#oh the meathead saga

[harmcityherald]

no. I am mid century mfer all the way. I'm staying right here in the manor in 1970 with my wood paneling and matching dinner plates. forever. yes.

[smallish-viking]

Hiccup the Third, King of the Wilderwest - a HTTYD book fanfic

A year after the war, Hiccup struggles with the pressures of kingship.

3000 ish words

Hiccup struggled to focus on the pages in front of him, eyes growing weary of letters, maps. Forcing himself to conjure solutions to problems as old and complicate as the Archipelago itself.

‘Hiccup?’

Camicazi peered around the door of the hut, flooding the room with the golden pink of dusk, her hair illuminated like a halo.

‘You spend so long in here we are beginning to forget what you look like.’

Hiccup looked at her, everything in him was aching to step out those doors and into the light of the evening, but his work tugged at the edges of his mind.

‘The Meathead land claims will be there in the morning. Come on, Hiccup’.

She was right, Hiccup thought. What use was a King who couldn’t think straight? He reached his aching, ink stained hands to his head and carefully lifted the crown and placed it on the table. Despite its weight, the crown fit him better than ever.

Camicazi grinned as he followed her out into the summer evening.

The golden light hit Hiccup like a physical blow. He stretched out his arms like a bird before flight, feeling the sea air flow between his fingers and blow back his hair. He breathed it in, almost desperately, and closed his eyes, relishing this feeling of weightlessness.

On the clifftop sat a small collection of huts, nicknamed ‘King’s Corner’, built flat and squat to survive coastal storms. Some were lined with books for reading or study. Others were used as meeting chambers where the Council of the Wilderwest gathered for discussion and meetings were held with representatives of the tribes. Hiccup had his back to them as he looked out to the sea. The last of the fishing boats were returning now, and their long shadows were etched into the dazzling blue and golden water. It was low tide and a few small figures could be seen setting out nets on the wet sand among the waders and gulls. Some dragons flew overhead with the cormorants, heading home to roost. There were other dragons, too, who scampered through tall grasses which were ablaze with the day’s final effort of sunlight.

Hiccup and Camicazi began to walk along the clifftop together. Wordlessly, Camicazi handed Hiccup his helmet. It was bashed and scratched thing, scarred by a lifetime of adventure. Unlike the Crown it was weightless as it sat upon his red hair. She reached up and adjusted it on Hiccup’s head, moving aside a lock of hair so the Dragon Mark was visible.

‘That’s better.’

‘Thank you, Camicazi,’ said Hiccup, his voice hoarse from hours of silence.

She flashed him a smile. ‘No problem’. Her eyes met his. There was a fierce warmth in her gaze, like a bonfire in winter, but, too soon, it was gone. She ran ahead of him and swiftly performed a few cartwheels on the grass.

‘So’, Hiccup ran up to her, ‘what have I missed?’.

‘Well,’ Camicazi breathed as she sprung upright again. ‘Tuffnut Junior won a friendly axe fight with Dogsbreath the Duhbrain.’

‘Uh huh’.

‘Gobber beat Baggybum in an arm wrestle. So Baggybum stole his trousers and they called it quits’.

‘Right.’

‘And my mother and your father had a bet on who could rustle the most sheep.’

‘And who won?’

‘My mother of course, she’s the undefeated champion! Better luck next time, Hiccup my boy!’

They had reached the tavern. The familiar sounds reached Hiccup from within, the ambient noise of scraping chairs and chinking glass, of dragon shrieks, laughter and fights about to break out. Camicazi went in first, peering around the corner as she did. She held the heavy oak door open for Hiccup and he stepped in. The shutters were open, so the dying light of the day cast golden beams over the Vikings eating and drinking at the tables and illuminated those who talked and swayed at the sides. Hiccup lingered at the back with Camicazi as he watched them.

Even though the tavern was bustling, Stoick looked up when the door opened, face lifting at the sight of his son. With a single motion of his head, he beckoned Hiccup and Camicazi to join them. Stoick the Vast sat among many of the old warriors of the tribes; Valhallarama of the White Arms and Chunky Thighs, Gobber the Belch, Big Boobied Bertha and several others. Hiccup slid down next to Stoick as Camicazi went to join her mother. The impressive stature of his father loomed beside him. Hiccup nestled into his shadow, a wave of comfort coming over him as he slipped into the role of his father’s son, a boy again.

‘How’s it going, Hiccup?’ said Stoick as he clapped Hiccup on the back.

Hiccup let out a heavy sigh. ‘Tiring’.

‘You’re doing a fine job son. A fine job.’

A large tankard of mead slid down the table and came to a stop by Hiccup’s hands, its contents spilling over onto the oak wood table. Gobber flashed a wink in his direction as Hiccup glanced upwards, and he raised the tankard in thanks. The drink was sickly and burned as Hiccup swallowed it but he welcomed the way that it warmed his insides.

Raising a little on the bench, Hiccup peered over the head of his father to scan the faces of those gathered in the tavern. He was looking for someone; a mop of curly chestnut hair, a pair of glasses beside a placid vegetarian dragon. He found him. Fishlegs was sitting in a secluded corner of the tavern, head bowed in conversation with Barbara the Barbarian. Old Wrinkly’s new allergy remedy must be working as Barbara's cat was prowling along his shoulders and, if anything, it looked like Fishlegs was enjoying it as he ran his long musicians fingers through its black fur.

Hiccup smiled to himself and slid back down into his seat. He was there for a while, basking in the conversation of the old warriors. They spoke of old battles won, and lands lost to fire and time. Some were old stories that Hiccup remembered being told when he was a child. They seemed strange to be spoken here, they belonged to a different age, Hiccup thought, the boy he was when he first heard them seemed so far from him now. He felt like an outsider among his company. Marked somehow. Their faces were all brandished with the Dragonmark, scarred and aged by war. They laughed together but there was a shadow of grief in their eyes; everyone had lost something to the dragon flames.

