Round Two Reviews - Part Eight
Today's Featured Stories Include:
*
Maturity by orange-crushed
Category: Crackfic
Characters: Ten II, Rose
Rating: PG-13
Details: One-shot, a sort of sequel to Peace in Our Time, post-JE by quite a few years. Rather cracky.
Why it Rocks:
It's hard to pick a point to start with this fic, so let's start with the obvious: It's a really fun idea. Not so much "crack", as the genre implies, but... light-hearted fun with a geriatric Ten II and Rose who have been forced into retirement and honestly aren't taking it all that well. Doctor Who doesn't take itself too seriously, as a show (a 900-year-old time-traveling alien in a box?), and fanfic that follows in that same vein is refreshing, especially in a fandom littered by angst, as the Doctor/Rose side of things tends to be.
Orange Crushed sets the scene perfectly, with the Doctor and Rose in a diner, flinging food at a jukebox.
"They can't kick us out," Rose adds, under her breath, knowing she's close to winning. "We're important people. Who are just a little bored."
"We're senior citizens," he corrects, dryly. "And one of us is clearly insane."
"Yes- you. Do it," she drawls. "Chicken lord. Time chicken."
He flicks the bean off his plate with a bit more force than strictly necessary; it bounces off the window and hits the play button on the digital jukebox and suddenly everyone in the diner is being treated to a remix version of "I've Had the Time of My Life."
"Ah," he says.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL," says Rose.
Anyone who's ever had a grandparent that retired a few years too soon (Grandpa, I'm looking at you...) knows that this is funny because it's oh, so true. And speaking as someone who worked for a long time with the older public in nursing homes, let me tell you... this tickled my funny bone in all of the right ways.
From the "office" they set up to monitor the rift that doesn't work quite as well as they wanted to, to Rose's alien water aerobics instructor, these are the characters the way they were in the show - amused with life, amused with each other, and very much in love, as you can see from the dialogue in the story, which always has this undertone of love and permanence.
The author's short punches of sweet in the silly really add to the overall flavor of the story - and showcases Orange Crushed's inherent ability to tell effective romance because it's the little moments in life and in fic that are the sweetest. The story is mainly from the Doctor's point of view, and every so often, he says or thinks something that makes your heart clench because it's motivated by real emotion. This is a Doctor that has been with Rose for decades, and still loves her for the girl she was and the woman she is.
I think that's what really makes the story resonate with audiences: this is the kind of relationship we all want to have; in our sixties, still... knocking aliens out with very large garden shovels, having fun with our chosen partner, and still very much in love.
In short: Vote for "Maturity". It'll make you laugh, it's got spot-on characterization, it's got punches of sweet that won't make your tooth ache, and above all -- it's good, old fashioned fun.
*
Anywhere Will Do by Momdaegmorgan
Category: PWP
Characters: Nine, Rose
Rating: Adult
Details: A PWP one-shot that's short but hot.
Why it Rocks:
The art of the plotless one-shot is more difficult than it would seem. You've got to sell your readers on the situation and the characters and then... you've got to melt their knickers, all within a (relatively) short amount of time, and this fic does it brilliantly.
To summarize it briefly, Nine and Rose are at some kind of diplomatic dinner, Rose goes to the bathroom, and hot sex follows. It's simple, and might even be a bit cliché, if it weren't for passages like this:
Anticipation builds in Rose as she awaits his next move. She nearly jumps out of her skin when she hears the sound of the sonic screwdriver working its magic on the lock. A lock she was sure she had set when she got here. It's a definite turn-on when the Doctor gets like this, all aggressive and demanding, but...well, they're not exactly in the ideal place for what she's certain he has in mind.
She's about to protest, but he's done with the door and he's groping and fondling her; hips, thighs, waist...his hands are everywhere. Then he's moving between her legs and, oh! Right there. It feels so good she's forgotten all about the fact that he's about to take her here and now, in some alien loo.
If you want to write good smut, you have to write your characters like they're real people: Rose is just young enough that she loves the clandestine nature of this encounter without getting squicked out by the impropriety, though she acknowledges that, and the Doctor has been teased by Rose all night long.
In the end, though, if you want this reviewer's opinion, it's the intensity of the language in this fic, besides the characterization, that really sells the reader on the story. Smut is a study in adjectives: in order to do it well you have to know when to use them in abundance and when to be sparse, and this fic is masterful.
In Short: Vote for "Anywhere Will Do". It's erotic, it's incredibly well-written, and once you've climbed from your bunk, your significant other will want to write thank-you notes to the author. I give it two thumbs way, way up.
*
Six Months in Croydon by Oriana2000
Category: Classic
Characters: Ten, Rose, assorted original characters
Rating: Teenish. Some language, some scary stuff.
Details: Nine chapters, complete.
Why it Rocks:
Six Months in Croydon is a classic for a reason. The lot is simple enough, spanning over nine chapters. Rose and the Doctor land in what appears to be nineteenth-century England - a country town miles away from far-off London. The TARDIS is in a state of disrepair, of course, so they trek across the moors and find themselves staying with a kind woman.
That's the beginning of the story. But that's not where the story starts. Orianna2000 uses one of my favorite tricks in my bag o' fun: dumping the audience in the middle of the plot and letting them figure it out as they go along. It's a good way to let your audience know that they're in for a trip. Geek-out author moment over.
The story actually picks up on the Doctor and Rose's first night in the country house. Rose is being eaten alive by bugs and so cheerfully chucks Victorian propriety to the wind, joining the Doctor in his room. Since this has to be explained, the Doctor tells the lady of the house, Mrs. Morris, that Rose is nobility.
