#lis2 is so good at showing the beauty of the world and i like when the remote vibrates whenever you hug someone or they touch you

[geometricalien]

OKAY I finished Life is Strange True Colors and it's time to give my hot trash opinions that no one asked for :) (spoilers will be below the cut)

I avoided almost everything released about this game because I did not want any spoilers whatsoever and I think that served me well.

I also came in with an open mind, I gotta say I was weary since deck nine had all of the control and I didn’t particularly like before the storm that much it was fine though.

All that said True Colors was beautiful. It has excellent graphics, compelling characters and side plots for each character, the power system was new and cool. I wasn't sure how being an empath would translate but it worked well in mechanics, was epic, and suited the theme of not just the game but Alex.

I played for about 10 hours Thursday with some breaks to stretch and get food. So needless to say, I was having a great time.

It has excellent sets and even though the power mechanics are exactly the same each time it's still fresh and creative in how these emotions can shape the world around them.

This is just a personal nitpick nothing actually important, the town is a fictional Coloradan small town and as someone who grew up in a neighboring state with similar small town/mining/outdoorsy communities- or visiting them- the town buildings were fantastic! I loved main street, I've been in towns with that exact same style. But the flower bridge and the deer were just... a tinge over the top, it felt like you were trying to sell "Paradise" way too hard. But besides that I loved the towns vibe!

I felt... a little burnt out being able to play all of the chapters at once, I think part that made the lis community so strong was that it had time to build and react to the episodes together. It gave us time to theorize and make fancontent. Versus binge gaming and shot like a bullet into the air, done too quick. I don’t feel as connected to the characters because I’ve only been with them for 14 ish hours vs months

NOW THAT BEING SAID- the pacing was good, it gave us the reins being able to free roam the map at nearly all times and it never felt like we were being dragged down

Overall, True Colors is a great addition. Had amazing voice acting graphics, characters, and themes. I definitely recommend checking this game out

Spoilers now abound:

Going back to an earlier comment- almost all scenarios where you used Alex's power in depth were fresh and interesting. My favorites being Ethan, Charlotte, and Eleanor. I bring this up because Duckie's was the most dull- which you could say matches because he is normally the life of the party so... feeling empty or dull makes sense for him. But then Pike’s was also similarly lacking in environment, so it didn’t feel as fulfilling

I loved loved loved episode 3. The larping was so much fun and I was tickled with the turn based fighting. I especially loved when Ethan made the world come to life, my heart lifted in pure joy.

The two main romance interests are... interesting. Ryan's insight and caring nature drew me to him the instant we met while Steph sort of came off... as separated? But as we became friends with them both it became super hard to chose. And at the end seeing their reactions to the bomb drop showed so much characterization. Steph's ride or die and Ryan (in my playthrough) just had someone challenge his entire life view of course that's hard to take in within 30 seconds. I got that religious gay trauma, I get it.

This is where I feel spacing out the episodes could've also helped with our fondness of characters. After Ryan didn't believe me I didn't want to pursue him anymore, my affection was weakened

However I chose to forgive both Ryan and Jed despite feeling like I missed the character development to reasonably make that decision. I understand this entire game is shadow work for Alex and it is growing her emotional intelligence by miles but I think I would have preferred more sign postings from the game saying "hey bc of your choices you are growing" which wasn't really true because-

Alex was suppressing her sadness, fear, and anger from her traumatic youth. So in episode 5, reliving all of those moments were the chance to level up in emotional intelligence. It felt odd to learn exactly everything at the very end but again it's okay because she was suppressing just like Jed which made her able to understand his emotions and walk him through them

TALKING ABOUT THAT TALK WHO GOT GIFS??? I NEED TO SEE HER EYES GLOWING AND FLICKERING WITH COLOR

I loved the parallel/bookendings of chapter 1: Side A and chapter 5: Side B, I'm a sucker for that shit

It's obvious that alot of care and heart was put into this game, it has layers and the more you peel back the more it reveals thematically

Now I got to compare it to my biggest criticism of LiS and Before the Storm, and ultimately the reason why I love LiS2 more than either of them. Does your choices actually matter?

LiS? No. The game ended with an ultimatum that made all of your choices in the end not matter and LiS is sold as a "your choices actually matter" type of game so seeing that be a load of malarkey always puts a bad taste in my mouth

Lis:bts? No. It's a prequel. I can admire the idea of "life may be futile but make the most of it" while you can and that definitely encompasses Rachel's side of bts. But that doesn’t negate the fact that this is more a game with a straight plot than LiS

LiS2? YOU GOT 4 ENDINGS AND YOU CAN ONLY CHOSE 2 AND ITS NARROWED DOWN TO HOW YOU PLAYED THIS GAME- THATS WHAT I CALL A CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE/YOUR ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES

True Colors? I think TC lies somewhere between LiS2 and LiS in this aspect. Its definitely very railed, I think in every one you will get Jed to confess, so it depends on how you go about convincing him, romancing, and deciding your future to... well... decide your future. I can't fault it. It left it up to the player to decide and to not be screwed over by our previous choices (cough cough) and that is the crowd pleasing choice.

