#coda 2017

[maggiecheungs]

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017) dir. Stephen Nomura Schible

[2001hz]

'LIFE', 1999 Oppenheimer’s Aria Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017) Directed by Stephen Nomura Schible

[anatomyofacowboy]

The industrial revolution made the production of an instrument like this possible. Several planks of wood, six I think in this case are overlaid and pressed into shape by tremendous force for six months. Nature is molded into shape. Many tons of force and pressure are applied, making the strings what they are. Matter taken from nature is molded by human industry, by the sum strength of civilization. Nature is forced into shape. Interestingly, the piano requires re-tuning. We humans say it falls out of tune. But that’s not exactly accurate. Matter is struggling to return to a natural state. The tsunami, in one moment, became a force of restoration. The tsunami piano returned by nature actually sounds good to me now. In short, the piano is tuned by force to please our ears or ideals. It’s a condition that feels natural to us humans. But from nature’s perspective, it’s very unnatural. I think deep inside me somewhere, I have a strong aversion to that.

RYUICHI SAKAMOTO (1952 - 2023)

[shehungthemoon]

Once again just so astounded by how incredible the cinematography is in The Exorcist (2016)..... it's shot GORGEOUSLY. This show is just so beautiful in every aspect and I'm still so sad it was canceled 💔

[cinesludge]

Movie #34 of 2024: Outrage Coda

The Outrage Trilogy is one of the best gangster epics of all time. It's up there with the best of what Kitano has produced, so far.

[osugna]

The creative process is notoriously difficult to capture on camera, but by the end of this documentary, you will feel as if you not only understand Mr. Sakamoto intellectually, but also share a sense of the excitement he feels when discovering just the right match of sounds. “The tsunami, in one moment, became a force of restoration. The tsunami piano retuned by nature actually sounds good to me now. In short, the piano is tuned by force to please our ears or ideals. It's a condition that feels natural to us humans. But from Nature's perspective, it's very unnatural. I think deep inside me somewhere, I have a strong aversion to that.”

7.8/10

[mydarkapron]

RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: CODA, 2017

Stephen Nomura Schible

[aois-amaterasu-painting]

Nameless Liberty (2010):

Venomous Cell Finale Omega (2012):

10th anniversary (2012):

Division Final Melt (2013):

Magnificent Malformed Box Coda (2014):

Redefinition Tour (2014):

13th anniversary (2015):

Dogmatic Un (2015):

Dogmatic Due (2015):

Dogmatic Final (2016):

15th anniversary (2017):

The Ninth phase#4 (2019):

The Ninth Final (2019):

20th anniversary (2022):

Mass Final (2023):

[ourlittlesister2015]

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017), dir. Stephen Nomura Schible  

[guardian-angle22]

Happy to present to y'all this 911LS fic list for stories related to one of my favorite episodes 3.13 Riddle of the Sphynx! I try to make these as comprehensive as possible, so if you have any you think I missed, let me know so I can add them. (I also might make edits to these posts to add more fics as they get written. If I ever do so I'll be sure to reblog the post for visibility!)

Enjoy all of our amazing fandom writers and leave them some comments & love!

[Disclaimers: • If you're an author and don't like to be tagged or linked for any reason, let me know and I'll remove the tag and make sure not to do so in the future, no questions asked. • I usually post TWs in rec lists. Due to the episode subject matter, assume all of these have a TW for discussion of addiction/drug use and possibly discussion of parent death/grief.]

◆ Heard the risk is drowning by @paperstorm (Words: 15.3 K; Rating: M)

A tag for 3x13, "Riddle of the Sphynx", in which Carlos combats his own insecurities as TK tries to heal.

◆ Chasers by @carlos-in-glasses (Words: 13.4K; Rating: E)

After 3x13 – while TK is alone with Cooper, Carlos is alone with his thoughts. Both recall times they’ve chased the next high, other men, or each other. When Carlos arrives home, TK still has something important to say – and it's something he didn’t tell Cooper.

◆ trying my best by @reyescarlos (Words: 10.3K; Rating: M)

An exploration of TK's sobriety journey from 2017 to now. Or, a season 3 coda spanning 3x08-3x13

◆ You Showed me How it feels to Truly be Seen by @ramblingdisaster73 (Words: 3K; Rating: T)

Carlos works through the events of 3x13 "The Riddle of the Sphinx".

◆ Measure of a Man by @chicgeekgirl89 (Words: 1.8K; Rating: T)

“I want to be everything you need. That I can’t be, it hurts, T.K. It feels like a failure on my part. And as much as I’m trying to accept it, it’s hard.” A 3x13 coda in which Carlos struggles with a new definition of being "enough."

