Mog Recs

The OC: Fic Recs

2005-08-12T20:30:53Z

aflowerinrain
The Complete Book of Questions
Set post-season 2, this is Seth and Ryan dealing with the aftermath of the shooting, with Seth desperately trying to engage Ryan's attention. He ends up buying a copy of The Complete Book of Questions, and the fic centres around a series of questions. I love this, it's full of angst and pain and Seth and Ryan falling in love with each other. A joy.

amerella:
Greetings From Planet Seth
Set in that golden age of OC fic, after the season 1 finale. Ryan's working construction and trying to fix things between him and Theresa and him and Seth. Beautifully written.
Unwritten
Seth's 17 and he's confused and this is perhaps one of the best examples of that in fanfiction I've seen. Zach's confusing him and Summer's confusing him and Ryan's confusing him, and this is just really well written.
Ruin My Life
Sequel to Unwritten, Seth's just as confused and just as secretive. I love the ending and the whole fic is just brilliant.
The Pictures In Your Head
Early season 1 fic set after Luke's shooting. And he's thinking, I'm not going to let this happen, but he doesn't know exactly what he's not going to let happen anymore, and he thinks whatever it is might have already happened, anyway.
Always Take The Weather With You
God. Even in the fics with the happy endings you end up feeling like you've been through the emotional wringer. This is a fantastic future fic, Seth and Ryan going away to university. And Ryan doesn't seem to be speaking to Seth, and Seth finds Anna, and it's just great writing.
Be Brave, Clench Fists
Post season 2 fic, Ryan wants to hurt someone or something, and Seth wants to be let in. Painful.
You Pray For Blindness
Seth deals with the aftermath of Trey's shooting. Includes Seth/Luke. Painful and graceful all at the same time.

Amy [Website]
Do's and Donuts
It's Chrismukkah and Sandy, Kirsten and Ryan aren't feeling Seth's Chrismukkah vibe. Featuring a guest appearance by Santa. Not technically slash but with a great Seth voice.

Bound by Spells:
Lex Fucking Luthor
Cute story where Seth is caught by the parallels between Smallville's Clark and Lex, and his relationship with Ryan. Can't help but think the ending comes along a little quickly and a little too much from nowhere, however.

Candle Beck:
Salvage
Seth forgets his iPod, and calls Ryan to help through the long walk home without noise. Some gorgeous descriptions of Seth, and a genuinely lovely story.

Dira Sudis [Website- Buffy, Due South, House, Stargate and Miscellany.]
In Loco
It's strange, I start off loving this fic, and then I start to hate it half way through. By the end I don't know whether I love it or hate it, but it's not often I have such a strong reaction to anything. I do, however, want to know how Seth and Ryan ended up where they did, how things got so scummy, how things got so black. There's a good Seth voice somewhere there in the dark, and it's harsh to read.
Seth is a junkie, and Seth is a hustler. He's failed even at that, even at selling his ass for smack. He was such a fuckup of a junkie that Ryan had to get him cleaned up, or maybe such a half-assed junkie that he let Ryan get him cleaned up. Either way he's nothing now but the mostly-clean mostly-ex junkie who gives cheap blowjobs in the park and sleeps in Ryan's room.

hackthis:
Telegraph Avenue [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
Entertaining, well researched college fic. Ryan and Seth are at Berkeley when Seth starts seeing Jamie - a great original character - but he doesn't tell Ryan.

lalejandra:
No, For Real This Time, The Best Chrismukkah Ever
There is no questioning the fact that she is one hell of a writer, with a real talent for capturing characters in a few lines. Sometimes I can't help but think she writes a little more harshly than I normally like - and that's what I like about her. This fic is about actions with no verbal resolution - it's longer than her normal stories and it's great. Ryan and Seth don't talk about what they do, and they're surprising Anna in Pittsburgh for Chrismukkah. I love the bowling and the imagery and the fact that this fic has flashes of perfection. [save]

Laura Smith:
Circle
Seth muses on being a geek in Newport, and how things changed when Ryan arrived.

