Selena

Author at http://www.fanfiction.net/u/6273/.
Also has a journal at http://selenak.livejournal.com/.

Brief Encounter (Babylon 5/Doctor Who)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 16th September 2010 (13)
Tags: Vignette, Crossover, AU
(4K)

Summary: The Doctor intervenes in the Earth/Minbari war.

This little gem is chilling and hopeful at once. So much is said in so few words.

Game, Set and Match (Doctor Who/Blake's 7)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 10th August 2008 (20)
Tags: Short Story
(13K)

Summary:The Master finds himself resurrected by Servalan. She's not amused.

Written for Multiverse, post-"Last of the Time Lords" and post-"Blake". Servalan and the Master, predators, circling each other. Who will win? Read the story and find out.

(Also at http://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=24525)

Postscript (Highlander)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 6th March 2003 (3)
Tags: Short Story
(16K)

Still reading Methos stories; this story ties up a loose end from the episode "Methos", a loose end which is so obvious when pointed out, but something which everyone seems to have overlooked: how did Joe react after Duncan told him that "Adam Pierson" was Methos -- and how come Joe didn't inform the Watchers straight away, but instead kept quiet such that Adam Pierson managed to stay in the Watchers without them even knowing he was an Immortal? I like the way that Joe is initially undecided and somewhat suspicious; he's no pushover. I also liked how Methos's actions could be interpreted ambiguiously.

Surprises (Doctor Who)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 21st May 2009 (28)
Tags: Short Story, Missing Scene
Characters: Third Doctor, Jo Grant
(11K)

Summary: Five times Jo surprised the Doctor.

Five sweet little scenes between Jo and the Doctor. The first four are with the Third Doctor, the last one has spoilers for New Who. This shows Jo's strengths: her escape skills, her kindness. The Doctor is just the way he is; avuncular, arrogant, hiding his vulnerabilities. Just a little gem of a story.

Tea and Sympathy (Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 16th September 2010 (14)
Tags: Short Story, Crossover, Timey-Wimey
(29K)

Summary: Sometimes meeting each other in the wrong order means you know just what to listen for. Guinan and the Doctor through the centuries.

This captures both characters wonderfully. Insightful, touches of gentle humour, poignant, bittersweet. Everything I was hoping for in a Guinan-meets-the-Doctor story.

Trio: The Musical (Buffy)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 2nd May 2004 (1)
Tags: Short Story
(37K)

Summary: "The real story behind "Once More, With Feeling". Starring everyone's favourite three geeks."

Not only does this have amusing songs, but this behind-the-scenes look at "Once More, With Feeling" actually makes the original make more sense. Recommended.

Once Out of Nature

(1) Incubus (Highlander)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 26th January 2004 (4)
Tags: Novella
(166K)

I found the title of this story confusing, because I couldn't find an Incubus anywhere -- then I looked up the word in the dictionary and found that it had another meaning besides "demon that sleeps with women", and that meaning does fit the story very well: "something that oppresses, worries or disturbs greatly, esp. a nightmare or obsession".

The summary says: "While Duncan is in the monastery, Methos and Cassandra form an uneasy alliance searching in Donan Wood for clues left behind by the old hermit. They find far more than they bargained for." In other words, this is set post-"Archangel".

This is told mostly from Cassandra's point of view, as she has to choose between her friendship with Duncan and her hatred for Methos, while he has to try to persuade her that, yes, he can be trusted, as he needs her help to help Duncan -- to figure out whether he was really seeing a demon, or whether Duncan has finally gone mad.

And then complications ensue.

I like this -- the characterisation of Cassandra manages to strike a strong middle -- neither the loony bent on revenge, nor is she willing to forgive and forget just on the strength of Duncan's word. After all, in her eyes, Methos is the most consumate liar of all time. At the same time, she is trying to overcome her old reactions to him. And the Methos here is good too -- he knows that Cassandra would never believe that he cares, so he just throws on the pragmatism with a trowel.

(2) Transferences (Highlander)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 26th January 2004 (5)
Tags: Novelette
(86K)

Summary: After Morgan Walker's death, Watcher Amy is transferred from field duty to psychiatric studies. In preparing a report on a confessed child killer, she learns the true meaning of the Watcher oath to "observe, record, and never interfere."

This is a sort of tangential sequel to "Incubus" in that it is set later than it (naturally, it's set after "Indescretions") but just follows up on the Watcher character in "Incubus", Andrew Lanart -- as investigated by Amy, Joe's daughter from the episode "Indescretions". This is interesting for its Watcher-centric PoV, with a few more ponderings about what it means to be a Watcher. And we also get to see Methos from Amy's point of view, which is also a treat.

(3) Once Out of Nature (Highlander)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 26th January 2004 (6)
Tags: Novella
Characters: Methos, Cassandra
(145K)

Summary: The Immortals have a new group of deadly enemies: scientific researchers intent on learning their secrets. Now it's Cassandra's turn to ask Methos for help, as she risks her identity and both their lives.

This story is in a couple of different chunks, really; we start off with some nice Cassandra-Duncan interaction, where he talks to her about the events of "To Be, Not To Be", and Cassandra has some troubled thoughts of her own too. Then we have Cassandra asking Methos for help, with all the tension that comes from that. Then we have some Amy PoV, as Methos starts playing games, that only we as the Reader know, because we know things that Amy doesn't. Then we have The Raid, and then we have the Aftermath, in which Methos' plans come together just in time to mess everything up -- almost. One feels as if the author is killing several birds with one stone in this -- but they were worthwhile birds, so even though this could have been broken up into more than one story, it probably works better as one story, since the motivations run as a common thread through it all.

One of the things that gets touched on in this series is the nature of immortals, as to whether they are really human any more, and what that means for them and the mortals in their lives. That's why I decided to pick the last story title "Once Out of Nature" as the title of the series -- the question being, that once an Immortal, could one ever go back, and would one want to? They are "out of nature".

Interesting thoughts.