calufrax | Recent Entries

My final rec! Apologies for slightly falling off the reccing wagon this week, but here's a nice shiny fic to finish with - and if you enjoyed any of the fics, don't forget to feed the authors!

Story: Pawn To Queen Three
Author: Lukry McLurklurk
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 1168
Author's Summary: A little post-ep fic for Survival. Or maybe a grand unified theory of Time Lord telepathy.
Characters/Pairings: Seventh Doctor, Ace McShane
Warnings: None.

Recced because: It’s a lovely missing scene for Seven and Ace, but more than that, it’s an amazing glimpse of how Time Lord minds and telepathy might work, all wrapped up in the metaphor of the Seventh Doctor’s favourite game: chess. I'm still pretty much in awe at the whole thing.

Have a snippet:

"All Time Lord brains have the same structure of the board, the same underlying matrix," the Doctor said. "It stays fixed even across regenerations, as each and every cell making it up renews itself. Which means--"

Ace interrupted gleefully as she grasped it. "That you can have the exact same pattern of pieces on there as someone else, at the same time."

"There are minor issues with how one defines 'same time' in such situations," the Doctor said. "But yes, that's how we can make contact. Even all the way across the universe."

"It's unlikely, of course," Ace went on, all but ignoring him. "Odds of squillions to one. So you must do it on purpose. You probably learn it at Time Lord School, in between Being Pretentious and double How To Avoid Giving Straight Answers.

thisbluespirit

Story: Delight
Author: PhoenixDragon
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 404
Author's Summary: The silence held its own color.
Characters/Pairings: Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond, The TARDIS
Warnings: None.

Recced because: Eleven is alone in the TARDIS is a moment of angst, missing the Ponds, and the moment is painted so beautifully and completely here in so few words. It’s vivid, sharp, poetic – utterly gorgeous – as the Doctor can’t help seeing the significance of a colour – red. I’ve enjoyed an awful lot of this author’s stories, but this one has stuck in my head (with claws) ever since I first read it. I hope you like it, too.

thisbluespirit

Story: Six Things Zoe Learned From Jamie
Author: Penny
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 8042
Author's Summary: Jamie was giving her that look which said 'You poor soul, is this not screamingly obvious' and being on the receiving end of it for a change was giving her a nasty sinking feeling in her stomach. Things Jamie taught Zoe, or how Zoe learned that she doesn't always have to know everything.
Characters/Pairings: Zoe Heriot, Jamie McCrimmon, Second Doctor
Warnings: Possible spoilers for The War Games.

Recced because: It does what it says on the tin, basically, and very well. Despite all her advantages over Jamie, there are some things that Zoe can learn from him, and this is a thoughtful, engaging and sometimes humorous ramble through some of those – and also a great look at their friendship. It’s a lovely character piece, with a true feel for Jamie, Zoe, the Doctor and this particular era, something that is always a treat to read.

thisbluespirit

Story: The Eggs of Destruction
Author: Primsong
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 33,461
Author's Summary: The Third Doctor and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, searching for a possible Silurian outpost on the Isle of Wight, discover more trouble than they had bargained on when someone begins using the local population of seagulls as weapons.
Characters/Pairings: Third Doctor, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Sergeant Benton, Sea Devils
Warnings: None.

Recced because: One of the (many) things this author excels at is fic that reads like a pitch-perfect missing adventure, and this is certainly no exception. Add to that a carefully researched setting, that it's in effect also a wonderful exploration and celebration of the Doctor and the Brigadier’s relationship, cap it off with a whole lot of punning chapter titles, and, really, the whole thing is just a complete joy from start to finish.

thisbluespirit

Story: From the Dust
Author: Daleks of the Daleks
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 1976
Author's Summary: Omega discovers definitively that some gifts can very quickly become terrible curses.
Characters/Pairings: Omega, The Time Lords
Warnings: None.

Recced because: This is a great, unusual fic that I was lucky enough to stumble over when browsing the Spoon, and I’m so glad I did! It’s a chilling and evocative piece that follows Omega on his one way trip through the black hole, as his initial triumph at what he’s achieved and hope of rescuing turning over the years to isolation and despair, and finally to anger and madness. It’s a fascinating, excellent look at a ‘villain’ as he’s never quite portrayed in the series itself. I hope very much we’ll see some more from this author, too.

thisbluespirit

Story: Ticky Box Therapy
Author: castrovalva9
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 2617
Author's Summary: After Time-Flight, the Fifth Doctor goes to see a therapist. "The ticky boxes told the sad tale. The Doctor was a histrionic, narcissistic, dependent, paranoid, passive-aggressive sociopath with possible bipolar tendencies."
Characters/Pairings: Fifth Doctor, Original Character
Warnings: None.

