#Rose Park Advisors

[listen-to-the-inner-walrus]

Again, not an exhaustive list but for anyone else in the UK, these are where riots are expected today:

Aldershot - Immigration Advisors at 40 Victoria Road GU11 1TH, starting at 19:30.

Bedford - Immigration INN (Inn?) on Ford End Road MK40 4JT, at 20:00.

Birmingham - Refugee and Migrant Centre on Frederick Street B1 3HN, beginning at 20:00.

Bishop Auckland - outside the Town Hall on Market Place DL14 7NP.

Blackburn - Rafiq Immigration Services on Whalley Road BB5 1AA, at 20:00.

Blackpool - Immigration Solicitors at the Enterprise Centre on Lytham Road FY1 1EW, starting at 20:00.

Bolton - Deane & Bolton Immigration Lawyers on Chorley New Road BL1 4QR, at 20:00.

Brentford - UK Immigration Help in The Mile on 1000 Great West Road TW8 9DW, starting around 19:00.

Brighton - Raj Rayan Immigration in Queensberry House at 106 Queens Road BN1 3XF, starting either at 19:30 or 20:00.

Bristol - Gya Williams Immigration on West Street BS2 OBL, at 20:00.

Burnley - at Thompson Park on 111 Ormerod Rioad BB11 3QWat, starting at 13:00.

Canterbury - UK Immigration Clinic in the Canterbury Innovation Centre CT2 7FG, at 20:00.

Chatham - Immigration Status UK on Maidstone Road ME5 9FD, at 20:00.

Cheadle - Intime Immigration Services on Brooks Drive SK8 3TD, at 20:00.

Chelmsford - UK Immigration Information Centre on Violet Close CM1 6XG, at 20:00.

Derby - Immigration Advisory Service, Normanton Road DE23 6US, at 20:00.

Dover - Kent Immigration and Visa Advice at 5A Castle Hill Road CT16 1QG, reportedly around 20:00.

Durham - in Crook at Market Place, at 18:00. (Unsure as to whether this is the same one as in Bishop Auckland as I know Crook is near there?)

Finchley - Immigration and Nationality Services within Foundation House at 4 Percy Road N128BU, around 19:00.

Harrow - Yes UK Immigration and North Harrow Community Library within the Business Centre at 429-433 Pinner Road HA1 4HN, in North Harrow, at 19:00.

Hastings - Black Rock Immigration at 37 Cambridge Gardens TN34 1EN, at 20:00.

Hull - Conroy Baker Immigration Lawyer in Norwich House, 1 Savile Street HU1 3ES, at 20:00.

Lewisham - the Clock Tower, SE13 5JH, 19:00.

Lincoln - Immigration Lawyer Services on Carlton Mews LN2 4FJ, at 20:00.

Liverpool - Merseyside Refugee Centre in St Anne's Centre on 7 Overbury Street L7 3HJ, at 20:00.

Liverpool - Sandpiper Hotel (might be on Ormskirk Old Road? if any scousers can clarify where that is, that'd be great) at 13:00.

Middlesbrough - Immigration Advice Centre which is the Co-Operative Buildings at 251 Linthorpe Road TS1 4AT, at 20:00.

Newcastle - United Immigration Services in Artisan Unit 3, The Beacon on Westgate Road NE4 9PQ, at 20:00.

Northampton - Zenith Immigration Lawyers at 2 Talbot Road NN1 4JB, starting at 20:00.

Nottingham - East Midlands Immigration Services at 15 Stonesbury Vale NG2 7UR, at 20:00.

Oldham - somewhere on Ellen Street 0L9 6QR, at 20:00

Oxford - Asylum Welcome in Unit 7 in Newtec Place on Magdelen Road OX4 1RE, around 19:00. [Updated as of 15:53]

Peterborough - Smart Immigration Services in Laxton House at 191 Lincoln Road PE1 2PN, at 20:00.

Plymouth - in a Morrisons car park, I don't know which but I saw Victory Parade associated with it? If anyone from Plymouth can clarify, please do. Not sure on time.

Portsmouth - UK Border Agency at Kettering Terrace PO2 8QN, at 20:00

Preston - Adriana Immigration Services at 109 Church Street PR1 3BS, at 19:00 or 20:00.

Rotherham - Parker Rhodes Hickmotts, The Point S60 1BP, at 20:00.

Sheffield - City Hall on Barker's Pool S1 2JA, at 13:00.

Sheffield - White Rose Visas at 101 Wilkinson Street S10 2GJ, at 20:00.

Southampton - Y-Axis Immigration Consultants, Cumberland Place on Grosvenor Square SO15 2BG, at 20:00.

Southend - MNS Immigration Solicitors on Ditton Court Road SS0 7HG, at 20:00.

Stoke-On-Trent - ZR Visas on Metcalfe Road ST6 7AZ, in Tunstall, at 20:00.

Sunderland - North of England Refugee Service which is in Suite 12 in the Eagle Building at 201 High Street East SR1 2AX, at 20:00.

Swindon - I have no details for this, just seen that something might be kicking off there.

Tamworth - Lawrencia & Co Immigration Solicitors within the Amber Business Village on Amber Close B77 4RP, no details on time unfortunately.

Walthamstow - Waltham Forest Immigration Bureau at 187 Hoe Street E17 3AP, at 20:00.

Wigan - Support for Wigan Arrivals Project, Penson Street WN1 2LP, at 20:00.

York - only detail I've got it is York Stay City Hotel.

[theetherealbloom]

WHERE DO WE GO NOW? - CH. 1 | 14th Doctor

Chapter One: After All Of The Time, And Give An Actual Try

Summary: An enigmatic old face makes a reappearance, heralding unforeseen events. A mysterious spaceship plummets to Earth, bringing chaos and prompting the Doctor's intervention. Amidst the unfolding narrative, a cute and endearing creature seeks assistance, weaving together elements of mystery, adventure, and companionship.

Pairing: 14th Doctor x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Hurt-to-Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Possible Plot Holes, Vague Background, Aliens, Mild Horror, Violence, Past Trauma, Depression, Anxiety, Timey-Wimey Stuff, Star-Crossed Lovers, Second Chance 

Word Count: 12.2k

A/N: Surprise! I love Doctor Who too. I’m a huge nerd, I know tehe. I hope you enjoy this mini-series I have planned for the 14th Doctor! As we know, he is played by the beloved David Tennant who is one of my favorite Doctors ever.

Song: Where do we go now? By Gracie Abrams

→ Next Chapter | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

Dividers by @/saradika-graphics

MILLSON WAGNER STEELWORKS, NORTH LONDON – EVENING, DECEMBER 2023

A UNIT team was promptly dispatched as the spaceship breached Earth's atmosphere, making its way North of London. Both serving as scientific advisors, you and Shirley were on-site where the ship had landed.

While some military personnel were busy extinguishing the flames from the spacecraft and securing the perimeter, preventing you from delving further into the investigation, you found yourself engrossed in studying the ship's scans displayed on the monitor in your hands, attempting to unravel the mystery.

"Miss them, do you?" A voice called out from behind.

You averted your gaze from the tablet, turning to find Shirley maneuvering her wheelchair next to you. Curious, you asked, "What? Who?"

The redhead sported a cheeky smile. "The Doctor, of course."

It was widely known that you had journeyed alongside the Doctor and his myriad companions. Images of their faces flashed in your mind as you reminisced about those exciting adventures. Rose, Donna, the Ponds, Clara... you longed for them. There was a noticeable absence of the Doctor that left a gaping black hole in your chest.

You shook your head, muttering to yourself, "Can't let the Doctor catch a glimpse of me again; the entire universe might just fold in on itself once more. Already me being here is a problem since there’s a possibility he could pop out at any moment. I’m only on duty since I owe Kate a favor."

Shirley hums and responds, "I've read the files, you know. You two were quite the team. Everything that had happened… was in the wrong place at the right time. Still, it could happen, the two of you… together."

You raise your eyebrows at her and offer a small smile while shaking your head, scoffing, "The Doctor was unaware before, and I won't be the catalyst for another cosmic meltdown due to my selfish reasons. Besides... the Doctor doesn’t know I’m still alive and UNIT is already on my arse for even existing on this timeline.”

The redhead emits a sympathetic murmur and pats the side of your thigh, "Wasn't your fault, love. A colossal tear in time and space that dragged you in here... sounds like fate, or destiny even. If anything, maybe it was supposed to happen... like you and—"

The tablet beeps, abruptly halting Shirley's train of thought. You glance at the monitor, furrowing your brow, then hand over the device to her, saying, "You need to see this. I believe there's more to this than we initially thought."

“Now I think we’re making a fundamental mistake. ‘Cause maybe that spaceship was a collision course to start with, but look.” Shirley says while the UNIT soldier looks at the tablet, “At the last minute, it pulls up, then settles. What I’m sayin’ is, that ship didn’t crash. It parked.”

As Shirley presents her observations to the UNIT soldier, you can't help but notice the intensity in her gaze, the lines of concentration etched across her forehead. The soldier queries, "No signs of life?" You step forward, interjecting, "Not yet. But we don't know what kind of life we're looking for."

Suddenly, an unexplained shiver races up your spine, goosebumps breaking out on your skin. A palpable sense of familiarity and the eerie feeling of being observed by someone you know too well. Your expression shifts into a frown, and Shirley catches on, concern knitting her brows. "What? What's wrong?" she asks.

You open your mouth but hesitate, exchanging glances with Shirley and the UNIT soldier. Shirley, sensing the urgency, instructs the soldier to step aside. Both of you retreat to a secluded corner, where she probes, "What happened? You look like you've seen a ghost, dear."

You exhale shakily, "I... I think he's here. He's back."

Shirley blinks, seeking clarification, "You mean..."

"The Doctor. The Doctor, he’s here."

"Shirley, I need to leave, immediately," you declare, attempting to stride away with urgency.

"Wait, hang on a second," Shirley interjects, gripping your wrist and compelling you to halt. "He's already seen you, yeah? Looks like nothing bad has happened and—"

"Nothing bad has happened yet, Shirley. The stars could go out; millions of galactic species could die if we so much as breathe in each other's direction. I can't risk it. I won't."

Tears well up, and Shirley guides you to a stop near one of the staircases, settling herself in her wheelchair. As you take a seat, you rub both hands over your face, wiping away the tears. "I should have died that day."

Shirley remains silent, allowing you to continue as you shakily sob, "I should have died. But I didn't, and I'm still here."

"I lied to him, Shirley. I lied. He... he might never forgive me for it," you confess brokenly. Shirley shrugs, offering, "You won't know unless you talk. And it seems to me that whatever was keepin’ you apart before… is tellin’ you two maybe now is the right place at the right time."

Deep in contemplation of your choices, someone suddenly seizes your wrist, muffling your voice as they pull you close, your body pressed against a comforting warmth.

"Hey, it's me. It's the Doctor," he reassures, and you instinctively push away, allowing some distance between you two. Both of you stand there panting, but he breaks the silence first, shouting, "I thought you were dead!"

Throwing the words back at him, you retort, "I was supposed to be dead!"

"Why aren't you dead?" he demands, and frustration laces your high-pitched response, "Are you bloody serious in asking me that?”

 “No. Yes! Argh, I don't know!"

Shaking your head and taking a step back, you declare, "I need to leave."

The Doctor firmly grabs your wrist, halting your escape. "No. Not again."

With determination, you wrench your wrist from his strong hold, shouting, "The universe could collapse! Again! We weren't ever supposed to meet. It was a mistake."

Wide-eyed, the Doctor gazes at you and replies in a breathy tone, "Is that really what you think?"

Paused, unable to respond, you hear his voice in your head, a telepathic whisper so familiar. "You and I both know, that it wasn't a mistake."

Glaring at him, you muster as much resistance as possible, but those big dark brown eyes make it challenging. "That's not fair. Get out of my head," you retort with furrowed brows.

The Doctor whispers your name, barely audible, causing you to flinch and look away. Instead of acknowledging his presence, you pivot to a question, "You regenerated… But why this face? Why are you back?"

"Why do you ask? You don't like this one?" he retorts.

Crossing your arms, you roll your eyes, "With you, there's always a reason for everything."

The Doctor admits, "Must be why the TARDIS brought me to you and Donna."

You regard him with a concerned gaze and tone, "What? You saw Donna, did she recognize or remember you?"

"The fail-safe worked; she just commented about my clothes. She has a daughter named Rose," the Doctor hums, kicking a small piece of gravel on the floor. You nod, "Yeah, I keep tabs on 'em. Making sure they're alright. Even though Donna gave all that money away to charity."

"Do you know why she did it?" The Doctor asks.

"I don't. But I have a couple of guesses," you reply with a close-lipped smile and a shrug. The Doctor brings his gaze to you, and you can already feel the question before he says it.

"I thought you were dead, for fifteen years."

You scoff, "Oh, that's nothing for you, Time Lord and all."

The Doctor throws his hands up in frustration, "Oh, don't do that."

"Do what?" you demand.

"Pretend that it was nothing for me! You were everything to me," the Doctor says, taking another step closer, and you take a step back this time. You look at him with narrowed eyes, and in a low tone, you say, "You and I both know that's not true."

"What happened? Where did you go?"

"You and I both know what happened after Arcadia. I was ready to die. I thought I had served my purpose, what I was made for. I got shot midway through the regeneration process, and I felt it. I felt myself slipping away... I could only see the two suns, and then when I closed my eyes, there was this surge of energy... I couldn't explain it back then, and I can't now. But it was like someone had given me their regeneration energy... but when I looked around, no one was there, and I was no longer on Gallifrey."

The Doctor finishes the sentence for you, "You were brought to Earth."

You nod, "I still have no idea who did it. But now, I can't leave. And all those years, my memories were locked away in that old pocket watch until I met you... and then the stars started to go out once more, and I knew I had no choice… I couldn't stay with you."

"All those years... you were alone, just like me," the Doctor says, and you look away before sitting atop one of the crates by the pillar, sighing, "I need to leave again... planets could disappear and galaxies could collapse at any second, and we'd be back where we started."

The Doctor remains silent as you close your eyes, resting your head on one of the stacked crates behind you. You yearn for him. Every atom in your being longs for his presence, yet every angle you examine seems to present an unsolvable puzzle. Thus, you convince yourself that distancing is the best course for everyone involved. How does one repay a sacrifice of such magnitude?

Then, you detect his approaching footsteps, and he settles comfortably beside you, shoulders brushing as he leans in. "Or... we could finally figure out a way to solve the paradox."

Opening your eyes, you shoot him a pointed look. "Doctor, we're in the middle of yet another crisis. A spaceship just landed, and we have no bloody clue who the hell we're dealing with right now. And you want to solve the impossible with our situation?"

"Who says I can't multitask?" he retorts, wiggling his eyebrows playfully. You lightly smack him on the arm, feeling warmth flood your cheeks. Memories of the carefree early days flash through your mind, recalling lingering gazes and soft touches exchanged. Licking your lips nervously, you release a heavy breath, "One problem at a time. We have another alien on the loose."

The Doctor takes that as a win, a calculated risk, with the universe as a potential consequence. He's never demanded anything, and for the first time, he yearns for something for himself. He envisions it — hope — the prospect of finally rewriting the ending you both desperately desire.

The sonic clicks and buzzes as the Doctor conjures a holographic screen, displaying the schematics of the spacecraft that recently landed nearby. He retrieves his glasses from his coat pocket, donning them as he peruses the screen. Pressing a few buttons, he zooms in on the bottom part of the ship before highlighting the drive.

Frowning, your eyes narrow as an unsettling weight settles at the pit of your stomach while reading what's on the screen.

"Too good for us now?" Shirley remarks as she rolls up in her wheelchair. The Doctor briefly glances at her, nodding, and casually greets, "Evening."

Shirley smiles knowingly as she looks between the two of you. "Doctor. I see you and my colleague have talked. Has galaxies and universes collapsed yet?"

The Doctor hums, "Mmmm, not yet. Soon maybe, if I could get her to kiss me."

You smack him on the shoulder a little harder this time, and he yelps out, "Ow!" Making a face at him, you retort, "Oh, sod off!"

The Doctor gives you a cheeky smile while Shirley chuckles next to you. She then looks at the holographic screen on display, and the Doctor brings his focus back to the problem at hand, saying, "That’s a double-bladed dagger drive, damaged by laser fire which means we’ve got two sets of visitors at war with each other."

