Fic: toxicodendron rebus
Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing: The Master (Ainley)/OFC
Comm/Prompt: hc_bingo / WILD CARD "side effects"
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1743
Summary: A close encounter with a deadly plant leaves Seren with her inhibitions a little lax.
The Master had stated two rules: that she keep up and that she do as she was told. Seren had managed to break both within a minute of exiting his TARDIS, and now she was in deep trouble. And that was before he found out.
Contemplating his anger was just slightly less nerve-wrecking than contemplating her death, though the latter was far more immediate. She clamped down on the rising panic. Fear would make her fight, and fighting would get her killed quicker. Tanglevines were like that. They were also carnivorous - a fact he had pointed out slowly and clearly, and she'd told him she wasn't stupid.
One of them had been wrong, and it wasn't him.
Seren shifted her grip on the tree. The solid trunk was her anchor, what was stopping the vine twisted around her left leg from dragging her into the undergrowth. She grimaced at the thick green thing. Tanglevines blurred the line between animal and vegetable, and the vine pulsed with life, oozing slime from its flesh. Vicious serrated thorns ran its length and cut through her trousers to pierce her skin. Her leg was a blooded mess and even flexing her toes hurt like hell.
Of all the times to leave the TARDIS unarmed. But the planet was uninhabited and she hadn't imagined getting into trouble. For once - it usually followed where the Master went, which was something she'd gotten used to. The prospect of not having to run for her life had clearly clouded her judgement.
“Seren!”
Crap. She thudded her forehead against the tree trunk twice. This was going to be less pretty than her leg. If she could have gotten away with it, she'd leave him to call for her, but the vine was twisted tight and the damn thing seemed determined to have her for lunch.
“Here,” she called back in a flat tone. Listening to the occasional crash in the undergrowth, she wondered if she ought to warn him. She eyed the vine and sighed. “I may have found something I didn't want to.”
The Master came into the small clearing and stopped. Irritation flashed across his face, then a darker expression settled there. He moved to the tree line and walked slower, his eyes on the vine.
“It hasn't even been five minutes,” he pointed out.
“Can you save the gloating until later?” Seren snapped. “Like perhaps after you've stopped me becoming plant food.”
“Assuming that I wish to. It's one way of removing you, and shouldn't I be protecting the environment?”
She glared at him. “You want me dead, you bloody well do it yourself. You do not leave me to be digested by a sodding plant.”
“I did warn you about them.”
“I know!” Shouting made her move, which made the vine tug harder. Fresh blood streamed from her leg as the thorns cut in. Seren bit her cheek to stop herself screaming. “Please,” she said then, her voice hoarse from pain. “Have a little pity.”
The Master gave a dramatic sigh and pulled out his TCE. He edged closer and aimed the weapon at the vine. “Stay very still.”
Seren closed her eyes and held her breath. How much would it hurt if he shot her along with the vine? Would it even work against the tanglevine?
Her answer came in the sudden loosening of its grip. The thorns pulled free and she cried out. Opened her eyes to see the vine shrink back. New ones shot upwards, seeking blood and vengeance. The Master shoved the TCE into a pocket.
“Can you walk?”
“I doubt it.”
“I didn't think so.”
He pulled her away from the tree and then scooped her into his arms. A small squeak lodged in Seren's throat and she fought the urge to struggle against his hold. He was already striding purposefully away from the tanglevine - not quite running but hardly dawdling either. She wondered if it could scent her blood. At least it couldn't move from its spot in the shade of the trees.
Thinking about the tanglevine almost worked as a distraction to the reality of her situation, but then the Master stumbled slightly and his grip on her tightened. Automatically, she decided - had he thought about it, she'd be on the ground now.
Or... not. She pulled her gaze from the trees above and looked at him. Gamblers the universe over would be jealous of his poker face; it gave no indication that his action had been completely contrary to the usual. He didn't seem to find her weight a burden, which made her curious about him physically; something she'd never contemplated before. For all that she'd been determined to see him as more than just a legend, she'd still not thought of him beyond the name. Beyond the history that carried. She hadn't thought of him as a man.
“Thank you,” she murmured, realising she'd not said it.
“I was struck by a moment of compassion,” he replied lightly. “I doubt it'd happen again.”
