#missy when she’s going to be getting those credentials

[indulgentdaydream]

me when I’m going to a LITERAL gala tonight so now I can have first hand experience for writing gala-oriented fics 🥰

[works-of-magic]

I'm a nerd who likes telling stories about my team and our adventures, so here's another filled-in questions list! This one comes from here:

https://www.tumblr.com/flowerliker/707205355342626816/here-are-some-pok%C3%A9blr-asks

1. if you battle, talk about a battle that was really important to you! Well, I don't battle much, but let's see... Should I talk about the time I battled Fantina? That was so much fun! I've always admired Fantina. Being both a Master Coordinator AND a Gym Leader makes her rather rare and accomplished! And she's a GHOST TRAINER too! I've admired her for a long time.

So when the friend I was traveling with wanted to battle her, I decided, heck, why not? I don't care a whit about the leagues but I knew how to battle. I didn't really have the contest credentials to face her in a Master Rank contest back then (or now, even). My team did really well and we wound up winning! It's literally the one and only singular sole badge I own. Missie had so much fun, and Mistress learned a lot!

2. if you participate in contests, talk about a contest that was really important to you! Oh gosh, contests were always for Self Expression and essentially Just For Fun for us. All except for one. I've told this story before, but by Arc, I'm going to tell it again!

My first Misdreavus, Missie, was abandoned by her first trainer. And one day, who should my little ghost recognize when we're registering for a contest but that very same trainer? So you can imagine my fury and Mistress's scorn when we see our friend drooping and so sad she could barely float. Mistress stepped up to those appeals with style and flair I'd never seen from her before, and we sailed through the first rounds. We wound up facing Missie's old trainer in the final round. And we trounced her SOUNDLY, she didn't stand a chance! It was only Great Rank, barely not novice level, but that ribbon is my most treasured one of all.

3. what's one pokémon you would really like to have as a partner? I can't imagine any partner being a better fit for me than Mistress.

4. how did you meet your very first pokémon? So my family had an assortment of household "pets" when I was a kid, but the first one that was truly MINE was a little Vulpix I got for Christmas! He was wrapped in a big box with a loosely-fit lid, and when I took it off, he was right there, looking up at me with those big dark eyes. He jumped right out and, it was probably hilarious to watch from the sidelines, I tried to catch him but missed and nearly fell into the box, almost knocked the Christmas tree over, and when I got myself upright again, he was sitting as calm as could be, watching with what I can only think was amusement.

5. what's your favorite kind of pokéball? Dusk balls, probably! I also use luxury balls though, anything I can do to make my traveling company more comfortable, I will.

6. what kind of tasks do your pokémon do to help you in the day-to-day? Mistress does most of them. I have a massive whopping case of ADHD and some dysthymia, and Mistress has a much better memory and attention span. She reminds me of things and gets my attention when my mind wanders, and she has a particular chant that helps me focus when I'm really struggling. Ninetales helps me wrangle situations when tensions run high in the breeding center, and Excalibur (my Pidgeot) is always good for cuddles and helping everyone calm down. Murky likes to "help" picking berries from the garden, but whenever he does, half of them ~mysteriously~ disappear, so he's not allowed near the berry stores anymore.

7. what's your favorite move one of your pokémon knows? I really like Shadow Ball! Sure, it's not really anything special or rare, but so many of my battle stars know it, it comes naturally to a lot of the ghosts I raise, and it just looks so COOL! It makes amazing contest material when you combine it with moves that produce light, gives it a very dramatic contrast.

8. what's one pokémon you like that people wouldn't expect? Maybe Glaceon? I get along pretty well with Ice types!

9. do you have a favorite legendary pokémon? Giratina's really fascinating to me, and Darkrai are one of those species that get a really bad reputation but I'm convinced it's not deserved. I'd love to interact with either of them someday.

10. what's one city, town, or landmark you want to visit someday? Hmmm... I hear there's a haunted mansion in Unova!

11. do you battle, coordinate, study, or something else? why did you decide to do that? have you ever tried to do one of the other things? Breeding mostly, nowadays, but I spend a solid decade in the contest world! I always had a deep love of ghost types, but funnily enough it wasn't until I trained two of them and just fell so far down the ghost-Pokemon rabbit hole that I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to them. I just didn't know how for the longest time. Contests were great when I was younger, they were a great creative outlet and gave us something to work for, and practicing our appeals was a fantastic bonding exercise.

But when Mistress and Trick hatched their first baby, I was just so hopelessly in love with the little guy! Watching the parents with him, training him, building the foundation from scratch... There was something so different about raising a Pokemon you've known since birth. (And gosh, baby Misdreavus are CUTE!) He wound up being traded to one of my brother's friends, but there was a new kind of itch in my life.

I did a lot more traveling and some more training and coordinating for awhile, and I did attend a couple of foundational classes to become either a professor or a Pokecenter nurse, but I got to a certain age where I just wanted to live a quieter life surrounded by the ghosts I love so much. I didn't want to travel and I couldn't handle the stress of constantly being around injured Pokemon. Hurts my heart, you know? So yeah, I wound up settling down, and over time I accrued more Misdreavus and the ghost fanatics I'd networked with had given me a good idea of how to breed and raise these guys. So I tried my hand at it, and wound up loving it.

12. where is your hometown? where do you live now? I was born in Celestic Town, now living off the beaten path in Eterna Forest! (What can I say, I like it here in Sinnoh.)

13. what do you like the most about your hometown? There's a lot of old wisdom in Celestic Town. (Some of that wisdom is pure superstition, but the connection between people and Pokemon is very strong there, and appreciation for it too.)

14. what do you like the most about where you live now? It's dark and quiet and not crowded at all, which is perfect for a nyctophiliac introvert like myself! And also the ghosts seem to have this routine where they wander off for awhile and won't tell me what they did there. Mistress calls it "ghost business", but they never do it anywhere else...

15. what kinds of friends have you made on this website? Honestly? I don't think I'm on here often enough to have made many new friends. I like to think some of the people I've met will become friends, though!

16. what habit does one of your pokémon have that's unusual for its species? People are quite surprised to find that Mistress's favorite chant is a calming lullaby chant! (Not that benevolent chants are "unusual" for Mismagius, necessarily-- well not for ALL individuals, anyways-- but she puts a lot of practice into the helpful chants.)

17. have you ever raised a pokémon egg? Oh yeah! A great many! Again: Breeder!

18. do you have any pokémon that were traded to you? Unless you count Missie being abandoned and me finding her, not really. The Rotom that lurks around the place was a gift though.

