Post by Quatre Winner on Jan 27, 2009 2:07:53 GMT -5
This is a pretty gen fic, just a random blurb that came to mind from watching something and thinking, "That person really needs a hug." And Clyde's just good for hugs, eh?
Spoilers for Doctor Who and, of course, Vampirates, for those who have yet to get caught up on the whole... well, Clyde thing. I own nothing except, well... um... okay, nothing.
(Oh, and this sneaks itself into the very first chapter, between talking to Hassan and Clyde getting, well, Vampirate-ed)
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There were days when it was hardly worth getting out bed, when the sky was dark with storm clouds and the very air just seemed to weigh down both minds and bodies. Those days, it was hard to motivate oneself to do anything, be it go to school, work, or just take out the trash that had piled up over the week. Days like that made everything seem that much harder than they actually were.
Fortunately for Clyde, today wasn’t one of those days.
She smiled fondly as she looked over the sea before her, listening to the sound of the waves lapping gently against the hull of the ferry, smelling the tangy saltwater breeze that teased blonde strands of hair into her face. The sun beat down on her from high above, but it wasn’t overbearingly bright or warm. It was one of those days that just made her glad to be alive.
Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply, savoring the fresh, clean air. It was no wonder, she mused idly as she exhaled, that she enjoyed riding on the ferry. It was another world here, seeming to depart from reality for the brief time it took to travel from point A to point B. And she met so many odd people, like that Hassan fellow from before. There were so many strange, wonderful, and downright odd people traveling at times, and it was somehow nice for her to meet them, even knowing that she was unlikely to meet them again.
Deciding to find a new spot from which to enjoy the sea, she pushed off from the railing and took her time walking around the edge of the deck, glancing about for anything of interest. It was because of that that she saw, leaning against the railing and staring out to sea, a stranger in a brown trenchcoat. She didn’t know what stood out so much about this man, with his messy brown hair and brown suit only glimpsed when the coat flapped in the slight wind, but something made her walk over to him and lean against the railing. She looked up at him, catching sight of longing brown eyes before the stranger turned to her, a cheerful smile plastered on his face.
“Hello!” he greeted, his accent catching her attention immediately. So he was British? How fascinating!
“Hello,” Clyde returned, smiling warmly. If she hadn’t seen how lonely he’d looked just a moment ago she wouldn’t have been able to guess what he was feeling. Something about that tugged at her oddly, as if the man had shared the same pain she did. So she asked, “What brings you here?”
“Oh, nothing,” the man replied, turning back to the sea and resuming his longing scrutiny of the deep blue waves. “I was just traveling, happened to stop by… What about you?”
Clyde shrugged, following his lead. “I like to ride the ferry back and forth.”
“Ah. Nothing wrong with that of course, even if it’s a bit odd… Do you always talk to random strangers?” The man glanced at her, an unreadable look on his face, just as she was doing the same. He looked away as if in embarrassment.
“Yeap! You always meet the most interesting people here. Just a few moments ago there was this strange man named Hassan… And there were lots of others before, but I’ve never seen them again.” She shrugged. “It’s how it is, though. There’s something meaningful in just that brief moment of knowing someone.”
“That’s sort of sad,” the man murmured. “They always leave…”
“They’re memorable because of it!” Clyde insisted, turning to face the stranger with a stern look on her face. “Even if all you do is say, ‘Hi,’ or ask them how they are, you’ve touched their lives in some way. And when you can talk to them, really talk, and they feel better for it, that makes me feel like I’ve at least done something worthwhile. That I’ve made them just a bit happier.” She paused, then tapped her chin. “Then again, there are those who get mad when you talk to them…”
The man chuckled, but Clyde didn’t miss the look of pain in his eyes. “That’s an unusual view indeed.”
They resumed staring out at the ocean, the stranger’s gaze contemplative. Many minutes passed while they just enjoyed the other’s company, and Clyde snuck a glance at his current companion, seeing the lost and lonely look that dominated the man’s somehow ancient eyes. Acting on impulse, she tapped his shoulder, and when he turned to look at her, she ducked under his arm and gave him a fierce hug.
“No matter who we meet, they always stay with us,” she whispered into his chest, feeling an echo of her own pain manifesting. “You just have to remember that, and then things seem to be a bit easier, right?”
The man, for his part, seemed at a bit of a loss, but when Clyde didn’t let go he gave in and returned the hug, patting her head. She grinned up at him, then seemed to realize that she was hugging a complete stranger and jumped back, blushing from embarrassment.
“Thanks,” he said, and it was a sincere expression of gratitude. “I suppose you’re right. I hadn’t thought about things that way.”
Somehow knowing that she’d done what she was meant to, she grinned at him and said simply, “You’re welcome.”
She turned to leave, hands behind her head, but paused when the man called after her, “What’s your name?”
“Clyde,” she called back, turning so she could see him out of the corner of her eye. “What’s yours?”
“The Doctor. And really… thanks.”
