Title: Cinnamon, Mint, and Smoke
Fandom: Gundam Wing
Pairing: Duo/Heero, Duo/Trowa, Quatre/OMC, Wufei/OMC
Genres: AU, Romance, Drama, Virgin, Supernatural
Length: Long (18,818 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: kaigou
Author Website: Sol1056 @ FF.net

Author's Summary:
I was twenty years old, and I’d never been kissed. Well, that’s an exaggeration, I suppose. I’d never kissed someone that I actually -wanted- to be kissing. I was also a virgin. My life sucked.

Review:
This AU is a beautifully written exploration of lonely Duo's search for acceptance. As in canon he is an orphan, though this time in a modern AU. The newest member of a gay fraternity at his university, his struggle to fit in and his sense of being an outsider are poignantly written and very relatable. It takes a deal with the devil - who is, in this case, Heero - for him to finally see that his isolation was in fact all in his head and more a product of his own insecurity rather than anything tangible.

Duo's feelings are so well explored and explained that it's easy to see him taking these extreme measures for companionship. Being a lonely orphan for most of his life who has never had his romantic needs fulfilled, I didn't actually find it very far fetched that he would make a deal with Heero. Despite the potentially angsty subject matter this is a mostly gentle fic that's more of a character study, and I found the more subtle and ordinary issues Duo was dealing with very easy to empathise with. All in all this is a slow and thoughtful fic with a lovely payoff.

Cinnamon, Mint, and Smoke

Title: Five Times Synaesthesia Was a Problem For Tony Stark...
Fandom: Marvel
Pairing: Bruce Banner/Tony Stark
Categories/Genres: 5+1, Alternate Universe, Pre-canon, Angst, First Time, Virgin, Fluff, Established Relationship
Length: Medium (7009 words)
Warnings: Overt and internalized ableism

Author on LJ: sonora_coneja
Author Website: Sonora

Summary:

Tony struggles to deal with his synaesthesia most of his adult life. Can he ever find somebody who understands what he’s dealing with? Written for this prompt on avengerkink.

Review:

I've always been fascinated by the brain. It's something we take for granted, calling it a 'noggin' and 'grey matter' like it's little more than a chunk of tissue as opposed to a highly refined structure made of a fragile web of connections that make the finest of lace look thick and unwieldy in comparison. Its complexity laughs in the face of our attempts to understand it, and its adaptability and flexibility mock our attempts to imitate it.

By some quirk of genetics or prenatal brain development, Tony is born with synesthesia, a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. Howard, in his bid for the Shittiest Parent Ever Award, is utterly unsympathetic and makes no effort at all to understand Tony's experience, a mentality that Tony internalizes and carries with him for decades.

Sonora, who has synesthesia, takes very deliberate care in her descriptions of Tony's various experiences of various stimuli, from pain and pleasure to music and emotion. There are also graphic descriptions of how alcohol and cocaine affect his synesthesia. Even if you don't ship Bruce/Tony, it's a stunningly good read for how well Sonora recreates the range of sensory impressions, however exaggerated they may or may not be. If you know anyone with synesthesia, or suspect that you may have it, then this is a definite must-read simply to understand what it is that this small minority of people go through, trying to reconcile their understanding of the world with how they learn they are supposed to percieve it.

Five Times Synaesthesia Was a Problem For Tony Stark...

Title: Tear A Way In
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairing: Dean/Castiel, Sam/Sarah/Jess, Gabriel/Balthazar
Genres: AU, Omegaverse, Werewolf, Angst, Drama, Romance, Virgin, Family
Length: Epic (41,813 words)
Warnings: Implied past child abuse, implied attempted rape

Author on LJ: lady_deathangel
Author Website: lady_deathangel @ AO3

Author's Summary:
Omega wolves are so rare Dean Winchester never thought he’d meet one in his lifetime, let alone end up involved with one. But when the strange, enigmatic Castiel comes to Jackson Springs, one instinctive act of kindness throws the two of them together. Bound by instinct and something that runs much, much deeper, Dean finds himself torn between family, duty, and the stranger who's already burrowed deep under his skin.

