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 a funny man. The interesting fashion statement doesn't mean much of anything to Zelda, most of what people wear in Vatheon is strange to her. The whirring thing he's carrying around is new, as is the way he seems to be investigating the situation... out loud. Is he talking to someone? Is he crazy?

Well, he doesn't look dangerous at least. She holds out a towel to him.]

Hello there, sir.

[thelastgallifreyan]

[The Doctor shifts out of his self-inquisition and beams at the new visitor.]

Hell-oo! [He takes the towel and begins to rub his head vigorously.]

This happens a lot doesn't it. [His voice is muffled by the rapidly moving towel.]

[aim_exorable]

If it feels familiar, then perhaps you've been here before.

[Don't mind the seven foot something troll that's standing nearby, Doctor. After being forced out of his hive yesterday with things not going straight to hell, Darkleer has been slightly less paranoid. Just slightly. So just for a very quick moment, he ran out to get something from the Nostalgia Quarter. His new basement needed it, alright.]

[It just happens so that as he's making his way there, he passes by the curious little man that's muttering to himself.]

Are you going to dry yourself?

[zelda_hylia]

Quite a bit, I'm afraid. You don't seem terribly bothered by it, though. People are pulled into this city once a month. As for it seeming familiar... it's entirely possible that you have been here before. Once you leave, it takes your memories and you go back to your own world and time without ever realizing you were gone.

[Yes, she was listening to that little monologue.]

[thelastgallifreyan]

[The Doctor turns toward the sound of the voice to find himself looking at a chest. His eyes travel up to the top of the friendly troll.]

You. are. amazing. [He has an enormous smile as he speaks and looks up to Darkleer. Remembering himself, he clears his throat.]

Right! Drying, that's probably a good thing to do.

[He grabs a nearby towel and starts rubbing his hair.]

If I was here before, shouldn't I remember it?

[aim_exorable]

[It can't be seen behind the thick intricate shades he wears, but Darkleer blinks in slight surprise at the compliment. Most people don't immediately say something like that to him, for various reasons. Still, he has his manners.]

Thank you.

And no, not always. I would explain more, but unless you wished to accompany me on an errand, I'm not sure I would have the time I normally have. Vatheon is something of an odd place.

[thelastgallifreyan]

[He stops drying his hair and looks at the woman for a moment, his face losing some of its cheer. He wipes his face with the towel. When its visible again, he looks more like he thinks he's a target of some joke.]

Noooo. [He makes a nervous laugh and tried to dry off some of his clothes.]

[zelda_hylia]

[Oh. She'd taken him for someone who would want all the facts, but maybe she was wrong? Time to do the usual, then.]

Here, why don't we go inside? You can dry off and I can make some tea, I'll tell you about the city. My name is Zelda, I work on the Welcoming Committee here.

[She gestures back towards the Welcoming Center.]

[thelastgallifreyan]

[Explain more?! He lives for more explanation.]

I'm all ears. Well, not literally of course, because that would be a little weird. Not that I haven't seen it, or have anything against them, but it does make communication a little difficult.

[The Doctor drapes his towel over his shoulders and folds his hands together in front of himself. He rocks on his heels a bit. Aware that may have been a little too much information.]

I would love to hear more about this Vatheon. Lead the way!

[aim_exorable]

Very well then.

[Hopefully the Doctor can keep up the pace, because Darkleer has long legs and somewhere to be. He does keep an eye on him, however, just in case he's going too fast.]

Vatheon is a place that has taken various individuals from various universes and worlds and placed them here. Sometimes, it sends them directly back, and once they are back home, they remember nothing of this place and their time here. Physically and mentally, it is as if the whole thing never happened.

Of course, there is always a chance they are brought back, possibly from anywhere on their timeline. No one knows why this happens. Sometimes, they remember everything about their stay here. Other times, their recollection is foggy.

It isn't uncommon for them to remember nothing at all.

[thelastgallifreyan]

No, you see I'm the Doctor. [He says it as if that explains everything.]

I don't just forget things, especially when it comes to space and time.

[He continues to dry himself, a little more violently then he needs to. The smile is mostly gone now, replaced with a bit of stubborn annoyance as if he were talking to someone who wasn't as smart as he was.]

I hope you don't mind previous CR

[lamorteblanc]

[ There's a small frown at the sight of this tweed covered individual. Talking about a TARDIS, that sonic screwdriver... Oh, this one just had to. He approaches, calm as you please and offers a towel. ]

The Doctor, I presume?

[zelda_hylia]

[The doctor of what exactly? Zelda eyes him as he scrubs at himself rather angrily. The condescending tone is not lost on her. Well, fine then. If he knows so much about space and time, she doesn't need to talk down to him.]

