#darill/maria/setzer

[runicmagitek]

For the polyship week thing: w = worthy; how are insecurities handled? is anyone more self-conscious than the others? - any pairing (but you know I love anything with Setzer!)

Oh I know you do 😉 thanks so much for the ask bb! And enjoy some Darill/Maria/Setzer feels~

w = worthy; how are insecurities handled? is anyone more self-conscious than the others? I feel they're all self-conscious about different things (who isn't lol). My hc is that Darill and Maria latched onto each other first and then Darill was like "hey, are you interested in having fun with my situationship guy?", so sometimes Setzer feels he's a bit of a third wheel and doesn't want to get in the way, but they remind him he's super welcomed! (I also can see Setzer getting extra insecure when Darill is gone and it's just him and Maria, like is he enough for Maria to keep things going?) Maria is a bit insecure about fitting into Darill and Setzer's carefree lifestyle, because it's NOT what she's accustomed to lol but she fits in remarkably well! And of course Darill and Setzer are bad influences and cheer her on! As for Darill, she also worries about not fitting into society. She's probably the most insecure of the three and doesn't wish to upset them, but it's difficult wearing a mask for so long and Maria and Setzer manage to comfort her when she slips out at night to just wallow in a bottle of whatever by herself. The three of them march to the beat of their own drum and they gotta remind each other it's best to live by their own rules! That's what makes them happiest, after all 💖

[wingsyouburn]

wingsyouburn - a fic masterlist!

Transformative Works Statement: I am open to fanart, podficcing, translations, and fics inspired by my works, as long as you link to the original work. If I wrote something with another author, please contact me first so I can obtain the other author's permission. Thank you! ♥

Last updated: 9-20-2021. All stories are complete/one shots unless marked otherwise. All links are to posted stories on AO3 at wingsyouburn. 

MCU Angel of Mine: Stucky/OC Rosalie Archer, Angels AU; updates biweekly Angels walk among us. They serve the people, aiding those who need it, guiding their chosen, and using their magical abilities to make the world a better place. Rosalie Archer thought she had it all. Once her two best friends, Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, returned from World War II, she would bind her life to theirs, and the three of them would live happily ever after. Only Bucky fell from a train, and Steve crashed into the ice, and Rosalie had to find a new path in life. Now it’s 2014, and unbeknownst to Rosalie, her secret has been discovered. HYDRA wants to harness the power of angels, and with the help of a demon with a grudge, their experiments are close to complete. When Rosalie goes missing, her old friend, Peggy Carter, sends Steve and Bucky after her. In a reunion seventy years in the making, how will Steve and Bucky react to Rosalie’s abilities? How will the rest of the Avengers react to a new comrade with wings? And how far will demons go in order to see all of the angels destroyed? Beyond the Stars and Stripes: Steve/Darcy, in progress Darcy Lewis: reformed hacker turned personal assistant for Dr. Jane Foster. Steve Rogers: Captain America and all the responsibilities that come with it. A series of one-shots detailing Darcy and Steve's relationship from start to finish. Picks up post The Avengers (2012) and continues through Avengers: Infinity War. With These Hungry Eyes: Steve/OC Julianne Simone Most of all, Steve liked the fact that he could slip in, snag a table in the back, and grab a sandwich without anyone bothering him. Those moments of peace, of being able to feel something close to normalcy, was all Steve needed. No one ever knew where he snuck off to - his own little sanctuary. He didn’t think it could get any better. And then he noticed her. My Little Dorito: Steve/Darcy Darcy's craving Doritos, and Steve finds a surprise at the convenience store.

House in the Trees: Steve & the Howling Commandos Steve at the opening night of the Smithsonian exhibit. Final Fantasy VI Pack Our Bags and Get Away: Setzer/Darill Setzer shows off his latest prize.

Into the Night: Celes & Edgar Celes takes a moment to reflect on how far she's come since the solitary island. Hands Open: Celes/Setzer Before another battle, Setzer braids Celes' hair. Understand the Miracle of Living: Setzer/Darill Sometimes a fiery ending is the only way to spark a new beginning. Make All Your Sorrows Undone: Celes/Terra Sometimes home isn't a place, it's the person you can return to again and again, a bright spot in a world recovering from darkness. For Celes, that bright spot is Terra. My Heart is a Troubled Captain: Setzer/Maria, Setzer/Darill It's a tricky concept, soulmates. One that Maria has yet to fully understand and Setzer won't explain. Dancing to Someone Else's Song: Setzer/Celes Dancing, to Setzer, was something of a lost art. Taken By The Sky: Setzer Setzer never thought that taking on Kefka would lead them to this. As You Sleep: Celes/Setzer Who needs an alarm when you're snuggled up with a beautiful woman? Oh Sweet Ignition, Be My Fuse: Celes/Setzer If anyone knew the importance of blowing off steam, it was Setzer.

