The Twelfth Doctor
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the one with the eyebrows
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timelord ✧
Posts: 34
Pronouns: he, him, his
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Post by The Twelfth Doctor on Jan 20, 2021 15:29:29 GMT
NAVARRE, SPAIN OCTOBER, 1610
On a lonely, dusty street in the midst of an ominously dark night, the TARDIS slowly materialized, sending dirt and fallen leaves into the air. The pulsating glow from the police box's lamp was the only illumination as the Doctor swung the door open and peered outside. He glanced left then right, and let out a sigh steeped in frustration...and dread.
"We're about six hours and...two years too early, but we're in the right place. One out of three isn't bad," he reasoned with a shrug. He closed the door and turned back to his dearest friend and companion, Clara Oswald. He knew she had wanted an adventure, and the summons he'd received from across the centuries suggested they'd certainly get one here, but the risks were greater than even he felt comfortable with.
"Spain, 1610. We're just outside of Navarre, and if my calculations were correct - at least mostly - this is where the disappearances have been reported," the Doctor explained to Clara as he circled the console. "Nine people; men, women and children. Whoever or whatever this is doesn't discriminate...and we need to stop it."
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clara oswald
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the impossible girl
" show me the stars "
human ✧
Posts: 51
Pronouns: she/her
Age: between 24 and 31
Occupation: teacher. space nanny. time-traveller. I dabble.
In Love W/: the twelfth doctor
Written By: dreams
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Post by clara oswald on Jan 23, 2021 4:55:23 GMT
She was excited for this one, having already picked out the perfect dress. It was an old red one that she had found in the TARDIS wardrobe, tucked away. She wondered who it had last belonged to, and why they had gotten rid of it. She quite liked it, and even styled her hair accordingly. Something similarly to what it had looked like with her adventure with Robin Hood, without the forehead accessory.
The brown-haired woman stepped up onto the control room floor, swinging the edges of her dress around to show her best friend. She gave her best smile as her brown eyes fell on him in question. "What'd you think?" she asked, even twirling around in the gown to add flavour. She was surprised by how free it felt.
"Are you sure about that?" She called out to him. Her eye caught the scanner, and she pulled the monitor over to her, analyzing it's readings, which were bizarrely different than the Doctor's. Her eyebrows furrowed in perplexity. "Portugal." she corrected, slender fingers typing on the keypad to pull up the exact location. "Just outside of Lisbon." she continued. "1540." she emphasized. The exact opposite of what the Doctor had ordered. Either he was losing his touch, or he was just trying to be impressive again. He should know that it rarely worked by now. A slight smile played on her lips -- she was loving this.
Her brown eyes searched the screen further, seeing what else she could find, but then her face became less amused upon the information she was seeing now. "Ten people..." she read, then paused. "But, that's weird..." she commented, "Seems like whatever this is, it's rather picky." She stopped to look up at what she assumed would be an exasperated Doctor with brave, but bold eyes. "It's only children here." she outlined, her brown orbs inflating with concern. "Come and look," she told him as she pulled the monitor towards the man with the eyebrows. Her own scrunched with increments of curiosity and care.
She could never just sit back and watch children suffer. And, she knew he wouldn't be able to, either. It was part of why they were so good.
They were inseparable.
[ TAG -- The Twelfth Doctor]
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The Twelfth Doctor
•
the one with the eyebrows
" "
timelord ✧
Posts: 34
Pronouns: he, him, his
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Post by The Twelfth Doctor on Jan 25, 2021 4:37:32 GMT
When Clara stepped into view, the Doctor found himself - for the first time in quite a spell - at a loss for words. He thought he'd only see such radiance in the stars, but here she was, taking his breath away. Only after she spoke doubtfully about his pronouncement of their location did the Doctor finally pull himself back into the moment. "Portugal?" He repeated, moving next to Clara and looking at the monitor. "Well, one country away, give or take 140 years," he tried to dismiss with a casual wave, though the Doctor knew Clara would have none of that. She could see through him as if he were translucent. There was most certainly a reason the Doctor and Clara had ended up where they were, and they were about to learn what it was. The Doctor observed the monitor further when Clara pushed it to him, interpreting the raw data streaming through the TARDIS' databank. It couldn't identify the culprit of the kidnappings, save for the fact that it was not human. "Children. Why just the children?" The fact that children were the victims of the disappearances made the situation all the more dire. The Doctor's jaw clenched, and a scowl of angry determination set in his brow. "Whatever it is, it won't take another child. Not today, not ever again." He undid the single button keeping his coat closed and, almost out of instinct, reached for Clara's hand. "Come on!"
