What's

At Jen's Sephiroth & Vincent Tribute Page?

October 8, 2004: Sorry to say, this is likely my final "update." You could probably guess that someone who hasn't updated in over a year is no longer interested, right? lol... Despite trying to want to finish Battlegrounds, and plenty of e-mail begging me to do so... I can't. I no longer have any interest in FF7 or fan fiction, and I feel I've grown past this kind of writing. My extreme apologies to all who have been loyal over the years and were waiting the conclusion of this story. But I cannot force something I have no inspiration for. I started this site at age 18, when I was single and in school. Now, I am nearly 26, working on a full-time career, and married (Yes, I got married this summer =). So... Maybe you can see how I am far different and not who I was when I wrote fan fics. I know people will be angry and send me mail flaming me or asking me to reconsider, but I am sorry, this is final... Again, thank you everyone! I am doing just fine and am thankful for everything I have learned and gained from working on this site and my writing here.

I decided to post a summary of what I intended to happen in Battlegrounds, so as not to leave anyone hanging on a conclusion for it. Then, I have posted a series of stories intended to happen in the years afterwards. You can find them on my fan fics page under After The Irony. I wrote them years ago for when I got to the right point in my time line, but I never got there. lol... But, since I have them sitting around, you may as well read them if you want. They have not been worked on or improved in ages, and a few are somewhat incomplete, but they are there for any who care to read them. I was most proud of Compromise and Life After Death. Heights of Dysfunction lacks a few ending paragraphs, but should otherwise be okay. Misplaced Blame is just a few scenes I wrote to an idea I had for a fic and never got back to. But anyway... maybe posting them can be my apology to anyone I "let down" by not being able to finish Battlegrounds. Sorry for how sloppy and unformatted the stories are, btw. I have largely forgotten how to do much of this and just wanted to get them up quickly.

I am, however, still writing new material, though not related to this. I have begun work on an original fantasy-type novel which is truly my own characters and world. I intend it for serious publication someday, but my time to work on it is limited so it'll be a bit. Well, if you ever see a book in the Fantasy section by a Jen Brandon, buy it? lol... Thanks in advance *snicker* I feel this novel forces me to rise to a new level of skill and creativity, and I love having my very own characters I created. I feel I have grown to the point where this is what  I should focus on. Besides, this early in my dog grooming career, I'm poor and selling a book would be great? =D

One final favor: I can mostly be found online now at Neopets.com. It is a free virtual pet site that offers over 160 games to play, virtual pets to care for and raise, pet battles, item collecting, virtual shopping, contests, chats, neomail (site email), guilds, and much more. They also have a real-life card game you can find out more about. People of all ages play, and there is something to appeal to nearly anyone. You can sign up for free and check it out with no obligation to keep playing once you join. It's always been free. You won't get spam mail or anything if you join and stop playing, and you can also disable your account if you really want to. So, since I am almost NEVER on aol any more, look me up there if you want to join the site or talk to me. My username is JenesisX. And if you do sign up, even if you don't really intend to play and just want to do me a HUGE favor, please go to the site and join via the banner below. I will get reward points for referring you that will help me greatly! I really appreciate it! Send me a neomail if you do sign up so I can thank you personally. =)

June 18, 2003: Well, I guess this is sort of a progress report. Except, um, there's been no progress? lol... Truth be told, I haven't even started Chapter 4 of Battlegrounds yet. I've been busy with work, after hours at-work training, a home-study course, and life's other responsibilities. I've also felt uninspired for some reason, maybe because of much slower feedback than I used to get, and a few people who felt like it might make them feel good to post flames in my guest book and not leave e-mail addresses for me to contact them at. But anyway, sorry, haven't started, but I will when I feel like it? Which will probably be within the next few weeks. I'll try, all right? But I only write now when I feel like it, so... Try and be patient with me, I do mean to continue it, I just have to get in the right mood and find some time. Thanks to everyone who signed my guest book with actual relevant messages, and to all those who e-mailed me as well. =)

BTW, the yahoo group I have listed on my main page, AeriSeph, is not mine, but a group I belong to as a member and think is a good place (most of the time) for Aeris and Sephiroth fans. As such, I have no control over the content there other than what I contribute, so any problems you may have if you join that list must be directed to its monitors, not to me. Just wanted to clear that up because a fan of mine took offense with a spammer on the list and thought I was allowing and very off topic posts it when I have no control over anything happening there. If you join, it's at your own risk for seeing things that might offend you now and then, like with any public internet group. So don't blame me! =)

~JenesisX

May 7, 2003: Thanks to lhiannonskyfire@yahoo.com for pointing out a big oops to me for the chapter! I had omitted to mention Shera! I have later plans for her, but forgot to mention that she was even onboard. There are now 3 extra paragraphs in the section of the chapter where Cloud is telling the group of their plans and reminds the trainer pilots that they have to watch out for Marlene and Elmyra mentioning Shera and Cid's annoyance with her desire to come along. I'm so glad someone realized this in time, or my future plans for Shera in the story would have been botched. So thanks again, and my apologies for the inconsistancy. Hopefully the added paragraphs will save it =)

~JenesisX@Aol.com

May 3, 2003: Well, it's finally here. Chapter 3 of Battlegrounds is up and ready to go. More details are at the end of the chapter in my author's notes. Feeback, as always, would be really great! I also redid the links page finally, so if you want your link up or if you already asked and don't see it, please send it to me to add. I'm still accepting fan art, too, for anyone interested in that. Thanks!

JenesisX@Aol.com

April 27th, 2003: Yet another progress report. I know, I know, I'm taking forever, but I warned you all when I started back... =) I am ALMOST done Chapter 3 of Battlegrounds now, as I decided to cut out two scenes and move them to chaprer 4 to help speed me along. I was simply trying to advance the plot too much in one shot and it was going to take me a much longer time to complete. This story is a lot faster paced than most of mine, as it is primarily an action story meant to advance my continuity and story setting, and to be honest it is not as fun for me to write as more character oriented stuff. But I am doing my best, and adding a few more relaxed scenes mixed in with the action helps as well. But anyway, I want to say give me another week, maybe 2 at the utter most, to finish this. I'm sorry if people are getting annoyed or impatient, but with my work schedule and personal life this is as fast as I can go. But just wait, once BG is done there will be tons of new stuff for you to read all in one shot =)

BTW, thanks to everyone who's been looking me up on FanFiction.net and writing me such nice reviews. I really appreciate it!

~JenesisX

April 11, 2003: Just another little progress report to let you all know what's up with me and the site. I think I've broken through my uninspired streak just a little, and have finally begun actually writing again. I got
the opening scene of Chapter 3 for Battlegrounds done today! Usually
once I get past that, the rest is easier. =) I have no idea when I'll
be done the thing, but at least that's a start. I'm proud that I am sticking to my "write only when I want to because it's fun" rule, even if it makes me update less than I used to. But it's much better for me this way, and I know everyone understands and doesn't mind waiting TOO much =) I have two days off next week, so maybe I'll get a lot more done then. I will try not to delay much longer and still make the chapter the best that I can =)

In other news, I finally was able to make myself a FanFiction.net
account after some technical problems. I'm now up there under pen name JenesisX, though it is not yet displaying all of my stuff since I only just made the account today. Try it again tomorrow if it still only lists one story under me, okay? I uploaded my 3 short stories that
happen prior to Irony of Fate, as well as my older Cable (Marvel
Comics) fics that never got read because the web site I made for them
sucked. lol... I am hoping that this will get some of my lesser-read
work reviewed, and also help spread the news that I am alive and
writing again. I think I lost a lot of my readers over the two years
I was away =/. I feel like I got a lot less feedback than I used to, and I really wish there was a way to reach all the people I lost and say "Hey! I'm back!" So I figured that maybe by doing this, my lesser-read work will get more attention, and it might also draw attention to the fact
that I am writing again. I have no reviews yet, obviously, so if
anyone would be so kind.. =) I dunno why no one really ever read or
commented on anything other than Irony of Fate at my site, but I'm
hoping maybe this will change that some. I love IoF and it's
continuation stories, but I hate it when people act like that's all
I've written... =)

Anyway, that's all for today. Thanks for being patient =)

~JenesisX@Aol.com

March 22, 2003: Hey, all. Just dropping a note to let you know what's up. I haven't vanished or anything even though it's been a bit since I updated and added Chapter 2 of Battlegrounds. To be honest, I just haven't been "in the mood" to write since I finished that, although I do WANT to and fully intend to very soon. Those of you who create know how it is... You're either on or you're off, and the last couple weeks, I've been decidedly off. With the arrival of spring, my allergies have gone insane, and I've just felt like I really poured all I had into Chapter 2 and need to recharge before I begin 3. After being away for so long, it took a lot out of my to write those 26 pages, and I felt like I couldn't just dive into the next part without a small breather. So anyway, that's what's up with that... but don't worry, I'm not quitting or anything, and it won't be more than a few more weeks =) Just, when you work 40 hour weeks and have one day off, well... sometimes sitting inside at the computer on a beautiful day isn't what you have in mind. *slight grin*

In other news, after about 7 years, I finally have a brand new monitor! I went from an old, dark 14 inch to a new 17 inch flat panel. My god, the difference! I also upgraded to a 3D video card, because my boyfriend just got a new computer so we could game together like we used to (we're both Diablo2 addicts, and in fact that's where we met... lol), and we wanted my older machine to be able to keep up with his. So that's a huge improvement for my eyes when I'm sitting here. =)

Last thing, I added a couple of new awards to my site today that some great people sent me. Thank you very much! And I also want to thank everyone who has e-mailed me and signed my guest book since my return, and the great people at the AeriSeph mailing list at Yahoogroups.com. All of you have made me feel like I never left and inspired me to keep doing what I once loved but gave up. I cannot express how much all of your kind words and support have meant to me.

