What are you reading?

[Jason_Miao]

I read Synthesia, been meaning to do a post of a bunch of things here.

Anyhow, I'm in the group sorta disappointed at lack of Ranma presence in latest chapters.  It's been going with a Falling Apart theme for a bit.

Didn't know there was a group.  Count me in. :)

Haven't read the Buffy/Ranma fic since I have no grounding in Buffy whatsoever.  I know at least one of the writers, weebee, tended to write fics that are series of well written vignettes that mostly don't go anywhere (although I haven't read anything by weebee alone for awhile, so maybe something has changed), so I can see how that might have affected the joint work.  Regarding the "collective phone tapping" bit, that does seem a rather odd choice.  I can see not wanting to write individual tracking scenes for every character, but "everyone asks Cologne for magic plot advancement" seems more in keeping w/Ranma than phone tapping.

[Dracos]

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7607733/1/The-Telling-Tale

Ran into this today.

So far an interesting and meaty tale, following an elven warden post Dragon Age 1, and seemingly through dragon age 2?  Told from a prison in post, interrogated by the generic super-seeker trying to find a way to save the chantry, dealing with a powerful mage who could very well not give that much of a shit.

[Ebiris]

The generic super-seeker is actually the interrogator from Dragon Age 2. I think anyway, been a while since I read that one, but it's definitely a solid read.

[Dracos]

Yup, know it.  I was just being mean in my desc of her.  I finished it last night, way too late.  Will definitely keep at it.  The lead is a bit mary-sueish, even despite her getting tortured, and it feels like it there's more than a few things taking cues from Victory at Ostagar, but it's an enjoyable meaty read, and I can't say I saw the swap coming.

[lolipettanko]

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10225608/1/A-Demon-Among-Devils

Had a nice time reading all of this. Manages to bridge the gap between the persona universe's gloom and DxD's silliness. Interesting how the personas sometimes being archdemons or archangels is addressed early. Their appearances certainly leave an impact and are some of the best parts of the fic. Updates regularly, and pretty good.

[Dracos]

Hah, same same.  was just about to link it.  Guess same circlish.  Got linked it yesterday and consumed it.

[Rukatin]

I'd love to read a crossover for DxD, but I have no context on the whole Persona series. Can someone give me the rundown?

[thepanda]

God Slaying Blade Works updated. Short interlude chapter.

[Dracos]

I'd love to read a crossover for DxD, but I have no context on the whole Persona series. Can someone give me the rundown?

Well, the author does give a decent go-by of it as Arisato is asked to explain it to the DxD crew, and he fleshes it out.  It's generally a setting where angels and demons are pokemon, summoned by the mental powers of the protagonist after forming a contract with Igor (A spirit who generally enables such) to unlock his gifts.  They're generally the shadows of the mind.  Persona 3 basically was a story where the Desire for an End of mankind managed to move a powerful death god/demon thing into trying to destroy the world, and a group of teenagers (with attitude *plays rangers theme*) coordinated with a business that had been experimenting with persona development.

  Arisato was the protagonist, both with a special relationship with Death/Thanatos (from having the spirit sealed into him when he was younger during an accident) and also the Wild Card, allowing him to summon different persona instead of just one.  At the end of it, he seals away Nyx from the darkness of humanity, accepting it in turn.  This story takes the angle that he was rescued from his fate, but ended up in a different world, so doesn't know what's going on but is just accepting day by day.  So he's a tremendously strong post game rpg character with all of his summons, most of which were important figures in the past of DxD.

[Anastasia]

God Slaying Blade Works updated. Short interlude chapter.

Relatively, but yes. It's starting to hit the fan now. [spoiler]Another grail war, one that has its limiters damaged and possibly with Campione elements leaking in? That's gonna be a thing.

[thepanda]

Thing is

Spoiler: ShowHide

I can't recall a single fic off the top of my head that managed to complete another grail war. Wait, no, one. I recall one. And that wasn't a crossover.

I just don't have faith in people completing these things.

[Anastasia]

Good points. However, [spoiler]

Let's be honest. MGS has written 570k words or so as of this chapter. He writes like nothing else and keeps on going, going and going some more. I do think he has the sheer productivity and energy to get through it, at least in theory.

At the least, I hope it reaches the point that Shirou and Sakura reunite. After that many words, I really want to see that happen. Oh, and maybe Ilya managing to become a Campione as well, but I doubt that's in the cards with that particular author. I just think it would be funny.

[Anastasia]

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8162862/83/Bringer-of-Death

This updated last month and I forgot to post it. Anyway, [spoiler]The fight ended up a no-contest. It wasn't what I was hoping for, but I'm okay with it since it's a call back to earlier in the fic. Looks like this arc is finishing up. I wonder if Goku will stay dead in this timeline or if the butterflies have torched that idea? I would think so, except that this fic tends to stay on the rails despite it all and it feels like a natural reason for Goku to return for the Buu saga. You know, finally settle things with Vegeta, SS2 and whatever Vegeta unlocks in that versus SS3 Goku.

The way the fic tends to do powerups, I suspect canon's SS3 trasformation is something unique, as most saiyans aren't going to have unlimited energy from being dead. A living saiyan may well come up with a different new form or some way of boosting SS2 instead.

[thepanda]

Good points. However,

Spoiler: ShowHide

Let's be honest. MGS has written 570k words or so as of this chapter. He writes like nothing else and keeps on going, going and going some more. I do think he has the sheer productivity and energy to get through it, at least in theory.

At the least, I hope it reaches the point that Shirou and Sakura reunite. After that many words, I really want to see that happen. Oh, and maybe Ilya managing to become a Campione as well, but I doubt that's in the cards with that particular author. I just think it would be funny.
[/quote]

You would think that but [spoiler] 1.) he has another fic that he works on and 2.) he could have totally reached this point in half the words or less if he got his excessive writing style under control. He reminds me of Jordan, come to think of it.

[Anastasia]

Hm, I would have to say that [spoiler]1. He has two other fics he works on, apparently, not that it's slowed him down. 2. He could have. I mean, I understand where he's coming from. It's nice to go off on tangents sometimes and be verbose. But holy crap does he take it an extreme.