(I look at the world & I notice its turning)

[riverdresses]

Okay, before we delve into this week's recaps, I thought I'd show the interested portion of my flist this fabulous shirt that the awesome wordsindreams showed me.

THERE ARE PRACTICALLY NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW DAMN BAD I THINK I WANT THAT SHIRT. I mean, even Sara Kingdom gets a mention! ::bounces:: IT'S AWESOME!

So this week's serial set . . . it's kind of series of endings & beginnings. We have Victoria's final serial (which I cried a bit during), Zoe's first adventure with Two & Jamie, & her post-War Games Companion Chronicle. This week was a bit depressing like that, but next week, it'll be much better, promise!

So, without further ado, let's begin with Fury From the Deep - the last serial for the lady Victoria Waterfield.

Fury From the Deep - audio

- Aww, Two, Jamie & Victoria in a boat! ::laughs:: Isn't that cute!

- LOLZ NOW THEY'RE PLAYING WITH FOAM! ::gigglesnorts:: How adorable! I can just see the three of them having a grand foam fight on the ocean!

- The image of Two, Jamie & Victoria on a beach is actually very cute. It would make a lovely picture, I think.

- HOLY SHIT THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE SONIC SCREWDRIVER!! Two made the sonic screwdriver what it is, bitches! DON'T YOU EVER FORGET!

- O GOD THEY JUST SHOT TWO! ::screams:: & JAMIE & VICTORIA! WHAT THE FUCK?!

- ::pets Two:: He doesn't sound very well, the poor love.

(& I'm giggling a bit at how cute Pat sounds just now. Hee!)

- Jamie's remark about always getting locked up makes me think of C'rizz saying 'What is it with the TARDIS and prisons lately?' in the audio Memory Lane.

- Harris seems a very gentle person, I think - almost apologetic for his superior's actions. He's quite kind, I would say.

- LOLZ, Victoria picks a lock with a hairpin & Jamie just falls out into a corridor! Victoria = T E H AWESOME.

- ::sighs heavily at Two for being so overprotective of Victoria::

- HA! But Victoria's not staying behind just because she's a 'mere girl' - she'll do her own exploring, thankyouverymuch!

- ACK, GAS-MASK WEARING CREATURES! ::dives under bed::

Are you my mummy?

- Miss Waterfield, who did teach you to pick locks like that? ::grins:: Or is that just been a secret you've been hiding from everyone until now?

- EEK, LIVING FOAM!

- O, the idea of Victoria's screaming just multiplying itself all over the refinery - that's a rather scary thought to me. I would be so afraid of never being found, if my screaming kept echoing like that.

- ::hugs Victoria tightly::

- Living, breathing, possibly killer foam . . . this is getting rather creepy now.

- Okay, getting slight shivers down my spine at the idea of people who are part people, part seaweed.

- I have to say, even though this was meant to be a serial, it works really well with just the audio, at least from my point of view. I don't know how terrifying it would be if I were watching it, or a recon of it, but as an audio, it's pretty spooky in places. Actual chills up & down my spine & all over my arms.

& I know that this recap must seem very quiet & subdued for a serial-audio I've described as 'spooky', but I'm listening to it with a great deal of trepidation & discomfort, because I know part of how this will end. & I don't like it at all.

- & the seaweed-people can turn others into seaweed-people? Hmmm.

- O, Victoria's showing her science skills! ::squeals:: & for that matter, so is Jamie! I ♥ it.

- For some reason, I'm highly amused as Two being described as an 'old man' & Jamie & Victoria as 'teenagers'. I actually never think of Two as old at all - I actually really don't.

- O goodness! IT'S VERY MUCH ALIVE! ::hides::

- Some of the music in this serial sounds a lot like the Jaws theme - just more electronic & technologically-minded. Which makes this serial-audio even more freaky - that music is pretty chilling on its own.

- JESUS WHAT IS WITH ALL THE BLOODY FOAM?! I'll never be able to take a bubble bath comfortably again.

- Poor Jamie. He nearly died from that gas, the poor love.

- O. O my. The ending is already starting. & I've already got a terrible knot in my stomach from it.

- Hmm. Jamie & Victoria are sharing a room. No, just saying 'hmm.'

(& guh, Jamie also has THE VOICE. brb, having the heart flutters.)

- I know, I should be saying something about Victoria. I know. But I can't. This - hearing how unhappy she is, is just breaking my heart. Her unhappiness makes me feel sick inside - she's so scared & she just wants to not be in danger constantly, or to be afraid all the time. I . . . I can sympathise with her, to a very tiny extent. & maybe that's part of why I can't say anything about her misery.

This serial, for a six-parter, feels like its going by so fast. It barely feels like a six-parter. & every moment, that knot gets bigger & bigger. I don't want this to end. It's become such that I barely notice what's happening in everything else; all I can notice & feel is how truly upset Victoria is.

- 'Victoria! Victoria . . . say something. No . . . no, you can't be dead. Victoria . . . if anything happened to you I'd never forgive myself.'

That? That was the sound of my heart literally snapping in two. Snapping in two, three, four, five - Jamie, stop it! ::bursts into tears:: You love her, & she can't take any of this life anymore & you still love her & it's BREAKING MY HEART.

I can't take very much more of this, I think. Victoria's breaking my heart, Jamie being so in love with her is killing me - fucksocks, the only person IN this damn story who hasn't broken me down yet is Two!

- Jamie & Victoria are splitting my heart right down the middle. I want this to end & I don't want it to end.

- JAMIE! That - JAMIE, GET AWAY FROM HIM! ::breathes:: O, you're alright, m'dear, you're alright.

- For someone who doesn't seem to do very well on flying machines, save for the TARDIS, Jamie certainly flies in a fair few of them!

- Okay, shallow moment: Jamie getting out of a helicopter = ALL THE MORE REASON WHY THIS SERIAL SHOULD HAVE SURVIVED, SRSLY, MAN.

- The one time it's good to know how to scream - when you're dealing with seaweed monsters! Victoria's screaming weakened Robson! ::waves her pompoms happily::

- HOLY CHRIST TWO 'S FLYING A HELICOPTER NOW?! I'm not sure if I should laugh or be in an extreme state of panic for Jamie & Victoria!

- O, Two. Helicopters aren't that easy you know! They aren't like a TARDIS!

- CHRIST! Two, freakin' FLY THE DAMN THING! Yes, now panicking for Jamie & Victoria. & o, poor Jamie - he's got to be freaking the fuck out now. He doesn't do well on these things as it is & now he's in one being piloted by a complete madman who has no idea how to fly or land! ::flails in a panicked way::

- WHOA. Well, he managed to land the helicopter, at least! & hopefully everyone's in one piece!

- Hee - now everyone wants Victoria to scream & she thinks it's silly! Victoria, it's NOT silly to scream at this moment, I promise!

- & miss Waterfield - & her screams - saved the day, didn't they? THAT could give a whole new meaning to being called a 'screamer', couldn't it?

- The way Two is so truly accepting of Victoria's wish to leave . . . it's very beautiful, but yes, deeply heartbreaking. Not his response to it - but her choice to leave. & Jamie not wanting to accept it - disintegrates just what's left of my heart.

- GODDAMMIT, JUST SAY IT, JAMIE. JUST TELL HER YOU LOVE HER, PLEASE! JUST SAY IT! Please, don't just dance around it - you love her. Say it.

- 'Jamie.'

'Yes?'

'You wouldn't go . . . without saying goodbye, would you?'

'Of course not. But that won't be til the morning anyway. Goodnight, Victoria.'

'Goodnight, Jamie.'

. . . . I know what I want to do with that. I finally do, despite the sadness & complete death of my heart during that final moment between the two of them.

- & even Victoria cries when she says goodbye to her friends for the final time.

& Jamie. He is just so heartbroken. He loved her, & if he could, he might have pleaded with her to stay. But he let her go, which . . . o, I can't even say it. It's too painful.

