#Peter Capaldi is also a good shout :))

[long-suffering-little-spoon]

Happy birthday Peter Capaldi!!!! 🥳🥳🎉🎉🎉

I could rant for seven hours why Twelve was my favourite Doctor and one of my favourite acting performances of all time… but doodling him is way easier!!

[glitterypin]

I wonder how Armando Iannucci feels about Malcolm Tucker being a comfort character for some people (like myself).

Like, I get the whole "you weren't supposed to like him" thing and "Peter Capaldi did such a good job that people wanted to see more of him" but I'm not just talking about Malcolm Tucker being liked or enjoyed, I'm talking specifically about him being a comfort character, as is defined below:

This is kind of the opposite of the intent here, isn't it? Malcolm Tucker is so evil, toxic and potentially violent that seeing him should make the audience recoil. His mere presence should make you feel stressed, when he suddenly shows up your brain should go "oh shit".

And yet, here I am, two days sick, burning up with fever, feeling like a train running me over might be considered an improvement on my physical and mental state at this point and all I can find comfort in is cutting up my favourite Malcolm Tucker lines from the entire show together - for no reason except that seeing him makes me feel calm and collected.

I haven't managed to decipher what it is about Malcolm that brings me comfort. I don't think it's just because he has Peter Capaldi's face. There are other characters Capaldi has played that I disliked immensely and even if I leave those aside, it wouldn't explain why Malcolm is more of a comfort character for me than even the Doctor is (honestly, I'm not lying).

It might partly be the swearing, I think I find great enjoyment in the wittiness and the creativity of the swearing, as a person who also swears a lot and considers it a form of strong expression. It might be that his anger and toxicity are so overblown, so extravagant, that I can't actually take them seriously. Like Malcolm breaking into a sweary rant feels akin to someone breaking into song in a musical. You just sit back and enjoy it aesthetically.

It might even be that he embodies a certain inevitability of things going to shit. Armando Iannucci said something along the lines of "in every episode, something goes a bit wrong and then Malcolm shows up and makes it even worse". That's very accurate! NOTHING goes right in that show. For four seasons and two specials it's just disaster after disaster in which "success" is usually just "the minister wasn't fired today" and Malcolm is often at the center of it all, making everyone miserable and everything ten times worse.

He's the opposite of a comfort character, really. A comfort character shows up and makes you feel that "it's going to be alright". For example, the Doctor is a good comfort character, because nine times out of ten, he beats the monsters and keeps everyone safe. Malcolm shows up, you know nothing is going to be alright and it's probably going to be a lot worse than has been implied so far - and that can be comforting, too, because it's not about the outcome being good or bad, it's about it being predictable. And, as I grow older, I find myself enjoying a predictably shitty outcome, because life does actually suck so, so bad sometimes and I can't always be confronted by narratives in which things end well, they often exhaust me. Sometimes, I just want to see things go to shit, I want to experience second hand anger and frustration, I want to look at a catastrophe in the eye and laugh about it.

I'm not sure I've got it, to be honest, I think there's more to why I like Malcolm so much and why the more he shouts and screams the more I feel a calmness washing over me. My own anger issues probably have something to do with it. I don't know. I'll keep thinking about it.

[master-missysversion]

Nuwho doctors ranked based on how good I think their actor would be as the master

Peter Capaldi

Jodie Whittaker

Matt Smith & David Tennant (tie)

Christopher Eccleston

Ncuti Gatwa

I couldn't decide on John Hurt and Jo Martin but I'm sure they'd do great

Also bonus shout out to Sacha Dhawan who was technically briefly the doctor and i personally think would make an amazing master 🤭

[fivzen]

go to song to listen to at the moment? and any particular memories with it, if you have any?

I'm gonna give you five, because I cycle through songs a lot, so here's the five that have been the most constant lately

Lily from Guilty Gear Xrd Sign. Just... God. God! Emotions. Songs can make you cry, or inspire you. And Lily? Lily is one of those songs that can

Extras from Guilty Gear Strive. Do I need to explain given my recent obsession with Elphelt? Helps that it's a really really good song.

Samurai Fast Rap: Ginmaku Bang!! Go-Onger was my first sentai I watched from start to finish! In a motel room over the course of three-four days. I love that show. Honestly you could put any of the engine raps here, but I was literally just talking about this one, so-

Okay, this one doesn't have an official release, so I'm going to link this YouTube video, but this version of the Doctor Who theme from the Big Finish adaptations of The New Doctor Who Adventures. It's like, weirdly grand? (Shout outs to Peter Capaldi's theme (I love 12) and also the Big Finish War Doctor theme which also has those extra down then up notes during the middle eight.)

And finally Chemy X Story from Kamen Rider Gotchard. It's a good song, ain't it?

[thatsparrow]

hang on just finished the suicide squad need to process some thoughts

head empty except for cleo sebastian and taika waititi ratcatcher fam

idris elba is too charismatic to play anything other than a leading man (or villain? lead character) and his dynamic with cleo and flag was a fucking delight (also catch me getting annoyed all over again that infinity war killed him off so ignobly in like the first eight minutes)

galaxy brain costuming of putting flag in that yellow t-shirt and john cena in the too-small white polo

i? maybe it’s because I’m only familiar with like. her character’s brief appearance (from however far I watched) in arrowverse but I Did Not know what to make of waller. is she just like that? why did they only let viola davis play one note and hold it for the whole movie??

shout out to both sebastian and king shark as examples of immediately establishing strong characterization using primarily gestures/body language and minimal (or no) dialogue

hey why couldn’t abner just fucking blast the eye with his polka dots instead of the leg? huh? also it’s amazing how apparent it became when someone was about to die bc boy does gunn fall back on familiar framing for some of those “surprise moment” shots 

you know. “star” is an anagram of “rats”. do you think. do you think that’s why there was a. a starfish and a ra

what was the point of establishing the dichotomy between luna and suarez re: how they wanted to use project starfish (keeping it as a threat vs. unleashing it on their enemies) if it was just going to get released by accident? 

really feels like one of those lip service moments to—while setting your movie in an ambiguously non-white country (this time, a fake island off the coast of south america—which, like, where exactly? in relation to what part of south america?? who cares apparently)—acknowledge that the previous regime maintained power due to US interference but then. still lay waste to that entire city and huge swaths of the populace with shockingly little regard for their humanity or presence except as props

my kingdom for an entire film that’s just nanaue going for a swim and having a good time

i’m. still annoyed at the scene when they run through the women’s changing room in the club with bald peter capaldi. hey james? mr. gunn sir? what the fuck was the point of that except as an excuse to show some half-dressed women in a moment of vulnerability?

no you know what MY KINGDOM for harley’s costuming from birds of prey

am I playing the fun police by saying that harley’s dress bothered me? feels like such a glow-down to go from her kickin’ flight suit to being ordered to put on a princess dress for a date with a dictator. idk I’m just thinking about the iconic shot from ready or not of grace in the wedding dress torn at the hem and the yellow converse and the shotgun and why harley’s red dress didn’t work for me in comparison. maybe because she tore it to her upper thigh so it felt more sexualized than practical? bc it wasn’t something she chose for herself but something she was put in? like credit to her recognizing the pattern of abusive relationships she’s fallen into and choosing a different path this time but also that entire sequence with luna leading to her arrest was. wicked unnecessary except (seemingly) as an excuse to get her in the dress

genuinely! like they build it up so we think, “oh it matters that luna is dead and suarez is now in charge because he’s going to release project starfish” but then it’s released by accident so what did. any of that matter

anyway

[star-starkid]

I’m in a doctor who mood so this is what I want.

I want the next doctor to be a teenager. I want no one to take them seriously. I don’t mind which gender but I want them to be a teenager. I want them to have the same internal conflict as Peter Capaldi and the same playfulness as Matt Smith and I want them to be a grown up person in a teenage body. I want everyone to be surprised at this teenager running around shouting technobabble. And what I really want is some really good writing. I want one of those classic doctor speeches that puts everyone in their place and reveals a little bit more of the doctor’s soul but I want it to be a teenager. But to do it they have to get the casting perfect. Probably cast someone who hasn’t really been in anything noticeable before but is a really amazing young actor/actress.

I also really want the post regeneration swamped in clothing.

[thedragonoftelevision]

Season Three Children Of Earth: Day One first watch

Quite unsurprisingly seems to be about children. 

IS THAT PETER CAPALDI?

We’re calling it “shenanigans in the dark” now

WE live next door, probably faking it for whatever bullshit they’ve got going on but let me (and Ianto) dream.

“With us being such good neighbours” Should not be followed by asking for a cheeky look at his corpse but welcome to Torchwood.

“They’re a pain in the backside but they can be helpful” is in fact the official description. 

Ianto being so happy to be “mistaken” for a couple with Jack and then his soft little sadness at Jack saying he doesn’t like it...nope

Hold UP How much EXACTLY does Torchwood pay?? They spend pretty much all their time working, what do they DO with that much money?

They’re all screaming now, this just went from every parents daydream to...well... their day to day

WHY IS THAT MAN FILMING US godsake Ianto, you’re lucky that kid was thick else they’d be shouting something very different. 

Government passwords as weak as the PM’s moral compass.

The hatred towards the English is STRONG (and justified)

Jack and Ianto talking about how to obtain a child and I was waiting for a sarcastic “We could adopt” comment, I guess Ianto was worried Jack wouldn’t think it was sarcastic, which begs a question..

Never seen someone THAT scared of a blank page (apart from every writer and artist on the planet of course)

WAIT I’M SORRY JACK IS A FATHER??? 

