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elionwriter · 2 years ago

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Sherlock Holmes the Awakened: a Review

(SPOILERS AHEAD)

Sorry, sorry, sorry, but I just NEED to talk about this game! I have been a Frogwares Holmes fan since the very beginning and 'The Awakened' was always among my favourite titles. Not to mention one of the games that had scared the wits out of me. So I have to speak about the Remake now.

First and foremost, I think it needs to be reiterated that this game was made DURING THE FU****G INVASION OF UKRAINE! During such dark times, the team kept working on this. I would have supported this game even just for this reason alone.

Now, let's be honest: Frogwares never had the most marvelous graphics nor the most polished of gameplays and this entry is not an exception. I still feel the map system is a bit difficult to navigate (I may be an idiot, but I had the same issue with Chapter 1) but I really appreciated the added help the game gives you when you're recreating a scene, letting you know which passage you got wrong. Last game I found myself changing everything trying to hit the right combination so I really liked this fix.

This needs to be said: the game doesn't feel under any shape or form a product for a new fan. Everything from dialogues to game mechanics sort of take for granted that you've at least played 'chapter one'. Honestly? I'm ok with this, I hate having to always go through nearly identical tutorial stages for games I know inside out (like Pokémon) and I believe that most of not all people who are going to get this game ARE old fans!

I wasn't originally a big fan of the new Holmes and Watson models when the last game came out but....I dunno, they have grown on me. I find myself liking them now for, I suppose, no other reason than 'they are very expressive' and 'I've gotten used to them'. I think it's gotten to the point that these might be my favourite models of the two to date. Please ignore how fickle I am! (In honesty, just to draw a similar parallel, when Roger Craig Smith was first announced as Sonic's voice I hated it and now he's my fav Sonic v. actor)

This game has something.....compared to its predecessor, that makes it less scary. I can't really put my finger on it, but I distinctly remember the feeling of claustrophobia building in me when I was in the Black Edelweiss. Or the sheer jumpscare I got when the sacrificed American detective on the altar had tentacles coming out of it and severing his head making it roll to the ground. I remember almost not wanting to paddle the rowboat under the tree of hanging men in the Bayou. I remember how viscerally sick I felt at the lighthouse by all the gore and blood depicted. This time round.....I just didn't. I'm honestly not sure why this didn't hit me nearly as hard as its 2006 predecessor did!

And talking about comparisons, one thing I'm a bit disappointed they didn't grab the chance to do in this remake was fix the loose ends that were left hanging in the 2006 version. I mean....they still abandoned completely the search for that one Maori servant, what happened to all the people they managed to rescue? Who hired the private American detective that was killed? Why give out the cheap pendants? I know I'm a bit dumb and need extra explaining than what is necessarily needed but...I can't be the only one right? Sometimes you want to be told just a bit more.

Now, getting into the really good bits, that make all of it worth it!

'Chapter One' acted as a 'de facto' reboot of the Frogwares Holmes series, and I honestly think that was for the best. I don't really see where they could have gone with things after 'Devil's Daughter' and their Holmes had changed too much to be the same guy from 'The Silver Earring'...let alone Watson. But like this? They have a fresh, clean slate to start off from and they can rebuild the two mains' relashionship and lore from the ground up in a more strictly consequential manner. And the way they are doing it? I think it's state of the art!

The fact that they poke fun at themselves on certain points like Watson stating: "What about when you used to roll up only one of your sleeves? Did you get bored halfway through?!" I think the Devs themselves realized this was a cringe design choice and I like that they said so out loud.

The meta-conversation they wrote in towards the end, 'because yes, this HAS Happened before and the story still has the same outcome', is brilliant. I don't think I've ever seen another remake that acknowledges that it is a remake, and in the general madness that is mounting in the narrative this makes perfect sense! It adds one more layer of horror and inexplicable to the tale. The villain's warning 'that the Final Problem is coming and Sherlock will fall in the abyss too' is such a powerful way to use Canon. The prophecy is only made more real and dreadful by the fact that this person is aware of what has already happen in a similar but different scenario!

Also, not them using that one quote from 'The Valley of Fear' novel which happens to be one of my all time favourites!

I say, Watson,’ he whispered, ‘would you be afraid to sleep in the same room as a lunatic, a man with softening of the brain, an idiot whose mind has lost its grip?’ ‘Not in the least,’ I answered in astonishment. 'Ah, that’s lucky,’ he said, and not another word would he utter.

I think the thing that has most benefited from the Remake is Watson's character. Compared to the 2006 version, this Watson is a truly compelling character in his own right and this time round he's not just along for the ride. In this version, you simply cannot imagine how Holmes would have done it on his own. Watson was in every way a key component to the solution of the problem and the reason why Holmes didn't drown in madness. That point is driven home by Rochester asking 'How did you defeat me?' and Holmes answering 'I made a friend!'

Much of the narrative in the game was focused on Holmes truly learning to accept Watson's friendship and him as a person when he was still clinging so much to his old imaginary friend. You can see how, at first, Holmes refuses to be honest with the Doctor about what he thinks and feels and it's only as they move forward in the adventure that they both open up to each other. You can see as the adventure progresses that Holmes shifts his desperate cries from 'Jon' to 'Watson' to 'John' and the Doctor goes more and more often from 'Holmes' to 'Sherlock'. Mycroft also points this out when he says that Sherlock 'went from one Jon to another'. But this one, John Watson, is real and there to stay. In the context of a story that happens mostly in the detective's mind, Watson's friendship is really what turns the situation around!

I could add of little tid bits which were so random and on the nose that somehow worked, like the possessed 'Heidi' doll or the fact that you had to actually 'Kill Holmes' with the booby traps instead of avoiding them.

Also, "The director Guygax was randomly killed.....by a doll?!????!?!?! Yeah, let's just walk out of here no questions asked. That's too deep a wormhole even for this f***d up Adventure to go down. I'm sure nobody is gonna ask us questions, suspect or stop us as we go out the main doors!" 😃 -Holmes, probably.

So, yeah, I loved this game despite it not being perfect and my love and support goes to Frogwares more that ever!

#sherlock Holmes the awakened #sherlock holmes chapter one #sherlock holmes #john watson #frogwares holmes #sherlock holmes devil's daughter #holmes x watson #sherlock x john #sherlock and jon #jon #mycroft holmes #chtulhu #eldrich horror #lovecrafian

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hedgethemaze · 1 year ago

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I stumbled upon this meme, a couple of days ago and I thought, since it's been quite a while since I posted anything LoK related reblogs don't count it would be cool to give it a go, while also freshen up some of my views on the series and... *he he he* while I was hoping for some of them to have changed over time, I see that most of them didn't🤣

Original template done by: purfectprincessgirl on deviantart

A bit of analysis is under 'keep reading', plus, some silver medals because like half of these weren't as easy to sort out as I thought 😅

WARNING: Long post ahead!

Favorite Character

Asami is no silver medal, she's the gold for me! Honestly, she should be the one in the image above (my n°1 favorite character in the series). The main reason I chose Korra for it was for the sake of not having repeats (she's my 2nd most fav character) 'cause Asami is unarguably my number one pick in another category (more on that way below)

Least Favorite Character

The author of the meme describes this category as follows: "LoK character you dislike the most, and they either annoy/bore you too much to ever enjoy their presence whenever they're on-screen"

Runner-up

Raiko embodies this definition to a tee, yet what Zaheer does to Korra during their confrontation in the Book 3 finale is plain torture and really painful to watch. I don't just dislike Zaheer, I hate the guy!

If it wasn't for the airbenders' intervention, he could and would have killed her - something Raiko would never be capable of, or even think of doing. Basically, he gets a pass for being harmless lol

Favorite Episode

This one may have been the hardest I had to consider. The runner-ups are too many to count, so I had to resort to the author's meaning yet again, to decide.

Long Live The Queen is an exciting episode with a lot going on - some of it being quite serious and grave, but with enough lightheartedness to not be an agonizing watch.

Watching Korra and Asami working as a well-oiled machine to escape not only imprisonment by the Earth Queen's men but also the dangers of the desert is a blast (plus, the more Asami gets to show off her skills and have relevancy in an episode, the better). Meanwhile, Mako's struggle and failure at getting Bolin to metalbend, Lin finding Naga and Pabu, and Korra getting to meet Zuko for the first time on screen are moments that lift off some of the tension from the fact that the Red Lotus are rapidly gaining on their hunt for the Avatar the on-screen assassination of the Earth Queen.

It's because of the balance between these elements that I chose this episode over the one I consider to be the best episode in the entire series.

Runner-up (among many!)

Korra Alone is a masterpiece of animated media and one of the best written episode in all of the avatar-verse.

To me, it cemented the titular character as one of the most significant, ground-breaking and inspiring protagonist of all time - I could go on and on about how great of an episode this is but I don't think I need to - yet, it's because of the heavy topics it deals with that I don't prefer it over many others...I love the episode immensely, but to see Korra go through such despair and torment is not exactly my idea of a good time😅

Least Favorite Episode

Quite the opposite to choosing a favorite episode, my least favorite episode has always been clear, no runner-ups needed.

In short, Beginnings is my least favorite episode because it is the answer to a question I never asked, as I stated at the end of this post of mine almost two years ago (see n°34). It is really hard to sit through these episodes for me.

Now, if you want a more fleshed out explanation - which, in turn, touches on some of the reasons why I picked my least favorite season as well - I encourage you to watch THIS video on youtube by Hello Future Me, if you're interested.

Favorite Season

I made this choice easier by counting how many episodes I love from each season, against how many I just like, otherwise it'd take me more than a day to make up my mind. As a result, Change won with me favoring 10 out of its 13 episodes, giving it a score of 77%.

With that in mind, the runner-up is...

Me loving 9 out of its 13 episodes gives it a score of 69%.

