Imaginary Worlds

"Well if he has had issues with possible abuse then it may make sense that he might cover things up. Learned behaviour is a bitch," the Master offered, though he was no expert on that subject.

His upbringing had been fine, no issues at all. But he was still as mad as a sack of hammers, sometimes it just happened. "Or he might worry about you, he really did seem concerned you might get ill."

"Marnal does genuinely worry about me. I wish he wouldn't. I hate when he does this. And I know all about learned behavior. Trust me. That's what makes my lack of notice for what was taking place worse." the Doctor said softly.

His past had such a key role in how he was...The Doctor wasn't exactly spared from his own family. Not childhood bullies. He'd just had better luck as an adult this time around.

"Perhaps you should just talk to him, I do it to Koschei myself. He won't say what the problem is, he'll danced around it and sulk. Then eventually, he'll crack," the Master remarked with a shrug, it took a while but he usually got there.

"Most kids give it up eventually, might take a while but they do. I mean, how did you find out what happened to him? Did he say?" the Master asked, simply curious. He wasn't stupid, he knew where all these trust issues came from.

Well. There was a touchy subject. Especially considering he'd spent the last few days with his ex. "Iros hit me. That simple. The man struck me and it all sort of clicked and I was practically looking at myself when I saw Marnal." he murmured with a shrug.

The Doctor had been there and done that. "So I took the first job opening and place I could find, and I left. It's like I said. I'm still not sure what all has happened to the kid. And I still don't think that he fully understands why we left." he stated softly.

"Quick question here, just curious, but did you ever explain to Marnal that what happened was wrong and not normal? You clarified all of that right?" it was a tricky subject but the Master was sure it should of been run over.

Course, he had never had to deal with it the other way around or with a kid involved. "And don't try to humanise it or make excuses, tell your by that man was a prick, because trust me, anyone who does that is a prick," he was talking from personal experience here.

"No. I told him it happens sometimes and that I would protect him from then on out. Period. It happens. It is normal. You tend to get over it." the Doctor said simply. And that was it. He had nothing else to say.

Because the Doctor had grown up with it. Which meant that he had figured that it was normal to happen. He'd been put through it in the past. Unfortunate, but understandable.

"Its shouldn't happen and it should never be allowed to. If someone had ever hit my son, I'd of told him no bastard should ever do that to him and went out to get my own back," the Master asserted, unable to believe what he was hearing.

Marnal would think that was normal in his little five year old brain. "You've given your son this message that if he gets hit, it happens. but if you happen to be there, you'll help out. What if you're not?" the Master said, unable to believe this.

"Then I hope he would tell me. Look. I do know that it isn't right. That doesn't mean it won't happen. Some people are just like that. I'm trying to pay closer attention." the Doctor said softly.

Could he be faulted? It wasn't like he'd been assured that it was abnormal growing up. He didn't have somebody to protect and assure him this time around. "I mean...I turned out fine. He will too." he assured.

The Masters eye twitched. How could anyone not know? It was clear. Social interaction would say that, watch TV would prove it, reading any book decent book would! Well Dickens went on in detail over that stuff!

"You-- I--Christ," Was all the Master said as he retrieved the left over chowder and dropped down at the table. He could not deal with this. "Its not normal, its not right, it should never happen! Leave your hang ups outside and tell your bloody son that for Rassilon sake before he assumes it for all of his life and ends up miserable and damaged."

"Alright. I can tell him that much. I don't have anything against him or anything. It's just...I grew up with that. Never really thought about it as being wrong." the Doctor admitted softy.

And he hadn't. He would make it clear that it was wrong and abnormal. He saw no issue there. Not really. Not if it helped Marnal get better. "Sorry? I don't mean to upset you."

"My dad always used to say that any man who raised an hand to a child wasn't a man," the Master insisted, he had never hit Koschei and he was so very thankful he had never slipped up there. He just didn't get how anyone could tell their son that.

"You haven't upset me-- I just can't believe it," the Master admitted, it was shocking that anyone could think like that and make their son think like that as well. It was a nasty cycle and the Doctor could of at least tried to deduce that it wasn't normal. "Look, I'm bad at dealing with peoples baggage but I'll just say this. Always wrong. Simple as. And if someone ever did that to Koschei, I'd kill them."

"Still. I will talk to him. I don't mean anything. Let's drop this, alright? So...You sure you wan to share a room with your son? I can sleep on the couch and give up my room for you." he offered as he sat across from the other.

