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This feels so dated now - my sequel to Master Test. It's too long to go into, but the Movie Master ended up in a House of Eliott double drabble. And obviously the Eliott sisters in the Round, well... A strangely pointless story, but I liked it enough to finally finish it. ;-) *** Part One: A Change would do you good In which everyone gets too fashion conscious for their own good. *** The Eighth Doctor looked up as a young, dark-haired girl approached his table. Her troubles were clearly visible on her beautiful face, so the Doctor coughed and asked if everything was all right. “Don’t you like the Round?” he continued, his face being nothing like as readable, since he was successfully hiding a certain amount of guilt. Evangeline Eliott sat down opposite him, still frowning. “Well, it takes some getting used to, but I quite like it. There’s some outrageous outfits,” she added, shaking her head and breaking into an attractive smile. “No, it’s that man.” She nodded discreetly. He followed her gaze and his sense of guilt increased. “Ah. The Master, you mean?” “He keeps thrusting these terrible fashion designs on me and scaring me when I try to point out some potential improvements,” she explained. The Eighth Doctor realised that promising the Master crossovers in fashion TV series had not been one of his best ideas, but then the Master had been threatening him and Charley at the time. Evie shuddered. “He scares me. And Bea doesn’t like it here now, because of him.” “That’s a shame,” said the Doctor. She put her head in her hands. “Of course, it’s partly because the girl at the door says that Jack was only on the telephone in our story and he can’t come in. She says he can phone, but that’s not much fun for them both. They have enough trouble getting any time together, as it is.” “Dear me,” murmured the Doctor in polite sympathy. Evie nodded. “Writers. They’re always making everybody row, aren’t they?” He shrugged. “It doesn’t tend to happen to me. But you could have a word with my Fifth self…” “Well, if it’s not arguments, they’re sending Jack off on some new craze and tying Bea up in work. There’s no one else I could speak to about it, is there?” The Doctor considered. “Well, maybe if you asked Polly nicely. But a few odd people have been getting in lately -.” Then his face cleared. “Next time she has a day off, I’ll offer to cover for her!” “Thanks,” she said. “Maybe it isn’t worth it with him around? Oh no.” The Doctor looked up to see the Master approaching with a bundle of new fashion designs. “Miss Evangeline,” he said passing them to her. Evie looked slowly through them, her horrified opinion as transparent as her earlier worry had been. “They’re – unusual,” she managed at last, handing them back. “I’ve been thinking,” said the Master. “Why don’t we start up a fashion house in Nameless?” Evie directed a panicked look at the Doctor. “Why don’t you go ahead and do that yourself?” he suggested. “The Eliott sisters probably want a break from running a business, but now they’re here they could give you some advice.” The Master thought about it. “It’s an idea,” he snarled and flounced away. “I hate him,” said Evie, her blue eyes dark. * “Who was that?” Charley asked Eight later. “I’ve spoken to her once before. I liked her – she seems to be from my sort of period.” He explained and then said glumly, “Look what I’ve got us all into now!” Charley made a face. “I think, Doctor, it’s more my fault than yours. Or both of us, at any rate. What shall we do?” “Well, maybe if he really does start up a fashion house, it’ll keep him busy,” said the Doctor without much hope. However, a glint had come into Charley’s eyes. “It might,” she agreed with a wide smile. * “What is it going to be called? Fashion outfits for Villains?” “Hardly very snappy, Charlotte,” said the Master. “However, it’s along the lines of what I was thinking. So few tailors really provide what your average evil character is after – plenty of black, leather, shiny robes, outrageous collars…” “Well, there are enough baddies here,” she said enthusiastically. “It should be popular. I think you’re really filling a gap.” His future self had been passing and stopped to mock. “Oh yes? I find any decent department store will do me a reasonable suit!” “You aren’t the ‘average’ Doctor Who villain,” the Movie Master told him. “Have a look around you! We’ll have some particular needs to cater for.” Charley was thinking hard. “You’d probably need an accessories section – quite a lot seem to need a fair bit of make up.” “True,” said the Movie Master. “Yes, there’s a lot to be done.” * The Doctor invited the Eliott sisters to join him at the Round and explained