Coincidentally, Three, if you like?huffpuffblondeNovember 9 2011, 00:06:04 UTC
She does so like dressing up for things like this. Hiding behind a mask, playing the role, it's half the fun when crashing a ball, being somebody else for a while. She probably reflects as much by the way she's smiling just a bit too widely, biting her lip and making her way through the crowd, talking to people she's never met with too much quiet enthusiasm.
It's a masquerade, after all. Who's going to know she doesn't belong and chuck her out? Nobody, that's who.
I like :Ddoctor_threeNovember 9 2011, 00:50:07 UTC
The Doctor had tumbled in a while ago. For a change, he'd swapped the velvet and ruffles for a black and white tuxedo, and a rather elaborate mask to match. There was word that some of the most influential people in the universe were about. No chance he was going to miss this.
He swept gently through the place, trying to guess at who was what and what was who when he spotted a most delightful creature. Her smile radiated joy and warmth from beneath her mask. Clearly, she was enjoying herself too much to be anything close to aristocratic. This intrigued the Doctor and he thought that perhaps a small divergence from his original task might be in order.
It didn't take long for her to figure out she was being followed. She always had good instincts, especially in the 'being chased' department, and she weaved through a few more party guests before she rounded on him, eyebrows raised, looking anything but intimidated. Why would she? It was a party. A masquerade at that! Nothing bad happened at these, unless you were in an Edgar Allen Poe short.
Maybe she'd finally been picked out of the crowd, and this was her warning message. No invitation, but she had a bit of psychic paper stuffed in her handbag. For now, she played it cool, chewing on her lip.
"Is there a problem, officer?" Because she was nothing if not cheeky.
"Should there be?" he asked, subtly looking the young woman over behind his mask. A lingering coy smirk added to his light response. "I had rather wondered if there was a problem with you?"
She looked amused. Somebody that could banter back. She could live with that. She put her hands on her hips. "A problem with me? Whatever would give you that impression, sir? I'm having a lovely time. In fact, I just finished telling the Duke over there a lovely joke about talking pies."
She gave a little wave to a fat man across the way, and he gave a delighted, albeit pudgy, wave back.
Behind the mask, the Doctor quirked an eyebrow at the Duke. It wasn't unusual for him to take a liking to pretty ladies. Or pie. But for some reason, the Doctor found himself slightly jealous. What an unusual feeling.
"I thought there might be a problem because you're one of two people actually enjoying this evening. So while I have no idea who you are, I can assume you're no one of any political importance or influence. Which means that you can't have been invited. At least, not without some of your own influencing."
He was absolutely reasonable in his jealousy. It really was a brilliant joke. She did look a bit impressed, though, at his deduction. She was a sucker for people who were clever.
She considered, for a moment, tugging out the psychic paper, but judging by his comment about her influence, she figured he was probably on to her. Instead, she just tilted her head a bit. "One of two? Are you the other one, then? I'm assuming so, which means you're not involved in politics either. I'm guessing your invitation got a bit lost in the mail?"
"Oh, no! Not I. I meant that gentleman over there," the Doctor pointed with a slender finger to a twig of a man looking forlorn by a table filled with culinary delights.
He offered his elbow to the young woman with a small flourish, "shall we take a turn about the room?"
Together they walked through the crowds while the Doctor contemplated their situation. He was drawn to this woman and had become jealous when she talked of entertaining another. Why was it that a genius like himself could be drawn to such an astonishing creature and not have a clue why?
He put a hand over hers, resting on his arm and walked her out into the gardens. Moonlight lit their way, basking everything from the cobble stones to the rolling grass beyond the hedges in a pale glow. The light from suns billions of miles away, dotted the sky and winked at them.
"So, is it safe for me to ask why you chose the gatecrash such a tiresome celebration? Or would I put my life in danger?"
She couldn't say the feeling wasn't mutual, not that he'd been entertaining any lovely Duchesses, but he was clever, and familiar, and something else she couldn't quite pinpoint, so she followed him out to the gardens, looking content.
She tilted her head up to look at the stars, those burning suns, and cast him an amused glance out of the corner of her eye. "Is that your way of asking whether or not I'd have to kill you if I told you? Not quite as important as all that, really."
She worried her lip a second as she thought. "I dunno. It's a masquerade ball, filled with important people and free food. Does adventure need a reason? What about you? I doubt you're all that interested in the pomp and circumstance, if you've taken to the one unimportant guest at the party."
