Thank you so much for the amazing set of prompts! I hope you enjoy my interpretation of Tenmyouji and Quark’s worldFor the prompt: Quark and Tenmyouji’s casual life on Earth, celebrating one of their birthdays or a holiday, really showcasing how much Tenmyouji loves Quark and tries to give him the best life despite the circumstances.
hii wanted to tell you i started wtachng a ISAT lp earier bc of your (and others but you have ISAT posted during my nap thus just saw the new batch lol) ISAT posting you have won
HI IM SO SORRY FOR NOT GETTING TO THIS SOONER BUT . OMG :DDDDD WE GOT ANOTHER ONE ISATHEADS !!!!!!!
i got SO so excited both when i saw this n when u sent ur theory to me like that got me out of bed in the morning when i woke up n saw it . id love to hear ur thoughts as u see more/when u get to the end :3c
hi ! happy new years!! your prompts were amazing and i hope did justice with this fic (ps it takes place on post another end vlr, and it is also on ao3)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
strength
“You’re sick, Quark!” The old man crossed his arms, his brows furrowed as he turned to his grandchild.
“I said I’m fine.” Quark mumbled, not looking up as they continued their search for junk.
This time they were in an abandoned office by the next city, which took them long enough to drive. Quark slept the entire drive off, there was a hint of tiredness still however they would never admit it. They couldn’t just complain about something so small, they were almost 15 now. They had to be strong and be able to take care of themselves and most importantly, they couldn’t make Grandpa worry.
Tenmyouji grumbled something under his breath, he went back to sorting through gear of the intact or almost intact PCs. There was an uncomfortable silence now, Quark felt especially guilty. They knew lying wasn’t the right thing to do, but really, in their head they were just a tiny bit tired for some reason.
“This is the last floor, we’re going back home afterwards.” Grandpa finally broke the silence.
“We just came here!” Quark dropped everything they were inspecting and turned to Tenmyouji.
“Kiddo, I can see it in your face.” The sour expression of the old man slowly disappeared, his gaze was soft when the words poured out.
“What about my face?” Quark frowned.
Quark wouldn’t get sick a lot, they were one tough kid, that’s for sure. But when they did, their old man would be able to tell it in a heartbeat.
“C’mon, we’re going home before you get a fever.” he spoke as he grabbed the full two bags in front of him.
“I don’t have a fever, Grandpa!” Quark went back to searching, ignoring their grandpa as he walked towards the stairs.
“Quark!” Tenmyouji yelled from the stairs.
“Go without me!” Quark shouted back, not moving an inch.
Quark stayed for a while, still trying to find junk. Although, their joints were hurting and their nose was runny, it was fine! Everything was fine. Regardless of the hours that have probably passed, Quark was there. They toured the entire building, pretty confident that Tenmyouji probably had left already.
Suddenly, the guilt hit them back again. They made it to the exit down the stairs though they could feel their head spinning as they tried to walk down the stairs and suddenly, everything went black. Thankfully, Tenmyouji heard the sounds of things falling and flew right back inside. He had never left, of course he couldn’t have. It was definitely not safe out here and despite almost reaching adulthood, Quark needed him, they certainly had much to learn.
With uncanny strength for his age, he carried both Quark and the two bags safely to his truck and rushed home. His mind was racing with thoughts, jumping from the worst case scenario to sheer panic. He constantly checked their pulse or their fever which all seemed normal until around 15 minutes later, Quark started burning up however they were thankfully awake and somewhat in their senses.
Tenmyouji and Quark finally made it back home. The old man carried the teen to their bed and rushed to the medicine cabinet, later coming back with cold medicine and paracetamol. Quark sat upright on the bed, trying to keep themselves awake. This could not have been happening to them, were they this weak? Have they failed Grandpa? They’ve undergone so many things that couldn’t even possibly be mouthed, and now they couldn’t find the strength to stand up? To Quark, this was no longer a simple illness or flu but their own frailty, their own inability to take care of themselves. They were upset, confused and mad however too tired to argue with their own mind.
It didn’t help that Grandpa didn’t have a very pleasant… expression on his face. They haven’t seen his face this sour for so long. Tenmyouji knitted his brows, he looked so angry when he handed over the medication and a glass of water to his grandchild.
Quark took the medicine, swallowing them swiftly. Tenmyouji was pacing around mumbling something to himself, then after a few seconds he suddenly bolted out.
