realityshifted

Entry tags:

doctor who (d1) oliver day

[001]

[stares at the sights around him, mouth wide open. for a moment, just turns in a slow circle, taking it all in]

Wow! I mean...wow! [his shock begins to shift to excitement, his features lighting up eagerly] Where is... [calls] Doctor! Doctor, I know you're out there somewhere. I don't know how you did it, but...look at this place! [waves his hands, as if somehow indicating the details of his surroundings. he does at least have the presence of mind to wave at the bar specifically] And what is that doing in space? Or wherever this is! It's space, but...[stomps on the ground a bit]...definitely not.

[frowns thoughtfully as he continues to look around] I thought... [trails off, then starts again, to himself] I mean, I saw this before, but I thought... [scratches his head] But it was the same... Was that not a dream?

[looks up again, his excitement giving way to confusion and a small note of concern] Doctor, come on. Where is this, and why are we here? What am I doing here...

[pauses, then smiles wryly] If this is some big accident, you are going to have to tell me eventually, you know!

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You know, I never considered that they might not be. They certainly don't look very extraterrestrial.

['alien' - not documented as a noun referring to beings from other planets until 1953]

Of course, as I have met a non-human here who looks very much like a human, I suppose we can't put much credence to trees that seem to be from Earth.

[at the edge of the forest, he stops to smile up at the treetops] What do you think?

[smiles faintly] No, but in a weird place like this, you never know.

[follows him to the forest, gazing up at the trees and smiling faintly. a bit distantly] They do look like they're from Earth, don't they?

I very much think so. Of course, it isn't in their favour that they never lose their foliage and don't seem to require much by way of rainfall or minerals from the dirt, but as I am not a botanist and we are walking easily through the celestial spheres, I don't know if we can count it completely against them. I myself still feel very human despite the peculiarity of the situation.

[still admiring the trees] Guess that does make them a bit different. Still, you couldn't tell if you didn't watch them over time.

[glances at him] I know what you mean. Sometimes, I think the more alien the place, the more human it makes you feel. [grins] That doesn't sound completely mad, does it?

Does it? I don't think I'd know. If I told anyone about this place, they'd send me straight to Vienna and I'd never make it back. They probably wouldn't let me take Aloysius, either. I know I always feel more British when I'm in Venice.

[raises an eyebrow] What's in Vienna?

Do you go to Italy a lot? [why oh why does he keep meeting all these posh people...]

The type of doctor for that type of person, of course. They're in Zürich, too, I suppose.

In summer, to visit Papa in his palace of sin. Most of the rest of the year traps me in the hallowed halls of Oxford. Say, are those strawberries? I love strawberries.

[oblivious to any suggestions about what one should or should not remove from wild plants, Sebastian plucks a strawberry free and samples it without hesitation] Not so bad, considering the growing conditions. Would you care to try one?

Ohhh, yeah. It would sound a bit mad, wouldn't it?

[strawberries!? how did he know? Oliver looks at Sebastian and his strawberry consideringly. he's learned a thing or two about sampling strange plants on alien worlds, but Sebastian has been here for a bit already, so he should know what he's talking about. hopefully]

[takes a strawberry of his own, biting into it] Wow, it's like they're completely ripe! Even without the sun.

I wonder how.

[he doesn't sound particularly curious, though, and and rejects scientific curiosity in favour of delicious strawberries. He removes the carnation from his buttonhole and sticks it into Aloysius's scarf, then takes up one of the strawberry flowers and puts it into his buttonhole]

If only it would eventually grow a strawberry. It would be such a charming surprise. Oh, though I should mention on account of your odd clothing, people are from different times here. It's quite a blessing.

[picks another strawberry. they really are good, which is helping him get over any misgivings he may have had left] Well, you never know. They seem to be growing all right without any other help.

Ah, yeah, I guessed that. [smiles faintly--that, at least, is a concept he's already familiar with] But thanks for the warning. When are you from, anyway?

