Category: Before & After

[shoesncandles]

Characters: The (8th) Doctor and Rose Tyler
Location: The plaza
Time: Sometime late afternoon
Style: I'll start off third, change if needed?
Status: Closed

Comments

[bringslife]

It was a bit odd, the concept of meeting the Doctor when she'd know him and yet not know him at all. Rose was used to the wibbly-wobbly things that came with travelling with him, but some things were just decidedly so odd she'd never really get used to it. It was part of the excitement that she missed so much-- never knowing what was coming next.

But she was so curious to see what sort of person he'd been before she'd first met him. Rose hadn't been aware that the Doctor had even regenerated at all before; he'd never mentioned it, and she'd rather just assumed he'd always been smiley and leather-wearing before growing his head of really great hair. Apparently not, though, which begged the question of just how many times he'd regenerated

[shoesncandles]

He looked up at the sound of his name. The voice belonged to a young blonde with a slight cockney accent. Earth again, then. Twenty-first century--well, probably; clothing styles weren't always married to the times they were popular in, he was living proof of that. He smiled.

"That's right. And you must be Rose! I'm happy to meet you... It's always nice to run into a good friend, even if it is a bit early." He closed the distance between them as he talked. "I'm just learning my way around here, I think I might be better off letting you decide where we go. If we go anywhere at all, that is, I'm perfectly happy staying here too."

[bringslife]

Rose tilted her head, watching him carefully. Her initial instinct was to be wary, but she'd been that after watching him go from one incarnation to another, and she'd wound up loving him just as much-- or, arguably, even more. So she easily reassured herself that different didn't mean bad.

"I'd be all right staying here," she said, scratching the back of her head; all right, so he was quite friendly, but that didn't mean she felt any less awkward. "Or maybe we could grab something to eat? 'S all free, so it wouldn't be a problem. There are a few good places right down the street here that'd be good, if you want."

[shoesncandles]

"Grabbing something to eat sounds fine." She was still a little apprehensive, but no more than could be expected. A reassuring smile, and a sweeping "ladies first" gesture with one arm. Unnecessary gallantry tended to put people at ease, hopefully it would work as well here. "Lead on, Miss Tyler."

He would fall into step with her easily enough once they got started, whatever the direction. There were limits to any potential conversation, of course, given the chronology, but there were plenty of perfectly safe topics to be had without getting into that. First among them being--

"Have you known me long?" She'd mentioned regeneration, so it must have been some time... unless she'd come in at the end of a life, and learned that way.

[bringslife]

A small smile tugged at Rose's mouth as the Doctor accomplished his goal of easing her awkwardness, just a bit. He wasn't either of the Doctors that she knew, but the same man was in there still, within all of them.

She responded to his gesture and began to walk, keeping an eye on him even as she led them in the direction of one of the many little restaurants and shops around the plaza. "I met you about three years ago, for me," she answered. "You regenerated after the first year, and then I was with you for another before we-- got separated."

The battle at Canary Wharf was still a painful memory; Rose preferred not to think of it, or at least their goodbye, as much as she could. "How often d'you do that, anyway?" she asked. "Regenerate? You've never said."