50 Years of Time Travel

[alienlisa]

Today is the day.

On this day, 50 years ago to the day...a legend was born. Today is the day the mad man with a magic blue box graced our televisions and firmly cemented himself into the hearts of many.

Including one very special alien.

The outside of AL's house is abuzz with activity. Large tables have been set out and covered with blue tablecloths and a giant banner hangs in midair proclaiming 50 YEARS OF TIME TRAVEL in sparkling gold letters. There is a whole separate table for food: there are the traditional snacks of pretzels, potato chips in various flavors, popcorn in various flavors, dips (onion, veggie and spinach), bread, crackers and cheese. There are also Dalek-shaped cupcakes, gingerbread Cybermen, little cakes with edible ball bearings, and fish fingers and custard. There are several sheet cakes and giant showpieces featuring the TARDIS and the entire cast of Doctor Who over 50 years.

Speaking of the TARDIS, there are thirteen of them sitting in a neat line along AL's house. The amount of people milling about the area is far too many to count and the reason this party is being held outside rather than in the house.

Today is the day we celebrate the Doctor. Every incarnation of the Time Lord is here, from One to Twelve (who is currently attired in the outfit his actor wore when he was announced in the roll). And, in light of the recent episode, the War Doctor is also present. Also around is, well, practically everyone who has ever been in the show, companions and side-characters. And four K9s.

Playing hostess of course is AL herself, mingling around everyone and making small talk. She smiles at the two unicorns watching the festivities because it's Tempest and Mistral who are ensuring a nice, sunny and warm day for this party (much better than the windy, sunny and freezing cold day it really is on Earth). The other guys are there, too, but this day is about the Doctors.

So, come and celebrate the Day of the Doctor. All are welcome.

Comments

[8docs_n_1victor]

"The dice -- or random number generator -- was very kind to me that day," Forgotten Vows agrees.

"Huh," VampDoc2 says. "Interesting. Twelve incarnations to figure out a term of endearment for her?" he adds, lightly kidding the Doctors. "Or, actually, thirteen. . ."

"Thirteen and a half if you count the Watcher," TeenDoc speaks up, index finger raised. "Although that does set a precedent for there being regenerations and alternate forms of the Doctor that 'don't count' as the Doctor."

[alienlisa]

"Yes," AL says to Forgotten Vows, "it was. Actually, I never told you this but a future me has something similar. He's called a Kinsellan flit and he resembles a dragon but he's not. His name is Rising Fog, but his nickname is Jamie and I'm the only one allowed to call him that." She pauses. "Three guesses as to where I got that name and the first two don't count." She giggles, then rummages around hammerspace for a picture. "That's him. The symbols on that band on his leg represent my initials. He's an Empath and he speaks using telepathy. Hard to say how big he is...hang on..." She searches hammerspace again for another picture. "Dunno where my glasses went when that was taken, but there you get an idea of how big he is. He generally shows up in the stories when and after I'm on the Enterprise because I got him way, way later on. That's why he's not here."

The Doctors blush. "I didn't feel I needed one," defends Eleven. "Not at the time."

AL pats his hand. "Maybe it took this long to find the right one, eh?" She chuckles. "Well if you want to get confused we have a few alternates and things to take into consideration." She starts counting on her fingers, causing the drink she was holding to float in midair. "The Watcher I suppose could be considered Four-and-a-half. He helped with the regeneration into Five by merging with Four. But then you have Ten being shot by the Dalek and siphoning off his regeneration energy into his spare hand, creating the MetaCrisis Doctor. That's the whole situation with Donna we don't talk about as you may or may not know. And at the end of the 50th..." Her eyes light up. "It's implied that the Doctor will revisit his old faces...just the favorites; here's hoping Five is on that list. We see Four...aged and working as the Curator for the National Gallery in London...appointed by Queen Elizabeth the First herself." She takes her drink back. "We could be up to Fourteen or Fifteen or whatever...I'll stick with my own numbering until screen-confirmation. I mean, Clara herself said that Eleven there is the Eleventh Doctor, so that's what I'm sticking with." She nods and sips her drink.

[8docs_n_1victor]

"Do you?" Forgotten Vows and Moonlight both peer curiously at the pictures. Moonlight's eyes take on a brief purple tint as he lets out a puzzled chirrup. "No, I think he was born like that -- he's like a wyvern," Forgotten Vows explains. "They don't have front legs. Moonlight thought he'd been hurt," he explains to Lisa. "He and I have an empathic bond as well. He can't really talk to me, but he can send pictures, and between those and his feelings I can generally puzzle out his meaning." He smiles at the image of Future!AL with Rising Fog on her arm. "He's a lovely creature -- I'm a little sorry I can't meet him in person."

