But, yes. For my 20th fic, I wanted to do something simpler than my 10th fanfic celebration fic (considering there was a 3 week space between my 10th and 20th fic XD) and I decided I was going to pay tribute to the stories that I love the most from the site, in a place people could see it easily! :D
So, here we go! 20 fics that were landmarks for me, giving me inspiration, moving me, causing me to think, laugh, cry, smile, bite my nails, and relax. And despite the fact that 90% of my stories are in one section (Super Smash Bros) there will be a wide myraid of sections. :D
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20. Restraints by Hardly Loquacious
Section: The Mentalist
Genre: Romance, Humor
Rating: TV 14- Some Violence, Mild Sexual Situations, Sensuality, and some language
Type: Full Story
Status: Finished, Seven Chapters, 37,000 Words
Finished: June 8, 2011
Starring Characters: Patrick Jane, Teresa Lisbon
Description: After the fall of Red John, legendarily cognative detective Patrick Jane works to reconstruct his life and sort through his emotions and eventual feelings for his partner as he works his way back into a normal life without a revenge focus.
Review: Let's face it- even in adult shows, there's still pairings and characters that you ship for. One of the most noteworthy is CBS' The Mentalist and its most implied pairing, breezy wiseguy detective with talented people reading skills Patrick Jane and loyal if not tense partner Teresa Lisbon. This is pretty tricky territory to be taken in seriously in- you have to do a damn good job to nail a more sophisticated pairing without looking like just a passionate fan, especially in a media where their characters are extremely, extremely defined. And you have to hand it to Hardly Loquacious, who did a good job at keeping it fresh, but most importantly, keeping it true to the show's elements.
Watching Jane put the pieces of his life together after the one thing he had spent many years of his life trying to do- kill Red John, who killed his family- was done by Lisbon- is an interesting twist considering that without Red John to hunt, Jane has set up no purpose for himself, and since he was not the one to perform the deed, it's almost a twisted insult to injury. This is a clever setup that was a brilliant brainblast from a very cognative author.
But let the premise not fool you- the story is incredibly fluffy. And when you can take a story that seems a setup for angst, make it fluffy, but make it believable, hats off to you.
"Patrick Jane wasn't most people.
He knew that Mr. Overly Safe wasn't what she really needed. He knew it.
But he wasn't quite sure she did. Not anymore.
And now, as a result, he had a fuming Teresa Lisbon sitting in the passenger seat of his car.
Oh yeah, and she was handcuffed.
He may have panicked, just a little."
Rarely is it that you will find characterization so spot on, especially since in this case there's such a high risk and so little excuse to get it wrong. Everything Jane does, everything Lisbon does, every reaction, every interaction is one hundred percent in character. The dialogue, the internal thoughts, the narration (which often comes from a technical third person but sounds very first person- you'd have to see it for yourself, but it certainly works)every word typed is worth reading, funny, intelligent, exactly what needs to have been said in that situation, romantic- it's exactly what it needs and tries to be. And that's a feat. I guess if you're loquacious as an author, you have to make every word count, and there is hardly a flaw in it.
Overall, in a story that could technically be seen as a series conclusion, Hardly Loquacious makes a story that hits all the right notes.
19. Caballero Negro by Soundwave0107
Section: Super Smash Bros- Melee
Genre: Adventure, Romance
Rating: Teen- some language, violence, and suggested nudity
Type: Short Story
Status: Finished, Three Chapters, 16,000 Words
Finished: February 27, 2011
Starring Characters: Meta Knight, Helen (not an OC), Luigi
Description: Turning the archetype of the knight saving the damsel on its head, Meta Knight, a small, courageous and mysterious deep-voiced knight leads a lost woman to the Temples of Altea, through lands of monsters, harsh nature, and crazy people.
Review: The only, only thing keeping this story from going higher is the unfortunate fact that this story was technically incomplete and rushed in order to meet a deadline and that hasn't yet been rectified- if he has the intent to. But let that not deter you- Caballero Negro is an engrossing, entertaining fic with a subtle, welcome dose of humor and lightness but still weighed down enough to take it seriously.
' "But, surely you need rest as well." Helen replied quickly, slightly worried now, her gaze growing concerned. Didn't all creatures need some kind of rest? What if her escort got too tired and couldn't-
As though her worries were of absolutely no concern to him, the knight sniggered softly, and gestured for the woman to lie down and prepare for sleep as he said: "Have no fear, Lady Helen. A popular rumour among my enemies is that Meta Knight does not sleep; he only waits."
