Bringing home strays [closed]

[alwaysalright]

After their escapades, the Doctor leads the now full-sized Andrew and the recently rift-attacked Daine through Central Park, across Bow Bridge, and into the Ramble. Eventually they reach the blue box hidden off the path, and he unlocks the door, leading the two others inside, without really explaining to Daine how they're all going to fit inside a wooden box. He's gotten used to the new console room by now, all shiny and colourful, but he glances back at his two companions to see how they like it.

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[bluesuit_handy]

Andrew turns when he hears movement in the kitchen, and obediently toddles over to see what the TARDIS has uncovered for him. A grin spreads across his face as he fishes out the biscuits and he lets out a cheerful, "Cheers!" for the TARDIS before remembering that the milk is about to burn and hurrying over to finish mixing the cocoa.

He emerges from the doorway a few minutes after he left, now burdened with a large tray on which he's put the coffee pot full of cocoa along with four mugs and the packet of Jammie Dodgers. The latter appears to have been opened and lightened; one might suppose he'd found it that way if it weren't for the fact that Andrew's still chewing. "Cocoa!" he announces through a mouthful of crumbs. "Which animals?" he adds after swallowing, having caught only the very last bit of their conversation.

[theoldgirl]

Now that all the members of the group are back in the console room, it does occur to the TARDIS to join them as well, and life flows back into her physical form. She blinks once and tilts her head at Daine's question. "I am, of course." She doesn't think much of the idea of bringing a dragon inside, but then it could hardly be worse than the vortisaur, and Daine is likely more diligent about supervising her pets than the Doctor is.

When Andrew comes back up to the console dais, she turns to him and smiles, grateful that he thought to bring her a cup as well. It might not surprise anyone to know that she has a bit of a sweet tooth. "The ones in my zoos and gardens," she explains while relieving him of a mug and a biscuit.

[alwaysalright]

The Doctor jumps to his feet and grabs two mugs, handing one of the to Daine, then takes the pot and pours for her first. "Careful, it's hot," he tells her, then pours for the TARDIS, Andrew, and finally himself. He also grabs a biscuit, considers it for a moment, then dips it in his cocoa before eating it.

"There's practically an entire ecosystem in here, so the animals mostly get along without help. Though, of course, the TARDIS looks after the ecosystem."

[wildmage_daine]

Daine turns to smile at Andrew upon his return, and accepts the mug from the Doctor with a quiet, "Thanks." She curls her fingers around the cup, enjoying the warmth, while she waits for the cocoa to cool a bit.

What the Doctor's describing sounds fascinating. The mages back home had been working on improving their majesties' menagerie with things like weather spells, to make each animal's exhibit as similar to its homeland as possible. If the TARDIS has managed something like that - or better - Daine would very much like to see it. If nothing else, she'd like to make sure the animals here are happy. She can't imagine they're being mistreated on purpose or anything unpleasant like that, but there might still be room for improvement.

"May I see it?" Daine asks. In case the answer is 'no,' she cautiously sends out her magic, listening for them. It's very strange at first: some of her friends outside the TARDIS are closer than any animals inside, and it takes her a few moments to reorient herself to the ship instead of the park. Once she has, her eyebrows creep up in surprise. She can hear the little bat colony in the library without trouble, but the menagerie is outside her range - which means it must be quite a distance away. Just how big is the TARDIS?

[bluesuit_handy]

Andrew finds himself holding a tray with the pot, the biscuits, and his cup of cocoa on it. He frowns at the array as he realizes he can't drink his cocoa or eat any biscuits with his hands full, casts about for a moment or two, looking like he's thinking of setting it down on the console, and finally settles on putting it on one of the steps that lead up out of the console room. Problem (masterfully) solved, he takes up his mug and promptly burns his tongue on the too-hot liquid.

"'Course you can," he answers Daine, ignoring the fact that he is neither the TARDIS nor her pilot. "What's the use of having your own ecosystem if you can't show it off?"

[theoldgirl]

The TARDIS is all about showing off, already deciding not to put the main zoo any closer so the Doctor has a tour to give. It's been a while since they've had someone new around to impress. And maybe that will lift Daine's unease about her dimensional transcendentalism and the Doctor can find out more about the girl's curious mind.

Speaking of which, the TARDIS is just about to try a sip of her cocoa when she feels a strange tingling tucking at her senses, a little like telepathy but not on any frequency she's ever seen. Then it occurs to her that the purpose of this disturbance may be unknown, but the texture of it isn't, and she fixes Daine with a surprised and slightly wary look. "What are you doing?"

