#i think ive really captured his essence

[zerooriginalityitsalljustcrabs]

My artistic talent knows no bounds

[shaadowmilkcookie]

One of Shadow Milk’s many prop replicas of himself, left behind. Even though the eyes are forever staring straight into the distance… Oddly enough, you still feel like you’re being watched.

But surely, though, it won’t hurt to take it home and touch up the colours, right? :)

[subsequentibis]

i'm not feeling my lineart today. you get scribblies

[girlwiththeobsessions]

love sick c.f.

this book has also been published on wattpad. same username as the one on here. i update faster on there.

you and conrad had a secret relationship two summers ago, when you were 15 and he was 16. you broke up with him because your younger sister, belly had liked him, and you were afraid of hurting her. now, flash forward, you were 17, and you thought you had gotten over him, but maybe you haven’t

iv. deb shopping

part 1 part 2 part 3

i had no clue what was going on with conrad, why he was acting so different this summer, making me wonder what happened to the same conrad who would go on and on about infinity.

i slept in that morning, because of the fact that i stayed up way too late at that bonfire, but i eventually got up since i had work today.

when i went downstairs, dressed in a white lifeguard tank top, and red shorts, laurel, steven, and jeremiah were downstairs.

conrad was on the couch, and jere was making a 'hangover smoothie' for him, while steven was standing behind him, looking over his shoulder.

"do we really have to physically sit for our portraits?" jeremiah complained to laurel. "can't she just- look at a picture on her phone or something?"

"right?" i agreed with him.

jeremiah backed up a little from steven, having enough of him hovering over him. "okay, get out." jeremiah pointed at the door.

steven laughed. "what. why?"

"she needs to see you in the flash to capture you essence." laurel said, fixated on her laptop. "while you're still young, and full of hope."

"so poetic, mom." i joked, while steven and jeremiah laughed.

"her words." laurel rolled her eyes at us with a smile.

"well, conrad does not have hope, actually. he's hopeless." jeremiah insulted, causing me to laugh a little. "but! my hangover smoothie, it cures all."

"can you please just hurry up." conrad rushed him from the couch.

"just go back to bed. alright?" jeremiah shot back to him, and steven started looking over his shoulder again.

jeremiah put a hand on steven's chest. "alright, seriously, steven. get out. this is a delicate science."

"she hasn't painted you since you were little. i think it would be nice to have these portraits for when you're older." laurel added in.

"oh, no." steven joked. "when i'm older, they'd have like, holograms i can watch of myself, you know."

"or, this is why we have technology." i say. "where we have pictures? on our phones?"

jeremiah started the blender, causing conrad to jolt awake.

"just sit for your portraits." laurel told me and steven. "you don't see conrad complaining.

"he'll complain when he's actually conscious." i shot back at laurel.

jeremiah went to the couch and tapped conrad. "hey. here."

"come on, man. hurry your ass up, i can't be late to my first day of work." steven rushed jeremiah. "those little country club boomers are gonna tip me so hard they won't know what hit 'em!"

i made a disgusted look at steven. "ew. steven, i swear."

"come on, y/n." jeremiah laughed. "my boys gotta get that bread."

"stop." i shook my head at him.

i look over to see belly walking in the kitchen, and i give her a small smile.

"good morning." jeremiah says to her in an enthusiastic tone.

"belly, where have you been?" laurel asks her in a serious tone. "is that a bruise."

belly stands next to me and i run my fingers over the bruise. "mom, relax, she tripped when we were at the bonfire and landed on her face." i lied, i knew belly wouldn't wanna tell the actual story

"doesn't look that bad." conrad said from the couch, i look over at him, and made eye contact with him for a few seconds before returning my focus back to belly.

"uh, cereal?" jeremiah asked belly.

"yeah, hit me." belly softly responded.

"oh, my god!" susannah ran into the kitchen. "belly and y/n are going to be debutantes!" she hugged both of us.

belly laughed. "it's really not that big of a deal."

i'd forgotten all about the whole deb thing. it'd be hard trying to balance a summer job and being a deb, on top of that, i'd have to find a date.

"i'm sorry, like those two? my sisters, right there?" steven teased us.

"shut up, cretin!" i shot back.

"okay, this is going to be so much fun!" susannah fantasized. "just you wait. there's the tea, the auction, the- ball, of course.. i gotta write this down. we need to go shopping!"

"this sounds expensive." laurel said.

"oh, don't worry, laur, it's on me." susannah smiled. "it was my idea after all."

"y/n, are you sure you wanna do this?" laurel asked me. "it doesn't seem very you."

in truth, not really. but if it made susannah happy, it made me happy. i had to do it for her.

"it's not." conrad, once again, added his two cents from the couch.

i don't know how he went from how he used to act towards me to.. this.

"conrad, could you please be a little more supportive?" susannah told him. "now, which one of you are gonna be belly or y/n's escort to the ball."

"not me." conrad immediately responded.

"shocker." i say, in a sarcastic tone.

"i went last year." conrad finished his sentence.

"me neither. i swore off balls." jeremiah told us, causing steven to laugh. "the dances dude!" jeremiah said, laughing.

"wow, guys!" i say, sarcastically. "stop fighting over us."

