Fic: Pieces and words (Doctor Who)

[flowsoffire]

Title: Pieces and words
Author: flowsoffire
Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing/characters: Clara, Eleven
Genre: Mystery/Friendship
Rating: K+
Word count: c. 300
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Summary: Words fly between them, quickly, back and forth. Clara, watchful, weighs hers, attempts to find her way in the stream of the Doctor's. Words are only words, be they many or one. Who, he thinks—why, she asks. Neither answers.
Author's note: Just a random little dialogue fic, because Clara and Eleven are cool and I like the way they dance and shift around each other. Also because she's quick and clever, way enough to realize that a lot of things about the Doctor and herself aren't as random as they look. Anyway. In which Clara isn't the only mystery. Enjoy!



"A lady in a shop gave me a number, and in you popped," she said conversationally, leaning against the console.

A pause.

"Yes, possibly, probably, indeed. And who was that?" He scratched his cheek.

"Oh, I don't know, how would I know? Someone."

She was watching her own hands, sprawled over gray-blue metal, then her gaze leaped up, she twirled on her heel and looked at him again. Eyes scanning quickly, sliding smoothly up and down—and back up, searching his expression. He fumbled, straightened his bowtie. Clara frowned. "Where did you come from?" she demanded.

"A long time ago. I was staying at a monastery, do you know, they really were lovely and I think the robe suited me ever so well… A bit of quiet, vacation of sorts, very sweet. Time to think and figure things out, love me a change of location, speaking of! Where to now, eh? Where are we off to, Clara Oswald?"

Voice rising in excitement, he pointed a finger at her, her name slipping fast and soft—maybe, was there the slightest tremble—from his mouth. Pensive, she did not budge.

"Why me?"

"Because you! Because Clara Oswin Oswald. You then, you always. Do I need a reason? You were, are perfect." Still pointing at her, he narrowed his eyes in a way that did not quite fit the excited face, pressed his lips together and forced himself to silence. She raised an eyebrow.

"You really picked up that Oswin thing, didn't you?"

"It's a cool name. I like that name."

"Well then, Doctor." A sigh, and a smile. She aimed them both at him, gift and warning, with a look that said, I'll ask again. "Go ahead. Show me the world."

He clapped and laughed in glee, and she watched him still, irked and amused.

Comments

[elisi]

Ooooh snappy, clever Clara & 11. Very, very nicely done, you've caught the cadence perfectly (I could hear them in my head) and the whole not-answering was brilliant.

Seriously, I must read more of your things...

[flowsoffire.livejournal.com]

:D Thank you so much! I'm really delighted you liked this, and that the cadence worked. I could picture and hear them pretty well myself, but of course I couldn't be 100% sure of the effect on the reader…
*grinning from ear to ear* Well, I'd be delighted. For the record, the gloomy widower!Doctor piece your meta inspired (I think I mentioned it in the comment…) is coming up, hopefully won't be too long…

[justascrewup2.livejournal.com]

Would love to know who the woman in the shop was, but if we didn't find out in the NotD, I'm guessing we never will... Nice little ficlet :)

[flowsoffire.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and that's pretty frustrating. It seems weird that Moffat would leave something so obviously mysterious and not use it, but there are many more plot points he more or less left hanging, so… I guess we'll see =P Thanks for commenting anyway, dear!

[radiolaires]

Oh dear, it's great! The characterisation is sizzling and Clara picks up so many little things in him. It's fascinating, a puzzle. So nice to have the companion's point of view on the Doctor, but benefiting from that sharpness and speed so Oswin indeed. I really love it when companions or new character doubt the Doctor, at the beginning or in the middle, even a little bit. All his slips are like tiny punctures and she catches them. But doesn't budge. As before the "Do not open door" in the TARDIS, she knows it might be dangerous and he should not entirely be trusted, but jump in anyway.

"You really picked up that Oswin thing, didn't you?"
Great line by the way! Sharp and teensy bit cat and mouse.

It's quite a perfect little piece, very dancing and twirling!

"Yes, possibly, probably, indeed. And who was that?" Stupid favourite line. The rhythm is perfect, the tone delicious, the characterisation spot-on. The Doctor should have the first sentence tattooed on his forehead.

[flowsoffire.livejournal.com]

:D Thank you so much, dear! I’m so happy you liked the rhythm and the characterisation. I love having Clara pick up on things. There are really so many things that are off in his attitude and history with her, and she does notice, but then something or other happens and she doesn’t bring it up again. That’s un-Clara in my book. And yeah, shamelessly putting my headcanon characterisation before the show ;)
People doubting and questioning the Doctor is always great, especially since it doesn’t happen so often. Clara does do it. And that’s a part of Donna’s awesomeness too ;)

All his slips are like tiny punctures and she catches them. But doesn't budge.
♥

As before the "Do not open door" in the TARDIS, she knows it might be dangerous and he should not entirely be trusted, but jump in anyway.
"Anything might happen to you." / "That’s what I’m counting on."

