Chapter 2: An Unscheduled Stop
98 kliks later…
Well, the Doctor seemed entertained, listening to the pool anecdote of the parents. There was something about an abstract pool, but Briazra wasn't very interested. The business woman seemed a little bit annoyed, herself, attempting to read some sort of book. Bri smiled. It was too bad more people didn't read. Bri, herself, had her eye on the kid Jethro. He was fairly intriguing himself. Keen mind, he was an intellectual type. Briazra smirked to that, and went over.
"They often tell that story?" She asked, giving a sympathetic look. "Mind if I sit?" She asked, politely. Unlike the Doctor, she was more interested in whether someone wanted to talk than meeting people. He tended to just do what he wanted in the way of meeting new people or aliens. As long as they were friendly, of course. The kid seemed surprised but shrugged and moved slightly over, so that she could sit comfortably. Jethro huffed slightly at her question, it now registering.
"Far too often." He muttered in response. Briazra chuckled, raising an eyebrow towards the Doctor who was now really getting into the story himself. "The Doctor's an idiot sometimes. I wouldn't mind him. He's really quite great." She offered, hoping the kid didn't already think too badly of him. She noticed Jethro glance at him then back at her, and his question made her blush. "Are you two together?" He asked.
"N-no. Well... Not yet, anyway… He's kind of… Defensive. Well, I mean, we travel together, but-" She muttered, flushing. He smiled slightly. "But, you like him?" He asked, somewhat knowingly. Oh, yes, he had a keen mind and he was observant. "Can we change the subject? What are you listening to, anyway? I love music..." Briazra offered, pulling her MP3 player from the bag she was carrying, hoping the subject would change and stay off the Doctor.
Luckily, her bag didn't move. She didn't yet want to explain she had a dragon, and she wasn't even sure if pets were supposed to be onboard. However, she'd risk that chance, as long as no one was allergic to dragons and she doubted they were. Besides, she'd know about it by now, if they were, and no one seemed to be. But, she cleared her head of that worry as they swapped players to check each others' music, at Jethro's request. He seemed surprised and enthusiastic about her tastes in music, Briaz not so much, but she was flexible. There were several songs on it she liked, and she could obviously connect about her own music.
150 kliks later...
"Now, I'm just a second-year student. But, I wrote a paper on the Lost Moon of Poosh. Professor Hobbes liked it, read it, took me on his research just for the holidays. Well, he said 'research,' but most of the time he's got me fetching and carryin'. But it's all good experience." Dee Dee explained to the Doctor and Briaz, Briazra smiling the whole time. She sort of liked this girl, a little bit.
Dee Dee was nice, even offering the Doctor and her each a cup of coffee, though Briaz herself didn't drink coffee. She took the cup, anyway, to thank her for her effort to be nice. She had ways to be sneaky and look like she was drinking coffee, but really drinking something completely different. It was a talent of hers, which she felt she should more or less keep to herself for the time being.
"Did they find it?" The Doctor asked, causing them both to look at him, blinking in confusion. Briazra quickly adjusted, though, understanding what he meant a little late, while Dee Dee had to ask, "Find what?"
"The Lost Moon of Poosh." He asked, in such a way that caused the both of them to giggle. "You know, you could say that a little more seriously, Doctor." Briazra joked, chuckling, mostly because she knew what his response would be. "Awe, but it's so much fun to say. Poosh." He repeated, smirking, and making Briaz chuckle again. "Silly Doctor, you." She teased, joking.
"No. Not yet." Dee Dee finally answered, seemingly very amused by their antics, and almost not wanting to interrupt them.
"Well, maybe that'll be your great discovery one day." He offered for reassurance, smirking, and holding up his cup. "Here's to Poosh!" He cheered, half just looking for an excuse to say the name again. Briazra rolled her eyes, meanwhile chortling a bit in the process. Holding up her own cup to his with Dee Dee, who also cheered, she then brought it down to take a sip. "Crazy Doctor." She joked, smirking.
209 Kliks later...
"So, are you two both traveling alone or with someone?" Sky asked, sharing a meal in conversation with the Doctor and Briazra. Briazra felt another slight blush creeping onto her cheeks, but quickly spoke up. "Well, I'm actually traveling with him. He saved my life, and I decided he needed to be around people. And, there's a third, too, but she stayed behind." She explained, sitting in the chair behind them and looking over the seat, resting her chin on the backs. "In the Leisure Palace." The Doctor added, then asked, "And you?"
