It Burns Us! (Open)

[Viktoria Steinburg]

Viktoria looked over the bar, gulped nervously at the drink that sat there on the top waiting for her to drink it. She had been dared to by the owner of the pub because she never drank anything but cola when she came here, the occasional lemonade and he had gotten curious...

Stupidly Viktoria told him that she had never drank alcohol before.

And now she was here, waiting to tase something she was probably going to hate seven times over and it would make her feel sick.

Taking a deep breath she reached out, grabbed the shot swiftly and sipped it, gasping at the burning sensation she whimpered and put it back on the bar, the bartender giving her a chuckle and patting her on the back, giving her a glass of cola to wash it down with.

"Owie..." she pouted as she sipped it

[Doctor Florence Nettle]

The Doctor, as he referred to himself, walked into the bar just in time to see a rather innocent, but attractive, woman take what was probably her first taste of alcohol. Sitting down beside her with a smile, he chuckled lightly and ordered a whiskey and coke,

"Your first time drinking a shot?" he asked with a warm smile, "I find that if you mix alcohol with something else it doesn't overwhelm you. Just gives your drink a different element."

Taking a sip of his coke and whiskey, he smiled and gestured to the glass,

"Try some if you'd like." he offered happily, "It's not too different to regular coke. Well... it might make you act a bit differently if you have more than five but it's a good taste."

[Viktoria Steinburg]

Viktoria jumped slightly as she heard a voice sound from next to her and looking like a startled cat she she stared wide eyed at the man until she calmed down and she then smiled nervously at him, she was always told that in this time talking to strangers was wrong.

"Y-yes it is...it was horrible but Bern made me drink it, he said that it was a nice woody texture...it tasted like paint stripper."

Hearing a disgruntled sound from Bern Viktoria blushed and turned her head away, eyeing up the other mans drink with a skeptical look on her face.

Not only was a strange man offering her a drink...
But he could be a spy!

"Oh, um, um...no thank you sir I was always told to pay for my own drinks and not to take from strangers."

Blushing at how stupid she must sound Viktoria hung her head and played with the heart pockets on her skirt.

[Doctor Florence Nettle]

The way the woman looked at him, wide eyed with shock, was not unexpected to The Doctor. If he was honest he'd expected such a reaction from a woman as shy as she obviously was. He smiled warmly at her again,

"Well don't worry about it. You get used to it in time." he chuckled a little, "It tastes like that at first but sometimes it gets better. Some types are rather mild or can even taste more sugary than anything else."

The Doctor gave the barman a flat look. It wasn't threatening. It wasn't an evil look. It just gave the impression that he was very disappointed. The barman hung his head and shuffled away. He raised an eyebrow at the rather sceptical glance the woman gave his drink. He chuckled lightly at her answer,

"Well if that's the case then I'm sure the barman will be willing to give you a discount because of how he tricked you. Or maybe it's something else..." he turned back to her with a raised eyebrow and a grin, "Could it be that you don't trust me? I'm the Highmaster of Durmstrang... I'm not about to be some evil stranger."

[Viktoria Steinburg]

Viktoria looked at the man as he talked to her about drinks, he seemed to know quite a lot which didn't exactly put her on ease...but she couldn't help but like the genuine way in which he spoke to her, it made her abandon her senses and believe him.

"Really? It tastes like sugar? I'm not sure if that could be possible for a drink like that! I normally just drink cola, it's nice after all..."

Leaning into the man, as if telling him something confidential Viktoria let her shy mask slip and she smiled softly;

"I just think he was trying to get me drunk, how mean of him!"

Viktoria looked at the man as he gave Bert that look, it was so poignant that she couldn't help but feel ashamed for what she had just inferred about the man and she sucked at the straw stuck in her drink, blushing softly Viktoria shook her head.

"Oh no no no! I'm sorry Highmaster! I didn't mean to appear untrusting! Forgive me!" she hung her head.

