Stardust was blown into the TARDIS as another galaxy formed in a colourful explosion right in front of the Doctor's eyes.
Only the Doctor failed to take any notice.

With his hands folded in front of his chest and one of his feet on the control panel he rested on the settee, absorbed in his own thoughts.
Only when the TARDIS' doors creaked and clattered he bothered to amble over and shut the doors instinctively right before a small asteroid could have crashed into the TARDIS' interior.

The Doctor sighed, staring wide-eyed into space while the buttons beneath his fingers seemed to sizzle.
It was a week after Inshrakhata – well, since Gallifrey no longer existed, there was no more Inshrakhata. But technically, if it hadn't been time-locked and if he'd been there and not on the far other side of the universe it would have been Inshrakhata.
And somehow the Doctor tended to feel rather gloomy around the Gallifreyan holidays.
It was no use denying it.

He felt it. He felt it in his blood, in his veins.
Seldom had the Doctor felt homesick. It was childish and he knew it. If Gallifrey would still exist it wouldn't be like he expected it to be.
There would be no Inshrakhata, definitely not for him.
He would have been court-martialled, or executed or, in the worst case, sentenced to life-long heavy labour, hence cleaning and chopping vegetables for the field kitchen.

The Doctor grinned darkly as he pushed some buttons and set new co-ordinates absent-minded.
Well, at least the other soldiers wouldn't fear death after having tasted his Goulash*, he added mentally. (*Which wasn't only made from a variety of meats but bits you didn't even know belonged to any sorts of animals.)

There would be no Inshrakhata, no festivity. Just death and destruction.
A pensive smiled flickered over his lips.
He'd said that a lot in his younger days. When the world hadn't consisted only of war's atrocities, when the despised Master had been his beloved Koschei...
Koschei had always caused death and destruction.
But back then he hadn't cared about it.

Mind you, he'd been thinking about him a lot lately. Well, about Koschei, well technically not about Koschei, just Inshrakhata with Koschei, well, he'd been thinking about how much he'd hated Koschei around Inshrakhata.

And the posh parties. And the expensive celebrations.
Completely out of touch with the real world. People with their heads in the clouds, living in a different world.
And now they were gone like the rest of it.

A brief, grieving sigh escaped the Doctor's lips as he tried to focus on the control panel.

"So" he announced to the world in general "since there's nowhere to go back to let's advance. In time. Or something."
Knowing that this had been the stupidest announcement he'd ever made he was, for the first time, glad that he no longer had any companions on board.
After he had parted ways with Donna he'd felt... well, empty.
But it was an emptiness he felt he couldn't do anything against.
Every of his dear companions, no, every one he'd had to leave behind had left a gap inside of him, a cleft which couldn't be closed. And the more ways parted the bigger the cleft grew.
By now it had reached an abyssal extent.

But he was the Doctor, right?
So he kept on travelling and met new people
And every knew face he saw was only the beginning of another goodbye.

The rumbling beneath his feet had stopped, indicating the TARDIS' materialization.
The Doctor took another look at the co-ordinates on the screen before pulling a wry face.

"Victorian Era again, eh?" sighed the Doctor and trotted over to the exit.
He pushed back the doors, breathed in deeply and coughed.
He slammed the door behind him shut hastily.
"Oh what glorious days of child labour, poverty and air pollution! But high standards of personal morality if you can afford it. Am I right, sir?"

The Doctor smiled darkly at a passing well-dressed, middle aged man.
But his face dropped as the recipient turned.
"But that's impossible..." the Doctor mumbled, backing up to the TARDIS until his back was pressed against the wooden door.

"There you are," the Master smiled cheerfully. Gnashingly, the Doctor had to admit that Victorian sartorial styles really became the Master. Especially the sideburns...
"I've been expecting you since..." the Master retrieved a fob watch from his brocade cloak coat "...Tuesday, I think. You're late."

The Doctor stared at him disbelievingly.
"What?" he stammered as the Master approached "What?!"

"Come on, there's no time to lose," the Master pushed the Doctor against the doors which swung back and sent him falling to the floor.
The Master helped the Doctor back to his feet, brushing off his clothes affectionately.
"We're gonna be late anyway."

While whistling under his breath the Master approached the controls, typing in co-ordinates and setting their destination.
The Doctor, too stunned to even protest, managed to quaver after a while:
"Why are you here?"

