Homeless

[dreamtofbeing]

It's my birthday! Thank you for letting me out on my birthday. You should let me out more, not just on my birthday. I like getting out and chatting with people. You know that, better than anyone, really.

So, February 29! It only comes around every four years. Didn't really celebrate, last time it did. And before that, it wasn't my birthday yet, so . . . anyone else out there whose birthday it is? How are you celebrating? Why did you pick February 29? Or did you not pick it yourself? I suppose there have to be at least a handful of people out there who are just statistically unlucky.

I think I want cake. And a candle. 44 candles! Or--do you get a candle for every year, or for every birthday? That'd be 12 candles, then. Or actually, it'd be two. That's a bit disappointing.

Mun, why did I pick February 29 as my birthday again?

Comments

[dreamtofbeing]

Yeah. Yeah, I am. [This is actually not a lie. Things have changed a lot in his life--evident in his choice of outfit, which consists of jeans and a sweater rather than a suit and coat--but he's not lying when he says he's doing well. Doesn't mean he wants to talk about it.]

And you? You still with-- wait. [He interrupts himself and frowns.] When are you?

[iwasherefirst]

[She nods, glad to hear it. Really glad to hear it. The outfit choice is interesting but it's kind of nice as well. She won't prod. Not unless he makes more of an offer. She doesn't really feel she's got a right.]

Yeah. I am. I mean--[She stops because a lot has happened since she last saw him.] Beach. Brand new meta-crisis Doctor...sorta. I'm in this City. Can't leave but he's there too. [Well technically there are 3 different versions of him there, but as those 3 seem to pick up on which 'he' she's talking about regardless of which 'he' it actually is, she assumes he'll know that she's talking about the one he got his looks from.]

[dreamtofbeing]

Right. [Nodding.] A city, huh? How did the two of you end up there, then?

[He's assuming the 'he' that you're talking about is his metacrisis.]

[iwasherefirst]

He showed up before me. I just sorta...followed him.

[Same faces, timelines and such are fun. She's assuming he's the metacrisis when the he she's talking about is the tenth Doctor.]

[dreamtofbeing]

[He's not the metacrisis. He's not a Time Lord, either, though. It's a long story.]

On purpose?

[iwasherefirst]

Depends on how you look at it. I first showed up when I was lookin' for him before the Dalek bit and the stolen planets. Definitely on purpose, just wasn't where I expected him to be. Popped out for a couple of hours later to catch up back to the beach.

My mun says it was a canon update. Whatever that means.

[dreamtofbeing]

When you were looking for-- [Have a confused headtilt.] You were looking for--what? Who are we talking about?

[iwasherefirst]

The Doctor. Time-Lord Doctor. [She's just as confused at this point.] Tenth one. Looks like you. Brown suit.

[dreamtofbeing]

Time Lord--oh. Him. He's he, is he? Right. [Okay. Yeah. He can process that. His eyebrows draw together in a small frown.]

What about--the other one? You know. Blue suit, one heart. Is he there with you and him? The--you know, him. The Doctor. Time Lord. That him. [Man, this is getting confusing.]

[iwasherefirst]

Yeah. He's him. [She's fairly used to the lack of necessary pronouns when talking about all the time lords in the City.]

No, he's not here. He could always show up though. City works that way. Both my Doctors are here plus the one after. Far as I know, he's with my mum and dad. The City...when they put you back, they put you right back in the same time stream, at the same moment they took you so...he's standing on a beach waiting for me.

[dreamtofbeing]

Oh. Right. [That sounds like a time loop, one of the potentially universe-damaging kind. If he were still a Time Lord, he'd be all over finding out who's behind it. But he's not. So he's forcing himself to disengage. Which is most easily done with a change of subject.]

Plus the one after, huh? Doctor, I mean. [A slight frown; he's totally not incredibly curious.] What's he like?

[iwasherefirst]

[Definitely a time loop of some sort. The Doctor is doing a good deal of investigating into the whole thing.

She smiles at him and nods.]

He's...young. Lookin' anyhow. Wears a bow tie, tweed jacket. M'pretty sure I make him uncomfortable. He's not as good at the tackle hugs as mine are. He's still...the Doctor though. Brilliant. Amazin'. Y'know...