‘Excuse me, King –.’

Hiccup was pulled from his thoughts as a voice from behind him cut through the others. The bench squeaked as he wearily pushed back from the table and stood to face Baggybum.

‘I’ve been talking to Thuggery, fine lad, who says that the Meathead islands to the East that were destroyed last year need to be rebuilt so that they can move back there. I was thinking that we could take some supplies, wood and iron and such, over there on a few ships and help them out. The tricky thing is the lands lie just south of the Winter Wind of Woden -’

A sudden weight dropped in Hiccup’s stomach. A tangled memory arose that was too sharp to touch. He took in a long breath and stared intensely at his uncle, trying to prize himself away from the fogged window to the past. Baggybum had a scar that stretched over his left brow. Hiccup knew it. The Battle of Flashburn’s School of Sword Fighting, the first of many dreadful days.

‘– you see, and Mogadon wanted the village to be positioned on the West side of the island. That way the harbour will -’

The scar was little more than memory, a shallow wound compared to the tear in Baggybum’s heart, the absence where his son had been torn away, first by betrayal, healed, then broken again by flaming arrows and deep water. The hero that never was.

‘- four Hooligan ships should be enough, I think, but we might be able to borrow some Peaceable supplies along the way - ’

The eyes of Baggybum were the same as his son’s. The stormy blues that Hiccup grew up dreading the sight of, and the inevitable onslaught that soon followed. There it was again. The sudden assault of guilt, a raw wound reopened.

‘What do you think, Hiccup?’

He forced his mind to resurface, to the present, to the words of his beloved uncle. What was he saying? Hiccup felt sick.

‘I, um…’

Words clogged in his mouth.

Useless.

His thoughts weighed like rock.

Hiccup the Useless.

Stop it, please.

You aren’t the King that we wanted, but maybe you are the king that we need.

Snotlout appeared in Hiccup’s mind. Not ghostly, through the fog of memory and heartache, but clear, as if he was standing in front of him. Bruised and tear stained, the Black Star glistening on his chest.

‘Don’t you dare lose it. That Star is very important to me.’

There was a hand on his shoulder. Comforting, gentle. Hiccup obeyed its pressure without really thinking about it. Only as he walked blindly through the crowd did he realise that it was his Grandfather who was leading back outside.

The sharp sea wind collided with Hiccup’s body. The tavern doors swung shut. He walked back along the clifftop, followed Old Wrinkly until they came under the shelter of one of the few trees that were scattered among the heath.

‘It’s ok, Hiccup. Breathe. Just breathe.’

Hiccup hadn’t noticed his rugged shallow breaths. His shoulders tense and jaw set. Away from Old Wrinkly, he withdrew, throat and eyes stinging.

‘I – ’

He tried to speak, but the words got caught in his throat. Old Wrinkly reached out, his withered hands held Hiccup’s face, and when Hiccup met his gaze, he saw the pride that glimmered in his tired, bright eyes.

‘Oh Hiccup, my dear boy.’

They drew their arms around each other. It was not a gentle thing, that embrace, Hiccup held onto his grandfather as if he were the only stone structure in a violent storm.

‘This is the hard way,’ said Old Wrinkly after a while, ‘to become a King.’

They broke apart and his hands clasped Hiccup’s arms.

‘You’ve already done what the sagas will sing of. You’ve defeated a great enemy and saved the Barbaric Archipelago.’ Hiccup noticed that in the fading light, Old Wrinkly seemed to blend into the silvery wisps of cloud that blew towards the ocean. ‘Now comes the hard bit. Kings are remembered for the glory of battle, the might of the sword but great leaders, Hiccup, the leaders that are truly revered, are known for the love and devotion that their people show them and the better world that they work together to create.’

‘But that’s exactly it!’ replied Hiccup, ‘everyone is looking at me to be this perfect leader.’ He threw his arms into the air. ‘Not long ago I was Hiccup The Useless, the bottom in every class. Let’s face it I was a rubbish Viking, and now I expected to be this great King. Wherever I turn there are people there expecting me to do the perfect thing. To live up to their hopes.’ His arms came to rest on his head then he dragged them down over his face. ‘We all lost so much in that war, so much, and I’m expected to put it all back the way it was.’

‘The truth is, Hiccup,’ Old Wrinkly took out his pipe and begun to fill it. ‘The world will never be as it was. It grows and evolves like a living thing.’ He lit the pipe and drew in a long breath. ‘It’s your job to be like a father to it, to guide the world, to care for it, and set it off in the right direction.’ And then he smiled. ‘Just like training a dragon. You’ve ventured to the perilous Wild Dragon Cliff and you now have a wriggling and smoking basket under your bed, and the adventure has just begun.’

‘And maybe you can train a dragon better by talking to it then yelling at it,’ followed Hiccup, ‘yes, I remember.’ He laughed wearily. ‘Well, that’s certainly easier said than done. Sometimes yelling does seem to be the only language this lot understand.’

Old Wrinkly let out a smoke filled chuckle. ‘Yes, it has always been the way.’

They stayed there in silence for a while. Old Wrinkly smoked his pipe and Hiccup watched the dragons that scuttled and squabbled along the shoreline.

‘Hiccup!’ There was a shout from behind. Fishlegs and Camicazi were coming towards him, Camicazi struggling to keep up with Fishlegs’ long strides without breaking into a run.

‘That’s where you are!’

Old Wrinkly gave Hiccup a knowing look and patted him on the shoulder before turning and heading back towards the village. He raised his pipe in greeting to the others.

