The Femmeslash Project: Bandom Recs
So basically over the last couple of months I have read hundreds and hundreds of bandom f-slash fics. (Relatedly, this delicious account? Is excellent, I have all sorts of gratitude for whoever put it together.)
And now I have a rec list! These are my favourites, guys ♥
The Like | Other Pairings | Always-a-Girl Genderswaps | Crossover Pairings & Miscellaneous
The Like
Ghostlight by softlyforgotten
Z/Tennessee. Novelette. A high school AU in which Z is in love with Charlotte's friend Tennessee, who's a ghost. This is so wonderful. Parts of it are ridiculous and parts are so lovely and heartbreaking you twist your fingers together and try to see through the heart-eyes. Charlotte is awesome too, a spiky sly part of their trio who never feels superfluous or as though she's there to support the pairing. (Also features an incredibly adorable background pairing.) (PG-13)
A Shift in Shapes Has Come Around by disarm-d
Z/Tennessee (+ Brendon/Pete). One-shot. A high school AU in which Tennessee worries about being the first girl Z has dated, and Brendon worries about making out with a straight guy. This is hilarious. And features super awkward sex and talking about sex, but go with it. (NC-17)
Sicken of the Calm by softlyforgotten
Z/Tennessee. Short one-shot. High school AU. In which Tennessee gets drunk and kisses Z, and Z stops speaking to her. Cleaned-up commentfic, which you can tell in a couple of places, but just the most darling, heart-wrenching little thing. Seriously one of my absolute favourite Z/Tennessee dynamics. (PG-13)
And Home We Steer, a Merry Crew by fictionalaspect
Z/Tennessee. Ficlet. Tennessee in Wonderland! Z is the white rabbit! So lovely I can't even SAY. (PG)
All That's Best of Dark and Bright by harborshore
Z/Tennesseee. Ficlet. Z wakes to the full moon and a tug inside her. A lovely little story, with supernatural creatures and quiet moments of breathless emotion, as harborshore does. (PG-13)
Heard It Through the Grapevine by fictionalaspect
Annie/Laena. One-shot. College AU. Laena isn't sure Annie even exists outside class, and how are you supposed to get to know somebody and make them fall for you if you never talk to them? Oh man, this is the most charming thing. I was particularly won over by the background Tennessee/Spencer (Spencer knows Tennessee must make good drinks because she's a good cook, which he knows because she made him a drink that one time!), but they're all marvellous, and the Annie/Laena at the end is super darling. (PG-13)
Why Wait Any Longer by harborshore
Annie/Laena. One-shot. High school AU. In which Annie hangs out at the coffee shop Laena works in after school and pines; out-take from a larger universe. This is darling; I would give so much for vaguely-sassy-baby-barista!Laena to become a trope. (PG-13)
Schrodinger's Cat by verbosewrdsmith
Annie/Laena. Ficlet. Annie has a problem with her robotic cat, and Laena can't figure out what's wrong with it. This is just charming; robot cats are my favourite. (PG)
A Little Short on Solar by roadmarks
Z/Annie. Short one-shot. The band has been awesome since Annie joined; Z's pretty sure she has superpowers of some kind. This is delightful; the way Annie's abilities work is ace, and there are some really darling and funny lines. (PG-13)
Different Pages of the Same Name by finkpishnets
Z/Annie. One-shot. High school AU. Annie's pretty sure she and Z Berg have never exchanged a single word before this year; she can't work out why Z is suddenly everywhere now. Completely charming little bit of a story. Z is the most awkward ever, and Laena is a highlight as Annie's best friend. (PG)
Untitled Truth-or-Dare Ficlet by lacquerdreams
Z/Laena, Annie/Tennessee. Ficlet. Just a cute little snippet of truth-or-dare fic, with really fun Annie characterisation. (PG-13)
Bend Toward Joy by softlyforgotten
Z/Annie/Laena/Tennessee. One-shot. It was Annie who noticed, and told the others. God, this is hot. Mostly build-up, with gorgeous characterisation. (NC-17)
Dance with Me by redbrickrose
Z/Charlotte. Ficlet. After prom, for the first time. Undressing porn, hot and sweet and a little sharp. (NC-17)
Ways of Going Forward by redbrickrose
Charlotte/Tennessee. One-shot. A New Year's story. Charlotte and Tennessee have years of history, but they haven't spoken for the better part of a year when Charlotte calls. This story makes me think of blue ribbons and warm velvet; I love this dynamic for Charlotte and Tennessee. Girls finding their way back to each other. (PG)
Other Pairings
Hurricane and Fire Survival Guide by softlyforgotten.
