That's the curse of the Time Lords.

I'm the Doctor. Still struggling with the pain after once again becoming the only Time Lord in existence since their final disappearance into the Time Lock, he travels alone. The hole he once felt in their absence has been ripped open a second time with incredible force. Still, he survives, because that’s all he can do. M!A: None. Current Mental State: Doctor. (See Plot.) (Singleverse Independant RP Blog within the Mulitiverse. Several AUs. Mostly SFW. Will tag anything potentially NSFW. Will roleplay with any fandom. Muse's mood will likely vary according to plot in Mainverse.) |

[andromedafound]

[She took a rather large gulp when she saw his hand moving toward the glass, and kept a firm hold on it when his fingers gripped it again. Smiling slyly, she licked her lips clean and leaned toward him with laughter in her eyes.]

"Have you forgotten your manners? I do believe a bit of please and thank you is warranted, considering I’ve just put my life on the line to make sure this beverage was not deadly or unfit for consumption."

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

"Well--"

[The word was long and drawn out, keeping his hold on the glass as he teasingly took a moment to think it over.]

"--I suppose this regeneration has always been a bit prone to rude behavior, if you haven't noticed yet, and besides, like you said we could still die at any moment from some slow-acting toxin, so it's very possible you didn't ensure our safety, at all."

[With a sly grin on his lips he takes a step closer, almost bringing their bodies together, drawing their hands that are still holding the glass out to the side so as not to spill the contents.]

"So I probably wouldn't go so far as a "thank you." Maybe a "please." Maybe. Haven't decided."

[andromedafound]

[She made an exaggerated show of pretending to think about this wonderful job opportunity as a food taster, then shook her head as he snatched the glass away from her.]

"Perhaps there is a slow-acting toxin in that glass. Maybe you’ve sentenced us both to a slow and painful death now.”

[She was most definitely teasing, and she drew closer to him to watch him carefully.]

"I am quite fond of berries of all kinds, actually. And bananas aren’t so bad either."

[As soon as his mouth was off of it, she took the glass back from him and had another drink from it. She kept an eyebrow raised as a sort of challenge to see whether he would try to take the glass again.]

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

"You're right. I didn't think of that."

[His eyes widened with a false sort of alarm as he watched the glass being plucked from his fingers before turning his gaze back on Andromeda. The expression didn't last and he shrugged, one eyebrow raised as his lips quirked down thoughtfully.]

"Ah, well. At least if I go down again, I'm taking someone with me this time. And I think it's certainly good enough to merit the risk."

[Her challenge was indeed met with a wide grin and another attempt to steal the drink back, his arm slowly, then very quickly reaching out to curl his fingers around the glass to pull it away the moment she lowered it.]

[andromedafound]

[Her fingers trail through the deep blue leaves of a bush she thinks seems more familiar than not, but she doesn’t mention it, opting instead to smile back at him with amusement.]

Perhaps if we’d stayed on the main trail, the way wouldn’t have gotten so long.

[She doesn’t mind, even if being lost isn’t the most interesting way to spend the afternoon. She speeds up her steps a bit to come alongside him and reaches for his hand cheerfully.]

It could be worse, really. At least we’re not running from anything dangerous at the moment.

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

[She was right, of course. This "shortcut" certainly hadn't turned out very short. Still, it wasn't necessarily the worst place to be lost. The foliage was quite pretty on it's own, even if they might've passed it a time or two. Maybe she hadn't noticed?]

Where's the fun taking the beaten path? I'll bet no one's ever seen this part of the forest before...at least not for a while, anyway.

[His tone is cheery as ever and he intertwines their fingers the moment their hands touch, opting for a different direction because he wasn't planning on passing that tree a third time. Keeping a hold of her hand, he lifted a particularly large leaf out of the way so she could pass through, making sure the dew collected on top of it would pour away from both of them as he did so.]

And nope, nothing really dangerous here to worry about around here. Well, a few things. Weeell, we'll be fine.

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

.