‘I’ll be seeing you tomorrow, Fishlegs.’

‘Yeah, see you then.’

‘What’s happening tomorrow?’ asked Camicazi.

‘Old Wrinkly has been teaching me how to be a healer.’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘I reckon it’s a pretty useful skill to have. It’s been days since I’ve seen you Hiccup

Before Hiccup could reply, Camicazi cut in, ‘that’s because you spend all your time with Barbara the Barbarian.’

Fishlegs blushed a deep crimson.

‘I really think she likes me you know.’

‘I think she does, too,’ said Hiccup. ‘But more importantly I know her father likes you as well, he seemed genuinely impressed with that letter you wrote to her.’

‘Really? How do you know?’

‘I was in a meeting with him last week and he mentioned it. He was saying how he wanted to get rid of the “old fashioned notion” of parents dictating their daughters marriages. He was certainly hairy, but not as scary as I previously thought.’

‘Wow’ Fishlegs swung his arm around Hiccup, then the other around Camicazi as he faced the sea wind. ‘Love. You just can’t beat it.’

Camicazi wriggled out from underneath him. ‘Fishlegs, have you been at Tuffnut Senior’s home brew?’

‘No,’ said Fishlegs indignantly, ‘well, maybe a little, but the point still stands.’

Hiccup laughed and put his arm around Fishlegs. ‘Are you alright, though, Hiccup?’ Fishlegs said as he searched his friend’s face.

‘Yeah, its just this King business.’ He sighed. ‘It really weighs me down sometimes.’ Hiccup was feeling a lot better after his chat with Old Wrinkly. Mad as he is, he is certainly good at giving advice.

‘Hmm... I know what you need.’ Said Camicazi. And then she cupped her hands to her mouth and called out, sharp and piercing. ‘SHADOW!!’

A few moments later, as if Thor himself had chiselled out a part of the sky, the enormous Deadly Shadow dragon burst through the air, turning visible just as they touched onto land. Hiccup and Fishlegs stumbled backwards, but Camicazi, defiant as ever, stood firmly as she stared with glee at the beautiful dragon.

‘Hello there, Shadow,’ said Fishlegs as Innocence went to nuzzle his shoulder. He put his cheek to the side of Innocence’s head and stroked down his neck, now the green of the heathland.

Hiccup’s awe of the Deadly Shadow had never faded, and as he walked around them a swelling of immense gratitude rose within him for this beautiful creature, and for the dragons who flew in flocks overhead, for Stormfly, Wodensfang, The Windwalker and little Toothless. Camicazi reached out her hand for him, he took it and hauled himself onto Shadow’s back.

‘Where to?’ asked Patience.

Hiccup smiled. ‘Upwards.’

Shadow extended their enormous wings, which turned a dusky grey in anticipation for the awaiting sky. Hiccup braced himself and with a jolt, Shadow was off. Up, up, up they soared, wind rushed through his hair and he spread out his arms, tilted up his head, and gazed at the clouds which neared ever closer. Camicazi whooped and punched the air and soon, she too was reaching upwards to catch the clouds above their heads. Fishlegs had his arms around the neck of Patience and was peering round him, looking towards the ground that was disappearing rapidly beneath them.

For how long they remained there, Hiccup could not tell. He forgot all else. His world narrowed to this friends who sat in front of him, the gentle beats of Shadow’s wings, the sea below and the sky above. The air was sweet as he breathed it in. Very sweet. Hang on, is that drinking chocolate? Hiccup spun to look behind him and there, gliding along in the slipstream behind the Deadly Shadow, was the Windwalker!

‘Hello Windwalker!’ Hiccup called, beaming.

The Windwalker loop the looped in excitement and glided to position himself as close as he could to the enormous, sky coloured dragon. With the ease from a childhood on dragon back, Hiccup slid from the Deadly Shadow and onto the back of the Windwalker. And off he flew. Hiccup looked behind him to the others, a shadow of grey was rising in the east as night was beginning to reclaim the earth. Camicazi had positioned herself on Shadow so she was lying on their back, gazing at the sky above and Fishlegs was talking to Arrogance, but Hiccup couldn’t make out the words. He waved to them and they smiled and waved back at him, before the Windwalker climbed further upwards.

There is a moment, when a dragon ascends and soars upwards. When the land falls away and the world stretches wide, nothing but sky and cloud and freedom. It was Hiccup’s favourite time, when anything could happen and nothing yet had. He sat on the back of the Windwalker, and the wild night opened its arms. Tomorrow can wait.

[companion-of-the-dragonmark]

My HTTYD Books Fanfic Ideas

Greetings, my fellow Dragonmarkers! I just wanted to post this for you guys as I tell you what my plans are in regards to fanfics for the HTTYD Book Fandom.

Besides my “A Birthday to Remember” short story which is still in-progress, and the odd one-shot, here are some projects that I’d like to do for 2020-2022:

Companions of the Dragonmark — Platonic Pairings Series

This work, as you already know from a previous post, focuses on platonic pairings in this series. There will be various types, such as human/dragon, human/weapon, human/human, human/pet, etc. Also includes friends, family, mentor/student, and stranger relationships. This will be the main series I will be working on after “A Birthday to Remember”.

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Antagonistic Pairings Series

This work is something that I’ve just recently came up with, which focuses on antagonistic pairings. This can be pairings between hero/villain, villain/villain, villain/antagonist, hero/antagonist, antagonist/antagonist, etc. Pairings can include, Hiccup and Alvin, Snotlout and Thuggory, Alvin and Excellinor, UG the Uglithug and Excellinor, Madguts and Big Bertha, Snotlout and Hiccup, etc.

