#why is david tennant so hard to draw help

[ghospirit]

me when i really like david tennant so i put him in my generationloss au ,,,

[nipuni]

Doctor Who report!! We are all caught up with NuWho and in time to watch the new season when it comes out!! mission accomplished, It took us around 6 months total and we loved every minute of it 🥰

Now that we have watched all eras I can share our tastes and opinions nobody asked for under the cut 😌

We can confidently say RTD's era is our favourite and for Doctors 10 (and 14) followed by 12, but honestly there isn't a single Doctor (or Master!) that we didn't love.

We've also started rewatching the first four seasons now with more context and there is just something so special about them. They almost feel like a different show from all the later ones. The silliness and the way the story doesn't take itself seriously at all until all of a sudden it does and then the pain hits you twice as hard because of it. How with just with a line or deed and it's implications the Doctor can be so unbelievably inspiring. The way the narrative seems to place you in the role of a companion trying to catch up with the Doctor and figure him out yet never quite managing to do so creates this distance but also admiration and reverence in you too and you can't help but adore him flaws and all. It has just the right amount of room for every side character and relationship to develop and feel human and the right amount of exposition to keep the pace quick and don't hold your hand. The glimpses behind the doctor's cheerful childish façade into an unsettling calculating alienness and immeasurable trauma but also a weary wisdom. The complete selflessness to the point of martyrdom. The reckless irresponsible acts of devotion from both the companions and the Doctor. The near apotheosis of the companions the closer they get to him. The contagious feeling of awe and wonder and hope for life. The way it's so unabashedly centered around love of every kind 😭 ARGHH I don't know man there is nothing like it!! Ultimate comfort show for us, just.. healing really. There is so much more I can say and gush about but I'd be here typing all day so I'll draw more about it instead!! We would also like to get started on classic Who soon! and try to get our hands on the audio episodes and comic books and all the extra stuff as well 😊

We also watched more David Tennant works since the last report!

Blackpool was hilarious, infuriating and horny, the singing was a choice but overall so fun!! The Escape Artist was great, very sad and tense, would have loved for it to be longer, these miniseries are always so good but so short!! Mad to be Normal is so underrated? we enjoyed it a lot!! RD Laing's portrayal was so compelling, it's beautifully shot and the 60's setting is really immersive and well done. Einstein and Eddington was also really good, incredibly accurate historical setting!! the costuming was fantastic, one of the best I've seen!! These last two films are biographical and sort of no plot just vibes so maybe this is why they are not everyone's cup of tea but we enjoyed them very much. David just never misses, I'm sure we can watch anything with him in it and we will love it no matter what lmao what a guy 😭

Anyway that's all for now! I hope you are all doing well, spring/autumn is almost here! best bits of the year 😊

[dtmsrpfcringe]

You really are a dumb fuck, aren't you? You repeated exactly what I said, then told me I was wrong for saying what you parroted back to me. Living in your brain must be fucking insufferable.

Your own words were that they did not know each other ten years ago. Incorrect.

They have both said that they have known each other socially (i.e., friends) since 2001. They did not become close until they were in Good Omens. Yes, that is what I said. That's what you agreed to after I corrected your initial false statement. My god, little wonder you think this blog is a good idea when these are your thought processes.

Nothing else you said makes the slightest bit of sense. I can't even decipher the point of that word salad, and I am a teacher. Why would Michael use the names of the characters when he is talking about the show that the characters are in? What? You are reaching so hard that it is comical.

You are a class act making jokes about a congenital defect that kills newborn infants. Is that the kind of thing the mother of a newborn infant who claims to be a nurse would do? We have established that you are lying about both of those things. You are just an awful person. When it comes down to the real point of this blog, you don't care about the greater good of the fandom. You only want attention. You are shouting about a tiny corner of Tumblr that draws no attention to itself. You bring attention to it. You make it loud. Even when it disappears, you keep bringing it back. What's the real point here? You want attention for yourself. You want to be the hero in a war that doesn't exist.

Maybe you don't ship the hairband. Maybe you just have bad taste in music? I don't care. Either way, you have no place calling out anyone when you support those losers. They are the epitome of the scum of society. Actual misogynists. One of them even murdered someone while driving drunk. That is just the tip of the iceberg. But someone no one knows said something mean about Georgia Tennant on Tumblr? Someone suggests that two men who keep talking about having sex and being in love might be in love. Better clutch your pearls over that! Pathetic.

bae that isn’t what you said. You said they’ve been friends for almost 25 years. Do you write things and just fucking forget them? Or can you just not stop lying?

I can’t imagine being a teacher and just constantly being so goddamn wrong, I bet your students can’t stand you.

also saying you don’t have a brain isn’t making fun of a congenital defect babe. I’m neither lying about being a mom or healthcare professional. Most people I talk to pretty regularly here have seen my baby, and it would be pretty hard work to have an entire baby to…fake being a mom??? I’m not going to put my baby’s face on here to prove to someone like you that she’s real, and frankly I think it’s a little strange you wanna see that bad babe. Like? Your obsession with an internet stranger’s newborn (i guess infant now omfg) is kinda creepy.

As for my health certification, you don’t know shit actually. I busted my ass in high school to be licensed because of the people who helped me as a kid. Also I’m not a nurse😉 you are right about that. There’s more to healthcare than your RN and MDs lol. You seem like you’d yell at underpaid healthcare workers in the worst way possible.

you obviously did understand, but didn’t want to lick your wounds and slink into the corner.

btw this group absolutely does draw attention to yourself. I found these people by looking for cute Georgia and Anna stuff and finding hate and misogyny spread about them. As for Motley Crue, I hardly listen to them anymore, if literally ever. I haven’t posted anything about them in over a year and that is why I removed 2000 of my followers on instagram and made it private to have a personal acc. I just never bothered changing the username lol. So try again I guess.

Anyways here’s my daily reminder to you that David and Michael would be disgusted with you. Hope you have the day you deserve!

Keep sending these I think we’re falling in love boo🚨🔵🚨🔵

[finleycannotdraw]

What’s your process for your more realistic works? Do you happen to trace the reference picture and use many different layers for the colors? They look amazing! I’d love to see your process and I’m just asking because I’m trying to get started in digital art!

Okay, I’m bad at explaining how I draw, but I’ll give it a shot! I’ll go step by step (with images of my process) below, but to clarify: no, I don’t trace anything. I do often use references when I draw realistically (obviously) and yes, a lot of layers are involved, but I’ll explain that later :)

Say I’m using this photo as my reference (I am once again drawing Crowley):

1. Sketch Layer

I always start with a sketch layer. For me that means one layer at 32% opacity (idk why that’s just a comfortable transparency for me; you can probably do anywhere from 25-35% opacity, but it really doesn’t matter). Take a relatively thick brush (or thin, it doesn’t matter) and..... sketch a face. There are tips out there from other artists on how to draw faces, so I won’t go into that. This is my sketch:

It’s rough at the moment, which is fine. It takes practice to draw faces, so don’t be discouraged if it takes you a lot of tries to capture it! I’ve drawn David Tennant ~401 times; I have some Experience with his facial structure.

2. Color Layer (mostly hair)

So I end up having three color layers: skin, hair, and clothes. I start with the hair because I like to draw hair the most, but also because its a nice way to figure out where the face goes, and then draw the clothes where the skin and hair aren’t. I’m not super rigid about sticking to these layers and sometimes it only takes two layers because I’ll do the skin and hair on the same layer, which is what I started doing here:

As I continue, I’ll take out the sketch layer when I put the image on here, but for now I think it’s helpful to see that the colors don’t line up perfectly with the sketch. In terms of skin, I always do the outline first, which usually entails the darkest and lightest colors. David Tennant’s skin is light, yes, but I still end up using dark browns and even oranges when I shade darks, and pink/purple/white when I shade lights. This is where the reference helps a lot: deciding colors. Eventually you get a knack for it and don’t have to be too meticulous in studying pictures. As for hair, I end up using less than 10 colors for Crowley’s hair usually, but you could get away with only using 4 or 5, as long as you have a base color, at least one highlight color, and at least one shadow color. This picture has the hair color palette I’m using:

And here’s the finished hair!

I used more colors than I listed, as you can probably see if you look closer, but those are the essentials for this drawing. Hair can be scribbly. Again, you don’t have to conform entirely to the lines of the sketch; it’s just there as a guide.

3. Color Layer (skin)

It’s impossible to color palette and label every shade I used for the skin tone in this drawing, but I managed to group together colors to help you get an understanding of how the shading goes? Here’s the palette:

And as for actually drawing skin.... I always start with the dark colors myself (in this case, since there’s overhead natural lighting, which means it’s soft/ambient/not strictly from one point, the dark colors will be on the neck and lower face/under cheekbones and nose), but I also add in the light/highlight colors too; kinda a balance? Also, once you have the colors, the actual execution of putting them down can be as messy as you like. Here’s that, without the “base” colors of the face (or the eyes):

And here’s the whole face!! The majority of the colors are in the palette above, and you’ll probably notice that each group is its own color scheme that doesn’t necessarily match the others; the lights have a red/pink hue, the bases are more orange/purple due to David Tennant’s actual skin tone and the lighting, and the darks are, well, dark.

4. Clothes

Clothes are hard to draw (for me at least). I’m gonna re-open the sketch layer for this part so I don’t mess up his shoulders too badly, and I’m gonna make another basic color palette from looking at my reference.

You can shade black with blues and greens, which also contrasts nicely with the warm colors of his hair and skin :) and since its black (or other dark colors) it was easy to fill in the rest!

Please remember my art process isn’t professional and that there are loads of other artists out there who are (in my opinion, better than I am) more experienced and have different techniques! This is the way that works for me. I hope you have a lovely day, and thank you for asking me about this!

[vostokovasmelina]

hello again with non-secret non-santa! i think my favorite movie is a tie between the Black Cauldron and Fried Green Tomatoes. I haven't watched any new movies, so I've mostly been just going back to older ones that I very much enjoy! I have another question for you! What TV shows do you enjoy watching? Popular or not! Why? What in particular draws your eye or emotion to a show? I hope you have a wonderful day while being safe! - 💜

lmao i’m an uncultured swine and has never seen those movies - buT i do know what black cauldron is and i’m so proud of myself

about tv shows - i have severe commitment issues (alksjkfdhask) so i don’t really watch that many of them but the ones i watch i absolutely adore. i usually need someone to buddy watch it with me (usually my mum and/or bro) otherwise i’m not motivated enough. i binged peaky blinders in two weeks purely because of my mum. without her, i would still be stuck on season 2.

here are some i have sat through or like enough to actually remember to watch them lmao:

killing eve - probably my most favourite tv show like ever. i’m not so vocal about it tho so even i forget sometimes how much i actually love it but it’s just the best thing ever made :))

wayne - the end of the f***ing world but american and better? idk man it’s just the second coolest show ever

fleabag - i adore pwb and this shit is the most relatable thing ever

bodyguard - i’ve watched it like three times already and i still love it so much

atypical - i’m still on season 2 so no spoilers please but i love this show so much, it’s my safety blanket

the alienist - underrated piece of pure art

sex education - rewatching this with my brother was the best part of quarantine :’)

peaky blinders - duh

sharp objects - triggering as fuck but i love it and the book is also one of my favs

good omens - i’m still obsessed, i keep rewatching it and i’m even planning on rereading the book next year - help

broadchurch - i love david tennant and olivia colman so much, dude

the queen’s gambit - i lovelovelove anya taylor-joy and i loved the book so much and the show so didn’t disappoint wow the best thing that happened to us in 2020

honourable mentions: collateral; criminal: united kingdom; des (lmao i hate myself, i’m obsessed with british crime dramas way too much); over the garden wall; red band society; criminal minds; the witcher & one day at a time (i absolutely hate how they just cancelled it for good recently like wtf >:( )

i also like documentaries!! (true crime and history, mostly)

what draws my eye to a show? gosh, such a hard question, i really can’t tell. like, i usually go on netflix and see what’s up on there but i’m generally really picky and take the longest time to start a show even if i’m interested. what i know for sure is that i like anything dark and lowkey emotional (even though no media has made me cry in the last 4 years lmao) but i’m mostly into realistic stuff? like i watch and read much less fantasy/sci-fi than i used to and i’m lowkey sad about that so hit me up with your recommendations if you have any :D

(lmao i know i said i don’t watch many tv shows and then gave you a proper list but i swear i don’t have netflix on 24/7. i just find it hard to actually binge a tv show)

what about you, my dear secret santa? what kind of shows do you like and what is your absolute favourite? do our tastes overlap at all? <3

[seven-oomen]

Hi Ben!  I see you’re still enjoying the absolute insanity that has gripped tumblr the last couple of days XD .  As someone who’s been a tumblr lurker for a number of years, this is hysterical enough from my side.  I can’t imagine the sheer ridiculousness of seeing it firsthand.  Virtually every blog I check, no matter if they’ve ever seen a SPN episode or not, has been posting about it.  It is WILD.

I feel like I’m at least a little lucky that I always skewed more ‘lock’ than anything (mainly because my 'who’ took a hard dive into Torchwood and never really recovered), so there’s less emotional flashbacks/richochets/rollercoastering/etc.  (Yes, I did in fact see the news about Sherlock season 5, but I never saw season 4 because of some of the feedback I heard before I got the chance to watch it, so it’ll take something truly impressive to draw me back now.)  Although in a roundabout way Sherlock is what eventually led me to Teen Wolf because of multi-focus blogs, so I guess I can thank it for that.

Work was one of those super fun days where the manager leaving not long after I got there was all “Yeah, it’s been really calm, and both deliveries so far have been small and should be easy to deal with."  So of course, about an hour after he leaves, four more pallets full of stuff show up, so I spent pretty much my whole shift trying to get everything checked in.  On the one hand, yay, less customers, on the other, hauling that shit around in a mask gets hot.

That dish sounds delicious, and definitely better than my sad lunch/dinner at work.  Ngl, I’m extremely jealous.

