"That sounds like an excellent plan," Barty conceded. He didn't actually think so, rather obviously, but whatever. "Although, quite honestly, I'm not sure whether I particularly fancy being owned by that you." Just a subtle suggestion, maybe. "So I'm all for it, but possibly we could alter the plan a little. I mean, I don't even have a hood."
How was he supposed to conceal himself? Magic did the trick. He didn't wait for the Master to finally agree to it, because, well. He could only die the once and he'd rather avoid that happening any way soon.
"I don't know, it could be fun. I'm a good owner," the Master insisted though he really wasn't, he couldn't even take care of house plants. As much as he liked Barty, he did better when he was a free man who wasn't being claimed. So, okay, maybe any plan where they didn't get caught was better.
He didn't like to share, not even with himself.
"Fine, what did you have in mind for an altering?" the Master asked, curious to see what the answer was. Probably magic. Every plan boiled down to magic. And for reason, that was sane but his clone idea wasn't.
"I'm sure you are, but if this you decides to own me, what about your you?" It seemed like it would get very messy very quickly and he'd much prefer if it didn't happen.
"Nothing major, I just want to keep people from noticing us." He was already starting the spell. "It should work on cameras, too. It does back where I'm from." Which could potentially be crucial, he supposed. "I just don't want to get captured. Been there, done that."
He finished the spell and put his wand away for the moment, taking the Master's hand, because why not. "What now?"
"I suppose it'd probably be a good idea to stake my claim now, I'm not very good at sharing. I've tried, it never works. Not even with myself," the Master wasn't very good at dealing with himself actually, the Doctor tended to deal with his previous regenerations better. With his own, it always ended as a sneering contest in which they derail each other as much as possible.
He watched the wand move around with great interest, watching the spell with unease. He didn't like magic, he found it an unsettling and strange thing to do, especially given how much he relied on science.
Once it was done, he pulled down the hood and offered small sigh. "It better work, you know? I'm trusting you with this," he paused, debating what he wanted to do. "Erm, top floor? I should be giving an address."
"I've never failed you." Barty didn't believe in failing. He didn't doubt magic, not one he cast himself. He knew to trust himself.
"But let's go. I'd like to see." He had no idea how to imagine the Master as the king of the world or whatever he was precisely. It was a strange concept still, all things considered, after the way he'd seen him deal with the Doctor in Asgard. He was a bit wary, but at least they wouldn't be noticed.
"You haven't, have you? How rare," the Master muttered because it wasn't often that he was that impressed by people. Barty had a way with him, he supposed, it made him a lot easier to get on with than other apes. They tended to be rude, dumb and all together annoying, Barty had a good head on his shoulders. He knew what he was doing for the most part.
"Lucy? Why would you want to meet her? She shot me!"
And ruined his regeneration. He didn't hate her, he just didn't feel like empathising with her just yet. As he kept moving, he eyed the nearest exit with a small frown. Maybe this was the right place? It had been a while. "I think this is it. Just keep back, we don't need to ruin my past."
Barty smiled as he heard that muttering. Interesting, wasn't it? Definitely wiser not to comment on it further, so he didn't. But he did like that it was being taken note of. He liked being special, who didn't? And he wanted to keep standing out to the one person he had in this universe.
"I never said I wanted to." Although he did. He wanted to see who the Master chose. What she looked like, what she acted like around him. He was curious. But there was no need to admit that.
"I'll be careful." Even so he walked faster now, because he wanted to see. Naturally he made sure to stay at the Master's side anyway. "How long has it been for you?"
"I don't know, I'll be able to tell by what I'm doing and what the Doctor looks like," the Master insisted as he pushed the nearest door open, peering out at what seemed to be the back of some armed guards. Well, at least they were on the right track. Casually, he walked straight out, watching the back the guards very carefully. Did they notice them?
Didn't look like it.
He could hear his own voice not far away so, curiously, he started to move towards it. Who could help themselves? Especially when his voice is that brilliant. "This way!"
Rushing along, he assumed Barty was behind him as he came to stand outside the doorway, watching himself from a distance, Lucy by his side and someone kneeling before him. Oh, yes, he remembered this. That time he executed the man who let Martha get away. What a shining moment to show Barty. "Look, come see!"
