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!

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.

Here I am again, Singe the Ever-Unready, for the next week. I love light, humorous stories starring any Doctor and any Companion but I do tend to gravitate towards the Classic series. I will do my best to provide a mixed bag of New and Old, however. Let's go!

Story: Procedure
Author: eve11
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 737
Author's Summary: Foreigners never read the signs, and they never planned for security.
Characters/Pairings: The 4th Doctor and Leela
Warnings: None

Recced Because: eve11 is a consistently good author and this entire scenario of the Doctor and Leela (LEELA?!) being held up by airport security struck me as very, very funny.

Snippet:

The metal detector buzzed. Bleary eyed, Jake swiped a small plastic bowl from the stash at his side and set it on top of the X-ray machine for his partner manning the gate. Pedro was the tall and silent type, so without looking up, Jake said, "Remove all items from your pockets and try again."

"Really?" came a booming voice. Jake looked up. A pair of bulging eyes blinked back at him from under a shock of brown curly hair. "Are you sure?"

Story: A Light in the Darkness
Author: rutsky
Rating: all ages
Word Count: 1861
Author's Summary: Belief is a complicated thing; Sarah Jane and Luke at the turn of the year.
Characters/Pairings: Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith
Warnings: none

Recced because: I meant to slip this in on Mother's Day, but I'm a few minutes late. But here's a lovey snippet of Sarah Jane and Luke, mother and son and so very lovely.

story: Little Green Man
author: Quietly Making Noise
word count: 265
rating: general
author's summary: Sarah tries to comprehend the Dotor's Jellybaby-induced musings.
characters/pairing: Forth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith

recced because: This is one of those quiet little moments. And jelly babies. Today's word is jelly babies.

Story: Hidden Corners
Author: vvj5
wordcount: 6460 in 7 small chapters
rating: general
author's summary:Various odd corners of the TARDIS explored across a linked circle of stories. The Doctor isn't always very tidy and sometimes that means trouble on a transcendental time machine.
characters/pairing multi-doctor and companion

recced because: For the jelly babies! It's fun, and I like fun. Enjoy!

Story: A Matter of Scale
Author: allfireburns
Rating: All Ages.
Word Count: 877
Author's Summary: The Doctor decides to test a theory and the limits of what's possible.
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Donna

recced because: This is a great slice of Ten and Donna that left me with a smile -- with a twist of wistfulness. I miss Donna!

also? I accidentally posted this in my own LJ yesterday. Sorry calufrax!

Story: Dim, Through the Misty Panes
Author: JJPOR
Rating: all ages
Word Count: 15,457
Author's Summary: Craiglockhart war hospital, 1917: Fresh from the horrors of the Western Front, Tim Latimer encounters fellow patients both famous and anonymous, while struggling with his special abilities and trying to avoid the attention of the Torchwood Institute.
Warnings: Explicit Violence, Swearing

recced because: Tim Latimer is one of my favorite supporting characters, and I love the way the author has filled us in on what he went through. Plus, there's not much better than historic Torchwood. This is a great fic -- one of those fics that you can see as you read. Enjoy!

(Depending on exams, this may or may not be my last rec for the week. If so, it's been lovely reccing for you, and I hope you've enjoyed these fics as much as I have!)

Story: Come to Dust
Author: Cryptile
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 3760
Author's Summary: "Everything has its time, everything burns, and everything dies. Rose Tyler reflects on her time with the man in the blue box."
Characters/Pairings: Rose Tyler, Ninth Doctor, Tenth Doctor
Warnings: None

Recced because: I must admit that while I very much enjoyed her series, I am not Rose Tyler's greatest fan. But sometimes a fic comes along that highlights the greatest pieces of her character and most of all her growth. This is that fic, and it is absolutely wonderful.
First of all, I have to note the gorgeous structure. You'll understand better when you read it (and you really should read it), but its division into elements of learning fits perfectly with the story--the physical structure truly adds to the fic instead of just containing it. On to the fic itself: all I can say is that there were just so many moments when I found myself thinking "Yes, exactly!" and understanding Rose's character far more clearly than I had before. I would honestly recommend this to anyone remotely familiar with these characters--it's an utterly fantastic, beautiful, and fascinating read!

