(no subject)

[bossily]

CHARACTERS: Clara Oswald & Open
LOCATION: Sunlight room + various
DATE: Post Mission
CONTENT: 1 open + closed starters for station downtime
WARNINGS: None yet! Will update as needed

[Clara takes to station downtime the same way she always does. Productively.

She tends to her garden and works in the kitchen, and tries to help go through and organize the supply drop. She stays busy so she doesn't have time to sit and think. Thinking for too long is when her thoughts start to wander, and she can't afford to be distracted. She has supply kits to restock, first aid kits to help with. And even though she's not entirely sure of where she stands after the most recent mission, it's not as if she's avoiding anyone.

She's just busy.

Up until everything's been done and then there's nothing left to be busy with. And it's then that Clara finally allows herself to rest. She does it a little differently this time, bringing a box of junk with her into the sunlight room. Using tools she's borrowed from the Doctor and her sonic device she sits out in the simulated grass and basks in the artificial sun. And she tinkers and builds, though it's never clear what she's trying to make. As focused on the task that she is, she'll pause in her work when she hears the sound of footsteps approaching.]

Careful. Come any closer, and I'll put you to work.

Comments

[legalcy]

[Minimus freezes in the entrance. His first thought is to wonder how gardening works in a simulation, but the pile of tools has him convinced otherwise.]

I'm sorry, I did not mean to intrude. [He shuffles an inch closer, just enough to lean forward and take a peak at this structure.] What are you making?

[shumi]

( kakashi has been watching clara tinker with her little box of toys for almost an hour now as he reclines high above on a tree branch.

a book in hand, he briefly considers leaving the brunette to her own devices and resuming his reading, but in the end, his curiosity gets the better of him. hopping down from his perch, he lands silently, his movement unapologetically muted and swift.

it isn't until he is a few steps away from her that he deigns to make some noise, not wanting to scare her.

she wouldn't take too kindly to it, especially if he is the one to do it. )

I would only mess it up for you, Clara.

text ↪ un: 朱 (wildcard)

[blackfire]

Where are you?

（ he could find her within minutes, but he is being polite. as one does. ）

[bossily]

You're not.

[She quickly clarifies, not wanting him to think he's actually intruding or she minds the company. After finishing a quick scan with her sonic, she sets it aside and glances up and over at him.]

I'm making a gift for someone. It was supposed to be an amplifier for a guitar. But I don't think I'm quite as clever as I thought I was.

[Meaning, she's struggling. But she's trying, which is what counts.]

[bossily]

[A part of her is always waiting for him to sneak up on her. After how much time they spent together on the last mission, she knows some of his habits and routines by now. And maybe they're not the exact same habits and routines he has around the station. But she knows the sound of his footsteps well enough by now, and also is aware he makes sure he takes care that she hears them so he doesn't startle her.

In a way, it's actually really sweet. So she's smiling when she hears those footsteps, and glances up in time to catch him talking. But what he says only earns a smirk and a roll of her eyes. Like she believes him any.]

Seriously? Like you're capable of letting yourself mess up anything.

[bossily]

[She gives Itachi space after the mission. Everyone needs time to decompress after that. But when he reaches out, ever so thoughtful of not just popping up unannounced, she's grateful.]

Setting up something in the simroom. It's taking a bit more time than I thought it would.

[legalcy]

I don't have the expertise to advise. [To the point, lest not to give Clara false hope. Minimus does give her space to work and leans back.] Would not the lab be a more suitable location to wire it?

closed to the eleventh doctor

[bossily]

[They both have their routines they fall into back on the station. Like their time spent on the missions, they stay focused in their tasks. They have their friends to tend to, socialization to keep up. But when what passes as quiet hours falls over the station, they find their way together.

Today's been a special day, though. She had invited him to join her for dinner, which they ate in the mess hall and enjoyed casual flirtation over Clara's attempt at cooking a vegetarian meal. That flirtation quickly turned to canoodling, and canoodling into snogging in a dark corner of the station as they attempted to make their way back to their room.

They're giggling as they hurry inside, and it's later, when they're a mess of limbs curled up together in her small bed that she finds herself finally able to think back on the mission with a clear head. Her fingers are playing with his as they lay there quietly, and she's almost reluctant to be serious after the lovely night they've had together. But she thinks it's important that these things are discussed, that they say certain things to one another.]

Doctor? Can I ask you something?