"I'm seeing." And he was very glad that the magic he used should be strong enough to keep them covered, even if the Master started shouting for whatever reason. He made sure not to walk part the Master, stopping at his side as he watched the scene unfold. He could put two and two together, naturally, though his eyes were drawn by Lucy more than the poor sop that was about to die.
"Can't quite remember actually. I just knew he dropped the ball on Martha. Or, more likely, I blamed him for it because he was the closest one to me at the time who didn't matter," the Master remarked with a small tilted of his head, unsure if his version of things was right or if he was seeing it through a strange tint. As one often did with glorious times in their lives.
"I usually punished the nearest soldier to make it easier. I didn't want to have to work out who was who and who did what. I just wanted to send a message."
"It does send a message." Mostly a message of fear, because the man in charge was crazy beyond reason, but a message nonetheless. Barty had quite a bit of experience with those tactics and the effect they had on people. Not likely to breed true loyalty, but effective enough if one had the power to maintain it.
"Yep, that's why I picked her. Well that and her money helped too," Lucy was everything he wanted in a wife, the full package. Rich, beautiful, pleasing and loyal -- though that last one did got a little wayward at the end. How was he to know she'd shoot him? He had believed she was enjoying herself. She seemed happy, for the most part, until they saw the future.
Maybe that was a step too far? "I find her considerably less sexy since she shot me, though."
"Here I thought you might like the danger." Although he wasn't overly serious about that remark. Not that the Master didn't like it to some extent, but that extent was pretty exclusively reserved for the Doctor, in his experience. Barty finally stepped further into the room, looking at the Master as he stood there, more like the man he'd met in Asgard and at the same time less so.
There was curiosity, despite knowing better. He did wonder if this Master, on top of the world, would have ever gotten to know him. With a slight shake of his head he focused on Lucy again. So she'd end up shooting him. Good for her, he supposed, no matter the consequences.
"The danger loses it'd edge once you've been killed, then it just becomes annoying. I always thought she'd snap, I was just hoping she'd kill everyone but me. Not just me and no one else. What a cruel move," the Master muttered, clearly not understanding just what had caused the issue. With a small shrug, he started to move up the room, inspecting everyone that was about with either recognition or amusement. There was Martha's family, one of the girls that gave him a massage and, oh, handsome Jack. What fun?
Spinning around, he turned to look at the Doctor, slumped in his wheelchair. So angry, so uselessly defiant. He couldn't hold back the little amused noise that slipped out. "Oh, look, it's granddad."
Barty recognized Jack from Asgard, but everyone else seemed new. He only paid attention to the man in the wheelchair when the Master pointed him out to him and then it still took him a while to wrap his mind around what he was seeing. Finally he did and he took a step back, suddenly feeling sick.
This was a lot to wrap his mind around and he didn't entirely want to. How old... He didn't know, but was it ever an unpleasant reminder of his own mortality. He turned away a little too fast, just to not keep looking.
"Yes, I thought I'd give him a chance to really feel his age. Besides, it's a lot harder to beat me when he's old and senile," the Master sneered, his disgust obvious in his tone. Didn't work anyway, he was still beaten by him, still humiliated. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to do anything to win. Part of him wanted to kick the chair, the knock the foolish old man over and revel in his pain. No matter how immature that was. "Unless he cheats. Always cheats, don't you Gramps?"
Rolling his eyes, he turned away from the older Doctor and back towards Barty. What was he doing? He wasn't paying much attention. Was there something else more interesting?
"You should look. Watch his expression when this idiot dies, it's priceless. Oh he does love these astonishingly dumb apes," He could even pin-point the exact moment the poor bastards hearts begins to break. He remembered looking over afterwards, seeing that look. A mix of loathing and pity. Revolting.
"It's my face. I've never had another. It's strange to see it aged." And it definitely didn't feel nice to see that expression on it. He arched an eyebrow at the Master. Seriously? "Besides, you know I am one of those astonishingly dumb apes." More or less, at least. He swallowed and looked back at the Doctor, trying to adapt an uncaring attitude he'd ultimately never been good at, especially not when the man's appearance and some other factors made it impossible not to empathize to a certain degree.
