History FanFic / LifeIsWorthLiving

* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Matt notes that Shu has this attitude and wishes that he could be more like him. He even admits that if it weren't for Shu, then Sara would probably be dead and he would have nothing to live for.

Unfortunately, when Shu and Lala-Ru reappear into their lives, things go FromBadToWorse, leading to a confrontation with ''Hellywood'' that causes them to be captured once more. With the help of their allies, [[spoiler:Matt and Shu manage to break out of their holding cells and save Lala-Ru, who manages to take down ''Hellywood'', giving them the opportunity to survive. Matt and Sara elect to remain behind, while also leaving a log of their journey to their son, and the story ends, concluding that "Life is worth living."]]

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* MonochromaticEyes: The [[WordOfGod author notes]] that he discovered this trope via reading Wiki/TVTropes, and then decided to explain an in-universe reason for it being apparent and why Abelia didn't have this trait (explain for her in her BackStory above.) The reason for the denizens of the future to have this change is due to it being taken out of humanity's genetic code thanks to random mutations.

The first fan-fic made by Tropers/{{NKSCF}} of ''FanFic/BreakingTheDeal'' fame, ''Life Is Worth Living'' is a ''Anime/NowAndThenHereAndThere'' story that follows the adventures of an OriginalCharacter, Matthew "Matt" [[MeaningfulName Soterios]] King, who, along with his girlfriend, Sara Ringwalt, gets abducted and taken away to ''Hellywood''. By making a DealWithTheDevil, Matt manages to stay alive and keep Sara from being hurt, but through Lala-Ru's return, Hamdo's lack of mental coherence, Matt dealing with his cardiac arrhythmia, and several other contributing factors, they end up bruised and battered beyond what anyone should ever experience.

-->'''Abelia''': “I admire the ferocity behind your eyes, boy. What is your name?”
-->'''Matt''': “Richard Bachman, but my friends call me Stephen King,” I said, smirking.

-->'''Abelia''': “I admire the ferocity behind your eyes, boy. What is your name?”
-->'''Matt''': “Richard Bachman, but my friends call me Stephen King,” I said, smirking.

** Pashahanta: Despite having no name in the series and only appearing twice, Pashahanta is [[spoiler:the man who first raped Sara in ''Hellywood''. This serves to offset some of the FridgeHorror in the series itself, where it's implied that the rapist was actually Kazam, the man who saves her life later on.]]

** Pashahanta: Despite having no name in the series and only appearing twice, Pashahanta is [[spoiler:the man who first raped Sara in ''Hellywood''.]]

* LockedIntoStrangeness: As a result of massive stress brought on by torture, Matt's black hair turns to white. WordOfGod admitted that he knew the YouFailBiologyForever aspects of this and did it anyway for CharacterDevelopment reasons, which actually worked, as the white hair is a constant reminder of his failure to save Sara and himself from harm, but, at the end, [[spoiler:Matt becomes content with the change and moves on with his life.]]

* MonochromaticEyes: The [[WordOfGod author notes]] that he discovered this trope via reading TVTropes, and then decided to explain an in-universe reason for it being apparent and why Abelia didn't have this trait (explain for her in her BackStory above.) The reason for the denizens of the future to have this change is due to it being taken out of humanity's genetic code thanks to random mutations.

* AsTheGoodBookSays: Matt is definitely religious, which is a major part of his {{Mangst}} about whether or not what he has believed in for years is true, as he believes the Apocalypse should have happened years before ''Hellywood's'' existence. It's a major part of his CharacterDevelopment when he discovers that nothing he has gone through has directly contradicted anything in the Bible. The Disciples are also quite religious as well.
* AxCrazy: Hamdo personifies this trope amazingly, especially during his VillainousBreakdown.

The first fan-fic made by Tropers/{{NKSCF}} of ''FanFic/BreakingTheDeal'' fame, ''Life Is Worth Living'' is a ''NowAndThenHereAndThere'' story that follows the adventures of an OriginalCharacter, Matthew "Matt" [[MeaningfulName Soterios]] King, who, along with his girlfriend, Sara Ringwalt, gets abducted and taken away to ''Hellywood''. By making a DealWithTheDevil, Matt manages to stay alive and keep Sara from being hurt, but through Lala-Ru's return, Hamdo's lack of mental coherence, Matt dealing with his cardiac arrhythmia, and several other contributing factors, they end up bruised and battered beyond what anyone should ever experience.

