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unit-zero-two · 3 years

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Queer Representation in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

13 Sentinels was a game I picked up because the trailer looked neat. I had no clue what the gameplay was even like, I just felt adventurous. And I was rewarded with a fantastic game that constantly surprised me in the best possible ways. One of the ways I was surprised was in the actual textual existence of queer characters. Plural. And with a queer relationship developed and promoted prominently on screen between main characters.

Now, with the increase in queer media around the board, this alone isn’t worthy of praise. My enjoyment, and I suspect that of a lot of people, comes from the fact that there was no expectations or promises made, and yet the game still delivered. It was just there, causally, in a AAA game published by a decently well known studio. It’s a good example of what we’re asking for when asking for queer rep. It being allowed to casually exist and flavor games that aren’t just dedicated to telling these stories.

Like a lot of media if you go in expecting flawless queer representation suffusing every aspect of the game, you will be disappointed. This is a game with 15 main characters and most of the cast ends up in straight relationships. But not all of them. And past those relationships, there is still a queerness that is allowed to exist and be shown throughout this game that constantly impressed me.

I will work through the textual, on screen examples of queer representation one by one. There will be spoilers for this game in the post, so if that is something that you care about, please finish the game first before continuing. Due to the non-linear storytelling and gameplay nature of 13 Sentinels I can’t really set timestamps or anything. If you’re not done yet, but still curious to read, I personally feel like nothing I say here will ruin the experience for you. Through it’s strange nature, this is arguably a spoiler proof game and knowing what is to come can help you view the events in a different, but still enjoyable, light.

Textual Queer Representation in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

The place for us to begin will be with one of the 13 playable characters, Takatoshi Hijiyama. Hijiyama is very much a young man defined by when he was raised in the story. 1945 Japan in the middle of WW2. He is nationalistic and proud of Japan, it’s culture and tries to stand for it’s values. While training to be a Sentinel pilot, he falls for the demure Kiriko Douji, daughter of the professor in charge of the project. His prologue begins with him following Kiriko and finding her operating a time travel system. Kiriko reveals three things: 1) she’s the real scientist behind the project, 2) her real name is Tsukasa Okino and 3) she is a he. Okino leaves 1945 and Hijiyama chases after him. What then follows is a very clear romance storyline as Hijiyama works though self-discovery of his sexuality, his internalized biases and some good old jealousy.

Throughout his story, Hijiyama shows attraction to Okino both dressed as a woman and as a man. It’s made clear that the clothes and gender presentation aren’t the main defining factor for his attraction to Okino. He also shows attraction to some of the girls, implying a sort of bisexuality. But in the end, Okino is the one he directs his attention and dedication. The pair even share a robot in the final battle.

Next we have Takatoshi Hijiyama...of 2188. Through a data log Hijiyama finds during his story he finds out that his self of 2188 was in a committed, queer relationship with Tsukasa Okino of 2188. The two openly express their love for each other in the logs, and Hijiyama 2188′s final words are to mourn the death of his lover. The game makes it very clear what their relationship is. And watching this is a turning point for Hijiyama and how he views Okino. Seeing the death of Okino 2188 shakes him, and hardens his resolve and love.

Tsukasa Okino is an interesting character for many reason. We see him first dressed as a woman. When asked about it, he comments “Let’s just say some binaries work for me, and others don’t.”. Throughout the story, Okino alternates between being dressed as a man and a woman. He’s a very practical person and expresses several times his thoughts on both forms of dress and the pros and cons he finds in wearing them. But he never says, “I’m actually a man/woman or I prefer to wear men’s/women’s clothing.” To him, both forms are equal and he switches between them as he feels like through the story. There is also a point in the epilogue where Okino reveals that he can hack into the simulation and change his gender if he wishes. He then offers to turn into a woman and to sleep with Hijiyama. This is a very confident offer made by someone secure in their identity and sexuality. Hijiyama is understandably flustered at the teasing.

Okino openly shows sexual attraction to Hijiyama, mostly presented as teasing jabs at him. As with 2188 Hijiyama, 2188 Okino is explicitly in a Queer relationship and openly affectionate in the data logs. For the most part, present day Okino is busy during the narrative trying to save everyone from the Kaiju, but still finds time to flirt with Hijiyama.

