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coolingdownanddrawing · 5 years

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heres some idea’s for redesigns along with some bulletpoints on what I was thinking for story stuff involving remaking the series

Im having trouble reading off the screenshots so Im gonna write it out under the cut along with probably adding some ideas or expanding on the bullet lists (future me here: I wrote a Lot)

Sam Manson:

-Rich Activist, meaning she’s kinda blind to some troubles going on or doesnt full understand how others are doing financially, along with being raised in a house with people who arnt exactly empathetic and more focused on appearances then worker rights, sam can come off as shallow to others doing activist work.

it could be a really interesting character arc for her to realize some of the things going on outside of her school and plants that she can help with, along with dealing with that sense of helplessness she feels at being to normal to help anyone she expresses in the show.

-Goth, but cheery? One thing i noticed in the show is how overall cheerful sam can come off while toting goth ideal’s, which may be a part of why she isnt shown to have many goth friends with them seeing her more as a poser becouse their teenagers and teenager Be like that sometimes.

It’s not a problem in my book but it could be fun to see tucker or danny question it when in goth spaces and sam basically saying the truth that you dont have to be miserable to enjoy dark subject matter. maybe with tucker and danny getting a small interest in some of the “lesser” goth stuff sam introduces to them.

-fights everyone, becouse teenager with boundless energy and Ghosts attacking all the time. sam didnt fight much in the original series and thats a shame.

-facinated by ghost, becouse duh

-I was kinda thinking of her and tucker being introduced by them competing for class president, becouse that seem’s like a position both would be interested in and it be more interesting then having tucker face dash

Tucker Foley

-Likes to influence others is a general statment, but its true tucker likes to be involved in other peoples lives and generally have his oppinion affect people in possitive (or negative) ways. he likes seeing that his involvment matters and he suffers when people ignore him or take his oppinions for granted and id love to see stuff centered around this trait

-level 1 leader/planner, sorta connected to the influencing people thing I think tucker really would thrive in leadership roles that danny just isnt suited to handling, big mobs of people and sam on his side and he is a force to be recond with. Tucker thrives in getting big groups of people to side with him esspecially since technology profficientcy isnt a sign of weakness in this day and age.

plus him working on his public speaking lines up with his motivation of wanting to be attactive to ladies.

also Having him working on public speaking stuff and general people person scenario’s gives a lot of reason for the group to interact with the A listers in a less hostile scenario

-tech god I guess, becouse tucker foley

Dan Phantom

-Incarnation of discomfort being the unintentional (At least the first time) fusion of a stubborn 14 year old and his crazy 40 year old father figure with very different morals and oppinions makes existing very, very akward for dan, but great comedy fodder!

-dan is able to have legs or a ghostly tail whenever he pleases unlike vlad or danny, becouse I figured it be a good way to make fights more interesting and their fighting styles different becouse I want more vlad involvement and having them be extra different types of ghosts makes watching either of them fight much more interesting

-wishes to not exist, esspecially in the presense of either danny or vlads love interests becouse WOW thats akward

-WAAAAY more powerful then danny and vlad, partially becouse making dan a final everything is going to hell desperate final action for danny and vlad would make dan’s appearances more interesting but also becouse of difference’s about vlad plasmius and danny phantom I will talk about when I get to them.

Dan Discomfort Masters

-“Vlad’s nephew” becouse if you’re meeting this guy stuff has gone horrible wrong on the de-fusing front and he needs a reason to be in either fenton on masters house hold to get whatever he needs to fix the ghost catcher

- big ol liar pant’s, partially becouse danny and vlad are Huge Liars but also becouse of the whole, I need shit to stop existing

-Trying to keep it together becouse he’s probably made to interact with people vlad and danny have Opinions On and honestly he cant decide if he wants to viciously prank jack at every oppertunity or punch himself for thinking of being mean to jack, among other such mixed feelings.

Vlad Masters

-Certified genius due to a number of thing’s including his obession, and becouse being smarter then jack makes him happy and if jack ever expressed interest in a subject He Must Be Better, he might not be trying to kill jack becouse he doesnt want to deal with a ghost hunter ghost for who knows how long but he wont be lesser then jack in ANYTHING.

-fruitloop, still has some backwards logic and morals such as having valarie become a ghost hunter to offer a sparring buddy to danny and whats a better motive to shoot at someone then they ruined their life right but he’s generally such a over the top bird brain trying to show off to everyone that fruitloop is the only description he can be given.

-less evil is a Big Thing, he’s still objectively not a very good man but I want him and danny working together and sharing a roof on the weekends but that means not shooting first and asking questions later on site, so a less evil vlad is needed, plus it just generally makes there interactions more fun and less dangerous which is what im going for, since walker can take over a lot of vlads antagonist role in the story plus danny and vlad making agreements to get stuff out of eachother sounds like a hell of a lot of fun, i liked eye for and eye vlad sue me.

- as a side not I want vlad to be a lot less physically fit and practiced with doing things as a human, seeing him as a man who lords his power over others when he can he prefers relaxing and working as plasmius more then masters, which affects his health and serves a purpose in story for a lesson id like made after watching phantom planet last night

Vlad Plasmius

-loving guardian in that he really, really does want to be a good father and mentor figure to danny even if their relationship is rocky due to long standing lies he’s been feeding him and how tight a grip vlad has on his familys financial health. as well as the whole snatching partial costody as soon as costudy was called into question after dannys accident (Ill get to that) vlad’s babysat in the past for the fenton which is part of it, along with his desire to be better at jack in every aspect.

-great implorer, in which he likes to get minions when he can and usually only grumbles if his minions already have plans when he calls for them, pays great by ghost zone and human standards and usually offers a full health plan, though skulkers case that full health plans is for when he gets his head up his ass and thinks he can actually get either danny or vlads pelt, one of skulkers suits is on vlads lab wall with a nice hole where its face should be as a reminder to those who cross him.

