paradisalost | Twenty-one

Doctor, may I ask you something that's been nagging at my curiosity recently?

Certainly, Rube. Hit me.

[a long pause as she examines the 'Rube' part of that]
...ah. Well you're very old, I can feel that you are and you've said as much... but you smell quite new.... You don't even smell the age you look. How is this possible?

(ooc: LAWL poor Ruby. The regeneration thing has thrown her for a loop)

[dictated]

[background tardis humming and lever flicking, he says offhandedly]

This body is fairly newish, might explain it.

((ooc: Haha, and there he goes, being confusing.))

......I figured it must be... are you a body jumper... no, you can't be. You look to be in your thirties and you don't smell like you could possibly more than a year old... Did you grow it?
If it's terribly personal please tell me to shove it and go find something better to do.

[dictated; something muttered about 'thirties', 'someone would've asked sooner or later' and 'Nine', button noises]

Um.

Well, there's this ... thing. Well, it's not so much a thing as a ... well, it is a thing, and it happens whenever I'm about to die. To save myself I change every cell in my body - regenerate - and, well, I've done that recently. ... Sort of. You know Nine?

Oooooooh alright then...I understand. Complete body regeneration or somesuch. Nine was your predecessor. So he's...you but not.
Interesting.....Weird but interesting. Just a Time Lord trait?

[dictated]

Right, right and right.

Yep, that'd be us. Me, Nine, the Master...

[a flick, beeping, and then a bang] Behave! [whack]

So...but you have human companions? Even though you're so long lived?

[dictated, between blowing on something]

Dunno what being this old has to do with having human companions, but yep. Not always human, though, but usually... [clicking]

..it has everything to do with it. They get old and they wither away and die and we stay... young and alive and just keep going... and I was...

[a long pause]

I was wondering...how you cope.

[dictated; long pause, some tapping in the background]

I get along.

Do you always feel this empty when they go?

[dictated, beep, beep, beep]

You learn to move on.

...but I...
[a pause]
....of course....of course.

Thank you, Doctor, for all of your help. I'm sorry for bothering you.

I'm sorry.

[another long pause, tardis humming]

No trouble.

You too?

[dictated distractedly around a sparking noise]

What? -- Oh, right. Yup, me too. Well, the both of us, actually. [beep]

Checking my schedule now and ... [amused tone] nope. Completely not busy. I honestly think the busiest I've been lately was when I was checking up on you two.

Why?

[dictated, obviously grinning]

I dunno whether I should be grateful or feel badly for you. Just little old us?

No reason. Well, sort of a reason. Looking for an extra set of hands if you're willing; I'm running some comparisons on our TARDISes since the Master did some adjustments to mine, might help in getting us out of here ... and, y'know, I could use the company, no doubt.

[time passes cos she headed out there, so hey ... this is recorded as she's let herself in and is on the entrance ramp thingy XD]

Just you two. Oh I wouldn't feel sorry for me. Not a bad deal really ... well, except for the feeling useless bit.

Did you really have to ask? Of course I'll help you ... and keep you company. [hugs him~] So, what sort of jiggery-pokery are we doing first then?

[hugs back]

Weeeell, I'm just running a system diagnosis, checking the settings on everything and cross-checking them with these... [rustling of papers as they're handed her way] right now the bi-thermal resonance router is holding up, same for vortex inhibitor tubes one, two aaaand [flick] three.

[has a "uh whut"-ish look on her face; looks down at the papers]

These from the Doctor's ... I mean N- ... [little sigh] the other TARDIS?

What about all the rest of this then? [walks over to the monitor with the stickys on it] Do you think we'd be able to get anything from outside this planet?

[distracted with some knob-turning] Yup. Check that [points] against that, [points] will you?

[he glances over] I ... haven't tried, actually, though somehow I doubt it ... no radio signals, I can't imagine picking up anything else. Local news reports, cooking shows ... nothing. [he scoots over to the monitor and flicks some switches there, just getting fuzz on the screen]

((ooc: Instead of writing all the Rose stuff down he monologued and left that there for himself. I was inspired by one of the season 3 episodes. X3 I have it all written out, might come into play later if the notes don't have to go poof.))

[checks the two] Checks out fine. Do you know if the other TARDIS can move about or is it completely stuck like this one? Seems absolutely unfair only the Master's TARDIS can get around.