"i'm not going with either of you." belly finally spoke up. "i am going to find my own date.

"it says debutantes require instruction, morals, and social etiquette." laurel read off her laptop.

"i'm going for a swim." conrad leaves through the back door, as i watched him go.

"yeah, y/n could use some etiquette." steven laughed.

"and you wonder why you don't have a girlfriend." i rolled my eyes.

all the sound drowned out as i watched conrad from the window, in his shorts, and no shirt on. i missed how things used to be.

i felt a hand on my shoulder. "you alright, y/n?" jeremiah asked me.

"yeah." i tried push aside anything feelings. "we should probably go soon."

"wait." susannah spoke up. "before you go, we have shopping to do!"

"seriously?" i asked. "i have work. i'm not going shopping."

but that wasn't true. susannah is a really convincing person, so before i knew it, i was shopping around stores with susannah, laurel, and belly, for the debutante thing.

i tried on different dresses, all colors, and different accessory's, hats, sunglasses, and bow, bags over my hands and arms.

then, i had to try on a debutante dress, i found a beautiful white long dress, i loved it, but maybe conrad and laurel were right. this whole thing was not my scene.

what have i done?

ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚

END OF CHAPTER

[lunarleonardo]

You like fanganronpas? If yes, which ones you like? :3

Ohhhh OHH I looove Fanganronpas. The only ones I've seen are Super Danganronpa Another 2 (i couldnt figure out how to play the first one :( i also just havent had much time), Danganronpa Despair Time, and Danganronpa Lapse. lunar ramble incoming

(will try to avoid spoilers for each fangan !!)

DRDT was the first one I saw, probably since I imagine it's one of the most popular, and ohh. I LOOOVE Teruko!! teruko they will never make me hate you. She and Whit are definitely some of my favs,, because. well. Who doesn't love Whit xD I also really like Nico :p I think they're sooo funny just. in general. btw chapter two had me in pieces thanks for asking

SDRA2 took me a good week to watch, and ill admit. i didnt finish chapter 6 (ノ_＜。) I was really sick when I watched chapters 3 and 4, and it didnt help that i was pulling all nighters because i was so hyperfocused i couldnt sleep. chapter 3's trial is unironically one of the most entertaining things Ive ever seen in any dr game AND fangan EVER. Like guys!! what is happening here!! that being said, I sort of knew who the culprit would be cus i was spoiled just a tiny bit, but I was STILL SURPRISED AT THE END cus ohhh my god. the twist. Sora is one of my fav protags ever btw I love yuri and NO not the character Yuri althohgh. he was really funny ill admit. He wasnt creepy in the Hifumi/Teruteru way and i really appreciate him for that. i also laugehd when they found him and he was like "Oh hi guys!" totally normally. dont get me started on... teruya and mikado ...... duuuudee they were actually tweaking literally what were they even doing. This fangan captured DR essence very well and took it a step further in an even more unhinged way, probably due to tbe lack of limitations on monetization n stuff, and honestly I APPLAUD that. i want what they have lowkey

Danganronpa Lapse is the one I played most recently and HOOOLY SHIT do not get me STARTED. ECHO!! ECHOOOO!!!!!!!!!! i was SO HAPPY finding a nonbinary dr protagonist you have no idea. and they were SOOO CUTE </3 DR Lapse is definitely a LOT shorter than any usual DR format and it deviated a lot, but despite that it still felt like a Danganronpa game and everyone there was SO. i was so in love with them. rip lyle you wouldve loved your turn to die. I do have to admit I was a little confused on the ending, but overall I really really enjoyed it. Also Zero was there and that makes it an immediate 11/10 thank you zero for accidrntally making me give you the funniest possible voice for your character

ok so it just hit me..now. BUT!! I have seen a little bit of Cartoons in Danganronpa!! I really really need to watch the prologue and..yknow...actual chapter instead of just watching the class trial and being absolutely blown away by every tiny thing. Theres a lot of characters in there I LOVE and especially seeing DIPPER GOD DAMNED PINES?? IN DANGANRONPA???? AND ERIC CARTMAN?? absolutely peak. funniest thing ever. but also i am so scared for the conclusion of that trial because the suspects are worrying. Also shoutout to Gaz for being the funniest one there . The artwork is so similar to their respective styles but you can still so clearly see a touch of the creator's own style and that really gives the entire fangan its own charm. The voice work!! Incredible. Thats another thing that hit me hard with DRDT TOO!! THE VOICE ACTING!! fuuuck it's sooo good ugh

another one is Ive seen the prologue to DR Mortalis Perpetua. I think it's a REALLY fascinating approach on the danganronpa style and I need to make the time to watch the new eps .. attention span please if you can hear me come back i need you

I love these fangans SO much and I love love seeing fangans in general. It's amazing seeing people's passions come to life, and i get SOO so happy whenever I see one. I adore peoples creativity, and even if it doesnt catch my eye, I still appreciate the passion and work put into those projects ^^゜゜(´O｀)°゜

