| Date: 31 December 2007
Characters: Romana, The Master Location: outside Link to IJ: thread #23534 |
 Romana had been going for one of her walks alone, at night, in the long corridors of Citadel. The Citadel was never completely quiet, of course, but at night she was much more likely to have some time alone to clear her head. She had finally managed push away her worries, and to concentrate only on the process of walking and breathing, when she turned the corner and was abruptly *not* in the Citadel.
She looked to be in a lobby of an Earth-style hotel, in fact. Possibly in the late th to early st century. How had she gotten here? It seemed real. She didn't want to think that this was some sort of trick, but it was possibly even worse if it wasn't. What could have possibly been powerful enough to yank her from Gallifrey without warning? |
 The Master pushed open the double doors at the front of the hotel with a flourish and walked in out of the night, looking about him to see if there was anyone interesting about.
Even after several days here, however, he didn't expect to see Romana standing there in the lobby, looking confused. His lips curled in amusement as he folded his arms and regarded her, head tilting slightly. "Well, well, if it isn't our dear Lady President! What a pleasant surprise." |
| Romana knew that this was the Master, but she didn't know this face. When had he regenerated? And was her being here his doing?
"It is a surprise, Master. Both to be here, and to see you. I was on Gallifrey, but then I was suddenly here, which is clearly not Gallifrey. Do you know why?" She didn't expect a straight answer, but he might give her some information. And if he was responsible for her being her, he'd probably be bragging soon enough. |
| The Master smirked a bit more, enjoying the sight of the great President of Gallifrey looking so lost and bewildered. He lifted a shoulder. "It took most of us by surprise. Walked into somewhere and ended up here. At least you arrived up here. I turned up in the basement."
He strolled forwards and solicitously offered her his arm. "Would you like to get a drink? Something to help with the shock? Believe me, you won't be going back home any time soon." |
| Well, that was such an odd response, she was inclined to believe him. She took his arm. Best to look composed.
"A drink would be good, yes. 'Most of us,' you said? Many people have been brought here? Are they they all Time Lords?" |
| He steered her courteously in the direction of the bar.
"Oh, all sorts of people! A right cross-section of society - Gallifreyan and human. Lots of humans. It's fascinating. You don't know who's going to turn up next!" |
| "That is interesting. So, people are being pulled from all over time and space. And no one knows why?" |
| "No-one. The best theory I've heard is that this is some sort of cosmic This Is Your Life for the Doctor!"
The Master held open the door of the bar and ushered Romana inside. "What would you like to drink?" |
| Romana whipped her head around to look right at the Master.
"What do you mean? The Doctor is here? " |
| "Oh yes, he's here, several times over." The Master smiled urbanely, gesturing towards the bar again. |
| "Oh, dear." The Doctor being here was sure to make events even more...confusing. And of course, the Doctor and the Master in place might mean confusion with a side of violence. But she decided she would worry about that if and when it came up, and focused on the bar.
"Ah, yes. Do they do a good martini here? It's been ages since I had one of those, and I do remember quite liking them." |
| "I believe they do just about any drink under the sun," the Master said airily. He ordered a martini for Romana and the usual whisky for himself, and when they arrived he carried them over to a nearby table. "You'd probably like to sit," he said considerately. "Till you've got over the shock. What point in the timeline did you come from?" |
| Romana thanked him for the drink and considered how much see should tell about her timeline, and concluded he must be from further along then herself.
"The War is still on, so I do hope when I'l be returned exactly when I left. And I wasn't that surprised to see you. From my perspective, this you is a regeneration I've never met before and isn't in our records. It's an interesting variation on your usual theme which I think quite suites you, by the way." |
| "Apparently one does get returned exactly one leaves, yes," the Master confirmed, toasting her with his glass and taking a long drink. "And I meant the shock of finding yourself here, not of seeing me necessarily. Especially if you've come from the middle of the Time War."
He gave her his very best evil grin. "Want me to tell you how it ends?" |
| It was terribly tempting. It seemed less and less likely that the Time Lords could win in any meaningful sense of the word. The Dalek certainly didn't care much they damaged time and space.
"You know I'm fond of the bending the rules when I can get away with it, and it seem sensible. But, no. Really, even if you did tell me, I could never be entirely sure we weren't trying to manipulate me, now could I? Better to avoid the topic, and pretend this is a holiday." |
| "Yes, very sensible," he agreed, reaching out and stroking her hand soothingly, before leaning back in his chair and clasping his hands across his stomach.
"You know, I can't wait till the Doctor finds out you're here! He's going to be so excited." |
| "It will be good to see him. It's been a long time since we've had a chance to sit and talk without one disaster after another interfering. In fact, that's possibly never happened. Still, the War has made everything so serious. At least when we were traveling together, all the trouble seemed like fun." |
| The Master couldn't help a little internal giggle at Romana's comment about disasters interfering. The Time War was definitely getting in the way of her and the Doctor sitting down and talking! The Doctor really would be delighted to see her!
