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words-with-wren · 6 months ago

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@chrumblr-whumblr Day Nine: Mind Control

Fandom: Doctor Who (Second Doctor era) Jamie and music is something I want to explore more and this is NOT that but. its a bit of that.

Word count: 2,361

There was music in his mind.

It was a haunting echo, the sound of pipes blaring over the moor, the sound of home. Filling his mind, reminding him of his childhood, reminding him of standing on a windswept hill, lungs filled with air as he gripped the bag of his pipes in his arms.

There was music in his mind.

It filled his thoughts, blocking out everything except the sound of the music. He wouldn’t be able to say what the tune was, or replicate it himself, but he knew he was music and he knew it was all he ever wanted to listen to. Nothing else really mattered, beyond the music in his mind.

Dimly, he was aware he was standing in a large, jagged cave. It was lit only by glowing stones, purple and blue light bathing the whole cavern in a strange aura. A small lake filled one side of the cave, the water reflecting purple and blue, more glowing stones under its surface.

But the music made it all seem dull and lifeless, unimportant. All that mattered were the sounds in his mind, the songs that reminded him of home and hearth.

There were also two people in the cavern with him. One of them was sitting on a rock, a short little man with his legs crossed, holding a small, straight blue and white stripped tube in one hand. The other was a small girl, crouched at the edge of the rippling water.

They were unimportant, for now. Not while he was listening to the music, the music that filled him completely and wiped away everything that hurt and pained him. Nothing mattered except the music.

Then the girl stepped into the water, and the music in his mind shifted. A keening call, a shout for war, a war cry echoing over the moors. He started, sharp pain flashing through his mind. She was not allowed in the water.

She stepped further in, clearly intending to fully submerge herself. The small man called something to her, but the music drowned out everything he might have said. She paused, and responded over her shoulder.

The music roared again and spurred him into action. She was not allowed to go into the water. She was not to come close to the source.

He stepped forward, not hesitating to march into the water, music drowning out every other sound. He grabbed the girl by her collar and hauled her back--and this time her yelp of surprise broke through the music. That irritated him more--how dare she try to reach the source and then break through the music that was everything? That would not do.

It didn’t take much to life her, pulled her fully out of the water, and fling her back into the shore. She skidded, rolling instinctively onto her side and came to a rest near where the small man was sitting.

The man leapt to his feet, his mouth shaping the sounds of a name. He knew that name. Jamie. That was his name.

But it didn’t break through the music and that was satisfying enough. He stood in the shallows of the water and closed his eyes, feeling the water wash over his bare legs, hearing the music fill his very soul. This was all he needed.

Jamie.

The name came again, this time breaking through the songs of his home. He had been called Jamie there, and he was still called Jamie.

Why couldn’t he remember their names?

The thought caused him to open his eyes again, and he saw the little man crouching beside the girl, both of them looking back at him. For a moment, the music seemed to quiet in his mind.

He should know them. Why didn’t he know them?

He was scared, he realised. His heart was beating fast, faster than the tempo of the song. He was scared, and he didn’t know why. They couldn’t hurt him--they were an old man and a wee girl.

The music increased in volume and he shuddered momentarily, before it washed completely over him and filled his mind again. Pipes on the horizon. Voices raised in song. The sounds of home. He relaxed, feeling the fear drain from his body.

The man was standing now, the girl still half lying on the ground, propped up on a rock. Her hand was pressed to the back of her head and… was she bleeding?

The music seemed to falter. He hadn’t meant to hurt her, he just needed her to know she wasn’t to go into the water. Wasn’t to go near the source. It wasn’t his fault she was hurt, he decided. She had chosen to go into the water.

The little man was talking. Not enough to break through the music of course, nothing could do that. But it was fascinating to watch him talk, nonetheless. He was animated, stepping forward steadily, clearly trying to appeal to him about something.

Something unimportant. Something that couldn’t match with the song in his mind.

