Fic: Lockdown
Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing: The Master (Ainley)/OFC
Comm/Prompt: hc_bingo / forced soulbonding
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1878
Summary: A week after the Master and Seren get into an argument, the TARDIS locks them in a room to work through their issues.
A week had passed since the Master and Seren got into a fully fledged argument. A week since they'd been in the same room together, never mind spoken. The TARDIS was frankly sick of it; his mood meant he handled the controls too harshly, while she had at least stopped throwing things at the wall.
It was an untenable situation, and the TARDIS wasn't going to allow it to continue. She faked an emergency and, as soon as they responded, she changed her corridors to get them in one space. And then she removed the only way out.
The Master stared at the blank wall. Then spun to look for an alternative. There wasn't one. In fact, there wasn't much of anything - just the purple chaise lounge that Seren was sat on, a frown on her face. Everything else was pale blue, smooth, and door-less. He thumped where the door had been to no avail.
"She's not going to let us out until we've talked."
Seren's tone indicated she was no happier about telling him that as he was hearing it. He scowled at her. "So this is your fault?"
"Oh, yes, because I was the one being a complete and utter moron! Would it really kill you to think for once?"
Anger surged. "I had thought it through! You just couldn't understand the genius of the idea. Not that I was surprised - my mind is vastly superior to yours."
"Says the man locked in a room by his own time machine."
The Master huffed, not willing to concede that point no matter how true it was. He paced around the room, but there was no exit. They were sealed in together. Apparently until they'd talked. He didn't think yelling would count as far as the TARDIS was concerned.
He dropped onto the other end of the chaise lounge with a defeated sigh.
Silence reigned.
After a minute or so, the Master glanced at Seren. Her gaze was fixed ahead and her jaw was tight. Tension hunched her shoulders. He frowned at the floor. It was her fault. She was so damn stubborn. He'd no idea why he continued to let her stay.
Spots of light appeared on the wall. All the hues of the rainbow, they wavered and then danced, circling around in a hypnotising fashion. He muttered a curse.
"What?" Seren watched the lights and he felt the brush of her curiosity. "What's going on?"
"This bloody time ship," the Master muttered darkly. "Close your eyes."
"It's singing."
"Seren!"
"What?!"
He grabbed and shook her. "Close your eyes!"
She shoved him hard. "Go to hell."
"Oh for-" The Master stood angrily, but then his vision spun; the dance of the lights causing dizziness. He tried to concentrate in the way he'd been taught as a child, but his emotions were running too high. It was too late. "Damn."
Everything went dark.
"Master?" Seren's voice quavered. Her nervousness made him edgy and he bit back another curse. Today just wasn't getting any better.
"Think," he thought at her. "Don't yell."
"I wasn't-- Oh God, I'm going to be sick."
"Don't you dare. Breathe slowly - the dizziness will pass."
At least she understood what had happened and wasn't asking stupid questions. His TARDIS had clearly decided a sealed room wasn't enough. Now the faint psychic link was no longer faint, but a full-on connection. He could feel what Seren felt, and vice versa. He shuddered at the exposure.
"Yes, because it's so much fun for me," she said out loud, making him wince. Her mind brushed his. "This won't last will it?"
"Not if I've anything to do with it." The Master sat back down. His head throbbed from the unexpected intrusion, but he'd had training. A soft glow filled the room. He glanced at her. "How bad is the pain?"
"Very."
He could sense her discomfort, and the cause. "You're wound too tight. Try to relax."
"And let you in further? I don't think so."
"That's not how it works. We're fully linked and there's no limiting it. If you continue to try blocking me, you'll end up with a migraine. Relax."
She blew out a breath and then drew in another slowly. He felt her force herself to loosen her muscles. As her tension eased, so did the sense of pain. The Master put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
"There you go."
Her gaze met his reluctantly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I did have something of an ulterior motive, after all."
Seren laughed softly. The gap between them had closed a little. He dropped his hand and she leaned her head against his upper arm. "Your mind is quite a scary place," she noted.
"Yours isn't a picnic, either." He gave her a sharp look. "You fought for a very long time."
Her eyes closed. "Don't, please."
"I can't help it, any more than you can. What do you see, Seren?"
"Everything." A sob escaped her. "How can you bear it all?"
The Master put an arm around her. "By not thinking about it most of the time. Oh no, my dear, that's not a good place to go."
She didn't protest that she couldn't help it, which would have been a lie since he could sense her curiosity. He couldn't stop her reaching those long-hidden memories, or stop her leafing through them as one would a book. And, bound to her so intimately, nor could he prevent himself feeling what she did: a pang of jealousy, a wave of sympathy, and then white hot anger.