Story: Look for Connections
Author: SummerRayn
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1196
Author's Summary: "The teacher they call "The Friz" is as mysterious to herself as she is to her students. She has a feeling she isn't supposed to remember where she comes from--but he's not easily forgotten. A reminiscence and, yes, a Magic School Bus crossover."
Characters/Pairings: Romana, Fourth Doctor
Warnings: None

Recced because: I love crossovers. I love well-done crossovers even more. And most of all I love crossovers so perfect that they might as well be canon. This is one of those crossovers.
I always knew that the Friz had to be a Time Lady, and this exploration of precisely how that might have been was done beautifully. I really enjoyed the remembered interactions between Romana and the Doctor--in particular, SummerRayn did an brilliant job of explaining the concept of a school bus (something so common to us) as an element of an entirely different culture. It's not often that we get to see the Earth described that way.
And for those of us who watched/read Magic School Bus as a kid, that last line means nothing less than adventure. A wonderful fic!

Story: Memory and the Sea
Author: Pluto
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1153
Author's Summary: "The Doctor recalls the Corsair"
Characters/Pairings: Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond, the Corsair
Warnings: None

Recced because: First of all, I should note that any episode about the TARDIS and written by Neil Gaiman will automatically be one of my favorites. And then when someone takes a little snippet of that episode and extends it...well, then you get something like this lovely fic. The characterization of the Doctor and Amy is gorgeous, but what struck me most was the description of the Corsair--how a character only briefly mentioned came alive in the most wonderfully ridiculous and (in context) tragic way. This fic walks a line between humor and sadness that, really, is the essence of the Doctor, and it does so incredibly well. Read it for the squirrel, if nothing else. (Trust me, it'll make sense later.)

Story: Abandoned Companion
Author: Sigyn
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1937
Author's Summary: "Sarah Jane is taking a bus ride home, and runs into an eccentric stranger with deep sad eyes and a wildly vivid coat. Takes place after The Five Doctors and Trial of a Time Lord, respectively."
Characters/Pairings: Sarah Jane Smith, Sixth Doctor, references to Fourth Doctor, Peri Brown
Warnings: None

Recced because: This short foray into what may or may not have been is most wonderful, I think, because it gives a bit of closure to Six and Sarah Jane when they each need it most. I was particularly impressed by Six's emotional characterization--good Six is relatively hard to come by. As a whole, "Abandoned Companion" is delightfully in-character, fits neatly into canon, and is the sort of story that occasionally makes the reader cry. (I mean this in the best possible way.) It's fluffy without being too fluffy, poignant and touching while still not too heavy--all in all, a lovely read.

Hello, everyone! I'm Zeezie (RosalieOfGallifrey on Teaspoon) and I'll be your reccer this week. To start off:

Story: silence the pianos and with a muffled drum bring out the coffin
Author: madis_hartte
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 3307
Author's Summary: "They're all gone. I'm the only one left."
Characters/Pairings: Ninth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor
Warnings: None

Recced because: Madis is an exceptional author and this fic (one of her few on Teaspoon) captures some of the most distinctive elements of her storytelling. I really love how she expresses both Nine's utter desperation combined with Eleven's old-man-in-a-young-body feel--and still keeps the two feeling like the same man. "Silence the Pianos" includes some really lovely uses of poetry and other references which give it an added boost. This one's been on my "to-rec" list for ages and is a really wonderful read!

Story: Within A Mile Of Home
Author: sleepismyfriend
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 3924
Author's Summary: Eleven takes Amy to Bannerman Road, only he encounters a few more than he expected once he arrives.
Characters/Pairings: Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Jack Harkness, Jo Grant, Liz Shaw, Martha Jones, Mickey Smith, Sarah Jane Smith, Tegan Jovanka, The Doctor (11th), Wilfred Mott, Luke Smith, Amy Pond
Warnings: n/a

Recced because: To round off the week, a return to the multi-era ensemble cast - just look at that list of characters!  Full disclosure requires me to say that the author is one of my friends, but this is one of those stories that I'd have to admit to loving were it written by my worst enemy.  Plot takes a backseat to a beautifully-written interlude of friendships and nostalgia that still manages to feel fresh, and the interactions between the Doctor's former companions and friends are delightfully genuine.  I particularly love the portrayal of Amy, who bounces around full of teasing energy but clearly holds a great deal of affection for the Doctor - and, of course, the centre of the story is the eternal relationship between the Doctor and Sarah, which is dealt with in a sensitive and nuanced manner.  It really is one of my favourite stories, and one that reminds me just why I love the show so much.

