#J2LongficFriday

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J2 Longfic Friday!

Friday already? Time for ten tasty J2 longfic recs!

This is the second in my series of responses to the question: what's your favorite J2 fic, the longer the better? This list has been compiled with the help of my Twitter timeline. When I've read the fic, I'll give it an asterisk and a brief review, depending upon how much I can remember. Which, well, my brain is like a Popsicle in the sun, on a good day. Still taking additions, so gimme if you've got 'em. Follow the #J2LongficFriday tag for the goods.

PS...I'm focusing on finished works, but I may rec on-going 'verses if the individual fics stand alone.

Presented in alphabetical order:

~All Things Either Good or Ungood by tebtosca. 17k. Short, but DON'T BE FOOLED. Everything tebtosca writes is sparkling and sexy. Since this came out during my pre-J2 days, I haven't read it yet, but it is so very high on my Must Read list. Also, the accompanying art by fanlay is not to be missed.

“FBI profiler Jared Padalecki has been searching for the man who murdered his brother for over a decade. He gets his best lead yet in the form of the killer's only known survivor -- a mysterious amnesiac named Jensen.”

~Anegada: The Drowned Land by veronamay. 29k. “Jared washes ashore on a remote Caribbean island after a devastating shipwreck. The only person he can find to help him is a brusque, misanthropic natural historian who declares he only wants solitude, but whose eyes say something else altogether.”

~Eat You Alive* by thecapn. 92k. “Jensen is a werewolf. Jared is the boy who sits next to him in English class.”

Such a simple little summary that doesn't begin to indicate how complicated and interesting and subtly daring this writer is. I like everything she's written for us, which granted, isn't much. Or rather, it's tough to track down, but if you can, DIG IN. She doesn't shy away from tough topics, and approaches typical material in thoroughly unique ways. Her writing is, at once, hip and timeless.

~Giving Up the Ghost by dimpleforyourthoughts. 89k. “Since his parents’ divorce, Jensen Ackles has just about given up on the living. Moving from town to town with his Mom and Sister, his only solace has been found in music, and ignoring pretty much everything else. The latest move to a massive plantation home in Louisiana feels like a dream come true: he'll have all the space and privacy he's ever wanted. But there's something--someone--else living in the house. And they're absolutely bent on making Jensen's peace and quiet a living hell. Jensen's just a moody teenager who wants to be left alone. And Jared is the lonely ghost that haunts his bedroom. Determined to get rid of the pesky poltergeist, Jensen makes it his mission to get Jared to move on from this earth. But the more time they spend searching for Jared's way to cross over, the more Jensen is discovering that Jared might be one of the few people on this earth--living and dead--that he might want to keep around.”

~Learn to Glow* by cleflink. 43k. Cleflink has an amazing facility with world building, as I've noted before. This one is sweet and chock full of feels. Great summer reading! I've read 'Kaleidoscope', but I can't remember if I've read the other two; will have to remedy that!

“In which Jensen is an empath and Jared is insanely cheerful and completely incapable of leaving well enough alone.”

~Like a Detuned Radio by homo_pink. 9.5k. Short, but homo_pink writes some of the hottest fic this side of the internet. Recced by many.

“When Jared's released from prison, Jensen is there to help him cope. Parole officer/ex-con AU.”

~Lost and Found by mediaville. 47k. “Jensen Ackles is a shy, overweight songwriter whose body issues have prevented him from forming any real personal connections, and at thirty, he’s still unsure of his sexuality, and still a virgin. But when he signs up for an experimental obesity research program, he meets Jared Padalecki, a stunningly sexy fitness guru who slowly but surely changes Jensen’s life.”

This was recommended by several peeps! I loooove ugly-duckling-to-swan fics, so this is high on my to-read list.

~Schemes (Are Not Just for Melodramatic Bond Villains) by bertee. 49k. “While broadening his gay horizons, architect!Jared meets waiter!Jensen at a strip club. Jensen is shy, Jared is smitten, and Jeff is a smarmy bastard.”

~So Very Like a Grave* by all_the_damned_vampires. 24k. All_the_damned's fics is not for the weak of heart, but if you're a h/c junkie like me—and don't mind endings that aren't all sunshine and lollipops, like me—this writer is for you. (Though I have received the funniest, most clever damned Jared-as-werecat ficlet from ATD in the past, so cute can happen!) The tales are always thick with psychological weight. I dig it.

“Jared is pretty sure he was insane even before he was abducted. Not many people can survive a global pandemic with their minds intact. For a long time, it’s just Jared alone in the room, tended and manipulated by an unseen force.

And then Jensen comes.”

~Thespis by nico723. 36k. “Jared is a makeup artist and is hired for a new movie based in Vancouver. Jensen plays the part of a hardcore, punk-rock star, but he has a real-life attitude problem. Unfortunately, Jared can’t figure out why and still finds Jensen attractive. They have to work alone together; long hours and long days, in small quarters of the makeup trailer. During that time, Jared discovers the actor’s secret and wants nothing more than to break away the protective mask Jensen hides behind.”

Enjoy!

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J2 Longfic Fridays!

A few weeks ago, I was asked over on tumblr for some of my J2 recs, the longer the better, and since I'm horrible at keeping records and my memory is poo, I laid it on my twitter TL. (Which is chockful of great fandom creators, and if you want choice recs? Ask the people who make the goods.)