miss_begonia:
And So It Is and part 2
Entertaining future fic. Seth's 24 and working in a bookstore, and Summer persuadeshim to fight for Ryan. I love Ryan and Seth, I really do. They're such a great pairing.
College Universe: Like This
It's Seth's birthday and Ryan is taking him out for a meal. Lots of lovely angst as Seth meditates on his friendship with Ryan, and when it began to change for him. Loads of music references which really helps set the mood, and a great Seth voice. Also a gorgeous first kiss.
College Universe: Like That
Seth's birthday from Ryan's point of view. A particularly interesting piece purely because it uses a lot of the same dialogue - most switching pov stories are content to take it in turns to move the story forwards - this is a lot less common and its really well done.
College Universe: Everybody Was...
Ficlet. Seth's taken Ryan to the Pink Flamingo, and Ryan doesn't want to make a scene. Nice interlude.
College Universe: You Make Me Wanna
Seth and Ryan return to Newport to find an empty house and some whipped cream. Seth has the opportunity to use the phrase 'en flagrante delicto', and Ryan has to sit through a birds and the bees talk from Sandy. Fun. College Universe: Whatever Happens
It's Thanksgiving and Ryan and Seth decide to come out to Kirsten and Sandy. Fun.
Action Figures
Pre-slash? Lovely piece of Seth stream of consciousness, trying to get he and Ryan back on track after the demands of the first season and then Lindsay's departure. Seth wishes Ryan were pocket sized so that Seth could have him with him all the time, watching his back.
Lucky Girl
Future ficlet. A drunk girl tries to pick up Ryan in a bar, but he'd rather go home to Seth. Nice, short, fluff.
Subtext [Seth/Zach, Ryan]
He punches his pillow and throws Captain Oats across the room. Then he goes and picks him up and puts him back on his bedside table and leaves a Cheerio there for him to eat, because he so didn’t deserve that. Seth is out of control. - If there was nothing else good about this fic, this line would make it worthy of reccing. But it is good. It's Seth confusing the subtext and wanting Ryan. One of those fics which would have been great if longer, however.
Reason to Stay [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [Ryan/Seth, Seth/Summer]
Thoroughly entertaining angst-filled future fic. I'm not sure I like Summer's role that much, but that's mostly because I adore Summer. With any well-rounded OC fic you've got to have Seth being over Summer and under Ryan, however, so it's not a criticism of the fic as such. Ryan and Seth have a history, but Seth's married and Ryan's a long way away.
Shiver
Pre-slash ficlet. Seth's been having dreams about being a rock star, and suddenly Ryan's there in his dreams.
Songs about Rainbows
Pre-slash? Ficlet. Set at the end of season two, prior to the shooting, Ryan and Seth think about Kirsten.
The Same, But Different
Pre-slash? Set early season 2, Seth is trying to learn to speak Atwood again, because Ryan's even quieter than before and Seth can't get close enough to find out why.

missdeviant and MollyTM:
Here and There and Everywhere
Utterly stunning, fantastic example of crack!fic. Written mostly in dialogue (so it had a hurdle to overcome there as well, they're not my favourite genre of fic), Seth's re-enacting the battle of Helm's Deep on Ryan's futon using only gummi bears. Brilliant.

MissPamela:
Rent
Entertaining if not particularly realistic hooker fic. Seth gets jumped and Ryan steps in to help. Hooker Ryan. Who Seth then pays to stay for a week. Like I said, entertaining, but no real substance.

MollyTM
War Profit
Seth's got a bad feeling when things start to right in his English class. Then one day a substitute teacher turns up and Seth can't keep his mouth shut. Ryan offers up the odd protective gesture. Lovely and fun and just great.

sdlucly:
And I see you
I have a feeling that if you go into this story thinking it's anything other that an AU then you can't help but feel a slight sense of disappointment about half way through. I started it thinking that it was just an alternative way of getting to the start of the series; Ryan has seen the Cohens before and never mentions it. But it's more than that, it's different to that, it's another way entirely of Ryan getting to the Cohen's house, and it's just gorgeous - especially with the shift in Ryan and Seth's friendship, and the gentle way in which they come together. Lovely.

shelbecat:
Blame the Shirt
Seth's trying to pick a shirt out for his first date with Ryan, and everything's going wrong. Lovely and with a great Seth voice.