Hijiyama and Okino are the clearest in text examples, but there’s one other stand out example. Iori Fuyusaka. For the most part she spends her story being boy crazy and confused by strange dreams, but there are two interesting moments with her. The first is during the battle section. One of the scripted after battle sections plays and it’s Iori tripping and she scrapes her hand. Yuki Takamiya helps her up and puts a bandage on her hand. It is a very slow, very tender and very deliberate scene. After Yuki leaves, Iori blushes and comments, “Whoa, what the...why is my heart racing right now? Wait, does that mean...? But I didn’t think I was...I mean, what if...” This scene makes it very clear what Iori is feeling and what she is discovering about herself.

In another scene near the beginning of the game in Iori’s story, she’s looking for a cat. She comes across Juro and Shu talking to each other in secretive whispers and embarrassed blushes.

Shu: Just listen. This is a first for me too. You feel it, right?

Juro: ...

Shu: I want to pursue this with you. Please!

Juro: I dunno...it's just...

The edges of the background softens and the camera shifts to center them, soft music plays, and Iori blushes. While the scene itself is a pretty standard confused for gay joke, it’s interesting to see it from Iori’s point of view. When caught, she says:

"I, uh...umm...I think as long as you love each other...it's okay..."

Juro is embarrassed and corrects things. Shu just laughs and is amused by the idea of dating Juro.

Juro: Do you believe us [about our dreams]?

Iori: Well, actually...I'm more surprised to hear that's all it was. Cause, I thought...

She blushes and is interrupted by the bell ringing and class starting.

And in light of the scene with Yuki, it becomes interesting in reflection that her thoughts would go there so quickly. Whether she was conscious of it or not, Iori is very aware of the possibility of same sex attraction. Whether that’s clever foreshadowing or just a neat coincidence is mostly irrelevant.

Uh...that of course brings us to Yuki Takemiya. So...Yuki will get her own post. Because there’s a lot there. Most of which I would argue is heavy subtext. I love the character and her plotline, but it it would be stretching to say that she is textual queer representation. But there’s still a lot to talk about.

13 Sentinels is a game that deals in all variations of relationships; familiar, platonic and romantic, and it’s great that it included queer representation into the text like it did. Hijiyama and Okino gave us a romantic queer relationship, twice, and Iori gives us a Bi-Sexual character who while not in a relationship with a woman is still queer. And that’s always good representation.

#13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim #13 sentinels spoilers #iori fuyusaka #takatoshi hijiyama #tsukasa okino

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sophiekraymer · 6 years

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A Very Long Victuuri Fic Rec List

Hi! So I made a super long list of Victuuri fanfic suggestions for my friend who just finished watching Yuri on Ice. I figured I’d go ahead and also share them here!

Warning: I’ve been reading Victuuri every night before bed for about a year, so this list is very very long (aka there are 37 fanfics on here)

********Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches- http://archiveofourown.org/works/8748484/chapters/20055247

Words: 197,681 Chapters: 14/14

SINGLE HANDEDLY THE BEST FIC ON THIS ENTIRE LIST!!!!

‘…Of all the rivalries in the world of sports over the years, perhaps none has become so legendary as that of Russian figure skater Viktor Nikiforov and his rival, Japanese Yuuri Katsuki…’

A single event changes the course of Yuuri’s life, throwing him into a bitter rivalry with Viktor Nikiforov that spans across his entire skating career. But as the years go on, rivalry and hatred begin to develop into something very different and Yuuri doesn’t seem to be able to stay away, no matter how hard he tries.

Hatred and love are two sides of the same coin and even though everything changes, some things are still meant to be.

********Of Bright Stars and Burning Hearts- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10450500/chapters/23069073

Words: 208,409 Chapters: 9/9

THE SECOND BEST FIC ON THIS ENTIRE LIST

Viktor doesn’t remember the first time he met Yuuri Katsuki.

This however, is what Viktor does remember…

Part 2 of the Rivals series and companion fic to ‘Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches’. One small change alters the course of both Viktor and Yuuri’s entire lives, creating a rivalry that spans across many years and a world where they both tell a very different side to the story.

****Magic & Ice- https://archiveofourown.org/works/9322724/chapters/21127244

Words: 303,928 Chapters: 41/41

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has begun accepting NEWT transfer students. For 5th year Yuuri Katsuki it’s a dream come true, and a chance for his to find his place in the world, both on the ice and off.