19. what thing did/does your pokémon have the hardest time learning? Oof, so Mistress probably evolved way too early. That's my theory, anyways. The ghost expert I was mentored by for a couple years told us she also had some psychological blockages feeding into it. But for like a YEAR after I started travelling with her, Mistress couldn't learn any ghost type moves. She's a Mismagius. That's a pure ghost type. And even when she was old enough to learn a rather basic, foundational move (Astonish), she just couldn't get it to work.

20. what kind of food do your pokémon like? That depends on the Pokemon! Mistress likes light and refreshing things like green tea and bitter poffins. She doesn't eat much and usually leans more phobovorous. Murky loves all kinds of food, but especially likes anything dry. Nearly all of them like my poffins, though! (Except Thorn, for some reason. She really likes pokebeans! I wish I could garden them, but their native Alola is super sunny and warm and relatively humid, which is like the polar opposite of Eterna Forest. We can't grow them here.)

21. what's one thing you and your partner pokémon have in common? One thing? Just one? Both Mistress and I stand up for the underdog.

22. what's one thing that couldn't be more different between you and your partner pokémon? Ooh, that's a tough one... Probably that I'm easily distracted. I have moments where I can pay attention, but Mistress's attention is always very steady, and she's a lot more alert than me. (To the point where she used to creep my best friend out!)

23. did you and your partner pokémon always get along? "Did", like back when we first met? That's a big fat "no". She didn't trust me at all, which frustrated me greatly (mostly because I couldn't understand why, but believe me, she had her reasons). She wouldn't listen to me either, she wouldn't obey me if I called her for a battle, she wouldn't respond when I asked her questions unless it was a sharp snap or that aloof shrug she does. And honestly, I think she was afraid and trying to struggle her way through a lot of things back then. And I said a few things that might have come across as insensitive, which didn't help her trust me. I often wonder if we ever would have met if it wasn't for Missie bringing us together.

24. what's the rarest pokémon you've met? Hmmm... Which is more rare, a shiny Murkrow or a glimpse of Mesprit?

25. do you have a big team or just a small number of pokémon? how did you decide which was better for you? I have a pretty big team, and a DEFINITELY-big population at the breeding center! It kind of came naturally, and over time. I used to think one Pokemon was all I'd ever need when Ninetales was my only friend, but as I traveled and made friends with more Pokemon, I kind of just kept accumulating them. It only feels like too much when nobody's getting along.

26. tell us about an interesting trainer you've met, either while you've traveled or who came through where you stay! My best friend is a really interesting trainer! He's an electric type specialist, but he keeps a pretty wide variety in his team. I mentioned a ghost expert that mentored me for a couple years, that was actually his grandma. His whole family situation is... Whew. But we're both oddballs and he has this hilarious sense of humor, keeps it interesting when we're traveling together, and also the kind of person I can call in the middle of the night when something scares me and he'll sit with me on the phone for hours reading trivia and telling jokes until I calm down. He's awesome.

27. if you travel, what was your favorite place to travel through? I'm living there, baby! Eterna Forest was my favorite place to travel for years before I lived here. In fact, that's part of WHY we live here now.

28. if you travel, what was your least favorite place to travel through? Oh, that's hard... Anywhere people look at my Pokemon and make faces, or grab onto their good luck charms like just seeing a Mismagius is going to curse them. Or possibly Castelia City, Black City-- I get so hopelessly lost in big urban places like that.

29. what is your pokémon's favorite snack? It really depends on the Pokemon! Most of them really like my poffins! I've also invented a few strudel-like recipes, Ninetales especially likes those, and both Mistress and Trick prefer using fear as food.

30. what is something you could not do without your pokémon? Finish projects! Playing music and singing together makes cleaning the breeding center a thousand times easier. I probably couldn't have finished my notes for the presentations I give at local conventions and pokecenters without Mistress. Relaxing with Excalibur is especially easy too, he's so laid-back and he loves grooming us all.

31. where is your pokémon's favorite place to go? Probably on our annual trip to Lavender Town!

32. where is your favorite place to go? Also Lavender Town! Or Eterna Forest again. I really like this forest, okay.

33. what kind of treats do you give your pokémon? Any kind I can get my hands on! We're adventurous foodies around here. Most often they're berries or poffins, but I do get creative and bake treats, and when we travel I always bring home treats for those who are interested to try some. Starpoint (one of my younger Misdreavus) has no interest in traveling with us, but she tries food from every region we visit! She loves Pokepuffs especially, but making pastries is HARD and frankly I'm too intimidated by all the steps to try making them myself.

34. how do you and your pokémon celebrate special events, holidays, victories, and/or anniversaries? We're a bit unusual with our holidays. The only one I really observe is Samhain, and that's when we take our trip to Lavender Town every year. Usually I bring Missie, Mistress, Murky, and Ninetales along, maybe a baby if there's one that needs a careful hand that I don't trust with whoever's watching the center while I'm away.

Not even Mistress can help me remember anniversaries, though. ;;; As for special events and victories, we usually celebrate with comfort food and relaxation, and maybe some games or music!

35. how do you like to spend time with your pokémon? However makes them happy! Mistress and I like meditating, practicing spellwork, or she'll cast these sort of bizarre hallucinations when she's bored and it always entertains me. (She has my permission to do that, don't worry.) Missie and I enjoy dancing or cuddling as I read. With Trick I do things like watch horror movies or play games where he'll try his best to startle me. He tried to startle me while I was filling these out, actually! Ninetales is usually content to follow me around and keep watch for anything going amiss. Starpoint likes playing or cheering others on as they play or mock-fight or dance. It really does depend on the individuals!

36. name something about your partner pokémon that makes you really proud of them! Mistress has come SO FAR, dear gods! When I first met her, she was full of doubt and distrust, in herself as well as anyone else, and she was wandering through life without a clue where she was going. I know I helped her find herself and find trust in humans again, but she did a lot of the work herself, too. She was the one that decided to trust me. I couldn't ask for a better partner.

37. how do you like to spend time with your pokémon? (Repeat of 35?)

38. name something that your pokémon is really good at! Mistress is so intelligent, she picked up on human speech! (She doesn't use it much, though. Says it makes her throat itch.) Murky is an astute strategist. Ninetales is really good at reassuring me. Excalibur is an excellent flyer. Missie is really elegant when she's dancing! Sheera is perhaps my strongest battler, MAYBE second only to Berry, my Mimikyu.

39. what's a cool skill or hobby you have that doesn't actually have much to do with your pokémon? I'm a hobbyist writer! As far as sharing it, I mostly use it to write my educational speeches for dispelling myths about ghost-types and things like that, but I do dabble a little in poetry and fantasy, too.

