Return to Sender? [Dark Lord/Open!]

[The Guitarist]

"Blessed be Providence which has given to each his toy: the doll to the child, the child to the woman, the woman to the man, the man to the devil! ~ Victor Hugo"

It was a late Sunday night in the city. The digital clock on the nearby skyscraper hit 10:57pm, quietly making it's way toward a new day.
The park was still and silent, only a few souls left to make their way through it.

One soul had decided to take a break. He sat on one of the benches, a hard guitar case resting on the ground next to him. Letting out a long sigh, the young man looked up to the sky. His blue eyes stared at the stars, his hand taking away a wisp of brown hair from his view. Thin shoulder length brown hair was tucked behind his ear, the ends starting to flick out a little bit. A light beard and mustache of matching color lay on the mans face, hiding a small frown. He looked tired, like he'd been bashed up a little. His nose told the same story, a slightly crooked angle hitting the light. He muttered quietly,
"Today went so badly.... time to go home."
He then leaned forward and rubbed his eyes, turning to look to his left.

A woman, sitting 100 meters away, got up and walked away. Her long cream jacket and high heeled shoes vanished quickly, the lady diving down a marked path hidden behind a thick hedge. Christopher watched her leave, only to look back to the bench and see something sitting there.

Picking up his guitar case, he wandered over to the bench the woman was sitting at. Looking down, he saw what she had left by accident. He reached out and picked it up, a small smile on his face.

It was a small felt doll, sewed in a cookie cutter gingerbread man shape. Christopher could help but smile it at it. It looked like something he used to have when he was a kid, a comforter of sorts. The little doll had a cute black shirt on, with matching dark denim jeans. The tiny buttons on the shirt glistened in the streetlight. The doll had miniature black leather pointed shoes on and he couldn't help but stroke them. They were real leather- someone had really made an effort. He took in the teeny face, it had a tiny ginger beard and matching hair, in a left parting. The aqua blue eyes had horn rimmed glasses on, the frames made from felt. The doll also had white stitches and lines on the material where the arms were... taking the top button of the toy's shirt down revealed the same. That struck him as peculiar- why would someone do that to a doll?

As it came back to him that the lady might want the doll back, Christopher sprinted in the direction she had left in. He ran to the path she'd taken, calling out as he went. By the time he got there, it was too late. She had vanished...

Chris stood with the guitar case in one hand and the toy in the other. As he contemplated his next moves, he felt something in the air change. It became darker, a little more sinister. He could swear that the air got colder.
His eye wandered down to the doll in his hand. Giving it a tentative stare, it seemed slightly different. Not in appearance, but in feel. The stuffing didn't seem so soft now. It was strange.
"I'll give you to the lost property office tomorrow... she'll probably come back for you."
With that, he put the toy in his inside jacket pocket. He walked down the path to the exit and out onto the main street, trying to make his way home for the night.

(OOC: Hope you can continue from this.)

[The Second Doctor]

(OOC: I can do something. )

The Dark Lord stepped into the park, his Sonic Screwdriver tip touching his lips thoughtfully. He noted his surroundings, the creaking of a swing in motion, leaves blowing against the concrete and...crunch. Someone stepping on leaves. Target found.

His pace sped up and his hand drifted into his jacket. He pulled out a pistol, not seen on earth for another century. The woman was a nostrovite, who had been causing trouble in this town for the past week. Alec wasn't a hitman, he wasn't a killer, but... Nostrovites were so fun.

Alec hurried across the pavement, his adrenaline pumping as he spotted the target. He stopped short, pulled the top back of the gun before shoving it forward, and firing twelve shots...

Four bullets tore the alien's back and shoulders. The rest hit her legs minus one, which caught her elbow. Down and near-death, but not quite stone-dead. He reloaded, and went in for the kill, hardly noticing the other being in the park...

[The Guitarist]

The Nostrovite woman speed-walked through the park, not noticing the man who was shooting at her until she felt the bullet. Admittedly, she wasn't that clever...

