tampered | log; ongoing

log; ongoing

When; Friday, August 8th, evening.
Rating; PG for now
Characters; The Master (

master_supreme) and Clow Reed (

i_themagician
Summary; Clow takes Harry out on a "date" and it becomes a contest to see who can pretend to be more drunk and act like more of a failure to make the other guy underestimate him.
Log;

Unpredictability is an important part of strategy. If your opponent doesn't know what to expect of you, he won't know how to defend or counterstrike until it's too late. Hence, while there is not an unlimited number of strategies to try in any given situation, and especially not ones that will work, it is generally a good idea not to use the same one more than once in quick succession no matter how well it worked the first time.

... Unless you are making a conscious effort to look like an idiot.

This would be the third time that Clow had pulled the 'not-so-coincidentally meeting someone at a random place' trick, although the Master had no reason to know about the first two. This time, however, Clow employed neither the shock value of showing up on the Time Lord's doorstep nor the brazen disregard of getting "caught" drinking some place sacred to him. The fact that he couldn't do either of those things this time was irrellevant - it was in this case to Clow's benefit, anyway.

Thus, it was on a seemingly random street near an alleyway that Clow waited patiently for his date to show - and he would show, just any second now...

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As the time of contact drew near, Clow wondered exactly how to work a pun about "Master-baiting" into the evening's conversation as he surreptitiously edged into the alleyway before the Master could see him there. He didn't want to risk the Time Lord noticing him from afar and intentionally avoiding him, but he needed to do something sufficiently sloppy and idiotic as to only just barely have the seemingly intended effect.

He must have done something right, since the right time still came and when it did Clow lashed out and attempted to grab Harry's wrist. See? Sloppy. A common mugger might have been more clever.

Of course, given his superb Time Lord senses, the Master knew there was somebody in the alley as he approached it. But that was hardly surprising; the City was overpopulated, after all. He remained cautious-- just in case-- and when the hand lashed out, he allowed the assailant to grab his wrist. Under normal circumstances, he would never let one of the 'masses' touch him like that, but as it was only Lucy's new "flame," he really wasn't that concerned. Clow was nothing the Master couldn't handle (one could accuse him of hubris and-- well, one would probably be correct).

And so, he let out a laugh-- gleeful, chipper-- and stood perfectly still, although his muscles were tensing slightly. "Lashing out at me from an alley? Admit it, you just thought you could have your way with me," he said in a teasing (and, of course, malicious) tone of voice.

Clow gave a somewhat fake and strained laugh in return as he dropped the Master's wrist. Of course he didn't expect something like that to go as 'planned', but he honestly hadn't been sure what the Master's response would be. And... it hadn't really been all that funny, either. It would have been much more fun if he could have just grabbed Harry and ran, wouldn't it? He could have pretended that Godzilla was chasing them, just for laughs.

"What, here? In a dirty alleyway where just anyone might walk by?" he said as if not sure whether to pretend to be amused or scandalized. "No, no, I intend to do this properly. Drinks first, yes?"

Once Clow made the offer for drinks, the Master moved back a bit to put some distance between them. Obviously, he didn't trust the other man at all, and he knew there had to be some ulterior motive to this. Even if Clow hadn't been so keen on Lucy, the Master would have found this entire affair suspect. But then, anybody but an idiot would.

"No. I don't think so." He smiled tightly. "Ohh-- but don't worry, it's not you. It's me! I was quite keen on spending this evening alone, you see."

"Oh, I understand," Clow replied with one of his more charming fake smiles, "And as much as I respect your need to be alone, I'm afraid that this is where the 'having my way with you' part comes in - I'm not taking no for an answer!"

Ah, but Harry must've been suspicious. And why shouldn't he be? Getting accosted in an alleyway and then being asked out for drinks - Clow was being just brilliantly stupid! Still, he couldn't be too obviously obvious or the Master might catch on that it was part of the game. Anyone but an idiot would be at least a little careful, and Clow liked to think that the Master attributed some intelligence to him above and beyond that. Clow just had to appear less smart than the Master, but how to do that when he honestly wasn't even sure how smart that was?

"Besides, Harry," he continued, his tone becoming a little flirtatious, "Aren't you just a bit curious?"

The Master just stared at Clow as though he were appraising the other man, trying to discern his intentions, read his mind, or something along those lines. Really, while he was trying to read Clow's body language and expression, observe any little tics that might give him some insight into the other's motives, he was mainly thinking about his laser screwdriver.

He missed it so very, very much. Oh, he'd been working on replacing it, but obtaining the necessary parts had become difficult, to say the least. The technology he could scavenge in the City was distressingly limited, and while he found he could replicate some of basic 900 or so functions of the laser screwdriver, they were all so benign. The "insta-kill" setting was just beyond what components the City could provide.

But if he had the screwdriver now... Ah. This conversation wouldn't even be happening. The human magician would be just another lifeless heap on the ground.

Finally, he smiled slowly (and, in response to Clow's own demeanor, flirtatiously, although he quite honestly felt no attraction, as he was sure the other man didn't, either). "Use my name," he said. "And then we'll see."

