Calufrax

Story: The Children of the Moon are as Heavy as Stones
Author: Nonelvis
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 2682
Author's Summary: "You're in hibernation," the Doctor said softly. "The one time a Quill's unconscious mind is apt to wander."
Characters/Pairings: Miss Quill, Twelfth Doctor, Miss Quill/ Twelfth Doctor, Miss Quill/ Ballon
Warnings: Explicit sex

Recced because:

If you haven't watched Class yet, I recommend viewing it before reading this fic (unless you want to thoroughly spoil yourself, as I did). If you couldn't care less about watching Class, then I still recommend this fic, because it's fantastic. There's a dreamy realism to it that works whether you know the canon or not. There is mythology and world building. There are nightmares and body horror. There is exceptionally good Twelfth Doctor characterization. There is well-written sex.

All of which is accessible without really knowing what's going on, but the biggest draw for me is the way Nonelvis has got inside the head of a uniquely vulnerable character who spends most of her time in canon doing her best to act unbreakable and unconcerned. Miss Quill and the Doctor make for a very interesting pairing, and one which I would happily read more of.


( A taste )

Story: Sailing On
Author: Meadowlark
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1242
Author's Summary: Though they come from different worlds, Vicki and Troilus find common ground to build their life on.
Characters/Pairings: Vicki, Vick/Troilus
Warnings: None

Recced because:

Vicki and Troilus are an odd couple. Born centuries apart and brought together by plot device they don't seem particularly suited to each other. In this lovely fic, Meadowlark shows that despite the obvious differences, Vicki and Troilus have more in common than meets the eye.


( A Taste )

Story: Full Moon, Full Moon
Author: TheBigCat
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 4824
Author's Summary: In which the Doctor is an ex-chemistry teacher (recently fired), Ace might possibly be a werewolf, and they both sort out things with absolutely no explosives- which is a shock to both of them. (Survival AU)
Characters/Pairings: Ace McShane, Seventh Doctor
Warnings: N/A

Recced because:
It was a challenge deciding which of TheBigCat's many excellent fics to rec this week. She writes across eras and in a variety of styles and tones. Finally, I decided on Full Moon, Full Moon because:

1) it features Ace and Seven, one of my all-time favourite Doctor-Companion combos

and

2) it's wonderful and unique take on them unlike anything I've read elsewhere.

This is an AU, but how much of an AU is left up to the reader's imagination (is it a timeline which took a different path, or is it a completely different reality?). Ace is a werewolf (or, more accurately, a were-cheetah), and the Doctor is… a mystery wrapped in a puzzle tied with an enigma. He's a recently fired chemistry teacher. He may also be a Time Lord – or possibly a wizard. Who knows? This fic is full of questions without answers, but that's because the plot is less important than the magnificent, mentor-student friendship between Ace and her Professor, which is the same in any universe.

There is great dialogue, lovely descriptive prose (a lot of it about tea, and I had to make a cuppa while re-reading for this rec, because it kept making me thirsty), and loads of references to other companions/villains/past episodes for those who like spotting continuity nods. And, of course, there are lots of questions marks (not just on the Doctor's jumper) to keep you wondering what might happen next long after the fic is finished and the browser window closed.

Sample:

( Under Here )

Story: Level Complete
Author: thebigcat
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1313
Characters/Pairings:  Ten, Eleven, Amy Pond, Rory Williams, River Song
Author's Summary: AMY POND used SLAP. ELEVENTH DOCTOR has been INJURED FATALLY.


Recced Because:

LOADING…
LOADING…

I am a sucker for hilarious crack, and this is hilarious crack of the first order. Gain new companions while avoiding the nefarious inference of the WILD CRACK. This fic is Eleven's first two series re-imagined as a snarky text adventure game. And did I mention it's really funny?


( A taste )

Story: So Our Story Goes
Author: MissNessarose
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1918
Characters/Pairings: Mel/Ace
Author's Summary: They meet ten years later, and perhaps by chance—but Ace knows that she won't let this chance simply pass her by. And so she doesn't.


Recced Because:

It's chicken soup for the soul.

In canon, Mel goes off with Glitz and who knows what happens to Ace. This fic picks up ten years later. It doesn't try to explain what happened in the interval, only that Mel is back on Earth now and Ace is running a charity. They meet by chance. Then they keep meeting on purpose.

This is a beautiful bit-by-bit romance, which grows organically with Mel and Ace slowly coming to the conclusion that all of their friends, and neighbours, and co-workers reached almost from the beginning. It's Ace appreciating Mel for her voice and crazy hair, not in spite of them. It's Mel solving problems. It's Ace making explosions. It's afternoons at the movies and walks in the park. It's the small moments which don't seem significant on their own, but, cumulatively, have more power than all the Nitro-9 in the universe. It's two people falling in love and it's beautiful.


