What Friends are For

Chapter 15 02/29/08

Holy jeebus, seven months? When the Muse decides to take a break, she really goes. Gah.

WFAF hit its one year anniversary last month. I tried to have this done in time, but I just couldn't come up with the right flow - I knew basically what should happen, but it didn't want to be translated into words. Happy with it now, though.

Got me a new computer, at last. No more crashing, no more slow running. So much squee. n.n

I'm sorry I made you guys wait so long. I hope you didn't think I'd abandoned you. =( Please please PLEASE forgive me! I still lurve you all! I'll be sending out an email to everyone who left their email addy, to let you know there's an update at last.

To my most magnificent reviewers:

ReaperRain:

I hope you like this one as well! I don't know if it moves too fast or not - I tried not to let it. We'll see. No lemon this time either (oh noes!), but I gave you a bit of lime - not even Vincent n' Cid can make like bunnies all the time... Unfortunately.

Larissa:

I'm glad you like it so far! I still have bouts of insecurities - think that's part of what took me so long on this one. I just couldn't get it RIGHT, and kept worrying about it. This is the only chapter I've written that I ended up scrapping half way through and COMPLETELY starting over. Made it better though!

P.S. - Archive? What archive?! *flails* Must have link!

Elrik:

Oh man. If it makes the heart grow fonder, then we must be soul mates by now. ¬.¬

Naria (Don't mind if I just call you Naria, do you?):

Woot, another new reviewer! Your response just made my day the first time I read it, and again, I'm SO sorry it took me so long to get back to you. Feedback is the most awesome thing a writer can get (well, that and money, but that's not gonna happen any time soon). I know things've changed - but people tend to do that, so I hope it's not too unbelievable.

PsychicDreams:

More newness. Eee. n.n

They say variety is the spice of life, after all. Cid/Vin is so common, guess that's part of what makes Vin/Cid so alluring - though I -so- didn't intend for the story to take the form it has. Emo!Vince, while understandable with the in-game Vincent's attitude and appearance, does tend to get old after a while. I guess this is my take on 'what if he was free' thing.


Many, MANY thanks to all my readers, whether you rate or review, or not (though it'd be wonderful if you did!) And again, my deepest and most profound apologies for such a long wait.

I'm hoping you'll all be happy with this chapter. It's about what I wanted, though like I said, it does seem if things moved a bit too quickly. A bit of a surprise here (though if you're reading this, chances are you've read the chapter first), but don't be angry with me for it. This story has taken on a life of its own by now, and I have a feeling we're all just along for the ride.

Whee. n.n

~SneakyOne

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Chapter 14 07/24/07

About damn time, huh?

I'm really sorry I took so long with this one, really. I hate to disappoint you guys. It was hard to write for some reason - I kept stalling out. I've been writing for most of the last... seven hours now, once I got my guy on the phone and he walked me through installing the new Ethernet card; even though it was identical to the old one, I still ended up having to uninstall, reinstall, switch things out. Blah!

Anyway.

Chapter fourteen, finally! I'm so glad. I hope you guys like it. It flows the way I wanted it to. I hadn't planned on the naughtiness when they started out on the ride, but sometimes it's like they have a mind of their own. I think that's what broke the muse.

Okay, responses to stuff I missed:

ReaperRain:

I didn't intend for Cid's fascination for Vincent to sound obsessive-stalker-ish, but re-reading the story, I can see how it can be seen that way. It's an oopsie, but too much would change if I tried to fix it. And I know he's a bit more 'tame' than he is in the game, but I figure he might've mellowed in the time between then and 'now'. As for the vulgarness, I'm not, by nature, the kind of person who swears. It doesn't bother me from other people, I just choose not to. So, it's hard for me to inject that into a character or a story. Same with drinking (which it seems quite a few fan-written Cids do), or drugs.

Cideon:

I'm so glad you liked the story so much! And to think, I was worried when I posted it that it wouldn't go over well or something. Paranoia at its finest, and I'm damn glad I was wrong! n.n Here's your explanation and a bit of Cid's backstory. It's right where I'd wanted it originally, and it came out just the way I'd imagined it, too, so I'm glad for that.