It quickly becomes clear that this nineteenth century town is neither on Earth, nor in the right time period. The locals whisper about "rehearsals" and seem quite keen on keeping Rose away from earning a "part". (Why yes, I am making raptor fingers as I type. Thank you for asking. It takes years of practice to learn to do that simultaneously. I... need a hobby.)
As the story continues on, the Doctor and Rose attend a party, and, if you've read pride and prejudice, your Spidey-sense starts a tingling...
"She was supposed to overhear. That's how the story goes." He looked at her a bit oddly. "You did realize this was a rehearsal, did you not?"
"Yes, that's what everyone keeps saying. But a rehearsal for what?"
"For the Season, of course. This is the first ball, during which Mr Darcy refuses to dance with Elizabeth. I've been elected to play Mr Darcy and Jane's played Elizabeth for the past four years. My sister had been elected, just before the accident..." His voice trailed off. "But surely you know how it is done. Is it not the same in London?"
Mystery solved. This is a society that annually reenacts Jane Austen's classic novel, "Pride and Prejudice." There can't possibly be anything else exciting going on here, right? Well, if you thought that, you'd be extremely wrong.
That part of the plot, however, is not the interesting part of this story. The interesting thing about Six Months In Croydon is what the author does next. She forces Rose to live without the Doctor. One morning, she wakes up, and he's just gone to the TARDIS to figure out more about these Austenphiles, only he doesn't show up that evening, or the next day, or the next day.
Rose, now, is forced to make the same kinds of decisions Sarah Jane had to make. How does one live on one patch of earth when you've seen everything the universe has to offer? The answer at first is about like we'd expect: Rose first breaks down, and then slowly picks herself back up. She allows a young man to court her. She makes friends and learns how to embroider. She kisses Christopher and feels guilty about it. This is what is really important about this story: Rose lives. Without the Doctor there, she picks herself back up and she functions, and she thrives.
The tendency amongst Doctor/Rose shippers sometimes is to underestimate Rose's strength and her faith. Every time I read a story where Rose goes mad with grief in Pete!Verse, I wonder to myself if the author has ever watched The Satan Pit or The Impossible Planet. Rose and the Doctor can function without each other. They may always be waiting for each other, but they can do it.
Fortunately for us, we don't have to suffer too long without the Doctor. It's six months for Rose, a chapter and a half for the audience, but it's the chapter and a half that really makes an impression on you.
When the Doctor returns, there's some pretty awesome dialogue between the Doctor and Rose.
Rose covered her mouth to stifle a sobbing laugh. The light wind stung her eyes as she shook her head in disbelief. "S'only been a day for you, yeah? A few hours? Where'd you go?"
"I had a hunch this morning, but like I said, I didn't want to wake you." His eyes lit up. "Remember that signal the TARDIS picked up just before we crashed? You're not going to believe what I found! I can hardly believe it myself-except that I was there, so I rather have to."
He grinned, pausing only for a quick breath before rushing on.
"I would've been back hours ago, but I had a spot of trouble with the repairs I made. Had to stop over on a little planet all the way on the other side of the galaxy. Food's terrible, but they have a smashing mechanical shop. Got the old girl up and running better than ever! Anyway, I came back just as soon as I got everything hooked back together. Am I too late for supper?" He paused and sniffed the air. "Hold on. I could have sworn it was autumn, here."
Rose tugged her shawl around her shoulders and watched as the Doctor licked a finger and held it to the breeze. He knelt to examine the flowers poking up from the dark soil, going so far as to taste the dirt with the tip of his tongue. Then he stood, brushing the dirt from his hands. "I don't understand. It looks like spring, now. Wind's from a different direction, the soil has all the wrong elements in it, and there weren't nearly so many blooming flowers this morning."
When Rose didn't reply, he narrowed his eyes and looked her up and down. "You've lost weight. And your hair... it's not just shorter, you've gone natural. Why do I suddenly have the very bad feeling that I deserved that slap you gave me?"
...Because you're a moron, Doctor. A lovable, incredibly sexy moron with a pair of hands that make me drool - but a moron.
Oh, I'm sorry. Other people are reading this. Right. Moving on!
I won't give the rest of the plot away, because I think you should go read it. It's got more hidden surprises than I gave away here. The dialogue is superb and the prose is written with Oriana2000's usual flair.
In Short: Characterization, voice, and substance of plot make this fic a classic. And there's a reason you should read classics. In modern culture, classics are the bedrock for idioms, the archetypes on which we build our stories. In fandom, they introduce key ideas, preserve the feelings of a moment in show history, and, more than that, they show insight into how the fandom views characters. You should vote for Six Months In Croydon because it's a fic that will stay with you. You'll go back and reread it, and you'll cry when the Doctor reunites with Rose, just like you did when they were separated at Doomsday, or when that big grin crosses the Doctor's face at the end of Stolen Earth. (I could be projecting here but I don't think I'm the only one.) And when you're reading a classic, that's what you want: a fic that stays with you.
*
The Couples Therapy Series (On Holiday, Forgetfulness, Porn Without Plot, Xenohorticulture and You) by the_tenzo, aka papilio_luna
Categories: Various categories: Ten/Rose, PWP, Fluff
Characters: Ten, Rose
Rating: First story: All ages, Second: Teen, Third: Adult, Fourth: Adult.
Details: One series consisted of a ficlet and three one-shot short stories. Three of the four were nominated; all are reviewed here.
Why it Rocks:
So, what would be the biggest problem in a marriage between two people who can't die? Keeping things interesting, of course! This series of stories is a snapshot of moments between an immortal Rose Tyler and her Time Lord, the Doctor.