-only legs, meaning he uses 100% more kicks and ground based attacks then danny and can kick below the bet where danny cant, this plus his fire core making him have to get creative lest he burn his surroundings to the ground has him fighting in a very different way to danny, along with his 20 years of experience. vlad tends to fight ghosts with less reason to leave the ghost zone, and invading lairs to get what he wants, leading to more serious encounters then what danny faces in the begining.

-loves dramatics, becouse vlad plasmius everybody he’s a cookyier villian here

-less evil and more ruthless and efficient to those who get in his way, that arnt who percieves as family

-Plasmius’s obsession is teaching people lessons, in all the good and horrible ways that can imply. halfa’s have more broad and less restrictive obsessions then other ghosts which makes them more dangerous and able to ammas power.

Danny Fenton

-Fenton works heir, which is played up a lot more in this with vlad backing his family and giving them chances to disgrace themselves on public telivision and get shamed out of wherever their currently living, leading them on a series of moves throughout dannys life before amity park show off their inventions to the world! Since Jazz aggressively refused the role it fell on danny and he actually takes it pretty seriously, believing as a little bab in ghosts and being convinced of their evil from a young age by his parents which you can only imagine does great things for him when he becomes a halfa and learns unkie vlad is one as well.

-has been haunted by the creepy ghost boy title his whole like due to his situation and the fact he is usually made to assist in showing off his parents weapons publicly as a apprentice ghost hunter, one such invention was the fenton portal that had a wire loose during the presentation, when he went in and put it back the doors automatically shut him in and jack and maddie didnt notice he was in there still until the screaming started, this led to some public outcry over weather jack and maddie are fit to raise kids and vlad swooping in for partial costudy of both fenton children “to ease the masses, and besides he’s basically helped raise them anyway whats garenteed weekends at one of vlads places going to do?” it was a sucky situation.

-bad reputation due to general protectiveness of his parents along with terrible social skills, along with his new trouble of hiding and controlling emerging ghost powers.He doesnt leave a initial good impression on sam and tucker when he first meets them as fenton, and people tend to avoid him to keep away from his parents wierdness anyhow.

-is less good in the traditional sense but wants to keep people safe and happy if he can help it, though its argueable if thats simply a manifestation of his obsession or if its just becouse he’s a sweet kid, once he gets it into his head that ghosts arnt always evil he tries really hard to be nice to ghost too and even tries to save them from his parents when he can. putting his neck out for them.

Danny Phantom

-just wants a lair is a shorthand for wanting to just experience regular ghost things when he’s going ghost, he’s less inclined to fight every ghost he see’s unless their actively hurting people and tries to talk them down, not wanting his afterlife filled with enemies when he officially keels over.

he has big dreams for a super cool lair of his own that are explored upon the one time he’s split apart by the ghost catcher, mostly becouse phantom rips the door to his room from its hinges and zooms into the ghost zone as soon as he’s out, found aimlessly wondering helplessly looking for the PERFECT location to start building. he tends to day dream about the lair of his dreams in class.

-no leg’s leading to more air combat and trying to immobalize people with his tail, usually fighting fairly though with his moments of cheap shots in partiicularly deadly battles,, he usually fights people like johnny 13 who mess with people then he does generally harmless ghosts like box ghost in the begining, plus with his in development abilities that include a versatile ice core his fights are more strategy then sheer beat down or creative weapon making (or heating whatever metal the ghost is wearing to the point of insanity)

Danny also has this little problem where he “died” in a anti ghost hazmat suit made of stuff to weaken and harm a ghost who comes in contact with jack and maddies little boy and it means its harder on him to access his powers, taking more energy to do things that most ghost would find easy like intangibilty and invisibility, which is a major problem for him esspecially at first, danny’s only made aware of this though vlads help and their working on a way to trick the hazmat suit into changing material with what danny was wearing under the suit, since its being difficult with changing on dannys command, he can put stuff over and under the suit but the suit itself is hard to make budge. the outfit shown above is after danny learns how to at least add stuff over it with vlads help.

dan does not have problem’s with the material of his costume making him have access to all dannys abilities easily, along with vlads experience and power and dannys creative thinking dan gets the nickname of the ultimate enemy with good reason

- Loves exploring, esspecially the ghost zone its so interesting and full of enteraining characters and the food is Amazing at least in ghost form and vlad’s show him some pretty incredible places in the zone when they agree to work together in the sense of vlad stealing madde and jacks thermoses at the end of fenton fights and danny helping him spelunk in the ghost zone, its a guilty pleasure to be able to show sam and tucker around when they become friends, natural portals are a tempation danny has a hard time ignoring when he see’s one, much to his loved ones annoyance. wolf is a terrible enablr of a friend.

- due to his obession with proving himself (its the wording i go with now i might change it to something like control or being loved) danny tends to want people to like him and seeing a opertunity to get them to like him sorta throws him off balance and out of fight mode, usually leading to him cuddling up to them, in phantom form dannys a great cuddler. take caution though he’s been known to trick enemys into thinking he’s gone out of fight mode and either shove them into the nearest portal/thurmos or later freezing them where they stand. dannys terrible with crowds, esspecially crowds of people who dont like him he freezeses up.

Danny to-tired-to-function (school and not working with parents danny)

-cant wait to to graduate, with no plans to go to college becouse he’s not paying for more hell

-is really in a bad place socially and mentally in the begining, but will become a lot happier once he befriends sam and tucker, though before that he tends to do some pretty desperate and embarrasing things to get attention and has a problem with letting people drag him into trouble on the promise of friendship.

