#beaniegara

[bigdickmadej]

Thanks, naluh for pointing out that Ryan, in fact, does it again

and he gets caught 👀

ups 

[wetookanoath]

Shyan Week 2019: Day 6 - Alternate Universe: SHANE IS SPIDER-MAN.

When the infamous Spider-Man got himself a Twitter to announce he was moving cities from Chicago to Los Angeles, Ryan never thought he'd end up married to the wall crawler. 

His life changed the moment he met fellow intern Shane, and after months of suspecting him a supernatural creature, Ryan never thought he'd find himself befriending the one and only Spider-Man... and the love of his life. 

(Even if sometimes he has to stitch him at 2AM on Tuesdays.)

[rarebuzzships]

It's late, Shane is tired, and he wants a drink. Andrew happens to offer just that. A pleasant surprise, in many ways.

reward for @beaniegara for il n’a rien dit mais il me plaît, her shandrew fill for rare shane week

[ricky-goldsworth]

u are made of stardust and galaxies and i love u. send this to ur ten favourite people on this website 💫⭐️💌✨🌻 (@beaniegara here!!)

NALUH ILU SO MUCH

[i-am-ghost-proof-baby]

2 and 25 for the ask game, flavs!! /beaniegara

2. What super power would you like to have?

I really like telepathy and telekinesis. David Haller on the comics has a bunch of bad ass powers, I wish I could have them.

25. Most gryffindor thing you’ve ever done?

I tend to do stupid shit Gryffindor things all the time. I’m stubborn, so it’s kinda easy to put myself into stupid situations if I think something isn’t right. Or just, like, do things if I want some adrenaline. I hate being bored. 

Gryffindor Asks!

[levyfiles]

Last week the @skepticbeliever-bookclub prompted us to post a selection of our favourite shyan fics so there’d be a nice little way to highlight all the hidden gems of favourites we might already recognise and love while sharing a few we might never have found otherwise. Last December I posted a little list of some of my favourites so I figured I’d dust off that list with a few new additions of particular favourites I treasure. 

Be All My Sins Remembered by spoopyy

Summary:  In every lifetime, they find each other.

Review: This fic manages to take you on a long journey through what feels like a series of AUs and they all weave in and out of the wealth of their relationship with some vivid descriptions of the historical settings their journey takes them through. As someone who grew up reading Anne Rice’s epics through historical events, this fic is right up my alley. A vampire Shane passing through the wave of human society’s climb searching for a reincarnated Ryan again and again, trying to hold on to him and keep him through great tragedies and timeframes that just don’t let them be together. This was one of the first fics I read when I was only a lurker and to be quite honest, I need to give this one a nice re-read, maybe for the book club which would be loads of fun. Either way, 10/10. Would be Hurt in the heart again.

Perfect Fit by @beaniegara

Summary:  There’s a legend that says anyone able to take all of statue Shane’s cock will summon the god to the mortal realm. Given the statue’s excessive size, no one has ever succeeded to prove or disprove the story. Until Ryan that is.

Review: Listen. You wanna talk actual fandom legends. This fic is one of them and it pulls out all the stops on being delicious and evocative. Also features one of my favourite incarnations of size queen bergara. Good stuff and you’re really rooting for Ryan in this lol.

a prize for rotten judgement  by sarcasticfishes

Summary: “You’d drive each other crazy. You sit together at your office all day, and then you’d be commuting home together, eating dinner together, watching TV together, going to bed — well, not together, but you get it, right?”

It doesn’t sound so awful to Shane. There are worse people he could be spending all his hours with than Ryan Bergara.

Review: The moment I happened to glance at the notes of this and saw that Fie’s secondary title for this would have been Ryan and Shane move to the Suburbs, I about lost it with excitement. Primarily because the show this references is one of my favourite comedies and that is one of my all-time favourite episodes. Let me tell you though, even if the reference is lost on you, this story is so much gold rolled into a heart-gripping tale of two best friends who spend every waking moment together taking the plunge to share a home and they were roommates oh my god they were roommates. Shane is pining and you’ll pine right along with him as you’ll yell and holler for him to stop being so damn real and full of doubt. It really is worth every gasp of pain and all the more for the execution but the delivery will leave you in delight. Certainly had me yelling at the author. This fic is gonna be one of my timeless favourites; I knew it the moment I began.