Another short laugh from the knight, as Helen, still unsure, but allowing herself a smile, lay down upon the dusty ground, arranging herself comfortably as she could, and replied: "If you say so, good warrior... I'll see you tomorrow..." '
When most people think of knights, they don't oft think of a small blue sphere with a metal mask hiding all but their large glowing eyes escorting a tall, lively green-haired woman, but that's what makes it work. Soundwave also finds ways to dig into the character to bring out enough extra personality to keep us entertained without going out of character. Meta Knight has a few smooth, humorous lines ("I simply prefer to remain in the present. Such as now. Kindly duck.") and Helen isn't a helpless, dainty woman. As is true with the tradition of knights' tales, Meta is the one that shines, but don't worry- the clever ending brings in the female empowerment.
I think that my favorite element in this story is that this is a romance story, but not only is there romance, there's chemistry. Ofttimes when people write romance stories, they never actually dwell on their building relationship, just the fact that they love each other, whether in secret, unbeknownst to each other, or just flat out already are in a relationship. Here, Soundwave masters the development between the two- it's funny, cute, has some sort of tension, it's frisky, occasionally flirty, but is by no means fluffy. Accredit one more point to Soundwave's balance.
Overall, despite its flaw, it is still a much worthwhile story well worth the read, especially for those who look for ingenuity in the typical stories while still staying true to them.
18. The Bruiselike Couple by Foxpilot
Section: Super Smash Bros- Melee
Genre: Humor, Drama, Romance...?
Rating: 7+- some slight, slight innuendo and confounding elements.
Type: Two Shot
Status: Finished, 7,000 Words
Finished: March 20, 2010
Starring Characters: Ganondorf, Pikmin, Olimar, Wolf
Description: The first place entry to Pikana's "Unique Pairings Contest" stars Ganondorf must figure out what to do when he falls in love with Olimar's... Pikmin...
Review: As humble a guy as Foxpilot is, you have to admit that he has big, brass balls. For his first site fic, he enters (and wins) Pikana's Unique Pairings contest- a contest that usually evokes pairings of Kirby and Pikachu, Fox and Peach, Lucario and... everyone who ISN'T Lucario, but Fox decides to go with the most outlandish, extremely crazy pairing you could think of, ever- Ganondorf, and Olimar's Pikmin.
Just... let it sink in. The most wicked villain in Nintendo's history, and walking flowers that go up to his toe. By all means, there's no way in hell that this should work. And yet, somehow, it does.
"Your eyes seem to pierce my soul, their very essence embracing me.
Your skin reminds me of clear, pure water, such a rare commodity where I'm from
That I've learned to treasure it unendingly.
The petals of your flowers are soft and tender, and I am soothed by your joyous hum.
For so long I've wanted to express my feelings for you.
It is only as I write this crap that I realize you can't read!"
Perhaps it is Foxpilot's writing style itself- he gives the crazy fic that looks like a crackfic on first sight a balance to it. There's well done humor and drama in rationed amounts so that one never overwhelms the other. This does blur the lines of what you feel like you should laugh at and what you should empathize it, but I can't tell if that's as bad as I thought at first. It gives it an air of mystery.
Not only does Foxpilot not ram the story into any extremes, but he also subtly shows the intelligence behind a GanonxPikmin story- with such a drive to lead, the idea of a harem of Pikmin is alluring to the aspiring dark king, an intelligent move on Foxpilot's part.
As a bonus, there's a downright brilliant, albeit explicit crackfic based off of this story by Kattheamazing that's sure to make you laugh. But the original is definitely an achievement- it defies your expectations by taking an outlandish idea and making it more tangible.
17. Amazing Race-Dreamland by Inspector Brown
Section: Misc. TV Shows
Genre: Reality TV Game Show
Rating: 7+- a mostly clean story, with occasional censored language and intense scenes.
Type: TV Show Format
Status: Finished, Thirteen Episodes, 112,000 Words
Latest Update: October 24, 2006
Starring Characters: An assortment of fan-picked characters and OCs from various forms of media, including King of the Hill, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Incredibles and Back to the Future. See first page for full list.
Description: In a fictional world based off of your wildest imaginations, several fictional characters race through unimaginable, incredible obstacles for a fictional million dollars in The Amazing Race: Dreamland!
Review: This is perhaps the most detailed, thought out and incredible reality TV show reconstruction you'll ever see. If you're a fan of The Amazing Race like I am, this will sate your between season-induced appetite. Fans and friends of the author, Inspector Brown, sponsored their own characters, whether original fanfiction characters or already existing, to run through his version of the Amazing Race. But this is no ordinary Amazing Race- with fictional characters, you need a fictional world. And that is what makes this fic remarkable.