Recced because: An odd sort of psychotherapist meets her most unusual and worrying patient yet and the results are highly entertaining, as the Doctor merely tells the truth and inadvertantly sets all her alarm bells ringing. It’s thoroughly amusing, with great use of an outsider POV – and then there’s the punchline…

thisbluespirit

Story: All Your Life Before You (The Natural Course of Events Remix)
Author: AstroGirl
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 3740
Author's Summary: Susan is perceiving many things she's never seen before. One of them is Ace.
Characters/Pairings: Susan Foreman/Ace McShane, First Doctor, Susan Q
Warnings: None.

Recced because: It’s a gorgeous fic, written for the recent Remix challenge, with Susan’s time-sensitivity so beautifully painted throughout – the things she’s starting to see as she travels in time, and there’s something symbolic and circular in the first and last Classic Who companions encountering each other like this. It’s just wonderful and I had to rec it.

Have an extract:

She looks at Ace and gasps a little, because there's her timeline, too. Its beginning is carefully patterned, woven rigidly into some greater framework as if by an unseen craftsman, but before it reaches its end, it blossoms out into something fluid and free. And in the middle, there is a storm, an exuberant chaos, a turning place where it tangles up with Grandfather's life, and a small spot where it rests against Susan's own. It's bright and beautiful and confusing. Susan reaches out to touch it, and finds her fingers touching Ace's hair instead.

"Are you all right?" Ace says again. Her voice is quieter now, her brow furrowed a little in concern.

And, without warning, everything folds in on itself, pasts and futures collapsing down suddenly into one moment, two girls, and a bench.

thisbluespirit

Ahoy there, Calufraxers! I'm

lost_spook (vvj5 on Teaspoon) and I'll be your reccer for the next two weeks. I have a fondness for pretty much all eras, so I'll be reccing a fair mix (I hope!). To start with, however, let's get bang up to date.

Story: Love/Hate
Author: nostalgia
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 3552
Author's Summary: Missy blackmails the Doctor into spending some time with her at a posh hotel. Yay?
Characters/Pairings: Twelfth Doctor/Missy (mentions of River/Doctor)
Warnings: Swearing

Recced because: Missy blackmails Twelve into a romantic holiday. It could never go well, but the really terrible thing is it’s not as bad as the Doctor would like it to be. This is just so funny and sharp and true to the pair of them (and Doctor-Master relationships generally). In particular, Twelve’s continual annoyance throughout the fic is a joy to behold, though Missy’s constant needling isn’t far behind.

Have a snippet to tempt you:

This wasn't going at all well, which was only to be expected. He was being blackmailed into a holiday and it wasn't even a good one. He found a barstool and a drinks list and waited for the barman to notice him. He half wished he'd changed into something cooler, but he knew Missy would have taken that to mean he was prepared to enjoy himself.

“What will it be?”

“Water, with ice, and a banana daiquiri for my... “ Arch-nemesis? Best enemy? Former friend? “Annoying woman in black.”

jjpor.livejournal.com

Well, these past two weeks have sped by and I hope you've enjoyed the recs I've posted here as much as I have enjoyed sharing them. I'll just slip this last one in before handing reccing duties over to the inimitable

lost_spook:

Story: Riddles in the Dark
Author: nonelvis
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1702
Author's Summary: The Great Intelligence easily sneaks onto the TARDIS. Defeating the Doctor, however, will be much harder.
Characters/Pairings: Jamie McCrimmon/The Doctor (2nd), the Great Intelligence
Warnings: None

Recced because: Well, mainly because this is a lovely, fluffy laugh-out-loud fic in which the Second Doctor finally gets that ultimate showdown he never got with the Great Intelligence post-Web of Fear and it takes the form of a somewhat whimsical riddle competition. Similarities to Bilbo's contest with Gollum in The Hobbit are entirely coincidental, the author assures us, and to be honest Professor Tolkien was never as funny as this. If you don't cackle like a fool at the bit with the pizza-related question then, quite honestly, I don't understand you at all.

This fic actually has quite a bit going on in addition to the great jokes. The Second Doctor, a character often thought of as quite difficult to capture in prose, is very finely portrayed here, with numerous moments and bits of dialogue that just ring true. Not only can you hear Troughton's voice at various points, you can picture his facial expressions. The idea of the Doctor having a romantic relationship with Jamie is presented so matter-of-factly and so tenderly that even if you're not a dedicated Two/Jamie shipper you'll find yourself getting behind it, and certainly you don't have to be into that ship to find the conclusion of the fic, and the means of the Doctor's victory over the Intelligence, very appealing indeed - a real "aww" moment, for me.

That pizza joke, though... :D Go and see for yourself. I'm not liable for anything you may spit out over your keyboard, by the way.

And that's your lot from me for now.