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clara oswald
•
the impossible girl
" show me the stars "
human ✧
Posts: 51
Pronouns: she/her
Age: between 24 and 31
Occupation: teacher. space nanny. time-traveller. I dabble.
In Love W/: the twelfth doctor
Written By: dreams
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Post by clara oswald on Jan 28, 2021 3:27:39 GMT
Why is it only taking the children? The thought bothered her -- a thought her and the Doctor shared. One of the many similarities they shared. She took in the way his jaw clenched, the amount of raw worry and determination dawning his face. He was just as torn up about it as she was. Even though they both were masters at masking their own emotions, it was always clear to read his. Like a mountain range that was always in view.
Her concern only grew once she realized that the perpetrator had not been human in origin. "It's alien, then. It has to be." she declared. A moment later, she could already feel her stomach tingling, excitement bubbling underneath a smile she tried very hard to hide. She knew she was getting too eager, too ready to dive into the danger. But, the part of her that had cared about that had sailed away a long time ago.
Her smile broke through as he delivered his triumphant defiance, his goal to which, she knew, he would see succeeded. Her brown gaze settled on him, admiring her hero. Hoping to be as great as him one day.
When he reached for her hand, she took his hand and squeezed it, giggling out of the sheer glee of adventure that just rested outside the TARDIS doors. "You don't have to tell me twice." And, then they ran. Like they always done.
She wished they could run forever.
[ TAG -- The Twelfth Doctor ]
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The Twelfth Doctor
•
the one with the eyebrows
" "
timelord ✧
Posts: 34
Pronouns: he, him, his
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Post by The Twelfth Doctor on Jan 28, 2021 4:06:13 GMT
As dire as the situation was, the visceral joy and excitement of the chase, expressed by Clara as they ran together, was infectious, and a smile returned to the Doctor's face. It would be the Doctor and Clara, stopping the monsters once again, as it was meant to be.
When they exited the TARDIS, the light of morning cast a glow across the landscape, and the Doctor let out a sigh. "I calculated for a nighttime landing, and it's morning. Zero for four is not a good record."
The Doctor made sure the TARDIS door was closed and locked safely, and then he and Clara made their way into the nearby city of Lisbon. He felt the eyes of passersby scrutinizing both of them; Clara in particular for her beautiful dress. Along with the Doctor wearing a red velvet frockcoat, they definitely stood out.
Near what appeared to be a church construction site, a group of people were gathered. Women wept with bitter grief and men shouted angrily, demanding help and divine retribution. Several guards blocked the small crowd from getting closer to the church site.
"There," the Doctor gestured in their direction. "Cries of brokenhearted fathers and mothers..."
He suddenly recalled the grief-stricken cries of Gallifreyans driven from their homes; their children screaming for help and comfort as everything burned, and he - behind another man's face - forced to see them suffer while fought to keep them alive.
Not again, he said to himself.
The Doctor and Clara approached the group, and one of them, a woman, reached out to him. "Por favor! Convença-os a nos ajudar! Nossos filhos foram levados!"
The Doctor reached into his pocket and grabbed his sonic screwdriver, making a quick adjustment.
"Please! You must convince the guards to help! Our children are missing!" The woman repeated.
"I had to extend the TARDIS' translation filter; we'll hear them in English and they'll hear us in Portuguese," the Doctor muttered to Clara. Then, he turned his focus to the crowd.
"Hello! Please, look and listen! We are here on behalf of King Manuel!" The Doctor pulled out his psychic paper to show them proof of their "official status". "We want to help, but we need information, yeah? Did you see anything; hear anything?"
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clara oswald
•
the impossible girl
" show me the stars "
human ✧
Posts: 51
Pronouns: she/her
Age: between 24 and 31
Occupation: teacher. space nanny. time-traveller. I dabble.
