Neglected Fandom Recs: Moonlight
I’m so so late with this list. I apologize.
Short summary of a short-lived, but much-loved vampire serial, Moonlight: Angsty, unwilling vampire Mick. Whip-smart, headstrong, intelligent, beautiful human Beth (whom Mick happened to save from crazy ex-wife, Coraline, when she was four). L.A. vamp guardian/Mick’s best friend Josef. Cool supporting characters (the Cleaner, Guillermo at the morgue, vamp geek Logan). Action, UST, male friendship. Best new show on TV…until the writer’s strike/hiatus killed it *sighs*
A much more detailed description can be found here .
For a show that only had sixteen episodes, the fandom (and resulting fanfiction) is passionate and surprisingly prolific. Below are some of my favorite stories.
One Shots:
Title: In the Mood by lindyrb
Rating: PG
Characters: Mick/Beth
Summary: When you’re an 85-year-old vampire, you’ve seen a lot. Music brings backs the memories. Some romance too.
Spoilers: None
He told her about visiting the USO in Hollywood and meeting Betty Grable. Of seeing Bob Hope’s USO show outside of a little town in France. Or about the time he and his buddies stole a bottle of whisky from the Officer’s Club and got so drunk they fell asleep in the middle of the base runway and nearly got run over by a squadron of P-51 Mustangs taking off the next morning.
Comment: One of the first Moonlight fics I found and still one of my favorites.
Title: Memento Mori by iansmomesq
Rating: PG
Characters: Mick, Beth
Summary: Reminders of death, reminders of life
Spoilers: AU after Episode 1.05
"Is... that.... what I am?" she stammered between sobs, the tears flowing anew. "A skull on your fireplace? Am I just... just... another reminder of your.... your... m-mortality, or lack of it... of some sick, twisted wish for death?"
[….]
"No, Beth, you remind me of life."
Comment: Another of my first Moonlight fic favorites and more speculative Mick backstory.
Title: Cataclysm by silvanelf
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Josef, Mick
Summary: Josef mourns the death of his one true love.
Spoilers: Through Episode 1.10, with an allusion to Episode 1.13
“Give me the gun, Josef.”
Josef stared at him, teetering on the brink. Mick knew the wrong word could push him one way or the other. He took a deep breath and used the one thing in his arsenal he knew Josef wouldn’t be able to push aside.
“Please, brother,” Mick whispered. “Give me the gun.”
Comment: One of the essential elements of the show is Josef & Mick’s friendship. This story really captures the brotherly bond & love between the two vampires.
Title: Control by Librarian7
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Josef
Summary: Even a 400-yr. old vampire was a fledgling once.
Spoilers: None
there were certain events he remembered from almost that far back. Remembered with a perfect, crystal clarity, especially at times when the ghosts of all his regrets came out to torment him. Somehow he knew that, much like himself, certain dark moments would never die. The stories might remain forever untold, but that didn’t mean the past was gone.
Comment: As much as I love Mick & Beth (separate and together), the Josef love crept up on me during the last four episodes of season one.
Title: Tech Savvy by NeteleJala
Rating: PG
Characters: Josef, Mick
Summary: Josef and Mick talk about “supposed” human progress.
Spoilers: None
Mick handed Josef his coat and asked, “So what is your favorite invention?”
“Fire alarms. You don’t know how much better I sleep at night because of them.”
Comment: Another Josef gen & Josef/Mick friendship fic, two types of Moonlight fic that I can’t get enough of. The author has Josef detail so many of the things he has seen in his existence, so much human advancement (and destruction) in the past four centuries.
Multi-Chaptered Fic (1-10 chapters):
Title: Human, part 1, part 2, part 3, by neotantrika
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Mick/Beth
Summary: Mick gets a taste of mortal life, and finds that it is more complicated than he remembered.
Spoilers: AU after Episode 1.12
His eyes never left hers as he tore the shirt off over his head, threw it on the floor. His jeans followed; he wore nothing underneath. Proud and strong and aroused and very, very human, he stood over her, looking down at her, almost defiant.
He spread his hands. "This is me, Beth Turner," he said. His voice was hoarse. "Vampire or human, doesn't matter. All that I am, is yours."
Comment: neotantrika has written several excellent Moonlight fics and it was difficult to choose one. Human got the nod, because the three sentences Mick says in the excerpt? Absolutely killed me.