I’m liking this because nobody really writes fanfics that focuses on antagonistic pairings. Only romantic and platonic pairings.

What do you guys think?

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Wilderwest Whumpfest

This idea was cooked up thanks to recent posts announcing Whumptober 2020. Granted, I don’t plan on doing it for this Fandom, but I do plan on still doing this work — a collection of one-shots focusing on whumping various characters in the series. I’d LOVE to hear what you’d like to see and if this sounds like a great idea. ^_^

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A Tale of Two Swords

This idea has been stewing in the back of mind for about a year now. This is basically a story told from the perspective of Endeavor, the Dragonsword, as he narrates the story and tells us how he came to be and we’ll see his thoughts and perspective not only throughout the lives of Hiccup the First and his line, but also Grimbeard the Ghastly, Hiccup the Second, and Hiccup the Third, and following up all up into the finale of Book 12. Essentially, this IS a Saga. Somewhere along the way, the Stormblade will be introduced and we’ll get into his POV as well once he is born. needless to say that there’ll be a rivalry between the two — though Endeavor just doesn’t care and ignores Stormblade whenever possible. I mean, the Dragonsword is around 1000 years old already, and the Stormblade is acting all macho for a newborn hunk of shiny metal. In Endeavor’s “eyes”, Stormblade be an infant. lol XD

Also, I just REALLY love Endeavor. (I have an old post that talks all about that here.) One of my favorite characters in the series, despite it being a sword and not a human or an animal character. But I can feel him humming with personality... if that makes sense? But I’ve always had a special love for personification. Ever since I was young and studied literature in middle school, personification has always been my most favorite plot device. I can’t really explain why. Maybe it’s because it’s fun? Getting into the minds of inanimate objects, animals, nature, etc and imagining what they would say and act and feel if they could speak and communicate? It’s fun for ME, at least. ^_^

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Exile on Cannibal Isle

This story idea is another one that’s been stewing in my brain for about a year or less, give or take. (I’m quite proud of the title, if I do say so myself. Hehe.) This is basically a what-if scenario, a canon divergence, that focuses on what would happen should Hiccup and the others were exiled the night that they should’ve been. That would’ve been interesting to see. I mean, of course, it would mean that 800+ Hooligans and Meatheads would perish, but such is the life of a Saga character(s). ^_^

Other alternative (and more likely) scenarios could be:

1) Hiccup, Thuggory, and the others still get banished after the demise of the Green Death (because Vikings are jerks).

or 2) Hiccup fails to get Toothless in time so he ends up being the only one in his group to NOT have a dragon, and thus is immediately exiled (in winter, yay).

(If you guys can come up with better scenarios, let me know.)

Now, Cannibal Isle is on the map on the Book of Dragons extra book. You won’t find it anywhere else. (That being said, the Isle DOES get mentioned by Hiccup in the epilogue of Book 4: “How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse”. Only other time.)

Now in Book 1, while they mention that the kids will be exiled on the Mainland, it mentions cannibals. Of course, in Book 8, it mentions that the Vikings of the Western Archipelago hate sailing anywhere near the Eastern side (the Mainland), so it seems contradictory, in my opinion, for them to send the kids there into exile. So when I saw this map, and saw that there was an island called “Cannibal Isle”, it made sense to me. A place where cannibals exist, and it’s close by from the Inner Isles.

What do you think? Should they be exiled on Cannibal Isle or on the Mainland? Which sounds better?

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Thuggory’s Tale

This story idea is yet another one that I’ve been thinking on doing for awhile now. This essentially is Thuggory’s story, and focuses on HIS POV throughout the 12 books — including and especially his views and thoughts concerning Hiccup. I mean, the guy DESERVES to have a book that’s all about HIM, right?! He’s so cool! I’m such a Thuggory fan! I wish I had a brother like him. I envy Hiccup. lol ^_^

The bromance is strong with this one. lol XD

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Quest for Wilderwest — Quest for Camelot AU

This work, as you already know on a previous post, will be a Quest for Camelot AU involving the HTTYD Book characters. Since I’ve already gotten a lot of feedback on this already, I might end up doing this story first as my first multi-chapter story. But we’ll see. ;-)

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Fishlegs’s Impossible Quest 2

This work I just thought up about a month ago. This is what the title says. Fishlegs SECOND Quest! This time, trying to win Barbara’s hand in marriage — much to Hiccup’s ire. (What is with this guy and these Valkyrie princesses?) I’m debating whether Hiccup should tag along, or if he should stay since he IS the KING. Maybe give Fishlegs Camicazi, instead? Along with some warriors from his Tribe, of course. Him being a Chief and all that. Needless to say, Hiccup and Camicazi will NEEEEVER let Fishlegs live this one down, regardless if he succeeds or not.

Speaking of which, SHOULD I have Fishlegs succeed? Or should I let him fail... again? I mean, would Barbara even be interested in a guy who’s allergic to her CAT?!

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The Wilderwest Saga

The title is what it says it is. It’s about the story AFTER the series, that focuses on the reign of King Hiccup the Third and co. and how the Wilderwest came to be, what Hiccup did during his life, his future wife and family, etc. It’ll also focus on the other characters and their lives as well. I’m very excited about this one as well. And I’m sure you are, too.

Maybe I’ll get lucky one day and Cressida Cowell will read it and be like, “Oh, what a great idea! I’ll write a sequel series focusing on Hiccup the Third’s reign and finally bring a conclusion to Hiccazi.” 

I mean, it’s wishful thinking, but a guy can dream, can’t he? lol XD

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Hiccup the First’s Saga

This work will be a Saga focusing on Hiccup the First and his story, from his birth, to the events of the First Dragon War, to him being the First King and the details of his reign, of his conflict against the Romans and the Uglithugs — essentially filling out the blanks in the life of one extraordinary character that most resembles Hiccup the Third.

