There were certain advantages to one having such a high position on their home planet.
Without having to waste time on mountains of paperwork prior to it, she could take trips away from the Citadel and off planet. It was always looked down upon whenever she did take the rare trips to go off on her own, but there was a certain level of satisfaction whenever she did. It made the lecture to come bearable when she returned. And a quiet day wandering along a path on a winter’s afternoon was one of those little trips she would take. She left only a message with K9 explaining her absence should any one come looking for her, assuring of her return in due time.
The air was bitter and cold, her breath visible whenever she exhaled, but it bothered neither her nor her older companion that was arm in arm with her. And the gloved hand patting her arm was enough to bring her back from the thoughts that occupied her mind; The blond woman looked to meet the kinder gaze of her company, smiling up at her with another pat of her arm.
“Something on your mind, my dear?”
Unable to help the smile that came to be, she replied, “It’s nothing, Professor. Nothing for you to trouble yourself with.”
With his neatly cropped hair as white as the snow crunching beneath their feet and just barely visible beneath the gray news boy cap perched atop, the Professor appeared to be a simple old man but his physical appearance was not anywhere close to betraying his true age. When he had stop for a seventh time to clear his lungs with a fierce coughing fit, the President paused, expressing a look of concern.
“Are you sure you should be out here? Perhaps we should go back--”
“Oh, nonsense, don’t mind me! The fresh air is doing me good!” And as if to emphasize his point Chronotis thumped a fist against his chest once, stifling the coughing fit to come. The old man was stubborn to a fault, but weren’t they all like that? It was an argument Romana knew she would not win and all she could do in turn was smile half-heartily while shaking her head.
"Very well then."
Silence soon became the third member of their party as they made their way through the snow. Every now and again students from the university would pass them by, pausing just long enough to exchange brief words with the Professor. Romana never said anything, only observing his behavior as well as his students. Not one of them knew just who this seemingly feeble old man was. How could they even fathom that there was so much more to their world than the minuscule galaxy their planet resided in? In a universe ever growing, ever changing, it was commendable that even her own kind, let alone other races, could manage the information within the Matrix without succumbing to headaches and migraines.
As for the others... the Nekkistani, Monans and other races developing time-and-space traveling technology that was inferior to the Time Lords, the rising complications between different views and levels of arrogance had been leaving her with a long hours of aching head pains. Children with new toys. It was the most accurate comparison she could think of in describing them. A few choice members of the Time Lord race were not helping matters along either-- a few names were always lingering in her thoughts even now as she buried herself in them. Despite her attempts of taking time away from home it always followed her no matter how much she tried to think otherwise.
Watching Chronotis from his side as he spoke to a small group of his students that had stopped them where they were, she found her thoughts drifting even further from the now, lingering with thoughts that had been dwelling for quite some time in the back of her mind. For months now she had been going over propositions and methods to approach the steps needed to solving the problems with the other races.
The minds of the young are still susceptible to change and understanding. Allowing off-worlders onto Gallifrey and into the doors of the Academy would be an ideal solution in forming allies with them.
Of course the Council would object. Why wouldn't they? Over a millennium spent in secrecy and hiding from the Universe and here she was, planning to open their world to allow the Universe onto their front steps? The lectures to come for taking this trip would not-- no,
could not-- compare to the objections and fury for bringing up such an idea. The incident of Gryben was still a fresh wound --so to speak-- as well as the calamity that was the inquiry.
"--omana?"
She had not realized that the students had left minutes before and during that time Chronotis had been trying to catch her attention. With the shake of her head she snapped herself out of her thoughts a second time.
"Hm?"
"Keeping all of those thoughts to yourself can't be good, you know. Especially when they bounce around too much. I know I have trouble enough as is just to keep my own in order, let alone the ones of others." Chronotis tapped a finger to his temple as he smiled. "It would be better for you to consider what is most important and let the rest of your thoughts fall into place."
The younger Time Lord was unable to help the amused smile that tugged at her lips as she watched the man scratch his chin in a thoughtful manner, looking to the sky when he added, "It usually works best for me. Although a few do seem to stray here and there..."
"I'll take it under advisement, Professor," Romana replied, managing the will-power required to hold back a chuckle.
Character: Romanadvoratrelundar
Canon: Doctor Who
Word Count: 971
Prompt: ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif?v=92.1)
justprompts photograph.![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1){kind=small}
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