Thank you for having me for the week, guys, and if you enjoy the recs then don't forget to go and tell the authors all about it!

Story: A Man's Game
Author: atraphoenix
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 3009
Author's Summary: Science is a man's game, but Liz Shaw likes to think that she knows how to play along.
Characters/Pairings: Liz Shaw, The Brigadier, Sarah Jane Smith, UNIT.
Warnings: n/a

Recced because: An early rec today (it's just past midnight in my part of the world!).

One of the strengths, I think, of Classic Who is that the lack of focus on the companions' personal lives leaves them far more open to interpretation than their more modern counterparts.  This in particular is an interpretation I love: Liz, trying to find her place as a scientist in a male-dominated world, and figuring out how to deal with her sexuality in a world that is, across the timespan of the story, not entirely accepting - if it is at all.  The counters to this are the Brigadier, who brings some real warmth to all his scenes, and Sarah Jane herself, who dances and flirts her way through this in perfect character.  Liz is (as I may have mentioned) one of my favourite companions, and this story more than does her justice both as a scientist and as a person.

Story: Stranger
Author: Doctor Tam
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1369
Author's Summary: When Spencer Reid was ten years old, he had an imaginary friend named Susan.
Characters/Pairings: Susan Foreman, Spencer Reid (Criminal Minds)
Warnings: Crossover with Criminal Minds.

Recced because: This is technically a crossover, but perfectly accessible even if you don't know who Spencer is.  For those who are in the know, this is a bittersweet look at a difficult childhood that doesn't try to fix anything but simply adds another element: Susan.  Her underlying sadness, and the mystery behind her appearances, leaves you wondering about the story behind her choice to keep returning to this one child - and then the story behind her ultimate disappearance.  Short, but worth the read.

Story: Five Time Romanadvoratrelundar Missed the Signs, and One Time She Couldn't Possibly Ignore Them
Author: JaneTurenne
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 6484
Author's Summary: The most powerful woman in the known universe has a tendency to attract admirers. She would probably find this a distinct annoyance—if she could ever be bothered to notice.
Characters/Pairings: Romana II, The Doctor (4th), Irving Braxiatel, Narvin, Leela, K9
Warnings: n/a

Recced because: This is just a joy to read.  The Gallifrey audios are my favourite corner of Doctor Who, and fic that deals with them is relatively hard to come by (although of unwavering quality).  The tale of Romana's many thwarted admirers makes for a genuinely funny story that nevertheless stays perfectly in character.  Part of JaneTurenne's gift is the uncanny ability to make every single line of dialogue she writes sound like it belongs in the characters' voices, and this is no exception: from the Doctor's theatrical boom to Leela's earnest directness, the dialogue sparkles with wit and humour.  One to bookmark and reread.

Story: A Winter's Tale
Author: JJPOR
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 8164
Author's Summary: In the deep midwinter, frosty winds will blow, but for the Doctor and Ace it's just another day at the office. Or is it?
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor (7th), Ace
Warnings: n/a

Recced because: This is one of those fics where I had to check and recheck to make sure it hadn't been recced before.  It's that good.  Seven and Ace do Christmas, but it's thoughtful and sensitive and manages to steer clear of the more cloying sentimentality that sometimes pervades seasonal stories.  From an aborted outing to a perfect Dickensian Christmas to a trip to the Western Front in December 1914, Seven and Ace consider the nature of the holiday and what it really means.  Seven is as mysterious as ever: glimpses of his underlying darkness come through subtlely but undeniably, and his relationship with Ace is ultimately adorable but still tinged with manipulation.  A wonderful story for two complex characters.

