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Tweak says, "are you a weeb?"

The Tenth Doctor (_ten_) wrote in colligo_threads,
@ 2010-07-17 13:43:00

Entry tags:

!closed, robin hood, the doctor (10)

Who: The Tenth Doctor and Robin Hood
What: Just a casual meeting, when its too hot to be doing much.
When: Mid-afternoon
Where: On the street outside the Pub
Rating: TBA

The Doctor was sat outside the pub that, for reasons unknown to almost everyone, he'd decided to take a job. The heat was unbearable - the sun pushed down on the city in waves and covered everything in a thick, muggy blanket. People sat scattered amongst the tables that had been dragged outside, nursing drinks full of ice which melted almost as fast as they could drink. Everyone was slumped, and almost everyone was grumpy.

Even the Doctor himself, who had sailed close to burning stars and seen his own sky burn, was finding it a little on the warm side. It was his break, and he had been eager to escape the stuffy dark wood of the bar. He sat on the pavement by the road, having discarded his jacket and tie, long limbs splayed out awkwardly, his spiked hair seeming to droop in the heat. A tall glass of now slightly warm water sat beside him on the kerb. As a car trundled past, he blew upwards to try and cool himself, and a droplet of sweat blossomed on the back of his neck.

This wasn't right, he thought vaguely. If the TARDIS worked he could have run off to somewhere cold. He could have found the spot in the universe furthest from anything that burnt and just floated around. He could have gone <i>skiing</i>. The new version of his TARDIS had a swimming pool hidden in its depths somewhere, but without anything working to cool it it was quickly getting warmer and warmer, so that was no good. Perhaps after he was done here the pair of Doctors could try and work out how to fix it. They were geniuses, after all...

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robinofthehood
2010-07-17 01:22 pm UTC (link)

Staying outside to escape the heat of the indoors had turned out to be not such a brilliant plan after all. The outdoors were apparently just as hot, if not hotter. England he was sure never got this hot. In fact, the last time he'd experienced this sort of heat had been when fighting in the Holy Land, and that was in the middle of the desert.

He'd been inside all day at work, and with the air conditioner broken, it had been all but unbearable. Selling swords and other assorted weaponry to people he didn't know was not the worst job in the world, and probably the best occupation he could have found for himself in this place, but that didn't mean he wasn't missing the forest, from time to time.

He would never be able to deny that adventures, fighting and generally things happening, appealed to him. He did not enjoy being idle. It didn't suit his personality, and never had. Though this place had the one benefit that trumped anything else. In this place, he had Marian. Was now married to Marian, he reminded himself. It was still an odd thing to think it. That she was his wife. After so long, and after so much. And he knew, had they not come to this place, it wouldn't have happened for a long time.

He was pulled from his musings as he came across a man sitting on the roadside, with a glass of water beside him. The thought of a cold drink was suddenly very tempting. Though by the road was an odd place to be having a drink. He stopped a few steps away from the man, looking down at him. "No cooler in there?" He asked just a touch hopefully. Outside appearances suggested it was a tavern, which would explain why the man had a drink beside him. Though not why he was outside.

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_ten_
2010-07-21 10:41 pm UTC (link)

The Doctor's head snapped up as someone addressed him. The achingly hot sun was blinding, and he found himself squinting, lifting a hand to try and shield himself from the relentless sunlight. Once his eyes adjusted, he was able to focus, taking in the appearance of the lean, dark haired man standing over him. The Doctor's wide, overly enthusiastic grin was suddenly back in place, splitting his sharp features neatly in two.

"Not especially," he replied, perkily. "The fans are all broken. There's a bit of ice somewhere, although I ate most of it. It's a bit on the warm side of around here today." He dropped his hand, letting the sun scorch through his eyes again so he blinked rapidly. The heat itself seemed to stick to his skin like a blanket.

"You want a drink?" He offered, the grin not faltering. In fact, he looked a little excited at the prospect of being able to do his job. The Doctor, it seemed, hadn't been working long enough to resent it. Or, if he had, it had been so long ago he failed to remember. "I'm on my break, but no' one seems to mind."