The teenager shut their eyes, trying to find a way to prove to their grandfather that they’d be fine and that they are capable of the workload and the struggles of the post apocalyptic world. Meanwhile, Tenmyouji was mad at himself. He had expected Quark to follow suit, alas they did not. He should have gone back upstairs instead. If only he knew that Quark would faint, if he knew that they weren’t as in good shape as they appeared in the eye. To him, Quark had only looked slightly sick but would probably have gotten worse. He should have dragged them out by force, not letting them rebel against him. But at the same time they were getting big, making their own decisions and growing even tougher by the day, there wasn’t much he could do but he wished there was.
He walked on the blocks, trying to find a medical shelter or a clinic, anyone who was qualified and available to look after Quark. The old man knew a couple of doctors, some neighbors and some he met along the way. As his steps got faster, his memories flooded. He thought of the fatal fever Quark had at the age of 3. That was one of the scariest days he had to go through as a guardian. That little baby, who could barely form proper sentences, who wholly depended on Tenmyouji to look after them. Sometimes, he missed that. He missed being needed by that little child, their giggles and their wild imaginative stories of the games they played with kids on the block. He knew that with time those would go away, and that the moments were precious; however, he couldn't help but feel greedy and selfish. He wished for more of those moments. Unfortunately, Quark’s independence was near and the things he could teach them were getting limited compared to before. He wanted Quark to look after themselves, be their own person and stand on their own two feet and not be bound to their decaying Grandpa. Unbeknownst to him, he was unaware of Quark’s unchanged wishes of wanting to look after their old man and stand along him until he drew his last breath on this earth.
Not to mention the fact that he put them through the Ambidex Game when they could have stayed on Earth and gone on with the new life they managed.They could have carried on like a normal child, without all the trauma he felt liable to that the game brought. He felt like a fool to make Quark chase after Akane for so long too, the guilt ate him alive for a while nevertheless he took his own advice, he couldn’t change reality, this reality. So he made the best of it and played his cards.
It took him a bit longer than he wished to find someone and head back home. Thankfully, the doctor said it’s just a regular flu, combined with probable exhaustion or stress that weakened Quark’s system. Those words left a stinging feeling on the old man, he never intended to work the child to the bone, were they stressed or busy about something that he didn’t know? Teens usually kept secrets, he did too back in the day however he didn’t expect it from Quark. Did they not trust him?
When the doctor left, Quark was still seated on their bed. Tenmyouji tried to find the words to start a conversation, yet nothing came out. He just stood for a while, observing Quark then excused himself to make some soup for Quark. He wasn’t exactly the best cook, hell it was nearly impossible for a long while to cook anyway in the apocalyptic world so he kind of forgot how to. He still wasn’t quite used to the post apocalyptic world, cooking always brought on that feeling of normalcy that made him uneasy. He remembered his youth as he stirred the pot.
Quark followed Tenmyouji, watching him cook.
‘’Rest, Quark.’’ Tenmyouji snapped out of his thoughts as he stated firmly.
‘’I don’t feel like sleeping.’’ Quark sat down on the chair of the small dinner table for 2 right by the counter Tenmyouji was now standing in front of.
The old man turned his head to face his grandchild. ‘’At least lay down, it’ll help.’’
Quark frowned. ‘’I want to talk.’’
‘’Sure.’’ Tenmyouji checked on the soup.
‘’I’m sorry, I disappointed you.’’ Quark lowered their head, gazing into the wooden table.
Tenmyouji raised a brow. ‘’What are you talking about, kiddo? Is that what you were stressing over? I should be the one that’s sorry.’’
‘’I couldn’t look after myself, I let myself get sick. I’m weak.’’ Quark explained themselves, fidgeting with their fingers. Their head perked right back up when they noticed their grandpa’s last sentence. ‘’Why would you be sorry?’’
‘’I should’ve dragged ya right out of there. I knew you weren’t fine.’’ Tenmyouji poured Quark a bowl of the finally heated soup and handed it to them. ‘’And letting yourself get sick doesn’t mean you’re weak. You’re the most strong person I know, kiddo.’’ His gaze softened as the words left his mouth. ‘’I’m very proud of you and the person you’re becoming. Just be more careful next time.’’ A smile formed on his face.
Quark smiled back, getting up to grab a spoon. There was a comfortable silence as Quark sat back down and started drinking the soup. Their worries eased as the warmth of the soup left a healing feeling in their body. Immediately after, Quark went to bed and tried to sleep however they still could not.
Tenmyouji sat by the end of the bed after refilling the glass of water from before and setting it down on the desk next to their bed. He took in the sight of his sick grandchild, a hint of worry present on his face. ‘’Sleep.’’ He spoke in a soft tone, pulling the blanket up to cover Quark.
