This is possibly the last time we'll see Francine until The Last of the Timelords.
By that I mean that the basic story I have planned for the rest of the
fic doesn't involve her, but she might make a cameo, or I might suddenly
change my mind about certain scenes (this happens sometimes).
Tish
Jones is finally showing a bit of spirit. You go girl. I didn't want to have
to do a scene cut, but having the Doctor present for this wasn't an
option - he's too busy being on the business end of a gun at the moment.
Francine needs to be taken down a peg or two. Don't get me wrong - I
like the character and I adore the fact that the Doctor's manly charms
don't work on her - but Tish was always the weakest of the Jones women
in my opinion, and I thought it would be nice for her to finally come
into her own and have a bit of character development.
The Doctor's getting a bit irritated here, but wouldn't you? He's been sitting still, watching everything go to hell (including the person he... well, you know) for seven long months. This is a man who hates sitting still, and has a huge sense of responsibility for everything that's been happening. He's determined to cut this short and save everyone today. He's determined because he has to be; because he's just taken a huge risk and he has to make it pay off or there is every possibility that the whole universe is going to pay.
"He's my responsibility."
The
reasoning behind this should be so blindingly obvious that I shouldn't
have to mention it. There are a huge amount of dynamics in the
Master/Doctor relationship, (so many, in fact, that navigating through
that psychological minefield makes my brain hurt), but this is one of
the important ones.
Finally next chapter brings us into
full-swing of this escape (I think). We've been setting up the
characters this whole time, and now it's time to move along. Let's give
the Doctor some exercise.
I'd
rather leave the Master's return a surprise, so I'm keeping quiet about
that for now. In the meantime, just be assured he will return...
Link to the chapter is HERE
January 31, 2015
January 30, 2015
Moving to WordPress
This blog is now moving to wordpress!
I've changed the link on my profile page in order to redirect people there. This means that I could choose a template where new readers and those a little further behind wouldn't be bombarded with spoilers as soon as they clicked the link. This is much more preferable, and easier to navigate.
I'll continue to post here, but after this fanfic is finished, the wordpress address will become my permanent home:
I've changed the link on my profile page in order to redirect people there. This means that I could choose a template where new readers and those a little further behind wouldn't be bombarded with spoilers as soon as they clicked the link. This is much more preferable, and easier to navigate.
I'll continue to post here, but after this fanfic is finished, the wordpress address will become my permanent home:
https://theturkaholic.wordpress.com/
Hopefully I'll see you over there.
January 24, 2015
Chapter 42
The Doctor is - basically - the universe's biggest adrenaline junkie. He's been imprisoned in a room for seven months, so despite the stakes here, he's still going to get a little bit of a rush from the chase. Don't judge. We love him for it.
I desperately wanted to take the Doctor into home territory for a little while - it's the side of him I've not had a chance to write yet and I've been looking forward to it. We've explored a fair bit of the Master's many many (many... many) sides so far, and it's only fair we represent the Doctor's, too. This was always going to be about their whole relationship - from the fighting to the strange half-friendship to the romance - so just roll with it for a bit. We're heading into epic territory in this section, as you may have gathered.
The Joneses are there for a reason. The Doctor and Francine have issues that need resolving before launch day, which will be happening in this section... sort of. I couldn't have the Doctor running silently around the Valiant for a few chapters, that would have gotten boring. Tish needed more time (we need a bit more female presence in this story. I have a tendency to identify more with male characters for some reason, so most of my writing is male-centered. Time to break out of that), and the Doctor always needs a companion. He's been alone for too long, and he needs a conversation - preferably one where he doesn't have to watch what he says in fear or being blasted with a screwdriver.
Tish is going to walk in her sister's shoes very shortly - albeit for a brief amount of time. I just thought it would be nice to see them interact, since she has already seen the Doctor in action against Professor Lazarus, and there's some level of trust already established there.
The Master is not stupid. Of course he would keep the Paradox Machine out of bounds (at least until launch day, when he's too busy being manic and trying to kill Martha). It would have been an insult to both of them to have had the Doctor simply tippy-toe down the stairs. Besides, what fun is Doctor Who without a bit of life-or-death?
The Doctor and Jack moment needed to be there somewhere. Let's not forget that the Doctor is also a person, and as selfless as he can be he's not entirely emotionless. In fact, the tenth Doctor's emotions are part of the reason why I personally think he's one of the most loved by the fans. Of course one of his motivations would be to save the Master, and of course he doesn't want to say it out loud. The Master isn't the only mentally and emotionally damaged Timelord around here. He's almost ashamed of it, but also ashamed of the fact that this attempt to help him ultimately failed, and was far too late (not for the Master's mental state, but because of what happened in The End of Time). He's also afraid that admitting it out loud means that it's real and... I dunno. Complex. Ultimately you guys are going to have to make of it what you will.
