Imaginary Worlds

"Side effects. Trust me. I know when I've been hypnotized and, since you weren't around, that leaves our son." he murmured softly, eying the Master a bit with a small frown. Right. He wasn't sure how to get into this one. Nor was he sure it would be appreciated.

"We can...Do you want to? I mean...I know you want your space and whatnot. We can do anything you want. Or, I don't know, I can keep Koschei busy if you want time to yourself. Or...I don't really care." the Doctor assured softly, offering a small smile.

"But you clearly do care because you want to spend time with me," the Master asserted firmly as he ate his cereal, not making eye contact as he prodded around his bowl with a small frown, trying not to sound like he was arguing, just stating it.

"I said I wanted space sometimes, not all the time. If you want to do something with me then ask me, I never said I wouldn't," he muttered under his breath with a small frown on his face because he couldn't help it... he was oddly annoyed by all of this. Why wouldn't he stand up and ask for what he wants or at least prompt him to do it.

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably at that and worried his lower lip between his teeth. Alright. He had no idea where this had come from. The Master didn't normally mind. Well, not outwardly. Not that he noticed. It bothered him that the Master was suddenly calling him out on it.

"I don't mind though. I don't know if you want space right now or not. If you do, then I can give it to you. If not, then we can do something all together. Or just you and Koschei if you just want to spend time with him." the Doctor murmured softly, frowning a bit. It was usually a lot easier to try and get what the Master wanted out.

HE wasn't really in the mood to be with Koschei, some days he could grin and bear the kid... other days, he just wanted to punch him in his smug little face. This was one of those days. He was having an off day all round, he supposed. He just didn't know why, if he was honest. Why was he suddenly so worked up?

"Sorry, I'm just a bit grouchy. We can all go out together? And then when we get back, I should be tired enough to sleep," the Master assured as he drained the rest of his milk and shoved the bowl aside.

The Doctor sighed softly and closed his eyes, cocking his head to the side for a moment. He was just...Listening. Satisfied with the quiet, he stood and moved behind the Master's chair, hesitating briefly before he took to kneading the other's shoulders lightly.

He was just trying to be helpful. "How about...I take Koschei out on a hike and you just relax around here for the day? Read a book, try the hot tub a bit...How's that sound? And if you aren't over whatever is bothering you when we get back, I'll try and come up with something else to help." the Doctor murmured. The sad part? He was doing exactly what Koschei accused him of and didn't even realize it.

The Master did and very slowly, he let his head drop on the table. Said a lot when a six year old knew them perfectly. But he decided it was best to leave it for now and not ruin the Doctors good time. "Sounds wise. Sorry about this, I did want to come I'm just-- I don't know, I don't feel very well."

He really didn't because no matter how hard he tried and how much they jiggered it all around, he wasn't happy. He tried, he really did. He was happy before, he knew he was... or so he thought. Now he was worrying, he knew the truth and he could see it plainly... why did Koschei have to ruin this for him?

The Master just had to say that of all things. "Are you sure that you're alright? Maybe I should stay in. I can help Koschei with some art projects and whatnot. That way you can rest and, if you need anything, then I'll be able to help." he murmured, already having settled upon that.

He liked helping. He liked catering to the Master and going out of his way to help the man. It was what made him happy. The Doctor didn't understand why the other couldn't be happy with that. Before, the Master probably would have loved it. But now? Now the Doctor couldn't understand why it was different.

Before the Master would of adored it, back when the drums raged in his head and he had a staged to play too. Now he was here, he was settled and he wanted a normal consenting relationship and ... this was not it. It felt wrong.Getting to his feet, he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm going to lie down, just... give me a while alone, my head hurts."

The Master shut the door behind him when he finally retreated to the bedroom, ducking under the covers so he could be alone and contemplate this all. Part of him thought back to when the Doctor erased his memories. The way he reacted to Koschei, to the idea of them being together, to the protectiveness of these people. What if that was the real Doctor and this was just some... puppet?

The Doctor sighed softly and shook his head, quietly fetching Koschei to drag the kid out. He tried to keep the boy busy throughout the day, wanting the Master to have space and a chance to relax. He would deal with whatever it was soon enough.