40. what kind of pokémon (can be but doesn't have to be type!) are your favorite? why do you like them so much? Misdreavus and Mismagius, far and away! Misdreavus are just so dang CUTE, okay. And Mismagius are awesome. I think it's the sounds Misdreavus make that really seal the deal. Mismagius is a creature of magic and misunderstandings, much like myself. I love Mismagius sounds too! I love both of their looks, actually! Misdreavus with their big cute bright eyes and Mismagius with their flowing elegance and witchy looks. And they both use EMOTION as NUTRITION! I just find that so fascinating and awe-inspiring! Gods, I could go on forever about why I love them so much, but every moment I've spent with them just convinces me I love them more. (And I've raised 48 Misdreavus and 4 Mismagius by now. That's a lot of love.)

[the-desolated-quill]

The Witch’s Familiar - 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)

Now that we’ve gotten past the pointless and mindless prologue that was The Magician’s Apprentice, I was hoping that The Witch’s Familiar would be where the meat of the story would be. Sadly there’s barely any meat on this thing.

Yes, while The Witch’s Familiar has more narrative coherence than the previous episode did, sticking to one time and location for the most part, it’s in fact just as bad as The Magician’s Apprentice, if not worse.

Let’s start with the biggest problem. Davros. Specifically how he’s utilised. Seeing boy Davros on the Skaro battlefield was quite an exciting development and could have opened up some interesting directions for the character to go down. Unfortunately that’s not the case. Turns out the story is not about Davros at all. It’s, once again, all about the Doctor. What? You thought Moffat had finally stopped the introspective bullshit in Death In Heaven? You thought the Doctor’s speech about being just a guy in a box was the end of the matter? Well you’d be wrong, wouldn’t you? It looks like brooding angst is going to be a staple of the Twelfth Doctor’s tenure, so you’d better get used to it.

Good God, I’m so fucking tired of this crap. Not only has the Doctor’s constant, guilt driven introspection been serving as a detriment to numerous plots, it also doesn’t make a pixel of sense, especially when you consider who he spends most of his time talking to in this story. Remember in the episode Journey’s End back in the RTD era where Davros started flinging moral judgements at the Doctor? Remember how bloody stupid that was? Well The Witch’s Familiar is like that, but somehow even stupider (and I didn’t even think that was possible). Once again the Doctor’s good guy credentials are being criticised with no justification whatsoever, and it’s hard to take it seriously because it’s fucking Davros. Davros is the one waggling his finger disapprovingly at the Doctor. Davros. Forgive me if I don’t consider Space Hitler fit enough to judge the Doctor’s moral standing.

It’s such a shame because both Peter Capaldi and Julian Bleach really give it their all and you can tell they’re really trying for something hard-hitting and emotional, but it just doesn’t work because the whole thing is utterly ridiculous. At one point Davros asks the Doctor if he’s a good man and whether he did the right thing trapping his own race inside pepper pots, which is clearly supposed to mirror the Doctor’s question to Clara in Into The Dalek, but it’s so fucking daft because... IT’S FUCKING DAVROS! He’s a racist, genocidal maniac who performed brutal experiments on his own people and was responsible for the deaths of billions. Let’s just say Santa Claus won’t be paying him a visit anytime soon. That got quite possibly the biggest laugh out of me this whole episode. And it just gets even weirder when you consider the Doctor’s response. I could buy the Doctor visiting his deathbed, taking pity on him and even sharing a laugh with him (they’ve had a long history after all). But giving him some of his regeneration energy?

IT’S FUCKING DAVROS!!!

I know I must sound like a heartless bastard, but I honestly wasn’t moved by the Doctor and Davros’ interactions. Not even slightly. It’s just too stupid and too unlikely for words. And it just gets worse when you find out that the two have been lying to each other through their back bloody teeth this all time. Were you moved by Davros’ emotional pleas to the Doctor? Turns out he was lying the whole time! He just wanted the Doctor’s regeneration energy for his Daleks (they never explain why or how this would benefit the Daleks. Moffat was too busy trying to be clever rather than filling in that little detail for us) and didn’t mean a single fucking thing he said. But it’s okay because the Doctor was lying too! Yeah, he knew all along that Davros was lying and so played him at his own game, so not only does this have no emotional weight whatsoever, there’s also nothing even remotely at stake! Isn’t Moffat a genius?

I really wish the story had stuck with the Doctor and boy Davros because that was interesting. I even liked the idea of the Doctor giving up his sonic screwdriver due to his own guilt (although that’s later ruined thanks to the sonic sunglasses. Seriously?! Sonic fucking sunglasses?!?! Give me strength!), and had they left it with the Doctor abandoning boy Davros to his fate, it would have been fine. Instead Moffat had to take it one step further.

This whole scenario is clearly taking inspiration from the classic Who story Genesis Of The Daleks. Specifically a line uttered by Tom Baker’s Doctor during a pivotal moment of the story:

"If someone who knew the future pointed out a child to you and told you that that child would grow up totally evil, to be a ruthless dictator who would destroy millions of lives, could you then kill that child?"

Now if you haven’t already, I strongly urge you to watch Genesis Of The Daleks. It’s one of the best stories in the whole of Doctor Who (some even consider it to be the best) and every Whovian needs to watch it at least once. One of the many reasons why Genesis is so fondly remembered is because of the morally complex question at the centre. Terry Nation smartly chooses not to answer it, instead allowing the audience to come to their own conclusions. Steven Moffat, on the other hand, chooses to tackle the question head on. The Doctor is given the opportunity to exterminate boy Davros, but instead ends up saving him. But you see, by doing so, Moffat completely misses the point of Genesis Of The Daleks. It’s not about what the Doctor would or wouldn’t do. It’s about the question itself. Rather than expanding on the legacy of Genesis, Moffat ends up tarnishing it, sweeping all the moral complexity under the carpet and spoon-feeding us a neat and tidy answer. No of course the Doctor wouldn’t kill a child! Are you crazy? And all the millions of lives destroyed are very quickly brushed aside with some bullshit about mercy. Not only is it too simplistic, it also makes the Doctor come across like a complete hypocrite. While he’s busy trying to decide whether killing Davros is the right thing to do, he’s setting up the Daleks so that they can kill each other. Obviously this kind of manipulation is very much in character for the Doctor, but it’s ironic how he shows a lot of guilt and angst over a humanoid child, but doesn’t even so much as bat an eyelid at killing all the non-humanoid Daleks.

