calufrax

x-los.livejournal.com

Hello! Thought I'd close out the rec period with two REALLY different fics for the same pairing, to sort of--highlight Directions In/Ways With. (I may find a final gen/genish fic to properly close, because I feel fairly guilty...)

Story: Mercy
Author: Bagheera
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 3152
Author's Summary: “It's mating season for Traken males. The Doctor saves the Master's life.”
Characters: The Doctor (5th), The Master (Ainley)
Pairings: Five/Ainley!Master
Warnings: Explicit Sex
Recced because:

So this is some In Heat/Pon Farr fic—honestly, I wish Who fic played more with classic fanfic tropes? Not exclusively, obviously. I’m glad for the variety and the particularly of a lot of Who fic, but I still wish that we got our quota of the classics and new standards. Where you at, Cave Fic? Et tu, ridiculous A/B/O? I sort of feel owed these things, even where I don't particularly like the trope in question!

( More about why this fic's interesting )

x-los.livejournal.com

Story: Bargain
Author: Bagheera
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 2192
Author's Summary: “The Doctor strikes a bargain with the Master to save a companion's life.”
Characters: The Doctor (5th), The Master (Ainley)
Pairings: Five/Ainley!Master
Warnings: Explicit Sex, Non-Con - PWP
Recced because:

Ah, bless the mod for telling me different D/M pairings didn’t count as overloading on the same ship—I mean yes, you and I know this is cheating a bit, but really Calufrax is a database for posterity as much as anything, and it’s a shame and something that should be rectified if, somewhere on it, you can’t find someone stanning for the crème de la crème of any given pairing.

( What's Good About Bargain? )

x-los.livejournal.com

Story: Living Things
Author: Bagheera
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 16865
Author's Summary: “How did the Doctor from Scream of the Shalka come to live with the Master?”
Characters: Shalka!Doctor, Shalka!Master
Pairings: Shalka!Doctor/Shalka!Master
Warnings: BDSM, Explicit Sex, Explicit Violence, Swearing
Recced because:

If the last rec was somewhat inspired by the premise of Scream of the Shalka, then this fic is the origin story that enigmatic serial almost demands. It starts out grounded in a really good reworking of the BFA Charlie arc, which elegantly explains how we get from Eight to Shalka!Nine, and why he is the Doctor he is (the circumstances of his regeneration might even hint at an explanation for this off-sequence Doctor). (You don’t need to know BFA to get the gist, though.) This initial set-up is bleak, and this story gives us an unusual, compelling treatment of physical weakness, depression and dependency of various kinds—not in a decorative or purely romance-provoking hurt/comfort kind of way, these are things the author’s clearly interested in exploring in and of themselves.

( Not even all the reasons why this fic is awesome, but enough to them to be worth lj-cutting. )

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.

aralias.livejournal.com

Story: Imaginary Worlds (the Here I Dreamt I was an Architect remix)
Author: Bagheera
Rating: Teen (it says All Ages, but I might even go so far as to say Adult)
Word Count: 5897
Author's Summary: There is a room in the TARDIS that always stays locked. (Written for the best_enemies remix challenge.)
Characters/Pairings: Doctor/Master - arguably including pre-series Doctor/pre-series Master, pre-series Doctor/War Chief!Master, Three/Delgado!Master, Three/Crispy!Master and Five/Master. One thing it doesn't have is Pryce!Master, although he is listed on Teaspoon
Warnings: None listed, though there is sex and swearing and horror

Recced because: This fic was written in 2009, since when dark fairy tales and Doctor Who have become increasingly intertwined. If you like the sort of story where something terrible is presented as a good thing in beautiful, soothing language, you might like this fic - even if you think Doctor/Master isn't really your cup of tea.

I think a brief introduction is necessary, though, before you read it. This fic is a 'remix' (of sorts) of another fic I also like (Imaginary Worlds by x_los), which posits that, at some point, the young Master made a copy of the Doctor that lived in his mind and which he could interact with as though it were the real Doctor. He abandoned the copy for a time, but returned to it after the Doctor left Gallifrey/him. In the original fic, the copy/construct idea was played largely for laughs - but it's very creepy, really, particularly in a universe where thoughts can think for themselves (see- oh, I don't know... 'Castrovalva', for example).

This fic is an atmospheric and disturbing examination of that idea, and of obsession carried too far. Thus, it also functions as an excellent character study of the Master.