◆ I'll be here all the same by @strandnreyes (Words: 4.8K; Rating: G)

“I am glad you have someone you can talk to who can maybe do a better job at fixing things,” Carlos insists before dropping his eyes to their tangled together fingers. “All I want is for you to be okay.”It’s not surprising to hear, but it hits as if it was. That really is the root of this whole thing. As much as Carlos wants to do what he can to be the person to get TK to that place, at the end of the day all he really wants is for TK to get there.“I will be.”Or, three late night conversations following the events of 3.13

◆ Trigger by comes2gusu (Words: 4.7K; Rating: T)

TK is struggling with his newly found sobriety. After being triggered at an NA meeting, Cooper takes TK for omelets

◆ this love we carry by @thevenstar (Words: 7.6K; Rating: T)

A 3x13 coda in which Carlos has a conversation with a friend, puts his heart to rest, and learns that walking away does not mean surrender.

◆ Those Pieces by @taralaurel (Words: 7.3K; Rating: M)

"I, I'm not telling you all - this - so you can fix me," TK huffs a hot breath against Carlos' chin, "or save me or really, do anything, okay?" Carlos nods against TK's forehead. TK has done a lot of things in his life to deserve the bad that has happened to him. He has no idea what good he's done to deserve Carlos. Coda to 3x13

◆ the one i want by @chaotictarlos (Words: 2K; Rating: E)

TK gets Carlos to take his shirt off.

◆ i want you to unravel me by @reyescarlos (Words: 4.2K; Rating: E)

In the aftermath of the strain that's fallen over them, TK and Carlos bridge the gap with open conversation that brings them closer together, both emotionally and physically. [3x13 coda]

◆ Just Wanna Breathe by @theoceanismyinkwell (Words: 1.9K; Rating: G)

Carlos doesn’t dare look at him for long, knowing that his eyes have always been the window to his soul, the weakest part of his body, unveiling everything in the well of truths he’s kept a lid on for years and years. His family may not be able to read him as well as he feared for the decades he was in the closet, but TK has a way of crashing into his life with a formidable gentleness and a piercing understanding that unmoors him in every possible way.And that’s precisely what TK is doing now, keeping the warmth of his palms flush against the beating of Carlos’ skin, cradling his face, forcing them both to gaze into each other’s eyes and face each other’s unspoken terrors without flinching.TK sounds like he has a lump in his throat. “I’m going to say something, and I want you to listen to me and I want you to remember it.”---Or: What happens when Carlos comes back home after TK's talk with Cooper, and the confessions that spill out after.

◆ waiting on the sidelines by @morganaspendragonss (Words: 1.5K; Rating: T)

They’d promised each other no more secrets, and while Carlos rationally knows that these aren’t exactly secrets, there’s still this grain of resentment inside of him that scratches away with every beat of his heart. It’s something he can’t let show in front of TK ever again, which is why he’s here, outside Owen's house while TK and Cooper talk in the loft.If anyone’s going to understand what he’s feeling, it’s Owen Strand.

◆ Three Weeks In by @masterroadtripper (Words: 3K; Rating: T; TW: self-harm)

It’d been three weeks since Sadie had drugged them - nineteen days since TK started a ninety-day NA sobriety program at the local Synagogue and eleven days since Carlos had met Cooper for the first time - before Carlos realized that there was something else TK wasn’t telling him.

◆ What We Need by Ehm (Words: 3.1K; Rating: T)

"You okay, bud?" Cooper startled him out of his thoughts and he let go of the spoon with a clinking noise. He straightened up, embarrassed. "Sorry, I zoned out." "I can see that," Cooper sounded vaguely amused. "You wanna talk about it?" --- Three times TK has a conversation with Cooper, and one time he talks to Carlos. Or, 3x13 and beyond from TK's point of view.

◆ Nocturne by @sanctuaryforalluniverses (Words: 735; Rating: T)

Carlos comes home. (Post-ep for 3x13)

◆ Precious Love by @rmd-writes (Words: 11.6K; Rating: M)

This is five times TK thinks he doesn’t deserve love and one time he knows he does – an exploration of TK’s relationship with love and self-worth.

◆ Inside a snow globe by @goodways (Words: 6.9K; Rating: E)

It isn’t until TK is on top, lavishing Carlos’ neck, stroking his hand up his side, that Carlos brings their faces together, barely a suggestion of a kiss between them. He holds TK’s jaw and keeps him close whilst he readies the question in his mind. He breathes out a straightforward and tempting, “fuck me,” over TK’s lips which silences the world outside their bedroom. TK’s response whenever he’s asked for this has few variations between immediate enthusiastic compliancy and the sweet reassurance he knows Carlos is dying for. The answer is always yes. - The evening after TK gets his one month sobriety chip.

◆ my home has been your heart since the day i met you by @lavendergiroux (Words: 1.8K; Rating: M)

After Carlos leaves Cooper and TK to talk, all they do is talk about him. When Carlos comes home - they are still talking about him.