In Love W/: the twelfth doctor
Written By: dreams
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Post by clara oswald on Feb 13, 2021 23:47:02 GMT
She shared his smile, her chocolate orbs lighting up in contrast to the dark situation they were presented. It was another thing they had in common -- flirting with the monsters and troublesome dark corners. Or, rather, another thing she had so craftily picked up from him. He was her hobby, afterall. What good was it if she didn't learn from it?
His comment pulled a small smirk from her as her gaze grazed their surroundings as they whizzed past the architecture. "I'd put a wager on five," she replied teasingly, confident in knowing that her score would only go up. Her peripherals caught sight of the old, musty buildings around them -- a village, then. The kind that gave an aztec-like feel. Something about them reminded her of Casablanca. Dirt roads and old clothes -- attire that made her and the Doctor stand out like a big chin, even in his nice velvet-y suit and her red gown. She carried the top hem of her dress with one hand as they ran, her other fit comfortably in the Doctor's, into the new place, dazzling with the adrenaline of the new experience as she soaked it all in. This was probably her favorite part of it all. Stepping out into the past, and hoping to change it for the better. No -- knowing that they could and would make things right.
The impossible girl and the man with the eyebrows halted as he gestured in the direction of someone crying. Before long, they approached the group, who seemed to be in great distress. The brunette took on a face of concern for them, which quickly twisted in slight confusion and amazement as the Doctor began speaking Portuguese. He was fast to solve the issue, though, and with just a wave of his magic wand, he was able to adjust the language. She, of course, shot him a baffled look.
"And... why does it need to be extended?" she muttered back. They had been to tons of places before, gone to the farthest reaches away from the sentient snogbox, and the Doctor had never needed to "make adjustments" before. She wondered if he had another trick up his sleeve, but when he started his introductory speech, she resorted to her usually friendly face and her usual business at his side.
"Or, perhaps know of someone who has seen or heard anything?" she added with a raise of inquisitive eyebrows, analyzing the sea of faces that were slowly surrounding them. "Perhaps, there have been spooky stories of things going bump in the night? The court says that King Manuel does like to hear about a really good scare." she insisted, trying to help scoop up the details with a flirtatious charm that she was sure that the Doctor was definitely devoid of.
[ TAG -- The Twelfth Doctor ]
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The Twelfth Doctor
•
the one with the eyebrows
" "
timelord ✧
Posts: 34
Pronouns: he, him, his
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Post by The Twelfth Doctor on Feb 14, 2021 5:48:26 GMT
To his dismay, the Doctor received several tearful stares, but no replies, no stories, no explanations. "Is the translation circuit working?" he asked himself aloud and turned back in the general direction of the TARDIS while fiddling with his sonic screwdriver. He then heard Clara give it a go, reaching out verbally to the crowd with a far more clever, warm and friendly spin. He smiled; she was the one who reminded him how to be compassionate, how to listen and understand and care for those in need. For a mercifully short time, he'd forgotten how to care, and of course, none other than Clara Oswald could do a better job of reminding him.
He turned to see the crowd still staring at them, but they seemed to respond more to Clara's queries; the men in particular were taking notice of her in that stunning dress. He barely heard an onlooker saying something about wanting "to make her go bump in the night", and the Doctor quickly stepped up. "That'll do, you!" He turned to Clara. "A town in crisis, children missing, and we still have to deal with randy men."
"Senhor, senhora!" A man called in Portuguese, with a crying woman in tow. "You are here to help us?"
"With any luck, most certainly," the Doctor replied.
"Our two daughters; they went missing three nights ago. It came for them, snatched them straight from their beds! It made such a terrible noise...oh, please, you must help us! No one here will believe us!"
"There is no creature!!! What are we to believe? A wolf or a lynx came in and swept them up? Absolute nonsense!" One of the town's guards chimed in dismissively.
The woman reached out to Clara, sobbing. "No wolf, no lynx! It is El Coco!!! It has taken them! God have mercy on us!!!"
"You DARE to speak God's name in the same sentence as such blasphemy!?" An angry guard shouted back at the woman.
The Doctor's eyes widened at the mention of the Coco, and he turned to Clara. "Oh...this just became considerably less pleasant." The Doctor began softly relaying information to Clara. "The Coco was something out of Portuguese folklore...a "ghost-monster" that spirits children away."
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clara oswald
•
the impossible girl
" show me the stars "
human ✧
Posts: 51
Pronouns: she/her
Age: between 24 and 31
Occupation: teacher. space nanny. time-traveller. I dabble.
