Disruptive Influence
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irishvampire13
Title: 'Disruptive Influence'
Rating: G
Word Count: 567
Prompt/Chosen character: Courtney Woods--Throughout her life, she's a disruptive influence. She figures that that a lot of things (and people) need to be disrupted.
Author's Notes: Haven't got the other one done yet, so I'm having to switch dates. Sorry 'bout that; life's been a bit bonkers, this last week.
Well-behaved women seldom make history.
~*~ Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
"Honestly, who does that," the Doctor growled, slumping on the stairs. "Who said you could go and get sick in somebody else's timeship, anyway?"
Courtney glowered at him, still feeling queasy. "It's not like I meant to," she muttered.
"Meant to or not, you still did it!"
They glared at each other for a moment. At last, the Doctor sighed, holding out his hand. A small pill sat in his palm.
"Here," he said, his voice taking on a more conciliatory tone. "Take this."
Courtney looked at the capsule, curious and suspicious. "What is it?"
He stared at her blankly. "It's poison." There was no way to be certain whether the look on her face was one of skepticism, or of fear. "It's a ginger pill. Go on and take it; it'll settle your stomach. Breathing deeply helps, too," he advised as she swallowed the pill. "There you are; you'll be fine in a bit."
She willed herself to take slow breaths. Soon, her insides began to calm down. "I'm sorry I was sick," she mumbled, embarrassed.
The Doctor shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Wasn't hard to clean up the mess. You got a nasty shock. It happens to--"
He had a brief flash. A blonde London shopgirl crying in a bigger-on-the-inside blue box, facing the jarring discovery that the universe was a lot more complicated than she realized...
"--to the best of us," he whispered. He tried to laugh off the memory. "You should've seen Clara--Miss Oswald--when she first met me. I think she thought I was some sort of lunatic. She was actually afraid of me."
"And now," Courtney asked him, her stomach no longer churning.
The Doctor shot her a wink. "Now I'm afraid of her. She tells me you're a hell of a disruptive influence, by the way. Interrupting lectures, and all that. Why? Are you afraid of going unnoticed, or something? Keep quiet for too long, and they'll mistake you for part of the furniture? Is that it?"
Staring at her hands, Courtney shrugged. "No reason. I just don't like rules, I guess. They're stupid, and they don't make any sense."
"Ah." The Doctor nodded. "Trying to buck the system."
"Yeah. Something like that."
"Now, that's something I can understand," he told her. "I used to be like you. Still am, to be honest. Sometimes the status quo needs a swift kick in the pants. All the same, that doesn't mean you should cause trouble in class. Teachers don't get paid enough to deal with that sort of rubbish. And some of your mates are there to actually learn things. If you want to make a stir, that's all very well; but don't take it out on them. That's unfair. Besides, maybe they need attention, too. There are better ways to leave your mark in the world."
"Like what," Courtney wondered.
"Uhm..." The Doctor pondered for a moment. "Chess club," he ventured. She gave him a distasteful head-shake. "Okay, no. Sports? Art? Music? Some sort of interest, a daydream that you've been afraid people would take the mickey out of you for if you told them?"
"I...I don't know," she admitted to him. "I never thought about it."
"Well, you're young, yet. I imagine you're pretty bright." He smiled. "I'm sure you'll come up with something that takes your fancy. Just give it time."
irishvampire13Title: 'Disruptive Influence'
Rating: G
Word Count: 567
Prompt/Chosen character: Courtney Woods--Throughout her life, she's a disruptive influence. She figures that that a lot of things (and people) need to be disrupted.
Author's Notes: Haven't got the other one done yet, so I'm having to switch dates. Sorry 'bout that; life's been a bit bonkers, this last week.
Well-behaved women seldom make history.
~*~ Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
"Honestly, who does that," the Doctor growled, slumping on the stairs. "Who said you could go and get sick in somebody else's timeship, anyway?"
Courtney glowered at him, still feeling queasy. "It's not like I meant to," she muttered.
"Meant to or not, you still did it!"
They glared at each other for a moment. At last, the Doctor sighed, holding out his hand. A small pill sat in his palm.
"Here," he said, his voice taking on a more conciliatory tone. "Take this."
Courtney looked at the capsule, curious and suspicious. "What is it?"
He stared at her blankly. "It's poison." There was no way to be certain whether the look on her face was one of skepticism, or of fear. "It's a ginger pill. Go on and take it; it'll settle your stomach. Breathing deeply helps, too," he advised as she swallowed the pill. "There you are; you'll be fine in a bit."
She willed herself to take slow breaths. Soon, her insides began to calm down. "I'm sorry I was sick," she mumbled, embarrassed.
The Doctor shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Wasn't hard to clean up the mess. You got a nasty shock. It happens to--"
He had a brief flash. A blonde London shopgirl crying in a bigger-on-the-inside blue box, facing the jarring discovery that the universe was a lot more complicated than she realized...
"--to the best of us," he whispered. He tried to laugh off the memory. "You should've seen Clara--Miss Oswald--when she first met me. I think she thought I was some sort of lunatic. She was actually afraid of me."
"And now," Courtney asked him, her stomach no longer churning.
The Doctor shot her a wink. "Now I'm afraid of her. She tells me you're a hell of a disruptive influence, by the way. Interrupting lectures, and all that. Why? Are you afraid of going unnoticed, or something? Keep quiet for too long, and they'll mistake you for part of the furniture? Is that it?"
Staring at her hands, Courtney shrugged. "No reason. I just don't like rules, I guess. They're stupid, and they don't make any sense."
"Ah." The Doctor nodded. "Trying to buck the system."
"Yeah. Something like that."
"Now, that's something I can understand," he told her. "I used to be like you. Still am, to be honest. Sometimes the status quo needs a swift kick in the pants. All the same, that doesn't mean you should cause trouble in class. Teachers don't get paid enough to deal with that sort of rubbish. And some of your mates are there to actually learn things. If you want to make a stir, that's all very well; but don't take it out on them. That's unfair. Besides, maybe they need attention, too. There are better ways to leave your mark in the world."
"Like what," Courtney wondered.
"Uhm..." The Doctor pondered for a moment. "Chess club," he ventured. She gave him a distasteful head-shake. "Okay, no. Sports? Art? Music? Some sort of interest, a daydream that you've been afraid people would take the mickey out of you for if you told them?"
"I...I don't know," she admitted to him. "I never thought about it."
"Well, you're young, yet. I imagine you're pretty bright." He smiled. "I'm sure you'll come up with something that takes your fancy. Just give it time."
