#and tegan hasn't changed her mind when she turns back around the corner. she's watching the tardis dematerialize as a final goodbye.

[corallapis]

okay. see. the thing is. the cricketing gear isn't just a silly set of clothes the tardis picked out. it's to clue you in that we're dealing with posh edwardian man levels of repression here. that's who five is.

#and you gotta keep this in mind for every emotional moment in his era. calling tegan's departure unsentimental... like sure. ok. #bleak might be a better descriptor tho. #like they're literally standing in a room full of dead bodies. that's what they're stepping over. #it's quick yeah bc tegan's on the verge of tears and handling it like ripping off a bandaid. #bc if she lets the doctor speak she'll be convinced to stay and she can't bear it anymore! #the way five oh so slowly raises his hand to take hers and the look on his face? #the way he runs after her and says 'no no don't leave not like this!' #that's crazy!!! and then he compares it to the circumstances that made him leave gallifrey!! #an ep later he describes himself as 'obsessed and depressed' over it!! #there's a reason it goes [tegan's departure] -> [turlough's departure] -> [five dies] in the course of three serials! #donna voice it's like you're staggering along. once tegan leaves he's hurtling towards his end. #and tegan hasn't changed her mind when she turns back around the corner. she's watching the tardis dematerialize as a final goodbye. #'brave heart tegan' (the thing he always says to you) isn't what you say when you made a rash decision & are regretting it. #it's to steel yourself bc you know you made the right decision despite how hard it is. #and yes he takes her at her word bc five sees everyone on a countdown clock to the day they're going to leave him. he expects it. #:( #dw