#c; pandorica | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sassycherryblossomdetective · 2 years

Text

Jumping Through the Starlight

Chapter 1 - The Pandorica opens

'Time is everything we have and don't'

' At least that is what Ashley had perceived time to be. Now she has fallen from her universe into another. Now she Jumps from time period to time period, in a constant race to keep The Doctor out of trouble. Time is everything to her now but does she have enough of it? '

London, it was always busy. Traveling from A - B, C - D, E … you get the picture.

Ashley Smith sat on the bottom of the 390 double decker bus as it passed Hyde Park corner.

Her eyes were droopy as she tried to acknowledge the passing bus stops and twinkling Christmas lights that glittered the streets. It had been a long day. The paperwork just never ended and office gossip was dull. Although it was nearly Christmas, there was no real excitement, just a facade of fake smiles and grins when the topic of secret Santa came up in passing conversation.

She had been at the company too long. God what she would do for a bit of an adventure. As the view out the window became fuzzy, her mind drifted back to her younger days. Holidays to different counties, family seeing family … of course that was all gone now. She remembered watching and re watching Doctor Who with her family and on her own, it was her favourite show. . It still was.

Was she proud that she could recite alien planets that had little importance to main story lines? … yes, yes she was.

Did she have too much knowledge on a fictional show? … yes, yes she did.

Eyes snapping open she pressed the bell on the bus. Grabbing her things she hurried of the bus. As usual, her street was dimly lit and the council had refused to fix anything.

Rubbing her eyes she set forth to her house. Thankfully it was the weekend tomorrow.

Now here was the thing, the universe can be weird and the world dark but the one thing that would always manage to light up her evenings was the starts. Of course being in London, the light pollution made it difficult to appreciate the stars in their full glory. She would always try her best to see as much as she could.

Like every other evening she stared at the sky as she walked, her eyes tracing the dots and flashes that she could just about make out. She was pretty sure she could see Gemini from where she was.

There was alway draw backs to moments like this, she released, this though occurred to her as her foot collided with curb of the road. Her world swayed, stomach churned as she was sent her hurtling towards the floor.

“Shit!”

Ashley hit the ground with a thud. It was cold and now out of all things her head hurt. She looked up and darted her head left and right like a manic, the road was empty. A sigh of relief escaped her. Last thing she needed was a bunch of kids to start laughing at her. With a quick breath to steady herself a hand on the brink wall next to her, she pulled herself up. The road in seconds after her fall had been illuminated in a white light, Now the funny thing was it was just in the section she was standing. Maybe hitting your head on concrete improves sight … no that was absurd.

Almost refusing to look at the source of the light she began to walk away. She just wanted to go home. But curiosity always kills the cat ….

She turned abruptly, the wall was on fire! Wait no, it wasn't on fire. The brick wall had a crack going through it, its Jagged edges lit up by white light.

Now if she wasn’t one, extremely tired and two feeling a little confused. She would have noticed the similarities between this crack and crack from Amelia Ponds bedroom. She would have noticed the way it shimmered in the dark dangerously.

She moved closer, a terrible decision really. Her hand began to trace the outline of the crack. She felt mesmerized. What on earth was going on?

The light danced with her fingers, then around them. Then around her. For a second it was as though she had become the light. She wouldn’t breath, no she wouldn’t breath. Her world was spinning, a sharp pain began shoot through her body. Then within seconds everything faded to black.

If Ashely Smith had been alert at all that night, then she would have remembered that if she were to touch the crack that she would cease to exist.

Just like magic, the Ashely Smith that had jumped off the 390 bus vanished without a trace.

*************************************************************************************************************

Everything was cold, really cold. Damn, someone obviously had not have heard of central heating.

What the hell had just happened. She had been on her street but after that the it all became fuzzy. The pain that had shocked her had left her feeling extremely disorientated. Did she fall over again? Why does the pavement feel so weird? Tapping the road she soon realized that it wasn't pavement at all, it was stone.

She’d moved. Someone had moved her. Her eyes opened. Darkness. She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. A rookie mistake as her began to spin again. The air tasted stagnant as she did her best to breath slowly There was silence, nothing moved. . Hyperventilating would not be a good idea right now.

She had so many questions … the idea of this being a kidnapping was high on the list. Well in terms of the lists that would be the only logical explanation.

Bang!

Fear flooded her from head to toe, she attempted covering her mouth with her hand. She felt sick, her entire body frozen. Her brain was struggling to keep up.

The sound was followed by the sound of a large creek. It sounded like a door had opened. Someone was near. Footsteps echoed into the room. Multiple people, ‘fuck’ she thought ‘this was a kidnapping’

“It’s the pandorica”

“More than just a fairy tale“

The Pandorica … like the box? She shifted up onto her feet as slowly and carefully as she could. Glancing around she could just make out her surroundings. Even in the now semi lit room, it was hard to see. But to her amazement, there was a massive cube behind her.

The footsteps got closer and the conversation continued, not moving she listened intently. The people hadn’t noticed her yet, so maybe while they were distracted she could run to the exit.

She just had to wait for the right moment.

“There was a goblin or a trickster …” The man continued. He sounded British, was she still in London? “ A nameless, terrible thing soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies. The most feared being in all the cosmos” … he was a bit dramatic?

Ashley’s brain began to tick, that phrase sounded familiar though. That voice sounded familiar.

“And nothing could stop it or hold it or reason with it. One day it would drop out the sky and tear down your world” The voice echoed from the other side of the box.

“How did it end up in there” Another voice asked, a woman, she sounded Scottish.

There was three of them. ‘Oh god’

“You know Fairy tails, a good wizard tricked it” She heard the woman scoff after the mans statement.

This all felt surreal, even though this had to be some sort of dream. Was dream now the most logical explanation?

The footsteps of who she was guessing was the man quickened pace. It sounded like he was heading around the box straight towards her. Ashley quickly pushed herself towards the box flattened her body against the wall in hope that he wouldn’t see her.

The light that had began to light the room began to grow closer. Ashley could faintly see the outline of a young man forming in the shadow of the light.

He placed the torch he was caring on the wall that was near the corner of the room, He then turned to go back to the group.

Yet for some unknown reason he stopped dead in his tracks.

‘ no … no … please no’ Could he see her? She was still in the shadows.

But it was like he could sense something.

He seemed to be wearing a tweed jacket and a … bowtie?.

Wait! She knew exactly where she had heard this conversation before.

The man looked in her direction, she tried to push herself back into the wall but she knew he could see her. She watched as his eyes lit up and a smirk formed on his lips.

He kept his voice low and slowly approached her "Did you really think you could sneak up on me?"

Before she could even reply, The Doctor ran up to her and pulled her into a hug.

He held her tightly, compared to Ashely whose arms awkwardly returned the hug.

“Why didn’t you say you were here Ashley?" He mumbled into her hair.

Ashley brain had gone blank, Matt Smith knew her name, Matt Smith was hugging her.

Placing a kiss on the top of her head, The Doctor grabbed her hand gently and smiled at her. It was a big goofy smile. "Come see River and Amy!”

Ashely found herself being yanked round the corner of the Pandorica by her wrist at a tremendous pace. Two women came into view.

Ashley's brain was going into overdrive.

Before her stood Karen Gillan and Alex Kingston. ‘Am I in heaven’

The man in the bowtie stopped still smiling brightly, he coughed gaining the attention of the two women and then gestured to Ashley in a way that made her feel like she was being presented.

“OH!! Ashley!” Amy shouted and River smiled. She was then quickly embraced by the two women. They started talking to her excitedly about what had happened and began asking her how she was.

Ashley forced a nervous smile and nodded ever so slightly. In front of her was The Doctor, River song and Amelia Pond. Her heroes. She must have hit her heard hard.

Amy kept talking and blabbered about aliens she had encountered. Rivers though, her smile faltered slightly. She knew Ashley, she knew her very well. This Ashley looked Pale, scared even. She kept looking back and forth between them, backing away ever so slightly.

River looked at the Doctor, he had noticed it too. She rose an eyebrow. Ashley normally wouldn’t stop talking but this version of her could just about mumble a reply.

The Doctor butted into the conversation taking Ashely by surprise, he had stood in front of her and he was looking directly into her eyes. He glanced and smiled at Amy “Sorry Amy to cut in but I've got to ask, where did you come from Ashley?”

Ashley blinked. She felt as though the rug had been pulled out from under her feet. Her mouth felt dry. She licked her lips “London, I came from London” ‘wow nice one’ she thought.

The Doctor rolled his eyes looking back at Amy and River with a small smile, “She's such a trickster" He looked back at her, eyes almost pleading for an answer "No Ashley you know I mean time period. Where have you come from?”

She looked at the Doctor and knitted her eyebrows. “2021?”

There was silence. As they all stared at her. Oh no, had she said something wrong. She nervously took a step back.

She started to babble an excuse, her arms flying in front of her as she spoke.

“I mean, London 2021, err but I mean It could have been something more exciting really, I’d love to travel to Spain one day or even New York” Her eyes widened, looking directly at Amy “Actually not New York” The Doctor and River exchanged a confused look

“I don’t like the statue of Liberty. Never go to New York Amy." She took a breath. Placing a hand on her head, closing her eyes at the throbbing sensation that was still there. She was exhausted. Opening her eyes once more, she nervously began to fiddle with her hands, she tried to avoid the gazes of the three time travellers that stood before her but it was so difficult. She felt like a child. "Actually..” She took a deep breath “I just need to go to the bathroom, I don’t feel that well … As much as I love a good old Pandora's box I’d like to know where the exit to the experience is?”

There was a beat of bewildered silence.

Amy suddenly burst out laughing. “Okay! What is going on? You are never like this.” She looked at the Doctor, who was looking at Ashley blankly. “I mean we just saw you last week-”

“Spoilers!” The Doctor and River shouted almost in sync.

With his wide eyes, The Doctor slowly stepped forward and gently placed his hands on Ashley’s shoulders. “ Ashley, this is very serious … How old are you?”

For the first time in this conversation Ashley laughed.

“What? I’m 23 years old? What's that got to do with anything?”

The Doctor looked at her in the eyes deeply, a brief flash of pain crossing his face.

Before he could say anything, Ashley stepped back.

"Okay! I've had enough! What is going on here. I mean I like the attention to detail, the Pandorica is looking 10 out of 10 - fabulous. Even finding a place that looks exactly like the underground of Stonehenge is very admirable. But whatever they have paid you to make fun of me, I will double it handsomely!"

She took a breath.

