calufrax

livii.livejournal.com

Thanks for a great week! Hope you enjoyed my tour through some of the smaller parts of Whofandom.

Story: Three Time Travellers in a Boat
Author: aces
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2496
Author's Summary: Absolutely no boats were harmed in the making of this story.
Characters/Pairings: Anji, Fitz, Eight
Warnings: none

Recced because: This is a story where there is no danger, no fear, no stress - just a quiet boating holiday for a trio that so deserves a moment of calm. The best part is that it is beautifully written and characterized: reading it is to immerse yourself in the sensory experience of the alien planet, and you feel the calm and the friendship of the characters as if it was happening personally. Aces writes an impeccable Anji in particular, and when she finds that moment of peace and happiness it's as if all is right in the world. Of course, soon enough there's probably some sentient mold going to take over the universe, but right as this story unfolds, the world is the greenest green and most beautiful blue and life is good.

jinxed-wood.livejournal.com

Story: The Real Mother Goose
Author:

livii
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 4,465
Author's Summary: Amy Pond has lost her baby girl. She has a week to find her.
Characters/Pairings: Ace McShane, Amy Pond, Anji Kapoor, Dodo Chaplet, Mel Bush, Nyssa, Polly Wright, River Song, Rory Williams
Warnings: None

Recced because: An alternative take on a 'A Good Man Goes to War', in which Amy uses River's Vortex Manipulator and goes on a bittersweet journey to find her daughter - and meets some of the Doctor's old companions along the way...

aralias.livejournal.com

After a somewhat obscure choice yesterday, I thought I'd choose something more everyone-friendly. Then I read this one and absolutely adored it. So everyone-friendly choice tomorrow, people. For now, please enjoy some more obscure paracanon awesomeness.

Story: Fitz Kreiner and the Chronology Protection Conjecture
Author: Lurky McLurklurk
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 3817
Author's Summary: Things go rapidly downhill when Fitz nips out for a quick cigarette.
Characters/Pairings: Fitz, Anji and Eight.

Recced because: It's perfectly structured. The bit in the pub at the beginning seems like it's just setting the scene, giving Fitz somewhere to walk out of but it's going to come back, all the moments of Fitz noticing things are going to be important, and the layers of disaster stack up until the narrative can literally take no more and Fitz has to shout at everyone to be quiet so we can think. One of the things this fic does well is to showcase some serious Fitz competence - his actions are perfectly Fitz-like, but also perfectly rational and clever (although he thinks they're slightly cleverer than they are, which is a lovely character trait also very well portrayed here). Although they aren't main characters here, there's also a great portrayal of Anji and the Doctor, and some good bickering between this excellent Team TARDIS. The fic is very funny, but it would also be wrong to class it simply as comedy, as there's, you know, a serious scientific theory being expounded on. I think even people unfamiliar with the EDAs will like this one, but if you are familiar with them and haven't read this you should definitely do that now, because you're in for a treat.

Excerpt:

"How'd you like to go somewhere more private?" Jirina asked.

Fitz was not a man to ignore his instincts. Given how loudly they were screaming "Yes" right now, it would have been difficult anyway. But he had other instincts, ones that had been honed by his long travels with the Doctor. Ones that said things like "If it's too good to be true, it probably is" and "there's definitely something going on here".

But then if there was something going on, he probably ought to investigate, oughtn't he?

Fitz dropped the cigarette to the floor and ground it beneath his heel, priding himself on his talent for uniting seeming opposites.

"Love to," he said.

As part of

pod_aware I have recorded yesterday's rec, A Family Affair, which can be downloaded in three parts: one, two, three

pitry.livejournal.com

Story: Almost Human"
Author: aces
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 3,016
Author's Summary: Fitz is, after all, only human.
Characters/Pairings: Fitz Kreiner, Anji Kapoor, 8th Doctor.
Warnings: None.

Recced because: I think it's mainly the bittersweet nostalgia of this one that really makes it a great read. It's not nostalgia for a better time, though. The Fitz in this story is nostalgic (or, perhaps wistful?) for a different time. At the bottom line, it's the humanity of the story, and of the characters in it. Aces masterfully using the characters, even the non-human Doctor, who is incapable of truly understanding humans - like the Doctor is, really - to make a point about people. And it's not people as great creatures, as the Doctor is prone to monologue about, not the romantic idea of the wonderful human spirit, but people as they are for all their flaws. I haven't actually read any of the published material with Fitz, but in aces' 3000 words (and a bit), he becomes a true human being.

ffutures.livejournal.com

Let's end the week with an epic crossover!

