roleplay for ibringlife, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="the_cor

[rude_not_ginger]

The Doctor flipped a few final switches on the TARDIS console, adding the information he'd just recieved about Aislinn into the systems, should he ever run across another muse like her again. Well, he doubted it would be exactly like her, but...the same genus at least.

He turned, picking up the teacups that were left behind. Funny, he would've thought Rose would've been back by now. The sound of a familiar key in the lock made him look up. Speak of the devil...

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[the-corsair.livejournal.com]

"I noticed that," Byron replied with a touch of amusement but remarkably little sarcasm for him.

"It's beautiful," he told the Doctor with a charming and appreciative smile. He could be winsome when he put his mind to it and getting his way always put him in the mood to be both charming and winsome. Some had called it a lethal combination. "Thank you for doing this, Doctor."

He wandered the cavernous room a bit, not touching, not wanting to intrude, but studying. "I can't say I'm much of a man of science, so perhaps I won't understand, wouldn't even if it was Earth science, but how does it work?"

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

Great. He had thhe charming smile of Jack and the politeness of...well, the Doctor hadn't known too many polite people as of late. It was somewhat refreshing, but the Doctor was already resolved to dislike Byron as best it was possible. It was getting difficult, especially what with Rose's horrific crush on him.

"It's...a bit complicated at the very least," the Doctor said, distractedly, "Most think it impossible. Like...you think you can't put an enormous building into your small sitting rooms, correct? But you've invented television by this time period, am I right? So, by showing an enormous building on your television you've done a bit of the impossible."

He tilted his head to the side, looking at Byron, "Still not quite clear to you, is it? I can tell by your expression you don't understand. And I knew you wouldn't, nevermind." Back to the flipping and twirling of the console's gadgetry.

[ibringlife.livejournal.com]

"Didn't really give him a chance to, did you?" Rose mumbled half to herself. Her tone held traces of affection even as she resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at the Doctor.

"Don't mind him. He's like this with everyone new. It took weeks before I got him to stop saying the word 'human' like it was supposed to be an insult."

[the-corsair.livejournal.com]

Byron smiled a little and shrugged slightly. "You could manage to be a bit more clear in the explanation, but I likely wouldn't understand still." He didn't sound overly concerned.

"The concept of the television bringing things in, however, I do understand." He sounded almost amused, leaning half against the wall, half on his cane.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

The Doctor glanced down at the monitor. Not human, he was right. Not anything that the TARDIS had recognized from before, though. Odd. Very odd. No voidstuff, no biowaves from space travel. An earth-born alien.

A few emotions poked at the back of his mind.

He glared a a bit at the console. "Oh, please," he grumbled, "You're only thinking that because Rose does."

He punched a few buttons and turned back to Byron, "Quantum physics and spacial matter displacement crunches are a bit beyond your time. The dimensions inside aren't what's outside...pretty common on my planet."

[ibringlife.livejournal.com]

Rose raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, and wandered over to peek over his shoulder at the monitor.

"What'd she say, then?"

Whether she was curious as the official word on what sort of non-human Byron was or wasn't, or whatever had made the Doctor scowl so at the TARDIS was unclear.

[the-corsair.livejournal.com]

Byron tilted his head at the Doctor's talking to himself, or perhaps it was to the ship, given Rose's reaction.

"I suppose they are a bit beyond my time, yes. Seems I'll live to see them, likely though."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Yes," the Doctor pointed to the swirling Gallifreyan lettering, "Non-human, doesn't recognize the DNA," he murmured to Rose.

He turned to Byron, plastering a bright grin on his face, "Yes, your extraordinarily long lifespan, I have heard of that. Turns out I've got a few first-editions of your poetry books, along with some vinyl records of your band. Just good genes, I suppose?

[ibringlife.livejournal.com]

"Hm. Well, we knew that, didn't we? He said so when you met."

She shrugged, unconcerned, and turned back to Byron with a playful, teasing smile.

"And that part's obvious, too. The good genes thing, I mean."

[the-corsair.livejournal.com]

Byron stood up straight and bowed to both of them.

"There are those that would debate that fact, but I've always found them superb."

He flashed that smile again, at Rose, and then at the Doctor.

"Though I'm not sure if that's the reason for it or not."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"You're not sure?" the Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow, "You mean you don't know why you have such a long life?"

The malice in his voice from before was replaced by pure curiosity. Damn that curiosity, his biggest downfall. Lost him chess matches, regenerations, and, at this rate, his perfectly legitimate dislike of this man for enamouring his companion to the point of silliness.

[ibringlife.livejournal.com]

"I don't think you're really making him want to tell you even if he did."