[Doctor Florence Nettle]

He could tell that he was winning her over a little bit, mainly from the way that she didn't seem inclined to disbelieve every word that he said. Admittedly, talking about alcohol made him seem like an alcoholic but in reality he very rarely drank,

"Well some of the muggle ones do at least." he smirked a little bit, "In some places they're called 'alcopops'. Taste like fizzy drinks but with a bit more flavour."

The Doctor listened to the woman's words and sent the barman another one of his disappointed looks. The man scurried away again, looking ashamed,

"You don't say..." he smiled back at her, "Well that's not something a gentleman should do at all! A gentleman should always offer to buy the lady a drink but never push her to drink."

He watched her rather enthusiastic denial and merely smiled warmly at her. Now here was someone honest, someone true. He patted her on the shoulder comfortingly,

"Don't worry about it." he told her before holding his hand out for her to shake, "I'm The Doctor by the way."

[Viktoria Steinburg]

Viktoria smiled at the name, they indeed sound like something sweet that she might have gotten confused with a soft drink, but maybe that was just her, anything brightly coloured and fizzy was her bag and she decided she would like to try one.

"I wonder if they have any here, do you think they do? Bert? May I have one of those alcopop things?"

With a large grin as he brought her the drink Viktoria stuck her straw in and sucked down half the bottle tasting nothing but pop and feeling warm inside of her, smiling widely she laughed and drank the rest of the bottle, her expert technique of straw sucking working well.

"That was lovely! Oh...oh no..." she gasped "Is my Tongue blue?!"

Viktoria stuck the very small Tongue out of her cupids bow lips for the man to inspect, blushing slightly Viktoria shook the Doctors hand and she bit her lip wondering if she should ask him a question or if it would be out of line?

"Viktoria, Viktoria Steinburg, I'm the flying instructor. Excuse me...but Doctor Who?"

[Doctor Florence Nettle]

The Doctor was happy that he seemed to have introduced the young lady to a form of alcohol that she would enjoy. Alcohol was one of the things that almost all people enjoyed in moderation after all. The smile she gave him made him smile a bit wider,

"I think they should do." he told her as the barman came back with the drink, "See? Every establishment has them on hand."

He smiled warmly when he saw how taken she was with the drink from her first sip of it through a straw. Personally he could only stand to drink the orange ones because they were so sweet but if it made her happy to drink them then he was happy. He grinned,

"I'm glad that you liked it!" he chuckled, "I prefer the orange ones myself but that's just me."

The Doctor was many things. Genius. Time traveller. Highmaster. Model aircraft builder. But one of those many things was a straight male. So when Viktoria's small tongue darted out from between her soft, pouting, lips he confessed to himself that he thought rather dirty things. As they shook hands, he smiled warmly,

"Very nice to meet you Viktoria!" he declared happily before chuckling a little at her question, "Forgive me but my name is rather... unusual so I'd prefer it if you called me The Doctor. Less embarassing you see."

[Viktoria Steinburg]

Viktoria blushed softly, she didn't know if he knew it but the Doctor was really intelligent and she was wondering if it made her seem a little stupid, and more than a little insignificant in the ratio of him versus her, probably why he was Highmaster and she was a flying professor.

"Maybe they only have them here because it's part muggle part wizard you know? I think it's a muggle drink so...no wonder I've never tried it before."

Tilting her head to one side Viktoria bit her lip and looked up at The Doctor, wondering if he would disapprove of her having a second bottle of the stuff. It seemed as if he was a wise man and she didn't want to seem like she was being silly.

"Maybe, maybe I could have one of those next?"

She asked innocently.

Viktoria smiled and she blinked up at the Doctor, straightening her waitressing apron from her shift at the cafe before she felt self conscious, she hadn't finished her job there yet and it made her look stupid to the Doctor...such a lacy design...and so short!

"Okay then Doctor, I'm just glad to know you by something."

