Log: The Master and Mary Tyler (AU!Eleven)
OOC: One-off log with alwayscoward. Dated 10/13. Post-S4 AU.
[Master] *is out wandering, then. He doesn't do that very often -- he still gets recognized fairly often, and it's better to be safe than sorry until he has some sort of weapon or backup plan. But he was bored. So now he's -- sitting on the grass in a fairly unoccupied park, by a nice little pond. Still bored, but at least bored with different scenery!*
[Doctor] *is wandering around, being... well, bored, honestly. And is wandering around not noticing people and humming some Gallifreyan lullaby*
[Master] *...well, that's unexpected. You've got the Master's attention! Poor soul.* *except that he knows the face. What, you don't think he watched for and collected information on the Doctor and his companions? So for the moment he just... watches her, trying to determine the best thing to do in the situation.*
[Doctor] *oh, look! ducks! And she will attempt to commune with them* Hullo. Are you at ALL sentient yet?
[Ducks] *quack*
[Master] *don't mind the laugh from behind you, really. He should probably be going just about now. But he's curious. And really, really bored.*
[Doctor] *glances behind her* Are you laughing at m-- *and then she SEES him, and goes kind of white*
[Master] *now there's a rather unexpected reaction, even for someone everyone thinks is dead.* *raises eyebrows* Something the matter?
[Doctor] I... *mouth opens and closes* No! Nothing. Absolutely nothing, I'm fine. Just... have to go. Elsewhere. &and will try to flee, but she has to PASS him to do that&
[Master] *and is on his feet in a heartsbeat to intercept her* You're moving awfully quick for nothing, Miss Tyler. *and the quiet, intimate tone? Just makes him more creepy.*
[Doctor] *and this is going to be a rather... confusing (for him)* *flicker of utter HEARTBREAK, just for a second, and then she shuts everything down* I don't know who you're talking about.
[Master] *confusing is a good word for it. And dammit, he doesn't like being confused* I think you do, Rose. *and yeah, extra emphasis on 'her name'*
[Doctor] *shakes her head* My name's Mary. I don't know who you're talking about. *which... is a lie, yes. But it's not HER*
[Master] It's awfully impolite to lie.
[Doctor] Well, I never cared much for politeness. *rather Doctorish there, hi*
[Master] *that's interesting... but just does more to convince him she's just lying* Well, I do. What I don't care for is little girls running back to the Doctor and spoiling my fun. *and fun is pretty much a snarl, because this is even LESS fun than those eighteen months before he ruled the planet. At least he had a plan then! And Lucy to play with!*
[Doctor] *narrows her eyes, trying to pull her arm back* You're SUPPOSED to be dead.
[Master] I've spent quite enough time dead. And I'm not going back. *and this is the Master going to push into her mind, to hide the memory of him*
[Doctor] *gasps, and this is a very indignant Doctor, shoving him (or trying, as the Master always WAS a stronger psychic) out*
[Master] *it probably wouldn't work if he was holding on, but he lets go of her as if he was burned the second he realizes who she is and steps back*
[Doctor] *ducks her head immediately, and tries to walk away QUICKLY*
[Master] Oh, no you don't! *follows a step, and grabs her by the elbow* And just where do you think you're going, Doctor?
[Doctor] *tries to shrug him off, but... well, she's PHYSICALLY a 19-year-old girl. Not an exceedingly strong one, either* Let go of me!
[Master] Let you fetch your faithful freak and drag me off to a cell? I don't think so, no. Besides, I think an explanation's in order here. I know you were never good at controlling your regenerations, but a different sex and one of your pet's bodies? I didn't think even you were that bad.
[Doctor] *growls* Shut up.
[Master] Ooh, that's not very friendly. Did I hit a nerve, Doctor?
[Doctor] Shut UP. I'm not bothering you, just... let me go.
[Master] Why should I? You're a risk. I can't allow that.
[Doctor] *jerks back again* Let GO!
[Master] *yanks her closer, instead* *just loud enough for her to hear him* Tell me, Doctor, why do you have her body, hmm? Just what happened to Rose Tyler?
[Doctor] *closes her eyes and tries not to think about it* Let me go.
