2005 Top 5 WiPs That Bated (or bate) My Breath

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

All fics listed are slash, and all have been noted as either "completed" or "WiP."

December 30, 2004 - January 29, 2005
Fading by uberaeryn
Pairing: Spike/Angel, Ensemble
Rating: NC-17
WHY: Picks up immediately after the closing events of AtS finale "Not Fade Away." Incredibly original, fantastic characterization, edge of the seat "holy God, what's gonna happen now?" Uberaeryn wrote this when she first got into the fandom, so she plays hard and fast with the rules - it's pretty much cliché free - and the interactions between the characters feel intentionally off-kilter at times. WARNING: It's pretty angsty, but there's a cute Angel cellphone joke to make up for that...
COMPLETE

January 12, 2005 - May 30, 2005
Bent Justice by toobusy2write
Pairing: Spike/Angel (also mentions other pairings; some Spike/Faith)
Rating: NC-17, HUMAN AU
WHY: I'm sure this fic has already been listed here, in fact, I'm positive it has. But this is *my* list of WiPs that caused me to hit "refresh" over the year so uh, here we go: I'm not a big fan of Spike/Angel Human AU - I feel like the canon offers so many possible scenarios that a Human AU would seem almost superfluous. But the world-building toobusy2write has done here - not to mention the retention of characterization - made me revise that stance almost immediately. It's twisting and turning and incredibly HOT and let's face it - a prison AU is one of the only times "all guy! and all gay!" - not to mention names like "Spike" and "Angel" - don't feel quite so manufactured. Oh, and there's Faith and the Spike/Faith scenes are as delicious (guh! and *giggle* wise) as the Spike/Angel scenes.
COMPLETE

April 18, 2005 - April 29, 2005
Saturation by janedavitt and wesleysgirl
Pairing: Giles/Xander/Spike
Rating: NC-17
WHY: I'm not into threesome fic. Or much into Giles/Xander. Yet I waited on this fic to update like a Pavlovian dog with its head cocked. They sold me on a post "Chosen" Giles/Xander relationship with beautiful execution and a sturdy backstory. Then they inserted a post "Not Fade Away" Spike who was hurting and hiding it and worked in uncertainty, jealousy and a deft touch with the threesome scenes that uh, made me look for more of them. The age differences, canon trust issues and "why we fight" all get equal time here and when you add that to mind-scorching hot...well, you get one of my fave multi-chap and co-written fics of the year.
COMPLETE

May 25, 2005 - ?
The S Curve by tesla321
Pairing: Xander/Angel, HUMAN AU
Rating: NC-17
WHY: This began as a one-shot in answer to entrenous88's call for fics based on an emo boys kissing video. It spiraled into a multi-chap Human AU that encompasses the major characters of the Buffyverse and builds on a few minor ones. And it's High School Human AU! I KNOW!!! It takes canon and turns and twists it; it fleshes out Xander's parents and makes them other than shadowy monsters - in fact, they're one of the best sources of humor for the story! And there is humor - lots of it. I realize that for a lot of readers, Human AU takes away one of the fundamentals of the Buffyverse - the fantasy element. And if you're looking for vampires and vampires only, then, no, perhaps this is not your fic (if you were able to scale that initial Xander/Angel hurdle.) Canon gets its day here, though, it's just spun with a wink at the reader. I have a deep affection for Angel/Xander AU, though, so my bias (and my kinks) are coming through hard. Still, Tesla's elevated the high school fic into something meaty and fun, and that's saying something.
WiP

July 13, 2005 - ?
The Song of Iowa by entrenous88
Pairing: Xander/Riley
Rating PG-13 (presently)
WHY: Remember the scene in "Something Blue" when Riley refers to his family as "something out of a Grant Wood painting"? This is a fleshed-out, post "Chosen" Grant Wood painting. Riley and Xander meet by chance in Iowa (Riley's taken leave from the New Initiative, Xander's scouting slayers) and Riley brings Xander home to the family. The subtle changes in post-Initiative Riley and slayer-agent Xander are nicely done, and there are hallmarks of canon Xander & Riley Season 4 friendship. entrenous88 has a talent for post-series fiction, and Xander's descriptions of the current Slayer Central mission are concise and believable. The two are the cusp of discovery...all that stands between them and a revelation and resolution is for Entre Nous to update. *g*
WiP