Larissa:

Another new reviewer, woot! You should be getting an email soon, along with Reaper. Soon relative to my time, at least, considering it's almost... Gack. Six in the morning. Bed soon. Anyway, I'm always glad to hear what people think! Chaos' personality is another that just developed on its own. The only thing I had planned on with him was his habit of calling Cid 'manling.' Seemed to fit, don't know why.

Please don't be too miffed at me for the ending of this one. I'd wanted that synopsis just like that in the beginning - it was written before barely a quarter of the rest was done. I'm sorry about leaving you with a cliffhanger, though. I'll do my damnedest to avoid another horribly long break. It's not fair to you guys, and the longer I wait, the harder it is to get back into the groove. I have a few things planned for what happens next, so we'll see.

Until next time, my marvelous and most wonderful readers!

~SneakyOne

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Intermission 07/22/07 - Part 2

Bloody hell. I don't know if someone has it in for me, or if God / Fate / whoever the hell is in control of 'irony' and 'coincidence' / whatever finds it amusing to pick on me. Feh.

It figures that in the middle of typing up 14 that the power goes out. Not in the neighborhood. Not on my whole street. Just on my block. Eight houses, at most, one of which is mine. And remember that 120-degree heat? It doesn't get below 80 at night - and only down that low if we're lucky. Sigh. So sleep was sporadic, since I can not get to sleep without a fan blowing in my face - feels like I'm smothering. Came back sometime this morning, and I fonally got some rest, but when I woke up, I found a wonderful surprise.

Whatever knocked out the power fried my ethernet card. And the only replacement available is also broken. So, no new one until tonight. I'm typing this on Mom's computer. Will try to get a bit more of the chaper done, as much as I can.

For the record: I hate Windows keys. I've got one of those IBM Model M keyboards - mine's dated June 1991. You know, the old heavy-duty ones that you could bludgeon someone to death without it even denting, and all the keys make a very satisfying click-clack when you push them. No windows keys. So new keyboards always feel so... smushed. Everything's shoved aside to make room for that useless stuff. Fech.

Back to work. Cross your fingers for me.

~SneakyOne

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Intermission 07/22/07

"Maybe I can get 14 out by then, huh? It'd so rock if I can get back into the one-a-day groove now that things are settling down."

Teach me to open my big mouth, huh? Jeebus, five months since my last update. I gotta stop doing that.

I tell ya, when real life hits, it really hits, doesn't it? The 'family emergency' I mentioned was an ill grandmother, who passed away while I was visiting - the day after I posted the last chapter here. (Don't worry - she was bad off enough that it's a relief that she finally let go. Cancer sucks. Smoking's bad. Lecture, rant, and so on.) So we waited and had her service, then my mom and I drove from here to back where I was living, packed as much as we could cram into her van (leaving behind a lot of things I wish I could've kept), drove BACK here (16 hour drive each way, mind), had to unload, move furniture, assemble furniture, unpack everything, so on and so forth, and get my cat settled in. Then came job hunting, then getting settled into a new job, learning the ropes, dealing with a broken air conditioner in 120-degree heat (Thank heavens for window units!), yadda yadda and blah blah blah.

Okay, enough of that, you guys don't need to know the ups and downs of my life, you're here for the good stuff.

Now that things have settled down - It's coming! I've got fourteen half finished. It should be done later today (Monday) - I'm gonna do my best to sit down and finish it off.

And once again, I love you guys. I missed my two thousand view mark, which I'm sad about, but I've got new reviewers! Joy!

Christabel, Elrik, Elfwench, Anonyperson, thank you so much for letting me know what you think! And ReaperRain, Cideon, and Larissa, you guys are marvelous. You don't know how much I happy I was to read what you wrote. I mean, really really. Reviews are good, they feed the muse. Hopefully mine's been jumpstarted again.

I'd already planned on explaining the Cid / Regen thing in a later chapter - already have that scene in my mind, but not typed out yet. It'll be here (hopefully) soon! There is still plot in store for our favorite boys.