And honestly? I really want to make my own fangan. I do already have one, a crossover fangan with my girlfriend, but I really want to make one in a video game format. I know I'll probably forget about this in like a month or two, but I have always wanted to try and make games. That would mean, however, I have to teach myself coding... @_@; so Ive been on Scratch. and it's going great (ITS NOT ITS NOT ITS NOT ITS N

if anyone out there has any tips for getting into making games... please help. I have a very bad habit of overwhelming mysrlf ( ；∀；) and i need a starting point lmao

anyway we'll see. I fear I might need to start looking into ADHD medication

[meatsex]

vinny came into where i work today (and is apparently friends with one of my coworkers lol) and i instantly thought of you<3 i don’t watch him but i’m a long time oomf-in-law and your art is really great and captures him well👍

WHAAAAT thats so cool.... i love that, i imagine he was more chill when in a casual situation like that and not talking about piss and shit on stream

thank you for inmediately thinking of me at the sight of the liminal vineman i love that, thank you oomf-in-law i appreciate this so much its so silly

and thank you im glad my art captures his rotten essence well i feel like ive drawn him a million different ways somehow but im happy to know its recognizable as vincent vineman

[just-jordie-things]

i am the biggest spidey fan and trust me ive read my fair share of spiderman au fics from all kinds of fandoms over the years but i think yours takes it… truly the best spiderman au ive ever read. its everything ive ever wanted from one,, you stayed true to megumis canon characterization (so often authors just peter parker-ify the male mc theyre writing about even if theyre canonically nothing like him) while also still capturing the essence of what makes the spiderman au love stories so great—the adorable school romance, the deep understanding that can only come about through the mask, the banter, the UPSIDE DOWN KISS?? i also feel like a lot of times the attraction the reader feels for the male mc As Spiderman in these fics can often feel shallow, but it made so much sense in yours it was so well fleshed out. THANK YOU for this masterpiece and i know their story wrapped up pretty nicely but i would be far from mad if you wanted to give us a little more from this couple…

AHHHH OHMYGOD THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!

i had the most fun writing this piece BECAUSE i didn’t want to change megumi’s characterization and his sense of justice/morality paired with the spiderman character was INTERESTING AS HELL!!!! because peter parker doesn’t want to kill people or hurt them all too bad… but megumi?? my feral man???

pfft if i gave spiderman!megumi his shikigami mahoraga would’ve shown up and annihilated those guys that made the reader uncomfortable let’s be real

but thank you so so much!! compliments like these really mean a lot to me i take them straight to mind and heart because i do make an effort to make sure the long fics are worth it!! they’re not long just to be long and every added word is necessary!! especially when ur writing an upside down kiss mshdjskans

[golden28s]

tag game wednesday friday ! 🌻

im late again for this but anyways thank to the cool lovely people that thought of me and tagged me 💖 @mickeysgaymom @milkovichrules @guinguin1984

1. if you could switch bodies with anybody for only one hour who would it be and what would you do? someone rich just to transfer the money to my bank account and then i can go back to my body

2. whats your most trivial / dumbest hot take? I’m so sorry

uh, idk that maybe fictional characters are just fictional characters and half of the discussions about them aren't that deep but half of the time they're also representation and give visibility to something, to some people's reality and you have to treat with respect and empathy

3. if you had to teach a college course what would it be in? anything related to medieval literature

4. season 12 of shameless is suddenly happen and youve been put in charge! what plot point(s) are you gonna make happen?

ian and mickey navigating marriage and see them learning how to communicate even better, allow them to have moments for them and be romantic and cheesy and embarrassing because they couldn't be any of that during at least 10 season so they deserve that. probably try to fix lip and tami relationship or simply make them break up because they don't see to understand each other and lip needs peace and space to try to get on his feet again, try to find new goals and aspiration, a new horizon. also maybe open the conversation about ian's experience with grooming and let him heal that wound and at some point after that, and some therapy for mickey too why lie, ian and mickey having an actual and honest conversation about kids and deciding that they're ready for that.

also give debbie a real chance to try to built her own life.

5. who would be your godly parent? (can be any mythology).

idk never thought of this

6. what’s something you love about yourself?

that i cant be angry for too long, i get upset but i cant be mad for hours or days or weeks i just can't

7. describe your day in 5 emojis: 📖📚📒🎧🎶 i've been basically doing uni assignments

8. what shameless character do you think you could beat in a fight? lip because i probably wouldn't even have to touch him, id just say that he's wrong about something and he would be crying shaking yelling

9. tell us 2 truths and a lie, we’ll try to guess the lie!

-ive been writing poems and stories since i was 8

-i hate pickles

-im scared of darkness

10. do you have a pet(s). if so how did they get their name?

i have a cat and idk i just thought it was cool

11. show us a meme (or picture) that captures your essence

12. whats your typical coffee / tea / beverage order?

