RL- River and Sam are on a quest to find the Mister Master

[out_of_my_time]

Sam gritted his teeth as he drove down the narrow streets of 1973 Manchester, his eyes peeled at every turn for a brick building with a large camper van out front.  The problem with that, of course, was that most of the buildings in 1973 Manchester were made of brick, as were the roads, and Sam had no idea where this camper van might be.  However,

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[biverbam]

Head out the window and hair flipping and floating behind and around her as it was, she saw the mother bring her girl inside and felt a pang that smelled like the little garden she'd buried the frozen flowers in back on Osiris.

Still, though, she called out with voice and mind to locate him. Then, oh, all pangs and smells of past aside, River smiled brightly when she saw the camper. The mouse is larger and has successfully located the hunter of drums, she thought cheerily as she pulled herself back inside the car.

It took actual conscious effort for her to not bound out and over, as that kind of action would not be permitted with the current equation. A moment was taken, set aside and used to frown at the metal around her wrist, before she looked back at the driver.

Sam's wry expression was met with a furrowed little brow. "Is not a poor little kitty. Kitty probably hides, stuck behind the console because she is not familiar with the equations and has difficulty quantifying them, but Saxon has only changed to small and fuzzy and it is not his proper state of being."

[doyouhearthem]

The Master did bound, off the chair and down to the door, when he heard the car come to a stop. He knew it was them, and by this point was frantic to get out. He pawed at the door and meowed loudly.

Quit squabbling and get me out of here!

[out_of_my_time]

Sam elbowed open the door on his side of the car, awkwardly backing out to allow River to climb over the seat divider and follow him. Getting into the car with their wrists cuffed together had been even more laborious, and he sighed a little at the thought of doing it again. Once she was out, though (and thankfully there was no one about here to see and wonder at the handcuffs), Sam straightened.

Now out of the car, he was fairly sure he could hear loud and frantic mewling from behind the camper door. That, he supposed, would be the Master. As a cat. God, this day was just getting more surreal by the minute.

He hesitated a moment before trying the camper door, but the handle turned easily under his hand. Unlocked, then. And with that he swung the door open. Sam blinked for a moment. He wasn't quite sure what he'd been expecting, but the excess of blinking lights and strange instruments took him by surprise nonetheless. Well. Best to find the Master before anyone on the street happened to look over and saw a spaceship on the inside of a camper van.

An irritated sounding mewl drew his eyes down to the floor of the ship, and he blinked yet again. A small grey-furred cat looked up at him with unnervingly intelligent eyes, its paws padding softly against the grating.

He almost laughed. 'Hello, Master.'

[biverbam]

Don't fret or whiskers will tangle and bunch.

She'd made her way with Sam over to the camper in silence with a small frown set on her face when she heard his mewling above the drums. Everyone had different faces and she was getting confused.

Less, though, when the door opened and she could see his eyes. Different, but very much the same despite the new arrangement.

River bent over, doubling herself in half so that she was face to face with him, though not too close, and smiled.

"Told you that stranding would not be permitted."

[doyouhearthem]

River!

He purred happily and brushed against her legs.

Ah, I knew you'd come for me! Despite everything, my wonderful River...

He stopped in front of Sam's feet and sniffed at him gingerly.

...Has he been treating you well? Nothing inappropriate?

[out_of_my_time]

Sam looked on with a somewhat bemused smile, leaning awkwardly with how River was crouched down to look the cat- the Master- in his eyes. They were having a conversation, he could tell, but it was a strange thing, not being able to hear a word of it.

He lifted an eyebrow when the cat stopped before him, sniffing at his feet. It managed to convey a disdain of him in that way that only cats seem to be able to do.

Bending slightly to accommodate River's posture and bring himself closer to the cat, he turned to the girl. 'What's he saying?'

[biverbam]

She grinned and, with her free hand, went to gently pet the fur at the top of his head.

There is to be no stranding when the mouse is the bigger of the two. The one with your face has been very well behaved in regards to worries. Nothing inappropriate, but he is unhappy with the arrangement.

River stayed as she was, face near the ground and near the eyes she recognized inside the pupils with the drums behind them.

"Standard greetings and worries put away for other times that are not now."

[doyouhearthem]

The Master leaned into her touch, purring loudly. He nuzzled her palm, even nipped at her fingers gently. He was just so happy to have contact!

