#it’s just such a fascinating concept to me because that is still *gallifrey*. that’s still his home. the master is not heartless. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

picnokinesis · 4 months

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plottier / character focused thirteenth doctor fic recs

Ipseity by WalkerLister (43k, 10 chapters, gen) summary: Eight months since the Doctor sacrificed herself on Gallifrey, and Yasmin Khan is still struggling to move on. However, when she comes across a familiar face who is not acting like herself, Yaz may finally get the answers she has been looking for surrounding the Doctor. However, those answers will be revealed in a way a bit more dangerous than she had been anticipating. //Okay, so no one is surprised that I like the amnesiac!divisioned!13 fic, but in my defence, it's absolutely fabulous. This one was written waaaaay back in mid-2020, so we all knew that 13 was in prison and everyone was pretty sure that Jack was coming back due to some bts detective work, but that was about it - so, for obvious reasons, it doesn't align with ROTD, but it's such a fun one, guys, I love it a lot. Also, y'know, thirteen in a leather jacket and snarling at people? What more could you want?

don't have to make it to the moon by Ymae (28k, 7 chapters, gen/thoschei) summary: After New Year's, Ryan decides to stay traveling in the TARDIS for another little while. Only, the Doctor's rarely alright, and between experiencing the wonders of the universe, Ryan wants to figure out what's happening to his friend, too. //I love Ryan so much. He's such a wonderful character and I always love it when fics focus on him, or have him as the pov character. Unfortunately, fics like that are a bit few and far between, but this is one of them, and it's absolutely fantastic. It really delves into his character, but also his dynamic with the Doctor (especially after he talks to her in ROTD and she admits that she's scared and angry), and it's just auuuuuuugh so good!! And, it's also go some great whump and psychic content, with the Master showing up to cause trouble, alongside some gorgeous world-building, so I enjoy it very very much.

Ghost War by riptheh (25k, 1 chapter, gen) summary: All the Doctor wants to do is pass the time, and help a friendly face. So when a young man with a strange tattoo and a psychic wound shows up, she dives right into the mystery - and finds herself flung far into the future, mindwiped and alone, fighting a war that by all rights, shouldn't exist at all. A war she could help end, if only she could figure out who she is. //Oof, this one. It's absolutely stunning. This author really has a way of taking some absolutely fascinating and mind-bending concepts and just running with it, and just nails it each time. I feel like the less I say about the plot of this one, the better, because it sort of unfolds as you go, but please just trust me when I say that it's absolutely fantastic.

Lifelines by Sue_Denham (40k, 11 chapters, gen, wip) summary: Lifeline: a thing on which someone or something depends, or which provides a means of escape from a difficult situation. Set just after the events of Spyfall, the Doctor has a few things to work through. //Okay this fic is one of my favourites that's been posting over the last year or so - it's a brilliant exploration of Graham and Thirteen, and how different races deal with loss, guilt and death. I honestly think the best kind of sci fi takes concepts that we sort of take for granted, and then shows them in a completely new light. That's what this fic does. Also, Graham is just wonderful for the entire thing - though, as a note, Yaz and Ryan do end up somewhat side-lined, so bear that in mind if you're particularly looking for fics about those two, but I forgive it because it's such a great look at Graham and the Doctor. It feels like a character focused tie-in novel, y'know? Also it's pretty angsty in places, naturally, but that's what I'm here for haha.

Disordered by Echo (44k, 7 chapters, jack/13) summary: Messing with memories is always a risky business. Messing with your own memories, now that's just asking for trouble. The Doctor is very good at asking for trouble. And Jack is very good at finding it. //Ohhhhh okay so. This has been one of my absolute favourite Doctor Who fics for a long while. Definitely the shippiest of this list, but it's so lovely and such an excellent look at the Doctor facing the consequences of trying to get back her Division memories in the aftermath of s12, as well as the relationship between the Doctor and Jack across multiple regenerations. It's just so so good, flowing smoothly from very angsty to very soft, and the Doctor and Jack's voices are just spot on (especially considering that we see different versions of the Doctor, this is a particularly impressive note). Highly recommend!

The Trial of the Doctor by wreckageofstars (20k, 5 chapters, gen/thasmin, wip) summary: Haven is a planet at the edge of time, on the brink of destruction. Ravaged by the Time Lords and a war that time forgot, its people are desperate for justice before it’s too late, and the Doctor might be the only being left in the universe who can provide it — because she was the one who started it. So why can't she remember doing it? //Okay okay so, this one has only recently started posting but I've known about it since about 2020 and ohhhhhhhhhhh my goodness, GUYS. If you're not following this one, you need to be. It's a mix between Doctor Who at it's finest, Kafka at it's most unsettling, and Douglas Adams at it's most absurd, and it's delightful. There's so much in this one, and as always this author is just spot on with all the characterisation - especially Thirteen, who suddenly finds herself being prosecuted for a crime that she can't remember, and is forced into a situation where she's physically incapable of telling a lie. It. Is. Marvellous. Also there's a cockroach lawyer, whom I adore HAHA

lighthouse keeper by BlueLillyBlue (57k, 12 chapters, gen) summary: The Doctor is missing, and the fam is concerned. Featuring Yaz being a badass, Ryan being a cutie, Graham being a granddad, Jack being Jack, and the Doctor's complicated moral code. Also: space prisons, galactic war, the Doctor's time war trauma, the Doctor caring about people in her own weird and repressive way, and, most importantly, Thirteen wearing Jack's coat. //Oh, this one is such a favourite of mine. It's very angsty, so if that's not your schtick then - well, then you're kinda scuppered for all of my recs, to be honest, but this one is a bit on the dark side. Oh, but it's fantastic. Again, this one feels like a tie-in novel, and this author (as I think I've said before) is just incredible at crafting these very vivid worlds and really hard-hitting stories. The situation is pretty dire and desperate, and the Doctor is often faced with the fact that not every plan works out, and sometimes the only choices are bad ones. It's just really excellent guys (also! Thirteen in Jack's coat!!)

angel ellipsis by SleepyMaddy (36k, 8 chapters, gen/thoschei) summary: When the Doctor and Yaz find a planet in ruins, they’re only half surprised to discover the Master is responsible. But when his plan backfires, suddenly they have no choice but to work with him to stop his former allies from tearing the universe apart. It goes about as well as one might expect. //OKAY SO. This one is SO much fun and SO great - in particular, if you like the Master being a tricky bastard, but also getting screwed over by his own plans? You'll love this one. Everything about it is so vibrant and brilliant, and aaaaaahh man it all comes together in such a satisfying way. As with many of the authors on this list, this author just really gets these characters and how they tick, with some absolutely beautiful prose, and it's just such a joy to read.

nothing in the dark that isn't there in the light by river_of_words (6k, 1 chapter, thasmin) summary: Two weeks since Yaz got the most confusing rejection she ever hopes to get and the Doctor seems to have decided to blame Yaz for every single one of her furiously conflicting emotions. At this point she’s sort of asking to get hit. And at this point Yaz is sort of curious to find out what the Doctor is going to say that’s going to make her meet that request. //These next two fics are a lot shorter compared to the others, but I really wanted to include both of them because they're great and SO interesting to me. With this one, it digs into the Doctor and Yaz's relationship in the aftermath of LOTSD, and the ways that the Doctor does not actually talk about anything but does also tell Yaz more than anyone else. It's about the frustration that builds between them and the way that they're still finding more comfort in each other than anyone else. It's also a little feral, which as a thoschei shipper, definitely had a lot to do with why I liked this one haha. Anyway, it's really fantastic - really quick paced and emotional, and packing a LOT of punches with mostly dialogue in a very effective way. Go read it!

we'll do it right by daring_elm (3k, 1 chapter, gen) summary: She's never really noticed Yaz's perfume before. Shoulders relaxing, nausea subsiding, the Doctor inhales again, filling her lungs with jasmine and sandalwood, steel and glowing crystals and her box out of time. She can be back with Yaz within minutes of her leaving. She can save the child, change the foundation of Gallifrey and still return to have a picnic on Soria T4. //Okay so I loooove love love this one because I just adore it any time someone explores the Doctor's reaction to the Timeless Child stuff after the fact, and this one is just so wonderful. The characterisation is just fantastic, and then just the progressive spiral of the plot as we follow the Doctor on a mission that is doomed to fail by the nature of her own timeline. It's about how by trying to change the past, all you do is mess up your present and your future, and I love that a lot. Augh, it's a gut punch and a half - highly recommended!