Everything’s Weird and We’re Always in Danger by beethechange

Summary: Ryan perches on the edge of the bed, an indistinct shape that Shane can only just make out in the dark, so he turns the lamp back on. He wants to see Ryan’s face, wants to know that he is alright. Ryan’s cheeks are damp, his hands fisted in the hideous flowered duvet.

“It won’t go away,” Ryan says miserably. “I’ve been like this since we got here, basically, and it won’t fucking—”

“Ah,” Shane says. “Well, you know, sometimes fear…adrenaline…they can affect people. Physically.” He waves his hands indistinctly crotchward. “It’s a, a scientifically known phenomenon.” Shane feels a little better staying in the realm of scientifically known phenomena.

Review: Word of advice. You see a fic is authored by beethechange, run don’t walk because you’re absolutely always going to be treated to the best of banter, the best of prose, chemistry, organic execution and feels right up the bottom end of your heart. This fic, this changed everything I thought I knew I wanted out of a bed-sharing fic. It’s got a little bit of two treats here. You got a sex-pollen-esque situation mixed with bed-sharing and holy fucking damn that is more than you think you deserve, but read this because you do deserve the best of the best. The build up, the dialogue, the surprisingly hilarity of it, the hotness woah, and The Aftermath. When you think you know what you’re in for, you’re wrong and you’re most pleasantly surprised. Get this fic in your life and honestly? while you’re at it, you could do a clean sweep of every fic in her list of works and while my less than adequate reading time management may still be short on some of her most well-recommended pieces, I have an adamant faith that Bee doesn’t disappoint. Go get y’all juice.

Maelstrom by thewindupbird

Summary:  Here’s the thing about driving halfway across the country to see someone. You can’t really deny, after that, that you’re pretty much head over heels for them.

Review: Listen. One morning on a day off, I just laid in bed and read this– all 40k+ words– while lying there clutching my pillows, hurting and loving every moment of it. The descriptions of Americana, the slow steady metronome rhythm of Ryan’s feelings as frightened and helpless as they feel when you’re relating deeply to them juxtaposed with the deep-seated struggle of understanding what it is to be with someone you love so much but your mental health is burning quiet holes in your ability to express it in a way that can be understand. Ryan’s fierce determination, breaking through the silence of their non communication is really Everything to me in this fic. i think I really left my heart in the scene in Shane’s parents kitchen. That finished me. Read this fic and understand the deep relief you get when you’ve finished a fight with someone you fiercely care about and they understand you and you understand them and it’s OK; it’s gonna be all right. Augh.

5 times Shane had to overrule Ryan’s “No Homo” + 1 time he didn’t have to by ghoulboyboos

Summary: There was only one thing that would truly drive him up the wall with Ryan, much more than any debate about ghosts ever could: Ryan’s consistent twitches of “no homo” when any sort of physical contract between them happened.

Review: I have such a soft special spot in my heart for this fic particularly because Lud manages to examine a trope I tend to avoid in such a sweet and honest way I couldn’t not love this fic. The story takes a painstaking and very real look at the “no homo” issue as it weaved through the journey that was early days Ryan and Shane. Shane’s reaction to in this and how he communicates with Ryan has such a very heartfelt and once again, real quality to it. I get in my feelings all over again about how far they’ve come and what it meant for Ryan to have Shane there. Lud really nails this piece and it’s a classic in my eyes.

A Burial on Box Hill by InkStainsOnMyHands

Summary: The Celtics believed that the yew flower symbolized both immortality and death. Meanwhile, for centuries, the buxus flower was seen as a symbol for safe passage into the afterlife.

Or,Shane and Ryan were never the same after investigating the Black Forest of Germany alone.

Review: Let me just quote my bookmark comment here. Usually I flee from tragedy like a cat spotting a cucumber but the brevity and the prose dragged me in and now I’m a functioning mess. Bless this fic. Oh my god it’s short and reads like one of those quick horror stories you’ll read to your friends just as the scary stories are transitioning from the urban legends to the ones that feel real. Big warning for main character death but still read it if you appreciate a good story told.

Body Farming by shiphitsthefan

Summary: Failed suppressants and a surprise heat: the worst of cliches, and here Ryan stands, living the trope on location with the alpha he’s hopelessly in love with. Even worse, they’re spending the night in the famous Bell Witch Cave, completely alone and with no way to contact the outside world.

Ryan knows he can survive and keep his preheat a secret, as long as Shane will stop being so protective and concerned. After all, it’s not like Shane wants to bond with him.