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robinofthehood
2010-07-22 11:34 am UTC (link)

He was certainly in a good mood, for someone who was announcing that there was no relief from the heat inside, and he raised an amused eyebrow at the answer he received. He would be wary of such a strange disposition in a person, but if nothing else, this place had introduced him to any number of different people. And not people, because they had so many different names he wasn't sure singularly what he might call them.

Reaching up, Robin pushed the sweaty hair off his forehead. How all the fans and air conditioners could be broken, everywhere and at the same time was beyond him, but he would be more than happy for it to be over with soon. This sort of heat in excess was draining, and brought with it memories of times and places he would sooner not think about.

"A drink would be very welcome," he answered the strangely cheerful man.

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_ten_
2010-07-22 08:03 pm UTC (link)

At the strangers words, the Doctor grabbed the glass from where it rested beside it and bounded to his feet, water slopping messily over the edge of the cup and splashing onto the floor. The heat was so much he half expected it to steam, but all that happened was a dark, damp stain on the hot pavement. Nodding enthusiastically, the Time Lord gestured for the man to follow him, chattering happily over his shoulder.

"Is it this hot here normally? You know, if I could work out the seasons and the length of things, we could probably work out where we are in the Universe. From the orbit of the planet. Maybe then..." He stopped, holding open the door for the man so he could enter the pub. His expression was distant now, thoughtful, and he seemed to talk to himself rather than anyone around him. "If there were co-ordinates, a galaxy, it might be easier for the TARDIS to fix on another point.."

He was in the pub now, ducking under the hatch in one fluid motion until he came to stand behind the bar. It was dark in here, with all the drapes pulled shut to try and keep the merciless sun at bay. With the dark wood, all that it had achieved was to give the appearance of a very dark sauna. The Doctors long trench coat lay on the back of a chair, like another figure which had given up trying to fight the heat.

"I'm the Doctor!" The lanky man suddenly announced, grinning and leaning over the bar to offer his hand.

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robinofthehood
2010-07-23 12:16 am UTC (link)

He couldn't keep the amused smile from his face as he followed the excitable man to the door. He was going to answer his question about the heat in the negative, but then he was off again, saying things that half of which Robin could barely understand. Though one word, TARDIS, stood out. Someone he'd talked to on his PDA had mentioned that, and what it stood for. Was this him?

He gave a nod of thanks when the door was held open for him, walking inside ahead of him. He had still naively sort of hoped that the lack of sun might make a bit of difference. It really didn't. It felt more as though all the heat was trapped in here and didn't have a way to get out.

The exuberant announcement of his name was by this point not all that unexpected, and taking the Doctor's hand he shook it before letting his drop back to his side. "Robin Hood. I think we might have already spoken, once or twice."

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_ten_
2010-07-23 07:53 am UTC (link)

"Awh!! You are kidding me!" The Doctor's face contorted in a strange expression of shock, excitement and pure, childish delight. "Robin Hood?! Oh, fantastic." He ran wide, overexcited eyes down the figure stood on the other side of the bar. He'd spoken to a few people over the little silver box (which was still slightly unhappy after he'd tried to sonic it), but it didn't stop the sheer brilliance of every moment when he met them in person. He remembered meeting Merlin, and a shot of the same euphoria travelled up his spine, lifting hairs on the back of his neck.

"I think we did!" he agreed, bracing both hands on the dark, stained wood on the bar and leaning in, eyes narrowing curiously as he stared into the legendary face. For a moment, there was no noise, then the Doctor gave another sharp, barking laugh ("Aha!), and drew suddenly back, clapping his hands together. "You wanted a drink! And I work here now. That's what my job is. What can I get you? I make a brilliant mojito."

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robinofthehood
2010-07-23 08:31 am UTC (link)

That first question seemed to be a rhetorical one, so he left it alone. He didn't think he had ever met anyone who could grin like this man. Much might have been the only one to come close. Usually preceding an attempt to sing, before Robin stopped him.

In this place, a lot of people had expressed delight at meeting him, and never in a million years could he deny that he enjoyed it. Though this was the first time anyone had scrutinised him so closely. The way the Doctor was studying him, it was as if he might find all the answers he was looking for just by doing so.