◆ Deep Talks and Cuddles by raniaswritings (Words: 1.2K; Rating: T)

TK talks to Cooper and Carlos comes back home after a few hours

◆ “What are you doing?” “I don’t want you to do that.” by @irispurpurea (Words: 1.1K; Rating: T)

Fictober 2022 Day 13 and 14. Prompts: “What are you doing?” “I don’t want you to do that.” “What are you doing?” Carlos looks up to find TK frowning at him from their bedroom. “I…” Carlos holds up the blanket in his hands, unsure what else to say. He thinks it’s pretty obvious what he’s doing. Then again, tonight has proven that he can’t do anything right, apparently, when it comes to TK.

◆ "It's your shirt..." by @lavendergiroux (Words: 780; Rating: M)

TK really didn't want to talk about it, he just really needed Carlos to claim him...

◆ sunkissed face by mooshkat (Words: 1K; Rating: T)

To show his appreciation, TK decides to make Carlos breakfast.

Spec Fics Written Prior to the Episode Airing/Canon Convergence:

◆ if the darkness comes, i'll stay by @doublel27 (Words: 3.2K; Rating: T)

“I had some things to do,” TK says, his stomach twisting. “Some things?” “Carlos, I texted,” TK reminds his boyfriend, because he did. “It’s fine.” “Is it?” Carlos asks, his voice dangerously calm. or TK comes home late for the third night in one week, and he and Carlos have a necessary confrontation. A speculative fic for 3x13.

◆ Caught by @littlemissmarianna (Words: 761; Rating: G)

“Who’s that?” Carlos doesn’t answer Mitchell’s question because he doesn’t know. There’s only a handful of people he can identify from the back, and this guy isn’t on the list. He has broad shoulders, though, and nice hair and is probably good-looking. Why else would TK be staring at him so intently?

◆ In Order to Get Back to Us by reyestrand (Words: 2.2K; Rating: G)

Carlos waits up for TK when he’s late coming home and they talk about the things they’re afraid to. - a 3x13 speculation fic

◆ still comparing your past to my future by @kiras-sunshine (Words: 17.4K; Rating: T)

Something else than the wallowing feeling of uneasiness, anxiety and hurt in the bottom of his stomach. All of it seems to have a chokehold on his heart and no matter what he tries to think about, his thoughts always go back to TK, to worry that keeps mixing in with everything, and the brightness of TK’s smile, the way the corner of his mouth curled up and his eyes shone, when he smiled at someone else than him.

[maggiecheungs]

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017) dir. Stephen Nomura Schible

[389]

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017)

[frangipanilove]

“…Like A Rolling Stone…?”

It might still be considered a spoiler which song Daryl sings in TBOC season 2, so I won’t reveal that above the cut. It’s not Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone”, like the headline of this post could possibly allude to. That’s just shameless misdirection, and I apologize.

However, enjoy this completely unrelated fake Rolling Stone magazine cover that was released in a Skybound article back in July 2017:

Obviously, massive spoilers for TBOC 2x6 under the cut, proceed with caution…

This is mostly @wdway’s brain child, I have a few thoughts of my own to add, but nothing nearly as exciting as her stuff.

So, the song Daryl sings is "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones, which is super intriguing, concidering Skybound made sure to create an inextricable link between Beth and Rolling Stone Magazine with the fake magazine cover back in 2017. You could successfully agrue that any reference containing the phrase "rolling stone" at least on some level could be tied to her.

Now that we’re safely out of spoiler free territory, let’s have a look at the opening minutes of TBOC season finale 2x6. We find the scene TD’ers have been eagerly anticipating ever since we heard that Daryl was going to fulfill another one of the “I never’s” from 4x12 Still, namely the “I never sang out loud in public, like everything was fun”.

The episode starts with a close up of Laurent blowing the seeds off a dandelion:

Daryl approaches Laurent, explaining how where he’s from, people blow on those to set their wishes free:

This reminded @wdway of Beth’s monologue from 4x10 Inmates about writing down your wishes to make them come true:

Then Daryl goes on to explain how he found the guitar in the trunk of a car. I explained in a post earlier this week (read here) how trunks of cars are used as metaphors for tombs in TWDU, and how those tombs sometimes have “emergency exits”, so that it’s possible to “escape” them, meaning tomb symbolism means "death and resurrection". I've previously written about how green(e)houses represent the same type of symbolism here. We see an excellent exemple of this in the previous episode 2x5, where TPTB quite literally gave us a retelling of how Beth could have been saved after 5x8 Coda.