( A Moment )

jjpor.livejournal.com

Story: Fifteen Minutes
Author: TheBigCat
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 4845
Author's Summary: Solving a murder mystery on a train? All in a day's work for the Doctor and Ace.
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor (7th), Ace
Warnings: Some mild murder/violence

Recced because: Well, it's no secret by now; I love the Seventh Doctor and Ace, both individually and collectively as they go about writing wrongs, fighting for justice and generally injecting a little anarchy into space and time. And this fic offers a fine example of them doing what they do best, unplugged, as it were; no aliens, no universe-threatening eeevills from the dawn of time, just a Professor and his eager pupil unable to stand by and let evil go unpunished and just too good at it for any hapless villain who isn't even an alien or an aforementioned eeevill to stand a chance (although comparatively small-scale evils are still, you know, evil and as far as Seven and Ace are concerned still need to be sorted out). Just to make it even more impressive, they do it all aboard a moving train carriage in the space of time it takes to get from one station to the next.

Even more than a lot of other Doctor-companion relationships, I think a big part of the appeal of Seven and Ace is their interactions with each other, the banter and conversation, the way there's always more to what they say to each other than simple exposition. It's the way they interact, more than anything, as well as the teacher/pupil relationship and the genuine bond of friendship and affection they have even as he's testing her half the time and the rest of the time they're lying to each other more often than not. This all shines through in this fic, with some delightful Seven-Ace repartee and all of the little quirks and tics you come to expect from the pair of them. Like most of the best Seven fiction (fan and otherwise) it's told from Ace's p.o.v. and manages to pack in a lot of subtle characterisation by showing the world through her unique lens. And the Seven portrayed here is, I would say, extremely Seven-ish, with some great little bits of business that you can imagine Sylvester McCoy carrying out with aplomb were this a scene from a television story.

Anyway, go over to Teaspoon and see what you think, and be sure to let the author know that you like it (because I'm sure you will).

( A Sample )

jjpor.livejournal.com

Story: Gentleman Caller
Author: locker_monster
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 3819
Author's Summary: Who's the grey-haired Scottish man the Chandras keep seeing at Sarah Jane's house? Does she have a new boyfriend?
Characters/Pairings: Clara Oswin Oswald, Gita Chandra, Haresh Chandra, Sarah Jane Smith, Sky, The Doctor (12th)
Warnings: None

Recced because: Like the rest of Doctor Who fandom, I was dismayed to hear of the untimely death of Elisabeth Sladen in 2011. Although it pales into insignificance by comparison, as much as I recognised that ending the series at that point was the right decision, I was also very sad to see the end of The Sarah Jane Adventures, my favourite Who spin-off (sorry, Torchwood!). I know I was not alone in this, nor in craving hints as to what might have happened next to the Bannerman Road gang, and especially how their paths might have crossed again with characters from the main series. So any fic that explores these areas is going to be one I want to read.

I find this fic particularly delightful for the way it focuses on two of my favourite SJA characters, Rani's parents Gita and Haresh, and for portraying them so vividly and in a manner that is so true to their onscreen characters. They both react exactly as you might expect to the notion of a mysterious new man appearing in Sarah Jane's life, which is to say completely differently and at considerable cross purposes. Another thing I find extremely interesting here is the way the author imagines how life might have continued for the characters following the end of the TV series, picking up on the hints in those final episodes to present a considerably altered status quo, with the younger characters moving on beyond school and parents and the newly introduced Sky coming more to the fore. This is no doubt the path the series itself would have followed had it been able to continue.

The highlight here, of course, is the great crossover it imagines which surely would have happened had SJA continued up to the present day (considering the episodes featuring Ten and Eleven) - the Twelfth Doctor meeting Sarah Jane Smith. It's done very well and hearwarmingly here, with Twelve showing as we might have guessed by now that his brusque exterior hides a somewhat less curmudgeonly centre, and of course has an added poignancy due to the rl reason that that encounter can never take place for real.

But enough of that - go and read this fic because it is really rather lovely, and please leave some words of encouragement for the author.

( A Moment )

jjpor.livejournal.com

Story: In Alien Soil
Author: Lyricwritesprose
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1957
Author's Summary: Peri and the Doctor discuss botany, and the Doctor remembers what interests her.
Characters/Pairings: Peri Brown, The Doctor (6th)
Warnings: None

Recced because: Only the other day, I was discussing the venerable Who tradition of offloading surplus companions by marrying them off to random guest characters, and mentioned that I thought Vicki taking off with Troilus was actually one of the occasions when it worked as a storytelling choice. One of the more bizarre examples has to be Peri's apparent romance with Yrcanos at the end of Trial of a Time Lord. I think in recent years I've come around to the idea of it, however ill-advised it might seem. For one thing, it's a better outcome for Peri than the other alternative facing her in that particular story. For another thing, I've found that I actually quite like BRIAN BLESSED's turn in "Mind Warp" and his interactions with Peri - you can almost believe in their relationship if you, like, squint a bit. I also rather like the bizarre version of events given in the epilogue of the Target novelisation, where he somehow ends up as a pro wrestler in 1980s California with Peri as his manager. I think the main thing that's brought me around to quite liking Peri's ending, however, is that there is so much really nice fic out there about what she did next. And this, from a writer who needs no introduction around these parts, is a very fine example.