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doccywhomst · 2 years

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How old is Romana? Because the Doctor is the Other, Is that weird for her? Would it be like if Mary Tamm or Lalla Ward had famously dated actual living man from history Julius Caesar or fucking Merlin? or if it’s still just like they dated someone like Obama or Tony Blair?

when Romana traveled with the Doctor, she gave her age as 125-140. his age was somewhere around 750-800.

let me play in the space for a second:

i think Gallifreyan society has a different concept of age and a different etiquette when it comes to relationships. in our world, large age gaps are generally frowned upon, and there are laws in place to protect children/minors from predatory adults. this is because children don't have the knowledge, experience, and biological development to protect themselves.

but, on Gallifrey, the concepts of age and innocence are very different. remember Thirteen's quote from Ascension of the Cybermen: "We didn't have teenagers." this is probably alluding to looms (Lungbarrow). when woven on a loom, newborn Gallifreyans could resemble adults and could quickly gain knowledge and experience (not always, but it was common). in addition, after regeneration, they could look any age regardless of their actual age, and their bodies would last much longer than ours. their concepts of youth and age are very different to our own.

allow me to share a fascinating passage from The Infinity Doctors that i think about all the time:

due to social dynamics like this, they would probably place more importance on one's maturity level in a social sense, rather than a biological sense. for example, despite the Doctor's age, he's very childish, he didn't have good grades in school, he became a renegade, he's a thorn in everyone's side, etc. meanwhile, Romana is at the top of her class, is more emotionally mature, and generally follows the basic tenets of Time Lord society.

from that perspective, a Gallifreyan might make the argument that she's more intellectually and socially mature, and therefore, her few years carry more weight than the Doctor's many, many years (from The Other onwards) - making her his "senior."

.... i think about this a lot. 👀

#doccy talks #lore stuff #doctor who #classic who #fourth doctor #romana

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dreamerwriternstargazer · 3 years

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Everyone needs a distraction sometimes, so open the gates of soliloquy, step out, stare up at the starry skies and tell me: what does Doctor Who mean to you ?

I quite literally did stare up at the stars for a little bit today so I could answer this XD What does Doctor Who mean to me....the short answer, the best one, the most poetic one: the evergrowing expanse of fantasies, of kindness, and of love. Consider that to be the core idea, the thesis statement, to my soliloquy though, since you asked for one. When I was a little girl one of the first memories I have is of being in my grandparents house and seeing Rose and 10 on TV, I remember being a little obsessed with those two actually because of the adoring way he looked at her, and because of how powerful I thought Rose was. She’s far from my favourite companion now but her and 10 hold a special place in my heart as the first faces I remember watching on TV. When I got a bit older, maybe 7? I saw a bit of the Christmas Invasion, the whole time I was waiting for Rose to appear but then the Raknos spider lady scared me and I never finished it, I couldn’t sleep for weeks and my mum banned me from ever watching the show (I wasn’t really allowed to watch it in the first place). I was quite alright with that, but I eventually got round to watching the show again. This time, an episode from Martha’s era, New New York the rerun, and I loved it, saw The Eleventh Hour as well and I loved that, but I was still too frightened of any monsters there were so I avoided the show. It wasn’t until 2013, the anniversary episode, that I finally properly sat down and fell in love with the show. What made me fall in love with it, what did it mean to me? As I said, the fantasy, the kindness, and the love held in it. I think I fell in love with it way back when I first saw it, I just needed some time to grow into it. Whatever it was that interested me all those years ago, that dormant fascination I had, awoke the second I saw Clara and 11 onscreen and their unbeatable chemistry (or so I thought at the time). Not only the chemistry between them, the best friends, the Impossible Girl and the Impossible Doctor, but the sheer....ethereality and at times ridicule of the story, the perfect blend of emotional, and humorous. You’re giggling over 10 and 11 bantering and messing with War, then you’re depressed because “how many children were on Gallifrey that day?”. You’re impressed and empowered (I was at least) by Clara’s confidence, her courage even when in grave danger, her dry wit towards the boys as they “show off” and then deeply touched at those big brown eyes and the sorrowful compassion she holds in them, as she tells the Doctor, reminds him, of the standard he holds himself to. “You told me what your name meant once”. The moment I realised that the Doctor was a girl as well, and she was a Doctor that day, as she always has been. Everyone has one Doctor that is theirs and while I would definitely name 12 as my Doctor, I think Clara came first. She was the reason I kept watching after 11 became 12, because of course I was deeply saddened by that, but in time, came around again because of Clara, and stayed for...Whouffaldi. Whouffaldi does have the greatest claim on my love for Doctor Who because they, as a story, embody everything I love about the show. The extreme kindness that the Doctor is, and should be, the love that is held in every act he commits for the universe. There’s losses, of course, but there’s this unbound idealism to their time in the TARDIS together. “If you have 2 choices and you don’t like either of them, make a 3rd choice” - a concept I think that is held throughout the entirety of Clara’s run, the standard she holds him to, but it’s never shown quite as blatantly as the both of them standing at the end of the universe, and all she needs to do is clasp his hand in hers, and ask him to stop. The fantasy aspect is not only the various and illuminating worlds they travel to, the dangers they face and tackle (if it was, then well apparently London is a fantasy since one of my favourite 2 parters is the Zygon Invasion/Zygon Inversion, for the beautiful and heart wrenching analogy for war that plays like a faint symphony in the

background right until the climax where it rises to an unforgettable crescendo) but the way they tackle it, the hope at the heart of every adventure. Whouffaldi is a romantic fantasy, a completely equal and loving relationship, the woman uplifted as far as she is to growing into his true equal as no other has, and in some ways better because of the power of compassion she holds and holds him to, however the fantasy element of the show is just the sheer idea of....the everyday ordinary person getting to run off into space, and do the most daring things, finding the bravery in themselves that they never knew they had, and equally, finding the extreme capacity for human kindness that they hold in their hearts. There’s a great deal of difference between RTD and Moffat era companions, with the most distinct one being that Moffat companions more overtly teach the Doctor of their humanity and this is conveyed through Moffat’s brilliant framing of the everyday as the ethereal, but at its core it is always this mad and entrancing alien who is made his best by the humans he love, by his Companions. Companions, such an archaic term don’t you think, for a friend? The show could easily call them his friends, they are, but they choose to stick with Companion in canon as well as out of it. And one could argue it’s due to the legacy of the show, but I prefer to think of the implications narratively, it’s a romanticism, there’s a connotation of a deep bond to the title of Companion. They keep him company, they are his comfort, they ground him as nothing else does, these “mayflies living for a day”. Companion is the one word summary, the one word answer, to this question, because the strength and weight of the stories are given by the companion, because we see it all anew with every new soul who enters those big blue doors, we are risen to courage and kindness with each new character who rises under each adventure. Whether it’s the Girl In The Shop and the Last Of The Time Lords, the Girl Who Waited and her Raggedy Man, The Impossible Girl and her Daft Old Man, whether it’s only to cross paths for a day or to be bound together til the end of time (or as can be the case with this very topsy turvey show, both), whether platonic or romantic, as caretaker, imaginary friend, lover, husband or teacher, the unrelenting power and commonality to every adventure, every story, is the Companion, is us, living the fantasy of fantasies. The dream of the impossible, of being ordinary and daring to run through space and time being as brave and kind as possible, seeing all the wonders over and over again, never the same because nothing is ever the same, and doing the best they can to make some kind of difference in the universe, without even realising they’re doing it, finding that ordinary is a special sort of extraordinary. If the Doctor offers the whole universe, within those doors, the Companion offers their soul in the humanity they teach him, in the moment they love the Doctor and take his hand, and their face is “seared into [his] hearts”. The universe and the soul. The exact fantasy that a lonely little girl who was afraid of her own shadow needed. “Never be cruel, never be cowardly, and if you are, always make amends.”

#doctor who #whouffaldi #clara oswald #12th Doctor #11th doctor #rose tyler #asks answered #star speaks

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glompcat · 4 years

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Sad headcanon, Dhawan's Master.

I feel like all my saddest headcanons about Dhawan!Master were far better articulated in posts I’ve reblogged in the month or so since The Timeless Children aired.

Now that said, I do think a lot about what we didn’t see. What happened on Gallifrey and its destruction.