Comments

[lillianmorgan.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all these. Bent Justice has been popping up in a few of the lists, but, honestly, it so deserves to!
I like your subject heading, there are definitely WIPs that just get under your skin.
I don't think I've ever read a Xander/Riley fic, though it seems a really obvious pairing ;) ::bookmarks::

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I think BJ (hee! title smut!) was popular with all sorts of fic readers, but it was one I was immensely drawn to...the Riley/Xander is lovely - her pacing is gradual and very much like the canon characters. And I'm done for the night, so I'll stop making your job hard. Hee. Thanks!

[katekat]

thanks lady! memmed for later cuz there were a couple I hadn't read and I have a feeling anything you suggest is going to be terrific.

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! Hee - I was about to say that I wasn't too sure if I was an arbiter of good fic, and then I realized that saying that would negate the brilliance of the above mentioned writers, all of whom I feel are brilliant, so yes - feast on the brilliance and my great taste! Hah! Seriously - there's a lot to love there. Hope you enjoy!

[lettered.livejournal.com]

Thanks for these. I love big long fics and it's hard to find the good ones. I read "Bent Justice" recently and much to my chagrin, liked it (er, the chagrin being all my fault, as my tastes had previously indicated to me that elements contained therein were not my cup of extremely hot chamomile tea, but the story was well done and ...extremely hot) so I'm looking forward to the rest here. (Actually, I've read the "S Curve" also, and enjoyed it also. Damn, I need to leave fb). I'm surprised by how all-human can tickle me, and still rather chagrined, but wow. Whole. New. World.

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I realized at some point during my fandom journey to stop saying "No" and "Never." There's a bit of fic in every genre that I've read and thought, "I don't like that kind of thing...except when I do." But then, I'm someone who wrote Human AU without realizing I was writing human au (c'mon - vampire cowboy? What's next? Vampire ballerina? Never. Stops. Being. Funny.) "Bent Justice" yanked me in and I went with it. Happily. For some reason, I can't get into a lot of Angelus/Xander fic (caon-esque Xander happy with a vampy-vamp?) but but them on the football team and swim team and uh...my face hurts from grinning too much. Knowing you a tad, I'd nudge you toward "Fading." It's rich, like that deep chocolate that hurts your teeth, but you keep eating it anyway.

[lettered.livejournal.com]

Hee! I like your icon. I'm not usually big on Angelus/anyone--he's a mean bastard! Canon-wise, Angel/Xander doesn't make much sense, but I'd be willing to read one if it was well done. Especially if it's about poor!Angel who can't afford new toe shoes, so rich ballet patron Xander volunteers to buy more for him in exchange for . . . oh! And there should be a toutou'ed Spike waiting in the wings. With River. And he should be masked. Like the Phantom of the Opera. Um.

I used to read and really enjoy anything. Still do, kinda, except now that I'm starting to discover more and more quality fic I've seen myself become pickier and pickier--picky enough to think oh, most all-human aus are a waste of time. But the key word is "most." A good writer can do anything and I'll love it.

And I'll definitely start on Fading. It has an Angel cell phone joke, I'm already sold.

[tesla321.livejournal.com]

Yeah, because I'm all. About. Feedback.

[lettered.livejournal.com]

I know! I'm bad! I'm sorry! Now I need to reread so I can leave in depth fb. O, hardship.

[tesla321.livejournal.com]

Actually, it has to be true, or else I wouldn't have written 73 parts and no end in sight!

[yourlibrarian]

Got to ditto a comment up above and say it is odd I don't see more Xander/Riley out there, and now I'm curious. This sounds like a great set of fics and I want to get to the ones I haven't read yet.

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

It's odd that there's not more Xander/Riley (I know of *old* Xander/Riley, anyway) and that one is particularly wonderful. I may have to re-read...hope you find some good reading!