I don't like coffee and i don't really drink tea but peach iced tea is so good

13 . use a song to describe the last 5 years of your life?

you're on your own kid by taylor swift, it's been a hell of a journey but i have some kind of peace now let's just say that im like mickey and change is not my thing

im late to this like i said so im just gonna tag a few people and feel free to do it or not ! and feel free to ignore too if youve been tagged already @lupeloto @juliakayyy @energievie @creepkinginc @transmickey

[cheolhub]

hi sar🥰 i just finished reading what you need and i LOVED it!!!!!

because of this… i think i’ve finally decided that slightly mean, soft dom wonu is my favorite kind of wonwoo to read😩 it just suits him perfectly and i think you nailed it when it comes to capturing this sort of essence for him<3 the visuals you write get me every! time!!

this fic was sooooo nice to read and it’s making me excited for whenever you choose to post meant to be yours pt 2🤭 ok BYE I LOVE U ❤️

HI MY LOVE! im so happy u liked it 🥹 i was afraid i was a little rusty bc it’s the first thing ive written in months

i loveeeee a meanish soft dom!wonwoo sm 😵‍💫 he’s my favorite wonwoo to write (true and real) but THANK U SM, it really means a lot bc ive been working on less dialogue and more imagery?? (it’s hard)

im working on meant to be yours pt2!! i have no idea when it’ll be done but it’s coming together… slowly 😅

[finalgirlagatha]

ohhhh my god i just read your little keian snippet and it is. so good. the way you captured the little nuances of their character and dynamic is amazing. they really are scared of each other, almost hate each other sometimes. ive also thought that rhian would probably think drinking is foolish but would ultimately turn to it in a situation like this where his entire sense of self is collapsing around him.

“He didn't even move, he stood still. This used to empower him, his silence and stillness. Now, it was a prison." i love this line soso much, it really captures the essence of kei's character.

“You're real. When we were boys... even when you were King, I couldn't believe you were real.” this was another fav because YES rhian's not real! so much of him is a persona, some untouchable concept that he's created. you can't get too close to him because he'll burn you but kei's managed to get so impossibly close. i imagine that there is a huge part of kei that can't fully conceive of rhian as like a real person so i really loved this bit.

overall you did such an amazing job of capturing how their mutual resentment would boil until it explodes if they were exiled. this was so great to read!!!

i'm cryingggg thank you so much! ��� this is so sweet. keian are in Such an interesting place in this scenario because they are utterly stripped from their carefully formed personas! Like you said, rhians entire sense of self is gone, and kei's previous demeanor of impassiveness keeps him from a real connection with rhian. And rhians in a place where kei is all he has and he loves, fears, and hates that!! they are so impossibly interesting, i'm so glad you liked this!! thank you for this beautiful comment <3

[grayyylake99]

LITERALLY WHAT IVE BEEN SAYING!!!

Why do people scream HISTORICAL ACCURACY when the og movies were never accurate to begin with???? Yes, it’s a movie about dragons; we know that. But the Vikings in the og franchise NEVER EVEN CALLED THEMSELVES VIKINGS IN HISTORY. There’s so many things that the characters do in the franchise that make sense to us as a Western audience, but were definitely not something they did in real life. It’s just a culture inspired but what we now call the Viking period.

Yes, I was suprised they casted a woman of color as Astrid; yes, I was expecting all casting to be exactly the same as the animated counterparts. But does it really matter at the end of the day? No! Nico Parker has her face shape, she has her beauty, she’s a great actress. I can’t say much because we have not seen her performance yet, but so long as she is true to WHO Astrid is, that’s what is needed.

Nico Parker looks fantastic as Astrid with beautiful braids and blonde streaks. Her outfits look great! I do wonder why she’s wearing red instead of blue in many scenes, but personally, I think they’re capturing the essence of her look in terms of accessories.

I’m not saying I 100% back this movie up. Not matter how positive I may be, as a die hard fan, I never wanted nor asked for a live action adaptation. I do not believe it is necessary and makes it seem like animation is not enough. I wish they re-released the originals to captivate “new” audiences.

I don’t like the castings for the twins, I don’t like how fake the arena looks. I don’t like the “new” take on the HTTYD theme. There’s probably more I’ll have complaints about. But I’m gonna be positive. My young sister is excited. I see her excitement for it. And dang it am I making her watch EVERYTHING in the HTTYD franchise. It’s been fun.

But I still want to see it. I personally see passion being put into by the actors that were excited to be apart of it. I haven’t had too much faith in Dean DeBlois’ writing since HTTYD 3, but I truly see his passion for this world and I, too want to see this project succeed.

I give credit where credit is due and criticize what I personally don’t like. I understand the dislike against it.

At the end of the day, i chose peace over being angry, and will be looking forward to the release date.

“It’s not historically accurate! It’s cultural appropriation! Why doesn’t Astrid have blonde hair and blue eyes?!?”

I mean, Vikings didn’t wear horned helmets OR have American/Canadian/Scottish accents or even ride fucking DRAGONS but I didn’t see any of you cry about historical inaccuracy then. Just say you’re racist and move on.

