The Master -- Doctor Who -- Anywheresville, Earth, anytime

[mm_lexa]

[OOC: Needed an outlet for him of some sort, so -- setting left vauge on purpose. Pretty much any time, any place on Earth that has trees, basically. Post-season-three Master, feel free to assume whatever way you'd like of coming back to life unless it comes up in conversation!]The Master leans against a tree, watching the world around him, the

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[mm_lexa]

The odd light doesn't escape the Master's attention -- it would be difficult for odd things to escape the Master's attention in this sort of mood -- but he doesn't give the girl more than a brief glance as she enters his vision. He glances up again as she speaks, ready to brush her off, until he gets a good look at her.

Oh, he knows that face. He's seen that face in the Torchwood files, before they rebuilt themselves, always with the Doctor. Rose Tyler. Of all the people to run into him.

He smiles at her, the most charming smile he can manage to hide the brief, predatory gleam in his eyes. He doesn't have Archangel anymore, but the Master's always been hypnotic on his own. It's enough for one little girl, anyway. "Greenwich Park. Are you alright? Running from something?"

[mm_lexa]

He nods at her response, though he's sure it's more than just a stumble. Maybe she wasn't running to escape, but there was definitely a reason.

He shakes his head in response to her question. "Not really." He always is to an extent, on this planet -- if not waiting, then at least watching for, either to keep the Doctor from ruining his plans or to have some fun making things more difficult for him -- but that's mostly habit, by now. "Just enjoying the park. It's a lovely day."

He steps towards her, wearing a curious expression. "What about you? Just stumbling through on your way somewhere?"

[mm_lexa]

"How awful for you." He sounds sincere, even empathetic, meeting her eyes seriously. "You must miss them terribly."

Inside, he laughs. Of course she's looking for him. They always do. The Master may destroy people, cities, planets; but it takes the Doctor to really ruin somebody's life. Nothing else is good enough afterwards.

[mm_lexa]

The Master smiles brightly, his mood doing a complete one-eighty -- at least visibly. "Certainly!" He offers her his arm, though it's not more than a few steps to the bench. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Harry. Smith."

Pity, that he can't use Saxon anymore -- he was quite fond of the name -- but it's risky enough just being here with the same face. The drums beat louder for a moment, as they always do when he's reminded of his loss.

[mm_lexa]

"Believe me, Miss Tyler, the pleasure is all mine." He turns towards her, standing in front of the bench now, and takes her hand, lifting it to his lips with a grin. He kisses her hand and then lets go, though the grin doesn't fade.

He waits for her to take a seat before he sits. His voice is all innocent curiousity as he speaks. "Would it be rude of me to ask where you'll be going off to?"

[mm_lexa]

"That doesn't sound very enthusiastic," he says, his voice gentle, followed by a soft laugh. "Like excitement, do you? There's something I understand. Still, it's nice to go home at the end of the day."

There's a longing in that statement that isn't entirely fake. The Time Lords may have been boring and overbearing with their rules and their noninterference, and the planet may have been a war zone the last time he saw it, but Gallifrey was still home.

[mm_lexa]

"You could say that." He fixes his eyes on the ground, forming the perfect picture of a man still dealing with his loss. "It's out of reach, anyway. For good."

He shrugs, looks up at her, not quite meeting her eyes, and turns his hand over to squeeze hers gently. "Well, what's past is past. Tell me, is your home nearby?"

[mm_lexa]

"I'm sorry."

His tone is utterly sincere; inside, he is dancing. Oh, and the Doctor thought he was terrible to Lucy, but looks what he does to his companion. No wonder he didn't like to talk about her.

"It must be so lonely," he says, and sounds as though he's speaking from experience.