the ransoming of the mirnoe vremya

[Blue]

He’d been alive for almost two hundred years past a million, and he’d never taken a ‘cruise’. The spaceship looked very unlike anything he was accustomed to. Blue had been expecting something more like from the movies with large, clunky, circular spaceships. He’d seen a TARDIS – at least three in his life, actually – but he knew that they were sparse. This particular ship was large and spherical, painted a bright white with the painted, pretty words ‘mirnoe vremya luxury’ in black along the side. It was headed to a luxury planet; something that Blue didn’t have the patience to learn how to spell or pronounce.

It was also the first time he was breaking an explicit Djinn rule: don’t move a Lamp. But he was tired of the United Kingdom. He’d lived so long, and Earth was threatening to drive him crazy. Alec – in the relatively brief time that he’d been under him – had shown him more than he’d seen his life, and, if truth were to be told, the Djinn wanted more. He wished for more, if you’ll excuse the pun. And that was how he made up his mind. He’d fed his stray kittens, asked the neighbour to throw her leftovers out into the garden occasionally, and left.

The Djinn yawned and stepped onto the ship. His Lamp was under his arm, and he was holding it tightly. It was currently disguised as a small, black bag. He’d barely been able to get it past security, cursing its decision to change forms so quickly. He’d intended for it to be a bracelet or a watch, but it had chosen something far more conspicuous.

Dark brown eyes scanned his surroundings, a light frown settling on his lips thoughtfully. The Djinn turned around, feeling a sudden shift. Two men in the corner. He quirked his ears, listening intently to the conversation. Unable to make out the words, he pushed it to the back of his mind, muttering something about how his old age was making him paranoid. He put the bag on his shoulder and glanced at the ticket in his hand – written with dates relative to the planet they were visiting, but translating roughly to ‘21 DECEMBER 2185’.

Making his way to the second floor, he was deciding that this hadn’t been too shabby of an idea – and was that a vegetarian bar over there? – when it happened. A woman of around fifty bumped into him, pushing the hapless Djinn into the rail. The Lamp fell from his shoulders, evading the desperate flailing of his arms as he attempted to grab it, and landed promptly in the area where the customers pick up their suitcases.

He paled, especially since it landed on someone else’s luggage.

“Oh my lands,” he breathed, hitting his forehead with his palm. [/font]

[The Second Doctor]

The Doctor was on vacation. He'd wanted to take a trip on the planet Midnight, but unfortunately he'd been too late to grab tickets. The planet had seemed so beautiful, untouched by any form of life. Oh well.

The security system for the mirnoe vremya luxury cruiser was complicated. Well, anything heading to Ruetonamagiregirtavartempiukielaylietisurmeatrytoptoexcondoyetromonsoeciaspecializtoc had some level on complication. The planet had a high tourist level, so one could never be too cautious. Still, going through security and having to explain the functions of a sonic screwdriver was a bit over the top. Then, he had to place his luggage, which he had stuffed change of clothes, matching the one he was wearing, an extra bowtie, and a pair of handcuffs. He packed as he felt they were neccesary wherever you went.

Luckily, the Timelord saw a bag that he had intended to be carry-on almost dissapearing. He grabbed it just in time to his satisfaction, but raised an eyebrow at it's seemingly added weight. He unzipped it open (mysteriously it was already open halfway) and picked up a small black handbag, like one to keep coins or folded dollar bills in. The Doctor, eyebrow still raised, shook the bag, then opened it. What a strange thing to appear in his luggage.

[Blue]

“Oh, sweet merciful skies and all that is… is…” he trailed off, unsure of whom the Djinn were supposed to pray to. He turned into a kitten, slinking stealthily down the stairs. He jumped into the luggage container, attempting to find his Lamp and flee. And that’s when he saw the man. Blue cringed, trying to reach the suitcase faster than the kindly-looking old man did. Unfortunately, his small Turkish Van body was still on the other side of the container when the Doctor picked up the suitcase.

There was still time. If he could only knock the suitcase out of his hands, take his bag and run, he wouldn’t have a new master. Blue scrambled closer, bright yellow eyes set fiercely on the old man. However, he soon realized his attempts were futile, especially when the man picked up the Lamp, staring at it. He lifted a paw against his forehead, feeling the familiar feeling of his energy squirming and writhing. He jumped closer until he was at the man’s feet. He rubbed against his new owner’s legs, purring loudly.

