The Dark Side Of The Soul (Part 1)

Hey guys!

I decided to make a list of my favorite books and series, just for future referance I guess. I will be adding onto this list in the tag #rems fav books

Also also, I’m gonna start talkin about books a lot more because people in the real world get annoyed when I do and :) i can just block you :) so that’ll be under #remi reads or #remi reviews

I would say these have an order, but they really don’t

- The Ladies Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Makenzi Lee

- The Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin

- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

- The Shades of Magic series, by V. E. Schwab

- You Asked for Perfect, by Laura Silverman

- The Martian, by Andy Weir

- Bag of Bones, by Stephen King

- Elevation, by Stephen King

And for nostalgic reasons,

- Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling

- A Tale Dark and Grimm, by Adam Gildwitz

- The Owl Keeper, by Christine Brodien-Jones

a puppy with a puppy

This is how all politicians behave, it’s just now people saw what they were saying. Keep up the fight!

the real reason they gave darth vader a voice modulator is bc baby girl constantly sounds like he’s on the verge of tears

A few Wangxian Fic Recs

I've been reading some good Wangxian stories lately; here are some fic recs for y'all.

Unstrictly Ballroom by Ariaste - Emotional story of pining and heartbreak with a backdrop of ballroom dance.

Straight Boy Wei Ying universe by raitala - Sweet, angsty story featuring ‘straight’ Wei Ying, pining Lan Zhan.

speeding up my heartbeat by plonk - Loved the characterization in this hilarious story of Wei Ying and Lan Zhan meeting at the gym. Gay AF.

The Arrangement by WriterGirlAR - Lan Zhan arranges to marry Wei Ying, and they fall in love.

mountains, we met by fruitys - A sweet, emotionally intense thriller where Wei Ying poses as a servant to help Meng Yao bilk Lan Zhan out of his inheritance.

The rest of my WangXian fic recs can be found here.

My GGDD fic recs can be found here.

Do you have a list of favorite zosan fics? Sorry if someone's asked this before x.x

Hooo boy, this is going to be challenging because there's simply a lot of fics that I like and it's kind of all over the place depending on my mood, but I'm going to make a general list of some of my favorites and a short summary of why I like them.

This is going to be a little long so I'm going to put them under read more!

Sketches of Life (and Love) by Fledgling — An exploration of a headcanon where Sanji likes to draw in his free time. This fic always leaves me with a warm feeling every time I read it because how endearingly sweet it is. It's basically a domestic fluff story about both ZoSan and the Strawhats crew in general.

green with envy blues by adietxt — A cute fic about Zoro being jealous. Jealous!Zoro has been one of those tropes that make me screech like a feral animal every time I come across it and this fic does exactly that. It's pretty short and simple but it captures the characters very well. It's set during pre-timeskip which makes it even better to me because pre-TS Zoro possesses that boyish quality that post-TS Zoro doesn’t necessarily have anymore. 

Old Men Blues by postmoderne — Quoting directly from the fic's summary, “Sanji and Zoro: two ancient fucks (in love).” because this is exactly that, a story about old men ZoSan. Old Zoro and old Sanji are both still as stubborn as ever and it's endearing.

Meet me under the orange tree by candelina — A canon divergence AU where Zoro and Sanji met as kids, as Zeff opened up Baratie in Zoro's hometown. It's an adorable and heartwarming story of little Zoro and little Sanji's friendship. There's also a part two which is also worth reading.

Other fics from candelina: The whole world will know, another fic about old men ZoSan, this one involves Zoro deliberately showing himself to the Marines for god knows what. It's sweet, it's beautiful, and it shows that Zoro is as reckless and idiotic as he is a loving, devoted husband.

Zoro's Boyfriend, Who Lives In Canada by donutsandcoffee — Modern AU, where Zoro's friends try to stop him from believing that his imaginary, totally made-up boyfriend actually exists. Of course Zoro's boyfriend doesn't actually exist, because with the way Zoro describes him he's way too perfect to exist and how can anyone so perfect actually exist? A hilarious story of misunderstandings. 

Other fics from donutsandcoffee: My other favorite stories would be Prison Blues and it’s a long way forward, which serve as both a ZoSan story and a great Sanji character study. 

