un: absterge | video

[downswing]

( Two men and a xenomorph walk into a tavern —

...alternatively, stumble down a woodland road, breath staggered, seemingly drained — if not by the weight of the enormous forest creature they carry, bled and bound to a makeshift pallet of decayed logs, then by the constant, jittery effort to evade the strikes of its tail.

The Doctor drags the animal’s wooden bed by long, loosely woven strips of ripped cloth. Lan Wangji holds the pendant with one hand and his own cutting strings that fetter the beast with the other.

For their trouble, the creature’s tail lovingly smacks the Doctor on his flank, then thwaps Lan Wangji’s temple, on the swing back. It growls its thanks after, before settling into a... disturbing... purr... that seems to indicate the time to nap is nigh.

The Doctor, then: ) It's settling down a bit already! Just needed a proper looking after, really, like anything.

( Well said, Doctor. For your effort, have a nice, friendly, sleepy tail smack on the back. So Wangji doesn’t feel jealous, the snoring beast peers over his shoulder, drenching it in a sea of... drool. He sighs. )

We bear one of the Beastmaster’s creatures. Feral, wounded. Enemy of the Huntress in the woods.

( Who should have been long culled, but don’t let Lan Wangji’s long-suffering expression convince you of that. The enemy or their enemy, so on. )

It requires... healing to resume duties. We number those who know the care of animals?

( ooc: ...sorry, cave buddies, just going to park Fido in the back real quick! Any veterinarians in the house? )

Comments

[downswing]

...surely not.

[makemeasong]

[ In response, he's getting big brown eyes blinking slowly at him, choosing her words carefully. ]

His hearts are in the right place.

[downswing]

His... hearts.

[makemeasong]

Time Lords have two of them, and his both go overboard sometimes. Has he named it yet? Your creature friend.

[downswing]

...with his two hearts.

[makemeasong]

He isn't human, his body is more different from ours than just the two hearts. Do you want to subscribe to me for more fun facts about the Doctor's physiology?

[downswing]

How are you so learned?

[makemeasong]

Knowing about his hearts isn't anything, really. The man is worse at answering questions than you.

[downswing]

He speaks to excess.

[makemeasong]

Between the two of you, you'd think you could say one full, perfect sentence.

[ She's joking, heavily. One of her favorite things about Wangji is that it's like he's having a contest with himself on how to say the least words possible. ]

If he ever stops talking, worry.

[downswing]

When he deflects, worry. His silence, worry.

There is not a moment when he does not concern.

[makemeasong]

You've never seen him save the world.

[downswing]

A habit?

[makemeasong]

There's a lot of arseholes in the universe Wangji.

If he had his TARDIS here, he'd have gotten everyone off this planet within a day, tops, then come back to figure out how to fix it. Probably alone or he'd try to at least, but luckily some of us are too stubborn to let him to that.

Right, Doctor?

[thedreamer]

Right, should have mentioned. Two hearts, respiratory bypass system, a few other bits and bobs.

And you're worrying for no reason at all, the pair of you, I'm perfectly fine. I'm a grown adult, in fact! More than once.

[downswing]

...more than once.

( He is doomed to a life of this: slowly but surely repeating the absurdities uttered as normal around him. )

[thedreamer]

There was another version of me here before, a long time ago I think? Did you know him? Funny little fellow, though with splendid sartorial taste.

[ Bowtie. Ahem. ]

[thedreamer]

Do share with the class, Clara!

[makemeasong]

Only if you say 'yes' to subscribe.

[thedreamer]

Mail order catalogue or virtual mailing list? I prefer the hard copies, you know, like to clip out the coupons.

[makemeasong]

There aren't coupons on a fact list about you, dummy. What would they even be coupons for?

[ She's laughing, but she does have a question for him. ]

Are you definitely planning on letting the nice...thing go once it's all better? Yes?

[thedreamer]

Jammie Dodgers! Keep up, Clara.

[ Yes, she's the one falling behind here. ]

And no, it's not being kept, I assure you. I'll be glad to take it home.

[makemeasong]

Oh, good.

Wait, you will? No whinging about wanting to make a new friend?

[thedreamer]

It's not the sort of creature to keep, far from it. But it can help us with the Huntress, perhaps, once it heals.

[makemeasong]

You aren't just saying that because you don't have the TARDIS and there's nowhere to put your new friend...are you?