There is much more to this fic than that, however. We get a nice scene from the period when Peri was still travelling with Six, which features a discussion of botany (nice to see Peri getting a chance to use her expertise) and of Gallifreyan botany in particular. I'm a sucker for Gallifreyan worldbuilding at the best of times, but this is some tip-top stuff addressing a bit of lore we've all heard of but perhaps not thought too deeply about and in a genuinely science-fictional manner too. The part of the story set in Peri's post-Doctor period is just as good, with lots of nice hints about just what sort of society Krontep is (Yrcanos, you may not be entirely surprised to discover, is not some weirdly violent outlier as far as his culture and people go), and how Peri's time there hasn't always been easy but how she has managed to make a fulfilling life there. The main thing I like about this fic, however, is the great characterisation (something I always come back to when discussing fics I like); Peri and the Doctor both shine here, with Six's unique manner and verbosity coming through particularly clearly. I think it's Peri you'll remember afterwards, though, for her wit, her wisdom and her overcoming of adversity, as well as the heartfelt but not uncritical affection she has for both of the men in her life beyond Earth.

Well, go on - go and read it!

( An Extract )

jjpor.livejournal.com

Story: I could never live with me before you came along
Author: Nancy Brown
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 8664
Author's Summary: Canton Everett Delaware III is on a mission from God, er, River to put the band back together.
Characters/Pairings: Amy Pond, Canton Everett Delaware III, Jenny Flint, Madame Vastra, River Song, Rory Williams, The Doctor (11th), plus Anthony Williams and OCs
Warnings: None

Recced because: I was actually planning to rec another fic by this author, and I came across this more or less at random while looking for the other one on her Teaspoon page yesterday...and loved it. And couldn't believe it had no reviews and decided the best way of remedying that with a vengeance was to get it out here on Calufrax. So win/win for me - I get to rec this magnificent fic and still have one in the hole for my next reccing stint! :D

In all seriousness, though, this is a great fic, written with excellent characterisation and just common sense, decency and humanity. You know, like the best fics are. The fact that it also ticks quite a few of my fannish boxes as regards the tail end of the Eleven era (the Capaldinator is obviously brilliant, but I'm unashamed to say Eleven remains "my" NuWho Doctor) certainly doesn't hurt either. I've made no secret of the fact that I was, and am, seriously dissatisfied with the ending Amy and Rory got in The Angels Take Manhattan, not even because of their fates but mainly because of the slapdash way it was all plotted and the way we were expected to swallow rl attempts to plaster over those plot holes by authorial "word of god", so this sort of semi-fix-it (it doesn't actually fix it, but makes its point by illustrating one of the several blatantly obvious ways that it could be fixed) will always hold a certain appeal for me. The fact that it's wise-guy G-Man Canton Everett Delaware III, still one of my all-time favourite one-shot Who guest characters, who gets to be the main instrument of that sort-of-fix-it is, for me, the shiny cherry on top.

The author gives Canton an OC boyfriend, fittingly also a smart-mouthed hard-boiled cop type, who is also the everyman observer of the Doctor's strange world, as they go about reuniting Canton, the Paternoster Row crew, Amy and Rory and their adopted son Anthony, and eventually River and Eleven himself, and even get a bit of fraught adventure along the way. Throughout, we are reminded deftly and thought-provokingly of the difficulties and dangers facing same-sex relationships over the ages, with Vastra and Jenny's relationship also portrayed with great perceptiveness and sensitivity. I think the main thing I like about this, though, is the obvious love for the diverse cast of characters; even the ones that don't get that many lines (Eleven, actually) are vividly portrayed; as I often say of fanfic I find has particularly true-to-life characterisations, you really can hear the voices as you read it.

So get over there and see what you think, and please leave some words of appreciation for the author...!

( A Taste )

jjpor.livejournal.com

Story: The Unlikely (But True) Tale of Troilus & Cressida
Author: Meadowlark
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1249
Author's Summary: Vicki had heard the stories told about Troilus & Cressida, of course, but the reality is much stranger - and better- than fiction.
Characters/Pairings: Other Character(s), Vicki
Warnings: None

Recced because: Of all the instances in which Doctor Who has rid itself of surplus companions by randomly marrying them off to guest characters (and there are quite a few when you start to add them up), at least Vicki's departure in The Myth Makers makes a kind of sense and does have the added bonus of making her a mythological/Shakespearean figure in her own right. And I guess the temptation, for fans and fan-fictioneers, is to wonder what happened next. Things didn't work out that well for the actual Troilus and Cressida, but the TV serial had already deviated significantly from the original story (that being one of the points of the serial) so we have room to speculate.

There have been a couple of "official" versions in various Who spinoff media over the years, most of which tend to assume (as was at one point very much the fashion in such works) that whatever happened it was kind of grim and angsty. I like this fic's version of events a lot better than those.

