first_in_time | Knights in Shining Armour [for Splendid

In the TARDIS wardrobe Barbara was squeezing herself into appropriate clothing with the help of Susan. The whirling of the engines had stopped a short while ago and one quick glance at the scanners determined that they were in an era which required suitable clothing. Barbara had bustled everyone into the wardrobe room and assisted in their outfit decisions.

"I still don't understand why I have to be a boy," Susan commented once Barbara was laced up and covered with yet another layer of cloth. "I'd quite like to wear a pretty dress and a corset."

"Trust me, Susan, I'd be a boy too if I could get away with it." Barbara placed a cloth over her head and secured it down with a band of twined, neutral colours. Susan admired her in the mirror.

"But with Ian and Grandfather around, we'd be alright."

Barbara tried not to look doubtful and managed well enough. "Yes, I know. Come on, they're waiting for us."

Arm in arm, the female companions of the TARDIS team walked elegantly from the wardrobe and into the control room where the Doctor and Ian were meant to be waiting for them. The doors were wide open, however, indicating that they'd already left.

"We'd best go and find them," Barbara sighed and stepped out into a pleasant, English summer day in the early fifteenth century.

Colourful tents and crests spread out before them, and a wide array of people went about their business. Some in armour, some in finery and others dressed in every day clothes. There were squires, ladies, rich looking old men, knights and some questionable women. Barbara, however, was keeping her eyes out for more familiar faces, namely those of the Doctor and Ian.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

splendid_roman

Ian watched her go, worrying if she was all right, but he couldn't follow her if she was changing. "I'm going to wash and change myself. Let's land somewhere quieter next time, Doctor." He went off himself.

The Doctor sighed and sat down. "See all the thanks I get for rescuing them?"

"I'm grateful." Susan smiled at him. "Why don't you get changed too, Grandfather?" She'd been here long enough to change - which also made a disguise, since everyone was expecting her to be a boy.

The Doctor agreed that he would and headed off for the wardrobe room. Susan went to look for Barbara.

From:

first_in_time

((OOC: I can't think of anything else, can you?))

From:

splendid_roman

((OOC: I had Susan going to look for Barbara so they could have a conversation, but we can stop there if you'd rather.))

From:

first_in_time

((OOC: No no! This'll be fun :) ))

From:

first_in_time

Barbara was in their quarters, wrestling the dress from her body but it was doing its very best to stay on. She heard someone approach and looked up to see Susan.

"Sorry, but could you help please? I can't seem to untie it and it doesn't want to come off."

From:

splendid_roman

"That's why you had ladies to help you," Susan said, smiling, and came into the room to help untie Barbara's dress. "Does the wedding night really make the marriage official?"

From:

first_in_time

"In some ways it does. When marriage roles and rules were far more serious, a marriage that hadn't been consummated didn't really exist. The idea being that man and wife became one through the act, therefore validating the marriage since, by definition, a marriage was when a man and woman decide to be joined for life."

Barbara could feel the constrains loosening, and she could start wriggling the dress off her shoulders.

"In our time, a consummated marriage meant that if anything happened to the husband, his wife had a right to inherit his things but if they hadn't consummated, she didn't."

((OOC: I'm making this up...)

From:

splendid_roman

Susan frowned and helped Barbara off with her dress - since she was here she might as well help. "So what does it mean if you consummate a marriage without being married in the first place? That must happen all the time."

((OOC: You could have not said that and I'd never have known :) ))

From:

first_in_time

"If you're not married, you're hardly consummating a marriage," Barbara told her and instantly noticed how easy it was to talk to Susan about such matters. Maybe because she, too, was a female, or maybe because she was naturally curious about humans, not Barbara's private life.

"The act of sex is...well, it asserts marriage but outside of that it can be a range of things. An expression of love, a way of enjoying yourself, of giving and receiving pleasure. Some people even use it as an act of revenge and dominance but that often leaves the other party feeling used and hurt."

From:

splendid_roman

"I'm not sure why it makes a difference whether you're married or not. Humans have funny priorities about these things," she said thoughtfully, sitting down on a nearby chair. "When I was at Coal Hill I never could understand why having sex outside of marriage was such a scandal."

From:

first_in_time

"Sleeping with someone has it's consequences sometimes. A woman can fall pregnant or either party can catch a disease. Plus, for most people, sex forms an emotional attachment that people who aren't mature may not be able to handle so well."

While Barbara talked, she hung the dress up nicely and pulled more suitable clothes out before removing the next few layers of clothing.

From:

splendid_roman

"But people use contraception, don't they?" Susan thought back to what had been around. It hadn't really come up in conversation. "There was the pill, wasn't there?"

From:

first_in_time

"Yes but it was near impossible to acquire as a teenager, the pill especially, and some people didn't think too highly of such precautions. In a number of circumstances, men hated wearing condoms and would suggest other ways to avoid pregnancy, such as withdrawal. Some women didn't believe in mainstream medicine, too and so refused to take the pill."

Once Barbara had finished dressing, she sat on a bed opposite Susan to better talk.

From:

splendid_roman

"It's all very complicated," she said with a sigh. "I don't know how you all manage it. I'm glad now there weren't any boys interested in me while I was at Coal Hill."

From:

first_in_time

"Each person has their way and they just have to find someone which agrees with them." Barbara smiled at Susan. "I think your grandfather is also happy that you didn't get involved with any boys while in school."

From:

splendid_roman

Susan smiled. "I don't think he wants me to ever get involved with boys. But he'll have to one day."

From:

first_in_time

Barbara grinned. "What sorts of things would you like in a boy?"

From:

splendid_roman

She didn't have to think about it for long. "Handsome, brave, funny." She grinned. "A bit like Ian."

From:

first_in_time

"Oh, so you like Ian, do you?" Barbara asked as she ignored the twinge of jealousy. "I could tell him if you like. Put in a good word for you and all that."

From:

splendid_roman

"Oh, no," she went red. "All the girls in school liked him, and I can see why, but I know you like him."

From:

first_in_time

At that point, Barbara's grin vanished,and she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "I don't know what you're talking about."

From:

splendid_roman

Susan frowned. "But you do like him and he likes you. You're always holding hands."

From:

first_in_time

"Well I...I don't know...I...I just...." Barbara flailed as a deep blush crept up her neck toward her cheeks.

From:

splendid_roman

"What's so bad about liking Ian?"

From:

first_in_time

Now Barbara had done it. Again she struggled for something more to say. "There's nothing wrong with it I just...I don't know how I feel about Ian. He's my friend and we're very close but anything more than that and it gets a little complicated."