do you claim immortality?

                             L O R D     P R E S I D E N T     R A S S I L O N                                    ❝ Power is always dangerous.                                        Power attracts the worst,                                     and power corrupts the best.❞

[splinteredshine]

     That single word, Good, filled Stellar with warmth. She’d known the man for such a      short time, but she desperately craved his approval, almost as though her life, her      very survival, depended on it. She feared him, that was the largest part, but he was      also just so very charming to her when she behaved properly.         She had an image in her mind, a vague memory, of flowers, but much in the same      way that someone who’s only ever seen the Mona Lisa on a coffee mug or a      place mat arguably has never really seen the Mona Lisa, Stellar had never really      seen flowers before, at least not in this new life, so while she was excited by Sir’s      plan for their outing, she wasn’t quite sure what to expect as she obediently let him      guide her up the path to the wrought iron gate. She stood silently beside Sir as he      paid the gatekeeper, standing up a little straighter, holding her chin up a little higher,      pushing her hair back behind her ears, all in an effort to do Sir credit.                                                                                         And then she saw the flowers.       The cacophony of sickly sweet smells drifting towards her from the roses and lilies      and countless other flowers almost drove Stellar mad all over again with delight. It      was all she could do to contain herself long enough to sputter, ❝You’re welcome! No      — the other one — thank you!❞ and rise up onto her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his      cheek, too elated to remember how strictly he’d been policing her movements, or to      consider that that probably didn’t fall into the category of acceptable. She didn’t care.      For the first time since she’d been freed from the diamond, she felt as though a little      part of who she had been was waking up, revived by the thrill of being surrounded by      natural beauty. and she ran through the gates without once looking back at Sir for his      approval, pressing her nose against aromatic flower after aromatic flower, relishing      the feeling of being surrounded by life once again.

[prydoniius]

    It wasn't the quick kiss to his cheek that'd caused the arrogant Time Lord to become     suddenly displeased with the blonde woman ; that, he could live with. A sign of her     respect and fear, was what he could turn them into over time. — But running forward     in front of him, when she'd been so good, co-operative, and careful as to avoid taking     one tiny step past him for their whole walk here? It was unforgivable, and Stellar      would learn that. Not over time, but now.     He stood at the gate for the briefest of moments, watching the excited blonde rush to     the nearest flowerbed and press her nose against each and every flower. Endearing     as the sight was ; his property being so happy, Rassilon cleared his throat only once     before turning sharply on a heel, ignoring the strange looks he got from the garden's     gatekeeper — who would pay for the comment he'd made about his "just leaving her     there by herself." Couldn't complain about losing him, could she, if she was so damn     insolent enough as to run forward without so much as a glance back to him.     But against all odds, he did wait for her. Had stopped walking a block away from the     gardens, and chose to lean against a brick wall instead. As much as Stellar had to     learn her lesson now rather than later — which was that Rassilon held no qualms in     leaving her stranded should she disobey him — he couldn't bring himself to move far     away enough that if something were to happen to her, the Time Lord wouldn't know.     It was simply the matter of how long it took Stellar to realize he was gone, and come     rushing out to find him, that would determine the severity of her punishment.

[splinteredshine]

     She let out a breath when it seemed that the man had approved of her response to      his threat, the carefully contained malice leaving his features to be replaced with      the kindness with which Stellar had become accustomed from him. She feared,      at first, that her innocent question had angered him once again, so dismissive was      he when it came time to give her an answer, but then he smiled at her, and she      practically melted, suddenly feeling as though there were no one else to whom she      would trust her care, or her secrets — if she had secrets. Truth was, she’d forgotten      them all. But she found herself wishing she could remember one or two, just so she      could share them with the kind and (if she were being honest) handsome man. She      had the strangest feeling that doing so would make the man very pleased, and she      wanted him to be pleased.      Even better, he seemed to have realized that he’d hurt her arm, clutching it so tightly      as he had, and began stroking it with his thumb, as though trying to sooth the pain. In      fact, he was pressing down just a bit too hard, making the pain much worse, but       Stellar didn’t have the heart to tell him when she knew he was only trying to comfort      her, so instead she bit her lip to keep from crying out or flinching back each time the      man’s strong thumb pressed down against the tender bruise.      She distracted herself from the pain by pondering an answer to the man’s question.      What would she like to call him? The answer that came immediately to mind, my      Lord, Stellar dismissed, because she hadn’t heard anyone else in the institution call      another person by that title, so she assumed the strange compulsion to call this man       by that name must have been one of the symptoms of her — injury. That was what all      the staff called it, none of them believing Stellar’s own account of imprisonment on      a far off planet. ❝Sir,❞ she repeated gravely, crumpling a dead leaf under her foot.      ❝What is — where — is Sir taking me?❞

