Imaginary Worlds

The Doctor signed softly and nodded. "Alright. I won't insist if you really want to do it." he assured, sighing softly as he looked to his son. Marnal would probably be a lot better off.

"Thank you. Really. I do appreciate your doing this for me." he assured softly. The Doctor couldn't express that enough.

"If you don't mind me working at home more. I mean, I do on Friday but I thought Monday and Wednesday I worked at home and I'll be in Tuesday and Thursday," the Master theorised with a small shrug of his shoulders.

"It'd make things easier, most of my work is just theory," the master explained as he watched Marnal lap around with Sigma. "He can just play with the dog while I work."

The Doctor nodded softly at that one. "It's fine. So long as the work gets done, I'm fine with it." he assured softly. And he was.

Looking to Marnal, he cracked a small smile, leaning in the doorframe of the kitchen. This was nice. He always did enjoy moments like this.

The Master nodded and crossed his arms and watched the Doctor. "You're a good dad, you know. You can tell a good dad easy. Or I can anyway. My dad had this expression in his eyes when he used to watch us, love and happiness," the Master explained before shrugging his shoulders. The subject of being ice was not an easy one.

But it was hard to miss that affectionate look people get. "I think all dads just love seeing their kids happy."

"I try. I know I could have done better, but what can I say? At least I try to keep Marnal happy and content." the Doctor said softly. It was just the way he was. He worried about his ability.

"I know I've seen worse, mind, but I have my regrets. You aren't too bad of a father yourself." the Doctor informed softly. And he honestly believed that of the Master.

"I love my son but I'm useless. I mean, I let him watch 18 rated films, I raised him to be a sociopath and I tend to insult him sometimes... which I shouldn't," the Master did try but he was not a natural father.

The Master was more a laid back type who never wanted kids. "Marnal seems like a nice kid though, don't get why people hate him," the Master mumbled with a small shrug of his shoulders.

"He acts too human and comes on too strong. Other kids pick on him because of how he is and adults aren't much better. And it's partially my fault. I raised him this way. I taught him to look and not touch, which bothers people." the Doctor admitted softly.

The poor lad was just so...Open. The kid wanted to be energetic and happy. Time lords didn't take to that. "I've always been over protective. Took until he was four for me to let him watch television. I was afraid it would effect his learning ability." the Doctor murmured, making sure Marnal would hear them.

"I thought he was human when I met him," the Master remarked, Marnal was a very happy child who seemed to value playing and fun over academics, something that was odd to most Time Lords.

And, on top of that, Marnal did have a habit of staring. "Being protective isn't always best, you should let him be a kid. They get hurt, misbehave and break stuff... its just having kids."

"He is very human. But he's also very Galifreyan. What I always found odd was that, while he's a lot like me, he's nothing like his mother. They share no traits." he admitted softly.

It was just one of those things that seemed odd, but you never really thought too much about it. "Doesn't look a thing like her either." he added with a small shrug, turning around to tend to their food.

"Koschei looks nothing like his mom either. And despite his protest that they're both artists, I don't think he gets it from her at all," the Master remarked before shrugging his shoulders, definitely odd.

"You know, the more we talk, the odder things are. We both feel like we know one another and our kids are definitely not conventional," the Master pointed out with a small from on his face.

"Ah, ah, no thinking. I don't care if it's odd. I get that it is. But I'd rather enjoy myself and the like over worrying over something that we can't really fix. Right?" the Doctor asked slowly.

"Marnal! Food is on the table." the Doctor called out as he placed the rice and cut up chicken upon the table. He played some for himself and the Master as well before sitting down with a small smile.

The Doctor could shut off but the Master couldn't, it would be in his head for a while now. Dropping down on the sofa, he heaved a sigh before turning his head to the boy who came rushing in.

Marnal washed his hands by standing on a chair and leaning up and when he was done, he sat down at the table and grinned at his dad. "Can I have a dog? They're so cool!"

The Doctor smiled softly and shrugged. "I'm thinking about it. We need to be careful, though. We don't want to get one and have Pest react poorly because the puppy is too wild." he said softly, watching where the cat in question was hesitantly working on investigating the pup.