16 year old Yuuri is off on a fun-filled adventure, full of friends and discovery, as he learns how to fall in love, and how to love himself. He might be chasing his idol, 17 year Viktor Nikiforov, but Viktor may be closer than he seems, as he too struggles to find his place in the world.

The Harry Potter AU where they’re still Skaters!

****Gubraithian Fire- https://archiveofourown.org/works/11256162/chapters/25165083

Words: 117,957 Chapters: 18/?

Seven years have passed since the end of the Second Wizarding War, and with the world turning a little brighter in the aftermath, the wizarding world has grown a little closer. Mahoutokoro might be the logical school of choice if you live in Japan, and Uagadou if you live anywhere in Africa, but if Hogwarts just so happens to have a more intriguing curriculum, why not go there instead, now that they actually accept students from outside the UK and Ireland?

Well, frankly, Ludmila and Ilia had little choice but to send Viktor there just in time for his sixth year of education. With a dark wizard, or several of them, on their heels, there really had been no other option than to flee from Russia, settling down in a flat in London’s West End instead, with top-rated aurors on the case and a chandelier the size of the moon in the living room.

With worry gnawing in the back of his mind and his heart attempting to hammer itself through his rib-cage, Viktor plunges himself into studies, Quidditch, too many towers, friendship, and… wait, who’s that guy with black hair and glasses that suddenly set the world aflame by breathing in his general direction?

Welcome, students, to the Hogwarts Role Reversal AU.

***All The World’s A Stage- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9135670/chapters/20759239

Words: 112,291 Chapters: 10/10

The romance actor victor fic where Yuuri is hired to teach him to figure skate for a movie

Everyone has a guilty pleasure.

For Yuuri, it just happens to be romance movies starring famous heartthrob Victor Nikiforov.

(And, honestly, on the spectrum of guilty pleasures, he figures that his is on the far, far more innocent side.)

***Come Out of Hiding (I’m Right Here Beside You)- https://archiveofourown.org/works/9083449/chapters/20654911

Words: 84,345 Chapters: 33/33

THE BROADWAY AU!

After forgetting the words to his song during a vocal competition as a teenager, Yuuri Katsuki decided singing was not for him. Instead he went to NYU to study English. He never expected Viktor Nikiforov, Broadway star extraordinaire looking to direct his first production on the stage, would ever find his up-and-coming lead… in him.

***The Rules for Lovers- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9645131/chapters/21790376

Words: 323,342 Chapters: 20/20

Prince Yuuri Katsuki has a duty to his country, above all else (his desires, his dreams, and his happiness included), and he knows this alliance will help to ensure the safety of his people. That’s the only reason he accepts Prince Nikiforov’s hand in marriage. The pleasant surprise, of course, is the part where they fall in love along the way. The unpleasant one, well…

That’s a long story.

**Bear Your Soul on the Ice- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9092290/chapters/20670766

Words: 166,203 Chapters: 25/?

At age fourteen, Katsuki Yuuri had been determined to be Japan’s next great figure skating hope, but with no coach that would never happen, so his ballet instructor packs him up off to Russia to train with Yakov Feltsman. The Yakov Feltsman, otherwise known as the coach to rising figure skating star – and Yuuri’s idol – Viktor Nikiforov.

**Empty Spaces Between Stars- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10847568/chapters/24084063

Words: 99,146 Chapters: 11/?

Victor gets just as drunk as Yuuri at the Sochi Banquet, and they disappear together after the dance-offs. They wake up the morning after with rings on their fingers, and pictures of them kissing after getting married the night before are all over the tabloids… but neither of them remembers a thing. They decide to stay married for a while for the sake of Victor’s sponsorships, and in exchange, Victor coaches Yuuri through nationals…

**Like a Fairytale- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9373529/chapters/21220337

Words: 73,412 Chapters: 13/13

In which Prince Victor gets swept off his feet at a royal banquet and will go to any length to find his ‘Cinderella’ Yuuri.

(And Phichit is the fairy godmother who has no idea what he’s doing).

“The crown prince of the Nikiforov kingdom, infatuated with a mystery pastry chef he’s only just met. This is exactly the kind of scandalous love story my life has been missing… So, what’s he look like? What exactly is Prince Victor’s type?”

“…Sweet.”

