realityshifted | it is a mind. A Mind of Evil.

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doctor who (d4) the third doctor

it is a mind. A Mind of Evil.

[The Doctor has had One of Those Days. You know the type - the sort when your best enemy has you running around fighting mind parasites and preventing peace conferences from being targeted by missiles and so on. But then, on the other hand, she did prevent disasters and retrieve her dematerialization circuit from the Master ~~even if she was beaten at checkers by all three of her companions in a row~~.

Still, being reminded of some of her less... pleasant... memories and portions of her psyche calls for a little time out, away from her companions (as justified their worry may be, she'd rather start them off with a smile and a destination to be off to, not a few hours waiting around for her to pull her mind together again). So she finds a cup of tea; and, it's true, she perhaps lingers a moment too long near the bar - but to go in would be lending credence to certain accusations, not to mention a betrayal of a promise she made to herself.

Instead, she finds a comfortable sofa somewhere relatively reclusive to settle down with her tea and sort her thoughts out. Given that her intent is to be somewhat alone, interrupting her would likely be in accordance with some rule or another, not to mention considerably better for her than letting her sit around and mope on her own.]

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We repeat the same words all the time, Doctor. Our inflections give them new meaning. The first one, for example, was a great deal less exasperated.

Neither of us are very good comfort, Brax.

[So there! Or something. But there are certain Things about being the Doctor, and one of them is often just moving on to the next thing as quickly as possible, even if your brother is trying to be comforting. It's not as ingrained as it will be, but she's already started running, even when she's sitting still.]

That doesn't mean it isn't necessary. [He almost smiles.] Needs must when the devil drives.

Or something like that.

[She almost sips her tea, which has gotten rather lukewarm in the interim. Poor tea.]

You realize you won't feel any better if you pretend there's nothing wrong.

[Which is complete and total hypocrisy on Brax's part, but he's so good at it that he doesn't even realize he's being hypocritical.]

[Oh, don't worry, Brax, she's spotted it. It coaxes a somewhat mischievous grin out of her.]

You're certain of that?

[...suddenly he's wary] I can't seem to recall if working for you in the past.

And for yourself?

[Innocence. IT IS DRIPPING.]

[He is trying to comfort you, and this is how you repay him??] I've never tried it.

Of course not.

[Fine, fine. She does seem to be winding down on that (FOR NOW).]

[opting to ignore all of that] What happened?

Just as I said. The Master employed a mind parasite as part of his dubiously-planned scheming. It's taken care of now.

[It's... one of the vaguest summaries possible, admittedly. But it is a platform to ask more questions on.]

And how did he plan on employing this mind parasite, Doctor?

[Moment of actual thoughtfulness.]

- You know, it didn't really seem like the best way to go about it, but he constructed a - housing for it, I suppose, by posing as a doctor with the latest cure for sociopathy.

[Ignore that this doesn't necessarily quite answer the question. Mind-control is the Master's specialty, but usually he prefers to do it himself, more. Maybe he'll learn in the future.]

The Master's plans are rarely the height of logical thinking. How did the parasite 'cure' sociopathy?

[She'll drink to that.

OH WAIT.]

By removing undesirable impulses from the brain.

Drawing out the evil. [Brax can't hold back the brief, bitter snort.] Lend me that sometime. But it's a parasite. It would feed off those impulses. If it's particularly capable, it would have ways to evoke them.

[Yes, well, she'd already expressed her lack of impressed about that.]

And fear. Phobias and so on - it was fond of those.

[Naturally, of course, the Doctor is free of any sort of psychological weaknesses, and therefore completely immune to the parasite's machinations. Or, at least, that's how she'd like to appear at the moment.]

That is more logical than the Master's plan. Not to quote pop culture, but fear is a quick way to evoke the darker side of people. The undesirable aspects. Though I think that you are much better than anger and hatred.

[He knows that it has phobias to prey on in the Doctor. But he is convinced that she's stronger than any parasite.]

[She's doing That Thing again, sliding one leg up to her chest and not quite looking him in the eye. Her composure is starting to fade.]

I'd like to think so.

[But not better than fear or self-doubt or waking up and finding she'd come closer than she'd expected to her next regeneration.]

[This time, he curbs the reaction.] I know you are.

[quietly] We all have something to be afraid of.

[Sadly, she might not have minded as much, this time.]

Yes, I suppose we do.

[Pity sometimes it's herself. The other leg goes up now, and she doesn't particularly care.]

[Braxiatel draws his legs up too, but he doesn't tuck them under his arms. Instead he crosses them, as you would by a camp fire.]

And there is strength in knowing what you fear. An honour in it, perhaps my old Ice Warrior friends would say.

[Now all they need are marshmallows, chocolates, and graham crackers. And, perhaps, a sing-song.

It might, at least, soften the blow that's about to come. Because, really, it isn't all about having some of her deepest fears and insecurities flaunted at her by a machine.]

But not much in being defeated by it.

[It's about waking up and finding herself helpless in the knowledge that she couldn't win against them or it, not without the Master of all people to bail her out.]

You're still here, aren't you?

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