Doctor Who fic: Conflagration (1/1)

[locker_monster]

Title: Conflagration (1/1)
Rating: G
Word Count: 422
Characters: Twelve, Clara
Timeline: Post-"Last Christmas".
Summary: Where there's smoke, there's fire. And it's probably Clara's fault.
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the BBC.
A/N: Written for who_contest's "Smoke" challenge.

The scent of burning carbon was unmistakable. It was also all too familiar.

The Doctor sprinted down the corridor, hoping to get there before everything went up in smoke. Not for the first time he wondered why this always happened.

He burst into the room, quickly taking in the disarray before activating the fire suppression system with a wave of the sonic screwdriver. Pressurized jets of carbon dioxide blasted down from the ceiling, displacing the oxygen in the air. Bits of burning detritus fluttered about from the force of the carbon dioxide, but the main fire was quickly smothered. Not wanting to suffocate the occupant of the room, the Doctor shut off the suppression system with another flick of the sonic.

"Are you determined to burn down my kitchen?" he asked.

Clara, stunned by the abrupt delivery of the carbon dioxide, blinked a few times. Her hair and clothes were unkempt and covered in a fine layer of ice, though her body heat was causing it to melt. "Do I still have my eyebrows?"

The Doctor made his way over to her and peered at her face. "Yes, though they're a bit crispy around the edges." He surveyed the rest of the kitchen. A sodden black lump sat on the counter and he realized it was the remains of a cookbook. Next to that was a ceramic bowl filled with a crusty substance that smelled vaguely of oranges, if one enjoyed their oranges thoroughly flambéed. The rich scent of dark rum was just discernible amidst the destruction.

"You were watching The Great British Bake Off again, weren't you?" the Doctor surmised. Clara was always inspired to try a new recipe after watching a cooking programme.

"They were doing soufflés," was all Clara offered. She regarded what was left of her valiant culinary effort with an annoyed frown.

The Doctor supposed Clara could have had a worst hobby, like lion taming or needlepoint. At least she hadn't suffered any permanent injuries. Though, the same couldn't be said for his cookbook collection.

"Why don't I take you to meet Vincent La Chapelle. He can give you some pointers on how to make a killer soufflé."

Clara's slightly singed eyebrows perked up. "Vincent La Chapelle, the cook who invented the soufflé? Count me in." She tried to smooth down her dishevelled hair.

"And I don't mean a killer soufflé strictly in a metaphorical sense, either," he said as they made their way out of the kitchen. "The amount of butter in some of these recipes..."

Comments

[roseglade.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is fun! A little adventure with 12 and Clara and baking! Great way of combining the old with the new!

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

I know it's a bit mean to think that Clara ruins everything she cooks, but it kind of seems that way, so it was funny imagining her setting a soufflé on fire. I'd probably do the same in her place. :-D

[matimae03.livejournal.com]

This is so perfect! It seems exactly something the characters would do, well done. :)