Entries tagged with companion: nyssa

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Rec: Before and After by helluin

Author: helluin

Rating: Adult

Word Count: 4592

Author's Summary: After the Big Finish "Five Companions" Audio, the Doctor has to see his friends back to their proper places and times. Saying goodbye to one of them is more pleasant than expected, and more painful than the Doctor lets on.

Characters/Pairings: The Doctor (5th)/Nyssa, Ian Chesterton/Barbara Wright, (Cameos from: Steven Taylor, Sara Kingdom, Polly Wright)

Warnings: Explicit sex ~~and a lot of feels~~

Recced because: Set during (and after) the audio The Five Companions, this fic is sad, yet lovely and portrays the dynamic between this particular Doctor and companion team well.

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rec: Doctor Who and the Dangers of Hospitality by SpaceTimeConundrum

Story: Doctor Who and the Dangers of Hospitality
Author: SpaceTimeConundrum
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 5027
Author's Summary: Some planets really know how to throw a party.
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor (5th)/Nyssa of Traken, Tegan Jovanka
Warnings: None

Recced because: With everything that happens to this TARDIS team in canon, they deserve a lighter and fluffier moment or two. This story is a bit reminiscent of Black Orchid; just letting the characters have a bit of relaxation and fun (special mention goes to Tegan's parts) with some romance dusted in while keeping everyone in-character.

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rec: this bird has flown, by helluin

Story: This Bird Has Flown
Author: Helluin
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 6723
Author's Summary: Space tourists, scientists, old friends: the Doctor has not had a rapport with a companion like this since Romana left. (A series of "day in the life" vignettes between Five and Nyssa that roughly parallel their later Big Finish adventures.)
Characters/Pairings: Fifth Doctor/Nyssa of Traken
Warnings: No standard warnings. Mention of (but no actual, on or off-screen) sexual assault.

Recced because: I'm sure many of you are familiar with the rare experience of reading a fic featuring your favorite pairing that just hits all the right notes – their voices are clear and feel true to character, the tone is spot-on, and the inevitable pay-off is exactly how you yourself would've written it, if only you'd known how. That's how I feel about this story. It's more a collection of scenes than one cohesive plot arc, but these brief moments paint a beautiful picture of the Doctor and Nyssa's maturing relationship. The author is particularly adept when it comes to describing locations and has an eye for narrative symmetry that makes the conclusion especially poignant. As a bit of a space-geek, I found the asteroid encounter scene in the middle to be breathtaking. (And yes, there really is such an asteroid in our solar system!)

Familiarity with the Doctor and Nyssa's Big Finish adventures will help, but is not required in order to enjoy this story.

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Rec: Fisson, by PencilGuardian

Hello Calufraxers! I'm Conundrum, your fan fiction guide for the next two weeks. You can find me lurking on Teaspoon as SpaceTimeConundrum. I've got quite a selection lined up for you all, a solid mix (I hope) of Classic and New Who ranging from the dark to comic, often in the same story. Now, let's start things off with a bang, shall we?

Story: Fission
Author: PencilGuardian
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 39,791
Author's Summary: The Doctor is accidentally cut in half whilst trying to stop the Master.
Characters/Pairings: Fifth Doctor/Nyssa of Traken, Tegan Jovanka, the Master
Warnings: No standard warnings. Some body horror.

Recced because: This may very well be my favorite fic on Teaspoon. What that says about me, I'll let you all be the judge once you've followed my advice and read this.

The story is in turns funny, bittersweet, and more than a little bit demented. Aside from a few plot details that absolutely would not sneak past the BBC censors, this is a near-perfect homage to the Classic Who serials of the 1980s. Much like in the source material it frequently references, the Fifth Doctor is forced to endure a succession of horrifying traumas along the way. Poor Doctor. Luckily Nyssa and Tegan are there to save the day. It's excellently plotted and every character is given an active role in the story, even a few genre-savvy minions. I especially liked how it deals with the consequences of the Master's body snatching in The Keeper of Traken in a unique way.

I love this fic to pieces.