I'll do my best to e-mail you guys when I'm done with the next chapter. Feel free to smack me if I don't.

Oh, Larissa? If you remember what you caught, could you toss me an e-mail about the mistakes you found? I know there are a couple, but I'd been avoiding fixing them so I wouldn't taunt you folks prematurely with the possibility of an update. I'd appreciate it. n.n (And anyone else, too! Pretty please?)

Till later, my lovely readers!

~SneakyOne

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Chapter 13 02/18/07

Woo, finally done! I've been working on this one on and off for, what, almost two weeks now? It's a tad longer than the others, but I think it works well, though I hope the ending isn't too cheesy. Hopefully I won't take as long with any others I do. *cross fingers* Gonna date the Intermissions so I can keep track of how long it takes between 'em this time.

I am absolutely giddy at having over 1300 views. That is beyond awesome, especially considering how long it's been since the last update. I didn't think this story would get that popular. And to my wonderful, fantastic reviewers:

Jazzy, Elrik, Elfwench, Goki, and the most wonderful Dracoqueen, much luff to you guys. I'm always more than happy to hear what you think. (I got reviewed by Draco! *fangirl squeal* Thank you for stopping by to throw in your opinion! I'm glad you like it so far.)

Ahem. Anyways. This one doesn't have any naughty stuff, just a whole lot of fluff and a little bit of plot-ish-ness. We'll get back to the juicy stuff next chapter, maybe. I am so very glad nobody was bothered with the claw thing in 12. It was a tough decision to put it in, but it does belong, believe it or not, and I tried to keep it tasteful.

I'm still in Nevada (I live in New Mexico, about 45 minutes from the Texas border, so it's almost two full states away). I'll be moving back here soon (woo, happydance!) but it won't be until next week that we can go pick up my stuff. Maybe I can get 14 out by then, huh? It'd so rock if I can get back into the one-a-day groove now that things are settling down.

Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this one. *heart*

~SneakyOne

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Intermission: Pt. 2

I am so sorry it's taking me so long to put in the next update. It seems things like to conspire together sometimes.

Monday or Tuesday I'll be leaving to go visit my family in Nevada - one of those 'family emergency' kinda things. I'm going to try to take my computer along, but I don't know if I'll be able to work while I'm there. Hopefully I will. I'll do my best to at least get Chapter 13 up before then; I've still got a couple days. But there's still packing and stuff to do.

I can't say 'thank you' enough to everyone. You've all encouraged me to stick with something this long. It might not seem like much, especially considering some of the longer, more complicated stories out there (I'm looking at you, Dracoqueen22 *heart*). I've never been able to sit down and actually write, even though I've had things floating around in my brain for ages. I'll get a paragraph or two, maybe a page if I'm lucky, but twelve chapters? For me, it's damn near a minor miracle.

So it means a lot to me that you're all there.

~SneakyOne

Intermission

I don't know why, but I just thought I'd mention a few non-reader thanks. I type all these in the Google documents editor - http://docs.google.com - I started there because my computer was horribly crashtastic. I couldn't go more than an hour without it dying on me, sometimes as little as ten minutes. So having something that auto-saves if I stop typing for five seconds was a lifesaver. Got a new hard drive now, though, so it's all better, but I still like using the docs editor anyway. It's horribly handy.

Firefox is the roxxor. Tabs are awesome. And the 'reload tabs on startup' is so useful, as is the built-in spellchecker.

Brady Games' guidebook for FF7 has been extremely helpful as well. Character references, world information, you name it. I've been looking through it at least every other chapter to find something I'd forgotten. It's an old copy, sad to say, so it's getting a bit dog-eared. My brother bought it when the game first came out, and gave it to me when he passed me his copy of the game - I loved it a lot more than he did. Can't you tell? (Though it still annoys me that it says 'Every materia included!' but doesn't tell you where to learn a single one of the Enemy Skills.)

Google, Wikipedia, and Dictionary.com have all been invaluable whenever I need something else. I'm kinda picky about trying to get things right, whether it's information or spelling. That's why the wedding wasn't more detailed. The only wedding I've ever attended was when I was four or five years old - and that was two and a half decades ago. I wouldn't be able to do it justice, so I left it as-is.