So, in the sense that it all feels very railed until the last 15 minutes when they spin us on an ice rink and say "freestyle baby"- it's fine. I'm not mad about it. But it does make me wonder what would've happened if we don't have any of the committee members on our side? Would we leave town effective immediately? Would the truth even have gotten out? Because if that's true... I would bump it up in the "does your choices matter?" 

You make choices and those choices have consequences, sometimes out of your control. That's what LiS2 perfected and what I want to see more in this franchise. 

#life is strange true colors #life is strange #spoilers #life is strange spoilers #life is strange true colors spoilers #listc spoilers #life is strange 2 #I had lots of fun and I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone else played and get the chance to play it again with a different angle #anti life is strange #(that's for moots im not bashing the series but I do share my criticism of the game for sure)

[elbracco]

LiS2 Fanfiction recommendation list - updated

I updated the ff list I made a few months ago. As before, if anyone has any suggestions to add, I’m all ears. I divided the stories into three categories (Post-ending, AUs and Missing Moments) and all the ffs on this list are either completed or still actively updated.

POST-ENDING

Blood Brothers: To Puerto Lobos - And Beyond! by SerratedCucumber, in progress. It starts as the brothers break into Mexico and follows them as they try to build a life for themselves. I swear that I hear Gonzalo and Roman every time that Sean or Daniel say something: the dialogue is that good. 11,000 words for now.

*

Lone Wolf: The One You Feed by zeldanerdster, in progress. This work follows the "Lone Wolf" path immediately after events unfold at the border. Following that, it will chronicle Daniel's experiences for as far as they take him in an effort to reconcile the various open-ended resolutions of Life is Strange 2. Because LW didn’t break our hearts enough. 20,500 words for now. Lone Superwolf by Dreamprism, in progress. The ff begins with Sean’s death at the border and aims to show how Daniel got from the car to the “six years later” scene. The fanfic is written from the perspective of Daniel Diaz, similar to how Sean shares his internal thoughts with the player throughout Life is Strange 2. 17,000 words for now.

*

Parting Ways: After by koldtbold, one-shot. Sean gets to Mexico, Daniel doesn’t. Sean has a lot to do and think about. What I love about this story is that there’s much bitter and little sweet, but like in the game there’s an undercurrent of optimism, a feeling that tomorrow can still turn into a better day. 6,000 words. When There’s Nowhere Else to Run, by Autumnyte, in progress. It begins right after Daniel yeets himself from the car and follows Sean as he tries to build a life for himself in Puerto Lobos. I told Autumnyte that this story feels like a blanket: it’s warm and comfortable. No matter what issues Sean has to deal with, there is a pervasive undertone of "tomorrow will be better" that I think really captures the spirit of the game. He is done running, and he can now start to look to the future with hope. 31,000 words for now.

*

Redemption:

The Bravest Wolf in the World by RoodAwakening, 2 chapters left. Ask anyone for reading suggestions, and they’ll inevitably point you to this story, for a reason. Sean finds out he can use his sketches to time-travel, much like Max did with her photos, prevents Esteban’s death, and has to deal with the consequences as he tries to navigate the new life he made for himself. Wonderful characters, a realistic depiction of trauma, and golden dialogue. I love this Sean, I love the people in his life, I love his interactions with all the characters. 160,000 words (!) for now. A Howl in the Night by Bracco, one-shot. Sean is in prison, and Daniel is free: it’s everything that Sean had wanted when he surrendered. That means he can be happy… right? 28,500 words. Tomorrow's Horizon by AlariOdonell, in progress. A mysterious stranger recruits a post-bay Max Caulfield with the promise to bring Chloe back to life and to right a few wrongs along the way, like those suffered by two brothers. I am very partial to this story because it ticks every box in my list of narrative kinks: a well-written OC, an incoming threat, superpowers, misfits teaming up, IC characters, action and fuzzy feelings... 52,000 words for now, updated bi-weekly. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want by DarkJaden825698, one-shot. After his sentence, Sean reconnects with some old friends and says some things he didn't get to say when he had the chance. This story is a warm, fuzzy thing where everything goes well for a change. I may also be very partial to the title: that song is tied to some of my fondest memories, so extra points to the author. 4,000 words. Spirit Realm: Road to Redemption by Sombraguerrero, completed. Sean has served his sentence, abbreviated by a lack of success on the authorities' part to attain burden of proof on the supposed major crimes. The public has run out of patience and has allowed Sean and Daniel to try and pick up the pieces, with as much help as they can get along what is once again a rough road. 21,000 words. Stay Strange by DarkJaden825698, completed. Dr. Bright is assigned to Sean Diaz as his therapist in prison, and walks him through his trauma while trying to find him a lawyer to challenge his sentence. Crossover fic between LiS2 and The Bright Sessions podcast - you don’t know anything about the podcast? Me neither, and it’s not an issue. 32,000 words.

