#the next stop (ic)

[unboundwanderers]

"For those asking! Anaerobic bacteria that naturally occur in water can react with the magnesium and aluminum anodes to produce hydrogen sulfide gas. Thus producing a smell!"

"...You could've just said, heat makes water smell."

"I think it adds Gravitose to the explanation."

"I really am insane."

[unboundwanderers]

@kemikorosu whispered: TAKE ME INSTEAD | Accepting.

               THE LAST DAY OF THE TIME WAR.

               A death ray rang out through the halls of The Dalek Command Spire. The Doctor hit the floor, keeping his back turned toward The Dalek Time Strategist, who continuously blasted beams at Lumine's Friend- no matter how much he kept getting back up. From the top of the spire, they could see all of Teyvat. Leather-jacketed arms protected a small, brown, clockwork device- the cause of all this. The Moment. Part of a phrase he'd been hearing during THE LAST GREAT TIME WAR comprised of that word, "The Moment is coming..." People would say to him. He knew, in his heart, what that moment was- but now that it was here, in his hands, he had no idea what it meant. The Dalek Time Strategist shouted at him,

               "The Moment has come DOC-TOR!! YOUR MOMENT FOR EXTERMINATION!!!" It shouted. A Dalek Gunstick cut him off, blasting over the control panel he was ducking under for cover, "EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATEEEE!!" It screamed out, like a wild banshee. The War Doctor hunched forward when sparks crashed off the control console. The Stranger was separated from his friend, so here he was- the nameless one, trying to do everything he could to think up a plan- the stress in his mind heightened by the fear the sight of bodies in the central spire control room invoked within him. "There's nothing you can do to stop me, Time Strategist!! I have The Moment!! I'll use it if I have to!! Don't force my hand!!" The Doctor shouted toward The High Ranking Strategist.

               Another EXPLOSION echoed out as the Gunstick was fired again at the control panel- The Warrior shot up, moving to dive toward more stable cover in the room. An extermination ray missed him by a hair, but he scurried behind the cover. Pot shots were made at him the whole time, some that narrowly caught him. "I'm warning you!!" He cried out, but The Dalek cut him off- "YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW THE DEVICE WORKS!! YOU WOULD CONDEMN BILLIONS OF LIVES- IT IS AGAINST YOUR NATURE, DOCTOR." It shouted at him, but The Stranger spat back in a voice high with rage, and fury, but plagued by uncertainty and witless chance. "I'm NOT The Doctor- Strategist- you have NO IDEA what I'm CAPABLE OF!!" He shouted back, but an extermination ray scorched the side of his cover- causing sparks and smoke to scream their way at him.

               He started fumbling at the box, twisting its cogs and coils into place. It just hissed at him, and the interface grew hot- but the power source inside seemed to activate. "C'mon- C'mon!!" He shook at the box before another laser scorched the side of his cover. "You blasted box of SCRAP!! Work Damn you!!" He bashed at the side of the box, and the metal suddenly grew hot to the touch, causing The Doctor to drop it. A pot shot from the Dalek Gunstick nicked the side- causing a cascade of energy to ripple out. The Doctor was thrown across the control room and THROUGH the glass of the viewing window. The Glass was already pretty dinged up so when The Doctor broke against it, he went through it- rolling onto the observation railing and nearly rolling off the side before he got his hands into the grating- holding over the edge for dear life.

               The Time Strategist turned toward The Moment- quietly gliding over to it before fixing its eyestalk upon the box. Lumine's friend started pulling himself up but felt his hands were too ashy and sweaty to get a firm grip. He briefly turned out behind him- to see MONDSTADT, on fire... smoke rising over the mountains near Liyue- fire on the water. The Daleks had DESECRATED The History of Teyvat- and they were slaughtering its people. The Time War did this to Teyvat- THE WAR DOCTOR brought them here when he'd gone snooping through the Abyss- The TIMELORDS did this... The WAR did this... He set fire to Lumine's second home. So he had to PUT IT OUT. "DALEKS ARE THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, DOCTOR- THERE IS NOTHING WE COULD NOT OVERCOME. NOT THE ARCHONS, OR THE CELESTIALS, NOT YOU OR THE TIMELORDS! WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS!!" A quick potshot caused The Doctor to fall back over the edge, dangling by one hand- yet again.