[andtheywillobeyme]

"You absolute twit.”

     ”Maybe if someone hadn’t been so distracted by the fluctuations in the engine room, or let me see, how do I rephrase this—”

 —apparently the busiest place on the entire bloody ship—

   —we wouldn’t have been caught in the first place!”

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

"If I recall correctly, that room was entirely empty until you barged in and neglected to tell me that you'd done something to set off the alarms. It was the engine room. Of course it was going to fill up quickly."

"I'm only in here because I rather regrettably look like you, and you...what the hell were you doing, anyway?"

[andtheywillobeyme]

       “—Well then, look at you.”

[ Fake auditory gasp. ]

       ”It’s like you’re learning.”                                                          ”…”

      “…Now if I could get you to actually pay attention, that would be just swell.

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

"Well now, that would only be counter-productive to my original intention of ignoring you entirely, now wouldn't it?"

"Tell you what. Maybe if you bothered to shut up for a few minutes, they wouldn't feel the need to check on us every thirty seconds, and we could actually get out of here."

[andromedafound]

[She looked at the glass skeptically, then at him, the dubious look on her face not falling away.]

"Considering the number of sketchy drinks I’ve had in shady alien bars during my lifetime, this should be a snap."

[She gave the concoction a quick sniff, which told her it was most likely nothing to be concerned about, and then took a good-sized sip from the glass. Licking the thick pink residue from her lips, she grimaced and stuck out her tongue, then laughed.]

"I think I will survive."

[Taking another sip from the glass, she smiled teasingly.]

"It’s good. Perhaps I should keep you around after all."

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

"Well, then. If the number's that high, maybe you should consider making an occupation out of it."

[He's joking, but holds onto his 'serious expression' as she takes a sip, his lips twitching towards a smile at the frothy pink line it leaves behind. It's her expression after that that actually breaks it, and he laughs, shaking his head.]

"Good, then. I know several species with dietary aversions to strawberries or bananas; nice to know you don't fall into that category. And if you don't--"

[Still grinning, he steals the cup away from her again and takes a few sips for himself, shooting a playful wink over the rim of the glass.]

[andtheywillobeyme]

It’s like he’s trying to speak to me.

     ”Oh, pardon me—”

     ”—was that sarcasm I just heard?”

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

"What do you think it was?”

[andromedafound]

"Here, try some of this." ((also, your new theme is gorgeous, dear. <3))

Andromeda turned toward him and looked at the cup he was offering her. “What is it?” she asked as she reached over to take it.

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

"Something I picked up in an extremely shady alien bar. Thought I’d better test it on you first to make sure it was actually safe to drink."

[His eyebrow is raised making himself look intentionally suspicious, though the tone is obviously teasing as he hands it over. In actuality it’s a strawberry banana smoothie he’d just made in the kitchen, with surprisingly little mess. Depending on one’s personal definition of ‘mess,’ of course.]

"Go on, try it."

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

What is it with men and asking for directions? ((lol))

[There’s a cheeky grin as he’s attempting to save face that they’ve been wandering much too long for him to have kept by this point, and his tone is still surprisingly cheerful.]

"Well, if by ‘men' you're actually referring to me right now, that’s simple. We’re not lost, we’re just taking the long way round.”

[Honestly, he has no idea where he’s going, trying to find landmarks that he could have sworn were there the last time he was on this planet—a few centuries prior.]

"…Y’know, the unfamiliar…rather unintentionally long way round.”

[lostxtooxmany]

Finding Nemo Sentence Meme

Did your man deliver, or did he deliver?

Odds are, one of them’s bound to like you.

You’re not going to freak out like you did at the petting zoo, are you?

I’m obnoxious.

Remember, we keep our supraesophogeal gangion to ourselves.

Why don’t we fry ‘em up now and serve ‘em with chips!

I suffer from short term memory loss.

Those balloons can be a bit dodgy.

You’re an inspiration to all of us!

Don’t fall off the wagon!

He likes bubbles.

I’ll go deflate him.