[Master] *demanding* Tell me. What did you do to your fragile, human pet?
[Doctor] *weaker* I didn't-- Please.
[Master] *reaches out to stroke her cheek with the other hand* Oh, Doctor, it'll be so much easier if you just answer me.
[Doctor] *snorts* Easier for WHO?
[Master] For both of us, of course.
[Doctor] *growls and tries to shove him back* Let GO!
[Master] *shifts to grip her with both hands* You know I can't do that. Just let you walk away now that you know? It would be mad.
[Doctor] Why? I'm not... trying to do anything to you. I'm not-- look, I don't CARE. Just leave THIS planet alone and I don't CARE.
[Master] *almost shouting now -- lucky for him there's nobody around for a while* Why should I believe you?
[Doctor] *startled* I... Because it's ME. I keep my promises. *when it doesn't involve her companions being safe, she thinks*
[Master] *totally and obviously doesn't believe that statement* Oh, of course. I should just trust you to skip off and not get any grand ideas in your head because you promise.
[Doctor] *closes her eyes* Please. I don't have anything you can use.
[Master] *just about shakes her in frustration before forcing himself to calm down, at least outwardly* *aaand suddenly all sweetness and intimacy* You still haven't answered my question.
[Doctor] *tightens jaw* Which question would that be?
[Master] Why do you look like this?
[Doctor] I regenerated. Obviously.
[Master] Yes, but into someone else?
[Doctor] Yes. Yes, I look someone else. Is it so hard to believe that my always-uncontrolled regenerations might do that one day?
[Master] No. But it doesn't explain why you're so reluctant to discuss it. Makes me think you're hiding something. I don't like it when you hide things. Or did you forget that?
[Doctor] *looks down, then away* I don't think it matters whether you like it or not.
[Master] And I think you haven't realized just how much of a disadvantage you're at.
[Doctor] How's that, then?
[Master] Have you seen yourself, Doctor? You're no match for me physically, not in this body. And you never were psychically. You don't have your humans around to run to your rescue. There's not one factor in your favor.
[Doctor] *oh. uh. That... had actually not occurred to her, and it shows on her face. She doesn't say anything, but she's now trying desperately to figure out how to escape*
[Master] *just smiles, and it's completely and totally unhinged to an extent he hadn't been even on the Valiant* Going to cooperate now? I could make you, of course, but that's so... unsophisticated. And nowhere near as fun.
[Doctor] *forcing herself to be calm* What do you want?
[Master] I want an answer. *pauses, tapping quickly against her arm* And then I want you to not fight while I make you forget you saw me. *because as much as he'd love to have a shiny Doctor toy to play with... yeah, somebody would notice, and he knows it*
[Doctor] *snorts* Not likely.
[Master] I'm letting you off easy and you're going to antagonize me? I think you should reconsider.
[Doctor] Yeah, well, I hardly think you're in a position where doing much of anything would be smart, but... your call.
[Master] And what exactly do you mean by that?
[Doctor] Well, just... I go missing, without my TARDIS? There's people'll notice, come looking, and they're fully capable of taking you down. *okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, especially because she doesn't know if Jack WOULD come looking, but...*
[Master] You underestimate me, as always. *totally ignoring the fact that he was worrying about this, like, two seconds ago. That's the Master for you.*
[Doctor] Hardly. I think you underestimate my friends.
[Master] And what friends are those? Miss Jones? The freak and his pathetic team?
[Doctor] *...has nothing to say to that, really* ...actually it's Dr. Jones.
[Master] *dry* I'm shaking in my shoes.
[Doctor] There's no question to answer. I just DID, that's ALL.
[Master] *rolls his eyes* You're going to make me do this the hard way, aren't you?
[Doctor] Why do you seem to think there's anything more to it?
[Master] Because it hurt you. When I asked. When I said Rose Tyler's name. More than it ever did before. I never knew you to be easily hurt, Doctor, and I'm curious.
[Doctor] *snaps, almost angrily* Nothing happened. I lost someone else, like I always do. End of story.
[Master] *as though there's no other logical explanation* It was your fault, wasn't it?
