[Not his usual cheerful hello, no. But Leia gives him a slight smile for a moment anyway to reassure him, since his troubled state is obvious before he even says a word.]
That's a difficult question. Genetically speaking, you're still a Time Lord, unless you've been tinkering with your DNA without telling anyone. But otherwise... hmm...
[Leia thinks for a long moment.]
I'm honestly not sure if I'm qualified to answer you there. Or if that's even the question you should be asking. In Nautilus, people can change what they are at the drop of a hat, sometime willingly, sometimes not. I was a unicorn a while ago; now I'm human again. Even just coming to Nautilus could be considered a fundamental change to what we are.
What I've always put more stock in- and what it seems you're really concerned about- is who you are. On your own, in relation to your other selves, and in relation to the rest of Nautilus.
From what I understand, you weren't really what most of your peers would have considered a 'proper' Time Lord to begin with, given that you ran off to travel time and space and actually do something, as opposed to just being content with the status quo. Which I approve of, by the way; I've always been the same way myself, wanting to get out there and actually do some good, as opposed to just sitting around talking about things.
But once you understand something there's no going back to not understanding it, not really; like it or not, that's part of you now. Do you regret the choice you made? Choosing to match yourself more closely to Rose, to take the first step in exploring that broader range of emotions?
As for your other selves, I can't presume to speak for them. But I do know that I sometimes wonder what my younger self would think of the woman I've become. Would she be disappointed in me, in the decisions I've made? Would she be as angry with me as I once was at Mon Mothma when she was in a similar position to the one I'm in now? Would she understand the compromises I've made, forgive the mistakes I've made, or would she resent me for them? Would we even be able to relate to each other at all? No way to know, really.
If they're disappointed, then that's their right; you can't control what they feel. But you are their future. None of of them know all the things that led you to where you are. Every choice you've made back home, every lesson you've learned, every moment you've lived; the only one who knows all that is you. Now that doesn't make you necessarily better than them- we've already been over that ground- but it does mean that you have a unique point of view. You can look back on the memories you have from when you were them, think back on the choices and decisions you made then and understand them perfectly thanks to the benefit of hindsight.
None of them have such a luxury with you, not even Nine. Some part of you is always going to be a mystery to them, and I doubt they enjoy that prospect any more than you enjoy them having memories you don't share with them thanks to you all being separate here.
As for the rest of it... that's up to you. As I said, you can't control what they feel, but you can control yourself and your reaction to it. Do you stand by the decisions that have brought you this far? Do you feel you made the best, or perhaps the only choice possible under the circumstances? Do you acknowledge the mistakes you've made and try to make up for the ones you can? Do you feel like they have good reason to be disappointed?
Re: 5/25 video [Locked]
That's a difficult question. Genetically speaking, you're still a Time Lord, unless you've been tinkering with your DNA without telling anyone. But otherwise... hmm...
[Leia thinks for a long moment.]
I'm honestly not sure if I'm qualified to answer you there. Or if that's even the question you should be asking. In Nautilus, people can change what they are at the drop of a hat, sometime willingly, sometimes not. I was a unicorn a while ago; now I'm human again. Even just coming to Nautilus could be considered a fundamental change to what we are.
What I've always put more stock in- and what it seems you're really concerned about- is who you are. On your own, in relation to your other selves, and in relation to the rest of Nautilus.
From what I understand, you weren't really what most of your peers would have considered a 'proper' Time Lord to begin with, given that you ran off to travel time and space and actually do something, as opposed to just being content with the status quo. Which I approve of, by the way; I've always been the same way myself, wanting to get out there and actually do some good, as opposed to just sitting around talking about things.
But once you understand something there's no going back to not understanding it, not really; like it or not, that's part of you now. Do you regret the choice you made? Choosing to match yourself more closely to Rose, to take the first step in exploring that broader range of emotions?
As for your other selves, I can't presume to speak for them. But I do know that I sometimes wonder what my younger self would think of the woman I've become. Would she be disappointed in me, in the decisions I've made? Would she be as angry with me as I once was at Mon Mothma when she was in a similar position to the one I'm in now? Would she understand the compromises I've made, forgive the mistakes I've made, or would she resent me for them? Would we even be able to relate to each other at all? No way to know, really.
If they're disappointed, then that's their right; you can't control what they feel. But you are their future. None of of them know all the things that led you to where you are. Every choice you've made back home, every lesson you've learned, every moment you've lived; the only one who knows all that is you. Now that doesn't make you necessarily better than them- we've already been over that ground- but it does mean that you have a unique point of view. You can look back on the memories you have from when you were them, think back on the choices and decisions you made then and understand them perfectly thanks to the benefit of hindsight.
None of them have such a luxury with you, not even Nine. Some part of you is always going to be a mystery to them, and I doubt they enjoy that prospect any more than you enjoy them having memories you don't share with them thanks to you all being separate here.
As for the rest of it... that's up to you. As I said, you can't control what they feel, but you can control yourself and your reaction to it. Do you stand by the decisions that have brought you this far? Do you feel you made the best, or perhaps the only choice possible under the circumstances? Do you acknowledge the mistakes you've made and try to make up for the ones you can? Do you feel like they have good reason to be disappointed?