“Well, he does make pastries.“

**Love So Life- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9226067/chapters/20923982

Words: 114,335 Chapters: 12/12

Yuuri Katsuki was simply living his college life, teaching ice skating lessons to little kids, when suddenly his idol and champion figure skater Victor Nikiforov bursts in and requests that he start babysitting his three year old nephew, Yuri Plisetsky. Yuuri finds himself growing to be a part of their family and helping them work through their complicated family issues.

This is an AU based on the shojo manga Love So Life (2008-2015) by Kaede Kochi. The main difference from the manga will be the ages of Yuuri (23 not 16) and Victor (27 not 25), so therefore the “waiting until the main character is of age” plotline is not necessary or present. That also means that my story will be more focused on romance than the original :)

**Six Hours Ahead- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10355178/chapters/22879563

Words: 88,416 Chapters: 14/?

When Yuuri downloaded the harmless quiz app, he didn’t expect to become best friends with the Russian boy who asked him for a rematch.

Porkcutlet: Wait, you’re from Russia right?

Makka: I am, why?

Porkcutlet: I was just wondering what it feels like to walk on the same ground as a real life angel?

Makka: Umm

Makka: It just feels like walking?

(In which Yuuri unknowingly befriends Viktor online and gushes to him about the living legend himself)

**The Unusual Truth- http://archiveofourown.org/works/11898384/chapters/26878350

Words: 132,618 Chapters: 16/16

***I don’t usually enjoy Alpha/Beta/Omega fics, but this one is actually quite good and subverts the trope a bit

A different kind of ABO love story

It’s a few weeks before his 19th birthday and Viktor Nikiforov has just won his first Grand Prix Final Gold. He should be busy celebrating, but instead he’s forced to attend the ISU’s stupid presentation seminar. It was going to be awful, not just because he was sure to be the oldest newly presented skater there, but also because he would definitely be the only Omega. Being stuck in a room full of Alphas was definitely low on his list of things he wanted to do just days after his first major Senior Gold.

That is until a tiny boy walked into the room and went and changed everything.

*Body Music (Reverse AU)- http://archiveofourown.org/series/620569

A series of 16 oneshots in which Yuuri is older than Victor and Victor comes to Yuuri begging him to be his coach.

*Heel Sit Stay- http://archiveofourown.org/works/11651712/chapters/26213652

Words: 22,211 Chapters: 4/?

Yuuri gave up a skating career to care for his ailing dog four years ago. Now he’s at the 2016 World Dog Show in Moscow, his faithful partner Vicchan in perfect health. They’re athletes of a different sport now–doggy agility–and they��ve come to defend their titles as reigning champions. For Yuuri, though, it was just a nice way to pass the time. Nothing truly nerve-wracking ever happened at these dog shows.

He really should have realized that there was a high chance he’d run into a certain Russian dog lover.

(AKA the dog show AU)

*Lessons in Love- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9250658/chapters/20972102

Words: 106,456 Chapters: 11/?

All Viktor wants is for his son to be happy - and if that means spending countless hours at the ice rink, a million more in the ballet studio, and devotedly cheering for Katsuki Yuuri at every competition he enters, then that is precisely what he’ll do. He just didn’t expect to become a fan, too. (He didn’t expect to fall in love.)

*Miliy- http://archiveofourown.org/works/11471580/chapters/25721622

Words: 42,794 Chapters: ¾

Viktor finds himself in a sticky situation – referring to more than the mess in his pants after watching his favorite camboy’s show.

In other words, how do you tell a camboy with a celebrity crush on Viktor Nikiforov that you are, in fact, the very man you role play with him as? The answer - you don’t.

*Story of My Life- http://archiveofourown.org/works/11145114

Words: 5,354 Chapters: 1/1

There are 3,140,000 results on Google Search for why you should meet your idol. Meeting your idol could allow you to tell them personally how much they mean to you and can inspire you to be more like your idol.

However, there are 20,300,000 reasons why you shouldn’t meet your idol.

Or; AU where Victor is a famous author and Yuuri is his biggest fan.

*Sequel to My Life- http://archiveofourown.org/works/12303582

Words: 14,116 Chapters: 1/1

Victor has always wished his life was like a novel.

You know, one of those romance books with a hot, half-naked guy pictured on the cover that ends with an engagement and a steamy sex scene.Victor wishes his life is like those young adult stories where there are four different confusing love triangles and three different misunderstandings that somehow resolve each other by the end. Yeah, those kind of books.

