Imaginary Worlds

"Nothing. Sure, he's a big hyper and needs constant attention, but really? When I try and picture him any different...Well, it isn't possible." the Doctor murmured sofly.

And he meant theat. He really did. Because his son was his son. He couldn't describe how much he adored that child.

"I wouldn't want to change Kosch, I love him as he is, but I would like to change that empathy issue for his own benefit, you know?" he didn't want his son to grow up like he had.

"It's just lucky that your kid doesn't have many issues, I mean he is a normal kid," which was probably why he was an outcast among time lords because he was incredibly normal and average.

The Doctor softly and sighed. "Look. That's not a good thing. He is normal. And people hate him for it. He's shunned and ridiculed. He's not the sort that you can take out and let socialize without him getting hurt." he murmured.

And speaking of their kids..."We should get out soon. I don't want them waking up and wandering about." the Doctor said softly.

"I hate to kill the mood but sadly, your son will face that all his life. Nice people get the brunt of the world" Sighing, he nodded and clambered from the tub, grabbing a nearby towel to dry off.

"I need to wake Koschei up, that lad would sleep all day if I let him," the Master remarked, clearly amused by all of this. "Lucy has been telling him that painkillers are evil... I hate people who are that painfully stupid... why did I even sleep with her?"

"There's actually a lot of people who believe that. Side effects and addictive qualities tend to make some wary enough to turn toward home remedies." the Doctor stated as he got out and dried off.

"But as for you sleeping with her? I believe you mentioned drinking.0 the Doctor offered lightly while he dressed. What? The Master had asked.

"Everything has side effects, even the food we eat. All I know is that doctors save lives with medicine, not home remedies. Never seen a home remedy help someone manage cancer or chronic pain," the Master snarked, unable to believe people were that daft.

People made medicine for a reason, it was fools logic. "We were very drunk, I suppose it's good I barely remember it, if she hadn't been pregnant, I wouldn't of been sure it'd happened."

The Doctor just smiled softly and shook his head. "I've used home remedies before. Insomnia and the like. I've always had trouble with sleeping. But I also have periods of being incapable of anything due to lack of energy." the Doctor admitted softly.

It wasn't pleasant. The Doctor knew that something was off. He also knew that he couldn't do much else about it. "Marnal! You can come out now." he called as he entered once more.

"I always use painkillers, manages my pain," the Master remarked as he headed up the stairs, slipping into Koschei's room and shaking the boy gently. "Wake up, Kosch."

Marnal looked up from the floor where he'd been sitting with his dinosaur toys and swiftly shoved them under the bed, heading to the door and pretending that he hadn't been up playing the whole time. "Hi dad."

The Doctor just shook his head. "You were awake and we both know it." he chided gently. Though he wasn't mad. He wouldn't get upset.

Koschei stirred and frowned softly as he looked to his father. "I don't wanna get up." he murmured. He didn't do well with waking.

Marnal shuffled out the room and gave his dad a whiny look. "I tried, I did, I couldn't! I'm not tired and I'm hungry," the boy complained as he gave his dad an expecting look.

The Master heaved a sigh and shook his head. "Get up, mate. You have to or you'll never sleep tonight, okay?"

"You waited until I stepped out to get up. But no matter. I'll make something to eat." he said simply, heading for the kitchen to do just that. He didn't care that Marnal stated up. He cared the kid was lying to him.

With a sigh, Koschei got up and shot his dad a look. "Fine. 'M up." he murmured, heading out the door. He'd find a way to amuse himself.

Marnal bowed his head and nodded. "I didn't want you to be mad," he never did feel like napping on holidays but his last few experiences of it had been rather... well, dodgy. "Can I have chocolate?" Worth a shot!

The Master sighed and followed the boy, ruffling his hair. "Sorry Kosch, sometimes you have to do things you hate. But I'll let you have a lie in tomorrow and late night as well."

The Doctor just shook his head. "Not right now. Later." he said simply, raising an eyebrow when Koschei wandered in to pick at what he was making. Really!