In Love W/: the twelfth doctor
Written By: dreams
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Post by clara oswald on Mar 8, 2021 19:49:10 GMT
She, of course, took notice the men's thirsty stares, and felt somewhat flattered, a small smile gracing her lips. She blushed, despite taking their comments in stride. None of them could hold a torch to the Doctor, and, while she was quite capable of defending and speaking for herself on any occasion, her brown eyes flickered to the grey-haired time-lord as he suddenly stepped up and quickly quieted those who were being a bit too charmed by her looks. A genuine smile broke upon her lips, and she stared at him with half a million things going through her mind and a single eyebrow raise. It was almost fun to see the Doctor "come to her rescue" when it came to "randy old men". She liked that they respected each other in their own way, and it was obvious that he felt uncomfortable in such a situation and quite protective of her, but the brunnette was almost certain a part of him seemed... nearly jealous?
She couldn't help but wonder what really went on behind those angry eyebrows at times. She shrugged in response, enjoying his act of heroism a little too much as she flashed him a dashing smile. "Comes with the territory." She was used to men hitting on her, but hardly ever hit in the same way back. So far she had really only reciprocated the affections of a girl named Nina, the late but gorgeous Danny Pink, and had attempted a very secret fling with Jane Austen, knowing that the man in the Magic Suit would never ever see her in such a way. Despite what she wanted to see, to imagine, his acts were always ones of fondness and courage and generosity, and they were both keenly aware that he was "not her boyfriend", nor would he ever be.
He was the Doctor, and currently, he was dealing with a crying Portuguese lady. She observed the scene and listened to the civilian's words with consideration and care. Her eyes grew wide as well, looking to the Doctor for answers. Then, connecting the dots as the townspeople and the Doctor supplied information. "The missing children..." she said in a whisper, meeting his wise irises with her own clever ones. Then, she met the weeping woman's gaze with one of confidence and reassurance. She took the woman's hand in her own and gave her the face of bravery and faith that she wore so well in times of crisis and comfort.
"Don't worry. We believe you, and we'll find them. Cross my heart." She did the gesture over her chest, and her gaze flickered to the Doctor in slight second of pensive wonder, but also in hope. To be perfectly honest, she knew how the adventures with the Doctor usually went, and she knew that there was a good chance that the wolfish alien, as she was picturing it, or 'El Coco', had already discarded its victims.
The biggest question was on her lips, and her brown eyes turned back to the hispanic maid once she had calmed down. "Do you know where it happened? Can you show us where the children were taken?"
She had to have hope that she would be able to fulfill her promise, and if they were going to do that, they had to start investigating as soon as possible.
[ TAG -- The Twelfth Doctor ]
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The Twelfth Doctor
•
the one with the eyebrows
" "
timelord ✧
Posts: 34
Pronouns: he, him, his
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Post by The Twelfth Doctor on Mar 18, 2021 4:42:29 GMT
"Yes, yes...we show you!" The weeping maid replied, hurriedly waving the other families to walk with her before gesturing to the Doctor and Clara to follow. The guards looked relieved to see them leave, which annoyed the Doctor enough for him to backtrack and address them.
"Don't get too comfortable, you lot. We're coming back, and so are they. If what she's saying is true, you're going to be very busy men for the next day or two, right?"
The guards just scowled at the foreign interloper as he turned and rejoined the uncommonly beautiful woman and the despondent townspeople.
The Doctor caught up to Clara and said, "When it rains, it pours. If the Coco wasn't a big enough problem already, we're dancing on a theological minefield as well. We're in the middle of the Spanish Inquisition; just the mention of this creature is considered heresy. We'll have to tread carefully."
After walking another half-mile, the group of citizens came to a stop at a small farming area just outside of a small grouping of houses. The farmland bordered the beginning of a thick area of forest.
"We hear it from there, late at night," one of the farmers in the village explained. "Like a wild animal, but also like a man enraged."
The Doctor took several steps ahead of the group, standing at the forest's edge. He scanned the lines of trees with attentive eyes that also shimmered with fear. He could feel the presence of something malevolent just out of his sight, staring back just as intently.
That's when he noticed that there were no crickets chirping anymore. There was dead silence. A chill chiseled its way down his spine. "Oh...there you are. I don't have to see you to know you're there," he said softly.