The trio was staring at her with wide eyes. She suddenly felt very embarrassed.

"I- I am sorry! I mean you're just doing your jobs, I've just kind of had a bad day at work. You know paperwork and all that jazz"

“Our jobs?” Amy asked crossing her arms, looking at her somewhat defensively

“What are you talking about Ashley?”

“I mean your, your - “

Ashley's vision began to blur again, she felt sick. She brought her hands to the side trying to settle her mind. What was happening to her? Her body tipped forward.

The Doctor raced forward, catching her by her shoulders.

“Woah! Woah! Okay Ashely, Ashley Smith. Right, right now the world is going to seem very very wrong.” The Doctor worriedly stated as he gently held her in place.

“Doctor? What's happening to her?” Amy asked, sounding panicked.

River was right at the Doctors side, they placed their hands under her arms and lowered her to the floor so that Ashley was in a sitting position.

“She’s jumped,” River stated, placing a hand on Ashley’s back to steady her.

“Jumped? Well yeah! She does that all the time, why is she reacting like this?” Amy asked.

“Amy” The Doctor spoke very slowly, “She has just jumped for the first time”

Amy gasped, eyes widening.

“ What are you guys talking about? I didn’t jump, I actually fell” Ashley mumbled, “ Well, I fell and then there was this crack … weird crack” She waved her hand in front of her trying to describe it yet she couldn’t find the words.

She felt a sudden dull presence in her mind. The Doctor's hands touch her temples, he was crouched before her,’ woah talk about invading someones privacy. There are boundaries !’

His lips wore a ghost of a smile but over all looked worried. Why was he worried?

“I’m sorry” he stated “Your right its a complete invasion of your privacy but its the only thing keeping you stable right now “ Her eyes widened, he was reading her mind!

‘What the f-’

He spoke again “Ashley You’ve just time jumped, from what I assume was your universe to ours”

Ashley let out a laugh. No way! Now this had to be a dream.

He took his hands away from her temples, she felt better. It was strange. It was like she could think again.

“Ashley, I'm serious" He stated sternly, ``Everything you know, everything you’ve seen. It’s now real. I’m real, River is real, Amy is real -”

Ashley rolled her eyes and stared at The Doctor with an unbothered face.

“Of course it is, 'dream' Doctor, of course it's real.” She awkwardly patted him on the shoulder and then hoisted herself up. The doctor followed quickly after her pacing in front on her in case she lost her balance again.

“I mean the Pandorica, Amy’s obsession with Romans and the story of pandora’s box” She faced the doctor throwing her hands in in the air, “the fact that there are tens of thousands spaceships flying around earth right now… of course it's not a dream”

The Doctor's eyes widened. He looked up at River, who frantically started scanning the stones in the area.

Ashley continued, looking around the room, she was becoming angry.

She pointed to the Pandorica “I mean look at that!” Pacing over to it she traced the outlines on the stone with her fingertips and turned back to The Doctor “Look at it ! A big space box, a scary stone box, what the hell ! Your telling me people are afraid of it. There is no way! Just because the Pandorica which is meant to hold y- mm”

A hand covered her mouth with such a force that she had to steady herself against the Pandorica in fear she would have fallen backwards again. .

The Doctor was in front of her, body almost pressed against hers. He looked frightened, his mouth was parted, eyes wide. His voice, low and shaky.

“Ashley Smith… Never under any circumstances tell me the future.”

They continued to stare at each other and he slowly removed his hand from her mouth.

“Doctor!” River shouted from the other side of the room, “She right, Darlek's, cybermen, sontarans …. everyone Doctor, they are all here for the Pandorica”

He quickly ran in the direction of River. Ashley was left staring into the empty space he just left. Never tell him the future? Why did it matter? He was talking like this whole situation was real.

Amy slowly walked over towards her, almost hesitantly. Ashley examined Amy as she did. The weight that she felt when being lifted by the redhead. The way Amy’s hair curled over her scarf, the scent of her perfume.

It was like she was real.

The ground started shaking and loud noises were heard from outside. The trio ran outside, Ashley being pulled alongside by Amy.

Outside was freezing and dark, yet Ashley hadn’t noticed. Spaceship buzzed and flew about the sky. Her eyes widened, her mouth was agape.

“Doctor, what do we do?” Amy asked, her eyes were too trapped on the spaceships all around the sky.

River stepped in front of Ashley, “Doctor, listen to me. Everything that ever hated you is coming here tonight. You can’t win this, you can’t even fight this!”

Ashley knew what she was going to say - ‘Doctor, this once, just this one time, please you have to run’

She continued herself, ‘run where? Fight how?’

She looked down at the group. The Doctor, River and Amy stared at her. “Did I say that out loud?” and Amy nodded, for the first time this evening she smiled sheepishly.

“Well in that case” She pointed into the distance. “ Greatest military machine in the history of the universe” She then pointed at Amy. “before you even ask Amy it’s not the Darlek's” She looked at The Doctor … “its the Romans”

River let out a laugh, while the Doctor and Amy stared at the time jumper in disbelief as she just spoke the sentences they were about to say.

“No!” The Doctor stated as he walked back towards her, he sounded upset. “You don’t do that”

“Do what?” Ashley asked, confused.

He looked down at her fondly and he faintly smiled, “Steal our lines!”

Ashley smirked feeling a little more confident in this dream, “Jealous?”

The Doctor grinned back at her, “Always!”

With that, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along. She shared a glance at River and she smiled brightly at her.

*************************************************************************************************************

River had hurried off to get the roman legion.

The Doctor, Amy and Ashely stayed under Stonehenge. The Doctor was scanning the Pandorica and talking in a low voice to Amy.

Ashley sat off to the side watching the two. She began to review what had happened.

So far the episode had continued as it should. Well apart from her grand entrance. River would gather the Romans, Rory would arrive and then River would take the Tardis to Amy's time and then the Tardis would explode. The Doctor would end up in the Pandorica and Amy would be killed by Rory. The whole of the universe would collapse.

Blimey, this was stressful. She had altered things slightly, however most of the episode remained the same. Maybe she could stop the Tardis exploding? Save Amy?

She suddenly remembered the cyberman arm that was going to attack the Doctor and Amy. What could she do? She wasn't allowed to explicitly tell them about the danger … so she would move it.

This might have been the most stupid idea she had ever had. This was the test. If there was any danger she would wake up. Hopefully.

Standing from the place she was sitting she slowly she approached the cyberarm on the other side of the room. Taking a deep breath she glanced at The Doctor and Amy, who were in deep conversation. Good! She knelt down and examined it. She could see her own reflection in the metal. She lent down, grabbing it slowly. The steel was cold to her touch and lifted it off the ground and stared at it intently. Her heart was beating at a rapid pace. What now? Nothing had happened. Good, all she had to do was remove it. Ashley licked her lips and stood up. She began to walk towards the wooden door of the entrance.

The Doctor had watched Ashley pick up the cyberarm in confusion. He had known Ashley for a long time and her sudden change of behaviour was not uncommon. Normally she had remembered something important.. that would mean the only reason she'd try to move the cyberarm, was if it were dangerous.

His eyes widened in freight and he pushed past Amy and began to run towards her

"Ashley! Put it down!"

Ashley spun towards the Doctor, wide eyed. Before she could say anything, a sharp surging pain like nothing she had ever felt shot through her body.

She let out a strangled cry and fell to the ground, her body stiff.

The Doctor did have much time to react, his blood had run cold. The laser on the cyberarm arm began shooting at him and Amy. Running back he grabbed Amy and pulled her behind the Pandorica.

All Ashley could hear was the faint sound of a laser shooting as her world again was fading to black for the second time this evening. She could make out the Doctor and Amy shouting. The sound of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver and the Doctor's panicked voice.

She knew what was going to happen, hearing the Doctor thud to the ground confirmed it. He too had been electrocuted. She knew next time, she had to be faster. If there even was a next time.

She couldn’t feel anything. She couldn't even open her eyes. Though she was pretty sure she was still conscious, doubt was kicking in. Maybe her most stupid decision actually killed her.

*************************************************************************************************************

She didn’t know she had been asleep until a warmth began to spread through her body. It was a nice fuzzy feeling, the kind you would get when everything in life would be going your way.

She tried to open her eyes but she still couldn't. However voices began to drift into focus.

"Doctor is she going to be okay?"

"She's Lucky it was a stunning shock"

"She's so young"

'Ash please wake up' That voice was louder than the others.

Her fingers began to twitch and she struggled to open her eyes again. With one last push she managed to crack open her eyes. In blurry vision she could see the Doctor, Amy … and Rory?

"Doc-tor? " she mumbled.

The Doctor had his hand on either side of her face, his fingers brushed against her temples. A look of relief had washed over him as he heard her voice. Removing his hands, he placed his forehead against hers.

"Ash, you have to stop doing this" Ash?

She sat up, taking in the environment that surrounded her. She had remained in the same spot but there were more people around her. More Romans … oh my god Rory!

She looked past The Doctor, Amy and Rory stood there and she smiled.

They were real. Everything was real!

Her eyes widened … “ Oh My God! I nearly died!” She looked at The Doctor in alarm. “Wheres that cyberarm… Amy are you okay?”

“I’m fine Ashley, A roman saved me !” She seemed mildly excited, “Your the one who just got electrocuted”

Ashley smiled “I’ll have you know that was all part of the pla- “ The surging pain returned suddenly and she couldn’t even finish her sentence. It was worse then before. She let out a cry and help her head. She couldn’t even look at The Doctor.

“ What's happening?... Doctor please tell me what's happening? ”

“Your Jumping Ash” He sounded sad, “Your about to time jump to another time with another Doctor, another me”

“I don’t understand?” She panted, squeezing her eyes shut.

“You will”

A flash filled the room, a brilliant blast of white light.

The Doctor started at the empty space where Ashley had just sat. He frowned and sighed.

She was in for quiet an adventure.

#doctor who #the doctor #11th doctor #10th doctor #12th doctor #13th doctor #9th doctor #fanfic #time jump

5 notes · View notes

obscurelocalstranger · 3 years

Text

So where I live, they only just rolled out vaccines for everyone over 16. (cut for rant abt work and people and how I feel like I'm losing my mind for trying to be reasonable)

Where I work, we have a farmer's market and it opens in a few weeks. The manager came to me a while back and asked if I would face paint (a thing I did off and on before the whole pandorica situation that happened) and I gave a tentative 'let me see what the situation is' but she said "well I already said you would do it" but that's her problem tbh at this point.

