MORE THIG

[makingsouffles]

[It's common, empaths and telepaths sharing dreams if they wind up sleeping close enough together and opening up their minds enough. Oswin's learned about it, of course, studied it briefly when she had to, but when it comes to her and the Doctor actually doing it...well. There's enough she keeps shut away to make her nervous about even him being too deeply inside her head. Whenever he's gone in before, he's never opened any doors she wants to stay shut, but when she's asleep, she won't have as much control over what stays where in her head.

And it's terrifying, to be honest.

But, they need it tonight. A particularly strenuous adventure's left them both a little world-weary, and at the Doctor's tentative suggestion, Oswin's finally agreed to let him in. Dreams, when they aren't nightmares or fabrications, can be surprisingly soothing, after all. Especially with someone to experience them with.

So, she'd tucked herself up in the Doctor's arms, soothed by his presence all around and in her head, and fallen asleep quickly enough, drifting into the realm of her own dreams. Empaths and telepaths have a certain degree of control over dreams like this with a bit of practice, enough to be conscious of it being a dream and able to remember things properly.

Oswin's dreamscape that she's made is absolutely gorgeous, a beach of pure white sand lit by an enormous, oddly iridescent moon in a sky filled with a million twinkling stars. It can change, of course, to whatever she likes, but this is the one she prefers out of all of them. Letting the waves lap at her feet, she stands and looks out over the water as she wrings her hands faintly, a nervous habit she's had for ages.

When she hears footsteps in the sand behind her, she smiles.]

Took you long enough.

Comments

[makingsouffles]

Like?

[She's always up for a bit of exploring but...well. Gallifrey. How long can they stay here without it being painful?]

[mrcool]

[He shrugs.] Anything. Let's...um...do you want to see my school or something?

[makingsouffles]

Depends.

[She grins.] Will blowing up an office be involved?

[mrcool]

[He laughs, grinning at her.]

I've got a better idea. How about a statue? Or an entire wing!

[makingsouffles]

Thinking big. [Oswin's grin just becomes a little more wild.] I love it.

[mrcool]

I know you do. [The Doctor grins back at her and gets to his feet, pulling her up by the hand.]

Well come on!

[makingsouffles]

[Laughing, Oswin allows herself to be pulled to her feet, hurrying after the Doctor.]

What, you're planning on running all the way down there?

[mrcool]

Not exactly. [Oh look, a magic door randomly appearing.]

Short cut.

[makingsouffles]

[Right. Dream world, this sort of thing's normal.]

Well, then. [Oswin grins, stepping forward to hold the door open.] After you.

[mrcool]

[The Doctor grins and steps through. It's a doorway directly to the Academy, emerging in a courtyard of what looks very similar to Earth's Ivy League schools.]

[makingsouffles]

Oh, very alien. [Oswin steps through as well, looking around. It's pretty far from what she expected to say the least.] That's what all of Gallifrey looks like, stuff from Earth that's a little different?

[mrcool]

[He glances back at her, huffing at her indignantly.]

Excuse you, Earth looks a bit like Gallifrey!

[makingsouffles]

[She laughs, hurrying forward to pull him along towards the entrance.]

Come on, then! Best decide which wing we're blowing up.

[mrcool]

Well the Rassilon one of course. I hated that guy.

[The Doctor grins, pointing to an even more ornate wing. There's a large statue in front of it of a benevolent looking man in traditional robes.]

[makingsouffles]

[She snorts faintly, eyeing the statue.]

Is that really what your lot wears? [Well, at least it explains where the Doctor's fashion sense comes from.]

[mrcool]

Mm, traditional Time Lord robes of the High Council. Rassilon was Lord President. He was like a god to everyone here.

[The Doctor shrugs gently.]

[makingsouffles]

[Another glance at the statue as they head inside.]

Looks like a tosser to me.

[mrcool]

Yeaaah he wasn't..nice.

Everyone thought he was dead. I sort of found him by accident, realized he was trying to take over the universe. [He shrugs.]

[makingsouffles]

Does everything you find try to take over the universe?

[She laces her fingers through his, stepping through the door and into the ornate hallway.] Think you've got a bit of a track record so far as that goes.

[mrcool]

Just about.

[He laughs.]

[makingsouffles]

[She grins, pulling him down a hallway at random. They haven't actually got stuff to blow anything up, but...well. Dreamscape, they'll probably be able to think something up.

Releasing his hand, Oswin runs ahead a little, eager to explore a bit first.] D'you really think we can-

[As she passes by an archway, she freezes, the smile slowly fading from her face. Because the hallway beyond isn't another part of the academy. In fact, it looks like another world entirely, a dark, metallic corridor, A dark, metallic, familiar corridor.]

Doctor... [She whispers hoarsely, unable to tear her eyes away. Can they just walk past and pretends it's not there? Is that a thing that's done?]

[mrcool]

[He smiles as she darts ahead, watching her. It really is good to be here, to share this quiet time with Oswin and know that they are in this together. No matter what. Through thick and thin.

Then Oswin gasps and stops, and he catches up with her quickly, twining his fingers with hers.]

Oh, is that...?

[makingsouffles]

[Her fingers grip his as tightly as possible, but Oswin still doesn't look away from the hallway. Silently, she nods and he'll probably be able to feel her trembling slightly.]

Have we got to...? [They don't have to go there...do they?]

[mrcool]

No. No we don't. [He gives her hand a squeeze, pulling her away and down the hallway.]

Come on. This is our dream, we can do what we want with you.

[makingsouffles]

[Relief floods her expression and Oswin practically runs after him, anything to get away from that hallway and all that might have happened if they'd ventured down. Oswin's normally a curious girl, but that's one adventure she'd rather not have.]