I made a promise to a friend that I would give the Doctor some heroic moments on board the Valiant (not that that was ever in doubt), but we're about to do your regular, everyday Doctor Who action sequence. Even I admit that my strengths seem to be in dialogue and personal moments (not just personal but personal), so I may fail miserably in this attempt. If I do, just bear with me: this section is going to end dramatically, if I can write it well...
Link to the chapter is HERE
I desperately wanted to take the Doctor into home territory for a little while - it's the side of him I've not had a chance to write yet and I've been looking forward to it. We've explored a fair bit of the Master's many many (many... many) sides so far, and it's only fair we represent the Doctor's, too. This was always going to be about their whole relationship - from the fighting to the strange half-friendship to the romance - so just roll with it for a bit. We're heading into epic territory in this section, as you may have gathered.
The Joneses are there for a reason. The Doctor and Francine have issues that need resolving before launch day, which will be happening in this section... sort of. I couldn't have the Doctor running silently around the Valiant for a few chapters, that would have gotten boring. Tish needed more time (we need a bit more female presence in this story. I have a tendency to identify more with male characters for some reason, so most of my writing is male-centered. Time to break out of that), and the Doctor always needs a companion. He's been alone for too long, and he needs a conversation - preferably one where he doesn't have to watch what he says in fear or being blasted with a screwdriver.
Tish is going to walk in her sister's shoes very shortly - albeit for a brief amount of time. I just thought it would be nice to see them interact, since she has already seen the Doctor in action against Professor Lazarus, and there's some level of trust already established there.
The Master is not stupid. Of course he would keep the Paradox Machine out of bounds (at least until launch day, when he's too busy being manic and trying to kill Martha). It would have been an insult to both of them to have had the Doctor simply tippy-toe down the stairs. Besides, what fun is Doctor Who without a bit of life-or-death?
The Doctor and Jack moment needed to be there somewhere. Let's not forget that the Doctor is also a person, and as selfless as he can be he's not entirely emotionless. In fact, the tenth Doctor's emotions are part of the reason why I personally think he's one of the most loved by the fans. Of course one of his motivations would be to save the Master, and of course he doesn't want to say it out loud. The Master isn't the only mentally and emotionally damaged Timelord around here. He's almost ashamed of it, but also ashamed of the fact that this attempt to help him ultimately failed, and was far too late (not for the Master's mental state, but because of what happened in The End of Time). He's also afraid that admitting it out loud means that it's real and... I dunno. Complex. Ultimately you guys are going to have to make of it what you will.
I made a promise to a friend that I would give the Doctor some heroic moments on board the Valiant (not that that was ever in doubt), but we're about to do your regular, everyday Doctor Who action sequence. Even I admit that my strengths seem to be in dialogue and personal moments (not just personal but personal), so I may fail miserably in this attempt. If I do, just bear with me: this section is going to end dramatically, if I can write it well...
Link to the chapter is HERE
January 18, 2015
Chapter 41
I used to have a dog that escaped every Christmas day.
That really has no relevance at all... just putting that out there.
I'm afraid that I do get a bit overexcited about my own writing. In my head the end of this chapter makes me want to shout RUN, DOCTOR, RUN!
...Rather odd really, considering I know where this is going to end up, and everyone reading at least knows that this isn't going to be successful.
As usual, the Doctor is leaving out his personal reasons for what he's just done. He will be forced to tell Jack very shortly, but he's sharing the most important stuff, and showing us just what an amazing guy he is.
Did I mention how much I adore the tenth Doctor? That incredibly complicated, damaged, occasionally morally ambiguous but good and kind man is my biggest hero in all of fiction. Forgiveness and unconditional love seem to be pretty much his things. Well, that and being pretty kickass in his own oddly passive way.
Lucy has really forced him into this situation. I'm not saying that he made the right choice (like I said - morally ambigious), but he didn't want Lucy to have to suffer whatever the Master would do to her for trying to help the Doctor escape. There's always this really weird divide in Doctor Who as to what is acceptable happening to other people, and what is happening to the people the Doctor knows personally. It's natural, I suppose. Having never been in that situation (and hopefully I never will), I can't say for certain why it is, but it seems natural enough to me.
Also, let's just take a moment to feel a tiny bit sorry for the Master? I know, he's a psychopath, but we all love him because/despite it, and the two people he has any attachment to (the degree of which - in Lucy's case - is debateable) have just betrayed him. He obviously expects it from the Doctor, but Lucy... hmmm...
Jack and the Doctor have their own complicated relationship, and sometimes Jack can be a little callous - he looks at the bigger picture, regardless of individuals, and that's one thing he and the Doctor can never agree on. They've been fairly friendly with each other so far, but there is always that underlying difference in morality that will bring them to disagreements.
