#omg can we do the 'two very different perspectives of the same scene' trope?

[graunblida]

lexa isn't usually one to be riled up so easily. at least, not without the right *trigger. so it's kind of embarrassing how quick the other witch can bring this side out of her. to be fair, their journey has gotten off to a roaring start, and has been anything but straight forward - which is what the druid swears she demanded this little side quest be, lest she get tangled in one of the many webs weaved by agatha harkness. she's right, of course, which pisses lexa off all the more. if the witches inside are angry and spiteful enough, they'll strike first and ask questions later. " gee thanks, your reputation. " there's more threatening to spill out, but lexa steels herself and exercises restraint. the longer they waste time bickering, the chances of claiming their prize grows slimmer and slimmer. as much as she hates it, lexa will have to be the bigger person. oh joy. her favorite thing. " fine. but what exactly am i looking for, harkness? you've been conveniently vague about the artifact..."

the druid makes an indignant face, accompanied by a noise of protest once she feels agatha's palm on her back, steering her toward the theater entrance. she's snapped on mages for less in days gone by. the sort who would underestimate her on the basis her powers are so heavily ROOTED in nature. oh what a shame when she has no choice but to correct them. the gesture in question, while vexing, is relatively harmless in comparison to what agatha is capable of ( or so she's been told ). perhaps their respective magic won't needlessly clash this eve.

" just remember, we're doing this my way. " the other's parting comment doesn't sit well with lexa. how is it the older witch can be so CALLOUS and judgmental towards her own kind? she wears her frown until she's nearly opening the double doors. inside, the lights are dim and there isn't a soul in the immediate vicinity. the faint rumble of song-like chanting is the only indication a coven or gathering of practitioners is close by. the druid can sense a considerable amount of power, which is curious given the information she's just received from her companion. even so, the druid walks on.

ALL THESE YEARS, and it's still laughably easy to get under a witch's skin. earth witch, blood witch, traditional, new age ― it doesn't matter the magic they wield, she just has to figure out what makes them tick. most notably, they are almost always temperamental and prideful. it must be innate with the birthright. and lexa . . . well, she's been a different project altogether: but agatha is more than a little intrigued by the challenge, by the unknown of her. it stays her hand where others would have been discarded for lack of interest.

there's one little prickle: she doesn't enjoy being used as a scapegoat. well, no one would, but ― hm. agatha deftly molds her amusement into a faux display of feeling appropriately mocked, palm pressing flat over the cage of her sternum. “ oh, come now. it's not like that. ” it absolutely is. her hand flits out into a careless gesture toward the building they linger near, the high - pitch of a chortle bordering on lecturing. “ you know my reputation. if i walk in there and they recognize my face, well, ” lips jut out in a pout, wiggling her fingers. “ they're likely to set the building aflame before we get what we came here for. ” knowledge, of course. her restless persuit.

she doesn't have to use the younger witch for this, as she's never been above a little magic and sparks before. but, in it is a chance to peel lexa's layers back to unveil what flows in her veins. agatha's countenance smooths with the appearance of an enthusiastic smile, sweeping aside to nudge the other closer in the direction of the theatre with a physical hand to her back. “ don't stress it, just throw on your charming little smile and call me when you've found it. ” she leans a little closer, lowering her voice for lexa's ear alone. “ hedge witches are easy picks of the litter. ”

[mistwraiths]

4 stars

This is the sequel to From Blood and Ash. I appreciate a book that starts up exactly where it left off like literally seconds after. I thought that was a fun and excellent choice because the first book definitely ended on a 'omg what' moment. Overall, I did enjoy the book and I do want to see where it continues but I did still have some grievances with this book/series.

First, I'll start off with what I liked. The book finally has a map which is nice. There's definitely more worldbuilding and world information being spun out. Kieran is one of the joys in this book, we didn't get to properly get to know him in the last book but he's a welcomed and refreshing character. The banter in this book is more entertaining (when it's not repetitive and I'll get more into that later) and Casteel's and Poppy's tension and relationship is good to read. Poppy even seems to have more of a personality than she did in FBAA thank god and she does eventually start growing a backbone. There's so much less ellipses in this book too and there's some pretty descriptive scenery scenes I enjoyed. The smut is also pretty good although there was one scene I was like really?? you're fucking there??

Now, the parts that did let me down a little bit and I'm probably being nitpicky in some instances but I'm only like this I think when I do overall enjoy it.

My first issue is that Poppy is like the only female character. There's women characters but there's only one we actually get to see interact with Poppy and be friendly but this isn't until about 500 pages in? Tawny from the first book, who was more a shadow than anything, isn't here and the only other females with names either are dead (Shea), gets killed off (Magda who we never really interacted with anyway), or the guardian and the healer who are literally blink and you miss them. There's a shit ton of males everywhere. I'm Tired™️ and books deserve more female characters. It also plays heavily in the Poppy isn't like other girls trope, she's incredibly special and unique. I get this is a fantasy book and the way the author is going with Poppy but it's a little tiring.

One of my other issues is the pace and the plot. If you're looking for a plot heavy book, this book seems to throw the plot entirely on the back burner. It's still there but it's not the main focus because they're trying to still do what they were trying to do in the first book: leave Solis and get to Atlantia. This book mainly focuses on dumping world info, leveling up Poppy's powers, and the romance/smut. That's not a bad thing but it makes this book's pacing incredibly slow. They don't even start moving towards their next stop until 200+ pages in. The book gets generally faster paced around 300 pages in and then grinds to a halt again around late 400 to 500 pages. What's going on about 500 pages to the end is fairly interesting stuff but it's rough because I just wanted them to keep moving. But let me tell you that literally almost nothing happens in this book except for the very end and most everything that happens is waiting for Casteel to explain his motivations and reasonings.

The repetition is what I struggled with the most, especially in the beginning. Casteel, Poppy, and at times, Kieran, rehash the same conversations multiple times. Not once, not twice, but several times. Once the book gets going, the repetition still lingers in areas like constantly referring to Poppy wanting to stab people. Her violence is constantly mentioned to the point that i wanted to be violent. It could be a funny thing to make reference to if it didn't pop up every ten to twenty pages. Casteel is a big repeater of the same thing which mostly is compliments (except for him saying he's horny when she's violent and her repeating constantly he's disturbed and this happens SO MUCH IN THE BOOK) and while they're nice, I prefer them to be used maybe less often so they have real meaning to them. I think I just prefer being shown and like SJM, Jennifer is a TELL TELL TELL person. We're constantly being told everyone hates Poppy because she was the Maiden (and we go over that several times in different situations). We're told Poppy is so intelligent although I've yet to see her do something that I'm like oh that was smart. We're told she's so random asking random questions which is really weird to read about. Poppy's internal monolouging again is mostly redundant and there's not more perspective or insight you gain from it.

This book definitely felt more romance than plot and that ending was very intriguing. We're finally in Atlantia so I'm interested to see what happens next. I was shocked when they actually married because folks, we're in book 2 here there's like two or three more. I do think if the book was shorter, the pace might be better. All in all, I enjoyed it. I do think this series needs a glossary so I can keep track of gods and royals and whatever else. And I hope that we actually get more female characters.

[thanatosbananatos]

The Ultimate EruHan Meta

Oh boy.  

So, I feel that first, I must preface this long-ass meta:

First, bless your heart if you read this.

Second, this is just for funsies. Yeah, for some reason, I find this kind of shit enthralling!  I have no idea why.  Regardless, this is not meant to shit on EruRi shippers, LeviHan shippers, or anyone in-between.  This is simply something I've been wanting to do.  Erwin and Hanji have a very underrated relationship, and I've wanted to highlight it for a long time. Years.

I also use “she” pronouns in this meta, but I think Hanji can have whatever pronouns.  Isayama has said it doesn't matter to the story, so run wild.

This ship is incredibly important to me, and I hope to share my feelings with the fandom in a light besides incessant fangirling and stupid art.

OK.  Let's do it.

I have read through the series thus far (right now, it's late April of 2019) completely in Japanese, and I've done my best to read through English translations of each chapter as well.  Why Japanese?  Well, I'm an elitist.

Just kidding.

There's actually a very specific reason that I prefer the Japanese to the English, and it has to do with the linguistic structure of the languages.  In English, there are certain things that we cannot change in our writing to emphasize something--the word “I,” for instance, is always “I,” and “you” is always “you.”  Right now, as I type this, I realize how limited the written English language is.  I can only show you emphasis by bolding or italicizing the words, and even then, there are things left up to interpretation.  

Japanese is quite a bit different, and though there is plenty of ambiguity used in this language (trust me, I've done studies lol), there are also parts that are more specific than in English.  There are, for example, numerous ways to say “I,” “you,” and other pronouns depending on the speaker, the listener, and other circumstances.  

It's because of this that I prefer Japanese dubs and prints of anime and manga, respectively.

The last time I went to Japan, I came home with the first 14 volumes of Attack on Titan in Japanese, and this was the shit that dragged me into EruHan.

As is the case with most Americans, I assume, I saw the anime before I read the manga, but it was not until I read the manga that I started to ship Erwin and Hanji.  Why?

I'll explain the details later, but one of the biggest reasons is that the bulk of their interactions occur in what will be season two and beyond.

However, they do have really important interactions in season one, aka chapters 1 through 33 of the manga.  Those moments serve as a great base for what to eventually expect in the latter chapters, when all of the heartbreaking shit happens. c':

We never know for sure how Erwin and Hanji met, but we know that at some point, Erwin came to trust Hanji enough to consider her to be a competent Squad Leader, and eventually considered her as one of his right-hand men, along with Mike, and after a few years, Levi, too.  Hanji's squad has a specific focus:  to study Titans as closely as possible.  It seems like a pretty dangerous job, but Hanji is a dangerous person in general.  

Erwin is generally known as a strategist both in canon and in the fandom, but for a strategist to do their job, they have to have facts to base their plans on.  As we learn later, Hanji is the source of those facts.

One of the most glanced-over scenes in the entire first season is when Erwin and Hanji are leading the Corps back to the wall after failing to secure Annie in her Titan form.  Hanji questions Erwin's decision to send Levi off only after making him refill on gas and blades; Erwin reveals that his plan was based on Hanji's information in the first place.  

In other words, Hanji is someone that Erwin trusts implicitly.  

But, we see the same thing with Hanji toward Erwin when they corner Annie in Stohess.

If you recall, Erwin and Levi are with Nile and the other Police soldiers during the rampage--Erwin left Hanji to call the shots.  Again, proof of trust in her abilities as a leader.  

