- 18 - Conscience whispers, but interest screams aloud.

[toobravehearted]

[ The Doctor is dreaming but he doesn't know it yet. It feels like he's been walking through the TARDIS for a long time already, following a voice that's female but indistinct. Sometimes it seems as if it is corridors away. Sometimes, just around the next corner. Either way he hasn't caught up to it. He has called back, asking whoever is there to stay put, he will find them and guide them out. But with each call and follow, he's moving deeper and deeper down into the machine. Who is that? He knows the voice, he's sure of it. The light is changing, corridors are getting darker and at the edge of his vision he sees movement, a quick flash of cloth that disappears around a column.

No. That's not right. It can't be. He lunges at a dash around the column, calling a name as he goes.

There's nothing there except more darkened corridor. Being down this deep, the walls twist and press in around him. It's only then that he realises he needs to wake up.

Waking himself up isn't such a difficulty or a problem in of itself. Discovering where he is, entirely different and definitely a problem. In the depths of his ship, his eyes adjusting to the poor light and the sound of dynamorphic generators in his ears, at his back another sound joins in. Something is there. It slithers and hisses, tasting the air, looking for its prey. The Doctor turns around quickly, eyes widening at what moves in the shadows. ]

Oh no. Oh no, YOU DO NOT!

[ Running forward, he does two things at once. Searching frantically through his pockets, losing items and pocket brick-a-brack in the process, what he really wants fails to immediately turn up. He's also closing off his mind, battening down his mental defences but it's already too late; he was literally caught napping. As the Doctor moves forward to contain this monstrosity, the hunting beast rises up on its belly and rushes forward with a strike.

There isn't a shout or a call for help to mark the Doctor's departure. ]

[ Much later, the Doctor stands in the castle lobby, still and quiet. Too quiet, appearing preoccupied and perhaps even a little vacant, as if he was going somewhere but that it slipped his mind where. Perhaps it had something to do with the serrated and very sharp bladed knife from the kitchen in his hand. Perhaps it didn't. Not that anyone can immediately tell, but there is a fight going on in his mind and it's been going on for a while now. Something claws and grabs at his thoughts and memories, riffling through them and taking them apart, twisting and coiling tighter. The Doctor fights back with ferocity, scratching at the inside of his mind to get out.

'Hello, Doctor. Missed me?'

'A snake in the grass such as you? I don't think so. I will NOT relinquish to you and I can banish you. You'll not control me again.'

There's laughter in the Doctor's mind. 'I already am. Look.' And it is then that the Doctor sees the knife in his hand and the head of a snake on the back of his wrist, peeking out from under his sleeve.

'Be gone with you, Doctor. Back to the Dark Places of the Inside for you.'

The Mara takes full control and the Doctor's mouth twists into a wicked and satisfied smile before it speaks aloud with the Doctor's voice. ]


Time to start having a little fun around here.


[[OOC: Loss start! Two scenarios, a tamer version here or the section below for wanton destruction.]]

Comments

Cover your heads!

[toobravehearted]

[ Time to start having a little fun around here, and the Mara takes no further hesitation in doing just that. Looking up it sees a chandelier dangling over the lobby, hefty, large and dripping with glass. It's held up tight and high, and the Mara traces the thick rope linked through pulleys, along the ceiling, down the wall, to where it is fastened all nice and tight and safe.

Not for long. Striding over to it, the Mara looks around first to make sure the coast is at least relatively clear, and then cuts through the rope with that very sharp knife he has.

The crash as the chandelier comes down and smashes into the floor is every bit as loud and as perfect as the Mara thought it would be, and its laughter echoes along with the tinkling of glass. ]

[rose_of_battle]

[And who's tearing into the lobby at the sound of the crash, her concern turning into confusion when she sees the Doctor?

That's right. This girl.

And she slows down, her gaze flitting back and forth between the man and the mess, her confusion growing. He couldn't have done this, right? And that laugh couldn't have been him, right?

Then again, after some of the things the castle's put her through, it could be.

Approaching a little hesitantly, she peers at her friend.]

Doctor, are you okay?

[toobravehearted]

[There's a grin and it's gleeful and a little out of place. Glass littered all around, the frame of the chandelier all bent and twisted... A nice start to herald the Mara's return. Small perhaps? But why waste such motions of grandeur just yet? Bring the sheep that it can feel in this place running first, work up and ease in... The Mara looks up across to the girl.]

Oh look. Here's one. I'm fine. Never better. [He looks up at the ceiling, there's a couple of smaller chandeliers up there and he points at one with the tip of the knife.] That one next.