Looks like I'm on the boat that considers the second half of the series to be the "better" half, huh. I still would've placed Book 1 as the runner-up, thought - for two reasons only: Asami's untapped potential in that particular season and having more screen-time and dialogue than in Book 4, and me liking the main antagonist more (despite some issues I ultimately have with his execution).

*ehem* Anyway, Balance also has a far better finale in its favor, so it wins its silver medal fair and square!😁

Least Favorite Season

Even without giving it a score - which I still did, 43%, 6 out of 14 episodes - Spirits is my least favorite season, bar none.

Though, much quicker than talking about what I didn't like about this season (again, you can watch THIS video by Hello Future Me), is to talk about what I did like:

Delving into Korra, Tonraq and Senna's family dynamic (Unalaq gets included here but only for the first 4 episodes of the season), the introduction of Bumi and Kya, and their sibling dynamic with Tenzin and the appearance of Uncle Iroh! - these are the aspects, I think, the season touches on perfectly.

Then there's the not-so-perfect bits I still enjoyed, even though they went nowhere or got resolved in an unsatisfying way, like: Mako's detective work on the bombing of the SWT Cultural Center and finding out who's stealing Future Industries goods, which pushes Asami to having to sell a controlling portion of her company to no other than the one making profit out of the civil war between the tribes😱 Speaking of, Varrick's partnership with Bolin and the introduction of movers war propaganda, was fun but.....well, this is on the not-so-perfect stuff that I liked about Spirits so, yeah.

Most Overrated Character

One of the reasons for me to choose Kuvira is because I never shared other's fascination about her (which in most cases I've seen, it boils down to be either because of her looks, her fighting/bending skills, or both), nor did I ever bought into the parallelism they tried to draw between her and Korra.

But the one thing that could never get me on the Kuvira-train is the show going out of its way to try and give her the Avatar equivalent of Hitler seemingly redeeming qualities. Nothing Kuvira did since her raising to power across the EK, up to the end of the series, is justifiable or excusable.

Even so, I can't ignore the one thing I do like about her and that is Zelda Williams' flawless performance. I especially remember her speech in The Coronation, her delivery gave me chills! Throughout the season, honestly, there's like a haunting quality to her voice - it's like, I don't like the stuff she's saying, yet I still wanna listen lol Truly, she did incredible.

Oh! Almost forgot about the runner-up:

Originally, it was going to be Meelo (a petty choice on my part, I know) I can't believe I'm still salty about Patterns in Time

But I'll give the silver fairly to Zaheer because I seriously cannot get the hype for this guy. Even if he's my first exposure to an airbender actually murdering someone...even if he unlocked the ability to fly.

He may be a skillful martial artist, but if it weren't for the other members of the Red Lotus, Zaheer wouldn't be half as terrifying, imo. And he's also a coward.

Most Underrated Character

*sigh* Asami Sato, my beloved...do I need to elaborate on why this category (in my eyes) goes to no one but her? No matter, I've done it already: here (see n° 25)

It's also quite masterfully, and better explained here by Unicorn of War.

Ironically, I gave this category not one, but two runner-ups

Technically, Mako should be the runner-up.

To me, Korra is just as deserving of being the most underrated, underappreciated, and underestimated character in the whole series as Asami (then again, no repeats) - yet, Miss Sato is also mistreated (no pun intended) not only by others within the series but its creators, as well.

First thought of as one of the bad guys, Mike and Bryan created such an extraordinary character - with a killer design to boot! - who in spite of having less appearances and fewer lines than other 'main' characters, spoke loudly enough to write her own narrative. From the very first time we see her in Book 1, Asami pulled all the stops: She could've been a rival to Korra, an enemy to her friends, an ally to her hateful father...still, she ended up being one of the most compassionate, kindhearted and loyal characters in the series...despite all that, more often than not, the creators simply didn't know what to do with her💔

Now, imagine I didn't write all of that. That I don't put Asami above anyone else here.

Korra is the most underrated character in her own series, everybody knows this. The amount of complaints and criticism she gets to this day, unfairly so, is insane!

As for Mako, let's check the autho's definition of this category: "LoK character that you think doesn't get enough attention, as they're usually almost always forgotten about/bashed-on for the lamest of reasons in your eyes"

Well, in my opinion Mako does get a fair amount of attention, and while he does get forgotten from time to time, so are Asami and Bolin, so that doesn't bother me much. It's the last bit that gets me...

For the most part, he's hated because of the love triangle fiasco - a mess of a plot line that happened literally a decade ago. If to hold that sort of thing over one character isn't lame, I don't know what is - and I say this as a Korrasami shipper, an Asami simp and a Korra stan.

Moreover, these people easily gloss over the fact that both Korra and Asami moved on from that rather quickly, forgave Mako and still are good friends with him. More than underrated, I feel like he's misjudged - because those who complain about him don't take into account why he is the way he is, or rather, was.

They forget that, pretty much like almost everyone in LoK, he had a struggling childhood and went through his own share of trauma (like witnessing the murder of both your parents at the age of eight is no big deal) not to mention he had to be a parental figure and look after his little brother from a very young age, while fending for themselves on the streets...but besides all that, Mako was a 18 y/o teenager putting up a brooding front when the triangle happened, he should be expected to make stupid decisions, jeez!

If I had to blame someone for that mess, even today, it'd be the writers. To those who still shame and bash Mako for it, I'd tell you to either grow up or move on (if you're dumb enough that can't do both)

Favorite Villain

[I feel like, at this point, I've held anyone that's still reading this at gun point for too long. Let's speed up!]

Amon is my favorite villain of the series because of how entertaining he is to watch, maybe part of it has to do with the way he kind of resembles a classic horror movie baddy - he's definitely got the best design out of Korra's main antagonists (and I'm talking about masked Amon, not paint-faced Noatak). Steve Blum's performance is also a hook.

One of the first things I remembered when having to pick this one is how incredible I thought it was, back in the day, to have the first season's main threat be a waterbender. I know they did it first with Hamma in ATLA but she wasn't exactly a main villain.

Anyway, I'm aware Book 1 is quite contrived and it has lots of issues going on and off screen that I don't care to unpack. At the end, Amon is a fraud and, as a thread, he falls flat rather quickly. Despite being wasted potential, he had a good run. At least, he had one thing over Korra no other antagonist has and that's a frightening first impression.

Runner-up?

I don't think I have one...

Least Favorite Villain

Well, I already got Zaheer and Kuvira up there, and there's my 'no repeat' self-imposed rule. Btw, did you notice that it's a rule now? XD

I think it's fitting that my least favorite season has my least favorite villain. Give it up for UnaVaatu! One of the most bonkers concepts this show ever came up with is the 'Dark Avatar' ugh! because an Avatar shouldn't be either pure Light or Dark, sorry, not sorry. Also, spirit energy shouldn't be equal to laser beams - at least Kuvira had crazy engineering and mad science to make it so. UnaVaatu just...did it😂

Runner-up

I had to give Varrick the silver medal, simply because he isn't even a villain (ultimately, that is)...talk about wasted potential, this guy is frustrating in this regard, because he could've been a good one.

But...he had to conveniently spring a conscience in the middle of the last season, he had to turn good (sort of) and have a wedding. Well, at least he's a fun character *shrug*

Favorite Couple

It's all been said before - Korrasami belong together. Their relationship is supportive, caring and loving, and their characters fought against all odds to make it happen. Even if Korra is to answer a bigger calling as the Avatar, and Asami has to be at the helm of the largest company in Republic City, I just know, these two will always be there and committed to each other.

Runner-up

I almost didn't pick a runner-up, because I noticed that besides Korrasami, I don't give too much mind to shipping in this series. Then again, I can't deny that Tenzin and Pema's marriage is refreshing. I love how their personalities gel so well together and how she brings out the best in him.

Least Favorite Couple

When the description for this category said that non-canon ships can apply, well that is it...First, let me say that I never cared what other people ship and I still don't. You ship whatever you want! But I'll be damned if I don't find this revolting...and if there's even the tiniest need for me to explain my distaste for this pairing then there's something very wrong here.

How could anyone ship someone with the murderer of their last living relative - the one they were starting to rekindle their relationship with?! (*sigh* I explained it anyway) Not only Kuvira did it in cold blood, but even after the fact and wanting to atone for her other crimes, she never showed Asami any remorse for it.

(Feel free to correct me if it did happen in the comics, I honestly don't remember)

Runner-up

I know I sound like an hypocrite, I'm sorry. But shipping Amorra should be illegal. Ugh, I hate that I know what their ship name is.

#legend of korra #lok #nickelodeon #the legend of korra #korrasami #asami sato #avatar korra #mako #beginnings #avatar wan #lok tenzin #lok pema #lok zaheer #lok kuvira #amon #pemzin #I got one hell of a headache writing all this #controversy meme #long post

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cuddl3s4shur1 · 2 years ago

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Proud Family

Paring: PWI Shuriri x PWI Y/n

Inspired By:Proud Family- Tory Lanez

♡ ♡

Warning: This story contains, Rasicts , Fake people , Adult Language, Mentions Of Adult Themes , Mention of Drinking/ Smoking

Taglist: @saintwrld @letitias-fav-deactivated2023040 @ziayamikaelson @adeola-the-explorer @niaalove @2k7-sparkles @lunax0654 @atssukoo @writesbyriri @malltake12 @inmyheadimobsessed @shurisbabymama

A/n :I hope you enjoy this Plus I know I was supposed to drop this MONTHSSSS AGO but I hope y’all understand, I am also hoping to drop part 1 either today or tomorrow so we gone see 🙈

Series Master list

♡ ♡

College

Something you thought would be wayyyyy different than high school. Recently you joined PWI , which you would later become the biggest mistake.

The first day you joined the school it’s like all the Ashley’s and Sarah’s Had a problem with you . Which you had reason why until you realized there UNLOYAL boyfriends where trying to get with you .

Instead of getting worried at their boyfriends they said it was your fault, when really it wasn’t and being honest they just hadn’t seen black beauty.

That would cause problems in the future due to you wanting to join the cheer team, something you have been doing sense a young age .

