video; @star.lord

[nostalgiabomb]

[ INT. Shared Housing, Floor 13, Room 4 – Very Late Night.

We open on a shot of the living space in one of the many shared housing units. It's dark in the messy room, with a couple of red jackets tossed onto the backs of chairs. Nearby, soft snores are audible.

In frame is a small, wooden creature, his giant eyes squinting with concentration as he stares at the screen. An old, beat-up mp3 player and a Sony Walkman sit beside him on the coffee table. The little creature mumbles a tiny, irritated— ]

I am Groot?

[ —in the same tone of voice someone else might use to ask, “How the hell do you work this thing?” He pokes at the screen fruitlessly for a while, but soon enough, his eyes light up as he shoves his hand forward one last time.

Suddenly, “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” by the illustrious AC/DC shrieks over stereo speakers.

DONE. DIRT. CHEAP.

Sorry about your beauty sleep, Floor 13. And probably Floors 12 and 14.

The sapling yelps, scrambling and panicking to figure out how to stop this crazy thing, just as a sleep-tousled Star-Lord stumbles into frame, flicking on a light. Barely audible over the music, ]

Groot, what are you—?

[ Busted.

Peter picks up the device, sees that it’s recording, and he grimaces. ]

Oh, son of a—

[ Which is when the feed and the music both cut out. ]

Comments

action;

[godslay]

[ Peter makes it out of the room before Gamora does, but she's close behind, curls tangled and frizzy around her slightly-flushed cheeks, Godslayer in her hand. There's a bleariness clinging to her eyes that she can usually shake on demand, but she's not nearly as alert on command. She does, however, quickly see that it's just Groot with Peter's communicator and... Peter's music players.

She sighs, lowering her sword, and then pushes her hair back out of her face. ]

Groot, what are you doing out of bed?

[ The little sapling looks sheepish, and he offers a squeaky, "I am Groot" that sounds a close to "I'm sorry."

She clears her throat to banish a faint croak to her words, then continues, ]

You probably woke everyone on our floor.

knight.time; text

[chumpelstiltskin]

i really wish i understood more than 25% of what just happened

voice; @star.lord

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter is That Asshole who answers texts with phone calls, because he talks so much faster than he types.

So have a slightly groggy, annoyed Peter. ]

I think you're good with just the 25%, actually.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ With the music stopped and the video cut, Peter is tossing the communicator aside onto a couch, lips parting to give Groot one hell of a lecture. He's interrupted when Gamora arrives, though, and he glances back at her, lips parting to voice his agreement, except—

Groggy as he is, the first thing he notices is the sword in her hand, and Peter pauses to let out a quick, incredulous snort. ]

... Seriously, Gamora?

[godslay]

[ She gives him a sort of "What?" look as she sets Godslayer aside. ]

It could have been an intruder.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Yeah, that look of disbelief hasn't left his face. ]

... An intruder blasting AC/DC?

[godslay]

An intruder causing a distraction. Or accidentally turning on your—

[ She pauses again to clear her throat. ]

—your music.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ The corner of his mouth quirks up, and he readies yet another snarky comment, except—

He frowns at her instead, stepping away from Groot (who looks half-relieved that Peter's attention is directed elsewhere) to close the space between them. ]

Something in your throat?

video @d.va

[bunnyhopped]

[ 4AM or whatever the heck time it may be, this is a sight for sore eyes for Hana, who's keeping vigil at her boyfriend's bedside at the hospital for the night. Whatever just happened, it's definitely helping lift the tired Hana's spirits. Her reaction, which would otherwise be loud and bubbly, is momentarily quieter and subdued given her location. And what time it is. ]

Aww, how cute...! Is that a baby tree or something?

video; @star.lord

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Welp, have a haggard looking Peter, with a chagrined Groot sitting at Peter's elbow on the table.

Ostensibly, he is thinking about what he has done. ]

His name's Groot. And he's in big trouble.

[ This, a little pointedly, and Groot grumbles beneath his breath, kicking at some imaginary dust mote.

But Peter peers at the screen a little more critically, and, listen, no matter the planet, no matter the environment, there are some locales Peter just recognizes, almost instantly.

It's why he frowns, annoyance replaced with concern. ]

Are you alright?

[bunnyhopped]

[ The corners of Hana's lips actually curl into a small grin at Peter's introduction of the little tree thingy, recognizing something unmistakably dad-like in his behavior. She gives a little wave at the camera, for Groot. ]

Hi, Groot. I'm Hana.