Having dinner...with a man...having dinner with a man...in a restaurant...*wink wink nudge nudge*

So Jack just got accurately mistaken for an escort. 

When the estate’s so dodgy they manage to hijack a deadlocked car.

A man who smells both truth and pregnancy, presumably he can also smell the gays and who hasn’t filed their tax returns, so long as it’s plot related of course.

Ianto hugging Jack after they “killed him”. Most people are just like “Yeah he dies he’ll get over it” but Ianto still cares each and every time.

It WAS a very good time to tell them they lost the car, just saying. 

I’m going to take an educated guess here that Jack survives. 

[jadelotusflower]

August 2020 roundup

The end of another month - this year is truly going by at the speed of light. I hope everyone is coping okay - the state borders are still closed here and (for now) covid is under control, so I am grateful for that and feel for those who are not so lucky. 

Writing wise, I’ve not been as productive as I would like, but I did update Against the Dying of the Light, and it was an absolutely mammoth chapter with action/battle scenes which I always find difficult, so was fairly proud of the result.

I haven’t read much fanfic lately, my to-read list is a mile long, but I’ll get to it.

I have been reading more actual books, and finished The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey Monmouth, which I found interesting as an faux-historical and early Arthurian reference, if not particularly enthralling.

I’m about two-thirds of the way through The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman which has long been on my to-read list. I am not as well versed in  the Wars of the Roses period as I am with the Tudor period, but knew this book was rather well regarded (particularly compared to the Gregory novels, which I find frustrating). Of course it’s unapologetically pro-Richard III, but I don’t mind the perspective and at least so far it doesn’t veer to far into canonising the character - the treatment of Elizabeth Woodville is slightly harsh but then I don’t think his dislike is ever painted as anything but classist, and therefore flawed.

I tend not to take a “side” in this period of history - I can understand the argument of both the Lancaster and York factions, and am generally sympathetic to most characters (except Warwick and Clarence). I do find it interesting that very little of the book is from Richard’s pov - instead his characterisation is mostly how he is seen through the (mostly friendly) eyes of others - Anne, Francis Lovell, Edward, etc. But I’m really enjoying this choice and the variance of pov to give a fuller picture of the time and events.

While not writing, I’ve have watched a lot of film/tv - theatres have reopened here and I saw The Personal History of David Copperfield (dir. Armando Iannucci) which I just loved. I’ve not read the book (although it’s on the list) so don’t know how it fares as an adaptation, but found it so enjoyable and highly recommend. It’s undoubtedly a light hearted take on the source material, but there’s still an emotional depth despite (I imagine) a great deal being cut from the novel - particularly the way in which we write (and re-write) our own stories. There’s a particularly good scene near the end (spoilers I guess) between Copperfield and his fiancé Dora, where he writes her into a scene for which she was not present, and she’s the one who tells him to write her out because she “doesn’t fit” and it’s so succinct and restrained yet so cleverly written. I gather this is a significant change from the novel, yet gives Dora more agency in the story than her original role (which was, as I’ve looked up, to get sick and die).

Dev Patel is of course wonderful (and gorgeous) in the title role, backed by a stellar cast - Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, Nikki Amuka-Bird (she is fantastic - I finally got around to watching Avenue 5 and I love her so much), Peter Capaldi - even Gwendoline Christie in a tiny role. Rosalind Eleazar as Agnes is also one to watch.    

I also highly recommend Little Fires Everywhere -  I heard Reese Witherspoon on Jameela Jamil’s podcast a while ago and it was so interesting to hear her discuss the challenges she’s faced as a woman in Hollywood (while acknowledging that others, particularly women of colour, are up against greater prejudice) - taking her career into her own hands, obtaining and producing female-driven content that might otherwise be overlooked. Little Fires Everywhere (adapted from the novel by Celeste Ng) is one such project - produced in equal partnership with Kerry Washington, and both sharing top billing as the show’s leads. What could be yet another story of Rich White Women Problems actually becomes a nuanced take on motherhood, race, class, family, art - with no conciliation that any of the characters have to be “nice”. In fact both Elena (Witherspoon) and Mia (Washington) can be at times downright unlikeable, and you can see both sides of the main conflict - on the primetimer forums there were commentators frustrated that they weren’t sure who they were meant to be “rooting for” but that’s the point - even if the ending is slightly unsatisfying, this is a messy story about messy people and there are no right answers.

Both women are incredible but Witherspoon has the flashier role, and is really a tour de force of white female privilege - the microaggressions, the slow unravelling, the obsession with perfection. I don’t want to spoil anything because it’s worth watching without expectations - I will also just give a shout out to Joshua Jackson who is sort of wasted in the husband role, but turnabout’s fair play I guess!

Hollywood. I...find Ryan Murphy projects very hit and miss. I enjoyed this for the most part, it’s obvious Murphy loves old Hollywood, both the glamour and the seedy underbelly, and both are on display here. I will also give him credit for good intentions in diversity, both in race and gender as well as age (both Patti Lupone and Holland Taylor have great roles), but I found the ending somewhat soured the entire thing for me. 

(Spoilers) While I understand that this was an alternate history wish fulfilment, it just felt rather cheap to have this movie sweep the Oscars and then suddenly bam, Hollywood is no longer racist or homophobic. The idea that if only someone had had the guts and taken the chance to make a movie like Meg with a black leading actress, written by a black gay screenwriter who holds hands with his boyfriend at the Oscars, it would break box office records, be almost universally embraced, and sweep the awards (except for the white guy), felt a bit...disingenuous? Of course, yes it would have been great if someone had taken those chances, I just feel it would have been almost more uplifting for the film to be a modest success, prove that such films/talent could be embraced, maybe win an Oscar or two, and set Hollywood down a more inclusive path, rather than immediate fairyland fantasy. For me, there just still needs to be internal consistency in your alternate history, otherwise it doesn’t resonate.

That said, there was a lot to like about the show, the actors were excellent across the board, the costumes were incredible, and there was a lot of interesting/heartbreaking real Hollywood stories (I never knew about Anna May Wong for example). 

[vicky-shitposts]

my mind makes noises

20th Feb 2021,

last night i had a weird dream. im a big fan of Primeval and since i was young, Abby and Connor have been one of my top OTPs. late last year i binged the whole series, start to finish. in my dream last night i can remember being chased across the green of a park, by some tough guys i think?? i distinctly remember checking my phone and i had done 11,000 steps. then Abby pulls up in her car and i hop in, and we speed away to safety down a highway. we stop off at a gas station for some snacks, then catch up with Connor at an office block. it's dark out, and we're being chased around. crawling through air vents and looking round corners. something must have come through an anomaly, or we'd upset the guy in charge. i remember a man in a suit too.

i actually found the energy to get washed and dressed when i woke up. but when i did wake up, i didn't feel so good. physically fine but mentally not. i feel down, sad and terrible but for no apparent reason. i hate it when this happens, and it happens too often. im sat wearing the Pale Waves tshirt dad got me for my 18th, listening to their All The Things I Never Said EP. dad loved Pale Waves and we even went to see them together. i think that was the day that his illness really sunk in for me, and was the last day we really went out and spent together before he had a rapid decline. for the longest time it was so painful listening to them, because it just reminded me of better and happier times. i didn't want to listen to their new album because i was scared i would break down crying. but now Who Am I? has charted in the top 3, which is incredible for only their second album. im so proud of them and i know that dad would be too. i think after this EP, im going to listen to their first album while i do some more reading. i feel like i owe it to my dad and is the least i can do. maybe i feel so sad because i miss him so much: "i swear that i'll never stop loving you, and i'll die by your side if you want me to" <3

i can see why a Pale Waves stan i know of loves Drive so much. i wish i could load myself into a car and drive off into the night, company by my side, either shouting along to music or in dead-but-comfortable silence. the last song kind of got me and just added to the aura im feeling. "i wonder what it's like to die", me too. a wonder on my mind constantly since i was 11, ran through my hands twice. Adam Ant said that Kurt Cobain was brave for killing himself, a sentiment i think about often; Clara saying "let me be brave" suddenly has an entirely new meaning. i think today is Kurt's birthday too, so happy birthday man. i hope you're having a party up there with everyone i love. my album listening session was heavily interrupted when i was asked what i wanted from the shops, as mum's bf was going to get stuff. can a girl never find peace?? apparently not in reality or mentally.

something just happened to me. there i was making my lunch, watching the first episode of Ealing Comedies - a series REG did on films he loves - and the intro of episode one is running. he's telling us what's going on, and has some clips from all three episodes. and out of nowhere, i see REG sat next to Peter Capaldi. Peter is one of my heroes and favourite people ever, his Doctor has taught me so much and is my blueprint. every time i see him i cry. but not this time. instead i let out the most high pitched squeal, collapsed to my knees and started shaking, looking at the tv with so much awe and love. before me were arguably my two favourite men sat together and i didn't anticipate or expect it. it took me by such shock and is all im going to think about for the rest of today. i also had an idea for a Withnail And I-esque film, of two people bunking together but not by choice. one is straight and every archetype of a cis, straight person, constantly giving passing comments of abuse to their flatmate who's as gay, queer, non confirming as they come. both want different things in life and are two opposite ends of the same spectrum. only to discover the "anti gay" was actually gay this whole time, and was deathly scared of themselves and their truth. i also have a bag of cashews to devour now, so some faith has been restored to my world. but not much, mind you.

left my house at 4.11 pm for a walk, didn't get back until about 5.30 pm. it was incredible. as i walked to Sturmer traversing squelchy mud, Hyperspace - Beck was playing in my ears. it's one of my favourite and one of the most important albums to me, i only listen to it on special occasions. felt a little sad listening to it and it reminded me of better times with G/R/E but that's okay. i really do miss them. i sat on a log for 15 minutes and let the album finish; then i sprung into action, found a big stick to use as a walking stick, and walked home through sturmer listening to the Withnail And I soundtrack. there was something so beautiful and liberating about listening to it while walking through a village, all by myself, sun setting behind me. i felt genuinely happy. i felt like i was in the film, at Crow Crag myself, walking in their footsteps. luckily there was no randy bull or chicken to kill for supper. just beautiful music that adorned a huge smile over my heart.

today has been a day of firsts for me, as it's also been the first day ive almost cried while taking the wrapper off a dvd. i just got done watching Logan, and i don't normally care about marvel, but i was actually invested in and really enjoyed it. but before anyone had uttered a word i was almost in tears, because i felt guilty unwrapping it. my dad got it and i presume he wanted to see it at some point. sadly he never got the chance. i only wanted to watch it purely because REG was in it, and i really wish he could have sat and watched it with me. i was also back to hugging my pillow for emotional support too. but the thing that stung the most was (spoiler) that Logan found his daughter, and his daughter watch him die. i may not have been my dad's daughter, but i know what it's like to experience that. i've really been missing him a lot today.

