#hopefully i manage to write the Actual au and not just the aftermath which takes up 90% of the au's room in my head | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

yakultberry · 3 years

Text

kfc (kisses for christmas) ; c.sc

✪ summary: You’re unexpectedly single on Christmas Day, but you don’t want to spend it alone. At least you can count on the cute delivery boy to bring you fried chicken. ✪ pairing: chicken delivery boy!seungcheol x reader ✪ genre: fluffy fluff ✪ word count: 2.1k words ✪ tags: @yutacrush thank you for beta reading for me i would like to marry you

✪ a/n: helllo binu here!! i am very excited to be posting my first fic on yakultberry c: this fic is actually part of @merakiiverse‘s job au collaboration (will link after posting). i really have a lot of respect for everyone who writes straight up fluff, because ooooof did i struggle way more than i expected while writing this lmao hopefully it turned out okay and y’all can enjoy! <33

[chicky delivery boy]: your order is 5 minutes away!

At the arrival of the text, you scrambled out of your position on the couch and quickly began to clear away the dirty dishes on your coffee table and the used tissues that had accumulated over the course of the day. You weren’t quite sure what ghost of Christmas past possessed you to continue your annual tradition of binging cheesy holiday movies all day, but you supposed it was because you were at a loss for what to do at all. You had spent the last two Christmases with that asshole. It wasn’t like you could call up your friends to hang out with you today; no, they were lucky enough to have nice boyfriends who didn’t break up with them two months before the holidays. And you definitely weren’t going to go out on the town by yourself, only to be forced to watch all the happy couples cuddle close to each other in the cold.

So here you were, alone in your apartment, waiting on your fried chicken to be delivered.

It seemed to be the one constant in your life amongst the aftermath of your chaotic break up. Whenever you made an order, it would arrive at your doorstep within thirty minutes, always warm and always comforting. Although you wouldn’t quite say that Joy’s Chicken was the best chicken restaurant in the area (the family-owned joint two blocks over was definitely much tastier), it still managed to become your go-to after the delivery person from the family restaurant got lost on their way to your apartment for the third time. That, and once your order had arrived on your doorstep, brought to you by a dimpled, dark-haired delivery boy, you quickly decided that the restaurant had its own charms.

“Coming!” you called out to the gentle knock at the front door, skipping across your living room to reach it. After checking your reflection in the mirror hanging in the hallway, you swung the door open, smiling brightly. “Finally, I’m starving-- what happened to you?”

“Hello to you too, sweetheart,” the boy said with a chuckle, voice muffled by the scarf wrapped tightly around his face. You reached over to pull down the scarf to reveal that he was smiling back at you, though you did note that his lips were pale and his teeth were chattering. The thick, puffy coat he wore could only do so much when he was covered with a snow from head to toe. You watched as some of it crumbled off of his shoulders when he shuffled to take your food out of an insulator. Today, the box had a cute little bow stuck to the top of it. “Merry Christmas! This is for you.”

You took the bag from his hands, but, as usual, you didn’t close the door right away. “Seungcheol, you look like a marshmallow.”

“Wow, I take it you didn’t get a present for me?” He leaned against your doorframe, a pout now on his lips. “I wish I was a marshmallow. Then I could jump into some hot chocolate and finally feel warm. It’s been snowing non-stop out there since 7PM.”

At this, you felt a small twinge of guilt for being one of his orders tonight, especially knowing that Seungcheol would often make your deliveries by foot since you didn’t live too far from Joy’s. “Does your shift end soon at least?”

“Yeah, we’re closing a little earlier today since the boss has Christmas plans! You’re actually my last delivery for tonight.”

“Oh well, if that’s the case,” you said tentatively, stepping to the side. “Would you like to come in for some hot chocolate before you have to head back into the storm? It’s the least I could do since I did forget to get you a present.”

The boy’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but his grin remained, albeit a bit amused. Now some would say that inviting some random guy into your apartment just because you didn’t want to be alone on Christmas was probably not the best idea, but Seungcheol was definitely not just some random guy. Every Friday for the past eight or so weeks, Seungcheol had arrived at your doorstep with a box of chicken with your name on it. He probably came by more frequently than your regular friends now that you really thought about it. After the first couple of times he delivered, he decided to introduce himself to you since he thought it was unfair that he already knew your name and you only saw him as the guy that brings your chicken (which wasn’t entirely true-- you saw him as the cute guy that brings you your chicken).

“Unless you have your own Christmas plans to get to, of course,” you quickly added. Admittedly, your conversations with Seungcheol only ever extended to silly banter, so there was no telling what his life was like beyond the threshold of your doorstep. For all you knew, he could very well have a get together planned with his friends or a dinner with his family. Or a date with a girlfriend.

“I mean, I was planning on watching Die Hard by myself again, but I think I can be a little late for that,” Seungcheol mused playfully. You couldn’t keep the wide smile from spreading across your lips as you moved back to allow him to step into your apartment for the first time. He took off his shoes and shrugged off his thick coat before following you to your small kitchen.

“Don’t worry, I won’t keep you too long,” you said, and reached over him to grab two mugs from a cabinet.

“I mean, you can keep me for as long as you like,” he shrugged, but you were quick to catch the mischievous twinkle in his eye. You suddenly realized that this was the closest you’ve ever stood together and turned away to begin preparing the hot chocolate in the hopes of hiding how flustered you felt.

“Anyway uh--” you cleared your throat, but it was proving difficult to think up a conversation starter when you could feel Seungcheol so close. You chanced a glance over at him, noting how he was still rubbing his hands together and shuffling in his spot to warm himself up. “Oh no, you must be freezing.”

He shook his head, but you could see how the snow that had clung to his clothes was slowly melting and soaking into the fabric of his hoodie. “I’m fine. Though I’m definitely not as warm as you.” You followed his gaze down to the festive pajama set you had been wearing all day, which was patterned with reindeers and sleighs, and you reached over to shove at his chest lightly.

“I was doing laundry and this is all I had!” Your voice can barely be heard over the boy’s gleeful snickering. It was now your turn to pout at him. “You know what, it’s actually really bad to stand around in cold, wet clothes. You might get sick. And lucky for you, since I am such a caring person, I have precisely the outfit that will save you from such a fate.”

“Oh no, that’s fine--”

Before he could finish, you had already whisked away to your room and returned with a folded set of pajamas that clearly matched your own. You gave him a cute little smile as you handed it to him. “No, I insist! I’ll even put your wet clothes in the dryer so that you can properly get nice and warm.” At this point, Seungcheol narrowed his eyes at you. “What?”

“You just happened to have couple pajamas at the ready?” Seungcheol hummed. “Seems like you were planning this for a while now, sweetheart.”

“What, no! I got them on sale last year!”

“Mm, a likely story,” he said, ducking away just in time to avoid your poke attack. Despite his teasing, he still asked you where the bathroom is, and you nearly let out a long sigh when he’s out of sight. Your heart felt like it was about to burst from your chest, but you weren’t quite sure why. Were you nervous? Scared? If you were honest, everything about Seungcheol put you at ease; plus, nothing about your interactions with him changed other than proximity. So why did you feel so sheepish when he teased and joked around like he always did?

While he was changing, you finished preparing the hot chocolate, topping them off with some whipped cream, and brought your mugs and your box of chicken into the living room. A small window in your apartment showcased the sky outside, which was dark and dotted with heavy sheets of snow, contrasting with your living room’s warm glow from the light of your small Christmas tree. It made you feel perfectly cozy, especially with the hot cup of cocoa in your palms.

“Ta-dah! How do I look?” Seungcheol announced, walking out to you. The sight of him grinning at you goofily and clad proudly in the matching pajamas only made the fuzzy more prominent until it made your smile just as wide as his. There it was again-- that perplexing heart beat of yours. It accelerated as he came to take a seat beside you on the couch.

“A lot warmer!” You handed him his hot chocolate. “Here is the promised beverage. Merry Christmas, Seungcheol.”

“I was hoping to hear something more along the lines of ‘blindingly handsome’,” he sighed out dramatically, taking a sip of his drink. Immediately, his eyes lit up. “But I’ll let it slide this time, because this is delicious.”

A small giggle slipped past your lips as you watched him drink his hot chocolate with gusto, and when he reemerged from behind his mug, you couldn’t hold back a loud snort seeing how his top lip was decorated with a proper mustache of white cream. You nearly fell over from laughing so hard at his confused expression

“What? What is it?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing. Between your bursts of laughter, you managed to point at his lips. He reached up and playfully clenched his jaw when he felt the cream covering his mouth. “Oh, you it’s that funny, huh?” He swiped up some of the remaining whipped cream in his mug onto his finger and reached over to place it on your nose.

“Hey!” You scrunch your nose. For a moment, the two of you simply looked at each other before bursting into another fit of giggles. “You’re Santa Claus and I’m Rudolph.”

Still chuckling, Seungcheol grabbed a tissue from your coffee table and wiped at his lips, then cleaned off the dollop he had placed on your nose. Your laughter subsided at how such a simple action also felt so intimate. You did your best to avoid his twinkling gaze if only to calm yourself.

“You know, when I took on the responsibility of warming you up, I wasn’t expecting you to be such a handful,” you admitted jokingly, though some parts of you meant it. Namely your easily excitable heart.

“Oh yeah? Well, I wasn’t expecting you to take so long.”

You turned to face him once again. “I gave you fresh pajamas and some hot chocolate! You’re still not warmed up?”

“They’re not taking effect fast enough!” he insisted with another of his infamous pouts.

“Then do you know a faster way?” you asked and almost instantly, Seungcheol expression changes, but this time it’s not a mischievous smile or a childish pout. It’s something softer, gentler.

“Mm, I might know a quick way to warm up. Do you want me to show you?” he asked. You blinked, gaze meeting with Seungcheol’s eyes as he patiently waited for your reply. Despite the somersaults you felt in your chest, you were now more sure than ever that you didn’t feel nervous. Upon the realization what the feeling really was, your lips easily melted into a soft smile, and you gave him a nod. Without another moment’s hesitation, he leaned over to you and delivered a sweet, chaste kiss on your cheek.

The effect was instantaneous: Seungcheol’s ears were the first to go red as his entire face heated up. “I can’t believe I just did that,” he groaned out, covering his blushing face. “That was so cheesy!”

“I thought it was cute!” you assured him, but your laughter does nothing to ease his cringing.

“Don’t look at me for five minutes!” he whined.

“Seungcheol really, it’s okay!”

“Just eat your chicken or something!”

#seventeen scenarios #s.coups scenarios #seungcheol scenarios #seventeen fanfic #seventeen fluff #seventeen #s.coups #choi seungcheol #seungcheol #tags pls work #let my blog get some visibility

123 notes · View notes

sonoftatooine · 3 years

Note

Hey :) for the wip ask game 8 and 10?

Hi, thanks for the ask! And thank you as well for the mention for Time to Shine Thursday, btw - I really appreciate it! :D

8. Describe your current WIP in a sentence.

Empire era Winter Soldier AU in which rebel Padme attempts to rehabilitate her brainwashed amnesiac husband from his time as Emperor Palpatine’s Sith assassin.

I’ve got a whole load of WIPs atm but I’ve put most of them on pause for the moment whilst I get on with my Whumpay fics (I only found out about it on May 1st so it’s been a bit of a mad dash to write them in time ha), so this ^ is for my newest Whumpay fic which I’m hoping to post at some point tonight if I finish on time.

10. How many WIPs do you actually have right now?

So, as I’ve mentioned, I’ve got quite a few WIPs. I basically have no impulse control when it comes to starting fics and I’ve ended up with like twenty WIPs that I’m trying to write simultaneously for other fandoms. I haven’t quite got to that point with my Star Wars fics yet though give me time and the fics that I’m working on atm are:

My various Whumpay fics - I’ve got about five Whumpay fics which I’m working on atm and a few more which I need to start so they’re taking a lot of my attention right now (honestly I’m surprised I’ve managed to churn out as many as I have in such a short time - I’m usually a really slow writer unless I’m in a very specific mood).

Raised as a Sith Anakin AU - This will probably end up being my longest WIP. It’s an AU based on the premise that Anakin wasn’t taken in by the Jedi after the events of TPM and was sent back to Tatooine, only to be taken by Palpatine and raised as a Sith in secret on Coruscant. I’m planning for it to be a long series of short fics spanning across the Clone Wars show timeline (which I’m taking a bunch of insane liberties with tbh) and I’m hoping that I should be able to get the first of them finished off and posted once I’m finished with Whumpay.

Winter Soldier AU - This is my long winter solider style AU - an extract of which I’ve posted here - in which Anakin doesn’t turn to the Dark Side during ROTS, but gets captured along with the rest of his family shortly after the Empire’s creation and brainwashed into becoming Palpatine’s Sith apprentice, and featuring sort of ghost Padme trying to get through to him via dreams. I’m planning to make this one into a series of fics too, though I don’t have as much of it written as the raised as a Sith Anakin AU yet.

Lars AU - I’ve seriously got to think up a better name for this AU, but the premise is that Order 66 happens and Anakin, though he doesn’t turn to the Dark Side, is captured by Palpatine when attempting to defend the Temple. Two years later, he manages to escape and crashes on Tatooine, only to be found and taken in by Owen and Beru, thereby meeting a young Luke who he’d thought had died when the Empire first formed. I’m not really sure where I’m going with this fic right now, but I’m planning on a lot of father-son bonding, building up a relationship between the Lars and Anakin, and a bunch of stuff about Anakin’s Tatooine roots.

Shmi Lives AU - This one’s fairly self explanatory. It’s basically a fix-it fic where Anakin and Padme go to Tatooine a little earlier than canon and Anakin arrives at the Tusken camp in time to save Shmi’s life. This is actually the first Star Wars fic I started writing and I’ve got a fair chunk of it written - just nothing from the first chapter. :/

Zygerria Rewrite - This is basically what it says on the tin. I kind of wanted to do something with the Zygerria arc from TCW since I felt it brought up a lot of weighty subjects for our characters that never really got addressed. It’s Anakin-centric, though it does have some focus on the other characters as well, and mostly deals with how he copes with everything in the aftermath of the mission.

I’ve also got a couple of one-shots and requests that I’ve been working on, some focused on Anidala and some focused on Anakin & Ahsoka, which I should hopefully have finished soon.

WIP ASK GAME

#star wars #star wars fic #wip #mine #my fic #my wips #ask meme #asks #fic ask meme #exomal #sfw

10 notes · View notes

freddieslater · 3 years

Text

✨ Kindly pressure me to actually write things ✨

Okay, I’m stealing this idea from @a-lil-bi-furious because it is Genius and I could really do with the motivation! So, I will list my current WIP’s and brief descriptions of them. For each title I get in my inbox, I will write you a snippet for that WIP, and you can feel free to send me as many titles as you like! (If I get two asks for the same title, I will just write another snippet so don’t worry about that!)

And because that neat little list seems weirdly motivating too, here are the promises I make:

• Each ask will be answered within the week

• I will write a good few paragraphs for all of them and do my best to make them Really good paragraphs!

I’m only gonna do the WIPs that I think I could actually be motivated to write. Here we go!

WIPs below the cut:

Find me in the forest, Frodo

A sequel to a fic I wrote called “a dance for the decades” about Lizzie, Josie, Hope, Kaleb, and MG sneaking out to a decade dance at Mystic Falls High, based pre-canon with major divergence. In this one, it focuses solely on the Lizzie/Landon storyline while also dealing with the aftermath of Connor’s attempt to kill Lizzie and the revelation that he knows she’s a witch, in which he’ll once again attempt to out her to the town.

Clash of the European Boyfriends

A dinner party is hosted at the Salvatore House in order to force Damon, Stefan, Enzo, and Klaus to have at least one civilised conversation, courtesy of Elijah and Lexi, with some extra cooperation and persuasion on Enzo’s part for Damon.

that’s a kindness you can’t afford

Another sequel, this one to “don’t be kind to it, it’ll come back” in which young Elena discovers Enzo being held in her dad’s basement and frees him, only he erases her memories. Now, years later, Enzo is keeping an eye on her from afar — until her parents’ care goes over Wickery Bridge, and he’s forced to confront his past through Elena and, to his displeased surprise, Damon.

Let the Games Begin

An AU where the Avengers are all entered into a social experiment called “The Circle” in which they are isolated for three weeks with only one form of communication to each other. Only, Stark Industries isn’t aware that its “experiment” is being used by S.H.I.E.L.D for other purposes.

So if you wanna piss off your parents

Sirius is being forced to go to a social event, hosted by his own family, where Purebloods gather to find prospective husbands and wives for their heirs. But he has a plan: His parents can’t marry him off if he shows up with a date on his arm. And they absolutely cannot marry him off if that date is a bloke (hopefully). It just so happens that James is his only viable option, resulting in a night of faking a relationship to Sirius’ entire family and a bunch of other Purebloods.

Uncle Wolf and Auntie Witch

Lizzie and Josie know about the merge. Liv can’t stay away anymore, and so she and Tyler leave the safety of their newfound contentment and go back to Mystic Falls so that she can help them. Only for them to arrive right in the middle of a Malivore monster invasion.