But instead, he lives in a boring reality; one that is as far off from a romance novel as possible. There are no steamy sex scenes, and well scripted dates, and misunderstood love triangles between the main characters.

Just a steady, two month, long-distance relationship with the most precious man he can ever think of. And while it’s no Victor Nikiforov romantic comedy - although nothing could truly be as well scripted as a Victor Nikiforov book - he supposes nothing ever is.

Sequel to Story of My Life.

All this, and love too- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9378959

Words: 3,882 One Shot

Royalty AU

“I am wondering,” Viktor whispers into the charged air between them, and when did they get so close? Has Viktor’s nose always been a hair’s breadth away from Yuuri’s? “If it would be entirely improper of me to request a kiss. I know that we are not due to be married for several more weeks, but it would be wrong of me to deny that I have been enamored with you since the first time I laid eyes on you.”

“Only if you mean it.” Yuuri whispers back, lips parting. Breathless, hard to form words, his throat so very dry, his chest so very tight. “Please, only if you mean it.”

“If I am to ever mean anything more than I mean this, then I pray the gods strike me down.”

Bittersweet Dissonance- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10673280/chapters/23628108

Words: 23,898 Chapters:5/5

Victor’s attention is swayed to the gorgeous violinist playing in the park across from the rink. Yuuri is baffled by the kind actions of the attractive figure skater. In the meantime, both learn to open up to each other, and their lives finally take a turn for the better.

Born to Make History- http://archiveofourown.org/works/8785183/chapters/20139673

Words: 11,122 Chapters: 3/3

Victor Nikiforov, Heir Tsesarevich and Grand Duke of Russia, needs a husband and only a Japanese Prince will do.

Enter Stage Left- http://archiveofourown.org/works/12513064/chapters/28491300

Words: 21,616 Chapters: 4/5

"How about we practice lines together? It would be great! Who better as my coach than the guy who wrote it? You said so yourself, no one knows the characters better than you!” Victor suggests.

Victor watches as Yuuri’s eyes search for an answer, flickering between the script and Victor. He wants nothing more than to see them shine just for him.

“Alright,” Yuuri decides shyly. “I’ll run lines with you.”

After all, it’s just acting…

Or; the writer!yuuri and actor!victor fic that no one asked for.

I Will Break the Ice of Your Heart- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9120484/chapters/20728225

Words: 51,474 Chapters: 9/9

“Yuuri…” The teacher whispered near his ear.

Fuck… he’s…

“Y… Yes?” he stuttered.

Hot…

Yuuri is a talented but very shy student who enters in a new university for his last year. There, he meets a coldhearted and strict philosophy teacher: Viktor Nikiforov. Despite their differences, the two of them start to get closer…

Language Barriers- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10153565/chapters/22557656

Words: 237,735 Chapters: 38/38

Victor Nikiforov had always wanted to travel the world. When an opportunity arises to spend his final year of university study abroad, he is quick to leap at the chance. Twelve months spent in twelve different countries, he can’t wait to see new places, meet new friends, and finish out his degree with a bang. He just didn’t expect to fall in love along the way.

Yuri Katsuki only applied because his friend forced him to. He’s just trying to get through the year, keep his head down and his grades up. Victor has other ideas.

Make my heart beat out of my chest ‘verse- http://archiveofourown.org/series/656144

A series of 4 oneshots about Adventures with Yuuri Katsuki, living dance legend, and his ridiculous popstar husband, Viktor “I’m Extra” Nikiforov.

Of Dahlias and Deadlines- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10695813/chapters/23690199

Words: 80,867 Chapters: 20/35

All Victor wants is to get dahlias for Khloe and Brad’s wedding in under 24 hours.

Hope comes in the form of the little family florist in his neighborhood and the quiet smiles of one Katsuki Yuuri.

A florist Yuuri and wedding planner Victor AU.

Pulses that Beat Double- http://archiveofourown.org/works/12210117/chapters/27730044

Words: 41,714 Chapters: 9/?

Katsuki Yuuri traveled all the way from Japan to study medicine in London, but finds himself very short on funds. He’s long had a fascination with the scandalous Baron Viktor Nikiforov, so he’s shocked when the baron takes an interest in him. So shocked he runs away as quickly as possible. But Viktor Nikiforov is a persistent man when he sees something he wants.