AUs

And All These Empty Streets by Riona, one-shot. After the apocalypse, Sean and Daniel have a run-in with Joel and Ellie from TLOU. I think that this is the story that made me realize how I love Sean and Daniel so much that I’m willing to read the weirdest AUs and crossovers so long. It flows really well and it feels natural. 2,000 words.

Riona has written a lot of stories that start from an unexpected premise and draw a little vignette. They are all different from each other and I loved them all. Check out her AO3 profile! Can you give me a hint by Idnis, completed. Teenage Daniel/Chris. If you like “mutual pining” and “dumb idiots in love”, this story will make your day. It’s just... fluffy and sweet and innocent, a tiny bit of teenage drama that Daniel and Chris deserve after everything they’ve been through. 22,500 words. Closer to the Heart by darkjaden825698, in progress. After the shooting, Sean waits for the police to arrive. He’s cleared of all charges and sent to live to Beaver Creek, where he must come to terms with what happened and rebuild a life for himself. A teen drama where nothing bad happens to the boys and they get to live normal lives? Hit me with it. 4,000 words. Double exposure by Riona, completed. It draws inspiration from *Your Name*: Max and Sean begin swapping bodies at random. If the premise doesn’t turn you away, it’s a beautiful bittersweet story about two people trying to help each other while their own worlds are falling apart. 11,000 words. Faithless by HollowK, in progress. Six years after the failed heist, Sean wakes up from his coma and has a brother to find. Exactly: oof. 6,500 words for now. I Took Both Roads, series by owlmug. AU where Esteban isn’t shot. Sean/Finn (with some Sean/Cassidy in the first story). It’s a coming of age story, and I really loved how the author mirrored some situations that are found in the game by giving them a new twist. I won’t lie, these stories hurt, because they made me think about what could have been. The characters are spot on, and the interactions of the Diaz family are golden. Bonus points for having Sean behave like a teenage brat at times, because the boy deserved to have temper tantrums and getting into fights with Esteban over stupid stuff. There are also a lot of beautiful images across the series, a lot of lines that feel raw and powerful, and a lot of healing. At times it’s like having a heart-to-heart with the author. Sometimes I felt that the sex scenes were too long, and some of them I found unnecessary, but that’s just my personal taste. I really liked all the four stories, but the last one is my favourite for sure because it follows Esteban’s point of view and it’s *chef’s kiss*.

 1.       A Way to Reappear (https://archiveofourown.org/works/19096837), 18,000 words. Sean’s POV

2.       A Piece of the Puzzle (https://archiveofourown.org/works/19386670), 26,000 words. Sean’s POV

3.       A Little left Behind (https://archiveofourown.org/works/19852561), 24,000 words. Finn’s POV

4.       (I’ve Been Going Through) a Change (https://archiveofourown.org/works/20562086), 28,000 words. Esteban’s POV.

If I Lay Here by owlmug, completed. Diverges from canon after episode 3. Sean and Finn try to track Daniel down. Sean/Finn, 46,500 words. I can repeat here most of what I wrote for the earlier series: wonderful characterization, beautiful imagery, touching themes, characters that find themselves along the way. Something that makes you go “Please, sir, can I have some more?” at the end of every chapter. i just don’t know how i’m doing (i’m so curious about you) by Larrymurphycansteponme, one-shot. Another High School AU, another wonderful coming of age story for Sean. I wish I could make it justice without repeating everything I said about owlmug’s series: spot-on characterization, a beautiful narrative about growing up and finding one’s way, wonderful imagery. It’s the story of what Sean deserved to have, and one of my favorite ever. 28,000 words.

MISSING MOMENTS

A Night With Misty Mice by That_one_internet_lover, completed. It follows Sean and Lyla’s concert night that is mentioned in his phone chat in ep.1. It’s the first fanfiction I read after my endgame heartbreak: it gave me all the happy Sean I wanted, and even a bit more. The dynamic between him and Lyla is exactly what I pictured from their interactions in the game, put into words by someone who knows what they’re doing. 10,000 words. Astray by Riona, one-shot. Daniel leaves Sean behind after the events of Wastelands. It’s probably more of an AU than a Missing Moment, since it was written before Faith came out and so it’s not entirely canon-compliant, but it’s still a very good window on Daniel’s state of mind after the heist. I’m eternally grateful to Riona for filling some of the gaps that the game left in the development of these wonderful characters. 1,500 words.  Fire and Floods by Riona, one-shot. Sean and Daniel go on the run, and this fic covers the first day of their journey. A spot-on dissection of Sean’s feelings after the shooting. 1,500 words. life is strange 2 poems by Spotsuns, an ongoing collection of one-shots. These stories have all the oooffness of the game. The stories in here hurt. In the good way, but they hurt nonetheless. Beautiful character studies, and some heavy-duty, post-ending feel unpacking. 11,000 words. Never Stop Shining by CorazonDesnudo, in progress. During his stay in Away, Sean receives a letter from Finn with an offer to help him and Daniel cross the border. It’s a chance to come to terms with a lot of things he didn’t really process before. 11,000 words for now. Torchbearers by Riona. Ep.1’s Sean and Daniel run into Max and Chloe among the ruins of Arcadia Bay. I can definitely see this story being a moment of quiet in the game. 2,600 words. What Remains of the Diaz Family by That_one_internet_lover, completed. Lyla sneaks into the Diaz household after the brothers have disappeared. Heartbreaking oofness ensues as Lyla walks through their memories and faces her own pain. 6500 words.