               The Doctor and The Strategist heard the door to the command chamber open up. Just underneath The Grating, he was hanging from the edge of- The War Doctor could see, and his eyes widened in horror. "THE CELESTIAL PRINCESS-" He heard The Strategist start- "LUMINE!! LUMINE, GET OUT OF HERE!!" Her friend would shout next, swiping his other arm away, causing his grip on the edge of the railing to get worse. He brought his other hand up, attempting to pull himself up. He heard the gunstick fire off again- but didn't hear it make an impact, so he assumed she'd dodged. He heard the sound of her celestial energy activating, though he felt a gust of wind just above him. He felt hands grab his forearm and begin to pull.

               "No!! NO!! Lumine!! Save yourself!! SAVE-"                "MAXIMUM EXTERMINATION!!!!"

               He saw the blast hit her- she'd already pulled him up enough to where he could get a better hold on the railing. He saw her skeleton through her flesh, the blast lit it up a transparent blue. He heard her let out a scream of absolute agony as she used the last of her strength to hoist him up onto the platform before she lost it all in a fraction of a second and sunk off of the railing. She let him go before she did, so she didn't pull him down with her. THE WAR DOCTOR watched her fall down beneath the tower, into the water of Monsdtadt. Meanwhile, The Words were stuck in his throat- the tears rolling out and his eyes froze in shock. "... A Victim of your emotions, Timelord. YOU TOO SHALL SOON JOIN HER- THE ENEMY OF THE DALEKS WILL BE EXTERMINATED..!!!"

               The War Doctor didn't even want to close his eyes, he was just still frozen in shock. He muttered, "Just do it... for heaven's sake..." And heard the gunstick fire- but when the sounds around him muted... all except for his sweat rolling down his cheek, his lungs heaving out oxygen, and his lips parting to release it all, when he felt his heart still beating, he looked toward the Time Strategist and saw time FROZEN. The ash, the embers in the air, the movement of the clouds, and the smoke in the sky- he saw it all FROZEN. His eyes moved toward the presence in front of him, "L-Lumine?" He almost cried out, but soon his logic overpowered his emotions, especially at how daunting this version of his friend was,

               She looked... older... there was a brightness behind a dull window of age, her hair was much longer and her clothes looked to be like that of a civilian- not of an adventurer. "The Moment... You're the interface...!" He looked, scurrying up to his feet. "Y-You're giving me a peak into her future?? She survived?? B-But how-?" He looked toward the interface, showing him a much older Lumine. One who seemed to show her age more physically than the version he traveled with. He watched as she broke away, standing before The Time Strategist, giving him a tap on the eyestalk- The War Doctor backed away and hyperventilation came on. "WHAT... IS... HAPPENING? MOVEMENT, INCAPABLE- WEAPON SYSTEMS OFFLINE-" It cried, which calmed The Doctor down a bit as he watched The Moment Interface.

               "All of this... A senseless waste of life."

               She turned to The Doctor, "I will fix this for you- but you must fix this." She spoke, and no sound came from her lips- but he could hear her voice in his mind, like a weight upon his head. He shook his head, feeling somewhat dizzy- until he felt a power pull his eyes open. The Doctor watched as The Moment waved her arm through the air, like wiping away a stain from a window. The Strategist cried out, "CEASE! CEASE THIS AT ONCE!!! I CANNOT DIE!! I MUST STILL SERVE!! THE!! EMPEROR!!! CEASE- CEASE!!" The Dalek cried until it let out a guttural scream as it was burnt away in fire and dust. "I did not know what cruelty was when they'd asked for my power, so I saw no reason to say no..." She looked toward him, The War Doctor- and he looked toward her, "Until I saw you mourn for your friend... and I thought, 'No More.'.." She smiled tearfully at him before suddenly her resolve hardened and she began turning her hand back as if she was rotating a dial backward.

