I always wonder if authors appreciate reviews on their older works. I'm not sure. Nevertheless, I continue to do so for works that so move me. After devouring Making the Cut I found my way here and I am leaving a review for a couple of reasons. For one thing, I've read the equivalent to...let's go with Stephen King's entire body of work in platonic Crisis Core bros fanfic since I played the FFVII Remake in April and while there have been some utterly fantastic and mind blowingly good pieces out there, they have all, ALL OF THEM left me wanting in the resolution-of-issues-so-we-can-really-be-friends-forever department.

It's been so frustrating.

I don't care how much a character suffers during a story. I love whump. Or as I say, ikick me straight in the feelings, daddy./i It's just...I need it to all have been worth something in the end. I'll never forget what someone told me when workshopping one of my stories back during undergrad, "I didn't get my cookie." I need my cookie in the end. So far I hadn't gotten that cookie here. Until you! Because last fic you wrote an amazing chapter of full on necessary friendship catharsis between Genesis and Sephiroth and just THANK YOU SO MUCH. I finally feel at peace. Also, while we are here, thank you for writing such a brilliant, amazing and IC Genesis and for making these stories Genesis-centric.

Now on to my main point. I am extremely sad because Noir is exactly my kind of character. I knew from first mention that I would love him and yet, unlike trad media or things, I won't be able to find fanfic of this man to scratch my itch now that canon is through. It's so sad. I'm sad. Noir is a diamond. A beautiful shiny that needs to be appreciated by everyone. He's got it all: the looks, the tragic backstory, the struggle for redemption, ties to the protagonist, family drama, badassery, believable quirks, doesn't-know-love-but-wants-to, and the literal fight for his mind. Breathtaking. All of it. Actually, all of your OCs have depth and I think you know it too. I think that's why you're not here writing fanfic. I do believe you are published by now and are far too busy working on original things to pay attention to writing that doesn't make you money. And rightfully so. Wonderfully so. You are an excellent writer and I would welcome and value any reading recommendations you might want to make via PM :)

It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?

I first read Making The Cut many years ago. When I say many, I do mean many. Before Legacy was ever started. I loved all your fics then, I read each of them in secret and deleted my browser history after - my parents have always been strict about the internet and fandom and fanfic and whatever else have, until recently, been dirty little secrets.

At the time, I had no idea who Genesis or Angeal or Zack were - I knew about Cloud and Sephiroth because they appeared in Kingdom Hearts, however. I quickly grew attached to this redhead with too many emotions and not enough patience and a deep affection he felt forced to hide. I eventually read practically any fic I could find based around Genesis, fueled by some sort of obsession with him. I think it might have been the poetry(I have always been a poet, and I think I probably will always find other poets attractive). And all of that started here.

When I first read Making the Cut, it wasn’t even finished, and had been left for quite some time. I came back a few months later, and to my surprise it had been finished. I was elated! I read the whole thing and cried at the end, so happy the journey I had watched Cloud and Genesis go through was completed. I was happy they had a good ending.

Then, Legacy happened. Time went by, I tried to read it, I struggled. I’ll be honest, I don’t like Legacy as much as Making the Cut. I think Legacy is well written, and has an interesting story - I just like the story of Making the Cut more. And now we’re here, years down the line, and Legacy is unfinished. I’m not sure if it ever will be.

I’m curious about how it ends. I don’t care a whole lot about every loose end - some of the subplots bores me a little. But I want to know what happens to Genesis and to Cloud.

I don’t think you’ll pick this up - I’ll never be angry or disappointed because of that, don’t worry. It’s more of a bittersweet feeling than that. Not every story ends when or how we hope it will.

I like to imagine that Genesis and Cloud talk about everything. That Genesis is honest, that Cloud understands, that they both grow closer because they know the world is so much more complicated than bullies or tennis balls or pushups or can openers. Cloud grows, Genesis gets weights off his chest, they learn and they move on.

Maybe Noir learns to be a little more human, and maybe Vivien gets to be happy. Maybe all of Cloud’s accuaintances from his class sort their messes out, or maybe their rivalries and issues come to a head and they all fall apart permanently. Maybe Jadak gets a better understanding of family and begins to mend the relationships he has with his own. And maybe this one has at least a mostly happy ending too.

I’m sure I won’t ever know - but it’s a very nice thought.

Thank you for introducing me to a world I very much needed a few years ago. And thank you for writing more of it into existence. That will always mean a lot to me.

I hope that whenever you read this - if you ever do - it finds you in good health, happy, warm, and safe. I’m sure I’ll be back in another year or two. See you around.

Noir needs help. I love him though!

I am looking forward to that confession... but I am excited for degradation as well.
However, since your work has been so good so far, I am willing to wait for more main plot progression.
Please keep writing!

NOOOOOO! A CLIFFHANGER!

I bursting up laughing when I found out its a can opener... Really Gen? I thought its your sword but a CAN OPENER? What's with a CAN OPENER Genesis? that was so funny!

Oh... That last part *blushes*
Perfection... huh. Wonder how

Dear Gaia, that last scene !

Yeah right, Hopefully, nothing will go wrong for Cloud. If i was him, I would really be pissed about all that

I'm sooo curious of what happened between them. I mean I have some ideas but this is making me love this story much more. Mysteries and such

Well, a certain third class loves some yaoi goodness. I wouldnt blame him at all.
Noir seems really scary to me lol, Goodluck to Cloud surviving his class.

Poor Cloud!

this is amazing please update soon

What? Where's the rest?

Are you planning on updating anytime soon? Also, Noir is my favorite out of every oc I have ever seen just so you know.