#mAN the things you keep noticing during a rewatch/reread...

[sakuraxharuka]

the streetlamps being wind chime-shaped, and several shops on tonpu market street having a wind chime, are some of the cutest details...

[mysticmiav]

Alrighttt am close to finishing Pride & Prejudice, about 60ish pages left (am a slow reader okay and I got distracted with Manacled while reading)

Some more thoughts and a lot of yapping (and spoilers? I guess?) I've had in during my recent reads:

First of all, having watched the P&P 2005 movie first and then starting to read the book, I can't help but keep going "Oh this is different!" At some parts akdksk

I love love love the small hints in the book of Mr Darcy liking Elizabeth more and more that is visible in the book. Imma have to rewatch the movie to see how (if) they did that there, but I don't remember noticing it as visibly. In the movie, it felt a bit of a "ah so that's a thing now" while in the book, I noticed some more emphasis/mention of Darcy noticing her more and more, conversing with her, wanting to talk with her and meet her.

I died at the Rosings part when she told him of her daily walk route, assuming he'd want to avoid seeing her, but my man probably went "sweet!" And just came to see her ever since (not to mention, he might've assumed her telling him of her route was a subtle way of inviting him to come see her? Idk my man was down bad he probably took that bit of info and ran with it akfkskkw)

The little things like him moving his chair closer to her- I pretty much died.

Him wondering at whether she'd mind living at a long distance from her family- my man was practically already wondering at if they were wed, meanwhile Elizabeth is confused why he's talking to her akfkskfk

It just feels much more ahh developed? Or hinted at enough to make his feelings to her not come out of nowhere lol

And of course lets talk about the confession scene!! I combusted

I admit that I loved how they did it in the movie; I LOVED the setting (that location and that weather!! Ugh!) and the energy and the tension. Loved every bit. Not to mention how much I liked the actors and how they played the characters!

And yet, I absoloutly went nuts over how Austen did it in the book!! The tension and anger and energy all there, but it just felt more raw and visceral?? Idk how to put it. I just died and came back and died again reading and rereading that scene omg

It's getting to see the narrator mention Darcy taking her silence or lack of negative reply as encouragement to continue with his confession.

It's the earlier back and forths and their witty exchanges, which resulted in him believing them to be on the same page. Hence, the conversation about living at a far distance from her family, I take it he assumed she noticed his intention and he thought he was being rather too direct, which is why his mood changed and he pulled his chair back when he caught himself.

But ironically enough, him thinking they were on the same page and that he was being transparent with her, that she was able to see through him, all just goes to show on how different of a page they were.

It's honestly brilliant.

And that just makes the confession scene work so much better, at least for me.

Getting such a clear view of how he must have feelings for her, and how clear he thought he has been about them, and how he thinks she picked up on it, makes his confession and the tension of that scene work so well, because he really thought they were on the same page. He really expected it to go one way because of those assumptions he'd had.

And then it went so differently, and so horribly at that, that I can't help but claw at my wall aaaaaa it's so good

No wonder he got pale with rage lmao

Ohoh and when Elizabeth went "You are mistaken, Mr Darcy, if you suppose that the mode of your decleration affected me in any other way, than as it spared me the concern which I might have felt in refusing you had you behaved in a more gentleman-like manner." And saw him start at this I DIED she went for the throat and honestly fuck yeah he needed that slap off the high horse

Even as am writing this I reread the scene for what could only be the tenth time already it's just so good aaaahhhh

(Also, I definitely understand that they probably changed the scene a bit in the movie for the sake of making it look more intresting, at least location wise; the outdoor setting and the spot it all takes place in is definitely a more visually intresting scenery to look at than a closed indoor room, and I think it does make the change of the scene work well in the movie! I still love the book version more but I totally see why and love the change was made in the movie adaptation)

Okay another point about the confession scene is how much I loved the irony in Darcy saying it must be because of how he worded his confession, in a way that slighted Elizabeth's pride because of how he mentioned her relations, that she's rejecting him, and yet he had framed his whole declaration on how it was against his better judgement that he came to like her, how he pointed it out the inferiority of her comings and family (and thereby, painting himself superior). That he's pointing out he must've hurt her pride when his whole talk stemmed from his own pride is such irony I love it

And bruh homeboi really expected her to go "whoa am so thankful you came to love me still!" ???? My man really thought she'd be flustered at him insulting her family and telling her he loves her in the same breath and he still had the audacity to pickachu-surprise-face at her own anger at his words akfksd

Okay enough of that scene, I still have a few kore things to talk about akfkjw

Next up is just how much Letters play a role in the story and even in the characters. Idk this is just a brainvomit of some of the notes I'd taken while reading, but the jest of it is the recurrence of characters sending letters as a narrative tool and, oftentimes, a way to paint certain aspects of the characters.

Elizabeth and Jane, while away from each other, both exhange letters regularly, and their correspondence is neat? I think is the word; they take the time to sit down and write to each other. When they recieve a letter, they also take the time to sit down and read it. Like when Elizabeth receives Jane's letter with the news of Lydia and Wickham, just as she and her uncle and aunt were about to leave to go on a walk, it is mentioned that instead her uncle and aunt set off to let her enjoy the letter at her own time. Just the use of the word enjoy speaks volumes to me at how Elizabeth regards these correspondences; a genuine sort of happiness and joy, and hence she likes to take the proper time to read them, and also the time to write them.

So when it says that Jane's first letter got missent somewhere due to her writing the adress remarkably ill, it's hard not to feel a shift or to know something bad must've happened. Because with how much care she usually puts into her letters, something must've caused her haste in writing the adress of that letter, so badly it was sent elswhere.

This broke a formula we kinda grew used to in those correspondences between Elizabeth and Jane, and managed to set a feeling of dread by simply taking something of that status quo and changing it. I just love it so much ugh

Darcy's letter(s) I feel like fall under a similar light; he obviously put a lot of care and time and thought into them. Gave them the time and length needed, given the importance of the content. They were very thorough and expansive, and touched on the important topics and discussed them sufficiently (lmao I feel like am giving him a critique analysis).

It shows enough of his character methinks.

Mr Collins letters, much like he himself is in person, often focus on the flattery. Of others (especially Lady Catherine) and of himself (cuz ironically, by how often he breaks his back complimenting others, he always traces it back to himself, to how he thinks of it, to how grateful he is of it, to how deserving he thinks it is, to how thoughtful he is with it). In person, it was hard to miss how much he cared for the rooms and their furniture and interior, and I chugged it to it symbolising how shallow he is and how much he cares about appearances, whether in the literal sense of the word or more like the esteem and regard others have of him. In his letters, he focuses so much on appearing thoughtful and grateful and thankful and concerned where needed, in a way you feel he's simply doing it in a "but no one could dislike me! I've been nothing but nice and thoughtful etc" way, you feel? Again, by focusing so much on such pleasantries, he seems only focused on coming across positively.

Also, all in all, he's the epitome of "talks a lot but says very little."

Lydia's letters are more or less hasty and careless; it's obvious she doesn't set aside any special time to write them (like her letters to her mom while she was away at Brighton including things like "oh Mrs Froster is calling me so I must haste" or something along the lines) and, much like her own conversations and interests, seem scattered and childish (which, yeah, she is a child. But you get the idea. She comes across as silly, wild and reckless, while also being somewhat shallow)

I just think it's a very neat way to show the personalities of the characters further using the letters as a tool.

Ahhh I think that's mostly it for now!! So many thoughts cuz am loving every bit of this akfksk

[pixelsandpins]

February Comic Reads!

Venom

I’m still in the Flash Thompson era of my Venom chronological reread. Currently almost done with Thunderbolts Red. Thunderbolts Red is a lot of fun, for one. It’s basically just a bunch of people who don’t normally do teams…on a team. Deadpool always has a weird fit on any given group, but I think this is one of the better ones. That kind of middle ground between totally unhinged and surprisingly competent. But, to this day, I don’t know how I feel about Agent Venom. I like Flash as a character. The way the symbiote is typically used as an addiction allegory, I find his additional layer of pre-existing alcoholism to be a compelling narrative component. I just don’t know that I prefer him as Venom during this era of his tenure, in particular. They have the symbiote “lobotomized” for large chunks of the story, so they’ve stripped away a lot of what I think makes Venom most interesting. For large parts of the story, Flash!Venom is just a standard anti-hero with minor shapeshifting abilities. A jacked-up Spider-Man/Punisher hybrid. All the stories during his era are objectively great, but there’s something missing in the front half. And man, you don’t really notice it until you’re physically looking at the books on the shelf, but Flash takes up a LOT of space in the Venom canon. Just interesting that he’s not a higher association than Eddie.

Deadpool

I also wanted to get caught up, via MU, with the current Deadpool run, so I started that. Then I realized: I have no idea where Princess came from. She showed up in Venom War, and I just sort of accepted it. But now I thought I should maybe read her origin. Catch up with all the symbiotes. That sent be back to the short 2022 Wong/Coccolo run. Holy SHIT what an EXCELLENT run. I absolutely loved every element, and I’m heartbroken that things didn’t work out with Valentine. They were perfect for each other, and I’m a little mad about it. But I also now love Princess with every fiber of my being.

Rascal

Speaking of symbiotes, I also started keeping up with Marvel Academy Infinity Comic, and I’m having an absolute hell of a time. It started because I learned that Rascal/Normie Osborn and Moon Girl were in it, and I absolutely love those two. I’m sticking around because the rest of the cast is absolute chef’s kiss. If you’re not already reading it, I highly recommend it. I had the realization, though, that I was missing a bit of a gap in Rascal’s story between his first appearance in Venom and Marvel Academy. That made me roll up the Red Goblin mini-series. It wasn’t as strong as the Toxin mini-series, but still a fun read that filled everything in.

New Releases This month

In terms of new comics I’ve been enjoying Cable: Love and Chrome, Deadpool/Wolverine, and falling more and more in love with Ultimate Spider-Man with every issue. All-New Venom has got me on edge for the issue 5 final reveal in a few months. I also love the way Ewing has paid attention to the linguistic growth of the character.

The first issues of One World Under Doom and Weapon X-Men also gave an excellent show, and I expect them to at least be fun if a bit silly.

The first issue of Bug Wars absolutely blew me away, and I’m so excited to see it continue.

Silverhawks also set up some really cool stuff and made me want to go back and rewatch the show after a million years. Now the theme song is stuck in my head.

[psych0midget]

Bookshop AU

Andrew had thousands of followers.

He wasn’t sure how it had started. He was the owner of a small independent bookstore and he regularly hit the gym. Nothing more, nothing less.

Or at least, that’s what his life mainly consisted of before Moriyamas opened a store right in front of his one. Moriyamas was one of the major book retailers in the USA, wherever it opened a store, the other bookshops of the area closed. Andrew’s own shop didn’t stand a chance. 

That’s where Roland came in. It was just an off-handed comment, nothing anybody sane would ever take into account. But Andrew could not afford to close his shop, he had to pay the tuitio for Aaron’s med school. 

Roland said: you’d definitely sell more books if you showed your abs to your costumers. The fact that Roland had said that while he was feeling Andrew up in the storeroom of Eden’s didn’t matter. 

What Andrew did: he created an Instagram page. It was called ABS (AndrewsBookStore, you pervs). He posted photos of himself. And his books. The fact that he was often shirtless or wearing a skin-tight black t-shirt that showcased his muscles was secondary. 