One question that leaps to mind - why did the Master keep his screwdriver? I have my own thoughts on that, but the thing about this relationship is that you have to leave things open to interpretation, or it becomes less believeable. It's a strange way to approach it, I know, but honestly? Interpretation influences a hell of a lot of Doctor Who. The canon is so twisted and conflicting from one Doctor to the next that sometimes you have to interpret. Personally most of my stuff comes from Russel T. Davies' 'interpretation', and most of what I'm writing - their history and the nature of their relationship - was what I got from his era. Whether I'm right or wrong doesn't matter, because there doesn't seem to be a right or wrong way in Doctor Who.
We're about to hit running mode. It's about time we saw the Doctor shine, instead of just resisting the insanity of the Master. Of course, the Doctor needs someone to share his shining moment with, and I can think of only one person on the ship cut out for that...
The rest of this section - while I have the key points and a rather (very) painstakingly thought out conversation ready to roll - is still forming in my head. Due to real life stuff it may be a little while before the next chapter (I don't have an estimate for this one, it depends on a lot of things. I'm hoping it will be before the end of January though), but as always I'm contactable, and reviews would be wonderful.
Link to the Chapter is HERE
That really has no relevance at all... just putting that out there.
I'm afraid that I do get a bit overexcited about my own writing. In my head the end of this chapter makes me want to shout RUN, DOCTOR, RUN!
...Rather odd really, considering I know where this is going to end up, and everyone reading at least knows that this isn't going to be successful.
As usual, the Doctor is leaving out his personal reasons for what he's just done. He will be forced to tell Jack very shortly, but he's sharing the most important stuff, and showing us just what an amazing guy he is.
Did I mention how much I adore the tenth Doctor? That incredibly complicated, damaged, occasionally morally ambiguous but good and kind man is my biggest hero in all of fiction. Forgiveness and unconditional love seem to be pretty much his things. Well, that and being pretty kickass in his own oddly passive way.
Lucy has really forced him into this situation. I'm not saying that he made the right choice (like I said - morally ambigious), but he didn't want Lucy to have to suffer whatever the Master would do to her for trying to help the Doctor escape. There's always this really weird divide in Doctor Who as to what is acceptable happening to other people, and what is happening to the people the Doctor knows personally. It's natural, I suppose. Having never been in that situation (and hopefully I never will), I can't say for certain why it is, but it seems natural enough to me.
Also, let's just take a moment to feel a tiny bit sorry for the Master? I know, he's a psychopath, but we all love him because/despite it, and the two people he has any attachment to (the degree of which - in Lucy's case - is debateable) have just betrayed him. He obviously expects it from the Doctor, but Lucy... hmmm...
Jack and the Doctor have their own complicated relationship, and sometimes Jack can be a little callous - he looks at the bigger picture, regardless of individuals, and that's one thing he and the Doctor can never agree on. They've been fairly friendly with each other so far, but there is always that underlying difference in morality that will bring them to disagreements.
One question that leaps to mind - why did the Master keep his screwdriver? I have my own thoughts on that, but the thing about this relationship is that you have to leave things open to interpretation, or it becomes less believeable. It's a strange way to approach it, I know, but honestly? Interpretation influences a hell of a lot of Doctor Who. The canon is so twisted and conflicting from one Doctor to the next that sometimes you have to interpret. Personally most of my stuff comes from Russel T. Davies' 'interpretation', and most of what I'm writing - their history and the nature of their relationship - was what I got from his era. Whether I'm right or wrong doesn't matter, because there doesn't seem to be a right or wrong way in Doctor Who.
We're about to hit running mode. It's about time we saw the Doctor shine, instead of just resisting the insanity of the Master. Of course, the Doctor needs someone to share his shining moment with, and I can think of only one person on the ship cut out for that...
The rest of this section - while I have the key points and a rather (very) painstakingly thought out conversation ready to roll - is still forming in my head. Due to real life stuff it may be a little while before the next chapter (I don't have an estimate for this one, it depends on a lot of things. I'm hoping it will be before the end of January though), but as always I'm contactable, and reviews would be wonderful.
Link to the Chapter is HERE
January 15, 2015
Chapter 40
This is not one of my favourites, but it was a necessary transitional chapter between the Master's exit and Lucy's visit. There are some nice moments, though. I've managed to mention all three companions in one chapter. Yay me.
Obviously we know this isn't going to end well. We already know how this year ends, but I think half of the fun is that - just this once - we know more than the Doctor does. Lucy's forced a really weird conundrum on him, but we'll be getting his perspective on stuff next chapter.