With those words the teenager shut their eyes once again, soon they’d start snoring. The old man didn’t leave until he was sure his grandchild was asleep, and once they were, he got up and looked back at Quark. A small smile was visible on his face however he didn’t quite know why, perhaps it was the feeling of knowing being needed and that his grandchild would be alright.
Tenmyouji pulled out the medicine Quark had to take when he woke up, put it on the counter to give it to them when they woke up and poured himself a tiny bit of scotch. He sat on the couch, back to his never ending thoughts that haunted his day as the sun set.
Hello! Getting your prompts made me so genuinely happily :) I loved the ideas of all of them, but of course had to go with “Quark getting to properly explore and enjoy the B Garden, in comparison to the way earth currently is for him.” It is a topic i ADORE, and something I talked about in another fic of mine, The Sky Was Blue. which your comment on brings me so much joy. I hope you have a wonderful year!
hi sorry dont normally msg abt stuff like this feel free to ignore, but one of the people in that ai art chain is prolife-proliberty. like straight up is their name. blog names are super super easy to miss so wanted to let you know
OH shit i didnt even see that thank u. will delete that right away 👍
Hi @graceisprettygreat I was so excited to fulfill your request this year and I really hope it was what you were looking for. The prompt I chose was “a father’s day for tenmyouji”.
The weather was miserable, so even if Quark hadn’t been feeling well, he probably would have told the boy to stay at home. It was a good day to hit up the old research facility.
The building wasn’t obvious; whatever branding had existed before was long gone, so he wasn’t even sure what it presented itself to the world as. He was pretty certain it had been some sort of secret government facility. On one trip he had been bored and rifled through some documents on Department of Defense letterhead. The front of the building had collapsed, blocking off the entrance, and he was convinced the DoD had probably done it themselves, on purpose. Vegetation was overgrown, the parking lot was a disaster, and it took him a week just to figure out how to get in through some rubble in the east wing.
It was an hour-long trip on the bus, then about another half an hour on foot. He always feared the building might collapse in on him as he wriggled his way in, or his bag might get stuck as he tried to pull it out. But the stuff he found usually ensured he didn’t have to work quite as hard for another few months.
The other downside was the real reason he never brought Quark here. He could possibly make a safer way in, or limit any excursions to areas where the risk of collapse was low. It was the signs sporadically located throughout the building that warned of radiation past that point. He had some radiation detection badges from an abandoned hospital, and he wasn’t even sure if they worked. But he was old as dirt and there was no way he hadn’t been exposed at some point before. He couldn’t risk it with Quark.
The badge didn’t want to stay on his soaked shirt so he just shoved it in his pocket. He’d check it periodically. The building was huge and he never wanted to stay in for too long, so there were still sections that were unexplored. The upper levels of the west wing were a little intimidating, since there was already some structural damage. But he ventured there anyway. No electricity, obviously, so the elevators weren’t an option; it took him another half hour to get to an unexplored level. He pulled a marker out of his pocket and scrawled a big ‘X’ for future endeavors.
Nothing much of value in the first few rooms. The third office on the right had two corpses in it. Dead bodies didn’t much bother him anymore, especially ones that were so old. But in this case, one of them was lying on a couch, legs crossed at the ankles, hands crossed over the chest, some kind of deteriorated cloth over their face. The other person might have killed themselves, if the gun lying on the table next to their head was any indication.
The gun wasn’t really of much value. Electronics yielded a small amount of useful material. But the real money was in the jewelry. Engagement and wedding rings, a gaudy necklace and a few bracelets. The first time he scavenged from a corpse, he threw up when he got back home. Ended up burying the rings in the backyard of whatever damn place he was holed up in. Had nightmares about being haunted by the dead people who wanted their mementos back.
Today, he brought tools that could snap bone and make his task easier.
The rings scratched the glass, so probably real diamonds. There were still people who cared about these things and would pay good money for it. They might be able to go easy on the work for a couple weeks.
He thought he heard the building groan when he tried to get at some exposed pipes, so he packed up and slipped out, back into the rain. The bus was running late, so he got home a little later than expected, but he knew Megan and Joe wouldn’t mind. They loved the little guy, and the new laws meant they couldn’t keep the bar open after 8pm anyway. When he was about twenty minutes away, he pulled out his phone and messaged them to let them know he was almost home.
The key fob didn’t work. Must be another rolling blackout. They never had them in the old neighborhood, but there were still definite advantages living over a bar. He went around back and used the door with a manual key. No candles downstairs, so he went up to where their personal rooms were.
Then nearly jumped out of his skin when he was met with a round of, “Surprise!”