Right?

Review: Now judging from the reactions of many people I’ve spoken to, big heavy ABO kink is not popular here but guys, GUYS. This one. Let this one in I promise it is not what you think it is. The dynamic is organic and the worst side of the trope is subverted in all the best ways and lord help us, the smut is hot, like swelteringly smoking. It’ll stay with you.

Believer by cellard00rs

Summary:  Some demons and otherworldly creatures love climbing up the power ladder. Shane is not one of these. He likes where he is (thank you very much) and has no interest in moving up. All he wants is to give his friend Ryan a nice birthday gift. So, naturally, everything goes to hell.

Review: This fic is another fandom legend. When I think demon!Shane. It’s this and one other one that always pops right into my mind. This was my first exposure to the bureaucracy meets the supernatural!Shane trope and I was sold from the get-go. The Shane in this fic is everything I imagine a demon!Shane is and his ginger care for Ryan, the concept of their bond and how even though Shane is a demon and responsible for keeping the supernatural a firm secret from Ryan and the rest of the world, his skepticism is relayed through his status as a demon. I want to talk more about it but I think so much of the enjoyment comes from the surprises as the plot unfurls.

hey boy, take a look at me by weakspots

Summary: Ryan is 27, for Christ’s sake, and he’s not exactly hideous, so there’s really no reason to spend his money on a dude — a dude — whose face he’ll never see but whose livestreams he’s been jerking off to for roughly 4 months now. He should be going out and partying and fucking random chicks. Or a guy, whatever, just to get it out of his system and confirm to himself that he really is 100% straight.

Because he is. This is morbid curiosity, if anything.

Review: I’ve been a long-time fan of this universe and it was a universe I didn’t know I needed until this author gave it to us. We or rather me, a desperate audience, just devoured this with every update. Not only is it hot, but it has the delicious intrigue of secret identity, anonymous stuff and a LOT of blush-worthy prose therein. This version of Shane makes me thrive but the titillating nature of straight-identifying!Ryan being bowled over by the turn of events that leads him to his world tilting into the gravity of a camboy just--you Have to read this one!

Heartbeat by quackers

Summary:  So the guy Ryan sits next to at work is a vampire. That’s no big deal, right?

Review: I could talk your literal ear off about this fic. Vampires, man. I love the trope; you don’t know me as a person if you don’t know this at least. And this fic kept me fed all damn year. It was a readable garden. If there is one thing I can guarantee about quackers’ work, it’s that their world-building is a festival of detail. The realms and alternate universes they work with while still managing to keep Shane and Ryan’s voices so familiar and real is a talent not attributed to your everyday author. This fic propelled me into wanting to write more and more because quackers makes stories so much fun! Reading their work is, to me, not unlike the feeling I got when I was younger and finding series that speak to my need to escape this crummy existence, made me want to believe in fun spicy things like a vampire that lived through centuries, cynical but still searching, navigating a world where people are still people, adjusting to differences and prejudices, finding comfort in a guy that understands that and more. I’ve talked about this fic in more than a few different posts so I’d just be reiterating a lot of things I loved about the more historical aspects of Shane’s journey, the way Ryan is so firmly curious and inventive in ways to connect with Shane. Look, even if vampires aren’t your thing, I can promise that if you visit quackers list of work, you will find something for your supernatural-lovin’ palate that speaks to a gentler side of your own curiosity about monsters and the jocks that love them. lol.

I’ll Crawl Home by carrieonfighting

Summary:  “Shane was almost unnerved by how quickly he’d settled into this body, this name, this life - his friendship with Ryan was the most time he’d spent with any human before, and yet the man fascinated him.”

Review: This is the second fic I think of when someone says the words ‘demon!Shane’ to me because ohhhh my word, this fic is a masterpiece. I really am hard-pressed to find anything better than the feeling I get when I think of demon!Shane headcanons interwoven with the irl Buzzfeed reality and the idea of the Ryan as we know him being protected and watched and loved so deeply by a demon that found him so long ago and wanted nothing but to protect him. I feel an almost vicious glee reliving that moment when Ryan and Shane are on goatman’s bridge and man, I just really love canonical fic mixed with a slight twist. The writing in this makes it work so well with lines that still haunt my heart and soul like “Ryan liked popcorn. So did the demon. Genuinely, not just out of a desire to please the human – he liked the way it crunched between his vessel’s teeth. There were some aspects of taking a corporeal form that were… nice; laughing, coffee, feeling warm. Ryan made him laugh.” FUCK! The beautiful agony of it, watching the demon fall in love with Ryan through the eyes of his vessel. Just stark with pain and unspoken, well-written angst and pain with a perfect ending, I wouldn’t change for anything. I love this for us as a fandom and will always love that author crafted this piece and shared it with us. (Also every time I hear Work Song by Hozier, I think of this fic again and sigh).