[prydoniius]

    He'd been quite pleased with her response to his question — despite letting nothing     on his features show for it. The pace at which Stellar was learning to be co-operative     never ceased to astound him. She'd always been quick with these matters ; even so     far back as Balrune, when she hadn't been so damaged and scarred by Time. Sweet     little thing, so young and easy to trust. It was a shame it hadn't lasted longer than it     had — but Gallifrey's occupation of her home planet had been deemed necessary by     himself and the rest of the High Council of Time Lords. Far from him, to go against     what was better for Gallifrey. What was the sanity of one simple woman, compared to      the importance of winning the war for his people?     The woman's question gives him pause. He hadn't been planning on taking her to any     place in particular — but pleasing him as she had ; that deserved some sort of reward     did it not? Rassilon was a cruel man, but he rewarded loyalty and good behaviour with     surprising acceptance. ❝Good,❞ he remarked, more to Stellar calling him Sir than any     thing else in particular. ❝Spring is in full bloom, is it not? I thought a trip to the gardens     might be fitting?❞ Not a question, but a statement ; him telling her exactly where they     were to be heading. ❝You greatly enjoy flowers, do you not?❞ Of course she did. Why     else would she have been so adamant ( on Balrune, at the very least ) to show the     visiting Time Lord her gardens each time he'd stopped by?      Turning a corner, the pair came face to face with a large wrought iron gate, Rassilon     leading the blonde closer by way of his fingertips on the small of her back, before he     paid the man at the gate. The sweet scent of flowers filled the Time Lord's senses,     and Rassilon had to force himself to hold back a cringe before glancing back towards     Stellar. ❝You look happy,❞ he remarked. ❝Say thank you, Stellar.❞

[splinteredshine]

     It was the surprise of feeling the man’s finger pressing down on the top of her head      more than the force that made Stellar obediently sit back down, furrowing a brow in      confusion. He seemed suddenly cross, the kind man, and the blonde found herself      growing upset. What had she done wrong? How could she fix it? She had to fix it,      or he might never let her see the sunlight, and worse, she would risk losing the      only friend she had made in her months inside these walls.      So, it was with great relief and a broad, bright smile that she heard the man say,      ❝Come now, Stellar,❞ and rose to her feet. She very nearly broke into an excited      run, as she had a vague memory of doing back when she was a girl, but she fought      the urge, instead taking each step slowly, thoughtfully. Careful. So careful.                                                                                         — Already, she was learning.      Taking the man’s tight grip on her arm in stride, even though she knew it would leave      a bruise, she gazed up at the sky as they stepped out, closing her eyes tight and      letting the sun beat down on her face, only opening them again when the man began      to speak. She was deeply unsettled, wondering where was the kind man of just      moments earlier, but she shook her head vigorously. ❝No. No place. No place to      run.❞ She paused for a moment, studying the cross man’s face. Maybe he was cross      because he knew so much about her, and she hadn’t bothered to ask him about      himself. ❝Noise — noose — name! Your name?❞ she asked shyly.

