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[ She laughs softly at his comment, the sound still a little wobbly from crying. Her hand squeezes his before she confesses quielty: ]

I always want to make you proud of me.

[ For some reason she can't look at him after saying it, her cheeks turning red. She's never admitted it out loud, she's never even wanted that so badly with her parents. But him? What the Doctor thinks is important. It means more than anything to her. ]

Edited 2022-10-15 15:38 (UTC)

[ Clara's statement draws a look of genuine surprise across his face and his brows furrow in thought. ]

Me? I'm just a daft old man without a blue box.

[ The surprise doesn't come from not knowing her; he'd be surprised too even if he did. Of course he thinks he's a genius and that sometimes it isn't recognized enough but, for someone to want to him to be proud of them is another matter entirely. ]

If you say so. [ She says that with no malice, just a soft smile at him. It doesn't make any sense to tell him the truth of it until he's ready to hear it. ]

When can I go back to my flat? This isn't exactly screaming homey.

[ The puzzled look on his face remains for a brief moment before he glances around the space. ]

Probably whenever you feel like it. The only person in charge seems to have left a while ago.

[ Probably a good thing too. They hadn't been exactly pleased to see him bustle back through the building after he had rudely told them to get out of his way. He extends a hand towards Clara. ]

Need an escort?

[ Clara takes his hand. ]

Always. And not that I need a babysitter or anything but...would you mind staying for a bit? Maybe show me more things on the sonic.

[ She isn't ready to be alone yet, even if she knows the seconds she's comfortable again she'll likely fall asleep. ]

[ His fingers curl automatically around hers helping her out of the bed and making sure she's steady on her feet. ]

Well if it's to tutor you on the sonic...

[ Even though he isn't saying it he's reluctant to let her out of his sight too. The memory of her shaking body still hasn't faded from his mind and the effect it had on him still lingers. ]

[ Both hands rest in his for a few beats before letting go to hold onto only one. She doesn't let go as they walk and without saying anything at all, she lets her fingers interlock with his. It's a statement, that she's here and solid and with him.

Letting them into her one-room flat, she's decorated with a few plants and pieces of artwork. There are already more books scattered about than anything else. And there, right next to her bed, is the little bird. ]

Don't mind the books. Working on recommended magical reading.

[ When he feels her hand grip hers, he lets her. There's no desire to pull away. No sense of creeping discomfort that usually comes from someone encroaching on his personal space. Just security and warmth.

He follows her obediently back towards her flat, leaving the day of mission behind them. Despite noting the mechanical bird he doesn't say anything although his eyes linger before moving towards the books to examine them. He looks at titles recognizing several that Obi-Wan had been reading. ]

Did you ask someone for a recommended list?

There are classes, so I picked up a list and looked them up at the library. Did you know I started working there, by the way? If I'm not going to be chipped I'll need to make more money to accommodate this lavish lifestyle.

[ She smirks and tugs her sonic out of her pocket, sitting on the couch and sitting cross-legged, facing him. ]

Alright, show me what this bad boy can do. Actually, she. I've named her Pheobe.

You paid for all of this?

[ He suddenly realizes how kitted out her flat actually is. The Doctor hadn't necessarily put a ton of effort into decorating his flat so much as he had simply accumulated things by bartering or making use of things that the Witches had discarded. Another man's trash was a Time Lord's treasure after all.

The Doctor cares less about the money and more about Clara's newly christened sonic screwdriver. He sits down beside her, lips twisting. ]

Why Pheobe?

[ Clara gives him a small smile as she examines it proudly. ]

Mother of the moon and stars goddess, granddaughter of the goddess of witchcraft. I dunno, seemed appropriate. I think it works, don't you?

Edited 2022-10-16 14:41 (UTC)

[ The explanation suddenly does make sense and delight lights up his gaze. ]

Very fitting. Hopefully she watches over you. [ He motions to it. ] What do you want to do with it? Give me a scenario.

[ Clara bites at her lip, thinking of a time he's used the sonic. ]

Oh, someone's locked up who shouldn't be and we're trying to break them out. What setting? [ Clara's leaning close to him, maybe unnecessarily close. But unless he moves, she's staying. ]

[ Clara’s boldness doesn’t go unnoticed. His eyes flicker to her briefly but he doesn’t say or move away otherwise. He’d rather her close than hurt and not there at all.

