Prompter: theodditywriter

Prompt: I'd love to see another story about Tara and Petra from Stars in a Sky of Blood and Blue.

Originally posted: 9 January 2016

Notes: 1584 words; takes place when Tara and Petra are well into sixteen (which is minimum legal age for young people in the 'verse to start doing things like dropping out of school, getting married and having kids, having full-time jobs, and stuff like that with no legal repercussions, though it's rarely done); is during the wintertime, just after the first snows; also contains Astra the Cockblock and Seren the Adorable

Petra and Tara walked hand-in-hand through the guards that were blocking off the entrance to the private sector of Castle Gallifrey. Chances were that Petra could have navigated her own way through the castle unperturbed, even without her Academy uniform, but Tara did not want to take any chances that weekend. She brought her guest into her bedchamber and they immediately went for the settee, giggling and pawing and kissing aggressively.

"I do think I like you better in dresses," Tara murmured against Petra's neck as she pinned her down. She bit in retaliation as her girlfriend grabbed her breasts and squeezed; things they had discovered one another liked.

"I'm better in dresses? You look the part of a lady in them and it makes me weak at the knees."

"Note taken."

"Ahem…"

The teens stopped their fun and glanced over towards the new voice. Astra was there, locking the door behind her.

"I thought we agreed that you wouldn't bug me when I've got Petra over," Tara scowled, flopping down on her girlfriend's chest.

"I thought you weren't dumb enough to actually do that sort of stuff in your room, where, you know, anyone can see you," Astra mentioned. She sat down on a chair and smoothed out her skirt. "I just wanted to know if you two were going to do anything for Seren's birthday; it's in two weeks."

"Not that I was aware of," Petra said. She then grinned devilishly as a thought crossed her mind. "If we use one of the secret passageways, you want in on this action?"

"No," Astra deadpanned. "Just because you and Tara go about canoodling doesn't mean that I want to as well. I'm not into other girls."

"Yeah, Astra's the good twin and is going to marry a man with money and a title and have a dozen babies by him and be respectable while I'm the one everyone is going to be ashamed of," Tara grumbled, keeping her face securely between Petra's breasts.

"Okay, for one, the three of us know that you are a secret at the Academy only so that you aren't treated unfairly, and that the secret can drop once you've graduated," Astra snapped back. "For two, if Mama and Papa were truly ashamed of you, they would have packed you up to live with Grandpapa and Lady Linda a long time ago already. For three, it doesn't matter if I marry a man who is rich or titled, because it's very likely that I will make enough money to support him and a family by working for Lena."

"Lady Linda?" Petra wondered.

"Grandpapa's rich hag-wife," Tara explained. "She lives out in Blackpoole and never visits unless she positively has to."

"…which still doesn't change if you're getting something for our baby brother or not," Astra insisted. "You are the one who always forgets."

"…no I don't…"

"…because I remind you." Astra stood and patted the back of her sister's head, attempting to be as patronizing as possible. "Don't forget that it's in two weeks."

"Yeah, yeah; bugger off and let us be," Tara muttered.

"Fine." She then turned her tune from annoyed to sweet. "It was good to see you again, Petra. Did your dad get that extension he was hoping for?"

"Nah; we're back to Croydon at term's end."

"That's a pity—I really would have liked you to stay around even a little while longer," Astra said in earnest. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"No, just a bit of a snog and we were going to have a late lunch in the city," the guest said.

"Then I'll see you two another time," Astra smiled cordially before leaving. Before long, Tara and Petra were left alone, cuddling on the settee with no one around.

"How about if we go into the city early and look for Seren's birthday present?" Petra offered, rubbing Tara's back affectionately. "What do you want to get him?"

"A swift kick in the arse; boy whines too much."

"He is your baby brother… I bet it's difficult being the youngest."

"All he does is pout and things go his way though," Tara mumbled. "I'd rather take you up on that offer to go into the castle passageways."

"All you're doing is pouting right now, so I can't say you're any better." Petra kissed the top of Tara's head and chuckled. "Take me through the passageways dalek, milady, but the price is we go shopping for Young Lord Seren's present immediately afterwards."