~JenesisX@Aol.com

February 28, 2003: For once, I was actually able to stay right on schedule. After two years away and having thought I would never want to write again, I completed Chapter Two of Battlegrounds today. I had started it and written about 2 pages or so two years ago before I left the site, but I think it picked up seamlessly amd you can't really tell. I had a lot of fun writing this, and I'm surprised at how easy it was once I got started. I really thought the ability to write had left me... but this chapter is 26 pages long, so I guess not? lol... I am nervous about posting it, as I have not written anything in over two years, much less posted it for display, and am anxiously awaiting feedback on this chapter. I am nervous that I may have lost my touch and no longer 'have it,' or that my style has changed in a negative way. I personally am happy with this chapter, but I won't feel better until I know what my readers think. Be honest, of course! I really have missed doing this, and had a lot of fun with this chapter. It's good to be back, and I do plan to keep at it as long as I don't get 100 e-mails telling me this sucked ass and I should vanish again... lol. I think, from the looks of it, my general time frame between chapters will be about a month, give or take a week or so depending on how it goes. That's not too bad considering I really only work on my writing one day a week, huh? Anyway, I am anxiously awaiting feedback on this chapter, and hope it will have been worth the wait. I will start working on Chapter 3 soon, probably... I do have the entire story outlined, so it's just a matter of finding the time to write it. Well, enjoy the chapter, hopefully! Remember to send any e-mail to JenesisX@aol.com. Thanks!

February 21, 2003: Hi, all. This is yet another report on my progress as I return to writing here. It is taking me longer than expected to finish Chapter Two of Battlegrounds, mainly because I have had the flu for the last week and been too sick to even consider sitting here trying. It's just my luck =) Anyway, I do feel better now, and the chapter is progressing along nicely. It's become extremely long, much longer than I envisioned, but I still have one more scene I want to get into this chapter before I wrap it up. Therefore, it won't be ready to post for a short while yet, but when it does get posted it should keep you busy for a while =) I estimate that it will be between 25 and 30 pages when I'm finished with it, and that it should be done, polished, and posted by the end of February. It's up to 20 pages as of today, February 21st. As I have said, I really only have time Fridays to work on my writing, so it will most likely appear on the site next Friday, February 28th. It did take longer than I intended, both because of my illness and the length it ended up being, but I am very happy with what I have so far, and I'm not going to rush it and do a sloppy job on the rest just to get it out there. I very much appreciate all the e-mails I've been getting, and I also appreciate your patience. I am enjoying working on this a great deal, even moreso because I am now able to work at my own pace, and I'm really excited about finishing it soon and putting it up for everyone to read. I'm also nervous, as this is my first written work at all in over 2 years... But hopefully, it won't be disappointing. Anyway, that's all for now, I just wanted to let everyone know how I was progressing and roughly when to expect the chapter to be posted. In preparation for the addition, I redid the parts of the site that house After the Irony, and Battlegrounds itself. I think it looks much nicer now. =) Anyway, thanks for the support as usual!

February 7, 2003: Just another progress update today. My Site FAQ and About the Author pages are now redone and up to date. The About Me page contains a picture of me, the first I have ever had up here, holding my enormous printed copy of Irony of Fate. Fan Art Gallery 2 and 3 are both redone now as well, and I am currently going through Irony of Fate and repairing all the typos and such I found while reading my printed copy. I am ALMOST done rereading the story, so perhaps I can begin actually trying to write again and continue Battle Grounds next week. I may even have Chapter 2 of it done some time next Friday when I am off from work again. All right? I still have a lot of typos to correct and sections of the page to repair, but it is getting there! I appreciate all the mail and guest book entries I have been getting, and I can see from the counters that a good number of people still visit. That makes me really feel more confident about continuing my work here, and I thank you. Well, that's all for now... It shouldn't be too much longer now, so hang in there! =)

January 30, 2003:  If you haven't read the longer update below this, please do so before reading this. If you have, here you go. This is just a little progress report if you will. I am still in the process of rereading Irony of Fate and my other stories to refresh my memory, and now have a full printed, 600+ page copy of all of it. Geez... It took two ink cartridges and two packs of paper, and two very large binders to house it. I'm a wind bag. Anyway, just wanted to let you know I am still here and working on it, and already dreaming up new scenes for when I am ready to continue writing.

The other reason for this is to encourage you all to join a great mailing list I belong to, AeriSeph@YahooGroups.com. It is a list for fans of Sephiroth and Aeris, and includes a lot of great writers. We talk about the game, fan fics, our writings, other games, and sometimes just what's going on in our lives. It's a really great, nice, welcoming group that's a lot of fun. I post there several times a week, with anything from how my day went to my progress with my site, stuff I wouldn't bother to make a formal update here with, so if you want to hear me ramble more than usual and think this list sounds like fun, head on over, join up, and introduce yourself! And tell them JenesisX sent you. =)

Well, that's all for now. Back to my massive rereading job... Oh, and if you didn't notice, my boyfriend has started polishing up damaged parts of the site for me. My main page and most of the fan fic pages now look as they should. More improvements will be made soon, dead links removed, broken images fixed, etc... Look for new versions of Fan Art Galleries 2 and 3 very soon, and we are now open for new submissions!

January 24, 2003: Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. And before anyone asks, no, I did not become a slave to Jenova and spend the last two years with her in a crater somewhere up North plotting to cast Meteor on the Planet. Mm... That wasn't funny. ..... Is this thing on? Anyone there? I wouldn't know, I haven't been here in two years myself. But the counters seem higher, and there are a lot of guest book entries, and I even had a few stray fan mails... So maybe. Well, anyway.... Hi? lol... All right, for those actually somehow reading this, here is the story on how I came to be here:

I, obviously, had abandoned this site and writing FF7 fics. I'm sure I had posted stuff below this explaining it in more painful detail, but you know what, I don't want to read it. It's too upsetting for me. I don't like to think back to when I felt that way, and I don't want to read the words that came out of my head when I was in that condition. So, let's just say that I got really depressed and lost interest in everything I loved like most people with that illness do at their lowest. I just could not write any more, and I felt that I had too much pressure on me from people who were waiting for me to update the page. I couldn't get anything in my life together, much less this website, and I felt like all I ever did was let people down. So I suppose I did the cowardly thing, posted a last "update", and vanished for parts unknown.

Make a very long story short, I spent some time playing games online under a different identity, and that's where I met my soulmate. I had never experienced having a boyfriend or being in love before other than my attempts at writing the feelings for characters in my stories, but I'm rather pleased to see how accurately I wrote those parts... Because that's really what it's been like for me. Just having someone who loved me that much despite everything changed me, and I slowly started digging myself out of the depression. Now, there were problems... Such as living 900 miles apart. lol... But hey, we fixed that! He moved here to be with me after we dated online for about a year and a half (we had met only once before the previous summer when he visited me for a couple weeks). We live together in a basement apartment my father literally built for us, we'll be together two years this April, and we're engaged to get married at some point in that not-too-far-off future. Why am I telling you all this? Because if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here. Quite literally, as I could not even figure out how to publish any of this without him doing it for me. Yeah, I'm still dumb like that.

Just feeling loved does a lot of things for someone like me, who has the self esteem and confidence of a dung beetle. Because of him, after sitting around lost for many months, I found myself the first job I really love and feel like I could do for the rest of my life. I work as an assistant for a professional dog groomer, and I am looking into going to school to learn to groom dogs on my own, hopefully someday in my own shop. I love animals, and my own dog, Blade, the Great Dane I love so much, comes to work with me daily. The money is not great, but that's why I want to go to school and learn how to be my own boss. Yeah, I did go to college... I have a Criminal Justice/Sociology degree. But while I have a real interest in crime and love to read about it, I realized it is not a profession I am meant to be a part of. College was a huge mistake, and I wish at 17 I had half the wisdom I have at 24... It was an expensive mistake, but I suppose "young and stupid" applies here... Ah well.

Anyway, my boyfriend went through a similar down period of losing interest in everything before we met, and he says that I inspired him to start doing his art and writing again. He asked me about my writing at times, and thought it was really sad that I had all this stuff and just stopped. But I still didn't feel like I could get back into it... I thought about it a lot, and it did tear at me, knowing I never finished my plots and feeling terrible about the way I left the site and the people who cared about it so much. Now and then, I got the wild idea to return to it, just to see, but I could never even open the site... I don't know what I was afraid of, but just thinking about it brought me to tears. I figured I didn't have time for it any more, anyhow.

So anyway, one day, about six months after he moved here, my boyfriend decided he wanted to play FF7. He'd never gone past disc 1 and wanted to see more of the game he knew I'd been so into. I thought, well, it might be fun to see the old game, and settled in to watch. Within the hour, I was kind of staring off, thinking of my site... I started giggling at things in the game that reminded me of things I wrote, sharing things from my stories that parts of the game reminded me of... This time, when my boyfriend suggested I finish my work, I actually paused to think about it. But I chickened out for a bit, saying no, I doubt I could still write, I forget a lot of my past stuff, and who'd still want to read it anyway? Another few hours into the game and I was loosely throwing the idea around again, wondering if I could even remember my plotlines... Depression does funny things to one's memory. He asked if I had a printed copy... I said no, it exists only on the web and in a few text files. We decided that I should have a printed copy, just to have it, and it would allow me to sit and refresh my memory. And after a lot of prodding and encouraging and support, he finally convinced me that I ought to give writing another shot. I have always felt that, next to him with his art and computer talents, that I have no talents at all. I fail to understand computers and I have no art talent to speak of. I no longer do karate because of the surgery I had on my wrist a few years ago, a bad knee, a bad shoulder, carpal tunnel in both hands, etc... lol. So what did I have left? I do okay at my job, I take good care of my dog and all of our pet turtles (We have 20... lol), but... What else am I good for? I guess I felt empty in a way, like nothing really made me special any more. But he kept telling me, you can write, that's your talent. I always kept insisting that I USED to be able to write, and that that time in my life was over. Well... after being reinspired by the game and encouraged and supported by him, I think it's time that I found out if I can still do it or not. Don't you? =)

It seemed there were forces out to get me and stop this, even after I had decided with much prodding that yeah, this is what I wanted to do. First problem was, I could not recall even the name of the web publisher I used to use, or where it was located, or if I even still had a copy. I knew it was very outdated AOL material, so who knew if it'd even still work after two more years. I poked into some files and after about half an hour, I finally found it. AOL Press! I moved a copy to my desk top for easy access and opened it... Struggled to learn how to use it again, and figured it out, then recalled I had t be actually online under the screen name that had the page saved under it to do anything. So, after over two years, I opened AOL ready to sign in as JenesisX. But the message came up that my password was wrong. I tried again. Wrong. I looked it up in the file I have of all my passes for many things... The password listed there was NOT the right password. I sighed heavily. I called AOL, and they wouldn't help since the account is in my father's name. I waited for him to get home, he called, and got my password. I log in and delete literally 1,000 junk mails, then decide to try and print some of my stories out. My printer refuses to work. It seems either the ink is all dried up, or something is busted in the old, crappy thing. Ink would cost about 70 bucks for black and color, and we're really broke, so I thought, well, this is it, I give up. My dad hands me his credit card after failing to fix it and tells me to go buy myself a new printer. So my boyfriend and I go out and get ourselves a modest but decent model, and he hooked it up while I stared on cluelessly. And it worked! And it's fast as all hell! This thing printed me 300 pages of text in no time flat. I then could not get AOL Press to work, again, and was clueless... But my boyfriend saved the day by finding another way to upload to my site, and did it all for me. So anyway, eventually everything worked out. So much for all my really good excuses to chicken out... lol.