               The Doctor saw in SECONDS- moments that were HOURS passed backward across him like a VHS Rewinding, but it was like being in the middle of it. He saw those who'd been tortured, killed- Daleks that had been detonated, or caught in the crossfire- walls that had been destroyed, buildings annihilated, fires started- he saw them all undone. He fell to his knees, feeling The Timeline shift around him. Inherently, as a Timelord, he felt the pain of the Timeline via The DAMAGE The Daleks had done... but now, he felt the wound in time being healed. Through tears, The War Doctor laughed. "Oh, yes! Yes, please!! I beg you, let me have a day like this- Please!!" He outstretched his arms, crying out in joy.

               "EVERYBODY LIVES!!!! JUST THIS ONCE!!! EVERYBODY LIVES!!!!"

               In a matter of moments, Mondstadt's statues, Liyue's walls- Inazuma's oceans- they were, all of them, returned to normal. The Doctor was in Mondstadt's square, and out through the gate, parked up on a little hill... he could see The TARDIS. In his mind, he could FEEL the Timelock he'd placed being rebuilt, strengthening- even!! He'd APPEALED to the CONSCIOUSNESS of a WEAPON, and the WEAPON had cried out that what The Daleks were doing was WRONG!! Now, all The Doctor worried about was the fact that he looked like a nutter, sitting on his knees in the town square, crying- but he was laughing now. However, soon he looked up toward The TARDIS- on the hill... and he saw The Moment, fading away- and in the back of his mind... he could hear the clicking of the cogs stationed in her box.

               But those thoughts were distracted when he saw a trio on the bridge, looking around like they'd just been yanked out from a dream. Lumine, Aether- and Paimon. The Doctor let out a quiet wheeze after a hearty chuckle when he saw the trio reunited. "Just this once, Everybody lives..." He muttered, before picking himself back up... Just one more good and happy moment before he throws himself back into the fire. He stares at her for a moment with a softened smile on his face, but his gaze remained hard and reserved. "...No More..." He mumbled quietly, remembering what the Interface had said to him.

               No More.

[unboundwanderers]

@lunaetis whispered: ❝  you don’t have to pretend to be fine,  if you need me to stay i will.  ❞ STAYING THE NIGHT PROMPTS | ACCEPTING

               Her words echoed in his mind, for a bit. In the control room- they stood together, and outside the doors sat her home: Mondstadt. Somewhere the Police Box had not been in a very long time. The Console room was much brighter now, more rugged, and filled with all sorts of open parts and assorted doodads. It looked like, truly, it was made of everything and anything. The Doctor let out a small huff before he twisted a dial on the console and let out a huff. "Sure, yeah." He dwelled on what the implications of what she was saying might mean. He was thinking about what kind of man he was, now. "And... I.... you know," Why was this incarnation so hard at words? He huffed. The Last Doctor was indirect, cold, lonely-

               He was going to change that, this time around. "...I used to be a different man, colder- lonelier, harder to talk to- harder to be around." He started, flicking at some controls on the console whilst one hand rested in his pocket, "but someone was traveling with me, recently- fantastic- just... really did wonders for me." He looked toward the whole of the control room for a moment and slid his other hand into his other pocket. He really had changed. He inhaled, looking down at the floor for a moment, "But they left... we had a bit of a falling out, not a bad one- just."

               "I had a change of personal priorities." He shrugged, being as honest as he could, without trying to villanize his last companion- because she had every right to leave, and he can't make anyone else feel pity for a very strong choice. He looked toward her, moving around the console and facing directly before Eula, leaning on it and crossing his arms. "I think that, maybe, she said a few things that hit me right on the head. Not untrue things. Just... how I needed someone," He looked down before smiling, rubbing the back of his head- a small tint to his cheeks.

               "And ya know! I thought we made a pretty good team- today! Maybe we could-" He was figuring out the best way to say this, turning away to try and start fixing controls and buttons on the console, before releasing the handbrake- priming the engines for take off. So he could make a quick escape, no matter what she chose. The Doctor looked at her, with a smile- resting near the takeoff switch and giving a soft look. "I was thinking... You could... come with me."

