Commentary meme
agapi42 requested commentary for Dating in the Workplace.
DVD commentary for Dating in the Workplace
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“Doctor!”
“Terribly sorry, my dear Chatterton. Erm, I believe your dressing gown is hanging from that lamp shade, Barbara, if that's what you’re searching for.”
These first bits were originally a little less clear, and my beta-reader helped me un-vague them by adding some names, and in the process, added in a couple of really funny lines that conjure up amusing images. This one's obviously Ian and Barbara.
“Doctor!”
“Whoops! Don't mind me! Good heavens, Polly... isn’t that a terribly uncomfortable position?”
And Two walking in on Ben and Polly... Another line from my beta-reader :o)
“Ahem.”
“Doctor! We, uh...”
“That door is locked for a reason, Doctor. You and that bloody sonic scr-”
“The Major General has just arrived, Brigadier. Thought you might like to know.”
“...I see. Thank you.”
The Brig and Benton, one of my favourite slightly-more-obscure pairings. It's all based on the little grins and glances in 'Inferno', really.
“Hell’s teeth!”
“Doctor!”
“Ah. I’ll just... Ahem. Sorry.”
This one is Tegan and Nyssa, with Five being all... Five-ish.
“Doctor, for the love of -!”
“Would you go away!”
“Sorry, sorry!”
Peri/Erimem, my favourite femslash pairing of the fandom. It's Erimem doing the annoyed "go away!" part here :o)
“Nyaagh!”
“Oh! Oh dear.”
“Ow!”
“Professor!”
It just struck me as so perfect for Hex to fall off the bed when startled :oD
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If anyone had asked the Doctor whether he begrudged his companions their interpersonal relationships, he would’ve denied it strenuously, with much hand-waving and/or babbling. Because it was true! For the most part. I like the slightly odd POV in these bits. It's sort of inside the Doctor's head, but sort of not. I tried to take the side of slight defensiveness on his part, but awareness that he's not totally in the right all the time. He didn’t resent the fact that his companions sometimes needed a more ... intimate relationship, shall we say, than that which he was prepared to offer them. They often left him to pursue these, and he wished them well - really, he did. He had given K9 to Leela as a wedding present; he hadn’t made a fuss when Jo went off to the Amazon with that weird scientist bloke; he’d almost literally pushed his own granddaughter out of the TARDIS and into her new boyfriend’s arms because he wanted her to be happy. He missed them all, of course he did, for whatever reasons they left, but at least they were happy. At least they had a somewhat more stable future ahead of them. At least he wouldn’t have to encounter the same difficulties, awkwardnesses and inconveniences that he did with those who managed to carry on a relationship while still travelling with him. Of course, it's his "difficulties, awkwardnesses and inconveniences" that he's concerned about, not theirs :o)
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“Doctor, about earlier. We’re very sorry if we -”
“Not at all, Chesterfield, not at all. You’re entitled to your, eh, yes... hmm?”
And I manage to throw in at least three distinctive mannerisms in just two short sentences.
“I could swear I locked that door, Duchess.”
“...him and Jamie, it’s not like we’re the only ones who…” And Polly grumbles under her breath about Two and Jamie :oD
“Look, Doctor, we didn’t mean for you to walk in on -”
“What? Oh, that! No, no problem at all! My fault, really. Should’ve left that door locked.” Two's very blase about all this, in my head. It seems like the sort of thing he wouldn't find particularly embarrassing.
“You...? See, didn’t I tell you I locked it?”
“Doctor, if I could just have a word…”
“No need for you or the Sergeant to worry, Brigadier. My lips are sealed.” Here I try to make it a bit clearer who the Brig was with.
“Oh. Well... I appreciate it. But if there’s a next time... well, a bit of warning wouldn’t go amiss.”
“Understood.”
“And stop smirking. ...That’s an order.” Totally deadpan, that last bit :o)
“- and you’d think you could knock first, or don’t they teach that on Gallifrey? Honestly, I really don’t -” I love Tegan ranting.
“Look, I said I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking! I’ll knock next time, I promise!” Five's totally scrambling for any defence that will stand up to a Tegan Rant.
“You say that every time! What are we supposed to do, hang a sign on the door handle? Draw up a timetable for you?”
“That would be a bit impractical, wouldn’t it?” The only way to make Nyssa present in this bit was to have her be a bit too literal. Slightly less smart than her character usually is, but I figured she might be a little bit clueless on the etiquette of these sorts of things, and on angry sarcasm.
“I was being sarcastic, Nyssa.”
“I don’t see why you’re so embarrassed, it’s a perfectly normal and healthy expression of -” One last try at reason and diplomacy...
“I just don’t think it’s too much to ask for a little privacy!”
“That’s the fourth time this month.”
“Yes, Peri, I know. My apologies. To you too, Erimem. I seem to be making a bad habit of this.”
