DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of Doctor Who
Another chapter! Let me know what you guys think!
Hally was feeling pretty pleased with herself that morning as she wandered past the dormitories towards the breakfast hall. She had successfully managed to complete the report on the behavioural studies of flutterwings the night before, she hadn't run into the Master for a whole three days since the library incident and she'd only just begun to formulate a plan for torturing Persca today.
There was a small skip in her step as she wandered down the hallway, she wouldn't ever admit to herself but the altercation with the Master had shaken her. She'd spent the entirety of the next day expecting to be arrested and taken before the High Council. Abnormalities and unexplained power were dangerous for a Time Lord and Hally had been very aware that there was something highly abnormal about her for a while now. She'd therefore been extremely relieved to not be arrested that day and whilst this had lifted her spirits slightly she'd still spent the majority of the past three days skulking around the corridors expecting the Master to appear around any corner.
However, he hadn't and Hally refused to let him ruin her good mood. In a way, it was sort of lucky that it hadn't been another Time Lord to have discovered her… issue. She'd only met the Master a handful of times, but she knew from past experience and the rumours that spread throughout the academy that the Master was known for his scheming and ambition for power. Hally doubted he'd pass up this information to the Council when he'd much rather try and reap the benefits for himself. It was that assumption that had lifted Hally's spirits that day, as well as the knowledge that she'd managed to fool him and knock him over the head with a particularly heavy book. The frightened doe eyes worked on everyone at least once, but she doubted he'd fall for that play again. Hence the skulking.
Hally made her way through the cold, bronze doors of the hall and helped herself to a small breakfast of brightly coloured fruits. She moved towards the far end of the room where she could see Persca sat in the middle of her group of friends. Hally nudged the lanky blonde boy who was sat to Persca's left in the ribs with her knee and slipped stealthily into the space he unwillingly made.
"Happy Birthday!" Hally grinned, wrapping her arms around Persca's shoulders tightly in what looked like a hug, but which was actually more of a disguised headlock.
Persca shot her a playful glare and shrugged her off with difficulty, "Why thank you. Truce day?" She raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly.
Hally laughed, "It's your birthday, how could I be anything but lovely to you?" She grinned mischievously. "Any presents I can 'borrow'?"
The blonde boy, Lenden, scoffed quietly, she turned around in her seat to offer him a steely glare. Persca's group of friends tended to ignore Hally's general presence, much like most of her classmates. In the beginning, they'd argued and insisted Persca stop associating herself with Hally, but after nearly 260 years they'd taken to simply pretending like Hally didn't exist.
Persca was strong-willed and always ended up the leader of a crowd, she had magnificent long golden hair and perfectly round green eyes. They'd met during the first month at the academy and her pretty face and perfect manners had made Hally instantly dislike her and during a particularly long cartography workshop, Hally had taken to secretly sabotaging her calculations to try and make a fool of her during class. Hally had been pleasantly surprised when instead of reacting as most children of high-born Time Lord families would, she'd retaliated by sneaking a bucket full of Frogile eggs into Hally's bed. After years of petty pranks, she'd somehow become a close friend.
"Is your mother and father coming to visit for the next visiting day?" Lenden spoke over Hally to Persca, continuing the conversation they'd been having before they'd been interrupted.
Persca nodded, smiling. "Mmhmm, yes, we're going to spend some time in the Citadel so we can see my brother's new workshop."
Lenden leant over the table slightly, propping himself up on his elbow. "Oh, that'll be lovely. I do love to get away from the academy when my parents come to visit. I'd hate to be hauled up here all alone." He drawled, flashing a smarmy smile at Hally.
She rolled her eyes, unimpressed. "You're so original." Hally finished picking at the last of her fruit and turned her back on him. "See you this afternoon?" She asked Persca, who was giving her an apologetic look, she nodded.
"Temporal mechanics, your favourite." She winked and laughed as Hally made a small sound of exasperation. Hally got up out of the seat and with a sickly-sweet smile, blew Lenden a kiss and exited the hall. As soon as she was through the double doors the smile fell from her face to be replaced by an irritated scowl.
Hally would never willingly let anyone know it, but she dreaded visiting days. She hated the fact that she couldn't help but feel sorry for herself every single time they came around. There weren't many visiting days at the academy, but during each one, her fellow classmates spent all day with their siblings being spoilt by their families. Time Lord families did love spoiling their children. Hally hadn't seen her father for 61 years at this point, he visited the academy almost every 6 months along with her mother to see her elder brother and sister, Irvin and Mejana. She tried to squash the rising anger as she walked out onto the walkway heading early to her first class. When she was younger Hally had tried so, so hard to connect with her parents as her siblings had done. Her mother had barely spoken 10 words to Hally her entire life and her father, The Doctor had always kept his distance. She'd spent years of her life trying to figure out what she'd done wrong, why they hated her so, but eventually, after finding no answers Hally had forgotten to care. The hurt was still there though and try as she might to ignore the sharp stabbing feeling in her upper chest, the build-up to visiting day was always the worst.
Hally shook her head clearing her thoughts. I'm fine on my own.