[unboundwanderers]

@kemikorosu whispered: ❝ you know it happened to me. i made it all right, yeah? ❞ | The Walking Dead sentence starters / ACCEPTING

               THIS IS THE EARLIEST MOMENT HE CAN REMEMBER OF HER. They've just made it into The TARDIS- he'd just regenerated. He'd taken off and was looking at his face in the mirror. "Doctor No more." He muttered quietly, remembering the farewell his last incarnation- The Doctor had given him, 'PHYSICIAN HEAL THYSELF'. He planted his hands against the console, the scraps of clothing falling off slowly, the clothes two sizes too big for him, the scarf left in the town they'd just left. "I'm no Doctor-" He said before a sudden ringing in his ears caused him to fall onto the ground.

               The Tardis is in flight, actively trudging through the vortex, through anomalies. It all happened very quickly, he can barely remember it right now. So many thoughts are running through his mind. For one moment, he was standing upright, straight- looking off- emptily into the night. Now, suddenly- he's on the floor, convulsing. He's screaming in agony. THIS ISN'T RIGHT HE CAN HEAR IT IN HIS MIND. A loud ringing, a loud- screeching. Like scraping metal in his mind. He can barely stand above The Console, he tries to get back up but falls onto his face again.

               He sees her, the angel in the corner of the console room. He snaps his head from left to right and rolls it back on his shoulders, a pain coursing through his chest and head. It was a gifted Regeneration, but it was still a regeneration. It had all the same hits and stings as all the other previous regenerations. He almost tripped, but luckily had fallen into arms, and he felt they sink to the floor together. He could barely feel his legs, they were all of a sudden numb. He'd completely forgotten how to use them, so he had to remember how to stand again, for the first time.

               He grabbed The Angel's temples, focusing his sight upon her- trying to calm his mind down. And here this angel saw, a man wearing the clothes of a dead man- no longer wearing a bushy scarf, no longer able to fit within the outfit she'd met him in. Now she saw a man, with eyes as vacant and hollow as that of a man who'd seen many atrocities, with hair running down toward his shoulders. With a cut on his nose, one she'd watched him get when he fell to the floor of The Tardis for the first time, blood dribbling down his nose. He spoke, in a voice that was... posh, but gravely... trying to calm his mind down.

"Tell me, Muse, about the man of many turns, who many Ways wandered when he had sacked Troy's holy citadel; He saw the cities of many men, and he knew their thought; On the ocean, he suffered many pains in his heart, Striving for his life and his companions' return."

            He whispered to her- trying to focus himself, together as they sat upon the floor of The Tardis- head falling upon her lap as he gripped at the fabric of her skirt and pushed his legs along the floor. He's in pain, and his mind is adjusting- a regeneration that was forced is still a regeneration, but the process is meant to aid those that are dead or dying. That's why it hurt so much more because he had been as healthy as a horse, but still washed away in the flames of regeneration. He thought he deserved it all, though...

            The Doctor would've died before he'd ever fight the war...            So The Doctor had died.            And this man had taken his place.

[unboundwanderers]

@kemikorosu whispered: ❝ i’m fairly familiar with guilt’s burden. ❞ | The Walking Dead sentence starters / ACCEPTING

               HE WATCHED HER IN SILENCE as they stood near the galactic coordinates of where her planet used to be. The Celestial Homeworld was recently ransacked- and Lumine faced her past in one of the most excruciating ways, as she had been in an ordeal involving a weapon created by her people. That ordeal was over now, and the duo was finally getting ready to leave the planet. They stood on a landing platform of a freighter station that they'd initially landed on during the beginning of this ordeal. Thanks to an oxygen bubble extending around the field, they were basically standing on an extended platform and overlooking space.