However, I find it hard to believe that Hanji would have followed Erwin's plan if it had been anyone else besides Erwin that proposed it.  Why?

Think of how much destruction the fight in Stohess caused.  It's almost inexcusable, considering that in the end, Annie seals herself up and is useless as a test subject to Hanji and her squad.  Hanji's first job is actually not a soldier, but a scientist; however, she trusted Erwin enough to not only agree to his plan to stop Annie at all costs, but also enough to be the one to carry out the dirty work.  

Additionally, Hanji questions EVERYTHING.  As a scientist, it's only second nature.  I've admittedly seen a lot of people shitting on Hanji for questioning Erwin from time to time, but NEVER should it be interpreted as insubordination or disrespect.  Rather, Hanji is trying to acquire more information from Erwin to gain knowledge of as many perspectives as possible.  And, by questioning Erwin, Hanji serves as a double-check system.  Levi tends to follow Erwin blindly, whereas Hanji will question him almost as a test--as if to ask, “You sure? You thought it through?  OK, then let's go.”

When thinking of all of this in anime context, there's one more thing I'd like to point out:

The first OVA, Ilse's Notebook.

In this particular OVA, most of the focus is on Hanji (thank god), and it expands upon what is briefly shown in the manga when Hanji, Levi, and his squad find the journal lying around.  The OVA starts with Hanji basically drooling over the idea of capturing a Titan--and no, it's not just because she's obsessed with the Titans themselves, but because she's obsessed with answering the many unanswered questions in their world, of which, the Titans are often the subject.  However, when she confronts Erwin with the idea of capturing one, he turns her down--according to the dialogue, this isn't the first time they have this discussion, either.

But, perhaps you noticed Hanji's argument to Erwin?  When he mentions the lives they've lost in the Corps?

“Without making any sacrifices, we can't gain anything!”

Doesn't that sound familiar?  

“Someone who can't throw something away can't change anything!”  

Armin said something similar--do you remember whose ideals he based his quote on?

Erwin's.

But, maybe, also Hanji's?

It is entirely possible that Hanji and Erwin have had the same thinking from the start, or that one of them influenced the other.  

We don't really know for sure, since we've yet to receive Hanji's backstory (Will it even happen?  Sigh), but regardless, they think similarly.  OK.  That's a thing.

As I mentioned previously, the bulk of their very important and often overlooked interactions are from season two (i.e. the Clash of the Titans arc) and onward in the manga/anime, up until...that thing called the serum bowl that none of us like to talk about.

If you recall, at the tail end of season one, Erwin was briefly arrested by the Military Police, then released.  Once again, you'll notice that Hanji is the one calling the shots, along with Mike.  Erwin has effectively split them up (presumably Erwin, I'm actually not sure if it's confirmed that he was the one to send Mike's squad to watch the 104th?), with Mike doing the physical work, and Hanji being left to the strategic end of things--to a point.  I mean, it's not as if Erwin is completely out of commission at that point (unlike Levi lmao). Instead, he's working on his “big” project--to overthrow the government and get those traitors out of here--from more of a behind-the-scenes perspective.  So he surely knew that things would get crazy on Hanji and co.'s end, yet he trusted her to follow through and lead the Corps while he worked separately for a while.  

He doesn't think to check in on her, either, until the report about Wall Rose and the traitors finds him.  I'm sure he didn't quite predict all that, especially because Reiner himself was flying by the seat of his pants lmao.  He hears that Hanji and company suffered injuries, and that Eren has been taken away, along with Ymir, so obviously, being the Commander and all that jazz, he goes to check in on the Corps soldiers atop the wall.  Until he arrives, Hanji does not move--it's only when she hears Erwin's arrival that she moves, and it's to talk strategy.  

This admittedly brings up something else I want to talk about with them: both Erwin and Hanji are so goddamn willing to put everything and everyone else first besides their own well being.  

I know a lot of EruHan writers play with this trope, but we didn't even have to add it in.  It's there.  All the time.  

I think Erwin is especially obvious, considering how far he was willing to go to reach his goals, and his dream.  However, Hanji is the same way when it comes to obtaining knowledge.  And, both of them want to win.  They are fighting to win.  In season three, Erwin refers to himself as a gambler--the same is definitely true for Hanji, if not even more so.

So, Hanji gets her ass in gear long enough to tell Erwin what she can, and once again, using the information Hanji gave him, and not straying from it once, Erwin formulates a plan, and the Corps sets off.

Erwin did not stray from her information, used it to fuel the plan, and lost his arm in the process.

Flash-forward to Erwin in the hospital.  Beardwin.  

Wait, no omg.

Go back to when they brought him back to the hospital.

We don't see that, right?  No, we don't.

But you know who else would've been in the hospital receiving treatment for burns and possible concussion, etc.?

Hanji.

Hanji probably saw the direct results of her instructions to Erwin.

Now flash-forward to Beardwin.

Remember, back about forty years ago when you first started reading this meta? Remember what I mentioned how the Japanese language has different types of pronouns?  It also has different kinds of politeness.    

In the Japanese version of the scene where Beardwin does the creepy-ass smile, Hanji enters the room speaking pretty casually, like “hey what's up Erwin--oh shit Pyxis is here too” might as well have been the actual translation.  Her speech goes from casual to formal the second she sees Pyxis. Of course, up to this point, Hanji had always used casual speech with Erwin, but the stark contrast to how she speaks to Pyxis, who is a pretty easy-going guy around the Corps veterans, just drives home the fact that they are familiar with one another. 

In addition, we once again see Hanji give Erwin information, and boy howdy.  Does he take it and run with it.

So begins the Uprising arc.

This is the arc that just pushed me face-first into EruHan, to be perfectly honest.

This is also the arc where the language usage is the most important.

At this point, the three veterans (Erwin, Levi, and Hanji) are split up for a little while.  Levi and Hanji are sent to watch over the 104th while Erwin does his thing (again).  However, Hanji has a little “side project”--she is still keeping watch over Pastor Nick, until the Central Police murder him.  She and Levi torture them, and that's a thing.

Due to the heavy focus on Historia and Eren, things are kind of quiet for the vets for a while, until Eren remembers some information from a dream, and yet again, Hanji brings that information to Erwin for him to put to good use.

This is one of the most important scenes in the arc, and for this ship.

First, note how calmly Erwin receives the flustered Hanji.  He offers her food and water without question and immediately listens. (An aside:  Erwin is probably one of the most patient characters in the series.)  After explaining everything, Hanji then asks Erwin, “What should we do?” (Another aside:  Don't forget how much these vets trust Erwin.  Ever.)

Erwin's at least one step ahead of everyone at all times, of course, so he has an answer, but part of that answer is pretty startling: Erwin names Hanji as the next Commander of the Survey Corps.  He then promptly leaves, with Hanji staring after him (be still my heart) and is soon arrested once again.

This is a scene that I can't help but dissect, simply because there's just so much there.

I'm also going to be bitter for the rest of my life that the anime strayed so much from the manga in this arc generally, but that's not the focus right now.

So, okay, remember the pronouns example I gave earlier?

Hanji uses “watashi,” Levi uses “ore,” Armin uses “boku,” etc.  Most of the characters are very consistent with pronoun usage, and most of them default to either “watashi,” simply because they are in the military, methinks.  

Erwin, however (and unsurprisingly), is one of the characters who changes his pronoun usage.  In fact, he is the one who changes it the most that I've seen so far in the series.  He switches frequently between just two, “ore” and “watashi,” but what does this mean, exactly?  What is there to gain from knowing the details behind his pronoun usage?

We see Erwin using “watashi” most frequently in two situations: he uses it in formal situations as the “Commander” towards people like Zackley, Pyxis, etc., and he uses it when speaking with a “softer” demeanor, such as early interactions with Eren.  

Erwin uses “ore” as a Commander might--with authority.  It also seems to be his go-to generally--in other words, if he did not have any social obligations to worry about, no public faces to protect, he would use “ore.”

So, toward Levi, Erwin uses “ore” pretty much exclusively.  After all, though he respects Levi, he has no reason to be gentle or keep face--in other words, no reason to use “watashi.”

However, toward Hanji, Erwin almost always uses “watashi.” (I should also note, he uses “omae” with “ore” and “kimi” with “watashi” accordingly.)  The speech is more familiar, gentler almost.  I wouldn't have given it much thought if it weren't for the one time he does use “ore” toward Hanji.

That time happens to be when he names her the next Commander of the Survey Corps.

So, why the change?

If you recall, that scene takes place with them talking one on one about the note that Eren has left for Hanji to read regarding his memories of a conversation between Ymir and Bertholdt.  Erwin eventually has summons--ones that he is sure will lead to his arrest, and he then names Hanji his successor.  

To me, after seeing all of their interactions, I think that Erwin definitely shows some favoritism toward Hanji and holds a soft spot for her.  After all, if you think back to the OVA, Hanji was the one to really prove herself and stand toe to toe with him.  I think he admires such stubbornness, for reasons we can only speculate now.  

When I think about how he previously had spoken to Hanji, it was always so...intimate?  Like, “I value this person and their opinions.  We are close.”  Using “ore” breaks that down and instead builds a wall between them.  It's like he was saying, “I'm serious.  This isn't a joke.  You have to listen to me this time.”

It's worth noting that I've spoken to a few other Japanese fans about this part, both EruHan shippers and not, and everyone seems to agree that it seems like he did it for the sake of seeming authoritative, to make sure that this time, Hanji would listen without questioning him.

Of course, after the fact, Hanji questions it.

And I think that just drives my point home.

If you think back, or rather, forward in the manga, we see Hanji get handed a lot of shit--from Eren, the general populace, supposed allies.  After one particular event, where Eren grabs Hanji and treats her like a piece of trash rather than his own Commander, Hanji escapes with humor, but behind closed doors, she feels frustrated and lost.  

“Erwin, this was your one mistake...  Why did you make me the Commander...?”

Erwin did not want Hanji to double-check him.  He did not want her to question him like she normally did.  He just wanted her to listen to him and take the order, so she did.  So it's even more natural for her to doubt it now.  She didn't get that chance in the first place--Erwin took it away from her, and she let him, because she trusted him explicitly.  

We hear about it constantly with Erwin and Levi, but don't forget:

Erwin and Hanji's relationship is also built on trust.

So, let's go back to after the political arc--they decide to go back to Shiganshina, and we have what has come to be known as the serum bowl.  Yay!  Sounds fun, right?

NO.  FUCK THE SERUM BOWL.

But it's important to dissect for the sake of this fucking essay.  

