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( marc still isn't entirely sure where he falls on the 'is this actually real?' question he's asked himself more than a handful of times since finding himself here, since finding the parchment with his crime(s).

still: it feels real enough, and for now that's enough.

he's dressed in a suit — it's white in its entirety, with small crescent moons serving as buttons and cufflinks. it's — fine. it's an outfit that says he — before here, at least — probably spent a small fortune on dry cleaning, and begs the question of how long it's going to stay looking Like That (answer: not long).

with one leg crossed over the other, there's a breath of a pause before he speaks. this isn't how he normally does this, but then, this isn't normal by any — even his — definition of the word. )

My name is Mr. Knight. ( is it? of course not, but there's nothing to marc's demeanour that says otherwise; and for those familiar, his accent says 'chicago!' ) I'm a priest. ( certainly, by A Definition, and by that, we mean 'by marc spector's definition and no-one else's, except (maybe) an ancient egyptian moon god's'. )

At home, I ran a mission — the Midnight Mission — through which I protected my community and my people. Travellers of the night. ( a breath of a pause and he holds up a hand (gloved, white, because of course) and gestures vaguely at his surroundings. ) A change in circumstances doesn't change my duty. If there's anyone that requires help or assistance with, ( at night, because marc is Dedicated, ), no matter how strange or unusual, please don't hesitate to reach out.

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( marc's entire existence has been intertwined with faith: his own, his father's. it's never been that he disbelieved or lacked faith, it was always that he struggled to reconcile his lived experiences with what his father had sought to teach him.

then, in selima, as he lay dying, the only god that spoke to him had been khonshu. his father's god had been silent. marc had viewed it as indifference.

of course, marc had been weak. )

I died. Khonshu made it a condition of my resurrection. ( matter of factly, because: yeah, why wouldn't that be how? )

[ The Doctor doesn’t even blink at the mention of death; he’s not insensitive to it of course. He’s lived long enough to understand the gravity and finality of it particularly for species like humans. But his Time Lord tendencies haven’t quite left him either and death still feels like the flu to him so long as he doesn’t think about it too much. ]

Ah a life for a life. Very God-like. Do you get paid? Benefits?

( marc's own feelings towards death and dying — that is, in relation to himself — have changed throughout the years. the first time, he'd been terrified, and truthfully, he'd always been a little bit surprised by how much he hadn't wanted to die. since then, he's died a handful more times and khonshu has brought him back each and every time.

he's never been especially careful with how he's treated his life, but the knowledge that he probably won't stay dead if things go a little bit wrong has made him more reckless.

he scoffs. ) All that's paid is my debt to Khonshu for resurrecting me in the first place. ( or: the only thing khonshu's ever given him is his life. (the fucking asshole.)

Edited (changed my miiiiind) 2023-02-19 08:45 (UTC)

[ The Doctor is the same in some respects. Obviously it wasn’t pleasant to die, nor would it ever be by any stretch of the imagination, but at least it wasn’t the end of…everything. However something else had shifted in his mind that he was mildly aware of; now that he had been gifted this new set of lives, the thought of the death of who he was currently wasn’t very appealing.

He was just starting to gain his footing again. He was just an idiot with (or rather sans) a blue box. The gravity of his title, his purpose, seemed lighter with that in mind. Who knew what the next regeneration would bring.

But again, those were thoughts he didn’t like dwelling on for too long. He hums. ]

That sounds more or less in line with the gods I’ve met. That doesn’t sound like very good working conditions though. Do you talk to him often?

[ Ie. Can he speak to him now? ]

My previous employer left me for dead in the desert, and before that I was military.

( good working conditions are what, exactly? and marc himself has never been what one would the world's best boss. he'd always tended towards expecting jean-paul to be at his beck and call at all hours of the night, and had never really considered what effect his life would have on duchamp. he'd like to think he's learned a thing or two since then (has he? jury's out), but he's certainly aided by the fact that his current employees — reese and soldier — are both vampires who, as reese had put it, biologically compelled to keep the same ridiculous hours as marc.

but as for the actual question— )

We have a tempestuous relationship. ( or: marc has unresolved father issues and khonshu is a monumental dick. does he always respond to marc? no, no he does not. does marc err towards ignoring khonshu? when he can. ) And he's otherwise indisposed at present. ( a deliberate pause. ) Are you familiar with Asgard?

