Not impossible...just a bit unlikely

The Universe Has to Move Forward

bit_impossible — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 06:45:19 GMT

[Note: This is a plot-related piece for an event at realityshifted where Ten is played in an AU.]

The Universe Has to Move Forward

The shop, as always, was easy for him to find when he wanted to. And ohh, he wanted to right then. The only question that continued to plague him since he got that mysterious note was what exactly should he find the back of that shop? As one who had been in plenty of shops in his time--and most of the time, not of his own volition--he'd become familiar with what one would normally find in the back. Usually stock that had been discontinued, extra stock for the stuff out front, and new stock to replace the old stock for insert arbitrary reason here, be it holiday or other celebrations.

Of course, considering the shop's location and its proprietors, said stock could be just about anything, hence his continued question of "What could it be?"

As he stood outside it, every cell in his body was telling him he was only heading into a trap. His senses had been finely tuned over the years to detect such a thing and he hadn't been wrong yet. (He even counts all the times he feigned ignorance about a situation actually being a trap, as well.) After all, there was a chance he could run into just about anyone in the shop. Just once, he'd love to go in and tell off the exact person who was causing the current mess on the Plane and have them fix it immediately, but he knew he'd never get that lucky. He wanted to find the person or persons responsible for the missing people now mutilated bodies back in his reality as well, but that offence could be a result of something far more sinister lurking around his Earth than something the Plane created. For the time being, he had to focus on the thing he knew he could fix.

Luck, unfortunately, was something that clearly had stayed outside the shop when he entered--though it didn't seem so at first. No one was around. Not even ringing the bell he brought with him for shop visits yielded any result, not even the shape-shifter, Triage. After a few more minutes, he stuffed the bell back into his coat pocket and skirted the counter, the purple curtain leading to the back room not too far away from him now. Most of him always loved this part: that moment of anticipation before unveiling what lies beyond. Made his hearts pound with increased excitement. He likened the feeling to a child itching to open gifts on Christmas Day but had to wait for the rest of the household to awake before she could tear into them. The other part of him, however, knew not to get too excited, knowing full well how disappointing the pay-off could be.

The moment his fingers touched the fabric of the curtain, he immediately found himself right outside the shop. He blinked, whirling around to face it, and exclaimed, "What. What? What?!" at the top of his voice. Those going about their own business turned to give him quizzical looks that he promptly ignored as he stomped back towards the shop's door. Stupidly, he tried the door again only to find it was locked. This had happened to him before, but he was so annoyed about being expelled from the shop that he simply forgot he couldn't get in with others around.

By the time he'd reached the point where he was pacing angrily in front of the shop, the street had finally cleared and he tried the door again. The shop was still empty and the curtain was still frustratingly closed. Determined, he marched towards it and vaulted over the counter this time, not wanting to waste a second more. He'd barely reached the curtain this time before he found himself back outside the shop. Again.

Angrily, he ran a hand through his hair and then ran to the door. He wasn't about to be beaten by a shop!

He was still holding onto this thought by the end of his eighth attempt. He'd even physically gone round to the back of the cottage, but didn't see a single thing waiting there. Not even a piece of rubbish, which he found particularly odd for a brief moment. With a frustrated sigh, he stalked back to the shop entrance, staring it for a moment while he waited for a gaggle of teenagers to walk past.

So far in his attempts to reach the back of the shop, it had been empty five of the eight times, and the other three, well. He was even more annoyed with them and decided not to think about them for the time being. This time--this time--he was sure he'd succeed.

When he entered the shop for the ninth time, he found himself not in the shop but rather surrounded by mirrors. His footsteps echoed as he walked, peering at the mirrors around him as he walked towards an innocuous door at the end of the hall. (If he had a pence for every hall or corridor he'd gone into throughout his life...) His brow furrowed as he stopped in front of one, catching sight of himself running away from a white mansion into the darkness. An old, familiar face was running with him: Rose. He felt a small, nostalgic smile play at the corners of his lips, a warm sort of feeling calming him after hours of frustration. She, like all his past travelling companions, made him feel happy while they were with him. And maybe what he was seeing now was what could have been.

No sooner had he thought that did he catch sight of something else. He slammed his hands against the mirror's glass, pressing his face against it.

"No, it can't be...!" he said in a hushed, urgent whisper. And while they looked bigger and bulkier than the ones of old, there was no mistaking what they were. "Run! Leg it! Come on!" he yelled at his other self and Rose as the Cybermen neared, but he yelled in vain. Of course they couldn't hear his voice or the pounding on the mirror no matter how hard he struck it. They were soon surrounded and he knew his other self must have a way out, but even surrendering seemed to yield no results as the Cybermen continued to press in--

--But then the image in the mirror cut out, leaving nothing but blackness. His eyes widened as he stared, mouth agape.

"No, no, no, no, no! Show me what happened!" he pleaded, smacking the mirror with closed fists once again. "Show me!"

The glass remained dark with the exception of his own faint reflection. Had he just seen his own death? Had his old foes finally gotten him--and had they killed Rose? He pushed off and away from the dead mirror, his arms falling heavily to his sides as he stared at it. Why show him this at all?

He suddenly turned to peer closely at the other mirrors. He saw himself in all of them, and not just his current incarnation either. He saw his eighth self dance excitedly with Harriet at the mention of Hannibal (thank goodness he could read her lips from his vantage point) and no doubt he went into a little story about meeting the man himself before heading to the door to negotiate with the handful of Slitheen gathered outside the cabinet room.

In another, his ninth self, who must have recently regenerated since he was still wearing the old velvet frock coat and those shoes, was limping through the Interzone with an old woman clinging to his arm. His face was wrought with worry and concern as he helped her sit down on the ground. He was in the process of removing his coat to put around her shoulders when he looked to his left, anger flashing in his eyes as he started to yell at an invisible entity. The Doctor knew it had to be the Kro'ka, but he couldn't help feeling nothing but despair for his other self. This one had never reached Caerdroia and they must have lost C'rizz at some point. He didn't see the Eutermesan anywhere, and there was Charley...still with him even then. She never got her chance to leave him and start her life anew in Singapore.

It was at that point that he forced himself to ignore the rest of the mirrors and just reach that door. He'd never make any progress if he just stopped to watch the events in all of them unfold before his eyes. But just as his hand grasped hold of the doorknob, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. It was a sight he'd seen before, so long ago now. He'd been very keen about cricket then. Blackness consumed the sky, and the more he looked at it, the more he noticed little dots of light and other objects barely visible. They all stood still, or they moved so slowly, even his eyes couldn't discern the movement. But his eyes didn't stay on the sky for long. What was on the ground earned his attention far more.

He felt his hearts twinge at the sight of so many dormant and dead TARDISes there. He knew those that hadn't been destroyed in the Time War must have turned up in that pocket dimension, that elephant graveyard... There were so many more than he remembered, but it wasn't the sight of them that made his hearts ache. Slowly, he lifted a hand to the glass, resting it there as if he really could comfort the broken police box, her outer shell now mostly black where it ought to have been blue. But still she stood, resilient to the end.

It took all he had to finally turn away.

His hand tightened on the doorknob, more to keep him grounded than anything as he closed his eyes and tried to banish the image of what he'd seen from his mind. He knew that'd happen one day if he died before she did, but to see it actually happen...

He threw the door open finally, forcing himself into the room. It was dark, with the exception of a single light hanging above his head, and could definitely feel the temperature drop a few degrees. He couldn't make out anything else in the room, much to his annoyance, and purposefully slammed the door behind him. The resulting echo surprised him. Softly, he counted the reverberated beats of the door slam and quickly came to the conclusion that the room was very, very vast.

Then he heard a clear, strong voice that sent a chill running down his spine--but he also felt a surge of bitter, angry feelings he had thought were buried deep in his psyche.

"Ahhh, Son of Gallifrey. You arrive at last."

The lights switched on, revealing the room that he hadn't seen for many years. He distinctly remembered the last time he saw it too, and he'd felt the same back then as well. Who wouldn't when faced with the living, breathing incarnation of a man who should have been long dead?

"Rassilon." The name escaped his lips in a whisper, but not out of reverence for the man. Oh no. He'd long lost any feelings of idolatry or even passing fanboyisms for the old founder, though he had compartmentalised his feelings of utter disappointment long ago, back before the Time War. His childhood heroes were anything but when he finally did get to meet them--and consequently put a stop to them.

The Panopticon remained eerily silent, though he could feel thousands of eyes on him, all of them belonging to the others dressed in scarlet and gold. He couldn't forget the shape of those gold collars, even if he wanted to. Never could quite understand why the chapter house colours were left by the wayside and yet they kept the collars. Fashion faux pas aside, he just knew he wanted to get the hell out of there right now before he heard another word from Rassilon or anyone else who decided to show their face. He spun on his heal to grab for the door, but nearly pitched himself off the raised gold hexagonal dias he stood on.

"Yes, and we know who you are as well, even with your new face."

"Let me go!" he growled, his anger rising in response to his utter fear of being trapped. He didn't know how it was being done and knew--he knew--it couldn't possibly be real. Not after what he'd done to end the Time War.

"Let you go?" A sea of laughter turned erupted at the founder's mocking question. "Even for you, that was a weak plea. We have heard better from those abominations as they were torn to pieces by the--."

"Shut it!" he yelled, but his words were instantly drowned out by more and more gales of laughter.

A resounding thud silenced every person in the Panopticon again. Rassilon walked to the edge of his own hexagonal platform situated far above the Doctor's, the rod in his hands. "No, you will be silent, traitorous Son of Gallifrey! You did not think you could escape the consequences of your many crimes, did you?"

His eyebrows shot upwards. "My--! My crimes?! There isn't enough paper in the universe to record all of yours! And that's just in this one alone! I'm certain the Divergents would have a thing or two to add, and let's not forget about Omega!"

"Enough!" This means of distraction is merely wasting time--"

"Oh yes, that's rich," he said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. "Don't forget you were the one who wanted to end all of Time just to destroy the Dal--!"

This time, there wasn't a thud of a staff striking the ground or anything of the kind. Instead, there was a flash of light and that sound of a weapon discharging leading instantly to utter gut-wrenching pain, forcing him to double-over with a shout, gasping and then wincing. He tried to catch himself with his palm as his knees buckled beneath him, but his hand slipped on the slick stone surface and smashed face-first onto the floor. Gritting his teeth against the continued crushing of his insides, he weakly gazed up to see a gold and white Dalek appear at Rassilon's side. The two stood side-by-side, the sight completely impossible, but then again, that seemed to be the running theme for the day, wasn't it?

"So, the plot thickens, hmm?" he said hoarsely, and started to laugh. Blimey, it felt like every cell in his body was burning, but still the wound hadn't been enough to trigger a regeneration. Why was that? "What is this then? Announcing your engagement? Hooray for the happy--," he let out a hiss as his lungs hitched and seized for a split-second, "--couple!"

As he continued to babble on, he slowly rolled over onto his back in hopes that would lessen the pain somehow. Laughing hadn't been the best thing to do right then, but he couldn't stop. Blood trickled down his face as he moved, trailing down his cheek, and splattered onto his clothes as vitriolic chuckles continued to escape his lips. "Oh, Rassilon, hasn't anyone told you that I'm rubbish when it comes to weddings? Don't get me wrong, I'm more than honoured that you thought to put off your nuptials until I could witness it. And if you want my blessing, you can have it along with this: don't wear white--and really, the veil wouldn't suit you."

He felt an odd pull on his body as soon as he stopped to take a breath. It was as though something had grabbed his stomach and was using that to tug him closer to the founder and the Dalek. In reality, he discovered a moment later as he came within mere meters of the pair, the platform he was on had moved. He couldn't stop the endless chorus of thoughts running through his mind; most of them saying, "What the hell is going on?! They're dead! They're all dead!" But once the movement stopped, most of the pain left him, leaving him with a dull, throbbing ache throughout his body. Considering how things were moments ago, he gladly accepted this turn of events.

Slowly, he sat up and immediately noticed the change in venue. The many, faceless Time Lord peanut gallery in the Panopticon had moved to a more intimate affair in the High Council's chambers. Unsurprisingly, the décor had changed since he last saw it; he didn't like it. His mind was put off his immediate surroundings when he finally took a moment to actually see who else was in the chamber.

Their hands were clasped over their mouths, but he could still recognise them: his old, dear friends and members of a family he tried so hard not to think about, even now. Others were old Council members from a handful of regenerations ago. All of them wore their ceremonial robes of old, the colours of the Prydonian Chapter House covering the majority of those who stood there.

Really, it was starting to feel like an extremely nightmarish version of "This is Your Life", with Rassilon acting as Eamonn Andrews!

"What is the point of all this, Rassilon?" he asked, gingerly climbing to his feet.

In a grand, sweeping motion, the founder sat in the presidential chair, now made up in a rather gaudy fashion he felt. The expression on Rassilon's face couldn't have been more bored and disinterested. "Must I repeat myself?" He sighed and gave a wave of his hand. "Friend Dalek, do proceed."

The Dalek's eyestalk lowered as it looked down at him.

"DOC-TOR, YOU WILL KNOW PAIN."

"No thanks, I've already been there loads of times. Don't suppose you have any options?"

Wordlessly, the Dalek's body swung around, pointing its weapon at the closest Time Lord.

Angrily, he turned his attention to Rassilon. "You can stop this! You want to punish me, so punish me, not them! They've got nothing to do with this!"

"Clearly, you have missed the point."

It was then that the Dalek started to fire, each time yelling, "EXTERMINATE!" as it shot each of the Time Lords surrounding the hall. He realised, to his horror, that they weren't lined up merely to watch and stare at him. They were arranged like that so he could see them go down one-by-one. And unlike him, he had no doubt that they wouldn't be getting up again.

He had to force himself with every ounce of his being not to cry out again or plead for it to stop. He knew full well that a Dalek had no mercy; the word wasn't even in its vocabulary. Each time the weapon discharged, the sound ringing in the air as it reverberated in the chamber, he tried his best not to flinch. They would not get the satisfaction of seeing that. The only thing that Rassilon would see, however, was the fire of defiance burning in his eyes as he stared the sneering founder down.

"Do you understand now? You prevented us from initiating the Final Sanction and burned us all!" Rassilon stood, stepping forward, but not far enough to get in the way of the Dalek's blasts. "This is only the beginning, Doctor." The name was spat out like it was the most disgusting thing the founder had ever had to say. "They've all been waiting for their turn."

While he kept his gaze steady, his hearts skipped a beat and his face paled. He didn't need to be told who--and what--"they" were. He'd tried so very hard to forget them and what they'd done, but one cannot easily escape the memory of what an actual living Hell was like through all of Time behind the Time Lock.

A low, amused chuckle came from the founder as he began to speak again. "Yes, you should be afraid. The Nightmare Child in particular is looking forward to seeing you once more. You see, Doctor, only here are we all united in our desires to see you break over, and over, and over in retribution for what you have done. From this moment on, you will be placed in an eternal cycle of suffering.

"And while your loved ones and those humans die--and they will die at our hands--we will find our escape. Perhaps not through you or on this plane of existence. But we will prevail. Gallifrey will rise, and the end of Time will come!"

He said one thing. Really, it was the only thing he could say in a situation like this. "No."

"Petty, feeble attempts at defiance will not stop Gallifrey and all her dominions!" Rassilon roared, his face reddening with fury by the second.

"I said no! You should know better, Rassilon. You know what I've done throughout my life thanks to the Matrix, your manipulation of me and my friends, and you know what I did in the end! If you think I'd just accept this, ohhhh, then you are a fool--and I've met more than my share of big'uns out in that grand and gorgeous universe you were so determined to destroy."

Purposefully, stubbornly, he started walking forward, never once removing his eyes from the founder. He wouldn't allow himself to be distracted, or allow himself to run away, not even as the Dalek's body swivelled around to face him. And oh, he wanted to run and run away fast. The urge was so strong; as strong as it had been when he finally obtained the Moment and knew what awful decision lay in front of him. "You can do all you want to me for as long as you wish, but don't think for a moment that I believe any of this is real," he continued, his voice low.

"Silence!" Rassilon stamped his staff on the ground again, and he was certain it definitely left a mark on the marble floor this time.

The Dalek yelled out, "EXTERMINATE!" once more as it fired its weapon at him.

That burning sensation ran through his body as he went down, the floor rushing to meet him. This time, however, he bit his lower lip to stifle any noises he might have made. And almost immediately, the pain lessened. With each passing second, he could feel it go away faster and faster. That only steeled his resolve further.

He'd barely climbed to his knees before he was shot again. It hurt again, but not as much as it did before. "You're losing your touch," he laughed. "The Daleks of old would know better than to leave me alive." It was a bold-faced lie, but it did its job he felt. The weapon struck him over and over with increasing speed, but with each blast he endured, the stronger he felt.

Soon, he was able to stand tall, smiling rather smugly at both the Dalek and the founder, who looked nearly apoplectic.

"Do not look so pleased with yourself, petulant child!" Rassilon raised his left hand, the metal gauntlet dull even in the light. Suddenly, it began to glow a light blue-green as fingers splayed outwards--but nothing happened.

