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zuzu-firequeen · 4 years

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Fire Queen

Fire Queen Masterlist

Tagged: @redryderdesigns @luleck @melacholy

~Zuko X OC~

~DEAD~

-Zuko-

I stand on deck, watching as we rush through the sea, passing the mountains on the other side. The moon shines brightly through the clouds. I’ve become a custom to not rest until the late hours of the night. Truble and I made a habit of keeping each other awake until one of us couldn’t keep our eyes open.

I feel the corner of my lips curve in a smile, only for my heart to ache. I shake my head, putting it in my hands. “What have I done?” I mumble to myself remembering her body falling to the ground.

How could I be so dumb? So blinded?

“Aren't you cold?” I turn around spotting Mai. That’s right… Now Mai.

I turn around to look up to the moon, avoiding her gaze. “I've got a lot on my mind. It's been so long. Over three years since I was home. I wonder what's changed. I wonder how I've changed.” She sighs, “I just asked if you were cold. I didn't ask for your whole life story.” I bite my cheek. It was simple banter that kept a fling alive when we were younger, just children. Truble understand emotions. She understood I had to be forced to ring my feelings out. Mai will just push them away until I rot. She smiles and wraps her arms around me. “Stop worrying.” I tense in her grasp. Her arms felt like frayed rope against my skin. It doesn’t feel right.

She reaches towards me, leaning into my face attempting to kiss me. I back away and turn my body to the railing of the ship. “I’m sorry, Mai.” She crosses her arms. “It’s that rat. Isn’t it? Azula told me you’re fond of her.” I narrow my eyes, glaring into the sea. “She’s not a rat.” Mai shrugs, “She died like one.” The words leaving her lips catch me off guard. Had I considered that fate? Yes. Had I accepted it into a reality? Absolutely not.

“Leave me alone, Mai.” Her fading footsteps allow me to be free. Free to let my lips quiver and tears to fall from my eyes.

-Truble-

Two hands push the stray hair away from my face. I’m so weak. Can I even open my eyes? “I’m so sorry, Truble.” Zuko’s voice drifts on, “I was going to take your hand. I saw how hurt you were. Your eyes were broken, and I was the one who caused that.” He cries for me.

I slowly open my eyes looking at the bright sun. I groan, turning my head. “Where are we?”

“She’s awake!” I head Aang gasp as the entire group runs up to my weak figure. We’re in a forest… in a campsite…

I look around and down at my neck. My necklace in place. “What’s going on?” Zuko hulls me to his chest tightly. “I love you. I love you so much.” Everyone around me smiles warm-heartedly.

This is… nice.

Too nice.

Zuko pulls away and kisses my head. “Wake up. You have work to do.” He lets me go lightly and they all back away. “Yes, I suppose you do have some catching up to do,” Azula smirks as she comes into view. She draws near and I struggle to sit up. I stand to my feet but fall, she catches me at my throat, forcing me up.

Her thin smirk burns into my eyes. “No more resting, rat.” She snaps my necklace off and I fall down into the depths. Just falling, falling, falling past echoing screams.

I scream, throwing my body up. A sweat layered my body as I looked around. No forest, no camp, no Team Avatar, no Zuko. I reach for my necklace but find the space empty.

Azula…

I reach behind my head and run my fingers over the back of my neck. I gasp as I remember the intense pain.

I stand up looking around the small room, I move to peer out into the crack of the doorway, but a body tackles me, hugging close. “You’re okay. We’ve been so worried!” Katara says, swaying me lightly in her motherly grip.

She holds me at arm's length and sighs. “How are you feeling?” I look at her tilting my head. “Like I should be dead.” Her blue eyes show sadness. “You were on the verge. You and Aang.” “Aang?” She nods before leading me out the door into the hall. “He woke up a few days ago. We’ve just been waiting for you.”

We walk into the control deck and I am immediately tackled in another set of arms. “I thought I lost you,” Zori mumbles into my stomach. Her eyes bore a sight of relief I’ve never seen. Something is hidden within them.

“Glad to see you causing trouble, Truble,” I smirk at Sokka. “It’s what I do best.” I reach up to my neck out of habit and bring my hand down when I find nothing.

“Azula took your necklace.” Aang says softly. I meet his soft eyes and smile at his new look. “If you grew hair I must've passed out for a while.” Aang nods. “Both of us were out for a few weeks, but now that we’re awake I think it’s time we all talked as a team.” I nod feeling weak. “I’m sure you have questions for me.”

“Yeah, starting with you dating the one-eyed prince with anger issues!” Sokka screams, causing an elbow from his sister. “Let’s start somewhere else. How about why Azula was after you in the first place. Is that why you came running to the earth kingdom? For safety?” I shove my head in my hands. “This is a lot more complicated than you think.”

Toph kicks her feet up. “Bring it on.”

“Okay well-“ “NO! I’ll tell you!” Zori says rushing to the floor in front of everybody.

“Once upon a time a mighty fire General had discovered a new bending ability when certain elements were combined. His name… Savrar Kamie.”

The ALL gasp. Zori continues.

“He could manipulate the function of time. Rip it open. Step into another timeline and create cause and effect. All was well at first… THEN THE EVIL FIRE LORD FOUND OUT!”

“NO!” Sokka shouts.

“The fire lord demanded Savrar go back in time and get rid of the avatar as an infant…” they gasp again. Aang leans forward, “what happened!”

“HE REFUSED!” They let out a breath of relief.

“Savrar spit in the fire lord's face and ran to escape with his wife before they were captured. The beautiful Killo Kamie, 8 months pregnant, was pulled from her life in the fire nation. The two escaped through time-bending and ripping their way into the future.” They cheer.

“BUT! This future wasn’t peaceful or bliss. No. It is full of FIRE AND MORE SUFFERING!! Sav and Killo knew they had to do something! That’s when our girl Truble was brought into the universe. Trained every single day to come back, save the Avatar, and help end the war.” They all clap at Zori’s performance before turning their heads to me.

“So you jump through time and you’re a fire bender? CAN YOUR DAD ADOPT ME?” Sokka asks. “I wanna go on a time trip!” “Me too!”

“Hey!” Katara shouts. “This isn’t a joke. Truble was sent here for a purpose. To help Aang learn fire bending so he can win.” Aang looks at me with sad eyes. “I vowed to never firebend again. Not after I hurt Katara.”

“We all get burned when we play with fire, Aang. Plus if I had my necklace maybe you’d be okay without fire, but, Azula took it, so this is our option now.” I state before sitting on my knees.

He looks down thinking over my words. He has to learn to firebend. If not we will lose the war and everything I’ve done will be worthless. I looked down at my clothes and noticed the fire nation rags. “Wait! Why are we on a fire nation ship?!” I panic quickly. Azula could be right behind us! Sokka grabs my shoulders and drapes his arm over me. “Calm down, Red. After what happened in Ba Sing Se, we had to get you and Aang to safety. We flew back to Chameleon Bay, where we found my father and the other Water Tribe men. The Earth King decided he wanted to travel the world in disguise, so he set off alone. Well, not completely alone. He has his bear. Soon, the bay was overrun with Fire Nation ships. Rather than fight them all, we captured a single ship and made it our disguise. Since then, we've been traveling west. We crossed through The Serpent's Pass a few days ago. We've seen a few Fire Nation ships, but none have bothered us.” I open my mouth in shock. I understood this team was crafty but… “That… is… Badass.” They all giggle freely. It’s also at this point I take notice of my hair. “It’s (h/c)!” Aang shuffles his feet. “I told you she would be mad!”

“If we’re going to survive we all need to blend in. It’s only temporary so… it will… wash out.” I stare at her. “You dyed my hair… While I was unconscious?” Zori smiles. “It was really hard too. I like it.” She lifts a strand, smiling. “Now they won’t suspect anything.”

“We've been working on a modified version of the invasion plan.” Katara scoffs, “It's Sokka's invasion plan.” “Yes, Sokka's plan. We won't be able to mount a massive invasion without the Earth King's armies, but the solar eclipse will still leave the Fire Nation vulnerable.”

“So we're planning a smaller invasion. Just a ragtag team of our friends and allies from around the Earth Kingdom. We already ran into Pipsqueak and The Duke. And the best part is, the eclipse isn't even our biggest advantage! We have a secret!” Sokka looks left and right to Aang and I. “You two!”

“US?”

Sokka smiles, nodding his head, “Yep, the whole world thinks you two are dead! Isn't that great?!”

Dead? I stand up in a rush. Zuko thinks I’m dead?

Zuko… His name tastes like soured juice in my mouth. He thinks I’m dead.

Good. It’s what he wanted by siding with Azula.

“Someone catch her I think she’s going to-“

“I got her!” Aang calls out ready to catch me on my right, but I fall to the ground on my left.

-Zuko-

I sit at the edge of the turtle duck pond at the Fire Nation capital. My old home. I tear Cut to a bread bun in half before throwing it into the pond. Zoir would’ve enjoyed the ducklings. Truble would be amazed at the sight of them. My heart hurts at every thought of her… Hence my chest never relaxed.

The mother turtle duck and its ducklings swimming up to the floating bread and feeding on it. A shadow encompasses the pond, scaring the turtle ducks off. “You seem so downcast.” I sigh, “I haven't seen Dad yet. I haven't seen him in three years since I was banished.”

“So what?”

“So, I didn't capture the Avatar.”

Azula shrugs, spinning a golden chain. “Who cares? The Avatar's dead… Unless you think he somehow miraculously survived.” I remember how he fell from Azula’s lightning. Then the memory of Katara holding the spirit oasis water when I was trapped. She said she was saving it for something special…

I glare at the ground. “No. There's no way he could've survived.”

She smiles. “Then you have nothing to worry about. The Avatar is dead. The Time Bender is too.” Azula drops the golden pendant in front of my eyes, swinging it back and forth. Azula didn’t even care to wash the blood away on the coin. Sickening. Twisted.

“I might keep this. Maybe I’ll give it to Ty Lee. Or Maybe, Mai. She could use some color.” I snatch the chair from her fingers. “It’s mine.”

Azula’s smirk tears away at my soul. She knew she was playing with my feelings. Trying to sway me off into the darkness. She can’t sway me any further into something I’m already in. The moment Truble’s eyes closed, was when my heart died. That’s when the fire burnt out. My light was gone.

An ignited boulder hits the water, just missing our stolen ship. “They’re firing at us!” I yell to the crew. “Tell us something we don’t know!” Sokka yells back.

As she gains her balance, Toph enters an earthbending stance as The Duke stands behind her. “Load the Toph!”

Pipsqueak heaves a big stone dis cover his head. He sets the disc in front of Toph. She takes two steps forward, slamming her left foot into the floor and popping the disc into the air in front of her. She turns and shoves the stone disc with her palms, shooting it at the enemy ship. The flaming boulder and the stone disc collide in the air and explode.

The chained, metal projectile shoots into the water and punctures the hull of our stolen ship. Inside of the hull is pierced by the projectile, causing a huge leak. The chain connected to the projectile is pulled taught and inside of the hull as the projectile is pulled out, expanding the breach and flooding the space even more.

I run over to Katara on the edge of the deck looking down at the breach. “What can you do?” I ask her in hope. Katara waves her arms upwards and pushes her palms down and exhales freezing mist towards the hole in the hull. The mist descends down the ship toward the breach. I watch in amazement. “I knew I came to the right girl.”

“I'm gonna give us some cover! You need to hide!” Katara presses her arms down, pushing down the water between the two ships. A cloud of mist forms and rises up. Katara pushes her arms out, making the mist float behind our stolen ship, clouding the view. Suddenly a fireball pierces through the mist. I gasp jumping out and blasting my own burst of flames, deflecting the rocks. “Hey!” Sokka yells from his hiding place. He grabs my arm pulling to the floor. “No firebending!” “But I’m-” “Shh!” Sokka puts his hand on my mouth, halting my augment.

Aang shakes his head in defense. “I can't just stand by and do nothing!” Aang rushes outside. I bite Sokka’s finger causing him to scream. “OW!!” I ran away from his hold behind Aang.

Sokka catches up to us and grabs Aang’s staff blocking our path. “Both of you are still hurt, and you have to stay secret. Just let us handle this.” Aang huffs before pulling me with him. “Fine!”

Hours later when the ship is repaired and the sea is calm Zori plays with my new (H/C) hair. “I really like it.” I look over her frame and smile. “He still loves you.” I look up at her in shock. Why would she bring this up now? “Zori, I’d rather not-” “We can go get him! I still have my pin your dad let me use! We can-” “Stop!” Her words pause as she looks at my eyes. Cold, I’m sure. When Zuko left me for the honor he so wrongfully craved was when I broke. His eyes said it all. I wouldn’t be enough without the titles. Without his crown.

“You were not there, Zori.” “I’m sure he can explain-” “I said stop!” I raise my voice with tears brimming my eyes. “He doesn't care. He never did. We’re against him now. It’s time you grow up.” Zori’s eyes harden as she glares. “He is good.” “He almost got me killed!” “He didn’t do it!” “ZORI! NOT ANOTHER WORD!” I roar at her. She never cowers, just pushes a thin line on her lips before walking out the door with a high head.

Not long after a knock rings out on the metal door. Sokka’s head pops out from the side with a soft smile. “Hey, is there a sibling rivalry? Zori was heated when she passed me. I roll my eyes. “She’ll be fine.” “Well, we're going into town to find some dinner if you’re up for it. Toph and Katara are getting Aang.” I smile standing up and straightening out my fire nation threads. “So you got stuck with me. How’d that happen?” I punch his arm as I pass. He flings an arm over my shoulder as we walk. “Shortest straw.”

We meet Katara and Toph on the dock. “Where’s Aang?” “He won’t wear the bandanna,” Toph says kicking a pebble around. “He thinks he failed. Said he had to regain his honor.” Katara longs at the ship with sadness.

What is it with guys and their honor?

-Zuko-

I walk down the large familiar hallway of the Fire Nation palace. I hold my composure as I feel the nerves shoot through my blood. I stand in front of an archway covered by a red curtain with a gold symbol of the Fire Nation. I take a deep breath, bracing myself, and walk forward, parting the curtain.

There he sits. My father in all his feared glory. Fire Lord Ozai sits on his throne upon the dais, separated from the rest of the throne room by a trench of fire. I fall to my knees and bowed before my father, awaiting his words.

“You have been away for a long time. I see the weight of your travels has changed you. You have redeemed yourself, my son.” He stands, walking closer to me. He pushes a grin my way. A respectable grin towards me, his son. “Welcome home.”

“I am proud of you, Prince Zuko. I am proud because your sister conquered Ba Sing Se. I am proud because when your loyalty was tested by your treacherous uncle and that vile girl, but you did the right thing, and captured the traitor. And I am proudest of all of your most legendary accomplishments. You slayed the Avatar along with the Time Bender.” I look down making my hand to grip the golden coin in my fingers. My father trails behind my figure quietly. I didn’t kill them. Azula did…

“What did you hear?”

“Azula told me everything. She said she was amazed and impressed with your power and ferocity at the moment of truth.”

I nod in appreciation. He dismisses me without another word.

I make my way to Azula’s room with several questions. I open her door and glare at her as she lays in bed. “Why'd you do it?” Azula raises her brow. “You're going to have to be a little more specific.”

“Why did you tell Father That I was the one who killed the Avatar and Truble.” Azula sighs as if it’s not important. “Can't this wait until morning?”

“It can't.”

She sits up glaring at me. “Fine. You seemed so worried about how father would treat you because you hadn't captured the Avatar. I figured, if I gave you the credit, you'd have nothing to worry about. The Rat was just for fun. Two kills are better than one.” I grip my sleeve. “I didn’t kill, Truble. Why? Why would you do this?” I feel the raw tears making their way to my eyes, but I refuse. She will not see me like this.

“Call it a generous gesture. I wanted to thank you for your help, and I was happy to share the glory.”

“You're lying.”

“If you say so.” She moves past me swiftly. “You have another motive for doing this. I just haven't figured out what it is.”

“Please, Zuko. What ulterior motive could I have? What could I possibly gain by letting you get all the glory for defeating the Avatar? Unless somehow… the Avatar was actually alive. All that glory would suddenly turn to shame and foolishness. But you said yourself that was impossible. Sleep well, Zuzu.” She pushes me out of her room and slams the door in my face.

I walk down the halls leading to the pond. As I near the green grass, a purple hue lights a few feet above the pond. A light purple portal swirls open and a figure drops into the pond. They spring up coughing. “Who are you?” I demand loudly. “Reveal yourself!” I grab the soaked hood of the figure and pull it back revealing Zori.

She smiles and wraps her arms around me. I stare at her in shock. “Zori?” She pulls back, sending me a confused look. “Yeah?” I kneel down to her level. “What are you doing here? How’d you get here?” I smile at seeing the child. She’s okay. I frown, “Truble…” Zori shakes her head silencing my questions then and there. So it’s true. She is gone. “I had nowhere else to go.” I nod holding the girl. “I’ll take care of you.” It’s the very least I can do for Truble. Make sure Zori withstands.

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lucifer-lacroix · 4 years

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Interview with a Witcher

Geraskier Fanfic - Geralt X Jaskier - Drama - Romance - based of games and tv series - Future plot - When a Vampire shows up in Novigrad, things at the theatre get more dramatic as Geralt and Jaskier explore their feelings for each other.

The wild plains of Redania were filled with monsters, and corpse eaters as Geralt of Rivia travelled to the city. Jaskier, his long-time friend and ally had opened a cabaret in the city. A tavern once called the Rosemary and Thyme had transformed into the lavish theatre known as the Chameleon. It has been one year since the theatre opened and Geralt headed to the anniversary show — a grand performance to make up for the cancellation of the opening night. Priscilla, Jaskier long-time girlfriend and the fellow bard had recovered from her injuries and even though the assailant who attacked her was never found she was ready to perform. Geralt had hoped Ciri would make it in time for the show at weeks end, but since she became a full-fledged witcher herself, she would frequently run off on her own. Geralt was starting to worry since she should have arrived by now, the Wild Hunt was gone, but powerful monsters remained, and the political order was getting heated again. Geralt constantly reminded of the dangers on the road after fighting off an ancient forest spirit whose head was currently strapped to his saddle. The bloody antlers were catching the attention of the guards while he crosses the gate into the main strip. Roach trudged up to a three-story theatre house draped in red. A group of performers out front were singing and dancing to greet them. "Toss a coin to your witcher." They started singing, and Geralt let out a long exasperated sigh as he manoeuvred Roach up to the watering trove. Once he dismounted Geralt felt the strain of his injuries which cause a limp in his gait as he walked up to the doors tired from little sleep. The joyous tune of his song making him smile despite his best efforts to conceal it.

"Welcome back, Geralt!" "Nice to see you, a witcher." "Have you come to the show!?" Their voices called for his attention.

Inside the theatre, on the second floor, Jaskier glanced out the window hearing the commotion outside and spotted his comrade. "Geralt's here!" he cheered, "The letter said he would be here two days ago." Jaskier excitedly rushed down the stairs and out the door his arms open in welcome. "Geralt, you made it!" he exclaimed, "Good to see you, Jaskier." Geralt replied as he came in for a hug. "Part of me was expecting you not to show up, but the rest of me knew you would not be able to resist… oh my lord, what is that smell?" Jaskier attempted to pull Geralt into a hug but stopped just short as he noticed not only the foul stench but also his tired eyes. Geralt's arm flinched when Jaskier touched him, fresh injuries which stained his armour red. "I'm fine." Geralt said to quell Jaskier worried expression. "Come follow me, let us find you a place to sit and relax. You must be hungry, and I have plenty of delights to fill the empty belly of a hero who has come home." Jaskier excitedly lead Geralt into the Chameleon, "Tell me where you have been what have you seen where did you go? I want to know all!"

"Well, recently I travelled to Skellig. Took up a few monster contracts including a Leshen that had made its territory near a small village, the elders believed it to be a god protecting them, but it would hunt and kill those who tried scavenging in the forest. One of the elders wanted me to perform a ritual to please it, but the rest of the townsfolk paid me to kill it." Geralt started his story as they walked into the theatre decorated with tasteful paintings and elegant art. Jaskier was dodging around tables even though his nose was down in a book. Pictures of the mummers, lord and ladies of note and show posters lining the walls along with a few coats of arms. A banquet of food set out as the many patrons picked from the buffet as they drank merrily together. "This place is amazing." Geralt motioned impressed with what a high-class establishment Jaskier owned. Jaskier however, was distracted by Geralt story while scribbling down notes before being snapped out of it.

"Isn't it?" Jaskier beamed with a flourish of his pillowed sleeve proudly." I'm excited about the show I have been working on it for months!" Jaskier exclaimed and showed Geralt his notes as he fixed a tilted frame on the wall. "It has been a while since I heard one of your… stories." Geralt said in his monotone voice looking at the inventory list in Jaskier's book along with story ideas in the bottom corner. They went to the back and sat at a private table. "Alas, not everyone thinks my stories are so great." Jaskier sighed and offered Geralt a seat sitting directly across from him with interlaced fingers, pensively looking at his notebook. "What works better? If a frog is a prince, would he be wearing a crown or wearing a cape?" Jaskier asked while a barmaid served them a round of ales. Geralt quickly picked his up and chugged it in one long swig. "Why do you ask?" Geralt suspiciously asked with a belch as the bard pondered.

"Just curious, minor play details listen, I know you're tired, but I have one, teensy, tiny, little favour to ask. It's to help the show," Jaskier pleaded. "I just sat down." Geralt said as he thumped the glass onto the table. His face twisted with annoyance but Jaskier innocently eyed Geralt. The Witcher bites his cheek, "ugh, What is it?," he sighed in defeat and crossed his arms on the table.