All four stories are unique, and showcase different aspects of what is bound to be a multi-faceted, extremely complicated relationship. After all, each story takes place (at the very least) after a few centuries have passed.
On Holiday is a short fic, coming in at just under 650 words, but a close examination of that fic showcases Tenzo's preference for a Doctor and a Rose that are equal and can survive independently, and in fact, choose to do so on (what you quickly gather) a semi-regular basis. It's told mostly from Rose's point of view and the voice, in particular, of this piece, is what makes it shine. I'd love to quote the whole thing, but this is a good example of what I'm talking about:
But then perhaps she would be on a beach, and would be reminded of his sandy complexion, and the way freckles were scattered across his face like pebbles brought up by the surf. Or, she'd overlook a mountain vista and see in the stone the same hard, ancient wisdom that resided in his eyes. Sometimes she would be mingling at a party and some other guest would touch her in a way that made her wish that it was him instead of a stranger. Every now and then, some other being would enquire after her mating status (which ceased to be shocking after the first fifteen times it happened), and it was bittersweet to say, "No, thank you, I'm spoken for."
It's a little more flowery than Tenzo's usual style, but it rings true. You can feel the ache here... Rose is still in love with the Doctor after all this time, and the time apart is good for them, because it reminds each of them why they want to be with the other for the rest of time. It's also a more mature representation of real love - a love that nurtures, rather than stifles, and a love that inspires independence, rather than clinginess. In a Twilight generation, this is like reading a breath of fresh air.
The second of the four is Forgetfulness. On the surface, it's a fun story (and it is underneath, too!) but the beauty of Tenzo's writing is how concise it is, and how you don't realize until later that she's made an impact on you.
In an effort to keep things spicy, the Doctor and Rose each take a potion that temporarily rids them of their memories of each other. They walk into a pub in Edinburgh and meet each other all over again. It's interesting to see how Tenzo subtly changes the way they interact without the benefit of all those years of knowing each other. The Doctor is pompous without bothering to hide it, and Rose is a shop girl who feels a little bit out of her element, but challenges the Doctor's arrogance as though she isn't afraid.
Back in the great room, the Doctor stared contentedly in to the fireplace, sipping his Scotch and justifying his presence here by the fact that when a man with a time and space ship has a hankering for a dram, he can bloody well go get one. Two, if he'd remembered to sonic up a cashpoint before popping in. He took his drink over to an empty wing-back chair facing the hearth and savoured the perfection of the moment. Warm pub, fine early spring evening, the dulcet hum of Scottish brogues all around him. It all made him feel fabulously manly and expansive.
As a side note, the description of the pub in this story makes me want to run off to Scotland and drinking liquor from a snifter. And if David Tennant wants to show up and share the fire and the liquor with me, that would be ay-o-kay.
What really gets me about this story is that they still choose each other. They don't tweak the potion to make sure that they do, they don't plant subtle reminders or clues. They're so confident in their chemistry and their mutual attraction (and love) that they don't take precautions against meeting someone else. It's about trust, this relationship, and it makes you happy that the Doctor finally has that with someone: complete trust.
It was enough to make me teary-eyed. But I'm a sap.
The third might be the favorite of mine in this series, if only because it's a conversation I can definitely see the Doctor and Rose having, it's silly and it's fun. The characterization, rather than the theme or the voice in the previous two stories, really takes a turn in the spot light.
The premise of Porn Without Plot is that Rose catches the Doctor looking at early twentieth century porn (1910, to be precise). The two quickly become involved in a conversation about the differences between men and women. The pictures are enough for the Doctor. He biologically reacts to the image.
Rose, on the other hand, is a different story:
"So, you like that?" She held it up so he could see what she was talking about. "Her breasts are enormous," she noted, looking down at her own much more limited chest.
"Well, that's not really the point."
"What is the point then?"
He bit his lip and studied the picture for a few moments in silence. "It's purely a physical reaction. Biological. Nothing personal, you understand."
She furrowed her brow and nibbled a little on her pinky nail. "Interesting."
"But that doesn't really do it for you?"
She took another look, and flipped forward to a page that had a man in it as well. "It's okay I guess. Gives me a bit of a tingle." She noted that his mouth fell open slightly when she said this. "But it's still just a picture."
"And you'd rather it be...."
"A story. With some more pictures, and some words. See, this bloke here, how did he get there? Did she invite him in? Is he going to ravish her, or are they already lovers? What's going on with how he's touching her there? Does she like that? Or is that just for him? Is he going to be rough? Gentle? Are they going to make love, or just fuck? Really, this just raises a lot of questions for me more than turning me on."
Reading the comments, the general consensus seems to be my own. The reason this story is so funny initially is because it's true, and it seems to be a conversation a lot of us have had with our significant others.
The story quickly becomes smutty, however. These are two people who have been sex together for decades (possibly centuries), and the direction the conversation takes them in surprises them both because it's new, but they definitely get into it. Tenzo utilizes the Doctor's gob in the best way possible, providing him with some of the hottest dialogue in the history of Doctor Who porn. It's no wonder Rose turns story-time into a practical demonstration. I would have a hard time controlling myself, too.
Xenohorticulture and You is, in short: really, really funny. And unexpectedly sweet in places. And also, extremely hot. So hot, I've ignored the "don't start sentences with conjunctions" rule twice in one paragraph!
Tenzo's at the top of her game for this one. While this is a pretty standard idea in Who porn (alien aphrodisiac), it doesn't feel old and tired. It's also the longest of the four, under 6000 words (just barely) but it's well worth the time it takes to read... and you're not going to believe it was that long by the time you're done. Trust me on this one.
