[Video | Action]

[iwasherefirst]

[Rose is lying in the hammock sulking. There is no other word for it. She's swinging slightly in the hammock, a pout firmly fixed on her face. Over the last several months in the City, she's slowly forgotten what the meaning of personal space is. The City has seen fit to remind her today and she's not taking it well. At all.]

Rubbish curse. How're we s'posed to cope with curses and all the other sortsa things the City tosses at us if we can't even hold someone's hand?

Comments

[iwasherefirst]

I know. It's just a really long time when you can't touch anybody.

[She's being five years old today apparently.]

Rather like that sayin' though. Thank Merlin.

[aperfectthird]

You haven't heard it before?

[iwasherefirst]

Don't think so. I like it though. Doctor played at bein' Merlin once or somethin' like that. Not sure I got all the details.

[aperfectthird]

Your friend, the Doctor? Pretended to be Merlin?

I hope you'll pardon me for saying, but I don't see much of a resemblance.

[iwasherefirst]

It was an earlier regeneration.

[Right, she's got to explain that.]

He doesn't die. When he's fatally wounded, he regenerates. New face, new body, same man. You know his tenth regeneration. The ninth and the eleventh is also here in the City. None of 'em look anythin' alike.

[aperfectthird]

That's ... a very useful skill to have.

[iwasherefirst]

Yeah. He's immortal or mostly. I guess eventually he runs out of lives? Like a cat but mostly immortal.

He does change some though, his personality, when he regenerates. Nine and Ten aren't much alike but they're still the same man. If that makes any sense.

[aperfectthird]

I - I don't know that I do understand, actually. When a person takes Polyjuice Potion, their physical appearance changes, but their personality - who they are - doesn't. I suppose this is somewhat different, though, isn't it?

Private; simply b/c she's guarded about who she shares personal Doctor info with

[iwasherefirst]

I think so. [She pauses a moment before she attempts to explain it.]

You need to meet both of 'em. They've got the same memories and some of the same personality traits. They both get stuck in their heads too much if you leave 'em be. They're both lonelier than they'll ever admit. They both need people 'round. They both have a lot of guilt and they brood, but in different sorta ways. The one with the hair, remembers the first time he met me, but the first time I met him, he was the one with the leather jacket.

They're so different in lotsa ways. The one with the hair is bouncy. He's never still and he talks all the time, rambles 'bout everything. The one with the jacket, is quieter, stiller. He wears leather and boots. The one with the hair wears a suit and trainers all the time. They both love me in different sorta ways but it's sorta...the one with the jacket isn't...ready to love someone that way. He's too scarred and the one with the hair...is still scarred but it's buried deeper.

I don't know the third one well enough to make comparisons. He does have the same memories of me though. At least the same memories before the City. They don't share new memories between them.

private;

[aperfectthird]

That's ... well, I won't pretend that I understand it any more than I did before, but it's fascinating regardless. Like the physical form affected the personality, I suppose, despite it being the same man in a different form.

I would like to meet him - them, if I can.

private;

[iwasherefirst]

One time he sorta explained it to me. It's more what's happenin' at the time than anything. He was alone and comin' out of a war when he regenerated into the first Doctor I knew. When it happened again, I was with him and he knew I was already half in love with him. Still am. The one with the jacket I mean.

[Has she mentioned her relationships with the Doctors are complicated? Because they are.]

private;

[aperfectthird]

It all sounds rather involved.

[Like you apparently are. With the two Doctors. HOW DO I SHOT TRIPLES.]

I suppose as long as you understand it?

private;

[iwasherefirst]

Yeah. Bit. But you sort it out as you go 'long.

[No no no no. Not like that. Really. As she explained to Jenny, she hugs and holds hands with one Doctor. With the other one she hugs, holds hands, kisses and other things with the other. She does love them both, very much.]

Guess that's what counts, yeah.