#life is strange 2 #lis2 #life is strange 2 fanfiction #lis fanfiction #sean diaz #daniel diaz #i'm terrible with tags

[superpotato824]

i just finished Life is Strange: True Colors, so here are my thoughts on it (this is gonna be VERY long)

WOW okay my head hurts from staring at a screen that long but omg that game was so beautiful! The scenery, the ambient sounds, the characters, oh my GOD it was a visual masterpiece. The flower bridge, the flower shop, dang just the whole entire town of Haven!!!! Such a pretty place and so breathtaking. And the character animation??? I was scared it would look weird or creepy but WOAH it looks amazing. Definitely loved how the game looked and felt. All the characters were well fleshed out and that made it easier to connect with them as a player.

Now, for the plot... I really did love it. At least... I think I did? I'm determined to love every LiS game so take this with a pinch of salt. The plot was very interesting and definitely refreshing for the LiS series. In the original game, the plot kinda centers around the supernatural tornado or whatever that Max saw in her vision. In the LiS2, the brothers are running cuz of an accident caused by Daniel's supernatural powers (also its been a while since I played BtS so uhhh I don't really remember it oops) ANYWAYS in True Colors!!! It's finally different! The main conflict is not caused due to the character's supernatural powers! It's different, but honestly really cool. For once, you don't have a nagging feeling about causing the end of the world or being caught by the cops whenever you use your powers! Well, sort of... I don't know if it was just me, but some times when Alex used her powers, it felt like blatant emotional manipulation. Like, she would "dive into the hearts of others", find their greatest secret, fear, whatever it is, and then turn it against them. Using her powers to make Mac tell her the truth about what happened with the call Gabe made. Idk it just didn't sit right with me sometimes. Alex's powers are so unique and honestly I love the idea behind them and how the game works with it! But... I was at least hoping for SOME mention of how this was emotional manipulation on Alex's part. I mean, even in the original game, the nightmare-Max or whatever says that Max is using her powers to know exactly what to say and manipulate people into liking her. That's why I was so excited when a nightmare-esque scene began, cuz I thought we were about to dive deeper into that. But no, the nightmare-esque scene just showed us Alex's past, which was very interesting and definitely good to get to learn! But not exactly what I was hoping for. Sure, sometimes Alex makes an offhand comment about how she is using her powers to manipulate people, but it never stops her. Idk I guess I just wanted to see more into that but maybe that's just me. ANYWAYS again.

Honestly, I kind of saw the "surprise bad guy" being the bad guy way from the start. Idk something just seemed off about him to me or maybe I'm just used to LiS making good characters their surprise bad guy lol. Still, definitely made for a super cool and complex plot! Also though, at the end of it, I only felt like the choices that changed the end of the story were 1.) Who you romanced and 2.) Literally what you tell Gabe at the end of the game. Like,,,, I haven't seen any other playthroughs yet, but I really hope the game is different depending on your choices throughout, even if the ending is kinda stagnant (if that makes sense)

Thought of this last minute so I'm just gonna add it here before my final statements!!! ALEX'S POWERS. They are honestly SO COOL. I love how she goes from seeing them as a curse, something that makes her broken, to seeing them as a way to help people and to make things right. It's really so beautiful how the storytelling with her powers went. And her powers help flesh out the characters around her! We get to see little glimpses into the past and into these random strangers around town! It really adds another level of world building and makes the town of Haven seem even more real.

I really did love the story and oh my GOD did I love how the game looked! Definitely glad I got this game and I really wanna play it again to see how/if your choices really make a difference at the end of the day! Dang this was long and I still probably have even more thoughts on this game but I'll stop now. I think I love this game. If not for the beautiful scenery and town, then definitely for the cool, fleshed out characters living there.

Anyways if anyone wants to talk about this game or ANY other LiS game (or really anything tbh) send me a message!!! I'm bored and making friends is fun!