And omg, the last line post now has me nervous again because there are multiple options of who is saying whatever it is to whom, and all of them hurt.  XD  Also very here for the idea of a pack of three year-olds trying to pull a Parent Trap on their respective dads.  Is there a treehouse or playhouse they can lock them into to talk?  A moment of Jax and Stiles pointing out that they both agree on this, so they should know that it’s serious?  Trying to make them draw or write down why they’re sad, or whatever similar coping skills the dad usually has the kid use?  Trying to take away a treat of some sort/ground them from doing something/etc until they agree to talk to each other?  So many possibilities.

I cackled at that coffee shop guy post, because the sheer obliviousness demonstrated by the op throughout the story is almost the exact energy being displayed by Peter in my fake dating fic and seeing a story of it happening in RL about took me out.  XD

Also, I’m super curious what kinds of rituals you’re planning for the fic.  Good, bad, druidic, wolfy, pack, wedding, birth, sexy, friendship, binding, warding, ???  Inquiring minds want to know (whenever you are ready to share of course.  Inquiring minds can also be patient. ;D )

Oh, a funny moment at work!  I was picking up one of the pallets after I’d emptied it, and there was a knot in one of the boards that I almost knocked out as I grabbed it, and my brain’s immediate thought was "Whoops, almost just popped the knot on that wood”, immediately followed by the thought “Oh god, no, jesus christ, PHRASING, tonight of all nights, no."  (I am super sad that there is no one I work with that I could scream about this with.)

Anyway, I should wrap up because I need to leave for work soon.  Enjoy the continuing thrill ride that is this site, and best of vibes for any writing attempts today!  Take care!  *Hugs!*

Okay I’m gonna add the preview to your fic from your last message to this one so I have it all in one message here. Because after writing over 3K yesterday my brain is just really tired and I keep wanting to nap today. Haven’t done much and replying to two messages is a bit much. 

On the flip side, I did update Final Masquerade today and that chapter is almost 7K long. So yay!

Also, my fucking feelings while writing that. Jesus christ on a pogo stick.

And in the spirit of “Oh, did you say enemies-to-lovers?  Sorry, I heard idiots-to-lovers”, here is another preview from the fake dating fic, because I love this part, and it features the first appearance of Fashion Consultant Peter:

“Peter, what the hell are you doing in my closet?” Noah’s voice sounded like it was thankfully more bemused than annoyed, but Peter knew that it could be a fine line to walk.

“Trying not to cry in despair, for the most part. Why is everything you own at least a size too big and some shade of brown?” Peter called back over his shoulder, still staring at the somewhat neatly organized rainbow of dull, listless neutrals in growing dismay.

“I’m wearing a green shirt right now, asshole, and not all of us are interested in looking like we got squeezed into our clothing by force. Some of us actually acknowledge our age, and try to dress somewhat appropriately. Some of us also understand the value of blending in.”

“Okay, firstly, age, as they say, is just a number. Secondly, there’s trying not to stand out, and there’s just giving up. Though frankly, I’ve never quite put much stock in either.”

“Color me shocked to hear that from someone I’ve seen wear a cardigan like it was an actual shirt on more than one occasion.”

Peter shrugged as he continued to rifle through hangers and peek into storage containers, though he wasn’t certain that Noah could even see him from within the depths of the walk-in. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it.” The sigh that answered him held a level of long-suffering, begrudging patience that Peter was far more used to hearing directed at Stiles than himself.

—–

Why yes, there is indeed a trip suit shopping in the story.  Basically, I am cramming in every random obnoxiously trope-y thing I can remember from the few rom coms I’ve seen.  Also, there is so much food in this story.  Like, it’s ridiculous how often there someone ends up eating something.  I’m not even sure where it came from.

I’ve been reading this multiple times in the last few days, it’s just so cute! 

He’s in the closet huh? Is he gonna come out?

Sorry, sorry, I’ll can it XD 

And honestly, I think Tumblr’s 2012 insanity streak is the only thing keeping me sane right now. Because holy shit what a week.

I never really got into Sherlock myself or Doctor Who. I think I saw one episode of Dr. who (with David Tennant I think) and three episodes of Sherlock because my mom used to watch it.

I saw 12 seasons of Supernatural though, I definitely had an obsession with Destiel and particularly Dean Winchester. Fun fact; Cosplaying Dean made me comfortable enough to come out to my friends as transgender. Because I realized that I couldn't hide my gender even if I tried so hard for over 23 years.

And it was Supernatural that eventually led me to Teen Wolf. Well, that and Grimm, which was also a really fun show and really interesting.

Oh boy, yeah whenever a manager told me that I knew I was gonna be in for a very interesting night. For sure, sucks that you had to do that in a mask though. But on the other hand, no customer interaction does sound like it was a nice break in a way. And OMG I snorted!

It’s a good thing we don’t work together, I feel like the jokes wouldn’t have ended. My god I’m still snickering.

And omg, the last line post now has me nervous again because there are multiple options of who is saying whatever it is to whom, and all of them hurt.  XD  Also very here for the idea of a pack of three year-olds trying to pull a Parent Trap on their respective dads.  Is there a treehouse or playhouse they can lock them into to talk?  A moment of Jax and Stiles pointing out that they both agree on this, so they should know that it’s serious?  Trying to make them draw or write down why they’re sad, or whatever similar coping skills the dad usually has the kid use?  Trying to take away a treat of some sort/ground them from doing something/etc until they agree to talk to each other?  So many possibilities.

I do have a bit of an idea to have them go to the cinema with the kids and make them watch the parent trap, which of course leads to all sorts of shenanigans back at home where Allison and Malia are constantly trying to lock the dads in a room together, aided by Derek and Laura because Malia can’t reach the door handles just yet. Meanwhile Stiles and Jackson are coming up with increasingly elaborate schemes for two three-year-olds that involve their dads being locked in tree houses, sheds, and other places. Not to mention, the kindergarten pact.

And I like to think at some point the wives and Melissa start helping the kids as well. I mean I’d really like to build one giant polyamorous family for this fic.

[jeks-tgs]

Highschool AU - Part 2: How To Make Friends Enemies 101

(TW: Mentions of abuse, violence, blood, disassociation, panic attack)

Walking into class with a poorly concealed black eye was not what he had wanted to do, but sadly he had no say in the matter. Everyone looked up, eyes instantly judgmental, it felt like, looking over this stranger to not only their school but their country.

"Class, this is our new student," The teacher, a kind looking older woman with spidery fingures and sharp cheekbones, introduced him to the class. He stood in front of them, back to the whiteboard, and felt his anxiety build. "Introduce yourself, sweetheart." Somewhat encouraged by her gentle smile and soft Southern drawl, he cleared his throat.

"W-Well, my name's Henry Jekyll, and–"

"Holy shit, you're voice is so fucking deep!"

"He sounds like David Tennant, the fuck?"

"Crowley, is that you!?"

The laughter and comments killed whatever confidence he might have had, and he shrank in on himself. The teacher frowned at her students, holding a hand up. They fell quite, a few sinking down in their seats at her disapproving face.

"Class, that was very disrespectful," She scolded. She must have been one of those teachers students actually liked, because a good chunk of the class looked genuinely guilty for having upset her. "Henry is new, not only to this school, not only to this state, but to this country as well. While some of your comments may not have been intended to be mean, you must take into consideration how this might seem from Henry's perspective." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, looking worried when he flinched. "He just moved here from an entirely different continent, and his first interaction in a new hometown is to be teased. Now, what do we say?"

A round of apologies were given, some less enthusiastic than others, and Henry felt like he had already made at least five enemies in this class alone. The teacher made a gesture with her hands, and he nervously continued.

"I was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and when I was fourteen my parents moved back up to London. We recently moved to America due to my father's job offering him a better position here, and.. yeah.. that's.. about all there is to.. that.." He felt stupid, and the snickering of some students in the back only worsened the feeling. Suddenly, a girl raised her hand. Henry looked at her, then at the teacher, confused.

"Yes, Melody, what's your question?" Oh. That.. that should have been obvious, he was a fucking idiot-

"Do you watch Doctor Who?" Henry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course he was asked that. Just as he was about to give a brief 'yes', he felt eyes on him. He looked up, and nearly lost his composure; it was that blond kid who was in his backyard last night! He locked eyes with, and suddenly felt the strong urge to prove himself. To who or as what, he had no idea, but he found himself popping his collar and responding in a casual voice, "Bitch, I *am* the doctor."

Edward cracked a grin, laughing and looking away, and he got a few chuckles from some of the other kids.

"Are you aware you look like Crowley from Good Omens?"

"Ah, shit, has angel been blowing my cover again?" He himself laughed a bit when someone coughed out a quick, "That's not the only thing he blows-" After a few more questions (and wow, this teacher gave no fucks about language, and was even laughing herself, okay-), he moved to pick a seat. Feeling a bit bold, he sat beside Edward. The class went dead quiet, and Henry suddenly regretted every life decision he'd ever made, especially when faced with a pair of confused, passive-aggressive eyes.

"..no one sits next to me," He sounded Irish, something Henry hadn't picked up on when he'd first met him. Without thinking, tongue loosened from his quips earlier, he blurted, "Why, d'ye stink?" Someone actually squeaked with fear, and even the teacher was watching them hesitantly. What the fuck had he gotten himself into? The blond's eyes widened a bit, clearly taken aback, and a smile started to creep onto his face.

"You're ballsy, Jekyll," Edward chuckled. Henry felt mildly relieved, but his idea that this was some form of acceptance was washed away instantly when the shorter boy chirped happily, "I'm gonna beat the fuck out of you behind the school during lunch. Don't puss out on me." Henry looked around at the rest of the class, but no one would meet his eyes, except a few who looked at him like they were attending his funeral.

"Mr. Hyde, that's enough," The teacher snapped, turning to begin the lesson. Henry spent the next hour sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair next to a kid who was looking at him like he was going to disembowel him for fun.

---

"Only lasted a day, god damn.."

The story had apparently spread fast, and the comments in the halls weren't helping in the slightest. When lunch rang, someone actually pressed a slip of paper into his hand that simply read, 'Remember: it's 9-9-1 in America, not 9-9-9'. Real fucking helpful, thanks kid. He slowly made his way outside, ignoring the Hunger Games whistles behind him as he turned the corner.

There he was. It was only him and Edward back here- wait, no.. fuck, he'd brought Robert Lanyon. That kid was a good 6"10, what the fuck, how was that fair!? Steeling his nerves, he straightened up, chin held high as he approached him. The blond seemed genuinely surprised to see him, and turned to Robert with a laugh.

"Looks like I'll be getting that snog-sesh after all, Lanyon~" ...what?

Robert rolled his eyes, correcting, "If you win."

"I always win~" G'ah, fuck, he was gonna die-

Henry watched Edward circle him like a shark, green eyes glinting as he licked his teeth. Out of nowhere, the blond swung. His fist connected with Henry's jaw, knocking the Scot flat on his back. Edward, seemingly disappointed, commented, "Shit.. that was quick. Alright, Bob, where's my tonsel hockey, you uppity fu-"

As Henry kicked the blond's legs out from under him, the only thought running through his head was; That barely felt like anything compared to how hard my father hits me. Edward hit the ground with a yelp, and Robert actually let out a surprised laugh. The amusement died as Henry launched himself at the other, drawing back and clocking him dead in the face. He hit him a few more times, then grabbed him by his shirt collar and shook him, his left hand pulled back threateningly, clenched in a bloodied fist.

"Stay the hell away from me!!" Robert had grabbed hold of the back of his shirt, but he couldn't tug him off, adrenaline and fear and maybe a bit of a PTSD attack keeping Henry firmly in place. Others had rounded the corner at the shouting, gasping and murmuring as they crowded around the unexpected victor. "Don't look at me, don't talk to me, don't even fucking think about me!!" Edward's nose was gushing blood, clearly broken, and his green eyes were wide with fear, tears dribbling down his face. He was shaking immensely, thin fingers clutching at Henry's wrist, feebly trying to tug him off.

"If you ever touch me again, I'll break every bone in your fucking body!!" He was oblivious to the crowd, unaware of how kids who had looked at him with sympathy were now looking at him with fear, how peers who had seemed to want to be friends with him were now mentally planning routes to avoid ever having to see him again. "Do you understand me?" Edward let out a pitiful whimper, then cried out in terror when Henry grabbed him by the hair and pulled. "I said do you understand!?!" Edward wailed with fright, and Robert finally pulled Henry off of the blond. He staggered to his feet, rubbing his bruised jaw and breathing hard.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" Robert shouted as he helped Edward up, holding the swaying teen to his chest. Henry blinked a few times, guilt settling heavily in his gut. Fuck.. fuck, what had he done? He wasn't a violent person, so why..? The Scot didn't answer, just turned and walked away, not paying any mind to how the other kids were practically tripping over themselves to get out of his way. He rounded a corner, and the minute he was out of sight, his knees gave out. He simply sat there, disassociating, struggling to breath as a panic attack overwhelmed him.

[lucyreviewcy]

Doctor Who: Series 12 - Episode 4 Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror

In this episode of Doctor Who, the gang travel back to the start of the 20th century, and help Nikola Tesla save the world.

It is hard for me to be objective about this episode of Doctor Who because it featured Goran Visnjic and I loved him in Timeless. In Timeless, he was the baddie who became the goodie who became the best character in the whole show. Visnjic is great as inventor Nikola Tesla, but I’ve thought it over, and it turns out that beyond this one character, this episode didn’t have a whole lot going for it.

There is a storyline that I can’t recount because I can’t remember it, and some design choices that looked like they belonged in an early-season Christmas Special (the scorpion lady who looked remarkably similar to the spider lady from 2006′s The Runaway Bride.) There was also an aggressive amount of dialogue about how “nobody has heard of Nikola Tesla.” 

Tesla is a brand of car, an airport in Belgrade and a character played by David Bowie in The Prestige. 

It feels a bit rude to tell the audience they’ve not heard of someone. 

Like last week’s hammering home of “CLIMATE CHANGE IS BAD”, this week it felt like the audience was being underestimated again. Tesla may not be as well known as Edison, but he did leave a cultural footprint. It felt like the writers thought they were being really clever by drawing our attention to this totally obscure character who just so happens to have a car brand named after him.