"Ohhhh, so that's the infamous Gauntlet of Rassilon, eh?" he asked, walking right up to the founder, who continued to shake his hand at him. "Or do you call it something else? It's my first time seeing it in person, and really, it's terribly disappointing. I thought it'd be gleaming, for one. Ah well," he shrugged, "add that to the long list of things about you that haven't lived up to their reputation."

"Stop this, Doctor!" the founder growled, glaring at him. He lashed out, grabbing hold of his arm with that metal gauntlet and squeezed.

For a moment, he regarded Rassilon; seeing not the powerful and all-knowing founder of Gallifrey, but a despotic mad man who had lived for far too long on different planes of existence. He hoped he would never see a day when he'd come to a similar conclusion about himself. After that moment passed, he couldn't help feeling pity for him.

"This is the end now," he said softly, ignoring the growing pressure on his captive arm. "And I won't need the Moment this time. I can defeat you with words alone, and those, my Lord Rassilon, are far more powerful than anything else that has been created in the history of the universe! I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you, the Daleks, and every single person you've brought here are nothing but ghosts."

He felt the hold on his arm suddenly slip away.

"I punished myself for a long time, resolved to keep to the fringes of life after I had seen so much of it perish. But then I met simple, kind person who was selfless and selfish at the same time, and still so stubborn. Thanks to her and people I've met since then, I've come to recognise that life along the fringes just isn't for me. I need to breath it and immerse myself in it, and the more I do, the further away the memories of the Time War are from my mind. My hearts ache for the Gallifrey I used to know, the one from my childhood--not the one it became. And I know I can never truly get it back." His mind momentarily went to that small field of tall, red grass and silver-leafed cadenwood trees he'd once brought to the Plane. He'd have to go see if it was still there one of these days.

"I can never forgive you for what you did in the final days of the War, but thanks to you...maybe I can start to forgive myself." And with his friends--the real ones both on the Plane and in his reality--they can continue to help him fill the gaping void in his hearts. When it came down to it, he really was just a lonely old man.

The High Council chambers around him started to fade, soon followed by the crumpled forms of the Time Lords.

"Gallifrey will rise," the founder insisted, his voice sounding a bit distant now. It was just like him to deny and protest against his defeat.

"Everything has its time, Rassilon. And everything ends."

With those final words, the room continued to dissolve around him. He didn't move, half-certain that if he did, he just might be dragged along with it. So instead, he closed his eyes and took in a long, steady breath. The second he did, he could have sworn there were faint voices starting to circle around him. He couldn't understand them at first, but gradually, the voices cleared as at the same time, he felt this warm, calming sensation engulf him.

The voices were all chanting the same thing. "Doctor!"

"Doctor."

"Doctor!"

The chorus of their chants grew in number until he could no longer make out who was calling for him. He wanted to tell them not to go, not to leave him again, but he couldn't work his mouth. The chorus was dying down anyway after a few minutes, the voices soon coming only in threes and fours, and then in pairs. And then...well, he thought they were gone when one last lone, gentle voice spoke.

"Until we meet again, Grandfather. Good-bye!"

His eyes snapped open, hoping to catch a final glimpse of her, but there was simply a single light above his head and an old, closed door in front of him. Despite himself and the slight wetness in the corners of his eyes, he still felt a small smile on his face.

"Good-bye, my dear Susan," he said softly.

After a moment, he sniffed, sucking in a breath, and threw open the door. He didn't dare look back.

A storage room awaited him. Just...that. There was nothing special about it, not that he could immediately see. There was just a box of raisins on a table along with an extremely brief note. Even the door opposite the one he came in was simple. Had he been in the mood, he might have complained about it being one of the most anti-climatic endings ever.

But after all that...a small part of him mused that this just might be an easy start to something new.

Character: The Tenth Doctor
Word Count: 4740

Pre-θ 8 - Forgiveness

bit_impossible — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 02:05:12 GMT

[ooc: Before the Recursive Mind plot.]

[his shoulder twinges slightly, making him wince every now and then from the pain emanating from the wound every time he moves his arm in any single way. he really wishes it would just hurry up and heal; he rather likes having full range of motion for both arms. after checking the bar, he figured that it's either the library or the kitchen that he should check next but he decides to be contrary to such thoughts on the off-chance that Oliver didn't go there and headed to the forest instead. and that's where he is now, dodging branches and listening to the river burbling softly off in the distance.

well...he's listening for anything, really: the rustle of leaves, the crunching of twigs underfoot, anything.

and on the off-chance that anything making those noises hears him in any way, he decides to speak while he keeps an eye out for any movement. his voice is in its normal timbre but with a touch of gentleness in its tone.]

Ollie, if you can hear me--and I really hope you do otherwise this would sound incredibly silly and ridiculous--I need you to listen. I mean, it's not like I don't talk out loud to myself half the time anyway, but it's always nice that someone's on the receiving end of things I've got to say. Like now, for instance.

Hopefully just from the sound of my voice and my being here is enough. I'm all right, just like I said I'd be. But the one thing I didn't check before I left was how well you were. I need you to see that everything is all right--and that you can come home. That's why I'm here, speaking to the trees and flowers and the river nearby, and if you're not here, I'll go entertain an entire library of books next. Maybe I ought to have gone there first, but I kind of had a feeling you might not have gone there for any particular long length of time, not after those creatures had invaded.

I want you to come home, Ollie.

The Stygian Experiment

bit_impossible — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 04:14:31 GMT

[Note: This is a related piece for a character experiment in realityshifted where Ten is played in an AU.]

The Stygian Experiment

The lights within the control room of the TARDIS had dimmed. Even the normal thrum that pervades the ship had quieted and was, in essence, no more than a whisper--but the man on the floor only heard silence in the back of his mind as he opened his eyes. That silence stoked the fires of his temper, rousing him from the awkward position from which he'd landed on the metal-grated ramp. It felt...different yet familiar being in this body. He might have preferred to keep his own, but this one, he could already tell, was strong, young. A tiny little smile graced his lips at the thought. The possibilities were endless!

The din was then interrupted by a crackling noise in the speakers and the appearance of a hologram in the form of a tall, blond man with curly hair, dressed in a horrific coat and yellow pinstripe trousers. He glanced up at the hologram, his hand gripping the lower rung of the railing tight as he sneered at the familiar visage before him.

"This is Emergency Protocol #816," the hologram began, eyes focused on the wall straight ahead, rather than the man glaring up at him. "If you are seeing this, then I am very sorry. I had hoped there would never be a need for such a precaution, but since you are here--and don't ask me how I know you are there--I have programmed the TARDIS to lock all her controls and to contain you within her interior so you cannot wreck havoc throughout the universe. How do you like that, Stackyard?" The Doctor's former face smirked rather smugly, and he was filled with a sudden desire to do whatever he could to make it disappear. Hearing that ridiculous nickname had made his eye twitch involuntarily in annoyance. Pushing himself to his feet, he staggered forwards, bursting straight through the impetuous cretin, though the image did nothing but flicker.

"In addition to locking you in, the old girl has set herself back into the Vortex to drift forever-more so no one, Time Lord or otherwise, will be able to stumble upon her and break you out. It is my one regret that I have to do this to my beautiful ship, but she recognises the full risks: that allowing you access to all of time and space would lead to complete and utter chaos and destruction of the universe."

He grumbled murderous, but vain, threats under his breath as he both tried to tune out that insipid voice and to get one single function on the central console to respond to him. Nothing worked. Not the brakes, the fast return switch, the stabilisers--temporal or otherwise--not a single thing! A soft growl escaped his lips.

"Oh, would you shut it?!" he snarled at the EP hologram, vaguely noticing how it had turned to face the central console. The sound of the current Doctor's voice--no, no this voice was his now, wasn't it?--had surprised him. He'd expected to hear his own, the one he'd possessed the last time he had a body, but then again, a different body naturally meant a different voice. It'd take some getting used to, but he had all the time he needed, didn't he?

"Meeting you that first time was quite educating and illuminating, let me tell you! Unlike yourself, however, I am not completely heartless. By now, I will have repaired the food machine so in the event that you eat every morsel contained in the kitchen, run out of every vegetable and fruit growing in the gardens, and every last animal in the zoo, you still will not starve. Likewise, life support systems have been updated and maintained so you will always have air and water to subsist on."

But as the EP hologram spoke those words, old memories floated into his mind. The Doctor never did complete repairs on the food machine. Something about a part he had still been searching for but eventually forgot about weeks later. "You were always such a fool, Doctor," he muttered, mentally marvelling at the Doctor's ineptitude to finish one single project.

"As a final farewell gift to you, Railyard," the Doctor said. He sincerely hoped he was getting near the end of the soliloquy. "I have left you access to every Earth programme ever viewed on the scanner. No doubt you may grow bored of all the cricket and football matches, so you might want to pace yourself. Oh yes, the scanner will indeed work for you, but only if you are nice to the TARDIS. That's my girl." He gave the holographic form of that bothersome Doctor a look of disbelief; he'd already checked the scanner. His finger flicked the switch again and amazingly, it turned on, giving him a status report on the life support systems currently functioning. He huffed slightly, seeing that the Doctor had at least performed those maintenance checks. Plus it would figure the Doctor would have a little trick up his sleeve just to show off one final time.

"Sadly, that is all I have left to say to you. I could list all of the times and places I would have loved to have visited, all the people I had wished to meet... I can only hope our companions will never have to see us like this." The hologram sighed, a look of pity crossing the Doctor's face. "But I am afraid the only way you or I will ever be able to travel again is if you give me back my body. You're not likely to do that, now are you? Good-bye."

And then there was blessed silence. His fingers curled around the edges of the console, gripping it tightly as his eyes closed and focused on the steady heartsbeat within his body. His body now, not the Doctor's! Of all the cheek trapping him in the TARDIS! And Harriet had gotten out moments before... He couldn't get to her, but he supposed that was all for the best. What need did he have of some self-righteous politician getting under his skin? She wasn't the sort who would have been easily swayed to do what he... But even as he thought that, he felt he could have manipulated her; become the shadow ruler and puppet master behind the architect of Britain's golden age.

And he had won--finally won!--his fight with the Doctor. And ohhh, he yearned to flex his muscles, so to speak. He wanted to see what the universe held for him out there and grab it by the reins--but he'd been denied everything from the start!

His eyes snapped open suddenly, his hand automatically reaching for the nearest tool he could grab and he began to circle the console like vulture. "How dare you betray me?" he growled, his knuckles turning white the harder he gripped the mallet. "Me! You are my ship, TARDIS. I am in control and you will obey me!"

The mallet sailed through the air as he sent it crashing down on the nearest whirring glass thing that he didn't quite remember the function of right then, but the smashing of the instrument made him feel...vindicated. So he lifted it again, his muscles tensed, and struck the controls over and over. He lost sight of what he'd broken and what he hadn't in that flurried rage--but that anger quickly faded and he let the mallet lie amongst the sparking and cracked components on the console as he strode away a few steps, turned on his heel, and regarded the central console with a neutral, almost remote gaze as though he were already bored of the whole game.

"So," he began coolly. "Who will you listen to? A facsimile of a man who no longer exists--or the man who won?"

The TARDIS maintained her silence in the back of his mind. That moment made him think how the Doctor would have reacted to such an affront. No doubt he would have sulked and whined about being spurned, and those overwhelming feelings of loneliness he kept locked away...

He mentally scoffed at it all. What a child that man had been, he thought as he approached the doors. He pressed a hand against one and instead of feeling that innate warmth from his ship, there was nothing but the grainy surface touching his skin. And he felt nothing in return now. No fire or anger, not as he had minutes ago. The detachment didn't bother him one bit.

What did was the fact that he really was trapped inside. The entire TARDIS was his playground, but he was completely--no. No, he wasn't trapped (and he wouldn't ever let him start thinking on the same lines as the Doctor).

Slowly, he began to smile. "Well, Doctor. There was one avenue of escape you hadn't planned for, after all," he said, adjusting the cuffs of his suit. "Don't wait up for me, ship."

And with that victorious realisation made, he took a step forward and dropped from his reality.

Character: The Tenth Doctor
Word Count: 1507

Pre-θ 4 - A meeting

bit_impossible — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 08:57:41 GMT

Backdated before Meredith's appearance/projection on the Plane.

[the Doctor frowns as he leaves the bar, the door shutting behind him. well, he supposes he ought to be proud that his friend isn't there, but he's got to admit that it has made finding Oliver a bit easier in recent times knowing that he would be there.

that is...before they were trapped on the Plane for a month, anyway.

it leaves one other location for him to check, so he makes a beeline for the library. when he enters, he doesn't say a word, not just yet. ever since viewing Oliver's choice, he's tried to find his friend, but his efforts have been fairly fruitless so far. he isn't even sure if Oliver is in the library. could be off the Plane for all he knows, but it's a chance he's got to take.

after checking through the various history sections, he pauses for the briefest of seconds to think where else Oliver would be--then he's got it. a small smile graces lips as he heads to the science-fiction section, and glances between shelves for a sign of--

he stops suddenly, catching sight of him resting in a chair at the opposite end of the shelves the Doctor is at. silently, he makes his way down the aisle and only once he's close does he speak]

Ollie! [his face splits into a grin] There you are! [tilts his head to catch the name of the book in Oliver's hands] What are you--oh. [pulls a face] Well, at least that one's got interesting characters. Well, when I say "interesting", I mean ones with a smart enough head on their shoulders to work with all those dodgy high-tech devices that I, frankly, could build in my sleep and in far less time than they did, and honestly that major plot twist? I saw it coming five pages in. Terribly predictable, if you ask me.

RP with seriousmarauder

bit_impossible — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 09:41:29 GMT

He couldn't help pulling a face as plumes of fog rolled in over his feet the moment he'd opened the TARDIS door. "Well, certainly wasn't expecting that," he muttered to himself. Bit of fog never harmed anyone, and he thought it was better than water rushing in--or worse. Then again, he hadn't been expecting...well, whatever that had been to happen to the TARDIS navigational systems.

A chill ran down his spine the moment he stepped out to give the TARDIS a few moments to herself. Any amusement or puzzlement he felt disappeared, replaced with a feeling that someone had just walked over his grave. The little hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he felt his body tense up all over. Now, he'd been in his share of dark, dank, and frankly creepy, cold places before, but this one seemed to be vying for the "Most Disquieting Place He'd Been to in the Past Month" award. Something in the air unsettled him to some degree, penetrating straight to his very bones...

But then he realised just how much of an idiot he was being--a fact he'd never, ever admit to anyone ever--and began walking down the unwelcoming corridor he'd turned up in. The moment he turned the nearest corner, he came to a stop, his eyes widening slightly.

"Ah, sorry, I should have knocked," he said casually, his eyes quickly scanning the creature before him. The hand he saw peeking out from the tattered sleeve ends left him with no desire to shake hands with it, and the brief sight he caught of the thing under the hood. Bit of a dog's breakfast, he thought. "Didn't think anyone was home." A shriek right then pierced a hole in his lie. "Well, I thought there might have been someone else at home." He paused, trying to find the eyes of the cowled creature floating menacingly towards him. "Yeah...I'll just be running now. Bye!"

And he ran--or rather he started to when he noticed his way back to the TARDIS had been blocked by another creature exactly like the other one. "Ohhh, that isn't fair!" he groaned, back-pedalling, and darted down the other end of the corridor.

θ gauntlet_rpg Threads, etc

bit_impossible — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:01:24 GMT

For organisational purposes, and so I can keep track of who he's met when and that sort of thing.

Template for entries:

Posts:
θ 1 - Introduction of sorts.
-Met RU-Ame! - Reminisced about Crucible times and caught up a bit!
-Met OU-Sally Sparrow! - He was overjoyed to meet her again and discovered, while having tea in the Hawking teabar, that she's three years into the future from when he last met her. He also related to her that he's not travelling with anyone and won't be again, and also told her a bit about the Daleks.
-Met RU-Klavier Gavin! - Caught up with Klavier a bit, remembering his friend had brought a guitar back with him, and confirmed that neither of them know anything about the First.
-Met AU-Aeris! - This Aeris is different than the one he met, even down to the name, but he still rather likes her and gets on with her.
-Met OU-Kobayakawa Sena! - Briefly met Sena, who he panicked a bit with his explanation of killer captains.
-Met OU-Legion! - He meets a gestalt entity named Legion! And boy, he's too overjoyed to find this one!
-Met AU Riku! - Met a younger, different version of the Riku he knows and found out this one wouldn't ever take notes or wear glasses, but does travel with a chronicler named Jiminy.
-Met RU-Roxas! - He catches up with the Roxas he met on the Crucible, discovering this one never left the universe, but makes occasional trips back to his home universe using the Gate (or did before it was stolen). They discuss that in order stop it from doing this again, Roxas will havee to make the final decision about whether to stay or go home for good.
-Met RU-Amaterasu! - He meets Ammy again! But something's different! Her power shorts out the Sphere whenever she tries to speak, so he heads over to the Uesugi to see what's up, and thanks to his knowledge of millions of languages, he can understand her without the aid of the Sphere, but that still poses a problem for the rest of the people on the ship, so he starts thinking of a device he can make that'll help her speak again without shorting things out.
-Met AU-Omega! - Omega is the last person he ever expected to see and is very surprised to see him--and in his fifth self's body no less!--and gets into an argument with him about what happened back then in Amsterdam, but the Doctor also misleads him, accidentally, into thinking there were two Gates. Granted, he was ill when he first heard Orion's message, so it's of no surprise he misheard them.
-Met RU-Neko! - Meets Neko again, asks her who she's met from the Crucible, and discusses musical choices.
-Met RU-Oliver Day! - He meets Oliver again and it turns out, Oliver was only home for a couple weeks or so before being brought back to the universe, whereas for the Doctor, it's been a few months--and he's travelling alone. This doesn't please Oliver, and neither does being taken away from Chloe and his friends again. The Doctor promises to get him back home safe. BUT THEN! They meet up in the docking bay and explore the Dynames and there is much fanboying.