[mysterywheeze]

made this after being inspired by @beaniegara​‘s tags. 

The footage from Shane's solo sessions always struck a balance between insufferable and charming. By this point, Shane had already gotten some decent results from the flashlights, and that skeptical son of a bitch just kept taunting the local ghouls, same as usual. It was - for Ryan, at least, as he went through the footage looking for anything noteworthy - so very, very annoying, and so very, very hilarious. Like watching a man host a comedy roast of a bear. While standing five feet from said bear.

"Demon," said the Shane on the screen, "now's your opportunity to enter my soul."

Typical Shane. Always playing chicken with the devil.

"We'll put fifteen seconds on the clock here, and... here we go."

Then he pulled what can only be described as A Shane™. 

With all the grace of a wet dog shaking itself dry, Shane pretended to be possessed by a demon. At least, that's what Ryan assumed he was doing, because Shane had picked the goofiest possible way to act a demonic possession out. He shook his head in all directions and made noises to boot, like he was trying to do a Richard Nixon impression while simultaneously being drunk and high unable to make himself stop. He seemed to be trying to roll his eyes back into his skull. He might have succeeded for a brief moment - not that Ryan would know, since his own eyes were half-shut with laughter and couldn’t focus on the screen. You couldn't even say he was breathing anymore; it was all wheeze. After just a few seconds, he had to pause it.

He barely even reacted when he saw Shane out the corner of his eye, coming back to the desk with a coffee. All he did was take his headphones off to hear whatever quips Shane had up his sleeve today. The wheezing would not let up.

"What's so funny?" asked Shane. "You find a spooky little ghost comedian in there somewhere?"

"No," Ryan wheezed out, "it's just- ah, you being an idiot."

"Hmm. That is a favorite hobby of mine."

"I just-" he spoke more clearly now - "why do you represent demonic possession like... were you possessed by the spirit of Tricky Dick?"

Shane didn't have a quip prepared for that. He seemed confused, actually.

"Was I what? You mean that Tricky Dick? Ryan, if a dead president took over my body, I think that, as your good friend, I'd tell you." He grasped at his heart. “You wound me, Ryan.”

"Didn't you say you'd delete footage of ghosts if you found it before I did?"

"Well, yeah, but they would've been bar ghosts. A president, though? A president’s a big deal."

"River Phoenix was a big deal."

"Yeah but, I mean- shut up. Why are you even asking, what little clip of garbled static are you hearing Nixon’s voice come out of? Is the spirit box getting political now?"

"C'mon, man. It's this bit."

Ryan took the headphones out of their jack and pressed play. The clip of Shane's little gag played out for both of them, and Ryan went right back to wheezing. This time, he could soften the blow by averting his eyes to Shane, to see that smug-ass grin he got when Ryan reminded him of past shenanigans.

Except that Shane wasn't smiling.

He stared at the screen, blank-faced. His brows started to furrow, before whispering:

"What the fuck?"

"What?" Ryan paused the clip. Shane's expression didn't change.

"What the fuck is that?"

"Shane, I swear, if this is another bit-”

"Shut up." Shane's tone broke the air like a blunt instrument. "I'm not kidding, Ryan, what is that?"

"It's your bit. Your ‘being-possessed-by-a-demon’ bit. Are you... are you okay, man?"

Ryan thought he saw the blood draining from Shane’s face. 

"I didn't do that. I don't remember doing that at all."

[80-percent-leg]

@beaniegara YOU WERE RIGHT. “There was a lot of nipple content that got cut out of the episode.” Bless.

[morstan]

Tag, you’re it.

Rules: Answer the questions and tag 20 people, either mutuals or followers you would like to get to know better.

