Imaginary Worlds

The Doctor smiled softly as he served up Marnal and hesitated, eying the Master. Well. He'd been planning to cook for the man as well. But that was fine as well.

Shaking his head a bit, the Doctor just made himself scrambled eggs and sat down instead, hoping he wouldn't be called out for being rude or anything of the sort. He honestly wasn't trying to be. It was just how it worked out.

The Master was more than happy to have some cereal himself and then he had a nice cup of tea while idly scrolling through his work emails via his phone to make sure he wasn't missing anything.

Marnal happily made short work of his breakfast, obviously enjoying it as much as he would of enjoyed pancakes. "I know it's rainy but we're still going to the shops, right?"

The Doctor smiled softly and nodded as he took to the dishes. "Of course. I said that we would, didn't I? I don't promise things and then not fulfill them." he chided.

Even if he knew different. But the Doctor couldn't help it. But he didn't like to acknowledge it either.

Marnal didn't bring up all the things the Doctor had put off for work and all the times he'd left him with Iros instead of doing what he should of. He knew better than to answer back.

Instead, he just smiled and headed off to find his shoes. The Master finished his tea and sighed. "Want to get Koschei something, not sure yet what to get though."

"You ever think to get him a cookbook? He seems to be interested in the sort." the Doctor suggested softly. He was just tryin to help.

Then again, he didn't exactly know Koschei. "Or maybe a 3D puzzle or a model to put together?" the Doctor offered with a light smile.

"I want to but he's had three accidents in the kitchen these past two years," the Master explained with a small sigh because he didn't like that he couldn't trust his boys.

"Whenever he gets hurt, the people at the hospital judge me. They must think it's me and I don't need that with Lucy around," either Koschei was supervised or he didn't do it.

"One of this were on purpose, no? Supervise him. Or do the puzzles. He seems interested in that sort of thing." the Doctor said lightly.

The kid showed an interest in anything that worked with patterns. It was a good skill and interest to encourage. Especially in a you g child.

"I suppose, I'll just see. But yeah, he's big on patterns. I always thought he might be autistic but he doesn't really fit the criteria," the Master admitted with a small shrug.

He fit the sociopath one better but the Master didn't think he was one, not really. "I'm going to go get ready, will I need anything besides my wallet and coat?"

"Not really. There isn't much need for anything in particular other than a coat." the Doctor assured softly.

And really? It only made sense. They weren't doing much else other than peaking at a few shops and walking.

Marnal was soon dressed and he even put on his hooded jacket in case it rained of them. Smiling, he slipped on his shoes and tugged at his fathers trousers to get his attention.

"Can we go now? Please! I'm ready and everything," Marnal demanded, leaping around impatiently as the Master slipped on his shoes.

"Yes, we can go now." the Doctor assured as he lifted the lad to be carried out to the car. The rain had even let up some, no longer coming down so hard.

Looking to the Master, he smiled softly and shrugged. "Would you like to drive? Or shall I?" the Doctor asked lightly. Might as well offer.

"You can," the Master offered with a smile, he never did like driving in the rain. Marnal shuffled around in the back looking out the window and enjoying the site of the rain.

The Master sat in the side seat and offered the Doctor a half smile. He found it was much easier just to relax on days like this. "I can drive us back if you like?"

"It's fine." the Doctor assured softly. And it was. "I just thought about what you've said. I don't mean anything by how I am, but I thought I'd try and offer to let you do more." he admitted.

He meant nothing by it. Truly. The Doctor just didn't want the Maste upset with him again.

"I never thought you did, take it cool," the Master remarked as he sat back and he watched everything around them with a mildly interested expression, he hadn't gotten to see it last time.

Marnal sat in the back, humming to himself as he occasionally pointed out the odd sight he liked with joy.

"The trick is to never stay too long or come too often that the place loses its novelty. You don't want it to lose its appeal." the Doctor murmured softly.

He'd seen people make that mistake. The Doctor couldn't stand to watch. The town thrived and was beautiful when faced with a city all day.

"Shame we can never enjoy ourselves alone in a place like this, we always need something bigger," the Master remarked with a small raise of his eyebrow, it was all a little mad.

"Kids sure love it, Koschei took to it in seconds and Marnal seems fond," which he was, the lad was practically grinning at the landscape.

The Doctor hummed softly and nodded. "I know. But really? People grow bored with it." he murmured softly. Unfortunate, but true.

He parked along side of a covered row of shops and shot the two a small smile. "Shall we?" he asked lightly.

"I'm sure," the Master remarked, he knew what the Doctor was doing but this was for Koschei, it wasn't just how it looked or how it was, the boy liked the isolate and it might be nice.

Marnal hopped out the car and waited patiently for his dad so he could hold his hand, the Master soon got out and offered the Doctor an amused smile. "Where first?"

The Doctor just shrugged. "If you say so." he murmured. He's let it drop from them on. Whatever happened would be that.

Even if he preferred different. "I was planning in slipping into the candy store for Marnal." the Doctor admitted with a sheepish grin.

"You know, I fancy some jelly babies," the Master remarked with a childish smile, no reason why the two of them couldn't have sweets either, made sense to him. He always did love sweets.

Marnal was grinning brightly as he followed along after his dad, he absolutely loved sweets. "You're getting me some?"

"Some, but not a lot. And what I do give you is going to last you." the Doctor instructed firmly. He wasn't having his son eating too much sugar at once.

A rule he very rarely budged on. The Doctor didn't mean any harm by it. He just didn't want to have Marnal bouncing off the walls or developing cavities. Mainly the latter, really.

"Okay!" Marnal didn't care, he was getting sweet, it was fantastic. He grinned the whole time as he took ahold of hisfather hand even tighter and hurried along to keep.

The Master followed them inside ad pulled out his wallet, he'd get himself some and he'd get something for Koschei just when he came back "Hmm, what do you think Kosch would like?"

The Doctor looked to the man and offered a small smile. "Don't think that you'd let me pay, would you?" he ventured slowly. He couldn't be faulted on trying.

"Try hard candies." the Doctor murmured absently. He had no idea what the kid might like. He even let Marnal pick freely rather than making an attempt himself.

"Okay, I'll make a deal, you can buy Koschei's sweets if you let me buy a bag of jelly babies and you have to eat half of them with me," the Master challenged before offering the man the bag of hard candies.

Marnal was very easy to please, he liked anything gummy, which is why he was currently questing for gummy worms and gummy bears, both of which he loved.

"I'm not the biggest fan." the Doctor murmured softly, taking the bag nonetheless to purchase. He had a bad association that he couldn't remember with the things. Unfortunate, but true.

He just remembered liking them and then suddenly not. Paying for the various treats, he simply waiting for the Master. He didn't mind too much.