Ramblings and Musings of the Insane, Philosophical Ladybug

**pets icon.** I love that picture of Cloud and Seph so much. X3 I was looking for a different text transition effect and found this light one. It's purty. Omitting a couple frames, I got it to 44 KB, but I couldn't shrink it the last four. I tried decreasing the amount of colors used, but PSP didn't cooperate. XD; (That's Paint Shop Pro, not Playstation Portable. **always amused that they have the same initials.**) Lisa was able to get it down enough to use on LJ. X3

Watching AC, I came to the part where the little girl says, "It's like she said: wait here and Cloud will come back." Well, the "she" likely means Aerith, especially since she's later shown interacting with a couple of the boys. This begs the question, Where the heck was Cloud? I never really thought about it before, but seriously, he must have only arrived at the church pool right before the kids went to him. If Aerith had meant Cloud would come to, indicating he was already there and just unconscious, why would they just leave him floating in the water?

So, assuming Cloud wasn't there for a while, traveling back through the Lifestream or whatever, and Aerith popped in to reassure the kids he'd come back (which also begs the question of whether she spoke to AVALANCHE), was Cloud alone? Or did someone go with him on his journey? Someone like Zack? This could open up a whole new level of squee. There was a lot of time lost during the gap; the Ultimania says Cloud was fighting Seph around 6 PM at night, and he wakes up in the church at 6 AM the next day. What happened in the 12 hours that we don't see?

I got to do a lot of fic planning last night. I've been in another writing slump, with every oneshot and opening multi-chapter I touch stalling somewhere. XD; So in desperation I wondered if I should focus on an existing chapter fic for now. And Lisa and I got talking about Bend and Break. Now I have material for two chapters, as I only remembered after she got off that Zack and Cloud were going to investigate Seph's old house, and I want to show that scene. So the Zack and Cloud scene Lisa and I brainstormed about will have to be in the chapter after that. XD

Tried starting the KH Seph and Rikku thing, but it feels weird. Not sure what I'll do with it or if I'll need to overhaul what I have so far. Maybe it just feels weird because I was watching that old Hans Christian Andersen musical while I was writing. XD; Or maybe because after all the X-2 I've watched, it really does feel weird writing Rikku as a pixie. That's one change in KH I'm not sure I like.

I'll probably feel the same way when I do the KH Seph in the Pride Lands world fic, too. But it will be so deliciously fun to have his willpower be stronger than the shapeshifting magic! In the game, I think Donald said it was Sora's clothes that changed their bodies in that world, but I'm thinking I'll carry it further and say it was a curse on the world put there by a previous shaman, who hated people (and by extension, anthro animals like Donald and Goofy). Because if Sora-tachi was changed, I have the feeling that the same thing would happen to anyone else for the duration of their stay in that place, whether or not the clothes were responsible. Rafiki will comment on Seph's willpower shattering the curse. LOL.

It's making me terribly nostalgic, too. Ten to one I'll end up wanting to see both Lion King films again as I'm writing.

One thing that amuses me is that when I was little, I didn't like Rafiki. He annoyed me, and I didn't like that he was beating up the hyenas. XD; Even though they really did have to be defeated. **shakes head and sighs.** Also, I liked Timon.

Now, I like Rafiki and I don't like Timon as much as I used to. XD; I mean, the guy's always trying to take the full credit for things even if Pumbaa did most of the work and even came up with the ideas. To be fair, he is a loyal friend when it comes right down to it. But most of his traits kinda bug me. Maybe I'm influenced too much by the TV show (where he's a stereotypical conman sometimes), but the basis for that still did come from the movie (and perhaps from some of the movie tie-in books. **still owns a great deal of those**). Though the TV show probably exaggerated. XD; I don't like it much anymore, either. It was so ... typically cartoony. And when the Lion King was so original, the TV show didn't deserve that treatment.

Back to the fic, I don't want it to just be random stuff of Seph going around being weirded out that he can understand the animals, and them talking to him, so I need some kind of a plot. XD; I seem to remember that Scar's ghost was causing trouble in KH2. So maybe something like that is happening again? Unless the ghost was destroyed for good in the game. And Seph gets unwillingly involved, even though he'd rather turn around and teleport right back to where he came from.

HOLY WOW. I watched the 2005 War of the Worlds the other day, and I wonder if I could have subconsciously remembered seeing Dakota Fanning in something before. Look, she is Sun! http://www.childstarlets.com/lobby/bios/portraits/dakota_fanning21.jpg I kind of based Sun's physical design on one of the girls in the group I teach music to, but it's more Dakota Fanning's face I've been picturing.