[rose_of_battle]

[Sheena looks at him curiously. What does he mean by"Here's one"? Before she can ask him, however, she spots the knife, and a wave of panic goes through her.

That kind of knife and The Doctor just don't go together. Especially when he threatens to use it for vandalizing. Something else that just doesn't seem right, and the longer she thinks about it, the more she realizes she's heard of this type of personality change before.

Those mirror people that had been here. Going on that theory, Sheena steps in front of the man, her arms held to the side in the classic "stop" position.]

I really can't let you do that, Doctor. Someone could get hurt.

[im_the_doctor]

The elder Doctor's not far from the lobby when he hears the crash and comes running. Skidding into the room he comes to a halt not far from the remains of the shattered chandelier. His first thought is he's thankful that no one's underneath it!

Looking around he spots his younger self and head's over immediately. The idea that it was his younger self that caused the damage doesn't even enter his mind. Instead he's looking around the room and the ceiling trying to spot what may have happened.

Once close enough he asks, "Did you see what happened?"

Sorry, format change, hope this is ok?

[toobravehearted]

[There he is. The Mara has been expecting him since learning from the Doctor's memories. The Mara can sense him; he has the same mind that it's already flicked away and whose body it now inhabits.]

Doctor.

The Mara steps forward and around, circling the other, glass crunching under its feet. It makes a show of waggling the knife handle between thumb and forefinger.]

I saw it. I saw it all.

[im_the_doctor]

[The elder Doctor watches his younger closely. Well, he supposes at the moment it's not quite his younger self now is it?! Now that he's looking and properly paying attention he can sense something else there. Something else in control.

His first instinct is to demand whatever has taken control needs to leave and leave now, but he can quickly see where that will lead to. No he suspects a different approach maybe needed...]

Oh, I rather suspect that you did it too. Who might we owe the credit to for redecorating our lovely lobby? [He curls his nose and upper lip and says as casually as possible, one he does not feel.] I have to agree, it was in fine time that we did some redecorating. It was starting to become rather blah...

Re: Cover your heads!

[babyaliendaddy]

[Tucker ambles in at the sound of a crash - he doesn't run because running in the Castle towards danger is probably the dumbest thing you can do around here. Who knew what the fuck you'd run into, anyways?]

[This time though, it looked ... kinda boring, honestly. The Doctor. Giant chandelier. Probably meant some sort of stupid accident and nothing seriously jacked up.] Sup, Doc? The ghosts get a little too violent with their dusting.

[toobravehearted]

[It, he, the words are interchangeable, turns around at the voice and there's a moment's pause before any recognition of the man shows.]

Tucker. You're Tucker. Tucker, Tucker, of the base and carnal. Perhaps you can be useful.

[He points up to the ceiling. That downed chandelier might be the largest but it's not the only one for such a large lobby and there's several more.]

I want them all down. Be a good chap and fetch a knife. Hold it by the handle. That's the end without the blade.

[babyaliendaddy]

[Tucker, the one and only in his own head, blinked at the Doctor. He arched an eyebrow at the Doctor's comment, before he answered dryly.]

Yeah, I'm just going by Tucker these days.

[He looks up at the chandelier, then back at the Doctor. Then back at the other chandeliers. Then back at the Doctor.]

O-kay, since I'm not usually the guy who runs off and does dangerous things without questioning first, why?

Re: Cover your heads!

[teenagebadboy]

[Aaron is just walking past when he hears the bang. With a scowl on his face he turns around and walks back. He takes in the scene of the broken chadelier. He quickly gathers that it must have fell. he does spot the Doctor but takes no notice of him.]

[toobravehearted]

[Well that's just exactly what it's intended for! The Mara wants to see all the humans and what-evers come along to investigate and postulate and be all so glad that it was a freak accident. Unfortunately it isn't, and the Mara doesn't see this human, busy instead cutting through the rope that binds one of the smaller chandeliers and down it comes, a nice satisfying crash of glass and metal. Only when he turns does the Mara see the boy.

He watches and smiles. It's not really a friendly smile, and he taps the flat blade of the knife against his chin while he waits to see what this human will do.]

[lord_wizard]

[There is never anything good that kind of sound can herald in this place. He can't even count the number of things it could be, and good number of those are decidedly unhealthy to his person. But he has two problems. One, he once promised that if there was anything wrong that he had any power to assist with, he would. And two: he is far too curious for his own good.

He doesn't run, because that would be undignified and nobody is screaming so it doesn't sound that urgent.

The wizard raises a brow at the sight of Five. Not the kind of ruffian he'd expect to be at this kind of scene. Best not to make assumptions, there.]

What is the name of all the Powers happened in here?