θ 2 - A green encounter on the Space Station Tilriz
-Met Oliver! - (Smooth Sailing)
-Met Abel! - (Smooth Sailing)
-Met Nataku! - (Smooth Sailing)
-Met Sora! - (Smooth Sailing)
-Met AU-Duo! - (Smooth Sailing)
-Met Neko! - (Smooth Sailing)
-Met Ammy! - (Smooth Sailing)
-Met AU-Aerith! - (Smooth Sailing)
-Met Turlough! - (Smooth Sailing)
-Met Geo Stelar! - (Smooth Sailing)
-Met Manjoume! - (Smooth Sailing)
-Met OU-Duo! - (Smooth Sailing)

θ 3 - After the death of the mercenaries
-Aeris - (Keep your eyes peeled)
-Neko - (Keep your eyes peeled)
-Ammy - (Keep your eyes peeled)
-Turlough - (Keep your eyes peeled)
-Oliver - (Keep your eyes peeled)
-Geo - (Keep your eyes peeled)

θ 4 - Invasion of the creatures
-Met Molly Moon! - (Crikey!)
-Ammy - (Crikey!)
-Neko - (Crikey!)
-Lightning - (Crikey!)
-Turlough - (Crikey!)
-Joshua - (Crikey!)
-Aeris - (Crikey!)
-Noel - (Crikey!)
-Omega-Xis - (Crikey!)

θ 5 - Attempt to mindmeld with the whale
-Turlough - (Shiny Happy People p2)
-Joshua - (Shiny Happy People p2)
-Oliver - (Shiny Happy People p2)
-Mr H - (Shiny Happy People p2)

θ 6 - "The First"'s dream jail tests
-Turlough - (Fool Me Once...)
-Joshua - (Fool Me Once...)
-Rukia - (Fool Me Once...)
-Molly - (Fool Me Once...)
-Oliver - (Fool Me Once...)
-Geo - (Fool Me Once...)

θ 7 - Breaking out of Jail!
-Lightning - (Scylla and Charybdis)
-Abel - (Scylla and Charybdis)
-Manjoume - (Scylla and Charybdis)
-Joshua - (Scylla and Charybdis)
-Oliver - (Scylla and Charybdis)
-Turlough - (Scylla and Charybdis)
-Rukia - (Scylla and Charybdis)
-Molly - (Scylla and Charybdis)
-Sally - (Scylla and Charybdis)

θ 8 - Stalker Shadows
-Turlough - (The Battle of Wits p2)
-Tieria - (The Battle of Wits p2)
-Shadoooows - (The Battle of Wits p2)
-Molly - (The Battle of Wits p2)

θ 9 - Suspicious times...
-Oliver - (At Wit's End)
-Rukia - (At Wit's End)
-Turlough - (At Wit's End)
-Neil - (At Wit's End)

θ 10 - Planetary excursions
-Turlough - (Planetary 2 - Sweet Dreams)
-Motoko - (Planetary 2 - Sweet Dreams)
-Sally - (Planetary 2 - Sweet Dreams)
-Manjoume - (Planetary 2 - Sweet Dreams)

θ 11 - Under the sea!
-Rukia - (Planetary 4 - Beneath the Surface)
-Lyle - (Planetary 4 - Beneath the Surface)
-Soma Cruz - (Planetary 4 - Beneath the Surface)

θ 12 - After the huge truth revelations
-Rukia - (The Truth Will Out)
-Lyle - (The Truth Will Out)
-Turlough - (The Truth Will Out)
-Motoko - (The Truth Will Out)
-Aerith - (The Truth Will Out)
-Oliver - (The Truth Will Out)

θ 13 - TARDIS Hallucinations
-Lyle - (When Winter Comes)
-Oliver - (When Winter Comes)

θ 14 - Mimicking a trait of Rukia's
-Rukia - (Not Quite Myself Today)
-Oliver - (Not Quite Myself Today)
-Met Lucca again! - (Not Quite Myself Today)
-Turlough - (Not Quite Myself Today)

θ 15 - Ten's attempt to get the thing on the Gauntlet to listen to him
-Turlough - (The Stars Fall Silent)

Template for logs:

Logs:
θLog with many [04/14/10] - (Hold the Fort!) - Ten tries to ensure that the crew members don't kill the others, speaking with Lightning, Oliver, Tieria, Agent 12-862 (Nova), Jamie Hemeros, Turlough, Minatsuki, Joshua, Riku.

Threads with other characters in their respective entries:
-03/15/10 - (game start) - Met RU-Axel.
-03/15/10 - (game start) - Met OU-Dr. McCoy
-03/15/10 - (game start) - Met RU-Motoko Kusanagi
-03/15/10 - (game start) - Met RU-Riku
-03/15/10 - (game start) - Met OU-Tieria Erde
-03/15/10 - (game start) - Met RU-Aerith
-03/16/10 - (game start) - Met OU-Vash the Stampede
-03/17/10 - (game start) - Met OU-Alfred Jones (America)
-03/18/10 - (game start) - Met AU-Omega
-03/22/10 - (Smooth Sailing) - Met OU-Turlough
-03/22/10 - (Smooth Sailing) - Met NPC-Nz
-03/25/10 - (Smooth Sailing) - Met OU-Tieria
-04/03/10 - (Transformed Boundaries) - Met AU Roxas
-04/04/10 - (Transformed Boundaries) - Oliver
-04/06/10 - (Transformed Boundaries) - Met OU-Tenjoin Asuka
-04/07/10 - (Transformed Boundaries) - Met OU-Noel Vermillion
-04/07/10 - (Transformed Boundaries) - Klavier
-04/07/10 - (Transformed Boundaries) - Met NPC!Commander Menaeus
-04/12/10 - (Hold the Fort!) - Met NPC!Jaden Farix
-04/18/10 - (Hold the Fort! cont.) - Geo and Omega-Xis
-04/20/10 - (Hold the Fort! cont.) - Wall-E
-04/22/10 - (Keep Your Eyes Peeled) - Vash
-04/25/10 - (Keep Your Eyes Peeled) - Minatsuki
-04/28/10 - (Sway Like Branches) - Met OU-Yamamoto Takeshi
-05/02/10 - (Sway Like Branches) - Met OU-Apollo Justice
-05/03/10 - (Sway Like Branches) - Ammy (and later with Turlough)
-05/03/10 - (Sway Like Brances) - Met OU-Rukia
-05/14/10 - (Crikey!) - Tieria
-05/24/10 - (Shiny Happy People) - Met OU-Gates
-05/26/10 - (Shiny Happy People) - Oliver
-05/28/10 - (Shiny Happy People) - Abel
-05/29/10 - (Shiny Happy People p2) - Motoko
-05/30/10 - (Shiny Happy People p2) - Manjoume
-05/30/10 - (Shiny Happy People p2) - Turlough
-05/31/10 - (Shiny Happy People p2) - Oliver
-06/06/10 - (Fool Me Once...) - Molly
-06/09/10 - (Fool Me Once...) - Oliver
-06/14/10 - (Scylla and Charybdis) - Mr H
-06/21/10 - (A Matter of Taste) - Met OU-Simm!Master
-06/21/10 - (A Matter of Taste) - Oliver
-06/23/10 - (A Matter of Taste) - Tieria
-06/24/10 - (A Matter of Taste) - Rukia
-06/25/10 - (A Matter of taste) - Molly
-07/19/10 - (The Battle of Wits p3) - Oliver
-07/21/10 - (The Battle of Wits p3) - Mr H
-07/22/10 - (The Battle of Wits p3) - Tieria
-07/23/10 - (The Battle of Wits p3) - Lightning
-07/24/10 - (The Battle of Wits p3) - Aerith
-07/26/10 - (The Battle of Wits p3) - Turlough
-08/03/10 - (The Battle of Wits p4) - Oliver
-08/05/10 - (The Battle of Wits p4) - Sally
-08/09/10 - (The Battle of Wits p4) - None - Choosing whether to remember or forget
-08/22/10 - (Planetary 1: Hakuna Matata) - Noel
-09/07/10 - (Planetary 2: Sweet Dreams) - Oliver
-09/09/10 - (Planetary 2: Sweet Dreams) - Molly
-09/16/10 - (Planetary 3: Just Keep Swimming) - Neko
-09/16/10 - (Planetary 3: Just Keep swimming) - Turlough
-09/16/10 - (Planetary 3: Just Keep Swimming) - Aerith
-09/16/10 - (Planetary 3: Just Keep Swimming) - Met OU-Kirk
-09/18/10 - (Planetary 3: Just Keep Swimming) - Simm!Master
-10/12/10 - (Planetary 4: Beneath the Surface) - Met RU-Lyle!
-11/02/10 - (Planetary 5: Nightmare Fuel) - Aerith
-11/04/10 - (Planetary 5: Nightmare Fuel) - Sally
-11/08/10 - (Calm Before the Storm) - Oliver
-11/16/10 - (Insurrection) - Turlough
-11/16/10 - (Insurrection) - Motoko
-11/21/10 - (Insurrection) - Met OU-Ragna the Bloodedge
-01/06/11 - (When Winter Comes) - Met OU-Jack O'Neill
-01/09/10 - (When Winter Comes) - Lyle
-01/12/11 - (When Winter Comes) - Soma
-02/05/10 - (Flee! Run! Scarper!) - None - Charging the engines quick-time
-02/23/11 - (A Day at the Beach) - Met AU-Duo Maxwell
-03/03/11 - (The Stars Fall Silent) - Rukia
-03/05/11 - (Endgame--Confrontation) - NPC Xacarb
-03/09/11 - (Endgame--Bombardment) - NPC Xacarb
-03/16/11 - (Endgame--Victory) - NPC Menaeus, etc?

Other threads not related to Gauntlet:
-03/02/10 - (dear_mun) - Met Damon! Bit of a practice thread between the two of them.
-03/02/10 - (dear_mun) - Met Ammy and spoke to her about her icons and learnt of when things might be opening up for the game.

θ Application for gauntlet_rpg

bit_impossible — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:47:01 GMT

θ Player Information
θ Name/Nickname: Jchan
θ Livejournal Username: vampydirector
θ AIM: vampwrite
θ Timezone: EST (GST -5)
θ Current Characters: None!

θ Character Information
θ Name: The Doctor (Tenth)
θ Fandom: Doctor Who
θ Age: 905 (But that's more like an estimate. He's been lying about his age for centuries now.)
θ Gender: Male
θ OU, AU, or RU: RU (OU originally via crucible_rpg)
θ Assignment: IACC-Hawking

θ Appearance:
Little over six feet tall, thin like a rail with lean muscle. Appears to be in his mid to late thirties, brown eyes. Has pale skin with freckles, especially on his face, and brown hair that has practically a life of its own. (Prefers to style it rather spiky, as of late.) Wears a close-fitted brown suit with blue pinstripes (or a blue suit with brown pinstripes), Converse trainers (cream or red, depending on the suit), and a long, light brown overcoat with big pockets, given to him by Janis Joplin. Also wears tortoise-shell specs when he's trying to concentrate or examine something--but mostly wears them to appear even smarter than he is. There's no prescription in them.

θ History:
His beginnings and past lives
Current incarnation's recent history <--Only up to The Next Doctor. His canon point is between that and Planet of the Dead.

The Doctor, upon arriving on the Crucible, spent his time trying to find a way off it, drinking plenty of tea, searching for his TARDIS, shouting a fair bit, and weathering all sorts of anomalies that never should have effected him in the first place, but surprise, they did.
For his real history aboard the Crucible go here, but if you want to skip all that and simply see what his life was like after, go here please.

θ Personality:
The Doctor, in his tenth incarnation (ninth regenerative cycle for those keeping score), is a genuinely friendly guy when one first meets him. Usually. There have been exceptions. On a whole, he's witty, sarcastic, manic, chatty, and boy, can he babble on about nonsensical and sensible things. Often, his prattling is used as a means to distract his enemies, often angering them because honestly, he doesn't shut up once he's gotten going, but at the same time, he uses his babbling to pass along important information to his companion and allies. Oh yes, and he is unintentionally rude at times, and intentionally rude at other times. Sometimes he doesn't recognize when he is, and might need someone to point this fact out, but depending on the situation, he might feel bad, but most likely he won't. Normally, he's rather happy and jolly on the surface, and always filled with curiosity about the things around him. He loves a good joke and has a brilliant sense of humour, though he's been known to use horrible puns at the worst times and horrible puns at good times. Really, he ought to lay off the bad puns altogether, but he just can't help himself. All part of his charm, really.

He's filled with self-confidence, erring on the side of arrogance, and yes, he can be an insufferable, impossible, know-it-all dick. (It's all part of the rude thing, but he's always been a bit of dick. This incarnation is just more so than most of his past selves--with the exception of his sixth incarnation, especially the very early years.) He's extremely clever and is also a genius. And he will tell you so too without a hint of modesty or humility. He doesn't take too kindly to being wrong about some things or being unable to solve a problem right off the bat. But for other things, he welcomes the surprise. As much as he loves being right--and he does--he also loves that the universe still has things that can catch him off-guard. He can and will poke his nose into things, whether he had permission to or not.

He's also eager to explain to people the things that interest him (like how things work, why something is like it is or why he thinks it is, etc), but his explanations often fly over the heads of those he's explaining to. Often, he needs to translate his "simple" explanations filled with technobabble and jargon and, really, it usually only makes sense to him--to something even more simplistic and basic. And a whole less fun, but he'll do it if asked, if there's time to, that is. But even a great mind like his can get a little forgetful and absent-minded at times, or even lack common sense in situations. He'll neglect to tell people things that might be important at the time, but ah, sometimes that's deliberate, so one never can quite tell with him. He can get annoyed with himself for his occasional, honest-to-god forgetful moments, admonishing himself and saying he's stupid.

He loves pop culture, especially late 20th to 21st century Earth pop culture, but his random bits of knowledge extend far backwards and forwards into history and across the universe. He's also a notorious and horrible name-dropper, and it's been debated many times between his companions over the years about how truthful he is about this. He might be pulling their leg--or telling the truth--and he never lets on which way it really is. He's a big fan of bananas in any form and cupcakes with the little edible ball bearings sprinkled on top. He's a big lover of just about anything—except pears. Pears are right out, and he's not as big a fan of sweets as he used to, saying they're bad for his teeth.

He's very protective of those he cares for, as well as for the innocent parties that get caught up in the bad things that happen around him, and they occur quite often as his lifestyle attracts danger. In some parts of the universe, it is known that the Doctor brings death in his wake, but to be fair, the death bringers are usually there first and he walks into the middle of it. He can be very self-righteous in his sense of justice. He's often the only one willing to make the choice between what is right and wrong--and sometimes what is right might not be right in the moral sense, but right for what must be done to save the day. He's also the type who will purposefully taunt and provoke his enemies and not show any fear in front of them while doing so (he's very good at masking it) so he can gain an upper-hand on them. It's a tactic he's particularly fond of. He comes off as particularly scary when he's truly angry. His anger can range from shouty indignant rage to seemingly-calm-but-boiling-hot-under-the-surface fury. Sometimes, it seems like he has a death wish, often acting recklessly and making up plans as he goes along, but if he has to, he would--and has tried to--sacrifice his life if it meant that others could live and he'd stopped the bad guys. He's yet to get it through his thick head that the universe needs him.

He detests firearms with a passion and really, weapons of any kind, but he can fight (and has fought) with a sword. He is, however, more likely to try to solve a fight through words and diplomacy rather than getting physical. And if that doesn't work, he'll run away to think of a better solution, but lately, he doesn't do much running away, not when it comes down to the final showdown. One must remember he is a man of "no second chances". After he's exhausted most of his options, he'll issue his one chance warning to stop what they're doing and straighten up to even the greatest of his foes. Unfortunately, the option to help them is usually thrown back in his face, which only leaves him with his final and least desirable option of punishing them in some way, shape or form. He also doesn't tolerate anyone who isn't willing to try to help. It irritates him. Waver for a moment or try to weasel your way out of doing something, and he'll write you off as useless and ignore you. He doesn't have time to be wasting on such nonsense.

Deep down, he's essentially a very lonely old man and has admitted on the rare occasion that his companions break his heart. Having lived for many, many centuries, he's seen countless people live and die and leave him. They always leave him in the end. The reason he'll give even his worst enemies a chance to live is so that there won't be any more death.