I think a lot about how the Master always seemed really into the idea of destroying Gallifrey. How so many beats of Dhawan!Master’s story echo previous stories about the Master and Gallifrey, from Crispy trying to blow the place up with the Eye of Harmony (which is paralleled with the Death particle), to Ainley hacking into the Matrix, figuring out that the Valeyard is the Doctor, and then trying to use this new info to become the new ruler of Gallifrey. It is also worth noting that according to Dhawan!Master in The Timeless Children, Thirteen was positioned to be looking into the room a great deal of The Deadly Assassin took place within during most of their scenes in that episode. I also find it beyond fascinating that the Master was so obsessed with the idea that his Cybermasters were born of both him and the Doctor, because while in part they are in the sense that the Doctor’s genetics were used to create the Time Lords and then the Master turned them into Cybermen… they are also their joint creation because Missy figured out how to use the Matrix to convert those who are already dead into Cybermen, and the Doctor figured out how to alter the Cybermen’s settings so they would be interested in converting Time Lords.

Which is to say, my sad headcanon for the Master, one separate from the ones I have already seen better articulated (because as you can see I am not very articulate about this at all at the moment), is that in many ways Dhawan!Master is achieving things he had always kind of sort of longed for, but is finding no joy or pleasure in their actual execution.

He’s going through the motions, checking the boxes on his failed itineraries and making absurd deals with aliens just like in the old days. All these years, all those opportunities to repent squandered. They’ve more than recommitted themself to this path for all those many reasons I am not as good at articulating (the way they perceive the power dynamics between them and the Doctor, their personal conception of their childhood and past together and how they view it if the Doctor actually had friends and several lives before they even met etc) but also… the fun is gone. They really have lost their sense of self, and are clinging to old habits and plans and behaviors and are constantly surprised and upset when it yields nothing for them.

The Timeless Children’s true moment of triumph is when the Doctor is able to reclaim their identity and firmly accepts who they are and always have been. The Master, the Doctor’s dark reflection, is clearly coming undone thanks to what they learned, and has not been able to have a similar moment of reclamation.

I think a lot about that scene of them at the Scientific Expo in London, when they first burst in and started hitting people with the TCE. How that rush in the kill was followed by a speech about finding their purpose, and then forcing the Doctor to put on a display of submission. They were so distracted by their own internal nonsense they almost seemed to miss how defiant Thirteen still was. It’s that manic edge? It just… feels so lost to me.

DHAWAN!MASTER: Ladies and gentlemen! See the incredible shrinking device! Want to be smaller, ladies? You can! Who’s next? You, sir.THIRTEEN: Go, Ada. You too. Go!DHAWAN!MASTER: Ah, the happy couple.THIRTEEN: I said go.DHAWAN!MASTER: Do not move! Hands on heads. Hands on heads!THIRTEEN: Let them go, and you can have me.DHAWAN!MASTER: I’ve got you anyway. Did you just move? Did you move?WOMAN: No!DHAWAN!MASTER: Oh, my mistake. Sorry. Sorry. When I kill them, Doctor, it gives me a little buzz. Right here, in the hearts. It’s like… How would I describe it? It’s like… It’s like knowing I’m in the right place, doing what I was made for.THIRTEEN: What do you want?DHAWAN!MASTER: Kneel. Kneel, or they all die. Call me by my name.THIRTEEN: Master.DHAWAN!MASTER: Beg your pardon?THIRTEEN: Master.DHAWAN!MASTER: Can’t hear you, love.THIRTEEN: Master.DHAWAN!MASTER: When I arrange for your death, I expect you to stay dead. How did you escape? How did you end up here?THIRTEEN: Ah, you don’t know. You’re not in control of these creatures. I bet you don’t even know what they are.DHAWAN!MASTER: They’re called the Kasaavin, and we have interests in common.THIRTEEN: You, Barton, and a race you barely know? That’s one uneasy alliance. Trust each other, do you?DHAWAN!MASTER: Oh, completely. By the way, I bring news from home.

Which isn’t really a new headcanon at all, that Dhawan!Master is utterly defeated even as he stands in the ruins of Gallifrey, which he conquered (I really really want to know what happened there, I really do)

Anyway here are transcripts of some of the scenes I am thinking of/referenced above (via chakoteya.net with some edits):

FOUR: What a stupendous egotist.ENGIN: Who?FOUR: The Master. He’d have destroyed Gallifrey, the Time Lords, everything, just for the sake of his own survival.

- The Deadly Assassin - Season 14, Serial 3

FOUR: The Master’s consumed with hatred. It’s his one great weakness.Crispy!MASTER: Ha. Weakness, Doctor? Hate is strength.FOUR: Not in your case. You’d delay an execution to pull the wings off a fly.Crispy!MASTER: This time, Doctor, the execution will not be delayed. Castellan, I assure you I am not nearly so infirm as I look. Now you, bring me the Sash of Rassilon. Oh yes, Doctor, why else do you think I feigned death? When Goth failed me, it was necessary to more direct means. But the Sash is wasted on our dead friend, don’t you think so? Bring it to me!FOUR: Don’t do it, Engin.Crispy!MASTER: A stupid remark, Doctor. Resistance is futile now.FOUR: Don’t give him the Sash, Engin.Crispy!MASTER: I have suffered long enough from your stupid, stubborn interference in my designs. Now we are coming to the end of our conflict, Doctor.FOUR: Why have you brought me here?Crispy!MASTER: As a scapegoat for the killing of the President. Who else but you, Doctor? So despicably good, so insufferably compassionate. I wanted you to die in ignominious shame and disgrace. Now, do as I say, Coordinator, or you’ll get the same. They’re not dead. Stunned. They’ll live long enough to see the end of this accursed planet, and for the Doctor to taste the full bitterness of his defeat!FOUR: The Sash. Where’s the Sash?ENGIN: It’s gone.FOUR: What?ENGIN: Well, what could I do? It’s only of symbolic value anyway.FOUR: Engin, that Sash is a technological masterpiece. It protects its wearer from being sucked into a parallel universe. All he needs now is the Great Key and he can regenerate himself and release a force that’ll obliterate this entire stellar system.ENGIN: You really mean it?FOUR: Well of course I mean it. Don’t you realise what Rassilon did? What the Eye of Harmony is? Remember? That which balances all things. It can only be the nucleus of a black hole.SPANDRELL: But the Eye of Harmony is a myth. It no longer exists.FOUR: A myth? Spandrell, all the power of the Time Lords devolves from it. Neither flux nor wither nor change their state. Rassilon stabilised all the elements of a black hole and set them in an eternally dynamic equation against the mass of the planet. If the Master interferes, it’ll be the end not only of this world, but of a hundred other worlds too.

- The Deadly Assassin - Season 14, Serial 3

Crispy!MASTER: Rassilon’s discovery, all mine. I shall have supreme power over the universe. Master of all matter! Bwhahahaha! Doctor, my congratulations. You’re just in time for the end.FOUR: You’re insane. You’re insane, do you hear me? You’re releasing a force that nothing can stop.Crispy!MASTER: Take the Rod. You can take it with you to your grave, except that none of you will need a grave.FOUR: If you undo that, you’ll die as surely as any of us.Crispy!MASTER: You can do better than that, Doctor. Even in extremis, I wear the Sash of Rassilon.FOUR: Yes, and the President was wearing it when he was shot down. The Sash won’t protect you. It’s damaged.Crispy!MASTER: You lie.

- The Deadly Assassin - Season 14, Serial 3

DARKEL: In all my experience, I have never before had to conclude a case in both the absence of the accused and the prosecutor.AINLEY!MASTER: One and the same person, madam.DARKEL: So you’ve said, but can you prove that?AINLEY!MASTER: I know them both. But I suggest you question the High Council. They set up this travesty of a trial, making a scapegoat of the Doctor to conceal their own involvement.DARKEL: Is there any reason why I should accept that allegation from a renegade Time Lord?AINLEY!MASTER: Yes, if you’re concerned with learning the truth.DARKEL: What is your interest in this matter? Not, I think, concern for the Doctor.AINLEY!MASTER: Oh, indeed not. The Doctor’s well matched against himself. One must destroy the other.MEL: How utterly evil!AINLEY!MASTER: Thank you. I think I’d lay a shade more odds on the Valeyard, though the possibility of their mutual destruction must exist. That would be perfect.MEL: You’re despicable!AINLEY!MASTER: So many compliments! May I say, you’re a charming child.MEL: You beast!DARKEL: Be quiet, girl! Am I to take it that some base desire for revenge is your motive for interfering?AINLEY!MASTER: There’s nothing purer and more unsullied, madam, than the desire for revenge. But, if you follow the metaphor, I’ve thrown a pebble into the water, perhaps killing two birds with one stone, and causing ripples that’ll rock the High Council to its foundations. What more could a renegade wish for?