The descriptions under the photos mainly consisted of his book recs. Short. A bit caustic, but straight to the point. He never forgot to add a discount code. Any customer that walked into the store would get a 20% discount on the book Andrew had promoted if they showed him the ig photo and the code before paying. The fact that the words he used as codes were frequently outrageous just made the whole thing more fun. 

Surprisingly, his ig page took off. Not only did he gain thousands and thousands of followers, but his revenue triplicated.

Nicky became a permanent fixture in the shop. Once an occasional aid during Christmas time, now he efficiently manned the register. Nicky flashed smiles at costumers who showed him Andrew’s photos to get a discount and was patient with those who blushed and stammered when asked to say the code word.

He had also hired Kevin, his roommate. And makeshift photographer who helped Andrew taking photos for Instagram. He’d probably have to hire someone else before November. But that was okay. The shop would not close.

The only price he had to pay was having to wear a tank top at work.

-

Neil was a simple bookshop clerk. At Moriyamas in Palmetto.

He loved books. A lot. Or else he wouldn’t work in a bookstore. And yet he hated the job. Hated the competitive work environment. Hated his boss Riko. Hated how things had changed since Kevin had left.

Pity that he needed the money. 

One of the very few highlights of his days was the costumers. In particular, the costumers who mistook Moriyamas for ABS (they were both on Fox Avenue, but Moriyamas was at number 32 while ABS was at 23) and showed him one of the photos and said the discount code. 

The first time it had happened, Neil had no idea what to do. An old lady had shoved her phone right into his face. On the screen a photo of a good looking blond man reading a book.  He was lying on a bed, his face half covered with a copy of TSOA. The arm that was not holding the book was raised above his head, his well toned bicep on display. Neil knew his face was turning red. Redder than the cover of TSOA the costumer was brandishing.

Neil still had no idea what was going on, especially not when the lady started saying lewd words she claimed were the discount codes.

He called Jean for help. Jean calmly explained to the old lady that she was in the wrong bookshop, ABS was down the road, on the left.

Neil, who barely even knew what Instagram was before Jean told him, went home and downloaded the app. Created a profile and went looking for ABS’s account. 

He found the photo the old lady had showed him that morning, the one with TSOA. Neil was a good liar but he rarely lied to himself. He could admit he noticed that Andrew’s t-shirt had ridden up a bit. He could admit he noticed the slip of exposed skin on his hip. He could admit he stared at it for almost half an hour. (Which was unusual to say the least) 

Another thing Neil enjoyed were the book recs. Andrew Minyard had good taste and he knew what he was doing. He promoted both new books and classics, he put trigger warnings on them, his book recs were short and funny, his dark humour made Neil crack quite a few smiles. 

Neil followed Andrew’s page and went to sleep. 

In the following days Neil got more than one costumer mistaking Moriyamas for ABS. 

Riko was getting tired of it. Instead of wiping out the competition, the Moriyamas shop of Palmetto struggled. And they struggled against a “stupid decrepit bookshop owned by a psychotic midget on steroids”. These were Riko’s words. 

Neil had no idea how he ended up filming videos where he recced books while exercising. And wearing shorts. Oh and uploading them on Instagram. 

Actually, he knew how he ended up doing that. It had something to do with Riko threatening to lay him off.

Moriyamas was copying ABS’s strategy and Neil was the unwilling accomplice.

Unsurprisingly, Neil quickly gained many followers. With the money Riko had invested in sponsoring his account, well, it was inevitable. 

Neil was waiting for the day Riko would tell him to start wearing shorts at work (it took exactly 11 days and “Neil’s Legs” trending on twitter after he uploaded one of his videos) 

Surprisingly, people followed him also for his book recs. He received hundreds of messages from people thanking him for the awesome books they read because of him. And in return they gave him other book recs. After all, Neil was happy with his Instagram.

Even more surprisingly, ABS (Andrew fucking Minyard) followed him.

-

Andrew was not sure why he followed Neil Josten.

Rationally, he knew he needed to keep an eye on the Moriyamas. He needed to do it for his own bookshop and for Kevin’s sanity. And that’s why he followed Josten.

His treacherous mind said it was also because Josten’s book recs were awesome. And so were Josten’s thighs. He’d be happy to be choked by them and suc- Wait, no. No. No. Let’s not get there. 

Let’s start over again. His treacherous mind said it was also because Neil’s book recs were awesome. Damn him. Andrew had read some of the books Josten suggested just for the sake of it. He hoped they’d be shit, but fuck, Josten knew what he was doing. 

Nevertheless, not much changed. Josten’s blog, or rather, the Moriyamas’ wasn’t a problem for Andrew. ABS was still doing great. Admittedly, Moriyamas’ discounts were higher than ABS’, but Andrew now had a number of loyal regular customers. His account was still doing great. 

One night Nicky made him rewatch Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly for the umpteenth time. The following day Andrew also reread book and decided to promote it. Who said he only had to talk about new releases on his account? 

In the photo Pride and Prejudice was artfully placed (or so Kevin said) on his bicep. In the description box he said that P&J was the Classic par excellence, the Classic TM and that he hoped Jane Austen could forgive him for the photo.

Two days later Andrew was casually scrolling through instagram when he saw it. In the new video Josten was promoting Wuthering Heights.  Because “people who say Pride and Prejudice is the best classic really have no taste”. The video featured Josten and a punch bag. It was gloriously rich in close ups of Neil’s butt.

This is how the cold war between ABS and Moriyamas began. 

Andrew replied with Fight Club. The description said “Recommended for jocks who like throwing punches for no reason at all. The favourite book of white men TM who think they are Brad Pitt, but actually have the emotional depth of a spoon. Read at your own risk”. 

Neil replied with The Catcher in the Rye. In the video he was doing squats. And panting into the microphone. Andrew might be wrong because he was too busy looking at Neil’s stupid face, but he was pretty sure Josten said something like “perfect if you’re looking for a book where the protagonist is a self-absorbed entitled brat” and “the true favourite book of white men TM”. 

The video ended with “psa, if you ever meet someone who says that this is their favourite book, run.” And then Josten winked. He winked. 

Fans quickly started noticing what Andrew and Neil were doing. Some talked about rivalry between bookshops, others inevitably started shipping them. 

And yet Neil and Andrew kept their videos going on. They argued which book of Neil Gaiman was the best and which vampire saga the worst. It was a photo of Andrew lifting stacks of books. And then it was a video of Neil doing squats balancing a pile of books on each hand.  It was Josten saying Aristotle & Dante was his favourite lgbtq+ book and Andrew answering that he’d never read it, but it couldn’t possibly be better than TSOA.

Andrew would never say it out loud but it was fun. He was having fun.

Andrew still suspected Josten kept on replying to his recs just to promote Moriyamas. Nothing more, nothing less. It was probably Riko who told him what to rec. Josten was a puppet.

Andrew should’ve known. But when Neil started reccing shitty books, Andrew was still a bit disappointed.

Week after week, the quality of Josten’s recs lowered. He was promoting mainstream books (but not the good mainstream books) and influencers’ rubbish biographies. 

He was about to unfollow his blog when Josten slipped into his DMs.

What the message said: I cannot accept the fact that you haven’t read Aristotle & Dante yet. When’s your next shift at the shop? 

What Andrew did: sent him his work schedule. Like an idiot who’d never had a mum telling him not to divulge personal info to strangers on the internet. Oh no wait- Andrew hadn’t.

What Neil did: walked into Andrew’s shops with a copy of A&D and a cup of coffee. Placed them on the counter in front of Andrew, smiled and left. 

Andrew could’ve complained that the coffee was too bitter and- who even gifts books to someone who owns a bookshop? He could’ve complained, but he was too busy staring at the post-it on the book. 

“Hire me before Riko makes me rec Fifty Shades of Gray xx” 

That that afternoon Andrew walked into Moriyamas with a copy of a random book in his hands. The post-it on its front cover said “You start tomorrow at 9. Don’t be late.” 

With Neil’s videos and Andrew’s photos, ABS’ account (unsurprisingly) became one of Instagram’s most popular book accounts. Andrew’s bookshop became so popular he managed to buy the Palmetto Moriyamas shop after their sales plummeted and they were forced to close the store. 

As concerns Neil and Andrew. Well. Their relationship would still be secret if Kevin -who still managed the ig account- didn’t accidentally post the wrong video. 

It was supposed to be a video of Andrew doing squats with Neil sitting on his shoulders and reading a book. 

The video that got posted to ABS’ 3 million followers instead featured Neil sitting on Andrew’s shoulders and laughing so much he lost his balance. He was about to fall to the ground when Andrew caught him in his arms and Neil, who hadn’t stopped laughing for a second, kissed him on the tip of his nose.

[gloster]

FAVORITE FANFICS OF 2020

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

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

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

So without furhter ado, my fav fanfics of 2020:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honorable Mentions:

If I Called You Mine

Sail Across the Sky Just to Get to You

Finding Shelter (The Alien Baby Remix)

Say You Do(n’t)

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

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

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

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

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

Honorable mentions:

Two Hearts in Bloom

Mountain Men

Home is in Your Heart

3). Spun like Gold by Neyasochi (sheith)

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

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

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

Honorable mentions:

oh, devour me

Healing Touch

on your hand of gold 

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

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

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

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

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

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

And then Malfoy shows up.

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

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

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

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

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

Honorable mentions: 

Inside Your Mind

Aletheia

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

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

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

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

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

Summary: "You see me."

And somehow, that makes all the difference.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honorable mentions:

Where the Light Doesn’t Reach 

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

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

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

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

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

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

10). peace-weaver by magisterpavus (sheith)

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

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

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

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

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

Honorable mentions:

The Boy in the Window 

Sheith Demon/Priest AU

A Matter of Scale

Directive 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HAPPY NEW YEAR, GUYS

[carriagelamp]

I read more books this month than I anticipated. I should probably wait before doing a February book round up, but I already feel like I’m struggling to decide which ones to cut from my list so I’m doing it this weekend instead of next. If I read much next week I’ll bump ‘em up into March’s round up

Asterix and the Missing Scroll / Chieftain’s Daughter

I got the last two “new” Asterix books out of the library so I could officially say I had read them all. Over all my opinion is… they’re fine! None of these would ever become one of my favourites, but they’re all fine stories. The art is good, it is completely in-line with the original, and the stories are… fine. I liked The Missing Scroll quite a bit more than The Chieftain’s Daughter but I never find a ~hurr hurr teenagers~ plotline that interesting, whereas I do enjoy seeing Romans get chased down by unicorns so that’s probably not surprising. There’s some spark I can’t put my finger on that the new Asterix books just seem to be missing though… a bit of humour or cleverness or something. Still, they’re fine reads if you’ve been hungry for more Asterix and I’m glad I read them. (Though the library gave me the American translation of The Chieftain’s Daughter, something I didn’t realize until I started reading and realized that this is wrong??? I’ve been reading these books since I could read and I know this is wrong??? What the hell is happening??? The I realized the publisher was different and I simmered in fury the whole time I read it — WHY ARE YOU CHANGING NAMES AND WORD CHOICES IN A WELL ESTABLISHED SERIES THAT ALREADY HAS AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION YOU ANIMALS WHY ARE YOU DUMBING DOWN THE LANGUAGE AAAUGH

The Bride Was A Boy

This one was cute! The Bride Was A Boy is an autobiographical manga written by a transwoman recounting her experience with transitioning, meeting her boyfriend, and eventually getting married. It’s mostly done in a 4-panel style and is interspersed with lots of information about the LGBT community, particularly in Japan. A lot of it was stuff I was already familiar with, but I still found it adorable and a very worthwhile read. it would be a fantastic book for young queer people who are looking for more of an introduction into international queer space

Cul de Sac: Children At Play

Cul de Sac is just a weird, fun newspaper comic series about the children who live in a small neighbourhood. It fully taps into the children-as-semi-feral-chaos-agents, and there’s something hilariously nostalgic about the whole thing. Lots of times when stories try to portray children there’s always something… wrong about it, something that doesn’t mesh with true childhood, but in this comic I can see glimpses of my grimy, dirty-covered self as a preschooler running around the pages. I would definitely recommend trying them!

