Short 46 - Wardrobe Problems

"I don't believe it," I sighed.

"Well, you are pretty rough on your clothes," Liara noted.

Katara held up one of my jackets. Claw marks had torn up the back of it, enough for her to look through. "I'm not fixing this," she insisted.

I looked down the line. All of my nice purple jackets, damaged. "Don't you have a replicator system for these anyway," Liara asked.

"Well, yes... but there's just something...off about that, you know?" I looked at the jacket ruined by our excursion into Undertown. "And Garak's made it clear he's out of the tailoring business."

Liara smirked. "There has to be another tailor capable of designing jackets for you."

"I need someone with vision though. Someone with style. I'm a showman, after all. I can't very well show up in a jacket I bought off a rack, can I?" I went over to another rack. "Hrm, maybe I should switch back to blue? No, no that won't do, doesn't match the tie. The jacket and the tie should match."

"It's just... clothes," Katara insisted. "One robe's about as good as another."

"It's not just about clothes. I'm not... that's the Harry Dresden attitude. He goes for the grungy slightly-unhygienic look. Me, I am the Doctor. I need to look spiffy, well-kept, and oh so very cool."

Katara crossed her arms skeptically.

"I could recommend some of the high class tailors on the Citadel," Liara pointed out.

"Liara, I'm very sorry to say this, but the fashion sense of your galaxy is not something I care to emulate."

"Hmph."

Well, that did it. I'd insulted Liara. I sighed and put the jackets back. "Alright, I'll give it a try. There's got to be someone on the Citadel who knows something close to fashion. Especially if I give them a template."

The TARDIS was being a rascal again.

Instead of stepping out onto the Presidium, I was in a zoo. 20th Century Earth. Chirping alerted me to the heavy presence of birds about. A nearby sign even pointed to the zoo bird hatchery.

"So, who or what are we here to save now?", Liara asked. She had a sense of these things.

"No clue. I see a distinct lack of..."

I was taking a step when a very young lady, Katara's age if not still younger, ran in front of me. She was initially a blob of red and purple in my vision, her figure only becoming clear after I had a tenth of a second or so to consider it. The purple caught my eye for the way it fluttered behind her.

It also ended up under my foot.

She made a leap into the air, and was immediately pulled back down, just as the force pulled me off my foot and caused me to fall on my arse. I winced and rubbed at my tailbone as I stood. The girl was dazed by her own fall backwards. The way she rubbed her neck, she might have even gotten some whiplash.

I looked down. The purple I had seen... was a cape. A very long, flowing cape. I followed the cape to a set of mostly red tights and let out a groan. I didn't recognize the actual suit, but it was obvious I was in a cosmos of the capes-and-tights variety. And those more often than not end up as headaches. "Young lady, you should think about your wardrobe a little better."

She was getting back to her feet. Cute girl. Wearing a face mask of course. One of those silly superhero ones that think that if you cover the area around the eyes you can't be recognized for things like your nose size or jaw line or cheekbones. It's why you'd never see me trying it; my cheekbones are quite special, after all.

she was also obviously in something of a hurry. Without thinking she yanked to get her cape free from under me. I nearly fell back again from the sheer force of the yank. This young lady was superhumanly strong, that much was certain. "I'm terribly sorry for making you trip, sir," she began. "But I have to go. There's a jet with engine trouble and I need to..."

"...and you're going to what, use this thing to tow the plane or something?" I sighed and picked up the end of the cape. "Seriously, look at this. It's longer than you are tall! Forget about tripping me, young lady, have you ever imagined what this could get caught in? All sorts of machinery comes to mind! One moment you're flying about and then next thing you know, your cape gets snagged by the intake of a jet engine! You're asking for a broken neck at the very least!"

The girl superheroine stared at me with wide eyes. I had been rather vehement, much to Liara's clear chagrin. Thankfully the young lady didn't take that badly. Instead, the realization of my point slowly dawned on her. "Wow, I... I never thought of that before. I mean... thank you.."

"I'm the Doctor," I said. And I even smiled. "Just trying to be friendly."

"Yes. Thank you, Doctor!" She undid the cape and quite literally handed it to me. "Thank you for that advice!"

"Excuse me?" I held up a hand. "Your name was...?"

She turned back to me. Exuberant impatience like you'd expect of a teenage superhero wanting to run off and save the day showed on her expression, but she was polite enough to realize her obligation. "I'm so sorry, where are my manners? I'm Stratogale."

The name rang an immediate bell in my head. And indeed it told me where I was in the wide Multiverse. A small smile crossed my face as I realized the sheer implication of what I had just done. And upon seeing a possible outcome of it, I hastily added, "Well, Stratogale. Good to meet you. Oh, one last thing before you fly off to do the heroing."

"What?"

I extended a hand and she took it in greeting. "If a platinum blond ever shows up in ten or so years and invites you to work with her and her unseen boss, say no. Especially if she sells you a spiel on an amok prototype robot or something of the sort."

"Wow, uh..." Stratogale looked at me pretty sheepishly. "That's kind of specific?"

"Yes, it is," I answered. "But I like to be thorough about these things. What can I say, I'm a time traveler?" I pointed back to my TARDIS and the open door. "See? Time ship. Bigger on the inside than it is on the outside and..."

I heard a distant sound and looked up to notice a jet plane flying overhead, smoke trailing from its engine. "...and I should probably let you get to work, Stratogale," I finished. "Good luck!"

She nodded with enthusiasm. "Okay!"

