#10 and reinette

[dykepaldi]

so twelveclara obviously didnt have sex but i think they probably did some weird shit a few times that was sex without having sex. and they were both like hmmmm lets never speak of this

[gnougnouss]

"No one from dw likes him episodes" OK let's put it this way : there was recently a poll made by doctor who magazine about best dw episodes. Of the top 10, 6 were from nuwho, 4 from classic who. Of the nuwho episodes, a whopping FIVE were from Moffat including the top two episodes of all time. You can see it's a little bit more complicated than "no one likes his writing". Even on tumblr (the most hostile to moffat part of the fadom imo) when that Best Doctor Who Episode poll was going on (it stopped now for some reason) at the quarter finals there was 8 stories, 4 by Moffat, 3 from Davies and one by another guy (Robert Shearman for Dalek) . I am BEGGING you to please form your own opinion on things like, generally, but on Moffat writing especially because there is a lot of divided opinion on his dw work but I don't know anybody alive deny that at least occasionally he fucking rocked dude.

(ALSO if you go into something thinking it will suck you're very likely to be a lot more critical of it and enjoy it less and it might ruin your dw watching experience because Moffat wrote like, a SHIT TON of episodes. Wrote more episodes of this show than anybody else in those 60 years)

Btw this episode won a Hugo award. Lmao.

Yeah nobody sane think the doctor is a pedo/groomer but some people are really rabid in their hatred of Moffat (the reasons why are a mystery to me but then i wasn’t on tumblr in the superwholock days) and will just twist everything in the most obviously bad faith reading possible.

doctor who people what are your thoughts on The Girl in the Fireplace

[papeldelbano]

11 says one of 10s catchphrases and I think some people catch it when 11 finds out Amy is Amelia he does 10's "what.....w h a t.....WHAT.....W H A T"

but 11 also says "you've had some cowboys in here" when talking about the crack in Amelia's wall. Which 10 also says in The Girl in the Fireplace. Which was also written by steven moffat.

the girl in the fireplace is a cheeky story to reference too considering how Reinette sees 10 in a VERY similar way that Amy ends up seeing 11. 10 becomes her imaginary friend, 10 skips so much of her life and Amy even kisses 11 like Reinette kisses 10.

Actually now that I'm thinking out loud here: 10 was more receptive to Reinette's feelings for him. I mean 10 was hurt pretty bad after she died and he failed to save her. Considering 10 skips around her life around the same way 11 does with Amy, maybe 11 remembers what happened with Reinette and that's why he's quick to shut down whatever Amy has for him. I'm not saying it's the sole reason but it has to be ONE of the things that crossed his mind.

Oh also 10's wearing the same tie in The Girl in the Fireplace that he regenerates in, which 11 wears in The Eleventh Hour. Obviously probably not intentional but it's a fun detail.

[faeriecinna]

OC vs Cockroach

Thanks for the tag @sleepywriter00 ! This was harder than I though it was going to be lmao

I'm gonna go with my babes from Project.Seraph

Teo - 7/10 Pretends its not there and waits for it to become someone else's problem Nevaeh - 10/10 rescues it from everyone else trying to smush it. "He's not hurting anyone, leave him alone >:(" Adeline - 4/10 gagging. Refuses to get back in the trailer until she sees someone else get rid of it Haydn - 9/10 "ew ew ew ew ew ew ewwwwwwwwwww" as he's got it in his hands and is running outside with it Marco - 0/10 screaming, crying, throwing up. probably stood on a table and begging for mercy. Reinette - 2/10 These boots are made for stomping and that's just what they'll do.

Tagging @melpomene-grey @buffythevampirelover and @illarian-rambling

[lauranalanthalasa]

Look, I love Doctor Who like the next person, but I just realised something that is handled so much better in Good Omens. (This got rather long, TLDR at the end)

The Doctor isn't technically immortal like Crowley and Aziraphale, but their age is far beyond the human lifespan and regeneration is a bit like getting a new body after being inconveniently discorporated only without the paperwork. Either way, both the Doctor and the ineffable idiots lovers are non-humans (although looking completely human) that have lived/existed for a large multitude of human lifespans, have magical powers/technology so advanced it's indistinguishable from magic and an intellect far beyond human capabilities, are somewhat socially awkward and love the Earth / humanity.