- The Trial of a Time Lord (The Ultimate Foe) - Season 23 (Serial 4)

AINLEY!MASTER: Listen carefully. I have an edict to deliver. Somewhere the Valeyard and the Doctor are engaged in their squalid duel. With luck, they’ll kill each other, but that is a mere coincidental occurrence. What I have to impart is of vital importance to all of you. Now that Gallifrey is collapsing into chaos, none of you will be needed. Your office will be abolished. Only I can impose order. I have control of the Matrix. To disregard my commands will be to invite summary execution.

- The Trial of a Time Lord (The Ultimate Foe) - Season 23 (Serial 4)

TWELVE: That’s a matrix data-slice. A Gallifreyan hard drive. Time Lord technology.GOMEZ!MASTER: Imagine you could upload dying minds to that. Edit them. Rearrange them. Get rid of all those boring emotions. Ready to be redownloaded. Meanwhile, you upgrade the bodies. Upload the mind, upgrade the body. Cybermen from cyberspace. Now, why has no-one ever thought of that before?

- Dark Water - Series 8, Episode 11

GOMEZ!MASTER: Look, they’re coming. They’re coming for us!SIMM!MASTER: This doesn’t make any sense!TWELVE: Doesn’t it?SIMM!MASTER: These Cybermen are primitive. They’re programmed to track human beings and convert them. They home in on human life signs only.TWELVE: You two, you should know by now. When you’re winning, and I’m in the room, you’re missing something.SIMM!MASTER: What have we missed?TWELVE: You shouldn’t have hit me, Missy. I was waiting for my chance. Computer, containing the algorithm defining human life signs. I only had time to change one detail. A single number. One to a two. One heart to two hearts. I expanded the definition of humanity. Took ‘em a while to update the net, but here we go. Welcome to the menu. Now they think that we count as humans, and they’re going to fix that in a hurry!SIMM!MASTER: There must be other ways up here. We can’t cover them all.TWELVE: You can’t fight a whole city. You know the stories. There’s only ever been one way to stop that many Cybermen. Me!SIMM!MASTER: Then do it. Stop them!

- The Doctor Falls - Series 10, Episode 12

#aspiringwarriorlibrarian #Doctor Who #Long Post #I spent waaaay longer than I should have #debating on if I should label him Pratt!Master or Crispy!Master #I went with Crispy because it amuses me

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austerlitzborodinoleipzig · 4 years

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The Timeless Children review.

There’s a lot to say about the Timeless Children, but setting aside discussion about what that new lore dump means for the show, and trying to keep things about this episode...

A bad episode with okay lore, and some noted improvements on Chibnall’s part.

I’m okay with retcons. It’s Doctor Who. Nothing is sacred. (I mean, except the core values of the main character. Having the Doctor selling the Master to the Nazis as a POC is so much worse). Things will get retconned/modified. Are certain retcons bullshit? Yes, but that’s another matter. Fundamentaly I don’t think Who canon, if there’s even such thing, should be kept safe. Like it or not, the showrunner is in charge. There’s no such thing as respect for the fans, or for the previous eras.

And like I’m the first to complain but really if Chibshow wants to stick the middle finger at Moffat show, that’s his godamm right. The showrunner has full ownership of the show, otherwise it would hamper the creative process. We can discuss why the changes made are bad, but saying “How dare Chibnall retcon the deep lore” is idiotic.

So kudos to Chibnall for daring. I mean The Timeless Children left a bad aftertaste in my mouth, but hey it was engaging. I wanted to know more, which compared to Series 11 is a vast improvement.

So yes lore was okay.

Did I like the reveal/retcon ? Not really.

Is it possible to make something interesting out of that? I’ve seen some good takes about it, so yeah. On the downside this is Chibnall we’re talking about, so trust him to pick the least interesting idea.

Will I come to terms with it? I did not like the idea of the War Doctor, or the fact that Doctor saved Gallifrey at first. I’ve come round since, and even like it now. I expect I’ll have digested all of it in the coming months, and I’ll be able to make it fit with my own headcanons/continuity/personal conception of Doctor Who...

Does it really change anything? The Timeless Child, not so much. All the pre-Hartnell Doctors and the fact that the Doctor worked for the CIA (or the Division, whatever the fuck the difference is), yes, a lot, and I like it even less.

Are there ways to go around it? Yes there are. And also the scope of Doctor Who is so big, you can comfortably ignore it.

The episode was bad.

Bad because the lore was infodumped in the most boring and unimaginative way, with the Master just doing exposition for 60% of the runtime. Also the Matrix looks boring. Fucking grey background.

Ashad is perhaps the Chibnall villain with the most potential. I’m still thinking voluntarily converted Cyberman is a great idea that deserved a lot more of exploring. There’s really some fascinating implications... And all of that got flushed down the toilet, because Ashad got unceremoniously killed by the Master.

Also, hello big MacGuffin death particle. Chibnall, would it kill you to make the effort to introduce the great big “plot-resolve” button in the previous episode?What a convenient reveal with no groundwork, that feels telegraphed from a mile.

Worst of it is probably the moment where the Doctor awakes, ensues some excruciating moments, where the Doctor tries to figure out the Master’s plan, while we, the audience have already been informed, by means of exposition. And then we get more exposition for the death particle we already got 20 minutes ago, with bad dialogue to boot. “There’s a myth...” Oh ffs! Why use myth? Nothing in that dialogue is mythic, Chibnall is not lyrical enough for it. That’s imitation of mythic.

Also unclear on the specifics of how the death particle works. Per the Master and Ashad, it erases all the life in the Galaxy. And then during exposition n°2, provided by Ravio, we hear it only erases life on one planet, which is what the Doctor tries to do at the end.

But “all organic life”... By all account had Ashad activated it, it would have killed the Cybermen as well, or at least him. They’re not pure robots and we can clearly see with Ashad that there’s organic living bits underneath. So all that big ascension will be without Ashad. Of course you could make the case that the Ascension is really the Cyberium’s aim and that it does not care the slightest about Ashad.

Also we shall have dominion... Over what, if you killed everyone? Again, poorly thought out motivations for Ashad. Mostly it sounds cool, but it’s empty when you take a closer look at it.

And speaking of the Cyber Time Lords. Well, we’re told they were made with the corpses of dead Time Lords the Master kept. If they’re dead, we’re assuming it’s permanent death, otherwise they would have regenerated... So where the hell does the regeneration ability comes from? And if they are corpses in Cybersuits, how come they would be affected by the death particle, as they are definitely not living?

I mean it’s Doctor Who so I’m willing to overlook this details if there’s a good story told behind it. Like, the Daleks’ plot in The Dalek Invasion of Earth is fucking stupid. Let’s mine the Earth’s core, to replace it with a motor and then drive Earth around in space, like a big spaceship. But then that’s a small detail in an episode whose purpose is elsewhere : presenting a dystopian vision of England, a post apocalyptic, facist world. It’s about the pure dread for the spectator of seing his world overrun by space Nazis. It’s the first episode of the show’s history with an alien invasion. It’s also about Susan. And there’s also quite a chunk devoted to mostly Barbara, but also Ian for a bit: how they react to that world that seems familiar and at the same time, completely alien.

Here there’s no story behind it. It’s basically a dressing for the big lore reveal.

It’s a bad Cyberman story. Nothing about the Cyberzealot is really explored in a meaningful way. He’s supposedly conflicted... Yeah because we’re told so by the Doctor in Ascension. Show not tell, yadda, yadda, yadda... So Cybermen are nothing more than your generic evil robots... And even the Master sees how stupid that is and takes the piss (rightly so).

Supporting cast is there for nothing more than exposition, or action sequences that do nothing more than distracting us from the lore reveal, because that’s the only thing really going on in that ep.

And yet again we have a final that does a piss poor job with the companions. Second in a row. To be fair, Battle of Raging Avatar tried to give some closure to Ryan and Graham... It just did it so badly it does not even register as a try.

