[Role Play] Merlin Eleven, post-threads in merlin_doctor's journa

[his_sarah_jane]

Relatively peaceful and the TARDIS were concepts that still did not entirely go together in Sarah Jane's head. But, for the most part, that was how life had been since they had left England. Rather than choosing any particular planet, they had just... well, just stayed wherever the TARDIS stayed when not on any particular planet or in any particular time.

Not that it was a bad thing. It gave Sarah a chance to settle back in to her room. It gave her a chance to discover that, yes indeed, Sawyer had found her bed to be a wonderful place to rest. And it gave both her and the Doctor a chance to reconnect.

She had never truly realised how much she had missed him until he had come back in her life.

Still, it seemed quite clear that this relative peaceful time on board the TARIDS would end soon enough. She had her suspicions, after all, when she found him sitting in the console room fiddling about with the controls. Sarah Jane stood there for a moment, watching him.

And then, giving the medieval dress she had found in the Wardrobe a little twirl. "Well, Doctor? What do you think?"

Comments

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

They've been drifting in the Time Vortex for three relative days now. He's been allowing his TARDIS a chance to rest and reacquaint herself to this universe after their absence. At the same time he's been letting Sarah do virtually the same thing. He's given her free reign of the rooms in the TARDIS and she's been exploring new places and old. Sometimes it's just her and Sawyer and sometimes she drags him along with them, laughing and asking questions and scolding and teasing. They've made meals together and read, silently, on opposite ends of the sofa in the library, occasionally sharing amusing or thought provoking lines.

It's been wonderful, but at the same time the weight of domesticity is too much for him. He's too restless now to stay in one place any longer. So while Sarah Jane is off on another round of exploring he's playing with the console, trying to decide where to go next.

He turned when she spoke, freezing for a moment when he saw the dress. "Where did you find that?"

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

It was not quite the reaction she had wished for, truth be told. When Sarah had found the garment in the Wardrobe, she had put it in not just for curiosity's sake, but to show off a little too. She had wanted some sort of look in his eye, maybe even some sort of gleam that indicated that he rather liked the way she looked in the dress.

A daft little notion, she was certain of, but a notion her mind couldn't help but hope for anyway even if she couldn't quite understand it herself.

Sarah Jane's face fell for a moment before she shook it off, smiling and twirling again. She would not let him dampen her spirit, not for all the Timelord stick in the mud nonsense in the world.

"In the Wardrobe, of course." Where else would she find a thing like this? "I think it's quite lovely. Maybe a tad tight, but well... certainly designed to turn some heads at court, wouldn't you agree?"

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

He didn't mean to snap, didn't even realize he had until the look on her face told him of his mistake. He'd forgotten, though, about the silk brocade dress that he'd hung with such care in the Wardrobe, next to the ermine lined tunic and above the brown leather boots. Sarah's hair was too short, her eyes the wrong colour, her figure a little too full but it was still a shock to see someone wearing that dress.

"It turned every head in court, the first day it was worn."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Sarah Jane nodded, suddenly feeling quite unsure of herself in the dress. She had thought it would be fun, really. Thought maybe that he'd... well, that was a daft thought.

But he had always given her free reign of the TARDIS, and in the past, that meant clothing too.

She took a couple of steps closer to him, tilting her head curiously. "Who wore it?"

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

Somehow words, usually so easy for him, came out wrong when he was talking to Sarah. Already he'd hurt her more than once by saying the wrong thing, even when it was true. He didn't want to hurt her.

The past was behind him, tucked away as securely as Guinevere was cloistered in her abbey. Sarah was the present, the future. He pushed away the old memories and old losses. He closed the distance between them, letting his fingers run over the pale blue silk at the edge of one sleeve.

"You wear the dress of a royal, Sarah Jane. A gift from Arthur to his Guinevere."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Her breath caught in her throat when he ran his fingers over the edge of one sleeve. His touch was so light and, even though she knew it was the dress that interested him, it made her happy.