Hiccup the Second’s Saga

This work will be focusing on Hiccup the Second’s story, and will be the sequel of Grimbeard’s Saga (or Hiccup the First’s Saga). It will focus on his life with the dragons, his reunion with his father, his life at the palace, his adventures, his conflicts with his father and eldest brother... his death (which, even in a saga, was messed up).

Oh, aaaaand I might have him find love as well. Hehe. Because the books never specify how old he was when he died. And if he was a rebel and went to the library, spoke Dragonese, took the Dragonmark, freed the slaves multiple times, I have a feeling that Hiccup might’ve fallen in love with one of these slaves and married her in secret and had a child through her, whose line eventually led to the Druid Guardian.

So, yeah, this Saga’s gonna get messy... and juicy. Hehe. ^_^

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Possible Projects:

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Hiccup the Third’s Saga

This work will be a more realistic version of the HTTYD Book series — similar to what you’d see in a Viking Saga, like those for the other two Hiccups. However, this does not mean that the plot will be seriously changed. It just means that I’ll be getting rid of some of the more... exaggerated and absurd parts of the plot that wouldn’t happen in real life. I’ll also be getting rid of the horned helmets and make the Tribes more Viking-y. And I’ll be adding more historical elements into the story, along with those of the previous two Hiccups.

I’m debating whether to get rid of the Dragonese/talking dragons element to the story (having it like the movie franchise), or if I should keep it. What do you think?

Termagant’s Tale

This work will be a story focusing on Fishlegs’s mother, Termagant. How she grew up, how she lived, how she met and fell in love with Alvin the Fake Fisherman, how she felt when he disappeared and how she gave birth... and how she was forced to get rid of her baby. Every single thing. I’m not sure whether to do this from Termagant’s POV, or if I should do it through the eyes of Arrogance, Patience, and Innocence, her Deadly Shadow, and have it be as if they’re telling Fishlegs the tale of his mother from their eyes. 

What do you think?

Grimbeard the Ghastly’s Saga

This work will be focusing on the life of Grimbeard the Ghastly, from his birth to his death. Every detail will be noted, every story shall be heard, and every scene shall be seen. Even the stories of him that you DO know won’t tell you everything. This Saga will further detail and add on to those stories. Including his marriage to Chinhilda, his war against the Uglithugs, his raiding expeditions, his reign as King, his questionable and outright foolish decisions — the whole shebang!

Disclaimer: While I will try my very best, it is most likely that he won’t be such a nice and relatable character to like.

Modern AU series

This work will a collection of one-shots focusing on the HTTYD Book characters in the modern day. The reason why I have this here, rather than farther up, is because I don’t have many ideas for one-shots in this AU. So I would appreciate any prompts and character choices to help me in this, and maybe I might just get working on this if I end up getting enough.

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Anyway, these are the projects that I hope to do in the next couple of years. (If I’m still alive by then, that is.) These stories will probably take time and I’ll probably be focusing on the top 3 since they’ll be one-shots, basically, so they’ll be easier for me to write. But I will be choosing a multi-chapter story idea and working on it.

While I won’t be working on these quite as much since I have other accounts and other Fandoms that I place higher priorities on, I will be working on these as much as I can, despite my schedule. This Fandom holds a special place in my heart and I want to contribute as much as I can so that fans can continue reading recent fanfics for this precious Fandom. ^_^

So tell me what you think? Any titles that interest you? Let me know either in the comments or reblogs.

[nappainanotherdimension]

{Icon Art by @frauleinpflaume } NAME: Nappa NICKNAME(S). Lord Nappa  (oh Ayeka, you are so polite!), Beef Cake (Nellsa calls him this), Vegeta’s Shadow, and all the others are not flattering descriptions about his lack of hair, muck-ups of his name, or things that insult his intelligence. (Stooge, Meathead, Idiot, etc...) ALIAS(ES). General Nappa, Vegeta’s Parnter, The Alien Invader AGE. 60 during the Saiyan Saga SPECIES. Saiyan GENDER. Male ORIENTATION. Heterosexual and Demisexual INTERESTS. Fighting, Destruction, War, Training, Food and Cooking, Teaching, Gardening, Travel, Exploration, Stargazing, Watching Thunder and Lightning Storms, Self-Improvement, Serving Vegeta (verse dependent), Camping, Survival Challenges, Social Drinking, Comfy Sweaters.

PROFESSION. Formerly the highest ranking General of the Saiyan Army. Prince Vegeta’s Mentor, Bodyguard, and Partner. Mercenary Soldier for the Planet Trade Organization, working for the Frieza Force. Mentor in Conton City (Xenoverse 2 verse) Intergalactic Thrill-Seeking Retiree (in his What if he Lived verse) BODY TYPE. Tall and extremely muscular, long legs, broad shoulders, big EVERYTHING. Him big.  EYES. Black HAIR. Black Mohawk (until he became bald for reasons he will never speak of) SKIN. Light to Medium Tan FACE.  Square shaped, strong jaw, high cheekbones, thin hooked nose, thick eyebrows, wide mouth, thick lips, and a thin mustache.  HEIGHT. 7′5″ to 8′0″ (Some days it’s hard to tell but I lean more towards 7′5″)  COMPANIONS. (From Canon) Vegeta ( @indomitablepride  and @saiyaniisms when they were active), Raditz ( @radmanraditz and @daiikonn ), COMPANIONS. (From Roleplay) Goku/Kakarrot ( @sweetgokuroll ),  Mihoshi Kuramitsu ( @mihoshi-kuramitsu ) Bra Briefs ( @rxyalpxin )    (Friends) Ayeka Masaki Jurai ( @ayekanaru ), Tenchi Masaki ( @asktenchi ), Nellsa ( @krazyokami ), Hercule ( @earthsno1champ ), Abby ( @galactxc )

