On the Way to a Smile/The Case of Shinra

[brutal_priestess]

READ THIS!

xcomprandomness.co.uk/ff7novels/caseofshinra/ 

Not only is it made of awesomeness but it's absolutely and completely canon. It was written by on of the game's original writers. Basically it fills in the blanks leading up to the events of AC, including but not limited to:

-How Rufus really escaped death.
-Ditto with Tseng.
-A much clearer definition of geostigma.
-The early construction efforts of Edge.
-What Healin(g) really was before becoming a hospital for those suffering under geostigma (although it wasn't real clear where it was although I presume around Midgar or somewhere between Midgar and Kalm).

Other Kickassery:
-Dear dumbfuck fanbrats that tried to tell me my Rufus was "too nice": ORLY? Guess what, my characterization is more canon than any sadistic!bastard!Rufus! personality rape. (Yes I'm having an immaturity moment but it's soooo good to have it validated.)

-My last post has become completely and utterly moot as I have been now proven that I was right all along! At the end of FF7, Rufus isn't 21. He's actually 26.  So now I don't have to do so much tap-dancing around "age issues" should I write any Renoru fic set circa BC.

-Might I still add that Rufus Shinra is a badass? Cos he is. <3

-HOT!TURKS!ACTION!

One thing that sucks: I may have to consider deleting "Road to Recovery" because it has now been rendered AU. I'd consider the same thing for "Strange Bedfellows" but it is award-winning and considered one of the better RenoxCloud offerings out there. We'll see.

Note: The translation is kinda meh, but there is an official version packaged in a massive AC box set of doom--->dvd.ign.com/articles/765/765583p1.html 

Comments

[sterling]

This is win. Case of Shinra has been an awesomely revealing read.

I think I typo'd on the last discussion. Rufus is 25 at the end of FF7. He's thinking of a convo he had with his father from "twenty years ago" and he was five then. Not sure how I mixed that up, but it would seem I accidentally added a year. Double check me on this...

What parts of Strange Bedfellows became obsolete? It's been awhile, and I've forgotten the details. ^_^

[brutal_priestess]

Meh, I think it's mostly just...a lot of the devil being in the details. Little things don't match up real well. That and I'll bet if I read about Cloud's two years in between FF7 and AC, it probably will cease to be relevant. But...it's not as bad as R2R. There's enough vagueness in what's going on with Shinra that it's not too unbelievable. I guess i just kinda think Reno would be more concerned with Rufus's plans for the company and being kept busy with that fucking doctor's demands.

[sterling]

Yeah, I know what you mean. It's interesting, I bet Case of Shinra makes A LOT of fanfic AU now. I wonder if people even care... I don't see writers talking about "On the Way to a Smile" much ever, but I might not be privy to where the conversations would even take place. (And some of those translations are fairly recent (end of 2009), so people might not even know about them.)

Also, I have to add, the description of how Rufus got infected with Geostigma, is quite horrific. It has left an impression on me that isn't going away any time soon.

[brutal_priestess]

Yes, but the box set of doom that features "On the Way to a Smile" has been out for about a year now. I'm pretty sure it's Stateside, too. I could be wrong though. Maybe it's still only in Japan or, even more absurdly, they're selling it in Kanji in the states.

I think a lot of fanfic writers might ignore it, though because it's ben a widespread rumour or misconception that it was written by a fan or something. Also a lot of fanfic writers are lazy and don't like their fanon being fucked with. I mean, think about Nekojita's massive personal fanon and think how badly it's been fucked with this new information.