“What, voyeurism?”
“No! I - Oh, what’s the use…” He's pretty much given up at this point :o)
“Look, I, er…”
“No need to worry, Hex, I’ve seen it all before.” I love how easygoing Seven is, compared with Hex's sheer awkwardness.
“What?”
“It’s one of the hazards of TARDIS-travel, it seems. I do try to avoid it where at all possible, but it’s just one of those things. Try hanging a sign on the door handle. Sorry if I embarrassed you. That was quite a tumble, I didn’t think the bed was that high. How’s your arm?” I'm rather fond of that bunch of sentences. He's pretty much got used to the inevitable, and doesn't much care anymore.
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Sometimes it was a quick kiss stolen in the console room. He would sense the atmosphere as he walked in, and see whichever couple it was this time holding hands and smiling, or occasionally standing apart and looking shifty.
I suppose he sometimes walks in on the kisses themselves, but I preferred to imply two types of relationship: open and supposed-to-be-secret.
Sometimes it got them in trouble on primitive alien planets or in Earth’s less-forgiving eras, either because the couple weren’t married or because both were girls. Funnily enough, he’d never had the same trouble with his male companions, but then he rarely had more than one male companion at a time. The one time that he had, neither had any interest in dating the other, which worked out quite well for everyone involved. I am referring, of course, to the Two, Jamie, Ben, Polly TARDIS Team. And of course, one couple had never actually travelled with him, but they had a prejudiced society of their own to deal with, not to mention the threat of courts-martial. The Brig and Benton again, here. I also like using the plural of court-martial properly :o)
Sometimes he felt rather left-out, because in-jokes are an inevitable product of any amicable relationship; romantic ones even more so. The girls, especially, would giggle away at some private amusement and stifle their laughter when he glanced over, or pretend not to know what he was talking about when he asked what the joke was.
And sometimes, for some reason far more frequently than other encounters, he would open a door too quickly, barge in without thinking, and then have to backpedal hurriedly, apologising all the way. Occasionally he was less bothered by it, depending on how flustered he was prone to becoming, which differed from body to body. On these occasions, he simply strolled through the room and retrieved whatever item he was looking for, offering a quick and cheery apology as his companions hastily covered themselves or yelled at him angrily, and left again.
Neither approach to walking in on his companions was preferable, it seemed. If he breezed through, they got angry at him. If he stammered his way out of the door, they got angry at him. It took him a while to realise that it was the interruption itself that made them angry rather than his attitude to it. Those that didn’t get angry at him just got embarrassed; usually the ones from eras where it was not the done thing to talk about it. He tried his best to reassure them that he hadn’t been embarrassed by it, which was usually their concern, but there was generally a lingering awkwardness for weeks afterward. The ones that became both angry and embarrassed at the intrusion just yelled at him, while the other half of the couple looked on in silent amusement at his hopeless protestations of innocence and apology. The other halves here are intended to be Nyssa and Erimem. Cos Tegan and Peri are typically the louder and more antagonistic of the two in each pair :o)
He didn’t mind his companions deciding to get together... he just wished they could do it in less inconvenient ways. Although, he was aware he was being a little hypocritical. I rather like my lead-in sentences.
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“Oh. Um.”
“What is it?”
“He’s not here, Ben. Uh, neither’s Jamie... Nope, both not here. Let’s try the, er, the library.”
Yeah, Polly had trouble looking away :oD That's what the pause is. Her trying to close the door and leave, but being slightly unable to for the moment, while distractedly telling Ben that it's not the right room after all...
“What was that squeak?”
“Victoria. She ran away.”
“But we’re hardly daein’ anythin’!”
“She’s from a rather straight-laced time, remember.”
“I guess. Men on’y kiss lassies where she’s from, aye?”
“Well, in public, anyway.”
Oh, Jamie. I love writing his voice sometimes. I think by the "where she's from" part, he is referring to the higher class of society, rather than the time. I was aware after I wrote this that Jamie's time wasn't that forgiving either, so in this instance, he's referring to Victoria's naivety due to her upbringing and surroundings.
“Oh! Sorry. I was... um... hm.”
“Was there something that you wanted, Zoe?”
“Well…”
“She’s got that look in her eye, Doctor.”
“Yes, I see it, Jamie. What do you think?”
“...Och, alright, but on’y if she disnae hog the covers after.”
Heh, and the polar opposite - Zoe's from the future, so far more open-minded. I love the way Jamie's already familiar with the look in Zoe's eye :oD And the casual way they invite her into bed with them. It's sweet :o)
“Doctor, what are you doing?”
“Er, establishing a mental link, Adric. Time Lord to Time Lord telepathic contact.”
“What, naked?”
“It is unwise to remain here, master. The Doctor-master and the mistress appear to be engaging in -”
“Shut up, K9!”