Story: Resonance
Author: Lurky McLurklurk
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 3533
Author's Summary: 1969 fic. Finding components for the timey wimey detector leads the Doctor and Martha to an encounter with Liz Shaw before she ever met any mysterious men who travel round time and space in a police box.
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones, Liz Shaw, The Doctor (10th)
Warnings: n/a

Recced because: Liz Shaw is one of my absolute all-time favourite companions, and the period of her life before she worked with the Doctor isn't something that often gets explored.  Best of all, it's another one of those great era-crossing stories, this time working with the time the Doctor and Martha spent in 1969.  Liz is right in her element as a scientist, and the parallels between her and Martha are a bonus.  It's the brilliant minor details that make this fic for me, from the Doctor thinking that 'blending in' in the sixties involves dressing as hippies to Liz's unbothered assumption that he and Martha have snuck into the laboratory for sex.  Definitely one to enjoy.

I know it seems like I just asked for more reccing volunteers, and ... that's because I did, about a month ago. Unfortunately, we only got a few signups, which means we're out of reccers as of May 6.

If you've been reading this comm for a while but have never stepped forward to rec, please consider it – everyone, new and old reccers alike, is welcome to rec. You only need to select four stories that haven't been recced before and that meet the comm's fairly basic rules (well-written/formatted, no bashfic, etc.).

To volunteer, just leave a comment in the sign-up post. And if you can't or don't want to rec for whatever reason, please consider reblogging this post on LJ and Tumblr so that more people find out about the comm. (Special note for Tumblr folks: you can volunteer, too! Ask me how.)

Thanks for your help, everyone.

Story: of songs and stories
Author: wave_of_sorrow
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2790
Author's Summary: When River first begins her research she doesn't believe the stories: of blue boxes and girls who waited, of captains that lived forever and medical students who saved the world by telling tales. So she tracks them down, one by one.
Characters/Pairings: River Song, The Doctor (11th), various New!Who companions, Susan Foreman
Warnings: n/a

Recced because: I'm kicking off these recs with a gorgeously cryptic fic about the power of stories.  Like the author says, this is madly AU, but it feels like it could easily have been a part of canon - albeit a slightly dreamlike, more dark-fairytale version.  Stories that manage to weave together New Who with nods to the Classic Era are special favourites of mine, and this does it with a sense of mystery that will leave you wondering exactly what happened and where it leaves the Universe, the characters, and the Doctor himself.

And now, the week is over, but there's time for one final story! Thanks for having me, calufrax, it's been fun - and if you liked something, please don't forget to feed the author! (Authors can survive for up to several weeks at a time on a few nice comments, flailing and love; it's a well known phenomenon.)

Story: Pinions of Time
Author: ClocketPatch
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 727
Author's Summary: A few moments of reflection in the Yukon for Nine and his companions
Characters/Pairings: Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler, Jack Harkness
Warnings: None

Recced because: I’ve shared some fics this week that have taken a look at alien worlds, at the places we can go in our imagination – now here’s a fic, and an utterly gorgeous one, that takes a moment to appreciate some of the smaller things – a moment where everything is fine, those we share it with – and this amazing planet we live on, that is every bit as marvellous as anything we could imagine, and more.

Story: Baby, Your Gaze Gets Me As Hard As Granite
Author: Ten Little Bullets
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 889
Author's Summary: Okay, internet, you wanted fic where a weeping angel falls in love with a human and tragically sends them back in time by accident? Your wish is my command.
Characters/Pairings: Jack Harkness/Weeping Angel
Warnings: None.

Recced because: Did you see that pairing there? What are you waiting for? No, really, this is an amazing ficlet. It’s a pairing of pure crack in concept, but the fic is something else again – a tale of unlikely and doomed love from the pov of a weeping angel, who’s never met anyone like Jack before. It’s funny, creepy, with its own twisted logic, and basically it’s brilliant – with not a word wasted from start to finish, right down to the title.

Story: Glossolalia
Author: eve11
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 971
Author's Summary: "Like all the other tourists, we're here for the Fable."
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Donna Noble
Warnings: None.

