#final fantasy: interior decorating

[joiedecombat]

@alixennial encouraged, so here it is. Welcome to Raine's new house in Empyreum!

Under a cut because this is a lot of screencaps. 😭

There are a few Far East touches in the garden, including the guardian shiisa statues for the entrance. (The firefly cages were made using alchemy; real fireflies would never survive Ishgard's climate.)

This corner is best enjoyed at twilight.

As the Professor demonstrated, however, the outdoor bath is nice any time.

Best not to stay outdoors after, though, especially with night falling.

Welcome to the front parlor!

The upstairs is mostly used for entertaining guests, and the style is primarily Ishgardian, though there are Hannish and Far Eastern touches as well.

Let me be clear: @alixennial did by far most of the work designing the parlor. I made some adjustments and filled in the east wall, but the majority of what you see upstairs is her work. Including this lovely little music corner, with Aymeric's portrait overlooking Raine's harp.

My contribution, aside from the staggered shelf of collected odds and ends, was mainly putting in this cozy little window seat for watching the fish.

Their names are Ichiko and Niko.

Downstairs. The twins preside over the bottom of the staircase.

There's more Hannish style downstairs, compared to the parlor. This is where Raine lives and works, a more personal space reserved for herself, Aymeric, and their family and close friends.

A combination library, living room, and personal study, with a loom tucked away on the loft in a small crafting workspace.

The door leads to the bedroom and bath.

Bath to one side, with a screen and a curtain for extra privacy.

Bedroom to the other, with the fireplace between to keep the room warmed.

Rounding out the tour, back outside and past the outdoor bath...

The raised deck offers a view of the eastern skyline, with Empyreum spread out below.

And, to the north, a perfect vantage to watch the Moonfire Faire fireworks.

So, that's the tour! Thanks for coming along.

If you should happen to visit, do make sure to leave a note in the book. ❤️

[joiedecombat]

Okay, okay! Perhaps tomorrow night there will be a photo shoot.

I notice you didn't include the shot of the Professor enjoying the outdoor bath... 😋

Visiting Raine...

...except she's not in... I already knew that, she's off having adventures on the other side of the world, I'm just popping in to feed the fish and water the flowers. And chill in the lovely garden while I'm here :)

Oho what's this?... Ought I leave a review in the Empyreum Tripadvisor section? "10/10 Best parlour experience I ever had" "Lovely wine, with just the right amount of glasses for entertaining too" "Adorned with wall art most pleasing to the eye" (It's all true)

I'm making encouraging noises at @joiedecombat to take and post pics of Raine's home and garden because it's all beautiful.

[the-iron-shoulder]

2020 cross stitch of Rubicant

[image description: a cross stitch on white aida cloth of a sprite of Rubicant, from Final Fantasy 4. He is a red, demonic figure wrapped in a bright red cloak with blue splotches. The text on it says “was it glam? I will show you how!” The word “glam” is significantly larger and fancier than the surrounding text. The photo is taken in sunlight, showing off how much of the floss used is metallic and/or glossy. End description.]

made this in 2020 for my cousin! It’s a riff on a line from Final Fantasy IV, specifically the SNES translation (which, as we all know, was not exactly a modern translation). In the game, the party is up against Rubicant, the Fiend of Fire. Rubicant reveals that he was responsible for some Bad Stuff involving a party member’s family; that party member gets furious and (on the spot) learns a fire spell because of that anger, which he immediately casts at Rubicant. Since Rubicant is immune to fire, he just shrugs it off, tossing out a (maybe not perfectly translated) line that I absolutely love: “Was it Flame? I will show you how!”

(I think a more modern translation would be something like “you call that fire magic? Let me show you how it’s done!” but that doesn’t resonate with me the way the original does.)

Anyway, Rubicant’s sprite changes over the course of the battle, and in one of his two poses he’s sticking this weirdly muscular leg out of his cloak like he’s Louis XIV of France making sure that his portrait painter shows off his exquisite calves. Long story short, that inspired the text on this piece. Was it glam? I will show you how!

The photo kind of shows off the fact that this piece is SHINY. I used a lot of satin floss and a lot of metallic floss for different parts of it, so this thing straight up gleams in the right light. I think that’s appropriate for the vibe I was aiming for!

[jesselouiscox]

What do you think of my house?

[kanna-doryean]

An adorable couple commissioned me to work on their home(s)! First up is this modern Shiro home with biophilic touches, an eat-in kitchen, cozy living room with a waterfall feature, and a JP-inspired bedroom ready to embrace you after a long stressful day as the WoL! Plot Size: medium Address: Primal, Ultros, Shirogane, W30, P43

[azirafailure]

I don’t see what the problem is with the carpet color… the deep wine/red color brings a lot of warmth, which is further complemented by the rich beige (warmest neutral color btw!!) and ultimately makes this hallway feel warm, homey and cozy. Perfect for a hotel as like, a home away from home, yknow?

idk man I think according to color theory this is actually an excellent design for the carpet

[eta-volantis]

After moving servers, I finally got a house againnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn T^T poolside property, too, I'm so happy

[agirlandherkinks]

Hypnovisor: Beta Test (TGTF, Hypno)

James had always been a tech super-fan. The newest phone, newest headphones, shiniest laptop, he had to stay abreast of and on top of the current trends. So when he read about some fancy new VR company that wanted beta testers for a headset, provided for free (minus shipping), his vision blurred and he signed up before he even considered finishing reading the ad.

Three weeks of anticipation and waiting passed until his doorbell finally rung, accompanied by the corresponding buzz of an email notification on his phone. Scrambling from his couch he flung the apartment door open, and to his mild surprise saw that the postman was nowhere in site. There was just a nondescript cardboard box labelled "Fragile", which fortunately bore none of the expected dents and scratches one would associate with the postal service and delicate freight. Practically bouncing with undignified delight, James scooped his parcel up and dashed back inside, barely remembering to lock the door behind him.

The headset looked even better than he had imagined. Sleek plastic curves surrounded a central visor that was just translucent enough to see through, meaning you could walk around safely if you turned a program's opacity down. It fit beautifully when he tried it on, more comfortable than anything he'd ever worn. Wearing it felt wonderful and... right, somehow. His only complaint was that the black headset was decorated in hot pink highlights, although it still looked futuristic enough to sooth his fragile masculinity. His roommate and best friend Erik certainly agreed, interspersing James' insightful comments with appropriate "Ooh's" and "Aah's". Waiting for the battery to charge seemed to take a thousand years, although chatting with each other about what it could do replaced their boredom with swiftly growing excitement.

Two hours later, a soft buzz from the headset in the corner signified its charge was complete. Erik cheered, his sandy-blonde hair bouncing behind him, and even James couldn't suppress a soft whoop of excitement. Erik unplugged it and handed it to James with a flourish and a bow, who accepted it with a suitable stuffy speech. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but he was so giddy with anticipation he felt he could match Erik's goofiness for once. The advertisement had promised unmatched realism, a luxurious fit, and cutting-edge, groundbreaking technology. Normally James would have discounted claims like that as corporate claptrap, but the headset fit so well he actually believed the rest of it.

Booting up the headset brought a perky, relaxing jingle in his ears and wall of settings text in his vision. He would have read it, but between his own excitement and Erik's infectious enthusiasm he left the settings on default and skipped to the main menu. The feedback for the buttons was amazing, it felt just like he was pressing down on them whenever he touched one! Another little jingle sounded as he confirmed his choices, and a few games and applications bubbled up into his view, imposed over a hot pink background.

"So Erik, what do you think I should try," James asked. "We've got a music player, interior design app, some sorta idle monster game, and a few RPG's." "Surely try out the RPG's man! You've gotta see that high-definition you were yammering about when we called." Erik's voice came back surprisingly muffled, as if he was speaking down a long tunnel. "Bro, I can barely hear you, the noise-cancelling on this headset's insane! It's like I'm in a world of my own!" James took a deep breath, recovering a little of his composure. "Alright, an RPG it is. Fantasy, sci-fi, or modern day?" "Go fantasy! You know we've both got a thing for elf chiiiicks. Hell, with the kind of feedback you were telling me about, you might even get to grab her" Erik's distant voice sounded playful, with a ting of desire and jealousy. And it did make James hard, at the thought of getting to look and squeeze and fondle some busty elf bitch, made entirely to his wishes~

To James' horror a quiet moan escaped his lips, accompanied by faint hysterical laughter from his friend. Brushing it off angrily, he slammed the icon for 'Silverflame: A Magical Journey' (the button felt like thick moss to his touch). Instantly a soft flute begun to play in his ears, accompanied by the gentle lull of a harp and a quiet sparkling. James felt himself relax, all the tension draining out of his body. Erik must have noticed too, because James heard his laughter die down to be replaced with a slightly concerned silence. "Don't worry man," James said, "music's just really pretty..." He trailed off with a slight giggle, but heard Erik give an affirmative just before a silky, sultry voice started to speak.

"Welcome traveler, to the beautiful world of Silverflame. An untamed paradise where strange beasts roam the land, noble adventurers go forth in search of treasure, and the most wonderful magic [James shuddered] is woven. You are the latest brave, beautiful heroine [Heroine? Shouldn't I get to choose my character's gender first?] to step foot into this land. But first, tell us a bit about who you really are."