---------

Before I go into my heartbroken babble, I will say that this was a pretty good final story for Victoria. She was still as brave & amazing as always, despite her clear wishes to be done with the life she led with the Doctor & Jamie. & like I said before, this actually did make for a good audio, even though it's meant to be a serial. It still had power, despite it's total burnination! FTW.

& o, Victoria. She came home to her land of hope & gloria, a century & two years after she was forcibly taken from it. She saved the universe hundreds of times over, learnt her own limits & her own strength & bravery. I don't doubt that Victoria would have been happy in her new life, but I know it was a hard choice for her to make. But she made it, & never once hid her tears or her emotions about it.

land of hope and gloria, land of my Victoria . . .

Now, as we're about to enter into Zoe's era of Two's travels, I think it's as good a time to mention that when I get to The War Games, it will have its own separate post - it's ten serials long & I will not jam it all into a post with two other serials. It's a significant enough story to merit its own post & that's what I'll do with it.

Afterwards, I'll be recapping the two 'bonus' stories for the rewatch-athon - Spearhead in Space, which will bridge the gap between the end of Two's era & the beginning of Three's, & The Curse of Peladon, which had Patrick's son David as one of the main characters. Then we'll be back to the main stories for the rest of the rewatch-athon with The Three Doctors, The Five Doctors, The Two Doctors, Jamie's own Companion Chronicle Helicon Prime & the new series episode Midnight, which featured David Troughton as one of the leads!

(note: if I've worked out the serial order correctly, we'll have all three Pertwee-era stories done in a week.)

The Wheel in Space - audio & serial

Audio - episodes one through two

- Squeal! This one's being narrated by Wendy Padbury! ::bounces::

- Okay, the opening isn't making me feel any better about missing our Victoria.

- Um, uh-oh - FUCKERY! You manage to blow the fluid links TWICE, Two! But Two & Jamie run away together ARM & ARM!

- . . . Two pulled a One & made the TARDIS its actual size on the inside?

- Aww, he gave Jamie a lemon sherbet so he wouldn't be thirsty. ♥

- So . . . where are we? Rocket? Space station? Hmm.

- ::giggles at Jamie's incomprehensibility of Two & his technobabble::

- Okay, the Doctor seems to blow the TARDIS's fluid links a lot - or rather, he fucks them up a few times - he loses them in The Daleks, blows them here & also has difficulty with them in The Mind Robber - this can be useful, possibly.

- Jamie likes roast beef with all the trimmings - just like my girl Charley Pollard does!! ::high-fives Jamie:: & he likes fruit salad! Aww, Jamie. The boy certainly knows how to eat!

- Now they're discussing Victoria . . . he really misses her.

- Also, I think this is the first time that Two & Jamie have been on their own since the beginning of The Evil of the Daleks, which I find a bit sad, in a way. Not that they're alone together, but that it's only with Victoria's departure & entrance into the TARDIS can they ever be alone. I don't know - it's jut something that pulls at my mind a bit.

- Hmm - he opens a door without the sonic screwdriver this time. I suppose that at the time, the sonic screwdriver wasn't meant to be as . . . well, as all-powerful as it's become over the years. But that shows my own reliance & expectations of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver - I did somewhat expect him to use it to open the door.

- O, Jamie. ::draws a little heart:: He's keeping a close eye on Two - just like Two would have done for him.

- WAIT, WAIT! DON'T BLOW UP THE ROCKET! Doesn't anybody send search parties out to those things anymore?!

- AGH! ::sighs loudly & tosses her hair back in annoyance:: Could we NOT be blowing up things without inspecting them first, PLEASE?

- Aww. Jamie's trying to signal for help, but . . . well, no soap. I don't think it's meant to work like that, love . . .

- ::pushes a bit of hair away from Two's forehead:: O, poor Two. I'm a fair bit worried for him as well!

- WAIT A MINUTE, HOLD THE PHONE AND REWIND - JAMIE'S GOT HIS SHIRT OFF. Or at least unbuttoned . . . o, yesplz. & THEY BURNT THIS?! ::cries hard::

- Two's got a concussion - okay. Luckily, not a serious one. ::snuggles her favourite space beatnik::

- 'What about the medical? Do I pass?'

'You'll do. If it's any comfort to you, you're in fine physical shape.'

SAYS THE WOMAN WHO GOT HIS SHIRT OFF. I'm a child & just giggled a bit at that. He is in fine physical shape, I would say.

- Parapsychology! ::thumbs up::

- Hee - Zoe as a librarian - not what I'd describe her as, myself!

- LOLZ, I love Jamie's way of finding the parapsychology library. ::pets him::

- OMG SHE'S LAUGHING AT JAMIE'S KILT! & CALLING IT A SKIRT! & he threatens to give her a good smacking for it get in line, Jamie, love, I've got first claim there! - not sure who's the lucky one in that particular situation, Zoe or Jamie. ::giggles::

- Zoe's brain just boggles me. Even though in linguistic & in most literary matters, I can sound almost exactly like her. I do try not to, however. ::shy smile::

- & I do believe a certain metallic sort of race has just made its first appearance for this serial . . .

The Wheel in Space - episode three

- Moving into the first of the only two surviving parts of the story & I can't even begin to say how much I've missed being able to watch an episode properly.

- Hello there Jamie! Pretty outfit you have on - & you just got caught spraying quick-set plastic on some important equipment!

- FUCKERY, IT IS INDEED THE CYBERMEN. ::loves on them:: Oooo - their voices are a bit different from when I last heard them back in Tomb of the Cybermen.

- CYBERMATS! No, no, I wouldn't advise touching them, really, I wouldn't . . . ::sigh::

- ::giggle:: Aww, little marital bickerbickerbicker moment. (I think you could do a drinking game with how many bickerbickerbicker moments Two & Jamie have, really, you could) & yay, Two's up & about again! Well, okay, maybe not up & about, but at least he's conscious!

Umf, Pat, how on EARTH can you be so sexy when you're not even really DOING anything? I WANT TO KNOW.

- I haven't mentioned it yet, but Tanya's very pretty. She looks a little like Isobel from The Invasion, I think.

- I love how Zoe just shrugs off more or less being insulted & being called heartless. I wish I could do that. But I guess I'm not enough of a proper little brainchild.

- Hey, seriously, get away from the Cybermat. That's not a suggestion, that's an ORDER.

- O MY WORD, WE HAVE A SECOND DOCTOR WITH AN UNDONE SHIRT IN THE MEDICAL ROOM. DAMN YOU MONOCHROME SHOWS, I WANT THIS IN COLOUR! Hmm. Well, if they had to burn Jamie's physical, at least they saved Two's, more or less. THEY SHOULD HAVE SAVED BOTH GODDAMMIT! & Pat? STOP BEING SO SEXY WHEN YOU'RE DOING TOTALLY NOTHING BUT SITTING THERE! You're making this girl a bit crazy!

Ooo, now he's buttoning back up - still sexy, people!

(& yes I may have rewound that whole part just to watch it a second time. ::fans self::)

- HEE! Jamie & Zoe's big brother-little sister relationship is already starting up!

- 'Logic, my dear Zoe, merely enables one to be wrong with authority.'

Two > Zoe. & I love that gal!

- Something else about the Cybermen in this serial - they look considerably different than they did the last time I saw them in The Tomb of the Cybermen - it's the eyes, I think. Smaller. The face overall is much smaller & more different - & it's a bit more discomforting to see, honestly.

- AAAAAAND the Cybermats begin to attack. BUT WAIT! The quick-set plastic Jamie used is still handy! But no, that doesn't save anyone from a Cybermat attack.

- Two: is continuing to pwn Zoe. & I DO love this girl, I love her madly, but Two >>>>>> Zoe for now. ::grins::

- 'Simple common sense works wonders, sometimes, Zoe.'

::Zoe looks at Jamie::

'Well at least you didn't think of x-rays. That'd have been awful.'

LOLZ! Aww, my lovely Zoe-girl.

