surprising and uncanny

[un_gloved]

Rogue had the script for Much Ado About Nothing in her hand as she strode brusquely down the beach. It was not her copy. It was, in fact, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce's copy, and she would not give it back to him.

"Because," she continued, "you're startin' to talk funny! Funnier'n usual. You need a break, English." She smiled brightly at him over her

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[dr_robchase]

He'd stopped because he'd seen the dolphins, but he'd been out there because the construction at home was giving him a headache. Also? Home. It was still weird to think about it. He had been swimming in the water when he'd seen them in the waves and wandered to shore, toweling off as he gaped at the dolphins while a distressing thought came to mind.

I swear, I hope the Doctor doesn't speak dolphin.

[sortofaman]

The Doctor, as it turned out, did. But since most dolphin conversation took place underwater or involved movements that weren't possible without a blowhole and flippers, there wasn't much he could do about it without mechanical help.

"They want you to get back in," he said, scritching his head and kicking his sandals off.

[dr_robchase]

Chase glanced over his shoulder, giving the Doctor a wary look and then a groan as he shook out his wet hair. "You understand dolphin," he deadpanned. "Oh my god, I'm dating Dr. Doolittle," he mumbled under his breath, but brushed off granules of sand as he headed back for the water.

[sortofaman]

"Nominally. Your people end up forging an alliance with them in a century or two. And by your people I mean your people people--the Aussies get there first." The Doctor wandered down further, the waves lapping at his feet, content to watch.

[dr_robchase]

Chase stopped at the shoreline because...okay. He walked back to stare at the Doctor, shaking his head. "So now I'm a species?" he asked, furrowing his brow. "My people ala the Australians forge an alliance with dolphins. And then what?" he asked, laughing with every word. "We vanquish the mighty whales?"

[sortofaman]

"No, you end up redeveloping the coral reefs and doing this sort of mad Greenpeace type action..." the Doctor made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "You don't wanna know. Besides, the dolphins are mostly using you for the opposable thumbs, but everyone understands that anyway."

[dr_robchase]

Chase leaned over and grabbed hold of the Doctor's hand and wrist with both of his, tugging him back towards the water. "I worry so much about you sometimes," he said, so utterly concerned and barely even mocking him. They were getting deeper and deeper now.

[sortofaman]

The Doctor laughed. "Why?" he asked, letting Chase pull him in, the water past his ankles. "It's not like I'm actually going out there and talking to them, I'm not Spock or anything."

[dr_robchase]

Chase continued to tug him in until he got waist deep, letting the warm waves crash over his back, grinning. "You talk to dolphins! And...and you know about futures where we team up with them," he teased, before pivoting and diving into the waves to forward crawl his way over to the dolphins and swim a fast-paced breaststroke, with strong motions.

[sortofaman]

"It's more listen to dolphins, it's too difficult to talk back witho--" The Doctor sighed, standing and watching him. "Without a vocal manipulator," he finished, knowing that Chase couldn't hear him. After a moment, he walked back out, tossed his shirt and jeans on the shore, then dove back in after him.

[dr_robchase]

Chase had surfaced, scrubbing his hands through his hair, feeling a nose nudge him and he turned to find a dolphin splashing him and squirting him.

He coughed, wrinkling his nose.

"Oh god, dolphin phlegm."

[sortofaman]

Okay, so the dolphins might have, to a certain extent, understood the humans' body language and thought that would be funny. The Doctor surfaced and snickered.

[dr_robchase]

Chase turned to see the Doctor and used a kick of amazing leg strength to tackle the Doctor in the water, splashing the hell out of him. "So not funny," he insisted, eyes wide.

[sortofaman]

"I didn't..." the Doctor spluttered, still laughing. "I didn't tell her to, she just went on and did it."

[dr_robchase]

"I hate my boyfriend," he mumbled, in a gritted sing-song, kissing him before turning to the dolphin, the 'she' that had spat up on him, stroking her smooth side. "Why do you have to listen to him?" he protested. "I'm the Aussie. Aren't you supposed to love me?"

[sortofaman]

"Yes, you hate me so much." The Doctor stood in the water and ran his fingers through his hair so it wasn't plastered to his face, and waited for the dolphin's reply. "And she's never met any Australians. Does this look like Sydney Harbour?"