Pink sparkles rained across the screen, superimposing his view of a vibrant meadow with a series of stats. Physique, IQ, Wisdom, and Charisma, fairly standard stuff. And next to it, a human man with a blank, slightly happy expression on his face [...did he look familiar?]. James gasped, he looked just like a real person! Erik was suitably impressed by this information, and urged him to pick some stats so he can get to the body modification. "You can always change them later man, might as well pick a couple of stats now and get a move on. Sounds like you're not gonna get to pick your gender for a while, which kinda sucks. Buuut if we're being horny about this, you might as well go for a slut scaffold so you make less changes later." James chuckled at this, remembering the build they discussed one night while both sloshed beyond belief. For this game it would be high Physique and Charisma, low IQ and Wisdom. James touched the slider for Physique, and gasped as he felt himself feel... better than he had in a long time.

Not trusting his senses any more, and worrying about Erik being exposed to whatever was happening from the other side of the headset, James brushed off his concerned questions (which he could barely hear now, past the soothing, soothing, music) and suggested he went to the toilet, since he'd been holding it in since he got here. Erik grumbled at missing out, but mercifully left. James was actively sweating from what just went through his body, but couldn't muster the energy or concentration to feel the level of panic he knew he should be. The music was just so, so calming, that fear was harder to feel than usual. The prompt told him he still had to change two more stats, so he decided to turn down Wisdom. He gasped again and his vision went blurry, and when it cleared he felt a bit, fuzzier? In the head. But it wasn't too bad, in fact it was perfectly manageable. He felt even calmer now, so maybe changing another stats would make him feel better. Why not IQ? He tapped the slider.

He groaned as an immense pressure wrapped around his brain. Thoughts, aspirations, memories felt like they were melting from his head faster than they appeared. The pressure seemed like it lasted forever, but eventually it trailed off and he was left panting in his chair. It had felt, really good? Like, tots good, even. James giggled to himself. Something was different about him, but he couldn't think what. Oh well, it'll probably come to him later. He squealed in delight as he realized he could get a step closer to the body modification page, although he looked longingly at the IQ slider. He could come back to it later, for now it was time to make his super-hot elf slut a body!

James clapped to himself with delight as a cute little melody played, a shower of sparkles spiraled [spiraled...] across the screen, and the man on the side moved to the center of the screen. "Firstly", the sultry voice said, "choose what race you want to be." That was an easy choice. He clicked on the 'Elf' button, and shivered as he felt tingles run through his body, intensifying in his ears. Reaching up to touch them, he inhaled as he felt long, pointed tips. In fact, his whole body seemed a bit slimmer. This doesn't quite feel right... he thought. Oh I know! It must be making me an elf too! Maybe we'll be in a party together! Between the strange fuzziness and the pulsating heat in his groin, James quickly flicked to the next page and made his choices. Long, silver hair, gorgeous big purple eyes, and some giant perky lips. "Combination unlocked!" the narrator exclaimed, "+1 Charisma, -1 Wisdom!" James giggled again as the mental fog settled a little tighter around his brain and naughty thoughts about cute girls and boys filled his brain. Boys? Well I guess I've never minded swinging both ways... This felt natural to him, because of course he'd always been bisexual. Next screen!

"Choose your voice young heroine," the woman commanded. James felt a little strange, like her voice was echoing around his head. And why were the sparkles still there, spinning and spinning around the screen. He felt confused, but knew he had to obey that voice. He picked the sexiest combination for his own voice; high pitched, breathy, perky. "Combination unlocked! +1 Charisma, -1 Int." He moaned as that wonderful pressure wrapped his brain and his weekend plans changed to eyeing hunks at the beach. Girls were cool and all, but men had always been more interesting to him [and their pulsing, hard...].

"Now heroine, can you tell me: Are you a girl, or a boy?" The question sent shock waves through his brain. He was a he... right? Why did it feel like there was some longing, some need to acknowledge the woman in him... her? The fog, the music, the spirals, all the feelings he had been having, James could hardly think. Maybe he should think less. Being a girl sounded fun, it's just a character after all. And he needed to be sexy. "Wonderful choice young lady! Now, are you a dominatrix, a super-switch, or a bimbo slut?" Bimbo slut~ James giggled as the words echoed in her brain. She was a bit of a slut, now that she thought about it. It felt odd to pick it, but why not for funsies? "Bimbo slut selected! Wonderful choice, just wonderful. Hold still while your stats are adjusted, and then we'll begin on giving you the perfect, sexy body you've always wanted."

The spirals filled her view and began increasing in speed. James was taken aback at first, but quickly felt oddly calm and receptive to that sultry voice.

"Physique +1, Physique +1, Physique +1." James felt wonderful, like every ache and blemish in his body had faded away.

"Wisdom -1, Wisdom -1." Thinking was fuzzy, but Jamella felt so content she didn't care.

"Charisma +1, Charisma +1, Charisma +1, Charisma +1. Charisma +1." Jamella gasped as visions of sexy men, pecs and abs and juicy, throbbing cocks filled her mind. A desperate heat filled her, and she began touching her groin against her will to try and ease it.

"IQ -1." She moaned, feeling light.

"IQ-1." Empty. She was so, wonderfully empty.

"IQ -1." This was like, so much funsies! She didn't know what was going on, but everything felt so nice~

"IQ -1. Congratulations Ella, you now have the 'Bimbo Slut' build."

Ella giggled absently. Thinking was like, so hard, and she felt like, so hard~. The fun spirals had disappeared... But the nice lady was talking to her again! With great effort, she listened in. "Now that your mental changes are complete, it's time for the physical changes!" Ella rubbed her thighs together and cheered in excitement. She couldn't wait to have more fun! "Unless you choose so now, the process will be au-to-ma-tic [...why was she using such big words?]. You can choose to take over at any time, or wait until the end and adjust as you please [...please. That word felt funny in her brain]".

"No user input detected. Body adjustment commencing."

A nice shiver went through Ella's body as she felt her headset warm against her face. Looking at the boring young man she'd begun to customize (her reflection, of course), she couldn't wait to begin! She sighed happily as waves of pretty silver hair drifted into her view and cascaded down her back. It felt especially nice against her smooth, soft skin, and she couldn't help but gently shake her head to watch it sway. A cool feeling brought her attention to her face, and the alluring amethyst eyes now set in it. Her face itself became much more elegant [but cutesy, too!], and she puckered her lips as a lovely pressure made them swell and bulge out, giving her a sexy and kissable pout [the boys'll love this look! boys~]. She felt herself shrink a few centimeters, gulping as her Adam's apple disappeared into her body. In fact, her whole body had become even more slender, with narrow shoulders, adorably small hands [pretty purple nails!], and a tiny little waist. She gasped, then clasped her hands over her mouth in delight. Her voice was so high and cutesy! She couldn't stop herself from giving out tiny, high-pitched giggles, just to hear how cute she was!

"Basic body structure altered. Adjusting outfit in preparation for primary and secondary sexual characteristics."

Ella ooh'ed appreciatively as a stream of sparkles enveloped her body. And when they disappeared, she squealed in delight! Her drab t-shirt and denim shorts were gone! In their place was a beautiful silver mini-dress that shimmered like starlight when she moved. She frowned in vexation, though. The plunging chest and shoulder-less design was very pretty, but her chest was flat! [shouldn't I have tiddies? The boys won't like me like this...] And the way it clung to her waist and hips would have been sexy, but as it was there was barely any difference between them! Her ass wasn't nearly big enough to justify how the dress cut off barely past it, and with how tight the fabric was Ella could see how achingly hard she was [wait, why do I have a cock? I'm supposed to get cock! In my mouth, in my ass, in my tight little pussy~]. It wasn't right!

"Thank you for your patience sweetie. Optimal figure calculated. Prepare for adjustment of sexual characteristics."

Ella let out a moan as a wave of heat and pleasure washed over her. With how horny she was she could barely keep her eyes open, but she knew she wanted to watch herself become the sexy little [cum] slut she was meant to be [I want it... I want to be~]. The heat settled in her hips, her ass, and her chest, and she moaned again as the changes begun.

Her nipples grew first, more than doubling in size and stiffening through the soft fabric of her dress. Tentatively touching them induced a gasp of pleasure [so nice~] and sent her rocking backwards. The motion made her giggle, because in that time she'd grown a cute pair of B-cup breasts that jiggled when she rocked. Jiggle makes me giggle. I like giggling. I like jiggling. Ella nodded thoughtfully to herself, feeling very wise. Her boobies grew to C-cups. She jiggled some more. She giggled some more.

A tightness around her hips distracted Ella from her tiddies. They were growing! She groaned as fabric and flesh tightened around them, too euphoric to feel pain. Sliding her hands from her waist to her hips made her squeal happily. She had such a sexy hourglass figure, she knew any girl worth her money would be jealous [and the boys would wanna hold me and squeeze me and fuck me raw]. Thighs thickening dramatically in response to her growth, she slapped her ass in impatience. Why won't it get bigger already!

But get bigger it did, swelling out in response to her touch. She fell forward as sheer pleasure blanketed her mind and weakened her knees. Squishing her boobies against the ground made her feel even nicer, until she was panting and moaning for somebody to help, to hit her again and make her bigger~

A slap landed on her booty, and she groaned in delight as it and her thighs swelled again. More. More! I NEED MORE! She moaned in ecstasy as blow after blow landed, making her swell and grow and grow and swell and feel so gooooood! Her tits inflated to D, then E-cups [good for the boys. I can jiggle so well for them~]. Her hips widened and thighs thickened, until she looked ridiculously large compared to her waist [ridicu... ridic... really, really sexy...] And her ass kept growing, and growing, and growing and growing and growing and growing! Tighter! Around my cock! Cock... I... oh~ Too... too... much! Too much! I'm~ I'm!

OooOOoOoOOooOoOoooOOOOOHHH~

Ella screamed in delight as she came, just cumming and cumming and cumming her tiny little brain out.

