In fan fiction, Domestic Abuse is a favorite way of invoking the Ron the Death Eater trope, so when a Love Live! fanfic involves an abusive relationship, you'd think it'd be going down the same path. What Flowers Drenched In Vodka is, however, is a surprisingly nuanced and mature look at alcoholism and abuse.
The story is about Eli becoming an alcoholic and abusing her girlfriend Hanayo, as well as what the rest of μ's does(including Kotori, who has an unrequited love for Hanayo) after starting to suspect that the abuse is taking place.
While I'm not all that familiar with Love Live, I think the characters were handled fairly well. Eli is presented well, as someone who's a victim of alcoholism, but has made bad choices, and the story holds her accountable for those choices without demonizing her. She does eventually achieve redemption, but her actions end her relationship with Hanayo; since she must work on getting over those feelings, it's an appropriate punishment of sorts.
Hanayo does have some Love Martyr tendencies when it comes to Eli, but she's also shown as human, rather than a helpless victim waiting to be rescued. She struggles to come to terms with the person Eli has become, and while she's forgiving enough not to press charges against Eli, she also insists on her getting help.
The other seven former μ's members are also used well, with each of them having a role to play in the story, and a variety of believable and human reactions to what they discover. It's also touching that not only are they protective of Hanayo, but they can also find it in themselves to forgive Eli.
In short, this fic isn't for the faint of heart or Hanayo/Eli shippers(Hanayo/Kotori shippers, however, will probably like it), but for everyone else, it's a dark but well-written look at an abusive relationship and alcoholism.
Fanfic An abusive relationship done right
In fan fiction, Domestic Abuse is a favorite way of invoking the Ron the Death Eater trope, so when a Love Live! fanfic involves an abusive relationship, you'd think it'd be going down the same path. What Flowers Drenched In Vodka is, however, is a surprisingly nuanced and mature look at alcoholism and abuse.
The story is about Eli becoming an alcoholic and abusing her girlfriend Hanayo, as well as what the rest of μ's does(including Kotori, who has an unrequited love for Hanayo) after starting to suspect that the abuse is taking place.
While I'm not all that familiar with Love Live, I think the characters were handled fairly well. Eli is presented well, as someone who's a victim of alcoholism, but has made bad choices, and the story holds her accountable for those choices without demonizing her. She does eventually achieve redemption, but her actions end her relationship with Hanayo; since she must work on getting over those feelings, it's an appropriate punishment of sorts.
Hanayo does have some Love Martyr tendencies when it comes to Eli, but she's also shown as human, rather than a helpless victim waiting to be rescued. She struggles to come to terms with the person Eli has become, and while she's forgiving enough not to press charges against Eli, she also insists on her getting help.
The other seven former μ's members are also used well, with each of them having a role to play in the story, and a variety of believable and human reactions to what they discover. It's also touching that not only are they protective of Hanayo, but they can also find it in themselves to forgive Eli.
In short, this fic isn't for the faint of heart or Hanayo/Eli shippers(Hanayo/Kotori shippers, however, will probably like it), but for everyone else, it's a dark but well-written look at an abusive relationship and alcoholism.