So I guess the point of all this is, once I catch up rereading and organizing it all in my head, I am going to TRY to finish Battlegrounds, as a start. I wrote part one, and started part two but never could get myself to continue it. I will also at some point clean up broken and misplaced images, dead links, etc... This site has been left as-is for over two years, and I know it's a mess... I will get to it all eventually. But first, I need to finish the daunting task of printing all 63 parts of Irony of Fate, and then all my other stories, so that I can read them, refresh my memory, and get back in the mood. Once that is done, I will see if I can pick up where I left off. I am never going to make a time commitment with my writings this time around. I work full time, and I don't plan to become that involved in computer life again. I have a lot more going on now, and I've outgrown the fun sitting here all day BSing online used to bring me... lol. I will have maybe a day a week to work on things, so updates will be added whenever it is that I have time. If anyone doesn't like this, tough...The pressure was part of what ruined it for me before, and I won't let it happen again. I know it sounds mean, but it's a sore spot with me, because when I was so stressed before I asked people nicely not to keep nagging me, and they did it anyway, like some silly fan fics were supposed to be more important than losing my job and my mental health. This time, I'll simply ignore all such e-mails. =) I will not, also, guarantee that I will answer e-mails. If you wish to contact me, the address is still JenesisX@Aol.com. Do not use any of the other names you may see around the site. If I don't reply, please don't take it personally and get mad. I just don't have the time to answer the over 100 e-mails a week I used to. I will READ all e-mails, of course, and will obviously appreciate any comments you want to give me on my writings. I just can't promise to have time to sit and individually answer every one of them. I apologize for this, but in the spare time I will have I'd like to focus on the stories. My "no IMs" rule still stands. Please do not instant message me through AOL, AIM, or anything else. I will read e-mails sent to JenesisX and all guest book entries, so get your thoughts to me there, please. Thanks for understanding!

Well, I guess that's about all I have to say. I suppose, if anyone likes who is reading this, you can pass the word around that I am not dead to anyone you think might care, and that I may update some time in the coming weeks. I am not sure how many people, if any, still check here, so any "advertising" anyone would like to do would be great. I will not be doing any, other than posting here. I figure I'll post this, and see what kind of input I get. If you do still have interest and want me to write, please e-mail me or sign my guest book, so I can see if I actually still have any fans out there. No sense writing for the wall, right? lol... I'll be keeping an eye on this site to see if anything happens, while meanwhile going through the stories and updating my brain. I will update again when I am through catching up and likely about to start writing again, if that's what I decide to do and if that's what anyone here wants me to. Later!

~ Jen (JenesisX@Aol.com)

April 4, 2001: Look... I haven't even been on AOL the last month because I am totally burned out, sick of a lot of things, and need a break. Those who really know me realize how serious my stress has to be for me to avoid AOL after over 5 years. It was just driving me slowly insane (though my sanity has always been debatable =). When I ask for a break and try to relax online, people nag me anyway, then i feel obligated to do things i don't want to do and end up more stressed than before... so I am taking a REAL break and not signing on at all for a while. Sorry to people who have mailed me, signed my guest book, etc, but I am just not up to individual replies right now.  They've piled up to the point where i don't think i can ever catch up, which is yet another stress... being buried in mail and knowing I've let down every single person I can't reply to.... No, I'm not dead, but being online in any form is just so stressful to me right now that I am not enjoying it and need to avoid it for a while until perhaps it can be more fun again. Too many stresses in my life, and this one is the easiest to eliminate for a while. I'm getting a lot of nasty mail yelling at me for making you all 'wait forever' and making you 'waste your time checking for an update.' Well, do us both a favor... if you feel it's wasting your time to come look for an update now and then, please don't. I don't want that on my conscience or that weight on my back any more... I'm one person. One person whose whole life if a bloody mess. I think most of you can understand how this would have a low priority when everything else is in the gutter.  I'm not even a very good person, and i can't be so many things to so many people. Hell, I can't even order my own life. Anyway, before 600 more people (yes, i had over 600 e-mails when i signed on today ) write begging me not to 'quit', I'm not. If you want to give up checking my site in the meantime, that's fine, I understand. But I need a break, a real break, from a place that used to be my refuge but has now become a prison... I will be back to doing everything I do online when I feel better, but I can't say when that will be. Maybe another few weeks ::shrugs:: I'm sorry to anyone this inconveniences or turns off from my site for good. Believe me, I'm not having any fun either and wish things were different. I used to love doing this, and probably will again someday, but right now I just can't. But maybe with a few more weeks being AWOL, I can come back here and actually not hate being online, feeling like I have a 'please nag me' target on my head, being yanked in 500 directions at once... Thanks to those who have remained loyal and understand how one can tire of something after three years and simply need a vacation away from it all. You're the reason I will continue writing when I get back.

January 31, 2001: True to my word despite being sick and not really wanting to write, Chapter One of Battlegrounds is up under After the Irony on my fan fic page. Please give me 2-3 weeks before you start asking where chapter two is ::grin:: I'll do my best. Thanks, and enjoy! BTW, I am still taking fan art for the third gallery, so always free feel to send... just please do so as a .jpg, .gif, or .bmp. Thanks!

January 26, 2001: This is another progress report because the last one did not seem to satisfy people and I'm getting so much mail asking when Battlegrounds will begin that I can barely do anything else while online aside from answer it. There have been some personal things going on with me I'm not going to get into, but they do include me being laid off from my job already. So you can imagine the mood that, and some other things, has put me in. I hate setting writing deadlines for myself because then I feel all the more rushed and pressured, and more obligated to write something than to do it out of fun. But since that is what everyone seems to want, I will loosely say that Chapter One, as good or bad as it may be in my present state of mind, should be up by the end of this month. Okay? Now don't e-mail me asking, because I'll just tell you to look here anyway =) Sorry this is taking so long and I haven't been the most social person around, but 'shit happens' as they say, and it seems to often happen to me. But I am trying and I will do it, all right? Good. See you within a week! (And please do me a favor and don't e-mail or IM me asking if it's up yet throughout this week... just check the page from, say, late Monday on. It'll say right on the opening page if it's up or not. You'll really help save me some time and repetition that way. Thanks =)

January 4th, 2001: Yay, the site is three years old this month! =D How many FF7 pages can say that? ::Waits for mailing telling her just how many can:::. Anyway! This is an update to let you all know what's up and what I plan for this site in coming weeks and for the new year. Sorry I haven't updated, but as you all know I moved December 8th, and I'm *still* not unpacked and completely settled yet. So I've been working on that and getting my dog used to a new house. Then of course I was unemployed and job hunting, and finally found a new job. I'm a security officer now, making a lot more than I did before. I like it, though I'm not sure I want to do this for the long run. At first, I got nailed with double shifts because they were short handed, so I was rarely home and hardly having time to sleep. But that has mostly cleared up now, and I'm back to normal 40 hour weeks. And then there were the holidays and all the craziness they bring, though I worked through most of them and then had to cram in family stuff afterwards. So that's been my life! I haven't died, or stopped working on the page, or anything. I've just been so busy with all the changes in my life that I haven't been online much, but I *did* manage to answer most of the loads of mail that piled up. That was a task and a half. Anyway, I just have not been in the mood to write lately with so much going on, so the update hasn't gotten done like I wanted it. I go in spurts... sometimes I can't stop, and other times I just have no desire to try, and the words don't come. I know better now then to try and force it, because the writing is never as good, and why turn my favorite hobby into work? I work enough! =) I *will* start Battlegrounds this month, that I can promise you (actually, I *did* start... I did about 5 or 6 paragraphs before I moved, but couldn't seem to get the ball rolling any further). I just wrote so much at the end of last year finishing Irony of Fate and Interlude that I sort of burnt myself out and need a break. Then I will come back fully energize and plan to finish that story by spring, probably 5 chapters or so. Then, over spring and summer, I will gradually release chapters of the Vincent stories I wrote (two of them, 4 chapters each), and the very short Sephiroth/Aeris scene I wrote. Those will be under After the Irony, and occur in time after Battlegrounds. And after those are out, I have several other ideas for stories I will start on. So as you see, I have lots of plans for 2001, and haven't gone anywhere =) Sometimes ya just need a break, to go off and do something different (such as playing The Sims ::grin::), until your inspiration is recharged. Thanks for understanding, and it shouldn't be that much longer now! Happy New Year, all. =)

November 20, 2000: Interlude is now complete with the addition of Phase 4: Unity. Work on Battlegrounds will start shortly. I also added Art Gallery 3 to the Fan Art part of the page due to the ever growing size of my collection. It was done by my friend Kari, as usual. Thanks! =) I took down Fan Artist of the Month for now because I just could not seem to keep up. Sorry! Also added today is a second interview I did thanks to my friend Kari, found as Interview 2 under Interview with a Psycho. I added new links people had sent me and wanted me to put up... if you sent yours and it ain't there, please resend, I lost it ::snicker:: I did general maintance at parts of the site, the usual update stuff... Okay, now for news about me. I'm moving December 8th, half an hour north, so probably for the first half of December I will be too busy packing and unpacking to do anything here. Plus, my computer will be taken down and I'll need my own phone line at the new house before I can spend much time online. Also, I quit my job due to several things, so now I'm job hunting and interviewing, too. Time consuming, stressful, and not fun in any way! But hopefully it will lead to better things... I will try to begin Battlegroudns before the move, but no promises as there is loads to do. I appreciate your understanding... if you've ever moved, you know how it is! Also, please, I am again asking that people *do not* Instant Message me. I've asked many times, but people either haven't seen this, or think they're an acception... it's getting to where I don't even want to be online under JenesisX any more.  I'm really sorry, but I can't take them from *anyone* if I'm saying no to them on the site for all... it wouldn't be fair.  I'm not trying to be a jerk or avoid people, but it's too much, and I like to use quiet time online to write and such. I will always return mail, though! Worry not. And I do read my guest book every time it's updated =) Thanks again for sticking with the site as I approach its 3rd anniversary in just over a month! Stay tuned!

