“…Still alive. That’s good. For once I’m happy t’see you.”
“I’ve been lookin’ for you.”
The Master Made a face that was a cross between delight and confusion. Basically delighted confusion.
“Oh? You are!? How delightful…! But Why? What brings Theta Sigma, the Runt of the Lungbarrow house, across time and space, to try and find Lil-Ol’ Me? Im honestly touched.”
“nobody is beyond help. and trust me, i want nothing more than to have you by my side, koschei, you know that.” she had been relieved and honestly, ecstatic to hear his terms of redeeming himself, to build some kind of bridge.
“but, you can’t pretend that you’re a good person, that you’ve done nothing bad. what we’ve done defines us, good or bad.”
He chuckles bitterly. “Im not even trying to pretend that i’m in any way a good person…. but, i am willing to play by your rules… to try and turn a new leaf.” he repeats and he will continue to say it, till she realised that he was serious.
“Its practically the reason i’m… asking for your help… For, correct me if i’m wrong, but did we not agree on a silent truce an age back? Before i heroically forced Rassilon back into the time lock?”
Very much a plot twist. The Doctor just stared, very much shocked at the words that no other but The Master had said. “Well, that’s a surprise. Is it my new LADY looks or..?” She rose her eyebrows, tilting her head a little as she just ASSESSED him.
He just stood, arm spread slightly, as if bowing. “Or… ive decided to try, and play by your rules.” He confessed to her.
“It took a little while, but i figured out, that while they took the 4 beat signal from my mind, they scrambled the memory of our last encounter as well… but, you cant scramble a master telepaths mind for long, we like to keep our memories in a neat and organised order… which meant, when i found that memory, it fell into place, our little ‘get out the way’ had more meaning than anyone – bar Rassilon perhaps, would have guessed.”
He licked his lips and let his arms fall to his side. “So how about it? Shall we forget about the incident, on the Mondasian ship, as if that never happened and start from our truce? Would it still be an honour to have me to travel with you… or would you prefer, if i left?”
“cold?” she pauses, trying to keep from showing just how much that comment stung. “you don’t get t’ talk to me about cold. nothing that i could ever do could be as cold as you, so don’t you even start.”
He took a breath through his nose, knowing that this was not the time to get angry or upset.
“Look, i’m trying my best here, can you at least give me that? At least I came, here, to show you that i’m willing to try and change…”
He let out a harsh sigh. “So whats next? Are you going to say that ill never redeem myself in your eyes? That i’m so beyond help that you wont even give me the chance? hmm..?”
She sees him outlined by the sun, backlit so that the contours of him are orange and glowing, her Icarus.
His profile is the same as ever, eternally childlike and round, deceptive in its seeming innocence. Her hearts tighten as though anchors are buried in them and drag her ineffably toward him.
No gasp of horror this time, no cold sanctimony, no ulterior motive. Magnetism simply propels her toward her best and oldest friend, with reignited hope.
“Koschei.”
When was the last time she said that word? When was the last time she thought on those days, lazy and aimless and innocent, running, tumbling, rolling, in red grasses?
She stands inches away now.
And she smiles.
He stood there silently, Hands in his pockets, just watching her.
Watching how the sun reflected on her hair and The wind flowing through her coat.
And that smile… Heh, he was a sap, But, he wouldn’t say that out loud. That smile, made her beauty, even greater.
He didn’t notice a small smile growing on his lips at the sound of his old name. Yet there may be a smile, but regret shone in his eyes. He had much to regret, but he would try his best to be better in her eyes.
“Hello, Theta.”
The returned the favour, the name falling from his lips as if he had said it every day and time had not passed since the last time he spoke it.
“Its been a while, hasn’t it. A few weeks for myself.”
The Master’s voice carries a heavily spousal wryness.
The Doctor narrowed her eyes slightly. “Whats wrong with you? I don’t see anything wrong with being positive and saying that ‘It. will. be. fine’.” She grins cheekily and then wanders off to the other side of the room to grab another cable.
“We’ll find the Tardis, and then we’ll be off, back to adventurin’ in no time at all… I mean, yeah, this teleport is made out of scraps… but whats the worst that can happen, hmm?” she smiled over her shoulder at him as she connected the cable to the ‘machine’, only for her to jump slightly when sparks lit up the air.
“Great!” The doctor grins, ignoring the obvious signs that missy didn’t recognise her. “Now, I haven’t got the Tardis at this very moment, still trying to find her, BUT, you seem to be fine, hearts beating, don’t think you have concussion, and you still have your ego, seems to me, that you, my dear Koschei, are 99% fine.”
“I’m looking for a blonde women, short hair, rather short herself. Likely to be very confused and talking what seems to be nonsense. Also may be glowing.”
The doctor peers around the corner and squints. “Oi! I don’t speak nonsense! Everything i say is very clever, you just never listen properly! Plus i told you not to wander off!…. Or was that to Yazmin? Perhaps Graham….. wait… Which one are you again?” Her hand starts to glow again and She quickly retreats back into the building she came out of.
“Never mind, ill figure it our later… im busy… building stuff.”
drapetxmaniia - The Urge to run away 