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[bit_impossible]

[suddenly, without ceremony or the preceding sound of a blue police box tearing through and bending the very fabric of space and time, a tall, skinny figure in a pinstripe suit and long, brown coat appears on the Plane, but he is far too engaged in examining the object in his hand to notice where he is, or rather where he is now as opposed to moments ago.]

--o, no, this name is familiar, Harriet. Hold on, give me a mo'. Where have I seen it before...? [he pauses, tapping something in the theatre programme with increasing agitation until he suddenly exclaims:] Ah, I've got it! See, I knew I recognised that name! "Keri Vier"! Give little Keri another seven years and she'll start using the proper surname of her famous ancestor, Laurence--[he glances up just then, noticing that Harriet is definitely no longer with him]--oh.

[his eyes widen slightly as he glances around and removes his glasses, tucking them and the programme away into two separate pockets] Ohhh, I was just wondering if I'd get a chance to see this place again! Funny, that... Too bad that doesn't work when I really want to nip back to the TARDIS for something. [sniffs, then a broad smile spreads across his face as he gazes at all the stars around him] Blimey, would you look at this place?! Brilliant...it's absolutely brilliant! And--[he spins and spots something nearby]--oh, hello, what have we got here?

[heads over to an information kiosk, plucking one of the brochures up from the pile. after a moment of reading, he can't help feeling that there's something familiar to it, but he keeps to that himself] ..."The Astral Plane"? Oh come on, really? That's like saying--[but what it's like he doesn't get to say. his blood runs cold the second his eyes catch sight of another name he hasn't seen in a long time. a very, very long time.]

Comments

[bonnypiperlad]

That part's true. I had a wee run-in with someone I thought was from my universe but wasn't. [He pulls a face at the memory, but it passes quickly.]

Oh. Only a couple of times, aye. [Jamie actually believes him - even Two is getting better at getting them places now. But he can't help but take the opportunity to try and needle the Time Lord just a little. All in fun, mind.] So next you'll be telling me the TARDIS isn't breaking down all the time now. Or that you don't actually need to use a mallet to make her go.

[bit_impossible]

Did you, really? Who? [like you're getting out of that one so easily, Jamie!]

She's gotten better, but she is a lot older now, you know. Sometimes, it isn't just a mallet... Fists still work, of course.

[bonnypiperlad]

[Drat.] Coordinator Narvin.

[There's a momentary pause, and then...] Not that I knew him specifically, aye? It was more that I recognized something he was wearing.

[bit_impossible]

[he nods and pats Jamie's shoulder sympathetically] I see. Well! All for the best, really. Especially since it's Narvin. Least it wasn't Vansell. [sniffs, tucking his hands into his pockets] I'm afraid my people weren't the most adventurous with their styles of clothing. Never got away from the robes thing, and don't let him convince you what he wears is the more practical design because it's not. Can't run in them for one, or climb trees or any number of things.

[bonnypiperlad]

Actually, he wasn't wearing... [He trails off, arching his eyebrows briefly before giving the Doctor a 'you must be joking' sort of look.]

Aye, of course ye can't do that in a robe. [Kilts, of course, are another matter.] Do ye really think I would let anyone talk me into wearing one of those things?

[bit_impossible]

[arches an eyebrow] Why would you want to wear one anyway? No one's asking you to.

[bonnypiperlad]

Good. [Because it would take rather a lot to get him into a robe. Well, adventure necessities aside, that is. Since it's the Doctor, though, he probably already knows that. And everything in the brochure, come to think about it, but it couldn't hurt to ask.]

So did ye actually have any questions on the brochure, anyway?

[bit_impossible]

Nope! Nice and clear. Just as I'd expect from him.

So, where are you now? With me, well, with the other me, obviously, but when? Is Victoria with you?

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye, all right, then.

And, no, she's not. It's just the two of us. Ye came back for me after the Time Lords sent me home, but ye won't go get her. [He's still not entirely happy about that part.]

I'd ask ye if we ever do go see Victoria again, but...somehow I don't think ye would tell me. Well, that is, if something like that even happened for ye.

[bit_impossible]

[begins rubbing the back of his neck] Something like that, yes, but there is a reason--a number of reasons, actually--why you can't and why I couldn't, but it's all terribly complicated and I'd only confuse you more than I normally manage to.

[bonnypiperlad]

It doesn't have to do with my getting my memory wiped by the Time Lords, does it?

