[licenseartistic] October 2008 - Terror
Title: "The Frighteners"
Prompt: Terror
Character: The Tenth Doctor
Warnings: None
Pairings: None
Fandom: Doctor Who
Word count: 482
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The Doctor and all other mentioned characters are property of the BBC, and are used without permission.
I've heard the question from more than one Companion: "Doctor, isn't there anything in the universe you're afraid of?" Now, typically, I'll respond to them with some offhand comment about being too clever to be afraid of much, or about how if there might be, then I just haven't run into it yet, and won't that be a brilliant moment. I might even, sometimes, poke a bit of fun at them. I don't often answer honestly, you see, because that particular question has a tendency to be voiced right after we've faced down some horrendous beastie or unthinkable horror. Never the best time to be showing a chink in the armour.
Plus, I do have a bit of a reputation to protect, isn't that right?
Of course there are things I'm frightened of. Only the truest kind of fool is frightened of absolutely nothing. There are terrifying things out in the universe... terrifying. Things so frightening they drive sentient beings stark, raving mad to contemplate them. Things capable of evacuating entire planets on merely the strength of their reputations. Things that make me shudder to know are out there, waiting for the unwary and unwise to cross their path.
There's the Vashta Nerada, that's a fine place to start. Are you afraid of the dark? Nearly everyone-- and I mean every being is programmed with a level of wariness about the dark, about places where they can't see, and it's not just the blindness. When there are shadows that move, and shadows that kill... and, as I learned, even hate, there's all manner of reason to be frightened.
I did run across one being that... oh, what's the phrase? Freaked me out. I fell on it (almost literally, as it turns out) on a planet orbiting a black hole. Impossible, I know, but there it was. The Beast, for lack of a better and less colorful name, was capable of controlling minds and causing a number of highly unusual occurrences. It claimed, if you can believe it, to be the embodiment of evil commonly known on Earth as the Devil.
No I did not just claim to have met the Devil. I met a powerful and evil being that claimed to be the Devil, and he gave me the willies.
And then, there's one of my personal favorites: the Weeping Angels. While I suppose there might be flashier contenders for the crown, they've got to take the medal in the category of Creepiest. The way they suddenly appear, in one spot one second, six inches away the next, and the fact you can't take your eyes off them if you're going to survive...
Well, I hope you found that informative. Be afraid, as the poster said, be very afraid. It's all right to be. It's very, very human to be. But don't let it stop you.
Prompt: Terror
Character: The Tenth Doctor
Warnings: None
Pairings: None
Fandom: Doctor Who
Word count: 482
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The Doctor and all other mentioned characters are property of the BBC, and are used without permission.
I've heard the question from more than one Companion: "Doctor, isn't there anything in the universe you're afraid of?" Now, typically, I'll respond to them with some offhand comment about being too clever to be afraid of much, or about how if there might be, then I just haven't run into it yet, and won't that be a brilliant moment. I might even, sometimes, poke a bit of fun at them. I don't often answer honestly, you see, because that particular question has a tendency to be voiced right after we've faced down some horrendous beastie or unthinkable horror. Never the best time to be showing a chink in the armour.
Plus, I do have a bit of a reputation to protect, isn't that right?
Of course there are things I'm frightened of. Only the truest kind of fool is frightened of absolutely nothing. There are terrifying things out in the universe... terrifying. Things so frightening they drive sentient beings stark, raving mad to contemplate them. Things capable of evacuating entire planets on merely the strength of their reputations. Things that make me shudder to know are out there, waiting for the unwary and unwise to cross their path.
There's the Vashta Nerada, that's a fine place to start. Are you afraid of the dark? Nearly everyone-- and I mean every being is programmed with a level of wariness about the dark, about places where they can't see, and it's not just the blindness. When there are shadows that move, and shadows that kill... and, as I learned, even hate, there's all manner of reason to be frightened.
I did run across one being that... oh, what's the phrase? Freaked me out. I fell on it (almost literally, as it turns out) on a planet orbiting a black hole. Impossible, I know, but there it was. The Beast, for lack of a better and less colorful name, was capable of controlling minds and causing a number of highly unusual occurrences. It claimed, if you can believe it, to be the embodiment of evil commonly known on Earth as the Devil.
No I did not just claim to have met the Devil. I met a powerful and evil being that claimed to be the Devil, and he gave me the willies.
And then, there's one of my personal favorites: the Weeping Angels. While I suppose there might be flashier contenders for the crown, they've got to take the medal in the category of Creepiest. The way they suddenly appear, in one spot one second, six inches away the next, and the fact you can't take your eyes off them if you're going to survive...
Well, I hope you found that informative. Be afraid, as the poster said, be very afraid. It's all right to be. It's very, very human to be. But don't let it stop you.