The Great Magic(less) Bake-Off

As a distraction for the students remaining at the Salvatore School for the holidays, Caroline and Alaric decide to host a series of friendly competitions. Hope is less than thrilled when she’s not only made to take part, but also paired up with Penelope, who is equally as dismayed about the entire situation.

Dear Past, I miss you

Pre-Legacies, when Hope’s room goes on fire and she loses nearly everything she owned, she loses control and hides in her temporary room (Caroline’s old one). In it, she finds a box of unopened letters that Freya had passed along in case Hope wanted them. All from her mom, addressed to her dad.

Were in the woods

Set just after 3A but Boyd and Erica are alive. Erica is wandering the woods during a full moon and comes across a coyote with bright blue eyes. She swears they’re some kind of werewolf, like her, and so she keeps coming back, trying to figure them out, and accidentally ends up solving a murder and a missing person’s case in the process.

First Wizarding War (to be changed)

Begins before the Order finds out that Voldemort is after Harry, before Lily and James are forced into hiding, before Harry is even born; one action completely changes the outcome. Petunia kills Vernon, in self-defence. It’s a burst of magic, she doesn’t know how or why, but it’s brief. With no one else to turn to, she turns to Lily. And with their bond quickly becoming restored in a few short weeks, when the prophecy is revealed, Petunia insists that they make her their secret keeper. In order to keep her safe, Dumbledore hides her and Dudley. They stay on the grounds of Hogwarts, undetected by the students, and from there, Voldemort’s plans are hang in the balance.

The Speedster & The Spider

All of the Avengers are alive, and they see a broadcast of an attack on Venice. Remembering where Peter’s field trip is, Pietro runs off to help — and thus breaking the Sokovia Accords. Again.

are we just a stepping stone?

It’s a late June night in 1978, and neither James nor Peter can sleep. James knows something is wrong. When he finally confronts Peter, the truth spills out about what Dumbledore has been planning. Now the Marauders need to find a way out without anyone getting hurt.

Always In the Closet

It’s the day of Lily’s wedding, and of course all four of the Marauders are there to support her and celebrate with her. Two of them just happen to be a bit distracted elsewhere.

And I’m not sorry for myself

A glimpse at life growing up in Ottery St. Catchpole for the Weasleys, Diggorys, and Lovegoods; from when they were kids, to starting Hogwarts, to the death of Luna’s mum, to the end of the line.

Why McGonagall banned Gryffindor Common Room parties

A series of parties held in the Gryffindor common room throughout the Marauders’ years at Hogwarts, ranging from explosions to snogging (and more).

Crash back into you

After Tracy’s face is in every newspaper across the UK for being seen with Sean Godfrey, Crash gets back in touch with her, and they restore their old friendship while Jess gets to bond with him, and it feels like another piece of their family has been found.

Wedding Disaster

Tracy can’t figure out how to fix Mike and Fiona’s wedding when it starts to turn to chaos, only for a few surprising guests to show up right when she needs them most. With Crash, Jackie, and Justine there to help, they manage to save the wedding — barely.

#ask games #fanfiction asks #harry potter #mcu #legacies #the vampire diaries #please absolutely help me ou if you want to!!#I’m desperately hoping this will help

7 notes · View notes

goldenspecter · 4 years

Text

Forgivness

Summary: “I was possessed! Da-A ghost took over my body!” Tucker shouts and that’s the moment he breaks down, pulling his hands away from his parents and holding him close to his chest-if he holds his chest, then no one can enter his body. That burning in his chest is back as he sobs brokenly. Here he was, breaking down over something Danny did to him and here he is, still holding on to Danny’s secret. Where was the fairness in that? “I didn’t want to!”

Valerie doesn’t know how to forgive someone. She’s never really had to, because people usually don’t hurt her this badly. Usually they apologize on the spot for some minor thing and Valerie instantly forgives them because she knows that they meant her no harm.

In which we see how Tucker copes with the events of Parental Bonding and Valerie gets some closure.

Archive of Our Own | FFN

Notes:

Here's the first side story in the AU! I'm quite happy with how this one turned out and hopefully plan on doing more of these as the AU progresses!

I knew I had to write this after writing that confrontation scene between Tucker and Valerie in the French Braids and it's been something I've been wanting to write anyways. Not to mention that I'm currently having some form of writers block when it's coming to writing the next part of the other fic.

- I've seen plenty of works within the fandom that addresses how overshadowing/possessing someone fucks them up but I don't think I've quite seen anything that talks about how it personally affected Tucker. It's really, really, really fucked up for Tucker to explicitly say no and not consent to be overshadowed and Danny, his best friend and someone who's the narrative says is a good person, ignore Tucker and do it any way and deeply violate his agency and consent. Even more fucked up that the narrative plays this for jokes at the end of the episode. This is literally a Vlad move my dudes, this is something that we should expect of Vlad because we know that he doesn't really view people as actual people, just pawns that he can use to meet a goal. Danny doing shit like this multiple times throughout canon(and it being played for jokes) only makes him more like Vlad. A more interesting concept would have been Danny asking to overshadow someone/not using except for dire circumstances but canon said fuck good ideas right?

-Valerie deserves closure. She deserves good things, good things and she deserves closure for being stood up at home coming.

-Re: Self-Harm Tag: Okay so Tucker has a certain behavior in this fic where he picks at scabs in his hair until they bleed but the thing is, Tucker doesn't really have a choice whether or not he wants to do it but rather it's compulsive. He doesn't really realize he's doing it and doesn't intend to cause physical damage(whereas its the opposite with self-harming) but he knows its a thing. Trichotillomania (hair pulling) and skin picking are commonly seen in autistic people. It can serve as a way to self-soothe and self-stimulate the individual in day to day life. Some Autism Specialists can classify this behavior as a SIB(Self-Injurious-Behavior) since it is harmful to the person's body. Also I do this a lot, have been for several years and once again the projection is real.

-Also Tucker in this AU has a really hardcore squish(friend crush) on Valerie but doesn't really understand/realize that he just wants to be friends with her and thus pursued her in a romantic manner.

Timeline wise in the AU: The first half, in Tucker’s POV, takes place right after Parental Bonding, through One of a Kind and mid way through pt one of French Braids. The second half, Valerie’s POV, is after pt one of French Braids and in between Attack of the Killer Garage Sale and Splitting Images.

-----

When Tucker fully comes back into his body, he's at the homecoming dance. Dragon Sam’s been subdued and back to her normal self and the three of them are standing in the middle of the dance floor.

“Dude, sorry your date didn't pan out. Where is Paulina anyway?” asks Tucker, the words taste bitter in his mouth as he says them.

Sam shrugs, “Ah, who cares? Look, the DJ's still playing. I think there's time for one last dance?”

“Sure, I’d love to,” Danny turns and hands the amulet to Tucker. “Keep an eye on this will you?”

Danny doesn’t bother waiting for an answer before dropping the amulet in Tucker’s hands. Tucker’s fingers instinctively curl around the amulet and Tucker turns away from Danny’s smile because all he can see now is Danny’s green eyes smiling at him before Danny took over. How come he didn’t get an apology for being forced to stand up Valerie? How come he’s the only one who doesn’t get a happy ending this time around? How come Danny gets to pretend like none of this ever happened while he was stuck with the aftermath?

Tucker swallows the lump in his chest, “Wait a second,” he begins, “I’m dateless again?! What does a guy have to do to get hooked up around here?”

“I want to go to the ball!” wails Dora.

He doesn’t know why he had to turn his feelings into a mere joke. He does of course. Because no one here really thinks his feelings matter and jokes are the only way he has right now to process it. Tucker knows this but can’t help the heartache and nausea bury when Danny and Sam laugh at his misfortune. Can they not see that he’s hurting or do they just not care ?

The fourteen year old forces a smile on his face as he steps away from Dora. “Maybe I don’t need a date that badly,” he says and runs away from the blooming romance and the burning in his chest.

~~~~~~~

Home should be safe. Home was safe. Home was where it happened, so how safe was he? Tucker opens the door and both of his parents are there, sitting at the table waiting for him.

How safe were they? Were any of them safe anymore?

His parents look up from the card game they were playing, “Tucker?” his mom asks, with confusion in her eyes. “It’s pretty early, you shouldn’t be home for another hour or two.”

Tucker shakes his head, kicking the door behind him. “Wanted to go home early.” He turns around facing the door and locks it, and with it, his emotions.

Maurice blinks, laying down his cards. “Did something happen dear?”

Tucker shakes his head even harder. “It’s nothing,” his voice cracks slightly and he can feel his parents' looks of concern.

Maurice stands up and slowly walks towards him, “Something happened dear,” he says softly and Tucker just knows that he can’t keep up this facade any longer. “Whatever happened, it’ll be okay.”

“No it won’t,” he says in a rough whisper. Maybe, if he keeps his eyes down then he won't lose it. “It won’t ever be.”

Maurice tries to wrap his arm around his son but steps back when his son roughly pushes him away. He tries again, but this time, he gently takes one of his son's hands and holds it in his. “Please, just talk to us.”

It’s the desperation in his dad’s voice that does it for him, that finally gets him to talk. “I stood up Valerie,” he says, voice cracking and thick with emotion, growing more and more panicked by the second. “I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to, I didn’t have a choice.”

“What do you mean, you didn’t have a choice?” Angela asks, coming up to him and taking his other hand in hers.

“I was possessed! Da-A ghost took over my body!” Tucker shouts and that’s the moment he breaks down, pulling his hands away from his parents and holding him close to his chest-if he holds his chest, then no one can enter his body. That burning in his chest is back as he sobs brokenly. Here he was, breaking down over something Danny did to him and here he is, still holding on to Danny’s secret. Where was the fairness in that? “I didn’t want to!”

Maurice gets over his initial shock at Tucker’s outburst, before he jumps in to help his hurting son. “Tucker, can you take deep breaths with me?” he takes exaggerated deep breaths, “Follow my breathing.”

“I can’t,” he manages to say through a sob, “It’s not safe, you aren’t safe, none of us are safe.”

“You’re safe honey, you’re safe,” Angela says, sliding off his hat and gently stroking his hair in an effort to calm him down. “Maybe we can go to the Fentons-”

Tucker reels back and the panic kicks into overdrive, “No!” The sobbing grows into deep and broken wails. They can’t go to Ground Zero, where the source of this misery originated from, because then all three of them definitely won’t be safe. Home is safer, Home has to be safer, Home needs to be safer.

Maurice and Angela look at each other in confusion, unable to understand why their child was so adamant about not going to the Fentons. Both parents put aside their confusion to help their son calm down, taking nearly 45 minutes to do so. Once Tucker was calm, they gave him some water and some medications to help him sleep through the night. Maurice walks his son upstairs, stands outside the door as he changes into pajamas and personally tucks his son in for the night, turning out the light and leaving Tucker’s door slightly ajar.

Tucker doesn’t leave the house for the rest of the weekend.

~~~~~~

Tucker wants to stay away from Danny, he doesn’t feel safe near him anymore. He doesn’t know when his best friend is going to overshadow his body and take control of him.

He’s just on the brink of telling Danny to leave him alone, to not talk to him anymore when Danny says he needs them both to help him with ghost hunting and studying for the test.

Tucker feels the no on his tongue, practically taste it, but instead a sour yes spills out instead.

The incident with the Purple Back Gorilla happens and the week passes by quickly. Tucker can not help but feel uneasy, thankful when the weekend comes by.

Somehow, someway he’s at the grocery store and he comes across Valerie pushing a cart with a little kid inside of it. Nerves garble his voice even as he clears his voice, “Valerie? I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while.”

“Go away Tucker,” she says and he can hear the anger boiling in her.

“I know I messed up-”

She whips around, her green eyes narrowing at him in anger and he feels so small right about now. “You left me!” she hisses, “I was alone!”

Tucker winces, rubbing his neck. “Let me explain Valerie.”

"You don't get to explain how you stood me up at homecoming," Valerie starts, her voice tight. "You don't get to waltz in here-" Her shoulders deflate, the anger leaving her body and soon washes her over with sadness. Tucker knows that she’s holding herself back and he can only assume it’s because of the kid in the cart.

"Go," she points down the aisle, "I don't want to hear your excuses."