You would try out for the team and you did your best and even made an original cheer. At first one of the cheer girls who you thought was the cheer captain said you where going to make it . When you later asked about you didn’t make it . Than you realize you knew why , One of the Ashley’s was the caption , you exclaimed to the dean on how this wasn’t fair and the dean would listen at have you on the team .

The other girls on the team would realize that you where a nice person and you weren’t trying to get with anyone but it was just rumors . The team would start to warm up to you except for the captin because she was literally being petty . But honestly you didn’t care because that was just her . Until she created a domino effect among the team . Than all of the other members where going cold towards you . So than they would start doing slick and shady stuff like at one point they didn’t tell you that you had game so you would miss it .

You would find away to always come to the games even if they didn’t tell you . You made friends with people on the teams . You where a friend of 2 people on the basketball team and 3 on the football team. So let’s just say you had all of the dates .

When it came to the cheers let’s just say you were a fan favorite, meaning most people came to the games to see you . It was mostly men because they just loved how the cheer costume was a little short. Which you would complain to the captin , she said she would fix it but never did . Which got on your nerves

Soon enough your first break for college had came and oh how you were excited to get away from them people . You got to go home and experience love and happiness .

You would tell your family how going to a PWI was something you kinda regretted. Although you got good education at the school the people you had to put up with where something else . Your family would understand if you switched schools to hbcu but they wanted you to keep trying .

So you did

Coming back to the school was at first chill , you had classes and nobody had problems with you. Plus the cheer team took a break meaning you had so much time to do Anything.

Which you obviously enjoyed

Than all the problems started back when cheer started back .

Isn’t that ironic?

It’s like the cheer team just gave you problems but this rumor was the biggest one.

They said since you where wearing the short cheer costume and you since you added more flavor to the dance , that you where dancing like a STRIPPER . Oh how this made you mad,you have been complaining about the costume for months and now they bring it up ?

You would tell your captain that maybe she should finally change your costume to be a little more lengthy , and she would sweep it under the rug.

So you took matters into your own hands . Sense they where blue and silver you were going to make yours better than theirs. So when you showed up in your costume the eyes where on you . What didn’t help is how you where the leader of that cheer meaning the crowds eyes stayed on you . Two people in the crowd really had their eyes glued on you .

Shuri Udaku

Riri Williams

The most famous power couple ( literally)

Not to mention they went to YOUR school. They would sometimes come to games , and oh how they where so happy they came today out of all days . They got to see a beautiful young woman

Riri and shuri would look at each other and soon look back at you .they didn’t want to waste no time not having you

. “Who’s that girl in the front “ shuri asks a random person from the school. “That’s y/n she’s one of the most beautiful girls people have seen , but she’s also the most that has a bunch of rumors “ the person sighs “but she knows how to end them real quick and she doesn’t trust people either because most people get with her to see if the rumors are true “ the person says . “What rumors” Riri questions the person . “Well they said she’s really good in bed and she’s hard to get “ Riri and shuri begins to smirk. “ oh fr “riri asks . “Yeah so i wouldn’t mess with her” the person says .

The conversation ended with them now knowing some info about you . And by what they heard they also wanted to see if the rumors are true . That’s when they started a plan to try and see if it was true .

To them it would be an accomplishment if they got to say if they got to be with you . So they could say if the rumors are true or false instead of some rando.

And so the plan started

Throw A coming back home party

Hope her friends invite Y/n

Start talking to her

Become her friend

Become someone she trusts

Take her out to the club

Leave the club after 4 shots

Take her back to the room

See if the rumors are true

Tell if the rumors are true

Date y/n

Now to get this plan to work they would need to throw a party .

The plan was going to start and soon

#shuri #shuri fanfiction #black panther wakanda forvever spoilers #shuri udaku #queen shuri #princess shuri #daddy panther #letitia wright #black panther #wakanda forever #riri x shuri #shuri x riri #riri williams #ririxyn #shuriri #shuri x reader #shuri x you #riri williams fanfic #shuri fanfaction

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minophus · 9 months ago

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oooooough Minophus, Do you think Sisyphus glowed even before he became a prime soul? radiant with the suns power, a source of light and warmth whenever he visited Lust?

Do you think in some other universe, they'd go on a roadtrip? singing along loudly to whatever old song is on the radio, just them, the car, and the world

Do you think that after Minos has thoroughly sunburnt himself in Greed, that Sisyphus would help him rub some aloe on all those injuries, that they'd lay together afterwards, just talking about anything and everything, that even tho their morals and tactics are different, they just want a life where they can be together

Do you think i can gnaw through my arm with the power of gay old men? idk but i'll probably have more thoughts later

OOHHUUU. MINOPHUS

i dont think he Literally glowed but he definitely glowed in his personality and charisma.. very warm and radiant in just his aura alone :) he definitely stood out among(HA)st lust residents and within a second anyone could tell he was 1 royal 2 not of this layer! I think lust citizens would be delighted to speak with him

AHHHHH thats so sweet to picture... ive definitely thought about them in a. Normal. Domestic environment and despite their myriad of differences in beliefs. i believe they should. the two of them feel particularly energetic and yesss sing along to their favs.. Think minos is more of that type to get sentimental about it. He'd want to lean over and give sisyphus a big fat SMOOCH in that adrenaline but alas. he's driving. I dont think sisyphus likes to move around Too much but he'd enjoy a once in a while roadtrip just to keep himself enriched

OOH i like to think he would, hed laugh his ass off at minos' sunburns but in the end. minos has washed him many a time and proven hes one to trust since sisyphus has fallen asleep those times.. so he offers remedies hes used for his subjects whose skins cant handle greed's sun. it'd also make minos sleepy..dont think theyd talk too much, aside from short mimos rambles, but very comforting and relaxing for the two of them

I think you can. I think you should. We should both do it together

#asks #gooptalks #telllll me your thoughts. Any and all of em.

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saffronapplemanga · 2 years ago

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GANGSTA. - ギャングスタ - PART 1

CRIME, ACTION, DRAMA

GANGSTA. by Kohske

(8 volumes, hiatus) Mangaka Kohske-sensei is sick and works on updates when she can. There are chapters beyond volume 8 in JP that haven't been collected into a volume yet here.

Available in English here

Anime - Yes. I'll admit it's crunchy, poorly paced, and disappointing because the studio went under literally a few days after it finished airing and it shows, but it’s still fun? They did cut stuff from the manga and there's so much they didn't adapt, so I'd recommend reading it. I'm begging for a remake and a season 2 or something...

Links to my other manga posts here

~Part two of this post is here~

We've got a meaty post today, lads! Sit down, because I'm going to gush about the series that's going in my all-time favs and I've made it my whole personality lately. I'm here to push the GANGSTA. agenda!!! I’m about to be so damn annoying.

Back in 2015 I was going through college hell and wanted something to chill with during my meager downtime. And so the GANGSTA. anime answered the call. Watching TV while shoveling food into my face was my only free time.

A whopping 8 YEARS later now that I'm a freelancer and have a flexible schedule allowing me to get into manga more than ever before, among other factors, it was finally time for me to pick this up. Naturally, I forgot a lot over the years, plus having consumed the anime in my suffering college student frenzy, much of my memory is fuzzy. What I DO remember is that the setting and aesthetics were cool, I loved the characters, and I was mad crushing on Nicolas Brown.

I'm pleased to report that after rewatching the anime and reading the manga, the me of 8 years ago had excellent taste.

Fellas, I present my 34-year-old homicidal, feral, sweet-as-a-button, baby girl ❤️

***Trigger warnings for everything you can think of for this series.***

This post will be divided into: Why You Should Check GANGSTA. Out - What's It About? - Lots And Lots of Character Analysis (And Gushing)

I'm going to give an elevator pitch and spoiler-free summary on why you should check this series out since I feel like it's — dare I say — slept on. Later, I'll get into spoilers and give a heads-up when I do.

Why You Should Check GANGSTA. Out

Diverse cast- disability, race, and age.

Disabled main character- Nicolas is deaf, mainly communicates in sign language, and I personally feel like the way it's handled is awesome (more on that in the character analysis). There are also great portrayals of mental illnesses.

Primarily adult cast- our main trio are 24, 34, and 35. All different races/mixed race. Also, they look like this->

The cleavage crew. My babies are amazing, just look at them!!!

Cool setting.

AWESOME character writing- we're never spoonfed, and there's so much you can glean about the characters from bits and pieces given to us — which is what a large portion of this post will be dedicated to discussing. Tons of nuance.

FOUND FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Found family? You have me hook, line, and sinker.

You can tell it was written by a female author if you know what I mean... Hear me out, I get into this more later. Please don't roll your eyes at me. I'm going somewhere with this.

Other than GANGSTA. I'm specifically thinking of Dorohedoro right now. It's the only time I've ever laughed at a boob joke and the whole, "Oh no, I walked in on a girl naked" joke and all that. Also, the bikini top/scantly clad outfits in that series don't give me the ick. Don't ask me to explain, I can just taste it. It's the execution.

While there are characters who are in romantic/sexual relationships, there are also a lot of platonic/familial relationships as well. I like romance as much as the next person and I can get really sappy sometimes, but I also want more non-romantic relationships between men and women. Sorta tired of the whole "a man and woman are in the same vicinity so they must bang, they HAVE to pair up". Again, love me some romance, but more of the other stuff too, please! And GANGSTA. delivers wonderfully. Some of the best depictions of the dynamic I crave that I've ever seen.

Look at this banger opening:

youtube

The ED is awesome too!

And last, but certainly not least, I'd like to present my "Nicolas Brown propaganda" video of this clip from Episode 1:

Look me in the eyes and try telling me this isn't the best thing ever. My man kicked a cop car in to stand up for Alex so they could save her and take her home!!! Also, Nic is voiced by Tsuda Kenjiro, the VA behind my other fictional crush, JJK's Nanami 'Husband-Material' Kento! Fair warning, I'm not going to shut up about Nic.