Vicky-T/Greta. Novella. High school AU. High school and drama both stopped being something Victoria could get along with when her boys graduated; it's more or less an accident when she promises Brendon Urie she'll audition again this year. This is such a great story. It's much more about Victoria working herself out and making friends and coming alive again than it is a pairing fic (although Greta is lovely), and it does all that really well. The drama crowd and Victoria's boys at college (the Cobras and TAI) are all awesome. Also featuring an incredibly darling mystery background pairing. (PG-13)
To Love in All This Mess by forcedmovement
Jac/Audrey. Novella. Band AU. Audrey might be a fuck-up, but she has her band, and the girls she picks up in bars, and she's a fucking rockstar whether her band's famous or not, and Jac doesn't fit into any of that. This is great. Sharp-edged and serious-unserious and sometimes hot and just compulsively readable. The kind of fucked up that both girls are appealed to my mood exactly, and the kind of in love they are would appeal to me always. The emotions are fraught and something of a self-indulgent kick, but they're real, and there's enough casual humour to pass. I really enjoyed it. (NC-17)
Always-a-Girl Genderswaps
L.O.V.E. by sunsetmog
Ashlee/girl!Pete. Novella. High school AU, set in the Rugby-verse but stands alone. In which Ashlee has a crush on Cassadee Pope, and weird sulky Pete Wentz, the girl Ashlee has never forgiven for tripping her over on a school field trip, won't stop staring at her. The most darling thing in the world, oh my god. The Simpson sisters are awesome together, and Pete is tragic and brilliant. The second half is a bit rushed, and I would have liked more of a time lapse for Ashlee to sort her feelings out, but still - so great. (PG-13)
Dear Gravity, You Held Me Down in This Starless City by mahoni
Lyn-Z/girl!Spencer. Ficlet. A DC Comics crossover, in which Spencer gets jumped in an alley and Lindsey is Batgirl. Fucking awesome little thing. Brilliant tone, and I love this girl!Spencer, kickass but human. (PG-13)
Get to Kiss That Twisted Mouth by nokomis305
Lyn-Z/girl!Gerard. Ficlet. The first time Lyn-Z sees the lead singer of My Chemical Romance, androgynous and swearing and sexy as fuck, she blows her away. There's not much in the way of plot, but this is awesome, just Lyn-Z and Gee and the way the author writes them and their chemistry. (PG)
Space Where We Meet is Different from the Rest by lyo
Alicia/girl!Mikey. One-shot. The new girl is spindly and a bit weird and has an awesome comics collection and they say she was kicked out of her last school for fighting. This is a quiet little fic, with a quiet amount of attitude, and a really excellent depiction of the awkward-lonely consciousness of being queer in an all-girl school. (PG)
All We Need (Is a Little Bit of Momentum) by fictionalaspect
Greta/girl!Brendon. One-shot. In which Brendon, girl in the band, is still trying to find her sartorial vision (or Ryan's sartorial vision), and Greta is a million miles out of her league. Oh, this is so great. Greta! Brendon so charming and hopeful! Corsets and suits and androgynous makeovers! Poor Jon wandering around while everybody else ties up his hotel rooms with sex that he's not having! And the way Brendon interacts with her band is perfect. I love this fic a lot. (R)
About a Girl by sunsetmog
girl!Brendon/girl!Spencer. One-shot. Spencer finds that working out she's a lesbian is a whole lot more complicated when she factors in the band's other girl, Brendon. Who's being a dick, seriously, Spencer really wishes she wasn't in love with her. Adorable fic with epiphanies and crushes. And Ryan and Brent doing a lot of eavesdropping, which was also improbably adorable. (PG-13)
First Verse, Allegro by shihadchick
girl!Brendon/girl!Spencer. Ficlet. Funny and darling teenaged first makeouts ficlet, featuring Spencer getting her hand caught in Brendon's bra. (R)
My Baby Loves Me (Just the Way That I Am) by stephanometra
girl!Ryan/girl!Spencer. One-shot. Spencer didn't think it would bother Ryan, somebody mistaking her for a boy; she's confused by the sudden introduction of jeweled bobby pins and sparkly tops to Ryan's wardrobe. This is darling and awesome and hot, with fantastic characterisation. Takes a sudden swerve into explicit after not much build-up, but as long as you go with that you're golden. I really love this a lot. (And do click through to the linked art, it's awesome.) (NC-17)
It's All Fun and Games (Till Someone Ends Up Naked on Buzznet) by shihadchick