Recced because: It’s beautiful, quite simply. It’s beautiful, imaginative and mysterious, as the Doctor takes Donna to a planet to explore a phenonmenon that he can only experience, now the Time Lords have gone. If you’ve read any of this author’s stories before, I don’t need to tell you that it’s also exceptionally well-written, and that there’s a real sense of an alien world and slightly fairy tale concept being evoked here.

Story: Doctor Who and the Delian Mode
Author: hangingfire
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 2492
Author's Summary: The Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, and a music festival. And a mystery, of course.
Characters/Pairings: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith
Warnings: None.

Recced because: This is a beautifully done and satisfying read, as the Doctor takes Sarah to see a very unusual concert (with a lovely nod to Delia Derbyshire in the story’s central idea) and solves a mystery in his own characteristic fashion. I always love it when an author takes the time and trouble to think about these sorts of details of alien or future societies, and this is an excellent and engaging example.

Story: Illusions
Author: DameRuth
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 1934
Author's Summary: Sometimes we deceive ourselves as much as we deceive others.
Characters/Pairings: Seventh Doctor, Ace
Warnings: None.

Recced because: It’s just gorgeously done, pitch perfect Ace and Seven, something that’s still all too rare in fic. What more can I say? In surprisingly few words, there’s an intense action-packed scene, an intriguing alien enemy, some danger and explosions and plenty of running – and a little moment of truth for the Doctor and Ace to contemplate. Wicked.

Story: Break of Day
Author: dbskyler
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 1116
Author's Summary: The Eleventh Doctor has some questions for Sarah about aunts and orphans.
Characters/Pairings: Eleventh Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith
Warnings: Spoilers for The Eleventh Hour.

Recced because: It’s a lovely and amusing missing scene for The Eleventh Hour that fits in beautifully. And where else would Eleven go for the answer to this question but to Sarah Jane? It's a great short piece and the characterisation of both is spot on – it's a delight to read.

I'm lost_spook (vvj5 on Teaspoon) and I'm your reccer for this week. I love pretty much all eras, so there should be a good mix of recs over the week - hopefully something for everyone somewhere along the line!

Story: How Iris Wildthyme finally got her man
Author: Lurky Mclurklurk
Rating: All ages/PG
Word Count: 1382
Author's Summary: "Oh, you're joking! The Time Lords were wiped out completely, and the only survivors were me and Iris bloody Wildthyme?"
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Iris Wildthyme, the TARDIS, (Tenth Doctor/Iris Wildthyme)
Warnings: None. (AU for S3.)

Recced because: It’s very funny, and brilliantly done. The Doctor discovers he’s not alone after all, but the sole other survivor of the Time War is - to his dismay - Iris Wildthyme! If you know who Iris is, you’ve probably already hurried off to read after spotting the summary, but if you don’t, don’t worry. Iris is a Time Lord from various spin-offs, whose adventures mirror the Doctor’s in improbable ways, and she’s been chasing him for rather a while – that’s all you need to know to enjoy this story.

Anyway, with some lovely glimpses of the TARDIS’s pov, and lots of gems like the line about the cabbage (no, I’m not explaining) and all the clues just happening to converge in south-east England, it’s a great fic to start the week with. And the ending – the ending is perfect.

My last rec of the week! As always, it's been a pleasure. Don't forget to pm me with a suitable email address if you would like a list of the stories you've reviewed on Teaspoon.

Title: The Time Lord's Handbook of Regeneration
Author: Awdures
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 3799
Author's Summary: The Doctor really does never have simple, easy regenerations. There's a good reason for that.
Characters/Pairings: Doctors 1 through 11
Warnings: None

Recc'ed Because: The Doctor's regenerations over the years are the change points that help define both his continuity and his differences. I must admit when I was confronted with the vast history of Classic Who after being introduced through New Who, my first instinct was not to watch in order but to start with all of the endings. And as such, with all of the beginnings as well. This is a series of vignettes that take us through each experience, at the best what may be considered an appendix of cautionary tales for the titular pamphlet. One constant amid the change: the Doctor never does anything by the book.