[orcelito]

ok i caved so here r some of the picrews ive done of Fang (plus links!)

first - second

third - fourth

fifth - sixth

[mchi22]

Mr. Barney's Mind for the character ask?

favorite thing about them

is just saying "hes pathetic" a cop-out?

least favorite thing about them

mean 2 his gf. die 1000 deaths

favorite line

hmm.... i dont have the best recollection of stuff hes said but i am a fan of "is there no end to the problems i can solve by shooting things?"

brOTP

him and mindverse gordon <2 i feel like gordon wouldnt really like him very much but would still hang out with him to avoid working

OTP

i simply think he & mr. shephard's mind should kiss a little bit..

nOTP

i guess i dont really have one? ive seen a few ppl on ao3 write fics w him and benry and im not a huge fan of that but idk

random headcanon

he wouldve played fortnite. i know a man who can crank 90s when i see one

unpopular opinion

i dont really think enough people care about him as a character for anything i have to say to be considered "unpopular" 2 be totally honest

song i associate with them

creatures ov deception by rainbowdragoneyes. captures his essence of thinking hes cooler than he is and its got chiptune so. hgfdsjgdf

favorite picture of them

idk if it counts but this post by @/sourcengine is correct

[x1e3ju]

nothing christmas related but ive been working around my designs for them (as i always do lol) and instead of doing what i should be doing, trying to learn to sew (its a whole thing) well, no! so uhm erm. was looking through the sketchbook cuz digital hasnt been feeling right as of late and totally forgot i had already made a younger design for akechi (which i prefer much, much more btw) so attaching this to that as notes of sorts lol

i also changed akira’s hair back to how i originally had it but i dont have any digital drawings to attach or any recent, more serious (?) drawings to attach i do have this doodle tho and something old i drew of him last school yr which i think is rly him to me lol (oh and two other doodles as well from this summer)

ok, ik he looks like 4 diff people in every drawing but i just have a lot of trouble capturing his essence or at least, the essence i wanna give him 😭 but these are js the closest ive gotten. as u can probably see, his hair texture is a little different and i think that hair texture fits him a little better cuz i wouldn’t say his hair is curly i js think its a little more textured than js being frizzy hair like morgana points out in the game. in the overall look of it all, i dont want akira to look particularly masculine or more with a male body type but at the same time i dont want him to look extremely feminine or more female leaning cuz i dont really have a problem with his in game model so i dont want to stray too far from it (also bc i hc akira as cuban from i forgot which side now lol but i think he would try to achieve that balsero aesthetic and tries to be all cool and edgy, it doesnt work very well but he tries at least😭) hopefully this all makes sense

okk that went on for longer than i expected but thats the jist! i change my designs everyday lol i think the only one thats pretty fijo is akechi’s js cuz i draw him like. all the time lolll

its been such a long while since ive been able to draw anything and post (excluding last post which was for interrogation room day lol) but ive been on the drawing grind as of late and i did this references for my royal trio which some headcanons on the side (i take them so seriously, they are practically my ocs atp gjskfj) i plan to do the rest of the pts later when i have the energy and ability to do so, i think i was only able to draw them out as how i see them without hating it immediately bc of how much ive drawn them these past 2 years lmao

also did a chart sorta thingy for how i see younger akechi & akira (i take my trans hcs wespecially for akira very seriously lol) i also drew them and how i view their furry counterparts (i rly wanna get better at drawing furries!) and i think both came out rly well, im extremely proud of the chart thingy and how i drew akira there and even the hcs and stuff i added bc i think it sums him up rly well and is like very very close to how i viewed it in my head, which is also smth to be proud of. i wish i wouldve included more hcs/details for akechi but oh well it is what it is, i dont think his backstory is as important as akira’s bc we can pretty much infer for him unlike with akira who we are given no lore on (which i rly dont like but at the same time i love it sm lolol) but yea, then after that i drew a wonder to accompany it all. i see him as the shuake divorce child although i did NOT know p5x took place in 2026 which blew my mind i hope we NEVER see the pts older its gonna read the arthur future ep so bad 😭 i dont even WANNA know what they envision for them (also seeing makoto police officer in actuality will js. break me what a horrible path for her, so out of character too)

editt (cuz i forgot lol): i also drew young akira and akechi if they wouldve met, js a little doodle i thought was cute lol

[queerbrujas]

floriography

pairings: ub (nate, felix, morgan, ava) x neutral detective wordcount: 1k (~0.25k each drabble) rating: T

read on ao3

a series of drabbles inspired by @twcrohunt’s flower hunt

i. White violets, for Nate Sewell Let’s take a chance on happiness

Ava’s voice echoes in the back of Nate’s mind, words that have been repeated many times, in some way, over the past three centuries. Stop, stop before you’re hurt again. It is always the same story, always with the same outcome, and yet Nate can’t help but come back like a moth drawn to flame because of that one chance it might finally be right.

Ava doesn’t understand, not truly—she doesn’t recriminate and she is there to pick up the scattered pieces of him, but the fallout is all that she sees. Not the desire, the longing, the flashes of happiness that make this, in some way, worth it. At least, he thinks it will be worth it—and he can’t bring himself to think otherwise, even through the heartbreak. Even through the sour taste left behind by the ill-advised attempts at intimacy that are better suited to Morgan’s style.

When he meets the detective, Ava’s voice grows louder. But her concern is drowned out by the feeling of being truly alive for the first time since Nate can really recall. The feeling of being wholly consumed by the detective’s presence, their essence, the way they spark feelings in him he had only felt the ghost of before.

It might end the same way again, he knows he would do well to be cautious, but if it doesn’t—won’t it be worth everything, anything, if it’s for good this time?

—

ii. Daffodils, for Felix Hauville The sun is always shining when I’m with you

The light in this world is different, different from that other place that Felix doesn’t want to—refuses to—think about.