[bit_impossible]

[doesn't answer immediately] ...It might do, yes.

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye, well, they put them back, so ye don't have to worry on that end.

...Still, ye said a number of reasons. [looking disappointed] Och, oh well. It would have been nice to know.

So have ye run into your other selves yet?

[bit_impossible]

[seems a bit surprised by that] They did?

[conveniently doesn't hear that part. he feels bad enough as it is.]

I have, well, just one. My previous self, actually. Though I have to say, Jamie...you're handling all this very well. How long have you been here?

[bonnypiperlad]

Of course they did. Although... [thoughtfully] Ye won't tell me why. Every time I ask, ye go and change the subject.

[shrugging] I suppose it's got something to do with us helping. I wouldn't be much good to ye if I didn't have my memories.

[He doesn't seem particularly bothered by it either way, and continues on with the other subject.] That's the one with the ea...er, your Ninth self, aye? I think that's right. Aye, anyway. I've not been here long. Maybe a month or so?

Hey, wait a minute. Why would ye think I'd not handle this well?

[bit_impossible]

Oh, you can say it. The one with the ears. I know...lived with them for a time. Much improved now though, don't you think?

Actually, I meant the whole me not being the me you know the best sort of thing. And well, that you know about my ninth self at all.

[bonnypiperlad]

Oh. Aye. The ears are much better. [He's just not going to say anything about the hair right at the moment, thanks.]

Well, I will admit it was a wee bit odd at first with ye not being ye. It's not like ye mentioned ye could change yourself like that before, aye? But...I don't know. All of the ones I've met here seem like ye in some way. Even that lassie.

[bit_impossible]

[beams!] Why thank you, Jamie! [all for the best, really. he loves his hair in this incarnation.]

Regeneration isn't the usual topic of discussion when one is running away from Cybermen and robotic Yeti in the Underground. I'd only done it the one time when I knew you. But you're right. My other selves...we're all the same person, in a way. The man I was is still at the core of who I am now. But that woman version of me is definitely not from my universe. I was never a woman. Been with plenty of women--no, that doesn't sound right--but you know what I mean.

[bonnypiperlad]

Well, I may not have believed ye at first if ye had mentioned it. I did think ye were a bit daft when ye said ye were four hundred and fifty, after all. [He gives the Doctor an apologetic look.]

But...aye. I know she's not. I knew she wasn't when I found out she was traveling with me. I think I'd notice if I was traveling with ye and then ye turned into a lassie.

[bit_impossible]

Some might argue I'm not much better now. [smiles and claps Jamie on the shoulder]

Ohhh, believe you me, you wouldn't be the only one to notice! [pulls a face, rubbing at the back of his neck. why no, he's not feeling back there to make sure his hair is still the same length or anything]

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye, well. Some things never change. [There's a beat where he's completely straight faced, but then a small, somewhat crooked smile appears.]

I would hope ye would realize ye were a lassie. Well, unless it was one of those experiments Oliver was talking about, then I suppose ye might not.

[bit_impossible]

[he sees that cheeky little smile and didn't realise how much he missed it until then]

The experiments can even do that, huh? [pulls a face, adjusting his tie] Hopefully they'll realise I'm not so easily experimented on.

[bonnypiperlad]

I've not had any done to me, so I don't know for sure. I don't see why he would say they could do things like change how ye feel or think if they couldn't, though.

[Oliver doesn't really strike him as the type to lie about that sort of thing.]

Och, Doctor, you're a wee clever chap...er, well, not so wee any more. [Jamie has to look up now, which is odd. Less odd since the other Doctors he's met so far are taller Three possibly being the exception?, but still a bit odd.]

I don't think they could pin ye down long enough to run these experiments on ye anyway. Not unless ye wanted them to, for some reason.

[bit_impossible]

No, Oliver's not a liar. At best, he's a very bad one. Gets that 'deer in the headlights' look when he's caught.

[arches an eyebrow at the 'wee chap' assessment before smiling, bemused. admittedly, it is a bit odd to be looking down at Jamie now.]

Nothing can pin me down for long, certainly not them, but a part of me is curious to see what they could do... Not that I think they can do anything, I mean.

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye, I thought as much.

[There's a pause before Jamie looks at the Doctor warningly. That almost is sounding like the Time Lord is starting to get ideas, and that could be dangerous.]

Doctor, I don't think it'd be a good idea to try and find out.