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Title: Full Circle
Author: Saganami Dreams
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 27329
Author's Summary: A stop for spare parts goes a bit wrong. Set a week after the ending of The Strongest Shape, post Season 2/Torchwood.
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Jack, Rose
Warnings: None

Recc'ed Because: It's a timey-wimey action adventure story in a somewhat mild AU where Jack continues traveling with Rose and Ten after "Parting of the Ways." It has captures and escapes, assassinations, alien cultures, OCs with their own agendas, questionable moralities and Jack Harkness folding over on his own timeline. If you're in the mood for a long plotty adventure, give it a shot. It's part of a longer series but is perfectly fine to read standalone.

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Title: Things that Were Not, but Should Have Been
Author: eumenides
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 780
Author's Summary: Vague spoilers for ‘The Big Bang’ and ‘The Five Doctors.’ Two Time Lords meet along an unraveling timeline.
Characters/Pairings: Eleventh Doctor, The Master (Ainley)
Warnings: None

Recc'ed Because: A fleeting scene with wonderful characterization and dialogue. I really loved The Big Bang, and I love the complex relationship between the Doctor and the Master, and hey, this short story is the best of both! It fills in a "replay" encounter with Eleven and the Master very well, and is exactly how it would have gone.

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And also a PSA before the rec: I've been doing some data analysis with Teaspoon data and ff.net data. I have a full copy of the Teaspoon database as of late February 2013, and I am in the process of integrating in the recs from this community to my database. For those who've recc-ed on this comm before: If your Teaspoon name is different than your lj name: can you pm me your Teaspoon name or User ID (which you can see in the URL for your author page) so I can match it up with your lj and reccs here? That would be lovely.

In return, one thing that was also scraped from the database was the location of all of the reviews that everyone has left for stories up through February 24th 2013 (not full text, but who left reviews on what, when, and what chapter, for example). Which was fab for me because I don't always put a story I've reviewed into my favorites. Although the author info lists how many reviews you've given, and you can follow the reviews left on your own stories, there is no way to pull up all of the stories you have given reviews for (unless you favorite all of the stories you review!).

Long story short: If you would like a CSV or pipe-delimited file of all of the stories you have reviewed on Teaspoon as of February 24th 2013 (story ID, rating, word count, #chapters, author, title, published, last updated) pm me your Teaspoon ID and an email address and I can send that to you! You can rediscover gems you'd forgotten, for example:

Title: Missed Connections
Author: orbythesea
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 502
Author's Summary: Sarah Jane's like a butterfly, always on the go. Lavinia and Four.
Characters/Pairings: Aunt Lavinia, Fourth Doctor
Warnings: None

Recc'ed Because: It's only 500 words but it uses them so well! Fantastic dialogue and a lovely thought about Four trying to reconnect with Sarah Jane, who is a difficult person to track down once you let her go. And in case you were wondering how a certain robot dog came into her possession... well. Read it; it's fun and also poignant too, to think of Four trying to make up for leaving Sarah behind.

Here is a teensy excerpt that I picked for an example of how to use words to their fullest.
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Title: Two Hours/Eventually
Author: Daystar Searcher
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 4643
Author's Summary: Josie meets the Doctor for the first time.
Characters/Pairings: Third Doctor (Inferno-verse), Josephine Grant (Inferno-verse)
Warnings: References to violence and sexual assault.

Recc'ed Because: This is a pre-quel story in the author's Inferno-Verse series. The second story, Two Birds in a Cage, is still a WIP, but this story give you an idea of the setting and the tone (which is magnified & more forefront in the WIP as well, so do heed warnings if you continue). It is a canon AU that takes place in the evil world the Doctor visited in the serial "Inferno", where Three is a prisoner of the fascist British government, kept deep underground and forced to build weapons for the regime, held under lock and key by evil versions of Liz Shaw and the Brigadier. This is a vignette from Josie Grant's point of view, as her privileged life has come to a horrific stop for the crime of standing up for the wrong people and losing the protection of her family. It's unflinching and dark, but also hopeful too. It deals frankly with the brutality of authoritarian states in a way that couldn't be done on a kid's show.