Tucker bows his head in shame, walking down the aisle and out of the store with the few items he bought, his chance to repair...whatever he wanted to have with Valerie gone.

~~~~~

But with Tucker? She has no idea where to begin. The only reason she’s considering forgiving Tucker in the first place is because Clockwork told her that Tucker didn’t want to stand her up, that he didn’t mean to hurt her, that Clockwork knew what happened that night but couldn’t tell her.

Clockwork leans over her shoulder as she contemplates sending Tucker a text. “What are you doing?” they ask, sipping on their juice.

“Trying to send a text,” she says, “To Tucker to talk about...you know.”

Clockwork tilts their head before nodding in realization. “What’s stopping you?”

“I don’t know what to say!” Valerie says, throwing her hands up in frustration. “That’s just it!”

The small child shrugs, “Mmm, just go with what feels right?” they question in a stilted voice.

Valerie raises an eyebrow, “That doesn’t sound like you.”

“I picked it up from someone on one of the TV shows you were watching,” Clockwork says, “I thought it was appropriate.”

It was appropriate, she has to give them that, no matter how stilted and unnatural they sounded while saying it. She encouragingly rubs their back, “You did good, though.” she praises, pulling them in close to her for a side hug.

Valerie’s thumb hovers over the keyboard, typing and retyping her message until she’s satisfied with it and pressing send.

You: I’ve thought about it and I’m giving you one chance to explain yourself. Meet me at the park at 5:30. I’ll be at the tables near the swings.

Several minutes pass by before she feels her phone vibrate, looking down to see the notification.

Tucker: Okay, meet you there.

Valerie sighs, pulling away from Clockwork. She sits up, checks the time on her phone. It’s 4:45 now and the park was only a five to ten minute walk from the Nasty Burger. Then again, it didn’t hurt to be early, Clockwork could play on the swings while she waits for him to meet her.

“You finished with your food?” she asks Clockwork, who nods. “Come on, we’re heading to the park.”

“Whoo!” exclaims Clockwork, eagerly sliding out of the dining booth. Valerie shakes her head with a smile, picking up their trays, dumping the food and sitting the trays on top of the trash cans as they walk out of the diner. Traffic was a little heavy, which only set them back by five minutes and the two managed to get to Amity Park in a timely manner.

Once they’re in the park, Valerie hunts for the set of swings. She quickly finds it, the tables she mentioned earlier close by. She sits down at the wooden tables and tells Clockwork to go play on the swing, which they do without a fuss. Valerie checks her phone again, the time now 5:05, leaving her with only twenty five minutes till Tucker was supposed to be here. She decides to scroll through her social media, occasionally breaking away from her phone to check on Clockwork.

Valerie feels the table and bench groan and shift under new weight, she looks up and Tucker is sitting right across from her.

He looks nervous and uncertain. So is she.

Turning her phone screen off and placing it face down on the table, Valerie sits there in silence for a moment before speaking.

“Uh, speak your truth,” Valerie says awkwardly and she wishes that she had gone over what she was going to say. “Don’t bullshit me.”

“I got possessed by a ghost,” Tucker says, looking away from her and throwing his hands out. “I don’t remember what happened when I was possessed.”

“We’re her best friends! We should have known.” Danny laments.

“It’s not our responsibility to read and protect Sam’s emotions, she should have said she wanted to go to the dance from the beginning,” Tucker says back, straightening his tie a bit. “There’s nothing we can do about it now anyways.”

Danny thinks for a moment, then a mischievous smile appears as green eyes flash at Tucker.

Tucker realizes what Danny wants him to do, “No way. Forget it. Absolutely not. No!” he loudly protests and the next thing he knows, he’s feeling a gaping hole in his chest as his consciousness is taken over by Danny.

“You were possessed….by a ghost?” Valerie asks incredulously, she feels something tugging her arms. Looking down, she sees Clockwork looking up at her with their big eyes, silently saying “He’s telling the truth.”

Tucker’s nods, “I know that sounds absurd and it sounds stupid but it happened and I’m so sorry that I stood you up.” Tucker pleads, holding his face in his hands, one of them crawling up to his head and pulling at the short curls. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, I’m so, so sorry.”

Valerie notices how distressed Tucker sounds, how his voice cracks a tiny bit after he shields his face from her and how broken Tucker looks and sounds. There have been plenty of ghosts attacks in the city and it sounds just as likely he was possessed by one of these ghosts. He didn’t have a reason to make any of this up; it wouldn’t have made sense if he did since he was too excited to be her date to the dance.

Clockwork’s words ring in her head, “If it helps, he didn't want to hurt you.He didn't want to though," and she gets it. She finally gets it.

Valerie reaches out, uncertain as she pulls Tucker’s hands away from his hair, not saying anything as she notices blood staining the pads of his fingers and holds it in her hand. Tucker stops shaking, stops pleading, simply stops and looks at Valerie, waiting for her to confirm his worst suspicions.

“That possession stuff? That’s some weak shit fam,” she says, “But I forgive you.”

Tucker’s body sags with relief, and the unheard ‘Thank You’ is loud enough for all three of them at the table.

Clockwork reaches forward, takes one of Tucker’s hands and holds it.

Valerie grabs a tissue and some hand sanitizer out of her book bag, squeezes some on the tissue and begins gently wiping the blood off of his finger pads. He tries to pull back but Valerie tightens her grip on him.

“Let...let us handle this,” she says softly, continuing to wipe the blood off his fingers. “Why so much blood?”

Tucker looks away in embarrassment. “I have a thing where I can’t help but pick at the scabs in my hair,” he explains, “It gets really bad sometimes.”

“I bet what happened hasn’t helped any,” Valerie says, silently gesturing for Clockwork to give her his other hand so she can continue. “Do you remember the ghost who did it?”

Tucker shakes his head, “No,” The lie comes too easily. The little kid sitting next to Valerie eyes him with some scrutiny, and Tucker resists the urge to pull away from Valerie while wondering if this kid knew more than they let on. “What would you do if you ever found them?”

“Punch them in the face,” Valerie says without skipping a beat, oblivious to Clockwork’s and Tucker’s simultaneous wince. “No ghost gets away with possessing my friends.”

“Friend?” Tucker repeats back, “We’re friends?”

“Well, yeah,” Valerie answers, as if it wasn’t obvious. “You’re my friend now.”

Tucker blinks several times to make sure he heard her properly. “Oh, okay.”

Valerie finishes wiping the blood off of his fingers and he slowly pulls them back towards his chest. “I should go home now,” Tucker says, standing up and pulling away from the table.

“Why don’t we go with you? Me and...Isaiah can keep you company while you walk home. Ghosts probably won’t attack if all three of us are together.” Valerie says, standing up to wipe the imaginary dirt off her orange skirt. Isaiah follows suit, tightly holding her hand. “You in?”

“Sure,” he stutters. The three begin the walk to Tucker’s house and as they walk, he can’t help but focus on how safe he feels with Valerie and Isaiah and feels that gaping hole in his chest slowly begin to heal.

#danny phantom #tucker foley #valerie gray #dp clockwork #dp fanfiction #dp fanfic #goldenspecter writes

39 notes · View notes

cyanoscarlet · 3 years

Text

2020 writing review

Thanks for the tag, @gladiowrites! (I know it’s not a tag, but this is fun to do lol)

I.. honestly wrote a lot this 2020. No kidding. Quarantine productivity was real, but so is residency languishing by the wayside while everyone was busy surviving and adjusting. I highly doubt 2021 will be the same, but I’ll always cherish 2020 just because of the writing and nothing else.

This is gonna be long.

FIRST CREATION + MOST RECENT CREATION OF 2020

8:15 am - Final Fantasy XV. Lunafreya. February 2020. - First piece ever written for the year. - Intended to be a Luna-centric AU, in which the Nox Fleurets were deposed and she’s now a regular teacher. Never managed to write anything beyond that, though, because residency. (Back then, I didn’t know it was gonna be the beginning of the end, so I had hopes. Oh well.)

irresistible!, or the summer ramblings of nene yashiro and everything that followed - Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun. Nene, Hanako. March 2020. - First one published on AO3 for 2020 (yes, there’s a distinction). - If you think the title sounds familiar, you’re right.

versus

first yuletide - Final Fantasy XV. Nyx. December 2020. - Written for the FFXV Secret Santa event on Twitter. - Before y’all object and say what unwinding is, that’s an old fic uploaded late.

ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE CREATIONS FROM 2020

Do I seriously have to choose? Omg.

take heart - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai/Chuuya. Gods/Humans AU. - Discovered so much about myself writing this. Also (hopefully) I managed to get into Dazai’s headspace correctly. He’s an extremely difficult character to write, so finishing this brought so much gratification.

you don’t raise heroes, you raise sons - Final Fantasy VIII. Laguna, Squall. Post-canon. - Probably my most heartfelt work of the year- scratch that, ever. Also happy with how I just let myself go writing this and didn’t need to think twice.

A CREATION YOU’RE REALLY PROUD OF

oneiric moments (or, five nights with you) - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai/Chuuya. - Written for the SKK Fic Exchange for Summer 2020. - Five interconnected fics. 18,985 words. - Might not be a big deal for others, but this was taxing because I don’t usually write long, multichaptered stuff. I got carried away, though. It ain’t as well-polished as my more recent stuff, but I’m proud of myself for pulling this off.

A NEW STYLE YOU TRIED THIS YEAR & A FIC THAT USES IT

I... don’t think I have tried anything of the sort. My repertoire is sorely limited compared to others, I’m afraid. I’d probably have an answer for “explored new themes,” but again, I’ve a limited arsenal, too, in that regard.

A CREATION THAT TOOK YOU FOREVER

all in a day’s work - Bungou Stray Dogs. Atsushi, Akutagawa. Cells at Work AU. - It’s still being written, with a lot of side stories planned but never drafted. - I fell out of love with BSD, recovered from that, then got busy with residency.

YOUR CREATION FROM 2020 THAT RECEIVED THE MOST NOTES KUDOS

Also take heart. While I am proud of it, I guess it hit the right spot for mainstream shippers, too, somewhat? My feelings about mainstream things have changed a lot because of things, but I am still happy.

A CREATION YOU THINK DESERVED MORE NOTES KUDOS

amīcitia - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai, Chuuya. Final Fantasy XV AU. - Petty indignancy for my self-indulgent baby aside, I’m also proud of how I wrote Dazai in this one, similar to take heart. the fun they had - Bungou Stray Dogs. Kajii, Port Mafia Ensemble. - ... Guys. Please notice genfics.

A NEW FANDOM YOU JOINED AND A CREATION YOU MADE FOR IT

Everything I wrote for Bungou Stray Dogs. (I kid you not.)

If you want a single answer anyway:

on the flaming mountains - act-age. Chiyoko, Kei. Princess Iron Fan Arc. - arc words: “what shall i do with this ire?” - I wouldn’t really say I “left” the fandom, more like it fizzled out after Matsuki-sensei got arrested.

A CREATION YOU MADE THAT BREAKS YOUR HEART

a cycle of; - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai/Chuuya. Medico-legal AU. - Written out of much anger and frustration over things. Also because this in itself was frustrating to write.

Also you don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. Because no matter how much I hate my family at so many points in my life, I know I can’t truly hate them from the bottom of my heart. This fic is a reminder of that.

A SIMPLE CREATION THAT YOU REALLY LOVE

express delivery for love - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai/Chuuya. Real World Quarantine AU. - It’s funny. It’s orthodox. It’s sweet. I don’t think it can get any better than that.

A CREATION THAT WAS INSPIRED BY ANOTHER ONE

rather be - Bungou Stray Dogs. Yosano. Pre-canon. - Inspired by yesterday is another world by @wctercress - The whole of primum non nocere, actually, but specifically this one, and the rest followed. - This is also my first BSD fic. Ever.

A FAVORITE CREATION CREATED BY SOMEONE ELSE

... You sure? There’s a lot, and this is just on the surface. (unleashes the proverbial waterfall)

The aforementioned yesterday is another world by @wctercress

silencer and snow white days by EKmisao - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai, Chuuya. Dead Apple canon-divergent. - The aftermath of Dead Apple, in which one of two goes wrong. - They’re unrelated, I know. But they’re both sisters! Just trust me on this. - The proper entry for this would be silencer, but I can’t very well mention one without the other, so have both anyway. I read both only this year, after all. Waiting for Godot by @eternal-aegis - Bungou Stray Dogs. Dazai, Fyodor, Chuuya. Canon-divergent. - Amazing theme, amazing philosophy, amazing writing. It makes you think. It makes you analyze and explore. This writer definitely knows her stuff, and it shows. Catharsis by @gladiowrites - Final Fantasy VIII. Rinoa, Gen. Caraway. Post-canon. - The denouement to the Caraway family drama we all deserve. I love how Rinoa is presented in this fic. She’s a normal person who makes mistakes and learns her lessons. So is Fury. Burned bridges don’t always have to stay down, and this fic illustrates that wonderfully.

Culmination by @gladiowrites - Final Fantasy VIII. Squall, Rinoa. Post-canon. - We can’t all have happy endings. This fic also illustrates that very well. While I, a Squinoa fan, personally ascribe to the happy ending Squall and Rinoa must have had after the events of FF8, this fic is so compelling and grounded and reflective and I totally buy this.

Here Without You by @muselover1901 - Akagami no Shirayuki-hime. Zen/Shirayuki. Real world quarantine AU. - One of the sweetest stories I’ve ever read this year. I can definitely relate to a lot of things in this fic. I’ve been rereading all of Muse’s ANS stuff whenever I feel down, and they all hit the spot.

Savor The Moment by @joeys-piano - Bungou Stray Dogs. Oda. Pre-canon. - Yes, yes, YES. One of the best stories I’ve ever read this year, ever. (And I mean stories, not fanfics.) Great character study about a man named Oda and a day in his life and a page (or three) out of his book of relationships. The love poured into this is simply overflowing and precious. I’ve been following Joey since this fic was being written, and I’m so proud of him.

False Equivalences by @slowquotesquill - Dai Gyakuten Saiban. Asougi, Ryuunosuke. Fullmetal Alchemist AU. - This fic also! Oh, My Heart. The cynicism of a state alchemist and the optimism of a foreign doctor. It perfectly hits the spot for everything FMA, and we all know that SQQ’s Asouryuu fics are always to die for. It’s the ultimate combo.

The whole Promptober Leo/Will/Despair series by @eternal-aegis - Kekkai Sensen. Various themes, many of which are dark/mature. - I’ve said this with Waiting for Godot, and I’ll say it again: Aegis knows her stuff. This is her exploring further in that direction, and you can feel the improvement with every fic in the series. I really love how adventurous these stories are, and how much depth you can go with every one. Her characterization is layered and exquisite, and the underlying lore is well-thought-out. - tl;dr: B3 Goddess.

Predestined by Galkimasera - Final Fantasy VIII. Rinoa, Squall. Reverse/Fateswap AU. - A very well-written reverse AU! The circumstances of Squall and Rinoa in this ‘verse fit so well and are so well thought out. I love this AU so much, you don’t even know. It also fills my nostalgic shipper’s heart with much joy at seeing quality content in this Year of our Lord 2020.

For auld lang syne, my dear by @by-nina - Fullmetal Alchemist. Roy, Riza. Canon-compliant + post-canon. - Holiday feels, snapshots through time, and all over showing Roy and Riza’s budding relationship over the years. And it does remind me of a lot of the SKK fics I’ve written (thematic-wise). This was such a treat to read and to follow. All her FMA fics are. She does Royai so much justice. Am not yet finished reading smoke without fire, but I’ll get to that, too!

SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE CONTENT CREATORS FROM THIS YEAR

Everyone in the answer above. There’s honestly a whole boatload of more, but this is getting too long already lololol

(might edit this when I feel like it, tho!)

#cyanospeaks #dani has been tagged #2020 in review

7 notes · View notes

timelesshonesttrailer · 4 years

Text

The bane of many writers is that once you have birthed a story, taken the time to write, erase, rewrite, edit, scream at, and finally accept the words that you have written… you have to name it.

Like people, or businesses, the name is everything. It’s one of the first things people see. It’s what they will use to communicate the story to others. So picking a good title is vital, which makes it all the more daunting. But like most things in life, once you break it down and examine its parts, see how it works, it becomes a lot less scary and a lot more manageable.

This is how I got pretty good at making titles, not only for my own works, but for others. And I want to share with you what I learned, and hopefully make the task of titling your stories a lot less terrifying.

To create a good title, you have to focus on two things: Structure and Meaning.

Structure

Quick, think of all your favorite books, shows, and movies. Now think of popular franchises that are household names. What do they have in common, title wise? They are short and to the point.

On average, these titles are one to two words long. This does not include articles or connecting words like “the,” “of,” “or,” etc, because they pretty much disappear.

The titles also average few syllables, about two or three. You don’t really want to go above four. English is a very lazy language and we like to keep things short. This is why a lot of titles get shortened anyway.

Examples of Titles (remember, articles/connectors don’t count):

Friends – One word, one syllable.

Cheers – One word, one syllable.

Lost – One word, one syllable.

Dune – One word, one syllable.

Timeless – One word, two syllables.

ER – One word, two syllables.

Twilight – One word, two syllables. Can refer to the entire series.

The Mummy (1999) – One word, three syllables.

The Simpsons – One word, three syllables.

Parasite – One word, three syllables.

Titanic – One word, three syllables.

Hamilton – One word, three syllables.

The X-Files – One word, three syllables. Though it’s debatable if X-Files is one word or two.

CSI – One word (standing in for three), three syllables (standing in for seven).

Star Wars – Two words, two syllables.

Good Omens – Two words, three syllables.

Game of Thrones – Two words, three syllables. Often verbally shortened to Thrones.

Lord of the Rings – Two words, four syllables.

I can keep going, but you see the trend.

But what about titles like the Harry Potter books? The answer is in the question. Each book/movie title starts with Harry Potter and then has a modifier. Harry Potter itself is only two words and four syllables. Then if someone talks about a specific novel, they typically would not say the whole title, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, they would simply say Azkaban. The same is done in other series. Percy Jackson for example.

There are, of course, exceptions.

Elementary is a one word, but five syllables. It’s also a very common phrase in both the genre and in everyday life. Use of common phrases is a way to get around the above formula because we’re already used to saying them, thinking them, etc. One Day at a Time is another good example. Three words, five syllables, but doesn’t feel any longer than Lord of the Rings.