His tone held the slightest of reproaches. Seren thought hard about why she'd not paid attention. She concluded it had been down to her own nature - stubbornness combined with an independent streak that disliked being told what to do.
“Master,” she started, but he shook his head and cut her off.
“Don't. One thing I didn't mention, because as a rule tanglevines kill and therefore it doesn't matter, but their thorns are poisonous.”
“Oh.” She thought about that. “Am I dying?”
“Hardly. No, it's more of a drug. Makes the victim not care. Had you been stuck much longer, the amount in your system would mean you'd have let the vine pull you in and been happy about it.”
She shuddered. “I can't imagine that. So what now? Are you sure it won't kill me?”
“Positive. However, you might find your tongue a little looser than you'd like. I believe the poison had a similar effect as alcohol.” He looked down then and smirked at her. “Basically, you're quite drunk, my dear.”
“Oh.”
She supposed at least the warm buzz in her veins meant she wasn't paying attention to the throbbing of her leg. Pain seemed very distant. Had she been embarrassed about his carrying her? She thought she might have, but why escaped her. It wasn't unpleasant. Rather the opposite, in fact. She rested her head on his shoulder.
“Don't get comfortable, dear.”
She ought to do as she was told, but it was very hard to obey. The black velvet of his jacket was soft against her cheek. She nuzzled closer and gave a low hum of satisfaction.
“You're snugly,” she announced.
The Master sighed. “And you, my dearest, are under the influence. Here, we're back at the TARDIS. Do you want me to patch your leg now or would you rather sleep off the effects? Personally, I would recommend the latter.”
“Doesn't hurt now.” Everything was hazy, but she'd enough awareness to know that. “N'anyway, wasn't I bleeding lots?”
“Rather, yes.”
“Then that'd be best, right?” She lifted her head and gave him a quizzical look. “Gotta be. It'll hurt later.”
“It will do that, regardless. You're drugged, Seren. It's interfering with your thought processes.”
“I can think!” She poked his chest. “Nuff, and now, because I don't care.”
He gave another sigh and went through a door on the TARDIS. It led into a white room clearly designed to be a medical bay. She found herself plunked on the bed with more force than was strictly necessary. She pouted at him.
“Hey.”
“Be quiet.” He took a small knife from his boot and cut away what remained of her trouser leg. “Next time I warn you to be careful, kindly pay attention and do as you're told. Look at this. You'll be recovering for weeks, and what good will you be in the meantime? None, that's what.”
He'd been angry with her so many times now, but whereas she usually laughed it off, the weird poison in her blood made her feel stricken. Tears filled her eyes and her bottom lip wobbled.
“Didn't mean to,” she told him in a small voice.
He gave her a sharp look, then visibly sagged. “Hush,” he said in a softer tone. “I know, but hush now. Don't cry - you'll hate me for that later.”
Seren shook her head violently. It made her brain hurt. “Won't. Wouldn't ever.” She gave him a winning smile. “I like you.”
He snorted and began to clean the blood off her leg. She frowned at the back of his head.
“Don't believe me, do you? S'not the drugs. I do. Properly.”
“Common sense never was your thing, was it?”
“I don't-”
“As in you shouldn't, Seren,” he cut in. “I'm not nice. Nor particularly likeable. And that's exactly as I wish to be.”
Propping up on one elbow, she watched him dry her leg and then bandage it. His touch was careful, even gentle. So much for not being nice. She tangled her other hand in his dark hair.
“You're nice to me, and I like you.”
A tug brought his head closer. She concentrated on his mouth, imagined his lips on hers. His eyes were so very blue. She could drown in them and be happy.
His gloved hand caught her wrist. A mental touch fluttered in her mind, and she'd not the strength to push him away. Her coordination scattered and her fingers went limp. “All right, I'm nice enough not to take advantage,” he murmured, lips temptingly close. “For which you'll be endlessly grateful when you're sober. Now, my dear, go to sleep.”
“Leg.”
“I can do that without your assistance.”
“Okay.” Seren flopped back down, warm and fuzzy and curiously content. “Master?”
“Yes?”
“Do you like me?”
He didn't answer immediately, but she was vaguely aware of his hands working. Her eyes had drifted shut and her awareness begun to grey out when his voice pulled her from the edge of sleep.
“If I did not, you'd be dead. Now go to sleep.”
She chuckled and let the darkness claim her. It wasn't much, but it was enough for now.
