#<- also ruby's biggest fan

[jils-things]

its so funny to realize that jaide stone is surrounded by the flashiest people alive /affectionate

[unabashedllamamusic]

Despite being a huge Doctor Who fan since middle school (I'll let you all guess when that was), I'm experiencing this season in a very different way. I'm American, never had access to BBC America, and didn't have a tumblr until fairly recently. Meaning until now I was never able to watch episodes as they aired or see tumblr's commentary and thoughts on them. I've always been playing catch-up, dodging spoilers, and seeing everyone's reviews long before I was able to binge the seasons. And yk what? This shit's fucking great. Everyone went from 'oh this is fucking brilliant' at the specials to 'wtf' with Space Babies to 'JESUS CHRIST THIS IS PEAK CINEMA' at 73 yards and boom. And i totally agree. 9's always been my favorite doctor, having RTD back in the showrunner's seat is amazing. And while Space Babies and the one with the Beatles were amazingly wonky and the perfect amount of Doctor Who-y batshit crazy, and I did enjoy them, the past couple episodes have just been spectacular. Haven't felt this moved by Doctor Who since Clara was the companion, and it feels so good to be back. I forgot how much I love this show.

[gidianthe]

watching doctor who aka all u think about is ur mutuals posts about how sanitized and companion-retirement-home UNIT has become and getting really mad

[starboundsingularities]

I NEED TO BE OBNOXIOUS ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVED THAT ACE ATTORNEY LAWBLR SIM YOU MADE BECAUSE OH MY GOD IT MADE ME LOSE MY SHIT. I definitely can tell you put genuine effort into making that silly little thang and I wish that it would have 10,000 notes like right this minute. Hellsite hall of fame if you’re reading this please reblog this person’s ace attorney lawblr sim because it deserves an award

i think this is one of the nicest asks i've ever gotten thank you so so much (I'M RAMBLING IN THE TAGS SO MUCH BTW. if you want insight into the thought process or anything)

[rubyreadd]

Chat how are we feeling about a potential username change?

[rubys-domain]

since for some reason i just refuse to go to sleep, might as well finish the archon quest on the alt right?

[mariasont]

Please, Don't Prove 'Em Right - A.H

a/n: my girl sabrina can do no wrong and i have been listening to this song on repeat since it came out so i just absolutely needed to write a fic about it

masterlist

pairings: aaron hotchner x fem!reader

summary: aaron hotchner is a busy man and he tends to disappoint you by missing important events

warnings: angst (sorry in advance), aaron is like not a great husband, reader is also an imperfect character, reader is a girl boss though

wc: 1.2k

You were in your best dress. More expensive than you'd ever think about buying for yourself, but it had been a gift from Aaron. You had fought him on it, scolding him for spending so much on a dress you were sure to only wear once. But he had insisted, telling you that this opportunity was once in a lifetime and that it would be a sin for it to not be celebrated with a dress that made you shine like a ruby.

He was right, partly, you were shining--glowing, sparkling, glittering--as you moved through the library. It was beautiful, to say the least--all opulence and history that was almost too much to absorb. The marble floors almost seemed to amplify the conversations around you, the clinking of glasses, the swish of overpriced gowns and tuxedos.

Your eyes settled on the tiered desks fitted with bronze reading lamps, now repurposed as a station for hors d'oeuvres and champagne. The circular arrangement of desks, once centered around knowledge, now facilitated hushed gossip and the discreet laughter of society's finest.

You could almost hear what they were thinking: there she is again without her husband, that poor thing always by herself, and your personal favorite—does he even exist?

You wanted to be angry, to scold their prying eyes, for putting their noses into something that had nothing to do with them whatsoever. But could you really blame them? Every event you attended you told the same story--my husband is a busy man with an important job--a line you had grown tired of repeating. 

And that was all true. He devoted most of his time to saving lives--how could you find fault in that? How could you complain to having a husband whose very essence was self-sacrifice and heroism?

This evening was set to be an exception; he was in New York for a case, and the Pulitzer Prize ceremony was not something he would miss. He had given you his word.

You understood his passion for his job, completely, because you held that same passion for your own. You dedicated years of your life to your journalism, investigating corruption at its highest levels. This is exactly how you ended up here tonight, nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for that very work. A Pulitzer Prize.

The term once seemed like a fantastical concept to you, a lofty accolade reserved for the likes of JFK, Bob Dylan, Robert Frost--icons, not someone as ordinary as you. Yet, against all odds, you find yourself among the select few, a nominee for an honor that has only been won by 1,512 individuals since 1917, a fact Spencer had supplied you with.

Someone was speaking to you, saying your name. Almost without thinking, your hand found a flute of champagne, taking a generous sip before turning to face them.

"You look stunning, and a well-deserved congratulations are in order. Everyone back at the office is cheering for you." It was your boss, her stilettos adding inches to her already imposing frame.

The flattery didn't quite mask her usual coldness, it was all too artificial. She wasn't your biggest fan, and she had made that clear from your first day. Still, you mustered a smile and thanked her anyway, taking another sip of champagne, hoping to drown away her nauseating voice.

"It's too bad your husband couldn't be here," she began, and you had to resist the urge to rip out her extensions. "This is an incredible accomplishment, but he's quite the busy man, as you say."

"Yes, he is busy, but he'll be here tonight," you replied, flashing her your best smile as you smoothed the red fabric that suddenly felt too tight. "He's actually here in New York on a case."

"Oh, how great. I can't wait to put a face to the name." You could tell by the look she shot her own husband that she didn't believe a word from your mouth. "Anyway, I have to go speak with an academy representative, but I'll see you and your husband at the ceremony?"

You responded with a nod, not dignifying her with words as she left, her giggles a bitter sound. You hated her. And you were ready to make her eat her words when your husband, who looked absolutely incredibly in a suit, showed up.

But then it was dinner, and you found yourself alone, surrounded by a table of important people whose names you couldn't remember. The seat beside you was empty and suddenly that omnipotent, cloud-nine feeling you had vanished with the time that passed.

The text you sent piled up, feeling a little juvenile, like you were back in high school again getting stood up at prom.

Let me know when you're close!

Is everything going okay?

Call me if you can.

An onslaught of anxious thoughts skyrocketed around your mind as you mechanically chewed the fancy food that only seemed to upset your stomach further. What if something happened? Was he okay? Did the case go wrong? Did he get in a car accident on the way here?

You were a bundle of nerves, gnawing on the inside of your mouth as your heel tapped up and down against the floor. But this wasn't borne from concern for his well-being; deep down, you were certain he was fine. The truth was simpler and sharper: he wasn't coming.

You should have been prepared, should have braced for this, but you were convinced that this time, this occasion would be an exception.

You name was being called, but this time not by someone wanting to extract prying information or stir speculation, no, this time it was carried across the crowed, wrapped in the microphone's static hum.

Your head snapped up, fingers ceasing their fidgeting as you struggled to mask the shock and avoid the gaping, breathless look of a fish out of water.

