Fanfic Rec
I'm not that good at keeping up with Bleach fandom, and I don't read enough to rec much; however, there's a story that's gradually unrolling at the moment that I really, really like by 
demented_dee called "Closet Games". She written a lot of Naruto fanfic, in the D/s genre, and did a very sweet Chad/Ishida fic as her first Bleach fic. Most of what she writes is very hard-core yaoi, often with BDSM or just plain D/s aspects, just so you're appropriately informed before going. XD. I like a lot of what she writes, but "Closet Games", so far, has really caught at me.
"Closet Games" is an AU Renji finding an AU Byakuya in
darkprism's own city. I've always had trouble with ByaRen in canon 'cause I just can't get around my own dislike of any romantic encounter up or down a chain of command. I've just seen that kind of thing mess up too many people to be able to ever write it, and I often can't even read it. (Yes, cmc42, you're one of the few exceptions to that rule) By sidestepping that whole universe, demented_dee has done something marvelous even in just the first two chapters.
Reassuringly, she's said she's written the whole thing before starting to put out the chapters, so those that like knowing it's all going to be posted can feel good about it being 'done'. It's making me rethink some of how I work, honestly.
I love what she's done with Renji's backstory, incorporating a lot of the character-defining traits of his canon history, and how confident and *solid* he is there. So just... go read.
"Closet Games" is an AU Renji finding an AU Byakuya in
darkprism's own city. I've always had trouble with ByaRen in canon 'cause I just can't get around my own dislike of any romantic encounter up or down a chain of command. I've just seen that kind of thing mess up too many people to be able to ever write it, and I often can't even read it. (Yes, cmc42, you're one of the few exceptions to that rule) By sidestepping that whole universe, Reassuringly, she's said she's written the whole thing before starting to put out the chapters, so those that like knowing it's all going to be posted can feel good about it being 'done'. It's making me rethink some of how I work, honestly.
I love what she's done with Renji's backstory, incorporating a lot of the character-defining traits of his canon history, and how confident and *solid* he is there. So just... go read.
*grins* I'm glad you enjoy them, too!
Like people calling Jyuushiro "Jyuu" (I mean who would nickname someone "Ten" and find it cute? rather than "Shiro" or "White" which works so well with his coloring?).
Ahem.
I find it really awkward when people seem to call some characters by their given names and other by their family names, for no apparent reason, particularly characters who are around the same age and of the same rank, and who appear in the series with about the same frequency. For example, people saying "Shuuhei and Kira," "Ukitake and Shunsui," or even "Urahara and Yoruichi." I kind of understand if you want to say "Ukitake and Rukia," since you may feel much more familiar with Rukia's given name than you are with Jyuushirou's, and she is Jyuushirou's subordinate. But in many cases, it's just bizarre to me. Maybe I'm being weird, hahaha.
Personally I usually call everyone by their given names.
True! There is the conflict with Hitsugaya. Though how about Jyuushi, which is the whole fourteen without the -th son? But that really isn't as short, I guess... and isn't nearly as easy as Jyuu.
And, yes, to the latter bit. That confuses me as well. Especially the Shuuhei and Kira, which seems pretty much cast in iron so far as the fandom is concerned. Though I've heard it from some that they like using Kira because Gin always used Izuru, and those that hate Gin call him Kira. *laughs*
It's all a little weird.
I'll admit that I use the name I think the point of view character would use. So like Jyuushiro would use Shunsui but he uses Yamamoto-sama or Unohana-san (or senpai when he's around Shunsui.. *laughs*) and Byakuya as he's had the pretty long relationship with him, but he uses Kuchiki for Rukia and Kotentsu for his Third as *just* the familly name without an honorific is actually a fairly familiar term in Japanese usage. I think. *laughs*
It's funny to realize that I do swap around like that, for my own reasoning.
Ooookay...so I should, erm, get my happy arse onto my friends page more often.
*cough*
Thank you for this! Just...really.
<3
I actually.. Uhm... I really suck at reading my flist, so I actually wasn't *expecting* you to see this. *grins*
You're entirely welcome nonetheless.
♥
(Especially Not Darkprism...)
<3