It wasn't a shock to him that he preferred the Master when he wasn't in power. He had expected as much.
"You're not a dumb ape, you're an evolved monkey at worst," the Master remarked, though quieter than he normally spoke. Compliments weren't his area. He didn't like the idea of Barty being classed the same as humans. He didn't like the idea of his mortality nor his status. It was all a little jarring when he actually thought about it, he'd basically pulled a Doctor and got himself a companion.
Looking up at himself, he watched as that Master, with a manic smile, pulled out his weapon. And without warning, he fired at the poor human kneeling before him, snivelling and scared. With one great flash, the soldier went silent and slumped, his body smoking slightly from the laser. It was funny but ... he remembered it being funny.
As his other self laugh and clapped, the Master simply tilted his head. "They were hurting so much that day. The drums. I thought this would shut them up, I thought they were a real thing I could please. They were just a lie."
"Yes." Barty knew about the drums, of course, and he moved forward to close the distance between them again, although he didn't touch the Master. He wasn't sure how he should deal with it, so all he could do was be there, just in case. "At least you seem entertained."
Whatever by, he couldn't entirely follow but, well. He'd been out with Bellatrix, this seemed about the same. Quite disturbingly similar, if he was to be honest, but he kept that part to himself.
"I always am when someone is dying," the Master informed Barty blandly as he watched his younger self pull Lucy into a dance, even though there was a noticeable lack of noise in the room. No music, no muttering, just the Master humming to himself and dragging Lucy along with. Oh and yeah, here came the kiss.
With an appreciative smirk, the Master turned to Barty. Hey, it wasn't all bad. "I like to think of all my best traits, this one is my best. I'm a world class kisser."
"You are." He could definitely admit that without lying, watching the dancing Master for a much more enjoyable view than the Doctor in his wheelchair. A great kisses, he did agree on that point. World class, he didn't know about that. But he felt no need whatsoever to complain.
"One whole wonderful year," the Master boasted, knowing from experience of talking to other villains that actually conquering somewhere and keep that control was no easy feat. To manage it for a year was truly impressive. Even he saw that now, what a waste that he couldn't hold onto it any longer. And, to be fair, humans were surprisingly relaxed about being conquered.
Well, until he started to kill more of them. "Then the Doctor cheated."
"Of course he did." He knew that much from the Master's stories. However, he also started to get the impression that in this case he might have been on the Doctor's side, which might not be the healthiest thought in his position. Instead of lingering on it he stepped closer to the Master, turning away from the past him to focus on the one with bleached hair he knew so well.
"I've fallen out of my head now, all I can't think of is here," the Master admitted with a small shrug. Since he'd become a little more erratic, he'd had trouble grasping onto thoughts for long. Everything inside of him was so mixed up that he couldn't keep his mind sharp on anything. With a bright smile, he looked passed Barty, eyes on the floating object instead. Putting an arm around Barty's shoulder, he manually turned him so he could look at the lonely Toclafane in the air.
"Look at that," he gestured, clearly amused by whatever they were. "Guess what that is?"
Just an educated guess, given his exposure to the Master's stories so far. He watched the object, trying to make sense of it, but there wasn't much about it he recognized. Metal, sure, but that wasn't exactly an observation exciting enough to state out loud. So instead he just kept looking at it, knowing from the Master's tone that there was definitely something to it that he meant to share.
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How was he supposed to conceal himself? Magic did the trick. He didn't wait for the Master to finally agree to it, because, well. He could only die the once and he'd rather avoid that happening any way soon.
"I prefer sticking to just one Master."
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He didn't like to share, not even with himself.
"Fine, what did you have in mind for an altering?" the Master asked, curious to see what the answer was. Probably magic. Every plan boiled down to magic. And for reason, that was sane but his clone idea wasn't.
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"Nothing major, I just want to keep people from noticing us." He was already starting the spell. "It should work on cameras, too. It does back where I'm from." Which could potentially be crucial, he supposed. "I just don't want to get captured. Been there, done that."
He finished the spell and put his wand away for the moment, taking the Master's hand, because why not. "What now?"
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He watched the wand move around with great interest, watching the spell with unease. He didn't like magic, he found it an unsettling and strange thing to do, especially given how much he relied on science.