"Wisdom -1. IQ -1. Charisma +1. Charisma +1."

She was desperate, humping against the ground as the flow of cum abated from her cock. Everything she had been was flowing out of her messy stupid brain, and everything that she should be was coming in. Boys... Cock... Need fuck... Breed~ I'm such a dumb little cum slut~ She giggled to herself.

"Final adjustment required."

Ella stood up shakily, the bottom of her dress a cum-soaked mess. She squealed with delight as the mental fog settled even tighter and she felt an intense heat in her groin. She could see the tops of nipples trying to break free from her dress, and could feel the air drift over her ass, which had mostly escaped the fabric in her growth. So sexy. Hehe~ Boy can take me~ Don't even need dress off~ Thinking hard... Her ass and hips had pulled up so much fabric that her cock was visible now, deflating and still leaking from her orgasm, but she gasped in pleasure as it began rising up again. And, as she felt something long and hard brush her booty [cock? Boys? Fuck?].

A pressure like hands on her shoulders forced her to her knees, and she whimpered in desire as she felt an unseen cock touch her cheek. At the same time, something began intensely stimulating her own. She reflexively opened her mouth in a moan, but was cut off as she felt the cock shove inside [Feels~ Feels!].

All thought stopped.

Her mind was blank, full of pleasure and desire and happiness. Her cock felt good like it never had before, and the dick in her mouth tasted wonderful~ This was what Ella was made for, what she was meant to be. Feeling good, feeling sexy, feeling a pleasant emptiness that could only be filled with cock. Her haze reached a crescendo. Dimly she was aware of her own cries of ecstasy, muffled by the cock fucking her mouth and mind, as she came harder than she even had before. And as she came, her dick shrunk with each spurt until it went inside her [inside me!]. The cock withdrew from her mouth, filling her with a desperate longing. Emma moaned for her unseen hero, then gasped as she felt him once more. And blinked in surprise as the pretty meadow and her sexy reflection disappeared.

She was kneeling on the floor of an unfamiliar room. Shaking off a little of her confusion [don't need know much anyways...], she gasped as the tell-tale smell of pre-cum filled her nose. There was a man standing in front of her!

Sandy-blonde hair. Body like a surfer hunk! Naked. With a massive, sexy cock, dripping with her saliva and it's own juices. Ella moaned in desire, falling on all fours. Visibly trembling with lust, he tenderly cupped her cheek and slowly moved behind her.

Touching her with his [cock!].

Ever so gently, on the edge of her [...pussy!!!!]

He rammed inside her, and she screamed as an absolute feeling of rightness, of sexiness and pleasure and single-minded happiness rushed through her [MORE! HARDER! COCKKKK~]. Riding his dick she felt herself go into a trance, with nothing, absolutely nothing, disturbing her feelings. Ever. This was right. Ella moaned and surrendered to herself, drifting away on her lover's cock and mindless pleasure.

[emilykaldwen]

FFWAD 24 - Sins of the Father by @selfproclaimedunicorn

For my first foray into this yearly celebration with @renegadeguild, I picked the brilliant and fantastic story, Sins of the Father by @selfproclaimedunicorn. Misa has taken the fantastic AU premise 'What if Daemon Targaryen and Rhea Royce had kids?' and has run with it in the most delicious and satisfying way. The story isn't complete, but the first 'arc' has a good stopping point at a whopping 160k words, which made for the chonkiest book you could imagine.

This was the twelth book I've bound (both fic and rebinds of old favorites) and I tried several new techniques for it including rounding and backing the spine. I also stretched my legs in the formatting department and went all in with the interior. That meant ordering some special springhill paper to do these fantastic maps for the endpages. Full details behind the cut!

Typesetting: Normally I've kept my settings pretty minimal as I got used to the ins and outs of InDesign (during this, I did purchase Affinity Publisher and might end up moving to that, but I'm finally getting the hang of ID and you can pry it from my cold hands). I really wanted to mimic some of the interior of Fire & Blood for this, so I hunted down the fonts used and took an image of the decorative banner you see on the sides to use for the chapter openers. I also wanted to include timelines and family trees in true historically inspired fantasy tradition.

The family tree was created based off of the author's spreadsheet in Google Drawing, which I found to be the easiest thing to use when it comes to creating chaotic family trees like this (In the past I'd used lucid chart for a printable version, but google worked better here).

the timeline is honestly my favorite thing and I learned how to use tables in ID for the first time. I'm incredibly pleased with it. The formatting is based upon the line of kings in the source. The timeline covers the events of the first arc as printed in this particular story.

The chapter openers are some of my favorite! As the children are proud to be House Royce, I wanted to reflect that. The runes you see behind the Chapter number and title are the Floki font and name the character whose the POV for each chapter.

Since there's plenty of High Valyrian spoken and the author doesn't include the translations within narrative, it was the perfect moment to set up footnotes. I'll absolutely be doing this for my own story when I bind it!

Rounding and Backing: So this was a total adventure, but I really wanted the old book feel. I made the mistake of pressing the book for too long and lost a lot of the swell in the spine to round but it worked out AND I managed to back it a little bit. Since I wasn't doing cord tapes for the spine (this was a version of the three piece bradel), I had to troubleshoot. I ended up cutting strips of the leather cord I bought from michaels and laminating those pieces together and placing them on the oxford hollow on the spine (given how thick the book is, I wanted to give it as much structural strength as possible). The 'leather' covering you see is actually the craft leather (polyester) from Dollar Tree and it's pretty awesome but definitely has difficulties staying put with glue. I followed the normal procedure and slathered both sides up and used twine to compress the bookcloth along those leather pieces. there's a little gaping in some places which I think would help if I'm able to properly apply backing paper to the polyester.

HTV do's and don'ts: Hi! don't be me and forget to apply your teflon sheets before applying the HTV because then you fuck with the polyester but it's not too bad. The other pro-tip is to gently apply the iron to the cover so it's warm before applying the HTV so it can start to stick. I had to apply the front cover in three pieces and do the title twice. Also, it's really difficult to apply HTV to a rounded spine so I'll have to figure out how to set up the spine and cover before applying (since there's a certain amount of stretching the bookcloth over the spine). The spine might end up having to be regular adhesive vinyl for that. Also, it's stupidly hard to find metallic HTV in bronze.

Front matter and final thoughts: The bronze dragon was a lucky find through an extensive google search, and the runes surrounding it are 'we remember with fire and blood', a combination of House Royce and House Targaryen's words. Seems fitting four Yorick, Ella, and Aemon! The copyright page is mimicked off the source's style, including the AO3 information, the creative commons and fair use information, the guild stamp, a QR code to the AO3 page, and my own press stamp! The summary is pulled from AO3 as well.

All in all, I made this book twice and I loved it and learned so much every time.

I'm so happy with this project and I'm so excited to do the next arc! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful story, Misa!

[jumpingjoltiks]

I want sugar daddy submas but a date with emmet. I feel like after a fancy lunch. They went to buy luxury furniture. And emmet asks the reader to decorate their house or room in ways that she wants it to be. And when the reader is choosing what sofa goes best in the living room (or her room) Emmett is just imaging all the kinds of things he can do with you on that sofa (and whether that sofa is good for sexy time.) when looking at all the mirror he just thinks about how he can f you in front of the mirror and see all the angle

Anon, I am so unbelievably sorry that this took so long to answer, but it has been eating at my brain for the entire time it's been sitting in my inbox and I really wanted to get it right. I hope what I finally came up was worth the wait!

Luxuries

Summery: Emmet takes you furniture shopping for the twin's summer house. Certain unspoken presumptions and misunderstandings in your relationship with the twins come to light. A little angst with a happy ending 💕

Pairings: Sugar Daddy!Emmet x Reader (GN), Implied Sugar Daddy!Ingo x Reader

Warnings: 18+ content (Minors Begone!), Sugar Daddy-esque relationship (and the consequences and implications of such), smut, dirty fantasies, personal and financial insecurities.

After a wonderful morning of trying on clothes and being spoiled to death by Ingo, Emmet meets both of you at a small diner. You’ve never even heard of this place but the atmosphere here is incredibly cozy.

The whole interior is a beautiful, solid hardwood, and each covered table is set up against a curtained window that lets in the light. The booths, far from the cheap vinyl you're used to in diners, are instead actual loveseats made with real leather. The tile floor below you is a lovely dark green, which makes the isle in between tables look like an emerald sea.

“I didn’t think you’d like a place like this. It’s very vintage.” And fancy. You think. This is like no diner you've ever been to.

“That’s because it’s been in business for nearly a century.” Ingo says as he takes the seat across from you, “We’ve been coming here since we first started at Gear Station.”

He sets a small bag under the table. It contains a wonderfully soft cardigan you'd found on a sale rack on your way out of the tailor's. Its price tag could have fed you for two weeks, but Ingo insisted on buying it for you anyway.

It's absurd to feel weird over a cardigan, you tell yourself, especially when it was the cheapest thing bought for you today. You put on a brave face at the tailor’s, mostly because there was someone else already there, but you’re really not used to having so much money to use on whatever you want.

Maybe that was it. The rest of the beautiful, beautiful clothes could be excused as a business expense, like a uniform for a job. But the cardigan, that was for you only. There was no getting around that.

Emmet's voice startles you out of your thoughts, and all of a sudden you're back in the diner.

“Yup yup! This building used to be the dining carriage on the luxury cross-regional line.” Emmet explains, sliding in next to you. His whole expression is aglow with happiness. You’ve come to understand that different smiles mean different things with him. This one shines with warmth. “They have done a lot of work to preserve and recreate as much as they can. These are even the same kind of chairs and tables they used back then!”