Feeling the four bullets tear into her back and shoulders, she let out a yelp of pain, Then she felt her knees buckle as bullets pierced through her legs. Crawling into the nearest shaded spot, she clutched her wounds, blood running through her fingers.
Raising her other hand inside her pocket, she tossed out a piece of paper onto the side walk. Her hand then went to her bleeding elbow, dripping into the note. She made sure to do her best to smear the paper red. No-one could know what it said. She wasn't even 100% sure of the contents herself, the complex circle designs were hard to translate accurately, but it was a letter of some sort. A cross between a warning and a love letter, at least, she thought so.
Trying to hide as best she could, she waited to see if another bullet would come her way. She muttered, to herself,
"I shouldn't have stolen you... you have no mercy..."
She rasped heavily, her assassin could probably hear her.

~*~

Just a minute or so after he had left, Christopher heard shots being fired from inside the park.

He froze on the sidewalk. A shiver ran down his spine. His hands suddenly went clammy and his face went white. He had lived here for a few years, had seen shooting stories on the news but had never actually heard one. It was terrifying. He didn't even dare to turn around. His basic instincts kicked in. Flight.

As soon as he could muster the courage to break the horror of his paralysis, he ran. As fast as he could. He sprinted most of the way home, quickly diving into his apartment building. He was so scared, the sweat streamed off of him and made everything he was wearing damp. He tore up the stairs, fumbling nervously for the keys in his pockets. As soon as he found them, he unlocked, shoved through the door and into the flat, tossing his guitar case in front of him. Locking the door behind him then leaning on it, he caught his breath and tried not to be frightened anymore.

He cast his eyes around the apartment, the bright light of the TV taking his attention. A figure sat on the sofa watching the radiant lights and as the show went on, a little laugh was let out. It was feminine and he smelt cigarette smoke in the air. Breathing it in, he saw the figure puff out some more, before taking a drink. A leather jacket was draped over the back of the sofa on her right and he noticed her heels on the left.
She was home. She spoke,
"Hey. You alright?"
He hovered by the door, a little unsure of moving. As soon as he smelt the smoke again, he hobbled over to meet her at the sofa. He still was shaking. His voice was wobbly,
"No...Ami..."
She stopped watching the TV, turning to him and stubbing out her cigarette. She watched him wobble his way over, got up and guided him over to her seat. Sitting him down, she touched his neck and felt his pulse,
"What the heck happened?! You're soaked. Your pulse is way too fast too... sit there."
She went to the kitchen and came back seconds later with a large cup of water. Giving it to him, he sipped it, still panting. Ami tied his hair back and coaxed some information out of Christopher.
"Shots...at the park... gun shots...."
She kept calm and replied.
"Do the cops know?"
He shook his head, sipping the cup of water. She immediately picked up the phone, dialing the police. Ami gave them all the details she had of the event; the time, an approximate number of shots and the entrance he'd been at. It was in their hands now.

Going back to her terrified roommate, she watched his eyes. The deep blue had never looked so frightened before. She took his free hand and made him stand up. She was being surprisingly gentle.
"It's okay now. Come on, you need to go to bed..."
Leading him to his bedroom, Ami smiled and put him in. Before she left, she asked,
"Give me your clothes when you're done. I'll wash them. Just get some sleep and keep drinking. Talk to you in the morning."
Ami left the room and went to the bathroom, a little shaken herself. The shooting was a little too close to home. It made her a bit worried. Taking a drink from the sink herself, she then wandered back to a pile of clothes and a shut door. She picked them up.

Everything was soaked. He'd really got spooked. Checking all his pockets, she found a few things that couldn't go through the wash. Most noticeably, she found a little doll in his pocket. A cute red-head, a real work of art. It wasn't damp and she was fascinated by it, a childlike love coming over her. Ami hadn't had a toy like that since she was a baby girl. Taking Chris's clothes and putting them in the washer for the morning, she took the little toy with her as she put off the TV and went to bed herself.

She placed it on her chest of drawers as she finally settled to sleep. Her bathroom was an en suite and after she'd got changed, brushed her hair, she smiled at the doll and stroked it's own felt hair. She even cleaned his button eyes. Speaking to it, she couldn't help but wonder,
"Wonder why Christopher brought you home... I'll ask him in the morning. Night."
She went to her bed and turned the light off, ready for a good night's sleep.
At least, she thought so.

[The Second Doctor]

The Dark Lord closed in to the Nostrovite, who had crawled into the shadows. He pointed the gun directly at her head as she smeared a piece of paper. He cared not of what it said.

"I shouldn't have stolen you... you have no mercy..."

"You think?" he snapped.