[Doctor] *the thing here is that it really WASN'T, but she thinks it was, and that's all that matters in the end, isn't it? Looks... rather like he's just hit her in the gut.* I didn't... I was trying to get her back to the TARDIS... It wasn't... I did everything I could.
[Master] *it doesn't matter if it's true -- if she thinks it was, he's more than happy to agree* *mockingly* Of course you did. There's no reason it shouldn't have been absolutely safe, after all.
[Doctor] *looks down, and tries to pull away* Stop.
[Master] What? I agreed with you.
[Doctor] Let me go.
[Master] But I'm not done with you quite yet, Doctor. Can't risk that your self-righteous sense of judgment won't get the better of you.
[Doctor] You're NOT getting inside my head.
[Master] *amused* You're going to stop me?
[Doctor] *growls* Yes. *ahahahahyeah right. But if she fights too hard, things could go... very wrong.*
[Master] *willing to take that risk! And look, Doctor, you're being invaded*
[Doctor] *throws up more walls than she had up already, which should prove at least a little bit of a block while she tries to mount up a defense*
[Master] *it does, but it -- doesn't hold him that long. He's pretty damn strong in this regeneration.*
[Doctor] *and she's pretty.... NOT. So this leads to panicked attempts to shove him out*
[Master] *fights back! Honestly, even more amused by her panic.* *more inside her head than out loud* This will be so much easier if you don't fight.
[Doctor] *entirely in her head, but so obvious he'll hear her* Get out get out get OUT!
[Master] *doesn't even bother to respond, just -- continues fighting to do what he's in there to do*
[Doctor] *and look, here's the whole of... just ROSE. Everywhere Rose, all the important things, she's dragging the recent memories, of him and Jack, down and under other things, but Rose is always just below the surface and the Master can see everything that happened, everything she felt for her. Everything.*
[Master] *and for a moment he just drinks it in, the hurt that it ended it, everything. And it's not what he intended to do, fiddling around like this, but there's an urge and he takes the mental equivalent of a handful of memories -- happy memories, good memories, and just ... pushes. Pushes down, below, hidden, where it's there in the mind but it's also not available anymore*
[Doctor] *and she doesn't realize what he's doing until he's halfway done and she can't stop him. Which then sends her scrambling for the other memories of Rose, the few she has left, just to... SAVE them*
[Master] *entirely mind-to-mind* It would be helping you, really, to get rid of them all.
[Doctor] *in her mind, and only half coherent because she's freaking out so much* Rose. Please, don't take her. Please.
[Master] You'd never know she was gone. *pushing back another memory*
[Doctor] *desperate* Rose. I'd know. I'd know something was missing.
[Master] Only barely. You wouldn't know what it was. *starts on the memory of their first meeting, going deliberately slow, to let the Doctor feel it slipping away out of consciousness*
[Doctor] *practically sobbing, outwardly AND inwardly& No. Rose. No.
[Master] Whyever not? *and there it goes, over the edge, and this deep in her mind the Doctor will be able to FEEL the sheer, sadistic GLEE coming off the Master*
[Doctor] *she feels it. She feels it, and the emptiness where SOMETHING was, and she's crying, so it had to be important... jerks back as much as she can* What did you do?
[Master] *faking innocence, but -- not even really trying, to be honest* What do you mean?
[Doctor] You did something. What did you DO?
[Master] Nothing. *still hovering around the edges of her mind, but has mostly withdrawn at this point, for now. Still holding her physically, though*
[Doctor] Let go.
[Master] And if I do? What will you do then?
[Doctor] Leave?
[Master] Ooh, you're no fun, Doctor. But if you insist.... There's just one more thing I have to do.
[Doctor] *narrows her eyes - so much more DOCTORISH without the pain of losing Rose, though losing Martha and Donna still stings. It wasn't quite the same - she wasn't there for that* What's that?
