Learning Curve

[peas_fics]

Title:  Learning Curve

Author:  peas_fics

Rating:  PG15, for sexual content

Pairing(s):  Claire/Topher, Claire/Boyd, Topher/Bennett, & Whiskey/Victor

Warning(s)/Spoiler(s):  Series spoilers.   Teeny bit AU, as per the prompt.

Recipient/Prompt:  kay_obsessive /Claire doesn’t leave after 2.01 “Vows”.

Summary:   Claire wants to understand.

Beta:  duh_i_read

Comments

[bobthemole]

Oh. Oh wow.

Whiskey!Saunders and Victor!Topher, and neither of them are really them, and both of them know that, and the power dynamic is turned upside down because of that, and Topher isn't "safe" from Claire because she's not repelled by Victor, but he IS "safe" because Original!Topher doesn't ever have to know about this, so it never really happened because the Topher it happened to doesn't exist anymore.

This is precisely what I love about Dollhouse.

[peas_fics]

Thank you! I am so happy you enjoyed it. The idea of Claire and Topher getting some peace - for a little while, anyway - and having it torn away is haunting to me.

[kay_obsessive]

Oooh, I love the idea of Claire confronting Topher while he's in Victor's body. It's brilliant. It removes almost all the safeguards he created and lets them interact without the programming getting in the way, but it also lets Claire kind of force her experience on him, and then that Topher is wiped away and she's the only one who has to live with it. That's such an amazing idea; I never would have thought of it.

Thank you so much for writing this!

(And sorry for the late response! I've been on vacation with my family and didn't have much computer time.)

[peas_fics]

I am so glad you enjoyed it! There's something really powerful in those episodes where Topher's forced to confront what it means to be a personality in a Doll, and what with Claire being the embodiment (literally, almost) of his buried conflict about what he does, it strikes me as something that would've been a fantastic opportunity for the show, so it was a really fun idea to play with.