And it was the Doctor's turn to gloat over how much progress he's made with his universe, wasn't it? Not that the Master honestly cared about it.
Since he'd left the Doctor alone to do what he wished, he hadn't moved. He hadn't eaten, slept or even done something so simple as clean himself up. The most movement he'd given would be right then and looking up toward the nearest camera.
Only a shift of his gaze, nothing more and he didn't reply to him or move to obey the instruction. Why should he?
"So all this somehow finds it's way back to me? I suppose I should be flattered."
It took him longer than he would have liked to reach up and impolitely smack at the Doctor's hands. He wasn't a child and, yes, he had planned on just sitting there until one of them cracked.
But there was no way he was allowing the Doctor to fuss over and nanny him. He didn't explain this to him, simply focused on sitting up slowly and then moved to attempt getting onto his feet.
He stepped back, giving him some space and watching him like an animal trainer watches a rabid tiger. No matter how weak he was now, the Master was dangerous, and he wouldn't forget that. Not now, not ever.
"Clothes in the room down here," he said. "You'll get a viral infection if you stay in those filthy things for too long."
"Touching how you actually seem to care," he said as he finally pushed himself up. He kept one hand on the wall, bracing, as he took a step forward. He had to use the wall for support on the second step as well but by the third he'd let go and it was his stubborn pride alone that kept him from collapsing to the floor.
He still looked rather ill, mostly from lack of taking care of himself for the past-he'd forgotten how long it'd actually been. Hadn't seen the point in keeping track.
"You were the one that wouldn't give me clean ones to begin with. It was a lesson, if I remember correctly," he managed to sneer. "But I suppose if I'm to be seen out in the public eye with you I can't wander around looking like a corpse, hm?"
"I put too much effort into bringing you back to have you break so soon into our arrangement," he replied, coolly. A very practiced line, something that was only partially true.
He didn't care, he reminded himself. He no longer felt emotions like that.
"And, really, the way you look when you walk out there will only affect you," he said. "After all, they're waiting for their new gods to arrive. Religious artifacts will be carved with your features on them. Do you really want them to have you looking so...scruffy?"
"I'm not some toy for you to play with, Doctor," he snapped, irritably.
If the Master knew he had to keep reminding himself of that he would have laughed and told him that he wasn't ready for this. But the Master didn't care or did he?
"Gods? How long did it take you to sell them on that one?" Though if that were the case, it did mean it might be easier for him to escape. "Never took you for vanity on that level. I thought it was only me."
He grinned. "I thought even you could have appreciated what I did to Mount Rushmore when we were on Earth."
The Master didn't comment but he did file that away for future use.
"Minutes? And what did you do bang that up so quickly?"
It was still only his unwillingness to show any more weakness in front of the other Time Lord that kept him on his feet. He headed to the door the Doctor had indicated earlier.
He rolled his eyes and scoffed at the reply before opening the door and walking inside.
His stubborn streak aside, perspiration dotted his forehead from the effort it took to go that short distance. How was he going to escape if he could barely walk down a passageway?
"There's food in the room as well," he said, as if replying to the Master's weakness. "Liquid, in case your body can't process anything solid what with your ridiculous starvation diets." He wondered if it would be like this often, him replying to a non-response by the Master.
So long as he had the Master, it was enough. He had what he wanted, and that was what mattered. That was all that mattered.
"I'm surprised," he said, unbuttoning his jacket and slipping it off.
He smiled then. "It's the newest craze, haven't you heard?" Not that he really had any idea what the latest trends were, he only hoped it would irritate the Doctor.
The Master continued to undress then redressed as he cleaned up. His side was nearly fully healed mostly due to the nanogenes the Doctor had given him shortly after bringing him back. Somehow, he wasn't in the mood to thank him for that still. He made it a point to discard his other clothes at the Doctor's feet.
"I suppose I should be grateful I haven't been subjected to your usual taste in clothing."
Patience aside, it was a very simple need that had him playing along at the moment. Hunger. After that, the chance of escape.
Smiling in an almost sweet manner, he finished dressing and looked back to him, not having touched the food yet. "Ooh, can we please? We can hold hands and skip along the sidewalks," he sneered.
He stayed where he was, still as he could be, and waited. He could wait forever if he had to, but the Master would not get the upper hand in this. He would not win.
"Consider this dinner, then. And when you're done, I have a movie to take you to."
Since he'd left the Doctor alone to do what he wished, he hadn't moved. He hadn't eaten, slept or even done something so simple as clean himself up. The most movement he'd given would be right then and looking up toward the nearest camera.
Only a shift of his gaze, nothing more and he didn't reply to him or move to obey the instruction. Why should he?
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It took him longer than he would have liked to reach up and impolitely smack at the Doctor's hands. He wasn't a child and, yes, he had planned on just sitting there until one of them cracked.
But there was no way he was allowing the Doctor to fuss over and nanny him. He didn't explain this to him, simply focused on sitting up slowly and then moved to attempt getting onto his feet.
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"Clothes in the room down here," he said. "You'll get a viral infection if you stay in those filthy things for too long."
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He still looked rather ill, mostly from lack of taking care of himself for the past-he'd forgotten how long it'd actually been. Hadn't seen the point in keeping track.
"You were the one that wouldn't give me clean ones to begin with. It was a lesson, if I remember correctly," he managed to sneer. "But I suppose if I'm to be seen out in the public eye with you I can't wander around looking like a corpse, hm?"
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He didn't care, he reminded himself. He no longer felt emotions like that.
"And, really, the way you look when you walk out there will only affect you," he said. "After all, they're waiting for their new gods to arrive. Religious artifacts will be carved with your features on them. Do you really want them to have you looking so...scruffy?"
Reply
If the Master knew he had to keep reminding himself of that he would have laughed and told him that he wasn't ready for this. But the Master didn't care or did he?
"Gods? How long did it take you to sell them on that one?" Though if that were the case, it did mean it might be easier for him to escape. "Never took you for vanity on that level. I thought it was only me."
He grinned. "I thought even you could have appreciated what I did to Mount Rushmore when we were on Earth."
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"Minutes," he replied. "I'm very good at what I do."
And he was very, very good at killing. Destroying, owning. He had no idea why he waited so long to start.
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"Minutes? And what did you do bang that up so quickly?"
It was still only his unwillingness to show any more weakness in front of the other Time Lord that kept him on his feet. He headed to the door the Doctor had indicated earlier.
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His stubborn streak aside, perspiration dotted his forehead from the effort it took to go that short distance. How was he going to escape if he could barely walk down a passageway?
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So long as he had the Master, it was enough. He had what he wanted, and that was what mattered. That was all that mattered.
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He smiled then. "It's the newest craze, haven't you heard?" Not that he really had any idea what the latest trends were, he only hoped it would irritate the Doctor.
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The Master was more patient than he was. The Master had nothing to lose. He needed to change this.
"Shall we take a day, then?" he asked. "Rebuild the muscle you've lost? Give you a proper exercise?"
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"I suppose I should be grateful I haven't been subjected to your usual taste in clothing."
Patience aside, it was a very simple need that had him playing along at the moment. Hunger. After that, the chance of escape.
Smiling in an almost sweet manner, he finished dressing and looked back to him, not having touched the food yet. "Ooh, can we please? We can hold hands and skip along the sidewalks," he sneered.
"You can buy me flowers."
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He stayed where he was, still as he could be, and waited. He could wait forever if he had to, but the Master would not get the upper hand in this. He would not win.
"Consider this dinner, then. And when you're done, I have a movie to take you to."
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He picked up one of the glasses, inspecting it before taking a hesitant sip.
"Lucky me."
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