Fic ~ "Paint by Numbers" (1/2)
Aug. 31st, 2007 01:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ivydoorTitle: Paint by Numbers (1/2)
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ivydoor
Character/Pairing: Ten/Rose
Betas: The ever patientkalleah & leighleighla
Rating: PG
Summary: "Rinascimento! An Earth-like planet colonized in the early eighty-fifth century for the express purpose of celebrating the cultural Renaissance of the fourteenth century through the seventeenth century. It’s all set up a bit like a funfair or theme park. Not completely accurate, mind you, but not as bad as Cassandra mistaking a jukebox for an iPod."
Disclaimer: No, I can’t have a Time Lord. Not mine.
Author's Notes: Anywhere But Cardiff ficathon prompt: Renaissance-era Italy ~ August 2 8434.
*****
“So where’re we heading now?” Rose grinned as she leaned on the heels of her hands against the console and stared at the monitor.
“I’ve been thinking we could have some fun,” the Doctor said from beneath the console, sticking the sonic screwdriver in his mouth as he pulled wires.
Rose crouched down and put on her best fake smile. “Oh? And here I thought the Salmainian dungeons were the most fun I could ever possibly have!”
The Doctor rolled his eyes at her sarcasm and lifted his head to look at her. “Ee can al’ays oh ‘ack…” He raised a challenging eyebrow.
Rose reached over and took the sonic screwdriver out of his mouth. He pouted like a baby losing his pacifier. “You’re going to chip one of those weird new teeth of yours if you keep sticking things in your mouth,” she laughed then pointed the sonic screwdriver at him, adding matter-of-factly, “And we are never going back there.”
“Thought so,” he replied smugly.
Rose just groaned and rolled her eyes as she stood. “So where are we going then?” she asked.
The Doctor slid out from under the console and hopped to his feet in one swift movement. “We are going to Rinascimento!” he declared then paused as if he’d expected wild applause for the choice. When Rose just stood there with raised eyebrows and a questioning smile, he began a whirlwind of activity around the console and continued. “Rinascimento! An Earth-like planet colonized in the early eighty-fifth century for the express purpose of celebrating the cultural Renaissance of the fourteenth century through the seventeenth century. It’s all set up a bit like a funfair or theme park. Not completely accurate, mind you, but not as bad as Cassandra mistaking a jukebox for an iPod.” With that, he landed back beside her and plucked the sonic screwdriver from her hand, stuffing it back into his jacket pocket.
“So… it’s a theme park? Like Disney?” she asked. “Only with big dresses, curly wigs and…” She trailed off, expecting him to fill in the blanks.
“Well,” he said with a wide, goofy grin as the rotor ground to a halt. “Why don’t you see for yourself?”
*****
Rose stepped out of the TARDIS to find they had landed in a field of long grasses dotted with wildflowers. They had landed on a hilltop just outside of what looked almost like a replica of Rome but not quite. The sprawling city seemed to shine from all the white marble in the bright sunlight. Squinting and shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand, she scanned the landscape. “Wow," she whispered to herself.
“Didn’t I tell you?” the Doctor said in a low voice, right behind her ear.
She didn’t turn or pull away -- they had no concept of personal space -- and the feel of his breath against her skin made her feel tingly all over. She just nodded mutely, still smiling.
The Doctor came to her side and held out a hand. “Shall we?” She grinned in response and took his hand and they headed down the hill.
“Doctor? What’s that building over there?” she asked, pointing to a large ornately designed building on the opposite edge of town from the hill they were walking down.
“That would probably be the Governor’s Mansion. Each continent on this planet has its own designated part in the Renaissance.” He shrugged. “We happen to be visiting Italy, the first portion of the development. Each continent is divided into subsections, each covering a different portion of the Renaissance -- music, art, philosophy, science, and religion. The sections are given Governors to oversee operations, manage employees and so on.”
“So which section are we visiting, Doctor?” she asked.
“Always with the questions.” He rolled his eyes in mock annoyance then flashed a genuine smile. “Wait and see,” he said in a teasing tone and tapped the tip of her nose with his finger.
