#the team tardis??? owns my heart

[huntressofartemis001]

‘i love X doctor and Y companion’s dynamic soooooo much!!! they mean the world to me <333”

— me, about every single doctorXcompanion dynamic in the entire series

[borealnyx]

Would love to be the person who makes jokes and insightful commentary. But its been an hour since the episode ended and i only managed to grin like a maniac the whole time while ocasionally stimming and breathing kinda funny

[cinnablu3]

First date with Kuroo

Recreating one of my first fics from my digital footprint on tik Tok.. I'm admitting I was one of those haikyuu writers from 2020 LMAO, I'm still writing JJK to make that clear!

You lean on a tree patiently waiting by the school gates waiting for Kuroo to come by, "Hey Y/n!" Catching your attention waving at him, as he approaches with a grin. "Did I keep you waiting?" You shake your head, "Any minute longer I would've left." Sticking your tongue out, he grabs your bag out of your hands and throws it up onto his shoulder, "Sorry, sorry the volleyball team needed my attention." He grabs your hand. "You plan to use that excuse on all our dates?" You teased as he raised his brow with a grin. "Of course not, you're going to be a priority if I'm trying to pursue you don't you think?" You feel your cheeks get warm, shaking your head. "Whatever nice words aren't going to excuse your tardiness." He lets go of your hand placing his hand on his heart. "Cruel words, You wound me." He teases before grabbing your hand back with a squeeze. "Hey, the place is up ahead." He leads you to a nice cafe that has a big window in the front revealing cats pawing the window with a sign showing 'Meowdly Cafe' In awe, Kuroo opens the door for you. Upon entering, you can first notice the workers are running around serving people wearing cat ears. Walking up to the stand, a worker smiles. "Hi Welcome for two?" Kuroo nods, "Yeah for two." The workers grab two menus leading you guys to a small room full of kittens, after taking a seat and reaching over for the menu, a black cat hops in your lap purring wanting your attention, putting down the menu as your attention shifts onto the cat, stroking the cat's chin as cat leans into your touch. "Such a cutie!" You gushed while Kuroo looked at the menu, "They have cat-shaped food here as well." He reaches over your lap to pet the cat before the cat gets in stances and hisses at Kuroo immediately retracting his hand back. "Let's just order our food." He tries to cough off what just happened, you nod picking up the menu and glancing at the items. "I'm just getting a drink." You hummed while stroking the cat as it leaned towards your affection. "I'm thinking of grabbing the foam art drink where they make a cat out of the foam like this see." He points at the menu picture excited to receive his drink.

Within 30 minutes of being in the cafe, the drinks arrived but his drink was melted as he took a deep breath trying not to crash out. He couldn't get over the fact that his cat-shaped foam art was busted. Or even the fact how he couldn't get near you nor scoot next to you because the cat in your lap would start hissing or throwing its paws at him. He was in his seat sulking taking sips on his drink angrily unaware of his sulking behavior. You however notice his sulking behavior, your lift the cat off your lap and settling it down on the floor. Finishing up your drink, you dust yourself off standing up from your seat. Reaching over to grab Kuroo's hand, quickly catching his attention. "Let's go walk around and chat yeah? Just us completely." You smile as Kuroo returns the smile of his own nodding his head. "Okay, I'll be back then I'm going pay the bill." He seems excited quickly walking out to the front, once he's out of sight. You decide to walk around exploring the rooms that the cafe has to offer before noticing the display glasses showing off the cat theme souvenirs, one particular catches your attention. "Excuse me miss" approaching one of the workers, the worker smiles "Yes?" You look down at the glass and point at the souvenir, "I'll like to purchase these please." The worker nods, scanning your items, quickly ringing you up. Placing the item in a nice box. "Alright the bill is settled." Kuroo approaches as he shoves his wallet in his pocket before noticing the small box in your hands. "Hey what's tha- Let's go!" Dragging him out of the cafe. "If you wanted to leave the cafe so bad you could've told me instead of dragging me wasting time y'know." He teases, and you roll your eyes pushing him softly. "I had a good experience, unlike somebody." Kuroo crosses his arms. "Bad luck today wasn't my day." Giggling at his words. "As if! since cats just don't like you." She hands him a small box nicely wrapped. "I got you this for your terrible experience." He blinks at you when you handed him the small gift before smirking. "Oh? What's this?" He opens the small box revealing a cat phone charm, he looks back at you, pulling out your phone revealing the same charm in a different color. "Now we're matching." You smile as Kuroo's heart swells as he tries his best to hold back his smile. "I can't wait until I can officially call you mine."

"I'll be waiting"

"Not for long."

[specialagentlokitty]

10th doctor x autistic!reader - my safe place

Hiiii Please could I request a 10th doctor x Autistic reader please just sine comfort? Thank youuu :) - Anon💜

To say you had been terrified was an understatement.

It was supposed to be something simple, calm, a nice little trip to a peaceful planet to relax after everything that had gone on recently.

It was supposed to be a war free planet.

But when you rocked up on it, and Daleks were waging war on everything living thing and immediately recognised you and the doctor you thought that was it.

You thought you were done for.

There was a lot of shouting and yelling and the doctor in his panic had accidentally shouted at you as well.

Now you were sitting in the far corner of the console room to the TARDIS, head buried in your knees, breathing raggedly.

You were overwhelmed, upset, scared, a whole flurry of emotions and it was stressing you out and making everything worse.

The doctor quickly set the TARDIS into flight, and he ran a hand over his head as he took a deep breath to calm his racing hearts.

“Okay, okay we should be alright now.” He said.

He waited for your reply, and he furrowed his brows a little bit.

He knew you were in here, he made sure you got in first, but he was expecting a reply.

“(Y/N)?” He asked.

He looked around, he checked under the console, on the rafters where you liked to hang out to get out of his reach and he didn’t find you until he all but tripped over you.

He landed on the floor with a bang and he quickly sat up.

“Why are you sat in the floor?”

He spun himself around and he immediately frowned seeing you curled up on yourself.

“Oh.. oh okay. You’re okay, hold on just a minute.”

He jumped up and ran away, he parked the TARDIS on earth, and then he ran back up to you, dropped to his knees in front of you.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” He rushed out.

He carefully looked at you, the way you had your hands over your ears, the way you rocked slightly back and forth.

“Come here…”

He slowly reached out, placing his hands over yours, and you snapped your head up to him.

The doctor smiled softly and sat down in front of you.

“You’re alright…” he whispered.

He was still pretty new to the whole sensory overload thing, he understood you had autism, and he understood sometimes that impacted how you did things.

It meant you would do things differently from how his other companions did things.

While they would tend to do their own thing, you worked with him, your mind worked different, and it opened a whole new array of possibilities he didn’t even realise could happen.

You two were the dream team.

And he always understood sometimes you got overwhelmed.

Just like now.

A few tears fell from your eyes.

“Hey don’t cry, come on, I don’t like to see you cry.”

He moved so he was sitting on his knees and he leant forward, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of your head.

“It’s okay… we’re safe now.. there’s no noise.. nothing but us and the TARDIS…”

You sniffled a little bit, and you moved your eyes away from him.

And his hearts broke a little.

When he first met you, you wouldn’t look at him, then when time went by you trusted him more to look at him.

He was over the moon.

But when he was the reason you were upset or overwhelmed you couldn’t bring yourself to look at you.

It’s how he knew he had done something wrong.

“No.. what did I do..” he whispered.

He wracked his brain and it quickly came back to him.

“Oh no sweetheart I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shout at you I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

He moved his hands away from yours and he held his arms out.

“Come here, come on.”