- Am I the only one who thinks that Tanya looks a little like Catherine Deneuve? Polly also looked a bit like her too, at least from Catherine's film Repulsion. (great film, by the way, everyone who likes suspense & slightly scary films should see it.) But she sort of does - a space-age Catherine Deneuve, perhaps. ::grins::

Audio - episodes four through five

- Moving back into audio for the middle half . . . the Cybermen have found a way into the wheel. By way of controlling the crew members sent to investigate the rocket.

- & now, Two's being awesome & giving us a history of the Cybermen. Thankyou, Doctor! ::beams:: Needed that lesson, actually.

- Space sickness . . . o, a form of space dementia! [/Zoe voice] As a sidebar, there are many forms of space dementia, you know; it isn't always a case of madness due to prolonged living in outer space. It takes at least four different forms, both benevolent & malevolent.

- Hmm . . . is it not possible that part of . . . whatever that component for the laser that Two speaks of contains some form of radiation? That's the only idea I have - Cybermen are adverse to radiation, so if they plan on taking over the wheel, & if there's any onboard, that would have to be the first thing to go before they arrived.

- Aww, Jamie's learning about the technology of analogue recording - or rather, the concept of tape recorders! ::laughs:: His confusion is so cute.

- It may be a useless & pointless observation to make, but Cybermen have clearly no sense of honour - killing a man by shooting him in the back. How cowardly. Useless an observation as it is, it's still true & it still disgusts me. ::glares::

- O, Zoe. Her sadness - & that's what it is - about not being able to feel, & her worry that she'll never be able to feel anything says a lot about her, I think. When I listened to that (I'm replaying that bit now), I immediately likened her to a Cyberman, because people think of her as having no emotion, or being able to feel, even though, from what she says to Gemma, she can. In a way, Zoe is a bit like a Cyberman when we first meet her - not physically, or in her ideology, but in her almost emotionally dead state. But at the same time, she seems to, to take my Zoe-being-a-bit-like-a-Cyberman analogy a little further, if I may, be rebelling against her training.

She reminds me a bit of Kroton, actually. To quickly & I do mean quickly, explain who Kroton is, he's a Cyberman who became a companion to the Eighth Doctor & his companion Izzy Sinclair in Eight's comic stories. He retained his emotions & ability to feel after being converted & wound up saving both Eight & Izzy from space pirates, even after Eight almost killed him. He was basically a good, kind, friend of a Cyberman. & Zoe, in her desire to feel & to have emotions, reminds me a bit of Kroton.

& considering how Zoe was raised, & what she was raised to be, it seems very fitting that her introduction story should involve Cybermen.

(now I'm even realising how Victoria's first official serial as a companion involved Cybermen & Zoe's debut serial involves them as well. Probably just a coincidence, but it's another thing to tug at my mind for a while.)

- ::shudders:: The Cybermen have managed to disable the wheel's communication systems & have already killed twice. This is really, really not a good thing.

- 'I was trained to believe logic and calculation would provide me with all the answers. Well, I'm just beginning to realise there are questions which I can't answer.'

'You're just not trained for an emergency like this.'

'Well, that's the whole point - what good am I? I've been created for some false kind of existence, where only known kinds of emergencies are catered for. Well, what good is that to me now?'

'Hey. We're not done yet, you know.'

'And if we survive? What then, Jamie? Suppose we do get ourselves out of this mess. What have I got left? A blind reliance on facts and logic.'

I love her. ::hugs Zoe::

(I think Zoe is a lot like River Tam in this way - an absolute genius, or rather, what River could have been, if it were not for her madness & her brain having been picked apart by hands that should not have played with human physiology like that. But Zoe, I think, is just as much the prodigy that River is, but with all of her brain & more. What was taken from River, Zoe has, & what River is left with, Zoe had removed. But, like River learnt to pull herself together when she needed to, when people truly needed her, Zoe's learning that she can feel & that she can be a real girl with a real heart. Or at least, something to that effect - this is still a concept & an idea that I need to work out more fully in my head)

- So the Cybermen caused the explosion of the star as part of the way to get into the wheel? They can do that? Blow stars up?

- ::clings to poor, scared Jamie:: Even in the middle of a Cyberman invasion, they STILL have adorable moments of bickerbickerbicker! But still, I'm going to worry for him likewhoa.

- GEMMA! NO! They just shot her down - in cold blood! (if the Cybermen HAD blood, mind you - it would be cold as ice.)

The Wheel in Space - episode six

- For the final instalment, we'll be going back to the only other surviving part of this serial & several VERY ugly meteorites are headed right for Jamie & Zoe! However, the wheel's been able to blast them away from Jamie & Zoe.

- 'But anyway, we're all going to be killed shortly unless you switch over to sexual air supply!'

Yeah. I'm twelve. So what? I didn't even BOTHER to cross that out because THAT IS JUST WHAT HE SAYS. & no, I never fail to crack up at that bit. SO? It's a CLASSIC bit of the Troughton era & I refuse to recap this episode without mentioning it.

Switching over to sexual air supply could be fun anyway. I'd not mind sharing it with Two. ::wiggles toes::

- O FUCK MAN, WATCHING A CYBERMAN THROW A HUMAN AROUND LIKE THAT IS FUCKING SCARY.

- Aww, Jamie & Zoe's first adventure together. & they're so very brother & sister already. I love it.

- You know, I think the relationship between Tanya & Leo is really cute. It's so obvious how much they care for each other, but it never gets in the way of the main story. It's lovely.

- Now I'm going to be really, really shallow for a moment (o, what, like I wasn't earlier?) & just say that Zoe? Has a very nice backside, even without the glitter to adorn it! Seriously. Couldn't help but sneak a glance or two when she was out of her spacesuit.

- UMF TWO. ::tackles him to the floor:: Two's so cute when he looks a bit scared - almost like a little rabbit. & I ♥ how he plays for time when the Cybermen are right in front of him. TWO >>>>>>>>>>>>>> EVERYTHING. (except Jamie. But Jamie's totally in a class by himself, so there. ::grins::)

- The shot of all those ghostly looking Cybermen is pretty chilly. ::shivers:: & the way they can just walk out in space totally unfettered is even more scary. I'd like to see a Cybus!Cyberman try & top that!

- Jamie in his space suit is both cute & giggle-worthy. It looks like he's preparing to do some serious extreme sporting in it.

- 'Well, look, Zoe - we won't forget you.'

::sniffles & slaps Jamie for that::

- ::grins:: Miss Zoe Heriot - you just sneaked onboard the TARDIS! For that, I salute you. ♥

- Two, why are you wearing Sailor Mars' tiara? Take that off, you silly silly man! ::giggles::

- & he shows Zoe a Dalek. A Dalek doing what it does best - killing someone. (in Victoria's first serial, no less.) But I have a feeling she'll still want to stay on. 'cause she's awesome like that.

---------

I may be a bit biased, because Zoe was the first Two-era companion I ever met, but I have to say, her introduction serial is a really good one. Of course, with Cybermen, Two & Jamie being awesome on their own & Zoe being pretty damn fab herself all makes for a great serial! & of course, this serial has lots of little bits in it that I positively & randomly adore & one of the best little LOLZ-worthy dialogue bits of the Troughton era which I have never recovered from since I first heard it, thankyouverymuch. Basically, it's just a great serial! What more's a girl gotta say?

& I have to say, I really love Wendy Padbury's narration of the story - I wish I could have heard her do more narration of her lost stories!

(O, one more thing . . . after viewing this serial, or rather, listening to it & watching it in its entirety, I . . . could actually ship Zoe with Two. No, really, I could. In fact, I think he's the only person I could ship her with & not have the O____o kind of face. If it's Jamie/Zoe, I'm like HELL NO, CAN'T READ IT, PLZ GET IT AWAY FROM MY PERSON THANKS, but Two/Zoe . . . I could give it a try. If it's good, of course! But I don't know . . . he's the only one I could see her actually having a romantic sort of relationship with, really. Jamie's too much like her big brother for me to be able to ship them, you see.)

& our final story for the week, Zoe Heriot's own Companion Chronicle, Fear of the Daleks.