I really don't have much to say here, except for the fact that 'Merry Christmas, Martha.' is quite possibly one of the saddest, sweetest (in his still manly way) bits of dialogue I've written for the Doctor so far. This is the Doctor completely out of his element, forced to operate from such a weird position - even the person trying to destroy everything is someone he wants to save, and he's all alone at Christmas when he's used to having a companion to share it with. I dunno, it's just a little bit heartbreaking, or maybe that's just me.
This is pretty much the calm before the storm. Lucy's little moment of clarity here is going to set us up for the rest of this section, and after that? Well, I don't want to spoil it for you.
But really, we need to give the Doctor his moment to shine. This is his story - a very very significant story, too. Not just because of the Master, but also because of where in the tenth Doctor's story he is telling it. I'm desperately hoping that everybody except Jack knows, but just in case, let's hold off on that (sort of) revelation until it comes up in the story.
Here, we're also setting Lucy up for launch day. With five months left to go, she's starting to crack. I'm not saying she's suddenly turned 'good', but she is yet another infuriatingly complex character to explain. Future Doctor and Jack will be talking about her in the next chapter though, so I'll leave discussing her until then.
Link to the Chapter is HERE
That is more or less all I have to say here, except for the music I used, which was:
Obviously we know this isn't going to end well. We already know how this year ends, but I think half of the fun is that - just this once - we know more than the Doctor does. Lucy's forced a really weird conundrum on him, but we'll be getting his perspective on stuff next chapter.
I really don't have much to say here, except for the fact that 'Merry Christmas, Martha.' is quite possibly one of the saddest, sweetest (in his still manly way) bits of dialogue I've written for the Doctor so far. This is the Doctor completely out of his element, forced to operate from such a weird position - even the person trying to destroy everything is someone he wants to save, and he's all alone at Christmas when he's used to having a companion to share it with. I dunno, it's just a little bit heartbreaking, or maybe that's just me.
This is pretty much the calm before the storm. Lucy's little moment of clarity here is going to set us up for the rest of this section, and after that? Well, I don't want to spoil it for you.
But really, we need to give the Doctor his moment to shine. This is his story - a very very significant story, too. Not just because of the Master, but also because of where in the tenth Doctor's story he is telling it. I'm desperately hoping that everybody except Jack knows, but just in case, let's hold off on that (sort of) revelation until it comes up in the story.
Here, we're also setting Lucy up for launch day. With five months left to go, she's starting to crack. I'm not saying she's suddenly turned 'good', but she is yet another infuriatingly complex character to explain. Future Doctor and Jack will be talking about her in the next chapter though, so I'll leave discussing her until then.
Link to the Chapter is HERE
That is more or less all I have to say here, except for the music I used, which was:
It's very calm and very sad, and I think it suits this chapter wonderfully.
January 10, 2015
Chapter 39
The Master is a pain in the ass.
I know normally I'm quite thoughtful and stuff in this blog, but that is a fact that I felt I needed to share.
The Master is a pain in the ass. I adore the character, but trying to write him talking to himself is infuriating. Normally I would have taken the easy way out and skipped this part, but it needed to be in there: we needed to see how the relationship between the Master and the Doctor has changed in the five months we've missed. Verbally this is colder than we've ever seen them, even on the show; even when they're fighting. The 'conversation' (or INFURIATING monologue) is pure mockery, there's no warmth in it. There are, however, body language moments (and the very fact that the Master is even there) that let us know that all is not lost.
That wordless moment when the Master bends down next to him? After that last Interlude, I can be a little more open about his motivations: he's checking to make sure the Doctor hasn't gone insane.
The Master also needed to do me a favour and do some exposition: things are falling into place for the events of Launch Day now: the psychic network, Mount Rushmore... we're in the second half of the year, and things are picking up pace - quite literally, very shortly.
This is the last we're going to see of that beautifully insane man for some chapters. Enjoy him while you can.
This language Doctor...
If I'm honest, I have no idea why they talk to each other in English rather than... Gallifreyan? Gallifreyian? Except for the fact that perhaps if they spoke in their own language none of the viewers would understand a blind word they were saying. In any case, let's just put it down to this: Timelords are weird. Still, it's nice to acknowledge that they have their own language, even if we never hear it.
Christmas Day... the Doctor has a thing about Christmas - something always happens to him. I wanted to place this set of memories there sort of in honour of that tradition. It also goes some way to explaining what Lucy is about to do, and why today.
There are lots of technical and stylistic reasons I started this section where I did, so I wont bore you with the details, but taking us down to the surface for a moment puts the Valiant into context. The thing with the Master is that he's THE most complicated Doctor Who character to write: he's vulnerable but dangerous, insane but intelligent, occasionally hilarious but sinister. If you show one side of him (which we did in the interlude - indirectly) you have to balance it with a reminder of his other side. John Simm always had this lovely ability to show both sides at once, but unfortunately writing characters rather than showing them on screen has its drawbacks (but also its perks). Alas John and David have aged and moved on in their careers, so I'm stuck with my own attempt to do it, and that means I'm doomed to get frustrated and call the Master a pain in the ass.