The thing about Vicki is that while it's easy to dismiss her as a Susan substitute (and I think I was one of those who did, at one point in my fan career - foolishly) and to argue she was underused, she's actually a pretty awesome character. Maureen O'Brien really shines whenever she gets the chance and Vicki's relationship with One is really a joy to behold. I think this fic more than does her justice, especially by emphasising the fact that it is Vicki, with her knowledge of future events and therefore status as a prophet, who is the wise, important half of her relationship with Troilus, really leaving her stamp on the ancient world and overcoming adversity with her own quick wit. The relationship itself is portrayed as a storied sequence of surprises and unexpected turns, but also one of love and compassion. Vicki, basically, gets a happy ending, and I am all for that. I hope you will be too.

( An Excerpt )

jjpor.livejournal.com

Calufrax...we meet again! It has been too long. So, anyway, *reads instructions* I'm going to be sharing 4-10 recs with you over the next two weeks *throws instructions away* and I hope you're going to enjoy all of them as much as I did.

Story: Romana And The Quest Against Boredom
Author: Gallifrey Immigrant
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1778
Author's Summary: Romana's bored. That cannot do, so she's looking for a solution.
Characters/Pairings: K-9, Romana II, The Doctor (4th)
Warnings: None.

Recced because: Well, you know that thing where I'm kind of obsessed with Four and Romana and indeed Four/Romana? I'm even worse at the moment, because I've recently been re-watching Seasons 16 and 17 for the first time in some time, and I'm sort of falling in love all over again with those crazy kids and their idiosyncratic adventures. As I was recently opining in a venue other than Livejournal, I'm not really convinced "too silly" is ever a bad thing where Doctor Who is concerned, especially not when you have a Doctor and companion combo who do "silly" with such panache.

And I think this fic is a good example of the whole Season 17 vibe, capturing that combination of innocent whimsy and knowing absurdism and, let's not forget, genuine warmth. I'm particularly fond of the dialogue in this, which really does sound like exactly the sorts of things these characters would be coming out with, as Romana sets out to fight her newly acquired state of boredom in as business-like and slightly oblivious a manner as you would expect her to do so. Some good asides in this from K-9 too, but what I really love is the way Four himself impinges (or doesn't impinge) upon the story, embodying the disreputable uncle/irresponsible teacher side of his nature as he decides to let his protégé figure this particular lesson out for herself (she does...sort of).

Anyway, I think it's lovely, and I hope you will too when you go and read it. Right now!

( A Sample )

scripsi.livejournal.com

Story: Backwards the Clock Goes Ticking
Author: Inkfire
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 511 words
Author's Summary: Sunlight burns and water gleams, and River Song stands suspended. Lake Silencio, twice.
Characters/Pairings: River Song, the Eleventh Doctor
Warnings:None

Recced because: I have a penchant for short, emotionally powerful fics and this one fits the bill beautifully. River Song is one of my favourite characters and I’m fascinated by her fragmented and tragic life. And when I read this story I could feel the intensity of the heat and River’s sense of helplessness.

scripsi.livejournal.com

Story: Given Conciousness
Author: Masterpwn
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 667 words
Author's Summary: Tentoo's feelings and thoughts during and after growing out of a hand, his actions on the Crucible, Bad Wolf Bay, and what could have been.
Characters/Pairings: The Tenth Doctor, the Tenth Doctor (duplicate), Donna Noble, Rose Tyler
Warnings:None

Recced because: A very powerful and emotional fic about the duplicate Doctor’s thoughts and feelings.

scripsi.livejournal.com

Story: Ruined Places
Author: Styrofoam monster
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 474 words
Author's Summary: Martha meets a strange man during the Year That Never Was.
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones, The Master (Delgado)
Warnings:None

Recced because: It’s difficult to say much and not give away the whole story as this is a short fic that manages to convey a lot in very few words. The Master has got himself stranded out of his time and is desperate to get away. Martha is trying to save the world, full of confidence in the Doctor. Their points of view differ. Go and read it, it will just take you a few minutes and I'm sure you won't regret it!

scripsi.livejournal.com

Story: Gymnophoria: Take One
Author: Culumacilinte
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1256 words
Author's Summary: She knows intimately the sensation of a pair of eyes trained on her; the awful, crawling knowledge that someone is staring at her, imagining her naked, imagining doing more than just looking.
Characters/Pairings: The Sixth Doctor, Peri Brown
Warnings: Discussion of sexual harassment, and references to the implied sexual abuse of a minor.

Recced because: I’m re-watching old Who at the moment and just finished Mindwarp. I quite like Peri, but I dislike her being made into a perpetual sex object. This fic deals with how Peri feels about all these guys fawning over her and makes a great job describing it. I also enjoy Six showing his caring side.

