calufrax | Entries tagged with character: brigadier lethbridge-stewart

Story: Going Home
Author: Brunhilde
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 8174
Author's Summary: A life can't be summed in a few tiny moments, but it can, possibly, be understood. Elizabeth Shaw through the years. (Crossover with the P.R.O.B.E. series, but no prior knowledge of it is required.)
Characters/Pairings: Liz Shaw/original character, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Three, Patricia Haggard (from the P.R.O.B.E series), Ten, Sarah Jane Smith, Clyde Langer.
Warnings: None

Recced because: I have to agree with the author's summary here. This fic is a collection of evocative moments - some happy, some quiet, some dark - from four different phases of Liz's life. Pulling together several strands of her story, Brunhilde shows Liz's growth, through all the new challenges she seeks and through her connections with some new and some old (some older than others) friends. This isn't the total of Liz's life, but it's a wonderfully clear and thoughtful insight into it.

( Excerpt )

jjpor.livejournal.com

Story: Cake and the Rani
Author: primsong
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 11,098
Author's Summary: In which the Master takes up baking, Three disapproves of his culinary planning and Ten loses his britches, with the Rani's help. No TARDISes were harmed in the making of this fic.
Characters/Pairings: Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Sergeant Benton, The Doctor (3rd), The Master (Delgado), The TARDIS, UNIT, The Doctor (10th), The Rani and other characters
Warnings: In spite of the worrying implications of the author's summary, surprisingly none

Recced because: I'll be candid right at the outset and admit that I may have had some tangential involvment in inciting this particular fic, or that at any rate I may have been involved in some of the discussions that led to it being incited. A couple of years ago, on a Doctor Who forum that I frequent, a kind of fictional prompt or challenge arose quite by accident from some chance remarks made by members of the forum. To cut a long story short, people started writing humorous fics with one common premise; they all featured Ten, naked, chained to Three by the Master and both of them covered in cake. Despite the worrying potential, I don't think any of these fics veered into the obvious places you might think from that summary. And so a genre was born. Cakefic. And this story remains one of the premier examples.

Now, I don't expect anybody who wasn't a participant to care at all about the previous paragraph, but I still think they should read this fic. Not only does primsong manage to take a pretty silly prompt indeed and weave from it a decent, lengthy and not wholly frivolous story, but she does it with such a deft touch and affection for all of the disparate characters involved. I think one of the things that I really respond strongly to in Doctor Who fanfic is the sense you get in some stories of the writer's deep, abiding love for the show and its characters, and especially when it's clear that love extends across more than one era of the show without fear or favour or fan-wankiness. And that's what I get when I read this fic. Ten and Three and the Master and the Rani and the UNIT bods are all drawn with such affection and insight into their essential natures. And there are some telling little moments, like Three's wistful realisation when he sees his future self's TARDIS that his own exile isn't forever, or the Rani's businesslike ruthlessness and her spiky relationship with the Master, even if it's Delgado!Master in this instance. And it's pretty funny indeed. And it features Ten naked, chained to Three and covered in cake. So go and read it.

( A Brief Extract )

jjpor.livejournal.com

Story: A Game of Two Halves
Author: Gary Merchant
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 1316
Author's Summary: It's the best of Galactic Football Action, from Gallifrey.
Characters/Pairings: Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Davros, Sutekh, The Celestial Toymaker, The Daleks, The Doctor (10th), The Doctor (1st), The Doctor (2nd), The Doctor (3rd), The Doctor (4th), The Doctor (5th), The Doctor (6th), The Doctor (7th), The Doctor (8th), and quite a few others as well.
Warnings: Only if you have some in-built aversion to the game known variously as football/soccer...

Recced because: Recced because the first time I read this it absolutely tickled me pink. Essentially, it's a pretty unique take on that concept that seems to haunt the dreams of all us fanfiction writers, the Ultimate Multi-Doctor Team-Up, but in the form of a football (soccer, that is, for those of you on the other side of the Pond there) match, with a motley visiting team of villains and monsters providing the opposition. The story is absolutely stuffed to bursting with clever references and asides to the wide and varied history of Who, both in-universe and real life; if you like a good in-joke (and I would tentatively place myself in that category), you will find much here to amuse you. What really elevates this story for me, however, is the style in which it is told. Truly oddball television football commentary is something of a dying art nowadays, but the author here captures its unique idiom perfectly, somewhat filtered through the prism of that Monty Python election results sketch which was mocking the same sort of thing. Certainly, if you're familiar with the way football used to be televised in the UK in the days before Sky Sports, you'll get an extra kick out of this, but even if not you'll still find a lot to like about this and a lot of humour in it, I'm sure. So go and read it - this instant!

( In case I haven't explained myself sufficiently: )

curuchamion.livejournal.com

Story: The Shining Furrow
Author: Primsong
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 34,520
Author's Summary: "An out-of-season meteorite in Trelissick, Cornwall, a missing man and missing ferns; Three and Jo have a puzzling, dangerous riddle to solve."
Characters/Pairings: Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Jo Grant, Sergeant Benton, The Doctor (3rd)
Warnings: None, unless you count deliberate misappropriation of Tennyson. ;-)

Recced because: It's a "missing-episode"-type UNIT adventure story - with overly complex codenames, Sgt. Benton's coffee and sandwiches, Jo and the Brig being awesome, Three macgyvering widgets out of spare parts, and (as usual, in Primsong's stories) an amazingly clever and original "guest alien of the week" idea.