θ Strengths:
He's very intelligent--and by very, I mean extremely, and when I say extremely, I mean he makes Einstein look like a half-wit (and that's on a bad day, mind you)--and has an intellect that registers far off the normal human scale of IQ testing. He's been known to say that he's a doctor of practically everything (or plain old 'everything' depending on his mood and situation he's in), and that is no lie. He uses a sonic screwdriver that can do quite a lot of things (has thousands of uses for it, like unlocking things, using it to get medical read-outs on things, occasionally putting up the odd shelf or two, but it's not a weapon; it doesn't fire sonic beams or anything harmful). Physically his body temperature is a lot lower than a humans (around 60F/15C); he can withstand temperatures as hot as 392F/200C and cold as absolute zero/-270C, as well as extremely high levels of radiation (up to a point, mind. There are levels that even his body can't safely process and will result in triggering a regeneration), has a binary vascular system, and go without air for up to twenty minutes if need be (aka a lung bypass system. Quite handy to possess, actually.)

Doesn't need a lot of sleep or food. Eats and drinks more for pleasure and company. Alcohol tolerance is pretty damn high. It takes a hell of a lot of alcohol to get a Time Lord drunk. He's not one you want to go up against in a drinking contest because he will drink you under the table. Of course, he can pretend to have gotten drunk as well to keep with the mood of a party, but he can sober up fairly quick. (Though there is a caveat to the drinking thing in the weakness section.) Has advanced senses--for example, he can tell the chemical makeup of something just by licking it or even sniffing the air, and is mildly telepathic (however, he has to be touching the person with whom he wants to share a telepathic link with). Though, how much he truly is is also debatable. As far as sight and hearing, these are more finely tuned than your average biped, and he can see fairly well in the dark. Use of a torch is normally for his companion's benefit.

Another sense, and an incredibly important one for him, is the sense of Time. He can sense the passage of time what is in flux, fixed, what should be, what can't, and all the possibilities in-between. For example, a fixed point in time would be the destruction of Pompeii. It has to happen and he can't prevent the deaths of upwards of 20,000 people (and in his known history, he's actually the one who causes it.) A point in time that's in flux, however, can be regarded as something as big as the appearance of aliens in Downing Street--or the death of someone who might not have impacted the world on an extremely grand scale. He considered the possible death of Agatha Christie as a point in flux because she still would become famous for her books--she was well on her way to when he did meet her--just not for how many she wrote. (As a note, in Crucible, I had dampened this sense of his, but since the nature of the game isn't cyclical, I won't be doing anything to his senses. Besides, he'll know something's wrong just by his being back there. Doesn't need his senses to tell him that.)

He can't say no to experiencing something new (which might also be considered a weakness). He's musically inclined, and this incarnation can play the organ/piano, but likes composing more than anything--whether he's any good at it is another thing entirely.

He has very, very strong psychic defences, and only someone with equally strong abilities stands a chance of breaking through those defences and reading his mind. He can feel if someone's trying to break in and really, you don't want to break into a Time Lord's mind, especially one like the Doctor's. Nobody's been there to tidy up in a while, most likely! In all seriousness though, the Doctor is someone who, by this point in his life, has encountered just about all the different devices in the universe that can break through someone's mind barriers, like mind probes. Don't get him started on mind probes. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, after all. There is the oft chance that he's let the barrier on his mind down--he does let the defences on the TARDIS down on occasion, even if that is a very bad idea--so there's a chance of getting a split-second glimpse of what's on his mind, but the moment he feels someone poking around, his mind will clam up tighter than a deadlock-sealed door.

On that same vein of psychic power, he can sense other Time Lords; he can feel their presence in the back of his mind. With other Time Lords, he can communicate with them telepathically, but only if one is touching the other's temples. He can use this same technique to scan someone's mind and memories--and he can also use it to suppress memories as well, as he's had to do to his best mate, Donna Noble. He was also trained in the art of psionics or hypnotism, but he doesn't like to do it (though he had no qualms about it in his fourth incarnation). He leaves hypnotism to the Master since that's his bag, not the Doctor's. But back to psychic connections! The connection with the Time Lords (or lack thereof in Ten's case since they're all gone) is very different from the connection he feels with his TARDIS. Theirs is a bond of countless different levels, and most of those are private; all of them intimate. It's a comforting presence, even if she can give him the silent treatment, and ohhh, he can tell when she's angry with him, but also when she's happy too. (Another note! In Crucible, their connection had been severed and they couldn't feel each other in the backs of their minds, but here they will.)

θ Weaknesses:
As powerful and mighty as his sonic screwdriver is, it can't open deadlocked sealed doors, windows, etc. It's actually quite annoying, but he's learned to live with that.

He can have an awful temper when people don't listen to him--even if what he says is for their own good, and dear lord how many times has he been right that X group will get in trouble if they do Y thing?--and unfortunately, when he's forced to act against his enemies, he has been known to get carried away and needs someone to tell him to stop. Unfortunately, the person who did that is no longer with him and he's seemed to have forgotten that little detail as he doesn't want any other companions and therefore, he doesn't have anyone to stop him. Only time will tell how that fact will effect him in the future.

His tuxedo—he thinks it only brings him bad luck (and hasn't proven him differently yet), though whether that's isolated to the one he owns or any tuxedo he wears regardless of ownership is questionable, but all tuxedos will be considered bad luck until proving innocent.

At times, he has problems with ordinal lists and catches himself switching from numbers to letters, or vice-versa, then amending himself.

In a way, his friends can be only because their being captured or hurt is a way to provoke and injure him.

While his psychic defences are strong, he can really only use his own through touch. (Unless he's trying to use his to communicate with another Time Lord--especially one of his previous selves--then that's a different story.) Also, though his psychic defences are strong, it does make him more sensitive to such presences.

The aforementioned caveat regarding alcohol is this: in previous incarnations, ginger beer has proven to get him absolutely stinking drunk--why is that? Nobody knows!--so trusting that it still can get him drunk in his current incarnation, he avoids it. Unless he wants to get drunk. (But more than likely, he'll just go for a lime soda or banana daiquiri, but he's not opposed to a pint.) He can get hangovers just like anyone else though, especially after consuming a great deal of alcohol.

He can be mortally wounded like anyone else. (Doesn't like getting shot—had a bad experience getting shot once and doesn't care to repeat it.) Cut him, he bleeds. Punch him in the face, his nose might break (and if someone did, he might've deserved it.) His curiosity gets him in trouble more often than not. One thing that can really knock him flat is if his sense of time is taken away. It's happened before when he was stuck in a universe without time (really, time truly didn't exist) and to him, it feels like having a limb chopped off. And it hurts. Time sickness makes every single cell in his body ache with emptiness for what should be there but isn't, and at the same time, being in contact with someone is made up of time (aka everybody), it hurts him as well. It's a lose/lose situation, essentially. Ah yes, he also may or may not have a pesky, but deadly allergy to aspirin. At one time in his life, he was convinced of this fact, but he simply avoids because why tempt fate that way? He's also decided to spurn anaesthesia, especially the Earth kind, as it simply doesn't work on him.

Without his TARDIS, he would be lost. And very much stranded in one location and if there's one thing he can't abide, it's being stuck in one place and time for far too long. Especially against his will.

θ Sample:
[it's not every day that he finds himself waking up ill, never mind he doesn't actually sleep every day, but wake up ill he does and he starts rubbing his eyes.] Blimey, where is--?

[but he freezes, his words dying on his tongue, upon hearing a very familiar voice--slightly older than the last time he heard it--and removes his hands from his eyes. immediately, he spots a man he hoped he'd never see again sitting at his bedside. the nerve.] You... Orion, why am I--?! [and then he realises that the man isn't really there, his eyes discerning the subtle flickers of a tell-tale holographic projection, which only annoys him even more.]

[he allows Orion to speak--and secretly, part of him wants to believe he's hit his head on the TARDIS console and is simply imagining all this--but at the mention of the Hyperstring Gate, his face darkens and he immediately sits up, nausea be damned] What?! I thought I told you to destroy that technology! Your people--[he pauses for a moment to clutch at his head and continues, his voice low] Your people weren't ready for such technology. I told you that the last time I was here!

[much to his disappointment, the hologram continues without acknowledging his outburst and bangs on about about how they'd let such dangerous technology disappear from out from under their noses from someone or some group called The First. somehow, he thinks it's rather ironic that Orion is asking for his help when the help he originally gave him was so obviously misused or not used at all. sometimes, he really wonders why he bothers with humans any longer! it's not like they listen to him half the time anyway.]

[finally, once Orion finishes, he swings his feet off the bed, wagging a finger at the hologram--but stops realising the motion is meaningless. he has to press a blue button--fancy that, him having to take orders from that man of all people--and if there's something he can't resist, it's pressing a button no matter what their colour. so, he presses it. and when he starts speaking, his voice is, at first, somewhat jovial, but quickly becomes dangerously calm as he's trying to contain the absolute fury he feels for being drawn into this world yet again]

Well, if it isn't my old friend, Orion! Well, I suppose I ought to be calling you 'Admiral Orion' or even 'Admiral Ganymede', but if I had my way, you'd be stripped of your rank right this instant. [and he means it. he can and has deposed countless despots, dictators, prime ministers, kings, and morons from their positions of power in the past and what's another name on that long list?] However! I think you and I need to have a little chat first before I get on that whole stripping of the rank thing. I hope you're not too busy right now 'cause we're going to be here for a while. [and even if Orion were busy, he doesn't care!]

All right, one! As I told you before--well, as I told your holographic projection moments ago, I should say--I thought I'd given explicit instructions to destroy every piece of technology on down to every single little scrap of paper with an equation or two on it that had anything to do with the Hyperstring Gate project. [his face darkens, his voice going low] I know I wasn't talking to myself that day. I remember everything that happened, from the moment I arrived to the very nanosecond I left. And come to think of it, I believe two scientists were there that day, what were their names... Oh yes! Anand and Chandra! How are they doing, by the way? So you know, I won't be very happy to hear if they've been involved in this again. I would have thought their supposed original deaths would be enough of a warning not to try it again, but what do I know? [he throws his hands up in the air theatrically] You humans never seem to learn anyway and the Gates' very existence is proof of this!

Now, B, no, two! How the hell did you lose a Gate anyway? Did you manage to make them travel-sized since the last time the IAIC mucked about with this project and someone just walked in and nicked it?! And to think you have one on a ship right now... The next time you decide to not listen to me, why don't you install a homing beacon or a tracker of some kind so you can find it a little easier and spare us all the trouble of getting involved again! Actually, you may as well do that to the one you have contained on the Gauntlet right now. Oh, and I've got to say it must be nice to be on the only ship that's safe from the effects of that Gate. Or is it really? If we're on another collision course with a black hole, you can bet I'll find my way on-board your ship and stop you. [his voice softens for a moment, sounding almost disappointed] I'd have thought you, of all people, Orion, would remember what sort of dangers the operation of the Gate can pose on the human mind. I'd ask after your father, but something tells me nothing will have changed since last we spoke.

And finally, three. I want out of here; out of this room, out of this ship, out of this universe entirely. I want to be back in my own universe and back to my TARDIS--which I see I've managed to be parted from yet again. [and that doesn't please him one single bit. you don't mess with his TARDIS. especially when this is the second time in this incarnation he's managed be plucked from the inside of his fantastic, wonderful, and powerful ship.] However, the only way I'm going to do that is if I play along with your little operation. So yes, I'll be joining you but I have a couple conditions. I will not wear a uniform, nor will I carry a gun, so don't even bother issuing me one. I freely offer my services as scientific and strategic advisor--really, my skill and sheer genius are leaps and bounds above that of your average grunt, so you'd be an idiot to ignore that. You won't be able to do this without my help, after all. Or anyone else who happens to be pulled into this again or for the first time. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure no one dies while on this hunt for your wayward Gate, because so help me... [he trails off, figuring his point has been made, then he closes his eyes for a moment. he takes a well-deserved breath.]

Are we clear, Orion? [his voice and expression have softened a little] I'll do this for you and find your Gate. Maybe I'll even reconsider what I said earlier. But I want your promise that no one will be harmed. Not anyone or anything in The First or anyone who arrives here from their home universes. I think that's the least you can do for me.

For all of us.

RP with charmandsmiles

bit_impossible — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:50:21 GMT

The moment the TARDIS had ceased shaking him about like a die in a tumbler, he scrambled to his feet, immediately checking his ship's systems. "Everything all right there, old girl?" he asked absently, his hands flicking and turning different switches and dials, his eyes glancing at the screen. Made him glad he waited to test the updated fast-return switch he'd just installed until after he'd left Harriet in Flydale North to visit her mum. A private trip there without all the media coverage would do her some good, he felt.

Now if he could only figure out what the hell went wrong with his TARDIS... The fast return switch, by all rights, should have brought him back to Sulinara! The original trip there hadn't been as bumpy, nor had any of the other trips he'd made using the old switch. Not that he recalled anyway.

He shrugged and sighed at the read-outs he was glancing over. The TARDIS would only tell him he was on Earth and nothing else. "Come on, not even a little clue?" he complained and frowned as he slipped the pair of glasses off his face and stowed them safely away. "I hope you're not acting like this on purpose. I'll have you know it wasn't my fault the switch didn't work!" A pause. "Well...it might have been," he conceded, running a hand through his hair. "Just a bit..."

Deciding it'd be best if he left the TARDIS to run a diagnostics on that particular section of her systems in peace, he quickly made his way to the door, shrugging his long brown coat on. "Just going out for a stroll," he said, hoping to get a response from his ship. He only received a stony silence in return; even the humming in the console room had become more subdued. "Right," he added, clicking his teeth together. "Back in a jiff."

Something told him, however, as he stepped out into a leafy forest on what like a beautiful summer day, that he might be a little longer than a 'jiff'. "What?"

Especially if what he saw before him was indeed another TARDIS, an exact copy of the one he'd just left. "What?!"

Threads for Crucible

bit_impossible — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:06:25 GMT

I've consolidated my tags--really, I had a lot and it was just getting messy. But! If you're looking for a particular thread or something, I've saved what the tags were for each entry and have listed them accordingly so you can still find them by name/plot/etc.

Cycle 1:
θ 1 - Introduction
Tags: *cycle 1, *public post, axel [au], azula [au], riku [au], verse: crucible_rpg

θ 2 - Post holiday malfunction/mysterious box
Tags: *cycle 1, *public post, caim [ou], oliver day [ou], riku [au], roxas [au], sora [ou], the tardis [au], uchiha sasuke [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~babble babble babble, ~goodness look at him talk

θ 3 - Post conversation with Ganymede re:his TARDIS
Tags: *cycle 1, *public post, nill [ou], oliver day [ou], riku [au], sora [au], the tardis [au], uchiha sasuke [au], verse: crucible_rpg

θ 4 - Post the shops shutting down.
Tags: *cycle 1, *public post, matsumoto rangiku [ou], reborn [ou], roxas [au], tyki mikk [ou], uchiha sasuke [au], verse: crucible_rpg

θ 5 - Kitchen offer
Tags: *cycle 1, *public post, ianto jones [ou], lara croft [ou], matsumoto rangiku [ou], nill [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~open invitation

θ 6 - Start of the 'All roads lead to Rome' plot
Tags: *cycle 1, *plot: all roads lead to rome part 1, *public post, asher [ou], katsuragi yako [ou], oliver day [ou], verse: crucible_rpg

θ 7 - Continuation of the plot - Trapped in the Envirodome
Tags: *cycle 1, *plot: all roads lead to rome part 2, *public post, matsumoto rangiku [ou], oliver day [ou], the tardis [au], tres iqus [ou], uchiha sasuke [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~danger!

θ 8 - 'Put in their place' plot - Turned into a child
Tags: *plot: put in their place part 1, caim [ou], ianto jones [ou], lara croft [ou], neku sakuraba [ou], nill [ou], oliver day [ou], riku [au], the tardis [au], uchiha sasuke [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~child doctor!

θ 9 - Still during the 'Put in their place' plot as a kid
Tags: *plot: put in their place part 1, verse: crucible_rpg, ~child doctor!, ~silly doctor is silly

θ 8a - Still during the "Put in their place' plot as a kid - thread with Oliver
Tags: *cycle 1, *plot: put in their place part 1, oliver day [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~child doctor!

