002 ☍ ACCIDENTAL VIDEO ( day 154 )

[thatoldthatkind]

--Ahh, sssh, shhhh. [ There's a pause. ] There you are. I can hear you. Tap, tap, tap. Howling. Walls don't howl. Unless there's some sort of crack in the wall. Which, not the sort of crack I am thinking of...

[ The Doctor is seen placing his ear up against the wall and listening closely. A few might be able to pick up distant wails or growling. His eyes go up to the ceiling as he taps the wall with his finger every now and then. ]

Not good. Very not good. This is bad. [ He raises his head from the wall and rubs his fingers together. ] Okay. So, think, Doctor, think. Growling noises usually means animals. Angry animals. Animals that do not want to be disturbed. Probably because they are territorial or maybe because their wounded. If I was a betting man, I would say not wounded. Ergo leaving territorial.

[ He spins around, coat tails coming around him. ] Time to say hello to the big bad wolf.

Comments

[blackmagus]

Your fingers. The, er, pitbulls will be around for a while, I imagine.

[That's just sort of how things go around here.]

The memory invasion is terribly rude, yes. But what were you doing with an umbrella?

[thatoldthatkind]

Having fingers are cool. I guess I could give it a go without having a few. What do you think?

[ He wriggles his fingers at the screen. ]

Defending myself! What were you doing without one?

[blackmagus]

Using slightly more reliable methods, like magic.

[She raises an eyebrow, but smiles. The Doctor is possibly made up of quirks, like a puzzle with quirk pieces.]

Was an umbrella all you could find? Or do you not like rainstorms?

[Fortescue hopes there haven't been indoor rainstorms. That would just be terrible.]

[thatoldthatkind]

Magic.

[ No, no. We are not using magic. Hear that tone in his voice? Definitely not magic. ]

It was the closest thing! I don't see you offering suggestions, Bethmora Fortescue!

[blackmagus]

[Fortescue looks relatively defiant, the default expression of someone who hates her full name in action.]

And what, exactly, have you got against magic?

[thatoldthatkind]

The fact that it's not actually real in my world.

[blackmagus]

Well, don't hold that against it. Maybe it wants to be.

[Just ignore the smirk. Or don't.]

It's certainly real in mine. And here, apparently.

[thatoldthatkind]

No, no. Magic has always been some sort of science. Even back to the little humans in the huts.

[ He does eye that smirk of yours. ]

Here? What makes you think it's magic here?

[blackmagus]

[Fortescue nods. Her father had had a similar opinion. The world's academics, on the other hand, are always arguing back and forth. But usually, the science team wins.]

It is energy. When I say magic, I don't mean... visual illusions or hocus pocus. I do mean energy. That's how we understand it. It's one of the few things people generally get right.

[The other kind is fake magic and not looked well upon in Imperium. Except by five-year-olds.]

Faking magic carries a heavy price, back home.

[thatoldthatkind]

[ The Doctor is just a stubborn old man. ]

So you just call it one thing when it's the same thing. [ Manipulation of energy is basically a science. Ah, well. Details! Not really important right now. ]

Don't tell me that is what happened to you and Jazz.

[blackmagus]

It depends whether that energy comes from a person, or somewhere else. [She shrugs. There's the matter of the Guides, but... no. Might not be best to mention them.] And I assure you, Doctor, that faking it isn't in my ability set.

[Have a wink, for full effect.]

[thatoldthatkind]

No, but I think something else is. [ There's a playful grin on his face at her wink. ]

[blackmagus]

[Fortescue smirks.]

You'd probably be right, bowtie-boy.