Review:
I've read this fic so many times. The prose flows so nicely, it has a great balance of drama and romance, and it's not over the top or shoddily written as Omegaverse can sometimes be. It's a fun read with a satisfying resolution. Yes, this is a fic where omegas go into heat and alphas seek them out, but it focuses on Dean and Castiel's journeys to happiness rather than their sex life. There's no healing alpha cock in sight, and in fact Dean is the one who's the most unsure about his path in life.

Castiel is entirely himself in this fic. Though it's implied that he's had a rough or at least very isolated past, he's nowhere near a damsel dreaming of the strong arms of an alpha - he's already made his escape into the wider world and is living happily with Gabriel and Balthazar. It's Dean's issues with pack politics and his struggle with being an alpha that are the main focus of the fic, particularly his relationships with an asshole John, the usurper Azazel and a rebellious Sam who wants to get away from pack life. Though this isn't a groundbreaking fic, it's a solid, easy read that always makes me feel good.

Tear A Way In

Title: Terms and Conditions
Fandom: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Pairing: Sebastian/Ciel
Categories: PWP, negotiation, first time, virginity
Length: medium (7,281 words)
Warnings: underage/shota (thirteen-year-old boy/ancient demon), dubcon, negotiation

Author on AO3:  sonderling

Summary: "Since that day, I have always been young master’s faithful servant. I shall do whatever young master wishes… in exchange for the sacrifice… and the pleasure that has been offered."

Sebastian thought they'd negotiated the terms of the contract quite clearly, but Ciel's got a few, well, conditions.

Review: In "Terms and Conditions," their contract entitle Sebastian not only to Ciel's soul upon his death but also to "small samplings" of it during his lifetime. (I'll give you one guess what sampling entails!) For the past three years, Sebastian has been waiting patiently for Ciel's soul to ripen with adolescence. Now, that long-awaited day is finally here -- but before Sebastian can get a taste, Ciel has a few conditions of his own.

Take a good look at the warnings because what you see is what you'll get in this PWP. Consent issues, age issues, and uneven power dynamics are pretty much a given with this scenario. But if you're onboard with the idea of Sebastian and Ciel negotiating for Ciel's virginity, you have come to the right place! "Terms and Conditions" promises porn and it delivers. However, it is well-written, in-character porn, and if you've poked your head into the Kuroshitsuji tags on AO3, you know what a rare find that is! Sebastian's aesthetics (and his own self-serving nature) make him want to convince Ciel to be just as enthusiastic about this new turn in their relationship as he is. And while Ciel is nervous and inexperienced, he still shows the forceful personality and strength of character that make him so intriguing in canon. Strong characterization, lovely prose, and smoking hot sex make this one of my favorite Kuroshitsuji stories. I'm just crossing my fingers that sonderling keeps writing in Kuroshitsuji because the fandom could use more stories like this!

Terms and Conditions

Title: Lust is but Gluttony's Twin (series)
Fandom: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Pairing: Sebastian/Ciel
Categories: First time, supernatural, virginity
Length: Medium (the series as a whole is about 15k)
Warnings: Underage/shota (13-year-old boy/ancient demon), references to previous non-con (not between Ciel and Sebastian)

Author on LJ:  _newworld

Summary: “Gluttony is your sin of choice, is it not, Sebastian?”

Review: Ciel supposes that demons are free from human desires, driven as they are by their deep hunger for souls. When he suggests this theory to Sebastian, however, he learns that lust and gluttony are overlapping sins, sometimes impossible to tell apart. Realizing that Sebastian hungers for his body as well as his soul, Ciel tries to re-draw the line between the two of them, even as part of him desperately wants to cross it.

The UST in this series is absolutely sizzling as Ciel and Sebastian dance around the line between earl and butler, master and demon. Kagome beautifully layers this new element into the power dynamics that already make the Sebastian/Ciel relationship so intriguing. I loved watching Ciel and Sebastian try to one-up each other in their new game, and I loved the perfectly in-character dialogue. And when they finally do decide to cross that line, the sex is well worth the wait. Part character study, part PWP, and part meditation on the nature of hunger and desire, this series is one of my favorites in the Kuroshitsuji fandom. Unfortunately, since it's hosted on LJ and not AO3, it's also one of those gems that new fans might have to do some digging to uncover, especially as only the final story in the series contains links back to the others. I'm including links to all four stories below to make it easier for readers to find their way across it.