Once it was done, he pulled down the hood and offered small sigh. "It better work, you know? I'm trusting you with this," he paused, debating what he wanted to do. "Erm, top floor? I should be giving an address."
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"But let's go. I'd like to see." He had no idea how to imagine the Master as the king of the world or whatever he was precisely. It was a strange concept still, all things considered, after the way he'd seen him deal with the Doctor in Asgard. He was a bit wary, but at least they wouldn't be noticed.
"So I'll meet your wife?"
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"Lucy? Why would you want to meet her? She shot me!"
And ruined his regeneration. He didn't hate her, he just didn't feel like empathising with her just yet. As he kept moving, he eyed the nearest exit with a small frown. Maybe this was the right place? It had been a while. "I think this is it. Just keep back, we don't need to ruin my past."
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"I never said I wanted to." Although he did. He wanted to see who the Master chose. What she looked like, what she acted like around him. He was curious. But there was no need to admit that.
"I'll be careful." Even so he walked faster now, because he wanted to see. Naturally he made sure to stay at the Master's side anyway. "How long has it been for you?"
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Didn't look like it.
He could hear his own voice not far away so, curiously, he started to move towards it. Who could help themselves? Especially when his voice is that brilliant. "This way!"
Rushing along, he assumed Barty was behind him as he came to stand outside the doorway, watching himself from a distance, Lucy by his side and someone kneeling before him. Oh, yes, he remembered this. That time he executed the man who let Martha get away. What a shining moment to show Barty. "Look, come see!"
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"What did he do?"
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"I usually punished the nearest soldier to make it easier. I didn't want to have to work out who was who and who did what. I just wanted to send a message."
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"Your wife is beautiful."
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Maybe that was a step too far? "I find her considerably less sexy since she shot me, though."
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There was curiosity, despite knowing better. He did wonder if this Master, on top of the world, would have ever gotten to know him. With a slight shake of his head he focused on Lucy again. So she'd end up shooting him. Good for her, he supposed, no matter the consequences.
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Spinning around, he turned to look at the Doctor, slumped in his wheelchair. So angry, so uselessly defiant. He couldn't hold back the little amused noise that slipped out. "Oh, look, it's granddad."
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This was a lot to wrap his mind around and he didn't entirely want to. How old... He didn't know, but was it ever an unpleasant reminder of his own mortality. He turned away a little too fast, just to not keep looking.
"The Doctor?" More rhetorical than anything.
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Rolling his eyes, he turned away from the older Doctor and back towards Barty. What was he doing? He wasn't paying much attention. Was there something else more interesting?
"You should look. Watch his expression when this idiot dies, it's priceless. Oh he does love these astonishingly dumb apes," He could even pin-point the exact moment the poor bastards hearts begins to break. He remembered looking over afterwards, seeing that look. A mix of loathing and pity. Revolting.
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It wasn't a shock to him that he preferred the Master when he wasn't in power. He had expected as much.
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Looking up at himself, he watched as that Master, with a manic smile, pulled out his weapon. And without warning, he fired at the poor human kneeling before him, snivelling and scared. With one great flash, the soldier went silent and slumped, his body smoking slightly from the laser. It was funny but ... he remembered it being funny.
As his other self laugh and clapped, the Master simply tilted his head. "They were hurting so much that day. The drums. I thought this would shut them up, I thought they were a real thing I could please. They were just a lie."
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Whatever by, he couldn't entirely follow but, well. He'd been out with Bellatrix, this seemed about the same. Quite disturbingly similar, if he was to be honest, but he kept that part to himself.
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With an appreciative smirk, the Master turned to Barty. Hey, it wasn't all bad. "I like to think of all my best traits, this one is my best. I'm a world class kisser."
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"One year, was it?"
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Well, until he started to kill more of them. "Then the Doctor cheated."
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"What else did you want to show me?"
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"Look at that," he gestured, clearly amused by whatever they were. "Guess what that is?"
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Just an educated guess, given his exposure to the Master's stories so far. He watched the object, trying to make sense of it, but there wasn't much about it he recognized. Metal, sure, but that wasn't exactly an observation exciting enough to state out loud. So instead he just kept looking at it, knowing from the Master's tone that there was definitely something to it that he meant to share.
"What is it?"
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