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Having started with the most visible character of the series, I thought it might be fitting to finish off with one of the most invisible. Thanks to shaggirl for letting me drive, and I hope this has been an enjoyable ride to those who have been following. Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII Pairing: Barret/Myrna Length: About 2700 words Author on LJ: deadshrimpbluesAuthor Website: FF.net AccountWhy this must be read:Barret's wife, Myrna, only exists as a name in the game, but she gets a full life in this beautiful, bittersweet story about life in Corel before Shin-Ra, and how it's like to love Barret Wallace. Though barely a footnote even in Barret's personal story in the game, this story believably crafts her into the main influence in Barret's life, as well as a fascinating person of her own. It always takes talent to turn minor details from canon into meaningful things, and this story definitely delivers. Room and Pillar | |
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Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII Pairing: Gen (Cloud, Tifa, Marlene and Denzel) Length: About 58 000 words, but it consists of shorts Author on LJ: None. Author Website: YunCynWhy this must be read:The story of Advent Children was an angsty one, but it ended with a note of hope. Familial Moments picks up from that note of hope and shares us the glimpses from the lives of Cloud, Tifa, Denzel and Marlene, ranging from warm and cozy to bittersweet and sad. And while the characters have their lonely moments, family remains in the heart of these tales, and overall they make a great tribute to triumph of life that played such a huge part in the game. Familial Moments | |
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Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII Pairing: Gen (Cloud, Zack/Aerith in the background) Length: 300 words Author on LJ: delladellaAuthor Website: None Why this must be read:It's not easy to fill a ficlet with characterization and meaning, and Cloud is one of the hardest characters in the game to do justice to. This drabble deals with Cloud's often idealized relationship with Zack, bringing out Cloud's bitter side in a way few authors dare to; there has to be more than fluff to a man who manipulates himself into taking over another person's life, and most of the time that isn't anything nice. A great treat for those who enjoy the darker side of Cloud. Outmoded | |
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Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII Pairing: Cloud/Tifa Length: About 2600 words Author on LJ: savage_midnightAuthor Website: Dea Artis VoxWhy this must be read:Cloud and Tifa have one of the most difficult relationships in the game, and their shippers sometimes gloss over that fact. This story, bringing them together after the events of Advent Children, addresses the painful side of their relationship and yet shows them as a couple that can work it out, that their problems aren't so severe that they aren't worth working on. The author's background was limited to the movie only, but the characters couldn't be more themselves. How It Goes | |
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Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII Pairing: Gen (Hojo and Rufus) Length: About 3000 words Author on LJ: daathicAuthor Website: FF.net AccountWhy this must be read:Stories with sympathetic Hojo are rare. Stories with sympathetic Hojo who interacts with characters who are not crucial to his own storyline are even rarer. A Father Figure is a short AU that brings Hojo together with young Rufus and creates a strangely believable friendship between the two. Though it takes some angst to make it happen, the author doesn't compromise the characters's unfluffy personalities, and to this day the story remains one of the most unique ones in fandom. A Father Figure | |
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Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII Pairing: Gen (Vincent-centric) Length: About 5000 words Author on LJ: nineshadowsAuthor Website: FF.net AccountWhy this must be read: Fandom portrayal of Vincent/Lucrecia/Hojo-triangle tends to set the Vincent/Lucrecia couple against villainous Hojo, while the original canon portrays Vincent as the true outsider in the triangle. This story strips Vincent's unrequited love for Lucrecia from its usual romantic shine and represents Vincent as an obsessive, deeply flawed man who is out of his league with Lucrecia, yet keeps the reader's sympathy on his side without over-villainizing either Lucrecia or Hojo. The realistic approach to the dynamics between the characters is what really makes this story. Something Borrowed | |
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Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII Pairing: Gen (Hojo-centric) Length: About 35 000 words Author on LJ: rahaeliAuthor Website: midgar.netWhy this must be read:Being one of the vilest villains in the game, Hojo doesn't get to be human very often in fanfic. Nursery Rhymes is a story arc about Hojo's life before, during and after the Jenova Project, about how Jenova's presence shapes both him and his relationships with other people. The author represents him in sympathetic light without resorting to white-washing him, which is an enviable achievement in all villain-centric fiction. The story arc consists of one three-part story and two side stories. ( Excerpt )Nursery Rhymes | |
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Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII Pairing: Gen (Tifa-centric) Length: About 1500 words Author on LJ: liri42Author Website: koigokoro.netWhy this must be read:The time between the destruction of Nibelheim and the reunion with Cloud in Tifa's life has been largely untouched by canon, which makes it a great breeding ground for some gen fic. Though short in length, this is an excellent study of young Tifa who adapts to and carves a new life in Midgar, becoming friends with Barret and Marlene on the way. The family unit of Barret, Tifa and Marlene is a rare sight in fanfic and it's given all the warmth and hope it deserves in this story. ( Excerpt )Home | |
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Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII Pairing: Gen (Tifa-centric) Length: About 3600 words Author on LJ: None. Author Website: Nezumi WorksWhy this must be read:In the future, battles against evil are long gone and the members of the Avalanche have to deal with living normal lives. This is a wonderful, bittersweet piece about Tifa, nostalgia and the pass of time, delivering angst and hope in just the right places. Stories where the main characters are past their prime years are rare in all fandoms, and Tifa-fic without romantic focus is always a nice treat. ( Excerpt )Tifa | |
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Hello, everybody! I'm bofoddity, and I'll be your anime/manga driver this month for Final Fantasy VII. Being the kind of fan for whom characters make the fandom, my tastes are very gen-heavy and that's something you can expect from my recs as well. My favorite character is Cloud Strife, but I also love the more unpopular characters like Tifa, Barret and Reeve. Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII Pairing: Gen (Cloud-centric) Length: About 6000 words Author on LJ: geekerypokeryAuthor Website: Moon PantsWhy this must be read:Cloud-centric character pieces that don't involve any romance (or hints of romance) are rare, introspective character pieces from his childhood and youth even rarer. This story is about Cloud's childhood at Nibelheim, his dysfunctional relationship with his mother and his reverence of Sephiroth and Tifa, and what makes a hero in his eyes. Cloud in this story is angrier, more bitter than what's usually seen in fandom, and absolutely unique. ( Excerpt )Heroes | |
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