Voice Mail

[eyesofaserpent]

[The phone rings until it switches to voice mail. Then there's Crowley's relaxed voice.]

Hi. This is Anthony Crowley. Uh. I'm probably not in right now, or asleep, and busy, or something, but leave a message after the tone and I'll get right back to you. Ciao.

BeeeEEeeEEeeeeep


((If you need to contact Crowley for any reason, including plotting and the like, please leave a comment here. Also please state which RP you're contacting me about. XD Comments are screened.))

Comments

[borntolove]

[The Doctor gives a smile. Then begins to turn to be off. And stops at the question. Then turns back full around. Simply remarks.]

I'm The Doctor.

[That and the non-humans have a hard time here with medical. The former immortals, more so.]

[eyesofaserpent]

Yeah, but...

[ He knows that. It's a frustratingly answer-free response. One that, this time, isn't assuaging his inborn paranoia. He knows that this offering is made out of kindness and perhaps a touch of affection. But something in him can't help but wonder when the other shoe would drop. ]

I sure you already know that doesn't exactly answer the question. I'm a demon.

[borntolove]

[This is interesting. Crowley isn't letting the gesture of kindness go on 'I'm The Doctor' note like before. A neutral reply with a touch of softness.]

I care.

[He cares about everyone here. Ten thought Crowley would know that.]

What you are is irrelevant to me. How you are. How you choose act does.

[You're also his friend. Don't you know that? And even if someone was a psychopath. The Doctor would still care. There's enough hate in the universe.]

[eyesofaserpent]

[ He doesn't really know how to convey to the doctor what he means. He's so used to being able to just say "demon" and have it be understood. Aziraphale would get it. But, Aziraphale's been there for 6,000 years so of course he gets it. ]

Look, I... [ He waves his hands vaguely. ] It's nothing on you, Doctor. I'm just... My kind... Kindness isn't something we do. If one of us are being nice, it's probably because there's already a proverbial knife in the being they're being nice to's back and they're only about to tell them about the betrayal.

My default, no matter how much I try to shove it down, i to wonder when the other shoe is going to drop when someone is kind out of the blue to me.

[borntolove]

[The Doctor, of course, doesn't understand the term demon. Doesn't believe in them. He does, however, acknowledge Crowley's and Micheal's existence. And what he's learned from them is certainly not what the typical human thinks of demons. Then again- Time Lord - doesn't mean much around here either.

The Doctor listens as Crowley explains. Unfortunately, The Doctor can relate. Kindness isn't something Time Lord typically do. The species themselves tend to be very logical. In other words, their decisions are not emotionally involved. The Doctor having fled from Gallifrey and traveled with humans for many lives, however, has learned.

As Crowley rambles on, The Doctor thinks about how Time Lord court is fixed. The judge and jury are very keen to jump to guilty. Even if they allow the defendant The Doctor to speak. Only to seem fair.

Then there is the time, The Time Lords took his Tardis from him in Fourth life. Transporting him to Skaro. Near the start of the Daleks evolution. Forcing his hand in order to either slaughter them all or find a way to make the Daleks less aggressive. Only after one of these were satisfied. Point is, his own people have punished The Doctor for having freedom. And use to force The Doctor to do The High Council's dirty work, when they saw fit.
During the Time War, other species thought Time Lords were just as bad as Daleks.
The Doctor of course, still trying to help. Without being directly involved in the War.

There's an understanding look in those brown eyes. When The Doctor finally speaks it is a soft but understanding tone.]

I understand what you're saying. However, the species as a whole, does not represent the individual.

[Why do you think The Doctor tries to talk to the Cult of Skaro (Daleks) to think? Or the Sontaran leader- General Stenk, or the CyberKing, Lumic? Because he wants to give them a chance to rethink what they've done. There's enough killing already.

The Doctor offers Crowley his hand.]

[eyesofaserpent]

[ Crowley isn't really the type to hold hands. And most especially not when his hands are covered in flower and bits of sticky dough. In fact he picks up the ball of dough he'd been kneading and starts stretching it out. ]

Well, no. Of course not. Neither Aziraphale or I have much in common with our respective sides. Probably due to 6,000 years living among people. [ Humanity is such a force of change, look how they've affected all thee immortal beings.