He glances at Shirley politely, "Nice to meet you. Did you get the heat readings on deceleration?" Shirley chuckles and clicks her tongue, "Oh, I got everything." She unfolds her tablet to give to the Doctor, who presses a button on his sonic screwdriver to close the holographic screen. Taking the tablet, he begins to analyze the readings as your colleague introduces herself, "Shirley Anne Bingham, UNIT Scientific Advisor number 56."

The Doctor sounds delighted, saying, "Oh! I was Scientific Advisor number one."

Shirley smiles, "No, I know. I’ve read the files. I’m gonna get a bonus just for meeting you."

The Doctor makes a face, not used to humble praise. "Oh."

Shirley then asks, "But why are you hiding away? We’re on the same side and it can’t be ‘cause of her now." She looks at you, and you also turn your attention to the Doctor.

He slightly groans and inhales sharply before replying, "It’s all a bit mad, Shirley. I don’t know who I am anymore."

Shirley crosses her legs in the wheelchair and says matter-of-factly, "Well, you look like the Doctor to me."

The Doctor shrugs, "Well, exactly. The one in the skinny suit. After that, I wear a bow tie. After that, I’m a Scotsman. After that, I’m a woman."

Shirley frowns, "But that’s your future. You can’t know that. It’s forbidden."

The Doctor replies, "I regenerated. And she became me."

Both of Shirley’s eyebrows rise, and her eyes widen as she says, "You got your old face back?"

The Doctor replies with a resounding pop, "Yep."

"But why?" Shirley asks, and the Doctor sighs, "Well, that’s what I’m worried about."

He then inhales deeply before continuing, “Because, besides this lovely stubborn woman right next to me,” you pinch the bridge of your nose briefly as he continues, “I've got this friend called Donna Noble. She was my best friend in the whole wide universe. I absolutely love her as much as I love this one right here.” The Doctor pulls a face and pouts, puffing out a breath as his thick eyebrows furrow, he says, “Oh. Hmm. Do I say things like that now?”

Shirley smiles at him while commenting, “Sounds like a good thing to say.”

You mumble, “I’m not used to this.”

“But Donna took the mind of a Time Lord into her head. I had to wipe her memory to save her life. If she ever remembers me she will die. So what happens next?” The Doctor said with emphasis and leaned closer to you and Shirley, “I get this face back, and the TARDIS lands right next to her. I turn around, there’s her husband. A spaceship crashes in front of her. That led me here to my other best friend in the whole wide universe, my Time Lady who I thought was dead for many years. It’s like she’s drawing us in.” The Doctor finishes, and you and Shirley give each other a look, processing everything he has just said. Especially you, who was processing the fact he called you his. You and Shirley blinked a few times before Shirley said, “What? She’s making it happen?”

The Doctor shakes his head, “No, she’s got no idea. She’s so ordinary. She’s brilliant. She’s got this beautiful daughter. She’s happy. Is she? Hmm.” He pauses before saying in a lower tone, “But the universe is turning around the two people I love the most again. I don’t believe in destiny, but if destiny exists, then it's heading straight for Donna Noble and quite possibly the love of my life right next to me.”

You blink in surprise, opening your mouth to try and say something, maybe correct him, but nothing comes out, so you sit there, mouth gaping next to him like a fish while Shirley has a toothy grin as you say to the Doctor, “Okay, I’m still not used to whatever this is… and I don’t think I ever will be. You’re kind of freaking me out a little, dear.”

The Doctor grins, “Ooh, are we doing pet names now darling?”

You rub your right eye, feeling a migraine beginning to form, “I… What the hell is happening? You sure you’re alright? Last time you regenerated into this form you had a high fever and you were… completely out of it.”

The Doctor scrunches his nose and sniffs, “I feel great. Fantastic even!”

You purse your lips, observing the Doctor from head to toe, and then focus on his eyes—those warm, inviting brown eyes. Softly, you remark, “You've grown.”

The Doctor returns your gaze, his lips forming a quirked-up smile that reveals a dimple. "Just a little bit, yeah."

Shirley interjects, steering the conversation back on course, “You said it was also heading for Donna. What for?”

The Doctor responds with a swift, “I don’t know.” Shirley replies with an, “Oh.” The Doctor continues, with deep emphasis, “But she can’t remember. I won’t be the one who kills her.”

Shirley nods, and the tablet in the Doctor’s hands beeps. He looks at it, saying, “Right. There’s no sign of a pilot, but that’s not an automatic drive, so you should look for–”

“Ma’am,” a soldier interrupts, cutting off the Doctor. He slinks back into the shadows, and you and Shirley listen to what the soldier has to say. “We found the escape pod. No sign of life, but we’re moving out to secure the site.”

Shirley quickly replies, “Good work, soldier. Go get it.” Dismissing the soldier and watching her walk away, the Doctor moves to stand, removing his glasses and putting them away, ready to follow the soldier. But Shirley raises her hand and says to him, “Uh, yeah, yeah. Not you two, mate. I’ve got this. Off you pop. Bye-bye.”

Shirley begins to roll her wheelchair away, leaving the Doctor and you confused. The Doctor then calls out to her, “Waited your whole life?”

To which Shirley throws a look over her shoulder as she responds with a smirk, “You wish.”

The Doctor looks at you, and you look up at him. He turns his hand, palm up, waiting for you to take it with your hand. You glance at his hand and back to his eyes; he sees the uncertainty swirling through your gaze.

The Doctor speaks gently, “I know you aren’t ready and you’re scared… but I know you’re brave. And the universe listens to the brave. C’mon, it’s time to be brave again.”

You release a shaky exhale, swallowing the lump in your throat and dismissing the rational urge to walk away from him. Taking his hand, he tugs you along, pushing his legs into a run with you, hand-in-hand.

He thrusts the exit door open, utilizing his sonic screwdriver with his other hand on the back of the UNIT truck, the chains rattling as the trunk hatch pops open, pulling you with him to settle at the back of the truck.

As the UNIT truck pulls away, you see Shirley waving you off, and the Doctor gives her a small salute while you offer her a faint smile.

CHISWICK, LONDON – EVENING, 2023

You constantly poked your head out to see the stars, in case anything had changed. The Doctor held your hand, squeezing it every time you did, quietly reassuring you that whatever you faced, you'd do it together.

Arriving in the residential area, a long street lined with cars and now multiple UNIT trucks and soldiers running around, you could hear Donna shouting, “Oh, what the hell is it doing in my shed? Get out of my garden!”

The Doctor ran towards the sound of her voice, and you followed him. Reaching Donna's home, the Doctor pounded on the door, “Let us in! Let us in!”

Sylvia glared at the Doctor as she briskly walked towards him, but he exclaimed happily, “Sylvia! Oh, Sylvia! So nice to see you again. Could you let us in?”

Sylvia angrily whispered, “You said that if she sees you again, she will die. Well, no. If – if she remembers me. That’s slightly different.”

You heard and saw Donna through the stained glass yelling from down the hall, “No such thing as spaceships? We’ve got a bloody Martian in the shed!”

Sylvia angrily said, “Just get out of here, now.” But the Doctor knelt down to peek through the mail slot to see all the commotion, finding a small white fluffy creature with big eyes. “Oh, wow. He’s so cute,” the Doctor mumbled. With no other choice, he used his sonic to unlock the door as Sylvia told Donna, “Don’t look! Don’t look. It doesn’t exist.”

As the Doctor walked down the hall, with you trailing behind him, Sylvia whirled around to slap the Doctor. He grunted and groaned, “Here we go again.”

“It’s that man!” You recognized Rose say as Donna pointed at the Doctor, “Oh, it’s the skinny man!”

Sylvia continued to try and gaslight Donna, outstretching both her arms to block both of you, “He’s not there! You can’t see him. And there’s no monster. Oh, for the love of God, none of this is real!”

You and the Doctor ducked down and crawled to the creature to help assist them. In the middle of all the shouting and noise, you saw Shaun Temple appear, saying, “Hey, hey. Dad’s home.”

Everyone stood at a standstill, wide-eyed and unsure of what to do next. After a pause, Shaun commented with a small smile, “Something smells nice.” Sylvia smiled, “Tuna madras.”

“Meep, meep.”

As you and the Doctor sat on the floor, he carefully wrapped Meep’s injury in his hands with medical tape, while you quickly assessed if the Meep had any more injuries. Sylvia spoke to Donna, “We should think about infection. I mean, I think this man should deal with this beast, and we can leave him alone and go back to mine.”

Donna pulled her arm away from Sylvia and gestured around the Meep, “Never mind. Never mind about the ferret from Mars.” She gave you and the Doctor a pointed look as she growled out, “Who the hell are you two?”

You looked to the Doctor for help, and he stumbled over his words, “I– um. What was it?” He looked to Shaun who replied, “A friend from Nerys.” To which the Doctor promptly agreed, “That’s it.”

Donna scrunches her nose and says, “Nerys. Well, now it all makes sense. That viper in the nest.” She continues and points to the Meep, “I’m not going anywhere. We could sell mad Paddington for a million quid.”

Everyone reacted, giving Donna a pointed look and a noise of disagreement, “Woah!” Donna tried to justify her comment by saying, “You fill the fridge!”

The Doctor’s expressive eyebrows furrowed, and he asked Donna, “What did happen to all your money?” Donna got defensive and threw back, “Why are you so interested in us? Everywhere you go, there you are. Now you got this woman with you,” She gestured to you, “are you sure you’re safe with him, darling? Is he forcing you to be with him? Did he kidnap you?!”

You blinked wildly at Donna, “Uh, no– I’m good. He’s my partner.”

The Doctor smirked at you, “Ooh, I’m your partner?” To which you narrowed your eyes at him, “Quiet, you.” He pouted but continued to finish wrapping the injury of the Meep, then the Doctor said, “There is one person missing. I used to know your grandad, Wilf.”

Donna shook her head, “He’s not with us anymore.”

The Doctor had a somber expression as he nodded, “Right. Course. He wasn’t young; he was—” His lower lip trembled as he admitted, “I loved that man. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Donna shook her head, emphasizing, “He’s not dead.” Sylvia shot the Doctor a sharp look, “You idiot.”

The Doctor gaped at them, and Donna continued to share, “He’s in sheltered accommodation. He’s 94. He can’t manage the stairs.” Shaun took over, saying, “We were lucky. We couldn’t afford it, but this offer came along.”

Rose smiled, painting a vivid picture, “It’s amazing. He’s got this room, like a cottage and a garden, and it’s almost free.”

“Run by that lot in the middle of town? UNIT? This woman in charge, Kate, she says he’s an old soldier, she’ll look after him.” Shaun said, and the Doctor's face lit up, “Right. I know her. She’s looking after Wilf. Brilliant. Brilliant.”

Shaun tilted his head as he looked at you, “You look very familiar… Weren’t you with Kate as you were helping with the accommodations for Wilf?”

Your lips pinched together as you nodded, “Yeah, I work with UNIT. I check on him regularly; he’s wonderful.”

“Meep, meep.”

You and the Doctor turned to the fluffy white creature in front of you, and the Doctor’s eyebrows raised as he inhaled sharply, “Yes! The Meep. I promise I can help him get home. Then you’ll never have to see me, or well, the both of us ever again.”

Rose looked at the Doctor and gave him a questioning look, “You’re assuming he as a pronoun? Hmm.”

The Doctor took it in stride and nodded, “True. Yes. Sorry. Good point.” He quickly turned to the creature and asked, “Are you he, or she, or they?”

The high-pitched voice of the Meep responded, “My chosen pronoun is the definite article. I am always the Meep.”

The Doctor’s expression shifted to one of understanding as his thick eyebrows raised and he nodded, “Oh. I do that. But you were shot down. Who wants you dead?”

You tilt your head, captivated by the Meep's explanation, “The Wrath Warriors. They cultivate Meepkind for our beautiful fur. But then the galaxy said, ‘No more fur. It’s wrong. So the Wrath Warriors slaughtered their livestock.”

The Doctor crosses his arms, a thoughtful expression on his face, and leisurely leans back on the couch, letting his back rest against it, “You’re a fashion victim.”

A collective groan escapes from all the humans in the room, “No.”

The Doctor quickly mumbles an apology, and the Meep continues, “Now, they will hunt me down till there are no Meeps left.” The Meep sniffs, “It breaks both my hearts.”

You and the Doctor exchange surprised glances, both of your eyebrows raised. The Doctor shares with the Meep as he gestures to both of you, “You got two hearts? So do we.”

Donna quickly catches onto the Doctor's revelation and frowns, “You’ve got what?”

Sylvia tries to downplay what the Doctor just exposed, stammering as she speaks to Donna, “No. He means it like a metaphor. Like two minds. Do you?” You and the Doctor shake your heads, but suddenly there’s a pounding at the door.

“Open up!”

“Well, what the hell is it now?” Donna exclaims, her frustration evident as she wonders why all these strange anomalies keep happening. The Doctor pushes himself up, and you assist him with his navy blue coat as he puts it on. He continues addressing everyone in the room, “Ah, good. The soldiers! They can give us a lift.”

As he goes to answer the door, leaving you with the Meep and Donna’s family, Rose can't help but ask, “Are you two…”

Your cheeks feel flush, the tips of your ears turning warm, “Yep.”

Just as Donna is about to make a cheeky comment, you hear the Doctor slam the front door shut, loudly informing you all, “I think we need to run. Woah!”

Suddenly, an explosion rocks the backdoor, causing everyone to hit the ground with a collective yelp. You and the Doctor peek to look at the new visitor; arthropods, with a tough chitinous exoskeleton. With their external skeleton acting as a skelo-shield they had formidable strength. Their eyes were like large red lights. Seeing the Wrath Warriors enter while saying, “Wrath, attack formation! Surrender the Meep!”

UNIT soldiers burst in from the main entrance, their voices echoing down the hallway as they shout instructions to each other. The distant hum of gunfire and the vivid flashes of lasers light up the space, creating a chaotic symphony that fills your senses.

Donna, caught in the middle of the sudden onslaught, shouts in confusion and frustration, “What the hell is going on?”

The Doctor deftly manipulates his sonic screwdriver, adjusting its settings. He turns to Shaun and inquires, “Where’s your car?”

Shaun, bewildered but cooperative, responds, “Uh, five- five doors down.”

“Excellent.” The Doctor nods. He pivots, activating the sonic screwdriver to generate large, rectangular force fields. The blue glow emanating from the force fields reveals a recent upgrade, and you can't help but smile, commenting, “Nice upgrade, love.”

“Thanks, dearest. Help me move this, won’t you?” The Doctor passes the sonic to Donna, who handles it with familiarity. You and the Doctor work together to slide the force field into the first section of the hallway, dodging blaster shots as you go. Once in the living room again, you take the sonic from Donna, creating your force field with the Doctor’s scientific instrument. The Doctor observes you with admiration, and together, you slide the final force field into place, sealing off the area where the Wrath Warriors were firing from.

Immediately, the Doctor issues a commanding directive to the Noble-Temple family and the Meep, “Upstairs! Up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up!” They follow the urgent order, shrieking as they ascend the stairs, sandwiched between the force fields that shield them from the relentless onslaught of gunshots and laser fire.

“Come on, Meep!” The Doctor encourages, executing an energetic dance of hopping and flailing arms. The Meep responds with a whimper, “No.” Undeterred, you and the Doctor persist, the Doctor continuing his lively hopping routine, insisting, “Come on! That’s it.”

You guide the Meep up the stairs, the Doctor closely behind. A reassuring hand rests on your back as the trio ascends. When you're halfway across the corridor, a deafening explosion erupts from behind. The Noble-Temple family screams in fear, and you're thrown to the ground. However, the Doctor reacts swiftly, his strong arms wrapping around your waist to break your fall. In a protective move, he cushions the impact with his body, leaving you on top of him.

You swiftly roll off him, your palms hitting the floor as you propel yourself upward. Grasping the Doctor's hand, you haul him to his feet, both of you swiftly turning around to confront the aftermath—a colossal, gaping hole now occupying the space where a window once stood. Donna's cry of agony echoes through the room, "My house!"

Despite the devastation, there's no time for dwelling. The Doctor urgently directs everyone, gesticulating emphatically, "Upstairs. Upstairs, upstairs!"

