Sympathetic to Brian

[colormecrazy-9.livejournal.com]

***RECS*** pretty please with Strawberries on top (Cherry's make me gag)

I want some good stories (preferably longer ones) that are more sympathetic to Brian. I don't want Justin bashing, and fully understand that Brian could be pretty crappy to him. But the majority of the stories I read blame Brian for everything, like he is just a huge a**hole who doesn't care what happens to those around him, and then when reading a story and the author makes Brian do something jerky (and lets face it, it's kind of a requirement for a QaF story) all the comments are all "Oh poor Justin, such a saint for putting up with that A**hole!) I some how always want to smack them and say "HEY! What about Brian, they're are generally good reasons for the A**holishness."

Oh, and I'm all for stories that have Justin defending Brian, or understanding why he does what he does (because he's "on to him")

Thanks a bunches

Comments

[court1429.livejournal.com]

What in the world are you reading?! lol *tries to think of fics that aren't Brian-friendly* *can't*

[sodoesrachael.livejournal.com]

Same here... o.O

[colormecrazy-9.livejournal.com]

I was reading this story the other day and the author was being very neutral in the Brian vs. Justin thing and then I read the comments, and they were all like "Brian's such an a**hole, blah blah blah" and the author tells them they aren't reading carefully enough Brian is actually being nice (in his Brian way), and I realized that all the stories I had read recently had all been like that! I'm not saying they are all like that

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

No, you're right, there are quite a few :-b

[vlredreign.livejournal.com]

Ditto.

[moveforever.livejournal.com]

Kid by besame_bj
http://besame-bj.livejournal.com/12544.html
It's flocked,but...)))

[ayesakara.livejournal.com]

It seems to me that you're not reading the right stories. I have a reccing comm at qaf_faves, perhaps you'll like some of the stuff there. :)

[ayesakara.livejournal.com]

Oh and p.s. don't worry about what anyone else thinks, i.e. comments to a story. All that matters is what *you* think. ;)

[bidyke73.livejournal.com]

I'd rather say that some fics make Brian kind of a saint. But it's not better to make Justin the saint either, or to make Michael the villain, which is also very popular in fandom. The recs will hopefully point you to the right fics.

[teatotaller.livejournal.com]

Have you read wren_kt70z? I find her to be an author that writes very sympathetic Brian. He's still his sarcastic, no bullshit self. But he's not stuck in S1.

besame_bj is also a good choice for an author who has a good grip on Brian as a nuanced character.


That Happy Feeling (http://qaf-fic.com/atp/viewstory.php?sid=8519&warning=NC-17) by Rizabeau has a Brian who stands up for what he wants.

And it's a wip but Choices (http://england13.livejournal.com/tag/choices) by england13 is sympathetic to the entire gang. And it makes you feel sooooo good!

[colormecrazy-9.livejournal.com]

thank you oh so very much. I was starting to get frustrated with the people just telling me that i wasn't reading the right stories...well duh! I wouldn't be asking if I was fully satisfied with what I was reading.

I'm apparently having a Brian kind of day and not taking any bullshit.

[teatotaller.livejournal.com]

I think that stories flow. I can read story after story that might have a little too much anti-Michael in them for example. Or I'll read a bunch of stories that are a bit too cynical as to the state of Brian and Justin's relationship post 513. I then have to go read one of my tried and true happy place stories to cleanse the palate and change the direction.

[deviant-queen.livejournal.com]

Haha, seems like more people are interested in telling you you're not right about the stories you have read than offering any recs. To get those out of the way, try stories by blissink and ryosato, two amazing writers that I'm very into right now. Just check out the tags on their journals. My favorites are One Love and Love Remains by blissink and All's Fair (WIP) by ryosato, but all of their stories are great and they're very Brian friendly. :)

I completely agree that the fandom is generally verrrrrry Justin-friendly over Brian (no to mention anti-Michael, which is annoying in itself), even if they don't realize it. Even die-hard Brian fans write things that make him out to be more of an asshole than he actually was. At first I thought they were just overemphasizing his snarky attitude and general negativity on the show in order to be "cannon", but the solution I've come to is that even the series was a little anti-Brian. Yes, he was the favorite character of many a fan, but it was mostly in spite of his asshole moves. People were able to see another side of him that even the other characters on the show didn't, and that's what attracted some people.

Brian was always put forth as the asshole and sometimes treated kind of shitty by the other characters despite everything he's done for all of them...but in return, he treated them kind of shitty too (especially Michael) because of his own deeper issues, which I think should have been addressed a little more. But ANYWAYS, I do understand what you mean, and it's nice to read stories that don't label him as an all-around dick, which he wasn't. :)

[colormecrazy-9.livejournal.com]

First of all, thank you very much for the recs and I will go check them out.

And the whole thing about the viewers were able to see the good things in Brian that the other characters, that's is the advantage of an omniscient viewer, we get to see everything and therefore have all the facts. But I fully agree with everything you said. This is a very Justin friendly fandom not that their is anything wrong with Justin or anything, I love him just as much as Brian.

[vlredreign.livejournal.com]

I saw in a comment that you said it was frustrating when people said you were reading the wrong thing. That's because we're wanting to know where you've been getting your recs.

You want strong Brian without much character bashing of others? Read the following authors, whose fics are either on LJ, or a website other than BJFic:

bigboobedcanuck, ragingpixie, vamphile, xie_xie_xie, burnitbackwards, jane2005, rhiannonhero...okay, that's a good start. Doesn't matter which stories you read, all are in character, all tend to write long stories (there are several series here) and all of these writers are among the most respected. And there are more, many more.

Check out the Queer Eyes link on the side, click the B/J Fics link, and start at A.

[simplystars.livejournal.com]

Check out the Queer Eyes link on the side, click the B/J Fics link, and start at A.

God, yes. I haven't been in QAF long, butI looked there pretty much from the first (well, crack_van too, and rec50) and I can't think of a single fic there that isn't amazing. o_O

[colormecrazy-9.livejournal.com]

I don't mind a little character bashing and giving Brian a little hell, but the show categorized him as the protagonist and sometimes he feels more like an antagonist.

And most of the stories I have read have just been of my own browsing of the fandom

[court1429.livejournal.com]

In addition to the specific authors rec'd to you here, and qaf_faves, and Queer Eyes, which are linked on the Sidebar, check out qaf_retread (also linked on the Sidebar); it's a comm of fandom classics. I'd also recommend all of severina2001's and suzvoy's fics. There is a lot of well-written fic in this fandom; you have lots to look forward to!