You shuffled forward, and you put your arms under his jacket, resting your ear on his chest, and he took the edges of his jacket, wrapping them around you.

He created almost like a cocoon, you wrapped up in his jacket with him.

It was your favourite thing in the world.

You loved it.

So that’s what he did.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t shouting at you.. I’m so sorry…” he whispered.

He placed a hand on the back of your head, and he looked down at you.

He could feel your gripped his blazer, and he let himself fall back so he was sitting down, pulling you with him.

“We’ll sit here for as long as you want.”

And that’s what he did, just sat there with you.

It wasn’t often he stayed in one spot or he was quiet, but this was always one of those times.

After a while, you moved away from him and he let you go.

“(Y/N)?”

You backhanded his chest making him yelped and shuffle away.

“I’m sorry!” He whined.

You huffed and got up, climbing to your favourite spot and you crossed your arms as you looked down at him.

“No come back! Let me hug you!”

“No…”

“Please?! Let me hug you!”

The doctor grinned a little bit and held his arms out to you, making grabby hands to tell you he wanted you to come back.

“You can’t resist me forever.” He mused.

You huffed and turned your head away from him.

“Aw (Y/N) please? Come on, just a hug. I know you want to.”

He grinned a little bit and leant against the console.

He knew you of course.

He knew you all too well.

You would sit up there for a few minutes, pretending to ignore him, and when he turned his back away from you, just like he did now.

He could hear you come down, hear you pad along the metal floor, and you lifted the back of his trench coat, resting your head on his back.

He smiled to himself and reached around him to take your arms and wrap them around himself.

Your safe space was right next to him, you felt comfort knowing that he was there, that you could reach out and feel him there.

But he had to pretend you weren’t there, otherwise you’d get embarrassed and go back up to your little perch out of his reach

[zer0-devoox]

i saw you have a md oc. you should tell us about them :3c

AHHH! Thank you for your interest ♡⁠(⁠>⁠ ⁠ਊ⁠ ⁠<⁠)⁠♡

She is:

[Experimental asset designated X (or just X)]

[• • •]

She's was basically a last-minute move by "J-Janson" to keep the murder drone squads under control.

It's a slightly more advanced AI created for a single task "Take down the murder drones if they get out of control"

(which, without anyone lying to you is more of a macabre game of Cyn than anything else)

She was the last to arrive at the Elliot mansion and lived with everyone as another of Tessa's drones who, together with J, they're in charge of protecting the human. Although, X was relegated to being more of her playmate due to the girl's own requests. (J never was is very kind whit her...)

...

Despite this, she was happy

Sadly, it wasn't long before that new life she had found fell apart. The absolute solver (or cyn) had already shown interest in her before, but when the gala massacres occurred his decision was without a doubt:

Don't discard she

(According to me) Between the arrival of the M drones to Cooper 9 until what happened in the series there is a period of approximately sixteen/eighteen years - I say this because Nori had Uzi almost simultaneously with the first massacre of these idiots - Chronologically X would be sent after them but before even meeting with the team she was [Discarded] by J

And later she was found and welcomed by another peculiar squad

---

Additional Data

• Until she first encountered Uzi/V/N in C9, her personality was practically that of a doll, as her AI was almost traumatized after everything that happened in the mansion. However, upon meeting them, AS decided to restore part of her original personality that she had in the mansion (like her favorite toy besides N).

• Her personality when found by the heiress of the mansion Elliot was a bit fearful and had that touch of "looking like a lifeless doll," but with the help of N and Tessa, she gradually regained her vitality.

• Overall, her personality tends to be somewhat insecure, but also curious, with a good heart that everyone sees except for her.

• She tends to have a barrier like Uzi's to hide her emotions when she feels exposed.

• Often puts herself aside to prioritize others (a trait she acquired from her experiences in the mansion).

• She never came to hate J, far from it; in fact, she tried very hard to please het, but J continued to be a MF.

• Normally, she prefers to isolate herself to keep others in a safe area away from the "potential danger" she represents.

Thank you for the question and for showing interest in this little OC with traumas, hidden deep in a dark trunk. Honestly, a nearly complete story has been built around the mere act of answering this question, and maybe I can do something cool with it; I don’t know. It would be nice to create some kind of fanfic or AU, but I’m not sure how well that might turn out. Idk, these are just my ramblings 🤧😋

Anyway, I love creating OCs and talking about them. I have A LOT of sons

Thank you for giving me the opportunity! And soooo sorry for tardiness ಡ⁠ ͜⁠ ⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠ಡ

Have a great day and don’t let a corpse with yellow eyes get under your bed 💛

[isleofair]

9 people you'd like to get to know better

I was tagged by @realmoftenderness: thank you so much! 😍🩷 Apparently this has evolved lately, and I love this new version 😁

3 non romantic duos

1 - Pao-Lin and Nathan

AKA the Tiger & Bunny Gender Team. Their dynamic is impeccable: Pao-Lin as the kid who's trying to work with a gender that doesn't fit quite right, and Nathan as the established queer adult who shows her, even just by being there, that the possibilities of who you can be are endless. And yet, not only do they have a peer-to-peer friendship and equal respect for each other as heroes; but when Nathan, who seems so strong and solid in who they are, is actually made vulnerable by all the hurt she's experienced because of her queerness, Pao-Lin is the one who saves her, by pointing out just how wonderful Nathan is because of their different, unique identity.

I have so many feelings about them, and I wish the show had let them interact with each other and explore their shared themes and experiences way more than it did. Luckily, as you can see above, we have Ueda and Yoshida's manga firmly on our side. 💛💖

2 - Data and Geordie

Data was possibly my first main Blorbo, decades before the word Blorbo came to be. And his friendship with Geordie, while being one of the main tenets of both their characters, still, IMO, never got all the credit it deserved; particularly in regard to Geordie's feelings about the many, many time we (almost and then not almost 😭) lose Data, when other people's reactions are often put more in the forefront. Part of that was due to Geordie's status as a more secondary character, sure; but in part it was, perhaps, by virtue of their relationship's own nature. Their frendship is already established; it is more obvious and natural than the laws of physics the Enterprise keeps bending on its adventures; it simply, well, is. The other characters had to learn to understand and love Data; Geordie, apparently, simply accepted him and loved him before the very start. (Insert heavy-handed symbolism here about the blind character easily seeing past someone's surface; the show sure never shied away from it.) And this meant... a lot to me. 💛

(I have not yet seen the last season of Picard, but a glimpse of a headline makes me think I might need to say: please, no spoilers?)

3 - The Doctor and Donna

(Spoilers for the 60th Anniversary specials here, turn away if you need to. They're only one year old, after all. 😅)

You know that post that says these two are the biggest win ever for fictional queerplatonic relationships? (This one, btw.) Yeah, all of that and then more. Donna doesn't give the Doctor heart-eyes, she does not follow him blindly; she yells at him, throws things at his head, and then runs not behind him, but right at his side, with her eyes firmly wide open. The Doctor calls her the most important woman in the whole wide universe, and he means it. At one point, they become one single being, and it is glorious. They would have gone on together forever; them having to lose each other broke me (and probably them) far more than all the other separations in the show could. 💔

Imagine, then, my utter, endless delight when, after almost fourteen years, the 60th Anniversary specials not only reunited these two, but actually gave them a fully happy ending in which the Doctor (well, Tennant's version, anyway) joins Donna's amazing family, parks his TARDIS in their backyard, and just hangs out with them forever and ever, amen (shut up, time is all just wibbly-wobbly stuff, in the end). 💖💖💖

A ship that might surprise others

I'll be honest: I sat here for literally hours trying to think of a ship of mine that might be surprising (and that wasn't, like, stuff from 20 or more years ago that is really too cringe for me to want to bring it up now). I usually like pretty obvious ships, with the gamut of my tastes mostly running along the incredibly wide spectrum of "fluffy friends to lovers" to "snarky friends to lovers". 😅

So in the end I decided to go with something that has actually caused surprise to several people before, not so much because of the ship, but because I even knew about the show at all: Ray/Fraser in Due South 😂 (Apparently Canadians think that only Canadians know this show? But a) Italian TV will air almost anything, and b) the language of classic slash shows is universal. 😁)

Okay, maybe you might be surprised to know that the answer to "but which Ray, though?!?" is actually "Both". I am not a veteran of the Ray Wars; I existed in my little safe corner of "I discovered this fandom a couple of years after the show finished airing, and I just chilled at the edges of it, watching bootleg VHS tapes and reading fic on LiveJournal".

