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sclfmastery · 4 years

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Okay so if this blog is moving forward still as a two-Master blog (which I think it still is, I just need to keep digesting stuff...) then I need to make a list of differences between Simm and Dhawan, since they already have so many similarities. Some of these are facts observed in canon, others headcanons. ALIGNMENT Both Simm and Dhawan are Neutral Evil masquerading as Chaotic. “A little chaos can be a wonderful thing,” Dhawan tells Barton, and “a little” is key there. When gloating over a victory, when essentially preening for the Doctor, both engage in erratic acts of sadistic play (Simm gassing the whole British Cabinet as Saxon, while wearing a gas mask and giving his victims a thumbs-up; Simm clapping joyously after the Toclafane kill the fictitious American President; Simm shouting “DINNER TIME!” as he eats people’s life forces in End of Time; Simm taunting Cyberman Bill Potts; Dhawan exclaiming he’s had fun on Barton’s jet; Dhawan in a tophat shrink-killing people at a science fair in Victorian London; and so on). But for all those cases of giddy play, both primarily engage in long-cons that use ALL TOOLS at their disposal (be it Toclafane, transphobic and sexist slurs they don’t really ascribe to, mysterious alien gateways, a ship colony living under a black hole, or N*zis) with an impartial and cold indifference, entirely Machiavellian, uncaring about the fate of any collateral in the way, to reach their own personal goal. Neutral Evil.

EMOTIONAL RANGE

Simm is more steadily manic, threatening, accusatory and snide. He is always loud, outrageous, obnoxious, sanguine and optimistic, flirtatious and lusty and passionate, dynamic and charismatic. His humors are terrifying, and his furies burn “like a whole screaming world on fire” (Missy’s apt words), but they are also fairly constant, even when he plays at/pretends “insanity.” Dhawan is another story entirely, and this to me is their biggest difference aside apparent motive (below): Dhawan acts like someone with an exceptionally developed intellect, but an exceptionally under-developed emotional range. He seems capable of only three very pure emotions, which almost exist like primary colors: yellow giddiness/mania, red fury, and blue reticence/melancholy. They switch on a dime, for little apparent reason. This is what makes him more frightening than Simm, in many ways. Mid-sentence he will break from breezy small talk into screaming, roaring, snarling tirade. He is also far more physically violent than Simm: not that Simm isn’t capable of this, but more than once in a rage, Dhawan grabs, shoves, and tries to strangle the Doctor, and in those moments he seems helpless to that rage, controlled BY it (a bitter irony given his moniker). He seems to be of two minds: an almost rueful, gentle intellect, and a beast.

APPARENT MOTIVE Simm’s entire apparent motive is to be autonomous of all other beings, and free to do his own bidding. This, even at the expense of friendship, even with the Doctor, if the Doctor poses the ultimatum “change to be the type of good person I prescribe, or else.” This is the reason why he found Missy’s time in the Vault so disturbing: not that she was physically mistreated or truly trapped, but rather, that she was willing to conform to the Doctor’s highly absolutist notions of ethics, and suppress her own personality for his sake. To him, this was a profound act of self-deprivation and self-betrayal. He still struggles to find the balance between loving the Doctor and abiding by his own honor code. The fandom easily misinterprets this philosophy as “unevolved” and “selfish,” and indeed, sometimes Simm does deplorable, disgusting, unnecessarily vicious things to ensure his independence. But it is actually, on another level, a profound act of self-respect.

Dhawan on the other hand seems to have entirely disposed of the idea of autonomy. He admits and even revels in the idea that he’s doing all the horrible things he does to catch the Doctor’s attention, to preen before his lifelong best friend and crush, to obtain an equal footing with her in infamy/notoriety, because “notoriety isn’t as good as fame, but it’s heaps better than obscurity” (Neil Gaiman) and after all their canonical history of explosive romance, rapport and strife, there’s no point in feigning pride. he might as well flirt with her in the open, ask her to say his name sexually in the open, he might as well KNEEL WITH HER ON HER LEVEL in the open. There’s no need to fake not needing her anymore. Even though he strives to kill her, his life is empty without her. He remembers being Simm, and he remembers “get out of the way.” He doesn’t regret “get out of the way” or rushing into that Timelock.