girl!Jon/girl!Spencer. One-shot. In which Spencer's superpower is being interrupted by her bandmates when she's about to get laid, and Jon is a little too great for Spencer's peace of mind. Affectionately hilarious, with some great lines; made me smile a lot. (R)
Freighthopping by charactereyes
girl!Gerard/girl!Bert. One-shot. High school AU. Bert's unlike anybody else, and she moves through life like a hurricane; probably Gee should want to take cover. This is all kinds of awesome. Not much plot, but the character dynamics are brilliant, and this Bert in particular is fantastic: visceral and crazy and adorable all at once. (PG-13)
Untitled Warped Tour Commentfic by leviticus-lied
girl!Joe/girl!Ray. Hilarious series of linked always-a-girl Joe/Ray commentfics, with a bunch of background pairings. There is no plot and no point and everybody is is awesome. The second one in particular made me snicker out loud a bunch of times. (R)
Crossover Pairings & Miscellaneous
Given Time We'll Find It Strange by skoosiepants
girl!Mike Carden/girl!Kevin Jonas. One-shot. Bandom/Disney RPF genderswap crossover. A tour fic in which Kevin Jonas, with her glittery leggings and pink nails and bright grin, is clearly not the kind of girl who dates the kind of girl Mike is, but Mike might be able to get a quick grope in if she's lucky. Kevin makes a kickass-adorable girl, and this fic is cute and funny and a bit darling. (PG-13)
Plays Out Like a Drum by skoosiepants
Sam Beckett/Mary Beth Saporta. One-shot. Set in the future of skoosiepants's Beach Dog universe, but does stand alone. Sam Beckett is in a band with Pear Wentz, Lissa Urie and Kit Walker; she's also in love with her best friend, and honestly it sucks kind of hard. This is just the most randomly adorable fic. I love Sam and her preying mantis fantasies and the way she is with her band, and I love Mary Beth through her eyes. (PG-13)
Bunny Calloway Takes the Stage by softlyforgotten
Taylor Vanguard/Bunny Calloway. One-shot. High school fic about the characters played by Z Berg & Tennessee Thomas in this TV actors AU. Taylor knows that people are going to find out what an awkward loser Bunny is eventually; she feels bad for her, really she does. This is more amazing than I can possibly articulate, with pining, bitchiness, banter and kissing. So very wonderful. (PG-13)
And now I have a rec list! These are my favourites, guys ♥
The Like | Other Pairings | Always-a-Girl Genderswaps | Crossover Pairings & Miscellaneous
The Like
Ghostlight by softlyforgotten
Z/Tennessee. Novelette. A high school AU in which Z is in love with Charlotte's friend Tennessee, who's a ghost. This is so wonderful. Parts of it are ridiculous and parts are so lovely and heartbreaking you twist your fingers together and try to see through the heart-eyes. Charlotte is awesome too, a spiky sly part of their trio who never feels superfluous or as though she's there to support the pairing. (Also features an incredibly adorable background pairing.) (PG-13)
A Shift in Shapes Has Come Around by disarm-d
Z/Tennessee (+ Brendon/Pete). One-shot. A high school AU in which Tennessee worries about being the first girl Z has dated, and Brendon worries about making out with a straight guy. This is hilarious. And features super awkward sex and talking about sex, but go with it. (NC-17)
Sicken of the Calm by softlyforgotten
Z/Tennessee. Short one-shot. High school AU. In which Tennessee gets drunk and kisses Z, and Z stops speaking to her. Cleaned-up commentfic, which you can tell in a couple of places, but just the most darling, heart-wrenching little thing. Seriously one of my absolute favourite Z/Tennessee dynamics. (PG-13)
And Home We Steer, a Merry Crew by fictionalaspect
Z/Tennessee. Ficlet. Tennessee in Wonderland! Z is the white rabbit! So lovely I can't even SAY. (PG)
All That's Best of Dark and Bright by harborshore
Z/Tennesseee. Ficlet. Z wakes to the full moon and a tug inside her. A lovely little story, with supernatural creatures and quiet moments of breathless emotion, as harborshore does. (PG-13)
Heard It Through the Grapevine by fictionalaspect
Annie/Laena. One-shot. College AU. Laena isn't sure Annie even exists outside class, and how are you supposed to get to know somebody and make them fall for you if you never talk to them? Oh man, this is the most charming thing. I was particularly won over by the background Tennessee/Spencer (Spencer knows Tennessee must make good drinks because she's a good cook, which he knows because she made him a drink that one time!), but they're all marvellous, and the Annie/Laena at the end is super darling. (PG-13)
