[Our Magic Place] RP with velvetdoc

[his_sarah_jane]

It was pretty and sunny with hardly a cloud in the sky. There was a small breeze blowing around the bench Sarah Jane waited on, ruffling her hair and the light blue skirt. It really was beautiful out today, the perfect weather in her opinion for a first date.

Leaning back in the bench, legs crossed and eyes closed, Sarah smiled contently into the sun as she waited for the Doctor to show up. He'd be here eventually, and until then, there was nothing better to do than enjoy the weather.

Comments

[velvetdoc.livejournal.com]

The Doctor arched an eyebrow at the waiter, who removed their salad plates. "What do you recommend, then? The only other option I could find were academic studies that bore no resemblance to reality. It's not as though I've done anything like this before."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Sarah took a sip of her wine, watching him closely. "Honestly? I'd recommend just going in to it. Books can't cover every little detail to begin with."

[velvetdoc.livejournal.com]

The Doctor couldn't help feeling over his head in this particular instance. He took a sip of wine and tried to marshall his thoughts as the waiter brought their entrees over.

He waited until the plates had been placed before them and the waiter had retreated before he said, "It's all well and good for you, Sarah. You've been raised in this culture and know the rules. I...don't. I needed to make sure I didn't do anything socially inappropriate, rude or indecent. When you've seen a few more planets, you'll understand how much these things can vary from place to place. Why, on Junstre if you share a glass of alcohol with someone, you're considered married for life and on Abanakil merely speaking to a member of the opposite sex would get my tongue cut out. I'm quite fond of my tongue, thank you very much."

He took up a forkful of pasta and grinned at her.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"You don't think I wouldn't tell you if you did something inappropriate?" Sarah eyed him rather doubtfully, almost looking offended at that. She picked up a piece of gnocchi and shook her head. Annoyance lessened into amusement. "Doctor, I'd probably be first in line to tell you."

[velvetdoc.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't want to ruin our friendship by overstepping a line. And sometimes it's hard to tell what the borderline is between flirtatious and offensive."

The Doctor studied her seriously. "I can trust you to tell me if I'm getting out of hand assuming a general set of borders, but I don't know where the borders are." He took a piece of garlic bread and waved it at her. "Will I offend you by eating this? The book was rather emphatic about what you shouldn't eat on a date, but if I can't trust the book...."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

She rolled her eyes, grabbing a piece of bread for herself and taking a bite -- possibly just to prove a point. "I am not going to stop you from doing what you want, within reason of course. And honestly, eating garlic bread certainly does fall within that category of doing what you want. Common sense, Doctor. That's all you need."

[velvetdoc.livejournal.com]

The Doctor grinned. "Fair enough."

He took a bite himself and chewed carefully before continuing. "I shall leave myself at your mercies. So what do people talk about on dates? Besides the process of dating, that is."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"Most people actually don't talk about the process of dating while on a date," she answers, grinning a little again. "But they do talk about just about everything else. Whatever comes to mind, really. The food, politics, life, sports...those sorts of things."

[velvetdoc.livejournal.com]

"Pick a topic, then." The Doctor said cheerfully, brandishing a pasta laden fork. "Are you enjoying the food?

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"It's very good, yes," Sarah said, swallowing another fork full of potato pasta. "Although I should have expected as much since you're the one who picked this restaurant out."

[velvetdoc.livejournal.com]

The Doctor preened a little. "Well, sometimes it's hard to tell. You might have hated Italian food. I'm glad you approve though."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"And there's absolutely no doubt between us that I'm saying this to make you happy, right?"

[velvetdoc.livejournal.com]

The Doctor froze, slightly hurt by her words, but that didn't stop him from saying, "That's the last thing I'd want. Sarah, don't you dare start saying things just to make me happy. Or doing things just because I want to. Or worst of all, letting me win."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"I could say the same about you, Doctor," she replied with a hint of a grin on her face. Sarah laughed. "I almost feel as if we ought to set guidelines to our date at this rate. Things certainly never are normal when you're around, are they?"

[velvetdoc.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps we should," the Doctor teased. "You should know by now that nothing I do is normal"

His eyes twinkled at her. "So if I were to try being normal, what would I be doing right now?"

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"Exactly what you are doing, I believe." She giggled and stabbed at some more pasta with her fork. "Chatting over dinner and keeping everything civil and entertaining."

[velvetdoc.livejournal.com]

"I think I can manage that. More wine, my dear?" The Doctor looked at her thoughtfully, then asked, obviously grasping at straws, "Read any good books recently?"

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"Yes please," Sarah answers, reaching for her wine glass and holding it out towards him. "And no, not really. Have you?"

[velvetdoc.livejournal.com]

There had been that book on transtemporal physics, but it was in Gallifreyan. The Doctor quickly considered the other books he had read recently. Not published yet, not published yet, in Latin, ah yes, that would do nicely.

"I read your aunt's latest monograph on viruses. Very well written and some interesting theories besides," The Doctor responded triumphantly.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

She beamed, laughing quietly. "I'm not surprised. Anything written by a Smith is automatically well written, wouldn't you say?"

[velvetdoc.livejournal.com]

The Doctor gave her a broad grin. "I must say I've enjoyed the articles you've written, Sarah, and reading your Aunt's work, I can see where you get both your writing talent and your grasp of scientific concepts."

Jo had been a dear, but science was hardly her strong suit; it was lovely to have an assistant who had some understanding of general scientific principals.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Not an assistant would be the first reply out of Sarah Jane's mouth if she had any idea of what he was thinking.

But she didn't, so he got a smile instead and a nod. "Thank you, Doctor. Writing really was something I was always good at."

[velvetdoc.livejournal.com]

"And it shows, my dear. Both your skill and your love of the written word."

Assistant was such a bad word for it. Not that the English language had one that was appropriate, he thought as he polished off his pasta. It certainly didn't describe the sort of relationship he hoped to have with her.

He winced suddenly. "The movie starts in ten minutes. Do you mind skipping dessert and getting a snack at the cinema instead?"

Thankfully the cinema was right around the corner and he could leave Bessie where she was.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Sarah smiled more boldly at the compliment, finishing off the last of her meal. She nodded at the question, glancing at her own watch. "That's perfectly all right. Don't want to miss the movie after all."

[velvetdoc.livejournal.com]

The Doctor paid the bill, leaving a generous tip, and offered her his arm. "Come, Miss Smith, fast cars and explosions await."