Observing the Wrath Warriors soaring menacingly through the breached window, and amidst the symphony of gunfire and laser blasts echoing from the stairs, you and the Doctor deftly ascend to the third floor. With a swift motion, he lowers the ladder leading to the attic, urgently urging everyone, "Up we go! Fast as you can."

The entire group efficiently ascends to the attic. Positioned beside a robust brick wall connecting attics along the street, you and the Doctor huddle close. The Doctor showcases the device in his hand, proclaiming, "This is a sonic screwdriver. And if it's good at one thing, it's resonating concrete." He flips it in one hand before activating it, causing vibrations to ripple through the mortar.

Shaun interjects, "That's not concrete. That's mortar." Donna, in her familiarly exasperated tone, sighs and quips, "Thank you, Bob the Builder."

With a determined push, you and the Doctor dislodge the bricks, prompting them to cascade down. Donna crouches beside the Doctor, complimenting, "Skinny minnie, you're not bad."

The Doctor grins at Donna, "You think?"

However, Sylvia intervenes, frowning as she guides Donna aside, firmly asserting, "No, she doesn't. Now move."

"Come on. Five houses down," the Doctor grunts, effortlessly moving aside a box brimming with Christmas decorations. He takes the lead, guiding the family through the interconnected attics.

Traversing through these loft spaces, you witness the chaotic scene unfolding outside, with laser beams and gunshots punctuating the air. Explosions resonate in the distance as you navigate the makeshift route, carefully descending a staircase. Along the way, you stealthily pass by someone deeply immersed in sleep on a couch, oblivious to the turmoil around them.

Upon reaching a door, the Doctor jostles it open, revealing a view of the black cab parked a few meters away. Amidst the cacophony of gunfire and distant shouts, the Doctor extends his hand and requests, "Can I have the keys?" Shaun promptly hands them over.

As the Wrath Warriors advance with their menacing backs turned, the Doctor swiftly swings the door open, directing the family and the Meep into the sanctuary of the black cab. Positioned in the passenger seat, you observe the Doctor deftly using his fingers to check the pulse of a fallen UNIT soldier. Abruptly, a Wrath Warrior pivots, growling, "Meep located. Stop the Meep!"

Evading blaster fire with nimble agility, the Doctor slips into the driver's seat, swiftly igniting the engine and propelling the cab into motion. The Meep whimpers, "Help! Save the Meep!"

As the Doctor skillfully navigates away, Donna exclaims, "Oh my God!" Shaun pivots within the cab, jubilantly stating, "You did it!" Meanwhile, Rose chimes in, "We're alive," and Sylvia expresses gratitude, "Thank you."

"Meep, meep."

While the Doctor keeps a vigilant eye on the side mirrors during the escape, there's a discernible shift in his tone, "Either we've escaped, or we've got things very, very wrong."

UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE, LONDON – EVENING, 2023

The Doctor skillfully maneuvers the cab, smoothly parking it in an underground garage. A contemplative furrow graces his forehead as he steps out of the vehicle. With an attentive courtesy, he opens the passenger door, gesturing for you to alight from the cab. Simultaneously, he opens the back passenger door, facilitating the exit of the Meep.

The Doctor deftly extracts a barrister's wig from the depths of his coat, perching it atop his head with an air of theatrical flair. Meanwhile, the Meep positions itself purposefully in front of the cab. In a tone of authoritative declaration, the Doctor announces, "This court is now in session."

With a swift motion, he retrieves his trusty sonic screwdriver, and it emits a distinctive whiz as he proclaims, "Intercept teleport!"

The Meep emits a piercing shriek, swiftly retreating a few meters behind you and the Doctor. Donna, emerging from the cab, questions, "What the hell are you doing?" The Doctor, with an authoritative air, responds, "Silence in the court."

In the blink of an eye, two Wrath Warriors materialize just across from you and the Doctor. You stand there, massaging your face with your hand, as he adopts a menacing tone and declares, "I’m invoking Shadow Proclamation protocols 15, P, and 6. Under my jurisdiction, there will be no violence until such time I deem it fit and proper. Is that understood?"

The Wrath Warriors nod in compliance, dutifully stowing away their weapons to their sides. The Doctor, brandishing his sonic, gestures towards the taxi, asserting, “Now, exhibit A. The taxi. No scorch marks. Donna, can you confirm?” Donna swivels around, inspecting the taxi behind her, and nods, “Um. Yes, no, nothing.”

You arch your eyebrows, interjecting, “We were hit by plasma bolts, but there isn’t a mark.” The Doctor affectionately kisses your forehead, remarking, “Clever girl.” You duck your head, feeling a slight warmth in your chest and cheeks. He proceeds, “And that soldier in the street. He was unconscious, not dead.” Pointing at the Wrath Warriors' guns with his sonic screwdriver, he continues, “Exhibit B. Those guns are stun guns. Is that correct?”

The right Wrath Warrior nods, “The guns apply a mild and harmless neural anesthetic. For the record, my name is Sergeant Zogroth.” The left Wrath Warrior adds on and says, “And I am Constable Zreeg.”

The Meep interjects from behind you, its large ears folding to the side, “But the evil Wrath Warriors want to kill the Meep.”

“The only ones out to kill were the soldiers with the swirling eyes,” the Doctor asserts, gesturing in a circular motion with his sonic, his eyes widening to emphasize his point. “Were they coming to hurt you, the Meep? Or save you?” The Doctor eyes the furry creature suspiciously.

“If I may speak,” Sergeant Zogroth says, and the Doctor promptly replies, “Address the court.”

“The story of the Meep is a tragic tale. Their planet basked in the light of a living sun. Until one terrible day, the sun went mad,” Sergeant Zogroth began, his voice laden with the weight of the narrative. Constable Zreeg chimed in, “A psychedelic sun.”

Sergeant Zogroth continued, “Its radiation mutated all of Meepkind into cruel beasts who live for conquest.”

The Doctor's face lights up with realization, "The eyes. That's solar psychedelia." Sergeant Zogroth adds, “It renders them as maniacs.”

“The Meep army captured the Galactic Council, beheaded them, and ate them,” Constable Zreeg revealed, sending shivers down your spine. You and the Doctor exchange a grimace at the horrifying revelation. “The Wrath Warriors were summoned. And we fought across the stars, a long and awful battle,” Sergeant Zogroth continued with a somber tone.

“Meepkind died rather than surrender. And now, only this one survives. Their leader, the most cruel and despicable of all,” he added, pointing to the Meep, who responded with a plaintive, “Meep, meep.”

The Doctor, adopting a composed stance, interjects, “Now. Let’s be fair. It’s your turn, the Meep. Witness for the defense. So, what do you say?” The Doctor crosses his arms, and you observe as the Meep's innocent visage transforms into something more sinister and monstrous.

The Meep's sharp teeth are bared as it growls defiantly, "Oh, to hell with this!" With a swift motion, it brandishes a weapon, declaring, "Exhibit C!" The Meep takes aim and fires, bringing down the two Wrath Warriors, their bodies collapsing to the ground. You, the Doctor, and Donna quickly rush to the fallen foes. The Doctor, during the action, removes his barrister wig. The Meep, in a sinister tone, adds, "No stun guns for me! Just die!"

Shaun leaps out of the cab, urgently shouting, "Donna! Donna, don't!" Despite his plea, Donna remains fixated on the fallen warriors, her concern evident. You find yourself beside the Doctor on the ground as the Meep triumphantly declares, "And here they come! My soldiers of the psychedelic sun!"

Suddenly, a convoy of UNIT vehicles arrives, accompanied by soldiers with their distinctive headgear, forming a protective perimeter around all of you. Their authoritative voices ring out, "Obey the Meep!"

Donna, her maternal instincts flaring, turns to Shaun and passionately commands, "Get out! Get Rose out!"

Shaun swiftly maneuvers to the driver’s seat while Rose and Sylvia settle back in the taxi. However, the UNIT soldiers, now under the control of the Meep, have you all surrounded with no clear escape.

“I don’t need to pretend, for I am the Beep of all the Meeps,” the Meep declares, grinning menacingly with its sharp teeth.

Sergeant Zogroth emits a final groan, his parting words being, “Sergeant Zogroth regrets retirement from active duty.” His eyes dim, and his body goes limp. Donna, disgusted, confronts the Meep, saying, “I was right. You are a monster.”

The Meep revels in Donna’s anger, taunting, “And you believed every word I said. You stupid woman! With your weird child!”

Donna, ready to confront the Meep for insulting her daughter, stands defiantly, retorting, “Oh, don’t you dare!”

The Meep, relishing the confrontation, points its weapon at Donna, threatening, “Oh, I dare!”

You quickly rise, positioning yourself in front of Donna, raising your hands in a protective stance. Simultaneously, the Doctor moves across the floor on his knees, hands raised, pleading, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! But— Last-minute evidence! Me.”

He emphatically points to himself and exclaims, “Why are there two more two-hearted species on this planet? Unless we are part of a strategy by the Wrath Warriors to outfox you? If you kill me and her and fail to take this family hostage, you’ll never find out, will you?”

The Meep hums, then commands the soldiers, “Bring them!”

The Doctor stands animatedly, “Good! Now, look, I can suggest a much better way off this planet than a double-bladed dagger drive. ‘Cause that thing is gonna—”

His sentence remains unfinished as he is abruptly knocked out by a UNIT soldier. The Meep cackles triumphantly as the rest of you are ushered into the back of a truck, alongside the unconscious Doctor.

On the truck's floor, the Doctor lay with his head resting on your lap, his unconscious form a testament to the challenges you faced. Your fingers moved soothingly through his untamed, spikey hair, offering a quiet comfort amid the tension.

Donna observed the scene, her curiosity getting the better of her. "How long have you two been together?" she inquired, attempting to place where she might have encountered you before.

"A good number of years," you replied, choosing to keep the more intricate details to yourself, considering the Doctor's timeless nature.

Rose, equally intrigued, posed another question, "Are you two married?"

A snort escaped you. "Nope. I don't think he wants that with me if I'm being honest."

“Why?” Rose pressed on.

Your gaze drifted, and you sniffed softly. "I’m all sorts of wrong for him. And sometimes, it scares me. The emptiness I see in my eyes,” you admitted, vulnerability seeping into your words. Your eyes lingered on the Doctor as you continued, “The Doctor is brilliant. He is truly brilliant. After all he’s been through... he deserves everything good and more… more than me.”

As your confession lingered in the air, the Doctor began to stir awake, bringing a momentary hush to the truck. His eyes fluttered open, and a low groan escaped him as he gradually sat up, settling next to you.

Donna eyed the Doctor with suspicion, her narrowed gaze fixed on him. "Who are you?" she questioned, her tone demanding answers.

The Doctor, still feeling the effects of his earlier unconsciousness, touched the back of his head with a wince. "I’m just passing by," he nervously replied, attempting to deflect her inquiries.

Undeterred, Donna redirected her attention to her mother, Sylvia, and pressed on, "Do you know him?" Sylvia, in an attempt to conceal any familiarity, shook her head, responding, "No."

Donna, frustrated and puzzled, continued, "You act like you know him. Ever since he arrived, it’s like—" She heaved a heavy sigh, abruptly halting her train of thought. "I’m so stupid!" she declared, voicing her self-reproach.

Shaun quickly reassured his wife, "No. No, you’re not."

Donna shook her head, lost in contemplation. "We could be living somewhere far away from here. Monte Carlo. Switzerland." She then turned to her daughter Rose, who sat beside her. "And you— And you’d be safe, Rose." Donna pulled Rose into a comforting side hug. "It’s all my fault. Gave away that lottery money."

The Doctor, unable to resist his curiosity, interjected, "Why?"

Donna shot him a glare. "Because. There are places out there where people are in danger. And in pain. And fear. And I could help. Just felt the sort of thing he would do." Her words hung in the air, revealing a sense of duty and compassion that drove her actions.

Abruptly, the truck jolts to a stop, resulting in the Doctor colliding with one of the crates, eliciting a pained groan. You swiftly move to assist him. The truck door swings open, and a stern voice commands, "Out!"

MILLSON WAGNER STEELWORKS 

NORTH LONDON, – EVENING, DECEMBER 2023

The UNIT soldiers briskly led you towards the heart of the steelworks, where the Meep's spaceship had strategically landed.

"It didn't choose the steelworks by accident. It came here to be mended," the Doctor remarked as the group neared the spacecraft. The Meep made a grand entrance, seated on a makeshift throne of steel carried by a procession of UNIT soldiers. With its menacing teeth and booming voice, it declared, "Hail to the Meep!"

A hypnotic chant echoed through the steelworks as multiple officers joined in unison, "Hail to the Meep. Hail to the Most High. Hail to the Meep. Hail to the Most High."

"Human scum, behold my vessel to the stars! Far beyond your tiny, grasping minds," Beep the Meep declares with an air of arrogance. You respond with an eye roll of annoyance, and the Doctor shakes his head while humorously interjecting, "I name this ship the Delusions of Grandeur."

Beep the Meep growls in protest, "Meep."

"You can't fire those engines. Not from here. A dagger drive gets its energy by stabbing down. It would extract, ooh, five square miles? The whole of London town burnt as fuel," the Doctor explains, his tone serious and concerned.

Rose, wearing a frown, adds, "But that's nine million people."

"A great day for Meepkind. And the start of a new reign of terror as the Meep return to the stars for revenge. And feasting. Now, activate the initializers," the Meep commands, its voice dripping with malevolence.

A disciplined UNIT soldier swiftly responds, "Initializers activated."

The low hum of the spaceship's engines reverberates through the steelworks as the Meep grins with an evil glint in its eyes, proclaiming, "Brandish the gravity stanchions."

"Gravity stanchions brandished," announces a focused UNIT soldier as the prongs of the spacecraft forcefully dig into the ground.

"Calibrate the flight deck," the Meep commands with a sense of authority, intensifying the tension in the air.

A disciplined UNIT member announces, "Flight deck calibrated."

The Meep, perched on its steel throne, commands, "Take the prisoners on board! Then I’ll decide which one to eat first. Hail to Meep!"

The rhythmic chant of the hypnotized UNIT soldiers fills the air, "Hail to the Most High! Hail to the Meep!" while the Meep indulges in a sinister cackle, reveling in its delusions of grandeur.

The liftgate slams shut, transporting you to a different floor. Thoughts of subduing the UNIT guards swirl in your mind as the lift grinds to a halt. As the gate creaks open, Shirley appears, wearing a mischievous grin. "Evening, boys."

With swift precision, she activates a concealed device beneath her wheelchair, firing two darts at each soldier. The tranquilizers swiftly take effect, rendering the guards unconscious.

"You've got weapons in your wheelchair," the Doctor exclaims, eyeing Shirley with a mixture of surprise and admiration. She glances back at him, a knowing look in her eyes, and responds, "We all have. You've got your girl to thank for that. Come on." With a nod, she leads the way, wheeling herself confidently through the complex.

"Right. You lot, the family, you can get out through that door," Shirley says, gesturing towards the exit on the right. She then turns her attention to you and the Doctor, her tone more serious, "You need to get to the engine control. But the port side’s guarded, and there's no way around it."

A quick exchange of glances between you and the Doctor precedes his question to Shirley, "So what do we do?"

With a confident smirk, Shirley retorts, "I don’t just fire darts, mate." She spins her wheelchair around, revealing hidden capabilities. With the push of a button, two missiles activate and blast through the wall, creating a makeshift path forward. The unexpected firepower leaves you and the Doctor momentarily impressed.

Shirley swiftly directs the family, "You lot run. I’ll fight them off at the lift."

The Doctor tightens his grip on your hand, leading you through the large breach in the wall. The chaotic, metallic environment of the spaceship's bridge unfolds before you. With his trusty sonic screwdriver, the Doctor deftly manipulates the controls, unlocking the gate to the engine control room. As the door creaks open, the two of you step inside, ready to stop the ship from taking off.

The Doctor removes his coat and hangs it on one of the pillars as the ship's system voice declares, “Dagger drive systems initializing.”

In a sudden burst of energy, Donna enters the control room panting, "That's enough… running. Blimey."

The system voice abruptly announces, “Chamber deadlocked.” Panic sets in as the only exit seals shut, leaving the Doctor frustrated. He slams his hands on the door, exclaiming, “No, no, no, no! I told you to go—just don’t!”

