The Doctor liked to think that it was his brilliance which was his saving grace, but no, it was pure unadulterated luck. That was the only reason he was still looked the way he did. He'd thought that maybe it was because he'd had some time to prepare for the regeneration, to put his mind in order about the change, but even accounting for that, he'd never had the level of control over the process that Romana and many other Time Lords had. But at the right moment, something happened, something clicked, and he'd held on to what he wanted
( ... )
Ah yes, just the thing to complete the mundane zoo-feel of this place. A moron gawking at him. A very familiar and very annoying moron he'd hoped not to run into, none the less.
"Evidentially not," Was the Master only response, giving the Doctor a rather tired look. Some things in the world were hard, like breaking a time-lock, creating your own race of super beings that don't rebel on you and unlocking true empirical knowledge in this world. Harder still, shaking your ex-best friend and oldest rival.
It was damn near impossible to escape the man. He was everywhere! Literally.
Then again, he might of known that the Doctor would show up here. It was his kind of place - childish, infected with humans and everyone was grinning like an idiot. It screamed 'Doctor'. All that was missing was the end of the world
( ... )
"Only you would call Carnival a hell hole," the Doctor said flatly. "The real fun's a few levels up, if that suits your appetite better. Just be prepared to be carded and scanned at the door." No large gathering of humans was complete without strong drink and sexual activity, and Carnival was no exception, being a descendant festival of Bacchanalia. He'd thought about it himself, spending a few anonymous hours under the star-dome, but in the end, he knew it wouldn't cure what ailed him.
He watched the Master again for a few more seconds, then asked, "How did you do it?" Time-locks were supposed to be impossible to break, though after the debacle with Rassilon, the Doctor was beginning to doubt his faith in that word. 'Impossible' just didn't mean what it used to anymore.
"I'd prefer just to get away from the merriment, drinking with humans? I'd have to be drunk to even except their company," the Master mocked, finding the very idea of being around them repulsive. Humans make good slaves, expendable soldiers and handy guinea pigs. They do not make good company.
"You said it yourself, I'm brilliant," The Master wasn't about to stand here and explain the highly complex and time consuming plan he'd had to break out of the time lock. So things were best left unsaid, for now he liked the mystery, it made him seem cooler.
"Now move," The Master remarked, shoving his way past the Doctor and offering him a small smirk, as if challenging him to come and follow him.
"What can I say, I'm a little rusty these days," he remarked sarcastically, not realising he had a part to this dance. Usually he assumed he was just meant to ignore or belittle the Doctors request. Like he would ever be able to co-exist in a TARDIS with the Doctor all day. Oh no, not possible,
This didn't mean to say that he hadn't thought about it but realistically, it was like communism. It sounded lovely and nice but would never work. It went against peoples natures too much, they were rivals and little could solve that.
"I'm sure you'll find another monkey to go running around the universe with," the Master pointed out, knowing the Doctor always had a back up plan. He was less prepared, he had no plan or ideas of where to go. For so long he'd followed the drums and let them inspire and drive him.
Now he was alone with silences and no purposes besides trying to one up his old friend. Perhaps he just needed to be more impulsive and wing it?
"Oh, I've got my choice of monkeys, don't I?" He gestured back down the corridor toward the mass of humanity they were leaving behind. "And a few lizards, a couple of fish, and the odd cyborg. If I wanted one of them, I'd have one." But he didn't. Not that they weren't interesting, some of them, but he was burnt out on them for the moment. The one he wanted was right beside him, and he wanted to hold on to every possible millisecond of that experience.
"Look, what do I have to do to convince you to take a turn about the universe with me?" the Doctor asked honestly, surprised even as the words came out of his mouth. What was it that this regeneration had that the last one didn't? 'Humility' didn't seem like the right word. It didn't encompass any sort of desperation or loss of dignity, but it did encompass the utter lack of pride he was feeling right about now.
What would it take? To allow the Master to be in charge, to pilot, to pick the planets, to be able to rule the planets, to destroy who he pleased... but none of that was practical and he knew all to well that he couldn't. He also knew that he was rather lost and had no other way to go about this all.
"One trip, provided I get to pick the destination and if you say anything or do anything I dislike, I leave right away," The Master warned, unable to believe he was actually suggesting this. He didn't want to, not really, but perhaps it was a good way to hitch a ride.
He wasn't a companion, he wasn't a friend, he just needed a way to get off this planet and do something new.
The Doctor arched a brow, silent for a long moment before he spoke. "One trip, provided you get to pick the destination, and if I say anything or do anything you dislike, you leave right away," he repeated back to his old rival. "And I'd rather you not leave. So here I am, being polite and accommodating and keeping my mouth shut and generally doing everything I know to not annoy you, and still this does not meet with your approval. There's something very irrational about that, Master."
But at least the Master was beginning to think. Maybe he'd think it all the way through and come to something other than the wrong conclusion. The Doctor could still hope, after all.
