Big Bang 09 rec list

[slashxmistress]

I know I said I was a little disappointed this year, but even so Big Bang is pretty remarkable. Keep in mind that I've only read about 60 out of well over 100 so there are no doubt still gems to be found. (In fact, while collecting the links for this list - I see a LOT that I still want to read- I've barely cracked the MCR fic)

These are my top picks- on a scale of 1-10 they all scored 8 or higher(the 10's are starred *). There were quite a lot of 5's and 6's which is still an enjoyable read, but IMO just not original or well written enough to rave about- and surprisingly there were several 4 and lower which is just sad.I was very disheartened by the number of fics that had absolutely no plot, just a bunch of band boys(and sometimes girls) thrown into a random situation. I won't name names because I don't want to insult anyone and in the end it's just my opinion and someone else may love the ones I hate O.O (or hate the ones I love for that matter)

(Also- a note to the authors: I apologize for being an awol commenter- I've been reading on various borrowed mobile devices and printouts from the library. I'll try to make it up to ya, I swear ♥ )

But any way, the ones you shouldn't miss IMO, in no particular order:

1.Hold The Pose by zarah5v2

In which Brendon cleans the apartment of published author Ryan Ross to finance his college studies, and Spencer opens up an Indian style café and hires Jon to brew his fair trade coffee.

Ok, so I'm a diehard Zarah fan, and being on her f-list, I was already waiting for this,and then throw in clueless Ryan , clueless writer Ryan, and well this one was an easy sell. It's a lovely AU romance, and if her journal is to be believed :( it may be the last Panic fic we ever get from Zarah.

2.And Whether Pigs Have Wings by dimmingdivine

Grand ideas and good business, it seems, take a lot of work to fuse together. - The Pet Store AU! In which Ryan convinces Spencer to help him take over a privately-owned pet store in Chicago, but what he gets is much more than what he bargained for – Ryan never asked Brendon Urie to waltz in and throw his whole life into chaos, after all. (Except for how, maybe, he actually did.)

This is just adorable. Panic +pets= cuteness overload! and a nice romance.

3.No Season, Nor Clime by lyo

Historical AU of little accuracy. Set in the none too specified, Jonathan Walker comes back to Hanover Park after the deaths of his parents to see to their affairs and take care of their technically minor wards, Brendon and Spencer as they court and hopefully marry. However, doing so means that he is once against confronted with meeting his childhood nemesis, Ryan Ross, who his parents took in along with Spencer when Jonathan was 12. Shenanigans, pining, misunderstanding, and other such nonsense ensue.

This one is for lovers of historical romance, and that wonderful fic trope-love/hate! (quite possibly my favorite) Jon and Ryan just crackle with UST- it's awesome!

4. Redefine The Abstraction bysamedifference

This is a world of changed plans, of sudden opportunities, of unexpected visions. For in this world, time flows not evenly but fitfully and, as consequence, people receive fitful glimpses of the future. …Who would fare better in this world of fitful time? Those who have seen the future and live only one life? Or those who have not seen the future and wait to live life? Or those who deny the future and live two lives? -- Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman

The Prophetic Band-Fic AU. Or, alternatively, the one where Ryan sees more than anyone but still doesn't know what he's doing, Audrey's slightly out of her mind, & Brendon can't catch a break. Fatalism ensues.

I don't want to spoil anything - but I have to tell you- this one hurts a bit, but it's beautiful and one of the most original of this years offerings.

5.The Shape I Found You In by redbrickrose

Future!fic. Growing up, and growing into being in love with your best friend.

You had me at Ryan and Spencer ♥____ ♥ and this is everything I love about them.

6.The Spy Who (Kind of, Sort of, Maybe) Loved Me by spazzyskittles

Spy AU. A murder has occurred at the headquarters of FBR420, a top secret subdivision of the CIA. Agent Urie and his partner Agent Smith, under the guidance of Mr. Walker, are charged with bringing in the primary suspect, Ryan Ross.

Have I mentioned my love of that whole love/hate UST trope? Yes? Well this has it in spades! and it's funny and a nice little mystery too! Very awesome.

7.Only Fools Rush In * by aileann23

Ryan Ross has a hard time asking for things. Which is why he doesn't, usually. He hints, he pushes, he sets up the pieces to fall together like some elaborate domino scheme, and so far it's worked. It's how he wound up with a band, a recording contract, and the most unlikely fourway relationship known to man. And it's good, just as good as making music for actual money, and fans who sing along when they're on stage, and the freedom to putter and write and dream as long as he likes.