Spotlight On Me And I'm Ready To Break: Celes/Darill So what if this wasn’t the negotiations Celes thought they’d have? If she managed to secure a ship for them, perhaps she didn’t have to go through this whole opera business after all. Final Fantasy VII Room to Grow: Tifa/Barret Tifa and Barret bond over an unexpected connection. Troubles, I Forgot 'Em (I Buried Them in the Sand): Reno & Rude Reno and Rude in Costa del Sol. Tifa Week 2020 Series: Tifa/Barret, Tifa/Rude, Aerith/Tifa Seven fics written for seven days of celebrating one of my favorite characters from the Final Fantasy series.

I Hope You Dance: Aerith/Tifa Aerith gets Tifa to dance.

Final Fantasy VIII Together We'll Mend Your Heart: Rinoa & Angelo Sometimes, part of growing up is learning when you have to let go. A story of how Rinoa and Angelo became a family. Your Love Will Keep Me Warm: Squall/Rinoa Rinoa isn't dressed for the snow in Trabia. One Grande Squall Macchiato, Please: Squall/Rinoa “Because,” Squall looked over at his girlfriend, “I know you in any coffee shop. You want all the pastries. You take forever to decide. And whatever you get is this sugary mess that’s more dessert than drink and you’re hyper all afternoon.” Rinoa pouted, one hand on her hip as she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. “Okay, first of all, rude. Second of all, you’re gonna want to want to see this place. They named a drink after you.” I Think I'm In Love: Squall/Rinoa Squall is unaware when a lady tries to flirt with him, but Rinoa isn't. Written for a tumblr prompt meme; "I think I love you."

Upon My End Shall I Begin: Seifer Seifer Almasy, after the war. Final Fantasy X A Dream of Life Again: Kimahri & Yuna All of Spira mourned someone. They had for as long as they could remember. What mattered was the journey forward, and honoring those sacrifices by living as best they could. A Second Chance: Auron/Lulu The battle is over and Auron wants to lay down his sword and rest, but the end of his journey is one he doesn't expect. In the Eye of the Storm: Auron/Lulu Snow on the slopes of Gagazet was to be expected. A blizzard, on the other hand, was a far more dangerous situation. Star Wars There's No Love Like Your Love: Han/Leia A quiet moment aboard the Millennium Falcon before our heroes return to the Rebellion. Things My Heart Used to Know (Things It Yearns To Remember): Ben Solo But the Force is strong with this one. A bloodline he’ll never be aware of runs through his veins. And as such, a legacy born to one child is granted to another, and Darth Vader’s grandson falls into oblivion. Always A Third Wheel: Han/Leia & Luke She’d never thought someone could be both so naive and oblivious, but her twin brother was also a farm boy from Tatooine at heart. Being a hero of the Rebellion and a Jedi didn’t change that. Highlander: The Series If There Comes A Time When The Feeling's Gone (I Want To Feel It): Amanda/Methos Anyone else might have called ahead, confirmed plans, announced their arrival. But what fun would that be when she could break into his house too? Gather Near To Us Once More: Methos-centric, gen Some gifts were best delivered in person, and even Methos knew when to do that. Power Rangers Ain't Nothing But a Heartache: Tommy Oliver, MMPR-era Tommy and the struggle of losing the Green Ranger powers. The World Revolves Around Us: Kimberly/Trini, Power Rangers 2017 Kim and Trini finally get a moment alone. What Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Who We Are, Tommy & Jason, Dino Thunder era They needed a Zordon. All they had was Tommy. Other Fandoms Here's to the Night: Jurassic Park Original Trilogy, Sarah/Ian/Nick They still have their lives. It’s enough to make a man humble. Another Tale of the American Dream: Lost, Sawyer/Juliet This was a favorite game of theirs, late at night when no one else from the Dharma camp was awake to listen in. No need to put up a front, no need to pretend to be something he wasn’t - here, he was just James, and she was just Juliet, and nothing came between them anymore.