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Rec: 'Echoes' by helluin

Title: Echoes
Author: helluin
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 2696
Characters/Pairings: Fifth Doctor/Nyssa
Author's summary: After a trying day dealing with prats wearing pasta on their foreheads (Mawdryn Undead), our Totally Just Friends duo goes exploring deep in the TARDIS to clear their minds and talk nerdy at one another. Smut ensues.
Warnings: Explicit sex

Recced because: Though it may technically be labelled as 'smut', this is also a rather lovely character piece for Five & Nyssa. I've always enjoyed the 'kindred space nerds' relationship between them, and this fic does a believable job of showing what could have happened had they gone beyond just friendship. Their science-y banter & heart to heart about the events of 'Mawdryn Undead' in the beginning capture their voices excellently, highlighting their affection for one another as the source of their attraction, and they retain their endearingly earnest and sweet interaction even when things start to get hot and heavy. The timey-wimey sex is gorgeously written, with the clever concept of 'time echoes' heightening the sensuousness. If you ship Five/Nyssa, you have to read this, and even if you don't, you might change your mind after this one!

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And Safety Shorts For Good Measure by whatthefoucault

Story: And Safety Shorts For Good Measure
Author: whatthefoucault (

doctorpancakes)
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 465
Author's Summary: Nyssa decides it's time to make an exciting change.
Characters/Pairings: Nyssa, Fifth Doctor
Warnings: no standard warnings apply

Recced because: Short and humorous piece where Nyssa changes her clothes some time after the "Snakedance" serial, and the Doctor fails to notice her. It always makes me chuckle.

Current Mood: jubilant

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rec: "Beauty and Folly" by helluin

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

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

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rec: take it with you (when you go), by azar

Story: take it with you (when you go)
Author: Azar
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2021
Author's Summary: The Doctor gives Nyssa a way to recreate a little piece of Traken aboard the TARDIS.
Characters/Pairings: Nyssa, Fifth Doctor
Warnings: None

Recced because: It's sometimes easy to forget that when Nyssa joined Team TARDIS, she lost her entire planet. This moving fic gives us some fascinating background into her life on Traken, and gives Nyssa a little bit of hope that there might still be a chance to nurture a small piece of her former life.

( An excerpt )

rec: the doctor cooks (the eleventh time lucky remix), by paranoidangel

Story: The Doctor Cooks (The Eleventh Time Lucky Remix)
Author: paranoidangel
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 3264
Author's Summary: The Doctor offers to cook dinner for Amy and Rory. What could go wrong?
Characters/Pairings: Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond/Rory Williams, First Doctor, Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright, Susan Foreman, Second Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon, Zoe Heriot, Third Doctor, Jo Grant, Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, Fifth Doctor, Tegan Jovanka, Nyssa, Sixth Doctor, Evelyn Smythe, Seventh Doctor, Ace McShane, Eighth Doctor, Charley Pollard, Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler, Tenth Doctor, Donna Noble.
Warnings: None

Recced because: The Doctor claims he can cook. Actually, as it turns out, the Doctor has always claimed that he could cook. This fic starts off with the Eleventh Doctor promising to cook a special meal for Amy and Rory, and then moves on to a series of flashbacks that show past Doctors, past companions, and past culinary (mis)adventures. Much of it is very funny, but there is also a wonderful depth to the writing, especially in the framing story of Eleven, Amy, and Rory.

( A teaser )

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Master's Thesis by helluin

Hi, I'm

merryghoul, and I'm back for my second round of recs here at

calufrax after a long hiatus. I've got my recs all ready to go for this round, so let's get started, shall we?

Story: Master's Thesis
Author: helluin
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 42,530
Author's Summary: When Nyssa tries to return home with the cure to a deadly plague, the TARDIS overshoots and slips back into her past, the Doctor's future. Worse, the Master is already there, taking a sinister interest in her family. Hemmed in by potential time paradoxes, there's only one person to whom Nyssa can turn for help: her best friend Tegan.
Characters/Pairings: Nyssa, Other Character(s), Tegan Jovanka, The Doctor (5th), The Master (Ainley), Turlough
Warnings: Swearing

Recced because: This fic is based on the Big Finish arc where an older Nyssa joins Five, Tegan and Turlough for a spell in the TARDIS, but this can be read without any knowledge of the Big Finish audios. What I love about this fic is that it feels like a Big Finish audio or even an old serial with Five in it. There's action, witty quips and a paradox that needs to be fixed or else. I highly recommend this for Classic Who fans.