Danny’s Chore’s list:

-deadly laundry with ectoplasm contaminated laundry machines to content with

-helping whoever wants to cook, cook, or being in charge of dinner most nights unless someone else wants to cook (breakfast is jazz’s job, maddie and jack are gently discouraged from cooking, jazz and danny usually or use to just grab take out for lunch if they had time)

-cleaning the lab

-dishes with ecto contaminated dishwasher are always a little dangerous damn appliances and their wills to reak havoc, jazz likes to help make sure it doesnt hurt anyone since its more dangerous then the laundry machines

-assembling weapons with parents for the vault, or incase of a huge ghost invasion so everyone has a chance at a weapon, danny usually just assembles the less dangerous stuff that doesnt require a lot of welding

-general house maintense, vacuuming and window cleaning while jazz mops and dusts

-jazz cleans the weapons vault after learning dannys secret becouse its a lot less dangerous for her then for him and hes infinitly grateful

AND DONE thats some of my thoughts on what could be done with a re design of the characters and story beats listed, im tired of writing now but enjoyed getting this out

#danny phantom #danny fenton #sam manson #tucket foley #dan phantom #vlad masters #vlad plasmius #lot more words then normal

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zdbztumble · 6 years

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Botching Backwards and Forwards, Or: Today’s KH Ramble, Part I

As I play through KH III, I’ve also been catching up with the series by watching the Let’s Plays of the other games done by Team Four Star. Because they didn’t play through Coded and only watched the cutscenes from 358/2 Days, that means that there’s only one game on their playlist that I haven’t played myself, that game being Dream Drop Distance. From what I can tell, its gameplay operates on a similar mechanic to Birth by Sleep, which I enjoyed quite a bit. I frankly prefer the Command Decks to what we have in the console games. DDD making levels out of some left-field choices in Disney worlds was a pleasant surprise too. For the Fantasia world alone, I’ll have to consider picking DDD up when I’m not facing a month of utter financial ruin.

And yet, between the two of them, BbS and DDD are responsible for nearly everything wrong with the story of Kingdom Hearts up to this point IMO. Coded got the ball rolling by opening back up a story that had already been satisfyingly ended in KH II, but these two titles do the bulk of the damage to a series that, up to that point, had handled its story pretty well.

Starting with BbS, I freely admit that some of my issues with it boil down to a matter of preference. Turning the Keyblade into a (once) fairly common weapon with many wielders, with a history detailing a great Keyblade War and a test for a Mark of Mastery...all of that wasn’t to my taste, but I can’t say that there’s anything in principle wrong with it. It isn’t necessarily out of place for this series, and the one major wrinkle in continuity it causes (Keyblades choosing wielders) could be squared fairly easily. A prequel focusing on hitherto unmentioned characters rather than the series protagonists isn’t an inherently wrong choice either, though I’ll have more to say about that in Part II of this rant. That I don’t find Terra, Ven, or Aqua terribly interesting as characters is mostly a matter of preference as well, though I do think Terra’s descent into the darkness relies too much on sheer idiocy, and I will admit that Aqua is possibly the most fun player character in this series with her plethora of magic spells. But where I more seriously fault BbS (and Coded, for opening this door) is in its changes to Xehanort’s plots and backstory, and in undermining one of the best thematic ideas from the original Kingdom Hearts game.

"Ansem” turning out to be the true villain of KH I after two-thirds of the gameplay pass under the assumption that it’s the confederation of Disney villains was an effective twist that let an original character, more comfortably of the Square Enix half of the crossover, shine. “Ansem” turning out to be Xehanort the renegade apprentice, with his Nobody Xemnas the leader of Organization XIII, was hardly the most organic twist in the world; I don’t think anyone would go back to KH I and say “oh, it was so obvious, how did I not see it before?” But it made for another genuinely surprising twist in KH II. A villain can only have so many twists and secret plans, however, before effective surprises become cheap gimmicks, and any ability to take their current scheme seriously evaporates.

The revelation that Xehanort is in fact a transparently evil old man who, years before any of the events that led to KH I, plotted to synthesize a X-Blade and bring about a second Keyblade War (with less than ten combatants, so it’d be more of a Keyblade Skirmish) in what basically amounts to a mad scientist’s scheme in fantasy genre clothing, was the breaking point for me. This is a common trap of both prequels and conventional sequels; trying to tie too many things into a small group of characters, or in this case, a single character. Making Xehanort into a villain that spans multiple generations, the man who set into motion everything that preceded KH I and is indirectly responsible for Sora, Kairi, and Riku becoming Keyblade Wielders, can seem like an expansion of the universe on paper, but in execution, it’s a contraction. It reduces too many events down to factors in a single character’s actions. The fact that his scheme is no more coherent than those from KH I and II doesn’t help, nor does the fact that the storyline that most directly leads into Xehanort’s role in those games - Terra’s - is so transparently ripped from Revenge of the Sith.

But Xehanort’s abrupt reentry into the story isn’t truly maddening - not in BbS, at least. For me, the worst part of the BbS story is how it retroactively changes Sora’s. I’d go so far as to say that BbS is to Sora what Dragon Ball: Minus is to Bardock and Goku.

Don’t misunderstand me on that point: BbS is nowhere near as bad a game as Dragon Ball: Minus is a comic. What I mean by that is: prior to Dragon Ball: Minus, most people took Bardock: the Father of Goku to be canon. And, in that TV special, the history given to Goku, derived from what was said in the manga at the time, was that he was of no account by the standards of Saiyan society. He was a no-account spawn of a low-class warrior, sent off to a far-flung planet to clear out its worthless inhabitants. That low-class warrior who fathered him was as ruthless and mercenary as any typical Saiyan, and while he was stronger than the average low-class fighter and was given psychic insight into the fate of his people, Bardock was ultimately just another Saiyan doomed to die and be forgotten by time. Nothing in Goku’s origins is special or fated, which makes his accidental amnesia and eventual surpassing of Vegeta, the supposed Saiyan ideal, more remarkable. By transforming Bardock into a more tamed Saiyan with a close familial bond to his mate, who sends his son to Earth for safety in a blatant rip-off of Superman’s origins, Goku and Bardock both become too special, Goku’s turning into a kind-hearted child becomes too telegraphed, and their stories become too beholden to “chosen one” cliches.