Hally nodded her head slightly at Lord Trigorn as she entered the botany classroom. The room was large and open, round tables dotted across the steel floor with high silver stools beside them. The long side of the room was bathed in white light from the suns outside, cages and containers of different sizes lined the windows. Most contained extra-terrestrial flora, but some contained millions of tiny silvery particles, known as Flutterwings, they flew in tight formations around the edges of the delicate glass containers, creating the appearance of a larger form. She smiled and sat on one of the stools, watching the tiny shimmering insects flit around. Slowly the room began to fill up and she pulled her report out of her satchel as Lord Trigorn circled the classroom to collect them before beginning the class.
"Thank you all." He neatly piled the reports on his desk, returning to stand behind his desk.
"We will be continuing to discuss the behavioural and epidemiological patterns of Flutterwings today…" He began in a monotonous tone. Hally sighed softly wishing that he wasn't about to make an enjoyable topic hideously boring.
"It's important to note that whether a species of Flutterwing originates from Gallifrey or from a constellation of An Gàrradh is totally independent of-" Hally had switched off by this point, glancing instead back at the swirling mass of Flutterwings to her right, she wondered what it would feel like to stick her hand into the middle of the swarm, to see the tiny specs float and dance across her skin like a cloud. Hally gently began tapping her finger on the cool metal table in front, mimicking the beat of her hearts.
Later that day Hally was sat at a small wooden desk, scratching away at her notes as Lady Vek enthusiastically garbled on about anti-time. Her face was screwed up slightly as she tried her best to concentrate and keep up with the speedy explanations. Hally looked across at Persca and Lenden who seemed to be fully comprehending what she was saying, Persca wasn't even taking notes. She spotted Hally watching and gave her a small smirk, Hally pouted and turned back to face the front.
"With the use of this function we can construct two mathematical models, where the second is generated by applying 'beta' to proper elements of the first," Lady Vek pointed to the second part of a very long equation she'd scribbled on the wall. "Such that the two models are identical prior to the time t=0, where 't' is a time function created by a foliation of spacetime but differ after t=0." Hally rubbed her hand against her face, staring at the equation blankly. Of all the classes she was only miserably failing one. This one.
"These considerations show that since substantivalism allows the construction of holes, that the universe must, on that view, be indeterministic. Which, Earman argues, is a case against substantivalism, as the case between determinism or indeterminism should be a question of physics, not of our commitment to substantivalism." She continued confidently, nodding at the class in encouragement.
"Now, if you take the equation you can consolidate the factor 'f' and hence estimate the degree of anti-time." She grinned and clapped her hands. "Off you go!".
Hally blinked a few times and re-scribbled the equation down on her paper below, hoping that if she stared at it long enough it would start to make sense. Hally was averagely smart, she was good at history and practical subjects, spacial cartography she could manage but her brain just wouldn't let her understand spacial/temporal engineering and mechanics. Numbers were not her friends.
Eventually, Persca took pity on her and showed her the workings, at this point she knew not to even try and explain the logic. Hally smiled stupidly and gave her a pat on the head.
"You're welcome." Persca hissed, shaking her head at Hally. "I think you might need an actual tutor to teach you this stuff next year." She whispered, "It'll be a part of our Ex280 and you can't fail again…"
Hally frowned, "I'll be fine, I've got you." Persca scowled and shook her head.
"I can't teach you this stuff, it's advanced and you never really grasped the basics… you scraped through the last 15 terms because Chancellor Borusa seems to have a thing for you." Hally pulled a face in disgust.
"What the hell?!" Hally gawped. "Ew." Lady Vek and the boys sat in front turned to see what was going on.
"Shhh!" Persca, covered Hally's mouth with her hand, smiling at our teacher.
"…but you can't fail next year, they'll make you retake the last 50, or worse… do you really want that?" She raised her eyebrow as if talking to a child.
Hally made a face and shrugged her shoulders, "I'll sort it out." Persca huffed softly but turned her attention back to the front of the class as Vek began to take the class through the correct workings.
At the end of the class Hally grabbed her notes and started packing the mathematical instruments away, Persca practically jumped out of her seat and beelined for the doorway, waving a quick goodbye. As Hally went to follow, Lady Vek stepped in front of her a small smile on her lips.
"Uh… Hi?" Hally said after a few moments of silence.
"Yes dear, please if I could just have a moment?" She gestured back over to an empty desk, Hally awkwardly perched on the edge.
"We have some concerns…" She began, still smiling kindly. "We have agreed that in order to ensure that you excel in your studies as much as possible, it would be beneficial for you to undertake some extra tutelage in this subject."
Hally gritted her teeth. Persca.
"You really don't have to…" She started, hoping to weasel her way out of more torturous, mind-bending equations.
Vek smiled, "Oh no, unfortunately, our current academic tutors are all far too busy. However, luckily for you, we've managed to secure some valuable time with a master in this field." Vek nodded her head again encouragingly. That was getting irritating.
"You might have noticed him shadowing today's class?" She continued, gesturing towards the back of the room.
"Huh?" She turned, having not seen anyone else at the back of the room when they'd arrived. Her mouth dropped open slightly.
Has he been there this whole time?
Hally was trying to think of something smart to say but the words caught in her throat as The Master crossed his arms, leaning lazily back against the short bookshelf behind him. He raised his eyebrow expectantly but all she could manage was a frustrated groan.
His smirk grew into a predatory grin, "It'll be my pleasure."