These are Dramatic Melody's nominations and comments for the 2016 awards. See all nominations here.
Even beyond the fact that it was written for me, this is just a very, very well-thought-out one-shot. The characters are all fleshed out, the narration is very engaging and relatable, and the imagery and themes are so solid that it's such a joy to read - all the work Mrs. Lovett put into this fic really shows.
You always find yourself wanting to know what happens next at the end of every chapter of Drowning. Starlight Aurate's fic takes its time to really explore the villainous teams of the Hoenn games and goes above and beyond in making a great story out of it.
Very fun concept, and although it hasn't been updated in a while, I felt it deserved a nomination for what it was trying to do and how it was doing it.
There's a lot of great things about this one-shot, but I think what really stands out is Phoenixsong's prose. As I said in the thread, it's very, for the lack of a better word, "raw", and that's exactly what this kind of one-shot asks for.
There's just a certain something about bobandbill's prose that makes all of his drabbles such a joy to read, whether they're laugh-out-loud funny or a feel-good pick-me-up or a punch in the gut. How he's able to cover all of those kinds of plots while still retaining his signature style is very commendable.
What really sells this piece is the atmosphere. JX Valentine said that she was inspired by Over the Garden Wall in writing this, and it really shows - not only in the dark and fairy tale-y vibe of the piece, but in how well-constructed the one-shot is.
Beyond the fact that it's a very creative setting, The Teller takes it further by tying it well to the internal conflict. Reading more and more about the Terminus Reap was the main draw of the fic, but seeing how it connected thematically to the characters' situations was the icing on the cake.
I nominated this last year for the same award, but the letters diamondpearl876 posted this year just reinforced how great this fic is in fleshing out its characters. The fact that it does so within the limitations of letter-writing makes it an even more impressive feat - you can really see how much both protagonists have matured, changed, and more importantly, still be themselves with each letter they write.
The inverted timeline [Imaginative]:[Clockwork] used for this story worked very well in developing Rico and Arbor's characterizations, and the twist in the end sealed the deal. A great character-driven piece from start to finish.
Their friendship is very well-written, and PhalanxSigil has a lot of fun with making Winona egg Falkner on about his feelings for Janine. It all came across very genuine, too.
It's weird nominating a fic with that kind of title for Most Heartwarming, but American–Pi's response to the first Quarterly challenge really does make you feel happier about life after reading it. The exchange between the two main characters is sweet, honest, and emotional, and the protagonist's takeaway at the end, aside from being very authentic, doesn't fail to put a smile on your face.
Meta humor, in-your-face comedy, and two lovable goofballs - what more could you ask for? Umbramatic's homage to Stoppard's homage to Shakespeare delivered in creating a hysterical take on the otherwise dark Black and White plot, and it's as funny as it is a good read..
All three characters deserve to be nominated here, but the way Mrs. Lovett builds up Rita's character over each of her segments was very impressive, especially since her character had the least to work with in terms of what the games provide. Even if it's in a smaller scale, her plot with the Ganlon berries felt just as impactful as Wally's and Maxie's, and how her story is weaved from that plot was a joy to read.
His in-your-face personality from the games carries over very well in this one-shot, but Bay takes it further by adding this sense of vulnerability in him that takes his character up a notch. It helps that he has very dynamic interactions with Kukui, which is great in bringing out all those layers of characterization.
Chapter 13 of Drowning was all kinds of amazing, but what really stood out here was how Starlight Aurate treated the character of Tabitha. For the first time, you can really feel his humanity seeping in to the story, and how that contrasts from what had been established of his character in the previous chapters makes for very good character development.
This is the quote that got me: "Lord N made the first real stand against the vicious tyranny of humanity, and even though he lost this occasion, he has such grace and determination that when it comes down to the denouement of this vicious conflict he will surely emerge victori-". The meta-humor is strong, and Umbramatic didn't hold back at all with the comedy.
This was not worth it. It was just too hard. He wanted to go home, but it was too far. He didn’t particularly want to push forward, but even that was too far. Deep somewhere within the Viridian Forest, he and Arbor were basically trapped.She had been fighting bugs nonstop, and he had drained all of his potions on her. Now she was in her poké ball, exhausted. He had picked a spot in a small clearing to sleep, trying to stay away from any hanging kakuna or metapod. If anyone attacked them, they were doomed. She was too tired to fight. He was too slow to run. It was nearly pitch black now. He had no hope.Holding Arbor’s poké ball tightly, Rico began crying. He would never tell anyone.