The Master smiled at him warmly.

"It's Inshrakhata. What did you expect?"

Inshrakhata Night marked the beginning of many nights of celebration and jollity.
Inshrakhata had tended to continue for weeks, weeks of Time Lords dying of alcohol induced intoxication and TARDISES crashing into buildings.

So a former Lord President had put his foot down (or, rather, his hand, what with him being in a wheelchair) and he'd said "We can't have people killing themselves or innocent bystanders just because it's a time for festive activities and alcohol consumption*." (*This attitude is, among others, evidence why Time Lords are superior to humans.)

So he'd invented Bh'ajshra Ct'hore, which roughly translates as "Just sleep it off", two days of abstinence and austereness between the first solstice celebration and the second one**. (**It would seem rather cheap to celebrate only one solstice when Gallifrey's orbited by two suns, right?"

And the Lord President's name has been long forgotten, and so has the true meaning of Bh'ashjshra Ct'hore. But it had become a tradition and wasn't 'not knowing what this is all about' what made a tradition a tradition? Besides, it's easier to explain to your children that it's alright to end up naked and crying in the neighbours backyard IF you'll spend the next days lethargic and remorseful. Anyway, it's a lot easier to hide that you're hung-over if you lie low for two days, right?

So a tradition had been invented. A tradition to be abstinent, penitent and celibate for two days...

The house of the House of Oakdown was a noble manor with estates and provided employment for more than a few dozen servants.
Though its fields proved to be quiet during Bh'ajshra Ct'hore since work had been reduced to the bare minimum needed.
And so silence abided over the frozen land. No stable-lad came to groom and exercise the horses, no peasant took the trouble to take a look at his farm animals today.

So, scarcely anybody would walk past the disused hayloft today.
And that was a good thing.
Otherwise the passers-by would have been shocked by the noises that protruded from inside of the hayloft; and not only because it was Bh'ajshra Ct'hore.

The indecent noises escaped, with what appeared to be smoke and vapour from an old oil lamp, the wooden hut via a broken window. And they had roused more than a dozen small rodents from their hibernation.

Koschei was on top of Theta, grinding him into the decomposing hay. Theta lay beneath him, heavily gasping, moaning and screaming, both with lust and pain since the straw had turned out to be spikier than expected.
Their love play had commenced oh so tender but had taken on violent tones soon enough.

Koschei was greedy. He was always so greedy and bore Theta a grudge for not submitting to his desires. Theta could give him so much more... there was a hunger inside of him, a covetous, edacious side...

A displeased groan escaped Koschei's lips. He stared down at the conquered body beneath him – the body that held so much passion and fervour- and thrust in deeper and deeper as Theta dug his nails into his arms.

But Theta kept restraining it, kept it away from Koschei, out of his reach... Theta dared to deny Koschei control over his darkest arousal, dared to chastise him.

Fingers, stiff with excitement and arousal scratched over Theta's chest until they drew blood. Violently pounding him, Koschei's heated flesh chafed against Theta's, rubbing him and bolting him into the vibrating wood trusses.
Koschei, assailed by fury and impatience, knocked his forehead against Theta's, thereby painfully enforcing their mental bond so that he could scream and scold him in his mind. Theta winced underneath him, helplessly trying to wave him away. Pleased by Theta's evident suffering Koschei smirked and kissed his moistened cheeks.

Overcome with malicious joy Koschei pushed his throbbing member in Theta's tightening cavity up to the stop, granting him a few intense thrusts before coming unashamedly inside of him.
And he was more than pleased that he could hear him howling back at him in his mind.

Koschei nuzzled Theta's neck tenderly.
Shortly after this tender display of affection he collapsed on top of him, thereby pounding him one last, hurtful time into the straw.
The loud thudding noise was followed by a faint sigh and a muffled "Koschei..."

Koschei rolled on to his side, thereby relieving Theta from his weight.
Theta, slightly coughing and sighing, struggled to sit up straight.
"Thank you" he mumbled coldly and glared at Koschei.
Koschei retorted a snigger.