Anyway, I spoke to her today and said 'hey I don't feel comfortable doing the face painting since I can't make that fully sterile between the kids and I haven't had a vaccine yet.' And this woman. She said to me "why not???" and I'm like blinkingman.gif "they only just opened it up last week and I've been checking every day and no one has appointments?"

"oh well I went to (hospital clinic)" like okay?? That doesn't help me b/c you're over 65 but cool thanks. Anyway she was like dumbfounded that I just couldn't get a vaccine appointment.

The mental stress I am under from all these older people at work tho. Even the ones that haven't gotten vax'd and aren't planning to refuse to wear masks. And now I feel like I'm being gaslighted like everything is fine why am I making a big deal about shit and it's like.. Like there is still a virus happening? The panoramic isn't over just b/c some people got shots? People can still get sick? A vaccine is not magic even if you get it? Idk.

I'm very tired.

2 notes · View notes

myfandomrambles · 5 years

Text

C-PTSD & BPD DOctor

(Doctor Character Study part 3c)

An analysis of The Doctor as having Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) along with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

If you read my ADHD & Autistic doctor posts you will notice some symptom overlap mostly with impulsivity. I chose to put C-PTSD and BPD as one post because symptom overlap is strong, and the disorders are highly comorbid.

11th Doctor:

The Eleventh Doctor is a character that is the perfect representation of instability. He oscillates from generally childish, a cold force of nature and a chaotic man broken from anger and grief. It’s a compelling characterization because it gives some unpredictability in a show that can be formulaic. This doctor also is driven by a fear of abandonment and lack of attachment, probably because everyone Ten came to care for left him or got left behind him, this is shown in the 0 to 100-way Eleven acts within relationships. He is very alien and doesn’t do much to try and blend in a normal sense but does to cover up why he does thing still aching for acceptance.

Eleven has the common Doctor trait of just running so nothing can touch you and avoid staying still in a very extreme state for much of the run, up until he has no other choice. It's a large part of the character’s arc stopping long enough to make a difference.

Lack a sense of internal identity/stable self-image and he uses the idea of The Doctor as a mask (TV: Eleventh Hour, TV: Victory of The Daleks, TV: The Wedding of River Song, TV: Dinosaurs on A Spaceship). The Doctor references this phenomenon “Look, three options. One, I let the Star Whale continue in unendurable agony for hundreds more years. Two, I kill everyone on this ship. Three, I murder a beautiful, innocent creature as painlessly as I can. And then I find a new name because I won't be The Doctor any more.”(TV: The Beast Below)

When introducing himself to Craige Eleven says;“ I'm The Doctor. Well, they call me The Doctor. I don't know why. I call me The Doctor, too. Still don't know why.” we know that there are reasons, like his promise that he chooses to use this title Eleven feels a disconnection from the word (TV: The Lodger) Being The Doctor is built on being that hero (TV: The God Complex)

The construction of the identity is remarked upon in TV: The Day of The Doctor, The Doctor itself is a construct they try and hold themselves to, the name is a “promise” a way they want to be. That promise was “Never cruel or cowardly. Never give up, never give in.”

Connects his identity and emotions to inanimate objects like his Bow Tie, Fez, and Sonic (TV: The Eleventh Hour, TV: The Hungry Earth, TV: The Snowmen, TV: The Rings of Akhaten, & TV: Hide)

Eleven also changes his affect and personality around other for example River. Amy points this out saying “You're letting people call you sir. You never do that.” (TV: Time of Angels)

The Doctor hates himself to a large degree even when talking himself up periodically. His self-concept often comes as a very powerful view of a god-like entity. This view is based on actual action and the way others see him, it can cause a huge dissonance and adds to his feelings of responsibility to everyone. (TV: The Eleventh Hour, TV: The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang, TV: Day of the Moon, TV: The Wedding of River Song, TV: The Time of The Doctor & TV: The Day of The Doctor)

When Eleven, Amy and Rory get the psychic pollen in their brains The Doctor comments on the “dream Lord’; “No, no. No. Sorry, wasn't it obvious? The Dream Lord was me. Psychic pollen. It’s a mind parasite. It feeds on everything dark in you, gives it a voice, turns it against you. I'm nine hundred and seven. It had a lot to go on.” Amy is disturbed by this idea because the dream lord was both the villain of the dream and openly insulted Eleven like saying “If you had any more tawdry quirks you could open up a Tawdry Quirk Shop. The madcap vehicle, the cockamamie hair, the clothes designed by a first-year fashion student. I'm surprised you haven't got a little purple space dog just to ram home what an intergalactic wag you are. Where was I?” (TV: Amy’s Choice).

In TV: A Good Man Goes to War Eleven explicitly states he does not believe he is a good man. Eleven literally says “Oh no, no, no, no, no. Give me someone I like.” referring to when the TARDIS offers a holo doctor as the voice interface. This shows he does not have a positive opinion of himself.

In TV: The God Complex Eleven speaks the Minotaurs last words “An ancient creature, drenched in the blood of the innocent, drifting in space through an endless, shifting maze. For such a creature, death would be a gift. Then accept it, and sleep well. I wasn't talking about myself.” Eleven doesn’t seem to disagree, is caught off guard but seems to hit home. While Eleven doesn’t actively want to die and does try and live, but we can see that there are times when this does fail. He does view himself as broken down.

The Doctor’s rules are used as a kind of system of maintaining the idea of the ‘Doctor’ and a way of coping with the wrongs he has done, and a shorthand of communication (TV: The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood, &TV: Let’s Kill Hitler) These rules are also used in his own mind to try and give moral guidelines as part of this identity maintenance and to try and not hurt others. We see this in the comment Eleven makes “Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many.” (TV: A Good Man Goes to War)

The Doctor has a lot of guilt in his life, he is willing to let himself die for others, his imposed isolation and his rules all reflect this. (TV: Amy’s Choice, Minisode: Night and The Doctor, TV: A Good Man Goes To War, Prequel to Let's Kill Hitler, TV: Let’s Kill Hitler, TV: The Girl Who Waited, TV: The God Complex, & TV: The Power of Three, TV: The Name of The Doctor, TV: The Time of The Doctor, & TV: The Day of The Doctor) We see this really explicitly when he has the chance to find more time lords in TV: The Doctor's Wife and Amy reminds him what they thought he did to the others.

Eleven says “I can explain. Tell them why I had to.” Amy then says “You want to be forgiven.” The Doctor then replies, “Don't we all?”. In that same story, Eleven says “Another Ood I failed to save.” when the Ood dies, referencing his history of letting Ood die in fights like in TV: The Satan Pit.

After seeing the effect his story has had on those around him and the way it hurt people he cares about we see him delete himself from history out of guilt. (Home Video: The Inforarium, TV: Asylum of The Daleks and TV: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, TV: The Angels Take Manhattan, & TV: The Nightmare in Silver).

Guilt often leads to him raining in his outward shows of strength to not invoke more guilt or memories of things like his believed use of the moment. However, it’s not always the case when Karlah-Jax triggers his trauma the guilt manifests in hurting others. The Doctor justifies his actions with a combination of trauma-based guilt and his moral system saying: “But they keep coming back, don't you see? Every time I negotiate, I try to understand. Well, not today. No. Today, I honour the victims first. His, the Master's, the Dalek's, all the people who died because of my mercy!” (TV: A Town Called Mercy)

In TV: The Day of The Doctor we see how guilt is a huge diver of most of what they do throughout the show. Even to the point, the War Doctor wonders if without the guilt he would even become the same man that 10 and 11 are. However, it is important to note that using the moment isn’t the only guilt The Doctor carries. What he did to his companions is another one. Guilt and responsibility also drive a lot of the behaviour in TV: The Time of The Doctor.

Eleven has extreme difficulties with handling his impulsive behaviours (TV: The Eleventh Hour, TV: Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone, TV: The Beast Below, TV: The Vampires of Venice, TV: Vincent and The Doctor, TV: The Curse of The Black Spot, TV: The Lodger, TV: The Doctor's Wife, Minisode: Space/Time. TV:Asylum of The Daleks, TV: Dinosaurs on A Spaceship, TV: A Town Called Mercy, TV: The Power of Three, TV: The Angels Take Manhattan, TV: The Rings of Akhaten, TV: Hide, TV: Journey To The Centre of The TARDIS, TV: The Name of The Doctor, & TV: The Day of The Doctor) His mind and thoughts get so ahead of himself he’ll do dumb things like baiting the armed people in the white house to shoot at him (TV: The Impossible Astronaut).

The Doctor has obsessive thoughts and behaviors connected with the impulse control and preoccupation with trauma (TV: Vincent and the Doctor,TV: The Wedding of River Song, TV: Closing Time, TV: The Power of Three, TV: The Rings of Akhaten, TV: journey to the center of the TARDIS & TV: The Time of The Doctor).

Puts himself in deadly and dangerous situations. Often a combination of hero complex and a lack of regard for his own well being in dangerous moments. (TV: Victory of Daleks, TV: The Big Bang, TV: Let’s Kill Hitler, TV: The Angels Take Manhattan, TV: Hide, & TV: Journey To The Center of The TARDIS)

This behaviour can become almost suicidal in nature taunting and getting to close other enemies. In TV: Flesh and Stone he puts himself in more danger than necessary. One of his plans amounts to suicidal actions. We can see similar actions in TV: The Rings of Akhaten, TV: Nightmare in Silver and TV: Cold War where he is willing to kill everyone to save others.

After seeing The Doctor die Amy, River and Rory discuss what the next thing they should do is. We get this dialogue:

Rory: “We're not all going to arrange our own wake and invite ourselves. So, The Doctor, in the future, knowing he's going to die, recruits his younger self and all of us to, to what, exactly? Avenge him?”

River: Uh-huh. Avenging's not his style.

Amy: Save him.

Rory: Yeah, that's not really his style either.”