The Three of Swords by 8ball — A medieval AU with knight Zoro and prince Sanji, a concept that starts to really grow on me after I begin to read this fic. In this story, Zoro is a cursed knight appointed to serve Sanji, a deeply kind-hearted prince whom Zoro eventually pines over. It's a beautiful take of prince and knight AU; devoted knight Zoro is something that I didn't know I need. It also has a sequel. 

Steady, As She Goes by auspizien — I've always loved auspizien's fics and this is the one fic that made me fall in love with their writing. This is a modern AU story where Zoro is an ex-agent with PTSD who meets and befriends Sanji, a paramedic. It's a multi-chapter fic filled with humor, angst, pining, action, and good ol’ slow-burn. 

The Tribulations of Tempation by SweetyGreeny — Zoro accidentally sees Ace and Sanji doing... the do, and then spends days after that feeling shocked, confused, angry, and disappointed.  A simply delicious story of pining and jealous Zoro. There's a slight AceSan in the beginning but the endgame is still ZoSan.  

Other fics from SweetyGreeny: A Siren's Sinking Song, a canon-divergent AU where Sanji is a siren who one day meets a peculiar swordsman from a wandering ship; this story is beautiful and I love the idea of siren!Sanji, but please note the major character death TW. The Burden of Blondes, Sanji finds out that Zoro has a thing for blondes, and for some reason he feels uneasy. A fun story with some good smut. 

(I Want) Someone to Love Me by three_days_late — Sanji is about to turn 17, so he hopes that he can get his first kiss before that. A cute high school AU that involves everyone wanting to kiss Sanji (honestly, who doesn't) but only one person gets to actually do it. 

Other fics from three_days_late: Blood Red - this might be a little biased because this fic is inspired by my comic, but that's also a perfectly good reason why I must add it here; this fic is able to capture the spirit of the comic perfectly. If you want to read a short exposition of Zoro showing his protective side, then this fic is worth the read. The Christmas Swap, a modern AU in which Sanji and Reiju switch partners during Christmas so they can attend their family gathering without having to come out as queer. It’s a wonderful story about family, relationships, and what it feels like to be closeted. The Only Way Out (Is Through), a beautiful Prince Sanji and Knight Zoro story, where circumstances forced them to be unable to be together - and it also has a side Nami/Vivi. 

Curly Angel by APTX (translated to English by NMTD) — In this alternative canon universe, everyone has a guardian angel, and Zoro's just happened to be Sanji. Hilarity ensues. I have to admit that I absolutely love all of APTX's ZoSan fics, but since most of them are in Chinese, if you're like me and doesn't mind reading some really botchy translations of said fics, then you can try using Google Translate to read them.

Let me be your Inspiration by TheWanderers — College AU where Sanji is an artist/painter - another fic that explores Sanji as someone with an artistic streak, but also so much more. It's a beautiful story that starts out with Zoro having to model for Sanji's painting but ends up falling in love with him. I love the way the author adapts the characters' canon backstory into this universe.

Thy Fearful Symmetry by Harubo — A modern AU where Sanji is a tourist visiting a tiger reserve during a family vacation and Zoro is a detective investigating a poaching ring. All of Harubo's fics are godsend but I particularly love this one because the setting reads like a perfect rom-com drama movie about a stressed, overworked chef meeting a handsome detective. There's also a nice tidbit where the Vinsmoke siblings are trying to get along with each other.

Retrogade by Hazel_Athena — Sanji got badly injured after a fight, and ends up losing a big chunk of memories - he doesn't find it too bothersome until he notices how weird Zoro starts to act around him. It's a really good temporary amnesia fic with some really delicious pining!Zoro material.

Done Dirt Cheap by Balderdashfromafool — Basically a Western ZoSan AU, where Zoro is an outlaw and Sanji is a small town chef. This one is fun and lovely, and as someone who doesn’t read a lot of Western-themed stories, I love the way the author describes the Western setting in this fic. 

Each A Love Song by Shadowcatxxx — Sanji is frustrated because Zoro's surprisingly popular with women when he doesn't even like them back. A story of a confused Sanji trying to find love and being the World’s Most Oblivious Man. 

