Imaginary Worlds

Marnal helped to clean up in his own useless, trying to tidy up and accidentally making a mes but he was trying, right? The Master didn't tidy so instead of helping, he read his latest book.

It was all about what people liked doing and the Master really didn't like boring domestic chores.

The Doctor wasn't one to complain. He just cleaned up after Marnal and left the Master to it. There was no need for anything else.

"So. Let's go run you a bath and start to settle down. We don't want you to be sleepy tomorrow." he teased.

"Already? But it's not even bedtime, that's not fair," Marnal pouted, he was still wide awake but, still, it seemed like his dad really wanted him to go now. He wouldn't make a massive fuss, mind.

But he was allow to complain, right? It only seemed fair to him to do so.

The Doctor just laughed as he lifted his son. "I didn't say sleeping, now did I? But if we don't start winding down, you'll be up all night as you're prone to do when excited about something, and you'll be exhausted come morning." he said simply as he started to the bathroom.

He wasn't going to expect Marnal to sleep just yet. But to settle down and start getting there? Most definitely.

"Okay, deal, but you have to sit with me before I sleep," Marnal commanded, just trying to get some time out of his dad. He always liked spending time with the older man, he couldn't help it.

"We can read or watch a film," Marnal suggested as he eyed the bathroom, hoping his toy boat was in there somewhere.

"Always." the Doctor murmured, setting Marnal down in favor of running the bath. It didn't help that Marnal was, as ever, a messy eater. Something that didn't mix well with tomatoes.

"In you go. I'll be back in a moment with your clothes." he assured. And he was back in a moment with the pajamas for Marnal.

Marnal clambered into the bath and grabbed his toy boat from the side, proceeding to play more than wash. He had no interest in washing, very few young children really did.

Marnal liked making waves and knocking the water about as well as playing with all of his toys.

"Here's a towel for when you get done." he murmured softly. He would let Marnal get himself out. Why not?

There was no point in bothering otherwise. Marnal liked to play and he liked to let the lad. "Come get me when you're done." he instructed as he headed down the stairs once more.

The Master finished up tidying the sandwich he'd made and met the Doctor at the stairs. "When you're done with Marnal, we could play some chess? If you like."

He just fancied doing something a bit different and their was a chess set in the living room. He was happy to wait for the lad to finish up too, he did have to go to bed.

The Doctor offered a small smile at that. "Don't worry about it. We can play chess." he granted with a shrug. He did like a decent opponent.

"I haven't played since I was a kid. I could never find somebody able to actually challenge me." the Doctor admitted.

((Sorry for the delayed tags lately, haven't been well.))

The Master nodded in agreement. "I was school champion every year I bothered to attend the chess club. It got a tiny bit dull when I kept on winning," the rewards were nice though.

"It should be an interesting challenge by that logic, we're both unbeatable," the Master remarked, grinning in amusement.

(Don't worry about it.)

The Doctor smiled slowly at that one and nodded. "I look forward to it it's been a while since I had a challenge." he murmured.

"People just stopped playing me. I mainly had my family to play against and they didn't like losing to me." he admitted lightly.

"I played the kids at school, I was undefeated and that meant I played less games because no one wanted to lose," the Master pointed out, looking up when he heard movement upstairs.

"I think your boy is up and about, when you're done, come find me," the Master assured, ready to get the board set up.

Nodding, the Doctor headed up the stairs. "Hey, kiddo, done already?" he asked lightly. He had promised a story.

But he wouldn't until Marnal prompted him. Otherwise it would be too much like pushing his son toward bedtime. A thing that never went over well.

Oh like Marnal would ever forget. "You promised a story," Marnal reminded as he climbed into his bed, adjusting the covered and digging around for the one he made the Doctor read all the time.

"I want to see the pictures too!" the boy declared, gesturing for his dad to come and join him on the bed.

Humming softly, the Doctor took a seat on the side of the bed and took o reading for the other. Eh why not?

He had the book memorized by this point. But no matter. Shaking his head, the Doctor got on with story.

Marnal knew it by heart, that was why he mouthed along the whole way through, occasionally declaring lines aloud with a grin. He didn't fall asleep but he was definitely more relaxed.

"Thanks for reading," the boy offered before settling down. "Can we get more books tomorrow? I don't have many."

The Doctor nodded softly at the request. How could he refuse? "You know that I'll always buy you new books and the like. All you have to do is ask." he murmured.

He had no problem doing that for the lad. The kid was the sort he wanted to encourage to learn.

"Then we can get some tomorrow then," Marnal said as he settled back down and looked up at the ceiling, ready to get off to bed, it was much easier when the Doctor just sat with him.

"Thanks for not sending me home," the boy offered, it wasn't long ago his dad had threatened too, it was worth offering a thanks.

"You're my son. I wouldn't send you away." the Doctor murmured softly. It was an empty assurance. Because he knew better. He knew that he could do such a thing and that honestly bothered him.

"I'll leave you be. Have a nice night." the Doctor said softly, heading down to the livingroom. He would leave it be and ignore the nagging feelings. Just as he ignored the unsettling feeling that something had had taken place in the cabin once before or even his house. Some things were best left well enough alone.

The Master joined the Doctor in the living room, downing a cup of tea he'd made. He was in the mood for a beer or something but there didn't seem to be any alcohol around.

Made sense, what with kids and everything. "So you fancy some chess still or did your kid wear you out," he knew that Koschei usually wore him out of a night.

The Doctor sighed softly and shrugged. "Chess is fine." he assured. Reading to Marnal was never all that bad.

Particularly when the kid picked a story they both knew well enough. "Would you like to be whit or black?" he asked softly. Might as well get started.

"Black," the Master said as he took a seat and crossed his arms, felling strangely like he'd done this sort of thing before with the Doctor Not that it was possible, mind you.

"If you don't mind, anyway, just always preferred the blacks to the whites," the Master explained, they were his lucky colour.

"It isn't any issue. Just means I get to move first." he said lightly with a bit of a smirk as he moved his knight out. A signature move, but what could he say? It worked.

"So. Tell me something? What brought about your contacting your ex?" he asked slowly.

"I dunno, Koschei just insisted once day," the Master admitted as he moved his pawn forward and gesture for the Doctor to go ahead and make his move. Lucy was definitely not his idea, that was for sure.

"She's not a good mother. Maybe deep down she has redemption but she's selfish, single minded and she uses her kids. She only wants koschei because I want him," it was all a bit childish really.