Kaiba challenges Yugi to a duel. It's for his own good, really.

One of my personal favourites from YGOME ‘14, this piece had a really solid concept, a strong approach to it and a gorgeous atmosphere. Although short, it was a real gem, and worth reading.

The interaction between Yuugi and Seto was perfectly balanced, and the whole thing stuck with me for quite a long time. Definitely good for headcanon fodder, and with the movie coming out, the subject matter is more interesting than ever.

A lot of illegal things were going on during Battle City. And a conscientious Kaiba Corporation employee wants to make sure the world knows.

Review:

Sometimes you really have to wonder how the universe let Seto Kaiba get away with Battle City, but then there is the familiar refrain: screw the rules, I have money. 

Nevertheless, it was delightful seeing a more realistic take on the fallout from Battle City. The piece was delivered in a creative way, and it’s hard not to laugh at Kaiba’s reaction to the situation.

review by ariasune

“Bakura didn’t do things like that. He liked to loosen the screws on playground equipment and steal from charity shops, and then the day before we were all supposed to go to the museum to see the tablet, he pulls a little girl out of the way of a truck?”

As with all of their stories, Recompense is rife with characterization. This is part one of their Atonement series, and is the antithesis of The Power of Friendship - of course, it does come from the points of views of Ryou, who here was told the secrets of Kul Elna, as well as Malik Ishtar and Yami Marik.

This is not a pitting, as such, of "villain" against "hero," but the lines of conflict are most definitely drawn. It is from here that the story starts: one fluke of an action, one that only some could have predicted, and the results come tumbling down into a dizzying series of events that accumulates into "Atonement."

Each scene makes you lean closer, brow furrowed, as you attempt to decipher what each shout and angry flutter and stamp of feet. When one's breath catches, so does yours; when one snarls angrily, you either recoil in fear or snarl right alongside them. The emotions are potent, delicately written with a flair that makes it seem so casually graceful.

Though this comes from a different corner than what canon prefers to show us, the virtues and sins of each character are carefully balanced, realism showing through as the story knits itself together. This is definitely a series I recommend perusing.

review by texasdreamer01

Set four years after the end of the series. Malik visits Ryou and decides to do something about the overgrown plants, the paint color, and the ghosts.

The dialogue is fast-paced, snapping between the two like a rubber band and feeling very much like you're there in the moment. You never really quite know why Malik shows up, and the intriguing question isn't revealed until the very last moment, lingering as each little detail of their routine is described. Each scene is elaborated upon with detail, neither bogging down the story nor telling the reader too much and giving its hand early.

This is a good exposition on Angstshipping after the series, and keeps both of them realistic and in tune with how they've been described in canon. No trait is out of character, taking a logical progression from the impact of their history and environment, dots of allusions shaping their actions into something unique and carefully-wrought.

The title is quite apt, and reading this feels like the afterburn of such an explosion - a colourful crash of events that burns away what's volatile and leaves wafts of emotions and interactions for the reader to consume headily.

review by texasdreamer01

Like a moth to a flame, burned by the fire.

This is short - just over five hundred words - but, oh, does it make good use of them. The sheer force of character Ishizu and Kaiba have is enthralling, and seeing them interact with each other delivers the same chill up my spine as when they are interacting with other characters. But this, just the two of them, ups the ante and sends every move into the stratosphere with meaning.

Their conversation is heavy with wordplay;every turn of their head and flick of their hand only amplifies it. I keep finding myself re-reading each paragraph and scrutinizing if there's anything hidden in the prose - or dialogue - that would reveal how this brief moment catching each other in the hallways is supposed impact their actions outside of this brief tête-à-tête.

It is a very good example of the potential every stolen moment is when writing peri-canon stories, and how littered it is with stories just begging to be written. This isn't... shippy, per se, but hints at it in a one-sided manner. Or what the author would have you believe is strictly one-sided. Both Kaiba and Ishizu exhibit tendencies that the story implies is well-hidden from view normally, and it's great fun trying to divine Kaiba's actions from Ishizu's point of view.

review by texasdreamer01

A shield is only large enough for one man - what happens when a man protecting himself undertakes another? 