"So that's why I'm not a companion."
He sighed. "Yes."
"I'm not her, you realise that, right?"
"Seren..."
She jerked upright. Anger and pain lanced through his head. "Fine," she snapped out loud, scrambling to her feet. The Master watched her pace, felt her emotions flow and ebb. The latter should never have been possible, but he'd given up on holding Seren to any expectation; she defied convention as naturally as she breathed.
He focused on that thought; on how, as much as she drove him crazy, he thought her... unique. How she matched him in intelligence, despite what he'd said, and was at least as stubborn. How her wonder made him see the universe in a different light. How he'd smiled easier since she'd charged into his life.
Seren stopped. Her gaze was on the floor directly in front of her, but a flush coloured her cheeks and while she could hide her face, she couldn't hide her thoughts.
She threw him a look. "Stop that."
"Can't." He smiled at her. "The TARDIS has linked us too deeply."
"Weren't you all wrapped up in her? I'm just an irritation you can't get rid of."
"Oh, Seren, you're not just anything."
Her glance was startled, but he was surprised at the pain that came through the bond. Tears shimmered in her eyes and she spun away. Leaned her forehead against the wall. Her plea to the TARDIS to let her out, please, please, please echoed through the room and dragged nails through his hearts.
The need to discover why she was so agonised drove him deeper into her mind. She tried to resist, but the connection was too strong. He pushed in, despite her protests, and then... The Master yanked back, eyes wide. She gave him a reproachful glower. Tears ran down her cheeks.
"You're such a bastard."
"So... why?"
"Because I'm an idiot!" She sighed, sagged, defeat on her face. "You frightened the life out of me with that ridiculous scheme. It was such a stupid risk, and you didn't care because your eyes were on the goal." A faint smile touched her lips. It didn't reach her eyes. "You can be very blinkered at times, and half the time I want to smack you for endangering yourself."
The Master arched an eyebrow. "And the other half?"
Her gaze dropped. "You know."
He nodded, then realised they'd been speaking aloud. He nudged the link. It was there, but weaker, and he was no longer fully in her head. The TARDIS had let them go - to a point, as there was still no door.
She'd not seen his agreement. He pushed her. "Tell me anyway."
"No." Seren looked at him then. She seemed tired and worn. "I'm not a toy you can play with. Especially not when it's likely I'll end up broken."
"I would never hurt you," he snapped, then blinked at the truth of that statement. He'd not realised she'd come to mean that much to him. "And I wasn't playing."
"I'm not competing," she retorted. "So until you stop comparing me to her, then no."
The Master frowned, more at himself than her. Had he compared her? Yes, he had. His mistrust and casual attitude came from a very particular place. From a very particular experience. He wasn't willing to get burnt a second time.
Neither was Seren.
"If we don't find an impasse, we'll be stuck in here forever," he noted, getting up from the chaise lounge. He closed in and she didn't back off. Nor did she fight him when he gathered her into his arms. "I'm sorry for frightening you. It was never my intention, but is very much my regret."
"I really shouldn't have called you all those names."
He chuckled. "You can shout exceedingly loud. I'm surprised the TARDIS didn't seal us in a padded room."
She laughed, and then sighed. "What do we do now? You're right about the impasse. Is there a way forward?"
The Master gazed into eyes that were amber flecked with gold. That were as unique and as beautiful as the rest of her. Seren was hard to live with, but impossible to be without. He didn't imagine he was any easier. Too old and set in his ways. Too stubborn to change.
Yet he had, a little. One couldn't live with another person and not. He drew her close and kissed her forehead. He didn't need the link to sense her shock.
"I think," he said slowly. "That things can't be easy. We're both far too stubborn to give way. It's fine when we're in agreement, but when we aren't... well, words are said and things get broken. That much is clear."
"So?"
"It's not that we argued. We've done that before without ending up trapped in a room. I believe the difference is that we haven't spoken since."
Understanding spread across her face. "Allowing things to fester."
"Exactly."
"Then we don't allow so much time to pass if we argue again. Cool down and then discuss the issue like actual adults."
"Given our combined ages, that really ought to be possible."
Seren snorted. "You would think so."
The Master shrugged. He knew she'd a way of getting under his skin and causing him to behave in a not altogether rational manner. It seemed she was similarly affected.
An outline etched the wall and a door handle appeared. He smiled and then rested his cheek against her head, closing his eyes. Breathing in the scent of her hair, with her body pressed to his, he decided that he'd not tell her just yet.
If it ended in another argument, then the TARDIS could always seal them back in...
