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redjaywrites.livejournal.com

Edit: I have put in a link now, sorry!

Story: Cross Purposes
Author: johne
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1,103
Author's Summary: The Monk has been arrested for tampering with the timeline. But he's not the only person in the room with an interest in changing history.
Characters/Pairings: Jack Harkness, Romana II, The Doctor (2nd), The Doctor (8th), The Meddling Monk (Eight/Romana II, Jack Harkness/Second Doctor)
Warnings: n/a

Recced because: Crack ships that someone work out to not be crack. A nice melding of my favourite Doctor with one a little bit more classic. Some brilliant one-liners (the best is from Romana II, somewhere near the end), and a hell of a lot of verbal sparring, which for me often makes a fic. It's also a pretty clever one, with a lot of world-building obviously done in the background.

redjaywrites.livejournal.com

Hello! It's me again. Although, woefully lacking in Who icons until I pay my membership fees again. T_T This time I thought I'd try and recc something from every Doctor's era, since I have 2 weeks to recc, so... here we go!

Story: Museum Piece
Author:

honeynoir
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 551
Author's Summary: Time Lady Clara and the cantankerous, broken-down Type 40 TARDIS who refuses to be properly repaired. (Doctor/TARDIS)
Characters/Pairings: The TARDIS, Clara Oswin Oswald
Warnings: Spoilers for latest season finale.

Recced because: Ok so I said I'd start One!Era... I sort of did. This is a lovely little piece investigating the lives and times of Clara Oswin Oswald. I took particular interest in this one because as anyone who knows me will tell you, I take particular delight in Gallifreyan History 101, and it's especially interesting to see a character so-well-written that is simultaneously an outcast, and not an outcast (I actually began this with a similar tale about Susan). It's also hilarious, I mean, I giggled out loud on more than one occasion. It's touching, too, and it's nice to see - again - a similar but not similar interaction between the TARDIS and Clara. Also, spot-on characterisation!

nonelvis

~~A reccing slot from August 5-18 has come free -- anyone want to grab it? Two weeks, 4-10 fic recs, unlimited rice pudding, you know the drill.~~

Claimed! But feel free to sign up for other slots if you like.

thanatosx49.livejournal.com

Story: A Complicated Journey http://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=41648

Author: Aldanon http://www.whofic.com/viewuser.php?uid=14026

Word Count: 83,507 words

Rating: Teen

Author's Summary: After being left at Bad Wolf Bay, Rose and the Human Doctor drive back to London together, growing closer and finding adventure along the way.

Recced Because: If you've read my scribblings on the Teaspoon, you know what I have been writing. This one was one of the first post JE fics I ever read, also one of the best, and the only one that's not been Recced yet. It's a longer one, but that should make up for missing a couple days.

Characters: Jake Simmonds, Jackie Tyler, Pete Tyler, Rose Tyler, and the Tenth Doctor Duplicate.

thanatosx49.livejournal.com

Story: Go Ask Alice http://www.whofic.com/series.php?seriesid=2858

Author: Sigyn http://www.whofic.com/viewuser.php?uid=12269

Rating: All Ages

Word Count: 422 Words

Author's Summary: Ten regenerations as seen through the characters in Alice in Wonderland. Takes place sometime between Journey’s End and The End of Time.

Characters: the Tenth Doctor

Recced Because: Great introspective piece,with a touch of angst. And thanks to this one, I've got Jefferson Airplane songs stuck in my head.

thanatosx49.livejournal.com

Story: The Runaway Doctor http://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=39595

Author: BananaQaiquiri http://www.whofic.com/viewuser.php?uid=13694

Rating: All Ages

Word Count: 11,467 words

Author's Summary:
The Eleventh Doctor is relaxing inside the TARDIS when a certain skinny man with sticky-uppy hair materializes inside it, wearing a tuxedo and a cheeky grin. He takes the Doctor to an unexpected place, where they run into several familiar faces.

Characters: Amy Pond, Donna Noble, Jackie Tyler, Rory Williams, Rose Tyler, Sarah Jane Smith, Sylvia Noble, Wilfred Mott, the Eleventh Doctor, the Duplicate Tenth Doctor

Recced Because: Now wouldn't we all love to see this one on the telly? For one thing, it's wonderfully in character and absolutely hilarious.

thanatosx49.livejournal.com

Story: Last of Your Species Support Group http://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=10241

Author: Amy_Wolf http://www.whofic.com/viewuser.php?uid=1152

Rating: All Ages

Word Count: 2007 words

Author's Summary: Red Dwarf crossover, more or less.

