T-Recs a rec because he loves you....

[roxy]

Underbelly:The Series by cards_slash

Did I tell you guys about this story? It's a werewolf story--wait! Before you make the face--"ewwww, werewolves, ick!" or even before you go all, "Oh, yay, sensitive emo werewolves emoing all over the woods 'n shit" (not that there's anything wrong with that), I must warn you, I have *never* read a were story like this. It's different, in the very best way. These aren't just werewolves, they're alien creatures. Their concerns and desires are so *not* human that it kind of knocks you for a loop. Every cliche you've ever read in a werewolf story gets turned on its head and leaves you floundering.

Jared is the focus, a geek who's into all things wolves and werewolves. It's the story of Jared getting steamrollered by the 'real', ugly, and also beautiful, world these weres live in. Jensen is his soul-mate, and boy, that's a whole 'nother thing in this 'verse. Let me put it this way--it will kill dead any glittery, lace-trimmed, heart-shaped, ideas about soul-mates you might have.

cards_slash presents fully fleshed out characters, a fascinating backstory and believable world-building here. The character Jensen is *most* fascinating--I'd love to know what you think of him if you read this--and you should.

Comments

[orbiting-saturn.livejournal.com]

Man! I don't read RPF. Why did you have to go and make this sound all fascinating and stuff? I love cards_slash's Sam/Dean fic, so that makes this even worse. Thanks for the moral dilemma, Roxy.

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to lie--you will know it's them. You can try and pretend it's not but...*shrugs* You wanna know the weirdest thing? I read a shit ton of J2 and hardly *ever* actually see their faces as I read, they're always nebulous clouds of cute guy but for some odd reason, reading this fic, I saw them perfectly. So strange!

Really, though, this fic is SO good, the werewolves so much like animals instead of Furry Humans, that I got hooked like a hooked thing! Read it, I promise you, you won't feel all dirty and voyeuristic and stuff. *G* Besides, you don't want to miss Wolf Jensen. *tempttempttempt*

[orbiting-saturn.livejournal.com]

I honestly don't think I know enough about any of those actors to confirm if the characters in the story feel like them. But my roommate said I was being needlessly prejudiced against RPF and that if you said it was good, I should read it. So, I put it on my Kindle. We'll see how I handle my first RPF. Once upon a time, I said I would never read Sam/Dean fic. Look at me now. ;)

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

I hope you do like it! It's always a thrill for me when someone whose work I respect likes something that I rec. If you do like it, well...*roxy be compiling long list of RPS to hook tempt you with*

You know, once upon a time, I lumped RPS, wing fic, and kicking puppies together as evil, evil, things--I'm just saying...

(though I still think kicking puppies is horribly bad)

[orbiting-saturn.livejournal.com]

You're the devil, Roxy. I read "Underbelly" and now I don't hate RPF anymore. You = the worst ever. ::sigh:: I supposed I should tell you that I really liked it. On top of that, I went and read all of bewaretheides15's J2 fics and loved those just as much as anything else she's written. Although, I have to admit that I still feel really uncomfortable reading anything RPF that isn't an AU.

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, I'm sorry that I've been a bad influence on you...pardon me while I LAUGH EVILLY LIKE THE TERRIBLE PERSON I AM! MOOHAHAHA!!!! *koff* Oh dear, I have no idea what just happened there...*smiles all innocent like*

And bewaretheides15 is pretty darn brilliant, yes!

[portraitofafool.livejournal.com]

You'll never have to worry about me bellowing, "EW! ICK! WEREWOLVES!" because I am that geek who's into all things werewolf-related. *identifies with Jared even though I haven't read this yet*

I'm always a little iffy about reading werewolf stories because I am so into them. I get tired of the mindless killing/eating machine just as much as I do the deep, sensitive emoweres thing. Needless to say, my squee about finding good werewolf fic anywhere has left me a bitter old hag in that regard. So, I stopped bothering ages ago and here you come with this really interesting sounding story that I am still afraid to click on because I've been so burned before (no, really, I'm obsessed--my LJ profile: does exactly what it says on the tin. lol).

*dithers about like a dithering thing*

Damnit, Roxy, you make such a good case for this. Tell me I won't regret it if I click, I implore you! :P

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

I *promise* you, you won't be disappointed! This is a *really* unique take on werewolves--and this comes from an old lady who as an innocent babe read every werewolf and vampire story she could get her little paws on, watched *all* the movies, loved wolves so much that she had books and pictures and posters and jewelry and t-shirts...I *was* the Jared in this story. :)

This fic never gets sweet, never makes excuses for who and what those wolves are. Jared suffers because of it, Jensen is broken in either world, human or wolf, and Chris Pine actually doesn't make my eyes bleed in this fic.

I have some very small issues with execution, but nothing that took me out of the enjoyment of the story or the universe she created. I hope you do read it, and hope you like it. If not I will bake cookies for you. Mind you, I'll have to eat them for you too but it's the thought that counts, yes...?