Break the Cycle: Stardew Valley, Alex/Female Player The best decision he ever made for himself was to move to Pelican Town with his grandparents.

A Helping Hand: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Every version of Spider-Man needs an Aunt May.

3 Sentence Ficathon: Three sentence fics for Power Rangers, Final Fantasy, and the MCU.

Arabian Nights: The Mummy Series, Ardeth/Evy/Rick Evy dreams of Nefertiri's past - and the two men she loved.

The Sun and the Moon: The Mummy Series, Evy/Rick If Evy was the sun, then Rick could be the moon, the darkness to her light.

Crossovers Move Mountains With You: Final Fantasy IV/Final Fantasy X, Rydia/Yuna, series in progress When Sin destroys the village of Mist, another summoner arrives in Spira and joins Yuna's pilgrimage. Live Long and Prosper: Highlander/Star Trek: The Next Generation, Methos & Jean-Luc Picard Old friends wander in and out of each other's lives.

Blood of Kings: MCU/Highlander: The Series, Tony Stark-centric The risk I took was calculated, and man, I hate being right at math.

[runicmagitek]

For the fluff alphabet, for Cecil/Rosa/Kain or Setzer/Darill/Maria: n = nights; what’s the nighttime routine like when they’re all together?

Awww thanks so much for the ask!! Gonna go with Setzer/Darill/Maria bc it's been a while since I've thought about them ehehehe :3c

n = nights; what’s the nighttime routine like when they’re all together? Darill and Setzer pick up Maria to enjoy a night out on the town, so to speak. There's a high chance of them returning to one of the airships rather intoxicated, so where typical routine they stick to is kinda thrown out the window lol. On quieter nights, Darill and Setzer just wash up and crash, tho Setzer probably pampers himself more often than Darill does (she teases him about it too). Maria has a more involve nighttime routine from beauty products to enjoying a cup of tea to setting trinkets/clothing aside for the morning. Darill and Setzer are either impatiently awaiting her by the time she arrives or passed out. Sometimes one of them "kidnaps" her halfway through if she's taking too long. Maria is also their middle spoon for bedtime snuggles!

[runicmagitek]

The Night Ain’t Getting Younger (Darill/Maria/Setzer - Final Fantasy VI)

(( for the one and only @theoreticalconstruct, a fellow fan of this A+ ship! featuring the fluff prompt # 19 - “Take my hand. Trust me.” Truly appreciate all the love you pour into so many rarepairs and OT3s. Thank you for all you do! I hope you enjoy this bit of fluff! ))

The curtains closed for the evening. Set pieces rolled across wooden panels. Final notes from the orchestra floated backstage, where dozens upon dozens of individuals wrapped up yet another rehearsal.

Maria navigated past stagehands and chorus members. Every other person smiled and sang her praise—sometimes literally. Perhaps on opening night, the audience would deliver similar approval with a standing ovation. One could only hope.

But even the opera house’s prized soprano needed reprieve from the spotlight, thus she evaded her cast members and fled down winding hallways to her private room.

The door locked behind her. Murmurs of backstage shenanigans echoed in her ears. Leaning into the door, Maria heaved out a breath she held for too long.

A few more nights, she reminded herself. Then you can relax. For a spell, anyways.

She pushed off and plopped down at her vanity mirror. New-fangled electric bulbs illuminated the frame, casting stark highlights of her reflection. Maria wiped off makeup, removed excessive jewelry, and loosened her corset.

While plucking out the hundreds of pins securing her hair, she froze. The mirror revealed another figure in the room—one she recognized.

[read more on AO3]

[runicmagitek]

For the WIP ask game, 1, 4, 14?

Awww thanks Dee! 🥰

1. what’s your longest wip right now? So... longest unpublished fic I have in general? A Darill/Maria/Setzer fic that's 150k~. It's gone through an editing pass and has been beta read... but I was in a different place mentally when I wrote this in 2015 (plus it started as a PWP thing that accidentally got plot and too many feels :\ whoops). I'd need to rewrite it from the ground up and like... restructure it so it doesn't read like a PWP fic that changed its mind halfway through. And I'm honestly not really invested in that kind of work at the moment. I've got other stuff I'd rather sink my time into. Maybe one day I'll return to it, though! It's definitely helped me get a better sense of plot and narrative flow.

As for longest WIP I'm actually working on? Easily my post-canon slow burn 13 Sentinels fic featuring keinatsu and Way Too Much Angst (they get a happy ending, I promise, but Wow). That's sitting at 45k.