You had won.

People were clapped, but it seemed far away as you made your way to the stage, hands coming from all directions to offer pats on the back and handshakes of congratulations.

You had won.

Your feet were carrying you up a small set of stairs. You were trying to remember how to walk--left, right, heel, toe. There was a bright light on you now, prompting a slight squint and you worked to keep a smile on your face as you accepted the award.

You had to be dreaming. Had to be. There was no other explanation.

You were on display now, under the intense stage lights. Your body was on autopilot, stepping behind the podium, words flowing out of your mouth--a speech you had rehearsed over and over again in the slim chance that you would win. And here you are.

But the more you spoke the more you seemed to deviate from the script.

You paused, voice catching as you tried your best not to let the tears fall--your makeup was too pristine for smears.

"But tonight, as I accept this honor, I am reminded that while we may seek comfort in the presence of others, our truest strength comes from within." Your eyes dart around the audience, clinging to the slim chance he's there, that he showed up. "It comes from knowing that when we step into the moment, we step in with conviction, with passion, and sometimes, with a singularity that says we are enough."

The final words of your speech hang in the air, a brittle hope that disappears as quickly as it surfaced. He proved them right, and no amount of applause can drown out the sound of your heart breaking just a little.

part 2

taglist: @hotchhner @khxna @readergf @sarcasm-and-stiles @edencherries @aurorsworld @princess76179

[wantondoe]

Drop dead gorgeous

(I deeply apologize if you're reading this in the middle of the night and your eyes burn due to the bright image)

Hazbin Hotel x doe reader / Alastor x doe reader

Warnings: cursing, sexual themes (duh) / A comedic story about Hazbin Hotel staff reacting to your tail dropping off seemingly out of nowhere. You and Alastor are mates.

It was a Saturday night at the hotel and the staff was spending some quality time at the Bar. Alastor was also there, standing on the side while examining everyone's movements, a soft smile playing on his lips. His gorgeous ruby eyes lighting up as he saw his oh so adorable mate running down the stairs. His smile widened as he saw you running towards him.

You were wearing one of those dresses he had bought you, a rich crimson red dress that even had a hole in the back for your lovely doe tail. His eyes lingered on the soft tail, before making their way up at your cute pointy ears and finally settling on your face.

"My my, you look absolutely stunning my dear! That dress really suits you", he said, his voice full of admiration.

"You're flattering me, darling", you chuckle, taking his hand and leading him to the bar. He helped you on a high bar stool. You sat there happily, the plush tail wagging as you engaged in a conversation with the others.

Alastor wasn't exactly the biggest fan of public display of affection. Regardless of that, he wanted everyone to know who you belong to. So, he would sometimes hold you close, place his large hand possessively on your back, or perhaps pet your tail.

Tonight, he chose the latter, gently stroking your tail as you were having a conversation about different alcohol drinks with Husk.

"Chardonnay always makes me feel like a 40-year-old suburban mom", you giggle. "No offense, of course! Moms are the best, but not the abusive ones!"

Alastor smiled at your quirkiness.

"Well, beer makes me feel like an average Joe who works in construction", Angel joked back, playing with the stereotypes. "Cider on the other hand makes me feel like a teenage girl who just discovered tampons-"

Angel stared at the floor under your bar stool, his eyes wide with horror. You suddenly felt odd, as if something was missing. You looked around, noticing that Alastor had an absolutely horrified look on his face as he stared at the same spot with Angel. Soon, the others stopped talking as well.

"A-Alastor, what's going on?" you asked, confused, looking up at your mate. You quietly followed his gaze only for it to land on a furry piece on the floor.

At that same exact moment, Lucifer marched in the area, eager to meet up with his daughter. "My daughter, I am here!" Lucifer sang. "Oh my! What the unholy Hell is that?" He pointed at the furry piece on the floor, using his apple wand.

"Oh, that will be perfect for my collection!" Nifty poked at the furry mess.

"Do not pick that up", Alastor said sternly, stopping Nifty from further touching the tail.

"That's.. That's my tail", you whisper. "My tail... It fell off..."

Alastor stood there, feeling guilty. Had he stroked your tail too harshly? Was this all his fault?

You picked up the tail, holding it on your palms, hot salty tears forming in your precious doe eyes. Alastor felt horrible, absolutely heartbroken for your lovely tail. He placed a comforting hand on your shoulder.

"How could this happen to me?" you sobbed. (I've made my mistakes)

Chaos unwrapped in the room as everyone realized the true nature of the situation.

Angel: What the fuck? THIS DID NOT JUST HAPPEN!

Charlie: Vaggie! CALL THE AMBULANCE!

Vaggie: On it... Shit! Where's the phone? Dammit!

Husk passed out on the bar table with a loud thump.

Vaggie: WHERE IS THE PHONE?

Lucifer: Charlie, I should tell you, I have hemorrhoids!

Charlie: Dad- what? Why are you telling me that-

Lucifer: My ass might just fall off like that tail! The surgeon said they might have to operate on it-

You: My tail is gone and so is my will to live-

Lucifer: Imagine it Charlie, an operation, on my ass!

Alastor: No, don't say that dear-

Charlie: Dad, I'd rather not-

Nifty was running around in panic, accidentally bumping into you and making you lose your balance. Due to that, your fallen tail flew in a beautiful arch, soaring through the air and eventually landing on Angel's hair. Angel stood there for a moment in shock, before he yelled in disgust.

Angel: AAARRGHH SON OF A BITCH!

Angel used his long arms to grab the fallen tail and threw it away. The tail soared through the air once again, this time landing inside Lucifer's open mouth.

Alastor: How dare you treat my mate's tail like that-

Angel: Ugh! It was still warm!

Lucifer's eyes widened as the tail landed in his mouth and throat. He started choking on the soft fur.

Charlie quickly started beating the hell out of Lucifer, slamming her open palm on his back.

Vaggie on the phone: Yes we have a male choking on a fallen doe tail. Yes we need professional help!

You: Charlie, do the maneuver!

Charlie, in panic: WHAT FUCKING MANEUVER?

You: The Hamburger, no... The Heimlich maneuver!

Charlie: I DONT KNOW WHAT THAT IS!

You: MOVE!

You started desperately performing the maneuver. Lucifer was gagging like a fish on dry land. Angel started filming the scene.

Vaggie on the phone: YES HE IS TURNING BLUE! Yes we are trying to help!

Thanks to your capable hands, Lucifer managed to cough the tail out. But this time the tail flew in your mouth. You felt the wet, soft fur. You felt like yelling, that's how disgusting this whole thing was.

Angel: Oh hell nah! That is... Ew. It's like, Lucifer's spit is inside you-

Alastor: Shut up Angel!

Now it was Alastor's turn to perform emergency care. He slapped the dear life out of you, his large palm hitting your upper back. But it didn't work, so he started performing the Heimlich maneuver. Since Alastor was so much bigger than you, it looked like he was humping a teddy bear.

