[015].

[bonnypiperlad]

[Today, Jamie has a box of decorations in his hands, a slightly bemused expression on his face...and is half-muttering to himself.]

Now, I've seen some strange things in my day, but I'll not say as I've ever seen anything like those wee beasties before. Especially not ones that want that much coffee.

Aye, well. Maybe I'd better set up what I wanted to here. I'd not want to think what'll happen if they turn up again and Victoria sees them.

[Possibly lots of screaming, or indignation, or both. But here he may not have to worry about it, and he can focus on trying to do what he'd planned on before he was interrupted by rude, coffee-drinking aliens. The forest seems like the best place to put things together, and there so happens to be a little clearing that he can use. He sets the box down and reaches into it to try and extract a single string of lights from it to start with, but whoever put it away last time didn't do a very good job. So he winds up with a giant tangled mess in his hands, and his mouth pulls off to one side.]

Och.

Comments

[oliverplus]

[Oliver hears the noise of Jamie trying to get the lights out of the box--and of his reaction to it not working out very well]

[he jogs over in that direction, coming into the clearing. the minute he sees Jamie, he laughs] Hey, need a hand? [he grabs at the bundle, trying to spot an end somewhere in there]

[bonnypiperlad]

Oliver! [Well, that's improved his mood a a bit at least. It's good to see his friend and not be scared out of his wits at the same time.]

Aye, if you don't mind. That thing's as much of a cat's cradle as some of the wiring I've seen the Doctor trying to untangle from time to time.

[He unceremoniously thrusts the ball at Oliver, then goes back to rummaging in the box.]

I wonder what else is in here I might be able to use...

[oliverplus]

[Oliver smiles back, also glad to see his friend. he takes the bundle without complaint, sitting down so he can more easily poke at it, and laughs] Hah, I think you're right! [he digs for an end] What's this all for, anyway?

[bonnypiperlad]

[He's still searching through the box - which might actually be deliberate, on his part, at the moment.]

Er, well. It's for Victoria, ye see. Thought she could do with something nice after the latest thing the Plane decided to drop on us.

[And maybe for some other reasons too, but he's not saying yet.]

I was going to do it at this place we are now, but these wee aliens I'd never seen before showed up out of nowhere. Not even the Doctor knows what they are.

[oliverplus]

Ohh. [he grins because he's Oliver, and what did you expect? he abandons the lights for a moment and looks up at Jamie with interest] What's your plan?

[that's a confusing comment, though--at least for someone who's used to the strangeness of travelling with the Doctor] Why are tiny aliens stopping you from throwing a party? Is there something wrong with their world?

[bonnypiperlad]

Plan? [What plan?]

I was just going to make it pretty for her, that was all. Well, maybe we could have something to eat, come to think about it.

[For a moment it seems as though he's going to get distracted thinking about the possibilities of food, but the comment about the tiny aliens brings him back.]

No, not that I know of. I don't even know where they're from. They showed up out of nowhere asking for coffee, and then they decided they wanted to ask lots of questions about what I was doing. Which was fine, but when I mentioned Victoria, they...

[His mouth twitches.] Look, let me put it this way. They seem to be a wee bit too interested in certain things we could do together. And not afraid to say so. How do ye think Victoria would take something like that?

[oliverplus]

That plan! [he nods approvingly] You should definitely get some food, too. Oh, does she like to hear your pipes? You could make it like a concert! [Oliver is getting excited, but Jamie should probably stop him before he tries to make it a full-fledged date. just a thought]

[Oliver snorts--and tries to turn it into a cough] Oh. Uh. So--no, wait. You're making it sound like they were in the TARDIS. Aren't they from the planet you're on?

i was going to wait for you to tell me if this was okay but maggie told me i should do it anyway. :|

[hollowly]

[now, it isn't like sam isn't familiar with the decorations that jamie is currently messing with, but .. he still can't fight the memories that crop up of all those christmases he and his brother had spent alone because their father had been hunting on his own and left them behind -

and it doesn't exactly bring a smile to his face, but that doesn't mean he can't comment, right? bad memories have never stopped him before.

it's with a small chuckle that he steps into the clearing, just as jamie frowns at the tangled string of lights.] .. Need a hand?

Maggie is a wise woman with excellent ideas. c:

[bonnypiperlad]

[He's actually starting to give serious consideration to just giving the whole thing up as a bad job when an unfamiliar voice cuts in. Blinking in slight surprise, he looks up and over at the new arrival before returning his attention to the lights. The thought of help isn't such a bad one, even if privately he's not sure if it'll do any good with this lot.]

Aye, I might, if you're any good at untangling these sorts of things. I've not had any luck with it so far. Did ye want to have a go at it?

[hollowly]

[he really doesn't want to intrude, and if he ends up being in the way, he'll gladly take his leave - but if he can help in any way, he's more than happy to do so.

so he shrugs, taking a few more steps forward and very carefully picking up a string of lights, contemplating it quietly.] I'm pretty good at untangling knots in general .. so maybe it'll help out, here. If you don't mind?