"You know," Klaus said, "I've studied a thousand or so maps and atlases, and never have I found such strange nations as the ones in Dreamland. I heard rumors that in Dreamland, there's a place that looks like an 1876 western town, but was actually built in 2004! Of course, these are just rumors, and not fact, but still…"
Every kind of fantastical, out there childhood storybook or video game-esque idea or world you could think of is here. A land inhabited by animals, a mall that houses an entire city, a leg through a suburban giantess mother's house, Inspector Brown acknowledges that the possibilities are endless and therefore he does not let the ideas stop. And it's a mesmerizing read.
But in order to make a reality TV game fic great, you have to tend to the game side of the story itself. He also does a great job at that. With the jittery, edge-of-your-seat race feel that the actual show trademarked, the defining of the teams' personalities, the tasks, the pacing, the attention to the actual rules of the show, it's all there, as if he were writing a season for the actual show. Another remarkable feat.
If you're ever curious for a fantastical, one-of-a-kind experience, there truly is no story like this one- fun, creative, thrilling and true to its source. The only true shame is that Inspector Brown hasn't written since 2006.
16. View of the Sapphire Sea by GenericDude
Section: Kirby
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Rating: 10+ For thematics and thoughts about death
Type: Oneshot, 3200 Words
Status: Finished
Completed: March 27, 2011
Starring Characters: Meta Knight, Tiff
Description: An insomnia ridden Meta Knight seeks solace during the night at his favourite location, when a certain girl appears to offer her comfort.
Review: I had first heard of GenericDude when I first started out reading in the Advance Wars section, back when Fanfiction was classified as a guilty pleasure for me. He had created a romantic fic called Black Coffee which was in and of itself a big influence in my future career, especially in Paradigms. However, as lovely as the story was it did have its flaws, and so probably would be just inside my top 30. But it did inspire me to look through more of his work.
I've never been big into the Kirby series, but I like Meta Knight, so I figured this was worth a try, and it exceeded expectations. I was immediately drawn into the universe and the setting, the use of insomnia to add to the feel.
Trying to get into the enigmatic Meta Knight's psyche is something many fanfictions about him try to do, but this one does it best by far. When you make a character feel ways he rarely is shown feeling, that's a lot of risk, but it came up with a lot of reward. GenericDude manages to put Meta Knight through many very atypical scenes for his character- his vulnerability, his sadness and his love- and make it wholly believable, and that in itself is a remarkable trait.
. "Every year that goes by, trying to meet these demands...I can't keep going. I'm slowly but surely decaying every year...and because of my insomnia, I've found myself being confronted by the big question in life...when am I going to die?"
And Tiff is certainly no throwaway character, for sure. Her upbeat, optimistic views provide the perfect conversant for Meta Knight in this story- opposites attract, as they say. The relationship is believable, and the ending scene is about as good as it gets.
As aforementioned- out of all the Nintendo series, I know probably the least about Kirby, yet I knew GenericDude did a great job. He took risks, and it led to a remarkable story by a very Original Dude.
15. Wounded by PitFTW
Section: Super Smash Bros
Genre: War, Angst, Comfort, Alternate Universe
Rating: Teen for violence, language and emotionally painful scenes.
Type: Full Length Story
Status: Four Chapters In
Last Updated: March 5, 2011
Starring Characters: Link, Mario, Zelda, Ike, Pit
Description: The story takes place in a war zone- our favorite Nintendo characters against the alloys. A look mostly outside the battlefield on the effects of war and death on the soldiers of the war.
Review: PitFTW is probably one of the most legendary authors of the Smash Brothers Section. More than 80 different people have favorited her works all over the sites, and her stories usually have a lot of people flocking to them with rave reviews. For good reason- she's an incredible author. All around, her work is solid, intelligent and remarkable.
Wounded sticks with me because of the frank, painful look it takes on war. You don't see many anti-war stories taking place in a war- at least I don't, but she accomplishes it with raw emotions, deft writing, and immersing detail of the psyche of the soldiers and the events. What is probably the most remarkable part is that she does not preach in the story- she lets the events speak for themselves. And it's truly haunting.
"I used to read about how people would look like they were sleeping peacefully when they died.
Today, I learned that in reality, they don't look like they're sleeping.
They just look dead."
Truly not an easy read- a lot of parts are hard to stomach. But if you are brave, your reward will be great. Wounded is the kind of story that leads by example, and you are drawn to follow.
Unfortunately, work has been delayed for four months, but hopefully with some projects nearly out of the way she will resume work on her brilliant fic.