“I never even knew this was here…” You take a moment to marvel at the intricate wallpaper and polished wooden walls and try very hard not to think about how much has already been spent today.

“It’s a real gem, don’t you think?” Ingo’s eyes are sparkling. He looks so happy just to share this with you. “Everything here is wonderful as well. Please take a look at the menu and order whatever you’d like. It’s on us.”

~~~

If the twin’s choice of lunch surprised you, Emmet’s choice of where to take you on a date shocks you even more.

“Is this… a furniture store?”

“Mhmm!” Emmet watches your expression carefully. “I know it is unusual. But I want your help picking out some pieces for my and Ingo’s summer house. We have to host a bunch of parties this year. You’ll be spending a lot of time there with us and we want you to be comfortable.”

To his credit, Emmet doesn’t mention a thing about wanting to buy furniture for your place. He’s never been inside (truthfully, he doesn’t even know where you live), but judging from what Elesa’s told him about your lifestyle, it could probably use something nicer. And he would love to give it to you.

“But shouldn’t Ingo be here for that too?”

“Hmmmm, no. We have verrry similar tastes. And we both trust your sense of style, so he agreed to let us go together.”

“Oh. Okay then.” You still look unsure, but Emmet doesn’t seem to notice. He takes you by the hand and your heart flutters inside your chest.

“Full steam ahead!”

~~~

Calling the store massive is an understatement. Even in a city like Nimbasa, you've never seen anything like this.

It's like a labyrinth in here. Every way you turn is a new room full of a setup of furniture. Some of them are kitchens with huge sinks and granite countertops. Others are elaborate dining rooms with tables set for fifty. The ones Emmet most wants to explore are the living rooms.

Maybe this can be a good opportunity to get to know him after all. While browsing a whole wall full of chairs, you ask about his decorating style and preferences.

"Ingo and I like a modern look. It fits with our professional image, so it’s good for places we have to host in." His expression seems reserved, despite his smile.

You think back to how much they loved the old, vintage dining car, and wonder if sticking to a modern 'professional image' can be joined with what they actually like in practice.

Your eyes scan over the chairs, and you find a dark brown, almost black leather piece toward the center. It's traditional, in that the upholstery is very classic, but the lines are crisp and sharp, modern. You don't think it would look out of place in either scenario. You point it out.

"What about that one?"

Emmet brings a hand to his chin, considering, silent. You're worried you may have made a mistake until he quite suddenly turns around and marches across the room. He stops in front of a matched pair of very modern, round side tables, one black and one white, accented with marble tops and gold trim.

"A pair of those chairs with these tables could fill a nook by one of the windows." He says. "Verrry nice. An excellent combination!"

"That would be so cozy! It would be a nice place to sit and talk for a while." You say, excited that he's on board. "A rug under them all would help mark the space as its own little area.”

"Yes!" He puts a hand on your shoulder. “Let's mark these down and remember to look at rugs later. For now, couches."

~~~

There are almost as many couches in this place as there are chairs.

At one point, Emmet grabs your hand and pulls you down onto a loveseat with him to test it out. It's very comfy. Comfier still with you cuddled up under his arm.

Across from you both is a mirror on a large wall. It’s beautiful, with golden leaves and flowers surrounding the frame. In it, Emmet can see you curled into his side. He sees your reflection turn and gaze up at him. The look in your eyes is like he hung the stars. He wants you to always look at him like that.

How easy would it be, to turn his head and kiss you? His lips would fit against yours perfectly. He’s thought about it so many times already. In the dead of night. In the quiet morning. In the dull monotony of the work day. He wonders how you would react. Would you swoon against him, melt into him like he was made for you? His hand has already found its way to your waist. One quick tug, and you'd fall right into his lap - where you belong.

You'd sigh as his lips ghost their way down your neck. He'd trail kisses across your shoulders like rain. You’d gasp at the rough texture of his sideburns against your sweet, soft skin. He’d nip, maybe even bite. Ingo had gotten you those clothes in black… he’d have to mark you in other ways. In places only he could see.

Emmet thinks of his hand slipping across your neck to give a gentle squeeze. You’d shudder in his arms and your eyes would slip closed. His hand would slide down across your chest. Lower. Lower. He feels you breathe against him. The fluttering of your heartbeat. Lower. To the waist of your pants. He’d stop, rubbing his thumb against the line where clothing meets skin, until your hand wraps around his and shows him exactly what you want.

He’d look up from where he sucks dark bruises onto your shoulder. Silver eyes blown dark with lust would meet yours through the reflection. You’d watch yourself become the very image of desperation as he worked you. You would see how he took you apart piece by piece and built you back together with only his touch. The jerking of your hips against his hand. The friction driving you to a squirming mess against him. You’d be laid out before him in the mirror like a feast.

"Emmet..." Your voice is like honey to his ears. A voice on the breeze that whispers, begs for more. He’d give you anything. Everything. "Emmet..."

…

"Emmet, are you there?"

He snaps out of his trance. Just like that, the dream is gone. He's back in the furniture store with you sitting next to him.

"I am Emmet. I was lost on a train of thought. What were you saying?"

“This chair is nice, but I don’t know about the color. I wanted to know what you think.”

“I think we should get this mirror.”

“The mirror?” You look baffled, and turn to make a face at your reflection. It doesn’t really seem like his style, “Why?”

“I like the view I’m seeing in it.”

~~~

Emmet circles a huge sectional. It’s been presented with a luxurious, dark grey fabric. His hands sweep across the back and he notes that even the top is cushioned. There’s so much room, he could fuck you in a different position on it every day for a month and still have opportunities for more. The prospect has merit…

He shakes himself out of it. Any more daydreaming, and you’ll start to get worried about him. Besides, as much as he wants it to be, your relationship isn’t like that with them. Not yet.

“What about this couch?” He asks as you take a seat. You bounce as you plop down, and his fingers tighten indistinguishably on the upholstery.

Its humiliating for you to think about how this couch wouldn't even fit in your apartment. It’s lovely, really. And very nice to sit on. It's even softer than your bed! But it’s far too big for your little studio, (if you could even call a space so small a studio. You’re pretty sure Elesa's closet is bigger than your apartment).

“It’s really comfy! Will it work in your summer house?”

“It might be a little small…” He thinks aloud, coming around the side to drop next to you. Emmet leans back, putting his feet up onto the ottoman in front. “We could add a few more sections to it. It would look nice in the conversation pit. Or…”

He turns to you with a look on his face that’s clearly trying to be nonchalant.

“We could always get it for your place.”

You nearly choke. “My place?” You look away, trying to control your expression. There’s no way that would work. It couldn’t even fit it through the door. You try to keep your voice measured, throw in a small laugh, “I don’t know about that…”

“If you do not like it, there are lots of other things here. We could always find something else.”

Emmet says it like buying something like this for you is nothing. And for him, maybe it is. It occurs to you that you don’t really know much about their lives at all, or how well off they actually are. Maybe they really did go through life not even thinking about what it cost them.

Meanwhile, your funds have been so low that you haven’t even thought about replacing the ratty old futon you’ve had since college. There are a million other things that you’re more concerned about than your comfort - like fixing your car, or paying off your school debts, or how until recently, you struggled to afford just surviving from one month to another.

“Um.. maybe. Why don’t we take a look in the next room.”