4. what’s a wip that’s fairly easy for you to get back into writing? why? The aforementioned 13 Sentinels fic. I'm working on wrapping up like... 3 other "shorter" pieces that punched me in the face recently, but that's top of my to-do list when it comes to WIPs. I'm thinking about it a lot and know exactly the direction it's going in; it'll just be a matter of me like, rereading the last chapter or so to refresh my memory before I dive back in.

14. what’s your favorite thing about writing? Being able to find words for emotions and scenery and other complex moments that are otherwise difficult to articulate, but evoke those sentiments and views well enough that the reader feels like they're right there.

Also getting your faves to smooch. That's pretty cool, too 🤣

[wingsyouburn]

My Heart is a Troubled Captain - Final Fantasy VI (Setzer/Maria)

They laid together in the afterglow, sheets tangled at the end of the bed. Setzer lit a cigarette, watching the smoke drift over Maria’s blonde hair, draped over his chest. It was always quiet, in these moments, and he found that he preferred that over the noise and the spectacle that was courting an opera singer.

If one wanted to call it a courtship, anyway. Maria was always so concerned with her public image, wanting to sneak away to the hidden corners of the opera house or onto his airship, like they were now. If he closed his eyes, he could hear the faint whirr of the engines as they floated above Jidoor, and the din of voices from the gambling hall below. His bedroom aboard the Blackjack provided the perfect sanctuary from the crowded opera house and the prying eyes that came with it.

He took a drag and slowly let the smoke slip from his lips. He didn’t deny Maria the right to her privacy. She came to him for an escape, for the danger, for the thrill of it. Setzer understood that he wasn’t the sort of man you showed off to Mother and Father, as it were. His place was on the fringes of society, whereas Maria needed - craved - the spotlight. They all had their roles to play; Setzer, at least, had the freedom to choose his own.

[ read more at AO3 ]

[runicmagitek]

It’s been a long while since I’ve done an update on my general writing progress. With Darkness/Starlight done, I’m excited to work on something new. Or more like, work on something that I started to write/edit and can now revisit. My ideas tend to snowball and instead of juggling ten massive projects, I’m trying to complete one at a time, so it doesn’t take me 5+ years to finish a thing. That’s my hope, anyways.

The first and most obvious story for me to focus on is my OT3 fic (pre-canon Darill/Maria/Setzer goodness). I didn’t want to edit it further until I was done with Darkness/Starlight. It’s been a year an a half since I’ve touched it and even during that last editing round, I was second guessing a lot of aspects. My original intention was to have it be snapshots of those three and their lives together with lots of smut. Because reasons. Even the initial outline was a balancing act of making sure every combo of the pairing got laid equally. When I wrote it, it started to develop an actual story. There’s a point in the story where it feels like the smut gets in the way of the plot. I guess I was concerned about the state of it: should I keep it as a plot-what-plot smutty piece or tone that down to actually focus on the plot I somehow wrote into it? Thankfully, that’s what betas are for and Amie helped nudge me in the direction to go (which is the latter option). I mean, there will still be smut, but I’m excited to go back into it and shape it further into a presentable story to share.

The other project I have is the first part of what should be a three-part story, which is my Rinoa-centric fic. I’ve heard back from one beta reader thus far (thank you, Larissa!) and I’m so delighted with the feedback and can’t wait to tinker with it some more so that it’s also presentable. I’d like to have it polished and posted before I even think about writing the next two parts, which might turn into a NaNo project, I’m not sure. Might depend on how well people like the first part. I try to write for myself first and foremost, but I don’t want to waste my time if no one really gives a crap about the direction I’m going in. In comparison to the previous project and Darkness/Starlight, it’s super short. Like half of a novella. My initial goal was to start posting it before the end of summer, but not sure. Maybe I can work on it alongside the OT3 fic, because it is so tiny. We’ll see.

Then there’s the Successor Challenge, which I’m super excited to work on. My biggest issue is thinking of an idea that I can feasibly get done before the end of August. I bit off more than I could chew back in 2016, which also didn’t help that my health had hit rock bottom, but now I’m repurposing that into the fic I previously mentioned. I know if I don’t get things done in time, I can still go that route, but I’d like to submit something for the challenge. My first idea was too colossal to be done well in a couple of months. I still have it on the back burner. My second idea is, hopefully, more manageable. Should only be a few chapters (I say that now). Just a matter of getting it done. I’ll make this a priority just so it can get done in time, which is frustrating, because the previous fics will be on hold, but I hope this idea I have turns out ok. I can see it clearly in my head, but that doesn’t mean the words always flow.