[bossily]

Probably. [Her answer is quick and to the point, because the tip of her tongue is sticking out as she concentrates on attempting to snap some metal pieces together. It's likely apparently obvious that she's not much of a tinkerer and has no idea what she's doing.]

But the person I'm making this for always is in the lab. I'm trying to keep it a surprise.

[legalcy]

That does add a level to difficulty to your task.

[Now that he has an idea of her predicament, he wonders if he could make life easier for her.]

What if I took additional supplies from the lab for your use? Granted, they would have to be approved for use outside of a sterile environment, but amplifiers require delicate work, if my guess it correct. This isn't something one can do with hand tools.

closed to Xichen

[bossily]

[It takes her a few days to make plans with him, but Clara figures he needs the space for a little while. It's only after she's mostly done with her initial chores for the day that she arranges for him to meet her in the sunlight room. She guesses they could both use the artificial light, and the summery atmosphere in the room is a mood booster too.

She's got a tea service set up on a small fold out table, and is reading a book while she waits for him. His tea is already prepared exactly how she knows he likes it, and she's taken the liberty of preparing hers the same way. She doesn't sip at hers yet though. Not until he gets there.]

[lateness]

[ All things considered, the return back to the station after a too-long mission is a welcome one. They'd bungled their infiltration into the mayor's penthouse, and then proceeded to blunder their time in the labour camps (which went from terrible to worse), and eventually were quite rightfully told to leave. The quiet of the station engines' hum alongside the familiarity of everything around them is suddenly something he can appreciate, the same way returning to the TARDIS has always felt like a satisfying reprieve.

After that, it's the familiar Ximilia routine: checking in on the others, back to the labs, a visit to the sun room, a session in the kitchens. And all of it ends with a magnificently normal time with Clara, uninterrupted by anything or anyone, a lot of it reflecting what he'd observed when traveling with Amy and Rory. There is, in fact, quite a bit of kissing. (And the Doctor might even admit now that he rather likes it.)

Maybe the Doctor's fallen into humany habits — that would be new, wouldn't it?

He's watching the way she plays with their hands, fingers laced together in a loose hold. And he's feeling quite blissfully lazy and relaxed (also new!) too, but it does occur to him that she's asked him a question. ]

Mm. Yes — what is it?

[blackfire]

Would you care for assistance?

[bossily]

Do you feel like we could've done better on that mission? Done more, maybe?

[It's a bit heavy for some people's pillow talk, but given the things they've seen and done in their time together, it doesn't feel like it weighs down the contentment of the moment. Their limbs are still tangled, his fingers don't pull away from hers. And if there's a moment she can feel even a bit of tension in his body, she'll do her best to kiss it better.

While she isn't exactly sure what they could've done to do anything more, given it's a team effort, she knows that she isn't satisfied with the way things ended up going. But that's the way it goes when you work on a large team. Though sometimes she misses it being just the two of them in the TARDIS, hopping from planet to planet and saving the day peacefully.

They've had a year to adjust to the way things are here, but it hardly feels like enough time. And even though she doesn't struggle as much to find her place among the others here, she's definitely taken to trying to examine her place among them in terms of figuring out who she can trust.]

[lateness]

I think doing more was a rather large part of the problem, wouldn't you say?

[ Admittedly, this isn't quite what the Doctor thought they were going to speak about when she asked — but then again it really could be just about any number of topics and discussions. You could know someone and they could know you, and after all of that, they could still find ways of surprising you. It's quite something, really.

So he shifts a little, not enough to let go of her, or for their hands to break contact, but enough so that they could have a proper conversation ... even without their clothing on. His hair is a bit mussed, and so is hers, but now he can properly see her even when she's very easily in kissing distance. (She's made something of a snogging monster out of him now.) ]

Maybe we should be asking what we could have done less? Much, much less.

[bossily]

[He's not exactly trying to scold her. Clara knows that. And he's also speaking about the team at large and not themselves personally. Which helps cushion the blow, because there's a moment where she does feel properly guilty as if she had been responsible for any part of what had happened.]

Yeah, well, maybe if we hadn't overstayed our welcome things would've ended differently.

[Since he's within proper kissing distance, she tries to distract from her near grumpy statement with a press of her lips against his. But she's well behaved, not letting herself get carried away. She really doesn't want this conversation to be cut short, after all.]

It just makes me worry about the next mission, is all. It makes me worry about you.

[bossily]

I'd care for more than just that. I'd be happy to have your company.

[blackfire]

Very well.