(Former Crush/Lover) Poharu (it was a brief, one-sided thing on Nappa’s end but it was quite memorable so she’s worth mentioning. Their mun deactivated awhile ago. UNTIL SHE CAME BACK AND THEY HAD A HOT AND HEAVY MAKE OUT SESSION BEFORE GETTING A ROOM.) (Students) Greentail-963 ( @the-green-anon ), Mariko ( @saiyanandproud ), Aaliyah ( @goodxgonexbad ), Zizzi ( @bluemajingirl ),  Eden Rose ( @kaiandmonky) ACQUAINTANCES. (From Roleplay) Eden (@cruciatusxcervus ), Skuld ( @bughammer ), Lily ( @yuriinne ),   Meredith ( @athenafire ), Bulma Briefs ( @cxpsuleprincess ) ANTAGONISTS. (From Canon) Vegeta, Goku/Kakarrot, Piccolo, Frieza, Android 21

ANTAGONISTS. (From Roleplay) Baby ( @revengedeathball ) (Antagonistic Frienemies) Arle  ( @adorablesorcerylittlearle ), Katya ( @data-cat )  

COLORS.  Yellow, Brown, Dark Red, Purple  FRUITS.  All the Citrus fruits are ones he likes best, but he’s not picky.  DRINKS. Water, but will drink anything. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES? HELL YES!  SMOKES?  No, that’s bad for a fighter’s health. He’s gotta keep his body in great shape. (But will eat extra greasy bacon cheeseburgers?) DRUGS? Not intentionally unless they are medically needed. Wait...does caffeine count?  DRIVERS LICENSE ? Nope! 

TAGGED BY: @cruciatusxcervus and @galactxc 

TAGGING: I think I tagged nearly everyone I know with this meme for the above info! Do it if you’d like!

[tigerlover16-uk]

The colouring in the early episodes of the current saga was weird, but dear God I love this scene so much.

It’s just... so charming. Goku casually hanging out at a market place selling his vegetables, and clearly everyone there knows him and his goods are popular. It’s just really nice to see Goku having a life outside of training and fighting villains, and a social circle outside of his family and the Z Fighters. And even shows a bit of subtle character growth, where Goku now seems to take some pride in his farming, whereas early on in Super you get the sense he didn’t really care for it due to his desire to go train instead. Also, he has talents in things that aren’t punching people, for those who want to keep arguing that he’s a clueless meathead.

And oh my God, was him slapping around those car robbers fun. Of all the people in the world they could try to mug, they had to pick Son freaking Goku! This may not be as epic as fighting a super powered lizard man on the surface of an exploding planet, but it’s certainly a delight to watch. Also, nice Raditz reference there with him flicking back that single bullet.

It’s simple scenes like this that Super excels at, and where much of the shows charm can be seen.

[aion-rsa]

Best DC Comics to Binge Read on DC Universe

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With an enormous swath of the world involved in varying degrees of social distancing, many of us suddenly find ourselves with a lot of time on our hands. Never fear! There are more options for streaming comics than ever before, and that means we have access to more of comics history, more hidden gems and epochal runs than ever before. But the variety of options to read can be daunting. That’s why we’ve put together a recommendation list of some of our favorite comics binge reads to help you through quarantine.

DC Universe rolled out in 2017 as the first full-service entertainment streaming platform – old shows, old movies, new shows, new movies, and a huge library of comics. And while a lot of the excitement over the platform has been about that original or new shows (justifiably! Harley Quinn and Doom Patrol are amazing!), it also gave us access to a staggering catalog of old comic books. 

If you’re coming to a comic streaming service like DC Universe, chances are you don’t need us to recommend the hits. Nobody who watches the CW shows needs to be told that Crisis on Infinite Earths is worth reading. Likewise Batman: Year One, or All-Star Superman or The Great Darkness Saga. We’re going to skip over some of the obvious ones and point you towards hidden gems, stories you might have otherwise skipped over but for a trusted recommendation. We are also looking for monster runs that will keep you occupied – you can read six issues in one sitting. Some of these might take you an entire round of social distancing to finish. 

A quick note about the reading guides: Many of them may have their own separate entry under DC Universe’s reading lists – those are helpful, but these are definitive. We will occasionally link to non-Den sources, but if you like what you hear, you should be encouraged to find your own best path. A lot of these stories wend through crossovers that are of varying degrees of relevance to the main books. It’s your call if you want to read the whole thing.

The Death and Return of Superman

The Death of Superman Reading Order

I know I said we wouldn’t talk about obvious must reads, but I feel like The Death of Superman (and it’s aftermath, World Without a Superman, Reign of the Supermen, and Kal-El’s inevitable return) should be on here. They can’t really be recommended enough. 

“The ‘90s” are often maligned as a wave of gimmicks and stunts, and killing the most important comic character in the history of superhero books definitely qualifies as a stunt. But what made The Death of Superman stand out (and several other ‘90s DC events, to be honest) is that it was actually very good. This era of Superman comics is actually a hidden gem – Clark is a joy, and all the weirdness and fun of the Superman universe is in full swing, like Cadmus, Mxyzptlk, and a truly bizarre (but surprisingly good) Justice League roster.

Read more

Movies

Men of Steel: 11 Actors Who Have Played Superman

By Mike Cecchini

TV

How Brandon Routh Returned as Superman for Crisis on Infinite Earths

By Mike Cecchini

The four writers – Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern, and Dan Jurgens – move pretty seamlessly between them on the main Superman books, and the art teams (Jon Bogdanove, Jurgens, Butch Guice, and Tom Grummett especially in the Death story) do amazing jobs of telling the story. Don’t be fooled by how gimmicky this feels, The Death and Return of Superman actually lives up to the hype.