Story: Rebuilding a Life
Author: Settiai
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 40641
Author's Summary: Near the end of the Time War, Fitz Kreiner finds himself stranded on Earth in an unfamiliar time and place. His life moves on, whether he wants it to or not. (Crossover with "NCIS.")
Characters/Pairings: Anji Kapoor, Compassion, Donna Noble, Fitz Kreiner, Harriet Jones, Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Martha Jones, Other Character(s), Rose Tyler, Samantha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, The Doctor (10th), The Doctor (4th), The Doctor (8th), The Doctor (9th), The Master (Jacobi). Fitz / Tony.
Warnings: None
Recced because: I've gradually moved from ignoring NCIS to becoming a fan, and this is an excellent NCIS crossover (with several other secondary crossovers brought in, as far as I can tell, for the sheer fun of it) spanning several years which for once doesn't tell everyone everybody's secrets in the first five minutes of the story, and stars an amazing number of doctors and companions. I was very surprised to find that it has never been recced here, because it turns up on NCIS rec lists fairly often, but delighted to have this opportunity to introduce it to a wider audience.

You don't need much knowledge of the NCIS characters, they're described as they appear in the story, and the viewpoint is always Fitz, initially as an outsider gradually meeting and getting to know them. In some ways a little ignorance of the show helps, because some of the canon NCIS events have more impact!

And that concludes my week of recs - greatly looking forward to seeing what comes next.

slash-addict.livejournal.com

Well today is my last day as a reccer. I came into it thinking it would be easy to list my favorites and only limit it to seven. Boy, was I wrong I tried go for a variety of pairings and one fic per author. I did well on both but what I really wished to do is pick a author and list all my favorites from that author each day. I was hard trying to pick one just one from each author but is did. I have enjoyed it. I hope you have found some new and interesting fics and maybe found a new favorite fic or even a new favorite author. I definitely would not mind doing it again. I was a real learning experience.

Story: Shiver
Author: Absinthe
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 9072
Author's Summary: It's not all fun and games on a snowy world when Fitz meets a femme fatale
Characters/Pairings: Anji Kapoor, Fitz Kreiner, The Doctor (8th), The TARDIS
Warnings: none

Recced because: I have recently downloaded and watched the latest episodes of season 5 and Vampires of Venice reminded me of this fic and its sequels. Although it is not listed as a series there are 5 sequels. They can be read separately with no problem. You will have to look through the list of fics from the author to find them though. I would have listed them but I am having some trouble getting the Teaspoon site to work. I had this address saved in advance but did not think to do it for the sequels. Sorry.

Current Mood: aggravated

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!

ionlylurkhere.livejournal.com

Story: no more working for a week or two
Author:

shinyjenni
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 838
Author's Summary: The Doctor takes his companions on a lovely holiday. Meanwhile, Anji manages her finances and Fitz places an ill-advised bet.
Characters/Pairings: Eight, Fitz, Anji

Recced because: It's a wonderful bit of summery fluff showing one of my favourite Team TARDISes almost managing to have some down time. The sort of fic that leaves you with a big smile on your face when you've finished reading it.

( Excerpt under the cut )

elliptic-eye.livejournal.com

Story: Down the Pub
Author: Edithmatilda, co-written with nostalgia
Rating: probably Teen
Word count: 1,272
Author's summary: Fitz and Tegan meet in a pub.
Characters/pairings: Fitz Kreiner, Tegan Jovanka, Anji Kapoor
Warnings: swearing

Recced because: Doctor Who is packed with fantastic worlds and roller coaster adventures. Sometimes, though, you just want to tune in to the quieter moments, the conversations you know companions must have over tea and beer. Because that's where the real train wrecks lie.

Down the Pub is a bitingly cracky tale not just of two companions colliding with each other, but of one era of Who talking to another. And social awkwardness. And alcohol.

( Excerpt )

elliptic-eye.livejournal.com

Story: Doctor Who and the Bored Game of Death (edit: Also available here)
Author: edithmatilda, co-written with nostalgia
Rating: Story pre-dates the site change that defaulted all the ratings to "All Ages"; contains some profanity.
Word count: 969
Author's summary: The Doctor, Fitz and Anji play nicely together. Co-written with nostalgia the Sun Killer. (Alternatively: "There's, like, a game. And it all goes horribly wrong from there. This is co-written with Edithmatilda. She eats souls.")
Characters/pairings: Fitz, Anji, the Doctor (Eighth)
Warnings: Some profanity, the slightest oblique hint of meta, irreconcilable economic theories

Recced because: Bored Game of Death does exactly what it says on the tin: Fitz, Anji, and the Doctor sit down to play a nice board game with each other. But as we all know, the greatest perils of travelling on the TARDIS don't require setting foot outside it.

