The Doctor Arrives (again)

[thelastgallifreyan]

Who: The Doctor and You
Where: Standard Plaza Drop
When: Late Morning, just before Noon, November 24th
Style: Brackets preferred but I'll match
Status: OPEN

[A rather damp man in a tweed dress jacket and red bow-tie suddenly appears in the plaza next to the corral.

He spins around quickly, observing and taking in the scene before him in a rush of information.

He runs his hand through his hair nervously only to discover that it is wet.]

I'm wet. [He brings his hand down from his head and inspects it. Sniffs it. Then tastes it.]

Correction. [He looks down at the rest of himself and flaps his jacket out a few times as if to get rid of the excess liquid. He begins to straighten his bow-tie.] I'm soaked... [There is a pause.] with salt-water.

And I'm inside a bubble under an ocean next to an enormous piece of coral.

Ooookay. [He claps his hands together and tilts his head to one side and then the other.]

No TARDIS in sight. [He checks his pockets.] Sonic accounted for, that's good. [He removes his sonic screwdriver and takes a reading. There is a green light and an electric buzzing noise for a few seconds. It turns off and he flips the device up to his eyes to inspect the data.]

Well I haven't mis-aimed. There is certainly something odd about this place.

[He places the sonic screwdriver back in his waterlogged pocket.]

So here's a question. [He continues to talk to himself and walks in a semi-circle around the coral.]

Why does this feel oddly familiar?

Comments

[zelda_hylia]

[What was it about this man's attitude that made her want to stick around and argue semantics all day? She can't let herself sink to that level.]

You can call it what you wish. Here, read this over while I finish up with the tea. It's basic, but it is a good starting point.

[Zelda leaves the Doctor with a brochure, heading back over to the kitchen area.]

[thelastgallifreyan]

[The Doctor reads through it in only a few seconds.]

Practically every need has been attended to.

It's odd. [He taps the brochure on the table. His thoughts shifting he looks back to where Zelda is finishing the tea.]

It didn't say anything about scientists.

[In fact, it had an eerily calm, almost cheerful, tone about it. There's something unsettling about that to the Doctor.]

[zelda_hylia]

We run the committee jointly with some of the locals now. I don't believe they would want that printed, so I simply tell anyone that looks like they can handle it. Most people are content to simply wait out their time here.

[Kettle set, she returns to the table.]

Considering the fact that you were trying to figure this place out before you even dried off, I thought you might want to know.

[thelastgallifreyan]

But not you. You felt like something was wrong and had to figure it out.

[He smiles.]

[zelda_hylia]

I have been told that being nosy is a flaw of mine.

[Her tendency to poke where she doesn't belong has hurt a lot of people. She has to learn to reign it in, but not on this matter. The city was already hurting people, and she couldn't let it send people like Link back home. The screeching of the kettle startles her out of her thoughts.]

Do you take milk or sugar, Doctor?

[thelastgallifreyan]

You're not nosy. You're curious! And don't let anyone tell you it's a flaw.

Two sugars please.

[He relaxes a little.]

You can always tell how civilized a culture is by their tea.

[zelda_hylia]

[Zelda stands to get the pot.]

Is that so? Well, it's not exactly high tea, but I hope it suits your tastes.

[It's a fairly light tea with a calming, floral scent. She's found that even people who don't like to actually drink it calm down a bit when they smell it, so it's what she serves here in the Welcome Center. After setting up a tray, she walks back over to the table, pouring them both a cup and putting two sugars in for the Doctor. She takes a drink first. Zelda's met a lot of paranoid people who thought that she might be serving them poison, so she's gotten into the habit of showing that it's safe to drink rather than waiting for the guest to take a sip.]

[thelastgallifreyan]

[The Doctor takes the saucer and cup in hand and sips the tea. The possibility of being poisoned is far from his mind.]

Not bad.

[He smirks, holding his cup and saucer off the table and at chest height.]

How did you find out what was going on behind the scenes?

[zelda_hylia]

I watched people and asked questions. There have been a few opportunities to uncover more information. The island was attacked this summer, and there was a lab beneath it. We found quite a lot of information there. I tell anyone that asks.

[Zelda tucks her hair behind her ears, glancing out the window.]