Ah, a soldier. I suppose that makes sense.

[ He'd gotten over his distaste for the military for the most part. Danny had shown him (somewhat) the error of his judgements but there was no love lost there. At most he was probably neutral on them at best. Hard to guess that from tone alone though.

Tempestuous is still something and that piques his curiosity more than he'd verbally express. Instead, it shows in the slight uptick of his eyebrow, the slight purse of his lips. God/Fist of Konshu relationship and whether or not he believes it aside, there's something that goes unsaid there about suddenly not being able to connect to a presence that someone normally could even if it is on a sometimes basis. ]

Bit unfair of me to only be familiar with Egyptian mythology and religion, wouldn't it?

[ He could have just said 'yes', but alas. ]

( he hums mildly, the barest edge of curiosity in his tone. 'soldier' isn't how marc normally self-identifies: he'd been in the marines for only a couple of years before being kicked out — lying about his medical records and his background coupled with 'bizarre, erratic behaviour' his superiors had been willing to overlook for only so long hadn't been the formula for a lengthy service, apparently. )

Of sorts. I didn't last long.

( he catches the look, the change in the doctor's expression, though he doesn't immediately assume it's related to his description of his relationship with khonshu. )

The Aesir have Khonshu imprisoned on Asgard. ( marc isn't entirely sure of the specifics, of how one precisely goes about imprisoning a being like khonshu and he's never cared to ask. he'd been enjoying the relative silence. ) Communication is— ( he gestures with a hand as if to say 'so-so'. marc was obstinate and khonshu was petty: marc called on khonshu only when he needed him and khonshu answered if he wanted to.

as for the reverse, marc's not sure if khonshu's able of reaching out of his own accord without specific circumstances being met, and marc wouldn't know what those were. he knows, at least, that's khonshu's abilities have been greatly affected and he can't do what he'd usually be able to.

ordinarily: fine. here? eh, marc's not sure. better the devil you know, and all that. )

Edited (hangs head in typos) 2023-02-24 07:35 (UTC)

Not lasting long is sometimes a blessing in disguise.

[ The effects of war ravaged a person long after said war had been fought. His entire life after the War Doctor felt like a testament to that. Those days were hypothetically years ago, but when time is so nebulous to him, it might as well have been yesterday. Wasn't it yesterday that he had donned an ill-fitting trench coat and beat up chucks? Or maybe it had been the scarf era.

Woes about war weren't the topic at hand though and he can't help but take on the air of a child listening to their favourite mythology mashup. If Konshu existed, then of course it would stand to reason that the Norse gods would too. ]

How did he end up there? And he hasn't tried to reach out on his own accord to you to...I don't know, fist him out of there? Since you're the Fist of Konshu?

[ All of this is said with a straight face because in his mind, there's absolutely nothing wrong with what he's just said. ]

( marc hmphs this time, though it's not a noise that seems to lean towards agreement or disagreement. the middle east had been one experience, whilst everything that came after — egypt, selima, sudan, bushman — had been something else entirely. those wars were smaller — massacres, truthfully, more than anything else. more innocents, fewer soldiers, less choice for those not on the receiving end of a hefty pay packet. )

Depends on what you do with what you've learned.

( followed by a silence at the second half of the doctor's response — not because marc thinks there's anything ridiculous with what the doctor's just said, but because he gets caught up in the first half.

he frowns and looks down and away from the feed, eyebrows knitting tightly together and well-worn lines creasing his forehead.

it's an expression that comes naturally to marc, a kind of de facto state of being rather than inherent displeasure. the frown, in other words, of a man that takes life far, far too seriously almost all of the time. )

He tried to take over Earth. ( ostensibly to stop the devil, but then it all went a little...

...too far. as it does. ) And I don't have any powers, ( aka the fist of khonshu does a lot of work with his fists (oi oi). ), even if I wanted to— ( the barest of pauses and a flicker, just for a second, where the doctor's words finally seem to register (christ), but in spite of that, rather than humour, marc's intonation grows more curt. ) —jailbreak a lunatic out of an outerterrestrial prison.

( it's a long way to say 'fuck that.' )

True. Some become the Fist of Konshu.

[ Or some become a doctor.