This segment really stood out for me because of how it shifted the tone from the previous sections, but it did so in a very profound way. [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]'s writing is always great, but how he treated this segment was particularly noteworthy.
Normally he was much more lively than today. But today he felt like thinking quietly, sat next to the other uninhabited tree stumps. Nobody else wanted to use these charred homes.He swore that same strange memory had come to it once again. He had been running – not floating, running - with someone, from something… They got separated, and… That was as much he could recall.But that was impossible, right? He had always been a Phantump, not a human. Wait… how did he know that word, ‘human’?He sighed. He wished he remembered what it meant, and what happened.
There were two drabbles of bobandbill's that I was considering for this category since they were both so, so strong, but I think the Phantump drabble is what breaks your heart more effectively. How little it says really magnifies how huge of an impact each word brings to the table - I felt it was one of the pieces in the project that maximized the fact that it was a drabble, and it didn't hold back in bringing the feels.
Guzma snorted. “Don’t remind me. I still think this region’s traditions are whacked.” “You have to admit, some of the trials were fun. Remember when we had to face the second totem Pokémon?”“You mean the one with that Wishiwashi while outside in the pouring *** rain?” Guzma cackled and slapped his knee. “Your Magnemite and my bud Wimpod hated that, but they pulled through in the end. And the third totem? Who thought it’s a good idea to bring in a Salazzle?”Smirking, Kukui let out an “hmph” sound. “Back then, I thought you would be a good trial captain, maybe even a kahuna. As I mentioned at Malie City, however, you were too focused on which moves are the strongest instead of ones that work best with your Pokémon. I was too for a while.”“Yeah, you did preach about that mumbo jumbo.” Guzma shrugged. He then tilted his head, his eyes wide. “Hold up, ya think I can be a kahuna?” he asked, and Kukui nodded. Guzma howled in laughter. “That’s rich coming from you.”“I’m not lying when I said that. If you had overcome that one flaw, you could have reached that potential.”Guzma regarded him for a moment, then he waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “Nah, I would be terrible. Besides, kahunas are supposed to be like role model material, and I’m not that. What can I say, I live for destruction.”Another round of silence surrounded them. Kukui scratched the back of his neck and his feet shuffled on the ground.“What will you be doing from here on out?”“Why do you care?” Guzma asked, glaring at him. “I’m just curious, that’s all.”Kukui watched as Guzma squinted his face. He then stood up, took off his Team Skull pendant, and handed it to Kukui. The professor’s eyes flickered.“Huh, what’s this?” The pendant grew heavy in his hands.“There’s no purpose for Team Skull anymore. I’m gonna lay low for a while and figure that out.” A grin pulled on Guzma’s lips. “Don’t expect me to change, though. Your boy Guzma will still be his bad self and beat the living lights out of you.”Kukui blinked at first, then he laughed. “I wish you luck on whatever path you decide on next.”They shook hands, then Kukui watched as Guzma took his leave. He made several steps, but he then stopped to face back at Kukui.“Before I go, tell the Vice Chief I said thanks for letting me crash here for a while. And that I hope Lusamine feels better soon.”“I will,” Kukui said.
It's a great back-and-forth between the two characters, and bringing up their past friendship really shed light on what's on their minds at that moment. Like I said in the Guzma nomination, Bay did very well in capturing their characterizations from the game, and the central scene of her one-shot really shows it.
Beyond the fact that Hakajin's prose conveyed the high stakes of the situation very well, it also did well in advancing Satsumi's character and internal turmoil. How she balanced both in this scene is very commendable.
The paragraph that starts with: "The Pokémon Trainer's Guide did not say anything about how dark the night would be."
Phoenixsong's one-shot is filled to the brim with memorable passages, but this paragraph (yes, I'm nominating the entire paragraph) stood out as the one that really captured what it was going for. Very well-written, and such a great way to present the conflict that the protagonist is dealing with.
Hakajin's reviews always, always make you think. She dissects fics in a way unlike any other, and there's a lot you can learn from her thoughts.