I wanted to make an accordion book, and A Hideous Carrion by Boomchick was on my to-bind list! This would not be a good method for a longer fic, imo, for me at least—there'a a degree of precision in cutting and gluing required for this that i am not sure i have! But for this length, it was fun to construct.
I dug a channel into the front cover board and embedded a ribbon to make a tie closure so that the ribbon, when tied, doesn't obscure the front cover.
This is a fun construction because you can spread it out, or read it like a codex—part of the fun of binding short fics!
@boomchickfanfiction has recently started branching out into new fandoms, but promises a return to classic FFVII delights this Saturday for the event. She would like to tell everyone “As the event organizer, it seems silly to do one of these for myself… I just hope everyone has a great time and we can make the world a slightly better place together!”
For the event she’s going to be writing, in her own words, ‘an afterlife fairytale AU extravaganza!’ Her writing will be to benefit her local LGBTQ+ group the Athens Queer Collective, and will run from 7pm to 7am!
Want to get a look at what she’s done up until this point? Check her out on Ao3! https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boomchick
Do Good Weirdly: Summer 2021 is a live-writing fundraising event this Saturday! Follow along for more authors, more good causes, and lots of fun! Want to sign up to write? Click Here!
Now that I've had time to process, I'm ready to announce that I've been given full permission to continue @boomchickfanfiction 's wonderful story, Ugly Truths!
They sent me their notes in an email, and I gotta tell you. Its wonderful.
I'll update you all here, once chapter 10 is finished :D
Thank you, BoomChick, for allowing me to continue your greatness, and for giving me your notes. The snippets are gorgeous, I'll be pasting them right in, and I'm so glad Ugly Truths was heading in that direction!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Sephiroth/Cloud Strife
Characters: Sephiroth, Genesis Rhapsodos, Angeal Hewley
Additional Tags: 7remix Challenge, Fairy Tale Elements
Summary:
For the 7remix Challenge, a remix of parts of Boomchick's Cadet Series. Sephiroth identifies with Rapunzel, but a tale should change to fit with circumstances.
"I Swear by the Gita & I vow by the Quran that I have been 100% Faithful in Body, Mind & Soul in all My Relationships!!!" #KATRINAKAIFSaidIt #QuoteMartial #BoomChick #YummyTummy #Apne #QuotableQuotes #BeautyQueen #DhoomDazzler #BollywoodQuoted #KATU
So this is the day I send appreciation to someone. To start off it has to be tomo and boomchick! They are both wonderful, lovely ppl and they’re the reason I got back into the FF7 fandom after years of being out of it. Their collab’s are out of this world in the Sefikura pairing. If you’re just starting out in this fandom or pairing you can’t go wrong by looking these two up! A million thumbs up ladies cause you make this fandom worth it!!!! @boomchickfanfiction @tomowowowo
i got my commission from tomowowowo and boomchick! i love it so much! thank you guys!
The first time Cloud asked Sephiroth for a picture, the man had gave him a faint, indulgent smile and agreed. But he hadn’t walked over to join Cloud for a selfie. He’d left the room completely, in fact.
Cloud had gone back to his bunk with a confused disappointment, and had been surprised to have a personalized, autographed PR photograph of Sephiroth delivered to him later. Cloud had to admit it was sweet. Sephiroth had signed it “to a future fellow Soldier” and Cloud was pretty sure that wasn’t one of the standard autographs. He’d used to daydream about buying one of the mass-marketed autographs back when he was at home. He’d never been able to work up the money.
He kept it safely tucked away in his drawer. He had to appreciate the gesture, after all. But it hadn’t been what he’d meant at all. Most people didn’t go home from a date with an autographed picture of their significant other. He tried to decide how to be more clear next time. He ought to have said ‘I want a picture of us,’ he supposed. Sometimes Sephiroth could be really literal.
The next time they met up, he was prepared. He had his phone open to the camera as he waited outside Sephiroth’s apartment, ready to go. He bit his lip lightly as he internally rehearsed. ‘Hey, let’s take a picture of us.’
He opened his mouth to start speaking as soon as the door slid open. But as usual, at the very first sight of Sephiroth he lost his train of thought. Cloud’s mouth went dry and his words abandoned him.
Sephiroth stared down at him with a look like he was studying Cloud with a hard eye for details. Then he tilted his head a touch to the side and his lips curled up into a soft smile. It was the same every time, and it always made Cloud weak in the knees with relief and pride. As if he’d been closely inspected, and found to more than pass muster.
“Cloud,” Sephiroth greeted, that beautiful soft look on his face.
“W-wait,” Cloud managed to stammer, “stay just like that!”
He whirled with his camera so his back was to Sephiroth. He summoned a fast smile and snapped a quick picture of both of them.
He brightened, perking up. That had to be a perfect picture, with that smile on Sephiroth’s face… He sighed heavily when he pulled up the photo.
It was a blurry picture of his own blushing face and Sephiroth’s chest from the shoulders down. The only hint of Sephiroth's expression was the angle of his bangs, hanging to one side, as if Sephiroth had tilted his head a little further in confusion.
“What are you doing?” Sephiroth asked, leaning over Cloud’s shoulder to peer at his phone.