"We talked about your...TARDIS, as I recall." He pronounced it the same way the Doctor had earlier. "I have no idea what a mojito is, but I'm willing to give it a shot. If it is brilliant", he added with a chuckle, leaning his bow against the bar beside him, sliding on to one of the stools there.

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_ten_
2010-07-23 11:37 am UTC (link)

"Probably. I don't seem to shut up about her." He was referring, though it mildly occured to him Robin wouldm't realize it, to the other him. The bow tie one... Although he hadn't seen him in a few days... He hoped he was alright. The Doctor's gaze slipped breifly onto the bow that was being placed to one side, and he resisted the urge to exclaim over it. Perhaps later.

"Right." In a whir of spikey hair, long limbs and energy, the Time Lord vanished to the shelves of drinks, speaking fast over his shoulder. "It's a Cuban cocktail. Its got lime, sparkling water, mint and rum. Good for hot days. I suppose thats why they drink it in Cuba."

The drinks which had started to be served didn't really compliment the 'old man' image that hung around the place. The Doctor had quickly discovered that he really, genuinely enjoyed mixing up the spirits. It was like chemistry. Only with less explosions and fumes. Usually. Sometimes.

A moment later, he plonked the tall drink down before the man, throwing himself into a stool on his side of the bar. Blowing up to try and remove some of the hair which had wilted and stuck to his forehead, the time traveller rested his chin in his palm, and stared intently at the new arrival.

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robinofthehood
2010-07-23 01:58 pm UTC (link)

He referred to his TARDIS as a her. That in itself was not too unusual, but that he talked about not shutting up about 'her' as if it was not something he could control struck Robin as a little unusual. He watched as the Doctor made the drinks, thinking that if it was nice he could do the same for Marian at some point, but there was little point. Much like the way he spoke, his actions were too fast to keep up with when he didn't have anything to compare them with.

"Where is Cuba?" He asked with interest as he continued to watch. Since arriving here, he had heard of all sorts of different places, and it fascinated him. He had been to more places than most of the people he knew, having travelled through different locations to reach Jerusalem, but that was nothing in comparison to how many places he knew nothing about.

With a nod of thanks he picked up the drink when it was placed in front of him, taking an experimental sip. He could see why it was a drink of choice on a hot day. The flavours in it were quite refreshing.

"Tell me about some of the places you travel to," he requested, seeing that the other man seemed content to simply sit and watch him. "Can you travel in to the past, as well as the future?"

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_ten_
2010-07-25 08:49 pm UTC (link)

"Cuba?" The Doctor's eyes floated thoughtfully up to gaze at the ceiling as he considered. "It's an island country in the Caribbean, on Earth. Very nice place if you like beaches and the like." He realized, a little too late, that Robin Hood probably wouldn't have much idea where the Caribbean was. He hesitated. "About... a month's sailing West of England?" he tried, doing some quick calculations in his head and hoping that might be a bit better.

At the next question, the Time Lord lifted his chin from his hand, scrabbling under the bar for the glass of water he'd brought in with him. Long fingers skimmed over various cloths, bottles and empty glasses until he found it. "Yeeeaahh..." He plonked the glass down on the bar in front of him. "She can travel to any point in time or space through the time vortex. Though she can't get to parallel universes. Apart from that... well.."

He grinned widely, although it faltered a little. He had considered the fact that they were in a new Universe here. In which case... well, he didn't see how they could get out. Pulling his enthusiastic expression back into place, the Doctor met Robin's eye once again. "How long have you been here?"

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robinofthehood
2010-07-26 12:36 am UTC (link)

Thinking about it, Robin found that that actually made some sense, and he nodded. "I have not heard of it, but I think I know a little of where it must be," he said thoughtfully. "I see why they must like the mojito," he added with a smile. It would definitely be a warmer climate than England.

"What do you do?" He asked. "When you travel to the past, and the future," he clarified. "If you change something in the past, does it have an impact on the future?" Laughing, he picked up his drink, taking a sip before setting it down again. "Sorry, this place inspires a lot of questions."