Anything to get away from this couch.

~~~

Emmet’s warm smile has fallen. His lips are pursed and there’s a furrow in his brow, like how he looks when trying to come up with battle strategies. You pick at your cuticles. Silence stretches out in between you two like an impassible river. Emmet has always been quieter than his brother, but it’s never been like this before.

“You said you have a conversation pit in your summer home?” You ask, trying to kickstart the conversation again. He’d also said you’d be spending time there, so… “When will I get to visit?”

And you pray the answer is still soon.

Some tension seems to leave him as he answers, “We usually host two parties for the season. Ingo and I would love you to be there for both,”

“I’d like that!” You answer, a little too quickly. But he seems to take it well. He almost looks relieved, and that comforts you as well.

Once you’ve broken the ice, conversation flows easily between you two once more. In fact, you’re both doing really well together! Your chatter is lighthearted, sometimes even boldly teasing, and though you have to hustle to keep up with his long legs and purposeful stride, you find he keeps looking toward you, like he wants to make sure you’re still with him. It’s endearing.

Until he tries to buy you another couch. Another wave of shame crests over you – it’s so powerful that you can’t think of what to do or how to save this moment without losing it. And it was going so well, too!

“Emmet, please stop. I’m sorry, but I don’t think you should buy this.”

“What, why?” He seems baffled, like he can’t figure out what you mean, “Is the color wrong? You shouldn’t worry. We can get it redone to fit your tastes.”

“I- no. That’s not- I just wouldn’t be comfortable with it.”

“But… it’s very comfortable?” Emmet looks confused, “The cushions are plenty soft. You just said so.”

“No, no. I mean, I don’t feel comfortable with you buying something like this for me!”

"But that’s why we're here. You deserve to be comfortable."

He pauses for a moment, as if struck by something.

"Are you not comfortable? With Ingo and I buying you things?"

You pause. Today has been a lot, with Ingo taking you to such a fancy, expensive tailor and Emmet wanting to buy you all of this new furniture. It’s so much money. More than you’ve ever had to spend on your own. But truthfully, it’s nice too. To be able to look at something and not have to worry about what it cost. To just decide you can have it, no matter what it was.

And it was nice, SO nice, to have people who wanted to give it to you.

"It's been really nice. But…" You sit down on the nearest couch, eyes facing downward as you try to put together the words to express how you’re feeling without choking.

But at what cost? You’re not naive. You know that this relationship is transactional. Every debt will have to be paid eventually. Once it’s all wrung up, what will the price on your shoulders be?

You’re scared that soon the spell will be broken. The debt collector will come knocking and demand something you can’t give. What will you do then, stuck with a price you can’t bear to pay and no way to back out? It’s terrifying. Would Ingo and Emmet do that to you? You’ve known them long enough to think that they probably wouldn’t, but how can you really be sure? How can you be sure of anything?

Emmet carefully sits across from you, patiently waiting for your next words.

“I don’t know why you’re both… It’s all so much, and I don’t know what you’re expecting from me in exchange for all of this.” Your expression is worried, almost scared.

Emmet feels his veins turn to ice. He suddenly feels like how he did as a child, making a rookie mistake in a battle and finding out how quickly and badly things could backfire on him. This was the last impression he or Ingo ever wanted to give.

"We are not buying you things because we want something from you. We wanted to do this for you because we like seeing you happy. You should have nice things." Your eyes are watery. He pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and offers it to you. “We only want you to be happy. Is that hard to believe?”

Emmet knows now that the game is almost up. The three of you are going to have to sit down and talk about your relationship – it’s all too quickly growing out of the convenient agreement it started as and into something more. They want to give you more, but Emmet realizes that they shouldn’t have assumed you’d just accept without talking it through first. You were so much more than what you could give to them. Yet somewhere along the way he and Ingo had both failed to consider how you might make assumptions about their intentions.

And then there’s the matter of their attraction to you. Emmet likes you. Wants you. They both do. But they can’t stand the idea of you thinking they’re buying you. Love that is an obligation is not what they want. It is so much more than that for them.

“I am Emmet. And I am sorry. I should have known it was too much to offer.” He says as you wipe your eyes. “I am serious though. Neither Ingo or I would ever expect anything like that.”

“I-” You take a deep breath, “Thank you. I’m sorry too. I should have told you how I was feeling sooner.”

Emmet reaches out and takes your hand in his. This time, you don’t pull away.

“Do you think we could start our date over?” He asks. You look at him and know that if you said no right now, he would take you home and everything would still be okay. “What if we just did something fun together instead? The amusement park is still open.”

You laugh through the last of your tears. “I’d like that. Can we ride the ferris wheel?”

He rubs a thumb over your knuckles.

“That sounds perfect.”

~~~

Thanks for reading! 💕

If you liked this fic, there is now a direct sequel!

[what-even-is-thiss]

I had a big crush on penny until I married her. I honestly thought her arc was going to be finally becoming free of her mother and realizing that holding herself up to the ideal of a Perfect Selfless Caregiver was useless and harmful and that marrying her and getting her into a place of independence where she isn't obligated to take care of anyone would help her thrive. And then she. Didn't. And it was almost disappointing that she started asking for kids and kept talking about her mom and she didn't have an arc, like, at all.

After marrying Maru, and being aware of Shane's arc, I was expecting her to. Grow and change as a person I guess? But she just really didn't? I think you're right to not really care for her, even if I do love her. I just wish she was more than jk Rowling's idea of a perfect selfless mother-caretaker who never asks for anything. I want her to be selfish

I don’t dislike Penny. I think she’s a good choice for people who want a homemaker type spouse. And for some people the way they get out of an abusive relationship is through moving in with a romantic partner. It might be some people’s fantasy to marry someone like Penny. Have kids, pull a woman that can do interior decorating, date a teacher. Some people are into teachers.

I’m just like not into women or a more traditional setup and her infamous 2 heart scene is there so I just find it funny to call her a criminal. Because she kind of is. Arguably the most good kind pure smol bean girl in the entire game shoved that old man. She shoved that old man. And that’s awful and serious but also kind of funny to constantly bring up in my opinion.

[adnehellena]

Vincent Valentine's Room in Rebirth (and why I thought it was important to analyze it)

There’s an amazing relation between Vincent Valentine’s character and the environment he is found asleep in, with the new decoration of his crypt in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The most amazing thing, perhaps, is how that room (and its organization) show an important and quite complex macro representation of his mind and possible psychological needs/problems. 

Below the cut, because this is LONG.

It is a fact that the environment where we live in both helps to mold a personality – acting as manipulator of feelings and as externalizing force of inner fears, emotions and thoughts, helping to bring forward emotional needs or psychological illnesses like depression. This is noticed a lot in Interior Design when we design the whole room and, after some weeks, the same room is completely different from the one decorated because the person is actually living in it and being part of that environment. (Most of the time, the structure of the room is the same – same colors on the walls, arrangements, furniture, etc; but people manage to clutter the space completely or even bare it off its initial characteristics by living inside of it.)

It happens, I’m not joking. It’s impossible for someone to live in a space without modifying it and being modified by it. And I recently discovered this is a whole field of research within Psychology – though I could not determine yet, through articles, if there is specific research focusing on how a room may externalize people’s emotions/personality. (In Valentine’s case, how a designed room may represent a character’s psych or things like his mental state/ possible mental illnesses/internal thoughts.)

And that’s exactly what I plan to explore here. 

(Let it be known that I’m not an expert on the topic. I graduated in Interior Design, but I don’t work with it anymore (curiously, the design of FF7 Remake was exactly what brought me to its fandom) and I’m also a Psychology dropout, but I won’t claim that I’m privy to any of the developers’ intentions towards Vincent’s character just by analyzing his room. Please, don’t take it too seriously; this article is more of speculation and personal views – that I could sometimes cross with real articles and previous experience – than something to be taken as a fact.)

I was aware of how strange it was that, in Rebirth, Vincent was given a fully decorated room, adjoined with the coffin he sleeps in, whereas in OG he had a bare, quite depressing chamber. (Here you might say, “Oh, but it was 1997! We didn’t have enough visual quality in video games to have a fully furnished room.” and I say, “Let’s be creative, shall we?”). 

I’ll start by explaining what brought me to analyze Vincent’s room, and it’s actually quite stupid that it took me so long to realize it. I was moving some furniture in my own bedroom some days ago and planning to add some decorations to my rather blank walls when it hit me: the OG!Vincent had nothing in his environment because he, himself, had nothing of emotions beyond a glaring depression inside – he may call it guilt, but he’s, in fact, in a deep depressive state beyond all that remorse over past mistakes. 

The ambient around a person acts as an extension of the self, and in OG Vincent has nothing inside himself beyond his sadness, self-blame, and monsters, so the walls and the crypt around himself are exactly how they should be before he went to sleep: somber, empty, devoid of life and things that humans usually have when living inside a space. That crypt is more akin to monsters than to human beings. It’s a place of grief and despair, be it caused by others (the crypt was already there when he went to sleep in the coffin, but also personifying the part of his grief that was caused by others when he was experimented upon) or by himself, by his self-imposed isolation, representing his guilt and the monstrosity he feels within. 

In OG, in a sense, Vincent’s room is his coffin, and the bare crypt is his internal feelings spilling out to the outside.

It’s worth notice that in AC we don’t know where he’s living in, but he stays in the Forgotten City living probably with the bare minimum – in said movie he even says he never tried to be forgiven, so we can presume he didn’t change much from the OG, though he’s seen as someone more ‘accessible’ to his friends and even those in need. In DoC – where he starts his journey to forgiveness – he’s seen in a more living environment while in an Inn in Kalm. So, in OG > AC > DoC, Valentine is walking slowly towards self-recovery, fighting that ‘emptiness’ inside and becoming more human again – accepting himself, in contrast with his perception that he’s becoming a monster in OG. He’s unconsciously externalizing it as he’s progressing on with the places he’s living in. 

Now, the main point of this essay is his Rebirth room and how it shows different facets of his inner world. (Rebirth’s design is magnanimous. I was enamoured by it in many MANY ways, but Vincent’s room is the main focus, so… Let’s get to it.)

Vincent Valentine now has a proper “bedroom” fully decorated with  furniture and books – and bottles (this guy might be slightly alcoholic by now 🤔) (I’m joking about him being an alcoholic please don’t take it seriously!), and with a very particular sense of style, I have to say; but more importantly, he’s living there. Every one of those pieces, be it the books, the pen, the mug, every piece of décor is part of Vincent’s self expression. 

Can you understand how amazing is it? When SqEx told us they would add things to make Vincent Valentine more mysterious, I was confident they would only transform his visuals, not add an entire ambient to hint things about him! (And I’m not complaining about what they did.)

Vincent Valentine went from the depressive, mood guy to an actual living, breathing human being. This version of Vincent was awakened by Veld (let’s pretend this is how it happened) and instead of sleeping again, he decided to stay awake and search for answers this time (I wish SqEx would give us a reason for it in Part 3, but… Who knows). I’m not gonna say Vincent isn’t depressed or moody now, I’m just seeing the context he is in and how it indicates that Vincent is… He has more acceptance of himself, of his failures, of what he turned out to be. (I can’t remember if Vincent calls himself a monster in OG, but in Rebirth – though he feels hurt by Barret tactless words – I’m safe to say perceives himself as a monster, but is at least trying to detach himself from this view somehow.) 

And his room is the exact point where he starts it. 

For those who don’t remember, this is basically the whole view of Vincent’s bedroom (and the best moment to see it in its entirety):

When I first saw his room, I immediately noticed the symmetrical layout and the particular pieces of that composition. (I was sure, and even commented on it, that the chair in that tiny ‘living room’ inside the bedroom was a Chesterfield one. And then I was very irked that it wasn’t. And then he’s sitting on a Chesterfield couch in Ever Crisis 🤔 Good to know I’m not the only crazy one who sees Vincent’s relation to Chesterfields.) But by the furniture and the layout only, you can say he has a very classical style of décor; because even if every one of those things were borrowed from the mansion above, Vincent still chose those pieces. 