θ 10 - Start of endgame for the first cycle
Tags: *cycle 1, *plot: road to endgame, *public post, caim [ou], katsuragi yako [ou], master chief [ou], uchiha sasuke [au], verse: crucible_rpg, yazoo [ou]

Note to self - Conclusions he's tried to reach up until that point.
Tags: *cycle 1, *private post, verse: crucible_rpg, ~observations, ~to do list

θ 11 - Revelation of their heading toward a black hole
Tags: *cycle 1, *plot: endgame!, the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~it's the end of the world as we know it

θ 12 - Endgame/gift of a silver leaf
Tags: *cycle 1, *plot: endgame!, oliver day [ou], the tardis [au], uchiha sasuke [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~ominous gifts

Cycle 2:
θ 13 - Start of cycle 2
Tags: *cycle 2, *public post, matsumoto rangiku [ou], riku [au], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~pleasant surprises

θ 14 - Spaceman dance/invention of the shoe inserts
Tags: *cycle 2, *plot: spaceman dance, abel nightroad [au], death the kid [ou], fye d. flourite [ou], lara croft [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], matsumoto rangiku [ou], oruha [ou], reborn [ou], ryuu f. kazuhiko [ou], saki tsuzura [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~babble babble babble, ~goodness look at him talk, ~mister know-it-all

θ 15 - Just after the crash on Eos
Tags: *cycle 2, *filtered post, *plot: planetary part 1, *public post, klavier gavin [ou], lara croft [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], oliver day [ou], ryuu f. kazuhiko [ou], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~exploration at last!, ~fun rides that aren't really fun

θ 16 - Loss of inhibitions
Tags: *cycle 2, *plot: planetary part 2, *public post, haruno sakura [ou], ianto jones [ou], lara croft [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~happy doctor is happy, ~level 5 loss of inhibitions go!, ~open invitation, ~waxing poetic

θ 17 - Post Loss of inhibitions/genderswap (not him though)
Tags: *cycle 2, *plot: planetary part 3, abel nightroad [au], lara croft [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], matsumoto rangiku [ou], oliver day [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~aftermath, ~the other shoe drops, ~the trouble with complete honesty

[SOS] θ 18 - His attempt to flag down Orion
Tags: *cycle 2, *plot: planetary part 4, *quicktime event!, abel nightroad [au], amaterasu [au], ianto jones [ou], lulu [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], naesala [ou], oliver day [ou], presea [ou], ryuu f. kazuhiko [ou], suu [ou], the tardis [au], uchiha sasuke [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~babble babble babble

θ 19 - Attempt to communicate with Orion
Tags: *cycle 2, *plot: planetary part 4, *post sos, abel nightroad [au], dr ema hetfield [ou], ishida ametatsu [au], lulu [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], oruha [ou], ryuu f. kazuhiko [ou], sohma shigure [au], temari [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~babble babble babble, ~surefooted as a mountain goat!, ~take me to your leader

θ 20 - Paranoia Plot - the beginning of his descent
Tags: *cycle 2, *plot: conspiracy theory, *plot: planetary part 5, *public post, lara croft [ou], lulu [ou], oliver day [ou], riku [au], verse: crucible_rpg, yamamoto takeshi (tyl) [ou], ~can only hold on for so long, ~ghosts of the past, ~going slightly mad, ~sleep who needs sleep?, ~voices in my head

θ 20a - Paranoia Plot - descent into madness
Tags: *cycle 2, *private post, verse: crucible_rpg, ~brb going insane, ~tl;dr doctor

θ 21 - Paranoia Plot - Twisted methods of "saving" people
Tags: *cycle 2, *plot: conspiracy theory, *plot: planetary part 5, *public post, aerith gainsborough [au], asher [ou], hibari kyouya [ou], ishida ametatsu [au], klavier gavin [ou], lara croft [ou], lulu [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], motoko kusanagi [ou], oliver day [ou], sawada tsuna [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, yamamoto takeshi (tyl) [ou], ~brb going insane, ~ghosts of the past, ~gone baby gone, ~voices in my head

θ 22 - Post-Paranoia Plot/Start of the missing items plot
Tags: *audio message, *cycle 2, *filtered post, *plot: conspiracy theory-end, *plot: missing items, *plot: planetary part 6, *public post, klavier gavin [ou], lara croft [ou], lulu [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], suzumiya haruhi [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~observations, ~oh no not my tie!, ~sleep who needs sleep?, ~the other shoe drops, ~too late to apologise

θ 23 - Last man standing plot/Hole jumping
Tags: *cycle 2, *plot: last man standing, *plot: planetary part 7, gray fullbuster [ou], haruka [ou], klavier gavin [ou], lara croft [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], oliver day [ou], riku [au], sohma shigure [au], suzumiya haruhi [au], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~all in the name of science, ~i liked that hand!, ~ironic journal number is ironic, ~tl;dr doctor, ~very much a hypocrite

θ 24 - The day after his jumping into a hole
Tags: *cycle 2, *plot: last man standing, *plot: planetary part 7, captain jack harkness [ou], haruka [ou], lara croft [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], oliver day [ou], oruha [ou], riku [au], sohma shigure [au], suzumiya haruhi [au], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~all in the name of science, ~give the man a hand!, ~i liked that hand!

θ 25 [Best Guess 1] - Endgame for Cycle 2/Search for Orion in the Crucible
Tags: *cycle 2, *plot: endgame!, *plot: planetary part 8, *quicktime event!, lyle dylandy [ou], roxas [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~danger!, ~hello darkness my old friend, ~hide and seek, ~it's the end of the world as we know it

Cycle 3:
θ 26 - Start of third cycle/Morning after a night of drinking
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot break, *public post, captain jack harkness [ou], duo maxwell [ou], lara croft [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], mitarashi anko [ou], naesala [ou], oliver day [ou], suzumiya haruhi [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~companion shenanigans, ~oh what a night, ~rudierian triple whammy: 1/time lord: 0, ~why must the light be so bright?

θ 27 - Vampire imaging malfunction/Trip to the pool
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot: bleh!, *public post, aerith gainsborough [au], amaterasu [au], haruka [ou], ishida ametatsu [au], ishida ryuuko [au], klavier gavin [ou], kyon [ou], lara croft [ou], mitarashi anko [ou], oliver day [ou], quatre raberba winner [ou], roxas [au], sho minamimoto [au], suzumiya haruhi [au], tieria erde [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~menancing laughter, ~no vampire stalkage for you!, ~pesky holograms, ~stoker would've been jealous, ~that first step's a doozy!

θ 28 [Treasure Hunt] - Walk like an Egyptian plot/Search for the package from Orion
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot: walk like an egyptian, *public post, *quicktime event!, oliver day [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~babble babble babble, ~goodness look at him talk, ~history lessons--doctor style, ~horrible name dropper

θ 29 [Treasure Hunt] - Continuation of Egyptian plot/Shooting for the stars
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot: walk like an egyptian, *quicktime event!, ishida ametatsu [au], ishida ryuuko [au], lyle dylandy [ou], naesala [ou], oliver day [ou], presea [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, yukio hirayama [ou], ~astronomy lessons--doctor style, ~babble babble babble, ~goodness look at him talk, ~reaching for the stars

θ 30 - Power Ranger plot/Time sickness
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot: go team go!, *public post, abel nightroad [au], aerith gainsborough [au], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~ai yi yi!, ~alpha tardis blue ranger!, ~team alpha reporting in!, ~time sickness wtf?

θ 31 - Continuation of Power Ranger plot/search for the door in level 24
Tags: *cycle 3, *filtered post, *plot: go team go! part 2, *private post, amaterasu [au], fuuma-trc [ou], hiruma youichi [ou], ishida ametatsu [au], kanako miyamae [ou], klavier gavin [ou], kyon [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], oliver day [ou], presea [ou], riku [au], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~all together now!, ~captain your ass is grass, ~divide and conquer time, ~time sickness wtf?

θ 32 - PR plot/search for the door and a bad beating
Tags: *cycle 3, *filtered post, *plot: go team go! part 2, hiruma youichi [ou], ishida ryuuko [au], oliver day [ou], suzumiya haruhi [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~all together now!, ~alpha tardis blue ranger!, ~captain your ass is grass, ~divide and conquer time, ~drumming up the troops, ~time sickness wtf?

θ 33 - The nightmare window
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot break, aerith gainsborough [au], fuuma-trc [ou], ishida ametatsu [au], kurosaki isshin [ou], oliver day [ou], suzumiya haruhi [au], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~dreamers often lie, ~hello darkness my old friend, ~my curiosity got the better of me, ~sorry old girl

θ 34 - Tin pan plot/ridiculously happy Doctor
Tags: *crack post, *cycle 3, *plot: tin pan, *public post, lyle dylandy [ou], suzumiya haruhi [au], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~free hugs!, ~happy doctor is happy

θ 35 - The big goodbye plot/Gangster boss in Chicago
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot: the big goodbye, *public post, amaterasu [au], ishida ametatsu [au], ishida ryuuko [au], kurosaki isshin [ou], kyon [ou], oliver day [ou], riku [au], suzumiya haruhi [au], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~colour overload, ~da boss--of the non-springsteen variety, ~gangster boss what?

θ 36 - Post Chicago plot
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot break, *public post, klavier gavin [ou], loki [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], oliver day [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~aftermath, ~all in the name of science, ~lost friends, ~my white whale, ~technological sacrifices, ~that wacky captain

θ 37 - Start of the everquesting plot/The red forest
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot: everquesting part 1, *public post, ishida ametatsu [au], kurosaki isshin [ou], kyon [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], oliver day [ou], presea [ou], riku [au], suzumiya haruhi [au], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~all in the name of science, ~biology lessons--doctor style, ~man with a bow, ~tonguing methods

θ 38 - Everquesting continued/K-9 Mark V
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot: everquesting part 2, *public post, donna noble [ou], kyon [ou], loki [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], oliver day [ou], riku [au], suzumiya haruhi [au], uchiha sasuke [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~a boy and his dog, ~happy doctor is happy, ~pleasant surprises, ~the doctor-now of the doolittle variety

θ 39 - Road to endgame/Burnt off barcode
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot: road to endgame, *public post, asahina mikuru [ou], colette brunel [ou], donna noble [ou], haseo [au], ishida ryuuko [au], klavier gavin [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], oliver day [ou], presea [ou], riku [au], roxas [ou], sothe [ou], suzumiya haruhi [au], verse: crucible_rpg, yukio hirayama [ou], ~a boy and his dog, ~drumming up the troops, ~i liked that hand!, ~it's barcode buddy time!, ~watch out orion

θ 40 - Sleepless plot
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot: sleepless, *public post, abel nightroad [au], donna noble [ou], klavier gavin [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], motoko kusanagi [ou], oliver day [ou], suzumiya haruhi [au], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~failure is not an option, ~going slightly mad, ~watch out orion

θ 41 - The 'bad end' scenario/Valeyard
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot: bad end, *plot: endgame!, amaterasu [au], donna noble [ou], klavier gavin [ou], lucca ashtear [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], motoko kusanagi [ou], oliver day [ou], riku [au], suzumiya haruhi [au], the tardis [au], tieria erde [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~danger!, ~ghosts of the past, ~mmmm valeyard, ~my shadow and me, ~nothing like a little trauma, ~tl;dr doctor

θ 42 - The 'good end' scenario
Tags: *cycle 3, *plot: endgame!, *plot: good end, donna noble [ou], lucca ashtear [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], motoko kusanagi [ou], oliver day [ou], riku [au], roxas [ou], the tardis [au], tieria erde [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~colour overload, ~ghosts of the past, ~insert douglas adams ref here, ~lost friends, ~pleasant surprises, ~the ultimate tardis family

Cycle 4:
θ 43 - Thought bubble plot
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: a penny for your thoughts, *public post, kurosaki isshin [ou], kyon [ou], loki [ou], oliver day [ou], tieria erde [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~all these thoughts in my head, ~complicated like whoa, ~fail mental shields, ~my white whale

θ 44 - The Amazing 15 cm High Doctor! aka the Matter of Perspective plot
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: a matter of perspective, *public post, donna noble [ou], hiruma youichi [ou], oliver day [ou], presea [ou], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~mini doctor!, ~tea cup musings, ~yeah robotic cleaning mice

OOC - Cheatsheet for the "I remember" plot - Colourful quotes
Tags: !ooc, *cycle 4, *plot: i remember, verse: crucible_rpg

θ 45 - I remember plot/Multi-Doctor voices
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: i remember, *public post, naesala [ou], riku [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~babble babble babble, ~colour overload, ~complicated like whoa, ~ghosts of the past, ~tl;dr doctor x 10, ~voices in my head

θ 46 - You sound familiar plot/Darn it, keep your clothes on!
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: you sound familiar, *public post, amaterasu [au], axel [ou], ishida ryuuko [au], klavier gavin [ou], loki [ou], lucrezia noin [ou], riku [au], the tardis [au], uchiha sasuke [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~channeling a certain ice mage, ~curiouser and curiouser, ~gray fullbuster what?, ~indecent exposure, ~unexpected naked doctor

θ 47 - Continuation of You sound familiar plot/Post-discussion with Orion
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: you sound familiar, *public post, abel nightroad [au], amaterasu [au], donna noble [ou], klavier gavin [ou], lucca ashtear [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], the tardis [au], tieria erde [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~babble babble babble, ~double meanings, ~open invitation, ~party time woo!, ~prattles about important things

θ 48 - You look familiar plot/Bodyswap into Donna's body
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: you look familiar, *public post, donna noble [ou], kurosaki isshin [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], presea [ou], riku [au], roxas [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~brainy specs--donna style, ~oh dear god they get in the way!, ~the doctordonna in a different way, ~these extra appendages befuddle me

θ 49 - No pets allowed plot/Cat!Doctor
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: no pets allowed, *public post, oliver day [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~abyssinian cat is a go!, ~cat!doctor, ~purr machine, ~that wacky captain

θ 50 - Phantoms plot/First sighting of Past Ganymede scene
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: phantoms, *quicktime event!, elraine figarette [ou], haseo [au], kurosaki isshin [ou], lucca ashtear [ou], mitarashi anko [ou], motoko kusanagi [ou], oliver day [ou], quatre raberba winner [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~ganymede you sneaking cheeky bastard

θ 51 - An evening with the captain and lockdown plots/Post-dinner with Ganymede
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: an evening with the captain, *plot: lockdown, *public post, donna noble [ou], oliver day [ou], riku [au], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~oh what a night

θ 52 - Heroes plot/Orion's ships are bombarding the Crucible
Tags: *accidental public post, *cycle 4, *plot: heroes, *quicktime event!, donna noble [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~all these thoughts in my head, ~captain your ass is grass, ~danger!, ~failure is not an option, ~hello darkness my old friend, ~prattles about important things, ~that wacky captain, ~watch out orion

[HERO] θ 52b - Heroes plot/Ten's attempt to goad Ganymede into dropping the shields
Tags: [original] the tenth doctor, [original] oliver day

[HERO] θ 53 - Heroes plot/Ten's note to Ganymede
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: heroes, *quicktime event!, verse: crucible_rpg

θ 54 - Machinations plot/Post discussion with Orion and construction of a device to help Orion
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: machinations, ishida ryuuko [au], kurosaki isshin [ou], motoko kusanagi [ou], nataku [ou], oliver day [ou], quatre raberba winner [ou], the tardis [au], tieria erde [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~teamwork, ~technological sacrifices

θ 55 [Mutiny] - Mutiny plot part 1/Search with Orion to the Enviro-dome
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: mutiny part 1, *quicktime event!, kurosaki isshin [ou], orion [npc], verse: crucible_rpg

θ 56 [Mutiny] - Mutiny plot part 1/Search with Orion to level 11
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: mutiny part 1, *quicktime event!, orion [npc], verse: crucible_rpg

θ 57 - Mutiny plot part 2/Just after Orion disappeared to kill Ganymede
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: mutiny part 2, amaterasu [au], donna noble [ou], ishida ryuuko [au], klavier gavin [ou], nataku [ou], presea [ou], quatre raberba winner [ou], riku [au], tieria erde [ou], verse: crucible_rpg, ~fury of a time lord, ~shouty doctor

θ 58 - Mutiny plot part 2/All hell beaks loose/Genderswap
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: mutiny part 2, *plot: planetary part 3 redux, amaterasu [au], axel [ou], ishida ryuuko [au], nataku [ou], oliver day [ou], riku [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~i'm not half the man i used to be, ~sadly these are not melons, ~these extra appendages befuddle me

θ 59 - Final endgame/A final meeting before we say good-bye
Tags: *cycle 4, *plot: final endgame!, *public post, amaterasu [au], donna noble [ou], haseo [au], klavier gavin [ou], lucca ashtear [ou], lyle dylandy [ou], neil dylandy [ou], oliver day [ou], the tardis [au], verse: crucible_rpg, ~feeling the call of a new adventure, ~good-bye my friends, ~one last trip

θ 60 - Post-Crucible--A what if situation
Tags: !ooc, *post-crucible, verse: crucible_rpg