"I didn't know," Sarah said a moment later. That need to defend herself had come rushing back. "I had absolutely no idea, Doctor. It was just hanging there and I though..."

Never mind what she had thought. A dress of Guinevere's. She did not belong in such.

"I ought to go change."

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

"Of course you didn't know." He stalled her with a hand on her arm, not willing to let her go feeling that she'd done something wrong. "It's just a dress, like any of the others in that room. The wardrobe is at your complete disposal, just as it's always been. I just..."

He shook his head - his memories were his own, and he wouldn't burden her with them. "She loved that dress. She would have liked someone such as you finding pleasure in it too. The stories that have filtered through to today are unjust in their treatment of her."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

The hand on her arm did indeed stop Sarah in her tracks. She did not try to fight him. Rather, she watched his expressions as he talked, noting the sudden changes in mood so easily.

"You just what, Doctor?" Sarah Jane asked quietly, her inquisitive nature once again getting the better of her. She never did like sentences left dangling. Nor did she like him acting like this. It went far beyond the arrogant Timelord bit to something else.

"I... oh, I appreciate the words, that she would have liked it if I..." She gestured to the dress she wore. "But if it makes you uncomfortable, it's...it's alright. That's the last thing I want to do and you flippin' well ought to know that by now."

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

"I do know, just as I hope you know I have no desire to hurt you either." He touched a strand of her hair, briefly, moving it from where it was falling into her face and tucking it behind one ear. She should have a crown or a garland of flowers with this dress.

The Doctor never found it easy to speak of his companions once they were gone, and that's what they had been, Arthur and Guinevere, Morgaine and Ancelyn, though they'd never traveled the stars together.

"I lived with them, Sarah. Not for a few days or weeks but for their lives. I held Arthur as a babe and I held him as a dying king. I met Guinevere as a young bride full of hope and I said goodbye just weeks ago to a woman who will spend the rest of her life in mourning. The dress is simply a reminder, nothing that can hurt." He dropped her arm and glanced back at the console. Turning back to Sarah he raised an eyebrow. "As nice as it looks on you it's hardly suitable attire for an adventure."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

She would forever vehemently deny that that was a blush that made its way on to her face when he tucked her hair back. It had always been the little things that made her heart skip beats when it came to men. Why it was doing the same thing now, she did not understand.

Still, his words masked her confusion. She could not ever imagine seeing someone's whole life played out while you, knowing the story or not, could only live and remember. This time, it was Sarah Jane who placed a hand on his arm.

"They sound like wonderful people. It must have been an honour to know them all." Sarah smiled softly. "But if we're going on an adventure, I really must change. No guilt in the matter at all."

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

It was strange, the comfort he received from her touch. It wasn't a feeling he was ready or willing to analyze. "All of my friends are wonderful people. Kings, queens, and journalists."

He was relieved when she left to change - silly the memories a silly piece of clothing could stir up. He wondered if humans felt the same - had any of them seen long scarves or cricketer's clothing or pinstripes and been reminded of him? Shaking her head he returned to the console. "Where shall we go, old girl," he asked as his fingers played gently over the controls."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

The blush lasted as she walked out of the console room. Although Sarah doubted that journalists ranked up there with kings and queens, the very fact he did meant something special to her.

Rather than returning to the wardrobe room, she walked down the familiar path to her own quarters. Over the years she had spent travelling with him in the past, Sarah had racked up a collection of more adventure-appropriate garments. She would return the gown to its proper place later. Until hen, she carefully laid it out on her bed, careful to avoid wolf hairs.

A pair of cutoff overalls and a red blouse seemed more fitting for whatever the Doctor had planned. She slipped on a pair of trainers and quickly ran her hands through her hair. Before returning to the console room, she quickly checked her appearance in the mirror - straightening her hair again.

"Better, Doctor?" Sarah asked when she returned to the main room. She twirled again, though this time lacked the proper skirt to flair. "Adventure ready, I'd like to think."

