/crashes into the chat/ I heard Jariel Fanfiction lmao
So! The main places to look for Jariel fic are AO3 and ffNet (I've braved Wattpad, did not find anything noteworthy, the tagging system there is crap, there, I said it.)
DISCLAIMER: These are my personal favorites, this is not a statement on the quality of any fics that are not mentioned here! There are some that are simply not to my taste. There are some I just haven't read in a while and don't want to recommend w/ my patchy memories! I definitely recommend exploring these sites more yourself and seeing what else is out there!
Finished Jariel Recs on AO3:
Color Girl (T) by WizardlyMagick: Short but sweet soulmates AU where Jim and Ariel only see in black and white until they meet their soulmate!
Starshine (T) by snickerdoodlles: Modern AU oneshot! Again, short but sweet story about Jim and Ariel in high school together.
The Grumpy Barista Aesthetic™ (T) by Anonymous: They're here! They're queer! They're in a coffee shop AU one-shot where Jim is in distress about learning he's not immune to GrumpyxSunshine Bias! It's a delight.
Packed Away (G) by silv3rbloodalch3mist (yes I'm recommending myself, leave me alone lmao): Post-movie one shot about Sarah, Jim, Ariel, and their adopted daughter!
Top of the List (T) by silv3rbloodalch3mist: Me again, hi lol. College AU oneshot! Triton and Ariel dynamics! Ariel's Big Dumb Crush On Jim! Eric being generally A Cool Dude!
There's also several in-progress fics on AO3 that I definitely recommend checking out and giving some love, like Moonlighting (M) by unholyciel, Sailing Stars (T) by skeletorwrites, and my fics Ripples Into Waves (T), We're Just An Accident Waiting For A Place To Happen (E), Pull of the Tide (T), and Voulez-Vous? (T)
There's not a lot of action in the comments on these fics bc they are incredibly niche, so when you read something you like, leave it some love! (Believe it or not, Voulez-Vous may be getting updated soon so definitely keep an eye out on that!)
There's a lot more variety on ffNet, but it's also ffNet and the tagging is trash. You *will* be digging through a lot of Jim and M3lody fics, so just do your best with filtering. Also, they're ffNet fics from the 2010s, this is where grammar goes to die. I can get past it, some people can't, your mileage may vary.
Finished Jariel Recs on ffNet:
An Adventure (K+) by Good Gravy: This is a Kingdom Hearts AU and when I say I have the softest spot in the world for this fic, I absolutely mean it. It's just so cute, and Ariel is given the chance to kick some major butt!
Treasure City (T) by brit02: Almost a Zelda and the Phantom Hourglass sort of setting? The vibes lean Pirates of the Caribbean with mermaids and magic while very loosely following the story of Treasure Planet, there's a love triangle with some willful miscommunication, a very fun read!
His Treasure (T) by Chiban 2: There is an idea in this fic that lives in infamy in my brain and you will know it when you read it lmao. That being said, a fun crossover that merges the two movie canons and explores the "what if" if Ariel had met Jim first! Really cute, has lots of cameos from Ariel's sisters which is fun, Ariel and Jim are Dumb Teenagers which is always hilarious lol
Coming Home by iesnoth: If you liked Landlocked, then you've probably already read Coming Home, but it definitely deserves a mention here! Also if I'm gonna rec my own stuff on her ask, I gotta shout Iesnoth out too lmao. A very sweet reunion one-shot set in a similar setting to the aforementioned fic.
Tidepool Inquisition (K) by kreite: A cute one-shot in the Little Mermaid canon where Jim and Ariel have a cultural exchange in a tidepool! Super sweet~
Reunited (T) by OceansAria: Drama! Make outs! Elopement! I think it's a hair too long to be considered a drabble, but it's a drabble to me lmao.
Second Date (K+) by sultal: Technically not a Jariel fic, but they are heavily featured and I would say romantically get second-billing to Peter and Wendy. The set up for this fic is so much fun, I love stories where the characters live in the parks and get to interact with each other. Has some drama and adventure as well as romance!
Diving for Stars (K) by LittleDisneyFreak: Full disclosure, I don't remember the entire plot of this fic, but I know I really liked it and am now planning on rereading it when I get home lmao. It says incomplete, but it is a competed fic.
The Palace Guard (T) by PurpleKorea134: This makes it on the list because while it is Not To My Tastes, it is the longest completed Jariel fic on ffNet and there are paragraph breaks when a new character speaks, so I think everyone should give it a try lol. Similar set up to Landlocked, canon setting for both movies meeting in the middle, except Jim is a palace guard and the love triangle happens in the castle lol.
The Taking Fantasia (T) Series by sultal: So. I have a real love-hate relationship with this series. The worldbuilding is phenomenal, almost every Disney movie up to the early 2010s shows up. In the second fic Dreamworks and other animated canons get involved, it's a gas. The pacing and drama is great (This is NOT a T fic, by the way, the rating is lying to you this would be rated M on AO3. The series is arguably rated E, there is some DARK THEMES in this series and there is some moments where the gore actually made me queasy). Jim and Wendy's friendship is one of the best things my eyes have beheld and this series is fully responsible for them showing up in some way shape-or-form in almost any Jariel fic I write. Jim's characterization is stunning. The Jariel is SO FUCKING GOOD.
This series is also singlehandedly why I hate Peter Pan now. Not the movie, the character. Like, viscerally.
If his characterization works for you? You're fucking golden, enjoy the series, you're in for a ride. If it does not? Don't make my mistake. Don't get invested, it will Piss You Off. The third fic in the series has since moved to WattPad and I did not follow it, I have no clue how the third one goes. Proceed at your own risk.
As with AO3, there are also some really great incomplete stories of ffNet I recommend checking out and giving some love to. Another Side, Another Story (T) by Chiban 2 is one in particular I am dying to see continued. There's also Unexpected Journey (K+) by Inali Grimalkin, and From Sky to Sea (T) by Spirit of the Dead.
Also, if you're looking for a comic, I would be remiss not to mention Welcome To Walt Academy by PumpkinHaven! She recently finished moving everything to AO3, but she still has a thriving and active blog and community here on tumblr @welcometowaltacademy . It is mostly a Jackunzel comic, but it is a massive, sprawling story with lots of different plot lines and the Jim and Ariel ones are very good. I honestly am not even sure if Jariel is endgame, but they are extremely cute and Pining Jim is always a treat. Plus, this comic, like the Taking Fantasia series, got me hooked on a new Jim brotp and I absolutely LOVE Jim and Aladdin's friendship in this comic, it's just the best. The whole thing gives the vibe of youtube AMVs with all the characters edited together, and it's actually so astonishing all the work and love that has gone into this series.
This post is so long, but I'm glad to highlight a few of my favorite Jariel stories that I keep coming back to! I'm sure if I dived into deviantart, I could probably find some more, but reading fic on that site has never felt natural to me so I have not dared. Again, these are just the ones that I know or remember best, and I definitely recommend looking through those sites yourself and trying some of the other fics I didn't highlight! Mileage will vary, but there's a lot out there if you know where to look!
(And so, SO many uses of the song "Why Should I Worry". I swear it is haunting this ship.)
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