Batman & Robin

Batman & Robin #1-17, Annual #1, Batman #17, Batman & Robin #18-32, Robin Rises: Omega, Batman & Robin #33-37, Robin Rises: Alpha #1, Batman & Robin #38-40, Annual #3

The Pete Tomasi/Patrick Gleason run on Batman and Robin never got the love it should have, because it ran parallel to two of the most high-profile Bat-comics of all time in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman, and the back half of Grant Morrison’s story in Batman Incorporated. But in ten years, people are going to be looking back at this as a classic. 

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Comics

True Detective Creator Outlines What His Version of Batman Would Be Like

By John Saavedra

Movies

The Batman: Release Date, Cast, Villains, and More Details About the DCEU Movie

By Rosie Fletcher and 2 others

This is a controversial claim, but if you read this run, I think it holds up: Pete Tomasi writes the best Damian Wayne. He’s the right mix of arrogant little shit and not-actually-as-competent-as-Batman, and he actually learns lessons in this run that feel earned. He also dies during these stories, and Tomasi gets the chance to explore Bruce’s way of grieving, as well as drop in a series of guest stars that includes the best Two Face story I’ve ever read. Gleason and inker Mick Gray are utterly incredible, and do as much with one sixth-page panels with heavy inks and silhouettes as many art teams do with full page splashes. It’s a great, underrated run that I think you’ll love.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman (2006) #14-44, one story in #600

Oh my goodness Gail Simone’s Wonder Woman is exactly, precisely what I want out of a Wonder Woman comic. To me, Diana’s comics are an exception in that they should be as focused on how to avoid fighting as they are on the action. This run does that perfectly: she isn’t a belligerent meathead looking to stab everything in sight (but she does spend a little time with a neat Conan analogue, while we’re on the subject). She’s truly an agent of peace who then periodically has to kick some ass.

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Movies

Wonder Woman Wasn’t Always Set During World War I

By Kayti Burt

Movies

Wonder Woman 1984: Who Is Maxwell Lord?

By Jim Dandy

The art is really good – Aaron Lopresti and Bernard Chang handle the bulk of it, and the storytelling and pacing are really well handled, but the panel borders stand out as especially interesting and visually entertaining. The guest stars are great – Black Canary brings Diana to Roulette’s fight club for a couple of issues, and there’s a big Power Girl punchup later in the run. This is just excellent, excellent Wonder Woman storytelling.

Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad on Comic Book Herald (end at issue #66)

John Ostrander, Kim Yale, and (mostly) Luke McDonough’s original Suicide Squad is a revelation. The concept is almost overdone at this point, and is a little bit ruined by putting big names like Harley Quinn on the team, but taking a batch of nobody villains and putting them on suicide missions to earn their freedom actually sets serious stakes, and this book does everything it should with those stakes. This is politics and espionage and force projection all wrapped into a story that makes the DC Universe feel more complete. 

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Movies

Suicide Squad 2 Cast, Release Date, News, Story, and More Details

By Mike Cecchini

Movies

The Many Deaths of The Suicide Squad

By Marc Buxton

Beyond the plotting, though, there are so many great characters that come out of these books. Amanda Waller is one of the single best characters in all of DC Comics, and this is the run that made her the badass who can face down Batman in the shower without flinching. Punch and Jewlee are hilarious running gags. Deadshot gets some incredible work. Hell, even Captain Boomerang gets multiple dimensions added to him (without ever losing his core concept: he’s a giant asshole). I promise you, I’m underselling how good this era of Suicide Squad is.

Legion  of Super-Heroes

Legion of Super-Heroes Secret Files & Origins #2; Legion of Super-Heroes (1989) #122-125 alternating issues with Legionnaires (1993) #79-81; Legion Lost (2000) #1-12; Legion Worlds (2001) #1-5, The Legion (2001) #1-26, Legion Secret Files & Origins 3003; The Legion #27-33

If you loved Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s Marvel space work, when you read their Legion of Super-Heroes, you’ll be baffled at how Guardians of the Galaxy ended up on the big screen and not this. 

The Legion of Super-Heroes is generally regarded as…not the most newbie-friendly superhero team in the world. Fair or not, this run of Legion comics is incredibly accessible and does as good a job integrating them into the larger DC Universe as any I’ve read. It’s also exactly like DnA’s Marvel cosmic work, in that it is wonderful space opera that happens to have superheroes. The first batch of stories deals with a wave of catastrophes hitting the galaxy in quick succession. Legion Lost has a group of Legionnaires get thrown outside of the galaxy as they’re trying to fix one of the first catastrophes. Legion Worlds serves as a series of check-ins with popular Legionnaires left behind in the United Planets and is a really effective way to hook you into the 31st century of the DC Universe.

And finally, The Legion is an outstanding team book following all of those. Legion Lost is an unquestionable highlight; Olivier Coipel’s art is incredible, and the story will make you launch your tablet/phone/computer across the room at a couple of twists. This run is incredible comics. 

Justice League International

…you don’t have to read all of this, but if you feel like going for it, do it. You can stop at the red dots, though.

The Bwa-Ha-Ha era is half-superhero comic, half-workplace comedy, the template for greatness to come in Legends of Tomorrow, but a great superhero work in its own right. It’s an era of Justice League that takes itself (and its villains, and its stakes) much less seriously than just about any other era of the last 40 years. If you were raised on the post-Morrison “New Olympus” era of the League, the tone shift might be a little jarring. But that tone shift is part of what makes Keith Giffen, J. M DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire’s run on Justice League special.