Title: Some Women Like That by Laurelin the Pale
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Josef/Beth, Josef/Beth/Mick
Summary: Since Mick won't even discuss it, Beth seeks Josef's advice on the intimate details of vampire/human relationships and ends up with more than she bargained for. Josef’s POV.
Spoilers: Occurs after Episode 1.16, but no real spoilers.
God, he was tired of being alone. He was just… tired. He’d heard the old ones speak of this moment but he hadn’t believed he’d ever be the one experiencing it. It was the turning point, the beginning of the end. It was the time when eternity was no longer a gift, but a curse. Beth belonged with Mick, and Mick deserved to have her.
[….]
Being so close to her today, being so close to that soul-soothing comfort and knowing that he was still welcome upstairs if he chose… knowing that he couldn’t go back… the contrast just made the loneliness worse. There was no longer any anger left inside of him, just emptiness. Resignation. It was time to go. It was time to let go.
Comment: I’m generally not a fan of the threesome or a potential Josef/Beth pairing. But Laurelin (the Pale) just killed me with the smut and angst and spot-on characterization. There are ten chapters.
Title: Everything by Selena Fan
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Mick/Beth, Josh Lindsay (Beth’s soon-to-be ex-boyfriend)
Summary: Beth's been having dreams about Mick, even though she’s still with Josh. What happens when the line between fantasy and reality is crossed?
Spoilers: AU after Episode 1.08
She took two steps back, until her knees touched the back of her bed. She stripped out of her clothes with quick, efficient movements. Men had looked at her naked body before, but she’d never felt shy or vulnerable, not until now. This was Mick. This was everything. He drank her in like he’d never seen a naked woman before. Well, forget shy. Suddenly, she felt like the sexiest thing like the planet again, like she was flying on black crystal.
Then he was closing the distance, and she was back in his arms, where she belonged.
Comment: Nine chapters of perfect Mick/Beth fluff.
The Behemoths:
Title: The Fledging by ErisFury
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Mick/Beth, Josef/Beth, instance of Josef/Beth/Mick
Summary: Josef finds Beth on the edge of death and makes a split-second decision. What are the implications, not just with Beth, but between Mick & Josef?
Spoilers: None
"I..." Mick stopped himself mid - lunge. "You..." He just couldn't make a whole sentence come out. He could feel the vampire fighting beneath the surface, demanding to be let out to avenge the other's encroaching on its territory. He wanted to let it out, to rip Josef apart. But he couldn't; it was what Josef wanted and he wasn't giving him the satisfaction. "You're not worth it." He said finally, and tried to walk away.
Comment: Choosing only one ErisFury Moonlight fic for this list was almost impossible (she’s written over 30 of them); she’s the best writer in this fandom. This story, all twenty-two chapters and 75,000 words, is, IMO, her best fully completed work. But pls go read her other stuff.
Title: The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship by silvanelf
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Mick/Beth
Summary: Unforeseen consequences from feeding on Beth in the desert bring the vampire PI and reporter together. Meanwhile, something is up in L.A. when body counts start to rise, and Mick gets a whiff of feral vampires
Spoilers: AU after Episode 1.04
Beth stared out the window, quiet. A mantra kept repeating itself in her brain. Josef is feral. Josef is feral. God help us all.
Comment: If you have a long plane flight or a free afternoon, this is the Moonlight fic to read. It has it all: Mick/Beth romance, Josef/Mick friendship, action (Mick is a P.I., after all), serious angst (see excerpt). You need to read this fic.
WIP/One-Shot Series:
Title: Guy Talk by bgn
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Mick, Josef
[snip]
“Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
“You watched that show?”
“I make it a point to check out television, movies and books about vampires. Gotta know what the public is being told about us.”
“How was it?”
“Perfect.”
“Really? They got everything right?”
“Of course not. It was perfect because it was great entertainment and they got everything wrong. Stakes, sunlight, holy stuff.”
“So our secret is safe from Slayer fans.”
“I’m telling you, we owe Joss Whedon a favor for misleading an entire generation.”
Comment: I love snark and witty banter. Oh Lord, do Mick & Josef exude snark and witty banter. This story is an on-going series of one-shot Mick/Josef conversations. I include it in this list because the author completely gets these vampires: their personalities, their friendship, and the snark. You will laugh several times. Nineteen one-shots so far.