It's said so lightly, without little consequence or inflection, although there the faintest hint of wry amusement in his expression. The Doctor can probably conclude that a servant (or priest, or fist, or whatever) of a god of vengeance probably participates in the things he personally dislikes the most in life. It certainly isn't what he would do with what he's learned — but that is easier said than done. Which leads to what that means in terms of how the Doctor views Marc. The results are still relatively inconclusive, but he's certainly curious at the very least.

For all his obtuseness and his lack of social intelligence, the Doctor hears that implied 'fuck that' and his lips quirk this time. Can't scold someone for swearing if it never actually sees the light of day. ]

Glad to hear that the Gods aren't completely idle in this day and age. Do the gods in your world typically involve themselves with other gods? Is that normal?

( though there's no inherent judgement to the doctor's tone, marc can't help but feel like there's more to it, that it's more pointed than it seems on the surface — even if the assumption speaks more of how marc views himself than it does of the doctor and what marc's managed to piece together of him so far.

his expression is briefly searching, curious, then he lifts a shoulder: nope. )

Only when they do something worthy of attention.

I suppose taking over Earth is a good enough reason then. [ Not that that has ever stopped the Time Lords or any supposed god in his universe. ] Gods can't exactly exist without their devoted.

[ There's theories about thought and how powerful it is. How if, someone were to simply forget about something or someone, and there were enough people to continue to forgot said thing, then it would simply cease to exist.

Ideas, powerful figures, beings, words — all of it could be gone without so much of a whimper because they would just vanish, leaving no trace or evidence behind. Not that he was one or would ever be one, but the Doctor can't help but imagine that for a deity to be confronted with that fate, well. It only makes sense that a threat like that would be enough cause for a god to move outside of their seemingly plushy, cushy lives. ]

Do you still have your powers then? Or are they somehow dampened by him being in his Asgardian prison?

Or maybe they just like Earth as-is.

( it'd been less about devotees and more to do with 'what the fuck are you doing, marc' with a side of 'are you okay? we can talk about this, get you a good therapist who won't try and kill you. please stop stealing other (actual) superheroes powers and toys.' )

I don't have powers. ( it's not a weird assumption to make and — fair enough — marc has had powers before, briefly and fleetingly. it was long enough ago that marc often forgets it as a detail, the fact that the phase of the moon had an impact on his strength.

now — and it's been that way for a long time — he has nothing. no powers, no abilities beyond that which a regular human is capable of. on the flip side, his knees have seen better days, his nose has been broken more times than he cares to count, and his dentist has questions.

or: when marc says he's a fist of khonshu, he really does mean he does a lot of punching. and being punched. occasional baseball bat work, too. anything that requires hands. )

True. Different gods, different temperaments. These ones for example – [ Here he waves vaguely above him in reference to their new overlords. ] seem mildly interested in bringing us here to better ourselves or be their entertainment. It's hard to say really.

[ The answer almost seems to disappoint the Doctor. His lips purse slightly as if he were a child after being told something opposite to what that they had undoubtedly created a story about in their minds.

Powers, to quote Bowtie, were cool. ]

I feel like you're getting the short end of the string [ Stick. It's stick, Doctor. ] here by not getting powers. You get a title but no powers? There must be some kind of 'Fist of Insert God Here' union you can call.

( marc's focus drops away from the feed, expression thoughtful and contemplative despite the displeasure creeping in at the edges. ) They're not mutually exclusive. ( grumbled, more than a conversation point or correction sent the doctor's way.

a beat of silence, and he looks back up at the video before continuing, his gaze seeking out the doctor's. ) I've met my fair share of people who've wanted to make me— ( a raised hand, finger quotes bookending the next word whilst marc's displeasure becomes all the more tangible, mouth twisting a little as he enunciates. ) 'better', and believe you me when I say we had very different definitions of the word.

( he doesn't miss the change in the doctor's expression when marc reveals he doesn't have powers, no special abilities. marc closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose at the 'union' remark, a faint, muttered 'fu— god' slipping past his lips. half a dozen responses sit at the back of his mouth, almost all with the risk of revealing a little more than he'd like, whilst the rest are just—

—irritable. )

I don't know what of your experiences with gods has led you to think there's anything of magnanimity in what they do.