I'm gonna skip straight to the good stuff--it comes down to a choice between saving Armin or Erwin.  Levi is pretty much set on giving it to Armin--until a soldier brings Erwin's body back, and he's clinging to life.  Eren and Mikasa get hysterical, they fight, and it looks like Mikasa is gonna straight up become THE Ackermann, until someone interrupts them.  

It's Hanji, and she's injured and all alone.  At this point, she's lost Moblit and part of her vision, and now she could lose Erwin, too.  This person she trusts and respects probably more than anyone in the world might die.  I think it affected her on more than just a personal level too, obviously--the Commander she entrusted her life and well-being to is on the brink of death, and she is supposed to somehow take his place.  

Hanji obviously takes Levi's side, insisting that Erwin should  be the one who gets the serum and a second lease on life.  She pulls Mikasa away, holding her closely, and tells her that she understands what she's feeling, what it's like to lose someone you care about.  

But, “Erwin is the hope of humanity.”

Those are Hanji's words.  They're heavy.  So fucking heavy.  

If you questioned the respect and trust and love in their relationship (even just platonically) before, at that point, you really can't anymore, unless you decide to be in complete denial.

However, if you're caught up with the manga, you know how it goes--Erwin pulls a last minute “stunt,” then retires (cough) as Armin is given the serum and transforms into a Titan.  Levi chooses Armin in order to let Erwin die as a human and not as a monster, and tries to talk himself through the choice out loud.  

Hanji, however, has her eyes only on Erwin, and she is with him until his last moments of...pre-retirement...

Okay, but here's a thing I really want to point out.

Flocke, the dumb bastard who brought Erwin's life back (he's not dumb for doing that, btw), is the one who brings up the notion that it should be Erwin who receives the serum, because only Erwin had the capability of becoming a monster who could save them.  That thought scared Levi, who held and continues to hold Erwin in very high esteem, and is what essentially pressed him into giving Armin the serum instead.  

Do you think that thought scared Hanji?

Though we never hear one way or the other, I really don't think so.

When has Hanji ever feared the Titans?  

No, it's not even just that--Hanji saw the Titans as equals.  She saw them as just a different kind of human, really.  

Think back to Sawney and Bean, wayyyyy way back.  Think about how she recognized their personalities, respected them, and loved them as the way that they were.  And she had no idea what the truth behind them was.  She had no idea at that time that they were humans.  

Think about how she treated Eren as a Titan shifter (before he started being ...whatever he is now).  She respected him, was kind to him, and she didn't even know him.

I think it's safe to say that  her relationship with Erwin would not have really changed.  She would have probably respected him even more than before.

...There's honestly so much more I could say about the ship on micro-levels, but I wanted to hit these big points because not only are many of them lost in translation, but they are highly underappreciated.  I get tired of seeing them left out of the main fandom, when it's such a delightful, wholesome ship that has plenty to work with in both canon and AUs.

But, if you're interested in hearing the smaller things, hmu.  I think about this ship all the damn time.  Everyone should have some level of appreciation for it.  

--Cat

[in-for-a-drama]

Extraordinary You (2019)

The drama has been released in October of the last year. This review contains loooots of spoilers for both webtoon and drama. I watched it in spring since it’s so full of hope and youth and vibrance, but it is warm enough to save you from autumn melancholy and winter snowstorms.

Extraordinary You is based on Daum webtoon “July found by chance” which was the highlight of 2018-2019 for me. And I still patiently wait for every single chapter.

Actually I hesitated watching this drama ever since I heard of the release. So far I’ve encountered lots of webtoons turned into dramas I wanted to unwatch. I felt the writers would go all astray with the story and characters and I would feel angry because of my favorite scenes and characters.

First of all I have to assure you, I really enjoyed this drama, I binge watched it, like, 16 episodes in 2 days, and for the record, usually even if I like the drama, I still finish it over a week, about 2-3 episodes per day.

Secondly, the creators did completely rewrite the plot, the scenes, the characters. Some of the scenes and concepts still remained but overall the changes were big enough so that I could watch this as a separate work.

Still, there were changes in concepts I personally deem unnecessary.

The plot. The rich schoolgirl with a weak heart since birth and a one-sided crush, Dan-Oh, gradually realizes there’s something wrong with her. It turns out she’s actually a character in a romance shoujo comic book. And she isn’t eve the protagonist, more of an extra character. Such a pitiful fate since the author can get rid of her anytime. She decides to change her own fate. Later she gets to know another extra without a name, her classmate. Dan-Oh realizes that as an extra without much presence in the story he is capable of affecting the story in his own small ways. They become close and Dan-Oh gives him a name - Haru.

Haru and Eun Dan-oh

Have to say, I loved the main couple. They’re so cute!!! I also really love when the protagonist isn’t introduced from the very beginning and isn’t obvious, we can see some clues of Haru in the first episode, but we actually get to see him only in the second. And I love Haru way too much both in the webtoon and in the drama, at the beginning he is so mysterious, a bit dazed and yet so warm. And as his character develops, he shows different traits, determination, despair to save his beloved, jealousy etc. Yes, Haru is definitely my favorite.

Dan-Oh had a different interpretation from the webtoon, but different is not bad. The actress is not too beautiful but she is charismatic and cute. Her smile is absolutely charming. And I love the way she cries - it’s real and her face becomes a bit ugly but I can totally believe her grief. As a sarcastic person I would have liked to say she cries too much, but actually every single time she cried - there was a proper reason, I mean, who wouldn’t cry, I would totally wreck my nervous system with all those meta rollercoasters.

Compared to the webtoon the dynamics in the couple have changed because of the changes in Dan-Oh character. Dan-Oh in the webtoon is more serious and strong-willed. Dan-Oh in the drama is more light-spirited. The drama creators decided to do the classical trope where the heroine is often in the dark.

Have to say I liked and not liked at the same time what the writers have done with the story. I personally am really fond the concept of nameless extra becoming aware and falling in love with Dan-Oh. Without there being some kind of fate and dark story behind it. And then in the drama they show the scar and like how come the nameless extra with no features except for handsomeness gets to have a scar?

There wasn’t such a thing in the webtoon so obviously I started to suspect something like past connection from the very beginning. I still loved the storyline, the way they brought in the previous book, Trumpet Creeper. And I just loved the characters in all-those... um... Joseon? clothes (sorry if I’m wrong about the time).

Another thing I have to point out - the characters’ motives. In the drama Dan-Oh originally became close to Haru because of his ability to change the stage (comics scene). And it’s in the second half of the story when she realizes her feelings for him. They have such good chemistry from the very beginning. And then Dan-Oh goes all “Omg! I love him! That can’t be!” and I find myself facepalming a bit. I mean. In what way she is different from all those classic romance novels heroines? Thank god the writers didn’t drag that for way too long, not enough to get annoyed.

Still. what I really like about the webtoon. It’s not that the webtoon Dan-Oh wanted to rebel by completely changing the story. No. She wanted to find her first love by herself, from the very beginning. And that’s how she found Haru. They’re such a couple from the very beginning. And that’s just a biiiiiig difference.

In the drama Dan-Oh mentions somewhere in the last episodes that Haru is her true first love. But that was not her intention from the very beginning, just the way it turned out. Ad the actors look so cute together, their difference in weight is adorable and I’m also satisfied with the acting.

To sum it up, I thoroughly enjoy the dynamics in the Haru-Dan-Oh relationship both in the webtoon and in the drama. They’re just different. I personally recommend first watching the drama and only then reading the webtoon.

Baek Kyung

I think I mentioned but I really love the cast. The actor playing Kyung did his best. I mean if it were another actor I would have seen Kyung as no one but a total asshole. But I could really see the confusion and internal struggles here. Also the previous book storyline enabled us to feel more for Kyung, how he was written by the author as nothing but a really bad character for two books straight. I could feel his loneliness and despair to find out who he truly is apart from his character. In the webtoon I simply can’t feel anything for this character XD

Also I really loved the way they introduced Kyung’s little brother. Maybe I have missed some of the scenes but I don’t remember him in Trumpet Creeper? But he is definitely a very interesting and mysterious character. I hope he stays by Kyung’s side in the next book and the spend lots of good time together.

Do-hwa and Juda

I can’t believe I enjoyed their storyline so much. Jung Gun-joo, the actor playing Do-hwa was nominated for the best new actor for this role. And no wonder. He was truly extraordinary as Do-hwa struggling within his boundaries of supporting character. His one-sided love and inability to do what he want in the stage was just heartbreaking. Do-hwa is definitely the highlight of the whole drama. And I laughed because of his violin dilemma. And I cried because of his love for Joo-da.How he slowly came to realize that his actions cause hurt to the other characters. Ouch. I really hope in the next books he finds happiness. With Joo-da or with someone else.

And Joo-da. I really hoped she will get her ego. But honestly I couldn’t see their story with Do-hwa ending in any way but heartbreak for Do-hwa. Still. I really enjoyed the way Joo-da turned out to be once she got her ego. Every scene with her was delightful since then. And the way she herself admitted she wanted to date both... I really want to hug Do-hwa.

Namju didn’t leave any impression throughout the story except for the last episode strawberry jumper. And I laughed at the scene Joo-da gave Namju the spending diary (I myself wouldn’t mind one, have been anxious of my spending habits lately).

Miscellaneous

The Squid Fairy and his lover storyline was cute though too short. Glad they didn’t have much drama and got to spend time together in Secret.

The finale of the story left many questions but overall I got the picture. So they’re still together in the new book. But. Where’s Do-hwa??? And it seems Joo-da will still go for Namju... And I can’t tell who the protagonists are. I made myself think that this is some loooong new series by the author based on the students’ calm everyday  (except for exams) life and that Haru and Dan-Oh can live happily ever after in this and next books as extraordinary characters.

Some concepts I really missed in the drama which are in the webtoon

1. The sky

The scene in both the drama and the webtoon where Haru gives Dan-oh the starry sky. The webtoon thing is that all the scenes in Secret happen during the daytime. And that’s why Dan-oh would like to see the starry sky. The not disappearing hole in the curtain holds a special meaning for Haru and Dan-oh. In the drama the creators made it so the whole give me the starry sky wish comes from the previous book. And there’re night scenes in the Secret. Though without the stars, yes.

2. The flying furniture

In the webtoon there’s a special place for Dan-Oh and Haru - the flying bench, a mistake made by the artist (and as I draw myself I can feel this deeply, sometimes you just don’t calculate something right and then that box or bench is way too high). In the drama there’re just random things flying everywhere in the shadow. And there’s also that black hole that appears in all the right places, gives scars and shows previous lives... I mean... *long sigh*

3. The artist presence

What I really love about the webtoon. We all know that artists and writers have to stay objective and do what they want to the story without listening to anyone’s opinion. But at the same time they can’t help to see the comments, what makes the readers annoyed or what they would like.

