RP with seriousmarauder

[bit_impossible]

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.

Comments

[seriousmarauder]

In this particular end of the corridor, speaking of a dog's breakfast, was a very large, black dog. Well, large, but incredibly skinny. Even in dog form, Sirius was still being starved, as he had been for the past five or six years. He'd lost track of the time.

Still, despite the fact that he was feeling rather weak, the sound of the stranger's voice caused him to glance up curiously. He barked when he saw him -- the brilliant, mad stranger who was running about in Azkaban. The bark was clearly a pay attention, I can help sort of greeting, and he barked again for emphasis.

[bit_impossible]

Oh, now things just kept getting stranger! He thought he heard a dog barking, but there was no possible way an animal was--but no, there it was again! He stopped, catching himself on the stone wall before he lost his footing, and saw the dog in the flesh. For a moment, he wondered whether the dog was part of the guard duty around this place, but he couldn't help noticing how gaunt it was.

Still he was cautious and glanced behind him. Those creatures were gaining. Just what the hell were they?

"All right, I don't know how you got here or why, but I'm not leaving you behind," he said, turning back to the dog. "I need to get back to my TARDIS! ...You wouldn't happen to know any short-cuts, would you, boy?"

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius glanced at the metal bars in front of him for a moment, trying to gauge whether or not he was thin enough to slip through them yet. Luckily for both of them, he was.

His head was a bit clearer now -- almost like a fire had been lit. Somehow, he knew that if anyone could help him escape, it was this mad bloke with a...what had he called it? A TARDIS? Sirius answered with another bark. Of course, he had no idea where the thing had been left...or what it was, for that matter, but he knew which direction the Doctor had been running from.

So he lead him away from the Dementors, ducking into unguarded corridors and passageways, searching for a strange scent that didn't quite belong -- and then his nose found a big blue box. Sirius stared, confused, and pawed at it rather curiously.

[bit_impossible]

He'd been about to use his sonic screwdriver on the lock when he saw the dog slip through the gap in the bars. How anyone could treat an animal like that was simply beyond him, but before he could even begin entertaining any notions of paying those creatures back for what they've done, he was distracted by the dog's bark again. He tore off after the it, surprised that it had enough energy left in it to run.

When he saw where the dog had led him, his face split into a grin. "Ohhh, you're brilliant!" he exclaimed, taking a quick moment to fiercely scratch behind the dog's ears. "Is that what they do here? Lock up people and brilliant dogs?"

He didn't expect to get an answer though and quickly dug the key out of his pocket and stepped into the TARDIS. "In you get!" Then he glanced up and saw those creatures beginning to fill the end of the corridor. Seemed the ones he'd met had friends. "Now!" he added.

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius licked the Doctor's hand fondly at the attention. It had been too long since he'd had any sort of contact at all, in either form. He darted into the TARDIS without hesitation, then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the interior.

Merlin.

It was beautiful. Sirius had no idea if he'd finally lost it, or it was all a dream. If it was, he never wanted to wake up. He explored the place a bit, sniffing things, and wagging his tail in excitement. He couldn't even feel the Dementors in his head anymore -- it was as if something was blocking them out. Like they were in an entirely different place.

[bit_impossible]

After slamming the doors shut, he ran up to the console, murmuring coaxing and encouraging words to his ship in apology for interrupting her. Then he paused and peered around at the dog. Part of him was certain that had he not shut the doors, it would have run a circle around the outside of the TARDIS to make sure it wasn't just seeing things.

"All right, up you get," he said after a moment and patted the yellow seat behind him. "It was a bumpy ride getting in here, and I doubt it'll be any better on the way out." That and he really didn't want the dog to get injured from being tossed around like a die in a cup.

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius' doggy expression was one of clear amusement as he hopped up on the seat. He wondered if this brilliant blue box could actually fly...at this point, he would believe anything.

He had a million questions to ask, but he wanted to wait until they were completely out of danger before he changed back. The paranoid part of his mind was also a bit terrified that his new friend would dump him right back in Azkaban again if he discovered he was human.

[bit_impossible]

The moment the dog had jumped up, he grabbed a few stretch cables and attached them so they criss-crossed around the dog's chest. "Sorry about this," he said and tried moving it from side to side, but the dog barely budged. "Might be a bit uncomfortable, but trust me, it'll be worth it."

