The Doctor (#12) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
axefight) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
riverviewlogs2017-06-19 06:05 pm
axefight) wrote in riverviewlogs2017-06-19 06:05 pm
(open) old man yells at tree, and other things
who: the Doctor and YOUUUU
what: find the Doc in various locales, up to the usual nonsense. a thing explodes.
when: 19-24
where: the university; a rooftop; the jungle
warnings: nada, most likely
the university, afternoon.
[ for the most part, since starting his job here, the doctor's managed to pass himself off more or less as a normal college professor, teaching a normal class about time travel (and occasionally exobiology and space farming and thermodynamics and--), spending his evenings grading normal papers. normally. it works out - he's a skilled orator and he honestly enjoys this work (specifically, the part where he gets to listen to himself talk passionately for hours on end in front of a captive audience), and is more or less content to devote a chunk of his work week to doing so. besides, he actually needs a little money right now, appalling as that notion is. so he has taken a certain amount of care not to make waves yet. by, say, blowing anything up.
except for this one afternoon, when he accidentally blows something up.
it starts as a whizz, a bang, and a deafening POP! followed by a cloud of white smoke billowing out of his open office door. from inside, you can hear the hssss of a fire extinguisher, as the doctor, his hair comically swept back, puts out a small fire from an inscrutable piece of machinery laying atop his desk. the thing looks like it was cobbled together out of garbage. which it was.
work in progress!
several students' papers may be beyond repair, unfortunately, though. ]
some rooftop somewhere, night.
[ the following night, if you happen to be hanging out on a rooftop, for whatever reason - brooding or something, i don't know - you may find this old fellow with his handmade machine. this time in working order.
although what 'working order' actually means in this case is anyone's guess. the device looks like the unholy amalgamation of a tape deck, an umbrella, a carburetor, three whisks, and a panasonic orbitel television, among other things. little bits of it spin. it softly boops every minute or so. it's playing what appears to be five games of pong layered atop each other at once on its screen. nobody is winning.
the doctor's pacing around in front of it, his thinking face on. every now and then he stops to stare at his creation, tapping his fingers to his arms. whatever information it is displaying doesn't appear to be what he's looking for. it's been going on for a while. ]
the jungle, whenever.
[ because if a place is clearly dangerous, walled off and under watchful guard, of course he's going to head straight out into it. he's not too far from the inhabited city, at least, this time. but he's clearly unarmed and unarmored, and at the moment - yelling at a tree.
or rather, scolding a thing that's in the tree. some sort of cat-like being, from the looks of it, with something shiny and silvery held tightly in its jaws. the doctor clearly wants this thing back, but alas, isn't really a climbing-trees type. just gonna have to resort to his skill with negotiation. ]
Listen to me - don't eat that! You cannot eat that! You can't even use it - you haven't got thumbs! And even if you had, a little brain like yours--
[ the cat thing chomps down harder on it, glaring. ]
--Look, I've got a fish sandwich! Let's trade! Honestly...
etc.
[ if you've got something else in mind, go for it! or pm me to plot things out. ]
what: find the Doc in various locales, up to the usual nonsense. a thing explodes.
when: 19-24
where: the university; a rooftop; the jungle
warnings: nada, most likely
the university, afternoon.
[ for the most part, since starting his job here, the doctor's managed to pass himself off more or less as a normal college professor, teaching a normal class about time travel (and occasionally exobiology and space farming and thermodynamics and--), spending his evenings grading normal papers. normally. it works out - he's a skilled orator and he honestly enjoys this work (specifically, the part where he gets to listen to himself talk passionately for hours on end in front of a captive audience), and is more or less content to devote a chunk of his work week to doing so. besides, he actually needs a little money right now, appalling as that notion is. so he has taken a certain amount of care not to make waves yet. by, say, blowing anything up.
except for this one afternoon, when he accidentally blows something up.
it starts as a whizz, a bang, and a deafening POP! followed by a cloud of white smoke billowing out of his open office door. from inside, you can hear the hssss of a fire extinguisher, as the doctor, his hair comically swept back, puts out a small fire from an inscrutable piece of machinery laying atop his desk. the thing looks like it was cobbled together out of garbage. which it was.
work in progress!
several students' papers may be beyond repair, unfortunately, though. ]
some rooftop somewhere, night.
[ the following night, if you happen to be hanging out on a rooftop, for whatever reason - brooding or something, i don't know - you may find this old fellow with his handmade machine. this time in working order.
although what 'working order' actually means in this case is anyone's guess. the device looks like the unholy amalgamation of a tape deck, an umbrella, a carburetor, three whisks, and a panasonic orbitel television, among other things. little bits of it spin. it softly boops every minute or so. it's playing what appears to be five games of pong layered atop each other at once on its screen. nobody is winning.
the doctor's pacing around in front of it, his thinking face on. every now and then he stops to stare at his creation, tapping his fingers to his arms. whatever information it is displaying doesn't appear to be what he's looking for. it's been going on for a while. ]
the jungle, whenever.
