Snowflake Challenge 12

[got_quiet]

Challenge 12 is Create a Rec Countdown.

I tried to do this challenge following the suggested wording of "x everyone should x" and found it was actually impossible for me. The overly literal part of my brain kept going, "Does everyone have to try this, though? Surely it simply isn't of value to some people. This seems so aggressive." So I'm trying to just ignore that part of my brain and will try reccing stuff just from vibes and enthusiasm. It's also hard for me not to just rec the same things I did in previous years, because to be honest I am very slow to pick up new favorite things, so the categories are a little weird this time.
 

5 Jayvik fics, cause I might as well succumb to the beast. I'm bad at bookmarking but these are some of my faves avoiding the ones that are super popular. (I say as I rec fics with like 2k kudos this fandom is nuts)

• you’re starting to look really weird. Jayce gets blasted into a nicer timeline, but this is from Viktor's PoV, and Viktor is not happy that /his/ Jayce has been displaced by a stranger.
• The Shapes We're In. A bit of a canon divergence. Set before the Hexgates are operational. Viktor and Jayce are going crazy trying to get things working. They are also getting more and more horny. Viktor in particular has the mad scientist DGAF attitude that I find has been dulled in other fic. He takes their relationship to the next level by shoving his fingers in Jayce's mouth and I think that's beautiful. 
• With you and For you. Post canon, Jayce and Viktor get blasted into a mundane alternate reality. They have to find each other again and figure out how to manage in a world without magic.
• Hand of God. A RL cult AU that also includes some statutory rape. It's fucked up. But I like fucked up.
• Disjunction. This one has got a lot of Kudos but it's pre S2 so may not be familiar to newer fans? It's a divorce era fic where Jayce is kept "hostage" by Viktor in Zaun, for medical purposes.

4 Cool places a little off the beaten path in Japan

If you are planning a trip to Japan and want to try something that is less crowded, or like more outdoorsy destinations, here are a few. 3 near Tokyo and one near Kyoto. They are still very popular, but you'll see like... 3 white people there if you go lol.

• Takaosan - Close to Tokyo. A day's hike, but you can also take a wire car. The temples are super cool and the view is great from the top. 
• Kuramasan - Near Kyoto. This is a nice half-day hike. I have a bum leg but leaving earlyish morning and going slowly up and then then down got me to the end in time for a nice lunch. If you start from the east side you emerge from the other end in beautiful narrow valley road along a little river with delicious restaurants and a bus ready to take you back to the train.
• The Edo Open Air Architectural Museum - Amazing Edo period buildings all gathered up in a park which you can explore. Some of them are said to be inspirations for Ghibli buildings. If you like architecture and you're into the Edo period this is a must see.
• The Open Air Folk House Museum - A similar park to the Edo museum but this one features much older architecture and is all old homes. Again you're allowed to walk through and explore almost all of them, and the people who volunteer there were all very cool and enthusiastic about people visiting. This place is basically like if you went to that town with the traditional old houses but weren't bothering anyone who actually had to live and deal with tourism to their neighborhood.

3 Songs

Kenji Kawai, The Ballad of Puppets -  One of the best anime soundtracks of all time. Just epic chanting and drums.
Between the Buried and Me, Never Seen / Future Shock - (Extremely hard to pick a single song from this album) The band might broadly be called thrash metal but they oscillate wildly in tone and style even within a single track.
shpongle - the sixth revelation - Psychodelica

2 Movies

Welcome Back, Mr. Macdonald - A hilarious farce where a woman wins a radio play competition, and the production is constantly on the verge of disaster. With a cameo by Ken Watanabe.
Confessions - A thriller where a teacher's child is killed. The teacher decides to get revenge, but she has to get creative with it, because the culprits are also children. I don't usually go for horror or suspense but I really enjoyed this one. There are a number of good twists.

1 Visual Novel

Royal Alchemist. A VN with some stat raising elements. The MC (of any gender) is hired to tutor three princes. There are assassination attempts, old grudges, interesting side characters, and all three romance routes were distinct and interesting in their own right.