In a way, Dhawan’s motive is the externalization of Simm’s unconscious motive. Every Master does what they do for the Doctor’s attention, to prove themselves worthy of the Doctor’s regard. Every Master, and Missy, is a farce on their own claim to “controlling everything,” because they can’t control their own hearts. Because their locus of control is truly external, and pivots around the Doctor’s good opinion. And that’s why they are always furious. Because they don’t understand how to get the Doctor to approve of them, without betraying themselves. Dhawan is the natural next step of Simm and Missy in that he embodies the conflict Simm and Missy had with each other in the Doctor Falls, but within ONE body.

It’s desperately sad, tbh. TREATMENT OF THE DOCTOR’S COMPANIONS Simm, more shrewdly, seems to believe that hurting the Doctor’s friends is the most efficient way to hurt the Doctor. He enjoys watching the fruits of his labors slowly unfold. Dhawan on the other hand is so impatient to get to his goal (after, in fairness, working on it many years at a time) that he would rather separate the Docto from their companions as quickly as possible. this ties in closely to the above issue of motives: Simm, though he secretly desperately misses his best friend, is more comfortable being alone, and Dhawan clings to the Doctor and wants his plans to succeed specifically to catch the Doctor’s attention. The quicker the pesky companions are eliminated, the better. The upside of this is he’s not as likely to play with his food before eating it, as Simm is. Look at the Joneses, and Bill Potts.

VULNERABILITY FACTOR Dhawan’s emotional duality also makes his vulnerability more readily apparent, more obvious, than Simm’s, but that doesn’t mean he is actually more vulnerable. Both of these Masters are particularly pariah-esque, both of them feel misunderstood by homeland and former friends. Both are exceptionally emotionally volatile. Simm, however, is far better at guising his hurt as snideness and as anger. He may be hemorrhaging inside, but he knows how to deflect that with apparent cruelty. Dhawan gives up far more quickly. He cries openly, more than once an episode; indeed he’s an “angry crier.” He sulks and broods and romantically dons the air of a jilted lover. He doesn’t care if the Doctor sees him looking pathetic. He even uses it to his advantage. Simm, contrariwise, and frequently to his own detriment, would rather die than be seen desperate ( “I’d rather die than beg you” is an actual line he speaks to the Doctor). He is far prouder.

SOCIAL SKILLS Simm’s neurodivergency is more obvious when he socializes (unless he has actively donned a disguise, like Harold Saxon or Razor, and is skillfully playing a role). Even when he is being charismatic and charming, he has difficulty turning off his eruptive energy. Dhawan is capable of completely masking his personality for impressive periods of time, and seeming entirely innocuous, even placated and serene.

WEAPONRY AND TARDIS Simm still uses his laser screwdriver. Dhawan uses his old tissue-compression weaponry. Both Masters have a Type 45 TARDIS with intense red interior lights. Simm’s TARDIS is immaculately kept, with a greenhouse full of orchids he’s grown, and a bathroom that’s also a pristine lagoon with a waterfall for showers. It also contains countless workshops and a massive Victorian-Era library. Dhawan’s TARDIS maintains its wooden house in the Victoria Desert appearance; it’s a pig sty of surprisingly mundane table lamps, messy paper stacks, desks and tables, a modest kitchen, and a transparent holo-computer inverted pyramid Console. For sentimental reasons, he hasn’t been able to change it from the appearance it held when the Doctor visited it.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION/POSITIONS

Simm is a panromantic demisexual who prefers the Power Bottom role in the bedroom. Dhawan is a panromantic bisexual who prefers to Top. Both are nonbinary, but Simm is more comfortable embracing genderfluidity (so far) than Dhawan.

APPEARANCE

Although one chooses to appear like a mid-thirties-forties blond white man, and the other like an early-thirties dark-haired brown man, both Simm and Dhawan utilize the trope of apparent innocence, boyishness, to their strategic advantage. Simm looks like a chubby-cheeked puckish little boy, and Dhawan looks like a big brown eyed puppy. Both can cover remarkable ground, and literally get away with murder, because of looking so innocuous.