WAIT ALSO I JUST POSTED THIS BUT I THOUGHT OF SOMETHING ELSE!!!! There are some choices to "take" people's emotions from them. We... never see the long term consequences of that? Do they get them back? How does it affect Alex? Sure we see that the character that had anger taken from them is now numb to it, but do they ever get it back??? Can Alex give it back? And what about the character that had fear taken? How did that affect them? Sure we see they turn against the company that used to scare them, but is that the only fear Alex took? And again, how does this affect Alex??? After taking their emotions, we see Alex have a small breakdown, feeling a sudden urge of these feelings way after she took them. Like when she yelled about Gabe being dead and how nothing would bring him back, or when she curled up on herself, in fear of being watched. Does it just... go away? Does she ever deal with it? Does it ever come back???? And it doesn't help that you can choose NOT to take their emotions! That makes it harder to address in the long term. AAAA NOW IM CONFUSED AGAIN

AAAAA AND AGAIN ANYWAYS ALSO JUST REALIZED THIS WAS A LIS GAME THAT DIDNT MAKE ME CRY AT THE END. LIKE THE ENDING WASNT SAD? AT ALL? LIKE THE END FITS THE STORY AND I LOVE IT BUT WOW A LIS GAME THAT DOESNT HAVE A TRAUMATIC ENDING? CRAZY

#very very very long post #spoilers #kinda? i guess #aaaaaa #i think i loved this game #secrets of haven #lis true colors #lis tc spoilers #lis tc

[xsunfloweer]

Life is Strange 2 review

It's me again, since I don't have friends and get depressed most days, I have a long time to reflect on the universe of Life is Strange. Remembering that I’m not here to say that one is better than the other. I’m here to make arguments regarding both games, so there's no reason to argue. All of us has a different point of view, right? So, come on ...

First, since I played Lis1, my worldview has changed a lot, helped me to evolve as a person... about life. Feel the chills? Life can be scary sometimes. However, we don’t always realize what is around us. This is why we have to value our personal choices. Is good or is bad? Never know. You can deny, saying that we make our own destiny. In fact, it is true. But if it were that easy, why do we still suffer? THE CHOICES THAT WE MAKE EVERY DAY. 

As humans, we care a lot about the present, letting go of moments that may be the last, or even preventing something good or bad from happening. The Life is Strange universe portrays this. It shows us the truth, makes us see and recognize that, for example, a "yes" or a "no" can change the course of our journey. You know those times when you think "hey, and if I had done that ... it would be different." Life is based on what-ifs, so thanks for existing Life is Strange, that gives us so many possibilities ... to reflect, and stop to think. Even if it is fictitious, it affects us emotionally, and why? Because it's the reality man. YOUR CHOICES. Our dear Maxine felt it in her skin, and taught us that we could travel back as long as we wanted, but we couldn't change the outcome of our choices ... death is inevitable. We don't have to get stuck in the past, we have to LIVE.

I have always been attracted to such remarkable stories. This universe deserves more recognition, one day we get there. We need more Lis fans!

Anyway, if you don’t know, I'll warn you that I will give some spoilers. Life is Strange 1 portrayed heavy themes. Themes that, until today, have repercussions in our society, AND haven’t been solved, YET. Such as depression, sexuality, abuse and drug use. Is it important to emphasize them? For sure. It's real. And unfortunately there are many victims out there ... 

But it doesn't end here. They wanted more... there are more things that NEED to be brought up. Life is Strange 2 came with everything, portraying not only the themes of the first game, but also the issue of xenophobia and politics. IT'S REAL. So why not show this reality? Prejudice arose centuries ago, and it must be remembered every day. The human being can be a monster, unfortunately.

"Life is Strange 2 is not as good as Life is Strange 1 because the choices are NOT that important”. "Ahh Lis1 is much better, Daniel is very boring". “Ohh come on, WHERE THE LGBT INCLUSION?!?!?”. “No emotion, I didn't like it”. “Well, Max and Chloe could show up in THIS game to be interesting”. "Oh shit, Daniel screwed up, he deserves a lesson".

I know I know. Opinions apart. I respect that. But that's not how I think.

First of all, another game, same universe, BUT another story. The focus here is another. You know what I think. Life is Strange 2 is not being highly valued because of its main theme: FAMILY. Isn't that beautiful? To portray something that is in part common to us. Me, for example, have two younger brothers. It's very interesting that they thought about portraying such a complex subject. It's like a life lesson, right? We gained the responsibility of taking care of our younger brother, under the circumstance of a very tragic and REAL story, that a lot of people don't have the knowledge about. I never felt in the skin the fact of not being considered a CITIZEN, and being a victim of prejudice because of it .... it's heavy, and very unfair.

Obviously there are conflicts in the college too, from the moment we are included in the college environment, we are exposed to many experiences, good and bad. It's nice that they portrayed this on Lis1 because of the depression. And it's up to us to be responsible for being a every day hero.

But the only family we have the most bond with is Chloe's, you haters of Daniel are doing the same thing with David. I hated him, Chloe had her reasons, but then we realized that he was really trying to be a good father. At BTS, even if we try to collaborate with David's coming, Chloe doesn't try to give him a chance ... do you think that's fair? It’s not fair. 

It's not fair to love Chloe and hate Daniel, who is just a child. I love Chloe, but I think she could have collaborated more with David. She had a strong personality that hella marked our lives. To me she deserves the world and shouldn't have suffered so much ... and you know what I realize now, Chloe and Daniel have a lot in common, both have a very strong personality. 

And they did it again, a strong personality that is not under our control. In another moment I will defend Daniel ... I'm just begging you to stop comparing Lis1 with Lis2. Give a chance for new stories! In Lis2 They were able to make the most complex choices ... with a lot of different setbacks ... this is a masterpiece ... life is like that, you order oranges but get lemons.