Let’s quickly talk about the Daleks. They always tend to suffer in Davros stories, and this is a perfect example of that. Yes we do get a lot of new info about the Daleks (most of which doesn’t make sense. Why dump old, decaying Daleks in the sewers? Why not just kill them? Isn’t that their usual MO? Obsession with purity and all that. And while the Dalek machine altering your speech sounds like a good idea and adds to the trapped and claustrophobic nature of the Daleks, it also completely contradicts what we already know about them. How did Ian Chesterton manage to have a conversation with the First Doctor, Barbara and Susan when he was in the Dalek machine?), but they’re also not in the slightest bit threatening, and that’s because nobody takes them seriously. You’ve got the Doctor whizzing around in Davros’ chair asking them if they want to play dodgems, you’ve got the Master back to her annoying, goofy self (the bitch is back? Moffat, may I remind you this is a kid’s show) undermining the Daleks’ authority at every turn. Add to that apparently it’s easy as fuck to cheat death thanks to the Master’s teleport and the TARDIS’ newfound superpowers, and the Daleks don’t really have a leg to stand on. If the show isn’t going to take them seriously, why the fuck should I?

Speaking of the Master, what are she and Clara even doing here? They contribute precisely nothing to the story at all. You could just cut them out of the story entirely and it wouldn’t make the slightest bit of difference. And why does the Master try and trick the Doctor into killing Clara? What’s the point? Didn’t she bring the Doctor and Clara together in the first place? And why did she even do that? That’s never been explained. I wasn’t kidding when I said Missy was basically Moriarty in a dress back in my review of Death In Heaven because they both share the exact same problems. With both Moriarty and the Master, Moffat is trying desperately to emulate this kind of Joker style madness, but there’s more to the Joker than just being insane. He actually has consistent motives and morals, with his insanity serving that. With the Master and Moriaty, Moffat seems to be using insanity as a way to excuse his own shitty writing. There’s no need to create a consistent character with clear goals or proper reasoning behind their actions because they’re insane. It’s just incredibly fucking lazy and it’s an utter waste of the Master. Neither she nor Clara have any kind of agenda of their own, hence why they feel so superfluous.

Finally there’s the series arc. Usually bad arcs from Moffat are to be expected, but this is the first time I’ve ever been truly worried by the direction he’s going in. It seems that Moffat is going back into Listen territory and trying to redefine the important building blocks of the show. So there’s a prophecy about something called the Hybrid and apparently that’s why the Doctor ran away from Gallifrey in the first place. Like with Listen, it seems Moffat is once again trampling over one of the most integral parts of the Doctor’s character. His mystery. We don’t really know who he is, where he comes from or precisely why he left Gallifrey all those years ago, and we shouldn’t know either. It’s like dissecting a frog. Yes you could cut it open and find out how the insides work, but then you’d just be left with a bloody mess on the table. I have no idea where Moffat is going with this Hybrid stuff, but it seems like we’re going down a very dangerous path indeed and after all the damage he’s already caused over the years, I’m deeply concerned about him potentially lifting up the bonnet and messing with the vital components of the show.

Overall The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar is a pretty rubbish start to Series 9. Nonsensical plots, pointless padding, non-threatening villains, recycling of tired ideas and an attempt to expand on a classic Doctor Who story that ultimately misses the point by several galaxies.

[whovianfeminism]

Whovian Feminism Reviews “The Doctor Falls”

“The Doctor Falls” is an ambitious story, there’s no doubt about that. With two generations of Cybermen, two Masters, two Doctors, five emotional arcs, and multiple farewells, it seems impossible to pull it all into a coherent episode. And yet, it comes together in the end to create a moving story that lets Peter Capaldi shine and sends him off to his final episode with reluctant excitement. But in trying to tackle too much at once, “The Doctor Falls” can’t give all the competing story arcs the time and attention they deserve. And it’s Bill Potts who particularly suffers as a result. “The Doctor Falls” compounded many of the problems with how her character was treated in “World Enough and Time,” and her superficially happy ending was an unsatisfying end to an underserved character arc.

“The Doctor Falls” is a story about conclusions and farewells. Peter Capaldi’s regeneration lurks underneath this entire story, from the flashes of fire around his hands to his urgent, growling speeches. But he’s still got one more episode left to go. His friends, enemies, and frenemies take center stage here. The first to go are Missy and the Master, who rather appropriately exit the show by stabbing themselves in the back.

Michelle Gomez and John Simm have delicious chemistry together, and it’s a pure delight to watch them banter. But they both have very different relationships with the Doctor, which creates an interesting conflict for Missy. Throughout this season I had doubted that Missy’s attempts to be good were genuine, so I was a bit surprised by the end of this episode. And yet, it’s the perfect conclusion for her arc. At the end of Series 8, Missy tried to rekindle her friendship with the Doctor on her terms -- now she has to choose whether or not to stand with him on his terms. It’s unintentionally the ultimate test of whether or not Missy meets the Doctor’s definition of “good.” She does something kind, without witness or reward, even though it risked her own survival. But it’s a massive break from her past -- which is why it is strangely appropriate that a past regeneration shoots her in the back for it.

Now that Missy and the Master are properly together, Moffat takes the full opportunity to play with Time Lords, regeneration, and gender. Ironically in the previous episode, Moffat made a point of having the Doctor say that Time Lords were “billions of years beyond your petty human obsession with gender and its associated stereotypes.” And, yes, this episode did have it’s progressive moments to show Time Lords could get beyond those petty obsessions. But it also leaned further into those stereotypes too.

One blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment that got a lot of positive attention was when the Master took a quiet moment to fix his eyeliner. Make-up is expected but often unremarked upon for film, TV, and stage actors. We know that they all wear some amount, and yet, we never see any of them apply it -- unless it’s to mock the character or mark them as a queer character. But there’s something beautifully understated about this moment. Both he and Missy take a moment to reapply their makeup during this episode, and both scenes happen quietly and without fanfare, like it’s a normal part of their daily routine. It’s a nice way of challenging gender norms around makeup.

Although John Simm’s Master is pushing some boundaries, he’s also reinforcing them in other ways. He makes a cruel and unnecessary attack on Bill’s gender while he’s trying to rile her up, and continues deliberately denying her gender as a specific part of his attempt to dehumanize her. He refers to her as an “it,” says she “used to be a woman,” and makes a point of asking for her old bras for his future regeneration (implying that perhaps those parts of her body were also cut up and thrown away during her conversion into a Cybermen). We know the Master is a villain already, his credentials have been well established there. So it felt especially unnecessary to add a gross campaign of misgendering to his ledger.

