004 ▶ it ended with a twist of fate

[soveryhuman]

[ Everyone running around wild and crazy, experiencing horrible visions, having to face up to their fears, their weaknesses- a turn in events that would be unsettling in any place, on any day. Rory is not what one could call an exception to such a turn in events, unfortunately. His general reaction is... to don his fairly recently regained set of Roman active wear.

He's not sure how it wasn't obvious to him so much sooner; a 1950s town, all white picket fences and completely deranged. Being married to Amelia Pond, when that was- when that was impossible. Still had to be another eight-hundred years left before that. None of it was possible. None of it was ever real, and how could he not have known? Getting caught up in the illusion (the incredibly vivid illusion, god) was unforgivable. The Doctor had said he'd probably go mad waiting, but he'd never thought he'd allow himself to.

Rory had a duty to see to- the most important person in the universe to protect. He couldn't let her down, could he? Not again. Keep her safe.

So finding what he was protecting would probably be a good idea.

People are likely to catch him a) wandering through Mayfield like a man possessed, steadily on the search for something, something is of the utmost importance. Or b) it's entirely possible he thinks he's found what he lost and has taken up standing diligently by it for hours on end- he obviously hasn't really, so here's hoping you didn't urgently need to climb that tree, check the mail, drive that car. Alternatively, during option c) there are moments now and again where his expression flickers between curiously blank and abjectly terrified because he would swear something is poking at his mind, telling him what to do and occasionally trying to make him do it- can't be happening, that, not again, he thought that was over with--

Yeah, it's not quite so likely he'll be a grand conversational partner during the final option. ]

Comments

A

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Lucas... You must be so tired.

He stolidly averts his gaze as he walks down the street, keeping his head down and his body clamped. ...What he was looking for, he didn't know. Perhaps, he thought, if he walked far enough through this violet haze, he would find an end to it.

Come here. Rest. Just ...let it go. You don't have to fight anymore.

Go away. You're not real. Stop talking to me.

If he looks up, he won't be able to tear his gaze away. Lucas ducks his head, closes his eyes, and blindly runs forward as far as his legs could take him. Not very far. It seems like mere moments before he smashes straight into something -- someone. Someone standing tall and imposing, with a harried expression in his eyes.]

Dad.

[And despite himself, he can't help but call out.]

Dad... What are you doing?

[theniwasroman.livejournal.com]

[ He automatically reaches out in case he needs to steady whoever just ran into him; someone with an almost familiar voice, but he tries to dismiss the thought because it doesn't make all that much sense.

Just a kid. He doesn't seem hurt, at least, not that Rory figured he was all that much more difficult to run into now as opposed to when he was human. ]

Oh, I'm not a dad- I mean, I almost was, once, sort of. Realistic dream. Didn't end very well. [ Wait, no, not what he should be doing. Distinctly feels not right. But he can't leave a kid running around out here alone. However he got here. Rory runs a hand through his hair. ] What are you doing here? It's probably not safe.

Actually, I'm very sure that it's not safe.

[ He's still darting his eyes around as he speaks: the Pandorica is enormous, who could just walk off with it in a few seconds? ]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Lucas's eyes widen a little bit as he gazes up at the face he knows so well. Around him, the scenery blurs and shifts. From purple forest to craggy, steep cliffs.]

I know. It's not safe for you to be here, either.

...You're looking for something?

[theniwasroman.livejournal.com]

The Pandorica.

I'm the guard. I've been the guard. [ Says this like it's complete common knowledge. ] Oh God, I can't have lost it.

B

[spaceshadowfax]

[She'd feel quite stupid if she didn't recognize that armor. She rather liked it on him, thought it made him look...what's the word? Oh, dashing.

When Sexy sees him outside, standing at attention across the street next to the mail box she does what any sentient ship shoved into a human body would do when she sees someone she knows and somewhat adores: Go running out of the house and across the street to greet him with a big kiss on the nose.]

Pretty! You're the Pretty One!

[theniwasroman.livejournal.com]

I'm- what? [ He can say in all honesty that English women kissing him on the nose and calling him pretty is not an everyday occurrence.

Vaguely familiar, but... no. ] Wait, no, that's not- what are you doing here?

[ Gesturey gesture you know you really don't fit in. ]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[On some level, Lucas seems to register this with a slow nod. On another... well, his words don't quite seem to match what Rory is saying.]

It's... not your fault, you know. You're not actually... I mean. You don't have to keep looking anymore.

[theniwasroman.livejournal.com]

[ He frowns at that.

This has to be the strangest conversation he's had in years. ] Yes, I do. I always will, she knows I would.

... Do you know where you are?

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

How could I forget?

