AERIS LIVES

(An entry for Contest #3 at #video-game-fans.)
(ETA (12/01/10): I know I'm a little late with this ETA, but I got a second place award! Thanks to everyone who voted for my piece )

I wanted to get this up yesterday, for obvious reasons, but my internet is down. Funny thing is, I originally didn't intend to have Vincent and Reeve (subbing for Cait) in there, but I realized the rest of the playable characters were present, and I needed something in that particular place, so that's how it worked out. Anyway, this didn't originate as a Halloween piece, though... it's much more special than that (and I meant to have it done some time ago ).

This is my tenth year as a member of the Final Fantasy VII Citadel community. It was my first real online home, and aside from one or two lengthy absences, I have always been there. This piece is dedicated to all of the friends I've made at the Cit over the years (including the guy who's now my husband!). My one regret with it is that I couldn't put everyone's names in the billing block! Of course, if this were a real movie, they'd all be in the credits at the end

As for why I went with this particular theme... When I first discovered the Citadel in 2000, it was a place that was quite obsessed with Aeris' life and death. This was back when Aeris resurrection theories still abounded and no one realized that the "ghost in the church" was really a glitch. Needless to say, it was also before the infamous Edge interview where the game's creators essentially said, "YES, HER DEATH WAS INTENTIONAL, FOR REALZ."

Another inspiration for this piece also came from the Cit, but more specifically, the Forums, from around the time Advent Children speculation was the hot shit. AC's announcement was what brought me back to the Cit, for good, and I eventually even did a four-year stint as Webmaster, introducing a lot of changes in the process. Anyway, the comments went a little something like this:

Forum member #1 (can't remember who): It would be weird if Aeris came back to life.
Forum member #2 (pretty sure this was Mum/Diamond Weapon/Dawn Treader): Yeah. She'd have to keep taping her limbs back on.



Anyway, to all my Citadel peeps, this is for you

Toolage: the usual. May tweak later, of course.