Lust is but Gluttony's Twin
The Thin Line Between
Lead me (not) into Temptation
Lines not to Cross

Title: Please be here until the morning
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Eames/Arthur
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (8,156)
Warnings: N/A

Author on LJ: sorrynotsorry
Author Website: N/A

Author's Summary:
"What if I told you I couldn't help it?"

Review:
This fic follows Arthur as he discovers dream sharing (in high school, from a friend) to college and beyond. Mostly it's about Arthur and Eames and Eames's very many problems that make one want to punch him in the mouth. Oh wait, was that mostly me? Haha.

This fic was wonderful though. Arthur is perfectly lovely and all Arthur for all that he's young for a decent chunk of the fic. Just a little stiff, a lot focused, and all around competent at what he does. Eames is the forger that Cobb and Mal dig up, the one that Arthur bonds with before--well, there was a reason why I wanted to punch Eames in the mouth, though things do get better later.

The character interactions are amazing. Not everything is shoved at your face, but quietly laid out. For all that Eames can be a jerk, there is something earnest in his interactions with Arthur that saves him from being completely irredeemable. The fic doesn't end perfectly, but it does end on an uplifting note that fits.

There's also a companion piece and a short sequel linked, which just gives the story a bit more depth. A very nice read.

Please be here until the morning

Title: It's the Fault of the Kid in the Dress
Fandom: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Pairing: Sebastian/Ciel
Categories: Fantasies, Telepathy/Soul Bond, Virginity
Length: Medium (3,648 words)
Warnings: Underage (13-year-old boy/ancient demon)

Author on ff.net: Sanpizil

Summary: In which Ciel and Sebastian share, or don't, an intimate moment- or a non-intimate one. Complete whimsy.

Review: Ciel can't stop thinking about the way Alois (the "kid in the dress" to whom the title refers) licked his ear at the Trancy ball. Although "he's never really thought about that kind of thing before," too focused on his work and his revenge, Ciel finds himself reflecting that ear licking might actually be pleasant, if someone other than Alois were doing it. Naturally, his thoughts stray to Sebastian. But fantasizing about a demon has unexpected consequences.

It's hard to review this story without spoiling the central conceit that makes it so wonderful. Let me just say that, literally and figuratively, it works on many levels. On the one hand, it's a story of Ciel's sexual awakening. On the other hand, it's a story of the relationship between Ciel and Sebastian, mostly proper on the surface, but with hints of much deeper possibilities. The characterization is golden in this fic. I especially liked that Ciel, though young and virginal, isn't the wilting violet some Kuro writers like to cast in his place. Instead, their dynamics echo the mentor/mentee relationship Ciel and Sebastian have in canon, where Ciel's forceful personality and power over the demon help to balance their differences in age and experience. Although short, this story packs a powerful amount of characterization, and it's worth reading multiple times to catch all of the nuances folded into it.

It's the Fault of the Kid in the Dress

Title: The Conquering of Harry Potter('s Virginity)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Harry/Draco (with background Pansy/Neville)
Categories: Humor, Romance, Fluff, Virgin!Draco, Virgin!Harry, 1 year post Hogwarts, EWE
Length: Medium (8,377)
Warnings: None

Author's summary: The prompt says it best: after Draco acquires the knowledge that Harry Potter has had a very sad (non-existent really) sex life, he sees it as his personal duty to be the Saviour's hero for once and show him how it's done. And Draco is totally the right person for that.. although he may not actually have had sex before either.

Review:
Never has a plan been so unnecessary, but Draco has come up with the 6 phases required to save Harry, because, "If Potter—who must receive dozens of offers a day—couldn't get any action, then clearly he was completely helpless on that front. His virginity was a foe he could not vanquish... He needed Draco!"

There's great pacing and dialogue. There's humor and affection and awkward sex, plus some smoother-than-smooth sexy talk like, “Get ready for more sex and some mushy pasta.” There's everything you could want in a feel good fic.

You're probably better off skipping the details and heading over to this story, which is an instant rec - a temporarily anon. offering today from the dracotops_harry Fest. But if you need more convincing, I'm happy to gush a little more...

The author gets every scrap of humor and good feeling from the premise by giving us a smitten Draco I particularly adore - the kind who gets an idea in his head and completely misunderstands anything that doesn't align with it. He's got great energy and conviction for this Herculean task that...    Okay he's not actually going to need to work very hard. But there's no point in trying to talk to him about anything that isn't phases 1 - 6. Pansy has tried, and it got her exactly nowhere.