Also, it's long. I like long. *resists the urge to say "long stories are cool"* ;-) Something to read over the weekend. And it's based on a sonnet by Tennyson; I have no idea how Prim did what she did, but the story fits the poem perfectly. It's fantastic.

(Frankly, I like the poem better now than I did before I read the story. Prim is that mind-bogglingly good. Go on, read it. *smile*)

curuchamion.livejournal.com

Story: Knights Errant
Author: JJPOR
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 6325
Author's Summary: "So, what did happen to Brigadier Winifred Bambera and her other half Ancelyn? What happened to Bessie, for that matter? And how did UNIT become NuNIT? It's all connected, of course..."
Characters/Pairings: Ancelyn/Bambera, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Harriet Jones, Other Characters, Torchwood, UNIT, Bessie [she is too a character ;-)]
Warnings: Swearing

Recced because: Well... it's The One Where Bambera And Ancelyn Run Away In Bessie To Fight Dragons. *nods* That really ought to be a good recommendation by itself.

Let me elaborate. Brigadier Winifred Bambera - a tough, snarky black lady with incredibly butch hair - was the head of UNIT in the late 1980s, after Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart retired. In the Seventh Doctor story "Battlefield", she worked with Seven, Ace, and the Brig (ther Brig I should say *g*) to repel an invasion by Morgan leFay from an Arthurian alternate dimension. Also involved was an adorably dorky guy named Ancelyn, from the same alternate dimension, fighting on the Doctor's side; Ancelyn and "Brigadette" Bambera started up a wonderful scrappy romance.

This story is set ten years later, when Proper!UNIT is being broken up to make way for New!UNIT. It has... well. I think I'm actually going to do a snippet.

( This is a snippet )

Also it has Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. And Bessie, Three's little yellow car (which last appeared in "Battlefield"). And Excalibur. And... well, c'mon, it's hilarious. And it's by

jjpor. Why would you NOT read it? ;-)

Current Mood: happy

paranoidangel

Story: Overheard at the UNIT Christmas party, 2009 (probably)
Author: shinyjenni
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 593
Author's Summary: Conversations overheard at the UNIT Christmas party.
Characters/Pairings: Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Cliff Jones, Harry Sullivan, Jo Grant, Liz Shaw, Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, Sergeant Benton, UNIT
Warnings: None

Recced because: It's short and funny. The conversations are interesting, as the combinations of participants.

( Excerpt )

If you like this, don't forget to tell the author.

persiflage-1.livejournal.com

Story: Just A Jump To The Left
Author: sleepismyfriend
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 18317
Author's Summary: The Doctor goes to 1976 to retrieve one Liz Shaw.
Characters/Pairings: Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Liz Shaw, Luke Smith, Martha Jones, Rory Williams, Sarah Jane Smith, The Doctor (11th)

Recced because: I love the way sleepismyfriend has got so many different era companions working together, under the Doctor's guidance (more or less!) to save Liz from the effects of an unpleasant alien encounter.

"Hello everyone, how long was I gone?" He asked, and Sarah looked to her watch as Rory and Martha exchanged glances.

"Forty-five minutes or so?" Martha looked to Sarah.

"Forty-seven and a half, to be exact." Sarah looked up from her watch, dropping her wrist as the Doctor looked to her, and she smiled. "Which is definitely a new record for him."

"Yes." The Doctor gave himself a mental congratulatory pat on the back before stepping forward to pat the side of the TARDIS's door. "That is what I am talking about. Over nine hundred years, and I finally get the guidance systems calibrated properly. That takes skill, you know. Slept through that class quite a bit in school."

[...]

"Heh, last time you said that, the TARDIS ended up underwater for seventeen hours during fish migration." Rory added. "Although, the colours were remarkable, I'll have to give you that. I see you didn't leave the parking brakes on again."

"Oh, quiet you." The Doctor waved Rory off. "Just because Mr. Amy Pond decided to take some outrageous holiday with River in Egypt does not give you, Mrs. Amy Pond, the right to be cheeky. I half expect Interpol to call us any moment now."

Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Location: Home
Current Music: Classic FM - Mark Forrest

persiflage-1.livejournal.com

There are, alas, too few Liz fics out there, but of the few people who regularly write Liz Shaw,

lost_spook is my favourite.

Story: Only Visiting This Planet
Author: vvj5/

lost_spook
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 7564
Author's Summary: Liz Shaw meets a student who has a problem that forces her back into contact with UNIT. And there are some things that can't be solved with cups of tea.
Characters/Pairings: Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Jo Grant, Liz Shaw, Mike Yates, Sergeant Benton, The Doctor (3rd)

Warnings: Character Deaths

Recced because: I've lost count of the number of times I've read this story, and yet it *still* makes me cry every time. It's a beautifully written look at Liz post-UNIT, that's funny and moving by turns, and vvj5 has all the characters' voices spot on. Plus, the alien is interesting.

“So what is it you wanted to say?”

The girl was sitting forward on the other chair, her hands around the mug of tea, but she hadn’t drunk any yet. “It’s difficult. I thought — tonight — I thought you might understand, but it all sounds so mad. I shouldn’t have come.”

“Try me,” said Liz, smiling at her. “If I’d told the truth back there, everyone else would have thought I was mad too. Why don’t you start with your name and move on to the rest?”

She coloured. “Janey Lewis. I’ve got an alien in my head.”