Frantically, he moves about the room, urging, “No time. I’ve got this. We’ve got it. We’ve got it. You stay there. Don’t move, Donna!”

The Doctor and you scramble around, pressing buttons and flicking switches, racing against time as the system voice declares, “Star launch in five minutes.”

Climbing up one of the pillars, the Doctor instructs you while you squat on the other side to manipulate hidden switches. Suddenly, the system announces, “Deadlock sealed.” A flicker of discomfort courses through both of you as the ship's mechanisms react.

“It’s been deadlocked,” you groan, and Donna questions, “What’s that mean?” 

The Doctor replies swiftly, “It means, we can do it by hand.”

You move to the far end of the ship, and the system voice chimes in again, “Maxifold bisecting.” A glass pane wall starts dividing the room, separating you from the Doctor and Donna. “You can stay on that side Doctor, I—” But then the Doctor rolls under the glass just before it seals, protesting, “Oh. No, no, no, no!”

“Double dagger drive installed and initiated.”

You can feel your eye twitch as you look at the Doctor standing next to you. “Okay, okay. Okay, we can do it with half the room. That’s fine.” The Doctor tries to reassure himself and you look at him wondering why he had to end up on your side of the room.

“Let me help.” Donna insists and the Doctor is quick to disagree, “No! You can’t get involved.”

Donna looks at the Doctor with a glare, challenging him and the Doctor tries to steady his resolve, “You can’t!”

It's then your turn to shoot him a pointed look. The Doctor groans and pants in frustration before finally surrendering. He instructs Donna, "Switches, the top ones, the blue ones, flick them all down."

Donna diligently follows his directions, swiftly flicking the switches down, while you navigate to a different section of your side of the room to spin a dial a few times. Despite your efforts, it proves futile, and you slump down in disappointment. The Doctor, leaning defeatedly on a pillar, somberly admits, "We've run out of time."

“Ignition in 230.”

The Doctor sighs with a heavy burden on his shoulders as he confides in Donna, "If there was anything else I could do, but there's one thing left."

"Well— Well, then do it," Donna urges, her tone laced with desperation. The Doctor, however, looks down in shame, prompting Donna to insist, "Hurry up and do it! What are you waiting for?"

Pushing himself off the pillar, the Doctor strides over to the glass partition separating Donna from the two of you. "I think… all that coincidence was heading here to save London from burning. 'Cause the three of us can stop this ship. Together."

Donna gasps in realization, "Oh."

As you rise and move towards the glass, locking eyes with Donna, you declare, "But it will kill you."

Donna sharply inhales, and responds easily, “Okay.”

The Doctor’s voice cracks as he says, “You’ll die.”

Donna's lower lip trembles, her eyes reflecting the imminent crisis, as she says, "My daughter is down there."

"Ignition in 180."

Tears well up in Donna's eyes, and her voice stammers with fear, "And it's not just Rose. It's nine million people. Who cares about me?"

The Doctor responds swiftly, his urgency palpable, "I do. We both do."

Donna takes a deep breath, mustering courage, and asks, "But why?" She pauses, gathering her thoughts, and continues, "I'm just no one."

The Doctor's expression shifts to one of anger, his eyebrows furrowing as he yells, "No, you are not!"

He takes a few steps back, the weight of the situation evident in his sob and scream, "Why does it have to be this?"

"Entering the final sequence."

The Doctor looks at Donna with a somber gaze, defeated, as he utters the words that trigger Donna's memories, "Westerly. Pelican. Dreams."

Donna is desperate as she says, "I don't— Look, I don't care what it is. All right. Just— just go on and do it, will you?"

"Ignition in 150."

"Tornado. Clifftops. Andante," the Doctor says.

"Get on with it!" Donna shouts.

The Doctor continues, "Grief. Fingerprint. Susurration."

Donna's eyes light up as she begins to remember her adventures, "Oh."

The Doctor and Donna utter the last few words in unison, "Sparrow. Dance. Mexico. Binary. Binary. Binary."

A golden glow emanates from Donna, the metacrisis shimmering through as she regains her memories once more. You and the Doctor press your palms against the glass, witnessing her transformative moment.

"Ignition in 100."

As the glow dissipates, the Doctor anxiously asks, "Are you alright?"

"Ignition in 90."

Donna pants, sighs, and sweeps her bangs away from her eyes as she glares at the Doctor. Inhaling deeply, she says, "I gave away my money."

"Ignition in 75."

The Doctor looks at her, puzzled, "Right, but—"

Donna, expressing a mix of frustration and anger, interrupts, "I gave away all my money. And do you know why, Doctor? I gave it away to be like you. So I could be kind. So I could be nice. So I could be helpful— I—"

Donna releases a frustrated growl as the system voice continues, "Ignition in one minute."

Moving her face closer to the glass panel, Donna continues, "I had a subconscious, infracutaneous, retrofold memory loop making me act as soft as you and give away 166 million pounds!"

"Ignition in 50."

The Doctor, wide-eyed, nods in agreement but attempts to refocus on the urgent matter, "Yes, Donna, but— Destruction of London?"

"Oh, I'll show you destruction, mate," Donna declares, intertwining her fingers before flexing them to crack her knuckles.

"Ignition in 40."

You and the Doctor observe in awe as Donna moves around the control panel with ease. "I'll triple-drive the particle manifesto, overstep the umbilical feed, vindicate the cyberline, and roast the hyperfeeds! Like this!" Donna exclaims, spinning the dial on the lower left of her.

The Doctor navigates about half of the room, deftly flicking switches while instructing, "Maximise the stressfold links!"

"Channel up the booster drive!" Donna commands, pressing a few buttons.

"Inculcate the plexidrones!" You chime in, flicking a few more switches.

"And shatterfry the positrons! Oh yes!" Donna exclaims.

"Twenty, nineteen..."

Donna interrupts, asking, "How long have I got to live?" as she switches off a few controls.

"...sixteen, fifteen..."

All three of you simultaneously answer, "Fifty-five seconds."

"Thirteen, twelve, eleven..."

"The best fifty-five seconds of my life!" Donna exclaims.

"Seven, six, five, four..."

"Because I get to do this!" Donna proudly announces, turning around and simultaneously flicking off several switches.

"Three, two— Ignition halted."

You three watch as the panel flies off the wall; the countdown has stopped, and Donna proudly states, "Donna Noble is descending."

"Ignition reverse. Ignition reverse."

"It’s working!" The Doctor's voice resonates with exhilaration as the tangible effects of the reversed dagger drive unfold before your eyes.

However, your joy is cut short when you notice Donna beginning to falter. Panic sets in, and you urgently cry out, "No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

Swiftly, both you and the Doctor move in unison to catch Donna as she descends, cradling her fragile form in your arms. Donna sighs, her expression reflecting a mix of exhaustion and relief. The Doctor reassures her, "We did it. She’s fine. She’s safe. You saved her."

Donna smiles weakly, and you add, "You saved them all."

In a moment of introspection, Donna questions, "Why did this face come back?" She turns her gaze towards the Doctor, who responds with a sigh, "I don’t know."

"To say goodbye," Donna asserts with a soft smile. She then shifts her attention to you, saying, "Oh, the Stargazer. I’ve missed you."

"I’ve missed you too, Donna, every day," you confess, and the Doctor emits a thoughtful hum.

"Good fun, though," Donna remarks, her chuckles mingling with yours and the Doctor's. The lighthearted moment takes an abrupt turn as Donna's eyes flutter closed, her entire being going limp in the arms of her two closest companions.

A collective sob escapes from you and the Doctor as you sit there, cradling your best friend, a bittersweet mixture of victory and loss filling the air.

Abruptly, the door to the engine control room opens, revealing a cadre of UNIT soldiers with swirling, hypnotized eyes. The air tightens with tension as one of them declares, "We have orders to kill you."

Undeterred, the Doctor retorts defiantly, "Do what you want. This ship isn't going anywhere. You were beaten. By the DoctorDonna." The soldiers, rifles at the ready, cast ominous shadows in the confined space. You resign yourself to the impending threat, feeling the Doctor's protective instinct as he positions himself to shield you.

In a surprising turn, the psychedelic light emitted from the soldiers' eyes screeches and hisses, dissipating into nothingness. Bewilderment echoes through the room, and you join the Doctor in uttering a perplexed, "What?"

Even one of the soldiers can't help but question, "What?"

Donna, roused from her unconscious state, adds her own disoriented, "What?"

The Doctor, his voice tinged with disbelief, softly utters, "You're not dead."

A collective sense of confusion lingers, and Donna, now fully awake, queries, "But how?" as she steadies herself.

After a brief pause, Rose's voice resonates through the intercom, "Can you hear me? Mum? Doctor? Star? I think it's safe for you to come down now."

Donna responds, perplexed, "Rose?"

The Doctor's eyes widen with a sudden epiphany, "Too much power for one person, but you had a child, and the metacrisis passed down. A shared inheritance."

Donna grins, “It was always there. Shining out of her.”

“And she chose her own name,” the Doctor adds.

“Oh, the shed! The shed was her memory of the TARDIS. The toys! Every creature we met, she remembered as a toy,” Donna says with a glint in her eye.

You gape, suddenly realizing, “We are binary.”

“She’s not. Because the Doctor’s—”

The Doctor interjects, “Male.”

“And female,” Donna finishes.

"And neither. And more," Rose says, her voice carrying a warm smile through the intercom.

Donna rushes down the stairs, her steps echoing in the cavernous steelworks. Rose meets her halfway, and they share an emotional hug, Shaun joining in the embrace.

You and the Doctor follow suit, descending rapidly to the ground floor. Sylvia awaits, and as you approach, the Doctor wraps her in a jubilant hug. He inquires, “Happy now?”

Sylvia responds with a radiant smile, "My father would be impressed. I have no higher compliment." Laughter of triumph fills the air as you and the Doctor proceed to the nearby control center.

Shirley deftly maneuvers her wheelchair towards you and the Doctor, offering her unique perspective. She addresses the Doctor with a sly grin, “There’s a word for you, Doctor. And that word is jammy.”

The Doctor responds with infectious enthusiasm, “Jam on toast.” He decisively slams a button, activating the intercom. With authority, he speaks into the microphone, “Calling the Meep.”

The Meep's defiant voice crackles through the speakers, “You forget I still have my ship. And if I have to explode the engines and rupture this world and damn us all to hell, then I will!” A shared glance between you and the Doctor follows, and he graciously hands you the task of flicking the crucial switch.

With a resounding click, the Meep’s cockpit is ejected into the sky, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of the Meep's distressed shrieks. You and the Doctor gaze upward, drawn into the spectacle unfolding against the canvas of the vast night sky.

“There you go.” The Doctor points with a wry smile, observing the Meep’s cockpit deploying a parachute against the cosmic backdrop.

You feel the Doctor's reassuring grip on your waist as he pulls you into his side. Together, you look up, transfixed by the celestial display. The stars twinkle above, and in that moment, you choose to hope and believe that nothing universe-ending has transpired yet.

As the sun ascends on the horizon, casting a warm glow over the scene, the Wrath Warriors stand sternly with the imprisoned Meep, forming an uneasy tableau. You step forward, addressing them with a heavy heart, "Sergeant Zogroth and Constable Zreeg gave their lives, alongside many Earth soldiers."

The Wrath Warrior, resolute in the face of the aftermath, declares, "Their names will be included in the litany of crimes as the Meep atones in prison for 10,000 years." The Meep, defiant in defeat, mutters, "Oh, I will escape and have my revenge. So you beware, Doctor and Stargazer, because there’s one more thing."

With a determined stride, the Doctor moves closer, inquiring, "Which is?"

“A creature with two hearts is such a rare thing. And to have two of your kind here… Just wait till I tell the boss,” the Meep retorts, an ominous promise lingering in the air. The Wrath Warriors and the Meep vanish in a teleportation, leaving a sobering aftermath beneath the morning sun.

The Doctor, caught in contemplation, mumbles under his breath, "Cryptic. I hate that." He takes a deep breath, turning his attention to Donna and Rose with a sense of urgency, "But… we’ve still gotta fix you two. ‘Cause the metacrisis might have slowed down, but that thing is wrapped around your cortex."

Donna, with an eye roll and a knowing nod, quips, “Yes, we know.”

Rose adds confidently, “We know everything, thanks.”

Donna, in her typical nonchalant manner, shrugs, “And you know nothing. It’s a shame you’re not a woman anymore. ‘Cause she’d have understood.”

Rose, crossing her arms, asserts with confidence, “You’ve got all that power, but there is a way to get rid of it. Something a male-presenting Time Lord will never understand.”

Donna, ever pragmatic, advises, “Just let it go.”

The unity between mother and daughter becomes evident as Rose takes Donna’s hand, and together, they release the accumulated metacrisis energy. Shaun interjects with a grin, “Like I said, mate, how lucky am I?”

Rose, with a joyous laugh, concludes, “After all these years, I’m… finally me.”

CAMDEN MARKET, LONDON — MORNING, 2023

Shaun skillfully navigates the vehicle, bringing the group back to Camden Market in London. Earlier, you had informed Shirley about the intention to bid farewell to the Doctor and Donna before returning to headquarters. Shirley responded with a nonchalant, "Sure..." accompanied by a discerning look, rolling away from you in her wheelchair.

The Doctor maintains his characteristic chattiness as he informs Donna, "And UNIT has a splendid insurance policy for damage caused during an alien war. While they sort that out..." Approaching the iconic tall blue police box, the TARDIS, the Doctor gestures towards it, saying, "One last trip?"

"Uh, don’t you dare," Sylvie interjects with a pointed look. Donna, casting puppy eyes at both you and the Doctor, laments, “Do you know, I would love to.” She then takes a sharp inhale, sighs, and adds, “But… I have got adventures of my own, bringing up this one.” Donna points her thumb towards Rose.

“Can I see inside?” Rose asks the Doctor curiously, taking a step toward the TARDIS. Donna, however, swiftly moves her away, cautioning, “No. No! No. No.”

Rose sighs, and Donna playfully waves her finger, “No. Because summat will go wrong, and you’ll end up on Mars with Chaucer and a robot shark. And that’s actually happened, hasn’t it.”

The Doctor gives a sheepish, “Oh, yeah.”

“But I was thinking, we could go and see Wilf?” The Doctor suggests to you and Donna.

Donna then says, “Now that is cheating.”

The Doctor pouts, “Just a suggestion.”

“I mean it, don’t you dare.” Sylvie says, and Donna sighs, “But imagine his face, Mum. Oh, he would be so happy. All those secrets Grandad kept for years. He— He thought I’d never remember. And to see the Doctor. One last time.”

The Doctor and Donna make a puppy face to you and Sylvie, urging you to join them. Sylvie relents and gives in, “Oh, all right. But one trip. That’s all. Just one.”

The Doctor turns to unlock the door with his key while Donna laughs with glee, “One tiny, little trip. That is a promise.”

Donna turns to you and the Doctor and gasps in excitement, “It’s like the old days. Just me, the Doctor, and the Stargazer. Together.” She then turns to her family, “Is that all right?”

“Yeah, of course it is,” Shaun says confidently with a huge smile.

“Well, a lot of husbands would worry. You know, me, in a box, with another man.” Donna jokes, and Shaun shrugs and shakes his head, “Yeah. But not him.”

The Doctor looks somewhat offended, but then Donna shoos him to go inside, “Come on, space man.”

In the quiet aftermath, with Donna entering the TARDIS, the Doctor notices the unsure expression on your face. He whispers to Donna to go ahead, and she complies, leaving the two of you alone, behind the TARDIS, sheltered from prying eyes.

With a gentle gesture, he wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you closer. He cups your face with both hands, his smile revealing dimples that carry the weight of countless adventures. “The stars haven’t gone out.”

Your raised brows betray a hint of skepticism, “Yet…”

The Doctor locks eyes with you, his deep dark brown orbs conveying understanding. As tears well up in your eyes, you break the silence, your voice a fragile whisper, “You have no idea how bad it gets. How scared I am that all of this is temporary and I lose you… and I can’t have you.”

“Hey. Hey, hey. None of that,” he reassures, his gaze unwavering. “So far, everything has been leading me back to you. And when the time comes to face it… we’ll fix it… together. I can’t lose you again. Not ever again.”