Why Wait Any Longer by harborshore
Annie/Laena. One-shot. High school AU. In which Annie hangs out at the coffee shop Laena works in after school and pines; out-take from a larger universe. This is darling; I would give so much for vaguely-sassy-baby-barista!Laena to become a trope. (PG-13)
Schrodinger's Cat by verbosewrdsmith
Annie/Laena. Ficlet. Annie has a problem with her robotic cat, and Laena can't figure out what's wrong with it. This is just charming; robot cats are my favourite. (PG)
A Little Short on Solar by roadmarks
Z/Annie. Short one-shot. The band has been awesome since Annie joined; Z's pretty sure she has superpowers of some kind. This is delightful; the way Annie's abilities work is ace, and there are some really darling and funny lines. (PG-13)
Different Pages of the Same Name by finkpishnets
Z/Annie. One-shot. High school AU. Annie's pretty sure she and Z Berg have never exchanged a single word before this year; she can't work out why Z is suddenly everywhere now. Completely charming little bit of a story. Z is the most awkward ever, and Laena is a highlight as Annie's best friend. (PG)
Untitled Truth-or-Dare Ficlet by lacquerdreams
Z/Laena, Annie/Tennessee. Ficlet. Just a cute little snippet of truth-or-dare fic, with really fun Annie characterisation. (PG-13)
Bend Toward Joy by softlyforgotten
Z/Annie/Laena/Tennessee. One-shot. It was Annie who noticed, and told the others. God, this is hot. Mostly build-up, with gorgeous characterisation. (NC-17)
Dance with Me by redbrickrose
Z/Charlotte. Ficlet. After prom, for the first time. Undressing porn, hot and sweet and a little sharp. (NC-17)
Ways of Going Forward by redbrickrose
Charlotte/Tennessee. One-shot. A New Year's story. Charlotte and Tennessee have years of history, but they haven't spoken for the better part of a year when Charlotte calls. This story makes me think of blue ribbons and warm velvet; I love this dynamic for Charlotte and Tennessee. Girls finding their way back to each other. (PG)
Other Pairings
Hurricane and Fire Survival Guide by softlyforgotten.
Vicky-T/Greta. Novella. High school AU. High school and drama both stopped being something Victoria could get along with when her boys graduated; it's more or less an accident when she promises Brendon Urie she'll audition again this year. This is such a great story. It's much more about Victoria working herself out and making friends and coming alive again than it is a pairing fic (although Greta is lovely), and it does all that really well. The drama crowd and Victoria's boys at college (the Cobras and TAI) are all awesome. Also featuring an incredibly darling mystery background pairing. (PG-13)
To Love in All This Mess by forcedmovement
Jac/Audrey. Novella. Band AU. Audrey might be a fuck-up, but she has her band, and the girls she picks up in bars, and she's a fucking rockstar whether her band's famous or not, and Jac doesn't fit into any of that. This is great. Sharp-edged and serious-unserious and sometimes hot and just compulsively readable. The kind of fucked up that both girls are appealed to my mood exactly, and the kind of in love they are would appeal to me always. The emotions are fraught and something of a self-indulgent kick, but they're real, and there's enough casual humour to pass. I really enjoyed it. (NC-17)
Always-a-Girl Genderswaps
L.O.V.E. by sunsetmog
Ashlee/girl!Pete. Novella. High school AU, set in the Rugby-verse but stands alone. In which Ashlee has a crush on Cassadee Pope, and weird sulky Pete Wentz, the girl Ashlee has never forgiven for tripping her over on a school field trip, won't stop staring at her. The most darling thing in the world, oh my god. The Simpson sisters are awesome together, and Pete is tragic and brilliant. The second half is a bit rushed, and I would have liked more of a time lapse for Ashlee to sort her feelings out, but still - so great. (PG-13)
Dear Gravity, You Held Me Down in This Starless City by mahoni
Lyn-Z/girl!Spencer. Ficlet. A DC Comics crossover, in which Spencer gets jumped in an alley and Lindsey is Batgirl. Fucking awesome little thing. Brilliant tone, and I love this girl!Spencer, kickass but human. (PG-13)
Get to Kiss That Twisted Mouth by nokomis305
Lyn-Z/girl!Gerard. Ficlet. The first time Lyn-Z sees the lead singer of My Chemical Romance, androgynous and swearing and sexy as fuck, she blows her away. There's not much in the way of plot, but this is awesome, just Lyn-Z and Gee and the way the author writes them and their chemistry. (PG)
