bigapplesauce | Bringing home strays [closed]

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.

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.

"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.

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."

"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.

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."

Edited 2013-04-04 04:19 (UTC)

"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.

"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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

Edited 2013-04-10 06:16 (UTC)

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.

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?"

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."

The TARDIS responds to the Doctor's emotions with a sense of understanding, but also attempts to mediate - Andrew has his reasons, try to be lenient. He's only human. She knows Doctors never quite get along, but she dislikes such disharmony between them and resolves to talk to Andrew as well. 'Out loud' she explains, "I explored the telepathic current last night and met Gabriel. He's found that many of the changes caused by the rift seem to be triggered by strong emotions. Perhaps you can control it if you know what causes it."

She's only paying attention to the conversation ahead in passing, having felt Daine's influence again. As an afterthought she moves the butterfly room closer, curious if she can feel even such tiny minds. They're like motes of dust to her, less even than that; she can't imagine having contact with them.

The Doctor will be lenient if Andrew gives him something to work with. Sometimes it seems to be like talking to a brick wall of sulking.

The Doctor considers this new information. "Many, but not all." Andrew's power seems to have been a physically triggered power. Still. Now he thinks about it... There were two when he met the TARDIS, at which point he definitely felt strong emotions, but those were positive rather than negative. There's been several other occurences too, and he can probably attribute some emotions to them. "Might be something to it," he adds after a moment.

When Daine asks, he answers, "Oh, those names have been passed down through a few generations, they're not the same ones. And I did, they're named after friends." Stewart is of course named after the Brigadier.

Daine nods her understanding before turning back to the path ahead. She thought they'd sounded far too much like two-legger names to have been chosen by the bats.

Speaking of, she's getting close enough that she could probably see them, if she looked with her magic. She takes in a deep breath, and by the time she's released it, she has the bats: a few bright pinpricks of copper fire some yards away. Farther beyond them, though, there's something else... a sort of faint, copper cloud or fog. Daine frowns, curious and a bit baffled. It can't be the menagerie, because she can't hear any of the People aside from the bats. But it's certainly not nothing. She checks the bats' position again, then blinks away her magical vision. She'll see to Jasper and Stewart, first, then she'll try and figure out what's behind that fog.

She slows as she approaches the door she figures the bats must be behind, then glances inquiringly back at the TARDIS. Barging in seems rude, so she curls her fingers around the mug of cocoa she forgot to put down and waits for someone else to open the door.

"You met Gabriel?" asks Andrew, giving up any pretense whatsoever of not having been listening. "What'd you figure he was? I've only seen him in the, ah, dreamspace. Seemed nice enough, but I doubt he's human."

He practically runs into the back of Daine, not seeing that she's stopped. In halting, he spills a little of his cocoa on the floor, and winces before giving the mage a curious look. "Don't you want to see what's behind door number one?" he asks, reaching out to turn the knob himself.

As far as the TARDIS is concerned, they weren't discussing anything secret anyway; in fact, her information will likely be useful for everyone. "Oh he is far from human," she replies in a tone of voice that suggests she was rather impressed with him. "He called himself a demi-god, but he didn't seem very committed to that designation. I would say he is fairly similar to me in terms of mental scope and power, though we were both rather guarded about not revealing too much of ourselves." Which was necessary at the time, of course, but she does hope they'll be able to develop some mutual trust and perhaps a friendship. She so rarely gets to meet beings who are able to understand her.

"I liked him too," she agrees with Andrew, "but do be careful. Apparently he has powers of creation and others, like time travel, though the rift limits him as severely as it does me."

She doesn't even notice Daine's hesitation, unable to imagine that someone might think it's rude to explore her structures, when that's part of her purpose. Behind the door, one of the larger libraries is waiting for them, looking something like this, with several levels of bookcases and a high vaulted ceiling, velvety soft furniture and flames crackling in the fireplace. Not that she's showing off or anything.

"I met him too, before I found the TARDIS." He should probably look further into who he is and what his intentions are, given his power but honestly, there's a lot of things he should be looking into, and only one of him. Maybe he should get Andrew to split up again to have some extra help. But if the TARDIS likes him, then it's good enough for now.

"Oh, you found it on your first go!" he says as he sees what's inside. "Are you cheating?" he asks with a grin. He's quite fond of this library. Very warm and grand - his whole console room was sort of like this once.

Bringing home strays [closed]

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