He couldn’t say exactly why or how, but it brings out colors in a way that has him turning his head every few seconds to take it all in, shades and hues that are vibrant and bright and he wants to capture all of them, experience all of them, everything this place has to offer to him.

It’s not just the colors, either. It’s the smells and the flavors and the light. He’s never seen so much or felt so much and it makes him throw himself into it all with no worry nor care. (Because he’s finally got a home, and a place to feel safe.)

And then he meets the detective and it’s just—a burst of color and feeling and he has no idea what he’s saying, what he’s doing, but they’re the most incredible person and he wants them near at all times. He had almost gotten used to the light of the sun in this world, but now it feels like an entirely new place; he closes his eyes and feels a tingling warmth that wasn’t there before, he opens them and the reds and the blues and the greens have a brightness to them that he’d never seen.

He’s fidgeting. He’s nervous, yes, a little. But it’s just because they make him feel so much and there’s this bright light all around them—what if they don’t feel the same way? What if they’re so used to all these colors and feelings that it’s nothing special to them?

But they do, they choose him, they want him, and the colors have never been brighter.

—

iii. Petunias, for Morgan Your presence soothes me

Morgan’s senses always get the best of her. She has to deal with the smells, the sounds, even the damn scratching of her t-shirt on her skin is something that won’t leave her alone. Sometimes, sometimes some part of her almost wishes she was like Nate, with all that practice he’s had to dampen his senses, all the work he’s put in to do that and for what? To have human food and drinks and to be more like them. But it’s something she has no patience for. It’s much better to lose herself in the nicer aspects of humans and drown out the noise that plagues her. At least that way she can have some fun.

The witching hour is a relief—quiet and cool and she can close her eyes and almost feel what it’s like to not be overwhelmed with sensation from all directions. Almost.

Well, it’s not like she remembers ever knowing anything else.

When she meets them, she almost doesn’t notice how it all goes quiet. She’s too focused on the enticing lines of their body and the way she can get their heart to speed up and the lovely reactions she can draw from them.

But then they’re gone and it all comes back. The light burns and the heat is overwhelming and the bright colors make her eyes narrow in pain. And she doesn’t know why, she doesn’t know what’s changed but she chases the detective anyway, and if it calms her senses, it’s just the thrill, the anticipation, the excitement—right?

It’s just some fun, right?

—

iv. Striped carnations, for Ava du Mortain I can’t be with you

Ava hasn’t had a care outside of Unit Bravo for three hundred years. Even longer than that if she counts the time when Unit Bravo was the name for what was really only her—and six hundred years on your own can shape you, make you forget a lot of things.

Family and friends have no meaning for her outside of what she has forged over the centuries; Nate, who knows her better than anyone could have ever hoped to know her as a mere human, who is stability and comfort she wouldn’t know how to ask for—that she doesn’t need to ask for. Morgan, who is trustworthy beyond all, and Felix, who she will keep safe at any cost, and the three of them are all she needs.

When she meets the detective it’s like the sound of shattering glass.

No, no, no.

She knows, immediately, what this could be, what it is—but that only makes it worse, and the pull she feels towards them threatens to shatter her in every way; her resolve, her strength, the nine hundred years she has spent being nothing other than what she is.

She hears Nate’s voice in the back of her mind. It will only hurt so much worse if you don’t. It’s a mirror of what she has said to him so many times. But she can’t, she can’t.

She almost gives in, she can’t help herself, and the taste makes her hate it all the more: it is the sweetest thing she has ever experienced—but still she must step back, and deny herself. Nate’s voice rings in her head, but she can’t. Not this. Not them.

She shatters the training dummies instead.

[scottymcgeesterwrites]

Final Fantasy VII Review

 Year: 1997

Original Platform: PlayStation One

Also available on: PC, PlayStation Store

Version I Played: PlayStation One

Synopsis:

The Shinra Electric Power Company rules over the city of Midgar, and the eco-terrorists AVALANCHE stop at nothing to try and prevent the life essence of the planet from being used as energy. Barrett, leader of AVALANCHE, hires a mercenary named Cloud Strife for their bombing mission on a Shinra Mako Reactor. Cloud doesn’t care much for the greater cause and only wants his pay. But then, after a mission goes awry, he meets Aerith, a flower girl who is the descendant of the Ancients. He quickly finds himself wrapped up in the greater conflict against Shinra.

 Gameplay:

Final Fanatasy VII utilizes magic spells via Materia – little orbs that come in a variety of colors pertaining to the natural elements. You can mix and match them on your weapons and equipment, which gives you access to different spells and stats. All your equipment varies with the number of slots for how many Materia orbs you can put in. Leveling up not only upgrades the character but the equipped Materia as well.

 Final Fantasy VII also uses an ATB system but is known for introducing Limit Breaks – finishing moves that build up after the character gets hit over time. Final Fantasy VI had a prototype called Desperation Attack – but it was very rare as it only appeared when your character had 1/8 of their total HP, and there was a 1 in 6 chance of performing the Desperation Attack after selecting Attack. I actually had no idea that was a thing until long after I finished the game, and never experienced it when I played Final Fantasy VI.