Tag List

OOC Notes
!application
!concrit
!ooc
!permissions meme
!player information
!reference
*accidental public post
*audio message
*crack post
*cycle 1
*cycle 2
*cycle 3
*cycle 4
*filtered post
*plot break
*plot: a matter of perspective
*plot: a penny for your thoughts
*plot: all roads lead to rome part 1
*plot: all roads lead to rome part 2
*plot: an evening with the captain
*plot: bad end
*plot: bleh!
*plot: conspiracy theory
*plot: conspiracy theory-end
*plot: endgame!
*plot: everquesting part 1
*plot: everquesting part 2
*plot: final endgame!
*plot: go team go!
*plot: go team go! part 2
*plot: good end
*plot: heroes
*plot: i remember
*plot: last man standing
*plot: lockdown
*plot: machinations
*plot: missing items
*plot: mutiny part 1
*plot: mutiny part 2
*plot: no pets allowed
*plot: phantoms
*plot: planetary part 1
*plot: planetary part 2
*plot: planetary part 3
*plot: planetary part 3 redux
*plot: planetary part 4
*plot: planetary part 5
*plot: planetary part 6
*plot: planetary part 7
*plot: planetary part 8
*plot: put in their place part 1
*plot: road to endgame
*plot: sleepless
*plot: spaceman dance
*plot: the big goodbye
*plot: tin pan
*plot: walk like an egyptian
*plot: you look familiar
*plot: you sound familiar
*post sos
*post-crucible
*private post
*public post
*quicktime event!
verse: crucible_rpg
Characters
abel nightroad [au]
aerith gainsborough [au]
amaterasu [au]
asahina mikuru [ou]
asher [ou]
axel [au]
axel [ou]
azula [au]
caim [ou]
captain jack harkness [ou]
colette brunel [ou]
death the kid [ou]
donna noble [ou]
dr ema hetfield [ou]
duo maxwell [ou]
elraine figarette [ou]
fuuma-trc [ou]
fye d. flourite [ou]
gray fullbuster [ou]

haruka [ou]
haruno sakura [ou]
haseo [au]
hibari kyouya [ou]
hiruma youichi [ou]
ianto jones [ou]
ishida ametatsu [au]
ishida ryuuko [au]
kanako miyamae [ou]
katsuragi yako [ou]
klavier gavin [ou]
kurosaki isshin [ou]
kyon [ou]
lara croft [ou]
loki [ou]
lucca ashtear [ou]
lucrezia noin [ou]
lulu [ou]
lyle dylandy [ou]
master chief [ou]
matsumoto rangiku [ou]
mitarashi anko [ou]
motoko kusanagi [ou]
naesala [ou]
nataku [ou]
neil dylandy [ou]
neku sakuraba [ou]
nill [ou]
oliver day [ou]
orion [npc]
oruha [ou]
presea [ou]
quatre raberba winner [ou]
reborn [ou]
riku [au]
roxas [au]
roxas [ou]
ryuu f. kazuhiko [ou]
saki tsuzura [ou]
sawada tsuna [ou]
sho minamimoto [au]
sohma shigure [au]
sora [au]
sora [ou]
sothe [ou]
suu [ou]
suzumiya haruhi [au]
temari [ou]
the tardis [au]
tieria erde [ou]
tres iqus [ou]
tyki mikk [ou]
uchiha sasuke [au]
yamamoto takeshi (tyl) [ou]
yazoo [ou]
yukio hirayama [ou]
Silly details
~a boy and his dog
~abyssinian cat is a go!
~aftermath
~ai yi yi!
~all in the name of science
~all these thoughts in my head
~all together now!
~alpha tardis blue ranger!
~astronomy lessons--doctor style
~babble babble babble
~biology lessons--doctor style
~brainy specs--donna style
~brb going insane
~can only hold on for so long
~captain your ass is grass
~cat!doctor
~channeling a certain ice mage
~child doctor!
~colour overload
~companion shenanigans
~complicated like whoa
~curiouser and curiouser
~da boss--of the non-springsteen variety
~danger!
~divide and conquer time
~double meanings
~dreamers often lie
~drumming up the troops
~exploration at last!

~fail mental shields
~failure is not an option
~feeling the call of a new adventure
~free hugs!
~fun rides that aren't really fun
~fury of a time lord
~gangster boss what?
~ganymede you sneaking cheeky bastard
~ghosts of the past
~give the man a hand!
~going slightly mad
~gone baby gone
~good-bye my friends
~goodness look at him talk
~gray fullbuster what?
~happy doctor is happy
~hello darkness my old friend
~hide and seek
~history lessons--doctor style
~horrible name dropper
~i liked that hand!
~i'm not half the man i used to be
~indecent exposure
~insert douglas adams ref here
~ironic journal number is ironic
~it's barcode buddy time!
~it's the end of the world as we know it
~level 5 loss of inhibitions go!
~lost friends
~man with a bow
~menancing laughter
~mini doctor!
~mister know-it-all
~mmmm valeyard
~my curiosity got the better of me
~my shadow and me
~my white whale
~no vampire stalkage for you!
~nothing like a little trauma
~observations
~oh dear god they get in the way!
~oh no not my tie!
~oh what a night
~ominous gifts
~one last trip
~open invitation
~party time woo!
~pesky holograms
~pleasant surprises
~prattles about important things
~purr machine
~reaching for the stars
~rudierian triple whammy: 1/time lord: 0
~sadly these are not melons
~shouty doctor
~silly doctor is silly
~sleep who needs sleep?
~sorry old girl
~stoker would've been jealous
~surefooted as a mountain goat!
~take me to your leader
~tea cup musings
~team alpha reporting in!
~teamwork
~technological sacrifices
~that first step's a doozy!
~that wacky captain
~the doctor-now of the doolittle variety
~the doctordonna in a different way
~the other shoe drops
~the trouble with complete honesty
~the ultimate tardis family
~these extra appendages befuddle me
~time sickness wtf?
~tl;dr doctor
~tl;dr doctor x 10
~to do list
~tonguing methods
~too late to apologise
~unexpected naked doctor
~very much a hypocrite
~voices in my head
~watch out orion
~waxing poetic
~why must the light be so bright?
~yeah robotic cleaning mice

θ 60 - Post-Crucible

bit_impossible — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:32:53 GMT

Post-Crucible fic. It's also a sorta companion piece to what Mecchan wrote for Oliver, well, in the vaguest sense in the word anyway. >.>;;

-----
The Doctor collapsed back into his chair and instantly jumped back up again. "Whoa! Steady there, old girl!" he shouted, clinging to the central console as the TARDIS bucked all about. His hands quickly flicked at switches and dials for any and all stabilisers he could reach for and settled her down after a few minutes, but knew that wasn't quite enough. Soon, he decided to simply pull her out from the course he had set and left her drifting in the Time Vortex for now. He bowed his head, leaning against the console, and listened to the pleasant hums coming from her as he breathed a sigh of relief.

Her humming...the feel of her hand in his, their lips brushing together...

Suddenly, his head snapped up, eyes going wide. He'd set those coordinates more than a year ago, or did he? In fact, he couldn't remember where he was going but he'd run into trouble on his way there--no, it was Bigilis Minor. Of course, Bigilis Minor! How could he have forgotten? But he remembered standing there in the console room mere seconds before, not a year, and fighting with the TARDIS because she just didn't want to land where he'd wanted--and perhaps she was right to fight him. They had several arguments about her being right and she won just about all of them, much to his annoyance. And she'd smile and with that same mouth proclaim so long as he was safe, she didn't care what happened to his friends or anybody else aboard that ship...

The IASC Crucible.

He shook his head, blinking and running a hand through his hair--why did that name pop into his head just then?--and checked the coordinates he'd set before. Sure enough, there were his entries for Bigilis Minor--but something wasn't right. "No, no, no, these are right. How come you gave me such trouble going there? It's a tropical planet and I wasn't going to land you in a lake. You told me enough times how you didn't like the water, even if I taught you how to fl--." The words had spouted out of his mouth before he was even aware of them.

Frowning, his eyebrows furrowed in an expression of deep concentration, he slipped his glasses on. His eyes scanned the coordinates again, reading them slowly this time. By the time he'd read it over for the second time, he'd determined that the TARDIS was merely being difficult and he should just try to go there some other time. With a sigh, he settled back against the edge of the yellow seat and closed his eyes.

Then he saw them, the faces of all the people he'd met and befriended during yet another year that wasn't in an alternate universe--a sun goddess; a young man with silver hair who was far too obsessed with note taking; twins--one who was doomed to die and the other meant to replace him years later and struggled with his own self-identity; young ninja who grew up far too quickly and saw so much death; a prosecuting rock star; a cyborg with the most wonderful circuitry of its kind he'd seen in a long time; extraordinary young women who wielded a giant axe, kept up with him with his technological jargon, explored exotic locales, who could save her world with her prayer, was a brilliant mechanic, and was the last of her kind though her mother seemed to have knowledge of the same abilities as her daughter; and so many more. And he'd met her again, the best mate he was forced to kill in a sense or her mind would burn. He got to have a few more adventures with her and gave her the proper good-bye he would've eventually given her had that not happened to her because, after all, everybody leaves him in the end.

Then there was his TARDIS in a different body--a beautiful, dainty one--and he finally had his adventures with her and her alone. He leaned forward as he remembered their explorations of the planet Eos and the flower crown she'd made for him, amongst other things they'd done together. Gently, his fingers stroked over different parts of the console, fondly remembering what it had been like to touch her skin, and hold her close. He never did learn whether she'd chosen to remember their time there or not, and he still stood by his decision. No doubt what he said moments ago would let her know--or not--that she'd finally caught up with him.

"Well, old girl, how about we stay adrift for a while, just you and me?" he asked out loud. "Said I would, you know. I promised I'd spend time with you."

And so he did. For hours he'd sit at his chair or wander around the console room, just talking and telling her tales of the places he'd gone to recently. About adventures he'd had and never found the time to tell her about in the past. He rarely left her, and when he did, it was to make another pot of tea or to grab another book or two he hadn't read in a while. Occasionally, he'd itch to set off to another place--something told him he had someplace he needed to be--but he soon found something to distract him, like a repair job he'd meant to get to years before but put off for one reason or another. And he gave her a systems overhaul she'd been in need of for a while.

The days soon turned into weeks, and into months, but he had a feeling he was forgetting something. It niggled in the back of his mind stronger than before now, but he still couldn't quite place what it had been. And it bothered the hell out of him. He didn't like having his mind tampered with, and he'd set up several precautions and barriers before leaving that ship so nothing would happen to him. That's what he had told...told... Who had he told? He'd had several memories from his time on the Crucible where he was talking to somebody, joking and arguing fiercely with that person. There'd been so many visits in hospital as well for reasons that angered and upset him because it was so foolish of that person to have gotten in trouble in the first place.

Suddenly, he had a flash of a memory--of being attacked, of furniture flying as a large man tried to flee and he tried to, but couldn't before he had something covering his mouth and nose--but as soon as he remembered that, he instinctually knew that partial memory wasn't his. Nothing about it added up with the rest of his memories, and he was certain he'd remember somebody named Mikaeja, especially one who looked like that man. And why did he smell citrus?

"Sorry, old girl," he said as he quickly strode out of the console room. "Something isn't right. There's somebody I'm not remembering and I think it has to do with that orange scent I keep smelling. I know there's no possible way I could be smelling the orange groves in your gardens, so it's something else. The person in this memory was knocked out by it, but I can't remember what chemical solution that might be."

He was certain the person had been a human male just from the single heart beat that had throbbed in his ears and how he hadn't been that easy to take out. There was a hint of familiarity in the look of that flat he'd been in. The disjointed and incongruous choice of the furniture--and the style of furniture itself was a big clue. Hybrid materials like plasteel and glasteel were commonly used in the construction of such objects for several centuries, but had been phased out by the 31st century.

For hours he pored over countless texts, searching for that chemical. He narrowed down all the pleasant smelling ones used for such futuristic versions of chloroform--which many considered much safer for the environment than its primitive predecessor formed from chlorine and methane--but none of them struck him as completely hazardous as the one used, and he reasoned it to be a type of citroloform, a type of chloroform produced from a certain type of citrus fruit most resembling an orange from the early 21st century. It was only a small amount that man had been exposed to; just a regular dose any ill-intentioned person would use to knock somebody out, but it had knocked the man out for an inordinate amount of time and even forced him to forget that incident even occurred! He remembered now going into that person's mind and seeing that fight, but at the time, he wasn't concerned about the orange-scented solution. He had been worried about even remembering the events that had transpired on the ship and retrieving his friend...

"Oh, stupid Doctor, how could you overlook something so blatantly obvious!" he chided, suddenly slamming shut the book he had been reading. Jumping up and knocking several thick tomes off his lap in the process, he ran out of the TARDIS library and headed back to the console room. "How could you forget Oliver Day?" he muttered to himself as he sprinted around the central console, setting the coordinates for Gondovan in the year 2618, inputting the specific day he needed in order to reach his friend in time.

"All right, I'm counting on you, TARDIS," he said, his hand hovering over the last lever he needed to pull. "Let's not be too late."

~*~

It had been several centuries since he'd last been to Gondovan. Sure, he'd been in the general area surrounding the planet for several various reasons over the years, but never to the Gondovan itself, and never to this specific time, not again. As he closed the door to the TARDIS, a quick glance around told him that little seemed to have changed. Then again, only a year had passed since his last visit there.

The sun was still high in the pink sky as he strode towards the Gondolla Spaceport, his eyes on the lookout for any sign of Oliver, but so far, he didn't see him. A frown appeared on his face as he neared his destination. Had he somehow arrived too late or too early? Anything was possible with the TARDIS, but she'd known how important it was for him to get there on time. Besides, he hadn't put all that time in overhauling her systems for nothing.

Finally, just as he was about to ask for some help from a shabbily-dressed man, he spotted Oliver in the distance, heading his way. Oliver wore the same clothing he had been in that memory, a familiar stack of folders tucked under his arm. He knew well enough that he couldn't greet his old companion in the manner he wished to, not yet, so he pretended not to see him and instead busied himself in studying a pamphlet about the proposed housing expansion projects in the outskirts of Gondolla. Interesting read too--if they gathered enough funds, the housing complexes would be able to handle the influx of refugees it would see in the next five to ten years. Once Oliver had passed, he waited a moment before glancing up and spotting his friend disappearing down a side-street. Casually, he stuffed the pamphlet into his pocket and made his way over to the same side-street, remaining as discreet inconspicuous as possible.

It concerned him that he hadn't seen any sign of the people who would later attack Oliver and Mikaeja, he thought as he trailed after Oliver. He thought for certain he'd see them by now, but then again he had no idea what they looked like, nor why they went through all that trouble in the first place. Part of him wondered if it had to do with the sixty-seven refugees from Katsovania II, and perhaps it did, but then again, there was also that mining of natural mineral resources to consider as well.

From the slightly new look of the building that loomed ahead of him--oddly enough, it reminded him of some cheap motel he'd made the mistake of staying in once, especially with the outer staircases, hallways, and numbers on the doors--he reckoned this was the new government housing building Oliver had mentioned. "New" barely seemed an ample descriptor, but in an arid desert society, things rarely stayed clean and pristine for long. From across the street, he watched Oliver climb the outer staircase until he reached the next level and knocked on the Mikaeja's door. Quickly he removed that pamphlet again began wandering away a bit as though he was lost. Moments later, he heard a booming, robust voice proclaim Oliver's name and a door slammed shut soon after. He couldn't help laughing at the warm reception his friend had received as he wandered over to that building.

The plan was to find an unoccupied flat and wait until he heard the commotion of the fight cease, then he'd head in and intercept the attackers before they did Oliver any harm. Admittedly, it was a risk doing that. He knew better than to meddle in the affairs of an established timeline, but he was banking on the chance that since Oliver wasn't handled too badly--at least not in comparison to some of the ambushes he'd been involved in before--the attackers themselves weren't going to do much to him. Oliver Day wasn't the intended target of their aggression. Unfortunately, he soon found after a couple quick scans with his sonic screwdriver, there didn't seem to be an unoccupied flat on that floor like he had hoped. He grumbled to himself and debated for a moment or two while he stood near Mikaeja's door whether or not he'd pose as an inspector and visit one of the man's neighbours, but sound on the staircase along the way drew his attention and he abandoned that silly plan.

Coming toward him was the shabbily-dressed man he'd almost spoken to before and the other man wasn't dressed any better. He realised both men were well-built, or used to be at some point in the past. Something wasn't quite right with them, like they hadn't slept in days or lost a great deal of weight in a short period of time, but there was no mistaking the desperate look in their eyes.

So naturally, he grinned at the two men, stepping toward them and pulling out his psychic paper. "Good afternoon, gentlemen!" he said brightly, though keeping his voice at a reasonable volume. He had no idea how thin the walls were in the building. "I'm Chief Gondollan Inspector John Smith. Can I help you with anything?"

The men just glared at him in return.

He sighed, rolling his eyes as he stowed the psychic paper and sonic screwdriver away in his pocket. "I see manners haven't changed any here. It is so too much to ask for a 'No thanks, don't need your help right now' response? Maybe even a simple 'no'? You know--short, sweet, and to the point?" he complained, frowning at them. Even as he spoke, he couldn't help noticing one man playing with something in his hand and the other's eyes were darting around the dingy landing. What were they up to?

He suddenly didn't want to find out. There was no doubt in his mind that these two were the attackers and the longer he lingered there, the more of a chance he had of truly interfering with Oliver's timeline, so he shrugged and added, "Ah well, must not need my help. I'll just be going--oi!" He'd tried to go past the two men, but both of them put out a hand to stop him. "Let me pass! I have to--!"

But what he had to do, he couldn't say. Before he knew it, he'd been smashed over the head with something from behind and was out before he collapsed to the ground. He never heard the third man approaching. His prattling often did get him in trouble.

~*~

He groaned loudly, reaching back to touch the back of his head and winced when he felt the lovely goose egg-sized bump. "Blimey, they didn't have to do that, did they?" he mumbled as he slowly climbed to his feet, his head throbbing. A fierce headache was already setting in and the bright Gondovan sun wasn't helping it any. Then he noticed the nearest door ajar and he remembered why he was there. Forgetting all the pain he felt right then, he yelled out Oliver's name and stumbled toward the door, pushing it back and slamming it into the wall within the flat. Furniture had been overturned, papers scattered everywhere--the sure signs a large scuffle had taken place there.