Famously known for escaping tombs was Jesus Christ himself. According to Luke 24:1-6, some women visited his tomb, only to find it empty, “the stone rolled away from the tomb”:

A bit of a biblical “rolling stone” reference there, in other words, and it’s about as synonymous with “resurrection” as it can possibly get. With that in mind, do you see the fake Rolling Stone cover with Beth in a different light now? The "rolling stone" reference represents the "emergency exit" in the "tomb/trunk" symbolism, it is what allows the "resurrection" to take place. Resurrection; Like A Rolling Stone…

Then Laurent proceeds to sing “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, by The Rolling Stones, which is what my stupid little Dylan-esque misdirection in the headline alluded to.

Daryl joins in, and gets emotional. His voice start breaking and he gets teary eyed.

I was officially ugly crying.

@wdway also remembered a different fake magazine cover from back in the day, more specifically at the beginning of 5x8 Coda, and in the beginning of the coda of 5x8 Coda, meaning we saw it before Beth “died” and immediately after. The magazine was “Rattle & Roll” which, judging from the aesthetic of the cover design, we can plausibly interpret as a nod to the actual Rolling Stone magazine, which we now know is a resurrection reference.

Here’s a close-up of Rattle and Roll, compare it to the fake Rolling Stone cover:

I had already started overthinking this scene in 2x5 because of the incredible dialogue between Laurent and Daryl. Daryl talks about how he found a guitar in a trunk, Laurent is worried that Daryl will be alone in France while he, Carol and Ash travel to America (because there’s not enough room for four people on the plane).

Daryl explains that he’s been alone before, a lot. That’s a reference to 4x13 Alone. Daryl says it’s only temporary, while Laurent worries it might be for eternity. Again, basically describing the plot of Alone. Then Daryl goes on and says “go ahead, play something, which of course is exactly what he said to Beth in 4x13 Alone:

The entire season is full of these types of dialogue parallels and Beth callbacks.

Because the whole scene opened with the image of Laurent blowing seeds off a dandelion, I was already in the process of researching that, and as always, etymology is my go-to method for initial searches:

Upon learning that dandelion is a reference to a lion’s teeth, I googled that to see what came up, and well…what a tremendous coincidence it is that…

…The Mountain Goats, the same band that sang the song “Up The Wolves” that played at the end of 4x12 Still, happens to have a song called “Lions Teeth”!!! A tremendous coincidence indeed!

I’ve highlighted some of the lyrics that seem particularly pertinent for TD, such as mentions of sleeping in cars and “Hold On” which is a theme we’ve seen throughout the years, not least in season 3 when Beth sang Tom Waits’ “Hold On” in the prison.

And the coincidence gets even more impressive when you learn that these two songs are actually from the same album, The Sunset Tree from 2005! And as if that’s not enough, the two songs follow each other directly on the album. It’s almost as though they’re linked…?

So, to my knowledge, songs from the Mountain Goats have been referenced three times in TWDU. First, "Up The Wolves" was used in Still, as we all know. Second, a song called "Love Love Love", from the same album (The Sunset Tree) was used in FTWD 4x8 No One’s Gone. It’s a very “death and resurrection” oriented episode, in that it is the episode when Madison “died” only to later “resurrect”.

And now, with Laurent and the dandelion/Lion’s teeth flower, we have a roundabout reference to the song that directly follows “Up The Wolves” on the album The Sunset Tree, "Lion’s Teeth". This might not in and of itself be a massive deal, but together with everything else, it’s seems like it definitely could be part of a pattern. It seems like no matter what goes on on the surface of this show this season, there’s a multitude of Beth callbacks and dialogue parallels (and in this case musical references) tied to Beth lurking right beneath the surface.

So I’m thinking, when Daryl sings “You can’t always get what you want” and it seems to be breaking his heart, the subtext is about Beth.

[angelthefirst1]

Umm...

So...♾️♾️♾️

I just realised that the last episode of The Ones Who Live will air on RESURRECTION Sunday 🧐😵✝️

That is not a coincidence!

They could have picked any day to release the last episode, but chose that day!

The end (episode 6) of Rick's story beginning again (TOWL season 1 ) is on the same day that Christ's resurrection is being remembered...

The beginning is the end ♾️

When Rick is revealed at the beginning of the season, he is called Christ...

Christ, is that him? Michonne nods yes...

Is it a play on words? Yes.

But it's also an eclipsed/hidden but very deliberate way to mark Rick as Christ.

The last episode will air on Resurrection Sunday. Fulfilling the beginning and end.

Beth and Rick's stories are intertwined often reversed, so this is intriguing to me!

I'm truly starting to think that this is the year we get Beth. Too many things are lining up including the fact that Beth (in real time) has been gone 10 years, while Rick (in show time) has been missing 10 years.

10.10 get well soon.

Do I think we will see Beth or a clue to Beth in episode 6 of TOWL?