( Excerpt )

scripsi.livejournal.com

Story: Home?
Author: vvj5
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 8360 words
Author's Summary: Donna asks a reasonable question and the Doctor bends the laws of Time and Space to answer it. Which obviously involves two Doctors, UNIT, the Master and a nasty mess in the space/time continuum.
Characters/Pairings: The Third Doctor, the Tenth Doctor, the Master (Delgado), Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Donna Noble, Jo Grant, John Benton, Mike Yates
Warnings: None stated

Recced because: I love this story! The various interactions between the characters are hilarious and their voices spot on. I must confess to a special fondness for The Brig and Donna interacting with each other. I think they would have got along wonderfully if they ever had had a chance to meet. But there are several delightful scenes here, the Doctors bickering with each other, Jo realising that Ten is the Doctor and the Doctors joining forces to annoy the Master, for example.

( Excerpt )

scripsi.livejournal.com

Hello! I’m

scripsi here and Dancingsalome at Teaspoon. This is my first round of reccing and I hope you will enjoy my recs as much as I have!

Story: Friends In High Places
Author: nostalgia
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1753 words
Author's Summary: In which Torchwood completely fail to locate the Doctor while he's pretty much on their doorstep.
Characters/Pairings: The Third Doctor, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Liz Shaw, Jack Harkness, Donna Noble, the Tenth Doctor, The Master (Delgado), River Song, the TARDIS
Warnings: None stated

Recced because: The Doctor is thinking of getting a pet snake, the Brigadier fudge personal files and the Master takes a part time job at Torchwood. What is not to love? The fic consist of a couple of short scenes with various characters that are described spot on and why they want to find, or hide, the Doctor. I laughed out loud several times while reading it.

( Excerpt )

romanajo123.livejournal.com

Story: Kiss the Cook
Author: IrishVampire13
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 2189
Author's Summary: "Please tell me these are actual, proper chicken eggs," Rory told the Doctor, fishing a carton out of the refrigerator. "Earth chicken eggs. I don't want to crack one of these things open and have to fight off a fire-breathing Venusian quail, or something!"
Characters/Pairings: Amy Pond, River Song, Rory Williams, The Doctor (11th)
Warnings: From the Author's Note: " A tiny little smidge of light naughtiness, hardly worth upping the rating for."

Recced because: This fic was posted only a few days ago and it already got my attention. A fun slice of life moment with the Eleventh Doctor and his companions (and cookies!) that is well-written and perfectly captures this TARDIS team.

romanajo123.livejournal.com

Story: Don't Fade Away
Author: thefirstintimeandspace
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 572
Author's Summary:Age does things to one's mind. And one tends to forget as time goes on. Sometimes these things are silly and unimportant, but sometimes...sometimes... We forget the most important things. Even if we don't want them to. Ian Chesterton certainly didn't want to ever forget.
Characters/Pairings: Ian Chesterton/Barbara Wright
Warnings: None given, but mention of character death

Recced because: This work-in-progress is an emotional and beautifully written look at a 'what-if' for these two.

romanajo123.livejournal.com

Story: Companion Classes
Author: vvj5
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 1269
Author's Summary: The Doctor decides it's time that Peri learnt a little bit about him. Naturally this includes a slide-show presentation, some confusion and a written test.
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor (6th), Peri Brown
Warnings: None

Recced because: This amusing one-shot attempts to answer the question that I (and I imagine many fans) have had (how does Peri know about several of the Doctor's previous companions?) in a way that definitely suits the Sixth Doctor.

Current Mood: amused

romanajo123.livejournal.com

Story: Metamorphosis
Author: Rose of Pollux
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 19872
Author's Summary: Season 6B, post-"The Two Doctors." After learning about Dastari's experiments on the Doctor, the Rani brings her old classmate, along with his Scottish companion, back to Space Station Chimera for a new series of experiments. With two Grigs of Androgums aiding the Rani, the Doctor and Jamie may never be the same again...
Characters/Pairings: Jamie McCrimmon, The Doctor (2nd), The Rani
Warnings: None

Recced because: Just the idea of the Second Doctor and Jamie facing the Rani is intriguing; and the author manages to execute it well with the characters' dynamic written perfectly and a very unique twist (which I won't spoil).

romanajo123.livejournal.com

Story: Beauty and Folly
Author:helluin
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 4134
Author's Summary: After a year spent pushing through a time-barrier on Planet Folly, the Doctor is rather the worse for wear. However, he does not entirely appreciate Nyssa's attempts to play nursemaid.
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor (5th), Nyssa
Warnings: None

Recced because: Set during the Big Finish audio "Demons of Red Lodge" (though there is enough context given for this story to work as a standalone), this is a wonderfully angsty and well-written character study for Nyssa and the Doctor.

Current Mood: jubilant

romanajo123.livejournal.com

Story: Education
Author: cosmickitten
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 111
Author's Summary: “Romana, I think you’ve got me confused with K9.”
Characters/Pairings: Romana I, The Doctor (4th)
Warnings: None

Recced because: Writing characters in-character can be difficult. Told entirely in dialogue, this is a short yet amusing vignette which manages to capture the Doctor and Romana's voices perfectly.

romanajo123.livejournal.com

Hello! I'm new to reccing but I love all things Doctor Who.