Oh, this one had me giggling for ages! I was writing this part at work, cos I was all hopped up on energy drinks and very little sleep, so my general state for the weekend fluctuated between very very sleepy and bouncing around all hyper. So I was thinking up situations involving the Doctor, for this section, and Four/Romana II came into my head. I remembered that Adric travelled with them both for a short while, and got this 'kid walking in on parents' kinda imagery :oD I couldn't stop giggling for about half an hour, during which I worked out the little scene, wrote it, and then re-read it a few times. And once I was a bit further in the fic, I kept going back and re-reading it, and I cracked up each and every time. It was a fun couple of hours :o) I'm not sure if it's the hesitant, 'grabbing for a plausible story' tone to Four's voice, or Adric being all naively puzzled and going "What, naked?", or K9 attempting to advise Adric to leave by telling him exactly what was happening and Four snapping at him to be quiet! :oD I just love this bit. Possibly one of my favourite scenes.
“…”
“Gah!”
“Ow!”
“Sorry!” Rassilon knows what's happening here. Let your imaginations run wild :o) I think there's a mouth involved. The "..." is Tegan standing there is mild shock, if that helps :o)
“Hell’s teeth... Well, this explains a lot.” Ah, the ever-reliable "Hell's teeth". Excellent for easily-identifiable Tegan.
“Okay, either you’ve now taught me a lesson about the perils of not knocking, or you forgot your own advice, I don’t much care - Turlough, stop that a moment - but I’d appreciate it if you’d give us a little privacy.” The "Turlough, stop that a moment" is my favourite bit there :oD Cos Turlough's just shameless.
“...You got it, Doc.”
“What’s she smirking for? And what the hell was that about?”
“Just the pot calling the kettle black, or something along those lines. You can carry on now, by the way.”
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Okay, so maybe more than a little hypocritical. But the point was, intimate interpersonal relationships caused problems. Which was why he had only indulged with his companions on a few occasions. Well, on a lot of occasions, but only with a few of them. And only ever the ones who sought him out first. He never made the first move; he never wanted to run the risk of misinterpreting signals and driving away a good friend. Signals varied from species to species and even from culture to culture within a species, so it was too risky to assume he was reading them correctly. Most of the companions who entertained feelings for him, however brave they were against bug eyed monsters, lacked the nerve to ever tell him, so many centuries were spent in celibacy. Not that he minded overly much, most of the time. Time Lords weren’t hardwired for sexual contact the way humans were, so it was not something he craved, [I like this bit, it's interesting to think of how Gallifreyans work, sexually, since they reproduce with Looms (yes, I'm one of Them), and this is my pet theory. Humans more often than not have a biological need for sexual contact. Gallifreyans could enjoy sex, since they used to reproduce sexually in the old times, but they might find the human pursuit of it a little baffling. In this theory, they'd look on "Let's have sex!" with the same kind of attitude as "Let's watch your favourite show!" Y'know, if you really enjoy watching your favourite show, but could go an indefinite period of time without it.] but when the opportunity arose, it was an immensely pleasurable past-time and a way of bonding even further with a much-loved friend. Sometimes two. Yep, Two/Jamie/Zoe again :o)
The two exceptions to this were Turlough and Romana. Turlough had merely wanted something and gone after it, the way he did with most things. It just happened to be something that they both really enjoyed. My point here was that it wasn't "bonding with a much-loved friend", so much as having a fuck buddy. Romana, being a Time Lord herself, connected with him on a different level than any of his other companions could. It had begun as friendship and developed into intellectual intercourse (love that expression) with sharing of thoughts and memories, and that had been when she’d found out about his sexual encounters with humans. She’d shown a higher degree of interest in the memories than he’d expected her to, especially the ones which included Zoe. At her request, he’d been only too delighted to demonstrate, and the added high of linking minds throughout created more than a few memorably enjoyable experiences.
However, whenever he’d been interrupted in the middle of something, he’d always managed not to make a big fuss about it. This was something most of his companions seemed unable to do, hence why he had tried to put an end to the pattern. After Tegan’s wrath and Peri’s accusations, he had made up his mind to only travel with one person at a time. After Erimem left, he avoided taking on a second companion for a long while. He did quite well, too, for a time. Peri was okay once she’d got used to the new him, Frobisher joined him for a few rather strange adventures, Evelyn turned out to be very good company indeed, and Mel had a certain bubbly, enthuasistic charm about her. He had taken Ace under his wing and helped her grow out of that spiky adolescent stage and into a confident young woman, and when she had persuaded him to let Hex join them, he had initially thought they might have a similar type of relationship. A sort of mentor-student thing. But no, they had to go and start flirting, and then there was that unfortunate series of events in Ireland and everything spiralled from there. (I only wish. 'The Settling' should have had more impact on their relationship.)
