homeless, for now

[aciculated]

You are a strange girl.

If you wish to-- ap-ply me to this community of yours, then do so! My history is neither so long, nor so complicated that it should be beyond your pretty words. I do not say that I like this; I do not wish to leave Romana, but it is better to act than to stay still forever in indecision! You are like a Time Lord, and I am sick to death of hesitation and debate.

--Leela

Comments

I haven't hear Series 6 yet (no spoilers, please), so I'm not sure when you're taking Leela from

[romana2]

Leela, I am glad you feel so devoted to me, but I will be all right. I used to travel with the Doctor as well.

[She's not trying to push Leela away, but she doesn't want to be the reason Leela makes a decision to stay.]

no spoilers, righto. leela comes from midway through series iii, after the defeat of pandora

[aciculated]

You always say that you will be all right.

[And really now, Romana.]

I-- I do not know if you are the same Romana from my universe; this place is strange. But my Romana, she-- you-- may not need me as a bodyguard anymore, or to aid you in your politics, but I think you do need someone you know is on your side.

Haven't listened to that one in awhile, but good to know :)

[romana2]

[Romana smiles slightly.]

I value your opinion. And your... friendship.

[Though that's hard for the Time Lord to admit.]

Though, I am surprised that you claim to not have a complicated history when you live with Time Lords.

[aciculated]

[She knows it's hard for Romana to admit; that's what part of what makes it especially sweet to hear. Particularly now. With Romana no longer really president and Leela blinded, she sometimes doubts how useful she is at all. And Romana values utility. So she says simply:]

Good.

[And then a shrug.]

And yet my own time is still-- linear. I grew up as a warrior, and then I was exiled; I met the Doctor and travelled with him, and then I met Andred and we married. It is you Time Lords who have stupidly complicated histories; I merely... stand to the side of them.

[romana2]

[Romana chuckles softly.]

Don't ever change, Leela.

[And turning a bit more serious.]

I do wish you the best wherever your writer is sending you. Though, if our past experiences are anything to go by, you will do well.

[aciculated]

[Leela sighs]

I will try, but-- you would think I would be used to loneliness by now, would you not? And yet, the only one I know in this strange universe is the Doctor's TARDIS. I know she is not merely a ship, and yet-- I am tired of being lonely even when I am surrounded by people, Romana.

Sorry for the delay - work has been eating up my life this week!

[romana2]

[Romana offers a sad, thoughtful smile. This is how she feels - well all the time - these days.]

The TARDIS is there without the Doctor? What sort of strange place have you found for yourself?

no problem, dearie; it happens

[aciculated]

[Oh, Romana. Leela would hug you if she could see that smile. Even though she knows you Time Lords are bad at emotions; she would force you to accept comfort, damnit. Instead, she just shrugs.]

New York, on Earth? But there is a-- a time-space rift there that is stealing people from their own universes. I suppose the TARDIS was pulled through while the Doctor was out on one of his adventures. There is-- I think there is a... sort-of Doctor there? A [hesitantly, after a slight pause] meta-crisis, though I do not know what that is.

Thanks for understanding <3

[romana2]

[Romana is humming her understanding, instead of nodding - Leela can't see her anyway. Until Leela mentions the metacrisis. Her tone indicates that she is troubled.]

It's an impossibility, that's what.

[She pauses.]

Well, now, I suppose I should say an "improbability."

[She sighs.]

In any event, I would call it trouble. Be wary of him, Leela.

[Romana doesn't know what she's talking about. This is Time Lord instinct talking and nothing else.]

[aciculated]

[Leela frowns thoughtfully, eyes narrowing and head tilting slightly.]

I can protect myself, you know that. What is this-- metacrisis?

[romana2]

[Romana sighs heavily.]

A myth more than anything. And by myth, I don't mean a falsehood. Most myths are rooted in some truth.

[She pauses. How to explain it without use of visual aids.]

A metacrisis, in simplest terms is like a 'hybrid'. If you take two dogs. A Labrador and a poodle and mix them, they become a labradoodle.

With a metacrisis it's two different species, like a Time Lord and a human. It's considered impossible because a Time Lord's mind and capabilities in a human body can be quite deadly. The human body cannot maintain the Time Lord capabilities.

[aciculated]

It is just a child, then. I do not see why that is so dangerous. Andred and I... [a little pause, but she continues on strongly] we spoke of having children; he said that it was difficult, but it might be done, with your looms, and-- selection of the best gen-etic traits.

[romana2]

It is a child, in a sense. But it takes a tremendous amount of energy to create. They're not born, Leela. The only energy source strong enough that I can think of would be regeneration energy.

[aciculated]

[Yeah, still not really helping.]

Do you mean... they are accidents? That is why you call them myths, because they are not made by Time Lord technology?

[Operating on the somewhat scornful assumption that naturally Time Lords would dismiss anything they haven't had a hand in as mere legend.]

[romana2]

[Romana sighs sadly. It is difficult to explain something that isn't supposed to exist.]

No, they are myths because their lives can't be sustained. It would be... as if we took the Doctor's mind and power and put it into your body. Your body would break down because it's not designed to carry that kind of energy or knowledge. In the end you would die.