He pulls out his own sonic, demonstrating the motions. ]

Press that one and that one. Bit easier to show you with an actual lock. But it also depends on the lock. The one I showed you will do the trick for most of them, but if you get one that’s a little bit complicated it’ll take a little bit more finesse.

[ She knows better than to push it, and for now, she'll take this and be happy. ]

This one does do wood, right? [ She has to tease him gently, turning her head and smiling at him, which is when she realizes she may have gotten too close to him. She doesn't want to set herself up for failure, but she doesn't want to make it awkward either. So she simply carries on. ]

Who makes a sonic good on everything except wood?

[ A bit of an annoyed look passes his face at the mention of his constant forgetfulness to make that a setting. It's more aimed at himself than at Clara since he knows it's just good natured ribbing. ]

There are other important things to consider than just the wood setting. But it's also more complicated than that. Anyway what next?

[ Clara goes through a few different settings with him, trying them out when they can, before she begins to rub her eyes, a sign of her tiredness creeping back after the brief short wind. ]

I think I've learned all that my brain can handle for today. Need to turn it off for a while again after...everything.

You did well. It gets easier with more repetition - but also your brain might kick in a flight versus fight moment.

[ There's a moment where he sits there, wondering if he should leave. It's really written all over his face and he's likely to keep thinking about it unless Clara says something one way or another. ]

[ For a second she thinks she might want to tell him what's been on her mind, what she's been thinking since she arrived in this place because she doesn't know what'll happen to her now that the Zygons have her. Her heart beats a little fast, and she knows he can hear it. But she clears her throat and looks down at the sonic in her hands. ]

I'm having my chip removed tomorrow. Do you want to come? [ She looks back up at him, eyes meeting his. ]

[ The Doctor does hear her heartbeats, but for what it's worth only chalks it up to the question that she asks him next. ]

If you want me there, I will be.

[ Clara's so close to him that she can smell the faint scent of the forest on his skin; the outside air clings to him even though the adventure is over. It's always this moment she thinks of in the after, especially now, when his hair is still a little wild but his eyes have relaxed. A little disheveled, still a bit worried about her. If he could hear more than just her heart, she thinks he might get up and leave.

She nods, clearing her throat and finally looking away from him. Leaning forward as a distraction, she places her sonic gently on the table. When her hands are empty, Clara doesn't know what to do with them, tucking her hair behind her ears before rubbing the back of her neck. ]

Yeah, I do. Just in case it hurts.

[ Time Lord biology lends to enhanced everything: hearing, eyesight, smell and taste to name a few. There are times when it doesn't look like he's paying much attention to anything at all but that's a lie. His body won't let him be ignorant to his surroundings even when he wants to be.

It's not a bad excuse, but it's the only one he can come up with that could explain why he's suddenly fixated on aspects of Clara he normally wouldn't. Like how the smell of the medical bay still permeates on her skin, covering the scent that he's come to associate with her, or how he wondered if her hands also felt restless when they weren't doing something. But that could be easily traced back to her nervousness about the chip removal. ]

It won't. The Witches have advanced technology; everyone I've spoken to who's had it removed by them said so. [ The Doctor's gaze is steady on Clara's, pushing some levity into his voice in an attempt to dispel her fears. ] You don't plan on doing something stupid like passing on the anesthesia, do you? Because Clara, if we're being honest, that sounds like something I would do and I wouldn't recommend doing anything like me.

[ Clara looks at him, then looks at the sonic on the table. ]

I sort of thought about pointing that at my neck and seeing what happens. It's a little chip, figured it can't be as bad as being shot.

[ Her eyes move back to the Doctor's, almost positive he isn't going to have anything in support of her idea. ]

[ There's a look of alarm that quickly turns into a scrutinizing frown as he tries to figure out if she's being serious. From the look she's giving him though it's clear to him that she was seriously entertaining the idea. ]

By yourself? You were just going to hold a mirror to your neck and assume that the sonic was on the right setting to deactivate it? How were you going to take it out?

Edited 2022-10-22 02:42 (UTC)

[ She was definitely going to try it. ]]

I dunno, if it's deactivated does it necessarily need to come out? I assumed the sonic would know once the chip is off.

[ Assumed, but she had no real idea. ]

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