[Video]

[iwasherefirst]

[Rose is sitting in the hammock in the TARDIS. She's wearing a cozy, comfy, turtleneck sweater that looks like it's about to fall apart and her hands are wrapped around a cup of cocoa. She looks like crap, circles under her eyes and either something in the TARDIS is shaking or she's shaking. It's not clear which.]

Guess we should've expected this. 'm pretty sure we got snow in July last year too. Anyone remember for sure?

Comments

[iwasherefirst]

Well I didn't mean to.

[Said in a typical 'duh' fashion]

[minigolfandsushi]

So how'd it happen?

[iwasherefirst]

[That's a fairly complicated story. Well, kind of.] I--[She didn't get attacked necessarily. She wanted Rido to bite her, or at least she thought she did. She still does, she thinks.]

Fainted, I guess. Someone took me down to a part of the underground I've never seen before. Kept me there 'til the Doctors found me.

[minigolfandsushi]

You're all right though, yeah?

[His voice is casual, but he might sound a little concerned. Maybe.]

[iwasherefirst]

[She gives him a small smile. That little bit of concern is nice.]

Yeah. 'm all right. [She's really not, but she's also hiding that from everyone, including the Doctors.]

[minigolfandsushi]

{Peter has spent the past twenty years pretending to be all right. And doing a piss poor job of it, really, but that's besides the point.

If he doesn't quite believe that she's as all right as she says, he has enough heart not to say anything about it. Everybody's entitled to their own demons.]

Good. That boyfriend of yours is an obnoxious twat when he's fussy.

[iwasherefirst]

[She appreciates it. At some point, she'll stop pretending well at all and those cracks will show.

His last comment makes her smile.]

He gets a bit protective.

[minigolfandsushi]

Yeah, well, that's one way to put it.

[iwasherefirst]

You've had people you're protective of like that before, haven't you?

[minigolfandsushi]

[Nope.] That's a pretty quick way to get yourself killed.

[For the first time in awhile, he thinks of Charley -- that stupid twit, ready to throw himself at certain death just to try and protect those he loved. It's not a pleasant memory.]

[iwasherefirst]

[Rose arches an eyebrow at him.] Maybe, awfully lonely though.

[minigolfandsushi]

You don't need to be protective of someone to have company.

[iwasherefirst]

No, but it generally comes with carin' 'bout someone.

[minigolfandsushi]

[Caring about people -- something he tries to avoid whenever possible. He doesn't bother responding.]

[iwasherefirst]

Anyhow, you can stop by for a cuppa anytime you like. No need to be a stranger.

[yeah, she noticed he got quiet]