003 [A Tribute to Saint Valentine]

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

[Miss Edith has returned to the Plane.

So has Drusilla, actually, and the vampire is holding the doll with all the reverence of a woman holding a sacred object.]

Saint Valentine is coming. It must be dull, sleeping all year and waking up for one little day.

Nobody makes sacrifices to him any more. They sell cards and trinkets and their souls, but no sacrifices. Nothing exciting.

[She holds Miss Edith out at arm's length, critically evaluating the doll before pulling her close and adjusting her dress.]

We're going to paint the town red, aren't we, my pet? Spike can't go do it, not with those nasty little wires in his brain. We'll have to celebrate for both of us.

Should I get him a little boy as a present, or a little girl?

We could even bake a cake.

Comments

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

That time of year, is it?

[the Doctor is in full-on mope mode. Apologies]

Can never really tell in this place. Nothing but stars. Not even a sun to tell you what day it is.

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

Don't listen to the sun, it tells lies. It scribbles fire across the sky.

Will you get any presents?

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

[nods, because this makes sense] Generally I try to listen to the star Algol when I land on Earth. Geminiano Montanari had it right the first time around, everyone else is just a tiny bit off.

Presents? Me? Probably not. Not my sort of holiday. What about you?

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

Algol. That's such a pretty name. It sounds like buttercups. Is it a boy or a girl?

That's sad. You send yourself a card. Nobody has to know.

Oh, yes! Spike always gets me something nice. He's such a good boy.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

It's a star. Colloquially known as the Demon Star, Devil's Star, Unlucky Star...really, it's just a star out in the Daevo Cluster. Excellent for time telling considering its orbital plane.

[vaguely insulted] No, no. Don't really need a valentine.

Spike. Spike. Don't think I've met Spike yet. Your boyfriend?

[oldoldghost.livejournal.com]

[Guess what! Brigitta does not understand Valentines day, and since everybody in her reality has been talking about it will now be looking faintly disgruntled] What did this Saint Valentine do anyway?

[oilyhands.livejournal.com]

There's nothing wrong with cards and trinkets.

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

I like him already.

[She was only trying to help. In her way...] Everybody needs someone to love them. They can hide behind the saint, like naughty boys and girls hiding behind Father Christmas.

He isn't allowed to come here. My little boy.

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

He set hearts on fire and handed out sweetmeats to the children who tried to put out the ashes.

[Drusilla might not be the best person to explain things to her.]

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

They're not alive. Real presents are warm, even when they're dying. Sometimes they scream, if you catch them quickly enough.

[madamemoiselle]

Ah~ You mean Valentine's Day, right?

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

[smile] Yeah, not a bad solar system, either. The light from the Algol star fuels six rotating space stations for colonies of humans who missed their turn and went through a space wormhole. Unlucky colonists making the best of what they had.

[and the smile goes away] Love isn't everything. There's a lot more to the universe. Whole great big universe out there.

And he might, eventually. I'm constantly running into people I once knew.

[oldoldghost.livejournal.com]

[Incredibly, she seems to brighten slightly] Really? ...Sounds like a proper god.

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

Yes. It's not as nice as Christmas, but it's still a lovely day for a party.

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

He's been forgotten now. They believe in cards and roses, but they really don't believe in him.

[Apparently Drusilla is a Terry Pratchett fan. Who knew?]

[madamemoiselle]

A party? Ah, you mean sacrificing people? That hardly seems like a party to me.

[oldoldghost.livejournal.com]

[Scowl] They've forgotten everything, they've forgotten that sometimes gods need to fight.

[...Just made me laugh out loud XD]

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

[Dru has no idea what he's talking about, but she appears to be listening intently, nodding along to the Doctor's words.]

I don't know the rest of the universe, just Earth. The whole planet stinks of love. It's heavier than the clouds, so it stays close to the ground. You can't run away from it.

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

Who do they fight? Other gods, or the people?

[I do my best XD]

[oldoldghost.livejournal.com]

It depends on the god, Ares fought near everybody after all.

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

It's only a party if they're nice people.

[madamemoiselle]

Really? How do you mean?

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

Why would you want to? You've got...Spike.

Interesting name, Spike.

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

Because nasty people taste bitter. I like sweeties.

[madamemoiselle]

...Taste?

{She smiles, just a little bit} Ah, could that mean that you're a vampire, then? Maybe?