Mythical Simplicity (Epilogue)

[amyross]

An Epilogue, Or Is It A Bridge?

If anyone had peered through the dusty window, they would have seen two men lying, unconscious, on the rough stone floor. They would have seen the taller man with the unruly brown hair sit up, slowly, touching his arms and his face, as though it had been a while since he’d felt them. Then they would have seen him

Comments

[i_am_schizo]

I read this story only yesterday and very much hope we'll see a sequel soon. They were so cute together as humans and I especially liked your characterisation of Harry, his defiance and boldness when Mr. Blackwell tells them their behaviour wasn't acceptable for instance.

I'd certainly love to see their first encounter now that they've changed back to their Time Lord selves. Will the Doctor manage to get his body back? How will they react to the memories of John and Harry and what the two human men shared?

A while ago I also read The Road To... and found the story equally enjoyable. Doctor/Master or rather Ten/Simm!Master is my fave pairing in this fandom and it is always a delight to see people writing this pairing, especially long and involved stories! :o)

[amyross]

First of all, thank you for the lovely feedback. I have a third story, The Ten Truths, which is much shorter (and sweeter, and less likely!) than the other two, if you fancy that as well.

This one was so much fun to write, but I ran out of inspiration pretty much immediately I started writing the sequel. Once they stopped being human and cute, I couldn't think what to do with it. The whole thing's built on one or two cute scenes in my mind.

I still intend to finish it, but like most of my projects, it will probably be long after everyone else has stopped caring. But lovely feedback like this is a great motivator, so I'll have another look at my draft today and see if lightning strikes!

Thanks!

[i_am_schizo]

My fingers are most definitely crossed that you'll find the inspiration to finish the sequel!

Re-reading the beginning of the story where they're still their normal Time Lord selves, I found the following passages to be especially intriguing:

“And every time you try to save me, and fail, you push me further away, closer to the edge. So you should really know: everything I’ve done, everything I am … it’s all because of you.”

*

But one aspect of humanity appealed, strongly. To have a smaller sense of time, to stop seeing everything as a cog in the great machine of eternity …

That, he thought, was why being here with the Master was driving him so close to desperation. The past they shared was so long, and great, that they were trapped beneath the weight of it, caught in the same patterns, over and over …

The past was so large and strong it had bound their limbs and hidden their eyes, preventing them from ever finding their way to the future.

*

By the end of the third day, he was at breaking point. When the boredom settled in,

[amyross]

I'm ridiculously happy that you picked out those particular passages. Most of the time when I write, I'm just thinking out loud. But every now and then I try to actually *say* something, something meaningful, and I think you've picked up on them all

[i_am_schizo]

The Master's reaction to the "I love you" was something I really wanted to include. His reaction is partly shock, because obviously he's not expecting it, but he's also been subtly "beaten" there. Because, really, we already know. And we know it goes both ways. But they're so messed up that whoever brings themselves to *say* it first has won a small battle. The Master knows he could never do it, and he's even less likely to return it.

Yeah, I think the Master likes to act and force the Doctor to react because this way the Master will be in control of the situation while the Doctor will have to get his defences up. By saying "I love you" the Doctor unintentionally reversed their "roles" and it's not just that the Master suddenly has to react, quite the disadvantage, but the Doctor also did something very daring and brave, so yeah, he's totally won this round and the Master so didn't see that coming

[amyross]

On a bit of a different note, someone else recently said that they believe that underneath it all the Master really trusts the Doctor, deeply, which yes, makes a whole lot of sense I think. I've always thought it was...interesting that the Master would admit quite freely to the Doctor that he was so scared of the war that he ran away to the end of the universe and made himself human. He was scared so he ran while the Doctor stayed even though he surely must have been scared, too.Yes, I think that's true, and very interesting. I wrote a bit about that in my super-long fic (the one I always regretted starting) called "The Road to ..." The Doctor has some technological whosit which shows the Time War, and the Master freaks. It's probably around Chapter 3, and was the best bit to write