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

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

(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:

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)
ragingpixie (see her site)
vamphile
suzvoy
justvisiting (visitingagain)
bdeviled (especially her A Love That Will Never Grow Old)
Jealous Lover by kinwad
Not My Boyfriend by lindtti
The Break-Up by moonbrightnites
kachelofen
Only Time series by xie_xie_xie (which include Plans, Decisions, Desires, Risks, Famlies, Bieliefs and Directions)
justinlovesart
besame_bj (and beyond_besame, semi-locked, to read some fics you have to be added to the community or friended at the main journal)
severina (especially her Gold and Silver Shines)
netfics (locked, requires being friended)
yoursweater (her stories can be found at queerasfandom, which is locked)
Glowing Rooms by ohmyjetsabel
not-yet-defined
jule1122
testdog65
luceononuro (see her memories; unfortunately, her stories are f-locked)
bigboobedcanuck see her memories
adoringaudience
Sesto's Aria by seperis
darksylvia (see her memories)
In Paris by scoobygang8
Work Inside Out by Keewick
Metamorphosis bynightvision55
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.)
windtossed
gradiva
The Untitled Straight!Brian Fic or Conviction by alantie
ellyrianna
burnitbackwards
josselin (see her site, thanks to the Wayback Machine)
xhaleslowly (also known as Ethan, who has his own site)
Brian Like Me by sweetestdrain
flashfly (especially her Catching Fire, Live Action Short and Reliquary; more can be found in her memories)

And my contribution:

soundczech (see her site, thanks to the Wayback Machine)
etharei at rei_of_writing
mojokid (see her tags)
throughadoor (see her site)
sakesushimaki
museme87

Hopefully, to be continued!

Comments

[lanbeo.livejournal.com]

Fics by ragingpixie and myrna1_2_3 pop out of my head whenever I think of In Character fics.

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

Seconded! Even when Myrna herself admitted that she's not a fan of a canon Brian, she did manage to write him in character... Just a little less destructive and hateful. And I enjoyed Raginpixie's stuff immensely.

Thank you!

[chloris01.livejournal.com]

If you want strict charaterization then 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

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

I actually haven't read that one! Thank you :)

[chloris01.livejournal.com]

The break Up, by 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 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.

[swallow79.livejournal.com]

LOVE the Break Up!

[swallow79.livejournal.com]

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.

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad to see that people get involved in making such a list :) Somebody made a similar post, compiling all Other Character POV fics - which are one of my biggest kinks - in a neat list with links and all, and it was extremely helpful. I think that in character fics deserve something similar.

I have to admit, I actually hate most "anti" stories, but anti-Michael are one of those that piss me off the most. I know that Michael tends to be prissy and petty and generally annoying, but underneath it all, he's such a good and caring person. He's also like, the only one from the gang that felt even a little responsible for Justin at the very beginning of the show, and that was when he was crazily jealous of him. I think that speaks more about him than everything he ever said.

Anti-Ethan stories... It depends. I've read quite a few, but I didn't enjoy them as much as I thought I would. In the end, I found myself wanting to read something where Ethan and Justin break up not because of the out-of-blue cheating (like, huh?) but just because. I really wish that the writers handled Ethan differently. He was a very big break-through for both Justin and Brian, but I believe there could be much more interesting, angsty material when he was involved.

Sorry for the rant, I get like that a lot :) And thank you for the rec! If you have a link to this story somewhere, it would make it much easier for me to later put it on the list :)

[sandraj60.livejournal.com]

"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?

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

No, no, sorry, I must have phrased it wrong. It's about the way he's sometimes written, that I don't buy. (Two much season 1 and 2 fluff, I guess :) And in the end, Justin does say that Brian kinda wasn't himself...? Still, I don't want to argue, I really would like everyone to rec what they feel is in character for, well, the characters. Um, don't mind my own preferences, I'm one of those readers who live for angst ;)

[sandraj60.livejournal.com]

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/

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

I wanted to read her fics but I don't post on my journal (I'm using it only for managing communities and commenting on fanfiction), so I unfortunately don't fit the requirements... Still, I downloaded that one story she wrote from GIH 4-Shared Fic Folder and I'll certainly include her in the links later :) Thank you!

ETA: Huh, it seems that some stories are now unlocked. Not all of them but it's something :)

[tubazrcool.livejournal.com]

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.