While most Ten authors tend to be good at dialogue (you have to be, the man never shuts up...), Tenzo is a star. The Doctor and Rose poke at each other in the way that couples that have been together forever do, and their internal monologues are fun to read, too.
Rose has taken up a new hobby: xenohorticulture (alien plants), and we find our heroes in the garden of the TARDIS, the Doctor hanging upside down in the clutches of a vine-like plant. Rose, too, has been "captured" by the plant.
After some fun dialogue, the plant sprays both the Doctor and Rose with a blue powder that causes some... interesting reactions.
"It's not hot enough that I'd normally be fussed about it. But I'm really perspiring in the worst way here."
"You're...ah, yes, I can see that." She tried to sound business-like but her words came out as weirdly croaking. Her perception seemed to shift and her vision keenly focused on one little droplet that clung to the bottom of a dark curl at the base of his neck. She could almost hear it as it dropped finally, agonisingly, down to his neck and began to slide, leaving a dewy trail in its wake. Down it went, sliding under the loosened collar of his shirt and from there Rose imagined its progress. It would trace a trail down the long, lean, freckled expanse of his back, between his shoulder blades and further towards his hips. She could taste the salt, the musk, the feel of his skin on her tongue where she would slide it in the wake of that one little drop of sweat.
Rose shook her head violently from side to side, trying to clear her mind. The tingle on her skin was more than just the pollen now--there was an ache at her finger-tips, the corners of her mouth, the base of her spine. She didn't want to tell the Doctor for fear that he'd worry needlessly, but her ability to carry on a jaunty conversation was being seriously impeded.
Again, the understated beauty of this story is that it's about the Doctor and Rose rediscovering each other, or rediscovering a passion for each other that hasn't disappeared but has dulled over time. They still love each other, but they notice, throughout the story, little things about the other that they don't notice as much.
It's sweet, it's silly, it's... guh-inducing smut. Well worth a read!
In short: In Tenzo, we have an author that really knows what she's doing that honestly doesn't get enough attention for it. More than that, the stories are fun and they tell a story about real, long-lasting love between the Doctor and Rose. It's a mature woman's love story. So, vote for Couples Therapy. It deserves your support.
*
Pretty on the Inside by HotelMontana Link goes to Teaspoon
Category: Dark
Characters:Nine, Rose, Ten, mentions of Adam
Rating: Teen
Details: One-shot; this is in the "Dark" category for a reason.
Why it Rocks:
This story exploits all of the dark elements of the Doctor and Rose's relationship and amplifies them. It's not a unique concept in the Nine and Rose genre, really. There's often an element of possession, of neediness, just as there was in the show. Nine is a Doctor fresh off (depending on who you are, the "freshness" is debatable, I guess..) the Time War, and Rose is a character that, in the Doctor, has found a sort of Father-figure slash lover. There's an element of darkness in how much both characters need each other, and that need and mutual desperation is what this fic is built upon. (Moreso the Doctor's than Rose's, but I'll make an argument for the latter in a minute).
In this universe, the Doctor and Rose don't take Adam with them, and Rose is haunted by the violent, dark turn the Doctor took in "Dalek".
That night, she dreams of the underground. It's the first nightmare she's had since she first took the Doctor's hand. In her dream, she is back in the bunker, sealed in tight with the Dalek at her side. She cowers there, sweaty and suffocating, fear so intense she can taste it, like sucking on aluminum foil. The Dalek's tentacle wraps itself tightly around her hand, because it knows fear as well as she does. The soft, pudgy creature burbles helplessly. They huddle together, hiding from the Doctor's rage.
In response to her terror (or maybe in spite of it), the Doctor imprisons Rose in sort of a time lock. Her hair doesn't grow, and neither does her nails. Both she and the TARDIS are victims of the possessive Doctor:
The Doctor disappears, sometimes for days at a stretch. Rose knows when he's not onboard the ship; the TARDIS is noisier. It thrums in time with her heartbeat. She doesn't ask the ship to release her. It would if it could, she knows. But the TARDIS is as much a prisoner as she is. It stills when he returns, bending to his will.
As the fic progresses, you see the Doctor increasingly treating Rose like some sort of doll. He brings her trinkets from his travels, and Rose weaves them into her hair, signaling to the reader that although Rose isn't necessarily happy, she is complicit in this relationship, or sees no way to fight back.
The author also earns points by leaving the nature of the Doctor and Rose's relationship unstated. There are clues that it might be sexual, but if such an idea leaves you cold and squicked out, you could choose to ignore the undertones. At the same time, if that sort of thing turns you on, you can definitely read into the language that it might be something like that. (You have no idea how much the English major in me wants to launch into a diatribe about the meaning of possession as it relates to sex and how the modern female both yearns for it and rejects it as something beneath her... but I digress.)
The real beauty of this piece has little to do with whether or not the Doctor and Rose are boinking like rabbits or not - it has to do with the subtlety, the spareness of the language, the way the author utilizes the present tense to force the reader into a sense of immediacy. There's much about this fic that's implied and not explicit, and so you can read into it what you want. It's a fic of smoke and mirrors. It challenges the way you think without you realizing that you're thinking.
If there's one complaint this reviewer has with this fic, it's the length. Coming in at just under 1500 words, it doesn't have enough time to tell a sweeping story, but that could be to its advantage.
In Short: Vote for Pretty on the Inside. It'll make you think, it'll make you re-examine the Doctor/Rose relationship, and on top of all that, among all of the nominees, it's one of the most artfully written. It deserves your vote.