In this conversation, we see that they recognize that Eleven one doesn’t want his friends to act violently, and Rory also recognizes that The Doctor is willing to die for, whatever the astronaut was about. (TV: The Impossible Astronaut)

Has very strong and reactive emotional states. The emotional reactions are shown very visibly in his face, voice and actions. (TV: The Eleventh Hour, TV: The Victory of The Daleks, TV: The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone, TV: The Beast Below, Minisode: Space/Time, TV: The Doctor's Wife, TV: A Good Man Goes To War, TV: Let’s Kill Hitler, TV: The God Complex, TV: Asylum of The Daleks, TV: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, TV: The Power of Three, TV: The Angels Take Manhattan, & TV: Journey To The Center of The TARDIS ) We also often see extreme rapid cycling emotions and affect (TV: Amy’s Choice, TV: The Pandorica Opens, The Rebel Flesh / The Almost People, TV: Closing Time, TV: The Doctor's Wife, & TV: The Rings of Akhaten)

We see an example of this when Eleven is talking his effect going from slightly annoyed, excited and falls down to tired and then cold derision all in one paragraph length of speech “Home. Well, you two are. Off you pop and make babies. And you, Doctor Song, back to prison. And me? I'm late for a biplane lesson in 1911. Or it could be knitting. Knitting or biplanes. One or the other. What? A mysterious summons. You think I'm just going to go? Who sent those messages? I know you know. I can see it in your face. Don't play games with me. Don't ever, ever think you're capable of that.” (TV: The Impossible Astronaut)

In TV: The Doctor's Wife we see an expression of cold and extreme anger. He slips in an expression of cruelty in the way he talks to the people who live on House threatening them and telling them to run. Ith the TARDIS they kill the house with only callous anger and disregard. We see a similar show TV: Dinosaurs on A Spaceship when his anger at the lack of morality that Solomon shows and his treatment of the Silurians and Nefertiti he kills the man to save the others. He does this showing very little regret a combination of severe anger and his ability to shut down and dissociate from his emotions.

Another act of his anger common out in an act of manipulative violence is the TV: The Bells of Saint John by using the Base station to threaten to bring down and scare people into action and ends up using it.

An extreme example of how strongly his anger can run is seen when he learns of the actions of Kahler-Jex. He comes back angry at the lies and feeling deeply upset at the lies. It escalates with Jax telling The Doctor he doesn’t understand when The Doctor absolutely understand what position Jax was in. All of this peaks and when Kahler-Jex references The Doctor’s own trauma and actions in his history of not only the Time War but the other actions he’s had to take, along with the all the death he blames on his inactions as well. It pushes him to the edge of violence yelling and acting out physically. However, unlike other examples of The Doctor being willing to hurt others to protect something and/or someone he loves this time it’s out of a trigger to the past, he loses control of the anger he feels.

Jax “You wouldn’t”

The Doctor replies “I Genuinely don’t know.”

This shows that being so disconnected to the emotions his trauma brings makes this scene confuse him. (TV: A Town Called Mercy)

After Amy is captured Eleven shuts down his emotions, a strong emptiness comes over him which is different from Rory who has a level of desperation and love for Amy.

Rory says “Amy, can you hear me? We're coming for you. Wherever you are, we're coming, I swear.”

The Doctor answers; “She can't hear you. I'm so sorry. It's one way.”

Rory replies “She can always hear me, Doctor. Always. Wherever she is, and she always knows that I am coming for her. Do you understand me? Always.”

(TV: The Day of The Moon)

The Emotional shutdown can even form a block in his empathy, much like rage he sometimes swings the other way trying to not feel, TV: The Snowmen, but being unable to manage these he often starts lashing out to others by trying to act on feelings.

In TV: A Good Man Goes To War when Vastra points out he is seen as a weapon his emotions go from sadness to an episode of dissociation. We can see this as he loses the ability to register what the others are saying and has to be brought out of it. A similar event can be seen after an anger outburst and discussions truly close to his traumatic history his friends have with Kahler-Jax. Eleven goes almost blank facially and folds into himself emotional;y and physically. He isolates himself by stepping away and he completely loses the thread of the events around him. We see this when he says “Hmm? Yes. I don't know. Whatever Amy said.” It also melds with his wildly changing emotions as he flies into anger right after this. (TV: A Town Called Mercy). We also see dissociation in TV: The Girl Who Waited, The Time of Angels / Flesh and Stone & TV: The Snowmen)

We can see a physical manifestation in the way The Doctor physically acts as well. When he experiences dissociation and/or emotional shutdowns he curled into himself. (TV: The Day of The Moon, TV:The Girl Who Waited, TV: A Town Called Mercy, TV: The Angels Take Manhattan, TV: The Snowmen, & TV: Journey to The Center of The TARDIS ).

We can see another physical manifestation of the disconnection he feels from himself and the dissociation he has with his table identity when he gets dressed without his own knowledge, Seen in this exchange

The Doctors: “No, you didn't, because I don't. Because this isn't the sort of thing I do any more. Next time you're in trouble, don't expect me to”

(The Doctor is distracted by his reflection in a mirror.)

Clara “What is it? What's wrong?”

The Doctor: Sorry, it's just. Didn't know I'd put it on.

(TV: The Snowmen)

Memory gaps are also seen in TV: Hide when he doesn’t even know what’s in the console room and TV: The Day of The Doctor as he has lost track of his own age and timeline [Not remembering the events with the moment doesn't count] Also seen in TV: The Lodger

His emotions and trauma can bring Eleven to the point of pretty dramatic outbursts. When the Daleks are seen for the first time by Eleven expresses an episode of range attacks the Dalek with a wrench (TV: Victory of The Daleks) Fear and Anger lead to a panic and rage episode including throwing things around and losing focus (TV: Flesh and Stone). We see these trauma, guilt and anger based breakdowns screaming and pushing others away, saying “Nobody talk to me. Nobody human has anything to say to me today!” (TV: The Beast Below). We see a physical breakdown again in TV: The God Complex and TV: The Angels Take Manhattan.

A trauma-induced Panic Attack can be seen in TV: Asylum of the Daleks. He shows all the physical attributes and calls out for help a very uncharacteristic way of reacting showing a more heightened fear response. After this reminder of his trauma during the war, we see him struggle to return to the normal emotional level struggling to show compassion he normally has for human hurt by the Daleks reacting with rage at the Dalek shell that Oswin is trapped into. And panics again when she starts to move.

In TV: Nightmare in Silver just seeing a Cyberman he goes into protect mode his easily triggered survival and protective manner.

The Doctor is a show-off and is very dramatic to project the appearance he wants and hid a lot under it/ (TV: The Eleventh Hour, Minisode: Meanwhile in the TARDIS 2, TV: The Vampires of Venice, TV: The Big Bang, TV: The Doctor The Widow and The Wardrobe, TV: Day of The Moon, TV: The Doctor's Wife, TV: Let’s Kill Hitler, TV: A Christmas Carol, TV: The Wedding of River Song TV: The Asylum of The Daleks, TV: A Town Called Mercy, TV:The Snowmen, TV: The Bells of Saint John,TV: Journey to The Center of The TARDIS, & TV: The Day of The Doctor ).

Often done to people he wants to like him like Amy, saying: “A forest in a bottle on a spaceship in a maze. Have I impressed you yet, Amy Pond?”(TV: Flesh and Stone) When Eleven finds himself in the oval office he goes on a rant, flaunt his intelligence and sits in the president's chair. Enjoying Putting on a show for his friends as well it works to refocus control and attention to him. (TV: The Impossible Astronaut)

In TV: A Good Man Goes To War we see a huge example of this. It is a combination of the way using confusion and manipulation is The Doctor's signature method of fighting enemies but it also is a way he enjoys getting positive and negative attention.

Amy Pond is His favourite person and they both have a codependent relationship to a very high degree. Both being a defining part of the others life. Eleven while not really wanting a romantic relationship with Amy still experiences worry around Amy wanting to leave him some jealousy with Rory (TV: The Vampires of Venice) Is deeply protective over Amy even when he does bring in to dangerous situations (TV: The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone, TV: Victory of The Daleks, TV: Vincent and The Doctor, & TV: The Pandorica Opens). Eleven struggles to attach healthy to others wanting this full 100% or 0% love (TV: The Eleventh Hour. TV: The God Complex, & TV: The Power of Three)

We this complete or zero attachment in action again in TV: The Snowmen with Clara. Going from a lockout of people in general to trying to make her come with him and feeling a deep connection in the matter of a day. Even when he doesn’t trust River Song yet he becomes jealous when she gives attention to others like saying “What? You two engaged or something?” when the father follows her around (TV: Flesh and Stone)

His extreme connection to his companions magnifies his own grief tenfold causing pretty deep reactions when losing his FP in the form of Amy. (TV: The Angels Take Manhattan & The Snowmen). His general problems with attachment magnify grief and loss in general, he struggles to form normal relationships and has deep abandonment issues that we see starting a few doctors back. This is further compounded by his long lifespan meaning he can see the way people are eventually going to lose them. In TV: The Power of Three he explains the way he knows loss is coming and tries to lose it, but when hitting this realization hard on he actually attempts to severe the bond before getting really hurt but that doesn’t work. He then pushes everyone again when the loss does it. (TV: The Snowmen). Clara points out that she is competing with a ghost in TV: The Rings of Akhaten, which while he rebuffs this she was actually right, one because he only picked her up based on a past loss but also because for a very long time the companions are competing with the ghost of past loss as it informs how protective and guilty The Doctor is with everyone.

This struggle with grief can also be seen in TV: The Time of The Doctor when The Doctor as he sends Clara away to not deal with losing her even though that isn’t what she wants.

Likes to be in control of everything to feel like he can manage a world that constantly throws pain and disorder. (TV: The Eleventh Hour, TV: The Vampires of Venice, TV: The Hungry Earth/Cold Earth, TV: The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang, TV: The Power of Three, TV: The Curse of the Black Spot, TV: The Crimson Horror, TV: Nightmare in Silver, TV: Cold War, & TV: The Name of The Doctor)

Eleven takes control no matter who is around them, up to and including the president of the united states (TV: The Impossible Astronaut/Day of The Moon). There is also often the need to try and protect people, though this often bothers the people as it takes their choice from them. (TV: A Christmas Carol, TV: The Doctor's Wife, TV: The God Complex, TV: Asylum of The Daleks, & TV: Name of The Doctor).

In Prose: Touched By an Angel Eleven comments that Rory is "disconcertingly full of surprises" when he alters the plans Eleven is trying to work through. In TV: The Snowmen we see another example of his control issues verbalized by Eleven when Clara attempts to lead him saying “No, I do the hand grabbing. That's my job. That's always me!”, a telling example of the way Clara not listening even more than normal throws him off balance.

In TV: The Time of The Doctor The Doctor takes control of not just the battle but ends up essentially running the entire planet, based on a hero/god complex along with his warranted feeling of responsibility. In TV:Day of The Doctor we see this control and god complex in an extreme form as they feel a responsibility to save the entire universe, it’s also connected to guilt born from trauma The Doctor experienced throughout the time war even before the use of the moment, as the War Doctor feels the same responsibility/god complex.

