"So how exactly does this work?" Clara asked as they walked through the village, "This mating ritual?"
"It's not so much a mating ritual as it is-type of dance," The Doctor began.
They had came to the planet of Valena, and by sheer chance it was the beginning of the time of year where a events the locals called, " The Pairing Balls," took place.
"You see, all the unmarried young people of the village go to the dance, the women all wearing ribbons in their hair in some fashion," He continued, "The guys and the girl get to talking and dancing, and if a bloke is interested in being more than just friends he takes the ribbon out of her hair and they go home together and start planning the wedding."
"Seriously? That's how they chose the person they're gonna spend that rest of their lives with?" Clara replied, skeptically, "One night of conversation and suddenly they're ready to tie the knot? That is not the way to have a healthily relationship or a successful marriage."
"From the perspective of someone who grew up in a city, yes," The Doctor admitted, "But Valena, at least this part of it, consist of small villages, where everyone knows everyone else and many of the people in question are already courting, sometimes for years. It's basically a way of getting their fellas to man up and pop the question already."
"Okay, but I don't have a fella to man up," Carla retorted, stopping a cart of ribbons because admittedly, they were very pretty.
"Well, people can also go just to have a good time," The Doctor said, "Singles looking to see who's still on the market, old couples remembering their youth..."
Clara was distracted from the Doctor by the girl beside them. She was looking over the ribbons looking rather unsure of herself.
"Excuse me," Clara said.
The young woman looked up. On the outside, native Valenans looked rather like humans, except for, among other features, unnaturally high cheekbones and large, animie eyes some shade of either yellow or purple, in the girl's case, a soft lavender. "Yes?"
"You look like you could use some help." Clara said.
"I do," The girl replied, "There are just so many of these."
Clara eyed a pink one that would look good in her new friend's chestnut hair. "Try this one,'' She said, picking it up and handing it to her. The girl played with it in her hand looking in the mirror. "This would go perfect with my dress. Thanks." After a moment, she added, " I'm Deja, by the way."
"I'm Clara," The other replied, "Nice to meet you. This is my friend the Doctor."
"Nice to meet you both," Deja said, "You looking for ribbons, too?"
"Oh, no, I'm not going," Clara replied, "We just got here, and I don't know anyone..."
"I keep trying to tell her that doesn't matter," The Doctor said.
"I don't have a dress," Clara augured, "That does matter."
"There's a whole warrode of clothes in the TARDIS," The Doctor argued, picking up a lavender ribbon, "Including a dancing that would go perfect with this ribbon, and it would look perfect with your dark hair."
"Hey, me and my best girlfriend were going to get ready over at my place," Deja said, "You could come over too, if you want."
With two people on her now, at last Clara relented, "All right, but on one condition."
"Which is...?" The Doctor asked.
"You come, too," Clara said.
"What?" The Doctor asked, though he had heard her perfectly.
"You heard me," Clara said, "If I have go to this thing, so do you."
The Doctor's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No," He said, "No, no, no, no, no, I can't-"
"If I can do it so can you," Clara said.
"And the guys don't have to get as galmed up as the girls do," Deja cut in, "Really, you could show up wearing that."
The Doctor knew he had been defeated. "Alright," He gave in, "I'll come, too."
"Perfect," Deja said, writting something down on a scrap piece of paper she had found in her purse. "So, Clara, here are the directions to my place, does around six work for you?"
"Sure," Clara said, still apprehensive, "Gives me time to find this dress the Doctor's talking about."
"See you then," Deja said, taking her leave.
Clara arrive at Deja's house around six as promised with carrying the dress in a bag draped over one shoulder, and carrying a make-up kit in the other hand. She picked up a knocker in the in the shape of the head of a creature that looked like a cross between a bear, tiger, and wolf, and knocked it. The door was opened by a middle-aged woman who looked very similar to Deja, but with lighter hair. "May I help you?" She asked.
"My name is Clara," She replied, "I'm looking for a young woman named Deja?"
Just then Deja came running down the stairs in a frilly pink dress with a dozen or so bows and strains of lace. "It's alright, Mom," She said, "I invited her." Deja ran between her mother and Clara and took the latter by the arm, "Come on, let's get you upstairs and put you together."