There's lots of stories about Ryou not being "one of the gang," and drifting off to have his own life. Naturally, an abundance of ideas propagate from this, and it's always interesting to see how the fandom decides what sort of life Ryou ends up having. I like this one because, let's face it, there's not many where he grows up to be a lawyer; no reason for it, right? The role suits him well, however - the narrative neatly explains why he chose that profession and ties it in with his experiences having the Ring and its spirit controlling his life.

His handling of Honda's case is true to the blending of Western and Eastern legal systems (which is highly informative, and lends itself well to the setting of the story), without bogging down the reader in minutiae. Nevertheless, the intricacies of the case are important to the plot, and resolve itself according to the interactions between Ryou and Honda - which end up being sweet with attention to canon, and shows just how much both of them have grown in the passing of time. There are smatterings of dialogue with little prose, and it balances nicely with the paragraphs of just the right amount of detail. This reads easily, and the ending left me craving for a sequel.

review by texasdreamer01

"He grit his teeth, doing his best not to pant softly. Each breath hurt. There was a good chance that the pain throbbing on his chest was at least a magnificent bruise.

Not that he could tell. The sweat-soaked strip of cloth utterly obscured his vision."

This was one of the first stories I'd read from Texasdreamer01, and it's always stuck in my mind. It's fairly difficult to place why, but nevertheless is undoubtedly a fantastic read. Those familiar with the author will know they have a startlingly grasp on both descriptive language and character voice, making both the prose and dialogue a genuine pleasure.

This fic features, not so much character development, as characterization showcase and with Yami Bakura front and center, we get to see his pragmatism, wily attitude, and how little attention he spares to the fact he's been rescued, whilst also coming across as a little surprised. It's a succinct, and elegant look into his temperament, as well as the effect post-canon might have on his pre-existing traits.

A good, quick read with some hurt!Bakura, that doesn't dissolve into something soft, and hazy on its characterization. This remains strong throughout, not compromising Bakura's personality for plot, but instead tying them together.

review by ariasune

Flock together. There are, however, many feathers. And sometimes one home is only a jumping stone.

Whilst there are many characters who didn't receive all the fleshing out we would have liked, Kisara is by quite a wide margin, one of the most mysterious characters, and yet one of the most important. Not to mention she's one of the few women in the series- oh and a dragon. That's pretty cool.

So although it's disappointing Takahashi couldn't flesh out her storyline in its entirety, that does leave a lot of room for fandom to fill in the gaps. Birds of a Feather has a unique take on the idea of Kisara and Thief King Bakura having a shared history, and one that I both thoroughly enjoyed, but also appreciated the research that went into it.

This fic Kisara's background in a plausible, and interesting light, and whilst the story never dumps info on you, it remains quite informative. Furthermore, the descriptions surrounding her relationship with Thief King Bakura are incredibly powerful - and incredibly human. All in all, a very fine Kisara fic, and definitely one for the headcanon hoard.

review by ariasune

Growing up is hard to do and even harder when you're the reincarnation of an Egyptian Pharaoh. Not all traps are mere ink on card stock. It's time to play the Game again Yugi. Welcome to the Shadow Games.

This is... a very different sort of story than what can be found in post-canon fic, in terms of character relations and the amount of trouble the main characters can get themselves into - it's subtle, it shows repercussions of actions taken during canon, and the amount of growth and complexity of the characters in this is phenomenal. Bouts of everyday humor - and hints of ships- leave the reader a place of mental rest for the darker parts, and it gives a nice, comfortably-paced, contrast to see normal activities of each character before the plot delves back into the grittier aspects.