Characters: Cassandra, Martha Jones, the Tenth Doctor

Recced Because: way back in the dark ages when I was an adolescent (also known as the mid to late 1990's) Doctor Who was on the local PBS station on Saturday nights. Right after, was Red Dwarf. In some ways, the shows were complete opposites, while in others there were a lot of parallels. This story has Mezelponian Mimic-Hawks and polymorphs, yay!

thanatosx49.livejournal.com

Story: Here There Be Monstershttp://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=50300

Author: PhoenixDragon http://www.whofic.com/viewuser.php?uid=14773

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 6095 words

Author's Summary:
He walked carefully through the debris of the ancient house, blast marks scorched along the walls, the screams of the residents echoing in his ears. It was once a proud house – home to the greatest (and worst) of the Time Lord race. He should know. He was counted in both categories once, before he wasn’t counted at all.

Characters: Other Characters, the Daleks, the Eighth Doctor

Recced Because: This is possibly the best written of all Eighth Doctor fics out there. If no one's guessed, Eight is my Doctor, and this does justice to his character. I am still holding on stubbornly to hope we'll see him in the 50th for more than a three second glimpse. This story made me cry, when few others have, but it's worth it. Its soooo worth it.

thanatosx49.livejournal.com

Story: The Courtship and Marriage Rituals of Time Lordshttp://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=50276

Author:Lyakahttp://www.whofic.com/viewuser.php?uid=18628

Rating: All Ages

Word Count: 8855 words

Author's Summary:
Or, how the Doctor and the Master finally stopped courting and got married, to the relief of most of the known galaxy and the confusion of the humans in attendance.

Characters: Lucy Saxon, Martha Jones, 10th Doctor/the Master

Warnings: Spew alert! Do not attempt the ingestion of food or liquids while reading this!

Recced Because: This is probably the funniest thing I've ever read, hence the spew warning. I'm not into slash fics usually, but this one is too good to pass up. I laughed until I cried, then laughed some more. Man U, enough said.

thanatosx49.livejournal.com

Story: http://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=50338 "Shorn"

Author:http://www.whofic.com/viewuser.php?uid=14797 Miranda Wave

Rating: Adult

Word Count: 1825

Author's summary:
For reasons that aren't particularly important at the moment, Rose finds herself fighting in the Time War with the Eighth Doctor. After a particularly horrible day, they come back to the TARDIS wounded in more ways than one.

Pairing: Eight/Rose

Recced because: I've got a soft spot for Eight and this is good one, if a bit short. I warn you, HTML is not my forte.

nonelvis

Back to our regularly scheduled reccers tomorrow! In the meantime, here's one more story:

Story: Inanimate Love
Author: Palgrave
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 260
Author's Summary: The doomed, tragic, one-way romance between a hatstand and a Time Lord.
Characters/Pairings: Five/hatstand
Warnings: None

Recced because: Anyone who's read my own fic output knows I have a fondness for unusual pairings, and I think it's fair to say Five/hatstand qualifies as "unusual." Even better, this story is written from the hatstand's POV, so you, too can experience the deep longing a simple wooden hatstand has for her Time Lord. At 260 words, it's too short to excerpt, so I suggest just clicking on the link to read this surprisingly sweet and romantic little ficlet for yourselves.

nonelvis

Story: Afterthought
Author: Inkfire
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 1,355
Author's Summary: "In Rory's dreams, there is a little girl that dances right beyond his reach, lost and found." Some Rory insight about his relationship with his daughter. Includes references to Amy and Eleven.
Characters/Pairings: Rory Williams
Warnings: None

Recced because: Saying "this is a fantastic Rory character study" doesn't even begin to do this story justice. "Afterthought" dives into Rory's longing for the daughter he never got to see grow up -- a daughter he knows is just fine and having a wonderful life, but whose youth was robbed from him, as well as from Amy. It makes sense that a man who spent 2,000 years guarding the woman he loved would be haunted by his inability to protect his own child, and Inkfire makes Rory's innermost thoughts feel real and visceral. This is one of those stories where it's nearly impossible to choose my favorite quote; the language is that beautiful, and the emotions that raw.

Excerpt: ( after the cut )

nonelvis

Apparently the comm has had no Clara recs yet! Shocking, but easily corrected.