And he whirled around, his hand shooting out to yank back on a lever. No sooner had he done that, the TARDIS began to lurch and buck wildly, the insides of the central column pumping away. Sparks began flying up all around the console, but those never stopped him from dashing to another section to turn on the stabilisers, one hand firmly holding on so he wasn't thrown away.

However, that move only seemed to make things worse, so he switched those off, secretly glad he'd only tried to make a jump in space, and immediately put on the brakes. The TARDIS shuddered to a halt and greeted him with a small cloud of smoke. He quickly extinguished that, coughing all the while, and finally he turned rather sheepishly toward the dog.

"Well. That was fun, wasn't it?" he asked as he released the poor thing.

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius shot the Doctor an annoyed look, but he was grateful for being released. He was grateful for everything, really, and he nuzzled the man's hand again for more petting. He found, yet again, that he couldn't quite place that smell. It was almost as if the stranger wasn't actually human at all. He added that to the list of questions.

[bit_impossible]

He cracked a smile and started ruffling the dog's fur, scratching behind its ears. Whether he noticed the annoyed look he'd received or not, he doesn't let on.

"What do you say? We check out where we are first and then get something to eat?" he asked eagerly.

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius barked in agreement, wagging his tail again at the mention of food. He hadn't had a proper meal in years. He was curious to know where they'd landed, though. Hopefully not somewhere with people, because then he would have to stay in dog form. He wandered over to the door, waiting for the Doctor to let him out.

[bit_impossible]

He was right on the dog's heels and pulled the door open. Beyond the doors was a cloudy sky, fields of green grass and purple heather swaying from side to side, and in the distance, the sound of ocean waves crashing against the rock.

"Ohhh, not bad," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he stepped out. He took a deep breath, letting the smell of the heather fill his lungs. "Not bad at all, if I do say so myself! We could even make a picnic out of it here. I don't think the old girl will be up for much travelling for a while..."

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius ran a few circles around the area, pleased they seemed to be alone. After a moment of hesitation, he stopped in front of the Doctor.

Then, he wasn't a dog anymore.

The process was a bit painful when he had so little energy left, but he managed it somehow. Sort of. He collapsed on the grass, and firmly avoided the Doctor's gaze. He knew he probably looked a bit terrifying, and he almost wished he could disappear into the tattered grey rags he was wearing. He refused to think about a certain invisibility cloak.

"Thank you," he murmured hoarsely, distracting himself from his own thoughts. "For everything. Who are you?"

[bit_impossible]

Surprise didn't quite cover how he felt seeing that sudden transformation--not that he hadn't seen shapeshifters before, though none had ever nuzzled and licked his hand like that. But he knew there'd be time for reactions later and he immediately dropped down at the man's side to check on him.

"I'm the Doctor," he said gently, slipping his glasses on. "And I'd say you could use one right about now."

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius smiled -- it was faint, and didn't quite reach his eyes, but he smiled. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done that, either.

"I'd say you're probably right...it's a pleasure, Doctor. I'm Sirius Black." He waited for a reaction, fully expecting fear, or horror. Possibly a hex or two.

[bit_impossible]

"Well, I'd say you're more like serious grey than black, but that's me," he said, smiling cheekily and noting Sirius' clothes. "Pleasure to meet you as well."

He quickly rummaged around for his stethoscope, but after a moment of searching, he switched pockets. Perhaps he'd moved it to his other suit. "So, you're a shapeshifter! I mean, well, obviously. I doubt you would have made it through the gap in those bars had you merely used a dog projection. Besides, I knew something was going on when you listened to me so easily. My own dog always had a remark of some kind for anything I said." He made a slight face and shrugged.

"Then again," he added, "he'd been programmed that way."

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius stared at the Doctor. Normally he'd take a moment to appreciate the pun, but he was rather shocked by the reaction. "Animagus, technically," he corrected, as soon as his brain started working again. Relatively speaking. "...You've got no idea who I am, do you?" Of course, he doubted he would pay much attention to anything else either, if he could fly around in a magnificent ship like the TARDIS.