Angel: Kinky!

Vaggie on the phone: Now we've got a female chocking on the tail!

Angel: Haha, is that how they look like when they are fucking?

Charlie: Come on, Angel...

Nifty, smirking: Alastor's a big boy!

Alastor, losing his control: SHUT UP! SHUP UP ALL OF YOU!

Alastor kept performing the maneuver while you desperately gagged, finally spitting the tail out. The slimy tail landed on Lucifer's hat, making him let out a ridiculously high pitched scream.

Alastor held you close, mumbling sweet nothings in your ear. "It's okay darling, you're fine, I'm here..."

"My tail... It's gone..." you cried softly against his chest.

Husk finally sobered up, seeing the scene in front of him. "What the hell did I miss?"

Angel quickly let Husk know what had happened.

Husk: Well, that's sucks. That sucks a lot-

Angel: Like your dad at the gay sex club-

Nifty: Nice one, Angie-

Husk: WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY-

Charlie: OMG! Look!

Vaggie: Your tail is growing back!

Never in your life had you ever witnessed this. First, your tail dropped, and now you were pushing out a new one. Alastor looked at the newly emerged tail that was even softer than the last one. He chuckled, reaching the tail to pet the silky fur.

"My my, looks like things worked out after all", Alastor chuckled. "First you dropped your old tail and now you grew out a new, drop dead gorgeous tail."

"Pun intended, huh?" Angel cackled.

You felt your new softer tail, still slightly confused by the most recent events. "I really have a tail after all..."

"Yes dear", Alastor nodded, ignoring Angel's comment. He grinned with a wicked glint in his eyes as he stole glances at the new tail. "Lovely."

Alastor's face when your tail fell off:

[mayordea]

Happy birthday to the number one princess in the world!! 💖

~from her biggest fans :)

ramble of my scattered thoughts on the piece under cut as usual cuz i love talking 😋

This has been an idea I've been cookin for a while, and it was so cluttered and unlike any other ensemble piece I've made... and I decided I oughta do it anyway. I love Miku, I love Vocaloid, and I wanted to do something really ambitious and crazy for her anniversary. Crazy that she's turning her "canon" age this year TwT

I had the idea floating around since like, May...? And then finally started acting on it around June 18. I'm terrible with deadlines, obvious with how I can never make a silly birthday post in time, so I started wayyyy ahead to make sure I have some room to be lazy lol, especially with an idea as ambitious as this.