[alwaysalright]

The Doctor hides his annoyance at Andrew answering for him by taking a sip of the cocoa (avoiding burning himself mostly because he can stand higher temperatures), and just gives Daine a smile and a nod to affirm that he'd be happy to. He's about to comment on what sort of animals they have - some of them are from Earth, but the vast majority come from elsewhere - when the TARDIS asks Daine a question. He looks between the two of them with confusion, having not noticed anything himself.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine's pleased smile falters a little at the TARDIS's question, and she blinks at her in surprise. "Listening," she explains. "For the animals, I mean. I can hear the bats from here, but not the others."

Her brow furrows a little as she wonders how the TARDIS could tell she was doing anything; the only two-leggers back home who can feel when she's doing magic are mages, like Numair, and even he could only manage it when he was sharing her mind. "You said you weren't in my mind anymore," she says with a worried and somewhat accusatory frown.

[bluesuit_handy]

"She's telepathic," explains Andrew probably too quickly, reaching down to grab the package of Jammie Dodgers and thrust it at Daine. There, biscuits, that should distract her. "Probably picked you up without meaning to."

Why is he making excuses? He doesn't want Daine upset, but if he were to pause and think about it, he'd be surprised at himself for understanding why she might be upset. He'd love to have the TARDIS take up residence in his head.

[theoldgirl]

Once again Andrew will find himself the target of a rather queer look from the TARDIS, for his behavior and for making it sound like he was apologizing for her. There isn't anything to excuse, thank you very much.

That somewhat lofty disapproval carries over when she addresses Daine again. "I am not in your mind. You are in mine, in a manner of speaking. I comprise everything here." Maybe she hasn't yet entirely grasped how she's a ship and they're all currently inside of her. Not that Daine would be the first human to have trouble with that, and remembering the need for leniency in such matters makes her manner grow friendlier again. "I don't mind it, I was simply surprised because I was unfamiliar with your telepathy."

[alwaysalright]

"I'm telepathic too, and I didn't notice," the Doctor points out to Andrew, returning to his seat, then expands on the TARDIS's explanation for Daine. "The TARDIS isn't just her," he points at the TARDIS's humanoid body, "She's this entire place. She's been my ship much longer than she's had a body to walk and talk with." Let's not consider the awkward implications of saying they're inside her - it doesn't really apply if you're primarily a sentient ship.

[wildmage_daine]

For a moment, Daine's surprised by Andrew's hasty explanation and having the little cakes thrust under her nose, but then the TARDIS's lofty tone makes it clear enough to Daine that she's made a fool of herself, somehow. She feels her face grow hot as she takes a Jammie Dodger.

Her blush deepens at the unneeded clarification that the TARDIS is a ship, too; she already understands that much. But a ship isn't an animal, so that doesn't explain how the TARDIS could have felt anything when Daine used her magic. "My magic only works on animals. I didn't think any of you would notice it."

[bluesuit_handy]

"You're not as sensitive," Andrew points out right back, taking a Jammie Dodger himself. It's a finder's fee, clearly. He sort of wishes it had been the Doctor rather than the TARIS who noticed, because then he could make a crack about the Doctor being an animal. He won't do that to the TARDIS, though, and not only because he thinks she probably wouldn't understand the joke.

[theoldgirl]

"I am capable of noticing a great many things, particularly when they occur within my own structures," she explains more patiently than before, though she still doesn't see why that's so difficult to understand. "You may not have met anyone in your universe who is able to sense your telepathy, but that doesn't make it impossible."

She takes a sip of her cocoa, considering the matter further while enjoying the chocolatey taste. "I'm not certain I could feel it outside, it was rather faint even here." Maybe if she concentrated a lot, now that she knows what she'd be looking for, but it hardly seems like it would become necessary, so she shrugs it off and returns her attention to her drink. The Doctor's idea of dipping the biscuit inside strikes her as worth investigating.

[alwaysalright]

"Besides, you're in a different universe, having come through a rift that has me producing kittens, and Andrew here splitting into two. Not sure the normal rules apply," the Doctor answers. "Be thankful your powers still work at all." He reaches over and snatches another biscuit, dipping this one in his cocoa too before eating it.

[wildmage_daine]

Well, pardon me for breathing, Daine thinks to herself as she stares into her cup of cocoa. She supposes it's good to know that being in the TARDIS's physical shape is as good as being in her mind as well, but she's not sure why everyone's acting as if that's an obvious leap she should've made. Of course, they all know each other and are from the same place (or near enough), so it probably does seem obvious to them.

The Doctor's comment makes her frown dubiously into her cocoa. She doesn't think anything could take her wild magic from her, a conviction bolstered by several occasions in which spells meant to hinder those with the Gift had no effect on her whatsoever. Some things might be different, here, but her magic hasn't changed - Numair's even told her that she can't turn it off. But commenting on it feels like tempting fate, and she's already been walloped by the rift once today, so she sips her cocoa instead of speaking.