( A Taste )

Story: Another Fine Mess
Author: Lyaka
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 6310
Characters/Pairings: Three, Nine, Twelve, Missy, The Master (Delgado), The Brigadier, Twelve/Missy, Three/The Master (Delgado)
Author's Summary: Twelve gets careless in the lab and accidentally whips up a space/time paradox. The Brigadier is not amused. (Shameless multi-era sass fest.)
Warnings: None

Recced Because:

It's funny. It's really, really, really funny. Lyaka has written a comedy of witty sass, dark humour, forbidden love, and enough snark to cause a temporal paradox. Watching Doctors from different eras bicker at each other is something I always enjoy, and this fic delivers on that premise in spades. I dare you to get through it without giggling.

( A taste under the cut )

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 )

Story: Mother's Maiden Name:__________
Author: blaidddrwg
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 545
Author's Summary: The Doctor makes battle with NHS paperwork.
Character/Pairings: Tenth Doctor
Warnings: None

Recced Because:

Sometimes you need a smile and this fic is good at supplying one. Its a silly bit of paperwork that's thrust at Ten moments before the beginning of Smith & Jones, and the Doctor fills it out... creatively, though also with surprising honesty.



( A teaser-taste: )

Story: Scarves Are Not Meant To Be Used For That

Author: RachelStardust

Rating: All Ages

Word Count: 532

Author's Summary: Following in the tradition of my other fics, the Scarf has the floor.

Characters/Pairings: The Scarf

Warnings: None

Recced Because:

Sometimes a good dose of crack is in order. The Doctor has had many unique and memorable fashion accessories over the decades: The Bow Tie, The Fez, The Technocolour Dream Coat… but The Scarf stands tall as not only one of the Doctor's most recognisable accoutrements but also one of his most versatile. Watching Four romping through his episodes, it's easy to forget that scarves aren't intended as rope substitutes/lassos/impromptu shields/etc.

Well, unless you're the Scarf. Then it's impossible to forget.

( A taste )

Story: Heights

Author: Calapine

Rating: All Ages

Word Count: 905

Author's Summary: The Doctor, Jamie, and just the one parachute

Characters/Pairings: Jamie McCrimmon, Two

Warnings: None

Recced Because:

The Doctor and Jamie are on a plane. We don't know why they're on the plane or what will happen to them after they get back on solid ground, but that doesn't matter. The plane is crashing. Two and Jamie have a moment of adorable bickering which ends with inevitable clinging. It's just one scene out of an unknown, larger adventure, but with all of the missing episodes that seems distinctly Two-ish in itself.
( A taste )

Story: it's a bit dodgy this process

Author: lyricalprose

Rating: All Ages

Word Count: 1873

Author's Summary: (Twelve/Rose). Rose, jumping with the Dimension Cannon, happens upon Eleven as he regenerates.

Characters/Pairings: Twelve/Rose, Eleven, Clara

Warnings: None

Recced Because:

When you write into the future you do so with the knowledge that your interpretations stand a good chance of being Jossed. The regeneration depicted in this fic is not the regeneration we saw at Christmas time, but that's okay. With all of the Dimensions Rose jumped between I like to think that this happened somewhere. It's not a pairing I usually ship, but even as a non-shipper I found this story compelling and excellent. It is Rose's story, more than it is the Doctor's or Clara's, but the characterization of all three is very good and the glimpse of Twelve (Thirteen? One-B? Whatever fandom decides on for Capaldi…) is marvellous.

If you're willing to take a chance on a story that is a bit AU and contains a Doctor that we haven't seen much of yet then you couldn't take that chance with a better story than this.


( a taste )

Story: memento mori
Author: cosmickitten
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 77
Author's Summary: The ancient god, and his reminders of death.
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor
Warnings: N/A

Recced because:

It is difficult to write effective poetry, and I think that difficulty is probably magnified when you're writing fic and poetry together. This short bit of verse is not only effective, it is also incredibly affecting. The Doctor needs his companions. They are special to him. They are, after a thousand years, the only mystery worth solving.


( Sample )

Story: Unquiet Night
Author: johne
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1314
Author's Summary: There are times Susan just won't stop screaming
Characters/Pairings: Susan Foreman, One
Warnings: N/A

Recced because:

This fic is set in the murky era of Susan and the Doctor's early adventures. They aren't called Susan and the Doctor yet; they are a mysterious pair, a strange old man and an unnamed child showing up unexpectedly in the night. And, as the outsider POV makes clear, they are aliens and unfamiliar with the world their exile has brought them too. The child who will be Susan is very young here, but her need for food and warmth is already forcing the man who will one day be the Doctor to depend on humans – and also, to defend them.

( Sample: )

 

Story: Still the Same
Author: audreyii_fic
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1578
Author's Summary: S7, pre-TATM. Rory is done traveling; Amy is not. (Follows themes of The Power of Three.)
Characters/Pairings: Amy Pond, Rory Williams, Eleven
Warnings: N/A

Recced because:

In the Power of Three the Doctor's companions came to a realization: it is next to impossible to lead two lives. But, the hardest choices are always between two good things, and, at the end of the episode, they decided to continue trying… Alas, then the Angels happened and they lost both options. And perhaps that was a kindness.