The kid was just a bit in the odd side of things. The Doctor knew that Koschei didn't care for him. Which made the kid's habit of being about his baffling.

The Master left Koschei picking around the Doctor as he headed into the living room to lie down and watch some TV till everyone worked out what they wanted to do so he could amuse himself properly.

Marnal stood stubbornly by his father, remarkably close, clearly just waiting for his father to pass down some sort of snack so he could get something to eat.

The Doctor did wind up handing down a plate with celery on it with a smile. "If you're hungry, then that will do it until I finish cooking." he informed simply.

It didn't matter if Marnal disliked it. The Doctor liked to keep the lad eating healthy. That's just the way he was.

Marnal pulled a face and walked away with a pout, he hated that stuff, it tasted utter revolting and he didn't get why he should have to eat such a thing when he could have something nice.

Marnal went to sulk upstairs till dinner was done, not in the mood to play nice with his dad. First the forced nap and now no food? Kids could be wildly unreasonable sometimes.

The Doctor just let Koschei have at it with a smirk. His son would eat it eventually. He made up a quick meal and called for the Master and Marnal while serving the plates.

This was at least pleasant. The Doctor was admittedly rather happy at the moment with all of this. How could he not be?

The Master came to the table and raised an eyebrow at the celery on the side of his plate. "Me and Kosch usually eat a bit less... healthy, I suppose. I need to learn to cook."

Marnal was probably still sulking upstairs considering he hadn't come down for dinner. Huh, who'd of thought a missing nap could make him that cranky? It was rather odd.

The Doctor just shrugged lightly. "I like to cook on the healthier side of things." he admitted, excusing himself to go hunt down his son. He didn't take sulking or tantrums very well.

"Marnal, if you don't get down to eat now, then you'll be losing cartoon privileges." the Doctor said softly ad he entered the room.

"I hate celery," Marnal asserted, it wasn't because it was healthy, frankly he didn't know the difference, all he did know was that it tasted horrible and he didn't want it.

"I don't want to eat any," the boy warned, not sure what was for dinner but if that was on his plate the he wasn't going too. Easy enough, he could hold back for the night.

"I don't care. Thing about being a kid? You eat what you're given. If you don't? Then there are consequences." the Doctor said firmly.

He really didn't do well with this. "Celery is in a lot of what I cook and you eat it. Either you go down and eat , or you lose your cartoon privileges for the next week and no sweets." the Doctor said slowly.

"Fine! Don't want cartoons or sweets!" Marnal snapped, clambering onto his bed with a sulk. He wasn't eating something he didn't like and the Doctor didn't help by trying to rule over him like that, it wasn't fair.

"You're an idiot," Marnal didn't get the context of the word admittedly but he was aiming to try and hurt as kids often did and the boys at school called him that all the time so it had to be mean, right?

"Two weeks and watch it. You want to call me mean and act like the brats who pick on you? Fine. Next time I head out somewhere, you can stay with your grandfather. Go to bed, Marnal. You lost your chance to eat." the Doctor said softly, clicking out the light and shutting the door behind him.

Marnal may only be six, but that didn't stop the Doctor from being firm. He headed down to eat his own meal, not at all bothered with the fact that his son wasn't joinin them. It wasn't the first time this happened.

The Master raised an eyebrow when the Doctor returned, he hadn't actually seen Marnal act up before, it was ... reassuring? In its own way, it was nice to know he wasn't alone.

Course he could hear a racket coming from the boys room so clearly he was having a tantrum, the Master had to hide his smile, kids were pains in the arse. "You like your dinner Kosch?"

Koschei smiled softly at that one and shrugged. "It's fine. I don't mind it." he murmured sofly. And what else was he expected to say?

It was a bit awkward listening to Marnal have a fit. A thing the Doctor tolerated for all of three minutes before heading back to the bedroom. "Do you want to leave tonight? Because I will drive you to stay with your grandfather."