Sharp and teensy bit cat and mouse.
It's quite a perfect little piece, very dancing and twirling!
Squee! Glad it had that effect. :D

"Yes, possibly, probably, indeed. And who was that?" Stupid favourite line.
Mine too, omfg. It just happened, like I’d heard Eleven say it.

The Doctor should have the first sentence tattooed on his forehead.
*giggles*

[radiolaires]

On the whole, the more I think about it the more the handling of the Doctor/Clara dynamic bothers me. I'm actually much more confortable writing Clara alone or with River, or Vastra, or Angie, I realise. Because yes, so many things are off in his attitude and sometimes she reacts, sometimes she just forgets it.

shamelessly putting my headcanon characterisation before the show ;)
DO it, it is an order. Because your headcanons are wonderful and make more sense than the show! Also, we are still writing fanfics; leaping from AUs to AUs, constantly.

Squee! Glad it had that effect.
In fact, it reminded me a little of honeynoir's tone, even if your styles are still scrumptiously distinctive.

Mine too, omfg.
Curiouser and curiouser...

[flowsoffire.livejournal.com]

On the whole, the more I think about it the more the handling of the Doctor/Clara dynamic bothers me. I'm actually much more confortable writing Clara alone or with River, or Vastra, or Angie, I realise. Because yes, so many things are off in his attitude and sometimes she reacts, sometimes she just forgets it.
I still love the ambiguity and edginess between them, but I see what you mean…

DO it, it is an order. Because your headcanons are wonderful and make more sense than the show!
krkrkr I just turned an awfully bright shade of red…

Also, we are still writing fanfics; leaping from AUs to AUs, constantly.
Haha, I'm wrestling with that Eleven/River pre-Snowmen fic I wrote WAYYY before the finale atm… Originally thought I'd leave it as it was and make it AU because rewriting it would have thrown the whole dynamic I meant it to have off balance, but now I'm actually adapting it… We'll see how it turns out.

In fact, it reminded me a little of honeynoir's tone, even if your styles are still scrumptiously distinctive.
That's still a great compliment :D

Curiouser and curiouser...
*winks*

[radiolaires]

It's not that I do not like their edginess or the peculiarity of their bond. I find the way it is told disturbing, because it is not acknowledged as such. Apparently, the writers think Eleven treating Clara like a thing is perfectly normal.

I just turned an awfully bright shade of red…
We are just awful, aren't we?

Originally thought I'd leave it as it was and make it AU because rewriting it would have thrown the whole dynamic I meant it to have off balance, but now I'm actually adapting it…
It would be a shame; good luck!

;)

[flowsoffire.livejournal.com]

It's not that I do not like their edginess or the peculiarity of their bond. I find the way it is told disturbing, because it is not acknowledged as such. Apparently, the writers think Eleven treating Clara like a thing is perfectly normal.
Good point. And for ages we were wondering whether she WAS a thing, but turns out that she wasn't… ;)

We are just awful, aren't we?
Beyond redemption.

It would be a shame; good luck!
Thank you! :) I hope it works out, but it just seemed too lazy to go "whatever, I didn't know back when I wrote it…".

[arwen-elen.livejournal.com]

I really like the detail that went into this, it captures the tiny moments strung together into one long moment that exist between Clara and the Doctor, resurrecting the past, making it live in the present and carrying it into the future as Clara tells him to show her the world.

A really lovely snapshot of their time together :)

[flowsoffire.livejournal.com]

:D Thank you! I love trying to catch small moments like this, and Clara really didn't ask enough questions about some things, it had to be done. Or rather, she noticed things—the Doctor being at her mum's funeral, a picture of her turning up from Victorian London when she actually hadn't been but the Doctor wanted to take her, here it's his arrival into her life, the biggest thing—but in that mad whirlwind of adventures that is a companion's life, she just forgot… Anyway… See, that was a ramble, I do rambles often… You're exactly right about the sense of time, in a way they're just racing ahead, but the past is just ever so there in every little moment, in the mystery of each other, always standing out. You worded that just beautifully ^_^
Thank you, once more! ^_^

[run-remember.livejournal.com]

Ah, this was so fun. Love the flow and how you did so well with the banter, that kind of sing songy way they talk to each other, at least in my mind, lol. This was great. :)

[flowsoffire.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! :D I'm really glad you enjoyed the flow of the story. The comment is really appreciated!

[honeynoir.livejournal.com]

Wow, this was a perfect example of Clara+Eleven banter... the way they both say things between the lines but in completely different ways...!

[flowsoffire.livejournal.com]

:D Thank you so much, dear. I'm really delighted that you liked this piece, it means a lot to me :D

[honeynoir.livejournal.com]

It's like... mmmmm dialogue. :D (I see you've posted lots of fic, yay!)

[flowsoffire.livejournal.com]

Dialogue rocks ♥ (And yes! I typed and posted all the little drabbles that had been floating around in a notebook forever ;))