aenariasbookshelf: (sonnets)
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Title: Painted Lady, a Mysterious Ways outtake
Author: Aenaria/[livejournal.com profile] io_aenaria
Character/Pairing: Rose (Mari), Lou
Rating: PG
Summary: Rose's first night in Venice.
Disclaimer: Alas, no.

a/n: As part of the Unemployment Project, [livejournal.com profile] adriana_is gave me the following prompt: A Mysterious Ways outtake. Rose's tattoos, a night in Venice. You got it. :) Takes place towards the end of part six of Mysterious Ways.

Previous parts of Mysterious Ways and the rest of the Sonnetsverse found here.

Thanks for reading!



Lou Cassini knows tattoos. She had brought home the boy with the full sleeves in high school – much to her parents’ chagrin (and leading her to vow that she would never bring another boy home until she had an engagement ring on her finger). She even had a couple herself: the ivy vines on her lower back that her sisters had laughingly deemed her ‘tramp stamp’, despite the fact that no one would ever have even considered calling her a tramp, and a word in Greek lettering on her inner ankle. So while she isn’t an expert, she feels that she knows something about the matter.

Which is why when she sees Mari standing out there on that hidden balcony on her first night in Venice, she’s taken aback for a moment. She cocks her head to the side and stares at the young woman staring out over the canal. For the briefest moment, Lou is convinced that Mari is covered in tattoos, her arms and upper back full of swirling curlicues and odd hexagonal patterns. She would swear that they were drawn free hand; that free-flowing script could not have been inked over a pre-planned stencil. Lou’s not sure why this is the thought that comes to mind, but she can’t think of any other way to describe them.

In her mind’s eye, just for a moment, she imagines a mysterious hand pushing Mari’s dark hair out of the way, stroking fingertips over the back of her neck, and then following up with the buzzing pen that pushes the ink below the first layer of skin. She shakes her head, banishing the image. “Mari?” she calls out.

Mari turns her way and smiles, and Lou shakes her head again. What she thought were tattoos must have been only shadows, patches of grey and black on skin turned silver by moonlight. ‘Too much wine,’ she thinks. “Can’t sleep?” she asks, knowing how much jet lag could screw up the body’s clock.

“Just thinking,” Mari replies, leaning back on the railing. “There was something you mentioned earlier – you called the city ‘La Serenissima?”

Lou leaned on the railing herself, taking a moment to soak in the sight of the canal before her. When she was little she had thought that Venice was magic, a place that straddled the real world with the fantastic lands in the books she had liked to lose herself in. Now as an adult, she could see that the city was decaying, struggling to stay afloat in a land where tourists swarmed constantly and there was a constant battle with the forces of nature to keep the sea at bay. Still, the citizens fight, trying to keep their city alive, and she is immensely proud of that. “Yeah, I did.” She shrugs. “It’s just an old name for the city. You know, back when it was a republic instead of just another town. The most serene republic of Venice.” She looks over at Mari. “I told you this earlier.”

Mari nods. “I know, but it just keeps running through my head. I remember someone mentioning it to me a long, long time ago.” She smiles slightly, tipping her head back to stare up at the moon. “Maybe it was a sign that I was always meant to come here.”

“Venice does have a strange pull,” Lou admits. “When the city calls, you have to listen and follow.” She yawns widely, feeling the exhaustion of the day get to her. She’d only gotten up for some water, only to walk past Mari’s room and find that the door was wide open and that she was missing. She had to make sure that all was well before she could get back to sleep. Now that she knows that all is right in the world, at least for now, her body is demanding rest. “Okay, time for bed for me.” She pushes herself off the railing and moves to the doorway. “You going to be all right?”

“I’m fine,” Mari smiles, following Lou out through the utility closet that hides the balcony away from the masses and up the stairs to the second floor. “Good night, and thanks,” she says, right before heading into her room.

“Anytime,” Lou replies, and heads back to her own bedroom. She’s asleep the moment her head hits the pillow, lost in a dream world full of swirling scripts.

Date: 2010-04-21 10:58 am (UTC)
ext_7237: (Billie Piper with my name on it)
From: [identity profile] adriana-is.livejournal.com
Thank you!!

That was lovely, and you came through so quickly! I've missed your sonnetsverse so it's so nice to see you writing again.

(hugs!)

Date: 2010-04-21 02:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] io-aenaria.livejournal.com
Anytime! What can I say, the muse struck, so thank you for the prompt. :)

The sonnetsverse isn't totally dead, I've just run out of time to write of late. That and I'm hitting another road block with MW - there's a chunk of time between when the Doctor and Rose leave Venice to when he comes to pick them up that I'm not sure what to do with, and it's been driving me nuts for a loooooong while. So I must figure that out before I go any further..

Date: 2010-04-21 11:45 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] earlgreytea68.livejournal.com
Oh, yay! I love this! Rose *was* meant to be in Venice, and I love so much how you tightened that net.

Date: 2010-04-21 02:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] io-aenaria.livejournal.com
Whoo hoo, glad you do! :) In this verse I guess I like the concept that things happen for a reason, that the important things like this aren't left to chance, so yeah...reel me in. :)

Thanks for the lightning-quick response!

Date: 2010-04-21 02:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elrina753.livejournal.com
This is lovely. I love the idea that Rose is supposed to be there for a reason and Lou getting a tiny glimpse of the things Rose keeps to herself.

I've missed this verse so much.

Date: 2010-04-21 07:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] io-aenaria.livejournal.com
I am a full believer that some things in the Sonnetsverse don't happen by chance, and Rose being in Venice is one of those. :) Glad you liked it!

Date: 2010-04-21 06:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lady-mage.livejournal.com
Yah! Something for sonnetsverse! I have missed your writing. You had some really nice visuals that I'm half temped to do another illustration based off outtake. I'm finishing up class work and other school related projects so maybe sometime this summer i'll do a sketch if you like, for inspiration and motivational purposes of course.

Can't wait for more!

Date: 2010-04-21 07:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] io-aenaria.livejournal.com
Awww, you're too sweet. :) I have to say that I've missed writing the sonnetsverse too, but you know how school can get (especially when you're attempting to balance a full time job as well).

If you want to illustrate, please feel free! I still have the other ones you did saved on my computer. :) If there are some specific scenes let me know and maybe I can flesh them out for you a little more...

Date: 2010-04-21 09:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] saucy-duck.livejournal.com
I'm so happy to see that you posted a new sonnet.

You're writing is beautiful. I don't know how you do it time and time again.

Date: 2010-04-22 12:04 am (UTC)
ext_139217: (Default)
From: [identity profile] midasu.livejournal.com
Lovely.

Date: 2010-04-25 09:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] telligirl.livejournal.com
What a lovely interlude with Rose and Lou. I love the imagery you write into all of your pieces...makes the series very real.

Date: 2010-04-26 10:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] morrighangw.livejournal.com
Yay, Sonnets-verse! I have missed it so.

Date: 2010-05-15 02:46 am (UTC)
glory_jean: (Default)
From: [personal profile] glory_jean
Hey, how did I miss this?!

Lovely as always. Happy to see some new sonnets-verse. :)
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