               "I understand." He said softly, as soft as he could- with that raspy gravel in his throat. "I... know, that perhaps- It's..." He couldn't seem to find the words, simply standing quietly in place as he sort of leaned back and forth on his heels, thumb pressing gently against his thumb. "If you look at it from a certain perspective, I suppose the burden could feel like a badge of honor." He tilted his head, shrugging softly. "Your people saved you and your brother, and perhaps you have to live with the guilt of that- but you also have to live with knowing that they chose you because they believed in you." He nodded softly, "I don't- have anyone in my corner-" He looked at her, realized that sounded mean- and corrected himself, "On my home, that is. They... don't like me, none of them do- They think I'm a coward, and they're right." He nodded, saying it affirmingly.

               "They want me to fail." He said, "But the celestials went out of their way- to save you two." He nodded, saying it with a lot o emphasis. "Because they believed you were the most worthy to carry on their legacy." He smiled at her, "And that is why you will survive this war- and why you will live to make it to the end. Because you have all the strength of your people's faith running through your veins."

[unboundwanderers]

@lunaetis attacked with: b e t r a y a l [ goth & yelan :3 ] | Send me “ b e t r a y a l “   for my muse’s reaction to yours selling them out to their enemies/someone they fear | Accepting.

               It happened a little bit too quick for him to process. The Barriers came down around him and he found himself trapped in the center of a grand arena, of a grand stage. He tapped at the energy barrier surrounding him. Transduction beams. He wasn't getting through that. He looked up toward the eyes that were on him. He'd recognized these configurations before, he'd recognized the eyes of those staring at him. Even the pair that was a few feet away from him, she stood in the corner of the room. The Doctor watched, looking back up toward the circular structure. Androids. They had taken the form of some of this planet's most revered individuals, it was a system they had implemented. They currently took the form of The Seven, but The Doctor knew better than to be fooled.

               "Representatives of Juticia... How May I help you, today?"                "So, you recognize us, Timelord?"                "I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn't..."

               From what he understood, Justicia- or (The Justicia Penal System) was an entire galaxy dedicated to prisons, laws, capital punishment, etc, etc. They employed many figures in their arsenal. The Shadow Proclamation, Earth's Defense force- They were, to say the least... the Space Police. And these androids were the highest authority in the Justicia. The Doctor let out a deep exhale, "What am I on trial for, here?" He asked plainly, hands slipping into his pockets and a very disinterested look in his space. The Seven spoke, one at a time, one apart from the other, their yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.

               "You are the Last of The Timelords, as such, you are the only one left who can receive their judgment. We, The Justicia Penal System, find your race Guilty- and as the last of your species, you must adhere to that punishment." They spoke. He listened, but his ruby eyes drifted to Yelan for a moment. They looked empty, hollow- but he wasn't mad at her- he was mad at himself. She had led him here, she had told him she'd needed his help for an assignment once more. And here he was, lured into a trial, "Haven't I suffered enough?" He muttered.

               "No. You have not. The Time War is over, yes- but It ended in a flash of flame that wiped out billions of lives-" The Doctor quickly cut them off, "What did you need Yelan, for?" He asked, and they looked at each other for a moment, before looking down at the Night Orchid and returning their glance to The Doctor. "We could not locate you, but we did enough recon to note that you traveled with a Companion. Our agents located her, and her supervisors, and informed her that the Justicia would promise Teyvat protection in exchange for The Last of The Timelords."

               Ah. He supposed he couldn't blame her, then. He just looked at her, as they began to list off the crimes of his people. In words, The Doctor was forced to relive every single gruesome memory in painstaking detail as the Justicia every single grueling second, after grueling second, listing off the crimes of not only The Timelords, but of The Daleks. In his mind, he saw their faces- heard their voices. He looked to Yelan, and his gaze softened... he looked so tired. Eventually, they finished their list off, "How do you plead, Timelord?" and he spent some time, just... staring at her. His softened gaze expressed a singular sort of tone.