[bit_impossible]

That wasn't the sort of reaction he'd expected. The stare, yes, but was usually due to what he said rather than what he hadn't. "No, should I have done?" he asked, an eyebrow arching upward. "And since we're on the topic of things I don't know--and trust me, that doesn't happen often--what's an 'animagus'. And where the hell were we just now?"

[seriousmarauder]

"If you've picked up a newspaper in the past five or six years, yes," Sirius replied dryly. "And you must be really out of the loop if you don't even know what an Animagus is," he added, raising an eyebrow of his own. "It's a skill you've got to learn, unlike a Metamorphmagus. They can shapeshift from birth."

Sirius didn't really want to answer the last question, but he figured he owed it to the Doctor. "Azkaban. Wizarding Prison, located in on an island in the North Sea." He gave the Doctor a curious look. "You're muggle-born, aren't you?"

[bit_impossible]

With each new term Sirius mentioned, he felt that old, familiar excitement building in his stomach at the prospect of having a new world to explore. It was only dampened by the fact that he still hadn't worked out how exactly he got here. Well, he had a couple ideas, but then again, he always did.

"No, no, no, I'm not a muggle; I'm not even from here. We are on Earth still, correct?" He figured it'd be best to start there with his line of questioning.

[seriousmarauder]

"Why wouldn't we be -- Merlin. That ship...when you say you're not from around here, you really mean it, don't you?" Sirius couldn't help the note of awe in his voice...he'd met all sorts of mystical creatures -- hell, one of his best friends was a werewolf -- but never an alien. Former best friends, anyway. Sirius closed his eyes briefly, squashing old memories. When he opened them, that curiosity was back.

"So that means you are a muggle...unless you've got magic on other planets. By the look of that gorgeous ship of yours, I wouldn't be surprised," Sirius mused. "I'm a wizard, Doctor, and this is the wizarding world. We're in Britain, specifically."

[bit_impossible]

"I really do mean it," he said, smiling gently. His hand finally grasped the stethoscope he'd been searching for, but he wondered if he still needed it. Sirius seemed to be doing better than he had upon his collapse, so for now the Doctor simply slung the instrument round his neck for safe-keeping.

"I take it a 'muggle' is a non-magical person, then. Well, I might not be able to point a magical staff at something and have fire fly out of it if I chant the right phrase, but I do have a magic of my own. You saw part of it inside my ship." And he certainly agreed with Sirius' assessment of the TARDIS. She certainly was a beauty!

Then something clicked in his head, like he'd fully processed what was said. "Hold on a mo', how do I know you're a wizard? You could be putting me on. Taking the mick! Pulling my leg!--need I go on?"

[seriousmarauder]

"What, the transformation wasn't enough for you? How do I know you're really an alien?" Sirius muttered. "Besides, I haven't even got my wand, so it'll be difficult to prove it to you. But I can give it a shot..."

He searched around for a stick, and placed it in front of him. "Wingardium Leviosa," he murmured, mimicking the wand movements with his hand. Wandless magic took an enormous amount of effort and concentration...but the stick was floating eventually.

[bit_impossible]

He just smiled, amused that a transformation like that was supposed to convince him of someone's innate magical ability. He vaguely wondered how Sirius would react to an explanation about Time Lord regeneration. Then again, the man might demand proof, and that was something he couldn't--and wouldn't--provide simply to prove a point.

But any thoughts of that soon left his mind when that stick began to float. He made a noise in awe and sheer joy of seeing something like that, and then proceeded to reach out and feel around for any sort of wires attached to the stick. He found none.

"I've got to say I'm thoroughly impressed, actually! And, to be fair since you showed me one of your tricks, let me show you one of mine." He held the stethoscope out to Sirius. He really hoped the basics of human anatomy was taught to a bunch of wizards.

[seriousmarauder]

Sirius let the stick fall to the ground, looking rather smug. "It'd be a lot more impressive if they hadn't snapped my wand," he replied wistfully, before taking the stethoscope with a confused look. "You want me to listen to your heart? What for?"

Maybe he didn't have a proper one, since he was an alien...but he was a bit too kind (and looked a bit too human) for Sirius to believe that. He placed it to the Doctor's chest, and listened. Then listened again. Unbelievable. Two hearts.

"That smell..." he whispered, remembering. "When I was Padfoot, you didn't smell right for a human. Because you're not." His tone wasn't accusatory or discriminatory...simply accepting, and a bit impressed.