"I don't know why you're always doing this..." growled Theta while rummaging through the scattered straw.
"Doing what?" asked Koschei.
"Doing it over and over again" snapped Theta "And where are my clothes?"
Koschei watched him unperturbed while he combed through the straw. Eventually he pushed them into his hand, which earned him another glare.
Koschei wrapped an arm around Theta's shoulders tenderly.
"Just push off" snapped Theta, shoving his hands aside and climbing down from the hayloft's upper area.
Koschei stared down at him as Theta continued getting dressed. Knowing that a grumpy Theta would speak his mind soon enough Koschei leaned over the ladder.
"I wish you wouldn't smash into me every time after you're finished" growled Theta. He still fought with his sleeves, his moist and sticky skin making it impossible for him to slip into his garments.
"I mean it" he went on while looking up into Koschei's blank face "I'm sick and tired of all those bruises. And you're getting heavier, Koschei. Next time you'll crush my ribcage, I just know it."

Koschei nodded thoughtfully, giving him an annoying feline stare.

Theta frowned, staring back morosely at Koschei, his otherwise soft and tender lips pressed together into a thin line.
"What?" he snarled, his voice both echoing in the deserted loft and Koschei's skull. But Koschei remained unimpressed, descending the ladder with precise steps.
It was the quiet chuckle which escaped his lips that was the final straw.
"Do you think this is funny?" Theta roared, grabbing Koschei by the collar as soon as he came within reach.
Koschei grinned calmly, disentangling Theta's fingers and separating them from his collar casually. "You're creasing my shirt" mumbled Koschei; he hardly noticed Theta's eyes widening in deep-red fury.

"And yes, I think it's hilarious that you're thinking about final straws while we're in a hayloft" Koschei, the epitome of calmness, went on. "Although" he went on while keeping Theta softly from strangling him "And it's not the first time that you're ticking me off because you're feeling insecure. You're a very neurasthenic character, if you don't mind me saying so. But it's beyond me why you're constantly staring out of the smashed window, what's so interesting out there?"

At which point Koschei had joined Theta's side in front of the window. His hand lashed out and closed around Theta's fingers as he was about to slap him in the face.
He felt Theta's skin tingling at the sensation of his firm grip while his arm sagged.

"Someone's been listening..." Theta mumbled forlornly.

"So what? Someone's been listening to me shagging you and, may I add, I hope they enjoyed what they heard. Who cares?" Koschei sat down on an antiquarian fauteuil with fake lion's paws as legs. Theta was resting on Koschei's bed, not paying Koschei any attention whatsoever as he pricked his ears and listened for footsteps on the corridor.

"I mean obviously you care, but that's not answering my question" Koschei went on while regarding Theta thoughtfully with a look on his face ranging from pity to surprise. "Do you really think anyone would be eavesdropping on us?"
"Maybe your parents" replied Theta and hushed Koschei while listening intently.
"Dear God, no!" Koschei stared aghast at Theta "They wouldn't want to know what I'm doing in my room for love or money and I used that phrase deliberately because you know what my parents are like. And stop cupping your hand around your ear, you look ridiculous."

Koschei took a seat beside Theta, placing both of his hands in his lap. "Keep your hands off me" snapped Theta, trying to push him away while he kept staring at the door like a basset hound that had been left outside in the cold for too long.
"Acting coyly, eh?" Koschei smirked while slapping his hands down on Theta's thighs, nails digging into his skin.

"We're not supposed to do that" snarled Theta, knocking his hands aside. They ended up rolling around on the bed's counterpane until Koschei managed to pin Theta down while kneeling above him.
"I said get off!" yelled Theta.
"Oh, and all of a sudden you're not worried that anyone might hear you?" replied Koschei mockingly while thrusting his knees against Theta's thighs.
"As long as I'm putting up a fight they can't say that it happened consensually," gasped Theta, hissing in agony under his breath.
Koschei's brows furrowed; Theta seized his bafflement to kick him in his nether regions.

"It's Bh'ajshra Ct'hore," Theta explained while sitting up beside him. Koschei had hugged his knees, snarling despiteous "We're not allowed to get romantically involved."
"I wouldn't call it romantically involved," groaned Koschei "I'd just settle with 'annoying'. And since when are you holier than the Lord President himself?"
"Some rules are necessary" replied Theta.
"Of course," added Koschei, trying to forget the stinging pain in his groin "and we're breaking them necessarily."