[Master] *pushes back in, as quickly as he can, to keep from giving her a reaction time, and will at least attempt to gather up the memory of seeing him today and shove it back as well... Whether or not it works, we'll see*
[Doctor] *mostly. She might have a fuzzy "I saw this guy who looked like him" sense, but... though he should knock her out briefly so he can escape*
[Master] *that was exactly the plan, so that works well!*
[Doctor] *lovely!*
[Master] *is out wandering, then. He doesn't do that very often -- he still gets recognized fairly often, and it's better to be safe than sorry until he has some sort of weapon or backup plan. But he was bored. So now he's -- sitting on the grass in a fairly unoccupied park, by a nice little pond. Still bored, but at least bored with different scenery!*
[Doctor] *is wandering around, being... well, bored, honestly. And is wandering around not noticing people and humming some Gallifreyan lullaby*
[Master] *...well, that's unexpected. You've got the Master's attention! Poor soul.* *except that he knows the face. What, you don't think he watched for and collected information on the Doctor and his companions? So for the moment he just... watches her, trying to determine the best thing to do in the situation.*
[Doctor] *oh, look! ducks! And she will attempt to commune with them* Hullo. Are you at ALL sentient yet?
[Ducks] *quack*
[Master] *don't mind the laugh from behind you, really. He should probably be going just about now. But he's curious. And really, really bored.*
[Doctor] *glances behind her* Are you laughing at m-- *and then she SEES him, and goes kind of white*
[Master] *now there's a rather unexpected reaction, even for someone everyone thinks is dead.* *raises eyebrows* Something the matter?
[Doctor] I... *mouth opens and closes* No! Nothing. Absolutely nothing, I'm fine. Just... have to go. Elsewhere. &and will try to flee, but she has to PASS him to do that&
[Master] *and is on his feet in a heartsbeat to intercept her* You're moving awfully quick for nothing, Miss Tyler. *and the quiet, intimate tone? Just makes him more creepy.*
[Doctor] *and this is going to be a rather... confusing (for him)* *flicker of utter HEARTBREAK, just for a second, and then she shuts everything down* I don't know who you're talking about.
[Master] *confusing is a good word for it. And dammit, he doesn't like being confused* I think you do, Rose. *and yeah, extra emphasis on 'her name'*
[Doctor] *shakes her head* My name's Mary. I don't know who you're talking about. *which... is a lie, yes. But it's not HER*
[Master] It's awfully impolite to lie.
[Doctor] Well, I never cared much for politeness. *rather Doctorish there, hi*
[Master] *that's interesting... but just does more to convince him she's just lying* Well, I do. What I don't care for is little girls running back to the Doctor and spoiling my fun. *and fun is pretty much a snarl, because this is even LESS fun than those eighteen months before he ruled the planet. At least he had a plan then! And Lucy to play with!*
[Doctor] *narrows her eyes, trying to pull her arm back* You're SUPPOSED to be dead.
[Master] I've spent quite enough time dead. And I'm not going back. *and this is the Master going to push into her mind, to hide the memory of him*
[Doctor] *gasps, and this is a very indignant Doctor, shoving him (or trying, as the Master always WAS a stronger psychic) out*
[Master] *it probably wouldn't work if he was holding on, but he lets go of her as if he was burned the second he realizes who she is and steps back*
[Doctor] *ducks her head immediately, and tries to walk away QUICKLY*
[Master] Oh, no you don't! *follows a step, and grabs her by the elbow* And just where do you think you're going, Doctor?
[Doctor] *tries to shrug him off, but... well, she's PHYSICALLY a 19-year-old girl. Not an exceedingly strong one, either* Let go of me!
[Master] Let you fetch your faithful freak and drag me off to a cell? I don't think so, no. Besides, I think an explanation's in order here. I know you were never good at controlling your regenerations, but a different sex and one of your pet's bodies? I didn't think even you were that bad.
[Doctor] *growls* Shut up.
[Master] Ooh, that's not very friendly. Did I hit a nerve, Doctor?
[Doctor] Shut UP. I'm not bothering you, just... let me go.
[Master] Why should I? You're a risk. I can't allow that.
[Doctor] *jerks back again* Let GO!
[Master] *yanks her closer, instead* *just loud enough for her to hear him* Tell me, Doctor, why do you have her body, hmm? Just what happened to Rose Tyler?
[Doctor] *closes her eyes and tries not to think about it* Let me go.
[Master] *demanding* Tell me. What did you do to your fragile, human pet?