shoshannagold:
Meltdown Averted
Normally I'm not a fan of established relationships, especially when it comes to the OC, but this is just gorgeous from start to finish. He traces a hand over Seth's jaw, and thinks about how he didn't know until now that being in love means spending your life with someone who has the same escape plans as you.

snara:
Pulling Through
There aren't many AUs in OC fic, but I've managed to find a few. This is a great example of a good story. It's the late 1930s and Seth's parents are killed in a car crash, leaving Seth in the care of an orphanage a long way from home. He meets Ryan, who befriends him, and Luke, who is out to get him, and it's got all the ingredients for a good ol' piece of fanfic. Seth doesn't know much about falling for other boys, but it seems Ryan does, and they start to get closer and want more from their friendship. It's in ten parts, and the first kiss is just beautiful. Unfortunately, Snara's is an empty journal, and there seems to be no plans for a sequel - which is a damn shame as whilst complete in itself, this fic deserves a follow-up.

Svmadelyn:
Last Paper Bag Standing
Where you are at New Years is where you'll be for the rest of the year... Seth's locked in the pool house with Ryan.

tanizard:
Eventually
Seth has an epiphany... right in the middle of having sex with Summer. A fantastic Seth voice.

thinkpink20:
I'm going to kiss you now
Heartbreaking fic which sees Seth living his life whilst Ryan lives out his. Both married, Seth is still in love with Ryan. There's a reason that she is one of my favourite writers, it's because her writing is perfect and her voices exquisite. A painful joy.
Substitutes
He doesn’t know what Seth would do, how he would help the situation, because it’s usually Ryan doing the saving, but still, he needs someone to save right now. Painful and utterly beautiful.
Notes
Ever such a cute fic which has Seth seducing Ryan through a series of notes. Lovely.
Coming Home [1] [2]
Future fic. Seth and Ryan are both seeing other people, Seth a guy, Ryan a girl, despite the fact that there's still something between them.
Hallelujah
Another future fic. Seth calls on Ryan when he's stuck in Boston. Ryan contemplates coming home. There's something about the voices in these fics, something about the writing which just makes them perfect.
The Seth and Ryan Show
Seth's stuck in bed after Ryan left him alone with a set of weights (bad Ryan) and Seth's grumpy. Lovely.
At the Supermarket
“So I think it’s testimony to our relationship that I still want to have sex with you, even though you’re so strange you made me wait in the car for 30 minutes after telling me you could handle this on your own.” - Seth's trying to buy condoms.

wearemany:
The Difference Between Breaking the Bank and Just Breaking Even and its sequel Everybody's Looking Like the Color of Money [*]
Hustler AU, and quite frankly one of the best pieces of fiction out there, in any fandom. It's certainly the best second person piece of fiction I've ever read - the tone never slips, the pronouns and description and writing are exquisite from start to finish. To quote the author's notes: nothing like an AU to make you really ponder what are immutable characteristics. so seth never had ryan to make him cool, give him confidence, help him get the girl. ryan never had anyone tell him he was allowed to be a kid a while longer. punk also really got me thinking by pointing out that in many big and small ways, The OC is itself an AU -- it's one long series of vignettes of things that happened to ryan atwood because he didn't stay in chino. i tend to think the deciding factor had less to do with geography, and more to do with sandy. - and it's true. Yes, it's a cliche - hustler fics can be found in any fandom, but I've never seen one so beautifully written and so well done.
Unlucky at Pinochle
One of the few fics that came off the back of a video of two emo boys kissing, this is a great little ficlet. Seth's been making bets and losing, and he has to kiss Ryan for two minutes, whilst someone videos them. Great. Hot.

wistful_fever:
Cowardly Acts [2] [3a] [3b] [4]
Angst and first time falling in love - just what I needed. Slightly out of character in that some of their actions and dialogue doesn't entirely ring true, but this really doesn't matter because the story is great. Full of angst and desperation as Seth comes to realise what his feelings for Ryan are all about. Re-ignited my love of good OC fic.

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Boy Meets World: Fic Recs

2005-08-12T20:30:29Z

elskegaderian [Fic journal: dedicaces]
Rewrite the Past
Shawn thinks about what might have been if he'd had his way. Short and really nicely written, with Shawn a lovely mix of bad grades and words. Also love the mention of chocolate cake.

