( 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

[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? ]

[retrorsum]

( oh she looks very interested )

Atlantis?

( she's an archaeologist, john. digging up the lost city of atlantis sounds incredible. though this sounds far better than any legend that she'd ever read )

Where did you find it?

[impavid]

[ What if he wants to play hard to get, though. ]

Where do you think?

[retrorsum]

The bottom of the ocean. I couldn't guess at which, though my guess would be not on Earth.

( otherwise someone would have dug it up by now )

[impavid]

Then you'd be right on both counts. Ten points to Gryffindor.

[ It was indeed at the bottom of the ocean, on the planet known as Lantea. ]

[retrorsum]

( give her a moment to look confused but she doesn't ask. gryffindor?? )

Which galaxy?

[impavid]

[ Nobody gets his amazing jokes RIP. ]

Pegasus Galaxy, three million light-years from Earth and decent take-out.

[retrorsum]

( 52nd century boo. mostly. kovarian didn't instill harry potter in her childhood )

That's one I haven't been to. How many inhabited worlds did you see?

[impavid]

[ Ummmm. ]

I'll be honest, didn't really keep count.

[ So, a lot? ]

[retrorsum]

Well, you're probably more well travelled than most people here.

( most humans she'd spoken to had never gotten off earth )

Especially for your time.