AKA The Victorian Era Sugar Daddy AU

Raison d’Être- http://archiveofourown.org/works/11535771/chapters/25899183

Words: 29,273 Chapters: 2/?

1. reason or justification for existence; the thing that is most important to someone or something; the sole or ultimate purpose of someone.

President Nikiforov of Russia has a few weaknesses: premium rye vodka, an attention span of 30 minutes, and a torrid love affair with the Japanese Prime Minister.

Siren’s Call: A Collection- http://archiveofourown.org/works/12657330/chapters/30138846

Words: 30,174 Chapters: 62/?

A siren hardly belongs abroad a pirate ship, but love and adventure tend to bend the rules even of nature and myth.

A collection of minute-ficlets for the siren au created by lucycamui and crimson-chains for the YOI Nautical Zine.

Skater Next Door- http://archiveofourown.org/works/11903991/chapters/26893467

Words: 41,359 Chapters: 24/24

When Yuuri finds out that his next-door neighbour is none other than Victor Nikiforov, he has a small break down.

He has a second small break down when he sees Victor Nikiforov shower his son in love and attention.

And a third break down when Victor asks him, Yuuri Katsuki, a poor, single parent, ballet dancer, out on a date.

Sugar High- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10221779/chapters/22681472

Words: 115,192 Chapters: 8/?

“Baby boy, you can have whatever you want. Just tell me, and I’ll give you the world.” Yuuri is completely speechless. Was it going to be this easy? To get money from someone so handsome, so alluring, so rich? Just by asking? Victor presses on. “I can’t give you what you want if you don’t tell me.”

“…Will you help me pay my college tuition?” Yuuri finally speaks, deciding to be straightforward, remembering why he signed up for this in the first place.

“If that’ll make you happy, then so be it. Now…lay on the bed.”

–

Yuuri Katsuki is a college student struggling to pay rent, tuition, and just about everything else. When he sets up an account for a sugar daddy dating app, he doesn’t expect anything to come out of it. Instead, he meets Victor Nikiforov, and so begins their walk on the fine line between their physical relationship and something more.

Sweet on You- http://archiveofourown.org/works/11167470/chapters/24926778

Words: 17,910 Chapters: 10/10

Victor Nikiforov is the owner of a popular bakery in St. Petersburg, and he loves it. But just when he starts to grow bored of the same routine every day a cute foreign college student comes to visit and suddenly becomes all Victor can think about…

AKA the bakery au/rom-com that probably no one asked for.

The Chronicles of Katsuki Yuuri, Unconventional Heartbreaker- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9823961/chapters/22058708

Words: 6,757 Chapters 1/1

The five times Yuuri Katsuki unknowingly steals the heart of everyone around him and the one time he does it on purpose (sort of).

The Tsesarevich Lives!- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10589628/chapters/23407527

Words: 50,123 Chapters: 21/21

An Anastasia AU. Victor is an orphan with no name, no family, and no memory of a time before he was ten years old. Could he really be the missing Nikiforov heir? An adventure across Europe with two con-men will lead him to the answer.

Tu meum Animum- http://archiveofourown.org/works/8892469/chapters/20382040

Words: 60,419 Chapters: 18/18

Viktor is many things but, lately, there are things that are added in his repertoire and he brushes it off as a trick of the imagination since he does not consider himself a stalker and most definitely not a dork.

—

In which Viktor is a fourth year Slytherin in Hogwarts and is very much infatuated with a cute fourth year Gryffindor.

Twenty-Five Hours- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9677486/chapters/21856832

Words: 22,861 Chapters: 3/3

In which Yuuri spends a 25 hour flight next to Victor Nikiforov, skating legend, and feels it might simultaneously be the best and worst thing that has ever happened to him.

Write Me In C Major- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9578384/chapters/21657281

Words: 87,188 Chapters: 11/15

Living Legend of figure skating Victor Nikiforov has just won his fifth world title and doesn’t know where to go from here - until he falls in love with Katsuki Yuuri’s music at first hearing.

Movie composer Katsuki Yuuri is trying to bounce back from a series of flops when his idol shows up with absurd requests.

Victor wants Yuuri to compose about him; Yuuri wants Victor to skate about him.