the Master’s project as best as he could. Bea caught on first. “It will certainly keep him busy! I doubt he has any idea what’s involved in running a successful fashion house.” “For villains from – what did you say? – science-fiction?” asked Evie. “That’s why his designs are so strange.” “I think,” said Bea, staring thoughtfully into the distance, “that we could contribute one or two designs to help start him off.” “Think storybook villains,” advised the Doctor, who knew that the sisters were from the 1920s with a sheltered upbringing and probably wouldn’t have much idea about science fiction, other than H. G. Wells. Evie became enthusiastic. “A wicked queen’s dress?” “Exactly,” agreed Beatrice, a wicked twinkle lurking in her starry blue eyes. “Or a sinister Italian count, I suppose. But don’t you think he might start hanging around us even more?” The Doctor paused. “Well, it may, but everyone who isn’t wholly evil has promised to go first thing. He should be inundated with orders. The Meddling Monk wants a new habit and the Rani feels she’s overdue for a makeover – even though she claims not to be interested in anything as frivolous as clothes.” “Well, let’s hope so,” said Beatrice. “It’s good to be doing something again, but not if we have to be pestered by that *awful* man. And I still can’t make that girl see reason about Jack.” “Did somebody mention me?” asked Captain Jack in passing. He stopped to take in with appreciation the young and attractive Evie and stately Beatrice. He pulled across the nearest chair and sat on it back to front. “Now, why haven’t we been introduced?” “Probably for their own protection,” said the Doctor huffily. “Jack, this is Beatrice and Evangeline Eliott. Bea, Evie, this is Captain Jack Harkness.” “Crossovers? New to the Round?” He gave Evie a wide smile and she reddened. Bea raised an eyebrow, not missing the exchange. “I suppose you’re from this Doctor Who thing, too?” “Sometimes,” he said, grinning at her, unperturbed by her frostiness. “Sometimes it’s even worse…” The Doctor put in, “I should warn you that Jack will flirt with anything that moves – and probably kiss it as well.” (Evie stared at the ceiling, thinking he didn’t sound so very different from their Jack, after all, but it would have been more than her life was worth to say it.) “True,” admitted Jack, “but then I’ve heard similar things about you, Doc. But after 900 hundred plus years of not kissing anyone, a guy’s bound to go a bit crazy when he finally gets the chance!” Eight stared back at him for a long moment and then frowned sternly. “We were discussing something important, if you don’t mind.” “What’s more important than kissing?” Jack winked at Evie, but she’d made a mistake like this before and she only smiled distantly. * Peri was having a moment of jealousy. “Not that I want to sound like my own stepmother, but that girl is way too pretty to be true.” Turlough, who’d sat next to her, stared. “Your stepmother?” “I’ve had a confusing time lately, okay,” she returned. He smiled. “Yes, but you’re more attractive in other ways…” * Why were people always hitting him? Turlough wondered later, nursing another bruise to his chin. He’d thought he’d be safe enough if he kept out of Tegan’s way. * “What’s going on?” asked the Fifth Doctor nervously. As always, he was distracted by the sight of what appeared to be Nyssa behaving normally. Harry was at the bar. He grinned. “It’s an early Twentieth Century Girl get-together, I think. I don’t suppose they’d mind you saying hallo, though, if you wanted.” “Ah,” said the Doctor in relief. “It’s *Ann*…” The worried look returned. Then where was Nyssa? Where was Adric? Come to that, where was Tegan…? “And Lady Cranleigh, Evangeline, Charley and Bea – and Sarah’s popped back for her Edwardian dress so she can join in,” added Harry cheerfully. “Seems to be an awful lot of talking about clothes around here lately.” The Sixth Doctor overheard. “I know,” he said glumly. “Wish someone’d thought about that kind of thing sooner…” * “Charley,” said the Eighth Doctor, interrupting the most civilised party she’d had since she first found herself (startled but never disheartened) in the Round. “We must do something! It’s all getting out of hand!” She followed him away from the group reluctantly. “I don’t see that it does any harm for people to be a little more fashion conscious, Doctor.” He faced her seriously. “Charley, most of us here are supposed to be involved in saving the universe. Clothes aren’t important.” “Tell that to some of your companions,” pointed out Charley. “I’m all right. I usually sound as if I’m wearing something sensible, except for that incident we don’t mention -.” “Hmm?” “I don’t mention it,” Charley