[perfectlullabies]

🐰 ✨💒❄️🔪 sorry if you already answered any of these!

🐰- do you believe in soul mates?

kind of?? i’m not sure. i guess it does happen sometimes

✨- which fictional character (book, show, or movie) do you relate to most?

bill potts from doctor who? because she likes girls and also loves peter capaldi?? i’m doctor who obsessed so it be like that. in all seriousness, i don’t really know anymore 

💒- which show would you want to live in?

hehe (look above)

❄️- what is your favorite season?

it used to be summer but i can’t stand the heat anymore. i’ll go with autumn

🔪- scariest/creepiest experience?

not really super scary but a recent one. we parked our car in the driveway yesterday with my mom and it was already dark outside and we had no lights on or anything and some man was walking around and he shouted a ‘’good evening!!..’’towards us and it seemed like he was going in our direction which he wasn’t but for a split second i thought he was gonna kill us lol yeah

[jennaschererwrites]

‘Doctor Who’: Long Live the First Female Doctor! – Rolling Stone

In its five decades careening through the cosmos and the popular imagination, Doctor Who has given us plenty of philosophies to choose from: “Go forward in all your beliefs.” “There is no point in being grown up if you can’t be childish sometimes.” “We’re all stories in the end.” “Bananas are good.” But on yesterday’s Season 11 premiere, the latest incarnation of the time-traveling, galaxy-hopping, species-saving, face-changing Time Lord gave voice to what is perhaps the show’s most enduring philosophy: “We’re all capable of the most incredible change.”

As surely as the Doctor has two hearts, change is built into this show’s DNA. It has a lot to do with Doctor Who‘s enduring message of hope and progress, and even more to do with practicality: A show can go on indefinitely if its lead can change bodies whenever an actor decides to call it quits. In its 54-year history, 12 blokes have stepped into the role — four of them in the past 13 years alone, since the series’ 2005 resurrection. But no change has been more monumental, more timestream-shattering, than the decision to have the Doctor regenerate as a woman.

As with any major news about a beloved franchise, last year’s announcement that our hero would be transforming from Peter Capaldi into Jodie Whittaker (along with a new showrunner, Broadchurch scribe Chris Chibnall) was met with equal parts euphoria and derision. But the proof is in the pudding, and Whittaker’s long-anticipated debut, “The Woman Who Fell to Earth,” is an episode rooted solidly in the Who tradition while also offering something deliriously new.

After six seasons under showrunner Steven Moffat — who delighted in the kind of “timey-wimey” plotting that would leave your head spinning — the character’s mythos had become so convoluted as to be indecipherable to new or casual viewers. The latest series mercifully hacks through that jungle of backstory to bring us a fresh start. New to this universe? No worries — so is the Doctor.

Freshly regenerated and separated from her TARDIS (that’s the blue police box that can travel through time and space and is bigger on the inside, for those just joining us), Whittaker’s Who crash-lands on Earth clad in the tattered, oversized clothes of her predecessor. She’s a bit confused and still cooking, brand-new-body–wise. “Why are you calling me madam?” she asks one of the first humans she meets. When she find out it’s because she’s a woman, she widens her eyes in surprise and delight. “Am I? Does it suit me?”

But never mind that, because the lady has got extraterrestrial bad guys to fight ASAP — in this case, an electrified tentacle-y creature and a goth Power Ranger-looking dude menacing greater Sheffield. It wouldn’t be Doctor Who without some jerks threatening Great Britain, or without a scrappy, endearing human or four to join the Time Lord in her heroics.

The new crop of companions breaks the usual mold of “plucky young woman looking to have an adventure.” This time, it’s a quartet: local teen Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole); policewoman-in-training Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill); Ryan’s nan, Grace (Sharon D. Clarke); and her husband, Graham (Bradley Walsh). Together, they help the addled but very game Doctor find her bearings, craft a shiny new sonic screwdriver, and take down the threat of the week. (It’s a testament to the new series’ spirit of inclusivity that this group includes three actors of color.)

Fittingly, said villain is toxic masculinity personified: a gravelly-voiced alien (Samuel Oatley) who hails from a planet where they hunt and kill random innocents for sport in order to rise up the ranks; as a fun, gross bonus, the guy wears the teeth of his victims as face jewelry. When the Doctor wins the day and turns his own DNA-melting weapons against him, she tells him: “You had a choice. You did this to yourself. Go home.”

It’s one of several lines in the episode that function both within the plot and as a message to skeptics and haters. “Don’t be scared. All of this is new to you, and new can be scary,” she tells Graham, and later, in a crane-top showdown: “We can evolve while still staying true to who we are. We can honor who we’ve been and choose who we want to be next.” It’s all a bit on the nose, sure, but you could argue that this is a moment — in a show whose occasional heavy-handedness is part of its charm — when everyone’s noses need a good poking.

Because, well, let’s get personal here: As a Who fan ever since Christopher Eccleston first grabbed Billie Piper’s hand and shouted, “Run!” back in 2005, I’ve been enamored of the Doctor’s particular brand of heroics. You know the drill: brains over brawn, godlike powers married to self-deprecating wit, searing curiosity, hidden darkness, endless wonder and a determined compassion for even the most monstrous of creatures.

Through its many incarnations, the show has imagined a universe of infinite possibility, so it seemed nuts that the Doctor would be limited to resurrecting as a series of white guys. Not that the 12 men who’ve captained the TARDIS haven’t been frequently brilliant, but like many other women who love Doctor Who, I’ve been waiting for the day when that Time Lord regeneration glow would fade to reveal a different sort of face than the ones we were used to.

It’s a truth multiversally acknowledged that the Doctor is always the smartest, most capable person in any given room. And the value of seeing a woman in that position, after five decades of alien mansplaining, cannot be understated. The real world is miles behind, but as far as speculative fiction is considered, we have the sci-fi equivalent of a female president.

Whittaker (who’s best known for her previous work with Chibnall on Broadchurch) absolutely owns the part from moment she leaps into the frame. Like every Doctor, she’s a ball of frantic energy and one-liners, commanding the room by thoroughly flustering and out-talking everyone else in it. But she also brings something else to the table that sets her apart from her male antecedents: emotional availability. Take the way she describes the experience of regeneration: “There’s this moment when you’re sure you’re about to die. And then … you’re born! It’s terrifying.” Previous incarnations drew power from shoving their true feelings down deep; Whittaker’s version airs them in the open, and is no less formidable for it.

There comes a moment in every Doctor’s first episode when they take a stand against the bad guy, square their shoulders and declare: “I’m the Doctor.” It’s formulaic, but it’s thrilling; the mantra is both the establishment of a moniker and a mission statement, a superheroic call to fight injustice across time and space. And when Whittaker says it — wind-whipped and majestic in the charred remnants of a black coat tailored to an old body that no longer suited her — it sent a shiver up my spine. For the first time in half a century, women aren’t just in the passenger’s seat of the TARDIS. We’re the goddamn lords of time and space.

[bareilles-tveit]

Meeting Pearl Mackie

After a pretty awesome Venture Bros Panel, we made our way back over to the room where Peter Capaldi and Pearl Mackie were.  My original plan was to go to see Capaldi first because I was concerned about how long his line would be and whether or not I would be able to meet him or not.  One we got in the door, I realized there were three rooms put together and the celebrities were in the final room.  When we got in line it Capaldi was signing at one table and there were about 30 or so people in his line.  There wasn’t anyone in Pearl’s line and there were about 60 or so people in line to see Evangeline Lilly.  Pearl wasn’t in the room but the other two were signing autographs.  We got into line and Brittany and Liz were kind enough to hold my spot while I wandered back and forth between our spot and the end of the room so that I could see Capaldi.  We were told that we were allowed to take as many pictures we wanted from the two holding rooms but we couldn’t take any photos once we got into the actual room with the celebrities.  Evangeline Lilly’s line was moving pretty quickly, but Capaldi’s was going quite slowly because he was spending quite a bit of time with each person.  While we were sitting down and waiting for our turn, Pearl Mackie walked into the room.  And she is the cutest tiniest person ever.  She brings such a positive energy into the room, smiling and waving at everyone.  She went over to her assigned area and a volunteer started asking if any of us were planning to meet Pearl as well.  She took groups over one by one to meet Pearl.  There were 2 groups in front of us that wanted to meet her and then it was out turn.