(You can't tell me that Fraser wasn't madly in love with both of them, anyway. It's just fact, as far as I'm concerned.)

Last song: Nightingale by Demi Lovato.

Last film: Pretty sure it was Onward, which I watched with my siblings and enjoyed a fair bit (which was definitely helped by the fact that I did not see/recognize who was voicing Barley until the movie was over).

Currently reading: I just finished (re-)reading Kimi Ni Todoke and it's as utterly sweet and delightful as I remembered. (I do not think I got to chapter 63 on my original readthrough, though, because I did NOT remember it also shattering my heart like that. 😭)

Currently watching: The Ranma 1/2 remake.

Currently consuming: Nothing. I should probably have some dinner.

Currently craving: a lot of extra energy to work on my T&B Secret Santa and the Advent Calendar! 💪💚

I am tagging (with zero pressure, as always!) @nicoroni, @imaginatorofthings, @seaofolives, @youngerfrankenstein, @hearjessroar, @zimithrus, @saltedpin, @thekuraning, @horikoshi-secret-ao3-account, and anyone else who would like to play! 😁🩷

[lilsluttyy]

" how long do we have to wait "

✪ Ujishima Wakatoshi x masc reader

✪ warning: internalised homophobia , crying , fluff , light smut , angst

✪ highschool au

------------------------------------

Request from : @best-cell

_________________________________________

You and Ujishima has been friends since you two were kids, mainly because of your family that is. You two share the same interest in volleyball , and it's the reason why both of you enroll into Shiratorizawa. People around you would always tease you two , saying how Ujishima and you look like a married couple. You would always deny it and laugh it off , but past these days you felt something grew in you. Everytime he would call out to you , you would feel butterflies in your stomach whenever he's by your side you feel flustered.

Now here you are looking at your own reflection, your family thought you that liking someone who is the same gender is very wrong. You've been ignoring this feelings from the beginning, whenever you felt flustered around Ujishima you would always remember what your family said. ' now listen to me son..being a homosexual is very wrong ' ' if we ever find out about you being like those disgusting people..we will disown you ' ' I am hoping you won't turn out to be a disappointment son '. Those words bounces back and forth within your mind , at one point you wanted to separate yourself from Ujishima to get away from these feelings.

When you stepped out of your house you were greeted by Ujishima , he muttered a good morning and you just smiled as a answer. " Waka-kun you always wait for me but you never let me wait for you " you pouted , he patted your head and just kept on walking. You felt your heart beating loudly , but it hurts so bad you just wished that this feelings disappeared. Tendou greeted you and Ujishima, he starts babbling about his day on the way to the gym for morning practice.

After practice we head back to class we separated from the rest , you sighed heading in your class leaving Ujishima behind. He then sat beside you , after a couple of minutes the teacher finally joined in. You didn't bother listening to whatever she was saying , Ujishima noticed that you were not paying attention he tapped your shoulder " you should pay attention.." you just looked at him with a blank face then nodded.

It was recess and you were sitting together with the team as usual , they would talk about they're classes and complain. Then Goshiki suddenly asked " Senpai are you and Ushiwaka-senpai dating? " Semi hit Goshiki's head , before you could chime in Ujishima beat you to it " it's not ideal for a guy to date another guy.." he answered and went straight back to eating.

' well I've got my answers..' you didn't really know why were you shocked at his response, the whole team went silent but Tendou broke the silence with his story. You didn't have an appetite anymore, Shirabu noticed the change in your behaviour " Senpai are you not hungry..? " . You didn't want him to worry so you just smiled " ah..I don't think I have an appetite for now.." you then stood up and excused yourself. You just wanted to hide , you head towards the bathroom.

You stopped your tracks , tears were dripping down your face once you were at the bathroom you locked yourself in one of the stalls. " What did I expect from him..of course he would say that.." you whispered to yourself, you just felt disgusted by yourself " why can't I be normal why and I like this.." you couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

When you return to your class , your teacher had arrived already you went to him and apologize for your tardiness and went to sit down. " are you ok..? " you heard Ujishima asked , you decided to ignore those feelings once and for all but in this decision you decided that you need to keep your distance from him. You just hummed and payed attention to the teacher , Ujishima knew something was wrong your eyes looked puffy and red but when he asked you about it you either shrug it off or just told him to mind his own business.

You changed these past few days, and everyone notice it. It started when you told Ujishima to stop waiting for you in front of your house. As much as you like it , it's for the better you drifted away no matter what he do to be close to you , you would always find a way to run away from him. You stopped hanging out with the team during recess when it was volleyball practice you only talk to him if it was for help or friendly match. Ujishima was worried about you, he was worried that it might be something he said.

Whenever he visited your house along with his parents , you would avoid making eye contact with him and excused yourself. Sometimes your parents would ask about this but as usual you would just shrug it off , telling them you just needed to be alone for now.

---------------------------------------------------

A/n : there will be part two

[mizgnomer]

Behind the Scenes of Voyage of the Damned (Part 18) Excerpt from Total TV Guide's 2007 Christmas issue:

"Everyone got very twittery when it was revealed that Kylie was coming," says David Tennant, who plays the Doctor. "Of course, she arrives and she's incredibly normal - none of those things a pop diva would be. I think she enjoyed being one of the team - it must get quite exhausting being your own brand." The special picks up where the last series left off, when the Titanic crashed through the walls of the Tardis. In this episode the liner comes under attack from an evil alien force, but David is sworn to secrecy about how the plot unfolds. And when he talks about the details of this homage to James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster Titanic, it's hard to know what to believe. "About half way through, we break into Celine Dion. Kylie turns to camera and goes, '"'And now, Mr. David Tennant and I perform My Heart Will Go On.' It's a bit like those Two Ronnies Christmas specials, where they'd do a sketch and then say, 'And now Manhattan Transfer!'" he says. But David becomes more serious when talking about the look of the show, saying that visually it's one of the best - a sort of 'Doctor Who does disaster movie'.

Link to [ part one ]  of the Voyage of the Damned behind-the-scenes posts, or click the #whoBtsVotd tag, or the full episode list [ here ]

[crystalromana]

{The TARDIS is in transit with the Fitz Kreiner, Anji Kapoor, and the amnesic Eighth Doctor inside, but none of them can figure out where they're going or how long it will take. Each character has their own struggle: the Doctor and Anji are frustrated with Fitz for not knowing more; Fitz blames the Doctor for not better appreciating what Fitz does know; Anji is still mourning the death of her boyfriend Dave. They begin to feel trapped.

As the characters explore the shadowy and sinister corners of the TARDIS, escalating acts of sabotage begin to put their lives in danger. One of the three must be responsible, and the characters start blaming each other, their trust eroded. (Parkin describes the tone here as "that of a haunted house movie - claustrophobia, paranoia, distrust.") Fitz remembers the TARDIS' sentience and speculates that the ship itself might be to blame.