Eleven tries to control the entire situation of the adventures and the situations around those he loves. It’s not trying to really hurt them, and often works but he still wants to try and make everything work right. (TV: The God Complex, TV: Asylum of The Daleks, TV: The Crimson Horror)

We see an example of this also TV: The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People in the way he doesn’t tell people what he’s doing so no one interferes with his plans, even willing to lie to people by omission and right out no telling Amy which doctor is made of Flesh and which is the Time Lord. Similar to this situation in TV: Journey to The Center of The TARDIS The Doctor manipulates the salvage crew withholding information, using intimidation and his superior understanding of the TARDIS to get what he wants so he can save Clara. The Doctor also lies to Clara here and scares her once he does lose that control, the lies and information he had been hiding for long can’t keep in under stress.

Lacks any ability to trust almost anybody (TV: The Beast Below, TV: The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone, TV: The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People, & TV: Journey to The Center of The TARDIS). TV: The Impossible Astronaut gives us to rather good examples of this, the person he trusts number one is himself over anyone who has been with him over time. Also when talking to River he says “Trust you? Sure. But, first of all, Doctor Song, just one thing. Who are you? You're someone from my future. Getting that. But who? Okay. Why are you in prison? Who did you kill, hmm? Now, I love a bad girl, me, but trust you? Seriously.” a cruel statement of his trust issues, and acts as a way to push her away and keep at arm's length even when he does enjoy her company.

The Doctor struggles to understand and communicate ideas and emotions. Forming new relationships are hard for him his ability for healthy attachments in non-existent. We see this with Rory a lot. Rory doesn’t quickly fall in line with The Doctors normal way of functioning. Eleven doesn't have a good ability to communicate their issues. This makes relationships pretty volatile with River, Amy and Clara even when they are what he loves most

Experiences splitting mostly with River Goes back and forth being very flirty and then pushing River away (TV: Flesh and Stone, TV: A Good Man Goes to War, & TV: The Day of The Moon)

Eleven avoids talking about trauma trying to not remember or discuss it while it also clearly affects everything he does (TV: The Beast Below, TV: The Doctor's Wife, TV: A Good Man Goes To War, TV: Day of The Doctor, TV: The Snowmen, TV: Hide TV: The Name of The Doctor, TV: The Day of The Doctor & The Time of The Doctor) Distraction used as a coping mechanism (TV: Amy’s Choice, TV: The hungry Earth) When he does talk about it he struggles to then stop (TV: The Rings of Akhaten, TV: The Day of The Doctor).

The Doctor isn’t in touch with his emotions (TV: A Town Called Mercy, TV: The Doctor The Widow and The Wardrobe, TV: The Power of Three, TV: The Angels Take Manhattan, TV: The Snowmen, & TV: The Bells of Saint John). In TV: A Good Man Goes To War he comments “Oh, look, I'm angry. That's new. I'm really not sure what's going to happen now.” However, The Doctor often shows anger to the point of outbursts of violence. This shows a profound disconnect from his own emotional state.

Eleven like the previous incarnations is deeply lonely and feels like he is alone and disconnected (TV: The Beast Below, TV: The Doctor The Widow and The Wardrobe, TV: The Doctor's Wife, TV: Night Terrors TV: The Bells of Saint John) We see this in his trying to connect with the Krafayis “Well, no harm trying. Listen. Listen! I know you can understand me, even though I know you won't understand why you can understand me. I also know that no one's talked to you for a pretty long stretch, but please, listen. I also don't belong on this planet. I also am alone. If you trust me, I'm sure we can come to some kind of, you know, understanding. And then, and then, who knows?” (TV: Vincent and The Doctor)

The most extreme example of this is of course seen in TV: The Snowmen where for what is implied to be years The Doctor isolates himself from almost everyone and stops trying to help others.

The Doctor experiences hypervigilance and general hyperarousal symptoms about him always on edge and looking for danger. It also causes him trouble staying still and enjoying any calm (TV: Amy’s Choice, Minisode: Night and The Doctor, TV: The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood, TV: The Lodger, TV: The Impossible Astronaut, TV: Closing Time, TV: Asylum of The Daleks, TV: Dinosaurs on A Spaceship, TV: Closing Time TV: A Town Called Mercy, TV: The Power of Three, TV: The Angels Take Manhattan, TV: The Bells of Saint John, TV: The Rings of Akhaten, & TV Nightmare in Silver)

We see this in his conversation with Amy Saying; “Oh, lovely. You're a cheery one. Never mind dead, look at this place. Isn't it wrong?” Amy is confused by this “What's wrong?” Elven seems genuinely surprised that she doesn’t see what is happening the way he can “Come on, use your eyes. Notice everything. What's wrong with this picture?” (TV: The Beast Below)

Even when in a calm environment like a museum The Doctor is on the lookout. When viewing Van Gogh art he stops to investigate danger having noticed it everywhere “Yes. And not a nice face at all. I know evil when I see it and I see it in that window.“ (TV: Vincent and The Doctor)

The Doctor deals with catastrophization (TV: The Beast Below, TV: Vincent and The Doctor, TV: The Curse of The Black Spot & Prequels: Prequel to The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe) The Doctor also struggles to view the world with an active hope more using it an idea to focus his thoughts, it takes extreme emotions to push through that, and not much to bring it all crashing down. (TV: The Doctor The Widow in the Wardrobe, Minisode: Meanwhile in The TARDIS, & TV: The Angels Take Manhattan)

Other people tend to understand and see his erratic behaviour. In TV: The Time of Angles.

Father Octavian asked River “Doctor Song, I've lost good Clerics today. You trust this man? “

She replies “I absolutely trust him.”

Octavian asks “ He's not some kind of madman, then?”

All River does is repeat “ I absolutely trust him”.

A comment on the very noticeable erratic behaviour and presentation of his feelings and dysregulation, his own friends who trust him can’t even pretend he isn’t like that. Clara makes a similar comment in TV: Nightmare in Silver.

Multiple times people who knows him warn against getting to the emotional breaking point. In TV: The Doctor's Wife Amy says “Don't get emotional because that's when you make a mistake” In TV: Forest of The Dead River warns Ten against it when he generally has a slightly higher boiling point to Eleven to experience full emotional breakdowns.

Rory finds The Doctor to be dangerous in his ability to be magnetic and the way his own recklessness plays of each other. (TV: The Vampires of Venice)

The Doctor’s interactions with Van Gogh is really interesting we see to a large instance I think he understands what he is going through but trying to use his own coping mechanisms on Van Gogh proves to not be very effective. He tries to make Van Gogh focus on the task at hand, ignore people calling him crazy don’t think about the pain. But of course, this doesn’t work for Van Gogh who has slightly different problems than The Doctor and can’t function on denial.

We also see his difficulty with communication here talking about his or others feelings being a struggle. He does try and offer kindness with mentioning hope, and then lets Van Gogh he will be remembered kindly a truly kind act. Eleven is also distinctly less surprised than Amy that one kind day can not make someone not struggle with suicidal thoughts, something I think comes from both his knowledge of time travel but personal experience with mental illness. (TV: Vincent and The Doctor)

In TV: Hide we see Emma Grayling being able to read The Doctor because she is an empath, this ability makes her distrustful of The Doctor overall but also works with him because she can tell he does want to save people. Emma warns Clara about the fact the Doctor’s history has left him deeply damaged she says“Don't trust him. There's a sliver of ice in his heart.”

Professor Alec Palmer also reads The Doctor in this same episode, he can tell the Doctor has seen traumatic events of war and death just like he as. They are similar people and they can see it in each other.

Eleven has become so used to the chaos and violence that he cannot change and disconnect. Adventure and violence are the only way he knows how to function, also I sort of an addiction to chaos. (Minisode: Night and The Doctor, TV: The Lodger, TV: Amy’s Choice, TV: Dinosaurs On A Spaceship, TV: The Power of Three, & TV: A Town Called Mercy)

We see The Doctor has a breakdown in being able to enjoy a normal life and things, even some of the less violent of the things in space like stars or general life (Minisode: Meanwhile in the TARDIS 2)

While The Doctor is addicted to violence he has a deep moral problem with the concept of war and hurting other creatures. The Doctor also tries to ensure that other people don’t have to live in the war as he did. It is hypocritical as The Doctor will cause harm for the greater good. However, opposition to war is as much a part of the identity as a moral concept. This hatred of war actually dates back to the early doctors and carried through till this point, now with the layers of trauma and having continuously broken the morals himself. (TV: The Beast Below, TV: The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood, TV: The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People, TV: Dinosaurs on A Spaceship, TV: A Town Called Mercy, & TV: Nightmare in Silver)

Other soldiers and actors of violence can always read this past in The Doctor (TV: Hide, TV: Nightmare in Silver, & TV: The Name of The Doctor). This is seen in TV: Cold War when the other soldiers can see that The Doctor understands the battle, River also comments on this in TV: Let’s kill Hitler as she was taught that he understood “all forms of war.'' He is confronted with the way he’s been acting as a violent force when he learns the Gamma forest uses the doctor as the war for a warrior (TV: A Good Man Goes to War).

TV: The Day of The Doctor shows us this understanding of battles and violent politics, and how much this is splitting to his character as The War Doctor refuses to even call himself The Doctor. It shows how much he understands about war. This carries into TV: The Time of The Doctor where he can wage a hundred years of war and win.

Insomnia: (TV: The Lodger, Minisode: Night and The Doctor, TV: The Bells of Saint John)

Disordered eating: (TV: The Eleventh Hour, TV: The Power of Three, TV: The Time of The Doctor)

Eleven is a character built on contradictions bu as highly magnetic as the other doctors. His arc is similar to 9s in being bittersweet, he dies with those he loves having saved people but is also sad because his last days were spent in war when that’s the last thing he wanted to do, they were also tainted by feelings of guilt for his part in what happened. He changes some over time in relation to loss but has less profound shifts than many other New Who doctors.

[Also Posted on my Archive of Our Own page in a series with the other doctor study posts]

Shout out to @3lianav for requesting/reminding me to get this section up

12 notes · View notes

whaechan · 6 years

Note

do you have any markhyuck fic recs?

Heyo! I’m so sorry it took me so long to get to this, but I went through most of the nct fics I’ve read so far and picked out all the markhyuck fics that I really enjoyed. I’ll list them down for you, w a summary, word count etc. Hope you’ll enjoy reading these! c: (I’ll mark my favourite ones with a ♡ )

Sunny Afternoon - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 8,1k

mark didn’t mind summer, he really, really didn’t. in fact it might even be one of his favorite seasons, but working his summer away in an ice cream parlour wasn’t really his definition of a good time.that is until one day a boy, who glowed like the summer sun, stumbled into the shop.