Alec lowered the gun slightly.
"Tell me where the Vortex Manipulator is, and I'll consider letting you off... this once." he lied.

Of course, he would kill her anyways. But he did need that Manipulator...it was borrowed. A replacement wouldn't do, because the particular person could tell...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched a man run off, probably going to call the police. Alec didn't need a witness, especially if he had seen his Tardis. After he was done with this woman, he would need to track down the man.

[The Guitarist]

The woman watched the gun hover next to her head. She couldn't help but be frightened. she noticed he took no interest in the paper. she could only count that as a blessing... Her eyes went to it for a second, reading what she could of the letters left white,
"...do not separate us..."
The nostrovite woman's attention then went to the man with the gun. he said,
"You think?"

She gave him a quizzical glance before replying.
"You are strange... you must be his messenger... to send someone so like himself...he is so cruel..."
The man then lowered the gun a little, asking,
"Tell me where the Vortex Manipulator is, and I'll consider letting you off... this once."
Her eyes widened a little. This man was a traveler too, his knowledge extended way beyond what she had expected. She paused: he didn't seem human and this confirmed it. He was not human, he was too clever.

She did not have what he was looking for. She used to. Her tormentor, he had tricked her into destroying it, for his own gain. The monster had only gotten stronger and taken a much stronger physical form. He was not quite alive but he could taunt the living. He had taunted her for weeks. Even though she had dumped him, he was not easy to loose. He had sent his messenger, in the form of the man in front of her with the gun.

She stumbled over her words.
"I do -do not- have it anymore, it is gone and destroyed- why did he send you with that question?! He knows the answer, he made me do it!"
She started to panic.
"He is playing with me, thats it! He's just toying with me. He is a sick man, you will kill me, on his behalf. I don't want to die, I'm sorry for stealing him from her, I should not have done it... Tell him I'm sorry!"
She started to try and move away. Her instinct was to run, as fast as she could. But she couldn't move.

~*~
In the apartment...

Ami (Ah-mee) stared at her bedroom ceiling. Cozied up under her duvet, she couldn't understand why she wasn't sleeping yet. She was definitely tired but she couldn't stop tossing and turning. Nothing should have kept her up: she'd done all the chores, booked her taxi to work, taken her pills for the night and had a smoke. But she just couldn't settle properly.

She thought to herself, staring at the dark. Maybe it was Christopher. Maybe she couldn't sleep after seeing him in such a bad way. Maybe she was in shock herself. Maybe it was her pills. Maybe the heating was up too high. Maybe it was that scary film on TV she'd watched. Maybe it was because her boyfriend hadn't wished her goodnight via text, like he did every night...

Whatever it was, she was fed up of it. Turning the bedside light on, she got up and wandered over to the little doll Christopher had brought home. Taking it from the surface, she gave it a quick hug. A doll might help her to get to sleep, the same way it had worked when she was a kid. Holding it in the hug, Ami went back to her bed and turned the light off, trying to settle again. She eventually did, leaning and cuddling the doll. As she drifted off into slumber, she heard a voice speak right into her ear. She could even feel the warm breath on her lobe.
"I'm not used to strange women sleeping with me."
Wakening with a start, Ami turned the light on and looked around the room feverishly. Momentarily paranoid, she panicked. A second later, she realized nothing was there and dismissed it as a strange nightmare.

Crawling back under the covers, she held the doll and tried to sleep, completely unaware of the man who had a price on her roommates head.

[The Second Doctor]

The alien gave him a questioning look.

"You are strange... you must be his messenger... to send someone so like himself...he is so cruel..."

He raised an eyebrow. The Master had given him the Manipulator... Maybe the women had some alien controlling her for his own gain.
"Look, just tell where you hid it." he snapped.

She seemed nervous, which wasn't a shocker, considering he had re-aimed the gun at her forehead. He grew tired of her mumbling. It wasn't like he needed her alive... He could track down the Manipulator himself.

"I do -do not- have it anymore, it is gone and destroyed- why did he send you with that question?! He knows the answer, he made me do it!"

"Well I don't know who 'he' is, but if you give me his number, I'm he'd get a lot of pleasure if he saw your dead corpse lying in the park..."

She seemed very frightened, which was slightly gratifying. Resistance was always so...painful. For the other person.