But everything good ends. Ryan knows this. Albums don't sell, fans find new bands, people die. Which makes it sensible, somewhere in his head, to push away the three people who mean the most to him before they can leave, and leave him heartbroken and, well, just plain broken.

Trouble is, Ryan is not the only person in this relationship. And he's about to learn what happens when other people push back...

This is one of my 10's- I love this SO much. It's angsty and amazing.

8.Winter Wasn't My Season by battie_hattie

About 6 months before meeting Shane, Brendon was forced out of home and with limited money and job experience, he spent most of his nights in the youth hostel or in the park looking for odd jobs. He makes Shane an offer, and Shane decides that isn't a life he wants Brendon to live. And together, they try to put things back together.

Brendon and Shane!!! Adorable, schmoopy, hurt/comfort. Some might find this a little too PollyAnna-ish, ie:things work out a little too easliy, but I didn't mind- I loved it. I have to believe in a world where sometimes it IS that easy :D (and I'm a sucker for Shane - sue me :P)

9.Half Sick Of Shadows by starflowers

Wing!fic. When Ryan is born with wings, those who learn that secret assume he's either an angel or a monster, though Ryan doesn't consider himself either. At least, not until he is forced to run away from his foster home in Vegas with his foster brother Brendon, both of whom lack any sort of common sense, which Spencer realizes when he goes to find them in New York City. Instead of meeting up with Spencer, Ryan and Brendon are attacked by a government agency who want Ryan, and aren't afraid to go through Brendon to get to him.

That's how Brendon gets involved in this whole mess, dead at Ryan's feet with a bullet through the chest, and Ryan brings him back again. All of a sudden, those who'd killed Brendon don't care about Ryan at all, and are much more interested in figuring out how Brendon came back from the dead, and how far they can push him before he won't come back at all.

I did art for this one! Maybe I'm a little biased :P (This is the one I was obsessed with getting) But it' s WING!FIC! and it's winged RYAN!! There are the more unique pairings of Gee/Ryan and Mikey/Brendon, and there is a fabulous Urban Fantasy, angst, mystery, danger, UST, love and sacrifice- it has everything :D- This is OBVIOUSLY the first in a series, and I want more soooooo bad- so make sure you leave lots of nagging encouraging comments!

10.Let Each Who Are Worthy * by moku_youbi

It was probably just some shitty band, you know? I mean, how many high school bands ever go anywhere, what are the odds? But I still can’t help wondering how things might have been different, if I’d joined them. Like. That was a bad time for me, and what if I had found a place where I fit in? Where would I be now?”
Brendon has his religious crisis but never meets Panic! and goes away on his mission after high school.

Another of my 10's. This is so amazing- I wish I had words to describe it but I don't. It rocked me and I still feel it.

11.When Life Gives You Lemons (Say Fuck The Lemons And Bail) by fiddleyoumust

Brendon and Spencer go on a cruise to escape their problems. They end up finding more than rest and relaxation.

Just a really great Brendon/Spencer romance.

12.Prairie Doll Of Mine * by liketheroad & arsenicjade

Just as he had known, from the minute he saw him across the playground, that he wanted Ryan for his friend, as soon as the thought that he might actually want to kiss someone occurred to him, Spencer knew that he wanted that person to be Ryan. He knew it made him greedy, but the fact was that he didn't want to leave parts of Ryan out in the open to be taken by other people. Small Town AU

Another 10 OMG, RYAN/SPENCER! pairing of my heart, and just, ohhhhhh my god they are IT for each other from the moment they meet as itty bitty babies and I admit, my heart just exploded

13.Brendon the Cat Universe by okubyo_kitsune

The Temptation of Ryan Ross | Ryan wakes up and there's a cat on his front porch.

Trials and Tribulations of Pumpkin Dumplings | Patrick is a purebred tabby Persian. He is proud of his lineage—straight from the homeland itself only three generations back. He is a beautiful cat. That being said, there is no reason he can possibly think of as to why he’s been second-named Pumpkin Dumplings.


The Tales of Brendon Urie, esq. | The story of how Brendon grew up, ran away, found love, and had his wish come true.

I did art for this one too- what can I say - I picked winners *G* This is the cutest, silliest, most wonderful laugh out loud fic you may ever read. Unless you're green and furry and hate Christmas you will love it!

14.Cello Sonata No. 1 in B Minor "Naissance de Libertè" * by arsenicjade

: Set about seven years in the future, after Jon and Cassie break up, a series of actions on Jon's part causes Brendon to leave the band and try to figure out a few things for himself. It's up to all of them to get him back.