Not that I would say that to his face.
Chapter is HERE
Music for this chapter...
As always, this isn't the only music that would suit this chapter (though imagining the Valiant drifting over the Earth suits this greatly). Even though the Doctor isn't speaking, and the Master is being... himself... hopefully I'm getting across the fact that there is more at work here than that. This scene is a bit of everything, really.
I do struggle to explain sometimes. The thing with writing these two is that most of it just isn't explainable in words - it has to be shown and sort of... felt, rather than told . That means that everything around both of them - the thought processes, the setting, the pace of the scenes etc. has to be written in a certain way, or the feel of it is lost. Weird, I know, but Timelords are complicated creatures, even when they're not insane.
As always, please leave a review or comment. It means a huge amount when people do.
I know normally I'm quite thoughtful and stuff in this blog, but that is a fact that I felt I needed to share.
The Master is a pain in the ass. I adore the character, but trying to write him talking to himself is infuriating. Normally I would have taken the easy way out and skipped this part, but it needed to be in there: we needed to see how the relationship between the Master and the Doctor has changed in the five months we've missed. Verbally this is colder than we've ever seen them, even on the show; even when they're fighting. The 'conversation' (or INFURIATING monologue) is pure mockery, there's no warmth in it. There are, however, body language moments (and the very fact that the Master is even there) that let us know that all is not lost.
That wordless moment when the Master bends down next to him? After that last Interlude, I can be a little more open about his motivations: he's checking to make sure the Doctor hasn't gone insane.
The Master also needed to do me a favour and do some exposition: things are falling into place for the events of Launch Day now: the psychic network, Mount Rushmore... we're in the second half of the year, and things are picking up pace - quite literally, very shortly.
This is the last we're going to see of that beautifully insane man for some chapters. Enjoy him while you can.
This language Doctor...
If I'm honest, I have no idea why they talk to each other in English rather than... Gallifreyan? Gallifreyian? Except for the fact that perhaps if they spoke in their own language none of the viewers would understand a blind word they were saying. In any case, let's just put it down to this: Timelords are weird. Still, it's nice to acknowledge that they have their own language, even if we never hear it.
Christmas Day... the Doctor has a thing about Christmas - something always happens to him. I wanted to place this set of memories there sort of in honour of that tradition. It also goes some way to explaining what Lucy is about to do, and why today.
There are lots of technical and stylistic reasons I started this section where I did, so I wont bore you with the details, but taking us down to the surface for a moment puts the Valiant into context. The thing with the Master is that he's THE most complicated Doctor Who character to write: he's vulnerable but dangerous, insane but intelligent, occasionally hilarious but sinister. If you show one side of him (which we did in the interlude - indirectly) you have to balance it with a reminder of his other side. John Simm always had this lovely ability to show both sides at once, but unfortunately writing characters rather than showing them on screen has its drawbacks (but also its perks). Alas John and David have aged and moved on in their careers, so I'm stuck with my own attempt to do it, and that means I'm doomed to get frustrated and call the Master a pain in the ass.
Not that I would say that to his face.
Chapter is HERE
Music for this chapter...
As always, this isn't the only music that would suit this chapter (though imagining the Valiant drifting over the Earth suits this greatly). Even though the Doctor isn't speaking, and the Master is being... himself... hopefully I'm getting across the fact that there is more at work here than that. This scene is a bit of everything, really.
I do struggle to explain sometimes. The thing with writing these two is that most of it just isn't explainable in words - it has to be shown and sort of... felt, rather than told . That means that everything around both of them - the thought processes, the setting, the pace of the scenes etc. has to be written in a certain way, or the feel of it is lost. Weird, I know, but Timelords are complicated creatures, even when they're not insane.
As always, please leave a review or comment. It means a huge amount when people do.
December 28, 2014
Interlude III
So finally, three days late, I get to write this blog post. Hooray.
This chapter was the first one I ever planned out in detail - the Doctor finally explaining why he and the Master have always had such a convoluted relationship. The End of Time (however many years ago it was) brought this backstory straight into my head, and for me there were enough hints in their dialogue through the years to make this completely within the canon. The Doctor was always considered a failure and an outcast by his own people, as was the Master. It would only be natural that they were drawn to each other, and that it would turn into something else.
It is such a relief to get this story out there at long last. It has been sat bubbling in my head for years.
The Master's canon has had a few continuity problems over the years, but I have to admit that my main fandom - as great as the old episodes were - was always with Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. I grew up watching them, and so I prefer to use the story that Russel T. Davies gave him. It also gives some substance to someone who could otherwise have just been considered 'evil', which in my opinion, he never ever was.
