[open x3] I'm not big enough to house this crowd

[fragmentation]

James is having a pretty regular day. They're planetside, on a lovely little world called Hedenex. He's taking an exploratory stroll, dressed in one of his three-pieces suits, walking through the complex cityscape they're visiting, enjoying the unfamiliar sky.

He's spent most of the day running around with Andrew, seeing sights, meeting people, testing the cuisine, and letting the dogs stretch their legs a bit too. But Andrew and the dogs only have so much energy, so James has left them to get some rest. James doesn't really need to worry about those things, so he's been getting some exploring done on his own. It's a very welcoming area.

He's just about to head back to ship, when he stumbles. This in itself is unusual, given how surefooted he normally is. But it only gets weirder from there. His systems go haywire, his vision and most of his senses cut out completely. There's a moment of panic, but he doesn't have long to dwell on it before he wakes up in an entirely different place. That is, places.

--

James, or rather the Ambrose part of him, comes to on a streetcorner on the Upper East Side, near Harlem. He's breathing, which is most unconventional. When did he start breathing? Up until a moment (or however long it's been) ago, he was completely robotic.

It's not the first time he's been put in a flesh body, however, so he manages to adjust fairly quickly, getting slowly to his feet. He doesn't much care for the cold, though. Perhaps this is just another Time Scoop, but it's usually less unpleasant.

But no... Because there's something missing. Great chunks of his mind are gone, and he feels strangely empty. Oh, not his memories. Those are still there. Not as organised and reliable now he's got a biological body, but there. His two imported personalities. The Doctor and the Master. They're gone. Yet somehow he can still sense them. As if they're here, but not part of him anymore. He's not sure what this means.

It doesn't occur to him how strange he must look, standing here in the cold, looking confused and lost.

--

Across town, the Doctor wakes up. He's in a café in the East Village, down on 10th street - though he himself doesn't know much more than that it's a café, and that he's currently slumped against the wall in a booth.

He goes through much the same thought process as Ambrose. They have the same memories of course, more or less the same mental capacities; the only difference is how they react to it. And the Doctor is worried. Deeply worried. If he's split free, that means the Master is probably also wandering around somewhere. He can feel that much. A presence in his mind, but far too distant and vague for him to pinpoint it.

First of all, where is he? His surroundings aren't much help. Back in his old body, he could've smelled it. He's not sure how reliable this new nose is, but he hasn't the memories to recall which place smells like what anymore in any case. It definitely doesn't look much like Hedenex, though.

He prods the shoulder of a random patron. "Pardon me, but could you tell me where I am?"

--

Meanwhile, approximately right between the two others, in the back of a dark McDonalds on 42nd street, right off Times Square, the Master version of James wakes up.

He, unlike the two others, is not quite so worried, once he's realised what's happened. In fact, he's rather delighted. His personality is often kept quite buried, at least compared to the other two. He's not so keen on finding them, though he feels that they're here somewhere, now he's finally got a body of his own.

He grins to himself, and pushes out the backdoor of the restaurant, out onto 41st street. It's not particularly crowded, but there are a few walking around. "You, human, where am I?" he asks one of them.

Comments

[wildmage_daine]

He's got her attention, now. Really? Can you tell where it is, or where it's pulling folk from? She knows she's getting ahead of herself, but she really wants to go home, and if James can help...

[fragmentation]

:Yes and no. We're heading towards the center of it. But it's usually like a plughole. It sucks things in from everywhere and dumps it here. Try to climb back up, there's no telling where you'll end up.: Not to mention that would be a stupidly dangerous and difficult thing to do, disregarding the subject of destination, and he wouldn't advise it.

[wildmage_daine]

... Well, then. Daine ruffles her feathers and huddles in on herself, looking about as dejected as a crow can look. Oh, she says, mind-voice hollow.

[fragmentation]

It doesn't occur to him to comfort or apologise to her. There's limits to how much sympathy he can fake. Instead he just walks in silence for a while, having no particular need to talk. Not a very long while, though, as they seem to be coming up on the park.

:Where to?:

[wildmage_daine]

Daine comes out of her sulk and looks around. The pigeons don't think Andrew's here, but I can double-check in case they missed him. She doubts they have, but she wouldn't mind the excuse to fly around by herself for a while.

[fragmentation]

"Alright," he answers, out loud this time, because holding a telepathic conversation is tiring, especially since he's the one who has to hold the connection open. They've entered the park now, so the Master goes to lean against a tree while waiting for Daine to return.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine takes off, staying in her crow shape. She's not in any particular hurry and she'd rather not change shape if it isn't needful. A few circuits of the park fail to turn up any sign of Andrew--she even checks the entrances to the base to make sure he's not on his way out (or in), but no luck.

Wheeling back towards where she left James, she considers her next move. Taking him to the base probably makes the most sense; Andrew ought to be there, and if he's not there at the moment, he'll probably be back soon enough.

She spies James under a tree and swoops down, landing on a branch above his head.