November 1, 2000: I got the second half and conclusion to Phase 3 of Interlude up today. Phase 4 will take another 2 weeks, probably, if all does well. I've been very busy with work, other responsibilities, and... my house finally sold after almost 2 years!! Yay!! So now I'm also packing up and house hunting with my parents for a new place. I'll be moving by the end of January, not too far from here, and it should only interupt my being onling for a few days... although I will be busy as heck understandably settling in and such. But I'll wrap up Interlude soon and get to work on IoF's sequeal shortly, definitely before the big day comes. Sorry I've been slow answering mail, btw, but I'm getting loads of it, and work is exhausting. I'm rarely on at night afterwards, and when I am I just don't have the time or energy. But I'll get to it eventually. Also, people are starting on me with the Instant Messages again almost on a daily basis... I've asked nicely, several times, for people not to do that because I'm often simming or trying to write online. So pretty please don't IM me and just send mail? Thanks. =)

October 16, 2000: Ok... I have had endless computer problems and could not be online to write. I finally got a new computer! Woohoo!! But then it took 3 days to transfer all my files here and set things up, and I'm sitll getting used to the new keyboard and settings. So, that's a problem solved. I've also been looking for a new job again (loong story), and sick as a dog... good excuses for not getting my fic worked on, eh? So today, even though I feel like hell, I put up the first scene of Interlude: Phase 3. I don't have the energy to do the second half of it, but didn't want to wait longer to update... so I put up what I had and will add the second scene to the same page below it probably by Sunday. Good enough? It's something, anyway, and proof I am still here. After that, Phase 4 will wrap things up, and I'll begin the sequeal to Irony of Fate. So enjoy whayt I got up if you like, and check back Sunday for the rest of that phase and a report on phase four and possibly the sequel. Thanks! Oh, and my art gallery editor is having to make a third gallery now due to the size of it, eek... but it should be up soon, so new fan art that I've been sent recently will appear then! I haven't forgotten you!

September 20, 2000: Okay, I added Phase Two of Interlude. I'm not thrilled with it, but think it's okay... and I just got tired of being asked when it would be done, so I forced myself to finish it. It's nowhere near as long as Phase One, but nothing in Interlude was intended to run that length, really. That was the best I could do under all the stress, so... I hope it turned out okay. To let you all know, I have not been goofing off and intentionally taking this long. As stated below, I'm working full time... and since that last update, my computer has also been going nuts. I had to defrag it, run scan disc, buy *another* modem because the first was messed up... there were entire days when I could not get online at all. So I lost a lot of possible writing time and was just very angry by the time I could get on. I think it's fixed now, but my computer is still running error messages and making noises, so we'll see... I also started dog obediance with my boy again, and have just been insanely busy. I'll try not to take so long to write Phase 3, but please give me a break and let me get to it in my own time. I will get done when I'm able and in the mood, trust me. Anyway, until then, enjoy.

September 6, 2000: I'm doing this update because of the recent bombardment of my mail box asking about Phase 2 of Interlude. Now, when I usually add an update message like this to explain my absense or something else, most of the time I then get a flood of mail yelling at me for getting everyone's hopes up and making them think there might be a new chapter... ::grin::: I can't win. Anyway, please don't do that to me =) I've gotten about 20 identical e-mails in the last two days, and it was getting really old, so here I am. While my readers are important to me, I just started a full time job. ::listens to applause::: I got promoted at the bookstore to head receiver (I get to hide in the back room all day with no customers and open and sort boxes =), and now work 40 hours, 5 days a week. I needed  benefits desperately, and had gotten myself into a bit of a debt (and also expended almost all of my life savings...) over the summer when I had the surgery and could not work much. This is to hold me over until I find something good in my field, and to help me pay my bills and save some money again. I think getting out of debt and saving up some money finally is an important thing I need to do in my young adult like (can't believe I'll be 22 next month), as much as I'd rather sit home 5 days a week and hang out or write. I need to get in my 40 hours now, and it's just been a drastic change for me to adjust to. I have only those 2 days off, on which I'm usually exhausted and unmotivated to do much but lay around. I really want to do the next part of the story, trust me... but I've been so tired and uninspired on my days off that it isn't getting done. I guess I have writer's block or whatever... or I'm just unmotivated. Whatever the case, after writing *so much* recently, I think I'm entitled to a breather. =) Look on down this page at the dates and how much I did last month. See? Heh. When I can do it and am in the mood, I write. When I'm busy or just mentally tired, I have to take time to recharge so what I do next will be decent and my best.  I may need another week or two here to be honest, but I'll get it finished... just at my own pace and around my own new schedule. I AM NOT QUITTING!!  Those are the other e-mails I get any time I miss an update within 2 weeks... gah. I don't understand that... as if I'd quit after all the work I did here. And besides, I'm too stubborn to quit. I do not *want* to quit or ever plan to, I love this site and writing too much. Just sometimes adult life gets in the way., as much as I wish I could stay a teenager and work 2 days a week forever. Also, lightening hit my computer the other night and fried my modem, then also damaged some files in my AOL. So I lost a few days while I waited for my father to buy and install a new one, then re-DLed AOL and got all my files into the new version. If not for my surge protector strip, I don't think I'd be sitting at this computer right now. Whew. Anyway... =) Please, allow me another week or two, and you'll be much happier with the Phase 2 I can turn out than if I sit here today and slap something together just to get it out. I appreciate everyone's patience, concern for me, and understanding. Thanks!

August 18, 2000: After some fighting with my publisher, I got the new After the Irony page done under Fan Fics (I left the preview up for now, too, for people who haven't seen it yet). And under that page is the link to Interlude... and *there* is Phase One: Family. Warning: It is LONG. But I think you guys are gonna like it... :::grin::: It's got some hints of adult-type stuff in it, for any young readers, but nothing graphic... PG13 at the very worst, but I doubt it with what they say and show on Prime Time TV any more! The Fan Art Gallery 2 was also updated again (I'm going to have a 3 soon, because of memory space... sheesh =). Oh. And I started the process of rereading all of Irony of Fate, chapter by chapter, and taking out an remaining typos and mispellings. What a job! But I think now that the story is complete, it's like with a book... you gotta edit it again =) Plus, I wrote some of that so long ago I've forgotten it, and I want my memory fresh for all these coming fics. =) I think that's it... I started Phase Two of Interlude, but I don't have much done yet... give me at least a week on that one. I've done *a lot* of writing lately, and may need to cool it. =)

August 15, 2000: Today, I updated my Awards & Gifts page (moved it to another screen name, too, due to the usual memory problems, but the link on the main page is correct). I got two very cool awards this week, one for finishing Irony of Fate, and the other for making 25,000 hits on the site's entrance hall page, the counter I go by even though I have a feeling a lot of people bookmarked my Fan Fics or IoF page and just come there. Ah well. You need to go to the Awards page and see them, if only to see a pic of Chaos beating up Hojo =D. Heehee! My friend Kari did that one, naturally. ::grin::  Anyway, thanks to the senders! I'm honored =) I also added a few more links people have been sending me to the FF part at the top. There is tons of new stuff there now, and all the links actually work. ::gasp:: By the way, I have decided to post 'Interlude' in pieces as it gets finished instead of waiting to do all 4 parts. That way, it won't be an overwhelming read at one time, and I'll get four updates out of it at shorter inervals than just one big one a few weeks from now. Sound cool? Ought to have part one up by Friday at the latest!

August 14, 2000: After over two years, Irony of Fate is finished. The Epilogue is up, and I've already started work on 'Interlude', the 4-part characterization story that will appear in the After the Irony section under Fan Fics when it is finished, in a week or so probably. Then the sequel, Battlegrounds, will follow there. Then I have my first Vincent fic I wrote months ago to add, the sequel to *that*, a short Aeris/Sephiroth piece, another story idea after that... argh! It never ends =) But that's the fun of it, right? Check back here often, things are just getting started. =)  Also, check out the new stuff on the main main page! If you're not someone who usually comes in that way and has another section linked (I wish people wouldn't do that, though, because the counter I go by and last update date are on that main page... and it's so pretty, heh), go here and look!  http://members.aol.com/JenesisX/Sephiroth.html. I have Cykeclops@Aol.com to thank for both of those new banners! Awesome, eh?

August 13, 2000 (again): If this is your first trip here in the last couple days, be sure to catch the previous update or two. Now, I did *not* expect to do this today... but I sat down, started writing, and finished Chapter 62 in one sitting. So I put it up... There it is, the last chapter of Irony of Fate. Well, look for a short epilogue in a few days, that will be the *real* end of it, and... oh, heck, I just wrote all this in 62's long Author's Notes, make sure you read those! ::grin:: Whew, what a job that fic was!

August 13, 2000: Well, home sick from work today... so I was playing. I got music to work on my main menu-type pages around the site! Cool, huh? I also overhauled the links page... how I wish people would stop moving and/or deleting pages after I link them... =) Sheesh. (This site, btw, has not moved since it's creation in January 1998 =) But anyway, I took out the dead links, and added quite a few new onee, mostly FF7 with a few in the 'Others' part. I'm now working on some banners for different parts of the page, if my computer doesn't crash 50 more times. Not feeling up to writing just now, but we'll see...

August 12, 2000: Chapter 61 is finally complete and up on the Irony of Fate page. What happened is that my flight home from my Chicago trip was cancelled (I had a blast with my friends Kari and Dino, though!), I got home a day later than planned, searched for my luggage for 6 hours, caught a cold, spent the next two days in bed... bleh. But I'm mostly back into things now. Also new today, under the brand new 'Interview with a Psycho' (::snicker::) section in the table on the main page, is an interview of sorts I did (thanks to my friend Kari) to clear up some commonly asked questions and where this site is going now that IoF is wrapping up. It's got some humor, some important info, and some hints of things to come. If this is positively received, I may do these every few months from now on as an easier way to keep more readers informed, and will consider doing interviews anyone else would like to conduct, too. I had fun with this =) I then added a 'Banners' page on the main menu, for those wishing to link me using the nifty graphics people have made for me and that I've come up with. =) Also, Kari updated my fan art page for me today! (The way that works, since people have been asking, is that you send me fan art, I send it to her, my 'editor,' and she puts it up on her Angelfire account, which is linked to my fan art page as the Gallery 2. I don't have the memory space for all that artwork on my AOLPress account, and don't have the HTML knowledge to do it elsewhere. So she volunteered! The Gallery 1 was done by my friend Em, who has since had too crazy a schedule to keep up with me. =) Anyway, I think that's it... I hope 61 was worth the wait, I struggled with that one to get it to where I was happy with it, which I am now. 62 should be out within 2 weeks, tops, and then the Epilogue shortly thereafter. So IoF may be ending soon, but trust me, there is a *lot* to come here that continues my plot! So don't abandon me =D I still have many stories to tell.

