Fics and Songs

[ladybug_archive]

http://www.crisiscore.com is up and running, for those who don't know! But still no English trailer. ;__;

Hooray for Welcome to the Black Parade and Crisis Core! X3 It sounds so much like a CC theme song, as Lisa discovered. Her wallpaper inspired me, and I just had to make this icon. Closest I'll get to making AMVs.

And oooh, After Forever's Intrinsic. http://www.metrolyrics.com/intrinsic-lyrics-after-forever.html It could mean so many things, and yet I always come back to some mad scientist pondering things out. Now I'm getting the desire to write some short ficlits/random scenes to piece together later involving KH Seph being tortured by Hojo. ;__;

I think I have the first draft of chapter 6 of the wing fic almost done. I'm debating whether the scene where Kala-Ansa goes to talk to the mayor should be in six or if that should be in seven. Six seems to be moving nicely and maybe it should be a calm chapter, without the villains showing up. It also may be the shortest chapter so far. XD;

I am amused at how it's totally turning into a KH version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney version only). XD; That was not my intention to begin with, but I'm actually not sure how I planned for the fic to go originally, since for some time I'd been aiming for a goal of a long oneshot. @___@; Trying to picture all of what's happened being condensed like that is ... wow.

Kala-Ansa, is, of course, Frollo. Sephiroth and Cloud and the clones are equivalent to the gypsies, with Seph in the lead role as the Esmeralda counterpart. Zack would be Phoebus, I guess, who in the Disney version was actually pretty cool, unlike the wretch he was in the book. That would leave Sun to be Quasimodo, in some odd way. XD; Though unlike Quasimodo, the outcasts in this fic do not really want to be part of the outside world; they want to be accepted as they are, or even just tolerated, and left alone. If I remember right, that is what the gypsies wanted.

For my own amusement, I tweaked the lyrics of Hellfire around the time the idea for Kala-Ansa first sparked from the song. If anyone is interested, they're below. Kala-Ansa is so off her rocker.


Priests:
Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti (I confess to God almighty)
Beatae Mariae semper Virgini (To blessed Mary ever Virgin)
Beato Michaeli archangelo (To the blessed archangel Michael)
Sanctis apostolis omnibus sanctis (To the holy apostles, to all the saints)

Kala-Ansa:
Beata Maria
You know I'm such a righteous woman
Of my virtue I am justly proud

Priests:
Et tibit Pater (And to you, Father)

Kala-Ansa:
Beata Maria
You know I'm so much purer than
The common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd

Priests:
Quia peccavi nimis (That I have sinned)

Kala-Ansa:
Then tell me, Maria
Why I see him flying there
Why his ice-cold eyes still scorch my soul

Priests:
Cogitatione (In thought)

Kala-Ansa:
I feel him, I see him
The light caught in his sapphire wings
Is blazing in me out of all control

Priests:
Verbo et opere (In word and deed)

Kala-Ansa:
Like fire
Hellfire
This fire in my skin
This burning
Desire
Is turning me to sin!

It's not my fault

Priests:
Mea culpa (Through my fault)

Kala-Ansa:
I'm not to blame

Priests:
Mea culpa (Through my fault)

Kala-Ansa:
It is the winged man,
The demon who sent this flame!

Priests:
Mea maxima culpa (Through my most grievous fault)

Kala-Ansa:
It's not my fault

Priests:
Mea culpa (Through my fault)

Kala-Ansa:
If in God's plan

Priests:
Mea culpa (Through my fault)

Kala-Ansa:
He made the devil so much
Stronger than a woman!

Priests:
Mea maxima culpa (Through my most grievous fault)

Kala-Ansa:
Protect me, Maria
Don't let this warlock cast his spell
Don't let his fire sear my flesh and bone
Destroy Sephiroth
And let him taste the fires of hell
Or else let him be mine and mine alone

Guard:
Ms. Kala-Ansa, the winged men have escaped.

Kala-Ansa:
What?

Guard:
No longer in the cathedral. They're gone.

Kala-Ansa:
But how? Never mind. Get out, you idiot!
I'll find them. I'll find them if I have to burn down all of Hollow Bastion!

Hellfire
Dark fire
Now, Sephiroth, it's your turn
Choose me or
Your pyre
Be mine or you will burn

Priests:
Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)

Kala-Ansa:
God have mercy on him

Priests:
Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)

Kala-Ansa:
God have mercy on me

Priests:
Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)

Kala-Ansa:
But he will be mine
Or he will burn!