Joe was lighting candles on a cake that … appeared to have been frosted by Quark. There was a large root beer float sitting next to it, along with a small package tied up with yarn.
“It’s not my birthday,” he muttered as he shrugged of his coat.
“No, it’s Father’s Day! There’s a Grandfather’s Day too, but nobody could remember when it was.”
Oh. Was it? He imagined some people still celebrated it. It was frowned upon to be procreating in this world, and only idiots still raised their kids if they did end up creating one. He saw the looks he got walking around with Quark. And that jackass in their old town who bragged to everyone about having a mother only guaranteed their status as social pariahs.
Quark’s smile faltered a little in response to his silence. He held out a piece of paper, and as Junpei took it, he realized it was a drawing. He didn’t think Quark had any crayons left. It was probably supposed to be the two of them, walking somewhere.
“I made the cake with real eggs, too.”
HIs mind was reeling a little at how much this would have cost, but he ignored it for now.
“Sounds great.” He rubbed his temple to try and stifle the headache building. “Thank you, Quark.”
“Well blow out the damn candles,” Megan nagged him.
He did as instructed, careful to only extinguish the ones on the cake and not the others lighting the room. When Quark insisted on cutting the pieces, Joe asked Junpei to come downstairs with him to grab a knife and some plates. They had one flashlight and fortunately Megan must have made sure the batteries were recharged, as it came to life as Junpei pressed the switch.
“You could try to look a little more enthusiastic,” Joe chided him.
“I’ll pay you back for whatever that all costs.”
“Don’t worry about it. He saved up his allowance for this.”
“I know what he gets for allowance,” Junpei said as Joe handed him a stack of plates. “And I know what eggs and root beer cost.”
“You’re the first boarder in a long time who paid the full rent on time every month. I told Quark his allowance covered it. So don’t worry about it.” He held up a knife and frowned at it, putting it down and picking up another, running his finger over the edge. “This should be dull enough that he can’t cut himself. Now when we get up there, act happier. He put a lot of effort into this.”
The lights came back on while they were going upstairs.
“About damn time,” Joe grumbled. “This is the third one this week. I’m starting to worry about our power grid.”
“Starting?” he muttered under his breath. As they re-entered the room, he made an effort to smile. Quark looked a little apprehensive, and he felt bad for not being more grateful. He was still fixated on the cost, the time Quark must have spent doing this, after lying to him about not feeling well, and how he could have been -
He squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to derail that train of thought. When he re-opened them, he forced the smile on his face to look natural and genuine, not … well … forced.
“Let’s crack into that cake, huh? Haven’t had something with real eggs in it in a while.”
“I tried to get all the eggshells out. One of them broke really easily and I wasn’t expecting it. And you have to open your present!”
He held out the box. The “wrapping paper” was clearly a napkin from the bar, complete with stains that just wouldn’t wash out. Rum and some kind of tomato-based sauce, if he had to guess. Junpei undid the yarn that was holding it together let the napkin fall to the table. The box inside was labeled PERISHABLE and smelled like cheese, so he was surprised when there wasn’t food inside, but a small metal trinket. A brooch, actually, shaped like a J. It had seen better times, so it was clearly something Quark had scavenged somewhere. Very girly and ornate, not anything he would actually ever wear, even if donning fancy jewelry wasn’t like putting a target on your back. But he found himself tearing up anyway.
“Do you like it? There was a whole bunch of letters like that in a building me and David were exploring. I wanted a G for Grandpa but they didn’t have one.”
“It’s perfect,” he said, his voice cracking a little. “How long have you been planning this?”
“Since whenever Miss Megan’s birthday was. She told me about it. If you’re crying, does that mean you don’t like it?”
Oh. His face was wet.
“I love it, Quark. It’s the perfect Father’s Day present.”
The worry instantly left Quark’s face, and he held out a sloppily cut piece of cake. Chocolate, from the looks of it. He … was not going to worry about how much that cost.
“I bet it’s delicious. Make sure you and Joe and Megan get pieces, too.”
Quark gave him a huge grin and turned back to the cake, cutting out ridiculously large pieces for everyone. Junpei wiped a bit of schmutz off the fork before digging in. The texture was off, the frosting was grainy, and Quark had definitely not gotten all the eggshells out.
But it had literally been decades since someone had baked a cake just for him. Decades since he felt that someone … cared about him. Loved him.
to: @juricha-art
from: @graceisprettygreat
I hope you enjoy! Tried to capture the vibes as best as I could and I enjoyed writing from revolving POVs! Who has what info is a big part of Spy x Family so I thought it a fitting way to do that.