It still bugs me that I still don't know the pilot-in-training's in-game title, though. Cookies for whoever can tell me!

I'm sorry there wasn't more Yuffie during the wedding chapter. I don't know why, but I just can't get into her mind. Every time I try, she comes out like Rikku from FFX, which is weird, because it's been more than two years since I played FFX or X-2, but I beat FF7 a couple months ago. We'll be seeing a little more of Reno and Rude soon, maybe the other Turks as well, though it might not be much.

And I do have more planned for Chaos, something you'd probably not expect. Don't worry, I won't ignore everyone's favorite big purple demon much longer.

I'm glad you guys are hanging around. I feel much better now. n.n

~SneakyOne

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Chapter 12

Okay, this one I definitely owe you guys an explanation for. I know this chapter is probably gonna earn me some flames, maybe even a few lost readers, but I hope not. I put some serious thought into this one. It was surprisingly easy to write, but I had to really debate with myself whether or not I wanted to post it or skip it.

I've never been into the S&M thing. Pain doesn't interest me, in or out of sex, so getting into the mindset of someone who does enjoy was different. This was not a spur of the moment decision. I've been planning something like this since Chapter 3 (though the Regen idea came later). I will be getting farther into the 'why' and such, though I doubt there'll be another scene like this again.

Now that that's over with--

I owe another big thank you to Zanthic, who was kind enough to help me decide to post this chapter, and to help me figure out what to do for the next one.

Thank you to my readers and raters, especially those of you who decide to stick with me after this one. Try to not hate me too much, kay?

And as always, a huge thanks to every one of you who take the time to review, even if it's just a few words. Dragon, Elrik, Jaeger (I keep trying to say 'ea'), and everyone else, luvs to you! n.n, (I really should sit my ass down and do the same favor for the others I've read, shouldn't I? Hell, it's only fair.)

Last but not least: Ganymede Pendragon / VVL69, you little sneakthief. *heart* Maybe I'll start a trend with this intermission thing. Mwaha. (You snagged the 'manling' thing too, didn't you? That's so totally awesome.)

~SneakyOne

--P.S. - For future reference, I'm a she. xD

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Chapter 11

Woo, lemony goodness at last! Sorry it took so long, guys, but I wanted to get it right. Hope you enjoy! n.n

You guys don't know how much it makes my day to look at the page and see more reviews. It's awesome, and I love each and every one. It makes it worth it. You all deserve cookies and hugs! Thanks to all of you, and every one of my readers and voters.

As to the question of Reno and Rude: I don't know if they're together in this universe, nor do I know if I'll get into them at any point. But I am already planning a story of their own, because they're one of my favorite pairings.

Maybe that's where we'll hear the story of Reno's prank. xD

Now to work on Chapter 12. Squee.

~SneakyOne

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Chapter 10

I should stop reading reviews until it's time to post the next chapter. You guys keep jumping ahead of me. xD But I can't help it, I'm totally addicted, or something.

Io, Elrik, Dragon, Jazzy, and Citakar, thank you so much for reviewing. I'm having fun writing it, and to hear people enjoy it so much just makes me happy. I'm writing it for you guys as much as for myself now. xD

To all my readers: I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's another that seems to flow a bit faster than I intended, but I think it works. Though we'll have to wait until the next one to see what Vince's gift is. Muahaha.

And to answer the question about Vince's arm - It was a consciously subconscious thing. He's not having the nightmares now, and isn't sleeping with the gauntlet on, so there's no need for him to grip the pillow. He doesn't think about it, though - he just likes holding Cid with that arm, because of the heightened sense of touch. I mention it here because I don't know if it's something that'll get explained in the story.

See you next time!
~SneakyOne

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Chapter 9

Okay, I'm leaving Intermission in, just gonna move it up a chapter whenever a new one is uploaded. I'll put all the reviewer responses and notes and such in here, instead of on the separate chapters.