In the webtoon “July found by chance” sometimes we’re given glimpses of the comments to the webtoon “Secrets”. That gives us another perspective, how the artist thinks, how the readers react. And that’s just so exciting! Compared to the webtoon, in the drama The artist seems too distant.

Oh. I’ve really written a lot.

Hope you enjoy/ed the webtoon and drama as much as I did.

And now I’m off to watch “Touch” while I still have some time off *_*

I’ll also have to do the best 2019 dramas list at some point (at least for my own use).

[bravadoseries]

okay I think we can all agree that endgame was a travesty so I'm curious, how different is endgame going to be in audrey's story?? Are there elements from the film that you'll keep?? And what will Audrey be up to during the five year time jump? Is there even gonna be time jump? What about Professor Hulk??? I'm sorry this is a lot of questions but I am just so happy to see you back at this again! I LOVE YOU

omg Yes emilia fuck endgame....and don’t apologize pls i welcome all the questions! 

spoilers so it’s below the cut :)

how different is endgame going to be in audrey's story?? 

so endgame is going to be really really different.  i’m cutting out a lot of it and primarily writing to audrey’s perspective, which is very much separated from the rest of the group due to circumstances.  more carol danvers, more on the infinity stones mythology, i really hate time travel as a trope so i’m probably not gonna write it like that but Yes. also i’m not killing off tony and natasha lmao....fuck that shit! also definitely not doing what they did with steve i literally cannot even begin to unpack how DUMB that writing choice was like what on god’s green earth--

this isn’t in endgame it’s infinity war but thor isn’t going to need a fucking spear or whatever it was he got like i will not be doing taika dirty 

endgame will be followed by a short epilogue (probably attached to the same fic and ~3 chapters long) unpacking where the avengers all go but this story is a journey towards a happy ending and it is about people being kind even in the face of suffering and so they will all end up in a good place

Are there elements from the film that you'll keep?? 

i will keep a lot of the final battle scene because that like....Hit....on a really real level.  i will also keep some of the time travel as happening parallel to the story but i won’t be engaging with it so much.

i will probably have the shield be passed onto sam like in the movie bc i love sam as captain america like Yes....

still deciding if i want steve to be worthy.  like i love him but i don’t think i’m bringing mjolnir back bc of the thing i said above? 

And what will Audrey be up to during the five year time jump? Is there even gonna be time jump? 

so audrey will spend the 5 year time jump separated from the other characters.  this is so vague but it is kind of a big spoiler but Yeah audrey will not be present and i think to steve’s knowledge she will be dead.  

What about Professor Hulk??? 

ok cute in theory but not My Journey personally....i think that bruce does need to reconcile the two people he holds inside himself but i wasn’t a huge fan of professor hulk and the way it shifted his characterization like he ended up with a weird ego and just really changing? i don’t like that in a man.  i like bruce bashful and sweet. 

[adecila]

Game of Thrones – 8x04 “The Last of the Starks” episode analysis – or who the fuck ever let D&D write stuff

You know I am pretty much like this dude here –

so I will be the woman to lead this ship or so help me all the old gods and the new.

Spoilers, d’uhh.

Aftermath - but everyone has their wardrobe on fleek, hair looking fab and they even had time to clean the entire field of Winterfell

The episode starts with the funeral pyre and how DARE you make me love Jorah even more and twist the knife in my heart. And did you have to show me Theon, Beric, Edd’s and Lyanna’s bodies??? 

RUDE.

Jon is doing a big speech and it is nice and drove the sobbing further, but I get it this is Jon’s turf so he has to be the one making the big speech. That is such a Dany thing though, and I can’t help to think, when put into perspective with the rest of the episode, that it’s yet again a thing Dany has lost. But more on that later. 

The pyres are lit, sad music, more sobbing from me. OOOPS BUT DID YOU CATCH THAT JONERYS EXCHANGE OF LOOKS? Because I did! I can’t help but think how he looks at her for reassurance and she feels it and she turns and she is just.so.broken. And then she cries and I cry again. 

A feast for crows the survivors 

And then we get a feast and suddenly everyone is happy and stuff… ok, I guess life goes on. Maybe Sandor’s crass remark, under the guise of a funny moment, was meant to make us think on it. But maybe that’s too deep for D&D who the fuck knows. 

Let’s talk about Gendry’s legitimisation. 

Dany does it quite publicly, and small exchange between her and Tyrion makes sense. Honestly, if she hadn’t done it herself then and there, it would have come up at a later point, but with 2 episodes left there’s no time. S.ansa does her shady looks because she throws shade and Bran just stares into the void smh. 

In which I am the Hound unimpressed and eating his chicken. 

Davos x Tyrion

The Lord of Light fucked off into the sunset when he saw D&D’s piss poor writing and honestly same. He probably fucked off when he saw Melisandre was still getting his prophecies wrong. 

Every time S.ansa comes into frame my soul leaves my body a bit more because whY THO. 

Tyrion x Bran the 3ER

Cool beans Bran, that’s how you use you abilities? OMG JOJEN FUCKING DIED FOR YOU–

“I mostly live in the past now” - to me this means Bran has become this empty shell of a man and he just visits the past and checks out cool shit. It’s like a kid who gets access to YouTube for the first time. Heck he can even see his dad or whoever else he misses if he feels anything at all now. Because if he doesn’t even have “wants” then? What was the point of it all? God I swear the writers will not rest until they will have reduced all characters to tropes and empty shells of their former selves.

Tormund and the gang around Jon; Tyrion with Jaime ; Dany alone

This scene right here was the beginning of the end. Remember when Tormund was a dude who was in awe by strong women? D&D don’t. He suddenly is so far up Jon’s ass nothing could take him out. Guess it pays off for him in the end since Jon just gifts him Ghost.

S.ansa just fucking stop OMG PLEASE STOP WITH THE FUCKING LOOKS JFC.

But where was Missandei??? Why was Dany alone? And what the fuck was that look, VArYs?? Someone give Dany a hug because my god the isolation is real. Fuck. STOP. TAKING. EVERYTHING. FROM HER.

Never have I ever… thought the writers would stoop so low but here we are

So it’s all fun and games until it isn’t. 

Poor Tormund. Jaime never deserved Brienne and that’s a fact. 

And the mystery of Willa, the sassy Northern girl has been solved! Bless!!!

SanSan, but with more misogynistic undertones than you ever thought

Yeah you know what, I am not touching this scene. Fuck D&D for daring to say that.

Gendrya - or the moment Gendry decided to pull a Ted Mosby 

I feel so bad OMG they did this ship so dirty. However. Arya saying that was expected. But I call bullshit on her never rethinking her decision. Girl’s got a list and she just can’t NOT try to finish it, I mean, wouldn’t you? After you killed such a big boss as the NK? 

At the same time, they would be trying for faux feminism, pulling a Arya doesn’t need a man to be happy. Guess the sex was just to try it? Wow can you believe they cheapened this ship and that beautiful moment like that? 

I’m so sorry babies, you deserved much better. Guess Gendry was always meant to have his heart broken by a Stark girl once he became a Baratheon. Wow. 

Weirdly enough!!! And spoiler maybe?? Leak? Idk. But I feel like Gendrya will prevail (also because she looks heartbroken to reject him like that…). When asked if Gendrya will rule the 7K, Friki said no, these two aren’t made for ruling anything. For what’s worth, Friki mentioned he does know Arya’s endgame and shebis confirmed alive in the Dragon Pit in 8x06 :)

Oathsex

Uff yeah I did not like that. It felt wrong in the context and it felt cheap and I…. yeah IDK. And then Jaime leaves. He could have at least told Brienne that he is he only one who can kill Cersei or IDK, but not leave her like that. Jeesh dude my poor Knight, she is gutted by him. 

Jonerys makeout and chat and hey who wanted angst? Turn on your location I just wanna chat. 

Sooo flip side: I somehow, for the second time, predicted a thing in my fic. HOWEVER D&D keep only getting half my fics because GURL DID YOU NOT GET THE SMUT MEMO? AND THE FLUFF MEMO?

So Dany goes to find Jon, again, who is tipsy, and Jon suddenly remembers to give Dany some comfort for having lost Jorah… 

The set up for Dany saying ILY it’s a bit .. ehh. But her actual words: “He loved me, but I couldn’t love him back, not the way he wanted it. Not the way I love you. Is that alright?” 

A+ scene. I love how he can’t help himself and as soon as she is in his arms’ range he just pulls her into him, BEFORE she asks “Is that alright?”. 

Uff emo side note here, this scene and this phrase reminded me of this song. Listen and sob. you’re welcome.

On that depressive note, wow that make out tho. Two things I learned from this scene: 1 - Jon is horny drunk, which same; and 2 - Jon is a tiddies guy like he dove in and went for the tiddies, which also same. Am I Jon? Is this why I keep guessing his fucking reactions but D&D won’t give me the rest????? We’ll never know.

And… then Jon stops and pulls back. And I KNOW that in the BTS we are told he is disgusted or whatever along those lines, but to me?? That look means he is CONFLICTED. And listen, if y’all wanted it to make it to mean "disgusted" then you should have made Kit do it differently since YOU KNOW HE WAS FAKE GAGGING TO EMILIA EVERY OTHER MINUTE. YOU CAN’T KEEP ADDING SHIT LATER YOU FUCKING DUMBASSES YOU EITHER PUT IT IN THE ACTUAL  SHOW AND THE ACTUAL ACTING OR STFU.

But I guess to me that rejection was more for the general audience than for us. C’mon he clearly loves her, his dick was so hard he was about to nut then and there. Stop bringing your 21st century considerations into a feudalistic fantasy where you have Royals and dragons. Also FUCK YOU VARYS BECAUSE EVEN IN THE NORTH AUNT AND NEPHEW MARRIED SO FUCK YOU BALDIE.

I digress. Then Dany echoes what Jon himself thinks/said - wishing she would have never known. And then we get something that I felt when she was alone and sad at the feast. “I saw the way they looked at you. I know that look; the same way people looked at me, but never on this side of the sea” - yeah so I need a break.

