advertising post for my upcoming/in progress A Little Life fics bc im so excited about them and need to talk about them :D
just what the doctor ordered (title not finalized)
Fic about Andy and Jude meeting for the first time when Jude is seventeen and has a terrible, sustained episode that makes his friends take him to the campus hospital. Fic follows Andy and Jude through their relationship up until Jude's death
I won't put my child in the dark
Fic about Harold and Julia in the days and weeks and months after Jude's death. enough said about that ;)
Scones
A lighthearted, no angst A Little Life fic???? can you believe it. If you've ever watched Derry Girls you will love this one. I'm taking the scones episode from season two, and putting the Boys in the Hood in a similar situation. College shenanagins involving corpses and weed
Gnossienne
Remember when Jude said his worst nightmare would be for Harold and Julia to find out about his past through a doctors report, a photograph, or a film still? Yeah, that's EXACTLY what happens. woops
No title yet (relatively new idea so yk)
Fic about Harold and Julia meeting for the first time, with Harold finding happiness again after grieving Jacob's passing and his divorce from Liesl. First dates, wedding, and general love !
Since there are no dates or determinable time period (beyond the fact that it's set in the 21st century) in A Little Life, I love trying to figure out the timelines of the characters themselves. So here's Jude.
Newborn
Born in South Dakota
Abandoned as a newborn and taken in by the monastery
5 years old
Received a fossil from Brother Luke for his birthday
7 years old
Had his hand burnt by Father Gabriel
Sexual abuse by the Brothers began
8 years old
Given a set of wooden logs for his birthday
Abducted by Brother Luke and forced into prostitution
11 years old
Began cutting himself
12 years old
Rescued from Brother Luke
Placed in a boys group home in Montana
13 years old
Meets the Learys
Beaten by the counselors, causing life-long scarring on his back
14 years old
Runs away from the group home in Montana
Abducted by Dr. Traylor and held captive for four months
15 years old
Run over by Dr. Traylor, causing his life-long disability
Rescued from Dr. Traylor
Meets Ana
Begins living with the Douglasses
16 years old
Ana passes away
Briefly lives in an emergency shelter
Has a summer job at a bakery
Leaves Philadelphia, and starts his undergraduate study at an unnamed college in Boston
17 years old
Met Andy Contractor
Gifted a model house by Malcolm
18 years old
Began working as a classics professor's amanuensis
Dr. Traylor dies in prison
20 years old
Graduated from his undergraduate study and goes to France for the first time
Began Law School at (presumably) Harvard
Began his Pure Math Master's degree from MIT
Met Harold Stein and Julia Altman
21 years old
Stayed at Harold and Julia's house for the first time and imagined they were his parents
Had an unspecified internship during the summer
Invited to Harold and Julia's summer house, Truro, for the first time
22 years old
Learned to drive (from Harold)
23 years old
Graduated Law School
Graduated Masters at MIT
Began his clerkship in Washington, living in the living room of an unnamed legislative assistant
24 years old
Given keys to the Cambridge house by Julia
25 years old
Moved to New York, living at Malcolm's parents' house
Began working at the U.S Attorney as an assistant prosecutor
Moved out of Malcom's parents' house to Lispenard St
26 years old
Has his first episode in front of Harold, who sings to him
Willem finds out about his cutting
Jumps off a roof with his friends at Lispenard St
27 years old
Broke the mug that Jacob made
Attended Andy's wedding
29 years old
Began tutoring Felix
30 years old
Adopted by Harold and Julia <3
31 years old
First contacted by Lucien after working on case for Thackery Smith
Finalized the contract for a job at Rosen Pritchard, after the elevator broke once more at Lispenard
Contacted by Rob Wilson (Some unknown from the home)
32 years old
Bought his Green Street apartment
35 years old
Became a partner at Rosen Pritchard (the youngest one in the firm's history)
36 years old
Picked out a suit for Malcolm for his wedding that would happen that year
Began the renovations for Greene Street
37 years old
Broke off his friendship with JB after the latter mocks his disability
38 years old
Scolded by Harold out at dinner for working at Rosen Pritchard
40 years old
His former Master's advisor, Dr. Kashen, passes away
Attended his former classmates, Lionel and Sinclair's, wedding
Began dating Caleb Porter
Broke up with Caleb Porter
41 years old
Attempts suicide and is briefly institutionalized
Goes to Morroco
43 years old
Caleb port a potty dies <3
Began dating Willem
45 years old
Has his big fight with Willem and tells him about his childhood
46 years old
Buys a flat in London on Harley Street
The last time he would truly walk on his own. No aides, no prosthetics. This is during a trip to Bhutan
47 years old
Starts getting lots of wounds on his legs and bone infections
48 years old
Gets his legs amputated
49 years old
Starts walking again
50 years old
Set up scholarships for Julia and Harold at their respective universities
Loses both Willem and Malcolm (and Sophie) to a drunk driving accident
51 years old
His loved ones hold an intervention for him
52 years old
Went to Rome
Taught Harold how to cook
Asked to be the chairman of Rosen Pritchard
53 years old
Took his own life :(
If there's anything here you think should be added let me know. And of course this isn't every single thing that happened to Jude, just some main events or events that helped pinpoint the timeline. So if there's a scene/event/anything that you'd like to know the timeline of, let me know (inbox)
thinking about Julia cutting off the crusts on Jude's sandwich....thinking about Jude buying Julia little bird earrings.....thinking about Jude being genuinely interested in Julia's work.....thinking about Jude and Julia talking about Harold's odd thanksgiving food tradition.......thinking about the cookies Jude made for Julia's lab........thinking about Julia's anger when Harold tolerated Jude's cutting......thinking about Julia reading to Jude in the hospital..........thinking about Julia keeping Jude company in the kitchen bc they both dont care for sports.................thinking about despite his aversion to touch, Jude kisses Julia goodnight.............thinking about Jude and Julia.........................