[Doctor] *weaker* I didn't-- Please.
[Master] *reaches out to stroke her cheek with the other hand* Oh, Doctor, it'll be so much easier if you just answer me.
[Doctor] *snorts* Easier for WHO?
[Master] For both of us, of course.
[Doctor] *growls and tries to shove him back* Let GO!
[Master] *shifts to grip her with both hands* You know I can't do that. Just let you walk away now that you know? It would be mad.
[Doctor] Why? I'm not... trying to do anything to you. I'm not-- look, I don't CARE. Just leave THIS planet alone and I don't CARE.
[Master] *almost shouting now -- lucky for him there's nobody around for a while* Why should I believe you?
[Doctor] *startled* I... Because it's ME. I keep my promises. *when it doesn't involve her companions being safe, she thinks*
[Master] *totally and obviously doesn't believe that statement* Oh, of course. I should just trust you to skip off and not get any grand ideas in your head because you promise.
[Doctor] *closes her eyes* Please. I don't have anything you can use.
[Master] *just about shakes her in frustration before forcing himself to calm down, at least outwardly* *aaand suddenly all sweetness and intimacy* You still haven't answered my question.
[Doctor] *tightens jaw* Which question would that be?
[Master] Why do you look like this?
[Doctor] I regenerated. Obviously.
[Master] Yes, but into someone else?
[Doctor] Yes. Yes, I look someone else. Is it so hard to believe that my always-uncontrolled regenerations might do that one day?
[Master] No. But it doesn't explain why you're so reluctant to discuss it. Makes me think you're hiding something. I don't like it when you hide things. Or did you forget that?
[Doctor] *looks down, then away* I don't think it matters whether you like it or not.
[Master] And I think you haven't realized just how much of a disadvantage you're at.
[Doctor] How's that, then?
[Master] Have you seen yourself, Doctor? You're no match for me physically, not in this body. And you never were psychically. You don't have your humans around to run to your rescue. There's not one factor in your favor.
[Doctor] *oh. uh. That... had actually not occurred to her, and it shows on her face. She doesn't say anything, but she's now trying desperately to figure out how to escape*
[Master] *just smiles, and it's completely and totally unhinged to an extent he hadn't been even on the Valiant* Going to cooperate now? I could make you, of course, but that's so... unsophisticated. And nowhere near as fun.
[Doctor] *forcing herself to be calm* What do you want?
[Master] I want an answer. *pauses, tapping quickly against her arm* And then I want you to not fight while I make you forget you saw me. *because as much as he'd love to have a shiny Doctor toy to play with... yeah, somebody would notice, and he knows it*
[Doctor] *snorts* Not likely.
[Master] I'm letting you off easy and you're going to antagonize me? I think you should reconsider.
[Doctor] Yeah, well, I hardly think you're in a position where doing much of anything would be smart, but... your call.
[Master] And what exactly do you mean by that?
[Doctor] Well, just... I go missing, without my TARDIS? There's people'll notice, come looking, and they're fully capable of taking you down. *okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, especially because she doesn't know if Jack WOULD come looking, but...*
[Master] You underestimate me, as always. *totally ignoring the fact that he was worrying about this, like, two seconds ago. That's the Master for you.*
[Doctor] Hardly. I think you underestimate my friends.
[Master] And what friends are those? Miss Jones? The freak and his pathetic team?
[Doctor] *...has nothing to say to that, really* ...actually it's Dr. Jones.
[Master] *dry* I'm shaking in my shoes.
[Doctor] There's no question to answer. I just DID, that's ALL.
[Master] *rolls his eyes* You're going to make me do this the hard way, aren't you?
[Doctor] Why do you seem to think there's anything more to it?
[Master] Because it hurt you. When I asked. When I said Rose Tyler's name. More than it ever did before. I never knew you to be easily hurt, Doctor, and I'm curious.
[Doctor] *snaps, almost angrily* Nothing happened. I lost someone else, like I always do. End of story.
[Master] *as though there's no other logical explanation* It was your fault, wasn't it?
