Open RP, Greenhouses (Eleventy, Kurama, River)

[eleventyrags.livejournal.com]

The Doctor hadn't always loved Halloween, but on those worlds that celebrated it (or something like it) he definitely tried to join in the fun, if there was nothing overtly intent on re-enacting a favorite horror film but with real knives instead of rubber props. He supposed at Hogwarts there was no danger of this (and even if there was, the danger was minimized) and thus strolled confidently over the grounds, rambling until he came to a pile of rather gorgeous pumpkins. He stared at them a minute, then at the door they framed. A sign read:

Pumpkins, free to a good carver.

Candy within, Trick-or-Treaters welcome.

Any tricks resulting in broken glass will be met with a boot up someone's back end.

The last bit, he noted, was scrawled rather hastily in something that his mind wanted to read as Japanese, but his eyes were registering as English. The rest was in big, spiky, dramatic handwriting, with bats, cats, and pumpkins scribbled all over the place. It very nearly covered a plaque that read 'Professor Minaminaminamino." What a name. He grinned and ducked in.



She, with brown hair all shocked out by too much curling iron, an ironic pointy black hat on her head, a very witchy dress, too much makeup, and boots that looked like they could stomp a Dalek. The other (she? No, the shoulders were too broad, but the hair just screamed girl) sat with their back to the doctor and looked like the costume of the year must be a mummified werewolf. The tail was even moving, too. Nice touch.

"Trick or treat!" He called, waving a hand. The girl looked up at him and beamed and the - yes, that face was as close to male as it was going to get - man turned around to look at him.

"What's your costume?" The girl asked, putting her head to one side. The man flapped a hand at her, and she stuck out her tongue at him.

"A time traveler," The Doctor said grinning at their interaction. They might have been bickering siblings, for all they didn't look a thing alike.

The man gestured to a cauldron on the floor next to the table. "Take your treat then, oh wanderer. You might have to forgive River her impetuousness."

The Doctor blinked at the name, but before he could say anything, the girl cut in.

"Not that River," she said, her eyes intent on the Doctor for a split second before turning back to her companion. He had the unsettling certainty that she'd just casually read his mind. People weren't supposed to be able to do that.

"And that isn't even a real word," she was saying. "Bad foxes should read more dictionaries."

The Doctor grabbed a bag from the cauldron - fun-sized jelly babies - and extended a hand to the suffering redhead. He noticed that what he first thought were bandages on his head were furry ears to match the tail. "Nice costume. Professor Minaminaminamino, I presume?"

The Professor made a face and took the offered hand. "Kurama, if you please." He shot a withering look to River, who contrived to look innocent. "I thought it had been covered."

"I'm The Doctor," he introduced himself. "I'm surprised you're indulging the tricking and treating, though. That's more of an American holiday these days, isn't it?"

Kurama shrugged, breaking the handshake with a smile to go back to what he was working on. They looked like flowers that had decided to be lanterns, all in orange and black. River was stringing them together on a long line.

"There are plenty of American students here, and it's an amusing enough tradition." Between his hands another flower seemed to appear from nowhere, and went to the pile for River to tend. It even glowed faintly.

The Doctor watched them work for a moment, munching on his jelly babies, until River completed a strand and jumped down from the table. "I'll take care of these," she said, and then stopped to look at the Doctor with a lot more knowing solemnity than a teenaged human girl should have. "Not that River. If she's the Amazon, I'm a waterfall."

And then she was gone, even grabbing a broom on her way out. The Doctor looked quizzically at Kurama, who shrugged.

"I don't even know. I stopped trying to guess months ago." He stretched, winced, and then flexed his hands. "How much of that time traveler business is the truth? In some way all of us are, at least in this place, but that bow tie is giving me some pretty specific questions."

"All of it," the Doctor replied, adjusting his bowtie with a grin. "I just happen to know that the bowtie has never not been cool."

Kurama's smile was wry. "Those Croats, pulling us all kicking and screaming out of the fashion dark ages."

"You know your history."

"I've lived my history."

They stared at each other for a beat, the Doctor half-poised to grab his screwdriver and see just what Kurama was, Kurama smirking at him and practically daring him to ask.

"Mind if I take a look around?" The Doctor asked instead; there would be other times to pry, and there was a flower one room over that was so blue it was making him TARDIS-sick. Kurama waved a hand at him in a 'by all means' gesture.

Such interesting folk there were here. He was beginning to enjoy himself.

_{((OOC: I suck at making things short. Specify if you want River, Eleventy, or Kurama to play with, or be surprised <3 ))}

Comments

[eleventyrags.livejournal.com]

The doctor had just been on his way out to examine the pumpkins again, maybe break out the screwdriver and carve a few into the faces of marvelous aliens he'd met in the past. He smiled down at the boy.

"It's a tradition for this particular night. Usually they only celebrate it in certain countries, but the Professor seems to be in a civic mood. You go around to houses in fancy dress, say 'Trick or Treat!' and they give you candy. It's quite fun, really." He put his head to one side, quizzically. The boy seemed the appropriate age. "Have you never done?"

[jolibonhomme.livejournal.com]

"Oh, that does sound fun!" The little prince laughed, "But I could never have a tradition like that. What sort of fancy dress do you wear?"

[eleventyrags.livejournal.com]

"I rather like going as a time traveler," The Doctor grinned, obviously charmed. "Why couldn't you have such a tradition, my friend?"

[jolibonhomme.livejournal.com]

"I've never met a time traveler before. Is that what they wear?" He studied the Doctor, obviously very impressed. The little prince was wearing his scarf against the chill, but underneath that he had on a rather nice bowtie, so if that was a piece of the costume he was partway there himself. "There aren't any houses! Who would I say 'Trick or Treat' to?"

[eleventyrags.livejournal.com]

"Precisely what they wear, among other things. One time I even had a celery on my lapel, just in case I was exposed to gases from Praxis. Can't be a time traveler if you don't take space precautions, as well."

He tapped a staccato on his chin, considering his little friend's second question. "Well, I know the Professor has candy to give away; other teachers throughout the school might, as well. And there's always the great hall, but I hear," there was a mischievous gleam in his eye as he dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "that it turns you into stuff."

[jolibonhomme.livejournal.com]

"I haven't got a celery. Do you really need one to travel in space? But I do have one of these." The little prince unwrapped his scarf and pointed to the bowtie. "Do you suppose I could look like a time traveler like this?"

He dropped his voice to a matching whisper. "What sort of stuff? I'm very happy being myself, but sometimes I think it might be fun--to be something else."

[eleventyrags.livejournal.com]

"Celery is only if you have a certain allergy. And despite your magnificent fashion sense, I don't believe you're a Time Lord, so you should be safe." He smiled so fondly that his hears might have burst. His friend seemed like he could be a little Time Lord, though of a much gentler persuasion.

"I'm not sure what sort of stuff," He said, his voice dropping again. "I've heard tell of people going from boy to girl, or animal to human, or even aging differently. It all depends on the food itself, no way of knowing. It's a bit fun, the mystery."

[jolibonhomme.livejournal.com]

"Oh, good. I shouldn't like to have been taking terrible risks while I was traveling, without even knowing. I didn't think of how to prepare..." He fiddled with the ends of his scarf, now settled loosely over his shoulders. "What's a Time Lord?"

His mouth rounded into a small o. "Can you turn back? I like surprises, but I don't think she would be as pleased, if I came home changed... and suppose I turned into an animal that couldn't take proper care of my planet..."