While that sets up, I’m going to see a man about a wallaby.

The sea monkey has my money.

Yes, I’m a natural blue.

When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do?

See, now I’m going to get stuck with that song now its in my head!

Are you my conscience?

There’s a lot of pressure!

I think you’re nuts!

It’s because I like you I don’t want to be with you.

It’s got death written all over it!

Look! Something shiny!

I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy.

I love games!

So, we’re cheating death now.

It’ll be a piece of kelp.

You’ve got serious thrill issues.

Well, go on, jump on him.

You’ve got your whole life ahead of you!

You mean the swirling vortex of terror?

It’s like he’s trying to speak to me.

Okay, that’s just scary.

What is it with men and asking for directions?

Are you sure you speak whale?

Oh look! Krill!

My nerves can’t take much more than this.

Well, don’t everybody fly off at once.

Fish got your tongue?

All the animals have gone mad!

Smack her in the head!

I don’t want to forget.

Wait a minute, is it your dad, or my dad?

Do you understand what I’m saying to you?!

That’s the shortest red light I’ve ever seen!

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

((Ah, okies. Back home a day late. Got my password, so I'm set. <3 Drove all day so I'm ridiculously tired, but I will be back tomorrow to do things because I'm two steps from passing out. Love you all.))

[andromedafound]

Simply being in the same room as him, after several months of being acutely aware of his absence, was like a balm for her soul. It was almost surreal to watch him dig around in the cupboard, and the way he moved, along with his easy smile, was enough to make her feel warm. She watched him quietly, content in the silence to let him take care of her this time.

She brought the hand on her uninjured arm up to help hold her sleeve out of the way and closed her eyes while he worked on rubbing the cream over her injury. His touch was gentle and soothing, and the cream had already begun to work; she could tell the pain in her arm was beginning to fade. A small smile quirked up at the corners of her lips and she opened her eyes again to look at him with a small nod. “It is,” she said quietly, leaning forward to place a kiss on his forehead. “I am feeling much better already. Thank you.”

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

Her smile was reflected in his expression, widening a little at the unexpected kiss before he placed on of his own on her shoulder above the injury, over the sleeve. "Good." 

Once it had been thoroughly rubbed in and he was certain he hadn't missed anywhere, he set the jar down on the counter, and carefully slid her sleeve back into place over the balm. It wouldn't rub off, really, or stain, so it was alright to do. "Numb or not, I'd refrain from using that arm too much, though," he advised, concern evident behind the smile. She'd be fine, of course, but all the same he worried. Wouldn't be much of a friend if he didn't.

 Briefly he thought of the Master in the med-bay, and suppressed a quiet sigh. He didn't know how long the other Doctor would be, but he planned to stay until he did--after all, he might as well have made the man a promise, telling him the body would stay close until he could manage it. The TARDIS doors were unlocked, or he'd asked her to open them for his counterpart, at least, when he came knocking. The med-bay was located near the console room, and he didn't imagine the other Doctor having much trouble finding it. However, that didn't mean he planned on steering entirely clear of that area of the ship, but that would give him time to focus on other important things, like wrapping his head around everything that had happened in the past few hours. Other than what logic had filled in for him, there were still some definite blanks, but he figured that, for that particular conversation, somewhere with a couch or a standard living area would probably be more appropriate. Reaching out, he intertwined his fingers with the hand not attached to her injured shoulder. "There's a sitting room just down the hallway; might be a little more roomy than here if you're interested."

[andtheywillobeyme]

The encouragement of the other Doctor had prompted him to hurry, if only to lessen the mistake he’d made by leaving however he could. Even only a few minutes. Of course, things had gotten substantially harder the moment he was away from his prodding due to his own melancholy, amplified by the ship he was on. At least he could recognize it for what it was, though, and he pushed through, exiting the TARDIS a little less than a half hour later, the other Doctor’s jacket draped over one arm.