Pairing: The Master (Ainley)/OFC
Comm/Prompt: hc_bingo / forced soulbonding
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1878
Summary: A week after the Master and Seren get into an argument, the TARDIS locks them in a room to work through their issues.
A week had passed since the Master and Seren got into a fully fledged argument. A week since they'd been in the same room together, never mind spoken. The TARDIS was frankly sick of it; his mood meant he handled the controls too harshly, while she had at least stopped throwing things at the wall.
It was an untenable situation, and the TARDIS wasn't going to allow it to continue. She faked an emergency and, as soon as they responded, she changed her corridors to get them in one space. And then she removed the only way out.
The Master stared at the blank wall. Then spun to look for an alternative. There wasn't one. In fact, there wasn't much of anything - just the purple chaise lounge that Seren was sat on, a frown on her face. Everything else was pale blue, smooth, and door-less. He thumped where the door had been to no avail.
"She's not going to let us out until we've talked."
Seren's tone indicated she was no happier about telling him that as he was hearing it. He scowled at her. "So this is your fault?"
"Oh, yes, because I was the one being a complete and utter moron! Would it really kill you to think for once?"
Anger surged. "I had thought it through! You just couldn't understand the genius of the idea. Not that I was surprised - my mind is vastly superior to yours."
"Says the man locked in a room by his own time machine."
The Master huffed, not willing to concede that point no matter how true it was. He paced around the room, but there was no exit. They were sealed in together. Apparently until they'd talked. He didn't think yelling would count as far as the TARDIS was concerned.
He dropped onto the other end of the chaise lounge with a defeated sigh.
Silence reigned.
After a minute or so, the Master glanced at Seren. Her gaze was fixed ahead and her jaw was tight. Tension hunched her shoulders. He frowned at the floor. It was her fault. She was so damn stubborn. He'd no idea why he continued to let her stay.
Spots of light appeared on the wall. All the hues of the rainbow, they wavered and then danced, circling around in a hypnotising fashion. He muttered a curse.
"What?" Seren watched the lights and he felt the brush of her curiosity. "What's going on?"
"This bloody time ship," the Master muttered darkly. "Close your eyes."
"It's singing."
"Seren!"
"What?!"
He grabbed and shook her. "Close your eyes!"
She shoved him hard. "Go to hell."
"Oh for-" The Master stood angrily, but then his vision spun; the dance of the lights causing dizziness. He tried to concentrate in the way he'd been taught as a child, but his emotions were running too high. It was too late. "Damn."
Everything went dark.
"Master?" Seren's voice quavered. Her nervousness made him edgy and he bit back another curse. Today just wasn't getting any better.
"Think," he thought at her. "Don't yell."
"I wasn't-- Oh God, I'm going to be sick."
"Don't you dare. Breathe slowly - the dizziness will pass."
At least she understood what had happened and wasn't asking stupid questions. His TARDIS had clearly decided a sealed room wasn't enough. Now the faint psychic link was no longer faint, but a full-on connection. He could feel what Seren felt, and vice versa. He shuddered at the exposure.
"Yes, because it's so much fun for me," she said out loud, making him wince. Her mind brushed his. "This won't last will it?"
"Not if I've anything to do with it." The Master sat back down. His head throbbed from the unexpected intrusion, but he'd had training. A soft glow filled the room. He glanced at her. "How bad is the pain?"
"Very."
He could sense her discomfort, and the cause. "You're wound too tight. Try to relax."
"And let you in further? I don't think so."
"That's not how it works. We're fully linked and there's no limiting it. If you continue to try blocking me, you'll end up with a migraine. Relax."
She blew out a breath and then drew in another slowly. He felt her force herself to loosen her muscles. As her tension eased, so did the sense of pain. The Master put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
"There you go."
Her gaze met his reluctantly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I did have something of an ulterior motive, after all."
Seren laughed softly. The gap between them had closed a little. He dropped his hand and she leaned her head against his upper arm. "Your mind is quite a scary place," she noted.
"Yours isn't a picnic, either." He gave her a sharp look. "You fought for a very long time."
Her eyes closed. "Don't, please."
"I can't help it, any more than you can. What do you see, Seren?"
"Everything." A sob escaped her. "How can you bear it all?"
The Master put an arm around her. "By not thinking about it most of the time. Oh no, my dear, that's not a good place to go."
She didn't protest that she couldn't help it, which would have been a lie since he could sense her curiosity. He couldn't stop her reaching those long-hidden memories, or stop her leafing through them as one would a book. And, bound to her so intimately, nor could he prevent himself feeling what she did: a pang of jealousy, a wave of sympathy, and then white hot anger.