I really enjoyed the movie, BTW, though it was terrifying while I was watching it. And for most of the film I kept wondering if Sun Dakota Fanning's character would make it out okay. Even though I know the kids almost always survive the disasters.

Been working feverishly on a fic most of the week. I was having trouble with the earthquake one and decided to start the other, and it just flowed. It's the haunted house dreamfic, and it will lead into a oneshot loose follow-up concerning their helper. I got it posted last night. X3

... Haha, I remember saying there would be like, one more long oneshot before Genesis was found by Angeal. And how many fics have I done since then? I haven't even yet written the one that was supposed to be the "one more".

There's just something so appealing about a character hiding in the shadows, unknown to the others, and trying to help them. I've liked that scenario since I was like, five or six. XD; So I'm reluctant to bring that era to an end, even though I also kinda want Genesis to join the main cast.

I'm admittedly also kind of afraid he'll overcrowd things and make it more complicated. It would be different if the problems between him and Seph only started *after* the deterioration began. It looks more like Genesis probably was jealous of Seph for some time before that. That's canon in my fics anyway, even though it's ambiguous in the game. And in a short fic I did testing how Genesis and Seph would respond to each other if Genesis does make himself known, they were still kinda having problems. XD; They both wanted to try again, but Seph hasn't been able to fully trust Genesis and it's justified because Genesis is still jealous of Seph, and admitted it. I just honestly don't see them being able to ever get back to what they had when there's that obstacle in the way. So I'm reluctant to move into the new era because of that, too. Things are fairly peaceful for Seph-tachi at the moment, when they're not fighting enemies.

I'm also going to write a fic based on the Golden Goose scenario. X3 The RP version I'm doing is part of the FF7/Phoenix Wright crossover, but I think the fic will just be FF7. ^^ I have this very clear image of Cloud and Seph probably being the last main character survivors of the encasing, along with Azazel Rakesh, and they are trying to get the goose back to its temple. When they get there, they're intercepted by guards, and Seph throws the goose to Cloud to take to the fountain just before the gold stuff covers him and Azazel and the guards. And Cloud manages to throw the goose on the fountain just in time to reverse the spell, right as the gold is covering him too.

Also, for the prompt Long Distance at 30_friends, I'm going to do an email fic. X3 The whole thing will be emails Seph and Zack send to each other while they're on separate missions. They exchange banter and help each other figure out how to solve some of the mysteries on the missions. I've always wanted to write an email fic. X3

It's a miracle, but I've actually worked on the fic where Yazoo is shot instead of Kadaj both today and last Saturday! And I made progress. I borrowed a couple lines from an old blurb I did where Yazoo was dying. I got up to that point in the fic, and where Kadaj loses control and goes after the thief to hunt her down and kill her. I'm thinking Cid will intercept him because writing Cid telling Kadaj off and trying to get him to not do something foolish could be very fun.

Also, this past week I became sole maintainer of 30_hugs. I joined in 2006, but my claim was never accepted, I don't think, because I wasn't able to provide full names for the characters. The comm's been pretty dead, and those who have finished their claims hadn't been seen to, nor a couple pages worth of requests. XD; The mod finally posted asking for someone to take over or she'd delete the comm. And I like the themes, even though I've never written for them, and I didn't want the comm deleted, so I volunteered. No one else did, so I became the mod. First order of business was to encourage both romantic and platonic claims on the profile page. X3 Then I answered the requests and updated the master list. I accepted myself on the claim from 2006, but I think 30_nights would fit them better. I'd rather do something platonic for 30_hugs, if I can think of something. Well, I know I'd like to claim Seph and Zack, but the plunnies aren't biting, so I dunno if I will. I have so many theme comms to write for as it is. XD;

I actually finished the first chapter for my old Sonic X fic! I finally found episode 71 and got to watch it again, and that inspired me to try again to get my story going. So I opened the first draft, fixed up the chapter, and the rest of it came out. Now I've started chapter 2, which intros Fang the Sniper. Writing for him as an Aussie is fun. X3 His mischievous personality has stayed intact, too.

I've also continued with Bend and Break. Cloud and Zack are talking to Iezon now. That's the last scene. ^^ I'm hoping to get the chapter done sometime in the next 24 hours.