Cloud shuddered, feeling his face heat up and his brain freeze as Sephiroth spoke next to his ear. His voice was so intimate—his words spoken only for Cloud. Cloud cleared his throat, turning to Sephiroth rather stiffly.
“I kinda thought we could take a picture together,” He admitted, taking a slow breath to calm himself down.
“On your phone?” Sephiroth asked, arching a brow and straightening, giving Cloud a little more room. “If you want one I can probably schedule an appointment with my usual photographer. He’s a little eccentric but—”
“It doesn’t have to be that fancy!” Cloud waved his hands between them, one still holding his phone. The camera showed a distorted, blurred vision of the background towards him as he shook it. “I just want one for us, not a magazine or anything.”
“I see.” Sephiroth murmured, though he looked confused. “As you like. I’m happy to oblige you. If, that is, you will give me some warning to get on the correct level this time.”
“Level?” Cloud paused, tilting his head.
“Or you could stand on a box, if you would prefer,” Sephiroth offered, a wicked humor lighting his eyes.
“I’m not that short,” Cloud objected, stiffening up even as Sephiroth chuckled and drew him inside with an arm around his shoulders.
They relocated to the living room. Then Sephiroth carefully straightened Cloud’s arm, narrowing his eyes as he sighted down the camera to get both of them in frame. Then he crouched behind Cloud and gave him a serious nod.
Cloud cast him a brief glance, then summoned a smile and snapped a picture.
Both of them looked at the resulting image in confusion a moment, Sephiroth’s face stony and calm, perfectly attractive, and Cloud’s tilted in a soft, shy smile. They glanced at each other. Sephiroth arched an eyebrow, and Cloud snorted despite himself.
“Try again?” He offered, waggling the camera.
“Mm.” Sephiroth tilted his head again, replacing Cloud’s hand in position. “On three. One, Two,”
On three, Cloud took a steadying breath, schooling his expression as he snapped the photo. Then he was left staring at a screen where Sephiroth had a strained half-smile over his shoulder while he himself struggled to look serious. Cloud looked, at best, like he had a stomach ache. Sephiroth made an odd sound.
Cloud started to apologize, but when he turned to look he found Sephiroth with a hand over his mouth, covering a smile, and his eyes narrowed in quiet delight. He was holding back laughter at the image, his eyes flicking to Cloud, but always returning to the screen. His green eyes were bright with amusement.
Cloud stared at him a moment, his apology washed away with the expression of delight. His own lips slowly twitched up in a dopy grin, and he waggled the phone.
“Wanna try with the box?” He asked, giggling.
“Wait, let’s take another like that,” Sephiroth said, an eager sort of delight in his eyes.
When he asked like that, so obviously hoping to end up with another foolish photo, how could Cloud say no?
Sephiroth played. There was no other way for Cloud to describe it. He played with the phone camera, taking turns taking pictures with Cloud. In each, he tried to escalate. A touch more foolish. When he saw a photograph in which Cloud had crossed his eyes, he made a delighted, bewildered sound, and declared he’d never thought to try.
It turned out Sephiroth could cross his eyes. Better than Cloud could, in fact. And shortly after that, he learned to stick out his tongue at the camera.
And he laughed. Not openly, not freely, but low, rumbling chuckles. Cloud felt his face heat up as Sephiroth bent close to him, his hand on Cloud’s shoulder. Cloud might have snapped an extra picture or two. He didn’t have to try at all to make a silly face. He was grinning like a fool.
Cloud eventually showed Sephiroth the special effects. They spent the afternoon covering their ridiculous photos in sparkles and hearts. Cloud laughed openly, and Sephiroth's face was soft with amusement.
“I’ve never gotten to be anything but dramatic and serious in front of a camera.” Sephiroth murmured after adding starbursts over his own eyes, making himself look even more foolish. “They tried to get me to smile. But they said it was just frightening.”
“It suits you,” Cloud said, softly. “Being silly. I think you can make anything look good.”
Sephiroth gave him a smile, and passed him back his phone.
“I want copies,” he said, his voice quiet.
“Of course,” Cloud said, eyes bright. “We… were planning on getting dinner, I guess. It’s a little late now, but—”
“Let’s go,” Sephiroth chuckled. “I’d hate to leave you to the mercies of the mess hall.”
Cloud stood up from where they’d settled from the couch. He instantly missed Sephiroth’s warmth, but he didn’t have to miss it for too long. An arm wrapped around his shoulders and Sephiroth leaned in close.
“One more,” He whispered. “With that smile you gave me before.”
Cloud took a breath. He lifted his phone, closed his eyes, then summoned a smile and took the picture. Sephiroth hummed, taking the phone from Cloud and checking it. Then he slid it into Cloud’s pocket and wrapped his arm around him again.
“For later,” He murmured. “When you’re home.”
Hours later, after talking too long over dinner and barely making it back for Trooper curfew, Cloud slid his phone out of his pocket before bed. He took a moment staring at his lock screen, wondering what he would find. When he finally opened the file of photos, he couldn’t help the soft sound of delight that escaped him.
His image smiled at the camera, eyes bright and hopeful. And over his shoulder, Sephiroth was looking up at the camera too with a secret smile on his lips—one meant just for Cloud. They looked foolishly happy together, Cloud thought. It was perfect.