"Well you're doing plenty I dislike, stop acting so... casual!" the Master snapped, yes he was irrational but he wasn't exactly sane either. Little things got to him and the Doctor not acting Doctor-y enough was most certainly one of them.
"You're always annoying, at least when you're being normal its an annoyance that makes sense. This is meant to be the part where you ban me from using the TARDIS so I try to out-wit you and do it anyway."
Yes, the Master had this all mentally planned out.
The Doctor grinned. "Nononono," he rebutted cheerfully, getting to his feet. "See, that would make to much sense, just going on as we always have. That would imply an acceptance of the status quo. We meet, we annoy each other, we both get on our high horses on opposite ends of the playing field, you do something great and terrible, I bust my arse to stop you, we suffer, we bleed, we regenerate, we do it all over again. And where's it gotten us?"
Nowhere, that was where. At the end of it, they both retreated to opposite ends of the universe to lick their wounds and assess the damages, neither of them having gotten what they really wanted out of the ordeal.
"I propose we do something different for a change," Even as he said the words, he knew his mind was made up about it. "You use the TARDIS however you see fit. But please, let me stay with her. You can put me up in the cargo hold for all I care, I'll stay out of your way if that's what you want, just don't leave me stranded."
While the Doctor had a very very good point, the Master remained stubborn. He had lost so much familiarity in the drums and adjusting to silences was unbearable at times, having the Doctor change their routine? It was not exactly ideal right now.
if he had a weapon or something to cause some damaged, he'd of attacked the TARDIS by now, just to make his point. "I don't want change, I liked how it went."
What was wrong with doing something great and terrible? That was the fun of it all! Like one unstoppable game of chess that neither of them could possibly win.
"Where's the fun in being on-par? You always were a soft touch but this is a new low," He had a good mind to go blow a planet up just for the hell of it.
The Doctor cursed and held on, checking the readout and deciding that it would do more harm than good to correct the Master's meddling. "The TARDIS is for traveling, not for ripping apart," he retorted. They landed hard, and the Doctor shuddered as he heard a support strut grind against itself. The lights dimmed considerably. They weren't going anywhere for a while.
"Well, looks like you got your way after all," the Doctor said after a moment. "Let's see where you brought us." He walked down the ramp and opened the door.
"I know, brilliant, isn't it?" The Master remarked playfully, ohh he did very much like having his own way, done in his own way. The Doctor offering it was not have he liked, making it so by his sheer determination? Why not!
"Oh don't be a kill joy, I bet she'd love a decent tune up," the Master cooed, hurrying after the doctor and shoving him out the door so he could have a small look around. Not bad, nothing special.
Just looked like a docking bay. "Well, after you my dearest Doctor."
"Oh, no, I insist," the Doctor countered, holding the door open for the other Time Lord. "After you, Master." He was not foolish enough to think that the Master wouldn't strand him here. He may be sickeningly optimistic, but he wasn't born yesterday.
Rolling his eyes, the Master hopped outside and threw his arms out. "See, you're being stupid, there's nothing out here."
And, as if fate really did like to make a dick out of him, an alarm went off, the whole room started flashing red and a cage dropped down and over the Masters head, sealing him in. An incredibly shocked and bemused Master looked side to side before frowning. "... What just happened?"
Seemed this space station wasn't fond on intruders.
The Doctor wasn't surprised that the Master didn't follow him. Besides, it made walking through the plant as if he absolutely belonged there much more convincing if he didn't have someone in tow. One person in a suit walking around like he owned the place tended not to get questions asked. Two people seemed to invite the corporate welcome wagon
( ... )
Not far away was a very wet and very bored Master, who'd be wandering around in the rain, trying to find something that would make his misadventure somehow worth it. He should of stuck with the Doctor, it would of been more interesting that being rained on and looking at a few statues.
Giving up, he returned to the TARDIS and shoved the door open, tracking plenty of water in behind him as he stood by the consoles, dripping everywhere.
"I see you got what you needed then?"
It was hard to be casual and play it cool when he kept rubbing at his eyes to get the water out.
It was impossible to be upset at someone who was waterlogged and adorable in their misery, especially when that person was the Master. Irrefutable fact of life.
"You know, the wardrobe hasn't changed places since the last time you were in the TARDIS," he offered, giving the Master a couple moments' looking over before giving in to the temptation that had been nagging at him for a little while now. He stepped over to the other Time Lord and pulled him into a kiss, then ducked out of the line of fire before the Master could take a swing at him.
Being drenched was bad enough but being randomly yanked into a kiss? What on Earth was he playing at? Coughing and spluttering like the Doctor had just infected him, he wiped his very wet sleeve across his equally wet face to remove the germs.
"What is wrong with you?! Are you insane?!"
He shoved the Doctor back with a small glare and punched out at him, happily connecting his fist with the Doctors stomach before he stormed off, leaving a trail of water behind him.
