Day 35: Pearl’s Beauty Salon Hair and Nails

[mateswithnobody]

[from here]Donna whisked into the salon and breathed in a deep scent of all the things she knew would make her happy for at least the next hour or five. The little coupons said that she would only be allowed a manicure at this place, but if she couldn't talk her way into more than just that here, there was a facial or massage to be had elsewhere.

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[timedork]

The Doctor followed Donna into the salon, but stopped to look around at the entrance. He spun around to face Donna when she asked him about his nails, and then he looked down where she'd taken his arm.

"Once. Well... Did I?" he mused aloud, looking up towards the ceiling as he tried to remember. Getting a manicure wasn't exactly on his usual to-do list when he arrived on a planet, especially when there were important things to do, like finding the TARDIS.

[mateswithnobody]

"If you don't remember, then you're long overdue for one." That was Donna's rule for it at least.

As for Donna's to-do list, pampering was pretty high up there. Especially with the lack of a shower either yesterday or today.

[timedork]

"If I don't-" he started to repeat, stopping suddenly. "What?"

He stared at Donna. "There's more important things to do," he insisted. "The TARDIS could be around somewhere. You remember the TARDIS, don't you? Big blue box?"

[mateswithnobody]

"Yeah, hard thing to miss, a big blue box. You seen one of those around?" Donna's eyes widened as he head jerked a bit with her words, "Because I'd hate to lose something like that!"

Bitter? No, not Donna Noble. Never.

"And besides that, which is, by the way, your fault, there are how many of those doctors out there?" She straightened, "And you, you don't have any of your stuff do you? No psychic paper or screwdriver? Just far you think we'll get on that unbeaten path, really? Don't suppose you know Kung-Fu?"

[damned_town]

"Oh, I hear the bitter melody of a lover's quarrel," came a sing-song voice from behind the two of them. Pearl herself appeared, followed by a whiff of jasmine. The heavyset woman was carrying a stool, which she set down at one of the nearby counters.

"Sorry I'm late, dears. Here, why don't you flash me those coupons of yours and we'll get right down to business. Nothing calms the nerves like a good manicure. Am I right?"

She watched the two of them, Donna in particular, with an expectant look that didn't allow for much in the way of argument.

[Lauren]

[timedork]

"It's not my fault!" the Doctor replied, the pitch of his voice rising. "What do you think; I said, 'I think I'll lose the TARDIS- and oh yeah, get myself and Donna and Rose into a mental hospital'?"

He'd had more to say to Donna's outburst-including the fact that he may not've known kung-fu, but he knew Venusian judo-but a woman had bustled over and assumed the worst.

His face turned serious as he faced the woman. "Oh, no, we're- We're not-" he started.

...Why did everyone always think that?

[mateswithnobody]

"Well, I don't know, but somehow or another these messes always trail right back to you, spaceman! And, let's not forget, this isn't the first time you've stuck me in a bloody mental hospital!" That really wasn't his fault, but Donna liked thinking it had been. After all, they hadn't needed to go to the Library, but the Doctor just couldn't resist a call for help with a kiss!

When her ears picked up on those words, that damn assumption again, her face dropped while her head shook. "-we're so not. -never," and she finished, tagging on to the incompleteness of the Doctor's own words.

[timedork]

The Doctor glanced at Donna, nodding in agreement. "We're definitely not," he added, making a gesture with one hand to indicate himself and Donna. "Absolutely not."

He was quiet for a moment, and then reached into his pocket to fish out the coupon book one of the nurses had handed him. "Right. Coupons!" He didn't think either Donna or the woman would tolerate him leaving at this point, so he might as well proceed. The sooner they were finished, the sooner he could look for the TARDIS.

[damned_town]

Pearl did her best to ignore the comments that certainly had something to do with the reason they were in the Institution, despite how otherwise sane they might seem.

"Of course not, of course not. One at a time, dears." She motioned for Donna to take a seat first. "And what lovely hands you have. Could teach your man - your friend there a thing or two."

[mateswithnobody]

Donna returned the look but left her head still shaking. "Not in a million years, not." Her own hand was up, index finger pointed.

With her book already out, Donna only turned a page to find the right coupon. It was kind of weird not using the psychic paper for this, but so long as she got her pampering she really didn't care.

She took the first seat as indicated (she would have gone first anyway since this was her idea) and started with the usual salon gossip. First things first though, "Yes, friend," she made that point again when the woman slipped, "And he doesn't even remember the last time he had a manicure. I'd have to hang myself if I couldn't remember that. That's way too long to be going without."

[timedork]

Since the woman seemed perfectly happy to take Donna as her first customer, the Doctor returned the coupon book to his pocket.

"I'll just... take a look around," he said. He started to move away from them to look around the shop. Since he couldn't remember where the TARDIS had landed, if the TARDIS had landed, it could be anywhere... beauty salons included.

[damned_town]

"Don't stray too far now," Pearl advised, watching the Doctor over her shoulder for a moment before returning to the task at hand. "Wouldn't want to lose track of you." Who knew when these mental patients were bound to go wandering off on their own. At least there should be plenty of staff around.

She made herself comfortable across from Donna, motioning with one hand for the woman to hold out her own. "And what were you hoping for today, hmm? Or should I just give you the works?"

[mateswithnobody]

"Yeah, what she said. I know you..." Donna gave the Doctor a warning look. If he did get too far chances were he'd come flying back in a heap of trouble - halfway through her pampering! - and telling her to run for it!

With the warning out of the way, Donna took a soft expression and focused on the woman. "Oh the works would be wonderful. They didn't even give us a shower yesterday!"

[damned_town]

"What?" Pearl looked absolutely appalled, but only for a moment. Then she shook her head. "Well... I suppose there are an awful lot of you, and facilities can be limited. Still, that is a shame."

She had to be careful not to get too into any conversation she had with the patients. They might start off well enough, but would surely turn bizarre after a while. They were staying in that place for a reason, after all.

"Thank goodness for lovely nails, though!" she praised, keeping the subject on trivial things as she got started. "You wouldn't believe some of the messes I have to deal with."

[mateswithnobody]

The woman was right to be so shocked; Donna could hardly believe it herself, but it was fact. "I don't care how many there are. What kind of a place doesn't even allow for proper hygiene? It isn't a prison!" At least, it did not seem to be a prison during the day. Night was a little different, but still, one day without having a proper shower was just too much!

Donna huffed, then remembered that this was supposed to be a manicure and raised her hand finally. "But enough of that," Donna was not in the mod to talk about that place too much either. Not unless this woman could give her some information, "You won't find much of a mess here, I can promise you that. Unlike some people," like the one wandering about the store, "I keep properly groomed. Never know who might be looking."

[damned_town]

"My mentality exactly," Pearl agreed, right before she wondered if it was right to be agreeing with someone in a mental institution. Well, some were bound to be more sane than others. This one might be well on her way to being cured, for all she knew.

"It's the times you least expect it that you're bound to find roaming eyes, so you have to be prepared at all times."