Graphics:

Out of all the Final Fantasy games, I have to say that this one has not aged well. It has the worst graphics of the entire series. The battle and cinematic graphics are passable.

(Most of the graphics power seemed to be put in Tifa’s, uh, bosom.)

But the characters in towns, the overworld, and in-game cutscenes are incredibly blocky. PC versions are supposedly sharper, but the PlayStation One version makes it nigh impossible to see any facial expressions. 

The graphics are definitely a product of its time. I always say that the beginning of 3D gaming was essentially like puberty – awkward and full of zits. It wasn’t yet at that stage where it could be aesthetically pleasing. We marveled about it when it was first released, yes, but then we cringed in retrospect.

The environment backdrops however are probably the strongest points, where they capture the industrial nature of Midgar, the reactors and other such buildings.

Story:

Final Fantasy VII became legendary the minute Square released it. Every aspect was memorable. Part of it could be due to the fact that it was the first Final Fantasy game to enter the 3D realm. Another part was Tetsuya Nomura’s character designs, which hit the cool meter to the point of sub-zero.

 The cinematics blew our minds. The opening action scene with Cloud, Barrett, and the rest of AVALANCHE attacking Shinra’s mako reactor is the most memorable opening to a Final Fantasy game. Period. Final Fantasy games really do know how to start at the right spot, no matter how good or bad the overall game is. The opening is always the best part.

Then there was the motorcycle chase. Cid’s airship. The gun fights. Battles with Sephiroth. The extra stuff to find, like summons and extra bosses. So much was jam-packed into the game.

 But the story was the primary factor in making VII famous. It’s definitely one of the better ones. Man, the story became so famous that even gamers who haven’t touched a Final Fantasy game knew the major spoilers. It is the equivalent to knowing Darth Vader’s line, “I am your father” without having actually watched Star Wars.

Aerith (Aeris in the English releases) Gainsborough – the innocent flower girl who holds the secrets of the Ancients – develops a romance with Cloud and fucking dies at the end of Disc 1 by the main villain – Sephiroth. The scene shocked everyone and practically made headlines. Everybody has seen the horrible image in one way or another.

It seems to me that since Final Fantasy V, the stories have gotten more and more used to main character deaths, ultimately transforming into a heavy-hitting TV series rather than simply a video game series. In other words – it matured. Looking back, Final Fantasy IV appears to be child’s play and a prototype of later dramatic storylines with fully realized worlds.

 Final Fantasy VII was also the first Final Fantasy game to create a world much like ours – one with cars and trains and airplanes and machine guns and even cellphones. The main city of Midgar reflects industrialization at its worst, with miles of slums and claustrophobic cities. Shinra Electric Power Company is a reflection of capitalism at its worst - a single entity in charge of so much that it’s pretty much the government. For the first time in a Final Fantasy game, you play as characters who dance between the morally ambiguous line of terrorism and activism. Funny enough, the theme of neglecting the planet resonates with us now more than ever. This game ended up being rather prophetic about the uncontrollable growth of corporations.

While the story is memorable with many intriguing elements, the plot itself is a tangled web. In my opinion, they really hashed in so many things that it’s easy to forget crucial details. It’s not straightforward, but at the same time everything does connect by the end. While Shinra is the driving force as a whole as the villain, Sephiroth takes over, then you learn about his backstory and then with the evil scientist Hojo and the extra-terrestrial Jenova and then “Weapon” and then the planet’s history and this and that and the other thing.

If I were to put Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII together and contrast them, as many gamers do, I would find that Final Fantasy VII is the summer blockbuster and Final Fantasy VI is the Oscar winner. Final Fantasy VII started introducing the sappy romance subplot to the series. A love triangle forms among Aerith, Cloud, and Cloud’s childhood friend Tifa. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with having a love triangle, the writing is like watching middle schoolers trying to express their feelings. Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy IV treated any romance with dignity and realism.

But maybe I’m being a bit harsh. After all, Cloud Strife did go through some suffering as an adolescent. His backstory clearly drives his antisocial behavior, so that becomes a good arc. 

The goofiest but memorable part of the story deals with Don Corneo and Wall Market and running around store to store doing tasks in order to free Tifa from Don Corneo. It ends with Cloud needing to cross-dress as a woman to get inside Don’s mansion. Because, you know, it’s not like Cloud can just break in with his sword and Aerith’s magic or anything like that. But whatever. It’s anime.

The recent Final Fantasy VII Remake for the PS4 seems to streamline the story, and actually enhances the emotions they were trying to deliver in the original. I will be talking about the remake in a separate post altogether since I’m almost done with it at the time of this writing. But there’s a lot that I want to say about comparing and contrasting the remake and the original.

The latter half of the plot takes a couple weird turns. At one point, Cloud became catatonic and confined to a wheelchair.

That part of the game became the sluggish part for me. Sephiroth also tries to confuse Cloud, which confused me. Cloud apparently suffers from some alternate subconscious mumbo-jumbo and like. . .ungh. I get an aneurysm thinking about it sometimes.

Complicated plotlines like Final Fantasy VII start showing up from here on out in the Final Fantasy series. The trend of bishonen characters also begin here, bishonen being the Japanese term for “beautiful boy.” Cloud and Sephiroth have that look. The series starts hashing in sappier romances and much more of an anime feel.