And I remembered a crack idea I got a short while ago. In total defiance of Sora, Donald, and Goofy becoming nonanthro animals for the Lion King level of KH2 (which was just bizarre. Have you SEEN Donald and Goofy's transformations?!), I thought of a fic where Seph teleports there and stays himself, but he can communicate with the animals. Which would weird out both him and them. XD And I have the image of Timon calling him a big bird, though I'm not sure whether he'd just be being obnoxious as usual or really thinking that's what Seph is. I've got a perfect title, too: Talk to the Animals. Yay Dr. Doolittle references! Cloud would totally make a sarcastic comment about that.

I also need to start the earthquake fic for FF7, which will have Seph and Barret interaction. X3 Much fun there. First I need to pick where they go, because they're not in Domino when it happens. XD; Maybe just some fictitious town, but I need a state in mind. **is having a terrible time learning what states have quakes.** You know, besides California, and one or two other Western states with which I'm familiar.

Was watching some third season Darkwing Duck yesterday. Steerminator was interesting, but dissatisfying. It should have been a two-parter! And there should have been a scene where Gosalyn tells Honker about Taurus Bulba, because I don't think he knew.

I always thought Malice's Restaurant would be a funny episode, because it involved Negaduck getting mad because the Cute Little Lost Bunnies were invited to the opening of Morgana's restaurant. I was so wrong. XD; I dunno, it seemed like you could really tell that whoever wrote that episode was getting tired of either the show or the characters. Everything just seemed off. Negaduck would have pulverized the bunnies; he wouldn't have tried to corrupt them to his side! And the bunnies were really annoying, too. XD; They weren't the same Lost Bunnies that were in an earlier episode. I actually found the first set amusing, and I thought they'd be the ones to return.

They were in the episode where Darkwing was split into his good and bad side, and the bad side went to the movies and was mad about the Lost Bunnies cartoon, so he got a gun and starting shooting the screen. XD And the bunnies yelped, "Look out! He's got a gun!" Yeah, it was a movie, yet they acted like it was a play and they were really there. LOL. Cartoon logic. Then they scattered in all directions as the bad Darkwing brought out a tank. By comparison, the bunnies in Malice's Restaurant were a typical sugary fluffy parody: sunshine and rainbows and hugs and dental floss. And not in the way that can be amusing. The voices didn't help, either. XD; **could barely understand them sometimes.**

And Morgana ... RAWR. I hate how hypocritical she is. She says Darkwing isn't accepting of her. But she isn't accepting of him, either! Darkwing tries so hard, but it's true that he is creeped out by her world. Yet even when he tries to be polite and kind, she goes ballistic if he says anything that disagrees with her views. She stuffs him full of her witchy foods (literally; she was throwing them in his mouth), and he honestly isn't able to handle them. He physically can't, and she won't even try to understand that. They cannot see eye to eye, yet Darkwing is so freaking smitten, no matter what she does to him. They are seriously incompatible and unhealthy as a couple. XD; If someone's scared of their significant other because they keep being abused every time they try to talk about a problem, then there's a serious problem with the relationship. It doesn't matter if it's the guy being abused instead of the girl, there's still a problem. The thought of them ever getting really serious in their relationship and marrying honestly scares/disturbs me (you know, as disturbed as a level-headed person would get over an awful, but still fictitious, pairing).

And I hated the episode so much I couldn't even watch it all. XD; **stopped somewhere in the middle of the battle with Negaduck.** Then I just skipped to the end, which I didn't like either.

I'm starting to think the only really good episodes in season 3 had Megavolt. I adore The Frequency Fiends and Clash Reunion.

In other news, KH plunnies are finally biting! I'm finishing up a dark and creepy ficlit, and then I have a better idea of what to do with an idea I've had of Seph conversing with pixie Rikku.

I love Rikku. X3 She's seriously awesome. She reminds me of Yuffie in some ways, but she seems more mature and is not a brat. XD; If I was going to get an icon of a character I don't have an icon of, it would probably be her.

From Chapter 2 of God Help the Outcasts. Click for bigger version and further explanations.



Chapter Five of Good Luck and Goodbye is moving slowly. I keep getting distracted because I'm not sure how to write some parts. But I think I'm finally getting past the hard parts. Now I mainly just need the final confrontation and the squee following it. X3 Then there's the epilogue, which will have more squee.

A sign that I am far too tired: I am randomly browsing the one_blanket comm again, as I do every now and then as I ponder whether to join.

It struck me that it would be highly amusing to throw Cloud and Seph into this situation. For those unfamiliar with it, it involves a cabin in a blizzard, and one blanket under which two or more people must stay or else they will likely get hypothermia.

