dropping the pillowcase around it. He scooped the case up, knotting it firmly. "Glad that's sorted, anyway."
"What exactly is that thing," Davy asked.
"And are there any more of 'em around here," Mike put in. When his friends all turned to him, horrorstruck, he shrugged. "Might as well know, guys."
The Doctor gave them a reassuring smile. "Not to worry. The Yutr are a species that come from a rogue planet in the Andromeda Galaxy. This one was being kept in an illegal zoo on the planet..." He glanced over at a calendar, taking in the year. "On a planet that your scientists haven't discovered yet. I had to confiscate it, and I was in the process of taking it to its home world when it got away from me. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused, and I wish I could help you clean up. But the Yutr are extremely touchy; I need to get this one home as quickly as I can, before it tears its way through and goes on a rampage. They're surprisingly powerful and deadly, for something so small."
As though eager to prove the Doctor right, the pillowcased Yutr let out a scream of rage, wriggling helplessly.
"Right," the Doctor sighed. "That's my exit cue. See you again, sometime, perhaps."
With that, both Doctor and Yutr were out the door and gone. Leaving a decidedly confused silence in their wake.
"Do any of you believe anything that guy just said," Micky asked wearily.
"It's the only explanation we're going to get," Peter answered. "I guess that makes it better than nothing."
Author:
but_can_i_be_trustedFandom: The Monkees/Doctor Who
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Notes: Crossposted to
genprompt_bingo and ficlet_zoneSummary: "It's the only explanation we're going to get," Peter answered.
The door to the Pad burst open, startling four very confused young men. An older man ran in, all silver-haired and frantic.
"Oobleck," he shouted. "I need oobleck!"
Mike frowned, pointing to the door. "You don't need it badly enough to be rude about it," he responded. "Now, go back out there and knock like a civilized human being!"
The man dashed to the kitchen, rummaging around in the cupboards. "I'm not a human. I'm the Doctor. And I don't have time to waste on knocking. Or manners, in general."
"Well, that explains everything," Micky muttered.
"Hang on," Davy protested. "Did you just say you're not human?!"
"Yes," the Doctor declared, snatching at a container of cornstarch. His next act was to fish out the largest bowl he could find, dumping the starch into it. "I also said I don't have time!" He turned to the sink, turning on the tap. Nothing came out. "Are they not putting water in pipes, these days?!"
Peter raised a nervous hand. "Uh, money's been a little tight, this month. The water company's cut us off for nonpayment."
"Cut you off?" The Doctor turned to him, aghast. "In the middle of the summer?! How are you supposed to stay alive?"
Mike nodded to a large tank. "Very generous neighbors have been helpin' us out with our water supply. Can't spare enough for your little science experiment, though."
The Doctor lifted a finger, listening. "Wait a minute. What am I hearing?"
"You just heard me tal--what the heck kinda whirlwind is that guy," Mike asked as the strange intruder swooped past him, and out the back door.
Peter, being the nearest, looked out from the patio. "He's mixing some seawater into the bowl--that is, he was," he called, quickly moving aside as the Doctor ran back in again.
"Ocean water's not ideal," the Doctor explained to nobody in particular, as he proceeded to mix. "But it's better than nothing. It'll do, in a pinch."
"But what do you need it for," Micky asked. He chuckled. "You got an overdue project for your kid's science fair?"
"What other reason could anyone have for needing that stuff on such short notice," Davy agreed.
Suddenly, there was a loud roar from just outside the Pad. The four Monkees cringed where they stood.
The Doctor turned to the still-open front door, bowl in hand. He smiled grimly.
"Here comes the reason," he warned. "Keep back!"
The quartet swiftly obeyed, clustering around the bandstand. Another roar pierced the air, sending them atremble. A shadow loomed on the floor in front of the door, before its owner entered.
Spindly, and standing on three legs, the creature swung its tennis-ball-sized head around, seeming to take in every detail through a single eye that looked like a faceted garnet. The intimidating beast was...shockingly petite; it looked like it would come up to Davy's knees.