When Missy refers to Bill Potts using her correct gender pronouns, the Master mocks Missy, saying “Becoming a woman is one thing but have you got...empathy?” You know, that trait stereotypically associated with women. Way back in Series 8 I talked about the way Missy’s characterization and motivations seemed to play into gender stereotypes, but for most of this season I had been pleased to see that she had a more complicated emotional journey that stayed away from those stereotypes. But now here’s the Master all but saying that Missy’s reformation is only happening because she’s a woman, with all those associated gender stereotypes. And no one refutes his assertion. A villain can say things that are wrong or that the audience isn’t supposed to agree with, but at some point they should be refuted. 

The next character we say goodbye to is Bill Potts. And it’s especially bittersweet to see her go.

We were fairly certain from the get-go that Bill would be a one-season companion. With both Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffat leaving, it was unlikely that Chris Chibnall would hang on to Bill. And although I thoroughly enjoyed her for the time we had her, I’m left at the end of this season feeling like her story and emotional arc were really underserved. She had good moments in each episode, but they didn’t all add up to a wholly satisfying story. She’s faced with the choice of whether or not to travel with Heather in her first and last episode. In her first episode she refuses Heather, but by her last episode she accepts. And yet the only thing that seemed to change about her was that, instead of letting Heather lead, she wanted to be the one to show Heather the universe. The sum of her emotional arc is “I’ve been through a lot.” Or, to paraphrase, “Girl, I have seen some shit.” And that’s not really a compelling arc.

But boy, did she see some shit in “The Doctor Falls.” When we first truly see Bill again -- when we first see Pearl Mackie -- she's being kept in a barn, segregated from the rest of the community. Everyone is terrified by her, and she doesn't know why. Her perception of herself is that she is normal, human, exactly like everybody else. But they see her as a monster. And it's not just that she looks frightening, she is actually dangerous. Her anger is literally destructive, so she must never express when she's angry or upset. The fear of the community occasionally results in her being shot, but she’s supposed to understand their fear and not protest, even when she’s hurt and upset.

These are a lot of heavy themes to tackle, especially when the character in question is a queer black woman. But the story never really commits to exploring any of the challenges her situation raises. So it unintentionally leans in to a lot of problematic tropes and stereotypes about black women.

One of the most frustrating of these -- especially because it would have been so easy to fix -- is this episode’s approach to Bill’s anger.  Black women's anger is frequently portrayed as irrational, dangerous, and destructive -- it's known as the Angry Black Woman stereotype. In this episode, Bill's anger is literally destructive. If she gets angry or upset, she will begin uncontrollably firing the weapon she's been given as a Cyberman. So the Doctor instructs her never to be upset. She has to endure insult and injury without ever expressing how she feels about it. And there's no payoff. We never see her release all of the anger and sadness building up inside her. She occasionally gets to fire her gun when the Doctor directs her to, and she gets to express her sadness over the Doctor's near-death. But there's never a moment that's entirely focused on Bill. We never see her anger portrayed as valid and necessary, instead of dangerous and destructive. Pearl Mackie's performance was incredible in those glimpses where she showed us what she was really feeling, but she and the audience deserved more.

By the end of this episode, Bill survives, has her body restored (somewhat), and gets to fly off to her happy ending with Heather. It's a remarkable ending that elicited a lot of complicated feelings. In the heat of the moment, I was almost crying with happiness. The importance of seeing women kissing women on screen cannot be understated. It was affirming, it was beautiful, and it was so necessary. It's so rare that queer love saves the girl instead of dooming her. I wanted this kiss more than anything this series.

And yet, those feelings couldn't last. I had no investment in Heather and Bill's relationship, beyond a desire to see adequate queer representation in media. They had a cute flirtation in "The Pilot" but hadn't really established a relationship. And the last time we saw Heather, she was barely herself anymore. It all felt rather superficial. We needed to see more of their relationship being built up throughout the series. This could've been accomplished by showing glimpses of Heather following Bill throughout her adventures.

There was also something very odd about Bill's last words to the Doctor, when she asked if he knew she was a lesbian. People I follow on Twitter couldn't agree on whether she was making a trolling joke or if this was an attempt to insinuate that maybe she might've had something for the Doctor if he was her type. Either way, it was clumsy and tonally off as they prepared to face their imminent deaths.

All of these problems could've been fixed had more time been spent on her story, both in this episode and throughout the series. I will always love Bill and adore Pearl Mackie, and yet I will always believe she deserved more.

But, of course, this episode is about saying farewell to Peter Capaldi.

And what a send-off. It’s a gift-wrapped package to the actor who’s still a fanboy at heart. He gets to have a story exploring the genesis of the Mondassian Cybermen. He gets a scene with the First Doctor, probably his favorite Doctor, who he has been emulating since the very first moment it was announced that he would be the Twelfth Doctor. And he gets Rachel Talalay, who has directed every single one of his finale episodes, to direct his final episodes.

And let’s take a moment to appreciate their collaboration and the stunning work Rachel Talalay did on this episode. They have built a wonderful creative relationship together that has given us stunning episodes and brought out the best of Capaldi’s Doctor. And Talalay’s dedication to the details of Doctor Who really stands out in this episode. The Fan Show’s interview with her about “The Doctor Falls” is a must-watch. She talks about how she achieved the switch between Pearl Mackie and the Cyberman in-camera with some clever work, and how they debated how the newly-converted Cybermen should behave in even the briefest moments. One under-appreciated moment I wish I saw more gifsets of was a small scene at the beginning of the episode where ash floats around the Mondassian Cybermen, like snow from “The Tenth Planet.”

But above all what I loved most about “The Doctor Falls” was the focus on kindness. It was the perfect sentiment to send-off the Twelfth Doctor. From the man who once said he needed his companions to care so he didn’t have to, to the man who cares so much he’d lay down his life for strangers, this Doctor has been through an incredible evolution. His final speech to Missy and the Master perfectly summed up everything the Twelfth Doctor stands for, and it epitomizes the man who portrays him. Peter Capaldi, above all, is kind. He shows as much care and dedication to the role he plays as he does to the fans who love this show. It will be hard to say goodbye, but he’ll leave behind an incredible legacy.

[kuno-chan]

Sea of Chains - Ch. 22, Waning

Rating: T

Summary: Years after the events of Anchor, Captain Kai and Jinora Gyatso remain famous names on the seas and their children are literally born pirates. Now, their daughter, Nima, is becoming a little too pirate for comfort. When trouble with Captain Quil of the Blood Moon Pirates turns tragic, Nima is viciously dragged into what can only be be described as every parent’s worst nightmare.

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–

The next day, Dan seemed to be the one doing the avoiding. Not that he was ever exactly attached to her at the hip, but he seemed to act like she didn’t exist. If the crew noticed, then they didn’t say anything. Getting the roster from Tehan’s friend was that morning’s first order of business. After that, she thought it perfect to start talking about their heist of one of the world’s tightest fortresses ever built.