I have to admit, it’s difficult for me to wholeheartedly recommend the anime because of what I mentioned at the very top of the post. The voice actors were the best part of the anime, while the animation was… meh, and the pacing is not great. But it's still enjoyable! The manga destroyed me so good, though…

BTW if you're one of those people who are hesitant to get into a series that's on hiatus like my bestie, she HATES reading stuff on hiatus, I implore you to give it a go anyways. I successfully roped bestie into committing hehehe. It managed to absolutely wreck me in 8+ volumes. It's so worth it and I was very happy with how the last currently out chapter (#56) ended.

In case you were wondering... No, I still haven't recovered from Banana Fish.

There's also a completed spin-off series, GANGSTA: CURSED (I enjoyed it. I like action but it was almost too action-heavy for me. My fav parts of the main series are the quiet moments), a light novel GANGSTA: Death of Anosmic Stray Dogs (it was okay, Nic was funny but not enough of him, tbh I’ve read better fanfics), and drama CD's. I actually ordered the drama CD's to listen to later, but I'm traveling right now, and idk when I'll be home to pick up my package, so... And I read the extra manga that came with the Japanese Blu-rays (I enjoyed it).

What's It About?

Our boys Nicolas and Worick are the local "Handymen" doing odd jobs from deliveries and construction, to prostitution and homicide. They go way back, but their relationship is much more complicated than it initially seems.

The grungy city of Ergastulum is essentially an open-air internment camp. For who? Superhumans known as "Twilights", also called "Tags" for the tags they're required to wear. Twilights are the descendants of those who took the drug, Cerebret, developed during wartime to create enhanced soldiers. Their children inherit these qualities —making them an unintended consequence — but with a catch. They are forever dependent on consistent doses of Cerebret to stay alive and keep their bodies from shutting down. At the same time, however, it slowly poisons them, significantly slashing their lifespans. They are kept under surveillance, having been herded into Ergastulum, and xenophobia between them and the "Normal" non-Twilight refugees who settled there is constantly brewing. The Cerebret they need to survive is strictly regulated, expensive, and used to keep the Twilights on a short leash. They are in many ways, second-class citizens.

If you watched until the end of the Nicolas Brown propaganda video like I'm sure you totally did, you would have seen the tags dangling around Nic's neck — meaning that Nic is a Twilight. And in order to operate, he needs to be in a contract under someone. This contract puts the holder in ownership of the Twilight. In Nic's case, his contract holder is longtime friend and fellow Handyman, Worick. I'm sure you can imagine that it puts a certain strain on their relationship... Your BFF and roommate legally owning you even if it's to protect you? Awkward.

To make matters worse, Nic is running out of time, fast. The Cerebret, like I said, shortens the lifespan of Twilights. Various factors come into play regarding lifespan, but on average, they live into their 30's. And Nic is already 34 years old. I am... stressed, to say the least. I don’t know how he's going to pull through guys, I really don't.

Genuinely concerned for Nic's well-being. I don't trust Kohske to pull her punches...

Enter Alex — a prostitute the Handymen take off the street and offer refuge to. We learn about the city, the boys, the factions at play, and more alongside Alex, who has been thrown into this world. Worick is a charming sweetheart who I think sees a lot of himself in Alex, especially since he's been working as a gigolo from a VERY young age. And Nico despite his seemingly harsh exterior, is so damn kind and soft... They all are. I love my found family of traumatized dorks *sobs*

It's not all doom and gloom, though! We have funny, silly, cute-as-hell moments, too. And the domestic scenes? The quite, tender moments? Love. Obsessed.

I like how Nic is holding his old wanted poster with his face in the first panel like he's wearing it as a mask or something. And they're in separate interrogation rooms with glass between them but they can still communicate because Nic can read lips and Worick knows sign language. Clowns, the lot of them.

I admit at first, GANGSTA. seems like a kinda lame title. Like, as a native English speaker, if someone told me to check out a series with this title, it would give me pause lol. It really has that late 2000's to early 2010's aesthetic, edgy themes, plus the whole "Twilights" term — which when combined may make you think, "Yo, this looks lame," especially if you were a teen during that time. "Twilight" just makes me think of that Twilight, but we're ignoring that. For me, my teen years were cringe, and I'm sure many of you feel the same. But you know what? Mangaka Kohske-sensei rocks this vibe! She makes it cool! And now that I'm older, it's like, whatever embrace cringe, have fun and all that, y'know? So, GANGSTA. is great and totally not cringe in any way, hush.

She loves edgy characters — and eyepatches. Gosh, she loves eyepatches. And good for her! You do you, queen! I can dig it.

Bonus Nico because he's so damn cute. Love of my life.

But listen, this manga is deceptively deep, guys. You might think at first it’s simply crime, drugs, sex, and violence... But no! There’s more to it. The crime, drugs, sex, and violence are used to great effect instead of just edgy for the sake of being edgy. The plot is great and all, but the real bread and butter for me with this series are the ✨characters✨. I don't care if you have the sickest plot on the face of the planet. If I'm not obsessed with your characters... what are we doing here then?

Seriously, if I'm not willing to cut a bitch for your characters, try again.

It’s time to segue into ->

Lots And Lots of Character Analysis (And Gushing)

Goodness, where do I even start? So many good characters and moments to over-analyze! There's a boatload of stuff I want to talk about and I'm going to try and make it make sense. I’ll gradually dig deeper and deeper into the squad’s character. I do think I'll have to primarily focus on the main trio, or else my hands are going to fall off from all the typing.

Kohske-sensei doesn't spoonfeed us and doesn't treat us like we're dumb. You know when writers don't trust their audience to get something so they beat us over the head with it? Yeah, no, none of that here. Because a lot is implied or hinted at, this is going to be my interpretation of things. If you have a different take, I'd love to hear it! I'm going to just dive into the analysis with any evidence to support my claims, so I'm assuming you already know the story (or maybe come back later after reading the manga?) because from this point...

***SPOILERS UNTIL CHAPTER 56 FROM HERE ON OUT***

This section will be broken up into: Where It All Began - Nicolas and Nina - "Nice vs. Kind" - Worick and Alex - Nicolas and Alex - Nicolas and Worick - Nicolas - The Trio and The Scene That Had Me Bawling My Eyes Out - Brief Shoutouts to Characters I Also Want to Talk About, But This Post Is Already Long Enough

I'm about to get really sappy, so uh, here goes nothing.

(Note: the manga pages/panels I included for reference are arranged from right to left reading order btw)

Where It All Began

Let's start... at the beginning! The hankie. The first chapter establishes what kind of characterization we can expect from our main cast.

When we first meet our trio, Nic and Worick are leaning on a wall overlooking the city while Alex walks below, bleeding. And then, a handkerchief lands on her head. At first, it's not clear which of the Handymen dropped it down to her, but we're led to believe it was Worick as Nic had his back to the wall.

This is the first panel of Nic that made me go, "Well, hello there, sir 👀💦" Don't judge me. And like, why are half the buttons on his shirt undone? Worick too, LMAO. Not that I'm complaining..........

However, when Alex later thanks Worick for the handkerchief, he tells her it was actually Nic's. Awww, cute...

When the Handymen are hired to take out a gang, it turns out Alex is one of the prostitutes in the gang and therefore is going to be taken out by association. But the boys aren't too keen on this, which results in us getting the glorious Nicolas Brown propaganda scene I included earlier in this post. They claim her as their spoils after taking out the gang in order to keep her safe and get her off the streets. They even throw their weight around with the police by threatening to bash their heads in to do so.

This is all to say that while we see the boys do unsavory things like gleefully murder, we can see already that they're nuanced and SO DAMN KIND. They didn't have to do any of it. They had no reason to. They don't gain anything from it, nor do they expect to (more on this later).

Confirmed: They drink respect-women-juice. King shit.

The next day, we see that Nic seems to be acting pretty coldly with Alex. Right away, I took this as he's having a hard time opening up to her despite everything he did the day before to help her at no benefit to himself including saving her from a passed-out Worick LMAO. It's like... he's scared to get close. He doesn't mind her presence, but he stays at arm's length. We later get hints it's probably because of Veronica and he's afraid of getting hurt or getting someone hurt again. But, while running deliveries, we get this scene:

Which to me is Nic announcing that Alex is now under his protection — a fearsome rank A/0 Twilight. Yeah, it's to keep Worick's clients happy, but I think it's protection for her, too. They haven't known each other for a full 24 hours yet and the boys are already like, "Yeah she's with us. Leave her alone."

Nicolas and Nina

When we meet the absolutely precious Nina, we see a lot more of Nic's overt soft side. It's obvious he loves Nina a lot and is super affectionate with her and sees her as his little sister. And she very much loves him back!

I turn into a blubbering puddle of goop every time these two interact.

He goes out of his way to buy her the drinks she likes, holds her hand whenever they walk together, teases her, plays with her, comforts and holds her, and always keeps her safe no matter what. I could scream about every single panel they have together, but I want to highlight some of my favorite moments:

Worick disposes of the guys trying to kidnap Nina while Nic walks her to the clinic, but she stops at the sound of distant gunfire. Nic eases her anxiety by making her laugh and jokingly saying, "I didn't hear a thing," because of course a deaf man wouldn't lolllll. But he knew that she did indeed hear something because he knew what Worick was up to. But, they don't let Nina know that she was being tailed and in danger so as to not scare her.

Nina sleeps holding Nic's hand while he's passed out at the clinic, and when he wakes up he puts the blanket over her, careful not to wake her.

When Nic stays over at the clinic after he's hurt, the next day he jumps around rooftops with his superhuman agility, holding Nina close, simply to entertain this child he cares for dearly.

Alex asks Nina if she's scared of Nicolas, and while she understands Alex's hesitation, she says that, no she's not scared of him. She knows him for who he is, and not just how he seems. She knows he's actually a very soft man.