[Doctor] *the thing here is that it really WASN'T, but she thinks it was, and that's all that matters in the end, isn't it? Looks... rather like he's just hit her in the gut.* I didn't... I was trying to get her back to the TARDIS... It wasn't... I did everything I could.
[Master] *it doesn't matter if it's true -- if she thinks it was, he's more than happy to agree* *mockingly* Of course you did. There's no reason it shouldn't have been absolutely safe, after all.
[Doctor] *looks down, and tries to pull away* Stop.
[Master] What? I agreed with you.
[Doctor] Let me go.
[Master] But I'm not done with you quite yet, Doctor. Can't risk that your self-righteous sense of judgment won't get the better of you.
[Doctor] You're NOT getting inside my head.
[Master] *amused* You're going to stop me?
[Doctor] *growls* Yes. *ahahahahyeah right. But if she fights too hard, things could go... very wrong.*
[Master] *willing to take that risk! And look, Doctor, you're being invaded*
[Doctor] *throws up more walls than she had up already, which should prove at least a little bit of a block while she tries to mount up a defense*
[Master] *it does, but it -- doesn't hold him that long. He's pretty damn strong in this regeneration.*
[Doctor] *and she's pretty.... NOT. So this leads to panicked attempts to shove him out*
[Master] *fights back! Honestly, even more amused by her panic.* *more inside her head than out loud* This will be so much easier if you don't fight.
[Doctor] *entirely in her head, but so obvious he'll hear her* Get out get out get OUT!
[Master] *doesn't even bother to respond, just -- continues fighting to do what he's in there to do*
[Doctor] *and look, here's the whole of... just ROSE. Everywhere Rose, all the important things, she's dragging the recent memories, of him and Jack, down and under other things, but Rose is always just below the surface and the Master can see everything that happened, everything she felt for her. Everything.*
[Master] *and for a moment he just drinks it in, the hurt that it ended it, everything. And it's not what he intended to do, fiddling around like this, but there's an urge and he takes the mental equivalent of a handful of memories -- happy memories, good memories, and just ... pushes. Pushes down, below, hidden, where it's there in the mind but it's also not available anymore*
[Doctor] *and she doesn't realize what he's doing until he's halfway done and she can't stop him. Which then sends her scrambling for the other memories of Rose, the few she has left, just to... SAVE them*
[Master] *entirely mind-to-mind* It would be helping you, really, to get rid of them all.
[Doctor] *in her mind, and only half coherent because she's freaking out so much* Rose. Please, don't take her. Please.
[Master] You'd never know she was gone. *pushing back another memory*
[Doctor] *desperate* Rose. I'd know. I'd know something was missing.
[Master] Only barely. You wouldn't know what it was. *starts on the memory of their first meeting, going deliberately slow, to let the Doctor feel it slipping away out of consciousness*
[Doctor] *practically sobbing, outwardly AND inwardly& No. Rose. No.
[Master] Whyever not? *and there it goes, over the edge, and this deep in her mind the Doctor will be able to FEEL the sheer, sadistic GLEE coming off the Master*
[Doctor] *she feels it. She feels it, and the emptiness where SOMETHING was, and she's crying, so it had to be important... jerks back as much as she can* What did you do?
[Master] *faking innocence, but -- not even really trying, to be honest* What do you mean?
[Doctor] You did something. What did you DO?
[Master] Nothing. *still hovering around the edges of her mind, but has mostly withdrawn at this point, for now. Still holding her physically, though*
[Doctor] Let go.
[Master] And if I do? What will you do then?
[Doctor] Leave?
[Master] Ooh, you're no fun, Doctor. But if you insist.... There's just one more thing I have to do.
[Doctor] *narrows her eyes - so much more DOCTORISH without the pain of losing Rose, though losing Martha and Donna still stings. It wasn't quite the same - she wasn't there for that* What's that?
[Master] *pushes back in, as quickly as he can, to keep from giving her a reaction time, and will at least attempt to gather up the memory of seeing him today and shove it back as well... Whether or not it works, we'll see*
[Doctor] *mostly. She might have a fuzzy "I saw this guy who looked like him" sense, but... though he should knock her out briefly so he can escape*
[Master] *that was exactly the plan, so that works well!*
[Doctor] *lovely!*