Fear of the Daleks

- CHRIST, DALEKS! Okay, THAT was a good way to freak me the fuck out as soon as I started this audio!

- I think the beginning of Zoe's story is just beautiful. It's sad, yes, but also very beautifully said at the same time.

- Already, this audio makes me terribly sad. It makes me sad because it makes me feel like I'm looking long into the future after The War Games & how clearly the Time Lords fucked up her memory erasing. & I know I'm not ready to see that yet.

- A domed, habituated asteroid? I immediately thought of The Jetsons when Zoe said that. Actually, that's sort of what I keep seeing when she describes the city.

- Cinnamon fish! ::laughs::

- The Doctor had not heard of either race and that surprised me. 'I thought you knew everything.'

He was practical in his humility. 'If I knew everything, Zoe, what would be left to discover?'

- Two's calm = amazingly awesome. ♥♥

- 'Why thank you - probably!'

::gigglesnorts::

- Um, Two's panic over the possibility of the Daleks still being - or being - around gives me total chills.

- Why - why does anyone want to try to form an alliance with Daleks? Daleks . . . they're no better than ninety-nine point nine percent of Cybermen - they want to kill & destroy. They don't make deals!

- BACK THIS THE FUCK UP - they want to make Zoe an assassin?

THEY WANT TO MAKE ZOE AN ASSASSIN?

. . . . that is exactly, for those of you who don't know (though I think most of you will), what was attempted to be done on River Tam - but the process of stripping her brain down in places left her a raving lunatic - with psychic abilities & an assassin's training. Zoe's not psychic, but her brain, or at least, what's been done to it, seems to be a less damaging form of what was done to River's. (but I don't think Zoe's brain was operated on.)

- A codeword to activate Zoe as an assassin?

That's what they did to River - how they drew her out in Serenity - but with subliminal messages, as opposed to a codeword. When she saw them, she went on a killing spree, more or less.

- I'm not surprised that the scientific aspects of this fascinate Zoe - it fascinates me as well, though I'm not nearly as well-versed in scientific matters as she is.

- 'Speaking of sartorial lapses - be quiet, skirt boy!'

'I'll give you skirt boy!'

O no. You don't go about calling Jamie's kilt a skirt & expect to live! That's like throwing rocks at Leela & expecting not to get shanked.

- The way they've taken over Zoe's mind - it's making me think so much of River & what they did to her brain. It's frightening & rather upsetting at once.

- O, Zoe.

- O goddammit . . . Daleks. O my word . . . they're coming for the Doctor!

- 'Stowaway', I sighed. Not again.

- This story . . . it makes me terribly sad, but keeps me fascinated at the same time. It just makes me . . . well, very sad, because I keep thinking of River Tam & that this is what she could have become, if Simon had not intervened & saved her life. But Zoe . . . she's being controlled, & the Doctor & Jamie can't help her.

- O MY WORD! The Daleks . . . they've arrived in the laboratory.

- NO, NO, YOU CAN'T EXTERMINATE HIM!

- O, Two. ::breathes heavily:: You're insanely fast-thinking! & HA! I don't blame him for being pissed off by having his brain called 'acceptable' - YOU SILLY METAL PEPPERPOTS, THE DOCTOR'S BRAIN IS BETTER THAN YOURS ON HIS WORST DAY!

- 'INSOLENCE INVITES EXTERMINATION.'

Okay, not even going to lie - I actually made some kind of verbal wibble-noise when I heard that. That truly scared me, okay? It sounded frighteningly like something from The Natural History of Fear audio & that audio scares the living hell out of me.

- ::clings to Two:: Why are you so brave, Doctor? ::sniffle:: (& how can I be so brave?!)

- ::headdesks:: Seriously - anyone dumb enough to try & make deals, bargains or alliances with Daleks or Cybermen? Just get yourself exterminated or killed - FAST! You're polluting your species' gene pool, you know.

- ::clings to Two even harder:: ItotallykindoflovehimbutI'mtotallyfreakingoutforhim.

- BLOW THAT - THE DOCTOR'S MIND IS BETTER & STRONGER THAN ANY OF YOURS!

- O . . . Zoe, Zoe, Zoe. ::cries::

- O, TWO! ::collapses:: He's got her, & he can protect her now.

- NO! YOU LAY ANY OF YOUR HANDS ON JAMIE & TWO WILL LET THE DALEKS KILL YOU.

- Daleks can't be bargained with, you fools. Not now, not then, not ever. IT WOULD DO THE UNIVERSE WELL TO LEARN SUCH A LESSON.

- O god . . . being inside the mind of a Dalek . . . I can't imagine anything more horrifying to experience, psychically. Reavers & Daleks . . . their minds are the most frightening places a psychic could be. If you could even look inside one without going completely insane on the spot.

- A Dalek asking for the Doctor to exterminate them . . . & his refusal. His refusal to exterminate the Daleks. It's almost like Four in Genesis of the Daleks - how he refuses to destroy the Dalek embryos because it would make him no better than the Daleks, & Sarah Jane insisting that he do it . . . just what Zoe does, but Sarah Jane wasn't holding the wires.

- ::breathes slowly:: Jamie saved their lives. Jamie, Jamie, Jamie . . . ♥♥♥ Which makes this audio even more heart-wrenching to hear.

- & Zoe after telling her story . . . she can remember. Just a little, can't she? It's so small - but it can give one hope that maybe the Time Lords weren't as thorough at memory wiping as one might think.

(& nentari, I tried not to, but I wound up thinking something a little similar like what you mentioned in the end. Different form, though.)

---------

That was definitely a great entry in the Companion Chronicles, I think. It was sad & beautiful & a little hopeful in the end - & of course, quite a thrilling adventure in itself! & there were even moments where I had to try really hard not to cry. It also had shades of Firefly & Serenity to it, I think, which is even more wonderful, though it was those that made me sad.

& the ending . . . it gave me hope for Zoe, that maybe she can remember. Just like the ending of Serenity always gives me hope that River can take care of herself, & begin to mend over time. The only differences between the two are that Zoe's ending is still very heartbreaking, while River's isn't, so much.

Also, I loved hearing Wendy Padbury's narration again! I hope Zoe gets a second story - I know Jamie's second one is coming out in August (!!!), so maybe there's hope for a second story for Zoe?

::fireworks pop off:: Those are our serial recaps for the week! Next week I'll be covering The Dominators, The Mind Robber (which was my first Two-era serial ever, so that'll be a fun exercise in nostalgia for me!) & my second favourite serial of the Troughton era, The Invasion. Plus, I'll be getting back to watching things, as opposed to listening to them again! Which is, of course, the most fun in doing a rewatch-athon. ::beams::

Previous recaps
The Dalek Invasion of Earth
The Time Meddler
The War Machines
The Smugglers
The Tenth Planet
The Power of the Daleks
The Highlanders
The Underwater Menace
The Moonbase
The Macra Terror
The Faceless Ones
The Evil of the Daleks
The Evil of the Daleks - audio version
Tomb of the Cybermen
The Great Space Elevator (Victoria's Companion Chronicle)
The Abominable Snowmen - audio & serial
The Ice Warriors - audio
The Enemy of the World - audio & serial
The Web of Fear - audio & serial

Comments

[nentari.livejournal.com]

::is now walking barefoot in the grass & eating a lolly:: Oh, look, we've arrived! ::opens the gate::
Master: At last!

& o dear . . . I only recently learnt of Sara's ending - as in maybe the day before yesterday - um . . .
Really? I thought I had mentioned what happened to her, and even commented on the existing images of her death in the Genesis of the Daleks estras. *shrugs* Ah well...

well, in canse I never get to the EDAs proper . . . maybe you should tell me.
Are you sure? Because in order to explain what happens to Fitz I'll have to reveal some MAJOR events that influence the rest of the EDAs, including all of Compassion's story arch, the whole Romana III business, the reason why Eight lost his memory, and how Anji becomes a companion - it is that tricky and convoluted. revealing all of this to you will likely stop you from enjoying the EDAs properly if you decide to give them a go.

