#strgazers

[alyafae-arch]

“Is everything alright? I haven’t seen you all day.”    Heimdall had been looking for them most of the day and was fairly relieved when he found Xandra. Naturally, he wondered what they had been up to all day. / @strgazers

[sweetglace]

. ❝ It's just like the story of the Turtle Prince .... do you know that tale Doctor? ❞ She beamed, delicately wrapping her arm around the others ❝ It's about a Prince and you'll never guess what, but he's born in a disguise, a turtle shell and he meets a princess and he has to complete all of the tasks she's set so that she'll have the perfect suitor... what if that man back there really was the Prince from the story, wouldn't that be something? ❞

@strgazers 🩷'd.

[archive-storytelers]

❛ i know, i know, you think you're being smart when you do all of that, ❜ she says, waving a hand vaguely in the doctor's direction, masking the flash of grief that cuts across her face for a heartbeat, ❛ but, frankly, it is annoying. sorry to break it to you. ❜

@strgazers

[driftvoid]

YEARS HAD PASSED since they had last seen each other – but of course he hadn’t forgotten that they weren’t much of a hugger. Respected their boundaries, while he stood smiling in front of them, just happy to see them. Xandra had always had a special place in his heart and while their friendship might seem a little odd to some, it had never been less important to him, than friendships he had with people closer his age. Had trusted them – still trusted them, of course – with so much concerning the wedding, for example. The last big event before their worlds had been turned upside down…

“Good to see you. – Come in! We’ve barely got any furniture yet, but the kitchen chairs ‘n’ table came yesterday. – I can even offer you a coffee, if you want.” Had invited them to the new house, when he had heard that Xandra and Lauri would be coming back to London, too. Everyone was slowly returning; gathering while UNIT was still being dug out from the ashes.

“ – I don’t reckon I need to ask if you’d prefer me to put the dogs in the livin’ room…” | @strgazers [XANDRA]

[driftvoid]

@strgazers [XANDRA] SAID: [PLATES] For our muses to eat dinner in the garden

“I really hope that’s not FEAR I catch there in your eyes.” Just a little joke; laughing as he put the dish down between them on the already set table, and then put the oven mittens on the table as well. Out here in the garden, you could see the steam coming from the cottage pie as the air was somewhat colder. Well, they were slowly approaching autumn after all and Kate had told them, there would be still a lot to do in the garden before autumn turned into winter. It had only made him smile and made him smile now, too, as his eyes wandered past Xandra towards the newly planted rose bushes. The garden had quickly become a favourite place of his of the new house.

Attention back on Xandra, the smile still remained on his lips. “I think even a few years ago, it would have been hard for me to fully muck up the recipe for cottage pie. It just always ended up bland or too salty. – But nothing that a few years of cooking regularly haven’t been able to fix. So – do you want some or do you want to order takeaway after all?” Still just joking with his friend; just happy to see them, as they hadn’t seen each other in ages. Not even an exaggeration. Years. And then months of chaos following as UNIT was reinstated. Was this the first time they actually managed to spend some time together again without having to rush to the next meeting or some furniture delivery?

“ – I don’t want Lauri to accuse me of trying to poison you, when she’s coming back from Geneva with Kate.”

[driftvoid]

“ – I remember saying I am ninety-nine percent sure they are friendly – OUCH! I am already walking as fast as I can with these – chains!” Offence clearly in his voice as his attention wandered from his companion to their captures. Ninety-nine percent. And of course he had to still be wrong. EYES ROLLED; his steps following the cleared path. Not sticks and stones underneath his boots, but smooth – metal? No, this wasn’t the planet he had been thinking of! This was the sister planet! OH! – Oh no!

“ – I think --- there was a misunderstanding, Xandra…” | @strgazers LIKED.

[driftvoid]

@strgazers [XANDRA] SAID: ❝ breathe with me. in and out… good job. just keep doing that. ❞

His office door had fallen into its lock; a loud CLICK heard so rarely. Because the office door was never closed. Because he never put this much force into it on the rare occasion the first statement was false. Not today. He had rushed to his office, not wanting to see anyone on the way and not when he was sitting down on the old sofa he had squeezed into the small room, to make it more comfortable for whoever came to him with something serious to talk about.

Head in his hands; forcing himself to breathe even though he felt like he couldn’t; as if his lungs weren’t listening to the rest of his body any more and just not excepting the air he forced into them. HE HADN’T FELT LIKE THIS IN YEARS. He had been on a good path with his visits to Rebecca and with work being far removed from anything that could – have anything to do with THEM.

– Not today. A bad night, and a bad day following. He hadn’t been able to sleep after reports had been rushing in late last night about a possible encounter. A DALEK. Somewhere, held as a prisoner of a personal militia, trying to make some extra money. A team was on it. Kate was on it personally, too.

BUT IT WAS TOO SIMILAR, and while he had managed last night and had managed in the morning, being punctual and ready for his work day, he lost, whatever he had been holding onto for composure, when the team was dispatched.

He was vaguely aware that his office door had opened again, but he only registered who had followed him when he recognised their voice. They must have seen him rushing to his office. Or they were just here for their usual coffee on a lunch break. Was it lunch?

“ – I’m fine.” A lie, coming over his lips, still between irregular breaths. IN AND OUT. He was trying – the heartbeat in his ears slowly calming down.

[driftvoid]

@strgazers [XANDRA]: "Make yourself useful, get some gloves and a bin bag. These flowers need deadheading anyway."

“I know you think I’m quite useless in the garden – but if you phrase it like this, it sounds like you’re trying to hide a body rather than look after some flowers…” A shake of his head; a bit of a bizarre humour to it, that surprised himself. Or not. He had seen how his wife had let out her anger in the small garden of their house in Liverpool.

“ – s’ppose both’s still where it used to be?”