14. Second Chance by Skullfox
Section: Star Fox
Genre: Psych Thriller, Time Travel, Action, Romance
Rating: Older Teen for violence, language, death thematics, sexual references and nudity.
Type: Full Length Story
Status: Twentyfour Chapters In, 150,000 words
Last Updated: May 21, 2011
Starring Characters: Fox McCloud, Krystal, James, Katt, Fara, Falco, Vivy, Cerinian OC Mahlay
Description: After the entirety of the Star Fox crew meets their death, Fox McCloud immediately awakens in his teen years through a force unknown to him. Determined to correct his mistakes of his past life, prevent the deaths of those close to him and find his true love again, whatever it may take. However, he will learn that fate and time is a tricky thing to mess with...
Review: This is perhaps the most recent entry to my list. After a bored afternoon I decided to look through my friends' favorite lists, and found this and started marathoning it through the next week, and I'm almost finished with what is up so far. And truly, it's remarkable.
The idea of time travel isn't a new topic, but the idea of living your life over again is a pretty fresh take, and Skullfox doesn't squander the potential. He creates an enigmatic story of Fox, a forty year old in his teenage body, trying to make sense of his life after he is forced to start most of it over again after his untimely death. His emotions and pain are detailed, but most notably his undying, unshakable determination to fix all that went wrong in his life. The day he wakes up, he saves his mother from certain death from Andross' bomb.
And although it is slow to build up, every moment counts in this story. Fox learns more about the temperamental tapestry that is time and life, and the story creates a literal alternate universe, where things start to change- with him, those he loves, and the course of his life. The story periodically switches to Krystal's home planet, where a force of evil starts to grow in a young male whose mind starts to corrode under the control of a mystical object, and although it's confusing at the time, it starts to all add together in an intense mid-story climax.
-"Fate
The most laughable concept in history, or something we could never hope to understand? The ideas of fate and destiny have been alive since time itself. People will bend to believe that they are drawn into their decisions by the hand of God or some other unseen force…in this most of them simply try to deal, by blaming these forces for their own mistakes. Perhaps fate does exist, and perhaps it does not, but in the end we only have ourselves to blame..."
There are some problems- the story has the tendency to jump through the progression of time almost randomly, making it hard to follow, and there are some confusing points, but the positives outweigh the negatives, especially later in the story as Skullfox's writing skills increase. It's a long read, but well worth it.
13. Error Code 39 by Kattheamazing
Section: Super Smash Bros
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Zombie/Possession, Adventure
Rating: Teen for some graphic scenes, language, and intense moments
Type: Full Length Story
Status: Complete, 25 Chapters, 70,000 Words
Finished: January 8, 2011
Starring Characters: All the characters get a sizable role, but perhaps the most prominent is Lucas and Master Hand.
Description: When a deadly, insanity-inducing virus rapidly spreads through the mansion, an all-out war is induced to fight off the virus, and the friends that are possessed it that are attempting to kill the healthy. Who will be infected, and who will remain sane long enough to fight the oncoming nightmare?
Review: This is perhaps the fastest I have ever read a full fic- all 70,000 words were knocked out in about two hours, I was so addicted to this story. And with good reason- Kattheamazing has created a fast-paced, heart pounding, intense, immersing story that rivals many zombie flicks.
The premise is simple- one smasher catches a horrendous virus that drives one mad, into a zombie-like state, and the mansion and all its inhabitants are thrust into a life-or-death Humans vs Zombies story. Simple, basic fare, really. But pulled off with expert precision by Kat.
"An unbearable sick feeling tethered him down. It crushed his lungs, so that every sharp breath he drew in was agony. It caused his stomach to churn, the air around him to freeze, and dizziness to seep into his mind.
I'm going to die."
The story is excellently paced- even though it goes by like a flash, things are slowly revealed. But what will really get you is the amount of action, and the excellence of the action scenes. Let's be honest- usually when you're reading a story you skim the action scenes. However, Kat has accomplished the rare feat of making action scenes not only readable, but enthralling. Damn the fact I'm reading it from a phone, I was on the edge of my seat throughout most of it, tapping my foot and incurring odd glances from the 'rents. I think we were even watching some sort of action show, and all I could focus on was Error Code.
The only weakness mentionable is that while character development is present, it could be increased a tad bit more. But, in reality, this story has a lot more character than most monster flicks, and with vivid, gripping action to boot, Error Code is a worthy, excellent homage to horror thrillers that is actually better than most of them.