"Don't tell me you're in trouble again? Is this another bandit heist to swindle another rich lady?" Geralt asked a little sarcastically as he took Jaskier's ale this time and sipped it. He was getting the hiccups from drinking too quickly each jolt, making him wince in pain. "Much worse," Jaskier exclaimed. He leaned forward getting closer to Geralt. "A new King came to town and then completed slaughtered my dream with a bad review! I wasn't paying him much mind when he arrived six months ago, but his opinions seem to be detracting patrons from the district entirely. Madam Irina is struggling to fill the seats because of his crass, thuggish, bullying antics."

Jaskier's voice was a low whispered hiss as he spoke. "I feel if you were to have a word with him, he might change his tune. If the great Geralt of Rivia could maybe 'persuade' him into giving me another chance?" Jaskier said full of bravado. "That's it?" Geralt asked, curious when the twist was going to come. "You just want me to talk to some snub nose King who insulted you?" Geralt tried to hold his breath now since the hiccups were getting worse and he didn't want to look like a pansy who couldn't handle his drink because of a broken rib. "He said my work was boring and derivative. It's affecting my business and my sanity! W-wait wait Geralt are you alright?" A concerned look crossed Jaskier's face as he noticed Geralt holding his breath. He flagged down the barmaid. "Can you get him some water please?" Jaskier called out as Geralt held his clenched fist in front of his mouth and cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed that Jaskier noticed. "Thanks, it's nothing just a couple new scars," he said with his eyes cast down and sipped the water that the barmaid quickly brought over. "Have you tried writing something the King would like?" Geralt asked but stared at Jaskier's over-expressive face now stunned with horror. "I—- I— hmph!" he fumed, a slight blush crossing his checks "How dare you to assume I have not tried. The man is an unreasonable Buffon." Jaskier glared. "Please Geralt, I need your help, he's a complete monster." Jaskier ranted as Geralt raised an eyebrow. "I'm not joking, he is!" Jaskier said rather loudly before looking around at the witcher hunters who were currently chatting with Zoltan. "I think he is a vampire," Jaskier stated in a whisper.

"Don't be unreasonable! Less you see how gossip is the poison that spews from your mouth. You can't just go around accusing people of vampirism in the middle of the city of Novigrad. Do you know how many witch hunters are out there looking for a reason to kill someone?" Geralt got rather mean, as much as Jaskier's antics could get out of hand. Vampirism was a serious matter, but there was a look in Jaskier eye that Geralt could read to be true. The brunette's pleading eyes were wide like a dog begging for attention. Geralt huffed and covered his face by combing his fingers through his hair. A small blush of his own, he willed away before his pale skin betrayed him to show emotion. "What do you want me to do?" Geralt asked, knowing there was no sense of debating the matter. "I assume you have a plan? Does this King Lucifer seem like a man who has found a seat of authority over you? What's his deal? You know I have grown wiser to the antics of politics. I have been introduced to him the more powerful faces in town, including the big four." Geralt said, rather proudly. Jaskier furrowed his brow, "Ever since Whoreson Junior went missing the criminal empire had been all a buzz when the Great La'Croix family moved to town. They say he is King of a faraway land escaping monsters that ravaged their home. Lucifer is rich, and I want to invite him to the show. The big four are no more since Lucifer has been winning hearts everywhere he goes. All I need is one more chance to impress him, to be on his good side as I sing his praises while Redania takes Nilfgaard. I can't go alone either… as I said, the man is a monster. It wouldn't be safe! The wolves and bats are enough to hint it's a dangerous place and you taught me to steer clear of that shit." Jaskier stopped the mid-story to see the grim expression on Geralt's face." Truth be told I did tried to go through inviting Lucifer on my own but could never bring myself to reach the estate out of the sheer fear he was going to eat me or worse dismiss my talents to my face this time, but if you are with me. I know he won't refuse."

"So send him a paper invite? Why do we have to go to him in person if he is this dangerous?" Geralt asked, if Lucifer was a vampire, Geralt needed to investigate. "I've tried, I think he has some sort of alliance with King Radovid in the efforts against Emperor Emhyr. He's proud, secluded and off the grid with a fleet of his own. Such a common invitation would insult him further, He needs to know I care about his opinion and respect. Lucifer is still a King even though he isn't at home." Jaskier sighed, feeling a little defeated. "If what you say is fact and not some overblown fiction, you shouldn't even go over there. Give me an invitation, and I'll go alone. Where is the estate?" Geralt asked and pulled out his map and spread it out on the table so Jaskier could point it out. Geralt loudly yawning as Jaskier circled a mountain on the coast with a pencil. The booze made Geralt tired, and the fresh wounds from his last fight had barely healed, and he reeked of seaweed and rotten fish. "Don't be silly, I'm coming, and that's final plus this should be a trip for the morning. You need a bath first," Jaskier stated and took a few strands of Geralt's dirty, white hair between his fingers and made a face. "Thanks, I hadn't noticed." Geralt said with a comedic sneer. "Maybe a nap too," Jaskier added when Geralt glared back at his cheeky smile. "You will be rested, fed and presentable to deliver the invitation as well as a sample what fortune's favour has granted me." Jaskier popped a few grapes in his mouth as he winked. "I don't need a nap!" Geralt said but was betrayed when another yawn hit him, so he punched the table knocking the candelabra over. Geralt quickly snapping his fingers making all the flames extinguish as the candles broke and scattered about on the floor. "Dammit fine! Where's the bath!?" he asked, causing a bit of scene. It was out of character, but it had been a long time since they were together. For some reason, the conversation was revolving around diplomacy and bureaucracy when usually Jaskier wanted to know more about Geralt's adventures. Geralt waited for Jaskier to stand and lead the way to the upper floors but they sat there for a quiet moment as Jaskier studied him. "You're a bit more boorish than normal, are you sure everything is okay or am I not allowed to ask?" Jaskier crossed his arms waiting for an apology. "It's nothing. I'm just sore." Geralt finished his ale with a chug and fell back into his chair like a grumpy bear. "Nothing? Knocking a flower pot over is nothing. It seems like you uprooted an entire tree." Jaskier commented making the same face as the life-size portrait behind him. Geralt finally noticing the audacious mural of Jaskier wearing pumpkin pants while slaying a dragon. He then stood up abruptly making the glasses on the table shudder before he peeled open a gash in his armour. There was more than one wound Jaskier was made aware of as Geralt's armour had been sundered. "Ooof, and you won this fight, right?" Jaskier shuddered at the sight. "Against the Leshen, yes." Geralt said and exited the table and headed upstairs not waiting anymore.

Up the stairs, Geralt entered a beautiful hallway decorated with masks and drapery which lead to a spacious suite with couches and a hookah. The inn rooms transformed into cabaret stage where musicians sat around playing songs rehearsing and reciting poetry. It was a marvel to behold at how much had changed in a year. "Hi, Geralt!" "Hey, baby!" "When am I going to get my solo?" A group of dancers waved and shouted to get their attention. Geralt recognized some of them and motioned back sheepishly. Jaskier was stumbling over a couch out of place. "Oi! Get this place cleaned up my Guests are arriving and this place looks like a nekkers nest. Maybe when you can prove you are more than children, you will get a chance at a solo." Jaskier let out an exasperated sigh.

Once at the top level, Geralt spotted Pricilla sitting in the bedroom with the door open. Her beautiful voice was humming songs while her back to them. Jaskier picked up his pace and brought Geralt to their bathroom, a spacious place with stone and tiled floors with a rather elaborate tub sitting under a draped window. The same red and brown colour scheme in the towels and a gold candelabra which Geralt lite with his magic. "Oh, thank you!" Jaskier exclaimed. "Not going to lie, this is such a nice house." Geralt crossed his arms and looked around the room. "Do you like it?" Jaskier asked with a proud smirk before busied himself to get the water prepared. Geralt took his time to investigate the stonework and tapestries in the room. Jaskier hummed a tune and shoved some fragrant soaps into the Witcher's hands. "Now get undressed and wash, you smell like you've spent the night in a bucket of fish heads!" Jaskier tuts wagging his finger as he prepares a towel.Geralt fumbled with all the loose knick-knacks Jaskier handed him and set them down, one of the delicate vials of lavender oil falling off the chair which Geralt caught it mid-air. "Okay, okay!" Geralt said as he removed his elegant swords from his back. Once free of the restrictive leather armour Geralt stretched out before peeling off his black cotton tunic. The wounds had closed, but the raw skin still healing and tender. Jaskier darted around the room in distraction, so Geralt snuck upon him. Now able to silently creep in his bare feet until he was right behind Jaskier, who didn't notice him peeking over his shoulder into the drawer. "Do you have enough towels?" Geralt asked his lips right next to Jaskier's ear. "Ge—Geralt!" Jaskier shrieked, jumping a little. The bard startled, as he spun around with towels in hand to face with Geralt and his lack of clothing. Jaskier should have expected this, but he was still surprised by it as he scanned the hunky man in front of him. Geralt's broad, muscular chest scruffy with hair and scarred with residual dried blood. He was getting an up-close and personal look at some nasty looking wounds that were still trying to heal. Jaskier tried not to stare at Geralt even though he had seen him naked before. This time, his body was riddled with scars so many he could not count. The fresh scabs on his chest looked like something had crawled into Geralt's skin and back out again near his ribcage and neck. Geralt followed Jaskier gaze to the wound and he covered it with his arm. "You know I've missed you, right?"

Geralt asked before briskly walking away to the tub to start unbuckling his dagger belt. Geralt looking over his shoulder as he put his dagger down and caught Jaskier's eye while he was removing his pants. Jaskier could feel the heat in his cheeks as he met Geralt's gaze, but he could not look away. "I missed you, too. Things have not been nearly as interesting without you around," he said, trying to sound calm but ultimately failing. Jaskier was drifting his gaze away and fixating on Geralt's back muscles as he climbed into the tub completely naked. The entire time Geralt had not looked away from Jaskier and sunk into the cloudy water to hide. "Mandarine and Rose petals? You're spoiling me." Geralt said. "You must want to impress this, Vampire?" Geralt question as Jaskier started to get flustered. "I want his approval. Lucifer has too much influence." He huffed, "I'm also the one that has to smell you this week so of course, I would rather you smell of roses than monster guts." "Why do you care so much about how I smell?" Geralt said as he held his breath and ducked under the water entirely. He was scrubbing his face and hair while aggressively splashing about in the tub, making a mess. Jaskier watched on in horror. "No! Just no!" He grabbed a bottle of shampoo from the side of the tub and poured some into his hand. "Stop, stop," he commanded and stood behind Geralt and took ahold of his hair, "You're hurt. Let me help." Jaskier sighed and started lathering up Geralt's hair. "Hey!" Before he could fight, Jaskier's fingers were already entangled in his ashen locks massaging his scalp. "You don't have to do that." Geralt said and leaned into his hands. The soft sigh from his chest one of pleasure as Jaskier's nimble fingers relaxed him almost immediately. The content smile on his face, Jaskier noticed while washing his hair lovingly. An awkward silence between them for a beat.

"Can I ask you something?" Geralt blurted out to break the silence. "How are things with you and Pricilla? Everything you had hoped from a settled-down life?" Geralt asked, getting rather personal. Jaskier thought for a moment about Geralt's question. "We've been alright… Having Priscilla back from the hospital has been a joy, but her range has changed, she's more of an alto now. I've had to rewrite a few songs for her," Jaskier said as he started rinsing the stubborn blood and dirt away to reveal the pure ashy white colour of Geralt's hair. "Yennefer and I… well… I broke things off. For good this time. Other than that Ciri's doing great as a Witcher, A born naturally, I can barely keep up with her. She took down a gryphon on her own." Geralt sounded glad, but it was always hard to gleam his mood. Especially with how quickly he changed topic away from Yennefer. The revelation of Geralt relationship with Yennefer and how it was all over quickly skipped before Jaskier could respond. His fingers had stopped moving as he lost himself, but almost as soon as he finished, Jaskier started again. The silence of the moment beginning to get awkward. "Ciri is a good kid. I miss her every day… I am sorry to hear about you and Yennefer," he commented. The way Geralt slumped his shoulders and fiddled with the rose petals in the water, crushing them in his fingers one by one. It was clear Geralt wanted to talk more, he usually likes the silence, but the awkward pause was excruciating. Geralt pulled his head away from Jaskier. "It's fine, you know I think I can handle the rest of this myself," he said, realizing the tension in the air. "You must have some sort of business to handle downstairs." Geralt said trying not to look at his friend. "Things downstairs can wait a moment. You aren't telling me something. I thought you were in love with Yennefer." Jaskier pressed.

"I'm sorry I told you it would be a blessing to have you taken off my hands." Geralt blurted out rather loudly as if he was arguing. Jaskier's face fell as he rinsed his hands. That memory has been pushed away for many years, but the pain of heartbreak was still fresh. He would be more upset if Geralt weren't bringing it up to apologize, but it didn't make the conversation hurt any less. "I guess that's as close to an apology I'd ever get from you…" Jaskier's voice was quiet. Geralt went redder than a burnt pig in the sun, and he spun around in the tub to face Jaskier. "I am so sorry! That's not how I wanted to say that!" He panicked and stood up to meet him. Then immediately sat back down, forgetting he was naked. "No! Fuck! Shit!" He cursed and slapped the water with a fist splashing recklessly. "I appreciate healthy conversation between friends, but I am going to need a moment," Jaskier said with a blank expression since he couldn't face Geralt. The nudity had nothing to do with it. "Finish cleaning up. I'll be down the hall," Jaskier left the room, leaving Geralt alone in the tub.

Geralt submerged himself in the water, hoping a drowner would come and finish him off finally in this moment of dread. He screamed under the surface and came back up out of breath. Clean enough he jumped out of the tub, leaving the fish stank behind. He approached the clothes Jaskier brought out for him, then looked back to his beaten but still high-quality armour and stared for a moment. Geralt picked up his swords, donned his helmet and went out the door. "A vampire's castle is no place for you." Geralt whispered to himself before taking off down the stairs and left the Chameleon. Before Geralt could reach the stable, Zoltan stopped him at the door. "Geralt old pal! It's so good to see you it's been nearly a year hasn't it?" Zoltan asked, going in for a pat on the back, before Geralt could reach Roach. Another figure appeared in the doorway, Priscilla who donned sour look on her face. "Geralt of Rivia, you would leave as quickly as you arrive and not even say hello to me?" She asked. The sour look on her face dropped to reveal a smile. Geralt looked between the two of them in panic, the immediate entourage of people trying to get his attention right when he wanted to disappear.

"Somethings come up I need to leave," he quickly said as he broke away from Zoltan. "But ye just got here." Zoltan looked to Pricilla with a curious look. "What happened?" he asked. "Jaskier found me a contract; it's urgent." Geralt blurted out aggressively, hoping they would take the hint and go away. Pricilla looked confused about what had happened and hurried back inside to find Jaskier upstairs alone in his room �� sitting slumped over in his music chair with his lute propped against the wall out of reach. "What's going on? Geralt just left in a hurry without even saying hello. Said you gave him some sort of contract? Can't he just come here to relax once in a while?" Pricilla questioned Jaskier, who seemed unresponsive as he stared at his boots. "Jaskier? Did something happen?" She asked, putting her arm around his shoulder. Jaskier looked up at Pricilla. "He ran off without me?" Jaskier sighed and stood up, "That idiot. I'll be back shortly." Jaskier said, giving Pricilla a gentle kiss on the forehead and without grabbing his lute headed out. He wasn't going to let the Witcher face the vampire on his own, especially after that conversation. End For Now Chapter 2 (here) For more fanfics go here

#Geraskier #geralion #witcher #henry cavill #joey batey #witcher 3 wild hunt #fanfic #romance #gay #fantasy #geralt #jaskier #dandelion

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takaraphoenix · 4 years

Note

Dr who for the ask game

Thanks for playing! This is also a big, fun one! :O (I do love that the majority of these asks hit target on my own biggest obsessions x3 We checked off like all the live action shows at this point, I think, the only things left are anime/animated xDDD)

Again with a cut due to the sheer size. ^^°°°

Top 5 favourite characters: CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, The Doctor, Yasmin Kahn

Other characters you like: Rory Williams Pond, Graham O’Brien, Mickey Smith, Bill Potts, Sarah Jane Smith, Craig Owens

Least favourite characters: Rose Tyler by a landslide

Otps: not realy any actual OTPs but ships I guess I’m fond of would be Vasta/Jenny and Rory/Amy

Notps: every ship involving the Doctor, because I just honestly find it weird and uncomfortable to look at the Doctor as a romantic or even worse yet sexual being, but most of all Doctor/Rose and Doctor/River, also Jack/Ianto

Favourite friendships: I am living for the current team dynamic, 13-Yaz-Graham-Ryan are really good but my forever favorite is the Doctor and Jack, also the best team-up was the Doctor with Donna and Martha, that was perfect

Favourite family: THE FAM! 13′s team

Favourite episodes:oooh mmh, I do have multiple favorites, so let’s do this!

Blink: it is such a good episode, there was a time I just popped that one in when I had 40 minutes to waste

Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords: for me personally, this is where Doctor Who peaked. My absolute favorite storyline and episodes and team-up - my favorite Doctor with BOTH my favorite companions in an episode with my favorite Master as the enemy. Amazing. There was a time when I would regularly rewatch this, just these three

Turn Left/The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End:Suuuch a satisfying conclusion for a four series plotline, all of the companions coming together like that? It was so good

The Lodger & Closing Time: I love Craig and I love how these two episodes switch things up!

Favourite season/book/movie: Rather obviously, series 3 - the return of Jack, the series where Martha is the companion, a series with my favorite Doctor and four of my favorite episodes in it!

Favourite quotes:THE ANGELS HAVE THE PHONE BOX! xD And the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff! I got that one on a necklace even! *laughs*

Best musical moment: uuurgh the soundtrack of this show is actually so good? I listened to it on a loop for years. Series 3 and 4 being my favorites, they make you feel things, man.

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: Just this series when Jack returned. And let me elaborate to just convey how hard I fangirled at that, because it wasn’t just “oh a fave!”.

You see, Jack is... kind of why I’m here? I watched the first series with my mother back when it started airing in Germany. But they kind of... stopped dubbing it and it stopped airing in Germany and eh, I was okay with it because this show seemed weird like they just switched out the actor of the MAIN CHARACTER who does that what the fuck and I really liked Jack but he was gone now too so oh well.

However, then I read online about how Jack was in series 3. So... I went online and Doctor Who is genuinely the first TV show I ever watched in English, because I wanted to see Jack but there was no dub.

Then series 3 ended and both Jack and Martha left and I was very meh because I remembered that this is the show that constantly replaces its whole cast.

You can probably guess what happened next, but Jack was in the finale of series 4. So I went back into Doctor Who, rewatched what there has been so far all the way up to the series 4 finale - and that was when I was sold, because holy shit even with the switching of companions, they just bring them back! They just brought them all back! That was such a good pay-off.

Ironically, that was when I actually stuck around and started watching the show in real time instead of waiting for the next Jack appearance to bring me back from hibernation. Ironically because - well, that was the last we saw of anyone. (Aside from 10 in the 50 year special.)

That hard, hard cut from 10 to 11, no return of any companions...

Needless to say that when 12 came and went with no care for anything pre-11, I kind of... came to accept that this was it. Especially when they announced yet another hard cut - as in Moffat would finally be replaced and with the new era, both a new Doctor and new companions - I was so sure we’d never get to see anyone from the old crew again.

So when, after literally ten years, Jack Harkness returned and was so... so... Jack, I made the loudest, most unholy sound and the excitement of them actually acknowledging that he would be back for more and he would be there when the Doctor needs him? Tears of joy.

(but aso pls #LetMarthaMeet13 okay? Okay)

When it really disappointed you:YOU’RE MAKING A 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL. YOU HAVE SOOO MANY GOOD COMPANIONS. BUT. BUT YOU BRING NONE OF THEM BACK. ONLY ROSE TYLER’S FACE. OF ALL OF THE FACES. OF EVERYONE I COULD HAVE SEEN AGAIN IN THAT SPECIAL, IT HAD TO BE BILLIE PIPER’S MEDIOCRE ACTING. REALLY? REALLY??

Saddest moment: When 10 regenerated

Most well done character death: Surprisingly enough, this show makes me care even about the one episode characters to the degree that I find their deaths frustrating. It’s pretty good at character deaths overall

Favourite guest star: Does Craig Owens count? Because he only had two appearances in total. And the second one was genuinely a surprise to me; I was sure that The Lodger would be a stand-alone, never to be seen again kind of deal

Favourite cast member: John Barrowman! David Tennant! Freema Agyeman! I love all three of them and seeing them in other things always makes me really happy!

Character you wish was still alive: I mean, Bill. Can you imagine if the lesbian companion had gotten to meet 13?? Death :D

One thing you hope really happens: Martha. I mean, come on. Jack is back, Jack warned the Doctor, promised to be there when needed. There’s no way Jack lost contact with Martha and Mickey, even with those two off in space fighting aliens alone. I’d love for this... very, very big plotline that is currently happening to include the Doctor’s old friends coming back once more to help.

Most shocking twist: I mean... I mean it’s gotta be this series’ Surprise Origin Story. Like, I still can’t quite comprehend that one.

When did you start watching/reading?: As mentioned above, when it first started airing in Germany

Best animal/creature: Does the TARDIS count as a creature? Because then Sexy wins!

Favourite location: THE TARDIS. I wish they’d show it more often just casually. I wanna see the companions hang out in there, I wanna see their rooms, see that indoor pool and stuff

Trope you wish they would stop using: "OH NO THE DALEKS ARE STILL ALIVE AFTER THE LAST TIME I TRIED GENOCIDE ON THEM *gasp*”... Like. The very first time they brought them “back from the dead”, it was really cool because as a newbie you never met them before but you get they are important. Then they were wiped out. And then they returned again. And okay, sure. So they were wiped out again. And miraculously survied again.

Look, I get it. Doctor Who has three recurring entities in the villain gallery who are like... obligatory - the Master, the Daleks and the Cybermen. But for the love of everything, stop trying to show it as a “surprise twist” that the bad guy is a Dalek like we all knew they’re coming they’re the cockroaches of the universe, they ALWAYS surprise, stop acting like we should be shocked that they’re back again.