The Cremation of Sam McGee

I reread The Cremation of Sam McGee and The Shooting of Dan McGrew and man, they don’t stop being buckwild. These are two really famous Canadian poems that were then illustrated by equally famous Canadian artist Ted Harrison. Harrison’s style is gorgeous and distinct and given what strangely grisly stories these poems are they fit the mood perfectly. Everything feels just a little tilted and wrong and unsettling. If you enjoy an occasional poem (especially ones that are super fun to read out loud) and haven’t read these before, I would recommend them! Or do what my teachers did, and read Sam Gee to a young child in your life and watch them be baffled and concerned and horrified.

There are strange things done / in the midnight sun / by the men who moil for gold...

The Gryphon’s Lair

The second book of the Royal Guide to Monster Slaying series written by Kelley Armstrong; I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book! It’s a very cool fantasy series because it really leans into environmental stewardship and the importance of studying animals and conservation so you can find ways to live alongside a healthy ecosystem. In this book Rowan is officially accepted as the Royal Monster Hunter, which means a whole new set of trials and burdens. She has to contend with a baby gryphon that is becoming increasingly large and dangerous, plotting family members, doubt about her abilities, a potential curse, and a daunting quest deep into the mountains in order to set things right. If you’re looking for some very gentle high fantasy, this series delivers.

Hogan’s Heroes comics

What to say here. Anyone following this blog has suffered the knowledge that I’ve been rewatching Hogan’s Heroes lately. When I found out that there was a short-lived, shitty comic series in the 60s? Of course I had to hunt them down. And so I’ve read them! And they sure were a shitty comic series from the 60s! They were, shall we say, of wildly varying quality. Some were actually really funny (like #5, it easily had the best art and best jokes imho), others were a slog, and most were fine and amusing enough to read the whole way through but not much more.

If you don’t know what Hogan’s Heroes is about: it was a 1960s sitcom that took place in a WWII POW camp, in which the Allied prisoners trapped there had a massive, complex sabotage/spy ring right underneath the camp. The whole show is about constantly outwitting the bumbling Germans while keeping up the pretense that they’re all just normal prisoners. The show is hilariously funny and I would recommend that, even if I can’t say the same for the comics unless you’re like me and are just really thirsty for more content...

Magic Misfits: The Fourth Suit (Ripley)

The final book of Neil Patrick Harris’ middle grade series, The Magic Misfits. In this fourth book, the group is fragmented and forced to meet in secret to avoid notice from the mysterious and powerful Kalagan whose cruel machinations have already turned the quiet little town on its ears, putting people’s lives in peril and destroy Leila’s fathers’ magic shop. The Misfits are going to need all their skills to finally unmask this sinister magician and break the mesmerism he seems to have placed over the entire town before it’s too late to save no only the town, but their friendship and trust.

Super charming series, and the illustrations are gorgeous.

Marsupilami

HOUBA! I watched a very bad TV adaptation of this as a kid that still managed to find a place in my heart, and so I decided to finally try reading some of the original comic! On one hand: it was exactly what I had hoped! The art is cute, the marsupilami is so dynamic and fun to see on the page (and has a way better characterization than he does in the show), and it’s really funny! Unfortunately! It is also pretty racist! Yikes! That seems to be a reoccuring downfall for some of these older Belgian comics... I also tried reading the first book of Les Tuniques Bleues and aye ye ye… I couldn’t actually get through that one. That being said, these were older volumes and frankly, North American media was also real fucking racist at that point so I’m not gonna write them off either. I really liked most of this book, and will probably try to get my hands on one of the more recent volumes of both Marsupilami and Les Tuniques Bleues to see if they get better with time. (If you’ve read either of those series and have volume recommendations hmu)

The Pagemaster

I’m a sucker for novelizations, I have no excuse beyond that. I recently rewatched The Pagemaster and decided to read the chapter book. And it was a solid little adaptation! It’s about Richard Tyler, a young boy with a head for statistics which unfortunately means he lives in constant fear of (in his opinion, statistically likely) injury or death. However that fear is put to the test when he gets caught in a horrible thunderstorm and has to shelter in a nearby library with halls and shelves that stretch beyond the imagination and with untold perils hidden among the pages of the books. Richard, with only his library card and three novels that hope to be checked out, has to venture through the different genres and horrors housed int he library if he ever wants to find the exit and get home to safety.

Pumpkinheads

A very charming little graphic novel. Cute art, and really loveable characters. Josiah and Deja work every year at a local pumpkin patch, and are best friends during those weeks. However this is their last year working there before going off to university and as the last day at the patch comes to a close they realize that they both still have regrets. Deja sets off on a mission to avoid work, eat all the interesting snacks around the patch, and get Josiah to find the girl he’s been crushing on every year and has never worked up the nerve to talk to.

After being deprived of human contact for almost a year, this book really hits you right in the heart.

The Screwfly Solution

A deeply upsetting scifi/horror short story! I read it on the recommendation of a friend and, yes, can confirm that this fucked me up a bit. I honestly don’t even know what to say about this that wouldn’t spoil it, but frankly with everything being as it is, this hit a little bit too close to reality. (That being said, it was very well written, like this is a very good story on a literary level and it does exactly what it sets out to accomplish.) If you feel like reading twenty pages and being really disturbed, give it a go! Otherwise go and read any number of the much happier books on this list!

The Whipping Boy

This was a book I remember reading as a lit circle book back in elementary school and really loving. After telling myself I’d reread it for years, I finally sat down with it again. If you somehow got through school without reading this one, it’s about a brat of a prince and his whipping boy — since it would be unspeakable to strike a prince, when the prince misbehaves it is Jemmy who gets whipped. Unsurprisingly, there is no love lost between the two of them, because the prince is always intentionally causing problems that Jemmy has to suffer for. Things begin to change though when the prince decides to run away and drags Jemmy along with him. On the run, being chased by highwaymen, and desperately trying to hide their identities, these boys go on a fast-paced adventure beyond the castle walls. It wasn’t as special as I remembered it being as a kid, but it’s a fine little chapter book.

[thinenotthee]

anyway here’s that hamlet post i was talking about

i was rewatching rsc 2016 hamlet like 2 weeks ago and i was basically taking notes during it to spare my friends from having to deal with my ramblings via text. uhhh, only some of this is production-specific, a lot of it is just my specific hamlet feelings about the play at large. this production is fantastic and i will sing its praises until the day i die

anyway this is going under the read more because as always, i’m full of hamlet thoughts

i always hate on I.iii but if done well, it’s very funny and heart-wrenching because this is the last time laertes sees his family intact :(

to jump back for a sec to “too, too sullied/solid flesh” (i am a fan of solid but that’s a different point than this one), maybe it’s just this production, i can’t remember, but like, hamlet just kinda continues with “but break my heart for i must hold my tongue” and most times i feel like it’s not... prompted by anything? like, i understand the reasoning if hamlet is just like “ah, there’s only so much i can say because i’m still at elsinore” but i firmly believe that hamlet would just keep going and going if he could. so, i’m saying that hamlet hears commotion from offstage before horatio and the guards appear and he’s like, shit i need to be quiet because my words are highkey treason

oKAY about sullied vs. solid. i forget which version sullied appears in initially, but a lot of sources are taking it as their go-to and thus a lot of productions are, and i get it and it’s totally valid. hamlet sees himself and base and defiled and tainted and he’s doing his best but he doesn’t think he’s ever good enough. but here’s the thing. solid paired with “melt, /Thaw and resolve itself into a dew” makes more sense to me? just from like, a science and states of matter perspective as well as a writing perspective. he is solid flesh but he wishes he were not. he wants to evaporate, become one with the plants, he no longer wants to exist in his current form. so solid as a state of matter paired with his next line vs. sullied as a state of being paired with his... everything. i also just like the way solid sounds better, so y’know, death to the already very dead author

i feel like a lot of productions (including the splendid rsc 2016 one) forget that hamlet’s “remember thee” after his ghost dad leaves is a question, and i feel like it’s an indignant one at that. remember thee? how could i not? do you really think me so low a son as to forget? and then he immediately launches into saying that now his father will be the only thing he remembers, which oof for several reasons

first, i think hamlet is already well on his way to that because the first time we see him literally everything he says is about his father and how he is grieving his father because from his pov, it seems like he’s the only one left to do so (which after claudius’ speech, isn’t a totally unfounded belief)

second, he is literally throwing away his past (or attempting to, with mixed results) to focus his attentions on the ghost’s command. nothing is more important to him right now

i also think it’s interesting that hamlet writes in his notebook during this sequence, but in all the productions i’ve seen, he literally never writes in it again (imagine him rereading his own journal when polonius asks and he talks about the slanders that he’s written; just flipping through his notebook to find the particular passage where he shits on polonius, what a guy)

GERTRUDE LOVES HER SON SO MUCH. i noticed it in this production specifically, but when polonius tells gertrude and claudius that hamlet is mad she looks ready to square tf up. “what did you just say about my son? you can’t just go around saying those things” because uh, serious repercussions for madness in shakespeare’s day (see: twelfth night) that gertrude immediately has to start protecting him from (”your grace hath screened and stood between/Much heat and him” III.iv.)

okay, i have some thots about to be or not to be. it’s been a bit since i watched a hamlet that isn’t this production but am i supposed to assume that while hamlet is going on and on polonius, claudius, and ophelia are overhearing all this? that doesn’t seem right. it would serve as further motivation for claudius’ assertion after the nunnery scene that hamlet isn’t mad with love, but i think hamlet’s lines about banning marriage and his actual threat to kill him is enough to convince him of that fact. i really need to watch hamlet at elsinore because i know they move where it’s placed and i am curious about what effect that has

okay, i do the “now might i do it pat” soliloquy as a monologue for auditions and such, and i always interpreted the line “this physic but prolongs thy sickly days” meaning this posture, meaning claudius’ position praying, as the sole reason he’s still alive at the moment. i am interpreting “physic” as an alternate for “physique” aka posture/stance. however i have seen other interpretations that say “physic” is a medicine? which i suppose is also valid because prayer is a medicine being used to prolong his sickly days because hamlet isn’t killing him. ugh, i love how shakespeare’s language leaves so many opportunities for various interpretations, someone please yell with me about them

i have said this a million times and other folks have said so as well, but hamlet killing polonius is the point of no return. prior to this, hamlet had only been messing around and being harmlessly insane (except for rsc’s nunnery scene, which i have... feelings about but that’s another post) but now he’s gone and killed a man, which despite all of gertrude’s actions, can’t be overlooked. and the saddest part is that hamlet knows this. (although i do have a question about him being sent for england and saying this to gertrude before he even sees claudius and before anyone else knows he killed polonius. why is he being sent to england? time for the 3298318915th reread, i guess) he knows he’s irrevocably beefed it and i’m sad

i didn’t finish rewatching it, so my notes stop at like, the middle of act 4, so whoops. but i always have thoughts about act 5, so expect more

[getalittleclosey]

under 25k larry fic rec

hi! i’m becca and i read...so much fic. these rec lists are an accumulation of fic that i’ve read or reread and extra loved from 2016-now. there’s a wide range of stuff here and i think there’s definitely something for everyone!! i divided them up by length so you can check out all those categories below!

please make sure to read tags and warnings on all these fics!! the only things i think i can guarantee is that these are all larry, there’s no non-con, no age play, no eating disorders, no mentions of bg, they end happy, and they’re mostly aus. oh and they’re all on ao3 and some are locked so you’ll need an account! anyway i hope y’all enjoy!!!

under 5k

under 10k

under 50k

under 100k

100k+

☆ watching the world fall by whoknows 12k

This segment has been going on long enough that Louis knows what’s coming before James starts in on it, trying to sell him on something he knows that Louis wouldn’t normally be buying. But there’s four cameras surrounding him, and an audience watching him expectantly, so if Louis wants to continue convincing people that he’s doing just fine, he’s going to have to go along with it.