               I'm not mad at you. He spoke without words, I didn't want you to find out this way. They kept him in a field, something he couldn't escape from. He tapped it lightly with his foot before inhaling deeply. "The Justicia doesn't have records regarding the end of the war..?" He looked up at them, and they remained totally silent, "You never asked me how I survived The Time War." He looked up, hands buried in his pockets, his gaze hardened- and he stared at them with a righteous fury that made the room grow colder, heavier. "How one, lone Time Lord.... survived the Last Great Time War, a war The Justicia would never have gotten involved in because they simply couldn't comprehend its SCALE." He growled at them with an expression of frustration and rage.

               "How did you survive-"                "By ending it." He looked away from them, at the wall. He started breathing heavier. "You listed off those crimes? Those atrocities? Committed by both sides? Well, I've got NEWS for YOU." He shouted, "That didn't even SCRATCH the SURFACE of The War." He spat at them, "It ended in a flaming ball of fury- created by me." He was holding back so much, inhaling. He shut his eyes, but right now- all he saw was the final moments of The War. "You want to give me a punishment? I'm living it. It's called SURVIVING. Me, The Last one- the murderer of over COUNTLESS innocents. The Universe wants RETRIBUTION for the END of The WAR?" He asked, not even really understanding why they want so much from him, it caused tearful laughter- "They're getting it- right now." He nodded. He sighed, knowing there was no more point in getting angry about it anymore.

               "...If you want to give me some sentence, just- do it. But leave this planet, leave Teyvat- leave Mutters Spiral- and Never Return." He looked up at them, threatening them. Even though they were sending him to the gallows, or at least- sentencing him to the gallows- he threatened them... because there was nothing they could say or do that could strike any fear into The Doctor, right now. He'd just confessed to killing things far greater than them in a microsecond.

                                             And there was silence.

[unboundwanderers]

@kemikorosu attacked with: “ b e t r a y a l “ | Send me   “ b e t r a y a l “   for my muse’s reaction to yours selling them out to their enemies/someone they fear | Accepting.

               "STUN THE DOCTOR AT ONCE."                "WE OBEY!!"

               A piercing plasma blast rang out through the halls of The Dalek Saucer. The Doctor's body briefly lit up a bright blue as he collapsed onto the floor, and just for good measure- The Dalek Drones shot him one more time. Before the duo, rested drones of Daleks- and on a raised platform... The Dalek Time Strategist. The Strategist stared, blue eye locked onto The Doctor, who rested against the floor barely able to bring himself up. For one good measure, The Dalek Time Strategist even shot him with his stun blast. The Doctor cried out in agony. The Daleks wanted to kill their greatest foe, but they could not- although they wished... they could not.

               The Most powerful woman in the cosmos was standing in the center of the room, and she would not permit it. Although they had helped her to achieve this power, she now held a weapon in her hands that could destroy them all, so they were... unfortunately... forced to accept her terms. Their greatest enemy could not be Exterminated... yet. In Lumine's hands, sat one of the most powerful weapons in the cosmos- The Last Will & Testament of her people, The Celestials. The Configurator. It's from us unable to be comprehended by mere mortals. That is why they needed it, because to The Timelords and The Daleks- it was a ball of energy with words, equations, floating aimlessly around it... But in Lumine's hands- in a celestial's hands... it had controls, buttons, means of being activated.

               The Weapon had finally been activated, and it reached out to the only Celestial it could and poured THOUGHTS into her mind. It poured things into her. What would normally require a council of Celestials to use was now being operated by one person. This weapon, a sentient weapon, was screaming at Lumine- trying to influence her. To push her to use it, for anything. And right now, two forces were resting on the edge of a knife- trying to push Lumine toward one side. The Daleks? Wanted her to use this weapon to try and destroy their enemies. 'Rebuild Your World' they said, 'as long as you destroy our enemies... you can have your world back.' They said, but The Doctor... he stood there to try and help her see reality. The Daleks were appealing to the weapon, he was appealing to Lumine.