Harry is brilliant as well, and his initial shy and hopeful uncertainty is the kind most people get when they have feelings for someone and don't know whether they'll be returned.

The Conquering of Harry Potter('s Virginity)

New reccer coming onboard just in time for small fandom week! This is a Yuletide favorite from 2010, and one that I've probably read twenty times since then.

Title: Baby-sitters Club The Next Generation #6: Byron and the God of California
Fandom: The Baby-sitters Club - Ann M. Martin
Pairing: Byron Pike/Jeff Schafer
Categories/Genres: Humor, first-time, post-canon, virgin
Length: Long (29,893)
Warnings: Underage (sex between two consenting fifteen-year-olds)

Author/Artist on LJ: zelempa
Author/Artist Website: AO3

Summary: And then he was there, standing in the doorway.

He obviously hadn't put much thought into what he was wearing, but somehow, he made a white T-shirt and jeans look like designer fashion. Unlike most of my shirts, his actually fitted him perfectly, showing off his slim waist and muscular arms. The bright white set off his golden skin perfectly. Around his throat he wore one of those hemp-and-shell surfer necklaces. His pale blond hair had been cut short and stuck out in every direction. He was grinning that wide, friendly, dimpled grin of his.

Oh, man. Oh, man. I was in trouble.

Review: Fast forward a few years past the eternal eighth-grade of the books, and 15-year-old Adam Pike is President of a Baby-sitters Club composed of former sitting charges. Byron, the sensitive and shy Pike triplet, has "wishy-washily half-joined" the club as an Associate Member. He has bigger things on his mind than baby-sitting as he tries to come to terms with his sexuality. On the other side of the country, Jeff Schafer has just come out on his blog, making Byron's secret crush on him more exhilarating and terrifying than ever. Byron tells himself that, if he has to be gay, at least his crush lives safely off-limits in California. But Byron's life gets a lot more confusing when Jeff and his sister Dawn return to Stoneybrook for the summer, just as the original BSC members come home from their first year of college to see how the club has been running in their absence.

If you grew up devouring BSC books like Claudia's hidden candy, then this story will bring you on the nostalgia trip of your life! I love the romance between Byron and Jeff. This story does a fantastic job of capturing the terrifying thrill of first love along with the fear and isolation of growing up queer in a small town. But it's the tension between the old club and the new that really makes this story come alive for me. In pitting Kristy and the original BSC members against Adam and the Next Generation club, zelempa really highlights her ability to stay true to the girls we knew and loved, while also creating new and dynamic characters from the former sitting charges, who only played minor roles in the books. Even as I rooted for Adam and the Next Generation sitters to come into their own, I understood Kristy's desire to hold onto the club that's meant so much to her. The first time I read this, I was giggling out loud through most of it because it captures so much of what I loved about the BSC as a little girl -- the club drama, the outfit descriptions, the notebook entries, the LUV, the sense that Stoneybrook would fall apart without the BSC around to watch over its kids . . . . What zelempa has really managed to do is create a BSC book for adults, but without losing the core of friendship and belonging that is really at the heart of the Baby-sitters Club. I just wish this really were the sixth of a series because I would happily read them all. Fortunately, this one does have a sequel, which is equally good.

Baby-sitters Club The Next Generation #6: Byron and the God of California

Also make sure to check out the sequel! Baby-sitters Club: The Next Generation Super Special #1: What Happens in Sea City…

Title: Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Pairing: Phil Coulson/Steve Rodgers
Categories: Alternate Universe, Strippers, First Time, Virginity, Romance
Length: Medium (7033 words)
Warnings: N/A

Author on LJ: bluetears07
Author Website: bluetears07

Author's Summary:

A skinny boy from Brooklyn needs to improve his figure drawing skills, what better place than a strip club?

Review:

I love alternate universes. I love canon, sure, but there's something magical about putting characters with defined and understood personalities into wholly different situations and seeing what they do. And nothing in Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy rings truer to me than bluetears07's excellent portrayal of Steve Rogers, “an old fashion boy born in the wrong decade.”

The shoe is on the other foot in this AU, where Steve is not the one revered but the one revering, frequenting Tony Stark's strip club to sketch Phil as he strips in order to fill out his art portfolio before applying for art school. Phil's omnipresent collector's cards are symbolically swapped out for Steve's sketches, his awkwardly forthright admiration contrasted with Steve's reticence hiding an honorable streak a mile wide.

