[closed]

[devoutish]

WHO: Alfie Solomons, Dorian Gray, The (Twelfth) Doctor
WHERE: Heropa, Maurtia Falls
WHEN: Late December
WHAT: Chance meetings
WARNINGS: n/a; will edit if anything comes up

A - a shopping mall - Heropa

[Alfie does as much of his shopping as possible in small stores. They're much less common here than they are in his time, which makes it difficult, but over the months he's found a bakery he likes, and a greengrocer's, and a butcher's shop. He'll poke his head into the supermarkets and megamalls every once in a while - but he doesn't like them, he's not used to them, and, honestly, they're overwhelming. He doesn't need a store with an entire aisle filled with nothing but various flavors of breakfast cereal. It's ridiculous.

Still, while he avoids them like the plague when he actually wants to get some shopping done, he'll sometimes pay them a visit when he's in the mood to just be a tourist. There's so much to boggle at when he's just looking to kill some time. So that's what he's doing today - just wandering around Heropa's biggest indoor shopping mall, a few days before Christmas. It's a lot more chaotic than usual, but hey, he isn't planning to stand in any lines.

He's just on the cusp of getting bored and considering leaving when he spots a familiar face in the crowd. He isn't actually planning to stop and chat, but then eye contact is made, and... well. Okay]

Doctor.

[He tips his hat.]

Out braving the mad rush, are we?

B - a bar - Maurtia Falls

[Alfie likes this little place in particular, because it's conveniently located near his flat, and it serves this seasonal spiced rum drink that really is very good. He's not a heavy drinker, but he does indulge from time to time, and tonight seems like a good night for it. He's on the way back from services at his temple, wearing his yarmulke under his hat, and it's a quiet night - not completely empty, but close to it. There are a few patrons at tables near the back... and one very morose-looking guy sitting at the bar. Alfie opts for a bar seat himself, taking a stool a couple spots away from this sad specimen. And when his rum comes, he lifts his glass to him in a half-toast.]

Comments

[devoutish]

Will they sing for us?

[helpline]

Maybe! They're hermit crabs, I'm sure they could sing if they wanted to.

[devoutish]

What on earth is a hermit crab?

[helpline]

Tiny little adorable crabs with fun shells to live in. [ said 100% seriously ]

[devoutish]

Have they got a cage?

[helpline]

They've got something better: a crabitat! It's got plenty of places for them to dig and lamps so they can sun themselves, and all sorts of nifty things like that.

[devoutish]

[What the fuck.]

A cage, then. It's got a door?

[helpline]

It's got a top, like a tank. Really, the easiest thing to do is show you.

[devoutish]

So long as you aren't letting your crabs roam loose in the flat, mate.

[helpline]

Nope! They hang out in their crabitat so as not to get stepped on.

[devoutish]

If only all the pets here did the same.

[helpline]

I've got a worrying feeling you have a specific pet in mind with that sentence.

[devoutish]

There was an incident with a snake.

[helpline]

[ The Doctor can't help but wince, as he starts to head over towards the cashier. He's fine with snakes but even he can see that finding a snake when you didn't expect to find one makes some people PRETTY UNHAPPY. ]

Small snake or bigger than expected snake?

[devoutish]

[He holds his hands out about half a foot from each other.]

Width.

[helpline]

[ And the Doctor just winces. ]

Bigger than expected snake it is. That's not the sort of thing you want to run into.

[devoutish]

Harder to accidentally step on than a crab, though, eh?

[helpline]

But more likely to view you as a snack.

[devoutish]

Look at you, having a reasonable reaction to things.

[helpline]

Don't tell other people. I've got a reputation as unreasonable to keep. [ said with a joking little smile on his face. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie tips his hat, and holds a finger to his lips.]

[helpline]

[ The Doctor can't help but laugh as he finishes paying for the video game. ]

I'll not tell them that you're the sort who'd go video game shopping either.

[devoutish]

The cashier may report this, and we'll show up in the next edition of the Majority Report.

[helpline]

I'll make certain to blow something up between now and then in order to deflect some of the heat. [ said 100% seriously. ]

[devoutish]

[That gets a genuine laugh out of Alfie.]

Ah, I don't need the distraction, really, but who would I be to stop you?