So, let’s talk, reblog this, you can hate me now, it’s just what I think...

#life is strange #life is strange 2 #sean diaz #daniel diaz #max caulfield #chloe price #lis #lis2 #before the storm

[proofthatihaveaheart]

fic rec list of 2019

Rules: Post links (Ao3, ff.net, etc.); specify fandom/pairing/etc; don’t answer the same fic twice - spread the appreciation; tag other people; you don’t have to answer all the questions, but leave them in the list so the next person can answer if they want.

I saw this going around and thought it might be fun to do so here we go.. This year I read an assorted mix of fandoms so we’ve got a lot of variation in here including The Adventure Zone, Brooklyn Nine Nine, Coco, Dishonored, Good Omens, Life is Strange, Lucifer, Marvel, Steven Universe, Tangled, and The Umbrella Academy. 

-

1. Favourite complete fic you’ve read this month (multiple chapters/parts): strings by pathygen (Tangled, Cassandra-centric, s3 canon divergent) which was a beautiful and fascinating exploration of how anger can twist a person into someone else. It’s dark and it builds to one of my favorite moments in any fic I read this year. 

2. Favourite complete fic you’ve read this month (one-shot): dance, dance (we’re falling apart to half-time) by gleesquid (Marvel, Gwen/MJ), I always want more GwenMJ fics and this one delivered on that, with bonus dancing and other Spidey characters showing up. 

3. Favourite WIP you’ve read this month: tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow by fishycorvid (The Adventure Zone, Taako-centric). Technically Sy finished it this month but shhhhh it counts, it absolutely counts. This fic is painful, about grief and living on after, about how sometimes things don’t work even when you try hard to make them better. It hurts and it’s beautifully done.  

4. One fic/series you’ve read which you keep coming back to again and again: A lot of fics could fit for this category but I chose Waltz of the Nian by QuickYoke (Steven Universe, Lapis character study with some Lapis/Peridot) because there were several lines that just stuck with me. Whenever I think of the character I think of those lines now. More generally, this is a fantastic character study about trauma and intimacy. 

5. Most underrated fic you’ve read this year: Such a Cunning Disguise by WhenasInSilks (Marvel 616, Carol/Jessica, Secret Invasion AU). Mind the warnings on this fic, it earns them. A beautiful work that deserves more kudos but I imagine the warnings + Carol/Jess being generally underrated keeps people away.  

6. Most underrated fic you’ve read EVER: nothing immediately came to mind and i was too lazy to dig through all my old fic bookmarks so i’m skipping it

7. Favourite whump/angst fic of the year: I got it down to two and then I couldn’t choose which one to rec so you get two recs for the price of one! Both are Marvel. another place, another time by sorrybaby (MCU, Carol/Maria, Carol/Val) because sometimes you love someone but you don’t end up together, very painful, very well-written.  the small rain down can rain by tigrrmilk (Marvel 616, Carol/Jess) which hurts in a different way and isn’t quite as painful but is also very good character work dealing with Jessica’s feelings on Carol’s sacrifice and amnesia. 

8. Favourite hurt/comfort fic of the year: I did not expect to read Life is Strange fic this year but then we got that photo of them in LiS2 and my heart swelled with feelings. I’m fortunate to have landed on this fic to read -  migratory animals by swapcats (Life is Strange, Max/Chloe) is an excellent road trip post-game fic where the healing and comfort goes both ways. It’s the perfect epilogue to their adventure. 

9. Favourite fluff fic of the year: I knew I was going to rec Carol/Maria for this category but it took me time to decide which fic and then I remembered this one existed - jambalaya (please be my baby) by carol_danvers (MCU, Carol/Maria). It’s one of my favorite getting-together fics for them and it’s full of fluffy moments. 

10. Favourite smut fic of the year: nope

11. Favourite gen fic of the year: Try Again by pprfaith (The Umbrella Academy, multi-POV) which is absolutely the type of TUA fic I wanted after finishing the show. There’s lots of hurt/comfort, lots of good sibling dynamics, lots of confronting trauma and healing from it. It’s good. 

12. Favourite fix-it fic of the year/ever: It’s not so much that I think the ending of CM needed fixing in any way, it worked really well and that final shot of Carol looking down on her home before blasting off is superb, but also I really wanted to read fics where she stayed with her family. Also fics that made their relationship romantic. This was my favorite of that type -  Lightning Crash by Monochrome_girl (MCU, Carol/Maria).