Another small niggle I had was that all the companions dressed up in period garb while the Doctor didn’t make any change to her outfit. She clearly wasn’t worried about blending in, so why are they? This criticism isn’t unique because the doctor is female now, there is precedent for the Doctor to slightly change their outfit to match their companions. There’s David Tennant’s 50s hairstyle in The Idiot’s Lantern, Matt Smith’s Victorian getup in The Crimson Horror... this is something that we’ve seen the Doctor do. When three companions have all bothered to dress up like they’re in 1903, it feels weird that the Doctor hasn’t bothered. 

We are treated to a thoroughly forgettable female character, who provides nothing more than the opportunity for the “I met someone amazing and now my life has changed” “Lol, same” conversation that all companions must have with the friends of historical figures. This time it was Ryan’s go. It wasn’t a very interesting scene. There was no closure for this female character, Dorothy Skeritt, and she disappeared before the episode was finished. Dear writers, we don’t need somebody to gaze longingly at Tesla to know he’s smart and exciting, you can just show him being smart and exciting and we’ll pick that up on our own, thanks.

Visnjic’s presence also meant that I spent the entire episode thinking about Timeless and how that show would have dealt with the same subject. The truth is that I prefer Timeless to current Doctor Who because there is something overly reverent about the way that Chris Chibnall’s Doctor approaches history, while Timeless wades into history with gay abandon. It feels like Doctor Who doesn’t want to leave any footprints in time, while Timeless has characters attempting to stop the assassination of JFK, improvising iconic speeches that changed the world, and generally marching through time causing havoc. This episode of Doctor Who��sought to contain the story within a small area, so that it all fit neatly back into the box at the end. In Timeless you’d better bet they would have made sure Tesla ended up prosperous rather than penniless. 

The best moment in this episode was probably the bit where for a second, however brief, Jodie Whittaker reminded me of the Doctor. Unfortunately, I realised it was just because her lines echoed some dialogue David Tennant had in The Family of Blood. Most of what I enjoyed about this episode was because I was thinking about either a different episode of Doctor Who or a different show entirely. 

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Old Habits

Peter Vincent x Reader, Angst, Comfort

AO3 Link/ Support Me on Ko-fi

Trigger Warning: Mentions of past abusive relationship  

Summary: You are trying to rebuild your life in Las Vegas working for the infamous Peter Vincent, but the past has trouble letting go. 

A/N:  I have no idea why I wrote this aside from I needed to. I’ve been a slut for David Tennant since 2009 and back on my bullshit, what can I say? PLEASE COMMENT AND REBLOG IF YOU LIKE THIS!!!

Word Count: 3.3K

          You told yourself you would never go back to Las Vegas.

           It was a long decaying playground in the middle of nowhere that should had died along with the seventies. But, it was home.  And when everything in your life falls apart, what else can you do but go home?

           You had needed to get out of New York.  Too many terrible memories and mistakes haunted every corner of the city. You need familiar territory, someplace to ground yourself in the here and now.  Luckily, you still had friends you could rely on.

           Jane Brewster was the first person you called when you had finally decided to leave.  She practically demanded you stay at her place until you had one of your own. Charley was off at college and wouldn’t be back until winter break. You talked her down, and with respect to your pride, she conceded a motel room would be best for the time being.   That didn’t stop her from reaching out to a friend about getting you a job.

           You were certain the story of how Real Estate Agent, Jane Brewster and Occultist Magic Performer, Peter Vincent became friends was a long and interesting one. The fact you could never get a straight answer from either of them as to how it happened, however, told you otherwise.

           He was a little prickly about your employment at first; but, once you showed him a resume the length of his arm detailing the performers you had been either personal assistant to or represented, on and off Broadway, he started changed his tune.

           Peter Vincent was, complicated, to say the least.  On the one hand, he was a dick.  One could say it was just because he was a perfectionist, but that was being generous. Fright Night wasn’t exactly the Royal Shakespeare company, and he had a tendency to snap at other performers and make-up people alike when he was even slightly irritated.  At the same time, he had his own unique charm, an indefinable manic energy that couldn’t help but draw you in.  Pair that with his more flamboyant tendencies, and he could be downright entertaining. It left you in a constant state not knowing whether you wanted to laugh or smack him.

           He seemed to understand your predicament and made it his mission to leave you even more confused than before.  

          You wouldn’t go so far as to say you were friends.  You never hung out after work, or disclosed anything too personal, but there was a comfortable familiarity to your interactions.  You could call him an asshole and know he wouldn’t take it personally, while he could call you an uptight know it all, with the assurance that all you’d do is give him a light-hearted eyeroll.  In short you liked him. And slowly, the idea of Las Vegas truly becoming your home once more didn’t seem so terrible.  But, like so many things in your life, the good things could never last.

          You were standing in Peter’s apartment when it happened.  Another show had ended, and you were going over upcoming appearances at various occult conventions.

          “No, no, no, please I’m begging you.  I am literally begging you, don’t tell me they put me on a panel with that prick,” Peter complained, pouring himself a drink.

          You shrugged.  “You can’t deny Chriss Angel is one of the few magicians people can actually name.”

          “But I’m not a magician,” he defended. “I’m an occultist, there’s a difference.”

          “You put on a goth-tastic special effects show wearing guy-liner and skin tight leather pants, name me a difference that counts.”

          He looked like he wanted to argue, but settled on making an exaggerated grimace before taking a sip from his drink.

          “Besides that, I already RSVPed for you,” you continued.  “Rest assured there will be a cabinet of alcohol in your hotel room you when you’re done.”

          “I know I should be insulted, but that really does make up for it.”

          Your lip involuntarily twisted upward at his sardonic response. “And auditions.  Maggie is going off on maternity leave soon.  I’ve already sorted through head-shots and just need your approval on who to call back.”

          You handed him a small pile of photos.  He took it, making a cursory glance at each of them without bothering to look at the resumes on the back before he tossed them into two piles.

          “Yes. No,” he said pointing to the left and right piles respectively.

          “Okay, just remember to be there Thursday.”

          He let out a long groan.  “Can’t you just do that?”

          “You’re the one who has to work with them.”

          “Sure, but I trust you to know which ones are idiots and which ones are actually going to hit their marks.”

          You rolled your eyes. “If that was really all you cared about, you’d just have me do it.”

          “You could,” he said, sounding oddly okay with the idea.

          “I don’t think I can pull off a pho-leather corset,” you replied, sardonically.

          He didn’t say anything, taking a moment to look you up and down before tilting his head to the side in thought. “Well…”

          You pressed your lip into a thin line and raised an eyebrow.  Immediately his eyes widened as he attempted to back track.

          “You’re right, you can’t.”

          You crossed your arms, your expression making it very clear you were not impressed.  

          “Not that you couldn’t if you wanted to,” he floundered.  “It’s just it would perhaps be inappropriate for you to…” He stopped, as a realization dawned on him.  “You’re taking the piss, aren’t you?”

           You broke as a wide smile spread across your face.  “Only a little.”

           “Right.” He straightened up, trying to scrape together at least some dignity. “Let’s just erase the last minute of conversation.”

           “Already deleted,” you assured.

           He smiled in thanks, but before either of you could say something clever, your phone rang.  You didn’t bother to check the ID before you answered.

           “Y/N speaking.”

           “Hello Y/N,” an all too familiar voice answered.

           You froze.  You could feel the blood drain from your face even as your heart pumped hard against your rib cage. You needed to hang up.  You needed to will your limbs to do something other than stand there. Your hand began the process of pulling away from your ear when he spoke again.

           “Don’t hang up.” There was no urgency in his tone.  Only a casual confidence, as if he were standing in the room with you instead of thousands of miles away.  Logically you knew it wasn’t the case but thought of it made you stop.  On instinct, you brushed your hand against your throat as if to make sure there was nothing pressed against it but empty air.  

           “How did you get this number,” you asked, trying desperately to keep your voice calm.

           “Believe it or not some of our friends still talk to me,” he replied easily. That was always his trick, wasn’t it? An easy answer to everything. “I just want to talk.”

           “I don’t.”  Your hands weren’t shaking so badly as before now the initial shock was gone. “Goodbye Eric.”

           “Don’t hang up!” he snapped into the line.  To your surprise, you didn’t feel the sudden urge to obey.  Before you could question why, you hung up.

           Immediately your phone began to ring again.  You denied the call, clutching your phone tightly in your hand as if that would suddenly make the vibrations disappear.

           He had no power over you here, you remined yourself.  Your mind was clear.  You had control over your limbs and thoughts.  There were no hands are teeth pressed against your throat. He couldn’t hurt you.

           You were so determined to repeat those thoughts over and over again in your mind, you forgot who else was in the room with you.

           “Y/N,” Peter’s voice cut through the fog. “Y/N, what’s wrong?”

           You didn’t know what to say.  The truth was out of the question. You weren’t certain you knew the truth yourself. But there was no hiding the way you were shaking.

           He looked lost for a moment, shifting back and forth, still deciding if it was safe to come near you.

           You flinched as your phone began to ring again.

           Peter made the first move.  In a single stride he crossed the room, pulled the phone away from your death grip, and practically threw it into the closest chair before covering it with a pillow for good measure. The vibrations where now effectively muffled leaving silence in its wake.  

           He turned to you, keeping his voice as calm as possible.  “Y/N.”

           You met his gaze.

           His eyes were soft and a little unsure.  It was an expression you had never seen from him, but you felt just a little better at the sight.

           “Who was that?” he asked.

           You didn’t want to say his name again as if repeating would somehow summon him. All you could manage of a small, “Ex.”

           Peter nodded in understanding.  You weren’t sure how much Jane had told him, if anything at all, but you knew he was smart enough to tie your reaction to why you left New York.

           “What do you need?”

           You needed to throw up.  You needed a ticket to a desert island with no chance of him finding you. You needed a death certificate with his name plastered all over it.  But at that exact moment you just needed to curl into a ball somewhere private.

           “I want to go home,” you said.

           “You sure that’s a good idea?”

           You nodded.

           Peter took a breath, before nodding himself. “Alright, I’ll give you a lift,” he said, swinging on his jacket. “Don’t argue.”

           You didn’t have it in you anyway.

           The elevator ride down to the parking garage was a silent one, for which you were grateful.  You couldn’t really explain how you were still standing up right.  

           Peter led you to his car, and the pair of you sped off into the night.  It wasn’t until you were clear of the strip and well into the desert that he spoke again.

          “You sure your ex isn’t in town?”

           The questions took you by surprise.  You had been preparing for yourself for the inevitable “what did he do”.  But, it was obvious the answer didn’t matter to Peter, all that mattered was how what he did affected you.  You had never been so relieved in your life.

           “I don’t think he would have called me if he was,” you said, having given the matter a great deal of thought.  “He’d just show up.”

           “So why call you?” Peter asked, confused. “Why not wait until he knows where you are?”

           “I think he was hoping I’d just tell him.  He’s…” You paused, trying to find a way to describe what Eric could do without sounding completely insane. “He’s got a way of getting people to do exactly what he wants.”

           “How?”

           You shrugged.  All you could really remember was the way Eric’s eyes would penetrate yours before the inevitable fog overwhelmed your senses until you couldn’t tell up from down. Once again, you hand went to your neck.  The scars had faded, but the ghost of pain remained.

           “He just does,” was all you could say. “I guess it doesn’t work over the phone.”

           Peter noticed your motions but made no comment on it.  A look crossed his features you couldn’t name, but it left you wondering if he knew something you didn’t.  

           “Are you going to be alright?” he asked, not allowing you time to dwell on the thought.

           You let out a long breath. “I don’t know.”

           Eric wasn’t the first. He was simply the latest in a long line of assholes you had allowed to control you.  You didn’t know how it happened.  Everything started off fine, but sooner or things would start to happen. They’d start screening your calls. Girls nights would be canceled because they claimed you weren’t spending enough time with them. Accusations of cheating would be leveled left and right to make you feel guilty at even talking to anyone else.  Then, one night, they’d take it too far and you would run until you found someone else and the whole cycle would begin again.  Maybe Eric was the logical end to all this. Someone who could quite literally take complete control. Maybe you had been asking for this.

          “Do you ever feel like you’re making the same mistakes over and over and over again?” you said, quietly. “You get yourself in or put yourself in a situation, and every time you know exactly how it’s going to end, but you go through the same motions every time and it never stops; because for some sick reason you don’t want it to stop. Because there’s…I don’t know, a comfort in the repetition.”

          “You’re asking the barely functional alcoholic this?” Peter said.

          You laughed.  You were surprised you laughed, but matter of fact sarcasm in his voice paired with a reassuring smile gave you permission to do so.

          “Well, you ask a stupid question,” you mumbled sardonically.

          Peter shook his head.  “It’s not a stupid question,” he assured. “I think it’s just something people do. Good or bad, you stick to what you know.”

          You didn’t say anything for a moment, allowing the truth of the statement to float in the air a while. This was the longest conversation you could recall having with Peter that didn’t involve you either reminding him of an appointment or ending in some kind of banter.  But what was weird was it didn’t feel weird.

          Still you felt obligated to say, “I’m sorry I’m laying all this on you.”

          “It’s alright,” he assured.  He sounded like he meant it too, even as a slightly awkward expression settled on his face.  “I’m not sure how to not make this sound bad, but it’s kind of nice to know I’m not the only one with issues.”

          You blinked.  “You’re right. There is no way to not make that sound bad.”

          He winced, his mind clearly working very hard to find a way to back track.  Given the circumstances, you decided to show him some mercy.

          “But, I know what you’re getting at,” you said, with a half-smile.

          You could almost hear his sigh of relief.  

          “I wouldn’t have guessed it,” he admitted, after a short pause.  “You always struck me as someone who would never let anyone tell them what to do.”

          “I try to be,” you admitted, as your insides turned over. “But, old habits.”

          He didn’t say anything more, and you were grateful.  You each had given more away than either of you intended.

          Soon enough had pulled up in front of your apartment, but neither of you felt the immediate need to get out of the car.

          “Do you need someone here?” he asked.  “You know, just in case?”

          You shook your head. “I don’t think so.  I might call Jane, see if she can come over.”

          He nodded, but that awkward expression didn’t leave as he ran a hand through his hair.

          “Or, I can stay,” he offered, “if you’d like.”