This was finished on July 12! So I had to sit on this for an annoying amount of time. Very difficult for someone like me who just wants to talk about everything I'm working on to the masses. But at the very least, that gave me the time to work on the draft for this post.

~~~

Here's some ~behind the scenes~ scribbles leading up to the finished piece!

Left is the chicken scratch plan i made in my handy dandy notebook (whenever things are getting real and ambitious, i always made a rough ROUGH plan in there. Usually I'd do a rough pass of the full thing, but this was too complicated for me to do traditionally. I majorly benefited from digital tools to make this possible). CyberDiva and CyberSongman were considered, but I ended up cutting them cuz I just didn't feel like drawing them sorry-- (just pretend they're off to the side. They gave Ruby and Clara the pizza lol). Right is the "final" completed sketch (before I decided to include Chika mid-way through coloring and VY1 and VY2 near the finish line). I started by drawing the main "groups" separated on a different canvas so I can plop them into the main canvas for easy rearranging and transforming. However I got lazy and ended up drawing everyone in the bottom right corner directly on the canvas since I liked seeing the big picture of everyone's positions. Y'know.

Almost excluded Chika! But I like her design so much that I just felt like including her last-minute. You win this time, Chika fans. VY1 and VY2 were very close to being cut! I added them when I began doing the banner and thought "eh why not". I figured their non-human designs would be pretty easy to include pushed back in the bg. Ik VY1 is more commonly associated with the fan design, but I referenced the hairpin cuz it was simpler and the fan looked very annoying to draw 😭

Sorry to the fans of many Vocaloids I had to cut because this composition was insane enough as is. I promise I wanted to include fellas like CUL, LUMi and Sachiko 😭 I will admit I was a little biased on who I wanted to include over others. Like, I don't normally care for Bruno and Clara, but I wanted to get some more international 'loids in the mix. Also wanted to stick in the realm of official designs and not fan-designs since, as much as I can appreciate those, are just a whole "wait who is that guy supposed to be" situation I didn't wanna deal with. I also did wanna include even more character references through the balloons, but they ended up being kind of ugly and overcomplicated the BG :,) (Oh, and while this was originally planned to be a Vocaloid-only piece, I did end up including Teto, Neru, and Haku 'cuz those are Miku's besties dude!!! They may not be Officially in the club but they're her girls and it would be criminal to not invite them to her birthday).

Anyway, this project marks the first time I've drawn a lot of Vocaloids. Lily, Piko, Rana, Yuki, Yukari, Miki, Maika, and many more lol. All of 'em I've heard or seen in passing, but now I actually drew them, and some have really cool and fun designs!! I got into a habit of drawing Merli after this since I just love her design for example. And I'll probably be drawing more lol!!

Oh and the last thing I'll add for now!! The cake is indeed made up of various song references!! I wanted to reference the "big four" producers, just absolute icons in Vocaloid history. The pink/black checkerboard is "World is Mine" (Ryo), the crescents on the side is "Rolling Girl" (Wowaka), the smiley faces is "Matryoshka" (Hachi), and the three hearts on the side is "The Vampire" (DECO*27, which is sort of a symbol of his whole Mannequin album tbh). I know "The Vampire" is a bit modern but I couldn't think of anything else off the top of my head. I'm a fake DECO fan I know 😔 "Matryoshka" was originally going to be referenced in the colors of the candles but believe me it looked like shit so I just went for something else last minute 😭

That's all I have to say!!! Hope you didn't mind the text wall if you made it here. I hope you like it as much as I do!!!! Happy freakin' birthday Miku!!!!

I have to deal with tagging all these characters now for my page,,, in the drafts my tags got cut off after a certain point so I think I'm massively breaching the tag limit 😭 um... I'll figure that out later...

not losing sleep that i can't tag everyone, even for page organization purposes because some characters have pretty generic names and some are a little hard to see in full yknow. If you're one of those people who tag every character in the art piece you reblog... I am very sorry.

[starkwlkr]

Hi. Love your fics!!! Could you do a Charles + Ruby one where Y/N is a singer and they go to one of her concerts or a big performance like her Super Bowl halftime show or something? Thank you!❤️

mommy’s biggest fans | charles leclerc

y/n is in her harry styles fifteen nights at msg era 🫶🏼 so for this imagine we are doing her final night at msg or the kia forum or whichever arena you’d like

also taylor is going to be the faceclaim this time because why not 🙃 also kelly mention but only because p is the cutest kid 🥲

“We are getting ready for my wife’s concert tonight,” Charles spoke to the camera. He decided that Y/n’s last concert would be a great place to make a vlog. He looked at his phone. “It is four thirty and the kids are not ready. Ruby is watching Bluey.”

“And Bingo! Don’t forget Bingo!” Ruby said as she munched on her fruit snacks while seated on the bed.

“Right, Bingo too. All of the family is coming and so are our friends. Maman and Théo are having a nap, but soon we’ll have to go to the arena to see my wife perform, isn’t that exciting, Ruby?” Charles asked the girl.

“She’s going to sing my favorite song, she told me.”

“What’s your favorite song?” Charles asked.

“All of them, duh!”

“How are you feeling?” The camera was pointed at Y/n, who was getting her makeup done for her show. Charles and the kids had arrived so they spent their time in Y/n’s dressing room until the show began. Y/n’s dressing room changed over the years. First, it was filled with makeup and dresses and lots of food for before and after the show. Now, it had a stroller, toys and diaper bags.

“I am so happy. My family and friends are here. I’m so glad all of the nights have been sold out.” Y/n smiled.

“And do you have any surprises for tonight?”

“I have some. . .”

Ruby was escorted to her seat along with the Leclerc family and their friends. As the show began, the lights changed which caused Ruby to scream as loud as she could. She had been to many of her mother’s shows before, but she always had the same reaction.

Y/n started singing and so did Ruby and Mathéo. They knew all of her songs even the unreleased ones. Towards the middle of the show, a man apart of Y/n’s security team whispered something into Charles’ ear then walked with him to the side stage. Ruby was the only one who noticed as her family and friends danced and sang along.

“So this is the part of the show where I usually have some big surprise. And I do have one, but I just want to take the time to thank all of you for being here, for singing these songs, dancing, making friendship bracelets, dressing up. I love you all and I hope you love this next duet.” Y/n said. She smiled as the crowd erupted into cheers.

She walked further down the stage to her piano. The fans immediately thought she would be the one to play the piano, but they were mistaken since Charles had made his way to the piano with the biggest smile on his face.

As Charles sat on the piano bench, Y/n spoke again to the crowd. “Ladies, gentlemen, friends. I am very happy to introduce you to the man that makes me the happiest woman on earth, my husband, my muse, Mr. Charles Leclerc!” Y/n clapped as the crowd cheered for Charles, who got shy by the love he was receiving. “and also the father of my two kids, just had to add that.” She chuckled.

“Hello.” Charles spoke into the microphone which caused more cheers.

“They love you,” Y/n teased as she looked back to Charles. “So Charles and I talked and we had a hard time trying to pick which song to play together. We didn’t know if we wanted to do a cover or one of my songs and finally we decided why not play a new song.”

As Charles played a bit with the keys, Y/n looked back once again to him just to make sure he was alright. She then nodded at him so they could start.

Moon, a hole of light

Through the big top tent up high

Here before and after me

After the duet, Charles whispered an ‘I love you’ to his wife, which she returned. As the show went on, Y/n would often walk to the section that her family was in and blew them a kiss.

Y/n knew that most drivers on the F1 grid were going to attended, one of them being Sebastian with his wife and kids. She remembered Charles mentioning that it was Sebastian and Hanna’s wedding anniversary so she knew that she just had to sing a love song to them.

“This next song is dedicated to two special people who are celebrating their anniversary today. Seb, Hanna, congratulations and you know I will always love you and your family.” Y/n smiled at the Vettel family who were next to hers.

We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January

And this is our place, we make the rules