"No. It's just me." She uttered, a hint of being upset in her tone, though it was a little hard to hear. Briazra still knew. The Doctor nodded sympathetically, too. "Oh, I've done plenty of that. Traveling on my own." He admitted, but perked his cheery attitude again. "I love it! Do what you want; go anywhere!" He stated optimistically. "Hey! Well, better get used to it. I'm not leaving your side, if I have any say in the matter. Too much traveling alone. It's not healthy." Briazra muttered, pouting slightly, but smiled lightly to the Doctor who returned the smile.
"Yeah, well, I'm still getting used to traveling alone, myself. I've... found myself single rather recently. Not by choice." She told them, turning Briazra's smile quickly into a solemn, genuine frown. "I'm sorry." She offered to the saddened divorcee. "What happened?" The Doctor asked, consoling her as best he could by talking with her about it.
"Oh, the usual. She needed her own space, as they say. A different galaxy, in fact. I reckon that's enough space, don't you?" Sky asked, obviously a little bit annoyed by the actions of her apparent ex-wife. And yet, Briaz didn't think she was being entirely truthful. It seemed like Sky had left for her own protection. "Yeah... I had a friend who went to a different universe." He muttered, Briazra sighing as she knew exactly who he was talking about.
"If you were meant to see her again, Doctor, Rose Tyler will be back." She reassured him, though wanted to say that a different way. If she had, however, the Doctor would have been really upset to hear it. Quickly finishing off her meal, she cleaned up her space and waited for the doctor to move on to a new conversation. She didn't like when he got depressed about Rose. "Well, what is this? Chicken or beef?" Sky asked, making her chuckle, which grew to the Doctor intrigued retorted of "I think it's both."
"Whatever it was, it was good." Briazra admitted, laughing.
251 Kliks later…
"So, this is Midnight." The professor announced, trying to amaze them by tone of voice alone. He had a slideshow up via projector. He had mentioned having it along as part of his research to the Doctor, and being unable to resist learning something that he, for once, didn't already know. When he asked, Briazra groaned, but Jethro seemed somewhat interested and decided she might as well listen since he would have to display it in front of everyone anyway. However, somehow deep inside, she felt severely annoyed with the Doctor for encouraging his pomposity. She'd get over it, but she just really didn't like Hobbes.
"d'you see? Bombarded by the sun! Xtonic rays, raw galvanic radiation. Dee Dee, next slide!" Hobbes continued, enthusiastically, eager to show off his knowledge and stopping only so his assistant could change to the next slide. She quirked a small smile at that, only because it sort of reminded her of the Doctor. He liked to show off his knowledge, too.
"It's my pet project. Actually, I'm the first person to research this. Because you see... the history is fascinating," He continued on once the next slide was up, this time stopping for dramatic pause, "because there is no history. There's no life in this entire system, there couldn't be. Before the Leisure Palace Company moved in, no-one had come here in all eternity. No living thing."
At this little bit, she huffed. It wasn't true. She could feel deep inside her, there was something not human on this planet, and they were nearing it. It was something that was there even before the Leisure Palace was brought into place. She could only guess that something would happen very soon, judging from the fact that her foreboding feeling was strengthening with every few kliks. She sent a quick worrying glance to the Doctor, which he evidently understood and grinned. She rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm, but smiled anyway.
It grew to a smirk as Jethro brought up the point that no one has ever actually seen outside, which the Doctor backed up after his mother became annoyed. "Anyway, there's nothing wrong with imagination." Briaz pointed out, rolling her eyes, as the professor answered that it was exactly his point that life couldn't be sustain outside their safe "Metal box." Briaz became annoyed again, and became defensive.
"It doesn't mean there's not any other life out there. Something without an actual physical form could survive. It doesn't have to have a physical form to be alive." She pointed out, glad to be able shut the guy up, though he didn't seem willing to give up the argument. He'd surely have continued, had she not perked up and spoke again. "Wait, a second... Why are we stopping?" She asked, blinking. The Doctor's eyebrows furrowed.
"What do you mean? We're not stop-" He started, just as the vehicle did come to a stop. "Huh... Well, that's interesting. Have any idea why?" He asked, the question in a low voice, seeing that Briazra obviously wanted to keep herself under wraps that trip, ignoring the arguments their fellow passengers were having. She gave a smile that he understood it, but it quickly faded as she shook her head. He shrugged. "Well, one way to find out."