It seemed inevitable that his life, if he chose to share it with others, would carry on being fraught with various people being caught in flagrante delicto. Woo, Latin. Even when travelling with only one person, he was not exempt from the hazards of unlocked doors, thanks to someone who, for whatever reason, had decided to muck about with the Time Vortex and create a fixed point. And here, hopefully, I'm able to tell you exactly who's coming :o) But from the perspective of the earlier Doctors. So they have no idea who made this Jack guy all immortal and stuff, they just know that it was a really stupid (and annoying) thing to do. Mainly cos he makes a nuisance of himself :o) I also like the fact that most of this fic is Classic era, hardly a mention of New Who, and then in comes Jack Harkness.
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“Not you again!”
“’Fraid so.”
“Why the kitchen? You have a bedroom, Bernice, is there something wrong with it?”
“But the alcohol’s through here.”
“Exactly. More brandy?”
“Don’t mind if I do!”
“Typical...”
I think this one's actually last, chronologically. They're in no particular order, anyway.
“Ahem.”
“Hmm...? W- Good grief!”
“Mornin’.”
“I take it this is going to be a regular occurrence, then?”
“Doctor, wh- ... Oh my goodness...”
“Sarah! I -”
“Take it easy, sailor, the blanket’s covering everything.”
I sometimes think that this one might be a bit too vague. But it always makes sense when I read it through - but then, I wrote it. I hope that by strategic use of 'Sarah' and 'sailor', it's fairly obvious :o)
“Oh, Rassilon’s beard... You!”
“Me.”
“Wipe that smug smirk off your face this instant. I’m getting sick to the back teeth of this. ...Where did you find him?” Six's voice is very clear in my head for this scene :o)
“He, um, knocked on the TARDIS door. Said he knew you.” Evelyn's all slightly awkward here, a little embarrassed, but mature enough to not be totally mortified. God knows what the tableau is, and I wouldn't advise imagining it.
“And you invited him in for chocolate cake, I see?”
“What, a guy can’t have a little chocolate cake?”
“...Usually, Captain, you’re supposed to eat it with a fork.” No seriously, don't try to conjure up an image. Even I haven't :oD
“I, er, wouldn’t go in there at the moment, Doctor.”
“Whyever not, Benton?”
“There’s, um... Well, an American chap arrived, looking for you... Said his name was Harkness. He started talking to Miss Shaw, and... well... I thought it best to shut the door.”
“Oh for pity’s sake!”
I like the word 'whyever'. Doesn't get used enough. Also, Benton rocks. He's acting as lookout, to protect Liz :o)
“I do not understand your concern, Doctor. He is a friend of yours, is he not?”
“Sort of, probably. He will be, I think.”
“And is it not a good thing that your friends get along?”
“Not necessarily…”
“The men and women of his tribe are free to mate with who they choose. Why is it not the same for your friends? Why do you create the rules?”
“Because it’s my TARDIS! He has no right to swan in and -”
“Hey, don’t look at me! For once, I didn’t make the first move!”
Leela also rocks. I love the way she talks, and her defiant yet questioning nature. Also, Four getting increasingly shirty and frustrated with his lack of control over the situation amuses me greatly :oD
“Ah. Doctor. I, um... Heh. Should’ve locked that, huh?”
“Oh, don’t worry, he’ll get used to it.”
“And what do you mean by that, hmm? How did you get into my TARDIS?”
“Your friend Steven here was kind enough to invite me in. Love the decor, by the way. Very minimalist.”
“And who exactly are you?”
“Oh, that’s right, you haven’t met me yet! Captain Jack Harkness, at your service. Ah... I’ll find my pants, shall I?”
I don't know Steven very well, just from one story, but he was the only one who really fit for this era. A lot of people seemed to like the last line, according to reviews.
“D’you expect we’ll see him again soon?”
“I sincerely hope not to.”
“That’s a bit harsh, Doc. He’s a charmin’ sorta guy. Don’t get them very often these days.” I think Frobisher is the only one who gets away with calling him 'Doc'.
“Well, I’ll give you ‘charming’. He certainly seems to know what he’s doing when it comes to seducing my companions.” Disgruntled!Six, here :o) Pretty fed up by this point.
“I didn’t think I was the first. He’s obviously had experience with non-humanoids - and plenty of it. He’s lucky I’m so flexible. In more ways than he is, of course.” This conjures up terrifying images if I think about it too much :o)
“...Now that, I did not need to know.”
“Sorry. It’s just so rare to find a humanoid who actually likes flippers.” And the kicker line, which I was saving for the very end. I love making the last laugh really count. Plus, it clues the reader in to who's speaking, if they hadn't worked it out already. For some reason, Jack/Frobisher really tickles a lot of people :oD
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That was fun :oD And now I'm going to bed.
Next, Memories and Mesmers.