*
Today's reviews were written by ladychi.
*
Maturity by orange-crushed
Category: Crackfic
Characters: Ten II, Rose
Rating: PG-13
Details: One-shot, a sort of sequel to Peace in Our Time, post-JE by quite a few years. Rather cracky.
Why it Rocks:
It's hard to pick a point to start with this fic, so let's start with the obvious: It's a really fun idea. Not so much "crack", as the genre implies, but... light-hearted fun with a geriatric Ten II and Rose who have been forced into retirement and honestly aren't taking it all that well. Doctor Who doesn't take itself too seriously, as a show (a 900-year-old time-traveling alien in a box?), and fanfic that follows in that same vein is refreshing, especially in a fandom littered by angst, as the Doctor/Rose side of things tends to be.
Orange Crushed sets the scene perfectly, with the Doctor and Rose in a diner, flinging food at a jukebox.
"They can't kick us out," Rose adds, under her breath, knowing she's close to winning. "We're important people. Who are just a little bored."
"We're senior citizens," he corrects, dryly. "And one of us is clearly insane."
"Yes- you. Do it," she drawls. "Chicken lord. Time chicken."
He flicks the bean off his plate with a bit more force than strictly necessary; it bounces off the window and hits the play button on the digital jukebox and suddenly everyone in the diner is being treated to a remix version of "I've Had the Time of My Life."
"Ah," he says.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL," says Rose.
Anyone who's ever had a grandparent that retired a few years too soon (Grandpa, I'm looking at you...) knows that this is funny because it's oh, so true. And speaking as someone who worked for a long time with the older public in nursing homes, let me tell you... this tickled my funny bone in all of the right ways.
From the "office" they set up to monitor the rift that doesn't work quite as well as they wanted to, to Rose's alien water aerobics instructor, these are the characters the way they were in the show - amused with life, amused with each other, and very much in love, as you can see from the dialogue in the story, which always has this undertone of love and permanence.
The author's short punches of sweet in the silly really add to the overall flavor of the story - and showcases Orange Crushed's inherent ability to tell effective romance because it's the little moments in life and in fic that are the sweetest. The story is mainly from the Doctor's point of view, and every so often, he says or thinks something that makes your heart clench because it's motivated by real emotion. This is a Doctor that has been with Rose for decades, and still loves her for the girl she was and the woman she is.
I think that's what really makes the story resonate with audiences: this is the kind of relationship we all want to have; in our sixties, still... knocking aliens out with very large garden shovels, having fun with our chosen partner, and still very much in love.
In short: Vote for "Maturity". It'll make you laugh, it's got spot-on characterization, it's got punches of sweet that won't make your tooth ache, and above all -- it's good, old fashioned fun.
*
Anywhere Will Do by Momdaegmorgan
Category: PWP
Characters: Nine, Rose
Rating: Adult
Details: A PWP one-shot that's short but hot.
Why it Rocks:
The art of the plotless one-shot is more difficult than it would seem. You've got to sell your readers on the situation and the characters and then... you've got to melt their knickers, all within a (relatively) short amount of time, and this fic does it brilliantly.
To summarize it briefly, Nine and Rose are at some kind of diplomatic dinner, Rose goes to the bathroom, and hot sex follows. It's simple, and might even be a bit cliché, if it weren't for passages like this:
Anticipation builds in Rose as she awaits his next move. She nearly jumps out of her skin when she hears the sound of the sonic screwdriver working its magic on the lock. A lock she was sure she had set when she got here. It's a definite turn-on when the Doctor gets like this, all aggressive and demanding, but...well, they're not exactly in the ideal place for what she's certain he has in mind.
She's about to protest, but he's done with the door and he's groping and fondling her; hips, thighs, waist...his hands are everywhere. Then he's moving between her legs and, oh! Right there. It feels so good she's forgotten all about the fact that he's about to take her here and now, in some alien loo.
If you want to write good smut, you have to write your characters like they're real people: Rose is just young enough that she loves the clandestine nature of this encounter without getting squicked out by the impropriety, though she acknowledges that, and the Doctor has been teased by Rose all night long.
In the end, though, if you want this reviewer's opinion, it's the intensity of the language in this fic, besides the characterization, that really sells the reader on the story. Smut is a study in adjectives: in order to do it well you have to know when to use them in abundance and when to be sparse, and this fic is masterful.
In Short: Vote for "Anywhere Will Do". It's erotic, it's incredibly well-written, and once you've climbed from your bunk, your significant other will want to write thank-you notes to the author. I give it two thumbs way, way up.
*
Six Months in Croydon by Oriana2000
Category: Classic
Characters: Ten, Rose, assorted original characters
Rating: Teenish. Some language, some scary stuff.
Details: Nine chapters, complete.
Why it Rocks:
Six Months in Croydon is a classic for a reason. The lot is simple enough, spanning over nine chapters. Rose and the Doctor land in what appears to be nineteenth-century England - a country town miles away from far-off London. The TARDIS is in a state of disrepair, of course, so they trek across the moors and find themselves staying with a kind woman.
That's the beginning of the story. But that's not where the story starts. Orianna2000 uses one of my favorite tricks in my bag o' fun: dumping the audience in the middle of the plot and letting them figure it out as they go along. It's a good way to let your audience know that they're in for a trip. Geek-out author moment over.
The story actually picks up on the Doctor and Rose's first night in the country house. Rose is being eaten alive by bugs and so cheerfully chucks Victorian propriety to the wind, joining the Doctor in his room. Since this has to be explained, the Doctor tells the lady of the house, Mrs. Morris, that Rose is nobility.