The list grew into a MONSTER within minutes of posing the question: what's your favorite J2 longfic? I haven't read most of them, but on the upside, look at this embarrassment of riches! To keep it manageable (or else it'll go on forever and take up most of my life), I'll offer ten J2 longfic recs a week—posting on Friday—until I run out or I change the topic or whatevs. I'll include a brief description and a review if I've read the fic. For tracking, I'll be tagging these “J2LongficFriday”. My personal recs will be listed with an asterisk, I'll update with reviews as I chug through the list, and I'm always taking more recs and reviews. Happy J2ing!

(presented alphabetically by title)

~A Man's Fortune by morrezela. 29k. “Jared is a dragon. Jensen is a pretty if foolhardy young man trespassing on Jared’s mountain. Nobody ever warned Jensen about the possessive nature of dragons.” ~Dawnbringer 'Verse by lexicale. 300k. Another highly recced selection. Like shifter stuff? Give this a try. “The story follows Jensen and Jared, both werecats and both dealing with loss but coming from two very different situations. The fic explore their relationship as well as the world of the 'ailure,' a race of creatures capable of changing their shape from cat to human.” ~Do I Seem Bulletproof to You?* By fleshflutter. 96k. “When he can't find any acting work, Jared takes a job as driver and bodyguard to Jensen, who is an extremely expensive prostitute with a bad habit of attracting crazy people.”

This is the most recommended fic of all the bunch, so I'm reading it now. And yep, it's as good as everyone says it is. You get lured right into Jared's plight, his infatuation, his dilemmas. The incidental characters are interesting, and I can't say too much more about it since I'm not that far into it, but it's just a little bit hot. Yep. There's this one swimming pool scene, well. (Doesn't hurt that I just got back from my first visit to LA, so I can really picture the setting.) Enjoying the hell outta this fic so far! ~Get No Harder by kelleigh. 29k. “It was the summer that made coming back to life worthwhile. Based off of Farmer's Daughter, which is a terrible, terrible country song.”

I'm gonna read this one next, because kelleigh is a lovely person, a lovely writer, and this line from her author notes hooked me like a carp: “Jared was the wayward son and Jensen was the addict, looking for work and looking to save himself. He found so much more. ♥” ~Modern Love by sonofabiscuit77, 36k. “In 2005, art intern, Jared Padalecki, fell in love with his boss, ambitious and promiscuous Jensen Ackles. Five years later, reeling from a tragedy that killed three of their friends, they left Texas to build a new life in New York. It’s now 2012, and Jared’s no longer the idealistic intern, he’s got everything he thought he wanted, except nothing seems to be going right: Jensen's business is faltering, their sex life is non-existent and the past won't leave them alone. Still, Jared’s got no intention of giving up on Jensen; he just hopes Jensen feels the same way.” ~Off the Menu* by cherie_morte. 26k. “Jared is an injured kid wandering down the side of the road the first time Jensen meets him. He brings Jared back to Baby's, his father's diner, to help. As they grow up, they become close friends, but just when Jensen is beginning to realize his feelings for Jared may be more than friendly, Jared disappears. Years later, Jared returns to his diner, but he's not alone. Every night, he comes in escorted by a different john, and Jensen quietly aches for the boy he fell in love with.”

Cherie's prose always has heart and sass that sucks you right in. These characters break molds and they don't do the easy, expected things, which gives the deliciously indulgent plot a real sense of believability. Brownie points: hurt/comfort a'plenty, and Jensen's adorable tum.

~On Frost-tipped Feathers* by cleflink. 20k. “Jensen is the Keeper of the Birds for the powerful trade city of Kerak. His life is entirely given over to his duty, until the day he stumbles over a secret hidden deep below the City Palace that has the power to destroy the entire country and will change his life forever. An ice demon.”

Another ReverseBang collaboration with a wonderful writer! Cleflink builds amazing worlds, and this one was no exception. Fantasy-esque, with gods and talking ravens and a gloriously ambiguous morality that is reminiscent of the best fables. And then there are a couple of pretty pictures to look at too, heh!

~QB 'Verse* by pianoforeplay. 230k. Jensen. Jared. Football. Allllll the pining. That's all you've gotta know. Full confession: I skimmed some of the lengthy football scenes, but if you love the sport, the attention to detail will knock your socks off. Great cast of characters, lotsa nail-biting, just a really fantastically crafted series of fics!

~The End is Here* by whispered_story. 14k. “Ever since the virus started spreading and the infected starting roaming the country, Jared has been living on the streets, trying his best to survive. Living in the nearby camp of survivors might be easier, except dealing with people can be more difficult than dealing with infected—especially when one of those people is Jensen. After all, getting involved gives you more to lose.”

I did the art for this ReverseBang entry, and I loved every word that came out of it. It's on the shorter side and an easy read. It's quiet and thoughtful, and the characters are wounded and caring and deliciously complicated. Mild violence, h/c, a few zombies but they're not really a focus. It's all about the relationships! ~This Long Silence by dugindeep. 54k. “Jensen serves as the young sheriff of Morgan Falls, a town in the middle of nowhere that never has much happen. Until the residents start to turn, becoming violent and attacking one another. While trying to manage the chaos, Jensen is concerned with tracking down his neighbor, Jared, who's been hauled out of town with others in the quarantine. As Jensen becomes more desperate, those around him are clueless to his obsession, and he begins to recall how he and Jared became so close. Their sleepy town will never be the same, nor will Jensen and Jared.” (Inspired by The Crazies.)

I love dugindeep's writing, and this was one of many of her fics folks recced to me. Really looking forward to reading this one!

This should get everyone started on their summer reading!

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Did you give up on your Friday long fic recs?

Oh, dear, anon! I didn’t GIVE UP give up, but I’m modding two major fandom challenges right now and they’re taking up time. I’ll get one out this Friday, fates willing! :D