“We have a whole host of single men backstage waiting to meet you, Louis,” James tells him. “We want to help you find love tonight, on Late Late Live Tinder. Is this okay? Do you want to play?”

It actually kind of makes sense that his first date after the break-up is going to be just as public as said break-up. Something like coming full circle.

“Alright, James,” Louis agrees, hopping down off his stool.

“Okay, come down to the stage,” James says. Louis can’t even tell whether the excitement in his voice is genuine or not. “Right now, come on down!”

☆ enjoy the ride by 2tiedships2 11k

“Stop sulking and get up. I have a proposition to make.”

“Niall?” Louis questioned. “Do you think I should put glow in the dark stars on my ceiling?”

He looked over and found Niall giving him an unimpressed look.

“So, no?” Louis asked. “No stars?”

“We’re going on a road trip,” Niall stated.

Louis looked back at his starless ceiling and waved farewell to Niall. “Cool. Have fun!”

“No, you idiot.” Niall let out a frustrated sigh. “You, me, Liam, and Harry.”

Louis glanced over to Niall and back to the ceiling. “Who’s Harry?”

Or the one where Louis, an omega more than tired of being treated as lesser than alphas, is forced on a road trip by his beta besties only to meet Harry who might just be the alpha he never knew he wanted.

☆ like to keep you laughing by kikikryslee 13k

Louis gasped. “Are you straight? Oh, I'm sorry, man. You should’ve just told me; I would’ve left you alone.” “No, no, that’s not it," Harry said. "I like guys. I definitely like guys.” “OK…” “Louis, I’m ace.” Louis snorted. “Kind of full of yourself, aren’t you?” --- Or, the one where Louis is a frat boy who likes to hook up and Harry is someone who doesn't hook up ever.

note: ace and aro rep bless

☆ say that you can see me (i’ll speak up i swear) by coffeelouis (streamtpwk) 20k

“Well, it’s not like anyone really RSVPs,” Liam defends when Harry turns back to him, “No one takes Facebook events seriously.” Harry rolls his eyes, still finding it within himself to get annoyed in his moment of panic. Liam has been complaining about the lack of accountability Facebook events have bred in their generation since their freshman year. Harry glances back to the gallery entrance. Yep, still there and moving closer.

“But aren’t you guys friends?” Harry asks, trying to convey the urgency in his tone.

“Well, I mean, I talk to him when he stops by the office for supplies sometimes,” Liam reasons, “But I wouldn’t say we’re friends, exactly. Maybe more like, friendly acquaintances?”

Harry groans. “You’re the fucking worst.”

[or, the liberal arts COLLEGE AU where Harry knows Louis as the best friend of the boy he has been hopelessly in love with for years now and Louis knows Harry as the boy he wished would look away from Zayn long enough to notice him.]

☆ a fire in us by hereforlou 12k

Louis had always thought it wouldn’t catch him off-guard. If he ever got his Time, he would be ready, and he would be calm, and he would make his way to wherever his soulmate waited for him and blow them away with how ready and calm he was.

When he got his Time on that Monday, years after he had stopped fantasizing about meeting his soulmate, Louis was not ready, and he was not calm. What he was was late.

(Or, the one where Harry waits and Louis worries.)

☆ just like the wolf before he bites by whoknows 11k

He’s loud, Louis is, and that’s far from unusual for him, but the volume of it still has Harry pulling back the curtain. There’s a half-formed thought in the back of his brain about telling Louis off, because it’s fucking half three in the morning, but then.

But then Harry’s eyes get stuck on the soft glint of Louis’ stubble in the light, and he’s making his way across the room before he even realizes it.

Louis, for his part, just tips his chin up to give Harry space and keeps talking, waving the joint in his hand around for emphasis. He doesn’t even bother to greet Harry, going on with his story to his semi-rapt audience, just settles a hand in between Harry’s shoulder blades and pushes him down firmly.

Harry just. Relaxes. His eyes slip closed, pushing his entire face into that spot underneath Louis’ chin, where his hair is still growing, neat and prickly. The scent of Louis’ cologne drifts into Harry’s nose, light and fresh, and it’s calming. Comforting. His breathing syncs up with Louis’ quickly, and Harry feels so much better than he had five minutes ago he almost wants to cry.

note: i’m rewatching teen wolf so this hits different

☆ wine not? by multiple authors 21k

Louis’ Wine Dive is a bar run by the people for the people. Wine Styles is a boutique tasting room that caters to a more highbrow clientele. When their worlds clash on a beautiful Charleston street, one of these owners may find that an ounce of pretension doesn’t stand a chance against a pound of perseverance.

☆ ain’t that a kick in the head by multiple authors 22k

“Well.” Niall unlocks his phone. “It wasn’t getting the traction I wanted on Snapchat. So…I tweeted it.”

What.

“You tweeted it,” Harry states, nearing a state of brain dead. “To your ten thousand followers.”

Niall nods, handing Harry the phone. “You’re a meme, Harry.”

“I’m a what?”

“A meme. It’s like an internet—”

“I know what a fucking meme is, Niall! Why did you make me into one?”

Niall has the fucking balls to cackle at that while Harry looks at the mess his former friend created. Videos of him screaming at Tomlinson about Tide Pods and his ass are being quoted and combined with memes to a create a level of memeception Harry has never seen before. That isn’t even including the thousands of tweets of him falling up the stairs remixed with random Top 40 songs.

~

In which Harry’s a disaster gay who doesn’t know shit about soccer, Liam drinks too many blue raspberry Coolattas, Niall knows everyone, Zayn looks dead, and Louis is Not Happy about sharing his breakout moment with “Drunk Hawaiian Guy.”

☆ tyger! tyger! burning bright by ryanreynolds 12k

They put on the Great British Bake Off, in a house in Donny, in England, that’s maybe inhabited by two ghosts, two lovers, stuck in the house where they used to have a life, so far away from the time they were born in. // A Buzzfeed Unsolved AU in which Harry and Louis died in a fire in the late 1800's, but death isn't the end.

☆ for the first time by mixedfandomfics 22k

The first Harry that Louis met was at his third school in as many years, and had shoved Louis’ head into the toilet when he walked into the mens restroom. Some slurs had been used, but the whole incident was kind of blurry thanks to the concussion he got when his head hit the tile floor.

The second Harry was a TSA agent when Louis was sixteen, returning from a trip abroad. The agent had smirked at Louis passport. “Layla, huh? Should think about dressing a little more feminine, no guy is gonna want you looking like that.”

Louis doesn’t want to see if “third time’s the charm” applies here. He’s finally secure in his life and happy, and he doesn’t want the heartbreak if his soulmate is just another bigot that wanted Layla and not Louis. Sue him for avoiding the pain.

☆ all i need is oxygen (and you) by lululawrence 12k

There are only two ways to navigate Bloomfield High School: become popular or make yourself invisible.

With the help of his best mate Niall, Harry’s introduction to high school hadn’t been half bad. Despite being a “bandie” – the lowest of the low in the ancient hierarchy of high school –Harry had somehow managed to survive freshman year relatively unscathed. So naturally, Harry would have been perfectly happy to resume his position of invisible trombone player number four for the remainder of high school. But one day something drastic happened, something that would change the course of Harry’s entire existence (probably).

It was the last football game of his freshman year, and the band was back in the stands after performing a rousing rendition of Bloomfield’s alma mater during half time. Harry was gracelessly wiping the slobber from the mouthpiece of his trombone when he saw him.

Louis Tomlinson.

Or...a High School AU where Harry is a bandie and Louis is the epitome of cool, so naturally, Harry must find a way to get his attention and win his affections.

☆ come together by bottomlinsons 11k

Harry and Louis slept together three weeks ago, and haven't talked.

Their coming group project is gonna change that.

☆ honey at seven by louiesunshine 11k

He’s in head to toe in khaki, from the oversized shorts showing off his thin and tanned legs to the buttoned-up shirt which is hiding his true form underneath. If his muscular arms have any indication, Louis easily assumes he’s fit and toned. A dark brown leather belt ties around his slim waist. And to top it all off, the man proudly wore a safari hat on his dark wavy hair.

Unfortunately from where Louis is at, he can’t get a clear view of the man’s eyes. But he’s able to see a strong jawline and a simple dimple curving his cheek. God.

Being the impatient guy that he is, he not so kindly pushes both Niall and Liam forward to speed them up.

“Welcome, guys, gals, and non-binary pals! Hop on in and watch your head. If you happen to miss your step and hit your head, then lower your voice and watch your language. This is a family attraction and we’d like to keep it that way.”

Or, where Louis goes to Disneyland for his birthday and finds himself a cute Jungle Cruise skipper.

☆ the switch (love is blind) by writeroffictions 13k

A Model Behavior/Princess Switch AU: Harry Styles is a doppelganger for the new face of Gucci, runway model, Dean Rose. Harry is asked to pose as him one night for an event, because the actual Dean Rose is violently ill. This leads Harry to meeting his celeb crush, Global Superstar Louis Tomlinson. Sparks fly. But are any of them real?

☆ fiction romance by orphan_account 18k

Harry has a type.

He likes older, sophisticated, mature men. Well-educated men. Men with life experience and passion for arts and social causes. Men who are established in their careers, who've sorted their lives out.

Niall knows this.

And so Harry can't understand why he's sat here opposite Louis Tomlinson.

A punk Louis/uni Harry blind date AU.

☆ under me, you by hazzafrazza (colberry) 12k

You Won’t Believe Who Was Spotted Leaving Harry Styles’ Primrose Hill Pad! If Harry was being completely honest, it probably wasn’t the best idea to be a world-renowned popstar and an infamous vigilante.

(Especially when all the comic books said never reveal your secret identity to keep your loved ones safe – which was all well and good, until Louis.)

Or: Harry wants a lot of things – fame, glory, Louis – but that last one is particularly hard to get when everyone thinks you’re dating your secret superhero alter-ego and suddenly you’ve become your own worst cockblock.

☆ superhuman tonight by rearviewdreamer 23k

A group of young offenders doing community service get struck by lightning during a storm, and begin to develop superpowers.