After all the patients at the clinic die, Nina is having a rough time processing her grief. She's a little girl with an enormous heart and was grieving over people she didn't even know. Nic leaves all the other grown-ups to go sit with her in his lap, against his chest, comforting her. Later, he takes her hand and walks her to Bastard to hear Alex sing and hang out with Loretta for a pick-me-up.

This scene pulls at my heart... Look at how much they love each other, and how much they feel comfortable and safe with each other. You can FEEL it.

After getting shot by Monroe and having seizures from Theo's experimental drug, Nic still tries to get up and go help the gang. Alex goes to stop him, meanwhile Nina... she looks at him with an aching heart, hurting because he's hurting. Taking his sword, she unsheathes it to reveal that it's broken. This causes Nic to have a moment where he realizes he too is broken and useless right now. So he slumps to the floor, allowing Nina to hold him. She was able to convey what she wanted to tell him — that he was in no condition to go anywhere and that she was worried about him — without saying a word.

To no one's surprise, this part had me in TEARS. So much is said with no words.

Nina puts her hands on Nic's, comforting him while he continues to be out of commission. Nic agrees to let Theo have his body to study as he's accepted his ever-looming demise, and Nina is... distraught. She cries for him. She cries while Theo tucks her into his lab coat, arm around her. I think that given Nicolas' history and trauma, having someone shed tears for him and be so gentle to him is extremely important. He spent the first 12 years of his life being abused on multiple levels and made to feel like he was nothing and then lived a harsh life even after he and Worick ran away. Having someone express this kind of emotion for him, this unfiltered love and care is important. Their casual, comfortable, and trusting tenderness is important.

"Nice vs. Kind"

I do want to emphasize that Nic isn't just kind to Nina. He and Worick are kind to everyone who isn't trying to kill them/has attracted their ire, that is. This is important to note for my next point -> Lately, I've been thinking a lot about something that I'm going to refer to as "nice vs. kind". I mentioned this in my AI Art post in a bit of a different context than we’ll be getting into here. While everything I'm going to talk about can apply to anyone, I'm going to focus on "nice guys".

Earlier, I talked about how the Handymen helped Alex without gaining anything or expecting anything in return. In fact, they're letting her bum off them and crash at their place for absolutely nothing. Combined with how our boys are good to pretty much everyone who isn't trying to kill them, I feel like this makes them truly kind instead of just "nice guys". When "nice guys" complain about how women in particular don't "give them a chance" or whatever it is they complain about, I have to laugh. You're being nice just because you want something from that person (such as getting a woman to sleep with you) or because you want to appear nice to people. In short, you're doing it only because you have an ulterior motive or something to gain — and it shows sooner or later. It's being selectively "nice" to people only when you are trying to gain.

Meanwhile, the boys don't do this at all. They aren't good to people because they're trying to gain something (unless it's work-related, they gotta eat after all). They don't care much about what people think of them or worry about "looking good". The boys follow what they believe in and act on it, even if it may seem morally grey or when it leads to them having not the greatest reputation with most people. But those who know them, know. And THAT is sexy and attractive, both in a romantic and platonic sense. When my friends are truly kind to me or anyone, I'm like, "Wow, that was so hot of you bestie."

When Nic was protecting the clinic in chapter three, Alex was scared of him. He unnerved her. Having just escaped from a man who abused her to hell and back, she was already on edge. Nic looked like an aggressive man, just like the last guy. Her initial impression is similar to the impression most people have of him. But he doesn't care about "looking good" because he's focused on doing right by those he cares about. THAT'S SOME HOT BOY SHIT!!!

Theo is great. We love Theo.

But how do I know without a shred of a doubt that they aren't expecting anything from Alex? I mean, isn't Worick having her help them with the business and do stuff for them? Yes, he is having her do stuff, but it's the intention behind it. When Worick asks Alex to man the phone while he's gone because Nic can't do it, he's giving her this task for her own sake. It's to make her feel included and useful and not feel like a burden, but without asking too much of her. I come from a culture that practices what I call "aggressive hospitality". What I mean is, for example, my friends will refuse to let me help clean up after dinner — and aggressively so — because I'm the guest. But I hate this because I feel useless and I'm just awkwardly watching you do all the work when I have two perfectly good hands. Like, PLEASE give me something to do, anything. And that's what Worick is doing for Alex! His asking her to do these little things is a kindness from him to her.

Besides, if Worick and Nic wanted to use Alex, they could have so easily at any time. A woman crashing with two guys after escaping an abusive pimp and is having drug withdrawals in a city where she has no one is an INSANELY vulnerable position to be in. She's quite literally easy prey. It wouldn't be unusual for someone in that situation to expect to be assaulted, to "pay with her body" in exchange.

But the Handymen, never go anywhere near that line. In fact, they completely reject the possibility, which leads us to one of my favorite scenes.

Worick and Alex

Alex's withdrawal symptoms are making her spiral and she's terrified. She needs to be useful. She needs to be useful the only way she can think of... or else. So she throws herself at Worick — but Worick shuts that shit down immediately. He doesn't entertain the possibility for a second. He refuses to use Alex. He could have taken the opportunity to "get some" but instead, he grounds her and makes her feel safe.

One of the most attractive qualities a person can have is making you feel safe, and I don't just mean physically safe. This isn't limited to what women find attractive in men or what's romantically attractive. This applies to a lot of relationships in general. (More on romance later, or rather lack of romance, because I didn't take this scene to be romantic.)

Worick went out in the rain looking for her. He saw that she picked up a John, going back to her old ways — and he never shames her for it. He just wants to take her home and is upset at himself for taking his eyes off of her. He makes it clear she owes him nothing. He reminds her that she's safe now, he's here now. And my sweet, sweet man just starts complaining to her about his crappy day in a silly, whiny manner to cheer her up and make her laugh.

He's like, "Boohoo, Nic fucked up my fancy shirt." LOLLL But seriously, I would trust this man with my life after all this.

The last line in this scene is some of the first instances of Worick being flirty with Alex, but in a way that I believe is another example of his kindness. Yeah, I said what I said. These scenes are some of the reasons that made me go, "I would bet money that this series was written by a female author." Some people might have the kneejerk reaction that these scenes are Worick being creepy, but I would argue that it's totally not the case.

When Alex visits Worick at the clinic, we get the following scene:

Alex is being hard on herself and feels ashamed. She pours out all the anxieties plaguing her mind, completely opening up to Worick. I don't know about you guys, but admitting how I really feel to someone, especially someone I care about and who I want to like me back in such a raw way is one of the scariest things you can do. What if they reject me? Or hate me? Will they think less of me?

But Worick brushes all this away so easily, again, never judging her. And again, he gives her something to do, to look forward to, with the promise of a song. Again, he gets flirty with her, joking around to lighten her mood.

"He's inappropriately touching her, though! How can you say that's kindness?"

Worick and Alex are both sex workers and have been from a young age. They both have trauma surrounding it. They understand each other in a way others can't. If Worick was invading everyone's bubbles and getting all touchy-feely with them, then I'd say yeah, he's being a creep. But he only does this with Alex. And while Alex might playfully smack him when he does, she's never really uncomfortable. She knows that he's doing this to cheer her up (and Worick uses humor as a coping mechanism — you can't fool me, sir. I have you CLOCKED).

If it actually made her uncomfortable, Worick would stop right away. He's earned her trust and continues to do so. This is what the banter and camaraderie between them looks like. It's like when I affectionately call my friend a "bitch" and say "I hate you" because we have an understanding with one another. If I did that with everyone, I would be an asshole. Meanwhile, my friend's mom yelled at her to be nice to me before I dump her ass. I was like, "Auntie... What are you talking about? We're literally having a brunch date together right now." LMAO, that's just how our relationship is and it works for us. In the pages above, you can see them horsing around, Alex "reprimanding" Worick for being a "perv" but quickly dropping her head on his chest and snuggling up to him. SHE FEELS SAFE WITH HIM!

AND HE FEELS SAFE WITH HER!!!!!!!

I didn't take this scene as romantic either btw.

I rest my case. Good day to you.

Actual picture of me reading about these dummies.

------------------------------

~Continued in my part two post~

#GANGSTA.#manga #manga recs #manga recommendation #manga discussion #seinen manga #漫画 #おすすめ #青年漫画 #ギャングスタ

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finitefall · 2 years ago

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What I found really curious about the Stansa crowd - to absolutely no one's surprise - transitioning to an (despite the muddled acrobatics by the HotD writers to re-imagine the character as tragic victim or secret hero or whatever) openly misogynistic, traditionalist character like Alicent was that there actually WAS a minor segment of Stansas in the wake of the Hotd launch that tried to argue the comparison to Alicent was off and Sansa couldn't in any way be related to her. 1)

But what actually became obvious instead was how irrelevant these voices remain among them. All they really did by trying to Not-All-Stansa their subfandom was further underline how natural that transition was for the majority of the rest of their group. Tbh it was clear for anyone outside what the prevailing mindset and point of their subfandom really boils down to. 2)

And what their fav ended up to stand for after GoT was done with her - yet they celebrated the storyline that actually destroyed her, just like every other major character. Maybe these poor sods still trapped inside there that were deluded about that have a chance to start to realize now. But otoh, there never was a bad idea that was once brought up among them they were ever able to give up again. They'll never change lol. 3)

No one was surprised, indeed. I think many of them argued at first because they didn’t like being so obvious. I saw some Alicent stans being upset at people who (rightfully) assumed they were also Sansa and start to rant about how people were always jumping to conclusions without knowing etc... that was a little funny, actually. Alicent and Sansa are different characters, but for them they represent the same thing, and those who don’t like her are misogynists who blame those two women for decisions and choices made by men.

D&D screwed up with every character, but as long as Sansa ended up QITN, they could celebrate, yes. It’s sad, really. And no, fans of Sansa and show!Alicent aren’t gonna have a sudden realization and give up, they’re literally making more and more posts and theories about both characters lol.