With all the sprawling storylines and James Bond trappings in canon, Three can be a difficult incarnation to get a grasp on for those of us who started out on the new series. Daystar Searcher has no such troubles. I think that even though it's AU, it's also a brilliant if bleak character study; what better way to learn who this Doctor really is than by taking away everything else? And here, trapped and hopeless, he's still himself, still that scientifically gruff but protective mode of his personality, with the universal characteristics we all know across his incarnations.

Though I am dearly hoping the author eventually finishes Two Birds in a Cage, this prequel makes me reluctant to re-read it, and set in stone whatever unremembered fate befalls Josie Grant.

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Title: Your History Written in Stars and Time
Author: such_heights
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1470
Author's Summary: Donna's forgotten. The universe hasn't.
Characters/Pairings: Donna Noble
Warnings: None

Recc'ed Because: It's Donna Noble, dealing in her usual way with being somewhat of an intergalactic celebrity. The prose and dialogue seem effortlessly perfect, and the snapshots of her encounters are brief but vibrant and creative. In short: it's brilliant, funny, quirky, and then punches you in the gut in the end.

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Hello Craig calufrax, I'm back! And I come bearing fun recs for this first week of April.

Title: The Checkup
Author: whatthefoucault
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 511
Author's Summary: That time Jamie takes a wee visit to the hospital after a little dust-up with some Cybermen.
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Mild Two/Jamie
Warnings: None

Recc'ed Because: It's a sweet little outtake of what could have happened set during both "Blink" and "The Invasion." Jamie's voice is very well done and it is nice to see a gentler side of the adventures and peril that they face on a daily basis. Given what we know of the future, the fleeting encounter here is poignant and bittersweet, like reliving an old memory.

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So here we are at the end of the week and my last day as reccer here. I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing these amazing fictions and authors with you and I can only hope you have loved them as much as I do! Even if the fictions I listed were not your cup of tea, I certainly hope you stopped to look over the other works these writers have done. Their tales are well worth the time, and there is something for everyone with each author I rec - including the one below!

So what are we waiting for? Let's take a look at my final rec for this week...

Story: In Which Nothing Matters Besides
Author: honeynoir
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 759
Author's Summary: 'He smiles and his teeth glint.' (Warnings: psychological non-con, bad!Doctor, darkness, creepiness, AU.)
Characters/Pairings: Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond
Warnings: Non-Con, Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama

Recced because: One can say I started off rather...mild (for me anyway) with these recs this week, so I figured it was time to bring out the Rawther Big Guns for the last hurrah. And what a good author to end on! I have recced one or two fics by this writer - and for very good reason! The prose, the imagery, the sheer emotion that honeynoir inspires is more than enough to keep me reading, and this fiction...THIS FICTION. This is horror at some of its finest: creepy and yet compelling, you will find yourself reading, even if you really want to stop (and honestly, why would you want to stop?!). I have no actual words that are adequate for this fiction. I could sit here and blither on all day and still not come up with how it makes me feel. It looks so simple from the first glance - yet the layers in this fiction will have you reading again to see if you missed anything. Horrifying, frightening, yet smolderingly sexy and delicious (yes, it will make you feel this way, even as you know you shouldn't!), this tale fits every parameter of Dark!fic at its finest. Just take a look at see...


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Ahhh, utterly smooth and just...sheer perfection. Please stop and let the author know how much she rocks - maybe we'll get more dark gems like this one! And if you have the time, take a look at some of her other fictions, she has quite a few that everyone should read!

Thank you, thank you for hanging out with me this week. May you have a Happy Easter (or Passover) for those who celebrate - and a great week ahead!

PhoenixDragon

Story: White Noise
Author: Versaphile
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 852
Author's Summary: It felt as though part of his mind had been cut out with a hot blade.
Characters/Pairings: Eighth Doctor, Ninth Doctor, Tenth Doctor
Warnings: Angst, General

Recced because: The Time War and its aftermath has always fascinated and haunted me. All those centuries of history, of absolute iron rule over Time itself wiped out in mere minutes - it brings quite the image. The Doctor - alone. Without the hum of his people in his mind, singing through his TARDIS. It is a tragedy beyond comprehension. And then - when the Master was found and lost again...