I've . . . I've also never read any of the LotR books or seen the films, which DID shock my schoolmates when I said that
Well, to give a short explanation, then - to the general public, it looks as if Frodo Baggins (the character played by Elijah Wood in the movies) is the hero of LotR, since he's the one who has the mission of carrying the Ring (which is an evil evil thing) to the only place where it can be destroyed. However, if one is to analyse the story properly, it becomes evident that Frodo's servant, Sam Gamgee, who looks as if he's just Frodo's rather dumb sidekick, is actually the true hero. He is the one who resists temptation, encourages and supports, and who does the right thing in the end - and he's the one whose path actually matched what is known in literature as the Hero's Journey. The same could be said of Fitz, in a way - he has a Hero's Journey in the EDAs, and he's so much more than a sidekick.

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

Master: At last!

Oh, aren't the gardens lovely? Do come in, Vicar! ::pulls him through the gate by the arm:: Now! Should we read, or just talk? Oh, and do you want a bit of my bubble gum? ::offers a little box::

Really? I thought I had mentioned what happened to her, and even commented on the existing images of her death in the Genesis of the Daleks estras. *shrugs* Ah well...

Hmm . . . I think we MAY have been talking about Katarina at the time, rather than Sara, but I could be wrong - my brain is like a sieve.

Are you sure? Because in order to explain what happens to Fitz I'll have to reveal some MAJOR events that influence the rest of the EDAs, including all of Compassion's story arch, the whole Romana III business, the reason why Eight lost his memory, and how Anji becomes a companion - it is that tricky and convoluted. revealing all of this to you will likely stop you from enjoying the EDAs properly if you decide to give them a go.

O. Well . . . okay then, I'll wait then. ::looks a bit worried for Fitz::

to the general public, it looks as if Frodo Baggins (the character played by Elijah Wood in the movies) is the hero of LotR, since he's the one who has the mission of carrying the Ring (which is an evil evil thing) to the only place where it can be destroyed. However, if one is to analyse the story properly, it becomes evident that Frodo's servant, Sam Gamgee, who looks as if he's just Frodo's rather dumb sidekick, is actually the true hero. He is the one who resists temptation, encourages and supports, and who does the right thing in the end - and he's the one whose path actually matched what is known in literature as the Hero's Journey. The same could be said of Fitz, in a way - he has a Hero's Journey in the EDAs, and he's so much more than a sidekick.

O! (goodness, I feel dumb for not having anything brighter to say.) I know I should really BE reading the EDAs, but I don't right now since I'm doing the rewatch-athon & if I did both, my head would explode. But o, I do feel a bit bad for fangirling Fitz when I don't know as much about him as I should & have probably only read about twenty-three pages or less of his first story. :(

[nentari.livejournal.com]

Master: Oh, no, thank you. Instead... *goes to a closet and opens a drawer* Would you try this out for me, my dear? I'm sure you'd look lovely in it. *hands you a beautiful white gown*

Hmm . . . I think we MAY have been talking about Katarina at the time, rather than Sara, but I could be wrong - my brain is like a sieve.
I was sure we had talked about both of them. Ah well...

O. Well . . . okay then, I'll wait then. ::looks a bit worried for Fitz::
Well, if you want a small guide, here are the EDAs you should read for that arch:

06 - Alien Bodies: Long before Fitz or Compassion, but it marks the first appearance of elements that will be important for the other EDAs recced here. Plus, it might make an interesting read after the episodes for next week's Watch-a-thon recaps.
23 - Unnatural History: It develops a couple of those plot elements from my previous rec. Besides, this is the one with the Eight/Sam backrub and Sam/Fitz sex moments we've discussed in the past.
25/26 - Interference, books 1 and 2: The one where the big, tragic, spoilery thing happens to Fitz. It also marks Sam's departure and Compassion's debut, and has guest appearances by Sarah Jane and a character I should not mention right now.
31 - The Shadows of Avalon: This is the EDA I mentioned in the past, where a lot of WTFery happens to the Brig, Romana III becomes my least favourite character (and this including Clent and Miss Garrett), and a big plot twist happens to Compassion.
36 - The Ancestor Cell: The big twists for both Fitz's and Compassion's storylines are resolved here, and another one happens to the Doctor. This is the point in which the EDAs can be considered as definite AUs, since RTD's vision contradicts what happened here.
42 - Escape Velocity: Eight and Fitz are reunited, and they meet Anji. The EDAs between The Ancestor Cell and this one can be seen as an interlude in Fitz's arch, since only a short period of time has elapsed for him (a couple of days, if I recall correctly) but it has been over 100 years for Eight (in case you're interested, the previous book, Father Time, is the one featuring his daughter Miranda).
43 - EarthWorld: This is the one with the mad princesses and the Elvis impersonator. It's also the one where Fitz finally has time to think of what happened in The Ancestor Cell and breaks down, which is the scene that came to mind when I saw that icon of Callum Blue crying.

But o, I do feel a bit bad for fangirling Fitz when I don't know as much about him as I should & have probably only read about twenty-three pages or less of his first story. :(
You don't have to feel guilty. I think I was fangirling him way before I ever got my hands on the EDAs, though I have to admit that during the first few books after The Taint I was wondering why people liked him so much because I coultn't really see it even though he was adorkable. It was only after Interference that I started to fall for him (though I cannot explain why this is), and that I started to see the Eight/Fitzness (this one I think might be easier to explain - not only did the plot twist made Fitz a bit different from what he was before, but now Sam was no longer around and could not be the center of their love triangle, kind of like two men who fancied the same girl looking at each other after she dumped them and going "Wait a mo - he's not half bad" :P).

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

Master: Oh, no, thank you. Instead... *goes to a closet and opens a drawer* Would you try this out for me, my dear? I'm sure you'd look lovely in it. *hands you a beautiful white gown*

Oh, that dress is quite lovely, sir, but can't I stay in my sundress? It's so warm today! ::is making a daisy chain:: Anyway . . . I thought I would read from the nice book I brought you. ::looks adorable::

ZOMFG THANKYOU FOR THE RECS LIST! I've seen ONE, but it was for ALL the EDAs & not many for Fitz specifically pointed out. But I'll AT LEAST read these when I get through The Taint. :D THANKYOU!

(& I've decided to steal that little . . . backrub thing for any future Sarah Jane/Romana II/Eight porn I write. It'll . . . save me some trouble, to say the least! :D)

You don't have to feel guilty. I think I was fangirling him way before I ever got my hands on the EDAs, though I have to admit that during the first few books after The Taint I was wondering why people liked him so much because I coultn't really see it even though he was adorkable.

::breathes a sigh of relief:: O, well, that's good then - I knew a bit about Fitz before he went on over to Big Finish (& even read some Eight/Fitz smut on holiday last year! He had carrot-print undergarments. ::giggle::) But as a proper intro to Fitz, I think his audio was quite a good one! & of course, I'm fully convinced of the Eight/Fitz shiny! :D

[nentari.livejournal.com]

Oh, that dress is quite lovely, sir, but can't I stay in my sundress? It's so warm today! ::is making a daisy chain:: Anyway . . . I thought I would read from the nice book I brought you. ::looks adorable::
Master: Oh, very well. You can entertain yourself with that book until the others arrive. Then we'll begin with the sacrifice.

ZOMFG THANKYOU FOR THE RECS LIST! I've seen ONE, but it was for ALL the EDAs & not many for Fitz specifically pointed out. But I'll AT LEAST read these when I get through The Taint. :D THANKYOU!
Yes, I can see why people would rec all the EDAs together instead of just picking a few, as the stories are all intertwined. Even by giving you all of these, I'm sure there will be one or other plot detail that you'll end up missing from another rec (like the reason why Compassion's twist occurred, which is hinted in short bits throughout the previous books), but hopefully those will be easier to explain.

But as a proper intro to Fitz, I think his audio was quite a good one!
Yes, I think by getting your hands on something that's both unspoilery and obviously slashy (which wasn't the case in the Sam era, at least in my eyes) is a good way to start.