And that is what BbS does to Sora, Riku, and to a lesser extent Kairi. That all three of them just happen, in their childhoods, to have had contact with Keyblade Wielders who left a personal mark upon them - and, in Sora’s case, literally took up residence inside him - is just too pat. It makes the three of them ending up with Keyblades too easy, too predestined. This hurts all three of them, but Sora most of all. Ven looking like Roxas and Vanitas looking like Sora, is a massive headache (and yes, I’m aware that there is at least some explanation of that), but the big loss is in the thematic content of the story, and there is where the comparisons to Dragon Ball: Minus really come into play.

Like a pre-Minus Goku, pre-BbS Sora is not special, in any way, at the start of KH I. He’s an ordinary young teen, plucky and affable and just a bit lazy, with a burgeoning quasi-romantic interest in his friend Kairi and an in-all-things rivalry with his best friend Riku. Compared to Riku, Sora comes up short in pretty much every area. Riku, at first glance, is faster, stronger, smarter, more dedicated, more fearless, and more capable. If you were going to choose one of those two to be the fated hero wielding a magic blade to save the worlds from darkness, Riku’s the better candidate by every metric, on paper. And, in fact, the Keyblade does choose Riku. The whole “chosen one” cliche is subverted in KH I in a brilliant way by essentially having destiny make the wrong choice. That Sora only gets the Keyblade by accident, loses it to its intended master, but quickly reclaims it on the strength of his accomplishments and his purity - that he earns it - is one of my favorite things in this entire series, and is a wonderful thematic idea and moral. Giving Sora and Riku both a fated “touched by a master” backstory kills so much of that idea, and it’s enough to make me wish that there was no BbS, as fun as the gameplay can be.

Ironically, DDD tries to have its cake and eat it too by playing up the fact that Sora wasn’t chosen by the Keyblade, but the damage was done by that point. And DDD further undermines that initial concept in the way it writes Sora, and his relationship with Riku. For one thing, Sora in DDD seems so much dumber than he was in previous games. Up to that point, he’d been written as an upbeat young teen, possessed of a certain level of immaturity and naivete, but always determined to help save the day, and more than capable of getting serious when needed. DDD abruptly starts to portray him as more of a doofy shonen hero, without any clear motivation and to no real purpose. It also introduces the idea that the central dynamic in Sora and Riku’s friendship is that Sora lifts Riku’s spirits while Riku takes up the slack from Sora’s sloppiness and carelessness. I have a real problem with that presentation, because it just isn’t true.

If you go back and look at KH I, those early Destiny Islands scenes set Sora up as the underdog to Riku’s Big Man on Campus. Riku jokes that he’s the only one working on the raft, and Kairi remarks that “he’s changed,” but he doesn’t come off as someone needing to perk up. And with one of the first challenges of the game being Sora gathering raft supplies, it doesn’t seem that Riku needs to take up that much slack either. In any event, over the course of KH I, Riku’s the one who drops the slack and falls into darkness, with Sora literally having to stop him from doing horrible things. And it’s Sora who continues on through CoM and KH II, saving the worlds. While Riku does appear here and there to aid Sora, his aid doesn’t come in the form of “taking up slack” or cleaning up after messes Sora leaves; Sora, Donald, and Goofy are still able to save the day by their own skill in each world. This whole notion, and Sora’s more dim-witted persona, seem invented, if not from whole cloth, then from very little that was previously established.

And again, there doesn’t seem to be a clear motive, unless it’s to highlight the differences between Sora and Riku and give more justification to Riku getting the Mark of Mastery when Sora wasn’t. But the writing doesn’t give a coherent through-line to that idea, nor does it sufficiently justify Sora not becoming a Master. Had the game actively told a story of turning the tables, and made a point to stress the idea that Riku’s fully reformed and that Sora was slipping up, then I’d be more forgiving (even if I still wouldn’t like the idea), but the work just isn’t there.

I’ll admit that there’s a certain amount of bias in my assessment; I’ve never liked Riku as a character. As a teen playing KH I for the first time, I found it easy to project my dislike of certain people IRL onto him, and in the years since, I’ve continued to find that the manner of his turn to darkness in KH I makes it very hard to accept him back into the fold with Sora and the others. He’s also a lousy player character in Reverse/Rebirth and in KH III IMO. But I accept that he’s the deuteragonist, and that his story since KH I has been one of redemption. In principle, a game that builds him up as a character and lets him save the day is fine. But the manner in which it was done in DDD was all wrong. And to an extent, the changes made to his and Sora’s friendship, and to Sora’s personality, have all carried over into KH III, which is even more frustrating.

And, speaking of things carried over...DDD is where Xehanort gets completely ridiculous IMO. Having pulled a third twist that he was actually an ancient Keyblade Master seeking to provoke a war, now there’s a fourth twist where his younger self has been traveling through time (by ridiculous means) to ensure that the fifth twist - that all that business about Nobodies having no hearts was a lie, and that the real Organization XIII exists to create thirteen Horcruxes vessels for Xehanort’s heart, so that there can be thirteen darknesses to face the seven lights in the Keyblade War (which still seems short of the numbers you’d need for an actual war, but whatever). The whole business about “recompletion” allowing an original person to revive if their Heartless and Nobody are destroyed is already enough of a contrivance to bring the original Xehanort back, but time travel and heart-splitting is even more absurd. And I still haven’t been able to figure out how “Ansem” and Xemnas can be back in action, even with the time travel aspect.

Recompletion also means that DDD brings back the rest of Organization XIII. I consider nearly all of them to be glorified henchmen, possessed of a gimmick for combat and a single personality trait at best, so their revival - and their cameos in BbS - do nothing for me. A big exception to that is Axel, but if I don’t care much for Riku, I can’t stand Axel. He comes off as what an “edgy” teenage writer would come up with for a “cool” character in a bad first stab at fiction. From his character design to his abused catchphrase, everything about him pisses me off. His one saving grace in KH II was that he sacrifices himself, and nothing undermines a sacrifice like a contrived way around death. That he’s become a Keyblade Wielder, and one of the Seven Guardians of Light, is ridiculous to me, and I’m not sure if I can think of a more blatant example of a writer’s pet character being so inorganically shoved to the forefront of a story that supposedly isn’t about them.