[prydoniius]

    He could feel the nerves radiating off the blonde woman, without even turning to     glance back in her direction. Rassilon had learned a long time ago to read the     Balrunian's expressions ; and was thankful to see that she hadn't changed much.     He shook his head then, gaze softening ( if that was what one could call it ) into his     typically blank arrogance, not caring when the smoke from a newly lit cigarette wafted     into Stellar's face. ❝My name, child? — Not a concern of yours, not now.❞ A perhaps     overly friendly smile crossed the man's lips, Rassilon knowing that his affording the     blonde such a luxury would certainly endear her to him.     A thumb rubbed — almost tenderly — on the spot in which he'd rubbed against her     arm, the Time Lord hoping for a bruise against her pale skin. A physical mark on his     ownership over her. She was, as she'd said, his after all.     The pair walked in silence for a few minutes, the man paying seemingly no attention     to the blonde ; when in fact, he was taking in every second of what she was doing.     Re-learning, after all these years, how she behaved, and how he could use it to his     advantage. ❝What would you like to call me?❞ He spoke with a much exaggerated     casualness, one brow raising in curiosity at what her answer might be. Couldn't say     he was partial to my Lord — though that was his preferred title. As delightfully broken     as Stellar was, he worried there was still enough of her left inside to draw some sort     of connection. ❝I'll have you know, though, that I'll accept nothing less than Sir.❞ 

[splinteredshine]

Ｊｕｄｇｅｍｅｎｔ

Two very unfriendly guards dragged Stellar into the High Council chambers. Already her fair skin was bruised from being tossed around the prison grounds, and her bottom lip was swollen, because she’d bit it when the first guard had thrown her face-first into the holding cell.

                          For men who called themselves Lords…they were not very gentlemanly.

She ground to a halt once inside. She’d expected a trial, a hearing before the High Council. But there were only three people in the room. The one who called himself Rassilon, and two other clerks in traditional Time Lord garb, men who, unbeknownst to Stellar, were Rassilon’s two closest associates, and tightly under his thumb.

He hadn’t always been this way. The man she’d first met, he’d been power-hungry, sure, and he’d had some rather twisted views about how to improve the universe, but Stellar had always seen through it, to the idealistic, passionate man underneath.

                                       There was even a time when she’d believed that he’d loved her.                                                                      And that she might feel the same, given time.

But there was no love in his expression today. He seemed to look through her as she entered, a glint of steel in his eye, and he rose to his feet. ❝Stellar Deira. The council has convened and reached a decision — ❞

❝What council?❞ Stellar snapped, gesturing around at all the empty chairs. She instantly regretted the outburst.

Rassilon decided not to dignify her question with a response. ❝You, Stellar Deira, have been found guilty of the murder of a Time Lord. The traditional punishment is a lifetime sentence in the Stormcage Facility. However, since these are times of war, your sentence has been left to my discretion.❞

From the table before him, Rassilon lifted up a perfect, shining diamond, allowing it to catch the last bit of daylight that creeped through the chamber windows.

                                                         It was the most beautiful thing Stellar had ever seen.

Her eyes grew wide with surprise, and her half-heart began to race. For the briefest of moments, she thought that perhaps Rassilon meant to give it to her as a gift, that he’d seen the error of his ways and wanted to make amends.

❝Do you know what this is, Stellar?❞ Rassilon asked, in a soft, coaxing voice, the same voice you use when trying to lure a wild animal out of its hiding place. He was looking directly at her for the first time since she’d entered the room. Stellar couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

                                                                   She swallowed loudly and shook her head No.

❝It’s known as a white point star. A very old piece of Time Lord technology.❞ She fought against the natural curiosity which made her long to ask what it was used for. She had a feeling he was going to tell her. ❝Like our ships, the white point star is bigger on the inside. Well, big enough for one,❞ he amended pointedly, the corners of his mouth curving upwards in the most terrifying, malicious smile Stellar Deira had ever seen, a grotesque perversion of the many times he’d smiled at her with humour and occasionally even, or at least she’d thought so at the time, love.

                                                    Suddenly she understood.  All too well, she understood.