#simm!master #dhawan!master #simm master #dhawan master #the master #dw #doctor who #dw spoilers #meta #headcanons

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a-splash-of-stucky · 7 years

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Operation Soulmate | Six

Pairings: Steve x Reader || Bucky x Reader || Bucky x Steve || Bucky x Nat

Summary: Life becomes a lot more complicated than it already was, if that were possible.

Warnings: Language.

Notes: For @marvelous-fvcks‘ writing challenge. Prompt: Heart. Your minds will be shook after this one.

Operation Soulmate Masterlist

It’s late when you finally pull into the garage at the compound. You’d stayed for dinner at Mia’s house, caught up with your brother-in-law Neil, then helped both of them put the kids to bed. The mundaneness of their domestic life had been a welcome reprieve from the chaos and unpredictability at the compound, and you’d let yourself get swept away in their little bubble for a while. For those few blissful hours, you’d pretended that nothing was wrong in your life.

Now, you need to return to reality.

With a tired sigh, you get out of your car — which is technically Tony’s car — and head inside, hoping that at this late hour, no one’ll be awake. You’re not really in the mood to deal with anyone right now. You’d brought a lot of your things back from your sister’s house, but you leave them in the backseat of the car to deal with in the morning, as you’e too exhausted to even think about carrying them in. All you want is a nice hot shower, followed by a long, dreamless sleep.

You swing by the kitchen to grab a glass of water before you turn in for the night. When you get there, you find Bucky sitting at the counter, silently munching on a bowl of cereal. His shaggy black hair is pulled into a messy bun, and he’s clothed in a comfortable-looking burgundy sweater and some loose sweatpants.

“Hey, Y/N,” Bucky says quietly, flashing you a brief smile. “Had a good day?”

“Y-yeah,” you stutter, mentally cursing yourself for letting him affect you so strongly. Already, you can feel the quickening of your heartbeat in your chest, the slight clamminess in your palms, and an unsettling twist in your sternum. You turn your back to Bucky as you snag a glass from the cabinet, hoping that if you don’t look at him, your system will be able to calm itself down. What is wrong with your body? It’s just Bucky, and he’s only said six words to you so far, why can’t you get a hold of yourself?

Huffing frustratedly, you use your left hand to pour yourself some water from the jug, whilst the right one clutches the counter for support. Out of the corner of your eye, you catch something sparkle brightly. Frowning, you turn to look at your hand and almost drop the jug in shock.

The Soul Stone. It’s green.

Holy crap.

Holy shit.

Holy—

Bucky is your soulmate.

Your sister’s voice rings inside your head, her words suddenly having a more profound implication.

“Some people have described it as a tugging in their heart…a lot of people experience less obvious things, like an accelerated pulse, or giddiness, or breaking out in cold sweat,”.

All of a sudden, the way your body acts when you’re around Bucky makes a whole lot more sense. He’s your soulmate — that’s why you feel giddy and nervous whenever he’s near, why your heart goes haywire and your hands go sweaty. That tugging sensation in your sternum? That’s your body trying to tell you that your soulmate is literally sitting two feet away from you!

Hundreds of thoughts flit through your head as you try to process this discovery. Millions of questions perch on the tip of your tongue, just begging to be asked. Should you tell him? It’d be so easy to turn around, shove the ring in his face and blurt out everything you know, consequences be damned. This is what your basal urges are pushing you to do, but a niggling voice in the back of your mind instructs you to bite your tongue. There are still dozens of other things to consider.

Oh god.

What about Steve? What about Natasha? The situation between them and Bucky is complicated enough as it is. Adding this factor into the mix would simply add an unnecessary layer of confusion.

Of course the universe just had to fuck things up further. It’s not like there’s enough people vying for Bucky’s attention already, right?