Fabella [wistful_fever, Fics in her memories]
Year Fifteen part one and part two
Shawn has it really bad for Cory, and tries to show him that there can be a life without Topanga. The great thing about this fic is that it really is about teenage boys - it is about fifteen year olds trying to be grown ups and inevitably failing at some points. It's long, it's well written and it's a really good story. Doesn't have them walking off together into the sunset.
Break My Heart, Sometimes
I've read this on more than one occasion in the past, and it's just so thoroughly enjoyable. It's the day of Cory's divorce, and Shawn takes him out to get drunk. One thing that really stands out about this story is that Topanga is only in it for one brief paragraph, and only then as someone watched from afar, but even in that short period she is portrayed beautifully, and it suddenly changes the story from one in which the divorce is merely a mechanism for Shawn and Cory to have sex, into something inevitable and painful and hopeful nonetheless. Lovely.

Prosperina:
Everything is Ok
There's something about this fic, which is so very short, that captures my imagination. Shawn is taking what he can from Cory, because clearly Topanga isn't that sort of girl.

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Black Books: Fic Recs

2005-08-12T20:30:01Z

Elfin: [Website]
After Rowena
There aren't that many good Black Books fics out there. This isn't perfect - in fact some of the descriptions rankle - but the dialogue is good and very much in character.
Black Christmas
Bernard's visited by a badly organised set of ghosts proclaiming to be past, present and future. Again, a credible voice for both Bernard and Manny.

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Lost: Fic Recs

2005-08-12T20:29:30Z

Abstractvision:
Noticing
Shannon begins to notice that there's something going on between Jack and Boone. Written early in the series, this is a nice example of a pairing that never had that much coverage.

corellianjedi:
I Have A Bad Feeling About This
Sawyer-centric piece which sees him grow through a series of foster homes, all the time idolising Han Solo. Insightful and entertaining and true.

foxxcub:
Bedshaped [Jack/Sawyer]
Future fic. Jack's been fighting the cold for two years now. He meets Sawyer in a bar and slips back into an old routine. Gorgeous fic, simple and in character and really rather lovely.

_nimh:
Winds of Change [Ensemble, gen]
Beautifully written, this is a series of unconnected shorts about what happens after they get rescued. Written early in series one, it's got it's canon problems with later episodes, but just reading the last paragraph sorts the whole thing out to fit at any point in the series.

sinaddict:
Like the New Normal [Shannon/Boone, Shannon/Sawyer]
I really like the set up of this fic - it's told in a series of short bursts, flipping backwards to before they got to the island, before sliding right back into canon with ease. She's taken the Boone episode and run with it, setting up a whole world of Shannon and Boone, and it's really very good.

uberaeryn:
The Song Remains the Same [Jack/Sawyer]
Very, very funny piece. The arguing between Sawyer and Jack has dulled from aggression to something else in this. They're arguing about Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, and they're angry and loud and utterly frustrated, and it's really very funny and very well written.

voleuse:
Unmapped and Strange
Future fic with snippets about all the major characters. Although one or two are already out of date due to later season 1 events, this is really good writing, especially insightful in characterisation.

Yahtzee:
Making Do [Boone/Jack]
The story of an obviously straight man, his obviously gay boyfriend, and the law of supply and demand. A pairing I loved, and one that there wasn't enough fic about before it came to its own inevitable end. Boone knows that if they weren't on the island, Jack would never have picked him.

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Lotrips: Fic Recs: Other Pairings

2005-08-12T20:28:52Z

beizy:
Timing [Elijah/Sean Astin]
Moments of brilliance in this fic. Ages and ages ago, it was one of the very first lotrips pieces I ever read, and certainly the first Sean/Elijah. There is a measured quality to much of this fic, which fits in well with its extended time metaphor. Things shift slowly, regularly, and the change in Elijah and Sean's relationship - from the need to count every second to the measure longevity of a future relationship - is really rather lovely. And for some reason, the line that gets me the most is Sean calling Elijah 'kid'. Yes, I know, I don't understand me either.

traveller: [Website - lotrips, pirates, HP]
The King of New Orleans [Viggo/Orlando, Dom/Elijah/Billy, PG-R, AU]
...left me speechless. I was completely blown away by this; the writing, the description, the sheer breadth of the storyline. Cee doesn't put a foot wrong in her writing, this was utter perfection. AU where Viggo's a photographer, drawn into the secret underworld of Orlando and his friends.
The Small Hours [Orlando/Sean Bean]
A fic in three sections; the last section is stunning and exquisite. It's funny how moved I was by this - Orlando has nightmares dating back to the time of his accident, and his only respite is Sean. Beautiful. So Sean fucks him slowly, carefully, lets Orli's tossing head and choking whimpers guide him, hopes he's giving as much as he's taking.