Felis Catus Temporus

Story: Felis Catus Temporus
Author: Lissy_Strata
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 6032
Author's Summary: The Doctor needs Peri's help, but can she stop laughing long enough? (This fic has evolved into a series of unrelated cat stories.)
Character/Pairings: Sixth Doctor, Fifth Doctor, Third Doctor, Second Doctor, Eleventh Doctor, Peri Brown, Tegan Jovanka, Nyssa, Ace McShane, Second doctor, Polly Wright, Ben Jackson, Jamie McCrimmon, Jo Grant, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Delgado!Master, Amy Pond, Rory Williams, Sarah-Jane Smith, K-9
Warnings: Kitties

Recced Because:

Awwww, who's a kitty! Mostly the Doctor. Though several companions, enemies, and by-standers are also affected by acute Felis Catus Temporus in this adorable sequence of fic which answers several important, kitty-related questions such as: What happens when K-9 meets a kitty? Do kitties get along with nitro-9? Can you put a kitty in a fez?

If you want to know, read on and find out (just be aware that the resulting cute may leave you incapacitated with kitty!love for an unspecified duration…)

( A Teaser-Taste )

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rec: Hope and Dust by padawanpooh

Story: Hope and Dust
Author: padawanpooh
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 509
Author's Summary: Nyssa and Tegan in a quiet moment on the Saturnian moon Tethys.
Characters/Pairings: Nyssa, Tegan Jovanka
Warnings: None.

Recced because: It’s a beautiful, brief vignette that quietly says a lot in a few words, capturing a sense of both science and wonder, of the friendship between Nyssa and Tegan – and a foreshadowing of what will cause them to give up the ability to explore space and time like this.

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From Here to Infinity by Timesfool

Story: From here to infinity
Author: Timesfool
rating: All Ages
Word Count: 3960
Author's Summary: When the Tardis experiences catastrophe and the Doctor disappears, Nyssa is left alone - or is she?
characters/pairings: Nyssa, River Song, Susan Foreman, The Doctor (10th), The Doctor (10th), The Doctor (1st), The Doctor (5th), The TARDIS
warnings: None

recced because: There is so little good Nyssa fic out there, and I am thrilled to be able to share this with you. Honestly, who doesn't love Nyssa? In my opinion she is one of the most fascinating characters the show has created, and I'm forever sad that her character was not explored more in the series.

This fic not only does a cracking job at portraying Nyssa's awesomeness, it also throws in some other well-loved characters, resulting in 3000 words of the ultimate timey wimey excitement. I can't be the only one who squeals at the idea of Nyssa meeting River Song, or Susan, or Sexy, or the First Doctor.

It is a story filled to bursting with funny and heartwarming scenes, where the TARDIS is treated as a real character and Nyssa gets a chance to shine. What more could you possibly want?

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Purpose by Kesomon

Story: Purpose
Author: Kesomon
Rating: All Ages
Author's Summary: Anyone who had chosen to stop and listen, to say a few words, to step inside his frankly magnificent time ship, had been there for a reason, even if they, or he or anyone else had yet to discover what that reason was.
Word Count: 541
Characters/Pairings: Ace McShane, Adric, Barbara Wright, Evelyn Smythe, Ian Chesterton, Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Jo Grant, Katarina, Martha Jones, Mel Bush, Nyssa, Owen Harper, Peri Brown, Steven Taylor
Warnings: None

Recced Because: It is an odd little story, exploring the idea of predestination paradoxes. Usually with this kind of thing, the Doctor is the one who changes the companion. He shows them the universe, and they become a better person because of that. It is quite easy to forget that the companions change the Doctor just as much as he changes them, and that is why I love this fic. It clearly shows the delicate relationship between the two, while also paying homage to the fact that the companions are amazing and usually go on to be amazing after their time in the TARDIS. The last line is a nice touch too, with the Doctor portrayed not as the all-knowing Time Lord, but the wanderer, the traveller who marvels at the beauty and mystery of the universe.

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The Magic Door by LilacFree

Sorry for not posting yesterday. It is a bit less hectic here now, so I might just get round to the rest of my reccing scheme.

Story: The Magic Door
Author:LilacFree
Rating:All Ages
Word Count: 1396
Author's Summary:Tegan is lost in Scotland and has an interesting encounter with a kilt-wearing Clansman
Characters/pairings:Jamie McCrimmon, Nyssa, Tegan Jovanka, The Doctor (5th)
warnings:None

Recced Because: I love multi-era fics where characters, particularly companions, meet who've never met before. It is so much fun to see them interacting together, bickering about the Doctor and boasting about their travels. While this fic has little bickering and boasting, it does the interacting part brilliantly. The Author manages to combine two entirely different eras of Doctor Who in a really clever way. To this extend the summary is a bit misleading, probably on purpose. I'm going to leave it that way, and try to write without spoiling.

