send “grip” to grip my muse’s jaw in your muse’s hand; Romantic, platonic or threatening it is up to you!
“ … . oh sis.”
He whispers it almost rapturously, as though bearing reverent witness to the collapse of a great star: himself.
“D’you really hate us so much now, that you’d kill me and erase yourself?”
“No, of course not. But sometimes, the thought is there, deep down. And it’s hard to push it away. I just wonder how it feels to be threatened by your own self, dear. Maybe I’ll remember this?”
Missy kept her grip on her younger self, knowing it could go wrong but of course she didn’t care about it. She would push her luck.
“Would you? Knowing you wouldn’t erase yourself, would you do it?”
“NO.”
The force and certitude of the reply is nearly palpable: nearly a wind gale that can be felt against the face. Perhaps that’s because the Master’s mind produces the sentiment–the mind that, with sheer force of will, can bend the thoughts and emotions of others.
It’s enough to dislodge Missy’s hand from his throat. He scrambles away, with a stinging lack of dignity. But then he straightens and affords her a searing glare.
“I was bluffing that day I hit you with my laser, and you SURELY know it! Because here you stand! I only wanted to prevent you from going to the Doctor in such a way that compromised your freedom! That’s not hate, Missy, I LOVE you! All that I HAVE, in my darkest hours, is ME. My will, my beliefs, my dogged determination to survive! And you are one exquisitely beautiful part of that!”
“ … . I honestly don’t know, Sis. I’ve come to a point where that’s not even my modus operandi anymore. But I do know it would have taken me a far shorter mourning period for the … certainty that I at least had myself. That at least I would never betray me. Even for my best friend’s sake. I’ve always known … . I have only myself. Madly as we may love the Doctor … . we can’t rely upon them. Not if we wish to be our own master.”
“I know that we only have ourselves. I know that. Don’t think it won’t get worse after you regenerate, because it will. But even after all that he had done, even after everything, all the fighting, all… this, you’ll figure out that this time. This time, he really wants to help and he will. He did help, believe me or not.”
Missy sighed and looked away. “I just hope that at this point you won’t hate me for this. Because I know that if you were the one doing it, I wouldn’t blame you, Junior. Because that’s who we are. So dangerous, even to ourselves.”
“But we’re SELF-PRESERVING too! We SURVIVE, Missy! That’s our badge of honor! I’m not asking that you reject the Doctor, I’m asking WHY you felt the need to try and kill ME!”
“Was I really so disgusting to you?”
You should not have had to choose between the Doctor and your own dignity.
“ … . I honestly don’t know, Sis. I’ve come to a point where that’s not even my modus operandi anymore. But I do know it would have taken me a far shorter mourning period for the … certainty that I at least had myself. That at least I would never betray me. Even for my best friend’s sake. I’ve always known … . I have only myself. Madly as we may love the Doctor … . we can’t rely upon them. Not if we wish to be our own master.”
The Master kneels before his first face, and ghosts a thumb along the child’s soft, yet-unmarred cheek.
“Yeah. I’m sorry, Koschei. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you better. When you’re told … to settle …to yield, or change, to make yourself easier to love … don’t fall for it. Don’t fall for it, luv. You’re worth everything, you: no one else involved. All by yourself. You’re important all by yourself. I promise.”
The Master’s been staring fixedly at the horizon, on the planet where they’ve stopped their TARDIS. It’s another planet, far, far from the system of Kastobouros, that happens to orbit two suns. They set, now, and the sky is ablaze with blood red: their signature hue.
As his future dozes with her head on his shoulder, he rests his cheek on top of unruly dark hair.
“Careful, someone might just accuse us of being cute.”
Missy chuckled a little as she looked at the view before them. “Oh hush, no one would dare to tell us that, even if it’s true.” She said sleepily, obviously not in her right mind when she was tired. “You’re comfy, Junior”
He turns to look down at her, from their seat on top of the inexplicable giant Greek column that is their TARDIS’s guise. He dons an insulted air, though he’s entirely joking.
“What d’you bloody mean? I’m adorable.”
She shifted a bit to look up at him. “Oi, don’t get all flustered on me, you are adorable alright?” She chuckled and nuzzled a bit onto his neck, feeling all comfy now. She didn’t want to move. “Cute, adorable, is there any other thing you want to add to the list? Cause I can still think of a few while I’m awake.”
“ … .why, my beautiful, dangerous, ingenious minx … ”
The Master’s been staring fixedly at the horizon, on the planet where they’ve stopped their TARDIS. It’s another planet, far, far from the system of Kastobouros, that happens to orbit two suns. They set, now, and the sky is ablaze with blood red: their signature hue.
As his future dozes with her head on his shoulder, he rests his cheek on top of unruly dark hair.
“Careful, someone might just accuse us of being cute.”
Missy chuckled a little as she looked at the view before them. “Oh hush, no one would dare to tell us that, even if it’s true.” She said sleepily, obviously not in her right mind when she was tired. “You’re comfy, Junior”
He turns to look down at her, from their seat on top of the inexplicable giant Greek column that is their TARDIS’s guise. He dons an insulted air, though he’s entirely joking.
The Master’s been staring fixedly at the horizon, on the planet where they’ve stopped their TARDIS. It’s another planet, far, far from the system of Kastobouros, that happens to orbit two suns. They set, now, and the sky is ablaze with blood red: their signature hue.
As his future dozes with her head on his shoulder, he rests his cheek on top of unruly dark hair.
“Careful, someone might just accuse us of being cute.”
The Master chuckles, and it’s the sound of settling floorboards; it’s the sound of home.
“I dunno where you get such an idea, but in order to maintain my reputation for unchecked narcissism, I’ll agree.”
“Oh trust me, you’ll learn to never get bored of that narcissism. It’s really great and lovely~”
Missy smiled and played with his hair a little. “And please, don’t start questioning where I get my ideas, first because you know it and second because they come from a scary place in my mind~” she chuckled.
“Hhhhyeah, okay, granted.”
The expression on the Master’s face, as Missy touches his hair, is wistful; he can almost hear the soft siren’s hymn of her mind cloying him into false security. She is deadly and beautiful and he will always look to her with admiration and regret.
Icarus 