( Excerpt )

aralias.livejournal.com

Story: A Family Affair
Author: bagheera
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 19860 (still planning to podfic it!)
Author's Summary: Leela and Narvin in a buddycop story, set between 3.4 "Mindbomb" and 3.5. "Panacea"
Characters/Pairings: K-9, Leela, Narvin, Romana II, various excellent OCs
Declaration of interest: I not only ran the ficathon that spawned this fic, I also betaed it.

Recced because: When Gallifrey the series is good it has a cracking whodunnit type plot (where whodunnit is taken for whobetrayedme/whoissecretlyonmyside) and lots of cracking dialogue between people who either dislike each other but are pretending not to, or respect each other but find the other person utterly exasperating. The series is very funny, and very engaging, and it reaches its height in series 3. This brilliant fic should be a real episode of Gallifrey, because it has everything that a good episode of Gallifrey should have (except an appearance from Braxiatel). Then again, as an interpretation of the buddycop genre it's perfect, giving our protagonists, the free-spirited hunter and the by-the-book spy, time to get to know each other and misunderstand one another in between its action set pieces. It also works as Gallifrey-lover fan-service, featuring (almost) all our favourite Gallifrey regulars and lots of original characters, who all feel like favourite characters we've just not noticed in previous episodes. It also gives Narvin a convincing and compelling backstory, and fleshes out Leela's relationship with Andred. Some absolutely hilarious things happen, and the dialogue is pitch-perfect. I know it's long, but don't let that put you off. It won't feel that long.

Excerpt:

“When I entered basic training, I found this immensely frustrating. Machines don’t dissemble or act illogically. They obey their own laws to a fault. You can be a perfectly good data technician without ever coming across a moral dilemma. As a spy, you don’t just have to make compromises. You have to compromise yourself. You can’t afford trust or friendship or honour. To uphold your most precious ideals, you sometimes have to betray them. That’s what Andred tried to do, and it broke him. It would break you too, if you ever tried it.”

“It did not break you.”

Narvin glanced at Leela, unsure if that was a question, or a statement, or an expression of doubt.

“No,” he said. “I find it doesn’t affect me very much.”

As part of

pod_aware I have recorded yesterday's rec, ceremony for the living, which can be downloaded here.

aralias.livejournal.com

Story: Time Lords Made Us Do It
Author: Bagheera
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 978
Author's Summary: After "End of Time", the Time Lords figure out that their only hope for survival is to give the drums to the Doctor. (Gallifrey crack fic).
Characters/Pairings: Romana 2, Braxiatel, Narvin, Leela, K-9, (various Doctor/Master in the background)

Recced because: Another Doctor/Master fic, but one that distinguishes itself by never actually featuring those characters. As the summary notes, this is a Gallifrey fic, first and foremost, and is largely about those brilliant characters trying to tackle a problem - that problem just happens to be making the Doctor and the Master have sex, something that some characters find discomforting (very funny), and others are completely fine with (also very funny). It's largely dialogue based, which works well in an audio fandom and with such distinct voices, it's well structured, and cleverly punctures the pomposity of much of 'End of Time'.

Excerpt: "Andred once showed me this psychic union you speak of," Leela said thoughtfully. "I was not impressed."

Coordinator Narvin made a horrible grimace that seemed to say: I did not need to know this. Romana privately agreed.

elliptic-eye.livejournal.com

Huge apologies for the lateness of this last rec; my laptop suffered sudden power supply failure yesterday.

Story: No Exit (Everybody Lives)
Author: Bagheera
Rating: All Ages
Word count: 3,453
Author's summary: "No, this is a very exclusive establishment. Our own private ever after."
Characters/pairings: The Doctor (Tenth)/the Master (Simm)
Warnings: none

Recced because: This fic is a bit like one of those pictures they used to show us in elementary school, where depending on how you looked at it you saw either a pretty maiden or a crone. It could be fluff, if you like. Like the pictures, though, once you see its darker possibilities, it's hard to unsee them. For me, this quick, condensed little fic subtly plays on everything that makes the concept of "happily ever after" both disturbing and intoxicating. But whatever you take from it, it's a stunning piece of work.

( Excerpt )

elyssadc.livejournal.com

HAPPY HOLIDAY WEEK, EVERYONE!

Story: Wipe the Sleep Out of My Eyes
Author: Bagheera
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2498
Author's Summary: Dodo Chaplet tries to be normal for forty-one years.
Characters/Pairings: Dodo Chaplet, Donna Noble, Jack Harkness, Martha Jones, Polly Wright, Tenth Doctor
Warnings: None

Recced because: This story is magical. Dodo got shafted in the series and she REALLY got shafted in the extended universe. This story takes a look at what might have happened to Dodo in her post-TARDIS years and manages to make the character more real, more heartbreaking, but in the end more hopeful than I would have thought possible. The language, the interweaving of events from different eras, it's all beautiful. I can't recommend this story highly enough.