And lastly, the Press Start exchange is around the corner. I’m hoping to sign up for it again this year, seeing I had a lot of fun with it last year. I was also hoping to look into rarepairfest again, but it seems to have been abandoned, which breaks my heart. I even emailed the mods and never heard back.

That’s it on my end. Still trying to write every day along with posting something new every month. Forever trying not to be hard on myself for not writing 5k a day or in 4+ hour sessions anymore. All is well.

[runicmagitek]

Hammering in My Head (Celes/Setzer NSFW - Final Fantasy VI)

(( this fic is nsfw ))

In time, they found survivors—thirteen altogether. Not enough to confront a mad god reigning over the ruined world, but it was better than nothing. No one else was standing up to fight; they had no choice. While the Returners banded together, it wasn’t enough to rekindle the group’s morale. The horrors of the past clung to them, evident in the silence.

Setzer tried remedying the situation. Of all of them, he was the most familiar with drowning himself in escapism to numb out the suffocation of reality. He tossed his decks of cards on the table and taught the others how to play a variety of games. After several rounds, their voices died out and the players dispersed. It didn’t make a difference if he dragged out a poker table or a proper dart board. Unlike the worn cards, hope wasn’t tangible.

Had it been a year earlier, Setzer wouldn’t have blinked at his suffering allies. A bottle of liquor blurred anyone’s judgment, but Setzer had outright given up. He was sober now and wished he wasn’t. Everyone had a cause, save for him. Setzer fancied himself more of an intrigued voyeur than a revolutionary. It was a fabulous bar story in the works, only to come to an abrupt halt when the world ripped apart. He longed for those simpler days more than he wished to let on.

Every night, the others gathered before drifting off. Exhaustion led them to reveal pieces of their souls, far better than four shots of Narshian vodka ever did. Setzer opted to listen in those moments, tossing in a more entertaining—and livelier—tales from his youth. No one needed the details which involved him and Darill. Or even him and Maria, for that matter. He settled for the handful of laughs over his gambling woes. Like every shared story, the humor was short-lived, but at least it lived.

Celes spoke less than Setzer, lips sealed tight and never quirking into a smile. His violet eyes continued to wander to her. Of all the participants, Setzer desired even a sliver of her life. Sometimes she nodded, sometimes gazed at a speaker with mild interest. Always silent, though. Setzer prodded her once—and only once—for a story. Her military officer days were long gone, but the hardened glare she skewered through him said otherwise.

[read more on AO3]

[runicmagitek]

fic meme questions! 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 💕

Many thanks for the ask and hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long :)

Already did 2, but here are the rest!

3. Is there a trope you wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole?

Domestic AUs and by extension, anything involving kids or marriage. I'd rather gag myself with a spoon than read or write any of that. I don't understand the appeal of domestic AUs or curtainfics. Maybe if it involves food, because I do love cooking and baking, but like... a story revolved around doing each other's laundry? Going out shopping for a mattress? Buying a house together? Um... no? I don't understand why people like these types of fics, but it feels like they've never experienced doing any of those things first hands. Folding laundry is tedious and not romantic. Shopping for shit by myself is stressful, never mind shopping WITH someone else (thank god my boyfriend is extremely patient and we have the same taste, but I still dread it). And jumping off of that, I really don't give a shit about society's conventional views towards marriage, so I'm not interested in writing about it. And kids... just no. I stop reading fics if a pairing randomly has a kid together, never mind writing about it.

4. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

I mean... nurturing as in actively working on or like, "nurturing" as in I at least conceived it, but it may or may not be locked up and neglected in a closet somewhere? Actually, let's go with the first option, or else we'll be here all day. I'm actively "nurturing" six fic ideas (not including my drabbles): Darkness/Starlight, OT3 fic, Rinoa pre-canon fic, a Pyre oneshot, and two things for Camp NaNo this April. Darkness/Starlight is almost done, so just doing last rounds of edits before posting bits. The OT3 fic (Setzer/Darill/Maria) is still being read over by my lovely beta and I'll start working on posting that once she finishes and once Darkness/Starlight is over. I've finished editing my Rinoa pre-canon fic and waiting for my beta to finish the OT3 one before overwhelming her with another fic D: at least it's like 1/5 of the word count? I'm slowly writing up a Pyre fic I've had in my head in a while and wasn't sure how to go about it. It's really nice to write out my Reader and hopefully people will like them. For Camp NaNo (HAHAHA oh right, that’s a thing... which seems to always start right after AB, when I’m still in low-battery mode), it's kind of my "get your shit together" month. I started working on a Setzer fic several years ago, posted the first chapter and... never wrote anymore. Granted, my boyfriend and I were trying not to die when this happened, so no wonder I just outright forgot about it. It's only 3 more chapters, so that shouldn't be too hard (I say this and then it suddenly blows up into 20k words). And when that's done, I have a Transistor pre-canon fic that I also had in the works during that same time period. It was originally meant for Transistor week, but... yeah, my boyfriend literally went to the ER a couple weeks before that and my brain shut down. That one I have thoroughly planned out and know it will be 7 chapters... probably end up being anywhere between 14k and 28k. Depends on how much I decide to write per chapter.

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

This changes for me every year, which I guess is a good thing, because that means I'm improving. My current favorite section of prose is a big spoiler for Darkness/Starlight so I don't really want to post any of it out of context (and it's really hard to even pick just a single line that's not spoiler-y), but it's a scene that involves Shiva and Celes. You ever have one of those scenes and it plays out perfectly in your head, but you don't know how to describe it? That was that scene for me. I was happy to finally nail it down and am very pleased with how it came out. I wanted it to come across as both chaotic and surreal, yet cathartic. 

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

Did you mean: EVERYTHING WITH EDGAR IN DARKNESS/STARLIGHT???Where do I even begin??? This is probably my favorite dialogue with him:

“So, before all of that happened, have you been enjoying yourself?”

Typical Edgar, always trying to lighten the mood. Celes appreciated that aspect of him for once. “As much as I can, yes. And yourself?”

“Are you kidding? I live for this sort of thing! It’s been far too long since we’ve hosted such an event here. It’s a wondrous time. All the music and the dancing and the food and the gossip.” The way he raised his eyebrows should have concerned Celes. “Word has it, apparently, that I’m the fashion mastermind of the evening. Dressed both Terra and you. Must have been some concoction I drank the other night, because I do not recall finding that—” And now he was goggling at her dress. It was only a matter of time. “—in the spare closets lurking around here. Usually when I get that drunk, I’m lucky if I wake up with three women in bed with—”

“Edgar!”

I don't know why Edgar came off as the comedic relief in Darkness/Starlight, but it kind of happened. Not only are his lines a much-needed break from the seriousness/drama of the story, but they were a blast to write. And I'm thrilled my readers are enjoying him. He's kind of stealing the show, so to speak. Then again, I have a soft spot for secondary characters. It all works out! 

[runicmagitek]

ff meme: 2, 8, 16, 18, 24, 27, 31, 32, 37, 34, 49, 55, 59! 💗

I love how your thought process must be "hey YOU asked me a lot of questions... IMA ASK YOU ALL THE QUESTIONS BACK" XD but no, legit, many thanks!

2. Least favorite game?X. It's the only FF game I've played only once. It wasn't for me. I only liked two characters and I wasn't a fan of the mechanics or the story. Then again, I also played it back in high school when I had pneumonia, so I should probably give it another shot... I just kinda don't wanna :\

8. Favorite side character?LIKE ALL OF THEM???? Legit, I always love the secondary/minor characters. For VI, it was Darill. For VII, it was Shera and Lucrecia. For VIII, it was Julia. For IX, it was Beatrix and Lani. For XII, it was Al-Cid Margrace, Vossler, and Jote. I just live for side characters.

16. Which game had the best cast of characters?This is really hard, because for most of the games, I like a handful of the characters and then just... meh, with everyone else. So for me, the best cast wouldn't be like, all my faves 24/7, but more like which has the best collection of characters all around that work off of one another. And with that in mind, I'd have to say XII. You have a reasonably sized group and they all have ties to a lot of the other characters in the story. It makes for a very interesting cast and I really loved them all (except you, Vaan, but you weren't really the main character anyways).

18. Which game was the funniest?Again, I want to say XII, mostly because all the humor is very dry and quick and sharp. A lot of the older games have really cheesy, anime-esque humor and it's ok, but nothing that made a lasting impression. But like... I played XII when it first came out. I cracked up. I played XII The Zodiac Age this past summer. I still cracked up. A+ humor imo.

