{"id":276667,"date":"2018-11-26T15:29:09","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T15:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/2018\/11\/26\/sexism-sucks-the-woman-says-i-want-to-punch-2\/"},"modified":"2018-11-26T15:29:09","modified_gmt":"2018-11-26T15:29:09","slug":"sexism-sucks-the-woman-says-i-want-to-punch-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merindab.com\/private\/2018\/11\/26\/sexism-sucks-the-woman-says-i-want-to-punch-2\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

yesokayiknow<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cSexism sucks,\u201d the woman says. \u201cI want to punch the patriarchy in the face<\/i>.\u201d Martha opens her mouth, but the woman starts talking again before she can even get a word out. \u201cBut only metaphorically, obviously. I don\u2019t go round punching random societal concepts,\u201d she winks, \u201ceven if they really deserve it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2014\u201d Martha starts.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d the woman\u2019s eyes narrow suddenly, forehead wrinkling. \u201cBut I understand that in some ways I still have the privileges of being white and educated and cis-passing and able-bodied.\u201d<\/p>\n

She says it flatly in one breath, as if it\u2019s a speech that someone\u2019s given her before, grinning proudly when she\u2019s reached the end. And then her face firms again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she says, very gently. \u201cI\u2019m sorry that I didn\u2019t understand before\u2014 And also that I talked over you a lot, that was very not cool of me to do. It feels awful<\/i>. Like, yeah, I didn\u2019t know how it felt but that\u2019s still not an excuse for treating you like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

And then she stops, looking at Martha with an expectant look on her face. She seems to sway a bit, hands fluttering at her sides as she waits for a reply.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou kind of talked over me there,\u201d Martha points out, and the woman scrunches up her face with a groan, rolling her head to the side. \u201cAlso? Who are you and how did you get into my house?\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman blinks, eyes widening, before she hits herself on the forehead with a loud smack.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry!\u201d Each sorry<\/i> is accompanied by another smack; Martha winces. \u201cDidn\u2019t even think of that, stupid, stupid<\/i> me. And it is<\/i> me, by the way.\u201d She points at herself with both hands. \u201cSee? New face, new\u2026everything, but still me.\u201d She wiggles a little again, but nervously this time. \u201cIt\u2019s the Doctor,\u201d she pulls another face, \u201cI\u2019m<\/i> the Doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh. Because, yeah. Martha can see it now, could always<\/i> see it really. There\u2019s a reason she hadn\u2019t reached for a weapon when she\u2019d walked into her living room to find a ridiculously dressed stranger awkwardly sprawled in her armchair.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoctor,\u201d she says, and the Doctor beams. It\u2019s the exact same smile she (he? they?) had back when Martha first called him the Doctor<\/i>, all those years ago on the moon.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoctor Jones,\u201d the Doctor says back, fondly, before wrinkling her nose. \u201cJones-Smith? Smith-Jones? Sorry, was a little\u2026distracted at the wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martha\u2019s mouth drops open. \u201cYou came?\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019d hoped he (\u2026they?) would, but none of them had been able to see any sight of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh? Of course I did?\u201d she looks offended, mouthing forming a little o shape. \u201cCouldn\u2019t miss the wedding of two of my best friends now could I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Martha says, a little dazed. \u201cAnd it\u2019s Smith-Jones, but still Jones professionally.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Doctor hums. \u201cNice. Ace. Wicked.\u201d Another little wiggle. \u201cAnd\u2026uh. I\u2019m a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martha doesn\u2019t mean<\/i> to laugh, but she can\u2019t help the little snicker that escapes. \u201cYeah,\u201d she says, drily, \u201cI noticed. And the first thing you did was come and apologise for not believing me when I pointed out that men can be pretty awful?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOi,\u201d the Doctor says, \u201cas a former man\u2014\u201d Martha raises an eyebrow; the Doctor huffs and runs a hand through her hair. \u201cYeah,\u201d she says. \u201cOkay. We can be pretty awful. Could be? Still are but now I\u2019m not?\u201d She shakes her head. \u201cUgh. English is so not helpful when it comes to past references to gender.\u201d She mock glares. \u201cWhy\u2019s your language so primitive?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOi<\/i>,\u201d she mimics, \u201cwatch who you\u2019re calling primitive, mister.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody calls me mister anymore,\u201d the Doctor says, a little sadly. She doesn\u2019t apologise for the name calling, but, well. It\u2019s not like Martha thought they\u2019d changed that<\/i> much.<\/p>\n

Instead, she shrugs. \u201cI\u2019ll call you that until you tell me to stop,\u201d and the Doctor laughs, delighted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Martha,\u201d she says, cheerfully. \u201cFor everythin\u2019. Especially for the things I didn\u2019t thank you for before,\u201d she stops, suddenly, mouth twisting. \u201cDo you want me to thank you for those things? Like, individually? Because I will, if you want that.\u201d<\/p>\n

And she believes her. This Doctor\u2019s face is so expressive, so open and clear. She\u2019s practically vibrating<\/i> with how much she wants Martha to forgive her. And Martha already does<\/i>, is the thing. She\u2019d had to forgive him to leave him, had to put everything behind to move on with her life. But this? This is something she didn\u2019t realise she needed.<\/p>\n

No, she thinks. Not needed, deserved<\/i>.<\/p>\n

So she smiles at her, softens her expression. \u201cI\u2019m alright,\u201d she says, and the Doctor\u2019s whole being relaxes. \u201cDo you want to stay for tea?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNah,\u201d and it doesn\u2019t sting as much as it should, because Martha really hadn\u2019t expected anything else. \u201cDon\u2019t really have the time.\u201d And then, flippantly: \u201cDo you wanna see the new Tardis interior?\u201d and oh<\/i>, she really didn\u2019t expect that<\/i>. \u201cShe\u2019s redecorated. It\u2019s\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u201d her whole body lights up. \u201cBrilliant! You\u2019ll love her,\u201d and she tilts her head to the side, eyes creasing with happiness, \u201cshe already loves you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yeah, Martha thinks, love you too, Doctor.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

yesokayiknow: \u201cSexism sucks,\u201d the woman says. \u201cI want to punch the patriarchy in the face.\u201d Martha opens her mouth, but the woman starts talking again before she can even get a word out. \u201cBut only metaphorically, obviously. I don\u2019t go round punching random societal concepts,\u201d she winks, \u201ceven if they really deserve it.\u201d \u201cWhat\u2014\u201d Martha … <\/p>\n

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