Clow grinned as if to say 'oh, is that all!' and was for a moment tempted to use some other name. No, no, but now was not the time.

"I thought that you didn't get anything out of my using that name, Master." He managed to say that word not only with a straight face and with the proper inflection, but without even the slightest tic of embarrassment at it. Clow didn't know if Harry had done it in order to read his reaction or just for kicks, but either way it wouldn't do to let this particular insecurity of his show at all. He had made that mistake with Lucy, and he had no intentions of repeating it.

"Just because I don't get tingly when you use my name, it doesn't mean I don't want you to," he retorted dryly. "Considering it's my name and all, I find it a great deal more agreeable than Harry."

Such a common name. He'd only chosen it to appeal to the 'average voter' (while "Saxon" gave it a bit more flair!).

"Ah well!" he chirped happily, shrugging his shoulders just a tad. "Not enticing enough. If you'll excuse me." He backed up another step, then turned to walk away.

Clow didn't even bother to move.

"Did I mention that I'm paying~?" is all he asked of the Time Lord's retreating form. If he continued to walk away - ah, well. No harm, no foul. "I thought that went without saying, since it was my idea."

The Master stopped. He could have drinks-- as many drinks as he wanted (and, since he couldn't really get drunk unless he wanted to, the bill could be... astronomical)-- and all he had to do was suffer the man's company and (he presumed) pretend to let his guard down enough so that Clow could feel like he managed to accomplish something with this jaunt.

Hm.

He turned around, grinning brightly, perhaps genuinely-- he looked so unassuming and (dare he say?) not... evil when he smiled like that.

"Do I get to pick the bar?"

Clow unfortunately didn't know what he was getting himself into as far as the possibilities for how high the bill could be. Somehow he had managed to be a Time Lord for a day and not pick up on that whole 'getting drunk from alcohol is optional' thing. Even so, he really wasn't expecting the Master to allow himself to get drunk in front of him. Pretend to, maybe, but Clow honestly didn't expect to accomplish anything. This was a 'date'; he'd just be sizing the man up.

"Certainly," Clow replied, smiling as if to say 'you really are easy, aren't you?' but it was almost... unintentionally affectionate? He had to admit, the Master looked rather cute when he smiled like that.

"All right," the Master said, then walked back over to Clow with a spring in his step. He stopped before the other man and looked up (ugh. He hated when he had to look up at somebody) at him. "The Lux. That's the pricey one, isn't it? I want the Lux."

He could have very well meant the entire bar, with how much he'd intended to drink.

"The Lux!" he declared, then bounded in the direction of the bar like a kid who'd just been told he could buy any toy he wanted. After a few yards, he stopped and turned around. "Hurry."

Oh god, what had Clow gotten himself into? He could tell by the sheer giddiness the Master was displaying that this couldn't be good for him. It's alright, he could afford it - it's not as if he really had too much in the way of necessary expenses.

Laughing, he followed the Master, not nearly as excitedly and energetically, but not exactly reluctant either. Placidly, but just quickly enough so as not to make the man impatient.

Once they had reached the bar, the Master began running through a mental list of everything he wanted to try. There were drinks there that even he had never heard of before. Drinks that could, potentially, get him drunk if he weren't careful, but then... He looked over at Clow. How much did he have to worry about, honestly? Even if he did get a little drunk, it would be nigh on impossible for him to get completely silly from the stuff.

Well. He'd start off easy.

"Two pints of... that. No ice!" he informed the Bartender, pointing to a particularly colourful liquor that he had never seen before. Yes, that's right: pints, not shots. He had no idea how much such a thing would cost, but he figured it would put the tab off to a good start. "And whatever he wants. He's buying," he added, dismissively, then wandered off to find as private a table as he could.

Aiyah. Clow briefly rubbed the bridge of his nose when he saw what the Master was ordering. Oh, well - at least there are limits to how fast a man can drink, right?

For himself, he ordered something very strong, figuring that he'd need it and only afterwards considering that getting drunk himself might not be the best idea - no, no, it would be fine. It took quite a lot to get the magician drunk, although this was sheerly due to his tolerance levels. Besides which, the false drunkenness that he intended to affect later on in the evening would have to be at least slightly plausible if not somewhat genuine in order to be believed. That done, he went to find the Master at a secluded little booth.

"Have you any idea what you just ordered?" he asked, half laughing as he sat across from him.

"No. As long as it's not poison," he responded flippantly, "then I'll be quite happy with it. The more colourful a drink, the tastier it tends to be."

He dunked a finger into one pint and licked the droplet away, as though he were assessing it. He rolled his eyes upward at the ceiling and nodded, then glanced back at Clow. "I was right. Perfectly tasty." He then chugged a fair bit of one pint, then set it down and coughed. "Perhaps I should pace myself," he murmured, then leaned back in the booth and watched Clow curiously.

"Now. Why did you really want to take me out? Is it my charming company, or something more?"