Current Mood: sleepy
Current Location: Home
Current Music: Classic FM - Mark Forrest

choco-chick.livejournal.com

So here's my last fic :( It was a lot of fun and I hope you all enjoyed them :)

Story: Without You
Author: Memory Dragon
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 17056
Author's Summary: Surprised to find the Master at his home, the Brigadier is immediately suspicious. The Brigadier is eventually forced to admit the even more surprising fact the Master isn't there to stir up trouble. Faced with actually having to help the Master, the Brigadier resigns himself to a few more adventures.
Characters/Pairings: Simm!Master, Brigadier, Tenth Doctor
Warnings: None

Recced because: In the novel "The Face of the Enemy" the Master says the Brigadier makes a fairly worthy opponent (or something like that) and in this fic that respect for the Brigadier shines through. In The End of Time the Doctor dies and the Master lives but he doesn't know what to do with himself. He turns to the Brigadier for help/in grief - Not something I would've thought of myself but after reading this I was like: "Of course he would!" This fic rekindled my love of the Brigadier :) The evolution the Master's character goes through is well done and I just love the role the TARDIS plays :D

Oops! Just noticed part 3 is not up on teaspoon but thankfully it is here on her Lj.

Current Mood: pleased

elisi

Story: Distances
Author: Levendis
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 4907
Author's Summary: Running fast to stand still, or the more things change the more they stay the same, or a series of vignettes about fish and possible nows.
Characters/Pairings: Ace McShane, Adric, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Donna Noble, Nyssa, Peri Brown, Tegan Jovanka, The Daleks, The Doctor (10th), The Doctor (11th), The Doctor (1st), The Doctor (2nd), The Doctor (3rd), The Doctor (4th), The Doctor (5th), The Doctor (6th), The Doctor (7th), The Doctor (8th), The Doctor (9th)
Warnings: None
Recced because: This is a fic about the Doctor - all of him, the essence of him. It is a series of vignettes, but they are unsorted and sort of higgledy-piggledy, consisting of briefly captured moments (or lifetimes), and most of the time it takes a few lines, or even paragraphs, before it’s possible to put a face, a time, a context, a ‘number’ to the Doctor in question. This disorientation works beautifully to highlight how he truly is the same man, how who he was/is/will be is all part of one continuous story. Some parts are sad, some happy; others funny, or profound, or deeply touching. But above all, this fic reminds me that the Doctor just is.

ffutures.livejournal.com

Story: Blast from the Past
Author: Jinxed Wood
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2046
Author's Summary: Martha's first call to the office, at UNIT, holds a surprise for her she hadn't expected. Sequel to 'The House Call'
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, Unspecified Companion
Warnings: None
Recced because: The death of Nicholas Courtney earlier this year gave us another character to remember, the Brigadier. This is a lovely story which shows him doing what he does best; acting as a foil for the other characters, Martha Jones and Sarah Jane Smith. Although it's a sequel, it works perfectly well on its own.

aralias.livejournal.com

Most people reading this will already have heard the sad news about Nicholas Courtney aka Brigadier Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart. While he won't be on screen again as the Brigadier, we can, like the Doctor, always visit the Brig again at any point in his past - though with the written word and DVD/video-recordings, rather than a time machine.

Obviously, in light of this event I wanted to rec something with the Brig in it. What I have chosen is almost more a story about Liz, certainly a story more about their relationship than simply about the Brig, but I was planning on reccing it anyway, and it seems wrong to shy away from it just because it's relatively light-hearted and not entirely about Sir Alistair.

Story: A Turn In The Park
Author: johne
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 549
Author's Summary: Liz, the Brigadier, and a cliché.
Characters/Pairings: Liz/the Brigadier

Recced because: It's a lovely, understated story about the relationship between these two characters: Liz, stubborn but willing to change her mind if there is evidence to support such a change, and the Brigadier, a man of restrained emotional responses, but one not without great care and affection, not that at all. A thorough gentleman, despite whatever amusement he might derive from a situation. It's very short, there are relatively few events (in fact, the only event, 'Liz hurting her ankle', happens off screen), but the fic does a lot with its word count, and with what the summary describes as a cliché.

Extract: "I suppose you think I should have stayed put and screamed?" she said.

"At least one patrol would have been in earshot the whole time. We are investigating two disappearances, after all, and I'd rather that the third one wasn't you."

allonymity.livejournal.com

Story: Filthy Lucre
Author: Calapine
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1063
Author's Summary: Where the Doctor got his paper bag of cash from in The Lodger.
Characters/Pairings: Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, The Doctor (11th)
Warnings:. none

Recced because: This charming missing scene fic does a great job of integrating old and new Who. Both the Brigadier and Eleven’s voices are spot on, and the overall tone fits well with the episode it’s associated with. I could easily picture it as a wonderful “Children in Need” special.

pitry.livejournal.com

Hello, and welcome to Calufrax ~~Pitry's 2010 reccing comm~~! I'm Pitry, and I'll be your reccer for this ~~year~~ week. I bring you a variety of recs to enjoy the end of ~~2009~~ 2010 and the beginning of ~~2010~~ 2011. And now I shall spare you any more failed attempts at humour and go to my first story:

Story: All These Things That We've Done (The Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow Remix)
Author: atraphoenix
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 3,516
Author's Summary: “Another world, Doctor! You've brought Miss Shaw and myself to another world without even asking for our consent!”
Characters/Pairings: Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart/Liz Shaw, The Third Doctor.
Warnings: None

Recced because: This is a very sweet and funny what-if story, that gives two wonderful companions the chance to see what's out there. It was always quite a shame they didn't get it in the show itself, especially Liz, and I'm all for fixing that unfortunate situation. Atraphoenix doesn't just fix it, but fixes it with a lot of honesty for the characters (and some romance to boot), a good story and the right amount of humour to make a story truly joyful to read.

sciathan-file.livejournal.com

Happy Saturday! Today we're era hopping.