Finally, it is revealed that it is the Master who is meddling with the crew. His spirit has been freed from the Eye of Harmony and is trapped in the TARDIS. He tempts each character in turn: he knows how to fly the TARDIS; he knows who the Doctor is; he could even save Davy. However, his attempts to turn the crew against each other fail, and he starts trying to kill them. Overcoming their mutual distrust, the team joins forces and defeats the Master, and the Doctor seals him into the depths of the TARDIS, leaving the crew with a smaller, First Doctor-style TARDIS console room. Finally, the TARDIS lands and they begin their next adventure.

-To Hold Back Death}

__

I'm looking at unproduced stories and- oh my god? @scarlet-moon have you seen this?

1.) It's very funny that Eight and Anji are mad at Fitz for not knowing things (and Fitz bby feeling unappreciated)

2.) That the thing the Master ends up offering Fitz is "well I know how to pilot the TARDIS "(which I guess implies that he knows his top hearts desire is Doctor related but the Master refuses to entertain the notion)

3.) Ah well Parkin isn't a Fitz Understander but I am sure that it would have been fanfic fodder

(also this whole TARDIS wiki page is off of a tumblr post)

[theultimatenonbinarynerd]

Doctor Who: No More Lies Review

Introduction

No More Lies was a very interesting listen I went from confused, to emotional, to heartbroken to shocked all in the span of a whole hour. It's a very dark but heartfelt story at the same time. Out of all of the stories I've listened to this is one that managed to cut really deep. When it all came together I thought it was super clever.

My journey into Big Finish has been an interesting one and Series 1 of the 8th Doctor Adventures has really shown me what Big Finish has to offer in terms of story telling. I'm completely sold. My heart is overjoyed at how much Paul MacGann and the rest of the writers team at Big Finish have really been able to develop the character of the 8th Doctor and help form his own era. This is all cannon to me even though I know cannon is a very lose term in the Whoniverse.

No More Lies as a story was a superb action packed treat. It was a welcome but unexpected suprise that the action was super immersive and worked really well in the audio format. It stands out very much from the other stories I've listened to in the way it plays with the format and makes you dive head first into the thick of things. I love it when stories break away from their format and this one definitely does that. This story was great and its another one I might come back to in the far future.

What I Liked

I really struggled with this story at the beginning but once it got going I instantly fell in love with it. Its another fun concept with very unique villians. You think Zimmerman is the bad guy but then the story flips on itself and it becomes super surprising. The performances were once again top tier and the side characters were very memorable. Your definitely going to get a lot out of listening to this story I promise you.

There's so much to praise about this audio drama but to nail it down I want to highlight the incredible sound design and editing. No More Lies has to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing Big Finish Stories that I have ever listened to. From the sound of the soft footsteps of characters walking about to The Doctor taking part in some fun action, every sound effect really immersed me to the point I felt like I was watching a TV episode, it was an absolute delight to listen too. It was also so well edited and designed and that made it super immersive. Tim Sutton also scored great music which really suited the timey whimey tone and aesthetic of the story. The ending really hit me hard on an emotional level, it gave me full chills and goosebumps. The composition style is very much similar to the new series and its great. Gareth Jenkins really put his hat into the sound editing and made it fabulous. I promise you that this audio is worth it for the sound editing and score alone.

Next the character development of Lucie and The Doctor. This is the story that got me really attached to this tardis team. The Doctor and Lucie as a pair really shine in this story and work well together, you can tell that they're both use to each other and ready to save the day. The opening moments of the story show how well Lucie and The Doctor have gotten to know and understand each other. Sheridan Smith and Paul MacGanns performances are wonderful and together they perfectly portray and action packed tardis team ready to solve the mystery in the story. If you've listened to the other audios prepare for a dramatic cliffhanger ending that effects their dynamic even more. I also love how due to how much The Doctor trusts Lucie he's willing to break his typical companion rules. I'm really excited to listen to more of this duo in the future when I can.

Finally I have to praise the incredible writing. Paul Sutton writes in a very unique and conventional way that's not often done on Doctor Who. It was truly an amazing story. No More Lies is a truly emotional wibbly wobbly time loop story with twists that punch you in the gut. Every story beat with time pays off really well but in the end it makes you sad. Time loop stories are often boring and very stereotypical but No More Lies uses it in a way that makes it a unique listening experience that has you on the edge of your seat deeply wondering what's causing the loop and why Zimmerman is so determined to keep it closed. The stakes also get added when you have the Tar-Modowks trying to break through. All I can say is that the time plot beats our ones that pay off immensely and create a forfilling listen.

It's just all at the end of the day brilliant absolutely brilliant. No spoilers but this story really does pay off.

What I Disliked

As much as I think it was nesscary for Lucie and The Doctors character development I really struggled to engage with the opening of the story before Lucie and Doc enter the mysterious garden party time loop.

The pacing is what's preventing this story from being top tier. It was pretty minor but the more I listened to the story and we got to the really good garden party bits the more it bothered me. There was absolutely no set up and it felt very difficult to know what was happening. I appreciate that I'm a new listener to Big Finish so it might just be me but if Season 1 of the 8th Doctor Adventures are a jumping point for listeners it might feel very alienating and I think it's important to be noted.

It all felt very random and out of place. I feel like diving straight into the action on audio doesn't work considering that the listener can't visually see what's happening. Until we got to the krux of the story it was very hard process and understanding what was going on. Without any spoilers I feel like the character dynamics would have been more polished if the beginning set up had been longer. Its one of those things where I feel like it should have been a two parter or at least twenty minutes longer.

Apart from that I really did enjoy the story and it's very creative nature.

Conclusion

Overall another emotional and fun adventure with Lucie and The Doctor. Its a really strong inventive timeloop story, with incredible sound design, amazing performances, fun monsters, high stakes and a well developed tardis team. It also perfectly develops on from the other stories in the series. I absolutely recommended to any 8th Doctor fans out there. All of the 8th Doctor Adventures Series 1 are free on Spotify so it's definitely worth checking it out.

My overall rating would be:

It's very good and so worth it checking it out. No More Lies is such a brilliant story and I very much admire it. I've noticed throughout this series of adventures love is often a strong theme through out. We've had Forbidden lovers, lovers in peril danger and lovers wanting to protect each other. I'm not a very romantic person but it's been very interesting to see different types of relationships and how understanding The Doctor has been about it. I'll be interesting to listen to S2 and see if that has similar themes.

Big Finish has blown me away with it's extensive and creative storytelling. It's set the standard for any other audio stories I might listen and has also inspired me as a writer. I'm seriously glad they've used their licence to expand on each incarnation of The Doctor and create new fun and orginal stories as I agree with Mum in saying that apart from Tom Baker each incarnation of The Doctor doesn't get enough stories.

Bonus:

It might be very controversial as discussed on the Big Finish podcast but I'm logging all my Big Finish listens on my reading tracker apps. Since it's my very first year getting into Big Finish I decided to make a reading challenge on The Storygraph with prompts to follow.

Each prompt fulfils or matches with the Big Finish stories I'm going to be checking out in 2024. As said all Doctors 5-12 are included excluding 10 and War. I'm very excited to dig into the thick of things and I wanted other people to join me so the offer is always open.

Apart from The Eighth Doctor Adventures Series 1 I also plan to check out some short trips, a bit of the main range, a few of the Destiny Of The Doctor installments and most importantly the infamous Charley arc so this challenge is all tailored to that. So in future reviews you absolutely see the prompt chart fill up.