Pairing: The Master (Ainley)/OFC
Comm/Prompt: hc_bingo / WILD CARD "side effects"
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1743
Summary: A close encounter with a deadly plant leaves Seren with her inhibitions a little lax.
The Master had stated two rules: that she keep up and that she do as she was told. Seren had managed to break both within a minute of exiting his TARDIS, and now she was in deep trouble. And that was before he found out.
Contemplating his anger was just slightly less nerve-wrecking than contemplating her death, though the latter was far more immediate. She clamped down on the rising panic. Fear would make her fight, and fighting would get her killed quicker. Tanglevines were like that. They were also carnivorous - a fact he had pointed out slowly and clearly, and she'd told him she wasn't stupid.
One of them had been wrong, and it wasn't him.
Seren shifted her grip on the tree. The solid trunk was her anchor, what was stopping the vine twisted around her left leg from dragging her into the undergrowth. She grimaced at the thick green thing. Tanglevines blurred the line between animal and vegetable, and the vine pulsed with life, oozing slime from its flesh. Vicious serrated thorns ran its length and cut through her trousers to pierce her skin. Her leg was a blooded mess and even flexing her toes hurt like hell.
Of all the times to leave the TARDIS unarmed. But the planet was uninhabited and she hadn't imagined getting into trouble. For once - it usually followed where the Master went, which was something she'd gotten used to. The prospect of not having to run for her life had clearly clouded her judgement.
“Seren!”
Crap. She thudded her forehead against the tree trunk twice. This was going to be less pretty than her leg. If she could have gotten away with it, she'd leave him to call for her, but the vine was twisted tight and the damn thing seemed determined to have her for lunch.
“Here,” she called back in a flat tone. Listening to the occasional crash in the undergrowth, she wondered if she ought to warn him. She eyed the vine and sighed. “I may have found something I didn't want to.”
The Master came into the small clearing and stopped. Irritation flashed across his face, then a darker expression settled there. He moved to the tree line and walked slower, his eyes on the vine.
“It hasn't even been five minutes,” he pointed out.
“Can you save the gloating until later?” Seren snapped. “Like perhaps after you've stopped me becoming plant food.”
“Assuming that I wish to. It's one way of removing you, and shouldn't I be protecting the environment?”
She glared at him. “You want me dead, you bloody well do it yourself. You do not leave me to be digested by a sodding plant.”
“I did warn you about them.”
“I know!” Shouting made her move, which made the vine tug harder. Fresh blood streamed from her leg as the thorns cut in. Seren bit her cheek to stop herself screaming. “Please,” she said then, her voice hoarse from pain. “Have a little pity.”
The Master gave a dramatic sigh and pulled out his TCE. He edged closer and aimed the weapon at the vine. “Stay very still.”
Seren closed her eyes and held her breath. How much would it hurt if he shot her along with the vine? Would it even work against the tanglevine?
Her answer came in the sudden loosening of its grip. The thorns pulled free and she cried out. Opened her eyes to see the vine shrink back. New ones shot upwards, seeking blood and vengeance. The Master shoved the TCE into a pocket.
“Can you walk?”
“I doubt it.”
“I didn't think so.”
He pulled her away from the tree and then scooped her into his arms. A small squeak lodged in Seren's throat and she fought the urge to struggle against his hold. He was already striding purposefully away from the tanglevine - not quite running but hardly dawdling either. She wondered if it could scent her blood. At least it couldn't move from its spot in the shade of the trees.
Thinking about the tanglevine almost worked as a distraction to the reality of her situation, but then the Master stumbled slightly and his grip on her tightened. Automatically, she decided - had he thought about it, she'd be on the ground now.
Or... not. She pulled her gaze from the trees above and looked at him. Gamblers the universe over would be jealous of his poker face; it gave no indication that his action had been completely contrary to the usual. He didn't seem to find her weight a burden, which made her curious about him physically; something she'd never contemplated before. For all that she'd been determined to see him as more than just a legend, she'd still not thought of him beyond the name. Beyond the history that carried. She hadn't thought of him as a man.
“Thank you,” she murmured, realising she'd not said it.
“I was struck by a moment of compassion,” he replied lightly. “I doubt it'd happen again.”
His tone held the slightest of reproaches. Seren thought hard about why she'd not paid attention. She concluded it had been down to her own nature - stubbornness combined with an independent streak that disliked being told what to do.