Returning later in the afternoon, the Doctor sent the kid off with a bowl of soup before he slipped quietly into the bedroom, placing a bowl on the bedside table. "Do we need to talk?" he asked softly, kneeling on the foot of the bed with a worried frown. "Because I know you said not to worry about it, but I know you said you weren't happy yesterday, and...Do I need to fix something again?" he inquired hesitantly.

"No, its all fine. Like I said, I'm feeling off. Its just me. its honestly just me. I'm happy, really. Just ... I'm feeling off today," the Master lied because he really didn't know what was happening but maybe today was the first time since the change that he actually paid attention.

Because why wasn't the Doctor getting better, he was just always the same no matter what changed. It wasn't the Doctor that needed to do these changes... the Master needed to do them to the Doctor. He needed to fix this.

"I made soup." the Doctor offered, moving up the bed so that he could cuddle up close to the other affectionately. "I'm sorry you're not doing well today. Just...If there's anything I can do, really, just let me know. Are you sure you're alright?" he asked softly.

He was understandably worried. The Doctor hated when the other got upset and into one of these moods. It usually spelled trouble for them. "I can do anything you need me to do.'' he murmured firmly.

That was the worst possible thing the Doctor could of said because it just kept getting worse and worse and he was pretty sure that he'd lost the Doctor deep down inside this shell of him. this man desperate to please him and do everything for him.

Where was the man who imprisoned him? Didn't give a damn if the Master liked it then... why did he care so much now? Closing his eyes, the Master just settled against the Doctor with a sigh. "Just a headache, seriously Doctor. Just feeling off."

"Sorry. It's just...Usually when you get like this, you let it escalate until we're tearing apart our minds to fix it." the Doctor mumbled. Which was bothering him more than anything else. He didn't want the Master to alter himself anymore. He'd tried giving the man back the desire for power and control. To a safe extent, mind.

So why wouldn't the Master be happy? "Alright. Well, Kosch is occupied in his room right now. So you can just...Rest. Relax. Want me to leave you alone? Or do you want me to stay?" the Doctor asked softly. He didn't want to make any headache worse.

"Its just a headache, drop it!" the Master hissed angrily, not meaning to snap but couldn't he drop it? Oh of course he couldn't, how could he drop the matter of his lord and Master having a headache... could this get any worse. What would the doctor, the real one, think of him right now? Probably think he was pathetic for thinking they were actually getting somewhere as two rational and aware beings who consented to being together.

Not a ma with a mess of a mind who hopelessly fell over himself to please the Master. "... I'm sorry. Look, can I just ask, if you alter someones mind too much, will it do damage? Over all, will it do anything at all?"

Well. It had been a decent stretch since the last time the Master had lost his temper with him. The Doctor shrunk back slightly, moving away to give the other a little space at that. Who wouldn't worry? The Master, somebody who had suffered from headaches that drove the man to take over a destroy whole galaxies, having a headache again out of nowhere was worrying.

How was he supposed to know the Master wasn't having some form of relapse? And then the Master was asking him that question and how was he meant to just respond? He was still bothered with being snapped at over being worried over something justifiably worrying. "I don't...You're the better psychic. They talked about the dangers in school..." the Doctor mumbled, settling himself on the edge of the bed and watching the Master warily, not really wanting to set the man off. He did not like the other's temper issues.

"You can lose the ability to alter things back to their original state at some point. You can force them into a catatonic state if you create a shock. Amnesia is another. Um...You could end up altering things too much and needed to recreate everything from scratch. Seen that happen a few times with my cousins." the Doctor admitted softly with a cringe. It hadn't been a pretty sight and it hadn't been an accident when it happened. "Why?" he asked slowly as an afterthought.

The Master didn't realise he was causing any of these problems for the Doctor because he was too busy debating what to do next. Kicking off the blankets, he hauled himself upright and rubbed his eyes furiously to try and clear his mind. So... this could go plenty of ways no matter what he did. So the Master decided that a simple test was in order, just to make sure that none of this was needless. Getting to his feet, he silently crossed the room and made sure the door was closed before slipping the lock.

Koschei couldn't come in. Not now. Not while he did this. "Something is very wrong here... either I'm going mad, you're going mad or we're both fucked for the rest of our sad pathetic little life here. So I need to see if its me or if its you," and like that, the Master quite literally threw himself at the Doctor and punched him as hard as he could in the face.

Surely the Doctor had fight in him... it just had to come out, right?

