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

[dracontia.livejournal.com]

...And somehow I get the feeling that Jessie and Wedge are going to die. *sighs* Ah well. It is quite nice to see some relationships that didn't work. Makes it seem more realistic than the one true love scenario that seems to happen a lot in fanfic. Also? Tifa and The Talk is pure love. XD Oh yes. Not very helpful but yeah, a very good chapter.

Will there be pictures of the finished costumes?

[alesca-munroe.livejournal.com]

Aw, how embarrassing for Tifa and Cloud.... but it's not like it's a needless talk. I love Lora by the way. And Scott and Paul while I'm at it. You have such lovable OCs.

Nice going with Cloud disarming Rogers with the lights out.

So, I'm guessing we get to meet AVALANCHE next? ^_^ Awesome and win, I can't wait for the next chapter

[lilymoon1.livejournal.com]

Ah, good. I've been looking forward to the next chapter of this. Cloud...shot down and sour grapes. Hopefully the boy won't get too frustrated. Ooooh, and AVALANCHE is going to arrive on the scene?

Thoughts on Chapter 34

[(Anonymous)]

Okay, so I've been having The Week From Hell and finally managed to take some time to jump online and lo and behold, there's a truly marvellous suprise waiting for me; another chapter of Butterfly Effect. I tell you, I was so happy I nearly started crying. (Yes, I need to get a life. Maybe that happens post-exam.)

Initially I was surprised to read Zack talking so cheerfully with Reno; I wasn't certain he'd forgive Reno's comments about the potential for Cloud returning from his previous mission in a body-bag (or whatever the Midgar equivalent may be), but the way you wrote it with the two of them having reached an unspoken agreement about what will and will not be discussed was elegantly done. It kept them both in character, and contributed to the ongoing development of the story while also very neatly slipping in a few extra weeks - and Tifa-Cloud dates - to allow tempers to cool. (I for one had been surreptitiously mourning the demotion of Reno from prank-buddy to one-of-the-turks, which I feared would be the outcome of the combination of the attempted kiss and the meeting with Rufus, so I was thrilled to have my favourite red-headed Mobile Disaster Zone still in the thick of it). What can I say? I love the way you write Reno, and I delight in watching him banter and bounce (ricochet?) off Cloud and Zack. This chapter wasn't an exception; his efforts towards Tifa were so very Reno-esque with just the right overtones of pure 'Turk' that I scarcely realised that it would sergue so well into Tifa and Cloud having *that* talk, and then later The Talk.

Speaking of which; again kudos on your handling of that not-relationship. Having Cloud sulk made him flawed and human, which just makes me like him even more as a character. Having him come good as a friend, particularly over something Tifa is so obviously clueless about (namely basic sexual education) was simply sterling. True to Vincent's prediction many chapters ago - when Zack first explained the concept of same-sex pairings - Cloud has gotten his head around many paradigm-shifting ideas and concepts in his life, and to have him display his maturing comfort with the idea speaks volumes for his adaptability. Go Cloud! That's the flexible and inquisitive - and above all, non-judgmental - kid that found Vincent so many years ago. He is growing and developing, and as you have allowed the character to mature, rather than clumsily forced him to it, you've ensured that I as a reader have thoroughly enjoyed the journey along the way as you explore the extra layers and facets to his personality while still remaining true to that core of seven year-old.

The hints about the three-way sparring matches were tantalising, though I must say I grinned when, true to form, Cloud had no problems at all prioritising between Tifa and training.
I can't help but wonder with those matches, if, now that post-augmentation Cloud has also been in proximity to Jenova (courtesy of the second mission to Nibelheim) has he become like Zack and Sephiroth with actively replicating Jenova cells? And what is the significance of his spike in Mako scores? The ground-work for this particular sub-plot was set some time ago, and while I thoroughly enjoy the subtlety with which you're allowing it to build, I also can't wait to see where you go with this.

The way you ended the chapter with the lights-out sparring match, the great big boom, and the start of a new mission was just the perfect booster; intimating a return to the action-packed sequences that form the perfect counterbalance to the in-depth character development. Really, it is this combination that you've perfected to make this fic such a readable story.

Thank you for improving my week out of sight; I await the next chapter with gleeful anticipation.

Nik.