All she did was grin and walk off. A few moments later, an odd whirring sound filled the air, but it passed almost as soon as it’d come and she paid it no mind, instead heading into the ship proper.
Spoilers for Doctor Who and, of course, Vampirates, for those who have yet to get caught up on the whole... well, Clyde thing. I own nothing except, well... um... okay, nothing.
(Oh, and this sneaks itself into the very first chapter, between talking to Hassan and Clyde getting, well, Vampirate-ed)
-----------------------------------------
There were days when it was hardly worth getting out bed, when the sky was dark with storm clouds and the very air just seemed to weigh down both minds and bodies. Those days, it was hard to motivate oneself to do anything, be it go to school, work, or just take out the trash that had piled up over the week. Days like that made everything seem that much harder than they actually were.
Fortunately for Clyde, today wasn’t one of those days.
She smiled fondly as she looked over the sea before her, listening to the sound of the waves lapping gently against the hull of the ferry, smelling the tangy saltwater breeze that teased blonde strands of hair into her face. The sun beat down on her from high above, but it wasn’t overbearingly bright or warm. It was one of those days that just made her glad to be alive.
Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply, savoring the fresh, clean air. It was no wonder, she mused idly as she exhaled, that she enjoyed riding on the ferry. It was another world here, seeming to depart from reality for the brief time it took to travel from point A to point B. And she met so many odd people, like that Hassan fellow from before. There were so many strange, wonderful, and downright odd people traveling at times, and it was somehow nice for her to meet them, even knowing that she was unlikely to meet them again.
Deciding to find a new spot from which to enjoy the sea, she pushed off from the railing and took her time walking around the edge of the deck, glancing about for anything of interest. It was because of that that she saw, leaning against the railing and staring out to sea, a stranger in a brown trenchcoat. She didn’t know what stood out so much about this man, with his messy brown hair and brown suit only glimpsed when the coat flapped in the slight wind, but something made her walk over to him and lean against the railing. She looked up at him, catching sight of longing brown eyes before the stranger turned to her, a cheerful smile plastered on his face.
“Hello!” he greeted, his accent catching her attention immediately. So he was British? How fascinating!
“Hello,” Clyde returned, smiling warmly. If she hadn’t seen how lonely he’d looked just a moment ago she wouldn’t have been able to guess what he was feeling. Something about that tugged at her oddly, as if the man had shared the same pain she did. So she asked, “What brings you here?”
“Oh, nothing,” the man replied, turning back to the sea and resuming his longing scrutiny of the deep blue waves. “I was just traveling, happened to stop by… What about you?”
Clyde shrugged, following his lead. “I like to ride the ferry back and forth.”
“Ah. Nothing wrong with that of course, even if it’s a bit odd… Do you always talk to random strangers?” The man glanced at her, an unreadable look on his face, just as she was doing the same. He looked away as if in embarrassment.
“Yeap! You always meet the most interesting people here. Just a few moments ago there was this strange man named Hassan… And there were lots of others before, but I’ve never seen them again.” She shrugged. “It’s how it is, though. There’s something meaningful in just that brief moment of knowing someone.”
“That’s sort of sad,” the man murmured. “They always leave…”
“They’re memorable because of it!” Clyde insisted, turning to face the stranger with a stern look on her face. “Even if all you do is say, ‘Hi,’ or ask them how they are, you’ve touched their lives in some way. And when you can talk to them, really talk, and they feel better for it, that makes me feel like I’ve at least done something worthwhile. That I’ve made them just a bit happier.” She paused, then tapped her chin. “Then again, there are those who get mad when you talk to them…”
The man chuckled, but Clyde didn’t miss the look of pain in his eyes. “That’s an unusual view indeed.”
They resumed staring out at the ocean, the stranger’s gaze contemplative. Many minutes passed while they just enjoyed the other’s company, and Clyde snuck a glance at his current companion, seeing the lost and lonely look that dominated the man’s somehow ancient eyes. Acting on impulse, she tapped his shoulder, and when he turned to look at her, she ducked under his arm and gave him a fierce hug.
“No matter who we meet, they always stay with us,” she whispered into his chest, feeling an echo of her own pain manifesting. “You just have to remember that, and then things seem to be a bit easier, right?”
The man, for his part, seemed at a bit of a loss, but when Clyde didn’t let go he gave in and returned the hug, patting her head. She grinned up at him, then seemed to realize that she was hugging a complete stranger and jumped back, blushing from embarrassment.
“Thanks,” he said, and it was a sincere expression of gratitude. “I suppose you’re right. I hadn’t thought about things that way.”
Somehow knowing that she’d done what she was meant to, she grinned at him and said simply, “You’re welcome.”
She turned to leave, hands behind her head, but paused when the man called after her, “What’s your name?”
“Clyde,” she called back, turning so she could see him out of the corner of her eye. “What’s yours?”
“The Doctor. And really… thanks.”
All she did was grin and walk off. A few moments later, an odd whirring sound filled the air, but it passed almost as soon as it’d come and she paid it no mind, instead heading into the ship proper.