Rose was somewhere between amused and annoyed, and she looked from one to the other of them with a faintly exasperated expression. She couldn't decide if this was better or worse than the time she'd brought Mickey along.

[the-corsair.livejournal.com]

Byron leaned back against the wall and twirled his cane, more amused than offended.

"Oh, I know why, just don't ask me to explain the science of the how."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"I'm being friendly, that's what you wanted," he muttered to Rose before looking back at Byron again.

"Why, then? For conversation's sake, if nothing else. I mean, 18th century France...psssh...ten minutes in this old thing. You didn't specify how old you wanted to see Rein---Madame de Pompadour."

[ibringlife.livejournal.com]

Rose bristled faintly at the way the Doctor had said - or hadn't said, Reinette's name, but said nothing aloud, only raised an eyebrow at him as she perched herself on a clear area of the TARDIS console where she wouldn't be accidentally sitting on anything important.

[the-corsair.livejournal.com]

Byron hadn't quite thought that far. "I have no idea how old she was when we...spoke. Old enough to have grown bored. To not be sharing Louis' bed anymore."

It didn't matter. If it was before she knew him, he'd just meet her all over again, though it wouldn't have quite the same impressiveness as I traveled through time just to see you.

"As for me," he shrugged a little. Another flash of a smile. "Immortality. No aging. No sickness. No dying from pesky bullet wounds delivered by jealous husbands. Convenient, yes?"

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Ooooh, how about her...hmmm...27th birthday, then? Young, but not too young. I'm not sure if she was still a lover to the King by that point, but I'm sure your winning charms could woo her even if she was." The note to that was teasing, but there was a fair amount of bitterness to it. That was all part of the fifteen years she'd spent between the time her and the Doctor had danced and he'd saved her life.

"Complete cellular regeneration?" the Doctor gave an impressed nod, "Immortality's impossible, though, even for a Timelord like me. Have you had experiments? Checked your DNA, bloodwork, that sort of thing? Tried to discover the 'why' on a cellular level? I know you're not a scientist, but surely..."

[the-corsair.livejournal.com]

"That sounds lovely..."

He shrugged a little at the science bit. "I suppose there are scientists among us who could possibly even explain the why at the cellular level, but the how? No one knows. And, believe me, Doctor. Immortality is not impossible. I have a friend.." He flashed a smile at Rose. "My Doctor, who's over 5000 years old. And doesn't look a day over thirty."

He'd probably also kill him if he ever found out he was telling random aliens about him, unless Byron could charm him out of it. Byron was fairly surehe could charm Methos out of most things.

[ibringlife.livejournal.com]

Rose looked suitably impressed.

"See there? Finally found someone older than you, Doctor."

She returned Byron's smile with a bright one of her own. "I'd like to meet your friend sometime, see if he's as grumpy as the Doctor after all that time."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Oi!" the Doctor snapped, "I like to think of myself as travel-worn rather than grumpy. Tetchier in my earlier incarnations, Rose, you should be glad you got me so old."

He looked back to Byron, "If you're curious, I've got a bit of technology that your 21st-century doctor, despite his age, probably won't have. Could do a bit of research, if you'd like." The offer came out more friendly than the Doctor would've probably liked. It was an offer, to calm his own curiosity, along with Byron's, if the man had any in regards to his biology.

[the-corsair.livejournal.com]

Byron smiled a bit in surprise. "If you'd like," he echoed back. He watched him for a moment, wondering why he'd agree to this. To give him that. "I doubt it will tell the story of who we are, but if you'd like..." He shrugged. "All right."

There were those of his kind who'd kill him for that, but really. What was an alien who traveled in a time machine going to do? Care about one more species out there? Take the information to the Watchers?

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Well, after we get back from the 18th century, I'll take a vial of blood or two, see what the TARDIS can come up with," the Doctor gave him a smile, "Nothing quite like learning about your own history, in the end. Might not tell you the whole story of who..."

A pause. "You said your doctor was 5000 years old? How many of you are there?"

[the-corsair.livejournal.com]

Byron shrugged, a careless movement that hid a real lack of knowledge.

"I've no idea. Hundreds? Thousands? I daresay that not even the Watchers know for sure. There have to be some of us unreported."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Watchers?" the Doctor crossed his arms, his interest piqued, "Like guardians, or sports spectators?"

How did this world of people exist within the human population for so long and the Doctor hadn't known?

[ibringlife.livejournal.com]

"I don't like it," Rose blurted out, frowning.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but I don't. How's this different than Torchwood wanting to keep you and discover your secrets?"

How was it different from her working for Torchwood for those months, answering all the questions they had about anything and everything else she'd seen out there? She couldn't answer that one, either, but it felt different. Different enough for her to protest.