And yes, there will really be a cathedral scene. It will be very different from the one in Hunchback, though. XD And I am dying to get to it, which may be why I'm having such trouble getting through chapter 6.

The idea of Sun came because of Heaven's Light, which is meant to be part of the same track as Hellfire. So I thought of two people with vastly differing opinions on Sephiroth. And since the last thing I want is any freakin' Mary Sue, Sun is a child who idolizes Seph, but isn't clingy. XD And she never seeks Seph out; they meet by accident. And she probably won't appear after this fic.

Of course Kala-Ansa has to die. XD She isn't the kind of villain you can really bring back for more. I already have a death scene in mind, and some surprise twists involving the Master Clone at the end. X3

candy__chan's interest in 31_days has sparked some of my own, as seems to happen with her comms. XD I have found several that I'm nuts about because of her fics, mainly 30_friends. Anyway, the past week I've written three or four ficlits based on prompts from 31 Days. The prompts are daily, and they're so fascinating. A lot of them sound like Genesis, so it results in ficlits involving him. I decided to save the whole list, since it will be gone next month, and I might still want it for inspiration then. XD

Sometime I wanna do some stuff with Angeal and Genesis, as they seem to be the best friends that Seph and Zack also are. X3 The squee! Seph and Genesis are terribly fun to explore, but in the end I prefer Seph and Zack and Seph and Cloud. Angeal and Genesis would be neat, too.

I'm gonna let chapter 6 sit a while longer, but it should go up tonight. ^^

Comments

[candy--chan.livejournal.com]

Ehehe...I started on 31_days on a suggestion from aishuu to help me write that really long angsty plunnie I had, one scene at a time. That's the only reason I did it ^^;; Glad I could help, though? *shot* I saw you posting--I'd read your fics if I knew the fandom ;o;

GOOD LUCK! :D

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

31 Days prompts are so addicting! XD I shouldn't have joined another theme comm, but ah, such fascinating prompts.

[candy--chan.livejournal.com]

I know! And to think I was going to swear off theme comms after I finished fanfic100...might have to keep 31 Days around ^____^

[cskazaam.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Welcome to the Black Parade really fits them so well! And I really like that icon.^^

And someday, (hopefully soon) I'll be able to make those AMVs!^^ I won't be able to do the icons, though. XD

Ooh, those lyrics are intriguing! I'm curious to hear what the song sounds like. And it really does sound like it could apply to some mad scientist. Poor Seph! Hmm... though if you took some of the lyrics literally, it could almost sound like Zack during When the Stars Shine Brightest.

A calm chapter might be a good thing to have!^^ There was a lot that happened in the last one, after all.

...Who's Phoebus, by the way? XD I think I definitely need to actually watch that movie sometime so I have a better idea of what's going on.

Kala-Ansa is definitely scary. XD I really like the line about the sapphire wings, though.^^

Ooh, the ending sounds interesting! Now I'm really curious to find out what's gonna happen!

Angeal and Genesis would definitely be great!^^ I also really like Angeal and Zack.^^

Yay! I'm looking forward to it.^^

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

XD Well, you can do the AMVs then, and I can do the icons. X3

Wow, that is an interesting interpretation! That really could work, too.

**nodnod.** Yeah, I was thinking I'll probably leave it calm. ^^

Phoebus is Esmeralda's love interest, a captain in the army. ^^ In the movie he likes her and flirts with her a bit, and he's a good guy who won't go along with Frollo's atrocities against the gypsies. In the book Esmeralda liked him solely because of his good looks, and he didn't care a thing about her, but they jumped in bed. Then Frollo stabbed him and Esmeralda went on trial for his murder. He wasn't dead, but he refused to come forward and clear Esmeralda's name. Disney sure changed the story, but Disney's version is so much more hopeful. XD;;

Of course the part about Phoebus as a love interest is totally abolished in the wing fic, LOL. But him being an upright captain (and a bit of a flirt) fit in nicely with Zack's personality. ^^

Yay sapphire wings! X3

Buwahaha. It's definitely going to be a different twist.

Angeal and Zack are so cute! I might write a fic or two about them as a team, though I'm guessing I'd find it hard to do a multi-chapter mission fic with them and no Seph. XD

[cskazaam.livejournal.com]

Sounds good to me!^^

Jeez. The characters in that book are just awful! Sounds like no one wants to help anyone else out. I mean, why wouldn't Phoebus at least want the real guy who hurt him to be punished? It makes no sense! The movie definitely sounds so much better.^^

Yeah, it definitely seems that he fit pretty well with Zack.^^

XD. Leaving Seph out of things for such a long fic would definitely be strange! Would there ever have been a time when they could all go on a mission together?