Whatever the Master’s TARDIS would greet him with, it wasn’t as…heavy as it had been, and the lack of weight helped him to steel himself as he followed the sound of voices down the hallway. Couldn’t hear what they were saying exactly, not that it mattered, most of his thought processes focused on exactly what he was going to say, or if he was even going to have the time to say anything at all. His steps faltered the closer he got, remembering the look on the Master’s face the last time he’d seen him, and unconsciously his free hand came up to cover the side of his neck, though by now there wasn’t much left to hide. Even without restorative sleep, he’d been gone long enough for his body to have healed most of the claiming marks, a very faint green blotch from one of the more severe bruises was left along his collarbone was all that was left, and that was covered by the light grey t-shirt he wore. 

He’d showered and shaved, properly bandaged his hand, but even so, he couldn’t have erased the haggard, exhausted look in his eyes or the darker shadows underneath them. His motions were a bit slower, his body still a bit stiff from staying the one position for so long despite the warm shower. Still, from what the other Doctor had witnessed of him, it was a major improvement. 

He couldn’t help lingering outside the door to the library for only a moment, not to listen, but because of his fear. Would the Master even want to see him? Could he trust the other Doctor in this? The first he didn’t have an answer to, but…but he supposed the second he did. And he loved the Master, had given up everything he had to keep him safe, and…well that would all amount to nothing if he didn’t at least try, wouldn’t it?

Taking a breath, he smoothed out his expression as much as possible, though worry creased his lips, fear highlighting the look in his eye as he stepped into the room. Truthfully he wasn’t sure where to look, though his gaze momentarily settled on the Master’s hand over the other Doctor’s. It didn’t spur any jealousy, of course, only the acknowledgement of friendly comfort, and whatever their conversation had been, he was…glad the other was here. He didn’t step any further into the room, eyes flicking up to meet the Master’s and then away in shame as he searched for the right words. Desperate though he’d was to come up with something, his mind seemed to have other ideas, and he could only draw blanks as it refused to supply him with anything remotely adequate. He bought himself a little time as he cleared his throat, lifting the jacket a little towards his counterpart, voice a quiet murmur. “…You left this behind.”

[anechooffour]

The TARDIS had looked after her Master as best she could, fretting as he seemed to wither away. He rarely ate or slept, hardly moved once he’d stopped somewhere, and she feared he’d succumb to exactly the sort of defeat she’d saved him from in the Time Lock. Loneliness didn’t suit him, and while she might have been rather cross with the Doctor for hurting her Time Lord, she also welcomed his presence if it would make the Master stop hurting so badly. 

The Master still looked rather worse for wear, though his mood had improved considerably. His eyes were damp and shadowed, and he looked utterly exhausted, but his expression was softer than it had been in some time. Given another moment, he might have even said something back to the Doctor. 

That moment was interrupted when his lover came back. As much as he’d found himself shockingly appreciating his old friend’s presence, the other Doctor was completely forgotten the moment he heard the voice of his own. His breath caught in his throat, and though his eyes automatically drifted to the other Time Lord’s neck, there was nothing to be seen just then, pale unblemished skin easing his nerves a little more. He still hurt. Oh, he positively ached, and he didn’t quite smile at the Doctor, but neither did the Master turn him away. 

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, he tried to look somewhere, anywhere else, but his eyes gaze kept drawing back to the Doctor. His teeth worried the corner of his mouth, and he put on a brave face, but his words were soft if a bit terse. “About bloody time you come back.”

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

He’d enjoyed spending time with the Master, but the other Doctor was a welcome sight, if only for the other Time Lord’s benefit. He’d already been sure the other was going to come out sometime soon, but it was still a relief when it actually happened. The tension in the room seemed to skyrocket between the two and he couldn’t help but notice the way their eyes seemed to drift away from each other, though he wasn’t entirely surprised. Didn’t put a damper on him, and he addressed the awkwardness of the situation the way he normally did back before the mansion, with animated movements and a bright, cheeky grin.