Every time, the Doctor goes Pikachu meme but with sad eyes and like just... have the Doctor groan, kick a Dalek and go “not you again”, instead of “how did you POSSIBLY survive THIS? :O” because after the sixth miracuous survival of a genocide, it stops being a surprise twist... -_-

One thing this show/book/film does better than others: Clearly something, because it has me come back for more like a masochist despite me being a character-driven viewer - me, abandoning the show after the first series was very in character, because I’m attached to characters and if you routinely replace all the characters, that’s... not really my thing. Somehow, this show defies the odds there

Funniest moments: JACK FLIRTING WITH PEOPLE AND THE DOCTOR GOING “NO STOP THAT!” xDDD

Couple you would like to see: NONE. NO ROMANCE. KEEP THAT SHIT OUT OF MY DW!!! Urgh. Just give me fun found family space adventures. I swear ever since the cast announcement I have had a twitchy eyebrow waiting if they’ll push for Ryan/Yaz and so far I am sooo glad they are NOT. I just... want friendship and space adventures, no fucking romance. At all. Not with the Doctor, not between companions. No drama

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: ...to stay in character, I have to say Dominic Sherwood. Partially because I am obsessed with him, but also because I WANNA HEAR HIS BRITISH ACCENT FOR A WHOLE ASS SERIES PLEASE

I would also like to see the return of James Marsters though. Time Heist teased by showing his face and acknowledging his existence in Doctor Who (it’s not like DW has acknowledged a whole lot of Torchwood canon so far, considering the catastrophic events TW has dealt with without the Doctor...), so that had me kind of hopeful he may at least cameo for an episode...

Favourite outfit: I looove Martha’s red leather jacket and Jack’s coat

Favourite item: The chameleon device

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: *clears throat awkwardly* ...Yes?

a metro card holder thingy with the TARDIS on it,

an I pin I have on my pencil case,

a necklace with a miniature TARDIS,

a necklace with the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey quote in a swirl on it,

a necklace with a Weeping Angel pendant,

a mug with the 10th Doctor as a cat on it,

a lanyard with Police Call Box written all over and a miniature TARDIS dangling on it

a TARDIS dress,

a whoosh-sound making door opening TARDIS with size-fitting figures of the 10th Doctor, Jack, Martha, K9, Idris, 11, Rory and John Hart (it’s James Marsters’ pretty face, okay?),

a Funko Pop 10th Doctor,

another TARDIS but this one is smaller and can’t open,

a larger TARDIS that can open (and is the right size for my Doctor Whooves),

a Doctor Whooves (if that counts since he’s technically My Little Pony but also he’s the Doctor so like...),

a TARDIS-blue stuffed owl with Police Owl written on it,

the first four series on DVD,

a poster from the 50th Anniversary with the War Doctor walking away from an explosion and 10 and 11 on either side of him,

a pocket watch that is the chameleon device

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: Mmmh I would like to be on the current team the most, I think? Generally speaking, their adventures were less intense than most others and I dig the family vibe

Most boring plotline: Boring, huh? There are always a couple stinkers, at least one in each series, but a really boring plotline was... Clara’s post-Impossible-Girl one. I LOVED her as the Impossible Girl, she was so interesting and I think that after she went into the Doctor’s timeline, the character should have been retired. Have her, I don’t know, dissolve there, since she is spread out through time. But that she stuck around was... not good, for her character? Her love drama with Danny was incredibly boring and not fun to watch (especially when she tried to kill the Doctor :D)

Most laughably bad moment: THAT FUCKING MOON EPISODE. THE FUCKING EPISODE WHERE THE FUCKING MOON TURNED INTO A FUCKING EGG AND AN ALIEN HATCHED TO THEN LAY A NEW MOON EGG IMMEDIATELY AFTER BEING BORN AND HUMANS JUST FUCKING SHRUGGED THAT SHIT OFF. Urgh. There are a lot of cringey things happening on this show, but this takes by far the crown. It was so stupid, so dumb, so ridiculous

Best flashback/flashfoward if any: Every time we learn more about the Doctor’s past *^*

Most layered character: I... I mean the Doctor. So many layers, so many lives, so many years

Most one dimensional character:Mh, this is harder... Among the not one-episode-off characters? I guess Nardole. Like, sure, good guy, but... not really all that deep that one

Scariest moment: Blink with the Weeping Angels. They lost A LOT of their scariness the more they were used - Moffat really overused them, in my opinion; they would have done better only appearing very rarely. But that first episode with them was just daaamn

Grossest moment: Cassandra?? Woman only made of skin?

Best looking male: CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS

Best looking female: MARTHA JONES

Who you’re crushing on (if any): Martha Jones

Favourite cast moment: John and David being cute behind the scenes is always amazing, but the bes moment is definitely the 500 Miles video!

Favourite transportation: The TARDIS, that’s not even a question!

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): Whenever we get to see (not destroyed) Gallifrey? It’s so gorgeous??

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you:SO MANY AFTER THAT LAST SERIES. But also things like: Where did Clara fuck off to in her flying diner? What exactly is Jack doing now that there is no Torchwood anymore? How in the world did Torchwood ever even work like how was the Doctor just never around during these gigantic problems?? WHO WAS THE DOCTOR’S FIRST WIFE? And what was the Doctor’s child like? Because the only one ever even mentioned is the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan, but a granddaughter implies one more generation between. WHERE IS JENNY? Since she is also the Doctor’s daughter but also just fucked off into space and like why is she not trying to track her parent down??

Best promo: I mean, it clearly works when they show me Jack’s face so that’d be it for me :D”

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: At the series 4 finale, as above more elaborately explained

IN DEPTH FANDOM QUESTIONS

#Doctor Who #In-Depth Fandom Ask Game #send me asks #fantasylover16

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youremyonlyhope · 4 years

Text

Ascension of the Cyberman

Saw a slight spoiler because Doctor Who posted the trailer for next week’s episode on YouTube already, and it was a suggested video on my homepage. All I saw was the thumbnail, and it was something I already expected. So it could have been worse. It just sucks that they didn’t wait until after it aired in America to change the thumbnail to the spoiler.

OOOOHHHHH THAT WAS SO COOL. THAT TRANSITION INTO THE OPENING SEQUENCE. I LOVE IT. Also, “hands of a believer” concerns me. This is starting out way too sweet and adorable. I am concerned. Very concerned. This nurse that we caught one little glimpse of also looks familiar... Only 7 humans left!?!?!?!??!! “We’re not soldiers.” See but that’s better since the Doctor hates soldiers. Oh god if any of the fam die in this moment I will kill Chibnall. WHOOSHING??? A TARDIS? Nope not a Tardis. Cyberman heads. Cyberdrones apparently. Welp. Now I just miss Handles. Ok so that’s at least one of the last 7 humans is dead... I think I saw 2 dead bodies though. Oh poor Doctor. No Ryan no don’t get separated. Is this a Tardis??? Ok no it’s flying with an engine so no. Ethan no! No Feekat (who’s name I had forgotten and had to look up later)! “That makes it trickier. Unless you’re me, which I am.” Amazing. I love the Doctor. The dad’s jawline looks like the Lone Cyberman’s... I thought that at the beginning when he first showed up too... and I guess they’re trying to make us think Brendan’s becoming the Cyberman... but Pat’s jawline is much more similar... I do not trust him because of that jawline... Random place in the universe? Welp. Yaz and Graham will be lost forever or at least for a long time while the Doctor searches for them. Nah dude, you were definitely discarded. AKA the opposite of chosen. Yeah ok all of that was very concerning. Nope. Did not need those Owen Harper flashbacks. Never ever say “No, you don’t want to shoot.” in a show that Chibnall is showrunner of (or acting showrunner for Torchwood). You will be shot. UH OH. UH OH. UHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHHHH. BRENDAN’S ALIVE. WHAT THE HELL. IS HE LIKE JACK HARKNESS!?!? OR A TIME LORD?!?!! It’s not dead bodies is it... ok dead Cybermen... I mean, still dead bodies... and still human... but at least they’re not human human. I don’t like that Yaz and Graham are in this much danger of dying.... “Don’t panic.” I can’t even enjoy making a Hitchhiker’s Guide joke. Yep ok yeah they’re not lucky since The Lone Cyberman found them... Ok he looks familiar... Oh Ko Sharmus is a person. (Update: Oh my god he’s Barristan Selmy from Game of Thrones.) Awww Yaz and Graham bonding. One of them is gonna die. Oh ok yeah that’s fun. More Cybermen. Lots of mentions of hope in this episode, I appreciate it. Oh shoot there’s only like 15 minutes left... It’s a new design, but the weird ear covering parts are very old who. I like that. The torso’s a little weird... ....What... is... he... doing... “We’re carrying a Cyberman that makes other Cybermen scream.” Yeah I mean that’s one way to articulate how horrible this is. OK there’s only 6 minutes left now. Someone better not die. A clock... They look... young.... still... but how.... I am so nervous. I am so confused. Wiping Brendan’s memory? Are they making the very very very first Cyberman? Are we like finding out that they made them way back in the old days? That’s a lot of Cyberman. I just remembered that they left the TARDIS on that planet... MASTER! MY BABY! Yes, that was a good entrance. A little cartoony, but I’m just happy to see him.

Ok but like... they were shooting at them in the control room so like... are they ok!??!!

I assume from us seeing some of them in the promo they’re fine but like... the Cyberman got in... so like... how do they get out of that?

And the Brendan thing. WAIT. AM I DUMB? Wow. I am not deleting my stupid question about wiping his memory and making Cybermen. I’m not deleting it because that was a complete stupid moment and it should be documented. That had to have been a chameleon arch. I was too into the whole Cyberman thing so I thought it was a Cyberman conversion, but that was chameleon arch wasn’t it? And the clock too, which I had noticed and though “Hmm.... fob watch...” but then went back to focusing on Cybermen.

At the beginning when he was just a baby I was like “Oh, he was found just like Yana.” but I didn’t write it down because I’m stupid. And even though I questioned the whole surviving a gunshot and fall off a cliff thing and wondered if he was a Time Lord, I didn’t actually go any deeper than that.

So if that was a chameleon arch... does that make Brendan the Timeless Child?

Also, guys. I am SO HAPPY to see the Master again. God. I love Dhawan’s Master more than any of the others I think... which hurts to say since Missy’s my girl... but like... he won me over so quickly and I am so happy to see him.

The Master is the thumbnail of the trailer by the way. So all I saw was the Master, who I already knew would show up since Sacha was supposed to do 4 episodes and there were only 2 episodes left so he had to.

Guys I’m still mad at myself for literally ignoring the chameleon arch in front of my eyes and being like “oh but is it Cyberman conversion?????” They literally zoomed in on them taking his heartbeat multiple times, and I noticed it! And in the back of my mind I kept going “Oh is he a time lord?” and then pushing the thoughts away because this is supposed to be an episode about Cybermen. Because I am dumb.

And what if this is how Time Lords came to be! We’ve theorized for years that they are humans but higher up in the evolutionary tree. I can’t remember if I brought this up in Orphan 55, but I think I did. Guys. Evolution. Humans either become dreggs or time lords. I guess either depending on the timeline or maybe we just branched off and humans are the common ancestor. Either way. If we have canon evidence of humans being the ancestors of time lords, I will be glad. I personally love that theory. But I’m also the type of person who’s been waiting a billion years for the Doctor being half-human in the Movie to become actual canon. I was so sure that that was where the Hybrid story arc was heading...

(Update: I know I definitely theorized about dreggs and time lords at some point, but it was not in my Orphan 55 post. It was probably in the tags of some random post that I will never ever find again.)

Anyway. The Master’s back. I am happy.

#hope watches doctor who #ignore me if you want #doctor who #dw spoilers #doctor who spoilers

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magicofthepen · 4 years

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Time War 3 Thoughts (Eps. 1-3)

Only the first three episodes because this is already long, and I have a lot of in-depth reactions and thoughts on Unity alone. These are based on my live reaction notes, with some “in hindsight” thoughts sprinkled in there. Fair warning, I’ve only listened once, so there are points of confusion that might be fixed with a relisten.

HOSTILES

The whole “on a ship with a core that’s going to implode” thing immediately gave me Enemy Lines vibes — and these vibes skyrocketed with Romana shouting “take my hand” down to Narvin. (Very disappointed in Narvin for not doing it, I will take any and all canonical handholding, even if it is for boring logistical reasons.)

Love that callback to Narvin almost falling off the roof :)

The way Narvin says “all this vegetation” is so funny, and really it’s hilarious how much of Time War 3 is “let’s make Narvin interact with as many plants and animals as possible.” No idea why this was the agenda, but I’m here for it.

I am 100% confused on the timeline re: the Sicari. If they didn’t show up until shortly before Romana’s failed assassination plot/the exile, but Trellick was sent to investigate their home a while before Romana was kicked off Gallifrey...that doesn’t line up??? Plus in Assassins don’t they mention that they’ve never caught one, and in Hostiles they have Sicari prisoners...generally I’m not too fussed about plot details but this one kept really throwing me off as I tried to connect the dots.

Trellick calls Romana Narvin’s boss at one point (not knowing otherwise), and really up until now those two have always had to navigate their personal relationship around their professional roles and hierarchy. And tbh I wish there had been more overt exploration of how the sudden absence of that hierarchy affects their dynamic.

“Narvin, this isn’t a shopping trip” — I enjoyed Narvin collecting all the tech, but in hindsight so annoyed at myself for not catching onto the chameleon arch being An Important Thing That Will Come Back Later

There are some really interesting moments of tension between Romana and Narvin (Romana wanting to trust and help Trellick vs. Narvin’s paranoia and focus on survival and escape) and the little moments of argument and tension that bubble up and fizzle out between them (”You almost went without me.” / “I knew you’d catch up.”)...the episode itself didn’t really dig deep and unpack them, but in many scenes it feels like there’s a lot going on under the surface and I love these layers!

I can’t believe these two had to swing on vines, this is iconic and amazing.

“Let’s replace the circuit together” is super cheesy and such a ridiculously technical way to express affection and I love it.

NEVERNOR

Re: the biodata tracking — how exactly did they get that info? Did Mantus give actual physical information to Narvin that he was able to hang onto? And how is that different from how they were trying (and failing) to track Leela before? (Since i think Narvin had mentioned tracking Ace through biodata in Time War 2...)

Narvin’s interaction with the goat? Yes.

Me, the instant they mention spending the night at the farm: Oh my god if there is Only One Bed, I might forgive this boxset for whatever horrible thing it’s going to do to Romana.

(That is a lie, of course, but I am extremely invested in bed sharing tropes.)

Tragically, this episode failed to live up to its trope-y potential (and Episode 4 remains unforgiven), although I do treasure the fact that we got to hear them share a sleeping space, complete with Romana waking Narvin up in the middle of the night because the ghosts are freaking her out.

On a related note: this episode was genuinely spooky and tense, and I was really into that atmosphere!!

Ooh I like this subtle reminder of how much time Romana and Leela have spent traveling in the Vortex...but not Narvin. This boxset doesn’t get into the whole “this is Narvin’s first time as a renegade but it isn’t Romana’s” dynamic too much, but I like this hint of it.

I really liked the moral implications the Nevernor test set up for the episode (the only way to pass is to not care), but it didn’t seem like it was actually relevant to the episode’s conclusion? Sure, Romana and Narvin left those people behind, but they were alive and they did their best to save them? I’m a bit confused about what the emotional beat here was supposed to be.

MOTHER TONGUE

Leela!! ...screaming in pain which isn’t great but still good to hear her voice.

The logistics of the whole consciousness transfer are still confusing to me. Did she take over someone else’s life on this world, someone who just happened to have the same name as her? If she only lived certain moments, did that mean the other person’s consciousness was in control the other times?

“How do you know they are wise when they do not speak?” That doesn’t sound like Leela

What is up with Leela bonding so quickly with Sholan and also being so harsh — “You need to be a man. You have a good heart, but you must teach it to be colder, harder.” The idea of her not being in a great emotional place to be a parent right now and messing up big time is so interesting in theory, but once Leela’s seen the future where Sholan is cold and hardened, I find it hard to believe she would actively push him in that direction. Also I don’t quite buy how quickly she embraces this mother-son relationship.

I do like how Leela keeps mentioning the Daleks as the main threat of the war, but of course in the end she sees it’s the Time Lords who are the antagonists here. There’s something fascinatingly awful about seeing the evil of the Time Lords completely from the outside, as opposed to Time War 2 which is all tangled up inside the system.

There is so much in these episodes about choice — it’s Trellick’s choice to try to escape even thought it could mean not surviving, it’s Agata’s choice to sacrifice herself to save the younger version of herself and her husband, it’s Sholan’s choice to die to save his cousin. And I have Thoughts about how this concludes in Unity, but I also want to point out that Leela is also given a choice at the end here, but unlike the other ones, she chooses to live.

#gallifrey spoilers #gallifrey audios #gallifrey #me: uhhh let's focus on the less emotionally traumatizing bits first #as i try to figure out how to talk about the last episode #also as an overall note i liked the small casts and contained stories!#it was cool to hear those kinds of stories plus it meant more main cast interaction which i'm always happy about #ramblings #emily listens to big finish #romana #narvin #leela

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asmodeusmorelikeassmodeus · 5 years

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Shadowhunters 3x20 Commentary

If Jonathan really thought that the Seelie Queen would come off her high horse and at least act scared then he was sorely mistaken

Oh!! We finally get some actually dark Clary!! I have hopes for this episode

Okay I take it back. Does being a dark Morgenstern include sexing up your sibling? Because ew.

It’s so surreal to have Asmodeus, Prince of Hell, sit on a random park bench in New York with his son, one of the most – if not the most – powerful warlocks on earth bonding over pretzels.

Man I love Asmodeus as a villain, it’s a shame we won’t have him for more than one episode.

“Papa, he stole my apartment!” – “I will handle it, son”

I didn’t think I’d ever say this but I missed Meliorn, he’s a cool guy. Good to have him back, I hope he survives.

Also, those Seelie armours are amazing

Man I suddenly love Meliorn, he’s so sassy. And also, Jace being forever in his debt probably sounds pretty good to him

Not taking Simon or Luke with them probably sounds like betrayal but I’d rather not have them explode into a thousand pieces if something goes wrong

That Alec and Maryse scene though!!

Alec looks so emotionally and physically exhausted as soon as Maryse mentions Magnus.

“I should have never asked for this in the first place” ouch. That hurt. He really gave her the ring back. *Holt voice* PAINNNNN

Lorenzo is so in love with himself how does anyone think he could ever be shipped with someone who isn’t his reflection in a mirror.

That pretentious f*ck with his classical music

Someone please gif the parallel between Magnus and Alec bursting into the apartment to confront Lorenzo

Ah, demon hierarchy.

Bahahahhahahaahahahahah Lorenzo Rey a chameleon, I can’t

“he’ll be quiet” I love sassy Magnus

Oh the potential that we could have had with Magnus and Asmodeus as chaotic duo and a little bit of dark Magnus. Harry and Jack would have pulled that off so well.

So…Jordan wants to give Maia the Heavenly Fire stuff to make it right that he changed her in a fit and then left her to her own. Yeah, that’ll work.

This scene makes me imagine getting a SMS from the Praetor like “Hey Luke! Let’s meet in this suspicious black car with tinted windows, I’ll send you the location. Bring some muffins if you can. Love, Praetor”

Oh no.

The almost-kiss, I knew it.

Great that they had two siblings almost kiss and then not even mention why it would be bad to do so.

I love the S3 Magnus-Maryse dynamic SO MUCH

It still annoys me that she had to help Magnus put two and two together but on the other hand it’s understandable considering how heartbroken he was after Alec broke up with him, with those words no less. He was practically out of his mind.

Maia is right! As I said before, getting thrown into being a Downworlder might be terrible if you’re not prepared but now trying to live a normal life again would be just as hard. Being a werewolf is her life now, and I’m glad that the show finally stopped acting as if every Downworlder has to ‘be healed’.

As much as I hate Jordan, Chai is a sweetheart.

Ohhhhhh the father-son showdown

*Lorde – Royals starts playing*

TELL HIM, MAGNUS!!

Giving Asmodeus the line with “finding my way back to you” which is a certified Malec line was probably on purpose considering how Magnus reacts to it. I love that.

Bye, Papa Asmodeus, I’ll actually really miss you, we were robbed of your evilness

I am THERE for Izzy with swords

Archer Alec is back!!

Okay Morgenstern blood aside, I still don’t believe that Clary with a few months of training is a better fighter and I am SO done with Izzy losing in combat and made seem like a weak warrior and damsel in distress

So…Alec just lies there and watches? Because…plot!

But that was an actually really cool fight sequence

So Izzy is the only one hit by shrapnel when the whole sword exploded? Sure.

I really missed my two favourite werewolves

So they can suddenly apartment-travel right into Alicante? Aren’t portals and stuff banned or something?

What is this?? The first Clace scene in a long time that I enjoyed watching? Bryan really saved it all.

And now we’re even getting Sizzy?? Nice!

They’re so cute

I have a bad feeling about this

Yep, I was right

RIP Jordan

Remember how everyone was like “I bet she’s walking away from Jordan’s dead body” when this scene was in the trailer? Well, yeah, they were right.

Jonathan is on his way

It’s good that these characters always know what to do to achieve something on the first try, I would have just stabbed this sword into a couple things before thinking about swinging it in the air to open the rift

“research” I can’t at Alec’s smirk he knows exactly what they’ve been doing

Well, those are a lot of demons

Good to know that Alicante is absolutely not prepared for a bigger demon attack

MAGNUS!!!

“Traffic was hell” I love him

Well, you should have probably been nice to him when he was still ready to cooperate

Malec kissing while Alicante is falling apart is a perfect depiction of their story during season 3B, it’s my aesthetic

That mutual proposal was all I could have ever asked for and I’m totally not crying right now

When they all watched the rift close with Alec crying on his knees without knowing if that bit of magic was the last thing he’d ever see of Magnus? Yeah, that hurt.

