PlayStation 3 Slim on September 1. I CAN'T WAIT. Of course, that'll be $299 of my hard-earned bucks out the window... and another $100 or so off the bat when I get Advent Children Complete, Prototype, and probably GTA IV...

Anyway, snagged this one from ~Meowen.



Six Ships I Love:

1.) Sephiroth/Aerith (Final Fantasy VII)
2.) Kadaj/Tifa (FFVII: Advent Children)
3.) Yuffie/Reno (FFVII)
4.) Hudson/Vasquez (Aliens)
5.) Jak/Rayne (Jak and Daxter)
6.) Vincent/Rosso (FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus)

Three Ships I Liked, but Not Anymore:

7.) Yuffie/Vincent
8.) Lara/Kurtis (Tomb Raider)
9.) Seymour/Yuna (Final Fantasy X)

Three Ships I Hate:

10.) Sephiroth/Tifa
11.) Seven of Nine/Chakotay (Star Trek Voyager)
12.) Cloud/Aerith

Two Ships I’m Curious About, but Don’t ACTUALLY Ship:

13.) Rikku/Gippal (FFX)
14.) Ripley/Burke (Aliens)

1.) Why do you dislike #11 so much? (7 of 9/Chakotay)
The whole thing appeared in the last three episodes. That isn't enough time for any relationship to develop. I'm sorry.

2.) Who is someone you know that ships #13? (Rikku/Gippal)
A few people, but nobody specific.

3.) What would be your ideal scenario for couple #3? (Yuffie/Reno)
Hmm... a hot tub that Cloud randomly buys and Reno being a general pain to Yuffie because he's just that good. After all, we all just KNOW that waaaaaaaaaaaaay - and I'm talking WAYWAYWAYWAYWAY - deep down, Yuffie has a thing for hot tubs and redheads. Yup.

4.) Which is your favorite episode for #1? (Sephiroth/Aerith)
Not episode, per se, but I've seen a few fanfics that stick these two in believable situations. I'm okay with resurrecting Sephiroth as long as it's done for a reason, preferably one that is revealed later. Overall, I think the best scenario I've seen, which wasn't really expanded upon, was when Sephiroth came crashing through the roof of Aerith's church instead of Cloud. Hmm, I might have to play with that idea a bit...

5.) How long have you been following couple #6? (Vincent/Rosso)
Since I bought Dirge of Cerberus CHEAP at GameStop. I liked the game, it was a nice break from the RPG-style play of typical Final Fantasy. I just thought that Rosso was just creepy enough, and Vincent just stoic enough, for them to fit. Then again, I'm probably just crazy.

6.) What's the story with #8? What made you stop liking them/caring? (Lara/Kurtis)
I fell out of Core's Tomb Raider universe in preference of the new Crystal universe. Besides, I just think that there's too many loose ends and they're... just no.

7.) Which ship do you prefer - #2 or #4? (Kadaj/Tifa or Hudson/Vasquez)
Although H/V has been my favorite much longer, Kadaj/Tifa (aka Kadifa) has usurped it. Although they never physically meet, there's where the glory of AU comes in. The dynamics between the two would be great without alteration, and if you add a little mind control and Jenova cells and a certain silver-haired general making an attempt to destroy the world again, well... RECIPE FOR SUCCESS.

8.) You have the power to make one ship non-existent. Choose from #10 or #12. (Sephiroth/Tifa or Cloud/Aerith)
Cloud/Aerith. Sorry, but I just don't see it.

9.) What interests you about #14? (Ripley/Burke)
Burke is freaking scary and half-psycho, Ripley is levelheaded, Burke wants to use the Aliens for weapon purposes, Ripley wants to blow them all up. I got plotbunnies of doom once while watching Aliens and suddenly realized that there's something freaky about these two going at it in a slightly different way - like Ripley trying to kill Burke and the two somehow ending up in some weird situation... I could rant for days on this, man.

10.) When did you stop liking #7? (Yuffie/Vincent)
When I discovered the wonder that is Yuffie/Reno. Ah, yes.

11.) Did your waning interest in #9 kill your interest in the show? (Seymour/Yuna)
Nope. I continued to enjoy the FFX/FFX-2 universe long after I stopped being interested in Seymour and Yuna.

12.) What's a song that reminds you of #5? (Jak/Rayne)
Bryan Adams' "Run to You" is first and foremost. It gathers these two in a nutshell and probably explains why I still like the ship. John Waite's "Missing You" also snags the second-place title.