DDD also started to open the door to the possibility of Roxas and Namine being restored. That idea is less annoying to me than any of these others, but it’s still a mistake IMO. That Roxas and Namine both ultimately elect to give up their lives as individuals to return Sora and Kairi to their full selves, accepting their fate so that others can live more fully, is a bittersweet and touching concept, and one that lets “death” have some real consequences and the happy ending of KH II come with a price. I hate seeing that undermined, and I’m frankly frustrated by how much of KH III’s front half involved chatter about Roxas.

And speaking of KH III...that’s where Part II comes in.

ADDENDUM: Another thing about DDD that I feel undermines Sora is that, while writing him dumber, the game also hypes him up more than he ever was in the past. It’s the same problem as Harry Potter; for all that series’ virtues, constantly pointing out how special Harry is can end up taking away from his character by making his unique traits too ubiquitous. Other characters constantly pointing out how kind and loving and easy to bond with Sora is undermines that trait by over-playing it and turning it into an exercise in “tell, don’t show.”

#critique #commentary #kingdom hearts #birth by sleep #dream drop distance #disney #z's crits

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itsmajel · 7 years

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Majel Reads - July 2017

[What is this?]

Supernatural - Destiel

Ultraviolet by MittenWraith

The world seemed to be settling back into a somewhat regular pattern of supernatural activity after Sam officially rescinded the British Men of Letters American visa and Cas had moved into the bunker as a full-time Winchester. What seemed like a milk run hunt goes pear-shaped when Dean becomes the latest victim of a soul-devouring curse. Breaking the curse and saving his life only lead to a bigger mystery when someone unexpected steps out of the Impala and walks right into the middle of their case.

[Mature] [44919 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

What We Ache For by almaasi

Working as a prostitute (that’s ‘sex worker’ to the decent folks), Castiel has heard more than his fair share of odd requests. When he’s paid to spend a night with Dean Winchester (handsome, dork of all dorks, has a nice car... secretly a cop), the last thing Castiel expects to hear are the words “I wanna make love.” That's the one thing he’s never done before – so Dean is going to show him how to do it. But then, barely a month after that night is over, Castiel finds himself in a difficult situation, and Dean is mistakenly summoned to help. They begin to share again: Dean’s apartment, the spare bed, their deepest secrets. Over time, with the support of Dean’s brother Sam, a mystery dog, and lots of cuddles, kisses, comfort, and tea, maybe Cas can finally be loved the way he deserves.

[Explicit] [ 93,115 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Night Exhibition by almaasi

Welcome to the world's most generic museum. In the café, you'll find Dean, putting dinosaur cut-outs on his award-winning apple pies. In the gift shop, you'll find his snarky yet devastatingly handsome friend Castiel, folding t-shirts for a living. But Castiel has a second job as a night watchman, patrolling the marble halls and protecting the museum exhibits after dark. One night, Dean asks to tag along. He could never resist a crisp blue uniform, and he'll take any opportunity to have his friend show it off. It might take all night, one dance, and a playful sex act (or five) in a few unusual places around the museum before either of them realise... maybe Dean's interest was never about the uniform. And maybe their friendship was already something else.

[Explicit] [26996 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Dean and the Doula by whichstiel

Castiel is Eileen's doula. FOR REASONS, you guys.

[Explicit] [8432 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

True as It Can Be by whelvenwings

Growing up in a small town in Kansas, Dean learned from a young age that there was only one rule that couldn’t be broken, one place he couldn’t go - through the forest, to the long-abandoned Angel’s Hollow. But when Sam disappears, Dean’s left with no choice but to follow his brother's tracks through the dangers of the wood; little does he know that the most dangerous creature of all lurks not among the trees, but in the Hollow itself. Dean sets Sam free, at the cost of his own liberty - and, bound by magic, resigns himself to living out the rest of his days in the Hollow, at the mercy of the being within. The angel of Angel’s Hollow, however, has a story - is a prisoner, too, as much as Dean is. Only one thing can free them both - but it is impossible. For, after all: who could ever learn to love a beast?

[Explicit] [71953 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

With Sure Certainty by andimeantittosting (Saylee)

His first thought: "Who are you?"

It's the morning after his brother’s spur of the moment bachelor party in Vegas and Dean Winchester wakes up with the mother of all hangovers. Even worse, he's in a stranger's penthouse having woken up with something else as well - a weird, dorky, oddly charming, dashingly handsome… husband!

Up until now, marriage had always been off the table- Dean wasn’t relationship material, his life was in shambles, and he’d sworn off love for good. Then a night of terrible surprises, a few (okay, a lot) of martinis with Castle... no, Castiel Novak, and he's gone from first meet to marriage in one night.

Dean wants a lawyer. But Castiel’s shocking bombshell?

"I don't want a divorce."

[ Mature ] [16004 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

A Marriage of Misadventure by noxlee

At seventeen, Castiel Shurley fell madly in love with Dean Winchester, the steward's apprentice on his brother's estate. When they were caught together, Dean was dismissed, and Castiel was sent to war, told to bring honour to the family name or die trying. With peacetime finally upon them, Castiel is shocked to discover that Milton Park's new neighbour is none other than his erstwhile lover.

Dean, now Captain Singer, has spent the better part of a decade believing that Castiel betrayed him. When he learns that Castiel is at Milton Park, recovering from his battle wounds, he embarks on an ill-advised plan for revenge. When the man he finds is nothing like the villain he has imagined him, he must learn to put aside his anger, and trust, once again, in love.

[Explicit] [26,863 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Hear You Me by through_shadows_falling

[Mature] [ 84,459 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Arrested by Love by teacass (Fushigi)

Running away from an affair gone wrong, famous musician and media darling Dean Winchester flees to the only place small enough to offer him security: his hometown of Madison, West Virginia.