♡ A Little Extraordinary - Markhyuck (+ sidehsips) - Wordcount: 118k

it’s not exactly normal to have a strange boy climbing through your bedroom window in the dead of night. it’s even more unusual to have this become a regular occurrence.

mark tries his best to take it all in his stride but it all get’s decidedly difficult when a growing crush and a murky backstory keep trying to trip him up.

Summer Dreams - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 15,7k

The purpose of having a summer holiday was to stay up late and sleep in as late as possible. It was not there to be used as an excuse to get dragged along to Seoul with one’s parents to make them look good for a business deal that would greatly help the family company, and yet, this was the situation that Donghyuck found himself in.

♡ Pandorica - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 40k

“Huh,” Mark huffs, pursing his lips. “What can I do to change your mind?”

“Kiss me again,” Donghyuck says, leaning down again. “Consider it your makeup test.”

Courage, Dear Heart - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 5,6k

Mark takes Donghyuck home with him to Vancouver to meet his parents and to propose. It’s all sunshine and rainbows, except they aren’t actually together.

Today, too, the policeman sits (by the busker’s empty pitch) - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 15k

Seoul Police Officer Mark Lee is reassigned to a quiet town, population ~1k. Which is, of course, where he meets the most troublesome (read: annoying) repeat offender of his entire career: street violinist Lee Donghyuck.

Alternatively: Mark is a cop, but who exactly is pursuing who is anyone’s guess.

The Sound of Birds - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 1,8k

Mark wakes up (like he does every morning) to the sound of the obnoxious ringtone he’s set for Donghyuck. He doesn’t know why he expects today to be any different.

♡ Creature of Habit - Markhyuck, Markno - Wordcount: 18,4k

If Jeno was the angel on Mark’s shoulder, then Donghyuck was the devil, and Mark wanted to do something that felt wrong, even just once.

♡ I look for myself within you - Markhyuck, Markmin/Jaemark(?) - Wordcount: 52,5k

Donghyuck cared about nothing, and Mark cared a little too much about everything.

Baby you’re brighter than the sun - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 6,2k

Where Donghyuck starts to get cute notes and gifts from an unknown person

Leaf the plants alone! - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 4k

Your eyes are warm, your skin is sun-kissed and all I want to do is drown in your honey golden locks but your cat is an absolute jerk!

♡ Hopeless hearts just passing through (I was made for loving you) - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 70,7k

Donghyuck’s mother was the demon looming over his shoulder. She painted his life with harsh greys, desolate blues and destructive reds. So when she pushes him to a cage with Mark, he knows there’s no escape but he also knows he wants to love the man he married. So he tries.

He succeeds.(It was never hard anyway)

♡ Retrouvaille - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 12k

The universe made sure they met over and over again.

That AU where Mark and Donghyuck meet in high school and later all over the world until the red-haired boy finally stopped running.

The weekend, or whatever - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 8,8k

Donghyuck snorts. “And I’m the extra one.”

“I guess you’re rubbing off on me,” Mark shrugs and sets off quietly.

The nohyuck two hit wonder (series) - Markhyuck, Hyuckno/Jehyuck(?) - Wordcount: 13k & 14k

Jeno has returned to Daegu after years of staying away. Mark and Donghyuck are pleased but Jeno isn’t here to stay.

He’s running out of time. Fast.

♡ The Johntenhyuck family chronicles (series) - Johnten, side Markhyuck - Wordcount: 8,8k

A fic where Johnten live together with Johnny’s little brother, Donghyuck, who’s kind of like their son

Set my heart high (like a volleyball) - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 19,1k

Mark and Donghyuck belong to rival high schools and they hate each other’s guts — they’re not even subtle about this statement. They think the universe must be playing a joke on them when they end up in the same university auditioning for the same volleyball team.

♡ In Bloom - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 2,7k

Lately, whenever Mark’s with Donghyuck, he’s had to worry about the flowers in his cheeks. There’s something about Donghyuck that makes them blossom, spreading across his face, turning his cheeks into meadows.

Make Me Over - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 7,3k

“As far as summer jobs went, working part time at the mall’s Sephora wasn’t the worst.”

In which Donghyuck falls hard for the boy in a muscle tee who walks into his Sephora not knowing the difference between a pan of blush and a palette of eyeshadow.

Wanna be Startin’ Sometin’ - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 10,1k

“Mark wasn’t lost. He wasn’t. He was merely temporary disoriented, if that. He’d find his way back on the trail in no time, and back to the campsite in half that.”

or, the fic where Hyuck’s a park ranger, and Mark’s never left the city

♡ Rewrite the Stars - Markhyuck, side Renmin - Wordcount: 54,5k

Donghyuck’s got a crush. He’s the perfect boy– he’s cute, he’s polite, he cooks. Donghyuck’s friends even like him. The catch? He’s a robot.

You’re my open road - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 4k

“Can I paint your nails?”

Spinning it faster is not always the best choice - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 8,1k

When Donghyuck first meets Mark, the boy has his hand stuck in a washing machine. Thirty minutes later, he falls in love.

The Search for Everyting - Markhyuck, Noren - Wordcount: 43,7k

Mark Lee is on his last year of high school, and he is going on a road trip with his best friend Jeno before they graduate. The thing is, they have to bring Jeno’s boyfriend Renjun, and they also encounter a stowaway who really should be anywhere but under the cabinet of a small sink in the back of their van.

This is a story of summer, long road trips, unwashed bodies, broken hearts, stupid mistakes, young love and growing up. Come join four boys as they journey on a search for everything.

One of Us - Markhyuck (+ side ships) - Wordcount: 18,1k

Donghyuck’s new flatmate Mark doesn’t seem any different from expected. He’s nice and polite, and pretty darn cute too. All of that changed when Mark returned home one night with a bloody shirt and a gun in his hand.

Drills and Flowers - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 6,5k

Donghyuck works in a flower shop. Mark works in the mechanic’s opposite the street. One day he came in and crushed Donghyuck’s flowers. Donghyuck tells him to go fuck himself. Mark says he would rather fuck him.

End of the World - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 6,9k

Mark wonders who will love him until the end of the world. Then enters Lee Donghyuck, a person who doesn’t believe in it.

Or alternatively, Mark is heartbroken after Jaemin leaves him for his best friend. Donghyuck becomes the only person he can rely on.

♡ Frostbite - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 4,4k

According to Renjun, Donghyuck just needed a push in the right direction. Donghyuck didn’t think he meant down a hill, racing Mark to the finish line on a sled.

♡ Out of Your Mind - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 7,1k

Mark just wants to be a regular teenager. Or as regular as an eighteen-year-old sharing his body with a demon can get. And unfortunately for him, Donghyuck loves making things complicated.

♡ Spring Break (All Your Bones) - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 7k

Donghyuck is for Saturday mornings after sleepovers Mark would never admit he enjoys and summer afternoons sitting on sun warmed sidewalks with sugary ice cream melting in their mouths and down their fingers. Donghyuck is his childhood and adolescence, and Mark spends spring break getting reacquainted.

Of All The Bad Ideas - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 10,3k

Donghyuck has been pining after Mark Lee since the first year of high school, and now they’re four years deep and Donghyuck’s feelings are still hurtling towards imminent heartbreak. He’s always been an impulsive decision maker, but he should have thought a bit harder on this one.

One by One (series) - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 14,3k

Mark and Donghyuck work their way through first love, from awkward kissing lessons to long night drives through sleeping neighborhoods. (AKA the Markhyuck Making Out series)

Simple as ABC, there’s only you and me - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 10,7k

0 mile. 6000 miles. 10 miles. 0 mile.

No matter how far or near Donghyuck is, Mark decided a long time ago to love that boy and never let him go.

Fall of a Thousand - Markhyuck - Wordcount: 14,6k

Growing up, Mark has only ever known of one constant in his life, Donghyuck.

Whether that’s meant to be a good or bad thing however, is a decision resting on fate itself.

And here are a few fics with other ships that I came across while looking around that I really liked

Words in Your Hands - Markno, Hyuckmin(?) - Wordcount: 10k

Mark is sure that Jeno is interested in Renjun so he ignores all his attempts at flirting. He really wishes Jeno would just stop; it’s not good for his heart.

♡ Love (That’s All There Is To It) (series) - Norenminhyuck - Wordcount: part 1, 4,4k

Most people don’t get it.

(Donghyuck has three boyfriends and he’s totally content, regardless of what people think)

♡ We look for stranger things (’cause that’s just who we are) (series) - No ships, just the dreamies - Wordcount: part 1, 7,9k

Just a bunch of strange teenagers finding home in one another.

Have a cup of cheer - Hyuckmin(?) - Wordcount: 3,1k

Jaemin goes on a romantic Christmas non-date with Donghyuck.

And some shameless selfadvertising

Surprise Kiss - Markhyuck - Wordcount; 800

Wherein Mark decides to just take a leap of faith towards the amazing being that is Donghyuck.

aka mark gets an idea on how to shut donghyuck up when he starts rambling again

And that’s all I have so far! This literally took me around.. four hours to do oh my god :))))) So I hope you guys like these fics otl ;;

If any of the links aren’t right or whatever please hmu so I can fix it, thanks!

#omg i love reading fics man #pls always send me fic recs thanks #this took soooo long to make oh my god woejlkd #did me remember some good ones ive read tho #so im gonna reread those whoop #anyways #happy reaction #whoop #mop #nct fic rec #fic rec

188 notes · View notes

xhellnhighheelsx · 7 years

Note

List the angsty times she’s extra! Do it! Do it! Also, would you take meta prompts? I guess that’s just questions...but your metas are my fave, and I would read them all day everyday. P.S. still any plans to provide receipts for the Doctor’s and River’s irrevocable love? (Yes, that was my ask too ;)

Okay so here’s my emo companion to this post.

I only picked a handful of moments cuz I wanted to get this to you quick so you don’t think I’m ignoring you lol and I will gladly accept all the meta prompts. Always.

Let’s start at River’s beginning for this one, shall we?