Maybe...it's actually very possible due to resurrection Sunday.

Maybe we get a hidden coda, like Morgan, but this time the mask stays on.

Who knows... I'm excited to see, but what I'm more interested in is this beginning end pattern because what comes next (after TOWL ends) in TWD universe will be another resurrection.

Enter The Book of Carol.

I pine for Summer ☀️

The last episode (episode 6) of TOWL, airing on RESURRECTION SUNDAY, is called The Last Time...

Emily released a song called Last Chance not long after she finished on (ended) TWD.

Many who heard the song Last Chance thought it sounded like Emily was writing it about Daryl and Beth, and she was.

Emily's very first album (first = beginning) was released just after she left (ended) The Walking Dead, and Last Chance (which really indicates both Beginning and end) was a single on it. So, could the episode "The Last Time" be the signal for Beth's return or beginning?

It's all starting to line up.

The album, the song "Last Chance," is off, is called This Is War.

In the comics, Andrea wakes from a gun shot to the head during the war with the Governor.

The bullet just gazes her but knocks her unconscious. I am convinced Emily was referencing this war in the title of her album.

No doubt, the end of season 1 of Rick and Michonne's story will also lead to a declaration of This Is War with the CRM. I guess we will wait and see for that one, but we know war is building.

Now Rick wasn't the only one marked as Christ, in fact he was the second or "last" one marked as Christ in TOWL Gone.

The first one to be marked as Christ is...

The sister that was left behind aka a representation of Beth.

Beth was marked as Christ here first (at the beginning of Gone) in the timeline, while Rick was marked as Christ last (near the end of Gone).

We see Rick on-screen before he gets marked as Christ, but Beth gets marked as Christ before we see her.

The time to finally see her again has to be close. Very close.

I also want to add one other extremely unusual thing I discovered, and it's in relation to the X eclipse that is coming up a week and one day after resurrection Sunday on April 8th.

For those who don't know, there will be a solar eclipse on April 8th in the US, and it's been nicknamed the X eclipse, because the path that the eclipse will take, makes an X in conjunction with the path of the last solar eclipse of 2017.

How is this related to Beth and Daryl?

Well, remember the episode "Find Me" with Leah?

And the solar eclipse they look at together, while Leah all but repeats Beth's line of "Don't you think that's beautiful?"

The eclipse in "Find Me" is the twin eclipse related to the upcoming eclipse the week after resurrection Sunday.

Leah was a shadow of Beth, I would now even be bold enough to say she was a blocked or eclipsed version of Beth.

Eclipse means an obscuring of the light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer or between it and its source of illumination.

In other words, the light or reality is hidden from view.

Well... I spent some time figuring out the timeline of this moment where we see the solar eclipse with Leah and Daryl.

And I'm not kidding you. They are looking at a solar eclipse in 2017.

Most commentators on TWD timeline place Rick's disappearance and being taken by the CRM at the 2013 mark.

The episode "Find Me" actually gives us a good calendar to work by in finding out how much time passes from when Rick goes missing up until this eclipse that Daryl and Leah look at.

First, we see Carol say to Daryl...

It's been 2 years of Daryl looking for Rick.

OK, so Rick went missing at the 2013 mark, and now it's 2015 (two years later)

We then see additional time jumps marked, adding up to 2.5 years...

Placing us in 2017!

Leah and Daryl's story was a shadow of finding Beth.

I've talked a bit about how 10's and X's are symbols of Beth's return, so this is an interesting, albeit odd addition to the X symbolism.

10.10 get well soon flipped ♾️ is 01.01 which represents the beginning and end.

Jesus said

‭‭Revelation 22.13

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

He also said

Revelation 22.12

Look, I am coming SOON!

X is 10 in Roman numerals, obviously, and we are also coming up to the ten year mark from when Beth "dies."

The current walking dead timeline for Daryl Dixon season 1 places us somewhere in 2023, so a question I have is...will we, at some stage in the future, see Daryl and Beth looking at the X eclipse of 2024 in a fulfillment of the 2017 eclipse...

Emily also wore this hat and posted a caption with it, "Don't F with me today Zombies".

She posted this back when filming was taking place for season 5, but we never saw the footage reported on from that time.

The crown on the hat is made up of X's that make diamonds, and it combined makes the upside-down pyramids, all of which are related to Beth and Sirius returning.

Make of that what you will.

I'm working on a future post to lay out how both Consumed and Find me are road maps to her return.

Both those episodes focused heavily on Daryl and Carol off together.

She is coming soon... Beth means house of, and she's marked as Christ.

House of Christ.