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

Master: Oh, very well. You can entertain yourself with that book until the others arrive. Then we'll begin with the sacrifice.

::is lying on the warm stone bench, reading and blowing her bubbles:: Vicar, where are you going? I wanted to read the poem to you! ::sighs::

Yes, I can see why people would rec all the EDAs together instead of just picking a few, as the stories are all intertwined. Even by giving you all of these, I'm sure there will be one or other plot detail that you'll end up missing from another rec (like the reason why Compassion's twist occurred, which is hinted in short bits throughout the previous books), but hopefully those will be easier to explain.

Meeeeep, these are HUGE, aren't they? & I thought going through four series of Eight & Charley audios was a task! But I think I'll start with Fitz's stories first, then read from the actual rec list I mentioned before.

Yes, I think by getting your hands on something that's both unspoilery and obviously slashy (which wasn't the case in the Sam era, at least in my eyes) is a good way to start.

Agreed! :D :D & I want to listen to his bit AGAIN, OMG. :D :D

[nentari.livejournal.com]

Master: *sighs and turns back*

Meeeeep, these are HUGE, aren't they?
73 books in total.

But I think I'll start with Fitz's stories first, then read from the actual rec list I mentioned before.
Hopefully it will work well for you that way. :D

Agreed! :D :D & I want to listen to his bit AGAIN, OMG. :D :D
And I'll be listening to it TODAY! *dances*

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

Master: *sighs and turns back*

Oh yay! ::flips through her book and reads the whole poem, even the French bits, all in a rather appalling way:: Isn't it a lovely poem? So tragic, this story, Vicar. ::rests her head on his shoulder::

73 books in total.

& I HAVE all of them. :O Well, .PDF form, anyway. But OMG. Still. Massive task!

Hopefully it will work well for you that way. :D

Anything with Fitz = shiny! ::beams::

& I saw your notes on it! HOW AWESOME WERE FITZ & IZZY'S STORIES?

[nentari.livejournal.com]

Master: *rolls his eyes*

& I HAVE all of them. :O Well, .PDF form, anyway. But OMG. Still. Massive task!
Yes, I have all of them as well. I stopped at #63, and it might take a while before I resume it (mostly because I know how the final book will go, and I don't like it), but one day when I get the courage I'll resume it. Until then, I'll return to the older ones and reread the "Best of Fitz Kreiner" moments.

Anything with Fitz = shiny! ::beams::
Indeed. We need more Fitz!

& I saw your notes on it! HOW AWESOME WERE FITZ & IZZY'S STORIES?
Very awesome! I'm still giggling at "Not the face! Not the face!"

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

Master: *rolls his eyes*

::is all snuggly on his arm and hasn't once stopped blowing her bubble gum::

I stopped at #63, and it might take a while before I resume it (mostly because I know how the final book will go, and I don't like it), but one day when I get the courage I'll resume it. Until then, I'll return to the older ones and reread the "Best of Fitz Kreiner" moments.

O dear . . . I know nothing OF the last book, save for the title, but . . . I would assume that it's a case of 'ROCKS FALL, GALLIFREY GETS BLOWN UP OMG!' Yes . . . if that's the alternative, then YES, GO & REREAD THE BEST OF FITZ KREINER. Less tears & more slashtastic fun that way. ::nodnod::

Indeed. We need more Fitz!

Speaking of more Fitz, I had yet ANOTHER dream with him in it last night! I was with him, Eight & Izzy, & we were fighting off this HUGE web creature - it was like an octopus, but it was made of of webbing & it looked like something from The Web of Fear, actually. I think it may have even been happening in my kitchen. Or maybe Fitz was just in my kitchen. :P

Very awesome! I'm still giggling at "Not the face! Not the face!"

::bounces happily:: YES INDEED! & I'm quite overcome by the urge, despite basically just having MET HIM, to say, 'OMG, that was so Fitz!' :D

[nentari.livejournal.com]

Welsh druids: *barge into the room, all wearing their white tunics and holding sharp utensils*
Master: Ah, finally!
Reverend Llewellyn Llewellyn etc. etc.: Sorry we're late, boyo. Shall we begin the sacrifice now?

I know nothing OF the last book, save for the title, but . . . I would assume that it's a case of 'ROCKS FALL, GALLIFREY GETS BLOWN UP OMG!'
Not really - it seems more like "Team TARDIS does a Thelma & Louise cliffhanger ending, but not before Fitz announced he's going to dump the Doctor and elope with Anji's replacement" kind of ending, and I really don't like the sound of it.
As for Gallifrey's fate, you need to read those recs to find out. Needless to say, the EDA writers don't see things the same way as RTD.

I think it may have even been happening in my kitchen. Or maybe Fitz was just in my kitchen. :P
What better place to fight an alien menace than the comfort of your own home?
Me, I dreamed that I was a 16th-century nun who stowed away in Eight's TARDIS and made him traditional Portuguese convent sweets.

& I'm quite overcome by the urge, despite basically just having MET HIM, to say, 'OMG, that was so Fitz!' :D
Well, he's normally not so over the top, but it's still very believable.

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

Welsh druids: *barge into the room, all wearing their white tunics and holding sharp utensils*
Master: Ah, finally!
Reverend Llewellyn Llewellyn etc. etc.: Sorry we're late, boyo. Shall we begin the sacrifice now?

::leaps up:: SACRIFICE? What?! ::looks worried::

Not really - it seems more like "Team TARDIS does a Thelma & Louise cliffhanger ending, but not before Fitz announced he's going to dump the Doctor and elope with Anji's replacement" kind of ending, and I really don't like the sound of it.

. . . WHAT. ::makes a face:: You're right - that doesn't sound good. :(

As for Gallifrey's fate, you need to read those recs to find out. Needless to say, the EDA writers don't see things the same way as RTD.

Hmm . . . is this a good thing or a bad thing?

What better place to fight an alien menace than the comfort of your own home?

Especially with a Fitz Kreiner in your kitchen! & an Eight. & an Izzy. So . . . I won all around. :D

Me, I dreamed that I was a 16th-century nun who stowed away in Eight's TARDIS and made him traditional Portuguese convent sweets.

AWWW! ♥♥ That's so cute! I hope he liked them!

Well, he's normally not so over the top, but it's still very believable.

::snuggles with Fitz nevertheless::

[nentari.livejournal.com]

::leaps up:: SACRIFICE? What?! ::looks worried::
Master. Of course, my dear. We'll be trying to summon the daemon Azal - with your help, of course.

. . . WHAT. ::makes a face:: You're right - that doesn't sound good. :(
Yeah. :(

Hmm . . . is this a good thing or a bad thing?
I think it depends on your perspective. I'm still trying to figure out which solution is the best.

Especially with a Fitz Kreiner in your kitchen! & an Eight. & an Izzy. So . . . I won all around. :D
You do, yes. :P

AWWW! ♥♥ That's so cute! I hope he liked them!
Of course he did. He has good taste.

::snuggles with Fitz nevertheless::
Aw, he's moaning and going "fab" again! :P

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

Master. Of course, my dear. We'll be trying to summon the daemon Azal - with your help, of course.

. . . what do you need MY help for? ::is suddenly rather scared:: I don't have to dance naked in the flowers, do I?

I think it depends on your perspective. I'm still trying to figure out which solution is the best.

MEEP. ::bites lip unhappily::

You do, yes. :P

WHEE! ::dances rather spazzily::

Of course he did. He has good taste.

O, terrific! ::springs about:: He does, quite! Well, aside from calling my much-loved Shelley an idiot to Mary's face, that is. ::quietly hits Eight in the side::

Aw, he's moaning and going "fab" again! :P

::smiles:: Well, a bit of a snuggle from a girl in a considerably short skirt like I happen to have on now (& it's an actual vintage mod dress!!) will please him, I think!

[nentari.livejournal.com]

. . . what do you need MY help for? ::is suddenly rather scared:: I don't have to dance naked in the flowers, do I?
Master: Oh no, nothing of the sort. You are to be the sacrifice.