"Oliver?" he called again, slowly making his way into the flat. Finally, he spotted a pair of feet sticking out from behind the table and immediately bounded over there, crunching immigration papers underfoot. He knelt down besides Oliver, checking his vitals--his heartbeat was still nice and steady, but a bit weaker than he'd expected. The skin around Oliver's nose and mouth had a slight orange tinge to it, and upon running a finger around his friend's mouth and licking said finger, he ascertained that it definitely was the citroloform he remembered smelling in the memory. By all rights, Oliver should have woken up by then--had he been from this century. He didn't have the same sort of chemical balances and defences as the people in the Earth Empire had now. It was only his stay in the TARDIS and expose to all sorts of different environments that had steeled his primitive body from most of the harmful things he would've encountered otherwise.

He had to wonder though, as he slowly pulled Oliver up onto the sofa, if the Puppeteer's ravaging on Oliver's mind had in any way affected how the citroloform had reacted and if that was the real cause of the severe memory loss Oliver went through initially when he first arrived on the Crucible and why it had been so difficult to help him before. No, he didn't like that thought at all and quickly pushed it out of his mind and instead concentrated on somehow getting his friend to the hospital. There was no conceivable way to carry him all the way there. He sighed, wrapping his arms underneath Oliver's armpits and dragged him out and got as far as the stairs before he stopped, holding his friend's body to him as tight as he could with one arm, and started banging on the nearest door.

The feeling of deja vu wasn't pleasant. Not one bit. This time though, he knew he wasn't going to see his friend's grandfather there and the shattered look on the man's face once he'd explained what truly happened. No, there was no need for such explanations this time.

"Please, can you help me? My friend and I were ambushed and I need to get him some help," he said pleadingly, struggling to keep Oliver from sliding down to the ground. His expression suddenly flickered with surprise as he recognised the frightened woman peeking at him from behind her door. Her dark hair partially covered her blind eye, though he noticed the jagged edges of the scar tissue from around it, and there was no mistaking the long scar running down her cheek. He was than glad that Oliver as Olivia had shown him that one memory in the holo-suites.

"Who's at the door?" called a gravely male voice from within the flat.

"Miss Alvarenson, please, I don't have much time," he continued desperately, the woman's eyes going wide when he said her last name.

Tentatively she nodded and opened the door more as he shifted Oliver in his arms. She must've seen his friend's face because she gasped and hurried forward, touching Oliver's shoulder. "Mr. Day?! Is he all right?"

He nodded, wishing the headache would go away. "Yes, but go call the emergency services. I can't get him there on my own." Yet another trip to hospital, he thought dejectedly as she ran back into the flat. He soon sank to the floor, awkwardly cradling Oliver in his lap. The floor seemed comfortable enough right then.

"Who would do that to such a kind soul?" Tomas Alvarenson asked as he ambled over, his knees audibly cracking as he walked. "Are you a friend of his, sir? A colleague? I don't recognise you from around here."

"A friend yes, from a long time ago. I'm from out of town," he said softly, letting his head fall back against the door frame and instantly regretted doing so. The bump throbbed, sending out another lovely wave of pain that made him see stars for a brief second. He clutched the back of his head, hissing through gritted teeth, and when he removed his hand, there was a small amount of blood on his palm.

Tomas must've seen it--or perhaps he'd left a bloodied mark on the door frame--because he shuffled quickly over to the kitchen and removed a small box with a red cross on it from one of the cabinets. He'd half expected to see a green crescent moon, but was mildly amused to see the antiquated symbol still used in this era. "You don't have to do that," he said, watching Tomas rummage around the first-aid kit.

"Don't be stupid, young man--"

"Young man?!" he protested, scowling at that assessment.

"Yes, I mean you," Tomas continued as he returned with a small towel and white bag clutched in his arthritic hand. "Don't give me any guff. These supplies are meant to be used, and if I can help out young Mr. Day here and his friend, then I'm going to. It's the least I can do after he gave my Elena back to me." The old man gazed lovingly over at his daughter as she spoke to somebody over the communications network linked to the television terminal before returning his attentions to activating the ice pack. It instantly changed from white to a bright blue, the air condensing around it as plumes of white fog drifted away before being wrapped in the towel

"Thank you." His lips quirked into a small smile as he took the ice pack and placed it on his tender head. "Ollie had told me about you once," he continued, wincing slightly as he pressed, hoping to staunch the blood flow.

"The emergency services should be here any moment now sir, Papa," Elena said as she came back over. "What happened to you two?"

The old man turned to her and shook his head. "Now, now, that's none of our business, sweetheart," he interrupted, taking her hand and patting it. The Doctor was struck with a sudden urge to ask if Tomas owned a telescope and sat in a back garden at night stargazing, but he decided he'd had enough with coincidences for one day.

"Just know that Oliver would be grateful to you for helping. And he'd say so if he were awake right now. Oh, that reminds me, our friend Annajin should be told what happened," he said, removing the ice pack for a moment.

"Oh, don't you know? The hospital would alert her the moment he's checked in. Standard procedure for anybody living in the same family unit," Tomas explained.

He sighed, relieved, and smiled. "Good." He was already imaging what it'd be like to meet Annajin again, and when he heard the ambulance's siren sound, he knew he wouldn't have much longer before he'd find out. "Thank you, both of you," he said, holding out a hand to Tomas, who shook it with a surprising amount of strength for someone his age and condition, and then to Elena. "I'll make sure he contacts you when he's in better shape."

Down on the level below, he listened as the ambulance pulled up to the housing complex and two paramedics ran up the staircase, their boots clanging loudly on the steps. He briefly explained what happened--leaving out the part about how he posed as an inspector, of course--while Oliver was strapped to gurney and taken away. Before he left, he thanked Tomas and Elena again, then followed after the paramedics as they loaded Oliver into the ambulance.

~*~

"Ow ow ow," he complained for the hundredth time in the past ten minutes.

The nurse attending to him sighed loudly and he could practically hear her prop a hand on her hip as she spoke. "Listen Mr. Smith--"

"Doctor Smith, actually," he interrupted, correcting her.

"Well, you're the one, Doctor Smith, who didn't want a local anaesthetic. These are tiny stitches and the less you whine about it, the quicker I can finish," she grumbled as she stuck the needle back in. He winced, gritting his teeth again, but did his best to keep quiet. He'd been wary of any anaesthesia ever since his last visit to San Francisco.

Finally, she spoke again just as he heard a pair of scissors snip the thread being used. "There, you're all done. Now you may go and see about your friend," she said, a forced smile on her face. He muttered his thanks and caught sight of Annajin rushing past in her work uniform and up to the nurse's station, and decided to intercept her there.

"Yes, Oliver Day, that's right. He should've been admitted about fifteen-twenty minutes ago," Annajin said to the nurse sitting at a computer terminal, her voice calm but slightly shaky. She hadn't changed much since he last saw her. Perhaps her hair was a little shorter than before, but she was still the Annajin he'd met centuries ago.

He stepped up beside her, almost putting a hand on her shoulder but withdrew it before he touched her, and said, "Pardon me, but I'm heading over to see him right now. I can take you there if you'd like."

She started, her eyes going wide for a moment but she quickly composed herself. "Sorry, but who're you? Are you the man who was with Oliver?" she asked, her expression surprisingly severe, accusing as though he was the one who had attacked his friend.

"I am," he said, returning the look. "I...have to explain something to you on the way." He confirmed the room number Oliver was in, and led her over to the stairwell.

"You still haven't answered my first question, " she said, the door slamming shut behind them.

He put on a warm smile, but didn't speak right away. Once they'd made their way to the second floor landing, and after she'd repeated her question--this time with an unveiled annoyance and suspicion in her voice--he finally said, "It's been a while, Annajin. I look a little different than how I did when we first met, but ohhh, you haven't changed one bit. Well, at least not on the outside. I suspect this attitude you're having right now is a result of your job, but I'm sure you're still the same, kind Annajin I'd left with Oliver the last time I was here."

He saw her freeze out of the corner of his eye. "What--what are you talking about? That was some other man, a tall curly-haired man with a long scarf and loud, deep voice! You're not even close!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing.

"Anna, Anna, Anna," he said quickly, taking hold of her shoulders. "It's me! If you just listened, you might've heard me say that I look different than before? Didn't Oliver tell you anything about me and how I can change? No, no that's right, he didn't say much at all... Well, never mind. It's me, hello!"

But he could tell from the expression on her face that she still wasn't quite believing him. "There's no way. You're so...young," she mumbled. "You can't be the Doctor."

"Ohhh, but I am, Annajin," he said softly, releasing his hold on her. "D'you remember what I told you before I left? I said, 'He's a good man. Take care of him.' And need I remind you of how angry I was after you'd ground the brain parasite into the carpet?" He continued to stare into her eyes as the information sank in.

She soon gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh my--!" she whispered, her words muffled. "You really are..."

He grinned brightly and waved, "Hello again! Now that we have that out of the way, let's see Oliver, hmm?" Grabbing her hand, he started bounding up the stairs, dragging her behind him the rest of the way to the third floor. He didn't bother to tell her anything about why he was there, though surely she was wondering that exact thing.

Once he'd burst out on to the third floor, he led Annajin over to the nurse's station, and then down the hall to the room Oliver was being kept in. He had to hand it to this facility. Had this happened on Earth in his friend's true time, he'd still be in the emergency room, but not here. An older gentleman emerged from Oliver's room wearing a crumpled white coat and nodded when he saw them approaching.

"You're the members of his family unit, I gather?" the doctor asked. From his name badge, he saw the man was named Dr. Chebu.

"I am, yes," Annajin said. She glanced up at him, then back at the doctor, adding, "And he's just a family friend, but whatever you have to tell me, you can say in front of him."

Dr. Chebu shook his head. "Sorry, hospital policy. If you can come with me..."

He watched them head down the hall a ways and tried to read the man's lips as he explained to her what was wrong with Oliver, but he frowned. Either Dr. Chebu had no idea how to properly move his lips, or he was getting rusty with his lip reading skills. Thankfully he had Annajin's continued surprise reactions to clue him in. He caught the words 'can't remember' and that was all he needed to know to confirm his suspicions about the citroloform's affect on his body.

"He's a little groggy, but you can go in and see him," Dr. Chebu explained as Annajin and him wandered back over. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask...?"

"Doctor Smith," he supplied, recognising the prompt.

"Yes, I'm afraid you've got a little while before I can allow you to go in," the doctor continued, his expression neutral and not at all apologetic. "You understand."

He put on a false smile and nodded. "I understand," he said kindly, plopping down into a little bench set outside the room. "I'll just wait out here then."

"Thank you, Dr. Chebu," Annajin said, clutching her arms around her as the doctor left. Her knees gave out beneath her and she collapsed next to him. "I...I can't believe this is happening to him."

"Oh? You can't? I certainly can. This isn't the first time Ollie boy's lost his memory--and don't look so surprised I know. You would've gone in already had it been anything else," he said, giving her a look. "How about you go get yourself some tea to calm your nerves first and then go in, eh? I saw a food machine on this floor the last time we were here. It was down past the nurses station and to the right past the second set of doors. You can't miss it."

She smiled gratefully to him, taking his hand for a moment before she stood. "Thank you, Doctor. I'll be back soon," she said and headed down the hallway.

Of course...he might've given her directions to the lavatory instead of the food machine, which was on the left and past the third door near the chapel, but she was a smart girl. She'd notice the error soon enough. But while she was off doing that, he casually stood, stretching, and reached behind him for the door knob leading into Oliver's room, and slipped inside, quietly shutting the door behind him.

[What happens next is explored over here~]

θ 59

bit_impossible — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:08:17 GMT

[a couple days or so has passed since everything returned to normal, and despite a few harsh words he had for the scientists, his mood has actually been pretty positive. how could he not be happy when everybody's lived? he's sat down with random groups of people--often pulling up a chair and jumping into the middle of an interesting conversation--and learnt all sorts of things about them and what their worlds are like. unsurprisingly, nothing lines up with his universe, so of course it only intrigues him more.

but after a while of this, he finds himself getting antsy and leaves his new acquaintances before he can grow attached too them. so like that, he's drifted around the ship, avoiding face-to-face contact with those he's grown to care for over the course of their journey together, but as the days dwindle away--and he recalls how he treated Olivia the first time around--he knows that if he's going to do anything, he better to it now, so he reaches for his Sphere and switches it on.]

Ahhh, can I get everybody's attention? Well, not the original passengers and that lot, you can return to your dining and well, whatever else you were doing.

But to everybody else, my fellow anachronistic travellers on this ship... I'm not sure what's going to happen once Orion and his two scientists finish their task or how it's going to happen, but we'll be back in our own universes and times again one way or another.

If we don't see each other again...[he trails off, looking away for a moment, muttering:] I might as well say it before it's too late, but--[his gaze returns back to the Sphere]--I wanted to say thank you. We've been through some difficult times, us: crashed into a planet, subjected to all sorts of things I'd never experienced in my long life, saw new friends come and go, and, well, nearly being killed several times. Certainly has that odd effect of bringing people together, and you lot made me proud, so very proud, and I'm glad to have met all of you, especially--well, you know who you are. I'm only sorry we couldn't have met under different circumstances and had ourselves a right proper holiday. At least we can now, huh?

So! [throws on a grin] Who's up for a bit of fun?

θ 58

bit_impossible — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:39:14 GMT

[a frustrated sigh is the first thing to broadcast over the Sphere, followed by the appearance of a tall, skinny woman with long, dark hair who appears to be wearing a suit exactly like the Doctor's brown pinstripe suit. unfortunately, the Sphere's only showing her from behind and there really isn't much to see as she doesn't have much of a figure. she doesn't seem to notice that her trousers are a little tight around her hips--the only thing, really, that is snug--but otherwise, they're cut to length. the only things that are ill-fitting are the suit-coat, which is too baggy around her shoulders, and the button-up shirt and other ones layered underneath.]

[grumbling under her breath, she runs an impatient hand through her hair.] Damn glasses, they used to stay on my face...

[finally, the Sphere swings around to show her fast at work in the security station, her expression severe and focused completely on the task at hand. until she suddenly smacks a hand on the desk and slumps into a chair there. she tears the glasses from her face and tucks them away into an inside pocket of her suit.]

Blimey, what the hell did he do?! I've tried everything and I still can't figure it out. There has to be something I'm missing...

θ 57

bit_impossible — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 04:09:05 GMT

[if he had any doubts about punishing Ganymede in the past, they're gone now. absolutely gone. no words can effectively describe how downright furious and upset he is to have seen all those people perish in a blink of an eye.]

Ganymede...you had no right to use, to murder all those people! Ohhh, I knew you were mad, but to go this far?!

[but before he has a chance to fully continue, the words of Orion's own furious transmission reaches his ears and he watches in horror as the man disappears.]

No! Damn it, Orion, no! You can't kill him! I told you not to, you stupid, stupid boy!

[angrily, he runs a hand through his hair, completely oblivious to the fact that bits of snow are falling onto his shoulders and Christmas carols can be heard. finally, after a moment of stewing, he rounds on the Sphere and growls:] Riku, I thought I told you to keep a close eye on him. Why didn't you go with him? This is precisely why I told you watch him so he didn't go do something completely idiotic like this!

θ 56 [Mutiny]

bit_impossible — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:51:56 GMT

[after taking some time out to think and sift through his memories of the ship--and of course fixing himself a cuppa to help fire up those synapses--he finally leaves his room and makes his way down to Level 11. he had heard Ryuuko's transmission from there earlier, but something about the level itself still bothers him. once there, he turns away from the brig section of the level and heads toward where the entrance to the secondary maintenance bay should be--but its doors have never opened.]

Ganymede once mentioned there being another maintenance bay on this level, but we were forbidden to go into it. The library was like that once as well, but that eventually opened--but the bay never did. [mutters] Damn thing's deadlock sealed...

If you can, Orion, come down here, I think I--[his device goes off, sounding loudly from his coat pocket. his tone lightens]--well, I think I might have something. Do you need help getting down? [smiles mischievously] You sure you don't want that wheelchair?

θ 55 [Mutiny]

bit_impossible — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 02:59:43 GMT

[after making sure anybody who' going to search has a device and is trained to use it, the Doctor finally sets off for the Enviro-dome! once there, he tries to remember where certain things were: the cabin in the middle of the forest, the lift from Level Ten, even the shoddy representation of Ancient Egypt.

for a while he walks, holding out his device until he reaches an approximate spot where the lift would have been--and the device goes off. it blares out obnoxiously because obviously all devices of a detecting sort should, at least to him.]

Ah ha...I think I have something here! [holds out his device and briskly walks around the area, the noise occasionally sounding off.] Yeeep, definitely have something. Odd place for it though.

θ 54

bit_impossible — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:08:39 GMT

[not too long after his conversation with Orion came to end, he immediately set about gathering parts to create a special scanner that could detect the energy stamps of console activity, as Orion so kindly put it. so far, he's managed to completely cannibalise both sides of his suite's barcode scanner, the remaining items not used by the TARDIS--leaving only one functioning heating coil for tea of course, as well as the fridge--and a maintenance robot he caught trying to repair his barcode scanner and later dismantled.

currently, he sits in the living area of his suite, all these parts spread around him in what looks to be utter chaos, but makes complete and rational sense to him. he has his glasses on with an attachment to the right side that contains various additional lenses for close-up detail work--and wears an expression of complete concentration and is seemingly unaware of anyone else in the room. until he looks up at those in the room with him.]