What Good Omens does so much better is that, while Aziraphale and Crowley both care deeply for humans (You can't kill kids!) they are also well aware of the fact that they themselves are tremendously different from humans and are reluctant to get overly involved and attached. I don't mind the multitude of fanfics depicting Aziraphale having an affair with Oscar Wilde or Crowley with Leonardo da Vinci or whatever, but the show clearly stirrs away from this and imho that's a very good thing. Because on what ground would someone with the experiences of thousands of years, with literal devine power, who has witnessed the beginning of the universe fall in love with a human? Could there ever be real love? Affection, yes. Empathy, understanding, maybe even something like a (sadly probably rather shallow) friendship. But deep romantic love? I don't think so, sorry. Please remember, this is my opinion. I don't want to offend anyone. Please don't come at me, I'm soft. 😩

Of course the Ineffables could just fancy getting to know people the biblical way from time to time, but that's just not who they are. And wouldn't it even be a bit weird? Using these unaware ephemeral creatures as playthings?

The Doctor (granted, it's mostly 10 and 11) on the other hand seems to fall in love with humans all the fucking time! Or condones humans falling in love with them and letting them stick around anyways. And even when there are no romantic feelings involved, the Doctor often leaves their companions hurt, traumatized or with their memories wiped after the inevitable end of their joint travels. And unless the Ineffables it is quite strongly hinted that the Doctor does enjoy a good biblical introduction to a non-equal from time to time (Reinette, Queen Elizabeth I).

TLDR: imho Good Omens handels the relationship between (virtually) immortal, nearly omnipotent beings and humans better than Doctor Who, by not incorporating romantic love / lust between these and humans.

[cowlovely]

best nuwho episodes to show to someone who has never seen doctor who, but wants to get into it*

*i’m working off of very specific criteria here. this can’t just be another “best episodes” list, because an episode being good doesn’t necessarily mean it would make a good introduction to a series. for this reason, there will probably be very few episodes past s6 or so on here, as i feel like that’s around the time that many doctor who episodes become too steeped in the show’s own history/overarching plotlines to make the most effective starting points (definitely at least partially moffat’s fault lol)

1x01 rose — maybe too obvious a choice, but this episode is the pilot for a reason.

—pros: does a very good job establishing nuwho’s version of the doctor, as well as thoroughly and effectively introducing us to rose and her life; the autons are a good and fun choice for the first threat.

—cons: is definitely not AS good as some other episodes of the show, so maybe not the best if you only have one episode to show someone and you want to make the most of it

1x06 dalek

—pros: establishes one of Thee enemies of the series, demonstrates 9 and rose’s values, sets up/explains a bit of the time war in an easy to understand way, has a great emotional core

—cons: i genuinely can’t think of any

1x09/1x10 the empty child/the doctor dances

—pros: fabulous storytelling all around with plot, themes, and pacing, emotional but with a happy ending, great blending of tone throughout, and a complete standalone story

—cons: it’s always a bit of a risk to start with a two parter

2x04 the girl in the fireplace

—pros: great creature design, fun storytelling devices, pretty self contained as far as references/lore go, fantastic performances from everyone but especially from sophia myles

—cons: has some of steven moffat’s worst writing attributes, including 10 feeling out of character in several spots, and reinette being very clearly a Moffat Woman in many ways (though this is in my opinion somewhat saved by myles’ great acting)

2x08/2x09 the impossible planet/the satan pit — i really debated putting these ones on here, but this story was MY introduction to the series so. clearly it’s very effective

—pros: really immersive story and setting, great cast of guest characters/actors, another self contained story (as far as i remember), introduces the ood

—cons: another two parter, might be a bit intense as a first story for some people, 10 and rose’s dynamic/significant moments in this might not hit the same way for someone who hasn’t seen other episodes

3x01 smith and jones

—pros: new companion episode, so the audience gets things explained to them at the same time as martha, fun little mystery at the center, interesting conflict/non-antagonist antagonists, good chemistry between tennant and agyeman, the hole rose left emotionally can be felt but doesn’t cut into the story as much as it does in the runaway bride

—cons: is again maybe not one of the standout episodes of the whole series (but is still very solid)

3x03 gridlock — might be a bit controversial since i didn’t include new earth, but i’ll explain

—pros: really interesting setting and plot, and while i think seeing new earth first gives interesting context, i don’t think it’s necessary to enjoy or understand what’s happening in this episode, and it’s kind of cool to come at this one from martha’s pov. showcases a lot of different kind of creatures/people, has a really satisfying and emotional conclusion, has the doctor reintroduce the concept of gallifrey and what happened to it

