::R.E.C.S::B.Y::L.E.T.H::
This was at first an idea I had seen all too often, with charcters only slightly less sterotyped than a comic fic. However, after the first few parts the character's original fronts altered and the reader is treated to quite the little mind-game. I'm not a fan of Shuldig, never have been never will be (I know, I'm a rare cookie) but this fic actually had me unsure at the end over wether I wanted Shu or Aya to win Yohji. Forsaken has a way of crawling under your skin and just settling there, unknown until the perfect moment when she breaks out and wins your heart. The fic looks large at first glance, but the chapters are relatively short and succinct, so don't let that frighten you. The plot, while done before, is done with far more class than you're likely to see elsewhere and the characters grow on you: quickly. If you like AyaxYohji fics and haven't read this, do so. While there are OOC's, they roll well with the story and I don't think they're horrible; I actually think they work better with the plot than IC's would have. The writing is interesting. I think that, more than anything else grabbed me. Forsaken has a way of telling you how it is in all its glory without making it take a week. Everything that happens, happens for a reason, and every word has a purpose. This fic will drive you mad! Go, you'll love it.
In my opinion, this is the best WK Arc on the net, and I'm not even finished reading it yet. It's long, yes, and can drag at times, but the sheer volume of material and the sustenance the volume gives to the plot makes it more than worthwhile. I was never much of an AyaxYohji fan before reading this arc, now I find myself scraping through the net trying to find more. The delicacy with which Nekojita-san treats each character, no matter how important to the actual story, reveals an understanding of human emotion and reaction rarely shown in WK fics. The time and effort that has so obviously gone into each individual part is remarkable. But the thing I love most about this fic? The incredible way Nekojita reveals the realtionship between Yohji and Aya: its luminous, both sweet and nasty and leaves you breathless.
I love the darkness of this arc, the constant not knowing! Shuldig is like diablo; you love and hate him as equally as Aya does! You want him to just go away and leave them the hell alone, and yet...you find yourself wanting him right where he is. There's almost a gothic horror feel to some of the parts to this arc, especially when you get to the tarot fics and the implications revealed. The research that has gone into making every scrap of this fic believable is mind blowing! I've been reading four days straight and just can't stop.
I also love the OC's! They don't intrude on the forefront characters from the original timeline, and yet they add that bit of spice that says 'this is mine' just as clearly as Yohji does! The treatment of psychological matters is delicately handled, and while at times a tad unbelievable, still in character and adding to the plot rather than taking away from it. If you haven't read this arc, you're mad. Go, now! You're in for the ride of your life, WK stlye.
::Note::Nekojita is now hosted at Hollow Lands. This fic can be found in our archive::