          You stared at him a moment.  You imagined inviting him in.  You could see him entering your small apartment with the pile of empty cardboard boxes still sitting in the corner of your living room. You imagined sitting down on the couch side by side, the space fading between you until you could rest your head against his shoulder.  You imagined those warm brown eyes staring down at you, before you pressed your lips to his and--

          You tore you mind away from the thought before it could go any further.

          “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” you said, softly.

          A flash of hurt played out behind his eyes before he got the chance to hide it. “Right, yeah.”

          “No, that’s not what I—”

          “It’s fine.”

          “I didn’t mean—”

          There was a pause.  Neither of you could look at each other, but you also didn’t want it to end the night this way.  Why did you always find a way to make things complicated?

          “Peter,” you said, taking a long breath, “my life is a complete mess. I’m a complete mess. Bad things just keep happening and I… I don’t want bad things to happen to you.  I’m sorry, I—"

          “Don’t,” he cut in sharply. “Don’t apologize for something he did.”

          You stopped then.  There was a conviction in his tone that made you have to stop, even as your heart rate spiked. He seemed to have noticed, and his tone immediately softened.

          “Y/N? Please, look at me.”

          You did so, and in that moment, you wondered how you never noticed just how wide and open his eyes truly were.

          “Look I don’t know if I’m crossing a line, or behind the line, or dancing a jig on top of it, and if I am making you uncomfortable, I’ll hop right back over it again, but I just…”

          He stopped running a hand through his hair to get his thoughts in order. “So, you’re a mess, that’s fine because that doesn’t stop you from being a good person. And you are, Y/N, you are a good person. You’re so good.  And you deserve…fuck, you deserve only good things to happen to you.”

          You could feel your throat tighten.  The way his eyes bore into yours reminding you again and again of the sincere place his words were coming from.  A surge of emotion flooded your chest until it spilled over into tears on your cheeks.

          “Shit,” Peter said, immediately going into a panic. “Shit, shit, shit. Look, what I said, if I—”

          “No,” you assured.  “No, what you said was perfect.”  You tried to get a grip, but the tears continued down your face as your breath shook. “It’s just…you’re really nice.”

          Peter stared at you, clearly unsure as to what to do.  “I’m not though,” he said.

          A sad smile came to your lips. “Yes you are.”  

          Before you could question your actions, you cupped his cheek, and closed the distance between you, placing a gentle kiss against the other. Your lips landed a hair away from the corner of his mouth, his light stubble feeling oddly comforting against your skin.  

          He looked like a dear in headlights by the time you pulled away.  Neither of you moved, for a moment.  You could only take a guess at what he was thinking. For a second you noticed his eyes dart to your lips.  You wondered if he would close the gap and kiss you properly this time, but he made no move.  You had drawn the line in the sand, and he was going to stay respectfully on the other side.  Somehow, that made having to leave even worse.

          Without another word, you pulled your hand away and walked out of the car to your apartment.

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

          Peter stared after you as you walked through the door and well after it closed.  He could still feel your hand on his cheek and the warm of your lips against his skin. His heart pounded against his ribs and in his throat, it was making it impossible to think clearly.

          He leaned back against his seat trying to calm himself down.  You weren’t in a good place right now.  Putting aside the general obstacle that you were still his employee; you had just gotten out of an extremely toxic relationship with a man who was either a class A manipulator, or quite possibly, some sort of supernatural creature.  

          Of course, he couldn’t say that.  Not without proof.  And he hoped for your sake he wouldn’t get it.

          You weren’t in a good place.  Anything you said or did tonight didn’t count.

          He let out a long breath, repeating the thought like mantra over and over again.

          He really had wanted to kiss you just then.

          With a frustrated groan he gripped the stirring wheel tightly before mumbling softly, and with feeling, “Fuck.”

[timeagainreviews]

Zero Room for Error

Over his seven-year reign as the Doctor, Tom Baker had his ups and his downs. While seen as the definitive Doctor by many, towards the end, even Baker himself was tiring of the role. On top of that, the writing had begun to border along the outlandish. In "The Power of Kroll," the Doctor saves himself and others by emitting a high pitched scream that shatters glass. In another story, he saves the very metallic K9 from a furnace with his bare hands. However, it would seem that such heroics go back even as far as "The Android Invasion," where the Doctor jumps from the top of a building, unscathed. Ironic then, that a drop from a radio telescope not that much higher, should spell his death. Perhaps this was just the first of many course corrections the new showrunners hoped to achieve- bringing the Doctor back down to earth, so to speak.

With the introduction of Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, "Castrovalva," seems the most interested in lending some vulnerability to the character. There's a sort of pensive quality to a character having freshly fallen to his death. It spells out a very "look before you leap," plan of action moving forward. Sure, being the action hero is badass, but in the words of Dennis Reynolds- "You know what's badass? Being alive." But how much of Castorvalva is being economical, and how much of it is just plain stingy?

After a very weird regeneration scene involving "the Watcher," Tegan, Nyssa, and Adric rush the Doctor toward the safety of the TARDIS, all the while being chased by security guards leftover from "Logopolis." It's a fairly pointless scene that could have just picked up inside the TARDIS, but it's a chance to see Anthony Ainley's pillar of a TARDIS show a little menace, shocking the guards and Adric. Nyssa's remark about hating his face marks the first and last time she will ever mention the Master wearing her dead father's face- a plot point which I feel went woefully unexplored. At this time, there's not a lot of sense as to how or why the Master fits into the story, other than "He was in the last one."

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor's regeneration is acting up, requiring him to need the use of the "Zero Room," a previously unmentioned area deep within the TARDIS. Along with misnaming his companions, he's also reliving past incarnations, allowing us to see Davison's impressions of both the First and Second Doctors, which admittedly aren't too bad. (His First Doctor is better than David Bradley's! Yeah I said it!) When I first watched this episode, I was horrified to find the Doctor unravelling the iconic scarf of his predecessor. But upon today's viewing, I saw it as a rather gutsy move on the writer, Christopher Bidmead's behalf. Leaving the thread behind as a trail of bread crumbs back to the console room is exactly something the Doctor would do.

After putting the TARDIS into motion, Adric follows the Doctor into the depths of the TARDIS. Meanwhile, Nyssa and Tegan desperately try any information on the TARDIS computer that might help the Doctor. Their conversation waxes philosophical about recursion and the word "if," which leads Tegan to wonder if the TARDIS index file could be reached by typing "I.F." into the console, which it does. This gives them the information they need to find the Zero Room and help the Doctor.

While the Doctor is searching, he finds the pieces of what will become his new costume, with a few red herrings peppered in. While he takes to the cricketer uniform, he leaves the recorder and big green wellies behind. The cricket bat needing a bit of linseed oil shows us that there appears to be an entire room of the TARDIS dedicated to the sport of cricket. One is led to wonder if there are other rooms dedicated to other sports and whether they're all British pastimes. While the concept of an Anglophile alien with a  cricket room is rather absurd, it's the making stuff of Doctor Who.

After the disappointing portrayal of the TARDIS that was "The Invasion of Time," it was nice to see a more sci-fi interior. While it was clearly the same corridor elements rebuilt, and rearranged, it was still better than an old hospital with ugly whitewashed brick walls. These corridors at least felt like they belonged in a space ship. Even the Zero Room does a nice job of developing the TARDIS a little bit. That being said, it also undoes a bit of its own hard work, the second it gets introduced.

The Doctor explains to Tegan and Nyssa that the room is completely unaffected by outside influences. Even the gravity is equalised. Being inside this room has already improved the Doctor's cognitive faculties, as evidenced by his ability to get his companion's names right. He begins to levitate where he will suspend himself until his regeneration is complete. But this is interrupted by outside forces, when the Master appears on a screen, with Adric tied up like his leather slave in some sort of web. It's like the razor wire scene from the "Suspiria" remake with none of the real danger. How the Master is able to penetrate the Zero Room, or how he kidnapped Adric is anyone's guess. Is Adric even there? It’s not made clear.

The Master sends the TARDIS on a collision course with the formation of a galaxy. You may remember this danger from another TARDIS heavy story- "The Edge of Destruction." Only instead of trying to stab one another with scissors, the TARDIS fills up with hydrogen and threatens to explode. The Doctor jettisons various rooms from the TARDIS, enabling him to convert the matter into energy, allowing them to thrust away from the event, and into safety. The only problem is, this also jettisons the Zero Room in the process. This bit has always confused me, as the TARDIS seems almost nigh-infinite inside. Rooms seem less like physical spaces, and more like files on a computer. Couldn't they just make another Zero Room?

Nyssa and the Doctor set about building a to-go Zero Room out of its doors, encasing the Doctor in it like a coffin made out of TARDIS wall. There in goes our hero, where he will sleep much of the story away. Back to the Master and Adric, still tied up and writhing in a way that will leave those of us not on a watchlist feeling uncomfortable. Bless Matthew Waterhouse, he's acting his little ass off, and he's still awful. The Master then tortures Adric until he agrees to help him. This betrayal under duress is never explored further, it's just a bit of light betrayal that will become common for Adric.

After reading on the TARDIS computer of a place called Castrovalva, Nyssa and Tegan decide to take the Doctor there to regenerate in peace. Upon arriving, the deep forest is unkind to the high heel wearing duo as they wheel the Zero Coffin around on a wheelchair. Nyssa's poor choice of footwear lands her waist-deep in some peaty water, which leads to an admittedly rather adorable reaction shot on Sarah Sutton's behalf. I was struck with the utter cheapness that was this scene. I tried to imagine Clara Oswald pushing a silly white box around on a wheelchair, and it just didn't scan. The companions of old really don't get enough appreciation. They were asked to sell some pretty stupid stuff.

While looking for Castrovalva (which is evidently the city, not the planet), our heroes are being stalked by men dressed as a cross between a Weber grill and a muppet. After some pointless padding in the form of running about, they are captured and subjected to a surprising level of hospitality. After removing their hunting gear, we see that the Castrovalvans are an intelligent people, whose only real shortcoming as a society is their choice of headgear. They allow Tegan and Nyssa the comforts of home, while the Doctor sleeps. That evening they roast a pig over the fire, which made me laugh a little. Something about seeing earth animals on alien planets always feels a little odd to me. Sure, there are humans, but that makes more sense than say a mouse in Jabba's palace, or PIGS IN SPAAAAACE.

A lot of the action at this point has come to a dead standstill. The Doctor is sleeping most of the adventure away, which is, to me at least, the worst way to do a regeneration episode. Pertwee was asleep for Spearhead, Davison sleeps through Castrovalva, Tennant sleeps while a Christmas tree wrecks Jackie Tyler's living room... Even Capaldi and Jodie sleep through their regenerations. This does lend the story a sense of urgency, but usually, it's more boring than anything. I much prefer a Matt Smith style "I'm still cooking," manic start, than the Peter Davison sleepy time show.

Once Davison is up, he does a decent enough job filling in the shoes of the Doctor. Though upon my first viewing of the story, I did not think so at all. Going from Tom Baker to Peter Davison was like going from the toy store to the bank. The Fourth Doctor is my favourite Doctor, so it just wasn't very exciting for me. And like I said, I can see now why they may have wanted to tone the Doctor down a bit. Davison is your father's Doctor. His performance is more subtle. Only now am I even coming around to a point where I appreciate what he does, which is what brought me to this story in the first place. I've been revisiting him with a renewed interest.

The episode ends after the Doctor discovers the city is in a state of recursion. Like an Escher drawing, the physical layout of the castle loops in and out of itself, trapping its inhabitants, except for when they need to go hunting. (I guess?) The Master, of course, has been there all along in old man double-hat drag. The Doctor tricks the Master into thinking he's still in the Zero Coffin by filling it with books on the history of Castrovalva. While the Master shoots a box, the Doctor is rallying the citizens of Castrovalva and breaking them of the spell of recursion, allowing them to see with eyes unclouded.

After revealing a tapestry is actually the web that holds Adric, using his mathematical mind to maintain the lie that is Castrovalva, their leader Shardovan destroys the web with a chandelier, causing the city to begin to collapse. The Doctor, his friends, and Adric flee to safety. The Master is not so lucky, as the people tear at him like an angry mob. He becomes trapped inside the city as it fades into nothingness. Upon returning to the TARDIS, the Doctor finds Tegan's landing job askew but assures her that she didn't actually fly the TARDIS, much to her disappointment. I too was a little disappointed. It would have been nice to see the flight attendant become a pilot. It did, however, lead to what I consider one of my favourite Doctor Who memes.

As a "Doctor's first story," goes, I've seen worse. "The Twin Dilemma," will always hold the "What were they thinking?" title. But on its own, I'm not sure I would say it's a wholly successful story. Lots of the plot points are glossed over, and/or made no sense. But there are a lot of things I like about the serial. It's a rare occurrence where the companions were each given a little something to do, despite the crowded TARDIS. I even found Adric tolerable in this one. The world of Castrovalva was uniquely designed and could have stood up to even further exploration. Although I would suggest watching the special edition, as it does the Escher bit far more justice. I also appreciate any episode that incorporates more of the TARDIS into the story. It seems most writers treat our old girl as simply a means of conveyance, which is unfortunate. I wish they would have allowed Davison to maintain a bit of the zaniness from these few episodes, as they promised a Doctor that was a little more cheeky than the one we got. But by the end of it all, he's got his friends, he's got his TARDIS, and he's got his celery. It's hard not to want to watch the next episode.

[justgenlockthings]

gen:VIEW Episode 2, “There’s Always Tomorrow”

Rooster Teeth knows how to make a premiere that packs a punch when it comes to their serialized dramas (yes, I’m including Red vs. Blue in that category). But it’s the non-premiere episodes that generally give you a better idea of if the show’s gonna be good or not.

Or maybe you’re someone like TheFloofArtist and you were predisposed to hate the show long before you even saw it and so found literally every possible reason to hate it from the 2nd episode and dramatically “dropped it” despite the fact that if you hated the show so much you were shitting on it without having seen a single episode your opinion was never gonna be considered valid.

(Why do grown men throw hissy fits about TV shows?)

Ahem...so. Episode 2 of gen:LOCK...