"Ah, yes! Good man," he replied cheerfully, springing out of his chair to take his jack back from his counterpart. In a moment he’d slipped it back over his shoulders and was buttoning up the front, eyes shifting between the Master where he sat still in his chair and the Doctor at his side. Probably a good time to leave--he'd done what he could, and the rest was up to them. The sooner he left, the sooner they could speak freely. Nodding once to the Master, he shot him a softer smile before he spoke again, deftly excusing himself so as to give them some privacy. "That reminds me, I probably ought to get going myself, though I'm glad I took the chance to drop by, it was...nice." His smile brightened again, clapping a firm hand on the Doctor's shoulder as he continued addressing them both. "And you know how to get a hold of me if you need anything, of course."

[andromedafound]

She somewhat reluctantly let him lead her out into the corridor, though her hand held his firmly as if he were a lifeline. If anything the distraction from the day’s events would be a welcome one, at least. She wasn’t entirely sure what he had planned, or even where he was going considering they’d left the part of the TARDIS that served as a hospital wing of sorts, but then they were going into another room and she relaxed. The familiarity of the bathroom brought a small smile to her lips and stirred up fond memories of the day she had patched him up here, a day that almost seemed a lifetime ago with everything that had happened since then.

She brought the hand of her uninjured arm up to support the one that continued to twinge with pain, and with a nod she took his advice and placed herself on the closed lid of the toilet seat. “Bit of a role reversal,” she said quietly with a teasing glint in her eye. “I’m usually the one patching you up in here.”

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

A quiet chuckle emanated from his spot near the floor, around the jumble of other noises of things shifting and rolling. "Just a bit. Aha!" Twisting himself to reach a bit further towards the back, he shot her a quick grin as his fingers closed around a med kit. He didn't bother cleaning up the mess he'd made other than tossing the few things that had fallen onto the floor back into the cupboard haphazardly, which in truth was probably the reason it was in such a state to begin with. Closing the cupboard, he placed the kit on the edge of the sink, standing up to pull the clasps open before rifling through its contents.

The kit was mostly empty of bandages, as it had been well used, but that wasn't what he was looking for. Instead, he produced a dark, round container with a screw-on lid which he readily undid as he crossed the short distance between them. The shot the Master had taken was with the Doctor's device, the same one that had been used on him countless times in that boiler room. Couldn't do any true damage, it didn't part flesh or tear or burn in the way that left visible wounds behind afterwards, but he knew very well the pain it caused when inflicted, and the soreness left behind. This would most certainly help. Kneeling in front of Andromeda, he flashed her a reassuring smile before lifting her other arm so he could gently shift her sleeve out of the way, baring her injured shoulder. "I imagine you're pretty sore from all that, but this should help. I picked it up in Venice, 23rd century. It won't heal immediately, but it should numb the pain for a while." 

The balm lacked any sort of clinical smell or chill that usually came along with such things, but it had a very instantaneous effect--one he'd been grateful for many times. Moving Andromeda's sleeve to a position where is wasn't likely to drop back down, he dipped a few fingers in the jar before smoothing the substance over her shoulder before gently rubbing it in. "Is this helping at all?"

[anechooffour]

The Master smiled for what might have been the first time, and though it was bittersweet, it was entirely genuine. “We were never very good at things that didn’t involve ruining each other. I think armistice is the best we ever could’ve expected.”

His lips turned down at mention of the Doctor, and though he hurt, there was less of the rage and pain he’d felt before. He shook his head, scrubbing a hand over his face. “He’s an absolute idiot, and he should have thought of that before he lied to me… That imbecile is immeasurably lucky I love him or I’d have tossed him off my ship and be done with it.”

