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trans_92010-06-19 01:01 am
celery-brooch.livejournal.com) wrote in trans_92010-06-19 01:01 am
Entry tags:
Suitable Distractions [open]
It was late afternoon, almost sunset on the tropical planet of Zokez II, the cloudless sky mellowing with hints of gold and mauve, the tide receding as much as possible with the gravitational equivalent of an extra moon now in orbit; most of the tidier shops were closing for the day, the stalls had long since packed up and headed inland, but across the street and deep into the square the Doctor spotted neon lights and flickering signs leading to shady corners and seedy taverns, where the late night crowd was beginning to gather in much tighter packs than the general mass of afternoon. This left plenty of open pathways, so long as one stuck to the right circles (and consequently didn’t plan on going anywhere in particular)—pathways which the Doctor was taking full advantage of in the face of yet another sleepless night.
Surely he was disappointed by recent events, yes, perhaps even more so by the idea that this time he was enclosed, this adventure he would have to play out in a normal, linear fashion, taking the path too well trodden by the more boring members of the universe not able to hop through the fourth dimension, as it were. But, as with what usually occurs with this incarnation, a chance for exploration and adventure quickly drowned out his worries, replacing them with youthful enthusiasm and breathless exclamations to random passerby.
Oh, and shopping. There was shopping involved.
Seeing as the TARDIS, though present, was currently inaccessible, the Doctor took it upon himself to gather some necessary supplies and what luxuries he could afford with his ‘pocket change’. Said pocket change went quite a long way, actually; the Doctor found that he was not only able to purchase more than enough electronic devices to keep him occupied for at least another month, if not more should Engineering provide him with a steady supply of parts to tinker with, but he was also even able to look around for some clothes in a vain attempt to rebuild his usual outfit. Now obviously there were stores with striped slacks and long-sleeved jumpers and whatnot, but in the end they all fell short of the Doctor’s expectations, and he ended up leaving with only a simple white dress shirt (he was lucky to find one with a red interior, but alas, no question marks upon the collar) and a pair of plimsolls. Well, those and a far more precious prize.
A casual pass into a sporting goods store—perhaps in the hopes of finding a more substantial uniform—had the Doctor come across a surprisingly well-made cricket bat, brand new and heftily priced. It took the rest of his allowance and quite a bit of bartering to obtain it, but it was definitely a worthwhile acquisition. Even if he was able to get into the TARDIS, that old bat rotting away in there hadn’t been oiled in several centuries and would probably break in half if it was ever used in any serious competition. This was for the best, yeah?
So now, strolling along the deserted pathway, a small bottle of linseed oil and a dirty handkerchief poking out of his coat pocket, the Doctor was busily tapping away at his prize with a bat mallet and a placid smile on his face. He might’ve been humming, but it was difficult to tell over the rhythmic pounding of willow wood and the background chatter of alien gulls. He was, all in all, extremely happy with himself, this new development, and with being able to completely forget that the rest of the world existed.
Perhaps someone should come remind him that noisily knocking in a cricket bat is not the most efficient way to escape the outside world, as the outside world will often be curious enough to investigate such racket in one form or another.
Surely he was disappointed by recent events, yes, perhaps even more so by the idea that this time he was enclosed, this adventure he would have to play out in a normal, linear fashion, taking the path too well trodden by the more boring members of the universe not able to hop through the fourth dimension, as it were. But, as with what usually occurs with this incarnation, a chance for exploration and adventure quickly drowned out his worries, replacing them with youthful enthusiasm and breathless exclamations to random passerby.
Oh, and shopping. There was shopping involved.
Seeing as the TARDIS, though present, was currently inaccessible, the Doctor took it upon himself to gather some necessary supplies and what luxuries he could afford with his ‘pocket change’. Said pocket change went quite a long way, actually; the Doctor found that he was not only able to purchase more than enough electronic devices to keep him occupied for at least another month, if not more should Engineering provide him with a steady supply of parts to tinker with, but he was also even able to look around for some clothes in a vain attempt to rebuild his usual outfit. Now obviously there were stores with striped slacks and long-sleeved jumpers and whatnot, but in the end they all fell short of the Doctor’s expectations, and he ended up leaving with only a simple white dress shirt (he was lucky to find one with a red interior, but alas, no question marks upon the collar) and a pair of plimsolls. Well, those and a far more precious prize.
A casual pass into a sporting goods store—perhaps in the hopes of finding a more substantial uniform—had the Doctor come across a surprisingly well-made cricket bat, brand new and heftily priced. It took the rest of his allowance and quite a bit of bartering to obtain it, but it was definitely a worthwhile acquisition. Even if he was able to get into the TARDIS, that old bat rotting away in there hadn’t been oiled in several centuries and would probably break in half if it was ever used in any serious competition. This was for the best, yeah?