Story: A Shift in Perspective
Author:  Persiflage
Rating:  Teen
Word Count:  50234
Author's Summary:  The Tenth Doctor goes missing and it's up to Martha Jones to track him down again, but it proves both harder and more instructive than she expects.
Characters/Pairings: Sarah Jane Smith, The Doctor (All incarnations), The White Guardian, Torchwood, a plethora of companions
Warnings: Spoilers for just about everything. They are warned for in the author's notes of each section.

Recced because: Set a few months after series 4, "A Shift in Perspective" sends Martha on a journey that has her meeting the Doctor - yes, every incarnation of him. What stands out about this particular fic (and Persiflage's writing in general) is her nuanced and strong portrayal of Martha Jones: she's independent, she's strong, and she does what she has to do. Part of the charm of "A Shift in Perspective" is the fact that you get to see glimpses of Martha interacting with all of the Doctors (who are all impeccably characterized) as well as many of the previous companions. Moreover, the fic is fast-paced and features a solid plot alongside the solid characterizations. Overall, a wonderful fic to park yourself and read on a summer day (or on any day, really).

( A small sample... )

ffutures.livejournal.com

Story: Field Trip
Author: Biichan
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 790
Author's Summary: "Loch Ness is in Scotland,” said Luke. “I don't think we have time to get there and back and still get up for school tomorrow morning.”
Characters/Pairings: Alan Jackson, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Clyde Langer, Luke Smith, Maria Jackson, Other Character(s), Other Character(s), Sarah Jane Smith, Sarah Jane Smith, UNIT
Warnings: None
Recced because: For my final choice I wanted my all-time favourite characters, the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane but made a mistake in the search and this popped out. And having read it I decided I could manage without the Doctor for the sake of the Loch Ness Monster, some excellent character studies, and another glimpse of the Brigadier.

( A small sample )

ffutures.livejournal.com

Story: The Brigadier's Wedding
Author: Aralias
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 5166
Author's Summary: For a man profoundly against public displays of emotion, the Brigadier had certainly had a lot of weddings. The Doctor is invited to Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart's third wedding, but accidentally goes to all of them.
Characters/Pairings: Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Clyde Langer, Jack Harkness, Jo Grant, Liz Shaw, Sarah Jane Smith, Sarah Jane Smith, Sarah Jane Smith, The Doctor (10th), Turlough
Warnings: None
Recced because: A good strong plot is always nice, but character is just as important. This story is a lovely example of character-driven comedy, with the Doctor attempting - not always successfully - to get his head around human marriage customs and be the perfect wedding guest.

( A small sample )

primsong.livejournal.com

Story: The Unexpected Storm
Author: Gabriel Chase
Rating: Teen (for swearing)
Word Count: 1,455
Author’s Summary: Benton is transferring the Master to a new secure location, when a cloudburst causes more problem for UNIT's most beleaguered of soldiers.
Characters/Pairings: Benton, the Master (Delgado), Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Yates
Warnings: None

Recced because: It seemed a nice day to rec something for those who would like a light, enjoyable read over their lunch and this is one that fits the bill. It is always a delight to find a good classic era fic, and with both the loyal Benton and Delgado’s suave Master being personal favorites, a story that places just the two of them together was irresistible.
The author does a fine job in this short story of keeping both completely in character; I could almost see those little disapproving quirks of the Master’s face as he offered his opinions of the available entertainment as well as his dignified plotting against the good-hearted but cautious Sergeant. Can UNIT hold the Master, or have they bitten off more than they can chew? A good dose of UNIT adventure for a May afternoon, perfect with a cup of tea.

primsong.livejournal.com

Story: Taking Off the Uniform
Author: Freya
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 454
Author’s Summary: The Brigadier takes off his uniform jacket for the last time.
Characters/Pairings: Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Warnings: None

Recced because: This is a scene that lingers in your mind with the same bittersweet warmth of the Brigadier’s glass of sherry, and I remembered it long after first reading it. Just as it says on the tin, the author gives us a lovely and not quite sad glimpse of Lethbridge-Stewart facing his final retirement as he removes his jacket and hangs it up for the very last time.

Introspective and perfect for the character, in his practical brevity and longing to still be of some use to his world. This was written as a Veteran’s Day fic and very appropriately makes the reader want to give the Brig and all like him a proper salute of in honour.

primsong.livejournal.com

Story: The Ten Doctors
Author: JJPOR
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 25,568
Author’s Summary: It was history’s greatest and most famous party.
Characters/Pairings: The first ten Doctors and Romana plus a wide assortment of companions, a couple of classic Masters and the Brigadier, toss well.
Warnings: None
Recced because: I nearly passed it over this time merely because JJPOR is a very popular author who had another well-deserved recommendation just last week (don’t miss that one either!), but decided we’d just let this be his month for a bounty of riches, goodness knows he’s given all of us enough reading enjoyment to deserve it.

This piece was written as a tribute for the 45^th anniversary of the show and it quite appropriately is the sort of multi-Doctor fic that brings the reader back again and again for another round. I expect nearly every writer has to give the “what would happen if all of the Doctors were together at once” scenario a try, but some are definitely better than others; this is one of the good ones and you won’t regret it for a moment.

