givesherflower | backdated to 12-28 | text | locked to friends and castmates

[And that's just fine by her! She's used to his behavior patterns by this point. After a few minutes, she returns with two trays loaded with freeze-dried, nutritionally-balanced food blocks, cutlery, and a drink each. Enjoy~]

[ awwww yis space food. fiddling a bit with trying to get a piece of food block on his fork, he says conversationally: ]

So, when did I make it to "Papa"?

[ whoops shoulda realised he wouldn't have let that one go. ]

[You had to bring it up as she was chewing on some of her vegetable block, didn't you? Her eyes widened in surprise, and no answer came until she swallowed down what was in her mouth.]

I-I called you that? I didn't realize... oh how embarrassing.... [She buries her slowly-reddening face in her hands for a few seconds. When Feldt resurfaces, the color on her cheeks clashes with her hair.]

I guess... oh, I don't know. You've been there for me for the last four years, even back when I had only known you for a few months. Ian and Dr. Moreno helped raise me when I was little, Linda too. Before I knew it you were there for me a lot. Giving me advice, making sure I was okay, even after I left without a word, being so understanding... after a while, it felt like you were another father figure in my life. Sometimes... I wondered if that's why it hurt so much after you left in your new ship for the first time.

[ he chuckles a little at her embarrassment, chewing his own food block. actually, he doesn't think it's embarrassing. surprising, yes, endearing definitely. touching? oh yeah, it's most certainly that as well. and he's much better equipped to deal with the honour than he was four, five years ago, too.

even if he's not sure he deserves it.

he listens to her, and nods. smiles strangely, eyes crinkling at the corners. ]

Well, whatever the reason, I'm honoured. Flabbergasted, yeah, but honoured. [ pause. when he next speaks, it's with warmth, but bashful all the same. ] I'd be proud if you were my daughter.

[She flushes a little brighter, but not out of embarrassment. More out of being pleased and so honored at his words. The man she looked up to and had managed to impress her so greatly with his brilliance, kindness, and eccentricity would be proud if she were his daughter? She looks down at her tray, smiling as happy tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Her eyes close for a moment before she looks up. An idea has been born behind her glassy aqua eyes.]

Maybe... I could be?

What?

[ surprise and shock makes you so eloquent, Doctor. ]

[Oh no she didn't mean to shock him... TIME TO BACKPEDAL. because you know that totally gets you places.]

N-never mind...! It's a silly idea. Just... forget I mentioned it....

Oh come on, why would it be silly? I mean, you know, other than the fact that I'm a lunatic who doesn't even have a box anymore and I'm never around and I can't even get my dates right half the time and that it's been so long since I actually did the parenting thing full-time as opposed to just playing with it while ruining people's lives along the way...

[ all of that was said at 200mph. he's in full on nervous babbling mode now, Feldt, you might want to shut him up. ]

Shh.

[It kinda says something when she at least understood half of what he was saying. But she eventually goes into serious mode and breaches his personal space to put two fingers over his mouth to shut him up.]

You don't ruin peoples' lives. And even if you're not always here, it's fine. I guess I thought it would be silly because for a long time, I never had anyone to call "Papa". Anyone alive, I mean. I still love my papa in heaven, and Dr. Moreno and Ian were the closest I had growing up, but it wasn't the same, I guess.... But since I met you, you've been there for me like they all have been. [minus a couple times that she's not going to bring up...] And... technically, you could adopt me... i-if you wanted to.

[ sputtering to a halt, and... blink. blink.

when he regains his voice again, the first thing he says, in a tone of great incredulity, is: ]

Did you-- Feldt Grace, did you just shush me?

[Guess it's going to be a blinking party because she's actually a bit surprised she did it herself.]

...Yes. I believe I did.

[ grumble grumble ] Over 900 years and I've never been shushed.

[ he appears to be taking it very personally. but after a moment, he shakes it off, and it becomes clear his pouty face was at least 95% a joke. ]

Honestly, though? You're really serious? I mean... you'd actually want that?

[OH GOOD he was joking. That means it's good to continue joking a little.]

Then maybe it's about time someone did. [She doesn't bother repressing a little giggle before going back to serious territory. And yet, she keeps a smile on her face. A smile of hope that reaches her eyes.] But yes, I do mean it. I honestly really do. I wouldn't have said so if I didn't mean it.

... Right.

[ the impossible has happened. the Doctor is speechless.

someone better pop their head out the door and check the multiverse is still okay out there. ]

[...are you okay Doctor? oh god she broke him. time to lean in and look at him with some concern. and then she leans back since he seems to still be alive.]

I don't need an answer right away. I know I just dropped this on you out of nowhere... but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me. Like I said, you've always been there for me, and I care about you a lot....

[And here's something else that's new. Feldt's started into nervous babbling territory. Might want to stem off the flow of words~]

[ he's surprised enough to hear so many words coming out of Feldt's mouth all at once that he just sits there gaping for a few more moments before abruptly blurting out: ] I'm just surprised, that's all.

[ pause. a long one. ] ... we. We're making a right scene, aren't we?

O-oh... I guess we are.

[She looks around, her face turning red even as she realizes their only audience is Haro. Just floating around the opposite side of the room. ...The hell did he come from so quietly? Once he realizes he's been spotted, he drifts out to go elsewhere. Wasn't he supposed to be with Lockon or Lyle anyway...?]

Nevermind. Awkwardness is an art, or so I've been told. [ beat, while he rubs the back of his neck. ] Was that Haro spying on us just now?

It's possible... he does have a habit of doing that sometimes.

[ cheerfully: ] If footage of this conversation ends up on Youtube, I'll reprogram him to think he's a character in Eastenders for a week, see how he likes that.

[ HE SWEARS HE'S ONLY JOKING... ]

Eastenders?

[Lack of knowledge for old Earth shows eludes her, but if their chat ends up anywhere on the internet, she'll delete it from every archive.]

20th-21st century British soap opera. Very famous, mostly for how melodramatic it was and how much misfortune it liked to heap on top of its characters.

Sounds a bit like real life... or real life with the community involved.

[She pauses for a moment because there is a more important question still clinging to her thoughts.]

You wouldn't really reprogram him, would you?

Oh heck, I don't think I'd want to see Eastenders if they brought viruses into the mix. They'd find a way to make them worse than the reality, mark my words.

No! [ pregnant pause. ] Well, only a little.

Oh dear...

Only if you don't do it right before he has a mission. Otherwise I'll have to reset him back to how he was before.

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timey_wimey - 2013-04-13 13:33 (UTC) - Expand

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givesherflower - 2013-04-15 03:32 (UTC) - Expand