Origin of the species, Madame Vastra, Jenny, PG

[rthstewart]

Title: Origin of the species
Author: rthstewart
Fandom: Dr. Who/Torchwood
Rating: PG
Characters: Madame Vastra, Jenny
Warnings: None
Prompt: (159) I have never found a human friend to whom I would dare tell all I know; the human heart is too small to bear it. -- Gertrud of Helfta (c.1256-1302), German nun, author and translator.

Author's Notes: Thanks to the lovely

Comments

[be_themoon]

;alksdhglkdhs RUTH RUTH THIS IS BRILLIANT OMG. I love how much Jenny knows and wants to learn, and her firm sense of what's right and wrong and how one should feel about the wonders of the world. Her kindness, too! And Madame Vastra, how angry and conflicted she is, but how much she respects Jenny even from the beginning. These ladies! THESE LADIES. <333 You wrote them fantastically, and I'm thrilled to have this around.

[rthstewart]

Thanks so much! it was such a perfect prompt for them, pre-romance phase. I think there is a fair amount of fic that tries this approach, so I just hope mine was unique.

[lady_songsmith]

OH MY GOD -- this is utterly fantastic, and I LOVE Jenny (and THIS, THIS! is what I had WISHED we could have gotten out of those episodes; some attention to these fascinating characters!) *hugs you and runs off to read it again*

[rthstewart]

Thanks! It was lots of fun and the prompt was perfect and DINOSAURS. There's must be DINOSAURS.

[edenfalling]

I have not seen the episode (episodes?) these characters appear in, but I love how you have presented their meeting and the way they get to know, respect, and accomodate each other.

[rthstewart]

Jenny and Madame Vastra are in one episode and people were clamoring for their own show -- crime fighting, Victorian, inter-species Lesbians. Gen, right? So I took it back a few years and thank you for reading even though it's not your fandom!

[heron61]

This is brilliant and wonderful - I love how you portray Jenny, and know enough of the history of science to be very impressed with your level of research. Well done indeed!

[rthstewart]

Thanks! I've dealt a lot with evolution/Oxford Museum/paleontology/ethology with my Narnia fic and so when I saw the prompt and considered homo-reptilia, it was too good to pass up. Besides, DINOSAURS. I really wanted to work in the Crystal Palace dinosaurs and had a rambling digression on that from Jenny for a while and just in good conscience could not keep it. Those lumbering statues would have really irritated Madame Vastra.

[chamekke]

This is just lovely. I adore how intrepid and curious Jenny is, and how you convey both Madame Vastra's growly temper and her underlying vulnerability and loneliness.

Fantastic, I'm memming this on the spot!

“Yes, Ma’am,” Jenny replied, still not fully revered from her disappointment. I think 'revered' should be 'recovered'.

[rthstewart]

How is it that I corrected that error at least twice and managed to thank myself as a beta? In any event, thank you. This was a great deal of fun to write and I'm glad you liked the characterizations and backstory I gave to Jenny.