—cons: could definitely have some confusing elements if you haven’t seen new earth, in particular novice hame and the face of boe, and the effect of the city being the way it is in gridlock could be a bit diminished without the context of 2x01

3x10 blink

—pros: considered to be one of if not the best episode of the series, and with good reason. carey mulligan KILLS it, the mystery is incredibly compelling from start to finish, and the weeping angels are undoubtedly one of the best additions to the series. this episode is crafted damn near perfectly

—cons: while this episode is incredible, i don’t think it’s actually the best possible intro to the show that many people think it is; it’s not a good microcosm of the show as a whole in terms of structure and tone, and the doctor is really hardly in this episode at all. it makes the episode really gripping and intriguing if you’re already familiar with the show, but i actually think that effect is slightly dulled if you’re somebody who isn’t. this doesn’t mean that it would necessarily be the WORST introduction to the show (i’m still including it on the list after all), but i also don’t think it’s the best

4x08/4x09 silence in the library/forest of the dead

—pros: do i have to keep mentioning the episodes are really good? anyway these are really good. really highlights donna’s complexities, story is tense and emotional and intellectually engaging all at once, introduces river/touches on relationship dynamics with a time traveler, great and genuinely scary monster

—cons: another two parter, river’s introduction and the emotional weight of her and 10’s dynamic might not hit the same if you don’t know the doctor as a character either, and the same goes for donna’s plotline in these episodes (it was really difficult in general to pick ANY donna episodes because so many of the ones that feature her are really tied up in series lore of some kind 😭)

4x10 midnight

—pros: genuinely SO brilliantly written, acted, and edited it is ACTUALLY crazy. i’m biased because this is my favorite episode of the series, but i really think it’s such an all around tight story, and definitely one of the more self-contained ones of the show (especially considering this is a one-off monster we don’t even really hear about afterwards, let alone see again). and really i cannot hype up the writing and acting in this episode enough—if you’re really into sociology as a focal point in your sci-fi this episode will be for you

—cons: kind of similar to blink in that this episode isn’t very emblematic of what the show normally is—both in its bottle setting and the fact that the doctor is totally solo for the majority of the runtime, which is not the norm. i love it, and i think it works really well for the episode, but it’s still an outlier (the tone is also more serious than most eps). and also as minor as they are, there are still a few lore moments/references that might be confusing if this were someone’s first episode (rose’s face coming through on the bus screen, for example)

5x01 the eleventh hour

—pros: new doctor, and similar to smith and jones in the new companion factor. great story, episode is filled with lots of great energy, and this really showcases some of moffat’s better attributes as a writer/showrunner, particularly the kind of fairytale vibe he brings to doctor who; first episode of nuwho with a new showrunner, so it kind of intentionally comes off as a bit of a soft reboot

—cons: while it IS a bit like a soft reboot, this is one that kind of rolls with the assumption that you sort of know the deal at this point when it comes to the doctor as a character. i wouldn’t say it’s necessarily confusing, but i could see it potentially being a bit annoying for a new viewer, or just not as effective as an episode. also this was made in 2010 by moffat, and it shows (the sherlock editing, in particular)

5x02 the beast below

—pros: continuing the fairytale vibe, engaging setting and mystery, absolutely heartbreaking in the best way possible, self-contained story

—cons: viewer might feel a bit lost if they don’t know anything about the doctor and amy or how they met. kind of pro british monarchy :/

5x08/5x09 the hungry earth/cold blood

—pros: introduces the silurians (to nuwho at least), has really good guest characters/dynamics, conflict is compelling and very nuanced (feels closer to a classic who episode if that’s something that compels you), and this is something i’ve refrained from mentioning so far, but these episodes in particular have absolutely fantaaaaaastic makeup/SFX, costuming, and production design

—cons: two parter (take a shot every time i say this), the dramatic conclusion of this one might be confusing and/or fall flat if you aren’t familiar with amy and rory or the overarching plot of the season, and i could definitely see some people finding these episodes boring with all the political talk (i definitely did as a kid)

6x09 night terrors

—pros: very self-contained (as far as i can remember), perfectly straddles the line of horror and sci-fi, has a good emotional core, and 11 with kids is almost always an a+ for me

