Note: This is a sticky post to help you navigate my ongoing fanfiction serial. Scroll down for my most recent LJ entries. :)

Love Her and Despair is a dark AU sequel to Final Fantasy X answering the question: "What would have happened if Yuna had chosen the Final Summoning?"

( Fanvid Teaser )

Oh, this is evil. Ganked from trekqueen

I haven't done much art in years, so I'm pretty rough.
But here's something I've been working on to cheer myself up (click for full-sized).



I've lost Lucil's body type -- she should be longer, thinner. But maybe it's a good thing making them look more like real people.

Done with onionskinning using this cute cosplay photo.

This is the drawing that I had to start from scratch after a nasty computer crash.

Last time I had composited in a chocobo behind them, so that Elma's holding the reins. It would be even cuter if I could get Lucil with a hand on the reins as well.

I noticed something this evening when replaying FFXII.

During the following scene...


...my mental Voice Recognition Software suddenly went PING.

Play the above video starting at 0:25, then, under the cut, listen to the following video for a BIG surprise:

( FFX Cutscene: Major spoilers to ending )

Weird, huh?
I'm not able to contemplate the crossover possibilities.

SCREEN ON
SOMEONE SET US UP THE BOMB

THUMBNAILS:




( FULL SIZED PHOTOS )

Art reference -- FF2 Bomb concept art + bits of FFVII, FFVIII, FFX bombs from Final Fantasy Compendium's Bomb Gallery.

I have done a major edit-sweep of LHAD, to help me get all the canon back in my head before I embark on the big battle sequence.

Most edits were cosmetic. However, in response to reader-questions during the Shuyin-confrontation, I've revamped the Via Purifico chapter to make Lenne's cameo somewhat more clear (while still leaving an intentional ambiguity) as well as, "what happened to Maroda?" Hopefully that part of the story is now easier to follow, without losing the subtlety that cumuluscastle likes in some of my writing.

I'm still waffling over the use of Otherworld lyrics during the Shuyin fight. It was an experiment. I'm curious how many readers liked vs. were distracted by it.

I renamed the "Unraveling" chapter (viewing Yuna's sphere) to "Love Her and Despair". So many other plot-threads have developed that the meaning of the story's original title has been obscured. In that chapter, when Auron faces love and despair while viewing Yuna's sphere, the deepest kernel of the story pops out.

I love reader feedback -- it's amazing how much y'all have helped me refine and solve plot issues, even though the basic story and chapter outline have remained almost unchanged since chapter 14! mandyiam gets the prize for killing off a character I hadn't planned on killing: addition by subtraction. owlmoose, muggy_mountain and trekqueen are the Backstory Consultants. cumuluscastle is critic extraordinaire and post-production beta reader, since I'm too danged stubborn to have one.

I am still struggling to reconcile two sets of reader tastes: those who like subtlety versus those who want things spelled out more explicitly; and the readers who prefer 1200-1400 word chapters versus those who prefer 2000-4000. I keep waffling!

So, anyway. With apologies for the self-plug, let me wave the "Readers! Come and get it!" flag for a few of you who were clever enough to hold off until I'd polished the last few chapters.

( Far Too Much Meta-babble about LHAD )

So I've been continuing my "let's see what my games look like with crisp graphics" explorations. (Fran's clawed feet are my new favorite detail.)

ETA: Oh, owlmoose is right. This should've been posted behind a cut. Hope I didn't spoil one of the early dramatic plot twists for anybody.

SO. Basch. Reks. King Graminas. Nalbina Fortress. WTF happened there? The first time we see it happen, we don't entirely know what's going on. Later in the game, we're given clues that help explain the opening sequence, but not entirely.

(  SPOILERS if you haven't gotten to the dungeon full of metal spiders chewing on power cables... )

Posted in: ff_yuri_drabble
Title: Reassignment
Fandom: Final Fantasy X
Pairing: Lucil/Elma
Prompt: New
Rating: PG
Words: 500
Spoilers?: Up through Macalania Temple

(It was a old story...)

Title: Love Her and Despair
Chapter 36: Thaw Before the Storm
Final Fantasy X/X-2
Characters: Paine/Nooj, Auron, Isaaru
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 3600
Navigation: Previous Chapter |
Map of Pilgrimage - Links to All Chapters

Our Story So Far: Thirteen years after Yuna fell in the Final Summoning, Isaaru's pilgrimage is drawing to an uncertain close. Sin has destroyed most of his aeons, leaving him with no choice but to use Vegnagun, a fearsome weapon from a thousand-year-old war. Meanwhile the victims of Shuyin, a vengeful ghost who forced those he possessed to betray or kill those close to them, must try to move on.

A/N: Yes, this should be two chapters. But it's not, so nyah. Also, photo ref for Paine, wearing a modified version of warrior monk's armor.

( Chapter 36: Thaw Before the Storm )

Remember that nasty Chocobo Eater boss battle in which the big ugly tries to push your party off the cliff? I usually win it.

But if you lose and go back to the Agency, Elma's there on patrol. She says in her most chipper Utena voice, "Hi! I took care of that fiend for you!"

DUDE. Like, the fiend that can knock the ENTIRE PARTY off the cliff!? Which would make short work of Auron were he alone? Which DID make short work of Auron, Jecht and Braska back in the day?

Apparently Elma has Tifa-like badassitude under those pink rosy cheeks and puppy-dog disposition.