                                           ❝A prison,❞ she murmured, taking a step back as she felt her                                                    stomach lurch and her head begin to spin. ❝My prison.❞

Rassilon smiled, beaming with gratification at the look of horror on her face. She carefully schooled her features, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. ❝We can’t just let dangerous criminals like you walk free, now, can we?❞ he asked, giving her a simmering expression of mock sympathy.

                                                         She couldn’t keep herself from asking, ❝How long?❞

                                              ❝As long as I want,❞ Rassilon replied with a sneer. Then, a                                               quick, dismissive wave of his hand, and the process began.

As the diamond began to materialize around her, or as she began to materialize inside the diamond (it was difficult to tell which), she bit her lip to keep from crying out, to keep from begging Rassilon for mercy, like she knew he wanted her to. She clung to the pain of her swollen and now bleeding lip, knowing this could very well be her last deliberate act, her last conscious moment.

She watched in silence as bright, shining walls engulfed her, her only display of emotion a single stray teardrop that fell soundlessly to the ground of Stellar’s cell, and become frozen in state at the same that Stellar herself felt her limbs grow stiff, and an oppressive, irresistible urge to sleep overcame her.

                                                   Then, for a very, very long time, she knew only the dark.

[degreesofpain-deactivated201707]

her footsteps slow to a full stop, as she hopes that the voice that spoke was not who she thought it was. it certainly sounded like him, but no. her back facing to him she tenses, stomach rolling; it couldn’t be, could it? he was back in the time lock, far away from her - unable to lay a finger on her … but if she had managed to escape it, her elder certainly could have.

❝ … M’lord.❞ her voice comes out uncertain, strained even unsure of how to respond. so she lets silence be the answer. 

[prydoniius]

    A slow smile crossed the man's features, and he took one long stride forward to     stand in front of her. ❝Oh wonderful. It seems you remember your place, doesn't     it?❞ A slow, steady hand reached out to pat the top of her head, eyes travelling up     and down The Master's newest regeneration. ❝ — Could have been worse,❞  he     remarked, wiping the hand he'd just touched her with on the fabric of her jacket before     taking a step back. ❝You're still alive. I have to say, I'm shocked. Seems I didn't do a     good enough job at all. My mistake. How did you survive? Your injuries were great.❞

[yourdisneyplaylist]

Visit Original Link

[drummxngarchive-blog]

     ❝Yes, my Lord,❞ he replied, carefully keeping his eyes lowered as      he turned back toward the battlefield, every step, every last movement      sending sharp, shooting pain through his body, pain to which he had      long grown numb, as he began to walk toward yet another death.

[prydoniius]

    ❝Good,❞ he murmured, watching The Master trudge lifelessly towards the     battlefield, brows raising in amusement before he lifted his chin. ❝Back to     me, pet. — Let us take a walk.❞ Without waiting for the raven haired man,     he turned on a heel, waiting until he felt the broken Time Lord at his side     before speaking once more. ❝My men returned something for repairs today,     pet. — Can you guess what it is? Go, speak. Guess. I'd like to see you try.❞ 

[splinteredshine]

     Stellar nodded shyly, eager for the chance to escape the walls that seemed to      follow her wherever she went: first, the walls of the diamond prison in which she      had spent centuries, and now the walls of the institution to which she’d been      confined when a group of doctors who had never met her had deemed her too      broken to walk their planet freely. Not that she had any right to argue. She was      broken, and there was just enough of her rational mind left to recognize how very      damaged she was. But if the kind man would actually let her see sunlight, proper      sunlight, she might learn to be happy here. ❝Safe,❞ she repeated, smiling warmly,      rising from her seat and waiting for him to do the same, to stand and lead her to      where she knew they were hiding the sunlight from her. ❝Safe, here. With you.❞

[prydoniius]