Holing up in his father’s old cabin, he plans to wait out the storm in relative peace. Until he meets the new sheriff, Castiel Novak, who seems to be the only person in town immune to Dean’s (many) charms. Several maddening encounters and one completely unjustified arrest later, Dean is sure of one thing: his time at home will be anything but boring.

[Explicit] [42,287 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

When I See You Again by noxsoulmate [Re-Read]

It has been ten years since Dean Winchester left his hometown and moved to L.A. Ten years since Castiel Novak, his best friend and the love of his life, ended the relationship and set Dean free, so they could both follow their dreams. Now they’re both where they wanted to be in their careers, but what about their hearts? What will happen when Dean Winchester comes home after ten years for the concert of his life?

[Mature] [41,415 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Love Lab by youaresunlight

When Dean sees the flyer for a research study offering $75 to participants, he doesn’t think twice before signing him and Cas up. The problem, of course, is that it’s a romantic couples study and while Cas is his roommate and best friend, they are very much not in a relationship.

[Mature] [5,385 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Captain America / Marvel CMU - Stucky

live for the way that you cheer and scream for me by oh_la_fraise *

“Jesus, you're buff.” He snatched his hand back again, blushing. “Christ, I can't keep my mouth shut. Sorry. It's just, you could be Cap himself with those arms.”

Aka the one where Bucky is dressed like Captain America at a Captain America convention and doesn't realize he's talking to Captain America.

[General Audiences] [1,236 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

broken people (living under loaded gun) by obsessivereader, Slaughter_Me

“It’s him, Nat.”

“He may look like Steve, but that’s not Steve.” Distress mars her calm, professional mask, a sign of how shaken she is. “You saw how many men he killed, the way he did it. That’s not Steve.”

Bucky knows what she means. The man in the cell was merciless and ruthless, and he killed with such brutal grace that Bucky hadn’t been able to look away. But strip Steve of his higher ideals, and that’s how he’d fight; smart, efficient, lethal; leaving dead bodies in his wake, instead of just broken bones and contusions.

So the question is, what had Hydra done to Steve, and who did Bucky have to kill in recompense.

[Teen And Up Audiences] [ 5,855 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer by boopboop

This wasn't Steve's plan for tonight.

Part of the plan, maybe. The part where he goes to a club, anonymous and dark; that's been part of the plan from the start. The part where he finds some... company; also part of the plan. He's self-aware enough to know how pathetically lonely he's feeling right now. The rest of the plan had been...less detailed, more just a collection abstract ideas. None of which he'd imagined would lead him here, his palms sweaty as they fish handfuls of cash out of his pockets, one arm anchored around the waist of a man who is very enthusiastically nibbling on his earlobe.

Or:

Steve tries and fails to master the whole 'one-night stand' thing, lies snowball in a truly epic fashion, the supervillains of New York are all out of control, Tony is the worst best friend and mediator in the history of ever, and Bucky has the patience of a saint. Guest starring: Augustus the houseplant, projectile pineapples, and Target superhero costumes.

[Explicit] [18,609 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Itinerant by realmythology

Maybe flowers’ll grow from me, pulling everything else out of my flesh until I’m nothing but those bones, nothing but all the love I got for you. That’ll last forever, I know it.

Got me all twisted-up, honey. Always did.

★

Steve Rogers tries to carve out a place for himself in a world where he isn't Captain America. Bucky Barnes tries to reclaim himself while paying back a debt that he can't shake.

Somehow, they manage to meet in the middle.

[Mature] [42,637 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

One Way Or Another by Chiyume

When Steve volunteers to help Tony launch Stark Tech’s new Military Prosthetics Project, the last person he expects to see as he walks into the lab is the same guy who had him shoved up against a wall in the back of a club the weekend before.

Back then he had just been Steve Rogers; a civilian looking for a good time just like everyone. Here, he’s Captain America; hero, justice, and patriotism personified. Bucky, however, is still the flirtatious devil he had been back at the club, and he’s obviously not going to let something as trivial as Steve’s occupation get in the way of what he wants.

[Explicit] [22,374 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Wingman by Hopeless--Geek (wuzzy90), shanology

All Steve wants to do is finish his ridiculous assignment as a cupid quickly so he can take on the job he’s been working towards for decades: guardian angel. But somehow, every match he tries to make for Bucky Barnes ends up in disaster. It’s like the man doesn’t even want to find his true love. In fact, he seems far more interested in getting his cupid into bed…

[Explicit] [33,118 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Treasured by Dira Sudis (dsudis), Sealcat

When everyone in town became convinced that a dragon really had come again to the Old Lair, and that the town would have to offer it tribute, they all looked at Steve.

Honestly, he was relieved

[Mature] [24,609 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

We've been making shades of purple out of red and blue by Artisblue, Boyfriendsziam

When Bucky Barnes comes back to school, Steve can't believe how he just seems to have forgotten about how they used to flirt with each other. Steve wants to hate him, he really does, but after Miss Potts pairs them up for an art project, the truth about Bucky's missing memories and limb comes out and maybe, there's a chance to rebuild what seemed to be lost.

[Mature] [27,144 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Bring It On Home To Me by mambo

Steve's students don't believe him when he says he's dating international rockstar and heartthrob Bucky Barnes, but he is, and has been since they were sixteen.

(A Captain America Reverse Big Bang 2017 collaboration between mambo and ellebeesknees.)

[Teen And Up Audiences] [10,808 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Where You Lead by mambo

“That was before I saw that you were on a date,” she says. “Date?” Steve asks, confused. "The man you were holding hands with,” Peggy says. Steve shakes his head. “No, no, that’s not a date. That’s just… Bucky. He’s Bucky.”

Steve is a single dad who manages the local inn. Bucky runs the local diner. Steve loves Bucky's coffee, but definitely not Bucky. Except, maybe that's not so true. Well, it's true about the coffee. Steve definitely loves Bucky's coffee.