"He is playing with me, thats it! He's just toying with me. He is a sick man, you will kill me, on his behalf. I don't want to die, I'm sorry for stealing him from her, I should not have done it... Tell him I'm sorry!"

Alec sighed.
"What?" he scrunched in his eyebrows, "First of all, you're going to show me where he is."

He slowly lowered the gun.
"Then 'he' can decide your fate."

The Dark Lord grinned. Whoever this was sounding like a nasty guy. The mess would be great...

He offered a hand. It wasn't a sign of kindness, or even indefinite neutrality. His cold glare made that certain. It was either this or he dragged her off...by the hair.

The Timelord would take her to the Tardis, lock her up, find the man, kill and/or lock him up, find the monster, get his Manipulato back, kill both the Nostrivite and the man, somehow bring another Manipulator to the Master, and he was off the hook. Yippee.

[The Guitarist]

The Nostrovite woman tried to scuttle further away from the man. Her eye widened and she cried out more as he raised his pistol at her again. He said that whoever she was talking about would love to have seen her dead. She gushed,
"He would love to see me dead, yes, you are very right. You-"

The man pointing the gun lowered it and scrunched his eyebrows up at her He seemed confused. If he was truly a messenger, he would have understood every word of what she had said. This man did not. He had no knowledge of who or what she was talking about...

She paused as he told her she'd have to find him. That way, her tormentor could decide her fate. She already knew his decision but her fate looked sealed either way. This man would no doubt kill her, either way. His cold glare told her all she needed to know.

Taking his offered hand, she got up, grabbed the bloody bit of paper and stuffed it in her pocket and limped in the opposite direction. Steadying herself on anything she could; hedges, bins and street lamps, she lead him back the way she came.
"I left him on a bench... he is only small..."
Through small, terrified breaths, she muttered as she walked.
"He is tiny but has so much power... it's is like a mouse who has learned to roar like a lion."
She couldn't move all that fast.

~*~
Back at the flat...

Ami lay quietly under her covers, clutching them tightly. She'd tossed and turned so much that she'd wrapped herself up in a little cocoon. She always did that. In another hand was that little doll. Her finger was under it's little button shirt, her nail lifting the fabric.

She tossed and turned a little more, starting to dream. It was very vivid.
She was standing just outside her bedroom doom, facing the living room. It was late at night. The moonlight was pouring through the open balcony, creating dark menacing shadows of the furniture. Ami stared across the space at tall figure in the moon's path.

It was much taller than Christopher, much more muscular too. The figure looked out onto the city, his hair illuminated by the moon's white light. It was a bright orange with matching stubble. Both were an unnaturally bright orange, she'd only seen hair dyed that color before. She took in it's arms; muscular, hairy and covered in white scars, that shone in the bright moonlight. It was then, she noticed. It's shirt wasn't buttoned up at the front...

She watched it dig in it's pants pockets and bring out a packet. Taking a thin stick in it's fingers, it turned it's head to the left. Lighting it up, it watched it glow and start to burn. Taking a deep breath in, the yellow plastic lighter in it's hand was clutched tightly. Breathing out a small dark cloud, the lighter was struck and then tossed behind him.
The fluid flew out and lit, mid-air. Flames landed on the sofa and started to burn. The figure took no notice. She wanted to scream and run- but it was not to be so.

Instead, the flames spread, The figure snickered, continuing to enjoy his lit delight. It turned it's head again, illuminating it's face in the light. His yellowing teeth were animal-like and his eyes were murderous. She was scared.

A second later, she was right next to it. It had her in it's arms, holding her close to him. She tried to back away, but instead, it's face drew nearer. There was something horribly inhuman about this thing. Gripping her even closer, he held the lit stick in one hand and her in the other. The flames behind them radiated and ripped through the building. It grinned, licking it's lips slightly.
"Oh, you are much too pretty for that idiot in the other room. Look at you..."
It forced her right against it's chest. It was that same voice from before.
"But, you should take these horrible things out. Disgusting."
It signaled to her facial piercings, shaking his head. She felt them being ripped out and she wanted to cry in pain. It snickered, as the flames lapped up near to them.
"Tell me, is is still good to be alive?"
She gave a grunt of a reply. He scowled, glaring at her.
"Is that so? How about now?"
He stubbed out the lit stick in her eye, hauled her up off the ground and tossed her over the balcony. She started to fall, screaming.
"We'll talk more in the morning."

