003 ☆ Voice ☆ Both Courts

[parallels]

Clara Oswald here.

So...

[There's a lengthy pause as if she really doesn't want to be doing this post but feels compelled to for some reason. Or perhaps she just has no idea how to start.]

So this is Draubwurld's chance to play advice columnist. About-

[There's another painful silence. Or space for a long suffering sigh.]

Relationships.

[Another pause and then suddenly she bursts into speech, going to quickly that it's a little frightening that someone's mouth can move that fast.]

I'm mean I can't be the only one, can I? Had someone back home and then ended up here. Or back here, technically, for me. And now you've got to figure out what's to be done about it. Can't stand around the station hoping your mobile will finally, someday, send them a text message back. The one that you meant to reply to before you showed up here.

If we're trapped here for years and age slowly, it's not quite going to work to just pop back in when the war is over. "Hey, sorry, got kidnapped by fairies 65 years ago, sorry about that, yeah I'd love to go to the cinema like you said in your text". And all the while, they've wondering why you went missing all those years ago.

[And there it is, the sigh.]

Do you just... remain loyal even if it means they might have forgotten you when you return? Or moved on? Or do you call it a wash and start thinking of this place as a new life.

Either way, feels like a bit of losing game, no matter what you do. Suppose that's part of war. But war doesn't usually last centuries. For humans like me, anyway.

[Then she realizes something she probably should have said way back from the start.]

Sorry. For the too much information. And the personal questions. And personal answers if-and-or-when they are given.

Thanks.

Comments

[parallels]

No. He wasn't. But you. [She frowns. He's never going to cop to being wrong.] And please. You weren't ever going to try. You don't try. And-

[Wow. Then that's the final straw. If this were video, her hands would be at her hips and probably itching to give him a good slap.]

I'm not an object for one of you to keep to yourself. I choose who I spend my time with. And both of you are lowering yourselves on the list the more you go at it like this.

[A huff.]

And he did mean it. He said... he said he's fine with me traveling as long as I'm safe.

[And a beat.]

And my opinion is the only relevant one here.

[duodecimal]

I would have. I realize that I'm a bit more stubborn this go around but for crying out loud, I would have tried just a bit. Had all of that not happened.

[ Probably. Hypothetically. His pride was very hurt at the time, but really he might have given it like a minute or two of trying rather than what actually happened. ]

You— Did I misspeak and call you an it, Clara? I wasn't calling you an object. I was just saying that with me out of the picture, your choice goes down to one person. And that means either you spend time with him or someone else or no one. I am not part of the equation any more in that situation. A fact I believe he'd enjoy.

[ A beat and then his voice is a little softer. ]

He also should know I can't one hundred percent guarantee that outcome. I can try and tilt the odds in our favor but it's not a guarantee.

[ He made himself sad thinking about that. ]

They're going to give you biased answers then.

[parallels]

Now it's happened. And I'd like for you to grow up and deal with it like men.

[She just. Runs a hand down her face. You two are going to be the death of her. Seriously. Forget the war. Still then she pulls her hands away from her face, a little less fire in her eyes.]

Well, you're not getting out of the picture. I don't want that. Danny knows I don't want that. That's why he said I can keep traveling with you. So I don't think he'd enjoy it as much as you'd think. He wants me to be happy.

[No. It would make Danny happy. Not for any reason of competition but for the fact that he seems to find the Doctor dangerous and her dangerous in his presence. But still he'd told her not to end it in a rage? That was a bit like telling her to keep going, right?]

So, then make sure you keep the odds more in our favor. Or else you're going to have an earful. And you get so sulky when lectured. It's sad.

[Not thinking of that either.]

They'll give me answers relevant to what I need to know.

[duodecimal]

[ He nearly says only if he does first before he realizes, in a brief show of actually using his common sense that saying that— might be a bad idea.

His face does twist a bit though before he sighs. ]

Because he only cares about your happiness an isn't prone to something like jealousy. How incredibly silly of me.

[ This is why she tells him to grow up, because that's definitely not the adult response to that. Still, he's just barreling on regardless. ]

This isn't sulking— [ It is. ] and I can'— there are some things impossible even for me.

[ He'd still try to do them for her, but minor detail. ]

They're not going to be very good answers.

[parallels]

He's not jealous. If he were jealous, he wouldn't have said it was fine for us to travel. Blimey, you're being so ridiculous. And yes, you are sulking. You need to stop or else you're going to hurt my eyes with that face. An impossible man ought to do impossible things instead of just sulking about.

[A huff.]

I've gotten fine answers.