But there's still a hint of the characters we recognize from canon, the Phil who is drawn in by Steve's courage and innate kindness and still manages to idolize Steve for it while Steve awkwardly fumbles with Phil's blatant and sincere admiration. They are, as ever, charming together, in spite of the discrimination they've both faced in their lives, and even as the story comes to a close, the author instills in us a feeling that this is just the beginning of a steadfast romance.

Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy

Title: Never Was a Stranger
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Derek/Stiles
Categories: Time travel, future, hurt/comfort , magic!Stiles, first time, virginity, romance,
Length: Medium (8,915 words)
Warnings: Sort of underage, but sort of not. (see LJ rec for spoilery details.)
Author on LJ: dsudis
Author Websites: Dira Sudis

Author's Summary: Derek sighed and rubbed his forehead. "What if I told you I traveled back in time to protect you."

Review:
This opens with Stiles waking up to an altered world with no memory of how he got there, and I do have a soft spot for stories that drop me right into the thick of it. Despite the summary, it's Stiles who's time travelling, as the unwanted side effect of a spell cast in the future in order to find a way to keep the pack from harm. Luckily for Stiles, Derek is there to explain things to him, although really it's Derek's behavior that says even more than his words. They have a very different relationship in the future, one that Stiles is trying to wrap his head around while also trying not to freak out about his situation.

There are some lovely touches along the way, like the hurt/comfort, the moonlight app, and Derek becoming Stiles' first sexual experience even though he wasn't Stiles' first sexual experience... Time travel. It rocks.

Never Was a Stranger

Title: Life Changes
Fandom: Criminal Minds, The Sentinel, NCIS
Pairing: Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid, past Aaron Hotchner/Haley Hotchner
Categories: action/adventure, AU, bonding, crossover, drama, first-time, fluff, family, friendship, hurt/comfort, romance, virgin
Length: Medium, 10,109 words
Warnings: Aaron as a Sentinel, Spencer as a Guide. :)

Author on LJ: dameange
Author's Website: Lady Angel on ao3

Author's Summary: Aaron Hotchner did not expect for his senses to activate when he was in his thirties. He did not expect his guide to be a fifteen year old genius. He did not expect to catch his wife in their bed with another man.

He certainly did not expect to fall in love again.


Review: SQUEAL. SQUEAL. SQUEAL. I loved this story soooo much! It's a different take than what I'm used to seeing in CM fandom. For one, Aaron and Spencer already have a relationship albeit the one between Sentinel and their Guides but still. I love the fact that Spencer and Jack have such a strong relationship here! It's not often that there is an established relationship between them.

I can't say more without spoiling you so I'll end it here and allow you guys to read and love Life Changes for yourself. :)

Life Changes

Title: Life Changes
Fandom: Criminal Minds, The Sentinel, NCIS
Pairing: Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid, past Aaron Hotchner/Haley Hotchner
Categories: action/adventure, AU, bonding, crossover, drama, first-time, fluff, family, friendship, hurt/comfort, romance, virgin
Length: Medium, 10,109 words
Warnings: Aaron as a Sentinel, Spencer as a Guide. :)

Author on LJ: dameange
Author's Website: Lady Angel on ao3

Author's Summary: Aaron Hotchner did not expect for his senses to activate when he was in his thirties. He did not expect his guide to be a fifteen year old genius. He did not expect to catch his wife in their bed with another man.

He certainly did not expect to fall in love again.


Review: SQUEAL. SQUEAL. SQUEAL. I loved this story soooo much! It's a different take than what I'm used to seeing in CM fandom. For one, Aaron and Spencer already have a relationship albeit the one between Sentinel and their Guides but still. I love the fact that Spencer and Jack have such a strong relationship here! It's not often that there is an established relationship between them.

I can't say more without spoiling you so I'll end it here and allow you guys to read and love Life Changes for yourself. :)

Life Changes

It has been such a pleasure reccing at epic_recs for the past year, but all good things must come to an end. This is my last rec.

I've finally made the step to actually writing fanfic, and as much as I'd love to continue reccing, I cannot do both.

Thanks for reading and take care!