I knew that I wanted to get a selfie with her so I went over and told her handler what I wanted and then turned my attention to Pearl.  I grinned and held out my hand to shake hers saying, “Hi Bill, I’m Heather.” She started laughing and said, “Oh my god, I’ve been looking for you.”   We exchanged pleasantries and then I told her that I would love to get a selfie with her.  She said of course and then stood up to come around to the other side of the table.  I gave my phone to her handler and he said, “I’m sorry but I have to ask, what was that inside joke you guys shared.”  I explained that her character on Doctor Who had a girlfriend named Heather and that was my name so I just went with it.

As Pearl came around the table, I told her that I had seen her in “The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Nighttime” and absolutely adored her in it.  Her jaw kind of dropped and she said, “that was ages ago.”  I told her that I was so happy when she was announced as the companion because I loved her so much in the play.  I also got to see her announcement live because I was visiting our friends in London and they kindly let me turn on the tv so that I could see it live on the BBC.  She kept thanking me and then we turned our attention to the handler and took pictures. He kind of shouted out instructions and I don’t remember a lot of them, but I do remember him saying “Now do Sporty Spice” at one point.  And in my fuddled brain I gave my best Posh Smize.  

We finished taking photos and I turned my attention back to Pearl.  We chatted for a bit more about random things and then she kind of rubbed my back and told me it was wonderful to meet us and that she hoped to see us again soon.  

I spoke to the handler again and he showed me the photos, the first one he showed me he said, “You’re eyes are closed.” And I glanced back at Pearl and she was already in the process of pushing herself up to stand up and come back around the table.  But the guy continued, “But they should be good in all of these” and started scrolling through all 12 photos he had taken.  He got some of us interacting at the beginning where neither of us realized he was doing it and we are just looking at each other and smiling and I really love those photos a lot.  He was a lot of fun, he had a very dry sense of humor. Brittany had her photo taken with Nick Frost by him the day before and told him he had done the same thing for them. He shrugged and said he liked options. We said goodbye and thanked them again and went back to our spot in line.

Shortly after we finished with Pearl, it was time for Capaldi to take a break.  I’ll get into more of what we witnessed with him but when he got up to leave, Liz decided to go grab dinner since she needed to leave in a little bit for the Adventure Zone Live show.  Brittany and I discussed playing “Red Flags” but knew it wouldn’t be possible with just the two of us.  She joked that we should go ask Pearl if she wanted to play.  We didn’t do that, but Pearl was just sitting at her table by herself looking bored so I asked one of the volunteers if we could just go talk to her.  She had us wait a moment while she went to go talk to her handler who had stepped down to help out Evangeline Lily.  

He said sure so we went back up and talked to Pearl for while.  We asked her how she was enjoying her first Dragon Con and she said she really liked it that everyone was really nice, which isn’t always the case at conventions. She said sometimes the mood is really tense and the volunteers are rude but she was really grateful for how great everyone here had been.  I told her that was good to hear, that I had been to a mixture of both and that we had a convention back in our hometown that was very similar.  She asked where we were from and I told her and then said that we’d been lucky to have Catherine Tate and John Barrowman this year and she said she’d have to look into it.  I also told her that she was incredibly kind and really genuine and that meant a lot to us as fans.

I asked her how long she was in town and she said she was staying a few days after the convention so that she could explore the city a bit because what good is it visiting somewhere if you just stay inside a hotel for 5 days.  I teased that she was just going to stay long enough to get used to the time change and then fly back and have to do it all over again.   She laughed and said that the jetlag had hit her pretty hard this time around.  

Another couple came up to talk to her and offer her a suggestion of a place to eat, because she had mentioned during her panel that she really loved food.  The place they gave her was already on her list and she asked us if we had any suggestions or if there was anything that she absolutely had to get before she left.  I told her she had to get barbeque because its something the south is famous for.  She said she was going to try to go to a place where they had that and chicken.  

I asked her about her theatre work and she teased that I was asking for her CV.  I laughed and said okay what is your favorite work you’ve done. SHe said they all meant a lot to her for various reasons and I apologized saying theatre was my thing and I was love hearing what roles people have enjoyed and what their dream roles were. She asked me what my dream role was  and I told her Hope from “Anything Goes”.  She asked if I’d been able to see John Barrowman in that show.  When I said no, she said she had and it was really funny because this chair on one of the decks had broken and different actors kept coming in and sitting on it and falling down, and John had been on stage the whole time so he was the only one who knew about it.  So after about the 3rd actor did it he walked over and grabbed it and threw it off stage.  We both laughed about the magic of live theatre.  

She asked me who else I’d met at the Con and I told her that I had met Ricky Whittle and her and that was it. I was going to meet Peter and hopefully Mike Colter.  She said she’d had the opportunity to meet Mike in the green room and that he was so nice.  This of course only made me even more excited to meet him.

At this point we’d spent quite a bit of time with her so I started to move away and she said “Thanks for coming over again it was great talking to you.” And Brittany and I went back over to Capaldis line to wait.  This was by far the longest interaction I had with a celeb all weekend and it was pretty cool.  She’s hilarious and incredibly sweet and I’m really glad that I decided to get a photo taken with her.  I’d always adored Bill but this made me love the character and Pearl even more.

A photo or two behind the read more

[aion-rsa]

How Should Doctor Who Celebrate its 60th Anniversary?

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Since hitting screens in 1963, Doctor Who has gone from televisual titbit to cultural phenomenon to institution to something approaching a secular religion. It’s older than Star Trek and Star Wars, if not quite as world-renowned; it’s younger than The Twilight Zone, yet more frequent, and frequently successful, in its iterations. True, Doctor Who spent many long years in the wilderness, but then so did Jesus, and things turned out okay for him. You know… eventually.

The show owes its laudable longevity to a series of happy accidents, shrewd moves and fortuitous casting decisions in its formative years, not least of which was the radical re-casting of the main character after William Hartnell became too unwell to continue; a bold gambit that could just as easily have soured the audience and sunk the show as cemented its status as a pop culture behemoth. Thankfully – as well we know – the introduction of the concept of Regeneration was the key to Doctor Who’s enduring presence, adaptability and relevance. While William Hartnell wowed a generation of children and their families as the curmudgeonly yet kindly First Doctor, without Patrick Troughton’s affable, vulnerable and very human turn as the Second Doctor, there might not even have been a fifth anniversary, much less the one we’re approaching.

Doctor Who – the world’s longest-running sci-fi show – is now on the cusp of its 60th anniversary, a milestone it will reach in November 2023 with, well… who knows who at the helm. But how should it commemorate its anniversary? What would fans like to see? First, let’s jump in the TARDIS and find out how the show has marked its previous anniversaries.     

10th Anniversary: ‘The Three Doctors’ (1973)

‘The Three Doctors’ wasn’t an anniversary celebration in the way we’ve come to understand it now. There was little pomp or spectacle, not by Who standards anyway. It barely even qualified as an anniversary story, sneaking in at the start of 1973, many long months before the show’s actual birthday. Instead, the first multi-Doctor story was a quiet affair, the highlight of which was, naturally, the barbed banter between Troughton‘s bumbling space hobo and Pertwee’s aristocratic martial artist. Of course, Hartnell’s First Doctor featured too, forming the triumvirate promised in the title, although owing to ill health, his appearances were rationed and entirely confined to the TARDIS’ viewing screen, from where he doled out advice and withering put-downs.

In this mildly ho-hum but fun adventure, the Doctors come face to face not only with each other, but also Omega, Gallifrey‘s greatest figure of legend, who in his isolation and rage has become a supremely camp villain, fond of squatting and plotting in pocket-dimensions with only telepathically-controlled blobs of goo for company. I guess it’s true what they say: never meet your heroes.

20th Anniversary: ‘The Five Doctors’ (1983)

By 1983, things had been kicked up a notch. Here we had an ambitious tale that weaved together 20 years’ worth of Doctors, and their friends and enemies. No amorphous blobs or bonkers old Time Lords in ball-gowns here, but Cybermen, Daleks, Yetis, The Master – and newcomer the Raston Warrior Robot, a sort of ninja-dancing death machine in a tight lycra gimp-suit.

As before, the anniversary show’s title was something of a misnomer, though admittedly ‘The Three Doctors, No Doctor and a Sort of Doctor’ probably wouldn’t have been as arresting. Tom Baker declined to participate, necessitating the use of stock footage from the then-incomplete serial ‘Shada’ to represent the Fourth Doctor. William Hartnell had died in 1975, and so The First Doctor was portrayed by Richard Hurndall (who himself died less than a year after transmission of ‘The Five Doctors’). Still, what the feature-length episode lacked in marquee names, it made up for with a state banquet of companions, even bringing back K9. We see the Second Doctor chumming up with the Brigadier and Captain Yates (plus experiencing a vision of Jamie and Zoe), the Third Doctor teaming up with Sarah Jane Smith, and the First Doctor reuniting with his granddaughter, Susan, who seems to have completely forgotten he’d abandoned her in a far-future, war-ravaged earth at the close of ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’.   

The story is a nonsensical, confusing, over-the-top mess, nothing more than a rising pyramid of side-quests and fan-service set-pieces all culminating in a damp squib of an ending. But you know what? To quote Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor: it’s fantastic. The best and only approach to ‘The Five Doctors’ is to switch off your critical faculties, sit back, and let warm rivulets of novelty and nostalgia rinse their way over your amygdala. Coo as the First Doctor tricks the Cybermen at electric chess. Cheer as the Second Doctor encounters his old nemesis the Yeti. Laugh your pants off as the Third Doctor uses a tow rope to save Sarah Jane from the perils of a very slight incline. And lament that the whole episode wasn’t just the Doctors trapped in a room together being really, really catty with each other.               