This was neither the time nor place for introductions. He bit the man’s pants, transforming as subtly as he could to a small dog. His tail wagged as he began to pull his new owner backwards, dark brown eyes moving around, trying to find the nearest bathroom. He stood on his back legs, jumping to keep balanced. “Come on, come on, follow me,” he urged quietly, offering a doggish grin to the man. His message across, he trotted into the nearest restroom.

If this man didn’t follow him, he’d turn into a human and go back. But the last thing he wanted – the very super last thing he wanted – was for people to know that there was a Djinn aboard the ship.[/font]

[The Second Doctor]

The Doctor sighed as a kitten rubbed against his leg. He smiled down at it warmly, and said nothing when it changed into a dog. However, he'd never seen a dog talk.
"Where to? I have to find my spot and all, a bunch of rubbish security measures." he explained.

He tilted his head, a strange look in his eyes.
"Are you a...passenger?"

[Blue]

He waited until they were both in the bathroom to do any changes. Still as a dog, he sniffed around, checking under the stalls for anybody still lurking there. Satisfied that there was no one he could see, he transformed into a human. “I’m a passenger,” he replied, standing up and stretching out his limbs. “And you are my new ma—” he cut himself short. He’d had two Time Lord owners -- he could smell them out now, and he was at least ninety five percent sure this man was a Time Lord -- at this point in his life, and both of them had an aversion to ‘Master’. “—owner.”

This man didn’t seem like the kind that would become the ‘owner’ of someone else, unless he’d made it sound more agreeable. The Corsair, he remembered fondly, had taken some persuading. “I’m a Djinn, and that—” he pointed to the bag in the Doctor’s hand “—is my Lamp. The person who finds our Lamp is our new owner. But… you can think of me more as a… a… friend that follows you everywhere and grants your wishes.”

“Or a dog. Maybe a kitten. Oh, but I can be anything, you see,” he said, brushing away that minor detail. “It’s all up to you what you want my main form to be. One of my masters even said that I should be an earthworm. It was kind of weird, being an earthworm…”

Focusing his attention back on the task at hand, he thought quickly to what he’d already said and what needed to be said. “You also name me. Like… a pet.”

“And I stay with you until one of us dies. I protect you the best that I can - and I do try my best,” he assured the man. “So... will you have me?” he asked hopefully.

[The Second Doctor]

“I’m a passenger,” the shape-shifter confirmed, “And you are my new ma—” The Doctor blinked uncomfortably, his thoughts drifting to Koschei, “—owner.”

"Owner?" the Doctor abhorred slavery, and from the little bit he had heard, this sounded like it. He could almost mourn a species that was born to serve someone else.

“I’m a Djinn, and that—” the Doctor's mind raced. Djinn were like genies, just older, debatably more civilized. “—is my Lamp. The person who finds our Lamp is our new owner. But… you can think of me more as a… a… friend that follows you everywhere and grants your wishes.”

"And think of you that way I shall, friend." the Doctor remembered trying to smile, but it was absent.

“Or a dog. Maybe a kitten. Oh, but I can be anything, you see,” the Djinn said, forcing the Doctor to think of his reply. “It’s all up to you what you want my main form to be. One of my masters even said that I should be an earthworm. It was kind of weird, being an earthworm…”

"This is supposed to be a luxury ride, you payed for your ticket, you should stay as you are." he said, now smiling.

"You also name me. Like… a pet.” he almost named him "Fufu" just for kicks, but the Doctor wouldn't be that cruel.

"John Smith." he said finally.

“And I stay with you until one of us dies. I protect you the best that I can - and I do try my best,” he assured the man. “So... will you have me?” he asked, looking eager.

"Of course." he replied.

[Blue]

“Owner?” the man asked. Blue shifted uncomfortably, realizing his tactics weren’t working. No one seemed to understand the Djinn – at least, not their need to be controlled nor their desire for constant companionship that having a master entailed. However, with his suave skills of persuasion, he switched to the ‘we can be friends’ route. “And think of you that way I shall, friend,” the Time Lord agreed. Blue smiled, already deciding that he quite liked this kindly-looked old man.

“Most excellent, my dear friend,” Blue said, his smile widening as he reached over and placed hugged his new master tightly. He bounced backwards, energized now by how well their meeting was going. An inkling of doubt settled into his mind – something about how first meetings never went well and something was bound to happen – but he brushed it off easily enough.

“John Smith.”

Oh, of all the strange names…

Well, better than the time that cat with wings named him Joe. That was an embarrassing time in his life. “John Smith,” he reiterated, an amused grin on his face. “I am John Smith, and you are…?”