“Y/N?” Bucky asks, his gravelly voice snapping you out of your deep thoughts. You whip around to look at him, shoving the hand with the ring into the pocket of your hoodie so that he won’t see it. Bucky is looking at you with a concerned expression on his face. “You okay? You’re pretty quiet,”, he says.

“I’m fine,” you respond quickly. “I-I’m just tired, is all,” you squeak, flashing Bucky a wry smile.

“Huh,” he mutters, standing up to take his bowl to the sink.

“Um, I’ll just—be heading to bed now, g’night!”. And with that, you practically bolt out of the kitchen and sprint down the corridor, ignoring whatever perplexed look he might have had on his face.

When you get to your room, you slam the door shut and lean against it, panting heavily as your heart thunders inside your chest.

James Buchanan Barnes is your soulmate.

Of all seven billion people in this world, it had to be him?!

You’re not complaining, not exactly. You’re not complaining about the fact that you have a soulmate; soulmate pairs have one of the purest bonds on this earth, and it is a blessing for you to be granted one. For the universe to deem you worthy enough to experience this bond…that’s a privilege that very few are fortunate enough to have. Beyond that, not only do you have a soulmate, you’ve also found him, which, as your sister said earlier today, was a rather unlikely thing to happen.

The timing of it all is simply, rather unfortunate.

With a resigned sigh, you push yourself off the door and trudge to your bathroom, peeling off your clothes and dumping them into the laundry basket en route. You turn on the shower and step into the stream of warm water, turning your face into the spray as if hoping that it can wash away the uncertainty roiling inside your head. The steady thrum of water droplets hitting the tiled floor is the perfect soundtrack for your dissonant mind, so you close your eyes and let yourself think.

First, there is the issue of Steve.

He’s loved Bucky for so long, clinging desperately to the hope that one day, they be together as he’s always wanted. You have a feeling that this dream is one of the only things keeping his life together, pulling him through each day as the burden of being Captain America becomes increasingly oppressive. The image of Steve’s face — joyous and content — when the two of you were discussing ideas for Operation Soulmate pops into your head. It’s a memory that sends a stab of pain through your heart, as you can’t even begin to understand the agony he will be in when he discovers that Bucky is not his to have, both because of Natasha and because of you. It seems that the universe does not want those two to be together.

It’s probably for the best, you think wryly, they’d cause too much trouble, otherwise.

Can you really be the person to crush Steve’s dreams? Do you want that weighing on your conscience forever? Can you live with yourself, knowing that in order to obtain your open happiness, you sacrificed Steve’s only source of hope?

Your thoughts become even more sombre when you turn your attention to Bucky’s secret relationship with Natasha. You remember how her face had lit up when she talked about him, her voice going soft and gentle in a way you’d never heard it before. She’s your best friend. She deserves love and happiness and contentment too, after all the trials she was dragged through as a child. If she finds all that with Bucky, who are you to take that away from her?

You realise that water has started to develop a chill. A glance at your hands tells you that you’ve been standing in the shower for long enough that your fingers shrivelled up and turned prune-like. After shutting off the water, you grab your towel from off the rail, using it to pat yourself dry before wrapping it around your body. You pad over to your drawers to grab an oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts to sleep in.

The glow of the gem on your finger catches your attention again. It’s back to its calming cerulean colour, now that you’ve put some distance between yourself and Bucky. You cross to your dressing table and slide open the top drawer, rifling through the small box of jewellery you keep in there. You pull out an old necklace of yours with a thin silver chain, perfect for the purpose you have in mind.

Carefully, you remove the crystal pendant that is currently dangling on the chain and replace it with your grandmother’s ring. Once it’s been secured, you drape the necklace over your head and tuck the ring under your shirt to hide it. You want to keep the ring with you — partly because it reminds you of your grandmother, and partly because you want to be reminded of Bucky — but don’t want to wear the ring on your finger, lest people start asking what is is, or why it starts turning green whenever Bucky is near.

That’s a conversation you don’t want to have anytime soon.

Once you’ve adjusted the chain to the correct length, you head to your bed, collapsing on top of it with a groan. In the darkness, your mind begins to think about Bucky. He’s the uniting force in all of this, the person who everyone seems to be fighting over, whether they are conscious of this or not.

