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[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[night has long since settled over Gallifrey and yet he doesn't retire. instead, he leaves his rooms and makes his way to gardens in his section of the residential quarters. there, amongst several other Gallifreyan flora planted there, are several silver-leafed cadenwood trees, their leaves glittering and reflecting a warm burnt orange and red, offset by the few lights still left on in nearby quarters. by his watch, he has an hour before the first sun starts to rise up over the Mountain of Solace. he settles himself against the base of the tree, deciding not to have a seat on one of the nearby sofas. no doubt he'll be joined by others wishing to watch the sunrise, but most Time Lords wait for the second sun to rise. he, selfishly, prefers to watch both.

while he waits, his thoughts return to the Plane and he mulls over his previous explorations and encounters there. too many things--too many new things--for this stuffy Time Lord.

and then there's that forest. what would his beloved cadenwood trees look like there without the magnificence of Kasterboran suns? no doubt they'd still overshadow the ones there in their silvery brilliance, but would some of their magic be lost?

to test this, he enters the Plane, bringing the one tree with him. unfortunately, he isn't anywhere near the forest, though he can see it in the distance--but still... he glances up at the silver leaves now twinkling in the light of the millions upon millions of stars in that place and grins. smugly, of course.]

Better than that forest any day! Just as I thought it would be.

Comments

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

Incorrect! Your answer must be in the form of a question.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

That's rather pointless and stupid, answering in the form of a question.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

Isn't that all we ever do? The story changes, but the ending stays the same. There's the answer to the riddle; now give me the question that won't break the integrity of space and time.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

Sorry, but I'm not going to play this game.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

The game of life is hard to play. And you'll lose it soon enough. My sympathies.

So who's the president, anyway?

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[he catches that drift and decides, yet again, not to address it directly.] That's an obvious inevitability. Everything will come to an end someday.

Right now, it's President Matthias, but there's been rumour he might step down. [never mind that's been going around for a while.]

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes, when Braxiatel's convoluted schemes come to fruition yet again. Bloody Brax.

Did you know him? Personally, I mean.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[he makes a slight face at the mention of the former cardinal/chancellor/cardinal.]

Braxiatel or Matthias?

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[totally deadpan because Brax annoys him too]

The one who can't go two minutes without manipulating everyone in the ten nearest planets and twenty nearest time zones.

[guess who hated going anywhere neaaaaaaar Braxiatel for all of his childhood?]

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[for once, that sentiment is completely mutual.]

Ah. Well, beyond the occasional direct order from him--[all those outside the Academy, of course]--I steered clear of him. He wasn't the cardinal I ultimately reported to, but yet he saw it fit to use anyone who happened to be free at that moment.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

Good to see he stayed consistent.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

That man won't ever change.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

How very un-Gallifreyan of you.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[bristles] I only meant in regards to his attitude towards others.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

No no no, I think.

Just maybe!

I think, just maybe, that I sense a hint of mutability in you.

Why, you might even be not stagnant!

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[he turns away, falling silent. to hear it put like that...by him of all people.]

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

As a Time Lord, you must at least consider that possibility.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

The question is do I want to?

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

If you're putting what you want to do over what you should do, you have your answer already.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[glares] Who says I want to do that?

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

A Time Lord must devote himself to possibilities, to weeding out the bad and fortifying the strength of what should be, what the Web of Time says is. If you don't want to look at the possibility - if you put desire over duty - then you've just taken a nice, solid step in the direction of a renegade.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[one can practically hear the back-pedalling being made]

I've never, not once, allowed any modicum of desire to taint my decisions and it's not going to start now! [and the fact that it might one day frankly scares him.] I'm not about to return to Gallifrey and steal a TARDIS and do what you, the Doctor, and all the rest of that lot have done!

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

So vehement, Straxus. Why, I'd say you're almost... passionate.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

What, so now we're not allowed to get angry? Clearly, you never heard Borusa on a bad day.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

I was there when he turned to stone. I think that counts as a bad day.