"Now go save the day. And remember good wardrobe sense in your line of work." I rolled up her discarded cape in my arms. "No capes!"

"Right!" She jumped into the air and flew off.

A thoroughly confused Katara and Liara were standing behind me. "Just.. what was that about?", Katara asked.

"Oh, just giving some friendly advice to a sweet young woman," I replied. "She talks to birds, even. Isn't that adorable?" I looked down at the bundle of purple cloth in my arms.

And I realized I had the answer to my needs.

"Come along, we're going ahead in time by a bit over a decade or so," I announced. "I know just who I need to handle my wardrobe problem."

I was welcomed at the door to the spacious mansion by an accented voice. "Who is it? Are you another one of those boors, I told you for the last time, I am not interested in..."

"Ms. Edna Mode? I'm the Doctor." I bowed my head. "And I would like to discuss..."

The door opened and a very short and very energetic woman grabbed my hand and pulled me in. "Doctor! Oh, I have heard that name before. Let me guess, a new suit, yes?" Her eyes blazed with an almost superhuman energy.

"Not a spandex one, certainly," I remarked. "But I could use a new jacket."

"A jacket? A jacket?! A jacket is for lesser beings, I forbid you to settle for a mere suit jacket, dahling! No, I am familiar with you. You need more than a jacket! And I have so little time, oh so very little..."

"I can..."

"Please, dahling, don't do this to me, the demands on my time are simply too much!"

"I can always..."

"Oh, I can't resist your pleas. I am too kind. Come, I will need to get some measurements!"

I had a distinct feeling that I had long exited the conversation. Liara stepped up behind me. "She seems awfully eager. Have you arranged payment already?"

Edna turned her head back to face us. "Payment, my dear? Oh no. That will not be necessary."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

There was a thoughtful look on her face. "You are a time traveler, are you not?"

"Well..." I stopped. Perhaps my previous encounters with this world, save my brief one earlier, were still in my future?

"It has been many years since that sweet girl told me about meeting you, Doctor," Edna continued. "And how you convinced her to get rid of that cape. I am convinced you saved her life, Doctor. So your suit is paid for already."

"Well, I don't suppose I can argue with that, can I?", I answered.

"Of course not, dahling," Edna said. "Now, please follow me, I need to take fresh measurements for your new suit."

Edna Mode did good work.

"The synthetic silk is the finest blend. Smooth as silk, it will not tear, and it is bulletproof!", Edna announced proudly. "And look, it goes so well with your vest and tie!"

I looked in the mirror and had to admit she was quite right. The new jacket was a bit longer than the old type had been. The pockets on the inside were larger thanks to this additional surface area. The lapels were crisper and sleeker too. And the cuffs were far easier.

"Now you look like a time-traveling gentlebeing!", Edna continued. "Elegant, sophisticated, and intelligent! Dahling, you really should have come to see me sooner! This is some of my finest work! I simply must have you over more often."

"I shall gladly accept your hospitality," I said. "Your craftsmanship is the finest in all the Multiverse."

"Oh, dahling, you are too kind..." She shook my hand. "I do have one small question, if you do not mind."

"That is?"

She got right to the point. "Do you know what would have happened to Stratogale if you had not met her?"

I took a moment to think on it before nodding. "Something very terrible."

"I see." Edna nodded. "Let me show you something."

I waited patiently while she went to a cabinet and searched for something. She pulled out a framed photograph. When she held up to me, I could see that the woman in the picture was the same heroine, now an adult, wearing a khaki field suit and surrounded by tropical birds. "When the heroes were asked to retire, she went to a university," Edna informed me. "Now she travels the world helping to protect rare birds from extinction."

I allowed myself a smile at that. "Very noble. Still a heroine, even without the tights."

"And all because of you." Edna put the picture away. "You both make the world a better place. So please, do come back from time to time. It is a breath of fresh air for me to get away from those prissy models."

Now, how could I say no to do that?

Edna had her own fabrication facilities, so she had a set of five new suit jackets made for me before I left. I was putting them away when I saw Katara enter. "Ah, hello," I said.

"Liara told me," Katara said. "About what that girl became."

"Ah."

"You saved her life. Just... like that."

"Well, yes. As it is, saving lives doesn't always require whirling about the sonic disruptor and fighting monsters," I remarked. "Sometimes it's just helping someone realize the danger they're in." I looked back to see Katara approach closer. "Are you alright?"

"I think." That answer alone was a remarkable improvement. "I've been thinking, actually."

"Of?"

"Wherever we've gone, we've saved people," Katara said. "We're helping entire worlds, and more. Just like Aang would have wanted."

"Well, yes," I said.

"And every time we save someone like Stratogale... we're not just saving them. We're saving their families and the people they care about it." Tears appeared in Katara's eyes. "So they won't go through what I have."

"Ahh. Yes, that is also true." I put the last suit up on a rack and stepped up to Katara. "And we give them hope."

"Hope." Katara seemed to dwell on that word for a moment. "I gave up on that. I can't have Aang or Sokka or Toph back, so..."

"I know," I said quietly. "But sometimes there are other things to hope for."

"Yes. Maybe... there is a place out there for me." Katara's eyes glistened with tears. "And if I do find it, I know it'll be because of you." She walked up and gave me a hug. "Thank you."

I returned the hug wordlessly. Really, there wasn't anything I could say to add to that. I could only feel joy that after all this time, Katara was beginning to feel hope again.

And that's always the first step to making your world a better place.