In essence, Ten has decided that a doomed planet famous for having partied hard right up until the moment their sun went supernova would be the perfect setting for a gathering of his selves and as the guests arrive each and every one is so perfectly portrayed it is a complete delight. Poor Susan making the best of a doting crowd of Grandfathers, Romana’s opinions regarding the appetizers and Six’s opinions regarding her plus the consequences of expressing those thoughts aloud are only a sprinkle of the stellar moments here, a fabulous panorama lightly sauced with punch. As no doubt suspected, there are humorous moments but also a few snatches of adventurousness and even some serious and empathetic twists for the heart.

For the uninitiated to his works, JJPOR is a find indeed; a top-notch competent, imaginative and high quality writer whose stories never disappoint. I highly recommend without reservation not only this particular bit of mildly cracky fancy, but any of his stories across the spectrum. Enjoy the ride.

nonelvis

Story: Failing to Collide
Author: aralias
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 6,833
Author's Summary: Written for LJ's tardis_gen, for the prompt: Tegan Jovanka in the Year than Never Was. In which Tegan misses the Doctor.
Characters/Pairings: Tegan, Simm!Master, the Brigadier
Warnings: None

Recced because: Martha couldn't have been the only of the Doctor's companions willing to fight for him during the Year That Never Was, and Tegan, who's always been half on alert for the Master to turn up again, ends up joining the resistance by default when she's recognized by a Toclafane. It isn't the first time she's had to support what she considers to be a half-assed plan of the Doctor's, but she knows the consequences of letting the Master win, and fights along with the tattered remains of UNIT to bring down Saxon – quite by accident, restoring her own faith in the Doctor as well.

pitry.livejournal.com

Story: Armour
Author: Mamfidd82
Word count:1303
Rating:All ages
Author's summary:The Doctor always hides behind something or other. Usually, it's himself.
Characters/pairings:Ace McShane, Adric, Barbara Wright, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Charley Pollard, Ian Chesterton, Jamie McCrimmon, Jo Grant, Martha Jones, Peri Brown, Rose Tyler, Susan Foreman, Tegan Jovanka, The Doctor (all of him).
Warnings: none.

Recced because: Well this one's just lovely. Touching, and sad, and a it painful, but lovely. A collection of moments, from both Old and New Who, that make you want to slap the Doctor and hug him all at the same time. And most importantly, catches the very essence of the Doctor in such a beautiful manner.

biichan.livejournal.com

Story: Ten Times The Doctor (Almost) Got Hitched
Author: vvj5
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 5549
Author's summary:You wouldn't believe how difficult it is for a passing Time Lord not to get married to famous historical women completely by accident. Seriously. Happens all the time.
Characters/Pairings: *takes deep breath* First Doctor/Cameca, Second Doctor/Mary, Queen of Scots, Third Doctor/Jane Austen, Fourth Doctor/Florence Nightingale, Fifth Doctor/Joan of Arc, Sixth Doctor/Boadicea, Seventh Doctor/Charlotte Bronte, Eighth Doctor/Christabel Pankhurst, Ninth Doctor/Elizabeth Woodville, Tenth Doctor/Elizabeth I, Ben, Polly, The Brigadier, Liz Shaw, Sarah Jane Smith, Harry Sullivan, Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough, Evelyn Smythe, Benny Summerfield, Charley Pollard, Rose Tyler, Jack Harkness
Warnings: Real Person/Fictional Person Het

Recced because: Just knowing that this fic exists fills me with unholy glee. It's the sort of thing that I was hoping someone would write after last fall's Children In Need preview scene and I was so happy to find out that someone did. Every single one of the ten scenes that make up this fic is brilliant in its own way and every single character is drawn as if from life. The Sixth Doctor bit is especially hilarious. I also loved the Seventh Doctor bit for Benny's diary entries and the Third Doctor bit for containing one of my own personal ships. They're all good bits, however. Highly recommended for everyone.

Current Mood: giggly

aralias.livejournal.com

Story: A Very Original Sin
Author: x_los
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 6,797
Author's Summary: “Just my friendly pet goosnake. He makes a much better companion than a cat: just as independent, sheds less hair, and he's very hypoallergenic.” After the TVM, Eight acquires an unorthodox companion.
Characters/Pairings: Eight, goosnake!Master, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Warnings: Explicit Sex

Recced because: I know x_los was last recced less than a week ago, so forgive me, but I would have been sad not to recommend this one. Where last week's rec was based around a clichéd premise, this is an 'original' one i.e. what would happen if after the TVM the Doctor had travelled with the ridiculous CGI gooey snake version of the Master (not dead - but of course) for a bit? Crack yes, but no more than 'canon' gave us, and oh what glorious crack it is. One of the things I like best about my OTP is the dialogue - but if the Master's a snake, he doesn't have any (not much, anyway) - fortunately Eight is a Doctor who can keep up his end of the conversation. Another thing, then, then I like about Doctor/Master is that it is a ship that spans the pretty ones and the not as pretty as Paul McGann ones. Goosnake fic should be ridiculous, but actually it's just business as usual because the Doctor is the Doctor, and the Master is the Master even if he's a snake made out of bad 90s CGI, and that's shown very well here. Also it's silly, and very funny, and very sweet.

( Excerpt )

elliptic-eye.livejournal.com

(U.N.I.T. double-feature!)