(A Gilmore Girls-inspired AU that doesn't require background knowledge of Gilmore Girls to enjoy, and a Captain America Reverse Big Bang offering from mambo and tuntekorpp.)

[Teen And Up Audiences] [11,297 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

sarah castellanos: unofficial super soldier matchmaker by Ookami_Hime

@unicornweenie: momma was diagnosed with #breastcancer. running 4 her in a marathon but in desperate need of training buddy. :( hey @steverogers u down? ;) @jamesbarnes: time and place and i'll make sure he shows @unicornweenie: wtf omg @jamesbarnes r u for real? @jamesbarnes: @unicornweenie last i checked i'm real. hold up. lemme message you. don't need the paparazzi breathing down our necks ;P

[Teen And Up Audiences] [6,414 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

I Just Want to Love You in My Own Language by agetwellcard, inediblesushi

Bucky Barnes is Captain America and uses terrible pickup lines. Steve Rogers is Captain America's nurse and is not impressed by the aforementioned terrible pickup lines.

[Explicit] [ 22,436 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Like a Bruise by Shaish

Ten years is a long time to hate someone, especially when you loved them first.

[Teen And Up Audiences] [24,724 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

A Soft Blur by agetwellcard

After recovering from his time in the army, Bucky is a successful photographer who is trying to forget his past. Two weeks after Steve's return, he accidentally spills his champagne on Bucky at a charity event. It brings them together at a time when the two of them need each other the most.

[Explicit] [28,079 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

No Diamonds on This Chain by brideofquiet

Now, Steve is no prude. In fact, he is very much the opposite of a prude, but that’s mostly behind closed doors or when it’ll earn him better tips. But he feels the blush rising on his cheeks anyway, because who really expects to pull a string of anal beads from the lost and found at their restaurant job on a Thursday morning?

No one should ever expect that. That’d be fucking weird as hell to expect that.

[Explicit] [15,766 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Once More to See You by brideofquiet

Treadmill Guy is a problem. Not a problem to be solved, but a problem to be steadily ignored until it shrinks into nothingness and stops being a bother. Unfortunately for Bucky, people don’t come to the gym because they’re trying to shrink away into nothingness. People generally come to the gym to get bigger, which is what he was doing until Treadmill Guy walked in one day and ruined all of his (fitness-related) hopes and dreams.

Or: what to do when an unusually handsome cardio enthusiast named Steve starts coming to your gym, the Bucky Barnes how-to.

[General Audiences] [7,054 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

This Side by brideofquiet

Bucky Barnes restores antiques for a living. Steve Rogers saves the world. Bucky has no reason to believe their paths will ever cross, right up until they do.

Or: the Notting Hill AU.

[Teen And Up Audiences] [35,321 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Send Nudes! by DizzyRedhead, TrishArgh

When Steve decided to cosplay Captain America, one of his favorite TV characters, at a convention, he didn't expect to meet a Winter Soldier cosplayer who looks like he stepped right off the screen (and has a great ass). He didn't expect to hook up with Bucky, or to find out that they live in the same part of Brooklyn. He definitely didn't expect the sexting, or the continued hooking up, or the dinner dates.

Steve didn't expect any of this. Especially not the feelings.

[Explicit] [21,847 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Local Raccoon Befriends Angry Chihuahua by charlesdk

Rogers was a tiny man. Bucky was sure he easily disappeared in a crowd and became invisible. He was tiny and short and skinny and didn't look like much. But his fists were clenched to his sides in anger, his jaw was jutted out, his boney shoulders were square, and his voice held more power than his body looked like it did.

Screaming and yelling and swearing like a damn sailor and asking for a fight, Bucky found him breathtakingly gorgeous. Like a tiny ball of energy and rage and justice that shined brighter than the fucking sun, punching his way through the evil and disgusting trash of the world.

Bucky never believed in love at first sight and the way his heart warmed and pounded at the mere sound of Rogers didn't really change his mind. But it did make him stop and stare, desperately reaching out for the feeling he felt when he looked at him because it was good and Bucky hadn't had good in his life in years.

OR – in which one armed veteran, suffering insomniac, and grump extraordinaire Bucky Barnes gets turned into a puddle of goo by the tiniest, angriest, most wonderful guy in the entire universe.

[Teen And Up Audiences] [15,314 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

6:13 AM by charlesdk

It was routine, getting on the train that early in the morning, and Steve had it down to a damn tee. It was tiring, waking up that early to catch a train to work, but it wasn't so bad.

Especially not after he started showing up.

He was the man with murder eyes and shockingly good looks despite the whole hobo vibe but with a soft center. Steve liked to call him the Human Impersonation of the Grumpy Cat in his head; Grumpy Cat for short when he whined about him to either Natasha or Sam.

OR – in which Steve falls in love with a stranger.

[Teen And Up Audiences] [5,885 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

An Open Heart Is An Open Wound by Kinthinia

“Soul-bonding is very special,” his mother had said. “You can only do it once in your life so if you do it, make sure it’s with someone special.” “But what if they don’t choose me back?” Steve had asked, thinking about his scrawny body and the way girls didn’t look at him.

“You would be tied to them forever,” his mother said gently. “That’s why it’s so important you make sure they’re the one. Because they don’t have to choose you too. And for some people, that’s more than enough. To just simply be tied to one person.”

“It should be special shouldn’t it, like what you and Dad had?”

Sarah smiled tiredly. “Yes. But it doesn’t always happen that way, for everyone.” She ruffled Steve’s hair affectionately. “Just make sure you’re prepared, when you choose someone.”

Steve laughed. “I will, Ma.”

Of course, three days later, Steve made his choice. Considering his history of relationships, he probably should have known it wouldn’t be reciprocated.