13.) Which of these ships do you love the most?
Sephiroth/Aerith, Kadaj/Tifa, Hudson/Vasquez, and Jak/Rayne. But choosing from one, Hudson/Vasquez because a) I shipped them when I was about four, making them my first-ever ship, and b) there's so many dynamics of them in the film and a lot of touching and interaction, most of which you don't notice unless you watch the background when the camera isn't focused on them. They're perfect.

14.) Which do you dislike the most?
Seven of Nine/Chakotay. Thankfully it ended with the show.

15.) If you could have any of these two pairings double date, who would it be?
Probably Sephiroth/Aerith and Kadaj/Tifa. That would be REAL weird, yo.

16.) Have #2 (Kadaj/Tifa) kissed yet? Elaborate if you'd like.
Canonically, no, they haven't, as she most likely hasn't even seen his face, much less recognized him if she saw him. However, in many post-AC stories and AU stories, they do end up kissing, and then some.

17.) Did #4 (Hudson/Vasquez) have a happy ending? If the show hasn't ended yet, do you think a happy ending is likely?
NO THEY DIDN'T! First Hudson gets dragged down through a grate and eventually blown up by the atmosphere processor meltdown, and then Vasquez gets blown up alongside Gorman in the duct by a freaking grenade to the face! NOT THE FACE! But in my story, which I hope to eventually finish, certainly, they have their happyish ending. Of course, with plenty of Hudson-smacking to go around.

18.) What would make you start shipping #14? (Ripley/Burke)
Give me a prompt and a day or two, and I would have an entire oneshot written out for them. PLEASE, somebody give me a reason to try to twist these two into creepy interaction.

19.) If only one could happen, which would you prefer - #2 or #6? (Kadaj/Tifa or Vincent/Rosso)
Kadifa, definitely, without a doubt, TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY yes. They just work so well together, especially if you know how to write them in-character and are willing to write a whole fanfic, like I used to.

20.) You have the power to decide the fate of #10. What happens to them? (Sephiroth/Tifa)
Sorry Seph/Tifa fans, but I'd have Tifa discover she loves Cloud way more. Shockingly, I prefer Cloud/Tifa to Seph/Tifa ANY DAY.

Not that I went, or that nobody else has heard yet (anybody who peruses Wikipedia or Gizmodo regularly has certainly heard). I'm just excited, because...

120 GIGABYTE PLAYSTATION 3 SLIM UNVEILED AT GAMESCON FOR RELEASE IN THE U.S. ON SEPTEMBER 1 FOR $299!

Yup. Can't you tell I'm excited? I've been putting off buying a PS3 because my logic says that it's only a matter of time before a Slim version is release. PS1: slimmed. PS2: slimmed. PSP: slimmed. Therefore: PS3 eventually slimmed.

And a hundred bucks cheaper, too.

I also heard that they unveiled the new Jak and Daxter game there, too, but I really don't care anymore. First of all, the graphics put the powerhouse PS2 to shame. Second of all, the plot looks like yuck, and third, they're not porting it to the PS3 as well with improved graphics. So... yup, there goes the neighborhood.

The PS2 is still a gaming powerhouse, and this is just... well, lame.

Besides, I love my PS2 Slim!

They're literally everywhere, even in literature, films, and so on. Therefore, I refuse to apply the term to any characters of any universe or any series anywhere anymore. I know some still qualify (Keira, Bella, Lucrecia, Dr. Manhattan, etc.) but unless they are just OMIGOSHSUESOHNOES, I will have no further say.

I struggled so hard to keep my original characters for my original novels away from Sue/Stu-ness that it got ridiculous. I can't currently even write OCs for established fandoms because I am so tired of "oh, see? She can wield a blade almost as well as Zack, she's a SOLDIER, therefore she's a SUE!" And that female character is a SOLDIER character I want to show to the online community, but I feel as though I can't, because she will be most likely pointed out as a Sue. Even though I took great pains to do otherwise with her.

I found out that some people consider the Master Chief a Stu, Lara Croft a Sue, and so. Okay, so one's a cybernetically augmented super-soldier, one's a aristocrat. They both have reasons why they can do what they do, and besides, that doesn't mean they're perfect. Lara has done stupid things in her time, after all. Sorry, had to get that out of the way.

