The beach, Friday evening

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal was quiet as he and Evey walked along the beach, Altra pacing in front of them and staying well away from the water.

He'd been quiet most of the day, thinking over what had happened in the Doctor's class.

[ooc: Karal and Evey's thread locked to them, please, but it's an open beach.]

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[remember5th.livejournal.com]

Evey leaned a little against him as they walked, bumping her shoulder against his. "It's going to be too cold do to this, soon," she said, mostly to break the quiet, because she didn't want to ask what was on his mind.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Or we'll have to share my winter cloak," he said with a smile. "Which would be a terrible hardship, I know."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

"Oh, poor us," she said, frowning. "I really don't know how we'd cope."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

He smiled again and leaned against her while they walked. "I'm sure we'd manage somehow," he said, falling silent once more.

After a few moments, he spoke again. "I wanted to tell you about my class today."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

She twined her fingers through his. "Oh?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

He squeezed her hand. "It was The Doctor's class, and he was trying to teach us about the turning points in history, and how if you alter them, you can change the entire future." He frowned. "The idea of travelling in time makes my head ache, but it was still an important thing to learn. It was a, a practical lesson, in the Danger Shop, placing each of us at a turning point in earth's history."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

She nodded. "The time travel makes my head ache, too, and I apparently do it."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"True," he agreed, squeezing her hand again. "The Doctor told us simply to react as we would normally, and see what happened. I found myself in a tunnel, following a man," he paused before continuing, "called Guy Fawkes."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

Evey actually stopped, staring at him. "Really?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"I, yes." Altra stopped as well, turning to face them so Karal could see Evey. "I'd have chosen something else if I'd known what it would be, but yes."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

"...what was he like?" she finally asked, kind of in awe.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"He was both determined and frightened," Karal said after a moment's thought. "I asked him not to do it, but he said he had to."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

"He did," she agreed softly. "He changed my country's history, even by failing."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Evey." Karal hesitated, reaching out to touch her cheek. "It was not real, I know that, I knew it then. But he didn't fail. I could not let him be taken, and I could not risk that my presence might mean he could set off his explosives. I asked Altra to Jump us out of the tunnels. He escaped the guards that night."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

She froze, frowning. "But that would change everything," she told him gently. "I mean, even if it isn't real, the unreal, simulated version of me in his future just had her entire life changed."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"I know." He stepped back, slipping his hand free of hers, unsure how she would react. "The Doctor said that he and his people overthrew the government. They killed the monarch and the country became a republic. Its entire future was changed." Karal folded his hands in front of him. "Including the future that you told me of. In the imaginary world where I saved Guy Fawkes...it never happened. None of it ever happened."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

She paused, considering this. "...so. In this imaginary world, we never became fascist? There would have been no reason for V to draw inspiration from Guy Fawkes, or make me his apprentice?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"No," he said quietly. "There was no need for any of it."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

"Imaginary me never came here, then," she noted.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"No," he said again. "But if imaginary you never had to go through what you did, then not meeting you, not loving you, would be a sacrifice worth making." He smiled crookedly. "Selfish, I know."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

She moved closer so she could go onto her toes to kiss him. "But you didn't know any of that would happen."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal folded his arms around her as he kissed her in return. "I didn't, and if it had been real, I would have done nothing. Only Vkandis has the wisdom to change the future."

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

"You're smarter than me. I'd probably have helped him," she admitted, threading her fingertips through his curls.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Not smarter," he protested, leaning into her hand slightly as he moved closer, running one hand over her hair as he kissed her again.

[remember5th.livejournal.com]

"Wiser," she tried, leaning up into the kiss.