And that's all for now! It got way longer than I initially thought....there are some fics that I exclude, mostly the more explicit, PWP-type of fics, as well as Omegaverse fics, because my taste on them tend to be more specific and self-indulgent as ever. I might need to make a separate post for that, and also like feel free to ask me about them anytime. 

I really hope I've done these fics justice with my summaries. I can't overstate how talented these authors are, so please shower them with love, kudos, comments, attention, etc etc if you have time.

Given the situation in the world right now this may not have been the best t-shirt to wear in public...

My Top 10 Merthur Fan fics

This is a list of my favorite fan fics of the merlin x arthur pairing (my OTP) that I’ve read over the past couple of years. I strongly think these stories deserve to be shared as they, and their authors, are amazing. I want to give these authors lots of love as they clearly worked very hard on their stories. I also think the illustrator that is in a few of these stories deserves some love. Kudos to you all, and thank you all for being such talented, hard workers.

And like the cycle of the year we begin again

By: katherynefromphilly, @katherynefromphilly

Rating: Mature

Word count: 200k+

Summary:

For many long years Merlin waited. For the other part of his soul, for the other half of his life. He was born to serve Arthur. So that meant he was also born to wait. Even if it took a thousand years. Even if the wait seemed never to end. Until one day, suddenly, it did. Set after the Merlin Series 5 Finale “Diamond of the Day”. Canon Compliant. In Character. Arthur Pendragon Returns When Arthur stumbles from the Lake of Avalon 1,500 years after his death, he finds a world unlike the one he knew. Faced with the loss of everyone he loved, and the threat of impending prophecy, Arthur must quickly learn what it means to be not just a king, but the Once and Future King. Merlin does all he can to guide him in this journey, even as he struggles to hide his love for his king, and to conquer his fear of losing him again. Story includes sass, banter, horseplay, and True Love.

Student Prince

By: FayJay

Rating: Mature

Word count: 140k+

Summary:

A Modern day Merlin AU set at the University of St Andrews, featuring teetotal kick-boxers, secret wizards, magnificent bodyguards of various genders, irate fairies, imprisoned dragons, crumbling Gothic architecture, arrogant princes, adorable engineering students, stolen gold, magical doorways, attempted assassination, drunken students, shaving foam fights, embarrassing mornings after, The Hammer Dance, duty, responsibility, friendship and true love… This story was inspired by the thought of Prince William of Wales (and indeed the current Max Von Hapsburg) studying at the University of St Andrews; it is also, as the title suggests, at least a little inspired by the operetta ‘The Student Prince’.

Give the Dragon a Chilli

By: supercalvin, @supercalvin

Rating: Mature

Word count: 40k+

Summary:  

Aithusa might have been no bigger than a house cat but she was still a dragon. That meant wings, claws, and her own personal hoard, which in Aithusa’s case included soft pillows, fluffy socks, and much to Merlin’s chagrin, stolen pants. When Merlin found out that his winged ward had stolen a rather considerable pile of clothing for her hoard, he thought that it would be the end of any kind of friendship with his neighbor. But when Merlin met the victim of Aithusa’s burglary, he was pleasantly surprised to find Arthur, a man who had never in his life seen a dragon let alone a burglarizing one, and Cavall, a curious German Shepherd puppy who was quick to befriend the little white dragon. From there, it was only the beginning.

Shadowlord and Pirate King

By: Footloose

Illustrated by: mushroomtale, @mushroomtale-fanart

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 160k+

Summary:

A fast ship, a good crew, a treasure, a Clan to lead – that’s all Arthur Pendragon has ever wanted. He sits on the Council, he supports his father’s kingship, and he keeps an eye on the Imperial Conglomerate when they come too close to Pirate space. One day the Conglomerate infiltrates the Clans and poisons the King. Arthur must search for a cure to keep his father alive and the Clans from civil war.

An escape route, a sharp knife, a target, the shadows at his command – that’s all Merlin has ever needed. He fulfills his assignments, he uses the Sterling to sustain his once-royal House in their exile, and wages a private war against the Imperial Conglomerate. When he learns of an elaborate plot to assassinate him, Merlin does the opposite of what’s expected. He flees onto a Pirate ship. There’s a saying among the Pirates: that one’s fate is written in the stars. Destiny will always set to rights what has been made wrong. Arthur and Merlin know that they were meant for the other from the moment they meet. They can feel it from across the galaxies separating them. Nothing can stop them from being together or from fulfilling an ancient prophecy.

