ext_30957 ([identity profile] fictionbycereza.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] getithere2012-03-25 05:55 pm
Entry tags:

Brian and Justin in character (for Queer As Folk purists everywhere)

(I tried to find a similar post but there is no such tag. The closest thing was somebody asking if some specific fanfics are in character and this is what actually gave me the idea to file such request.)

There are many fanfics out there - epic in proportions, well-written, with great plots. But I have to admit that many of them, even those considered must reads and classics - give me a feeling of OOC-ness. There's Brian - nice and affectionate in a schmoopy way, not afraid of commitment. There's Justin - pliant and a completely damsel in distress-like, letting others abuse and manipulate him. There's evil and plotting Michael that actively tries to break Justin and Brian up... No matter that according to canon!Brian, there's nothing to break up. There's even more evil Ethan, Mel and Lindsay being such bad mothers that their children have to be taken away and even though all of those plots are fun to play with, they're not very much true to the characters from the show.

So I was thinking about compiling a list of stories and authors, that could be considered QAF purists when it comes to characterization. No matter if it's a gap-filler, or an AU story, I just need something to sooth my QAF withdrawal, something that will really feel like the show.

I trust your judgement, even though I'm aware that people can feel very differently about some stories. It doesn't matter, I still want your opinion! (After a while, I'll compile your recs into a nice list and put it in this post, under the cut).

Here are all authors and stories mentioned in the comments. I personally do not choose from them, leaving it to you to decide if you think they write in character or don't:

[livejournal.com profile] myrna1_2_3 (with caution that the author herself does not consider her portrayal of Brian as being in character, but it is perceived that way by some readers)
[livejournal.com profile] ragingpixie (see her site)
[livejournal.com profile] vamphile
[livejournal.com profile] suzvoy
[livejournal.com profile] justvisiting ([livejournal.com profile] visitingagain)
[livejournal.com profile] bdeviled (especially her A Love That Will Never Grow Old)
Jealous Lover by [livejournal.com profile] kinwad
Not My Boyfriend by [livejournal.com profile] lindtti
The Break-Up by [livejournal.com profile] moonbrightnites
[livejournal.com profile] kachelofen
Only Time series by [livejournal.com profile] xie_xie_xie (which include Plans, Decisions, Desires, Risks, Famlies, Bieliefs and Directions)
[livejournal.com profile] justinlovesart
[livejournal.com profile] besame_bj (and [livejournal.com profile] beyond_besame, semi-locked, to read some fics you have to be added to the community or friended at the main journal)
[livejournal.com profile] severina (especially her Gold and Silver Shines)
[livejournal.com profile] netfics (locked, requires being friended)
[livejournal.com profile] yoursweater (her stories can be found at [livejournal.com profile] queerasfandom, which is locked)
Glowing Rooms by [livejournal.com profile] ohmyjetsabel
not-yet-defined
jule1122
testdog65
[livejournal.com profile] luceononuro (see her memories; unfortunately, her stories are f-locked)
[livejournal.com profile] bigboobedcanuck see her memories
[livejournal.com profile] adoringaudience
Sesto's Aria by [livejournal.com profile] seperis
[livejournal.com profile] darksylvia (see her memories)
In Paris by [livejournal.com profile] scoobygang8
Work Inside Out by Keewick
Metamorphosis by[livejournal.com profile] nightvision55
So We'll Go No More A Roving by... Author unknown! (If you do know who wrote that one, please, comment below and I'll edit this link.)
[livejournal.com profile] windtossed
[livejournal.com profile] gradiva
The Untitled Straight!Brian Fic or Conviction by alantie
[livejournal.com profile] ellyrianna
[livejournal.com profile] burnitbackwards
[livejournal.com profile] josselin (see her site, thanks to the Wayback Machine)
[livejournal.com profile] xhaleslowly (also known as Ethan, who has his own site)
Brian Like Me by [livejournal.com profile] sweetestdrain
[livejournal.com profile] flashfly (especially her Catching Fire, Live Action Short and Reliquary; more can be found in her memories)

And my contribution:

[livejournal.com profile] soundczech (see her site, thanks to the Wayback Machine)
[livejournal.com profile] etharei at [livejournal.com profile] rei_of_writing
[livejournal.com profile] mojokid (see her tags)
[livejournal.com profile] throughadoor (see her site)
sakesushimaki
[livejournal.com profile] museme87

Hopefully, to be continued!

[identity profile] lanbeo.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Fics by [livejournal.com profile] ragingpixie and [livejournal.com profile] myrna1_2_3 pop out of my head whenever I think of In Character fics.