[mmmorpheusq.livejournal.com]

Severina, especially GOLD AND SILVER SHINES, a long, wonderful Post S5 fic.

http://severina2001.livejournal.com/151625.html

[xie-xie-xie.livejournal.com]

I absolutely adore Severina's fic, and agree it's EXTREMELY in character!

[netlagd.livejournal.com]

I consider my fics to be in Character, though most of what I write is AU or post 513

I have several long and multi-chapter fics, as well as many one offs.

For those who would like to read fic written by me, follow info below:

yadda, yadda, yadda - must be friended on netfics.livejournal.com to read it
yadda, yadda, yadda - send an PM to my netfics account to get friended
yadda, yadda, yadda - instructions here: http://netfics.livejournal.com/6838.html
yadda, yadda, yadda - PM link here: http://netfics.livejournal.com/profile

Please don't friend me at my netlagd account - that's not where my fic is

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[nightvision55.livejournal.com]

I always find Suzvoy's stories very in character, And Yoursweater too

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

Added yoursweater, since suzvoy was already on the list :)

[sungaizing85.livejournal.com]

Deffo Brian IC and even Justin though he is suffering from post bashing it this awesome WIP fic Glowing Rooms by Oh My Jetsabel (http://ohmyjetsabel.livejournal.com/726.html) - AMAZING! LEGENDARY WRITING!

I love it oh so frekaing much. In fact, i don't recall anyting that was so IC regarding Brian in all the fics I ever read (and it must have been over 300 by now)

[kat-us.livejournal.com]

thank you for the rec. She is a fabulous writer and will be ranked with the best of them. I normally avoid WIP's but I was hooked after one chapter, but she posts frequently and there are only 2 more chapters to go.

This fandom has the best damn writers anywhere. *nods head*

[xie-xie-xie.livejournal.com]

Three authors not yet mentioned:

jule1122, not_yet_defined, and testdog65. All three write very, very in-character fic.

not-yet-defined's fic:
http://not-yet-defined.insanejournal.com/186401.html

Jule's fic in in her memories:
http://www.insanejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=jule1122

testdog's fic, also in her memories:
http://www.insanejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=testdog65

I also have to second, third, and fourth ragingpixie, who is one of my very, very favorite QAF authors. I think luceononuro also wrote beautiful and IC fic.

bigboobedcanuck is a brilliant author, and I think her stuff set during canon is screamingly IC. I go around and around about her characterizations in her post-513, also some of my favorite fics. She probably softened Brian too much. I still just could eat that shit on toast for breakfast every day. ;)

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I do recognize these authors but I don't think I've actually got to reading their stuff.

Ah, bigboobedcanuck! I read her Veronica Mars fics, once upon a time :) She was one of my favourites authors in that fandom, to be quite honest. I've read some of her QAF one-shots, I think, and I liked them.

Hee, so much reading! Thank you very much!

[rockie2010.livejournal.com]

adoringaudience (http://adoringaudience.livejournal.com/47369.html#cutid1)

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I haven't read anything this author wrote :)

[sandraj60.livejournal.com]

Sesto's Aria:

http://seperis.illuminatedtext.com/other/sestosaria.html

It was rec'd to me by MissTeaCakes. If that story isn't canon, I don't know what is.

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

If that story isn't canon, I don't know what is.

Truer words, never spoken. My first Ethan-centered fic and the best one, I fic. It really does justice to his character, doesn't bash him and provides a great outside POV for Justin and Brian's relationship.

[xie-xie-xie.livejournal.com]

darksylvia

http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=darksylvia&keyword=QAF%20fic%20by%20me&filter=all

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

I love her stuff! Domestic Tranquility is pure love (Hunter is my major kink, if a whole character even can be a kink, but whatever), but the other fics are great, too :)

[sungaizing85.livejournal.com]

OMG, I just remembered this one from my fave QAF fic list

In Paris by scoobygang8 (http://scoobygang8.livejournal.com/tag/in%20paris)

Only one part is missing in action...dunno if it's ever gonna be posted...does anyone know? or know the author? I think she kind of dissapeared? Maybe?

I love it so much, I think it's pretty IC but Brian has just finished his cancer ordeal and is a bit softer...I LOVE IT TO PIECES!!!!!!!

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

Ooh YES. AU, B/J meeting post-cancer. LOVE. Sadly I'm pretty sure Jules has left fandom and I doubt we'll ever get the last part out of her. But it ends in a good place, IIRC?

[sungaizing85.livejournal.com]

Oh, is it just me or nobody mentioned Keewick?