He didn’t look at her when she came up beside him while he poured over the schedule to the roster from their room desk, but he also didn’t pull away from her.

“Here,” he said, pointing to a man’s name. “Rangyo Tokujo. He’s about my age. Brand new, according to the notes Tehan’s friend left. I just need a uniform and credentials and we’ll be in business.”

“Hyun’s already got a uniform. He, uh, liberated it off one of the drunk guards last night when he was out,” she said, staring pointedly at the schedule.

“Good. They leave early morning tomorrow. We need to be ready by then.”

He turned to leave and Nima couldn’t stop herself from blurting out, “Where are you going?”

Just as quickly as he’d stopped walking, he started towards the door again just as fast. “I have the day to find out where this Rangyo Tokujo stays at so I can steal something that would prove to the other guards I’m him. A uniform is nothing without credentials.”

“Oh,” was all she could say as he was leaving.

Well, that was… brief. It wasn’t exactly horrible or anything, but it had been a painfully brief exchange. Too brief for anything to come out of it between them. Nima sighed. Just when they’d taken two steps forward now they were three steps back.

Later, Nima finally spotted Captain Koika out and about, though he didn’t seem like his ordinary cheery self. Not feeling very festive herself, she tried not to bother him. The entire day felt… odd. Awkward. Like she was always in the wrong place in the wrong time. Finally, apparently fed up with her weirdness for the day, it was Hyun who approached her on deck as she leaned over the railing, watching the sun glint over the curve of the waves.

“Okay, Missy,” he said, gesturing to her as he sank his teeth into an apple for lunch. “Out with it. What’s with you and Prince of the Year?”

Nima almost smiled. “Nothing. We’re fine. Just--”

“I may have been born at night, but I sure as hell was not born last night. We got a big day tomorrow and we need you two not in some weird conflict that may get us all killed,” he said gruffly, eyeing her. “So ‘scuse my nosiness.”

He had a point.

Nima let out a sigh. She told Hyun about the fight between her and Dan. He listened, nodding as his munched on his apple. By the time she was done, he was finishing his last bite and tucking the apple core in his pocket.

She blinked when he chuckled at her and said, “Ah, young love.”

“We are not in love.”

“Never said it was romantic.” He winked at her. “Even if it is.”

She promptly frowned. They weren’t in love and she’d really appreciate it if people wouldn’t keep making an awkward situation more awkward. He seemed to get the hint and put up defensive hands.

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop. I promise,” he said, clapping her on the arm. “But you two clearly do care about each other to… some degree. Here’s the thing that is obvious. He’s still here. If he really wanted to leave then what’s honestly stopping him? You two are making this harder than it’s got to be. Just talk.”

“I know, but… he’s not really the talking type. He just says what’s important and moves on.”

“Then frame it like it’s important. He probably doesn’t know how to communicate with you either, honestly. Most of those big ol’ silent type don’t.”

“They’re silent, but they’re human.” Nima turned as Foba came and joined his crewmate, journal in hand. “Sorry, couldn’t help but overhear.”

Nima flashed a smile. “It’s okay. It’s not exactly a big secret or anything.”

“We’re family, you know,” said Foba when Hyun nudged him playfully. “We just tend to share things is all. Conversations included… but Hyun’s right.”

“Usually am.”

“Let me rephrase that,” said Foba. “Hyun is right this once.”

Nima ducked her head as Hyun shot a look at Foba, snorting at him with indignation. “Family... “ She repeated. “So, you guys do see each other as family?”

“Oh, yeah. Can’t know and work beside people this long and really come out of it anyway else, can you?” Hyun huffed a laugh. “Koika, Tehan, Janje and I go way back. We used to pick up pretty girls back when we were just lads ourselves. Of course, Koika and I taught Tehan how to do it right. He was just a youngin,” he said fondly. “Been travelling together for decades. Ranaka’s been around for a few years and we met Saika soon after that. Lucky for them. Those kids have been in love for a long time. And Foba? Koika’s known him since he was just a kid. Met him when he was just a wee lad clinging to his ma’s skirts.”

Foba nodded. “It’s true.” He hastily shoved his free hand in his pocket. “If you’ll excuse me I need to go find him anyway.”

“Oh, okay…” She said, watching him go. She also noticed Hyun’s gaze followed him too. “Sounds like my family…do you have family back home?”

Hyun nodded. “Lots. Tong Gong is my hometown so I get to see them a fair amount. Some I get along with, some I don’t. But you don’t exactly get to pick them, right?”

“You don’t like your family?”

Hyun shook his head. “Oh, no, don’t get me wrong. I love my family. They’re crazy sons of bitches sometimes and there have been a time or two when I wanted to throw my hands in the air and be rid of them, but…” He shrugged. “They’re mine. We stick together. Just like the one I got here sticks together too. Both, not in spite of everything we’ve been through together but because of it. The gods blessed me good in life is how I see it. I’ve got good people all over.”

Hyun flashed her a genuine smile. It made her brave enough -- or dumb enough -- to ask, “Is there… anyone you wish wasn’t your family though? Like… a daughter or a niece?”

She knew she’d said too much when Hyun crossed his arms and frowned at him, a puzzled look crossing his features. She looked down. That was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Now, he was going to think she was some kind of brooding drama queen--

“But of course not, lass.” Hyun nudged her. She peered him from beneath her lashes. “Look… I got a daughter myself. She’s grown now, but growing up she was a handful. Fiery thing. Lots of spirit. She and I used to butt heads sometimes, but… she’s my girl. That’s my baby. I wouldn’t trade her for all the power or gold or peace of mind in the world. Cause then I’d lose all the things I’ve come to love about her since she came into the world, including just her out there existin’.” He dipped his head slightly so she could see him better. “And I can’t see anyone not wanting you, Missy. Not a mean thing anywhere in you. You hear me?”

Nima nodded, feeling her eyes sting. He smiled, his scarred, nicked face not looking at all harsh with that kindness in his dark eyes. It reminded her of her Uncle Lefty and the way he used to comfort her. Gods, she sorely missed his bear hugs.

“I still said what I said to Dan.”

Hyun shrugged in acknowledgment. “Yeah, but you care enough to let it bother you,” he said, winking at her again. “And that counts for something. Don’t be so hard on yourself, kid.”

She smiled at him. At least somebody else seemed to have confidence in her. “Thank you, Hyun.”

“Don’t mention it, Missy. Anytime.”

-:-:-:-

Dan came back before dinner, flashing her a badge with Rangyo Tokujo’s name on it when she dared to ask. “Tomorrow is his first shift,” said Dan more to Koika when the captain walked up and less to Nima who’d been standing there already. “So, nobody should know what he looks like. Besides, according to Tehan’s source, the ship is huge and not everybody necessarily knows each other. I’ll just need to lay low for a day. Two at most. And do my best to stay clear of his superiors. Hiding out will be the best course of action.”