f1wagsupdates has added to their story // lilymhe has added to their story

After the show ended, Y/n couldn’t believe she had just played fifteen nights. She loved performing, but what she loved the most was her family and her family needed her more than ever. She was finally coming home to her babies and Charles.

When she got backstage, she immediately started asking for her family. A stage manager had told her they were on their way backstage. When she spotted the kids, she ran up to them and hugged them.

“Maman! You sang my favorite song! And then papa played the piano with you! I waved at you but I don’t know if you saw me. I was with uncle Thur and Théo was with uncle Enzo. We sang so loud, could you hear us?” Ruby asked her mother.

“I did. You both sang so beautifully.” Y/n told her babies. They walked together to her dressing room where the rest of her family and friends were waiting.

“Ma fille! You did amazing as always! And that duet with Charles! You two know how to make a grown woman cry.” Pascale gave a hug to her daughter in law.

“Thank you for being here.” Y/n wiped away a couple of tears.

“You know I’ll always be there for you no matter what.”

After greeting and thanking everyone for coming, she finally got some alone time with Charles. He had surprised her with a giant bouquet of flowers and a cake to celebrate the end of tour. Charles sat on the sofa in her dressing room as Y/n was taking off her makeup in front of the vanity.

“When do you think you’ll be back on tour? I know you just finished.” Charles asked.

“I’m not sure. I don’t want to retire from the music industry. I want to be home with the kids, be able to help them with homework, make cakes for their birthdays, I would give anything just to be able to walk them to school.” Y/n explained. She began to feel emotional so she stood up and paced around the room in her white robe.

“I know, and you’re finally going to be able to do that, Mon amour. The kids are going to have their maman home.”

“I love you, I love you so so much.” Y/n said.

“I love you more.”

liked by kellypiquet, charlotte2304 and 2,377,790 others

y/nleclerc i will miss all these special moments we made during tour. thank you to everyone who came, everyone who helped. THANK YOU! thank you for singing, dancing, trading friendship bracelets and most of all, thank you for making me feel loved! I’m going to go away for some time so in the mean time, take care of each other and I will see you soon ❤️

love, y/n.

carmenmmundt you are incredible ✨

francisca.cgomes I CRIED DURING CORNELIA STREET

pierregasly can confirm

kellypiquet P and I had the best time! Thank you for inviting us!

susie_wolff amazing as always!

carla.brocker THE music industry 🫶🏼

charles_leclerc i love you forever and always

View all 46,378 comments

liked by arthur_leclerc, joris__trouche and 1,366,890 others

charles_leclerc congratulations on everything, mon amour. the kids and i are always proud of you. y/nleclerc

ferraridepressionclub i wish i didn’t know how to read 😭

wolff_toto_ sleeping on the highway tonight

roscoesacutalmom i was there and the way y/n’s eye lit up everytime she saw Charles or their kids 😭

y/nscardigan the speech she gave after the concert 🥲

leclercstype what did she say? the livestream i was watching was lagging 😭

y/nscardigan basically she thanked the fans and she also thanked her family for being so supportive and then she apologized to her kids for being away for so long but she said ‘now maman is coming home’ 😭 which made me cry even more

y/nleclerc I’m not even mad you picked these. Come back to bed, the kids and I miss you.

charles_leclerc on my way 😘

View all 23,377 comments

[zukahannahgumi]

The Reality War: five female characters who were done dirty, and one who wasn’t

1. Belinda. As others on this site have said, she started as a strong, independent character, opposing the doctor when he goes too far, living in a house share, wanting to get back to her life. Then the biggest retcon in history, completely unexplained, that she is a mother who wanted to get back to her child. The only thing that makes less sense than this is the doctor regenerating because the child they made up together (did they? Or was this the space baby Poppy?) was about to not exist?

What makes this even more depressing is the context of Wish World being misogynistic and idealising women as mothers, then forcing Belinda into this role. With Ruby, there were previous themes of caring for and adopting children, so this whole plot line plays into the idea it was written for Ruby, and Belinda was shoehorned in instead.

2. Ruby. No goodbye? The doctor didn’t even say goodbye to her? It was insane not to have this, given the long time they were together and her continued presence as some kind of secondary companion this season. And then he knows he’s about to regenerate and doesn’t say goodbye. The only way I think this is possible is that the last 20 mins of the show were late reshoot and they couldn’t get her/fit in the goodbye scene.

3. Susan. You don’t show a loaded gun without the gun going off. Why was Susan’s return trailed both on the screen and with a storyline about the doctor’s daughter, only to have her not only not return at the end, but also not even show up as an image onscreen? Where is that reunion with the doctor that the fans have been waiting for?

4. The Rani. Got eaten by a big skeleton. The Rani had so much potential! Could have been so great! But all they both did was chat and there were no actual scenes that merited bringing her back. In fact, her original identity as evil scientist was barely present: they could have replaced her with generic evil god.

5. Mel. Why does she never get to do anything? Kate too? In this they were just shooting bone beasts, which was the smallest stakes thing: Mel has faced the Rani before so I was hoping she’d take her down. Nope, the Rani just gets randomly eaten by Omega.

Other things that are making me angry:

WHY DO THEY KEEP CREATING UGLY CGI CREATIONS WHEN THE ORIGINAL OMEGA CHARACTER DESIGN WAS RIGHT THERE?

WHY DID THE DOCTOR SAVE THE DAY BY SHOOTING OMEGA WITH A LASER WEAPON?

WHY DID THE REGENERATION COME OUT OF NOWHERE? (Maybe because it was added after)

I do have some positives.

1. Thirteen: she came back!!! And what a cameo. It was really lovely to see her again and interacting with fifteen, that whole scene with their banter was top tier, especially the nod to Tennant repeatedly returning. I loved how she reflected on loving Yaz, that was a beautiful moment, 10/10, no notes.

And fifteen. He only had 2 seasons and appeared in a couple of specials, but what a doctor. He is up there for me: his emotion, freedom of expression and the pure love for humanity and his companions. He was incredible and it’s a shame this era has come to an end so soon.

I’m cautiously optimistic about Billie Piper: she is a fantastic actress and the wording around her being the doctor or possibly some kind of trick was interesting. My hope is for a special where she is not the doctor but the bad wolf goddess of time, but we’ll see…

Overall, weak episode, weaker season finale, thirteen’s return was great and fifteen will be missed.

[phantomchick]

The ending of Oshi no Ko vs The beginning (chapter 166 vs 10)

So as you can see, there's clear evidence of intentional parallels happening here. This is the aftermath of Ai's death that mirrors the aftermath of Aqua's. Aka already claimed to have the ending planned well in advance months ago so it's not a big surprise that even the ending panels of the first (not counting the prologue) and last chapters match.

And yet Oshi no Ko still falls flat despite fulfilling its promise of a revenge-tragedy.

I think the biggest problem it has is the way the last chapter tells us instead of shows us as chapter 10 did.

Yes chapter 10 also used narrative text boxes a lot, but I argue that the effect then was much more immersive.

With them being used with precision to move us through a time skip with only the most necessary information about the fall out for the characters, even the distance had the effect of doing characterisation work with Aqua describing in a narrative text box how the policemen hid the scene from Ruby but Aqua felt his mother's body going cold beneath him as they arrived - this use of the text boxes casual tone over child Aqua sitting in his dead mother's lap gave a sense of disassociation and shock to the scene.

Even the textboxes turning black to mirror Aqua's dark emotions concerning his revenge as the star in his eye turned black showed how much attention was being paid to their use.

Ruby.

Ruby felt much more real in chapter 10, her rant about the internet's callous response to Ai's murder felt real and emotionally charged. In comparison, for all she's the main subject of the last chapter, she feels like a 2d cut out of herself, barely in there for all we see her struggling through Akane's observant gaze.