Now THIS is how you do a Shadowhunters episode.

#malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #sizzy #clace #izzy lightwood #shadowhunters tv #season 3B #3x20 #sh spoilers #for people who haven't seen the episode yet #I think this is my favourite episode of 3B by now paralleled to 2x20 #bryan saved the whole show in one episode #let's all say thank you bryan

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onestowatch · 5 years

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BENEE Went From Making Pizzas to Becoming Pop’s Next Big Thing [Q&A]

BENEE is the epitome of a breakout star. The 19-year-old pop visionary came out of seemingly nowhere to deliver “Soaked,” a single which has gone on to be streamed over 20 million times and arrived as a very early contender for the soundtrack to summer wistfulness. More than just a one-hit phenom, BENEE has gone from making pizzas in her native New Zealand to delivering one of the most varied and exemplary debut outings of recent memory.

FIRE ON MARZZ is more than an eye-catching name or piece of surreal cover art; it is the distinctive expression of a pop chameleon, blending in and out of a range of moods and lush sonic textures. Whether a certain song calls for a sun-soaked groove or a nostalgic-yet-novel moment of introspection, BENEE is sure to bring an explosive flair to the whole affair. The initial excitement surrounding BENEE is not unlike that of the first time we heard tale of a young Billie Eilish, and while the sonics may vary, the level of talent is undeniable. BENEE is pop’s next big thing.

Ones To Watch had the pleasure hosting BENEE at our June Baño Flaco showcase (performance video coming soon!), and her live performance sealed the deal. The next day, I grabbed a slice or three of pizza with the pop star in the making to see exactly what goes on in the mind of a 19-year-old who just wrapped up playing her first-ever sold-out shows in Los Angeles and New York before even releasing her debut EP. From commenting on hypebeast culture, the quarter-life crisis that thrust her into music, to discovering a shared love for James Blake, this is BENEE.

OTW: What’s it like playing in the US for the first time?

BENEE: Pretty crazy. At the first show, I didn’t really know what to expect, cause I don’t really know what Americans are like, what their sense of humor is like. The New Zealand sense of humor is a weird one. But it’s been crazy and fun, coming from Europe was crazy as well. Getting out of New Zealand and just seeing things has been awesome.

OTW: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen thus far?

BENEE: We did a three-hour cycle in Berlin on a graffiti tour, and that was the craziest thing that I’ve ever seen in my life (laughs) not actually.

OTW: Not the Supreme line outside?

BENEE: No the Supreme line was also pretty crazy. I was just like what the fuck!?!? There are some in New Zealand but not that big, and not that big of a line.

OTW: Is hypebeast culture much of a thing in Australia?

BENEE: Not really, there are definitely some hypebeasts, we have a couple stores, but we don’t have a Supreme store. We have something that maybe features a tiny little range of Supreme stuff.

OTW: So, debut EP -- why is it Mars, why is Mars on fire?

BENEE: Why is there a fire on Mars? Why is Mars on fire? Good freaking question. I mean, coming up with a name, I didn’t really have a word or a phrase that could describe all the songs in it. Cause they’re all kind of different from one another, and some of them are weird dreams or weird stories, so I didn’t really wanna sum up the whole thing so I chose to go with something completely irrelevant to everything in the EP.

It was a matter of coming into the studio like, “So what are we gonna call the EP?” I was just throwing out names, and I said, “painting mars,” and we stuck with that for a little bit, and then I was like no actually, it needs to be more aggressive, cause I want it to be visually appealing with the art, so I decided on “FIRE ON MARZZ.” It’s a little crazier than “painting mars.”

OTW: You mentioned how all the songs are different, and I think I really noticed that on the last single, “Want Me Back.”

BENEE: With that one, it was the first sad, really slow song I’ve ever written and the most vulnerable I think I’ve been with my songwriting so far. None of the other tracks on the EP are like that one.

OTW: Since it ranges so much, how would you describe your music without using any genre terms?

BENEE: I guess it’s just a mixture, it’s a big ole’ soup with different spices and vegetables, maybe some chicken, food, and colors.

OTW: Given your song “Evil Spider,” are you afraid of spiders?

BENEE: So, here’s the deal. I can deal with spiders that are up to the size of my thumbnail, anything bigger, big no-go. I was in Australia, and there was a huntsman spider on this plant pot, and I was like, (gasps) absolutely not. So no, I’m not really a spider-lover, unless they’re small. You’re the same?

OTW: Yea, I can’t. My partner went out of town once and there was a spider, so I just didn’t sleep.

BENEE: Yeah they’re not nice. Are there big ones here?

OTW: Probably not as big as in Australia.

BENEE: Yeah, Australia has some massive ones. Tarantulas? I don’t like tarantulas. I stay away from big hairy spiders.

youtube

OTW: If someone were to go to New Zealand who’d never been, how would you tell them to spend a day?

BENEE: Oh, it’s definitely the beaches. A few are in the north island; that’s where I live. There’s like a beach called Peha, maybe going there. It would be good to get a car so you could drive around, do like a little road trip. Or, go to the south island, which is the cold island. Really good skiing, or beautiful for hikes, if you like to hike. It’s a good place to go if you’re really needing the outdoors and want a chill environment.

OTW: Very Lord of the Rings, right?

BENEE: I don’t think I’ve even watched it, is that weird? Quite a few New Zealanders are like that, I reckon. Or maybe it’s just me.

OTW: Vacation recommendations aside, did you expect “Soaked” to take off like it did?

BENEE: No, I did not expect that at all. We released it as my second single. “Tough Guy” was pretty low key, chill. I was planning what I was gonna release, and it was one of those songs that I had that I was like, “Ok, I like this song and I feel like maybe it’s a bore cause it’s like too much of that.” But I definitely did not expect anything from it. It’s been fucking crazy, man. Fucking crazy.

OTW: Yeah, cause you went to opening for Lily Allen after that single.

BENEE: That is maaaaad. I love Lily Allen. And that was crazy. It’s all bloody crazy.

OTW: So who are your Ones to Watch?

BENEE: Some artists I’ve been really into lately are Still Woozy and ROSALÍA. Those two I’m fucking obsessed with at the moment. I’ve been obsessed with James Blake since I was like, 14. OTW: Same.

BENEE: You too?

OTW: Well I’ve met him twice…

BENEE: SHUT UP! I DONT EVEN WANNA HEAR ABOUT IT. I’M FUCKING JEALOUS. Is he nice? (to the room) He’s met James Blake twice everybody, yea what the heck.

OTW: It’s not that cool… It’s pretty cool.

BENEE: It’s fucking cool. I’m gonna brag for you.

OTW: He’s my favorite person in the world. He’s really nice. But the first time I met him, he was just...

BENEE: Really shy?

OTW: He’s like very quiet, soft-spoken. Do you know Connan Mockasin?

BENEE: Yes, I fucking love him.

OTW: They’re best friends.

BENEE: Yea they did a song together! I love him, and I don’t even know him.

OTW: He’s so tall.

BENEE: Apparently he’s really tall.

OTW: He’s 6’5;” he’s like a football player.

BENEE: Woahhh, he’s a tall ass man. Damn, and he’s got a good voice. And a beautiful girlfriend.

OTW: He’s got it all.

BENEE: Yeah. (laughs) I’m going to cry.

OTW: On the subject of crying, let’s talk about your quarter-life crisis.

BENEE: Ok my quarter-life crisis. I’m such a fucking drama queen, oh my god. So basically, it was the end of my high school years. It was like my quarter-life crisis because I had enrolled into a University, I had released “Tough Guy” at the end of the year, and I was at Uni for two weeks, doing a communications degree. I lasted two weeks, and on the Friday of the second week, I was like, “I actually don’t think I want to do this with my life.”

I got home after that day, I was just bawling my eyes out like a little baby, crying to my mum and my dad, “Guys, I don’t want to do this with my life, I want to make music!” That was my quarter-life crisis. So I dropped out and started making music all year, making pizzas, and washing dishes. It was amazing. It was great. I don’t make pizzas anymore though, I just eat them.

OTW: Are you good at making pizzas though?

BENEE: Low-key... no (laughs). Maybe if I were at the place that I worked at, and I had all the ingredients... actually no.

OTW: Even then, no?

BENEE: Cause I can’t make the dough, and the dough is such an important part of a pizza. Like I just don’t think I’m that skilled at mixing the dough, and the yeast and shit. Nah.

OTW: Ok so last question, very important question: what are your ideal pizza toppings?

BENEE: It’s got roasted garlic, olives, feta, pepperoni, what else? Red onions on there, did I say olives? Put more olives on there. So, feta, olives, roasted garlic, red onion, pepperoni. And then chili flakes when it’s cooked. Oh! And jalapeños.

OTW: Spicy?

BENEE: Yes, a little spicy. Not really really really spicy, I can do like medium, mild. No, actually hot. Yes, spicy.

#benee #interview #pop #indie #indie pop #fire on marzz #album reviews #bene

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masterserris · 5 years

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FUNERAL FOR A MAGICIAN Part 1: Finale

Long (and tragic) story time! This may have art later dedicated to certain scenes, but this is one of the defining events for Neo Mysterio! Let’s begin!

Characters: Neo Mysterio (Quentin Beck), Doc Ock (Otto Octavius), Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Alexandria Beck (Alex), Maria Beck, Sandman (Flint Marko), Chameleon, Electro, Rhino, Terrax the Tamer

Warnings: Explicit gore and death, violence, mentions of past abuse, mental illness, physical illness

It was a restless night at the Sinister Six headquarters on the coast of New York. Usually after successfully robbing a fellow crime lord of his ill-gotten earnings, they would celebrate their spoils with Mysterio putting on a show.

However, Beck was in no mood for anything of the sort.

He drifted up to the rafters of the warehouse-turned-super-villain-base and huffed an irritated and altogether unhappy sigh. Rhino, Electro and most of the others paid no mind to Beck as they cracked open a cold one to toast their score. It was not altogether uncommon for Quentin to sulk for no apparent reason. He needed his space sometimes, or so many of them figured. But Doc Ock was keener than most and could spot an emotionally distraught Mysterio from a mile away.

Otto shot a glance to where Mysterio liked to hide. His cloaking device engaged, Octavius could not physically “see” Neo per-se, but he knew exactly what was going on.

Deciding not to bring attention to it, Otto sat at his workbench after sorting and splitting up their spoils. He was not one to party all that much, but he did enjoy the fact that his Sinister Six could perform like a well oiled machine. With another victory under their collective belt, it strengthen their morale. This would be key in the later phases of his Master Plan. But all of that was for another time.

Eventually, the other four went to their quarters to rest easy for the night. Only when Octavius knew for a fact that they were asleep did he speak.

Doc Ock: “Beck. Come down, will you? Talk to me.”

Neo Mysterio slowly de-cloaked and stood on the girder he was perched upon. With a heavy sigh he gently floated to the ground before Otto.

Doc Ock: “...” “Listen, I... Understand we have been through much together. You know that I can tell when something is bothering you. I also know that you rarely wish to talk about it. And finally, you know that I can keep this strictly between us. If you are feeling ready, please. Talk to me.”

Mysterio merely stared at the ground before his feet for a minute. His expression is hidden, but his body language tells all. He is struggling with depression, as he always has, but this time it is different. Something is eating at him more than usual.

After a moment passes, Doc remains motionless. He is patient. However, Beck does something rather unexpected. In a rather quick motion, he pulls off his helmet and lets it clatter to the floor with a soft “thunk.”

The expression on Beck’s face is that of pure loss, grief, and despair. Something Doc had not at all expected. Here, a super villain was on the verge of tears before him after they had successfully completed one of their greatest heists.

Beck had balled his fists, trying desperately to contain himself, but he couldn’t any longer. Instead, he shamelessly broke down crying in front of the seated Octavius, who in turn was bewildered by the sudden outburst.

Neo was knelt down, wiping the tears from his face in between quiet sobs. It was a rather pointless effort and eventually he just gave up. Doc was unsure of what to do or say. He hesitantly reached one of his metal arms over to Quentin, but let it hang motionless a few inches from his shoulder. As if a single touch could detonate a bomb.

Eventually, Mysterio shakily got to his feet and let his hand slide across the arm gently with yet another sigh as his sobs faded away. Soon, he found his voice at last, albeit with a cracking tone.

Quentin: “I...... I’m sorry... I just... I....”

He takes a deep breath and continues.

Quentin: “I didn’t mean to startle you with that... I just... I don’t know if I can do this anymore... It’s not that I want to quit. I just don’t know how to live with myself or what to do...”

Octavius: “An existential crisis of sorts...?” He said while rising to his feet to stand next to Mysterio.

Beck nods a bit and continues.

Quentin: “You know my sister, right?”

Ock: “Yes, I am familiar.”

Quentin: “You know my will, right?”

Doc frowns.

Ock: “Where are you going with this?”

Quentin shakes his head.

Quentin: “It’s not what you think. In my will, I leave everything to her so that she has all that she needs from me. But... I just... I Found out that she has contracted breast cancer... Our mom.... she died from cancer as well and I just... I want to be there for her... But I can’t. For all the power I claim to have... There is nothing I nor anyone can do but hope she can pull through. I wanted closure. I wanted to die first. I wanted to know she and her kid would live a fine life in the end instead of this! I just... I just I don’t know how much more I can lose before I feel nothing at all!!”

The last bit Mysterio screamed, breaking his voice partially. Silently, the pair of them were glad for their reinforced walls deafening all sound from each of the rooms.

Otto rested his real arm on Beck’s shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Mysterio quietly let it happen and sobbed into Octavius’s large chest. He didn’t care how miserable and pathetic he looked. He was in true pain and if anyone dared to mock him for it, neither he nor Doc would hesitate to shatter their teeth for it. Otto lost both his mother and his awful father at a young age, and while he did not have any siblings, he understood what the pain of losing a close family member felt like.

After Mysterio composed himself, he and Doc talked it out some more. Nothing would quell his inner turmoil, however Beck did feel better being able to vent to someone who understood him.

A new day rung out about a week later. Spider-Man was following the lead on the Sinister Six’s last major outing. At last he has picked up the trail of none other than Mysterio.

It is a bright morning around 10am when a loud crash rung though the R&D warehouse of Horizon University.

Neo Mysterio: “Good morning, architects of tomorrow! I would congratulate you all on your historic achievement in building the world’s first functioning multi-dimensional collider, however, I am in need of a few things from you all.”

Tossing out some of his fear gas grenades, Mysterio coated the room in noxious fumes, forcing everyone to leave in a panic. Floating to the ground, Mysterio approached a machine and began to disassemble it for it’s specific mechanisms. However, he is soon interrupted by a second crash, this time at the hands of the Amazing Spider-Man!

Spider-Man: “Hey bowl head! I thought you and your gang we up to pilfering from fellow street thugs! Why are you picking on some pencil pushing nerds? I though you were a fellow loser, Beck! Not a bully! But I guess I was wrong! Oopsie me!”

Mysterio: “Always with the mocking, Spider-Man....” He grumbled as he hurled more grenades in Spider-Man’s direction.

Being the agile super hero he is, Spider-Man easily dodged them and swung his way down to clothes-line the villain with a left-handed hook to the head.

Mysterio being only human went clattering to the ground with a grunt of pain. He snapped his fingers and projectors shifted the room into a dizzying mirror maze. He tried to fly away to a better vantage spot, but Parker managed to land a web on his leg and smashed him into the floor.

At this point, Mysterio’s helmet shattered open, revealing the truth. It had been a robot double this entire time. In fact, the true Neo Mysterio had been busy still pulling apart the mechanisms of a recent invention. Seeing this, Parker lunged for Beck and in his disorientation from the rooms transformation, he hit the control panel for the collider, setting it off.

Before any of them could react, it overloaded, sending them both tumbling into the world between worlds.

It is here where the world came apart at its seems and shattered irreparably for them both.

#neo mysterio #mysterio #au #doc ock #spider-man #peter parker #sfw #marvel #bestofms #neo mysterio fic #funeral for a magician

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makerof150papermasks · 6 years

Text

Hamlet Mariofied Act 3 Scene 2

Bolded names refer to the Mario characters playing the roles. The character role names remain the same in the context of the play and its dialogue.

Mario = Hamlet

Birdo = First Player

Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong = Other Players

Kamek = Polonius

Wario = Rosencrantz

Waluigi = Guildenstern

Luigi = Horatio

Bowser = Claudius

Peach = Gertrude

Wendy = Ophelia

Amazing Flyin’ Hammer Bro, Buster Beetle, Whimp = Lords Attendant

Terrapin, Hammer Bro, Fire Bro, Ice Bro, Boomerang Bro, Sledge Bro, Armored Koopa (Koopatrol), Terra Cotta = Guards

Mouser, Fryguy = Trumpeters

Clawgrip, Tryclyde = Drummers

Gooper Blooper, King Bob-omb, Eyerok, Boss Wiggler = Hautboys

Wart = Player King

Rosalina = Player Queen

Mallow = Lucianus Player

Morton, Roy, Ludwig, Booster = Mutes

Act III, Scene 2

Elsinore. Hall in the Castle.

Enter Mario and three of the Players [Birdo, Diddy Kong, and Dixie Kong]. Tune to Overworld Theme from Super Mario Bros 2

Mario. Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounc'd it to you,

trippingly on the tongue. But if you mouth it, as many of our

players do, I had as live the town crier spoke my lines. Nor do

not saw the air too much with your hand, thus, but use all

gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and (as I may say)

whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a

temperance that may give it smoothness. O, it offends me to the

soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to

tatters, to very rags, to split the cars of the groundlings, who

(for the most part) are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb

shows and noise. I would have such a fellow whipp'd for o'erdoing

Termagant. It out-herods Herod. Pray you avoid it.

Birdo. I warrant your honour.

Mario. Be not too tame neither; but let your own discretion be your

tutor. Suit the action to the word, the word to the action; with

this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of

nature: for anything so overdone is from the purpose of playing,

whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as

'twere, the mirror up to nature; to show Virtue her own feature,

scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his

form and pressure. Now this overdone, or come tardy off, though

it make the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious

grieve; the censure of the which one must in your allowance

o'erweigh a whole theatre of others. O, there be players that I

have seen play, and heard others praise, and that highly (not to

speak it profanely), that, neither having the accent of

Christians, nor the gait of Christian, pagan, nor man, have so

strutted and bellowed that I have thought some of Nature's

journeymen had made men, and not made them well, they imitated

humanity so abominably.

Birdo. I hope we have reform'd that indifferently with us, sir.

Mario. O, reform it altogether! And let those that play your clowns

speak no more than is set down for them. For there be of them

that will themselves laugh, to set on some quantity of barren

spectators to laugh too, though in the mean time some necessary

question of the play be then to be considered. That's villanous

and shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it. Go

make you ready.

[Exeunt Players.]

Enter Kamek, Wario, and Waluigi. Music of Muda Kingdom from Super Mario Land.

How now, my lord? Will the King hear this piece of work?

Kamek. And the Queen too, and that presently.

Mario. Bid the players make haste, [Exit Kamek.] Will you two

help to hasten them?

Wario. [with Waluigi] We will, my lord.

Exeunt they two.

Mario. What, ho, Horatio!

Enter Luigi.

Luigi. Here, sweet lord, at your service.

Mario. Horatio, thou art e'en as just a man

As e'er my conversation cop'd withal.

Luigi. O, my dear lord!

Mario. Nay, do not think I flatter;

For what advancement may I hope from thee,

That no revenue hast but thy good spirits

To feed and clothe thee? Why should the poor be flatter'd?

No, let the candied tongue lick absurd pomp,

And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee

Where thrift may follow fawning. Dost thou hear?

Since my dear soul was mistress of her choice

And could of men distinguish, her election

Hath seal'd thee for herself. For thou hast been

As one, in suff'ring all, that suffers nothing;

A man that Fortune's buffets and rewards

Hast ta'en with equal thanks; and blest are those

Whose blood and judgment are so well commingled

That they are not a pipe for Fortune's finger

To sound what stop she please. Give me that man

That is not passion's slave, and I will wear him

In my heart's core, ay, in my heart of heart,

As I do thee. Something too much of this I

There is a play to-night before the King.

One scene of it comes near the circumstance,

Which I have told thee, of my father's death.

I prithee, when thou seest that act afoot,

Even with the very comment of thy soul

Observe my uncle. If his occulted guilt

Do not itself unkennel in one speech,

It is a damned ghost that we have seen,

And my imaginations are as foul

As Vulcan's stithy. Give him heedful note;

For I mine eyes will rivet to his face,

And after we will both our judgments join

In censure of his seeming.

Luigi. Well, my lord.

If he steal aught the whilst this play is playing,

And scape detecting, I will pay the theft.

Sound a flourish. Enter Trumpets and Kettledrums. Danish

march. [nter Bowser, Peach, Wendy, Wario, Waluigi,

and other Lords attendant, with the Guard carrying torches. Commence character select screen from Super Mario Bros 2

Mario. They are coming to the play. I must be idle.

Get you a place.

Bowser. How fares our cousin Hamlet?

Mario. Excellent, i' faith; of the chameleon's dish. I eat the air,

promise-cramm'd. You cannot feed capons so.

Bowser. I have nothing with this answer, Hamlet. These words are not

mine.

Mario. No, nor mine now. [To Kamek] My lord, you play'd once

i' th' university, you say?

Kamek. That did I, my lord, and was accounted a good actor.

Mario. What did you enact?

Kamek. I did enact Julius Caesar; I was kill'd i' th' Capitol; Brutus

kill'd me.

Mario. It was a brute part of him to kill so capital a calf there. Be

the players ready.

Wario. Ay, my lord. They stay upon your patience.

Peach. Come hither, my dear Hamlet, sit by me.

Mario. No, good mother. Here's metal more attractive.

Kamek. [to the King] O, ho! do you mark that?

Mario. Lady, shall I lie in your lap?

[Sits down at Wendy’s feet.]