Space Where We Meet is Different from the Rest by lyo
Alicia/girl!Mikey. One-shot. The new girl is spindly and a bit weird and has an awesome comics collection and they say she was kicked out of her last school for fighting. This is a quiet little fic, with a quiet amount of attitude, and a really excellent depiction of the awkward-lonely consciousness of being queer in an all-girl school. (PG)
All We Need (Is a Little Bit of Momentum) by fictionalaspect
Greta/girl!Brendon. One-shot. In which Brendon, girl in the band, is still trying to find her sartorial vision (or Ryan's sartorial vision), and Greta is a million miles out of her league. Oh, this is so great. Greta! Brendon so charming and hopeful! Corsets and suits and androgynous makeovers! Poor Jon wandering around while everybody else ties up his hotel rooms with sex that he's not having! And the way Brendon interacts with her band is perfect. I love this fic a lot. (R)
About a Girl by sunsetmog
girl!Brendon/girl!Spencer. One-shot. Spencer finds that working out she's a lesbian is a whole lot more complicated when she factors in the band's other girl, Brendon. Who's being a dick, seriously, Spencer really wishes she wasn't in love with her. Adorable fic with epiphanies and crushes. And Ryan and Brent doing a lot of eavesdropping, which was also improbably adorable. (PG-13)
First Verse, Allegro by shihadchick
girl!Brendon/girl!Spencer. Ficlet. Funny and darling teenaged first makeouts ficlet, featuring Spencer getting her hand caught in Brendon's bra. (R)
My Baby Loves Me (Just the Way That I Am) by stephanometra
girl!Ryan/girl!Spencer. One-shot. Spencer didn't think it would bother Ryan, somebody mistaking her for a boy; she's confused by the sudden introduction of jeweled bobby pins and sparkly tops to Ryan's wardrobe. This is darling and awesome and hot, with fantastic characterisation. Takes a sudden swerve into explicit after not much build-up, but as long as you go with that you're golden. I really love this a lot. (And do click through to the linked art, it's awesome.) (NC-17)
It's All Fun and Games (Till Someone Ends Up Naked on Buzznet) by shihadchick
girl!Jon/girl!Spencer. One-shot. In which Spencer's superpower is being interrupted by her bandmates when she's about to get laid, and Jon is a little too great for Spencer's peace of mind. Affectionately hilarious, with some great lines; made me smile a lot. (R)
Freighthopping by charactereyes
girl!Gerard/girl!Bert. One-shot. High school AU. Bert's unlike anybody else, and she moves through life like a hurricane; probably Gee should want to take cover. This is all kinds of awesome. Not much plot, but the character dynamics are brilliant, and this Bert in particular is fantastic: visceral and crazy and adorable all at once. (PG-13)
Untitled Warped Tour Commentfic by leviticus-lied
girl!Joe/girl!Ray. Hilarious series of linked always-a-girl Joe/Ray commentfics, with a bunch of background pairings. There is no plot and no point and everybody is is awesome. The second one in particular made me snicker out loud a bunch of times. (R)
Crossover Pairings & Miscellaneous
Given Time We'll Find It Strange by skoosiepants
girl!Mike Carden/girl!Kevin Jonas. One-shot. Bandom/Disney RPF genderswap crossover. A tour fic in which Kevin Jonas, with her glittery leggings and pink nails and bright grin, is clearly not the kind of girl who dates the kind of girl Mike is, but Mike might be able to get a quick grope in if she's lucky. Kevin makes a kickass-adorable girl, and this fic is cute and funny and a bit darling. (PG-13)
Plays Out Like a Drum by skoosiepants
Sam Beckett/Mary Beth Saporta. One-shot. Set in the future of skoosiepants's Beach Dog universe, but does stand alone. Sam Beckett is in a band with Pear Wentz, Lissa Urie and Kit Walker; she's also in love with her best friend, and honestly it sucks kind of hard. This is just the most randomly adorable fic. I love Sam and her preying mantis fantasies and the way she is with her band, and I love Mary Beth through her eyes. (PG-13)
Bunny Calloway Takes the Stage by softlyforgotten
Taylor Vanguard/Bunny Calloway. One-shot. High school fic about the characters played by Z Berg & Tennessee Thomas in this TV actors AU. Taylor knows that people are going to find out what an awkward loser Bunny is eventually; she feels bad for her, really she does. This is more amazing than I can possibly articulate, with pining, bitchiness, banter and kissing. So very wonderful. (PG-13)