—cons: honestly can’t really think of any? again maybe not like. an AMAZING episode, and it may have references to past episodes/events in it that i can’t remember that might be confusing to a new viewer

6x11 the god complex

—pros: GREAAATTTT episode hook that really quickly and effectively drops you into the setting and overall vibe of the episode, some great one off characters, encompasses a lot of doctor who’s themes and different blends of genre

—cons: the second half of the episode pretty significantly focuses on amy and her fears/insecurities related to the doctor, so much so that it almost made me not include this episode

7x07 the rings of akhaten

—pros: this episode is so good. great intro to clara’s character (despite it not being her first one), great setting, great alien designs + worldbuilding, great music, and oh my GOD the monologues…the damn monologues…chef’s kiss

—cons: the doctor’s monologue probably won’t have the same effect for a new viewer that it does for people who are already fans, but honestly it’s so good that i don’t think this is that big a deal

9x03/9x04 under the lake/before the flood

—pros: very similar vibes to the impossible planet/the satan pit, but honestly i think i’m even more compelled by this story than i was by that one. i LOVE all the moving parts in this, i love the characters, i love that we’re underwater, and i love that it’s GHOSTS!!

—cons: two parter (shot!), and specifically a two parter that—while i love it to bits—drags a bit more than other two parters that i’ve included on this list. a new viewer may also not totally get (or maybe even be put off by?) 12 and clara’s dynamic

10x01 the pilot

—pros: i’ll be honest i wouldn’t say this is one of my FAVORITE episodes or anything, but it’s still very solid, and i DO think it could make a good introduction into the series for someone

—cons: has multiple allusions to other characters/arcs that will probably feel kind of weird to a new viewer

eve of the daleks special

—pros: time loop lovers come get your juice!!! this episode fucks, it’s probably my favorite from chibnall’s era? top three at least for sure. features the daleks without being too steeped in the Lore/having them overshadow everything in the episode

—cons: this episode is an atypical structure flr the show, and is kind of like. is About 13 and yaz’s relationship, which will probably be kind of odd if you haven’t seen any of the show before

honorable mentions, aka episodes i really wanted to include, but which had one too many cons to justify: 1x02 the end of the world, 1x08 father’s day, 2x01 new earth, s3 xmas special the runaway bride, 3x08/3x09 human nature/the family of blood, s4 special the waters of mars, 5x07 amy’s choice, 5x10 vincent and the doctor, 5x11 the lodger, 6x04 the doctor’s wife, 6x05/6x06 the rebel flesh/the almost people, 6x10 the girl who waited, 10x10 the eaters of light, 11x06 demons of the punjab, 12x08 the haunting of villa diodati, 60th special wild blue yonder)

that’s it so far!! i may add onto this when we get more episodes with 15, we’ll see!

(also i promise i’m not as biased towards early seasons nuwho as this list implies, i was just trying to be as objective as i could possibly be with the criteria that i set 😭 (while obviously still being subjective to my opinions) a lot of the later seasons just don’t have very many easy entry points 😔 (which is i’m sure at least partly why the show is being soft rebooted with 15))

[nostalgia-tblr]

20 Questions For Writers

I got tagged by @thot-son-of-odin for this!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

412 (plus some Anonymous works that aren’t counted in that number)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

777,634

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Doctor Who (old and new), various Star Treks, the MCU, and a few others including Elementary and M*A*S*H.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

1. Trust the Devil

2. Four Times the Doctor and Clara Shared a Bed and One Time They Didn't

3. Locks And Revelations

4. Responsibility

5. How To Walk On Eggshells

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I didn’t used to but I try to now. It took me a while to get past “if I thank them for the kind words that means I agree and they can call me big-headed!” but now I think perhaps the commenter and I will become friends, as though this was still the LJ days or whatever.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I am answering these together to say that with 412 works it’s rly hard to come up with an answer because I’m bound to forget something that’s either angstier or happier than the one I pick D:

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

No, despite writing occasionally Problematic stuff. Maybe I’m just lucky with that? I think on AO3 the worst I’ve ever got is a comment or two on Ten/Reinette fic about how it is a TERRIBLE pairing and how dare anyone write it. I think I deleted those, or if I haven’t then I meant to, because fuck it they’re properly tagged so the enraged anons must have deliberately chosen something that would offend them.

This sort of thing is why I still have an automatic flinch reaction when people tell me they like Rose Tyler.

