39 // [Video/Action]

[neverendingbeat]

[There's a man in the shadows. It's outside, it's dark, and he's huddled against a building in an alleyway, crouching. It's difficult to see what he's wearing but it's probably black, or some other equally dark colour. He is definitely wearing a hoodie, though, as the hood is pulled up over his head, putting the upper half of his face into shadow.

Comments

[Action] I tried to tell her she didn't want to do this. She insists he's her friend

[only_fell]

[Inara is going home late from the tea house alone. Lately she's had Priestly to walk her but tonight he's working so she's alone. Because of this, she's hyper aware of her surroundings so when she sees the creepy man her first instinct is to cross the street. One foot is on the street and then she pauses, head tilting. She swallows hard, going cold briefly as she realizes she knows this person. She takes a very wary step toward the man, communicator in one hand so that she's prepared to call...well she's not really certain who.]

Harold?

Harry? Are you--can I get you some help?

[Action] ...oh dear.

[neverendingbeat]

[His eyes dart to look at her from under the hood. He's standing, hunched over slightly and when she says "help" he cocks his head at her like a dog. Then he blinks once and stares at her for a little while longer before he starts to laugh hoarsely.]

Haah, you think you know what sort of help I need?

[Then, abruptly he turns angry, and growls out his last few words.]

You have no idea.

[He walks a bit closer to her, his mouth slightly open like he's about to speak, but it takes him a little while longer before he actually does, sounding disgusted, like he's on the edge of snapping.]

My name is not 'Harold' or 'Harry'. That's wrong.

Re: [Action] ...oh dear.

[only_fell]

[Okay, scared? Why yes she is now. She takes a couple of steps back before she takes a deep breath that she intensely wishes she hadn't needed and straightens her back. She arches one eyebrow and attempts to do that whole looking down at him thing. She's terrified so naturally she's decided to do the only defensive thing that comes natural to her; be an ice queen]

I'm not presuming to know what kind of help you need. That would be foolish. I'm offering to get you help. Whatever kind you might need.

And you'll have to excuse my mistake as Harold and Harry are the only names I know you by.

[Action]

[neverendingbeat]

How kind, oh, it's really, it's just...it's just so sweet.

[He's off in his own little verbal world. And then he really focuses on her, face angry and a little bit hurt.]

You can't help me, stupid human, no-one can. I'm broken. [He licks his lips.] All the King's Horses and and the King's Men. I'm not a giant egg, though. I could murder a giant egg. It sounds delicious.

[He moves closer to her again, looking desperate.]

I am so hungry, Inara. Famished. Starving.

[He pulls his hood off his head in a darting movement, making his hair stick up.]

I eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and-- but it's never enough.

Re: [Action]

[only_fell]

[She lets his patronizing words go because really there's nothing she can say in response to them. With someone she didn't know, she'd walk away. And his insult isn't so much an insult when paired with his declaration that he's broken. At least not to Inara so while the desperation scares her even more still, she doesn't flinch. The blond hair takes her a bit by surprise but when he says her name it, perhaps foolishly, gives her some kind of hope that Harry is locked in there somewhere.]

It's just a curse, Harry. People have been all over the network about it.

[She holds out her hand for his, lowering her chin slightly so she's a little less Ice Queen. Her hand is shaking ever so slightly, a crack in the facade because Harry is very scary right now]

We'll go somewhere and eat. A diner or a cafe. You can get eggs.

[Because while she's stupid enough to stay here when he's obviously cracked, she's not stupid enough to take him somewhere she'd be alone with him. Public places please]

[ooc: Hurt her if you like just please don't kill

[Action]

[neverendingbeat]

[The Master really thinks about the diner option for a while, or, at least, he looks like he's thinking about it. Eventually, he shakes his head.]

I don't need your help. And this isn't a curse. This...is just me.

[He spreads his arms wide, suddenly, shouting.]

Do you see? This is me, now, this is what I am! This isn't Harold Saxon, oh no.

[In the blink of an eye, he's right up next to Inara, grabbing her roughly by her arm and hissing into her face.]

Harold Saxon is dead.

[He backs away again suddenly, and then his skull flashes through his skin in a sort of blue x-ray.]

And I am dying.

[ooc: Oh GOD, I'm not going to suddenly start KILLING people. D: That's why I made sure he was fed right at the start.]

Re: [Action]

[only_fell]

[She doesn't know the man he is right now--or really even the man Harry is--well enough to decide whether he's really thinking about it or not so she goes with taking it at face value. She can't help letting out a little gasp of pain when he grabs her. It's not so much that he's hurting her, it's that he's rough about it. It's not a behavior Inara is accustomed to. She looks up at him with sheer fear for a split second before she covers it with bravado.]

You're hurting me, Harry.

[And then he backs away and she's not sure what to make of the blue xray but his words ring inside of her. She knows what it's like to be afraid of dying because of that she holds her ground. She has no idea what to make of the rest of this and she doesn't know how to help him. If he's right, there isn't any help and she looks bereft for a moment]

What happened to Harry? And--there's nothing that can be done to save you?

[Action]

[neverendingbeat]

[He folds down suddenly to the ground, cross legged, and lets his head fall into his hands. His words are, therefore, slightly muffled.]

Harry never existed. Harry's not real.

[He looks up at her again.]

I should be dead. I should be trapped in the Time War. Why am I in the City again? It shouldn't be... I thought...

[He trails off, like he's not really sure what he thought.]

Re: [Action]

[only_fell]

[Okay, scary Whomever he is keeps Inara on her guard but when he collapses like this. She crouches down beside him, threading one arm underneath his arm and around him. Some part of her knows this is a bad idea but she can't leave him here.]

Just because our facades are facades doesn't mean they aren't real. Come on, let's get you some place safe.

[Action]

[neverendingbeat]

[He twitches automatically away from her body.]

It does. I'm not Harry.

[He turns his head to look directly at her.]

My name is the Master.

[He holds the unsettling eye contact for a moment and then looks away again.]

Nowhere's safe. I need to hide.

Re: [Action]

[only_fell]

[The eye contact is unsettling but she doesn't flinch or pull away from it. She's kind of processing him not being Harry but she's still pretty certain that he's just gone crazy.]

Alright. Where do we hide you?

[It's the obvious question to her. She still can't leave him here and if he really is dying, she certainly can't leave him here to die alone]

[Action]

[neverendingbeat]

I don't think anywhere's safe. I think the City is a trap. I need to keep running.

Re: [Action]

[only_fell]

[She nods slowly trying to decide what to do here]

You can't run from the City. It decides when to take you and when to bring you back. You know this.

[Action]

[neverendingbeat]

[He gives her a look like he's confiding in her.]

Ah, but who decides for the City? The Time Lords are trying to get to me. That's what I know. If I stay in one place they'll find me for sure.

I'm getting hungry again. You'd better go.

Re: [Action]

[only_fell]

[There's something his words and in that confiding look that makes her pause. She sighs and tucks her hair behind one ear.]

Alright.

[She pauses again, giving him a sad, confused look]

Call me if you need help. Whoever you are, I like Harry and he's my friend. I don't allow myself very many of those so I try to protect the ones I do.

[She stands up and turns to leave, giving him one last look over her shoulder]