She awoke with a huge start, tossing her sheets off. The duvet flew to the bottom of the bed. Cold sweat poured off of her as she gasped for breath. These nightmares were getting bad. She didn't think she'd screamed aloud- no sounds of movement from next door confirmed that. Sitting up properly, she rubbed her eyes and head. That medication was really messing with her- it could only be that. Turning back, she noticed the little doll's shirt was open. The buttons had become undone somehow.

She went to pick it up, only to drop it. It looked like the figure in the dream- except, it was only a doll. It was just a doll and it was just a dream. Ami knew she was over thinking this. Fastening the buttons back up, she placed it back on her pillow.

Getting up, she checked her clock. Leaving the room to go and get a drink of water, she put her dressing gown on and closed the door behind her...

[The Second Doctor]

"He would love to see me dead, yes, you are very right. You-"

The Nostrovite paused as he said his words, then took his hand and led him through the park. He made a silent note to read whatever was on that paper when she was dead. As he began realizing that she might've been stalling, she spoke.

"I left him on a bench... he is only small..."

As a Timelord, Alec's mind raced through calculations and angles considered before reaching a conclusion.
"So... Whoever 'he' is must be a spirit trapped in an inanimate form, only to come alive in your....mind?" he asked

That thought lead to another revelation. If this thing had a small, physical form, then the only reason it couldn't be found was...the man. He must've taken it. So he had to find the man, to find it, but he had to track it, to find the man, to find it. It sounded better in his head.

"He is tiny but has so much power... it's is like a mouse who has learned to roar like a lion."

Alec fiddled with his sonic screwdriver, picking up all alien signals. Him, the Nostrovite, and...something else. It was stronger. He was sure this was 'it.'
Mouse who has learned to roar like a lion.

That could mean loads of things. A fellow Nostrovite, small, shape-shifting into something larger... His thoughts were interrupted by the signal spiking up.
"Got 'em." seizing the woman by the arm, he started walking towards the signal, getting ever closer. Walking across the street, it might've looked strange for a man to be dragging a near-dead woman. Luckily none were out.

The found themselves at a few apartment complexes, continuing to track the signal. As the sound of Alec's feet hitting the pavement rang out, so did his sonic screwdriver, ever getting close to it. He prided himself on how easy he thought this would be, finding the apartment where the signal was the strongest.

He tried the door. Locked, of course. Shutting off the signal, he unlocked it with ease.
"How many ways can he kill a person?" he asked before opening the door.

[The Guitarist]

The Nostrovite woman led him through the park, leading him back to the bench she'd left earlier. Her wounds were getting very sore, she was starting to limp slightly. As she hobbled to end of the path and over to the bench, her eye's widened as the seat was empty.
He was gone. Someone had been foolish enough to pick him up. She heard the threatening man's words...
"So... Whoever 'he' is must be a spirit trapped in an inanimate form, only to come alive in your....mind?"
She turned to him, jacket swishing in the wind. A surprised expression on her face, she nodded.
"You are almost fully right... he has more potential than you give him. He feeds from negative energy- I have said too much! He is lost already..."

She fell into confusion as the man brought out a small tool of sorts. It's tip glowed a deep purple and shone brightly in the dim light of the park. He hovered with it, until the signal spiked. He then grabbed her by the arm and hauled her around.
"Got 'em."
She had no idea where he was hauling her. Being lead out of the park, onto the street and a few blocks away, her blood left a trail. Her head was gradually getting lighter and it got worse. The stairs up to the apartment building, to the door, were almost like hell.

When her captor finally got to the door, he unlocked it. Why they were even there confused her. How he managed to unlock it made it even more curious- she didn't want to be involved in any real crime! Before entering, it seemed he had more questions.
"How many ways can he kill a person?"
She looked at her sides and down at the floor. She didn't honestly know every-way. The bloodied letter in her pocket had told of one. She couldn't figure out the rest of it... She muttered.
"Persuasion."
She couldn't say anymore as she simply didn't know how he worked. That was all the letter had said that she could understand- persuasion.

~*~
Inside the flat...
Amelia stood in the kitchen, hands on the sink. Turning the chrome tap on and holding a glass under, it slowly filled. She was still upset by her nightmare- it was a dream she'd rather forget. If only her worry had been the water, dripping over the side of clarity and draining away.
Keeping a grip on the glass, she could hear a little activity outside of the flat. The clock chimed and she was a little put off. This was a decent floor, everyone came home quietly if they were out late. Scuffling and speaking were unnatural.