               "L-Lumine..." Her friend spoke, only having the strength to make a balled fist. Even here, he could feel the intoxicating power of this weapon, of this device. He knew very little of the Celestials- but from what he'd gathered, they were engineers- revered on the same level, even, as The Timelords. Celestials crafted cities from stars and civilizations from dreams... and in her hands, Lumine held the last piece of their history, of their culture, still capable of crafting those things. Right now, however, during The Last Great Time War- Lumine's people? Their machines? Their devices of creation? Could be used to end The War... to end it all... in one great flash of white. That was why The Daleks now sought her out, because at this current moment... they had outwitted The Timelords. They'd found a weapon that could destroy their mortal enemies... and so they needed someone capable of controlling The Weapon. That was Lumine.

               "CELESTIAL PRINCESS." The Time Strategist spoke, his voice was calmer- more... analytical than the others. He was not a Dalek she'd ever faced before... he was The Second Highest Ranking Dalek there was, directly under The Emperor himself. "...You have the power to write any dream into reality, to weave any fabric. Your people were destroyed, but you have found the key to their revival..." The Strategist spoke, moving closer to Lumine by descending from the platform, looking directly into her. "The Timelords would have you use this weapon in service of them, but The Daleks will give you the chance to end this conflict." The Strategist spoke, "Will you not end this conflict? Will you cease your life as The Doctor's weapon...?"

               Again, Lumine's friend tried to reach up, and immediately he was re-stunned. He let out a cry of agony, practically numb on the floor. They relished having the opportunity to at least afflict some injuries onto their greatest enemy. The Doctor's body was enflamed, every neuron- every atom- was screaming at him to stop, and yet he fought. "L-Lumine... T-They- The D-Daleks would destroy your people in a heartbeat... if they could..." He muttered, all he could do at this point was stretch his palm out toward her direction, to reach for her. "Why would they let you use a weapon... that could destroy them... more than once?" The Strategist barked up, immediately defending his own statement- his own logic.

               "ALREADY The Doctor tries to push his thumb over you, again. He has crafted you into a weapon, Princess. He has taken you from your home- he has forced you to fight in a war you did not wish to be a part of..." It looked from him to Lumine. "The Weapon calls to you, already its psychic influence seeps into your mind... into your soul, calls for you to use it." Every single eye is on her at this moment, "We wish for you to use it- The Daleks wish for you to destroy their enemies and restore your empire... as allies in the new kingdom of Time and Space." The Time Strategist turned his head when a raspy, gravelly voice of a warrior let out a pained series of laughter.

               "The Daleks don't have allies, Lumine- you know this. They destroy each other in a heartbeat, and they'd destroy your Celestials all the same." He looked toward her, and he couldn't control the fact that the ability to speak was so incredibly difficult, that tears were streaming down his eyes from the Daleks and their stun weaponry. "Lumine, it's true... The Weapon is seeping into your mind, influencing your reality-" He calls out, "But don't let that distract from the truth." He looks back toward the Strategist with RAGE in his eyes, "The Daleks are evil... and they want to dominate their will across the universe. They want to exterminate all life. They're just trying to seize an opportunity to take out the bigger fish..."

               "The Doctor is a TIMELORD. He wants this conflict to go on because he craves violence and destruction. He craves the ability to usurp the will of others and dominate it with their own. You have seen the horrors of this war, Princess. You know The Timelords are evil... they are monsters. Destroy them. Exterminate THE TIMELORDS." It cried out, moving closer to her. It was trying to be the devil on her shoulder, and all her friend could do is look at her and cry for her, cry tears of sorrow for his friend. He let out a wheeze, stuck on the floor. While The Strategist kept his eyestalk FIXED on her.

               "He's right. I did drag you into this war, and I did make you fight. I am a monster, like my people, like my race." He cried, softly, for her, because he could not scream at himself for her. "But Lumine, this weapon- It's not the answer. Out there, somewhere, there has to be some other truth- I know there is." He cried for her. Finally had the strength to reach for her, and his face was red for how much strength it took to reach for her. "If I could restore your people, I would- but I can't... I don't think even this weapon can do that-" The Strategist looked down at The Doctor, and was ready to silence him again with another stunning blast- teetering on the edge of extermination.