*****
They walked the city streets taking in all the sights and sounds and smells of the bustling city. Fellow travelers and vacationers took up most of the space, most with children in tow, some human, some alien. The city was much cleaner than the ancient Rome they had visited before, almost sterile in comparison. On the main thoroughfare, street vendors offered things like smoked meats and several types of sweets skewered on sticks. Rose had to give the Doctor several pointed looks as he tried to sample several different treats.
“I’m pretty sure you have to pay for the merchandise,” Rose said in an exasperated tone. Really, it’s like dealing with a toddler at times, she thought.
“Oh,” he said brightly, “no cash necessary!” He pulled out small, round object that resembled a large marble. “Everything we need right here.”
They spent the next hour perusing the shops and stalls, even stopping to buy cookie dough and caramel gelato. The Doctor seemed quite offended to find out they had never even heard of plain vanilla .
“So, if this is a theme park, what is there to do besides shop?” Rose asked as they walked one of the branching side streets lined with trees and fragrant alien flowers that competed with the smell of fresh baked bread.
“Well, I could tell you, or show you,” he said in a serious tone, “Which would you prefer?”
She grinned as she tossed her empty gelato cup into a nearby wastebasket and slipped her arm through his. “Show me,” she said with a bounce.
He led her to the nearby bread shop, ignoring her puzzled looks. “Two, please.” He told the young girl at the counter, who was dressed in full Renaissance costuming, and handed her the credit ball.
“Certainly.” she said as she swiped the ball over the counter pushed a few buttons on the keypad built into the countertop. “This way please.” She indicated the large wooden double doors to the left of them. Rose and the Doctor followed her into the next room and it soon became clear what they were going to be doing.
In front of them was a long marble countertop with a built in sink basin and various kitchen implements on the silver racks beside it. Lining the edges of the counter were bowls of varying size each with a place card propped in front of it. As Rose rounded the corner of the counter, she could see each of the place cards was a label for ingredients. In front of the counter was a small table with two chairs, complete with place settings.
“There you are,” the girl said. “If you should require more ingredients, please don’t hesitate to call.” She bowed her head in a respectful nod then turned to leave.
“Wait,” said Rose, “What’s your name? So I know who to call.”
“Pippa, Miss,” the girl smiled, “But if you should need assistance, no need to call. Just press the large red button at the end of the counter.” She indicated the end furthest from them and then closed the doors behind her, leaving them to their task.
Rose turned to the Doctor with a curious look on her face. “Well, what are we doing?” she asked.
“Well, this isn’t what your time would really call a theme park, more like a living museum.” He slipped of his coat and tossed it across the back of one of the chairs. Rose followed suit, pulling off the brown corduroy jacket she was wearing and arranging it neatly on the back of the other chair.
The Doctor walked around the back of the counter and continued his explanation. “They try to recreate the experience for you, but with a lot more modern hygiene.”
“I noticed,” she grinned.
He beamed in return. “So we’re going to be making focaccia. Italian flatbread.”
“We? You? Cook?” Rose could barely contain the reflexive half-giggle, half-cough. “Please, Doctor, the last time I let you do anything remotely close to cooking ended with egg on the ceiling. Took the better part of the day to scrape it off.”
He got a distant musing look in his eyes. “I don’t think the TARDIS has forgiven me for that yet. Hid the toaster on me this morning.” Suddenly, his attention bounced back to the task at hand. “Right! We’re making focaccia, which in truth is originally a Greek recipe, but who’s counting? It’s a flatbread with toppings like cheese, olives, rosemary, and tomato.”
“Sounds like pizza,” Rose interjected.
The Doctor nodded. “Something like. It can be used as a base for pizza or by itself. Here, take this.” He pulled out a large, apron-like object that took Rose a few minutes to figure out how to put on. It had long sleeves and multiple straps with buckles that seemed to have no good reason for being there.
“Blimey, it’s like trying to put a straight jacket on yourself,” she laughed as she reached behind herself to thread a strap through a belt loop. “Need a hand, Doctor?”
“I assure you, I can handle putting on a simple apron” he said as he struggled with the final buckle.
“In that case, you might want to put it on the right way around.”
He glanced down at his front, then over his shoulder at his back. “Oh.”