A huge, gigantic, massive thank you to everyone who stopped to leave a review. For the record, my response was something like this:

*bounces around with a squeal* I got reviews! I have fans! *insert grin and schoolgirl giggling here*

And as always, thank you to everyone who reads and rates. You guys are great too.

Anyways, chapter 9 up as promised. A whole lot more fluff, another look into Vince, and a bit of loveyness. I wanted to get it posted tonight just for you guys.

~SneakyOne

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Chapter 8

Yay, someone else reviewed! *happy*

I'm hoping to answer questions as they come in. I think I might leave Intermission in, and just move it forward a chapter every time a new one is ready. That's not against the rules, is it?

I had forgotten to mention Vincent's out-of-place knowledge. That's one of the things that will be explained later - there is a reason for it. For now, I'll just say that knowledge and experience are two entirely different things - and Vince only has one of those. Consider it on the level of a virgin reading a whole lot of erotica, and using it to wow their partner.

Don't worry, though, he didn't learn from Hojo.

And thank you, Dragon. I absolutely adore hearing from people! *more heart* I shoulda turned on anon reviews ages ago. xD

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Squee! Thank you very much, Anon and Jazzy! You've single-handedly made me feel much much better about this.

I've been trying my best to keep everyone in character. I know Vincent's different than what he should be, but with enough time and healing, even the most broody-sulky-lamenting person can change, right?

I hadn't planed on the Uke/Seme rolls, but they just came out that way. I'm doing my best to keep it from seeming too out of place. I know Uke!Cid is uncommon. It often just doesn't seem right, because of his attitude and personality. Poor guy doesn't even realize what's happening, though he doesn't seem to mind too much.

And thank you again! I'm so glad you're enjoying it, and everyone else who's read so far. You've made me a happy writer. *heart*

Chapter 9 should be up tomorrow at the latest!

I'm still planning on revising 8 - not taking anything out. It just feels like it flows a bit too fast, I guess. But that can wait till later, everything works the way it should

On a side note, does anyone remember what the NPC pilot was called in the game? I can't for the life of me remember, and I lost my saved game that was far enough ahead to see. I think it was something like 'Pilot Lv. 1' or some such.

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Yesterday was the first time I missed an update since I started writing 'Friends,' and I thought I'd offer an explanation for that.

Chapter 8 doesn't sit well with me. Everything happens the way I want it to, but something's off - it feels like it's missing substance. I know it probably seems like the marriage thing is a bit rushed, and I feel like I owe it to you guys to give you my reasoning, especially since you've stuck with me.

They've been together for more than a year now - almost a year and a half - living and working in fairly close quarters. They've been the best of friends, and recently found out they both truly love each other.

I didn't plan on Cid 'popping the question' - hell, I didn't plan most of the story at all. Like the AN on the first chapter said, the only two scenes I had thought out in the beginning were the key and the first flight - and the flight scene had a different (much naughtier) ending. Most of what you've read comes to me as I write, or in that period when I'm laying in bed either half asleep or half awake, which ever way you want to look at it (that happens to be when I do my best thinking, oddly enough).

One of the reasons I've never written any fanfiction is because I'm insecure about my writing. The opinion of you readers is important to me, even though we've never met - and probably never will. The thought of some of you rolling your eyes at the 'typical fangirl reaction' of having characters suddenly decide they're gonna get married bothers me.

I did think it over before I posted that chapter to make sure it was what I wanted. It felt right to me. I might revise it later, flesh it out a bit, but for now it'll stay as-is. I've started on chapter 9 already, but between my worries over 8 and thoughts of future events, it's not coming as easily as I had hoped.

'Friends' will get finished eventually - I won't leave you guys hanging. I'm sorry for the way the last chapter ended, though, and I'll try to avoid keeping you waiting too long.

This'll be replaced by Chapter 9 once it's done, so it won't interrupt the story later.

And if you feel like it, please please take a few seconds to hit the 'reply' button and tell me what you think. I'd very much appreciate it - like I said, your opinions are important to me. I'm even turning on anonymous replies - you know, just in case.

~SneakyOne