Fiction: Claret Sky

[sunnepho]

Taking a little break from editing Dissidia fic, and I decided to dip my toe into Final Fantasy XII. There's something really gorgeous about that game in its graphics, atmosphere, characters...

This is an experimental style for me as well as my first M-rated (I take that to mean explicit to an extent, but not fully) slash, so I am nervous of the

Comments

[sinnatious]

A rather chilling look into a somewhat dark future for Archades - and totally awesome, too. Very unsettling how you wrote Vaan in this, in an awesome way - we see only the results, and only hear about the transition, and it is as jarring for us as it would be for Balthier.

Also, Vaan gets to be awesome. Vaan does not get to be awesome enough, not even in canon.

Liked the ending very much, though - great description of Vaan's smile, and of course, the promise of another epic adventure to come.

And I'm always keen for some angsty Balthier/Vaan~ Thanks for writing this.

[sunnepho]

You're too nice, with the amount of times you've used the word "awesome"... XD Thank you!

This is why I love fanfiction, though. I totally think Vaan is awesome and should get to be awesome.

Heheheh, mini-rant alert. I stuck Salamand in there because the first time I was wandering around Ogir-Yensa, I thought it was gorgeous and a great place to grind up some gil. So I'm moving happily along, killing things, got a great chain going... and then I cure someone, and out of nowhere, this freaking great ball of fire nukes my party with firaga. It must had just come around a corner while I wasn't watching.

Ran for my life, wiki'd it, and then I came back and avoided using magic, and watching it travel around, ignoring my party, was actually utterly surreal and beautiful.

That'll teach me not to use a guide in terra incognita.

[sinnatious]

Overuse the word, you mean. XD

Haha, wow, that would have, um... made my journey through Ogir-Yensa much easier. Attracted to magic! I had no idea. I always resist using guides unless I'm completely lost and stuck, so I simply had to bulldoze my way through those sections. Developed a healthy fear of the Entites, yes indeed.

In any case, it was a nice detail, kind of a romantic moment. The FFXII world was so full of really amazing monsters and environments, it felt absolutely inhabited.

[sunnepho]

I usually don't like using guides. It's not nearly as much fun as exploring, barring the odd moments of complete frustration, but I definitely looked up the locations of the Entites and watched them reeeally carefully for any sign of aggro when passing through the first times.

It really is a great game. I admit I didn't like the license board very much, but I don't know why it (and Vaan!) gets such a bad rap sometimes.