* ChildSoldiers: Being a ''NowAndThenHereAndThere'' fan-fic, it's a no-brainer that this shows up a lot.

* ReligionIsRight: At least that's what Matt and Sara believe in. Whether it's right or not is [[WordOfGod left up to the reader, although the author is a devout Christian.]]
* ShoutOut: Several, including {{Franchise/StarWars}}, {{Franchise/Batman}}, {{Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion}}, and a more obscure one to church folklore about the name of the Ethiopian eunuch from {{Literature/ActsoftheApostles}}.

* ArcWords: [[TitleDrop Life is worth living.]]

* TheQuietOne: As a kid Matt was like this, but he eventually grew out of it.

* LoveAtFirstSight: Matt's reaction to seeing Sara for the first time when he wakes up from his mini-coma

* HeroicSacrifice: As in the series it's based off of, [[spoiler:Lala-Ru sacrifices herself to save everyone, giving the Earth a second chance for life in the process.]]

* RealMenLoveJesus: After finally realizing just why he believes in his faith, Matt is definitely this trope.

* ReligionIsRight: At least that's what Matt and Sara believe in. Whether it's right or not is [[WordOfGod left up to the reader.]]

* WordOfGod: As is usual for his stories, NKSCF always likes to talk to his reviewers and answer any questions they have. He has said that thanks to his reviewers his story got better along the way, and he has also admitted to falling on some tropes that don't work in real life mostly for RuleOfCool or RuleOfDrama.

* HannibalLecture: Hamdo delivers many of these during his talks with Matt.

Unfortunately, when Shu and Lala-Ru reappear into their lives, ItGetsWorse, leading to a confrontation with ''Hellywood'' that causes them to be captured once more. With the help of their allies, [[spoiler:Matt and Shu manage to break out of their holding cells and save Lala-Ru, who manages to take down ''Hellywood'', giving them the opportunity to survive. Matt and Sara elect to remain behind, while also leaving a log of their journey to their son, and the story ends, concluding that "Life is worth living."]]

* ItGotWorse: This fan-fic could very well be called ''It Got Worse: The Series''. However, thanks to its [[spoiler:HappyEnding, everything works out as it should have.]]

* MoodWhiplash: Happens tons of times over the course of the fan-fic. One moment everything will be absolutely wonderful, but then the next, well, [[ItGotWorse it gets worse]].

* {{Anvilicious}}: Earlier drafts of this story had them in spades. Thankfully, after constructive criticism from his reviewers, NKSCF managed to tone his messages down to the point where they didn't come across as this.

* CompleteMonster: Just like his character from the show, King Hamdo is definitely this trope. [[WordOfGod NKSCF]] said that he tried to imagine Hamdo doing and saying things that could only be performed by his English voice actor Jack Taylor, which he says has gotten a very positive response from his reviewers.

* DealWithTheDevil: Matt makes one with Hamdo to help him design weapons that Hamdo will use to attack his enemies in exchange for Sara's safety. However, Hamdo being [[CompleteMonster himself]], this doesn't work well in Sara's favor.

* DysfunctionJunction: And how! It's amazing any of the characters stay as stable as they normally are.

* NightmareFuel: The interrogation scene with Schermz, the first time that Matt has to deal with the fact that Sara [[spoiler:was raped]], and the gigantic plant creature that almost killed them. Hamdo is probably the scariest anime character ever devised.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: Being optimistic about life is a very good thing, religious faith is something that should be respected and should only be something that you truly believe in, and that [[TitleDrop life is worth living.]] However, when NKSCF first started, he was not as great at doing this as he turned out to be later, and was more {{Anvilicious}} than necessary. Thanks to some constructive criticism from his reviewers, he [[WordOfGod admitted that he got better at this.]]

The first fan-fic made by {{Tropers/NKSCF}} of ''FanFic/BreakingTheDeal'' fame, ''Life Is Worth Living'' is a ''NowAndThenHereAndThere'' story that follows the adventures of an OriginalCharacter, Matthew "Matt" [[MeaningfulName Soterios]] King, who, along with his girlfriend, Sara Ringwalt, gets abducted and taken away to ''Hellywood''. By making a DealWithTheDevil, Matt manages to stay alive and keep Sara from being hurt, but through Lala-Ru's return, Hamdo's lack of mental coherence, Matt dealing with his cardiac arrhythmia, and several other contributing factors, they end up bruised and battered beyond what anyone should ever experience.