His words linger in the air, a vow shaped by the quiet resilience of a Time Lord who has navigated countless challenges across time and space. You respond with a nod, sealing the unspoken pact, and tenderly kiss his wrists. In return, he draws you closer, planting a gentle kiss on the top of your head.

“When this is all over,” he declares, “we’re getting married.”

“What?” you screech, caught off guard by the unexpected revelation.

“We've waited this long. I’m not spending the rest of my how many years without you,” the Doctor insists, his eyes earnest.

“Is this a proposal?” you inquire, a mixture of surprise and delight in your voice.

“If you want,” he smirks, playfully nonchalant.

On tiptoe, you reach up to kiss the tip of his nose, a tender acknowledgment, “We'll see.” The promise of an unwritten future hangs in the air, held by the shared understanding that time and space will unfold their stories together.

THE TARDIS

The Doctor guides you inside the TARDIS and closes the door behind him and both of you are in awe of the major changes of the entire TARDIS. Huge curved white walls with round circles that glow with lights and many ramps that lead to different corridors.

The Doctor hangs his coat on one of the railings as he grins and laughs, “Whoa!” He begins to run around all the ramps with the energy of a little kid as he shouts, “This is amazing!”

“It changed! Oh, you clever thing! Look at that!” The Doctor laughs as he finishes his lap around the new interior of the TARDIS. He runs over to the console and smiles, “It’s got this!”

He pushes a lever forward, and the lights within the TARDIS shift to a vibrant orange, casting a warm glow. Your gaze is drawn upward in awe as the ambient hum of the time machine resonates around you. Running your fingers along the railings, you can feel the TARDIS responding, and you affectionately murmur, “Hello, sweet thing. I missed you too.”

Amid the luminous atmosphere, the Doctor darts around the console, engaging with switches and buttons on the refurbished device. Donna, observing the transformation, remarks, “It’s still a bit nippy.”

The Doctor protests, “Oh, come on!”

Undeterred, Donna concedes with a grin, “All right…” Her expression changes as she admires the surroundings, “It’s gorgeous!” Laughter bubbles up from both Donna and the Doctor, who joins in the jubilation, bouncing excitedly.

“It’s cleaner. And it’s grown,” Donna observes, her laughter echoing through the TARDIS.

Making your way to the console, you overhear Donna questioning the Doctor, “But I— I still don’t get it. I mean, the TARDIS can change all right. But what about your face? Why did it come back?”

“Does there have to be a reason?” the Doctor muses, and Donna, with a snort, retorts, “In your life? Yes!”

With a nonchalant shrug, the Doctor remarks, “Well, I’m stuck with it now.” He continues exploring the console, fidgeting with excitement, and comments, “Oh, this thing is brilliant. It’s even got a coffee machine!” Glancing at you and Donna, he inquires, “You want one?”

You shake your head, “No, thank you, darling.”

“You’re kidding,” Donna says with wide eyes.

“With cold milk, yeah?” The Doctor deftly presses a few buttons, and Donna, smiling, says, “Well remembered.” To your delight, a white cup materializes with coffee and cold milk.

He carefully hands the cup of coffee to Donna who says, “Thank you very much. Careful. It’s how I lost my job. Dropped a coffee in the computer.”

To which the Doctor just hums and moves to flick a few more switches around the console as you lean on a railing, to listen to him say, “I really do remember, though. Every second with you. I’m so glad you’re back ‘cause it killed me, Donna.” The Doctor clicks another switch as he continues on, “It killed me, it killed me, it killed me.”

"We can have more days, can’t we?" Donna inquires, her tone laced with a mix of hope and curiosity. Her eyes reflect a desire for a future filled with shared moments. Continuing with optimism, she suggests, "I mean, why is it such a big goodbye with you? Why is it one last trip? ‘Cause you could visit. With my family."

The Doctor, absorbed in examining a screw, listens attentively as Donna paints a vivid picture of ordinary yet precious moments. "We could do outrageous things, like have tea, dinner, and a laugh! And Rose’s school play. Well, maybe not that. She can’t act. She’s terrible. I don’t know how to tell her. But the point is, you’ve been given a second chance. You can do things differently this time."

Encouraging him to embrace change, Donna suggests, "So why don’t you do something completely new and have some friends?"

The Doctor contemplates the idea, responding with a hesitant "Maybe. Yeah." Donna chuckles, savoring the simplicity of their current moment. "Mmm. Like now," she remarks, lifting her cup as if to toast. "Here we are. Having a coffee."

Before the Doctor can respond, Donna's accidental spillage disrupts the calm, eliciting a gasp from her. "What’s gonna go wrong—" Her sentence is abruptly cut off as the spilled coffee interacts with the TARDIS console, resulting in sparks and flames.

With urgency, Donna questions, "What’s happening?" The Doctor, swift in his actions, ushers both you and Donna away from the unfolding chaos. The TARDIS groans and whines as its engines protest, and the cloister bell rings ominously in the background.

"We could end up anywhere in time and space," the Doctor confesses, a tinge of uncertainty in his voice. As the atmosphere fills with anticipation, you brace yourself, thinking, "Here we go again."

TAGLIST:

[watchinghallmark]

There's some new posters and movie info added to the international press site! No info on airdates but there are 3 royal-themed movies coming our way...

Cast: Nichole Sakura, William Moseley

Synopsis: Lacey is an amusement park princess who befriends 8-year-old Rose, a real-life princess, and is recruited by her handsome father to travel to their kingdom and be the new governess.

Cast: Andrew Walker, Emilie de Ravin

Synopsis: Philly mechanic Johnny is surprised to learn that his long-lost father is a duke. But the duke isn’t quite what he expected, nor are his growing feelings for the duke’s advisor Prudence.

Cast: Mallory Jansen, Charlie Carrick

Synopsis: When her older sister elopes with a non-royal, Princess Bea who has lived her life away from her royal duties must now step in and honor the arranged marriage to a small kingdom prince.

[broke-art]

You laughed as M.k and your other friends made jokes chatting amoungst themselves.

You didn't feel even slightly guilty.

That was until Nezha stepped through the threshold of pigsy's noodles.

You bristled as your gazes met.

With a glare he marched towards you.

"Princ-"

"Nezha!" You cut him off quickly shooting to your feet and shoving a hand over his mouth. "Long time no see. Hey guys you know Nezha, right?"

M.k looked confused at your behavior but nodded with a smile, Mei frowned suspiciously, tang and pigsy exchanged suspicious glances and Sandy just smiled and waved.

"Course we know Nezha," Sandy affirmed. "Can't understand why he's here, though. Don't you have celestial duties?"

Nezha gently, but firmly removed your hand shooting you a look.

"As a matter of fact I do. And the P-" He paused when you bit your lip and shook you head slightly.

He hated it when y/n pleaded. He could be firm with anyone else. But something about her snapped his resolve.

This time would be no different. When Y/n shook her head with a pleading look he begrudgingly changed his statement.

"Parents of this one." He gestured to you with an open palm. "Are looking for her."

You frowned.

"Annnnd why should that matter to you?" Pigsy spoke up from behind you a skeptic tone underlining his inquiry.

You turned on your heel.

"Oh Nezha probably just noticed I was late for classes. You know how he is with schedules and the like. My parents always come looking for me around this time. So I should really get going, ok byyyeee!" You explained haphazardly and grabbed Nezha's wrist before pulling him out the door.

"Oh no that wasn't suspicious at all." Nezha muttered as you both walked towards the park.

"Well if you would have just left it be-" you began only to be cut off by Nezha.

"You ran away, Y/n. Your parents are worried sick. You could have been taken or worse, killed."

You sighed.

"You don't get it, Nezha. I have my reasons."

Nezha chuckled sardonically.

"Oh yes, reasons I'm sure the monkie king taught you no doubt."

You bristled at the implication.

"Did you just imply that I ran away because like the monkey king I shurk responsibility?"

"Perhaps." Nezha mused.

Something about his tone snapped your resolve and you whirled on your heel before throwing down a spell that made smoke explode around you.

Nezha stepped back with a gasp before choking on the lungful of smoke.

"Y- Y/N!" He yelled after you between coughing fits and sputters.

But you only ran faster as tears welled in your eyes then slipped down your cheeks. Your heart ached in your chest from the sting of his words and the falling tears blurred your vision until you turned a corner into an alleyway.

Your mind swirled with accusations and questions as you leaned your back against the alley wall. You expected such a cold accusation from your father or maybe from the whispers you heard his advisors exchanging. Perhaps even the girls who collected the immortality peaches from the heavenly gardens, but Nezha?

Since the day he had been assigned to be your bodyguard instead of guarding the map to the samadhi fire, you had felt instant attraction. And perhaps that was why the accusation hurt so deeply.

Slowly, you slid down the wall, coming to a sit at the ground burying your face in your knees. Being the daughter of the Jade emperor was no easy feat. There was so much expected of you, and so many enemies.

"Well, well, well what do we have here?"

You gasped and looked up at the same moment a punk knelt next to you, a bat resting lazily on his shoulder.

You felt your heart seize in your chest.

The punk rose an eyebrow and lifted your chin with a finger.

"What's the matter, girlie? Your boyfriend dump you?"

You gave him a glare and knocked his hand aside.

"Don't touch me."

The punk whistled lowly as a few more men stepped into the alleyway.

"Feisty, eh? That's adorable. What are you gonna do bout it?"

"She won't have to do anything." Nezha's voice cut through the alleyway coldly.

You glanced to the entrance only to see Nezha brandishing his spear.

The punk scoffed.

"Is that spear supposed to scare me?"

Nezha gaze sharpened.

"I'll not give you another warning mortal."

The punk smirked and gestured towards Nezha with a wave of his hand.

"Take care of this idiot boys." He turned his gaze back on you. "I'm busy."

You weren't concerned for Nezha's safety in the slightest. The humans on the other hand..... You certainly hoped Nezha felt merciful.

"Now, miss." The punk took your chin in hand again. "You never answered my question."

You were tempted to smack his hand away once again when his eyes flickered to a cold blue. His voice echoed in your ears and a cool chill swept up your spine.

You only managed a gasp before Nezha made quick work of the other punks and reached for your aggressor.

"Nezha, no!" You screamed just as a sharp glacier froze around his arm.

Nezha's gaze widened.

"The lady bone demon?!"

The punk chuckled.

"Close, buddy." The punk glanced at him. "Actually her son. And this-" He pulled you to your feet as an ice dagger formed in his other hand which he quickly pressed against you neck. "Is my new Fiance."

[zayray030]

Anon 🍓

I have head cannons on Aces family and I desperately need to share them with you.

Okay first things first: Ace has two last names. Trappola was his mother’s maiden name. And LockHeart is his father’s last name.

Aces Father: Mr. LockHeart runs a billion dollar company and is the head advisor to the current Queen of hearts. He and Ms. Roseheart compete against each other for the title. He has won every single adviser election.

Small story: Ms. Roseheart tries to threaten Mr. Lockhearts son(Ace) but fails due to almost being ruined politically and socially by even going near Ace. Mr. Lockheart is very protective of his sons especially the youngest

Aces Mother: She had died during childbirth from an unknown disease. Before she died she was considered one of the strongest magicians in the world. No one has ever met the rest of her family. Not even her husband and children

And finally

Ace’s Brother: he’s a fun one because I’ve decided that he works as a “Jester” for the Queen of hearts. A Jester is pretty much an assassin job. He kills those who are unforgivable and those who so much as think to harm the Queen (and his brother) He is probably the most protective of Ace

Ace’s Aunt: She is Mr. LockHearts twin sister. She went to NRC and was in Pomefiore. She tells people she snuck into NRC but in actuality she just hadn’t transitioned yet. One day she was kidnapped by a beastly prince who was trying to claim her as a bride. She kills the beast and becomes Queen of a forgotten Queendom. People call her the Blood Empress but it’s more of a side job for her. She’s actually one of the most renowned fashion designers in the world

Ace’s Grandmother: she’s a very sweet woman but in the past she was the Leader of a revolution that reshaped the Queendom of Roses into a better place. And that’s only when she was a teen. How do you think she knows so much about magic items. She has been through many shenanigans

And that’s it on the Family now to Ace himself

Ace is thoroughly convinced that his family is normal even though his magical power is slowly growing to be as strong as the 7

Okay that’s all I got, let me know your thoughts^^

I LOVE YOUR BRAIN!!

Nah, but Ace genuinely believing that his family is completely normal whilst half if not all of them are homicidal maniaca is hilarious

I can imagine Ace's brother lying and saying that he works at an amusementn park so he can see how happy Ace gets at the thought of one!

Ace's grandmother being a decendant of Alice??? Maybe that's why she caused the revolution

And I'm sorry but the trappola and roseheary family having parental beef is hilarious to me

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Hi

I need some book recommendations

I want to get back into reading but I’m finding it hard since my dyspraxia and ADD diagnoses

I want to read more fiction as I usually read non fiction

So first, I read a lot of thriller books. Adventure thriller, murder thriller, legal thriller. I'm not really into women's fiction as much as I used to be, but I do read them from time to time. (I hope some people will jump in the comments with recommendations for that genre since I'm not very current.) I do like a good historical fiction or a dystopian/alternative reality book.

I'll do series first, in case that's your speed, and then individual recommendations.

Series/Authors

Dan Brown, Lee Child, James Patterson - I'm specifically suggesting these because they have short chapters. A friend of mine with ADHD (which I know is different from ADD) swears by authors with short chapters or short stories because it's easier to find a natural stopping point when her ADHD acts up and she can't stay focused. (I also like them too; Dan Brown more than the others. Digital Fortress and Deception Point are my favorites; the Robert Langston series is ok but I've never picked up those books again. I reread Digital Fortress and Deception Point almost every year.)

Marcia Clark has two series, one about a prosecutor and one about a defense attorney. Both are enjoyable, and one of them (I can't remember the title but it's part of the prosecutor series) is essentially a retelling of the OJ case. (Marcia is one of the prosecutors from the OJ trial.)

Stacey Abrams is a compelling legal fiction writer (she doesn't get into politics in her fiction books) and I like her Avery Keene series (I can't vouch for the books she wrote under her pen name).

Meg Cabot for more lighthearted reads. She has two series that are my go-tos whenever I need something light and quick.

Heather Wells. Heather is a former pop star (think Britney) who is a dorm advisor in NYC and her landlord is a private investigator that she has the hots for...who also happens to be the older brother of her ex-boyfriend, who is also a pop star. It's rom com + mystery.

The Boy series - these are epistolary novels, where everything is happening in emails, text messages, voicemails, newspaper articles.

Recently I've been reading Alex Michaelides and Eric La Salle. Both are thrillers/adventure-type books. I will warn you now; Eric's series deals with the Catholic Church abuse scandal, which I know is touchy for a lot of people for many different reasons. (Though that said, there is a twist in Eric's Laws of Depravity that I did not see coming at all, and usually I can suss these out.)

Always a good read is the Maggie Hope series, by Susan Elia MacNeal. She's a WW2 spy and gets into shenanigans. There are some dark parts of the series but overall, it's fun.

Individual Books

Thirteen by Steve Cavanaugh blew my mind. A serial killer sits on a jury, and that's all I'm going to tell you.

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead. I've recommended it a few times here on tumblr. It's about a utopian society that regulates religion. It's part of an incomplete trilogy (the publisher cancelled the series for poor sales). The first book (this one) is better than the second.

Murdle. It's like Wordle or Quordle but with mysteries. It's a puzzle book but each puzzle is like a short story.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. WW2 spy novel that takes place at Bletchley Park. Kate's grandmother makes an appearance. :)

Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke. An epistolary novel that takes place over IM/DM. It's a little weird but a bit silly. A very light and easy read.

The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart. Part sci-fi, part crime thriller. The Paradox Hotel sits at the "end of earth" next to a port for time travel. January is an employee at the hotel who must make sure that the time travellers don't bring anything back they're not supposed to. It's like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel + the Loki series + Doctor Who.

The Company of the Dead by David Kowalsky. Time travelers save the Titanic and the ripple effect through history. It's some heady shit, but it's a really interesting theory about what today would be like if the Titanic (and its shipload of rich people - that's important to remember) never sank.

If anyone else wants to add to these book recommendations, please do! Submit in the comments or asks. I'll use the tag #reading list for all of these.

[battleangel]

Walking While Carefree & Black

Fetishized & dehumanized.

Daily misogynoir.