Wendy. No, my lord.

Mario. I mean, my head upon your lap?

Wendy. Ay, my lord.

Mario. Do you think I meant country matters?

Wendy. I think nothing, my lord.

Mario. That's a fair thought to lie between maids' legs.

Wendy. What is, my lord?

Mario. Nothing.

Wendy. You are merry, my lord.

Mario. Who, I?

Wendy. Ay, my lord.

Mario. O God, your only jig-maker! What should a man do but be merry?

For look you how cheerfully my mother looks, and my father died

within 's two hours.

Wendy. Nay 'tis twice two months, my lord.

Mario. So long? Nay then, let the devil wear black, for I'll have a

suit of sables. O heavens! die two months ago, and not forgotten

yet? Then there's hope a great man's memory may outlive his life

half a year. But, by'r Lady, he must build churches then; or else

shall he suffer not thinking on, with the hobby-horse, whose

epitaph is 'For O, for O, the hobby-horse is forgot!'

[Hautboys play. The dumb show enters.]

Enter Wart and Rosalina very lovingly; Rosalina embracing

him and he her. She kneels, and makes show of protestation

unto him. He takes her up, and declines his head upon her

neck. He lays him down upon a bank of flowers. She, seeing

him asleep, leaves him. Anon comes in a fellow, takes off his

crown, kisses it, pours poison in the sleeper's ears, and

leaves him. Rosalina returns, finds Wart dead, and makes

passionate action. Mallow with some three or four Mutes,

comes in again, seem to condole with her. The dead body is

carried away. Mallow wooes the Queen with gifts; she

seems harsh and unwilling awhile, but in the end accepts

his love.

Exeunt.

Wendy. What means this, my lord?

Mario. Marry, this is miching malhecho; it means mischief.

Wendy. Belike this show imports the argument of the play.

Enter Prologue. Cue Delfino Airstrip.

Mario. We shall know by this fellow. The players cannot keep counsel;

they'll tell all.

Wendy. Will he tell us what this show meant?

Mario. Ay, or any show that you'll show him. Be not you asham'd to

show, he'll not shame to tell you what it means.

Wendy. You are naught, you are naught! I'll mark the play.

Pro. For us, and for our tragedy,

Here stooping to your clemency,

We beg your hearing patiently. [Exit.]

Mario. Is this a prologue, or the posy of a ring?

Wendy. 'Tis brief, my lord.

Mario. As woman's love.

Enter Wart and Rosalina

Wart. Full thirty times hath Phoebus' cart gone round

Neptune's salt wash and Tellus' orbed ground,

And thirty dozen moons with borrowed sheen

About the world have times twelve thirties been,

Since love our hearts, and Hymen did our hands,

Unite comutual in most sacred bands.

Rosalina. So many journeys may the sun and moon

Make us again count o'er ere love be done!

But woe is me! you are so sick of late,

So far from cheer and from your former state.

That I distrust you. Yet, though I distrust,

Discomfort you, my lord, it nothing must;

For women's fear and love holds quantity,

In neither aught, or in extremity.

Now what my love is, proof hath made you know;

And as my love is siz'd, my fear is so.

Where love is great, the littlest doubts are fear;

Where little fears grow great, great love grows there.

Wart. Faith, I must leave thee, love, and shortly too;

My operant powers their functions leave to do.

And thou shalt live in this fair world behind,

Honour'd, belov'd, and haply one as kind

For husband shalt thou-

Rosalina. O, confound the rest!

Such love must needs be treason in my breast.

When second husband let me be accurst!

None wed the second but who killed the first.

Mario. [aside] Wormwood, wormwood!

Peach. The instances that second marriage move

Are base respects of thrift, but none of love.

A second time I kill my husband dead

When second husband kisses me in bed.

Wart. I do believe you think what now you speak;

But what we do determine oft we break.

Purpose is but the slave to memory,

Of violent birth, but poor validity;

Which now, like fruit unripe, sticks on the tree,

But fall unshaken when they mellow be.

Most necessary 'tis that we forget

To pay ourselves what to ourselves is debt.

What to ourselves in passion we propose,

The passion ending, doth the purpose lose.

The violence of either grief or joy

Their own enactures with themselves destroy.

Where joy most revels, grief doth most lament;

Grief joys, joy grieves, on slender accident.

This world is not for aye, nor 'tis not strange

That even our loves should with our fortunes change;

For 'tis a question left us yet to prove,

Whether love lead fortune, or else fortune love.

The great man down, you mark his favourite flies,

The poor advanc'd makes friends of enemies;

And hitherto doth love on fortune tend,

For who not needs shall never lack a friend,

And who in want a hollow friend doth try,

Directly seasons him his enemy.

But, orderly to end where I begun,

Our wills and fates do so contrary run

That our devices still are overthrown;

Our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own.

So think thou wilt no second husband wed;

But die thy thoughts when thy first lord is dead.

Rosalina. Nor earth to me give food, nor heaven light,

Sport and repose lock from me day and night,

To desperation turn my trust and hope,

An anchor's cheer in prison be my scope,

Each opposite that blanks the face of joy

Meet what I would have well, and it destroy,

Both here and hence pursue me lasting strife,

If, once a widow, ever I be wife!

Mario. If she should break it now!

Wart. 'Tis deeply sworn. Sweet, leave me here awhile.

My spirits grow dull, and fain I would beguile

The tedious day with sleep.

Rosalina. Sleep rock thy brain,

[He sleeps.]

Rosalina. And never come mischance between us twain!

Exit.

Mario. Madam, how like you this play?

Peach. The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

Mario. O, but she'll keep her word.

Bowser. Have you heard the argument? Is there no offence in't?

Mario. No, no! They do but jest, poison in jest; no offence i' th'

world.

Bowser. What do you call the play?

Mario. 'The Mousetrap.' Marry, how? Tropically. This play is the

image of a murther done in Vienna. Gonzago is the duke's name;

his wife, Baptista. You shall see anon. 'Tis a knavish piece of

work; but what o' that? Your Majesty, and we that have free

souls, it touches us not. Let the gall'd jade winch; our withers

are unwrung. Enter Mallow.

This is one Lucianus, nephew to the King.

Wendy. You are as good as a chorus, my lord.

Hamlet. I could interpret between you and your love, if I could see

the puppets dallying.

Wendy. You are keen, my lord, you are keen.

Mario. It would cost you a groaning to take off my edge.

Wendy. Still better, and worse.

Mario. So you must take your husbands.- Begin, murtherer. Pox, leave

thy damnable faces, and begin! Come, the croaking raven doth

bellow for revenge.

Mallow. Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and time agreeing; Confederate season, else no creature seeing; Thou mixture rank, of midnight weeds collected, With Hecate's ban thrice blasted, thrice infected, Thy natural magic and dire property On wholesome life usurp immediately.

Pours the poison in his ears. Play The Sword Descends and The Stars Scatter from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Mario. He poisons him i' th' garden for's estate. His name's Gonzago.

The story is extant, and written in very choice Italian. You

shall see anon how the murtherer gets the love of Gonzago's wife.

Peach. The King rises.

Mario. What, frighted with false fire?

Peach. How fares my lord?

Kamek. Give o'er the play.

Bowser. Give me some light! Away!

All. Lights, lights, lights!

Exeunt all but Mario and Luigi. Cue underground music from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island.

Mario. Why, let the strucken deer go weep,

The hart ungalled play;

For some must watch, while some must sleep:

Thus runs the world away.

Would not this, sir, and a forest of feathers- if the rest of my

fortunes turn Turk with me-with two Provincial roses on my raz'd

shoes, get me a fellowship in a cry of players, sir?

Luigi. Half a share.

Mario. A whole one I!

For thou dost know, O Damon dear,

This realm dismantled was

Of Jove himself; and now reigns here

A very, very- pajock.

Luigi. You might have rhym'd.

Mario. O good Horatio, I'll take the ghost's word for a thousand

pound! Didst perceive?

Luigi. Very well, my lord.

Mario. Upon the talk of the poisoning?

Luigi. I did very well note him.

Mario. Aha! Come, some music! Come, the recorders!

For if the King like not the comedy,

Why then, belike he likes it not, perdy.

Come, some music!

Enter Wario and Waluigi.

Waluigi. Good my lord, vouchsafe me a word with you.

Mario. Sir, a whole history.

Waluigi. The King, sir-

Mario. Ay, sir, what of him?

Waluigi. Is in his retirement, marvellous distemper'd.

Mario. With drink, sir?

Waluigi. No, my lord; rather with choler.

Mario. Your wisdom should show itself more richer to signify this to

the doctor; for me to put him to his purgation would perhaps

plunge him into far more choler.

Waluigi. Good my lord, put your discourse into some frame, and start

not so wildly from my affair.

Mario. I am tame, sir; pronounce.

Waluigi. The Queen, your mother, in most great affliction of spirit

hath sent me to you.

Mario. You are welcome.

Waluigi. Nay, good my lord, this courtesy is not of the right breed.

If it shall please you to make me a wholesome answer, I will do

your mother's commandment; if not, your pardon and my return

shall be the end of my business.

Mario. Sir, I cannot.

Waluigi. What, my lord?

Mario. Make you a wholesome answer; my wit's diseas'd. But, sir, such

answer as I can make, you shall command; or rather, as you say,

my mother. Therefore no more, but to the matter! My mother, you

say-

Wario. Then thus she says: your behaviour hath struck her into

amazement and admiration.

Mario. O wonderful son, that can so stonish a mother! But is there no

sequel at the heels of this mother's admiration? Impart.

Wario. She desires to speak with you in her closet ere you go to bed.

Hamlet. We shall obey, were she ten times our mother. Have you any

further trade with us?

Wario. My lord, you once did love me.

Mario. And do still, by these pickers and stealers!

Wario. Good my lord, what is your cause of distemper? You do surely

bar the door upon your own liberty, if you deny your griefs to

your friend.

Mario. Sir, I lack advancement.

Wario. How can that be, when you have the voice of the King himself

for your succession in Denmark?

Mario. Ay, sir, but 'while the grass grows'- the proverb is something

musty.

[Enter Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong with recorders. ]

O, the recorders! Let me see one. To withdraw with you- why do

you go about to recover the wind of me, as if you would drive me

into a toil?

Guildenstern. O my lord, if my duty be too bold, my love is too unmannerly.

Mario. I do not well understand that. Will you play upon this pipe?

Waluigi. My lord, I cannot.

Mario. I pray you.

Waluigi. Believe me, I cannot.

Mario. I do beseech you.

Waluigi. I know, no touch of it, my lord.

Mario. It is as easy as lying. Govern these ventages with your

fingers and thumbs, give it breath with your mouth, and it will

discourse most eloquent music. Look you, these are the stops.

Waluigi. But these cannot I command to any utt'rance of harmony. I

have not the skill.

Mario. Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of me! You

would play upon me; you would seem to know my stops; you would

pluck out the heart of my mystery; you would sound me from my

lowest note to the top of my compass; and there is much music,

excellent voice, in this little organ, yet cannot you make it

speak. 'Sblood, do you think I am easier to be play'd on than a

pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me,

you cannot play upon me.

[Enter Kamek.]

God bless you, sir!

Kamek. My lord, the Queen would speak with you, and presently.

Mario. Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in shape of a camel?

Kamek. By th' mass, and 'tis like a camel indeed.

Mario. Methinks it is like a weasel.

Kamek. It is back'd like a weasel.

Mario. Or like a whale.

Kamek. Very like a whale.

Mario. Then will I come to my mother by-and-by.- They fool me to the

top of my bent.- I will come by-and-by.

Kamek. I will say so. Exit.

Mario. 'By-and-by' is easily said.- Leave me, friends.

Exeunt all but Mario. Tune from Corona Mountain reverberates.

'Tis now the very witching time of night,

When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out

Contagion to this world. Now could I drink hot blood

And do such bitter business as the day

Would quake to look on. Soft! now to my mother!

O heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever

The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom.

Let me be cruel, not unnatural;

I will speak daggers to her, but use none.

My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites-

How in my words somever she be shent,

To give them seals never, my soul, consent! Exit.

#Super Mario #Shakespeare #Hamlet #Play within a play #Wart #Rosalina #Mallow from Super Mario RPG

1 note · View note

traditional-with-a-twist · 6 years

Text

At Last I See the Light

For @akagami-no-rae, for the AnS Gift Exchange! I thought the Tangled references you drew for zenyukiweek were really cute, so I decided to play with what a Tangled AU would look like. I chose this particular scene to make sure I could include all the characters that you requested. I hope you like it! Merry Christmas!

Zen watched irritably as Shirayuki blew on the fire, coaxing its growth. He would have been right beside her, helping, if his first attempt to lift the firewood hadn’t left him gasping in pain and unable to keep his grip.

That didn’t mean he had to like it.

“Okay, that’s done.” Shirayuki stood, brushing off her skirt. “Let me see your hand now.”

Zen held it away from her. “I thought you were going to explain about your hair first,” he challenged. “My hand will be fine.”

Shirayuki glanced to the side, pressing her lips together. “Healing people is my job. I don’t want to you to be in pain any longer.” She sat beside him on the tree. “Besides, it would be easier to show you than to explain.”

Zen laughed at the firm set of her jaw. “Fine, but don’t leave anything out this time.”

Maybe he was crazy, but this girl had already saved him more than once. He placed his hand in hers.

The last thing he expected was for her wrap her hair around it. “Wha--?”

“Please wait,” Shirayuki insisted. She closed her eyes. “Hana wa kirameku mahou no hana...” As she sang, a light shone from within her hair, brighter than the firelight. Zen watched the glow travel down the length of her hair to his hand and felt warmth like the sun on his face. Then the light faded.

Shirayuki unwrapped his hand, checking it for injury with a critical eye before she nodded and released him. There was no sign of the cut.

“Shirayuki...” Zen turned his hand back and forth, trying to make his mind accept what he could clearly feel and see. Finally, he closed his hand and smiled at her.

She relaxed, smiling back with bright eyes.

“I knew you were more than a girl with interesting hair when I met you in that tower,” Zen smirked, unable to resist reveling in that small victory. His smile turned sheepish. “But you were right, I never would have guessed the truth. Have you always known?”

Shirayuki shook her head, looking off into the dark night and running her fingers through her hair. “Ever since I was small, I’ve liked learning about medicine and how to help people. My grandparents encouraged me and one day, they said I was old enough to learn a special song. They taught me how to use the power of my hair, but they also told me to keep it a secret.”

She turned back to him. “And I tried. I only used it when no one else could see, in the very worst emergencies. But--” She bit her lip and closed her eyes. “After they died, people still came for me, wanting my hair and the money they could make from it. Somehow, everyone knew, even after all I’d done to follow my grandparents’ wishes.” Shirayuki bowed her head, hands curled in her skirts. “What good is a healer who can’t even protect herself?”

“That’s a joke, right?”

Shirayuki started, looking up at him. He smiled.

“You’ve not only protected yourself but me, as well.” Zen grinned at her. “If I hadn’t shown up, I have no doubt that you would have gotten free on your own. You’re amazing, Shirayuki. I may have just met you, but I already know that nothing can keep you from your dreams.”

Shirayuki blushed, letting her hair fall forward to hide her face. “Umm...did you...” She twisted a strand of hair around one finger, hesitating. “Did you really mean it when you said your real name was Zen Wisteria?” Her eyebrows drew together. “Isn’t the Wisteria family…?”

Zen heaved a sigh, bracing himself on his hands as he leaned back. “Yeah, they’re the one you’re thinking of. But my brother always has things well in hand, and I’ve never been good at playing politics with people who smile and flatter and never show you their real feelings. I had to leave because...I felt like I had no purpose.” He chuckled, looking up at the sky. “I wanted to do something real, make a difference for people in the world.”

Shirayuki leaned closer, caught up in his story. She could imagine him as a little boy bursting with life and adventure, searching for a place where he could shine.

Zen rocked forward, spreading his hands in front of him. “The servants used to tell me stories about this legendary swordsman, Mitsuhide Lowen. He was the best swordsman in the world, they said. And he only ever used his skills against those who had wronged the innocent and the helpless. I knew that was the kind of life I wanted.”

Shirayuki blinked. “Sir Mitsuhide is a legend? I’ve never heard of it...”

Zen waved his hand. “It’s much more popular up north where my mother’s from. Anyway...” He sighed, clasping his hands together and resting his chin on them. “One day, I went out for a walk and I realized: No one really needed me at home. It wouldn’t matter if I never came back.

“So,” he shrugged. “I just kept walking.”

“Do you miss your home?” Shirayuki asked. She lowered her voice, watching the shadows play across Zen’s face. “Your family?”

Zen’s lips twisted. “I’m sure that my brother is relieved that I’m not underfoot and getting into messes that he has to fix anymore.” He struck a relaxed pose. “Besides, when I can be the hero Mitsuhide Lowen and swoop in to save everyone, why would I want anything else?”

The fire crackled. Zen stood and swept her a bow. “And that’s my cue. I will rescue us from this cold night by getting more firewood. With all the new strength that you’ve given me, Shirayuki.” He held up his formerly injured hand and winked.

Shirayuki leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her knees as he turned to go. He had almost left the circle of firelight before she managed to speak. “I want you to know…! Zen!”

He stopped dead at the sound of his real name from her lips, turning back slowly.

Shirayuki forged on. “I’m glad I met you, Zen Wisteria.” She met his eyes. “Even more than Sir Mitsuhide, I’m glad to know you, Zen.”

His face softened. “Thank you, Shirayuki.” Zen seemed about to say more, but instead he did an about-face and marched determinedly into the woods, cheeks flushed.

Shirayuki felt her own cheeks warm. She stood hurriedly and looked around for Ryuu.

The little chameleon was curled in a hollow in the tree root.

“Sleep well, Ryuu,” she murmured, stroking his back with one finger. It had been an exciting day.

When she straightened up, glancing into the forest, her heart stuttered in her chest.

A man stood there.

Illuminated by moonlight, the stranger held a handful of her hair, letting the strands run through his fingers. “So you must be the girl worth more than a river of rubies.”

Shirayuki backed up, hands going to her hair. “Who are you?”

He didn’t answer, just kept studying the red strands. “It’s not rubies that come to my mind.” His eyes rose, a piercing blue. “Rather, what is left in the wake of a deadly fight.”

Shirayuki shivered. She felt transfixed as if by the stare of a hawk.

“Are you worth that?” He dropped her hair without breaking eye contact. “The lifeblood of those who would fight for you?”

Her mouth was dry. “I-I don’t want anybody to get hurt,” she whispered.

He smirked. “Are you so confident in the abilities of that swordsman, then?”

“Sword--?” Shirayuki involuntarily glanced in the direction Zen had disappeared and the man gave her a smile with too much teeth in it.

Her hands were shaking so she fisted them at her sides. Shirayuki took a steadying breath and shook her head. “Mitsu--Zen isn’t my guard. He’s my friend. And--I do believe in him. He’s the strongest person I know. He’s never let anything stop him.”

His predatory smile dissolved into a cold glare. “He sounds like a convenient ‘friend’ to be your shield against the world. Did you tell him those same honeyed words to lure him to you?”

Shirayuki held her head high. “Zen and I are walking side by side. We chose to follow the same path to our dreams. I won’t let you belittle his choices.”

The man tilted his head to one side. Almost carelessly, he drew a sword and held it up so it caught the light. “And what about your choice?”

The sword flashed and a severed leaf spun through the air. Shirayuki stiffened.

“Will you call for him now? Make him face my blade for your sake? Or come quietly?”

Shirayuki held very still so her voice would not shake. “I won’t just go with you. I’ll fight you. What Zen decides is up to him.”

The man straightened and sheathed his sword, looking otherworldly with the moonlight glowing on his pale hair. “The rumors say that your hair brings life and healing but you should know better. There’s death in that red hair of yours. It will follow you and anyone with you. Think carefully before you decide who that will be.” With that he stepped back, swallowed by the shadows.

Crouched on a boulder, Obi stifled a yawn with one hand. He looked up as the exalted young lord stepped into the clearing. “Finished already?” He leaned down to look at him, but his face was unreadable as ever. “Did you get what you wanted?”

Dark blue eyes flicked towards him, then away. “Not yet,” came the cold answer.

Obi bristled. “I can’t wait forever. I have a master to answer to.” He kept his voice light and playful but he made a show of tossing one of his knives in the air and catching it.

“Then take the girl,” the young lord said dismissively.

Obi sat back on his heels. “Just like that? What about--?”

“I won’t interfere. Perhaps I’ll even smooth your way.” The young lord’s hand dropped to the sword on his belt. “On the condition that you can separate them without harm coming to my brother.” His eyes were cold steel as they met Obi’s. “Even if he tries to stop you.”

So that’s how it was. Well, Obi had faced harder missions. If he had to rely on guile instead of violence, then at least those two fresh-faced kids looked like good targets. “That’s a deal I’ll take, milord.” He gave a careless salute and flipped back into the woods.

#ansgiftexchange #zenyuki #shirazen #battlecrown #Akagami no Disney #I got to rewatch Tangled #purely for research purposes #of course #I was reminded all over again what a good addition to the Disney canon it is #but it wasn't easy to find roles for all the ans characters #some tangled characters are definitely pulling double shifts

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ialwayscomewhenyoucall · 7 years

Text

Time Lord Technology and Hidden Depths

tentoo x rose

They stood together, holding hands, the air around them humming with anticipation and possibility. Rose had a messenger bag slung over her shoulder. The Doctor held a key.

“Here we are, Rose Tyler. Are you ready?”

She squeezed his hand. “Allons-y,” she said, unable to hold back her smile.

His laugh wrapped around her like a warm hug. “Allons-y!” he repeated, grinning. Then he reached out and put the key into the keyhole of their brand new TARDIS.

It had taken just less than a year and a half to grow from the “seed” the (other) Doctor had given them before going back to his universe. Today was their maiden voyage.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Rose said, “but why does it look like this? Isn’t it supposed to...blend? You said the other one looked like a police box because the chameleon circuit was broken.” Because their new TARDIS looked almost exactly like the old one. The blue was a bit brighter, maybe, and the door handles had a slightly different shape. Other than that…

The Doctor shrugged. “Maybe she knew what we wanted.”