This time Yaz is the better served with three(!) character bits. Tis only fair after Series 11. But still feels underbaked. I mean I think it will all depend on whether she leaves with the Christmas Special. She still has been massively underserved by the show. The last episodes, starting with Praxeus she did get some good content, but that‘s a bit late and still not enough, when you compare it with the other New Who companions. And well one of Yaz’s traits is her need for validation from the Doctor... and here she gets it from Graham??? In itself it’s a really fine moment. but underwhelming if that is to be the conclusion of her arc.

And again, there’s only minimal progression in terms of development for the fam. Yaz has perhaps the most significant one, going from Doctor is the best person -> I’m the best person.

Graham has mostly been stucked with comic relief this series, and goes from. Decent bloke that married Grace to ... You’re okay??

Ryan... I feel this season really did not know what to do with him. He doesn’t have anything to do in the final, just fire at a bunch of Cybermen. That bit with the bomb is one of the most half-assed excuses for an arc I’ve seen. So Ryan beats dyspraxia, said dyspraxia being only mentioned when it’s convenient, or when we need to establish the character, because he really believes in himself and focuses??? And yet I had so much hope after Woman Who Fell To Earth and that really good bike scene.

Also the relationship between the Doctor and her fam is again unresolved... My fam, I need them... That feels unearned after a whole season of agressively pushing the Doctor and the companions apart, and with the Doctor becoming more and more distant, and sometimes an asshole. I was waiting for the show to adress that... And it peters out. The episode fails on an emotional level.

The big climax... Sigh... Is yet another riff from RTD, this time from that super good scene from Parting of the Ways... Except less well done, because we’ve seen all that before, what else is new? Also the resolution of that in Series 1 was a moment of grace and love, and just beautiful, and felt satisfying, and paid off the Doctor’s arc... Here we have wannabe-Obi-Wan/Luke-from-the-sequel conveniently sacrifying himself. Again, the less well done remix of the RTD years. And that final cliffhanger would have been charming had we not been coming from a season that consistently mined the RTD-nostalgia.

That bit with Ruth was lovely, and gives me some hope for the way the lore is going to be treated but... Doctor!Ruth is magnificent and yet again upstages Thirteen a bit. And I think it’s a bit of a problem when your incumbent Doctor gets upstaged by other incarnations...

Another problem here is that the Doctor remains totally passive, ineffective, and with limited agency throughout the episode, which was... eh. Doesn’t make for a good story.

Still some things were good

The Master was definitely the best thing about this episode. Maybe unpopular opinion but Chibnall nailed the Master. So many good moments

the whole kicking himself for not thinking of a good one liner before zapping the Ashad

his whole motivation: I’ve seen some really good posts going round, but of course everything is totally in character for the Master. Jealousy at being upstaged by the Doctor, again. Hint of race supremacy. Cannot bear the fact that his not from the Master race, because all his claims to superiority have gone up in smoke. He’s not a renegade prince anymore. He’s a renegade fake.

That really good bit where he’s sad his gamble paid off, and he did not died when killing Ashad. This is a suicidal Master, a bit like Simm, but Simm had the rage to live, while Dhawan!Master... Just wants to sow destruction, doesn’t matter if it’s his own. Mostly really broken, with an identity crisis no less than the Doctor’s and going on a destructive rampage instead.

The carped is red because it’s drenched in the blood of the Time Lords. That line and its delivery is one of the highlights of the episode. It’s so perfectly ridiculous and bad on purpose and over the top.

Also Dhawan has a really great voice and I could here him speak forever. Does he narrate books?

Interesting how even if he’s Thirteen’s Master, the Dhawan Master just screams Eleven. The clothes. The mannerism, the lines and the delivery... I could see Smith in his performance.

Another good bit is Ko Sharmus... Finally someone to articulate why the whole take “guns=bad” that was going on these two series was bad. Because yeah sometimes people try to kill you so you have to fight back.

I was afraid that Ko Sharmus would be undermined... And he’s the hero of the episode. And I’m really glad that Thirteen failure to fire the bomb was depicted for what it was... A failure. Because then Ko Sharmus gets his hero moment and saves the day, by firing it.

Criticism of the Doctor’s position for what it is: self righteousness and hypocrisy?? In my Chibshow??? That’s more likely than you think.

And finally the Cyber Time Lords were ridiculous and I loved everything about the design.

So really, my problem is not the lore. My problem is that Chibnall is going balls to the wall, firing from all cylinders, doing big lore... And still fails to tell an engaging story.

#doctor who #the timeless children #thirteenth doctor #yazmin khan #graham o'brien #ryan sinclair #dw meta

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onenerdroaming · 4 years

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Immediate post-hike thoughts on Dark Eyes 1

While hiking today I was listening to Dark Eyes 1, which I admit I’ve been putting off listening to for far too long, and my desire to listen to Stranded as soon as it comes out basically lit a fire under my ass to get started with it already. I knew some vague plot details from general fandom osmosis, but none of the things I thought I knew wound up being in this box set itself.

It was fascinating listening to Dark Eyes 1 the day after the premiere of the Doctor Who episode Ascension of the Cybermen, because a part of me kept comparing the framing of Molly’s story and the mystery around it to Brendan’s in that episode. I won’t get into it too much as I don’t want to spoil anything in the TV episode, but it kept popping into my mind as I listened.

I may go back through the audio again later to record some of the quotes I enjoyed from it. I remember trying to make a mental note of where they were. I confess, I am writing this just after getting out of my car after getting home from the hike, and I am exhausted and therefore nowhere near as articulate as I’d like. I am going to have to figure out a better system to do this moving forward.

Still, I really did enjoy this audio. Due to my exhaustion, I think I am going to go take a shower and when I feel human again come back to do a simple bullet point list of some highlight thoughts.

I did mention some spoilers for Gallifrey Time War 3 in here.

Annnd back from the shower, here are some thoughts, bullet point style!

It has been ages since I heard To The Death, but this audio did a fabulous job drawing me right on back in to that desperate place just after the deaths of companions Lucie Miller and Tasmin Drew. They both died, in rather different circumstances, during the Second Dalek Invasion of Earth.

Of course those two companions were not the only losses. The Doctor’s great-grandson, Susan’s son Alex, was shot and killed by the Daleks in front of his mother. It is interesting that Eight never evokes his name, but Susan is frequently mentioned by him in his grief and pain.

I love Eight, it just really needs to be said

I loved how when Molly was describing her life and why she cares about Kitty and wants to get back to WWI where she belongs, the Doctor just snorted and pointed out that Molly’s a servant whose mistress dragged her onto the battlefield of one of the worst wars in human history, that’s not good working conditions at all, why would she want to get back to that?

The contrast of Molly actually being satisfied with her life vs where the Doctor is at that moment is amazing

I couldn’t handle the fantasy world of redeemed good Daleks, laughing and playing and being kind and slowly turning themselves back into Kaleds.

Wow but that story gaslit the fuck out of the Doctor, and the reveal it was basically in his head was… yeah.

The Doctor’s own happy fantasy world where the Daleks are no longer evil involves elements like the destruction of Gallifrey and death of the Time Lords AND the Doctor being treated like a pariah. The Doctor is seriously in such a bad bad bad place after all those deaths in To The Death, you can really feel it.

Their mind set here really reminded me of Thirteen’s fucked up state on TV, having met the fam just after Bill’s death and unable to cope

Molly really was perfectly set up by Straxus to be a trap for the Doctor, wasn’t she?

When is this story set with regards to Gallifrey’s timeline? Does anyone know? I want to know. Is this before Enemy Lines or after?

Seriously who is the President of Gallifrey during this story, and who is the Coordinator of the CIA?

I love the concept of one incarnation of a Time Lord being so disgusted by a future incarnation they are leading the efforts to stop them.

Straxus, the CIA agent who brought Lucie Miller into the Doctor’s life in the first place, sure was going through it in this box set, huh?

Having just listened to Gallifrey Time War 3 on Thursday, and having recently relistened to the other Gallifrey Time War audios leading up to that release, I really love how many high level Time Lords we see unable to cope with the war. It gives the epic grand scale conflict the needed weight and personal touch needed to really drive home what sort of horror it is. Straxus goes mad and becomes obsessed with wiping the Time Lords out of existence. Trave tries to go back as far he can within the Time Lock around the war and warn as many of his personal allies as he can about just how horrible it becomes, so they can try to stop it. Romana is just broken, pushed to a place where she just doesn’t want to be a Time Lord anymore but also doesn’t think herself deserving of activating the chameleon circuit that she has. She can’t trust herself or her judgement anymore, is terrified of what she is capable of doing, who she might sell out, in the name of protecting Gallifrey. Narvin’s willing to feed chickens. CHICKENS!