Harrassed on my daily walks for hugging a tree, picking a flower, laying on grass and stretching out my arms, twirling, smiling, being an unrushed unbothered carefree fierce ferocious unapologetic black woman who isnt on the way to somewhere, Im not going to 7-11 five minutes from my apartment, Im not rushing to work, Im not hurrying, Im not hustling, Im not bustling, Im not harried, Im not distratcted, Im not anxious, Im not impatient, Im not speedwalking, Im not in a car, Im not on a bike, Im walking on sidewalks, under bridges, near highways, busy intersections, busy traffic lights, near school buses, near angry white stay at home moms pushing their strollers, moms with toddlers shielding their eyes from me, white police men slowing their patrol cars when I am doing nothing but take a selfie under a bridge.

Why cant I be free?

Why cant I twirl?

Why cant I hug trees?

Why cant I treat a light pole as a stripper pole?

Is it a crime to joke around during the day when people are at school and work, jokingly twirl myself around the pole, pretend I am a pole dancer, and take a video selfie?

Will I be Sandra Bland'd?

Why cant I take pictures of a rose garden?

Why cant I take a selfie under a bridge? On a park bench?

Why cant I pick flowers near the sidewalk, smell them, place them behind my ear and skip down the sidewalk pavement?

Capitalism demands that I, a black woman, be a slave to their system but I left their system.

I left Amazon in a week with no job lined up.

I left Dow Jones with no job lined up.

I left Bank of America in 3 months with no job lined up.

I left Yale.

I quit my career coaching business after 3 years and over a hundred executive clients.

I permanently left corporate in 2019 and quit my business this year.

I am a permanent freeelancer now.

I am a podcaster now. We dont have sponsors yet so I dont currently generate income.

$55/hr at Amazon and after six months they were going to convert me with the coveted unrestricted stock aka golden handcuffs.

It was a cult. I left in a week.

I made -$7,000 last year as my business failed. I hated sales and referrals dried up.

Capitalism says I am a failure and a loser.

Capitalism says I, a nubian queen, Isis, an egyptian goddess, am only worth the revenue I generate.

I was the highest rated recruiter with the most hires at every Fortune 500 company I worked at.

I had over a hundred executive clients with my career coaching business that landed offers at Disney, Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, Amazon & Comcast with five figure salary increases.

I was a career advisor at Yale who coached graduate and postdoc STEM students.

Capitalism rolls its eyes and asks me, What have you done for me lately?

It demands I turn myself back into a machine to be deemed worthy.

But those days are over.

I will never work another 9 to 5 in any industry -- corporate, academic or non-profit.

I will never work a job that requires that I report into a supervisor.

I will never work another job with dictated shifts.

I will never sell anything to anyone ever again. I detest sales and I hate capitalism.

Capitalism is dehumanizing and it kills. It profits off of, relies on and thrives on energetic and psychic attacks that sends its adherents & acolytes to an early stress-induced death.

I was having GI issues and I healed myself.

No doctor, no gastroenterologist, no harmful laxatives, no chemical stimulants, no synthetic lab-made prescription medication that can all be addictive.

The smoothie takes 5 minutes and is just blending 1 cup pineapples, 1/2 cucumber, 1/4 grated ginger, 1 lemon, 1 orange, 2 tbs apple cider vinegar and 4 ice cubes & 1 cup of water in a mixer. Makes 2 servings, drink 1 cup in morning and 1 cup at night.

I just started walking outside in nature for an hour a day, not power walking, no step counting, no calorie counting, just being in nature, soaking up the sun, breathing the air, barefoot in grass, hugging trees, picking and smelling flowers, doing simple yoga exercises, abdominal massages, using a heating pad on my stomach, drinking 32 to 64 oz of water a day, eliminating coffe, not drinking soda during the week (used to drink 1 to 2 cans a day), fresh fruit & vegetable smoothie in the morning, oatmeal or grape nuts cereal with peppermint herbal tea no sugar or honey, homemade vegetarian salad & homemade vegetarian dressing (store bought dressing has a ton of fat, sugar amd calories) and mixed nuts as a snack Monday through Friday then I take a break and eat what I want on the weekend.

GI issues resolved themselves in a week, I am healthier, lighter, less sluggish, more fit, more in shape and more energetic. This is now my diet 75% of the time (5 days a week).

Decolonize your mind.

You have the ability to heal yourself. Stop running to doctors and quick fixes.

Change what you eat. Move more.

Get outside in nature! You are nature!

That is what heals. We come from nature and we are nature.

Trees, grass, sunlight, air, flowers, butterflies, streams, brooks, meadows, gardens, pumpkin patches, orchard farms, parks, nature trails.

Get outside.

Not to get in your car. Not to go somewhere.

Stop spending all your time penned inside like an animal and a prisoner.

Not to go to the mall, shopping, a restaurant, a salon, a spa, a movie theater, work, school, a grocery store, a laundromat, dry cleaners.

Not to run an errand.

Not to sit in traffic in a machine.

Not to burn calories.

Not to power walk.

Not to lose weight.

To reconnect with nature.

To reconnect your mind, soul, body, heart and spirit.

The west purposely severs this connection in service of capitalism.

Its up to you to restore it.

Walk. Breathe. Be. Skip. Twirl. Pose. Use the sidewalk as a catwalk. Take selfies. Take pictures.

Stop and smell the flowers.

Hug a literal tree.

Lay on the grass while cars roll past you with their windows down and stare at you like youre crazy.

Its 11 am on a Tuesday.

What the hell is she doing laying on the grass with her arms outstretched?

Why isnt she at work or at school?

Confuse people with your very presence.

I have a goth alt kawaii japanese street fashion aesthetic that includes boyshorts, leather garters, torn fishnets, leather chokers, hello kitty tiaras, six inch pink platform heels, black lipstick, mini cut out crop tops, extremely thick black eyeliner and hot pink eyeshadow.

For wearing this on Friday on my daily walk at 8:30 am which I then shared on TikTok, I was accused of being indecent, inappropriate for children to see going to school, people stared, rolled their windows down, honked at me, cars followed me, two men purposefully walked right into me bumping me (there was plenty of room on the sidewalk), an HVAC repairman leered at me outside of his van and literally just stared holes through me as I walked by.

Im 41. Im 5"1. Im 92 lbs. Im black and female.

I have a quirky style and aesthetic. I look young.

I also shaved my head bald a few weeks ago and have a bald fade.

People have since then called me a dyke, asked if I am trans, am I a boy or a girl, whats the deal.

Thats when I dont have a wig on.

I love different looks so I also wear long wigs.

The reaction is completely different when I wear a wig and people tell me how good I look, that people are slowing their cars down because I am attractive.

Bald fade, bony dyke who looks like a boy and might be trans.

Long wig, attractive girl, let me slow down and get a look.

Still black no matter the hair. Still followed.

Still harrassed.

A MAGA Proud Boy harrassed me with my bald fade while I was wearing an Eagles shirt and jeans. He stared at me as I took a selfie on a bench under a tree, when I got up to walk home, he started walking towards me and blocked my path in the small walkway we were both on and wouldnt let me pass.

Doesnt matter if its boy shorts and leather garters or an Eagles shirt and jeans.

I am harrassed for being a carefree black girl in capitalist Amerikkka.

[fetusmeme]

I wish to inquire about your cupid Wally AU? What kind of cupids and angels are the others?

I smirk

SO! There’s cupids and there’s just regular angels!!

Cupids are a type of angel, but they’re usually quicker and angels that usually interact with humans more!!

while cupids specialize in all types of love, all cupids have a specialty on what they’re good at!

Wally is a cupid who specializes in good ol fashioned romance. Think dancing to old music, roses, and hopeless romantic tropes!! He just loves a good happy ending

Now the rest of welcome home is also in this au!!

Eddie is a cupid who specializes in love thru distance. Either via letters or via words and poetry!!

Julie is a cupid who specializes in love through play and thrill!! She helps with relationships build ways to have fun and enjoy eachother thru different ways!! Waterparks, spontaneous dates, amusement parks, etc!!

Barnaby is a cupid as well! He works with love through humor and understanding!! He helps relationships with finding humor in their love and keeping things silly and finding the laughs in bad times

NOW!! The rest of the group are angels! They are different types from messenger angels to advisors!

Sally is a messenger angel! She is almost like ther Hermes of the heavens! They go back and forth from the head angels and Home to the cupid sector and other sectors delivering news and messages!!

Frank is the head advising angel for the cupids! He used to be a cupid but was promoted to head advisor! He gives the assignments and cupids their assigned human! As well as tasks and things to do during their time on earth!

Poppy is almost like a Caretaker for the cupids and angels! She gives advise and as well patches up and wings or tools and things that angels need! Poppy is a voice of reason and a mother type almost!! she works alongside frank to help the cupids!

Howdy is an angel!!! But he is a Guardian angel! He is an angel who gets to relay things back and forth from earth to the heavens! He delivers things like supplies, arrows, and also messages from the high heavens. (Sally cant go to earth to reliever messages, her rank is to stay in heaven while Howdy can go back and forth between worlds!)

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Home.

Home is the equivalent to Aphrodite in this AU. They are omnipotent and absolutely beautiful.

They can take many forms but usually they look like those biblically accurate angels. Home is one of the main high heaven officials that watch over the heavens and especially the cupid sector.

Home is the one who created the cupids rules and how things are set up and is VERY particular on how things are run. Home can be seen as intimidating but can be empathic and welcoming!

That’s kinda all i have so far for the angel lore details wise but!! i plan to expand!!

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Alexander Joffe

Christmas and festive celebrations and shopping were disrupted in parks, malls, stores and public venues ,such as midtown Manhattan and London, by protestors declaring “Christmas is canceled.” Assaults and arrests were reported. Protests were also held on Christmas morning outside the homes of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and national Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Efforts to shut down New Year’s celebrations were made in major cities.

The situation in Gaza was the ostensible motive but the actions were undertaken by pro-Palestinian groups as well as a wide array of communist and social groups including The People’s Forum and the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The support for ��Palestine” given by climate change personality Greta Thunberg demonstrated the unity of these and other far left causes.

Another direct reflection of “Globalize the Intifada” protests were hundreds of bomb threats and swatting threats called in to Jewish institutions, apparently from outside the US. Violent protests were held outside of Jewish owned business in cities including Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. Property crimes directed against Jewish owned businesses and other sites in New York City also rose 85% in December. S

Shabbat services at Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles were relocated for the first time in history after a pro-Hamas demonstration was scheduled in a park across the street.

The House of Representatives also passed a resolution condemning the October 7 attack and stating that anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism. The measure passed 311-14 but 92 Democrats voted “present.” The pro-BDS “Squad” comprised the no votes along with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY).

The increasingly wide distribution of Muslim communities in the US and their growing political action around the single issue of opposing Israel is a growing factor in future electoral calculations, particularly in states such as Michigan, Virginia, and New Jersey.

At the same time pro-Hamas activists have continued to target Democrats. In one incident a Michigan Democratic Party holiday event was disrupted when members of the Palestinian Youth Movement and Party for Socialism and Liberation entered the venue to harass Congresswoman Shri Thanedar (D-MI). The resulting fight sent several individuals to the hospital. Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) was harassed by pro-Hamas protestors at the 92nd Street Y who shouted “Ritchie Torres, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.” Pro-Hamas protestors also vandalized the offices of several Democratic Congressmen. as well as the home of Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA). The willingness to attack politicians is a grave escalation in the war against Israel in the US.

[virtie333]

Day 10 - Life Day Damerey Celebration

Prompt: Celebration

Summary: Poe and Rey celebrate Life Day their own way.

Warnings: Ooops! They took over this one. They were getting tired of the lack of smut. So... this is rated Explicit. MDNI

AO3

It was only their third Life Day as a couple and they almost didn’t get to spend it together.

Rey had been offworld on a peacekeeping mission for over three weeks. It was supposed to be an easy assignment. New Republic advisors had already laid ground for the peace talks between the Statches and the Aeoliahs, but once Rey arrived both sides had suddenly demanded more from the settlement. Rey learned later that both species had esteemed the Jedi and were trying to prove to her that they were better than the other. In the end, Rey had finally helped them reach a prudent arrangement that would hopefully maintain peace between the two for a long time to come.

She arrived back on Yavin IV in the afternoon, just in time to join in on the annual celebration. Not only was the whole colony gathered to eat and drink and be merry, but several of Rey and Poe’s friends from the Resistance were there to take part in the festivities. Friendships created during war tended to last a lifetime.

Rey landed her little cruiser on the Dameron family landing pad, then rushed to the empty house to shower and change. Wearing a lovely little green dress that she had picked up while on her trip, she jumped in the speeder and headed into the village.

Wetyin’s Colony was lit up already with bright lights that Rey knew would look amazing after the sun set. Decorations representing the local traditions of several species bedecked every corner, as well as most trees and bushes. An open-sided tent had been set up with tables in case it started to rain, and food was being prepared almost non-stop, but those who weren’t currently eating were out and about in the village square, drinking and laughing and singing. There was a live band in front of the local grocery, and several people were dancing.

Rey found her friends easily, as Chewie’s tall form stood out among the crowd. He was the first to see her and immediately wrapped her up in a hug, lifting her feet off the ground. Beau, Kay, Jess, and Karè also swooped in for hugs; she hadn’t seen any of them in almost a year! Finn and Rose followed them. Rey saw them frequently, as they had both finally settled right here in Wetyin’s Colony. After spending almost two years with Lando and Janna helping former stormtroopers find their homes and families, they had finally married and planned to start a family here on Yavin IV.

Rey and Poe had already beaten them in that department; Rey was currently three months pregnant. Nobody but Finn, Rose, and Kes knew and since Rey wasn’t showing, yet, she was content to keep that secret for the time being.

As she was laughing at something Jess was saying, strong arms wrapped around her from behind. Rey tilted her head to the side, welcoming her husband’s wet kiss on her neck.

“Sorry I’m late,” she told him, lacing her fingers with his as they lay over her still flat belly.

“You made it,” he said softly in her ear. “That’s all that matters.”

The party continued on as the afternoon waned and the sun set. The bright orb of Yavin still lit up the sky, preventing complete darkness, but no one complained. Rey and Poe ate, danced, spent time with old friends and new, and ate some more. Never once did they leave each other’s side, and they never stopped touching. By mid-evening, Rey was exhausted, but still wired. Her trip had been long, and while she loved spending time here with her extended family celebrating Life Day, she ached to spend some time alone with her husband even more. As they danced together one more time, she gave him a meaningful look.

No words were needed; Poe understood.

Without any hesitation, they both left the dance area and headed for the edge of the village where Rey had parked their speeder. Rey drove, as Poe had had more than a little alcohol this evening, and within twenty minutes they were home.

“BB8’s gonna be mad we left him and DO behind,” Poe said as he pulled Rey through the front door, nuzzling her neck.

“He probably won’t even notice for hours,” Rey answered, rubbing herself against Poe’s front. He groaned in response.

“That’s a beautiful dress, by the way,” he said just before he began to suck on that spot just below her ear. She shivered in response, her body already prepped and ready thanks to their constant touching all evening. “I can’t wait to take it off.”

“You don’t have to take if off right away,” she answered. Grasping his elbows, she backed up until her butt hit the edge of his desk. She shimmied up onto it, spreading her legs.

His eyebrows shot up as he slid up against her. “A little desperate tonight, aren’t you?”

“Pregnancy hormones,” she responded. “And more than three weeks away from you.”

“Kriff!” he breathed harshly. “I missed you!” He began kissing her, opened mouthed and wet, rocking his pelvis against her core.

Rey pulled her skirt up and out of the way, then began working at his belt and fly, grateful the war was over and he no longer wore a blaster on a regular basis; quickies like this had been almost impossible back in the day when they were both heavily armed. She still carried her lightsaber almost all the time, but it was clipped to her belt and easy to remove when needed.

And it wasn’t in the way tonight.

As Rey gently pulled Poe’s mostly erect cock out of his pants, he took a quick step backwards, taking her panties with him. She hadn’t even felt his hands move that low; she had been so focused on her own task.

“Smooth, Dameron,” she smiled as he quickly moved back between her legs, pushing her skirt back up as it had fallen when he stepped back.

One of his hands fondled her pussy, and he closed his eyes and moaned. “So kriffin’ ready for me,” he whispered.