MEEP. ::bites lip unhappily::
I've read that the final EDA offers a solution that makes it possible for both events to be able to happen without making the EDAs AU, but still - it's a lot of hell for Eight to live through, not to mention the fact that Fitz will be falling in love for someone else and leaving him (meep!).

O, terrific! ::springs about:: He does, quite! Well, aside from calling my much-loved Shelley an idiot to Mary's face, that is. ::quietly hits Eight in the side::
Well, he WAS written like an idiot in this. Just remember what the writers made him do.

::smiles:: Well, a bit of a snuggle from a girl in a considerably short skirt like I happen to have on now (& it's an actual vintage mod dress!!) will please him, I think!
Oh, that it will. :D

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

Master: Oh no, nothing of the sort. You are to be the sacrifice.

. . . but I don't want to be! ::starts to cry and tries to run away:: You lied to me, Vicar!

I've read that the final EDA offers a solution that makes it possible for both events to be able to happen without making the EDAs AU, but still - it's a lot of hell for Eight to live through, not to mention the fact that Fitz will be falling in love for someone else and leaving him (meep!).

Hmm . . . well, for the first bit, that's sort of a . . . a good thing, I suppose. BUT I'M GOING TO PRETEND I NEVER READ THE SECOND BIT OKAY. THAT'S WHAT'S AU HERE. ::nodnod::

Well, he WAS written like an idiot in this. Just remember what the writers made him do.

. . . well, good point. But since I'm wearing his surname, I was just a bit obliged to defend him. :P (& OMG, how hard did I laugh when EIGHT, OF ALL PEOPLE, tells Lord Byron that he looks 'very Byron-esque'! IN-JOKE, I SWEAR. :P)

Oh, that it will. :D

I do enjoy helping others feel better. & Fitz is . . . fun to make feel better!

[nentari.livejournal.com]

. . . but I don't want to be! ::starts to cry and tries to run away:: You lied to me, Vicar!
Master: Did I really? *to the druids* Restrain her.

BUT I'M GOING TO PRETEND I NEVER READ THE SECOND BIT OKAY. THAT'S WHAT'S AU HERE. ::nodnod::
Yes. That is So not on! But then again, that final book was written by Lance Parkin (who wrote Benny's adventure in the audio), who is well-known for hating Eight/Fitz and trying to do bad things to the ship. At least we have Paul Magrs, who besides being the one who gave us Iris also turned the Eight/Fitz subtext into text (it was he who made Fitz fantasize about having sex with the Doctor, and who wrote the "naked-with-only-dog-collars" scene).

. . . well, good point. But since I'm wearing his surname, I was just a bit obliged to defend him. :P
Fair enough.

& OMG, how hard did I laugh when EIGHT, OF ALL PEOPLE, tells Lord Byron that he looks 'very Byron-esque'! IN-JOKE, I SWEAR. :P
Yes, that was hilarious. And was I the only one who pictured Paul McGann as Byron in this? :P

& Fitz is . . . fun to make feel better!
Fitz is FUN. Period.

(And I now have a plot bunny for a sixth Fourteenth Doctor Chronicle with a guest appearance by our Mr. Kreiner. Hopefully, there will be snogging.)

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

Master: Did I really? *to the druids* Restrain her.

::tries to fight off scary druids:: HELP, SOMEONE HELP ME!

Yes. That is So not on! But then again, that final book was written by Lance Parkin (who wrote Benny's adventure in the audio), who is well-known for hating Eight/Fitz and trying to do bad things to the ship. At least we have Paul Magrs, who besides being the one who gave us Iris also turned the Eight/Fitz subtext into text (it was he who made Fitz fantasize about having sex with the Doctor, and who wrote the "naked-with-only-dog-collars" scene).

I'll never understand why anyone would hate Eight/Fitz! That's like hating on Two/Jamie, at least to me. ::puzzled::

& secondly . . . FITZ HAD A FANTASY ABOUT GETTING IT ON WITH EIGHT WAIT WHAT WHEN WAS THIS & I DON'T THINK YOU'VE TOLD ME ABOUT THAT! ::steam spirals out of ears::

. . . I love Paul Magrs. Yes, I quite love him. & I kind of want someone to write me Fitz/Iris or Eight/Iris/Fitz. Because . . . GUH, YES, DO WANT!!

Fair enough.

::bows::

Yes, that was hilarious. And was I the only one who pictured Paul McGann as Byron in this? :P

NO. WAY. :D I was actually JUST telling a friend last night - or very early yesterday morning - that Paul McGann would be an utterly PERFECT Byron or Shelley on film. ::swoons:: So YES, I WAS KIND OF THINKING OF HIM AS BYRON IN THIS.

Fitz is FUN. Period.

VERY FUN. O Fitz, how I do adore thee. ♥

(And I now have a plot bunny for a sixth Fourteenth Doctor Chronicle with a guest appearance by our Mr. Kreiner. Hopefully, there will be snogging.)

::flails like a crazy bunny:: I WOULD BE VERY APPROVING OF THIS. MOAR FITZ FIC IS GOOD. :D

[nentari.livejournal.com]

::tries to fight off scary druids:: HELP, SOMEONE HELP ME!
Fitz: Hold on, Betsy, I'm coming!
*breaks through a window by hanging on a rope*
*face hits wall*
Fitz. Ow.

I'll never understand why anyone would hate Eight/Fitz! That's like hating on Two/Jamie, at least to me. ::puzzled::
Exactly.

& secondly . . . FITZ HAD A FANTASY ABOUT GETTING IT ON WITH EIGHT WAIT WHAT WHEN WAS THIS & I DON'T THINK YOU'VE TOLD ME ABOUT THAT! ::steam spirals out of ears::
It happened in Magrs' The Blue Angel, which was the very first EDA after Sam's departure (hence confirming my theory that the shippiness Sam had with the two of them was getting in the way of the slash). Here's the excerpt, with a bit of context: Fitz and Barbarella!Iris were riding a couple of flying horses to a certain destination, and Fitz is so infatuated with Iris that he's seriously considering becoming her companion.

Could he leave the Doctor’s company for this woman?
What would the Doctor say?
He couldn’t imagine never seeing the Doctor again. There was so much they hadn’t said and done, and since Sam left. . . He’d never said goodbye to her, either.
If he left the Doctor now. . . And who was to say he hadn’t already? He felt a nasty pang, somewhere in his gut, and suddenly he could see the Doctor’s face before him and he remembered how he had laughed when Sam told the story of her erstwhile infatuation with the Time Lord.
But Fitz could see how it might work. All that power and intelligence, that charming intensity. . . Even if he was raving mad.
Fitz swallowed hard. He was the one who was raving mad. He was in the midst of the most ridiculous danger, horse-riding down a mountainside, probably about to die and, in the final few minutes of his life, what was passing through his mind? Not the greatest, most fulfilling moments in this life – but a consideration of his chances of getting laid by Iris. . . and even of getting laid by the Doctor. What was it about Time Lords? What had really happened to his poor old head?
He tried to keep his mind on the horse-riding.

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

Fitz: Hold on, Betsy, I'm coming!
*breaks through a window by hanging on a rope*
*face hits wall*
Fitz. Ow.

::is being tied up by druids:: Fab. Just fab. ::yells through the shattered window:: SOMEONE, ANYONE, HELP ME!

It happened in Magrs' The Blue Angel, which was the very first EDA after Sam's departure (hence confirming my theory that the shippiness Sam had with the two of them was getting in the way of the slash). Here's the excerpt, with a bit of context: Fitz and Barbarella!Iris were riding a couple of flying horses to a certain destination, and Fitz is so infatuated with Iris that he's seriously considering becoming her companion.

::reads excerpt::

::passes out::

I - I - I - UH . . . thankyou for that? (I'm just trying to form proper SENTENCES after that, as opposed to just keysmashes!) FITZ! YOU WANT BOTH OF THEM. I LOVE IT! But o, he doesn't want to leave Eight! (but I have to sympathise with him - it's a hard choice, Iris or Eight. ::nods::)

I'll just be in that corner flailing like a madwoman. Ahem.