That we can agree on. [ There's a certain level of patience in his gaze as he waits for Marc to continue. ] What does "better" mean to you?

[ It's hard to say if the Doctor purposefully misses out on certain cues because he simply refuses to perceive them or if he's actually a little bit clueless in certain emotional departments (the answer is both, but mostly the latter), but he does have plenty of experience with irritation because it's often a tone in Clara's voice.

And while Marc is not a 5'0" British teacher from Black Pool, he knows that tone all too well. His frown deepens, mouth twisting mildly in confusion as he tries to interpret where the irritation is aimed. At himself is not entirely out of the realm of possibility. ]

Little to none. At least not gods in the way you've experienced them. [ There's a pause before he continues. ] Some of my race likes to think they are; other races calling us that got to their heads, as you can imagine. [ "They" as if he were no longer a Time Lord. "They" like he's above their odd quirks that only develop after being a race that has seen plants and races live and die, sometimes by their hands. ] So if we're basing it off experience, they're only magnanimous by their own definition.

( what does 'better' mean to you? the doctor asks and marc decides that he very much doesn't want to answer that question. he makes a noise that implies something along the lines of 'interesting question' and says— )

Your race?

Time Lord.

[ The answer is instant. In hindsight it might be something that most of his people would frown upon, giving away information like that so freely. It could be used against them or something. Not that the Doctor is particularly concerned about that. No one else here that he knows of knows what he is anyway.

He blinks a couple of times before his mouth purses, eyebrows furrowing slightly. ]

Did I not mention that?

( OH THANK GOD they are no longer talking about marc, what a relief. marc is very relieved. )

You mentioned a police box and a short, bossy woman.

( aka they both neglected to mention things. )

[ Not to point out the obvious but Marc literally made a post about himself. ]

Ah. Right. Well, I'm a Time Lord who's missing his time machine slash spaceship but has since located said short, bossy woman.

[ There's a bit of an air of, "And?" as evidenced by his raised eyebrow and owlish expression. Better ask more questions before he remembers that he had asked you a question, Marc. ]

( that does not mean that marc wanted to talk about himself GOSH. life is very hard when you detest conversation but also need to build a reputation.

but the space slash time machine makes a little more sense (sort of, vaguely) with the 'time lord' revelation, not that marc has any idea as to what that means except— )

So... Time traveller. Your people's thing is time travelling?

( right??

but that can't be the defining feature of an entire race of people, that'd be weird. ) —Guess I can see why people would jump to 'divine being'. Beats a magic 8-ball.

[ Marc, we're sorry to inform you that you have set yourself up for a future of talking about yourself. ]

Time and all that that encompasses. [ There's a little bit of a dramatic timbre here for effect. As if he's some mystic man trying to impart some level of awe on Marc. He isn't really. Sometimes it's just more fun to talk about them that way because it distracts him from all the conflicted feelings he has around them. ] More observers and keepers of time for the most part. We try not to interfere.

[ Except when they do. Hypocrites. The expression on his face says as much. ]

But yes, that does involve time travelling.

Edited (boop boop added a thing) 2023-03-06 23:26 (UTC)

( marc's expression is that of a man trying to working out what 'and all that encompasses' means in the context of 'time', and then what 'keepers [of]' means, and—

his brow furrows and he's silent. he's never claimed to be a smart man (quite the opposite), but he's pretty sure that the doctor's response doesn't really tell him anything — which, frankly, is fine. he's not going to press the matter and if the roles were reversed and someone asked him what 'human' meant, he'd probably just shrug. )

Hmm. ( marc doesn't always ask questions. it's perhaps not difficult to see how he's gotten himself in some of the situations he's ended up in.

wryly, dryly, he says— ) Sounds like a very fancy way of saying 'historian'.

[ Marc that is absolutely preposterous because that answer answered so much. ]

Well — [ He opens his mouth, as if he’s about to go on to explain why he is definitely not a historian because that sounds unbelievably stuffy, but then realizes that what Marc has said isn’t so far from the truth. ] technically, yes. Sometimes they’re god awful at being historians. We get mixed up in things. [ A line draws through his forehead again, a hint of something darker mixing in. ] Sometimes we’re the aggressor.

[ And as quickly as the dark thing comes, it leaves. ] I’m a bit of an outlier. Time Lords don’t typically leave Gallifrey.

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