Noted for being one of the few ''Now and Then, Here and There'' fan-fics out there of any worth, ''Life Is Worth Living'' has been praised for its strong characterization and deep look into the world that is ruled by King Hamdo and the regions beyond his control as well.

* AbandonedWarehouse: In the flashback, Matt ends up in one when he's tricked into entering it when a girl he likes sets him up to be attacked. The whole ordeal ends up causing his cardiac arrhythmia, but he also meets Sara because of it, so he considers it to be a fair deal.
* AdultsAreUseless: For the most part, every adult that Shu and Sara meet is this trope in the future, however, Sis is anything but.
* AfraidOfNeedles: Neither Matt or Sara starts off as this, but they are understandably unnerved after their torture at the hands of Schmerz.
* AgeAppropriateAngst: Seeing as how [[spoiler:Matt gets beaten and tortured to the point of death, can't do anything to save Sara from being raped several times, and they both think they have no chance of getting back home]] it's easy to see how they could angst about their lot in life a lot.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Earlier drafts of this story had them in spades. Thankfully, after constructive criticism from his reviewers, NKSCF managed to tone his messages down to the point where they didn't come across as this.

* AsTheGoodBookSays: Matt is definitely religious, which is a major part of his {{Mangst}} about whether or not what he has believed in for years is true, as he believes the Apocalypse should have happened years before ''Hellywood's'' existence. It's a major part of his CharacterDevelopment when he discovers that nothing he has gone through has directly contradicted anything in the Bible. The Disciples are also quite religious as well.
* AxCrazy: Hamdo personifies this trope amazingly, especially during his VillainousBreakdown.

* TheBible: Matt gets a holographic version of the Bible from the Disciples that save him. It's one of the only surviving works of literature left in the world.

* ButIDigress: Matt, being the narrator, engages in this a lot. He lampshades it constantly.
* CanonForeigner: Matt, obviously, being an original character. The Disciples as well.
* ChekhovsGun: Matt's hacking skills and Lala-Ru's healing powers.
* ChildSoldiers: Being a ''NowAndThenHereAndThere'' fan-fic, it's a no-brainer that this shows up a lot.
* ColdBloodedTorture: Hamdo forces Matt and Sara to go through this constantly. It almost breaks both of them, but thanks to their love for each other, they make it through it.
* CompleteMonster: Just like his character from the show, King Hamdo is definitely this trope. [[WordOfGod NKSCF]] said that he tried to imagine Hamdo doing and saying things that could only be performed by his English voice actor Jack Taylor, which he says has gotten a very positive response from his reviewers.
* ContrivedCoincidence: Sara does not like the fact that she just happens to look exactly like Lala-Ru and that Matt just happens to give her an pendant that [[OverlyLongGag just happens]] to be shaped exactly like the one that Lala-Ru wears.

* DealWithTheDevil: Matt makes one with Hamdo to help him design weapons that Hamdo will use to attack his enemies in exchange for Sara's safety. However, Hamdo being [[CompleteMonster himself]], this doesn't work well in Sara's favor.
* DontYouDarePityMe: Sara has her moments, but it's all a facade, which she eventually breaks out of.

* DyingTown: They're all over the place, but there is some hope that some of them may be revitalized later on.
* DysfunctionJunction: And how! It's amazing any of the characters stay as stable as they normally are.

* FauxlosophicNarration: Matt does this every now and then to spice things up. Like usual, he lampshades its use.

* FriendlyEnemy: Despite the fact that Matt had to shoot [[spoiler:Boo]] with his taser to prove its effectiveness to Hamdo, [[spoiler:Boo]] doesn't hate him for it at all, although Matt still feels bad about it. Matt's relationship with [[spoiler:Nabuca]] has this going as well, and being nice to [[spoiler:Abelia]] has its rewards too.
* GameBreakingInjury: Matt suffers from cardiac arrhythmia, a disorder that causes him to suffer greatly if he physically exerts himself too much, and hinders him throughout his time in ''Hellywood''. However, it was the only reason why he was not conscripted into fighting as a soldier for Hamdo.

* HannibalLecture: Hamdo delivers many of these during his talks with Matt.

* HostileWeather: Matt and Sara get lost in a sandstorm, barely making it back to each other.
* IdiotBall: Hamdo possesses this in shades, but that's because he is what he is.
* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Matt notes that Shu has this attitude and wishes that he could be more like him. He even admits that if it weren't for Shu, then Sara would probably be dead and he would have nothing to live for.
* InfallibleNarrator: Matt definitely remembers way too much for such a terrible time in his life. However, he says that he's always had a great memory and he did talk with other people to get his facts straight so that [[spoiler:Sara and he can give a proper message to their son, Kazam.]]