Crackfics—or cracky humor fics—are a dime a dozen in this fandom. Hell, really good crackfics are all over the place, even; we're a productive fandom and the source material is made for it. But this one retains a very special place in my fannish heart, and it's not just because it made me cry with laughing the first time I read it. It's because it pulls off even the sharpest of its humor with real affection, and because the characters just work.

The characters are so well drawn, in fact, that you can probably read this and enjoy it if your only exposure to Eight is the TVM—it worked for me, when I first read it years ago. And it made me realize that this was a TARDIS team I had to try.

But I really doubt I can give a better rec than an opening excerpt, so without further ado:

( Excerpt )

ionlylurkhere.livejournal.com

Story: The World That Jack Built
Author: I Inayat
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1500
Author's Summary: This is the way the world ends.
Characters/Pairings: Anji Kapoor, Faction Paradox, Fitz Kreiner, Samantha Jones, Compassion, Charley Pollard, Shayde, Ssard, Stacy Townsend, The TARDIS
Warnings: Torture and character death

Recced because: Primarily, because it's a fabulously well-written story, with prose that's almost terrifying in its sparseness, and a nice sense of doomed inevitability built up through good use of repetition (it's an AU from the end of Neverland, written at the time, where Zagreus wins). On the meta level, I love the way that it takes all the disparate strands of the Eighth Doctor's continuity (the audios, the books, the DWM comics and even the Radio Times strip) and bundles them up into a single coherent thread of narrative, while giving space to each of the companions in ways that make perfect sense (I particularly love Shayde's bit, and the use of the TARDIS is amazing).

whochick.livejournal.com

Story: Mind The Gap (WIP)
Author: moonmonkey
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 27056
Author's Summary: Londoners. They'd have you believe that their city is the one true beating heart of the entire world - of the universe, even. And they'd be right.
Characters/Pairings: Anji Kapoor, Fitz Kreiner, Romana (author created), The Doctor (8th)
Warnings: Explicit Violence, Swearing

Recced because: Crossovers are often between uncomplimentary fandoms, but the steam-punk gothic feel of the middle of the EDA series melds seamlessly with Neverwhere. This is a great concept written by someone who clearly has a feel for the characters and has perfected haunting menace to a fine art. It is a WIP, but it is regularly updated with decently lengthy chapters ... and let's face it, good fanfic is worth waiting for.

( Excerpt )

kseda.livejournal.com

Story: Hero Worship
Author: warinbabylon
Rating: all ages
Word Count: 1,294
Author's Summary: Fitz is forced to ponder his relationship with the Doctor.
Characters/Pairing: Fitz, Anji, Eight, a bit of Fitz/Eight
Warnings: none

Recced because: There's a bit of fanon out there which posits that Fitz is a proto-Rose, a companion whose life is so entwined with the Doctor's that it becomes seemingly impossible to leave. This story has Fitz reluctantly coming to that conclusion himself, and as he's not entirely comfortable with it he tries figuring out why. Does he stay because he has nowhere to go? Or because he feels it is his duty to protect the Doctor from himself? Or is it, and this really blows his mind, love? As with many things there are no easy answers, and the ones we find we may not like.

( Excerpt. )

pontisbright.livejournal.com

Story: 'Waxwork'
Author: roseveare
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 5551
Author’s summary: "The Doctor, Fitz and Anji visit a museum on a peaceful holiday planet. The exhibits hit a bit too close to home for Fitz."
Characters/Pairings: Eight, Fitz, Anji
Warnings: None

Recommended because: The Doctor was on his hands and knees in the sand, contentedly building a sandcastle. The sight of him in shorts and a brightly coloured shirt was faintly disturbing, but Fitz had long gotten over the urge to buy himself a T-shirt declaring 'I'M NOT WITH THAT NUTTER'. Anji was evidently still going through that stage of acquaintance. If (like me) you have only a passing understanding of Fitz's encounter with the Faction Paradox/Remote, you'll still appreciate why a museum filled with exact - and living - replicas of famous names causes a dash of angst to infiltrate the holiday atmosphere. A glorious combination of the daft and the emo (which is pretty much the definition of both Eight and Fitz, after all).

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 companion: anji

Rec: Three Time Travellers in a Boat by aces

Rec: The Real Mother Goose, by Livii

Rec: Fitz Kreiner and the Chronology Protection Conjecture

rec: Almost Human by aces

Rec for 9th Jan - Rebuilding a Life by Settiai

rec: shiver

Rec: Somebody Else's Conventional by aces

no more working for a week or two by shinyjenni

Down the Pub, by Edithmatilda and Nostalgia

Doctor Who and the Bored Game of Death, by edithmatilda with nostalgia

rec: the world that jack built

rec: mind the gap

(no subject)

Fic: Waxwork

reccity-rec-rec

Links

April 2018

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