It quickly becomes clear that this nineteenth century town is neither on Earth, nor in the right time period. The locals whisper about "rehearsals" and seem quite keen on keeping Rose away from earning a "part". (Why yes, I am making raptor fingers as I type. Thank you for asking. It takes years of practice to learn to do that simultaneously. I... need a hobby.)
As the story continues on, the Doctor and Rose attend a party, and, if you've read pride and prejudice, your Spidey-sense starts a tingling...
"She was supposed to overhear. That's how the story goes." He looked at her a bit oddly. "You did realize this was a rehearsal, did you not?"
"Yes, that's what everyone keeps saying. But a rehearsal for what?"
"For the Season, of course. This is the first ball, during which Mr Darcy refuses to dance with Elizabeth. I've been elected to play Mr Darcy and Jane's played Elizabeth for the past four years. My sister had been elected, just before the accident..." His voice trailed off. "But surely you know how it is done. Is it not the same in London?"
Mystery solved. This is a society that annually reenacts Jane Austen's classic novel, "Pride and Prejudice." There can't possibly be anything else exciting going on here, right? Well, if you thought that, you'd be extremely wrong.
That part of the plot, however, is not the interesting part of this story. The interesting thing about Six Months In Croydon is what the author does next. She forces Rose to live without the Doctor. One morning, she wakes up, and he's just gone to the TARDIS to figure out more about these Austenphiles, only he doesn't show up that evening, or the next day, or the next day.
Rose, now, is forced to make the same kinds of decisions Sarah Jane had to make. How does one live on one patch of earth when you've seen everything the universe has to offer? The answer at first is about like we'd expect: Rose first breaks down, and then slowly picks herself back up. She allows a young man to court her. She makes friends and learns how to embroider. She kisses Christopher and feels guilty about it. This is what is really important about this story: Rose lives. Without the Doctor there, she picks herself back up and she functions, and she thrives.
The tendency amongst Doctor/Rose shippers sometimes is to underestimate Rose's strength and her faith. Every time I read a story where Rose goes mad with grief in Pete!Verse, I wonder to myself if the author has ever watched The Satan Pit or The Impossible Planet. Rose and the Doctor can function without each other. They may always be waiting for each other, but they can do it.
Fortunately for us, we don't have to suffer too long without the Doctor. It's six months for Rose, a chapter and a half for the audience, but it's the chapter and a half that really makes an impression on you.
When the Doctor returns, there's some pretty awesome dialogue between the Doctor and Rose.
Rose covered her mouth to stifle a sobbing laugh. The light wind stung her eyes as she shook her head in disbelief. "S'only been a day for you, yeah? A few hours? Where'd you go?"
"I had a hunch this morning, but like I said, I didn't want to wake you." His eyes lit up. "Remember that signal the TARDIS picked up just before we crashed? You're not going to believe what I found! I can hardly believe it myself-except that I was there, so I rather have to."
He grinned, pausing only for a quick breath before rushing on.
"I would've been back hours ago, but I had a spot of trouble with the repairs I made. Had to stop over on a little planet all the way on the other side of the galaxy. Food's terrible, but they have a smashing mechanical shop. Got the old girl up and running better than ever! Anyway, I came back just as soon as I got everything hooked back together. Am I too late for supper?" He paused and sniffed the air. "Hold on. I could have sworn it was autumn, here."
Rose tugged her shawl around her shoulders and watched as the Doctor licked a finger and held it to the breeze. He knelt to examine the flowers poking up from the dark soil, going so far as to taste the dirt with the tip of his tongue. Then he stood, brushing the dirt from his hands. "I don't understand. It looks like spring, now. Wind's from a different direction, the soil has all the wrong elements in it, and there weren't nearly so many blooming flowers this morning."
When Rose didn't reply, he narrowed his eyes and looked her up and down. "You've lost weight. And your hair... it's not just shorter, you've gone natural. Why do I suddenly have the very bad feeling that I deserved that slap you gave me?"
...Because you're a moron, Doctor. A lovable, incredibly sexy moron with a pair of hands that make me drool - but a moron.
Oh, I'm sorry. Other people are reading this. Right. Moving on!
I won't give the rest of the plot away, because I think you should go read it. It's got more hidden surprises than I gave away here. The dialogue is superb and the prose is written with Oriana2000's usual flair.
In Short: Characterization, voice, and substance of plot make this fic a classic. And there's a reason you should read classics. In modern culture, classics are the bedrock for idioms, the archetypes on which we build our stories. In fandom, they introduce key ideas, preserve the feelings of a moment in show history, and, more than that, they show insight into how the fandom views characters. You should vote for Six Months In Croydon because it's a fic that will stay with you. You'll go back and reread it, and you'll cry when the Doctor reunites with Rose, just like you did when they were separated at Doomsday, or when that big grin crosses the Doctor's face at the end of Stolen Earth. (I could be projecting here but I don't think I'm the only one.) And when you're reading a classic, that's what you want: a fic that stays with you.
*
The Couples Therapy Series (On Holiday, Forgetfulness, Porn Without Plot, Xenohorticulture and You) by the_tenzo, aka papilio_luna
Categories: Various categories: Ten/Rose, PWP, Fluff
Characters: Ten, Rose
Rating: First story: All ages, Second: Teen, Third: Adult, Fourth: Adult.
Details: One series consisted of a ficlet and three one-shot short stories. Three of the four were nominated; all are reviewed here.
Why it Rocks:
So, what would be the biggest problem in a marriage between two people who can't die? Keeping things interesting, of course! This series of stories is a snapshot of moments between an immortal Rose Tyler and her Time Lord, the Doctor.
