Compass Rose, an Interlude: Once Upon a Time, part 2

[wonder_city]

Here you go: another part of the Compass Rose episode. We're very glad you're enjoying it! I am currently swamped with freelancing and trying to finish up a story for a submission deadline, so we will see whether you'll have Wonder City next week or Part 3 of "Once Upon a Time".


"London," said Christopher.

"Why always London?" asked Tom in what she thought was a reasonable tone. "I mean, we have so many places to choose from..."

"Tom, don't whinge. London's traditional."

Tom resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose in imitation of their host.

"Sooner or later," their host said, an amused smile playing around her lips, "you will rue your invocation of tradition, mark my words."

Christopher looked at their host with the expression of a baby seal who doesn't know it's about to be clubbed. "Can we go to Victorian London? Please? Late Victorian? About the time Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was writing?"

Tom busied herself folding her napkin in order not to be consumed with vicarious embarrassment.

"Why not?" their host asked. "It matches the damn decor, Rosamund. Well, almost. ...I'm not exactly an expert--"

“Oh,” said Christopher, dropping the bread object he was holding and clasping his hands together like a Botticelli angel, which he did not otherwise resemble. “That’s like getting all the happy endings at once! I can’t believe it!”

Their host shot him a look not generally associated with happy endings; Tom thought it was almost fearful. “One should be careful--” she started, then stopped and turned her head, staring off into the middle distance, clearly listening to something Tom absolutely could not hear.

Tom felt like she was interrupting when she said, "Are we going now?"

"Almost immediately," said their host. "Which means I am going to put on something other than a quilted silk dressing-gown, which is not appropriate attire in at least ninety percent of the places Rosamund might open to us." She rose and went out one of the doors, leaving her guests to wander.

Tom was standing on the threshold of the library, frankly gawping at the massive collection of tomes, when their host appeared behind her, tugging absently at immaculate cuffs and saying, "Rosamund's got an affinity with libraries, it's rather charming in a way. I accused her once of using L-space and she never really denied it."

Tom replied, "I don't think we ever actually introduced ourselves." She hadn't intended to end there but the sight of their host in beautifully-tailored Victorian drag was a little distracting.

"No, you didn't," replied their host, walking past the archway into the library to where Christopher was examining an enormous, elaborate mirror.

Christopher froze as the image of their host appeared behind him in the mirror and said, "Um, I, um, I'm Christopher," to the mirror rather than to their host.

"Names are dangerous. Don't you read the books?" she asked, tapping him lightly on the shoulder and pointing down the hallway. She strode on ahead of him.

Tom trailed behind. "Um, I'm usually called Tom."

"That's better."

Christopher, visibly gathering courage, took a deep breath and said, "What should we call you? I mean, you are..." His voice trailed off as she turned to look at him and he had to take another deep breath in the face of her raised-eyebrows stare. "You are, um, like, a doctor, right?"

"What on earth gave you that idea?" She paused, her gaze tracking a little to the left as though she were listening to something neither of them could hear. "Very funny. No, I'm afraid if you fall ill, you are on your own."

Christopher turned a miserable red and looked at the floor. "What should we call you, then?" he mumbled.

He wasn't looking at her, so he didn't see their host's expression. Tom did. One side of her mouth curled up in a wicked grin, but only for the briefest moment. "You can call me the Dean, if you like." Her gaze flicked to Tom. "I've never been accused of having pretty feet, but it will do, for the moment."

When Tom tracked that reference down, it gave her the uncomfortable feeling that someone had been rummaging about in the library of her mind.

Comments

[kore]

DEAN <33

(Rosamund is my secret favourite.)

[heavenscalyx]

And, of course, Rosamund is the secret main character. ;)

[the_rck]

I feel sorry for Christopher. I suspect that reality won't live up to his expectations or at least will be more of a mixed blessing. Tom seems to be warier by temperament.

Thanks for writing!

[heavenscalyx]

Thanks! Yes, I suspect Christopher is in for a bit of a fall.

[finch]

I've seen enough Dr Who to know that Companions who invoke tradition are going to regret it too. XD Really enjoying this, though.

[heavenscalyx]

Yay! Thanks!

[sepdet]

Yes, this.

(I imagine Gir is sitting on top of one of the library shelves with a Cone of Silence over him happily humming the Doom Song.)

[(Anonymous)]

... Christopher doesn't actually know anything about the Victorian era, does he. And nor does Tom, or she'd resist harder.

Not good.

- Kriz

[heavenscalyx]

Or possibly all their ideas are formed by literature and movies. :)

[(Anonymous)]

I rest my case.

- Kriz

[the_leaky_pen]

Ha! Indeed.

I'm afraid I don't get the reference, though. Is there anything I can google besides "Dean pretty feet" to get it?

[heavenscalyx]

This might help.

[the_leaky_pen]

So I went and googled "jazz-coloured peacocks" and is this entire Episode going to be filled with Dorothy L Sayers references? Because if so, I might have to actually read some of her work.