This here - cemented for me what I think the show is doing: stripping everything away from Dany: her armies, her children, her people and the love her people have for her… then Jon. And I don’t mean that as in the sense of some bullshit fleak. No, I mean it in the context of this episode. Because Jon never says I love you back (and maybe @normalisjustafairytale is right and Jon is afraid to say it after Ygritte), and he rejects her, and he says he can’t NOT tell his sisters, even if Dany begs him not to. So in a sense, for now at least, Jon is being taken away from her. So you have all this isolation and losing and losing and then what does she have left? The only constant in her life? The fucking Iron Throne. Because at the moment there is nothing else for her and she probably feels like she will be nothing without it. Hence why she presses to go and take Cersei down. I won’t lie to you, it is cheap writing and very lame and honestly I have read fics a million times better than this bullshit, but they will, at one point, hit us with the boatie reveal, and when that happens, and when Jon fucking finally pulls through and stands by her side, she will have something else, a different constant in life. Moreover, because she realises that the people here in Westeros will never love her, she will have even more of a reason to bow out, say a big fuck you, take her boatie and her hubs and get to her house with the red door. 

This is not just wishful thinking, it is very much D&D, and they will of course “humble the powerful woman” (I puked in my mouth by writing that). But also, my consolation is that with this episode, heck even the people who weren’t necessarily her fans, are on her side and asking her to burn KL down. Which I don’t think she would, but more on that in a different post. God this post is already long.

*bathroom break*

BAck. Then Dany echoes what I also said in my fic ugh I hate myself what we all know and are thinking: it doesn’t matter if Jon doesn’t want it; it matter that there are people out there (fucking S.ansa jfc this fucking UGGHDGugduzdahidfg) who don’t like Dany and will support Jon immediately over her. She is right and he is stupid for not seeing it. 

I guess I also got my bending the knee from my fic. Kinda. FUCK.ME.

I cannot believe that my Queen had to BEG him and Jon had to be so naive. BOY DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THE LESSON FROM YOUR FATHER? Two can keep a secret is one of them is dead, Jonno. Did you not watch Pretty Little Liars??? Why the fuck do you think Ned Stark didn’t tell his wife?? LMAO she would have sold him just like S.asnsa blabbed on you, guess the J___sas were right, it was a bit of a Ned x Cat parallel, probably Cat would have sold Ned also in a fucking instant. Dany is absolutely right. This shit cannot be contained because you don’t know how people would react to it. 

“She’s not the girl you grew up with” … BOOM.

I love how he cradles her face into his hands MY FUCKING HEART MY HEART.

Pause. The part where she begs remind me of this traumatic moment:

… fuuuuck. Anyway.

And I love how she turns the tables on him. But Jon… is still Jon for plot reasons I guess. Maybe he didn’t understand why Ned had to keep the secret for so many years. 

The end of the Northern plot - BYE NO ONE WILL MISS YOU

The Starks can choke. They are cancelled. 

Yeah no. Bye. Fuck S.ansa or Sandra, who the fuck this OOC shitty ass character is. Fuck every single one of them. Wow, emotional manipulation at its finest. I just love how they basically called this episode the last of the Starks because they just character assassinated all of them. Edit: LMAO you know what this is? The shitty family that pulls over one member and tries to break him up with his wife, for the sole reason they don't like her. Because fuck their brother's happiness. Because they are fucking selfish people.  

Jaime x Tyrion x my headache

Let’s add to the list of cancelled people Jaime and Tyrion just for that fucking chat.

“I will pay you double” ex machina, and that’s how the Bronn issue is solved. Just as Friki said, btw. 

Arya x The Hound

So I guess Arya just fucking lies through her teeth now smh, since she was guilt trippig JON JUST MOMENTS AGO and she just up and leaves BECAUSE FUCK FAMILY I GUESS 

Tyrion is suddenly afraid of Dany so I guess we are supposed to excuse Sandra’s petty shady jealous ass 

Sandra is fucking jealous and insane. Littlefinger will be proud. Her face though. This fucking bitch doesn’t like that he is a Targaryen LMFAO she is scheming so hard bahahahahah

She is fucking cancelled. They murdered her character the moment they took her out of the Vale. FIGHT ME ON THIS I FUCKING DARE YOU.

Jon x Tormund x Ghost - say your goodbyes

Hey hey hey so that line where Jon belongs in the North? The real North, which for Tormund is North of the Wall since he calls Winterfell the South? Guess where those waterfalls from 8x01 are?

Jon is the worst dog owner KILL ME.

Fucking Sam Tarly

Jon was like yeah no don’t name your kid after me. Interesting how he could tell from a hug that Gilly was pregnant. Hope Dany starts showing soon *wink wink boatie is still coming*

The IT or Southern plot

Tyrion x Varys

I cannot wait for Varys to die. Like, he is spewing inaccurate information and then, he is suddenly against Dany and suddenly only Jon is a war hero. Just because he has a dick. Fuck D&D and their sexist asses Also VArys keeps talking about the realm LMAO YOU KNOW WHAT I SEE? I see kings dying all around you, and the only constant it’s you. Who is the problem, I wonder? 

Euron ex machina

Makes no fucking sense. But I guess nobody cares anymore.

Yeah I screamed when Rhaegal died. And I screamed again with Dany.

I guess Dany couldn’t just fly behind Euron’s ship and roast them all for plot reasons. 

Dragonstone mess

Fuck you, Varys. And fuck you, Tyrion. Not you, Greyworm, ILY *hugs tightly*

BONUS: FUCK YOU JAIME FUUUUUCK YOU FOR LEAVING BRIENNE LIKE THAT. BYE BITCH GOOD RIDDANCE.

King’s Landing mess & the shitty ass parley that even Captain Sparrow could have organised better

Ew how much time has it passed since Cersei is already claiming to be preggers? 

“So much for the breaker of chains” - is again, a sign they are trying to strip Dany of everything she has and is. 

Tyrion and Qyburn - ew, but also Qyburn has a point, why would Cersei surrender? Oh and I think the point to save Rhaegal from the NK only for him to die at the hands of Euron is to further handicap Dany and make the Cersei threat real, and have a reason to keep Drogon away from KL - HAVE YOU ALL SEEN THE SCORPIONS EVERYWHERE?

Ugh Tyrion stop trying to get Cersei to love you LMFAO she doesn’t. But I know, it is hard to break from toxic relationships and abusers. Tyrion told Cersei “you are not a monster” and she literally went “HOLD MY BEER”.

Missandei’s death made me sick to my stomach and traumatised me for life. We should all collectively agree to NEVER give D&D our attention again and never let them write anything again. 

Missandei hatefully spewing DRACARYS as her last words was so strong it made me start crying because holy shit this was a peaceful person, and for her to show this much hate and rage was so gutting…  fuck me. I am crying again. I think she also meant, besides from the obvious, “there is no reasoning with these people, so why bother. Might as well blow it the fuck up.”

And Grey’s reaction wow - again, I was about to puke, despite the scene not being the most gorey on GoT, but it was so intrinsically and viscerally wrong my mind could not deal. 

In conclusion

Poor Dany, she has lost everything. EVERYTHING. She is literally at her lowest. After the discussion with Jon, she slipped back the Queen mask - like you can pinpoint the moment she does so! And she keeps it on in front of everyone else but her dragons.

I am expecting a very very cold (but very fragile inside) Dany in 8x05. I am expecting her to push Jon away. Oh and at the ending of 8x04 she totally just gets up on Drogon and goes back to Dragonstone. No way she does anything yet so soon.

I haven’t watched any of the BTS and Making of videos, nor have I watched the 8x05 promo. Will do soon.

Stay strong, jonerys is still going strong. I am here until the very end and I still think this will end with jonerys together. Will it be good writing? Nope. But it will end well. As I keep saying. We’re missing the “sweet” in this fucking “bittersweet” shit show. Stop saying it ends badly because of 8x03.

If you need me, you know where to find me. Image of me in the fandom. Except I charge nothing.

Oh and PS: FUCK D&D.

[viknaerth]

Flash Points Challenge 001

what are some of your favorite tropes? -  400 POINTS

This one I had to think on for a minute because I think with my writing I was very anti-tropes for a while. For me I love historicity, so best friendships and pre-established connections that blur lines or develop into something more intense are particularly special. I think that’s because there a never-ending depth to the relationship, it can always be delved into and picked apart. Aside from that in character building, I have a terrible love of anti-heroes. Good in their heart but not necessarily in their actions, I think that it paves the way for more opportunistic and exciting writing.   

do you have a favorite character you’ve written, in or outside of shiver? if so, what makes them your fave?  -  550 POINTS

This is tough because I’m not about to get into the laundry list but I have love for all the characters I’ve written and me being an actual old person of tumblr means there are actually a heap of them. I have to give love to my two kiddos here because I’m having such a good time writing them. Elyse’s dim mind and super bright personality is a duality I find a lot of joy in trying to portray because as with all of my onion children there's so much more than that. She’ll do anything for anyone and the way that I write her really does mean anything so it’s been interesting to see the lengths she’d go to. My darling Vik is a consistent expression of what the experience of loss looks like. Somehow, even when you lose everything that you hold dear the world keeps turning even though it shouldn’t. I like his candid way of approaching romance and the fact that he’s more poetry than person. And then a final shoutout to one of the last characters I played outside of Shiver because they’re on my mind and that’s Sid James, a traveling tattoo artist. No wild supernatural AU, just a grand love of art, aesthetics and self-acceptance. There have been a couple of iterations of her and they all managed to carry the same energy, the muse is strong with that one. 

do you prefer writing with small casts of characters or large ones? what are some of the pros and cons?  -  400 POINTS

Yes and yes? In my world small is say under 10 and then large would be 20+ and for me I’ve had positive and negative experiences with both. I think that overall I would say you have an easier time writing with fewer people as it forces you to make meaningful connections when plotting. Not saying it isn’t possible in a bigger group, people just have more options and the ways in which characters are linked can get spread think depending on the setting. I think for me the smaller cast wins out and the pros are certainly as I’ve said above and you get a chance to meet and engage with people outside of the rping space more frequently. With bigger groups it can be harder to stake a claim or make yourself heard in amongst everyone else. The cons of a small group is that dedication is required to make sure that it isn’t just 5 out of 10 keeping the dash moving and people leaving can have a greater effect on the whole look and feel of the rp. In a bigger cast of characters 2 people leaving, while it is a shame, maybe not alter the whole balance of the rp. As with anything it is a balancing act, for me whether there’s 4 or 40 people involved I just prefer to write with dedicated and creative writers.

what’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done in the name of outlining/worldbuilding (timelines, research, maps, spreadsheets, etc.)? - 500 POINTS

Okay, listen, we’ve all been there: I could definitely admin an rp, in fact, I could definitely make an rp! 