I will be there presently.

[lateness]

[ The Doctor agrees with that sentiment, all right. Things would have been much, much different if a whole lot of other things hadn't happened before or after or during, but that's the tricky thing about living ones life and making decisions, and going through time the right way around. (And not just to observe either, but to be really rather ... pushy with matters.)

There's a lot that the Doctor doesn't feel especially good about after this mission, but dwelling over it isn't likely to help them either.

And luckily he doesn't have to dwell at all with Clara leaning in to kiss him again. She breaks it off just about the time it takes for him to be properly distracted which is — extremely clever of her, oh, and also very, very rude. He had thoughts! He had things he might have said!

And now — ]

Me? Why would you be worried about me?

[bossily]

A place like this can change you.

[In so very many ways, it's changed her. But it's different for him than it is for her. He's used to always changing and becoming someone new. That doesn't mean the constant missions can't weigh on him and cause him some level of distress. ]

It can change the way you look at other people. And I don't want you to lose your faith in everyone else.

[The last part is whispered as she leans in to press a kiss to the tip of his nose, and she laughs after she does it. The Doctor's ability to believe in the best in everyone is one of her favorite parts about him. The thought of him giving up on it because things all have become too much is depressing.

But then again, he's used to having to deal with some pretty traumatic and awful things. He likely could just repress and deal with all of it by avoiding the issue. It's Clara that needs to deal with it and talk it out. She's the one struggling here, but can't come out and say so.]

[shumi]

( he splays out both of his gloved hands with a shrug. )

I don't know what you could mean, Clara. ( a coquettish smile surfaces behind his masked face. ) I'm pretty careless. ( he stops next to her before he crouches down to take a closer look at what she's working on. ) Besides, ( he reaches out to pick up a random part. ) this isn't my area of expertise. You're better off asking Newt. ( he surely would be able to assist with whatever she's trying to build or put together. )

What is this anyway?

[unclesam]

Bold of you to assume I'd complain.

[ Sam's been withdrawn too. Locked himself away in the sim room for a good long time, booked in unnecessary hours at the infirmary, hit the training room a little too hard. Inventory, some meal prep, some busywork around the station. Idle hands and all that.

So... yeah, he gets it.

And so he takes a seat in the grass, too. ]

What am I doing?

[calmness]

[ xichen has needed some time since the mission, since it dragged out too long and showed sides of all members of their team he had not been keen to see.

the truth is not always pleasant though. he's aware.

he walks into the sunlit room dressed in robes, looking more regal lord than the politician he'd been dressed at in e-23b. more himself. he finds clara quickly, offers a greeting of a smile and bow before he sits across from her. ] What are you reading today? [ they have been talking about their reading choices lately, after all. ]

wildcard (sorta).

[attackbrows]

[ After the dust had settled and the crew returned to the station, the Doctor can sense that same heaviness in the air. Another orb has been acquired, but not without its fair share of consequences. The wound on his right shoulder is still healing. Droplets of blood continue to seep out into his bandages. But he doesn’t whine or complain about the pain— just another flesh wound to weather out.

But the Doctor makes it a concerted effort to walk alongside Clara, following her in one of her numerous daily tasks. Hydroponics seems to offer the most tranquillity. The oranges looked especially bright this morning, with how their porous skin reflected off of the artificial sunlight. He reached up and curled his hand around the plump fruit, twisting it and breaking it off the branch. ]

You haven’t said a word about it. [ He points out. The mission, that is. ] Is there something I should be concerned about?

[lateness]

Clara, I have lived for over 2,000 years now. And I'll go on to live for a hundred or more at least. I shouldn't worry that the way I see other people will ever change. It's the people who are more likely to change around me.

[ It's true that some of these missions have been a little harder to take than others — and perhaps that is something of a new sensation, something Clara hasn't seen of him until now — but he's seen the best and the worst that people had to offer throughout his travels. And circumstances being what they are, namely his impending regeneration, he'll admit that he'd been ... more openly affected than he cares to admit to, and more than that he'd allowed Clara to see all of that.

But he looks at Clara now and wonders whether she's really even speaking about him at all. She knows him, knows what he's like, what he's seen ... she knows more than the length of this face's regeneration, has known much of his future self. She knows he wouldn't lose his faith in people, but he wonders if Clara's starting to lose her faith in them instead. ]

Always believe in the best of people, whether they're human or not. It's always there, somewhere, in the best intentions, in their hearts and their stories.