I was tagged by @hailbabel​, thanks love! <3

Name/Nickname: naluh

Gender: cis woman

Astrological Sign: gemini

Birthday: sometime in june! shh

Height: 5′5′’ 

Sexuality: queer/lesbian technically

Hogwarts House: ravenclaw. used to be, anyway

Blanket count: 1 because it’s hot as fuck

Nationality/Country: brazilian

Occupation: I’m.. unemployed but with a degree in translation

Hobbies: uh. watching TV shows? reading.

Other Blogs: I’m running g/entlemanjackdaily, outofcontextmightynein, and I have a sideblog for bfu, beaniegara.  

Fav Book: I can’t pick one, but it’s between “lexicon” by max barry and “karen memory” by elizabeth bear. the first is a thriller for linguists, the second is a steampunk novel with a lesbian protagonist (honestly, everything I ask for in a book)

Fav Movie: chicago (2002) 

Favorite Color: orange

Fav Season: it’s always hot here, so I’m gonna say winter bc it’s Less Hot for a couple of months

Fav Food: steak! or a whopper.

Fav Animal: cats all the way

Last Movie I Watched: what we do in the shadows (I highly recommend it)

Last song I listened to: pretty sure it was park bom’s cover of “alone” by g-idle because I was watching queendom yesterday

Last Book I Read: the last book I *finished* reading was “misery” by stephen king, but I’m currently reading “becoming” by michelle obama, “the man in the high castle” by philip k dick, and “bel canto” by ann patchett. (can you tell I’m having trouble reading these days by how many books I’ve started and not finished yet..........)

Last Fun thing I did: wow, I had to think for a second on this one. aside from playing computer games sometimes? I went to a japanese culture festival a few weeks ago. got a bit overwhelming by the time I left but I loved the martial arts performances! 

Inspiration or Muse: I, uh. I don’t have any? :(

Meaning of URL: I was a big fan of mary morstan (aka mary watson) after watching bbc sherlock. still am, actually! and I love that name. I’m always here for any version of mary as an active character and not just the wife in the background. 

Dream Destination: I’d love to visit seoul and tokyo someday but I think I’d pick a nordic country for a longer visit or to live in.

Dream Job: writer, or screenwriter, or anything where I get to create things. just a dream tho, not a reality, since I can’t *actually* create things lol

-

tagging whoever sees this! 

[poiregourmande]

April 2019 fic recs

i definitely didn’t read as much this month, but under the cut you can find curlshyan, shyan, stadamdrew and adamnie!

gonna lose it | @anotherlostblogger | curly/ryan/shane | explicit | 14k | complete | Ryan kinda has a thing for a certain friend of theirs, but a big secret is keeping him from making a move. Luckily, Curly is there to help.

when your heart beats next to mine | beethechange | curly/ryan/shane | explicit | 10k | complete | Then Ryan must remember what he’s supposed to be doing, because when he comes back for more it’s soft, exploratory, much less certain. More like a virgin might kiss, not that Shane’s got that much experience kissing virgins. Shane pulls back and watches with fierce joy as Ryan puts on the whole routine: big eyes, gulping, passing his hand over his mouth like he’s already overwhelmed just from a kiss.“Okay, time out again,” Curly says. “This is exactly how I imagined this trip going when I put it on my vision board.”*** Or: Ryan and Shane have unfinished business. Curly sees them through the wilderness. (It’s a sex wilderness.)

fresh blood | @beaniegara | ryan/shane | explicit | 8.6k | complete | Ryan is a vampire in a world where vampires are not that extraordinary anymore, really. Still, he thinks he might be getting the short end of the stick when he realizes everyone is having amazing vampire sex, including plain ol' human Shane. So Ryan is intrigued. (Sue him, ok?)

the wolf with the red roses | @mercury-skies | ryan/shane | explicit | 6.5k | complete | On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?

only a mistake if we don’t survive | @theawfuledges | ryan/shane | mature | 5.4k | chapter 4/? | If there was any way that Ryan had expected his week to end, it wouldn't include stumbling onto his frat brothers gathered around a summoning circle in the basement, illuminated by the glow of a dozen candles while one of them stumbled through some crude incantation in a language Ryan didn’t recognize.And yet.-Ryan's frat brothers summon a demon. He's... not what Ryan expects.

you’re holy to me (chapter 13) | @anotherlostblogger | adam/andrew/steven | explicit | 35k | chapter 13/? | Steven’s lim(ited) experience with dating, sex, how he came to know himself and find love in the process.

the best things happen while you’re dancing | @kittensmctavish | adam/annie | gen | 3.8k | complete | Five times Adam wanted to ask someone to dance, and one time someone asked him.

