every life is a pile of good things & bad things

[thedreamer]

WHO: The Doctor & Ghostbusters Friends!
WHEN: December
WHERE: The Inn & surrounding areas
WHAT: Shenanigans, trouble, bringing joy & confusion, more trouble, culinary delights!
WARNINGS: Will edit as needed.


[ A series of open & closed starters in the comments below. I am super happy to plot something and set up a custom starter if you prefer so please feel free to PM me or ping me on discord @ bluebox#8972 or plurk @ geekorthodox ]

Comments

[westviews]

[Wanda, trailing in to see what might be going on in the kitchen, blinks in surprise at such enthusiasm. It's simultaneously jarring and refreshing.]

A doctor that cooks? Talented.

[thedreamer]

[ As if nothing is at all unusual or unique about this, the Doctor barely misses a beat before responding. ]

What sort of Doctor would I be if I didn't? I'm a doctor of practically everything, I should hope it includes cooking. Though I haven't had a need to in a long while, admittedly. You're in good hands, though, not to worry. In the mood for anything in particular?

[ Blessedly, he pauses to allow her to speak. ]

[westviews]

[She lifts a brow. Strange. Not the strangest thing she's heard anyone say, but...]

Something warm.

[thedreamer]

Naturally! Excellent choice. Now - a warm beverage or a warm meal? No, never mind, don't answer that. Silly question. Why not both? Okay! Won't be long.

[ As promised, he produces both a warm beverage and a warm meal. The beverage, at least, is fairly normal, just hot sipping chocolate. The meal is, perhaps, a bit more questionable depending on one's taste. Of course, the Doctor thinks it's a brilliant combination: crispy potatoes, onions, an overly generous helping of sauce that tastes like a combination of sour cream and lemon. By generous, of course, it's...difficult to see anything at all left under the sour-creamy-citrusy sauce. But he returns with a bright grin, eager for her assessment. ]

Told you, I'm a bit rusty, so all your feedback, just lay it on me.

[westviews]

[The hot chocolate on its own? Fine.

The meal? Probably fine on its own.

Paired together? Wanda looks openly hesitant. She looks from the plate to that bright grin, not having the heart to give voice to her concerns.]

That's... definitely a lot of warm things.

[Maybe wine would have been best to drink, but maybe she has no idea what she's talking about. Slowly, Wanda delivers a forkful of potato and sauce into her mouth. There's a clear reaction in her eyes--okay, that's very sour--and she can't help but squeeze her eyes shut as she swallows it down.]

[thedreamer]

[ He's taking note, of course, watching her reaction carefully. And as her eyes squeeze shut, his smile wavers just a little. Perhaps he miscalculated on a few things, though he meant it when he said he's open to feedback. Even if he always wants and hopes that whatever meal he puts forth will be exactly what the recipient was most wanting. ]

Was it the lemon, the cream? Not enough potatoes?

[ That he even needs to ask is, perhaps, answer enough that he's still learning his way through this cooking thing. ]

[westviews]

Um. [She'd love some water to wash that down with, but there's only the drink he provided. Wanda decides to just lick her lips, instead.]

I think the sauce is a little too... tart. Is that sour cream? [Her fork prods at it.] Maybe less lemon, next time.

[But!!!]

It's not terrible.

[Please, she's no monster.]

[thedreamer]

[ He wants to say something to the effect of hot chocolate being a perfect counterpoint to the tartness of the lemon, but miraculously, he manages to hold his tongue. ]

Less lemon...okay, hadn't thought that - can there be too much... [ He trails off a little, his voice getting progressively quieter, as though considering this with some deep thought. ]

Suppose anything, even if it's good, could be too much. Well, there we are! Less lemon, back off the sour cream a bit perhaps. I'll have this sorted for next time, not to worry.

Now, over to you! I'm glad we've met officially now. Getting along alright so far?

[westviews]

[Beyond the meal that attacks the taste buds?]

I think so. Coming here has been... jarring. But everyone's been kind, that I've met.

[At least on the surface. Most interactions haven't gone very deep, and she wonders if she prefers that. If they knew what she was capable of, what she's done, people might not be so nice.]

You seem like you're having fun.

[thedreamer]

[ Seems like he's having fun. Yes, he does seem to be having fun often, on the surface, at least. The happy Doctor, the jovial Time Lord dancing around from moment to moment, running about to and fro because he can, because he must, because if he stops...well.

If he stops - the silence and stillness is deafening. ]

For the moment, I am. For this moment, and the next one probably. Because tomorrow, we don't know, do we? We might be sad later, we might not be having fun at all, so we will now. Just for this moment. And the next one, I've decided.

[ There's a soft, slightly wistful smile on his face. You collect quite the pile of happy and sad moments when you've lived as long as he has. ]

The people here, those in our group, they are good, and kind. And we've got each other, thankfully, because things have been quite terrible recently.

[ A bit blunt sometimes, too, is the Doctor. ]

[westviews]

[Blunt, but there's something uplifting about him in a way Wanda has rarely encountered before. It draws a smile out of her, charmed, despite herself.]

I'm sure they appreciate your attitude. And... cooking.

[That he seems so nice makes her force herself into another bite of food.]

[thedreamer]

[ He never really knows, and he's not always the most self-aware at how he may or may not be coming across, but he is authentic and true to himself. And he decides to invite himself to take a seat near her. ]

I haven't been here as long as many of the others. There are terrible things waiting for us, but good things, too. And you won't be alone. At the very least, you've got me. Here to help, that's me!

[ And because he's not always the best at recognizing boundaries, he just dives right in to asking. ]

Where were you before you came here? Are you leaving better things or worse things behind?

[westviews]

[There's a lift of her brows, because that really is straight to the point, isn't it?]

I was... making sure I was leaving better things behind.

[Sort of. It's vague. And purposely so.]

[thedreamer]

[ This man surrounds himself with an assortment of little secrets, some big and some small, and while his somewhat insatiable curiosity means he's not always patient when others closely guard theirs, he can at least understand. More than most, probably.

And so, he smiles gently, almost knowingly. ]

One of the better things to aim for, eh? We can all hope.

[ He won't trouble her with more invasive questions. Yet. ]

Now you're here and we all look after each other. Well, most of us. I haven't met everyone yet, admittedly. Bullet points, quick rundown, and don't worry, you won't have to take notes. This place—well, they would've told you a bit about that already, I know. We're still working out the particulars, it's all secrets and closed doors and who can trust who. What else? Oh, yes, there was a plague, we took care of that in Serthica. Apart from the sickness—which didn't have much chance to spread, thankfully—there were good things, too. Dragons, for one!

[ He now takes a breath and pauses the overview she didn't ask for and may or may not have wanted. ]

Not entirely sure where we're going next, but—and this is very important—you can call on me anytime. I do mean anytime! I rarely sleep, I don't need it, not the way humans do. And you might say I'm well acquainted with danger and trouble, so if anything happens and you think there is absolutely no way out, just think of me, the Doctor. There's always a way.