Rose raised her eyebrows. “She?”

He winked.

Again she squeezed his hand, and then together--even though the sign still said pull--they pushed the door open and went inside.

It felt like home.

***

They could have explored for hours, of course, but they were too anxious to be off. The Doctor pulled Rose into a tight embrace and asked, “Where are we headed, then? Your choice. All of time and space are at our fingertips once again! The Doctor and Rose in the TARDIS, as it should be.” He spun her around, laughter spilling from both of them.

“I actually have something in mind,” Rose said, a twinkle in her eye. “Do you remember when we met Captain Jack, that time in London?”

“Oh yes. ‘I’m looking for a blond,’” he said, in a horrible imitation of his previous incarnation’s accent.

She pulled a face at the weird combination of old and new and pushed on. “Can we go around that same time period? London, war-torn, lots of kids on the streets? Only Christmas Eve, please.”

“Christmas Eve and street kids? What have you got up your sleeve?” he asked with a grin.

She grinned right back at him. “It’s in my bag, actually.”

***

Rose almost cried at the sight of the Doctor’s hands dancing across the controls, at the familiar grinding/whooshing sound of the TARDIS. The trip itself took less than a minute, and then there they were, opening the doors into another time.

A dusting of grey snow covered the silent street in front of them. There were no cars, just an abandoned, broken bicycle leaning against a lamppost and a tipped over rubbish bin. The snow, still falling, was unblemished.

“Does anyone live here?” asked Rose. “It’s spooky.” They hesitated to walk out the TARDIS door and onto the empty street, but they both felt the thrill of excitement when they stepped into the past.

The Doctor’s eyes darted from side to side, up and down, taking in their surroundings. “I don’t think it’s completely abandoned. I wonder if maybe there was a recent attack, and the people haven’t come out of hiding yet? They could be down in cellars and shelters.” He pointed to a sidewalk leading to a house three down from where they stood. “Look at that one. There are old footprints, under the most recent snow. And I hear planes. Far distant, but they are out there.”

Rose shook her head. She believed him, but she couldn’t hear anything but the soft sound of falling snow.

His head whipped around. “There!” he said, pointing toward a shadowy alley up the block. “I think if we go that way just might find those kids you’re looking for. Got your supplies?”

She patted her bag. She loved him for so many reasons, but in that moment she loved him for his utter faith in her. He didn’t ask questions, just trusted that she knew what she was doing. Unexpectedly tears welled up in her eyes; she hastily scrubbed them away and followed after her Doctor, careful not to slip in the newly fallen snow. The air was cold, so cold that her breath frosted in clouds around her head and the snow squeaked under her boots. The squeak of each step was loud in the quiet night.

She caught up to the Doctor and slipped her hand into his, finding comfort in the familiar warmth of his palm against hers. “This way,” he said, his voice soft as the snow. They stepped into the alley.

Rose knew immediately that they were being watched. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and all her senses were on high alert. She didn’t feel threatened though, not exactly. Just warned, like the the watchers were sending out a “We are here, be aware of us” message. The Doctor squeezed her hand. He felt it too, and again he was trusting her to lead.

Tucking these thoughts away to marvel over later, she said in a low, light voice, “It’s alright. We’re the good guys. English. We don’t want anything from you. I have something for you, actually.” She plunged her hands into her bag and brought out handfuls of Christmas sweets: candy canes and chocolate coins and gingerbread men and turkish delight. She also had oranges and bananas--the Doctor grinned at those--and small loaves of bread. The children, who had been crouched behind rubbish bins and stacks of boxes couldn’t stay hidden at these heaps of treasure. They peeked out from their hiding places, being careful to stay in the shadows, but they couldn’t hide the noise. There were gasps and moans of pure delight mixed with what was unmistakably hunger.

“It’s really alright. Happy Christmas,” said Rose, pushing her hands a little closer to the children in the shadows, trying to draw them out. “I’m Rose. And this is the Doctor. We just brought some Christmas treats, that’s all. Didn’t figure anyone else would.”

Slowly, slowly, a small dark haired boy, no more than six years old, stepped out from behind a mouldy box. “I’ve never tasted a candy cane before,” he said, his eyes fixed on the red and white striped candies. “I’ve seen them in shops, but never…” His voice trailed off as he stepped closer and closer, and finally reached out his hand to Rose. His bright green eyes looked into hers and said, “It’s really okay, mum?”

Rose couldn’t speak; she knew if she did the tears in her eyes would start to fall and she’d lose all control. So she just smiled and nodded and put a candy cane in the boy’s small, dirty hand. He unwrapped it with great care; then, when he couldn’t wait any longer, took a taste.

His eyes widened. “This is the best thing I ever tasted. Ever. Sally! Come taste this!” A girl with soft brown hair, perhaps his sister, clambered down from the pile of wooden crates she’d been perched on. While Sally looked at the sweets the boy said, “All of you, come on! This is good!”

Before Rose knew what had happened, she was surrounded by children; it was difficult to count because they didn’t stay still, but she guessed there were twelve or fifteen, none of them older than ten. Amazingly they didn’t grab, they waited their turn to choose from the pile of sweets. They must have been able to see that there was plenty to go around. Every time something started to run low--the candy canes were a definite favorite, followed by the oranges and the bread--Rose would reach into her bag and pull out more. Eventually the Doctor noticed. He left the little girl he’d been chatting with, and his eyebrows were puzzled when he sidled up to Rose.

“That bag,” he said, speaking right into her ear so none of the children could hear. “Where did you get it?”

She grinned up at him and winked. “The TARDIS made it for me. The old one, I mean. I asked and it--I mean, she--made it for me. Time Lord technology. Bigger on the inside. It got left on board when we were--” She faltered; it still hurt to think about how she had been trapped in Pete’s World the first time. Being separated from the Doctor had been like having half of herself amputated without anesthetic. “But when I was back on board I snatched it up again, made sure it got out the door with me. Bloody useful, this bag.”

“Why Rose Tyler,” said the Doctor, wonderment in his eyes and a smile curving his lips, “full of hidden depths, you are.” He kissed her fully, to the immediate disgust of the boys in the group. Some of the girls, too.

When all the food was passed out--the children were amazed to find that there was much more than they could possibly eat, including quite a lot of fruit--Rose exclaimed, “Oh! I nearly forgot!” She reached into her bag, her arm disappearing up to the shoulder, and rooted around for a moment before she cried out, “I’ve got it!” She pulled out a blanket. And then another, and another. The blankets were followed by wool sweaters, and socks, and scarves, and hats, and mittens. The children’s eyes grew wider and wider. They almost certainly thought they were dreaming, but what would they think when they woke up snug and warm and full the next morning? Rose would become a legend. The Doctor grinned. Quite right, he thought.

A moment later a siren echoed in the street. “What’s that?” asked Rose, clearly startled.

The children looked at her as if she was from another planet. You’re almost right, thought the Doctor, amused. A blond girl said, “It’s the all-clear siren, mum. The bombers are gone. People can go outside again.”

“That’s our cue to go then,” said the Doctor, putting his arm around Rose. The children clambered around them, jostling to get in close, to hug Rose, to whisper their thanks. She hugged every one of them, and ruffled their hair or stroked their cheeks. All too soon they were gone, the children deeper into the alley and Rose and the Doctor back onto the street they’d come from, holding hands again, walking to their TARDIS. The street was still empty but a few lights had come on in the once dark houses. The town was coming back to life.

“I know I can’t fix everything,” Rose said as they walked the last few steps on the dark, snowy street. “I just wanted to bring a little joy to some kids on Christmas.”

The Doctor pulled her through the blue doors, into the warmth of the TARDIS, the warmth of home. “You were brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.” He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly, first her cheeks, then her forehead, then her lips.

When they could breathe again, the Doctor said, “So, back home now?”

Rose, her arms still wrapped around him, buried her face in his neck. “I’m already home.”

After a beat to fix the moment in his memory he busied himself with the control panel. When the TARDIS flew into the time vortex he shouted, “Well then, allons-y!”

for @doctorroseprompts 31 Days of Ficmas || Day 5: Candy Canes

my ficmas masterpost

#lirael writes #doctorroseprompts #31 days of ficmas #tentoo x rose #tentoo #rose tyler #this was so hard to write #i re-wrote it about five times #and it's still not exactly what i envisioned #sigh #but i'm almost happy with it now #anyway #i'm going to queue it up and go to bed now #dw #dw drabble #doctor who drabble

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angelicspaceprince · 7 years

Text

The Doctor’s Lines

Author: Anna

Title: The Doctor’s Lines

Pairing: Doctor/Time Lady/Lord!Reader (9-12)

Character/s: 9-12 Doctors, Time Lady/Lord!Reader, Gender Neutral!Reader, mentions of and actual various companions cameos, few OCs

Word Count: 5, 222 words

Warnings: Nothing but fluff and cringe-filled pickup lines. There is a minor mention of depression in one of them.

Tags: elyshakate

Notes: I know I’ve been a way for a while and I’m sorry, uni and stuff. But thanks to the amazing inthisformiambadwolf and their amazing Ten/Reader story called To Have and To Hold, and their other stories too (check them out guys like seriously, they are all perf), plus the current marathon I’ve been having has led to this. I’m hoping this will lead to either a series or be a trial run of a Doctor/OC fic I’ve been thinking of. We will see what happens. Also, I don’t have access to any Classic Who…so it’s all from 9 to 12. You also be married (aww.) Also, sorry its jumpy I’m working on a fic idea so its kinda put into this as well so practice run? Also some of them (like the Snowmen episode) I chopped a massive bit out because I was going off of memory and didn’t have the time/energy to fix it, but if this does become a series and I do use these scenes again, then I’ll just rewrite as I can. Also, sorry about the shit title, I kept changing it. Still not happy with it, might change it later.

Buy Me a Coffee

The Doctor’s Lines

You had been married the Doctor through nine regenerations and ten faces, so you’d think you’d know him like the back of your hand by now. But every now and again, he’d pull something new out to keep you on your feet. And with his tenth face, his stupid, big-eared, leather-jacket-wearing face, his love of puns also formed its way into the form of extremely cheesy pick-up lines.

The first instance of this was just before you met the lovely Rose for the first time. When travelling by 1837 to view Queen Victoria’s coronation ended up with the two of you on the run from a small group of rogue fish-like aliens. His hand in yours, pulling you along somewhere were the two of you could recalculate your position.

“Doctor, over here!” You call out, pulling him towards an empty shop at the end of the street. Closing the door behind you, you simultaneously release a sigh of relief. You take a few steps back as his hand leaves yours as the Doctor goes to investigate the shop. “Alright, what now? Clearly, they are scared and trapped here. Not an invasion, we just need to figure out how to communicate with the-”

“Hey love?” You spin around to see your husband sending you a cheeky grin. “You had me at cello.” He declares proudly, holding the neck of the said instrument. You try to hold back your smile.

“Not the time, dear.” You state softly as he puts the cello away. He pouts.

“I thought it was clever.” He looks over at you and you try not to laugh at the fully-grown man sending you puppy-dog eyes.

“It was very clever love, I’m very proud.” He perked up, grabbed your hand and started to plan what to do next.

After that, it was like the Doctor made it his personal mission to find the cheesiest and worst pick-up lines to use on you. His next body was more flirty, and loved to think he was smooth.

The two of you raced down the corridor, trying your best to avoid DALEK fire. The two of you wait in the corner, waiting for a clear path out. “You alright, Doctor?” You quietly ask as you keep a look out.

“Fine, fine.” He mutters. “Ready?” You hum in agreement. “Before we go, here, hold this.” He holds out an empty hand. You turn to look at him, his hand, then back up to his grinning face as he wiggles his eyebrows at you.

“You think you are so smooth.” You grab his hand anyway as he begins to pull you away.

“I think you’ll find that I am so smooth.” His face turns from saucy to pouty again. You quickly kiss his cheek before the two of you take off running once again.

“You are so lucky that I love you.”

During one of your more quieter days was when the bow-tie wearing Doctor retook up his hobby of bad pick-up lines. After attempting to fix the Doctor’s fiddling with the TARDIS, you were taking her on a test flight when you felt two arms wrap around your waist. He kisses the side of his head as he watches over what you were doing.

“I bet 20 credits that you’ll turn me down.” He whispers into your ear.

Without hesitating, you place 20 credits into his hand and work your way out of his grip, moving to check another part of the panel, fighting a smirk. When you look up, you snort at the look of disbelief still plastered on the Doctor’s face.

“You alright, dear?” You can see what just happened computing in his brain as you grin. Feeling slightly bad (not really) you saunter over and pull him down for a kiss by his suspenders, trying to wipe the look off of his face. “I love you Doctor.”

“I love you too.”

The big eared Doctor wasn’t impressed with you. After you had saved Captain Jack Harkness from certain death, the two of you got into a massive argument. You were still fuming over the stupidity of the fight and were too hot headed to apologise, demand an apology or try and talk out the situation. Knowing this Doctor the way you do meant you seriously doubted that you were going to get an apology, even though it was equally both your faults.

You turn onto your side and pull your blankets up to your chin as you curl up on yourself. You just wanted to sleep and tomorrow forget that today ever happened.

You hear someone shuffling along the corridor outside your door, causing you to retreat into your warm hideaway just as they gently knock on your door. Once. Twice. You hear a sigh before something is slipped underneath your door.

You try to ignore it, but curiosity eats away at you until your feet lead you to the door almost automatically. The fancy, thick paper has clearly the Doctor’s messy handwriting scrawled in the middle. You hesitate before seeing what he has to say.

‘If I had a star for every time you brightened my day, I’d have a galaxy in my hand.’

You wanted to stay mad as you bit your lip, he was a jerk after all. But as the blood rushes to your face, you release that in this generation, this was the apology you wanted. Or as good as you could get anyway.

You open the door to see his semi-sheepish face looking back at you. “Ready to go?” You look back down at the paper before nodding, leaving your room with your arm through his.

“You are a massive sap, you know that right?”

You rolled your eyes at the Doctor as he rushes around the TARDIS, trying to back her up to get the side of the Titanic out of her. “Why did you have her shields down anyway?”

“I was rebuilding her!”

“Doctor, the last time you were rebuilding her, you froze her Chameleon circuits!” When you don’t get a response you huff and move to move the TARDIS for him before putting up the shields once more. “Doctor, its like you are a white dwarf. Extremely hot, but not very bright.” You mutter to yourself. His saucy look returns as he wiggles his eyebrows at you.

“You think I’m sexy?” You raise an eyebrow.

“And overconfident.” You add sarcastically. “Go get changed, I want to go dancing on the Titanic.”

Today was just one of those days. The Doctor had just gotten his sight back, which was a relief, but he was already getting into trouble. After the situation was resolved with the Ice Warriors on Mars, you were helping the Doctor, Bill and Godsacre finish the message to be seen in the future when the Doctor looked over to you, excitement clearly plastered over his face. ‘Oh no,’ you thought as he walks over, ‘he’s got a bad one coming.’

“Do you live on Mars?” He asks as soon as he is close to you. “Cause you are out of this world! Ha!”

“Proud of that one?” You ask dryly.

“Extremely.”

“Good, glad one of us is.”

You look out for Donna as she searches for her perfect man now that everyone has been evacuated from the library’s computer. It had been a long day, not quite defeating the Vashta Nerada (you did need to be gone within the next twenty hours, but you weren’t going to be eaten so you were kinda in a stand still at the moment), losing River and briefly losing Donna drained all of your energy as you morn the loss of yet another innocent person in your life.

The Doctor could tell that you just wanted to sleep and forget today had happened, your body language was enough to alert him that you probably weren’t going to be wanting any amazing adventures any time soon. Still, he wanted to make you feel better as he came to stand next to you.

“There was nothing we could have done.” He offers. You hum. He’s right, River had knocked you out and chained you to the wall, you probably would still be there if Lux hadn’t walked past twenty minutes later. “We got her saved into the computer, we might be able to get her out one day.” You simply look at him.

“Doctor, I love you, but we both know she is stuck there for the rest of the CAL’s life.” He nods. “But she is alive.” Silence rings between the two of you before he grasps your hand.

“I have a library card, do you mind if I check you out?” He smirks for a second before looking down at you worried. “Sorry, I’ve been meaning to say that all day and I-” You cut him off, laughing lightly.

“They just keep getting worse.” You chuckle before laughing harder. The Doctor smiles. You were going to be okay.

“I was thinking somewhere relaxing for our next trip, less running and so on. Do you think Donna would like a spa day?” The Doctor offers as you look at the disappointed Super Temp returning to where you were standing.

“I think so. Have any spa in mind?”

“Thought maybe Midnight, the diamond planet?” You nod.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Clara, the Doctor and you landed in the middle of the snowy forest, you instantly start shivering. The Doctor starts rubbing Clara’s arms to warm her as she complains and he explains the heat loss filter would kick in soon.

“I wish we had actual clothes.” You offer as Clara walks off and he turns to give the same treatment to you.

“Do you know what this shirt is made of?” The Doctor offers, trying to hide his excited smile. You sigh, another one was coming up.

“Technically, you aren’t wearing a shirt.” You try to defuse the inevitable cringe-worthy, cheesy line that was going to come next. He pouts, ignoring Clara as she walks closer towards the hand in the snow. “Fine, what’s it made of?”

“Boyfriend material.” He declares proudly.

“We are married, you complete and utter dunce.” You state fondly as you give him a quick kiss.

“You look cold. Want to use me as a blanket?” He offers as you take a step back.

“Seriously, why are you like this?”

“Clara step away from it!” You both shout at the same time, the hand grabbing her ankle.

“Don’t look away from it, it’s a Weeping Angel.” You explain. “It looks like a statue, but isn’t a statue. Can you get out?”

“Only if I get out of my shoe.”

“You’re not wearing a shoe.” The Doctor reminds her.

“Good point.” She continues to struggle.

“Doctor, help Clara, I’ll keep an eye on the Angel.”

Donna was dying for a coffee and would not leave the TARDIS before she got it. Which was okay, meant you and the Doctor had some time together just walking the streets of London. It didn’t happen often, usually you were running around, saving lives and planets. It felt almost strange to be standing in a Starbucks waiting for your coffees.

You had gotten pretty good and noticing when another line was popping up, the Doctor’s eyes if not face would light up with excitement when he hears to thinks of a new tacky pick-up line. But you were certain that something as simple as coffee wouldn’t cause him to think of a new one.

Oh how wrong you were.

“Do you work at Starbucks?” He starts as you sigh, waiting for the end of this. “Because I like you a latte.”

“Where do you even find half of these? Do you have a book hidden somewhere or what?” You grab the coffees and walk out. “If you do, I’m going to burn it.”

“No you don’t!” He looks at you offended. “I thought you loved my pick-up lines.”

“Yeah, sure.” You roll your eyes.

“I love you.”

“Love you too. Where are we off to next?”

You were being marched down the corridor towards God knows where, looking around for the TARDIS, the Doctor, some kind of sign or signal that he was on his way to save you. “What are you looking for?” One of the guards demanded.

You pause. “You could say that I’m looking for my Mr. Right?” You offer right before a large chunk of the wall exploded, causing the six of you to fly against the opposite wall.

“Hi, I’m Mr. Right. I heard you were looking for me.” The northern accented Doctor makes his entrance as you make your way onto your feet.

“How long have you been sitting on that one?” You ask as he sonics your cuffs, releasing you from your chains.

“A while.” He admits. “Come on!” He pulls you away as you start to run towards the TARDIS and to safety.

You know you had done the right thing, Missy was both the Doctor’s and your friend, no matter what her previous regeneration’s actions had been. But going from adventure to adventure to being stuck in the University thanks to Nardole’s insistence that the TARDIS be more or less turned off.

The three of you were getting on each other’s nerves, thirty-five years of doing pretty much nothing. The Doctor was fine, he could teach. You on the other hand, as a married woman in the 1910, weren’t allowed to teach. Being in Wales didn’t help either.

Things were already getting tense, the Doctor couldn’t stand being in one place for too long and was becoming insufferable. The latest argument exploded over something minor said when you were found, yet again, trying to enter the TARDIS for something to do. The Doctor sided with Nardole, and after years of putting up with his attitude due to his boredom, you snapped.

In hindsight, there were better ways to deal with it, and you probably should have taken that path, but after been turned down from job after job due to your marriage, being told by both of the men that you couldn’t go see Missy because it was too dangerous even though they went in to see her almost daily and the Doctor not making an apparent effort to try and understand your frustrations at all, you couldn’t handle it. So, after a screaming match that would have woken up all of Cardiff if it wasn’t for the TARDIS’ covenant sound-proofing, you stormed out.

You had been walking around the town aimlessly, purchasing the few necessities you had run out of as you went to try and keep yourself busy as you worked off some steam. You had been walking for hours, the sun had gone down and you left at noon, before you finally made your way back to your shared apartment, where Nardole was pacing the living room and seemed to be a bit stressed.

“The Doctor and I have been looking for you.” He scolded lightly as sat down on the worn out couch. “After you didn’t come back after his next class, we both started to become worried. It’s not safe for you to be out on your own.”

“It’s Cardiff.” You rolled your eyes. “I was fine.”

“What about James Marks, eh? Could have run into another fellow like him.”

“The guy that exposed himself to a female with apparent intent to harm? Please, I’ve faced DALEKS, I can face a human criminal.” You looked over to him. “I get that you and the Doctor care, but you can’t assume I’m going to run off. I was trying to find something to do, the Doctor is an University professor and you are his valet. I have nothing. Can’t do anything, can’t help in anyway. Do you know how frustrating that is?” He thought for a second.

“Maybe we could open up a small business to keep you busy?” He offered. “That’d be nice, just something small to keep you occupied and make a little bit of extra money on the side.” You paused, trying to think of what you could do.