[looks slightly annoyed at the fuzz on the screen] Well ... it was worth a try.

[rustles papers] Next bit to check then?

Nope, we're in the same boat here ... or TARDIS, rather. The both of us are grounded for the time being. The Master, he [stops some sparking] tried to fix mine up to move, but something must've gone wrong there, cos here we are, still in front of the tree and next to the flower patch.

[flicks the monitor off for now]

Uuuuum... [points] that. See if you can find it for me.

((ooc: Ohyes. I hope so, too. Not only because it'd be fun, but because I spent an hour writing it... *shakes fist* XD))

[attempting to do as told while talking]

Either it's not working or the Master did something, just knew it wouldn't work and has been leading you on. [still working~]

Do you think this is still the castle's influence? You think it'd let go of whatever its doing to the TARDIS with all that's been happening lately.

[huff of slight frustration]

This it?

[specs have been put on, he's examining something]

It's entirely possible, but I doubt it ... [fishing through something] That's not his sort of thing. Now, fooling around with the wiring to make it seem like the TARDIS can leave just to mess with my head, that's more his style.

Could be. All the focus it had on keeping the losses wherever it keeps them has gone to ruin for the time being, seems like, but it must have that liiittle bit of power left to keep us here ... that, or it did something to the TARDISes when we first arrived and we just haven't found a way to fix it yet. I'm hopeful for the latter. [whacks something back down]

[leeeeaning over to see] Warm.

((ooc: Well, with breaks. XD; I hope we get to use it, too. Not sure whether recorded in an entry or whatever yet, buuut yes.))

He does like messing with peoples' heads ... [grumbling]

I'm hoping for the latter too. With both of you working now the problem's more likely to be fixed so we can leave before this place decides to do anything more. Far better thought than the other. Nearly had enough of the all-powerful castle now.

[sigh, points out another nearby]

This then?

That he does. [pulls something]

Quite right! Me fixing it is one thing, but twice that ... it'll be goodbye Paradisa, hellooo open universe. Then we can ... you can ... well, we'll figure that out when the time comes.

[leeeean] Juuust about. [he takes her hand and moves her point to something else] There.

((ooc: Indeed! We have a habit of doing that. It'll come. X3))

Hello open universe, eating new foods, most likely running for our lives ... the usual.

Right. Um. [slight shifting because that topic is just ... well ... hard to think about ;~;] We'll figure that out later. Yes. Later.

[looks to where he moved her hand] I ... I was going to pick that one next. [grin] And now?

[nostalgic grin] You wouldn't believe how much I miss that. [pause, tweaking something] Actually, you probably would, wouldn't you?

[... headscratch] Right, later. We can ... later. [cough]

[nudge, grin] 'Course you were. They check out? [he yoinks the paper] Ahh, there we go, a winner! Those are different. [he whips out a pen and copies down the setting] Next ... this. [point]

[grin back] Of course I would believe it.

[erm ...] Definitely can ... later.

[nudge back but then hey wth paper yoinking lol] Good that another one checks out. But why are those different? Is that something you altered and he hasn't on the other TARDIS?

[looks to where he's pointing and yoinks the papers back, HAHA!] Hmmmmmmm ... different again. Look. [shows him the papers]

They aaare ... [tweaking, moving something] things the Master changed in here, s'why it's different from Nine's. Ever since he came in here and fixed it up I've almost, almost been able to rematerialise somewhere else in the castle, but not quite ... [adjusting specs] with the same settings on his and some brainstorming on our parts we might just be able to get out of here.

[pause because who's-leaving-with-whom issue crops up again]

Oh! Brilliant. [yoinks the paper back, copies setting] I think that might be the last of them, actually...

It's a bit weird to think we might actually get out of here partially because the Master altered some settings here. [sort of amused snort] I think I'll just focus on you two working things out and forget about the Master's part.

[big smile and moves to link her arm in his to get a closer look at zee papers] Great! Wait, really? That's the last one? [yoinks the paper back yet again] Ah ... you're right. That's the last one. Now what?

Twenty-one

Doctor

Ruby

Doctor

Ruby

Doctor

Ruby

Doctor

Ruby

Doctor

Ruby

Doctor

Ruby

Doctor

Ruby

Doctor

Ruby

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

recorded

recorded

recorded

recorded

recorded

recorded

recorded

recorded

recorded

recorded

recorded

recorded

recorded

recorded