July 26, 2000: I put up Chapter 60 of Irony of Fate. It's pretty long and stuff... Umm, Kari also updated my fan art page! And... that's it =) Just a note: Despite the different e-mail addresses I use to work on this page with, please just mail JenesisX@aol.com with anything site related. I rarely even use the other names parts of this page are saved under. Thanks!

July 21, 2000: I cannot believe I am doing this at almost 1 a.m. Ugh! But I spent all day writing Chapter 59, just got done proof reading it... and figured what the heck, might as well take another 15-20 minutes and update the site before bed (My pup is already snoring in my bed, taking up the whole thing, too). So Chapter 59 is up in Irony of Fate, and it's a long one. Heh, 3 chapters and an epilogue to go! Then an epilogue! And then more stories! Heh. Hmm, what else... Oh, the IoF page is sporting a new banner at the bottom, the Art Gallery was recently updated again (I think), and I added maybe one new banner before my computer crashed and wouldn't let me make any others. Grr. Gotta try that again some other day... the Cooltext.com banners I *have* been able to make look much better than plain old text headers for all my different sections, I think. And lastly, thanks to everyone, who found the  intended humor in my "No IMs" banner and didn't take offense... I appreciate it =) I'm *still* getting IMs... guess some people haven't seen it or read this page... but it is *much* better and I am so thankful! The silence is golden, and I got so much writing done today (this whole long thing, which is, like, over 15 pages of text). As always, I still gladly answer all mail, and I love feedback sent that way. And now, I am going to sleep!

July 13, 2000:  Chapter 58 is up! Yay! Heh. I'm also going to add a few more new banners later on (I'm going out for a snack run, LOL). Also, Kari updated ny Fan Art Gallery 2!

July 7, Part 2: Okay, Chapter 57 *is* up now... and I also updated the Fan Artist of the Month page! (Read below for more update info if this is your first visit here today, I updated other things earlier before I was done the chapter.)

July 7, 2000: Oh, boy, could I have planned this better if I tried? It is *exactly* one month since my last update, which is the time I said it would take. =) Before you get too excited, no, Chapter 57 is not up yet. Sorry!  I am *almost* done, however, and it will be here later today, so check back. I will make a note of it above this update when it's there. Updated for now is the Fan Art Gallery 2 (completely redone thanks to Cykeclops@Aol.com), some new banners here and there, and I re-proof read and polished up Chapters 51-56 of IoF while refreshing my memory to write 57. I also added a new thing to Thoughts and Reflexions in Final Fantasy Central, I believe. I think that was it... Anyway, my surgery went well, turned out just to be a huge cyst between my tendons (though he says they had to *dig* for it... oww...) and some inflamed tissue they removed. I had 20 stitches outside, however, and a good 40 more disolvables inside. I have one heck of an itchy, pink, mostly healed scab now. This will be a pretty scar... I have to start therapy this Monday to rebuild my strength and flexibility. I have decent use of my fingers now, which is how I can type again, but they're a little weak and clumsy. My wrist itself bends forward maybe half way, but I can hardly bend it backward at all. I'm starting to be able to hold light things, like a glass of ice tea, and turn doorknobs slowly, but not much else. Oh, and I can hold a Playstation controller ::g:: I'm back to working on weekends in my hell-hole book store, doing mostly phones, waiting a while longer to find something full time. Hopefully within a couple months, it'll be like nothing ever happened aside from the scar. I'll be mostly okay for my trip to the Wizard World Comic Convention in Chicago next month, at least! Anyway, thanks to everyone for being patient with me as I recovered (although tons of people kept IMing me daily despite my asking them not too throughout the site... Grr). I have been online, but typed so slowly (with one hand for almost 2 weeks) that I really couldn't do more than one thing at a time. I still get sore and tired, and as I am always busy with my sim club anyway, I'm taking this time to beg of you all not to IM me. I don't want to be mean or rude, or come off like a real asshole... I do appreciate hearing from my readers and 'meeting' them, but I just don't have time to sit here with 4-5 IMs and also accomplish anything else. Nothing personal geared toward anyone, and I will always answer e-mails within a few days. Most times, I have no clue what to say in IMs to someone I don't really know anyway, so I come off like a weirdo or a jerk. I appreciate everyone's cooperation and no one getting mad about this, I had to work up the nerve to make this request because I was afraid of offending people. It's just gotten to be a huge problem for me when I sign on, and it prevents me from simming, updating this site, or working on any of my stories without interuptions every few minutes. Thanks a lot! I'll go and finish up 57 now and get that posted by later today, then maybe play around with other banners and such after that.

June 7, 2000: There, Chapter 56 is up, a day earlier than I was shooting for even. That sucker is long, too. Anyway, this is my last update before surgery, because I have a lot to do tomorrow in preparation and doubt I can do another chapter within one day. So this will have to hold you all over for about a month. It might be shorter, if I recover fast, but that's probably my safest estimate. Enjoy, and please bear with me and come on back in a few weeks, because I'll get right back to business as soon as I can. I may write some chapters out by hand, as I'm luckily right handed and the surgery is on my left, then type them when able so it goes faster. I'm also playing around with making some new banners for parts of the page, so if you see those popping up today and tomorrow, just count it as part of this update. Anyway, thanks to those who sent me their thoughts and good wishes about the surgery... I'll see you all before long, worry not!

June 5, 2000: Chapter 55 has been added today. (And before anyone complains, no, the link to Chapter 56 at the bottom does not work, because 56 isn't even started yet. I did that so I won't forget to add it when 56 *is* up, so you all can have an easier time moving from chapter to chapter, something I got complaints on before which led me to do this to begin with. New chapters will always appear right here, on the update page. If you don't see it here, it's not up yet. Fair enough? ) I shortened 55 a bit so I could actually get it done, though I still think it's a good length, because this Friday,  June 9th, I am having surgery on my left wrist. They are going to remove the cyst and repair any other damage they find in there, which he suspects I may have a good deal of due to the pain I'm in and my lack of strength in that hand. I will take 4-6 weeks to recover, as long as it isn't a ligament tear, in which case they will cast me for a few months. Ick. So let's  hope this is just a cyst, a minor thing in addition, and that they just splint me with the stitches. I also probably have to go through therapy to rebuild my strength. I'm not sure what condition I wil be in after surgery, or how fast recovery will go. I think it's fair to plan for about a month of absense for me from updating the site, maybe a little longer. I am going to try to do 56 by Thursday night, so at least that will be out beforehand, and will probably be pretty long and full of good stuff =). I appreciate your patience during all this, I'm sure you understand how wrist surgery could keep a person from typing a fan fic ::grin:: Once again, I am not giving up on the story. I will be back, once my hand is feeling up to it. And I will try to update with 56 before the surgery. Also, please realize that I will not be able to answer mail for a while, either, but I will eventually answer it all. Just don't count on a reply right away! And I'd appreciate no one IMing me as well, until I update for the first time after the surgery. I will probably be online, doing my best to chat with close friends and maybe to sim in my club, but I will be one handed and slow, and incapable of juggling IMs. Thanks =)

May 26, 2000: I added Chapter 54 today, finally, because I've been sick with a nasty cold all week and just now feel a little better. Cool, huh? Also, all those top 100 lists I was on died, so I took them off the site. Also, please do not sign my guest book with entries marked as private only... I am unable to retreive those because of an error in my browser, so I never get to read those messages. Please post only open messages there, and mail me with anything you want only me to see, so I  actually can access it. Thanks. =) Okay, now some pretty important personal news. First, I graduated college Sunday with Maxima Cum Laude honors, also named the top student in the Criminal Justice, Sociology, and Social Work Department by the professors, with a 3.8 GPA (it may be higher by a bit, but I don't have my final report card yet). I have a bit of an inflated ego at the moment, and I'm actively job hunting as we speak.. had a few offers, but nothing I want to take just yet. Now, some less happy news. I do indeed need surgery on my bad left wrist, something that had plagued me for literally years. I have a large cyst, a growth, in there wedged between my tendons, which is causing all the pain. It's been in there for some time, and my best option both so it won't turn malignent, won't get larger and snap something in there, and to get rid of this constant pain is to have it surgically removed. I have to meet with the hand surgeon next Thursday, and should know a surgery date from there. This will mean up to 4 weeks or more in a splint, with stitches, and some rehab for my wrist, so my typing may not be good for a while. I may not be able to pop out chapters for a month or so, obviously, as you can all understand. I will let you all know when my surgery will be, will try to get as much written as possible beforehand, and then will update you on my condition as able. I am not giving up on the story, please don't hit me with all of that panic (=), I just might need a few weeks to recuperate, then I will be out of pain for good =) . I need to get this done before I get a full time job, so I have time to recuperate and get the use of my hand back so I can get on with my life. I have never had stitches, much less surgery before, so I'm quite scared about this, but it's my best choice at this time. Thanks for your understanding and support =)

May 13, 2000: No, I haven't added chapter 54 yet! I am half-way done it, though. What I did today was go through the IoF menu page and correct all the links that were broken or incorrect, because I quite frankly got tired of people e-mailing me with complaints, and some with demands, that I fix it. :::forced grin::: I then went into each chapter, all 53 of them, and made sure it linked to the next chapter to make things easier. It took a total of 3 hours. I hope you all appreciate that! =D That was hardly fun... Also, I reformatted a lot of the chapters to make them look nicer. Another thing, Vincent's Coffin now has Quotes, and is finally complete, yay! And I finally did Lucrecia's Cave, which means the page's rebirth is officially complete!! Woohoo!!! Took about 3 months to get it all done, but I think it looks good. And I will probably add 54 today or Monday as well. so check back.