There are so many really good characters in this book, but one of the best parts is how much it does for both the League staples like Martian Manhunter and Batman, alongside the…less substantial…characters. Blue and Gold (Beetle and Booster, respectively) got their start here, and that one panel where Batman knocks out Guy Gardner that gets shared around the internet once a year is from this era.

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Comics

Justice League Keeps Building the Wider DC Universe

By Mike Cecchini

Comics

New DC Universe Timeline Revealed

By Mike Cecchini

And besides being great comics, this run is also the favorite Justice League of a disproportionate amount of current comics writers, giving it an outsized influence on not just current books, but the rest of pop culture that superheroes have taken over – Wonder Woman 1984 is probably going to owe a HUGE debt to the Max Lord created by Giffen, DeMatteis, and Maguire.

Deathstroke

Deathstroke: Rebirth #1; Deathstroke (2016) #1-18; Titans (2016) #11; Teen Titans (2016) #8, Deathstroke #19-20, Teen Titans Annual #1, Deathstroke #21-42 (and when they go up, read The Lazarus Contract crossover and through issue #50 of the main series)

Priest’s Deathstroke is the best book that came out of DC Rebirth. Under normal circumstances, Slade Wilson sucks. He too often falls into a murder daddy archetype, a super cool anti-hero who goes big on the violence and the dysfunction as background statuses, and not as relevant parts of his story. Priest turned all that on its head and turned in a 50 issue run (plus a couple of specials, annuals and crossovers) that was about a father who loved his kids and didn’t know how to tell them, who also happened to be a top shelf mercenary and supervillain. 

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Movies

Deathstroke Solo Movie Details Revealed by Gareth Evans

By Kirsten Howard

TV

Deathstroke: The Most Versatile Villain in the DC Universe

By Marc Buxton

That’s not to say there isn’t some super cool ass-whipping in it. Batman and Damian Wayne are recurring characters, as Priest sets up a mystery that might undo Damian as a character and gives more depth to Deathstroke’s issues with the Teen Titans. There’s an entire arc dedicated to him fighting various aspects of his own personality, personified in other villains from the rest of the DCU.

And it’s all so clearly and aggressively Priest – it has all the same style as his iconic Black Panther run, but with different storytelling to fit Slade’s tale. This is one of my favorite comics from recent years. 

Starman

Starman Reading Order on ComicsBackIssues

For about three quarters of my entire life, DC had an absolute stranglehold on legacy in superhero comics. The entire DC Universe was littered with stories about someone new picking up an old cowl and an old title and having to grow into that role, whether it’s Jason Todd as Robin, Wally West as Flash, Dick Grayson as Batman, Kyle Rayner, Connor Hawke, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown. The list is nearly endless. The thing is, it’s a really good story archetype and an excellent use of shared universe superhero trappings to give heft and depth to stories that are otherwise not really allowed growth. 

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TV

DC’s Stargirl Reveals Justice Society of America and Villains

By Mike Cecchini

Comics

Inside the Return of the Justice Society of America to the DC Universe

By Mike Cecchini

No comics did it better than James Robinson and Tony Harris’ Starman. It tells us the story of Jack Knight, the extremely Gen X son of golden age Starman Ted Knight. Ted is retired and passed his cosmic rod onto his son David, who gets murdered at the end of the first issue. It’s a hit on Ted’s whole family by one of his old villains, and Jack has to take up the rod to survive. Then he gets thrown into the mythology of the DC universe explained through the Starman legacy. It’s beautiful, fun, sad, meaningful, and heartfelt, and I bet you $1 that you cry at least once. 

The Question

The Question (1986) #1-15, Detective Comics Annual 1988 , Green Arrow Annual 1988 , The Question Annual #1, The Question #16-24, Annual #2, #25-36

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Comics

The Question Bounces Through Time In New DC Series

By Jim Dandy

Everyone jokes about how much of scenic Gotham City is abandoned amusement parks and chemical plants, but Gotham City is a family-friendly resort compared to the Hub City of Dennis O’Neill and Denys Cowan’s The Question. “Atmospheric” doesn’t even begin to describe this run.

It takes The Question, a character created by Steve Ditko, co-opted and pastiched as Rorschach by Alan More and Dave Gibbons in Watchmen, and introduced him to the DC Universe proper by putting Vic Sage through a spiritual ringer. Everything about this book is incredible – Vic is a terrific character; his supporting cast is thoroughly real; the book ties into the greater DC Universe really well (via Richard Dragon, Lady Shiva, and the annual crossover in the middle with Batman and Green Arrow).

But the real star here is Hub City, a love letter that’s also hate mail to mid-80s urban blight as scenery. And Cowan and inker Malcolm Jones III’s art – it’s tremendous.

Orion

Orion (2000) #1-25

I’ve been a fan of Walt Simonson’s Thor since I first read it, because it’s obviously incredible. But I didn’t realize until Thor: Ragnarok and DC Universe came out that Simonson might be the best comic creator to follow up on Jack Kirby’s ideas of all time, and it was Orion that really did it for me.

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Simonson puts Orion, son of Darkseid raised on New Genesis by Highfather as part of the peace treaty between the two factions of New Gods, on his prophesied track to kill Darkseid, and finishes it pretty early on. The fifth issue is just Simonson drawing a huge blowout fight between the two, and it’s predictably gorgeous. But he sticks with the story past that battle and digs deep into Orion’s character, the mythology of the New Gods, and some of Kirby’s best creations (the Newsboy Legion has a running subplot and it’s awesome). It also has backups from some of the biggest superstars in comics (Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons, among others). This is a hefty run of comics, but you won’t be able to put it down.

The post Best DC Comics to Binge Read on DC Universe appeared first on Den of Geek.

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