Betelgeuse IV was certainly an... interesting place to get stranded. The Doctor wasn't around and for some ridiculously stupid reason couldn't be contacted at the moment (probably bickering with the TARDIS over something trivial,) she didn't have enough credits on her for a shuttle ride, and the university sponsoring her dig on the next planet had backed out without a word of warning. The time ring on her finger, her last resort, was also out of commission because a rather enthusiastically violent temporal storm fried it. Suffice it to say, today was a mess.
So instead of leaving, going somewhere where she could make some quick cash or bribe somebody with a favour, the next logical step of the plan for Professor Bernice Summerfield... was to get drunk. Very drunk. So drunk she might just pass out long enough to be carted off to an emergency medical station, and BAM!- free ride.
The problem with being intoxicated, however, was that no matter how well one indeed might hold their liquor- inevitably they'd end up doing something stupid. And she did plenty of very stupid things on the regular, regardless of the amount of alcohol in her system. So, of course she herself didn't really consider it a problem.
This particular East-end spaceport bar was grimy, filled with people who might get stabby at one wrong move, and others with obvious malintent to various impressively troubling degrees. Just generally all the kinds of unpleasantness that came with being the slums of a largely prosperous world. But it was cheap, and Benny was getting her money's worth, drowning her sorrows without another thought. In a daze, she realized she was nearly out of money. Had somebody pick-pocketed her? Quite possibly. She didn't know anything for sure right now.
But her dulled thoughts were swiftly interrupted as a familiar figure stepped in, with an aura of power and grace that made the whole bar fall quiet. He was tall, relaxed, and smirking. Short reddish hair, dark clothes and a gloved hand dramatically up to his face, he took long strides. Pretty much everyone not close to fainting moved out of his way without a single word. Nonchalantly, and without a second glance, he sat on the stool right next to Bernice.
She didn't budge. In too much of a stupor to really care, Benny called for another beer, while the mystery man watched on in mild amusement.
After she'd sat there ignoring him for some time, somewhat in annoyance but still with impeccable politeness, he announced himself, "It's truly a remarkable coincidence to meet you again, Bernice. As if fate itself aligned."
"Cr-cruk off," she grumbled at the interruption, throwing him a rude gesture, before finally focusing on him hard enough to get a good look. It dawned on her, Benny did indeed recognize him. "The hell? Y-you're..."
An evil glint in his eye sparkled at her words. "Yes, I am..."
"Th- the shop as'stant! I 'member you..." she nodded and smiled, completely sure of herself.
He pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "You're not entirely wrong, I was the manager, but Professor Summerfield, I believe you may have left your faculties elsewhere."
"Oi! Course I did! No fac'lties! Donn havf my crew now... all bailed." her smile turned to a frown, as things started piecing themself together. "...Who are you 'gain?"
"I'm afraid you're a bit off track." He paused, waiting for the perfect moment. "Dear Bernice, I am the Master."
"Oh." She seemed almost disappointed. "Tha' it?"
Rolling his eyes and crossing his arms, he whined, "You did ruin my dramatic reveal. I even shot a few people to make everyone else run like mice and everything. If it wasn't fun I'd have considered it quite the wasted effort. I thought you'd be more excited to see your old friend, given that you thought I was sent back to the remains of my old, dead universe..."
"Yeahhh- how diiiid you get out?" she slurred.
"Finally asking the interesti-" but he was cut off by something.
Benny's holowatch was buzzing. Very, very loudly. The Master attempted to speak over it, but to no avail. While she could barely even read it in this state, he glanced over her shoulder to take a peek. One of the communication channels the Doctor had set it up with had evidently gotten a bit busy.
"Y'know," she stated before hiccuping, speaking into the communicator as it attempted to decipher her rambling. "I alway wonderrred wat'd happen if I drank wit someone like the Massster."
There were a couple of small responses, ones she didn't even actually register.
He rolled his eyes. "I am sitting right beside you, Bernice. Barman, that red over there!" he pointed to one of the racks of wine.
Benny nodded to answer them though, as if that actually meant anything to text-based communication.
"Goodg- 'cause 'm allreaddyy shitfaced. Better what's happen to evrybody I looove. Y'know. Death..." she slurred.
The Master took her free hand, both in what almost resembled sympathy, and definite self-interest. Anyone who'd approached Benny before was gone as soon as that simple gesture was made. Except for the bartender pouring two glasses of wine, who he was happily paying to stay around before they'd need to be disposed of.
Her watch vibrated even louder than before, despite there being only one new message, suggesting it got pushed. 'You've been drinking with WHO?!'
'The Masssterrr- can't you read?" she snorted.
Things made a lot more sense when she realized who sent it though. A little insignia Benny knew all too well, despite the overly fancy script being practically illegible at this point. Irving Braxiatel. The Master was almost impressed at his reaction speed to discovering a friend was with him. Almost.
'Drinking with the Master- what were you thinking?' Brax sent back.
He seemed almost offended, "Well, if I do say so, I think I'm rather the conversationalist-" but his voice was filtered out by the holowatch as an unrecognized user. Benny's disinterest in him, as opposed to the communicator, was beginning to get tiresome, so he tapped his cold fingers on her hand and offered a glass of the wine.
Her eyes lit up at the free wine, and as if her judgement wasn't already poor enough, she answered back, "dunnO.. he just waLked in, y'know? That sorta thing. And I've dun it b'fore! Timlords thiNk im sooooo sexy."