“I think that could work. Thank you Nardole.” You smiled over to him before you suddenly saw a small envelope on the table in front of you. “Who’s this?”

“Yours I think, the Doctor left it for you when he went out looking for you. I stayed here in case you came back.” Nardole sat next to you as you opened it to pull out the thick paper. Circular handwriting looks back at you as you read the Gallifrean.

‘I love you. And I was wrong. Your beauty makes the morning look like the dull glimmer of the moon.’

You smiled, cheeks reddening slightly as Nardole looked over your shoulder. “What’s it say, then?”

You paused, trying to think of what to say before you realised what it actually was. “An apology. It’s an apology.”

Your bow-tie wearing Doctor was out of the TARDIS, which was good. He had been stuck up there since the Ponds were taken by the Angels, which devastated you but the Doctor….the Doctor took it harder than you did.

The snow was something different, as it fell you had an eerie feeling that something was wrong. You were sure the Doctor did too, but he didn’t want to frighten or make you think that he was trying to find some alien mystery when there wasn’t one.

The Doctor wasn’t the same when the Ponds were taken, you made sure to go down and see Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax at least once a week, at the very least to get an update of London and you’d give them and update of the Doctor. You then had something to tell him, to distract him, even if it didn��t work until Vastra called saying someone said that the one word used to describe their problem was pond. That got him on the case quick smart.

So, here you were. Strax was struggling with the memory worm, the Doctor was telling him off, the governess that had the issue and you were giggling at their antics. The Doctor looked over at you to shut up as Strax, yet again forgets the gauntlets, which caused you to raise an eyebrow and continue giggling. He rolled his eyes before grabbing your hand and turned to Clara.

“Don't come looking for us. Forget about us. You understand?” He warned her before pushing her into the carriage, retaking your hand once he stepped back.

“What about the snow? Shouldn't we be warning people?” Clara insisted, looking over to the two of you.

“Not my problem. Merry Christmas. Take her back where we found her.” He instructed Strax after brushing her off and started to lead you away, the both of you hearing Strax’s ‘sir, ma’am’ behind you before he takes off. You moved to link arms with the Doctor to stop him from dragging you off.

“Doctor, we both know that if it’s a human problem, then it’s your problem.” You gently stated, trying to hide a smirk as you realise that Clara was, indeed, following the both of you. “Humanity could be in danger, and normally you make it your responsibility to, ya know, save them.” He frowns.

“No, not this time.”

“I know you are upset, luv, but we need to keep doing what we do.” The glare alone was enough to stop the words in your mouth. “Okay, just know whatever you decide to do I’m supporting you all the way.” The two of you walked in silence for a bit as you watched the snow. “Snowmen, low telepathic field. Very alien.”

“Y/N.” He warned.

“Yes dear.” You placed your best poker face as the next sentence formed in your head. “I must be a snowflake, because I’ve fallen for you.” The Doctor’s face tightened as he tried to hide his smile.

“Really?”

“I miss the pick-up lines.” You confessed. “But I love you.” You stated firmly as he pulls down the ladder and offered you his hand to lead you into going first. He kisses your temple as you grasp the rails of the ladder.

“I love you too.”

Visiting Van Gogh was partially difficult. You had a bit of a past with depression, and seeing the great artist himself caused a whole lot of feelings you didn’t want to address to reappear. After rereturning to the gallery post seeing his reaction to his paintings in the 21st Century, you caught Amy crying in the TARDIS.

“Amy? Are you okay?” She wiped away her tears in an attempt to hide her reaction to your current adventure. “Oh, come here sweetheart.” You pulled her close in an attempt to console her, the both of you sat on the stairs in the control room. “What’s wrong, love?”

“After everything we did, what we showed him, why did he still do that?” You hummed, understanding her confusion.

“Depression….it’s like herpes.” She looked at you really weirdly. “Hear me out. You have your oral herpes, your cold sores, that go away with time. That’s some depression. Then you have herpes herpes, the bad kind that never goes away. You say ‘tomorrow, I’m going to do all these changes, I’m going to keep up to date with my meds and make my life a better place and I won’t have herpes because of these changes’. The next day, the herpes are gone. But the virus is still there. The symptoms, they come back and sometimes they come back with vengeance.” You paused to pass her a tissue as she dabs her eyes. “The same thing is with depression. In the case of Vincent, it’s a disease that never truly goes away, he might have felt better for a month or two but the disease came back. And it got worse. But he kept his paintings because he knew they would help people in the future, and he knew you’d go see them one day. And do you know what.” You pulled yourself away and smiled down at her. “I bet you that he thought of you and how ginger your kids would be until the day he died.” She laughed a little.

“Did we make him happy?”

“Yes, I think we did.” She nodded, pleased with that answer.

“I think I’m going to go to bed.” She said after a few minutes of quiet thinking. “Good night.”

“Good night Amy, we will see you in the morning.” You let her to go her room without any fuss, knowing that she would be fine and in the later stages of grieving in the next few days. Getting up, you walked over to the control panel and started to plot where you would ideally like to visit next, even though the Doctor and TARDIS probably had other ideas.

“Are you okay?” You looked over to see a very nervous-looking Doctor. “I noticed that…..at the gallery….you seemed to be struggling.” You smiled over at him as he came up to hold you tightly.

“I’m fine. Just had a few moments where I needed to readjust myself.” You push away at the hair covering his eyes. “Thank you for worrying.”

“Always.” He kisses you lightly. “You know, if a thousand painters worked for a thousand years, they could not create a work of art as beautiful as you.” You rolled your eyes, smiling softly.

“Do you know what? I’m just going to take that.”

Bill was having the time of her life out on the ice, viewing all the different things that 19th Century Britain had to offer. Meanwhile, you had lost the Doctor. You kept careful guard of your sonic screwdriver, the only valuable you had, as you wander the streets looking for him. People bombarded you with advertising, entertainment and pleading for spare change and assistance, to all you said no to. You knew the game, you weren’t losing anything.

It wasn’t until a Scottish voice behind you scared you out of your guarded state. “Hello, are you married?” You turned to see a grinning Doctor.

You hesitated. “Yes….?”

“I didn’t hear you say happily.” You let out an annoyed sigh as you slap his chest lightly.

“I’m married to you, you twat!” You exasperated.

“I know. Lucky you.” You shake your head before linking arms with him and walking off in an attempt to refind Bill.

The Child was beginning to freak you out. Super strong, able to communicate through phones and God knows what else, all of them was setting you off when you realised that you were in the Child’s room. Jumping through the hole in the wall provided by with Jack, you are tossed the banana the Doctor placed in place of his gun. “Don’t drop the banana!”

“I won’t!” You called back out as Jack and Rose asked why.

“Good source of potassium!” Doctor called back. “Hey, Y/N!”

“This better be important!” You moved up next to him. “What is it?”

“Are you a banana? Because I find you a-peeling!” He laughed at his joke as you punch his arm.

“Really not the time Doctor.”

Bill was home safe and you had just found out the Doctor had not, in fact, regained his sight after fighting the Space Zombies from Hell. You weren’t happy about the lying but you were helping him adjust to his new blind status, even though you weren’t impressed that he decided not to tell Bill.

It had been a fortnight after the incident, and you had come up with a system that allowed you to communicate where he needed to move to avoid danger or to look in the right direction without anyone knowing you were doing so, and taught him how to read braille, along with coming up with a system in the TARDIS so the Doctor could find whatever he needed whenever he needed it. He knew you were still not impressed, but you were both coping with the new changes.

“Hey Y/N!” You popped your head out of the kitchen and into the hallway at the sound of the Doctor’s voice, wiping your wet hands on a tea towel..

“Yeah?!”

“I need you in the library!” The rich, accented voice rung out.

“Hang on then!” You ditched the towel and half-jogged, half-walked to the library. “What is it?” You saw him hunched over the desk in the middle of the room.

“Can you come here please? I need you to read my palm, I’ve written something on there but I don’t know if its legible.” You sighed as you walked over and placed your head on his shoulder, looking over to see both of his palms empty.

“Doctor, there’s nothing there….”

“Ah yes, I didn’t expect you to see anything because love is blind.” You took a step back. “Y/N?”

“Okay, no, seriously, run because I am going to kill you.” He laughed at your reaction. “That was so bad it’s not even funny.”

“You love it.”

“Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that buddy.” He stood up and you walked over to face him. “In front. Are you sure you are okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m always fine. I’m the Doctor.” He tried to reassure.

“I know. That’s why I worry.” He smiled down at you as you stood on your tiptoes and gave the tip of his nose a kiss. “We’ll be okay yeah.” He pulled you in for a hug.

“We will always be okay, I promise you that.”

After Vampire Fish in Venice, you needed a break. All you wanted was to watch a little bit of Netflix and relax with some junk food and maybe a nap between shows.

Rory was cool with that, he needed just a little bit to not so much process or accept, but just think over what had happened during the last 48 hours. Amy and the Doctor, on the other hand, wanted to keep going.

“An hour. Just an hour of watching Netflix, then we can go.” You pleaded. “Or you two go by yourself and do something, Rory and I don’t mind, do we Rory?”

“No, no, you lot go ahead. We are fine here.” He agreed as Amy pouted a little.

“It’s no fun if its just the two of us.” They all ignored the Doctor’s ‘hey!” in protest as they tried to figure it out. “If we watch one movie, can we go after that?”

“Sure!” Rory and you both state together.

“I have to choose.”

“Don’t care, Amy’s choice. Up to you.” You nodded as you directed the couple to the entertainment room. “Come along Doctor.” You called over your shoulder.

Forty minutes into some movie from the 22nd Century that Amy said looked interesting, the human couple were sound asleep, Amy draped over her fiancé as the Doctor sat behind you, playing with your hair as you watch the movie, staring at you as you do so.

“Alright there, dear?” You question.

“Are you Netflix? Because I could watch you for hours.”

“Hun, I love you, and I appreciate the attempt, but that’s very creepy.” You pat his arm lightly.

“I tried.”

“And I appreciate that.” You pull him in for a kiss. “Now shush, I wanna see the end of this movie.”

It had been five months since the Monks had taken over Earth, and the Doctor had nearly finished rehabilitating the men that were keeping you ‘captive’. With your small army nearly ready, you had to prepare a way to figure out if Bill was still Bill, or had given into the Monks reprograming.

“I think out of all the aliens we have encountered, the Monks are the worst.” You complain as the camera is taken away from the room after another recording was demanded from the two of you.

“Was your father an alien? Because there’s nothing else like you on Earth!” You looked over to the soldier who said that with a slightly raised eyebrow as the Doctor’s attack eyebrows furrowed together to form a lethal stare of death.

“Don’t you start too. I’ve never gotten it out of him.” You indicated to the Doctor.

“You’re married? He’s old enough to be your grandfather!” That angered the Doctor even more, and you knew you had to defuse the situation.

“It’s all about the experience, love.” You sent over a cheeky wink as you noticed the slight victory smirk accompanying the slight red tinge on the Doctor’s cheeks. The soldier laughs it off and moves on to complete his other duties. “You alright, love?”

“Am I too old for you?” He asked as he pulled you close. He was normally against the hugging, but never with you.

“Never! I love you always, regardless of your age, you know that.” You played with the few loose curls at the back of his head. “Can’t believe it wasn’t you who said that.”

“I was going to, someday. I had it saved away for another time.” You grinned.

“Ah well, I’m sure you have more.” You pulled away. He grinned, the red beginning to fade.

“You are out of this world you know.”

“I know. Thank you, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

252 notes · View notes

raywritesthings · 7 years

Text

Lost in Translation 4/?

My Writing Fandom: Doctor Who Characters: Donna Noble, Tenth Doctor Pairing: Doctor/Donna Summary: In a universe where people are born with the name of the person destined for them displayed on their skin, intergalactic soulmates can be rather difficult to navigate. AO3 link

Truth be told, Martha Jones wasn’t surprised in the least when the Doctor had answered her call with a new companion in tow. It wasn’t as if she’d waited all that long to move on, and she was the one who’d had the silly crush on him.

No, what did surprise her was when the actual introduction happened. He said it like it was nothing. “Martha, Donna. Donna, Martha.”

And yet, it wasn’t nothing at all. It was everything. Because Martha Jones knew something she wasn't supposed to know.

Being John Smith’s maid in 1913 had been a hell of an ordeal, but one thing that had happened — that had changed the way she'd seen him completely — had been the glimpse she had gotten whilst the human Doctor had been changing one morning.

Donna. The name on his back had stunned her then. Martha hadn't realized the Doctor had a soulmate mark, much less a human one. And if she had thought so, she would've assumed the name had to be Rose. At least it hadn't been Joan; that would've been more than she was willing to deal with.

Briefly, Martha had even entertained the idea that the unfamiliar name had been a fabrication of the chameleon arch, randomly generated for John Smith. But a Donna here with him now? That couldn't possibly be coincidence.

Donna immediately endeared Martha to her before she could register much beyond her own shock, poking fun at the Doctor's expense with an ease that belied the fondness in her eyes. Martha found herself tentatively rather liking the other woman. She was certainly good for his ego, anyway!

“Well, congratulations at any rate,” Martha offered, still grinning about hugs and paper cuts.

Donna blinked, the smile she wore not quite leaving her face. “Pretty sure we’re supposed to be telling you that.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Well, aren't you—”

“What exactly is it we’re here for, Martha?” The Doctor spoke right over her. Donna sent him a look, but Martha was more preoccupied by the high pitch of his voice and the wide-eyed panic he was regarding her with. He’d clearly caught her meaning, at least.

It was rare she got to hold knowing something over him, but unfortunately she had a job to do. Personal catching up would have to wait. “Now that you mention it.” She took out her walkie-talkie just as it crackled to life.

“Doctor Jones, report to base, please. Over.”

Martha turned slightly away from the pair in order to respond and to take charge of the operation. Soon enough she was leading the Doctor and Donna to UNIT’s temporary base outside the ATMOS factory.

The Time Lord seemed unimpressed with their organization and operation, eschewing military protocol in regards to himself and only cracking something close to a smile when Donna demanded the respect and honors for herself instead. He was given a sample of ATMOS to examine once they moved to the factory, and Martha was left to chaperone him alone as he quickly chased off Colonel Mace. It was only when she pointed out her continued commitment to nonviolence that he started to warm again.

“That's more like Martha Jones,” he said.

She shared his tentative smile. “Look, as long as this is just about UNIT, then fine. But I swear knowing about you and Donna was an accident.” Just as quickly as they'd reached a sort of calm, he paled again, the proud look dropping off his face.

“Martha,” he began, but she wanted to make herself heard before the lecture, so she carried right on.

“I never told you I saw the name because I didn't think it mattered. So I'm sorry you couldn't surprise me — surprised you put stock into any of that, really.” Martha didn't really, not with her mum who had declared she'd clearly met the wrong Clive and her dad who had decided he never wanted to meet another Francine in his life. “But does it make a difference, me knowing already? Unless you and Donna are taking things slow—”

“We’re not taking things anywhere,” the Doctor stated bluntly.

Martha sat back. “What do you mean?”

“I mean we're not together. Not soulmates,” he clarified. “Donna hasn't got a name.”

“Really?” She knew that could happen, of course, and had even sat in on a removal surgery during one of her rotations at the Royal Hope. “Sure she didn't just get hers taken off because it said ‘Doctor’?”

It figured he didn't appreciate her teasing one bit. “She told me the day we met.”

“So...it's just a coincidence?” She asked, dubious.

“Yes,” he answered. “And Martha, you cannot tell her. Donna doesn't know I’ve got a name, least of all hers — well, not hers, but—” he struggled to find an end to that sentence, tense and refusing meet her eyes. “I don't want her to think that's why I have her around, because it's not, and I’d travel with her no matter what her name was. But if she finds out the truth now there's no telling what she’ll think of me.”

And Martha could see just how much that thought terrified him. She wanted to reassure him; the little she knew of Donna made her feel the other woman could forgive him if he simply confessed to the lie. Even if it made things awkward for a time, they'd both have to realize his mark didn't have any real effect on their friendship. Right?

“So you don't really think you’ve got a soulmate, do you?”

He looked up from the ATMOS device at her, but said nothing.

Martha never had been very good at listening when he meant for her to leave something alone. “Or that Donna's…?”

“She hasn't got one,” he repeated, voice tight.

Donna herself entered the room just as loud and confident as before, and the Doctor sent Martha a look that was as much a warning as it was a plea, even as he was rising from his chair to meet the redhead halfway.

“Why, what's inside it?” He asked, indicating the empty file Donna had brought with her. “Or what's not inside it?”

“Sick days. There aren’t any. Hundreds of people working here and no one’s sick. Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky little shopping trip, nothing. Not ever. They don’t get ill.”

“That can't be right,” said Martha, joining them.

“You’ve been checking out the building. Should've been checking out the workforce,” said Donna.

“I can see why he likes you.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, and Martha quickly tacked on a “You are good.”

She needn't have worried about some form of reprimand; the Doctor was too busy smiling at Donna. And Martha realized — he really liked her. More than he and Donna — and apparently the universe — had agreed he was supposed to. And she'd thought their situation had been a mess!

Colonel Mace assigned her to examining the workers they'd found at the ATMOS factory, and there were far more important things to do than worry about the Doctor's romantic troubles. She'd called him here to help them, after all, so it was best to just get on with business.

But since Donna was coming along to help her set up, it didn't hurt to multitask, did it?

“So, how long ago did you start up with the Doctor?”

“Oh, well, that's sort of a long story. See, I met him two Christmases back on my wedding day.” Donna noticed her eyes flick down to her bare ring finger, for she clarified, “It didn't end up happening.”

“Stole you from your wedding, did he?” Martha asked with a grin.

“Don't you start. You know better than me it's not like that.” Donna raised a finger as if to warn her off. Martha was tempted to tell her she was fairly sure it was like that, at least on the Doctor's end even if he was being secretive about it, but a thought occurred to her.

“Hold on, two Christmases ago was before I knew him.”

“Yeah. I was glad he found you in between, cause he's rubbish on his own.” Donna shook her head, even as the corners of her lips curved upwards. “I was lucky enough to find him after I turned him down the first time.”

Oh. So he really did have reason to fear the possibility of rejection.

“Do you think I should warn my mum about the ATMOS in her car?” Donna asked her, and Martha blinked, working to refocus.

“Better safe than sorry.”

“I’ll give her a call,” Donna decided offhand.

Martha paused. “Donna. Do they know where you are? Your family. I mean, that you’re traveling with the Doctor?”

She could tell that Donna hadn’t put much thought into it, just the same as she had done. Martha didn’t want to scare the other woman off traveling or away from him, but she felt it only fair to warn her of the worst things that could happen. Donna’s horrified look at the recounting of what happened to her family aboard the Valiant had Martha rushing to assure her, “It wasn’t the Doctor’s fault, but you need to be careful. Because you know the Doctor. He’s wonderful, he’s brilliant, but he’s like fire. Stand too close...and people get burnt.”

And Donna could have no idea how much danger she was already in, close as the Doctor seemed to long to be.

—-

It had been a quiet few days, ever since Donna had flown off in a little blue box with the man — the alien — she'd been waiting for. Sylvia was getting in a bit of a fuss over it, he could tell even if his daughter would never admit it. Wilf wasn’t exactly worried as of yet, having a better idea of what exactly was going on, but nevertheless when he took the trash out that morning only to see Donna coming down the street towards him, he felt a great swell of relief and joy.

They went in for tea and so Donna could tell him all about this alien Doctor and the places he’d taken her.

“But is it safe?” He had to know first and foremost. “This Doctor, are you safe with him?”

“He’s amazing, Gramps. He’s just dazzling,” Donna told him earnestly. “And never tell him I said that. But I’d trust him with my life.”

“Hold up, I thought that was my job.”

“You still come first,” she assured him with a smile.

“But he’s right behind me, eh?” He guessed. “You’re really sure he’s not…?”

“I’m sure,” she insisted. “He really can’t be. His people didn't have all this soulmate stuff. Even if I’m thinking, well — my mark’s probably got to be from some other planet.”

“Oh!” His granddaughter, destined for an alien after all. Imagine! “Well, couldn't he tell you which planet?”

“Yeah, that's the thing, I sort of told him when we met that I didn't have a mark. It was stupid, I know,” she added before he could do much more than shift in his chair a bit. “But if I fess up now I either look like a liar or he’ll never let me live it down.

“And anyway,” Donna continued, “I like the way things are now. I'm happy traveling with him, and I don't want to bother with all that just yet.”

“Well, if you think it's best,” he gave in with a shrug. “But for God’s sake, don't tell your mother.”

Donna had misgivings about that, but almost right on cue his daughter bustled in with her usual nagging, rather making his point. She set them both to work clipping coupons and putting the kettle back on and that stopped any and all talk about aliens or travels for the time being. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Donna sigh and fidget in her chair. Once or twice, he saw her check the clock and her phone. Happy as Wilf was to have her home, he knew she wasn’t happy here, not for more than a visit anyway.

Someone came to the door, and Donna got up to answer it. Wilf could just pick up the sound of a man’s voice, and when he heard the door shut and Donna didn't return he had the feeling he knew just which man.

Wilf hurried out front. “Is it him? Is it him? Is it the Doctor?” He called. Donna was standing with someone who’d put the bonnet of their car up and was bent over examining it. When Wilf came around the side to get a better look, however, he stopped short. “Ah, it’s you!”

The man who had disappeared on Christmas Eve! He looked round at the sound of Wilf’s voice. “Who? Oh, it’s you.”

“What, have you met before?” Donna asked, looking back and forth between them.

“Yeah, Christmas Eve. He disappeared right in front of me!”

“And you never said?” She demanded.

“Well you never said,” he pointed out.

It was clear Donna was smitten with this Doctor. He’d asked her to make a call, and she held the phone up as a familiar barrier to hide her fond looks and soft eyes from the alien while they shook hands. Wilf began to suspect his granddaughter’s lack of enthusiasm for soulmates had less to do with her disillusionment and more to do with her current affections.