But the longer the title, the more likely it will somehow get shortened. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep was changed to three syllable Blade Runner. My favorite book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, has a very long title. Technically it’s three words when you remove articles/connectors, but the syllable count is a whopping ten. It gets away with it because for one, it’s a rift on an already common phrase, and two, fans can call it Hitchhiker’s Guide which is only four syllables.

Now, once you know the structure of a title, you can work on choosing one.

Meaning

The title of your story has to give the reader an idea about what they’re getting into. It does this by focusing on one of the following:

A literal Person/Place/Thing – Percy Jackson, Cheers, The X-Files

The Subject Matter – Friends, Law & Order, The Sixth Sense, CSI

The Genre – Twilight, Star Wars, Friday the 13th, Altered Carbon

The Overall Metaphor/Concept – Game of Thrones, Parasite, Pride and Prejudice

Many of these cross over. The Sixth Sense and CSI could also be considered a literal thing as well as a genre marker. If your title fulfills more than one slot, that is neat, but not a necessity. You might feel like you have to come up with some complex title, but sometimes it’s really just as simple as it’s a show about friends and their relationships with each other.

Take the title Catch-22. The term Catch-22 is a major metaphor and concept that is universally known today. But when Joseph Heller wrote Catch-22, no one called that concept a Catch-22. The title was simply naming the military rule (a thing), which created the situation and therefore drove the narrative. People later co-opted the title to quickly express the concept that the book so masterfully discusses.

Whatever you chose, the title should match the feel of the story you’re trying to tell. It’s part of your promise to the reader, and must make sense by the time they get to the end of the story.

But how to pick a title when you have persons, places, things, subject matter, genre, and metaphors in your story? You simply work backwards. Ask yourself what your story is really about.

What is the driving force of the narrative?

What do you want your readers to get out of the story?

Is it a story about a person?

Or about the people of a specific group?

Is the story a one-shot or the beginning of a trilogy/series?

Is there a specific name or line of text that sums up your story neatly?

Somewhere in the answers to those questions is your title.

Now, I can make guesses on how some of the above mentioned titles came to be. Cheers takes place in the bar of the same name, and it’s about the patrons of said bar, so it’s the story about a place named Cheers. But I can’t speak for the creators and what thought processes they might have went through in order to choose their titles. So, instead, I am going to give you some of the titles I have come up with and explain how I got there.

Copper and Gold Two words, four syllables. Genre: Urban Fantasy This is the first book of a series based around a singular character, Minni Masterson, whose motif is copper, which plays a large role in the story. Since it’s a series, I need a title that could be formulaic across each one. In the first novel, the “guest character” is a gold dragon (Aiden Drake). So when I say Copper and Gold, I’m really saying Minni and Drake. And in the second book, when I say Copper and Cobalt, I am saying Minni and the Kobolds. Copper and Mercury is Minni and the Werewolves. Etc.

Emperor’s Shadow Two words, five syllables. Genre: Star Wars fan fiction/Mystery/Character Study The story is about Mara Jade who was an Emperor’s Hand. It’s about her coming to terms with the shadow that looms over her from her past and what Palpatine did to her. Instead of going with something much bulkier like In the Shadow of the Empire, I merged her past (Emperor’s Hand) with her current conflict.

The Serpent and the Liar Two words, seven syllables. (This format of “The X and the X” is one that is an exception to the rule, so long as the syllables belonging to X remain low) Genre: Marvel!Loki fan fiction/Pre-Movies Canon Compliant The story is about Loki and the events leading up to the first Thor movie. It also brings in Sigyn to explore that ship, along with some Norse myths, and to explain why she isn’t in the movie. Loki, of course, is known for his serpent motif and as the god of lies. I play on this, giving Sigyn a serpent motif, something to match her with Loki. But on several occasions, I raise the question of who is actually the serpent, and who is the liar? Because the best way to lie, is to tell the truth. So, like Copper and Gold, I’m really just calling the story Loki and Sigyn, I mean, Sigyn and Loki?

Amehrana One word, four syllables. Genre: Timeless Food Truck AU/Garcy Slow Burn The story is about Flynn and Lucy, and the rest of the team, in an AU setting. I named Flynn’s food truck Amehrana because it’s a mix of the word American and Hrana, which is Croatian for food. So the title is both a thing (the food truck) but also another word for Flynn and Lucy because he’s Croat and she’s American. But unlike Copper and Gold and The Serpent and the Liar, there is the added symbolism here of Flynn and Lucy coming together.

Frankenstein’s Monster Two words, five syllables Genre: Timeless Mission Fic for Proposed Season 3 (non-movie compliant) The mission is Mary Shelley, but that doesn’t mean there *has* to be a Frankenstein reference. But you have Flynn who thinks he’s a monster, one created by Rittenhouse. I also go deeper and hint at Lucy herself being a Frankenstein Monster, i.e. created by Rittenhouse for a purpose she doesn’t want any part of. Once again, my title is basically just another name for my main characters.

I want to interject for a moment and point out that we all have our preferences in our writing styles, and titles are no different. If you realized you tend to do most of your titles a specific way, then own it. It’s part of what makes you unique as an artist. And if you occasionally decide you want to go a completely opposite direction for one story, then go for it.

Case in point.

No Accounting for Heroes Three words, seven syllables Genre: Canon Compliant account of the Fall of SHIELD and its aftermath This fic really takes a hard look at what happens to those living in a world with superheroes. The main character, an accountant named Rani, is giving an account of events. My cowriter suggested putting “accounting” in the title which made me think of the common phrase, “no accounting for taste,” which is a concept about how different people like/need different things, and applied it to the story. No Accounting for Heroes means that we all need a hero, but maybe not the heroes we think we do, and we can all be heroes in some way, to someone in need. But also, there is that underlying current that heroes are not held accountable for the destruction that follows in their wake.

Never be afraid to ask for help with titles. And don’t be afraid to reject titles if they don’t fit. And definitely don’t be afraid to take the suggestion, turn it over, season it, put it in a waffle iron, and see if what comes out is edible.

I have helped others name their stories, and here are three examples:

Remember, Remember Two words, six syllables. Genre: Timeless Garcy Canon Divergent/Angst/Mission Fic The story is about Lucy trying to save Flynn after he goes back to 2012. Emma saves him instead. Eventually Lucy runs into him and she discovers he doesn’t remember her and only knows what Emma has told him. At the end of the story, they have a final confrontation during the Gunpowder Plot. When the author asked my thoughts on a title, well, the Gunpowder Plot has the very famous saying “Remember, Remember, the 5th of November” and the whole story is Lucy trying to get Flynn to remember…

Disavowed One word, three syllables. Genre: Timeless Luciana Canon Divergent/Angst In this Twitter story, Flynn is blocked from returning to the US from Canada because they still think he’s a terrorist. Basically, his own country, whom he helped save, rejected him. When asked for a title, I focused on the idea that this story is about Flynn being rejected/denied entry/etc. I basically flipped through synonyms for rejected until I came across disavowed which is a term often used in spy craft. It’s a heavy word which paired well with the angst of the story.

Only Our Stories Three words, five syllables. Genre: Timeless Movie Canon Compliant-adjacent/Angst/Mission Fic The phrase “only our stories” is said in the fic itself. Future-Lucy writes it down towards the beginning, once she’s returned from dropping off the journal post-Chinatown. All that she has left of Flynn is only their stories, which she writes in the journal. She is eventually able to change things to get Flynn back, but he doesn’t remember her. There is still a connection though… their stories.

Never be afraid to take a line from your story to use as your title, so long as you follow the structure guidelines from the first section.

At the end of the day, coming up with titles is just as much a skill as any other part of writing. We suck at first, then we figure out what's good, what's bad, and look at the world around us to figure out how to make it better. And don’t be afraid to edit it as much as you edit your novel. Until you publish, no title is set in stone, so it doesn’t have be right the first time.

And now here is where I close out this reference guide by saying something inspirational. Instead, I’m going to name this piece. While I wrote it, the temp file name was “Creating a Title” which is technically accurate but has no umph or style. This guide is meant to be helpful so the title should inspire confidence that I know what I’m talking about. But I don’t want it to sound too clinical either.

A synonym for “name” is designation which I like but too many syllables because I’ll have to add to it. Synonym’s for “title” don’t give me much either. Instead, I should focus on the concept of the guide rather than its direct contents. Using something like “What’s in a Name?” would be too cliché. “I Suck at Titles” is funny, at first, with it being the exact opposite, but my genre is more educational than satire.

Wait, if I’m not going to reveal the title until the end, as a way to show you the thought process in creating a title, then to the reader, the title both does and doesn’t exist at the same time. It’s what you might call a…

Schrodinger’s Title: A Guide to Naming

#Reference #How to title a story #Naming #I also used this to name the starring section of #Timeless Honest Trailer

40 notes · View notes

dio-roga · 5 years

Photo

After years of stalling, this is finally seeing the light of day and thank actual jesus for that. There’s more fic out there than you’d think for the best boys, but like all things, sturgeon's law’s in effect when it comes to quality (big time actually, around 35 fics on this list from a rough 350 in existence). I read them all so you don’t have to.

Higher rank the better (though obviously YMMV) and the rest should just be ordered by word count. I have a place in my heart for everything on this list so no matter where it is or what I say about it, trust me, if it’s here, I think it’s worth your time.

Will do my best to keep things up to date. I F5 tabs like you wouldn’t believe. Love you guys ❤

[SSS RANK] ABSOLUTE TOP SHELF

ego, opinion, art & commerce 24parts

We hopefully all know it, we certainly all love it. The canon-compliant, rock-band road-trip AU that’s destined to rule the entire ship one day; the cryde child of prophecy. Go in hard and this’ll take you away like nothing else. The only thing not absolutely perfect about this fic is (like the rest of us) you’ll have to wait for the ending. I know waiting sucks, but please don’t let it stop you bingeing this story right now. I am not exaggerating when I say it’s better than most published books you’ll ever read.

let your heart hold fast niente

Literally the best finished cryde fic ever written as of time of writing this. The boys have grown up. Clyde’s a writer, Craig’s distant, and familiar circumstances bring them crashing back together. The cast of characters are a complete joy, it’s fully drenched in canon, and sports an amazingly rich post-series lore with all manner of cute nods and easter eggs for fans of the show. Nothing short of a masterpiece. Written with such love. Treasure your first read of it.

[SS RANK] AMAZING READS GAURANTEED

Pulling Mussels SekritOMG

A divisive fic maybe, but a classic all the same. Get ready for a fresh take on normal fic conventions to be sure. Personally? I’d consider it top shelf, no question. But to others? They might end up absolutely hating it. A strange midlife odyssey wherein a fed-up, lonely Craig begrudgingly reconnects with an out-of-shape, stagnated Clyde. Memorable to say the least, packed to bursting with detail and personality; go in with the right mindset and its glorious set pieces with burn themselves into your memories. Possibly the fic I’ve re-read the most ever.

Darkness Falls Vampiracy

Do you like cute, gorgeously written things? Set during the three days of Stick of Truth, it tells the behind-the-scenes story of Craig’s growing infatuation with the Lord of Darkness. Everything about this is clever and charming and just generally heart-warming. Best read after playing the game for maximum enjoyment, feel smart and accomplished as you pick out all the references. This fic’s adorable and pure and can do no wrong.

Chicken Vampiracy

The gateway fic? Huge question mark? This story is cryde personified. Like the author distilled the ships very essence into this amazingly funny and light-hearted story about the boys playing the world’s most drawn out game of gay chicken. It’s impossible not to love this story, it’s perfect for what it is, and will leave you feeling happy by the end every time. What more could you want? Show this one to your friends and they’ll finally ‘get’ cryde.

the remains of our sky traiyadhvika

I’ll level with you fam, this story will emotionally cripple you, prepared or not. The writing is precise, sublime, and utterly heart-breaking. It tells the story of how Craig deals with the aftermath of Clyde’s death on Everest. Obviously a heavy topic, but I can tell you with complete confidence that this fic not only does the subject matter justice, but also manages to tell a story of love and hope despite it. Like Butters said, it’s a beautiful sadness. This fic had me obsessively researching mountains for weeks, and anything that can light that kind of fire in you is something special.

C & C, The Mystery Duo Darkyfoot

There is nothing in here but pure fluff, joy and happiness. This story will lighten your soul and brighten your heart. It tells the tale of the boys discovering a life-long obsession for hunting mysteries, and will resonate with anyone who’s ever held a strong passion in their lives (which is probably most of you, if you’re hunting down SP fics to read). The written equivalent of a warm blanket and a steaming hot mug of cocoa on a cold winter’s night.

[S RANK] THE REALLY GOOD STUFF

Equality Donkerblauw Fluweel

A good chill-out fic? Cataloguing a series of parties over the summer in which Clyde starts cozying up to Craig after much alcohol is consumed; and like a good drink, the fic mixes all its elements together nicely. It’s nothing ground breaking, but it’s got a super relaxing flow to it, and will brighten your mood by the end. It nails the party atmosphere, so if you’ve got no-where to go this Friday night, maybe pour yourself a little something and give this one a read.

Craig Likes Vanilla (Ice Cream) themuffintitan

The cuteness equivalent of porn. If you’ve got a list of cliché ‘aww’ scenarios, chances are they’ll play out in this fic. If hand holding and sharing an ice-cream make you melt (hahanotfunny) then this one’s definitely for you. For a fairly simple story about Craig and the squad visiting a waterpark, it’s remarkably detailed (check that word count fam), and has a killer summer atmosphere to boot. It certainly made me hit up a park last July. The writing does let it down in a few areas, but overall you’ll probably be too busy enjoying the ride to notice.

The Silent Lie Donkerblauw Fluweel

Guilty pleasure? Okay you caught me red-handed. This fic’s practically porn. Read all about how Clyde learns to surrender his heterosexuality as Craig massages away all his football injuries in the steamiest way possible. If I’m being totally honest? The story’s pretty obviously there to frame the smut, and writing can be a bit all over the place. But I can’t deny it just works. It’s hot AF. Come here for the sexies and you won’t leave disappointed. Read it after dark. ;)

Press Play flappySp00kster

Arguably unfinished, but the only thing missing is apparently a mostly superfluous epilogue. We’re in full AU territory here as Clyde hooks up with Craig on a dating app during a rough-patch with his long-time, and now ex, girlfriend. Your mileage may vary obviously as the story’s not canon compliant; however the boys behave like you’d imagine and the romance is nicely fleshed out and unique. Bonus points for a bit of kink in the sex scenes, which is rarer than you’d expect for this ship.

What Happened in 1637 pinkfloyd1770

One of the most strikingly unique stories out there; it’s essentially a flower shop AU in which Clyde embraces his Dutch heritage and sports and encyclopedic knowledge on tulip facts. Written in medias res during a seemingly long since established relationship with Craig, this fic merely offers a look into this unique take on the couple as they go about their lives. The detail is stunning, and you’ll find vivid mental pictures coming to life in every scene. If you can get past the fact Craig bottoms (let’s pretend he was feeling generous that evening) then you’ll certainly be charmed with this one. (1637 is the year the tulip bubble finally popped. In case you were wondering.)

Around My Head wendybirb

Are you looking for something that’s light and fluffy? Maybe you like reading Clyde’s inner monologue as he fumbles around high-key pining over his best friend? Perfect, sign yourself up to this fic; it’s a quick and easy read that’ll give you your daily dose of wholesomeness from one of my favorite authors. Nothing overly flashy or complicated here, just boys being cute and kissing.

hey there demons traiyadhvika

This spooky affair is thankfully a lot less of an emotional roller-coaster than it’s cousin ‘remains of our sky’, but that’s not to say it doesn’t grab you and refuse to let go. Have you ever wondered what Craig and Clyde would be like trying to host one of those dorky haunted house shows? Bonus points in that Craig can legitimately see ghosts? It’s a fresh concept that’ll really get your mind racing with the cutest hosts you could ask for. Kept me glued to my seat, ready to throw down if any bad spirits came between the best boys. Slept with the hall lights on for a couple nights ngl.

As Good a Reason as Any Vampiracy

The last of the sacred trinity that also includes Chicken and Darkness Falls, the only reason this fic isn’t ranked higher is because it’s also the authors shortest. Watching Clyde try anything and everything to spend more time with Craig is as endearing as it sounds, and the only thing that sucks is that it doesn’t overstay its welcome; when honestly, you’d like the fic to stay for dinner and spend the night. Quality everything. No joke made my heart flutter. Read it and know true happiness.

Kiss It Better dokidave

A one and done story of Craig trying to cheer Clyde up after a difficult day. This fic’s a nice double whammy if you’re looking for some hurt and comfort mixed in with some steamy sex scenes. It delivers exactly what is says on the box; don’t expect too much in the way of plot of development, but certainly feel free to gush over the sappy sweet character moments. A good pick-me-up fic if you’re having a lousy day.

Take a Chance (You Say It's Your Birthday) Miaou Jones (miaoujones)

So here we have Craig being drunk and vulnerable, while Clyde’s radiating raw sexuality as he dances for Craig’s camera. I’m usually all about Craig giving off that top energy, but the way this story frames (hahakillme) the whole dynamic is very soft and endearing; you can fully understand why Craig’s the one feeling thirsty this time around. This is a fic that really knows how to set a mood. Read it and feel like you’re being pampered.

You Make It Easier glowworm888

Pure comfort; Clyde’s feeling understandably miserable about the thought of growing up without his mom, and Craig’s doing his best to help Clyde cope. Wholesome dumb teenagers looking out for each other and low-key falling in love. I dare you not to feel all happy inside as Clyde slowly begins to feel better as Craig looks after him. Adorable throughout, the ending is very much them. Another good read for making a crappy day a better one.

Miss you x Vampiracy