She expresses her motivation to be an idol despite hardship by acknowledging that Aqua's right about idolwork being difficult and cruel but reminding him that despite the darkside of the entertainment industry, their mother 'shone' very brightly. The talk about how Ruby shines more the darker things get and how this is a good thing because it reaches out to people trapped in darkness of their own (just like her when she was a terminally ill cancer patient) is clearly meant to echo this idea.

Frankly it fails.

Ruby feels hollow.

To the point where we barely get any insight into Ruby's real feelings at all or any emotional connection with her in comparison, by 166 it's genuinely unclear whether or not she's lying even to the portrait of her dead family when she's 'alone' on her way out the door.

We don't see a conversation between her and her adoptive mother about Aqua, we don't see her talking to Akane at all. We see her grief and her success from a deified distance, just like the fans do. And it alienates us from the character.

Lies are love and she has two stars in her eyes. Just like her mother did.

I think this more than anything condemns the idol industry, she has to keep lying even to herself about her job being fun because otherwise what was all that pain and suffering and loss for?

Aqua died in a murder-suicide (shout out to Taiki for experiencing a loved one doing this twice, poor guy) to give his little sister success in a job that she has to get up at 5.30 for, devote her entire youth to and will have to quit in less than a decade. It has to matter, that she provides escapism for people who are suffering like she did, but it doesn't change the grim reality of her exploitation.

I think the lack of dialogue in the final chapter and the loss of voice for Ruby in the last few arcs mirrors the loss of agency she experiences as she becomes the ultimate idol, everyone's star.

But that doesn't change the fact that from a reader perspective it's just bad writing. Aka failed to carry his audience with him to the finish line and his messages about the idol industry were blurred by the rushed plot after the movie arc began.

If it weren't for Mengo's art hard carrying the clumsily executed story, I can honestly say that I don't think many would have read this manga all the way to the end.

[wisdomcaster]

with ruby eyes that took my breath away

alternate versions, progress stuff, and a close up under the cut!

Yeah, so you know the head canon of "Gale tastes bad, but Astarion keeps feeding anyway because the flavor intrigues?" Yep that's this!

Gale in particular I think came out really good this time. Big fan of his hair and face. I also actually remembered his greys while I was doing all the other blending on his hair so go me! I'm still not there with Astarion as a whole I think, but I do like how the side of his hair came out. Looks appropriately messy to me. I was really struggling with the shape there for a minute some I'm glad that I eventually got to something that I was happy enough with.

I also really love the background!! I finally figured out a good brush settings for stars and it really paid off!! The fire has some nice movement too I think. I think my biggest nitpick is the pillow?? It still looks weird to me? but it's a pillow, what are you gonna do ya know?

[aayakashii]

trick or treat! TREAT AND RUI he can be my trea-- gets dragged out of the stage

Inspired by a @ghoulspaw headcanon!

"Your turn" you say, passing the microphone to Rui, a little bit breathless.

It was all Ed's idea. He had watched one of his favorite vtubers doing karaoke and immediately got the itch to do it as well. After a good amount of nagging, there was a karaoke machine propped on Rui's bar, occupying an obnoxious amount of space, but at least Ed had stopped whining.

"Oh no no." Rui shook his head, laughing "I don't sing, honey!"

You crossed your arms, staring at him in disbelief.

"I DO NOT believe you. Also I don't sing either and I just gave the performance of my life just now. You have to participate." You demanded.

Propped on a stool on the other side of the counter, Lyca agreed out loud.

"You gotta do it too! I can't stand Ed singing those awful songs anymore!"

Ed sighed dramatically, looking as pained as he did whenever he felt sick.

"Children these days can't properly appreciate the songs of old... but do sing, Rui. I need to rest my throat..." he coughed as if to make his point clearer.

Rui rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Come onnnn, Rui. Please?" You batted your eyelashes.

He sighed louder, but got up.

"Just because YOU are asking it, baby. I'm doing it for YOU." Rui said, pointing at you as he walked to the front of the tv screen.

"Wouldn't have it any other way!" You replied, grabbing a tamborine and smacking it loudly, just to prove him you were excited.

Once you heard the first seconds of the song Rui chose, however, you couldn't help but laugh out loud.

And he went all out as well, following the trendy choreography perfectly and having Lyca look at him in disgust every time he sent a little flying kiss on your way during the chorus.

Once the song ended, you hollered, smacking the tambourine loudly, while Rui bowed dramatically in front of you.

"Ruiiii, I'm your biggest fan! Your number one fan! Give me your autograph, please!" You said, wiggling your hands and arms in excitement as you pretended he was an idol.

Rui plopped down on your side, threading his fingers through his hair before giving you a wink.

"Of course, baby! I know you can't resist my charms." He made sure to put on his best host impression voice as he continued the joke.

You stared at him for a second, admiring the way the disco ball's lights reflected on his skin, the little beads of sweat on his forehead making him shine, flawless under red, green, blue and purple hues that spun all around the room.

His ruby-colored eyes were trained onto you, and you swore you could look at them for hours on end.

But you couldn't leave him hanging for an answer.

"Yes, I'm so sorry you're so cute, Rui. I can't resist you." You replied, voice a tad bit lower as you looked at him with a fond smile on your face.

Rui stared at you with wide eyes and gulped loudly, cheeks getting progressively redder.

Before he could come up with an answer, however, Lyca's voice boomed between the two of you, breaking the small moment.

"If you two aren't going to sing, then I will!" The werewolf said and you shot up to your feet, hurrying to stop him so you could find an easy song for him to sing (Lyca wasn't the best vocalist, but none of you would ever complain).

Rui, however, stood in place, face still flushed, as your words kept on making his heart race.

[synthient]

Feel like I'm in an odd spot re the "are there too many references and returning characters for the new viewers to keep up with" posts! In that I started with Church on Ruby Road a year ago, but have also been autistically deep diving ever since. But from my perspective:

Susan has been seeded well enough that it doesn't really feel like I'm missing much background from just the in-show references + some wiki skimming.

The Sutekh reveal felt underwhelming (which kind of seems to have been the response from both new and diehard fans), but I still think that was at least partially intentional.

Rogue rang Master alarm bells for me from his intro episode, simply because they made him deliberately sus and the Master was one of the only Doctor Who characters I already knew by name/reputation going in. I followed that up with "Master run" of nuwho episodes featuring the Master, which was a pretty quick undertaking (except for the part where Death in Heaven/Dark Water was so fun that I decided to stop and watch all of s9 and s10 in order lol)

I went ahead and watched the two Rani episodes last month because of posts comparing Mrs. Flood's companion cosplaying to her Mel schtick, and was therefore prepped for the twist with minimal investment. (And if I hadn't, I still would have at least recognized the name and had the "that's the 2nd most well-known time lord antagonist besides the Master" context)

I'd encountered Fugitive Doctor briefly during my Master run, and if I hadn't, I don't think she would've been any more confusing than any of the other previous face flashbacks (none of which particularly require context beyond "that's a previous Doctor face")

All I know about Omega right now is "the first time lord" plus some wiki skimming, and I feel like that's basically all the context the show is going to require me to have. I might still end up watching his episodes, since, again, there's only 2 of them

I think the single biggest feeling of "oh here's a bunch of established characters and concepts I don't know, but the show seems to be banking on my prior investment in them 😬" was when they walked into the Unit HQ in Legend of Ruby Sunday

Anyway, since last year I've watched 5 or 6 seasons and change of nuwho and 4 episodes of oldwho, and I feel if anything overprepared to follow and analyze this season. I think not being too hung up on a lot of the Deep Lore may have actually made it easier for me to spot what the current run is doing on its own terms

[timeagainreviews]

The Hyperfixations of Steven Moffat