This really is the crux of the story - a story that has been in the background of the Doctor's life since childhood. Like a mystery story, I've been dropping hints about the nature of this relationship right from the first chapter, but perhaps they will only start to become apparent now. If you decide to go back and read the previous chapters (which - if you don't - I wouldn't blame you), little things may start to jump out at you that seemed unimportant at the time, but actually were written with huge significance in mind. It was the only way I could think to frame the story I'm trying to tell. It also makes some of the interactions they have in the show a bit more telling. I always thought there were several layers to everything they said. Having known each other for nearly a millenium (from the Doctor's side), of course there would be more in everything they said than what it appeared to be. That phonecall becomes much more telling. While, of course, it retains the basic 'enemies trading banter' layer, there's more at work there than that. Look back at it (I believe there's a youtube version) after this interlude, and you'll see what I mean. It also explains why the Master has always had such a Doctor fixation, even pre-reboot.
Just bear in mind that there are always several (sometimes conflicting) reasons for the way they interact - both conscious and subconscious. You can't say that this relationship is clear-cut and simple to understand, because if it was... well... they wouldn't be the Doctor and the Master.
I wanted to keep the Doctor's description of their history fairly broad, since one of the appeals of Doctor Who in general, and Gallifrey in particular, is that it's mysterious. While we get a few glimpses of the Citadel, and the Doctor describes a little in Gridlock, nobody wants to get bogged down in the details. Hopefully the Doctor explained just enough to get Jack to understand, while leaving enough open for interpretation.
Yes, Mummy liked the Master. I didn't just dump that in for fun, by the way - there is a reason for it. Also, it gives a bit more substance to her decision to vote against the Council: she realised that not only was it putting her son in danger, but it would (or already had) ruin his and the Master's lives. That moment of realisation must have been heartbreaking.
Besides, in my experience mothers do tend to like bad boys, which - let's be honest - the Master probably was. How could he be anything else?
The naming thing... well, that comes back to the phonecall again. There's a lot of conflict in the canon about the naming of Timelords, but in the RTD era it was always implied that it was a rite of passage, just like staring into the Vortex was. It's just a personal opinion, but I like to think that the Master chose his name partly because he was already on the descent into madness, but partly because he wanted to irritate the hell out of the Council.
We've had a lot of deep thought processes and dark moments recently. Being faithful to the style of the show, we needed a bit of comedy. That section about chips was really fun to write. There was a bit that had to be cut out, due to length, the dialogue of which went something like this:
"I like chips. Chips are good."
"What, they run out of bananas today?"
Jack: "Do you ever eat anything else? How are you not ridiculously fat?"
"Well I run."
"By choice?"
"Now that is a good question. If I ever find out the answer, I'll let you know."
It's a shame, but sometimes length is important (no pun intended) and this interlude was already rather long.
Also, let's just appreciate how sneaky the Doctor can be, and the fact that he actually cares about what Jack's been through lately. He didn't just go to Cardiff on a whim.
"What, did you marry him or something?"
I apologise for the teasing. Apparently writing the Master means that some of his psychosis has leaked out into my brain. I couldn't resist - and neither could the Doctor. Reading that little section back still makes me smile.
I also honestly believe that if it had been something as 'simple' as marriage, the Master would have killed him already. Does that make sense? Probably not, but then sometimes neither does the Master.
I didn't really want to have to write that section about the 'r' word, but in the end I suppose it needed clarifying. I've been quite vocal about the subject in the blog, but it was still lingering in the air around the fic, and I wanted that out of the way before we went any further.
Comparing the Master to Gray is something that leapt out at me quite recently, but they make an interesting parallel, and it allows us to put the Master's madness into context, rather than concentrating on him as simply 'the bad guy'. Taken out of semi-mythical Timelord status, who is he at heart? Why is he the way he is? And comparing Gray and the Master; Jack and the Doctor, who did the worse thing?
Obviously we're going into deep morality here, and there is no right or wrong, but it's an interesting idea to think about. Or maybe I've just spent too many hours doing literary research, and I'm thinking too deeply about it. In any case, hopefully to comparison to Gray will put the Master in a slightly different light for some readers.
Link to the chapter is HERE
The burning of Japan, as a section, is now my favourite. We've moved out of the dark, and ours and Jack's understanding of everything is starting to come into the light. While the Master should still be considered dangerous, insane, violent and potentially murderous, we're starting to get into his motivations a little bit more - as confused and twisted as they can be. While attempting to rationalise everything he does would be ridiculous, we're getting a sense of his - as the Doctor said much earlier - 'essence' (because we already know it still exists, even if 'Valiant' Doctor isn't sure). There is still much left to be discovered though, so keep your eyes peeled, and what I consider the absolute key to his personality will only be revealed close to the very end.