DVD commentary for Dating in the Workplace
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“Doctor!”
“Terribly sorry, my dear Chatterton. Erm, I believe your dressing gown is hanging from that lamp shade, Barbara, if that's what you’re searching for.”
These first bits were originally a little less clear, and my beta-reader helped me un-vague them by adding some names, and in the process, added in a couple of really funny lines that conjure up amusing images. This one's obviously Ian and Barbara.
“Doctor!”
“Whoops! Don't mind me! Good heavens, Polly... isn’t that a terribly uncomfortable position?”
And Two walking in on Ben and Polly... Another line from my beta-reader :o)
“Ahem.”
“Doctor! We, uh...”
“That door is locked for a reason, Doctor. You and that bloody sonic scr-”
“The Major General has just arrived, Brigadier. Thought you might like to know.”
“...I see. Thank you.”
The Brig and Benton, one of my favourite slightly-more-obscure pairings. It's all based on the little grins and glances in 'Inferno', really.
“Hell’s teeth!”
“Doctor!”
“Ah. I’ll just... Ahem. Sorry.”
This one is Tegan and Nyssa, with Five being all... Five-ish.
“Doctor, for the love of -!”
“Would you go away!”
“Sorry, sorry!”
Peri/Erimem, my favourite femslash pairing of the fandom. It's Erimem doing the annoyed "go away!" part here :o)
“Nyaagh!”
“Oh! Oh dear.”
“Ow!”
“Professor!”
It just struck me as so perfect for Hex to fall off the bed when startled :oD
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If anyone had asked the Doctor whether he begrudged his companions their interpersonal relationships, he would’ve denied it strenuously, with much hand-waving and/or babbling. Because it was true! For the most part. I like the slightly odd POV in these bits. It's sort of inside the Doctor's head, but sort of not. I tried to take the side of slight defensiveness on his part, but awareness that he's not totally in the right all the time. He didn’t resent the fact that his companions sometimes needed a more ... intimate relationship, shall we say, than that which he was prepared to offer them. They often left him to pursue these, and he wished them well - really, he did. He had given K9 to Leela as a wedding present; he hadn’t made a fuss when Jo went off to the Amazon with that weird scientist bloke; he’d almost literally pushed his own granddaughter out of the TARDIS and into her new boyfriend’s arms because he wanted her to be happy. He missed them all, of course he did, for whatever reasons they left, but at least they were happy. At least they had a somewhat more stable future ahead of them. At least he wouldn’t have to encounter the same difficulties, awkwardnesses and inconveniences that he did with those who managed to carry on a relationship while still travelling with him. Of course, it's his "difficulties, awkwardnesses and inconveniences" that he's concerned about, not theirs :o)
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“Doctor, about earlier. We’re very sorry if we -”
“Not at all, Chesterfield, not at all. You’re entitled to your, eh, yes... hmm?”
And I manage to throw in at least three distinctive mannerisms in just two short sentences.
“I could swear I locked that door, Duchess.”
“...him and Jamie, it’s not like we’re the only ones who…” And Polly grumbles under her breath about Two and Jamie :oD
“Look, Doctor, we didn’t mean for you to walk in on -”
“What? Oh, that! No, no problem at all! My fault, really. Should’ve left that door locked.” Two's very blase about all this, in my head. It seems like the sort of thing he wouldn't find particularly embarrassing.
“You...? See, didn’t I tell you I locked it?”
“Doctor, if I could just have a word…”
“No need for you or the Sergeant to worry, Brigadier. My lips are sealed.” Here I try to make it a bit clearer who the Brig was with.
“Oh. Well... I appreciate it. But if there’s a next time... well, a bit of warning wouldn’t go amiss.”
“Understood.”
“And stop smirking. ...That’s an order.” Totally deadpan, that last bit :o)
“- and you’d think you could knock first, or don’t they teach that on Gallifrey? Honestly, I really don’t -” I love Tegan ranting.
“Look, I said I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking! I’ll knock next time, I promise!” Five's totally scrambling for any defence that will stand up to a Tegan Rant.
“You say that every time! What are we supposed to do, hang a sign on the door handle? Draw up a timetable for you?”
“That would be a bit impractical, wouldn’t it?” The only way to make Nyssa present in this bit was to have her be a bit too literal. Slightly less smart than her character usually is, but I figured she might be a little bit clueless on the etiquette of these sorts of things, and on angry sarcasm.
“I was being sarcastic, Nyssa.”
“I don’t see why you’re so embarrassed, it’s a perfectly normal and healthy expression of -” One last try at reason and diplomacy...
“I just don’t think it’s too much to ask for a little privacy!”
“That’s the fourth time this month.”
“Yes, Peri, I know. My apologies. To you too, Erimem. I seem to be making a bad habit of this.”
“What, voyeurism?”