Kid Melody calls Nixon for night terrors. He ends up being entirely useless, but that’s government for you. I mean, technically the suit defaulted to the highest authority, so not exactly her fault, but lbr, River would. This gets glossed over a lot, and maybe that’s because it’s so sad.I don’t even have to dig for the angst here. Orphan girl, terrified, alone, cared for by a man whose sanity is unraveling before her very eyes. She watched him graffiti walls and his own skin, warning himself to get out, to get away. How much guilt does that put on a little girl? Unwanted. No friends. Nothing but isolation and a dusty room with paint chipping off the walls. Owned rather than loved. Swaddled by a suit meant only for murder. Other kids want a puppy, but little Melody begs the President of the United States, please, don’t let it eat me. She learns early on that going big is the only way to not be overlooked.

Now I’m just wondering if the Silence fixed that little issue? If little Melody can call for help, did River? When she was trapped in that suit at the bottom of the lake, did she try to call the Tardis to warn the Doctor? Did he not answer his phone AGAIN? Did she leave a voicemail begging him not to come? Does 12 or 13 find it but can’t do a damn thing about it cuz these faces have to be a secret? Sorry, I spiraled.

Anyway, after she escaped, kid Melody also found an audience to regenerate in front of. She scared the daylights out of some poor homeless man because she was sick and, for once in her life, she didn’t want to die be alone. Think on that.

I won’t get into it too much cuz we’re all well aware, but friendly reminder that home girl actually broke time just to prove a point. She did it for love, yes, but she also did it for herself. She was done being a puppet. This is River saying the decisions she makes will happen on her terms and the universe learns it the hard way. While we’re at it, River has another go at changing time by that lake side by physically shooting at herself. And you know she tries because she is blinking back tears as she says, “of course not.” If the shooting is just for show, why does she say that? This scene is the cause of a lot of diverging headcanons because it either means, River doesn’t remember the events that took place in the aborted timeline and is still trying to change time and create another paradox. Or she does remember and she’s just that self loathing. Or secret option C, she’s faking it for the Ponds, which is it’s own brand of ansty extraness. Basically, pick your poison. They’re all bitter and hard to swallow.

There’s a lot of controversy around The Big Bang and what River remembers and what not, but let’s consider this for a second: assuming she does genuinely think the universe will close with the Doctor on the other side, she’s agreeing to let her whole life be rewritten. Mind, this is the same woman that later DIES to protect her life and memories with the Doctor. Amy, Rory, and 11 don’t realize it at the time, but when River lets the Doctor climb into the Pandorica and fly it into the heart of the TARDIS, she’s taking the risk of never existing herself. She says, he hardly knows her and now he never will, but what she means is River Song will disappear and Melody Williams will take her place. She is literally self sacrificing at every opportunity.

Another casual reminder: Remember that time she broke her wrist and tried to hide it because heaven forbid she be mortal for five seconds? And then slapped her husband because he has the audacity to love her? Yup, extra. The entire episode of THORS. If you want a crash course on how to make a scene, this is the ep for you. She makes her entrance by wearing a bright red Mrs. Claus cloak and threatens to remove peoples vital organs. Iconic. And then she follows it up with an overdramatic display of how her “love” will rise again. Meanwhile her medusa hair is just tingling with excitement over how close she is to murdering this sucker of a king.

Anyway, back to the angst. Her speech is the obvious choice here and we’ve all cried over it a thousand times. She could have ranted about anything to kill time before the meteor strike. She could have laughed about how you can’t trust that slippery fellow, Jim, the fish. She could have listed the inaccuracies of the Byzantium movie, gone on for ten minutes of how it really went down and oh by the way, I’m one of only three survivors and I hunt weeping angels for fun. Forget the Doctor, I’m far more dangerous than he is. She could have bragged about her significant history of escaping. That would have made the most sense, considering that’s literally what she’s about to do. hahaha here’s my master plan and you can’t do a damn thing to stop it. Toodaloo suckers. Enjoy being deep fried.

But she doesn’t. She talks about the Doctor, as if convincing a room full of strangers he doesn’t love her will save him from danger. Maybe she even convinces herself because she feels responsible for her parents. Maybe she steals diamonds and acts like a thief because she is one. Maybe she feels like she stole something from the Doctor and she tells herself he doesn’t give a damn because he’s better off without her. Moral of the story, he’s always her first thought in a crisis. How can I protect him, how can I save him? Even when he’s not around to see it. She’s so damaged affected by their love affair that it’s second nature for River to scream into the void that the people she loves most don’t give a damn about her. It doesn’t matter (that they’re her parents). You don’t expect a sunset to admire you back. is it a defense mechanism because everyone she loves leaves her? Probably. But only someone who’s extra shouts about their insecurities to a room full of criminals.

And on a slightly less obvious note, when River and 12 first land on Starship Super Villains R Us, was it really necessary for her to blatantly incriminate herself? She tells what she thinks is some random guy about how this ship is full of despicable people, planet burners and murders and criminals. And then she gives him an icy stare and says, do try the fish. A neon sign of I come here often. In no way was it necessary to inform this guy that she has no qualms with murder. But she does because if she wants to believe her own lie, that she’s heartless and cold, she has to convince others first.

And last but not least, she straight up haunted her husband’s ass. Ex👏tra👏. Now whether you believe the haunting was full time or just in TNOTD, you can’t deny that the look on her face when she says he left her like a book on a shelf. She didn’t have to follow Eleven and Clara through the tomb explaining things to Clara, but she does. She doesn’t have to flirt with the Doctor and give him the come hither eyes even though she thinks he can’t see/hear her. But she does. Cuz she’s extra.

#ask #river song #doctor who #Yes those receipts are on their way. THERE ARE JUST SO MANY TIMES TO CITE omg #also sorry if this isn't the most thorough answer #my spawn decided to cover herself in baby powder half way through writing this #and i lost my train of thought lol #Anonymous #prepare for tears

37 notes · View notes

pickingstars-blog1 · 7 years

Note

Moffat has been homophobic in the past, still is, and torturing and potentially killing a lesbian character is nothing new, bury your gays trope is homophobic no matter how hard you try to excuse it. Also racist cause she's been the first black companion since 2008? And how many has there been? Sexism isn't the issues here, it's homophobia and racism

Hi there!

The issue raised by the post I saw had everything to do with sexism, “Steven Moffat’s desire to torture his female characters” was the wording used. That is specifically what I was responding to, because that claim is simply unfounded (as I…outline in my original post!). But if you want to discuss homophobia:

I want to clarify that I’m gay myself and so I’d like to think my response to homophobia in media is both personal and well tried and tested. With this in mind, I truly struggle to see evidence of homophobia in Steven Moffat’s work…

Jenny and Vastra’s love is warm, witty and completely celebrated by Doctor Who’s narrative.There’s nothing else to say regarding them, apart from perhaps the fact that they are both exceptionally interesting, lively characters with rich and engaging personalites. (There WAS an awful, awful, awful moment of sexual assualt in “The Crimson Horror” involving Jenny and Eleven, which I absolutely hate and condemn, but this was ultimately an ill-judged moment of improv from Catrin Stewart and Matt Smith, in a Mark Gatiss penned episode, in an era of the show that has been long since moved on from. It should have been cut, but it’s existence has very little to do with Steven Moffat).

Bill Potts is perhaps the sunniest, most refreshing, and most accuarte depiction of a young gay woman I’ve ever seen. Her sexuality is a beautiful, beautiful part of who she is, and this is something she both acknowledges, embraces (loudly among strangers, quietly among her family), and pokes fun at. That’s as vibrant and genial and natural a piece of Lesbian representation you can find. The way the show has depicted Bill’s sexuality has struck a huge chord with me personally, and it’s something I’m so happy millions of children and adults are also encouraged by. It’s also, yes, something that I, as a gay person, am tremendously thankful to Steven Moffat for.

As far as Steven Moffat’s character, I of course don’t know him, so can’t totally vouch for him, but if we take him by the things he has said about gay representation, its pretty wonderful, progressive stuff. If we take him by the things profressional colleagues have said about him, it’s pretty wonderful, progressive stuff. He’s a self described “Lefty”! And if you were to ask me for my personal opinion, (having been a huge fan of his for years and years I’d like to think I could make an accurate assessment), he strikes me as a man who has, particularly since c.2012, worked incredibly hard to listen, improve, instruct and educate himself on the many social issues which he now fully and fundamentally embraces and celebrates in his work. That includes LGBT represenetation, representation of people of colour, and representation of women.

You’re absolutely right, the ‘bury your gays’ trope is homophobic. But at the moment, Bill is not buried - she’s not dead! Suffering, hurting, yes. But alive and kicking, (and blinking and crying too…) That last shot wasn’t for nothing! It tells us that despite everything, underneath a morbid attempt at destruction, she is fighting, surviving. That should give us all a lot of hope. If by the end of next week, Bill ends up dead with her agency torn apart, I will be utterly surprised, but horrified and angry alongside everyone else. But that hasn’t happened yet.

I don’t think the race aspect is unarguable. Although Steven Moffat has said really lovely, (and self critical), things about the representation of people of colour on Doctor Who, there’s certainly something to be said about the fact that Bill is now the second black character to be converted into a cyberman in the show, (the third if we widen the scope to Torchwood, however I’m inclined not to, given this happened in a…well…dreadfully dated and sexist episode penned by Chris Chibnall under Russel T Davies’ showrunning in 2006), and there’s no getting away from the fact that that’s a very uncomfortable figure for the show to hold, however unintentional it is. Beyond that, there’s not much to be said until we see how the story, (bearing in mind we are less than halfway throgh this one given next week’s extended running time), progresses. There’s a very likely chance the events here will be subverted.

TLDR: Basically, I appreciate that people have concerns about how Bill’s story will end next week, but these concerns are driven by prominent misunderstandings of Steven Moffat’s character, and his writing, and until we see otherwise, I’m 100% inclined to put my trust in him, and to wait and see what happens. His track record in giving female characters agency and a triumphant ending following being ‘killed off’ in a finale cliffhanger is second-to-none:

Amy killed off in ‘The Pandorica Opens’ only to end ‘The Big Bang’ happily married and travelling

Amy commiting suicide along with Rory in ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’ only to end the episode determidly standing by her husband’s side, living a long and happy life with him in New York.

Clara being killed off in ‘Face The Raven’ only to become a time travelling immortal by the end of ‘Hell Bent’

Given this, I’m genuinely confident that Bill’s story will, too, by it’s end, be triumphant.

#moffat #steven moffat #doctor who #bill potts #world enough and time #ask #anon #Anonymous #dw spoilers

80 notes · View notes

deathxproof-archive · 7 years

Note

for the canon muses questions: 5, 13 & 15 c:

What is an aspect of your muse’s canon material or canon existence that you never had the opportunity to explore but really want to?Tbh I’ve wanted to explore more of those couple thousand years Rory was guarding the Pandorica. And more about The Ponds in the 1940s.