9. Do you write smut?

Of course not! I write very thoughtful and insightful character studies in which the characters being studied fuck, that’s COMPLETELY different!

10. Do you write crossovers?

Not often, I’m more into the idea of crossovers than actually writing (or reading) them.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don’t think so.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah, a few times.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Yes but not for years.

14. What‘s your all-time favourite ship?

I’m going to say Doctor/TARDIS because that’s a safe answer to such questions.

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Never say never – I’ve had ideas that did finally get written a decade later.

16. What’s your writing strengths?

I think it’s dialogue, which is also usually the easiest part to write. (I am a bit of a Fic Snob about how characters should sound like themselves in fic, including in AU fics where is even more important and also if they go OOC in those then that should be the point that’s being made.)

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

The bits that aren’t dialogue. Urgh, why must things need to be described! Why must I tell the reader who is speaking!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Well I usually see it in the context of “a phrase or word in the language we assume the characters are actually speaking” (mostly pet-names, for some reason) and that just makes me go “So what language are they speaking in the rest of this story? In the rest of this sentence, even?” Not a fan of this, nah.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Star Wars! :O

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

I dunno, there’s too many of them (same problem as before).

I tag anyone what wants to do this meme!

[camcorderrevival]

2, 10, 23 for the asks <3

<33

2 - what's your feel-good movie? - THE FOUR ADVENTURES OF REINETTE AND MIRABELLE!!!!!! it makes me feel so summery i really love it. also. hot rod and napoleon dynamite.

10 - what's something you're excited for? - the possibility of a beach day with my friends!! i really want to get an early train and spend a whole day swimming and eating and exploring somewhere. a more concrete thing. im planning to wake up early tomorrow and spend the morning writing which will be nice.

23 - favourite piece of clothing? - my white tank top. or my mum's old "go organic" tshirt that i stole because it fits me really nicely. or either of my leather jackets, one brown, one's a black bomber. or my star jeans. (im slowly building a wardrobe of clothes i enjoy wearing)

soft asks

[companion-showdown]

(Sorry if this is too much, but I think a lot of people are pretty and figured I should do my part to get you to a 64-character bracket) I'd like to nominate:

Bel (Flux)

Vinder (Flux)

Jake (Age of Steel)

Jenny (Doctor's Daughter)

Jethro (Midnight)

Lady Christina de Souza (Planet of the Dead)

Gwen Cooper (Torchwood)

Tallulah (Daleks in Manhattan)

Lynda with a y (Bad Wolf)

Liz 10 (The Beast Below)

Frank (Daleks in Manhattan)

Heather (The Pilot)

Sally Sparrow (Blink)

Reinette (The Girl in the Fireplace)

Miss Evangelista (Silence in the Library)

the bracket is usually 64 characters, because proper TV companions and some from the EU automatically qualify, I'm pretty sure we have now broken 128 though

[doctorwho-rewatch]

S2E4 - The Girl in the Fireplace

★★★★★

Series 2 finally hits its stride with this gem of an episode. It hits all the right notes - gorgeous history with post-apocalyptic future, the use of time travel and the consequences that attach and actually scary monsters that have a disturbing yet rational purpose.

For Reinette, the Doctor is her imaginary friend/romantic interest/god-angel in one. He flits in and out of her life since she was 7 years old and although her sights are traditionally set on being mistress to Louis XV, she waits for the Doctor. The Doctor is (in)explicably taken with her, so much so that he jumps through the time window for the last time, knowing he can’t return back to Rose and Mickey or the TARDIS, to save her. He is willing to take the slow path back home, to stay with her. The last scene of the Doctor alone in his TARDIS, with the last letter from Reinette before she passed, as she waited for him, is haunting.

But as good of an episode it was, it does seem starkly out of character with the Doctor’s progression over the last few episodes and his relationship with Rose. Having seen the hints over the last few episodes, and ultimately knowing how this series ends, the Doctor knowingly leaving Rose and Mickey behind, seems wild. Why Reinette? Is this indicative of the Doctor seemingly figuring out what this incarnation wants and falling back on his more human instincts? It’s certainly a stark contrast to the Ninth Doctor.

Not that I am complainaning. The chemistry between the Doctor and Reinette is electric (helped by the fact David Tennant and Sophia Myles were dating at the time), the costumes are gorgeous. Murray Gold’s soundtrack this episode hits the right notes between delicate, whimsical and sombering. Revealing the ship’s name at the end, that final piece of the puzzle that we the viewers have but the Doctor still never worked out is masterful.