Author:
ivydoorCharacter/Pairing: Ten/Rose
Betas: The ever patient
kalleah & leighleighlaRating: PG
Summary: "Rinascimento! An Earth-like planet colonized in the early eighty-fifth century for the express purpose of celebrating the cultural Renaissance of the fourteenth century through the seventeenth century. It’s all set up a bit like a funfair or theme park. Not completely accurate, mind you, but not as bad as Cassandra mistaking a jukebox for an iPod."
Disclaimer: No, I can’t have a Time Lord. Not mine.
Author's Notes: Anywhere But Cardiff ficathon prompt: Renaissance-era Italy ~ August 2 8434.
“So where’re we heading now?” Rose grinned as she leaned on the heels of her hands against the console and stared at the monitor.
“I’ve been thinking we could have some fun,” the Doctor said from beneath the console, sticking the sonic screwdriver in his mouth as he pulled wires.
Rose crouched down and put on her best fake smile. “Oh? And here I thought the Salmainian dungeons were the most fun I could ever possibly have!”
The Doctor rolled his eyes at her sarcasm and lifted his head to look at her. “Ee can al’ays oh ‘ack…” He raised a challenging eyebrow.
Rose reached over and took the sonic screwdriver out of his mouth. He pouted like a baby losing his pacifier. “You’re going to chip one of those weird new teeth of yours if you keep sticking things in your mouth,” she laughed then pointed the sonic screwdriver at him, adding matter-of-factly, “And we are never going back there.”
“Thought so,” he replied smugly.
Rose just groaned and rolled her eyes as she stood. “So where are we going then?” she asked.
The Doctor slid out from under the console and hopped to his feet in one swift movement. “We are going to Rinascimento!” he declared then paused as if he’d expected wild applause for the choice. When Rose just stood there with raised eyebrows and a questioning smile, he began a whirlwind of activity around the console and continued. “Rinascimento! An Earth-like planet colonized in the early eighty-fifth century for the express purpose of celebrating the cultural Renaissance of the fourteenth century through the seventeenth century. It’s all set up a bit like a funfair or theme park. Not completely accurate, mind you, but not as bad as Cassandra mistaking a jukebox for an iPod.” With that, he landed back beside her and plucked the sonic screwdriver from her hand, stuffing it back into his jacket pocket.
“So… it’s a theme park? Like Disney?” she asked. “Only with big dresses, curly wigs and…” She trailed off, expecting him to fill in the blanks.
“Well,” he said with a wide, goofy grin as the rotor ground to a halt. “Why don’t you see for yourself?”
Rose stepped out of the TARDIS to find they had landed in a field of long grasses dotted with wildflowers. They had landed on a hilltop just outside of what looked almost like a replica of Rome but not quite. The sprawling city seemed to shine from all the white marble in the bright sunlight. Squinting and shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand, she scanned the landscape. “Wow," she whispered to herself.
“Didn’t I tell you?” the Doctor said in a low voice, right behind her ear.
She didn’t turn or pull away -- they had no concept of personal space -- and the feel of his breath against her skin made her feel tingly all over. She just nodded mutely, still smiling.
The Doctor came to her side and held out a hand. “Shall we?” She grinned in response and took his hand and they headed down the hill.
“Doctor? What’s that building over there?” she asked, pointing to a large ornately designed building on the opposite edge of town from the hill they were walking down.
“That would probably be the Governor’s Mansion. Each continent on this planet has its own designated part in the Renaissance.” He shrugged. “We happen to be visiting Italy, the first portion of the development. Each continent is divided into subsections, each covering a different portion of the Renaissance -- music, art, philosophy, science, and religion. The sections are given Governors to oversee operations, manage employees and so on.”
“So which section are we visiting, Doctor?” she asked.
“Always with the questions.” He rolled his eyes in mock annoyance then flashed a genuine smile. “Wait and see,” he said in a teasing tone and tapped the tip of her nose with his finger.
They walked the city streets taking in all the sights and sounds and smells of the bustling city. Fellow travelers and vacationers took up most of the space, most with children in tow, some human, some alien. The city was much cleaner than the ancient Rome they had visited before, almost sterile in comparison. On the main thoroughfare, street vendors offered things like smoked meats and several types of sweets skewered on sticks. Rose had to give the Doctor several pointed looks as he tried to sample several different treats.