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

"Better." He nodded absently, his mind still on a dozen possibilities of places to go, adventures to be had. He noticed, though, that his answer didn't seem to please her.

"Better suited to adventuring," he clarified, looking down at her shoes before glancing up at the red shirt. She'd been wearing red that last day; her last with him, though not the last he'd seen her. "More Sarah Jane-ish too."

"Now all we need is a destination. Forth moon of Putineska? The Mardi Gras celebration of 2079? Lovely year for Louisiana, 2079; too bad they didn't know it was the last time they'd see New Orleans. Or Rudherase - the oceans there are red and as warm as bath water, the sand is pink and every store carried ice cream."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

She snorted at his first comment. The second caused her to raise an eyebrow. For all Sarah Jane knew, she could walk out here naked and she'd be just as suited for adventuring. That would be just as Sarah Jane-ish, wouldn't it?

"The last time you promised me a planet like Rudherase, we wound up being attacked by Daleks," she answered dryly.

Sarah walked closer to the console itself, running a hand over the somewhat familiar buttons and knobs. "Ever thought of asking the TARDIS where she'd like to go? Or Sawyer, for that matter. Can't always be you making... oh, wait." She smiled cheekily. "I forgot who I was talking to."

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

"No daleks this time, not a chance." She'd helped see to that, but he couldn't tell her so. Spoilers.

"And I don't make all the decisions." He glared at her, though there was no malice in it, and stroked a bit of the console. "The TARDIS lets me know if she has a destination in mind. Rather blatantly, sometimes. As for Sawyer, he doesn't seem to mind where we go so long as there is food and a warm place to curl up when he's ready for sleep."

The Doctor looked pointedly at the wolf, who was asleep on his favoured rug in the corner of the console room. "The question still remains, Sarah. Where shall we go? What about the French revolution - lovely this time of year."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Sarah Jane glared right back at him. A glare that lasted, at least, until she started to laugh.

"The French revolution is probably quite lovely-- if you enjoy the sight of beheadings. Honestly, Doctor, if we went there, given the sort of luck we have, we'd quite possibly be mistaken for nobles or worse."

That scene played out quite easily in her head. She had to laugh again, although this time with a little more dryness to it. The French revolution would be absolutely dreadful to visit.

"Oh, how about the Mardi Gras then? Sounds much safer. Unless, of course, there's something you're not telling me."

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

"There is more to a revolution then beheadings. There are ideas, beliefs strong enough to spark great changes, and..." Sarah, he could tell, was not impressed with the idea. Oh well, some other time perhaps. It was such a fasinating time in France's history.

"Marti Gras it is, then. Parades, beads, gumbo and absolutely no secrets." Well maybe one or two, but only little ones that hardly counted as secrets. Surprises, really, and wouldn't it be boring if there were no surprises?

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

And beheadings, she felt tempted to chime in. Of course Sarah knew that there was more to a revolution than that, but the French one had been so horribly bloody. In this case, she was certain history hadn't lied.

"And absolutely no secrets?" Sarah grinned at him, watching as he set the TARDIS in motion. "Why don't I believe that?"

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

"I can't imagine," he said dryly. Still, he smiled at her before turning his attention to the console, turning dials and flipping switches before hitting the button to start the rotor moving. They took off with a shake but the landing was smooth.

"Here were are. New Orleans, Louisiana, just a block from La Rue de Dauphine." He opened the door frowned. Something wasn't quite right. New Orleans was never this dark.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"Sawyer," Sarah called, beckoning the wolf from his mat. She smiled as he slowly lumbered forward, but not after a large yawn.

They walked over to the front door, Sarah Jane leaning against the Doctor as she looked out into the darkness. She frowned. Although she had never been to New Orleans before, she expected that it would at least be a little more well, festive.

She wrinkled her nose as a breeze blew past them. "Doctor, it smells like the ocean. Aren't we supposed to be in a city?"