All of these can be found on AO3, most focus on Joel and Ellie (NOT romantic). They will be a mix of game and the series. Some have some pretty mature/triggering themes so make sure to check the tags and read with caution!!
❤️=favs
o of wounded minds and wounded souls (we are coming home) by Cardigains- modern au
o sit & stay by ninesunrisedogs- modern au, dog
o ❤️ PenAndInkPrincess - literally everything by this author is amazing
o Hard Way Home by Kaylee_To_My_Strawberries - living in Jackson, hurt/comfort
o❤️a safe place to land by two_birds_alone_together - modern au, bookshop, hurt/comfort, part of a series
o Placeholder by Banch - Sarah lives, good big sister Sarah, hurt/comfort
o please don't go by Toointojoelmiller - hurt/comfort, check tags, post ep 8
o❤️ all i needed was someone (when the whole wide world felt young) by cardigains - modern au, younger Ellie, super sweet
o Driven to Distraction by MildredEllie - Ellie has ADHD, Jackson
I think one of Jude's majorly overlooked character traits is how funny he is. I still lose my mind everytime I read that one scene where Harold was interviewing Jude for his research assistant position and he mentions how, except for a few of them, the majority of the amendments in the constitution are the "dross" of politics past. Dross has a couple of meanings, the one Harold meant was "remnants" but another meaning is "worthless" and Jude is so quick to ask him "You think the thirteenth admendment is worthless 🤨?"
For non-Americans the thirteenth amendment is the one that abolished slavery lmfao get that white man Jude
JB, who was Jude’s first friend. JB, who carried Jude to the college hospital when he witnessed him having an episode in their dorm.
JB, who shouted and made a scene in that same hospital until a doctor finally saw Jude - and that doctor was Andy, the only physician Jude ever allowed to care for him for the rest of life.
JB, who helped Jude move into the apartment he shared with Willem on Lispenard St. JB, who brought along his friend Richard to help that day. Richard, who later sold Jude his beautiful apartment on Green Street that Jude loved so much. Richard, who secretly looked after him more than Jude ever imagined, who at one point saved his life, and at another point reminded him his birthday was worth celebrating, when Jude himself had forgotten and his world was bleak.
JB, who envied his life, his looks, his career, his relationship (even his limp!). JB, who saw him as competition, rather than someone to pity. JB, who thought he was beautiful, who thought killing something small and adorable was worth it if it meant looking like Jude.
JB, who brought him to parties, who showered him with laughter and provocations.
JB, who asked too many questions and wanted all the answers but got none of them. JB, who then asked Harold to back off from asking all the questions and wanting all the answers as well.
JB, who captured his life in galleries, on canvas, on film. The good and the bad.
JB, who’s art invaded and celebrated and decorated. JB’s, who’s art froze Willem in time for him.
JB, who was Jude’s last friend. JB, who Jude resented, who Jude hated, who Jude never forgave, who Jude wanted dead.
JB, who found him at last, who put away his suits, who handed out his letters.
JB, who outlived his friends, who was left alone, with his pictures, and his paintings, and his pain.
my love is mine all mine (I love, mine, mine, mine) - A Little Life fanfic
After the adoption ceremony, everyone returns to the Stein-Altman household for a celebratory lunch. Harold and Andy walk away from the noise and the two of them talk about Jude.
“You’re Jude St. Francis. You are my oldest, dearest friend. You’re the son of Harold Stein and Julia Altman. You’re the friend of Malcolm Irvine, of Jean-Baptiste Marion, of Richard Goldfarb, of Andy Contractor, of Lucien Voigt, of Citizen van Straaten, of Rhodes Arrowsmith, of Elijah Kozma, of Phaedra de los Santos, of the Henry Youngs. You’re a New Yorker. You live in SoHo. You volunteer for an arts organization; you volunteer for a food kitchen. You’re a swimmer. You’re a baker. You’re a cook. You’re a reader. You have a beautiful voice, though you never sing anymore. You’re an excellent pianist. You’re an art collector. You write me lovely messages when I’m away. You’re patient. You’re generous. You’re the best listener I know. You’re the smartest person I know, in every way. You’re the bravest person I know, in every way. You’re a lawyer. You’re the chair of the litigation department at Rosen Pritchard and Klein. You love your job; you work hard at it. You’re a mathematician. You’re a logician. You’ve tried to teach me, again and again. You were treated horribly. You came out on the other end. You were always you.” “And who are you?" "I'm Willem Ragnarsson. And I will never let you go.
Most of these can be found on AO3, I will add if it can only be found on Wattpad. Most are NSFW and/or have some pretty mature/triggering themes so tread with caution.
❤️ = Favs
o❤️For The One Who Stayed by 0ldmoney23- Tommys daughter, ongoing, wattpad
o The Sapphire Lioness by kkmix- John/OFC, ww1, nurses
o Gangster Territory by furtherintofairytales- Alfie/OFC, boss Alfie, fluffy
o Little Lady Blinder Moments by hb_writes- OFC Shelby sister, one shots along with a chaptered story