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's so depressing-sounding! XD; I heard that Victor Hugo got the idea because he found the word "Fate" carved in one of the walls of Notre Dame, and he wondered how it got there. I am enjoying his book Les Miserables, but I don't know if I'd like Notre Dame de Paris (his title for the Hunchback story) at all. XD; Les Miserables is pretty sad in parts too, but at least not everyone's just out for themselves! One of the big plot points is how the main character changes his life around, and how a kind priest helped set him on that path.

I don't think there would have been a time in canon, unfortunately, since Zack had never met Seph before when the game started. XD;

[cskazaam.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that's interesting about the word "Fate." ...How did it get carved there in the story?

Les Miserables sounds pretty good, at least!^^ Does it have a good ending?

Nuts. That's too bad that they never went on a mission together!

Oh! **is hit by a random story idea.** Did you read those Jedi Apprentice books that were split between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan and Anakin, but dealt with similar or related missions? I just had a thought that maybe it would be possible to do a story like that, only split between Angeal and Zack, and Seph and Zack.^^

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Good question. XD; I'm not quite sure if it was described in the story, or if it was just the springboard for inspiration. Maybe Quasimodo carved it there? Hmm.

Les Miserables has a bittersweet ending, I think. XD; I still need to finish it. There's a huge cast of characters and it's largely a study of human nature. So's Notre Dame de Paris, I imagine, but an even darker study. XD;

Oh wow! That's an amazing idea! X3 A mission that follows them through time. I love that! Now if I can just think of a good plot for one.

[cskazaam.livejournal.com]

I'd totally have shown how it got there if that was my inspiration! XD. It seems like Quasimodo could have carved it there, though.

Sounds like it would be a really fascinating read! I think I might end up getting mixed up by all the characters, though, if I didn't read it continuously. XD

^^ Glad you like it! I wonder if the different times would alternate by chapter, or if the chapters in each time would be grouped together? And as for the plot... Hmmm... **starts pondering.**

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my guess is that he did show it. XD I'm curious now. Maybe sometime I'll have a look at the book, just to see what it's like in person.

I've been reading Les Miserables for two years, and I still haven't got very far. LOL. I have spurts where I suddenly read a bunch of pages, and then set it down again and don't pick it up for months.

I was thinking that the chapters for each time would be grouped together. ^^ And that the plot would leave off at the end of the first half, like with the villain getting away, and then it would pick up in the present with him appearing again. Or maybe even he was thought dead in the first part, and suddenly, poof! He's baack. XD

[cskazaam.livejournal.com]

LOL. I think I've got at least one book like that. Though it's usually homework and stuff that keeps me busy, and if I'm not busy with that, then there's always something else I'd rather do. XD

XD. That sounds good! Or maybe there could also be some mystery in the first part, that remained unsolved. And something happens later when they're investigating a similar thing, and clues from the first mission end up helping to solve the current one... And the first one ends up being solved, too (or might even be the same one).

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

XD

I need to make time to read again. Mostly I write.

Yeah! X3 All of that could combine together with the problem of the villain.

[invincible1863.livejournal.com]

Sounds like your writing is coming along nicely. I wish mine would stop being so idle. but with Janie being so prominent in my mind right now, that could end very soon. XD!!

[amanechan.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the Black Parade fits so well for them, and Shinra in general. >3

Ooh, the cathedral scene sounds awesome, I can't wait to see it!

Haha, so that's where the sudden explosion in Genesis ficlits came from! I agree, his friendship with Angeal seems really interesting. On more monnnthhh! XD

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah! There was that other wallpaper you did that had the Before Crisis cast, right?

X3 **pets it.** I've been planning it out, and I just have one problem: getting Seph outside. I know how he ends up in the cathedral, but with the snow and everything, it doesn't seem likely that he would go outside at all.

Crisis Core brings so many wonderful friendships to light! And of course, all the Zack/Aerith goodness. X3

[wngdngl.livejournal.com]

I confess, I haven't seen that movie in about 10 years, so I really don't remember it -_- Something about gargoyles, and gypsies, but that's about it.

Master clone...? Hmm, maybe she realizes that she's not going to get Sephiroth, goes for the next best thing, but he doesn't feel the same way and stabs her instead o-o

That comm is definitely working for you - these last few fics have been so good, really emotional. Rereading through the first part of Before I Die, I was actually in tears. I'm sensitive, ok? I'm surprised you wrote Genesis at all, considering, but not only did you do that, but you wrote him very well, very sympathetic. It reminds me of how sad CC's going to be. There's no handy faceless villain to blame all the problems on, just a bunch of broken people at various points between hope and despair.