    Although very pleased with her response, any and all emotion that could have been     equated to kindness in his eyes disappeared the moment she'd stood from her chair.      ❝Yes. Safe,❞ he repeated, reaching out to press a single fingertip on the top of her     head — pushing down hard until the blonde sunk back into her seat. ❝Wait,❞ he'd     commanded, turning briskly on a heel before moving towards the door. It was only     as he'd begun to push it open, that he glanced over his shoulder at the blonde, a     cruel sneer crossing his lips. ❝Come now, Stellar.❞      He'd waited for her then, preparing to shoot out an arm in case she rushed forward     in front of him, like she did so often on Balrune — and finding himself quite pleased     when she did not. There's a scowl as the sunlight hits his face, Rassilon taking her     arm in his hand to guide her outside, before locking gazes with the woman for the     first time since they'd begun speaking. ❝If you rush away from me now, child,❞ he     purred, ❝know that when we find you, you won't be permitted outside ever again.❞

[prydoniius]

degreesofhorror

    ❝ You're in desperate need of a haircut, Master. Shame, we could     have given you one on Gallifrey. There really was no need to run     away —— I would have taken very good care of you, there.❞

[splinteredshine]

     She smiled brightly at the man when he slid the plate of sweets toward her.       She couldn’t have said what it was about him — his voice, perhaps, or the way      he carried himself, or the softness of his features — but she felt strangely at      ease the longer she was in his presence. She took a candy and popped it in      her mouth and then, realizing she couldn’t speak while her mouth was full,      swallowed quickly before answering simply, ❝He gave me the walls.❞ She      paused, brow furrowing as she struggled to remember why she feared the      man in her nightmares. ❝Belong to — he says — I am — his. Find me. He      will find me. In sleep — he — he always finds me.❞

[prydoniius]

    ❝He always finds you?❞ Rassilon leaned back into his chair now, slowly     crossing one leg over the other, a glimmer of amusement in otherwise cold eyes     as he watched the woman shovel sweets into her mouth. ❝And you think he can     only find you in your sleep? Dreams, child. Nightmares, is all they are. Nothing     real. — You're safe, here.❞ Rising to his feet, he quickly crossed the distance     between them, sweeping a hand over the back of her chair as if contemplating     something. ❝ —- Have you been outside much, Stellar? It would do you good to     get outside. Away from where he can find you.❞

[splinteredshine]

     She looked around the room anxiously, as though afraid that someone might      be listening. Deciding that it was safe, she leaned in towards the kind man      conspiratorially, and answered in a low voice, ❝The walls. Beautiful, bright,      shining. All around me. No escape. No escape from him.❞

[prydoniius]

    The look of pleasure in his eyes was unmistakable — never was good at hiding     his pride, Rassilon — but he'd quickly schooled his features. Adopting a more     curious expression, he leaned forward, mimicking her movements in an attempt     to endear the woman to him. ❝And who is he, child?❞ With two fingers, he slid     a plate of sweets towards the woman, careful to move his hand away before she'd     reached out to take one. ❝Is someone looking for you?❞

[splinteredshine]

     She approached the table slowly, eyeing the man warily before      lowering herself into a chair. She stared down into the steaming      cup of tea as she spoke, relaxing slightly as she did. Such a nice      man, to show concern for her. So few did. ❝Not feeling. No sleep.      Feeling in sleep. Afraid. Afraid to see in sleep.❞

[prydoniius]

     Sliding forward to the edge of his seat, the man hid a smirk behind cleverly      placed hands. Still ever the fool, he'd thought, steely gaze boring a hole in      the woman's forehead. ❝You haven't been sleeping. Yes, I know. Why?      What are you afraid you'll see, in your sleep. What nightmares haunt you?❞

[prydoniius]

hauntxng

    ❝ Be careful where you step, fool. Might find yourself in some     sort of danger, if you don't watch who you're running into.❞

[prydoniius]

splinteredshine

    ❝ —— Come, child. Don't be afraid. I'm not a Doctor ;     the ownership of this facility is mine. Tell me, how are you     feeling? You must be hungry, I presume. Sit, eat, talk.❞

[clairedanesdaily]

[bobbynash]

[ticktocktic]