"I suppose sharing a telepathic bond with the woman you love makes endearments not strictly necessary," RolePlay Doc speaks up, chuckling.

TeenDoc nods as Lisa goes over the list. "So, there's the Watcher, who merged into Four during regeneration to create Five. . .the MetaCrisis, who is kind of the opposite in that he's a split-off version resulting from extra regeneration energy. . .Donna, which is apparently a terrible can of worms. . .the War Doctor, which we just discussed. . .and the ability to shift back to old forms?" He shakes his head. "Impossible to keep up, really."

"And I think Vic's said something about the Valeyard being some form or offshoot of the Doctor as well," RPD adds. "I think it's easier if you just consider the forms who consider THEMSELVES the Doctor -- well, the Doctor. Their numbering system should take precedence over all others."

[alienlisa]

AL smiles. "Well, next party at the Inkwell, I'll bring him along. I'm sure the future me won't mind." She nods at his explanation of their way of communicating. "The only downside of him speaking telepathically is that Data can't hear him. Android brain and all. Also I have a few friends that are self-aware holograms and they can't hear him either, so I have to translate. Not a big deal, of course."

Eleven snaps his fingers and points at RollPlay Doc, smiling. "Yes, exactly!"

"Yeah, the Valeyard is an amalgam of the darker aspects of the Doctor's personality that's taken somewhere between his Twelfth and Final incarnation. With the wonky numbering...between Eleven and Twelve, maybe? Personally, I'm determined to make sure he never shows his face. He was a product of the High Council being jerks, so..." AL shrugs, then makes a face. "I wouldn't put it passed Moffat to do something like that, troll that he is." She's frowning now. "I hope not. Like I said, I want to love him."

[8docs_n_1victor]

Moonlight trills, his eyes changing to a happy light blue. "Yes, yes, you can play if he wants to," Victor says with a laugh. "I'm Moonlight's permanent translator -- Impression only works with one person. Though it's pretty easy to tell his mood. And I'm sure natural telepaths would be able to interpret him the same way I do."

RolePlayDoc grins. "Glad to have summed it up so well!"

"Doctor, you really have to stop letting parts of yourself escape and turn into their own people to cause trouble," TeenDoc jokes. "Hopefully he won't show up, or make life with Twelve too difficult if he does. We want you to continue having happy adventures with your Doctor as well."

[alienlisa]

"Yes, I can," AL says with a smile.

The Doctors and AL both nod. AL says, "It'll be hard to judge on Christmas since that's the regeneration episode...though, granted Eleven there had me at 'Legs!' so there you go...and rumor has it that next season won't start until August. But we'll see." Beat. "And thank you."

[8docs_n_1victor]

"Thought so," Victor says, as Moonlight lets off lots of warm happy feelings.

HatterDoc looks thoughtful. "That seems to be a theme in the newer series, isn't it? Didn't Nine into Ten and Ten into Eleven happen on Christmas as well?"

"I think so," OckDoc nods. "Well, we'll see when it happens, I suppose. Your alter ego surely won't leave us in the dark." He winces. "August? Oh dear. Quite the drought, then."

[alienlisa]

AL smiles. "Don't forget that I can also understand animals in general." Beat. "Well, Moonlight is more than a mere animal, of course." She pets him.

"Actually, no," says AL. "Nine turned into Ten in June and Ten's first full-length episode was the Christmas special. Ten's regeneration episode was a two-parter. Part One aired on Christmas but technically he turned into Eleven on New Year's Day in Part Two. But, like you said, you don't follow the show as closely as some people do."

"I know~" she almost whines. "But they don't start filming until January so..." She shrugs.

[8docs_n_1victor]

Moonlight, fortunately, doesn't take any offense and will simply accept the extra petting, rumbling in a way that suggests a purr. Forgotten Vows chuckles. "Right, right. Greedy little thing," he teases the fire lizard, who just wraps his long forked tail around his shoulders.

"Oh." HatterDoc tilts his hat down, looking a bit embarrassed. "I thought he mentioned Christmas at some point. . .but well, time machine. . ."

"I bet him mentioning Christmas was to explain him showing up next in the Christmas special," VampDoc says. "And yes, nothing you can do about that, sadly. You'll just have to dredge up some reserves of patience."