[The craggy cliffs leading down to the Sunshine Forest... A memory - A flash of pink fabric. A child's red shoe. Lucas glances away with a subdued expression.

And then - a shake of the head. And another. The haze lifts slightly as he reminds himself.]

...Mayfield. This is Mayfield. It's just Mayfield.

[theniwasroman.livejournal.com]

Mayfield. Right, it's-- no. [ He blinks a couple of times and looks around again- Mayfield was right, wasn't it, he'd been here for a while- or was that the part he imagined?

How was he supposed to tell. ] How sure are you?

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Lucas responds quietly.]

One hundred percent.

[And if he concentrates very hard, tells himself that his father can't possibly be here... the familiar face before him will fade away. He still can't quite make it out, but... Lucas closes his eyes tightly.]

If... you're a real person, you should know that this is a hallucination. All of it. It's not real. It's not.

[Saying it out loud strengthens his own resolve. When he opens his eyes again, he can almost see the town through his personal nightmare of purple trees and craggy cliffs.]

[theniwasroman.livejournal.com]

It has to be. There are a lot of- I remember a lot of things that are real. [ And things that aren't real at all, but he's real, isn't he, he's Rory. He has to be. ]

B.

[coolbowtie.livejournal.com]

Rory the Roman! Ha, hilarious. It's a good luck for you.

[The Doctor approaches him, still wearing his silly scarf and hat.]

[theniwasroman.livejournal.com]

[ ..... ]

Doctor? What are you doing here? [ What happened to taking the shortcut and turning up later, sheesh. ]

[coolbowtie.livejournal.com]

Well.

I stopped by the pharmacy to get something for the cold. Then I went to the bakery and then I was walking home. Bit slow, walking is, but sometimes it's quite the experience.

[theniwasroman.livejournal.com]

Oh. That's- okay. I didn't think you'd be stopping back, but. [ He'd be lying if he said it wasn't nice to have more familiar company right now, okay. Even if something about it isn't.... really right. He shakes his head a little. ] You've got a cold?

[coolbowtie.livejournal.com]

...So what if I still have my cold? It's going to go away eventually. That's what you told me.

[Sniffs defensively!! It's not his fault he has a cold okay.]

Why wouldn't I be stopping by?

[theniwasroman.livejournal.com]

I just... thought you'd be going straight to the right year. Universe in danger and all. [ Amy sort of preserved in danger, and all.

Right. He can't really judge. ]

Guess it makes sense you'd turn up today. Est- [ Stop it Rory, English is your first language #A#9 ] It's been strange.

[coolbowtie.livejournal.com]

Rory...

Where do you think we are?

[theniwasroman.livejournal.com]

Still in Rome.

Well Romania, they've actually been calling it. Basileia Romaion, you know. [ Gesturey. Thing. People have been taking up Greek, it's been incredibly awkward. ] ... I don't know how you missed that, coming here.

[coolbowtie.livejournal.com]

Rory.

No.

We're in Mayfield. That... you've been gone from that for a long time. That was an entire universe ago.

[He reaches out slowly to touch Rory's shoulder.]

[theniwasroman.livejournal.com]

... No, it wasn't. I'm here. Right now, I'm here. [ He doesn't make any move to avoid or protest the hand reaching for him; it's safe to say that's not his main concern for the moment, when the Doctor is busy being so wrong.

How often did that ever seriously happen?

The things he thinks he might remember that haven't happened are just one more in a line of things that haven't happened- and that's fine, it was some kind of mad- mistake, and Rory was pretty sure he'd taken care of it already. But maybe he didn't. ]

[coolbowtie.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor's hand brushes his shoulder. He twists his fingers in the fabric of Rory's cap and tugs, almost like a child.]

No... Rory. This is Mayfield. You're not in Rome anymore. You were never in Rome. I rebooted the universe, you and Amy got married. I was there, remember?

[theniwasroman.livejournal.com]

[ Ever so cautiously shaking his head. ]

That wasn't- that was a different- you know, it was a thing. In my head. Sometimes people dream about waking up, and then they wake up and they've missed something because they didn't want to, and I'm just lucky that nothing happened to her while I wasn't paying attention- [ He's streamlining towards half-english gibberishy mess and the train is on express. And the Doctor shouldn't know that that even happened, but he's not going to question it because it's the Doctor and he has a habit of finding things he shouldn't. Every time. God, the last thing he's supposed to do is let Amy down, how does this keep happening ]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Another deep breath and the illusion is dispelled further from his mind. Lucas slowly tries to explain.]

What's happened is... mostly my fault. There are these mushrooms from my world - if you eat them, you... Well, someone explained it to me this way. They tear at the weaknesses and scars of your heart.

That's why you're seeing what you are.