The plan seemed so simple. Sounded so simple, but she knew that, in reality, Dan was putting his neck out here. She wanted to ask him if he was sure. If he was caught, they’d brand him as a stowaway. If he was caught working with pirates then they would brand him as a pirate. And that…

That she would never forgive herself for. The consequences for that weren’t of the forgivable type.

Still, she and Dan didn’t talk after lunch or even during dinner. Every time she saw him, the words died in her throat. His lack of attention to her didn’t exactly help either. If he cared so little then why was he doing it?

Oh. Right.

He needed to return her to her family. Then, he could be rid of her.

She’d forgotten that Dan had been hired for a job...

Retiring for the day, she wondered why their bedroom felt so… suffocating. Cold, yet stifling. Yet warm all the same? It felt like a fever. Like the room had a disease.

“You are pathetic.”

Nima felt Tianmei melt out of the shadows at her back before she saw it. Stiff, she turned around. Tendrils of smoke and black hair swirled around, framing Tianmei’s pale face and the witch's molten colored eyes watched Nima with a bored wicked pleasure.

When Nima didn’t answer her, the witch grinned. “I heard your conversation with the dwarf man,” she drawled. “Are you always this emotional? My god, I wouldn’t have bothered to resurrect you if I knew you were such a cry baby.”

“I’m not--” Nima did, in fact, feel her eyes sting a little at just the sight of the witch. Why couldn’t Tianmei just leave her alone? “He’s not a dwarf. He’s just short. And he’s a nice person.”

“And he’s a nice person,” Tianmei mimicked. She let out a little laugh, her fingers steepled under chin. Crawling through the air, the tendrils of smoke trailing along as she came toward and around Nima to touch her face with long, pale pretty fingers. “Not a bone of iron in your pretty little body.” Nima hugged herself and Tianmei clucked her tongue. “Don’t be ashamed. Cowardice is just who you are. Some people are afflicted by it.”

Nima shook her head, trying to keep eye contact with the witch. Even if that face made her wither inside. Her father would have wanted her to not break eye contact. “I’m not. I’m not a--”

“Aren’t you though?” Tianmei rushed right into Nima’s face. When Nima gasped took a small, panicked step forward, the witch grinned. Her grin got wider when Nima’s shoulder slumped. “Is that not why you took my money? If you were so concerned for that poor woman then why didn’t you come face to face with me? Tell me about how I was so wrong for treating her that way?”

Nima’s mouth fell open, but no words came out. Why hadn’t she? Had she been afraid? The thought never… never really crossed her mind.

Tianmei straightened herself out, going back to lounging on air in that unnerving, unnatural way of hers. She shook her head mournfully. “No wonder your father refused to take my deal. We hadn’t really gotten to discuss it in. I never did tell you the details of my visit, did I?”

The world came to a halt around her. Even the very air seemed to stop moving. In fact, the only thing that seemed to be moving at all was the feeling of dread spreading from her heart into her veins like an infection. Part of her knew she shouldn’t have taken Tianmei so seriously, but that other part of her, the part that wanted nothing more than to have both of her parents in her arms right now, felt a start of panic.

Her voice strangled by a forming lump in her throat, she said, “...No, you didn’t...”

“A true tragedy. It really is the way they threw you away like that,” Tianmei’s brows upturned in a concerned expression, mocking for all it was. It shifted to one of satisfaction as she spoke slowly. “I went to your father. On his very ship, I went to him and gave him an opportunity to help you. Assist you in finding the pieces you need and I would reunite him and your family with you right away.” Tianmei’s face became sad again like she was switching between drama masks. “But he refused, dear.”

He…

He really said no?

In all her life, her father was always the type of person to step in first when someone needed help. She never had any doubt that he would provide some kind of assistance when someone needed support. But now…? When she needed him? Did he really…

No.

Nima shook her head.”There has to be a good reason. He wouldn’t just leave me out here like that.”

“No,” Tianmei said slowly, her tendrils edging closer as she swirled through the air again. “But did he exactly? I mean, he did send the bounty hunter. But then again…” She appeared on Nima’s side, putting an arm around her. “He did send the bounty hunter, after all. Didn’t even try to come find you himself. Didn’t take my deal when I said I would reunite you all. All he had to do was help you in your quest. But perhaps…”

“Perhaps what?” Nima urged. She couldn't believe this. Her eyes blinked rapidly, her chest hurting.

“My dear, is it possible that he’s simply ashamed of you? I mean, that they all are? Nobody dared to change his mind, after all. Think about it.” Tianmei drew back, placing herself on some invisible seat and crossing her hands over her lap, addressing Nima with a delicate cock of her head. “Everything you do ends in disaster, does it not?”

Nima swallowed hard. “You don’t know anything about that--”

“I know everything about that,” Tianmei said with an unnaturally still smile, the warmth not reaching her eyes. “That and the other times too. You get to know someone when you bring them back from the pass between life and death.”

When Nima didn’t answer, she went on, sighing. “Those poor girls. Honestly, that girl that means so much to you… Tikaani, wasn’t it? Korra Iluak’s baby girl? She’ll never be the same after what she did for you, will she? And the other girl… gods, what was her name?”

“Don’t, please--”

“Was it Nahra?”

“Don’t. You don’t know--”

“Nah Ja.” Tianmei raised a finger, lifting herself from her seated position as if she’d had an epiphany. “That was her name, was it? A girl not too much older than you are now. She had so much left in her, but as I recall you are the one that let her life fall through your fingers.”

Nima felt her throat close up and tried to blink away her tears. She willed herself not to cry in front of the witch, not to give her that satisfaction, but try as she might her body betrayed her. Her lip even wobbled a little.

“I tried to help her,” Nima whispered.

“You tried and you failed.”

Triumph flashed in Tianmei’s eyes. “It is what it is, but it seems obvious to me why your family might be less than enthused about having you back. Love is such an obligatory thing sometimes. They want you back, but also don’t exactly want you back? It’s too hard to miss you, but also so much less stress without you.”

“They don’t need me...” Nima said that more to herself than to Tianmei.

“No, they don’t. Of course.” Tianmei shrugged. “I could be completely wrong. You’re family could love you to bits and just… you know, your father’s childhood probably damaged him beyond repair and he just doesn’t know how to love you. I mean, he could just be a terrible father--”

“He is not a terrible father!” Nima marched right up to Tianmei, fists at her side and getting in the witch’s face as much as he could from her height. “Don’t talk about him like that!”