[Doctor Florence Nettle]

The Doctor saw Viktoria blush and it was a pretty blush. It wasn't one that marred beauty like others had told him happened when beautiful women blushed. No, this made her beauty all the more apparent to him,

"I think you may be right dear Vikki." he agreed with a chuckle, "Sometimes I forget these things. I honestly thought they had them just because they're tasty. Oh well, silly me eh?"

He saw her tilt her head and when she did she entered a rather cute thinking pose. He smiled at her declaration that she would like one of the orange ones and turned to the bartender,

"Two orange alcopops please!" he ordered, grinning as they were placed in front of them, "I love this flavour. Tastes like that british fizzy drink... what's it called? Umm... Iron Bru! That's the one!"

The Doctor glanced Vikki up and down as she fidgeted in her clothes. If he had been a less restrained man he would have licked his lips at such a lovely sight as Viktoria Steinburg in such an outfit. It really did hightlight her natural beauty,

"Well..." I looked a little embaressed, "My name is... my name is Florence Nettle. It's rather embaressing like I said."

[Viktoria Steinburg]

Viktoria didn't like to see the man in front of her be undermined, she wanted to think of him as the most intelligent man she had ever met because in some respects he was, and she had only just met him, to know the true intelligence behind those beautiful eyes may take a lifetime.

"Well, I suppose, a man like you has more important things to think about than alcohol in bars, you are Highmaster after all."

With that Viktoria sipped the alcopop a little, taking in the taste and she smiled softly, it was very nice even if she had never had the drink the Doctor told her about, it was a very nice taste all the same, but she would take this one slower.

"It does taste very nice! I think I'll take this one a little bit slower though, enjoy it a bit."

Viktoria blushed softly as she saw, hopefully, The Doctor looking her up and down and she bit her lip and she wondered if he liked what he saw. When he told her his name Viktoria smiled softly again but didn't laugh.

"I dont think it's funny... I think it's a little unfortunate...ah! Uhm I'm sorry for saying that..."

[Doctor Florence Nettle]

Now The Doctor wasn't know for being any kind of psychologist but by the way Viktoria was looking at him he could tell that he'd made a friend for life. It seemed that Viktoria was like him, quick to make strong bonds,

"Oh please, don't flatter me too much." he mock-pleaded with her, smiling happily, "It's just that I don't drink very often. Well..."

He looked down at the top of the bar and closed his eyes. Images flashed before his eyes. Terrible things. He'd seen terrible things. He'd done terrible things. On the anniversary of these terrible things he drank to forget. Ignoring the memories, he smiled back at Viktoria, the earlier sadness gone. He was very glad that she seemed to be enjoying the drink. Almost as much as he did,

"Well that's a good idea." he agreed, taking his own drink slower to savour it, "You have quite a few good ideas Viktoria. It's easy to see why you're an instructor!"

The way that Viktoria blushed, the redness showing even on her chest, told The Doctor that he hadn't been quite subtle enough in his appraisal of her body and he had the desency to blush lightly. He was enternally grateful that she didn't laugh,

"Yes... well it was unfortunate." he shrugged a little, "My mother and father wanted a girl. They liked the name. Then someone told them it could be used for boys as well."

[Viktoria Steinburg]

Viktoria smiled happily and she was glad to hear that The Doctor, just like herself, doesn't really drink that much because she thought that it was going to be an evening with an alcoholic just a few minutes ago. Wondering what the well meant at the end of the Doctors speech, Viktoria bit her lip.

"That's good then, alcohol affects your body and makes you do stupid things doesn't it?"

A look of sadness crept over Viktorias face and she intently gazed into the Doctors face, it seemed that he was dealing with something big, and for a moment Viktoria saw him as a lonely man, so very lonely. And she almost went to hug him.

"Oh, uhm, so...what's your doctorate in Doctor?" she asked with a faint blush

Viktoria felt her blush subside as she saw the Doctor blush, it was sweet, and she smiled a wide smile, looking into his eyes with her own sparkling slightly. At the story behind his name Viktoria still didn't laugh she just nodded understandingly.