I also realized, after submitting my reply, that that's likely the only kiss Sephiroth's ever gotten from anyone...

*nods* Relationships are tricky things, aren't they? Part of that is because each one is unique, with its own personal history, dynamics, expectations, and with each person in a different role. Even with several friends that all mean a lot to you, each one doesn't mean the same thing. The one that you go to for guidance might not be the one that you have casual, silly conversations with, who might not be the one that you most often work together with on a joint project. And while having a good friendship with someone is a wonderful thing, having several relationships allows you to be a more well-rounded individual. So, in a relationship with character A and character B, A might be the one who provides guidance for B, and get enjoyment out of that, but sometimes even A might get tired of always being the leader and go to C for support. All our relationships contribute to who we are, not just our closest ones.

That being said (I'm almost done, I promise!) I think the relationships that tend to work out best are the ones where the participants have some things in common - so that they can understand and connect to each other - but also have some differences; so that they don't share too many of the same faults, and so they can learn from each other. This also seems to be the case when dealing with stories, whether we're reading or writing them. We're drawn to the characters and relationships that we can relate to and sympathize with, or the ones that we envy or admire.

On another subject, in that latest fic with Genesis, that's the second time I've noticed him quoting a Bible verse. Maybe that's what he's reading now in his spare time o-o

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

XD I haven't seen it in about ten years myself. Some parts stood out, mainly the God Help the Outcasts and Heaven's Light/Hellfire songs.

LOL. Nope, that isn't how it happens. Interesting guess, though!

Before I Die was the second time I'd attempted Genesis in writing. ^^ I've played him in a couple of role-plays between the first fic and that one, so that helped make me more confident to try again. I'm glad you've been enjoying these fics and finding them emotional. They're something new to dabble in, and a lot of fun to work out.

**snerk.** Yeah, it probably is. Though KH Seph is probably going to get a lustful kiss from Kala-Ansa, from which he'll recoil in disgust.

Your ponderings on relationships are very insightful. ^^ I've been pondering myself on the different ways Seph's relationships work, and what his role is in each. Might have to type something up about that and post it.

I kinda don't picture Seph and Genesis ever being as close as they once may have been, if they ever really were close. XD; I see them as having a friendly rival type relationship, always competing with each other. In some ways, I kinda think they may have always kept each other at arm's length. Whereas with Angeal, Seph may have shared more conversations and such.

LOL. The second time, huh? **tries to remember what the first would have been.**

Genesis probably would read the spiritual texts of all the major religions. XD Now I'm imagining him discovering the name of the first book of the Bible. **headdesk.** LOL.

[wngdngl.livejournal.com]

Well, you remember it a lot better than I do :D

Yeah, I sorta figured that, but it would make for interesting "outtakes"...

I must confess - I haven't...actually read that first fic, for fear of spoilers :{ So, I can't really compare the two. But I'll bet the RP really helps in writing. Who do you usually play with?

I didn't mean that quite as, eh...romantic? as it came out XD I was thinking more of the way parents and children, and even sometimes siblings, will exchange kisses, but he wouldn't have experience with that

That would be cool to see :D Especially since each one is so different. With Zack, he has someone who can cheer him up and encourage him during a very stressful time. In turn, he has the chance to provide support for someone that's important to him, which is a very good experience for him.

With Genesis and Angeal, it's more like, he doesn't have to be the one in charge all the time. He might be the best fighter, but he knows that each of them as a person can hold their own against him. As someone who gets sick of "Hero Worship" very quickly, it's nice for him to feel that people care about him for reasons other than his popularity. He actually has the patience to stand there and listen to Genesis'
dramatic reading or Angeal's "sermons", even though he doesn't really care for either. Even after they've betrayed Shinra, he still hesitates to go against them. Though he might feel he doesn't mean as much to them as wishes, he's not eager to do anything to lose the first friends he's probably had in forever.

I just made him sound like Kadaj, didn't I? XD I totally didn't intend that.

Individually...

Angeal is, I think, easier to get along with...? XD He's more of the "Keep your head while everyone is running around like chickens that have lost theirs" type. Like you said, not the same tension there.

As for Genesis... (continued in next post, because it's freakishly long -_-)

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I figured you hadn't. XD Genesis is probably pretty similar in it, though.