Leading up to the Doctor Who Christmas special, I was surprised to see people expressing indifference toward the prospect of new Doctor Who. There were the usual shitbag “Not my Doctor,” homophobes and racists who add nothing but noise to the background radiation of the fandom. But there were also ride-or-die fans expressing disinterest. And it’s not like I don’t get it. The first season of RTD’s return was a bit jank. For me, it was a marked uptick in quality, but it also felt like it was trying a bit too hard. We’re also coming off the tail end of a Hell Year™, and we’re tired. Honestly, I kind of hate anyone whose biggest problem in the world right now is the Superman trailer. But I also recognise the need for escapism. Which is why a Doctor Who Christmas special and Wallace & Gromit double feature was such a welcome reprieve from Hell Year™. That was my Christmas sorted. And you know what? I had a lovely fucking Christmas.

My greatest takeaway from this double feature was that Wallace is a bit of a menace in his own right, and Moffat is a man with hyperfixations. When I say this, I don’t mean it in a judgemental way (except for Wallace, he should take more care), but rather to highlight what I think is Moffat’s main quality as a writer. Recently Moffat disclosed that he has been diagnosed autistic. As a neurospicy individual myself, I appreciate a good hyperfixation. Let this blog be exhibit A. You give an autistic or ADHD person a hyperfixation, and it’s like a dog with a bone. You can see this in the way Moffat writes about time travel. I’ve mentioned it before, but Moffat writes time travel like a young boy who got hyperfixated and couldn’t stop thinking about the implications of time travel. 

What are some of Moffat’s hyperfixations as a writer? How about names beginning with “Os”? What about women who look like Elon Musk’s mum if she were a burlesque scientist? Or young people who meet older people and become obsessed with them into adulthood? (I’m not gonna get into it, but it’s weird that it happened three times) While some of Moffat’s preoccupations are distinctly Steven, others are more widely shared. I still remember being nervous around a hobo statue my grandmother had in her basement. I used to run past it as though it were going to spring into life the moment I took my eyes off it. I understand Weeping Angels. Fear of the dark gets us the Vashta Nerada. Steven Moffat is a writer whose fixations are at the centre of his work. And part of that work lands him in hotel rooms where he has plenty of time to lie there and think about the room he’s in.

About a month ago, we were given our first taste of “Joy to the World,” with the opening scene of the Doctor going door to door in various locations attempting to deliver a ham and cheese toastie and a pumpkin spice latte. I don’t usually watch scenes ahead of their time, but the costume geek in me really wanted to see the latest variation on what has become the closest thing we’ll get to a signature look for this Doctor. I loved the butterscotch tones with the wide legged trousers. Such an iconic look. This may be one of my favourite costumes Ncuti has worn thus far. However, beyond a glimpse at the new costume, I was curious to see the Fifteenth Doctor with a different companion from Ruby Sunday. I adored Nicola Coughlan as Clare in Derry Girls, so I had to sneak a peak.

It was rare in classic Doctor Who for a Doctor to go into a situation with no companions. The Third Doctor was alone before meeting Liz Shaw. The TARDIS engines had hardly cooled between Leela and Romana. There were also the Eighth Doctor and Grace. But for the most part, there was always a companion bridging the exchange. It’s far more common in modern Doctor Who to see the Doctor without a companion at the beginning of a story. These moments interest me because its a chance to see the Doctor’s vulnerability. With no one to impress, the Doctor feels somehow less confident. The Doctor doesn’t always need a companion to remind him when he’s gone too far, but also to remind him to feel love. Here, we see the Doctor still not used to being on his own. He pops into a hotel lobby for a couple cups of coffee before remembering he only needs the one.

While this is a nice re-introduction to the Doctor’s current emotional state, I was a little disappointed by this being the reason the Doctor was at the Time Hotel in the first place. It’s funny that he steals coffee from hotel lobbies on the reg, but it’s a flimsy device for a story setup. Then again, that is Moffat’s way. During his run on Doctor Who it was always impressed upon us that the TARDIS always took the Doctor where he needed to be. He even reiterates this concept during the Doctor and Anita’s conversation about her sat nav. That’s sort of the Doctor’s whole thing. Go somewhere innocuous on the day when everything went to shit. Henrik’s Department Store operated for years without incident until the Nestine Consciousness showed up and the Doctor had to blow the place up. Besides, how else are you going to draw a guy who time travels and has no need for a home into a time travelling hotel? Those are like the two things he needs the least. So yeah, the Doctor steals coffees like they were TARDISes.

Along with Nicola Coughlan guest starring as Joy, we get an adorable turn from Joel Fry as the charmingly dim Trev Simpkins. While his screentime is minimal, I fell in love with Trev almost immediately. Sadly, Trev wouldn’t be long for this world, but the stars are a completely different story. Having been conscripted by the Doctor to spy on a strange man in the hotel lobby, Trev quickly becomes embroiled in the journey of the mysterious Villengard suitcase by becoming its next host. This is how we’re introduced to Joy Almondo, a young woman staying at the Sandringham Hotel, which is a bit of a flophouse. Once again, we’re reintroduced to another Moffat hyperfixation which is a weird “women be shoppin’” attitude when Joy nervously asks Anita if its obvious that she’s single. I rolled my eyes at that line, and it’s made slightly more egregious when you consider the reason Joy is by herself in this run-down hotel on Christmas Eve. Why would she be thinking of men on the night she’s very clearly mourning the loss of her mum? The brief conversation between her and the fly in her room endears us to her far more than her anxiety about finding a man in this economy.

Ultimately, the Sandringham Hotel proves to be a lot more interesting of a location than the Time Hotel. Which is saying something considering that out of the Time Hotel’s many doors into different periods of time, one of those doors is some kind of Hobbit door. In contrast to the wacky voyeur tourism of the Time Hotel, the Sandringham Hotel was where the emotional core of the story takes place, even if I find Moffat’s conceit about hotels a bit contrived. You see, I can imagine the genesis of this story came from Moffat lying in a hotel room and considering that weird door that won’t open. We’ve all wondered about it. But he loses me a bit with his take on why people stay at such hotels.

Back in 2016, my friend Gary came and visited me from the states. We planned a trip down to London where he could see Abbey Road and then onto Cardiff for the Doctor Who Experience and up to Liverpool to see John Lennon’s house. It was a bare-bones trip over three days that required some sacrifices in train times and accommodations. We needed a good hotel in London, but what was most important was a place to hang our heads for the evening, so we went with cheap. The hotel we ended up with, we lovingly referred to as the Hotel Mos Eisley because it was a wretched hive of scum and villany. The rooms were numbered with a devil-may-care randomness. At the top of the stairs was a slashed canvas depicting Marilyn Monroe. One of her teeth had been blacked out and a swastika was drawn on her forehead. We had to sleep with toilet paper in our ears for fear of roaches. But we met so many characters in this hotel that we remember it as a fond memory of our trip. We still laugh about it to this day. My point being, sometimes a hotel room is just a means to an end. Also, some people are just poor. It’s not that deep, Steven.

I will however concede that this isn’t lost on Steven Moffat. As I said before, a lot of humanity can be found in the mundane setting of the Sandringham. Spoilers for the Bible if you’ve not read it, but that sentiment is reiterated with the humble manger where Mary gives birth to Jesus at the end of this episode. Furthermore, the Doctor was merely making Joy angry in an attempt to wake her out of whatever control the Villengard briefcase has over her. I had read about a week ago that Moffat wanted to bring the Doctor’s meanness back into the character, something which I have been waiting for since Chibnall decided to make the Doctor constantly stoked on life. I’m not going to go back and count the number of times in this blog where I mentioned wishing they would make Jodie scarier, but it was often. The Doctor is an alien and basically a god, it’s nice to be reminded of that on occasion. Eccleston is a good Doctor, but he became a great Doctor when we saw him lose his shit in “Dalek.” Even if it was being mean to save Joy’s life, it was nice to see the manipulative cosmic being we saw in the Seventh and Eleventh Doctors.