I really don’t see a flaw in this episode and it has to be making my Top 10 list in some form.

QUOTE:  “What’s a horse doing on a spaceship?” “Mickey, what’s pre-Revolutionary France doing on a spaceship? Get a little perspective.”

[strangedreamings]

‘Girl in the Fireplace’ is winning that poll because 10/Rose shippers have never ever got over the implication that the Doctor falls for people other than her. They couch it in fake concern about the plot of the Doctor meeting Reinette briefly as a child before she kisses him as an adult- except the fact Reinette goes from a child to a corpse in the space of a day for the Doctor is deliberate commentary on how fucked relationships are for an immortal time traveller and those he meets. There’s a reason it’s placed after the episode ‘School Reunion’ where Rose learns for the first time that he loved and left others like Sarah Jane! It’s not an endorsement of childhood grooming ffs, but the Discourse has decided that’s the issue with it because they don’t want to admit that when they were a kid watching S2 they got pissed at the Doctor loving another blonde and never forgot it.

That's interesting to learn, Anon, but I was being rhetorical.

[sincerelyrushwriter]

Chapter 15: The Devil of Vienna

Vienna, 10:25 pm

"Reinette."

She looked up.

It was not her name. It had no meaning to her…like dressing a seal in lace and calling it to come…but for now, she would listen.

Around her, the room had the air of a storm that had come and gone, leaving her untouched in blink of an eye. All trace of the mess was missing from his desk. The floor had been swept, and the bed-sheets were folded onto the bunks. Lucian was kneeling by the open door, cinching his luggage shut with the brass clasps. Raze must have left already.

"…we are leaving."

She closed the book and stood. "I am ready."

"Then move." Impatiently, he gestured to the door. "We have much to accomplish before morning, so I trust you to keep to yourself when speaking to our newest travelling companion. Exiles do not make good allies."

Was that a joke?

Impossible.

In spite of the many hours of sleep, he looked haggard in the lamplight. His beard and moustache untrimmed, the grey eyes peering out of shadows rather than sockets. She remembered his words to her. He would kill her if she mentioned his name to a single soul.

Prelude: An Underworld Fanfiction.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/749807/chapters/1399362

Source

https://unsplash.com/photos/mSoetyVbW_Y?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

Buncha takes about Girl in the Fireplace (by someone that doesn't like it)

trying to give it as much grace as possible... there's some stuff to salvage, i think

visuals: again very beautiful episode aesthetically. even the spaceship sections which under rtd sometimes look a bit glip, with the right lighting in this ep, they rlly "pop" colonialism / hegemony: it's really uncomfortable but i don't know enough about reinette to go in depth with it. just gonna highlight the whole "this is the royal court and we're french" which is .... fittingly the point we're most asked to see reinette as a "Strong Female Character (tm)" / Girl Boss ... really sour. The Timeless Child Retroactive Continuity Bonus: the doctor's loneliness is made more poignant by being not "the last of their kind" but "the only one of their kind"

recurrent s2 themes: (this is what i was talking abt in theo ther post...) the clockwork fail because "it has not purpose now" perhaps this could be symbolism for monarchism in general, in face of a new, modern world? monarchies are well-oiled, intricate machines, socially speaking. they have rituals and customs and complex genealogies (hey, stowe armorial... amirite ladies... #crackin'heraldryhumor). but w/ the advancement of the productive forces, they "lost their purpose". the uk continues to have a monarchy to this day, but it is not longer the effective, purposeful machine it was was, rather it is an appendage or a relic of a more advanced system (bourgeois capitalism). one it has to cannibalize in parts to survive. also, the obvious visual of a highly-intricate "machine" that is made up of depreciated tech (clockwork). here's another: i saw an interesting meta that this ep could be read as a mirror of school reunion: in SR we see rose gripping w/ the reality of the doctor eventually outliving her, and here we see via reinette the doctor's pov of having to endure watching all their lovers "witter and die"except romana bc she just dumps him lol

i think this improves a bit on the seeming disjointedness of both eps and how disjointed it feels from the rest of s2.

relatedly, im also headcanon fix-ing it that this whole stint 10 pulls of "finding a mistress" (as it's very pointedly parallel'd in several scenes like him showing up late and "drunk" and rose being casted as the "nagging wife")(oooo resist negativity urges RESIST), is a direct example of him having a classic commitment-phobic panic, following SR.