#anti sansa stans #anti alicent stans #anti show!alicent #anti d&d #anti got #answered

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userkoo · 2 years ago

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this site is so sensitive when i mention tae and jk together. like i even saw a tiktok naming their fav pairings and for everyone it was fine but when it was taekook they had to disclaim it was (pLaToNiC) was that not implied by the rest of your list?? ppl are so scared to mention them at all but if he's with another member its fine. its annoying and ppl are so transparent

i actually don't think tumblr is a primary suspect among the list of platforms where people move weird about taekook,.. but i'm speaking as someone in a little bubble of mutuals who are normal people lol. i also have never ventured onto the hellscape that is the bts stan side of tiktok so i can't speak on that either (besides seeing screenshots of people on there calling normal behaviors from jungkook 'red flags'... oof.) most of the bullshit, in my experience, stems from twitter where, like you said, even a simple mention of them hanging out together can end up with people accusing you of being a 'shipper' or a 'diet solo.'

this is going to be rambly so i'm putting it under a read more for the sake of not clogging people's dashes, but here are some of my thoughts on fandom culture/shipping in general:

oh real quick for for transparency sake, i'll start this off by saying: 1. i don't care about the relationship status of any of the bts members. they're single to me unless they officially and publicly state otherwise without any privacy invading force involved. 2. i have no problem with fans thinking/implying bts members are queer. lgbt fans finding comfort and comradery in their favorite people isn't a bad thing. :)

now for the actual post~

the fan dynamics on twt are so different and if you even mention taehyung and jungkook in the same sentence or say that they're very obviously close friends, you might end up on some of those 'defend [insert member here]' accounts where they encourage people to block and report for the slightest of 'offenses.' and like you mentioned in your post, that's over people talking about them platonically!! or over people who simply read fic without ever insinuating they think they're actually dating.

the puritanical culture that exists in very large parts of the bts fandom (and was present in the 1d fandom as well) is so weird to witness. we can all have differing opinions on whether or not rpf is 'good' or not, but unless someone is sending fanfiction to bts personally... it is harmless. and it will always exist. you will never enter into a fan space where independent, 'non-canon' content isn't being created by fans... and why would you want to? so much of fandom culture and history is about creation (and is also super lgbt centric!!)

in my opinion, the only people who still get up in arms about shipping discourse in 2023 are those under 18 or those who have no previous fandom experience. after stanning harry styles since 2012, i have heard the 'gay rumors made them drift apart!!!' argument so many times that it is genuinely nausea inducing. (and my opinion on that is... if you are that turned off by people possibly thinking you're queer to the point where it makes you end an important friendship, you either weren't very close to begin with or you're homophobic. likely a combination of the two. gay rumors are not, and never will be, offensive. they are not something you need to protect your fave from. why is this the argument so often touted by fans? why would you WANT your favorite person's self image to be so fragile that they end friendships over rumors? and that's not even getting into the fact that skinship and performance is built into the literal DNA - lol - of kpop...)

like. maybe i'm just too old to care now but i genuinely could not give less of a fuck if people think jk and taehyung are in a relationship. i do not care. they're both beautiful people who are clearly fond of each other. do any of us know how deep that fondness runs? nope! and we never will! and that's more than okay because these are grown men with personal, private relationships that we will never be privy to... as it should be. as long as boundaries are respected, i don't care what people think to be true.

can shippers get overzealous? for sure. do the people who analyze their every move need a new hobby? most definitely. but i think it's more than obvious now that the people who go to insane lengths to invade their privacy are stalkers or people trying to dredge up dating rumors between them and women.

it gets especially transparent when you have videos and rumors online about bts members dating people they've never interacted with publicly (using 'liskook' as an example, there are youtube videos with 10million views about them. one posted ten hours ago has 52k views) but i never see them condemned with the level of vitriol i see people using when it comes to jk and taehyung. is that not weird?

idk man. there's no concise ending to this post. fandom culture just intrigues me which is why i have so much to say about all this. it's especially interesting to me how it intersects with queer culture - or directly opposes it.

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pureimaginationts4 · 7 months ago

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The very first generation (1): Countryside Sweethearts

It seems that I have an obsession over countryside sweetheart couples =)) When I first tried The Sims 4 like 5-6 years ago, the very first sims I made was a poor couple coming from some rural area trying to follow their dreams and from zero they gradually built up a very good life together. But right after they moved in the mansion they had been saving up their entire life for, my female sim fell into a pond full of piranhas and died out of nowhere. I was too shocked to keep playing so I quitted The Sims 4 for a while.

When I got over the shock and downloaded TS4 again, well, it was easy to guess that the very first generation of my "trying TS4 again" phase was still a countryside sweetheart couple: Alan Hanley and Anna Connor.

Alan was a poor smart med student who had just moved to a big city to attend Foxbury Institute, the top university of medical. He first saw Anna in a kind of universities' exchange event where she performed a beautiful piano concerto on behalf of her art school University of Britechester. He fell in love with her at the first sight and knew right away that she was the one for him. Anna also had feelings for him and they gradually became a well-known couple among the students because even though many rich men fought for the attention of the most beautiful and talented girl of the Britechester, Anna only loved Alan with her whole heart.

After graduation, they started their careers from the lowest positions. Alan became a medical technologist at the most reliable hospital of the city while Anna started to work as a pianist and music composer. Without good finance, they had to overcome so many obstacles to follow their dreams but they always encouraged each other and made all the efforts to build up a better life together.

Alan promised himself that he would give his beloved Anna the best life he could offer and he indeed worked so hard to climb the career ladder faster than anyone because he didn't want his Anna to wait for so long and the day he was officially promoted to be a doctor, he proposed to Anna and gave her the dream wedding they had always talked about.

(I did not know about the camera and screenshot function back then so barely had good pictures of their wedding =)) only phone camera and selfies haha)

Things got better and better and finally they saved up enough to buy their first house. Even though it was a lovely small house, they were still very happy to obtain their first achievement together. They also adopted a cute little puppy named Cookie.

After two years of marriage, Anna carried their first child James Hanley.

Alan was a very loving husband and amazing dad. Though he got busier and busier when he became a world-famous surgeon, he always spent time for his kid and his wife.

Growing up in a lot of love from his parents, James was a cheerful and sweet kid. He was also a genius like his dad and a music lover like his mom.

Some more years later, another adorable baby girl came to this world and was named Rachel Hanley (well, a lot of pictures of the first kid but I was too tired when it came to the second one so there were not many pictures of her =))) Though her name Rachel has the meaning of "purity" (one of my fav names), she was actually the wildest spirit in the family and Anna had a lot of headaches dealing with her daughter's rebellious phases.

Together, Alan and Anna raised their kids, watched them grow up and walked with them through important milestones of their lives.

After almost 20 years of marriage, Alan and Anna was still deeply in love like their first days. His favorite thing was to watch Anna play the piano. It always recalls the first time he saw her shine on the university event stage.

Though he always said Anna was his muse, he was actually the inspiration of many of her famous music compositions, which helped her obtain a lot of notable awards. The inspiring story of the popular music composer Anna and her university sweetheart was very famous in the showbiz and they were the golden couple that a lot of people admired.

Anna still kept and treasured everything Alan gave her, especially the guitar which was the very first present that the poor med student Alan skipped many meals to save up for and gave her on her 20th birthday.

Alan and Anna slowly grew old together. They fulfilled their lives with a lot of laughters and happiness.

They even had a chance to watch their grandchildren grow up.

Alan was the first one to say goodbye to this world. He passed away at the age of 90. Though she was a bit lonely, Anna still had a lot of memories of Alan to recall day by day and she knew they had spent a contented lifetime together. 5 years later she reunited with Alan in the afterlife.

Here's the last picture of Anna taken with her son James before she passed away.

And that's the story of the first generation of The Hanley aka one of my favorite couples, Alan and Anna.

(It was so sad to watch they go though :()

#ts4 #sims 4 #the sims 4 #the sims 4 story

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diedraechin · 2 years ago

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Hi! I love your BYSOTI and been my top 1 favs for YOI's fanfictions! If you plan to make it a book I would definitely support you all the way hehe. But really there's something that I want to ask you if it's ok with you to answer? I'd been rereading your story and it got me curious on chapter 39, what the other skaters in Japan thought of Yuuri? Since he just swooped in for nationals, wins it, then leave again for Detroit. Especially bec he don't also joined the group chat for Japan's skaters.⛸️

Thank you so much!

So, what do Japanese skaters think of Yuuri... it depends! LOL that is such a cop out answer, but it's true! There are some generalizations though...

Specific skaters (aka the ones that get names and multiple mentions in the fic) tend to have more experience with the way Yuuri is. So Keiko is very friendly with him and teases him like a sister would (but one closer in age to him than his actual sister). Like Nishigori teases Yuuri. Yuuri and Masao are friendly. Not close, but friendly. Jun (pairs skater and supplier of Yuuri magazines to Viktor) is more the group mom (as she's the oldest among the Japanese Team skaters at 26ish) so Jun just wants Yuuri to be happy and safe and skate well and is happy that Yuuri's friends compete in pairs because no one competes in pairs for Japan and she's edging closer and closer to retirement...

The younger skaters like mentioned in the skate america chapter... for the girls anyway... Yuuri is kinda the "cool/attractive" Men's skater that they've been seeing for years in the skating magazines. So some crushes, some eye rollyness, some think he's a good skater, some think he's overrated...

The point that Yuuri was talking about in chapter 39, however, is his interactions with his competitors in Men's Singles. At this point, Yuuri at 20 is basically around the average age. The older skaters who are still in it like Oda are in there mid heading into late 20s; they saw Yuuri come up and basically usurp all of them without any acknowledgement (because Yuuri is bad at human interaction and becomes a turtle instead of trying to get to know people). So there are definitely some that dislike him or are frustrated because he started placing on the podium at nationals while a Junior (and one that never seemed to want to step up into Seniors). Some like him (apparently Oda likes everyone so I'm making the assumption that his character in the yoi canon likes Yuuri because Oda is made of sunshine and rainbows).