12. Fluff and Circumstance or All By Spontaneity by Ze Dybbuk
Section: Super Smash Bros
Genre: Crack Humor, Romance
Rating: Older Teen for some pretty nauseating detail, crude language, potentially offensive humor and innuendo
Type: Short Story
Status: Complete, 5 Chapters, 25,000 Words
Finished: December 6, 2010
Starring Characters: Pit, Ike, Samus, Pikachu, Link
Description: In the sequel to Fluff and Circumstance: The Cult of Ario, the uncouth, deadpan Ike 'Fatty' Greil is thrown into a quandary by his criminally insane metaphorical tumor of a 'friend,' Pit, when he declares to him his love for she-devil Samus Aran, and dragged on a madcap adventure to help him get the girl, and get off his back.
Review: When you finish reading All By Spontaneity, a critically beloved crackfic by the slightly insane Ze Dybbuk, you will feel many things. Among them would be nauseated, confounded, and a pain in your throat from all the raw laughter. Ze Dybbuk pulls no punches with her (right? her?) zany crackfic, or, a humorous fic with many unrealistic and random elements. You will get many icky details about what a slob Ike is or what a psycho Pit is, but you accept it and laugh because of it.
' "Fatty!" Pit barked, snapping his fingers and gesturing for Ike to get his bum ass off their nasty couch. "You're gonna help me with somethin', mmkay?"
Ike swatted a rogue Cheetoh off his knee. With the level of dignity that can only follow an action such as this, he replied, "No." '
It's not driven by gross humor alone- the real star is the priceless dialogue between the frankly patronizing Pit and the pissed-off get-the-hell-away-from-me Ike, and the "I'm-almost-breaking-the-fourth-wall-but-not-quite," sarcastic and witty narration of Dybbuk herself. (Watch- I could be completely wrong about the genre and look like a fool. Where did I read her gender again? o.o)
Overall, the bottom line is- the story has priceless, indescribable, signature humor in a style that is entirely traceable to none other than its author. You will laugh your ass off. No other way to put it.
11. Royal Survivor: Stars by Mindblower
Section: Mario
Genre: Reality TV Game Show
Rating: 7+- a mostly clean story, with occasional censored language and intense scenes.
Type: TV Show Format
Status: Twelve Episodes In, 95,000 Words
Latest Update: April 23, 2011
Starring Characters: An assortment of the most famous Mario series characters, including two OCs as reps of two Koopa Species.
Description: In an original remastering of the Survivor system, Mindblower creates a game show for the most famous characters of the Mario series.
Review: 99% of the time, if you see a reality TV show based fic... it sucks. Sorry, but usually it does, and at the best is forgettable. With the exception of the above mentioned Amazing Race: Dreamland, though, this is perhaps the most intelligent, most realistic and enjoyable without being a guilty pleasure.
There are two things that make this a great experience. One is that everyone is IN CHARACTER, with one exception. (The one exception is huge, noticable, but intended, so it passes.) You don't have blatant overreactions and using Mario characters as vessels for your own stereotypes, you have the actual characters, and that's pretty much an auto-win for me. In fact, the characters are very enjoyable- her OC Bro Mamma, my pick to win, is a ton of fun to read about and frankly should get her own fic. Mindblower even explores and fleshes out what is already there- the intelligent Bowser is more IC, in my opinion, than typical fanfics and is pretty much the archetype I imagined him to be/ plan to base him off of in upcoming fics.
Jeff met the Hero tribe on the dark side of the island. He handed each member a torch. "Fire represents life. If your torch goes out, so do you.
"Each of you will write a name down on a peace of paper, the name of the person you want most to go home. This person does not have to be the weakest. Keep in mind, throughout the game, that there can only be one Royal Survivor."
The second thing that makes this successful is that Mindblower creates an original Survivor system, called Royal Survivor, hence the name. Whilst Inspector Brown created an unique world, Mindblower creates original rules, almost entirely dissimilar to Survivor but feels entirely like a Survivor fic anyways. I can't name all the changes (the first chapter has a good introduction), but the most notable include coin challenges, regular auctions, and all three teams living on the same island and therefore interacting.
Perhaps the strongest point, however, is that Mindblower takes full advantage of being in control of the show (something that, presumably, reality TV shows are not) and therefore creates great scenes, moments, twists, ideas, interactions and other such things, making sure that you stay tuned for the next chapter.
Overall, a story that breaks the trend of bad Survivor stories and creates a stakehold and sets an example for its successors.
Well, there's part one of two- I have some other projects I must work on so I shall finish this by next week with the top ten, which, incredibly, are better than the greatness already up here. Hope you enjoyed and get some good reading material for those rainy days!
MoD
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