You're allowed a glimpse of the core of each character and how they hold up to familiar stressors when (almost quite literally, in some cases) thrown at them. This shows grief in a very raw form, and how it impacts not only the grieving person, but those around them. It's intense, and you're drawn into the plot with first one detail, then another, and another - before you know it, you're entranced with what you're reading, unable to pull away from the screen. Character inter-play in complex, each interaction adding delicate layers onto each other that resonates into relationships with other characters. This impacts the plot in an understated manner, and you can almost see the ripple effect among the others, the way each thread is woven with another to become a fabric that is durable and hidden with little knots of plot twists which stand out memorably.

Now, this story isn't completed, and at over fifty chapters, may seem extraordinarily long, but I can guarantee you'll breeze through them and be eagerly awaiting the next chapters.

review by texasdreamer01

Caught in a conflict not of his making as heir to a throne that shouldn't have been his, Yugi finds himself face to face with the most feared warrior of all time - the Pharaoh of Egypt.

If there's one thing to say, it's that this is a story with the setting quite thoroughly researched. Few stones are left unturned, and as someone who is a vigorous defender of AE fics being setting-appropriate, I take a particular delight in the details of both the background and characters. Even the political underpinnings are created with believability (and readability), and flesh out the world that is Atem and his court without marring what canon has set up. Yugi is placed as a prince of a neighboring kingdom, but don't let that fool you - he's in-character to the best display of his virtues and faults. Other familiar characters are scattered about the scenery, and all of them play a role to the intricate plot, most with character arcs of their own. The rape scene plays a significant part to the story, and it is handled in a manner that is neither explicit for the scene itself nor dismissive of the problems such a thing very often brings about - this is something done with a graceful and aware touch that isn't often seen in many stories.

Most every dilemma the characters face is brought about and resolved in a balanced manner. The plot, itself, progresses in a logical, organic manner; were this presented to me in bullet points, I would find myself nodding in agreement at its sense despite the surprising plot twists meandering itself into the story quite sneakily. Overall, this was a delight to read, and a reliable stand-by even for those that don't blindship.

review by texasdreamer01

They make off like – Ryou doesn’t want to think thieves, because they aren’t nearly as good as the Spirit. They just make off, climbing into a shitty rental and driving fast.

There are things in life that more than just being good to appreciate, feel good to appreciate: fine wines, cheese platters, hot tubs, fast cars, Ryou Bakura being a badass.

This story has the last element in comfortable spades, not to mention explores one of the most interesting post-canon dynamics, that being the one between Ryou Bakura and Malik Ishtar. Despite not featuring in this story, Yami Bakura's presence is keenly felt, both by the reader and the characters, and the space left behind by him is not only difficult for them to fill, but impossible to do so.

It's almost invasive, watching the characters attempt to do just that, and certainly an excellent read. The second part, in particular, has a precision to its writing that is extremely enjoyable.

review by ariasune  

In which Marik destroys many household appliances, Bakura naps doggedly, and they sometimes pretend - with very little success - not to be in love.

A common complaint in the fandom is that YGOTAS ruined Yu-Gi-Oh! in some way; this complaint is so prevalent The Abridged Series itself lampshaded it. Though this review isn't the time or place to discuss how true that complaint may be (spoilers: it didn't ruin Yu-Gi-Oh!) it's important to discuss the reputation of The Abridged Series, because The Punchline and the Resulting Silence is the best use of abridged!canon - and isn't that an oxymoron - I've read outside of the actual abridged!canon.

The style of the piece, though apparently a departure from the author's usual, is well-voiced and fascinating to read. Littered with unusual, and emotive turns of phrase, almost every single sentence was a pleasure. On top of this the discussion of denial, avoidance and the sometimes rampant, haphazard, hopeless colour of love, is handled with a raw but careful manner. The dialogue is at times as funny, as it is heart-wrenching at other moments. In fact, it often rapidly flickers back and forth between self-depreciating humour, absurdity, before a quick pivot jab of honesty.

If you're unsure how willing you are to read abridged!thiefship - which as mentioned, enjoys a sometimes less than positive relationship - this one is a hard seller of the abridgedverse, and rightly deserves a look from even the most uncertain reader.

review by ariasune