Let’s Get Down To Business

Where episode 1 was about establishing the relationship between Chase and Miranda, this episode seems to be about establishing the gen:LOCK program itself: how it works and who’s gonna be in it. For that reason, at least for the first half, it’s very expository, but not in a way that ever feels boring. Honestly, the longer episode lengths means the amount of time they spend standing around and talking doesn’t feel like vital time wasted, unlike RWBY which has often made that terrible mistake. This is information we need to get a basic understanding of how this program works, and we also get a chance to hear Dr. Weller passionately talking about his life’s work. Jesus christ, David Tennant gives such a good performance. He really sells the good guy mad scientist voice you expect from Dr. Weller.

I wasn’t entirely sold on Michael B. Jordan as a voice actor the previous episode, but even if at certain points it was clear we were watching a scene that hadn’t been initially animated to his voice, this episode convinced me things were gonna be fine. I loved his performance in the scene of Julian in the tank chatting with Migas: the sort of bittersweetness of the reunion between the two after all that had happened to them, but they were still glad to finally see each other again. Miles Luna deserves some praise too for helping sell the fact that this is a reunion. After all, even though we caught a brief moment of them interacting and joking around in Episode 1, we didn’t really have a chance to establish they were close friends. This scene does well to convince us that yes, they were friends, and they are relieved to see each other again.

Chase and Miranda’s situation was very well-handled in this episode. It was always going to be painful for Miranda to find out Chase was still alive, and even though it’s perfectly logical that Chase wasn’t able to reach out to her in the intervening years, it still isn’t something she can just brush over. She didn’t immediately jump at the chance to see him in-person, and actively avoided him for a day. It would have been a major mistake for her to be the first one who went to visit him. I love this whole situation with Miranda: the way the marketing was going you kind of expected just a bland character defined by her relationship with Chase, and, well, I guess what she does in this episode is sort of defined by the relationship, but it’s done in a way that’s actually interesting, where you actually care about how she feels about all this. Dakota Fanning does a great job conveying the hurt Miranda feels seeing someone she loved after so long who she’d given up for dead. I think she might easily be the third best voice actor we’ve heard so far, behind Monica Rial and David Tennant.

Here’s another case where one of my few pre-show expectations got subverted. From the character teasers I’d sort of expected us to get a depiction of the formation of the gen:LOCK program from the start: presumably that path would have followed Chase and Yasamin’s initial training and the early mech designs we saw in the early posters and the first two teasers. Of course, this was before I had known what they were planning with Chase’s crash, a path in the story that I could not have possibly predicted. And now I’m realizing why they didn’t do that: 1) it would have been too similar to RWBY and probably have made for a very slow show otherwise, and 2) they wanted to get right into the giant mechs fighting things. Sure, it sort of robs us of seeing some cool stuff about what it was like for Chase to join the program, but I figure we’ll get that depicted in flashbacks or in the comics.

One of the accusations regarding Kazu Iida was that having him speak Japanese while everyone else was speaking English would create “The Lopez Effect.” For those unaware, Lopez is a robot on Rooster Teeth’s show Red vs. Blue who speaks “Spanish” (really sentences run through Google Translate) that is translated for the audience via subtitles but no one else can understand. Now, for what the complain actually entails, I think “Lopez effect” is a bad term for it because Lopez’s situation is played for laughs while in gen:LOCK everyone understands Iida and doesn’t bat an eye. The complaint is more that it creates a tonal dissonance in what’s designed as a dramatic show: while everyone’s speaking English Kazu’s saying all his lines in Japanese with subtitles. Now, I can understand why that could all sound a little weird, but the thing is the way they set things up in the episode I really don’t think Iida speaking English is gonna be as distracting as one might think: they set it up where the characters can understand what he’s saying thanks to the augmented reality gear everyone seems equipped with, so that already established a method of communication, and I just didn’t give any thought to the fact he’s speaking Japanese for the rest of the episode. I would honestly be more bothered if he just spoke English all the time.

The other accusation is that the fact that he is the only character who speaks a foreign language was they’d have an excuse to get the voice of Spike Spiegel, which apparently is bad because it’s “weeb-baiting.” I’m sorry, I didn’t realize they were trying to draw audiences in with who they were casting...

As far as the new gen:LOCK recruits go, we didn’t get too much information about them, and this is probably the only issue I have with this episode. Still, there was a lot going on here, so I can forgive not learning everything about them in their first appearance. And the thing is, the sequence with the imposter Sinclair (bravo to Blaine Gibson for being able to flip a coin––heheh––from friendly recruit Sinclair to Evil!Sinclair) offered us a good glimpse into who they are as fighters. Especially in recent years, Rooster Teeth fights are a chance to really get an idea for the character (and for that I wholeheartedly thank Monty Oum) and how they handle dangerous situations. Yasamin is clearly someone who can jump into a fight and hold her own without hesitation, Iida is someone who will jump right into a fight, Valentina will keep her distance but can still be quite deadly, and Cammie is a scared little bean...who with a little encouragement can still be helpful.

Now, the Sinclair reveal was a slight bit predictable if you picked up the hints in Character Reveal Teaser 4 (which I hadn’t, and in retrospect was blatantly obvious). The fact that it was predictable was the source of derision by some of the more gen:CRIT crowd, but honestly? I don’t see predictability as a sign of whether something’s good or not. Things can be predictable and still be fun to watch, so long as it’s delivered in an entertaining manner. And we got a pretty awesome fight sequence out of it.

I’ve seen a few people say that the jokes in this show feel forced. I’m inclined to disagree. The type of humor Gray and Evan are employing in the writing is more grounded than the kind you see in RWBY or Red vs. Blue or Camp Camp: it’s designed to feel more natural to the conversations these characters are having, while also not taking attention away from the more serious aspects of the story. Most of Rooster Teeth’s core group (more recent additions less-so) know how to create an engaging story based in serious tones, but they never really stray from their comedy roots––Day 5, their most dramatic venture to date, was a lot funnier than the concept would’ve implied because Josh and Chris knew where to inject humor when it would be desperately needed. This episode isn’t very different: the drama of Chase basically coming back from the dead gets natural moments of levity from his and Migas brief Siege mention and Dr. Weller being disappointed that he couldn’t participate in the reveal; the tension between Chase and Miranda gets a moment where Miranda refuses to hear out Migas on visiting Chase, a moment that can draw laughs while also being realistic to her and Chase’s actual situation; Chase popping up behind Fake!Sinclair and saying “Boo,” which...actually that was more a legit joke, but I laughed really hard. What I mean to say is gen:LOCK is not trying to be a comedy, but Rooster Teeth knows how and when to make its audience laugh.

(save for Red vs. Blue Season 16 of course...)

Conclusions

Another solid episode of gen:LOCK, and a little more interesting one than “The Pilot” because it delves into the meatier stuff that this series is going to follow. Stellar vocal performances by the cast give us a sense of the relationships that need to be picked up in the four years since the war began, and some amazing fighting shows us gen:LOCK means business as an action series.

My only concern is that the way this episode is formatted it doesn’t quite stand on its own in the way “The Pilot” did, but the fact that it was released alongside “The Pilot” worked in its favor, since both episodes give us a good ground to establish what this show is looking to do, and hopefully further episodes will follow on that.

I’ve said enough about people who were predisposed to hate the show commenting on this episode, but I wanna say this also: people. We are two episodes in. The show premiered less than a week ago. There isn’t a whole lot of content to draw from to know where it’s going. Be a little more patient.

[softiesabriel]

33-37 and 48-55 on the unusual questions ask. I'm very curious. And also 64-80 because why not 👀

33. favorite actor?

Oooo, this is a toss up between Jared and David Tennant. They’re both amazing actors!!!

34. favorite actress?

That’s a toughie. I’m not sure I have an absolute favorite, but Emma Watson, Jenna Fischer, and Shannon Purser are really good! I actually got to meet Shannon which was so cool!

WAIT YOU KNOW WHAT KRISTEN BELL SHE’S MY FAVORITE!!!

35. who is your celebrity crush?

Kristen Bell, she makes my little bisexual heart so warm

36. favorite movie?

The Decoy Bride is underrated tbh, I love that!!!

37. do you read a lot? whats your favorite book?

Not as much as I used to because, ya know, life, but yes I do! And probably Simon vs The Homosapien Agenda (or Love, Simon). It made me cry. a lot.

48. who is your role model?

Oh jeez, I don’t know. Probably Dan Howell? This sounds sappy but he just gives me a lot of...hope? Like he used to be this kid struggling with who he was and mental health issues and now he’s helping millions of people just by being himself and doing what he loves. I love that.

49. what was the last compliment you received?

People said my hair looked nice today! That was nice.

50. what was the last text you sent?

Something along the lines of telling a friend I couldn't discord call them tonight?

51. how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real?

I honestly don't’ know, I think I always kind of knew, but I didn’t really care.

52. what is your dream car?

Is it cheesy if I say a 1967 Chevy Impala? Because yes that. I got to sit in one at ComicCon and it was like a dream come true.

53. opinion on smoking?

I’m not going to like hate on anyone for smoking, because it is an addiction and a hard one to break, but it is bad for your health. I’m never mad at people for smoking, just concerned for them.

54. do you go to college?

Nope, not yet at least.

55. what is your dream job?

I want to be an author so so SO bad.

64. Favorite dipping sauce?

Good ol’ ketchup.

65. what do you wear to bed?

Just like an old pajama shirt and either my spn or voltron pajama pants.

66. have you ever won a spelling bee?

I don’t think so? I only ever did one in like 7th grade. I don’t think I won it.

67. what are your hobbies?

Drawing, reading, writing, video games, and that’s about it unless you count the newspaper club I’m in.

68. can you draw?

Yes. Am I good at it? Debatable.

69. do you play an instrument?

Not currently, but I’m hoping to get a ukulele for Christmas! I really want to learn it.

70. what was the last concert you saw?

Some Christian rock band when I was like 10. We only went because the tickets were free.

71. tea or coffee?

Tea, coffee tastes gross.

72. Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts?

DnD is my LIFE i would never cheat on her with Starbucks, ew.

73. do you want to get married?

Yes, definitely. I want my wife/husband to cuddle me everyday 24/7, never stop that cuddling grind.

74. what is your crush’s first and last initial?

Oof, I have like a few crushes or just like “people I think are cute”. There’s M.D., J.G., M.T., and E.M.

75. are you going to change your last name when you get married?

Maybe? idc to be honest, everyone pronounces mine wrong.

76. what color looks best on you?

I think maybe grays? I’m not sure. Or like earthy colors, I think.

77. do you miss anyone right now?

Since it’s around the holiday season, yeah, a couple people.

78. do you sleep with your door open or closed?

I leave it a crack open because sometimes the furnace makes the house too hot and i start like dying of heat.

79. do you believe in ghosts?

Mmmm, kind of? Like i’d like to but im not 100% sure they’re real.

80. what is your biggest pet peeve?

People who don’t know personal space, jesus that’s annoying.

[onair00]

Tags, yay!

Tagged by @byun-slug​

Rules: Answer these 85 statements about yourself, then tag 20 people. Last 1. Drink - coffee ^w^ 2. Phone call - my sister 3. Text message - Waka-Waka-Waka-Waka 4. Song you listened to - Anna Murphy - Out of Control 5. Time you cried - what a perfect timing! It was exactly last night :”d Ever 6. Dated someone twice - Ye. 7. Kissed someone and regretted it - Nope. 8. Been cheated on - Nope. 9. Lost someone special - Tough question. But no, I think. All special people are always by my side. 10. Been depressed - sadly, yes. It started not so long ago and it sucks. 11. Gotten drunk and threw up - Nah, I know how to drink and keep my shit together. Fave colors 12  Orange 13. Green 14. Lavender In the last year have you… 15. Made new friends - Yes! 16. Fallen out of love - Still workin’ on it :v 17. Laughed until you cried - Yup. 18. Found out someone was talking about you - It was the first and, I hope, the last time, cuz I don’t want this shit in my house. 19. Met someone who changed you - Yup, sadly not in a good way. But I met other ppl that are helping me to rehabilitate. 20. Found out who your friends are - I knew it before. 21. Kissed someone on your Facebook friends list - I don’t have facebook lol. General 22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know irl - Again, I don’t have facebook, but, I guess, I can look at all my internet friends instead. And I’m looking for a chance to meet them irl as soon as possible. And there’s a lot of them :v For now I know 2 of them, I suppose. 23. Do you have any pets - I’m happy cat lady. 24. Do you want to change your name - I wanted long ago, but now - nah. Also I have pseudonym for special cases. 25. What did you do for your last birthday - I met my friends that came to my place to encourage me. So I had a pretty good time with them. 26. What time did you wake up today - oof, last time was at 10am 27. What were you doing @ midnight last night  - Listening music and having a chat with my friend while looking at professional photos and watching my friend’s drawing stream. I was in a bad mood, but it helped me. 28. What is something you can’t wait for - The moment when I stop feeling myself broken. 30. What are you listening to right now - Daughter - The End /how the hell this thing knew/ 31. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom - Nope. Is there something special about it? 32. Something that gets on my nerves - I have one person, a few deadlines aaaaaand, I think, that’s all. 33. Most visited website - VK and Tumblr. 34. Hair color - Blondie. 35. Hair long or short - long, but I don’t like it and will change it soon :v

36. Do you have a crush on someone - Yis ( ͡ᵔ ͜ʖ ͡ᵔ) 37. What do you like about yourself - I like myself in general. Ok, except of my main health problem and problems with timing. 38. Want any piercings - Yes, I have special plans for my ears. 39. Blood type - I dunno tbh 40. Nicknames - Plantago, Plant, Plantie, ONAIR00, PlantAIR, Cyberbun, Foxxi, Mommy and ect. 41. Relationship status - I’m happy having fun with my friends, it’s enough for me, thanks. 42. Zodiac - Pisces. 43. Pronouns - She. 44. Fave TV shows - I don’t watch TV. 45. Tattoos - Nope. 46. Right or left handed - Right handed. 47. Ever had surgery - I will and can’t say that I’m happy with it. 48. Piercings - I have earrings. 49. Sports - Cybersport! What do you mean tf2 doesn’t count? 50. Vacations - In summer and winter. 51. Trainers - Eh? More general 52. Eating - What is people usualy eat? 53. Drinking - Tea or coffee. 54. I’m about to - die. 55. Waiting - something interesting. 56. Want - Hug a few persons really-really tight and offer them a tea. 57. Get married - *softly* oh man...I had enough of this shit for now, ok? 58. Career -  What career? Which is better 59. Hugs or kisses - Both. 60. Lips or eyes - Lips. 61. Shorter or taller - Something in between? 62. Older or younger - Don’t really care, but I’m not a babysitter. 63. Nice stomach or stomach - What? 64. Hookup or relationship - Depends on. 65. Troublemaker or hesitant - Hesitant. Have you ever 66. Kissed a stranger - No. 67. Drank hard liquor - Yup. 68. Lost glasses - Hell, yeah, doing it all the time. 69. Turned someone down - Yes. 70. Sex on first date - No. 71. Broken someone’s heart - Tried not to hurt anyone as much as I can, but...urgh, I suppose, I did it once anyway. 72. Had your heart broken - Yes. 73. Been arrested - No. 74. Cried when someone died - Yes. 75. Fallen for a friend - There’s no point to fall not for a friend. Do you believe in 76. Yourself - Yes. 77. Miracles - Yes. 78. Love at first sight - Nope. 79. Santa Claus - No. 80. Kiss on first date - Yes. 81. Angels - Why not?

