#feedthefandomfest

(Starting off strong with three fics by the same author, lmao)

"Casting Rain", "Phantom Pains" and "A Good Ol' Fashioned Hell-Raising" all by SilverSkye13 If you can't tell, I found and proceeded to fall head over heels in love with SilverSkye13's Undertale writings. Go check out their works, they're such a good writer! Onto the fics I'm highlighting here-

Casting Rain Walks in Crumples to the ground Sobs This fic. Omfg this fic. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH- An Undertale Wartime!Grillby fic, follows our favourite fire boy's experiences from towards the end of the war all the way up until just after the barrier is created, and it is SO GOOD. Gaster's also there! It's not a Grillster fic, they're just friends, but I feel like they can be read as queerplatonic/platonic life partners (I certainly do, XD). And honestly, who can blame them, because HOT DAMN THESE BOYS GO THROUGH IT. This fic is so fucking beautiful. It goes on the list of fics, a very short list, that have been able to make me cry, there are so many ups and downs to it, the characters go on so many interesting journeys (both physically and development wise), and the author's notes are also a really fun read. THERE'S ALSO CHAPTERS WITH MUSIC TO SYNC IT TO, AND LIKE?? THE SELECTION IS SO GOOD?? Seriously the music just ELEVATES the reading experience so much (personal favourite is Chapter 63, can't listen to or think about that song without the section it's meant to play in Casting Rain happening in my head, XD. A close second would be Chapter 74) It is a LOOOOOOONG fic (90 CHAPTERS, OVER 400K WORDS, HUH), took me a week to get through it, but let me tell you it's so worth it.

It is also DARK. Chapter 48 onwards it just keeps getting darker and darker (ha). Not to say that the other 47 chapters previous aren't dark, but it's ESPECIALLY there after Chapter 48. There's gore, there's violence, there's a lot of death, there's a lot of grief and really dark headspaces, there's war and it's NOT sugarcoated, so be wary! Also, don't be me and ignore the "Character Death" tag. Cause it's there for a reason. And it drop kicks you in the face. Distant wailing

Phantom Pains Best way to describe this one is; don't fuck around with a timeline cause holy shit you do NOT want to find out. Decided to save this one for later halfway through Casting Rain (since, fun fact, Casting Rain was created to expand on the Wartime!Grillby headcannons Phantom Pain touches on, although they're perfectly able to be read independently of each other), and like, oh my god I'm so glad I did?? It's so good, SO GOOD.

Like Casting Rain, this fic gets DARK. Sans isn't doing well mentally (neither is Papyrus, honestly... which, tbf, considering their situation, can't say I blame 'em, lol), and this fic doesn't sugarcoat it. So be careful! Trigger warnings for especially dark headspaces are in the top author's note at each appropriate chapter, but it's be a disservice if I didn't warn you guys about that. I will admit, Sans' characterisation might not be for everyone (listen, early day Undertale fandom, give it a break, XD), but I say it's justified in the context of the story, especially as you learn more about said context as the story goes on. And! Papyrus' characterisation is definitely quite a world's difference from the characterisations of other Paps around during that time (I say it'd be more accurate to his canon counterpart, actually!) Also, Grillby is a BAMF, absolute MVP (Sans and Paps BOTH would be so much worse off without him, XD), and has zero shits left to give. Which, if you do what I did and read Phantom Pains AFTER Casting Rain, it makes a lot of sense, lmao.

A Good Ol' Fashioned Hell-Raising WE'RE GOING TO THE WILD WEST WITH THIS ONE, FUCKERS! Grillby is a retired outlaw just trying to make an honest living in a small town, but his life gets turned upside down when his old partner (in more ways than one-), Gaster, shows up out of the blue, with trouble from their old life close at his heels. God, I love this fic SO MUCH. Also, when I had to take breaks from it for life, consistently ended up with my internal monologue having a southern drawl to it, XD.

There's a lot of violence in the one (obviously), so be wary of that!

"Nightfall" by Leletha SUCH a good fic, good LORD Hiccup gets kidnapped by Cloudjumper along with Valka as a baby and ends up being a feral dragon boy who's probably (read; definitely) platonic soulmates with Toothless. SO. GOOD. URGH The way Leletha handled dragon speech, behaviour and intelligence in this is SO GOOD and also a take I haven't ever really seen in the HTTYD fandom?? It's so animalistic but also not?? It's hard to describe and honestly best to experience yourself. ALSO THE WAY THE HUMAN CHARACTERS ARE TREATED WITH SO MUCH GRACE AND RESPECT (poor Stoick and his absolute mess and how that is handled is arguably my favourite, XD)?? Chef's kiss BEAUTIFUL! I need to reread it soon, lol. It's also part of a series! Bunch of little off-shoot stories, alongside a re-writing of both HTTYD2 and THW! I need to get around to reading those two, honestly.

This fic gets violent, and can be a mild mind bend at first in Hiccup's chapters (thanks to the way he acts and speaks and thinks, I love him, lol), but you get used to it. So be wary around the violence!

(1) Comment made on 23rd July 2024

(2) Comment made and bingo sheet marked on 24th July 2024, fic may have moved past the half way mark by time of bingo

(3) Comment made on 24th July 2024

(4) Kudos at time of commenting: 6

(5) Comment made and bingo sheet marked on 28th July 2024; Total Comments at time of commenting: 7

(6) Comment made on 23rd July 2024