Losing one's freedom is always upsetting. I couldn't leave my ship without you to free me... couldn't even get a bite to eat... and Kitty...

He stopped then, turned, and meowed at the nearest console. A tiny mew emitted from behind it. Timidly, another cat's calico head slid out.

Kitty'll need to be fed as well. I'd rather not keep her with us... she, well. She's become amorous.

Kitty mewed again, looked at River and Sam, and quickly retreated.

The Master put a paw on River's leg. Let's go soon, yeah?

[out_of_my_time]

Standard greetings and worries, indeed. Sam could easily enough guess what those worries were about, and were the Master in his normal shape, he likely would have taken him to task over them. He was a policeman, for God's sake! It was his job to uphold the law, not to take advantage of brain-damaged teenagers who ended up handcuffed to him. However, as the Master was currently a cat, Sam would have felt a little foolish.

And that in itself was no end of unsettling. He was cute, the way he nuzzled and nipped at River's hand, purring and miaowing. And the Master- the Master was not supposed to be cute, whether he'd changed or not.

After a few moments more of silent conversation between River and the Master, punctuated by occasional mews and miaows, Sam glanced behind them. The street was still empty, fortunately, but if they wanted to continue this conversation, he thought, best get on with it somewhere a bit more private.

He cocked his head forward, indicating both the girl at the cat. 'You two done yet? Let's get back to my flat, and get... the Master some food.'

Because even if it is the Master, Sam's not going to starve him. That wouldn't be like him.

[biverbam]

Small feet to pad outside, will not come with us but not untidy things inside.

River gave a last, soft little scratch to the top of one furry little head before she straightened up.

"Must leave food for the other," she said as she looked up at Sam, "or permit her outside to run and hunt." River didn't wait for an answer before she leaned forward and stuck her head in the door, calling out to the other small and fuzzy. "Nihao, Kitty."

It took another minute of calls to her in Chinese before another meow sounded on the other side of the street and Kitty bolted, blurry and fast in a dance of legs and tail, out of the camper and out of sight.

Will come back when the ticks dictate the hour for departure. She would not want to be stranded, either.

[doyouhearthem]

She's a strong girl. She'll be all right.

The Master purred at Sam's use of his name... and the mention of food. It had been almost a day since he'd had anything to eat, which wouldnt've been a problem in his Time Lord body but became a very real problem in this one. He sniffed at him once again, meowed, and tentatively brushed his cheek against his leg.

Fine, fine. We can go. Oh-!

He quickly hopped up to the console and tapped at a button with his paw. A sound like a camera's flash winding up came from the grating beneath their feet. The Master quickly trotted outside.

You've got 30 seconds, you two.

[out_of_my_time]

He couldn't help but crack a small smile when the cat that was the Master delicately wrinkled its nose at him, and then brushed against his leg. It was almost affectionate, and that was nothing if not incredibly strange.

But then, this whole situation was just bizarre beyond belief.

He watched with vague interest as the Master leapt up to the console, one forepaw hitting a button with what was either practised accuracy or amazing luck. The faint, crescendoing whine did not sound encouraging, whatever it was, and he retreated back outside just in case, making sure River was with him as he did so.

((ooc: I'm off for the night, you two, but you can just presume that Sam drives back to the flat, etc in your next tags. Just to save time))

[biverbam]

River hopped out of the camper right after Sam, and with everything in order they'd managed to get back into the car.

Once settled, she opened the door next to her to let him jump up onto her lap.

The tie is not appropriate for certain maneuvers.

Her free hand went back to petting him gently and she smiled at the fuzzy version of Saxon as they started to move.

Could tell it wasn't you. No drums, singular cardiovascular system. The sounds were a signal. And his roof doesn't sit properly.

[doyouhearthem]

It took him a moment to balance himself, wobbly as he was on River's lap. Eventually he settled in, sitting in a tight loaf-shape and purring contentedly.

He doesn't smell like me, either. But the resemblance... I've never heard of a Time Lord regenerating into a taken face. It's so strange...

He glanced at Sam. That won't do at all, look at him! He's... how can I look so plain? There's potential, but he's all scruffy and... ugh!

He began to lick his paws and clean himself. If only Sam would do the same...