[shyanwritingevents]

Thanks to everyone who checked-in in time with us during these working days. As a little surprise, those who checked-in on the assigned day (aka in time), the three times it was called, will get:

A moodboard, posters or edit for their fic. In case of art, it will be negotiated.

Solo rec at @shyanlibrary

Can skip a check-in in the next event they decide to participate.

The following participants will have said things starting April 15 and onwards:

@beaniegara 

@from-one-fandom-to-the-other

@theawfuledges 

@skeptic-septic

@somelikeitpink

More info will be sent to them as well as a posting schedule for these gifts. 

Thanks to everyone for participating! ~

[rarebuzzships]

Trying to find a rare-pair Shane/Andrew fic. There is a work party that Shane declines an invite to and so does Andrew. They decide to go get a quiet drink instead, but they end up drinking at Andrew’s instead of a bar. They drink wine and listen to an opera record and basically speak in code about their respective unrequited crushes on their co-hosts. Andrew (who has been giving off very high class courtesan vibes) invites Shane to shower with him and they get intimate. Thanks for the help!

oh bless you for reminding me of this fic, it's simply incredible!

il n'a rien dit mais il me plaît | sessrumnir / @beaniegara | explicit | 5k | It's late, Shane is tired, and he wants a drink. Andrew happens to offer just that. A pleasant surprise, in many ways.

(and while i'm at it, psa that y'all can always ask if you want me to find a rare pair fic, i'm happy to provide a similar service to @skepticbeliever-bookclub)

[andrewilynyckyj]

“That’s bullshit” for @queerunsolved, @beaniegara, @a-slow-disaster & @itsmeyashaniac

[void-bee]

for the palette thing, lampost for shyan? 👀 (@beaniegara here!!)

love them bois

request a character or pairing :)

[beaniegara]

It's cracking me up that poster said how ~ Ryan always has to repeatedly inist they're not a couple~ I mean I've seen every single episode and cannot remember one time this even happened??? L o l

I mean fdgkjfdsghsfd he did say that one time “this makes it sound like we’re a couple, we’re not a couple!” like, two years ago. but that’s about it iirc?? and I always atributted it to ryan’s fratboy-esque habit of going #NOHOMO!!! at everything (which he seems to have grown out of, or toned it down lately, amen.) not because he was losing sleep over what people have written on ao3.

what the woke!!! peeps in this fandom need to realize tho is that the tumblr fandom comprises, if we’re being generous, maybe 1% of the viewership of the show. ryan’s insta comments are usually on the hundreds–on the thousands if it’s about unsolved. youtube? 10k comments each video, easily. so when ryan comments about how people think he and shane are glued at the hip (eg, the sims video), it’s not because he’s browsing tumblr and going “godDAMMIT I cannot believe user beaniegara has posted another SHIPPY STORY of me and shane”, it’s because 90% of his replies and the comments he gets on insta are from viewers/fans who are NOT shippers or on tumblr but are always going “hey I see you’re eating tacos, but does shane like tacos!!! where is shane!!!”. shane’s pics with sara? lots of clowns in the comments going “ryan looks different lols”. that’s not us. and it has nothing to do with shipping, actually. and he sure as hell isn’t ~repeatedly insisting~ on anything other than “ghosts are real” lol

[levyfiles]

helloooo!!!! since you are my fave blog about shyan content, i must ask: what are your favorite fics???

AHhh! I–OK well, Lately I’ve been finding more and more fics that fill my heart right up with every gorgeous headcanon there is, but If we’re talking all-time favourites, I have finally compiled a List from the moment I started reading shyan fic in 2018 of fics that have ruined my life; all of them here in no particular order.

Be All My Sins Remembered by spoopyy

Summary: In every lifetime, they find each other.

Review: This fic manages to take you on a long journey through what feels like a series of AUs and they all weave in and out of the wealth of their relationship with some vivid descriptions of the historical settings their journey takes them through. As someone who grew up reading Anne Rice’s epics through historical events, this fic is right up my alley. A vampire Shane passing through the wave of human society’s climb searching for a reincarnated Ryan again and again, trying to hold on to him and keep him through great tragedies and timeframes that just don’t let them be together. This was one of the first fics I read when I was only a lurker and to be quite honest, I need to give this one a nice re-read, maybe for the book club which would be loads of fun. Either way, 10/10. Would be Hurt in the heart again.