-Melody-

They/Them

[the--highlanders]

good luck with moving! heres a question for you. 2 actually. firstly tardis team 2 movie night whos choosing what? secondly do you think polly/ben and victoria and zoe would get on? (btw your fics are insane. ben jamie freindship my beloved)

ahhh thank you so much!! ben jamie friendship my beloved also, I really really need to write something longer about them. also relisten to the selachian gambit because it's so good for ben-jamie brotp content

I'm SO sorry this has taken so long also!! but I have been thinking very hard about what their movie picks will be. ngl I don't think I'm enough of a movie person to like, pick specific movies but I've been thinking about Vibes

jamie is just like, impressed by movies in general, especially in s4. so he'll go for basically anything that the rest of the gang put on. especially since a modern/futuristic real-world setting is likely to be just as unfamiliar to him as scifi/fantasy setting! he probably doesn't always distinguish them super clearly because some of the scifi stuff is closer to his actual experiences ghfdkj. I feel like he'd quite like comedies/more light-hearted stuff though? & some action stuff/jumpscare-y horror is just a no-go because he's not super used to non-live media making noises on its own, and sudden loud noises/being suddenly scared doesn't always play nice with his trauma. he'd just rather avoid it. also I feel like he'd really like documentaries!! he's super curious about everything and it's a nice way for him to absorb information through auditory processing which he's good with/used to and without the issue of learning to read. sometimes he'll disappear for a bit and the others will end up finding him curled up on a sofa watching a documentary on the most random stuff

two also has super eclectic taste but in a more out there/esoteric way. he claims he just has super refined taste when the others won't watch some artsy 12-hour martian epic with him (and then falls asleep or wanders off like, half an hour in because he doesn't actually have that sort of ability to sit still). he will put on the weirdest alien stuff that's totally incomprehensible to everyone else though. but he's also into like, silent comedies. he's such a chaplin-esque character, how could he not be (though he denies any similarity to himself!). and he's more into fantasy than hard scifi - it's impossible to watch any sort of serious scifi with him unless you want to hear a constant commentary on the inaccuracies in it. (by series 6 jamie has picked up on this habit, albeit with his much more limited knowledge. zoe finds this super disconcerting).

ben is absolutely the instigator of two and jamie's comedy enjoyment. he's Also a silent comedy guy. but I think he'd like action/adventure films as well? he's got like, a whole host of them that he really loves and is always trying to get the others to watch. I feel like he's the biggest movie watcher of the tardis team honestly, like going to the cinema was something he did a fair bit pre-canon? maybe it's something he did with his father while he was still alive, so he has fond but kind of bittersweet memories of it. & tbh I feel like being interested in the heroes as well as the love interests was part of his bi awakening. so he'd be the one pushing for the movie nights to happen, and maybe also more inclined to pick out alien/futuristic stuff than polly is, because he wants to see what else is out there.

polly is probably the one who comes the closest to appreciating two's more esoteric movie picks?? like they're not necessarily her favourite thing but she'll sit down and watch them with him. it's bonding time for them. they paint each other's nails and hang out. I think she'd also like kinda film noir/darker stuff. juuust enough that two and jamie like to tease ben about how many films she watches where the wife kills her husband. (ben takes it in pretty good humour. he's a wife guy like that he would support polly for this). also she's a bad romcom watcher in the sense that she likes to yell at the screen about all the dumb decisions the characters make, why the main couple wouldn't work out, that sort of thing. it's stress relief for her. she gets the others into it and the four of them sit there shouting like they're watching a sports game

[riversofmars]

Designated HC of the day: everyone in our favourite TARDIS team has their own favourite mug/cup and Liv goes absolutely up the wall when she can't find hers. When asked why she'll dodge the question but really it's because she got it from Helen, from some little shop on some distant planet and it's ridiculous and a bit of an antique but she loves it.

OMG! That is so real. MY HEART!

[julibellule]

Fandom : Doctor Who

Doctor♡Rose (Nine♡Rose)

When an older self comes to visit the Doctor, unexpected revelations follow

Rated Explicit, 6k words

-------------------------

I've always liked my favorite little threesome being happy together. Team Tardis will forever be seared on my heart. And this is beautifully written and it pulls on my heart strings that the author thought to incorporate a very desperate Time Lord Victorious in the mix. His idea to mend his broken heart and fixing the time line was nothing but a strike of genious. Well done. A fun, old fic to read or reread ♡ Enjoy!

#Universe Alteration fanfiction with some #Fluff and a whole lot of #Team Tardis. Changing the time lines into a #NinexRose Forever story. It ends #Post Waters of Mars and features my favorite #OT3. Read through #POV!Tardis and #POV!Nine. Pairing #Nine♡Rose♡Jack with a quick visit from the #Tenth Doctor. The #Time Lord Victorious, with lots of helps from the #Tardis causes a well orchestrated #Circular Paradox bringing lots of #Cuddling and #Love Confession to his younger self. A wonderful #Blow Job from Jack and lots of #Implicit Sex ensue. The ending of the fic is set in the #Future

>>> Click here for more Doctor♡Rose fic recs <<<

[denimbex1986]

'In the second 60th Anniversary special, Wild Blue Yonder, the TARDIS takes the Doctor and Donna to the furthest edge of adventure. To escape, they must face the most desperate fight of their lives, with the fate of the universe at stake. Vastly different from last week’s The Star Beast, this week’s special ponders just how dangerous our own images can be…

THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION

The episode begins with a fun, light-hearted and incredibly silly cold open which takes us to 1666 in the time of Sir Isaac Newton. Played by Nathaniel Curtis, the appearance is yet another iconic historical figure to make an appearance in the Whoniverse, alongside names like Nikolas Tesla, Ada Lovelace, William Shakespeare and of course, Vincent Van Gogh.

IS WILD BLUE YONDER A MULTI-DOCTOR STORY?

For weeks, speculation has spread the depths of the internet in regards to the mysterious background of the second special. Russell T Davies himself has played us all a fool, with months of teases and cryptic clues about the plot of the 60th Anniversary’s second special. Well, the reveal was incredibly satisfying and worked so well.

One of my favourite fan theories was that previous iterations of The Doctor would show up in the unusual episode, however, whilst it didn’t exactly go to plan, we did have another version of The Doctor show up. The mysterious entity afoot in the episode, which as I’m aware is currently unnamed was entirely freaky and an absolutely vivid creation from the mind of Russell T Davies. More on my thoughts on the stretchy creeps later…

There is still hope we get some acknowledgement of The Doctor’s past faces, especially with the reason for them to choose this familiar face again left in the dark still. The 60th Anniversary specials have felt lacklustre in terms of celebrating the whole show, more a trip down memory road to one of the revival’s best series and pairings.

PURE THRILL AND TENSION

From the reveal of last week’s Next Time trailer, we had some idea we were in for an intense week and boy, did this episode deliver! I am in awe of the job that director Tom Kingsley has done, he has absolutely smashed it and I would love to see him return to the show in the future.

The first act of the episode was at its creepiest as the TARDIS team made their way through the ominously long ship, pondering their fate and the reason for the HADS causing the TARDIS to evade. The episode was at its best when it opted for the keyhole shots, first from the pipes, and then from the cracks in the wall along the long corridor, at the centre of the ship.

From the first appearance of not-Donna, the intense nature of the scene, thanks to Catherine Tate’s intense glare is just superb. I think Tate’s performance gives it away before Tennant’s longs get too long but my god, Doctor Who hasn’t been this insane to watch a scene unfold in so long. I was feeling as if the Vashta Nerada were going to show up with the repeating of Donna’s “my arms are too long”, but alas, the not-things are here and stirring up chaos!