"Sometimes parents don't think about their kids when they do stuff like that, but I like the Doctor, it's very cool, mysterious even." she blushed

[Doctor Florence Nettle]

He noticed that she was smiling happily at his not so subtle "I'm-not-an-alchoholic" remark and was glad of it. It meant she didn't think he was potentially a drunk anymore. And The Doctor was a lot of things but a drunk was not one of them,

"It does indeed Miss Steinburg!" he agreed with a happy smile, "It damages your liver and your brain. And it makes some people lose control of their bodies. Nasty stuff in high doses."

The Doctor looked up from his contemplation long enough to catch the sad look that Viktoria had on her face so he merely put more effort into looking as happy as he could. When she asked about his Doctorate though he didn't have to fake the excitement that bubbled up,

"I'm so very glad you asked!" he exclaimed excitedly, "I actually have two! One is in advanced application of runes, both nordic and otherwise, while my other degree, and my favourite, is based on the study of extra dimensional transportation and temoral distortion devices. In short... time travel!"

He chuckled a little, his excitement leaving him for a few moments. He didn't want Viktoria to think he was weird after all! Well... he was a little bit weird so maybe just a little bit weird,

"Yes well my parents weren't exactly the most reasonable sort." he said with a small frown before he grinned, "What about your parents? Good memories I hope!"

[Viktoria Steinburg]

When The Doctor called her Miss Steinburg she blushed softly, she wasn't used to such formality around her and she wondered just how wonderful this man was, how absolutely magnificent and strange he could really be.

"Vikki, please..."

Biting her lip Vikki looked at the alcopop sat on the bar and sipped a little more at it, feeling the alcohol burr in the back of her mind, she felt like she could do anything in this state.

"Wow! Oh my! You certainly are intelligent! Two doctorates and one in time travel...I've always been fasinated by the concept, tell me more?"

Vikki looked up into the Doctors eyes and she blushed slightly, she hadn't really talked this much to a man in...well ever so it was a little new to her, thinking back she nodded slightly, her childhood was wonderful if not paranoid.

"Nothing much to say on that...it was normal, had one older brother, always made things difficult, my parents were over protective because of the rumors so I'm only coming out of my shell now..."

[Doctor Florence Nettle]

When he saw that she blushed whenever he called her Miss Steinburg, The Doctor made a mental note to remember to call her that whenever he wanted to make her blush. The cute blush was something he wanted to see more of on her beautiful face,

"Alright then Vikki." he consented with a smile. He adopted a thoughtful look for a few seconds before grinning, "I like that name. Vikki... very pretty as a name."

The Doctor sipped at the alchopop in front of him. He really did like the flavour of Iron Bru. It was one of the few British creations he still allowed himself to have, regardless of how it made him look,

"Awww... well I know my way around." he replied, blushing lightly at her praise. Strange as it may seem, no one really complimented him anymore. As Highmaster it was assumed that he was amazingly intelligent anyway so no one commented on it. Grinning, he reached under his shirt's collar and pulled out a heavily modified time turner. Every centimeter of it was covered in runes and it never stopped glowing a dark blue, "This is my baby... this is the TARDIS."

The way Viktoria continued to blush, just from interracting with him, told The Doctor that he was the reason for her nervousness, if there had ever been any doubt,

"Well I'm glad to hear you had a relatively normal home life." he told her honestly. It warmed his heart to know others had better family lives, bizarely enough, "I'm glad you're coming out of your shell Vikki. I still remember being in my shell... it was damp, cramped and the turtle really wanted it back."

[Viktoria Steinburg]

Vikki looked at the Doctor intently, her eyes not moving from his own and she caught the thoughtful look on his face, she had never, ever seen someone so deeply beautiful, never seen someone that could be so knowledgable. Vikki blushed hard and looked away, why was she acting like this?

"Uhm well thank you! I like it too."

Biting her lip she took another sip of the drink and finished it completely, the straw juggling around for a moment as she wiggled it around.