Is anyone else tired of the Sue Crusades? I know I am. Not every OC is a Sue/Stu, people. There are some fantastic authors who write OCs and are being ignored because the summary happens to say "OC" somewhere in it. And it's not just flaws that make a character, it's how he/she deals with those flaws. I haven't been writing since I was four to not have anything to say about original characters, folks (some of my earliest female characters had "long flowing hair and crystal blue/violet/green/pick-a-freaking-color eyes". Simply atrocious).

What started this rant? I came across YET ANOTHER Sue/Stu thread and realized how ridiculous people will get, and it is becoming very tiresome. I know we're all tired of Sues/Stus swamping our favorite fandoms, but go after the ones who really ARE those types of characters.

I can't come up with anything unique for my stories because I'm afraid of Sues/Stus. I'm even beginning to see the main character in James Cameron's "Avatar" as a freaking Stu now. That's how bad it is. It's gone on long enough, it's gone FAR enough, and I think everyone's sick of it.

Please stop the Sue Crusades. It hurts the real writers.

Thanks for reading.

Years ago, when I wrote poorly and had Mary Sues and self-inserts and whatnot, people loved my work and I rarely got flamed. Nowadays, I write realistically and stay far away from OCs if the situation doesn't call for it, I study up on the canon characters and I write fluidly and in ways that I know people would like.

So, is it just summer vacation, or is everyone just avoiding my stories?

And it's just curiosity. I am writing a Halo fic that is guaranteed to have twists no one saw coming, but I won't finish it if no one is going to read it (and by read, all writers appreciate reviews). I recently entered the FFVII fandom, too, and I wrote and published only when I felt comfortable enough to do it.

So, I reiterate:

Twenty-eight chapters gained 117 reviews for my Mary Sue self-insert fic, "Jak: Revelations". Nineteen chapters gained forty-three reviews for my Tomb Raider fic, "The Ruby Star". So, what gives? The same thing happens with my artwork, too: fanart gets some views, and my original space art earns... none.

Needless to say, I am not a content writer/artist right now. Any feedback to my questions would by much appreciated.

I seriously have to upload the artwork I've been doing lately, too.

My newest fics are listed below. Find them at FanFiction.Net/~humanbeldot. All except "Reverence Fall" are one-shots and don't take too long to read:
Afar - FFVII:AC, Kadifa (Kadaj/Tifa) and Breathing - FFVII:AC, Kadifa

Relic - Halo 3, slight AU, featuring Cortana discovering that John's luck has finally run out. Angst/drama.

Chocobo - FFVII:AC, featuring Yazoo finding a materia that allows him to turn Kadaj into a chocobo. Humor.

Halo: Reverence Fall - Halo 2 AU, sequel only if desired.

I hate satellite Internet.

That being said, I'm sorry I haven't been around. Not that I think anybody missed me, but whatever. It turns out I got my fanfiction groove back and I recently published a Halo fanfic. Which I would appreciate if you would go see at my page on FanFiction.net. I also plan on (shocker, shocker) completing my JakII: Renegade fic. Wow. Maybe it's the rumors of the new Jak and Daxter game coming out this fall. Either that, or I finally decided to give Erol that sadistic and downright evil side everybody else portrays him like.

It will be interesting. Once I actually get around to it. Which might not be anytime soon.

In the meantime,
a) I saw Star Trek on May 9. I must say that it makes plenty of noteworthy "homages" to the original series and a few to the films and other series, although they are slightly more subtle. It's one of the best movies I've seen in YEARS.
b) I just saw Terminator Salvation today. Christian Bale didn't do too well, I thought, but then again, he isn't my idea of a great actor anyway. I'm more of a Gerard Butler person. Besides, Sam Worthington totally ruled that movie. And Yelchin, who played Kyle Reese (and Chekov in Star Trek 2009), did a fantastic job.
c) If you haven't read the "Alien Chronicles" trilogy and you like fantasy, sci-fi, or a mixture of the two, you have to read it. Without giving too much away, it's set in a distant galaxy in a distant time with an all-alien cast of characters. I found myself almost in tears at some of the things that happened. When a book affects you that way, you really feel like you're reading something good. It's under the Lucasfilm label but has absolutely nothing to do with Star Wars. They're by Deborah Chester. Check the reviews on Amazon.com if you want more info.

Don't count on me uploading art anytime soon. Satellite Internet sucks and I can't get to a fast Internet connection that allows deviantArt. It makes me very angry.

By the way, I'm on book three of the Alien Chronicles. I read the first two in the space of about five days and couldn't put them down unless I absolutely had to.