25th Anniversary: ‘Silver Nemesis’ (1988)

The show’s 25th anniversary year gave Sylvester McCoy‘s Seventh Doctor his first taste of both the Daleks and the Cybermen. ‘Remembrance of the Daleks’ wasn’t just McCoy’s best, it was arguably one of the best of the Classic Who era. The Seventh Doctor brooded, calculated and plotted, a noticeably darker figure to the spoon-playing, spoonerism-addicted, spoonish buffoon we’d been introduced to in Season 24. His vengeful, genocidal actions at the close of the serial pretty much kick-started the Time War. Ace was on fine form, too, dashing around Coal Hill school in 1963 wielding explosives and a baseball bat. ‘Silver Nemesis’ was the actual anniversary episode, and it was by far the weaker of the two commemorative offerings, but still a tremendous amount of silly fun. Nazis, Cybermen, medieval interlopers, an angry statue, the Doctor bopping to jazz. What’s not to like?

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30th Anniversary: ‘Dimensions in Time’ (1993)

By the time Doctor Who‘s 30th anniversary came along in 1993, the show had already been cancelled for four years, entering that phase of its history known to fans as The Wilderness Years. The show had become, in deed and in memory, a parody of itself; a forgotten, end-of-the-pier relic. The only thing left of its legacy was a shared perception of how it had been at its campiest and silliest. All of this is painfully apparent in ‘Dimensions in Time’, a horrific charity crossover special somewhere between Doctor Who and BBC soap opera EastEnders. Thankfully, this two-parter isn’t considered canon, though I’m happy to provide the extra ‘n’ to have it shot out of one.

On the one hand, you could say that this was just a diverting little segue to raise money for sick children, and thus shouldn’t be judged too harshly, nor taken too much to heart. On the other hand, this was the only Doctor Who content produced for its anniversary year, so it’s hard not to interpret the existence of ‘Dimensions in Time’ existence as a hard slap in the face from an infinitely rolling multiverse of giant outstretched hands.

While ‘The Five Doctors’ leaned into nostalgia, ‘Dimensions in Time’ is entirely composed of it, chopping and changing Doctor and Companion combos in an orgy of What-If-ness (though admittedly, it was nice to see the Sixth Doctor get his chance to interact with the Brigadier, even if he was just shouting things at him over the noise of a helicopter). The Rani here completes her journey from plausible character with complex motivations to full-blown panto baddy. Tom Baker again sits this one out, opting instead to deliver ASMR from inside a computerised lava lamp. Near the climax of the piece, EastEnders‘ Albert Square falls under attack from a multitude of Who’s most infamous monsters (and some not so), and no-one except the Doctors and their revolving retinue of companions seem to care. It’s hard not to perceive a corollary with how the show itself was regarded by the general public at that time, a state of affairs not helped by audio-visual snot like this. In retrospect, the best 30th anniversary celebration would have been none at all.      

40th Anniversary: ‘Scream of the Shalka’ (2003)

‘Scream of the Shalka’ was produced to tie in with Doctor Who‘s fortieth anniversary. It aired as a series of fully-animated webisodes – a forerunner of the animation now routinely used to resurrect lost episodes from Classic Who’s yesteryears. It starred Richard E Grant as a now non-canonical version of Gallifrey’s most famous traveller, and put him toe-to-toe with a race of inter-dimensional, world-conquering, telepathic, super-sonic lava beasts. It was written by Who aficionado Paul Cornell (who would later pen ‘Father’s Day’ and ‘Human Nature/The Family of Blood’).  And it was good, very good indeed.

Richard E Grant’s Doctor is tall, gaunt and imposing, with a style of dress somewhere between vampire royalty and ostentatious undertaker. He’s blunt, withering, cantankerous and all-round deliciously alien, much like Peter Capaldi at the beginning of his tenure as the Twelfth. When he orders wine from an English bar, Alice (Sophie Okonedo) his server and companion-to-be, tells him, ‘We only do dry or sweet,’ to which he spits back, ‘And I don’t do sweet.’ There is also a plaintive, desperate loneliness about this Doctor, evident from the presence in his TARDIS of an android containing the consciousness of the Master (Derek Jacobi, who would later play the Master again on TV next to David Tennant’s Tenth) with whom he travels.

All of this would have been interesting to unpack and explore had ‘Scream of the Shalka’ precipitated a full and continuing series, which was the intention at the time, a plan stopped only, of course, by the announcement that the show would be returning to television. This blessed move had not only been inspired by but made possible by work on this project. Now that’s a 40th anniversary present and a half.

And with that, Christopher Eccleston would be the ninth Doctor, not Richard E Grant, and while that was, well, fantastic, it’s impossible not to wonder… what if?       

50th Anniversary: ‘Day of the Doctor’ (2013)

By the dawning of its 50th year, the show had been back on screens for eight years and three Doctors. The modern incarnation of the show had re-ignited the nation’s love affair with Doctor Who, adding widespread critical acclaim and global commercial success to its former cult appeal. It was clear this anniversary special had to be its biggest and boldest yet, and so it proved.

Showrunner Steven Moffat brought his best mind-bending, timey-wimey-ness to bear on ‘Day of the Doctor’, a story that brought together UNIT, Zygons, time-travelling paintings, a re-framing of the Time War, the re-emergence and resurrection of Gallifrey, and, of course, the sheer delight of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors having the time of their lives teaming up. Added to the mix, in lieu of the Ninth Doctor (after Christopher Eccleston declined to participate), was John Hurt’s The War Doctor, a grizzled, frazzled veteran of The Time War – The Doctor who came to exist because he was capable of doing things that other Doctors couldn’t or wouldn’t but who, in the end, proved himself more than worthy of Doctor-hood. Not to mention the appearance of the mysterious Curator at the episode’s end, sporting a very familiar yet age-worn face.

2013 was an embarrassment of riches for the show. Not only did we get the exciting and engaging ‘Day of the Doctor’, but ‘An Adventure in Space and Time‘, the touching and contemplative story of William Hartnell’s (here played by future First Doctor, David Bradley) relationship with the show; ‘The Night of the Doctor’, a mini-episode that featured the welcome return of the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann); and, of course, the absolutely wonderful ‘The Five-ish Doctors’, a surrealist, meta, very funny, Curb Your Enthusiasm-style romp that followed the exploits of Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy as they tried desperately to insert themselves into the 50th anniversary celebrations.      

60th Anniversary: TBA (2023)

So what of the 60th? Traditionally, these kinds of milestones aren’t celebrated with as much intensity and fervour as, say, the 25th or the 50th. However, given that the show appears to be going through a decline in ratings and popularity, perhaps a big barnstormer is just what the Doctor ordered; something to give the show a shot in the arm to see it through the next six decades, rather than risk it tumbling over a cliff and staggering into the desert of its next wilderness years.

A multi-Doctor story seems the sure-fire way to do that. But who, and how many? Though Christopher Eccleston has returned to the Whoniverse in Big Finish form, the jury is still out on whether he’d be willing to participate in a fully-fledged BBC iteration of the show again. While the rest of the modern contingent’s faces are still fresh, though, it would be a joy to see the Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth and Thirteenth Doctors get together. Perhaps even in tandem with the Eighth Doctor, who surely deserves another crack at the small-screen whip, however brief. It’s more likely, though, that Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor would be the one to join them, contingent upon whether or not she returns in the upcoming 13th season, and how her arc pans out.     

How about involving the classic Doctors? Not in a peripheral capacity as a sequel to ‘The Five-ish Doctors’ (although that would be very welcome) but due to the almost infinite possibilities inherent in the premise of the show, it surely wouldn’t be difficult to fashion a story in which Doctors Four to Seven returned togged up in their trademark outfits, along with their contemporary, and very age-worn faces. Perhaps some entity could pluck them from the time-streams and hold them captive, explaining their appearance through some sort of malfeasance or timey-wimey-ness. Big Finish has already given us the supreme delight of the Tenth Doctor teaming up with the Fourth and Fifth Doctors. What a joy it would be to behold the Sixth and Twelfth Doctors trying to out-bicker each other, or the Fourth Doctor passing judgement on the Eleventh’s bow-tie?    

Might other, more unexpected Doctors appear? Thanks to the precedent set by The Mandalorian in plucking the character of Ahsoka Tano from the Star Wars’ animated universe, and setting her down in live-action continuity, there’s no reason why the Whoniverse can’t do the same with The Shalka Doctor. ‘But he’s not canon,’ I hear you cry. Perhaps so. But the seismic aftershocks of ‘The Timeless Children’ took canon and crushed it to dust. If we’re going to be stuck with it, might as well extract as many pluses from it as possible before some future showrunner decides to retcon the whole affair. It doesn’t even need to be connected to existing lore. If there are multiple, even infinite, dimensions out there, the Shalka Doctor may very well hail from one of them. 

As to monsters? The Daleks and the Cybermen have been rather over-used lately, and their appearance in an anniversary special would be neither special nor especially welcome. It may be time to bring back an old monster or foe, one of supreme power that could give the Doctors a run for their money. Could the Black Guardian again don his crow-hat and return to wreak havoc with time? Or even the mighty Sutekh, who in ‘The Pyramids of Mars’ almost destroyed both the Fourth Doctor and the very world itself?

Whatever happens on Doctor Who’s next big anniversary, let’s just pray to the cosmos that it veers closer in tone to ‘Day of the Doctor’ or ‘The Five Doctors’. Nobody wants to see a cross-over with Coronation Street.