6,000 years of having to watch one's back doesn't make it easy to accept kindness. There's clearly a lot of damage here. It's not something The Doctor can heal, and certainly not in such a short period of time. As much a he is a fan of Doctor Who and how much he's familiar with The Doctor, there's only one being he trusts implicitly and without question: Aziraphale. And even that trust has the benefit of 6,000 years to develop. ]

[borntolove]

[The Doctor slowly lowers his hand. Maybe a bit much too fast. The Doctor gives that dreadful look.]

Yeah. Aziraphale, sort of, confided some things in me... Awhile back.

[Ten's face relaxes a bit.]

Honestly, it's the same problem, I've seen thought-out the universe. Daleks. Cybermen.

My own people. How thar stagnation destroyed thar society.

[Then a twinkle in those brown eyes.]

That's why humans are so brilliant. They really are. How they keep being inventive.

[eyesofaserpent]

[ Oh he is burning with curiosity as to what Aziraphale might have told The Doctor. But, it's not The Doctor's story to tell, so he holds his tongue and focuses on the dough, which was about the right size for the next step. ]

They might be short lived, but they're incredible in their way.

[ He starts adding whole roasted garlic cloves and pitted kalamata olives to the future loaf. He might be adding more than strictly required, but he doesn't exactly care. It's not like he needs to cut corners in a bakery. ]

Infinite potential for both limitless evil and unfathomable good. Sometimes within the same breath. I didn't want to see that potential and their boundless creativity snuffed out. It's a problem for a demon, liking people.

[borntolove]

Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the time that matters, it's the person!

[The Doctor remarks enthusiastically. Then on a more serious note.]

Good and evil are choices for any species.

[Though, really it's a grey blob. With many different shades of grey. Suddenly, all of The Doctor's age falls into his face and into his voice.]

Problem for any long-lived species.

[Good-byes are hard. Someone's had quite a lot. Just over thirty. However, The Doctor wouldn't trade back those moments. Nor the lessons that that face of The Doctor learned from his human companions.]

[eyesofaserpent]

Well sure, individual personalities influence their lives, as do their individual circumstances. They have the luxury of Free Will and being able to make those choices, though.

[ He starts rolling up the dough like a swiss roll or a maki roll, leaving all the fun bits on the inside. ]

But our kind, those of angelic stock, we weren't given that option. We don't have Free Will, least of all the ones who spent little time on Earth. It's just a load of following orders and not thinking for oneself.

[ He looks up over his sunglasses from the sticky role to look at The Doctor, his yellow, serpentine eyes determined to get his point across. ] Aziraphale and I are outliers, Doctor.

[borntolove]

[The Doctor listens and gives a solemn head nod. So - like Gallifrey. Why someone ran away. Stole The Tardis. A life of orders wasn't for The Doctor.]

As I am.

[With an undertone of; you well know. As was The Master. The Rani. Susan. And Romana.]

[eyesofaserpent]

[ His sharper gaze softens a bit despite himself. ]

Yeah. I might have, er...

[ He trails off, suddenly feeling rather embarrassed by what he was about to say. He looks back down to focus on what he is doing with his hands before he goes ahead and says what he's going to say, hoping he's not shooting himself in the foot too much. ]

I saw a bit of myself in you...

[borntolove]

[It had been after all. Taboo to leave Gallifrey. That's why all the Tardis were locked up. The Doctor's wasn't. The Type 40 had a broken chameleon circuit. Who in their right mind would take a broken Tardis?

Beyond Gallifrey was an adventure! And where no Time Lord had gone for eons. In a way, The Doctor does wish he had been able to guide Gallifrey. After someone in his fifth incarnation had been declared Time Lord President. That sort of authority and being grounded wasn't for him. At least, Romana II had been able to become Time Lord President. Doing many, many great things for their culture. Having it evolve when it hadn't for eons. Because Romana traveled with The Doctor.

Rassilon, unfortunately, came back and setting Romana's forward procession into a fire.

The Doctor does regret not going back during Romana's kingdom.

Being able to go back before The War, he took for granted.

Despite some sad and old eyes. What Crowley remarks brings a big-old-smile- to The Doctor's face.]

[eyesofaserpent]

[ He glances up just enough to catch The Doctor's expression. He smiles slightly and looks back at his work. ]

Blimey, that was uncharacteristically sentimental of me.

[ A beat. ]

Don't tell anyone I said that.

[ He wants to at least pretend he's a tough and nasty demon. Being all sentimental at people would ruin his image. ]

[borntolove]

[A suggestive eye wink. Course not. The Doctor gives a hand wave and begins to see himself out. No, allonsy. Must be from earlier in his timeline.]