Imaginary Worlds

"Can't fix it." Koschei said simply, shrugging as he went back to the design he was working on. "I didn't hurt him. I didn't kill him like I wanted. I just talked." he stated, sitting up and looking to his window with a small frown, working out the dimensions he needed for his latest project.

"I didn't do anything. Just told him how to make me love him." Koschei stated with a small smirk, once more going back to drawing. A little hypnotic suggestion mixed with psychological conditioning. Really? It was rather brilliant. He just didn't know how to undo it.

The Master felt anger run through him. All his hard work being slowly ruined by a 7 year old psychopath? Wonderful. He had to resist the urge to lash out and simply took a very deep breath and gave Koschei a stern look.

"I have tried with you, don't ever tell anyone I was a bad father because I was the best to you. Others would of sent you away by now... buy you clearly have no respect for me and you're dangerous to Marnal. I really did try Koschei, I loved you," the Master informed Koschei before heading out the door, trying to swallow his anger. Now he had to go into Marnals mind and pick it apart.

As for where Marnal was? The Doctor was keeping a relatively decent bit of distance, watching the kid eat from across the room. He wasn't about to try and approach again. He knew what it was like to have a fork chucked his way thanks to Koschei. It wasn't pleasant. At all.

Shaking his head, he glanced to the Master with a small smile. "I got him to eat." the Doctor announced as if it were some great accomplishment. It sort of was that morning. He was going with the idea that this was just a bad day. A really bad day.

"Koschei has had a meddle with Marnsl head, I need to have a look so you should call nursery and say he's sick," the Master said honestly because while he did usually lie for Koschei, this was not going to be one of those times. The poor lad was in a right state and the Doctor didn't look too happy either. "Seems he inherited the hypnotic eyes... sorry bout that."

Picking Marnal up, he held the boy close. Marnal just seemed really confused but clung to the Master anyway and buried his head in the mans chest to avoid looking at the Doctor. "I don't wanna be with him. I want you and Koschei."

Well. That was...That was actually a little frightening. Sighing, the Doctor nodded slowly. He didn't know what to do any longer. He honestly felt that Koschei needed professional help. Trying to get it for the kid just didn't seem to go over well. And it wasn't like he could ask that of the Master.

"Right. Okay. I'll...I'll make the call in and make a note to watch for that little trait. It's fine. Sort of my fault for not expecting that from him." the Doctor murmured as he picked the phone up to place the quick call. He couldn't even bring himself to suggest sending Koschei away now.

The Master was going to suggest it himself tonight because Koschei was just out of hand. It took a while to get Marnal to settle and after a draining hour, he managed to undo Koschei's work with his own abilities of hypnotism, which were a little rusty.

Picking the boy up, he carried Marnal downstairs and passed the half out of it boy to the Doctor. Marnal was half asleep and completely drained, he mumbled something that could of been 'love you' but it was hard to make out. "We need to sort out Koschei before he ends up killing Marnal. Its not safe for that kid to be here."

((Off to bed <3))

{Night!}

The Doctor accepted the kid somewhat awkwardly, regarding the other with a small frown. Well. There was a first. "I doubt Marnal will be happy to have his broth gone and...I can't ask that of you. I just...I don't know what to do anymore." he admitted softly, toying with Marnal's hair absently.

"I think that, given his history, I can get an evaluation done. I can have that scheduled for this week and, if something treatable turns up, Koschei will just be medicated. But I can't ask the two of you to get with of Kosch again." the Doctor murmured.

"Koschei has to go. Do I want him to? Not really. Do I think he should? Yes. Doctor, Rassilon sake, he's becoming worse than ever," conditioning cheetahs was one thing, conditioning and hypnotising his little brother was another.

"There's no remorse, there's no respect for what I tell him... Doctor, I can't deal with him. Just get him sorted," the Master demanded, he couldn't help being snappy. He loved Koschei and all of this was breaking his heart.

"Alight then. I'll be back soon enough." the Doctor assured as he carefully lay down Marnal and headed up to fetch the kid. In Koschei's defense, he didn't so much as fuss. Having the one person he cared for use a past tense of love over present tended to do that. So what was the point in fighting this time?

He didn't even say goodbye, simply brushing past after the Doctor. And the Doctor didn't take long, returning in a couple of hours with more than a few mixed feelings. "First visit is on Wednesday." he informed softly.

The Master sat with Marnal while the boy slept happily on the sofa and waited for the Doctor to come back. He didn't want to deal with it or discuss it. He loved Koschei, he really did... he just didn't think the boy would ever listen, respect or work with him.

"I'm off to work," the Master answered simply, nodding his head as he grabbed his coat. Well, he did say he had work today. Though he was out the house like a jolt, leaving the Doctor to watch Marnal. He didn't have much affection for the younger child, he liked him but he wasn't Koschei. It was not the same.

The Doctor sighed softly and sat down with a small frown. He didn't want to deal with this on his own. He really didn't. He did like the kid. Hard as it was to believe, he did. Which made the lack of any sort of comfort rather tiring. At least he was smart enough to take Marnal out to keep the kid from asking after Koschei.

A thing he doubted would be as easy upon their return that evening. The house was strangely quiet without the little psychopath. But it was best. Koschei would come home after he got some help. The Doctor was sure of that much.

Marnal did ask, of course he did, he went to sneak into the boys room that evening and with no sign of Koschei or the Master, it was quite confusing. Course this happened a lot, they always went off together. On the train or to a museum. Sometimes the Master even took him off to work. Marnal never got to go.