Story: Memories With No Beginning
Author: Irish Bad Wolf
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 556
Author's Summary: In another reality, the Doctor has a normal life and a family.
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor (AU!8th)/Grace Holloway
Warnings: None

Recced because: Based on an alternate universe from the Doctor Who Magazine comics in which the Eighth Doctor marries Grace, this fic gives an interesting (and rather sweet) look into this reality.

Current Mood: excited

nonelvis

Posting on behalf of Styrofoam monster on Teaspoon.

Story: Self-Preservation
Author: Memory Dragon
Rating: teen
Word count: 16429
Characters: Delgado!master, Three, Simm!master
Summary: Running for his life with the Master, the Doctor finds someone he just can't leave behind.
Warnings: This fic is part of a well balanced diet of angst and cuteness. The Master gets a bit beaten up (off screen abuse of the insane on backwater planets) and there is a small bit of violence towards the Doctor, but I don't think it's anything major. Just a bit of choking, really.

Recced because: Self-Preservation features two incarnations of the Master, and Memory Dragon writes them both splendidly (though of course, anything Memory Dragon writes with the Master is guaranteed goodness). This fic shows the trust between the 3rd doctor and his master, something that has been lost in their later regenerations, and the mercurial nature of simm!master, and offers a believable explanation for how Delgado becomes who he will be. The story is very much one of contrasts, a moment of truce in a conflict that almost feels like a farce because it's obvious in this fic that Three and his master don't hate each other - rather the opposite. The concern the 3rd doctor and Delgado!master show for each other only underscores how bitter their battles will become. The conversation between the two Masters was also well done, with Delgado characteristically dismissive of his older self's melodrama. And the ending is excellent.

I could go on about it all day -- go ahead and read it!

excerpt: ( after the cut )

nonelvis

Posting on behalf of Styrofoam monster on Teaspoon.

Story: Critical Angle
Author: Calapine
Rating: All Ages
Word count: 940
Characters: Tegan, Five
Summary: They say it's better here than anywhere else.

Recced because: Tegan is so well drawn here as the complex, confrontational and vulnerable person she is. This fic unravels the trauma that Tegan undergoes from traveling with the Doctor, tackles their complex relationship and how very distant and alien the fifth doctor can be. There are too many wonderful lines to list, but this one especially struck me: "She’ll think of Earth and he’ll tell her about all the wonderful places in the universe she’s never going to see because they’re too busy helping the not so wonderful places." Nothing is nice or neat in this fic. But despite that, it is the little moments -- Tegan dreaming of being a car mechanic, tea in the rain room, and Tegan's colonizing the cloister room -- that offer some humanity in the harsh and clinical prose.

A haunting fic.

excerpt: ( after the cut )

nonelvis

Posting on behalf of Styrofoam monster on Teaspoon.

Story: Other Days
Author: aralias
Rating: all ages
Word count: 3569
Characters: Jackson Lake, Simm!Master
Summary: There were days when Jackson Lake woke up safe in the knowledge that he was Jackson Lake, mathematics teacher, friend to Rosita, and father of Frederick Lake. Then, there were other days.
Warnings: none

Recced because: Even though I was unfamiliar with Jackson Lake, I immediately fell into the narrative. The story is tightly written, using Jackson to give an outsider's perspective on the Master. Jackson/ the Doctor is a great character and his interactions with the Master were witty and smart. The ending packs a particular punch.
Oh, and the remixed drabble, linked in the author's note, is also very much worth reading.

Excerpt: ( after the cut )

nonelvis

Posting on behalf of Styrofoam monster on Teaspoon.

Story: Establishing Events
Author: Lurky McLurklurk
Rating: All Ages
Word count: 2432
Characters: 10, Martha, Seven
Summary: "Saving someone's life's not a cheap trick, Martha," said the Doctor quietly.
"No, it's much more important."
Warnings: none

Recced for: Excellent timey-wimey in the form of a closed paradox. Martha wants to save her sister's life, and we all know she can't -- the way the establishing events of the title play out, though, show how manipulative the Doctor can be, without necessarily being cruel. An intricate and troubling fic.

Excerpt: ( after the cut )

nonelvis

Posting on behalf of Styrofoam monster on Teaspoon.

Story: No Return and No Deposit
Author: sheldrake
Rating: All ages
Word count: 3866
Characters: 10th Doctor, Romana, OCs
Summary: "There's a sort of sliding scale of aloneness." Meetings with Time Lords in bars.
Warnings: none

Recced because: Two different bars, and two different encounters between out-of-time people create an atmospheric and introspective story. The fic explores travelling, home, and the ways people are alone. Romana's final monologue is chilling and hopeful and perfect. There is so much depth to this fic - when you finish you want to read it again.

Excerpt: ( after the cut )

nonelvis

Posting on behalf of Styrofoam monster on Teaspoon.