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How would you like to see Doctor Who celebrate its 60th anniversary?

The post How Should Doctor Who Celebrate its 60th Anniversary? appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[agentmarymargaretskitz]

The Future is Female

Another installation in the Roommates AU created by @incendiaglacies and myself.

AO3

“I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” Gideon admitted as she sat down on the couch.

“Me neither,” Felicity added from where she sat by the tv as she connected one of the cables to her laptop. “It feels like they just announced a new one.”

“That’s what it always feels like,” Lily reminded them as she took a sip from her coffee mug.

“Exactly,” Caitlin nodded in agreement from where she sat between Gideon and Lily. “One minute we’re mourning the current one and thinking the new guy will never live up to our expectations. Then we see one or two episodes and suddenly there’s no better Doctor.”

“True,” Gideon nodded. “Felicity, how much longer until we find out?”

“We should be able to see it any minute now,” Felicity stepped back from the laptop and television as they both came to life. “This should be over soon anyways. Once it is, we’ll finally get to see the face of the new Doctor.”

“Good,” Caitlin nodded as Felicity sat down in one of the chairs. “I’m happy this is happening on a day I don’t have to go in to work on. I can see it live and not have to worry about Cisco spoiling me.”

Schrodinger came padding into the room with a mew. The cat made his way over to where Felicity was sitting. He batted at Felicity’s leg.

“I’m excited about this,” Gideon stated as Felicity lifted their cat up onto her lap. “I’m also sad too. Twelve has been my favorite of the Doctors. I don’t want to see Peter Capaldi go.”

“Yeah,” Felicity nodded as she stroked Schrodinger’s fur. “Has anyone else ever noticed that he kind of looks like an older version of Rip? Or is it just me?”

“Huh,” Lily chewed her lip. “You know, I can see it.”

“There’s definitely a resemblance,” Caitlin agreed, a mischievous smile coming to her face. “Is that why he’s your favorite, Gideon?”

Gideon rolled her eyes. “No. I’ve always liked Twelve. Remember when people wanted to reject the show just because the new Doctor was older?”

“Ugh,” Felicity snorted and shook her head. “That was ridiculous. I knew I was sticking with the show no matter what actor they cast.”

“Same,” Caitlin echoed.

“Well, I loved Eleven,” Lily sighed. “I’m never going to be over that goodbye. But the Doctor’s what, over two thousand years old at this point?”

“Do you count the four point five billion years he spent in the confession dial?” Felicity interrupted.

“Debatable,” her friend shrugged. “The point is that the Doctor isn’t young. He’s not always going to look young.”

“Or like David Tennant,” Caitlin smiled dreamily. “He’ll be my favorite forever.”

“Well, then we’re all one for one,” Felicity said. “Gideon for Twelve, Lily for Eleven, Cait for Ten, and then me for Nine. Time to see if any of us are going to have a change of heart.”

“Doubtful,” Gideon shook her head. “It’s only one clip. I think I’ll-“

“Shush!” Felicity hissed and pointed to the screen. “No more talking. It’s starting!”

              The four girls all leaned forward. Lily set down her mug on the coffee table and Gideon clenched handfuls of the blanket on her lap as the clip started to play. This Doctor was walking through a forest, wearing an outfit similar to the Twelfth Doctor. The hood was pulled up, so they couldn’t make out who it was. Seconds later, the hood came down to reveal a female’s face framed by blonde hair. All the roommates gasped as the Thirteenth Doctor began to smile and step towards her TARDIS.

“Oh my god!” Caitlin blurted out.

“Introducing Jodie Whittaker the Thirteenth Doctor!” Felicity squealed, clutching Schrodinger tight to her chest. “The Doctor’s a lady!”

“The Doctor’s a girl!” Lily shouted, tackling Caitlin in a hug. The former fell off the couch with a laugh. “This is awesome!”

“Hold up,” Caitlin wriggled out to pull her phone from her pocket. “Cisco’s calling me. Should I put him on speaker?”

“Why not?” Gideon grinned as she hugged Lily once her friend got back up on the couch. “We can all freak out together.”

“I predict we’re going to hear screaming,” Felicity said, hugging Schrodinger enough that the cat started to yowl a little.

“Let’s see,” Caitlin answered the call. “Cisco, did you-“

“CAITLIN, I AM DEAD!”

“Hi, dead,” Gideon deadpanned. “I’m Gideon.”

There was a pause. “Ummm, Gideon?”

“You’re on speaker, Cisco,” Caitlin told him. “I take it you saw it too.”

“Thirteen is female, Caitlin! She’s a girl! The future is female!”

“You sound happy about that,” Gideon remarked.

“Because it’s awesome! Barry’s over here and he’s nerding out to Iris over his phone.”

“So you called us to nerd out with?” Lily teased.

“Oh come on, you guys love me. How excited did you all get? I think that might have been you four I heard screaming in the distance.”

“Twitter!” Felicity gasped suddenly. “I have to check it out! People are going to be posting their reactions!”

“Read them aloud!” Cisco’s voice was a tad on the shrill side. “I have to hear these!”

              The scream that came from across the hall instantly sent a jolt of fear through Rip. Jonas jumped a little as he stood back up from taking off his shoes. Rip was standing by the open door of their apartment and looked over to his neighbors. More screams joined in with the first. One of them sounded like Gideon’s.

              Rip’s brain went straight for the worst case scenarios. Had someone broken in and was now attacking Gideon and the girls? Was the intruder armed? Did the girls have enough to fend them off? Had one of them gotten hurt? Or what if something had gone wrong with all the scientific samples and equipment they had lying around? Could they be in danger of a biological weapon?

“Jonas, stay here,” Rip ordered his son as he bolted towards their closet. There had to be something in there he could use.

“Daddy, are the girls okay?” Jonas asked nervously while Rip rummaged through the closet.

“I don’t know,” he muttered as he finally grabbed an old cricket bat. It had been part of an old Halloween costume and he wasn’t sure why he kept it, but he was glad that he had it now. “But I’m going to find out.”

              He hurried back to the doorway and snatched the spare key to the girls’ apartment that Gideon had given him for emergencies. The screams were still happening as Rip fumbled with getting the key into their lock. If he was too late and Gideon or one of the other girls was hurt, he would never forgive himself. As soon as he felt the lock click, Rip swung the door open and brandished the cricket bat.

Schrodinger bolted out with a sharp meow. Rip looked up from the cat to the sight of the apartment, where he saw no signs of injury or struggle. Caitlin and Gideon were sitting on the couch together, a phone between them. Felicity was looking at something on her laptop and squealing sporadically. Lily was pacing back and forth over by the window, talking fast and gesturing with her free hand. All of them stopped their actions as soon as they saw Rip though.

“I-I heard screaming,” he told them, lowering the cricket bat. “You lot had me thinking someone had broken in or one of you was hurt.”

“Oh, is that Rip?” Cisco’s voice came from the phone between Caitlin and Gideon. “Come on, he just came because he was worried about-“

“Bye, Cisco!” Caitlin said loudly before ending the call.

Gideon smiled bashfully. “Sorry to worry you. We’re perfectly fine, just a little over excited.”

“We have good reason to be,” Lily said from where she was standing before returning to her call.

“She’s been on the phone with Ray for a while,” Felicity said in a hushed tone followed by a wink. “He’s having a field day over this too.”

Rip frowned. “Field day over what?”

“They’ve just announced the next Doctor,” Gideon said with a wide grin. “There was a clip that played and Felicity worked some magic so we could watch it live.”

Rip perked up. He had been a fan of Doctor Who for quite some time. He’d even introduced Jonas to a few of the episodes. In the chaos of getting his son to his soccer game and plans for an upcoming catering event, he had forgotten they were announcing the new Doctor today. “Who is it?”

“Jodie Whittaker,” Gideon replied. “Thirteen will officially be the first female Doctor.”

“It’s about time,” Rip sighed in relief. “We’ve had a female Master already. Although I will miss Peter Capaldi. Twelve’s been my favorite in the new series.”

“What a coincidence,” Caitlin straightened up and elbowed Gideon. “Guess who Gideon’s favorite is?”

“You’re a Twelve fan?” Rip questioned.

Gideon nodded. “It used to be Seven, but now it’s Twelve.”

“Finally,” Rip smiled. “You know, it’s really difficult to find people who like him best.”

Gideon slapped her hand against the cushion of the couch. “Exactly!”

“Wait, they both have the same favorite Doctor?” Lily called out. “Hey, Ray, guess what?”

“They don’t appreciate him as much as they should,” Gideon explained, rising from the couch. “Schrodinger is the exception though. If I’m watching an episode with Twelve, he’ll come padding right in and go up to the screen.”

“He does that with all of us whenever we watch something, Gideon,” Felicity said. “Remember when he watched Star Wars?”

“Or Roman Holiday?” Caitlin added.

“He did it during The Princess Bride too,” Lily chimed in before explaining to Ray that she was talking about Schrodinger.

Gideon huffed. “Well, he still does it. Then he comes over and curls up with me to watch the rest of it.”

Rip smiled at the mental image. “That sounds nice.”

“It is. He’s somewhat cuddly. It makes it a lot less lonely to watch those episodes then.”

He cleared his throat. “If you ever want someone to watch a Twelve episode with, don’t be afraid to call me up. I wouldn’t mind watching with you.”

Gideon smiled. “I’ll remember that.”

“Hey, not to interrupt this,” Felicity said. “But where’s Schrodinger?”

Rip looked back to the still open door of the apartment. “He bolted past me when I came in. I think your excitement was a bit too much for him.”