☆ sing you butterflies by objectlesson 23k

Louis stares for a moment before some primal sympathetic force in him activates. He has to help this boy. He can hardly walk, and he seems so young (yet ageless, beyond age, like a sea turtle or a parrot or a tree or something else odd and magical), and on top of all that, he has body glitter clinging to his skin, like that roll-on stuff his sisters used to use as preteens, only pink-gold and twice as thick. It’s, like, professional grade. He’s also wearing grass- and dirt-stained pink silk women’s underwear, so maybe he’s from London. Maybe he’s a drag queen who crawled all the way from a nightclub in Soho just to save Louis from his horribly mundane and woefully heterosexual neighbours out here in the middle of nowhere.

---

or, Harry’s a clumsy unicorn who accidentally stomps on a witch’s garden and is turned into a human as punishment, so he wanders into a nearby village covered in glitter, still figuring out how to walk on two feet, and meets the fairy-tale-fine Louis, who has to teach him how to live as a human and stop him from eating soap.

☆ i’ll be your love tonight by dinosaursmate 20k

“I don’t know how I’m ever going to walk away from you.” “So don’t.” Harry ran a fingertip over Louis’ thigh. “Stay with me.” - It's the summer of 1999 and Louis Tomlinson has been abandoned at a house party. A dispute over Smirnoff Ice and several night buses later, Louis is unsure how he'll ever walk away from this lovely, curly-haired boy.

☆ carried away like butterflies by dinosaursmate 17k

“Actually…” Liam said, scratching his chin absently. “I have a friend who is moving to London soon.” “Without anywhere to live? Who is it? Do I want them living in my home?!” “You met him at my birthday party. Harry, from Cheshire. Remember? Really tight jeans, curly hair down to here?” Realisation dawned on Louis, staring at Liam who was gesturing round about his nipples. Did he remember Harry? Did he remember Harry? He remembered Harry’s square front teeth biting into his collarbone, and he remembered Harry moaning, loud and obscene with no provocation. He remembered Harry dropping to his knees at the edge of the bed and roughly pulling Louis closer. He remembered, vividly, Harry’s lovely plump lips wrapping around his- “Lou?” “Uh- what?” Louis said, startled. “Oh, yeah. Um, I think I remember him.” - It was probably a huge mistake for Louis to let his former One Night Stand move into his spare room, especially when said One Night Stand doesn't seem to remember him.

☆ head head heart by turnyourankle 12k

After Dunkirk has wrapped filming, Harry struggles with his inability to reach subspace. He tries taking the matter in his own hands before Louis intervenes with a plan of his own.

☆ i got my eyes on you (you’re everything that i see) by balanceds 11k

“It’s not a secret, right, Harry? All of his friends seem to know--”

Harry slumps down and starts methodically banging his head against his newsroom desk. “Niall, it is a secret from him because I have spoken a total of ten fucking words to Louis Tomlinson and also he is incredibly out of my league and probably fucking straight as well!”

Or: Harry's a first-year on the school newspaper, assigned to cover the terrible men's first football team. Louis Tomlinson is the team's star defender. Harry pays significantly more attention to Louis's arse than to writing real columns. Pretty soon, everyone notices. It takes Louis the longest.

☆ then we kiss (all i wanna do is have a good time) by orphan_account 24k

Harry shuffles further into the room, timidly taking a seat on one of the chairs set in front of Louis’ table. He keeps his eyes on the floor, fumbling for words. “Sorry, I’m just—it’s just that I’m a bit nervous. And, uh, I wasn’t really expecting for you to look so—” he cuts himself off, just in time to keep himself from saying beautiful.

“Young?” Louis guesses, and Harry just nods, going along with it. “Yeah, don’t worry. I get that a lot, mate. People don’t really expect you to be head writer at twenty-nine. They think to get the job you have to be in your forties, or something.”

So a five-year age gap. Cool.

(harry is a potential new writer for a comedy show. louis is his kind-of boss. they flirt. stuff happens.)

☆ other habits (make your pleasure your pains) by jtsbbsps_dk 19k

Freaky Friday High School AU.

Wherein Harry just wanted to have lunch with his older sister, Cal sells ice cream, Gemma has a test, Anne thinks she knows (she really doesn’t) and Fate plays match maker, because no one puts her ship off course. Louis just tries to help out his best friend's little brother while dealing with a metaphorical butterfly invasion.

☆ the boy in the pikachu pants by mrsstylinson 20k

Louis stars as the bumbling idiot who's only a bumbling idiot around Harry. Harry stars as the charming bastard who steals his heart completely. They meet in the middle of a hallway with Louis in a state of considerable undress, singing Destiny's Child at the top of his lungs. Somehow that seals it for Harry. This is the boy he was always meant to fall in love with. Louis feels the same, only slightly more defeatist. It takes them a while to figure things out.

☆ all the small things by kitundercover 20k

AU. Harry is five inches tall and can't remember how he got that way, but maybe with Louis' help they can work it out. ---

Louis stares. “You’re five inches tall,” he says finally.

“I am about that.” The tiny man agrees.

“You’ve been making strange noises and scaring the shit out of me.”

“I’m sorry.” The tiny man winces.

“You’ve been breaking my things.”

“Not on purpose.”

That voice is disconcertingly deep, and Louis keeps wanting to look up and find the fully grown person that it must surely be coming from. He takes a deep breath and moves onto the next impossible point.

“You’ve been riding my rabbit,” he says.

☆ like two softened shoes by marie24 14k

He sets his laptop on the bed, backing away and running his hands repeatedly through his curls. Okay. This is okay. This is fine. This is not real.

Will peeks his head around the door frame.

“Uh, everything okay in here?”

Harry tries to keep his breathing under control. “Yeah!” he says. “It’s, um, everything’s fine!” He can hear himself talking really loudly. Will looks doubtful.

“Are you sure? Because it really seems like -”

Harry barks out a laugh, cutting him off. “Okay! So this is going to sound really strange. But.” He looks at Will, with the same shiny fringe, blue, blue eyes, and sharp cheekbones he’d been writing about the whole last week. He worries his lip frantically between his teeth. “Um. I think I… I think I… wrote you?”

Or, Harry is a writer who gets through his writer’s block by pouring his feelings for his best friend Louis into a character. A few days later, the character lands in his bed, three dimensional and with no idea how to get back where he came from. He turns out to be very inconvenient for keeping Harry’s feelings to himself.

☆ ready to fall by whoknows 21k

“Ninety and rising,” Nick says triumphantly, as though making Harry’s heartbeat pick up by thrusting an obscenely attractive person in front of his face is any kind of success. “Louis Tomlinson has just walked into our control room and suddenly our dear Harry Styles has lost all ability to speak. Could this be some kind of strange coincidence?”

“I hate you,” Harry hisses, forcing his eyes back into Nick’s direction, uncaring that the mic must have picked it up. “I thought we agreed that you were going to play fair.”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Nick denies, except he’s holding up a picture of Louis’ face now, sharp cheekbones prominent, soft lashes nearly sweeping against his cheeks as he looks down, and his fucking mouth –

“A hundred and two!” Nick crows, all but clapping his hands together in glee. “The highest it’s ever been!”

“To be fair, I did bend over the desk on purpose,” Louis’ voice comes crackling in the headphones. Harry practically breaks his neck whipping his head around at the sound of it, gaping at him through the glass panel. “You can’t really blame him for getting a little excited about that, can you?”

☆ gnossienne by pukeandcry 11k

Louis sets a challenge for himself; it gets a bit out of hand.

☆ tonight’s not over (come over and stay) by louistomlinsons 17k

Zayn doesn’t say anything for a moment, pausing and worrying at his bottom lip. Finally, he asks, “Have you heard that Cox guy is coming out with a new song?” Louis freezes, fingers hovering over his keyboard where they had been typing his password. “No, I hadn’t,” Louis says truthfully. “Where did you hear that?” “Tell anyone this and I’ll kill you, but I’d consider myself a big fan,” Zayn says. His face doesn’t change in expression, completely serious as he admits this to Louis. “Big fan? Like run a blog and everything?” or, harry is a famous singer and louis is a student who just wants to write his novel

☆ a love that feels this right by dontlethimgo 14k

As always, the classic high-school rumour mill is never completely reliable. Sure, there are those stories that fly around that turn out to be true—like the one about Niall getting with a model at a party a few months ago (which Louis still struggles to believe)—but this ‘rumour’ has so many versions, and none of them are actually right.  

The Sixth Form AU where Louis is the footie team captain, Harry is head boy, and no one at school has any idea that the two of them are in love.

☆ put your head on my shoulder by wayfared 18k

Niall gives Harry until the end of marching season to either a) make a move on Louis Tomlinson or b) get the fuck over him. Either is easier said than done. Basically, your High School AU with a drum beat.

☆ some nights i’m scared you’ll forget me by pukeandcry 15k

Zayn stifles a groan. He’s not terribly surprised -- Harry’d been mooning over Louis since the day they met three years ago when Zayn had moved into the house next to him -- but he’d been hoping that Harry would eventually get over it and redirect his attention to someone else. This development does not bode well for that turn of events, though. (High School AU)

note: this is zayn’s pov and has a decent amount of ziall and a lot of zarry friendship if i remember!

☆ oh how i hate this red string of fate by calamityk 14k

Harry thought being able to see people’s strings die would be the worst thing about his gift, until at twenty-two he finally met the other end of his own. --------- Or that soulmate AU where Harry can see the red strings of fate that tie everyone together.

☆ smoke dreams from smoke rings by objectlesson 18k

“When I get a craving?” Louis says, “You have to help me chase it away. Distract me”

Oh. Harry can think of about one hundred different ways to distract Louis Tomlinson. One hundred better uses for his mouth, for example. “Erm,” he squeaks, well aware of the fact that he's grinning and dimpling and blushing all at once, his whole face a suddenly mortifying warzone of transparent emotion. “How?”

“By hitting my arm as hard as you can,” Louis announces, holding out the arm in question. It bridges the gap between them, stiff and expectant, and Harry stares, not entirely sure if Louis’s being serious, if this is some prank that he isn’t clever enough to understand, or if the promise of touching Louis under any circumstances is so titillating that he just can’t process it. Louis rolls up the sleeve of his hoodie then, revealing his pale inner arm in maddening increments, pushing Harry somewhere between drooling and vomiting, he isn’t sure which. He just knows that his mouth is flooded, and the barely-there ghost of Louis’s veins through his skin is the prettiest thing that he’s ever seen. “Go on, hit me,” Louis orders. “Don’t be shy,”

--- or, Louis enlists Harry to help him with his bad habit.

☆ milkshake by speechless 13k

He's been saying it for years. He doesn't care that it makes Liam roll his eyes and Zayn sigh and Niall crack up. Lots of things he does get that kind of reaction from the boys anyway. Louis won't stop saying it, 'cause it's true. His milkshake does bring all the boys to the yard. It's a fact.

So the day he decides to get into Harry Styles' pants he says it again, when all three of his roommates are there to witness it. "I'll fuck him by the end of the month. You'll see."

☆ you drive me crazy (i just can’t sleep) by objectlesson 19k

The first time Louis ends up in Harry’s bed is a total accident.

☆ happily ever after by theneverending 19k

"It’s the Peter Pan that I work with most days. Harry got placed with us today and it’s really quite funny to watch him make starry eyes at Peter Pan from behind his camera. As if that would hide anything,” Niall claims with an eye roll, causing Harry to blush even harder.

“I didn’t think you’d notice,” Harry responds lamely, suddenly becoming interested in his food again.

“Harry, when you like someone, it’s written all over your face. You just kept staring at him.”

“That’s my job, I have to stare at him to make sure the photos come out nice.”