Story: Time Takes It All
Author: purplelaterade
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 1,427
Author's Summary: There's a lot of things the Doctor doesn't know about Clara Oswald, but there are a few things he does.
Characters/Pairings: Eleven/Clara
Warnings: None

Recced because: Clara was a mystery when she joined the TARDIS, but bit by bit, the Doctor begins to unravel that mystery: first through careful observation of her day-to-day habits, and later by careful observation of her bedroom habits. I'm very picky about the adult-rated fiction I'll read, and this story is the perfect mix of well-crafted sentences, detailed character observations, and sex scenes that are highly sensual without ever getting overwrought.

Excerpt: ( after the cut )

nonelvis

Although the comm's on break at the moment -- we'll be back on July 8! -- I might post a rec or two in the meantime, if only to test our new LJ -> Feedly -> Tumblr automated posting system. (Bless you, IFTTT.)

Story: Let's Do It
Author: Charamei
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 879
Author's Summary: The Doctor and Romana try to make sense of this 'romance' thing.
Characters/Pairings: Four/Romana II
Warnings: None

Recced because: I am sure some of you out there don't ship Four/Romana II, but for those of us who do ship these particular Time Lords, "Let's Do It" is a sweetly funny and frankly adorable look at how two highly logical aliens might explore traditional human mating rituals. Naturally, it involves relying on a book, albeit one called Great Romantic Tropes of Our Time, so holding hands, watching each other sleep, and getting caught in the rain all get their scientific due, as Four and Romana attempt to determine exactly how and why these mysterious rituals have any appeal at all.

What does work ... well, that would spoil the story, so I suggest reading it instead.

Excerpt: ( after the cut )

saaammie.livejournal.com

Story: Alternatively
Author: Isilien Elenihin
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Explicit sex, swearing
Word Count: 17391
Author's Summary: The TARDIS locks the Ninth Doctor out in modern-day London. While he's investigating a puzzling knot in the Time Lines, he runs into Rose Tyler, who's going back to school to get her A levels. What if there was no 'run?'
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Character Study, Drama, Het, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, Romance, Standalone
Characters/Pairings: Ninth Doctor/Rose, the TARDIS

Recced because:

This is the first fic this week that I'm not reccing for the sex (though there's absolutely nothing wrong with it ;)). This is an AU where the Doctor ends up stuck in London, and to have something to do he takes a job as a teacher and guess who ends up in his class?

Some of you may recall the uproar a few weeks where Doctor Who was accused of being a racist show. While one may have different opinions on that, I don't think anyone can argue the fact that Doctor Who only rarely examines the problems of gender, race, sexuality, class and general privilege.

Which is why I find fics that delve into the probable realities of Rose's poor, working-class background especially interesting. We know that Jimmy Stone was a rotten egg, but he's especially nasty in this fic (prepare your hankies). However, Rose's good humor and lust for life really shines through in this fic, and is even more poignant considering how rough her life has been.

( Excerpt )

saaammie.livejournal.com

I apologize for the lack of post the last two days, I've been on the road and not connected to the internet. On Monday I'm going to France and I'm not sure how much internet access I'll have there, but I'll try to post as often as I can!

Without further ado, I give you today's rec:

Story: Petals
Author: Kate Andrews
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Explicit sex, mild drug use
Word Count: 5570
Author's Summary: There was, as it turned out, a handful of only slightly bruised rose petals hiding down the front of her knickers.
Genre: Het
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor/Rose,

Recced because:
Continuing the sex theme, I give you my absolute favorite sex fic, my go-to-fic, as it were.. It's a wonderful one-shot set in Amsterdam, and features in the author's words "explicit, slightly kinky sex" which means the Doctor and Rose shag in public on one of Amsterdam's many bridges. Guess what I was thinking about when I was in Amsterdam in April!

Petals is a bit like those photographs that are so sharp and detailed that they seem almost otherwordly. I'd call it magical realism except there's nothing remotely magical about it, but somehow it feels almost like a dream.

Kate Andrews has a very plain, no-nonsense writing style, she describes everything inexquisite detail but lets the reader draw his or her own conclusions on the feelings and thoughts of the characters' actions. A true masterpiece in the art of "show, don't tell."

Go read and give her some love.