Clow chuckled at the Master's antics, although he genuinely couldn't be sure whether or not he was faking it. Surely he wouldn't have ordered that much if he didn't think he could handle it, after all. "I thought it would be nice if we got to know each other better."

Taking a sip of his own drink, he added, "Since we have some things in common and all."

"Oh?" His lips quirked into a smile, although it wasn't a particularly nice one (what a surprise: most of his smiles weren't). "And tell me-- barring Lucy, a tenuous connection at best, what is that?"

He picked up the half-drank pint, looked at it for a moment, then sipped it more carefully. Of course, he didn't need to, but he might as well have continued the act that he really had made a mistake when he gulped it the first time. No harm in trying, anyway.

"Things in common," he repeated, mulling over that. "Shall we talk about our hobbies? Oooh, I know!" He bounced once with excitement, then leaned forward. "Our favourite films. You go first."

Edited 2008-08-10 02:00 (UTC)

"Ahaha! No, I really don't watch a lot of films," Clow replied casually. "I can't even remember the last time I went into a theater. Stage plays are another story."

Another sip of drink. "But that's not what I meant at all. No, no, surely there's some reason why I remind her of you."

"Hm. And I hear the City has quite an active theatre community," he remarked. To be honest, while he had enjoyed and appreciated a good play in his previous regenerations, the Master's current one was a bit too... impatient with his entertainment to really sit through a play, most days.

The Master allowed a twitch to show, then, as Clow made mention of the fact that Lucy had compared the two of them. He took another swig of his drink, much, much larger this time, and set the nearly empty glass down with a wince.

"Oh?" Then he smiled cheerfully again, losing the nasty and detached demeanor. "Well! She certainly has a type. But I don't know what goes on in that batty head of hers, really." He finished off the first drink then, and shoved the glass away dismissively for the 'help' to take away. "Do you have a penchant for destroying the world? Time travel? Dancing?"

Clow had been wondering how the Master would react to that, and that twitch was more or less the response he was hoping for.

"Is that so?" he asked, referring to the Master's statement about not knowing what goes on inside her head. She is quite the mystery, but Clow thinks that he gets closer and closer to understanding her every day. "Well, I do enjoy dancing, but I get the distinct impression that she prefers older men."

He punctuates this with a long sip of his drink, as if to let that sink in a bit. Come on, Master, you can't be that dense. How do you think Clow knew where to find you in the first place?

"And how old are you?" he drawled, although his voice implied a general disinterest in the subject matter-- perhaps the Master just liked talking about himself too much, or perhaps he was just putting on an act. "Honestly, any revelation beneath 500 years old wouldn't surprise me. I never took you for a normal human, you know."

"Now, if you were older than me..." He took another drink and grinned. "Tell me more about yourself. Waitwaitwait. Another drink! This one's boring." He got up and bounded over to the bar, ordering another odd thing. The Pan Galactic... somethingorother. Sliding back into the booth easily, he affected a look of great interest and said, "Continue."

In the few seconds that the Master was gone, Clow shot his discarded other pint of mysterious beverage a look of distaste that was really meant for its former owner.

Do you hate him? he thought at it. I hate him, too.

Upon the Time Lord's return Clow gave him one of his smarmiest smiles as if to say, glad you could join us again. Even if there really wasn't an 'us'. Perhaps the now-personified liquor counted as a third person in his mind? Who knows?

"Is that how old you are?" Clow hadn't known what to expect, honestly, but he wouldn't have been surprised if the Master were twice that age. "That would make us about the same age, then. See? Something in common!"

By this point, the magician had gained quite a nice blush to his cheeks from the alcohol - perfect. Anything he tried from here on could pretty much be written off as drunkeness.

"Let's see, what else...?" Resting his cheek on one hand, he swishes the liquid around in his glass, watching it for a moment as if lost in thought. "Oh! I know - that whole 'destroying the world' thing. What's the attraction? I still don't quite get it."

"Older," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand, although the Master didn't feel like divulging just how old he was.

"I thought you were to be talking about yourself," came his flat response to the question. Honestly, the reasons for destruction were so varied. Sometimes, it had a purpose; others, it was just fun. "As a Time Lord, it is my right to do as I please with other worlds, species... And there are so many worlds; destroying one, two, twenty-- hardly makes a dent in the universe at all. Now, back to you. Magic is your trade, is it not? Tell me about it. We don't have such things where I'm from."

"It's boring if one person talks about himself the entire time," Clow remarked. The Master's statements left little to comment on (perhaps intentionally), so they went by without more than a raised eyebrow - is that so? - but were filed away for later.

"What about it? If you really want to know specifics, I do teach a class on theory at the academy." Though, he doubted that the Master cared too much. "In any case, I suppose at its core it's best summarily described as a product of force of will combined with a genetic predisposition. It's not wholly uncommon on my world, but rare enough to have gone unnoticed by most aliens - and humans, for that matter."

That last sentence was probably extraneous, but Clow couldn't help but imply that if there is magic in the Master's universe he is just one of those who hasn't figured it out yet. You can't prove a negative, after all.

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