190th page

[ladybirdbook]

(April 21st-24th)

Wow, happy reunion. You lost some, you gained others. Two of them are meatheads. Awesome. Give them shit to carry since you don't have any horses. Once you've all made acquaintance and had tearful reunions and UST encounters, it's a good chance to sleep in for the night. It's a very deserted city so you can sleep peacefully.

When the sun rises then, time to tie your shoes and set off to adventure! Hurrah! Tumbataure's season three premiere!

[Mission: No more lazy! Decide what to do and pack your bags, you're back with the fellowship. LOTR walk montage. I bet you missed that.]

Comments

[recurred]

[do we...do we have to]

[slowly picks bag up and slings it over her shoulder. like those kids who think that they can stop time if they go as slow as possible getting ready to leave]

[armedarchaeologist]

[clears his throat.]

Morning, Clara.

[pats her apologetically on the shoulder. I know sweetheart, everything is terrible and now you're stuck with captain hook and the rest of us idiots.]

So-o, I thought I'd start asking what people wanted to do? I'm still in favor of following the map and rescuing whoever called us, but I don't really want to twist anyone's arm, so... What do you think we should do? Or, I guess, what do you want to do, inclusive of breaking up the band, as it were? Though that's. Not really my preference.

[taps map against palm. no pressure.]

[recurred]

[yeah....yeah]

[snaps herself out of a thought and looks up at him]

It's really our only option right now. Those who want to go, go. Those who want to pursue another way, let them. [idc they can go try and fix the machine for all she cares at this point]

[armedarchaeologist]

Yeah, I mean. It stands to reason that if we can get to her—or him, I don't know why I keep thinking of whoever-it-is as a her—they should be able to put us all back where they found us, right? I mean, send us home. Those of us. Who have them.

[frowns at clara. it's similar to the way he was frowning at hook earlier.]

Are you all right? You've been kind of... Subdued. Even compared to before we all left. Or tried to leave.

[recurred]

That was the original plan, and so far it's still the best lead we have. Going back out the way we came in.

[1000000% done like ten lifetimes ago]

[shrugs like not really shrugging but there you go]

I'm just tired, Daniel. It's been a rough trip home and back again. I want it to be over.

[armedarchaeologist]

[don't talk to me—

oh no wait you definitely get to talk to me about lifetimes. that's rough man.]

It does seem like the machine was kind of rough on everyone, whether we got what we wanted or not. I'm sorry things didn't go so great.

[do we hug? i don't think we hug. pats her on the shoulder again.]

I mean, should I ask what happened? Or is it a weird time travel thing?

[recurred]

[its so timey wimey your head would hurt because logic has left the timestream]

It's definitely one of those things that hurts to think about. Like I'm still only about forty percent certain I'm actually here experiencing this right now. [not in a drugs sort of way]

Let's just say whatever it was, it was for the better good. And as soon as we're out of here, I'll finally get to go home.

[armedarchaeologist]

Ah.

[nods sagely.]

Yep I know how that goes. Well if it's any consolation, I'm about 90% certain I'm here right now and at least 80% certain you're here right now...

[reaches out and surreptitiously pinches her on the arm.]

85. Call it a solid 85%. Which is not bad odds, as these things go. As a friend once told me, "If you immediately know the candle is fire, the meal was cooked a long time ago."

[recurred]

[ow]

[rubs at her arm and cracks a small smile]

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.

[armedarchaeologist]

No problem. I'm going to go see about the others, what they want to do now.

[smallsmiles back at clara and makes a beeline to intercept hook.]

[recurred]

[watches him leave before turning around and heading back to the castle for one last sweep before they go]

[crossmyhearts]

[should really have brought his wizard costume if there was gonna be a lotr montage. seriously guys no one ever tells him anything.]

[anyway stumbling his way out the castle. nearly falls, does three twirls, and looks around.

ah. so that's where he is. great.] Clara??

[recurred]

[about half way up the steps when she stops and looks up from doctory stick legs]





[drops bag]

[how do i words]

[crossmyhearts]

[hears the bag drop and turns--]

[big smile, has quite possibly never looked this happy before ever.]

[it's okay if you can't words, what you need is a doctor. so just let him run over there and hug you.]

[recurred]

[yes doctor hugs are the best replacement for words, she's totally fine with this. clinging to him like the clingiest thing to ever cling. maybe crying a little. because she's a girl.]

[crossmyhearts]

[replies in kind, even lifts her off the ground a little.]

[it's only when he tilts his head back that he notices her crying.]

No! Why are you crying, oh you humans and your happy crying, just--

[wipes tears off her face. with the sleeve of his jacket. yes, you better appreciate that. also don't point it out but there's a tear at the corner of his eye.]

There.

[recurred]

[any other day maybe, but no not today]

[takes a deep breath and smiles and not smiles but then smiles again. patting him down almost to assure his presence]

You're really here. You're okay.

[job well done clara oswald. she's too excited now not to hug him again, this time with a giggle and and extra squeeze]

[crossmyhearts]

Yes, I am. [still with a smile] And so are you.

[let's just keep hugging until forever, that sounds like an excellent idea. closes eyes and rests cheek on top of her head, and oh here's his breath. hadn't even noticed he was holding it in.]

[recurred]

[listening to that double heartbeat as if it were some sort of metronome.]

This isn't the end. [seriously was having ' i thought i was dead ' thoughts. martyr jumping into a timestream and all, she wasn't expecting some sort of tumba afterlife waiting at the end.

still it's even more confusing. which is why she finally pulls away to look up at him. mister usually can answer things but probably cant]

Why?..How?

[crossmyhearts]

Of course not. I said I would get you out, and I did.

[tingling fingertips against each other. stares at her with an expectant grin on his face.]

I just don't know exactly how I did it yet.

[recurred]

[stares at him for a moment, reading, judging just a little]

Of course. Take all the credit before the credit is due.

[crossmyhearts]

Must you doubt me? I do things all the time, lots of things, more things than I can remember, and sometimes I have no idea how I do them.

[stands a little straighter, curving the corners of his mouth downwards in a full-of-himself manner.] Maybe I just... wished really really hard.

[recurred]

[smiles at that before taking a breath]

Well if that's the case, I'm glad you didn't wish just one really hard.

[crossmyhearts]

Well, to get you out of there? I probably had to wish really hard... times eleven.

[arches his nearly inexistent eyebrows at. then looks a little more serious.] Clara-- it was brilliant. You were brilliant.

[recurred]

[smile grows a little before she looks down. humbled or emotional or something, before looking back up at him]

Saving the universe, it's what we do. [reaches up and takes the sides of his face]

I'm just glad to see you with this face again. And that chin.