"That's it," Micky asked, bursting out in surprise laughter. "That's what all the fuss is about?" He sauntered over, amused. "Hey, there, little fellah--"
It turned to face him, letting out a screech that even mangled metal couldn't replicate. Seen up close, it was more ferocious than its diminutive size seemed to indicate, bearing fangs that were thin, but needle-like.
Quickly, Micky backed off. "Uh, never mind."
Not waiting for anything that could pass for a prime opportunity, the Doctor swung the bowl toward the strange creature. Oobleck did its best to splash forth, coming out in a dense, clumpy mass that had just enough momentum to fling toward its target.
Instantly, the thing collapsed, covered in the non-Newtonian fluid glop. It writhed and made awkward squawking noises. Thick smears were left on the floor of the Pad with every movement.
The Doctor looked toward his unwilling hosts. "Got a cat carrier handy," he asked.
Four very troubled Monkees exchanged glances. First this weird man invaded their home, making demands for oobleck. Then, e made a mess, with the help of another, evidently more hostile thing. And now he wanted a cat carrier?! None dared to wonder what this peculiar man who called himself the Doctor might ask for, next.
"No, we don't," Peter spoke up. He shrugged. "We're not allowed to have pets. I don't suppose a pillowcase would work?"
For a moment, the Doctor contemplated, gazing at the thing he'd just defeated.
"It'll do, for a while," he said. "Not that it'll hold for very long; but it'll be long enough."
As Peter ran to the bedroom to fetch a pillowcase, yet another form stomped into the Pad.
"What the heck has been going on in here," Babbitt bellowed. He looked all around him, taking in oobleck, oobleck-coated monster, and oobleck-bowl-clutching Doctor. "Clean up this mess," he snarled, "and get rid of...whatever that animal is. And you," he added, pointing squarely at the Doctor, "haven't signed the lease, so you'd better not be moving in!"
"Have you always been such a ray of sunshine," the Doctor asked, sizing the newcomer up. "Or is this a recent development in your life?"
It was at that moment that Peter chose to reenter, pillowcase in hand. He let out a laugh at the Doctor's remark, then flinched when Babbitt's angry gaze--which, mere moments ago, had been nonplussed--was aimed at him.
"Sorry," he smiled nervously, before handing the pillowcase to the Doctor and slinking back to rejoin his roommates.
Babbitt glared at his four tenants briefly. Then, his eyes moved back to the Doctor.
"If you're not outta here in five minutes," he growled, "I'm calling the police."
Turning on his heel, he stomped back out, slamming the door behind him.
"Doesn't seem to be my day, today, does it," the Doctor remarked with a cynical smile. He knelt before the creature that he'd doused, dropping the pillowcase around it. He scooped the case up, knotting it firmly. "Glad that's sorted, anyway."
"What exactly is that thing," Davy asked.
"And are there any more of 'em around here," Mike put in. When his friends all turned to him, horrorstruck, he shrugged. "Might as well know, guys."
The Doctor gave them a reassuring smile. "Not to worry. The Yutr are a species that come from a rogue planet in the Andromeda Galaxy. This one was being kept in an illegal zoo on the planet..." He glanced over at a calendar, taking in the year. "On a planet that your scientists haven't discovered yet. I had to confiscate it, and I was in the process of taking it to its home world when it got away from me. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused, and I wish I could help you clean up. But the Yutr are extremely touchy; I need to get this one home as quickly as I can, before it tears its way through and goes on a rampage. They're surprisingly powerful and deadly, for something so small."
As though eager to prove the Doctor right, the pillowcased Yutr let out a scream of rage, wriggling helplessly.
"Right," the Doctor sighed. "That's my exit cue. See you again, sometime, perhaps."
With that, both Doctor and Yutr were out the door and gone. Leaving a decidedly confused silence in their wake.
"Do any of you believe anything that guy just said," Micky asked wearily.
"It's the only explanation we're going to get," Peter answered. "I guess that makes it better than nothing."