A lot of authors have tried to touch on the War and its aftermath. The horror of losing everyone, everything you have known. I have written on it myself - but I could never, never write it with the gritty rawness this author brought to it! I have been reading her work since the Angel Fandom, so I have the definite advantage in knowing just how realistic, how vivid and gripping her work is. This fiction is absolutely top notch - some of her best work - and there was no way I could not share it with you all: War, pain, loss. Then redemption (in the face of an old friend/enemy)...only to lose it all over again, live it all over again with a fresh loss. She writes it so well, you live it with him; so needless to say, this is not a fiction for the faint-hearted. But should you chose to read (and I highly encourage it), you will find every word well worth the time...

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Ahhh, see? How can one not read?! Be sure to tell her how much you have enjoyed this piece - she has more than earned the praise!

Story: Stars Go Out, Stars Explode, Stars Burn Bright
Author: rutsky
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 2,356
Author's Summary: There are worlds, and endings, all depending on how the story writes itself. Somewhere, there are canvases of stranger stars than ever he saw on earth. They line the halls of an impossible place. As for him? Who knows where he is, poor man.
Characters/Pairings: Eleventh Doctor, Other Characters
Warnings: Alternate Universe, Character Study, Introspection, Missing Scene

Recced because: I have a great love for Vincent and the Doctor. All in all, it was a stellar episode that left me sad, overly thinky and all around longing for more. A conclusion that I could hold onto, even if it was a sad one. I usually don't read Historical, much less Historical AU - that being said, it is only because I'm so highly picky about what I read along these lines. But if you know this author (and you should), you know they bring stellar work to the table every. time. This fiction is no exception.

There are notes at the end for the history buffs - and a great tale for us all. It tells a story of brothers, of promises made, timelines rewritten and three sad (tormented) men brought some measure of peace at a time when there is none to be had. Truly a breathtaking read and one you won't want to miss! But don't just take my word for it:

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Be sure to tell the author how much they have touched you - and hopefully we will continue to see phenomenal fiction from them...

Story: Interim
Author: Clocketpatch
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 980
Author's Summary: They thought he was dead, so they buried him.
Characters/Pairings: Eighth Doctor, Ninth Doctor, Tenth Doctor, Other Characters
Warnings: Angst, Character Study, Horror

Recced because: Well, where does one start? The fact that this author is exceptional (cause that's a given). The fact that this story is unique and haunting in its own right?

As I'm sure a lot of you have guessed, I love my dark!fic. I love to feel raw and angsty and aching and breathless. This fiction will do that. It is not for the faint of heart. It is a deathfic that is not a deathfic. It is a fic of war and and horror and blood and loss. It is a tragic fiction - and the ending...leaves you wondering and filled with more horror (the kind that creeps up on you and leaves your eyes wide and your skin cold with possibility). I cannot squeal enough about this fiction, even as I urge you forward with caution. Again - so much said with so few words. Each sentence delicious and gray and weary and filled with meaning layered over meaning. Go. Read. You shall soon know of what I speak. But if you still need an incentive...

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Ahhh, so good...be sure to let the author know! And if you can, take a peek at their other fics. Well worth the time I assure you!

Story: Rory Who?
Author: samfeasor
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 990
Author's Summary: The dust settles and someone's missing, but only the Doctor knows.
Characters/Pairings: Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond
Warnings: Angst, Character Study, Missing Scene


Recced because: Anyone who knows me, knows just how much I adore Rory. They also know how much I love my Angst. This has a mention of one and because of that, whole loads of the other. Introspective, almost guilty fiction makes me verrah, verrah happy inside and this fiction has all that and more! A friend lost, another friend ignorant of his very existence and really - that is what truly made Rory's death so, so tragic. Only one person knew and remembered. Only one. And he carried the weight of Rory's demise like an anchor - and this is highlighted so beautifully in this fiction. Just perfectly written: gorgeous flow, every word soaked with feeling - I cannot recommend it enough! But in case that doesn't convince you...

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Be sure to tell the author how awesome they are - and maybe we'll get more fantastic fiction like this!