soundsofdrums | 028 [video]

I've been insane most of my life, but this--this is something else.

[The Master is trying to look amused, but to anyone who knows him well enough, they might be able to tell that his smile is incredibly forced.]

The Gallifreyan equivalent of a mental asylum. How droll. Why even waste their resources on such a thing when there's apparently still a war going on? Hellooooo, Time Lords, you're about to get burned into oblivion. And I get a front row seat to it all this time. Possibly even a participant's badge.

[A pause, and just laughs a bit.] No, nonono. You're getting me good this time, Animus, but you need to try harder. I won't believe a bit of this. You will not tell me that all of this time has been meaningless.

[For a split second, his face goes deadly serious.]

You will not take this away from me.

[...And then comes back the grin, and he cuts off the feed for now.]

Private to the Tenth Doctor // Hackable by the Eleventh if he so desires

How have you be--- [He cuts himself off, pausing as he tries to find a different way to word it.] Have you been going as extra insane as I've been lately? Funny dreams? Being told that none of this is real? I'm stuck back in the bloody Time War. And of course, you're nowhere to be found.

But no. None of that is real. What kind of cruel universe would we live in, if all the lovely things we've gone through together since then were suddenly, whoosh, disappeared? Just a figment of my twisted imagination? Like that could ever be the case.

[But there's a hint of unsureness in his gaze. He chews a little on his bottom lip before just turning off the PCD.]

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We will. Oh, we will. [He tenses a bit when the Doctor puts an arm around him, but slowly relaxes into it, leaning in somewhat.] Once this "event" is over and we can think, we'll plan a way to infiltrate that damn city and take them out. I need to gather all the pertinent information first.

[It's...weird. Really strange, to have an arm around the Master, but he doesn't seem to mind much and, well, he was the one who initiated it, so he doesn't move it.]

I've been trying to find out what I can. So far all I've got is that they have a city and that people have already tried to get in. And apparently some of the Animus are supportive of us? I'm not so sure about that one.

There's information that others have gathered. I need to go through it. Right now, I can barely think.

[small sigh and a tired chuckle] I know what you mean. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for humans right now.

No different than what we're going through. I'm literally being forced to sleep every night, no different than a human, no matter how I try to keep myself awake.

Yes, it's the same with me. But if I try hard enough, I can wake myself up in around ten minutes.

But even for a Time Lord, that isn't enough sleep.

Oh, well lucky you. Some of us are stuck there eight hours a night.

[His arm tightens around the Master instinctively.] As soon as they've finished up with this and you've gotten some real sleep, we'll go after the Animus. We can start researching now.