Do you even want to be with him?

You don’t know if you love Bucky. When you were Steve’s girlfriend, you obviously cared for Bucky’s wellbeing, mostly because when Bucky had a good day, Steve was in a good mood. You wrack your brain, trying to analyse your feelings for this man. You’ve have limited interaction with him in the last couple of years, but on the rare moments where Bucky smiled at you — properly smiled at you, with his nose scrunched up and everything — you recall a slight flutter in your chest. You remember the first time he laughed at one of your jokes, and the way your heart had done a somersault in response.

At the time, you thought nothing of your body’s reaction, because you were with Steve. You simply pegged those responses as a sense of triumph, your reaction at being able to coax Bucky from out of his shell. Now, you’re beginning to wonder if you’ve been subconsciously in love with him all this time.

You wonder if Bucky feels the same whenever you’re near. Does his heart race? Does he get flustered too? He doesn’t show it, that’s for certain, but then again, you tend to be too focused on not making a fool of yourself to really take note of how he acts around you. You remember what Mia said about auras being altered by medication and the presence of other romantic relationships. You know that Bucky has been prescribed various drugs by his doctors to help cope with his depression and mood swings and, though you’re not entirely sure how he feels about Nat, he is most definitely in a relationship with her. You’re also willing to bet that extensive brainwashing has taken its toll on his energy. Maybe these factors have weakened his aura’s attraction towards you.

It’s probably be a good idea to talk to Mia about this, you muse.

But oh, how cruel the universe is. Just hours ago, you were thinking how nice it would be to know who your soulmate is. Now, that question has been answered with an ironic twist, the universe pairing you with the one person you can’t have. Bucky is your forbidden fruit. Being unable to love him, despite him being so tantalisingly close is a fact that will torment your every day.

Technically, there’s nothing stopping you two from being together.

You could tell Steve and Natasha the truth about you and Bucky. Surely, if they cared about you enough, they’d let you be with him. Even if Steve doesn’t believe in soulmates, you know that he will appreciate the rarity of this circumstance, and allow you to be together, if you should so wish. But that goes back to the question: are you willing to let your friends suffer, whilst you live out the rest of your life with the person you’re meant to be with?

Oh hell, you’re more confused than you’ve ever been. Can life get anymore complicated?

A gentle knock on your door breaks you out of your reverie. You lift your head up to see Steve come in, a small smile on his lips. “Hey,” he whispers, coming to lie down next to you on the bed. “FRIDAY told me that you went to see your sister today, how was that?”

“Good,” your murmur, somehow miraculously pulling your face into a smile, so as to disguise the emotional turmoil raging inside you.

“Can I talk to you, or is this a bad time?” Steve asks, lazily running his finger down your arm.

“You can always talk to me, Stevie,” you reply.

“Okay. So, I know you told me to lay off Bucky for a while, but guess what? He came to me today!” Steve says excitedly, grinning so hard you think that his cheeks might split.

“Really?” you ask, a more genuine smile creeping onto your features as Steve’s elatedness rubs off on you. Internally though, you’re wincing. Would Natasha wonder if you’d broken your word and helped Steve set up another outing with Bucky?

“Yeah! Can you believe it?” Steve asks, hand now gesturing enthusiastically, “He wanted to go to the Natural History Museum with — hey, are you okay?”

“Huh?” you say dumbly, eyes flicking up to meet his face. Steve rolls onto his side to look at you, concern causing lines to appear on his brow. Maybe your expression let on more than you wanted it to.

“Y/N?” he murmurs, tenderly stroking the back of his hand over your cheek, “You okay? You want me to go so you can sleep? We can talk in the morning,”.

It’d be so easy to say yes. But then, you remember how happy he looked telling you about Bucky, how his eyes had glimmered with warmth and his face had taken on a soft glow. Are you willing to forsake your own fairytale ending, in the hope that at least one of your friends can find theirs?

The answer comes with ease.

“Let’s talk, Steve. Tell me all about it,”.

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