Other 82. Best friend’s name - Secret. 83. Eye color - Dark blue. 84. Fave movie - I can’t remember, damn it. The Crow 1994, I think. 85. Favorite actor - David Tennant

Tags - @piece-ofmeat @nurcivb @aux-venalis @shadowenza @tinderboxofsillyideas

[the-desolated-quill]

The Vampires Of Venice - Doctor Who blog

(SPOILER WARNING: The following is an in-depth critical analysis. If you haven’t seen this episode yet, you may want to before reading this review)

People occasionally ask me why I write so much negative criticism about Doctor Who. Aren’t I supposed to be a Whovian? How can I call myself a Whovian if I don’t like the show. Well that’s the thing. I do like the show. Very much. That’s why I criticise. Yes I moan and nitpick and complain, but it all comes from the deep rooted affection I have for this barmy old sci-fi show that I’ve been watching since I was 6 or 7 years old. I love Doctor Who, warts and all. And it’s episodes like this that remind me of why I started watching this show in the first place.

The Vampires Of Venice was written by Toby Whithouse, who previously wrote the excellent episode School Reunion where David Tennant’s Doctor was reunited with the classic series companion and fan favourite Sarah Jane Smith. While I don’t think this episode is quite as good as his previous outing, it’s still hugely entertaining in its own right. 16th century Venice is a beautiful setting. Yes it’s a shame the canal is clearly CGI, but the rest of it looks good. And as for the villains.... Oh Whithouse. You know how I love a good villain. Now you’re just spoiling me.

Helen McCrory and Alex Price damn near steal the show as Rosanna and Francesco. I LOVE them! They’re both pretty intimidating at times, but they’re also delightfully camp. The dramatic twirling of capes and the almost orgasmic gasping they make after they’ve drank blood, it’s all so enjoyably silly. One scene I found very amusing in particular was where Rosanna and Francesco are sitting on the floor and she’s stroking his hair while his head rests on her lap. I just had the biggest grin on my face throughout. But as funny and over the top as they can often be, I never felt as though I was laughing at them. It certainly doesn’t diminish their threat or, in Rosanna’s case, the emotional drama surrounding their characters. If anything I felt it actually brought me closer to them. In fact these villains have something that has been sorely lacking this series. Character and personality. Francesco is this loyal, but petulant mummy’s boy and Rosanna is the doting mother that will do anything for her 10,000 offspring. They’re a ton of fun to watch and both McCrory and Price really throw themselves into it and are clearly enjoying themselves immensely, which just makes me love them even more.

It also helps that Rosanna isn’t the typical evil megalomaniac that often plagues this show. There’s a lot of effort to give her some depth and complexity. She’s trying to save her race from extinction and clearly spoils her children rotten. ‘What’s that? You want some wives? Okay. Mummy will go find you some.’ She’s still evil. She doesn’t give two shits about humanity and even tries to guilt trip the Doctor into helping her by mentioning the extinction of the Time Lords, but she’s not evil just for the sake of being evil. She’s motivated by self preservation and a strong maternal love for her children’s future. So when her plans ultimately fail and she sacrifices herself to be eaten by her children, thus dooming her race, I couldn’t help but feel slightly sorry for her.

I love how they incorporate all the traits and cliches you’d come to expect from vampire stories. A perception filter tricks you into thinking they look human, but it doesn’t work in mirrors, hence the lack of reflection. The vampire teeth show because your subconscious is trying to alert you to danger. They don’t drink blood, but rather drain you of your moisture because they’re aquatic beings who need water to survive. One thing I’m slightly confused by is their aversion to sunlight. Okay, they live at the bottom of the ocean so I guess sunlight would make them uncomfortable, but enough to disintegrate them? That doesn’t make sense. It’s also really inconsistent. One minute they’re hissing and cowering from sunlight and the next they’re just wandering around in broad daylight.

As much as I love Rosanna’s motivations and character, her plan is a bit weird. We’ll skip past the bit where they convert women into aliens by draining them of blood and filling them with alien blood. Doctor Who often plays fast and loose with science, and frankly I’d rather not go there. Instead let’s talk about her ultimate plan. She wants to sink Venice.

Um... why?

There’s clearly room in the canals for 10,000 of the fuckers. Why not just live there? Also the world is covered in 70% water. Couldn’t they just up and move somewhere else?

Still, at least I have an emotional connection with this setting, unlike with the previous episodes. Lucian Msamati and Alisha Bailey are both great as Guido and Isabella. Not the most interesting characters in the world, but they were likeable enough. I did feel slightly sad when they both died and I liked the parallel Whithouse draws between Guido and Rosanna. Both care deeply about the future of their children and both end up sacrificing themselves when they can no longer provide for them. That was a nice touch.

While I enjoyed the plot and villains, it’s the main characters I feel that really let the side down. Let’s start with the Doctor. I’m still enjoying Matt Smith’s performance for the most part. His scenes with Rosanna are absolutely electrifying and I love the subtle flirting between them. Can you imagine any other Doctor making that work? I’m also captivated by his silent menace. He’s clearly partially sympathetic to Rosanna’s predicament until she reveals that she didn’t even know Isabella’s name (who she executed a scene ago), demonstrating her own cold and ruthless efficiency, and motivating the Doctor to take action. And yet despite everything, he’s still devastated when she kills herself at the end. All very complex and multi-layered and so on. What I’m less fond of however is the humour. Something just feels very off in this episode. Like it all feels a bit too forced. For example, when him and Rory are talking about Amy kissing him:

Rory: “And you kissed her back?”

Doctor: “No. I kissed her mouth.”

That just seemed a bit too glib for my liking. Same goes for all the ‘mine’s bigger than your’s’ gags between the Doctor and Rory. But my least favourite joke was right at the beginning when the Doctor bursts out of a stripper’s cake. See I didn’t find it funny because I was too busy questioning why the Doctor couldn’t have just walked into the pub and talked to Rory like a normal person. I mean I know the Doctor is an eccentric, but this is taking the piss. It doesn’t feel like something the character would do. It just feels like the writers are trying too hard to be funny.

Rory is... okay, I guess. I did grow to like him in the episodes to come, but here he’s a bit weak. He seems like a nice enough guy and I do like the scenes where he confronts the Doctor about his behaviour, but he comes across as a bit pathetic. Plus Arthur Darvill gives a very wooden performance I feel, particularly in the sword fight with Francesco where he has this ‘I’m acting now’ kind of vibe to him. Again, it just feels like he’s trying too hard to be funny. Thankfully he does get better as time goes on, either because he grows into the role or he gets better direction, so I won’t complain too much.

However, while I do like the scenes where he confronts the Doctor, it feels as though he has more foreknowledge about the Doctor and his behaviour than he ought to have. They do explain that Rory researched the Doctor after what happened in The Eleventh Hour, but that doesn’t account for lines like this:

“You know what is dangerous about you? It's not that you make people take risks, it's that you make them want to impress you. You make it so they don't want to let you down. You have no idea how dangerous you make people to themselves when you're around.”

You got all that from a Wikipedia article?

I’m not saying Rory isn’t right. He absolutely is. I’m just questioning how he’s able to make such informed and authoritative judgements considering he’s only known the Doctor for five minutes.

And that’s not the only weird line of dialogue. Take a look at this one near the end:

“All I can hear is... silence.”

Obviously this is meant to continue the series arc surrounding Moffat’s crack (God I’m so immature), but... who the fuck talks like that?

Finally there’s Amy, who I really didn’t like in this episode. You may recall that in the previous episode she tried to have sex with the Doctor (how could you not recall it? I’m still having nightmares about it. Family show, Moffat. Family show). The Doctor invites Rory along in an effort to revitalise their relationship, and apparently it works... though I don’t understand how. First off they keep trying to downplay what happened at the end of Flesh And Stone to a simple kiss, which is most certainly not the case. A woman runs off on the night before her wedding and tries to have sex with another man. This isn’t a trivial thing guys. Second, there’s no effort to explore how Amy feels about all of this, the episode instead focusing on the Doctor and Rory’s dick measuring contest. Why is she so reluctant to marry Rory? It’s not as if he’s abusive or she’s being sold into a life of domestic servitude. If she’s not attracted to him, why is she marrying him? And third, Amy and Rory barely spend any time together. There’s never a moment where the two talk about what’s going on or try to make sense of their current situation. So when they do finally reconcile near the end after they kill Francesco, it just feels very forced. Rory clearly loves her, but she shows no interest in him until he clumsily fights off a vampire, at which point she’s suddenly trying to eat his face off. It just makes her come across as extremely shallow (and that’s hardly surprising considering she’s a Moffat creation).

As a continuation of the Doctor, Amy and Rory’s story, it’s incredibly flawed, but as a standalone adventure where our favourite time traveller battles a bunch of vampires from outer space, it’s very enjoyable indeed.

[timelxrd-victxrious]

One - One Hundred

1: Is there a boy/girl in your life?There’s a very nice Scottish boy 👀

2: Think of the last person who hurt you; do you forgive them?Within family people always say things that hurt, I can always forgive them for that. But the last person who wasn’t a family member I don’t think I ever could because they’ve made it harder to trust people, and the good people in my life don’t deserve that

3: What do you think of when you hear the word “meow?”My cat staring at my bedroom window. She does that a lot.

4: What’s something you really want right now?The 12th April to be here already

5: Are you afraid of falling in love?It’s terrifying but it’s chill, I’m always terrified anyway :)

6: Do you like the beach?The beach, yes… the sea on the other hand, I struggle with

7: Have you ever slept on a couch with someone else?Yeah, house parties often end that way 😂

8: What’s the background on your cell?That Scottish boy mentioned earlier. And then also Barack Obama and Joe Biden

9: Name the last four beds you were sat on?My own, my parents, my nieces, Eoin’s (I was having deep chats with a friend, Eoin wasn’t even there 😂)

10: Do you like your phone?I do!

11: Honestly, are things going the way you planned?Not at all but I kind of love it

12: Who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts?Quinn’s, best friends for over 2 years and I didn’t have his phone number… not that I would use it unless it was an emergency though, that’s shits expensive

13: Would you rather have a poodle or a Rottweiler?Both

14: Which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain?Emotional as it can destroy you from the inside out. Physical almost always heals, although not perfectly

15: Would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum?Both??

16: Are you tired?Always

17: How long have you known your 1st phone contact?All my life

18: Are they a relative?It’s my mother

19: Would you ever consider getting back together with any of your exes?No, nope, never.

20: When did you last talk to the last person you shared a kiss with?Friday? But to be fair that kiss was over 6 months ago playing spin the bottle ffs 😂

21: If you knew you had the right person, would you marry them today?I mean if things don’t go well we may have to elope, so of course

22: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?No, they’re a good friend and we’re both in relationships with other people

23: How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now?None

24: Is there a certain quote you live by?“Always take time to polish your boots” - Brian, regular at my cafe

25: What’s on your mind?Him

26: Do you have any tattoos?Nope but one day I will have many

27: What is your favorite color?Black, burgundy, all of them?

28: Next time you will kiss someone on the lips?12th April

29: Who are you texting?That Scottish boy, I seem to mention him a lot..