“I’m pretty sure you have to pay for the merchandise,” Rose said in an exasperated tone. Really, it’s like dealing with a toddler at times, she thought.
“Oh,” he said brightly, “no cash necessary!” He pulled out small, round object that resembled a large marble. “Everything we need right here.”
They spent the next hour perusing the shops and stalls, even stopping to buy cookie dough and caramel gelato. The Doctor seemed quite offended to find out they had never even heard of plain vanilla .
“So, if this is a theme park, what is there to do besides shop?” Rose asked as they walked one of the branching side streets lined with trees and fragrant alien flowers that competed with the smell of fresh baked bread.
“Well, I could tell you, or show you,” he said in a serious tone, “Which would you prefer?”
She grinned as she tossed her empty gelato cup into a nearby wastebasket and slipped her arm through his. “Show me,” she said with a bounce.
He led her to the nearby bread shop, ignoring her puzzled looks. “Two, please.” He told the young girl at the counter, who was dressed in full Renaissance costuming, and handed her the credit ball.
“Certainly.” she said as she swiped the ball over the counter pushed a few buttons on the keypad built into the countertop. “This way please.” She indicated the large wooden double doors to the left of them. Rose and the Doctor followed her into the next room and it soon became clear what they were going to be doing.
In front of them was a long marble countertop with a built in sink basin and various kitchen implements on the silver racks beside it. Lining the edges of the counter were bowls of varying size each with a place card propped in front of it. As Rose rounded the corner of the counter, she could see each of the place cards was a label for ingredients. In front of the counter was a small table with two chairs, complete with place settings.
“There you are,” the girl said. “If you should require more ingredients, please don’t hesitate to call.” She bowed her head in a respectful nod then turned to leave.
“Wait,” said Rose, “What’s your name? So I know who to call.”
“Pippa, Miss,” the girl smiled, “But if you should need assistance, no need to call. Just press the large red button at the end of the counter.” She indicated the end furthest from them and then closed the doors behind her, leaving them to their task.
Rose turned to the Doctor with a curious look on her face. “Well, what are we doing?” she asked.
“Well, this isn’t what your time would really call a theme park, more like a living museum.” He slipped of his coat and tossed it across the back of one of the chairs. Rose followed suit, pulling off the brown corduroy jacket she was wearing and arranging it neatly on the back of the other chair.
The Doctor walked around the back of the counter and continued his explanation. “They try to recreate the experience for you, but with a lot more modern hygiene.”
“I noticed,” she grinned.
He beamed in return. “So we’re going to be making focaccia. Italian flatbread.”
“We? You? Cook?” Rose could barely contain the reflexive half-giggle, half-cough. “Please, Doctor, the last time I let you do anything remotely close to cooking ended with egg on the ceiling. Took the better part of the day to scrape it off.”
He got a distant musing look in his eyes. “I don’t think the TARDIS has forgiven me for that yet. Hid the toaster on me this morning.” Suddenly, his attention bounced back to the task at hand. “Right! We’re making focaccia, which in truth is originally a Greek recipe, but who’s counting? It’s a flatbread with toppings like cheese, olives, rosemary, and tomato.”
“Sounds like pizza,” Rose interjected.
The Doctor nodded. “Something like. It can be used as a base for pizza or by itself. Here, take this.” He pulled out a large, apron-like object that took Rose a few minutes to figure out how to put on. It had long sleeves and multiple straps with buckles that seemed to have no good reason for being there.
“Blimey, it’s like trying to put a straight jacket on yourself,” she laughed as she reached behind herself to thread a strap through a belt loop. “Need a hand, Doctor?”
“I assure you, I can handle putting on a simple apron” he said as he struggled with the final buckle.
“In that case, you might want to put it on the right way around.”
He glanced down at his front, then over his shoulder at his back. “Oh.”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-08-31 05:58 pm (UTC)Great job with this--I can't wait for the second part!
no subject
Date: 2007-08-31 05:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-31 06:12 pm (UTC)Glad you liked. :)
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Date: 2007-08-31 06:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-01 12:28 am (UTC)Can't wait for the next part!! :D
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Date: 2007-09-01 02:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 02:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-03 03:51 pm (UTC)