"Is Koschei on the train again?" Marnal asked finally and somewhat tentatively. He didn't get what happened this morning really but he knew the Doctor hadn't been that happy with him. "Is Master too?"

"The Master is at work." the Doctor murmured softly, looking to the child. Right. Gently tugging the boy to the couch, he took a seat and sighed softly. Well. He knew that wouldn't be something he could keep a secret. That was asking too much.

"Koschei had to go away for a little while to get better. He did something very bad and...He's getting help. We can still visit him and whatnot and if all goes well, he'll start coming him on the weekends within a couple of weeks." the Doctor explained softly. It wasn't easy trying to explain to a four year old all that was wrong with Koschei.

"Is he still ill then? He said he was feeling better!" Marnal protested because he didn't want to lose his big brother now, what if he didn't get better or he never came home? Visiting was too scary, what if they weren't there in time.

"He'll be lonely without us and his chest his hurting," Marnal lamented, it was just very lucky they were doing this without the Master around or he'd of probably given in and gone to get Koschei by now.

"They can help him with that. They can help him out. They're going to make him better. He's going to be fine. He just needs to get help. Because he's sick in a different way that we can't fix." the Doctor attempted. Damn. This wasn't going over well. He got it. He really did.

The catch was that he didn't have any way to fix it. Koschei was gone for the entire program. He made sure of it this time. But it meant that the Doctor was dealing with a confused Marnal and no real way to explain it. Why couldn't the Master get the difficult questions?

"So he's not coming home again? He'll miss his birthday and he'll miss Christmas!" He really wasn't making this easy on the Doctor and he probably wouldn't for a while. He looked miserable at the idea of his big brother being so far away.

"Was it my frog? Did it upset him? We can get rid of the frog!" Marnal tried but-- well, no that made him sad as well because he loved his frog and getting rid of him would not be easy. "Or Koschei can have Frog."

"He'll be able to come home again. By Christmas, I should hope. You'll have the until then and then your big brother should be home." the Doctor assured softly, shaking his head. How was he supposed to say that Koschei was a psychopath?

"Look. It wasn't the frog. It was Koschei. He did something very bad and he needs to get better. He'll be home in time for Christmas. Unless he doesn't want to come home, which isn't likely. I assure you." the Doctor said firmly.

Course while that question was answered, Marnal had more. He always had more. Sometimes Marnal gave Koschei a run for his money in regards to how amazingly awkward he was for the poor Doctor.

"Who'll ride the train with Master-dad while he's gone? And who will he read with? Will you read with him?" Marnal couldn't. He tried but the focus was awful and he ended up trying to make a tower out of the books instead.

The Doctor sighed softly and shook his head a bit. "Sorry. But this is how it is. The Master will manage. So will I. The Master is the one who asked for it this time." he admitted softly. And that was simply that. No more. The Master was the one who wanted it and he'd granted it.

"Time to eat. Come on. We have some leftover takeout that I can heat up." the Doctor stated simply as he stood to do just that. This discussion was officially over. Period. He didn't want to deal with this.

"I'm sorry Koschei's ill," Marnal offered with a small shrug of his shoulders. Discuss was over then. Well, at least he'd get dinner. Pulling himself up and heading along, he kept close to the Doctor and watched him reheat the take out.

The Master came home eventually, his hands were dirty from work and he had to swill them before he could greet either Marnal or the Doctor. "Rassilon, the car just spat oil all over me! I mean really, I liked these trousers. I need some better work clothes."

"I'll get that sorted out as soon as possible." he murmured softly, not looking up from what he was reading. He had left Marnal to color, keeping sure the kid didn't do anything too bad. He didn't fancy cleaning the walls again. That was far from pleasant.

"By the way, the first visit is this coming Wednesday. Just a quick heads up. You need to be home and ready to go in time for us to leave." the Doctor informed firmly. He wasn't going to let the Master get away with avoiding it.

"I remember, you said. I already booked the day off," the Master informed him as he grabbed some take-out off the side and went into the living room. That way he could watch TV, eat and hopefully avoid the conversation about Koschei that he was sure that the Doctor wanted to have.

"Hey Marnal, hows the colouring?2 the Master asked, happy to talk to the boy instead of the Doctor. Marnal just smiled and held up a newly coloured picture of a frog... with wings? Well, who knew.

Unfortunately that wasn't goin to work out for the other. "No. Just...No." the Doctor said, looking at the Master. "Marnal? Why don't you go upstairs and show your frog the pretty picture while the Master and I talk?" he suggested lightly.

The man wasn't getting out of this one. He hadn't had to take Koshei's away again. He hadn't had to deal with the poor kid upon arriving there and having the brat finally have a full on meltdown. The Master wasn't the one who had to turn away and sign off everything when their son had to be restrained and sedated. Like hell the Doctor wasn't going to discuss this.

Marnal dashed upstairs and the Master gave the Doctor a look of annoyance. Because really? He was that determined. The Master was trying to eat and he really wanted this to happen now?

"I'm having dinner, Doctor. We're not discussing anything till I have dinner, understand me?" the Master ordered, he was stressed, he knew he'd done the right thing and he'd had a horrible day. He just wanted to relax and eat.

{Gotta go for a bit. Later!}

The Doctor frowned and shook his head. No. He didn't agree with that. At all. Because it wasn't fair! The Master could just listento him for once. That was it. He was jus worried about everything. And he didn't exactly get any sort of comfort here.

Sighing softly, he settled against the couch until the Master finish the food off. "Did I do the right thing?" he blurted out, not wanting anything more than a little bit of comfort. An assurance that he had done the right thing.