"I think these things are addictive, maybe its the e numbers."

Vikki held out her fingers to touch the curious blue time turner before she drew them back and she bit her lip, she didn't want to break it on them and she looked up at him with questioning eyes as if asking him to touch it.

"It looks beautiful, it must have taken so so long to make, you intelligent man...might I...might I ask what it allows you to do?"

Noting his blush Vikki deepened her own and she looked up at the Doctor with her large glistening eyes.

"well does the turtle have it back now?"

[Doctor Florence Nettle]

The Doctor was aware that Viktoria was looking into his eyes but pretended that he wasn't for a couple of reasons. One, he didn't want to embaress her no matter how cute her blush was because it would make her feel bad. Two, because he found it rather flattering. He smiled happily at her blush,

"Well your opinion on your name is the one that matters after all." he agreed with her, smiling happily as he did so, "Otherwise you'd change it I imagine."

The Doctor chuckled lightly as he too had finished his alcopop, having drained it dry just before Viktoria did the same,

"Maybe they are addictive." he admitted with a grin, "But they're tasty too. So it's not all bad if they are addictive."

When Vikki reached out to touch his TARDIS, The Doctor wasn't alarmed in anyway. It only responded to his touch as well as a burst of his own magic so there was no worries about her activating it. And even less of her breaking it,

"You can touch it if you'd like. It won't do anything." he assured her with a smile. When she asked him what it did, he grinned, "This device is special... it is both a time disortion device AND a multiple use portkey. In short this is a device that travels through space and time."

The Doctor chuckled lightly at the question,

"Yes, I gave the turtle it's shell back." he stuck his tongue out at her, "Shells make terrible hats anyway."

[Viktoria Steinburg]

Vikki grinned softly and she nodded her head, there wasn't any doubt that you need to have a name that you like, but then a thoughtful look crossed her face and she frowned lightly, looking up at the Doctor again and promptly forgetting momentarily what she was going to say.

"Uhm...why don't you change your name then Doctor?"

Hoping she hadn't asked a silly question and let her curiousity run away with her, but as he told her she could touch the time turner Vikki bit her lip and brushed it with her fingertips, it was strange to touch but not in a bad way.

"Oh wow, that's amazing! Are there...any rules that you need to abide by? I'm sure you can't go around changing the past...or can you?" she asked with a breathless whisper

Vikki blushed softly and she looked down at her knees, stroking the pink Mark she had gotten from crossing her legs together. Giggling softly Vikki shook her head, the image of the Doctor wearing a shell really was too funny.

"Im sure that it was glad of that, so...Doctor...where have you been? Tell me. Have you been to the future?"

[Doctor Florence Nettle]

The Doctor had considered changing his name a number of times but everytime he chickened out half way through. A part of him didn't want to have this name anymore but the other half of him wanted to make sure that not everyone considered his family as the violent monsters they had become,

"I wanted to change my name for many years." he admitted with a small sigh, "But there are certain powers in a name."

He looked at his own, specialised, time turner with a small smile. It slowly revolved without being touched,

"There would be... If it was registered." he admitted with a smirk, "But the ministry didn't make it so it's not able to restrict it. However... There are rules. No telling anyone of the future though."

The Doctor stroked her cheek with a hand lightly,

"Ive been to the future." he confirmed, "But I'm afraid I can't tell you. However... I could show you."

[Viktoria Steinburg]

Vikki nodded her head, there was said to be ancient magic in the names that people were given, and that if someone knew that name they could persecute it, so, you should take up a new name to stop that from happening. But very few people knew that.

"That makes sense, it's true, if someone knows your name they have power over you, and they can enchant you."

Shrugging her shoulders Vikki watches in wonder as the time turner spun on it's own and she bit her lip, it was so mysterious, and it was very very tempting to take it and find out the mystery for herself. But of course that was wrong.

"Ooooohh that's very wrong of you Doctor..."