Perfect Fit by @beaniegara

Summary: There’s a legend that says anyone able to take all of statue Shane’s cock will summon the god to the mortal realm. Given the statue’s excessive size, no one has ever succeeded to prove or disprove the story.Until Ryan that is.

Review: Listen. You wanna talk actual fandom legends. This fic is one of them and it pulls out all the stops on being delicious and evocative. Also features one of my favourite incarnations of size queen bergara. Good stuff and you’re really rooting for Ryan in this lol. 

Everything’s Weird and We’re Always in Danger by the beethechange

Summary: Ryan perches on the edge of the bed, an indistinct shape that Shane can only just make out in the dark, so he turns the lamp back on. He wants to see Ryan’s face, wants to know that he is alright. Ryan’s cheeks are damp, his hands fisted in the hideous flowered duvet.

“It won’t go away,” Ryan says miserably. “I’ve been like this since we got here, basically, and it won’t fucking—”

“Ah,” Shane says. “Well, you know, sometimes fear…adrenaline…they can affect people. Physically.” He waves his hands indistinctly crotchward. “It’s a, a scientifically known phenomenon.” Shane feels a little better staying in the realm of scientifically known phenomena.

Review: Word of advice. You see a fic is authored by beethechange, run don’t walk because you’re absolutely always going to be treated to the best of banter, the best of prose, chemistry, organic execution and feels right up the bottom end of your heart. This fic, this changed everything I thought I knew I wanted out of a bed-sharing fic. It’s got a little bit of two treats here. You got a sex-pollen-esque situation mixed with bed-sharing and holy fucking damn that is more than you think you deserve, but read this because you do deserve the best of the best. The build up, the dialogue, the surprisingly hilarity of it, the hotness woah, and The Aftermath. When you think you know what you’re in for, you’re wrong and you’re most pleasantly surprised. Get this fic in your life and honestly? while you’re at it, you could do a clean sweep of every fic in her list of works and while my less than adequate reading time management may still be short on some of her most well-recommended pieces, I have an adamant faith that Bee doesn’t disappoint. Go get y’all juice.

Maelstrom by thewindupbird

Summary: Here’s the thing about driving halfway across the country to see someone. You can’t really deny, after that, that you’re pretty much head over heels for them.

Review: Listen. One morning on a day off, I just laid in bed and read this– all 40k+ words– while lying there clutching my pillows, hurting and loving every moment of it. The descriptions of Americana, the slow steady metronome rhythm of Ryan’s feelings as frightened and helpless as they feel when you’re relating deeply to them juxtaposed with the deep-seated struggle of understanding what it is to be with someone you love so much but your mental health is burning quiet holes in your ability to express it in a way that can be understand. Ryan’s fierce determination, breaking through the silence of their non communication is really Everything to me in this fic. i think I really left my heart in the scene in Shane’s parents kitchen. That finished me. Read this fic and understand the deep relief you get when you’ve finished a fight with someone you fiercely care about and they understand you and you understand them and it’s OK; it’s gonna be all right. Augh. 

A Burial on Box Hill by InkStainsOnMyHands

Summary: The Celtics believed that the yew flower symbolized both immortality and death. Meanwhile, for centuries, the buxus flower was seen as a symbol for safe passage into the afterlife.

Or,Shane and Ryan were never the same after investigating the Black Forest of Germany alone.

Review: Let me just quote my bookmark comment here. Usually I flee from tragedy like a cat spotting a cucumber but the brevity and the prose dragged me in and now I’m a functioning mess. Bless this fic. Oh my god it’s short and reads like one of those quick horror stories you’ll read to your friends just as the scary stories are transitioning from the urban legends to the ones that feel real. Big warning for main character death but still read it if you appreciate a good story told.

Body Farming by shiphitsthefan

Summary: Failed suppressants and a surprise heat: the worst of cliches, and here Ryan stands, living the trope on location with the alpha he’s hopelessly in love with. Even worse, they’re spending the night in the famous Bell Witch Cave, completely alone and with no way to contact the outside world.

Ryan knows he can survive and keep his preheat a secret, as long as Shane will stop being so protective and concerned. After all, it’s not like Shane wants to bond with him.

Right?

Review: Now judging from the reactions of many people I’ve spoken to, big heavy ABO kink is not popular here but guys, GUYS. This one. Let this one in I promise it is not what you think it is. The dynamic is organic and the worst side of the trope is subverted in all the best ways and lord help us, the smut is hot, like swelteringly smoking. It’ll stay with you. 