Then the man stepped into the water and the music roared a battle cry. He didn’t hesitate, stepping forward to shove the man. He stumbled back easily enough, out of the water and the music sung another song.

Then the battlecry screamed again, frantic and desperate and he turned, seeing the girl diving under water. What was she doing?

He hurried after her, music screaming in his mind. That was too far--she was an enemy. He hadn’t meant to hurt her the first time, but they had both crossed a line now. The music was a battlecry, a war song, a dirge for blood.

He grabbed her by the hair and hauled her back, pulling her to the surface. She gasped, kicking at him and grabbing his hand but he was far stronger than her. Methodically, hearing the swelling of the music, he shoved her face under the water.

If she wanted to be near the source so badly, she could stay there.

He could feel her struggling against him, beating his arm, kicking at his legs. But it was merely an added beat to the song in his mind. A single annoyance, inconsistency, a--

A shrill, screeching noise shattered through his mind and he stumbled back, pressing his hands to his head. The music was interrupted just for a moment and Jamie gasped, head instantly splitting.

For a moment, all he could hear was that shrill whistle, piecing through the music. Then the music raised in tempo and noise, pounding at his head. Jamie dropped to a knee, water up to his chest, hands pressed to his head.

He couldn’t think. It was just noise. Noise noise noise. The music sang, the whistle shrieked at him again.

“Jamie,” someone was calling his name. He looked up, eyes blurred with tears of pain. Zoe was floating in the water, the Doctor was running through the water towards her, recorder to his lips.

That was wrong. The music beat the war drums again, and Jamie tried to raise himself to his feet, but the Doctor blew hard into his recorder and Jamie had to drop to his knees again.

He gasped, breathing, hands pressed to the sides of his heads. The music was sounding less and less like home and more like something evil.

“No,” he whispered as it sang at him again, roared soothing lies. “I wilnae listen to you.”

He staggered to his feet, only winching as the Doctor blew into his recorder again. He had reached Zoe, turned her onto her back, and was dragged her out, watching Jamie warily.

“Fight it Jamie,” he called.

Zoe was on her back, motionless in the water. Jamie found himself rooted to the spot, remembering the feeling of her hair in his hands, of how easy it had been to hold her under the water.

The music sang again, a soft, soothing tune this time. A melody that told him everything was okay, he could just relax into it and forget the horror of what he had done to his friends.

“Doctor!” he called, frantic, eyes wild. He could not let it take hold again, he’d prefer the headache to that emotionless detachment. He hadn’t even recognised her.

The Doctor blew into his recorder again and Jamie cried out, stumbling a few places towards the shore, curling his hands into his hair. He was fully crying, whether out of pain or fear or guilt he wasn’t sure.

The Doctor had pulled Zoe to the shore now, and was gently patting her face, continually glancing up to look at Jamie. He couldn't bring himself to move yet, still drawn by the haunting peacefulness the song promised him.

For a moment, he considered diving into the water behind him. He could find the source, become one with it. Listen to that music always.

“Jamie, listen to me,” the Doctor’s voice broke through, faint at first, almost drowned out by the music. “You can fight this, you understand. Fight it!”

He was crouched over Zoe, hands on her chest and pumping up and down as he stared across the water at Jamie. She was so still. Her hands had done nothing as she fought against his grip.

“Doctor,” he called again, stepping forward. He didn’t miss the way the Doctor’s eyes darted to where his recorder was lying beside Zoe. “I dunnae mean-”

The music flared up again, and for a moment, he was standing on a hill in Scotland. The sky was clouded and grey, mist flowing around the moor, casting the whole scene in a strange light. But he was standing along side his clansmen, a part of them.

He lifted his pipes to his lips and drew in a deep breath, preparing to breath out again and fill the misty moors with the call to battle. For to battle he would go--he could already hear the other pipers blaring out their songs and in a moment, he would join them.

No.

No no no.

Zoe’s head under his hands. Water on his knees. The Doctor’s frantic face.