The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned a wide area in front of him. There were no signs of movement, no temperature shifts indicating a a lifeform...but it was out there. He could feel it in his bones.
He backed away from the treeline, lightly bumping into Clara. He jumped and let out a yelp, which caused the townspeople to jump and yell out, too.
"Shush!!!" He hissed forcefully. "No spreading out. Keep close together." Then, he focused on Clara. "We cannot let any of these people return to their homes. It's very close, and it'll use the village as its hunting ground."
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clara oswald
•
the impossible girl
" show me the stars "
human ✧
Posts: 51
Pronouns: she/her
Age: between 24 and 31
Occupation: teacher. space nanny. time-traveller. I dabble.
In Love W/: the twelfth doctor
Written By: dreams
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Post by clara oswald on Sept 30, 2021 16:18:47 GMT
She took his words in stride as she walked in her dress. Her eyebrows met in bafflement as a new inquisition not relating to the one they were in surfaced upon a whisper to the man she would always trust. "So, what do we tell them?" She insisted, her eyes darted to him out of concern for the people around them and out of slight uncertainty for what would happen next. If they were going to where the creature had been spotted -- which, they most definitely were -- then that meant there could be danger.
Suddenly her earlier interrogation did not seem like it had been such a good idea. She had been so eager to help that she had put everyone's lives at risk. But, she knew that they needed answers. And the only way to get them was to face the creature head on.
She could feel her heart beating slightly faster in her chest as she stared out at the treeline, and then her brown orbs settled on the Doctor. She knew that look. She had perfected that look. It was a look of fear and dread, and the hairs standing at the back of your neck, but he also seemed to be standing perfectly still, perfectly in control with intent listening.
Suddenly, all of the nocturnal noise subsided, as if even the crickets and strange birds instinctively knew of a predator lurking within the wood. Or... had been eaten by it.
A chill resonated in the air, down her spine, but not from the cooler temperature. Her brown eyes immediately focused on the Doctor again as he began scanning the area with his sonic. There was only one reason he would do that.
"Doctor..." Her tone intermingled with the sound of his name was meant as a reminder to be careful. Her mouth opened to suggest that, maybe, they should get the villagers away to safety, as her fingers naturally reached out to touch his arm as she sometimes did when she was scared.
Then, she jumped, letting out a small gasp. But, not because some alien creature had jumped out from the overbrush, but because the Doctor had backed up and bumped into her. Upon realizing what had happened, she gave him a glare of disapproval. "Seriously?
The impossible girl took her stance stunningly beside her handsome hero as her former idea was suddenly shut down. Her brown eyes inflated. She searched his eyes to be sure. She needed to keep the townspeople safe. That was their first priority. "We can't keep them here, either," she reasoned, weighing their options and taking a protective proactive position. "So, what do we do?"
She didn't like it, but she felt out of her depth here. For once, she needed her best friend to tell her what to do.
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The Twelfth Doctor
•
the one with the eyebrows
" "
timelord ✧
Posts: 34
Pronouns: he, him, his
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Post by The Twelfth Doctor on Oct 3, 2021 4:46:15 GMT
The Doctor weighed his options. The hour was growing later and later, and if El Coco was out there just beyond their line of sight, he feared taking the villagers back to the city would be leaving them open to attack. He also thought of taking them into the TARDIS, but they were already spooked by the creature; packing them all into an environment that looked like something out of a bizarre fever dream and having them milling around in bewilderment and fright made him extremely ill at ease.
"Alright, alright. Thinking...thinking...YES! Got it!" He turned to the villagers and announced, "Camping night!"
The villagers all stared at him as he'd spoken to them in reverse Chinese pig-Latin.
"We'll set up tents, sleeping bags, a nice warm fire...and S'mores! It isn't camping without S'mores, yeah?" The Doctor asked, clapping his hands gently together, displaying excitement and positivity to get the villagers feeling better about what he was suggesting.
"I just...need to find...tents. And sleeping bags. And stuff for S'mores." He turned to Clara. "I might need to go back to the TARDIS."
When he saw the look on Clara's face, his expression changed slightly, becoming more exasperated.
"Well, what else do *you* suggest, eh? We can't move them safely, and they can't go back to the village. If we keep them in one close area, protected, we can keep them safe until morning."
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