***

Title: The Quickest Way to Ruin a Friendship
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Brendon/Jon/Ryan/Spencer in various iterations (mention of Brendon/OMCs and Ryan/OMCs)
Categories: angst, drama, hurt/comfort, virgin
Length: Epic (~41,000 words)
Warnings: non-sexual child abuse, violence

Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: stories by arsenicjade

Review:
Ryan doesn’t want to like Brendon’s voice. After all he really doesn’t like Brendon. But the thing is Brendon is it. Brendon’s their chance of actually making it. At least, that’s what Spencer thinks.

This is a kind of ‘Making of’ fic for Panic! Only with a lot more group sex than reality. Generally this premise is not quite my cup of tea, but Arsenic is able to make any plot worth reading.

The relationships and friendships in this are so perfectly brittle. Ryan, especially, is this combination of spun glass and wrought iron that just blows me away. I really love that Arsenic kept this story about the band. She could have added more characters, perhaps it would have even been more realistic, but the fact that she was able to focus on these five people really made this story tight.

The Quickest Way to Ruin a Friendship

It has been such a pleasure reccing at epic_recs for the past year, but all good things must come to an end. This is my last rec.

I've finally made the step to actually writing fanfic, and as much as I'd love to continue reccing, I cannot do both.

Thanks for reading and take care!

***

Title: The Quickest Way to Ruin a Friendship
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Brendon/Jon/Ryan/Spencer in various iterations (mention of Brendon/OMCs and Ryan/OMCs)
Categories: angst, drama, hurt/comfort, virgin
Length: Epic (~41,000 words)
Warnings: non-sexual child abuse, violence

Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: stories by arsenicjade

Review:
Ryan doesn’t want to like Brendon’s voice. After all he really doesn’t like Brendon. But the thing is Brendon is it. Brendon’s their chance of actually making it. At least, that’s what Spencer thinks.

This is a kind of ‘Making of’ fic for Panic! Only with a lot more group sex than reality. Generally this premise is not quite my cup of tea, but Arsenic is able to make any plot worth reading.

The relationships and friendships in this are so perfectly brittle. Ryan, especially, is this combination of spun glass and wrought iron that just blows me away. I really love that Arsenic kept this story about the band. She could have added more characters, perhaps it would have even been more realistic, but the fact that she was able to focus on these five people really made this story tight.

The Quickest Way to Ruin a Friendship

It has been such a pleasure reccing at epic_recs for the past year, but all good things must come to an end. This is my last rec.

I've finally made the step to actually writing fanfic, and as much as I'd love to continue reccing, I cannot do both.

Thanks for reading and take care!

***

Title: The Quickest Way to Ruin a Friendship
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Brendon/Jon/Ryan/Spencer in various iterations (mention of Brendon/OMCs and Ryan/OMCs)
Categories: angst, drama, hurt/comfort, virgin
Length: Epic (~41,000 words)
Warnings: non-sexual child abuse, violence

Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: stories by arsenicjade

Review:
Ryan doesn’t want to like Brendon’s voice. After all he really doesn’t like Brendon. But the thing is Brendon is it. Brendon’s their chance of actually making it. At least, that’s what Spencer thinks.

This is a kind of ‘Making of’ fic for Panic! Only with a lot more group sex than reality. Generally this premise is not quite my cup of tea, but Arsenic is able to make any plot worth reading.

The relationships and friendships in this are so perfectly brittle. Ryan, especially, is this combination of spun glass and wrought iron that just blows me away. I really love that Arsenic kept this story about the band. She could have added more characters, perhaps it would have even been more realistic, but the fact that she was able to focus on these five people really made this story tight.

The Quickest Way to Ruin a Friendship

It has been such a pleasure reccing at epic_recs for the past year, but all good things must come to an end. This is my last rec.

I've finally made the step to actually writing fanfic, and as much as I'd love to continue reccing, I cannot do both.

Thanks for reading and take care!

***

Title: The Quickest Way to Ruin a Friendship
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Brendon/Jon/Ryan/Spencer in various iterations (mention of Brendon/OMCs and Ryan/OMCs)
Categories: angst, drama, hurt/comfort, virgin
Length: Epic (~41,000 words)
Warnings: non-sexual child abuse, violence

Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: stories by arsenicjade

Review:
Ryan doesn’t want to like Brendon’s voice. After all he really doesn’t like Brendon. But the thing is Brendon is it. Brendon’s their chance of actually making it. At least, that’s what Spencer thinks.