This story, while seen through the eyes of Tegan, is actually an exploration of another much loved character. Jamie here is portrayed in an original way, allowing his incredible sense of wonder to take centre stage. He is one of my favourite characters on the entire show, and the way he is portrayed here, while very different to how he was in the series, rings true to his character.

Some names are spelled non-canonically, but don't let that put you off. The author knows the characters and creates a heartwarming little tale. I can't really say anything more without spoiling it, so you should just go and read it now, because it is magical.

Awkward Questions by Gary Merchant

Today is something lighter after yesterday's angst.

Story: Awkward Questions
Author: Gary Merchant
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 996
Author's Summary: Not even the Doctor can answer everything.
Characters:Adric, Grace Holloway, Ian Chesterton, Jamie McCrimmon, Nyssa, 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)

Recced because:It's a play on the numerous (intentional) plot holes and is-it-canon-or-not-canon-questions all Whovians have to deal with at some point. With fifty years of series, not everything always makes sense. Two events from the history of the show can completely contradict each other and still both be awesome (a big cheer for timey-wimey stuff!). This fic takes that fact and runs with it, exploring 8 different scenes from Doctors 1 to 8 with humour and wit. The scenes used here are (in)famous throughout the fandom, and reading about them brought a knowing smile to my face. It's under a thousand words, so even if you're in a hurry, check it out. And if you like it, there is a sequel too!

Current Mood: pensive

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Running the Banner Down by Etherati

A shorter piece today. Back to Classic Who, and one of my favorite Doctors.

Story: Running the Banner Down
Author: Etherati
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 2084
Author's Summary: Tear down the person you were, get out from under the shadows, rebuild with what you have left. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like enough, and sometimes the cost is too high. Character piece, Five.
Characters/Pairings: Adric, Nyssa, Tegan Jovanka, The Fifth Doctor
Warnings: none

Recced because: In his first appearance, the Fifth Doctor said, “That's the trouble with regeneration. You quite never know what you're going to get.” This is a gorgeously-written look into the Doctor’s thoughts about his new self at various moments after his regeneration. Like every Doctor before and after him, he must struggle to re-create his identity, and watch his companions struggle to accept the new person that he is becoming. If you’re not familiar with this era of Doctor Who you will miss some of the references, but most of the story could apply to any Doctor. If nothing else, read it for the language, which is as subtle and beautiful as it is insightful.
( A snippet... )

Read it here.

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Rec: The Real Mother Goose, by Livii

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...

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rec: inspiration, by lyricwritesprose

Story: Inspiration
Author: Lyricwritesprose
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2794
Author's Summary: Endurance is its own kind of heroism.
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones, Tenth Doctor, Nyssa (in background)
Warnings: None

Recced because: This is a wonderful, uplifting fic that is full of marvelous ingredients. First off, it's an amazing piece of world-building, with a very well-drawn original character. Second, Martha gets to use her medical skills to help combat a plague. Third, Nyssa, a companion of the Fifth Doctor, gets an important mention. But best of all, it's a fic about heroism, just as Doctor Who is a show about heroism. The Doctor swoops in, fixes things, and leaves, but others stay and slog, and become heroes by dint of their endurance. As made plain in this fic, these latter types of heroes can be the most inspiring of all.

( a taste )

rec: Turn Your Back by Singe

Story: Turn Your Back
Author: Singe
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 21943
Author's Summary: The Eleventh Doctor had a simple philosophy about public nudity. "If it embarrasses you, turn your back." Hmmm, what about the other Doctors? Here are ten humorous vignettes with a central theme of nakie-ness.
Characters/Pairings: Doctors 1 through 10 and various companions (ETA for the intrepid calufrax tagger: Susan, Ian, Barbara, Victoria, Jamie, Liz Shaw, Brigadier, Mike Yates, John Benton, Sarah Jane, Adric, Tegan, Nyssa, Melanie Bush, Ace, Jo Grant, Martha Jones)
Warnings: Swearing
Recced because: Honestly, how can you pass up a story with that summary? Do you need more? Okay, it's ten stories that go effortlessly from era to era, that are quirky and imaginative and funny and outlandish. They are also well-written and fun, inducing a little bit of ear reddening blushes at times, but also exploring concepts of friendship, acceptance, vulnerability, and the tendency of the Doctor to gravitate to gift shops in more ways than one. And well, if it's not your cuppa you can always turn your back...

( Small excerpt (chapter 7) )