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

"New Orleans is right on the water," he said, only half listening to her as he peered into the darkness, trying to make out any features. He took a step outside, finding that the ground gave slightly under his weight like a sponge seeped in water. This was wrong. If they were in Louisiana he had missed their destinations by centuries. Something about the air - too much sulpher and something he couldn't quite name - told him that they were far from the southern part of the United States. Far from Earth, in all probability.

The Doctor slipped his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, using the torch setting to illuminate the area. Trees of a deep blue and an insect flying past told him what he need to know. "Mardi Gras is over rated, really."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Sarah Jane nearly lost her balance when she stepped out of the TARDIS. She had expected solid concrete, not this spongy mud. She cried out, startled, and reached for the first thing she could to balance her - the Doctor's arm.

"Worse than a rock quarry," she muttered with disdain. Sarah let go of him and took another tentative step forward, feeling safe as long as she remained in the glow of the sonic screwdriver. Were those waves she heard crashing nearby?

She spotted the blue trees and collapsed on the gray mud with a sigh. Sarah pulled her knees up to her chest and sighed. "We're not even on Earth, are we?"

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

"I don't believe we are." Despite Sarah's obvious distress the Doctor couldn't help but feel a little excited. An unknown place, a mystery, an adventure. Waves crashed somewhere to the left, though this was hardly the seaside he had asked Sarah about. Just ahead of them it was beginning to get lighter, this planet rotating into day.

"Shall we try again?" He held his hand out to her. "Or..."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"And miss a waterside sunrise?"

She looked up, eying him doubtfully. Sarah knew better than to suggest leaving. The TARDIS always landed them somewhere for a reason, after all. And there was only one way to find out what this one was.

"It's a bit soggy here, but at least it's temperate. It could be worse. And I am dressed appropriately." She patted the ground beside her. "Join me? Till after the sunrise?"

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

"There's nothing I'd like better." The Doctor grinned as he settled next to Sarah. It had been the answer he had been hoping for, but he hadn't been sure how she would feel. Although in some ways he knew her so well in others it was like he was learning her all over again. Or maybe he hadn't know he as well as he thought he had, all those centuries ago.

"Would you care to guess how many suns will be rising? One? Two? Three is fairly unlikely for a planet with so much water, but if they were small ones, far away, it might be possible." It had been years since he had seen a double sunrise, one of the many things he'd missed while being stuck on Earth. "If it's only one then we'll have to Zenon next. Did I ever take you to a double sunrise, Sarah?"

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

She beamed at him, shuffling over in the soggy dirt so that she could rest her head against his arm. A part of Sarah Jane wondered if he would mind. It was a part of her that was quickly forgotten when the Doctor began to talk about suns.

"I'll go with one and a half, just for the sheer unlikeliness of the situation," Sarah said, grinning. She could just now make out the horizon of a never-ending ocean. "One's still being born, you see. It'll be quite an event - and no, you never did, Doctor."

[merlin-doctor.livejournal.com]

"How remiss of me." He shook his head a little at Sarah's guess of one and a half - not at all scientific but completely poetic. It suited her.

"One sun, of course, is much more common on habitable planets due to..." He stopped himself from getting into the astrophysics of it all; this wasn't the time for a lecture on it. "But the colours of a duel sunrise are something to be seen."

So, he promised himself. He'd take her to see one soon. For now he sat in silence and watched as the rising sun came up over the ocean, disapating the gloomy fog.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

It became quite clear soon on that this planet, whatever it was, only possessed one sun. Still, it shone brightly and illuminated beautiful green-blue waters crashing on to shore. The muddy ground beneath them was revealed not to be sand but some gray, clay like substance. At least the dark hadn't lied about certain things.

"It is beautiful, though," she murmured, stifling a small yawn. "It's been far too long since I took the time out for a sunrise like that. Perhaps it isn't so horrible that we didn't make it to New Orleans."

Mardi Gras would, after all, come and go. They had hundreds of thousands of years of Mardi Gras to see, whenever it suited their fancy.