The Doctor couldn't really say no. He usually gave Marnal everything the kid wanted. He couldn't help it. "We'll go look at some puppies later this weekend." he assured softly.

"Okay, we can get a small one that won't scare Pest," Marnal offered as he shovelled his food into his mouth, practically bouncing at the concept of having a dog.

The Master pulled apart his chicken and tossed some to Sigma who came along to contently lie at his masters feet. "So Doctor, what should we do tonight? Any ideas?"

The Doctor Hume d softly and gave a bit of a shrug. "I was thinking we could watch a film?" he offered softly. It would have to be appropriate for Marnal, mind, but he was offering.

And it wasn't as though he was set in stone for it. He was simply offering a suggestion. The Doctor really didn't care too much.

"We can watch a film, your turn to pick," the Master reminded with a small smile before turning his head to the boy eating away at his dinner. He supposed the film would be adults only.

"We going to amuse this one for a few hours?" the Master asked, smiling at the boy as he looked expectingly up at them.

((Off to bed))

(Night.)

"Yeah. I was thinking a film with Marnal and then I'll get him settled in for the night. Which means bath and pajamas right after dinner." he insteucted his son firmly. That was just the way it was.

"And then we can watch another film. I'm thinking something along the lines of an action film." the Doctor offered softly. He didn't mind a bit of feedback.

"Sounds great, adventure works for me," the Master offered as he finished up his dinner and shrugged. He had less trouble with that sort of stuff because he could watch anything... except romantic comedies.

Marnal nodded and pushed what remained of his dinner aside. "I'll have a bath now then and Sigma can come too?" Marnal attempted, just to test the waters and see if he could. The Master merely chuckled.

"No. Go get in and I'll grab your pajamas." the Doctor instructed, offering the Master a small smile before heading upstairs to grab the kid his clothes. It always made things easier.

Heading back down, he simply started cleaning up, use to the routine by then. "So. Anything you wanted to do tonight?" the Doctor asked softly, raising an eyebrow.

"I want to eventually go to bed," the Master joked, not sure what the Doctor wanted him to suggest. It was the Doctors house, the Doctors stuff and he knew what was around.

If he wanted to do something, the Master wanted to say. He wanted him to just pick, no need for feedback or questions. "What about you? Anything? Must be something.'"

"Sorry. Let me try a different tactic? What are some things you like to do when there's nothing else going on but a night in?" the Doctor asked with a soft chuckle

That simple. He just wanted to know something that the Master liked to do. Because, if he liked it as well, then he would like to be able to do that.

"I read, which is a solo activity. Or I use my telescope, also solo. Or sometimes I play with Sigma, which is also kind of a solo thing," the Master lived alone and his son went to bed at 9... he didn't have many joint hobbies.

"What about you? Anything that requires two people?" the Master asked with good humour because he didn't fancy sharing a book or trying to use a telescope together.

"I don't know really. I use to do things with Patience all the time. And Iros, but he was mainly only interested in me for a small handful of things." the Doctor admitted, drying his hands and moving to sit down instead.

"In all truth? I'm not exactly good at the dating thing either. I tend to be top much of a loner at times. Also tend to cuddle, which isn't always appreciated." he added sheepishly.

The Master heaved a sigh, it seemed neither of them were good at this sort of stuff. "I thought cuddling was what people wanted... everyone I've ever been with has complained at me for being physically and emotionally withdrawn."

Which was boring, annoying and did his bloody head in. "Look, what did you used to do with patiences? Minus cuddling," the Master asked, not that he was saying that wasn't an option, he just needed some ideas.

"A lot. We would watch films, visit the cabin, go camping, walk and hike...not a whole lot to be usable during the evening and night. And anything else is out with Marnal here. So just the movie then." the Doctor mused softly.

Not much else available. "We would occasionally play chess and the like, but I'd rather not bore you." the Doctor murmured softly. He learned that was out of the question when dating while he'd been with Iros. Not many really liked to play.