[identity profile] chloris01.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
If you want strict charaterization then [livejournal.com profile] bdeviled wrote the perfect 6th season, Brian and Justin are very much IC. The same for the others characters, because the story gives many POV. One of my favorite of all times !
http://bdeviled.livejournal.com/988.html

[identity profile] chloris01.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 04:16 pm (UTC)(link)
The break Up, by [livejournal.com profile] moonbrightnites It's a post 513 story, with Gus's POV. Brian and Justin's relationship is writting in very realistic way. Brian is prfectly IC, and the ending makes sense. : http://moonbrightnites.livejournal.com/7407.html

And you can choose all [livejournal.com profile] kachelofen stories. It's amazing how she manages to put Brian and Justin in any kind of AU, and stays ALWAYS IC ! It's brilliant.
Edited 2012-03-25 16:16 (UTC)

[identity profile] lanbeo.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 04:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, the fact that she didn't like Brian (or even Justin) is really funny but I think her Brian is what Brian should be after 3-4 years on air. I'm so tired of that over-hill-club-boy image CowLip built for him.

[identity profile] swallow79.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 04:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Great idea. I like to read stuff that is canon based and in character too. I'm not a big fan of anti-Michael fics, even when he's annoying he serves a purpose. That being said, anti-Ethan fics can be fun sometimes since he did turn out to be a dick. I think Xie's Only Time series is really great for being in character, I'm really looking forward to it being finished.

[identity profile] swallow79.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 04:36 pm (UTC)(link)
LOVE the Break Up!

[identity profile] sandraj60.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 04:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"There's Brian - nice and affectionate, not afraid of commitment, even becoming monogamous."

I don't get it. Isn't that what Brian became when he asked Justin to marry him and when he turned down the bachelor party favor? Is it that you don't want any fic that deals with the last season 3 (not sure how many) episodes?

[identity profile] chloris01.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 04:46 pm (UTC)(link)
I remember another story IC and canon (between 208-215) : Hey, Jealous lover, by [livejournal.com profile] kinwad. Wonderfully written.
http://kinfic2.livejournal.com/38536.html#cutid1

[identity profile] sandraj60.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 05:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay then, Besame is considered by some to be the Angst Queen. Her stories are very well written and most appear very much in character. Try her Mirror universe. You have to befriend her to read her fics.

http://besame-bj.livejournal.com/

[identity profile] lanbeo.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 05:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[livejournal.com profile] vamphile [livejournal.com profile] suzvoy and [livejournal.com profile] justvisiting a.k.a [livejournal.com profile] visitingagain is my fav as well!!!

[identity profile] chloris01.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Why don't you post this on your LJ? You could talk about the fics you read, you loved...Make a list of your favorites QaF stories.

[identity profile] tubazrcool.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Sounds like a great idea, but I don't read near enough QAF fic as opposed to other fandoms (probably because the ones I've read are OOC) - I will definitely check back here later to see the recs.

[identity profile] michele659.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 06:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Myrna did love Justin-she said so many times. She "loved to torture him" too,lol-mostly because she liked writing Brian's reaction to these things(according to her journal and from what I've read from comments she responded to and from the old "What Love Means" site.)

I agree with you. She wrote Brian as he would be if he actually grew out of the club boy image.

[identity profile] michele659.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
I like that they become actual partners in her stories and that they both want the same things,with a bit of compromise on both parts.
It's so much better than reading stories where Justin is the submissive person in the relationship,just going along with whateever Brian wanted.
I don't think that the idea of them being monogamous in the future is necessarily OOC. There are a lot of people like Brian who do eventually decide to be with one person as they get older. Few people are exactly as they were when they were in their 20's and 30's,in spite of Lindsay's calling Brian Peter Pan I think that would include Brian,jmo.

[identity profile] michele659.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 06:32 pm (UTC)(link)
That was one of my problems with the ending. The writers went way OTT because they were mocking the fans desire to see Brian and Justin end up together. And Judtin saying in the end that Brian wasn't himself was just another way to make Justin seem like he didn't know what he wanted(something the writers did from the time Justin and Brian reunited in S3)and keep Brian the single club boy he was in the beginning. The fact is they could've shown the two of them committing without all the OTT stuff and it would've been a much more satisfying ending.
I like justinlovesart's stories because she does show them in character,with both characters growing and Justin not EVER being the "damsel in distress" that he often is in other stories(,or a doormat or someone who worships Brian and comes to think everything Brian says is right). You can find her stories on bjfic. I'm not sure where else they're located.

[identity profile] ipitydaf00l.livejournal.com 2012-03-25 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Not that I know what either [livejournal.com profile] chloris01 or even [livejournal.com profile] besame_bj's ideas/feelings on the matter are, but the idea I got from [livejournal.com profile] chloris01's comment was meant it would open your LJ up a bit by stating that you don't really post anything, but you are a reader of QAF. That way if you haven't yet, you could contact [livejournal.com profile] besame_bj and ask to be friended and start with fanfic that is unlocked and work your way through them.

That was going to be my question to you earlier was to ask if you've ever talked to [livejournal.com profile] besame_bj about friending you, but figured she might pop up on this thread at some point.

It's a thought at least. Hell, she tolerates me and I don't even read fanfic at this point in time. :)

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