It really isn’t as simple and shiny as everyone else makes it seem. I’ve made to completion 3 rps and plenty of others that never saw the light of day. That was mostly because the high concept was way outside my realm of knowledge or the intricacies grew to be too much. I know there’s little examples but I feel like I’ve done all of them. From a post-apocalypic rp that had it’s own barter systems, power hierarchy and fully scaled map that I made in PS. I recognised it was way too much way too late and I just didn’t do anything with it. Way too much research time spent on how society would societally and physically rebuild itself after a doomsday moment. 

share the last paragraph you wrote you’re most proud of. - 650 POINTS

Elyse:

Elyse had never looked anyone so deeply in the eye before, sure that she saw a whole world between her darkened iris’, unsure if she’d ever been so close to anyone. While ditzy she was never clumsy, too much restraint holding all of her muscles rigid to bump into someone like they did in the movies. Books would drop, both hunkering down, eyes meet and supposedly that was what attraction was. A succession of touches, glances and fumbled words. Neither of them had managed poetic verse, but they shared a glance that didn’t waver and their lips had brushed and could again according to Selene. Elyse’s doe eyes watched the woman in front of her so intently, just waiting for a cue or for her to make a move. She never believed she could be in control nor did it call to her. Her two sisters were the guiding forces, each had their own styles of giving direction. Elyse felt as though she’d been led to the center of the universe, stood in front of the only thing that mattered. The cracks in the pool tiles seemed to push themselves back together and the peeling paint on the motel’s rear curled back up into place. Everything was the most perfect version of itself and Elyse finally realized that while control wasn’t exactly her forte she did have to respond.

Vik:

His cheek and his precious hair graced by delicate fingers who had played his strings before. Vik felt like an instrument in her hands, known and appreciated. Impossible to some and unscrutable to most she elicited the finest melody out of him. It echoed love and support, a song for her alone. Their relationship so unique, a musician and their chosen companion were inseparable until the lowly tool fell into disrepair. Vik was broken in ways he didn’t understand entirely, a mix of trauma, loss and nowhere to call home. Could he play the same melodies? Were they sharp, or worse, were they flat? If she stayed then he supposed time would tell. But with his forehead pressed against hers, he forgot his worry. Vik looked into her eyes and remembered his place, holding no ability to judge who he’d become. She would always be enchanting and he only hoped that there was something left in him to offer her.

describe your current muse’s physical appearance using only one, over the top sentence. - 400 POINTS

y’all can guess whos who ok:

A sunshine smile knitted to soft lips, arms crossed over chest by way of keeping her pieces held as one; swaying as the breeze takes her. 

Tousled locks framed her marble features, canines bared in a daring grin and her eyes honed like a predator to prey with no malintent, instead just to offer a sweet and empty promise of love. 

if you had to write a novel about one of the characters in or outside of shiver, which character would you choose and why? - 600 POINTS

Tuffy, real tuff. 

I think no matter who I picked there would be a whole load of infringement on other people’s writing. Though I think that’s rping, it’s the coming together of pairings to create magic scenes and capture moments in a way that a single perspective could never. Elyse is a funny little one and I’m actually (omg spoiler) currently writing her actual history out as we speak. Then with Vik his history and coming to be where he is right now makes for a very cohesive and readable tale. Paired with an ideal partner, but she couldn’t love him back, he sought something different, the something different kidnapped and tortured him, he was sent away from his home, and then his love very much accidentally found him again in a new space and as a very different person than the one she once knew. It writes itself really. It would hit a lot of beats that it has to and has very classical romance tropes while being both modern and entirely high fantasy. 

The last thing Vik needs to hear is that he’s getting a biography tho to be fair. 

[owlaholic68]

Writing Fic Summaries: My Two Cents

This is not a comprehensive list of should-dos and shouldn’t-dos, simply my process and what works for me! This is also not a list of all of the terrible things fic writers do, it’s just some personal suggestions from my own experience. First, here are (in my opinion) the three most important components of a summary:

1: hint at the premise/story/plot of the fic

2: give the reader an idea of the tone and characterization

3: incite curiosity

Number 1: hint at the premise/story/plot

This is a delicate balance of being clear and not giving everything away. Is there a trope involved? Is it a collection of drabbles? Is this a domestic moving-in story, a murder mystery, a sci-fi story, a slice of life, etc. You could do this in both a blunt/clear way and a more poetic one. I’ll give an example of each:

Indrid goes grocery shopping. – from See, There’s a Mothman in the Market (TAZ: Amnesty)

Blunt. That’s literally what happens. He goes grocery shopping. Now for a softer example:

In the aftermath of her quest, the Sole Survivor finds something unexpected: a new purpose. The Commonwealth is going to have a library. And she's going to be the one to build it. – from Overdue Heart (Fallout 4)

And now for an example that’s a bit weak:

What starts as a simple murder investigation reveals a more sinister plot. But private detective Carla is on the case, and no secret can stay hidden from her for long. – From No Stone Left Unturned (Fallout 2)

What makes this not as strong as the others? There’s a few things. Doesn’t set up the character enough. Tricky because Carla is an OC, but all we know about her is that she’s a detective. Plot/story: ok. Murder mystery that turns into a bigger plot. But something about the contents of the mystery should have been worked in, something about the Enclave or poison involved, or hunter being the hunted. Not a bad start from my earlier days, but could use some work.

Also, keep it short and sweet. Keep in mind that you’re going to have a title as well as tags that people will almost certainly skim through, so most of your warnings should be put here, and anything that won’t exactly fit in a summary. As long as a reader has a vague idea of what they’re getting into, they’ll get it.

Number 2: Give an idea of tone/characterization

A lot of people do the quote thing for this reason. It usually gives an idea if the fic is funny, angsty, fluffy, etc. But sometimes that falls a little flat, and doesn’t always fulfill #1. Your summary should ideally give an idea of the main characters, the tone, and other small things like perspective (POV first person? Third person? Other?) and setting (time, place, position within or without canon). Here are a few examples:

Courier Lynn is afraid of heights. This complicates things in the Divide. – from Acrophobia (Fallout: New Vegas)

Sets the character: Courier Lynn. The place/position in canon: the Divide. Third person, present tense. Blunt, so not a lot of angst or sappy fluff involved. Using “complicates things” implies that this will cover several different canon events from an alternate perspective if the character was afraid of heights.

Martyr (verb): To put to death for adhering to a belief, faith, or profession. To inflict agonizing pain on: torture. – From Martyr (Fallout 2/New Vegas)

This is an example of an adequate but weak summary. It’s a well-known fact that dictionary definitions usually mean extreme angst or fluff. This is obviously the former. Falls flat on #1, but the tags and the fact that it’s part of a series make this not so serious of an error. An extra few lines shoring up the character and setting would help this summary. What it does best on is setting the tone: angst city, baby! Torture and major character death involved, but with a veneer of neutrality and a lack of over-emotional dramatics.

Angus McDonald’s first vision was of a town, turned to ash and black glass. Then it was the train. And the tree. And the grass fading to gray and the sky turning to ink and the world ending- - From Now You See It… (TAZ: Balance)

Character: check – Angus McDonald. POV: Third person. Position within canon: check, implying that this is a canon-adjacent fic spanning multiple arcs. Premise/plot: a character has visions. Tone: odd, but accurate to the fic: rambling. The sentences are run-ons that roll into each other, implying feelings of panic and fear, though starting from a calm place. The fic has multiple scenes that adhere to this tone and style, so this clearly shows without telling.

Number 3: Incite curiosity

This is the most important aspect, and one of the most difficult. Here’s my honest advice for this:

Make the reader feel the same feeling you felt when you had the idea for the fic.

This is a little vague, but here’s the lowdown: If you went ‘omg this is so angsty’ when the idea for the fic first popped into your head, that is exactly what you want the reader to think when they read your summary. If you laughed to yourself and almost didn’t write the fic because it was such a funny/wild/silly idea, you want the reader to laugh and go, ‘what?’ when they see the summary, because, here’s the thing:

They’ll click on it. They’ll want more of that same feeling you just gave them, whether that feeling was angst or happiness or laughter or simply curiosity. They’ll want to know why. It’s very personal, which is why it adds that little bit of oomph. You wrote this fic for a reason. Make it clear. Here’s some examples, because this one is complicated.

Indrid goes grocery shopping. – from See, There’s a Mothman in the Market (TAZ: Amnesty)

Yeah, it’s the first one from this post. Because here’s the thing: when I had this idea, I laughed to myself for a whole day before even deciding to actually write it. The whole fic is Indrid, the Mothman, going to the supermarket to buy food. That’s it. It’s like a thousand words, if even. He runs into some people and there’s hints of plot stuff, but there’s nothing more than that. I want the reader to read this summary and laugh, and go, ‘oh, what a weird idea! I wonder what tidbits are going to be tucked into this innocuous-sounding fic!’ No need to embellish if your core idea stands on its own.

In this bleak post-apocalyptic world, one small flower shop in Freeside struggles to stay afloat. – From Cloudy, With a Chance of Friendship (Fallout: New Vegas)

Curiosity here comes from the fact that this is a flower shop au in a fandom that doesn’t really have any. What’s more, I made it clear that it’s not a modern au. I wanted to capture the unique feeling of writing this weird genre for a fandom that mostly has angst or canon retellings. The title is very vague (a common quote about the main character), so the summary had to clearly show why this fic was unique.

The Chosen One wishes for a second chance. Unfortunately, she gets her wish. – From If at First You Don’t Succeed… (Fallout 2)

A weaker one, but it still has the essentials in terms of plot and character. It’s the ‘unfortunately’ that cements the reason why: the tone. The plot. There’s angst here, even if the first sentence is optimistic. Things are fine and then turn bad very quickly, plus a healthy dose of misguided wishes. If that’s your thing, you are going to be curious as to why second chances are unfortunate.

Trouble always seems to find Henry. – From From the Crib Into the Ground (Fallout 2/New Vegas)

So many questions from this short sentence. What kind of trouble? Why Henry? How does he deal with it? Is this going to turn out okay or not? From the tone of the sentence, probably not. You want your reader to ask questions from your summary, because then they’re going to want to read to find out. Don’t make it all questions, though. We know that troubles happen. Many troubles. Taking it one step too vague, it would be: ‘things happen to Henry’. How about more specific: ‘Henry is plagued by Enclave-related troubles and other problems because he’s an irresponsible scientist and also because he has back luck.’ Well, that’s too specific. Keep an aura of mystery, but keep in mind points 1 and 2.