there's an interesting theme/repeating motif in this ep (And later we see it repeated in moffat's seasons) about dreams and nightmares. (clockwork guys as reintte's+ the doctor as the clockwork's) idk how to tie it together as a Meaning or Theses yet but some interesting implications about it:

- the monsters we see in this ep are framed as nightmares (the doctor looks under the bed of kid!reinette to find the first clockwork robot)... what are nightmares? nightmares aren't real, but they also tell us something real about what we fear when awake. when these stories turn the imaginary into the real, there's a kind of symbolism in that "any fear we have can be faced and defeated" - kind of stealing this from another meta i read lol but: the monsters as fantasy vs grief as a reality, and the metatextual tension of having very real things like unavoidable death in a show with a "dashing, scifi hero that always defeats the scary monsters",,, - there's a negative asshole way to point out how similar reinette's "tragic ending" / arc is to a lot of... other storylines in moffat's who lol but i'm gonna try to spin it in the more positive, curious, "good faith" way: what is moffat trying to explore or say when he has characters always "missing" each other by the whims of time? sometimes by displacement, other time by "missing the timing" / "being too slow"? perhaps it is a call to be more prescient, and these are not just stories about tragedies... but cautionary tales about not taking actions / living life when one's called to live it (see river, amy, reinette, sally's friends,,,).

AND FINALLY, i had to really dig deep, but this is the one that salvages the episode i think, and why i wont *totally* discard it from my mental canon in the future: the traditional, surface interpretation of the ending is that it is "tragic" because ten doesn't go to reinette because she's dying/has died.... and once he has landed there, it is too late. the fireplace was tragically out of synch with his life....

however, let's push that further why doesn't he just go back a lil' earlier? why doesn't eleven just tell amy and rory to write a fake letter and put up a fake tombstone? the answer could be [bc time travel lore reasons!!].,,, BUT there's a potentially interesting and complex alternative reading: ten chose to not see reinette in her sickness. there was nothing impending him from seeing her again once he was back in the tardis. but much like with their companions that they can always locate if they wanted to, the doctor knows there's it's kind of pointless, kind of artificial, kind of cheating to manipulate time to get as much out of a human lifespan as possible. and it is a pointless act, because in the end he'll have to say goodbye anyway. and like he told sarah jane... "he just couldn't come back". so this this a self kindness he gives himself. to let reinette be just a fiery affair with a tragically beautiful woman he had "no control over" and could not comfort in her sickness/withering. perhaps unconsciously, this is a way he finds to not Deal with what the implications of this little "affair" means for his relationship w/ rose, and how he may have to make the same choice again in the future.

[faeriecinna]

WIP Questionnaire

Thank you for the tag @buffythevampirelover !

Project.Seraph :)

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

The character of Nevaeh was my leap of faith into this one. Previously I had only ever really written horror/thriller and I had always been too afraid to create my own fantasy world, but for some reason I just couldn't leave the idea of my broken little angel alone. The more I imagined her in different scenarios and fleshed out different characters and a plot, I knew I had to write it seriously or I'd never forgive myself.

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

Honestly I really fuck with Plenty by Aeseaes for this one. The whole vibe is immaculate and it really encapsulates the mood of the story through the lyrics.

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

I truly love them all for different reasons (except maybe Marco, fuck you Marco.) Though Nevaeh is my sweet innocent angel baby could never do anything wrong ever loml, and Queen Reinette is a favourite because I adore a good villain and I am very proud of the way I've written her character.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

I'm hoping the same kind of people who tore through Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments will find my books to be worth of a good read. Also my fellow 'Merlin made me realise I was queer' pals. Not quite as high fantasy but I think P.Seraph is sometimes quite reminiscent of The Witcher too.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

There are so many scenes that I've already imagined and desperately want to write, so writing everything in between to bridge the scenes together is so painful lmao. What do you mean I have to write about the journey to the castle before I get to write my big dramatic inciting incident???

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

A lot of the first half is based in the woodland so many animals are encountered, though crows and various other corvids are a recurring motif. Also a lot of horses! Most characters travel by horse, including my little band of travelling thieves and the Queen's guards. In the marketplace there is also a very well known cat that belongs to the tavern-owner and likes to steal from people's stalls lmao

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

Mostly by foot, by horse, or by a carriage drawn by a horse.