Nineteen-twenty---[give him a second]---twenty-two, yes. I asked Boy just yesterday as I wasn't completely certain myself. I think I shall keep this flower. You may be right about it. How convenient to have strawberries hanging from my buttonhole! This would taste delicious with a Perrier-Jouët Rosé. I found one from 2092 in the bar - such a surprise - and I distinctly thought it would go well with strawberries.

[still, he eats another one without bothering with the wine]

Edited 2009-12-09 13:13 (UTC)

Ohhh, okay. [that explains a few things, anyway--his way of speaking, at the very least] So does the bar here have a good selection? [he's considering checking that out next. always a good place to explore when you're somewhere new, in Oliver's opinion] Or is that not the sort of place for Aloysius?

If I didn't allow Aloysius near alcohol, we would be parted for most of my waking life and no small part of my sleeping hours. The drinks are from everywhere I know and many places I don't. I think, though I can't be certain, that I tried extraterrestrial fruit brandy just the other day. It has all sorts of unusual drinks, like gillyflower and pomegranate wine.

[not his drinks of choice, but still; grins] Sebastian, I think we've just found some common ground. Fancy a trip to the bar? [eats one more strawberry first]

[he also sees fit to take one last strawberry] Yes, I'm getting quite the craving for that rosé myself. It's...

[Sebastian takes a moment to try to position himself in relation to Endless Fount of Alcohol. Then, he points to his left]

This way, I think.

[and with a smile, he starts off that way]

Okay then! [he's lost track of where they came from, so he's just going to have to trust Sebastian on this. follows along behind] So what do you do, Sebastian? Are you a student?

[as he walks]

Yes, but don't as what I'm studying. They always ask that. I don't know why. It's so unimportant. I shall tell you that I have a lovely room in the Meadow Building at Oxford. Have you ever visited Oxford?

[Because of course, if he went to Oxford, he'd speak Oxford's English. Oh how the toff assumes]

[that's okay--Oliver is a Brummie through and through, so he doesn't really notice the oversight]

Nah, I've never been there. [he was actually about to ask what Sebastian studies--isn't that the point of being at uni? but now he's not sure what to say] Do you like it there?

It's beautiful. The room I have looks out over the meadow, and that's all just by the river and the gardens. And it's not very far away from Charles's rooms, which are also quite lovely, even though we aren't allowed onto the lawn at all times of the year.

[nods] That really sounds beautiful.

Charles is a friend of yours, then?

My closest friend, and I his, or so I'd like to think. [patting his bear on the head] No offense meant, Aloysius. [back to Oliver] We only met last term. A rather unpropitious meeting, one might say, but he and his scout were completely sweet to me about it. I'm glad it happened. We're from different colleges and schools, so we oughtn't have ever met. Thank Divine Providence for the Bullingdon Club. And there's the place!

[Sebastian immediately starts looking through the rows for the rosé he was after] What do you fancy, Oliver?

It always seems to be like that with the people you're closest to, doesn't it? What's the Bullingdon Club?

Ohhh, wow! Look at all that! [glances at him, surprised at the question] Oh no, nothing fancy for me! Just a pint of whatever's on tap.

I think it's meant to be a sports club, but it's rather more like a drinking club, and an often destructive one at that. They can be terribly distressing in their cruelty, but I think it's because they're drunk, poor dears. Besides, they know better than to invite me to dunking Antoine in the Mercury or anything unkind. As a result, I think I spend rather less in the club than the rest of them, as I never have to pay for damages, except of course for things like flowers in my contrition.

[pouring his rosé] Why not try a claret while you're here? There will always be time for familiar drinks later.

That's uni for you, huh? Sounds a bit wild.

[he's not that keen on wine, but there's no reason to be rude, really] Well, if you say so. But I'm having at least one pint before we go anywhere else!

You can tell me what the best whiskies and that sort are. I'm better acquainted with more expensive drinks. I think it's a failing of mine not to be so educated. You'll never have had Château Haut-Brion, of course. [Sebastian selects a bottle (1904 vintage) and pours each a glass]

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