[toobravehearted]

[The Mara looks up and well, now what is this? A scarlett haired one and - a head tilt as the Mara looks at him - heterochromia iridis. Striking. In more ways than one. Walking forward and watching the man in all curiosity, he has to say it, over patient like talking to a small child.]

How obvious does it have to be? The chandelier. It came down. Just like Newton's apple.

[He starts to flip the knife up and down, catching it handle over handle each time.] Old castles, you know. Things wear clean through.

[schrodingersghost]

[Danny comes flying into the room at the sound of the crash. Chandeliers did not crash by themselves, okay?

Well, not usually. Not unless they had some help.]

Hey! What's going on in here?

[toobravehearted]

[The Mara turns at the voice... nothing there. It slowly looks up instead.]

Inspection. This one's broken. Whatever do you think caused that?

[deductiongeek]

[True to his usual (terrible) luck, Conan happened to be standing right at the worst possible spot in the lobby. Beneath the falling chandelier. The glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye gives him just enough warning to dive out of the way.]

[toobravehearted]

[The Mara turns to see the child dive for cover just in time. Cue disappointment. Does it bother the Mara that what it just pulled could have seriously hurt someone? Not at all. It's not the first time it's done something so reckless and it's only just warming up.]

My, my, my. That was a close call wasn't it? [He steps over with a hand outstretched to help Conan up. Aw, look at how nice he's being.]

Stay still, next time.

Tell me if this isn't cool.

[inafadingcrown]

[It's not until the chandelier is already on the floor that Galadriel rounds the corner and her first instinct is to make sure that her friend is uninjured; she steps lightly] around the mess.]

Doctor, are you quite-

[But no, there's something decidedly wrong here and it isn't just the knife that he's holding. He feels wrong. Her expression shifts, just slightly. There's still concern there, but there's a wariness too now.]

Whatever happened?

You are totally cool with that. <3

[toobravehearted]

[Good great heavens, what is this? From the Doctor's memories the Mara knows who she is, all the better to integrate with the prattling ovine that bleat forever on and on and on around here, but this, HER, she's powerful and the Mara wants it. The things it could do with this creature under its thrall... But softly-softly now. The lay of the land has to be found.]

Lady Galadriel, how nice to have your presence. [He approaches slowly with a smile on the Doctor's face just shy of wicked.] Someone let the chandelier down, didn't they. Wasn't that careless?

[wizard_redfive]

[Dairine hears the crashing glass and laughter from outside, and she hurries indoors to see what is happening. Seeing the Doctor there, she rushes over, concerned for him. Not yet noticing the knife, she thinks he got caught up in something.]

Doctor! Are you all right?

[toobravehearted]

[He got caught in something arrite. Standing still, his head turns to the side and he watches her approach. That's it child, come to the Mara, trot along willingly.]

Oh. It's you. I'm perfectly all right, don't fuss. In fact, I've not felt this good in a long time.

[He points to the debris over the floor.] Such a shame you missed it. It was impressive, and so much noise.

Action at the Doctor's room?

[lightbranded]

[After the end of the false families, Will had not forgotten the Doctor's promise of a birthday gift. It had simply been pushed to the side of his mind for a time. Until today, in fact.

Will was finally coming over for a visit. He knocks gently on the door and enters.]

Doctor? Are you here?

Aye

[toobravehearted]

[It didn't need to go to the Doctor's room. Instead the Mara walked through the halls, listening, measuring, soaking up the atmosphere, so much chaos and misery within its walls.

And there was power, such a lot of it in some of the lifeforms that dwelt here. The Doctor knew that, and so did the Mara.

There was one. The Mara followed at a distance, watching where he would go and he followed him into the room.]

You've missed all the fun downstairs.

[lightbranded]

[Will's mind whirls as he staggers back a step. The presence of darkness grates across his mind and twists his senses in an all too familiar feeling of disorienting nausea. For precious seconds he is unable to see or sense anything but the storm in his mind.

And then he sees the source of the Darkness. And the Old One's heart breaks. Not the Doctor. He wouldn't have chosen this. But that was the thought of the boy that was Will. The Old One that Will knew that the only way for such a thing to happen, was for it to be chosen. A willing betrayal.

The part of him that was still the human that was Will wished desperately that he was wrong. That this was just something from another world that felt like the Dark. That the Doctor had not chosen this.

But the Old One that was Will knew that he could not rely on that hope. He draws himself up, pulling on the power and knowledge that was the birthright of is kind. He seems to grow taller, although he does not change at all. His expression of shock drains from his face and falls into an air of cold serenity just as his voice begins to resonate deeply.

This was no longer the boy Will, but the last of the Old Ones in the full strength of his power.]

What have you done?