All four stories are unique, and showcase different aspects of what is bound to be a multi-faceted, extremely complicated relationship. After all, each story takes place (at the very least) after a few centuries have passed.
On Holiday is a short fic, coming in at just under 650 words, but a close examination of that fic showcases Tenzo's preference for a Doctor and a Rose that are equal and can survive independently, and in fact, choose to do so on (what you quickly gather) a semi-regular basis. It's told mostly from Rose's point of view and the voice, in particular, of this piece, is what makes it shine. I'd love to quote the whole thing, but this is a good example of what I'm talking about:
But then perhaps she would be on a beach, and would be reminded of his sandy complexion, and the way freckles were scattered across his face like pebbles brought up by the surf. Or, she'd overlook a mountain vista and see in the stone the same hard, ancient wisdom that resided in his eyes. Sometimes she would be mingling at a party and some other guest would touch her in a way that made her wish that it was him instead of a stranger. Every now and then, some other being would enquire after her mating status (which ceased to be shocking after the first fifteen times it happened), and it was bittersweet to say, "No, thank you, I'm spoken for."
It's a little more flowery than Tenzo's usual style, but it rings true. You can feel the ache here... Rose is still in love with the Doctor after all this time, and the time apart is good for them, because it reminds each of them why they want to be with the other for the rest of time. It's also a more mature representation of real love - a love that nurtures, rather than stifles, and a love that inspires independence, rather than clinginess. In a Twilight generation, this is like reading a breath of fresh air.
The second of the four is Forgetfulness. On the surface, it's a fun story (and it is underneath, too!) but the beauty of Tenzo's writing is how concise it is, and how you don't realize until later that she's made an impact on you.
In an effort to keep things spicy, the Doctor and Rose each take a potion that temporarily rids them of their memories of each other. They walk into a pub in Edinburgh and meet each other all over again. It's interesting to see how Tenzo subtly changes the way they interact without the benefit of all those years of knowing each other. The Doctor is pompous without bothering to hide it, and Rose is a shop girl who feels a little bit out of her element, but challenges the Doctor's arrogance as though she isn't afraid.
Back in the great room, the Doctor stared contentedly in to the fireplace, sipping his Scotch and justifying his presence here by the fact that when a man with a time and space ship has a hankering for a dram, he can bloody well go get one. Two, if he'd remembered to sonic up a cashpoint before popping in. He took his drink over to an empty wing-back chair facing the hearth and savoured the perfection of the moment. Warm pub, fine early spring evening, the dulcet hum of Scottish brogues all around him. It all made him feel fabulously manly and expansive.
As a side note, the description of the pub in this story makes me want to run off to Scotland and drinking liquor from a snifter. And if David Tennant wants to show up and share the fire and the liquor with me, that would be ay-o-kay.
What really gets me about this story is that they still choose each other. They don't tweak the potion to make sure that they do, they don't plant subtle reminders or clues. They're so confident in their chemistry and their mutual attraction (and love) that they don't take precautions against meeting someone else. It's about trust, this relationship, and it makes you happy that the Doctor finally has that with someone: complete trust.
It was enough to make me teary-eyed. But I'm a sap.
The third might be the favorite of mine in this series, if only because it's a conversation I can definitely see the Doctor and Rose having, it's silly and it's fun. The characterization, rather than the theme or the voice in the previous two stories, really takes a turn in the spot light.
The premise of Porn Without Plot is that Rose catches the Doctor looking at early twentieth century porn (1910, to be precise). The two quickly become involved in a conversation about the differences between men and women. The pictures are enough for the Doctor. He biologically reacts to the image.
Rose, on the other hand, is a different story:
"So, you like that?" She held it up so he could see what she was talking about. "Her breasts are enormous," she noted, looking down at her own much more limited chest.
"Well, that's not really the point."
"What is the point then?"
He bit his lip and studied the picture for a few moments in silence. "It's purely a physical reaction. Biological. Nothing personal, you understand."
She furrowed her brow and nibbled a little on her pinky nail. "Interesting."
"But that doesn't really do it for you?"
She took another look, and flipped forward to a page that had a man in it as well. "It's okay I guess. Gives me a bit of a tingle." She noted that his mouth fell open slightly when she said this. "But it's still just a picture."
"And you'd rather it be...."
"A story. With some more pictures, and some words. See, this bloke here, how did he get there? Did she invite him in? Is he going to ravish her, or are they already lovers? What's going on with how he's touching her there? Does she like that? Or is that just for him? Is he going to be rough? Gentle? Are they going to make love, or just fuck? Really, this just raises a lot of questions for me more than turning me on."
Reading the comments, the general consensus seems to be my own. The reason this story is so funny initially is because it's true, and it seems to be a conversation a lot of us have had with our significant others.
The story quickly becomes smutty, however. These are two people who have been sex together for decades (possibly centuries), and the direction the conversation takes them in surprises them both because it's new, but they definitely get into it. Tenzo utilizes the Doctor's gob in the best way possible, providing him with some of the hottest dialogue in the history of Doctor Who porn. It's no wonder Rose turns story-time into a practical demonstration. I would have a hard time controlling myself, too.
Xenohorticulture and You is, in short: really, really funny. And unexpectedly sweet in places. And also, extremely hot. So hot, I've ignored the "don't start sentences with conjunctions" rule twice in one paragraph!
Tenzo's at the top of her game for this one. While this is a pretty standard idea in Who porn (alien aphrodisiac), it doesn't feel old and tired. It's also the longest of the four, under 6000 words (just barely) but it's well worth the time it takes to read... and you're not going to believe it was that long by the time you're done. Trust me on this one.