( "[The petals] are from my knickers, by the way." )

saaammie.livejournal.com

Story: Cusp
Author: Value Turtle
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Explicit sex
Word Count: 27856
Author's Summary: It's weightless, on the cusp; thrilling, too, waiting for gravity to take effect and fall, fall, fall
Genre: Fluff, Het, Humor, PWP, Romance
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor/Rose, Jackie Tyler, Mickey Smith

Recced because:
I'm sensing a theme for this rec-period.

Sex.

To quote the lovely movie The Holiday: "Sex makes everything more complicated. Even not having it, because the not having it... makes it complicated." Don't the Doctor Who shippers know this well!

In this fic, however, Rose and the Doctor have sex. It details their first time, in great detail, and it's one of those fics that actually gets sex, how it works and how it's messy and complicated and not all sunshine and roses. And also that it's fun. I think so many fic writers forget that not all sex is earth-shattering, but that it doesn't mean it's not good. And people enjoy it because it's fun, not because it's perfect.

One of my pet peeves is where people who sleep with each other don't talk. Communication people! And Rose and the Doctor communicate here, and show that communication improves sex. I love to see that in fic.

Sorry for the ramble. Just read the fic and give the author some love!

( "That wasn't bad. For a first time, I mean." )

saaammie.livejournal.com

Story: Needing Someone
Author: EllyF
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Explicit sex
Word Count: 5846
Author's Summary: The Doctor and Donna are both grieving, and they turn to each other for comfort..
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene, PWP
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor/Donna

Recced because: Donna Noble.

I tried to rec as many Doctor/Donna fics as I could last time, since I feel it's the most underrated pairing and it deserves so much more love than it gets. Donna, if written right, has such potential in fics, both as a companion and as a romantic interest.

This is not a romance, per se, but a story of two people needing comfort and having only each other to turn to. Even though they've only just met, and know nothing of each other. Because sometimes, all we need is someone who understands. It touches on the incredible blow it must be to be betrayed by your fiancé at the altar, of Donna's sometimes fragile self-esteem, the Doctor's remoteness and his love for Rose and the loss of her. It also has a frank and insightful discussion about his feelings for Rose and best of all, it feels like it could have been canon, if Doctor Who was a show more aimed at adults.

( "You don't have to worry about sullying me, Doctor." )

saaammie.livejournal.com

Hi!

I'm saaammie (Cicci Green at Teaspoon), your reccer for these two (!) weeks. It's my second time reccing here at Calufrax and I enjoyed it a lot last time. It feels good to properly reflect on the stories I read, and why I want others to read them.

I'm a Swedish college student (or recent grad, actually), and I've been a Who-fan for about a year now. My favorite companion is Donna and my favorite genre is definitely hurt/comfort. I do enjoy torturing the poor characters.

Why is that, do you think? That hurt/comfort is such a popular genre?

Anyway. On to the first rec:

Story: Belle de Jour
Author: Chase820
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Explicit sex
Word Count: 10551
Author's Summary: After the Madame de Pompadour interlude, Rose realizes that loving the Doctor is a far trickier affair than she thought. What kind of girl must she be, to accept the man he is now? Answering that question will stretch her loyalty--and her sanity--to the breaking point.
Characters/Pairings: Rose/Ten, TARDIS

Recced because: This fic shocked me when I first read it. And I actually didn't like it very much, because it presents such a non-romantisized picture of the Doctor's and Rose's relationship. Partly why we all read fanfiction is to escape reality and dream, I think, and this fic's reality is a slap in the face, a bucket of ice-water.

Which is what makes it so good, of course.
Rose is very very human and young and the Doctor is terrifyingly alien and it can't ever really work out. But they make do. It's a fic about choices and consequences and expectations and fitting together despite it.

Plus it's seriously hot. Bring a fan.

( Excerpt )

lyakahime.livejournal.com

I think this will be my last. Thanks for having me :)

Story: Getting Through
Author: travels_in_time
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 3182
Author's Summary: He can't save them all. But if he's very lucky, maybe he can save just one.
Characters/Pairings:Ten/Simm!Master, Susan

Recced because: Confession time: I was bawling like a baby during Ten's farewell tour. Visiting all of his friends before he died was such a Ten thing to do. But the fridge logic moment is inevitable: how does he go from 'epic confrontation with the Time Lords' to farewell tour? Isn't he forgetting something? Or - let's be honest - someone? Someone who just exhibited a potential character turnaround of the sort Ten has canonically begged for on his knees? Someone whom leaving is tatamount to killing, since he can't exactly expect any kind of warm welcome back on Gallifrey? Never mind the whole 'burning' thing... I love you for many things, RTD, but the evenness of your writing is not one of them.