He said smoothly, "Well, you'll have plenty of opportunity to sit and talk here. Nothing much else to do anyway." |
| Romana sipped on here martini a bit. She did get the sense that the Master was playing with her a bit, but didn't seem like he was being vicious about it. Let him amuse himself, she decided, it was probably much safer then his being bored. Was it too much to hope that perhaps he'd reformed a bit during the War?
"You said there were multiple versions of him about? Any I would know, are they more your contemporaries?" |
| "I don't think you know any that I've seen - or did you know the pretty, blond one in the cricket outfit? My memory betrays me sometimes." He leered a bit. "There's one I haven't met yet, and I don't know when he's from. And another who, yes, is my contemporary. Well, almost. He's from a little bit further on than I am. But I'm really sure he'd enjoy talking to you. I'm sure he misses you terribly."
In fact, the Doctor from his own time was probably having the time of his life here, meeting old friends he thought he'd lost forever. |
| Romana tried not to think to hard about what the Doctor missing her might mean. She was quite sure now that the Master was trying to mess with his mind a bit.
"I haven't actually met the blond one, no. I think he regenerated in that incarnation shortly after I left for E-space. I shall have to find him and say hello, soon. If I don't run into a later version first." |
| "Mmm, it's pretty random, who you run into first, here," the Master agreed. "There are still some people I'm trying to find. They keep moving about - very inconsiderate!"
He grinned briefly and drank some more whisky, then leaned forwards against the table. "So tell me, Romana. Just how far along are you with the decision to resurrect me, back home?" |
| "It's done, completed. You have a new lease on life. Which is why I wasn't too suprised to see you." |
| "I thought so. Just checking." He chewed on his lip a moment, then leaned even closer and said urgently, "It's not going to work. I'm not going to be able to save you."
So what if she'd asked him not to tell her. He had a chance here to save his world. To stop it all happening. |
| Romana pulled back, hearing her worst fears come out of the Master's mouth.
"Why are you telling me this?" Was this more of him playing with her? But there was something in his voice that seemed so raw, she wasn't sure. |
| Good question. It wasn't like he actually cared, after all. If he did, he would have stayed and fought, maybe even done what the Doctor had done, not run away and hidden himself at the end of the universe.
Sod it. Let them all burn. He gave her the anxious look a moment longer, enjoying the sight of the fear rising in her eyes. Then he grinned, suddenly. "Because it's fun!" he chuckled, then leaned back in his chair and took another drink. Yeah, as if he was going to try and save Gallifrey! |
| "You're madder then ever," Romana whispered.
She'd brought the Master back because he was brilliant, and ruthless, and her people needed those qualities in her time. She'd had the foolishly optimistic hope that, if the Master has given a given a new chance at life, and real responsibilities, he might even choose to abandon the worst of his criminal ways. Now she was beginning to understand how truly broken he was. |
| "Well, isn't that a charming way to talk to a Time Lord who's gone out of his way to look after you and make you at home?" the Master drawled, eyebrows raised lazily. "And after everything he did for you back home, too. Shame on you, Romana."
He sipped some whisky. "You may be partially right, though. There's a version of me running about here who's absolutely nuts. Keeps telling everyone he's the Doctor. Tall, skinny, mad hair, face like a weasel - you'll know him if you see him." He made a face. "Can't believe I let myself get into that state." |
| Oh, he was reaching now. Did he really think she wouldn't be able tell the difference between himself and the Doctor? Time to push back a bit.
"I am grateful for everything you've done for me, because I never had any illusions that you could be controlled, despite what I told the High Council. I don't know what's happened to you, or what the future holds for Gallifrey. I'm quite sure that I won't get any straight answers from you right now. Yet, in my time you're out there fighting for the survival of our people. Your survival, primarily, I admit. But I know you could have run away the minute we gave you a TARDIS. I'll always be grateful for every minute of my time line you stay to fight, however long that is." Romana put down her half finished drink, and stood to go. |
| Well, it had been worth a try. Would have been bloody funny to watch.
He smiled a little sadly. "I wouldn't be too sure of getting any straight answers out of the Doctor, either, my dear. He's even more closed off than he used to be since - since the War." He stood up in his turn. He wasn't going to try and stop her going, and he'd had just about all the fun he could think of with her. "That was a very pretty speech, Lady President. It'll stay with me, believe me. Of course, the gratitude of the President of Gallifrey doesn't mean quite as much as it used to, but..." He smirked. "I'll see you around, then." |
| She nodded.
"I imagine I will see you around. Do take care." Then she wandered out of the bar, hoping that she might run into the Doctor. |