While I can't estimate how many more words there will be in this story, plot-wise we've reached the half way stage. It seemed about time that the Doctor began to explain, so that we could make sense of what we've seen, and start to look a little more thoughtfully at what comes next.
The next section will be taking us into familiar territory for the Doctor. He needs a chance to stretch his legs. This is - after all - still Doctor Who: as weak a position as he's being forced to operate from, the Doctor is still the Doctor, and the story needs to play out as much like an episode as possible (because in my head, what I'm writing is simply an unaired... um... slightly more adult-oriented episode). This means that there will be no sex scenes for a while; however we will get more of a glimpse into the Master's - and the Doctor's - minds, and the way they interact.
There's a few bits in the next section that I am looking forward to immensely in my own strange little way. Again, telling would constitute spoilers, but trust me - there is quite a bit more epic drama on the way, and the Doctor's motives in showing Jack this story are maybe not what they seem.
And music... the two songs that always remind me of this part of their story are:
How to Save a Life - The Fray
Somewhere only We Know - Keane
There's also a piece of music from the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban soundtrack that makes me think of their history. It's called A Window to the Past, and was used rather a lot when I was planning this chapter.
Music tastes matter in these things, so they may not be your cup of tea, but I'm fairly eclectic when it comes to music, and my inspiration comes from strange places.
AND AGAIN
Thank you so much for the support so far - today Lost Boys reached 15,000 views, not counting the views on AdultFanFiction. I'm not just saying this because I'm expected to, but - really, thank you. You really do have no idea how much it all means.
I am now back on hiatus until mid-January. Once more, essays need to be written. I really did want to get the Christmas Day (on the Valiant, that is) memories out of the way, but that section is important, and I don't want to rush it. Well... I suppose they're all important, really, but you know what I mean.
In the meantime, if you want to contact me I'm always available. You can PM me on fanfiction.net, leave me a review, or comment or email me here. I will always reply - it's great to talk to other people who love Doctor Who as much as me.
Until January then,
Turkaholic
This chapter was the first one I ever planned out in detail - the Doctor finally explaining why he and the Master have always had such a convoluted relationship. The End of Time (however many years ago it was) brought this backstory straight into my head, and for me there were enough hints in their dialogue through the years to make this completely within the canon. The Doctor was always considered a failure and an outcast by his own people, as was the Master. It would only be natural that they were drawn to each other, and that it would turn into something else.
It is such a relief to get this story out there at long last. It has been sat bubbling in my head for years.
The Master's canon has had a few continuity problems over the years, but I have to admit that my main fandom - as great as the old episodes were - was always with Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. I grew up watching them, and so I prefer to use the story that Russel T. Davies gave him. It also gives some substance to someone who could otherwise have just been considered 'evil', which in my opinion, he never ever was.
This really is the crux of the story - a story that has been in the background of the Doctor's life since childhood. Like a mystery story, I've been dropping hints about the nature of this relationship right from the first chapter, but perhaps they will only start to become apparent now. If you decide to go back and read the previous chapters (which - if you don't - I wouldn't blame you), little things may start to jump out at you that seemed unimportant at the time, but actually were written with huge significance in mind. It was the only way I could think to frame the story I'm trying to tell. It also makes some of the interactions they have in the show a bit more telling. I always thought there were several layers to everything they said. Having known each other for nearly a millenium (from the Doctor's side), of course there would be more in everything they said than what it appeared to be. That phonecall becomes much more telling. While, of course, it retains the basic 'enemies trading banter' layer, there's more at work there than that. Look back at it (I believe there's a youtube version) after this interlude, and you'll see what I mean. It also explains why the Master has always had such a Doctor fixation, even pre-reboot.
Just bear in mind that there are always several (sometimes conflicting) reasons for the way they interact - both conscious and subconscious. You can't say that this relationship is clear-cut and simple to understand, because if it was... well... they wouldn't be the Doctor and the Master.
I wanted to keep the Doctor's description of their history fairly broad, since one of the appeals of Doctor Who in general, and Gallifrey in particular, is that it's mysterious. While we get a few glimpses of the Citadel, and the Doctor describes a little in Gridlock, nobody wants to get bogged down in the details. Hopefully the Doctor explained just enough to get Jack to understand, while leaving enough open for interpretation.
Yes, Mummy liked the Master. I didn't just dump that in for fun, by the way - there is a reason for it. Also, it gives a bit more substance to her decision to vote against the Council: she realised that not only was it putting her son in danger, but it would (or already had) ruin his and the Master's lives. That moment of realisation must have been heartbreaking.
Besides, in my experience mothers do tend to like bad boys, which - let's be honest - the Master probably was. How could he be anything else?