[callunavulgari]

Top 25 Fics of 2023

1. whatever you want by Wildehack (tyleet) | Wolf 359 | Kepler/Jacobi | 5k

Kepler doesn't fuck him that first day, when Daniel swallows his pride like it's a hot coal he can feel boiling down to the pit of his stomach and dials the number left on the card. Heather Says: Back in 2017, Wolf 359 changed my life. I relisten to it every year. I reread fic. I sometimes write it. And THIS year, I was blessed with one of my favorites writing my favorites from Wolf 359. It's honestly exactly what I wanted out of a Wolf 359 fix it/coda.

2. god was a dog-man by @andthepeople | Teen Wolf | Derek/Stiles | 13k

“Do you have a secret teenage son?” Stiles demands, as soon as Derek opens the door. Heather Says: I did NOT watch the Teen Wolf movie this year. I did, however, relentlessly stalk reaction posts and (very select) gifsets. I also read this fantastic fic, which is now the movie in my brain because since I didn't see it, I'll never know.

3. then out of nowhere, somebody comes and hits you with an ooh la la la, ooh la la la, ooh la la la, ooh by @calciseptine | Deadpool | Peter/Wade | 49k

A man with spider-themed superpowers accidentally breaks into Wade's apartment. Heather Says: Deadpool is one of those fandoms that I'm technically a part of because I like it and I think Spiderman and Deadpool is both hilarious and hot, but it's always just on the edge of my peripherals. But sometimes Steve's fic just kind of creeps on me and demands my attention. This was my feel good fic this spring.

4. By the Laws of Magic by Lenore | The Sandman | Dream/Hob | 32k

It’s 1959, and Hob Gadling is working at a London auction house, amazing his colleagues with his uncanny knowledge of art and artifacts from the 14th century on. When he gets the assignment to catalogue a family library at a place called Fawney Rig, he looks forward to a working vacation in the country. What he finds is a house with a preternatural chill where odd disturbances happen daily, an ornate carved door with a secret clearly hidden behind it, and visions of his mysterious stranger every time he turns around. Heather Says: I honestly love this ship. The fairy tale elements combined with the very compelling idea that in another universe much like this one, Hob Gadling ends up saving Dream from his glass prison made for some truly great fiction.

5. Dawnshot Through the Heart by @sirnotappearinginthisblog | Wax&Wayne series | Wax/Wayne | WIP | 80k

Ten years ago, Wayne fled instead of letting himself get arrested for murder. He’s been an outlaw ever since, keeping one step ahead of the lawkeepers who want him dead or alive—especially Dawnshot. But his luck was bound to run out eventually, and he knows how it always ends for the Bad Guys in stories. Heather Says: I think that this is the only WIP on here but I cannot rightfully leave it off because I LOVED this fic this year. I love the Mistborn series, but I've never really sought out fic for it before. This one though, this one found me. The writing is SUPERB and I wish it was a bigger fandom because it deserves so much love, you guys. It's so so so good. I love Wax and Wayne's dynamic in the series. They're great. But also- what if they had an enemies to lovers thing going on that turned poly? WHAT IF?!

6. One Size Fits All by @entanglednow | Stranger Things | Eddie/Steve | 65k

Steve just wanted to do something nice for a friend, he doesn't mean to get Eddie's ring stuck on his finger, and it's definitely not his fault that everyone he knows is jumping to conclusions. Heather Says: This is not the last time that you will see this author or this ship on this list. I really would have thought that Steddie would have crept out of my brain right now, but NOPE. And part of that is because every couple weeks entanglednow drops an absolute BANGER of a fic that obliterates my brain for anything else.

7. you are spring by @wildehacked | Supernatural | Castiel/Dean | 20k

God makes a wish. His parents work some things out. Heather Says: I got very close to leaving this one off the list, not because it wasn't good or that it wasn't one of my top 25 but purely because I've been out of the Supernatural fandom for so many years. I mean, c'mon. I didn't watch the last FIVE seasons. However, getting to follow along wildehacked's rewatch journey on twitter was a blast from the past and then THIS lovely shining fic that they churned out lured me back in for one last nibble at this ship that took over my life for the better part of a decade. It is so incredibly amazing and since I never finished the series, I will happily go on pretending that this is how it ended.

8. Interim by starkraving | BotW/TOtK | Ganondorf/Link/Zelda | 95k

She has no throne. Girls without thrones should not have knights, but hers won’t go. Princess Zelda – the girl who killed Calamity – would love to fade into legend, but Link’s bought a house, he’s fighting off monsters, and he’s selling giant horses to strangely familiar Gerudo men. She'll never have any peace now. Heather Says: This fic. THIS FIC. Is so richly built. Is so intoxicating. It leans into found family. You spend chapter after chapter watching Zelda and Link traverse Hyrule with the hot Gerudo that they met along the way after the events of the first game. And it is so fucking compelling. Honestly, while I'm happy that they smooched, I would have been completely fine reading another 100k of just these three wandering Hyrule together, being absolute goblins. 10 out 10, will read again.