A true hidden gem by one of the best authors in the whole fandom; we have here the best fic in which Clyde doesn’t even appear. The whole schoolyard gang give their two cents on Craig’s spiraling mental state as he tries desperately to justify a typo to Clyde during an obsessive summer-long texting marathon. Legitimately funny from start to finish, with buttery-smooth dialogue and a big soft ending that’ll have you grinning ear-to-ear for completely different reasons. Love it, cherish it, and dream of more. Vampiracy ̶ we’ll miss you x.

[A RANK] SHORT AND SWEET

Whatever Gets You Through The Night Miaou Jones (miaoujones)

There’s a lot of mixed feelings for me in this fic. A love-letter to Clyde and his parents, in which Craig gets caught up on the whole ‘love’ part of it, having trouble fully expressing himself due to some heavy personal baggage. The Donovan’s really shine in this story. Betsy’s alive and massively comforting, Roger’s family values personified, and Clyde’s being a sweetheart to end all sweethearts. It’s confronting, more than a little emotionally messy, but it’s none the less a story that’ll stay with you. Check the comments for a hidden stinger.

Some Dieting Donkerblauw Fluweel

Clyde’s self-image problems are the focus this time around, doing a commendable job pushing the ideas of healthy progress, properly looking after yourself and feeling comfortable letting others help out. It’s a good length for the story it is, and although the writing gets a little spotty in parts you’ll be unlikely take too much notice. Like Clyde, this one’s hearts in the right place.

If Time Could Stand Still WeCryde

I used to stumble across this story semi-regularly back in the day, wondering if I’d missed it before realizing we’d already been well acquainted. The amount of show rather than tell is fairly distracting, with the entire meat of the relationship relegated to backstory. There’s still something here though. Perhaps in the way it deals with long-distance relationships and just distance in general. Maybe the hopeless romantic in me resonates with the plight of two idiots with thousands of miles between them. See if it works for you?

The Edges of the Atmosphere Miaou Jones (miaoujones)

There should be some sort of law that states that confessions in cryde stories have to be some level of stupid or convoluted. These two are physically incapable of expressing such feelings to each other in any standard normie way. So enjoy some classic spaceman Craig tropes while Clyde juggles being cute and awkward like a pro. Trigger warning for some racy hand-holding action; we’re talking interlocking fingers here.

Standby Flier Cheesebirb (Hi Mark ;)

So upfront, this story isn’t even a romance quite honestly. It’s just a cute bromance sort of affair at most, in which the boys share a hotel room together while waiting on a flight back home. You could quite certainly interpret it as the start of something deeper, as the fic gladly provides hints to support it; however there’s nothing to see here apart from the two personalities bouncing off each other, and sometimes that’s enough. A memorable little story that might resonate that little bit extra if you’re a frequent traveler.

Bust and Boom Azul_Bleu

Clyde fumbling with the realization that he’s got the hots for Craig isn’t new ground, that’s about the only ‘downside’ I could give this story. What it does with this premise however is deliver some pitch-perfect characterizations, snappy pacing, a good variety of settings, and some surprisingly touching moments given its brevity. It’s also loaded with lines that stand up off the page and stick with you and those are always worth their weight in gold; the author really squeezes a lot out of the short word count.

Forts Can Be Fun wendybirb

In which little Craig builds a pillow fort and little Clyde is invited. It’s a soft story with some cute exchanges, if you’re looking for a more innocent kid-cryde vibe then this one can scratch the itch. Short and sweet by definition. Go read it and give yourself a little smile.

Ennui dsfgajkh

This simple story’s a real blink and you’ll miss it; detailing some introspective thoughts Clyde’s having about the monotony of small town life and his fascination with his much more interesting best friend. At nearly a decade old, this story pre-dates Pandemic, which solidified the usual stoic Craig tropes that came after so it’s an awesome little time capsule back to those days where apathetic Clyde and flamboyant Craig was as good a guess as any. There’s a line about skittles that makes it worth the ten minute read.

Neighbors Vampiracy

So remember that time that Vampiracy wrote one of the most realistic and precious depictions of little Craig and Clyde playing with toy trucks in the backyard, but then it got buried in the depths of tumblr? Try not to smile when Clyde beams over the prospect of making a new friend and being able to show off the hole he’s dug; I completely and utterly dare you. Bratty Craig is my spirit animal and I’d die for more adventures with him at the Donovan house. I’m such a sucker for cutesy pre-school fluff I swear; just like you will be when you’re done reading this.

Shine On How You Shine On Miaou Jones (miaoujones)

Real talk? I’m a sucker for all things Brokeback Mountain, and this fic’s just neatly slotting in Craig and Clyde as the cowboys sharing a rough and confusing night in a tent together. The story is exactly what you’d think if you’ve read the original, and it hits all the same thematic beats. Guilty pleasure alert in full here. If you’re in the mood for hearing Clyde Twist tense up as Craig Delmar spits on his hand behind him then I won’t judge if you don’t. I’d unironically read ten more chapters.

Two Weeks toddintops

Yeah-yeah I know I’m stretching the definition of fic with this one, it’s barely a half thousand words; but hey, better five hundred words that make you feel something than ten thousand that leave you feeling the same. A short, sharp dose of angst with some beautiful art accompanying, what have you got to lose? Something about Clyde’s smile, coupled with the bittersweet lines near the end has always managed to stay with me. Maybe it’ll strike a chord with you too.

UNFINISHED (BUT STILL GREAT)

Ask Craig obitotxt (Password is 12345)

Hop on board the angst express; with the last stop being yourself when you realize the story comes crashing off the rails and never hits the end. Is the fact this blog never reached a conclusion one of the great tragedies of our modern era? Yeah, kinda. Fact is, this is probably the only cryde-centric askblog-formatted story out there; and yeah, it’s hyperbolic at times, but goddamn if it doesn’t make you feel something. Packed to the brim with boys being boys, memorable moments and just so much heart, you’ll be pressing F (and F5) for days after you reach the final unfinished pages.

One More Year llexxii

And here’s a weird way to recommend something: you probably don’t want to read this one. It’s very long, it’s very dead, and it has a fairly submissive Craig coupled with a rather unlikable rendition of Clyde. So why’m I even talking about this, and really, I’ve not got much of an answer for you. Just that this fic, despite everything, has some consistently excellent writing. The flashback scenes to Craig and Clyde as young kids are total gems. There’s stuff to love here, and maybe it could have been something great; if nothing else, maybe check it out as an interesting look into the ships history.

Turn It Around, Get a Rewrite wendybirb

This one hurts, in just about every respect. Prepare for angst story wise as we follow along with the life and times of Craig, reconnecting with a clearly troubled yet desperately pining Clyde, who seems scared shitless about his dying claims to heterosexuality. I genuinely love this story. It’s raw and emotional and angry and sexy, it comes across messy and real and does an amazing job making you care about the boys while also showing their more frustrating attributes. I’m still holding out hope it’ll one day take its place with the greats, but until then, the hardest gut-punch is always that “unfinished” tag.

January White (Love Is a Stain) Dovakiin

Here we’ve got a different kind of tragedy. The usual formula is a promising author burning out after an amazing opening run, but here we’ve got a story that never even made it past the kickoff. It’s such a shame. The eponymous metaphor and the solemn tone throughout is honestly pretty captivating; I would love to see how this take on the characters would have played. Spare ten minutes from your day and give yourself something to reflect on with this abandoned beginning.

NOT FULL CRYDE, BUT CLOSE ENOUGH

ask MARSH and BROFLOVSKI jovishark

You know what? Fuck it. I’m putting this one here and no one can stop me. This ask blog is practically fandom required reading at this point, and I couldn’t in good conscience not mention it. Stan and Kyle answer your questions, the plotline reads like something from a CW show, and Craig and Clyde don’t even end up together. I love it genuinely. If you pressed me, this story might be what got me into the fandom; pressed me harder, it’s what got me into cryde (again ironic as cryde isn’t endgame here). Always worth a read or a re-read. Pretend Craig and Clyde sorted things out in college if you need to.

Brace Yourself skyline

Okay so it’s a style story, let’s get that elephant in the room well and truly pointed out from the outset. If it’s a deal breaker for you that cryde isn’t the focus, then move along, but I guarantee for those that stay, there’s a charmingly written cryde side-ship playing out in tandem to Stan’s quest to win over his super best friend. There’s a lot to love about this story, the writings sharp and surprisingly powerful at times, and the characters are a joy to watch. Watching the cryde story unfold from Stan’s POV is a unique experience that you won’t really find anywhere else.

Remove Before Flight skyline

So remember Brace Yourself from literally just one entry up? Okay, same concept, same author. This is a different timeline in which Kenny’s the lucky protagonist trying to win Kyle’s heart, but like before, you’re treated to an enjoyable cryde sub-plot playing on in the background of the K2 drama. The writing’s still on-point, the characters are still great; if you liked the authors other story (which I’d advise reading first), you’ll definitely enjoy this one too. It’s cute how Craig and Clyde always seem destined for each other in this universe.

#cryde #fanfic #clyde donovan #craig tucker #cryderecs #we should probs be friends if youve read them all #❤️

38 notes · View notes

creamybeemovie69 · 5 years

Text

Story idea

Basically a revamp of my fantasy au but with more developed characters, different roles and a better understanding of fantasy creatures/culture overall

The characters overall are completely different to what they were in the first anyway but this one involves pirates a lot because I love pirates more than anything in all honesty

The story goes similarly to the first in that the kingdom is at war but has been for centuries and it’s not against the ipliers this time. Outside of that, probably no real overall plot.

Marvin:

A mage, obviously

Grew up in the forest with no human contact whatsoever, so he ended up having a really hard time fitting into the kingdom when the section of forest he lived in was destroyed in a battle

He now lives in the castle with Jackie, Sean, Chase and his family

Chase:

Sean’s younger brother

Not really much to say on him?

Most of his time is spent with his family

He’s a human prince

Jackie:

Grew up with the boys and later went on to become their personal body guard

An orc

He has loads of scars, both normal and magical

Shawn’s best friend

He may be the oldest, but he’s definitely the most childlike

That being said don’t mistake his childishness for weakness

He will kick your ass

He met Shawn when they were younger and Shawn was caught sneaking goods into the ship

Jackie brought him back to the king, where he offered Shawn a place to stay like he did with Marvin and Henrik, but Shawn quickly refused and instead offered their services as a tradesperson as long as they could stay in the kigdom

The kings a softy basically and was like “um no child you will stay here and I will protect you with my life”

*more on this in Shawn’s bit

Henrik:

They call him “rik”

His home country (the fantasy equivalent to Germany that’s now named Azrin) was basically wiped out by an awful plague, so he escaped on a ship to Septauk (Sean’s (future at this point) kingdom)

Said ship is were he met Shawn

When he got there he ran into the forest to hopefully live off the land, only to run into Marvin and stick with him for unknown reasons until they met Jackie

When the forest was destroyed they tried to get into Septauk, only to get caught by Jackie

Jackie, now in his teenage years, took them to the king (not Sean right now) who took pity on them and raised them as his own alongside Sean and Chase

Jamie:

A runaway soldier from the opposing side of the war

When he tried to get into Septauk he was caught by Marvin, who didn’t take as kindly to the intruder as Jackie did to them

The intent wasn’t to kill him (they’re grown adults at this point btw), just to disarm him, but this escalated into Jaime being left unable to talk and Marvin with a horrific facial scar he now covers with his mask

When they both realised the damage they’d done, they forgot all about the dispute and Marvin tried to heal them both immediately

He wasn’t able to undo the damage, but he was able to scar them up to avoid infection

Jamie now has internal scars and a few larger ones on his neck

One thing lead to another and Marvin let him in

They changed his name from James to Jameson, not that impressive but different enough that it wouldn’t cause suspicion

To this day, Marvin is the only one who knows where JJ came from

Anti

Anti’s literally just the aftermath of one of Marvin’s spells gone wrong

The intent was to turn a snake into a rat

He said it wrong and turned the snake into a brat

Enter anti

For some reason reversal spells wouldnt work on him (probably because he wasn’t staying still) earning him the nickname “anti”

It’s just sort of stuck

They let him stay as long as he didn’t cause trouble and joined the royal guard with Jackie

And that’s how they were cursed blessed with Anti

Angus:

He’s a human-bear-hybrid-thing

He’s an explorer

Not much to say about him

He’s just the cool uncle that visits occasionally basically

Robbie:

Robbie was Marvin’s best friend who died in the attack

Marvin managed to bring him back only in a more zombie like state which he hasn’t been able to replicate since

He put it down to panic, adrenaline and the magic of the forest he can’t get back

Now he’s the sweet zomboi we know him to be

Shawn:

Buckle up fuckers because this is going to get l o n g

To clarify, there’s now the Shawn from the BATIM universe, Carter and Shawn from the JSE universe

JSE!Shawn and BATIM!Shawn are very different

I recently found out that Shawn, while more common in boys, is actually a gender neutral name

So I was like “great that’s my mind made up they’re definitely non-binary”

And that’s how I ended up with a non-binary pirate captain Shawn Flynn

They’re crew has about 3 brain cells between them and they’re all Shawn’s but they love them anyway

Shawn’s responsible for importing and exporting special cargo into and out of the kingdom

They’re half human half elf, meaning that found family’s are really the only option for they’re kind

Their mother was a desperate prostitute and their father is completely unknown to them

They got into life as a pirate when they smuggled a shitload of expensive goods from an island they’ve never seen before to their home town so them and their mother didn’t have to keep struggling for money

Long story short their mum now lives a quiet life out in the country and Shawn’s risking life and limb for a laugh, basically

They visit the kingdom often and and normally stay for a few days at a time and them for a few months once a year

*they eventually grew up and left the royal family in favour of a life on sea, though they still class themselves as one of the kings children just not a royal

They’re family will forever be their crew though

So I already have story ideas but this is getting long so might get my idea down and then write it up either later or tomorrow as a little drabble type thing

#shawn flynn #jameson jackson #marvin the magnificent #jackieboy man #henrik von schneeplestein #chase brody #angus the survival hunter #robbie the zombie #fantasy au #HCs

8 notes · View notes

catbowserauthor · 6 years

Text

Hobbit Story: Anchored 2

So, this story occurs before my “Calling in a King’s Favor” and it actually was the start of my AU universe. I plan on finishing my re-write/AU of BOTFA in the near future but this story is what started it.

A missing scene from the Jackson movies, following the first battle with Azog. Emotions comes to a climax while the company stays with Beorn. Thorin has been playing Leader and King for the entire journey but he sometimes forgets that Kili and Fili need him to be an uncle too…and that some things cut deeper among family.

Second Part!

The atmosphere of the sitting room had gone cold ever since the departure of Thorin after Kili but there was naught to be done about it. Much as the others wished they could help, Thorin had been right on one account. This was something the leader would need to sort out with their youngest. They would do little but interfere, and among dwarves well known for their difficulty expressing emotion, the less they could hinder it, the better. So, while it hurt to picture what might be said out in the dark, the group forced themselves not to fret about it. So, after selecting an order for watch, they began to prepare for the night.

Dwalin volunteered to stay awake to take first guard but it was fairly obvious he was waiting to see the outcome of the fiasco and hopefully reign in their leader if need be. While the entire group was loyal to the Durin line, he and his brother Balin had known them the longest and both of them had been involved in helping Thorin and Dis rear Fili and Kili. He couldn’t help but feel a little more involved with this than the others even if there was nothing more he could do about it. There were some things that Dwalin or Balin could sway influence on but they knew from experience that there was nothing they could say or do. They could only wait.

Bilbo was not satisfied with that.

Fili had not moved from his spot by the door, his eyes always on the outside through the tiny cracks in the frame. The hobbit left his bedroll where it was and trotted over to the blond haired dwarf. One leg constantly tapping up and down, Fili was nursing his pipe like it was a lifeline, though he didn’t ever see any smoke coming out. It looked more like he was chewing the end. Anxiety bled off him. Bilbo took a seat next to him and after considering himself a moment, he asked “Has Kili acted that angry before?”

“He’s not angry,” Fili corrected, though he did not turn to look at the hobbit. “Least, not as much as he seems to be. Well, I mean, he IS angry, that was a livid Kili, no doubt.” He sighed and finally let out a deep exhale of smoke toward the door. “But he isn’t…he isn’t trying to wear on Thorin’s nerves or anyone else’s.” Fili found that while Bilbo was quite easy to talk to, he really didn’t know what he was trying to say. “He’s not trying to cause strife.”

Allowing a smile, Bilbo advised “Oh, I’ve known that, Fili.” He said with a gentle pat to the dwarf’s hand, “Neither you or Kili mean to do such things.”

“He’s scared.” Fili clarified, his hands now mimicking his constantly jittering leg as his voice dropped in volume. “He’s been scared since Carrock.” Shifting his eyes finally from the door to meet Bilbo’s, he stated “I thought I had…I thought we had gathered it under control. He was maintaining and we both knew that there would be things on this journey we would not be prepared for. We both knew that. I knew that. So, we talked about it, when the rest of the company slept. We have always leaned on one another and I thought he was coping with it.” He rested his head into his hands. A sense of failure practically shone from him like moonlight.

Bilbo eyed the young dwarf. While technically Fili was older than him chronologically, Bilbo had found that dwarves definitely aged differently. Gloin was always speaking of his ‘wee lad’ whom Kili had said was 15 years his junior. If Gimli was merely a “wee lad” then Kili could not have been much older and thus, Fili could not be much older than that. It was all rather confusing to him. By Hobbit standards, would that mean both these brave lads were barely of age? Eyeing how distressed poor Fili was over not being able to ease his brother’s emotions, he was inclined to believe it. Thinking a moment, the Hobbit asked,