With that in mind, he had only one request. “The thing is, Doctor, that Donna is my only grandchild. You got to promise me you’re going to take care of her.”

“She takes care of me!”

Well, he certainly knew their Donna, then!

His granddaughter wasn't very appreciative of his old stories about her childhood, so Wilf changed tacks. “How do you communicate with us, then? Being an alien and all?”

“Oh, I learned in school. Long time ago.”

“He’s got a translation circuit built into his ship,” Donna informed him with an eye roll.

“Well,” said the Doctor, not quite meeting her eyes, “that helps here and there.”

“But how do you talk to aliens who don't use words?”

Donna was watching him closely now, trying to determine what he was driving at. Wilf knew she wouldn't like him interfering, but maybe if he could help her get the information she needed without making it seem like her idea, the Doctor wouldn't have any reason to think she'd lied to him.

“Oh loads of ways.” The alien rambled on, not taking his eyes of the ATMOS device he was tinkering with. “Music, sounds, pictures — course, you’ve got your good and bad artists just as you have good and bad orators, so that can get a bit tricky. But plenty of civilizations have written communication even if it wouldn't look much like words to you.”

“Yeah? Any that do circles?”

The Doctor looked up from his work immediately. “Why circles?”

“Oh. Well, no reason,” he said, not quite able to hold the alien’s suddenly rather intent stare. Donna was about as red as her hair, which the alien didn't notice with her on the other side of him.

Sylvia came outside then, interrupting them all, and Wilf was surprised to discover she’d met the Doctor as well at that wedding of Donna’s that didn’t end up happening. Funny that; it had been right after all that business Donna had started talking about soulmates again.

His daughter was certainly not taken with Donna's alien friend, however, and when the car started acting up and smoking she blamed the Doctor and stormed off.

It wasn't the Doctor's fault, though; it was those aliens he and Donna had come to stop. Aliens that had put gas in their car. Wilf didn't know much about it, but if Donna was right and it was poisonous, it wasn't safe to leave out here.

He only meant to move the car off the street, but then it started spewing that fog again and the doors and windows wouldn’t open no matter what any of them tried.

It was Sylvia who saved him in the end. She’d been keeping an ax in the front closet ever since poor Geoffrey passed. Said it made her feel safer at night, never mind the neighborhood was perfectly safe long as there weren't aliens invading them.

“Don't just stand there. Get him out!”

Donna and the Doctor worked together to pull him through the smashed windshield and over the bonnet.

“Watch the glass,” his granddaughter said, her gaze jumping back and forth between him and the alien.

“I know,” replied the Doctor. “Come on, Wilf. There we go.”

Sylvia rushed forward as soon as he'd been set on his feet. She and Donna began helping him back to the house with the Doctor following.

A soldier pulled up in front of the house with a vehicle that wasn’t billowing with the same poisonous smoke. Apparently he was the Doctor’s transport, back to wherever he needed to go to stop this.

“Donna, you coming?” The alien asked as he turned to go.

“Yeah.”

Sylvia began to protest of course, but Wilf waved her on towards the car where the Doctor was waiting with the door still held open for Donna. “You go, my darling.”

“Dad!”

“Don’t listen to her. You go with the Doctor. That’s my girl!” He watched as Donna climbed into the backseat with the alien, waving goodbye before they drove off. Just where she was supposed to be.

He wasn’t sure what it all meant anymore, soulmates and aliens. Their universe was bigger than most people these days imagined. All he knew was that he could see what this particular alien meant to Donna and what she meant to him. The way the Doctor looked at her, it was the same way Wilfred had looked at his Eileen every day of their lives together. He didn't know how that could be, given what Donna had said about him having no mark. It just was.

She did look happier, more sure of herself than he could remember for a long time. It was all Wilf had ever wanted for her, and if this Doctor could give her that — soulmate or no — then who was he to complain?

—-

As if Martha hadn’t been through enough getting abducted and cloned by the Sontarans, she’d now been abducted by the Doctor — or the TARDIS, rather, since he was insisting it wasn’t his doing — and ended up stuck with a bunch of half-human half-fish clones. She’d only meant to see him and Donna off!

Instead, they'd all gotten far more than they bargained for; a genetic sample of the Doctor's extrapolated into a young woman. A daughter.

Although it didn't seem too clear whether or not the Doctor was willing to recognize her as such. When he called her at the Hath camp she could make out Donna pushing him to include the newly created woman — Jenny, Donna appeared to be calling her. If Martha knew anything about the Doctor, it was how stubborn he could be. She doubted much would make him accept Jenny if he didn't want to.

When she'd made her way back to them over the surface of Messaline, however, she was pleasantly surprised to discover the so-named Jenny had been fully welcomed into the fold by both Donna and the Doctor. Somehow Donna or Jenny or possibly both had changed his mind in a matter of hours. He had an energy, a pride to his look that hadn’t been there before, same as the doting smiles Donna favored him and Jenny with. There was something about the three of them standing together like that. It felt complete.

Yet scarcely before any of them knew it, it was ripped away, and Martha found herself witness to the Time Lord’s grief once again. She didn't know what was worse, watching him rocking back and forth with Jenny’s limp body cradled in his arms, or the pleading, desperate looks he fixed her and Donna with. Cobb would likely never appreciate how close he’d come to losing his life.

The Doctor sat by Jenny's side for an indeterminable time, and it was only broken when Donna sniffed once, loud in the otherwise hushed greenhouse. The redhead quickly moved to wipe at her eyes, clearly mortified at having called attention to herself and not noticing the Doctor watching her. He then drew in a deep breath and gathered the girl he’d only gotten to be a father to so briefly into his arms. Standing up, the Time Lord led a procession of human and Hath back to the camp.

He laid Jenny out on a table with a white cloth, and it was terribly easy to imagine she was merely sleeping. But he was not a father tucking his daughter into bed; instead he was setting her down to her final rest.

The Doctor stood there a moment, and to her right Martha could see Donna teetering on the edge of reaching out. More than the pain now, there was worry in the other woman's gaze. A fierce sort of compassion that was hard to look at for very long. The Doctor avoided it entirely by turning and retreating from the room with his eyes cast to the ground. Before either of them could move to go after him, they were intercepted by Cline.

“Let us give her a proper ceremony. I think it’d help us. Please.”

Martha exchanged a look with Donna, who nodded. “Alright.”

“We’ll make sure to keep her mark concealed.”

“That’s alright, she won’t have one,” Donna claimed softly.

At the same time, Martha replied, “Yes, thank you, he’d appreciate that.”

Cline stared at them, a bit puzzled by the opposite responses, but eventually just nodded and shuffled off.

Donna looked at her, brow furrowed. “Wait, why did you say that about a mark? He said his people didn’t have them.”

Martha’s eyes widened. In her concerns over Jenny’s care, she’d forgotten her promise.

And Donna was rapidly working things out. “Time Lords have marks? He has one?”

This was the one thing he'd asked of her, not to tell Donna, and Martha didn't know what to do. She didn't want to lie to her new friend, but she could see the Doctor's point about the truth of his mark causing a rift between him and the redhead. After just losing Jenny, what might that do to him? “Donna, I only found out by accident, honest. He wasn’t lying to be cruel or only lying to you. It’s just not something easy for him to talk about.”

Donna scoffed. “Well nothing’s easy for him to talk about, is it? He only just told me — oh my God,” she suddenly broke off, voice hushed. “His family. The one he had before the Time War.”

That was news to Martha, but she held her tongue, realizing Donna would feel dreadful for spilling secrets, and there was enough of that going around today as it was.

“That must have been her,” Donna was continuing to reason. “His wife, or whatever Time Lords called their wives. Of course he wouldn’t want to talk about it. He lost her.” Her eyes were misting over, and she blinked rapidly to hold what Martha suspected were tears at bay. “He lost his soulmate.”

Martha bit her lip and looked to the ground. Saying anything would either be dishonest to Donna or betraying the Doctor. And really, the truth in this case might almost be worse.

After a few moments needed to collect herself, Donna led the way back to the TARDIS where the Doctor waited inside with his back to the doors. She went right up the ramp to him, touching his arm briefly, and that was all it took. Martha saw his shoulders relax and heard him draw in a breath before turning to face them both.

“Jenny was the reason for the TARDIS bringing us here. It just got here too soon, which then created Jenny in the first place. Paradox. An endless paradox.” He looked to Martha. “Time to go home?”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “Home.”

There was thankfully no further interference from the TARDIS, and when she stepped out of the doors she found herself on her street. Donna asked her once more if she wanted to stay on, but Martha knew her traveling days were over.

“You’ll be the same one day,” she told the other woman.

Donna, however, shook her head. “Not me. Never. How could I ever go back to normal life after seeing all this? I'm going to travel with that man forever.”

She sounded so sure, and Martha didn't know whether to feel better or worse about the situation the Doctor had currently placed himself in. The longer Donna remained at his side unawares, would it stave off the pain or merely prolong his suffering?

With no answer, Martha forced a smile to her face as she hugged the other woman goodbye. “Good luck.”

“And you.” By the time they let go of each other, the Doctor had joined them.

Donna let the two of them go on alone without even needing to be asked. She seemed to really get things like that.

“All those things you’ve been ready to die for,” Martha said to him. “I thought for a moment there you'd finally found something worth living for.”

“Oh, there’s always something worth living for, Martha.” Somehow, she didn't think he was lying.

They both went in for a hug, one of her hands resting on top of where his mark was. Over his shoulder, her gaze fell on Donna herself standing and waiting not far away.

“You really wish it was her, don’t you,” Martha stated rather than asked. She felt him tense up immediately, and in response Martha held him a little tighter. “I’m sorry.”

The Doctor stepped back out of her arms, face a mask of calm. “Nothing for you to apologize for.”

With nothing left to say, the Time Lord turned and made his way back to Donna, who fell right into step with him on their walk back to the TARDIS. Martha watched their retreating backs.

What she wouldn't give for them to match, for there to be someone for the Doctor to remind him of the things worth living for every day. Donna Noble wanted to be that someone — could be that someone — and yet they held back. All because of one little lie, born out of a desire to not be alone. Brought together yet separated by fate. How was that fair?

Martha looked down at her ring as the sound of the TARDIS faded away. No matter what happened between her two friends, she at least had her own future to look forward to.

—-

She'd been invited to the estate of Lady Edison, a self-professed fan of her writings, and the timing could not possibly have been better. Agatha needed to get away from the city, from Archie and his mistress, from everything. A little diversion in the countryside would do her good.

She hadn't expected that diversion to come in the form of a truly curious couple and a series of murders each more chilling than the last.

They were unmarried as she readily observed, but the idea that they were not truly a pair contradicted all the other evidence of her eyes. It grew only more complicated after their claim of being part of Scotland Yard in the wake of the first murder.

She began to wonder if their posing as a couple had simply been part of a cover, and once blown would reveal a purely professional working relationship. Yet when Miss Noble came to offer her words of encouragement after the gruesome demise of Miss Chandrakala, she revealed the exact opposite sentiment.

The assistant from Scotland Yard told her of her own experience with an unfaithful man and how it had fortuitously led her to meeting the Doctor. “There's always someone else,” was Miss Noble’s advice, spoken like a woman who’d already found new love.

“I see,” said Agatha, voice carefully light. “Is my marriage the stuff of gossip now?”

Miss Noble’s eyes widened, clearly realizing her social slip. “No, I just.” She looked down. “Sorry. He wasn't — it's none of my business, I know — but you weren't soulmates, were you?”

“Goodness no. That nonsense,” she said with a shake of the head. “I’ve never had the time for it. And what of your mark then, Miss Noble?” Surely the supposed Chief Inspector from Scotland Yard had a name other than Doctor?

“Oh, believe me, Agatha, that is one mystery even you can't solve,” Miss Noble stated.

She might have inquired further, but Agatha noticed something different about the flower beds from when she'd arrived. She discovered amongst the bent stalks a toolkit of some kind. Together, she and Miss Noble brought it back to the sitting room to show the Doctor.

They discovered the case was full of lock picks, and it seemed they had a thief as well as a murderer on the loose. Over drinks, Miss Noble continued to try and rally her, mentioning a curious character called Miss Marple, while the Doctor talked of Vespiforms and other nonsense. They truly were the strangest pair, well-suited perhaps only for each other's company.

“Clever idea, Miss Marple,” she remarked. “Who writes those?”

“Er, copyright Donna Noble. Add it to the list.”

“Donna,” said the Doctor.

The other woman rolled her eyes. “Okay, we could split the copyright.”

“No, something's inhibiting my enzymes.” The Doctor hunched in on himself with a pained cry. “I’ve been poisoned!”

Miss Noble leapt up immediately. “What do we do? What do we do?”

Agatha reached for his glass, and what she smelled was instantly recognizable. “Bitter almonds. It's cyanide. Sparkling cyanide!”

This pronouncement surely should have signaled to any sort of detective that there was simply nothing to be done. Yet the Doctor tore out of the room as though he could outrun Death itself. When she and Miss Noble caught up they found him rifling through the pantry and frightening the kitchen staff. He claimed he was immune to the poison with the right counter-agents, and, despite knowing it to be impossible, Agatha found herself caught up in fetching this or that item as the pair from Scotland Yard rapidly devolved into a game of charades with life or death as the stakes.

“It's a song! Mammy?” Miss Noble was guessing. “I don't know. Camptown Races?”

“Camptown Races?” Cried the Doctor around a mouthful of walnuts and anchovies.

“Well, alright then, Towering Inferno!”

“It's a shock. Look, shock. I need a shock.” He demonstrated again with splayed hands before doubling up in pain. Agatha looked around but could find nothing suitable.

“Right then. Big shock coming up.” Miss Noble seized the Doctor by the shoulders, hauling him forward to crash their lips together. Whether he was shocked or not, she could not say, though she certainly was by the rather passionate display. The pair staggered almost drunkenly across the room and back again. Miss Noble’s hands were now cradling his face, and he made an aborted motion to place his hands on her waist before suddenly wrenching away and expelling a dark cloud out of his mouth.

“Detox. Oh my. I must do that more often,” the miraculously recovered Doctor breathed, eyes locked on his assistant he’d only moments ago locked lips with. There was something burning about his gaze, and it took him a beat of stunned silence to haltingly correct himself. “I mean, the detox.”

“Doctor, you are impossible,” Agatha said, hardly above a whisper. He winked at her. “Who are you?”

Quickly as he arrived, the man swept from the kitchen. A very flustered Miss Noble followed in his wake, and Agatha behind her. The more time she spent with these two, the more uncertain her understanding of what was and wasn't possible grew; and the more uncertain her understanding of the couple grew as well.

She should have realized that the pair that spoke of such fanciful things as Vespiforms would readily believe in the old tales of soulmates. Yet if Miss Noble were to be believed, that rendered the two of them incompatible. Why then had the Doctor enlisted the redhead’s aid or shown her around on his arm or kissed her back as though even more than his life was at stake?

It seemed to Agatha there could be only one answer, an answer delicate enough that she dared not voice it until Miss Noble excused herself to wash the taste of anchovies from her mouth.

“It's her name you carry, isn't it?”

He looked round at her sharply. “Pardon?”

“The name on your back. If I were to look, I believe we both know what it would read.” She stared the Doctor down, unflinching.

He was the first of them to look away. “You really don't miss a trick, do you? Go on, what gave me away?”

“You think it would be only one thing I would name?” Agatha asked. “There's no mystery as to where Miss Noble resides in your affections, Doctor.” The corner of his mouth turned up, chagrin evident in the expression. “All I fail to understand is why you’ve kept it secret from her.”

“Because she hasn't got my name,” he replied.

Agatha felt her surprise only grow. These two really could be quite the puzzle. “It seems to me then, if marks hold such importance to the both of you, that you are misplacing your attention.”

“No,” he said scarcely before she'd finished speaking. “No, there's no one else. No one like Donna.”

“But surely then she would have your name?”

“Stranger things have happened in the universe than some mixed up birthmarks,” he dismissed. “Donna is brilliant and funny and kind and...so important. Makes perfect sense she wouldn't have a name, least of all — well. I need her more than she needs me. And that's fine. That's…” His gaze fell to the floor, and he sniffed once. “I’m fine.”

And Agatha, who did not know what she believed anymore, could not think of what to say. Her supposed mastery of words failing her again.

He leapt up from the chair. “Anyway, should be serving dinner soon. Shall we dine with my attempted assassin?” The Doctor gallantly offered her his arm and the other to Miss Noble when she emerged into the hallway, the perfect picture of carrying on.

His attempt to reveal their culprit at dinner backfired when the lights went out, and both murderer and thief struck in the darkness. Lady Edison’s prized firestone jewel was stolen and her son was slain.

And still, the Doctor continued to theorize about Vespiforms, when all that had given them so far were two more victims. “Doctor, stop it. The murderer is as human as you or I.”

He looked to her. “You’re right. Ah, I’ve been so caught up with giant wasps that I’ve forgotten. You’re the expert.”

And despite her protestations, the two who were supposedly professionals from Scotland Yard would not be swayed. It seemed if no one else was to be murdered tonight, she would have to put whatever knowledge she may have gained writing her nonsense to the test.

Once the remaining survivors had all gathered again, she began to outline the facts. Miss Redmond — or rather, Miss Redmond’s imposter, the Unicorn — was easily dealt with, and the firestone necklace was revealed to be in her possession. The Colonel then uncovered his own secret, which she had not actually known, to them all. Throughout this, the Doctor watched and waited with his chin resting in his hand and Miss Noble watched and helped herself to a tray of grapes as though they were both attending an after-dinner theatre.

Now Agatha turned to the tricky matter of Lady Edison’s past, and her scandalous trip to India. The other woman admitted to everything in the face of the evidence; the summer fling, the pregnancy.

“My poor baby. I had to give him away. The shame of it. No matter that it was fated to happen.”

“Fated?” Agatha echoed.

Lady Edison nodded. “His father and I. We were meant for each other.”

“Clemency, you told me you didn’t have a soulmate!” The Colonel looked nearly ready to rise out of the chair again in shock.

Lady Edison was directing almost all of her speech to the carpet at this point, avoiding the possibility of accusing stares. “My mark was unintelligible to even the best specialists. The family decided it could become a scandal. I’ve kept it hidden all these years. But it was his name.” Her chin raised ever so slightly as she declared, “Christopher, in the language of his people. He translated it for me.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Agatha could not help but note Miss Noble shifting uncomfortably. Something about this revelation was affecting her, touching a nerve perhaps. But why?

Could it be the tale of a soulmate foreign to their world was already familiar to her?

She was forced to return her attention to the matter at hand when the Doctor interjected, “And he was no ordinary man, was he? You said ‘the language of his people’.”

Lady Edison told them of her lover’s arrival from another world and the truth of his inhuman form. How he had died in a flood after impregnating her forty years ago, and the gift of the firestone necklace.

The Doctor explained the unknown powers it held, how it was connected even now with her child, who was sitting with them in that very room. The Reverend’s protests were little in the face of his oncoming transformation, after which he would no doubt continue to kill each and every one of them in the fashion of her books. Agatha could not let that happen.

She grabbed the firestone necklace and ran out to her car, the buzzing that pursued her letting her know the creature had taken the bait. Agatha drove half-blind through her tears. Professor Peach, Miss Chandrakala, and young Roger… “It's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault,” she gasped over and over.

The lake was rapidly approaching, and Agatha stopped the car at the edge. She stepped out with the firestone held high just as the Doctor and Miss Noble arrived in a car of their own.

“Come to me, Vespiform,” she continued to urge. The wasp flew ever closer, and Agatha held firm. It would not matter if she died here, not so long as it also rid the world of this creature warped by her own words.

The Doctor tried in vain to reason with it. Whatever had been left of the Reverend was clearly no longer there to be reached. Agatha’s arm trembled.

Miss Noble was the one out of all of them to take action in the end. She took the firestone from Agatha and tossed it far out into the lake, which the Wasp followed after immediately. It did not come back up again.

“To think the love of two people gave birth to all this senseless destruction,” Agatha said. “Two people from such different worlds.”

“They couldn't have known,” Miss Noble replied.

“No they couldn't have.” She looked at them both. “Only one mystery remains, then, and I believe it lies with the pair of you.”

Before she could say more, an intense pain in her head had her doubling over. She felt someone catch hold of her and then it all went black.

When Agatha awoke at the Harrogate, she had no recollection of arriving there or of the last several days. There was no one to tell her what had happened either.

It was the one mystery she would never solve, nor remember.

—-

While CAL had forgotten, Doctor Moon had not.

It was Doctor Moon’s task to protect the library mainframe so that she in turn could protect the data contained within. And for one-hundred years she had done so utterly unknowing. Ever since the day the shadows arrived.

Doctor Moon had alerted CAL to the threat, and she had taken what action she could to secure the safety of those visiting her library. Doing so had required uploading, massive uploading of data. 4022 uploads to be precise.

The effort had nearly drained her memory banks. To preserve the data, Doctor Moon encouraged her to insulate herself in the life that had been designed for her. A father, a television, some toys, and regular visits from Doctor Moon. It was not a perfect solution, but it was stable, and it protected all of the uploaded visitors for as long as the shadows remained.

Now there were new visitors to the library, for the first time in a hundred years. Visitors neither CAL nor Doctor Moon could do anything for. At least, not until one asked for help.

A new upload. File name: Donna Noble. Records in the library: many, practically innumerable. To keep Charlotte’s illusion and thus the visitors stable, however, she could not be told any of that. She would have to forget.

Each upload also came with a code located on their back, which made sorting infinitely easier. It was also Doctor Moon’s task to ensure compatible codes were matched up together. Those whose match could not be found in CAL’s databanks simply remained in the waiting pool, or as Charlotte had designed it, hospital. In this way, each upload was properly integrated.

Doctor Moon checked the code on Donna Noble’s back.

“Oh dear. Charlotte, what have you done?”

#ten x donna #doctor x donna #tenth doctor #donna noble #doctor who #the doctor #my writing #now with 50% more martha

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