He had an entire 'store' to buy furniture in the Manor above, he could have borrowed chairs from the kitchen or the servants quarters, for example; but that's not what happened here. He borrowed things with quality, style and luxury, probably based on his tastes.

It’s obvious to assume that Valentine went to the mansion above and brought those furniture down to the basement, where he felt safe and more at ease; this means that he decorated his room with his own preferences. Vincent chose a comfy chair, a side table, a chest of drawers, a small fireplace of sorts (I think? Honestly, I don't know what that thing is. I come from a very hot country and we usually don't have fireplaces here, just some electric heaters masked as such.)

Not only that, but he also has a very rich rug, in a pattern that is very similar to a Persian rug – but that could also be a Victorian one. (I’ll stay on the oriental reference, because they are usually more recognizable and they are also more accessible in matters of research, but this won’t change the analysis). It doesn’t really matter what rug is, but its meaning to a décor style. They can be used in a large range of styles, from modern to retro rooms, but they are usually associated with a Classic or Traditional Style of decoration – be it a Persian or a Victorian rug. 

I’m gonna say that I see this room of Vincent more in the Classical Style with a touch of Victorian Era, than the Traditional one. And the reason is simple: very little of this room has colors, and noticeably the few ones are earthy, natural tones; in the classical style there is abundance of ‘natural’ colors – usually in lighter shades, but that is not a rule, rich materials such as stones, leather and quality woodwork with simple forms and an abundance of details. 

Actually, the Classical Style can be described as: Symmetry, Discipline, Special Color Combination, Wooden Items, Royalty and Luxury, Having Details, Having a Focal Point. The room Vincent is found in has checked most of those characteristics, even if in a simpler way. It has (part) of the symmetry, special color combination, woodwork, royalty and luxury (even if moderately) and having a focal point. The difference is in small details, like the ornament of some furnitures and I think that’s where the Victorian inspiration enters. 

In an attempt to analyze his room better, and try to isolate the symmetrical arrangement that is a vital part of the design, I did a quick floor plan with what I could see of his room from the videos – I don't have time for another gameplay for now. (Please, forgive me for the inaccuracy of the models, I did it on a Mac notebook and all my design apps are on my Windows PC… 😓).

Of course, every one of those characteristics are subdued in Vincent's bedroom, but they are undeniable.

Anyway, you can see here that the room has a somewhat equivalence on the matters of furniture. I am kind of reluctant to call it symmetrical – usually symmetry happens as a bilateral occurrence, it’s kind of difficult to cut this design in the middle, be it vertically or horizontally, because most of the furniture is poorly positioned in the room.  I also couldn't define exactly what is behind the left door leaf – only that there is a file cabinet and the treasure chest inside the room – and what is beside Vincent's coffin on the same side, but it seems like a door opening, even if it’s not completely visible, the structure indicates an opening there. I don’t know why it is there, but it’s very similar to the one at the crypt’s entrance, even if it is thinner. Perhaps to indicate a smaller passage.

As you can see here:

But the door’s position won’t change the analysis, it’s just additional information. To simplify things, I am working with the room divided into 4 parts and commenting on its equivalence. Can you see the equilibrium in the furniture arrangement imagining it divided by 4?

If not, I'll help you out with this picture: 

This way it’s possible to see the way the furniture ‘talk’ with each other.

We have a (slightly tilted) central piece formed by the chair, the small chest of drawers, the side table and the tiny fireplace. Even if tilted, there is symmetry in one facing the other and the position of the chair, in accordance with the chest of drawers, is quite interesting per se. 

There is a model of positioning studied by Environmental Psychology that is usually done in social spaces, called sociopetal arrangement, where the chairs or couches inside an ambient are turned at comfortable distance towards each other in hopes to make the communication flow easier between two or more people. I’d say it seemed ludicrous for Vincent to have two sitting chairs inside that room, since it's only him there and he doesn't want his peace disrupted (I always saw him as a functional introvert person and this room screams comfort and introversion, but this is just a personal view. Feel free to ignore). What I mean about the arrangement is that the simple meaning of putting something to face his chair indicates a more opening to talk than, let's say, OG!Vincent. 

In fact, he talks and offers his words more freely in Rebirth. (I'm talking about his whole scene with Regina, he was quite… I don't know, at ease to offer some advice in matters of the Blood Queen? I perceived him as such, as more wise and stable/true to his real age when talking with Regina, but there are other instances where he offers his comments freely, too – despite being only a NPC). And it’s fascinating to notice that, in contemporary designs, most of this arrangement – which was used even at homes – was lost in favor of space; it reflects pretty well the lack of communication that society is facing these days.

To exemplify it, that’s how most of Victorian/Classic designs are styled in contrast to Contemporary arrangements:

Now that you can see how 'opening' to new experiences Vincent may be, let's study his room by parts.

That central piece of the room is like a small interior of his, of sorts. It looks to me like it's the aspect most close to his heart, but yet at a safe distance from his most intimate feelings, and it is what he’s comfortable to show first to other people. When the party enters Vincent’s chamber, the main focus of this primary room is the rug and its contents, taking the attention off the coffin and making its revelation even more dramatic.

This got confusing, let me explain it: when we enter a room – especially a bedroom, as it is the case here – the focus is obviously the bed; this is the piece usually evidenced in design, because it's a place of security, comfort, love, rest, healing etc. Hardly a bed is associated with nightmares or bad things. It's a piece of furniture that is, more often than not – and especially in Classical Style rooms – a lavish, comfortable, opulent thing; usually is the one of the most expensive parts of the design (it may vary from where you are from and your budget, but… People usually spend a little more to have the most comfortable and luxurious bed/bedsheets). 

And in Valentine's case, his bed is a coffin, hidden beyond that first small living room. That’s why I see that first room as his more external layers – even if it still is intimate – and the coffin as his most guarded feelings/personality. Vincent’s coffin may be made of rich woodwork and beautiful engravings, with good quality lining and comfy, but it still is a coffin. And what else a coffin represents? Being locked up, being trapped – beyond the obviously dead which still applies here, since he can feel dead on the inside and possibly be real dead too. We don't know. 

But the important thing here is: the focal point of Vincent’s bedroom is a coffin, meaning his feelings/his sense of self/his personality is hidden beyond that first view of himself (the living room) and currently trapped inside of it. Not as dead as he is may feel in OG, but more like being confined in Vincent's nightmares, represented by that coffin. His inner fears, his inner thoughts, I dare to say even his cherished memories – something we probably will see him disclose at the next game and when completely free of the coffin – everything is sealed inside it as much as inside himself, metaphorically speaking. That tiny room right before his ‘bed’, are the things about himself that he deems okay to show to the world after waking up. 

And the books and the research scattered over the room? They can be seen as the secrets about his own past. Books hold secrets, knowledge, history... They are a great addition to any room for the promises and memories they represent.

That's why I think he still is depressive, but he is slowly overcoming it in Rebirth more quickly paced than he did in OG. I won't expect a full recovery in part 3, only God knows if SqEx will do a remake of any other game of the FF7 Compilation, so… I won't expect anything more from his character beyond growing in confidence and being more open to others, perhaps. And I'm not saying it to belittle Vincent, but merely because it may not fit the narrative if they intend to keep DoC as a ‘sequel’ as it is.

(Hah, much reference is used about getting out of a closet, but it's the first time I see getting out of a coffin as a metaphor for overcoming sadness! This is… Very clever, actually.)

But back to that tiny room. We have this very interesting choices of furniture, because the chair matches the side table and the fireplace matches the chest of drawers – again, representing some symmetry even if both are from different styles (doesn't the chair and the side table resemble more a countryside style whereas the fireplace and the chest of drawers – alongside his desk behind it – something more of a classical/victorian one?). This mix of very similar styles indicates a sense of refinement, elegance and brings a ‘timeless’ atmosphere to the room, too. Which is… How to put it? Ironic, considering Vincent is probably immortal. 

Both sets of furniture are placed tilted (and here I think it's just because he has some sense of order, but his views are always slightly ‘off’, divided between himself and his monstrous counterparts), and he's using the place enough to have books and ‘personal’ objects scattered around. Remember back there when I said that by using a designed room someone can drastically alter its meanings? That was basically what I was talking about. 

The place is a somewhat luxurious living room (fine leather chair, sturdy furniture, cozy atmosphere through the fireplace, the rug and the lights – also, there’s a lamp beside Vincent’s chest of drawers that is there only to counteract Cloud’s presence once inside the room). This one I have to make a break to comment on, because it’s rare that we see something asymmetrical in a symmetrical room; usually this kind of things makes the viewer uncomfortable, and here the missing part is Cloud when he enters the room, indicating that Vincent’s view is tilted (again because of his inner demons) and missing something (Avalanche’s presence – represented by Cloud) there.

This is what I'm talking about asymmetry inside a symmetrical room. (I'll stop with the pictures, I promise!)

I remember that I commented it to my brother on the first gameplay, because you cannot see the room entirely in any moment, but you can see when Vincent jumps, that Cloud is more or less in the same position on the other side of the candle holder. Also, did everyone realize that Cloud tried to touch Vincent’s coffin like he knew those marks of Cerberus or remembered it somehow? I think SqEx would miss a good opportunity if they don’t use this as a reference for some distant memory of Cloud related to Valentine. 

