My Top 5 Wes-centric Non-shippy Fics

[lillianmorgan.livejournal.com]

Here are my Top 5 Wes-centric Fics that are focussed more on the character than a relationship. Listed alphabetically by fic title.

Item Title or Description: "...and Twisted"
Creator’s Name: bethynyc
Rating: R for drugs and situation
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/bethynycfics/39890.html#cutid1
Why I chose this: Why is it that so many of us are enamoured with Dark!Wes? I think this fic does an excellent job of explaining that fascination. The line With me, at least you have a bucket. gave me shivers on top of my shivers.

Item Title or Description: "Between the Motion and the Act"
Creator’s Name: alwaysjbj
Rating: MA15+
Link: http://www.bringonthebloodshed.com/axisoflove/Short/motion.html
Why I chose this: A well-written study into the life and times of Wesley, detailing what made him the way he was from boy to dark, dark man. Poignant and memorable.

Item Title or Description: "Flash Before Your Eyes"
Creator’s Name: vampirefever
Rating: All
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/vampirefever/115006.html#cutid1
Why I chose this: This fic was written in January and has stayed with me the whole year. I adored the way the writer linked the passing of the year to the changing situations in Wesley’s life, until the bittersweet end of the fic and... ::sniffle::

Item Title or Description: "Pet Deposit"
Creator’s Name: versaphile
Rating: PG
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/versaphile/1273523.html
Why I chose this: A break from the angst that so usually dominates Wesley-centric fic. This is engaging and lmao-funny. Reminds me exactly why I cling to Season 1 Wes with both hands and feet!

Item Title or Description: "The Lost"
Creator’s Name: caoilainn
Rating: All
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/community/tweedandtea/50708.html
Why I chose this: Written more as a eulogy to Wesley, it seems to me exceptionally right that it be Giles who delivers it. Terribly heart-breaking but also revelling in what made Wesley such a well-loved and intriguing character. This fic made me cry and that’s happened not many times this year!

Comments

[shapinglight]

Thanks for the links. I miss so many Wes-centric fics.

[lillianmorgan.livejournal.com]

I hope that you find something that you like. And hopefully winter_of_wes might bring you more?

[shapinglight]

I hope so, although I still find it very hard to get past the no Spike, no interest thing. Oh, well, who said fandom was a sensible place?

[lillianmorgan.livejournal.com]

Heh. Still enjoying yourself is the number one priority :)

[shapinglight]

I agree.

[hesadevil.livejournal.com]

Have the same problem myself. But I'm willing to have a foray into other things if they're well written and in-canon. I miss the 'verse'. I even started watching Season 1 BtVS that The Daughter gave me last Christmas. The lack of Spike is made marginally more bearable by early Giles and Willow.

[shapinglight]

I get through season 1 of BtVS with the help of Angel and most of all, Giles.

But I'm willing to have a foray into other things if they're well written and in-canon

Me too, up to a point. However, there are some things I just couldn't bring myself to read no matter how well written.

Fandom prejudices well in place? Check.

[hesadevil.livejournal.com]

Prejudice? Or preference? I prefer to think the latter.

[shapinglight]

Well, mostly it's preference - in that I prefer stories with Spike in them and I'm a bit picky about how he's written.

However, I have to admit to prejudices which mean that - due to one thing and another - there are certain 'ships I just won't read, no matter how great a write up the story gets.

Having said which, if one of my close LJ friends wrote a story with those 'ships, I'd read them, because friendship means more.

[hesadevil.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for these. I have them bookmarked. I like Wes. Like Spike, he's a complex character who underwent many changes through both series, while retaining something at the core. I'm hoping to find some fics that fill in the gaps ME left in his transition from wimpy dork to dark Wes. I'm willing to try Spike-lacking fics of other characters if they're well done.

[lillianmorgan.livejournal.com]

I agree that Wes and Spike are very similar, and it to put it as simply as possible, where Spike went light, Wes went dark. Plus there's also the fact of other characters influencing both of them like Angel most especially.
I'm hoping to find some fics that fill in the gaps ME left in his transition from wimpy dork to dark Wes.
I think for what you specifically requested alwaysjbj's comes the closest, by virtue of the fact that it's the longest, however "The Lost" and "Flash Before Your Eyes" are poignant because they look back over his life too.
There are a lot of brilliant writers out there who focus on Wes alone, but I guess like Spike-centric fic, some of it can be caught up in the relationships. A good place to start hunting around might be watching_daily, a daily recs page of Wes fic. Across LJ, there's also wesfic, wes_recs, darker_wesley and lighter_wesley.

[yourlibrarian]

These sound really great. I <3 Wes.

[lillianmorgan.livejournal.com]

I hope you find something that you like :)
It was inordinately hard to keep it down to five *g*

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

Oooh! Several Wes-fics I haven't read. Can I tell you how happy that makes me?

[lillianmorgan.livejournal.com]

I'm so happy that you're happy it makes me squee! I really hope you enjoy these :) :)

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! You recced me!!! SQUEEEEEE!!!!

Thank you so much for reccing me! Super Yule Present! I'm definitely going to check out the others as well!

[lillianmorgan.livejournal.com]

You're so very welcome! I loved that fic. So dark and so delicious! :)
And great to get the festive spirit going :) Hope you enjoy the rest (if you haven't read them already of course! *g*)

[versaphile.livejournal.com]

! I'm in this list! How neat. :-D

[lillianmorgan.livejournal.com]

Whee! Of course. That fic cheered me for most of the year. Thank you for writing it!

[vampirefever.livejournal.com]

Wow - thanks for the rec. I'm very honoured.
:-)

[lillianmorgan.livejournal.com]

No problem, I really, really enjoyed that fic. I hope it brings you new readers :)

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, you recced me! Thank you! *squish*

The other fics sound wonderful...I must make the time to sit down and read them!

[lillianmorgan.livejournal.com]

Ah, you're welcome! I really enjoyed it and you covered his life so well.
I hope you find some time to enjoy them - short, sweet and sad most of them, but well worth the read! :)