martinet and defenestrate
I’m baaaaaack!
Really, do you think I could leave a word like “defenestrate” to fend for itself? Please, RL may be handing me my posterior on a regular basis, but there are some occasions a girl simply has to rise to. Then the word “martinet” and the muses went wild.
martinet - noun: 1. A strict disciplinarian. 2. One who lays stress on a rigid adherence to the details of forms and methods.
defenestrate - transitive verb: To throw out of a window.
This story features the Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Jack Harkness. It is rated G (Fan rated C) and takes place some time prior to “Boom Town”
Doctor Who is owned by the BBC and is being used here without permission. No money is being made from this endeavor.
The Summer Snow
by Mariposa Torres
Bureaucracy had a bad reputation just about everywhere (with a few exceptions) as a necessary but foul evil. Here on Tabega, they considered it one of their most practiced art forms.
“An art form?” Rose asked skeptically.
“Yes.” said the Doctor.
“Just like pornography on Earth in your time.” Jack clarified, ignoring the scowl the Doctor sent his direction, but delighting at Rose’s smirk.
A secretary entered the waiting area, “The Vice Chief Sub-Administrator in charge of foodstuff distribution will now see the party regarding the southern continent’s allotment.”
The party entered a standard office where a corpulent being sat behind the desk, his four arms busily shoving piles of papers around his desk. Without preamble and without rising he began, “You have applied to this office on behalf of those squatters to have the prohibitions against foodstuff distribution on the southern continent lifted.”
“I believe they are settlers, not squatters.” said the Doctor.
The Vice Chief Sub Administrator glared at the Doctor. “They did not fill out the proper forms to settle on the southern continent and are therefore squatters.” He glanced at the forms in front of him. “I applaud you for filling out the forms correctly, not many offworlders understand our system. We have decided to not consider the application...”
“What?!“ Three incredulous simultaneous voices were heard seconds before a loud crashing.
The Vice Chief Sub-Administrator surged to his feet and began bellowing at the hapless worker clinging to a window-washing platform being tossed in the wind. “You do not have the proper documentation for removal of this window...”
“Can you believe that nutter?” Rose said.
“...If this window required maintenance you should have filed the appropriate forms with building maintenance...”
“I don’t think that guy speaks Tabegan, what do you think, Doctor? Doctor?” Jack looked at the Time Lord, seemingly lost in contemplation of the files on the desk.
“Hm?” He said when Rose touched his arm, “Oh, just thinking, how silly my people were to only require things in triplicate.” He smiled at the strange looks he received from both his companions. “Well don’t just stand there, let’s get busy!”
“...and said documents must be completed correctly and in quintipulate, and with all the proper seals...NO!!!“ He ended in a howl as his papers went flying out the window, courtesy of the Doctor and his entourage.
*********
They could hear the Vice Chief Sub-Administrator's disconsolate sobbing and wailing on the street below. Rose wasn’t really listening, as she was caught up in the sight of papers fluttering in the breeze. “They’re all doing it?” she said, realizing the papers weren’t just streaming from one direction.
“Yep.” said the Doctor, leading Rose and Jack back toward the TARDIS. “This throws the whole place into chaos, and by the time they turn their attention to the settlers on the southern continent, they’ll find a very settled people and give them their independence, rather than try to fight or reengage the bureaucratic machinery.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close as the summer snow continued around them.
Really, do you think I could leave a word like “defenestrate” to fend for itself? Please, RL may be handing me my posterior on a regular basis, but there are some occasions a girl simply has to rise to. Then the word “martinet” and the muses went wild.
martinet - noun: 1. A strict disciplinarian. 2. One who lays stress on a rigid adherence to the details of forms and methods.
defenestrate - transitive verb: To throw out of a window.
This story features the Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Jack Harkness. It is rated G (Fan rated C) and takes place some time prior to “Boom Town”
Doctor Who is owned by the BBC and is being used here without permission. No money is being made from this endeavor.
The Summer Snow
by Mariposa Torres
Bureaucracy had a bad reputation just about everywhere (with a few exceptions) as a necessary but foul evil. Here on Tabega, they considered it one of their most practiced art forms.
“An art form?” Rose asked skeptically.
“Yes.” said the Doctor.
“Just like pornography on Earth in your time.” Jack clarified, ignoring the scowl the Doctor sent his direction, but delighting at Rose’s smirk.
A secretary entered the waiting area, “The Vice Chief Sub-Administrator in charge of foodstuff distribution will now see the party regarding the southern continent’s allotment.”
The party entered a standard office where a corpulent being sat behind the desk, his four arms busily shoving piles of papers around his desk. Without preamble and without rising he began, “You have applied to this office on behalf of those squatters to have the prohibitions against foodstuff distribution on the southern continent lifted.”
“I believe they are settlers, not squatters.” said the Doctor.
The Vice Chief Sub Administrator glared at the Doctor. “They did not fill out the proper forms to settle on the southern continent and are therefore squatters.” He glanced at the forms in front of him. “I applaud you for filling out the forms correctly, not many offworlders understand our system. We have decided to not consider the application...”
“What?!“ Three incredulous simultaneous voices were heard seconds before a loud crashing.
The Vice Chief Sub-Administrator surged to his feet and began bellowing at the hapless worker clinging to a window-washing platform being tossed in the wind. “You do not have the proper documentation for removal of this window...”
“Can you believe that nutter?” Rose said.
“...If this window required maintenance you should have filed the appropriate forms with building maintenance...”
“I don’t think that guy speaks Tabegan, what do you think, Doctor? Doctor?” Jack looked at the Time Lord, seemingly lost in contemplation of the files on the desk.
“Hm?” He said when Rose touched his arm, “Oh, just thinking, how silly my people were to only require things in triplicate.” He smiled at the strange looks he received from both his companions. “Well don’t just stand there, let’s get busy!”
“...and said documents must be completed correctly and in quintipulate, and with all the proper seals...NO!!!“ He ended in a howl as his papers went flying out the window, courtesy of the Doctor and his entourage.
*********
They could hear the Vice Chief Sub-Administrator's disconsolate sobbing and wailing on the street below. Rose wasn’t really listening, as she was caught up in the sight of papers fluttering in the breeze. “They’re all doing it?” she said, realizing the papers weren’t just streaming from one direction.
“Yep.” said the Doctor, leading Rose and Jack back toward the TARDIS. “This throws the whole place into chaos, and by the time they turn their attention to the settlers on the southern continent, they’ll find a very settled people and give them their independence, rather than try to fight or reengage the bureaucratic machinery.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close as the summer snow continued around them.