"So that's why I'm not a companion."
He sighed. "Yes."
"I'm not her, you realise that, right?"
"Seren..."
She jerked upright. Anger and pain lanced through his head. "Fine," she snapped out loud, scrambling to her feet. The Master watched her pace, felt her emotions flow and ebb. The latter should never have been possible, but he'd given up on holding Seren to any expectation; she defied convention as naturally as she breathed.
He focused on that thought; on how, as much as she drove him crazy, he thought her... unique. How she matched him in intelligence, despite what he'd said, and was at least as stubborn. How her wonder made him see the universe in a different light. How he'd smiled easier since she'd charged into his life.
Seren stopped. Her gaze was on the floor directly in front of her, but a flush coloured her cheeks and while she could hide her face, she couldn't hide her thoughts.
She threw him a look. "Stop that."
"Can't." He smiled at her. "The TARDIS has linked us too deeply."
"Weren't you all wrapped up in her? I'm just an irritation you can't get rid of."
"Oh, Seren, you're not just anything."
Her glance was startled, but he was surprised at the pain that came through the bond. Tears shimmered in her eyes and she spun away. Leaned her forehead against the wall. Her plea to the TARDIS to let her out, please, please, please echoed through the room and dragged nails through his hearts.
The need to discover why she was so agonised drove him deeper into her mind. She tried to resist, but the connection was too strong. He pushed in, despite her protests, and then... The Master yanked back, eyes wide. She gave him a reproachful glower. Tears ran down her cheeks.
"You're such a bastard."
"So... why?"
"Because I'm an idiot!" She sighed, sagged, defeat on her face. "You frightened the life out of me with that ridiculous scheme. It was such a stupid risk, and you didn't care because your eyes were on the goal." A faint smile touched her lips. It didn't reach her eyes. "You can be very blinkered at times, and half the time I want to smack you for endangering yourself."
The Master arched an eyebrow. "And the other half?"
Her gaze dropped. "You know."
He nodded, then realised they'd been speaking aloud. He nudged the link. It was there, but weaker, and he was no longer fully in her head. The TARDIS had let them go - to a point, as there was still no door.
She'd not seen his agreement. He pushed her. "Tell me anyway."
"No." Seren looked at him then. She seemed tired and worn. "I'm not a toy you can play with. Especially not when it's likely I'll end up broken."
"I would never hurt you," he snapped, then blinked at the truth of that statement. He'd not realised she'd come to mean that much to him. "And I wasn't playing."
"I'm not competing," she retorted. "So until you stop comparing me to her, then no."
The Master frowned, more at himself than her. Had he compared her? Yes, he had. His mistrust and casual attitude came from a very particular place. From a very particular experience. He wasn't willing to get burnt a second time.
Neither was Seren.
"If we don't find an impasse, we'll be stuck in here forever," he noted, getting up from the chaise lounge. He closed in and she didn't back off. Nor did she fight him when he gathered her into his arms. "I'm sorry for frightening you. It was never my intention, but is very much my regret."
"I really shouldn't have called you all those names."
He chuckled. "You can shout exceedingly loud. I'm surprised the TARDIS didn't seal us in a padded room."
She laughed, and then sighed. "What do we do now? You're right about the impasse. Is there a way forward?"
The Master gazed into eyes that were amber flecked with gold. That were as unique and as beautiful as the rest of her. Seren was hard to live with, but impossible to be without. He didn't imagine he was any easier. Too old and set in his ways. Too stubborn to change.
Yet he had, a little. One couldn't live with another person and not. He drew her close and kissed her forehead. He didn't need the link to sense her shock.
"I think," he said slowly. "That things can't be easy. We're both far too stubborn to give way. It's fine when we're in agreement, but when we aren't... well, words are said and things get broken. That much is clear."
"So?"
"It's not that we argued. We've done that before without ending up trapped in a room. I believe the difference is that we haven't spoken since."
Understanding spread across her face. "Allowing things to fester."
"Exactly."
"Then we don't allow so much time to pass if we argue again. Cool down and then discuss the issue like actual adults."
"Given our combined ages, that really ought to be possible."
Seren snorted. "You would think so."
The Master shrugged. He knew she'd a way of getting under his skin and causing him to behave in a not altogether rational manner. It seemed she was similarly affected.
An outline etched the wall and a door handle appeared. He smiled and then rested his cheek against her head, closing his eyes. Breathing in the scent of her hair, with her body pressed to his, he decided that he'd not tell her just yet.
If it ended in another argument, then the TARDIS could always seal them back in...