Beyond the fact that many people would feel frightened if they knew we were experimental subjects, I see no reason to conceal the information. If we all work together, we're more likely to figure out what's going on.

[thelastgallifreyan]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[He sips his tea again.]

So who else is helping you?

[zelda_hylia]

On a full time basis? Well, Guy, Tech, and Mr. Crocker all monitor the coral's energy levels. Darkleer has been rather helpful as well. Many different people have uncovered information from both the ruins of the church and the island. Sir Motochika used to seek to leave the city as well, but I believe he has since become rather content here. Almost everyone settles down over time. It's especially disturbing since some documents we uncovered indicate that the locals are being pacified with a gas from the coral. The possibility that the same is happening to us is high.

[What it is that keeps her from losing motivation? Guilt, pure and simple.]

[thelastgallifreyan]

[The Doctor sniffs the air a few times.]

That is disturbing. I suppose that's why they don't seem particularly bothered that so many newcomers just pop into their home.

[He sets his tea down on the table.]

So what's the plan?

[zelda_hylia]

[The plan? She sets her cup of tea down as well, looking at him blankly for a moment. Then she laughs, leaning forward.]

Well, you certainly like to get things done, don't you? I am not one to act without as much information as possible. At this juncture, I feel that it's best to continue learning about this place as much as possible before taking any drastic action. I've distributed a few copies of my research so that it isn't lost in the event that I disappear from the city.

[thelastgallifreyan]

Well that's a little bit boring isn't it?

[He slumps in his chair.]

[zelda_hylia]

You are by all means encouraged to come up with a more exciting plan. Everyone else seems to lose motivation rather quickly, so be careful to not burn yourself out.

[She does have a bit of a plan, but she's not about to openly admit that she's been thinking about unleashing the Grand Highblood on the scientists of Vatheon. That just seems like a bad thing to admit to.]

[thelastgallifreyan]

I suppose we're not in immediate danger and taking a look around probably isn't a bad idea.

[zelda_hylia]

[Don't you roll your eyes, mister! Is it so terrible to slow down and think things through?

Think them through at a normal person pace, that is.]

Indeed it is not. There are only a couple hundred foreigners in the city, you can use your Starfish Communicator to look up a residency list. If you are lucky, you may already know someone here and they can give you further information using terminology from your home world. If not, the library is just down the street.

[thelastgallifreyan]

[The Doctor considers moving at 'normal' speed to be the worst possible outcome of anything.]

I doubt there is anyone here that I know, particularly from my home planet.

[He rifles through his now cleaned clothes for the SFC, and takes it out. After a quick inspection and approval he flicks it open and begins pressing buttons.]

Clever.

[zelda_hylia]

It's certainly not impossible. I have had people from both the past and the future of my world arrive here in Vatheon, as well as people from other timelines entirely.

[Don't try to explain a Time Lock to Zelda, Doctor. Not because she won't understand it - more because she'll keep him there all day if he starts.]

[thelastgallifreyan]

As long as you haven't met yourself. That is a disaster waiting to happen.

[He won't argue the possibility of it for now. Primarily because he doesn't want to talk about it to a relative stranger.

He finishes fiddling with the SFC.]

Nope, no one.

[zelda_hylia]

I see. Well, that is both fortunate and unfortunate I suppose.

[She smiles again, a soft smile that's just a little bittersweet. It's terrible being stuck here without knowing anyone, but knowing that your friends are home and safe is nice, too.]

You can always feel free to call me if you have any further questions or wish to discuss anything.

[thelastgallifreyan]

There is one last thing...

You haven't seen a big blue police box around have you?

[He drops the SFC into one of his pockets.]

[zelda_hylia]

A blue box? I'm afraid that I have not. How big is it?

[And why in the world would he be worried about a box? Well, maybe he's worried about something inside the box and just doesn't want to talk about what that something might be.]

[thelastgallifreyan]

[He demonstrates its dimensions by using his hands.]

About this wide...

and this tall. [He stands on his tiptoes and holds his hand up, indicating its height.]

[zelda_hylia]

It shouldn't be hard to spot then. I will call you if I see it.

[He'd never introduced himself, he just snippily said that he was the doctor and that he didn't forget things. How can she even get in touch with him?]

What is your name, Doctor?