May 11, 2000: Yes, yes, I *know* that took a while ::glares at the people who sent complaints::: Heh =) I had finals for one thing, and I'm on a job hunt now that I'm graduating next weekend. I also very well may have surgery on my wrist soon, and my typing has been soooo sloooow lately. Anyway! Chapter 53 is indeed up, the Art Gallery 2 has received a lot of new additions, I updated the Fan Artist of the Month page, did some work on other parts of the page needing touch ups, and will try to do some work on Lucrecia's Cave and the quote part of Vincent's Coffin before I go to work, but that may not get done til tomorrow. Now, I would like to take a moment to thank every person who sent me e-mail or signed my guest book after my last update. I was so touched by all the people sending me good wishes, sharing their own stories, and thanking me for being honest about the whole depression thing. You all made me feel damn special =) I e-mailed everyone who wrote me back, but I just wanted to say thank you one more time. It was very appreciated, and made me feel a lot better. You guys are great, even if you do nag me to update :::snicker::: So anyway, go enjoy and stuff... As always, feedback is appreciated!

April 24, 2000: Oh, man... I am so sorry for the long delay. I did finally put up Chapter 52 today, having worked much of yesterday and today to get it done.  I also added some links I was long overdue to post, for which I also extend an apology to the owners of those pages. I apologize for not having things up when I said they would be. It's a combination of things, some problems in my household, my upcoming college graduation and job hunt, increasing problems with my left wrist, in which I have severe tendonitis and may need surgery... but the biggest factor in this was my mind set the last few weeks. My friends who know me best are aware of this, but I've never, like, announced it before... but anyway, I'm starting to finally tell my parents and everything, never having had the guts to tell anyone face to face, so this is kind of helping me get up my nerve to talk about it more and maybe help solve the problem. I, Jen, the webmaster of this site and author of Irony of Fate, suffer from depression. There, I said it. ::grin:: That wasn't so hard... Anyway, I've had this problem for years now, at least 6, always hid it, never saw a doctor for it or anything... but I'm recently starting to discuss things with my mom and some great online friends of mine (you know who you are. =) I'll be okay for months, then I'll suddenly get slammed with a down cycle, and it can last for a few days, a couple weeks...  sometimes months. This one has been going on about the last month, which, as you can see, if shortly after I last updated. I used to get hit much more often, and I *am* getting better, but it still happens now and then. When I'm down, I am *aware* of what's going on, but I can't help it.  There doesn't have to be a reason for the depression to start, it just does. I don't want to do anything, I just want to sleep, but I have trouble sleeping,.I struggle to get out of bed and go to school and work... I sit around and mope or cry, I'm rude to people, I lose my temper, and I want to be left alone, yet I'm lonely. Obviously, I don't accomplish much outside of the basics during these times, which is why I didn't write sooner. I simply couldn't do it. I'm sorry if I was somewhat rude to anyone who inquired as to why it was taking so long, by the way. I tend to snap when I'm depressed, too, and bite nice people's heads off =) But anyway, now you know why I sometimes take so darn long to update. I think one of the problems with depression is that it can be hidden or missed, and it's misunderstood by the people around you. I'm not nuts, I look normal, act normal, if not a bit shy... I have a normal family, I get good grades, I do well at my job, I love animals, I love to write and play games and listen to music like all of you... *Anyone* can have depression. I figure maybe if I can admit it to all my readers, maybe it'll help someone else out there with the same problem know they are not crazy, and they're not the only one. Anyway, sorry to ramble and bore you all to tears, but I needed to get that off my chest, and I'm comfortable doing it here, on the internet, on my own site. This is my second home, after all ::grin:: I definitely appreciate all of your support and your continued following of this site. Thank you all very, very much. =)

March 31, 2000: Chapter 51 is up! I have a feeling people aren't going to be too happy with me once they've read it, but along those lines all I shall say is trust me and look for Chapter 52 some time this coming week. I also (finally) learned how to change the colors of my links, so I played around with that at some parts of the site, you may notice.

March 29, 2000: Today, I added Chapter 50, and 51 won't be far behind now. Things are really coming to a head now... a lot of my major plotlines are about to unfold. So stay tuned!

March 17, 2000: I added Chapter 49: Escape today. See, I'm on something of a role now that I had a little free time and got my sleep this week. Too bad it's back to work and school now... Ah well. I'm determined to get 50 and 51 both out this coming week (I already wrote most of 51, like I had with 48, so it's cheating just a little =). I think my art gallery editor updated that, too, so go check out the Gallery 2. Great stuff there, and I'm still getting more sent to me weekly. Also, we're still going strong in those Top 100 lists, so thanks a million!

March 14, 2000: Today, I added both Chapter 47: Captives, and 48: The Devil's Laire. I cheated in that I already had 48 done before 47, but what do you care, right? =) I don't think I ever did a double chapter update before. I'm really coming up on a lot of my major plot twists and plans as we head toward the 50s, so stay with me and check back often! Also, thanks so much for continuing to click on the logos of all three Tops lists I'm now in each day! I've spent today as the #1 Gaming Site, the #16 Final Fantasy Site, and #11 overall at the RPG Vortex. Thanks so much! Thanks for continuing to visit and signing my guest book, too, and for all the mail and great fan art I'm sent almost daily! I love spring break, even though my allergies are killing me =)

March 13, 2000: Today, I finished Connections, the part listed on the site as Sephiroth & Aeris. This explores their connections to each other and why I and so many others believe they belong together. I layed down the outline for Lucrecia's Cave, just the background and a picture thus far, and also cleaned up a few messy spots in Sephiroth's Crater. I'm now in two Top 100 lists, and doing well in both. I appreciate all votes!! You guys are cool =) Also, I'd like to remind everyone at this time to *please* not take art work from my galleries and use them at your own site without asking the person who drew them. I'm starting to see some things around with no creditting that look mighty familiar. None of it is my work, but please respect the talented people who have given me permission to use their work and ask. Thanks! I will probably update a little later today, possibly with Irony of Fate work, so check back tonight!

March 10, Part 3: Okay! I joined the Top 100 Final Fantasy Sites, so click on that little banner in the entrance hall or under the table of links in the main page and vote for me! Please! =) It's embarrassing to be 884 out of 885 ::grin:: I'm still working on parts of the site, cleaning up little things, such as what I just did in Thoughts and Reflections, and the Preludes to Irony section in Fan Fiction. I think it mostly looks pretty spiffy, for the most part. I plan to work on 'Connections' next, then Lucrecia's Cave, and that should do it (though I'm thinking of adding a sort of game continuity part, and I still need to do the Vincent quote page, too). I'm proud =)

March 10, 2000, Part 2: I just now finished the Heroes page, so Final Fantasy Central is now complete! I also added my friend Kari's thoughts on Vincent, Sephiroth, and Lucrecia (which includes some facinating stuff on their names and the significance of certain numbers that come up for them) under the Theories part of Vincent's Coffin, following right after my own stuff there. Wow, all the old parts of the site are now redone and complete, and the new Vincent stuff is done, too! All there is left to do is the Lucrecia page, and the Sephiroth & Aeris Connections one, and the site is officially reborn =)

March 10, 2000: I added Chapter 46 of Irony of Fate today. I also finished the Are They Related section and redid the Villains page in Final Fantasy Central. I'm on spring break this week, so when I have off from work I'll be doing a new part on Sephiroth and Aeris' connections to each other, redoing the Heroes part of FF Central, and putting up some new web rings and such. I also am going to work on the Lucrecia part of this site this coming week, and attempt to put out both Chapter 47 and 48 by next weekend's end. I also improved the Irony of Fate page by condensing the chapters into two columns, to make it easier to go through. Thanks to the people who signed my guest book this week, too! As you can see, the server I used changed their design a little, and it looks pretty good.

February 25: Vincent's Coffin is now largely finished. Actually, all I still need to do is find quotes for that part of the page. But otherwise, it's finished, so go enjoy. I only just started work in the Are They Related page... it's there, just has a pic and intro paragraph only at this point. Sephiroth's Crater is entirely finished, and so is everything else accept Final Fantasy Central and the new sections. I'll probably pretty up the Irony of Fate page yet, though, maybe with a table for the chapters. That might make it easier to go through. I'm going to try and join some new web rings, so if you have one, please let me know about it. Anyway, now I have to go to work, so my next free day is... Wednesday. Until then!

February 22, 2000: Hi. Still hard at work here. But I'm making progress. My Fan Fic menu page, everything in Sephiroth's Crater, the Fan Art Gallery, the awards page, and the links page are all entirely finished. Please go explore. It looks so much better, with new graphics and backgrounds, and I rewrote a lot of my material. I would appreciate it if someone took note of all the work I've done and told me it looked nice instead of complaining that I should only work on my fan fics instead ::grin::. I started work on Vincent's Coffin, the the main page there is complete. The look for the other parts is laid out, but only my 'Obsession' part is finished, and it still needs pictures and such on it to go with the text. I'm overhauling *everything*, every section of the page. And so far, so good. I'll finish Vincent's Coffin completely tomorrow most likely, then work on the Web Rings page, the new FAQ that is written but not pretty yet, About the Author, the subsections under the Fan Fic Page, and the utter crap in the Final Fantasy Central section. After that, I'll do the new sections I have advertised. Whew... Make me feel good and check it out, even the little parts you wouldn't normally go to or parts you already read. I'm pretty proud of this, and I'm glad to say that while it's unfinished, the site is in one piece and still completely viewable as I renovate. Look for more in the coming days and weeks.

February 21, 2000: Whoa... I have some major, big time changes going on at the moment. Such as doubling the site! Yes, that's right... maybe you noticed the title change, too =) This site is now going to be Jen's Sephiroth & Vincent Tribute Page. Why? Because as time goes on, more of my work seems to focus on or include him heavily, and he's always been one of my favorite characters. So why not, I figured. It's going to be a lot of work, and things may look funny for a while... but bear with me! When this is done, I think the page will look quite spiffy, and Vincent fans will be pleased. I also discovered a new publisher, still with AOL, but a bit more advanced. That's how I'm doing some of this fancier stuff, and probably also why stuff might look goofy for a couple weeks while I figure this out by trial and error. So anyway, just wanted to explain what the hell is going on before anyone thought I'd lost my mind or something. Be patient with me, and I'll have everything nice and clean in no time!