Putting the glass down on the worktops, she turned to face the door. A little chill came up her spine as she felt something. Some other presence was in the house. Shaking her head, she tried to rid herself of the feeling. It was just the aftermath- a little paranoia after a dream was natural. Sensing the presence right behind her, the sound of glass breaking shattered the silent night.
Spinning round and jumping in shock, she saw her glass of water on the floor. It broke into three clear pieces, each edge jagged and sharp. The water spread across the cream linoleum, her bare feet becoming soggy. Standing still for a second, taking in the mess, she went to pick up the broken glass, she heard the door unlock.

She wasn't sure if she was just imagining things, but, it didn't matter. Ami took her black and pink hair back, tied it in a ponytail with an elastic and cautiously stepped over to the fridge. Grabbing the bat next to it, she made her way out of the kitchen and to the living area. Seeing the door was slightly ajar, she wandered toward it, bat high in the air.
Standing next to it, she readied herself to hit whoever came in first. If they weren't knocked out, they hadn't been hit hard enough and she wouldn't hesitate to whack them again...

[The Second Doctor]

Alec noticed her stumbling a little bit, which didn't surprise him. Few emotions swam in his eyes, there was room for pity but it wasn't there. Just calm, unmoving reason. Logic. This would simple. But not too simply. They walked inside the door, and it seemed someone was already awake. The Timelord stuck his Screwdriver out into the blackness, as if daring someone to jump out.

"I'm not here to hurt anyone," his lies were unapparent in his tone, "I need something of yours, it's as simple as that."
The Nostrovite had told him that 'he' worked through persuasion. Timelords were masters of the tongue. That reminded him, he couldn't have her causing him unnecessary trouble. He cupped his hand over her mouth and slammed her head against the wall in an attempt to knock her out.

"As a matter of fact, this isn't as it seems. You wouldn't perhaps have picked up anything in the park, maybe a doll?" he was surprised to see a woman, pink and black hair tied back, bat lifted in the air.
"Ah, no need for that, darling. You seemed tired, having bad dreams?" he crooned, noticing fatigue and dark circles, "Why don't you have a seat so that we can talk this out like civilized people."

[The Guitarist]

Amelia saw the purple light illuminate the darkness. It was like bait on a hook, the light just floating in the air. She wasn't as stupid as a fish. She bide her time, waiting for whoever it was to come in. It was hard not to be nervous. Brute force was never a fun weapon...

The intruder spoke, quite civilly,
"I'm not here to hurt anyone, I need something of yours, it's as simple as that."
So, he was openly admitting to theft or the intent to steal. Amelia felt a bit more uneasy. Who was she dealing with, that they were so open, that they could say they were going to steal? Some crack-pot? That didn't make her feel much better about the situation.

A cold snake of a shiver ran down her spine, as she heard a thump outside. Something had just hit the wall and pretty hard. A smell lingered in the air. Ami knew what it was and she was nearly sick. A quiet wretch later, she tried to steady her hand. Blood threw her right off.
"As a matter of fact, this isn't as it seems. You wouldn't perhaps have picked up anything in the park, maybe a doll?"
She tried not to waver as her face showed in the light. She wasn't sure the first line was all that true. The assailant was quite threatening looking. Dark clothes, dark hair, dark eyes. Even the queen of the night standing in front of him was a little intimidated. She had some brightness to her- he had none. But at the mention of the doll, she lowered her bat by an inch or so.
A doll? The doll Christopher had brought home? How did he know about it? She didn't know if Chris had been by the park, so she paused. The assailant then commented on her weapon,
Ah, no need for that, darling. You seemed tired, having bad dreams?" He crooned, noticing fatigue and dark circles, "Why don't you have a seat so that we can talk this out like civilized people."
She found his tone oddly soothing. It really was late at night. She was having bad dreams, looked like the world could see it on her face. He seemed charming but this threw her. She did consider letting him in to talk, until she heard a noise coming from the other room.

A snore could be heard from outside the bedroom. Her roommate always snored, she could tell it was him. He was odd but she realized, he was in no state to deal with this. He was relying on her good judgment to keep him safe.