[fragmentation]

It takes a good while for Daine to return - the park is pretty huge, if he remembers correctly. The Master spends the time considering his plans. Andrew is definitely a priority, he has to get to him before his other selves do. After that... He's not sure. Keep his head down for a little while. Get out of the city, probably. Hopefully he'll get Andrew to join him, but he might have to go alone.

He looks up when a crow returns. "Nothing?" he asks, assuming it's Daine. And if it's not, then it won't answer him. He's not bothering with speaking telepathic right now, but he makes sure to listen telepathically for her reply.

[wildmage_daine]

Nothing. She shakes her head for good measure. I think he might be at the base.

[fragmentation]

Base? What base? She hasn't mentioned a base. That's definitely intriguing. A bit worrying too, but definitely needs investigating.

"Can you take me there?" he asks up at her.

[wildmage_daine]

Yes. It's not far. She looks down at him. Shoulder, again? It hasn't escaped her that he's talking to her aloud instead of in her head, but even if he keeps it up, he'll look slightly less mad talking to a crow on his shoulder than he would talking to the air.

[fragmentation]

He nods and holds up his arm to give her a slightly easier place to land instead of having to aim for his shoulder.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine appreciates the gesture--it's much easier to land on an outstretched arm than on someone's shoulder, especially when that someone is a bit on the skinny side. She flaps down onto his arm and shuffles up to his shoulder. That way, she indicates, pointing with her beak.

[fragmentation]

That and he won't have to get flapped in the head with her wings. Better for everyone.

He follows her directions, walking along the edge of the park. He's listening if she wants to talk, but he's not really offering up any conversation of her one. Too annoying to try and be nice.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine doesn't much mind the silence, though it's not something she would have expected, given what a chatterbox Andrew was (and is). Well, maybe it's not that surprising. Someone would have to do the listening, after all.

It's just across the street and down some stairs. Daine perks up a bit as they near the base. She's a bit envious that Andrew's had his friend show up so soon after he got here, but she still can't wait to see his face when she brings James to him.

[fragmentation]

Oh, James can be chatty. But that's mostly the Doctor part of him, really, and thus not really applicable in this situation. The Master doesn't chat just for the sake of it, unless it's someone in particular - which mostly means the Doctor, honestly.

"In the subway?" he asks, crossing the street when the light changes. Interesting place to have a base... Unless she means they actually have to take the subway somewhere. In which case he's going to have a problem, having no local money on him.

[wildmage_daine]

Not exactly. There's a door before you get to the subway proper. She hasn't actually been on the subway, yet, but Yuri's description of it was enough to put her off. She doesn't fancy sitting in a metal box that shoots through tunnels like a mole when she could just fly or even walk, thanks ever so.

[fragmentation]

The Master nods and heads down the subway, looking for a door. There's only one, and it's pretty non-descript, so he's guessing it's a secret base. He tries it, but it's locked, so he knocks instead.

A man - Phil, though the Master doesn't know that - opens the door and raises an eyebrow at the two of them.

"Daine led me here," the Master explains, pointing at her. "I'm here to see Andrew."

Phil rolls his eyes, sighs, and opens the door for them, and the Master goes through, heading down the corridor.

[wildmage_daine]

Now that they're inside, there's no need for Daine to avoid shifting. She leaps off James's shoulder, turning into a dog before she hits the ground. Much better. She shakes herself off, then trots ahead down the corridor. Andrew's probably in the room they gave him yesterday, but if not, she might be able to sniff him out.

[fragmentation]

...Okay then. That was interesting and unexpected to watch. He doesn't comment, though, just follows along quietly, paying attention to which way they're going. There's some opportunity to get lost between the branching and turning corridors, but not quite enough to make it too difficult to remember which way is the right one.

[wildmage_daine]

It takes some time to get deep enough into the base to reach the living quarters, but Daine's familiar enough with the route by now that it doesn't seem to take very long. A quick sniff outside Andrew's door confirms that he is in there, and she paws at the door a few times, barking once for good measure.

[bluesuit_handy]

Andrew pauses in his efforts to take something or other apart for its batteries and wiring. "Daine?" he asks, even as he stands up and opens the door.

He gasps at the sight that greets him, the items in his hands clattering to the floor. "James!"

Hi, not-James, have an Andrew launching himself at you for hug times.

[fragmentation]

The Master grins, catching Andrew and hugging him tightly back. He only pulls back a little so he can give him a proper hello kiss.

He doesn't find it particularly difficult to fake pleasantness like this to Andrew. After all, even back in the body this personality comes from, he had quite an attachment to this version (sort of) of the Doctor. And he still has all the James memories, so the fondness for Andrew is still quite definitely there.

[wildmage_daine]

Oh. Um. That's... well. Unexpected.

Daine will just show herself out. Andrew can thank her later. She trots back to her room to give them some privacy.

[bluesuit_handy]

Even though it's only been a day since he last saw him, Andrew's enthusiasm for James's arrival is unbounded. When he's forced to come up for air, he tucks his chin over James's shoulder, still refusing to let go. "I thought I'd lost you again," he says. "I couldn't pick anything up on the scanner I built to find you last night, I was hoping it was just a bad design...."