Story: Face Value
Author: Gary Merchant
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 2294
Author's Summary: Corporal Bell learns about UNIT's scientific advisor
Characters/Pairings: Corporal Bell, the Brigadier, the Doctor, Liz, Benton
Warnings: none

Recced because: I'm a sucker for a good story from the POV of a one-off or minor character, and Corporal Bell, who often seems to be the U.N.I.T. equivalent of an office manager, is a particularly golden opportunity. And there's something deeply satisfying about seeing Three run up against the universal truth that you just don't mess with the office manager.

Just a lovely little sketch of Corporal Bell learning about the broader universe, on her own initiative… via the medium of the olive-and-khaki, paper-fueled base she keeps running.

elliptic-eye.livejournal.com

(U.N.I.T. double-feature!)

Story: Lessons
Author: stunt_muppet
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 5,333
Author's Summary: In a past that might have happened, Liz and Jo learn from each other. Written for amaresu in the 2009 DW Femslash Ficathon, with the prompt "Nothing ever changes, not even when it does."
Characters/Pairings: Liz/Jo, the Brigadier
Warnings: none

Recced because: What makes a really satisfying AU is when, however far things have been shifted to the left or the right, we can still recognize the characters as possible versions of the ones we already love. Lessons only sidles a little bit to the side of canon, but it delivers all the charm of the U.N.I.T. years: spot-on characterizations, especially of Liz and the Brigadier, and the mundane humans finding adventure on Earth, taking on the world as it comes to them and saving the day.

Only super-concentrated, because this way we get Liz, Jo, and the Brig all at the same time.

Lessons has a pretty simple premise: In a universe where the third Doctor never became U.N.I.T.'s scientific advisor, Dr. Liz Shaw—conscripted before Three ever appeared on the scene—must simply do the job herself. Or would do the job by herself, if the Brigadier didn't insist on saddling her with an assistant… and so Liz and Jo end up learning from each other in much the same way that Three and Jo did. Stunt Muppet takes the opportunity to capitalize on the differences between Liz and the Doctor as well as the parallels, however, especially Liz's history as a teacher and the sense of camaraderie that develops between two women isolated in a world worlds away from what has been normal for them.

Oh, and there's light bondage.

( Excerpt )

clocketpatch

Story: Occupational Hazard
Author: Sceadu
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1097
Author's Summary: Jo is embarrassed about doing something very predictable. Meanwhile a certain medical Doctor unknowingly gets a glimpse of his future.
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor (3rd), Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Jo Grant, Other Character(s)
Warnings: none

Recced because:

This is a lovely bit of UNIT fluff that caught my eye while going through the archives. It manages a complete adventure in just over a thousand words – complete with twisted ankles and the Doctor forgetting something really obvious (but remembering it in time to save the day). It also has a fun little cameo, which leads to the punch line. I’m not going to give it away, but it left me with a silly, knowing smile plastered all across my face.

pitry.livejournal.com

Story: How The West Was Lost
Author: vvj5
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 24,486
Author's summary: What the good citizens of Stodge City want is a US Peace Marshal to run the Rumpo Kid out of town. What they get is a confused sanitation engineer, demure Miss Oakley with a rifle in her trunk, an elegant Time Lord who’s the living spit of the dead sheriff and a sceptical Brigadier who might just be the only man in the town who can shoot straight. The Old West was never like this…
Characters/Pairings: Third Doctor, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Warnings: none.

Recced because: So, to end the year 2009 on a high note, I hereby rec another humorous crossover - in many ways, the humorous crossover. Worry not - if you've never heard of Carry On Cowboy, this is still not an excuse not to read this wonderful story. I haven't til I read it, and I laughed my head off anyway. Building on the wonderful meta notion that actors actually go and have more than one job on television - and apparently a surprising number of them found work on both Doctor Who and the Carry On movies - vvj5 gives us a unique crossover full of hilarious misunderstandings and reminiscent of the time "sitcom" was not an ugly word. Also, it's Three and the Brig. These two are enough to make any story worthwhile, and their onscreen chemistry is translated beautifully into this story.

edgeofworld.livejournal.com

Story: Simple Gifts
Author: JessaLRynn
Rating: All Ages
Author's Summary: The Doctor knows what he is and what he did, what he always does. He has come to a decision, but when he stops to talk after Journey's End, a new Journey, to see the path behind him, begins.
Characters/Pairings: Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton, Other Character(s), Tegan Jovanka, The Doctor (10th), UNIT
Warnings: None

Okay, no more mistakes on my part. I'm going to check and double check the fics that have been previously recced!
And... I'm going to do two recs today to make up for yesterday's repeat

Recced because:
It just seems so appropriate after the latest special. It takes place after Journey's End, and deals with Darvo's famous words.

Davros: The man who abhors violence. Never carrying a gun. But this is the truth, Doctor. You take ordinary people and you fashion them into weapons. Behold your Children of Time transformed into murderers.

The Doctor has decided to not take on anymore companions and he's just lost Rose and Donna. Alone and heartbroken, he goes to the one man who he knows he can trust - The Brigader.

This story takes us on a soul searching journey through the Doctor's old companions. As he visits them, he learns things about them, about himself, and what it really means to have a hand to hold.

Although I loved Waters of Mars, I really like this alternative. I especially like how it draws on the past to really flesh out the characters in the future.