He turned his glass in a circle on the table as he considered the Doctor's question. "Almost two months, now. I did not realise it had been so long."

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_ten_
2010-08-02 08:54 pm UTC (link)

"Erm..." The Doctor thought for a moment, clicking his tongue across the roof of his mouth as he considered an answer. "Well, I take people. Show them planets and stars and people... Only sometimes things... go wrong." He didn't quite know how he managed to stumble across trouble and drag everyone else along for the ride with him. He supposed after 900 years it was only natural he have a lot of enemies. People could really hold a grudge. Himself included.

He shrugged sharp shoulders at the next question. "Some things. There are certain spots in time which are fixed." He stabbed a long finger into the bar to illustrate his point. "Things have to happen, and I can't stop them. Other times... things change."

It was a lot of power for one being. He knew that. Sometimes the excitement of what he could do, of what was actually possible, seemed to crackle through his veins and make whole his body hum. That was why he needed someone with him, he supposed. To stop him.

"Two months?" The Doctor glanced up from where he'd been watching Robin's glass trace a pattern of condensation over the table. The atmosphere in the pub didn't seem to be improving any - the heat of the day seemed to cling to him. The Doctor shoved uncomfortably in his shirt. "And you came with Marian? Does everyone come in groups?"

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robinofthehood
2010-08-03 01:09 am UTC (link)

"But here you have lost the means to do that," Robin mused, with a hint of disappointment. Imagine being able to go to other planets, to the stars he had gazed at as a child, and learned stories about in the Holy Land. "It must be difficult for someone who travels so much to be stuck in one place."

Robin nodded, accepting the point about this place. No one was leaving here by choice in any kind of hurry. "Does that ever become..." He searched for the right word. "Confusing?" If he changed something in one place, and knew that it would change the future, perhaps in another place. How did one man keep track of all of that?

"Yes," he answered the question about coming here with Marian. "But I do not think everyone comes here in groups. We were just very lucky. Though we came from different times. Marian has lived through more in our time than I have. It must have been four or five months after the time I came from." He still did not understand fully how that worked. What he did know is that he loved how much more loving and accepting of him Marian had apparently become over those months.

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_ten_
2010-08-07 12:11 pm UTC (link)

"Sometimes," The Doctor replied, scratching his earlobe. "But I'm clever." He flashed a broad grin, a little arrogant perhaps, but not intentionally. Turning back to his drink, the Doctor drained the last of his water before reaching back to place the empty glass back on the side, where others were waiting to be cleaned. He didn't really need to drink to keep his core temperature down. He didn't really need to even breathe, but you picked up these habits over time and they were quite hard to shake.

"Ah." The Doctor turned back, folding his long body over the bar to lean into Robin. Once again he was scanning his face, seeming to drink in the legendary man's face and commit it to memory. The wide, wonky grin vanished, replaced by the steely look of concentration that hardened his features. "Do you know what happens between your time and hers?"

His tone, suddenly, was a little sharp, unintentionally accusing. After all, no' one should know the future. Apart from him. And even he shouldn't know his own. He prayed that everyone would forget whatever they'd learnt when they returned home, or he feared he would have a lot to deal with. If he ever escaped himself, of course.

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robinofthehood
2010-08-09 09:12 am UTC (link)

Suddenly, the Doctor's almost bumbling but at the same time incredibly excited tone switched to one with an almost accusatory, sharp sound. Knowing, Robin thought, about what happened in the future must be a terrible burden. And knowing others knew might make that even worse.

"Not specifically," he answered carefully. "She told me...a few things that happened, but not how they happened. I know her Father died, I know that I proposed to her. I know there was another plot against the King, but," he emphasised this point, "I don't consider that particularly surprising anyway."

Finishing the last of his drink, he set the glass down on the bar, a little more firmly than he had intended. "Even knowing that, there would be little I could do to stop it. So it hardly matters." He hated, hated that that was how he felt about it, and wished it were not the case. If he hadn't been brought here, in fact, that might not have been his feelings at all. He might have thought he could change something. Learning what little he had about History, his past, had firmly dissolved that notion.

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