Drabble: Stop the Drums

[glory_jean]

Title: Stop the Drums
Character/Pairing: Ten, The Master
Setting: During TLotTL
Rating: PG
Summary: He can't stop the drums. Drabble
Beta bananasandroses
Disclaimer: Based on characters owned and created by BBC, used without permission
Author's Notes: big *HUGS* to bananasandroses for turning a mess into a drabble. :D


“Stop the drums,” his old friend begs.

But he can’t. He can only pity him, keeping his knowledge to himself. He knows that cadence well, after all; has heard it often: when he’s faced enemies; when he ran from the Untempered Schism; along with the sound of blood rushing in his ears, that day in a white room so long ago.

He would laugh at the irony of his adversary’s using it to control the Earth, but there’s nothing to laugh at.

For he cannot stop the drums; no-one could. How can you out-run your own beating hearts?

Comments

[np-complete.livejournal.com]

This makes perfect sense.

[glory_jean]

Thank you!

My first thought upon hearing that tap, tap, tap, tap was Time Lord heart beat. I was surprised more people didn't jump on that.

[catyuy.livejournal.com]

Poor Master.
His own heartbeat drove him insane.

[glory_jean]

Yup. :(

Thanks for reading! :D

[asahifirsa.livejournal.com]

Oh that's really intriguing!

[glory_jean]

Thank you! :D

[nightrider101.livejournal.com]

Fascinating.

I enjoy reading stories about the cause behind the drums. Great job!

[glory_jean]

Thank you! :D

[lindenharp.livejournal.com]

I didn't see the end coming. Very well crafted.

[glory_jean]

Thanks! :)

[charamei.livejournal.com]

Ooh. Nice idea, well executed. You're right; for some reason it's not seen very often.


Personally, I tend to put it the other way around - the Master beats his hearts in that rhythm because it's stuck in his head - but that's because I think the drumbeat is the Doctor Who theme tune (and I can tl;dr about the implications of that for hours). It's less obvious with the remixed new theme, but in older episodes...

...okay, I'm gonna stop being incredibly geeky now. I liked your drabble, that was the point :D

[glory_jean]

Thanks, I'm so glad you liked it. :D


I think the drumbeat is the Doctor Who theme tune

Ooh! Of course, why didn't I notice that? Now I can fanon it that the theme song beat is based on a double heart-beat. ;-) Seriously though, that's an interesting observation. Thanks for mentioning it. :D

[charamei.livejournal.com]

Now I can fanon it that the theme song beat is based on a double heart-beat. ;-)

Exactly! And it's clearly the Doctor's heartsbeat, which would make the rest of the theme his telepathic signature, thus solving the problem of how Time Lord telepathy works.

Also this means the Master took over the world using Doctor Who, which is hilariously awesome.

...I haven't put too much thought into this. Honest ;)

[glory_jean]

Hehe! I like this theory. :D