“You wouldn’t be getting defensive if I wasn’t right,” Niall rebukes, and Harry really can’t argue with that, so he lets Niall have the last word.

or, the one where louis and harry work at walt disney world, louis is a character performer for peter pan, and harry's the photographer that sometimes gets to work with him.

☆ like the stars that shined by butliamwhy 12k

Louis has stars in his eyes. Harry has known it since they were kids. They have their own tree, their own café booth, and so many years to fall in love. Perhaps a lifetime.

☆ green in the morning and blue afternoon by wildestdreams 14k

“Harry,” Louis whispered beside him.

Harry hummed, his hand coming up to stroke Louis’ back. Louis was still on top of him, his body sagging against Harry’s, heavy and warm, and Harry loved it.

“I don’t think it was a one off.”

“Me either, Lou.”

or

a Friends AU.

[usaghinanami99]

Hello, comrades! Here I am presenting you a short review of Nachtmahr, a Marx/Engels yaoi dōjinshi by the wonderful RONO (@gattungs-wesen). Before starting, though, I feel the need to drop some advices: first of all, I am by no means a professional reviewer and would never claim it; on the contrary, I haven't written a review for non-scholastic purposes since last summer, so my already scarce abilities are probably rust by now. Second, I am nothing more than a fellow Marxist like many who also happens to be a passionate fangirl of the M/E pairing; please keep in mind my young age and subsequently limited study degrees before addressing me as naive or shallow. And last, I tend to use way too many words for pretty much everything, so you're lucky that the work I'm going to write about is very short, otherwise even I don't know much far I could have gone... actually, I do know: I used to write 5 pages-long analysis of single Pokémon episodes before my spare time decreased drastically, so here's that. Without further ado, let's get started!

Before starting reading, one has to consider how the fanbook is presented, and I think its cover illustration makes for a very, very nice presentation: a cover ought to convey what the stuff you're going to read is about, and this one sets the tone perfectly. In particular, it establishes what the book is all about thanks to an efficient representation of the main couple (of course we all know this is a Marxengels fanbook, but I'm thinking of people stumbling upon it in a comiket, as opposed to us who specifically found it looking for M/E material), which, on the other hand, also serves the need to demonstrate how the art inside the book is going to be – I'll touch upon the subject later, but it's obvious just from the cover that it's going to be pretty at the very least. Finally, the illustration also perfectly establishes the mood of the whole story: not many yaoi books open with this type of picture, am I right? I mean, they usually tend to depict two hot boys in a very steamy and sexy fashion, or at least that's how the yaoi I read generally work. This, on the other hand, is going to be epic and tragic, and the characters' expressions and positions convey this feel better than I could ever explain – also because my English vocabulary is quite limited.

This is where I should review the story itself, but I think it's going to be rather short for my standards, because, to put it bluntly, nothing really happens. Okay, this is just an exageration to say that there is no traditional plot advancement, which is not inherently a bad thing, not at all. In fact, even some masterpieces have been written which don't feature any conventional plot (Beckett anyone?), and this case seems certainly akeen. The thing is, stuff doesn't happen because it's all in Engel's head, which is a clever way to enter his thoughts and twist the reader's expectations at the same time. What I mean is that, at least for me, at the first read it is not clear whether something is real or not, if it's Engels dreaming or an actual memory of his; granted, everything is crystal clear by the end and upon subsequent re-readings, I definitely don't mean to say that the storytelling is confusing – it just likes toying with what us readers would expect, and that's always nice if done in such a clever way. This is where the dōjinshi's title comes to play: "is what I'm reading a nightmare or not?", I was constantly asking myself during my first reading. In the end it turns out that the answer is "yes", but one is still left to question themselves about just how much Engel's nightmares were real or not; and, while the answer to this second question leans more towards the "no", it's left ambiguous enough that a reader is still provided with a window of hope, if they want. Engel's nightmares, which are virtually the major subject of the story, transition from the near past of Marx's death to the distant past of a tender love scene between the two philosophers, which isn't probably anything more than a mere fantasy of Engels', but, honestly speaking, it feels so real when it starts that it's shocking to see this idyllic scene brutally shatter. I'm sorry for those (including myself, alas) who expected a scene of tender love-making between the two columns of Communism, because the carefree sweetness comes to an end when Engels is bound to notice the wedding ring on his beloved's finger; now, I have to admit my personal headcanon is that Jenny was fully aware and supporting of the relationship between the two, and would also often take part in nice orgies along with both families, but it's not like we own their diaries or anything, so any guess is as good as mine. But RONO's guess in particular is very depressing, which I genuinely didn't expect given how much fun most of his fanart tends to be, but gosh, does it work? Very well indeed, there's enough angst to make you shed many tears, what with poor Fred's unrequited love (which is already the saddest thing ever, btw) and his self-guilt given by cheating? Speaking for myself, I headcanon the whole Marx-Engels big family as polyamorous, add to it the fact that free, unbound love is certainly an important part of their ideals, as we all know from the Manifesto itself – but I do not want to dismiss this more tragic view of their relations, which is indeed as valid as mine. After this heartbreaking nightmare, we cut to reality, with a devastated Engels being aided by none other than Kautsky, whom I didn't expect to find here at all! I'll keep my opinions on the man for myself, unless someone is dying to know what I think of every Marxist philosopher I've ever read, but I'll just say that my thoughts on this particularly controversial figure don't bear any importance on the overall enjoyment of the work. A work that ends in the most heartbreaking way ever possible (as if the end of the dream weren't already enough!), with Engels surrendering to despair in front of Karl and Jenny's tombstone. If you meant to call deep depression upon your readers, than you've done the best of works, RONO! I'm obviously exaggerating again for the sake of comedy, because I really love how emtional and tragic this story came out to be. I related with it on a personal level and felt genuinely hurt for how much my precious OTP had to endure, but this is no news for me, and I highly appreciate the work that I've had the honour to read.

I'm afraid I've got even less to say about the art, because I am so far from being an expert; if my opinion is of any importance, then, I'll just say that I found it perfect and worth of an official work, which I think is the best compliment one could make to a fanbook. Come on, someone go and hire the man, otherwise so much talent will go waste! Luckily enough, nowadays more and more manga artists become professionals after having started as amateurs, and in this case I definitely see all the talent and passion needed for the big jump. Official or not, this work is awesome and its status won't change it! ...Well, I did say I can't properly judge art! Want to know something else, then? RONO is the one and only artist who can make bearded men attractive for me. That's a thing. Oh, and also don't forget the closing illustration, which depicts young M/E happily dancing to what I think is a waltz (?). This particular picture was yet another reason of crying for me, because my best favourite film in the world happens to be Beauty and the Beast, so I think you can imagine just how much important romantic balls are for me. Well, I don't know whether this was intentional or not, but after all, it's a nerd's job to find references regardless of whether there are actually any or not! Unfortunately, Karl and Friedrich's story ends in a much more bitter tone than Belle and Adam's, but this unexpected bonus really did the trick for me – I am very emotive, to the point that I cry every single time I rewatch B&B, so of course I did the same thing many times upon reading and rereading this dōjinshi.

Finally, every good reviewer should find at least some flaws in the most perfect work, but I've never claimed to be a good reviewer. Do you really want something negative about this fanbook? Okay, then, I guess you won't be particularly invested in it if you don't ship M/E... but if you don't, just go and read all that Engels wrote after Marx's death (and be ready to burst out in tears)! And of course follow and support the artist if you don’t already, because he deserves all the love in the world from us commies!

[peachhoneii]

Scrooge’s Grief for Della Duck (An Essay):

A.K.A. Scrooge McDuck grieves and misses his niece Della, but has tried to bury that pain for the past ten years. 

DuckTales handled Scrooge’s grief for Della wonderfully for me.

His grief isn’t apparent like Donald’s, or the consequences of her disappearance aren’t obviously shown as it is with Donald. His overprotectiveness comes from losing his sister.

Scrooge’s a man constantly on guard with his feelings. It’s like pulling  teeth out when it concerns him opening emotionally. He doesn’t want to appear vulnerable, and this is a feature from the comics. Pride and fear keeps his emotions close and under his heart. His hidden grief for Della, or rather her absence, and the subsequent rift it caused in his family, is in-character.

But this could be guilt as well. I have the opinion he may believe he’s responsible for TSPoS incident despite what he tells Donald.

This essay is currently over 2,000 words long, so I understand if you’re not interested in reading. These are my personal observations after rewatching the pilot movie on Youtube (it’s DisneyXD’s official channel), and from my personal readings of Don Rosa and Carl Barks’ comics, which have been a while. I plan to reread Carl Barks as soon as I can as well as catch up with the European comics.

Disney isn’t holding any punches for this show. It was a 23 hour marathon for the pilot movie. Thanks, Disney.

First reference goes back to Donald and Scrooge’s exchange after a decade

Donald: “Can you do that without losing them?”

Scrooge: “Of course I can!”

Donald isn’t a fan of Scrooge. He doesn’t hold any punches when it comes to Scrooge.

The first viewing is sad and funny. It’s sad since we the viewers (also comic readers) know Scrooge and Donald have had a falling out. We know they used to be close. We don’t know why. It’s hilarious because of the shade they throw at each other, and Donald is straight up cold to Scrooge. It is funny.

Scrooge’s reaction to this line is what gets me. Scrooge is offended, but there is hurt and exasperation. He didn’t have to react this way. He was caught in the emotion of trying to defend himself to Donald. Yes, the comedic pendulum swings back in full force when he realizes what he’s signed up for, but the expression was of genuine hurt that his nephew would say that to him.

The Newspaper Clipping:

What we know at this point is that Scrooge has settled into the life of a businessman. He has retired from globetrotting. We don’t know the reason.

DuckTales provides us some context, and this is the first case of legitimate foreshadowing in the series. An old treasure room filled with paintings of his greatest adventures and old newspaper clippers reveal this little gem lying on the floor.

“McDuck hangs up spats after -,”

The rest is cut off. It’s extremely telling this is the clipping the show wanted us to see. If not, there wouldn’t have been a close up. It hints something happened to Scrooge that led to early retirement.

We suspect it’s related to Della. It makes sense it is. We’re still in the first episode, and we haven’t seen the painting yet.

Little known fact: In Don Rosa’s Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, Scrooge ends up wallowing in his mansion for years without adventures and swimming in his money bin due to a family estrangement he was the direct cause of.

He grew greedy, ambitious, and cruel. He destroyed an African village for financial gain, and his sisters shamed him, leaving him in Africa to return to America. When he returned after an extended period of time, they tried to reconcile, and Scrooge angrily pushed them away. After that, there was no joy in his life. He ceased his global adventure. He didn’t swim in his money bin. He deeply regretted this estrangement, and saw no point in moving forward.

As readers, this is obvious to us, but he doesn’t admit this until Don Rosa’s A Letter From Home where he reconciles with Matilda McDuck. I highly recommend both. These are great stories.

It cements the fact that Scrooge McDuck values family. He’s a family man. He loves his parents, sisters, nephews, and in DuckTales, this extends to his niece Della.

Now, the newspaper clipping is extraordinary, but opens several implications:

Della’s disappearance isn’t a family secret. The city of Duckburg knew Della Duck went missing during an expedition.

Potentially, a random Duckburg resident would know about Della because Scrooge’s money is what makes Duckburg the metropolis it is. I think it’d be common knowledge at the time that the niece of the city’s richest resident went missing during an expedition he led.

Reinforces that Donald definitely kept HDL in the dark about Della’s disappearance; they know of her but enough to know what happened to her.