February 14, 2000: First, I have this to say: ::gives Valentine's Day the finger::: That's better. Anyway, I updated my fan fic page today. Nothing new as far as stories (Give me a break, I just put 45 up Saturday =), but I did reorganize it so it looks better and is easier to access. I also updated the Artist of the Month, fixed a few broken pictures, and started work on the new fan fic section that will be coming soon. I have outlined Irony of Fate to its end now, which will be Chapter 62, followed by an epilogue. I'd love to have the thing done by graduation in May, but we shall see. That'll be a goal of sort. Then it's on to more fan fics! Heh =) Just a side note here for a sec. Yes, I proofread all my writing on this page. No, I'm not perfect, and yes, I realize and accept that =) But because I am human like you, I make mistakes, and they show up as the occasional typo or mispelling that slips by my proofing. I don't think any of these errors are so grave as to subtract from the story, and if I spent more time proofing, that would mean less time writing new material. So if I make a mistake here and there, please try and overlook it. I'm doing the best I can with my feble human brain, and it really isn't necessary to send me an e-mail every time you find a new error. I probably won't have the time to correct it, and it just makes me self conscious. Thanks =)

February 12, 2000: Chapter 45 is up today, and I finally got the Awards Page fixed. I also set to work on a brand new fan fic area, for those stories that will occur after Irony of Fate has ended. I have 2 completed already, one 4-chapter Vincent story, and one short Sephiroth and Aeris one. I'm undecided about when I'll open this new area, because I'm anxious to get feedback on it, but not sure what the spoilers might do. Ah well... Any feedback is welcomed. Oh, and I fixed the Chapter 14 link about 500 people e-mailed me to say wasn't correct!

January 10, 2000: Chapter 44 is up in Irony of Fate. I attempted to fix up my awards page, but the publisher kept freezing at 46%, so... But if you want to send me an award, feel free =D I finished my Vinent fan fic, but probably won't put it up until after Irony of Fate, unless enough people really want to see it before then. I also began *another* fan fic which might stay at its very short length, focusing on Aeris and Sephiroth shortly after IoF ends. But again, a story for another time... I get bored just writing Irony of Fate all the time, because it's been two years, and I don't want to be know for one thing only. I have other fics here, but no one ever seems to read them. Ah well... I enjoy wokring on IoF, but I'll be glad when it's all wrapped up the way I want it, and I can move on to more things, continuing the story in smaller fan fics. I already have about 6 shorter stories planned. IoF should end at Chapter 60 if all goes well, and I hope to be done by this summer. Take care!

January 6, 2000: To all Y2K worriers, I laugh in your face.=) Er, anyway... The site turns two this month, and it's broken 20,000 hits! My friend Kari, Cykeclops@Aol.com, made the new banner in the Entrance Hall for the occasion. She also made the new Fan Art Gallery 2, where all new submissions will be going. Aside from that, Chapter 43 is up in Irony of Fate, and I added a few links I totally forgot I had been sent ::wince:: Enjoy!

December 14, 1999: I totally changed the About Me part of the site. Go see =) I'm about half way done Chapter 42 as of this writing, and have also done a lot of work on my new Vincent fan fic, which I decided to call Life After Death.

December 6, 1999: I added Chapter 41 to Irony of Fate today. I'm happy to say I'm done about half of my huge senior research paper for college, so hopefully I won't kill myself trying to finish it by next Monday. Anyway, I confess that instead of working on Irony of Fate more, I got hopelessly inspired to write another fan fic! It's still FFVII, of course, but this one of a Vincent story. It also happens *after* Irony of Fate, which is... strange... but I do basically know what's going to happen in the story and have it outlined to about Chapter 65. It may end around there or go a little longer... But I'm going to write fics that continue the story after that. I'm undecided whether or not to put this new fic up when it's done, or wait til IoF ends, whenever that might be... The new story is already nearing 20 pages... divided into two parts thus far. It may go about 5 or 6 chapters, nowhere near the length of Irony of Fate! I'll never do that again =) Opinions? It has some pretty big spoilers in it, but I don't think it would really take away from IoF. I'm interested in what you all might think about this. Thanks for any input!

November 30, 1999: I added Chapter 40 today.

November 15, 1999: I was inspired, so there's Chapter 39. I also updated the Fan Artist of the Month part finally! I changed some things in the About Me part, too.

November 12, 1999: Look, it's me! I had some time to write, so instead of waiting til December, I added Chapter 38! I don't know when the next one will go up, but I actually did start it, so it might not be too long. Thanks for waiting, everyone, and enjoy =)

September 25,1999: This is an update to explain what's going on here. No, I am not giving up on this page, nor am I ending my stories. But I do, in fact, have a lot going on right now, and many priorities that come before writing a fan fic and updating this page. I have a new job, I'm interning 30 hours a week, I have a puppy to care for, karate, and the club I run online. I rarely have free time, and when I do, I'm too tired to want to write. So, I'm taking a break until this semster ends in mid-December. I know a lot of people are not going to be thrilled, but I'd appreciate a minimal of hate mail. I wouldn't do this if I didn't have to, and I won't change my mind. This is what's best for my sanity right now, and I will get bavk to it once things calm down. Thanks, everyone, and check back with me in 2 months!

August 16, 1999: I added Chapter 37 of Irony of Fate today, and the Art Gallery has also been updated. There's also a new Fan Artists of the Month featured.

July 8, 1999: I'm having a great time with my puppy, Blade! =) He also keeps me very busy, which is why things are going slow here. But anyway, Chapter 36 is up today! It's not very long, but I think it's pretty decent. There should be an Art Gallery update in the next week or so, and then another writing update in another 2-3 weeks. Thanks, everyone!

June 24, 1999: There is a huge update in the Fan Art Gallery! 8 new pics! I also finally had enough art to use in juding for the artist of the month, so I updated that site, too. I made it for June and July this time, though, since I didn't pick the winner until so late. so, go enjoy all the great art and tell the people how talented they are! =) I have still been working a lot of hours, and I am completely obsessed with getting my puppy (this coming week!) and preparing for him, so I need a while yet for the next chapter of IoF. I will try to get it done by the time I leave for my weekend trip to Chicago in two weeks, so it won't be *that* long. Anyway, take care! And thanks to all the great people who have been e-mailing me and signing my guest book, as always! =)

June 6, 1999: Chapter 35 is done now! I've been so busy working extra hours because of the holiday weekend, and now my boss being on vacation, so it took me a while to find time to do this! I'm also thrilled because, after a year of begging, I am finally allowed to get a Great Dane puppy! His name is Blade, and he comes home in about three weeks! I'm going to have my hands full then! =) Anyway, enjoy!

May 27, 1999: Small update today... There's a new work of art by Pan in the Gallery! Go check it out =) Also, because of my work schedule this week due to the holiday weekend, I haven't been able to finish Chapter 35 like I planned. Look for that some time next week, following the Memorial Day rush at the kennel. Thanks! =)

May 13, 1999: Okay, the Fan Art Gallery is updated with three new works of art, I believe. Thanks again, Em =) Also, I updated my guest book to not only block annoying flamers who won't go away on their own (all entries now have to go through me before being posted. It's inconvenient, but it's also worth it), but also to send an automatic e-mail response from me to everyone who signs it. I had no idea I could do that! So if you want a special thanks for visiting, sign the book! =D Tomorrow is my last final, and I have one last paper to write today, so starting next week, things will be a lot less hectic for me, and I'll probably be writing a lot more! Thanks all =) Oh, and if anyone cares, I won second place in a karate tournament this past Saturday. ::grin::

May 11, 1999: A little late noticing here, but the site broke 15,000 hits last week! My friend Kari, Cykeclops@Aol.com, made me a cool award banner, which is featured in the Entrance Hall and the Awards page. I like to take this opportunity to thank *everyone* who has come to my site since I opened it so long ago. Also, thanks to everyone who has signed my guest book (The 99.9% of you who have manners in any case =) I can't always reply to each person individually, especially if you don't leave me an address, but I do read all entries and appreciate all the genuinely helpful comments! I *will*, however, answer all e-mails I am sent within a few days, so if you have a question or would just like a response, go that road. (JenesisX@Aol.com). Thanks again, everyone!

May 10, 1999: Chapter 34 is finally done! =D ::dances in relief:: I also have some new stuff for the art gallery, which my friend Em will probably be adding for me soon. I also changed what it said on the fan fic page under "Calling All Artists," and switched my main page picture to something Anomini did for me that I really like. =) Well, enjoy!

May 4, 1999: I have finally been able to put up a brand new, huge fan art gallery, which combines Galleries 1 and 2. There are also tons of new additions! And I didn't do a thing, really. My good friend Em built that entire site for me! I'm stupid and can't do HTML, and she's really good at it and really nice, so she made the whole thing =) Yay, Em!! So go see all the new stuff there! It looks cool... All the pictures are done as thumb nails now, and when you hold the mouse over them, the credit lins comes up =) Then if you double click, there's a nice big version of the picture to see! So thanks again, Em! Now I can clean out my memory space so I have room for future chapters of my story and other additions. The only catch is that I have to remove most of the pictures that are already within individual chapters of Irony of Fate, and I won't be adding theme pictures inside of any future chapters. It's just too much strain on my memory space. All art work I receive *will* be put in the new gallery with credits, though, so go ahead and send those pictures in! It's much easier for me to get them to Em now rather than trying to shove them in here, so it probably won't even take as long as before. Also, I began a new featured called "Fan Artist of the Month!" That's on the main page, too! Want to be featured here? Just send me the best fan art (in my humble opinion) for the month of May, and you'll be next! =) As for Chapter 34 of Irony of Fate, I'm still in the midst of term papers and finals, so I need to the beginning of next week. Look for it by Monday or Tuesday, and for now, enjoy the art work! The link is in exactly the same place on the main page as before, by the way =)

April 20, 1999: Not so much an update as a notice of sorts. I am absolutely swamped with term papers right now, so I won't be able to add to my stories until the end of the month or early May. I appreciate everyone's patience while I get my act together. Once April is over, I'll be having a lot more free time! Also, I'm having a lot of trouble with my memory space here on AOL. In fact, I can just about find room for more chapters. I know that a lot of you have sent me fan art, but I've been unable to publish if for that reason. I'm taking action, though! With some help from my friends, I'm working on making a new gallery at Geocities. This way, I can move some old fan art and clear up some space for my writing, and put up all the new stuff. It might take me a while, but I'll get it done and get your stuff up, promise. =) I probably will have to stop putting pictures in each chapter, but at least everyone can keep sending art to be displayed! Sound good? Okay, thanks!