I suppose the next three box sets of Dark Eyes will be dealing with the fallout from the Dalek Time Controller killing the two incarnations of Straxus, thus creating a paradox?

What happens to Molly now, with such a large segment of her life shifted? How and why does she remember meeting Straxus when she was two?

Anyway all in all Dark Eyes 1 was good. I am probably going to write more after I’ve had proper time to nap/sleep as I am quite tired right now. I might also record some quotes I enjoyed later, and possibly write a bit about those as well?

#Doctor Who #Dark Eyes #Big Finish

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controlledapocalypse · 7 years

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a very descriptive and detailed profile of your muse. REPOST WITH THE INFORMATION OF YOUR MUSE, INCLUDING HEADCANONS, ETC. if you fail to achieve some of the facts, add some other of your own! when you’re done, tag 15 other people to do the same.

NAME. missy. sometimes the mistress, never the master or koschei unless you want to risk your whole entire life AGE. idk i usually just eyeball it as somewhere around 2000 SPECIES. gallifreyan, mutated by cheetah virus and subsequently literally a crazy cat lady GENDER. pretty fluid but currently has a strong preference for being female bodied and using female pronouns ORIENTATION. 95% asexual and aromantic in her current regeneration. there’s wiggle room. 5% of her room is wiggle room. PROFESSION. idk sometimes she pretends to be a pathologist or an epidemiologist but generally she just kind of fucks around and drinks a lot and yells at kids to stop being such stupid fucks

PHYSICAL ASPECTS.

BODY TYPE. well for a long time, it was tall, dark and handsome, but lately she’s been going for short, dark, and beautiful EYES. currently a very dark brown HAIR. long, black, slightly wavy, ALWAYS tied back if there’s even a SUGGESTION of a fight bc why do people even try to fight with long hair i mean i was just watching defenders and i mean i get it it’s probably to help hide the fact that it’s a stunt double but like damn SKIN. tends to go for pale HEIGHT. 5′3″ when not wearing heels. too sensible to wear heels 99% of the time, so she’s almost always gonna be one hell of a smol WEIGHT. i have no idea because it’s been said before that gallifreyans have denser tissue but i’m not sure that’s still canon. i’ll just run with it and say she weighs a LOT more than you’d think she does, probably a solid 170 if not more. i’d have to look it up and see if there were any specific numbers tossed out there.

FAMILY.

SPOUSE. marriage is for suckers CHILD(REN). daughter, presumably deceased SIBLINGS. i mean she has cousins but none of them are named characters, though i’m always willing to play with oc gallifreyans especially her cousins PARENTS. missy voice: ah yes the human concept of parents. i understand that to be an edgy, misunderstood superhero, your parents need to be dead. do you need me to kill your parents ANY PETS ? a multitude of cats, including a wild pride of lions she visits fairly regularly, and several alien “cats” that probably would not be called cats by any sane person, including a vaguely velociraptorish thing that she insists is a cat and named pumpkin

SKILLS.

PHYSICAL PROWESS. i mean for a gallifreyan she’s above average but they don’t really bother with like, doing physical shit most of the time so like that’s not exactly saying much, she’s definitely got some skill but it’s not like. anything outrageous SPEED. she’s like 1% cheetah humans who look at her are probably like “who bottled essence of usain bolt and gave it to this chick” INTELLIGENCE. she’s no romana or the rani and her social and emotional intelligence is shit but she’s definitely way smarter than any human, and definitely in like at least the 95% percentile as gallifreyans go

LIKES.

COLOURS. purple, orange, black SMELLS. metal FOOD. very rare meat. actually just don’t bother cooking it she’ll eat a pigeon raw tbh DRINKS. if it has caffeine or alcohol she’ll drink it.

OTHER DETAILS.

SMOKES ? i mean. not cigarettes. DRUGS ? missy’s favorite place to go on vacation is to make an appointment with sigmund freud and do a shit ton of drugs while he watches in fascination as she tells him about her vivid “dreams” about “life on another planet”. so uh don’t do drugs kids it’s very bad DRIVER LICENSE ? not on this planet, but she does actually have the equivalent from gallifrey unlike SOME tardis pilots we know EVER BEEN ARRESTED ? i don’t have any specific stories about this but i think we can all assume it’s happened multiple times

tagged by: @youmaythinkyouknowme kinda just tagged her whole followers list like a copout tagging: yeah so that’s what i’m doing too i’m not gonna single people out like that

#out of control #penny for your thoughts but a dollar for your insights

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spinnerprincess · 7 years

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so i’m catching up on doctor who, after ditching the show at the end of s7 because i just couldn’t stand moffat’s bullshit anymore

i return to it with no less patience for his bullshit, but caring less makes me less angry about it, which is nice

and so, here is my doctor who series 8 review.

rating: 💜💜💜🖤🖤

I like clara and I like capaldi’s doctor and I hate most of the writing

the last four episodes are marginally better and just barely managed to drag the rating up to 3/5 instead of 2/5

here are some episode reviews if you care or if you just like hearing me complain (it is mostly complaining so don’t bother reading if that’s going to bother you) (no seriously don’t)

they are minorly spoilery but mostly just vague

episode 1: deep breath

rating: 💜💜🖤🖤🖤

the restaurant scene was the best part and the only scene really worth a shoutout. well built up to, suspense was grand. everything else was bland or confusing.

capaldi’s a fun doctor. clara is a good companion. the veil scene with clara and vastra was okay. the boyfriend thing was a little tiring since that whole gimmick always seems to have been based off moffat’s perception of all women finding the doctor attractive on some level, but sure.

jenny and vastra continue to be delightful half the time and treated as if power imbalance in a relationship is a mere quirk and not serious concern the other half of the time (bonus points for this treatment in a wlw relationship). strax’s quirks have long worn thin.

i already hate how “crazy” missy is. took two seconds. nice.

episode 2: into the dalek

rating: 💜💜💜🖤🖤

very entertaining premise. execution was acceptable. the twist at the ending does a good job of setting up for the doctor’s personal struggle of the season. however, I find that personal struggle very boring. lots of creativity was put into the structure of the dalek, very fun.

cold open was very confusing.

also already getting the impression that this series is going to gloss over the very real problems veterans have. when will people learn you can want to improve life for veterans while condemning the battles that forged them.

might recommend.

episode 3: robot of sherwood

rating: 💜💜🖤🖤🖤

clara looked fantastic in that dress. the doctor’s pissing contest with robin hood was hilarious. the arrow shooting at the end was adorable.

entertaining, boppy. no real negatives, but no real positives either. kind of a snoozefest.

episode 4: listen

rating: 💜🖤🖤🖤🖤

an episode that might otherwise have been a promising 2/5 or maybe even 3/5 receives 1/5 for the last few minutes alone.

as usual, moffat likes to break rules like “we can’t go to gallifrey’s history anymore it’s timelocked” on a whim, and by on a whim, I mean, because if he goes to gallifrey’s distant past, he can make it so his characters are somehow the most important people of all time, because they teach the doctor important life-long lessons, isn’t clara amazing, wow, the companion who knows the doctor the most, the one who told him not to fear monsters under the bed.

it’s the smuggest bullshit i’ve ever seen and i’m so fucking done with this man’s insistence on his characters being the most important to the doctor. he consistently shows no respect to the companions and people that have come before his and it’s infinitely frustrating.

also the entire premise was apparently “the doctor is afraid of the dark” which is just an exhausting reveal for all the drama it puts us through to get there. especially since all the elements of horror are 100% recycled moffat bullshit: corner of your eye (cracks in time), monster under the bed (girl in the fireplace), don’t look at it (blink in reverse), like... so, so painfully rehashed

the date with danny itself was kind of cute but clara’s interactions with orson and rupert pink were awkward at best.

skip it. save yourself

episode 5: time heist

rating: 💜💜💜🖤🖤

honestly with personal bias this one should be a 4/5, but again, that’s personal bias. I mean, come on. space bank heist. what’s not to love. i’m a sucker for a good ocean’s eleven.

good scary moments, good puzzles, interesting characters, fun times.

the architect reveal was obvious but it was a funny reveal the way they did it so who cares. the reason for the heist was a little cliche too but still very good. nothing outstanding, but good job.

would recommend.

episode 6: the caretaker

rating: 💜💜🖤🖤🖤

I liked courtney. good kid.

the doctor was very in character and vain with the whole adrian thing but there was imo a slightly racist undertone of him presuming clara’s boyfriend was adrian, who looks like matt smith, over danny, a black dude, that made the whole thing kind of uncomfortable.

the fact that disdain for pe teachers is never questioned was annoying too. even if i personally think so, it’s really irritating to see math elevated as somehow better than pe, inherently.

i spent most of this episode mildly annoyed. i do like clara though.

episode 7: kill the moon

rating: 💜💜🖤🖤🖤

an otherwise enjoyable episode, this one is brought down by the fact that all the main players towards the end are women, and as usual with moffat’s era, the doctor never seems to respect or listen to them when it really counts.

this used to be a show I loved because the doctor picked up ordinary women and showed them extraordinary things, and more importantly, showed them that they could be extraordinary too. now it’s a show about extraordinary women trying to live ordinary lives while a man shows them extraordinary things but insists on treating them like mundane, ordinary beings.