“No! I - Oh, what’s the use…” He's pretty much given up at this point :o)
“Look, I, er…”
“No need to worry, Hex, I’ve seen it all before.” I love how easygoing Seven is, compared with Hex's sheer awkwardness.
“What?”
“It’s one of the hazards of TARDIS-travel, it seems. I do try to avoid it where at all possible, but it’s just one of those things. Try hanging a sign on the door handle. Sorry if I embarrassed you. That was quite a tumble, I didn’t think the bed was that high. How’s your arm?” I'm rather fond of that bunch of sentences. He's pretty much got used to the inevitable, and doesn't much care anymore.
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Sometimes it was a quick kiss stolen in the console room. He would sense the atmosphere as he walked in, and see whichever couple it was this time holding hands and smiling, or occasionally standing apart and looking shifty.
I suppose he sometimes walks in on the kisses themselves, but I preferred to imply two types of relationship: open and supposed-to-be-secret.
Sometimes it got them in trouble on primitive alien planets or in Earth’s less-forgiving eras, either because the couple weren’t married or because both were girls. Funnily enough, he’d never had the same trouble with his male companions, but then he rarely had more than one male companion at a time. The one time that he had, neither had any interest in dating the other, which worked out quite well for everyone involved. I am referring, of course, to the Two, Jamie, Ben, Polly TARDIS Team. And of course, one couple had never actually travelled with him, but they had a prejudiced society of their own to deal with, not to mention the threat of courts-martial. The Brig and Benton again, here. I also like using the plural of court-martial properly :o)
Sometimes he felt rather left-out, because in-jokes are an inevitable product of any amicable relationship; romantic ones even more so. The girls, especially, would giggle away at some private amusement and stifle their laughter when he glanced over, or pretend not to know what he was talking about when he asked what the joke was.
And sometimes, for some reason far more frequently than other encounters, he would open a door too quickly, barge in without thinking, and then have to backpedal hurriedly, apologising all the way. Occasionally he was less bothered by it, depending on how flustered he was prone to becoming, which differed from body to body. On these occasions, he simply strolled through the room and retrieved whatever item he was looking for, offering a quick and cheery apology as his companions hastily covered themselves or yelled at him angrily, and left again.
Neither approach to walking in on his companions was preferable, it seemed. If he breezed through, they got angry at him. If he stammered his way out of the door, they got angry at him. It took him a while to realise that it was the interruption itself that made them angry rather than his attitude to it. Those that didn’t get angry at him just got embarrassed; usually the ones from eras where it was not the done thing to talk about it. He tried his best to reassure them that he hadn’t been embarrassed by it, which was usually their concern, but there was generally a lingering awkwardness for weeks afterward. The ones that became both angry and embarrassed at the intrusion just yelled at him, while the other half of the couple looked on in silent amusement at his hopeless protestations of innocence and apology. The other halves here are intended to be Nyssa and Erimem. Cos Tegan and Peri are typically the louder and more antagonistic of the two in each pair :o)
He didn’t mind his companions deciding to get together... he just wished they could do it in less inconvenient ways. Although, he was aware he was being a little hypocritical. I rather like my lead-in sentences.
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“Oh. Um.”
“What is it?”
“He’s not here, Ben. Uh, neither’s Jamie... Nope, both not here. Let’s try the, er, the library.”
Yeah, Polly had trouble looking away :oD That's what the pause is. Her trying to close the door and leave, but being slightly unable to for the moment, while distractedly telling Ben that it's not the right room after all...
“What was that squeak?”
“Victoria. She ran away.”
“But we’re hardly daein’ anythin’!”
“She’s from a rather straight-laced time, remember.”
“I guess. Men on’y kiss lassies where she’s from, aye?”
“Well, in public, anyway.”
Oh, Jamie. I love writing his voice sometimes. I think by the "where she's from" part, he is referring to the higher class of society, rather than the time. I was aware after I wrote this that Jamie's time wasn't that forgiving either, so in this instance, he's referring to Victoria's naivety due to her upbringing and surroundings.
“Oh! Sorry. I was... um... hm.”
“Was there something that you wanted, Zoe?”
“Well…”
“She’s got that look in her eye, Doctor.”
“Yes, I see it, Jamie. What do you think?”
“...Och, alright, but on’y if she disnae hog the covers after.”
Heh, and the polar opposite - Zoe's from the future, so far more open-minded. I love the way Jamie's already familiar with the look in Zoe's eye :oD And the casual way they invite her into bed with them. It's sweet :o)
“Doctor, what are you doing?”
“Er, establishing a mental link, Adric. Time Lord to Time Lord telepathic contact.”
“What, naked?”
“It is unwise to remain here, master. The Doctor-master and the mistress appear to be engaging in -”
“Shut up, K9!”