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

Still the first draft rn but it's coming along smoothly. I have also been writing Project.Ink and fleshing out Project.Claw so I haven't been dedicating quite as much time to P.Seraph as I would like.

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

Who doesn't love a good enemies to lovers, right? This story absolutely reeks of betrayal, dark royalty, doomed love, war.... idk it has everything in it that I wanted to read all in one story and I hoped some people could relate

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

Obviously, I hope to be published one day, and if it is, my hope is that it will be one of those books that leaves people reeling after they've read it. I want people to connect to it, to cry over it, to read it so many times it doubles in size. I want people to be as violently in love with my characters as I am and I want people to relate to the story in whichever way they see fit. I want it to mean something to someone. One day. Eventually.

no pressure tags for @melpomene-grey, @goldxdarkness, @darkangel319 :)

Blank under the cut

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

[scripted-downfall]

10.

Hello! Thanks for the ask :) (I think this for the Doctor Who ask game, but if I'm wrong, please let me know!)

10. favorite companion?

Donna. Hands-down, I'm afraid. I like Amy and Rory for nostalgia (first companions I saw), and Rose and Martha are decent, but Donna is my favorite, without question. She's got a lovely actress, an awesome dynamic with 10, and an amazingly nuanced and tragic character arc. Also, she just means a lot in terms of the moral, so to speak, of her character? And she's always been one of the most emotionally relatable companions, both in terms of my views of her and her interactions with other characters (e.g. Agatha Christie, Miss Evangelista, the Doctor, etc.)

Finally, I also appreciated the way her relationship with the Doctor, while undeniably (in my opinion) platonic, was well-developed and not shoved to the side just because it wasn't romantic. All too often, I feel, media adopts this "romance or bust" mentality, where friendship gets undervalued. Most of the companions or potential companions have this romantic undertone to their interactions with the Doctor --- talking just pre-12 NuWho (because I've only seen through Matt Smith, and my knowledge of classic is very shaky), we've got: Rose, Captain Jack, Reinette, Martha, Astrid, Donna, Amy, and Rory. Of these, only two don't have romantic implications (Donna and Rory), and the latter was only present because of his romantic connection to Amy, and much of his storyline is a love triangle --- but Donna and he are amazingly close, with this great chemistry, but without the need to make it a romance. This isn't the main reason I like her best, I don't think, but it is something that I think ought to be noticed.

Thank you again for the ask!

(Doctor Who Asks)

[sallysellsseashellssundays]

Disclaimer: This post is going to be Anti Moffat for anyone who’s reading and is a fan you’ve been warned.  

S7E2 is Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and I actually really liked it.

It’s been 10 months for the Ponds not to mention all the other episodes it’s been mentioned that plenty of time passes for them before they see the Doctor again. I could have never imagined Nine or Ten being willing to let so much of their companions lives pass them by, it’s very fascinating that they aren’t full time honestly and it’s a very selfless gesture on the Doctor’s part when it’s obvious it’s difficult for him. The conversation referring to Amy’s death seemed very reminiscent of the one with Rose in School Reunion, it’s always sad to see the Doctor having to be reminded of that. 

I know Chris Chibnall was the showrunner for Thirteen, and that she has many companions at the same time so it was interesting to see he’d already tested out that concept here. I liked that the others were people from different time periods, but I feel like taking Queen Nefertiti is reckless of the Doctor-- she’s an important historical figure! Chibnall and Moffat have both done so or at least Moffat wanted to take Reinette traveling, what if they die before accomplishing what they’re supposed to? 

I loved Brian and I desperately wish we’d seen more of the Ponds families in S5 and S6. Rory’s interactions with him were really nice to see, Brian was very helpful in his own way, he had his own arc in just one episode and him eating his sandwich was the most precious thing I’ve seen. 

This is the best Amy’s been written tbh I loved that she had her own companions and that she’s such a seasoned companion she can comfortably assume the role of the Doctor. I just wish she’d gotten to do more but there were far too many people, this would have been a good two-parter to flesh everyone out more. 

Solomon was a great villain too, super slimy and horrible, and very dark that the Doctor let him die I didn’t think he would actually. I have to admit the plotline was absolutely ridiculous but I also found this episode to be fun so I suppose there’s a point for Chibnall haha. Personally I thought there were some really great lines in this one especially for Eleven and the robots so I’m tentatively optimistic I’ll like Chibnall’s era when it comes.