So this is just something random I'm throwing out there, and I don't expect I'd write it, but here are the options I'm thinking:

FF7verse -

- Could take place after T&D and S&M, during the grudging allies period
- Could take place after Triplicate, and the discovery that they've come to care about each other

KHverse -

- Could take place during the games, during the arch-enemies period
- Could take place after I Don't Feel Enough for You to Cry, during the grudging allies period
- Could take place after As I, Not as We/On New Terrain, and the discovery that they've come to care about each other

There is no "during the games option" for FF7, because I don't think it would fit, what with Seph at the Northern Crater and all. And with his current state of existence following the original FF7/AC, I don't think hypothermia would be an issue for him. XD; Hmmm. Though there is CC, and a pre-Nibelheim Seph and young cadet Cloud possibility. But that would probably end up more adorable than hilarious. XD Not that there's anything wrong with that!

Also note that even as friends, they will still bicker if they are driven to it and are extremely stressed, especially their KH selves. And of course, sarcastic banter is an essential part of both versions' friendships.

Watched AC again, probably the third time since wolf_eye expressed her amazing idea about Seph maybe trying to get Cloud to think, and to realize he can fight and protect the ones he loves. The more I watch, the more it seems plausible, even obvious. X3 Especially since they always had a very complicated relationship. It wasn't all "RAWR! FIGHT!" all the time. XD Also, AC came out not long before KH2, and Seph's harsh mentoring wasn't the only concept from the FF7 Compilation that may have transferred to KH.

I also noticed something else interesting. When Cloud is looking over the church and sees Aerith bending down? She's talking to a couple of kids, and they so see her! When she stands up, one of them waves! I rewound to watch again and make sure. Then when she's walking away, the other kid is watching her.

Also ... I be needing hurt/comfort help. XD; **laces fingers.** What is a scenario in which someone can be thought dead that I either haven't used in forever, or not at all? Oh yeah, and ideally it should involve the person not being there/not being found, as opposed to them finding the person and thinking he's dead. I did the latter the last time I used a scenario with this person. Only he really was dead and they didn't just think it.

**moving this to the top so it will definitely be seen.**

Here's the pic from chapter 1 of God Help the Outcasts. ^^ Finally got it finished and scanned!



And I did not finish the proofread of the shooting fic yet. XD; But I will do it later today! I have much fic-writing to do, in at least three fandoms!

I know now what I shall do for my Sailor Moon fic. Dagron's encouragement and Kaze's idea of coming up with a backstory that fits animeverse combine to make me very pleased. I can do everything I want in my fic and still not go against animeverse canon! Zoisite can be more like his other incarnations. It's as simple as having things happen when they get their memories back. Zoisite will be all "... WTH was I *doing*? WTH were *we* doing?!" **snicker.** I'm getting so amused at the thought of the utter crack. And how awkward he and Kunzite will feel for a while.

On a less crackish note, Zoisite will go through some serious angsting because he killed Nephrite. **nod.** And I'm going to have a version of the scene from Act 26 of PGSM where Kunzite has that heart-breaking flashback. ;__; That was seriously so, so saaad. It's the first time so far I've really liked his PGSM incarnation. Mostly PGSM Kunzite has been riling me. XD

Now I can finally start overhauling the existing chapters. I have some new ideas for how to rework them to be better. X3 Including the scene where Kunzite revives.

I also really want somehow to work in his dub name. Because Malachite is just a plain cool name. **wondering if maybe he takes that name as a disguise at some point?**

... It would also be good to figure out about the main villain. I know she will probably be one of Portman's experiments, but beyond that I'm not sure.

Chapter 7's picture, a slightly modified version of the scene where Sun shows Sephiroth the stained glass windows in the church, wanting to prove that wings aren't bad. I wasn't particularly impressed with the sketch or the lineart, so I didn't scan either of those versions.

I was trying to work on chapter 1's picture, with Zack running down the stairs and seeing the Master Clone and Seph, but it isn't coming out. XD; I hate to scrap the pic and start over, because I like how Zack came out. But something has to be fixed if I keep the current version. Seph and the clone's expressions, or the way I tried to depict that they're wounded without being graphic, or their hands, or *something.* The wings going everywhere aren't coming out either. **tried to modify it so that they wouldn't be next to each other, but it's still confusing.**

I shouldn't have done this, with all the comms I'm in, but I took up claiming FF7 at 18coda after rose_of_pollux discovered the comm. Music-related prompts, such fun! X3 Vague plunnies are bouncing around for some of them.