9. one hundred years past by tciddaemina | BotW/TotK | Ganondorf/Link | 38k

Link wakes up a century early. It changes everything. Heather Says: Can you tell that playing Tears of the Kingdom left me desperately thirsty for any and all Ganondorf content this summer? I'm a sucker for all sides of the poly triforce but I'll admit that Ganondorf and Link scratches that enemies to lovers itch PERFECTLY if it's done well. And this one is done well.

10. Step Right Up by entanglednow | Stranger Things | Steve/Eddie | 3k

Steve had mostly given up on trying to meet anyone new after everything, but it's been six months and his friends had started giving him pointed nudges to get out there again. Heather Says: Told you it wouldn't be the last you saw of entanglednow. I actually think that this might be my favorite fic that they've written? Which is saying a lot because I will scream it to the rafters that any Steddie fan should read their fic. But this is FUN HOUSE MIRROR MAZE and MISTAKEN IDENTITY KISSING. Guys, I have no chill about this fic. I have no chill about Steve's hands in Eddie's hair, or the sounds that he makes, or the smell of strawberry. It is just so so good.

11. the most remarkable thing about you standing in the doorway is that it’s you by @greatunironic | Stranger Things | Steve/Eddie | 35k

Sixteen years after the world didn't end for the last time, Max Mayfield showed up on Steve’s doorstep and said, “You gonna walk me down the aisle in May or what?” Or, it’s 2002 and Steve Harrington attends a wedding, a funeral, and a birth. Heather Says: I genuinely do not think that I have words for this one. It is one of those all encompassing fics that sucks you in and just won't spit you out again. It hurts, an ache just under the breastbone. But god, it's so beautiful.

12. Fight Night by @rlnerdgirl | Teen Wolf | Derek/Stiles | 12k

Stiles starts fighting in college. He doesn't tell anyone. Heather Says: There are three...? Yeah, three Teen Wolf fics on this list. Three. Like it's 2015 again. Like my brain broke and time went ticking all the way back to when I was ridiculously invested in these characters. But honestly? All three Teen Wolf fics on this list are incredibly therapeutic. They get to be the ending for me instead of whatever clusterfuck good ole Jeff tried to pull. This one in particular is fantastic because it's canon-divergence after SEASON one. Yes, we have Erica and Boyd. Yes, Stiles is BAMF. It's a good read.

13. strange fear i ain’t felt for years by Sister | Batman | Tim/Jason | 31k

“Can’t believe a pretty thing like you has to come begging to the Red Hood,” he says against Tim’s neck. “Thought they’d be lining up down the block for you. Thought Daddy would need to get the shotgun.” Heather Says: Oh look, another ship and fandom that I was only peripherally aware of that had me in a chokehold for a good month and a half. I don't even like DC that much.

14. Silver-Tongue by starkraving | Baldur's Gate 3 | Astarion/Karlach | 9k

Astarion fast-talks an abnormal number of enemies into killing themselves in the shadow-cursed lands and the team makes idle (then less idle) conversation about it. Heather Says: Okay, so I STILL have not finished this game. I have however very carefully consumed as much content as I can get my hands on without being completely and totally spoiled. This was the first fic that I really loved in this fandom. It's no surprise that I ship Astarion happily with everyone, but damn is he good with Karlach in this one. Their characterization is perfect.

15. A Sign of The Morning by ToEdenandBackAgain | Stranger Things | Eddie/Steve | 86k

Vecna is dead. The Upside Down is cut off from Hawkins yet again. Steve is trying to go back to normal, whatever that is. He's also trying to figure out exactly how Eddie Munson has managed to fit so easily into his life. Heather Says: Honestly? What can I say about this one? It has 19,000 kudos despite being published last June. It's on a ridiculous number of collection/rec lists. The tension is exquisite. The found family? Even better.

16. Phantom of Truth by Haiju | Danny Phantom | Maddie Fenton & Danny Fenton | 58k

Locked away in a secret government lab with Phantom as her sole object of study, nothing stands between Maddie and the truth... except, perhaps, herself. Heather Says: Oh look, another fandom that I have never ever been a part of. I saw this REALLY NEAT and angsty tiktok (tw for ghosty gore) and basically immediately was sucked into a show that I've never even watched before. The comments lead me to this fic which is perfectly gen, angsty, and honestly absolutely perfect. I cannot get over how much I loved this.