30: Think to the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them on a couch?Yep

31: Have you ever had the feeling something bad was going to happen and you were right?Yes

32: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to?Yeah 33: Do you think anyone has feelings for you?I hope he does otherwise this is a waste of time and it’s going to hurt just a little bit 😂34: Has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes?Yesss ❤35: Say the last person you kissed was kissing someone right in front of you?That’s good for them haha36: Were you single on Valentines Day?Nope37: Are you friends with the last person you kissed?Yeah 38: What do your friends call you?Many things 39: Has anyone upset you in the last week?A little 40: Have you ever cried over a text?Yeah41: Where’s your last bruise located?My knee 42: What is it from?I caught it on the side of table at work43: Last time you wanted to be away from somewhere really bad?Right now 44: Who was the last person you were on the phone with?Joseph 45: Do you have a favourite pair of shoes?My Docs ( I have two pairs and I love them both equally. Don’t make me choose)46: Do you wear hats if your having a bad hair day?No, I don’t think I’ve ever had a good hair day47: Would you ever go bald if it was the style?Maybe. Idk. I just go with whatever I want tbh48: Do you make supper for your family?I’m rarely home at that time49: Does your bedroom have a door?Not at the moment haha50: Top 3 web-pages?Tumblr, FiveThirtyEight, my emails51: Do you know anyone who hates shopping?My grandmother 52: Does anything on your body hurt?My head 53: Are goodbyes hard for you?Depends on the person 54: What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself?Coffee55: How is your hair?It’s getting a bit long, needs a cut 56: What do you usually do first in the morning?Text Joseph 57: Do you think two people can last forever?I bloody hope so58: Think back to January 2007, were you single?I was 9, so yeah 😂59: Green or purple grapes?Green 60: When’s the next time you will give someone a BIG hug?Idk. I like hugs. I hug Steffi a lot, she gives good hugs 61: Do you wish you were somewhere else right now?All the time62: When will be the next time you text someone?Probably in a few minutes 63: Where will you be 5 hours from now? in bed. Hopefully asleep because I’m already dead on my feet64: What were you doing at 8 this morning.Waking up most likely 65: This time last year, can you remember who you liked?David Tennant probs (definitely)66: Is there one person in your life that can always make you smile?The Scottish one 67: Did you kiss or hug anyone today?I hugged my little sister.68: What was your last thought before you went to bed last night?Not a great one 69: Have you ever tried your hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end?Oh yes 70: How many windows are open on your computer?7, I have no self control and get weirdly sentimental over links that have been open for a long time 71: How many fingers do you have?Eight and two thumbs 😂72: What is your ringtone?Just the preset one on my phone 73: How old will you be in 5 months?1874: Where is your Mum right now?Downstairs 75: Why aren’t you with the person you were first in love with or almost in love?I am with this person 76: Have you held hands with somebody in the past three days?Yeah, my foster sister is learning to walk atm77: Are you friends with the people you were friends with two years ago?Nope78: Do you remember who you had a crush on in year 7?Haha yeah 😂79: Is there anyone you know with the name Mike?Yesss, he’s the best 😂 funny little character 80: Have you ever fallen asleep in someones arms?I once cried myself to sleep in my mum’s arms after a thing happened 81: How many people have you liked in the past three months?Just the one 82: Has anyone seen you in your underwear in the last 3 days?Umm not in person… Although now that I think it may have been more than 3 days ago? I’m not good with time 83: Will you talk to the person you like tonight?Definitely!84: You’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with?I wouldn’t be doing this, I’m too shy and awkward 😂85: If your BF/GF was into drugs would you care?I don’t care about soft drugs, but hard drugs are where I would draw the line. If they needed help I would support them, if not I would probably just ask them to not 86: What was the most eventful thing that happened last time you went to see a movie?We went to five guys after 87: Who was your last received call from?Joseph 88: If someone gave you $1,000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you?No way 89: What is something you wish you had more of?Time90: Have you ever trusted someone too much?Most likely 91: Do you sleep with your window open?A lot of the time92: Do you get along with girls?Yeah 93: Are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth?Not that I’m aware of? 94: Does sex mean love?It’s can do, but it doesn’t mean it always does95: You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem?No, we would just have a laugh tbh 😂96: Have you ever kissed anyone with a lip ring?Once97: Did you sleep alone this week?Does my cat laying on my bed count as company? 98: Everybody has somebody that makes them happy, do you?Yeah99: Do you believe in love at first sight?Not really. First conversation maybe, but I think the complexity of people is what makes them beautiful 100: Who was the last person that you pinky promise?

I don’t remember

[mellicose]

Learning Love

A David Tennant Holiday Fic Request Winner

Fandom: David Tennant, Campbell Bain, Takin’ Over the Asylum

Word count: 5260

Warnings: none

Summary: Campbell and Sandra have now been seeing each other for 6 weeks. As what started as a tryst quietly turns into something more, circumstances push them into confessing how they really feel.

The phone didn’t ring even once in her ear before he answered.

“Dee!”

She chuckled at his nickname for her. “You’re quick on the draw today.”

“I wanted to hear your voice.”

“I’m about to take a long bath. Would you like to hear me then?”

Long bath was code for water masturbation.

He exhaled. “I’m at work, sugar. I don’t think I could handle it.”

“That’s too bad.”

He put the phone against his chest and bit his lip. “I’m so sorry we can’t do anything special tonight. I mean, really, truly sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re doing what you have to do get ahead. If it means anything, I’m proud of you. Anyway, I’m not the rose petals and cheap chardonnay type.”

“What is it with you and holidays? You refuse to embrace the magic. Scrooge.”

She growled. “Bah humbug! Cupid can eat it.”

“Call me cupid,” he said.

“Don’t make it harder, Cam.”

“Too late.” He chuckled in her ear. She held her cell in front of her and screamed silently. He was so fucking everything.

“Enough double entendre for today. I guess I’ll see you…”

“Tomorrow morning? I don’t want to wait ‘till dinner. Breakfast foods are the best foods anyway.”

“True. Until tomorrow then. I lo-” She froze.

“You what?” His voice had lost all mirth.

She was sweating. “I look forward to it,” she said.

“Alright. Bye.” He hung up.

She slid to the floor and rolled around, hugging herself. She’d almost said it. Fuck.

Fuck.

With the way the relationship had started, she had promised herself that she would keep it casual. They had never discussed it explicitly in the last month, and why not? They spent nearly every free moment together. 

For her, though, it was becoming for more than spectacular, earth axis-shifting sex. She was beginning to…

She didn’t even want to think it. Why set herself up for a fall?

“We’re having fun. And we’re gonna have fun tonight,” she said, getting up and taking a deep breath. “Good fun.” She smiled.

7:00 PM

“Tonight is the night. The most romantic night of year, when you can show that special someone all the ways you care...

The Flamingos sha bop sha bopped in the background.

“And I’m here to help you share. I’ll be here ‘till midnight taking sexy song requests. Let your lover know just how well they do the voodoo that they do…”

He rattled off the telephone number and looked over the console at the producer. He picked through a heart shaped box of chocolates Cam had brought him. He shook his head. That giant, bearded ginger was who he would be spending the first Valentine’s Day that he actually had someone to celebrate with.

He looked at the inside of his wrist, where Sandra had put a temporary tattoo of a heart with an arrow through it as a gag. He rubbed his thumb on it.

She was amazing. Clever, talented, beautiful, and she actually laughed at his jokes. Consistently. Most importantly, his energy didn’t put her off. In fact, it seemed to bask in it, an odd thing, since she was so calm. He tended to get on calm people’s nerves.

His t-shirt smelled like her, since she’d worn it the last time she stayed over at his flat. Perfume, and her, very faint. The musk that made his muscles tighten to attention.

The producer’s console began to blink with incoming calls.

Time to get to work.

10:52 PM

It was beginning to drag. He felt like he could take off from his chair into the stratosphere with unspent energy.

“-Um, yah, there’s this bird, Kim. I mean, super fit, who loves your show so I know she’ll be listenin’.”

“Thanks for listening, Kim! And what would you like to say to her?”

“Nuffin’ much. Just that I’m here if she ever needs a real man to take her there. Can you play Color Me Badd, I Wanna Sex You Up?”

He rolled his eyes. “Kim, I hope you heard that, and that you hear this…”

He got up and stretched, then walked to the producer’s booth.

“What a twat,” the producer said. He was working on a strawberry cream chocolate.

“You said it so I don’t have to,” Cam said. “I thought this would be fun, but I’m about to explode.”

The producer eyed him. “Then explode in another direction, mate,” he said. His console blinked.

Campbell walked back to his console and looked out the window. Out there, people were having fun. Drinking wine. Dancing. Doing all the sappy shit he wanted to do. Although Sandra made such a big deal about not needing that kind of thing, maybe he could change her mind-

The producer put the next call through.

“Who’s on your mind tonight?”

“I’m sad because I can’t be with my valentine.” Sandra! He smiled so hard he wondered if she could hear it.

“And why on earth wouldn’t he be there with you?”

“My man works long and hard to get where he wants to be. How could I fault him for that?” Why did it sound dirty? Maybe it was because it was her. And he wanted her.

“He sounds like a very lucky man.” There was silence on the line.

“Can you play Suzanne Vega’s Caramel for me, please?”

“Caramel,” he repeated dumbly. The producer rolled his eyes. “Of course, after a short commercial break.”

He ran to the booth again, but the producer shrugged his shoulders.

“She hung up.”

“Fuck. I have to drain the lizard. I’ll be back,” Cam said, and ran into the hallway.

Someone knocked on the booth glass almost immediately after.

“That was quick-” when he turned, it was a beautiful young woman in a short trench coat.

“Who are you?”

She came inside and immediately started to separate the pages of an old tabloid paper. She slammed a roll of tape in front of him. “I’m Cam’s girl. Start taping.” She put the first colored rectangle against the glass. He looked at her high heels, her loose, tousled hair and duochrome mauve lipgloss and took over without a word.

At least one of them was getting laid tonight.

He ran into the broadcast room and into his seat just in time.

“That was Suzanne Vega’s Caramel. Something sweet for the man who works hard for the money.” He tugged on his shirt and smirked.

He looked toward the producer’s booth and it was covered in shitty tabloid.

“What the hell-”

“Cam,” a familiar voice said from a dark corner of the room. She stood and walked into the desk lamp light. It was Sandra, looking good enough to eat. “Surprise,” she said in a whisper. “Now get to work.” She nudged the microphone near his mouth. She walked around and sat on the edge of the desk. She wore a trench coat, and her legs were deliciously bare as far up as he could see.

She pointed the the blinking buttons. “I want to watch you,” she said. Again, her tone made him twitch.

He pressed the button, but his eyes didn’t leave her form. “We’re coming up against the last hour. What’s on your mind tonight, lover?”

She laughed quietly.

“Um, hello?”

“Hello. I’m all ears. Talk to me,” Cam said. She walked behind him and tickled his neck just below his giant earphones. He bit back a giggle.

“Okay. Right. Um, I’ve...I really like...a woman. Who I work with.”

She leaned into him. Her hair tickled his arm. She made a face. Awkward.

“Office romance. Nice. And what’s her name?”

“She’s beautiful. Oh, her name’s Preethi.”

Sandra started to untie her sash slowly. It was agonizing.

“And would you like to say anything special to Preethi tonight?”

“Oh. Yeah. Just that…”

Her trench coat fell open. She wore a purple minidress that would make a stripper blush. His lip wobbled.

“...she’s smart and lovely and I would very much like to take her out sometime.”

“Do you have a song you’d like me to play?”

“You can pick it. Thank you,” the man said and hung up.

She lifted an earphone so she could whisper in his ear. “So awkward, bless him. Play Bryan Adams’ Everything I Do. It fits.”

“Whatever the lady wants,” he said, and cued it up. “What are you doing here?”

She gently bit his earlobe. “I couldn’t stay away. And I figured you might not want to be alone tonight. So I’m here to keep you company.”

“And Teddy?” He spoke of the producer.

She walked around and sat on the desk again. She kicked off her shoe and put her bare foot in his lap. It traveled slowly up his thigh. “He and I have an agreement.” She leaned forward. Her breasts nearly spilled out of the dress. He stirred underneath her kneading foot. “If he says he didn’t see anything, he didn’t see anything.”

“And what would he not be seeing?” She put her other foot on the armrest of his chair and spread her legs. Pearl colored mesh was being swallowed by her swollen cunt lips.

“Fuck.” He put his hand on her calf, pulled himself closer. She pulled gently at her underwear, giving him a quick glimpse, then slid that finger into his mouth. “Shit,” he said, licking his lips.

“Song’s ending,” she said. He turned reluctantly to the microphone. Her foot moved underneath his t-shirt and poked his belly. He bucked and giggled. “Ooh. Ticklish.”

“Ooh. Ladies and gentlemen, all of a sudden I’m feeling inspired-” She pinched his nipple between her toes. “Who’s in love tonight?”

Go slow he mouthed.

She fell to her knees and went underneath the desk.

He took the next call. “Are you in love tonight?”

Sandra tickled his knees. He had to stifle a giggle. He gently slapped her hands.

“Yeah. Like, um, completely. With my best friend.” the caller sounded young.

She has a doll voice, Sandra mouthed at him as she tickled his sides underneath his shirt.

“Sometimes friendships can be a jumping off point for something... amazing.” He put his hand over his mouth. He trembled with laughter.

“She’s beautiful and kind and funny and talented and smart and I just can’t hold back anymore. I don’t know whether you’re listening Amanda, but there’s a reason why I didn’t go to the graduation dance with Daniel. I wanted to go with you. I know we play around a lot, but the fact is I’m in love with you, completely, totally, and I don’t care who doesn’t like it. You fill my heart with joy, you make me so happy…” her breath hitched, as if she were about to weep.

Sandra stopped tickling. They locked eyes for a few precious seconds. She felt exposed.

“I can’t top that. You’ve said it all, and so beautifully too. Is there a particular song you’d like me to play?”

“I don’t care. I just wanted to say it to the world. I love you, Mandy.” She hung up.

Sinatra. I’ve Got You Under My Skin, she mouthed to him. Trust me.

For some reason, she felt as if the wind had been taken out of her sails. This girl, still so young...but so brave. She told everyone. She didn’t care about the possibility of things not going her way. She just wanted to say it. She actually gloried in her love, even if it was not returned.

Music flooded the broadcast room. “May I have this dance?” He pushed the chairs aside and extended his hand. She smiled and walked into his arms.

He pressed his body close to her swayed back and forth. The look in his eyes made her heart hurt.

“I don’t think this is what Teddy expected to see through the gaps in that paper,” she said.

“Did you want to give him a show?” he said, twirling her close to his body in the limited space.

“I just wanted to be with you,” she said, glad she wasn’t facing him.

He turned her and tipped her chin up to look into her eyes. “Me too. Every day. All the time.” He barely pressed his lips against hers, then moved back to the console.

She pulled her skirt down and sat by him.

“We’re coming up hard against the midnight hour. You’re our lucky last caller. What’s on your mind tonight?”

“Hello? This is Amanda. From the last call?”

Cam and Sandra looked at each other, eyes wide. It was on.

“Hello, Amanda-”

She cut him off. “Candace, please answer your phone. I love you, baby, but I didn’t want to say anything to ruin our friendship. I want to be with you, Candy. Call me. Come over. Anything. I’m at home. Please.”

“Oh wow, we’re witnessing romantic history, folks,” he said. “Real life.”

“I know how hard it must be. You’re a preacher’s daughter. But I’ll protect you. We’ll show them love is love, together. Oh, God. I hope she’s okay...”

The console blinked. Teddy’s voice came through the intercom. “It’s Candace. You should take this. It’s gold. The canned tunes can wait.”

Holy shit, Sandra mouthed. Go on.

“Candace, love. Amanda’s all ears. You’ve got the floor.”

There was a couple of seconds of silence. “Amanda.” She was whispering. “My mom heard. They’ve locked me in my room. But they didn’t take my cell.” They could actually hear voices raised in the distance.

“Candy, I’ll come and get you right now-”

“No. I’m safe. They would never hurt me. This day was coming. I’m going to let them yell themselves out. When they realize yelling and demands don’t change anything, then we’ll talk like people. Until then, we may not be able to see each other. Is that okay?”