Fortunate, then, that travels_in_time has stepped up to fill the gap. If there were such a genre as an End of Time fix-it, I suppose this would be it: once more into the Time Lock, to right the last great wrong. Susan appears (rejoice!) to inject some added poignancy, a link from the beginning of time to its end (if you'll forgive me). This is the way Ten ought to have gone out: with none of the truly important things left undone.

Speaking of endings, this is going to be my last rec. Thanks again for having me! If you liked something I recced please let the author know. There's no such thing as too many reviews.

lyakahime.livejournal.com

Story: Flashing Before
Author: were_lemur
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 535
Author's Summary: As Donna dies (from a heart attack, at about 100 years old), she finally remembers the Doctor.
Characters/Pairings: Donna Noble, Tenth Doctor
Warnings: Major Character Death (see prompt)

Recced because: Thinking seriously about what happened to Donna in Journey's End is something I try to avoid doing whenever possible, because of how legitimately depressing it was. If I were in Donna's place, I'd rather take my memories and my chances than go back to the life I'd left behind. But I also have trouble reading fix-its, because they're either too reminiscent of the original tragedy (see, re: depression), or because they skip over it lightly and she's all sunshine and happiness a moment later. That's where this fic comes in. It doesn't softpedal the sadness, but it also offers a legitimate excuse for not dwelling on it: would you choose to spend your last moments being sad and betrayed and furious, or instead dwell on the wonder of memories you'd lost - and the wonder of the life you did live, after all? It's exactly the right sort of smiling-through-the-tears to do justice to the original and still offer some measure of peace.

lyakahime.livejournal.com

Story: Heart Heard of, Ghost Guessed
Author: x_los
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 11771
Author’s Summary: Stealing the contents of the Matrix from Gallifrey’s capitol is easy! And so is a desperate, naïve Theta Sigma. Depending on where you are in your personal time-line.
Characters/Pairings: Delgado!Master/Theta , Theta/Koschei, future Doctor/future Master
Warnings: none

Recced because: I wanted to end on a happy note, and this is the fic I always reread when too much angst has gotten me down. Which isn’t to say the fic is fluff – parts of it are rather a bit angsty – but you can’t have an up without a down. The journey has plenty of emotion, meaning that it really earns its satisfying, heartwarming conclusion.

Best of all, the coda is cleverly set in some ambiguous future, which makes it the ultimate handwave-y fix-it. No matter what sadness has just aired on my TV, this fic is able to reassure me that one day everything will be okay.

lyakahime.livejournal.com

With the new switch to biweekly reccing, nonelvis has invited me to stick around for another week. Hooray! I'm going to finish my original planned slate of recs, then go through my backups list and pick another two or three to scatter over next week. So recs today and tomorrow, then periodically.

Story: And You Will Know Her By The Smile In Her Eyes
Author: James
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 21928
Author’s Summary: Jack is gone, and Ianto has discovered something very important that he needs Jack for. Will he find Jack in time, and, more importantly, what will happen when Jack does return? Mpreg.
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, cameos by the rest of S1 Team Torchwood
Warnings: Mpreg

Recced because: Everything James writes is amazing, but this is the amazing-est of them all. I’m a sucker for angst, tru wuv, and mpreg, so this fic is pretty much my fangirl trifecta. The writing is fantastic, and the characters are so wonderfully written you’ll forget you’re not watching canon. (Speaking of canon: the events of Children of Earth aren’t referenced, so this can’t properly be called a fix-it, but it pretty clearly operates in a world where CoE never happened/won’t happen.)

Jack actually plays a surprisingly small role for most of the fic, which gives Ianto the space he needs to step out from Jack’s shadow and demonstrate his underlying strength. It’s a story where you can love but still see clearly, be loyal without giving up your self-respect, and have faith but work hard to achieve your goals. The Doctor appears briefly to deliver a paeaen to love and devotion in the face of immortality (bring your Doctor/Whoever goggles) and the ending is eminently satisfying.

nonelvis

Okay, our reccing period poll showed very strong support for a two-week reccing period instead of biweekly recs, so two weeks it is. However, there was also some support for moving beyond 4-7 recs, so I'm going to try splitting the difference between low/high options at 4-10. You are by no means required to rec 10 fics, but please feel free to if you like.