24. What's your favorite job/class? Is this the same class you would want to be if you entered a class-based Final Fantasy game, or would you rather be a different one? If so, which one?White Mage forever. I've always loved the aesthetic for White Mages in the FF universe and I've always been a support player/healer in most games I play, so yup. White Mage it is. Dragoon is a close second, mostly because I love polearms and spears.

27. Favorite enemy (e.g. Malboro)?I mentioned the Hell House previous along with Tonberries, but didn't post a picture of the latter, so here we go!

31. Do you have any theories or headcanons you swear by (e.g. Rinoa as Sorceress)?Not that I really swear by it, but I LOVE the Rinoa = Ultimecia theory. I was read one a long time ago about the Knight of the Round from VII being some of the original Cetra that fought against Jenova. That's really cool. Headcanons in general I have a million and a half and they're all littered amongst my fics, so there's that :)

32. Are there any fanon theories/headcanons you just can't believe?Almost all of them? I really don't like the "Squall is dead" one for VIII. It seems really lazy. Also the Gogo is Darill/Gestahl/Banon/Leo/some-other-dude-who-died-in-game theory makes me want to punch walls. I've heard about the VII and X are the same planet one and maybe that could work, but I just don't find it interesting. I just kind of operate in my own bubble and ignore what everyone else is doing, seeing I find a lot of the theories/headcanons out there to be... yeah. I can only suspend my disbelief for so long before I start going DID WE EVEN PLAY THE SAME GAME.

37. What do you think makes a game a "quintessential" Final Fantasy game? (In other words... some people say the new games don't feel like Final Fantasy games to them. What FEELS like a Final Fantasy game, to you?)Emphasis on the fantasy. Needs magic of some sort, needs a big bad like an empire or corporation and a small resistance group/rebels looking to take them down, needs airships and chocobos, needs badass battle music, needs summons, needs some crazy plot twist about halfway through the game, needs an even crazier boss plot twist towards the end, needs to simultaneously be light-hearted but also put characters through hell, and needs to have some past failure that integral to the plot. I'm sure there are other bits I'm missing, but that's more or less what I expect from a Final Fantasy game.

34. Which canon couple do you think is most likely to break up sometime after the credits roll?Zidane and Garnet. I just don't see that working out long term. I'm also not a fan of them to begin with, so there's that.

49. Which game had the best ending?X. As much as I don't like the game, that had one of the best endings ever. It was a bucket of feels and so well done.

55. Which game did you play first, and when (how old were you, etc.)?VII back when it first came out in 1997. I was ten.

59. Do you have any favorite works of art or fanfiction that you always go back to, and/or basically accept as canon?Ok I just skimmed through my bookmarks on AO3 and plucked out some of my favorite fics, so grab a seat - it's fanfic rec time!

Surrogates by @lunamanar (Squall-centric missing scene where Edea/Ultimecia interogates him)

Waking Up by lunamanar (post-canon oneshot fic that’s full of feels)

After the World Was Won by @pocketseizure (a what-if fic where Darill lives and Setzer finds her post-canon)

Black Swan by @h34rt1lly (post-canon Quistis/Seifer fic)

Smoke and Mirrors by @summonerluna (Rinoa-centric fic of what happens to her during time compression)

The President by summonerluna (Laguna-centric fic post-canon)

there is no fate (but what we make) by YOUUUUUU (seriously, everyone go read this, it’s the FFVIII AU you didn’t know you needed)

My Heart is a Troubled Captain by @wingsyouburn (super sweet and feels-y soulmate fic with Setzer and Darill, featuring Maria)

the course not charted by misstaken (post-canon Celes/Setzer fic that is so delightful and witty)

take one step (and make it count) by irishais (post-canon Seifer/Rinoa)

[runicmagitek]

was tagged by @farfromdaylight right before I headed off for DragonCon to talk about my WIPs for fics or whatever story ideas I have. Going to stick more to fics, seeing that's what I've been focusing on most of my life lately. This got longer than I thought (shocker, I know), so throwing it under a read more. Also going to tag others here (talk to me about your WIPs whether it’s fics or original stuff, but no pressure!): @wingsyouburn @dvske @h34rt1lly @summonerluna @pocketseizure @listentoyoubleed

I'm the Darkness, You're the Starlight - my massive Celes/Setzer fic that follows the canon storyline while weaving in how they could possibly fall for one another. I hold this story dear to my heart, because there's really fuck all for this ship, so clearly I had to do something about it. It's technically done, but I got super busy earlier this year with cosplay, then got sick, then flat out got stuck on a chapter I hated. I'm 2/3s done with rewriting said chapter. Hopefully after that, it's smooth sailing and all I need to do is edit chapters and post them, but man... seriously... fuck that one chapter.