Deja dragged her up the stairs where a third girl with hair and eyes the color of honey. She too, was already in her dress, a staples jade green number. A matching ribbing was woven through her hair in a twisty-tie style.
"Johnica," Deja said, "This is my new human friend, I told you about, Clara. Clara, this is my friend, Johnica."
"Nice to meet you," Clara said, smiling at the girl.
"You, too," Johnica said, sincerely.
"Now," Deja said, clapping her hand together, "I've already finished with Johnica, so we can devote the remaining time to you, so-let's get to work."
After washing, combing, and striating Clara's hair, and putting it in a style that resembled a French braid, Deja and Johnica made good use of the make-up bag, making her mouth sweetly pink, smearing her eyes with violet, rousing her lips a powder pink. They even found some lavender nail polish and painted her nails, which were cut into the uniform shapes. At last she stepped into a dress of pale lavender chiffon, that seemed custom-tailored her pixie-sized figure, with a round neckline, tapered, narrow skirt that fell to the floor, which had a split in the side that went up to her hip.
"Wow," Johnica said, when they were done, "You look gorgeous."
"She's not kidding Clara," Deja said, putting on the finishing touch, an amethyst-and-jade pin the Doctor had put into the bottom of the kit, "You really do clean up nice."
Clara turned to look in the full-length mirror nailed to the wall. "I do, don't I?"
"Guys," Johnica cut in, "Hate to interrupt, but we need to get going. The Ball starts in fifteen minutes."
"Come on," Deja said, laying a hand on Clara's arm, "Let's see what you're Doctor thinks of you now."
The Doctor was already at the villa where the event was being held, anxiously pacing the green-and-white marble floor of the entryway. "Where are they?" He thought, "They should be here by now." The Doctor couldn't understand why he was so nervous, really it was just a dance, but the thought of being here, with her, it just made him feel...a way he hadn't felt in a while.
Just then he thought he saw the girls. "Clara!" He called out, waving his hand in the air, "Clara over here!"
She and her two Valenan companions turned at the sound of his voice, and made their way over to him. The way they were walking the two other girls hid Clara from view, frustrating the Doctor to no end, until at last they got up to him and parted, revealing Clara, who looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her, more beautiful than any woman in the room maybe. His mouth fell open, but he had nothing to stay.
"Doctor?" Clara said, concerned, "Are you alright?"
The Doctor snapped out of it, closing his mouth. "Yeah, I fine," He said. "Now," He continued, with a sweeping bow, "Shall we proceed into the dance hall?"
Clara stuck out her hand for her to take, "We shall."
And with that, the Doctor took her hand, and swept her into a great hall of a room with a ceiling twice as tall as the doors, wrapped in walls the same color of marble as the floor, and large glass window capturing the night sky clearly.
"Hey, I think we lost Deja and Johnica," Clara said, looking from where they came.
"Oh, don't worry, they're right over there," The Doctor said, pointing to where the girls were being greeted by their boyfriends. Deja saw Clara looking at them and waved.
Just then the first song started up, and everyone started to dance. Clara tried to follow but the steps were so fast and she had never danced like this before.
"Here," The Doctor said grabbing her waist with one hand and adjusting her right arm so it was half-way in the air with the other. "First you take two steps to the left," He said as they did so, "Them two to the right. Then three to the side, that's it. Now kick one foot up and let me hold you close." She did and the Doctor spun her around so that her feet were off the ground. Then he sat her back down and let lose so that they were in the possession they started with. "Now five steps back, two to the left again, two to the right, then three to the ride again, now I spin you," Clara allowed herself to be spun under his arm, "Now five back again. Two-"
"No, let me guess," Clara said, performing the steps as she repeated them, "Two to the left, two the right, three to the side?"
The Doctor smiled. "Yes, and now I-" The Doctor dipped Clara, who visibly surprised, "Dipped you."
"Oh," She said, her eyes darting back to forth as she was suspended in mid-air.
"And that," The Doctor said, lifting her back upright, "Is the Eldub." As another one started up, this one with a slower tempo, the Doctor said, "Don't worry, this one's not nearly as complicated."