Rey threw her head back in response to his intimate touch. “Yes!” she hissed. “Poe, please! Now!”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said with a grin. Taking his cock in hand, he lined himself up and slid home.

“Awwww, yeah!” Rey gasped, bringing her knees up and leaning back slightly, trusting that his arm around her back would keep her from falling all the way.

Poe stopped when he was all the way in, his eyes watching her intently.

Breathing harshly, Rey looked back at him, her skin tingling, her core throbbing. He filled her so absolutely full. “Poe?” she asked, wondering why he was so still.

“My Jedi,” he whispered. His eyes drifted down to where they were joined, then he focused on the lightsaber on her belt with a smirk. “My Jedi.”

Rey knew how turned on he got when he was able to fuck her while she still wore her lightsaber; it didn’t happen very often. “Your Jedi,” she confirmed. “Forever.”

His eyes met hers again. “Forever.” Then he began thrusting, his hips snapping into her over and over again.

The euphoria built once more, and Rey closed her eyes, letting herself go, not fighting the feelings, both physical and emotional, that this man created in her. After weeks of controlling her temper and remaining distant and formal, it was a relief to let herself go. Poe was the only person she opened herself up to completely, the only one she trusted enough to keep her emotions safe. She may be the guardian of the Jedi, but he was the champion of her heart.

Her release came seconds before his. She cried out, letting herself fall forward against him, feeling his arms wrap around her tight as his hips jerked erratically and he spilled himself inside her. For a long moment they simple held each other, panting, Rey’s legs wrapped tight around Poe’s waist, his cock still buried deep inside her.

Finally, Rey lifted her head to look at her husband. “Happy Life Day,” she said with a smile.

Laughing, Poe hugged her once more. “Happy Life Day, Sunshine.”

[yeonchi]

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special Review Part 1/3: The Star Beast

Air date: 25 November 2023

Welcome to the Whoniverse. I'm Azuma Yeonchi and I previously wrote reviews of the Chibnall era under the Thirteenth Doctor Reviews banner. With the RTD2 era set to be yet another reboot to the franchise, the fanbase is calling this new reboot the Whoniverse era. This refresh, if you ask me, is well-deserved given what came before this. Although I'm coming into this new era with a more casual investment compared to the 50th Anniversary in 2013, I'll continue to review the RTD2 era even if only for the content.

This is the return of the dream team. Check out my Doctor Who 10 for 10 post on Series 4 for my thoughts on the original run of the adventures of the Doctor and Donna Noble.

As is and will be tradition, here is my spoiler-free thought for the episode. A pre-premiere review published on the BBC's website literally says at the end, and I quote: "Although the show has always been progressive, this special is preachy, and by the end, little more than a delivery system for The Message." My spoiler-free thought is this: "Sometimes, you have to be willing to overlook The Message in order to find enjoyment in this series."

Spoilers are after the break.

New look, new everything (but not really)

The special starts off with a recap of the Doctor and Donna's story in Series 4 before we get the new theme music and title sequence. The title sequence seems a bit shorter compared to previous ones as it clocks in at 30 seconds (the average title sequence appears to be 35 seconds long), not helped by the fact that for the first time, there are cuts in the title sequence. It feels padded and rushed at the same time. Anyway, the theme music and title sequence feels like they incorporated elements from previous sequences, particularly the music which sounds like the 2008 theme made to sound like the 2005 theme, and it's pretty nice.

The logo is a direct redesign of the diamond logo from the Tom Baker era, made to look more 3D. It's also appropriate given how the 60th Anniversary is the "diamond anniversary".

We start off with the Doctor landing in Camden Market. The Doctor helps someone with some boxes, but he suddenly realises that it is Donna Noble. He also learns that she has a daughter, Rose, just as a spaceship is on a crash course in the sky and Donna manages to miss it (as usual). As Donna and Rose head home, the Doctor hears someone calling for them from a taxi and he asks him to take him north to where the spaceship apparently crashed; he learns that the taxi driver is Shaun Temple, who was a minor character in The End of Time as Donna's fiancé, now husband.

The spaceship was revealed to have "crashed" upright in a steelworks; UNIT scientific advisor Shirley Anne Bingley surmises that it pulled up at the last minute and parked. Shirley gets a little interaction with the Doctor, during which he explains that although Shirley knows his current face as his tenth incarnation, he had other faces before regenerating back into this one for some reason. Note that Shirley is using a wheelchair and remember this for later as there is something I need to address.

After the Doctor sneaks off with some UNIT troops to find the escape pod missing from the spaceship, another soldier alerts Shirley to a signal coming from inside the ship. Shirley has the soldiers head up to investigate, but they are taken in by a mysterious power.

The Trans Trifecta

Just as Donna and Rose arrive back home, we hear some passing-by boys openly deadnaming Rose. When they head inside, Sylvia is cooking tuna madras for dinner (apparently it's a big thing in RTD's family according to the audio commentary, but am I the only one who thinks that hayashi rice sounds better?). While Rose goes to the shed, Sylvia states her concerns about accidentally misgendering Rose, something which Donna does share, but the family is nonetheless accepting of Rose's transition.

A boy alerts Rose to the presence of the escape pod. She heads back to get her phone, but in the alleyway, she encounters the Meep, which she brings back to the shed as the Meep is under pursuit from other monsters. At the same time, the boy meets the other monsters, who are the Wrarth Warriors.

Back at the Noble residence, Donna comes into the shed and encounters the Meep, who clings onto Donna's leg as Silvia desperately tries to deny the existence of an alien in the house. The Doctor arrives as well and so does Shaun. The Doctor heals the Meep's injury and during their conversation, Rose questions the Doctor for assuming the Meep's pronouns. When asked about this, the Meep states a preference for the definite article, that the Meep is "always the Meep".

So, there we have the big SJW red flag of the episode and the first of the RTD era, which is what I call the "trans trifecta", namely deadnaming, misgendering and assuming pronouns. I'll talk more about this in my next review, but it's amazing how I managed to catch several SJW red flags in the first episode of RTD2 when it took three episodes to get the first one in the Chibnall era. I guess RTD doesn't pull any punches when it comes to politics and domestics. Also, let me tell you, it's a pain trying not to refer to the Meep as "they". The things I do for these reviews...

Meep the Grifter

The Meep explains to the Doctor that the Wrarth Warriors hunt Meepkind for their fur. It is then that the possessed UNIT soldiers demand a search of the house, but just as the Doctor closes the door on them, the Wrarth Warriors blow through the back door. The Doctor manages to get the Nobles and the Meep five doors down to Shaun's taxi. Though they manage to escape, the Doctor realises that something is wrong.

They head down to an undercover carpark, where the Doctor brings out the Meep and summons two of the Wrarth Warriors to parlay. It is pointed out that there were no plasma weapon marks on the taxi and that a soldier the Doctor found was merely unconscious, not dead. The Wrarth Warriors explain the story of the Meep; their planet once lived in peace until their sun went black with psychedelia and turned Meepkind mad. After the Galactic Council were beheaded and eaten, the Wrarth Warriors were summoned and they fought across the stars, Meepkind willing to die rather than surrender until only their leader was left, Beep of all the Meeps.

With the truth revealed, the Meep kills the Wrarth Warriors and summons the possessed UNIT soldiers, the Soldiers of the Psychedelic Sun, to capture the Doctor and the Nobles. They are about to be taken onboard the Meep's repaired spaceship when they are saved by Shirley. Shirley helps the Doctor get through to the ship to stop the Meep from launching, which would destroy five square miles of London through use of a double-bladed dagger drive. The Nobles are about to escape, but Donna turns back to help the Doctor, Silvia becoming horrified that Donna called him by that name.

Look at this and tell me that the Meep isn't a satire to "left-wing grifters", I dare you.

Donna Noble descends

Donna gets onto the spaceship just as the Doctor is working out how to prevent the takeoff, so now he has to do it without letting Donna die. However, the room is bisected and the Doctor is unable to stop the launch in time. The Doctor points out that there is only one thing he can do, even at the cost of Donna's life, and with her agreement, the Doctor unseals Donna's Time Lord consciousness.

Upon regaining her memories, Donna explains how she gave away the lottery money the Doctor gave her for her wedding (after buying her own house, of course) because of the Doctor's influence remaining in her, wanting to help people in need. She and the Doctor then manage to successfully prevent the takeoff before Donna faints in the Doctor's arms. I wish RTD made the technobabble a bit more believable to the intent here, though I could understand if it was ad-libbed. See Journey's End for how it was done better.

The Meep sends the soldiers in to kill the Doctor, but they are suddenly released from their possession thanks to Rose outside. It is revealed that while the power was too much for Donna alone to handle, it was passed down to Rose which influenced her as well, naming herself after the companion and making toys of the monsters the Doctor and Donna met on their travels. Of note, two of the toys resemble the Cybermen of the Cyberiad and a Lupar, both of them appearing in the Doctor's future when the meta-crisis happened, meaning that Donna would have never known about them. Surely there were other monsters that the Doctor and Donna met on their travels to make it less anachronistic.

The Meep is captured by the Wrarth Warriors to be imprisoned, but not before teasing the existence of "the Boss". The Doctor notes that he still needs to deal with the meta-crisis, but after Donna and Rose briefly berate him for not thinking of this method, being "a male-presenting Time Lord", the two of them hold hands and let the power go. You know, a similar sequence was done in Journey's End but that came off as the Doctor not having human intuition since he was merely a Time Lord; this just comes off as being misandric given everything that feminism and the gender (LGBT) movement have given us since then. Also, remember the Tumblr NSFW ban of 2018 and all that kerfluffle about male and female-presenting nipples? Good times.

The Doctor and the Nobles head to the TARDIS, where Donna is allowed in so they can visit Wilf in sheltered accommodation. The Doctor gives Donna a cup of coffee, but she spills it on the TARDIS console, causing it to explode as the TARDIS dematerialises.

Other general thoughts

Wilfred Mott is mentioned in this episode. The Doctor mistakes him for being dead when he is actually in sheltered accommodation thanks to Kate Stewart wanting to help him as an "old soldier". Although Bernard Cribbins is slated to reprise his role in the specials, he died on 27 July 2022, a couple of months after his involvement in them. He is sorely missed.

Although there have been stories in the past adapted from extended universe material (usually written by their respective writers), this was the first story to be adapted from a comic, the original comic being a Fourth Doctor adventure in Doctor Who Magazine written by Pat Mills and John Wagner and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. John Wagner was not credited because apparently, he and Pat Mills were credited for four comics which they took turns writing, hence Pat Mills was credited as he was mostly responsible for writing this one.

The Doctor gets a new sonic screwdriver after it was destroyed in his first adventure, also published in Doctor Who Magazine. It appears to be a combination of design elements taken from the sonic screwdrivers used by the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors. Of note, it has a new ability to draw up holographic screens and shields, meaning that we finally have a better version of the Samuraizer in Doctor Who, and yes, this is my first tokusatsu reference in the RTD2 era. I'd say it was a Shodophone, but there's no brush on the end. The sad thing is that the Fifteenth Doctor is apparently getting another sonic screwdriver because RTD had certain requirements for it. I'll try to talk about it more when we first see it, but it's such a shame to see given that the RTD era used similar designs for the sonic screwdriver and its replacement. It's the Twelfth Doctor's second sonic screwdriver all over again.

Would it have been possible to use the Meta-Crisis Tenth Doctor to remove the meta-crisis energy from Donna before leaving him in Pete's World? Then again, it would have gone against the story if the Doctor had the foresight to do that or even think of it, merely being a Time Lord, let alone a "male-presenting" one.

"There's a word for you, Doctor, and that word is 'jammy'." I really think the Doctor should have responded to Shirley's line with "Jammy Dodger", and no, I don't care if it's an Eleventh Doctor reference. I think it sounds better that way.

The new TARDIS console room looks spacier than others, but I think it's because there's nothing much in it at the moment, not like the Twelfth Doctor's TARDIS. The walls are white like the console rooms of the classic series, but there are LED round things on the walls that can change colour, which is a pretty big diversion from the console rooms of the revived series.

RTD shut the fuck up and stop baiting fans challenge (IMPOSSIBLE)

For each the 60th Anniversary Specials, I'll be covering a special focus topic related to the event. I wanted to start off nice and do a summary of everything released for the 60th Anniversary, but this is an SJW red flag that I absolutely need to address.

On 17 November, a short titled Destination: Skaro was released for Children in Need. It featured a sneak peek at the Fourteenth Doctor and the return of Davros as he shows his assistant, Castavillian, the prototype of what would become the Daleks. As Castavillian wonders what name they should call the new Mark III Travel Machine (based around various anagrams of the word Dalek), the Doctor accidentally crashes in and breaks off a part of the Dalek, replacing it with a plunger upon seeing what it actually was. Noting that “the timelines and canon are rupturing”, the Doctor quickly leaves before Davros returns to his assistant.

Davros’ return was somewhat controversial both for and not for the reasons you expected. While it was nice to see Julian Bleach play Davros before the accident that led to him being paralysed, the main issue I and many others had with Davros’ return was how RTD justified it. In the accompanying Doctor Who Unleashed episode, RTD commented that the reason why he did this was because Davros is an evil guy who used a wheelchair (which was also his life support, mind you) and the production team apparently had an issue with associating disability with evil. And yet he didn’t even try to excuse it by saying it was because of budget issues, which would be a batshit argument anyway because Bad Wolf Productions has the backing of the BBC, Disney and Sony Pictures Television. I know Disney is only partnering with Bad Wolf for the distribution of new episodes, but who’s to say that they don’t have a finger in production?

OK, you know how some people apparently have an issue with popular series like Doctor Who becoming woke? This is the reason why. If you asked a conservative to define what “woke” is and you can’t get a definitive answer out of them, that shouldn’t be a surprise because in all honesty, wokeness is a very broad thing to define. Personally, I define “wokeness” as people caring about things that people don’t care about (especially when people inside and outside of particular demographics claim to speak on behalf of them when some within said demographic disagree) and therefore, really don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. A particular example I can name is all the changes that came about because of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and other similar decolonisation/anti-racist/solidarity movements, such as the removal of monuments, the changing of names or the recasting of voice (not live-action) roles because the characters they voiced didn’t match the actors’ racial backgrounds, or even, for the sake of this argument, disabilities.

As someone with an invisible disability, I kind of understand why disability activists and groups like Changing Faces would speak out in support of things like this, but in the end, isn’t that what acting is for? Look, it’s fine to have more representation for disabled people in media, but maybe it should still be okay for able-bodied actors to play disabled characters if there were more consultation and guidance from disabled people in production crews. Even if there are disabled people who don’t believe that disabled villains are that big of an issue, there is a better way around this; instead of not wanting to have disabled villains or changing already existing disabled villains, maybe make an effort to counter it by putting in more disabled characters. Hell, RTD literally did it in this episode by casting Ruth Madeley (who has been disabled since birth) as Shirley, and she’s got darts and rockets in her wheelchair.

RTD’s statement was said in a way that implied that this would be what Davros would look in future appearances (as if destroying an iconic character wasn’t enough, he’s also got to gaslight that he was like that all along). Now, Davros’ status of disability when he invented the Daleks can be explained in extended universe stories and bringing Davros back as able-bodied can be somewhat justified by previously aired material. Although Davros’ accident that paralysed him was the catalyst for the invention of the Dalek, there is apparently an account that the idea was already forming in his imagination before his accident. In The Witch’s Familiar, Davros siphoned regeneration energy from the Doctor and transmitted it into every Dalek on Skaro while also using some of it to renew himself. Now, it was implied that Davros wasn’t able to get a lot of it seeing as Missy managed to save the Doctor, but the Dalek City began collapsing soon after this and the Daleks were never seen to regenerate in appearances following this one.

I don’t believe that Davros would have been able to regenerate himself fully from whatever regeneration energy he was able to obtain, but I could buy it if when Davros’ story continues, we see him walking with prosthetic limbs or crutches. Otherwise, RTD’s justification for showing Davros as able-bodied is absolute and unnecessary jack shit when it was already implied that the short could take place in another timeline before Davros’ accident. This is the only reason why this isn’t more controversial than it shouldn’t have been, especially for such an iconic character whose use of a wheelchair and life support was a part of his character and the origin story for one of the most iconic villains in the franchise. Davros wasn't evil because he was disabled, but his evil did carry over into his disability, and yet his character was not defined by it.