Shock. That would be the only way to explain what he was feeling right then. Shock and pain. Because he didn't know what he did! He had answered the Master honestly and he'd been struck for it. Was it all because he'd been worried that the Master wasn't alright? And since when did that justify being hit? Then again...

Since when did the Doctor just lay there, staring wide eyed up at the Master after getting hit, trying to work out what he'd done wrong and flinching back in some automatic reflex? He pushed the other a bit, moving one hand to gingerly feel where he'd been hit with a soft sound of displeasure. "I didn't do anything." he mumbled softly. Because it didn't make sense.

"You're not him," the Master muttered, fingers working into his hair as he gave it a small tug. This was hell... he was in hell and the whole game had t be thrown out the window. Again. "I was actually happy but that's not right, why would you even want me happy? You've ruined your brain and I don't know how but we need to fix in now."

The Master gave the Doctor a look of annoyance, trying to work out the best way to handle this one. He could force it but the trauma might hurt. He had to get him pinned and work his way inside. "I need to fix you, just sit still and let me have a rummage," the Master demanded, trying to keep his tone calm but failing

Oh, he knew where it happened. The Master just wouldn't like that one. Because there was one specific point where it all started to very gradually slide downhill, taking its time before becoming honestly noticeable. The Doctor doubted the other would like to hear about that one.

Shaking his head slowly, he started to squirm away before pausing, instead wrapping his arms tightly around the other with a soft sound of displeasure. "I'm happy. Don't change it...Please don't change me. I can fix it." the Doctor assured firmly, almost desperately.

"No. No you can't because you're not him, you're a slave to me and ... and I'm not him any more, I don't want to do that," the Master confessed, he wanted the man he knew. Not a puppet, a little wooden doll waiting to be a real boy by serving the Master. He was a broken shell of a man and that worried him.

How long till he was like this thing the Doctor had become. Raising his hand, he place it on the Doctors forehead and tried to steady him as he very slowly slipped inside the Doctors head, he hated doing it but he had too.

The problem was that it wasn't a mental thing. Well, partially. Because it had started originally when he had had his accident and dealt with the head trauma. Recently putting his mind through such a large shock and trauma just escalated what was already wrong on a smaller scale.

And he had already developed the ability to ignore it. "Please? I'm fine." the Doctor murmured, shrinking away a bit without any actual fighting. He would be fighting plenty enough when it hit the Master just how long this sort of thing had been going on. He doubted he was in for a pleasant night.

It made the Master sick, to be honest, all this time and he had no idea where he stood with this made. He recoiled his hand in horror and staggered away because this was just too much. He couldn't deal with this. Why was it all so wrong and how the hell did he fix something as wrecked as the Doctors mind. Backing up, the Master unlocked the door and headed out the room.

"I need to leave now, just stay with Koschei," the Master yelled as he exited the cabin as fast as he'd entered, trying his hardest to get out before he lost it completely. He needed to be calm when he tried to actually undo all this damage.

That hurt. A lot. The Doctor honestly just lost it a bit. He lashed out a little, taking his frustrations out on the kitchen. It was when he came close to striking Koschei that he managed to calm down. He simply drifted back into the bedroom to sleep, the child following along with him.

Because the Master had left him like that. The Master had just said that he was leaving. Not that the man would be coming back. And that was enough to make him just...Shut down a little bit, curling up and letting his son nap as he picked at his own mind, not really sure, nor caring, if he was making things better or worse. Didn't really matter at that point.

The Master did come back eventually. Where else could he go really? Sighing, the Master pushed the door open and tried to keep his cool as he looked around the cabin. Heading into the room, hepeered inside at the Doctor and Koschei before sighing. Well this was the last thing he needed, wasn't it?

"Doctor? Come out here now," the Master ordered because he needed to have this mess sorted if he could, he needed to fix the Doctors mind and make him the Doctor... not a freak. Not the mess he was now.

The Doctor had mixed feelings when he opened his eyes to regard the other. On one hand, he was happy the Master returned and wanted to please him. On the other? Well, he didn't feel too much like having the Master picking at him again over something that probably couldn't be fixed. Subdued a bit and made less extreme? Definitely. But he didn't have hopes for much else.

It was still him. Just...Certain pieces of his personality had been made stronger from his original accident. Hesitating briefly, the Doctor carefully moved off of the bed and slipped from the room. "I'm fine. I can fix this." he assured softly, shutting the bedroom door behind him.