[bonnypiperlad]

No, not at all. [He gives the newcomer a grateful look, then turns the tangled ball of lights over in his hand before shaking his head and setting it down. Maybe if he takes a few minutes away from it, it'll be easier to spot an end in all that mess.]

Say, I don't think we've met before. I'm Jamie.

[hollowly]

[he's smiling back, and then reaching for the tangled mess of lights, already working on trying to get them un-knotted. very carefully, he extracts a length of lights before he speaks up again, having already lost himself to the challenge he's been given.]

Oh, we haven't .. sorry, I'm usually better at introducing myself than this. I'm Sam.

[and he holds a hand out for the other to shake, because that's normal, right? of course it is.]

[bonnypiperlad]

[Certainly is for Jamie, who promptly brings up his own hand to shake the one Sam's offered.]

Och, it's no bother. At least now we've got our names back to actually use, instead of those wrist-things with the numbers on.

[It occurs to him that maybe Sam is new enough he missed that, though.]

Er, were ye here for that?

[most_feared]

What's wrong with coffee?

[The siren song of the great bean summons Kay and he finds himself approaching Jamie on the Plane.]

Havin' a problem there, Sport?

[bonnypiperlad]

Well, nothing. [He glances down at the tangled string of lights, then back up at Kay.]

Just some wee beasties we'd just met seem to be overfond of the stuff, that's all. I'd not say it was a problem, so much. These lights might be if I can't get them untangled, though.

[most_feared]

I can't say I blame 'em. I'd be too. There's a good coffee joke, I'll have to tell you sometime.

[This is a pretty good tangle. He might as well start lending a hand.]

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye, well, some people do prefer it, I suppose. I've just not met many beasties who do.

[There is a plug sticking out, with a small amount of cord attached to it, and Jamie helpfully turns the tangle around so Kay can start there while he fiddles with the other end.]

Then again, I've not met many beasties who smoke, either. At least, not tiny wee cigarettes. So what was that joke ye mentioned, anyway?

[most_feared]

[That's enough to raise his curiosity. He starts straightening the cord.]

I know some aliens like that. We call em "worms". Technical name is Annelids.

One fella says, "Man, this coffee sure tastes like dirt."

The other says, "Well what do you expect? It was just ground this morning."

[Kay is sometimes a cruel, cruel man.]

[bonnypiperlad]

Ooh. [That was a terrible joke, Kay, and Jamie knows it. He's not afraid to let it show on his face, either.]

Remind me not to ask ye to tell any jokes again anytime soon.

[Shaking his head, he goes back to his untangling, but a few seconds later he blinks as something occurs to him.]

Hey, wait. Ye said ye know aliens like those wee beasties I'd found? What do they look like?

[waterfield]

( did he say aliens? good lord, why? she's doing her best to not scout around for 'wee aliens' with an affliction for coffee and thus far it's working. a good thing too, because the comment he makes about her specifically seeing them sort of raises alarm bells

ignoring said bells, though, she remains behind him for the moment, going unnoticed because it's rather amusing to watch him struggling. her hands are on her hips and her lips are pressed together tightly, though she keeps trying to grin and she's doing her best to withhold from laughing at the boy, she falters and gives a snort at the ongoing battle )

Jamie, for goodness sake, what are you doing?

[bonnypiperlad]

[Well, he'd relieved finding that she's missed seeing those particular wee beasties, given some of the things that they were saying. He can't imagine hearing their rather...ah...colorful suggestions would go over well with her at all. But since he's not aware of that - or the fact that she's snuck up on him - when she does snort, he startles, surprised.]

Victoria! Ah, I'm...er... Just trying to get these lights untangled, that's all.

[waterfield]

( come now, nothing is set in stone. one never knows when strange little coffee loving addict aliens might show their tine faces again! it might be sooner or later, but when she does meet up with them it will be a hell of a meeting indeed

she gives a laugh at his struggle though )

I can certainly see that. You appear to be losing the battle, though.

( moving closer, she held her hands out to him, wriggling her fingers expectantly for him to hand some of them over to her ) Let me help you.

[bonnypiperlad]

[He opens his mouth to protest, then looks down at the lights again. She might very well have a point there.]

Aye, maybe so. [He offers her some of the lights, a rueful expression crossing his face.]

So much for surprising ye with them.

[waterfield]

( smiling, she took the lights and began to fuss about with them to help out. truth be told, she'd never untangled a line of lights before, but it couldn't be that hard, could it?

the comment about it being a surprise for her sort of threw her off and she felt warmth as her cheeks colored ) M, me? A surprise? ( her lips tugged into a small, touched smile ) Jamie... What for?

[bonnypiperlad]

[Well, he's gotten as far as figuring out there's a plug, and is trying to work it through the mess, so if she copies it with her end it might work. Maybe.

But as he glances up to see the smile, he winds up looking just a touch sheepish, and winds up rubbing at the back of his neck.]

Er, well...after what happened, I thought you'd like something pretty, for one.

[And there might be some other reasons behind it, too. He just might need a little nudging to get there.]