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[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

[Tonight on the Plane, have a Dorothy. Only tonight, Dorothy comes to you in what's surely to be this Spring's hottest fashion trend, Looking Like You've Just Run Away From A 1930s Dinner Party With Royalty After The Venue Was Attacked By Political Dissidents. And "Run Away" here meaning literally-- her black silk dress is torn, with beads and sequins missing, some still falling off as she paces the plane, and her hair, once carefully pulled back in a sleek knot, now hangs haphazardly around her face and shoulders.

And her cheek is bruised.

It's a while before she speaks up, mostly because she's quite embroiled in her pacing, five or six steps one way, then a 180 turn, and five or six steps back the other way. She'd be afraid of wearing a groove in the floor, if there was a floor. Eventually she turns, nervously hugging her elbows, a frown on her face.]

Let's say, hypothetically, that you've just made a real mess of a Big Important Dinner with some Big Important People. Hypothetically, you may have punched a Duke. Hypothetically.

[Nobody is fooled, and Dorothy can't even bring herself to care. She seems a bit frazzled, which is awful strange for her, honestly.]

Hypothetically, your best friend is awful angry with you about this, and rightly so. Only now you have to deal with what happened and make it right. So how.... how do you go about doing that?

[Scuffing the toe of her silver shoe into the non-ground, she pouts and mumbles.]

'Cuz I'm fresh outta ideas.

Comments

[knowswheregodis.livejournal.com]

[Chris crosses his arms loosely as he thinks, looking her over. Finally, he just speaks.]

Blimey, you really threw a punch at a duke? [Considers the torn dress and the bruise.] Did you win?

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

'Course I did! Guy's probably never worked a day in his life, and I've spent the last hundred-fifteen working on a farm. What do you think?

[Although the bruise seems to hint towards at least somebody getting one good whack in on her before she could be pulled away.]

...Hypothetically, of course.

[knowswheregodis.livejournal.com]

Bloody hell. Wouldn't want to pick a fight with you. [He grins until a nervous edge hits him.] Not that I would anyway. I mean I wouldn't! [He rubs at his hand.] So I guess...I dunno, you could just apologise. Tell your friend he started it.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

Punch him again?

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

Somehow, I don't think that'll help. Besides, I got him pretty good the first time.

[Not that she's happy about that. Oh, heavens no.]

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

Offer to let your friend have a go? Let's see, last time I let one of my companions ruin a political situation, I made a great show of punishing her appropriately to satisfy the politician.

Of course, the time before that, I told the politician that if he dared to raise a hand against one of my own, he'd be reminded exactly who was in control of this empire, thank you, and that he could apologise for bruising her knuckles with his face.

So I suppose it all depends.

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

If it helps clear things up, he hit me first.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

Did he now? I hope you broke his nose. Or an arm. Something broken anyway.

[the Master touches his own nose, which still hurts a bit. Damn you, cutlass hilts!]

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

My right hook is flawless. I don't like violence, but I'm nobody's victim. He started it; I ended it.

'Course, now Ozma's gonna be mad at me for ruining her party, and I'm sorry I did, an' all, but... well, he started it.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

Do you feel guilty about it, or do you just wish you hadn't done it? Slightly different, but it makes a solar system of different. Not a full out star cluster, but a solar system.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

Punched a duke, did you?

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

Hypothetically.

[She peers at him, trying to discern which Doctor he is, but then half-smiles, as she thinks she's figured it out]

Had a chance to look at my DNA yet?

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

[and the Doctor adores her for knowing the difference!]

Nope, not yet. Been a bit busy the last few days. [you have no idea]

How are you, Dorothy? Besides the duke-potential-punching? What did he do that made you punch him?

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

Ah. Well, that's life, I s'pose. If you do, you'll be sure to let me know what you find, won'tcha? I'm awful curious now.

[as if it's perfectly normal] Oh, there was a... dispute. Everything's fine now, except for Ozma being so mad at me. Don't rightly know how to make it up to her for ruining her party. She'll be a little... grumpy, for a while. Looks like I'll be keeping my distance.

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

[she watches her with an amused smile]

I would say the first issue that must be addressed is why you punched him.

[she accesses her toilette]

You seem quite out of sorts.

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

[she hums, trying to decide what to say]

Hmm... Hypothetically, let's not get into it, other than to say he deserved it, and leave it at that.

[frowning] Well, my friend is pretty upset I ruined her party, and I don't blame her. I'm kind of mad at myself. Well, I would be, if this weren't hypothetical. Y'understand.

[haha, Dorothy, nobody is buying it.]

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

[a single, golden eyebrow lifts]

Hypothetical or no, it must still be addressed.

It is not enough merely to wish it away, or even to heal the damage left in its wake.

It would be like attempting to wish a kiss away, without understanding why it occurred, Without that knowledge, it is certain to happen again.

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

I'm not wishing anything away! I know why it happened. I'd just rather not share it with the whole world at large.

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

Then how can we be expected to assist you? It seems you are best suited to deal with this yourself.

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

[grumpily] I'll ask again, since I guess you didn't hear me the first time: I want to know how to make it up to my friend for ruining her dinner party.

[ambitious-woman.livejournal.com]

[is seemingly unfazed]

I did indeed hear you.

Do you truly believe you can make amends without resolving the issue at hand? If the man deserved it, as men are often wont to do?

Then merely tell her so. You have said she is your friend.

[miseardae.livejournal.com]

[raises eyebrows] Well, you might begin by apologising, even if you don't mean it.

...Did someone punch you as well? [a slight scowl surrounds the words]

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah. That's... that's on my list, definitely. Once I gather the nerve to show my face back there again, I mean. Hypothetically.

[Her eyes widen just a tiny bit, as if wondering how he knew-- apparently she hasn't looked at herself since it happened. Subconsciously she reaches up to touch her cheek where the bruise sits, but catches herself and decides to scratch the back of her neck instead.]

Well, I didn't hit him for no reason. 'M not a violent person.

[miseardae.livejournal.com]

[...and the scowl deepens] Then I fail to see how anyone could blame you for this.

[galeforcehero.livejournal.com]

Oh, she doesn't blame me for the fight! Ozma understands the Duke isn't the... well, the most friendly sort, almost better than anybody. She's mad that the fight ruined her party. Bein' a Queen, y'understand, she's got appearances to keep up, people to keep happy. Diplomacy, an' all. Complicated business.

[She frowns, which would be painful, probably, not that she makes it obvious. She's already frowning, after all.]

I don't blame her for bein' mad. I just want to make it up to her. She's my best friend.