[portraitofafool.livejournal.com]

As long as it's not pointless whump with Jensen using Jared as a chew toy and raping him or something I'll probably be okay. I mean, is it a relationship where they actually do care about one another even with all the other dark, unpleasantness going on or...? Yes, please spoil me, that's what I'm saying here. Either way, I've got it bookmarked now since I am supposed to be doing the Writing Thing myself atm (and am procrastinating on LJ, but if I start reading something then I really won't get anything done tonight). I'll read it next week sometime, so... *crosses fingers because in Roxy we trust*

I like my werewolves a mix of both human and wolf--good and bad--because I got stuck on "lycanthropy" = "wolf + man" so that's what makes sense in my head. I like the horror sometimes and the more/mostly human werewolves as well, but those are things that are very dependent on the author and I've not found anything good in many moons. Like... eight or nine years.

And Chris Pine... lol... why does everyone hate that guy? Have I missed something? He has great eyes and well, I'm shallow, so I don't get much farther than that.

Cookies. Cookies are awesome. Eat them for me and be sure to tell me how amazing they are and we'll call it good if the fic leaves me an unhappily twitching mess.

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

Spoil you, eh? Well--okay!! There definitely is a relationship--slightly dub-con in a way, because Jensen and Jared are soul-mates, which translates into an almost unavoidable (and not always a good) kind of attraction in this story. Jensen doesn't actually use Jared as a chewtoy, and there's no rape involved between the two of them but Jared is hurt by it, because he doesn't learn the truth until he's too deep into the situation.

They do care about each other, it's just, Jensen is a wolf, pretty much through and through. He's kind of unlikable in hte very early parts, but still--*fascinating*. She does a wonderful job of making him more and more sympathetic as teh story goes on. He has a very thin veneer of humanity that allows him to be out and about with people but he's more motivated by instinct, and more comfortable in wolf form. I took away from the story that the pack as a whole was more comfortable in wolf form. There's no good or bad in Jensen's little pack, they just are what they are. The main pack, the one they broke away from--now that's another story.

Chris Pine--lol! I don't especially dislike him, in fact, I liked him very much in Smokin' Aces but I guess my fangirl hackles rose when he played Captain Kirk. Totally irrational!

You know this whole thing is all about you and me both procrastinating, yes? *ggg*

[portraitofafool.livejournal.com]

Mated pair, okay, got it and that makes sense in that it probably does seem very unhealthy and well, stalkerish, at least in the beginning. Poor Jared, he's always been my "pet" (god at the phrasing there, lol) but I can also get why/how he'd end up hurt because he doesn't know--that's what happens when you're keeping a secret like, "Oh, btw, I'm a werewolf. How 'bout that?" The outcome of something like that could be disastrous even. Hmm...

Jensen must appear to be a very strange boy indeed then if he's only got a very thin veneer of humanity. Werewolves, to my thinking, have always seemed like... hmm... some would be more human while others would be more wolf-like and then maybe you'd have the few who were really in between; had found a balance with both aspects of their nature. It's one of the things about lycanthropy that fascinates me to think about actually. I have Ideas and Theories... and once in a while I write them out. I did clinical lycanthropy once and that was a trip to write, for sure. Shh, don't tell anyone.

*whispers* I liked Chris Pine as the young Captain Kirk.

Oh yes, I know it's all about procrastination across the board. I have to do Research and that's really got me dragging my heels. But I can do it! No, really. *koff*

[quiet--tiger.livejournal.com]

I've read some of that person's Star Trek fic and enjoyed it a lot. ...that's really all I got as I don't do RPS. :D Your summary of the story makes it sound really interesting, though!

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

This is the first time I've ever read anything by cards_slash and I enjoyed this story so much! It doesn't feel like RPS, even though yes, the characters feel like the people they're based on, but not in a voyeuristic way. If that makes sense....*g*

[tuckercat2.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the rec! I loved it!!!

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

Oh, very good! I'm glad you liked it!

[tabaqui]

Ooooooh. Sounds neat. :)

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

Oh., beloved, you really need to give it a shot--I scrolled past it a half dozen times before I finally got too nosy and had to click. :)

[tabaqui]

In tags!
And i got your card today, bb - awwwwww! Thank you!
You make me feel all warm and snuggly and luffed.
:)
*beams at you*

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

*SHNUGGLES*

[bluemeridian]

Oh man, I wouldn't have read this (despite watching Card's LJ) if you hadn't recced it and that would have been a cryin' shame! I started reading it last night and had to put it down round about part 11 because I really needed sleep but I really, really didn't want to! Such an excellent story and I loved how the characters evolved over the course of it. Have you seen the timestamp she wrote for it as well? Chris' back story? It's all just amazing.

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

Don't you *love* when you try something out and it works? *G* It took a bit for me to take a chance to, and I was blown away--but you get that! :) What terrific world building, hunh? I even had to get a wolf icon, lol!

Chris' backstory was fascinating and answered a lot questions I had. I mean to leave a prompt there too, she invites them, brave person! :)