While he had attempted to seduce her in the past for his own gain, and this likely wasn't wrong, it still got a chuckle out of him- before he saw Braxiatel's answer.
'He thinks you're WHAT?! If he's laid a single hand on you, I swear, I will take him apart piece by piece while he's still breathing-' he threatened.
"Nah. Jus showed up. i'M gonna snog him." She smiled and blushed drunkenly, before turning and going to look at him.
All that came through was:
'DO NOT.'
At this, he wasn't quite sure what to think. The admittedly quite clever human liked him in this state at the very least, that was certainly a plus. Though he hadn't yet been acquainted with this universe's Braxiatel, and wasn't entirely sure if it was a better call to keep taunting for his desired contact with the Doctor or simply to leave. Since what he'd known of the other one... she certainly hadn't been a woman to mess with either. Those threats certainly weren't empty. Or as she'd have put them- promises.
"Oh shut up. If I coud score levels of fUN you'd be negtive, Irving," she mocked.
His disappointment was obvious. 'The Master is not fun, Bernice, he's a dangerous psychopath. 'Where are you? I'm coming to get you.'
That was where the Master, unbeknownst to Bernice, got up and walked away without another word. No Braxiatel would be having his head tonight, and that was final. But her argument was still ongoing. She would get to do what she wanted under the influence, no matter how idiotic. "I dated a dalek once. Shagged the doctor tWICE. I can HanDLE it!" she shouted for everyone still left in the bar to hear, slamming her fist against the countertop.
'I don't need to hear about any of this... I'm coming to help you make good life choices for once. Benny, don't go anywhere. If he's still there when I arrive, well- let's just say that he won't be for much longer.'
"I've beeen stuck on a plant though. Place. Thing. Betelgeuse IV. Can't get off. Would't mind a lift." While this certainly wasn't the way she intended on getting home, it was still working. So despite her argumentative side rearing its ugly head at this hour, Benny managed to give in to sense for once.
'Close enough, I'll be there in less than a minute.'
"Fine. Twooo more shots an i'LL finissssh..." She then gagged, producing a very garbled message on the speech-to-text, which he interpreted correctly impressively fast.
'If you throw up in my TARDIS, Bernice- I'll leave you on the mansionhouse roof.'
Very briefly, she fell asleep- but as one would expect, it wasn't easy to peacefully black out with a TARDIS materialization occurring only less than ten feet away.
Dramatically, it came into being. Engines roared in a crescendo of squawking and screeching, before it finally stopped, and there was one more- albeit much cleaner and nicer, red booth along the walls than before. A man stepped out of the obvious booth-that-wasn't-a-booth.
This man was tall himself- though technically the exact same height as the man who fled, but in his eyes infinitely more handsome- was made up in such a way that could not be less like anyone who was actually supposed to be here. Appearing roughly middle-aged, with dark greyish hair accented by a few lighter streaks, striking and stormy grey-blue eyes, and a perfectly tailored suit, he wouldn't look out of place in a mansion.
Which couldn't possibly have been more true, because Irving Braxiatel lived in one. That was also a museum. On a private asteroid. And one of the seven-thousand wonders of the universe.
Ignoring the thuggery that was slowly returning without the presence of the Master, he turned to Bernice, who was huddled by a pile of used drinks glasses, nursing her head. He looked down at her with a pitiful scowl.
"Really needed ta land right when I was gettin a headache? Oof- y'know my life was gooood, wonce," she groaned.
He spoke. "You'll thank me later, Bernice. Your life is still a good one. And it will be even better when you're sleeping this off in your own bed."
She honestly wasn't quite sure what he meant by that. She had several beds, in several places, in several centuries. That didn't exactly clear things up. The logical conclusion was one of her places of residence in the Braxiatel Collection, but Benny was by no means logical-minded at the current moment. She didn't contest this however, because Benny was also... practically asleep.
"fINE. G'night, Brax. ngggggghhhh-" she trailed off.
"Don't fall asleep now, I'm not carrying you all the way back to your flat- ugh..." he grumbled.
But she was already fast asleep.
Staring up in disgust, reluctantly Braxiatel picked the unconscious woman up in both hands, her limp arms and heftier physique than met the eye making it all the more challenging. He groaned, before getting inside the booth-that-wasn't-a-booth. The gleaming white light of a large, spacious console room was somehow crammed inside it. He tutted at the sleeping Bernice in his arms. "For Rassilon's sake- Benny, if you vomit on my shoes..."
"Wha-?" she yawned, eyes fluttering. "Where'm I?" Benny murmured.
He rolled his eyes. "Are you alive enough to get in the bed yourself?"
Evidently, she'd missed the threat he'd made earlier, because the only answer he got to the question was her, indeed, vomiting on his shoes. Before immediately passing out again. If this was anyone else at all, not only would he have never come in the first place, but he'd probably have sued them for it instead, if only to be petty.
"It would be so easy just to smother you with a pillow right now..." he snarked.
But, despite what he said, and the mess she'd made in the console room, he continued walking a few corridors back to a bedroom- one that was not coincidentally just like the one she had on the Doctor's own TARDIS, before placing Bernice in the bed, tucking her in with a soft kiss on the forehead, and returning with a plastic bucket. Braxiatel, irritated but fond, gave Bernice one last glance before he flicked off the light and shut the door. There was still a mess to clean up.
And something waiting in Benny's hand. Just waiting.