θ 58

[bit_impossible]

[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...

Comments

[bit_impossible]

I've already had to get used to ten other bodies. A temporary female one isn't the same. I'm still foxy and sexy; that's all that matters. [grins and tosses hair over shoulder.] Wouldn't you agree?

Ohhh, that stuff. Well, see what I mean? Still the same man underneath--but what's brought to the surface is going to be slightly different each time. Has been so far.

[oliverplus]

[laughs] 'Course you are, Doctor! Small breasts or not, you make a pretty lady.

Yeah, I'll say! But I wonder if you've just lived for so long since that some things would've been different anyway--even without regeneration. I don't really know much about your life. I forget that sometimes, especially since you seem to remember me like it all happened yesterday. I wonder what it must be like for you, being around me again after all those centuries.

[bit_impossible]

[a mock gasp!] Are you saying I'd look prettier with larger ones? Oh, Oliver Day, I never knew you were of that kind of man!

Things...do change even then. When I first started off in this regeneration, I didn't care what I did. I finally felt free from the pain and suffering hanging over my head from the Time War, instead moving it and compartmentalising it into much small pieces so they were easier to deal with.

But such flippancy towards life and the universe came at a price. Ever since then, I've been slowly paying that off, but that debt has yet to lessen. I thought I'd paid it several times in the past, but it never seems to go away and it has changed me. I know it has, deep down. I wouldn't have considered taking another companion if I hadn't been trapped here. This place...maybe doing this will finally make things even.

[smiles sadly] As for remembering you, well, I never forget who my friends are, even long after they've left me. It's like opening a good book and discovering there's more I've yet to read.

[oliverplus]

I meant that's the standard most people go by for foxy and sexy. And why would it matter what I think anyway? I figure we're just lucky I'm not being affected by the pollen. I don't want another situation like Olivia. That'd be just weird.

You, flippant toward life? I can't even imagine that, Doctor! But really, between you and the universe, the universe's gotta be the one that owes a debt to you. Just think of all the times you've saved it!

You better've found another companion! You know it's not good for you to be alone.

[blinks] Really? Sometimes it sounds like it must just be a sad thing. Like, you've said good-bye already, why do we have to make it all complicated and show back up? And if you hadn't seen me again, you wouldn't've known how badly I was taking everything. Wouldn't that've been better for you?

[bit_impossible]

Oh Oliver, can't you take a bit of teasing? [sighs]

Things don't work that way. It's my job as a Time Lord to fix things when the timeline's progression is threatened, never minding I interfere subtly every now and then. Why should the universe owe me anything for doing what I'm supposed to be doing?

[decides not to address the companion thing.]

I knew how bad it was for you even before I left that first time, but you wouldn't have me. At least with you, I get to put things right.

[oliverplus]

Oh. I thought you were being serious! I can take teasing. I love teasing.

You can't tell me the other Time Lords all did the stuff you do, Doctor. If you don't think the universes owes you, well, the people in it still do!

If that makes you happy, then I'm glad. Sometimes I feel like knowing me is just a sad thing for you.

[bit_impossible]

Well, no, they had their own stuffy, stagnant way of letting the universe get on with itself.

We've had a similar discussion about this before, Ollie. You know my thoughts on the matter.

[oliverplus]

See! That's exactly what I mean.

I know. I don't like them.

[bit_impossible]

[gladly takes this subject change] Oh you don't, do you? Why's that?

[oliverplus]

Because you make it sound like meeting people is a bad thing! Like everybody's just gonna become sources of pain that keep adding up the more you meet them. Why should friends have to be something that only hurt you?

[bit_impossible]

[mutters] Ah, I thought you were talking about the discussions themselves...

Doesn't having to say good-bye hurt you in some way as well?

[oliverplus]

Well, yeah, 'course it does! But wouldn't never meeting the person be worse? And aren't all the things you share worth something, too? Something more. Something you never lose.

[bit_impossible]

It would be worse. Why do you think I'm still travelling and not locked up in some room of the TARDIS, sequestering myself from the entire universe?

[oliverplus]

You make me worry that one day you will.

[bit_impossible]

[doesn't answer immediately; the honesty of the answer surprising him somewhat] I'm sure the old girl would like that, but after a while, I'd just grow bored. Do you know what it's like to have cabin fever when you have all of time and space at your fingertips?

[oliverplus]

No, but... [smiles, reassured] I doubt you could stand it for long.

[bit_impossible]

Exactly! Which is why I would never do such a thing. So don't you worry your little head about that, all right?

[oliverplus]

All right. Not like we don't have enough things to worry about right now! You okay like that, Doctor?

[bit_impossible]

Well, it's not a complete inconvenience. At least the change didn't exaggerate parts of this body like it did with some people...

[oliverplus]

What do you mean by that?

And what'd you find out about that panel, anyway?

[bit_impossible]

You know... [gestures with his hands, miming very large breasts.]

Besides the fact that I can't access it?

[oliverplus]

Oh, yeah, glad I didn't have that problem, either! Well...not that Olivia would've known.

That's no good... No way to trace where he could've gone either, huh?

[bit_impossible]

Yeah...that would've made things terribly awkward, wouldn't it?

Unfortunately, no. I've tried using the traces of blood to mimic his DNA, but it must not be his--or the system's terribly picky about how it verifies the source.

[oliverplus]

Probably not for her. She would've thought it was normal.

So what's the next step? [frowns] Or do we just have to wait? I hate that. I want to be helping somehow!

[bit_impossible]

Oliver Day, one of these days you're going to force me to tie you to a chair simply so you can sit still and wait! There's no way to help when we don't know how we can help.