[nentari.livejournal.com]

::is being tied up by druids:: Fab. Just fab. ::yells through the shattered window:: SOMEONE, ANYONE, HELP ME!
Fitz. *with considerable difficulty due to bloody nose* Waid a bidute. The Dogtor gabe be this... *produces weird piece of machinery*
Master: Stop him!
Fitz: Oh, shud ub, big dose. *points gadget at him*
Master: *gives a girlish whimper and passes out*
Fitz: *points at druids, who also fall asleep, snoring loudly*
Reverend Llewellyn Llewellyn etc.: I'm outta here. *flees*
Fitz. +rushing to Betsy and untying her* Are you ogay, lobe?

I'm just trying to form proper SENTENCES after that, as opposed to just keysmashes!
Understandable.

FITZ! YOU WANT BOTH OF THEM. I LOVE IT! But o, he doesn't want to leave Eight! (but I have to sympathise with him - it's a hard choice, Iris or Eight. ::nods::)
Yes, our poor boy is all conflicted. *pets him*

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

Fitz. *with considerable difficulty due to bloody nose* Waid a bidute. The Dogtor gabe be this... *produces weird piece of machinery*
Master: Stop him!
Fitz: Oh, shud ub, big dose. *points gadget at him*
Master: *gives a girlish whimper and passes out*
Fitz: *points at druids, who also fall asleep, snoring loudly*
Reverend Llewellyn Llewellyn etc.: I'm outta here. *flees*
Fitz. +rushing to Betsy and untying her* Are you ogay, lobe?

::clings to Fitz happily:: You saved me! Oh, but, but you got all bloodied up . . . ::tears off a bit of her sundress for a hankie:: I'm fine, but are you? ::huge puppy-dog eyes::

Understandable.

My keysmashes? WOULD HAVE BEEN SOME EPIC ONES IF I HADN'T PRACTISED RESTRAINT.

Yes, our poor boy is all conflicted. *pets him*

Hmm . . . maybe he needs a third pillar - one to help him realise he's meant for Eight, always & forever, as it goes! sort all of this out . . . I'm good at that! ::beams::

[nentari.livejournal.com]

And since I know you want it, I'm breaking the comment to show you the naked scene from Mad Dogs and Englishmen As I've mentioned, Team TARDIS is being kept as pets by the ageing princess from a race of talking poodles.

It was the most mortifying movie-going experience of Anji’s life.
A makeshift pen had been hurriedly put together for them in front of the wide screen. Behind them, on tall, padded chairs, the Princess sat with her retinue of loyal, elite guards and the nervous archivists as they waited for the film to start.
Luckily the lights had been lowered. By the faint glow of the screen, she was vaguely aware of the Doctor and Fitz crouched on the floor beside her.
A number of chewable plastic toys had been thoughtfully provided for them by Fritter. He was the one who had also fitted their collars and leashes. Anji tried to loosen hers.
She was still absolutely furious.
‘I’ve never been so humiliated,’ she whispered, making the mistake of glancing sideways at Fitz.
He just laughed. ‘Oh, I have.’ Actually, he’d taken to the life of an ersatz dog quite happily. Neither he nor the Doctor seemed to have a scrap of bodily self-consciousness.
The Doctor. She was trying hard not to look at him naked.
On their way to the viewing room from the place they had left their clothes Anji had not been able to avoid getting an eyeful. She had forced her eyes ahead and tried to cover herself as best she could. Her knees were very scuffed. How she would be able to concentrate on some film, she had no idea.
Behind her, Fritter was briefly explaining how the archivists were able to tap easily into the Terran broadcasts and what an amazing insight they generally gave into the lives of people.
‘Yes, yes,’ said the Princess impatiently. She was passing out chocolates to her guards.
The Doctor was frowning, staring at the screen. There was a buzz of anticipation in the air.
The screen crackled and flickered and resolved itself into what looked very much like a BBC logo. A deeply reassuring, avuncular voice assured them that they were, indeed, watching BBC Three on Christmas Day.
‘I wonder if we’ve missed the Queen’s speech,’ said Fitz.
The Doctor shook his head absently. ‘2010, remember.’
‘Oh,’ said Fitz blankly.
‘Bad people!’ the Princess reprimanded them.
‘Fitz,’ Anji hissed. ‘Are you telling me you really don’t mind trotting around starkers in a collar and lead?’
He grinned. ‘Are you kidding?’
‘Bad, bad people!’ the Princess growled. ‘We want to watch! If you don’t stop, you’ll all be put outside!’
The Doctor gave his companions a warning glance.

. . . I love Paul Magrs. Yes, I quite love him.
Me too. *happy smile*

& I kind of want someone to write me Fitz/Iris or Eight/Iris/Fitz. Because . . . GUH, YES, DO WANT!!
I don't think Iris would have liked that. She was very mean to Fitz when she realized he had the hots for her.

VERY FUN. O Fitz, how I do adore thee. ?
Knowing Fiz, I'm sure the feeling is mutual. :D

::flails like a crazy bunny:: I WOULD BE VERY APPROVING OF THIS. MOAR FITZ FIC IS GOOD. :D
It would take a while after this happens, though. After Tin Men, I want to do the yet untitled historical fic, followed by the multi-Doctor story, as I want the fourth member of Team TARDIS to have a few proper adventures before I make them go missing - the story focusing around Fourteen asking Fitz for help on recovering her current companions.

[riverdresses.livejournal.com]

And since I know you want it, I'm breaking the comment to show you the naked scene from Mad Dogs and Englishmen As I've mentioned, Team TARDIS is being kept as pets by the ageing princess from a race of talking poodles.

O my word! ::blushes on Anji's behalf:: Poor Anji! & I WOULD say aww, Poor Eight & aww, poor Fitz too, but I really don't see the need to. ::giggles:: & I'm going to try & NOT ask if Fitz has been led around completely naked on a leash at some point before, really.

Me too. *happy smile*

Paul Magrs brings the happy! In the form of Eight/Fitz slash & Iris Wildthyme. ::twirls::

I don't think Iris would have liked that. She was very mean to Fitz when she realized he had the hots for her.

WHAT?! No! IRIS! ::kicks her:: How could she treat him like that? More to the point, how could IRIS WILDTHYME pass up free sex?! Humph!

. . . but, mind you . . . I never said Fitz had to be . . . openly in the room when Eight & Iris have sex. ::looks like a cheeky schoolgirl:: Er, not that I've thought this OUT or anything of course!

Knowing Fiz, I'm sure the feeling is mutual. :D

::smiles & looks cute:: Hooray then!

It would take a while after this happens, though. After Tin Men, I want to do the yet untitled historical fic, followed by the multi-Doctor story, as I want the fourth member of Team TARDIS to have a few proper adventures before I make them go missing - the story focusing around Fourteen asking Fitz for help on recovering her current companions.

O! Well, I'd be patient, of course, as you know! & I do like your idea! :D

[nentari.livejournal.com]

& I'm going to try & NOT ask if Fitz has been led around completely naked on a leash at some point before, really.
I don't recall any other situation where such a thing has occurred - but who knows what those two are up to when nobody's looking? ;P

WHAT?! No! IRIS! ::kicks her:: How could she treat him like that? More to the point, how could IRIS WILDTHYME pass up free sex?! Humph!
I have some different theories about this:
a) Since we know Iris is in love with the Doctor, this could be a shocked reaction to the realization that the guy who clearly has the hots for the man she wants is also interested in her.
b) She's being generous and treating him like garbage because she feels Fitz should stay with Eight.
c) The least likely of all: Iris is just being a mean-spirited bitch.

. . . but, mind you . . . I never said Fitz had to be . . . openly in the room when Eight & Iris have sex. ::looks like a cheeky schoolgirl:: Er, not that I've thought this OUT or anything of course!
Riiiiight... ;)

O! Well, I'd be patient, of course, as you know! & I do like your idea! :D
I already have a few ideas of what Fitz has been up to. We'll see how it goes.