“Fili, what about you?”

Startled a bit, his leg stopped for a moment and he lifted his head “Eh?”

Cocking his head a little, as he did not see what was so confusing about that inquiry, the Halfling explained, “You keep talking about how Kili is scared but what about you?” He hoped his warm smile was comforting, “I know you’re worried about Kili but what about you? If Kili was frightened, certainly you must have been too. After what happened to Thorin with the White Orc.” Bilbo tried and failed to suppress a tremble. That had cut into his own heart, to see Thorin fall and he had just begun to know the dwarf. Fili and Kili on the other hand…well, Bilbo knew that they were his nephews or his “sister-sons” as Thorin referred to them but what kind of relationship that entailed, he truly wasn’t sure.

Ah, there is was. Fili stiffened significantly.

It took a moment but the blond dwarf gathered his wits, “I…I’m alright.” He finally settled on. It was hardly convincing though, even to him.

Sure enough, the curly haired Hobbit folded his arms with a scoff, “No, you’re not. I can’t blame you either. That was a horrible experience!”

“I…I’ve been trained for battle, Bilbo,” Fili argued. “By both Thorin and Dwalin. So has Kili. You, well, pardon me for saying it, but you’re hardly warrior material.” He offered a half smile to the statement, as penance for stating such a rather unflattering judgment but the hobbit hardly seemed bothered. If anything, he just took out his pipe and lit it after a moment.

“Oh, you’re right, I’m not.” Bilbo admitted. “I am surprised that I managed as I well as I did,” he eyed the small sword to his side and then stated, “You and Kili were such a welcomed sight.” He meant that too. When he had attacked, he had gone on nothing but raw emotion and he really had not had a plan on what he would do. He just knew that he could not let Thorin die. It was no surprise that the next dwarves to rally to the cause had been Fili, Kili and Dwalin. The others had followed shortly after but Bilbo had to admit that after the reconciliation on Carrock, he had not given much thought to the aftermath. In his mind, they were all safe and truly that was to be praised but now, seeing Kili and Fili, he suspected they all could have done with processing it a bit more. “There is no shame in being afraid” Bilbo offered reluctantly. After all, what did he know of battle?

All the same, he could not just sit here and watch Fili torment himself.

“I…have learned to cope with fear,” Fili advised. “So, if my brother is in need of comfort, I provide it. I obviously did not do enough.”

Tsking under his breath a moment, the hobbit retorted “Fili, you know I am new to this. None of this is familiar to me.” He smiled “I suspect that I am often more trouble than I am worth but I am grateful for all the guidance you all try to give me.” He lay a hand on the dwarf’s hand until he turned and looked to his face again. “However, I feel on this I can offer some advice.” He took a heavy breath. He certainly did not want to insult the warrior but the way he was acting, the way he was talking, so distracted, “Is it possible that you weren’t able to help your brother as much as you felt you should have because YOU needed some help?”

The dwarf blinked at Bilbo for a long moment during which the hobbit opted to continue.

“In the Shire, we have a saying: you cannot fill your water pitcher if your well is dry.” Bilbo had heard that so many times growing up, often as they lent a hand to the Gamgees or traveled to the market with extra supplies for those struggling with a bad harvest. “It must be hard to provide comfort to your brother if your own heart needs it.” He trailed off. He really didn’t know what else to say. It was apparent that it was not just Kili that needed to speak with their leader. While Thorin had certainly not gone out of his way to treat the boys any different, Bilbo had caught the very subtle signs.

The way Thorin would scoop an extra spoonful or so into their bowls as they passed around meals. The way no one would take the extra blankets Thorin tossed out unless neither Fili or Kili had claimed them. The extra few minutes of sleep Thorin would allow them as the company awoke in the morning. The way the Leader would make his rounds before he retired himself and would always pause, for a few moments, at the sight of Kili and Fili’s slumbering forms. That simple, warm smile that the dwarf king appeared to save only for their youngest members.

“Go talk to him, Fili.” Bilbo said firmly.

The blond dwarf didn’t respond. Much as Bilbo made sense (far too much sense), he couldn’t. He was the elder brother, he was the heir apparent.

He had to be strong, he had to be firm, no matter how the memory made his heart quake.

He could not crumble.

He would not crumble.

He never would have thought his nephew, either of them, would cast such a disrespectful gesture at him. Thorin remembered distinctly using such a gesture only once in his life, when he was a young and brash dwarf and the swat his father had given his cheek had nearly knocked him witless. Perhaps he should have been angry and even repeating the same action but he found that, much like earlier, he could not feel anger at it. Perhaps if it delivered by a heart heavy with contempt, he may have reacted as such but he knew his youngest sister-son and there had never been such foulness in his heart.

Yet now, there was darkness in Kili’s eyes that Thorin had only seen reflected in his fellow warriors’ eyes or when he occasionally caught Dis in mourning or a glimpse of himself within a lake. It was heaviness, a deep weight that did not belong on such a young dwarf, least of all on carefree Kili. Much as tried to let anger take him for the blatant disrespect, all it did was fill his heart with worry and squeeze it like a vice. He set the younger dwarf with a look, one he had used many times through both his sister-sons’ lives and despite the unfamiliarity of this situation, it carried its same weight.

Kili stared, though just for a moment before he turned from Thorin and let the rest of the smoke out of his lips in the opposite direction. The satisfaction he had felt a minute earlier felt more like shame now and yet his uncle had not even opened his mouth.

“Will you speak with me now?” Thorin’s tone was heavy but the more he focused on the pain he saw in Kili’s body, his face, his entire being, he found the leader tone fading and a more familiar vocal returning. One he had not utilized since before the journey and had been oh so common place for many a year. He had used it for upset dwarflings when they had burnt their hands in the forge, he had used it when hearts were broken by unkind words and he had used it to chase away the shadows of the mind in the dark of night. Now, he found himself using it to try and pry open the mystery that was his youngest heir.

“Speak…” Kili finally responded, his eyes focused on his clenched fists. “You want me to speak?”

“Aye, I’d appreciate knowing what has gotten you so upset, Kili,” he answered truthfully. He had focused so much on this journey to see Kili and Fili as fellow warriors, as fighters in their own right as they had earned that title. They were some of his best soldiers and that was not a title easily won. They did not want his favoritism and he had strived to respect that. They each had seen this journey as chance to prove themselves not only to fellow dwarves, not only to their prime mentor Dwalin but to themselves. So, he had forced his sight to see them as warriors and not as kin.

However, now, sitting here amid the night, watching Kili half hunched over, his shaggy hair framing and hiding his face from view, his hands clenched, how could the Dwarf King see anything but the boy he had helped raise? Mahal as his witness, he wanted nothing more than to sweep that pain away. The temptation to offer any kind of comfort won out and he reached out, gently easing some of his nephew’s hair behind his ear, letting his fingers rest on the sweaty locks for a moment then gently stroking them, from root to tip, rubbing the ends lightly between his thumb and forefinger, as he used to do whenever Kili was upset.

It worked.

Leaping to his feet, Kili turned on his King, his Leader, his uncle, ferocity in his eyes. “How can you just act like nothing happened?!”

Surprised as he was, at least this was progress. Thorin kept his face calm. His sister-sons were quite young and despite their skill in the conflicts they’d been in thus far (he was not about to deny he had smiled brightly at Fili’s sword skills and Kili’s aim) they had much to learn. Kili had always been his emotional and reactive one. It was one thing to know about battle but quite another to experience it. Perhaps he should have put more effort into preparing them? The Dwarf King took a heavy breath but then spoke, his voice deep and level. “Kili, battle is inevitable—“

“No!” Kili protested and it occurred to him for a moment that he likely sounded like a child screaming out a tantrum but he didn’t care. “Yes, I know battle is inevitable, I know we’re going to have to fight. I knew that when I insisted I come but not all battles are! You did not have to march out there to face Azog!” His insistence was sharp and emotion packed. Hands ground into tight fists at his sides, he screeched again “You did not have to face Azog! Gandalf was summoning the eagles! We were going to get away. We could have bought time! You did not have to face him!”

Thorin frowned, deeply. He was not expecting this type of accusation but he did not appreciate what his youngest nephew was implying, “Kili, you are young. You do not understand nor have you endured the battles that I have. Azog has our entire family line on his mind. We are prey to him. He will not hesitate to kill when he gets the chance. I rose to face that challenge.” He stood, though slowly. “When the time comes, I will do so again.” He was intent on making this quite clear. “My stance against him was necessary.”

“No!” Kili snarled again, taking a small step back as his relative stood. “No, it wasn’t! Not that time. I understand we have to deal with him but we should deal with him together, when we have the advantage, not him. You…” He trailed off and his mind was whirling. So many images shooting through his memory. Growing up in the Blue Mountains and rushing to greet his uncle as soon as he returned from the forge. Sneaking into the meetings they had with the other dwarf clans, Fili at his side and clinging to their uncle’s legs as he spoke about their future. Falling asleep before a fire, wrapped in his uncle’s furs to the deep rumbling sound of Thorin’s singing. A very faint image of Thorin pacing with him when he had been deathly ill with fever. Thorin talking about Erebor, talking about what a grand future they would build once the Dragon was dispatched. Telling Fili and him about the halls, the ceremonies, the grand mines beneath the mountain. Hearing his uncle’s grand laugh as they discussed how they would help rule the kingdom and unite all the dwarven kingdoms into one, proclaiming the honor of Durin’s line.

All that could have been erased.

His uncle, half crushed in the mouth of that warg, blood seeping from the wounds like some kind of cursed river. The orc, with the blade to his uncle’s throat.

Kili’s heart had hurt. It had burned. It felt like that orc had driven his blade right through his chest at that very moment and yet he could not move. Every muscle had been still, every vein cold. His mind had pushed so many memories, as it was doing now, through his mind at that moment and he found himself whispering for his uncle in a pitiful, lost tone. It was only Mr. Baggins’ courage that had spared his uncle’s life and that cry had spurred emotion in Kili to make him charge. Charge he had, forgetting the lessons he had been taught, forgetting the strategy, forgetting anything but the raw pain that made him see red.

“You’re an idiot!” Kili shouted suddenly, and was rather surprised that such a statement came out of his mouth. “Your pride isn’t worth your life, Thorin! It’s not!” He felt a bit unnerved as, well, there was likely a better way to have phrased that statement but the truth of it rang true. His uncle accused them of not thinking but he had not thought either. If he had thought, he never would have stalked out there to a death match that by the grace of Mahal he had survived. What if he did it again? Kili did not know if his poor heart could take it. Not again. No, it could not—would not—happen again! “I don’t care what you think, it’s not!”

Okay, _now_ Thorin was angry. Though, on some level, he was rather amused simply because if it weren’t for the lack of beard and breast, he could have sworn it was his sister Dis screaming at him instead of his nephew. Kili was indeed of Durin’s line and it burned bright as flame right now. All the same, this level of disobedience he would not tolerate. Age notwithstanding, Kili knew better and Thorin was not about to let this go unanswered. He meant to make sure his young nephew understood though. He _needed_ to understand.

“As I said before, my sister-son,” Thorin’s tone was level through slightly clenched teeth. “You and your brother know nothing of this world. You are young and naïve. You have learned much on this journey but not enough apparently. Azog’s assault is not just a matter of pride but of principle.” Memories that Thorin preferred to leave buried were surfacing and he truly did not know if he could maintain his calm if it continued. His grandfather…Frerin…Balin’s father…so many lost to the orcs at Azanulbizar. “You were not there, Kili. You have heard the stories but you were not there.” Thorin's tone was dangerously low. "You were not there when I saw our people slaughtered, when my grandfather--your great-grandfather's--head was tossed at my feet. As if we were worth nothing!” Thorin tried to school his tone but as it always happened when such memories rose up, he was right back there again. Seeing the dwarf that helped raise him, upon whose knee he had sat and listened to songs, suddenly cut from his life and then for his own father to vanish amid the chaos. To wander the bodies only to discover the limp body of his only little brother, cold and gone. Thorin had screamed in grief until his voice went hoarse that day. It was only when Dis ran across the battlefield, casting herself from the safety outside the lines, young as she was and flung her arms around him that his heart had stilled in its agony and beat again.

“My duty is to keep our people safe. We are of the line of Durin, father of the dwarven line and a King is father to his people,” Thorin went on, his tone stern but he was maintaining. “Azog slaughtered my grandfather, your uncle Frerin, Balin’s father and countless others. We had to burn the dead that day, Kili. There were so many dead that we could not even give them the honor of returning them to stone.” Thorin caught his voice and steadied it. Kili did not know of these things and he had to remind himself of that. May he never know that kind of pain. The very thought broke Thorin’s heart. No one should know the pain his felt that day. “I will not stand by and let him do it again. I will not lose you or your brother nor one more dwarf to his hand—“

“And we do not want to lose YOU!” Kili screeched, his voice finally cracking though he fought the tears to stay at bay. “You think the same pain that broke you that day was not breaking me and Fili? To see you crushed in that warg's jaws? To see him demand your head?!" The younger dwarf’s voice was strained and he sounded desperate, so desperate and hurting. It was tone that was almost not of mortal making, the kind that one makes when a fear deeper than one’s life has been touched. “What do you think we were thinking? You are our leader, Thorin, our King and we will follow you. But you’re also my uncle! More than my uncle! You may be the Father of our People but you’re also MY father!” Tears erupted from his eyes and they ran, free as a waterfall down his cheeks “You are…you always…have been.” Head dropped, hair draping into his face, Kili openly sobbed.

Thorin jerked like he’d been struck.

In everything except blood and title though Kili had never called him such, out of respect for his biological sire, Kalin, Thorin was. Whether he needed a comforting hand, a stern guidance, a gentle advisor or on occasions when he was able, a fun playmate, Thorin had always been there. It was a constant, a strong constant, through his young life and it was one that he could not fathom losing.

He could not lose it. He would not.

Energy spent, the young one’s shoulders slumped and he fell partially forward, resting his forehead on his stunned elder’s chest. “I…I cannot…it hurts too much, Uncle. I can’t…lose you.” His body shook with repressed emotion and he whimpered, a very young, heartbroken sound. “Everything else…I can take anything else. But I don’t want to lose you. Don’t make me lose you. Please…”

When the strong arms wrapped around him, he didn’t try to stop his tears that time.

#The Hobbit fanfiction #Hobbit movies #Jackson LOTR Hobbit universe #AU of Hobbit movies #Thorin Oakenshield #thorin is uncle to fili and kili #fili and kili and thorin #durin family feels #durin line #Slight PTSD #You don't watch someone you love almost die and just get over it #Thorin tries to be a good parent #he just needs reminders #it's hard to be King #Leader #and Uncle #But Thorin loves his sister-sons

2 notes · View notes

justsomebucky · 7 years

Text

The Only Exception (Part 3)

Summary: AU. Reader is given the task of running a popular love advice internet show when her coworker is fired. Her cynical attitude toward love makes her offer some harsh advice, and more than a few hearts are caught in the aftermath. Will hers be one of them?

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Word Count: 3,523

Warnings: language, fluff, wishful thinking, hot firemen, sarcasm, cynicism, bad jokes, drinking, sad story retelling (mentions of death and loss)

A/N: Moving right along…and yes, I used a Keep Reading line. Also, shout out to @redgillan for making my day brighter.

Part - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

“What do you mean this is my office now?” You stared at your name, which was now fixed on a plate outside of the door. “I didn’t actually agree to anything long-term yet.”

“I don’t think May cares,” Scott said with a shrug, moving inside the office. “Views are clicks, and clicks are money. That’s basically all they want right now.”

To your surprise and horror, all of your belongings were now in Leah’s office. “When did they manage this?” You stepped in cautiously, as if more awaited you inside.

“Two guys from Maintenance and one from IT were here an hour before you to set everything up.”

You reached into your pocket and pulled out your phone, sending a quick text to your so-called assistant (and so-called best friend). When were you planning on telling me about the move?

“Right now!”

At the sound of Natasha’s voice, you whirled around and narrowed your eyes at her. “You’re supposed to tell me things like this before I get to work and find everything moved already.”

“This part is actually not as bad as the other thing I have to tell you, Y/N.”

Now you were worried. “What? Explain yourself. What other amazing surprises should I be expecting?” You moved closer to where she was standing, your hands on your hips.

“Well,” Nat began, pulling out her own phone and scrolling a bit. “There were four things total. First, you have a meeting with the creative team this afternoon.”

“I knew about that,” you nodded. “Keep going.”

“You have a new office, yaaay!”

Your eyes narrowed some more. “Also knew about that, thanks.”

Natasha gave you a nervous smile. “Here’s a good one: I took the liberty of setting up a date for you and Bucky tonight, once his shift is over.”

“You WHAT?” Now you could feel the out-of-control anger rising. “Natasha! I never agreed to that! He hasn’t even contacted me, and it’s been an entire week!”

“Yeah, about that, he busted his phone on the job Monday night, and begged Steve to ask me for your number again.”

“Likely story,” you huffed, turning away to look out the window. If you were going to be stuck in this office, at least it had a view. You did your regular calming exercise. There’s the Empire State Building…

“Last but not least, May wants you to stream your show live today.”

“Live?”

“Yeah, you know, as it happens. Not pre-recorded. Live,” Scott supplied.

“Got it.” You’d forgotten Scott was even in the room, that’s how quiet he’d been. “Scott, did Leah ever have to live stream her episodes?”