This place seems to exist outside of any proper concept of time. It pulls people from different worlds and times and then deposits them back home when it's done without missing a beat. I expect the memory loss that occurs when people return to their homes is some form of paradox control, or an attempt to limit the amount of new timelines that might be created if people took action based on the knowledge they might gain here.

[thelastgallifreyan]

[The Doctor hop-steps every ten paces or so too keep up but brisk walks are one of his many specialties.

He doesn't contest the explanation, he has seen things more impossible than this. The fact that he may have lost his memory of this place is troubling and a thought that he chooses not to explore at this time.]

Is there any reason for it? It must take an awful lot of resources and energy to kidnap people and hold them here only to release them again. And from different universes and timelines as well.

What could the purpose possibly be? [This last question is more to himself but it's unlikely Darkleer would realize it as such.]

[brbstealingpknm]

Congratulations on being more observant than most morons who arrive here. [Silver snorts though. He's only too used to the monthly arrival of the new comers to have much faith that most of them aren't as dumb as they seem.]

Nope! I also like your intro line XD

[thelastgallifreyan]

[The Doctor looks over to the newcomer.]

In the flesh. [He smiles and extends a hand. Realizing it is still wet, he looks around for a towel, finds one, grabs it, hurriedly uses it on his hand, and extends it again.]

Have we met before?

[aim_exorable]

We're experiments.

At least, we are a part of it. Scientists are the reason we have been brought here. You will not meet them here in the city; no one has been able to find them. They have plans of their own, which have something to do with the so called "Curses" which happen here along with the coral in the middle of the plaza.

The locals refer to the coral as Lamufao. They believe it to be a god. I cannot confirm that, but I do know it is a source of great energy. It glows whenever a curse is about to occur, and you must touch it regularly. If you don't, you will find yourself slowly overcome with exhaustion.

XDXD It had to happen.

[lamorteblanc]

[ The handshake is returned well enough. ]

Briefly, if I remember correctly. However, I'm not sure if you'd remember.

[ A pause as he glances over to the coral. ]

This city does things like that, I'm afraid. I am Doctor Kazutaka Muraki, one of the resident physicians. Welcome back to Vatheon.

[thelastgallifreyan]

Thank you... I think. [He smiles a bit and sounds mostly cheery.

The arrival focuses his attention on his more immediate surroundings and picks up a nearby towel.]

How do you do? I'm the Doctor.

[He offers a handshake to the youngster.]

[thelastgallifreyan]

[He simply stops for a moment and gapes at her slightly. No more drying, no more walking.]

Possibly, I guess. You could explain it that way. [As he says this he wobbles his head a little from side to side. Yes, it's a little mocking but he can't completely hide the fact that she impressed him.

He turns his head away and looks up to the "ceiling" of the bubble to mostly hide a grin. He looks back down to her with squinted eyes.]

What was your name again?

[thelastgallifreyan]

[He looks up and over to the large troll. The Doctor is definitely developing a fondness for him. If only most of the situations he deals with would be explained so well to him.

He shakes his head smiling at the thought.]

I don't think I caught your name. I'm the Doctor.

[zelda_hylia]

[What, he didn't hear her the first time? She's not particularly offended. It's normal for people to be out of sorts when they arrive, and goddesses knew she'd pitched an inelegant fit when she found out that she had supposedly been here before.]

Zelda. I was pulled here just like you - about a year ago, now.

[She's been trying to figure the place out ever since. Vatheon's library has done wonders for her knowledge on time travel. She'd already possessed some of her own, but there's something to be said for the things you can study in a city like this.]

[aim_exorable]

[He finally pauses in walking, just so he can turn to the Doctor properly and and give a dip his head politely.]

Darkleer. It is a pleasure.

[He offers one large hand to shake with.]

I suppose I should tell you where we are heading. It will be informative, if little else. Most of the items and housing in Vatheon are free to all foreigners. They simply need to show the tattoo that appears on their body upon arrival. The only exception is the area called the Nostalgia Quarter.

[Nook. Nostalgia Nook is its proper name, which should become apparent when they pass by the sign for it soon. Darkleer refuses to say that, however.]

Definitely!!

[thelastgallifreyan]

Thank you Doctor Muraki. I wish I could say that I remembered, but I'm not quite clear on the details. It does feel like I've been here before.

[He follows Kazutaka's glance to the coral.]

Vatheon. It's strange but I do think that means something to me. That coral has something to do with it. [He points at it several times with his finger as he tries to put the connections back together.]

[thelastgallifreyan]

That's right, Zelda. [It clicks better the second time around.]

Well Zelda, how is it that you know so much about time travel?