[ because if a place is clearly dangerous, walled off and under watchful guard, of course he's going to head straight out into it. he's not too far from the inhabited city, at least, this time. but he's clearly unarmed and unarmored, and at the moment - yelling at a tree.
or rather, scolding a thing that's in the tree. some sort of cat-like being, from the looks of it, with something shiny and silvery held tightly in its jaws. the doctor clearly wants this thing back, but alas, isn't really a climbing-trees type. just gonna have to resort to his skill with negotiation. ]
Listen to me - don't eat that! You cannot eat that! You can't even use it - you haven't got thumbs! And even if you had, a little brain like yours--
[ the cat thing chomps down harder on it, glaring. ]
--Look, I've got a fish sandwich! Let's trade! Honestly...
etc.
[ if you've got something else in mind, go for it! or pm me to plot things out. ]
no subject
Hello there, nothing to worry about. Is that a bear?
[ a piece of his machine bursts into flames again, and the doctor sprays it down once more. without actually looking at it. ]
It's meant to do that.
...No, OK, it's not actually, but it's fine.
no subject
No, um... it's a pokémon. Teddiursa.
[ Maybe that will mean more to this man than it did to Romulus? He steps forward uncertainly when his friend starts poking around at the remnants. His lips purse and he's got his eyes downcast halfway, not meeting the Doctor's gaze at all. ]
What happened?
no subject
[ he tries to nudge the bear off his chair - but not very forcefully. ]
My machine developed a fault. Just a small one. Once I can get in there, it won't take me a second to fix.
[ it's just still smoking, slightly.
the doctor squints at romulus. ]
Haven't seen you before, either. Are you a student?
no subject
Romulus is already moving further to skirt around the whole thing and try to pick up his pokémon. He stops at the question and his shoulders hunch just slightly. ]
No, um... I was here to see Professor Sycamore.
no subject
[ still going to try to shoo teddiursa away from - all of this. without actually touching the animal.
the machine creaks, precariously. the bizarre, shiny machine, with all sorts of buttons and switches. ]
Sycamore... the one with the hair? [ most of them have hair... ] Is that what's got you nervous?
no subject
Not necessarily. Everything here is a bit— [ he just kind of gestures, not sure what word to use immediately ] —out of my depth.
[ He bites his lip and steps closer. ] Should I...?
no subject
the second romulus offers, he nods - stands aside, gestures towards the bear. ]
Please do.
That's incredibly sensitive machinery - and it could explode. Again.
no subject
Why... Um, then—why would you have it here?
no subject
the look he gives romulus is just confused. ]
Well, where else would I have it?
no subject
[ Teddiursa isn't quite calmer but it is at least behaving itself in his arms now, and Romulus is grateful for that. Because the question is one he actually has no answer to, no idea of if such a place exists or if he's speaking out of turn. ]
no subject
looks at his office
looks out the window??
looks at romulus again. ]
No?
Why, have you got one?
no subject
[ All that expectation and now Romulus has nothing to show for it!! He ducks his head and maybe buries part of his face in Teddiursa's soft fur. Aw. ]
I suppose if this is the best place, you would know. What was it... for?
no subject
Oh, ah, er... [ he waves his hand about vaguely ] It's a thingy. An incredibly advanced thingy, I couldn't explain it in your terms.
[ so he won't try. ]
Which would be... what, 6, 700s BC? Have they even founded Rome yet?
[ whatever language they're speaking right now, he knows that accent when he hears it. he's hung around that era enough. ]
no subject
I'm... Romulus?
[ Maybe that answers his question. Otherwise he just doesn't get it. ]
no subject
The Romulus?
no subject
[ He's so baffled, maybe holding onto Teddiursa tighter for it. The little bear squeaks and tries to hop out and he jolts, letting his grip up instead of focusing on the Doctor. ]
I'm just—I'm a slave, I couldn't possibly found anything.
no subject
Okay. Okay -
You haven't got a twin brother called Remus, have you?
[ please say no. ]
no subject
How did you know that?
no subject
Lucky guess?
[ he's not even sure he really believes this is THE the romulus, but doesn't mean he can't have some fun with it. ]
Bit of free advice - Palatine Hill. Brilliant location. Always thought it looked a bit shabby, the property could use some renovation.
no subject
For... founding Rome...?
[ It's all he's got. Do you found places on hills? ]
no subject
Ohhhh, that's an idea.
no subject
[ WHAT IS THIS! Being teased by authority??? help ]
no subject
Yes, I know - now you can say it was your idea. And then you can thank me later. [ a deep nod. ] You're welcome.
no subject
I'm sorry... I still don't get it. How did you know about my brother?
no subject
hmmhmmHMM... ]
Good question.
I know a lot of things. Do a lot of reading.
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