Story: Force of Nature
Author: nostalgia
Rating: Teen
Word count: 2637
Characters: Missy, 12
Summary: The Doctor reluctantly assists Missy's life of crime.
Warnings: none

Recced because: This story is Classic Master. Missy keeps the Doctor and the reader guessing all the way through - the prose is crisp, the banter is strong, and the characterization fitting. The Master is simultaneously superior and vulnerable, the Doctor frustrated and reluctantly fond, and there is a customary blend of trust and mistrust between them. Good Missy stories are hard to find, and this is a good one.

excerpt: ( after the cut )

nonelvis

Posting on behalf of Styrofoam monster on Teaspoon.

Story: Set Yourself on Fire
Author: livii
Rating: all ages
Word count: 1081
Characters: Leela/Jacobi!Master
Summary: War, in fragments: Gallifrey's two greatest defenders.
Warnings: none

Recced because: This fic imagines the Master and Leela as warriors of Gallifrey, bound together by their determination to protect their home. They are not friends, but comrades-in-arms, sharing something deeper than trust in the cataclysm of the Time War. The prose is sparse and evocative, and the relationship the two share is uncertain and oddly beautiful. Leela is proud and brave; the Master is proud and almost brave. But the ending shows where they differ.

Excerpt: ( after the cut )

nonelvis

Posting on behalf of Styrofoam monster on Teaspoon.

Story: The Revolution Will Not Be Analysed
Author: JJPOR
Rating: All Ages
Word count: 2257
Characters: Ace, Seven
Summary: From up here, she could watch the city burn.
Warnings: none

Recced because: It's Seven and Ace exactly the way they should be. A simile that compares the doctor to a slam poet, Ace reading Hannah Arendt, and a serious reflection on that oft-ignored point - what happens after the Doctor leaves in his TARDIS. The revolution itself is drawn vividly, with tantalizing hints dropped about the state of affairs before the pair arrived, even though the focus is firmly on Ace and the Doctor. Ace's perspective is lively and fascinating - she's written as the intelligent, observant character she is. The seventh doctor plays devil's advocate and teacher, forcing Ace to question and defend what they do everyday. The answers she comes to - are interesting, especially in light of the poem the fic takes it name from.

Excerpt: ( after the cut )

nonelvis

Your reccer for the next two weeks is Styrofoam monster on Teaspoon; I'll be posting on their behalf.

Story: Naked People
Author: Pluto
Rating: All Ages
Word count: 4,956
Characters: Tosh
Summary: Tosh finds confidence in the shape of a little rust-colored dress, and sees a side of herself that she'd like to keep. Slight AU (confident Tosh).
Warnings: none

Recced because: Tosh doesn't get enough love. The summary calls this story a slight AU, but it's that kind of AU that is so close to reality you can see it, and far enough that you feel its loss when you finish reading. Tosh is gorgeous and smart, and here she starts to realize it. The structure is excellent, composed of Tosh's interactions with not just her co-workers but also some very well-drawn OCs. Tosh's inner-doubts and struggles ring painfully true, as she explains to a girl much like herself just how she feels sitting in a bar: "You came here because it was better than going home and staring at the television and now you just wish you were home watching anything at all, because at least you wouldn't be paying seven quid a drink for the privilege."

The story is about self-confidence, self-doubt, and self-esteem. It's heart-warming and just a little bit tragic.

( excerpt )

paynesgrey.livejournal.com

Story: Symmetry
Author: JaneTurenne
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 985
Author's Summary: The Doctor has always expected to lose River, but he never expects to find her.
Characters/Pairings: Eleventh Doctor/River Song
Warnings: None.

Recced because: This is a really fantastic and short piece about Eleven and River's relationship, how they meet out of order, and then their moments perfectly coming together in canon. I think the author has the voices down solidly too, and the ending is lovely and hopeful.

paynesgrey.livejournal.com

Story: The Fun of the Fair
Author: johne
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 584
Author's Summary: Victoria visits a funfair with Jamie, and realises it's not the first time she's been there.
Characters/Pairings: Jamie/Victoria
Warnings: None.

Recced because: I love this early period of the Second Doctor's era, and even more so Jamie and Victoria's interaction. I felt chemistry there, and when I found this fic I was ECSTATIC. I must have read this twenty times and more. It's fluffy, these two are just too sweet, and there's a great memory from Victoria and an impulsive move Jamie makes to calm her. This fic just gives me such happy feels for sure.

paynesgrey.livejournal.com

Story: Through and Through
Author: wuhdemah
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 790
Author's Summary: The cracks in the skin of the universe were open; it shouldn't have been surprising that the fabric between his universe and hers had also come undone.
Characters/Pairings: Eleventh Doctor/Rose Tyler
Warnings: None.

Recced because: I loved this because I am a sucker for Eleven seeing Rose Tyler again, and this short little fic hit the spot. It's fluffy and cute with just a bit of light romance, but I think the best thing about it is Rose taking in the Doctor as Eleven, and despite that, the way they feel about each other doesn't seem to change much. Both characters are wonderfully portrayed in this meeting and I think it's a good way to get them together for a short piece.

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calufrax is sleeping in your mind. One day, it may be brought back in front of your eyes.

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