Fête des Lumières, Confidential

Lyon, Fete des Lumieres

I have written quite a few Christmas stories, now, and I was surfing the internet for some different customs to fit a story around. I came across the Fête des Lumières in Lyon, and my only problem was deciding which of my story arcs to use it with. I thought of the Tenth Doctor bringing his new wife, Louise, there, but I have already done a story with them in Paris. It would also have been a good place for any of the New Lords of Time characters to visit. But in the end I decided it would be a place Chrístõ and Julia could visit.

Lyon, Fete des Lumieres

The Fête is a religious festival first and foremost but the light shows all around the city have become more and more elaborate every year. They are a massive street entertainment project now, drawing thousands of tourists to the city.

But the religious part of it is still important. The focal point is still the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, where a Mass is heard for the Immaculate Conception. The idea of Chrístõ and Julia attending the Mass is probably a little surprising to anyone following the series. Julia taking part in the Rosary Walk and taking communion is obviously not what anyone might expect of the future wife of a Time Lord. But, after all, Julia is Human and many humans take religion seriously.

Lyon, Fete des Lumieres

The idea of a creature that takes away the ability to see colour in a city that celebrates colour seemed a nicely ironic plotline. It was partially inspired by the comic strip story in an edition of the Doctor Who Adventures magazine for children. In that story, aliens were draining colour from planet Earth. The trouble is, it missed the fundamental physics of how we see colour. It isn’t things in the world that have colour. It is how our eyes see those things that gives them colour. I was thinking about that when I thought of the idea of everyone losing the colour in their sight. The young priest suffering from Daltonism – colour blindness – was not only an irony, considering where he lives, but a good way of letting him help since he is the only person not scared to death and uncertain about what is happening. The lack of any colour at all, of course, seeing everything only in black and white, is rare. Most people just have trouble distinguishing colours. But it can happen.

Anyway, this is one very different Christmas story which seems to have prove popular with the fanbase. It has been suggested that the young priest might meet up with Chrístõ and Julia again some time. I might just do that.

Lyon, Fete des Lumieres