#yuri on ice #yoi #victuuri #fanfic #fanfiction #victuuri fic #victor nikiforov #yuuri katsuki

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mermaidsirennikita · 7 years

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August 2017 Book Roundup

Last month was not a good reading month for me, partially because work and depression make reading hard and partially because the books themselves weren’t that great. There are times when a ton of new, exciting books get dropped and they seem to swing around the spring (people beginning buying for the summer? Beach reads?) and the fall (obviously, in preparation for Christmas). The one book I really super enjoyed was A Map for Wrecked Girls by Jessica Taylor--a tale of sisters getting shipwrecked on an island (with a boy, but he’s not super important) and working through the fact that one is borderline psychopathically manipulative and they hate each other. Also, sibling codependence. There were decent books aside from that one, but nothing that gripped me quite as much. (Ratings and mini reviews below.)

Stolen Beauty by Laurie Lico Albanese. 3/5. In World War II era Austria, Maria Altmann’s world is turned upside down as her Jewish family attempts to flee. In the process, the Nazis snatch up portraits of her beloved aunt, Adele Bloch-Bauer, painted by the renowned artist Gustav Klimt. As we follow Maria from the turmoil of World War II to her twenty-first century struggle to regain the paintings, a parallel story is told--that of Adele and her relationship with Klimt. While this book was pretty accurate as far as I could tell--I’m no Klimt expert--it could have done without Maria’s story. This is better told in the Helen Mirren movie “The Woman in Gold”; here it’s pretty flat, and distracts from Adele’s much more engaging journey from impetuous young wife to immortalized muse. Maria’s narrative becomes a fairly standard--I hate to say it--World War II story. Adele’s is far more interesting and unique, and the book would have been much better had the author stuck with that.

Severed: A History of Heads Lost and Heads Found by Frances Larson. 4/5. Larson takes on the topic of severed heads, from those captured during war, to those decapitated by royal decree, and those belonging to saints. Morbid curiosity and the recommendation of Caitlin Doughty drew me to this book, and it’s both well-researched and quite interesting. I thought it would be largely about the heads lost through the decapitation of living people, like those who would become “shrunken heads” and famous people like Anne Boleyn. While a couple of chapters are devoted to such subjects, Larson also discussed people decapitated after death, as well as the topic of life remaining after decapitation. It’s a pretty thorough book, and while some topics were more interesting than others and it was certainly all a bit gruesome at times, I was impressed by the fact that Larson even went into the topic of decapitation in art. Overall, a good read if you’re in the mood for something niche-y.

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter. 2/5. In the 80s, sisters Sam and Charlotte (later Charlie) undergo a horrific event together that leaves their mother murdered and both deeply traumatized. Thirty years later, Charlie--an attorney, albeit not one as controversial as her “defend any client” father--witnesses a school shooting, and is compelled to help defend the shooter, a teenage girl. The subsequent events will bring up the truth about what happened to the sisters that night, as well as the truth of who they became after. I really enjoyed this book at first--even though the beginning is quite harrowing and not for the faint of heart. But there’s “not for the faint of heart” and “this makes me actively uncomfortable because I don’t think it’s being handled well”. This might act as a spoiler, but honestly it’s a theme throughout the novel and, well... The topic of rape is not handled the way it should have been, in my opinion. Lots of people will feel differently, and I’m sure some will have valid reasons, but I could not get behind this book.

The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman. 2/5. As a young girl, Lilly is sold to the circus by her mother. She hasn’t even had much experience of the world, locked away by her parents to keep her albinism a secret. In a parallel timeline, 20+ years later, nineteen-year old Julia learns that her estranged mother is dead, and she has inherited the family horse farm. Returning home, she stumbles across Lilly’s story, and becomes wrapped up in the mystery of what happened to her. Obviously, this story is interesting--but I think it might be time for me to stop trying these parallel narrative historical fiction novels. They just aren’t for me. Furthermore, the simplicity of the writing and the characters was off-putting. It felt like I was reading about Lilly and the Good People versus Cartoon Villains.

Happiness: A Memoir by Heather Harpham. 3/5. Upon finding out that she was pregnant, Heather Harpham soon realized that her boyfriend, Brian, loved her but wasn’t sure about the idea of fatherhood in his forties. She went through her pregnancy alone, gave birth without him--but things became even more complicated upon the discovery that their daughter, Amelia-Grace, had a blood disease that would quite possibly kill her before she hit thirty. “Happiness” is the story of not only Amelia-Grace’s treatment and the fight for her life, but Heather and Brian’s journey towards finding each other. It’s at times frustrating, as many memoirs are; I really don’t know that Brian and Heather are people I would identify with if I met them, and some of their decisions were... questionable. But the writing is lovely, and I really felt for what was an incredibly human story. It’s a well-done memoir.