A Song From Far Away

By: polomonkey, @thepolomonkey

Illustrated by: mushroomtale, @mushroomtale-fanart

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 70k+

Summary:

When Arthur is captured by an enemy king intent on conquering Camelot, his future looks bleak. For Cenred commands not only a clutch of sorcerers but a fearsome dragon trained to do battle and wreak destruction. Then Arthur meets Merlin, a fellow captive whose magic has been bound to Cenred’s will. But can Merlin resist Cenred’s control long enough to help Arthur save Camelot?

Tributes

By: TheAvalonian

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 80k+

Summary:

It is the 57th annual Hunger Games, and Merlin Emrys stands at the Reaping ceremony with Guinevere Smith at his side, unable to hear the roar of the crowd over the ringing in his own ears. Because Merlin is about to face his best friend and twenty-two strangers in a fight to the death, where there can only be one victor. In a twisted game where death seems the only certainty, Merlin will find himself tested in ways no one could have ever predicted - and may even find himself fighting for more than just his own life as he enters into an unlikely alliance with Arthur Pendragon, the Career tribute poised to win it all. Merlin/Arthur AU, set in the Hunger Games universe.

Emrys Ascending

By: tricksterity

Illustrated by: mushroomtale, @mushroomtale-fanart

Rating: Teen And Up

Word Count: 110k+

Summary:

In the depths of the Crystal of Neahtid, Merlin sees the resurrection of Lord Voldemort, an event that will tip the balance of the world so far out that only he has the power to intervene and set it right, or stop it from ever happening. For that, he’ll have to pose as a student and attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The only problem is, he’s been chosen instead of Cedric Diggory as a Triwizard Champion, and there’s a recently reborn Arthur Pendragon in Gryffindor House.

No One Mourns Like the Wicked

By: asilentherald

Rating: Teen And Up

Word Count: 150k+

Summary:

After witnessing an anti-sorcerer hate crime, Merlin leaves his family in Ealdor for King Uther Pendragon’s capital city of Camelot, looking for safety and answers about his own magic. Instead he gets roped into a musical production of Wicked, a banned play by the King’s decree back during the Great Purge, being put on by none other than Morgana Pendragon. It’s the last thing he should do if he wants to keep a low profile in a city he knows is a powder keg, ready for the Great Purge renewed, but he finds more than enough reasons–Arthur Pendragon, co-star and all-around awkward arse, at least at first, among them–to try, dare I say it, defying gravity.

Pianos are made for Falling

By: Fishwrites

Rating: Teen And Up

Word Count: 100k+

Summary:

Arthur is a world class violinist, trapped in Sydney, Australia, by his fear of flying. In the wake of a mediocre concert, vicious critics and with barely a month to go before his next (hopefully reputation-saving) recital, Arthur is almost at breaking point. When his accompanist, Morgana, breaks her wrist in a car accident, Arthur is more or less doomed. And the story begins, when the Maestro at the conservatoire, Gaius Stresemann, recommends his protege Merlin Emrys to step in. Merlin, who plays by ear, as he pleases and really just wants to be a kindergarten teacher. Well. The story really starts six months previously when Arthur passes out drunk outside Merlin’s shoe-box apartment.

The Heart You Call Home

By: alby_mangroves

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 16k+

Summary:

Yet another autumn wanes and Merlin is tired. He wishes he could sleep through it, cover himself in leaves and hibernate until the world crumbles to dust, and he with it, the point of anything long since gone. And then, he finds a book whose author writes stories he doesn’t remember are his own.

My comments are under the cut 😊

And like the cycle of the year we begin again

Comments: This is my favorite Merthur fan fiction of all time!!! It relieved my grieving of the Merlin finale by giving me the series 6 I’ve been longing for. Merlin and Arthur are written incredibly well and in character. The banter between them flows beautifully. I love the original characters, especially Eleanor. It has both angst and fluff. It made me sob, and laugh, and smile. When the slow burn between our two main characters ends it’s such an immense relief and rush of emotion. I followed this story as each chapter was being updated and I just remember the anticipation of each chapter coming out, especially when chapters ended on cliffhangers. I can go on for ages about this, but I think I will end it here. This story is just pure beauty, honestly.

