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[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

[he takes a step forward then backwards then forwards again, looking at the space above him and around him, nearly tripping over his own feet as he tries to take in what he's seeing.]

What is this?  Wha-

[he stops as he notices what's below him as well.  he kneels down, touching and studying the universe below his feet]

That's just brilliant.  That's just absolutely unbelievably brilliant.  The stars, galaxies, nebulas all right at my feet.  It's gorgeous.  Gorgeous and impossible.

[pauses for a moment and then he shoots back up to his feet, spinning around again]

Hello.  Is there anyone there?  Anyone?  Anyone at all?

Comments

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

John Smith is a name.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

Not your name.

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

You don't know that. There's absolutely no reason it couldn't be my name.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

I'm sure your mind is supplying a few right this moment.

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you're wrong.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

You're not fooling anyone, Handy-hand.

I did so miss you.

[and he lifts a hand to pat the Doctor on the cheek]

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

[Backs away quickly, nearly tripping over his feet]

...I...I don't know what you're on about.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[laughs and claps his hand]

You know what, John? I've changed my mind. It will be so much fun to have another one of you around!

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

[He opens his mouth to say something in reply, but can't find any words. So he studies the ground. Lucky for him the ground is the Plane, so it's a little more distracting than cement or dirt or carpet.]

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[the Master circles his prey]

Ohh, come on, we've had fun times together, haven't we? And it was so good of you to supply that genetic code I needed to play with the Doctor's biology.

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

[He watches the Master circling. Suddenly feeling very trapped and exposed.]

...I don't even...you...I'm not...

[Can't think of anything to say back. So his eyes shift away from the Master. The stars below are very shiny.]

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[softly]

John. Doctor. Look at me.

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

[Reluctantly looks up]

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

Good.

[one step in]

You've been well, of course? It can't be easy adjusting. It's not like regeneration, after all.

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

[He knew he should look away, but he couldn't escape the Master's eyes. He always thought they were just brown, but there were little flecks of green and gold and something else there as well.]

Not at all.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[smiles, casual, like he's making a in-joke and you're on the inside]

What have you been up to, then?

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

[The Master's eyes seem to laugh. It's funny the way his eyes laugh. Maybe they twinkle too, but that's just stupid. They're laughing and inviting and he knows he should hate him, but he can't think of why. The Master is smiling, and his eyes are laughing, and Handy thinks he might have even laughed with him, he's not entirely sure.]

Not much really. Just this and that. [He repeats the words, stretching them out, long and lazy.] This and that.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[the smile widens]

As vague and unplanned as ever, then.

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

[His eyes are still inviting. Still smiling. He really likes his eyes a great deal. His words were wrong, though. He should correct him. That would be the right thing to do.]

Vague and slow.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[the smile slips away, replaced by curious interest]

'Slow'?

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

[His eyes seemed to change, flicker. Laughter replaced with interest. Saying you can trust me. He shouldn't trust him, a voice said. Singing some nonsense nursery rhyme. It made his head hurt. He pushed the voice away, listening to the Master's eyes instead. They made the ache in his head vanish.]

Everything takes forever. It's too slow.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[he takes another step in, and now he wears the face of concern. His hand touches the human man's shoulder in something like compassion]

He left you to the slow path. I'm sorry.

[gently]

And Rose?

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

[The space between them closes, he can feel his hand on his shoulder. Comforting. Cold. He relaxes under the touch. He thinks he shouldn't, but that doesn't seem to make any sense. He looks up at the Master, grateful for the comfort.]

Yeah.

[His instincts tell him to look away or down. Avoid eye contact, but he feels like he can confide in the Master]

She's gone. I left.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[slides his hand across to the Doctor's neck]

Why?

[the soft word brings their mouths closer together]

[handysparehand.livejournal.com]

[He shivers unintentionally from the touch]

I wasn't Him.

[He can feel his breath now. A voice is shouting in his head, and he wishes it would shut up. He looks into the Master's eyes again, and it seems to go away. Everything feels okay when he looks into his eyes]