Christmas Ficathon: Day 14
Title: Beware the Jabberwock
Fandom: Doctor Who/Alice in Wonderland (sort of)
Characters: Sixth Doctor, Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), Jabberwocky
Rating: G
Word Count: 556
Summary: The Doctor and his new companion encounter a familiar creature.
Just a bit of silliness, really.
ETA: Now with more historical accuracy! Durr hurr.
“It is the first rule - the first rule, and none of them ever seem to grasp it. ‘Don’t wander off’ - honestly, it could not be any simpler. Charles!” Quite past the point of irritation, the Doctor quickened his pace, cutting a path through the forest undergrowth with sure, even steps that melted into a full-out run as a scream pierced through the leaves.
His errant companion was flat on his back, gaping above him wordlessly. As he followed the man's gaze, the Doctor spared a brief wish that for once he could travel with someone without having to carry them through that delicate period of adjustment. “Oh my God, it’s an alien!” was now nearly as irritating as “it’s bigger on the inside!” The Doctor could hardly blame his companion this time; poised above him was a large, lean, scaled creature - not nearly unlike the dragons that roamed the moons of Metapraxis 7, he thought, though the fingers were rather spindly, and it wore a waistcoat. The Doctor’s face brightened quite suddenly, and his blonde eyebrows shot up.
“A Jabberwock!” He inserted his hands into his pockets and stepped forward, grinning. “Charles, my boy, this is a rather unex-”
The Doctor’s speech was cut short as the Jabberwock, eyes not moving from the ground, let out a grating roar that billowed the Doctor’s coat behind him. Blinking, he reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and dabbed what he briefly hoped was merely the beast’s saliva off his cheek. He huffed and looked down at his companion.
“I think you had better move.”
Charles looked up at the Doctor with wild eyes that kept darting back to the beast, not wanting to let it out of his sight.
“It’s going to eat me,” he hissed out each word, barely moving his lips.
The Doctor bent at the waist, leaning over the terrified man. “You are lying on its dinner,” he said impatiently. Charles blinked, and after a final look at the beast, tore his eyes away reluctantly to roll on to his hip and glance over his shoulder at the ground behind him. A white hare, quite obviously dead, lay limp on the foliage.
“Ah.”
The Doctor deftly plucked the animal from the ground, holding it out by the ears toward the Jabberwock, who was looking at him with its head cocked.
“Here you are, my dear. My sincerest apologies for any inconvenience.” The beast peered at the Doctor, who was smiling serenely. It sniffed briefly, lumbering forward and grasping the hare with its weedy fingers, and disappearing into the trees.
“Well! Curiouser and curiouser, eh Charles? Come along.” The Doctor extended a hand to help the other man to his feet and turned back in the direction of the TARDIS.
“I - what - what was that?” Charles was steadily gaping at the space the Jabberwock had just recently been occupying.
The Doctor turned, eyebrows raised. “Now really. You of all people should recognize a Jabberwock.”
Charles blinked at him.
“Really? Alice? Cheshire cat, ‘drink me,’ Queen of Hearts and all that?” The Doctor waved his arm in an all-encompassing gesture. “Hmm. Haven’t written it yet, I suppose. No matter, you will do.”
He sighed impatiently at his still-gaping companion. “Well come on, then.”
“You,” Charles said, peering at him through narrow eyes, “are mad as a hatter.”
Fandom: Doctor Who/Alice in Wonderland (sort of)
Characters: Sixth Doctor, Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), Jabberwocky
Rating: G
Word Count: 556
Summary: The Doctor and his new companion encounter a familiar creature.
Just a bit of silliness, really.
ETA: Now with more historical accuracy! Durr hurr.
“It is the first rule - the first rule, and none of them ever seem to grasp it. ‘Don’t wander off’ - honestly, it could not be any simpler. Charles!” Quite past the point of irritation, the Doctor quickened his pace, cutting a path through the forest undergrowth with sure, even steps that melted into a full-out run as a scream pierced through the leaves.
His errant companion was flat on his back, gaping above him wordlessly. As he followed the man's gaze, the Doctor spared a brief wish that for once he could travel with someone without having to carry them through that delicate period of adjustment. “Oh my God, it’s an alien!” was now nearly as irritating as “it’s bigger on the inside!” The Doctor could hardly blame his companion this time; poised above him was a large, lean, scaled creature - not nearly unlike the dragons that roamed the moons of Metapraxis 7, he thought, though the fingers were rather spindly, and it wore a waistcoat. The Doctor’s face brightened quite suddenly, and his blonde eyebrows shot up.
“A Jabberwock!” He inserted his hands into his pockets and stepped forward, grinning. “Charles, my boy, this is a rather unex-”
The Doctor’s speech was cut short as the Jabberwock, eyes not moving from the ground, let out a grating roar that billowed the Doctor’s coat behind him. Blinking, he reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and dabbed what he briefly hoped was merely the beast’s saliva off his cheek. He huffed and looked down at his companion.
“I think you had better move.”
Charles looked up at the Doctor with wild eyes that kept darting back to the beast, not wanting to let it out of his sight.
“It’s going to eat me,” he hissed out each word, barely moving his lips.
The Doctor bent at the waist, leaning over the terrified man. “You are lying on its dinner,” he said impatiently. Charles blinked, and after a final look at the beast, tore his eyes away reluctantly to roll on to his hip and glance over his shoulder at the ground behind him. A white hare, quite obviously dead, lay limp on the foliage.
“Ah.”
The Doctor deftly plucked the animal from the ground, holding it out by the ears toward the Jabberwock, who was looking at him with its head cocked.
“Here you are, my dear. My sincerest apologies for any inconvenience.” The beast peered at the Doctor, who was smiling serenely. It sniffed briefly, lumbering forward and grasping the hare with its weedy fingers, and disappearing into the trees.
“Well! Curiouser and curiouser, eh Charles? Come along.” The Doctor extended a hand to help the other man to his feet and turned back in the direction of the TARDIS.
“I - what - what was that?” Charles was steadily gaping at the space the Jabberwock had just recently been occupying.
The Doctor turned, eyebrows raised. “Now really. You of all people should recognize a Jabberwock.”
Charles blinked at him.
“Really? Alice? Cheshire cat, ‘drink me,’ Queen of Hearts and all that?” The Doctor waved his arm in an all-encompassing gesture. “Hmm. Haven’t written it yet, I suppose. No matter, you will do.”
He sighed impatiently at his still-gaping companion. “Well come on, then.”
“You,” Charles said, peering at him through narrow eyes, “are mad as a hatter.”