[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

[fragmentation]

Wow, that was a strange feeling. What's up with yawning? James decides not to ask right now. Instead he just gives Andrew a goodnight kiss because before heading into the room.

It's a credit to how meticulous he is that he takes the time to remove his suit, vest and shirt, carefully folding it and putting it away till he's just in his boxers and undershirt, before he gets into bed. By the time he does, he's so exhausted he barely even has time to consider the worrying feeling of falling asleep (feels like his systems stop working, but he knows that's normal), as he passes out practically the moment his head hits the pillow.

[bluesuit_handy]

Andrew just might be amusing himself with thoughts of inducing yawns in James later. There's just so much to introduce him to! He sort of expects James to just flop down in bed, and when he doesn't, Andrew fusses and potters about, trying to help and generally getting in the way. Once James is in bed, though, he remembers that he had other things to do and, locking the door behind him, goes off to do them.

He'll come back in half an hour or so with a camp cot, having apparently accomplished his mission. He makes more noise than he really means to when he brings it inside.

[fragmentation]

James doesn't notice the noise at all, in fact he's completely gone for over 7 hours, which is more than this body needs on average, though he doesn't really know that yet. He's too tired to dream, which is probably a good thing.

In the morning he'll discover several new things. Stiff legs and tender feet after running around. Hazy morning vision. Mouth tasting like something crawled in there and died. Body odour. Headache from dehydration and grumbling empty stomach - not like he ate or drank anything today. But he'll also discover the joy of getting those things seen to.

[bluesuit_handy]

Andrew putters about for a while once he realizes James isn't going to wake, but eventually settles in. When James comes around the following morning, he'll find Andrew on a too-small cot set in what little floor space is available beside the bed. His feet and one arm hang off the edges from where he's sprawled on his belly, and unlike James, his sleep is shallow enough that he'll wake up at the first sounds of movement.

[fragmentation]

James carefully pushes himself up to a sitting position, yawning hard and groaning a little, bed creaking as he stretches. He smiles a bit when he sees Andrew, though. He feels like shit, but knowing he's not alone to deal with it makes it better.

When Andrew stirs in reaction to James waking up, he reaches over to brush back some of Andrew's hair (which still really needs to be cut), hushing him gently to reassure him.

[bluesuit_handy]

When doesn't Andrew ever need a haircut? He sighs and stretches, nearly rolling off the cot in the process, his joints popping.

"Morning," he says, opening eyes that are a bit crusty from sleep. He reaches up to take James's hand and give it a squeeze.

[fragmentation]

Only for about five minutes after getting it cut, probably. James will too, soon enough. But he'll also probably be better about remembering to get it cut.

"I feel terrible," he admits, but he also smiles and squeezes Andrew's hand back to let him know there's no emergency kind of terrible.

[bluesuit_handy]

Andrew lets out a little laugh, letting go so he can sit up and set his feet on the floor. "It's called waking up in the morning," he chuckles. "Let me guess -- dry mouth, probably sore somewhere?"

[fragmentation]

"And my head and stomach hurt, but in different ways," he answers, frowning. There's a dull ache in his brain, and he feels oddly hollowed out. He crawls out of bed, standing up a little too fast and swaying on the spot. He quickly sits back down again, still feeling lightheaded and unbalanced. He isn't quite awake or quick enough yet to realise there's a perfectly logical explanation for all this.

[bluesuit_handy]

For once, it looks like it's Andrew's turn to be nurturing -- and like he'll actually recognize that and do it. He stands, leaning down to kiss James on the forehead, then turns to go get some of the clothing that's been lent to him. "Breakfast should help," he says. "Or there's a medic you could see, but you should feel better when you've had some food and water. See if these fit you?" Because fresh clothes also help one feel better in the morning.

[fragmentation]

James smiles, grateful that Andrew's taking the lead right now. "Not sure if a medic would know what to do with me," he points out. He might be flesh and blood, but he's hardly human.

He gets up again, more carefully this time, supporting himslf slightly against the wall just in case. He peels off his undershirt and boxers without shyness, and pulls on the new pair, then sets about putting the pair of jeans, t-shirt and hoodie he'd been handed. Not his usual style, but it's comfy, he'll give it that. He expects it to be a bit too tight, Andrew being slimmer than him, but they must be a bit big on him, as it suits James just fine.