"I mean it" snarled Theta. His honesty nearly managed to scare Koschei.
"We shouldn't have done it in the hayloft. We shouldn't have done it at all. It's a holy day."
"I thought it was a holiday" replied Koschei, sitting up carefully.
"Will you stop that?" snarled Theta, raising his voice more than necessary. Koschei regarded him with silent astonishment.

"I'm feeling ashamed," Theta added after a while "It feels... weird. It's like...killing a small, cute animal..."

Theta turned to catch a glimpse of Koschei's blank expression.
"Don't you ever feel guilty about anything?" asked Theta, speaking his mind.
And he needn't even read Koschei's thoughts to know the answer.

Theta arose in silence and headed for the door.
"I'm going to my room," he said, hand halfway to the door handle and paused again. After due consideration he added "Do I have a room?"
"We have spare guest rooms if that's what you mean," replied Koschei who busied himself with trying to chose a book from a set of bookshelves "unless, of course, you'd prefer it to stay here and remain my little mistress."

Theta clenched his fists before pushing the door open. He felt the anger bubbling up inside of him, he was frustrated, no, furious because Koschei couldn't, not even for one second, shut his gob and keep his thoughts private. Half crazed with fury he sought his mind for the right reply, for words that would convey his impotent rage.
He found two.

"Fuck off."

After slamming the door he'd rounded a corner, dashed through two corridors and darted into the next storeroom available.
Eventually he dared to breathe again.
He may have been furious; but he feared that Koschei's fury, contrary to his own, would be merciless.
Theta held his breath while quietly tiptoeing out of his hiding place.

Alright, alright.
He'd overreacted; that was all, as simple as that. It wasn't Koschei's fault. Neither was it his. So he could just try to find Koschei's room again and, well, pop in, explaining that this was all some kind of misunderstanding and then...
Theta stopped his aimless course near in the next corridor.
...and then Koschei would rip his head off.

Theta sighed, turning on his heel.
No. He liked his head where it currently was, especially on top of his neck.
He'd find a different way, he'd...

Theta stopped again, pricking his ears.
He could have sworn he'd heard someone whispering. Or hissing under their breath.
And he felt as if he was being watched...

One of the servants brushed past him, hardly paying him any attention.
Theta ventured clearing his throat and tried the intergalactic "Err..."
The chambermaid stopped and turned her head. Theta found a pair of dark and slitted eyes staring back at him.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...err..." Theta gave it another try and swallowed "Would you kindly give me the directions to my room? I appear to have lost my way..."
"Yeah," snarled the chambermaid while sniffing at him "you've wandered out of your master's bedroom."
"I beg your pardon?" gasped Theta without thinking.
"Listen" the chambermaid went on while pulling Theta closer "The butler heard you. I saw you through the open window. The personnel knows about it."
Theta's shoulders sagged. He stared at his feet, muttering to himself.
"You should be ashamed of yourself" spat the chambermaid "You brought shame upon this house by shamelessly fornicating on a blessed day. On blessed property."

"I didn't..." Theta stammered, feeling the colour draining from his face.
"We heard you" snapped the chambermaid "And now crawl back to the young master's room, you 'lil wench."
"No, I didn't..." Theta protested as he got pushed into the direction he'd come from.
He recognized the corridor and sheer terror seized him as he found himself being pushed closer and closer towards the dreaded door.
And he had to explain to Koschei...

"No, please," whimpered Theta "Please, I don't want..."
"Just get in" snarled the chambermaid, gripping his shoulders with increasing force.
"No!" Theta snapped, squirming free of her grip "Don't do that, just... don't. I don't want to, I don't want to see him again!"
His panicky reply earned him another dismissive glare.

"Playing the blushing virgin already, are we?" snapped the chambermaid.
Theta swallowed again, composing himself.
Alright. This was it. Sink or swim. This could either go wrong or go completely wrong. And he was still struggling for answers...
"Koschei's... I... I didn't want to..." Theta stammered "We didn't do it by mutual consent."

The chambermaid furrowed her brows while staring at him with her hands akimbo.
"I... he..." Theta gulped, the words breaking into a run as his brain had lost sight of them.
So he closed his eyes, hoping that this would save his neck.
And if Koschei would wring it later on... well, at least he'd have a decent motive.

"He raped me. I didn't want to sleep with him... Koschei raped me."