“You were squeezing him pretty tight,” Caitlin told Felicity.

The blonde groaned. “Yeah, that was my bad.”

“What’s happening?” Lily asked as she came back over.

“Schrodinger’s gone,” Gideon told her. “We need to find him.”

Rip looked over to his own apartment door, which was still open. He made his way over there quickly. “Jonas?”

No response.

“Jonas? Jonas?”

His son came out from his room. “Are the girls okay, Daddy?”

“They’re fine,” Rip explained. “They just got a little excited about something. Schrodinger escaped from their apartment when I went over. He didn’t come running in here, did he?”

His son shook his head from side to side. “I didn’t hear anything.”

“Oh dear,” Gideon said from the doorway as Rip returned to her and the others. Her brows were knit with concern. “So he’s somewhere in the building then.”

“That means he could be on any of the floors,” Felicity muttered. “Unless he found a way outside. I mean, he’s pretty clever. If he got out of the building, there’s no telling where he went. What if he ran into the middle of the road? Oh, if he did that-”

Caitlin stared open mouthed at her friend. “Felicity!”

“I don’t want to think about that,” Lily moaned.

“Well, the sooner we find him, then the less we have to worry about that happening,” Gideon said firmly, putting a stop to the horrible scenarios that were probably all going through their minds. “Let’s split up and start looking. We can cover more ground that way.”

“I’ll call Cisco,” Caitlin said, retreating to the apartment. “If Schrodinger got outside, he could find him on his way over.”

“I’ll help too,” Rip added, stepping forward.

Gideon shook her head. “You don’t have to, Rip. It’s not your cat.”

“But I didn’t stop him when he ran out your door,” he countered. “If I had, then you wouldn’t be worried about him.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Gideon nodded.

“Besides, Jonas would never forgive me if we didn’t find Schrodinger. He loves that cat too much, even if it’s not his own.”

His neighbor chuckled. “Well, I’m going to search around this floor if you want to come with me.”

“If you don’t mind, I will,” Rip replied. “The more eyes we have, the sooner we’ll find him.”

[confessionsofacookie]

Thinking Out Loud

For the Anon who asked: John and the Reader meeting at the Reader’s sister’s wedding reception

Author’s note: i would like to begin by saying - thank you all for still being here and sending me encouraging messages and get well notes. Things in my life haven’t been going very well and i wasn’t able to write. Writing for me is a form of coping mechanism when things in life get too unbearable or the world just gets too loud and i need to shut it out. Also i’m a very sad and lonely person and these characters i create even though they aren’t mine become my friends.  I had more than half of a mind to not return to this blog HOWEVER i could not leave your request undone. To me that felt wrong.

I am continuing to write your previous requests but it will be slow to come out but it will come out. Requests will remain closed for now until I have about 3 remaining to write. Thank you once again for your love and patience.

Secondly, those of you who have a problem with my writing and thinks I do not post fast enough, please leave. Did you for one second stop to think that “hey this chick is doing this after an 8 hour shift at 2 in the morning for me, for no charge and out of the goodness of their heart. They’re not getting any form of recognition for it either, so maybe i should stop being a bloody pest and wait and if i don’t get it, think, well maybe she’s busy or doesn’t have the time to do this anymore?” but nah lemme be inconsiderate.

My answer to you is this: i will ignore you and ban you from my blog. This “ConfessionsofaCookie” is my space and i could do whatever the hell i want with it. So don’t be damn angry at me for banning your unshaped, lumpy arse, when you are the wrong ones.

Also the hate mail... like why? why waste your  - you know what nvm.

Thirdly: Guess who’s back? Back again. Cookie’s back, tell a friend! ♪♫

Thinking Out Loud

“Ah!” exclaimed the coordinator as her bespectacled face spied me down the hallway “, I need you!”

“What now?” I muttered under my breath as I walked towards her.

“Yes?” I asked pointedly as I approached.

She scrutinised me over her frames for a second before she spoke “, I’m in the middle of fixing the venue and the flowers have arrived.”

Her phone beeped serval times and she paused to pull it out and check the screen. “Direct them to me,” she continued matter of factly and promptly walked off.

Why the hell was Amy paying her so much to organise her wedding but she busy asking other people to do her job? Angrily I walked off. The florists were waiting for me outside the front gate. The man punctually dropped the floral order in my hands before I could say hi.

“Well hello, to you too,” I greeted and looked over the order, signed the bottom right of the page and directed his staff to the venue.

I turned to leave. A tap on my shoulder made me look back.

“Yes?” I inquired. The florist removed a vase of flowers the truck and handed them to me “, this is for a Ms. Amy y/l/n from a Mr. Peter Capaldi.”

I smiled and sniffed the arrangement of creamy white calla lilies and the violet blue of the irises, my sister’s favourite flowers and combination. Ah, she was going to love this. A tiny pang rung in my chest, I hoped someday, something like this could happen to me, minus the all the drama though.

Clutching the vase, I carefully made my way up the walkway doing my best to dodge the bustling decorators and caterers. It was heavier than it looked. Finally, I reached the solid oak, front door, opened it and collided with a solid, warm, object. I stumbled backwards, water sloshing everywhere before the vase slipped from my grip splintering on the ground. Or more like it didn’t splinter.

A dark form was righting themselves holding a very intact vase of flowers. Chocolate almond eyes met mines and instinctually my cheeks heated.

“I am so, so, so sorry!” I apologized my voice an octave higher than normal.

“It’s okay,” he said, his voice deep and rough “, are you okay y/n.”

I froze and stared at him opened mouthed for a few seconds before finding my voice “, how do you know my name?”

“Ah,” replied the man, disappointment coating his voice and his eyes dropping from mines “, I guess I didn’t make much of an impression last time – you were very busy too.”

I stared at him, my brow furrowed trying to place this handsome stranger’s face .

“I’m Peter’s friend –“ he continued.

“Johnathon?” I cut in.

His eyes flicked to mines, a spark that made butterflies erupt in my stomach shone in them “, yes, but please, call me John.”

I smiled warmly at him “, I’m sorry I forgot. I’ve been – busy.”

I giggled behind a lifted hand, trying to diffuse my slight embarrassment.

He returned the smile, his eyes turning to mere slits and crinkling at the corners “, that’s okay, I understand.”

Someone shouted my name from inside breaking the spell. I sighed heavily.

“I’m sorry but, I have to go,” I mumbled apologetically.

He stepped aside and handed me the vase, the corners of his mouth drooping slightly “, I understand and I hope I get to see you again today.”

I walked past him into the doorway and turned “, I’d like that too.”

John shot me one more his charming smiles and walked away. I watched his tall, slender form for a few seconds before entering the war zone.

The heat was on as the wedding was only a few hours away. I bustled through the hall with the vase. My heel caught on the white carpet and I stumbled, water sloshed out of the vase spilling on the surroundings and diving in a cold flash down my exposed cleavage. I groaned outwardly.

I shook my head and marched to the nearest bathroom with the vase in tow. Swiping some tissue off the roll I did my best to wipe the liquid from the valley of my breasts. However, it soaked into my bra and the darkening spot under my bust was expanding.

I slumped onto the closed toilet seat and laid my head in my hands. I was up since the crack of dawn and the early morning hour was starting to claw at me. The door thankfully, muffled the excessant noise and chatter that was currently taking place outside. Mindlessly I rubbed two forefingers at my temples hoping to relieve the dull ache that was starting to take up residence.

Someone pounded on the door. I groaned and covered my ears, the ache in my head spiking.

“It’s occupied!” I snapped, further clamping my hands over my ears.

“y/n? It’s Lexa” called a concerned voice on the other side “, your sister needs you.”

I straightened and leaned back against the tank “, what’s the matter?”

“She just – just needs some support,” explained Lexa “, cold feet.”

I nodded at her words and rose “, tell her I’ll be there in a bit.”

“Okay,” she responded her voice a bit muffled like she was speaking and moving at the same time.

I stood, righted my clothes and headed for the room my sister was in. Softly I knocked on the door.

“Go away!” shouted a wobbly voice.

I rolled my eyes at the tone and pushed open the door “, delivery.”

I barely had time to place the vase down before my sister, in a flurry of gauzy white sprinted into my arms.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she choked out on my shoulder.

Gently I peeled her off of me, mindful of the wet spot on my dress. Carefully I sat her on the chair by the large, cream vanity. A present from my father for her birthday a few years back. I knelt in front of her, grasping her tiny delicate fingers. They were clammy and cold. I pressed them to my lips, a pang of sadness striking a chord in my heart.

I gazed at her softly, my heart crunching at her dismay “, do you love Peter?”

She nodded slowly, her head drooped and chin tucked into her chest. Her usually small eyes looking so big and childlike at me now. Complete earnest and trust in them as she gazed at me for some form of comfort or affirmation. She was older than me by a few years by I couldn’t help but notice how young she looked at this moment, even with all the makeup.

“Then what’s wrong?” I asked placatingly, my eyes never breaking their gaze on hers.

She gazed at me fully and a fat tear spilled down her cheek. I understood then and felt my own emotions rising to meet hers. All the time we had spent together, the fights, the laughter, the cuddles in the night, the gossip, the announcement to me when she first met Peter and when he proposed. These emotions and moments were etched and infused in this room. We weren’t children anymore, we wouldn’t be each other’s anymore, she would be his from this day forward and he would be hers.

I sprang up onto my knees and grasped her small trembling frame tightly.

I sniffled loudly and closed my eyes tightly “, you are mines and I am yours and there is nothing in this world I still wouldn’t do for you just because you’re getting married.”

She laughed a bit and returned my hug with equal vigour.