Comments 55
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"Evidentially not," Was the Master only response, giving the Doctor a rather tired look. Some things in the world were hard, like breaking a time-lock, creating your own race of super beings that don't rebel on you and unlocking true empirical knowledge in this world. Harder still, shaking your ex-best friend and oldest rival.
It was damn near impossible to escape the man. He was everywhere! Literally.
Then again, he might of known that the Doctor would show up here. It was his kind of place - childish, infected with humans and everyone was grinning like an idiot. It screamed 'Doctor'. All that was missing was the end of the world ( ... )
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He watched the Master again for a few more seconds, then asked, "How did you do it?" Time-locks were supposed to be impossible to break, though after the debacle with Rassilon, the Doctor was beginning to doubt his faith in that word. 'Impossible' just didn't mean what it used to anymore.
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"You said it yourself, I'm brilliant," The Master wasn't about to stand here and explain the highly complex and time consuming plan he'd had to break out of the time lock. So things were best left unsaid, for now he liked the mystery, it made him seem cooler.
"Now move," The Master remarked, shoving his way past the Doctor and offering him a small smirk, as if challenging him to come and follow him.
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This didn't mean to say that he hadn't thought about it but realistically, it was like communism. It sounded lovely and nice but would never work. It went against peoples natures too much, they were rivals and little could solve that.
"I'm sure you'll find another monkey to go running around the universe with," the Master pointed out, knowing the Doctor always had a back up plan. He was less prepared, he had no plan or ideas of where to go. For so long he'd followed the drums and let them inspire and drive him.
Now he was alone with silences and no purposes besides trying to one up his old friend. Perhaps he just needed to be more impulsive and wing it?
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"Look, what do I have to do to convince you to take a turn about the universe with me?" the Doctor asked honestly, surprised even as the words came out of his mouth. What was it that this regeneration had that the last one didn't? 'Humility' didn't seem like the right word. It didn't encompass any sort of desperation or loss of dignity, but it did encompass the utter lack of pride he was feeling right about now.
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"One trip, provided I get to pick the destination and if you say anything or do anything I dislike, I leave right away," The Master warned, unable to believe he was actually suggesting this. He didn't want to, not really, but perhaps it was a good way to hitch a ride.
He wasn't a companion, he wasn't a friend, he just needed a way to get off this planet and do something new.
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But at least the Master was beginning to think. Maybe he'd think it all the way through and come to something other than the wrong conclusion. The Doctor could still hope, after all.
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"You're always annoying, at least when you're being normal its an annoyance that makes sense. This is meant to be the part where you ban me from using the TARDIS so I try to out-wit you and do it anyway."
Yes, the Master had this all mentally planned out.
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Nowhere, that was where. At the end of it, they both retreated to opposite ends of the universe to lick their wounds and assess the damages, neither of them having gotten what they really wanted out of the ordeal.
"I propose we do something different for a change," Even as he said the words, he knew his mind was made up about it. "You use the TARDIS however you see fit. But please, let me stay with her. You can put me up in the cargo hold for all I care, I'll stay out of your way if that's what you want, just don't leave me stranded."
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if he had a weapon or something to cause some damaged, he'd of attacked the TARDIS by now, just to make his point. "I don't want change, I liked how it went."
What was wrong with doing something great and terrible? That was the fun of it all! Like one unstoppable game of chess that neither of them could possibly win.
"Where's the fun in being on-par? You always were a soft touch but this is a new low," He had a good mind to go blow a planet up just for the hell of it.
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"Well, looks like you got your way after all," the Doctor said after a moment. "Let's see where you brought us." He walked down the ramp and opened the door.
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"Oh don't be a kill joy, I bet she'd love a decent tune up," the Master cooed, hurrying after the doctor and shoving him out the door so he could have a small look around. Not bad, nothing special.
Just looked like a docking bay. "Well, after you my dearest Doctor."
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And, as if fate really did like to make a dick out of him, an alarm went off, the whole room started flashing red and a cage dropped down and over the Masters head, sealing him in. An incredibly shocked and bemused Master looked side to side before frowning. "... What just happened?"
Seemed this space station wasn't fond on intruders.
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Giving up, he returned to the TARDIS and shoved the door open, tracking plenty of water in behind him as he stood by the consoles, dripping everywhere.
"I see you got what you needed then?"
It was hard to be casual and play it cool when he kept rubbing at his eyes to get the water out.
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"You know, the wardrobe hasn't changed places since the last time you were in the TARDIS," he offered, giving the Master a couple moments' looking over before giving in to the temptation that had been nagging at him for a little while now. He stepped over to the other Time Lord and pulled him into a kiss, then ducked out of the line of fire before the Master could take a swing at him.
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"What is wrong with you?! Are you insane?!"
He shoved the Doctor back with a small glare and punched out at him, happily connecting his fist with the Doctors stomach before he stormed off, leaving a trail of water behind him.
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