Then there are the Men's singles competitors that younger than him. So Juniors like Minami or younger Senior competitors that heading into their first season as a Senior. The majority of them this Yuuri is amazing (at least to some degree). And a little terrifying because Yuuri has resting murder face with Minami probably being the only one who would literally bounce his way into Yuuri's field of vision maybe dragging a friend or two along who always wished they could get something signed.

Then there are the bulk, probably, who are right around Yuuri's age and haven't quite started dropping off to focus on university etc. Murata fits into this category. And they are the ones that are least likely to be a fan of Yuuri's or think of him as kouhai who has risen through the ranks. Some are probably impressed by him, but some are just super frustrated by him. Like Murata (he'll be our example). Murata has tried for YEARS to beat Yuuri... the entire time they were in Juniors together even and never managed it. Yuuri is literally his top rival and he kinda feels like Yuuri has his head so far up his own ass that he doesn't even realise Murata exists. Which isn't the case at all. Yuuri takes competing against him very seriously, he just never says anything to that effect. Murata thinks that it's insulting to the other skaters that Yuuri won't even join the group chat that the rest of the top skaters in Japan are in and most of the skaters in there are basically "that's so Yuuri". He doesn't get it because he thinks that Yuuri is a jerk... and Yuuri kinda is. He doesn't do the things that Murata expects. So NHK is his first time dealing with Yuuri outside of nationals and they're stuck in a room together and he's heard how Yuuri stays up too late, requires wakeup calls from his coaching team etc... He was definitely expecting to room with someone who was more "I'm better than everyone here so I don't give anyone the time of day" and instead ran into rote politeness, an awkward turtle, someone who literally doesn't get enough sleep because he's just sitting on his bed frowning into space, doesn't really do small talk unless forced, someone who apparently Keiko directs all her teasing energy at (which he's actually glad he's not the focus of), and probably drinks too much. So getting to see him in a different set of circumstances has put Murata's opinion into flux, but his base opinion is probably shared by a few of that skaters who hover around in the top ten at nationals and only see Yuuri once a year when he flies in, basically wins, and then leaves.

#sassy tries to answer some asks #sassy writes #bear your soul on the ice #bysoti(d)#I don't know if this was helpful at all #I ramble

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say-narry · 3 years ago

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No relationship

Note: English isn't my first language. Hope you all like it, I just imagine these two men together and Harry having jealous over me. Please, give me your opinion with a reblog, fav or a note in my askbox :)

Pairings: Harry Styles!famous x Reader x Chris Evans!Biology teacher

warnings: mentions of sex, jealous, alchoolic drink.

talk with me | masterlist

I thought that casual sex would never work out for me, since I had closed principles on the subject, but Harry made me totally change my perception about it.

At the height of need, we would go somewhere private, usually my apartment, have sex, and that was it. We'd drink some wine and talk about small things, as if nothing had happened and that was fine with me, really.

When something started to come up, I would try to remember Harry's words.

"You know, this is never going to be anything more, is it?" He was lying on my couch, after talking about a couple of friends who were like this and ended up getting married last weekend.

"Yes, Harry... It's just a comment, I'm not going to put a ring on your finger and even sign a marriage certificate with your name on it..." I rolled my eyes, I simply couldn't say anything and he would put the deal on the agenda.

So when he was off me, I just enjoyed the ecstasy of the orgasm and went on with life. And then, life brought me Chris.

The nice guy with the divine high spirits that I met at the supermarket. He helped me carry some boxes that I had picked up to pack clothes for donation, between conversations and sample muscles, we exchanged numbers and extended our conversation.

Unconsciously, I pushed Harry to the background, but I reached the point that just sex wasn't enough, I wanted someone to be more than that, something that Harry emphasized he wouldn't give me. Ever.

"Are you sure your friends won't mind?" Chris commented as soon as he intertwined our fingers when we entered the bar.

There weren't many people, I was comfortable with the amount of people, whenever it was possible, but obligatory once a month, Harry, me and our friends gathered here to chat, it was the happy hour of our squad.

"No way, they will like you..."

We walked over to the usual huge table we used and I could see Harry's smile fade immediately when he saw my hand in Chris'.

"Good evening, everybody! This is Chris, the guy from the supermarket I told you about!" I winked and everyone at the table waved, except for the lovely Styles.

We pulled out two chairs and sat down, I was in the middle, Harry to my right, and Chris to my left.

"But then Chris, you do what?" Jay asked while stirring his drink with a straw.

"I'm biology teacher." His cheeks flushed and we could see the astonishment on everyone's faces.

"In my time, teachers weren't so muscular..." Peter commented and we all laughed.

"Check it out, girl! He knows a lot about evolution and reproduction!" Jay winked and gave a mischievous smile.

"Oh, shut up!" I covered my face with my hands and the others laughed.

Two hours later...

"Go! Go! Go, go, go! Go!" Chris was drinking a 1 liter mug of beer in dispute with Adam and we were shouting around.

Chris ended up winning and started laughing, looking at me and I pulled him in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Harry, Y/n... Get two more glasses each, I want revenge!" Adam slammed the glass on the table and Chris applauded, accepting the challenge.

I nodded positively and we went to the counter.

"Kate, four more, please!" I asked the familiar bartender, who gave me a positive finger sign and started to fill the four mugs.

"Eh... uh..." Harry drummed his fingers on the counter, catching my attention. "He's funny..."

I slapped my palms on the counter and looked up at him.

I'd only known Harry a short time, but his internal cheek-biting, nose-frowning, and hair-stirring antics were a sign that he was uncomfortable about something.

"He's amazing!" I sighed, watching Chris from afar, who was chatting animatedly with the guys. "We're talkin about one week I think and it seems like we've known each other for years, he's smart, he's kind, he's engrossing..."

"I'm not interested, Y/N." Harry, who was leaning sideways on the counter before, straightened his posture and stepped closer "I thought there was something, uh... uh... between us... I think..."

I raised my eyebrow, wanting to laugh at that.

"Is this a prank?" I turned, coming face to face with Harry.

"What?" He also grimaced, and now I could see his pupils dilated.

"I thought there was something between us..." I imitated his accent "Harry, it was just sex."

"Was it? Have I been passed over?" Harry bent the arm that wasn't on the counter and put it around his own waist, in a satisfied pose.

"You've never even been in front." I took a deep breath, already tired of that drama. "You pointed it out to me more times than I could count, if I had even commented to you on the subject of 'relationship'..." I made quotation marks with my fingers "You were already cutting me off. We got into this by consent, you imposed the only rule and I followed it, so anyway, I was free to move on and look for something more solid."

Kate handed us the mugs and ran our digital receipts through the scanner and handed them back to us.

I grabbed the two handles of the mugs and Harry stopped me, holding out his hands for me to take mine away.

"At first it was just something temporary, a relief... My life has always been a roller coaster and you know it, but I've been thinking about us..."

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes.

"And?"

He frowned again, taking a breath and narrowing the space between us even more.

"And that I would like to have something more with you, y/n, a relationship maybe, a wedding ring and a piece of paper with our names on it like you said that time. I know there is a lot in this, but I would like to try."

"Don't you think it's a little late for that?" I urged him and pointed my head to Chris, who was still laughing and talking with the others.

"He's just another one, Y/n, let's be honest... I've known you longer and more... deeply... " A mischievous smile escaped his lips and I wanted to roll my eyes.

"He, among as many as you, didn't reject me several times, don't make me jealous at this point..." I turned quickly and picked up the two mugs "You wanted this, Harry, and I accepted it, so bear the consequences and a toast to something we had!"

I lifted one of the mugs and took a sip of the drink, walking back to the guys, leaving Harry alone, as he always wanted.

#harry styles #harry styles smut #harry styles x reader #harry styles fanfiction #chris evans #chris evans smut #harry styles imagine #harry styles angst #chris evans x reader

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gloster · 4 years ago

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FAVORITE FANFICS OF 2020

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I know I speak for all when I say....I cannot wait to toss 2020 out the door the way Uncle Phil constantly did with Jazz. One of the things that got me through this rough year, besides family & friends & BTS, were fanfics.

It’s that time of year again where I make a list of all the fanfics that I absolutely adored. Some are by veteran favs of mine, others are new to me who just knocked it out of the park. If you’re interested in past lists, here is 2019′s list and 2018′s. If y’all are interested in doing your own fanfic favs of the year, please do so and tag me. Always on the hunt for new favs.

So without furhter ado, my fav fanfics of 2020:

1). Another Word for Forever series by stardropdream (sheith)

Summary: Shiro knows better than to expect love in an arranged marriage. This is all for the sake of universal peace, after all, and solidifying a Terran-Galran alliance. At the very least, Shiro can hope to make a friend out of this. Becoming friends would be much easier, though, if he and his husband could actually communicate.

With a language barrier and a mountain of cultural differences between them, getting to know Keith proves to be a challenge. Luckily, Shiro's always worked well with challenges.

2020 shockingly became the year of sheith. I ended up rewatching the show w/my bestie @littlenightdragon. Diving more deeply into it w/my other bestie @kila09. She and I spent the better half of this year devouring so many fanfics of them in various AUs. I came across new fanfic authors, and stardropdream is among them.

If I could describe this series & stardropdream, I’ll take a cue from Lady Gaga: “ talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it”

This series was just PERFECTION. I’ve gotten into arranged-marriage AUs and this has been one of the best I’ve read. It was just perfection. The language barrier definitely added an extra charm to it, in which Shiro finds his own ways to get to know his husband better: both creative and funny ways. So many cute moments, so many funny moments with Hunk being the translating middle man between them, and the smut. THE SMUT. THE SMUT. THE SMUT. Just *chef’s kiss* Incredible. It was just so so sweet, and such a comfort read. I reread this series 5 times already and hope Robin (the writer) does more stories in this AU.

Please read this series. You’re not gonna regret it. It will MELT your heart.