“I still think you’re an idiot with no common sense – I mean what the blazes did he see in you?!” I added with a smirk.

“Ouch!” I shrieked and pulled back with a jerk, rubbing my stinging side.

She watched me with narrowed eyes “, why are you so miserable?”

I sat back onto the floor with a thump rubbing my aching shoulder “, why are you so abusive?!”

She slid onto the floor with me and hugged me once again “, thank you and I hope that one day you too can find your own happiness with someone.”

She pulled back and surveyed my clothing, an eyebrow arching disapproval “, what are you wearing?”

I rolled my eyes at her, stood and stalked towards the door “, well now that you’re feeling better, I’m going to get dressed.”

I closed the door behind me with a click and signaled to Lexa who was lurking in the hallway “, she’s fine now.”

The wedding ceremony went by like a blur. First I was hugging my sister in the bridal room while she was getting dressed and then in the blink of an eye she’s sitting at the head table arm in arm with her husband. Her beautiful face, radiating such joy and happiness. A happiness some part of me hoped to have someday. A small crushing sensation filled my chest making it a bit difficult to breath. I was losing my sister after all these years we’ve fought, laughed and cried together. I spun quickly, choking down a sob and walked to get a slice of cake.

The cake had vanished. I stood blinking in shock, with a plate and fork in hand. Not a slice of the decadent chocolate, layered cream cake had remained. Not even a stinking crumb. Now I felt like crying.

I turned my face upward to the white, lit tent cover and huffed a dry laugh. Shaking my hand ruefully, I chucked the dish and fork to the side. I really couldn’t believe this. My sister’s wedding and I couldn’t even get a slice of cake. Ouch! That hurt.

“You could have my slice if you like,” said a deep voice behind me.

I turned and smiled, my heading dipping slightly. A soft feminine laugh I didn’t know I was capable escaped my lips. “I couldn’t do that to you, John.”

“I don’t mind – I don’t have a big sweet tooth,” he said closing the distance between us.”

My stomach did a little flip. I looked at him, his hair as black as the night was beginning to separate from his swept back do and fall in inky black spikes around his face. Somehow, I found I liked him better like this.

He smiled softly as he offered me the plate, his dark almond eyes crinkling slightly at the corners. I took the plate and stared at the beautiful wedge of chocolate cake.

“How about we share?” I offered with a tilt of the head.

He placed his hands in his pockets and nodded, the smile still on his lips “, sounds good to me.”

I grinned at him and swiped the fork off the empty plate I was previously holding.

“Let’s sit by the swing,” I said and walked off in its direction.

He followed like a quiet, grey shadow.

“Wait!” he called just as I was about to sit.

I spun unsure of what was happening. John shrugged off his coat and laid it on the seat.

“Can’t have your dress dirty,” he said and sat, then patted the empty space beside him where his jacket lay.

A warmth spread across my cheeks. Giddily I sat on the old wooden bench and slipped off my heels.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I said softly, unsure of the mood.

John didn’t respond and looked towards the merriment and ruckus that was currently taking place beneath the tent. My sister and her husband were hoisted on chairs and being toted around in the air by the groom’s friends.

I giggled and offered John the plate “, cake.”

“Lady’s first.”

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear “, I insist.”

John chuckled, straightened and cut a small piece of cake from the wedge. Slowly he chewed on the piece.

“What do you think?” I asked with a frown.

“It’s good!” he praised, his eyes directed at the slice.

I breathed a mock sigh of relief “, whew! Had me worried that I picked something that tasted bad.”

He rocked back onto the back rest and chuffed a laugh. I took a nibble of the cake and my tasted buds exploded. I sighed happily and let myself be carted away by the richness of the flavour.

“It’s so good!” I moaned, waving my fork like a wand in the air.

John stared at me, his forehead creasing in a frown. Nervously I peeked behind me “, what?”

His faced smoothed and he leaned forward “, you have chocolate on your face.”

My eyes widened in horror. Blindly I wiped my face, heat flooding my cheeks. Here I was with a gorgeous man and I was making a mess like a five-year-old. I was entirely sure five year olds ate neater than me.

John chuckled and leaned closer “, it’s still there.”

Carefully he reached forward and with an index finger wiped the chocolate off, the callous of his finger scraping my cheek.

“Sorry,” I apologised and shot him a scrunched-up smile.

“You don’t need to apologise,” he said and with the flick of his tongue licked the chocolate residue off his finger.

Heat filled my stomach and trickled between my legs. I wouldn’t mind having his tongue on me… more like in me. I clenched my thighs together, my posture stiffening.

“And now it’s time for the bride and groom to have their first dance together,” announced the MC.

Instantly the feeling dispersed. I looked to the lit tent several feet away. The dance floor was clear except for my sister and brother-in-law. He was holding her hand escorting her onto the floor, their faces red with laughter and alcohol.

Slowly a guitar sprang to life on the speakers, a bluesy rhythm beginning. Grasping her waist gently and tenderly he pulled her closer to him, his eyes only on her and for her. He gave her a peck on the forehead before resting his against hers. I couldn’t see but I was sure their eyes were closed.

When your legs don't work like they used to before And I can't sweep you off of your feet

I smiled sadly at them, my shoulders caving. John’s clothes rustled as he stood. I looked up as he faced me, his hand extended.

“May I have the honour of this dance?” he asked, his dark eyes luminous.

Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks

I ducked my chin and smiled “, yes.”

Carefully I placed the plate on the bench and grasped his outstretched hand.

And darling I will be loving you 'til we're 70

He pulled me to him, his hand resting gently on my waist and the other cradling my hand. I didn’t realise how tall he was until now.

And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23

He towered above me without my shoes. His dark eyes stared into mines in the gloom as we swayed to the music.

“And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways,” he crooned in time with the music.

I cocked my head to the right and gazed him. Could it really be?

It felt like another lifetime when the song ended and a burst of applause split through the garden. We stopped, still wrapped in each other and stared at the procession. That was the last dance of the night and my sister would be leaving for her honeymoon soon.

I stepped away from John “, I have to go, my sister would be leaving soon and I’d like to say goodbye.”

He lowered his head in understanding, his hand finding their way back into his pockets. I gathered my shoes and turned to leave, the grass crunching softly beneath my bare feet.

“Can I see you again?” called John.

I stopped and turned. He had put back on his jacket and was holding the plate of cake.

“Yes,” I responded and gave him my most brilliant smile “, I would like that very much and thank you for the cake.”

 Authors Note: The names i used for the two people in this were from two shows i love. Peter is the 12th Doctor and Lexa is the Commander from the 100 (someone get me a Bellamy Blake please) Amy is my sister’s middle name and she’s in love with the 12th doctor *rolls eyes*

[chongoblog]

For those curious about a follow-up, I’ve been browsing @heritageposts which is quite the experience. There are zero posts after july 2014. This COULD be an arbitrary cutoff date for the mod, (or cutoff date based on dashcon), and the only posts I’ve seen thus far AFTER dashcon is one where the ball pit was already immortalized and another talking about someone researching the tumblr v 4chan raids. Plus, as someone who joined tumblr in 2013, the shift before/after DashCon was pretty evident.

The change wasn’t just from Dashcon of course. Sherlock had just dropped Season 3, which didn’t quite have the strength of the previous two seasons, Doctor Who’s protagonist was shifting from Matt Smith to a far older Peter Capaldi (and boiling down SuperWhoLock to teenage girls fawning over skinny white guys would be really disingenuous, it’s clear to see it was a factor) and Supernatural...was doing something. I have no idea what happens in Supernatural. And while Superwholock wasn’t the entirety of fandom culture, it was definitely the face of it, and having its power dwindle was a good foundation to fade away from its culture. It just needed a spark. That spark was DashCon.

I hesitate to say DashCon was a “wakeup call” because even though we can get our cringe on looking back to 2012 Tumblr, I wouldn’t call it necessarily BAD. It was people genuinely enjoying themselves. Calling it a wakeup call makes it sound like everyone was stupid for enjoying themselves the way they did and love for fandom isn’t a bad thing obviously, but love for fandom was a very VOCAL ordeal back then (Potterheads, grab your wands), and what’s a better way to express yourselves and shout your love for fandom than to host a convention?

So Dashcon Happened, and dear god did it happen. I’m sure you all know the stories and I don’t have to recount it. I’d pull up fun sources, but quite frankly I’m typing all this while packing up a house so I don’t have a TON of time to work with, but the information is pretty easy to find.

Seeing a manifestation of your fandom culture be such a disaster is....disheartening. It shines a bad light on the culture as a whole, and whether or not that’s justified is up for debate, but it’s what happened. You don’t want to keep rolling with a culture where you constantly said “WHAT IF WE HAD TUMBLR PROM” when you see how terribly hosting a convention went. And the foundation of this culture, SuperWhoLock, didn’t have much to fall back on, so out it went, taking the culture with it.

Did Dashcon help to create the culture we have now? Fuck, I dunno, I’ve been spitballing since the first post. I’d guess a little bit? The sheer ridiculousness of The Ball Pit may have helped foster the environment seeping with irony. Plus the entirety of 2016 may have helped with forming that sense of disillusionment. There was also kinda a shift to identity politics, which, like the vocal stuff, isn’t bad since representation is very much needed, but is already showing pushback when taken to ridiculous extremes to create a new kinda “embarrassing fandom stuff” (hey Thomas Jefferson). Maybe someone who actually studies this kinda thing would know better than me.

Anyway, that’s my pretentious thesis. Hope you enjoyed

Doing the math, Dashcon is the moment that changed not only Tumblr, but the very base of fandom culture.