[Mature] [78,553 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Laughter Lines by gammadolphin

Bucky Barnes is a rising Hollywood star with a tragic past and a reputation for driving his bodyguards away. Steve Rogers is a veteran with the same tragic past and the need to get back out in the world. The two of them have been estranged since they were teenagers, so when Steve joins SHIELD as a bodyguard, he is less than thrilled when he finds out that Bucky is his first assignment. But how bad can it be? They're both professional adults, right?

Wrong.

[Mature] [100,248 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Captain America in Supernatural World - Stucky

Deal of a Lifetime by TwistedFate108

Steve Rogers was small, sick, and frail, but when he runs across a book that promises him the assistance of the supernatural, it's impossible to resist. However, what he ends up with is a demon and more than he can handle. It especially sucks when said demon repeatedly refuses to take his soul, and when he ends up caring more than he should.

[Mature] [16,732 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Star Trek - James T. Kirk/Spock

Souls Lost at Sea by deesaster

Two weeks have passed since the launch of the USS Enterprise-A, and Jim feels like a stranger on board his own ship. He can tell this is not his Enterprise, even though everything looks exactly the same. However, it's good to be back after spending the past six months stranded on a starbase in deep space, away from his chair and the stars.

It would have been manageable if the only different things had been the ship and a part of his crew. On top of his uneasiness and guilt in the aftermath of the Yorktown incident, Spock has been avoiding him and Jim can't for the life of him figure out why. Even though he has come to terms with his unrequited feelings for Spock long ago, he pines for his First Officer's company more than ever, and hopes he can somehow bring their friendship back to life.

[Mature] [25115 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Among The Stars by yaoichan12

I'm not good with summaries, but here is the best I could come up with: When Jim is accidentally abducted as a kid he discovers that humans are not alone in the universe. No one believes him in his small town and thinks he's crazy. He looks to the stars, grows up and becomes an astronaut. After being overlooked for the first manned mission to Mars, Jim is sent to work in a secret R&D department. There, Jim meets his new boss, a weird guy that wears beanies all the time and doesn't like to be touched or to touch anyone. Jim swears the guy looks familiar but he just can't figure out where he knows him from. Jim then discovers that there are others that know the truth and even work to keep Earth safe.

[Not Rated] [81,246 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Dangerous Territory, Part II of the Field of Evermore Series by Tiger Tyger (Southern_Comfort)

How could it be possible for Kirk, Spock, and McCoy to find any trouble during their Earth-based assignments? After all, Jim is only a lowly admiral working under the irascible leadership of Steven Stearns in Fleet Operations; Spock acts as a new teacher for Science and Technology at Star Fleet Academy; and Bones is a new administrator at Medical Operations. More importantly, the three men are working their way around new relationships, adapting to different professional positions, new demands . . . as well as spiritual visitations, aggressive colleagues, jealousy, academic politics, and sudden violence. Come along and watch the next stage in the development of the legends of Star Trek: The Original Series!

[Explicit] [55,802 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Freely Given by Jenna Hilary Sinclair (JennaHilary)

As Kirk, Spock, and McCoy make a diplomatic visit to a planet where ritual kisses are common exchanges, McCoy urges Spock to consider the nature of gift giving.

[Explicit] [22,587 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Combien de Temps by rabidchild67

Sometimes, things start a little backwards. Or, five times Jim and Spock screwed before they admitted it really meant something.

[Explicit] [22,909 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Next Best Destiny by rabidchild67

AU in which Spock is Captain and Jim the (geeky) new officer in Sciences.

Science Officer!Kirk - it had to be written

[Teen And Up Audiences] [58,224 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

First by rabidchild67

It’s Jim’s first mission as Enterprise’s first officer and, well, he and Captain Spock have an important “first” of their own to get to.

Sequel to Next Best Destiny

[Explicit] [25,678 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Sea Change by jouissant

As the five-year mission gets underway, Kirk and Spock are on course to develop a friendship--or something--that will define them both. Then, a poorly-timed away mission changes everything. Before they can begin to deal with the fallout, Jim disappears. With his captain presumed dead, Spock has no choice but to accept a promotion and try to move on. But when he starts experiencing disturbing visions, he gradually begins to suspect that Jim may be alive after all. (A canon-divergent AU assuming they began the 5-year mission following STXI.)

[Explicit] [35,218 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Last Request by AshayaTReldai

Life is messy. One moment they were celebrating Christmas: Captain James T Kirk, his First Officer Spock, his wife Commander Nyota Uhura, and their new baby daughter. The next, a heart-breaking funeral, leaving Jim to pick up the pieces. Sworn to be friends, he’d buried his love deep; the Vulcan was happily married to somebody Jim respected greatly, and contrary to popular belief he’s not that kind of guy. Yet a last request to care for Nyota’s husband and child leaves him with a dilemma, a dilemma that can only be solved by a Christmas miracle.

Written for the K/S Advent Challenge 2014, for a prompt by Misscar (see end notes for prompt).

Inspired by the Dear Spock Universe.

[Explicit] [106,277 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

The Hobbit - Bagginshield - Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield

An Early Start by HiddenKitty

Everyone knows they were doing it all along, right?

My first-born or a kidney, as preferred, to HSavinien and Maybetwice, two excellent betas who deserve better than such an anxious, needy writer. Thank you guys, so much. :3

[Explicit] [44,436 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

through miles of clouded hell by yaseanne

for the prompt: "Thorin tries to woo Bilbo... but fails miserably at it. In fact, he only manages to scare the living shit out of the hobbit."

He believed, for a moment, in this King, and thought that this was what Balin must have meant that day in the wilderness, that this was the King he saw in Moria, noble and unbroken.

[Explicit] [13,773 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

(All summaries are the official summaries of the author. Stats and infos as according to hosting site or information given by the author)

Looking for more reading inspiration? Check out my fic rec tag here on tumblr, my reading list masterpost or just check out my AO3 bookmarks.

#fic rec #majel reads #supernatural #destiel #star trek #spirk #kirk/spock #captain america #Marvel CMU #stucky #readling list #july #the hobbit #bagginshield

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