DW - With a Twist
Title: With a Twist
Genre: Doctor Who
Rating: PG
Character: 10th Doctor, Rose
Words: 528
Notes: This was written for nekare as part of a drabble challenge I asked for back in May. She spefically requested Ten/Rose and martinis but since I don't ship the Doctor with his companions, this is what she got. I've got some links regarding the historical references (both veiled and unveiled) that I will post in a comment following the story. Special thanks to marag for beta-reading and providing commentary!
Rose regarded the reddish drink with a healthy dose of skepticism before looking back at the Doctor. He was standing at the bar now, deep in conversation with a man who, even with his shock of dark hair and walrus mustache, would be wholly unremarkable in this time and place if it weren't for a certain undefined magnetism he seemed to radiate. She could barely hear them over the din in the room, but whatever it was they were discussing seemed important, at least to the two of them.
She continued watching them over her glass as she took a sip. The syrupy concoction was sweet but not cloying, saved from that fate only by the strength of the alcohol in it and a faint aftertaste of orange. She pursed her lips and her gaze almost instinctively dropped to her glass. As she looked up again, the Doctor seemed to have concluded his business. He clapped his companion on the shoulder and turned to walk towards her, a huge grin brightening his face.
Rose couldn't help but smile in return. She waited for him to get within earshot before calling out, "Doctor, I thought you said you'd be taking me for a martini."
The Doctor's grin faded to an impish smirk as he replied. "That what I said, is it?"
"Yeah, it is." Rose punctuated her statement with an almost challenging tilt of her chin. Reaching down, she took up a handful of heavy skirt. "While I enjoy a bit of atmosphere as much as the next girl, this is a little much don't you think? And," she concluded firmly as though proving her point, "this drink is sweet."
The Doctor shook his head and raised his own glass to her. "You need to listen better." He paused to take a drink, then continued in a somewhat deprecating tone.
"That is an original martinez from Professor Thomas, himself. There's a town a bit north that's going to want to claim credit, but I know the real thing when I get one so the Hotel Occidental it is." He gestured towards her drink, and continued. "Enjoy it while you can, because after a hundred years and a good bout with temperance, all you're going to have is double 07 'shaken not stirred' vodkas and upscale drinks for yuppies that might as well come furnished with little umbrellas instead of olives."
He crossed his free arm across his chest and leaned against the polished wood column next to them. "Anyway, I thought you'd like gold rush California. This isn't my favorite city, but then I've left more than one heart here."
The temptation to ask was there, as always, but rather than pushing only to receive another evasion, Rose just grinned in response. "I donno," she said, lightly. "Bring me back sometime after they've paved the streets and installed indoor plumbing and maybe we'll have something to talk about."
The Doctor scowled in response. "Some fun you are, cutting off whole swathes of human history with that little proviso. Come on, finish your drink then." He grinned, clinking his glass against hers lightly. "We've got an audience with an Emperor."
Genre: Doctor Who
Rating: PG
Character: 10th Doctor, Rose
Words: 528
Notes: This was written for nekare as part of a drabble challenge I asked for back in May. She spefically requested Ten/Rose and martinis but since I don't ship the Doctor with his companions, this is what she got. I've got some links regarding the historical references (both veiled and unveiled) that I will post in a comment following the story. Special thanks to marag for beta-reading and providing commentary!
Rose regarded the reddish drink with a healthy dose of skepticism before looking back at the Doctor. He was standing at the bar now, deep in conversation with a man who, even with his shock of dark hair and walrus mustache, would be wholly unremarkable in this time and place if it weren't for a certain undefined magnetism he seemed to radiate. She could barely hear them over the din in the room, but whatever it was they were discussing seemed important, at least to the two of them.
She continued watching them over her glass as she took a sip. The syrupy concoction was sweet but not cloying, saved from that fate only by the strength of the alcohol in it and a faint aftertaste of orange. She pursed her lips and her gaze almost instinctively dropped to her glass. As she looked up again, the Doctor seemed to have concluded his business. He clapped his companion on the shoulder and turned to walk towards her, a huge grin brightening his face.
Rose couldn't help but smile in return. She waited for him to get within earshot before calling out, "Doctor, I thought you said you'd be taking me for a martini."
The Doctor's grin faded to an impish smirk as he replied. "That what I said, is it?"
"Yeah, it is." Rose punctuated her statement with an almost challenging tilt of her chin. Reaching down, she took up a handful of heavy skirt. "While I enjoy a bit of atmosphere as much as the next girl, this is a little much don't you think? And," she concluded firmly as though proving her point, "this drink is sweet."
The Doctor shook his head and raised his own glass to her. "You need to listen better." He paused to take a drink, then continued in a somewhat deprecating tone.
"That is an original martinez from Professor Thomas, himself. There's a town a bit north that's going to want to claim credit, but I know the real thing when I get one so the Hotel Occidental it is." He gestured towards her drink, and continued. "Enjoy it while you can, because after a hundred years and a good bout with temperance, all you're going to have is double 07 'shaken not stirred' vodkas and upscale drinks for yuppies that might as well come furnished with little umbrellas instead of olives."
He crossed his free arm across his chest and leaned against the polished wood column next to them. "Anyway, I thought you'd like gold rush California. This isn't my favorite city, but then I've left more than one heart here."
The temptation to ask was there, as always, but rather than pushing only to receive another evasion, Rose just grinned in response. "I donno," she said, lightly. "Bring me back sometime after they've paved the streets and installed indoor plumbing and maybe we'll have something to talk about."
The Doctor scowled in response. "Some fun you are, cutting off whole swathes of human history with that little proviso. Come on, finish your drink then." He grinned, clinking his glass against hers lightly. "We've got an audience with an Emperor."