Tara lifted her head to look at Petra. "'Milady'? You must be serious."

"Serious as I'm ever about you," she replied. They pecked one another lightly on the lips and scrambled to their feet—the afternoon was going to be a busy one.

"How old is your brother turning, Tara?" Petra asked from across the toy store. She was holding a stuffed bear, examining it carefully. This wasn't something she wanted to mess up—it was the first time she'd gone gift-shopping for a beau's sibling before. "I know he's in early Primary, but he usually doesn't come anywhere near us when I'm at your place."

"Five? Six? I'm not sure," Tara replied from over by the mechanical dolls, watching them move in wonder. "He mostly follows our parents around, or our friend's parents, or our sisters… pretty much anyone who's not me."

"You need to be nicer to him," Petra frowned. She placed the bear on the shelf and walked over to her girlfriend. "So what if he's headed towards the College? He's still your brother."

"I guess." Tara didn't necessarily enjoy the idea that she wasn't as close to one of her siblings as the rest, but the feel of Petra's arms around her from behind was a comfort, as was using the cover story she had crafted for herself in public. The daughter of servants, that's all she was. Tara Smith was the daughter of servants with too many kids and enough privilege to live at the rarely-used Castle Gallifrey servants' quarters.

"Well, other than throwing a fit, what is he normally doing when you see him?" Petra inquired.

"He and Maggie like to play pretend," Tara mentioned, not daring to mention Oriana's name in the occupied store. "He loves snuggling with our parents and singing songs and reciting poems in the ceremonial tongue…"

"That's it!" Petra said. She grabbed Tara by the hand and dragged her out of the toy store, heading down the street until they entered a bookshop. It was much more deserted and quiet, with the few customers that were there browsing and reading to themselves in peace.

"A book…?" Tara asked dully as she was brought to the back of the store. "Why a book?" Petra whispered in her ear the plan and suddenly their grins matched.

Yes; this was going to be the perfect gift.

A week later and Petra was back at Castle Gallifrey in one of her better dresses. She met Tara at the front of the private wing and they immediately went to pick up a brightly-wrapped package from the top of a cabinet in the family study. They then took it to the nursery, where Seren was curled up in bed sick with the sniffles, the Marchioness sitting in a chair by his side.

"Oh, I didn't think I'd see the two of you here," she said as the teens walked in. "Sorry, but our Seren here has a fever, so I don't think I'll be available for a while."

"We're actually here to see Seren, Mama," Tara replied. "We have a birthday present for him, but since Petra's going off on a school trip on his birthday, we wanted to give it to him today."

"A present? For me?" Seren wondered. His nose was clogged and his throat raw, but he perked up all the same.

"Here you are; Happy Early Birthday," Petra grinned, setting the package down on the boy's lap. He tore off the paper and found a box underneath, which he opened with a bit more care. Inside was a book written in High Gallifreyan, covered in delicate swirls and circles, resting atop a warm blanket made of fabric red as the night sky.

"A book…?" the little boy observed. "…but I can't read it."

"It's a book of stories, all in the ceremonial tongue," Petra said. "Tara checked them to make sure they're ones you'd like. You do like learning Old Gallifreyan, yeah?"

"Uh-huh," he sniffled. He then touched the blanket, his eyes going wide. "It's so soft!"

"You seem like the kind of kid that would like a good book and a warm blanket on a cold day," Tara explained. She stared at her youngest brother tentatively, waiting for a reaction. "Do you like it?"

"I do! Thank you Tara! Thank you Petra!" He wriggled out from underneath his blankets and bounced up on his bed, hugging both teens excitedly. "Mama, you can read this! Can you read it to me now?!"

"Maybe I can help you read it," the Marchioness offered. "Thank you very much, girls. I hope you class trip goes well, Petra."

"Thank you, milady," she said with a curtsey. She and Tara then left the nursery, holding hands as they ambled down the corridor. "See? I told you it would work."

"Didn't doubt you for a moment," Tara snickered. She then gently tugged Petra towards a cupboard, arching her brows suggestively—less than a month until her girlfriend moved away and they were going to make the best of it.