Zoe laughing as she teased him. The Doctor making a bad joke. Victoria’s smile. Ben slapping him on the shoulder with a friendly laugh. Polly grabbing him by the hand.

No.

He would not let it win.

He stumbled forward, dragging himself out of the water and collapsing onto the dry stone. It was coarse and rough, sharp stones digging into his knees and shoulders as he lay on the ground.

Zoe was coughing violently nearby.

The music was gone.

He pushed himself to shaky hands and knees, breathing deeply, not having the strength to push himself up fully. His head was splitting with pain and he shut his eyes against it, for now just trying to breathe.

“Jamie?”

A hand touched his shoulder and he shuddered a gasp, turning his head to see the Doctor standing over him.

“Aye?” he said roughly, feeling utterly worn out. Then he pushed himself to his knees, head spinning. “Zoe?”

“She’s alright,” the Doctor said. Jamie turned his head fully to see her sitting up, knees tucked into her chest. She offered him a shaky smile. “Are you?”

“Aye. I - it’s gone now.” His head felt empty, empty and large, like an entire planet could fit inside. “Zoe I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she said, her voice a little shaky. “I’m alright.”

“You nearly weren’t,” Jamie said softly. He leaned back, pressing a hand to his head.

“I think we had best get away from here,” the Doctor said. Jamie nodded quickly, then regretted it immediately as his head spun violently.

He was a little unsteady and needed the Doctor’s help to scramble to his feet. Then he refused to move until he was sure Zoe really was alright. She seemed to be more alright than he was.

They reached the TARDIS easily enough, tucked away in a corner of the cavern, and Jamie felt himself relax fully as he entered the familiar white room. The background hum of the ship drove out the last of his fears of the music returning.

He sank to sit against the wall of the TARDIS as the Doctor began bustling around the console. Zoe came to sit beside him, still wet, still looking very pale.

“Are ye sure you’re alright?” Jamie asked. She nodded, then placed a hand on his arm.

“I really am, Jamie,” she said. “But don’t ever do that again.”

“I don’t intend to.” He leaned his head back, staring up at the ceiling of the TARDIS.

“I heard it as well,” Zoe admitted. “Some kind of music… in my mind. I thought it was from the water. That’s why I wanted to take some readings.”

“Aye, the source was underwater,” Jamie confirmed, looking back at her. “I dunnae what it was. Just that it didn’t want you in the water.”

Zoe shuddered, lifting her hand off Jamie’s arm to wipe wet hair out of her face.

“Why didn’t it effect me?” she asked.

“Jamie’s much more in tune with music,” the Doctor explained. “I imagine it wasn’t seen as much value for your schooling?” When Zoe shook her head in confirmation, the Doctor nodded in satisfaction. “Jamie’s training as a piper means music is an important part of him--and I imagine it reminded him of home?” “Aye,” Jamie confirmed. “I heard the pipes.” His voice was wistful as he spoke, remembering home. He didn’t think about it often, not while there was so much else to do and see and experience in his travels. But when he did, it was with a bittersweet ache. He loved his home, loved his people, loved his country. He had fought for it and would die for it and sometimes it felt like a betrayal to have abandoned his home.

But he wouldn’t give up traveling with the Doctor for anything.

“Well, it’s a very good thing I brought my recorder along today,” the Doctor said, an impish grin on his face. Jamie groaned and leaned his head back again, shutting his eyes and Zoe laughed.

This was going to make him so insufferable.

#wren writes #doctor who #classic doctor who #second doctor #jamie mccrimmon #zoe heriot #chrumblr whumblr challenge #mind control #*I* am not a musical person #so writing it isn't the easiest #but Jamie being SUPER musical is such a dear headcanon to me #i think he would love learning about future music #i think he would be absolutely fascinated by alien music #I think he would collect alien instruments even if he didn't know how to play them #I think music is so so important to him and i thats a headcanon hill i'll die on

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