This is a kind of ‘Making of’ fic for Panic! Only with a lot more group sex than reality. Generally this premise is not quite my cup of tea, but Arsenic is able to make any plot worth reading.

The relationships and friendships in this are so perfectly brittle. Ryan, especially, is this combination of spun glass and wrought iron that just blows me away. I really love that Arsenic kept this story about the band. She could have added more characters, perhaps it would have even been more realistic, but the fact that she was able to focus on these five people really made this story tight.

The Quickest Way to Ruin a Friendship

It has been such a pleasure reccing at epic_recs for the past year, but all good things must come to an end. This is my last rec.

I've finally made the step to actually writing fanfic, and as much as I'd love to continue reccing, I cannot do both.

Thanks for reading and take care!

***

Title: The Quickest Way to Ruin a Friendship
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Brendon/Jon/Ryan/Spencer in various iterations (mention of Brendon/OMCs and Ryan/OMCs)
Categories: angst, drama, hurt/comfort, virgin
Length: Epic (~41,000 words)
Warnings: non-sexual child abuse, violence

Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: stories by arsenicjade

Review:
Ryan doesn’t want to like Brendon’s voice. After all he really doesn’t like Brendon. But the thing is Brendon is it. Brendon’s their chance of actually making it. At least, that’s what Spencer thinks.

This is a kind of ‘Making of’ fic for Panic! Only with a lot more group sex than reality. Generally this premise is not quite my cup of tea, but Arsenic is able to make any plot worth reading.

The relationships and friendships in this are so perfectly brittle. Ryan, especially, is this combination of spun glass and wrought iron that just blows me away. I really love that Arsenic kept this story about the band. She could have added more characters, perhaps it would have even been more realistic, but the fact that she was able to focus on these five people really made this story tight.

The Quickest Way to Ruin a Friendship

It has been such a pleasure reccing at epic_recs for the past year, but all good things must come to an end. This is my last rec.

I've finally made the step to actually writing fanfic, and as much as I'd love to continue reccing, I cannot do both.

Thanks for reading and take care!

***

Title: The Quickest Way to Ruin a Friendship
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Brendon/Jon/Ryan/Spencer in various iterations (mention of Brendon/OMCs and Ryan/OMCs)
Categories: angst, drama, hurt/comfort, virgin
Length: Epic (~41,000 words)
Warnings: non-sexual child abuse, violence

Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: stories by arsenicjade

Review:
Ryan doesn’t want to like Brendon’s voice. After all he really doesn’t like Brendon. But the thing is Brendon is it. Brendon’s their chance of actually making it. At least, that’s what Spencer thinks.

This is a kind of ‘Making of’ fic for Panic! Only with a lot more group sex than reality. Generally this premise is not quite my cup of tea, but Arsenic is able to make any plot worth reading.

The relationships and friendships in this are so perfectly brittle. Ryan, especially, is this combination of spun glass and wrought iron that just blows me away. I really love that Arsenic kept this story about the band. She could have added more characters, perhaps it would have even been more realistic, but the fact that she was able to focus on these five people really made this story tight.

The Quickest Way to Ruin a Friendship

Title: For Keeps
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Brendon Urie/Ryan Ross preslash, Brendon/OMC
Categories: angst, AU, drama, family, holiday, hurt/comfort, preslash, virgin, cross-dressing in a sense
Length: Long (~20,000 words)
Warnings: physical and verbal abuse by a parent, non-con sex with all of its ramifications, use of the word rape

Author on LJ (fiction LJ): smallacts
Author Website: n/a?

Review:
Brendon’s the youngest of five children, so he’s used to hand-me-downs. When he gets something from one of his brothers or sisters, he doesn’t see the stains or the tears or even the worn out places, he sees what it could become. That’s kind of what it’s like when he first really sees Ryan. He knows Ryan’s worn down in places and just plain defeated at times, but he also can see how well the two of them could fit together.

This is one of the most beautiful, lyrical stories I’ve ever read. It’s simply breathtaking how the boys’ relationship builds. The second half of this story leaves me weeping every time. This is one of the most accurate post-non-con stories I’ve read. The supporting characters, too, are oh so perfect. There is nothing about this story not to love.

For Keeps