When the episode entered its more nightmarish sequences, overly large limbs, extorted faces and sharp teeth, I was really immersed. The use of practical effects once again shined from the wonderful team at Millenium FX, first with The Meep in last week’s episode and now the huge limbs.

The ending which could have seen Donna left for dead on the exploding spaceship was tantalising to watch. I genuinely believed the worst was about to happen and RTD would hit us with a shocking ending headed into the final special, The Giggle. Luckily, The Doctor had some sense in him and realised that the Donna in the TARDIS was in fact a not-thing… Super acting from Tate once again in this instant, the portrayal of despair and panic is almost second nature to her at this point.

Wild Blue Yonder ups the threat level, bringing a new intense element of thrill, something the show has been missing for quite some time. Up there with Midnight and Blink for its horror, Wild Blue Yonder is best when Tate and Tennant (and Tate and Tennant) are giving A-grade performances. Don’t let the ropey CG backgrounds throw you off, as this episode is easily the best of the two specials. I can’t believe we have to lose the pair again next week…'

[besidesitstoowarm]

"Journey's End" thoughts

doctor you suck shit

okay again i'm gonna blow through the plot stuff bc i don't care it's not the part that matters. the doctor avoids regeneration by channeling the energy into his hand. mickey and jackie are here now! martha goes to germany and the daleks are speaking german lmfao. the daleks have an instrument called the crucible and taught the doctor by dropped the tardis into an incinerator...

bitch you THOUGHT!!! the hand is calling out to donna and she touches it and gets slammed w regen energy and then the hand grows into naked david tennant. tentoo has arrived! a dalek shoots jack but he's fine. we learn tentoo has one heart bc he's half human! his singular heartbeat "rippled back" which is what donna was hearing that drew her to the hand and he says "we were always heading for this" HAVE I NOT BEEN SAYING?? THIS WAS ALWAYS GOING TO HAPPEN SHE'S BEEN DEAD SINCE THE BEGINNING

martha tries to use the world-exploding key and gets teleported to the dalek ship and they explain they made a "reality bomb" using the aligned planets as a scope. like the planets aligning in hercules to release the titans. davros gets on his bullshit "you take ordinary people and you turn them into weapons" he's not wrong actually. the doctor does very much do that. "always running and never looking back because you dare not, out of shame" again got it in one

donna's powers activate bc she got turned part time lord by the regen energy! regenergy. sure. she's the doctordonna and ten remembers the ood foretold such. always listen to the ood. so now there's three doctors! jack says "i can't tell you what i'm thinking right now" bc he's narsty. dalek caan has betrayed the daleks by letting all this shit happen "i saw what we did, creator, and i said no more". tentoo explodes every dalek. i'm fine with that who cares

k9 is here! everyone teams up to drag the earth back home to its proper place. the tardis is functioning appropriately bc it finally has enough drivers and it's sweet to see everyone get along. rose, jackie, and tentoo get dropped off in their parallel universe bc she needs to babysit him?? "he's me, when we first met" so she gets a project man. i'm glad rose gets her very own tenth doctor to fuck but this is kind of a copout ending for her sorry. that said "how was that sentence going to end" "does it need saying?" and then tentoo DOES finish it and kisskiss. good for her genuinely

everyone else goes back home and donna starts glitching out bc a time lord brain can't live in a human body and it's going to kill her. he takes all her memories, wipes her brain, as she's crying and begging him not to. it's hard to watch, it's very violating, and it's a bullshit copout for her too. i know rtd has said he does not like the way the episode ended but honestly couldn't untangle the knot in a satisfying way and i do get that, there were a LOT of pieces in play. still bullshit to me tho

he drops her at home and warns wilf and sylvia that they can't ever tell her the truth or it'll kill her. he gets wet in the rain pathetically and the episode is over. as i said last time, this story makes no fucking sense but the fanservice really does work for me and everyone is so charming, all the pieces falling into place from the season-long foreshadowing, it really is a great story. not my fave finale, i'm too much of a sucker for s3, but i think it was probably the best possible way to get all these characters involved in a way that felt natural for them and useful for the story

up next i'll do a series retrospective! i'll probably let the specials sit as their own mini-series and do another after the regeneration. farewell for now to donna noble

[jerepars]

Ape Dos Mil Extended Chapter Notes

9 / 9 Final Backward Glance

Hyperlinks appear in blue (underlined on mobile and the dashboard). The story is posted here. Direct link to this chapter is here.

* * * This is probably obvious, but these notes contain chapter spoilers! If you’re someone who reads the notes (and thanks if you do!), make sure you’ve read the chapter first. * * *

He couldn’t believe how bad things got. He couldn’t ration with Teresa and couldn’t talk her out of bad decision after bad decision. She learned to live in the dark and did it with more style but not nearly as much grace as he did. But at the end of the day, the reason he couldn’t let go and leave her to the underworld was because James knew Teresa too well. He knew she had it in her to get back into her own body, so to speak. It was gut-wrenching the way it took losing her dear friend—King George—to get there. But that had been the cost, and that was what it took.

Part of the Taking Back Sunday song "There's No 'I' in Team" goes: Everything I know about breaking hearts / I learned from you, it's true / I've never done it with the style and grace you have / But I've made long term plans / Based on these mistakes

This song and this part of the song also get referenced in my (completely unrelated) story Little Dots in Space. Some references I get stuck in over and over and over and over again.

Finished with his cigarette, James let the spent-end fall into the fire. He ran his hand through his hair and scrunched his nose before reaching for his leather jacket. Before he went to pull his arm through one of the sleeves, he held the jacket up, feeling the weight of it. James’ eyes darted back and forth between the garment and the flames. He hadn’t thought of the jacket’s significance before, but like him it was weathered, the leather cracked and worn in certain places. The jacket was synonymous with him and the life he’d led in the business. He never really thought about the full weight of it before, always so focused on the missions when he wore it. A lot happened wearing the jacket. A lot of deals, a lot of aiming and shooting…a lot of failures. Maybe, James reflected, he hadn’t thought of the weight before because the heaviness of it had been a constant reminder of the importance of the work he’d done, all of it to get to a future where he walked away only with the bricks he’d chosen. James also remembered he’d been wearing the jacket and Teresa shoved it off of him the first time they slept together, when they allowed themselves to give in and be vulnerable with each other—a rare wrinkle in time for the legacy of their private intimacy while in the confines of the business. That settled it for James. The jacket was one of the things from the business meant to protect him, but now it was weighing him down. It was ripe for the flames and the ceremonial burning that needed to happen. James didn’t have a second thought about surrendering the jacket to the fire until after he’d already thrown it in. By then it was too late; he couldn’t stop what he’d done without burning himself or extinguishing the flames.

The title of this chapter comes from the Bane song "Final Backward Glance". There's a reference to it in Chapter 8, and in the notes for Chapter 8, I mentioned that I kept this song in mind for the story. There are no overt references to the song in this chapter, but it felt like the fitting title because this chapter is the final look back at the business and life in the business, especially this first part of the chapter when James is in reflection.

Early on, all the way back when I was planning this story, I think I knew I wanted James to burn the jacket as a way of closing the book on that part of his life and finally having his freedom. All of that symbolically, of course.

Teresa sat up straight then, but not because of the young man’s comment on tardiness. She’d chosen one of the tables on the patio without an umbrella, exposed to the sun in her white sundress, for a reason. Her seat afforded her an unobstructed view of Plaza de España, and she wanted to see James coming. She knew he’d show up in totally weather-inappropriate attire save for his aviator sunglasses. Teresa brought clothes for him to change into; there was a beach bag for him on the yacht. She wanted to give James the option to change and get more comfortable, officially settle into island time, before they ate—if he wanted to, of course. So when she noticed the dark-haired figure looking toward the Monumento a los Caídos in what she thought was an all too familiar leather jacket, she was immediately at attention.