Short summary of a short-lived, but much-loved vampire serial, Moonlight: Angsty, unwilling vampire Mick. Whip-smart, headstrong, intelligent, beautiful human Beth (whom Mick happened to save from crazy ex-wife, Coraline, when she was four). L.A. vamp guardian/Mick’s best friend Josef. Cool supporting characters (the Cleaner, Guillermo at the morgue, vamp geek Logan). Action, UST, male friendship. Best new show on TV…until the writer’s strike/hiatus killed it *sighs*
A much more detailed description can be found here .
For a show that only had sixteen episodes, the fandom (and resulting fanfiction) is passionate and surprisingly prolific. Below are some of my favorite stories.
One Shots:
Title: In the Mood by lindyrb
Rating: PG
Characters: Mick/Beth
Summary: When you’re an 85-year-old vampire, you’ve seen a lot. Music brings backs the memories. Some romance too.
Spoilers: None
He told her about visiting the USO in Hollywood and meeting Betty Grable. Of seeing Bob Hope’s USO show outside of a little town in France. Or about the time he and his buddies stole a bottle of whisky from the Officer’s Club and got so drunk they fell asleep in the middle of the base runway and nearly got run over by a squadron of P-51 Mustangs taking off the next morning.
Comment: One of the first Moonlight fics I found and still one of my favorites.
Title: Memento Mori by iansmomesq
Rating: PG
Characters: Mick, Beth
Summary: Reminders of death, reminders of life
Spoilers: AU after Episode 1.05
"Is... that.... what I am?" she stammered between sobs, the tears flowing anew. "A skull on your fireplace? Am I just... just... another reminder of your.... your... m-mortality, or lack of it... of some sick, twisted wish for death?"
[….]
"No, Beth, you remind me of life."
Comment: Another of my first Moonlight fic favorites and more speculative Mick backstory.
Title: Cataclysm by silvanelf
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Josef, Mick
Summary: Josef mourns the death of his one true love.
Spoilers: Through Episode 1.10, with an allusion to Episode 1.13
“Give me the gun, Josef.”
Josef stared at him, teetering on the brink. Mick knew the wrong word could push him one way or the other. He took a deep breath and used the one thing in his arsenal he knew Josef wouldn’t be able to push aside.
“Please, brother,” Mick whispered. “Give me the gun.”
Comment: One of the essential elements of the show is Josef & Mick’s friendship. This story really captures the brotherly bond & love between the two vampires.
Title: Control by Librarian7
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Josef
Summary: Even a 400-yr. old vampire was a fledgling once.
Spoilers: None
there were certain events he remembered from almost that far back. Remembered with a perfect, crystal clarity, especially at times when the ghosts of all his regrets came out to torment him. Somehow he knew that, much like himself, certain dark moments would never die. The stories might remain forever untold, but that didn’t mean the past was gone.
Comment: As much as I love Mick & Beth (separate and together), the Josef love crept up on me during the last four episodes of season one.
Title: Tech Savvy by NeteleJala
Rating: PG
Characters: Josef, Mick
Summary: Josef and Mick talk about “supposed” human progress.
Spoilers: None
Mick handed Josef his coat and asked, “So what is your favorite invention?”
“Fire alarms. You don’t know how much better I sleep at night because of them.”
Comment: Another Josef gen & Josef/Mick friendship fic, two types of Moonlight fic that I can’t get enough of. The author has Josef detail so many of the things he has seen in his existence, so much human advancement (and destruction) in the past four centuries.
Multi-Chaptered Fic (1-10 chapters):
Title: Human, part 1, part 2, part 3, by neotantrika
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Mick/Beth
Summary: Mick gets a taste of mortal life, and finds that it is more complicated than he remembered.
Spoilers: AU after Episode 1.12
His eyes never left hers as he tore the shirt off over his head, threw it on the floor. His jeans followed; he wore nothing underneath. Proud and strong and aroused and very, very human, he stood over her, looking down at her, almost defiant.
He spread his hands. "This is me, Beth Turner," he said. His voice was hoarse. "Vampire or human, doesn't matter. All that I am, is yours."
Comment: neotantrika has written several excellent Moonlight fics and it was difficult to choose one. Human got the nod, because the three sentences Mick says in the excerpt? Absolutely killed me.