The naming thing... well, that comes back to the phonecall again. There's a lot of conflict in the canon about the naming of Timelords, but in the RTD era it was always implied that it was a rite of passage, just like staring into the Vortex was. It's just a personal opinion, but I like to think that the Master chose his name partly because he was already on the descent into madness, but partly because he wanted to irritate the hell out of the Council.
We've had a lot of deep thought processes and dark moments recently. Being faithful to the style of the show, we needed a bit of comedy. That section about chips was really fun to write. There was a bit that had to be cut out, due to length, the dialogue of which went something like this:
"I like chips. Chips are good."
"What, they run out of bananas today?"
Jack: "Do you ever eat anything else? How are you not ridiculously fat?"
"Well I run."
"By choice?"
"Now that is a good question. If I ever find out the answer, I'll let you know."
It's a shame, but sometimes length is important (no pun intended) and this interlude was already rather long.
Also, let's just appreciate how sneaky the Doctor can be, and the fact that he actually cares about what Jack's been through lately. He didn't just go to Cardiff on a whim.
"What, did you marry him or something?"
I apologise for the teasing. Apparently writing the Master means that some of his psychosis has leaked out into my brain. I couldn't resist - and neither could the Doctor. Reading that little section back still makes me smile.
I also honestly believe that if it had been something as 'simple' as marriage, the Master would have killed him already. Does that make sense? Probably not, but then sometimes neither does the Master.
I didn't really want to have to write that section about the 'r' word, but in the end I suppose it needed clarifying. I've been quite vocal about the subject in the blog, but it was still lingering in the air around the fic, and I wanted that out of the way before we went any further.
Comparing the Master to Gray is something that leapt out at me quite recently, but they make an interesting parallel, and it allows us to put the Master's madness into context, rather than concentrating on him as simply 'the bad guy'. Taken out of semi-mythical Timelord status, who is he at heart? Why is he the way he is? And comparing Gray and the Master; Jack and the Doctor, who did the worse thing?
Obviously we're going into deep morality here, and there is no right or wrong, but it's an interesting idea to think about. Or maybe I've just spent too many hours doing literary research, and I'm thinking too deeply about it. In any case, hopefully to comparison to Gray will put the Master in a slightly different light for some readers.
Link to the chapter is HERE
The burning of Japan, as a section, is now my favourite. We've moved out of the dark, and ours and Jack's understanding of everything is starting to come into the light. While the Master should still be considered dangerous, insane, violent and potentially murderous, we're starting to get into his motivations a little bit more - as confused and twisted as they can be. While attempting to rationalise everything he does would be ridiculous, we're getting a sense of his - as the Doctor said much earlier - 'essence' (because we already know it still exists, even if 'Valiant' Doctor isn't sure). There is still much left to be discovered though, so keep your eyes peeled, and what I consider the absolute key to his personality will only be revealed close to the very end.
While I can't estimate how many more words there will be in this story, plot-wise we've reached the half way stage. It seemed about time that the Doctor began to explain, so that we could make sense of what we've seen, and start to look a little more thoughtfully at what comes next.
The next section will be taking us into familiar territory for the Doctor. He needs a chance to stretch his legs. This is - after all - still Doctor Who: as weak a position as he's being forced to operate from, the Doctor is still the Doctor, and the story needs to play out as much like an episode as possible (because in my head, what I'm writing is simply an unaired... um... slightly more adult-oriented episode). This means that there will be no sex scenes for a while; however we will get more of a glimpse into the Master's - and the Doctor's - minds, and the way they interact.
There's a few bits in the next section that I am looking forward to immensely in my own strange little way. Again, telling would constitute spoilers, but trust me - there is quite a bit more epic drama on the way, and the Doctor's motives in showing Jack this story are maybe not what they seem.
And music... the two songs that always remind me of this part of their story are:
How to Save a Life - The Fray
Somewhere only We Know - Keane
There's also a piece of music from the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban soundtrack that makes me think of their history. It's called A Window to the Past, and was used rather a lot when I was planning this chapter.
Music tastes matter in these things, so they may not be your cup of tea, but I'm fairly eclectic when it comes to music, and my inspiration comes from strange places.
AND AGAIN
Thank you so much for the support so far - today Lost Boys reached 15,000 views, not counting the views on AdultFanFiction. I'm not just saying this because I'm expected to, but - really, thank you. You really do have no idea how much it all means.
I am now back on hiatus until mid-January. Once more, essays need to be written. I really did want to get the Christmas Day (on the Valiant, that is) memories out of the way, but that section is important, and I don't want to rush it. Well... I suppose they're all important, really, but you know what I mean.
In the meantime, if you want to contact me I'm always available. You can PM me on fanfiction.net, leave me a review, or comment or email me here. I will always reply - it's great to talk to other people who love Doctor Who as much as me.
Until January then,
Turkaholic
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