Oh, this one had me giggling for ages! I was writing this part at work, cos I was all hopped up on energy drinks and very little sleep, so my general state for the weekend fluctuated between very very sleepy and bouncing around all hyper. So I was thinking up situations involving the Doctor, for this section, and Four/Romana II came into my head. I remembered that Adric travelled with them both for a short while, and got this 'kid walking in on parents' kinda imagery :oD I couldn't stop giggling for about half an hour, during which I worked out the little scene, wrote it, and then re-read it a few times. And once I was a bit further in the fic, I kept going back and re-reading it, and I cracked up each and every time. It was a fun couple of hours :o) I'm not sure if it's the hesitant, 'grabbing for a plausible story' tone to Four's voice, or Adric being all naively puzzled and going "What, naked?", or K9 attempting to advise Adric to leave by telling him exactly what was happening and Four snapping at him to be quiet! :oD I just love this bit. Possibly one of my favourite scenes.
“…”
“Gah!”
“Ow!”
“Sorry!” Rassilon knows what's happening here. Let your imaginations run wild :o) I think there's a mouth involved. The "..." is Tegan standing there is mild shock, if that helps :o)
“Hell’s teeth... Well, this explains a lot.” Ah, the ever-reliable "Hell's teeth". Excellent for easily-identifiable Tegan.
“Okay, either you’ve now taught me a lesson about the perils of not knocking, or you forgot your own advice, I don’t much care - Turlough, stop that a moment - but I’d appreciate it if you’d give us a little privacy.” The "Turlough, stop that a moment" is my favourite bit there :oD Cos Turlough's just shameless.
“...You got it, Doc.”
“What’s she smirking for? And what the hell was that about?”
“Just the pot calling the kettle black, or something along those lines. You can carry on now, by the way.”
oOoOoOo
Okay, so maybe more than a little hypocritical. But the point was, intimate interpersonal relationships caused problems. Which was why he had only indulged with his companions on a few occasions. Well, on a lot of occasions, but only with a few of them. And only ever the ones who sought him out first. He never made the first move; he never wanted to run the risk of misinterpreting signals and driving away a good friend. Signals varied from species to species and even from culture to culture within a species, so it was too risky to assume he was reading them correctly. Most of the companions who entertained feelings for him, however brave they were against bug eyed monsters, lacked the nerve to ever tell him, so many centuries were spent in celibacy. Not that he minded overly much, most of the time. Time Lords weren’t hardwired for sexual contact the way humans were, so it was not something he craved, [I like this bit, it's interesting to think of how Gallifreyans work, sexually, since they reproduce with Looms (yes, I'm one of Them), and this is my pet theory. Humans more often than not have a biological need for sexual contact. Gallifreyans could enjoy sex, since they used to reproduce sexually in the old times, but they might find the human pursuit of it a little baffling. In this theory, they'd look on "Let's have sex!" with the same kind of attitude as "Let's watch your favourite show!" Y'know, if you really enjoy watching your favourite show, but could go an indefinite period of time without it.] but when the opportunity arose, it was an immensely pleasurable past-time and a way of bonding even further with a much-loved friend. Sometimes two. Yep, Two/Jamie/Zoe again :o)
The two exceptions to this were Turlough and Romana. Turlough had merely wanted something and gone after it, the way he did with most things. It just happened to be something that they both really enjoyed. My point here was that it wasn't "bonding with a much-loved friend", so much as having a fuck buddy. Romana, being a Time Lord herself, connected with him on a different level than any of his other companions could. It had begun as friendship and developed into intellectual intercourse (love that expression) with sharing of thoughts and memories, and that had been when she’d found out about his sexual encounters with humans. She’d shown a higher degree of interest in the memories than he’d expected her to, especially the ones which included Zoe. At her request, he’d been only too delighted to demonstrate, and the added high of linking minds throughout created more than a few memorably enjoyable experiences.
However, whenever he’d been interrupted in the middle of something, he’d always managed not to make a big fuss about it. This was something most of his companions seemed unable to do, hence why he had tried to put an end to the pattern. After Tegan’s wrath and Peri’s accusations, he had made up his mind to only travel with one person at a time. After Erimem left, he avoided taking on a second companion for a long while. He did quite well, too, for a time. Peri was okay once she’d got used to the new him, Frobisher joined him for a few rather strange adventures, Evelyn turned out to be very good company indeed, and Mel had a certain bubbly, enthuasistic charm about her. He had taken Ace under his wing and helped her grow out of that spiky adolescent stage and into a confident young woman, and when she had persuaded him to let Hex join them, he had initially thought they might have a similar type of relationship. A sort of mentor-student thing. But no, they had to go and start flirting, and then there was that unfortunate series of events in Ireland and everything spiralled from there. (I only wish. 'The Settling' should have had more impact on their relationship.)
