The O.C. - 18 Recs

The O.C. (18 Recs)

1. And I See You by sdlucly - Ryan/Seth. Set pre-pilot. A different take on how Ryan could've come into the Cohens’ lives. Definitely recommend if you like Ryan/Seth stuff.

2. The Cuteness That Is by kiki_miserychic - Seth/Summer – It’s short, fluffy, and full of Seth as he copes with shopping with Summer.

3. Welcome to the Fallout by hackthis - Seth/Ryan – Four different ways the season two opener could’ve gone in Portland. Really, there can’t be a rec community that I partake in where hackthis doesn’t get rec’d. She’s bloody brilliant.

4. Skinnydipping by Bonnie D – Seth & Ryan have an adventure when they attempt to go skinny-dipping only to have their clothes stolen. A nice fun read with no angst.

5. Little Jewish Lawyers Have Big Ears by ficklemuse - Seth/Ryan - Sandy's eavesdropping and he learns a little bit about Seth and Ryan. Sandy Cohen wasn't inherently an eavesdropper. Not usually. But when confronted with the six most feared words in any father's vocabulary he didn't have a choice but listen. "My parents don't need to know."

6. An architect, a comic book artist and a fashion designer walk into a bar… by kissingchaos9 - Seth/Ryan, Summer’s POV - This is a future fic and it's wonderful. Summer is roommates with everyone's favorite OTP, Seth/Ryan. This is a worthwhile read simply for the Summer voice in this thing. Perfect.

7. Breathe by maudgonne - Ryan-centric after season two finale (so spoilers through season two) - This story is written in perfect and graceful prose - one of those types of stories that you love and hate because you didn't write it. Ryan comes to terms with his feelings toward his brother and pays a visit to his mother.

8. Superhero – Part One & Superhero – Part Two by l_vera01 - Seth/Ryan - Oh the angst. Seth and Ryan are already a couple in this, but thanks to their past love lives, things get a bit hairy. It's just...really, really good and angsty. Have I mentioned the angst?

9. Ring of Fire by sdlucly - Seth/Ryan - This story manages to interweave some of the works of Pablo Neruda into its story as both Seth and Ryan come to some startling revelations about the other through a paper that had to be written for English class. The Seth and Ryan voices are dead-on in this story. It encapsulates Seth’s daftness when it comes to anything involving love and Ryan’s inability to verbally articulate such matters himself - though this story proves what I've always believed...Ryan has a pretty good understanding of what's going on around him.

10. The Amazing Adventures of Us by Katemonster – Seth & Ryan friendship fic - This story, set during season one, provides a believable idea of how Seth and Ryan got over the issue of disbelief on Seth's part. How they were able to re-cement their friendship and move on. The voices are dead on, Ryan's thoughts about friends he had prior to Seth and how they were different, and not as fun, struck me. I love the idea that Seth isn't the only one in their friendship who really never had a friend prior to meeting Ryan. Plus, how can one resist any story that makes mention of both Red Dwarf and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay?


11. The Perfect Gift by facesdown – Seth/Summer - This story is set during season two as Seth tries to learn to be a better person via his experiences with Summer, and Summer tries to overcome her fears of letting Seth back into her life. This is a nice, happy fic that leaves you with a smile on the face. So often in this fandom, it's all about the angst (which I do love), and occasionally it's nice to stumble upon a story that is pure fun where everything works out as you want it to. It's set around Seth's birthday, a surprise party that his mother and Summer cooked up, and what that means for Seth and Summer's "friendship."

12. The Tease by hyperfocused - Seth/Ryan - This story is hot and evil, two things that I love in my fic. Both Seth and Ryan are equally clueless and wanting, while trying to go the subtle, manipulative route of getting their feelings across. Of course, it seems to be backfiring in the beginning.

13. Lex F***ing Luthor by boundbyspells - Seth/Ryan - This story is wonderful because it doesn't take itself too seriously and because of that, it completely knocks Seth's voice and characterization out of the park. It's amazing and funny and just the sort of trivial things Seth would think about when trying to keep himself from focusing on the real issue...Ryan being on a date. Plus, I loved the whole comparison of the Seth/Ryan vibe to that of clark/lex from Smallville in the story, which made Seth even more neurotic.

14. In the Last Days of the War by sefkhet - Seth/Summer, Seth/Ryan, Ryan/Theresa - This story starts out with an unique style and works from there. Seth's own feelings about himself and his lack of popularity, friendship with Ryan, etc all through his relationship through the years with Captain Oats. It packs a punch and really makes the reader want to sit Seth down and point out how great he really is (or maybe that's just me?)

15. Full Disclosure by joyfulgirl41 - Seth/Ryan - A future fic, set while the guys are in college and living together as roommates. They soon discover living in an apartment is not the same as sharing the house in Newport and hysterics ensue. It's one of those stories that makes you laugh and wish that you could shake some common sense into both Seth and Ryan. I especially love the voices for Seth and Ryan in this story - joyfulgirl nailed their characters. Excerpt: ”But the biggest clue that Seth was still mad was the fact that he'd had Ryan's list laminated, but not before adding, "Herr Ryan's Commandments: Obey or Suffer the Consequences" to the top. At the bottom he'd signed his name and under it, he'd tacked a post-it note reading, "I couldn't find my vial of blood and my quill pen that I usually use to sign contracts of such grave importance. I assume that, should I break a commandment, the promise of my first born will be sufficient."

16. Driven To Distraction by hyperfocused - Seth/Ryan - It's a kink fic that has blindfolds involved. Ryan keeps distracting Seth and Seth pretends to be angered by it, if not turned on. What's not to love about that scenario? It doesn't hurt that the characterizations are always spot on and the writing makes me squeal with delight.

17. What Does Ryan Like by bonnied - Seth & Ryan friendship – After Lindsey leaves Newport, Seth sets out to find out more things about Ryan to help his friend deal with the heartbreak. It’s just a really great friendship fic.

18. Passing Over, Passing Out (the grape juice remix) by thenewhope - Seth/Ryan - This story is perfect for this fandom. Perfect voice. Perfect situation. Perfect everything. Plus, who can resist the idea of Seth drunk on Passover wine?