Another 10 - This shattered, my heart and then put it back together again as only Arsenic could.

15.Give Me Just Enough by untappedbeauty

You know how sometimes you don't mean to fixate on something, but then you just kind of do? It's like, you've never heard the word "scurrilous" before, but then one day you hear it and it starts popping up everywhere.

That's the way it is with Ryan's cock. Well, it's not popping up everywhere, obviously, but Jon just keeps noticing it. He's not trying to or anything; it's just...sort of huge. And Jon had known that, intellectually, but now he's thinking about it all the time.

Will Ryan notice Jon's attention? If so, will he be weirded out? Or maybe, possibly, will he be interested? Will his giant cock go into hiding to escape all the scrutiny? (SPOILER: The answers are yes, no, yes, and LOL NO.)

The last one I did art for :D This is just as hilarious as you think and also HOT and maybe surprisingly , sweet as well.

16. Light Never Shines As Bright As In The Movies by sneaky_sena

Brendon Urie's a master's student in music at UNLV who happens to make porn on the side. Spencer Smith's a wilderness photographer who happens to really, really like the online porn Brendon makes. They meet and shenanigans ensue. Also featuring Shane Valdes as Brendon's roommate and owner of his very own online porn site, William Beckett as Las Vegas' bitchiest maitre 'd, Gabe Saporta as a mime waiter, Greta Salpeter as a harried and overworked assistant, and Ryan Ross as himself.

The summary pretty much covers it- except for "(Jon Walker straight "gay for pay" porn star :D)- and this is fabulous, sexy , and another great Brendon/Spencer romance (It seems to be a theme this year !)

17. You Can Sit Beside Me When The World Comes Down by sunsetmog

Spencer had barely even heard of rugby when he tried out for the team. It was just a way of killing time until Ryan was done with his stupid school magazine. Helping Ryan sift through the lame emo poetry submissions was only funny the first few times. But their west-coast prep school doesn't play soccer or football, so the rugby team turns out to be the coolest thing around, and suddenly Spencer's the school's most popular player. Then Spencer meets Brendon, and everything changes.

Yet another awesome Brendon/Spencer romance!

18. In Your Eyes, Beauty Be Found by lady_deathangel

Sixteen-year-old Brendon Urie has just been uprooted from everything he knows and sent to Bishop Gorman High School in an attempt to remove him from the bad influences at his public school. Seventeen-year-old Ryan Ross is a senior with no real idea of what he wants to do with his life other than get the hell out of Las Vegas. The two have nothing in common but when Ryan accidentally stumbles upon Brendon's most shameful secret, one that could ruin his life forever, they're inextricably drawn together and they have to make a decision: fight the inevitable or accept that they are more to each other than just two ships passing in the night.

Ok, so at first glance it sounds like a thousand other HS AU's you've read right? except it's not. Highlight for spoilerage: crossdressing Brendon!

19. La nuit commence ici * by miznarrator

Paris, 1921. Three years after the armistice, Ryan's still trying to come to terms with the death of his best friend Spencer. He's living in Montparnasse, far from the village outside Cannes where they grew up, working on an opera in his honour, when he meets a handsome stranger, Brendon, who's all to eager to help. In between rounds of amazing sex, he helps Ryan write the score and gains him introductions into a theatre where the production can take place. Ryan knows there's more to Brendon than he wants to acknowledge, but he can't guess HOW much. When the production goes horribly wrong on opening night, however, Ryan's forced to write a whole new score, to exact his revenge on the lover who betrayed him.

Another 10- High on the ouch factor, but so, so beautiful and original This fic is a definite work of art. It's dark fantasy.

20. Get Up And Shake The Glitter Off Your Clothes (Now We're Partners In Crime) by bluejbird

Brendon and Spencer wake up together in a motel bed in Vegas with hangovers, no recollection of the night before and a marriage certificate. What started as an accidental marriage becomes a marriage of convenience, but could it grow into something more?

Accidental marriage!! Yet another amazing Brendon/Spencer romance!

So there's my picks so far- I still have a lot of reading to do! Please tell me your favs in the comments- I'd really love to hear your opinions too. Have I missed any really good ones?

Comments

[stepps]

Nice recs sweetie! A couple there I haven't ventured into yet, but will now with what you've said of them in mind.

Also, are you really back? I HAVE MISSED YOU!

[slashxmistress]

I think so! Cross your fingers nothing else breaks on me :P
I have missed you too!!!