Cimorene:
muertos de sed [Elijah/Daniel Radcliffe, PG]
Beautifully written piece that charters the changing nature of their relationship through the HP years. Stunning.

demelzagirl:
Under Sixteen Girls [Dom/Elijah]
Cresting on the wave of a line, this is a fic about Elijah's secret kink. Dom's teasing Elijah about his young fanbase, and makes a bet with Elijah that he won't respond to Dom pretending to be one of them. Cross dressing, pretend underage sex, mild violence, and it's great.

ingve9:
Dogpile [no link available at the moment] [Billy/Orlando, Elijah/Sean Astin]
Dogpile is what it is, and they’re content to let it be so: the privilege and prerogative of callow youth; charming, touching, even, but fundamentally immature. Gorgeous fic that deserves its reputation throughout fandom. Even though the idea of sleeping so close to someone else for the entire night is relatively alien to me (I like my own space after a bit, thank you very much) there is something about this story that makes me ache for both friends like this, and the closeness that pervads every moment of this story. A delight, and Meg is sadly missed.

kraken_wakes:
The Aphrodisiac Qualities of Ditches [Dom/Orlando]
Beautifully written, excellently captured, fantastically funny bit of NZ boy sex from Emma. Orlando looks forward to walking home from the pub with Dom; they're looking at the stars and Orlando falls in a ditch. One of my favourites.

lalejandra:
Even [Elijah/Hannah]
And Hannah is like, fuck you, you fucking fake-ass wannabe rock star, and Lij is like, fuck you too, you fucking hanger-on, and Hannah is like, I fucking hate you, and Lij is like, I hate you too, and then they have sex. - Captures the voices beautifully. Mindblowing.
Fill in the Blanks [Elijah/Hannah]
What she really misses is the knowing. He used to know her. Hannah used to know him. There were no secrets or lies, because there was no need for them. There were other people in their lives, but nothing and no one came between them. Then everything did. - Hannah paints her keyboard and thinks of what came before.
Like, Whatever [Elijah/Hannah, Hannah/Josh Hartnett, Elijah/Josh]
Hannah is so real in these stories; she's three dimensional in the space of a few paragraphs. Excellent.
Once: Blind. Now: See. [Elijah/Hannah, Elijah/Dom, Elijah/Billy, Dom/Hannah, Billy/Hannah]
The joy of lalejandra's writing is that they're all so fucked up. It's real and it's great and it's captured life in a few short paragraphs.

Lemur: [website]
Billy's Best...: Date, Kiss, Bleep, Bath, Snuggle, Break, Pull: [1], [2], [3], Devil. Impromptu Fish Party, Fight, Second Date: [1], [2], Best Friend [Billy/Orlando, incomplete]
My all-time favourite fic ever. Mind-blowingly hot sex, brilliant dialogue and thought processes - the story is told entirely from Billy's point of view and all the reader knows about Orlando is what Billy admits to knowing. This is warm and funny and hot and excrutiatingly addictive. A joy from beginning to incomplete end, although the latest chapter is by far the weakest.

minervacat:
you're great on the highway [Orlando]
Orlando drives across America, just him and his dog. Beautiful and lyrical.

pippinmctaggart:
Not Yet [Billy/OFC, incomplete]
Gorgeous, warm, lovely fic with one of the most warmly crafted original characters I've seen. It's incredibly easy to fall in love with both Billy and Grace in this. A joy.

vensre:
Panchromatic [Elijah/Sean A, poss. Billy/Dom]
Stunning piece of writing. Viggo holds a paint party, and Sean starts to paint Elijah. Beautiful.

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