Highly suspect Webby knows of Della Duck. I don’t think Scrooge and Mrs. Beakley could bleach history for her. McDuck family history is her personal hobby, and she’s tactful not to bring Della up.

If this is true, if Della’s disappearance (like Amelia Earhart) was local/possible national news, then HDL had no idea about it for the past ten years.

It was in a newspaper with a high chance of it being a Duckburg city paper. This was, at least, local news.

Donald kept this from them. It will likely cause an emotional confrontation. We know Donald did this to protect them, but he probably couldn’t handle rehashing his grief to the boys.

Scrooge could’ve told the boys. He didn’t. He never mentions Della around them or to them. It’s possible he’s aware Donald hasn’t told the truth, and he doesn’t want to be the person to do so, along with respecting Donald’s wishes.

He also may not want to rehash his own grief and guilt.

HDL ask him a lot of questions, but one that might have also struck a nerve was, “What happened between you and Uncle Donald.”

Good boy, Huey, asking the important questions, and this is in-character for him. He’s asking about the major mystery in their family that everyone else may potentially know already.

Scrooge’s Paintings (and Portraits):

Scrooge is a fan of artwork. His mansion is filled with artwork depicting some of his greatest adventures. They are absolutely beautiful since many of them are directly taken from Carl Barks’ oil paintings of the Duck family. I saw one when he walks to Dawson, and yes, this is the oil painting featuring Goldie. You don’t see Goldie, but you know she’s there.

He has no problem showing off his accomplishments. He’s also fond of displaying his family members in paintings as well.

His parents, Downy and Fergus, have a portrait in the dining room. A picture of Quackmore is on a mantle. 

Webby must’ve gotten the pictures of Quackmore and Hortense somewhere in the house, so I’m assuming there are more of them around.

But the painting depicting Scrooge, Donald, and Della’s adventure with the ghost pirate and his minions isn’t anywhere in the mansion. It’s in the garage.

Why would Scrooge McDuck do this? Why would a duck who prizes on showing off his accomplishments and family hide this particular painting in the garage? During its time in the garage or maybe a little bit before a part of it has been ripped.

The painting itself is another foreshadowing trick as well as being the revealer of THE SECOND COMING OF DELLA DUCK.

The paintings in Scrooge’s mansion work as a narrative device to reveal aspects to Scrooge’s character. He’s a prideful duck that values family, and this painting combines his love of adventure with his family.

It’s also symbolic. Della’s part in the painting is ripped.

Her leg isn’t immediately visible on the first watching. I didn’t even notice it, but I did notice Donald’s attention wasn’t on Scrooge. His eyes were cast upward. Oh gosh, look at how happy he looks. The poor man; look at what’s been ripped from him.

Della’s disappearance ripped her family apart. Donald blamed Scrooge, and possibly extends this blame to himself. Scrooge possibly blames himself as well. Their decade long rift ended because Donald needed someone to babysit.

Having seen a number of Scrooge’s portraits and paintings in his mansion and money bin combined, seeing how displayed they are (even in darkness when he enters a dark room), the fact the only painting with Della in it is placed in the garage where there’s no visible light and left to come to harm (the rip) demonstrates this isn’t a painting or portrait Scrooge can look back on fondly.

He pushes it to the back, and leaves it there. He isn’t a happy, proud duck.

Family’s Nothing But Trouble!

This is tricky, and filled with conjecture. Feel free to disagree.

When Scrooge originally says this to Beakley it belongs to a sad attempt to boost his own confidence. He wants the world to remember the duck he used to be. He wants to be the duck he used to be.

Scrooge’s personal history includes a lot of isolation. He left Scotland at thirteen to travel to America alone, and the majority of his youthful travels were done in isolation. He did this to provide for his family. Having his family, people he could trust, during his adventures meant a lot to him.

From Life and Times, Scrooge’s family keeps him emotionally and physically afloat. When his sisters depart, following Scrooge’s destruction of an African village, he became harder and meaner, and when he lost them after he returned to Duckburg, this made him lose his drive for adventure and money bin swimming.

In DuckTales, losing Della and Donald cost him the same thing. He lost his drive for exploration, and became colder, harder, and grumpier. He isn’t at LaT’s level, but it’s similar.

HDL + W helped him rebuild. He knows he needs his family. He loves them, and I think the original line was said in a moment of desperate self-reassurance. He made it far without anyone at his side. He could make it far without anyone at his side again.

But the truth was, he made it even further with someone at his side.

Because when Dewey throws it back at him in a sassy, completely deserved line; Scrooge reacts poorly:

This post gives a great description of what was going on. Much better than I could. 

From this, I say he’s projecting. He’s projecting his guilt, shame, and anger onto the kids, and it led to this brief blowout. He hasn’t shown his family love and affection for a decade. You have to nurture the bonds, Scrooge, and he knows it.

He’s a proud duck. He isn’t going to admit it. He isn’t going to admit it to a sassy child, but he knows it. Dewey’s wrong. Family is trouble, but it’s the trouble Scrooge loves. He tells him this, more or less, and it’s a great way how he puts on the positive spin of this statement.

Insinuating Scrooge McDuck doesn’t value his family is like setting off a bomb, so a piece of that comes with this too.

Although this post is meant to highlight Scrooge’s grief and reaction to Della’s disappearance, I don’t think you can’t discuss the effects without referring back to Donald.

In spite of the visible strain in their relationship, Scrooge loves his nephew.

He tries to respect Donald’s instructions to keep the boys out of trouble. He respects him as the boys’ father and legal guardian. I bet he sees a lot of Della and Donald in HDL, and I believe he fully intended to maintain the no trouble rule.

But the dying spark is revived with the new generation, and Scrooge wants to nurture these new relationships the only way he knows how.

By going on a dangerous exploration to Atlantis.

There is guilt. There’s guilt surrounding the TSoS incident.

Keeping the truth from Donald:

“And nobody tell your Uncle Donald!” This part kills me every time. He’s just so happy and excited!

As funny as it sounds, he knows he’s tip toeing around Donald to see these kids. Donald doesn’t like him right now, and having him find out won’t make it better.

Well, it does, but I digress.

Donald getting held hostage:

Admittedly, when he realizes Donald is down there, Dewey immediately goes after. So it could be he’s worried for both of his nephews, and honestly, this poor old man can’t afford to lose anymore family.

When Donald is captured, Scrooge showcases some of his best glares in the two episodes.

Both of these exhibit a concerned and pissed off Scrooge. It’s the same for Donald, and I didn’t spot it originally.

The Spear of Selene:

“I was NOT responsible for The Spear of Selene!”

Scrooge says it, but I highly doubt he 100% believes it. I’m 75% sure he feels responsible for TSoS.

An event of this magnitude may not be held down on one person’s shoulders. DuckTales may prove me wrong, but I believe other factors came into play. Della, Donald, Scrooge, and possibly an otherworldly element that hasn’t been revealed yet.

But as a group, each of them contributed to this dismal adventure. The fault won’t completely lie on one person’s shoulders, or I hope it won’t.

This post and its subsequent reblog offered a pretty reasonable theory to what happened to Della Duck. I posted this about Della being a pilot to Donald’s sailor. Her potential story is drawing a lot of similarities to Amelia Earhart.

This scene appears to be another instance of his projection of guilt onto another person. He has lived with the possibility he caused Della to disappear during one of HIS adventures. He deprived Donald of his sister, HDL of their mother, and Della of her family. He deprived himself of his niece.

In the comics, it’s implied Hortense and Quackmore are deceased and have been for some time. It’s also implied Donald and Della were raised primarily by their paternal grandmother, Elvira Duck. If this is the case in DuckTales, then Scrooge has already lost his baby sister. Now, he’s lost her daughter.

Scrooge holds himself accountable. He’s told himself he isn’t responsible for the past ten years. He probably pushed Della too far. He wanted that goal so badly he put his niece in incredibly danger she couldn’t fly from, and this potentially cost her her life.

Take a look at his defensive stance.

He is 100% defense mode. His delivery of the line is different from his original interaction with Donald. No matter how you put it, there’s strong, almost raw emotion in his delivery. Scrooge feels strongly about this.  

The Reconciliation:

It’s a shorter part since there isn’t much to say. Scrooge admits he was wrong in not following Donald’s instruction, but immediately shuts up when Donald speaks to him. It’s a soft, sweet moment, but I think it’s amazing for the physical touches in the scene.

Donald initiates a family hug with his boys.

And Scrooge initiates physical contact with his boy.

Conclusion:

I can’t say with absolute certainty the mystery of Della Duck will be revealed at the end of this season. I can’t say she will make a physical appearance at the end of this season.

But I will say this, DuckTales, in the first two episodes portrayed the sentimental and harder aspects of Scrooge’s character beautifully. His estrangement lies on two fronts; Della and Donald.

The children are a catalyst to reuniting their family.

Scrooge McDuck really loves his family. He’s a family kind of duck. He does mourn/grieve for Della. DuckTales hints at this early on but far more carefully than it does with Donald to keep Scrooge in-character. It works.

[queenlua]

cool stuff i noticed while rereading the script of Inception

I wasn't planning to write this all tonight, but uh, I really love inception y'all.

NOLAN’S WRITERLY FLAWS

Here's a lengthy bit from the original script, which got cut from the movie:

MILES Everybody dreams, Cobb. Architects are supposed to make those dreams real.

COBB That's not what you used to say. You told me that in the real world I'd be building attic conversions and gas stations. You said that if I mastered the dream-share I'd have a whole new way of creating and showing people my creations. You told me it would free me.

Miles looks at Cobb, sad.

MILES And I'm sorry. I was wrong.

COBB No, you weren't. Your vision was a vision of pure creativity. It's where we took it that was wrong.

It's a rare glimpse into a side of Cobb we don't really see in the movie—young, drawn to the idea of pure creation, to all the beautiful high-minded concepts behind this dream-sharing business. You can almost feel Nolan himself, giddy, beneath this—as a creator that's got to be one of the coolest parts of this whole idea of dream-sharing; hell, when I first saw this move in The Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Ten, I went straight home and started writing some fanfiction, not about any of the characters, but about the intensity of feeling behind sharing dreams, what it would mean to create in that way—

—and it was totally right not to stick it in the film, because though Inception is a beautiful film with beautiful ideas, it's a heist movie at heart, and it has to focus on the pragmatic while giving the lofty beauty of it all a sly wink. The "youthful idealist architect Cobb" only comes across in subtext—a slight lightness in his step during his training sessions with Ariadne, maybe a bit when musing over what would draw the intense and beautiful Mal to him.

Here's another bit—from the scene when Cobb is having his final confrontation with Mal, and she's trying to convince him to stay in limbo with her. I italicized / surrounded with asterisks the bit that got cut:

MAL So certain of your world. Of what's real. Do you think he is- (points at Cobb) Or do you think he's as lost as I was?

COBB I know what's real.

***MAL What are the distinguishing characteristics of a dream? Mutable laws of physics? Tell that to the quantum physicists. Reappearance of the dead? What about heaven and hell? Persecution of the dreamer, the creator, the messiah? They crucified Christ, didn't they?***

COBB I know what's real.

MAL No creeping doubts? Not feeling persecuted, Dom? Chased around the globe by anonymous corporations and police forces? The way the projections persecute the dreamer?

Gosh, that line is just... what? We have this super-emotionally-charged moment, the make-it-or-break-it for Cobb to wrest his way from Mal's grasp, and we're throwing in random references to quantum physics and Christiainty??? It made the cutting board, as it should have.