I'll contact those of you who have signed up to rec over the next few months to confirm your two-week timeslots.

Thanks again for your input here, and for your continued support of the comm.

lyakahime.livejournal.com

Story: Prey of the Cheetahs
Author: neveralarch
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 5869
Author’s Summary: There are strange things happening at Cambridge, and they seem to be connected with the appearance of a black cat. (A Three-era retelling of Survival.)
Characters/Pairings: Three/Delgado!Master (also Three/Cheetah!Delgado!Master); the Brigadier, Jo Grant, Liz Shaw, and Sergeant Benton
Warnings: none

Recced because: Do you like cats? Do you enjoy this pairing? Then you, like I, probably spent the entirety of Survival with your jaw unhinged at the sheer amount of slash on the screen. I love the fandom trend of rewriting Survival with different Doctors and Masters, and this Three-era retelling shines, with well-written dialogue and characterization. For bonus points, it showcases the old-school UNIT crew, even to the point of including both Liz AND Jo. It’s just a shame there will never be a televised episode in which Delgado gets to rub up against Pertwee like an oversized cat.

lyakahime.livejournal.com

Debate over reccing periods aside, the show must go on!

Story: Vox et Praeterea Mysteria
Author: johne
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 3733
Author’s Summary: She's a teenage rebel with a taste for explosives. She's a voice with an Internet connection. Together, they fight terrorists!
Characters/Pairings: Ace McShane/Oswin Oswald
Warnings: None

Recced because: Okay, I admit it, I have long carried an enormous girlcrush on Ace. This is the woman who brings a rope ladder and homemade explosives with her on Doctor-related adventures. This is the woman who waltzes through her one encounter with the Daleks and gives no flips, because she can just beat them up with her electrified baseball bat, or blow them up with her Nitro-9, or – oh, kind UNIT solider, is that rocket launcher for me? It is?

Then the show introduced Oswin Oswald, who I immediately fell down and worshipped as The Second Coming of Ace. They’re snarky, they’re competent, and they’re not going to let a bunch of rolling salt shakers with eggbeaters for hands get them down, amirite?

And then amazing author johne had them team up to fight terrorists, with sass, verve and style. The poor terrorists never stood a chance.

nonelvis

Earlier today, I made a post saying the comm would now run biweekly. A couple of members have suggested running reccing periods for two weeks instead, so I'd like to sort out what people would prefer.

This poll will stay open until Friday, June 1, 8pm EDT.

[Poll #1916322]

nonelvis

Effective Monday, June 3,

calufrax will be moving to a biweekly (every other week) posting schedule.

As always, I'm really grateful to those of you who have stepped forward to rec fic for this comm. This community depends on people like you to survive. Unfortunately, with LJ slowly going the way of the dinosaur, we no longer have enough volunteers to sustain a weekly schedule. (We have had one volunteer from Tumblr, which was great -- more Tumblr users are welcome, too, what with this comm being cross-posted there.)

If you'd like to rec for

calufrax, we have open slots beginning August 5. Please consider volunteering, bugging your friends about volunteering, hiring skywriters to promote volunteering, etc. You can sign up anytime by leaving a comment on this post.

Thanks.

lyakahime.livejournal.com

Story: The Man In Black
Author: aralias
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 957
Author’s Summary: Like John Smith, Yana tells stories about a madman with his face and a time machine.
Characters/Pairings: Professor Yana, Chantho
Warnings: none

Recced because: In a word, haunting. We get so little time with Professor Yana in the series, and everything we see of him is focused on his work on the rocket. What else was he like? What were his hobbies? How did he interact with people who weren’t time-traveling alien scientists?

This wonderful piece – short and, yes, bitterly sweet – is a character study of Yana, through the medium of the stories he tells to children. After all, the truth lies at the bottom of the stories we tell of ourselves.

lyakahime.livejournal.com

Story: Finding Ianto
Author: Blackbird Song
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 14930
Author’s Summary: A long time ahead, in a space bar far, far away, Jack gets a message he didn't expect.
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, various OCs
Warnings: None

Recced because: Let me put it this way. You know that Star Wars/Torchwood fusion you want, where Jack Harkness is Han Solo? Except how you don’t actually want that, particularly, because then you have to deal with everything that’s going on in the Star Wars universe, when all you really want is to watch Jack buckle swashes and dash handsomely about and navigate through a rich and well-realized universe, awash with alien culture and mind-boggling sights?

