( text | un: sweetie )

[retrorsum]

Has anyone found a pod containing someone that was supposed to be dead? That they knew to be dead.

( river asks more out of curiosity than anything, out of trying to understand and gain more knowledge on the pods, on who and how they were brought here. she also can't deny that small piece of hope that comes with the question, of wanting to see someone that she couldn't (shouldn't) be able to see again )

Comments

[impavid]

I've never needed a manual for that before.

[ ... I mean, they've never. Had manuals. Ever? ]

[retrorsum]

Well, if I ever end up in a crashing spaceship with you I'm just going to sit back and watch.

( honestly river has never needed a manual for it either. she's very good )

[impavid]

You wouldn't be the first to do that.

[retrorsum]

But I'd probably be the best looking one.

( river please )

[impavid]

A confident assumption. I'm gonna need some data to back up that claim.

[retrorsum]

( river debates for a moment or two before flicking the feed over to a video. she's not doing anything better at the minute )

How much would you like to see?

( though even if he says everything it wouldn't be everything )

[impavid]

[ River Song you are the worst influence. His feed snaps on after a second in response, and John is currently sitting on the floor of his tiny, incredibly worn apartment trying to restrain a long haired German Shepherd puppy. He gives his phone, balanced just out of reach, a mock-innocent look.

There's a slight air of mystery, perhaps, to how he turned it on while having it out of reach but also maybe he just has a voice command set up. Who knows, this is the future! All things are possible. ]

I'm afraid I can't answer that question in front of such a young audience.

[ This man is terrible. ]

[retrorsum]

( river chuckles. she likes that answer more than anything else he could have given )

If we're being honest I don't think I'd be able to sit back and watch in a crashing spaceship.

[impavid]

[ He quirks a grin at that chuckle, twitching back a little as the puppy attempts to climb his chest before gently turning her around again and trying to distract her with a toy. ]

Yeah? I bet you're a backseat driver too on a good day.

[ He's still smiling though, and it's not really much of an accusation because so is John. You can absolutely bet he'd argue with someone over how to fly a spaceship, especially if it was crashing. ]

[retrorsum]

Who, me?

( so innocently said. and absolutely true -- the number of times she tells her husband he's flying the tardis wrong. or just takes over?

she's always right though )

[impavid]

[ So is John, according to John. ]

Yeah, you.

[ Like recognises like, River Song. He gives up and drops the toy, drags Seren into his arms and ruffles her thick fur until she struggles. She squirms valiantly against the indignity of it. ]

What kind of ships did you crash?

[ Or, you know, fly. Whichever. ]

[retrorsum]

( wow, she resents the implication. she'd tried to stop them from crashing )

A cruise ship. And a category four starliner.

( although the latter she hadn't tried to stabilise and the crash hadn't been due to her. she's also purposely leaving the tardis out of this )

[impavid]

[ Oooh, sounds fancy. Seren squirms enough to be free while John pulls an exaggeratedly impressed face, and he skids her toy across the room. ]

So what's a category four starliner if it isn't a cruise ship?

[retrorsum]

That depends on what they want to use it for. Some would be cruise ships, others are colony ships.

( basically it just meant the type and size of ships rather than its purpose )

[impavid]

Big civilian vessel then?

[ Huh! ]

I don't have a whole heap of experience with civilian ships, but I imagine anything that big steers like a truck.

[retrorsum]

That depends on the century. Navigation can be very different.

I REFUSE TO BE FOOLED

[impavid]

Well navigating and steering are different. It's the 'turning something big and unwieldy' thing I was referring to. Bigger usually means more forces to combat and all.

[ Right? Maybe? Unless in the future physics matters even less than he remembers. ]

lmao its video i'm just tired

[retrorsum]

Now I'd really like to see you try it.

( she chuckles )

What do you normally fly?

[impavid]

[ 'Normally'.

Normally is somewhat relative.

John scrunches his face up and reaches out as the puppy bounds back over to him, having another miniature tug of war as he thinks. Playing with dogs buys time you see. ]

Well, day to day we had shuttles so I guess that was my most frequent thing. Before that it wasn't space-ready things, you know. Planes. Helicopters. I've flown a lot of big ships but I guess the biggest was a city-ship.

[retrorsum]

( she was ready to be a little disappointed. yes, he was 21st century but they'd been talking about crashing spaceships. river had been ready to make some comment about it when he lists that final one.

she looks impressed )

You've been holding out on me. Now what is a city ship?

[impavid]

[ Well, River, since you ask. ]

It's a city that's also a ship.

[ The more you know. ]

[retrorsum]

( she looks a little less impressed now. she knew that much )

Yes, it wasn't immediately obvious.

( the most sarcastic )

I was thinking more about what it looked like, how large, whether it's designed more like a city or a ship.

[impavid]

Is it all about size for you?

[ John please. ]

I mean, it's a city that was designed to be flown so it's kinda both. It has weapons, shields, it can make jumps through hyperspace. I guess it's about the size of Manhattan, if you know what that is.

[ If you've... ever been to Manhattan? Or at least, what he knows as Manhattan... ]

[retrorsum]

( her expression would tell him that she does know what manhattan is, the gut reflex of her last experience there making her look a little uncomfortable.

there's a pause before she responds, river taking a breath, pushing it away. it's been some time since she was last in manhattan but it's an experience that will take time to shake off )

What's the city called?

[impavid]

[ Is it worth lying to someone from a future place where she flew stuff?

Maybe. John can't decide. He errs on the side of 'it's been destroyed anyway, apparently, so what the hell' but equally continues playing with the puppy -- throwing the toy again for her like it's not a big deal to say and he's not interested in River's reaction.

He is. ]

Atlantis.

[ Catchy name, huh? ]