Final Fantasy VII ultimately marked the start of a new era for the series – introducing both cool and overused tropes.

Music:

Hands down the best Final Fantasy soundtrack of all.

The entire soundtrack of this game is memorable. The opening tune, with its light twinkle when the stars show up, is enough to make any gamer know exactly what that’s from.

With a story set in a more modern world, we have music that is more modern. After Final Fantasy VI had a more serious and operatic score, Uematsu displayed his love of progressive rock here. The motorcycle chase incorporates a lot of synth, which was fitting for zipping through the streets of Midgar. However, Final Fantasy VII is the first Final Fantasy game without that familiar starting bassline for the battle them. The battle theme is instantly recognizable but also radically different from its predecessors. It’s dramatic and displays danger.

Meanwhile, the boss theme is one of the best boss themes in the series, or any video game really. It’s an electrifying progressive rock piece, and it’s my personal favorite boss theme.

 The more instrumental pieces are somber, given the dreary atmosphere of the planet. The world map music is very different from its predecessors. It’s romantic one moment, soaring the next, and then dips into foreboding terror. I guess that sums up the story of Final Fantasy VII.

And we cannot leave out One-Winged Angel, which I will talk about below.

Notable Theme:

Without a doubt, One-Winged Angel – played during the terrifying final battle against Sephiroth – is the most memorable piece of music in Final Fantasy VII.

It may very well be the most popular song of the entire series. Nobuo Uematsu was inspired by Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. It’s a whopping 30 something minute classical piece. If you look it up on YouTube and browse through it, you can definitely note the similarities. However, Uematsu didn’t want some boring classical introduction to the piece. He wanted to add the destructive impact of rock. The theme has a very distinct stamping-your-foot-down quality to it.

I had noticed a certain piece-by-piece feel of the song and that’s exactly how Uematsu composed it. This is the only song that Uematsu has composed where he created several tunes in his head and then rearranged them to make a single comprehensive song.

If you want to get technical, One-Winged Angel is the first Final Fantasy song with lyrics. The chorus sings in Latin about Sephiroth’s burning anger, with some lyrics actually taken from the medieval poem Carmina Burana. It sounds fantastic when fully orchestrated.

In Advent Children, the animated sequel to Final Fantasy VII, the music is accompanied by hardcore metal. This new rendition really illustrates the destructive power of Sephiroth. Uematsu changed the lyrics for Advent Children. They are more original now. I specifically noticed the lyrics “Veni, veni, mi fili”, which translates to “Come, come, my son.” Sephiroth is inviting you so he can kill you.

 Uematsu has stated that the original orchestration didn’t sit well with him. As I suspected, Advent Children’s hardcore metal version is the one he preferred, the one he would have composed had he the technology at the time of Final Fantasy VII.

Verdict:

Another must-play for any RPG fan, even if you think it’s overrated. It’s a must-play because of its popularity, in the same way that people are wide-eyed when you say you haven’t seen Star Wars or such-and-such other popular movie. It’s a whole lot of fun, especially in the scenes that involve other forms of gameplay, such as the motorcycle chase and even a battlefield strategy game in protecting Fort Condor. 

Direct Sequel?

Yes – first there was the CGI movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

I actually watched Advent Children before playing Final Fantasy VII. I had already known most of what happened in the game and Advent Children became a monumental craze when it first came out. Everybody was talking about it. Watching the sequel before playing the game skewers your interpretation of things. My first impression of Cloud was that he was always whiny and angsty, and meanwhile Tifa kept nagging him to move on. I felt really bad for Cloud losing Aerith.

Then when I actually played Final Fantasy VII, I saw that Cloud starts as this badass mercenary. Tifa is spunky and clearly is the better choice (IMO) but Cloud is enamored by Aerith after only meeting her briefly. WHAT? Cloud. Bro. Make a move on Tifa, you nitwit. Tifa is AMAZING.

 Square Enix then continued the story with Dirge of Cerberus – Final Fantasy VII. This video game sequel focuses on Vincent Valentine, a fan favorite of the original game.

Let me remind you about something – the original game revealed Shinra’s inner deep secret experiments, namely with Sephiroth and Jenova. Dirge of Cerberus introduces an even deeper research team within Shinra called Deepground. I don’t know about you, but it already sounds like the start of a terribly redundant string of sequels, like how the Jason Bourne movies keep revealing an even deeper level of conspiracy theories. Vincent’s mysterious background is now fully revealed. He is defined by – guess what? – another angsty lost lover story, this time with a woman named Lucrecia. Now, okay, look, maybe I’m just being a dick about these types of love stories. But when it keeps popping up within the same series in the same manner, I start asking if you have anything else to offer on your menu.

Lastly, there is the prequel for the PSP – Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Of all the games in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core has received the most positive reception. If anything, play that after playing Final Fantasy VII before bothering with anything else.

 Oh, and of course there is the Final Fantasy VII Remake, which we thought wasn’t going to happen for the longest time but they finally released it in April 2020. More on that later after I finish it, and after I post my entire series of Final Fantasy reviews!