So now, strolling along the deserted pathway, a small bottle of linseed oil and a dirty handkerchief poking out of his coat pocket, the Doctor was busily tapping away at his prize with a bat mallet and a placid smile on his face. He might’ve been humming, but it was difficult to tell over the rhythmic pounding of willow wood and the background chatter of alien gulls. He was, all in all, extremely happy with himself, this new development, and with being able to completely forget that the rest of the world existed.
Perhaps someone should come remind him that noisily knocking in a cricket bat is not the most efficient way to escape the outside world, as the outside world will often be curious enough to investigate such racket in one form or another.
Oh, I love the Doctor so much!!
Nanashi took a deep breath, savouring it's inexplicable calming effect. She relaxed a good deal, but was still cautious. "I will give you back your-" she realized she didn't actually know what it was, so she just said, "this," raising the cricket bat, "but I expect you to not make any more of that noise!" She held the bat out for the Doctor to take, rubbing her ear with her free hand. When you can hear a heart beat from across a room, a conversation from across a warf, a cricket bat tapping could be a rather maddening noise- not to mention it distracted from all other sounds.
She breathed deep again, explaining her irritation with, "I was sleeping. I am not a fan of being woken up." Just because she was being calm and civil did not mean that she was not still irritated.
He's glad to hear it, I'm sure~
Oh, what a reassuring realization. The Doctor smiled carefully and took back the offered cricket bat, patting it as if he were comforting a small child. ”Now now, the scary lady’s going away soon, it’s okay…”
“—Ah—‘cricket bat’, yes,” he managed after this reunion, deciding that having his prize back put him in a better position for gentle criticism and correction, “I’ll try to be quiet, sorry—I wasn’t aware that I was passing through the living areas…”
A pause as the Doctor actually checked to see where he was.
“…Mostly because I’m not…” He raised his brow rather incredulously. “Pardon me for asking, but why exactly were you sleeping here?”
Re: He's glad to hear it, I'm sure~
Nanashi was not prepared to answer the question about her sleeping habits. She was not used to being asked such a question. "Oh... Well..." She looked around as if she did not know where she was before going on more sure of herself, "I do not trust the hotels of the area to provide safe accommodations for a vampire. I saw the rooms of three places, and they all could only offer rooms where light could easily slip through the curtains, or they had terrible security. If a human wanders in on me in my sleep and wanders to close..."
Nanashi paused. While she had no problem with killing people, she liked to have a reason, however trivial. However, in her sleep she was not quite as careful. "Let us say that unconscious instincts are activated. While it is unfortunate for the unwary individual who enters my sleeping chambers, it is an instinct that has saved my life more than once."
no subject
“Hmm,” was the first thing he ended up remarking, still glancing down the street at where Nanashi had appeared. His keen eye caught a shattered window to what looked like an old apartment basement—abandoned, obviously, but the Doctor knew that this area got fairly crowded during the daytime hours with people bound for the beach (and hoping to stumble across a shortcut that everyone else had already discovered; thus is the human mentality). His expression again turned mildly skeptical.
“—Yes, well, breaking into a vacated building on a tourist-infested island doesn’t necessarily ensure the best security or control over the elements, I’m afraid.”
no subject
Looking the Doctor up and down suspiciously, she informed him, "You are terribly good at asking questions that most people do not think about."
In a way, that was a complement.
no subject
“It’s a natural talent,” he smiled, tongue-in-cheek, rocking briefly on his heels as he glanced at the still darkening sky. Even Five’s overbearing modesty knew when to back down—or at any rate, it had a healthy sense of humor.
no subject
All the more reason to keep him close, yes? "I apologize for my behaviour- what brings you out to this part of town?"
no subject
Usually.
“None taken,” the Doctor nodded, finally deciding that he couldn’t stand still any longer and, thus, he started a casual walk down the path on the assumption that Nanashi would follow him, “—Ah, well. It seemed like a nice place for a stroll, don’t you think?”
no subject
Falling into a casual stroll next to the doctor, Nanashi considered his question, looking around at the older buildings. Her upper lip twitched in disgust. She had trouble finding anything to them aside from disgust. They were not old enough to make the wear-and-tear charming, and too old to be shiny and beautiful. Then Nanashi's eyes were drawn to the sky and the moon overhead. There were only a few stars visible, likely because of the glare of light that surrounded the city, but still, "The sky is rather beautiful tonight."
It did not quite the Doctor's question, but it was close enough, without insulting anyone. Oh, politics.