               "Lumine. If you do this, you'll only pave the way for The Daleks to wipe out everyone and everything you love. Liyue, Mondstadt, Sumeru, Fontaine, Inazuma, Natlan- every single trace of Teyvat. Paimon and Aether." He tried to reach into her. "I know, one day, this war will end but this is not the last Day of The Time War." He spoke out to her, "This is not the end." He looked up at her. He dropped his hand, no longer having the strength to go on. "It's unfair of me to ask- after I've asked for so much, I know- but... destroy the weapon. Destroy it... so that it can't be used the way The Daleks want it to be used." He sobbed out, choking on his own sorrow. "You're the only piece of good left in this horrible war... Don't throw it away for an easy ending."

               "The Doctor LIES. This war WILL not end if you do not end it now. The Timelords will always try to reign superiority over all life... they will kill and destroy until they cannot destroy anymore." It spoke, The Doctor choked out a laugh. He'd call out the irony in that, but they'd probably shoot him again. "Celestials will be allies to The Daleks, they will persist after The Time War." It said, moving closer. It whispered to her, "Do what you were born to do, Princess. Exterminate The Timelords." And Lumine was hit with the choice, as the weapon urged her to choose anything. All it wanted was to be used, but Lumine- was the only one who could give it its instructions.

               "DESTROY THE TIMELORDS."                "Please, come back to me."                "EXTERMINATE THEM. END THE WAR."                "You can do this. I believe in you.

[unboundwanderers]

STORM ON ERIDIAN. @fasciinating

               Eridian is an ice planet in the Necros Sector of The Universe, and it rests in a beautiful, yet chaotic system. In this particular system, specifically, every ten-thousand years- a powerful ION Storm would pass through the system, making it impossible for outbound signals to escape the Planet's surface. When the planet would eventually be inhabited, the Eridians would learn to deal with this by preparing supplies and power reserves for when the storm passed through- so it wasn't surprising when a signal transmitting from Eridian was suddenly silenced by the Ion Storm. However, there was something perplexing about Eridian. At least, there was something perplexing about Eridian at this point in time.

           Eridian won't be inhabited for another two-thousand years...

               Which begs the question? What was sending that signal out from the surface of the planet? A question that needed to be answered. Despite everything, the Timelord still fancied a look. So a BLUE BOX began to materialize on the icy lake of Eridian, frozen over solid. A harsher groaning and wheezing echoed through the howling wind. When it finally materialized, The Doctor stepped out and inhaled deeply. He was wearing a Black Shearling Overcoat, with a sweatshirt underneath. He didn't normally wear sweatshirts, but it was freezing. He'd ripped the hood off, though, and covered the rip up with the shearling jacket. He was wearing trousers and boots, mostly all black- it helped accent his Ruby eyes and pale skin. He shut The TARDIS doors behind him and just started... walking. He landed as close as he could to the signal's origin point, but the STORM Threw off his navigational circuits- so he could've landed miles away from it.

               He walked for a few hours through the blistering cold (turning the part of his brain off that acknowledged cold) before he reached a ridge and... there, saw a man. He examined his uniform for a bit, squinting. From afar, he was able to make out some details familiar to the Time Traveller. That uniform, that attire- it has to be at least... 2258? Maybe 2266?? He suddenly feels a headache, as if he was trying to pick out details from a Timeline that had been changed. He rubbed his temples and shook his head. Another consequence of the Time War- nobody to keep that kind of stuff in check. Except for him, that is. Oh well, from his understanding, it's not like The Federation does much harm to the web of time. He moves down the ravine toward the stranger.

               "Excuse me." A cold voice, neutral, unamused... "Can't help but notice you seem stuck in the middle of an Ion Storm." The flares of colors above the sky indicated that the Ion Storm was still present, flashing colors of purple, green, and red- totally blocking out the sky. No way of knowing if anyone above the sky was still there. No way of sending signals to and from anywhere. "I'd assume you to be the one that sent out the Distress call... but you aren't, are you?" He answers his own question, squinting toward the man.

                                                                                                 "You're responding to it."