I really hope chibnall doesn’t continue this trend.

i suspect we’re meant to empathize with clara at the end, but disagree with her, but like honestly, tell him the fuck off clara. I mean, he won’t learn from it, because moffat’s doctor never does, but tell him the fuck off anyway.

episode 8: mummy on the orient express

rating: 💜💜💜🖤🖤

pretty good. brought down, as usual, by the doctor’s personal struggle of the season, but pretty good.

great build-up, good suspense, fun mystery. good atmosphere. unsatisfying to have no answers about the perpetrator. zero memorable characters, which is the biggest reason it rang dull, imo.

clara wears the flapper look extremely well. it’s pretty sad when clara’s outfit is a highlight of an episode, though.

might recommend.

episode 9: flatline

rating: 💜💜💜💜🖤

I enjoyed an episode of doctor who!!!!!! will wonders never cease!!

the only bad part of this episode was the last minute or two where they touched upon the doctor’s "am I a good man” pity festival and gave us another glimpse at missy.

everything else: fantastic. moral struggles! intense and frightening scenes! fascinating new ideas! neat special effects! the most thrilling new doctor who enemy I’ve seen in ages! clara being absolutely outstanding - moreover, finding out that she is outstanding! fantastic solution at the end! memorable characters who I rooted for!

that was a thrill from start to finish and the first time all season I’ve really, actually, truly remembered why I used to love the show.

would recommend for sure!!

episode 10: in the forest of the night

rating: 💜💜💜🖤🖤

pretty touching, and actually hit most of the emotional beats it was aiming for! that surprised me.

loved the concept behind the trees. appreciated maebh’s story for the most part. cute to have the kids from the school interacting with the doctor.

still not sure what the point of danny is? I like him and he and clara have their sweet moments but it’s hard not to feel like every writer writes him differently, and like him saying “I don’t care what the truth is I just don’t want to be lied to” rings false because every time she has told him the truth it’s been a problem.

also: so exhausted by the idea that danny, as clara’s boyfriend, has any say over how clara’s allowed to spend her time, or who she chooses to spend it with.

that’s not danny’s fault I don’t think he’s intended to be read as controlling I think the writers are misogynistic little shits.

episode 11: dark water

rating: 💜💜💜🖤🖤

I went into this one preparing to loathe it and as it turns out I was mostly wrong!

this would have been 4/5, except that only since missy’s a girl they have the gall to make her relationship with the doctor tread on explicitly romantic territory? uh-huh. seriously that kiss scene was awful and moffat’s “surprise kisses where one participant is extremely uncomfortable” strikes again.

let the doctor kiss men, you fucking cowards.

but... masterful plan, pardon the bad joke. saw the twist when they went into the elevator, of course, and internally screamed. can’t believe I recognized the stinger, but I did. very well done, very well set up, very emotional.

seriously if it weren’t for the fact that missy and her “romance” and her “craziness” represents everything I fucking despise about doctor who’s recent treatment of women, I’d say this was a damn good episode. what a shame.

episode 12: death in heaven

rating: 💜💜💜🖤🖤

it was good but a large part of the reason I feel so good after watching it is just the fact that I probably won’t have to deal with so much irritating “blah blah soldiers suck” drivel and the whole “am I a good man?” pity fest from the doctor if I watch s9.

another large good part is the shoutout at the end to lethbridge-stewart, that was sorely needed tbh. about time.

missy was well acted, but I’m still so fed up with the boring het treatment of it all. hey quick questions: why would time lords give a fuck about gender roles or gender orientation as more than weird, antiquated quirks? for that matter why do they even acknowledge the existence of a gender binary half the time? i’ll never know.

good choices include the plot and its resolution. laughing forever at doctor who’s insistence on upgrading their villains to make them somehow scarier all the time, but at least they had a plot reason for it too. also, clara’s bit about feeling special. that’s something I’ve thought was missing from doctor who for a long time, and to see it in a form I can almost believe was a breath of fresh air.

boring choices include setting up as if this episode is going to be all about clara being a total badass, only for it to last all of three seconds. which isn’t to say that clara wasn’t or isn’t a badass so much as, “boy do I love watching an episode where she spends nearly all of it upset and having no lines though.” hint: I do not.

mediocre choices include the characters chosen to be killed off. not like I expected better, of course. please, if you’re listening, let bill come out of her adventures with the doctor alright. people who don’t fit in moffat’s box of tricks so rarely do.

i’ll watch the christmas special some other time. i sense another bad one coming on.

s8 sucked but I liked some parts of it! wonder how s9 is.

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fanficy-au · 4 years

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Doctor Who | Songfic Commission

A commission for @deepestkoalapeach

Fandom: Doctor Who Summary: Going on the lead of the location of an old friend, the 10th Doctor visits an intergalactic concert with the hopes that there is some truth to the rumor. Ft. Original Alien Species and OC Requested Word Count: 2,500 - 3k Final Word Count: 2502

Songfic! Orphan No Namida by MISIA

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Blue Light | 2502 Words

Orphans’ tears, love bears the burden of sorrow because it can make it stronger

You’re on my mind; can you hear the blues that the sky sings?

Out of all the places that he has visited, the Doctor has to admit that this planet is quickly becoming one of his favorites; Earth still holds a special place in his mind, but this place definitely holds its place as a solid second favorite.

Much like Earth, the planet is brilliant in its own ways housing two separate alien species as its native species. It holds a sense of unity and peace that most places lack; he has never seen such vastly different species get along so well. Though he supposes if anyone could do it it would the Alyas.

The two species have extended their sense of peace to all corners of the multiverse, opening a specific concert lounge that hosts many different events throughout its cycles. Events from concerts, to weddings, to karaoke; a part of him bemoans the fact that he just missed the karaoke night.

But no matter the event, it has created a safe space for many different species and aliens to enjoy. No violence tolerated and not even so much as a whisper of anything negative or violent ever occurring, if the rumors and reputation are anything to go by. At first, he was a bit worried about attending the lounge, having seen violence in the most unexpected places, he held the rumor of it being so peaceful at arms length until he was able to see it for himself; to his relief, the peaceful reputation goes beyond what he imagined it would be.

The accommodations that they are making for everyone is spectacularly brilliant. From the personal refreshments for every species imaginable to the specially made seats for certain species, the list goes on.It amazes him, but it also makes his heart aches when he realizes that not every planet is so welcoming.

Still, he has to admit that the Alyas have done fairly well since their time with the Time Lords on Gallifrey.

It has been a long time since he has visited any of their kind, he will admit. Partly because he has been avoiding them, partly because he was not sure if he would be welcomed. The Alyas used to be an ally to the Time Lords, forced friends of sorts that worked together for common goals.

They always lent their special abilities and knowledge to Gallifrey - even more so during the war. Being one of the few species that could keep up with the ever-changing Time Lords. That among their own special reasons made them a very powerful friend and ally to Gallifrey.

But then, like most things with Time Lords, they had to go and mess that up.

Ah… The blue light that rises in the dark night hides your loneliness

The only thing that remains after the battle is sorrow.

What do soldiers see in the fragments of their dreams?

The Doctor nurses a fruity drink; granted, he actually is not one hundred percent sure what is in it. He just ordered something non-alcoholic and safe for his species. Anything humans could have, he could have, is what he told them, keeping his exact kind more vague. The four-armed bartender immediately served him up this.