Conclusion:

You wrote your fic for a reason. You had fun writing it. Now you just need to show a potential reader your passion. If you want to read more about other writer’s opinions on summaries, see these two articles here and here. 

[floraone]

I don't know if you're still doing it but for the fanfic asks: 24, 30, 41 :)

Hahaha, of course, dear anon!

24) How do you feel aboutwriting smutty scenes?

They are the hardest thing to write. They have the specific movements and rhythm that gotta make sense, like battle scenes. They have the emotive background like any tragic scene. And in addition to that, they need to still be sexy - to others who are not in my head and don’t share my own experiences and likes! So, they are hard. ANd yet, I LOVE to write them. I mean, it’s no secret I love them, and I feel somewhat confident with them. That being said though, there are two things about them that is very tricky for me:

One, it’s not a secret that I am somewhat of a “sexpert”. I am a (clinical) psychologist who specializes the biggest bulk of her research in sexual aggression (but especially, the prevention of it! And, turns out, really throrough sex education and a language and environment that teaches the enjoyment of sex for women is one of the best prevention of victimization there is!), AND, I have an additional degree in sexual medicine from even before that!. You know, plus, the fact that in people’s wellbeing in general, sex plays a huge role! So, a lot of my work is forcused on sex. And problems around sex and how to solve them. So, this brings me in the position where I know exactly the impact that depictions of sex online (and yes, fanfiction depictions of sex!) can have on young readers, and I wanna do it justice! So that means, my own standards for it are incredibly high - and THAT makes me nervous about it, not the actual sex.

Two, smut scenes are the only thing about writing where I encounter a language barrier - although I guess, it’s much more a cultural barrier. I have all the words, but often slightly off connotations for them. Because I grew up in an environment that is, in general, much, much more liberal about sex than that of most of my readers’, AND I’m very desensitized due to my field of work - sexual terms (and y’know, even just the NAMES and nicknames of genitalia - like vagina or penis or vulva, or even cock and dick) are neither unsexy nor vulgar nor too scientific for me, but extremely normal and without connotation. And that goes for most terms around sex! So, this brings me to a point where I tend to avoid writing descriptors at all costs - because the terms I would use have the wrong connotations, and the terms that the english language invented to skirt around the topic sound so extremely silly to me that I couldn’t write them with a straight face. And then there is the fact that some things about sex are simply differently connotated in general from my perspective of writing - sex being somewhat messy, slick, oozy, a little bit disgusting - that is sexy to me, and where I come from. Because it’s not perfect. Because it’s real and honest and what our bodies do when they lose control. But it’s not the hyper-polished glossy image we have in the general western society that’s deemed universally “sexy” - that clean, hairless, smooth image of bedroom eyes and come hither stares from far away on photoshopped, idealized bodies, instead of sweaty, grunting bodies that jiggle and make poppy noises when they come together as we bite our lips and grunt and sigh and come undone with everything slick and messy between us. So, it’s a fine, fine line - not giving in to what I don’t believe in or stand behind, and at the same time still managing to make it sexy for a general audience?

30) In contrast to 29 isthere a story which gets lots of love which you kinda eye roll at?

Haha, well, I wouldn’t eyeroll at it, instead I’m just really baffled! The one story I wrote that has the most reviews-per-chapter and that gets almost ridiculous amounts of views is the one I half expected to have NO reviews at all.

I’m talking about Please? - my one PWP. That I wrote just to test it out, see if I could. Like…. the Lemon Tree series? That one I’m writing for it to have meaning - it doesn’t have the most elaborate storylines by far, and is also mostly just sex, but, it’s supposed to mean something, address certain issues and resolve them. Please? on the otherhand? Not at all. That was just… seeing if I can write a stereotypical sex fantasy that is sexy and play with the male dominance trope in a way that runs a border but doesn’t cross it. It’s PWP, nothing more. It was a test. It’s a smutty oneshot - the recipe for NO reviews and loads of hits, and yet it’s among my most reviewed stories (definitely my most-reviewed and most-read one-shot)  and I have. no. idea. why.

41) What’s your favouriteminor character you’ve written?

In GENERAL: UNAZUKI! I love her. I LOVE HER. And I LOVE to write her.  I mean…

Boy-crazy, coming-home-late-at-night, blushing, sweet, snarky, amazing Unazuki. The girl with the gossip and OMG DID YOU JUST-eyes and I sneak her into my stories as much as possible and I am happy whenever I see her in fic.

In not so general, I love what I did with Tomoe/Germatoid in Yugen, lol.

Thank you for the ask!

[magnusglows]

heya mags. wanted to at least check with someone who has seen s7 already, can pretty much guess what your opinion is on it. hope all is good

Hey! Thanks for the message @hoelko  (and thank you for calling me Mags, omg!)So, after getting some sleep, I think I can talk about it coherently, lol.So, I do think there were a lot of great things that happened in this season. Lance got to reunite with his family, as did the others.  Krolia and Keith’s relationship is really sweet and supportive, and I’m always happy to see Matt. It was nice to see the team working together, and I adore Romelle! I wish she’d been a main part of the cast before these last two seasons, tbh.But…As someone who’s gotten used to actual canon LGBT+ rep from Rick Riordan’s books (published by Disney, no less!) , I guess I was hoping that another story originally created for kids could add some wholesome LGBT+ rep into their plot line, too.

I personally feel like Dreamworks did both Adam and Shiro dirty. It’s…It’s not good rep to write in a main character and suddenly reveal he’s gay (and it’s debatable about whether or not anyone would’ve even picked up on this had they not made a public announcement about it)…and then show his ex-fiance, and kill said ex-fiance off almost instantly. It almost felt like, “Hey, all of the straight characters are gonna get their happy ending, but not these two gay characters!” Knowing that they originally wanted to reveal Shiro’s sexuality in Season Two and then immediately kill him off? Yeah. That doesn’t help that funny, gross feeling in my stomach either. :cAnd I’m gonna be honest: they’re doing Lance and Hunk some serious injustice, too. Again, I guess I’m just used to darker-skinned POC characters having plenty of moments to shine (thank you Rick Riordan!). I just…Hmmn. It makes me feel a certain way? Why can’t Hunk and Lance be loved and given as much importance as Keith? HMMMN. Hunk got several wonderful moments to shine in this season, and that made me really happy. But I don’t think I can ever forget the numerous times Lance was referred to as dumb. Ouch. :c Was that really necessary? No wonder the guy has no self-esteem and is waiting for death. Again.In regards to Klance: I truthfully think there’s still a chance for it to happen? Lance is growing and evolving and his feelings towards Keith have clearly changed. He’s in a very different place, in regards to how he perceives and treats Keith, than where he was in the start of the series.  But if it doesn’t happen, I’ll be…well. I don’t know. Shocked, I guess? I’m pretty good at reading in between the lines, and they certainly seemed romantically coded from the get-go. The problem I think will now lie with how they develop Keith’s reactions towards Lance, moving forward. There’s gonna have to be some growth there. And that brings me to the next part:Why the scenes with Acxa? I’m trying to figure this out from a storytelling point of view, from a critical-thinking perspective, not with any shipping goggles on, lol. What is her purpose, what’s the point of bringing her back into the story, after having her gone away from so long? Why emphasize her now?Her feelings and intentions towards Keith are debatable. It truly could be that she’s looking to join a side that has true honor and loyalty, qualities that she’d sought out in Lotor. I honestly feel really badly for her. She put a lot on the line protecting and defending Lotor, someone she believed was walking an honorable path. Imagine how that would feel, to find out the person you’ve so fiercely defended is actually…kind of a shit bag? Then there’s Keith, who’s truly fighting to do good for the universe.Could Acxa have feelings for Keith? Maybe. I don’t know. But it’s really obvious Keith does not return them, though. That actually felt pretty blatant to me. But I do think the storytellers are hoping we’re taking their interactions in a potentially romantic way. Or at least they acknowledge that people will wonder if Keith’s end game romance is Acxa. I’m wondering if she’s a red herring, of a sorts, meant to throw us off the scent of Keith being with someone else? We shall see.And of course, I want to talk about Allurance.  I like the idea of Lance being bi; that means I have to include his obvious attraction towards Allura in this post. At the end of the day, I want Lance to be happy. I want him to feel special, to feel loved and understood and safe and supported, and I want him to understand that he’s irreplaceable and worth someone’s attention.Can Allura make him feel that way? Can he make Allura feel the same way? I don’t know. The writers, again, would need do some serious work to make this ship feel believable for me. She’s just rejected him so many times. Would Lance even believe her if she confessed? His self-esteem isn’t the greatest, and she’s turned him down countless times before. A  re-evaluation of her feelings towards him is one thing, but can they truly support each other? I don’t know. If Allura ends up being Lance’s end game, the writers need to do it correctly. Will that happen? Eh. Again…I don’t know. :c I’m honestly expecting it to feel forced, and that makes me dread it. The world doesn’t need yet another forced straight romance.It goes without saying that the animation is beautiful. And the action scenes are intense. I just wish they’d spend more time on Shiro and Adam. And…you know…didn’t fall into the “Kill The Gays” trope. That’s just plain hurtful. Nearly everything else I can roll with. Just…not that. :cAnyway! Thanks again for the message. Glad I could write something out. Sorry it was so long!

[themomentofdavyprentiss]

Not Your Average Zutara Fic Rec

So I’ve gone through a LOT of Zutara fanfiction, probably too much if I’m being honest, and finding good fics can be really hard. When looking up fic rec lists I’ve noticed that a lot of the lists are just the same select fanfictions recommended over and over (We get it, everyone and their mother loves ‘His Majesty Prefers Blue’ and ‘Stormbenders’ [I never finished HMPB, sue me]). 

So this list is for all of you who are in my shoes and can’t seem to find anything besides the same ten or fifteen stories recommended and are desperate for something new. Everything listed is complete! (If I listed the incompletes/abandoned stories I’d have a lot more chaptered stories listed… RIP ‘The Confrontational Approach’…) 

I have a lot of bookmarked stories that I have yet to read and am in the middle of (Almost caught up on @firelordandlady ‘s ‘Say Anything’!), so I’ll try to update this when I finish something I think deserves a recommendation. 

Chaptered

In the Same Candlelight by Like a Dove

In a world where there is no war, Zuko and Katara spend their summers together. Growing up is messy, embarrassing, and at times sad, but they think it might be okay because they have each other. Edited summary.

