Butterfly Effect: Author's Notes: Chapter 34

[bard_linn]

Bard Linn: Hello all! We hope you are enjoying the summer time. And those of you in flooded areas or fires or some other natural disaster - we hope things get better for you! The weather has been so crazy lately.

Kiraya: Everything's been crazy lately.

Bard Linn: Yup.

Bard Linn: Anyway, you are seeing a greatly overhauled version of this chapter.

Kiraya: Which is why it's been so long since we've posted.

Kiraya: But hey, we got about a whole additional chapter of content out of this massive multi-part revision, so. :)

Bard Linn: Yeah. And a lot of the stuff wasn't in the original plans at ALL and some of it is a bit awkward for the characters (Tifa did not WANT to have that conversation. Cloud wasn't so happy about it either but he wants to protect his friends.)

Kiraya: That's one of the coolest things about doing this, though.

Kiraya: Working on stuff and having new stuff crop up to be woven in all the time...

Bard Linn: Yeah - and the characters have to have the awkward conversations too, not just the happy ones.

Kiraya: But it's times like this revision that I'm glad we work several chapters ahead of posting.

Kiraya: Makes smoothing out the flow of things a lot easier.

Bard Linn: Yup.

Bard Linn: So, besides the whole TON of relationship stuff - YAY DESTRUCTION!!!!

Bard Linn: REACTOR GO BOOM!

Bard Linn: My inner love of fictional destruction has been encouraged by all the anime I've been watching.

Kiraya: o..O

Kiraya: >...>

Kiraya: Hooray for Avalanche showing up finally!

Bard Linn: They haven't really shown up YET.

Kiraya: They're waiting in the wings, at least.

Bard Linn: True. Still...the beginning of the board scene is my favoritest thing this chapter. I love it. <3

Bard Linn: I am very easily amused, sadly.

Kiraya: Yes, but we love you anyway.

Bard Linn: I should hope so!

Bard Linn: Anyway, as far as future story goes, the muses are actually speaking to us/me about the next to-be-written chapter, though that will be somewhat delayed by the fact we're making three costumes for Otakon

Kiraya: *still feels useless in that endeavor*

Bard Linn: Well, I'm going to to have to detach your arms so we can make your gloves.

Kiraya: Oh dear.

Kiraya: But how will I type, then?

Bard Linn: Automail.

Kiraya: But I hear that hurts a lot going on, and I HATE pain. ;_;

Bard Linn: We, along with my sister, are going to be Urd, Belldandy and Skuld for the con, so if anyone is coming and sees us, make sure you say 'hi!'

Bard Linn: Anyway, I don't think we have anything terribly important to say, other than THANK YOU for all the helpful feed back on some of the relationship issues - you'll be seeing fruit for them in the next few chapters.

Kiraya: Your helpful feedback is always awesome to read. :)

Kiraya: Until next time, then -- enjoy your summer!

Bard Linn: Indeed!

Bard Linn: *dives back into sewing*



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Comments

Re: Thoughts on Chapter 34

[bard-linn.livejournal.com]

Hey, we get all excited when one of us writes something, when we post, and get up early in the morning to see the opinions of our readers - who needs get get a life? XD

Well, Reno and Zack aren't exactly prank buddies, but they do understand each other, especially since they deal with very similar minded bosses. Zack is just very protective of Cloud (not that he NEEDS to be).

I'm glad everyone has liked The Talk and the way Cloud handled it! That was probably the part of this chapter I was most concerned about.

Yeah, that line got inserted in rewrite 2 or 3. As for the Jenove thing, Cloud is just a normal SOLDIER in that regard. You only get active Jenny-cells in this verse if she basically takes an interest in you. Her energy crashes in and wakes everything up. When Cloud was around her she was totally going MY SHINY SON SEPHIROTH and ignoring the 'insignificant human'.

As the mako thing - that's actually not a big secret, its just something hard to explain in story line without making a character sound like they've been possessed by Gast's ghost. The thing with mako is because it is spiritually related, your results are going to be affected by self-esteem, sense of self, positive emotions/outlook on life, etc. First time Cloud took the test he was incredibly nervous, still somewhat hurt/unsure over the Vincent thing and going through usual 16 year old body issues. Second time he was older, more self assured, had Vincent's approval (more or less) and had grown into his skin. The best analogy I can make is mako is like the ocean. When you're unsure of yourself you're a poor swimmer. The more confident you get the better you are able to survive the rip tides.

In-depth character interaction/romantic developments were tiring to write, and the parts needed the most revision. The action was a relief after that!

I'm glad we made your week better. I'm hoping we can get another chapter out before the end of the summer, but it'll depend on how much we get written between now and then.

Re: Thoughts on Chapter 34

[(Anonymous)]

you're right; they're not prank-buddies per se, but the way they interact with their respective superiors just makes me grin and feel that in a different world, they'd be thick as thieves. Or potentially trying to kill each other.

Zack being protective (of Cloud, of Sephiroth) is one of his more rock-steady (and endearing) traits, and I couldn't really see how he'd work as such an intricate and multifacted character if he lost that particular underpinning to his personality. It certainly makes his humour more appealing on a human level, and I'd probably find him a bit shallow without your efforts in this regard. As it is, I think he's delightful, and complicated enough to make reading about him one of the many rewards of this fic.

Thanks for clearing up my questions about Jenova and the Mako treatments (as a non-gamer,I'm a few steps behind the eightball with some of this). I had figured that the meditation must have had *something* to do with Cloud's 'highest jump in Mako scores in history', and no channelling of any ghosts required. It certainly served a purpose in chilling me utterly when Hojo announced his pleasure at Sephiroth's 'gift' in the Shinra Mansion. He is Not A Nice Man, and the fact that he'd wanted Cloud for a while made my blood curdle. Which, now I think of it, is the trademark of a singularly exceptional villain. Kudos to you for that.
I look forward to your next chapter! Enjoy your summer break.

Re: Thoughts on Chapter 34

[(Anonymous)]

Whoopsie. Forgot to ID myself. The above comment is me, Nik, again.