He is, at least, delighted to figure out the fruit used in it is from the planet Barcelona; that planet has always been a fantastic place that has tickled him silly. Though as tasty as it is, he can not quite place where the odd almost metallic taste comes from. Orilina maybe, he muses, smacking his lips at the taste, but the drink is finished before he can put the pieces together.

His eyes go to the singer on stage. Despite being surrounded by the Alya, the center star of the night is MISIA. She performs beautifully, as expected from her and her reputation. The holographic screens surrounding the platform are lit up with messages about environmental peace, as per her reputation. It is suiting, he thinks, for her to be a good friend to the Alya kind.

He smiles as he gestures for the bartender to give him another drink, almost wanting to distract himself from the Alya’s presence.

He remembers the Alya well. He remembers how different they were from the Time Lords. They never minced their words, unafraid to tell the Gallifreyans exactly what they believed and what they thought of certain plans or ideas. They were straightforward, honest. Good peoples - good species. He rather liked them - and the way that they made certain council members squirm was a bonus.

They have always been committed to the betterment and peace of the universe. Against the over harvesting of other planets, never wanting anyone to get hurt or killed as a result of greed. Always prepared to save everyone if they could.

Much unlike the arrogance of the council of Time Lords and their race superiority. He scoffs against the drink, still smacking his lips as he tries to figure out the different sources within it. The others were always so boring, always wanting to be perfect, always had to be the best. Never liked that someone could be better than them at anything.

When he closes his eyes, he can still see the jealous rage in their eyes at the Alya; hear the whispered conversations full of spiteful hatred. The strained tension between their so-called friendship and how one day, he always thought that the tension would snap. He wonders if it would have had the war never happened or if they would have been able to move on.

He never quite understood why the others couldn’t see just how wonderful the Alya are, why they couldn’t cherish the friendship that they had with them. Why they never saw how beautiful, how absolutely amazing and powerful their allies were.

Orphans, now we send a ship called hope out to the sky

You’re on my mind; in this instant, the sky sings the blues.

Orphans, friends, did you know the reason for your fight when you waved at me?

It is nice to see some of Alya scattered throughout the lounge of the bar between the patrons of many species. Having not seen them in such a long time, it warms both of his hearts to see the species doing so well and for thriving despite the mistreatment that his kind gave them.

The Alya have always held such a special place in his hearts; their natural born ability for time travel being the most fascinating concept that he has ever had the pleasure of seeing in all of his lives, across the entire multiverse he has never seen anything like them. Living, sentient stars being everywhere and nowhere all once, he thinks almost wistfully, just absolutely brilliant.

It truly is a pity that the others never saw the wonder in the Alya, clouded by their racial prejudice and jealousy. Being so swept up into the concept of time travel, dedicating themselves entirely to it, but never being able to match up to what another species naturally possesses. It made the council bitter; it made them all bitter. They tried to abuse the Alyas’ natural gifts, tried to figure out how to colonize it, use it to their advantage. Always wondering how it can be used to be better than their ships until their ships were better than the Alya.

But never the Doctor. He never understood the bitterness and envy. He never saw why no one could just look to the Alya as the inspiration they are instead of as rivals or harsh competitors.

Love on my mind; in this age, we sing our grief through the blues

Bring peace to my beloved and happiness to the departed

What remains after soldiers’ dreams?

Each Alya never fails to spot him. It almost makes him want to leave before a scene can be started, before the daydream he created about seeing them again can be shattered. But instead, each of them greet him with a chirping-warp like noise of content and happiness. None of them are bitter toward him.

Every one of the Alya have chirped happily at his presence, beaming brightly with joy. Their non-corporeal forms are portrayed as balls of just endless light, not blindly per say, but close. He feels like most species would not be able to look at them for long if they were to shine in all of their glory, but each star twinkles brilliantly enough to still be seen safely.

Like a distant star on the horizon, the Doctor muses. He glances toward the stage where some of the Alya have taken to floating beautifully around MISIA as she sings. The dark low light of the bar only makes their light that much more breathtaking. Each orb of light floats around the singer majestically and slowly, giving the entire concert a more ethereal, magical element to it.

Some float above the patrons, others conversing within the crowd. The ones that float above the patrons are the ones who float near him the most, like curious innocent beings not believing what they are seeing. But considering that he has not been kicked out or asked to leave yet and that they have only greeted him kindly, he takes it as a sign that he is welcome.

But no matter how many star beings he sees, he still does not see the one that he is looking for. The one whose rumored presence brought him to the planet in the first place.

Orphan’s tears, people know sadness because it makes them more gentle,

Peace of mind, can you hear it?

There were a few whispers in the galaxy about his dear old friend attending this concert; or that she at least planned to. He had hoped that he would be able to catch her here, run into her and reminisce. To be able to seek her forgiveness.

What is that she is going by nowadays? It is always so hard to keep track of who goes by what name in what time period. Similar to how he never knows what name an Elizabeth would go by and when - sometimes it is Liz, Lizzie or even Beth. Sometimes, oddly enough, it is Betsy. Betsy, he scoffs just at the mention of it. Others slapped him when he asked. He would rather avoid being slapped by his friend if he could help it, but it is not his fault that everyone is always changing their name and he knows so many names that it is hard to stay on track.

Then again, he supposes that some would ponder the same confusion over his many faces and personalities. But at least his name always stays the same, he always argues.

He hums thoughtfully on the name that his friend is going by now, his drink empty and loosely waving in his hand. Finally, a light bulb goes off and with a snap of his fingers, he remembers the name that was mentioned in the rumors.

Aurelia. Suiting enough, he supposes, but not quite as enchanting as the Gallifreyan name that she was given. Alyethinletrenmorlal. He always thought that it was such a beautiful name for her; perfect for her enchanting character and her brilliant light.

But, he rethinks, it is a bit of a mouthful for most species. It would be rather a nightmare to those who can’t pronounce their l’s and t’s. He knows how hard his own name would be to pronounce on a normal basis for most species, especially humans who are always giving themselves shorter and shorter names.

He also can not blame her for wanting to create a new name for herself. For wanting to create some distance from the Gallifreyan Time Lords; wanting to create a new life, a new start, a new face. A hand absently goes to his glasses. Yes, he could relate to that very well.

The sky sings a song of grief to you through the blues

Orphans, now we send a ship called hope out to the sky

You’re on my mind; in this instant, the sky sings the blues.

The concert is almost over when he finally gives up; the other Alya try their best to get him to stay or to comfort him, but he does not have the heart to stay any longer when he knows that it will not happen. Though he does his best to reassure the Alya that fret after him that he did indeed love the concert and enjoyed their presence again; both of which are true, despite the way his smile does not quite reach his eyes.

Both of his hearts weigh heavily in his chest, disappointment bubbling under his skin. He knew that it was a long shot. No one has really heard from her in - oh what is it now, 55 million years or so?

At the realization that it has been that long, the weight in his chest gets even heavier. Despite it being so long, he had desperately clung onto the hope that it would hold some truth with it. He desperately wanted to see her; wanted to apologize, to talk to her, to just see face something from his past for once.

The fact that this is where the Alya has settled, he had started to really believe that she may turn up. Though he has time traveled and his sense of time is wonky at best, every moment that he spent in the lounge waiting for her felt like a lifetime. Each passing moment had dashed on his hopes. Each Alya he saw that turned out not to be the right one crushed him. Every Alya that greeted him made him both delighted and disappointed.

He returns to his TARDIS, sagging and sighing. The old girl hums, trying her best to comfort him in the way that only she can, when he starts to turn the key into the door. The door to the TARDIS swings open and gives one last longing look toward the lounge, as if he would be able to finally spot her, but he is met with nothing.

He turns away with a sigh and he is just about to step in when a light beams from behind him. Turning, he is met with a brilliant light form - a familiar light form.

Orphans, friends, A future of freedom is described in your hands

Love on my mind; in this age, we sing our grief through the blues

Alyethinletrenmorla - or Aurelia, he supposes now. He turns with baited breath, looking at her as she glows before him. The wisps of her light reach out almost playfully - if her sense of humor is anything like it was back then, then he imagines that she is getting quite a kick out of being so dramatic.

Finally, a warping-distorted voice speaks out to him.

“Hello, Doctor.”

#doctor who #fanfic #fanfiction #original character #oc #alien species #original alien species #original alien character #myworks #commission #writing

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