It seemed inevitable that his life, if he chose to share it with others, would carry on being fraught with various people being caught in flagrante delicto. Woo, Latin. Even when travelling with only one person, he was not exempt from the hazards of unlocked doors, thanks to someone who, for whatever reason, had decided to muck about with the Time Vortex and create a fixed point. And here, hopefully, I'm able to tell you exactly who's coming :o) But from the perspective of the earlier Doctors. So they have no idea who made this Jack guy all immortal and stuff, they just know that it was a really stupid (and annoying) thing to do. Mainly cos he makes a nuisance of himself :o) I also like the fact that most of this fic is Classic era, hardly a mention of New Who, and then in comes Jack Harkness.
oOoOoOo
“Not you again!”
“’Fraid so.”
“Why the kitchen? You have a bedroom, Bernice, is there something wrong with it?”
“But the alcohol’s through here.”
“Exactly. More brandy?”
“Don’t mind if I do!”
“Typical...”
I think this one's actually last, chronologically. They're in no particular order, anyway.
“Ahem.”
“Hmm...? W- Good grief!”
“Mornin’.”
“I take it this is going to be a regular occurrence, then?”
“Doctor, wh- ... Oh my goodness...”
“Sarah! I -”
“Take it easy, sailor, the blanket’s covering everything.”
I sometimes think that this one might be a bit too vague. But it always makes sense when I read it through - but then, I wrote it. I hope that by strategic use of 'Sarah' and 'sailor', it's fairly obvious :o)
“Oh, Rassilon’s beard... You!”
“Me.”
“Wipe that smug smirk off your face this instant. I’m getting sick to the back teeth of this. ...Where did you find him?” Six's voice is very clear in my head for this scene :o)
“He, um, knocked on the TARDIS door. Said he knew you.” Evelyn's all slightly awkward here, a little embarrassed, but mature enough to not be totally mortified. God knows what the tableau is, and I wouldn't advise imagining it.
“And you invited him in for chocolate cake, I see?”
“What, a guy can’t have a little chocolate cake?”
“...Usually, Captain, you’re supposed to eat it with a fork.” No seriously, don't try to conjure up an image. Even I haven't :oD
“I, er, wouldn’t go in there at the moment, Doctor.”
“Whyever not, Benton?”
“There’s, um... Well, an American chap arrived, looking for you... Said his name was Harkness. He started talking to Miss Shaw, and... well... I thought it best to shut the door.”
“Oh for pity’s sake!”
I like the word 'whyever'. Doesn't get used enough. Also, Benton rocks. He's acting as lookout, to protect Liz :o)
“I do not understand your concern, Doctor. He is a friend of yours, is he not?”
“Sort of, probably. He will be, I think.”
“And is it not a good thing that your friends get along?”
“Not necessarily…”
“The men and women of his tribe are free to mate with who they choose. Why is it not the same for your friends? Why do you create the rules?”
“Because it’s my TARDIS! He has no right to swan in and -”
“Hey, don’t look at me! For once, I didn’t make the first move!”
Leela also rocks. I love the way she talks, and her defiant yet questioning nature. Also, Four getting increasingly shirty and frustrated with his lack of control over the situation amuses me greatly :oD
“Ah. Doctor. I, um... Heh. Should’ve locked that, huh?”
“Oh, don’t worry, he’ll get used to it.”
“And what do you mean by that, hmm? How did you get into my TARDIS?”
“Your friend Steven here was kind enough to invite me in. Love the decor, by the way. Very minimalist.”
“And who exactly are you?”
“Oh, that’s right, you haven’t met me yet! Captain Jack Harkness, at your service. Ah... I’ll find my pants, shall I?”
I don't know Steven very well, just from one story, but he was the only one who really fit for this era. A lot of people seemed to like the last line, according to reviews.
“D’you expect we’ll see him again soon?”
“I sincerely hope not to.”
“That’s a bit harsh, Doc. He’s a charmin’ sorta guy. Don’t get them very often these days.” I think Frobisher is the only one who gets away with calling him 'Doc'.
“Well, I’ll give you ‘charming’. He certainly seems to know what he’s doing when it comes to seducing my companions.” Disgruntled!Six, here :o) Pretty fed up by this point.
“I didn’t think I was the first. He’s obviously had experience with non-humanoids - and plenty of it. He’s lucky I’m so flexible. In more ways than he is, of course.” This conjures up terrifying images if I think about it too much :o)
“...Now that, I did not need to know.”
“Sorry. It’s just so rare to find a humanoid who actually likes flippers.” And the kicker line, which I was saving for the very end. I love making the last laugh really count. Plus, it clues the reader in to who's speaking, if they hadn't worked it out already. For some reason, Jack/Frobisher really tickles a lot of people :oD
oOoOoOo
That was fun :oD And now I'm going to bed.
Next, Memories and Mesmers.