13. Favourite crack-fic fic of the year: I didn’t read any

14. Favourite sick-fic this year: I don’t think I read any this year... but I did read fics where people patched injuries up so I’m reccing brave face talk so lightly by lesbiyawn (MCU, Carol/Maria) 

15. Favourite kid-fic this year: With the exception of Captain Marvel fics which featured Monica, I didn’t read any kid-fic and it would be a stretch to call those fics kid-fic because they were more fics that just happened to feature a kid as a character? But then this is also a stretch, it’s pregnancy fic but also is it? and anyway I enjoyed it so it deserves a rec -  oh violets, you did so signify by fruitwhirl (Brooklyn Nine Nine, Jake/Amy)

15. Fic this year which you didn’t expect to love as much as you do: Jasper/Lapis is not a ship I considered reading but I love everything anistar_e writes so I figured why not read her SU fic? And I did and I was blown away by this one in particular - Favor for Your Four-Chambered Heart by anistar_e (Steven Universe, Jasper/Lapis, Never Let Me Go AU) which balances themes of freedom, self-determination, and power in a world where your only purpose is to die for others beautifully. People make mistakes but they’re allowed to grow and become better. I just really love this fic with all my heart.  

16. Fic which convinced you to ship a pairing: in oakland by hupsoonheng (MCU, Erik/Sam) which set Erik/Sam before me, a pairing I had never considered, and wove a story about two hurting teenage boys finding love over the course of a summer. It’s beautifully done. 

17. Favourite AU you’ve read this year: It was between this and the SU Never Let Me Go AU and since that one fit a different category, I decided to put this one here. Choose Your Faces Wisely by Poetry (Good Omens, Aziraphale/Crowley). It’s a Daemon AU with some really neat concepts about the daemons of supernatural beings and some really good character stuff, which are some of my favorite things in daemon fic.  

18. Longest fic/series you’ve read this year:  I read many long fics this year but Work of All Saints by anistar_e (Coco, Imelda-centric with Ernesto/Hector/Imelda, 210k) was by far the longest. And what a masterpiece it was! It’s basically a novel with the amount of world-building and character development it does, a grand epic that is incredibly personal in its scope. Spectacular! 

19. The last fic you’ve read: I got back into playing Dishonored 2 over the break and as a result, I decided to read some fic for it. This one popped up on multiple rec lists and I can see why. tetralogy of fallot by patho (Dishonored, Emily-centric) is short, 10 sections of 100 words each, and still manages to craft a haunting narrative about High Chaos Emily’s reign. 

20. Wildcard fic you haven’t mentioned but deserves a shout-out + why: I was stuck between two fics I really wanted to mention and so I decided to rec both (the more recs, the merrier!): 

And There Was Light by ariaadagio (Lucifer, Lucifer/Chloe, 143k) which branches off from the end of season 2 and spins a long tale of existential angst, love, and navigating human-divine relations.  

Salinity (And Other Measurements of Brackish Water) by drawlight (Good Omens, Aziraphale/Crowley) which is a shorter fic that reads like poetry. 

Tagging @startofamoment, @thinbottomedcauldron, @dmigod, @thornscrowned, and anyone else who wants to do it! 

#fic recs #there's a lot of fic that i didn't include #so i'll still do one of my monthly-but-not-really-monthly-anymore rec lists sometime this week #for now though! celebrating end of 2019 by highlighting some of my favorite fics of the year #long post

[henrytheteddybear]

My 12 speculations for upcoming episodes of LiS2

         It's been about two months after releasing of the first episode. besides likes and reblogs, i tried to make my own posts about theories, speculations or fan arts of Life is Strange 2 but i needed more time to analyze and find inspiration until i decided to make this post and wait to see which speculations would be true or just ideas.

This list consists of my speculations and others' i found on websites. I don't know if here are somebody who still don't play or watch the prequel and the first episode. so you should skip this post if you don't want to see any spoilers.

#1. Mrs. Reynolds is actually the grandmother of Sean and Daniel.

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXE17l9SVM4

In Arcadia Bay Scene of LiS2, Brody asks Sean about his family and he says he only have grandparents who live in USA. in The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, if Chris can convince Mrs. Reynolds to leave, she'll talk about her grandchildren that she's never seen for a long time and they're at her house. these hints make me feel so sure that Dontnod try to tell us Granny Claire and the brothers are absolutely relatives. 

#2. We may see Lyla Park and Brody Holloway again.

Although I have no idea how she can find the brothers and why he should meet them again. maybe they will bump into each other with new issues after Sean and Daniel leave Claire's house. we may see the development of the relationship between Sean and Lyla or get a surprise from Brody, however they don't deserve to have small roles in this season.

#3 Is Brody's real surname Prescott?

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXE17... 

         During escaping with the car, Sean ask Brody about his occupation and he says he come from a wealthy family but no soul and he took off to travel after graduating high school and never go back to his home. now he does many jobs such as writes stories for magazines and websites, doing podcasts, and protest etc. 

         Since everything in LiS series are in the same universe, it would be awesome if we saw more connections between characters from both seasons. some say he's from Utah because his car displays Utah license plates but he never directly tell he's from Utah and he may be got the car when he visited there, however we still don't know his background well enough to tell who he is.

#4. Daniel does creepy breathing sound when Chris calls Mrs. Reynolds lately.