Believer by cellard00rs

Summary: Some demons and otherworldly creatures love climbing up the power ladder. Shane is not one of these. He likes where he is (thank you very much) and has no interest in moving up. All he wants is to give his friend Ryan a nice birthday gift. So, naturally, everything goes to hell.

Review: This fic is another fandom legend. When I think demon!Shane. It’s this and one other one that always pops right into my mind. This was my first exposure to the bureaucracy meets the supernatural!Shane trope and I was sold from the get-go. The Shane in this fic is everything I imagine a demon!Shane is and his ginger care for Ryan, the concept of their bond and how even though Shane is a demon and responsible for keeping the supernatural a firm secret from Ryan and the rest of the world, his skepticism is relayed through his status as a demon. I want to talk more about it but I think so much of the enjoyment comes from the surprises as the plot unfurls. 

Heartbeat by quackers

Summary: So the guy Ryan sits next to at work is a vampire. That’s no big deal, right?

Review: I could talk your literal ear off about this fic. Vampires, man. I love the trope; you don’t know me as a person if you don’t know this at least. And this fic kept me fed all damn year. It was a readable garden. If there is one thing I can guarantee about quackers’ work, it’s that their world-building is a festival of detail. The realms and alternate universes they work with while still managing to keep Shane and Ryan’s voices so familiar and real is a talent not attributed to your everyday author. This fic propelled me into wanting to write more and more because quackers makes stories so much fun! Reading their work is, to me, not unlike the feeling I got when I was younger and finding series that speak to my need to escape this crummy existence, made me want to believe in fun spicy things like a vampire that lived through centuries, cynical but still searching, navigating a world where people are still people, adjusting to differences and prejudices, finding comfort in a guy that understands that and more. I’ve talked about this fic in more than a few different posts so I’d just be reiterating a lot of things I loved about the more historical aspects of Shane’s journey, the way Ryan is so firmly curious and inventive in ways to connect with Shane. Look, even if vampires aren’t your thing, I can promise that if you visit quackers list of work, you will find something for your supernatural-lovin’ palate that speaks to a gentler side of your own curiosity about monsters and the jocks that love them. lol.

I’ll Crawl Home by carrieonfighting

Summary: “Shane was almost unnerved by how quickly he’d settled into this body, this name, this life - his friendship with Ryan was the most time he’d spent with any human before, and yet the man fascinated him.”

Review: This is the second fic I think of when someone says the words ‘demon!Shane’ to me because ohhhh my word, this fic is a masterpiece. I really am hard pressed to find anything better than the feeling I get when I think of demon!Shane headcanons interwoven with the irl Buzzfeed reality and the idea of the Ryan as we know him being protected and watched and loved so deeply by a demon that found him so long ago and wanted nothing but to protect him. I feel an almost vicious glee reliving that moment when Ryan and Shane are on goatman’s bridge and man, I just really love canonical fic mixed with a slight twist. The writing in this makes it work so well with lines that still haunt my heart and soul like “Ryan liked popcorn. So did the demon. Genuinely, not just out of a desire to please the human – he liked the way it crunched between his vessel’s teeth. There were some aspects of taking a corporeal form that were…nice; laughing, coffee, feeling warm. Ryan made him laugh.” FUCK! The beautiful agony of it, watching the demon fall in love with Ryan through the eyes of his vessel. Just stark with pain and unspoken, well-written angst and pain with a perfect ending, I wouldn’t change for anything. I love this for us as a fandom and will always love that author crafted this piece and shared it with us. (Also every time I hear Work Song by Hozier, I think of this fic again and sigh).

Like I said at the beginning, thanks to @skepticbeliever-bookclub I’ve been discovering and re-discovering some fics I hadn’t had the chance to read and or have never even heard of before and my bookmarks list is growing with each new week. So if you get through this list and need more in your life, here you go. Every fic in my bookmarks deserves the community’s attention. If I can just make one special request of you guys? If you do happen to click any of these and enjoy what you read, please take the time and tell the author what you loved about it. It really changes the game out here for fanworks and fan-creators like you wouldn’t even believe and the people who shared these works with us worked hard to make the stories what they are and put a great deal of emotional investment in sharing it. Share more than your silence in return. 

Hope you find something you like here, nonnybabe..