How are the rest of you lot coming? I think I have everything from Orion's list here to create what we need, but there's a few ways we can go about it. I'm just about done with mine, I think. Need to do a couple calibration tests. This...hasn't been made easy with all the strange physics defying anomalies--and frankly, I would've been done long before now [doesn't bother to hide his annoyance in regards to that.]

[HERO] θ 53

bit_impossible — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:21:49 GMT

[out into the hallway on Level 20 floats a sheet of paper, a plain one torn out of a notebook with a simple message written on it. soon it lands face up on the floor and showing its message for anybody who happens to be monitoring:]

θ 52

bit_impossible — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:12:33 GMT

[his expression is unreadable in the darkness of his bedroom, but with each fresh batch of attacks on the shields, the flashes of blue light his face up, and 'stormy' doesn't even come close to describing it. he's been relistening to the recorded exchanges between Orion and the rest of the passengers, as well as of the three recorded events seen around the ship.]

Where did he get so many ships from? He said he only had three to launch a rescue attempt. Perhaps that was why he's been silent for so long but...he said we were three months away from any aid, even more now since those conversations took place nearly a month ago. Well...there could have been a patrol unit passing by, but to get that many...? No, no, no, something he said to Elraine, something about the research station and crisis protocols.

[he runs a hand through his hair, groaning loudly. it doesn't help that he's realising that perhaps, at times, Orion might have been telling the truth during those conversations--and it annoys him greatly.]

That idiot, how is firing upon us supposed to help?! That can't possibly be the crisis protocols! At this rate, that lot'll push us straight into the path of the black hole! That stupid, stupid---this has to end. He never said anything about this when we spoke to him! DNA codes to bypass the bridge controls, separate redundant mini control systems, what a bunch of rubbish.

[he falls silent for a moment, moving toward the bedroom door, still muttering to himself.] Ganymede would never buy any flattery on my part. He remembered me...[he begins to smirk] Not that I'm that hard to forget.

[grinning, he heads out into the hallway, a plan up his sleeve, but knows some might not like what he's going to say. it's a chance he's going to have to take.]

θ 51

bit_impossible — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:01:22 GMT

[the faint whirring sound of the sonic screwdriver can be heard the moment the Sphere comes on, and from the look of utter concentration and determination on the Doctor's face, it's a sure sign he's been at this for a while. he's still in his tuxedo, though the suit coat and bowtie lie discarded on the ground some feet away, torn off within moments of his removal from the restaurant.]

All right, listen you lot. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to stay locked in my room forever. So if you want out, let me know, I'm on my way, but I'm not sure if your doors will lock right back up behind you or not, so I'd be prepared for that inevitability. I won't always be able to run and let you in and out of your room--especially if you have to use the loo; I'm not going to play chaperone.

[a pause] Well, fine, I could do with a bit of a run, limber up the old bones, so I'll do it in rounds, but if anybody else can get out, do and let the others know you're available to help.

And Ollie and Donna? I've just about got it, so I'm giving you ten minutes to pack--less for you, Ollie, I'm sorry--but you two are staying with me and the TARDIS and don't even think about giving me any guff. Got it? [wags a finger at the Sphere before he releases it and returns to his work.]

θ 50

bit_impossible — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:25:12 GMT

[he stares at the scene playing out but says nothing, not wishing to miss a word, but finds he's too far away to hear what the people in white are saying, so he moves from his vantage point in the orange hallway, entering the bay. his eyebrows knit together as he nears them and still he can't hear anybody else but Ganymede. soon enough, however, the scene fades away and as it does, he reaches for his Sphere, still standing in that particular auxiliary bay, and turns the device on. by the time he has it on, the scene's completely gone. surely someone else had to have seen it!]

Well...that was rather enlightening. Seems our good Captain was up to something after all.

[mutters, looking away] If only I could've heard what those other two said...

Did anybody else happen to see that? Did that show up anywhere else on the ship?

[ooc: From here, the Doctor's going to try to organise people to be on different levels of the ship to catch Ganymede's other appearances--well, once he learns that you had to be there to see that scene, that is...]

θ 49

bit_impossible — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:05:48 GMT

[being in a cat's body, surprisingly, hasn't been all too bad, even if he's felt an overwhelming need to rub up against anything and everything and dangling objects seem far more desirable than they have ever have in his past. the difference in his vision did take some getting used to. couldn't quite perceive some colours as well as others, but at least he wasn't colour-blind like a dog.

the sleeping many hours in the day thing, however, did take some getting used to, even after all the sleep he'd had thanks to being in Donna's body. he never realised just how wasteful cats could be of their time. slept far too much for his tastes!]

[but now, he's looking pensive and deep in thought, well, as pensive and thoughtful a cat can look whilst carrying a small jingly toy he nicked from the toy shop a couple days ago in his mouth. his sphere comes on while he's doing this and he doesn't notice he's purring and making noises that say, "I've caught my prey! Look what I've caught!" and several variations of the call until he notices the blinking light on his Sphere. that certainly gets his attention and he drops the toy, and forces himself to walk away from it.]

Sorry about that. Don't know what came over me, but I'm glad this came on. Had a question to ask...[he can see that toy of his out of the corner of his eye, and that sidetracks him for a brief moment.]...you lot.

[turns away again, his tail swishing. he's annoyed with himself.] Have any of you [he looks again and he assumes a pre-pouncing position, his voice dropping to a whisper] heard from the Captain lately? I think he's--[and he pounces! and starts wrestling with his toy, purring loudly. sorry, he's a bit distracted now...]

θ 48

bit_impossible — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 05:51:58 GMT

[the Doctor in a certain ginger's body is a bit winded after the climb down to the ninth level. the activity certainly is far easier in his own body, but in Donna's, there are a couple...obstacles that make things difficult to accomplish simply because he isn't used to them being there in the slightest.

well, in any case, the less he thinks about Donna's body, the better off he'll be, especially in her eyes. he feels awkward enough rooting through her wardrobe for clothes. he's never done anything like that to his companions' property--at least not until he came on-board the Crucible, that is--but if needs must, and if there's a source of clothing for him to put on, you can bet he's going to use it. although, his clothing choices don't exactly match. clearly, he had far too many options to choose from.]

Well... [props his hands on his hips briefly before promptly shoving them into his pockets--yes, he was sure to put on trousers with pockets.] This place seems about the same. Same ol' hole--though thankfully we didn't have the explosion to go along with it. And... [he removes a pair of snazzy specs (or so the Doctor thinks, especially for a woman), puts them on, and squats down to examine a piece of debris on the ground.] Yep. Even the same old debris. Well, sort of. I'd be highly surprised if this was the exact state it was in when the hole first appeared.

I wonder if that journal's still here...

θ 47

bit_impossible — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:38:54 GMT

[it's been a few hours since Orion's last transmission to the passengers, and after some quiet reflection in his suite, the Doctor's mind is still processing all that he's learned. however, he's no fool; no doubt, he's only heard a fraction of what Orion knows. like father, like son.

thankfully, he knows a way he can bridge that knowledge gap, being the clever and brilliant man that he is. and so, he reaches for his Sphere--after doing a bit of actual cleaning in the TARDIS' and his suite, shopping for drinks of all kinds, and putting his clothes back on--and opens up a ship-wide transmission.]

You know, the universe isn't all that big when you think about it. We've been fortunate enough to be brought together from all sorts of places, times, even different dimensions! Blimey, we're quite motley crew when you think about it, and I certainly don't mean the band. But think about it! What an opportunity to share knowledge and compare how life is lived elsewhere other than in our own normal spheres of existence!

In celebration of that, I think it's time we had a party. [grins] Yes, definitely a party! It's been a while since we've had one of this calibre, and what a better time to celebrate than right now! This very minute! We could reminisce about times long past--or meeting up with mates we haven't seen in a while--over some great food and a pint or two. Or a drink of your choosing. Not everyone likes a pint of bitter. Me, well, I'll probably have tea.

So! If you're feeling up for a little relaxing, and some rather engaging conversations--and trust me, we'll have plenty, being the lively and well-rounded lot that we are--come up to my room on Level 20. It's the Metis Suite, name's on the door, first one right off the transportation pad. Can't miss it.

Oh...[remembers something and begins to rub the back of his neck sheepishly]...I just ask you bring your own food. I, uh, haven't kept the kitchen stocked with much as of late. I know, I know, not your normal party, but hey, bring a dish to pass around, and you'll be bound to have at least one thing you like! I do, however, have plenty of drinks, so don't bother with that unless you really want something specific.

Even if you don't want to stay for long, stop by and say hello. I promise you that it'll be well worth your while. [he smiles brightly, almost flirtatiously, but it doesn't quite reach that piercing look in his eyes.]

[ooc: In case characters have any questions for him about this 'party' of his, he'll be fielding questions.]

θ 46

bit_impossible — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:14:11 GMT

[when the Sphere clicks on, it shows very little, actually, with the exception of the steel supports holding up the floor above. the Doctor certainly isn't visible from the Sphere's perspective. actually, the device is quite lost and only once he speaks is it able to hone in on his echoing voice, showing nothing more than a pale figure. the light in the maintenance bay is as dim and bad as he remembers, but thankfully, he can see pretty damn well in the dark.]

Hmmm, so this is as far as I can go, huh? [smirks to himself and heads back towards the stairwell leading back up to level 11.] Heh, good to know. At least there isn't another hole like the last time. [stops randomly, stooping over to pick up a piece of metal, the bolts still attached to the ends. he frowns, wondering what happened to the machine it once was a part of. or rather where that machine or ship is now. he shrugs and continues on his way, speaking again after a few minutes.]

Anyone else have a fortuitous conversation with Orion? Mine was...[opens the door to the stairwell, light spilling out and finally showing him to be completely naked--save for a rather snazzy pair of boxer-briefs with stars printed all over the dark blue fabric.]...rather illuminating. [still smirks, unaware of his state of undress. though, that smirk fades to a more serious expression as he begins to ascend the stairs.]

Still, he didn't blink an eye when I mentioned that the fact that I knew Ganymede was his father, or that yet again, not a single one of us is on the passenger manifest. [tightens his fists and smashes one down onto the railing as the door closes behind him, a loud clang resounding throughout the whole of the stairwell.] Obviously we wouldn't be on the passenger manifest, the idiot! And I just know he'll dick us around again like he did before! When it comes to saving a life, one shouldn't hesitate! Each life is precious and the more time wastes sitting comfortably in that damned ship of his, the more of a chance there'll be that everyone will just get hurt again! But no...he can't come himself...Ganymede'll just die again.

If I have to, I'll...[falls silent.]

θ 45

bit_impossible — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:58:00 GMT

[It's not often one gets to tolerate the presence on one's past self. For a Time Lord, the chances of running into one's self in a past, present, or future incarnation increases the longer one has lived. The universe is only so big, after all. While he's met himself on a handful of occasions, this time, however, is vastly different from the rest. For one, the universe hasn't been thrown into peril by their meeting.

And two, it's only their voices he hears. Thankfully, he hasn't had to converse with them, or else his mood might be considerably different than the present one he's in. Besides, he's sure a good number of them would be insulting his choice of dress or how he's styled his hair--some were particular about such things--and he'll maintain that this current style is his favourite, and therefore the best, unlike some who think the best thing to pin to his coat is a decorative vegetable or cat badge. He's glad to have grown out of that question mark phase, and had he come face to face with those who were stuck in it, he would have had words for them.]

[As it is, any mirror he's passed as of late has taken to showing him snatches of his life--be it on Gallifrey, Earth countless times, Metebelis 3, Karn, Skaro, Raxicoricofallapatorius, Telos, Voga, Alzarius, even somewhere in the Divergent Universe--any moment that's particularly fitting for his mood or trains of thought. He's just finished treating himself to a banana split, and of course his other selves, particular his ninth incarnation, which only earned him an earful about bananas and anything related to them, including the excellent uses and benefits one could gain from the consumption of bananas. Like he needs to be told such things; he invented the banana daiquiri, after all.]

"Give a monkey control of its environment, and it will fill the world with bananas!"

"I've stopped the universe. Still, they'll never notice. Just imagine, somewhere someone's just slipped on a banana skin and he'll be wondering forever when he's going to hit the ground."

"Like I said, once. There's a banana grove there now. I like bananas. Bananas are good."

[However, now that he's on his way towards the transportation pad, hands tucked casually into his pockets--and his Sphere's popped on as it normally does--his thoughts turn to Oliver, lying in hospital, and the tone of the voices following him completely change.]

"Steven... Even after all this time, he cannot understand. I dare not change the course of history. Well, at least I taught him to take some precautions; he did remember to look at the scanner before he opened the doors. And now, they're all gone. All gone. None of them could understand. Not even my little Susan. Or Vicki. And as for Barbara and Chatterton--Chesterton--they were all too impatient to get back to their own time. And now, Steven. Perhaps I should go home. Back to my own planet. But I can't... I can't..."

[He freezes, groaning as he runs a hand through his hair.] Oh no, not this. Why can't you just leave me alone?

"What? I can't do anything. Please, Jamie. I have to go now They're unique. I can't watch. I have to go."

"When I was growing up, there was a mountain. An enormous mountain. And halfway up this mountain lived an old man. A hermit. He was my confidant. My 'guru', you might say. Over the years he said many wise things to me, but perhaps the wisest was this... He said, 'Of all the many universal truths, the one true constancy is that nothing is constant. Everything will change. Nothing lasts forever.'"

[Angrily] What, you think I don't know that by now?!

"What do you mean I can't see him? He's my friend! He--"

Right, that's right. I'm ignoring all of you. I need to see how Ollie's doing. You hear that? I'm ignoring you.

"I'm glad you think that way. But you shouldn't have to. I don't look for these battles on purpose, you know. And I don't have any right to put you in danger. You can always go home."

[He plugs his ears now, though he knows it's a futile effort.]

"We're fallin' through space, you and me, clingin to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go..."

"Well it looks as if he's made another family for himself. That's often when I'm happiest."

"Amnesia? Poppycock! One sight of me and everything will come flooding back, I guarantee it!"

"You can't ever tell her!"

"Particularly after what's happened! I've already lost one friend today, C'rizz. I don't intend on losing another."

"I wanted to take this opportunity to find you ever since I met him. It's important, you see. Because he's very special to me. To us."

[And speaking of hospital conversations, he's hopping on to the transportation pad, the device bringing him to Level 13 a moment later. The voices echo around the empty, white halls and still, he ignores them. Sort of. One look at the stony expression on his face says that they're starting to get to him.]

"Eh? Not even awake yet? I suppose I could visit the shop, wait around for a--"

"I was going to take you to so many places. Barcelona! Not the city Barcelona, the planet Barcelona. You'd love it, fantastic place! They've got dogs with no noses! [That voice laughs, despite the pain.] Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke and it's still funny!"

"That makes millions of couples. If any one of them had failed to meet for any reason at all, if anything had prevented them from having offspring, if any one of those offspring had not survived--then you wouldn't be here now, and you wouldn't even know that you had failed to exist. Your whole life has been hanging on the thinnest of threads, Miss Rutherford. The odds against you ever existing are trillions upon trillions to one. That's why your life is so precious. That's why everybody's is."

"Well that's just it. We're expendable--and we know it. We might occasionally have the odd illusion of grandeur, but ultimately, we serve Time, not the other way around. And if Time is threatened, as it often is by people meddling in its treacherous and muddy waters, then we are expected to put things right or die trying. It's what it is to be a Time Lord."

"The ultimate mystery of the Time Lords is like signing on with the girl's junior scout troop? That's one of the most spectacular similes I have ever heard attempted."

"You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords."

"It's the price I pay for my freedom."

"Life is all about people, C'rizz. Finding them, losing them, family, friends, those we love. Knowing that we'll lose them one day should help us to appreciate them more while they're alive. Knowing that we won't have a second chance--not unless there is life after death. I'd like to think...that in order to get it right, we'll be allowed a second chance."

"Family only?! I might as well be family! I've saved the lad plenty of times to at least qualify for that! If not an immediate family position, then at least some sort of mad uncle who lives with flamingoes! Not that I do, don't particularly fancy them myself. Too pink. Anyway, I'm practically his uncle! I should at least be able to see how he's doing! Never mind, I'll just help myself to his chart and don't say I can't. Sure, you may be his doctor, but then again, so am I."

"Believe it or not, he found me. Hah, that's cosmic balance for you. I wanted you to know that despite our personal tragedy, something good emerged."

"One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine."

"Lucie... There's a lot of darkness out there. Some of it where Orbis used to be. But you know something. We didn't notice any of it if it weren't for all those little pinpricks of light. Planets and stars. And that's where I go whenever I feel sad: the next bit of light in the darkness. Keep on moving, never look back. Well hardly ever."

[Finally he stands outside Oliver's room, the closed door being the only thing separating him from his friend. Even better, the voices have quieted down for the time being, but he knows himself best; he doesn't stay silent for long.]

Never looking back used to be so much simpler. All my troubles seemed so far away... Wiser words have never been said, Paul.

[Then he turns away and starts heading back the way he came.]

Perhaps tomorrow will be better. [Smiles faintly to himself.] It always is.