I'm evidently an enabler, plus some meta

[foxxcub]

Um, this is quite possibly the best post ever, in which I kinda sorta write kid!fic and/or prove that I am incapable of writing in a fandom without somehow writing my OTPs as teenagers. AND THEN MY MADNESS SPREADS. \o/

I'm in an extremely odd mood right now, as I'm alternating between said madness and reading synecdochic's Freedom's Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose. Which basically means I'm alternating between cooing with fangirl glee and bawling my eyes out. And honestly, I never thought I'd be wrecked by SGA fic, not like the way Oz fic wrecks me. Never. Gah.

But I guess every fandom has those stories that just feel so damn real that you have to take intermissions from reading in order to compose yourself from either weeping all over the place and frying your motherboard, or dying from pure, unadulterated love.

I'm curious about what fics break people, regardless of fandom. What is it about the fic that devastates you? Do all breaky fics have to have a character death, or a severe break-up (romantic or otherwise), or post-canon, melancholy tone? For me, the answer, for the most part, is yes, because as much as we love to lose ourselves in fic and the escapism it provides, sometimes the greatest joy comes from the ache of reality that the characters portray. I'm not saying breaky fics can't have hope or happy endings, but it's always that moment where your heart clutches in that good-yet-painful way that makes you realize you're being broken. And you love every moment. (At least I do. *g*)

Comments

[sarkastic.livejournal.com]

Everyone and their blind grandma has recced that fic at some point or another, but I just can't bring myself to read it. Even the freaking TITLE makes me sad. I don't know if I could handle that level of angst.

To answer your question, I don't read much angst because it puts me in deep, dark depressions, but there are some pairings where anything that's not at least slightly angsty just doesn't feel right. Beecher/Keller is the very obvious example, but I always like an undertone of sadness or melancholy with Nathan/Peter (from Heroes) fic. Supernatural angst scares me, because that's ANGST IN ALL CAPS, but esorlehcar's Down to the End 'verse (http://esorlehcar.livejournal.com/445945.html#dtte) is one of my favorite things in the world (probably 'cause it's got a happy ending).

And then there are novel-length stories like Omiai (http://members.shaw.ca/waytoomuchplor/omiai.htm) which have that perfect build-up of pain that hurts so bad but only makes it better when things finally work out. That's my favorite kind of story to read in all kinds of fiction, hands down.

[foxxcub.livejournal.com]

I think that's what surprised me the most about this fic; normally with SGA fic and McShep, I read them for the warm fuzzies and/or to put a smile on my face. Sometimes there's angst, sure, but for the most part I don't walk away feeling like my heart has sort of died (like with so much B/K stuff). But to be honest, "Freedom" is actually a hopeful story, just with a very bittersweet aftertaste. I highly recommend you trying to read it eventually, especially if you love Rodney.

Not all B/K needs to have angst--I am ALL about porny, porny fic that has little to no angst, just Chris being a ball of sex and Toby being powerless against it. :D