17. Manacled by senlinyu | Harry Potter | Draco/Hermione | 370k

Harry Potter is dead. In the aftermath of the war, in order to strengthen the might of the magical world, Voldemort enacts a repopulation effort. Heather Says: I did the thing. I read the incredibly dark fic that I've been avoiding since 2018. I typically steer-clear of anything that is overly bleak and I do not tiptoe into non-con waters often. But one of our groomsmen who isn't even involved with fandom read this so that his girlfriend would watch Star Wars with him and then spent a good portion of a Halloween party talking it up. So I gave it a shot. Over all, it is too bleak for me. That said, I finished it in a weekend. I loved it. I hated it. I wish I'd broken it up over a longer period of time because the emotional bleed off of it was intense.

18. Ready for Love by @idiopathicsmile | Singin in the Rain | Cosmo/Kathy/Don | 12k

Don and Kathy would move in together. They would have a dog or two and then inevitably, a small parade of adorable little brats who would call him Uncle Cosmo, and they would spend less and less time with him, not on purpose but busy with the rest of their lives, and ultimately Cosmo would learn to make his peace with it because he’d have no other choice and he would have to try to move on and not live too much in his memories. He could picture it so clearly, he figured if the songwriting gig with Monumental didn’t pan out, he could always return to the backwater circuit with a new act: The Amazing Cosmo of the Cosmos—ladies and gentlemen, he sees the future, he reads the stars, he silently pines for his best married pal and all the while tap dancing! Don and Kathy inviting him along on their honeymoon, though—that part was a surprise. Heather Says: I LOVE this movie. It is one of my biggest comfort movies. I watch it to feel happy. I watch it when I'm sad. And I have always shipped these three but NEVER read fic for it. And honestly? I'm glad I waited for a good fic to find me because this one was perfect.

19. A Series of Forgettable Events by @trensu | Stranger Things | Steve/Eddie | 27k

Steve wanted to be a dad more than anything. Unfortunately, he was a single dude in his thirties which meant no adoption agency in the world was willing to give him a chance. Or at least no human adoption agency. Heather Says: Honestly just a delightful little jaunt in a world where Steve wants to be a dad, Eddie is a very overprotective siren, and the kids are, well. Little horrors. I love it. There's a sequel now which I am very patiently waiting to read it until I am less busy in RL.

20. the dry sand of daylight by @andthepeople | Inception | Arthur/Eames | 15k

Arthur is married to Eames for the better part of a decade. Then he wakes up. Heather Says: This fic left me ACHING for the Inception fandom circa 2010-2012. When livejournal was still a thing and the fandom community was alive and thriving. It is so achingly tender and perfect. I had forgotten how much I loved them.

21. brutalist masterpieces by @greatunironic | Stranger Things | Steve/Eddie | 12k

Ten years on, in a town in Nova Scotia, on the edge of the Atlantic, Eddie finds Steve again, and also maybe himself. Heather Says: Maybe that's my thing this year. Achingly sweet tender pieces that leave you reeling in the aftermath. This fic is SO incredibly beautiful.

22. What Made Milwaukee Famous by synthetica | Danny Phantom | Vlad/Danny | 30k

Ten years after establishing a tenuous truce, Danny crash-lands at Vlad's Milwaukee lakehouse with a particularly nasty wound, three days recovery time, and absolutely nothing to do but talk to his long-lost archnemesis. Heather Says: I'm told that this is something of a rarepair. However, from the limited information that I have from the series I can say with full certainty that two ghostly beings locked for years as enemies growing up and meeting in the middle? Fully my thing.

23. then now and always by @raisesomehale | Teen Wolf | Derek/Stiles | 13k

Stiles is stuck. Stiles is stuck in the fucking snow in the middle of bum-fuck-nowhere at night with a broken down car three days before Christmas, and the nearest tow truck company—over fifty miles away—doesn’t open until morning. Heather Says: And here we have the promised third Teen Wolf fic, the most cathartic of the bunch. I am so so sweet on future fic particularly in this fandom with missed chances. And this one is just so syrupy sweet. It's winter! There's horses! Derek's an alpha! They smooch. Anyway, this is how I cope with a series finale that didn't happen and a movie that doesn't exist.

24. Terminus by @rcmclachlan | Loki | Loki/Mobius | 4k

"Keep me here," he begs against Mobius's lips. "You must keep me here." Heather Says: What do you mean you didn't spend all three replays of the Loki series finale weeping into a pillow? What do you mean you didn't spend the next few days trying to find the perfect coda? What do you mean that you didn't find this fic and positively expire from the sheer fucking tenderness in Mobius' voice? What do you mean? What. do you. mean? Anyway, I know I'm not supposed to have number one favorites. This list exists because I cannot condense it further than 25. But guys, this was my favorite fic this year.

25. Eye Of The Beholder by @entanglednow | Stranger Things | Steve/Eddie | 22k

Eddie works himself up to ask Steve if he can borrow his instant camera, because the type of pictures he wants to take are…not the kind he can get developed in town. Heather Says: And to round it out, another Steddie. This one with sexy photos. The tension is killer.