(Oh, and for bonus points, if it could also double as a CoE fix-it and allow Ianto some space to show off exactly how awesome he is, that would be great, am I right?)

Too much to ask from one fic? Apparently not, because Blackbird Song has written it. This is what would happen if Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina and Finding Nemo had a baby in the Whoniverse. And then that baby starred in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s an adventure story, and it has heart. I can’t recommend this enough.

lyakahime.livejournal.com

Hello, Calufrax! I’m

lyakahime (Lyaka on the Teaspoon). Thanks for having me. I’m a shipper, so most of what I rec will have some kind of relationship in it, but I’ve got a mix of pairings at the ready to entertain a variety of tastes. And now, without further ado…

Story: Placebo Effect
Author: Bagheera
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2411
Author’s Summary: The Master falls into his own trap.
Characters/Pairings: Third Doctor/Delgado!Master, the old-school UNIT crew
Warnings: None

Recced because: Lighthearted without being frivolous, humorous without being cracky, and introspective without being melancholy, this lovely little fic has such perfect balance that everything seems effortless. There’s a real skill in taking one of the oldest, most overwrought clichés in the book – in this case, the mythical soul-bonding stone – and turning it into something that’s not only plausible, but has the reader cheering along. (How does she do this? The title provides a clue.)

Optimism and cheer are the tone of the fic, but there are currents hiding underneath that make me keep coming back to reread it. Insecurity is a powerful demon and one that never seems to quite stay dead. I’ve struggled with it, and I know many other fans do too. Beneath the good humor and banter, the deeper themes of self-esteem and security are deftly handled here, and the whole poses questions each reader will answer differently.

yamx

Story: After
Author: Dshael
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1,638
Author's Summary: The Doctor is asexual. No, really. It makes being in love with him difficult sometimes.
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Jack
Warnings: None

Recced because: This fic is not about asexuality--it's about relationships. It shows that any kind of relationship is great as long as it works for the people in it, no matter how "odd" it may look from the outside.

It shows the dark and lonely side of being an immortal (or a Time Lord), and hints at the depth of pain and despair that entails. The ending is warm and fuzzy, but the fic shows that it takes work to get there.

And yes, this story shows how relatioships between sexuals and asexuals can work, and that makes me happy on a personal note. :)

It has been great fun being your reccer this week. Farewell, gentle readers!

Yamx

yamx

Story: Viking Invasion
Author: JessaLRynn
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 31,046
Author's Summary: A resort in the middle of nowhere gets a few unexpected guests. And then a few more. The Doctor, Jack, and Rose are in for an adventure.
Characters/Pairings: Nine, Rose, Jack (with strong Nine/Rose overtones)
Warnings: None

Recced because: This fic has everything. No, really. An adventurous, suspenseful plot, complete chaos, utter hilarity, a delightfully drugged Doctor, and a bunch of very clever historic references.

With fics this long, I often wonder if they're worth my time. If that's where you are right now, believe me: this one is. Parts of it feel like exactly the kind of crazy that regularly happens on the show, and other parts take it to a different level. But there're also deep and thoughtful parts and clever commentary.

I imagine this is what would have happened if Douglas Adams had ever written New Who fanfic.

yamx

Story: Purr
Author: DameRuth
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1582
Author's Summary: It's cold outside, but it's warm in the TARDIS – and sometimes a lonely traveler finds a safe place to stay.
Characters/Pairings: A cat, the TARDIS, Nine, Rose, Jack
Warnings: None

Recced because: As I've mentioned several times now, I love outsider views on the Doctor, and also fics that treat the TARDIS as a character in her own right. This is an especially unusual one.

A cat, lost and alone in the cold, finds a friendly blue box who invites her inside and offers her a comfy napping spot. There are also some humans, one of which is really grouchy, but no one takes them too seriously. Oh, look--food!

This story is cute and funny, obviously, but it also presents an interesting view of our heroes, and especially of the TARDIS herself. DameRuth's prose is beautiful, as always. This story never fails to cheer me up.

yamx

Story: Fantastic
Author: Sahiya
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 4401
Author's Summary: The TARDIS thinks the Doctor needs a companion. Inara/Nine. Crossover with Firefly; set pre-series for both canons.
Characters/Pairings: Nine/Inara
Warnings: Explicit sex

Recced because: As I've mentioned in a previous rec, I love stories that present an outsider view of the Doctor. This story does that better than most. It's told from Inara's point of view and recounts the night a strange blue box appeared in the Academy gardens.