This tragic fic postulates what might've happened if they'd made a different decision; if both of them had made a different decision; if Amy had decided to keep travelling while keeping it a secret from her husband. Amy knows it's wrong. The Doctor knows it's wrong. And Rory… he probably knows. This fic is utterly heart-wrenching because, as I read it, I can't decide which course Amy should choose either, I only know, as she does, that not choosing will eventually end in tears.


( Sample )

Story: Two Gingers and an Australian walk into the lingerie department
Author: LunaRowena
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 3499
Author's Summary: "Tegan," said the Doctor. "You could have just told me what you wanted to go shopping for. I've lived with a lot of women over the years. I'm not a complete stranger to undergarments." Turlough continued to be fascinated by the ceiling.
Characters/Pairings: Tegan Jovanka, Turlough, Donna Noble, Five, Ten
Warnings: None

Recced because:

When I first read this, I ending up shooting tea out through my nose laughing. The fic was then instantly bookmarked for whenever I recced Calufrax next and I've read it several times whenever I need a good cheer-up. Why do I love this fic? It has some of the best Tegan and Turlough bickering I've ever seen in fic, a mash-up of two great eras, a bit of thought on the practicalities of TARDIS travel, and a really great tip on how to save your under wires from destruction while adventuring across the universe.

Also, it has koalas.


( Sample: )

Story: A Simple Explanation
Author: Okami
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 745
Author's Summary: How is cricket played anyways? The Doctor tries to clarify. Wherein is contained the world's longest sentence.
Characters/Pairings: Five, Peri
Warnings: Five explains cricket.

Recced because:

After four years this fic still makes me giggle. It’s also the first thing I think of whenever anyone, for whatever reason, mentions cricket. Oh! And it has some hidden Hitch Hiker’s references for extra bonus points.

Excerpt:

“That’s not a very fair thing to say! Besides, baseball is everywhere in America, and how different could cricket be? You hit a ball with something wooden and run in a circle. Right?”

“So why bother asking about it?”

“Well, I’m curious.”

“Alright. But....you won’t get it.” he sighed resignedly.

Story: Quod Erat Demonstrandum
Author: leamichelle
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1455
Author's Summary: He's the Doctor. He saves worlds, galaxies, universes. Most of the time.
Characters/Pairings: Eight, Lucie Miller
Warnings: None

Recced because:

This might not be an epic with words upon words, but it certainly has the soul of an epic. It builds a world and a series of events which are interesting, funny, horrific, and believable. Lucie is narrating and her voice comes through strong and clear. Eight’s voice is also very strong.

My favourite part of this fic, however, is how it shines a light at the Doctor’s darker side, but pulls back before you’re completely sure what you’ve just seen. Like Lucie, you’re left wondering what happened. Her last few lines linger long after the fic is done.

Hello, I'm Clocketpatch and I'll be your reccer for the week. I'll be providing you with a mix of Classic, New, and the Sarah-Jane Adventures.


Story: Ad Astra Per Anatis
Author: Roach_Patrol
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 948
Author's Summary: The Doctor is kneeling in the mud by the edge of the duck pond, his sleeves rolled up, his hair sticking up every which way, and he looks like nothing so much as a little boy with a train set on Christmas morning.
Characters/Pairings: Seven, Ace
Warnings: None

Recced because:
There are ducks on the TARDIS. They give a very good impression of being real. I’ve loved this captured moment of TARDIS life for a while now. It is the perfect blend of magic and mundane. Seven ponders possibilities, Ace is bored, and far more is said than is spoken. All in all this is perfect Seven and Ace. Also, the title is both funny and profound. It makes me giggle at least.

Story: Grant Me Just a Little Speech
Author: Primsong
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 4098
Author's Summary: The Master kidnaps Jo to use her for ransom, but gets an earful instead.
Characters/Pairings: Jo Grant, Delgado!Master, Three
Warnings: None

Recced because:

The title is a horrible, awful pun. No, okay, there’s more to it than that: watching the Master slowly being driven off the edge by Jo’s chatter is hilarious. The sheer randomness of stuff Jo manages to talk about is boggling. The Master’s attempts to keep himself sane are mesmerising. You end up feeling a bit sorry for him by the end… after all, it’s not like he ever really had a chance.

Story: The Hungry Woman

Author: Sarah

Rating: All Ages

Word Count: 1210

Author's Summary: What became of Ambrose Northover

Characters/Pairings: Other character(s)

Warnings: None




Recced because:


I was very much reminded of Ten's damning of Harriet Jones when Eleven told Ambrose that she was the worst of humanity at the end of Cold Blood. Ambrose may have shown the worst side of humanity, under duress, but I never got the impression that she was a cruel person, or a bad person, or anything other than a frightened mother/daughter trying to keep her family safe. There's something unnerving and though-provoking about that in itself. Ambrose did a very bad thing, that fact is never shied away from, but after reading this several times I'm still not sure if her punishment was just or not.

This is the story of a ruined life. Of a single choice and its consequences. And it's real, and it's human, and it hurts. It hurts so bad because, after reading, you know this is what must've happened next. Series 5 is full of struggles for redemption: Rory, River, the Doctor – and at the end of this fic you're left with the punch in the gut realisation that not everyone achieves that goal, that some decisions never end, and that nothing is black and white.