She doesn't want to seem like she's sulking, though. "Can we see the menagerie, now?" she asks. Animals, at least, are easy to talk to.

[bluesuit_handy]

Andrew takes several Jammie Dodgers, pocketing all but one for later and biting the remaining biscuit in half. He knows better than to follow the Doctor's lead and dip it; he's become a lot more picky and he knows it. "I don't see why not," he says, looking to the doorway. "Didn't see it on my way to the kitchen, though, so I suspect we'll need our host to show us the way," he comments with a little smile for the TARDIS.

[theoldgirl]

Dipping biscuits in cocoa is definitely a good idea and she's engrossed in the experience for a bit, though she snags another Jammie Dodger before the Doctor's and Andrew's appetite can get to them all, in order to try it without dipping for comparison.

Having already forgotten her brief irritation with Andrew, she gives him a smile in return, tinged with cheekiness. "Or you could try to find it yourselves." Where's the fun in her just leading them? Though maybe the Doctor isn't in the mood for a wild goose chase for the zoo, in which case she'd be happy to show the way, of course.

[alwaysalright]

"Yeah," the Doctor agrees. "Be a nice chance to show you around, Daine. We've got plenty of time. Pick a direction," he tells her. There's already a few choices just from the console room. He doesn't mind tagging along after them, though probably mostly because it's been a while since he's had a good wander inside here himself. And now he's got the TARDIS's company, he's less likely to get annoyed at Andrew like earlier.

[wildmage_daine]

"All right." Daine presses her lips together, considering her options. She can't hear the menagerie from here, and the idea of wandering aimlessly into a space as large as the TARDIS doesn't much appeal. There are still the bats, though; she wouldn't mind visiting them, and they're quite curious to meet her now that they know she's here. And they're far enough from the console room that visiting them might put the menagerie animals in her range.

"This way," she says decisively, heading in the general direction of the library.

[bluesuit_handy]

"Try to? Are you implying we might not?" laughs Andrew, not actually insulted in the slightest. He wasn't just flattering her when he remarked that they might not find their way to the menagerie without her assistance. He wonders briefly if Daine realizes just how long they could be wandering, but decides not to tell her. The Doctor may be a git, but the TARDIS won't let them come to any harm. Not deliberately, anyway.

He steps in behind Daine, playing a bit of follow-the-leader.

[theoldgirl]

"I'm sure you will find it eventually," the TARDIS points out with a conspiratorial smirk, happy to see he's enjoying himself. Of course she won't let them wander around forever, that wouldn't be very hospitable.

She nods approvingly at Daine's choice of direction and then joins the Doctor's side, wanting to ask something she's been meaning to discuss with him ever since her conversation with Gabriel the previous night. "Were you experiencing strong emotions when the kitten manifested?" She hates even having to ask, being a reminder of how weak their connection is in some ways, that she can't properly sense him at a distance.

[alwaysalright]

The Doctor hops up, and follows Daine and Andrew, with the TARDIS at his side, and the mug still in his hand.

"Hmmm," the Doctor answers, thinking back. He was a bit. He doesn't want to discuss it out loud though, with the two others close enough to overhear. Instead he shares what he was feeling at the time - annoyance, frustration, disappointment. He's been generally trying to be friendly towards Andrew, yet the metacrisis has been very hostile in return, and it's hard not to feel unappreciated.

[wildmage_daine]

Fortunately for the Doctor, Daine is more focused on the feeling of the bats in her mind than on whatever conversations are happening behind her. She heads purposefully toward them, ignoring any doorways or side passages that don't lead in the right direction. They might have been encouraged to explore, but considering the TARDIS is alive (and walking a few paces behind her), Daine's not about to go poking her nose any old where. It'd feel like prying.

Plus, to be honest, all she really wants is to make sure the resident animals are doing well. So long as she's focused on them, she doesn't have to think about how unnerving it is that all this space exists in a little box, which means she's in a little box, like the one Ozorne put her in when he -

No. Concentrate on the bats. Jasper and Stewart. She wonders if the Doctor or the TARDIS named them, as those aren't the sort of names bats would give themselves. Glancing back over her shoulder, she asks, "Who named the bats Jasper and Stewart?"

[bluesuit_handy]

Unfortunately for the Doctor, Andrew's quite happy -- eager, even -- to eavesdrop. Old habits. Also, wanting to be sure they're not whispering about him. That latter part might weigh into it just a little too much to be entirely healthy. He sips his mug and lets himself fall a pace or two further back so he can listen.

When Daine talks, it takes him a moment to understand. "What?" he asks, honestly confused. It comes back to him quickly, though, and his expression morphs into one of pleased surprise. "Those two're still here? Blimey, they must be getting on in years by now."