Also, if you keep poking Elma, she'll eventually break out of professional mode and start whispering things like, "Don't tell anyone, but this is a really boring job," or "Do you think Lucil is noticing my efforts?"  [awwww]

Why, yes, I'm having another go at FFX to drown my sorrows after a Dodgers loss. And I must say getting a cheap, used back-compatible PS3 so I'd have blue ray and stuff to go with my shiny new TV is making  old games look brand new. I had a crappy CRT which was so fuzzy I couldn't see characters' faces in regular in-game mode, but the old PS2 was having some issues with the new TV. Now the graphics junkie in me is happy.

ff_press doesn't index fics tucked away in comments, so I'm reposting a couple recent drabbles orignally written as replies to the ff_yuri_drabble prompt-a-thon thread.

First one is unfortunately rather disturbing. Note that pairings were part of prompts.

Final Fantasy VIII
Title: "Lunar Cry"
Rating: R
Pairing:  Edea/Ultimecia
Prompt: "slavery"
Word Count: 480
Warning: Nonconsent!

( It was time... )

Final Fantasy XII
Title:  Arrow's Dance
Pairing:  Fran/Penelo
Rating:  R
Prompt: "sweat"
Word Count:  500

( Fran was a tree, rooted in earth and sky... )

Okay. So I finally gave in and got a functional TV with functional TV stations, after about 8 years of living in a non-TV state. For the most part, I don't see that changing.

But I have gotten hooked on Mythbusters. Mad scientists. (In fact they are mostly engineers who used to work as special FX creators. Clever of them to find a new way to repackage their skills, as so many blowing-things-up FX are now digital.)

Every show, they test popular myths with various wacky science experiments, whenever possible to the point of catastrophic (and spectacular) failure.

This one is unusual in that it's not testing a myth and nothing explodes (live audience, bad idea), but it appeals to me for geeky computer nerd reasons. Here, they built a couple robots for a live demo of the difference between traditional processors and parallel processors.



Tonight's TV episode was devoted to testing the properties of duct tape, from Jamie taping Adam to a piece of plywood and testing to see if he'd hang upside down -- a process both seemed to enjoy very much -- to creating a fully functional black powder cannon made out of duct tape, to picking up a car with duct tape (only 100 pieces were needed -- who knew?) to creating and sailing a two-man sailboat made out of duct tape in San Francisco's bay. (A steel frame for the latter: basically a duct tape version of the old "hide stretched over wood" method.)

And Adam? (beard)
So very gay. I thought it was my imagination until this episode, when he was hamming up enjoying a rubber suit (again). Then one of the other team members working on the cannon joked that they had to remember Adam's favorite piece of wisdom and apply lots of lube. Okay, okay, I'm not imagining it.

I'm not sure if Jamie (hat) is his RL partner or only his TV partner, but the more I watch, the more I am beginning to suspect they're slipping things past the TV execs. Jamie normally maintains a macho deadpan through the entire show, yet he paused a split second to leer at the camera before he began taping up Adam. AHEM.

Coincidentally, they live in SF.

So, in short, the Mythbusters are GAY MAD SCIENTISTS WHO BLOW THINGS UP.

With some demented sidekicks playing the part of graduate student interns.

Hey, you two. I decided to give you your own scene, in order to give one of the ten jillion secondary story arcs justice (and as a treat for owlmoose, perhaps).

STOP sitting around with that sort of flat, tense "there needs to be a climax and resolution to this scene sooner or later, and yet there isn't, and it's all grim and gray and patches of dirty snow" conversation that reminds me of an artsy Soviet-era Polish film.

I was planning on doing more with this chapter, covering a bit of plot-advancement in the other 2 parts of the triptych, but you two and your stupid Unresolved Tension of an Ill-Defined Nature keep EATING ALL THE WORD COUNT.

And in other news, sinuses suck. (I'm better, but still headachy and ook.)

I didn't need to spend a third winter in a row suffering from a several-month-long sinus infection.

-- Neti pot and hot shower 2xday, check
-- Mucinex 2xday, flonase and decongestant, check
-- Vitamin C, echinacea and zinc, check
-- Probiotic mix, gaviscon and Pepcid AC to keep my GI from going into massive meltdown, check
-- Grape seed extract and grapefruit seed extract which may perhaps help sinitis, check
-- stock of chicken soup and underwear washed in case I have to spend most of my days in bed, check

AUGH.

I need to do my @#%$@!$ dissertation, not have pounding head, runny nose, and foggy thoughts.

No love.

Trekqueen, I believe you mentioned needing a fail icon. I couldn't find a truly epic fail picture (except maybe to use a clip of Spock with the showercap on his head from the Spock's brain episode), but how's this?

FINAL FANTASY X ~ NPCs Total Icon Count: 33

Teasers: ( There's No Small Parts, Only Mediocre Voice Acting... )

Mini-backstory for LHAD.

Final Fantasy X
Title: Change of Habit
Lucil/Elma
Rating: G
Word Count: 400

(Called to Serve)

I've updated and reorganized my Final Fantasy icons page, now better divided into categories.

(Final Fanasy Icon Depot)

Please browse and enjoy! If you find any worth taking, please credit <lj user=auronlu> and drop me a note in this post. Thanks!

(Also note that I'm done updating my fanfic list, new LJ layout and tags. Is pretty?)