Honorable Mentions:

If I Called You Mine

Sail Across the Sky Just to Get to You

Finding Shelter (The Alien Baby Remix)

Say You Do(n’t)

2). The Golden Hour by @goldentruth813 (sheith)

Summary: After a space mission failure, Shiro loses his arm and his career. Two years later he's settled into a quiet and simple new life on his farm, but when a beautiful alien crashes in his field, he discovers the answers to his questions—and possibly the keys to his future—will come from the stars.

I’m sure no one, least of all Janel the writer herself, is surprised to see this author featured on this list. For now the 3rd year in a row. WOOOW 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿 She is the reason I got into shieth, and she just continues to put out amazing conent with them. This story by far has been the best she’s done this year-possibly one of the best ever.

We have Shiro trying to have a simple life at the farm with his dog and animals. A curious BOM Keith who shakes things up with his boldness/innocence-and questions bound to test blood pressure, especially Shiro’s. Loads of cute moments, loads of funny moments, and also loads of oreos.

If summary and my thoughts don’t sell you, only one thing will: reading it for yourself.

Honorable mentions:

Two Hearts in Bloom

Mountain Men

Home is in Your Heart

3). Spun like Gold by Neyasochi (sheith)

Summary: Though Shiro is currently operating his fledgling bakery business out of a decrepit food truck he got for cheap in a repossession sale, he dreams of something more: a cozy bakery and cafe on a tree-lined street somewhere, filled with the smell of fresh coffee and sugar glaze instead of diesel. A little money could go a long way to helping him get off the ground-- and luckily, Keith has money to burn.

Or: Keith takes care of Shiro’s financial woes, in exchange for a little sugar.

OMG, OMG, OMG was this story so sweet. Neyasochi already sold me with the baking/baker Shiro trope, but went a step further throwing in sugar-daddy Keith who knows his way around his manic family and cars, but when it comes to asking a cute guy out? What better way to make an impression than becoming his best paying customer?

Honorable mentions:

oh, devour me

Healing Touch

on your hand of gold

4). The Destiny You Sold by @tryslora (drarry)

Summary: In which Draco knits, Harry makes wands, and things get very tangled up between them.

If there’s one thing I love about fanfics is how they introduce you to tropes you never would consider before. Draco and knitting was a combo I didn’t realize how much I needed until now. And I love the fact knitting played a big part of the accidental bonding. Also loved the fact everyone in their friend group shipped them like crazy. Highly, highly recommend

5) What’s My Age Again? by @lazywonderlvnd (drarry)

Summary: Harry Potter has had enough of pleasing the public, and his reckless tendencies are finally getting out of hand.

The Quidditch World Cup is only a week away; as Captain of the English National Team, Hermione has assured him that his immaturity won’t be tolerated by the Ministry.

And then Malfoy shows up.

(Inspired by the blink-182 song of the same name.)

It’s no secret that I’m such a fangirl of @lazywonderlvnd. Any drarry story I read, I always love. Last year, I ADORED The Changing Lights, which was one of my favorites last year, and her updating/finishing the story was a massive highlight for me. I thank ya for that.

This story was honestly refreshing. I’ve grown so used to Harry being responsible, always doing what’s right, that seeing a story where Harry pretty much has his middle finger in the air to “good reputation”, “being responsible,” because as he brought up: “I’m 25. I’ve been fighting all my life. I’ve earned my life to have fun.”

Okay, granted, it wasn’t quite like that but it was along those lines. And I agree. After all he went through, Harry deserves to have fun. He deserves to be reckless and make stupid decisions.

Also, it was such a blast reading a story where Harry is the brat & Draco has to keep him in line. LOVED.

Honorable mentions:

Inside Your Mind

Aletheia

6). Chocolate and Pastry by agentmoppet, anemonen (drarry)

Summary: When Pansy bets Draco that there is no chance he and Harry could carry out a genuine romantic relationship, he and Harry form a plan. But as their fake relationship progresses, Draco sees a side of Harry he never expected. Harry is struggling with something, pushing it far down inside him where he doesn't have to acknowledge its existence. Draco starts to worry, and then he starts to care, and then... horribly... he starts to fall in love.

Do not let the title fool you like it did me. Title alone, I was thinking it was going to be a fun, fluffy story involving baking, maybe chocolate crafting. However....it was not that at all. It was more. A lot deeper. A lot more angsty. It explored mental health, PTSD and the dangers of loved ones ignoring the signs, and contained an important message:

You can’t love someone out of their illness/disease/ addiction. Which is true and this story showed that.

7). i’m still here by owedbetter (zutara)

Summary: "You see me."

And somehow, that makes all the difference.

If there’s one of the few good things 2020 has brought, it was Netflix bringing back ATLA to their library. Which in turn ignited my love for zutara & had me drag @kila09 into that ship.

This story was just incredible. The way it was written, it really felt like it could have been canon. Deleted scenes that a certain creator didn’t want us to see. The way Zuko and Katara came together, starting from their peaceful friendship after the Southern Raiders episode up, becoming closer along the way.

I dare y’all to read this and not think OMG...is this secret canon bonus material? I definitely plan to read more by owedbetter.

8). all the what ifs i never said by rosegardenlake (sheith)

Summary: Keith is nine when he first notices Shiro. Shiro is gentle and quiet, always keeping to himself. Keith is rough and loud, running wherever his feet will take him, screaming on the top of his lungs into the wind. But despite that, they're a constant throughout each other's lives...if only that could be enough. As they grow, Keith just wants them both to be happy, but instead, he's falling apart.

Rosegardenlake is another sheith writer who I adored last year & adore this year as well. This was a story that I read during the beginning of quarantine-life and when I tell you the number of times Keith’s emotions of loneliness got to me, it’s a big number.

Keith’s struggle with life after high school, after peaking in school, and his mental health reminded me too much of where I was at 2018, which wasn’t a good year for me at all, especially mentally. So that was triggering but it was also helpful since I saw how far I came. And it was beautiful seeing how far Keith came.

Also the relationship between Shiro and Keith was just beautiful. It’s very funny how Keith was Shiro’s protector growing up and Shiro became Keith’s later on in life. There’s a chance your heart may be heavy, but will also be so swelled up with feelings these two bring it.

Honorable mentions:

Where the Light Doesn’t Reach

9). When Night Comes by Oh_Hey_Tae (BTS; poly ot7)

Summary: Jungkook’s tipsy, but he’s not buzzed enough to miss that he doesn’t recognize any of the four dozen people here. And seeing as his friends aren’t ones to ditch and there’s no way they’d play a prank this mean on him, Jungkook reaches the conclusion that he just walked into a stranger’s very expensive home, uninvited, and started eating their food and petting their well-dressed dog.

(Or: Jungkook shows up to the wrong Halloween party and meets the most powerful family in Seoul.)

I can easily say Oh_Hey_Tae easily one of my favorite BTS fanfic favs. Always come through with the stories, and this one was just amazing. We have Jungkook stumbling into a Halloween story, and soon enters into a intense, insane relationship with all six guys, who are already in a relationship with each other. Oh, and supernatural creatures at that.

You do see certain relationships are stronger, deeper. For example, a lot of moments between Jin and Jungkook. Vmin has their own story and moments. But it was just so amazing.

Fair warning. Halfway through, things get darker and Oh_My_Tae really loves playing readers diirty with the angst, but it’s so good.

10). peace-weaver by magisterpavus (sheith)

Summary: You will be the peace-weaver, his mother told him, smiling though her dark eyes welled with unshed grief. The one who brings two bitter enemies together and ends the bloodshed and death between us, once and for all.

But men will always crave war. The Galra, most of all.

Yet another arranged-marriage AU that I loved. This particular one is well-loved in the sheith fandom. I can definitely say it’s considered one of the classic fanfics that’s been read or shared at one point or another.

The story itself reminded me a lot of Macbeth, involving murder and dark forces at bay. The dynamics between Shiro and Keith reminded me of Drogo and Daenerys from GOT, one of my fav couples there, which only made it all the more better for me.

I do credit the author for the creative approach they took with quintessence and Shiro’s role/persona as the Champion

Honorable mentions:

The Boy in the Window

Sheith Demon/Priest AU

A Matter of Scale

Directive

Honorable mentions that I seriously wanted to add to the list but this post is already lengthy. All amazing, all greats reads by various writers y’all should check out:

Hold Me Tight, or Don’t by snowfallen (yoonmin with a Mr. & Mrs. Smith AU featuring assassins and hitmen, secret identities, fake marriage, and a lot of smut)

The Prince and Pirate by Maniacani, @nerdherderette (drarry with a splash of royalty and pirates. Perfect if you’re needing to fill in any Pirates of the Caribbean or Black Sails cravings)

First Kisses are the Best Ones by SashaDistan (sheith in a 50 First Dates Fusion heartfelt/heart-gutting story)

freely, as men strive for right by @bixgirl1 (drarry w/Harry explaining the many ways why Draco’s the love of his life. we love to see it)

The Sacrificed by SasuNarufan13 (sasunaru w/ dark fairytale elements similar to Little Red Riding Hood & Beauty and the beast + feat. mpreg)

Chasing Treacle Tart (and Draco Malfoy) by xErised (drarry feat. lunch lady Draco + scheming Harry + loads of fun w/sweets & more)

Red Desert by @beatitudinembty (taekook in a unique sci-fi AU; hard to explain but so worth a read

one way ticket to another life by starboykeith (sheith Hades x Persephone background)

Even So by lewilder (zutara; arranged marriage+ language barrier +soft strangers to lovers)

Well, lovely people, there you have it. My top 10 favorite fanfics of the year. I do notice a certain ship shows up a lot on this list, but I wasn’t kidding when I said they took over this year. Still, I tried to mix the list up with other fav ships/fandoms of mine. To the writers who created these incredible stories. I applaud you. I thank you for creating and sharing these wonderful stories. Anyone interested in doing the tag, please do.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, GUYS

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