Back to the main point, Vincent is using that room, leaving notes and books around, they are pieces of his ‘work’ but also pieces of himself he's showing. Exemple: Vincent obviously drinks alcohol, but there is only a mug around – meaning he doesn't care about the external visage, only its contents (very ethical, isn’t it? And very attuned with his good side, too). There’s a fountain pen over his desk (if I’m not mistaken it is a fountain pen inside its inkstand – pompous, old-fashioned bastard!) and some small pots that resemble a lot of chemicals and medicine jars; one of them is obviously a lamp oil bottle. There are interesting papers inside Valentine’s desk because they are binders and files he probably have been reading from Hojo/Nibelheim’s experiments. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if Vincent is not only aware that he carries Chaos inside himself this time, but that he’s also learning about it alongside the obvious multidimensional written equations off his crypt’s walls. (This indicates Vincent is smart as fuck, I’m so proud of him! 🖤)

But beyond what he is researching now, there are also bookshelves around the room, and some of them seem to hold files, books and a suitcase (?), and I bet Valentine gathered a great part of Hojo’s research and brought it closer to himself, in a sense of silly protection of his own information. Vincent states to Cloud that he is “Security” and when he said that, I thought “Why? The Mansion is abandoned”. Now I understand that he is protecting everything inside that room – his bedroom, where he finds a place of safety and stability, alongside some humanity – and what he couldn’t bring to that place, he locked up. That’s why he was so angry that Cloud invaded the laboratory and went into Limit Break right after. 

Oh, don’t you believe that Vincent is trying to have some sense of security and stability inside that crypt? I’ll explain it through the colors, then. 

In all, there is duality in the way Vincent decorated his room – be it by its mismatching furniture almost perfectly arranged or by combination of colors – and all of it converges to some elegance and to details of his personality. If you look closely, there’s some chaos in the order he put in that tiny living room, in the way he’s using it – it’s a living place alongside his ‘resting place’ (namely his coffin), and it means the conflict inside himself, the human parts he shows to the world side by side with the beast, dead parts on the inside. 

I can't hardly believe Vincent was a messy person when he was a Turk. It just doesn't fit his character and the time he was raised in. The compilation and his overall style/way of acting gives an idea that he was raised in the upper classes, too. So, I can't see Vincent as someone messy, who would have his things scattered around. He would probably be a very organized person, and we can see that by his work table, though cluttered, there's some order on it. The books are in order, the pen, even the small jars are lined, so that chaos and that tilted room must come from somewhere, right?

And I believe that comes from the inside, Vincent's restraint is enough to keep a calm, quiet and observatory façade, but inside he's bubbling. And then he decorated his own ‘bedroom’ in search of that tranquility, from the furniture to the colors. 

There’s an abundance of neutral colors, browns, black and golden with some red and green peppered around (I think his chair, the one posed in front of his desk, has a dark green seat. It seems so, at least). I couldn’t decide if his rug has some red predominant on its borders or if it is some dark brown tinted by the lights – but even them are important (Persian rugs are a piece of art in itself, every color in it has significance, and I’ll talk about it soon). 

Every color has a meaning, conveys a feeling,  brings something to the observer. And the chosen palette (browns, black, golden) indicates a search for coziness and comfort; the neutral tones are timeless, elegant, but also not intrusive and help to create a comfy atmosphere, particularly under low light.

Exactly like in Vincent's crypt. 

Though you may think, ‘Valentine has monsters inside’ – well, we kind of don't know that at this point. So for anyone who enters his chambers, and doesn't know him, he's a guy inside a very elegant and very comfy, albeit weird, room. It's a very masculine, power inspiring room and I have to say, with quite a pitiful view too. )I see it as a sad lonely picture for the viewer, and it indicates that Vincent himself doesn't realize that kind of loneliness – perhaps for the human company – until he's invited to join Avalanche. But again, this is my opinion.)

Vincent's chosen colors are… Interesting to say the least. Both for himself and his surroundings.

His coffin is stuffed with red fabric, and red is a predominant color of his character as a whole. It truly affects the mood, is associated with strong emotions, such as love, passion, and anger and is also the universal color for strength, power, courage, and danger. And couldn’t all of these adjectives be used to describe Vincent Valentine? (With all the red Vincent has around himself, it’s amazing he’s so quiet, but again, his most predominant color is black.)

Black is even more fascinating; beyond its significance of death and grief, it can also represent power, mystery and intrigue and evoke a sense of danger, evil and even emptiness. In décor, it can be seen as sophisticated and elegant when it’s used in furniture, and it's usually something used in more modern settings (but today it can be applied to any piece of furniture, honestly). 

The amount of black related to Vincent is alarming – while he was a Turk and dressed accordingly, now he’s completely cladded in black (and it's a very different shade of black. The materials of his clothes seem to be made of a darker shade than the other characters, and probably the cloak and its shadows help with it. I would say Vincent uses Vantablack where anyone else uses normal black 😆). And there's more! Valentine uses the black color around himself too, in the furniture – particularly on the desk where he works and around that chair with green and his brown leather chair. This implies that Vincent is comfortable with/or used to his internal mourning state; it’s not very different from being depressed, and with much repressed anger about his past. No surprise he has some bottles scattered around the black side table, it can’t be easy to remember bits of his past while sober. 

(Again, I am just speculating here, but… Considering Vincent’s height and the spread width of his arms, it’s possible that those bottles are there precisely because he was sitting on the desk and put them down – behind the black side table with drawers – as he finished them. It’s a… Very plausible movement, to turn around and ditch the bottles on the ground, where they would not disrupt his studies.)

Oh, let’s keep going, or else I’ll never finish this!

The rest of his décor is mostly in brown and earthy tones, with hints of yellow/golden. Those tones – even the golden accents – are supposed to give the atmosphere some comfort and atemporal elegance, and it’s no surprise that the lights inside Vincent’s chambers are yellow, provided by the candle holders and by the (few) wall lights. The yellow light is used specifically to give the cozy atmosphere, and in this case, some calm to all that red rage inside him. It's also noticeable that since ShinRa Manor has an old/classic style design too, and if Vincent was truly raised in the upper class, he is probably trying to mimic his childhood home – usually a place of happiness and security for the person – or seeking to rescue that feeling inside himself, even with Chaos and the beasts and all the pain he carries inside. 

The rug in his room is very similar to a Persian rug – I think this is the most plausible reference because it's the most commonly used in matters of design and research, too. It certainly made it easier for the devs to find a Persian rug pattern than a Victorian one, for example. (Believe me, I had to find some in the past for 3D plans. It's a nightmare.) And by that line of thought, Persian rugs have history and meanings, every color and symbol woven on it has significance.

For the little we can see of Vincent's room’s rug, it seems to be a floral pattern – it looks like it – with tones from a deep brown/red, black orange, golden and some white sprinkles here and there, holding meanings of Wealth, Courage, Humility, Piety and Power, with some Purity and Cleanliness from the white and Mourning and Destruction from the black lines. Again, there is symmetry (the Persian rugs are always symmetrical to maintain the classic/atemporal characteristic) and I could even try to understand its motifs if I could have a better quality picture of it, but… 

Until then I’m gonna stick with its colors. 

This rug comes into the space as a complement to his personality and a warning of sorts. While thinking about Vincent’s rug right beside the fireplace and considering rugs are usually for heat insulation, it gives me the idea that he perhaps feels very cold and – despite wild theories about scars and such – that might be the reason why Valentine uses so many clothes and that heavy cloak, but again, this is only speculation.

Of course we cannot be sure of any of these things until the next game, but his bedroom indicates that Vincent is not only a sight to sore eyes – a gorgeous, weird and introverted man – but also a knowledgeable, growing individual. The fact that he was able to fight and stay awake, making a small nest out of that crypt, is proof enough of it and I am curious to see how much of this they will expand in part 3.

Anyway, to wrap this analysis – even though there's always more to add, and I am sure I will think about new bits of information once I publish it – all of those pieces show part of Vincent Valentine's character, be it by subtle warnings (colors and chosen furniture) or hard to face truths (a coffin). They all help to give the viewer a small peek of his insides, and I say, he's still the sad, guilty man he was in OG, but in Rebirth he's more at ease with everything that happened to himself, perhaps comprehending more of it if he truly did the bits of multiverse equations on the outside room. 

References:

• About ambient illumination and mood:

https://journal.psych.ac.cn/xlkxjz/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1042.2022.00389

• About environment, colors and its psychological effects:

https://londonimageinstitute.com/how-to-empower-yourself-with-color-psychology/

https://www.shutterstock.com/pt/blog/teoria-cores-guia-abrangente-designers

https://cherdecor.com/en/blog/color-books/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494424001816

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/environmental-enrichment#chapters-articles

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/environmental-psychology#chapters-articles

• About Classical Style in Interior Design:

https://www.cyruscrafts.com/blog/interior-design/classic-interior-design-resembling-a-style-that-never-gets-old

https://www.rowabi.com/blogs/lab-of-wabi-sabi-blogs/classic-interior-style

• About Persian Rugs Design and its Colors:

https://magicrugs.com/blog/the-psychology-of-colors-in-rugs-what-your-choices-say-about-you?

https://orientalrugsalon.com/blog/40674/persian-area-rug-colors-and-designs-what-do-they-mean/

[lilacmingi]

ALICE IN WONDERLAND AU: JUNGKOOK’S ENDING

My works are 14+ ONLY. If you’re under 14 DO NOT interact with me or any of my works

Word count: 1,480

Pairing: White rabbit!Jungkook x fem reader

Note: There’s no taglist for the separate endings. If you haven’t read the series yet, you can find the intro here or find it on my masterlist which is linked at the end of the imagine

Every single one of them were amazing and beyond perfect, but your heart seemed to be pulled towards one of them in particular.