Vikki gasped lightly and she stared wide eyed at the Doctor, she could go to the future...she really could? How would that be possible? Would she be missed at all in the present.

"You'd take me there...?"

[Doctor Florence Nettle]

The Doctor paused at this. He'd never really considered being enchanted because someone knew his name but his preference of being known as 'The Doctor' seemed to be a good defence against it. This was particularly good since he had done so unknowingly. He smiled at Viktoria,

"Oh Vikki you are amazing!" he told her happily, hugging her tightly but briefly, "I'd honestly never considered being protected from name-snatchers by being called The Doctor but it really does work! Are you sure you're not a doctor too?"

He could see it in her face... he was tempting her. The allure of the forbidden was calling to her as it had done many others. He almost put it away but when she told him that it was wrong she did what no one else had done and said no to the allure of the forbidden travel. His grin grew even wider,

"I suppose it is..." he admitted with the same grin, "But you're the only person to ever say that. Most people love the idea of it being forbidden and wrong. Your moral compas is strong Vikki!"

He saw her eyes light up with genuine curiosity. Nothing in her eyes spoke of personal gain or something else. She just wanted to explore. He chuckled lightly,

"I would indeed Vikki. However..." he paused dramatically before grinning, "You'd have to agree to be my assistant on the trips we take."

[Viktoria Steinburg]

Viktoria gasped slightly as she was hugged by the Doctor and she giggled softly hugging him back softly and nuzzling her head into his neck softly before realising what she was doing and stopping before she got too out of control, as she often did.

"Well, gee, thank you! I always thought of these things as a kid and they kind of just stayed with me, oh, no no no I'm no Doctor, I'm the Professor."

Biting her lip as the Doctor told her that her moral compass was strong, it was going to be hard to say no to this and she desperately wanted to say yes, so, maybe she was going to say yes, it was going to be something very exciting to explore!

"Well...well maybe I could just take a quick trip with you."

Viktoria felt her eyes widen and she didn't know if she was going to agree now at all, every trip? How many trips? How long for? Furrowing her brow she realised she had been letting her defensive side get the best of her and she humphed softly.

"No. I'll do it! I'll come with you! I pledge me service as an assistant to you Highmaster, Doctor, Sir..."

[Doctor Florence Nettle]

He liked the way she giggled as he hugged her. It was a lot more of a pleasant reaction than having her gasp as if she didn't like it. The way she nuzzled her head into his was not unwelcome either. He really rather enjoyed being nuzzled by her but it was over too soon for his taste,

"Well you must have been a smart kid!" he told her with a grin, "Totally unlike me then. I was kind of a stupid kid if I'm honest."

He wasn't being honest her. As a child he'd been called a prodigy. He smiled happily when she accepted his offer of a trip. It was quite rare to meet anyone who actually wanted to take a trip for the experience of taking the trip and not what they could get out of it,

"Well I promise you it will be a quick one!" he told her happily, "Of course you'll be sent quite a number of years into the future with me."

The Doctor had seen that she'd been having an internal debate with herself and he was infinately happy that she had decided to join him. He stuck his hand out for her to shake,

"Welcome to my world!"

[Viktoria Steinburg]

Viktoria knew that the Doctor was probably humouring her, after all every aspect of him just screamed out that he was intelligent, if not a genius, which he probably was several times over, it made her feel just a bit stupid.

"Ah come now, you could never have been unintelligent Doctor, I have this image of you talking at like 1 month or something."

Smiling slightly wider Viktoria shook her head lightly this was all so very surreal, talking seriously about being sent into the future with her employer, it was almost as if this was an alcohol induced fantasy of hers.

"How far in the future...? Where are we going?"

With that Viktoria leant forwards towards the Doctor and she bit her lip, totally enthrawlled by the idea of going forward in time to somewhere, to see what if was like. Shaking the Doctors hand softly Viktoria blushed at the feel of his skin on hers.

"Nice to be here! I'm sure I'll enjoy my new home very much."

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