The prose is wonderful--lyrical and very dense. Both the beautiful setting and the emotions just pop right off the page. For the Doctor, this is set right after the Time War, and it shows the pain he's in and the first, tiny, glorious step towards recovery. And I don't want to give away anything, so let's just say that it also ties in beautifully with Firefly canon.

yamx

Story: To Please
Author: Canaan
Rating: Adult
Author's Summary:"I'm going out on a limb, here--is it a sex club?"
Characters/Pairings: Nine/Jack/Rose
Warnings: Explicit sex, BDSM

Recced because: This is the story that made dozens of people say, "I'm usually really not into BDSM, but I absolutely loved this story." (Seriously. If you read it on LJ rather than Teaspoon, you could see it in the comments. Over and over again.)

That's because it's not a story about BDSM. Oh, it contains plenty of BDSM, and if you are into that, you'll love it for that reason alone. But it's so much more.

As an asexual, I'm not only not into BDSM, I'm not into sex, period. I don't mind it, but it usually bores me. In most stories, I skim over the sex scenes. In this one, I didn't. This is the story that made me understand why sex in fiction can be important. It can be used simply as titillation for the reader, sure, and that's a perfectly valid use of it--which just happens to fall perfectly flat with me. But it can also be used as a tool to explore the characters in new ways--show them open and vulnerable and let the reader experience important moments of growth in their relationships. And that is what Canaan does in To Please.

This was the story that made me realize that if I wanted to truly be able to explore all facets of my characters' lives, I had to learn to write sex. I'd never written a single sex scene, nor felt any need to, before I read this story. It wasn't prudishness, I just literally didn't care. This story showed me why I should. If you've ever read anything remotely smutty by me and enjoyed it, you have this story to thank for it.

yamx

Story: The Way We Get By
Author: Poetry
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 4526
Author's Summary: Somehow, even when they're stranded far from home, they find a way to get by.
Characters/Pairings: Ninth Doctor, Jack Harkness, Rose Tyler, The TARDIS
Warnings: None

Recced because: This is an incredibly compelling story about Nine, Rose and Jack being stranded on an alien planet. That in itself would be pretty standard fare, but what makes this story stand out is the incredible dense world building, the tangible bleakness of the Doctor's helplessness juxtaposed with the steely determination of his companions, and the deep, deep undercurrent of mutual care running through it all. Also, I love fics that handle the TARDIS as a character.

yamx

Hi, I'm

yamx, and I'll be your reccer this week.

Story: The Red Maw and the Blue Box
Author: RobinC
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1989
Author's Summary: Shall I tell you a tale? Once a monster from another world came to our planet.
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor
Warnings: None

Recced because: I love stories that present an outsider view of the Doctor, and I love stories that deal with the Doctor-as-legend, and I love stories that take a closer look at the Time Lord Victorious, and this story does all three. It's a bedtime story told by an unknown narrator, about the time the Doctor saved their planet. It was spawned by the off-hand comment the Doctor makes at the beginning of End of Time about "saving a planet from the red carnivorous Maw." It does a great job of bringing the Doctor's Otherness into focus, and shines a light on the messes he likes to leave for others to deal with after he's done with the heroic bit.

It's a very different view on the Doctor from what you find in most fics, and it's worth reading for that alone. But it's the beautiful prose and strong narrative voice that make it really memorable.

singeaddams.livejournal.com

Story: Oh, You Terrible, Delicious Fruit!
Author: Shelwass
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 278
Author's Summary: The Doctor's new mouth has very different tastes.
Characters/Pairings: The Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond
Warnings: None

Just a cute little morsel of a story!

singeaddams.livejournal.com

Story: All I Ask
Author: Johne
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 1,589
Author's Summary: Admiral Blackadder is presented with a dilemma.
Characters/Pairings: The Fourth Doctor, Romana II, The Grand High Admiral of the Dark Segment, Captain Rum
Warnings: None.

I'm sorry for reccing two Four's in a row, I promise I'll mix it up more if LJ allows me to post. (Sure, blame LJ...) But this one is for ME. It's a Doctor Who/Blackadder crossover and my nipples exploded with delight when I found it.

Watch this... http://youtu.be/_EfW9znJYjw

Then watch this... http://youtu.be/nfYx_013UuY

Hell, watch all of Blackadder. Oh, and Doctor Who, too, of course.

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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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