Plaza de España is the main square in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Monumento a los Caídos (Monument to the Fallen) is a monument in the square. A little Googling, and a little bit of Google Translate indicates that it is controversial. It's only mentioned in the story because if you do a Google Image search of Plaza de España, the monument is one of the easily recognizable landmarks.

Also, beyond my obsession with James' burning of the leather jacket, another reason that was done is for this part, because at this point the reader already knows the person Teresa spots can't be James since he burned the jacket. But Teresa doesn't know that.

She’d done everything right. She’d toiled away for months and the mission had gone perfect. They’d lit up the sky for each other.

Here we've got a call back to Chapter 8 and why the fireworks were so important in that chapter. It's also a reference to the song from which the title of the chapter comes, "Light Up the Sky" by Yellowcard.

James was her soulmate. He was part of her and she’d realized that too late. Teresa couldn’t fathom what the next phase, the next life was for if they weren’t together. If they weren’t together, if he was gone, then so was she. She’d voiced that to him the night before they took out Kostya, when they first discussed the final mission, when she told James for the first time she loved him. If he wasn’t okay then she wasn’t going to be okay.

The moment referred to here is from a scene in Chapter 8--the same one where Teresa tells James she loves him. This is where she tells him not to say it back, to wait to tell her in Tenerife.

In my opinion, it's a pivotal moment and a critical conversation for them in that chapter, so I thought that here, when Teresa sees James in her hallucination, what she said to him in Manhattan also comes back to her. It took a lot for Teresa to get to the point of expressing and admitting that she not only wants a life that includes James but she wouldn't be okay with a future without him. So to be trapped in a moment where the life without him seems to be what's on the horizon--especially after the mission was completed--would be terrifying.

“We promised each other we were going to make it,” James reminded her. “Nothing and no one could prevent me from keeping a promise to you.” Teresa almost whimpered. Apparently James had acknowledged but not accepted the possibility of not making it, just like her. They were meant to be. She had no doubt. “I believe you,” Teresa whispered with a nod, “and here you are. But I don’t think it would have been your choice if you…if something had happened.” James’ lips folded into a straight line, followed by a sigh. “Everything in this business is a choice.” He’d said that to Teresa before, more than once, when she’d been at her worst. Even in paradise, even at the end of it all, James told her exactly what she didn’t want to hear. It was one of his greatest strengths, part of his evolution. It had hurt them both before when he surrendered that part of himself to appease the darkness in Teresa.

This part calls back to a few different parts earlier in the story as well as canon. We all remember the classic exchange from 2x03 (1:33): "You're gonna make it, say it." "I'm gonna make it."

This dialogue is re-visited in the story in Chapter 4 and Chapter 7.

In Chapter 6, when Teresa is fully in her queen phase, she does say she has no other choice but to carry on the way she has been and James tells her the business they're in is nothing but choices.

After so many years of dancing around each other, James always let Teresa make the first move. It meant he respected her and her autonomy. It meant he wasn’t making assumptions. Teresa knew so much of the way James carried himself was an exercise in restraint. But on the day of their imperfect reunion, although Teresa was the one to initiate, the one to boldly grab onto him, James would be the one to deepen the kiss, making it hot and open-mouthed, tracing the inside of Teresa’s bottom lip with his tongue, holding her elbow firmly in his hand when what he did made her feel weak at the knees. Their surroundings were lost to them as it happened. They’d never been ones for public displays of affection. They’d never been ones for displays of affection except in private, really. It felt amazing, for the first time, to not care who saw and what they thought, to not worry they were putting themselves in danger by sharing a kiss just like any other couple would. When they pulled away moments later, it was already too soon. Teresa felt something change in her. Sparks, maybe—the livewire that connected them completing its circuit once again. The ache in her chest was gone and she thought her heartbeat had steadied, in sync with his.

The alternative title for this chapter is Place de la République. The reunion scene takes inspiration from "Place de la République" by Cœur de pirate a bunch. The lyrics are not about a reunion, and are quite sad, but the feeling evoked by the song (the strings on the album version go hard), they way it builds and builds and builds, is perfect for the build up of Teresa going through her hallucination, then James being there, and their kiss, and telling each other they love each other.

I always knew their reunion would be in the (vicinity of the) town square because even before I started writing it I would listen to this song and get emotional about it.

“You’re very thoughtful and I love how sentimental you are to remember off the cuff comments about Dallas,” James grinned, “but I think you’re forgetting I just spent the better part of the last five months back in Texas, up until a week ago. The Charger sends his best, by the way.” “The Charger?” Ages had passed since Teresa last thought about the warehouse chemist who’d been part of her private security team for a brief period in Phoenix. He’d always been one of James’ guys, going back to when James had been the proverbial floor manager and Teresa considered James to be akin to a certain type of character from one of those movies she’d watched around the year 2000.

It's in Chapter 1 that Teresa first brings up the idea of James being the Taylor Vaughn (a character from the 1999 cult teen rom-com She's All That) of the warehouse--everyone would either willingly fuck someone’s shit up to be him, or, they would lose their shit to be fucked by him.

Later, in Chapter 5, when Teresa knows James much better and they've both evolved in this business, she thinks he is much more than a Taylor Vaughn-type character.

I believe the literal translation of ape dos mil to English is 'year 2000'. But don't quote me on that. If this story played out in real scenes, at the end of the chapter, I can very much see the fade to black as "Ape Dos Mil" fades in and the credits start rolling. I had to sneak in the title of the story before the ending somehow.

One of the few times Teresa and James slept together in Phoenix, after they took take care of Pecas, Teresa ran into Charger in the middle of the night when she padded down to the kitchen to grab a night cap. They’d talked about his girlfriend and his dog, and Teresa had seen the longing in him to make that part of his life the everyday permanent kind. Teresa had been just on the cusp of the big leagues in the cartel business then. It was why, when the clock ran out on Teresa’s time in Phoenix, she sent Charger home to his family with a duffle bag of money. But the main reason she couldn’t forget about that night, and standing on the balcony talking to Charger, was because it was the same night Teresa began to wrap her head around the intensity of her relationship with James. She’d left bed that night after coming to terms with a hard truth: she loved James. When she spoke to Charger, he knew she was wearing James’ shirt, knew what that meant, and basically sent her back to bed before James sent out a search party. As she drifted off to sleep in James’ arms that night, without knowing they were soulmates, without knowing their connection transcended time and space, the only thing that had been clear to Teresa was that the intensity of their relationship put self-preservation in danger for both of them, because it wasn’t just her—she and James loved each other. Charger wouldn’t be a weak link or loose end who put them at risk, who unintentionally threatened love in their new life. And James had made sure they weren’t impeding on Charger’s happy ending either.

The details here are a call back to Chapter 3. The mention and idea of self-preservation is something that was brought up in many of the previous chapters.

I have never hidden my distaste for Pote and Kelly Anne, and by design they were never ever going to play a big role in this story (even Guero got his moment in Chapter 2, so maybe that tells you how deep my hate for all things Pote and Kote runs). But Charger, he's someone I wanted to feature as a side character going all the way back to the first chapter. It was with intention that he's present for certain moments. So I think it's very fitting that he's talked about in a happy ending sense here.