"I’d say you’re welcome… I mean, you are welcome. I’d have done something sooner if anyone had bothered to tell me what that twit did to you. Honestly though, I can’t take the credit for this particular plan. It was mostly the…” All at once, he went quiet. He’d known, of course, that the Doctor had been trying to help. He’d always known, but it got lost in the pain of how poorly he’d been treated out there. It had been swept away in the way he couldn’t help focusing on the lie, the betrayal, and the magnitude of what his lover was trying to do for him had been relegated to foot notes. All at once, he sucked in a shivery breath, turning away on something that sounded suspiciously like a sob. All of this… all of it had been for him despite the complete stupidity of it. The Doctor had risked everything, had lost his hope and transport, for someone he didn’t even like, all for him, and oh… suddenly it was far more difficult to maintain the rage that had carried him this far.

"It was the Doctor’s doing, mostly. I just finished what he started," he murmured softly,t he words uneven, his eyes too bright as he tried to hold his emotions in check. All the same, he looked happier than he had in ages.

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

The smile that had been left behind as the Master spoke disappeared very suddenly when the other Time Lord cut himself off and turned away, the sound that came with the action causing the Doctor to hurriedly sit up. It was an automatic response, and one he couldn't have hoped to hide for the other's benefit, though his did manage to stifle the urge to reach out just barely. Concern filtered through his expression as he eyed the other carefully, unsure of what to expect. Had he said something wrong? Brought to mind something best left forgotten? 

In the short pause, he replayed everything he'd said in his mind, but couldn't find anything that might have triggered that sort of response, but whatever dots the Master had just connected were clearly--

But then he was speaking again, and the Doctor caught the look in his eyes, heard the uneven tone of his words, and that certainly didn't look like grief. Quite the opposite, actually, and he suppressed a sigh of relief. Whatever had just occurred to the Master must have been very, very good to make him look like that, and his own smile was suddenly back, brightened considerably. It was impossible to hide his initial worried reaction, though he made an attempt to cover it up a little, leaning back again, his tone as conversational as it had been. "I picked up on that, though it was definitely a surprise when I realized. Especially knowing our history." He huffed in amusement. "It wasn't for me, of course, but I did thank him for that, as well."

[anechooffour]

"I doubt your interruption had much impact on my ability to get some reading done," the Master admitted, the closest he was likely to get to admitting how hard this all was for him, that he couldn’t even concentrate on a simple task. 

"No, I can’t say I would be. I’m always going to…You’ll…" he shook his head, offering the Doctor a faint, weary smile. "I imagine I’m always going to love you, but that is a chapter in my life I have no intention of turning back to."

It was one thing to think and another to say, but there was some measure of catharsis in admitting the contradiction. The Doctor, this Doctor would never not mean something. If sometimes, just the tiniest bit, he ached for what might have been, it wasn’t longing any longer, nor was it something he would act on. It was something bittersweet, a notion that had transformed beyond what he thought he could ever manage, and if he was still learning what the word meant to him these days, it didn’t stop him from calling the Doctor his friend. 

Sighing, he reached out, a hand settling lightly over the Doctor’s. “I’m… I’m glad you’re alive.”

[thetimelorddefeated-archive]

He nodded quietly at the admission, but didn't comment on it; after all, he'd seen the blank expression on the Master's face when he'd come in, it was one he recognized well, and though he'd never been in this exact situation before, he understood how difficult even small tasks could be when everything felt like it was falling apart. Hopefully things would get better soon.

He matched the smile the other gave him with one of his own, though his was a little brighter, relief filtering in around the edges. Not because the Master still loved him in some way, though that was nice to know, but because his oldest friend had found someone to fill in the gaps he'd left behind. Looking back, knowing the pain they'd both been in, whether or not Andromeda had come into the picture he very much doubted that they could have ever been exactly what the other needed, and it was comforting to know that they'd both found someone along that vein. He still loved him, too, of course. Always would, but he understood the sentiment entirely. "Quite right, too. And...I'm glad you found someone who could give you what I couldn't." His lips quirked up a little further in light humor, watching the Master's face. "Interesting choice, that one, but he loves you desperately. As he should."

When the Master's hand settled over his, his expression softened further, his thumb idly stroking over the Master's just once in a quietly fond gesture. "So am I. Much better than the alternative. Don't think I actually got the chance in between everything to thank you for that."