I'm a big fan of all of Jessa L'Rynns stuff. She knows A LOT about Doctor Who mythology, right down to the minute details of Old Who. It makes for some stunning plots that are a lot of fun to read, because they are all possible!

livii.livejournal.com

Story: Somebody Else's Conventional
Author: aces
Rating: All Ages
Author's summary: "This isn't conventional," Anji said. "This was never going to be conventional."
Characters/Pairings: Fitz/Anji, the Brig
Warnings: swearing
Word Count: ~7,800

Recced because: This is absolutely the perfect way to write Fitz/Anji, a pairing I am crazy for but know isn't popular – it's a slow build, working on their closeness, their friendship, and has just the right light touch. Both characters are written brilliantly, especially Anji which makes me extra happy as I adore her, and it's also interwoven with the most brilliant bits of continuity – Ace and Daleks, and the Brig, and Torchwood, and Nine – and little things, like open mic nights for Fitz. This is one of the best EDA-era fics I've read, and even if you're not very familiar with that part of the canon, I think this would serve as an excellent introduction!

madmerry.livejournal.com

Story: Let Them Eat Cake
Author: JJPOR
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 2227
Author's Summary: Ten. Naked. Chained to Three. Covered in cake. Look, just don’t ask, okay?
Characters/Pairings: Third Doctor, Multi-Era, Tenth Doctor
Warnings: none

Recced because: I wavered all week trying to decide if I was going to rec this fic. I have read and reread both the story and its reviews. This story is hilarious and a fine example of how wonderful fluff can (and should!) be. It's hilarious from start to finish and is enjoyed even by those who cannot call themselves the author's crony. I don't want to say much for fear of spoiling it, but be prepared to laugh until you cry.

ionlylurkhere.livejournal.com

I thought I'd do a couple of slightly longer recs to finish off, for leisurely weekend reading. Here's the first:

Story: Five Times Liz Shaw and the Brigadier Saved the World
Author: vvj5/

lost_spook
Rating: All Ages
Word count: 5592
Author's summary: Season 7 without the Doctor. Surprisingly, the world doesn't end.
Characters/Pairings: Liz/Brig
Warnings: None

Recced because: This is a glorious AU, little snapshots of what might have happened if the Doctor hadn't turned up in Spearhead. Things don't change that much, but everything's that little bit more difficult and hard-won without him around (well, except in the case of Inferno, which becomes somewhat simpler!), but in the process Liz and the Brigadier become closer than they did in canon. The characterisation's done with a wonderful light touch even amongst the occasional grimness; take this exchange, for instance:

"If you need help, you may have as many of my men as you need -."

"I don’t need anyone to clutter up the room and break things, but when I do, I shall be sure to take you up on the offer."

What I find particularly interesting is the way

lost_spook deals with the fall out of not having the Doctor present (you can see some of it in the quote, with Liz's attitude to the idea of helpers rather similar to the Doctor's initial attitude to her, but the most interesting one to me is the discussion at the end of the second chapter, which acts as a distorted mirror of the Doctor and Brig's falling out in the Silurians, but surprisingly it's the Brig whose arguments are closest to the Doctor's in the original version, because of the different experiences he has; it's a great bit of characterisation that undercuts a lot of fannish clichés).

librarylover82.livejournal.com

Story: A Time for Peace
Author: Frostfyre

Rating: All ages
Word Count: 12,987
Author's Summary: There is a time for everything, and a season to all things under heaven. In the light of a funeral pyre, the Doctor decides the time is come for him to make peace with some ghosts of the past.

Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Barbara Wright, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Ace McShane, Tegan Jovanka
Warnings: None

Recced because: Even though this is officially a Tenth Doctor story, fans of the First, Third, Fifth and Seventh Doctors may enjoy it more. After his solitary memorial for the Master, the Doctor decides to visit some old friends, for closure. Each chapter is a stand-alone story, and they are all good. My personal favorite is The Wake, in which the Doctor visits an old friend who has his own memories of the Master. No one can comfort a battle-weary Doctor better than an old soldier. It is full of rich, and often delightful, details.

juliet316

I've been trying to avoid reccing ongoing WIPs because I know many like to read completed stories. However the authors of this story updated this one today, so I just had to include it in the rec list.

Story: Never Quite Normal
Author: Pairadox Timeline
Rating: Adult/R
Word Count: 57,480; currently at 26 chapters
Author's Summary: He can't abide his face in the mirror or the memory of what he has done. The silence has made him insane and the insanity has made him dangerous. At the end of the Time War, the Doctor takes drastic steps, with the help of friends old and new. Nine AU.
Characters/Pairings: Nine/Rose, Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge Stewart/Doris Stewart, Harry Sullivan, John Benton, Jackie Tyler, Mickey Smith
Warnings: Adult language, some violence, issues of alcohol abuse.

Recced because: The authors take a broken and dmanaged post - Time War Nine, and spins a brilliant AU based on making a drastic path with his life. The bonds between himself and Classic Who characters, the Brigadier, Benton, and Harry Sullivan are lovingly evident and his meeting with Rose and the development of their relationship is painfully poignant. Both Classic and New Who fans will find unique gems to enjoy about this story and it's overall tale of pain, loss, and trying to put oneself back together again.

Current Mood: content
Current Location: Home
Current Music: The Daily 10 on E!

clocketpatch

Greetings! I'm Clocketpatch and I will be your assigned reccer for the week. Most of the stories I've picked out already are a trifle on the long side and I do apologise in advance. I'll try to get some shorter ones in as well for those who enjoy having tales which they can read and digest over a lunch break.