Sing to Me - a Setzer-centric fic I started last year and... kinda forgot about. It spans the length of his life and focuses on his love for both opera and the ladies who have come and gone along the way. It's only going to be four chapters, but... my life imploded back when I started doing this and then my interest went elsewhere. I will get back to this eventually.

I have a lot of drabble collections that I haven't finished (Drafts, Antes, and Skylines & Revelry) along with short story collections (Fire Soul in Love and Wings of Valor and Compassion), but I only really update those when inspiration strikes.

The rest of my WIPs aren't really posted yet and um... I have this huge, irrational superstition about not revealing titles of things I haven't posted yet. I can't explain it, I just can't stand calling WIPs by their title until it's 100% done. So here's what I got....

OT3 fic - Setzer/Darill/Maria centric. Pre-canon goodness and lots and lots and LOTS of porn. With plot. But still, almost every chapter has sex. I sent this to my braintwin to beta read (which... was a while ago? I'll poke her to check on progress. I think we both got distracted), so just waiting for feedback before editing again and posting. I'd like to finish Darkness/Starlight before posting this one. I actually like this one more than Darkness/Starlight, too.

Post-canon Relm fic - I don't know where the idea came from, but I got inspired to do a multichapter fic about Relm and what she does after the game. I relate with her a lot now that I'm older and there are a lot of topics to touch on with her post-canon that hit really close to home with me. So I sense this will become a personal fic, but I hope I get back to it. I don't think a lot of people care about Relm, but... oh well, I want to write this for me.

Pre-canon Rinoa fic - says it all, really. I wrote this initially for the Successor challenge last year and... yeah. Not dying trumped fics. It's all written, I just need to edit it. This will turn into a series of sorts, because there were other things I wanted to touch on both mid-canon and post-canon, which would all follow the same timeline and events. I'd love to get back into it.

The rest of my WIPS... aren't written yet, but I have outlines and research drafted out, so that counts, right?

Sailor Moon/Shadowrun fusion crossover - I've been jotting down notes for this for maybe two years now. I love both fandoms and got struck hard with inspiration to do this. Basically the Sailor Moon characters in the Shadowrun world, but instead of being senshi, they're just Shadowrunners and the villains are CEOs of the megacorps and yeah. I really want to sit down and write it. I have character info jotted down for all the main characters and the story outlined. Just need to do it (Rei is the POV character, too, and there will be lots of Rei/Minako, because reasons).

Transistor pre-canon - This was for Transistor week last year and... yeah. Boyfriend almost dying trumps fics. sigh... but I haven't forgotten what I want to do. It's essentially what all the characters are doing before Red's performance at the Empty Set. So many feels. Shouldn't be that long (for me, anyways).

Transistor AU - I have so many notes on an AU where Red is stuck in the Transistor and Royce is the one who loses his voice and is carting around the Transistor. Canon compliant, but still diverts here and there. Hope it's something people would want to read.

RWBY Canon Divergent thing - I really hate writing fics when I haven't completely consumed everything of the source material. Then again, RWBY is ongoing so... I guess it's to be expected? It's an Oscar-centric fic that goes over his time with Glynda as she trains and prepares him for the final fight ahead and him slowly realizing the connection between them along with his own feelings for Glynda and all the angsty bullshit that comes with it. No, there's no underaged bullshit. It takes place over the course of ten years, so by the time those two ever get to that talk, Oscar is a lot older. I have most of the outline plotted out along with my own headcanons for how the whole Oscar and Ozpin thing goes, so... yeah. We'll see.

Pyre modern day musician AU - This one hit me in the face one day at work and I've jotted down more extensive notes than are probably called for. Tariq/Celeste-centric where Tariq is a famous musician and finds Celeste playing at a local lounge while on tour. The two connect, though he needs to continue his tour and she needs to keep working her day job to put food on the table, but they manage to reconnect each time he comes back to the city while on tour. Will have many Pyre cameos. I might do this for NaNoWriMo this year. Not sure. I just love them don't judge me.