event log » closed starters

[spoilers]

WHO: River | Sarah & Various
WHEN: During Siege of Alem, Stage II.
WHERE: Alem.
WHAT: Trouble in the Room of Seals, sincere talks about death maybe, harassing Strange.
WARNINGS: Mentions of death. Will add as needed.

Comments

[somebadnews]

[ His mouth twitches. She’s a strange one to be focused on why, but maybe it isn't entirely unfounded to question his motives. It isn't like he'd been expecting gratitude. Aside from basic human decency, he had no reason to step in.

It does bother him though. He's been afflicted by magic far too many times, and it's jarring to watch it happen to someone else. ]

If you were that eager to be done with it, all you had to do was ask. [ Hard to tell when he’s kidding with the look on his face, so better not to press it. ] It’s ending, but it is possible to slow it down. I needed more time.

I doubt you intended to sacrifice yourself for the cause. There are better ways.

[spoilers]

( She gives a brief, considering hum. )

I'm not the sacrificing type.

( But just ask her how she died. If she thought it would make any difference, she'd sacrifice herself in a heartbeat, if only to keep someone else from doing it. But she'll never be as selfless as the Doctor or as ready to champion any hopeless cause, and current appearances aside, she doesn't actually have a death wish. )

But I'll keep that in mind.

( Maybe like recognizes like or maybe she's reading too much into it, but strangely, she does think he'd near the top of her list if she did intend any grand sacrifices and was looking for insurance. )

We always want more time, sweetie, but Time doesn't play by our rules. The Doctor doesn't have the market cornered on understanding that. ( In fact, she'd say, for a time lord, he still has a lot to learn about time. ) Explain it to me.

[somebadnews]

[ Five might have respected her choice if she'd had more of a reason for doing something stupid. He's not entirely convinced it was blind curiosity, but he can't figure out what else it could be.

He allows the 'sweetie' to pass with a frown, distracted by the fact that she could be dying and probably desperate for answers. From the way she's talking, she might even understand what he's about to imply. ]

If I knew what caused the seal to start breaking in the first place, I'd have a frame of reference. [ He pauses for a second or two, in case she miraculously stumbled on something useful, then continues. ] It's a long shot, but if I can rely on math I've already done, I could go back and stop it.

I was just hoping it wouldn't come to that.

[spoilers]

( Sorry. Nothing useful here.

But she is terribly curious. )

I see.

Is this what you do, then? Chase any potential apocalypse, hoping you'll find the key to preventing one of your own? I'll spare you a lecture on paradoxes. How did your apocalypse start, originally?

[somebadnews]

[ Five wasn't expecting to be called out, and for a moment he wonders if she knows about the world-ending paradox that's waiting on him. It reminds him that he needs to watch what he says, even if she's in this state. ]

Originally. [ He flexes his jaw and the edge of a headache pulses in his temple. ] The moon exploded.

I'm not chasing the apocalypse. If anything, it's chasing me.

[spoilers]

Well that would do it.

( She isn't without sympathy, but what good would her pity do him? )

If you're so sure you aren't chasing it, sweetie, why go looking into the gates of hell?

( But she doesn't really give him time to answer that. )

Maybe it wasn't an apocalypse, but I know all about fixed points, disordered timelines. When every choice you think you've made is part of someone else's plan. You'll go mad trying to stop it this way.

[somebadnews]

[ Five doesn't do well with pity, so her reaction is as good as any, even as he tenses his shoulders in an attempt to shrug off the pain in his temple. She makes a valid argument, if not for the fact that this particular fixed point means the end of everything. What is he supposed to do?

If everything she says is true, all of her experience screwing with timelines isn't paying off. He can relate. ]

I'd say I'm open to suggestions, but I see where that led you.