In another situation, he may have bragged about being a Time Lord and therefore allowed everywhere but it didn't quite feel right. He decided to take another route as they rounded a corner of the magnificent intergalactic mannor house and stopped.
"They have these things every so often and it's a lot of stuff and nonsense but there's usually a scandal one can take home and giggle about for a while." He leaned closer with raised eyebrows to emphasise his point, not that she could see them for the mask but, it was a good excuse to get a closer look.
He wouldn't see much around her mask, just pink and yellow, and not terribly important at that.
Had he done any bragging of the sort, it might earn him a much more familiar and scrutinizing gaze. As it stood, she just leveled him with her eyes at his emphasis, biting on her lip with a tiny smile.
"Does that mean you're hoping for a scandal, or planning to create one?"
In the dim light, he couldn't even see the colour of her eyes. An important thing, that. It can reveal so much about a person. But he kept his position; clearly personal space wasn't an issue with the woman and, for the moment, it certainly wasn't an issue with him, either.
Normally, Rose had clear personal space boundaries, but they were, apparently, skewed with him. If he mentioned his name, it might be clear enough as to why, but since he didn't, she's left to boggle over why she doesn't think he's a creeper.
His sentence earns him a wide grin and a short laugh. "Fair enough. I like that policy."
Reply
It's a masquerade, after all. Who's going to know she doesn't belong and chuck her out? Nobody, that's who.
Reply
He swept gently through the place, trying to guess at who was what and what was who when he spotted a most delightful creature. Her smile radiated joy and warmth from beneath her mask. Clearly, she was enjoying herself too much to be anything close to aristocratic. This intrigued the Doctor and he thought that perhaps a small divergence from his original task might be in order.
The Doctor tracked her through the room.
Reply
Maybe she'd finally been picked out of the crowd, and this was her warning message. No invitation, but she had a bit of psychic paper stuffed in her handbag. For now, she played it cool, chewing on her lip.
"Is there a problem, officer?" Because she was nothing if not cheeky.
Reply
Reply
She gave a little wave to a fat man across the way, and he gave a delighted, albeit pudgy, wave back.
Reply
"I thought there might be a problem because you're one of two people actually enjoying this evening. So while I have no idea who you are, I can assume you're no one of any political importance or influence. Which means that you can't have been invited. At least, not without some of your own influencing."
Reply
She considered, for a moment, tugging out the psychic paper, but judging by his comment about her influence, she figured he was probably on to her. Instead, she just tilted her head a bit. "One of two? Are you the other one, then? I'm assuming so, which means you're not involved in politics either. I'm guessing your invitation got a bit lost in the mail?"
Reply
He offered his elbow to the young woman with a small flourish, "shall we take a turn about the room?"
Reply
She took his elbow with a playful, curt little bow. "It'd be my pleasure."
Reply
He put a hand over hers, resting on his arm and walked her out into the gardens. Moonlight lit their way, basking everything from the cobble stones to the rolling grass beyond the hedges in a pale glow. The light from suns billions of miles away, dotted the sky and winked at them.
"So, is it safe for me to ask why you chose the gatecrash such a tiresome celebration? Or would I put my life in danger?"
Reply
She tilted her head up to look at the stars, those burning suns, and cast him an amused glance out of the corner of her eye. "Is that your way of asking whether or not I'd have to kill you if I told you? Not quite as important as all that, really."
She worried her lip a second as she thought. "I dunno. It's a masquerade ball, filled with important people and free food. Does adventure need a reason? What about you? I doubt you're all that interested in the pomp and circumstance, if you've taken to the one unimportant guest at the party."
Reply
"They have these things every so often and it's a lot of stuff and nonsense but there's usually a scandal one can take home and giggle about for a while." He leaned closer with raised eyebrows to emphasise his point, not that she could see them for the mask but, it was a good excuse to get a closer look.
Reply
Had he done any bragging of the sort, it might earn him a much more familiar and scrutinizing gaze. As it stood, she just leveled him with her eyes at his emphasis, biting on her lip with a tiny smile.
"Does that mean you're hoping for a scandal, or planning to create one?"
Reply
"Which ever happens, happens," he purred.
Reply
His sentence earns him a wide grin and a short laugh. "Fair enough. I like that policy."
Reply
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