“Calm down, seahorse,” Tianmei raised her eyebrows, putting a finger on Nima’s forehead to push her back. She brought her fingers together in contemplation. “You do realize these things are a cycle, do you not?”

“I don’t care,” Nima said, shaking her head. “He’s not like his dad.”

Tianmei threw her head back and laughed. “But how would you know?” she cackled. “He never told you about his father. He never told you anything. You weren’t worthy of the knowledge.”

Nima unclenched her fists, the spirit in her crestfallen. Despite that, she still shook her head, “My dad’s good. He’s… he’s trying. I won’t let you talk about him like that. Any of them.”

“It’s not about what you’re going to let me do, my dear.” Nima felt her lip do that thing it tended to do when she glared, puckering out into a pout. She pursed her lips to correct it and attempted to look more intimidating to a seemingly all powerful witch. Tianmei rolled her eyes. “Such a fiery little thing. One bit of fuel and you’re all spilling over your stones. If you’re so sure, then answer me this: If he’s not the problem, then who is?”

Nima’s shoulder slumped. She blinked slowly as Tianmei sauntered over to her just as calmly, smiling and taking Nima’s hands in hers. They were soft and cold. Perfect and, yet, so wrong. They seemed to switch between warm and cold, as if undecided in what temperature to be. What state of life to be in. Dazed, Nima let her. “My family’s not the problem,” she said, again, more to herself than Tianmei. “They didn’t do anything.”

“My dear, someone is always to blame for failure.” Tianmei dipped her head down to peer at Nima. “And I think we know who that is.”

“...me.” Nima didn’t quite close her mouth after the word fell from her lips.

Tianmei smiled painfully. Like one of those rich snobbish women who’d just delivered some bad news they weren’t sorry about. “Everything you do results in failure. Perhaps your family is simply tired of it. Tired of cleaning up your messes and having to go to the ends of the earth just to put out whatever trouble you’ve started.” She started to nod, emphasising her point. “Their love for you is waning my dear. Even family love, obligatory in nature, has it’s limits, does it not?”

Their love for you is waning .

At that moment, she wondered if Tianmei had reached deep in her heart and pulled the words right from that little voice inside her head. That question she asked herself again and again since this entire thing had started. Maybe even before…

Did they miss her? Would they care if she were gone?

Somehow, she’d convinced herself that yes, of course, her family missed her. All those I Love You’s over the years weren’t meaningless. All those smiles and hugs and moments of laughter.

But standing there, looking in Tianmei’s eyes…

Her words just seemed so real. The room became ten degrees cooler. Every heartbeat inside her seemed a little weaker than it had just seconds ago. Hell, even her breathing shuddered out for a moment.

All Nima could manage of her cracking heart was, “No…”

Tianmei’s eyes glinted, the molten color flashing over them with something that Nima’s brain might have ticked her off harder had she not been feeling inebriated on her own sorrow. But that had to be, right? She was a pitiful girl. Like Tianmei said: pathetic. Her father wasn’t a horrible father. He just had one horrible daughter.

“Now, see, don’t fret, my dear because they may be losing their love for you...” Tianmei backed up, letting go of Nima’s hands and smiling at her with those baleful lips. “But I can help you.”

A clawing, dying thing in Nima’s heart leaped. “You can?” she asked, her voice breaking.

“But, of course, my dear. Is that not what I am here for? To help you?” Tianmei opened her arms up for Nima. Numbly, Nima’s legs moved and she found herself in the witch’s arms. She barely registered the hand stroking her hair, laying her head against Tianmei’s feverishly icy hot chest. Nima felt the warm, pulsing beads hanging around Tianmei’s wrist as her hand came up, running long slender fingers against Nima’s skull and neck through her hair. The act would have made the hair stand up on her neck a few minutes ago. “Helping you helps me. Besides, I’ve grown fond of you. You need so much support that I can’t really help myself. That bounty hunter is clearly having none of you, but I am here for you.”

“What do I have to do?” Nima whispered.

Her eyes flicked up at a piece of parchment with the characters of her name etched onto the bottom in red each and the words above it written in languages she couldn’t recognize. It swirled into existence before Nima’s eyes and she finally realized that this was her contract. “I’m willing to put one more condition on your deal,” Tianmei said, continuing to caress Nima’s head. “When the time comes, you will be put to a task for me. One task. Then, it’s all over. In return, I will plead your case for you. After all, if your family sees that you can do something right then their love for you will be restored. Better than ever, I’m sure. You help me when the time comes and I will tell them what you’ve done for me so bravely. How does that sound? Do we have a deal?”

The familiar bone white quill swirled to life like the contract. Like they’d done before.

Feeling nothing but a piece of her threatening to wither away, Nima lifted her hand as if it were dead weight and grabbed the pen. The tip found it’s way to the parchment, signing the red characters of her name on the line underneath her previous signature.

“Good. This is very good,” Tianmei cooed. She let go of Nima carefully. Like she really was reluctant to let Nima go before she was ready. “This will pay off. You’ll see. I’ll be in touch.”She waved a ghostly hand. “Goodbye, dear.”

Then, the witch was gone.

“Were you talking to someone?”

Nima hadn’t known that she had been standing there long enough for Dan to come in and maybe hear, but not see that Tianmei had just been here with her. She wasn’t sure if that was for the better when she belatedly shook her head and said, “No. No, I wasn’t. I was just--”

The words got caught in her throat.

She didn’t know exactly… what to say. Perhaps, start with an apology, but that didn’t quite seem right. It wouldn’t do to simply call him out again and start another argument unprovoked. All she wanted to do was get back on track with her… working partner.

Because that’s exactly what he was.

Not knowing what else to say, she sighed and just let her hands rest at her sides. “Just be careful tomorrow, okay?” She said, letting what came natural to her. What she’d been thinking about since this plan was conceived. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Dan paused in what he was doing at the desk, his head almost turning to look at her but stopping just shy of being able to see past the profile of his nose. Still, she thought she saw a head nod after a moment.

--

This chapter is really transitionary and I'm not sure I'm too fond of it, but anybody who reads my stuff know that I tend to like taking it slow. Besides, I did kind of need this chapter to do what it did. Plus, I love the fact that Tianmei made another (necessary) appearance. This little conversation will be revisited in the future. Next chapter is going to be devoted to seeing what Kai and the crew are up to, then chapter 24 will definitely have things happening. And I say that with complete assurance that things will be picking up in chapter 24. So, that's the chapter to really look out for.

But I want to thank everyone who's been reading thus far! It really means a lot! As always, guys I love it when you leave those reviews! Those are what really motivate me and keep me writing this story! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!