Tsk tsk tsk...what kind of readers are we? If this isn't IC for Brian and Justin, I don't what is to quote Sandra. Here is the link to the one, the only Keewick's Work Inside Out. Keewick surrpassed Cowlip in portrayl of Brian as Justin travels back in time to the day when he lost his virginity to Brian (in my humble opinion). It's so sad, so funny and soooo brilliant and so shocking (I am not gonna say which three things will blow your freaking mind...mwhahahaha)!!!

WORK INSIDE OUT by Keewick (http://web.archive.org/web/20080605004108/http://www.queereyes.net/workinsideout_01.html)

Have a blast! tehehe

[nightvision55.livejournal.com]

I guess I'll pimp one of my own that I'm very fond of ... it's not set in any particular season, although it's post-Ethan. I think it's pretty much in character, and it's Metamorphosis, here:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5457725/1/Metamorphosis

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

Added! :)

[court1429.livejournal.com]

One of the best writers I know is flashfly, and I can't rec her fics highly enough.

Catching Fire (http://flashfly.livejournal.com/8265.html) and Live Action Short (http://flashfly.livejournal.com/27177.html) are just two examples of Jude's amazing, completely in-character, totally attuned ear for dialogue fics. And Reliquary (http://flashfly.livejournal.com/50664.html). If it's not the best drabble I've ever read, it's in the top five.

Check her Memories (http://flashfly.livejournal.com/50664.html) and read every word she's written!

[brokeaholic.livejournal.com]

How did I NEVER read her fics before?!?!?

Thank you so much for reccing them. :D

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

I made a "recs: big damn IC! list" tag :) lol

[court1429.livejournal.com]

where would we be without you? In the dumper, that's where! ♥s you sooooo hard!

[astroella.livejournal.com]

I love this story. Even with the outlandish premise, they're still in character. http://sweetestdrain.livejournal.com/106399.html

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

I've read it yesterday, if you could believe it and yes, it's great! Sweestdrain has an amazing sense of humour and catches the characters' voices perfectly :)

[vlredreign.livejournal.com]

WHY ISN'T ETHAN, AKA XHALESLOWLY, NOT ON THIS REC LIST!?!?!? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!?!?!?!

Ethan's LJ (http://xhaleslowly.livejournal.com/")

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

IT IS NOW, THE IMPOSSIBILITY HAS BEEN DEALT WITH, THANKS :D

[lougenessis.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've died and gone to heaven!!!!!!!!

[fictionbycereza.livejournal.com]

I'm glad this took off so well! This fandom is absolutely incredible and all the people who took their time and linked to IC!fanfics have my eternal gratitude :)

In Character Fiction

[galeandrandy.livejournal.com]

Mostly now my writing is in character or as close to canon as possible. I no longer care to read much OOC nor care to write OOC stories, (which sucks when you're writing a sequel to one that was OOC) and I find keeping in character in an AU to be challenging but worth the effort as an author. Yes, everyone has their own version and it may take authors some time to find their way to canon but it is definitely worth it.
Linking to long fics since I think that's what you're looking for: (All WIPS will be completed by June)

Credence ~ AU ~ Friendship Fic ~ Wip (http://galeandrandy.livejournal.com/207613.html)

Endeavor ~ AU ~ Workplace & Friendship Fic ~ Complete (http://galeandrandy.livejournal.com/157125.html)

For Richer or For Poorer ~ Hustler Justin Fic ~ Forced Marriage Fic ~ Complete (http://galeandrandy.livejournal.com/162736.html)

The Heavy Series ~ Post Series ~ Comedic Parenting of a Dog & Child Fic ~ Complete (http://galeandrandy.livejournal.com/164231.html)

The Rhapsody Series -Tenebrosity ~ Post Series ~ Brian, Justin & their family dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy that happened to them three years ago (http://galeandrandy.livejournal.com/207685.html)

For short fics any at my master list except (Point of View and Ardor are In character)
GaleandRandy Master Fiction Index (http://galeandrandy.livejournal.com/166158.html)
()

I wish I hadn't already read everything on the list and I know there are some more not mentioned and I was going to post the ones I have categorized on my kindle but it's not working. :( IC fics seem to be in too short of supply over the course of BJfic, I guess that's why I'm so determined now to produce it.

Enjoy all your reading,
Rory

Re: In Character Fiction

[love4movies.livejournal.com]

You don't mention whether Tenebrosity is still WIP or not and your last chapter has been looooong ago. So, is it now officially AWIP? :/