( a small taste... )

nonelvis

Story: Solitaire
Author: Bagheera/

bagheera_san
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 6,380
Author's Summary: After "The Deadly Assassin," the Doctor stays on Gallifrey to be President. But years later, a mysterious stranger tries to assassinate the Doctor, and the Master may be the only one who knows enough to stop him.
Characters/Pairings: Four, Five/Ainley!Master, Six, Seven, Eight/Ainley!Master
Warnings: Explicit Sex

Recced because: This story is creepy, dark, and yet, at times, very funny. The Doctor, growing lazy and complacent as president of Gallifrey, suddenly finds himself reliant on the Master to save his life ... and also finds himself strangely attracted to his old enemy. The love/hate relationship between the two men drives much of this story, though there is still a murder mystery to solve, and I'll leave it to you to read the story and uncover the assassin's identity. (I guessed it about two-thirds of the way through, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable.)

biichan.livejournal.com

Story: Burning Ground
Author: Bagheera
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 2389
Author's summary: The Doctor and the Master play gods in Vedic India.
Characters/Pairings: Third Doctor/Delgado!Master, Fourth Doctor/Delgado!Master, Fifth Doctor
Warnings: Goes AU somewhere near the end of the Third Doctor's tenure.

Recced because: It's good. It's very, very good. Which is probably damning with faint praise, but I've been staring at the computer screen for the past half-hour trying to figure out how to describe why I love this fic so much and that's really all it boils down to: it's very, very good. There's a relentless dream-like logic to Bagheera's prose and her alternate Fourth and Fifth Doctors are so very familiar despite the fantastic setting we find them in. It's perhaps my favorite Doctor/Master fic of all and I'm so very glad she wrote it.

Current Mood: impressed

biichan.livejournal.com

Story: Confession
Author: Bagheera
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 1043
Author's summary: C'rizz isn't a monk anymore, but it's hard to let go of old habits. The Doctor suggests that he and C'rizz play a game.
Characters/Pairings: Eighth Doctor/C'rizz
Warnings: Religious kink, flagellation

Recced because: Is it terribly gauche to rec a fic someone else wrote for you? Quite possibly, but I can't find the will in me to care because this is a very good fic. It's intense--I really think that's the best word for it--and Bagheera does an exemplary job of maintaining the mood throughout. Bagheera's characterization is flawless: her C'rizz sounds as if Conrad Westermaas himself was speaking his dialog and her Eighth Doctor is just a little bit fucked-up underneath the Romantic figure beloved of fangirls. (This, I feel, is how he ought to be written whenever possible. Despite his innocent exterior, he's still the one most likely to be responsible for ending the Time War.)

Despite the adult rating, it's less than completely explicit. I don't really think the fic suffers for lack of graphic descriptions, though. (And if you've never listened to any of the Eighth Doctor audios you still should be able to enjoy this, because the story spoilers absolutely nothing in them except for the fact that C'rizz is an alien and a former monk, which is something you would find out right away after he shows up anyhow.)

( I'll give you the first bit of it as a teaser... )

Current Mood: satisfied
Current Music: Gabriela Robin - Voices

ghost2.livejournal.com

Story: Sweet are the Uses
Author: Bagheera
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 4156
Author's summary: Depressed by his exile, the Doctor spends a few hours with the Master.
Characters/Pairings: Third Doctor/Delgado!Master
Warnings: PWP

Recced because: The slashy possibilities of Three/Master practically leap off the screen in their serials. Here, that dynamic is captured in a well paced fic. The Doctor, angsting about his exile on Earth, encounters the Master. He stops to have a talk, which turns into more. Why would the Doctor tolerate the Master's presence? Well, his reasoning is plausibly explained and so are the Master's motives. The dialogue is excellent and the ending is just about perfect.

( Excerpt. )

reccity-rec-rec

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

April 2018

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A rec comm for A Teaspoon And An Open Mind

Entries tagged with author: bagheera

rec: Mercy by Bagheera

rec: Bargain by Bagheera

rec: Living Things by Bagheera

Rec: Placebo Effect by Bagheera

Rec: Imaginary Worlds (the Here I Dreamt I was an Architect remix)

Rec: A Family Affair, by bagheera

rec: Time Lords Made Us Do It

No Exit (Everybody Lives), by Bagheera

rec: wipe the sleep out of my eyes

Rec: Solitaire

REC: Burning Ground

REC: Confession

Rec: Sweet are the Uses

reccity-rec-rec

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April 2018

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