Amelia tried to rise to the challenge. She lowered the bat and held it horizontal to the intruders face. It wasn't civil.
"Get outside. Don't dare enter my home."
She tried to act like the tough cookie and lied through her teeth, hoping he'd leave. The doll was Chris's. It came home with him- no-one was going to take it.
"Move on, I don't have a doll. It's late, go bother someone else..."
Even though her works were going well, her hands were shaking and his legs felt like jelly. She wanted to call out to Christopher and she swore, that if this intruder when near him, she wouldn't hesitate to lash out and protect her roommate. It wasn't unusual, that was what friend's did. They got each other's backs.

[The Second Doctor]

She raised the bat, and Alec frowned, looking a bit passive/agressive.
"Get outside. Don't dare enter my home."
"I'm sorry, I really am. This... thing extremely important to me." he said, his tone as comforting as possible. It was a stretch for him.

"Move on, I don't have a doll. It's late, go bother someone else..."
"Ah, there's a certain anxiety that comes when the mind is not alert, a bit of a dilation of the mind... Because, quite frankly, I don't believe you." he answered.

Alec crossed his arms and glared at Amelia. It was a dark look, very condescending in nature.
"Lying isn't even a figure in this situation."

[The Guitarist]

At first, the figure tried his best to level with her.
"I'm sorry, I really am. This... thing is extremely important to me."
He was sympathetic to her, trying to comfort and convince her that his motives were true. She wasn't quite buying it yet, despite his good attempt. She'd apologize later if the toy really was his. But he just didn't seem like the type to have such an object, even if he did have children. He hadn't even described it to her yet, something really wasn't right.

He then continued to stick his foot into his mouth. He'd made the wrong move, questioning her even more and seeing through her lie. Amelia's defenses skyrocketed, her mood changing.
;Ah, there's a certain anxiety that comes when the mind is not alert, a bit of a dilation of the mind... Because, quite frankly, I don't believe you.
He crossed his arms, staring down his nose at her like she was an ignorant child. This angered her.
"Lying isn't even a figure in this situation."
She refused to budge and shot the same dark look back, asserting her position.
"Are you calling me a liar?"
She was, but she wasn't about to admit it openly. Her hands shook and her mind screamed at her to swing, give him a strikeout!

Out of the corner of their eyes, the both of them may have noticed a strange movement. Lines of light that lay silently on the carpet were momentarily broken. A quick blink of inconsistency which slowly made it's way around the room...

[The Second Doctor]

"Are you calling me a liar?" she was angry.

"Are you lying?" he raised an eyebrow.

Something flickered in the corner of his vision, likely a trick of the light. But it made him nervous, which showed in his face.
"Listen, it's a gift for my niece's fifth birthday, I wouldn't be here if it didn't mean so much." he said, fake sadness in his eyes.

Alec almost forgot why he even was here. Almost. He couldn't leave without getting his manipulator, and if this being could destroy it, maybe, just maybe, he could rebuild it.

[The Guitarist]

She tried her best not to let the truth seep through.
"No."

She didn't notice a flicker of the natural lights.
That short warning had not been enough for her to notice. Whatever came next was a surprise to her. She was about to back up her own argument, but, then she felt something next to her. Ami nearly jumped out of her skin as she felt a gentle breath on her lobe. It was warm on her ear.
"Little Amelia Trent is a liar. She does have a doll. She doesn't like him very much, even though he likes her."
She could feel a force tugging at her dressing gown, the breath still on her ear. Amelia hesitated, her eyes a little wide in shock. It was the same voice from the flaming nightmare. She didn't want to cry out but a small yelp of terror came out, right in front of the intruder.

She stuttered out a few words, trying to regain her composure. It wasn't working, this force was still near her and right at her ear. The intruder spoke, a real sadness in his eyes.
"Listen, it's a gift for my niece's fifth birthday, I wouldn't be here if it didn't mean so much."
"I'm so sorry-but-I really-can't help you."
Her composure was completely gone, as, apparently, nothing happened. But in her head, that sinister voice had muttered more words of horror.
"Amelia, you're lying again."
She started to lower the bat a little bit, before starting to visibly shake. Her knees got weak as she felt lips kiss the side of her face, stubble brushing it. A cruel laugh echoed in her ear...
She muttered.
"Leave me alone..."