[ Then she chuckles before adding, ]

I'm okay, dad, thanks for asking. So yeah, what is Groot? Where'd you get him?

1/2

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter doesn't look entirely convinced, but another careful look at the screen tells him Hana isn't currently hooked up to anything, doesn't seem to currently be in a hospital cot. So— not a patient, then.

His frown doesn't leave him, even with this bit of information sussed out. Waiting is just as bad, and he knows it all too well. And more than that, he can understand the need to, like, just kind of forget, even for a little while.

It's why he goes with the topic change: ]

He's—

[nostalgiabomb]

[ —well, he was going to go with it, except— ]

Wait, what? "Dad"? [ In the most offended tone in the galaxy. ]

[bunnyhopped]

[ She realizes he's not all too convinced by her answer, but it's not something she wants to get into. Her boyfriend is in a coma because of some weird virus going around, but.

Baby tree is cute.

Smirking a little, Hana just points at her own elbow to direct Peter's attention to the sapling. ]

I mean, he's a baby and you're taking care of him right?

[chumpelstiltskin]

[Dave considers keeping text to be obstinate, but relents.]

I guess I'm drawn to the old hymns of the ancient faith of Dad Rock, like a moth with a mullet to flame.

I'm also kind of getting some interesting vibes off the sentient House Plant. He's fucking delightful.

@sparrow; audio

[flowlikewater]

[ The Zune makes Genji remember that he had a discussion with Peter on the network a long while ago, although the cute little plant being definitely takes precedent in his thoughts. ]

I think your little friend is in need of an upgraded music player.

video; @star.lord

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter will flick on the camera; he's currently sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, and at his elbow, Groot is sitting on the table, facing away from Peter.

If Genji has never seen a tree sulk before, now is his chance. ]

What he needs is to ask for adult supervision before he messes with stuff he doesn't know how to use.

[ And while Peter doesn't see it, Groot silently mimics Peter's words with a sour look on his face. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

Well, I mean, yeah, I guess, but—

[ oh, this is complicated. ]

Listen. It's just... a thing.

[nostalgiabomb]

He's in big trouble, is what he is.

[ While they're not currently on camera, rest assured that Groot is sulking somewhere, silently mimicking Peter with a sour look on his face. ]

—what's "dad rock"?

text; un: iron.man

[buildsomething]

Kid's got good taste.

Re: video; @star.lord

[flowlikewater]

[ Genji turns on his own video feed since there's no reason not to. He's sitting at the kitchen table, sans armor, with his plants all around him that he's been tending to, physically or with his newfound powers. It's good practice at least.

This little childlike plant is certainly interesting, not like anyone Genji has seen in the Quarantine yet. But he holds off his questions to be polite, just chuckling hoarsely at what Peter said. ]

I suppose that is also true. So you are his... guardian? Parental figure?

[ Don't worry Groot, Genji won't tattle on you. The things you can get away with when you're cute. ]

[chumpelstiltskin]

Um, I guess it's rock that dads listen to. Generally anything before the 80's, since that's when the dads were at peak rocking before they had kids and went bald.

Unless you're from the 80's in which case it's all very fresh and current music and I don't know what I'm talking about.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter snots out a quiet, unimpressed sound. ]

Nice save.

[ Peter wonders, briefly, if it can still be called "Dad Rock" if a lot of his musical tastes were influenced by his mother. But that's a thought to ponder some other time, when it's not butts o'clock in the morning. ]

Can't it just be, you know, rock? Just straight up?

[nostalgiabomb]

I—

[ oh, that's a complicated question, and Peter visibly flounders for a second, glancing down at Groot who's returned to silently sulking. ]

I guess, uh. Guardian. [ That sounds like the most on-brand way of putting it, all things considered.

It helps, too, that it's the term that carries the least amount of baggage with it. ]

He's part of our team, back where we're from. Normally we all take turns keeping an eye on him, but it's really just us three right now, so...

[ A helpless sort of shrug. ]

video; @star.lord

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Have a video message of a sleepy- and pissed-looking Star-Lord, sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table. Groot sits at his elbow, arms crossed as he fumes.

Someone is on time-out. ]

I have good taste.

[ Peter gestures with his thumb at the kid. ]

He doesn't know how to wait until the morning.