But what I like about these lines is that they show us Nolan's rough edges—and it's Nolan the goddamn nerd, who loved Star Wars as a kid and talked about The Matrix a lot when talking about this movie and, based on his writing style, I honestly suspect is a little bit of a closet anime nerd. This is a guy who's really jazzed about ideas, who veers on the side of babbling too much about a beloved topic, or just reaaaaally wants that physics reference in there because of the cool parallels with the other ideas. I love it.

He also tends to add awkward touches of melodrama when left to his own devices. A line like "I performed [inception] on my wife and reaped the bitter rewards" gets transformed, with Leo's quiet humanity, into "I knew inception was possible because I did it to her first." Which gets a little into "what the actors brought to the movie", which I'll get into later.

I have a pet theory that what draws people to, say, a favorite author, or a favorite filmographer, is a love for both what they do well and their flaws. I was struck by this when reading a review of the Sea of Fertility tetraology, by my favorite author, and found myself basically agreeing with the review—the only difference was, the shit that drove the reviewer crazy were the things that gripped me in weird ways, that I recognized as flawed but still enjoyed warmly. Mishima's writing is melodramatic and Isao comes across as weirdly robotic and his pretenses at intellectualization come across as strained and confused—those were all things that drew me in deeper.

Which is not an argument against editors, and doing the Actual Right Thing; this is stuff that very rightly made the cutting board. But when it's a tough call for what the right way forward is, Nolan goes a little bit dorky, a little bit melodramatic, and those tiny moments are delectable.

MAKING EMOTIONAL SENSE

Something that struck me, when I rewatched Inception this weekend: Cobb's description of inception on Mal doesn't entirely make sense. It's not quite impossible according to the rules of the script, but it intuitively seems like performing inception in limbo is a very different thing than doing it from within a dream. He refers to having built everything in limbo; why would anything in limbo relate to specific parts of one mind? And it seems like it'd be easier to trace the genesis of the idea when you're right there in limbo with them when they do it, I'd think?

The point isn't whether it makes sense or not—I'm sure nerds on the argument could argue either side—but the point is that you don't even question the mechanics of it when it's described, because it made complete emotional sense. All through the movie, we've been getting hints that something terrible happened, some subtle thing Cobb's got stored away—and when we finally see it, with that choice imagery, oh, lifting the little locked-away top in Mal's home and spinning it—makes you say oh, makes you gasp, brings it together.

I went to a talk once by one of the writers of Lost, and he talked about this concept in the context of the episode "The Constant." Basically (as is tragically typical with Lost), a character's gotten his consciousness stuck in some sort of bizarre time loop, he keeps flashing back for longer and longer periods of time, and he's gonna die if he can't cut out this "simultaneously stuck in two time periods" thing. So a physics-y character says that Desmond needs to contact a "constant", something present in both time periods, so he can "stabilize" his mental state, and who does he call but his ex-girlfriend.

Does that make a goddamn lick of sense? No, not really. But the show'd already gotten us incredibly invested in this relationship between Desmond and Penny, they've been hinting for a while that Penny's been desperately looking for Desmond, and Desmond's love for her is really heart-melting, and they're using a science-y word ("a constant! like gravity's a constant, bro!"), and the feeling of something converging is the thing that really carries the moment. Lost pulled this kind of shit a lot, really, and it explains a lot of the divisiveness of the show. Invariably when I talk to people who liked Lost, they're usually watching for character, and freely confess the plot wasn't even trying to make sense after season two but that's so not the point. If you were focusing on the plot, you were doomed to be disappointed.

I want to spend more time thinking about this—how you construct something that makes "emotional sense." Do it wrong and there's just a gaping plot hole or bizarre deus ex machina that's going to irk everyone watching it. And, to be clear, I actually don't think these sorts of scenes work in spite of the vagueness/implausibility, but because of it—the important thing in Cobb's moment of inception is the beautiful resonance of that spinning top, the important thing in that Lost episode is the feeling that somehow, some way, love can be the thing that grounds you and saves you. Maybe that's the answer, really—you have to earn it in some other way. Lost earned it by pouring so much attention into Desmond's backstory, and his love for Penny, and the brief desperate glances we got into her search for him—to the point where we were yearning for a resolution. Inception did it in a more Nolanesque way, with its wonderful, precise control of exactly what is on the screen at all times—leading to a the confluence of motifs coming together all at once. Cobb repeats "an idea is like a virus", we see Mal's house again, we see the top, and the salt-swept shores of Limbo and the pair of them clinging to each other, all coming together at once.

WHAT LEO BROUGHT TO COBB

I get the sense, reading the script, that Cobb was meant to be a more, uh, "edgy"/dark/moody-teenage-protagonist-esque character than he actually became. There's just touches, here and there, in the script. There's a scene where, in the movie, Arthur sympathetically says, "I know how much you want to go home." In the movie, Arthur's posture is closed-off, and he's staring out a window, and says nothing until Arthur talks again. In the script though, Cobb cuts him off with a sharp "No, you don't." Touchy, tetchy.

Or how about this bit:

Cobb GRABS SAITO AND PUTS HIS HEAD TO THE FLOOR, gun pressed into his cheek. Saito looks into Cobb's eyes--sees he will pull the trigger. Saito BLINKS, looks away in shame. When he NOTICES SOMETHING. And starts LAUGHING.

Oh man, Cobb is so tough, making the tough Japanese businessman look away in shame—

—except, in the movie, at this point Cobb's getting totally desperate, and instead of playing it deadly-cool, he's waving a gun and fucking screaming at Saito, "TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW! TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW NOW!", and Saito performs no "look of shame."

The other instances are more slight and tedious to cite, but—there's moments in the script where Cobb was supposed to hold a broody stare, and instead got flustered and cut into the next topic right off, moments when he's giving cocky grins that turn more poker-face-y in the movie.

It gives you an appreciation for really good actor can do, what they're bringing to the movie—the subtle changes of expression, turns of phrase, ways they hold themselves can change so much of the mood and feel of a character. I don't think of Cobb as like, the Greatest Character Ever, but as an anchor for the movie, he's pretty solid and rather unique—not quite cold-and-aloof-tragic-past type, not quite the hard-edged-bristly-loner type—something more mature, more weathered, more adult. He comes across as a touch more cerebral, a touch more intense, and those touches resonate really well with what's a reasonably cerebral and a very intense movie.

EXPOSITION IS HARD

Inception is an exposition-heavy movie.  I remember it all flowing seamlessly when I first watched it, but on re-watches it does feel like a bit much, and sometimes awkward (Arthur explaining the concept of limbo while in a shouting match with Cobb, urgh).

But it's interesting how much more there is that didn't even make it into the movie—tons more slips of awkward exposition that got cut. For instance, in the script verion of Cobb's visit to France, when he's trying to get the professor to get him an architect, there's a whole conversation that lays out the “what happened between Cobb and Mal” alarmingly baladly:

COBB I know. I thought you could talk to Marie about bringing them on vacation. Somewhere I could meet--

MILES Why would she listen to me?

COBB You were married for twenty years.

MILES She blames me as much as you.

COBB Doesn't she understand that my kids need me?

MILES Yes, she does. We all do. Go back and face the music, Dom. Explain what Mal did.

COBB Be realistic, Stephen. They'd never understand− they'd lock me up and throwaway the key. Or worse.

MILES You think what you're doing now is helping your case?

COBB Lawyers don't pay for themselves.

I'm glad that didn't make the movie—we get the sense that something happened, but we don't know Mal did something, and while it's made obvious Cobb can't go back to America due to a crime, he doesn't drop a line like "lock me up and throw away the key" ick, etc.

Perhaps Nolan deliberately wrote in more exposition than necessary, with the idea he could cut it based on what sort of context the actors could imply with their actions? The trickiest thing with writing exposition, I think, is that whole "the writer already knows everything" bit—how do you determine what people need to know, and when, and how, when you've already got the whole picture and the pieces seem so obvious to you? I've received praise on some of my original fantasy writing for executing well on this sort of thing—but (1) I think it's goddamn impossible to do much fantasy/scifi writing at all without gaining chops in this area; it's the central challenge of the genres, and (2) I think it's easier in a prose setting—you can toss in throwaway words and references more easily, adding texture and feel without actually following up on it, whereas a movie is crunched for time and every word/reference/etc usually has to count, materially advancing the plot and the reader's understanding.

[sweettsubaki]

DnA Reviews/liveblog

Hi !

Because I am trash and haven’t been able to load season 2 of DnA on my computer in like…3 months (at this point I’ve decided it hates me…. I couldn’t finish it when it came out and I still can’t watch it now that I’m trying again wtf), I decided I’m gonna reread the series instead. If anyone’s interested, know I’ll start tomorrow.

Now, I stopped it two or three years ago (I was happier just reading DnB!! to be honest, DnA got very frustrating at that point and I just kept wanting to hit the characters all the time hjsbvzvqkqib). I caught up recently but honestly I skim read it to see if it was as frustrating as it was when I stopped. From what I gathered some things got better, others didn’t. So I decided that instead of playing a guessing game I was just gonna rewatch the series but then season 2 got in my way again [insert the “Old Man Yells at Clouds” Meme here], so I’m gonna reread everything and try to give small daily reviews at the end of every few chapters (2 to 4 most likely) and maybe a more thorough one after specific arcs? As suggested by the titles, it’ll look more like a liveblog than a review kinda like my One Piece and Young Justice posts. (I know I’ll relatively enjoy Act I, it’s Act II that scares me ‘cause I’m the type who can’t enjoy fanservice if the rest doesn’t follow up and that was my issue when I stopped).

So I’ll try to post one a day but… I’ll be honest there’s a 30-60% chance I’ll forget the reviewing and keep on reading… and because of my mix of classes and work I might not get to read for a full week here and there (unless I’m full on procrastinating in which case I might do more).

Things got a bit personal so I’m putting them under a read more. It’s just a bit of a disclaimer to explain why I might stop during Act II again so if you’re not interested you can pass it. I thought about deleting this but it is a fairly important part of my motivations behind the reread/reviewing so I thought I might as well keep it. I haven’t decided on the tag yet but it’s most likely gonna be DnA: Review with a side tag like DnA Act I: Review.

I’ll be honest, I’m doing this now because I’m too tired to be frustrated by writing tropes I dislike and I’m hoping it’ll get me into act II more easily because the reason I had to stop DnA was because my frustration impacted my mental and physical health and I don’t want it to happen again because characters like Eijun are a balm for the soul (that’s how bad it got, yes).

So if it goes anywhere near close, I’ll stop again. Now I’m in a way better state than I was at the time despite being basically a ball of exhaustion, so there’s no real risk but… I really love the characters, it’s rare that I get so emotionally involved with a story to its core and because of this DnA represents something special in my life. I even started to ship naturally - ok it’s like only one important ship but I usually get invested after thinking, reasoning, understanding and I am not an emotional person by Nature. Getting frustrated by tropes I dislike is nothing new but not to the point of impacting my health even when I was dealing with the full swing of my depression (though tbf, fiction has always been a way to help me emote bc I suck at it irl…like…I can reach Miyuki’s level type of sucking at emotions and depression is… yeah not gonna go there). So it’s kind of uncharted territories.

I decided to do the review thing because it will help me notice if things go too far and, if I do stop I’ll be able to analyse it later. And I thought sharing with others might be fun.

All this to give you a heads up Act II will probably have me frustrated but if it goes out of hand because of my emotional involvement I will stop.