#* ◦ ❝ « 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯 . ancient records .

[triple1st]

to me, every version of shada is canon, in fact, every time any doctor & any romana reunite there comes a time, every time, that professors chronotis sends them a summon to cambridge & they have to face skagra again. the seal that places shada outside the known universe is more complex than merely an artefact of rassilon posing as a book & the only way to ensure that shada, the time lords' prison planet, remains hidden from history & memory is for the doctor & romana to visit st. cedd's college in 1979 in whatever permutation to stop skagra's plans for the universal mind again & again. they don't realize this until they're at least three separate adaptions of shada in already & by then they've become part of the seal in the same manner as chronotis, skagra, chris & claire. the doctor, given that he does all the important bits & saves the day at the end, is excited each time, romana, who spends half of the adventure listening to skagra's mad ravings, is less than thrilled

k9 is happy to get out of the playpen for a little bit

[triple1st]

imagine the mentally you'd have after regenerating not for yourself, not to survive, but as a duty imposed upon you by the high council, you have spent centuries in one incarnation trying to lead gallifrey forward, you've given up every single one of your moral principles in order to do so, you've given up yourself, & now the planet asks you for the ultimate act of self sacrifice. of course, few time lords think of regeneration as death, it is a change of scenery to them, but they live cushy lives up in their capitol, they have never had to sacrifice as much as you have. you comply, part of you has always felt this incarnation has outlived itself, you've grown too attached to a stolen face, you liked being yourself, & you're willing to give it up for the state. you want change, you love change, you want to look upon the spires of the inner city through new eyes, & you've been told throughout your presidency you are too young, too liberal, too inexperienced to lead, so you change

but you don't do so alone, for as long as you've cared to remember you've had a bodyguard at your side, she has been through your every misstep & mistake & fall & endured them at your side. she has suffered for you & you love her for it, you know the last time lord she loved broke his vows when he regenerated, you know the wound that left, & you don't want to repeat that mistake, so you invite her into your office where you've decided the regeneration should be. the throne from which you lead, the center of your web, your power, & you tell her to be there so that it's easier for her, so that there's continuity. so that unlike andred, leela sees you shift from one person to another in the same space, in the same position, so that she doesn't see you die & somebody else take your place. she holds your hand, you end one life & begin the next, & you ask her how you look, what she thinks, if she likes it. somehow, you feel more confident now, stronger, you've suffered the weakness of emotion & unshackled yourself from it. you still love her, she allows this new you close & you embrace & there's no sadness in the act anymore, it makes your hearts race, you are happy. leela is uncertain, that is expected, but though your voice has changed your words have not, you are the same, you are better. she sees the fire in you, she is glad of it