I usually do the one-on-one RPs with amanechan and cskazaam. ^^

LOL. I didn't interpret it romantically. XD

**nods.** I don't really think he does feel like he has to be the one in charge all the time, as his friendship with Zack goes on. I think he comes to feel like he can totally trust Zack and that Zack is mature enough to handle things himself sometimes. ^^ Otherwise, Zack would probably still be some amusing kid to him who wanders by and talks a blue streak. XD

But he probably does enjoy the fact that Angeal and Genesis really are almost on par with him as fighters. X3

[wngdngl.livejournal.com]

With Genesis...it's so bloody complicated, isn't it? XD I think Sephiroth is more open toward a relationship. He doesn't really have anything against Gen personally (beforewants Gen to hate him, but he's not really sure what to do about it. Maybe he realizes that it isn't so much that Genesis is angry with him because he's strong, but that he's frustrated that he can't do better.

And then, once the events of CC are in full swing, things degrade even further. Genesis seems to have this attitude where it's like "I have all these horrible things happen to me, and I'm constantly being hunted by Shinra, but what do you care? You're still their little golden boy, so it doesn't matter to you." Which is of course completely untrue - the whole series of events is tearing Seph's heart apart. But he won't admit that; he's not very open about how he feels. So I think it's easy for Genesis, who is very expressive, to run right over Seph's feelings without realizing they're there.

Sometimes, I wonder if Seph might ever be jealous of Gen. I mean, the guy actually has a home and parents and childhood friends. For a Shinra specimen, that's almost unheard of.

So, I'm not going to be cheesy and say the whole thing's a misunderstanding 8P But, I do think it's a large part of it. Any sort of relationship between them will take a lot of work, but maybe it's more valuable because of that.

*whew* It's sad when my comments end up longer than my entries...X)

Yeah, the first time was in Before I Die where he mentions the "pearl of great value". I knew that was familiar, so I looked it up. It's one of Jesus' parables.
Matthew 13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,
46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

He would too XD And then, he'd analyze them, and show them to Angeal, and asks what he thinks about it, and Angeal, being quite used to this, would put in his own two cents. Yes, it'd be like
G: *looks through book* "Let's see, Table of Conte- Hey! My name's in here!"
*Angeal comes over* "I don't think-"
G: "Look, see!" *shows him*
A: "Big deal. That's like finding Cloud's name in the dictionary."
I think that it makes sense that "genesis" is an actual word on Gaia, otherwise they'd have no reason to call the project that, and the "World Regenesis Order" wouldn't mean anything.

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Wow, looks like LJ didn't like the way the HTML code went there. XD; **had to read a large part of this comment from the email version.** And I think I'll copy and paste that segment here, so it for sure gets seen. ^^

(before he deserts, that is). While it's probably strange for him to think of someone as a rival, I think he learns to appreciate a genuine challenge for a change. Like in Advent Children, he prolongs the battle with Cloud so he can enjoy the excitement of a good fight. What tends to disrupt the relationship, I think, is that they do have some of the same faults (stubborn, and unwilling to lose). That, and they have a hard time understanding each other's motives. Genesis is all "I'm going to be the best, and be famous, etc, etc." and Seph is all "Why would you want a bunch of strangers hanging on you all the time, when they don't even really know you at all?", so Gen's like "Well, if you don't want it, then give it to me", but while Seph might not care about the clingy fans, his position itself is important to him. Besides, he knows Genesis would just hate him more if he felt he was being patronized. You can tell Seph gets frustrated when the other's acting like that; he even seems to be genuinly sad about it. I mean, it's not like he wants Gen to hate him, but he's not really sure what to do about it. Maybe he realizes that it isn't so much that Genesis is angry with him because he's strong, but that he's frustrated that he can't do better.

I totally agree with your assessment of Cloud and Seph! And the fact that Seph felt so sad/frustrated/weary about Genesis's attitude. That really comes out in the scene where they talk in chapter 4.

Genesis totally overlooking Seph's sorrow is very probable! And the idea of Seph being jealous of Genesis is very intriguing. He very well could be, or at least envious. I almost always look at envy as not being as malicious as jealousy, even though I think it's actually supposed to be the other way around. XD; Seph might think, Why would you want what I have, when you already have the best? I wish I could have had your childhood!

And if they do manage to somehow patch things and be very close, then I definitely do feel that it would be more valuable to them because of how they had to work to get it that way. ^^

Ahh! Yeah! I knew that phrase came from the Bible, but I wasn't consciously thinking about it when I wrote that. XD

**nodnod.** "Genesis" would definitely have to be a real word there. And the thought of Genesis finding it on Earth, in the Bible, is too amusing. XD