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ4iO5jK9Xo

         In The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, when you do the awesome things or whatever until Charles falls asleep and call Mrs. Reynolds. you'll hear someone do creepy breathing sound during a call and in the post-credits scene of episode 1, you can see the forest covered with snow and hear Sean try to teach Daniel to control his power then he can float a stone in the air. this means the brothers may be somewhere in Beaver Creek in December and Daniel would have practiced for a month.

         I guess Daniel would control his power better and imagine himself as Darth Vader. he may monkey around in the house when Claire's not home until Chris call on the phone.

#5. If Dontnod need to show us the depth of friendship between two kids, they should let us play as Daniel.

         This speculation sounds like a wish and seems impossible but after the first episode, Daniel knows he has the powers and he can deal with it, i think it would be great if we had a chance to control his telekinesis via playing as him. besides, i don't know how big is Chris' part but if the friendship between Daniel and Chris is important to the main story, it should be told through the perspective of these kids instead of the third person because it's easier to see the depth in their relationship.

A teenager like Sean might not fit to do kids activities or follow them all day.

#6. The secret map may guide Chris and the brothers to the next awesome adventures.

         In Chris' room, you can find a hand-drawn map on the wall between the desk and the bed, it's called "secret map" and we use it with secret decoder to solve the puzzle and find the way in junk pile to get his treasure. (in fact, there's a short one way hole. ^ ^") besides, the details on the map based on Eriksen household's neighborhood but the locations were changed to his imaginary things and i'm curious what inspire them.

         So if an upcoming episode had the adventures of Chris and the brothers, i think every imaginary places and monsters in the secret map would be the destinations and let us know more about Chris' imaginary world and his background.

#7. Was Emily Eriksen killed by an influential person?

         Emily was killed in hit and run on December 16, 2014 in Beaver Creek. Charles had asked the officers about finding the culprit for two years but they said they couldn't find more evidence because the street surveillance data isn't available for the scene.

         It's possible the Emily case may be difficult for investigation like they said or the officers try not to investigate this case because they don't want to deal with influential people who would be revealed in upcoming episodes.

#8. Sean may plan to leave Daniel at Mrs. Reynolds's house and escape to Puerto Lobos alone.

source: https://youtu.be/eji0xlwH2-A 

         Besides mentioning her grandchildren, Claire also tells one of them is Chris' age and she bet him and Chris would get along like brothers. I think her words sounds really suspicious. why she compares Chris to Daniel's new brother instead of a best friend and Daniel still has Sean as his older brother. 

         I think Sean knows Daniel would never has a chance to be a suspect like him (if he never revealed his powers to everybody) and it seems to be hard to take a long trip with kid and a dog. so Sean may consult Claire without Daniel before she comes to see Chris but his plan wouldn't succeed for some reason.

#9. Derek, a proud member of a Church may has an important role.

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chqug... 

         When Chris does something in the house for a while, Derek will call and say he is a proud member of the Universal Uprising Church and his church wants Chris and his loved ones to share the holy spirit. I guess Derek and his church may have interesting background and important roles in upcoming episodes. they may know something about super powers and have an ability to help Daniel or have mysterious backstory and be involved in murders.

#10. Chris may escape from the Eriksen Household to his grandparents's home.

         Near Charles' Laptop, you can find the letter to Charles from Peter Wyatt, the father of Emily reads Peter and his wife Kristen care so much about Charles and Chris. he heard Charles was in bar fight and he ask for permission to take care of Chris and want Charles to consider joining a support group.

         Although Chris doesn't want to leave Charles but in an upcoming episode, the domestic violence of Eriksen household may escalate and Chris would escape to Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt's home or Daniel may accidentally hurt Charles for protecting Chris. so the brothers and the only child would have to run away together.

#11. Sean and Daniel may not reach Mexico.

         Besides the journey of a thousand miles, they may have to face other racists, bump into officers or be chased by the antagonists who haven't revealed yet, however the brothers may find out the reason how and why Daniel got the powers and resolve all the conflicts before arrival to Puerto Lobos.

#12. It's possible that Sean or Daniel would pass away at the end of season.

sorce: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwzNgdu5n8Y 

          I know it sounds terrible but if the second season still had a life/death ending like the first season and brotherly bonding is the main theme, their death could surely make us depressed for a month. this idea is inspired by Daniel lines that he talks with Sean about two raccoons they saw. he guesses the dead one may be the brother of the other one and Sean stops him from thinking of it, however this may be a hint from Dontnod or just random lines. 

         In my opinion, if Sean was the person who passed away by try to protect Daniel or whatever and left his sketchbook with all good memories of their journey to him, it would be a sad and beautiful ending. (I'm so sorry Lyla. T T)

         I'm a little bit disappointed that the second episode will release on January, 2019. i thought they would release in December but there's no any teaser trailer released in November and i was afraid that episode 2 will be released in Jan like somebody said and now it's true.

 but it's better than waiting without knowing for how long, right?

#life is strange 2 #Lis2 #the awesome adventures of captain spirit #captain spirit #speculations #theory #sean diaz #daniel diaz #chris eriksen #lyla park #brody holloway #charles eriksen #emily eriksen #dontnod