(And ever since the finale I’ve been toying with the idea of how Missy regenerated, especially ever since I decided that my Kosch was post-Missy.)

What canon character do you really wish your muse could interact more with?!!!!!!! I wish we got more Rory and River interactions tbh. (And then beyond that I always wanna fuckin interact w/ other companions and Doctors. Haven’t done much of that w/ Rory.)

AND I just wanted more Brian in general.

What is your ideal AU for your muse?

The Master Being Happy™️

For both of my AUs on this blog to actually be canon?? Trans Rory and Darvill!Master?? Please?

#shewandersoff

4 notes · View notes

esonetwork · 3 years

Text

Timestamp #225: A Good Man Goes to War

New Post has been published on https://esonetwork.com/timestamp-225-a-good-man-goes-to-war/

Timestamp #225: A Good Man Goes to War

Doctor Who: A Good Man Goes to War (1 episode, s06e07, 2011)

Demons run when a good man goes to war.

Prequel: Brain Trafficking

Dorium Maldovar meets with three cloaked figures. He tells them that his agents have procured the exact security software they have requested, extracted from memory – the literal brain – of a Judoon trooper. He exchanges it for a bag of sentient money.

Dorium doesn’t understand why they are doing all this to imprison one child, and he’s astonished at the child’s identity and relationship to the Doctor. He warns them: “God help us if you’ve made him angry”.

A Good Man Goes to Wars

On the Demons Run base, Amy consoles her new daughter, Melody Pond. She promises that help is on the way and is distraught that she has been unable to care for Melody since she was born.

Elsewhere in the cosmos, Rory and the Doctor have been hunting for Amy. They lay waste to an entire Cyberman fleet, news of which reaches the troops on Demons Run. Soldiers “The Fat One” and “The Thin One” – together, the Thin-Fat Gay-Married Anglican Marines – converse briefly with Cleric Lorna Bucket, a woman who has once met the Doctor in the Gamma Forests. Lorna sews to pass the time and was the only Cleric to show empathy for Amy’s plight. While The Thin One and Lorna discuss the Doctor, The Fat One is led away by the Headless Monks, the cloaked figures who met with Maldovar, and asked to make a donation into an appropriately head-sized box.

In London, circa 1888 AD, a Silurian named Vastra returns home after dispatching Jack the Ripper by her blade. Her maid Jenny informs her that the TARDIS has appeared in the drawing room, and Vastra knows that it is time to repay an old debt.

At the Battle of Zaruthstra in 4037 AD, Command Harcourt and Madame President Eleanor are ready to leave an infirm child as they retreat, but the child is saved by an unlikely nurse. A Sontaran named Strax tends to the child, then leaves as the TARDIS arrives.

At Stormcage, as River is breaking back into her cell, she meets Rory in his Centurion garb. She’s just returned from a birthday celebration with the Doctor in 1814 and Rory is summoning her to Demons Run. River explains that the Battle of Demons Run is when the Doctor will finally know who she is and that she cannot be there until the very end. During this event, the Doctor will rise higher than ever before, but will fall so much further.

At the Maldovarium, the Eyepatch Lady confronts Maldovar. She is known as Madame Kovarian, and Maldovar explains that the Doctor is raising an army. He also explains the origin of her base’s name: “Demons run when a good man goes to war.” When Kovarian leaves, the TARDIS arrives for Maldovar.

Back on Demons Run, while Colonel Manton rallies his troops, Lorna tries to present Amy with a prayer leaf. It’s a fabric token embroidered with Melody’s name in Lorna’s native language. They discuss the Doctor’s status as a legend and how each of them met the Time Lord. Amy accepts the gift and the apology.

Lorna returns to the colonel’s rally just in time for Manton to reveal the true face of the Headless Monks. Of course, the Doctor is masquerading as one of the monks, and as everyone in the crowd draws arms against him, the lights go out and the Doctor vanishes. The Clerics and the monks start shooting each other until Manton reestablishes control over the assembly by having all of the Clerics disarm themselves. Meanwhile, Vastra and Jenny have taken the control room in order to monitor the situation.

The assembled troops are suddenly surrounded as an army of Silurians and Judoon materialize. Commander Strax holds Manton at gunpoint. Manton claims that his fleet will come to help if Demons Run falls, but the Doctor counters: The fleet won’t know to come if Demons Run can’t call for help. The Doctor uses the Dalek-upgraded Spitfires, courtesy of Winston Churchill, to disable the communications tower.

Madame Kovarian readies her ship with young Melody in tow, but she’s thwarted by Rory with help from Henry and Toby Avery. Kovarian and Manton are brought before a barely restrained Doctor. He wants Manton to order his troops to “run away” so that he’ll be remembered by it for all time. Kovarian eventually yields and orders Manton to give the word.

Rory, with help from a sonic screwdriver, frees Amy from her cell. They both weep over their baby and the reunion. The Doctor soon joins them and their reunion is complete with a bout of humor. The Doctor speaks baby after all, and Melody has a lot to say.

Madame Vastra reports that the Clerics are leaving without any bloodshed. When she gloats that the Doctor has never risen higher, Rory remembers River’s warning.

The group gathers in the hangar. The Doctor doesn’t want to leave until he figures out why the base was used in the first place. The Doctor also produces his baby cot so Melody can settle down for a nap. Vastra calls the Doctor away, but before he goes he explains how Amy was split between the Ganger avatar and Demons Run. As the Doctor leaves, Strax brings in Lorna as a prisoner.

In the control room, the Doctor finds out that Melody has a mixture of human and Time Lord DNA. Presumably, it happened as a result of conception while exposed to the Untempered Schism, just like how the Time Lords began. Vastra is concerned that their victory was too easy.

In the hangar, Lorna claims that she’s a friend who only wanted to meet the Doctor. She also claims that he’s a great warrior, hence his name. Unfortunately, they soon fall under siege from the Headless Monks. While Vastra and Maldovar return to the hangar, Kovarian contacts the Doctor as he thinks back to the child in the astronaut suit from 1969. Kovarian explains that the child represents hope in their endless, bitter war against the Doctor.

A force field snaps into existence around the TARDIS and the hangar is sealed. The Headless Monks advance with their attack prayer and Amy retreats to safety while everyone else prepares for battle. Maldovar tries to reason with the monks, but he is cut down.

As the battle is met, the Doctor connects the dots. Kovarian has replaced Melody with a Ganger. The child is still lost. The Doctor arrives moments too late. The monks have been defeated, but Lorna and Strax have paid the price. The Doctor and Jenny try to comfort Amy. He also speaks briefly with Lorna before she dies, promising that he remembers her just like he remembers everyone he meets.

The Doctor is ready to give up on his quest against the Silence, but channels his anger toward the newly-arrived River Song. He wants to know where she was, but River says that she could not have turned the tide of the battle. She warns him that his name, which means healer across the universe, could become just like the people of the Gamma Forests know him: Mighty Warrior.

Demons run when a good man goes to war Night will fall and drown the sun When a good man goes to war

Friendship dies and true love lies Night will fall and the dark will rise When a good man goes to war

Demons run, but count the cost The battle’s won, but the child is lost

The Doctor demands to know who she is and she leads him to the baby cot. The answer is inscribed on the cot in Gallifreyan and the Doctor’s mood shifts dramatically. He rushes to the TARDIS, asking River to get everyone home safely, before flying away to find Melody.

Amy demands to know where he’s gone and who she is. River shows her the prayer leaf and explains that Melody Pond in the language of the Gamma Forests translates to River Song. “The only water in the forest is the river.”

River Song is Amy and Rory’s daughter.

The Battle of Demons Run: Two Days Later

Strax awakens two days after the Battle of Demons Run, having been healed by alien technology. Vastra and Jenny tell him that they are the last to leave and invite him to join them in London. After all, Jenny has been ostracized from her family for her sexual orientation, Vastra is presumably the last of her kind, and Strax is all alone. There could be a future for them all together.

Strax refuses at first, but once he learns that London will involve crime-solving and plenty of adventure, he agrees to accompany them.

This story serves multiple purposes and it serves them well. Primarily, it ties off the thread of Amy’s abduction and opens the story of a war against the Doctor with Melody at its core. Second, it presents a cliffhanger to close out the first half of the season and tease the direction of the second half. Third, it offers a springboard for the team of Vastra, Jenny, and Strax.

That team is an intriguing combination of a Silurian, a human servant, and the unlikely Sontaran nurse. All three are outcasts of some sort, and that characteristic provides the glue to bind them. Strax provides a wonderful parallel to Rory through their mutual professions and Vastra offers a connection to the Doctor, the man who saved her at some point in his on-again-off-again guardianship of her species.

We get a beautiful inadvertent tie back to The Pandorica Opens and The Big Bang with the Cybermen. In that Timestamp, I mused about the status of the Cybus and Mondasian Cybermen at this point in the franchise. The Cybermen in that story were Cybus models, survivors of the Battle of Canary Wharf, and had either built or assimilated into a fleet. The Mondasian Cybermen, last seen in Silver Nemesis, still had to exist but I had wondered if the two could co-exist.

Obviously, they can to some degree, as the Cybermen seen in this story were obviously Mondasian – they didn’t have the Cybus C on their chests – but have evolved (or assimilated into) the more bulky Cybus body time. I’m excited to see their return.

The other blink-and-you’ll-miss-it note surrounds River Song. On the surface, it seems like the River that Rory visits in Stormcage is the same River that arrives after the Battle of Demons Run, but the context clues point in a different direction. River at Stormcage had to consult her diary, which means that Demons Run has already happened for her. The River at Stormcage was from a later point in her timeline and she knows what happens to the Doctor. A minor addition is a reminder that River once remarked how the Doctor could make whole armies turn and run.

In a smaller callback, we see the Church again, previously met in The Time of Angels.

All told, this was a great story, a wonderful springboard, and a terrific cliffhanger.

Since the Timestamps Project is proceeding (for the most part) in airdate order, the next stop on this journey is a return to Torchwood. At some point, the streams will cross for a brief period as Doctor Who continues Series Six.

Rating: 5/5 – “Fantastic!”

UP NEXT – Torchwood: The New World

The Timestamps Project is an adventure through the televised universe of Doctor Who, story by story, from the beginning of the franchise. For more reviews like this one, please visit the project’s page at Creative Criticality.

#Doctor Who #Eleventh Doctor #Timestamps Project

0 notes