Student Prince

Comments: I love this! Not long after joining the fandom did I discover that many people had read and enjoyed this fic immensely. It is hilarious and adorable and great. Merlin and Arthur’s relationship develops in a very similar way to the canon, from disliking each other, to becoming best friends, and then falling in love. I love the modern twist on the canon. It is engaging and comedic and should be read by many.

Give the Dragon a Chilli

Comments: This story is freaking adorable and made me want a pet dragon. As both a dog person and dragon lover this fic made me weak. I love the world that was created so that it intertwines dragons, magic and the modern world. The angst written in the story is suspenseful. I fell in love with Merlin and Arthur’s pets, Aithusa and Cavall, right away. As well, on a personal note, when Freya’s character was introduced and has an incurable illness and goes to physical therapy, I felt very connected to her due to my own chronic condition and happy that I was being represented in a way. All in all, loved it. The whole thing is a pure cinnamon roll and a great read.

Shadowlord and Pirate King

Comments: Adventurous, engaging, and edgy. This story is a great blend of adventure, science fiction, and fantasy. I love the entire world that the author builds: Pirate space, the House of Shadows, and the White Legion. The artwork is stunningly beautiful and brings this story to life. This story is very engaging, full of adventure and romance, and there is never a dull moment. Love it!

A Song From Far Away

Comments: This made me cry many times over. I’ve read a variety of this author’s fics, and like this one they are often very sorrowful and intense but end on a lighthearted note. The mistreatment of Merlin is ghastly but makes it so much sweeter when Arthur comes along to help and love him. I wanted to kill Cenred throughout the entire thing for what he does to Merlin. The story is magical and very captivating, and the artwork is enchanting and wonderful (which isn’t much of a surprise since @mushroomtale-fanart did it and is incredibly talented).

Tributes

Comments: Merlin meets the Hunger Games! This was the first ever Merthur fanfic I read that hooked me into reading fan fiction. After reading and thoroughly enjoying the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, imagine my delight when I stumble across this. This story is great and does justice to both the Hunger Games universe and BBC Merlin. I love how the author writes the characters and keeps the readers starving for more. Each twist is stirring, and every character is interesting. It holds a special place in my heart.

Emrys Ascending

Comments: It’s a Harry Potter crossover, so obviously it’s amazing. But out of all the Harry Potter crossovers I’ve read, this one is my favorite. I love the fact that the author is able to intertwine Merlin with the Harry Potter universe so well. Merlin being a Hufflepuff, while not being canonical to what J.K Rowling said, is something I love (which may or may not be because I am a Hufflepuff as well). I also agree that Merlin has the characteristics of every Hogwarts house as said in this story. The fact that Merlin becomes a sort of mentor for Harry is really cool. This is an adventurous ride and sticks as closely to the plot of The Goblet of Fire as possible, while changing things up for Merlin. My favorite part of this fic is that Merlin and Arthur are able to reunite in such a heartwarming way, and of course the artwork.

No One Mourns Like the Wicked

Comments:  “No one mourns the wicked! Wicked! Wicked!” This story is very fun and got me loving the Wicked soundtrack, since I sadly could never get tickets. It’s comedic, magical, and has a great way tying the play in with the reality surrounding the characters. I love how it has many funny moments and yet deals with big issues. Whimsical, witty, and wicked.

Pianos are made for Falling

Comments: Poetry and love in music. I love pianist Merlin and his little budgies. I had a heart attack whenever his illness acted up though! Every time Merlin and Arthur fight I just want to tell Arthur about Merlin’s illness. The music of their duets flies off the page as you read it. It’s spectacular.

The Heart You Call Home

Comments: A heart-warming reincarnation fic with Arthur as a writer. You can feel Merlin’s longing and pain in the beginning as he’s waiting for Arthur to return. It’s quite emotional when they finally find each other. Also, the addition of Arthur’s dog Drake is adorable. This is emotional and stupendous.

Klaus: Progress doesn’t come from “the desire to understand” like Luther says. No, it comes from the need…to be lazy.