And so a little over two hours the Doctor and Clara danced to every song the band played. A dance that similar to a waltz , another where Clara did a very spirited Gravette, another that was just two partners swaying. The Doctor nearly ruined one dance, one the required the girls to switch out to different boys every so often, by not letting her go.
In the middle of one dance, Clara felt someone tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Deja and her boyfriend, a muscular young man with tawny curls. Deja's bun was falling apart now, and the pink ribbon was missing.
"Guess who just got her ribbon pulled?!" Deja exclaimed, holding up her boyfriend's hand, which still held the ribbon.
"That's great," Clara said, beaming back at her.
"I know," Deja said, "I've been waiting around on this one for years." She gently slapped her boyfriend's shoulder.
"Like I was gonna let this treasure get away," The boyfriend said, leaning in and kissing her.
"Anyway, we're gonna head out, I just wanted to say good night," Deja said.
"Well, good night," Clara said, "And really, it's wonderful."
"Indeed, it is!" The Doctor exclaimed, "Best of luck to you!"
"Thank you!" Deja called out as she and her boyfriend and ran off into the night, holding each other close and kissing like there was no tomorrow.
"Wow," Clara said, turning her attention to the Doctor, "How 'bout that?"
"Yes," The Doctor said, "How about that?"
Clara's eyes scanned the room, as they started swaying to the music again, a nice slow number. "Come to think of it, it looks like Deja's not the only one to get her ribbon pulled. Seriously, I think the crowd's sunk by, what, half?"
The Doctor looked around and saw that it was true. It had gone from there being practically standing room only, to the couples being maybe in the low twenties. "What happened to everyone?"
"The boys pulled their ribbons and they went home to plan that wedding I guess," Clara concluded.
"Still, you think we would've noticed," The Doctor wondered aloud.
"Been having two much fun I guess," Clara deduced, "Plus, how can I notice anything but you and that ridiculous get-up."
The Doctor was wearing his usual special occasion attire. The tux, the top hat. He looked totally ridiculous but at the same time he made it work. Of course he does. Of course her mad Doctor made his mad outfit work. Her mad, brilliant, funny, amazing Doctor.
"Then what's my excuse?" The Doctor whispered back inadvertently pulling her out of her meditation, "Because you don't look ridiculous at all. In fact you might be the most beautiful woman in the room." And he meant it. Her dark hair really brought out the ribbon and the ribbon did the same thing for her very dark, almost black hair. Dark hair, and pale skin, each contrasting the other, and making each more noticeable. And her peitie stature and slender frame. "Forget might be." The Doctor thought, "She is the most beautiful woman in the room." But really was there ever any doubt? Clara was always beautiful. Every time he meant her. His impossible girl. His funny, brave, clever, perfectly wonderful, impossible girl. And for just a second, he thought that, maybe...
The funny thing was, the Doctor didn't really know how his hand got into Clara's hair. Or undoing the ribbon really, though he does hand some hazy memory of it. But suddenly, he was staring at the lavender ribbon in his hand a few stains of dark hair still attached and Clara staring at him in disbelief. "Did you just-" She began, but her voice trailed off.
"Yeah, I," The Doctor began, breaking out in a smile, "I guess I did. Do you-"
Instead of answering in word, Clara got on her tips toes and kissed the Doctor. As startled as the Doctor was, it was actually kind of nice. Her slips were so soft and they tasted like oranges. And for some reason he felt...very happy. Like he'd been waiting for this the whole time.
It wasn't that bad on Clara's end either. The Doctor's lips weren't as soft as hers, but they were by no means rough either, as they lingered gently on her lips. Suddenly it was like the world stood still as she admitted something she had been trying to deny since she met the Doctor. She fancied him. Loved him even, maybe.
When the pair's lip finally parted the Doctor smirked, asking, "So, is that a yes?"
"Well, I might not be ready for the altar," Clara admitted, "But I think I am going to kiss you a whole lot more."
"I think the sound of that," The Doctor conceded, "But still, according to tradition one of us must take the other to the first person's home."
Clara began to off, turning her head to look at the Doctor and saying with a smile on her face, "Right this way."
And so they walked off into the night, much like the other couples before them, holding each other close and kissing like there was no tomorrow.