Title: Some Women Like That by Laurelin the Pale
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Josef/Beth, Josef/Beth/Mick
Summary: Since Mick won't even discuss it, Beth seeks Josef's advice on the intimate details of vampire/human relationships and ends up with more than she bargained for. Josef’s POV.
Spoilers: Occurs after Episode 1.16, but no real spoilers.
God, he was tired of being alone. He was just… tired. He’d heard the old ones speak of this moment but he hadn’t believed he’d ever be the one experiencing it. It was the turning point, the beginning of the end. It was the time when eternity was no longer a gift, but a curse. Beth belonged with Mick, and Mick deserved to have her.
[….]
Being so close to her today, being so close to that soul-soothing comfort and knowing that he was still welcome upstairs if he chose… knowing that he couldn’t go back… the contrast just made the loneliness worse. There was no longer any anger left inside of him, just emptiness. Resignation. It was time to go. It was time to let go.
Comment: I’m generally not a fan of the threesome or a potential Josef/Beth pairing. But Laurelin (the Pale) just killed me with the smut and angst and spot-on characterization. There are ten chapters.
Title: Everything by Selena Fan
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Mick/Beth, Josh Lindsay (Beth’s soon-to-be ex-boyfriend)
Summary: Beth's been having dreams about Mick, even though she’s still with Josh. What happens when the line between fantasy and reality is crossed?
Spoilers: AU after Episode 1.08
She took two steps back, until her knees touched the back of her bed. She stripped out of her clothes with quick, efficient movements. Men had looked at her naked body before, but she’d never felt shy or vulnerable, not until now. This was Mick. This was everything. He drank her in like he’d never seen a naked woman before. Well, forget shy. Suddenly, she felt like the sexiest thing like the planet again, like she was flying on black crystal.
Then he was closing the distance, and she was back in his arms, where she belonged.
Comment: Nine chapters of perfect Mick/Beth fluff.
The Behemoths:
Title: The Fledging by ErisFury
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Mick/Beth, Josef/Beth, instance of Josef/Beth/Mick
Summary: Josef finds Beth on the edge of death and makes a split-second decision. What are the implications, not just with Beth, but between Mick & Josef?
Spoilers: None
"I..." Mick stopped himself mid - lunge. "You..." He just couldn't make a whole sentence come out. He could feel the vampire fighting beneath the surface, demanding to be let out to avenge the other's encroaching on its territory. He wanted to let it out, to rip Josef apart. But he couldn't; it was what Josef wanted and he wasn't giving him the satisfaction. "You're not worth it." He said finally, and tried to walk away.
Comment: Choosing only one ErisFury Moonlight fic for this list was almost impossible (she’s written over 30 of them); she’s the best writer in this fandom. This story, all twenty-two chapters and 75,000 words, is, IMO, her best fully completed work. But pls go read her other stuff.
Title: The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship by silvanelf
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Mick/Beth
Summary: Unforeseen consequences from feeding on Beth in the desert bring the vampire PI and reporter together. Meanwhile, something is up in L.A. when body counts start to rise, and Mick gets a whiff of feral vampires
Spoilers: AU after Episode 1.04
Beth stared out the window, quiet. A mantra kept repeating itself in her brain. Josef is feral. Josef is feral. God help us all.
Comment: If you have a long plane flight or a free afternoon, this is the Moonlight fic to read. It has it all: Mick/Beth romance, Josef/Mick friendship, action (Mick is a P.I., after all), serious angst (see excerpt). You need to read this fic.
WIP/One-Shot Series:
Title: Guy Talk by bgn
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Mick, Josef
[snip]
“Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
“You watched that show?”
“I make it a point to check out television, movies and books about vampires. Gotta know what the public is being told about us.”
“How was it?”
“Perfect.”
“Really? They got everything right?”
“Of course not. It was perfect because it was great entertainment and they got everything wrong. Stakes, sunlight, holy stuff.”
“So our secret is safe from Slayer fans.”
“I’m telling you, we owe Joss Whedon a favor for misleading an entire generation.”
Comment: I love snark and witty banter. Oh Lord, do Mick & Josef exude snark and witty banter. This story is an on-going series of one-shot Mick/Josef conversations. I include it in this list because the author completely gets these vampires: their personalities, their friendship, and the snark. You will laugh several times. Nineteen one-shots so far.