I understand that RTD has the freedom to express whatever opinions and champion whatever causes he wants, but seeing RTD’s interactions with fans on social media makes me want to tell him to shut the fuck up and know his place. This is a twofold argument; one is his justifications for making certain decisions in production and the other is his replies to "haters" (and subsequently blocking them).

In regards to the first argument, there is this whole debacle with Davros, then there was RTD’s explanation for why the Doctor’s clothes regenerated back in The Power of the Doctor. RTD explained that David Tennant wearing the Thirteenth Doctor’s clothes would be a mockery of drag culture and that he feared that it would be weaponised by the media, which can be summed up as him essentially saying to the media, “This would have been drag blackface if we did it that way.” With the Davros debacle, RTD also justified the decision to do this for Children in Need, saying that, “It's a night where issues of disability or otherness or being excluded from society come right to the front of the conversation,” which is absolutely ironic given how he “erased” Davros’ disability in the short then justified himself in doing so right after.

“But Davros isn't a child in this,” I hear you say. Fuck off, RTD knew exactly what he was doing.

Moving onto the second argument, disabled fans of the series, including wheelchair users, have commented about this on RTD’s Instagram. One user who essentially had the same thoughts about this shared them with him and RTD just responded, “Tough.”

I didn’t want to make a big deal out of the previous situation with jacknibbletmaine, but seeing this makes me think that RTD has little to no respect for the fanbase who helped get New Who to what it was. Then again, I would expect nothing less from these Hollywood types with sticks up their asses. At least Chibnall knew to stay off of social media, whether it be because of not being tech-savvy or wanting to avoid the mixed reactions of the fanbase among other reasons. I don't want to call this now, but if RTD keeps going like this, this new era is going to be like post-Twitter Shinichiro Shirakura tokusatsu (Zi-O, Zenkaiger, Donbrothers).

Doctor Who should be a show that tries to appeal to everyone, even if it is clear that RTD is implementing his own flavour of wokeness into it. I knew I was going to have to talk about SJW red flags in this era (particularly with trans representation which I’ll cover in the next review), but I’ll admit, I was blindsided by this controversy when I saw it after watching the Children in Need short. I guess I should be more wary about things like this in future reviews.

Anyway, I’ll continue to have fun doing these reviews and talking about what relevant topics I feel like. If RTD or the fandom police don’t like it, then they can cry about it and cope harder (I say while acting like fandom police).

Summary and verdict

At this point, if you're still surprised that RTD is woke, then I don't know what to tell you, though I understand if you were blindsided by the extent of wokeness shown by RTD, particularly with the Davros debacle. The writer of the pre-premiere review on the BBC website says that "this special is preachy, and by the end, little more than a delivery system for The Message". Right now, I don't agree with it entirely, nor do I disagree with it entirely either. I said in my spoiler-free review that "sometimes, you have to be willing to overlook The Message in order to find enjoyment in this series", but that doesn't mean I won't call out stupid things if they come up.

That being said, this special was alright. It feels more like a series opener rather than an era opener since it's not a post-regeneration story nor did RTD feel the need to reintroduce the series to everyone; he just got right into it. The Fourteenth Doctor is practically the same as the Tenth Doctor, though he is "slightly more human" according to RTD, plus he no longer has the guilt of the Time War or the god complex of the Time Lord Victorious. Why did this face come back? If it was because of Donna alone, that was already resolved in this episode and we still have two left, so clearly that wasn't the actual reason.

Speaking of Donna, this episode did undo a great injustice to her character, which was forgetting the memories of her time with the Doctor. Some people may say that this Moffat-style cop-out undermined Donna's character development in Series 4, that she was the most important woman in the entire universe and yet, she could never know, but I really think Donna deserved this and so did the Doctor, because it was clear that the Doctor felt bad about having to make Donna forget her time with him.

In the end, the world was saved with the power of being non-binary and Rose having her identity affirmed as a result of it. It's a bit cheesy if not cringeworthy, but in the end, that's what Doctor Who is all about. The Doctor getting berated for being "male-presenting", though, is just... no.

Rating: 6/10

Regardless of what you feel about the series or its fanbase, stay tuned next week as I review the second of the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials, Wild Blue Yonder.

[laurentrvls]

When did you realize you loved travelling

It was pre-9/11. To travel to Canada all you needed as a child was your birth certificate. My grandparents purchased a Minivan to take four lucky grandchildren to Niagara Falls, Canada. The second row seats reclined and had headphone jacks. No TV screens, you could just listen to the music playing in the car at your own volume. I remember this was one of the big things us, kids argued about when we started our road trip with our grandparents. My grandmother ended up putting us on a rotating schedule so that each kid got a turn sitting in the reclining seats.

 So you had myself, my older sister, and two cousins. I was the fourth oldest and just made the cut out of the 9 grandchildren to be selected for this journey. I remember a few things from the road trip. I remember myself and my cousins arguing the true lyrics of Eiffel 65's "I'm Blue (da ba dee da ba die)" I remember trying to play I-Spy with the only thing we could "spy" being green or brown. We spent nights camping on the cold upstate New York ground and we went to an amusement park that had a night time laser show where I first heard and fell in love with Sting's "Desert Rose". Oh the 90's, a time to be alive!

After spending a few days around the Falls and going to a Church (my grandmother was very religious and even a once in a lifetime trip was not going to stop her from taking us to Church even though I believe it was not Roman Catholic and in French — I remember the front of the church had this enormous larger than life-size boat with the Apostles casting a net to one side and this boat was just SO DISTRACTING.) We headed back to Rhode Island. I remember asking every visit with my grandparents afterwards for a long time when we were going on another road trip, not knowing that would be my only road trip with my grandparents. Since then I've always thought about "where to next" even now I have several saved "dream" trips saved to my Trip Advisor profile just in case I ever become rich.

So that's when I realized that traveling was for me. No matter how many times I've gotten out off of a plane and crashed onto my bed after a a long travel day it takes no time for me to get bit by the travel bug again.

[lighthousenewsnetwork]

WASHINGTON — In an unprecedented move to address congressional gridlock, President Joe Biden unveiled his latest executive initiative Wednesday, mandating that all members of Congress be assigned official pet rocks to assist with legislative decision-making. Speaking from the Oval Office while gently stroking a smooth, gray river rock he introduced as "Granite Kennedy Biden," the President explained his groundbreaking strategy to restore functionality to Capitol Hill. "Look, folks, here's the deal," Biden said, occasionally pausing to press the rock against his ear and nod thoughtfully. "These rocks have been around for millions of years. They've seen dinosaurs, ancient civilizations, and every episode of Matlock. That's the kind of experience we need in Congress right now." The initiative, formally titled the "Mineral Mentorship and Legislative Enhancement Act," requires each congressional representative to conduct mandatory 15-minute "consultation sessions" with their assigned rocks before casting any votes. The rocks, carefully selected from various national parks to "represent America's solid foundation," have already demonstrated remarkable political acumen, according to White House sources. "At least these rocks stay put when we need them to vote," Biden remarked, adding, "They're great listeners, never interrupt, and don't post on X at 3 AM. And let me tell you something — they've got more consistent positions than some folks I know." The program has faced some early implementation challenges. Several representatives were caught attempting to substitute painted styrofoam rocks during key voting sessions, leading to the establishment of a new Congressional Rock Authentication Committee. Additionally, three rocks have already announced their 2024 congressional campaigns, polling surprisingly well in several districts. Dr. Sarah Petrosky, a leading geologist at the American Institute of Rock Studies, praised the initiative. "These specimens bring millions of years of experience to the table," she explained while examining a particularly distinguished-looking piece of granite. "Unlike some congressmen, they've actually been through significant periods of pressure and heat without crumbling." The policy has garnered mixed reactions from lawmakers. An anonymous GOP Senator criticized the measure as "clearly a sedimentary overreach of executive power," while others have embraced their new mineral advisors with unexpected enthusiasm. "I've never had a more productive legislative partner," admitted Rep. Thomas Bradford (D-MA), whose assigned rock, a piece of rose quartz named "James Madison Jr.," recently helped broker a bipartisan infrastructure deal. "He's got a real solid grasp on the issues." Congressional staffers have reported significant logistical challenges in managing the new program, including the establishment of a dedicated rock daycare facility in the Capitol basement and the implementation of a strict "no skipping" policy in the reflecting pool. In a surprising development, recent polling shows the pet rocks maintaining a 52% approval rating, significantly outperforming their human counterparts in Congress. Political analysts attribute this success to what they're calling the rocks' "unwavering stability" and "consistent stance on rolling downhill." The initiative has already shown promising results, with several key pieces of legislation passing since its implementation. "We're no longer taking our constituents for granite," quipped House Speaker Mike Johnson, while carefully adjusting his rock's tiny American flag pin. As the program enters its second week, the White House has launched www.RocksForCongress.gov, where citizens can "meet the mineral candidates" running in their districts and compare their qualifications with incumbent representatives. Early site analytics show the rocks leading in both "trustworthiness" and "ability to maintain a solid position." At press time, sources confirmed that Biden's pet rock

had just been appointed to chair the Senate Intelligence Committee, with many noting it was "the most concrete progress they'd seen in months."

[laresearchette]

Tuesday, July 24, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: TIME BANDITS (Apple TV+) SILENT WITNESS (BritBox) CHARLIE HUSTLE & THE MATTER OF PETE ROSE (HBO Canada) 9:00pm WAYNE BRADY: THE FAMILY REMIX (ABC Spark) 10:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT?: SEA CHANGE: THE GULF OF MAINE (PBS Feed)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

CRAVE TV CHARLIE HUSTLE AND THE MATTER OF PETE ROSE (Episode 1)

DISNEY + STAR GORDON RAMSAY: UNCHARTED (Season 4) IMPURE (Impuros) (Season 5) WORLD EATS BREAD (All Episodes)

NETFLIX CANADA DIRTY POP: THE BOY BAND SCAM LOVE OF MY LIFE (CO) RESSURECTED RIDES

MLB BASEBALL (SN Now) 3:30pm: Angels vs. Mariners (SN) 6:30pm: Rays vs. Jays (SN1) 6:30pm: Orioles vs. Marlins (TSN/TSN3/TSN4/TSN5) 7:00pm: Mets vs. Yankees (SN1) 10:00pm: Giants vs. Dodgers

MADE FOR TV WITH BOMAN MARTINEZ-REID (Crave) 9:00pm/9:30pm/10:00pm: Knowing absolutely nothing about sports, Boman is taken under the wing of Canadian icon, Jack Armstrong. In Episode Two, with a sincere love and admiration of drag culture, Boman tackles what it takes to make it on a Drag Competition Show with the guidance of two Drag All Stars, Priyanka and Lemon. In Episode Three, Boman thinks parodying slice of life reality TV will be a walk in the park until his advisor, Ashley Darby of "Real Housewives of Potomac" expects more than he is willing to give.

FARMING FOR LOVE (CTV) 10:00pm: Ahead of a meet and greet with the final Daters' loved ones, the Farmers sit down for their last farewell dinners on the farm and deliver surprising and devastating goodbyes.

[crg2]

Mary McLeod

Made by artist Nilda Comas, commissioned in 2022.

     Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune was a prominent African American leader and civil rights activist during the 1900’s founding a school for African Americans in Daytona Beach which still stands today and served as a presidential advisor for Franklin Roosevelt. The statue rests today in capitol hill inside of the national sanctuary hall, amongst many other notable leaders and activists from across American, enshrined in our nation’s capital. The purpose of her statue serves not only to represent the state of Florida, but also represent the different prominent Americans who have influenced this nation and become prominent leaders and inspirations. Mary Mcleod Bethune’s memory is represented through her attire and the objects she carries, best seen by her outfit as an educator highlighting her main passion and role as an activist for education. Perhaps what is most notable is the black rose she carries in her left hand, black roses being how she often lovingly referred to her students. The cane in her right hand represents the political impact she held on to the nation during her time as a cabinet member, the cane in question being a gift from the first lady due to her outstanding service during a critical and uncertain time during our nation’s history. The statue is one of many on display at the national sanctuary, where other various civil rights, political activists, and other famous people who have one way or another held an impact on the nation. But what Mary Mcleods statue represents is one that goes beyond just enshrining the inspiring people to come out of Florida, it is to highlight the great men and women who have come from across America to inspire others and been in one way or another a beacon of hope. Which defines the purpose of the national sanctuary and why she is joined by so many of her fellow activists like Martin Luthor king across from her, and Rosa Parks to her right side. The statue of Mary Mcleod Bethune is enshrined inside the state capital to serve as a reminder of our nation’s history, struggle for equal rights, and she serves as one of the countless historical figures to represent the spirit of equality and justice in the very heart of the nation.

[lavelled]

feeling twenty-two. (I take gummies and two naps a day.)

The Twin Brothels:

The impact-with-a-horse Princess Child Bride story wasn’t factual. But it had your entry-level threats. With rapt attention, the whole world read the equestrian publicity and confirmed that it’s you who causes suffering and tragedy. On a daily basis. Bad things happen because of you.

Dull weekend?

Oh look. The Britannica brothers can Google. Slightly curious: do you have formal duties, debutante balls, any responsibilities that faithfully serve the crown or do you waste a large chunk of the day crafting fake press releases about a one-way deal with an underage peasant girl?

I take Gatcombe Park to mean Catacombs. It also rhymes with hurting Matt R. over a coined sexual experience you tell yourself you’ll get. I can see how your instincts were to squarely threaten me and Matt R. with concussed head injuries, ignoring the direct line between you and numerous untimely deaths. You’ve been unconcerned with my happiness, why should you care about humanity?

Best to avoid all athletes at the ESPY Awards.

There’s a quote of “swift recovery” because Will had fun with his dadly duties. Is this about the fraudulent cancer storyline? Oh no. So dadly. Your mate still doesn’t have cancer. Rather than belittling patients, you should be on a gilded quest to finding solutions to end homelessness; getting residents back on their feet; and helping the overburdened shelter system. Sure. Your housing development project is a cover for you believing you have a vice grip on a v-shaped cottage.

Ever wonder why advisors, known as my team, chose Rose Hanbury to be the ex-girlfriend to invent mistress newspaper headlines? It’s pronounced bury you. Interesting she married a gentleman with Marquess in his title.

Harpy: This is you getting me to partake in epistolary warfare. As crypto-influencer in your secret spot, you were a blocker where I often attempted to write, yet you were turned on by the alphabetized vocabulary of a little girl’s prison literature.

It’s a conflicting job.

Come to think of it, shouldn’t you be abusing royal protocol to assemble a Botswana crowd for your race-based platitudes as you covet the jar preservatives of rapey kidnapped fruit? I thought you’d be too busy to read, what, with your choreographed paparazzi walks near horse manure fertilizer where you get quick child updates from a payroll wife you still don’t live with.

Your press mentioned Thomas, Rachel’s dad.

The disproportionate hatred for Tom Cruise needs examination. Nowhere is this more evident than choosing Thomas for an in-law. Taking liberties with the truth, you’ve pushed this crackpot, flawed story in which Tom Cruise somehow stole a pen-pal from you when you were 0-years-old. What a unique way of telling the world your father got caught being a pedophile. You didn’t know me. Tom knew me. Probably because he was unsteady with newfound fame and he thought I was a melodramatic, wise-ass kid in Nike gear. I was also funny. I don’t believe he wanted me locked away from the world. That serves no purpose. If you considered someone a life-force or a source of light, you wouldn’t shut them out. Your royal family stole me because Tom was far cooler. And I was too goddamn young. You swooped in and stole a little girl’s adulthood to try to save the monarchy from being perceived as a tribe of baby-fuckers.

We all know how you pay the rent: as master of an anti-social contract with those who grew up alongside me, offering up fairytale childlessness and solitude, and then having the nerve to car pool with my industry husbands.

I wonder why Daniel Cleaver, who plays you in a movie, started a HackedOff Campaign; uses a Twit account imbued with choppiness; and follows your information-gathering lawsuit claims in London? He’s also known as William Thacker from Notting Hill. That totals a lot of butchering.

Your loveless contract only symbolizes inside assault.

I meant to include Real World castmembers in the public eye who shouldn’t hurt themselves—we lost one recently—I read about the surfer shark attack and the Dagestan capital and I have a suspicion it’s about him—don’t leave.

K