Queen Erimem

The dust made her cough as she struggled to see through the darkness. She was bruised from various debris but nothing felt broken. She winced as she straightened out. 

"I’m— ah, I’m Jo Grant by the way. Who are you?"

She could only hope that Peri and the Doctor were alright without her. The aliens hadn't appeared to be hostile, but appearances were often deceiving in her experience.

She lifted another coat and a knit cap from the chair. “Here, put these on, found them in the wardrobe. We have to go out, we can’t exactly surprise the Doctor with a Christmas tree when he gets back from his..investigation.. if we don’t actually go out and get one. And we’ll need to hurry.”

She trekked back a few feet to help try and dig Erimem out, scooping out a hollow around her, hands freezing through her gloves, and then lifting her by the arm to try and pull her from the cold white mess. “Erimem, are you okay?? Oh, this is really not your sort of weather, is it? I’m sorry!”

"Let us hurry," Erimem suggested. "And then I'm going back to the TARDIS to take a very hot bath." She stomped forwards determinedly, knowing how important this was to her best friend.

She lifted another coat and a knit cap from the chair. “Here, put these on, found them in the wardrobe. We have to go out, we can’t exactly surprise the Doctor with a Christmas tree when he gets back from his..investigation.. if we don’t actually go out and get one. And we’ll need to hurry.”

"So you celebrate the birth of your god by giving others presents?" she asked above the wind, nodding in understanding. She stomped uncertainly through the snow, not quite sure how one was supposed to move through it. "How does one choose a tree?" 

She lifted another coat and a knit cap from the chair. “Here, put these on, found them in the wardrobe. We have to go out, we can’t exactly surprise the Doctor with a Christmas tree when he gets back from his..investigation.. if we don’t actually go out and get one. And we’ll need to hurry.”

"What is this Christ-mas tree, Peri?” Erimem asked again. The whole idea of tramping out in the snow to find a tree seemed utterly silly to her. But Peri seemed to be excited so she was willing to tuck herself into the woolen coat without too much reluctance. “And the presents that go beneath the tree, they are for your gods?” she asked.

"The presents are for each other," she explained, teeth chattering as they made their way out. "Christmas is all supposed to be because of Jesus’s birth..but people buy gifts for each other.  Like I’ll end up getting you one. Already have, actually. And it’ll go under the tree so that you can open it on Christmas. Or, you know, whatever passes for Christmas in the time vortex."

"So you celebrate the birth of your god by giving others presents?" she asked above the wind, nodding in understanding. She stomped uncertainly through the snow, not quite sure how one was supposed to move through it. "How does one choose a tree?" 

but man I just got a surge of companion feels which is why this post was made. LOTS OF COMPANION FEELS. )

She lifted another coat and a knit cap from the chair. “Here, put these on, found them in the wardrobe. We have to go out, we can’t exactly surprise the Doctor with a Christmas tree when he gets back from his..investigation.. if we don’t actually go out and get one. And we’ll need to hurry.”

"What is this Christ-mas tree, Peri?" Erimem asked again. The whole idea of tramping out in the snow to find a tree seemed utterly silly to her. But Peri seemed to be excited so she was willing to tuck herself into the woolen coat without too much reluctance. "And the presents that go beneath the tree, they are for your gods?" she asked.

No-one can take this headcanon away from me.

//!!! :D :D I literally screeched when I saw you reply the other day, I love your Erimem!

"Erimem!" Peri gaped in shock at her friend, rushing forward to see if she needed any support. "How in the world did you get like this?" She lowered her voice. "Good thing the Doctor didn’t see you, imagine the lecture we’d both get."

She started to flop into a nearby chair and stopped to consider what Erimem had said last, bursting into loud laughter. “The Doctor? Dancing?! Now I know you’re three sheets to the wind!” 

"And what does wind have to do with dancing?" she asked, trying to piece it together on her own. Her mind was a pleasant fuzz but the world was still moving despite the fact that she was now stationary. She shut her eyes to fight off the nauseous feeling that had begun to overwhelm her. Perhaps this hadn't been a good idea.

Special thanks to all those who contributed to the creation of this joint-effort meme here at inboxideas! 

"Erimem!" Peri gaped in shock at her friend, rushing forward to see if she needed any support. "How in the world did you get like this?" She lowered her voice. "Good thing the Doctor didn’t see you, imagine the lecture we’d both get."

"Erimem!" Peri gaped in shock at her friend, rushing forward to see if she needed any support. "How in the world did you get like this?" She lowered her voice. "Good thing the Doctor didn’t see you, imagine the lecture we’d both get."

She nearly disputed Peri’s choice before simply walking towards the darkened house while firmly holding Peri’s arm. She told herself it was to make sure that Peri didn’t panic but, she reluctantly admitted to herself, it was largely for her own comfort. 

She knocked on the door once they reached it, waited a few seconds, then gave Erimem a shrug. One more knock, harder this time, and one more short wait later, she had turned the handle and walked in before she could lose her nerve, dragging Erimem along with her into the darkness.

She let Peri lead the way into the dark house and kept her breathing shallow and silent. She was listening for any movement, any whisper of sound, that would indicate that they weren't alone. After a long moment of pausing in the hallway, Erimem released a lungful of air in relief. "I don't think anyone is here, Peri," she said, doing her best to sound brave. "We should find something to defend ourselves with." Despite the fact that they were probably alone, she didn't dare raise her voice above a whisper out of fear that some would hear them.