Story: Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey (Book I: Exile)
Author: I Walk In Eternity
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 33280
Author's Summary: “People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect… but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it’s more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly…. timey-wimey…. stuff.” (The 10th Doctor, ‘Blink’) An adventure spanning all of the Doctor's lives begins with a series of vignettes from the eras of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Doctors. May they rest in peace.
Characters/Pairings: Barbara Wright, Ben Jackson, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Dodo Chaplet, Ian Chesterton, Jack Harkness, Jamie McCrimmon, Jo Grant, John Benton, Liz Shaw, Martha Jones, Omega, Polly Wright, Romana (author created), Susan Foreman, The Autons, The Doctor (10th)
Warnings: Some swearing

Recced because:
For my first rec of the week I wanted to start at the beginning, literally. Using the simple, yet brilliant, premise of a diary bequeathed from companion to companion, this story follows the life of the Doctor and those many companions, allies, and enemies who have been swept into the whirl-wind of his existence. The plot is, in some ways, straight-forward, but at the same time it is very, well, I guess the scientific term is “wibbly-wobbly”, as it darts from past to present. This is, really, a love song to the show. Every character from Jack, to the Brig, to Ben and Polly, to the Doctor himself(s), is perfectly voiced and painted with the palate of an author who is both a very talented writer and a very devoted fan. There are continuity references galore for those who like them, though the story should still be a good romp for someone who has only basic knowledge. There's a mystery as well!

Current Mood: crazy

thisbluespirit

Hi, I'm

lost_spook (vvj5 on Teaspoon) and I'm delighted to be back again to rec for this week. It should be a fair mix of eras and stories - I hope that everyone finds something to enjoy here. Let's pull up the curtain and begin...

Story: With A Little Illumination
Author: st_aurafina
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 6269
Author's Summary: When an opera critic is torn limb from limb, the Brigadier suspects that more than just bruised egos are at play.
Characters/Pairings: Third Doctor, Josephine Grant, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, The Master
Warnings: None.

Recced because: It's note perfect (sorry) right down from the nod to Phantom in the title to Jo Grant getting to save the day at the climax in her own endearingly stubborn fashion. It's in one sense a glorious celebration of the UNIT era, and in another it plays games and pokes fun at the cliches - how can you not like a fic which opens with the Brigadier telling the Doctor he's had crossword experts scouring phone books for likely aliases for the Master? With a suitably sinister and elegant original Master up to one of his improbable schemes, the Brigadier being forced to attend the opera with Undercover Jo (don't tell Doris) and the Doctor being rather too noble for his own good, this shouldn't be missed. And if you're a stranger to 1970s DW, why not start here?

Besides, it's worth it just to discover the Brigadier's verdict on the Master's efforts at opera composition. (Isn't that a sentence you thought you'd never see?)

(I should add that this was written for the

tardis_gen ficathon, which produced some fabulous stories not so long ago, and I more or less bullied

st_aurafina into archiving it on Teaspoon so I could rec it here, which she kindly did - thanks!)

pitry.livejournal.com

Story: Au Revoir
Author: Von Quixote
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 949
Author's Summary: Post-Battlefield. After the fight, after the supper, the Doctor and the Brigadier share Scotch and extended metaphors.
Characters/Pairings: Seventh Doctor, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Warnings: None

Recced because: I'm somewhat ambivalent about the Seventh Doctor. On the one hand, I more or less hate his on screen period. On the other, there are stories that just make me love reading about him, and this is one of them. Can't really say much more than is already said in the summary about what happens in the story - but I can definitely recommend wholeheartedly the story itself as a brilliant small character piece - the kind that is so required after such an episode as Battlefield. And, of course, the Brigadier, one of my favourite Who characters of all time. He makes a killer combination with every Doctor he interacts with, and this story is no exception.

ionlylurkhere.livejournal.com

Story: Making an Impression
Author: Rutan
Rating: Teen
Word count: 1540
Author's summary:
Characters/Pairings: Three/Liz, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Warnings: BDSM, Non-con

Recced because: I don't buy the Doctor (even the supposedly authoritarian Three) as a top, particularly, but this fic sells it, particularly in the sexist milieu of the era when the show was made (other shows at the time were much, much worse than Who in this respect, though the fact that canon doesn't contain fail such as "Two spanks Zoe out of being a feminist after they restore a planet ruled by women to the Right Way of Doing Things" seems to me to have been more luck than judgement). But more than that it sells Liz's deliciously complicated response to the situation.

ionlylurkhere.livejournal.com

Story: Didn't Ask, Didn't Tell
Author: lithrael
Rating: Adult
Word count: 1131
Author's summary: Jamie and the Doctor enjoy themselves quite near a lot of UNIT personnel. Set during The Invasion.
Characters/Pairings: Two/Jamie, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Sergeant Benton
Warnings: Explicit Sex

Recced because: It's short and sweet (and hot), but what I like most about this fic is the way that it nails the mischievousness of Two's characterisation and applies it to his sex life with Jamie. The Brig and Benton's little bits that top and tail it work very nicely too.

mysticalchild_isis

Last rec of the week. I just wanted to say thanks to my fellow reccer,

clocketpatch, and to all the people who left comments for the stories and for the recs. It was a blast!

And for my last rec, another short, light-hearted story.

Story: Vital Equipment
Author: Primsong
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 650
Author's Summary: Some things are more vital than others.
Characters/Pairings: Two, Jamie, Victoria, not-yet-actually-the-Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Warnings: None

A fun little missing scene snippet from the Yeti era. Jamie and Victoria go on an unauthorized field trip for some important equipment.

reccity-rec-rec

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

April 2018

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

A rec comm for A Teaspoon And An Open Mind

Entries tagged with character: brigadier lethbridge-stewart

reccity-rec-rec

Links