RP for renegadeinexile

[thecricketer]

The Doctor waited outside his TARDIS, leaning nonchalantly against the door and turning his hat in his hands. Only in them was his anxious excitement evident.

It had been good seeing Ushas after so long. He'd almost felt young again, talking with her. Remembering that there were times on Gallifrey that he could still remember fondly.

He knew this might not have been the best of ideas. He couldn't simply disregard his future incarnation's suspicion, his enmity, even if he didn't understand it – couldn't understand it, if they were to preserve his future.

He couldn't, however, turn his back on someone who had been his friend for what she might have done. Perhaps she came from both their futures – perhaps things had changed.

Even if he was wrong, he decided it was worth it. They could enjoy their stolen time, for as long as it lasted.

Comments

[thisway-comes.livejournal.com]

"Well..." the Rani responded dryly. "Don't come into my room to impose and we shan't have that problem again, yes?"

She was quiet for a few moments, and then she laughed softly. "I can't believe you even still remember all that."

[thecricketer.livejournal.com]

He nodded in sombre understanding - and, moments later, grinned.

"I'm afraid you've awakened those memories again. Usually they..." His grin faded into a faint, wistful smile.

"...Sleep in my mind."

[thisway-comes.livejournal.com]

"Oh."

And though it was an entirely uncharacteristic wish on her part, the Rani gave the Doctor's arm a squeeze and said, "Perhaps, now that you and I are to travel together for a time, some of those memories might also awaken in mine."

[thecricketer.livejournal.com]

"I hope so," he said softly. Only a glimpse of his surprised was revealed in his expression.

"I rather like them, for the most part." He had thought everything was so complicated then, but it seemed like a simpler time now.

Relatively.

[thisway-comes.livejournal.com]

"I..."

The Rani sighed. "I haven't had much reason or opportunity to revisit those memories," she admitted. "Perhaps it's about time. Once we've ascertained that this is in fact a safe place to do so. Do you know if the others have been here long?"

[thecricketer.livejournal.com]

"I didn't think to ask," the Doctor said, looking sheepish. "Quite remiss of me, really. Though no one seemed to know any details about this place. Why we're here, who's running it if anyone." He paused, brow furroing slightly.

"I know you and my future self don't...seem to get on, but did he mention anything?"

[thisway-comes.livejournal.com]

The Rani shook her head sadly. "He did not."

Why, oh why, did she now feel guilty that the Doctor's future self loathed her? Guilt was very unbecoming in her, not to mention, since when had she ever felt such a thing?

Trying to mask it, she gave the Doctor's arm another squeeze. "I suppose that means it's up to us to discover what this place holds, yes?"

[thecricketer.livejournal.com]

He couldn't ask, couldn't help, so he shoved it all aside in favour of a confident smile.

"I'm sure we'll have it worked out in no time at all."

[thisway-comes.livejournal.com]

The Rani stole a glance at his face, and the confident smile heartened her. "Of course we will," she responded, as if it were the most natural thing in all the world.

"We should look for a city. So far all we've seen is countryside. Did you ever hear of an evil genius working his or her nefarious plots from a country hollow? I think not..."

[thecricketer.livejournal.com]

His smile widened. "Quite a good reason to do so, then, isn't it?" But he nods.

"If nothing else cities have people, and people have knowledge whether they want it or not."

[thisway-comes.livejournal.com]

"That's very true." She gave him an approving glance.

"I suppose that the best place to look for a city would be higher ground, yes? So we can see if this countryside ends."

[thecricketer.livejournal.com]

His eyes glinted as he bowed his head modestly.

"That sounds sensible." He looked around, realising guiltily that he hadn't been paying very much attention to the landscape.

[thisway-comes.livejournal.com]

Neither had the Rani, really. She scanned the area, and then raised her free hand, pointing. "Up there," she said, indicating a hill rising over the fields they'd been walking through. "I can't see if there's a path from here... let's hope there is, otherwise we're in for a bit of a workout."

[thecricketer.livejournal.com]

His gaze followed instinctively, and he nodded, drawing away only to take her hand again.

"Oh, I think we can manage." There was that mischevious gleam again, surprising him time and again. He hadn't thought to be cheerful for quite some time.

"I could carry you if you like."

[thisway-comes.livejournal.com]

The Rani shot him a look. "You attempt to pick me up, and we might have to come to blows right here in the middle of this field," she announced haughtily. But was that the tiniest hint of a grin pulling at the corners of her mouth.

She was further tempted to comment upon his hand grasping hers, but strangely, she let it go. Even more strangely, she gave it a warm squeeze and kept it clasped in her own. "We'll manage, I'm sure. Shall we?"

[thecricketer.livejournal.com]

He raised his eyebrows, a defiant smirk playing at his lips.

"I warn you, I've fought with the best of them." It softened into a more genuine smile after a moment, and he began to walk.

[thisway-comes.livejournal.com]

She fell into step quickly beside him, having no choice since their hands were still clasped. Which she really didn't mind. Odd.

"That very well may be, Doctor," she replied, a teasing lilt to her voice. "But so have I. I've beaten the best of them. It might be a more evenly-matched spar than you'd expect..."

[thecricketer.livejournal.com]

He found the connection soothing, natural - as if their new bodies remembered an old kinship, forgotten for so long.

"Have you ever defeated a god?" he asked lightly; the smirk was back, playful and a bit smug. Just a bit.

[thisway-comes.livejournal.com]

The Rani raised an eyebrow and returned the smirk. "Not through hand-to-hand combat, no," she admitted.

A few moments' silence, and then she tossed back, just as smugly, "Have you ever had yourself installed as a god?"

[thecricketer.livejournal.com]

He turned his head to meet her eyes, his own wide and curious.

"Is this to do with the planet you ruled?"

[thisway-comes.livejournal.com]

She grinned at that, and shook her head. "No, actually. I was only a ruler there, not a god. I accidentally wound up on some remote forested planet some time back, a good few hundred light-years from here. The inhabitants decided, since I had apparently fallen from the sky and looked so different to them, that I must be the fulfillment of some ancient prophecy, some goddess returned to them. I had the most ridiculous time convincing them otherwise..."

[thecricketer.livejournal.com]

He hid soft, rather delighted laughter behind his free hand hand.

"You managed, though, obviously. Or did you just take off while no one was looking?" Not that he'd know anything about that, though the amused, rather nostalgic look in his eyes said otherwise.

[thisway-comes.livejournal.com]

"I... convinced them to let me into my magic cabinet. And then I took off."

She laughed too, surprised at how easily it came to her.

Finally, they were approaching the hill. She gazed up, frowning. "I don't see much of a path... though there are plenty of hand and footholds. It's not insurmountable. And perhaps it'll be easier to find or make a path closer to the top, do you see? It gets rather flatter up there."

[thecricketer.livejournal.com]

He chuckled again at that, shaking his head. Sounded rather like what he would do.

His gaze travelled the hill slowly as she spoke, nodding absently.

"Most do. It's certainly not well-travelled, at least not recently." He knelt down, trailing his hand through the grass.

"Shouldn't be very difficult, though, it's far from the steepest I've climbed."

[thisway-comes.livejournal.com]

The Rani smirked. "Well then. That's good to know. It means I won't have to worry about keeping an eye on you because you don't know what you're doing."

And with that, she stepped up to the rock face, carefully placing a foot on a ledge. She used it to hoist herself up, reaching for a handhold.