rec: This Penguin For Hire

[aralias.livejournal.com]

Hello and welcome to my recommendations. I haven't quite decided what they will all be, but I suspect lots with be Classic and BFA, if not all, and many will feature the Master, who is not only my favourite, but also under-represented, I think, at this fine institution.

Story: This Penguin For Hire
Author: Levendis
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 3985
Author's Summary: When it comes to political espionage, Frobisher is really not your man.
Characters/Pairings: Frobisher, Six/Ainley!Master

Recced because: I'm not all that fond of first person fanfic, in general, but I am a sucker for the first person narrative of Frobisher, the shape-shifting, wise-talking detective penguin companion. And boy is it well done here: hilarious and in character. The Doctor is on similarly good form, fussing about problems with time and Frobisher getting his noble brow right. Meanwhile the Master is around and up to his old tricks, and there are many comedy misunderstandings as he meets Frobisher, then disguised as Six. Three great characters, very well represented, between whom the dialogue crackles, as you would expect in your Film Noir... pastiche. Very funny, very easy to read, and (particularly given that it was written for the prompt 'Six/Ainley/Frobisher: M-PREG') very clever.
(NB. The story contains no actual m-preg, but you should know that to fully appreciate the finer plot developments).

Excerpt: Some guys love complicated plans. Double crosses, triple crosses, the more elaborate the better. Me, I like my plans how I like my fish, simple and raw, and still wriggling. Maybe not that last part. But the point is, after all these years on the mean streets of the universe, I've seen enough elaborate schemes fall apart when the players forgot what was going on to know that straight forward is best. So when I tell you I went around looking like a clown, pretending to be a robot who was pretending to be a politician who was pretending to start a revolution, you can bet your last greasy mazuma it wasn't my idea. No, when I got shot at and molested and then forced to eat the last heir of "King Marfle", who wasn't actually a king, or even named Marfle, that was all the Doctor's fault.

Comments

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Oooh, fantastic choice, heartily seconded! I'll add that you don't need to be familiar with Frobisher to enjoy the fic -- I wasn't, and I still found it a great read.

[tweedymcgee.livejournal.com]

Thirded. I've never met Frobisher properly either, but his voice here is so clearly the voice of a Pulp Detective Penguin that I feel like I've known him forever. Hilarious.

[allonymity.livejournal.com]

I am very upset at this rec, 'cause I had it on my list to rec next month! Ah well, as long as it gets the recognition it deserves. :-)

[thisbluespirit]

Oh, my. I saw that story and was intrigued, but then I saw the prompt it was written from and ran away hastily, but you reccing it here and the people who were seconding it... I had to go read, and, wow, that was so well written and funny. Thanks.

(I have a Frobisher icon, but that is a penguin thing, rather than a Frobisher thing, but I should probably work on that... :-D)

[aralias.livejournal.com]

I'm sure Frobisher would understand the icon-issue. As for the story, I had been mentally shaking my head at that prompt and the dark mind that had concoted it. When I was told it had been filled and that it was good, I assumed it was a horrid trick, but no - I do like it very much indeed :D Glad you did too.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Bugger - I wanted to rec this!