reminded him. “Look at the others! Those outfits aren’t flattering; I doubt they were ever fashionable anywhere and they’re certainly not practical.” “Charley -.” She glared back at him. “You’ve never tried running in high heels and a tight skirt!” “As you pointed out, neither have you,” he retorted, feeling put upon and still haunted by his own guilt in the sudden rash of fashion consciousness. “I’m really glad you didn’t say you had,” she couldn’t help but respond, but she was still growing irritated. “Anyway, if people want to think about clothes for fun or ask Bea and Evie to try and design them something practical, why does that bother you?” “It’s – it’s frivolous!” he complained sulkily, because he was sure he was right, but he didn’t have a good reason for it. Yet. Charley glared at him. “Oh, is it? Maybe the Master has a point!” “There may have been sartorial errors of judgement in my past,” he admitted loftily, “but that’s no cause for everyone to start indulging their vanity!” “Oh, *really*!” said Charley. “I suppose, despite all the high-minded guff -.” “Guff?” “Yes! I suppose really you just happen to like your female friends wearing next to nothing?” The Doctor looked thoroughly alarmed. “Charley, I have no say in what anybody here wears!” “Excuse me, Doctor,” said Charley, and left him standing. * “Goodbye, Jack.” (Pause) “I have been asking if you can come and join me here. No, of course I want you to come, it’s just -. Jack!” Beatrice handed the mobile back to Rose with a resigned expression on her face. “Thank you, Miss Tyler.” “Rose,” she told her. “And it’s no problem.” Evie was still shaking her head. “I can’t believe that’s a telephone. This place is amazing! Shame there’s no art gallery, though. Where can I go for inspiration?” The Eighth Doctor was still not feeling any happier. Libraries, fashion outfitters – and now somebody wanted an art gallery. It wasn’t exactly Nameless as he knew it. And knowing the Round, something bad would come of it, sooner or later. He looked up as someone sat beside him and found Beatrice there, watching him closely. “There’s something wrong, isn’t there?” she asked quietly, but directly. “There’s a problem with us being here.” He smiled faintly. “No, I don’t think it’s you precisely, but the Round’s getting obsessed by something – fashion, in this case. It’ll calm down again soon enough, but what will happen first, I don’t know.” “We don’t have to come,” she offered. “It’s been dull, but we don’t have to be here. It’s not as if we belong.” He sighed. “I suppose it’s been worse. It’s just all very uncharacteristic – did you see Six wearing a tasteful suit? Still couldn’t leave off the cat badge, though. It’s all wrong!” “It is us,” decided Bea. “Being who we are, we can hardly help but think about more flattering outfits for the people we meet. If we went -.” The Doctor said, “No, no. I’m right, too. Now he’s got started nothing is going to stop the Master that easily. Charley’s doing her best to ward off the worst.” A concerned look crossed his face. Unusually, Charley still seemed to be angry and avoiding him. That wasn’t like *her*, either. It made him very uneasy, her spending all that time with the Master… Bea saw his concern and, as they both stood, she kissed him on the cheek before leaving. * The Second Doctor was beside himself (literally, since he was talking to One). “And now people are going and kissing *him*!” “My dear fellow,” said his former self, “I thought you disapproved of all that nonsense.” He sighed heavily. “Oh, yes. I do, don’t I?” * Bea handed over the Eliott sisters fairy-tale villain designs to the Master, who took them with unusual gratitude. “Words fail me, Miss Eliott,” he said, studying paper. “I’ll start with these two. And of course, if I may consult you on my own designs?” She glanced at his elaborate Gallifreyan robes and said, “I’m sure you know the sort of thing that is required by your clients.” “But I lack your talent,” he said. “The lines here, Miss Eliott – sublime! Or may I call you Beatrice?” She replaced her gloves. “You’re too kind, sir. And, no, you may not.” “But I was hoping that we could be … friends,” he murmured darkly. Beatrice hesitated and surveyed him with a cold blue graze. “As I said, I’m sure Evie and I are happy to give you advice, but really -.” * Outside, Beatrice Eliott surveyed her battered portfolio regretfully. If only she could have found something else to have hit the objectionable man with! * The Movie Master surveyed himself in the mirror with some amusement. Only a slight scratch, after all, nothing to worry about. “I think she likes me,” he drawled ironically. Part Two
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