While most Ten authors tend to be good at dialogue (you have to be, the man never shuts up...), Tenzo is a star. The Doctor and Rose poke at each other in the way that couples that have been together forever do, and their internal monologues are fun to read, too.
Rose has taken up a new hobby: xenohorticulture (alien plants), and we find our heroes in the garden of the TARDIS, the Doctor hanging upside down in the clutches of a vine-like plant. Rose, too, has been "captured" by the plant.
After some fun dialogue, the plant sprays both the Doctor and Rose with a blue powder that causes some... interesting reactions.
"It's not hot enough that I'd normally be fussed about it. But I'm really perspiring in the worst way here."
"You're...ah, yes, I can see that." She tried to sound business-like but her words came out as weirdly croaking. Her perception seemed to shift and her vision keenly focused on one little droplet that clung to the bottom of a dark curl at the base of his neck. She could almost hear it as it dropped finally, agonisingly, down to his neck and began to slide, leaving a dewy trail in its wake. Down it went, sliding under the loosened collar of his shirt and from there Rose imagined its progress. It would trace a trail down the long, lean, freckled expanse of his back, between his shoulder blades and further towards his hips. She could taste the salt, the musk, the feel of his skin on her tongue where she would slide it in the wake of that one little drop of sweat.
Rose shook her head violently from side to side, trying to clear her mind. The tingle on her skin was more than just the pollen now--there was an ache at her finger-tips, the corners of her mouth, the base of her spine. She didn't want to tell the Doctor for fear that he'd worry needlessly, but her ability to carry on a jaunty conversation was being seriously impeded.
Again, the understated beauty of this story is that it's about the Doctor and Rose rediscovering each other, or rediscovering a passion for each other that hasn't disappeared but has dulled over time. They still love each other, but they notice, throughout the story, little things about the other that they don't notice as much.
It's sweet, it's silly, it's... guh-inducing smut. Well worth a read!
In short: In Tenzo, we have an author that really knows what she's doing that honestly doesn't get enough attention for it. More than that, the stories are fun and they tell a story about real, long-lasting love between the Doctor and Rose. It's a mature woman's love story. So, vote for Couples Therapy. It deserves your support.
*
Pretty on the Inside by HotelMontana Link goes to Teaspoon
Category: Dark
Characters:Nine, Rose, Ten, mentions of Adam
Rating: Teen
Details: One-shot; this is in the "Dark" category for a reason.
Why it Rocks:
This story exploits all of the dark elements of the Doctor and Rose's relationship and amplifies them. It's not a unique concept in the Nine and Rose genre, really. There's often an element of possession, of neediness, just as there was in the show. Nine is a Doctor fresh off (depending on who you are, the "freshness" is debatable, I guess..) the Time War, and Rose is a character that, in the Doctor, has found a sort of Father-figure slash lover. There's an element of darkness in how much both characters need each other, and that need and mutual desperation is what this fic is built upon. (Moreso the Doctor's than Rose's, but I'll make an argument for the latter in a minute).
In this universe, the Doctor and Rose don't take Adam with them, and Rose is haunted by the violent, dark turn the Doctor took in "Dalek".
That night, she dreams of the underground. It's the first nightmare she's had since she first took the Doctor's hand. In her dream, she is back in the bunker, sealed in tight with the Dalek at her side. She cowers there, sweaty and suffocating, fear so intense she can taste it, like sucking on aluminum foil. The Dalek's tentacle wraps itself tightly around her hand, because it knows fear as well as she does. The soft, pudgy creature burbles helplessly. They huddle together, hiding from the Doctor's rage.
In response to her terror (or maybe in spite of it), the Doctor imprisons Rose in sort of a time lock. Her hair doesn't grow, and neither does her nails. Both she and the TARDIS are victims of the possessive Doctor:
The Doctor disappears, sometimes for days at a stretch. Rose knows when he's not onboard the ship; the TARDIS is noisier. It thrums in time with her heartbeat. She doesn't ask the ship to release her. It would if it could, she knows. But the TARDIS is as much a prisoner as she is. It stills when he returns, bending to his will.
As the fic progresses, you see the Doctor increasingly treating Rose like some sort of doll. He brings her trinkets from his travels, and Rose weaves them into her hair, signaling to the reader that although Rose isn't necessarily happy, she is complicit in this relationship, or sees no way to fight back.
The author also earns points by leaving the nature of the Doctor and Rose's relationship unstated. There are clues that it might be sexual, but if such an idea leaves you cold and squicked out, you could choose to ignore the undertones. At the same time, if that sort of thing turns you on, you can definitely read into the language that it might be something like that. (You have no idea how much the English major in me wants to launch into a diatribe about the meaning of possession as it relates to sex and how the modern female both yearns for it and rejects it as something beneath her... but I digress.)
The real beauty of this piece has little to do with whether or not the Doctor and Rose are boinking like rabbits or not - it has to do with the subtlety, the spareness of the language, the way the author utilizes the present tense to force the reader into a sense of immediacy. There's much about this fic that's implied and not explicit, and so you can read into it what you want. It's a fic of smoke and mirrors. It challenges the way you think without you realizing that you're thinking.
If there's one complaint this reviewer has with this fic, it's the length. Coming in at just under 1500 words, it doesn't have enough time to tell a sweeping story, but that could be to its advantage.
In Short: Vote for Pretty on the Inside. It'll make you think, it'll make you re-examine the Doctor/Rose relationship, and on top of all that, among all of the nominees, it's one of the most artfully written. It deserves your vote.
*
Today's reviews were written by ladychi.