Imaginary Worlds

The Master nodded and started pulling some eggs from the fridge. The only descent breakfast he could make was fried egg or scrambled egg on toast... or cereal.

"Scrambled or fried?" he asked Koschei as pulled some bread from the cupboard.

Koschei sighed softly at that one. He couldn't complain. He really couldn't. Even if he was eying Marnal, his muscles tensed up.

"Scrambled." he assured. He wouldn't be hanging out around the two that day.

"Done, want any Marnal?" the Master asked but the boy shook his head, he had breakfast this morning with the Doctor and he knew it was wise to just leave the other boy be.

So instead he went to sit in the living room and watch the TV so he didn't bother the other boy, then he might not get to come back.

Koschei watched as Marnal headed out, taking the moment to eat his food. He even put his plate into the sink. At least he had some manners.

"'M gonna work on my puzzle...Oh. An' I know why it's hard now. I did it before." he murmured, heading to his room. Koschei always had a harder time recreating things.

"Oh well good luck, I'll call you down for lunch," the Master offered before he returned back to sit in the living room. He dropped down beside the boy and kept him company.

Well, to a point, he did his work on the laptop while Marnal coloured in his colouring book.

Koschei did eventually wander down for lunch, not exactly pleased. He didn't want to be around Marnal in the least. The kid creeped him out.

"'M hungry." Koschei murmured. He was also a bit tired. But he couldn't help that.

"What do you want?" the Master asked from where he was typing, idly writing up a proposal he had to send to his benefactor to get the funding, it was all very dull. He kind of hated it.

Marnal looked up at Koschei then back down at his colouring book, he didn't mind what they ate, he was just waiting for his dad to come back so he could get back to somewhere normal.

"A sandwich is fine." Koschei murmured with a small shrug. Why not? It was simple and nobody really minded those.

And that was all he could hope for. Koschei woułd just eat and call it good for the time being.

"Right, I'll make two sandwich then," the Master set his laptop aside and got to his feet, heading into the kitchen to go and fetch something for the boys to eat.

Marnal sat upright and, he couldn't help himself, he sort of stared at Koschei with a small chhildish frown.

And there it was. That creepy stare. It put Koschei on edge and made him tense up. He couldn't help it.

"Don't stare at me." he snipped pointedly, bristling. Koschei hated when people stated at him.

"You were in my dream last night," Marnal chirped, he knew he wasn't meant to talk to Koschei but he just couldn't help himself, Koschei was in his dreams often.

"You really don't like me," Marnal mumbled before he went back to colouring. "You were nicer when the world was all black."

That had Koschei bristling. He knew that dream. He hated those dreams. "You're insane." he hissed softly.

It was only a dream. A dream of a world run by a broken man where Koschei could only suffer in the long run. He didn't like thinking about that.

"I don't know what insane means," Marnal admitted, it was a big word and he'd never heard it, usually kids in class called him crazy or stupid or weird. Never insane.

He went back to colour and left Koschei be, the boy didn't want to talk about it then fine.

The world didn't go black. It wouldn't. Koschei shook his head and retreated to his room pointedly.

He wasn't as hungry anymore. And could be be blamed? Marnal was horrid for him.

The Master gave Marnal his sandwich and headed upstairs to go and find his son. He set the boys sandwich on his desk and frowned, not sure what had gotten into the boy now.

"Remember lunch? Well, I made you a sandwich and we don't waste food," they could hardly afford too.

"I don't like him. He bothers me." Koschei grumbled. He had a valid reason! The kid stared and said odd things.

Koschei wanted distance from Marnal was all. He even moved to his desk to pick at his sandwich.

"Marnal is just an odd kid, you don't shun odd kids, you try to normalise them a bit," if he and the Doctor stayed together and Marnal became like a step son, he wanted him to be a bit normal.

Besides, he felt responsible for him for some reason. "What did he do now?"

Koschei sighed and shook his head. He hated that. He truly did. Because he didn't like to think about those dreams.

"He said he dreamt of me. An' the world was black." he murmured. He figured the Master would understand the implications.

"Sorry Koschei, he's only just turned 5, he's hardly doing this out of spite. Kids don't get stuff," Marnal was young and weird and human-- they were usually big on sharing.

And a little too chatty and friendly for Time Lord children. "Just don't let him get to you."

The Master didn't get it "He dreamt about the empty place." Koschei asserted. The man should recognize that as his own dream.

It was unsettling. It was one that woke him up and plagued him constantly. Why wouldn't he have a problem with that?

"I know Koschei, what do you expect me to do? Tell Marnal off for dreaming?" how could he ever look into it? Whenever he tried, everyone instantly had a problem with it.

But he couldn't help himself, he was going to have to quiz Marnal on his dream.

"No. Tell him off for speaking to me. I don't want him around me." Koschei said firmly. Did he think his request would be granted? Not particularly. He just didn't care.

Humming, he finished his sandwich and went back to his puzzle. He was done bothering there.

The Master sighed and headed back downstairs to talk to Marnal, it took an hour but the boy explained his dreams and even drew the Master some pictures. No one ever co-operated this much.

But Marnal didn't think, he didn't know what he had to worry. The Master left the boy be after that and went to inspect what he had.

It wasn't too long before the Doctor showed up. He was tired and honestly just wanted to go home to relax. Annoying people tended to have that effect upon him.

It's why he didn't hesitate to knock upon the door. The Doctor wouldn't impose. He'd just take Marnal home and hope for the best.

The Master opened the door for him and Marnal grinned brightly at his dad, rushing across the door and shoving a handful of drawings into his dads hands. "I drew these for you."

The Master gave the Doctor a sideways look, all the pictures were about the dreams, said a lot.