“Master,” she started, but he shook his head and cut her off.
“Don't. One thing I didn't mention, because as a rule tanglevines kill and therefore it doesn't matter, but their thorns are poisonous.”
“Oh.” She thought about that. “Am I dying?”
“Hardly. No, it's more of a drug. Makes the victim not care. Had you been stuck much longer, the amount in your system would mean you'd have let the vine pull you in and been happy about it.”
She shuddered. “I can't imagine that. So what now? Are you sure it won't kill me?”
“Positive. However, you might find your tongue a little looser than you'd like. I believe the poison had a similar effect as alcohol.” He looked down then and smirked at her. “Basically, you're quite drunk, my dear.”
“Oh.”
She supposed at least the warm buzz in her veins meant she wasn't paying attention to the throbbing of her leg. Pain seemed very distant. Had she been embarrassed about his carrying her? She thought she might have, but why escaped her. It wasn't unpleasant. Rather the opposite, in fact. She rested her head on his shoulder.
“Don't get comfortable, dear.”
She ought to do as she was told, but it was very hard to obey. The black velvet of his jacket was soft against her cheek. She nuzzled closer and gave a low hum of satisfaction.
“You're snugly,” she announced.
The Master sighed. “And you, my dearest, are under the influence. Here, we're back at the TARDIS. Do you want me to patch your leg now or would you rather sleep off the effects? Personally, I would recommend the latter.”
“Doesn't hurt now.” Everything was hazy, but she'd enough awareness to know that. “N'anyway, wasn't I bleeding lots?”
“Rather, yes.”
“Then that'd be best, right?” She lifted her head and gave him a quizzical look. “Gotta be. It'll hurt later.”
“It will do that, regardless. You're drugged, Seren. It's interfering with your thought processes.”
“I can think!” She poked his chest. “Nuff, and now, because I don't care.”
He gave another sigh and went through a door on the TARDIS. It led into a white room clearly designed to be a medical bay. She found herself plunked on the bed with more force than was strictly necessary. She pouted at him.
“Hey.”
“Be quiet.” He took a small knife from his boot and cut away what remained of her trouser leg. “Next time I warn you to be careful, kindly pay attention and do as you're told. Look at this. You'll be recovering for weeks, and what good will you be in the meantime? None, that's what.”
He'd been angry with her so many times now, but whereas she usually laughed it off, the weird poison in her blood made her feel stricken. Tears filled her eyes and her bottom lip wobbled.
“Didn't mean to,” she told him in a small voice.
He gave her a sharp look, then visibly sagged. “Hush,” he said in a softer tone. “I know, but hush now. Don't cry - you'll hate me for that later.”
Seren shook her head violently. It made her brain hurt. “Won't. Wouldn't ever.” She gave him a winning smile. “I like you.”
He snorted and began to clean the blood off her leg. She frowned at the back of his head.
“Don't believe me, do you? S'not the drugs. I do. Properly.”
“Common sense never was your thing, was it?”
“I don't-”
“As in you shouldn't, Seren,” he cut in. “I'm not nice. Nor particularly likeable. And that's exactly as I wish to be.”
Propping up on one elbow, she watched him dry her leg and then bandage it. His touch was careful, even gentle. So much for not being nice. She tangled her other hand in his dark hair.
“You're nice to me, and I like you.”
A tug brought his head closer. She concentrated on his mouth, imagined his lips on hers. His eyes were so very blue. She could drown in them and be happy.
His gloved hand caught her wrist. A mental touch fluttered in her mind, and she'd not the strength to push him away. Her coordination scattered and her fingers went limp. “All right, I'm nice enough not to take advantage,” he murmured, lips temptingly close. “For which you'll be endlessly grateful when you're sober. Now, my dear, go to sleep.”
“Leg.”
“I can do that without your assistance.”
“Okay.” Seren flopped back down, warm and fuzzy and curiously content. “Master?”
“Yes?”
“Do you like me?”
He didn't answer immediately, but she was vaguely aware of his hands working. Her eyes had drifted shut and her awareness begun to grey out when his voice pulled her from the edge of sleep.
“If I did not, you'd be dead. Now go to sleep.”
She chuckled and let the darkness claim her. It wasn't much, but it was enough for now.