I know. I KNOW. I LITERALLY JUST SAID I WASN’T GOING TO RECOMMEND FANFICS THAT ARE ON EVERYONE’S LIST. But I NEED to mention this one. I spent so long not interested in this fic. I don’t like drastic AU’s, or modern AU’s. My taste is strictly canon divergence, so I didn’t think I would like this. I WAS SO WRONG. Trust me, if you are like me and don’t like big AU’s, read this anyway. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Characterization is still so spot on, even with such a different take. Aang is precious. There is nothing but fluff, fluff, and fluff. It will melt you. You will probably die and your spirit will rise up smiling and beaming out rainbows and sunshine. That’s what happened to me. 

Lilacs and Lily Pads by sadladybug

A tale of clumsy courtship and calamitous court weddings, featuring awkward family encounters, floral mishaps, cultural complications, and good old fashioned fluff and conflict. Takes place in the five years following war’s end. For Zutara Week 2016. A prequel to Bones.

Clothe Me in Seasons, Dress Me in Snow is a very commonly recommended Zutara fic (And for good reason, I shed many tears reading it). But this two-shot (A companion to Bones, a smut one shot) by the same author is really underrated and beautifully written. It follows Zuko and Katara as they try to plan their wedding, as well as shows two scenes from before they got engaged that solidified the relationship to be one they knew would last. Just really well done overall and very very sweet. 

EDIT: I talked with the author and apparently it isn’t finished?? But they are apparently working on the next chapters so yay!! And each chapter is independent so it doesn’t feel unfinished.  

The Slow Path by Tazainian Devil

Eight years after the fall of Ozai, Aang returns to the friends he left behind - Taang, Zutara, Sukka

This is technically a Taang fic, and if I’m being honest I kind of just skimmed through the non-zutara chapters, but the Zutara storyline was good enough that I think it’s definitely worth the read. And the overall plot has a great premise. Be warned, it has a sequel that was never finished. 

Another Word For Alchemy by FanPanda13

Five years have passed since the Avatar defeated Fire Lord Ozai, and the members of the Gaang have all gone in their own direction. But when Aang invites them all to a Peace Summit at the North Pole and tells them of his new project, for which he will need their support, the group comes together again for adventure, fun and romance. AU. Zutara. COMPLETE.

So this fic is crazy for me. At first, it started as just really good natured fluff. The writing wasn’t anything fantastic (Although I loved how it broke the 4th wall and didn’t take itself seriously), and there were some definite OOC moments. But I had so much FUN with it. The plot (while definitely not the focus as everyone is more concerned about when Zuko and Katara will get together) was interesting, and there were some really sweet moments. It was also HILARIOUS and I had multiple moments where I genuinely laughed out loud. But then about five chapters before the end, the quality SKY ROCKETED. As the plot and mystery come together, the characters all come together in a moment that truly feels like it came from the show. Even the writing quality increases by a lot and I was genuinely shocked and impressed. Definitely recommend. 

Kyoshi Hold ‘Em by cupid-painted-blind

When a blizzard shuts down the fourth annual Peace Summit, the group has to find some way to pass the time. /Zutara, Taang, Jet/Mai, Jet/Everyone, Sukka

If you’re looking for a good crack fic, look no further. It’s post war and utter nonsense. Jet is alive for some reason??? No one questions it and he’s shipped with pretty much everyone. It’s funny, it’s decently written, there are drinking and sexy time shenanigans, and overall just lighthearted. Also, it does a great job of being a crack fic without crossing the line and becoming unfunny and just a trash fic. A lot struggle to find the balance and resort to going over the top and ridiculous, but this one does a really good job. 

Come With Me by Steamboat Ghost

Coauthored by fuzzytomato. Troubled over his newly restored honor, Zuko finds solace in the familiar guise of the Blue Spirit. In a chance meeting with the Painted Lady, a friendship is forged as the two heroes seek to help the Fire Nation’s neglected.

I’ll admit it: I’ve never gotten into Blutara fanfictions. I only read the first couple chapters of HMPB and dropped it after the tree scene. I don’t know, it felt really OOC for me and I may go back and read it again just because EVERYONE raves about it, but IDK. I’ve never been a huge Blutara fan because while I love the concept, I’d much rather see the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit come together as equals. Most fics present Zuko behind his mask to Katara, and it feels imbalanced. There aren’t a lot of stories where we see their alter persona’s come together even though that’s the entire point of the parallel between the two. Insert this fic. I only wish there was a sequel dealing with Zuko in the Gaang after these events. Hey, a girl can dream. 

A Zutara Story Anastasia by LastSunset

Katara, the only suviving waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, joins two con men, Zuko and Iroh, while a fearful admiral chases for her death. A Zutara Story. Based on the movie Anastasia.

So this isn’t so much a retelling of Anastasia but with Katara and Zuko as it is a fanfic version of the movie but with the characters names and world changed. It takes a lot of lines from the movie. But WHO CARES? It’s Anastasia and Zutara!!! What more do you need??? 

Oneshot

this burden you bear by cowlicklesschick

Word travels, and war stories will be told round campfires and on freighter ships until every person in the world knows what Master Katara did for the new Fire Lord. She fights the burning in her throat at the thought of people knowing why she had to heal him in the first place. Post-war Zutara.

This is an angst-with-a-happy-ending, which I say is the absolute BEST type of angst. Katara deals with the guilt of what Zuko did for her as the Fire Nation celebrates what she did to save his life during the Agni Kai. The two come together beautifully while struggling to see the feelings they both share. Really well written and like I said, it has a happy ending, which we all need. 

The Best of Me by Laririn-Shadow

The night before his eighteenth birthday Zuko wraps a bandage around his left wrist. He has a country to run and no time for frivolous things. It will make everything easier if he waits. Zutara Soulmates AU

Soulmate AU’s usually aren’t my thing (With the glaring exception of one Until Dawn Soulmate AU, but that’s besides the point), but I really enjoyed this oneshot. It isn’t sweeping or insanely romantic and the reveal isn’t “OMG I’VE LOVED YOU THIS WHOLE TIME” But it’s a subtle love that grows, which I really like.  

my salvation, he’s not anything by sarsaparillia

Let’s run away and start another war. — Zuko/Katara.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ What can I say? I love the ‘Let’s run away together, consequences be damned’ trope. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Time is Ripe by Casa Circe

ZUTARA WEEK 2012 Day Seven: Seasons. There are many stages that a heart goes through before it can finally be ready for the love it was meant to have. The road is often a rocky one but eventually, it leads you home.

A oneshot for the Zutara Week 2012 prompt ‘Seasons’. Not too much to say about it. Short, sweet, and well written. What more do you need? 

Serendipity by Boriqua-chan

Iroh goes hunting for tea leaves and finds something…interesting. /Zutara week, day 1/

Secret relationships! Fluff! Happiness! And all from Uncle Iroh’s perspective!! Everything I love in one great oneshot! 

Too Close for Comfort also by Casa Circe

ZUTARA WEEK 2010 Day Three: Pain. After watching “The Ember Island Players”, no one is in the mood for teasing. But a little slip of the tongue leads to the painful realization that the play was more accurate than they were willing to admit.

There are two Zutara plots/tropes that I am a complete and utter SLUT for. The first is the ‘Let’s talk about that EIP show’ trope. This is one of my favorites. 

The Color of Truth is Red by Mrs. Pettyfer

Written for Zutara Week prompt “awkward.” Zuko and Katara discuss the Ember Island Players.

Another post EIP oneshot

Enlightenment by Blade Quill

Choices are made on the day of Zuko’s coronation, and sometimes, enlightenment is just the simple truth at hand. Zutara. AU of the final moments of the Book 3 Finale

The OTHER plot/trope I’m a slut for is finale rewrites. LET ME SEE THEM COME TOGETHER AFTER HE TAKES LIGHTNING FOR HER. Ugh, I love it. 

Framework by profoundlycan

What if in “Sozin’s Comet” Katara had come into the room instead of Mai? Zuko/Katara. Prequel to Schema.

 Another finale rewrite! Let’s just get Mai out of the picture here… 

Lightning Shocks the Heart by drunkzutarafeels

Why do our hearts remain dormant until a climactic moment makes time stand still?

And here’s yet another finale rewrite. There is a really popular Zutara gifset that someone animated of the Agni Kai ‘Thank you’ scene, but Katara kisses Zuko after she hugs him. This is the fanfiction equivalent of that gif set. 

Sunrise by lewilder

The days go on and on, and even if she feels more comfort from the moon, Katara learns to cherish the promise of each new sunrise. Zutara AU, largely finale-centric. Oneshot.

LAST FINALE AU I PROMISE. Really sweet, starts right after The Southern Raiders and goes past canon. 

all the ghosts we cannot kill (we learn to love) by raisindeatre

Zuko and Katara; the moments we didn’t see. Or: Maybe we are all somebody’s ghost. And maybe sometimes we can be more than that.

“…My quarrel has only ever been with you, Zuko,” she says, his name sharp on her tongue. “This has only ever been about me and you.”

“You’re wrong,” he rasps, his voice rough in the late afternoon sunlight that falls around them, tangles them in golden nets. “This has only ever been about me and the Avatar. Not you and me. What we hold between us has nothing to do with it.”

This is a really beautiful one-shot that follows a battered, war torn and hardened Zuko and Katara through the scenes we DIDN’T see throughout the entire show. A Zutara must-read.

Drabble Collection/Series

And Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Advocaat

A collection of humorous and crack-tastic oneshots corresponding to the days of Zutara Month

Really great Zutara Month themed drabbles, and it contains the only body swapping plot that I’ve read and really enjoyed. Also the chapters ‘Potential’ and ‘Festival’ are some of my all time favorites. 

Zuko Was No Coward by hootowl

Zuko was many things, but a coward he was not. A collection of Zutara100 prompts. Title may change.

Definitely some heartbreakers and angsty drabbles in here, but all well written and thoroughly enjoyable. If you read ANYTHING from this list, read chapter two of this drabble collection. I MELTED when I read it. It’s perfection. Aunt Wu’s prediction has always been a plotline I’ve loved in Zutara fanfiction, and this one just does it PERFECTLY. 

Zutara Week 2012 by ichilover3

A collection of oneshots inspired by the prompts for Zutara Week

Not much more to say. The first, third, and fourth prompts are my favorite from this series. 

Zutara Week 2015 by bianca_anna

It started at a tea shop and ended with forever. My entries for Zutara Week 2015. I hope you enjoy them.

Oh my GOODNESS. So they’re Zutara Week prompts, but all set in the same universe. The Zutara!Family depicted in these drabbles has become my headcanon. I’ve seen many a Zutara family, but this one is by far my FAVORITE. This is now my official family for them. I want the very last chapter fully animated because it’s so good and epic and I want more of this families adventures.