TGIF!

[rusty_halo]

Queer as Folk fic doesn't seem to be working for me. Probably because most fic is a reflection of the genre of the show itself: schmoopy soapy goo, or melodramatic soapy goo. Ick. I don't like schmoop at all, and I like my angst violent and fucked-up, not melodramatic and ridiculous. *sigh*

The other problem is with pairing. I haven't found a single Brian & Michael friendship story that captured the characters, was written well, and was interesting. And when it comes to relationships, well, Brian/Justin is hot, but their relationship is completely uninteresting to me. And Brian/Michael is incredibly interesting, but not at all hot.

I've enjoyed a few stories, but entirely because the authors are so good that they can make anything work. And (big surprise) they're all authors I know from Buffy fandom, and have in fact archived on my website: Mint Witch, Valerie, Rachel Anton. They all write Brian well, which is great to read. But, alas, I'm just never going to be into the Brian/Justin thing.

The exception to all this is Chase's story. By moving Brian (and Michael, sort of) into the Angelverse, she has free reign to bring in all the violent and supernatural stuff that I love. Plus, she gets rid of Justin (yay!) and makes the angsty stuff about Brian/Michael (yay!). Plus it's also just a really good story; I've probably gotten more enjoyment out of it than I've gotten from the actual show.

So is there any other writers I should be reading? Anyone out there at all who writes dark/angsty/violent Brian/Michael, well?

*sigh*

Yeah, didn't think so.

(I'm such a picky reader. Years of reading almost literally every Spike fic I could find have left me with very little tolerance for bad writing. Misspelled word, cheesy line, too much exposition? Nope, sorry, not wasting my time by reading further. I probably close 90% of the stories I start after the first paragraph. Looking through general QaF archives has reminded me of how lucky we were in Spike fandom, and how much of the vast majority of fanfic sucks.)

Your Birthdate: June 29

Your birthday on the 29th adds a tone of idealism to your nature. You are imaginative and creative, but rather uncomfortable in the business world. You are very aware and sensitive, with outstanding intuitive skills and analytical abilities. The 29 reduces to 11, one of the master numbers which often produces much nervous tension. This is the birthday of the dreamer rather than the doer. You do, however, work very well with people.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

This could all be true, except that last line which is definitely bullshit. "Does not work well with others" is one of those defining Laura traits.

Tonight, jaydk and I are going to dinner and then seeing Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'm looking forward to it, though it's gotten mixed reviews. The last time I read the book, I was probably no more than 12, so hopefully I won't remember enough to be disappointed at whatever's lacking.

Tomorrow I'm getting my hair cut. I'm thinking about maybe getting bangs. (I think the last time I had bangs, I was 9.) I feel the need for a change, though. Plus my hair currently looks terrible, the way it's grown out.

Then tomorrow I'm going to see Audioslave. I've never heard them; guess I ought to pick up a CD tonight. All I know is that Chris Cornell sings, and one of the great unresolved issues of my life is the fact that I never saw Soundgarden live. (They were one of my all-time favorite bands.) So I couldn't resist this opportunity, even if it's not really the same thing.

Comments

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

I'm having the same problem finding decent Brian/Michael fic. And I'm so very sick of reading Brian/Justin.

I totally agree about the darkness of Brian/Michael. I guess part of my problem finding good fic is that I like darkness--it's part of life, it's real, it's interesting. I don't think the goal of every story out there should be to "fix" everything, get Brian to "talk about his feelings" and put him on Prozac and marry him off. Real life isn't so simple or easily resolved, and good stories can show real relationships that aren't perfect, real people with real problems that can't be resolved, but who still manage to live their lives anyway. And that's a hell of a lot more interesting than some perfect little fantasy.

And well, also, I like the angst, and when you get down to it, Brian/Michael is so angst-ridden. Like you said, the mind games and possessiveness and co-dependency. I probably wouldn't be interested if that's all there was, but combine that fucked-up-ness with the genuine love that's all mixed in and you get something so interesting and real.

I'm always more fascinated by beautiful things that arise in the midst of darkness, rather than just beautiful things on their own. Something about the contrast, or the realism, or that it's more of a struggle, I'm not sure. But I think the way that Brian and Michael connect so deeply, despite all their problems and issues, is really lovely to see.

Heh. And I do agree completely with how you imagine them apart--Michael in Deb's basement and Brian dead. (I'm astounded by how easily Brian/Justin writers just cluelessly dismiss the importance of those two to each other.)

[chase820.livejournal.com]

I don't think a relationship has to be between two normal, well-adjusted people to work, either. (As if anybody really knows what "normal" and "well-adjusted" means, anyway.)

Sometimes, a good relationship is all about two people's various neuroses meshing perfectly. Adults so rarely change their basic personalities after age 21, it's silly to become involved with someone simply for their potential to be what you want them to be.

A RL Brian would be moody, manipulative, and promiscuous all his life. A realistic person would deal with those traits and appreciate him for his other qualities--loyalty, generosity, intelligence, etc. From what I've seen, Michael accepts Brian as is much more than Justin ever did. Which is why in RL, Justin would fall by the wayside and Brian and Michael remain together until they really did become those two old queens sharing a bungalow in Miami Beach.

And whether they ever shagged or not wouldn't be of the least importance.

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

It's amazing how closely we agree. :)