You thought back to when you saw Jungkook and how he was the first one you met even before falling down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland. Images of him ravishing your neck with kisses brought an intense heat to your cheeks as your eyes drifted over to him.

"You're all certain that you won't get angry?" You inquired before revealing your answer.

"We're sure." Taehyung smiled warmly. "Your happiness is all that matters to us."

"Go ahead. Pick one." Yoongi urged gently.

"I can see you already have someone in mind." Namjoon said. "So just say it."

You nodded and took in a deep breath. "I choose Jungkook."

Jungkook's face lit up and his bunny ears perked as soon as his name left your lips. Unable to contain his excitement, he ran up and embraced you in a night hug, momentarily lifting you off the ground.

"I love you, Y/n. I love you so much." He murmured while rocking the both of you back and forth.

"I love you too."

Lifting his head, he locked eyes with you, tugging your body closer to his.

"We're gonna be so happy together." He whispered as he inched closer to your lips.

As much as you wanted to kiss him, you knew there were six other people standing nearby.

Before you could stop Jungkook on your own, someone cleared their throat, causing him to pull away.

"Save that for the bunny cottage." It was Yoongi that spoke.

"Sorry." The tips of Jungkook's ears turned pink from embarrassment. "I got carried away."

"Well that settles it." Jin smiled warmly. "I suppose we should all go our separate ways."

"We all need to keep in touch." Jimin mentioned.

"I'm having a tea party tomorrow! You all should join." Taehyung piped up.

"You have a tea party every day. What's new?" Yoongi remarked.

"We can always find something else to do together. I promise we won't lose touch. I'll make sure of it." Hoseok assured.

"Me too." Jimin agreed.

"Alright. We should probably let these two get on down the road and stop holding them up." Namjoon said.

The boys pulled both you and Jungkook into an embrace, everyone saying their goodbyes and promising to meet up and stay in contact on a regular basis.

Giving a final wave to the group, you left Jin's castle and started making your way to your new home. Jungkook intertwined his fingers with yours, your feet shuffling along the cracked stone pathway that led away from the towering castle and out into the vast valley of Wonderland.

"You okay?" Jungkook tilted his head cutely.

"Yeah. Just nervous. This is a big change."

"You're happy though, right?"

"Yes. Very happy." You smiled. "It's a big change, but it's one that I'm looking forward to."

"Good. It shouldn't take us very long to get there."

"I'm so excited."

"Me too. I think you'll like it a lot."

A few minutes passed before you came upon a quaint cottage with blue bellflowers planted on either side of the front entrance and small clumps of moss growing on the roof making it look like a fairy cottage from a fantasy book. What you were seeing was nothing like what you had pictured.

Jungkook stepped forward and took it upon himself to open the door for you.

"After you, sweetheart."

The nickname made your heart thump as you kept your composure and stepped inside.

What you saw almost took your breath away. The interior was decorated cozily, setting a warm and comfortable atmosphere that made you feel right at home.

"Did you decorate this place yourself?" You asked, looking around at the small plants scattered about the living room area.

"I did." He grinned proudly.

"It's so beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you." Jungkook's voice sounded from right beside your ear, his fingers brushing your hair back so he could trail kisses up your neck.

Your eyelids slid closed and you leaned back against him while simultaneously presenting more of your neck so he had more room to ravish you with his soft lips.

"I'm so lucky." He hummed as his hands slid around your waist.

Two weeks later

You stood at the stove flipping the last batch of pancakes, the warm scent wafting into the air and filling the small kitchen. A fond smile colored your features while you pulled cups and plates from the cabinets. You absolutely adored Jungkook's little cottage. It was cute, cozy, and the perfect size for the both of you to live in. The kitchen, though small, was equipped with all the necessities while taking up a minimal amount of space.

You rolled up the sleeves on Jungkook's shirt which you currently donned and plated the pancakes. The white dress shirt you wore fit him perfectly, though it was a little tight around the sleeves due to his massive biceps. However, the garment looked huge on you, the hem of it reaching your mid to upper thigh.

The faint sound of bare feet padding against the hardwood floors reached your ears moments before a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around your waist.

"Good morning." A groggy Jungkook murmured, his morning voice sending a not-so-subtle shiver down your spine.

"Good morning, bun." You reached back to tousle his long hair which was no doubt a mess.

"You made pancakes? That's so sweet of you." He placed a kiss to your cheek.

"It's nothing." You fought back a smile, turning your head just enough to where Jungkook couldn't see you getting flustered.

His strong hands gripped your waist and spun you around to face him. It was then that you took notice of the fact that he didn't have a shirt on, leaving nothing to the imagination.

In the two weeks you had been living with Jungkook, seeing him shirtless wasn't an uncommon sight, but you still managed to get flustered every time you saw his exposed torso. It drove you crazy. His broad chest and tiny waist were always capturing your attention, drawing you in like a magnet.

When your eyes met Jungkook's, he smirked at you. It was then that you realized you were (very obviously) staring at his physique and you had been caught.

"Something catch your eye?" He inquired, quirking a sharp brow.

Your eyes avoided his which made him take your chin between his fingers, turning your gaze back to him. A mixture of desire and adoration swirled behind his darkening eyes.

"What are you staring at, beautiful?" He asked.

You responded with a meek, "Nothing."

"C'mon, darling. You can tell me. I am your boyfriend, after all." He spoke lowly, leaning in so close that you could feel his breath tickling your neck.

"You know what I was staring at." You responded.

He feigned innocence. "No I don't."

You swallowed.

"Why don't you show me?"

That cheeky little comment lit a fire in the pit of your stomach.

Two can play at that game.

Bringing your hand to his upper chest, you placed your palm onto his skin before slowly sliding it down the valley of his chest, one of his bunny ears twitching lightly in response. Your hand moved lower to his stomach, your fingertips trailing over his abs, causing his eyelids to flutter.

"I was staring at all this, big boy." You responded in a sultry tone.

That was all it took to make him snap.

He closed the gap between your faces and attacked your lips with his own, biting harshly at them before taking your bottom lip between his. Your hands flew up to his hair, grabbing handfuls of the long, inky strands, tugging on his locks every once in a while, eliciting small sighs and grunts from him.

Kisses with Jungkook were always dizzying and left you in a haze of bliss. The man was full of passion and never failed to remind you of that.

The tips of your fingers brushed against the base of his bunny ears, causing him to release a sigh into your mouth. Unable to keep them in one place for too long, your hands traveled down along his broad chest and across his torso, feeling every dip and curve of his toned body. In turn, he pressed you against the cabinets, caging your smaller form with his much larger one.

"Jungkook." You sighed out when your lips parted ways, your breaths coming out in shallow huffs.

"Mmm what?" He hummed, kissing you again.

"The pancakes are going to get cold."

"Why have pancakes when I have something sweeter right in front of me?" He murmured, latching his lips to yours once again.

You eventually got around to eating breakfast, just after a long and heated make out session.

Masterlist ᝰ

DO NOT steal, plagiarize, copy, repost, alter, or translate my works in any way

[hxlcycnx]

closed starter || mira and robb

she didn’t have any second thoughts when she entered the apartment. the bland decor and the too-organized interior screamed everything robb. which was precisely why she was here. he didn’t know when he would get home, for all she knew he could be hours. she decided to get comfy.

she explored for a bit. moved a few decorations just slightly out of place, tilted a few picture frames, got cozy on his bed to watch tv, before finally decided to steal a book from his bookshelf. and that’s how he found her. sitting on his couch, reading his books, in nothing but one of his oh-so-neatly-pressed button down shirts that was getting wrinklier by the second.

“you have horrible taste in literature.” she greeted as he walked through the door, not bothering to look up from the book. “like really, who reads this stuff for fun? you could have at least shelved a few good fantasy books for me to find.”

@allthatglxtters

[anticidic]

The urge I have in any game that allows decorating/interior design and I just recreate scenes from bsd like what a fucking nerd I am

I'm not designing a Bar Lupin and cafe Uzumaki in final fantasy no.....

also THERE'S A WOH MOD WITH DAZAI AND I'M?

😭 he's so majestic in pixels

[runicmagitek]

What Doesn't Kill You (Aerti - Final Fantasy VII)

(( based on A Thing that happens at the end of ch1 of Rebirth. no spoilers beyond that tho! ))

“Finally!”

Lamps illuminated the private bedroom. Rustic decor welcomed the ladies—quite the departure from the city’s industrial aesthetics, topside and the slums. Tifa admired the interior from the doorway as Aerith bellyflopped onto a bed.

“What a relief!” she said, a touch muffled by the bedding. “So glad we can sleep in proper beds tonight.”

Tifa chuckled and approached the other bed. “We certainly earned it after that hike from Midgar.”

“Right?!” Aerith peeked over a pillow, kicking her feet. “Kind of exciting, too.”

“Exciting? How so?”

“Well, sharing a room with you? Feels like we’re having a sleepover.”

She hesitated while kicking off her boots. When was the last time she had one of those? Since she was a kid? Since Mom was still around, most likely. Simply one of many occurrences that stopped happening after Nibelheim. And since Cloud recounted the incident in painstaking detail, Tifa’s thoughts screamed at her about—

“Not that I’d know.”

Tifa cocked her head. “What’s that?”

Aerith partially hid behind her pillow. “I never... had a sleepover before. It’s a nice idea, though, yeah?”

Whatever plagued Tifa drifted elsewhere.

“I think,” she replied, “we should make the most of this sleepover.”

[read more on AO3]