“But they are hurting you by not accepting it.” Amanda sniffled.

“You’ve been in my life for almost three years, Mandy. Had Sunday dinner at my house. Gone to the church picnics. You know it’s not that easy. Their world has shifted. They’re going to need time to adjust. And I love them, so I want to give them that time.”

“But what if they never do?”

“They’re not that kind. At least, I sincerely pray they are not. But, regardless, can I count on you to understand?” The sound of yelling faded to nothing. There was just her distressed breathing.

“Yes. Of course. Whatever you need.”

“Okay.” Someone knocked on her door so loud it made Sandra and Campbell jump in their chairs. Candace. Darling. Open the door. We need to talk. The mother’s voice came through loud and clear. “Mandy, I’ve gotta go. But I love you. This too shall pass, right?” Her voice trembled.

“I love you.” Amanda sniffled.

“Bye.” Candace whispered, then they both hung up.

Campbell pulled up to the mic. He bit his lip, then started talking. “Love has no age limit. You can be 8, or 80. Gender doesn’t matter. Neither does color, creed, race, or religion. It’ll get the bearded imam as well as the political punk rocker woman hanging out in the corner. It could hit you after 10 years, or just after 10 minutes -” he gave Sandra a look that warmed her - “but that doesn’t diminish its power. Time means nothing to it, since it stops time, or makes it move too fast to count…” he sighed. He wasn’t used to extemporizing about serious things. “Love is an act of creation in and of itself. It makes something out of nothing. Makes peace out of chaos…” He ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s a miracle that we sometimes run the danger of taking for granted. Candace, Amanda, I wish you the best of luck. For that matter, I wish all of you out there true love, and the peace that comes from it. Good night.”

Teddy walked into the broadcast room. “That was fucking exciting. Great show, mate.” He averted his gaze when he saw Sandra. She’d forgotten she was half naked. Campbell held up her coat so she could put it on.

“Thanks for giving us a bit of privacy, Teddy,” she said as she tied the sash around her waist.

“Oh, no problem. I promise I didn’t peek.”

“Right,” she said, and smiled at him. He blushed.

“I’ll be on my way, then.” He walked out and closed the door.

Campbell put on his coat and walked her out of the building. She hailed a cab.

“Do you want to come over now? Not wait ‘till the morning?”

“What about Reggie?”

“He’s deep into his third Valentine’s date by now, and not in our flat.”

“Then I’d love to.” He stepped into the cab after her. They sat down, and Campbell took her hand in his. “So, the third date of the night, huh?”

“Reggie is not a believer of monogamy.”

“So the other dudes know about each other, and don’t care?”

“Yep. He’s a juggler, but he’s honest from the jump. It fascinates me what he can get away with. I hope this doesn’t sound sexist, but I often wonder whether it’s a male thing.”

“No offense taken. I’ll speak for myself and say that it sounds like something I’d never want to do. One at a time is plenty.” He squeezed her hand and smiled at her.

“Sure. For now. Just as soon as you get a bit more famous and the high quality trim starts showing up, you might change your mind.” She smiled too hard at him. The words didn’t feel natural. He noticed.

“Trim? You’re something else,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “I’m fairly certain this imaginary influx of radio personality groupies will not change my mind. I like to feel something for the person I’m bedding. Does that make me old-fashioned? Maybe. I don’t care.”

She was glad it was dark in the cab. She was blushing furiously. She felt like a jerk.

She opened the door and let him in, flipping on the switch that turned on the fairy lights she’s taped to wall in swirling patterns that day.

“Ooh, pretty!” he said, bouncing comically and clapping his hands.

“Shut up.” She walked to her kitchenette and opened a bottle of wine. He walked up behind her and pulled her trench coat off, kissing her neck.

“Fuck the wine.” she turned around and kissed him hard, wrapping her leg around his waist. She sucked his lower lip and moaned. “Let’s go to the bedroom.”

“This looks like the good stuff. Why we gotta be in such a hurry? Let’s enjoy these lights,” he said, tucking her hair behind her ear and kissing the tip of her nose.

Had she upset him with her stupid comments earlier?

“Okay. Sure.”

He found two jelly glasses in the mess on the counter and poured, then sat at her coffee table. He looked beautiful in the pale gold light. She stared from the threshold of the living room.

He patted the floor beside him. “Come on. Let’s toast.”

She sat down and raised her glass. “Toast away. You’re the one with the beautiful words.”

“Am I?”

“Absolutely. The only toasts I know are ‘down the hatch’, ‘to your health’, or my personal favorite, ‘to your nipples.’”

He laughed and kissed her lips lightly, an easy gesture that took her breath away. “Okay then. Let me think. To...the miracle of love. It makes something so beautiful out of nothing. Thank you for giving of yourself to me of openly, trusting me.You’ve made these last six weeks the best holiday season I’ve ever had. And I hope there’s much more to come.”

Her eyes filled with tears. She grabbed the jelly glass before he could drink.

“Those girls. They were no more than high school students. But they were so sure. I could hear it in their voice. Children, and they knew. And one a preacher’s daughter to boot. What balls.”

“I felt that too. Brave, the both of them.”

“It won’t be easy for them. Not at first. If they even go through with it.”

“It never is. The world is antagonistic to lovers. To love in general. Them’s the facts,” he said, shrugging.

“It never is,” she repeated. “Campbell, I-”

He squeezed her hands. “You can take your time. I’m here. I’ll wait till you’re ready-”

“I’m in love with you.”

His eyes flashed in the semi-darkness. “Sandra, I-”

She cut him off. “Please let me finish. I know that this started out as a sex thing - and the sex is fanfuckingtastic - but you’ve become so much more to me. You’re so kind, and clever and you seem to follow my weird train of thought without my having to explain myself...and I know what you’ve been through - what you’re going through now - and you will go through until whenever, and I don’t care. I love you. Madly. You’re my muse. I’ve never painted better. At this rate I’ll fill a gallery by June. And it’s okay if you don’t quite feel the same. I don’t care. I want you to know it. Just...stay. I won’t pressure you into anything. I can love enough for the both of us.”

He hugged her, tight, until her breathing slowed.

“Dee,” he said in her ear. “That silly little speech at work. The toast. Isn’t it obvious?”

“What? Reggie’s told me more than once I can’t see the forest for the trees,” she said, straddling him.

“That I’m in love with you. How could I not? You’re my peace. That, and in awe of the way you look at me. I feel...like a proper part of the human race. It’s magic.”

She sniffled and tucked her face into his neck, hugging him tight.

“My brown-eyed girl…” he whispered into her hair. “Let’s go to bed.”

“Do you have candles?” he said.

“Come on, Cam. Do we really need all that?”

She started to take off her dress, but he held her arms down. “I’ll do that. But first, candles. You’re the artsy type. You have to have at least a couple lying around.”

“Gimme a sec.” Reggie had enough candles to light a cathedral. She ran into his bedroom and grabbed an armful of glass candles and dropped them gently on her bed. “Your wish is my command.” She handed him a lighter.

He put them around the bed and lit them. He was an Italian Renaissance beauty of a man, especially around the eyes and nose. Her fingers twitched to draw him in this light.

“I recognize that look,” he said, giving her a crooked grin. “The artist longs for her tools, but she’ll have to wait.”

He knelt in front of her and pulled her dress slowly over her head. She wore a bra to match the pearl mesh panties, but he wanted her naked. His hands moved from her breasts to her hips, and he hooked the panties in his fingers and pulled them off. He bowed his head to her breast and bit gently at the mesh until her nipple stretched it. Then, he sucked it through the cloth, flicking his tongue over it while pinching her other nipple hard. She buried her hands in his thick hair and seeped wetness on her sheets.

He unclasped her bra and took one of her breasts into his mouth, hungrily sucking at her flesh while his tongue swirled on her hardened bud. She unbuttoned his pants and wrapped her hand around him. She sighed at the living weight of him. Somehow, he felt more because he was hers.

He stood and stripped quickly as she scooted back to the pillows and spread enticingly for him.

God, he loved when she did that.

He crawled between her legs and pulled them around his hips. “I just want to kiss you.” He said, and sucked on her lower lip. He nuzzled her neck and kissed down to her clavicle. “Everywhere. In every way.”

“Do it,” she said.

He kissed down to her breasts, just soft little kisses around her hard nipples but never touching. He kissed down the shelf of her ribs, then bit gently at her sides until she giggled and squirmed. He swirled his tongue down to her mound. She spread, but he licked the wetness off her thighs and kissed slowly up each thigh to the knee and back. Her throbbing flesh warmed his cheeks when he got to the fork of her legs, but he resisted the urge to lick her, regardless of her pleading.

“Get on your stomach,” he said. She obeyed quickly. He kissed her instep, then moved up her leg, biting her calf and tickling the back of her knees to watch her ass jiggle with laughter as he spread her legs. He licked, then kissed the little seam between thigh and ass, then bit softly at her jiggling flesh until she moaned into her pillow.

“I thought you said kisses,” she said. Her voice was rough with desire.

“I’m kissing too,” he said, placing a soft kiss on each cheek and moving up to the small of her back. He licked the sweat there and kissed up the valley until he reached her neck. His cock slid easily between her legs and nestled between her pussy lips. She moved her hips, making him groan in her ear.

“Enough teasing. I want you.” She trembled beneath him.

“It’s never enough,” he said and lay beside her. “Come on.” He patted his shoulders. “Knees here.”

“Yes, sir,” she said. She straddled his head and leaned down to his cock, taking him in her mouth. She took his balls in her hand, gently caressing, kneading the tender flesh, then licked them.

“Fuck.”

He tried to lick her, but she held his head in place with her thighs.

“Stop. Lemme have a taste.”

She wiggled her butt. She dripped to his upturned face, but her grip was firm. “I thought there was never enough teasing.” Her broad tongue moved up his shaft, leaving a trail of saliva that she used to jerk him off. She wrapped her lips around the crown of his cock and swirled her tongue until he bucked.

“Please.” His plaintive tone made her giggle into him.

“Ummmmm…” she took him to the back of her throat. The vibration made his toes curl. She slurped up his shaft, then sucked gently at his foreskin. “No.” She played with him, pulling his foreskin back and forth over the crown of his cock with her lips alone. She tasted precum and hummmmmd into him… then got off him.

He tried to scoot down between her legs, but she pulled him up and on top of her. She caressed him and gave him a tender look.

“I want to come with you inside me. Can we do that?”

He grabbed blindly at her night table, where he knew she kept condoms. He ripped the package and nearly fumbled it trying to get it on.

She chuckled. “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.” She helped him smooth it on and lay back. “Come here, boy.”

He lay on top of her, but the mood changed. They sank into each each. All she could see was his eyes, lit by flickering candlelight. Warmth rose from her belly to her heart in growing waves as he moved slowly inside her. She was surrounded by him, connected by flesh and feelings.

Is this what people spoke of when they said ‘make love’?

She thought it was a fusty term. Something repressed adults used to avoid saying fuck.

But she was a fool.

It hurt, but in the most beautiful way. A tear actually dripped on her temple, but he kissed it away before it wet her hair. She caressed the hair from his face and saw the light break in his eyes as well.

“Cam...” she kissed him, hard, and soon the cherry sweetness of his saliva was cut by the salt of their mixed tears. They rocked into each other, multiplying each other’s pleasure, breathing each other’s breath, chest to chest until they spun out together. Their shared cries and his bucking brought her back to herself.

They stayed connected and silent for goodness knows how long. When he finally withdrew, she hiccupped and hugged him closer.

“What just happened?”

He still trembled with emotion. “I don’t know, but it was-”

“Love magic. We made love magic.” Her heart still raced in her chest. “Did you feel...connected? Really, connected?”

He nuzzled her cheek.”Yeah. But more. Like we were both connecting to something much bigger.”

“Do you think God exists?”

He chuckled. “This is pretty deep for pillow talk.”

“My mom isn’t very religious, and I’ve never really been interested, but...I felt something, Cam. I swear to you, I did.”

“I hope you did,” he said, kissing her neck. “If not, I’m a failure.”

“Never.” She stared at him as he got out of bed to clean himself and blow out most of the candles. He put on his underwear and sat by her.

“Do you want to draw me now?”

She ran her fingertips down his chest. It was still mottled with sex flush. “No. You, in this moment, are mine and mine alone. I refuse to share.”

He lay beside her, and she kissed the salt from his cheeks and stuck her tongue out. “You cried.”

“I did. This is all new to me. Love, and the making of it.”

“Those fusty adults were keeping secrets,” she said.

“What?” he kissed her shoulder.

“Nothing. Just thinking aloud.” She raised her head to look at him.

“Did it hurt?”

She didn’t need to explain further. “No. I felt full of love, ecstatic. But the knowledge that the feeling would end hurt.”

“Exactly. Everything ends.”

He held her closer. “But it’s okay. We can do it again.” He kissed her. Even his kisses had changed. They were deeper, more tender.

She sat up suddenly. “What time is it?”

“3:20 am. Why?”

“Ooh, just in time!” She rolled out of bed and put on some jeans and a t-shirt.

“Come back here. I’m not done with you yet.”

“We can put a pin in that. But now, we feast.”

“And they said I’m the mad one. What are you talking about?”

She threw his jeans at him. “There is a bakery a couple of blocks away that will open in just 10 short minutes.”

“And?” He was reluctant to get out of bed.

“Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, in which bakeries all over the country make tasty love-themed biscuits, pies, and cakes which they don’t always sell…”

His eyes narrowed. “Ohhh.” He dressed quickly.

They stepped out into an early morning washed clean by rain.

“How did we not even notice?” she said.

He took her hand and waited for her to guide him. “We were extremely distracted. Take me to the treats,” he said.

They walked in silence for several blocks. It was a new thing, but nice. They felt no need to entertain each other. They could exist, and enjoy each other’s existence.

“I love the streets at night after a rain,” she said after a while.

“The streets turn to mirrors,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist.

She stopped and looked down. “Look at you and I. Just a couple of saps.”

“Naw. The perfect reflection of a happy couple.”

“You do have a way of wording things so much better than I do,” she said, pulling him in for a kiss.