* KidsAreCruel: No matter what happens, Matt never blames the ChildSoldiers for hurting Sara or him, because he knows that they have been brainwashed, and he always forgives them when they mistreat him.

* LonersAreFreaks: Matt and Sara used to be like this before they met each other. To their credit, they both tried to find people they could be friends with, but failed miserably. Sara was admittedly better at making friends than Matt, something he finds compelling about her.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Matt's reaction to seeing Sara for the first time when he wakes up from his mini-coma

* MeaningfulName: Matthew ''Soterios'' King is definitely looked at as a savior by some characters.
* MonochromaticEyes: The [[WordOfGod author notes]] that he discovered this trope via reading TVTropes, and then decided to explain an in-universe reason for it being apparent and why Abelia didn't have this trait (explain for her in her BackStory above.) The reason for the denizens of the future to have this change is due to it being taken out of humanity's genetic code thanks to random mutations.
* MoodWhiplash: Happens tons of times over the course of the fan-fic. One moment everything will be absolutely wonderful, but then the next, well, [[ItGotWorse it gets worse]].

* MythologyGag: There are plenty, almost to the point of ContinuityPorn, especially with some of the dialogue being taken exactly from the show itself.

* NightmareFuel: The interrogation scene with Schermz, the first time that Matt has to deal with the fact that Sara [[spoiler:was raped]], and the gigantic plant creature that almost killed them. Hamdo is probably the scariest anime character ever devised.

* NotAfraidOfYouAnymore: Matt gets a moment in the closing chapters with Hamdo.

* OriginalCharacter: Matthew "Matt" Soterios King is a regular student, who just happens to have a rich family that's worth a little over several million dollars. However, he never lets his future inheritance cloud his vision, and is continually one of the nicest people anyone could meet, one of the reasons why Sara fell for him in the first place. He also suffers from a heart condition that will kill him if he physically exerts himself too much.

* TheQuietOne: As a kid Matt was like this, but he eventually grew out of it.
* RealMenLoveJesus: After finally realizing just why he believes in his faith, Matt is definitely this trope.
* RebelLeader: Elamba, the leader of Zari-Bars' resistance, and it costs him dearly.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The author uses the names utilized by the official English translations for such things as Zari-Bars, ''Hellywood'', etc.

* UndyingLoyalty: No matter what happens, Matt is always faithful to Sara, even when she tries to push him away. Everything he does is to make sure that he can remake the world around them so that they can be safe together.

* VillainousBreakdown: Just like in the series, Hamdo goes through spectacular ones every time someone does something that upsets him or causes him to rethink his plans.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Earlier drafts of this story had them in spades. Thankfully, after constructive criticism from his reviewers, NKSCF managed to tone his messages down to the point where they didn't come across as this. However, YourMileageMayVary on this.

* WordOfGod: As is usual for his stories, NKSCF always likes to talk to his reviewers and answer any questions they have. He has said that thanks to his reviewers his story got better along the way, and he has also admitted to falling on some tropes that don't work in real life mostly for RuleOfCool or RuleOfDrama.
* YourMoneyIsNoGoodHere: Matt finds out really quick that his parent's money is worthless when the most precious resource in the world is water.

* NerdsAreVirgins: While more of a {{geek}}, Matt is definitely a virgin by choice, as is Sara, who is definitely nowhere close to being either a nerd or a geek. [[spoiler:It's implied at the end of the epilogue that they'll be [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean busy having fun]] once they get married.]]

* YourMoneyIsNoGoodHere: Matt finds out really quick that his parent's money is worthless when the most precious resource in the world is water.
* ZeroSumGame: For a while, Matt views his world as this, since no matter how much he works on protecting Sara the world still manages to screw his plans up.

* MoodWhiplash: Happens tons of times over the course of the fan-fic. One moment everything will be absolutely wonderful, but then the next, well, to say ItGotWorse would be an {{Understatement}}.

* RealMenLoveJesus: After finally realizing just why he believes in, Matt is definitely this trope.

* AbandonedWarhouse: In the flashback, Matt ends up in one when he's tricked into entering it when a girl he likes sets him up to be attacked. The whole ordeal ends up causing his cardiac arrhythmia, but he also meets Sara because of it, so he considers it to be a fair deal.