“I just want you to be safe,” James answered seriously but gently, sensing Teresa’s annoyance. “I want that for both of us,” Teresa replied. “Isn’t that why we did what we did? Isn’t that why we made sure we’d get here?” From Teresa’s perspective, it wasn’t so much that they’d made promises and completed a mission where they’d been willing to die for each other—and they had been willing to do that—but rather, it was the way they’d pulled through because they were soulmates, with a will to live for each other, together.

One of the songs I wanted to work into the story somehow is Red Hot Chili Peppers' "I Could Die For You". I mean the main hook is:

I could die for you, what you wanna do? Oh, this life I choose.

I think it could be argued that that's a summary of the story, lol.

When Teresa shifted and licked a strip behind his ear, James leaned back, his hands flat against the bed. It wasn’t lost on him how neatly the bed was made, the bedspread tucked into the frame in perfectly taut corners at the foot of the bed. It wasn’t lost on Teresa, either, that James noticed. When Teresa pulled back momentarily, she flashed James a coy smile in acknowledgement before she did something about the unfortunate situation involving his attire by helping him out of his shirt. Once off, she ran her fingers over the planes of his back. James was responsive, gripping her hips but giving her space to explore his skin. She’d memorized his skin and had thought about this exact scenario on many of her nights alone in Santa Fe. Teresa frowned when she skimmed over James’ shoulder blade. “What happened here?” she asked. She knew every mark, every scar he had. Or so she thought. The raised scar on his back above his shoulder blade felt newer, something she would have noticed before—if it had been there before. James sighed. “One last battle scar for the collection.” “What? This happened recently?” “One of Devon’s cronies down in Sinaloa, after Belize,” James elaborated. “Son of a bitch rigged up my truck to blow but he did a sloppy job, probably in a rush. When I knew it was rigged I got out and he was shooting at me—got me in the shoulder. But I got him in the head.” Teresa tightened her grip on James’ skin and her eyes widened. The memory of the Santa Fe restaurant bathroom flooded back to her—it was one of the notable scenes from her hallucination, before seeing James in the jungle again. The recognition and horror in Devon’s eyes before he took his last breath would stay fresh in Teresa’s mind for some time. He hadn’t suspected or expected she would be there, or that she was still alive, or that she would be the one to take him out. Devon hurt Teresa, sure, and he’d wanted her destroyed and dead. But that man tormented James. Teresa loved James—he was a part of her—so any enemy of his, especially his biggest one, was someone who deserved the wrath from her darkest depths. Teresa had regrets and sorrows about the business, but the final mission she’d never be sorry for, because they conquered their enemies not only for themselves but even more for each other. Of Devon, Teresa thought nothing but good riddance—a defeat she would revel in without reservation. If Teresa and James hadn’t gone through with their Mission Critical, if Devon would’ve had his way, he would’ve completely obliterated them. “I don’t regret what I did or how I did it,” Teresa said firmly. “It was a pleasure and a reckoning. I’m glad he’s gone.” Teresa wouldn’t let the darkness pull her back to the underworld, not ever again, but her expression was serious and hardened. She exhaled deeply to fan away the flames of bloodlust that were just under the surface and threatened to creep back in if she wasn’t careful. “I know.” James grimaced but kissed her forehead. Teresa knew James had been affected by the business differently than her. Having survived it with him, she couldn’t discount the validity of his experience, and she knew he would never even consider discounting hers. Now that they were on the other side, in the next life, it wasn’t about who’d had it worse or who’d been hurt more, because they’d been in it together, gotten through it together. She knew James’ feelings about their final mission were complicated. Hell, Teresa knew the last couple of years had challenged James’ moral code and the integrity he had to set aside. But she also knew he was proud of her. Teresa was damn proud of herself, too.

Very long section quoted, I know. Off the hop, there's one last call back to the hospital/military bed corners, which I thought was important to include in this last chapter because it is integral to this being a soulmates AU.

As for the rest of this section, I must have written and re-written it at least ten times. I could never get it right...I still don't know if I got it right. But it had to be in one way or another, because it's the only time Teresa and James come close to a discussion about what actually happened in the time they were apart, and it's the moment when Teresa acknowledges she has no regrets about Devon's 'retirement'. I feel that this is consistent with the Teresa in the latter chapters of the story (including Chapter 8).

Perhaps one of the only good things about waiting so long to post a final chapter for a story you started and intended to finish a long time ago is that new music comes gets released in the in between. Sometimes you get lucky and the music helps you write a part you've been struggling with.

My favorite part of "You First" by Paramore is the bridge:

Never said I wasn’t petty / You can bet I don’t regret it for a second / It’s a pleasure / It’s a reckoning / Never said I wasn’t petty / I’ll do better when you’re better / Lemme revel in your defeat

I brought a few pieces of it into Teresa's dialogue as well as the part about Devon's death being a defeat she would revel in.

Also, when I brought in new Paramore, I realized that old Paramore kind of fit, too. I was thinking about "Let the Flames Begin" when I wrote the narrative parts.

Teresa arranged and adjusted herself around James so he was in her embrace, the same way they’d been in the afterglow of sex the morning after she destroyed her closet in New Orleans. “Love you, James,” Teresa said, running her hands up and down his back, tracing a heart over his last battle scar. “I love you,” James answered without hesitation. Teresa felt like they’d come full circle on the love they shared. To get to hold James, to be his shoulders and fill the room with the words of love was a privilege laced with the power and control over her own destiny. James brought his hand up, reaching out and offering it to her. Teresa accepted gladly, intertwining their fingers.

In Chapter 7, post coital, Teresa rearranges so she's the one holding James. James thinks it's fitting because it's her way of showing she cares about him while also maintaining her power and need to be in charge. When she does it this time, she has power and control but it's different--it's no longer about her supremacy.

There's a line in "Yer Killin' Me" by Remo Drive that goes "I'm sick of being your shoulders, you know I need shoulders too". Obviously the idea of being someone's shoulders is used very differently in the song. But I've wanted to write something where Teresa puts it on herself to be James' shoulders. I think at various points in the show and in this story, they've done that for each other.

Teresa thought James looked hot as hell in the outfit she’d picked out for him. It was difficult to scramble together island-appropriate attire when she had only the remnants of George’s wardrobe to work with, so she did the best she could from one of the local resort wear stores that pre-laundered the clothing. She’d seen pink khaki shorts with little lobsters embroidered on them which had given her pause, because she longed to see James in anything other than cozy neutrals and leather. But James had a soft-spoken, deadpan, very specific sense of humor, and Teresa wasn’t sure he’d willingly rock crustaceans on his pants. In the end, Teresa thought of the first time she ever flirted with James (they’d been in Chicago, and she told him green might be a good color on him) and went with simple army green boardshorts. James would look good in any color, so Teresa hadn’t been wrong. She matched the shorts with a light blue polo that had tiny dots on it. The shirt brought out the lighter flecks of hazel in James’ eyes and made the ink of his neck tattoo—just barely peeking from the collar—contrast more against his skin. James had always been good-looking, Teresa had known it from the beginning, but she thought he looked especially handsome in loungewear and awe in his eyes.

My sincerest apologies to all stans of James' pink lobster shorts from 5x10. Also, there was no way I was going with his tattoos removed like James from the last five minutes of 5x10. If you've read anything else I've written in the QOTS universe, you probably know that I wish James had better tattoos to begin with, but no way would I ever want James to not have his tattoos.

The bit about flirting in Chicago is a call back to Chapter 2. When I included this detail, I was reminded that in canon, the whole reason they even go to Chicago is to get Devon's attention. That's...not really relevant. But anyway, given the role Devon plays in this story, I think it's cool that I unconsciously made Teresa's first memory of flirting with James from that time.