“Oh shit, no, never,” he laughed. “Can you imagine how awful that would have been? We had to do at least three or four takes every episode.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Nat’s voice was grim. “May saw some article about how more and more companies are using live stream on YouTube or Facebook to connect with an audience, so she wants to try it.”

“Don’t you generally have to advertise this so they can actually get an audience?” Scott asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn’t look happy, either.

“Well…that’s another thing…a fifth thing, if you will.”

“Spit it out, Nat,” you growled. “What else?”

“May has been advertising it, on the site that your show links to at the end. And not that you want to hear it, Y/N, but there’s been an awful lot of interest.”

“This cannot be happening.” You moved to sit at your new desk, head in your hands. The room wasn’t spinning, right? That wasn’t a thing that happened. It was just you, feeling faint. “I don’t want to do this.”

“I believe May’s exact words were, ‘She has to do it.’”

You groaned, letting your head fall to your desk.

This day just kept getting worse.

“Okay, just the same as ever, Y/N. I’ll count down, but instead of reading questions from email, you’ll be reading questions live from the comments. Nat is going to be picking them as they come in.”

“Try not to pick terrible questions, Nat, okay?” You were still mad at her for not telling you sooner, though you knew it was unreasonable. Knowing sooner would have just made you worry that much longer.

“Fine. Just, can we get to it? It’s almost time.”

Scott nodded, checking his watch. “Okay, ten seconds.”

You glanced in the mirror, touching your hair one last time before staring at the camera.

You can do this, you can do this you can do this…

“In five, four…’

Shit, you can’t do this! Don’t do this!

“…three, two…” After another beat, Scott pointed at you.

“Hi, I’m Y/N, the Love Therapist, and I’m here live streaming today with all of you to answer your questions, and hopefully offer up some helpful advice. Let’s get right to the chat, shall we? My assistant is going to be picking questions, so if yours doesn’t get answered, don’t worry, the regular show email is still available for you to send in a question.”

Scott left the camera on you as Nat read off the first question.

“Isaac212 asks, ‘I got a girl pregnant, but I don’t really like her at all. She’s terrible, boring, and clingy as hell. What should I do?’”

You made a face at Nat, then the camera. “Well, Isaac, I’d say first of all, it doesn’t really matter what you want anymore. You have a kid with this person you loathe, and the only one I feel sorry for here is the child. Congrats, dad. Time to take responsibility for your actions, even if you hate the woman. Next question.”

When she didn’t say anything, you glanced over at her. “Aren’t there any more questions?”

“Well, actually…this question comes from user Confused in Brooklyn’s Ex-Fiancé.”

More follow up? Why would you have expected anything less… “Go on.”

“He writes, ‘I just wanted you to know that you ended a relationship the other week, and I’m still pissed off, because you gave an answer without thinking of the consequences of your actions. I hope other people think first before they take your advice.’”

There was a brief silence in the room, before you cleared your throat. “Fair enough, Ex-Fiancé. I deserve that. It was my first show, and I did give out advice that was somewhat vague, which led your former significant other down a certain path and away from you.”

You glanced to your right, to the window and your beloved city, before looking squarely at the camera. “But, if you think I caused the problems in your relationship that led to its ultimate demise, you are sadly mistaken. You need to look at yourself and the role you played in making your fiancée feel like she couldn’t talk to you about your problems, so much that she relied on a stranger from the internet for help.”

Scott was nodding behind the scenes, but you were too fired up to acknowledge him.

“It sounds to me, Ex, that you thought everything was sunshine and rainbows when it wasn’t. Were you the only one benefiting from the relationship? Were you even paying attention to the poor woman? I suggest you work on your communication skills, and I sincerely hope everything works out for you in the future. Moving right along…”

The show continued live for an hour, and by the end of it you were mentally and emotionally exhausted. The thought of going home and curling up with a nice book or binging a TV show sounded like heaven right then.

You didn’t even bother to ask permission to leave; what were they gonna do now, fire you? You grabbed your coat and phone, determined to leave work’s baggage where it belonged.

“Where are you going?” Natasha called down the hall.

Dammit; you’d hoped to sneak out before she saw. “I’m going home, Nat. I’m tired.”

“You have a date with Bucky tonight, remember?” She rushed to catch up with you, keeping pace beside you as you hauled ass down the hall.

“No. No, I cannot tonight. I’m sorry. Maybe some other time.” The thought alone made you downright drained.

“Um, well…he’s downstairs waiting.”

That stopped you in your tracks, and if looks could kill… “Excuse me?”

“Steve sorta…asked where we work and I told him.”

“Nat, I love you, I really do, but you have to stop meddling in my personal life. I didn’t ask for your help, and I didn’t ask you to set me up with Bucky again.”

“Well you weren’t going to see him on your own!”

“Maybe that’s the point!” Your voice was getting too loud, so you tried to calm down a little. “I’m not ready. I’m not.”

“You’ll never be ready,” she snapped, before turning and walking away from you.

You didn’t really have a retort to that. Maybe she was right; maybe you were never really going to be ready. Why was it that you could give good advice to strangers, but not take it for yourself?

With a big sigh, you trudged to the elevator, then the lobby, where Bucky Barnes was indeed waiting for you.

“Hey,” he said with a smile, though it didn’t quite look like it was reaching his eyes. “Ready to go?”

“I don’t know if I really want to go out tonight, Bucky,” you said apologetically. “I just had a bad day at work and I kind of just want to go home and veg out.”

“What’s wrong? I watched your show, by the way, on my lunch. That was pretty intense.”

Great. Just what you needed, for the guy you were kindofsortof seeing to see you embarrass yourself live. “So then I guess you heard the one guy who blames me for ruining his life?”

Bucky’s eyes widened. “That was something, wasn’t it.”

“Yeah,” you scoffed, glancing around the lobby. “It’s not my fault his fiancée was having doubts, but suddenly I’m the bad guy who ruined everything. All I did was tell her to evaluate things for herself. Then he goes and suggests that no one should listen to me….Ugh! Whatever.”

“Hmmm. Well, I am a fireman…I can rush you to the burn unit if you want?”

You glanced back at him to see he was absolutely kidding, his eyes now twinkling with mischief. “Hilarious.”

“Just thought I’d offer.”

“Mmhmm…” You nodded out the door. “Well, are we having this date, or what? I could use a distraction, I guess.”

“Ah, that’s the enthusiasm I was looking for,” he joked, motioning for you to lead the way.

You weren’t sure why it surprised you, but your day definitely got better the moment Bucky showed up. He’d taken great care to make sure you were laughing the whole way to dinner.

He’d taken you to a Japanese restaurant, conveniently located halfway between your apartment and the firehouse, because he personally knew the owner. When she first saw Bucky walk through the door, her eyes lit up, and she swooped in to grab him and hug him tightly. He hugged her back with such ferocity, and a fondness you’d never seen from him before.

Now the two of you were seated across from one another, at a small table near the kitchen.

The entire restaurant was comprised of the main dining area and then the small kitchen in the back, but the way it was laid out and decorated made it feel like it was twice its size. Hand-painted designs played out scenes from history and mythology all along the bright yellow walls, while heavy red curtains and red tablecloths brought you back down to reality.

So far, the date was going a little too well. “You won’t be called out again, right?”

Bucky shook his head, a small smile lifting the corner of his mouth. “Not tonight, no. I swapped on-call shift with Steve so I could be here, uninterrupted.”

A warm feeling spread through your bones, seeping into your heart a little, though you’d never admit it. When was the last time someone put effort into spending time with you? It had been…well, you couldn’t recall, but it had been a long time.

Bucky must have noticed a shift in the atmosphere around you both, because he started fidgeting in his chair. You wondered what could have brought on his discomfort, when he was the one to make such a bold statement.

“I used to live in an apartment above this place,” he explained quietly, his eyes traveling to the staircase in the back of the room. “They were very gracious landlords when I first struck out on my own. She and her husband treated me like family. Her husband passed away last year, so I try to stop by and see her as often as I can.”

You let your own eyes wander over his features while he was lost in thought. His brown hair was getting a little long, and his blue-grey eyes were contemplative. His eyes had little laugh lines around them, and you saw a scar across his chin. Maybe that was from a fire fight gone awry; you’d have to ask him sometime.

When his eyes met yours sooner than you were expecting, you saw surprise flash in them. “You’re staring at me. Was it something I said?”

“No.” You shook your head, feeling your face heat up a little at being caught observing him. “You just haven’t told me much about yourself before.”

“Ah. Well, there’s not much to tell. I was born and raised upstate. My parents moved a little closer to the city, though, after…”

You were almost afraid to ask. “After what?”

His fists clenched on the table, and when he noticed, he moved his hands to his lap. “When I was eighteen, I had just left to go to school down here in the city. My parents were off playing cards with the neighbors, and they left my little sister alone.”

Bucky’s eyes dulled and his expression darkened for a moment, but he shook it away before looking back at you. “She had some kind of candle burning, then they think she fell asleep. There wasn’t much left of the house after they were done putting out the fire.”

“I’m so sorry,” you whispered, your heart aching for him. You had a sudden urge to try to fix everything, though you knew that was not only absurd, but impossible.

“That’s why I became a fireman, anyways. I wanted to help prevent other families from going through that if I could.” He averted his eyes. “So, tell me why you went into the advice business.”

It was pretty obvious that he was not comfortable talking about his past any longer, so you indulged him this one time. “I didn’t get into the advice business. I got into the therapy business, at least I wanted to.”

“Why, though?” He lifted his curious gaze to meet your eyes again. “What made you decide that was the career for you?”

You didn’t answer him for a moment, trying to collect your thoughts. After his big revelation, you didn’t want to sound like an idiot. “Ever since I was a kid, when someone else was hurting and they didn’t deserve the pain, I hurt, too. If a kid was bullied, I comforted them. If a stray cat was hungry, I fed it. I just-”

You looked down, fiddling with the tablecloth in front of you. “I’ve been told I am empathetic. Over the years, it got to be too much, and it would weigh me down. So I decided that if I could channel it into something more productive it wouldn’t hurt me as much. I don’t know if you noticed, or anything, but I have a hard time letting people get close to me.”

“It sounds like self-preservation.”

Your eyes flickered up to Bucky’s, and while you were expecting judgment, you only saw understanding in them. “Really? Because the guy on the live stream today, the one with the wedding I inadvertently helped cancel, basically told me that I’m a life-ruiner. I’m not going to be able to get over that anytime soon.”

Bucky visibly flinched, but he coughed to cover it up. “Let’s just have a nice meal and forget work and our pasts and anything else but the two of us, okay?”

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all night,” you admitted, reaching for your sake. Things were getting too sad and deep here, and you didn’t want to chase him away yet.

The owner came over just then with both of your plates in her hands, and your stomach rumbled in appreciation at the delicious food she placed in front of you.

“Thank you, this looks amazing as always,” Bucky told her, laying on his typical charm with a smile. The gloom his eyes held earlier was gone, and for that you were grateful.

“You are welcome. Maybe next time you won’t take so long to visit?” She turned her eyes to you, her eyebrows raised. “And you, good for you for putting up with this one. I hope he doesn’t scare you off like he did the last one.”

That must have been a sore spot for him, because he cleared his throat and gave her a nod. “I’m sure I’ll swing by again soon.”

“Good.” She gave a sharp nod to you both, then disappeared through a swinging door into the kitchen.

“What was that about? You scared off your last date? Should I be worried?” You tried to sound like you were kidding, but you were wondering why she would bring it up.

“It’s nothing,” he shrugged, taking a bite of his food. “Don’t worry about it.”

Instead of pushing the topic, you decided to follow his lead and eat your dinner. You even beat Bucky to a clean plate, leaning back with a satisfied groan. “That was amazing, but I’m too full to move.”

Bucky laughed, the little lines you’d noticed earlier finally making an appearance as he stood. “No dessert then?” He gave you a mischievous glance as he pulled out his wallet and laid some money down on the table.

“Let me pay my half,” you offered, reaching into your bag as you stood up too.

Bucky’s hand covered yours before you got very far. “Let’s just head out. I don’t like extended goodbyes.”

“Okay.” You let him take your hand in his and lead you out the door.

Outside, under the weird orange light from the restaurant’s sign, without any warning at all, Bucky cupped your jaw and kissed you for the first time.

If he’d meant it to be a chaste kiss, you wouldn’t know, because you moved closer and deepened it almost instinctively. His other arm wrapped around your waist, locking you tightly against him.

It felt really good to be wanted.

Bucky pulled back after a moment, looking more than a little disheveled and breathing hard. “Y/N, I have to tell you something.”

“Right now, on the sidewalk?” You made a face. “Can’t we wait until we’re indoors somewhere?”

“I don’t want to go any further with this-“ he gestured between the two of you, “-without talking about it.”

“Have you murdered someone?”

Now it was his turn to make a face. “No.”

“Are you…seeing someone else?”

“No, I’m not.”

There was only one logical explanation left, and it hurt to even say out loud. You felt your chest tighten as your anxiety made its presence known. “It’s me, isn’t it? You just aren’t into me? Well, at least you tried, you know, that’s more than most men, and-“

“No,” Bucky interrupted, his hand lifting to brush your cheek gently. “That’s definitely not it at all, I just…I’m worried that when I tell you, you won’t want to see me anymore.”

“What is it then?” you breathed, feeling like your insides were tying in knots. “Because I don’t exactly have a lot of self-confidence, Bucky, and I really need to know.”

He took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly as his eyes searched yours. “It’s a long story. I-“

You could have cursed the entire planet when his (new) phone started going off, interrupting him with an emergency alert. “I thought you said you weren’t on call tonight?”

“If it’s a big enough emergency, I don’t have a choice. I’m really sorry. I don’t want to have a short conversation about this, or text about it. Can we hang out tomorrow?”

“Okay, I will carve out some time for you tomorrow. But we’re doing something that I want to do for once.”

“You got it.” He leaned over and kissed your cheek, then walked backwards slowly. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Can you get home okay?”

“I think I can manage the three blocks to my apartment. Be safe.”

“You, too.” With a final wave, Bucky turned and jogged up the road to the firehouse.

You sighed, holding your bag a little closer as you walked the other way to your apartment.

There was no way you would sleep peacefully that night.

Part - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

PERMA TAGS: @sprinkleofhappinessuniverse @alurea-actually @smkunz613 @marvel-fanfiction @bluebrrn @simplyme8308 @cleanslates @ailynalonso15 @jaydenval @imnoaingeal @miss-jessi29 @kittthekat @crownie-sr @indominusregina @wonder-carolina @captain-ros3ann3 @amrita31199 @tatortot2701 @melissalovesmusicyay @kcsavege4134 @lilasiannerd @hardcorehippos @buckyswinterchildren @hello-sweetie-get-the-salt @cosmic-avenger @mirkwood—princess @neverbeforgotten @minervaem @givemethatgold @assbutt-son-of-a-bitch @decemberftw @widowvinter @nolaimagines @notsoprettykitty @dracsgirl @hollycornish @feelmyroarrrr @ancchor @seeyainanotherlifebrotha @aenna-4 @kithlin @heytherepartner @polkadottedpillowcase @johnmurphys-sass @aeillo @winterboobaer @kaaatniss @whyisbuckyso @super-daryl-dixon @wishingtobelost @capdanrogers @gallifreyansass @rockintensse @minaphobia @vaisabu @rchlnwtn @imamoose @ria132love @sofiadiaz04 @actual-bucky-barnes-trash

Story Tags: @mcusebstan @youpocketwitch @universal-glitch @thewinterdorito @aqueenwithoutherkingx @ani808 @themistsofmyavalon @logan8546 @the-renaissance @lostinspace33 @mcsmashdesigns @cantchoosejustonefandom @vivianbabz @sociallyimpairedme @pinkleopardss @stomachfilledwithbutterflies @frnkensteingrl @wunnywho @buckys-fossil @mytrueself @tigers-have-teeth @mcsmashdesigns @kenobi-and-barnes @with-a-hint-of-pesto-aioli @grumpybeyonce @zxcorra @themanwiththemetalarm @marvelgoateecollection @blueeyedboobear @comicariadne @vindictivegrace @blue1928 @pixierox101 @wildestdreamsrps

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes reader insert #bucky x tony #bucky barnes au #AU!buckybarnes #au!bucky #this is fanfiction so if you don't like it keep scrolling and no i cannot fix tumblr's app issues

494 notes · View notes

calico-arctique · 7 years

Text

Top Harry Potter fanfictions

I tried to do a top of HP fics. It is, of course, subjective. I did try to keep it varied, so it’s not a list of 22 fics with the same pairing, or the same characters, or even the same theme.

There is no Muggle AU in my top (there are a lot of other AU), and no bashing (hopefully! it has been a while since I read them for a couple).

#1 A Long Journey Home https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9860311/1/A-Long-Journey-Home “In one world, it was Harry Potter who defeated Voldemort. In another, it was Jasmine Potter instead. But her victory wasn’t the end - her struggles continued long afterward. And began long, long before.”

Genres : General, AU

If you try only one fic make it that one. It has fantastic worldbuilding. It has fantastic plot. It has fantastic characters. It explores the world, and it explores magic. I urge you to try it.

#2 The Changeling https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6919395/1/The-Changeling

Genres : General, Character Study, AU (still follows the plot of the books as Ginny isn’t a central part of them for the majority of canon)

“Ginny is sorted into Slytherin. It takes her seven years to figure out why.” This has fantastic characterization. Ginny’s evolution is believable and well done. Slytherin has a good and entertaining portrayal, which is too rare.

#3 Hogwarts Houses Divided https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3979062/1/Hogwarts-Houses-Divided “The war is over, and all is well, they say, but the wounds remain unhealed. Bitterness divides the Houses of Hogwarts. Can the first children born since the war’s end begin a new era, or will the enmities of their parents be their permanent legacy?”

Genres : General, AU (since The Cursed Child was published, but the first seven books happened like in canon).

This is the next-gen fic that is WAY BETTER than canon next-gen. If you want to read about what the next generation is up to, go read that instead of the Cursed Child (it follows Teddy Lupin tho, not Harry’s children).

– Rest of the top under a cut –