[bluesuit_handy]

No matter how intimate their relationship has become, Andrew still reflexively looks away when James strips down. He disguises it by going back to the rickety little dresser and pulling out clothing for himself. He knows at this point that it's a little ridiculous not to be comfortable with James being naked in private with him, but body shame is a hard habit to break.

"Why d'you think I didn't go see the medic?" he laughs, keeping his back more or less to James as he also changes.

[fragmentation]

James is so used to it that he would be surprised if Andrew didn't turn away, and it's not something that matters to him as long as Andrew is comfortable when they're, well, being intimate together. He also tends to afford Andrew the same courtesy when he changes. Most of the time, anyway.

"You're okay, though? Besides the whole mitosis thing?" he asks, walking up behind Andrew and giving his shoulder a kiss once Andrew's at least gotten some trousers on. He'd give him a proper kiss, but the taste in his mouth is disgusting even himself.

[bluesuit_handy]

"Mmhmm." Andrew pauses what he's doing to lean (lightly) back against James. "Nothing unusual apart from splitting in two -- and I'm thinking we might keep the whole splitting into pieces thing between the two of us."

[fragmentation]

James smiles and wraps his arms around Andrew's waist, resting his chin on his shoulder. Even in his current reduced state, he delights a little in how Andrew's skin feels to him in this new body.

"Yeah... Though two people already know about me - the ones who met the other two parts of me. And one of them's with Romac, and one's with the rebels. So it might not remain a bit secret." He intends to keep under the radar, though. It had seemed to him that neither group wanted to dissect him or anything.

[bluesuit_handy]

"Not Daine?" asks Andrew, brow furrowing. "Did you introduce yourself? Tell them you were in pieces?"

He rather wishes James hadn't, if that's the case. He's not sure how anyone could take advantage of the split, but it seems safer for James if people don't know.

[fragmentation]

"I did," James answers. "Sort of. They both met, well, both of me. It would've been difficult to avoid anyway." He doesn't really see the harm. But then James isn't quite as experienced as Andrew. And it's not like anyone could reprogram him now.

While he talks, he reaches forward and picks up the t-shirt Andrew was about to put on, and reaches up (with his arms still on either side of him) to pull it over Andrew's head. Because doing this sort of stuff in a practical way just isn't as fun.

[bluesuit_handy]

"What was the Romac one --" Andrew has to pause and laugh as the shirt goes awkwardly over his head, the fabric pressing against his face until he reaches up to help James get the neck hole around his head. "What was the Romac person like? Evil, secretive government type?"

The grin on his face suggests he sort of doubts it's that simple. Either that or he's just still really amused at the shirt thing.

[fragmentation]

"Sweet kid named Luke. Can't have been sixteen at most, probably younger," he answers, resting his hands on Andrew's hips, not wanting to quite let go of him even if he's supposed to be getting dressed. And yeah, wouldn't it be nice if the sides were more clear good and bad?

[bluesuit_handy]

"Recruiting them awfully young, aren't they?" frowns Andrew, straightening his shirt as best he can. He grabs the long-sleeved shirt intended to be his next layer -- maybe James will 'help' him with this one as well?

[fragmentation]

"He'd come through the rift as well," James answers, then smiles, taking the shirt and holding it up for him so Andrew can slip his hands inside, then turns him around and starts buttoning it for him. Because James rather enjoys fussing about Andrew. Although dressing him isn't quite as fun as undressing him.

[bluesuit_handy]

"So they're taking in children," muses Andrew, obediently putting his hands in the sleeves and then letting them hang at his sides so James can work. "Who was the other rebel?"

[fragmentation]

"Bruce, a nuclear physicist. He was nice enough. Very helpful, explained everything to me," he answers, finishing the buttons, then leans forward and kisses Andrew's cheek, still avoiding inflicting his bad breath on him. He needs to buy a toothbrush. "Breakfast?" He's still starving and woozy.

[bluesuit_handy]

"Breakfast," agrees Andrew, grinning and reaching out to take James's hand. It'd help him remember that James is the fragile one right now if James wouldn't keep on fussing over him and looking after him. "They've got a sort of dining hall down here, it's all sorted," he says cheerfully, leading the way out to the hall.