The Doctor is forced to go the long way to save Joy in the future by boot strap paradoxing the briefcase code to himself. I really loved this year the Doctor spends with Anita, working side by side at this hotel. As my friend Taryn quipped, they did more to build the Doctor and Anita’s relationship in one episode than they did Thirteen and Yaz’s relationship in three seasons. But in this relationship, I did find a few holes, and I don’t think I’m alone in suspecting they mean something. By now, you’ve probably seen a theory or two about Anita being Mrs Flood, and I’m right there with you. While she seems perfectly nice, there are some moments when Anita feels like she’s either a woman out of time, or not of this world. She didn’t recognise police boxes, which is sort of fair. I mean, here in Glasgow, they’re everywhere. But they are still a relic. She also didn’t know what Auld Lang Syne meant. Once again, fair dos, not everyone does. But growing up in the UK and not knowing who Guy Fawkes was? Very suspicious.

The Doctor stays with Anita for an entire year working side by side at the hotel. It gave shades of “The Lodger,” and “The Power of Three,” watching the Doctor stay in one place for an extended period while using his Doctory technology in service of mundane tasks. It was very charming and Christmassy to see the Doctor in this capacity. It only further drove home my belief that Ncuti Gatwa was a shoe-in for the Doctor. However, my internet addled-brain still laughed when they hinged a large portion of the episode’s emotional core around a hotel cuck chair. Moffat is clearly not suffering from the same brain rot as me. It’s Chibnall and VOR (see: vore) all over again. Moffat may have a lot to say about hotel rooms, but so does the internet. Sometimes, the fact that Doctor Who is made by middle aged Doctor Who nerds is entirely apparent. I suppose it’s what makes the show so wonderfully memeable. 

Trev uses the phrase “Everywhere, all at once,” in this epsiode and I can’t help but feel like Doctor Who is dipping its toe into the metaverse. Last season we had a character called Susan Triad who was played by a woman named Susan Twist. Then the characters dance while singing that there is always a twist at the end. If Anita turns out to be Mrs Flood, then we’ll have a woman named Anita Dobson who plays a character named Anita Flood. I’m not saying this is what is happening, but it can’t be lost on RTD. Then again, Moffat did give us Oswin Oswald at the same time we got Osgood and I’ll be damned if it didn’t feel related back then too. One of the recurring theories I see people returning to is that the Doctor is in the Land of Fiction from “The Mindrobber.” Perhaps they have included the Master of the Land into the Pantheon of Gods. If you watched the trailer for season two, you’ll have noticed the large animated character emerging for the theatre screen. It’s either the deepest Eighth Doctor cut ever (Crooked World represent!) or the walls between fiction and reality are bleeding into one another. What will that mean for the Doctor, a fictional character? Doctor Who may be a staple of British culture, but it also exists in a Britain so foreign to modern Britain because it never went through a phase of Dalekmania. None the less, I sense another shakeup on the horizon.

Speaking of Britains from a foreign reality, how about that COVID-19 representation? I say foreign from reality, because if you were to have watched Doctor Who during the pandemic, you would think that their fictional version of Britain never had to deal with the coronavirus. I’m not going to sit here and call Chibnall gutless for not including the pandemic into the storyline. I imagine it was a choice that required a meeting and they ultimately decided not to address it. If I were to guess, I would imagine they left the pandemic out of the show for two reasons. Firstly, they probably wanted Doctor Who to be a reprieve from death and despair. And secondly, they probably wanted to avoid questions like “Why doesn’t the Doctor just give everyone the cure?” So yeah, they probably did what was best at the time and left it at that. I can appreciate that. I can also appreciate them introducing it to give the Tories a proper bollocking.

I’ve seen some complaints about Joy’s decrying the Tories as her mother gasped her final breaths in the hospital. Some people (see: idiots) thought it was too political and woke. Which, if that’s your takeaway from this episode, I pity you. If anything, the Tories got off light. I have friends who lost their mums to COVID and I was happy to see the show finally address the very real situation we survived. I’m old enough to have lived through monkey pox outbreaks, bird flu, SARS, and mad cow disease. I never met anyone who got those diseases. I’ve had COVID three times. The pandemic was out of control in a way no living human had seen since the 1920s. Doctor Who has often struggled with finding the correct tone when tackling deep issues. But I feel like they nailed it here. Oddly, it being a Christmas story allows it the proper tone to reflect on holidays spent with late loved ones.

It’s rare when I watch an episode of Doctor Who when my closest network of friends and family who watch Doctor Who are all in agreement as to its quality. Usually one of us has a grievance to air. But everyone in my little circle really enjoyed the episode. This is surprising considering the somewhat cheesy ending with Bethlehem (though I did love the idea that the Time Hotel is why there was no room at the inn for Mary and Joseph). Myself and Taryn, both atheists, weren’t bothered in the slightest. My friend Alice, a Christian, wasn’t bothered by it on any religious grounds. It was a sweet moment afforded by the fact that it’s Christmas. Besides, if Baby Jesus isn’t invited to his birthday party, then maybe they’re doing something wrong. Other than the usual chuckleheads, I’ve not seen many people complaining about this episode. I did see that some people were let down by the lack of Silurians. The Silurian hotel manager, Melnak, had led some to believe that this Christmas special was going to be rife with Silurians. I never got this impression as he seemed like a one-off character. In fact, after watching the second episode preview, I thought it was implied that the Villengard briefcase hologram took the form of the dominant species during dinosaur times. It would appear that we were all wrong. Other than that and some of Moffat’s weird “women be shopping” brand of dialogue, it was a very solid episode of Doctor Who.

Along with the quiet moments of reflection, the deep connection between the Doctor and Anita, and Joy’s mourning her mother, we even got some exciting action scenes. We got a Jurassic Park style dinosaur with glowy eyes. We even got an exciting train scene. I love watching Ncuti in that flowing coat. He’s like a superhero in his cape atop that train in an ice storm. It was fun to watch him swinging a grappling hook to open the tomb encasing the starseed. But when the Doctor returns, both Joy and the starseed have ascended the stairs to the wild blue yonder above. While I had hoped for a little bit more of a presence of Villengard, I appreciated that this sentient star had more in mind than death and destruction. Villengard was so far from in control of the situation by that point and I loved that. Because, in reality, they’ve always been pathetic and small-time in the Doctor’s world. They acknowledge and appreciate the shared risk all sentient life takes with their actions. They like to think its the same worry people had when they fired up the Hadron Collider, but it’s closer in nature to corporations killing the environment we all depend on. “The Starseed will bloom and the flesh will rise,” wasn’t a threat, but a prelude to Joy’s ascent into the heavens. What’s more is that Trev and the other carriers of the star case will also live on forever in the sky. Leading the wisemen to Jesus and delivering Joy’s mother to the great beyond. If you think this episode didn’t make me cry, you’d be wrong.

The episode ends, but not before revisiting a couple of familiar faces. We see Ruby waiting by her phone for the Doctor to call, but instead it’s her mum. We can expect to see Ruby again, but probably not right away, which I’m fine with. It will give us time to get to know Varada Sethu as “Belinda Chandra,” a name which excites me on two levels. Is she related to Rani Chandra? And why does she have a different name from Mundy Flynn? Is this an Adeola/Martha cousins thing? Or is an Oswin/Clara different versions of the same person thing? Maybe it’s something more? The important thing is that I’m curious and excited to find out. I expect great things from Doctor Who, and if nothing else, chairs for the TARDIS. The future of Doctor Who feels bright from my perspective, I just wish the rest of the fandom felt the same way. 2025, or Hell Year™ 2.0,  is going to be a rough year for a lot of us. Like I said, I understand the need for escapism. You have my permission to feel good about yourself and to enjoy some Doctor Who next year. Fuck the haters. You have value and you deserve to feel joy.