#4 the girl who lived (again) https://archiveofourown.org/works/7900501 “Peeves, though he was nasty about everything else–ickle firsties and orphan girls–got it immediately. For all six years of Harry’s Hogwarts tenure, he dropped water balloons on the heads of anyone who misgendered her. ”

Genres : General, AU, Character Study

It has a trans main character and it is F/F. Also I always love what this author does. It is short but the writing manages to bring a lot of images to life and stays with you.

#5 Invisible Circus https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2056512/1/Invisible-Circus “Ron knows what he’s fighting for, even if no one else does.”

Genres : General, AU ( since The Cursed Child was published, but the first seven books happened like in canon), Undercover investigation (if that’s a genre but that’s what this is).

Probably the best Ron-centric fic. Yes, it is not that hard, bit it is a good fic. It is post-Hogwarts, Ron is deep undercover (had to make it look like he was a traitor for that). Features life in Knockturn Alley, with OCs that actually feel alive, wow.

#6 The Shadow of Angmar https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11115934/1/The-Shadow-of-Angmar “The Master of Death is a dangerous title; many would claim to hold a position greater than Death. Harry is pulled to Middle-earth by the Witch King of Angmar in an attempt to bring Morgoth back to Arda. A year later Angmar falls and Harry is freed. What will he do with the eternity granted to him? Story begins 1000 years before LotR. Eventual major canon divergence.”

Genres : General, AU (divergence when Harry dies in the forest), Crossover

No knowledge of LOTR necessary. Very good writing, and has the most interesting take on potions I’ve ever seen. Harry doesn’t have his wand so is not overpowered.

#7 Prince of the Dark Kingdom https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3766574/1/Prince-of-the-Dark-Kingdom “Ten years ago, Voldemort created his kingdom. Now a confused young wizard stumbles into it, and carves out a destiny. AU. Nondark Harry. MentorVoldemort.”

Genres : General, AU

Very AU, and of course Voldemort is OOC (the only way a Mentor!Voldemort can even work, you know.) (the original Voldemort is way less interesting than this one). Been a long time since I read it but has *fantastic* worldbuilding. Too bad it hasn’t updated in a looooong time, the author got to 7th year, too… Still worth reading.

#8 On The Way to Greatness https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4745329/1/On-the-Way-to-Greatness “As per the Hat’s decision, Harry gets Sorted into Slytherin upon his arrival in Hogwarts—and suddenly, the future isn’t what it used to be.”

Genres : General, AU (diverges more and more from canon), Character Study

Probably the best Slytherin Harry story. A nice companion fic to The Changeling, except that one isn’t complete yet (the author says it’s not abandoned tho), and it diverges more from canon since it’s Harry himself in Slytherin. Great character development that feels natural and is interesting.

#9 Cauterize https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4152700/1/Cauterize “"Of course it’s missing something vital. That’s the point.” Dennis Creevey takes up his brother’s camera after the war.“

Genres : Character study, Tragedy (no characters deaths in the fic itself, but it’s the aftermath of the war)

This fic is a better epilogue than the real epilogue. It is very short so I can’t say much more than what the summary says. It is about scars, and things lost, and about how life goes on after the war.

#10 Forging the Sword https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3557725/1/Forging-the-Sword ”::Year 2 Divergence:: What does it take, to reshape a child? And if reshaped, what then is formed? Down in the Chamber, a choice is made. (Harry’s Gryffindor traits were always so much scarier than other peoples’.)“

Genres : General, AU, Training, Character Study

Harry fails to save Ginny down in the Chamber. And because of this tragedy he changes and works at getting better BUT, contrary to the rest of this type of fics : 1) Ron and Hermione work the same way, they stay a trio 2) There are no easy shortcuts

#11 Harry Potter and the Boy Who Lived https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5353809/1/Harry-Potter-and-the-Boy-Who-Lived "Harry Potter loves, and is loved by, his parents, his godfather, and his brother. He isn’t mistreated, abused, or neglected. So why is he a Dark Wizard? NonBWL!Harry. Not your typical Harry’s brother is the Boy Who Lived story.”

Genres : General, AU, New take (or attempts) on old clichés

In this one Harry is very OOC but I happen to like that character so : meh. He is after knowledge, and it is not all found in books so it is great. I love the exploration of magic. I love the portrayal of Durmstrang. I love the OCs.

#12 End of the Line https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3673824/1/End-Of-the-Line “Hell was, Snape decided, a crowded railway platform.”

Genres : General, Character Study

Only the first chapter contains Snape. It is… kind of a crossover with Discworld I think? It is, simply, the railway platform that people arrive on when they die. And then they take a train. I loved the chapter with Fred even as it was breaking my heart.

#13 An Unfound Door https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7552826/1/An-Unfound-Door “War is coming to Hogwarts, and Harry Potter, fifth-year Ravenclaw, is beset on all sides by enemies unknown, unseen, and unfound…”

Genres : General, AU, Mystery

If this was updated more often and so was more far along it would probably be higher in the top. Anyway. What is there is very interesting. I like the magic. I like how Hogwarts feels more magical than in most fics. Harry is pretty OOC but he’s interesting so ~ I don’t care ~

#14 Becoming Neville https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2736892/1/Becoming-Neville “Neville’s Gran breaks her hip just after his fifth year at Hogwarts, and he must spend the summer with Harry and Remus. They discover a hidden message in the candy wrappers his mother has been giving him, and begin to uncover the mystery.”

Genres : General, Mystery

A good Neville-centric fic is a rarity. This is an old fic that managed to hold up really well. Because it hasn’t been done a million times already. I read it a long time ago, but I liked Neville, and I liked the mystery, and I liked reading about that summer.

#15 ugly : in defense of pansy parkinson https://archiveofourown.org/works/2330390 “"Because I’m not fifteen anymore,” said Pansy. “God, do you know what precious Potter Sr. got up to at school, the bully? But boys get to grow up to be men, you see, and us girls just grow up to be bitches.”“

Genre : Character Study

I loved that one. If you need one thing to convince you to go read it : it has "rage against the internalized misogyny machine” in the tags. Pansy doesn’t become nice. But Pansy gets to grow up. And become someone I can respect. Also I love that author go read everything they did.

#16 Strangers at Drakeshaugh https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6331126/1/Strangers-at-Drakeshaugh “The locals in a sleepy corner of the Cheviot Hills are surprised to discover that they have new neighbours. Who are the strangers at Drakeshaugh? When James Potter meets Muggle Henry Charlton his mother Jacqui befriends the Potters, and her life changes.”

Genres : General, Slice of Life

A simple, good, slice of life fic. We see the Potter’s life by the eyes of their neighbors (who feel like real characters) so it’s pretty novel. Also this author did a huge work, all their fics are in the same universe, and it impresses me a lot.

#17 The Best Revenge https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4912291/1/The-Best-Revenge “AU. Yes, the old Snape retrieves Harry from the Dursleys formula. I just had to write one. Everything changes, because the best revenge is living well. T for Mentor Snape’s occasional naughty language. Supportive Minerva.”

Genres : General, AU

I don’t like Snape, but I like this fic (also Snape is - obviously - OOC here.) It is comforting. I sometimes go read it when I don’t feel well. Contains children that act like children and it is a rarity. My go-to “feel good” fanfiction.

#18 I Know Not, and I Cannot Know – Yet I Live and Love https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11923164/1/ “Severus Snape has his emotions in check. He knows that he experiences anger and self-loathing and a bitter yearning, and that he rarely deviates from that spectrum… Until the first-year Luna Lovegood arrives to his class wearing a wreath of baby’s breath. Over the next six years, an odd friendship grows between the two, and Snape is not sure how he feels about any of it.”

Genre : Character Study

Strangely I don’t think Snape is a lot OOC here and I liked it. He’s still an asshole. But I liked this fic. It works. And it has Luna.

#19 Perfectly Normal Thank You Very Much https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11994595/1/Perfectly-Normal-Thank-You-Very-Much “It’s twenty one years later and for the sake of his daughter, Dudley is going to have to learn about the Wizarding World after all.”

Genre : General

I really like that one. Dudley grew up and isn’t an asshole anymore. And his daughter is a witch. So for her sake he reconnects with Harry and introduces his family to the wizarding world.

#20 Then Comes a Mist and a Weeping Rain http://archiveofourown.org/works/234222 “It always rains for Draco Malfoy. Metaphorically. And literally. Ever since he had accidentally Conjured a cloud. A cloud that’s ever so cross.”

Genre : Romance [Harry/Draco], AU (since The Cursed Child was published, but the first seven books happened like in canon).

I really like eight year fics so I probably have a soft spot for that one. It’s a Drarry btw. This author can do good things (Sarahs Girl on AO3 too can also do good things, but I had to choose between the two to have a varied top, more or less, but go check both authors for drarry).

#21 Stronger than Hope https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3389525/1/Stronger-Than-Hope “AU after OoTP, a few HBP details. An obsessed, grieving Harry has decided on a dangerous way to defeat Voldemort. Snape is paying closer attention than before, but his contempt for Harry blinds him. Eventual Snape as Harry’s guardian story.”

Genres : General, AU

Yes another Snape. And he is still an asshole. So, well. (I don’t like authors that romanticize Snape but I don’t remember it being the case here). Occlumency fic. Not a family fic, don’t let the “guardian” in the summary fool you

#22 Wild http://archiveofourown.org/works/8728150/chapters/20008291 “ “No,” Harry said, by way of greeting. Malfoy’s blonde head rose slowly, carelessly. “Get out.” “I feel as though we’ve already established this, Potter,” Malfoy responded. “And I feel that what we established was that you telling me to get out of places really doesn’t make me more likely to vacate them.””

Genres : Romance [Harry/Draco], AU (since The Cursed Child was published, but the first seven books happened like in canon).

I liked this one because it contains Really Cool Wandless Witches. Also I loved the house. And the setting. It is beautiful.

#hp #harry potter #fanfiction #recommended #recommandations #drarry #top fics #alternate universe

1 note · View note

whitewolfofwinterfell · 7 years

Note

4 , 9 , 17 , 18 , 24 , 26 , 31 , 32 , 20 ,

4. What’s your current NOTP?D*lena and C.lace.

9. Do you have many ships that never got together at all?I already answered this, so I’m just gonna copy and paste, cos obviously it’s the same answer. I have a fair few. Off the top of my head, Eleven/Amy, Daryl/Beth, Dexter/Debra, Harry/Hermione, Bella/Jacob. Then there’s Emma/Regina and Bonnie/Damon, but there’s still a chance they may get together (we can hope!).

17. Talk about a pairing you’ve stopped shipping romantically.I already talked about Emma and H00k, so this time I’ll talk about Sherlock and John. I’d always been unsure about whether I shipped them romantically tbh, but it was one of those situations whereby cos the Sherlock fandom is so dominated by Johnlock fans, I kinda got sucked into it too and started shipping them. But I just realised that I don’t ship them romantically at all. Don’t get me wrong, I can see the chemistry is there, but I just see Sherlock as being so bad for John. There’s a very unhealthy dynamic to their relationship and ultimately Sherlock is always the one pulling the strings and John is forced to follow. But honestly, it’s mostly because I just see them as being friends more so than anything else.

18. Talk about a moment which made you question an entire ship.I’d definitely have to say the TVD season 4 finale where Elena chose D*mon. Like I had complete faith all the way through season 4 that by the end of the season Elena would find her way back to Stefan because he was the love of her life, so I was actually so shocked when that happened and it made me doubt everything. Because like, her choosing to be with D*mon and loving him more than Stefan is something she said would never ever happen, so the fact that it had definitely made me question everything. There were a lot of moments are that that made me question everything too, but that’s another story haha.

20. Talk about a ship you feel alone in shipping.Dexter and Debra. I’m pretty sure when the show as still airing and the fandom was bigger and more active, there were probably some Debster shippers, but most of them are long gone. And I remember in season 6 when Deb finally admitted she was in love with Dexter so many people were disgusted at the writers for going down that path and complaining how it was wrong for them to be together because they’re brother and sister and blah blah blah. But they’re probably one of my OTP’s and at the darker end of the spectrum on my shipping scale. I loved them for - in Deb’s words - being so fucked up. I loved that they were complicated, messy and dangerous. It was such an intriguing dynamic to me and it sucked me in.

24. Do you mostly ship canon pairings?Definitely. There was a time when I pretty much only shipped canon pairings, because I didn’t understand the concept of non-canon ships. Like a lot of the time non-canon ships are two characters that are portrayed as being solely friends or they barely interact and I’d be thinking, “So why/how do people ship them?”. But over the last year or so I’ve opened myself up more to non-canon pairings and they can actually be so much more fun than canon pairings. The reason for that is that there’s more creativity involved. The shippers can create endless headcanons and write stories of what could/should happen in the future with the ships or create endless AUs, they can make manips, write theories on how they think the ship could be canon or why they should be canon. With non-canon ships it’s an entirely different world that is completely open and free for the shippers to do what they want and I think sometimes canon ships don’t have that, because there is a limit on the creativity and freedom because the focus is the material/scenes they’re given by the show/movie, rather than creating their own, if that makes sense.

26. Have you noticed a pattern in your shipping? Is there a romantic dynamic you’re more drawn to?I already answered this one, too, so here’s my answer from before: I don’t think I have a pattern to my shipping. In fact, I think if you look at a list of my ships it’s very random. I’m really the kind of person where if it’s there for me it’s there. Like, your ships just choose you and it’s a hard thing to explain why or how it happens. I think that the only thing that all of my ships have in common is that they changed each other’s life in some drastic way. I think I’m generally drawn to those domesticated, loving, supportive, soul mate, vanilla type relationships where the two people are good for each other. So I’m talking about ships such as Monica/Chandler, Snow/Charming, Jane/Michael, Glenn/Maggie, Michael/Sara. But at the same time, I have a fascination with ships that are the complete opposite, ships that have an interesting, messy, complicated and sometimes even a dangerous dynamic, such as, Regina/Emma, Dexter/Debra, Chuch/Blair, Cook/Effy, Henry VIII/Anne Boleyn, Phoebe/Cole and Jax/Tara. So yeah, for me it’s all about chemistry and whether the story of the couple intrigues me or not. Whether or not I like the characters involved as individuals also has a pretty big influence. Generally, most of my ships involve two of my favourite characters.

31. Talk about one of your favorite headcanons for a ship you love.The one that really sticks out in my mind, is one I have for Eleven and Amy. When the Doctor was gone for long periods of time, Amy missed him so much that there were nights where she’d lie awake at night. She just couldn’t sleep, because every time she closed her eyes she saw his face and she was constantly straining her ears to listen out for that familiar sound of the TARDIS. So, she’d wait until Rory fell asleep, then she’d sneak downstairs, go in the freezer, grab a box of fish fingers and then go to the cupboard and reach for a can of custard. Once they were done she’d take her bowl of fish fingers and custard outside into the the back garden and perch herself on the bench. It would be bitterly cold, so she’d have a woolly blanket wrapped about her shoulders, the bowl cupped in her hands and steam rising from it. She didn’t even notice the tears streaming down her face until she lifted the bowl up to her face, inhaled the smell and noticed them dropping one by one into the bowl. Once she saw them it made her cry harder until she was sobbing. She stayed out there in the cold for a long time simply bawling, until the fish fingers and custard were cold and then she looked up at the stars and prayed for her raggedy Doctor to appear from the dark night sky. She thought back to the night she spent lying back in the grass, hand in hand with the greatest painter that ever lived and her Doctor, she wished for more nights like those. She knew she should be moving forward, living her life with Rory, but she couldn’t let go of the Doctor or the life she had with him. Even after all those years, she was still the girl who was waiting and she’d realise in those moments that she didn’t know how to stop waiting. Eventually when the tears ran dry, she’d get up, take one last look up at the stars and whisper, “Goodnight, raggedy man” and then turn to head inside the house. She’d climb into bed next to Rory and feel so guilty that she still longed for the Doctor, that she still dreamed of running away with him all over again. Eventually she’d drift off to sleep, memories of the Doctor at the forefront of her mind. In the meantime, the Doctor would just be returning to the TARDIS after yet another adventure, he’d step in, a spring in his step and a jolly grin on his face, but once the door was firmly closed behind him, the mask would slip and the sadness would return. He’d lived for nearly a thousand years, spent a majority of his life without Amy, yet the TARDIS didn’t quite feel the same without her presence. It didn’t feel like a home to him anymore. There was a deep sadness in his eyes, that no matter how hard he tried he could never hide, yet none of the people or creatures he met seemed to notice. He’d get ready for bed, change into some hideous grandad pajamas and he’d warm up a bowl of fish fingers and custard - just like he did every night - then he’d sit on his bed, eat it and finally feel like he was closer to home. Unlike Amy, he wouldn’t cry, because he knew he’d see her again soon. Instead he’d place the empty bowl at the side of his bed, turn the lights off, lie back and whisper, “See you soon, Pond”, before falling to sleep with a smile on his face and Amy in his heart

32. Share five must-read fics.I have to admit, I haven’t read many fics, so I don’t know if I can share five, but here are the ones I recommend:1. Break Me Everytime (Dexter) - honestly, no fanfiction story could ever beat this in my eyes. @six-impossible-things is such a talented writer, I could read her stuff forever.2. In the Aftermath (Dexter) - this is an addition to Break Me Everytime (above)3. There Are Rules (Dexter) - a sequel to Break Me Everytime (basically, if you like Dexter, read all of the fics Solia has dedicated to Break Me Everytime, because they’re amazing). 4. Black and Blue (Once Upon a Time) - the first (and only) Swan Queen fic that’s managed to keep my attention so far. But there are so many Swan Queen fics out there and this is only the beginning, hopefully soon I will be able to recommend a lot more. I don’t have a fifth to share. Sorry, I suck.

send me a number…

#answered #my meta

0 notes