A Map for Wrecked Girls by Jessica Taylor. 4/5. Shipwrecked with her sister Henri and a virtual stranger, Alex, Emma has little hope of being found or rescued. Complicating matters of survival is her fraught relationship with Henri, ruined by recent events. Parallel narratives tell the story of the three teens’ attempts to survive, while also revealing what happened between Henri and Emma. This book is extremely gripping and interesting, and while there is a romance that largely serves to develop Emma’s character, the crux of the story is her relationship with the magnetic, manipulative Henri. Henri is the kind of character you love to hate, and so is Emma in a way. Their codependency was extremely compelling, and while a couple of the later “twists” weren’t the strongest, they didn’t dull my interest in the sisters and what happened to them.

Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman by Anne Helen Petersen, 3/5. This book is a collection of essays on women who Petersen--someone who got her doctoral degree on celebrity gossip, essentially--terms as “unruly” for a variety of different reasons. Petersen, who wrote for Buzzfeed, does know how to write a thinkpiece, and in an engaging manner. It’s definitely a quick, fun read. Nothing she says here reinvents the wheel if you’re already engaged in feminist theory, but most of it isn’t actively wrong and it’s good to read. But she does write as a straight, cis, white woman (as she acknowledges). She’s conventionally attractive; she isn’t fat. So there is a part of me that’s like “ugh, I wish someone who could speak from personal experience about what she’s writing had written this book”. She’s not even old, like Madonna (the subject of her “Too Old” essay). But that’s not really something Petersen can help. What she can help is the manner in which she overlooks the ridiculousness of Caitlyn Jenner’s political views, barely mentioning them in the “Too Qu**r” essay. Really, Petersen acknowledges that Jenner doesn’t embody that label; so why not discuss another woman like Laverne Cox or Janet Mock over Jenner? And I know she’s capable of criticizing her subject, because she does so in the aforementioned Madonna piece (though she doesn’t get into exactly how problematic Madonna’s rearing and presentation of her black children has been; that’s not the point of the piece). The Lena Dunham piece is similarly shortsighted. She doesn’t discuss many of the reasons why lots of people--including many feminists--hate Dunham. She doesn’t get into her racism, her troubling discussion of her relationship with her sister. If Petersen didn’t want to get into these issues, there are plenty of “unruly women” who coincide with her topics and aren’t loaded with ugliness, for lack of a better term. So while I liked the book--it could have done with more women of color, by the way--a couple of the essays I side-eyed.

The Devil’s Lady by Deborah Simmons. 4/5. When Aisley de Laci (yes) is forced to marry--but given the option to choose her husband--she chooses Piers Montmorency (yes) otherwise known as the Red Knight (YES). Fierce and mysterious, Piers is said to have a made a pact with the devil, and doesn’t allow Aisley to see him in the light. If you think this means they have a lot of sex in the dark, fuck yeah it does. This is a classic sort of romance novel, made better by the fact that the heroine has a lot of agency in terms of her sexuality for a romance novel written in the 90s, and the guy isn’t a total douchebag. He kind of is at first, but he’s not put in the best situation so.... One of the most appealing parts of the story is dealt with in a manner that was way too easy for my taste, and the ending was all a bit rushed, but that wasn’t the point. The romance was. And it was good.

Shimmer and Burn by Mary Taranta. 2/5. After an attempted escape from their guarded city, Faris is left alone, her love murdered and her sister enslaved. Desperate to free her sister, she enters into arrangement with the king’s executioner and a the Princess Bryn--who wants to become queen--to slip out of the kingdom and transfer magic and honestly that’s all I got because this world was so badly explained and constructed. It was one of those worlds that naturally doesn’t appeal to me, where magic is a substance and you can, like, put it in your body with a syringe? Which made me think of an addiction plotline on the rise and addiction + magic is something I hate and even if I did understand this world, which I didn’t because the writing didn’t explain it to me, I probably wouldn’t like it. Then there were little things, like the king’s executioner being a teenage boy (was there... not someone a little older) and Faris streetfighting~ to earn her keep. Cliche.

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