It was the least he could do. He couldn't complain much. Not really. Especially not when the Master was so willing to help out. "It isn't an issue. The couch is comfortable.0 the Doctor assured.

"I actually think its a good idea to share with him. He's sick, he'll want me around to be with him," the Master remarked as he offered the Doctor a small smile. Yep, he was happy to get off topic. The other one was far to messed up to discuss this with. The Master had very little tact when it came to these things.

"Me and Koschei are used to sharing rooms, we do it at hotels and stuff, saves money. He doesn't mind and neither do I," he was happy to sleep on the floor and he didn't want the Doctor worrying.

The Doctor nodded softly at that one. Alright. Fine. He could handle that. "Okay. I don't mind that." he assured firmly. And that was it. He saw nothing wrong with it.

He just wanted the Master to be comfortable. It was simply how he was. Didn't actually mean anything about it.

The Master finished up what he was eating and spared the Doctor a small smile. "You know, I understand you better every day," the Master admitted and yes, the other man was beyond screwed up but hey, at least he wouldn't be boring.

"I really hope I get to know more," the Master said simply before giving the Doctor a quick kiss and taking off swiftly. Playing romantic was horrible but it was kind of worth it to find someone interesting.

"Goodnight." the Doctor bid softly, smiling a bit as he took to cleaning up. Not that he was really bothering with much. He was basically just wasting time away. Because he really didn't do much for sleeping.

Not to say he didn't sleep. He just didn't sleep until after midnight and was up early cooking. He could never explain it. It was like the Doctor had some restless energy that he just couldn't shake.

The Master slept more for a lack of better things to do. For a bored Time Lord fobwatched, there wasn't much to do and his job wasn't totally interesting. Sleep killed the time inbetween the days.

Plus he was the first to admit he'd become very lazy, especially in the mornings. Sleeping on the floor wasn't pleasant and he forgot to ask for a blanket so his night was far from pleasant really.

The Doctor was at least a decent host. He cooked and delivered the food quietly, keeping it covered so that it stayed warm. He was good at staying out of the way. Sad, but true.

He was also good at keeping quiet when being courteous toward others. Which is why he spent the morning on his couch, absently budgeting for the labs and his household. He might be rich but he was still smart with it.

The Master retrieved breakfast and woke Koschei up so they could at together. Sitting there, the Master picked at his food silently. He liked the Doctor but lately, he found the mans behaviour unsettling, uncomfortable and hard to fathom.

Yes he was interesting but it was worrying to pursue a relationship with someone screwed up and easy to push over. He never did like doormats. "Koschei, just a theoretical question, but you know abuse and hitting people shouldn't happened because its morally wrong?"

Oh? "I just don't care." Koschei blatantly dismissed. And he didn't. The thing was that the Doctor wasn't even a doormat or a pushover. Just a bit screwy when it came to such concepts and he wanted Koschei to like him.

A thing Koschei was making increasingly difficult for the man. And the kid knew it. "Why?" he asked slowly, raising an eyebrow. It was a valid question.

"Just curious is all," the maser said with a small smile, not willing to say anything else. "So what do you want to do here today? Wanna watch TV or play a video game? I can get you something fun."

He could nick some of Marnals toys. Whatever the boy wanted really. He just wanted Koschei to feel happy being here.

Koschei had a feeling that go home wasn't an acceptable response to that question. He did, however, know when something else was up. "'M just gonna watch cartoons." he assured sweetly.

"You can spend time with Mr. Smith." he assured. Hopefully the Master would get tired o the man and move on. Because this was tryin to deal with. It really was.

"Nah, I'm all right, I'd rather watch cartoons," the Master said with a small smile, he didn't know why but it was a bit awkward now he knew these thing and he didn't know what to say.

"I'm gonna go check on Marnal first, back soon," the Master offered as he got up and headed to Marnals to see the kid. Marnal was still in bed, curled up slightly and watching his TV with his bear in his arms. Was the Doctor running a bath soon?

Bingo. Koschei knew that he'd figure something out. And that was answer enough. Something was going on with the Doctor and he was determined to use it to his advantage at some point.

And as for the Doctor himself? It was honestly just a minute after that he stopped at Marnal's room himself. "Oh. Right...Marnal? Bath." he instructed simply, offering a light smile.

"Hey, just making sure he'd fine," Marnal hopped out of bed and nodded, carrying his bear with him to the bath. He wouldn't take him in but he could sit beside him. "Did you get him any lotion?"

He was just curios because he could spare some of Koscheis for the boy to use. He stood outside the bathroom, naturally, he didn't want to see someone elses kid strip, did he?