April 1, 1999: I added another great work of art by Anomini to the Gallery II! =) I also fixed the background on this page, which was coming up funny. In other news... I've been reading Star Trek: Deep Space Nine stories on the web lately. That show is my favorite if you didn't know, and it's sadly ending in May after seven years. Well, anyway, as soon as I start to read fics on something I like, I start wanting to write one of my own. So, I think that'll be my next project that isn't IoF-related. I'm not sure how many of my usual readers would be interested, but I thought I'd throw out the idea. =) I just need a plot now, and I'll probably get started. Anyway, take care!

March 30, 1999: On a sudden rush of creativity, I finished Chapter 33 today! That's two chapters in under a week! So no one nag me about when the next one is coming out for a while, eh? ::snicker:: I also went through Chapter 31 and fixed some particularly illiterate-sounding lines and bad typos I found while reading it over the other night. I don't have an editor and I never expect to put out a perfect chapter with my proofing alone, but that was just bad =). I added maybe one new link since the last update, and I also go another award!! (Thanks, Ally =) Yay! I also have a new work of art up in the Gallery II, and as Chapter 33's theme. I love the picture so much I also put it on my main fan fic page, too. It's awesome! I have the talented Anomini@Aol.com to thanks for it! =)

March 25, 1999: Chapter 32 of Irony of Fate is finished and posted. I also fixed some slight art crediting errors at the Gallery II. I still have to update my links page some time soon, but I didn't get to that today. I've been really sick, which is why this took so long, but I'm hoping to write Chapter 33 early next week if all goes well.

March 2, 1999: One week later than originally planned, but a week earlier than I thought was possible, Chapter 31 of Irony of Fate is up and finished. I suggest you read A Mother's Touch first if you haven't already, or if you don't remember it well. This chapter is the tie-in between the two fics that I promised would happen eventually! I may do the next chapter while on spring break, when I had thought I'd do *this* one, but bear with me if it's a little later. I hate college. =) Anyway, take care!

February 21, 1999: Today, I added some new fan art to the Gallery II. And as some of you might have noticed a while ago, there's a cool dragon on the entrance page now ::grin:: I also added a couple of new links! Chapter 31 of Irony of Fate is still in the works, and should be out sometime this coming week.

February 2, 1999: Look, I can spell the month right! =D ::ahem:: Anyway! I added Chapter 30 of Irony of Fate today. I had to take a week off from typing pretty much, because I pulled a back muscle back kicking in karate. But I'm better now! ::grin:: So there you go =) Oh, and Irony of Fate now has a new banner, done by my good friend Kari!

January 21, 1999: Okay, today was clean up day! I fixed all of the broken images and missing background I could find at all the different sections, then rearranged them a bit. The photo gallery is a major problem due to my publisher and limited memory, so if it's stilled messed up I'll just take it down. I get so many complaints, and I feel it's distracting people from what I'm trying to do here at the Tribute. I appreciate the advice and coaching in HTML and such, but there's really nothing more I can do. Hopefully, the page is looking better now! I also added one new piece of really cool fan art to the Gallery II. Work on Chapter 30 of IoF is continuing, but going slower then planned since I started school again this week. Early next week, maybe! =) Thanks!

January 19, 1999: I added new fan art to the Gallery II, as well as a theme picture for Through the Window. I've also got a new Cable fan fic at that site, linked under IoF here at the Tribute! It's called Midnight Justice, and may turn into a larger story eventually. I burnt myself out writing last week, but Chapter 30 shouldn't be that far off now. Thanks!

January 12, 1999: As promised, I did something in honor of the site's first birthday! So head on over to my fan fic page and check out Through the Window, a new short story I've written. It was something I had in mind for a long time, and a good break from only working on Irony of Fate. I'm anxious to hear comments about this one, too, so don't be shy! =) I also fixed a few tiny things here and there, but the new story is the main update today! Chapter 30 of Irony of Fate should be out sometime next week, if all goes well. Thanks again for supporting this site and allowing it to grow over the past year! With no knowledge of making web pages at the beginning and *still* almost no comprehension of HTML, all I had to go on was my love of FFVII and my passion for writing. That wouldn't have amounted to anything without all of you, so thanks again! =D

January 9, 1999: Gah, I am having all kinds of trouble with the AOL publisher yet again, so parts of the page are updated now while I'm still trying to get others through. Anyway, Chapter 29 is up on the Irony of Fate page, and I cleaned that area up a little. I'm also working on a special project right now in honor of the site's one year anniversary this month, so check back in about a week, maybe less, for that one! Thanks for supporting the Tribute in 1998, and here's to another great year! =) January10: Finally, everything is as it should be!

January 5, 1999: Hi all! Happy New Year! Anyway, I added some new fan art today, as well as making it the theme for Chapter 28. I also got a couple of new awards! =) I moved some other pictures around, too. I'm still working on Chapter 29, but look for that by the end of the week! Adios!

December 21, 1998: Chapter 28 has finally been finished. I did the whole thing in two hours tonight. Sheesh! I also added a new piece of fan art to the Gallery 2, as well as added some pictures I hadn't put into chapters yet to those that needed them. I'm hoping to write more within a week or so, so stay tuned! =) And Happy Holidays to all of you, who have been so great and supportive of me over the past year!

December 10, 1998: I have been so swamped with school and work that I haven't even gotten to start Chapter 28 yet. I'm hoping to do so within the next week. I did, however, add some new fan art! Go and check that out to hold ya over =) I also got another award, from Little Yuffie! Thanks! =D Sorry for the delays, but this has not been a good few weeks!

November 25, 1998: I'm not dead! Almost, but not quite. Well, I'm done Chapter 27: Falling Rain. Click there to read it, because I haven't had time to update the rest of the page yet! I'll tend to that after work tonight, hopefully. Ah well, enjoy! Later: Everything is all finished, and all links are where they should be for the story! Yay!

November 10, 1998: Last night, my page got its 10,000th visitor!!! ::::dances for joy::: Yay!! Thanks so much for all the support, everyone! Kell sent me an award already (She's darn fast!) and I just added that to my Awards I've Won! If you're not familiar with FFSim, the character featured on the banner is Aria, one of the Original Characters I play on the Syndicate team. She's a serial killer, if you couldn't tell. ::grin:: Anyway, thanks again!! Ah, I also won second place in my karate tournament Saturday if anyone was wondering. =)

November 6, 1998: Behold, Chapter 26! Heh heh, sorry about that, but it has not been a fun week. I have my tournament tomorrow, so I knew I had to get this done today. I hope it was at least slightly worth the wait. =)

October 31, 1998: Well, I'm not done with Chapter 26 yet, but I did add one piece of fan art to the gallery! I'm working on the chapter still, and it should be done some time during this week. I received a new banner from Mandy today, too, so I changed the look of the Fan Fic page and moved the picture that was there to A Mother's Touch. Thanks, all!

October 25, 1998: Gah, the flu sucks! I'm almost back to health now, though, and a year older to boot! I'm getting old... Anyway! I just put up Chapter 25, so there ya go! (Pst! I need more fan art for my recent chapters! ) Also, I'd like to make a note here. Recently, I caught someone plagerizing my work from the FFSim club I run, and consequently Irony of Fate's plot. I've never had this happen before, and it really upset me. This person denies it and insists on using my continuity to create his own club, which is a blatant rip off of my own. I'm very hurt and annoyed by this, and I really never thought someone would stoop so low. Please just know that Irony of Fate and everything connected with it, the FFSim club story and web site included, is my work and no one else's. If you see something similar, I'm sure there are coincidences, but I'd know my own writing anywhere, like the back of my hand. Please ask me if you ever want to use anything that is mine. I'm very nice about it, really! =) Just don't take my stuff and think I won't be able to tell, or that I'll not say anything about it. Most of you are wonderful, though, so I'm not about to stop due to one person's lack of moral character. Thanks, all! =D

October 18, 1998: I have been as sick as a dog this week, so I didn't get any writing done. I did add one new work of fan art to the gallery, and to Chapter 23, though. Well, hopefully I'll get more done next weekend!

October 10th, 1998: Chapter 24 of Irony of Fate is up! There's also a new work of fan art in the gallery, which is also the theme now for Chapter 19. I moved the update page to a new location yet again due to memory troubles... Okay, that's that! Oh, and I also added one new link. =)

October 1, 1998: Chapter 23 of Irony of Fate is now finished and posted. Also, Chapter 22 now has a theme picture, and it's been added to the Fan Art Gallery as well. There are a couple new links at the Link Page, too, in the Cable/X-Men/ Etc. section at the bottom.

September 29, 1998: This doesn't really count as an update, but I finished the last part of my second Cable fic, First Blood. =) OH! And as far as my memory problems with publishing, I now have a 5th AOL screen name with a fresh 2 MBs of space! So, I'll be conserving that until December when I get my free 10, and using that name, DayspringN, to publish all my further fics and chapters! So fear not, I can still update and add to my page =)

September 26, 1998: Chapter 22 is all done, and i'm on my way to put that link up now. I also added a new Cable fan fic, First Blood, to my Cable story page (linked under Irony of Fate on my FFVII fan fic page =) if anyone wants to see something non-FFVII I've worked really hard on! I'm having a terrible time with my memory here, so I have no clue how I'm going to keep updating, but I will! Even if I have to use my brother's account :::evil grin::: I got a new fish tank!! Yeah, that's not related to the page, so what? =D Thanks to everyone who signed my guest book or e-mailed me, too!

September 19, 1998: I'm done Chapter 21 of Irony of Fate and in the process of publishing it right now at almost 5 pm eastern. I also put some of the newer fan art I was sent into the story for Chapters 20 and 21! I still need a good one of Cloud and Seph (or Jenova! =D) for both 18 and 19 if anyone likes! Umm, the pictures I've been sent in .mim format will not open for me, so try and send them as .jpg or .gif, if you can! Thanks! I also added a ton of links today, so if you've asked me to put yours up, it should be there! As always, I need another week, give or take a few, to do the next chapter of IoF. I'm really busy in school now, and I'm working on other non-FFVII writing projects as well. Oh, and I changed this background again because I had to save more memory space here. Here's to hoping I can hold out until I get the additional space in December!

September 12, 1998: Have I mentioned that I've broken 8,000 hits? =D I'm so excited, because soon it'll be 10,000, and I literally will dance for joy! Chapter 20 is done now, and I'm on my way to put it up right now! (It's 3 pm estern=) I should do the next chapter by the end of next weekend. I also added my old updates to this new update page, for old times sake =D Oh, and I could really use a picture of Cloud and Seph together for this chapter if anyone is so inclined. Thanks!

September 10, 1998: Okay, a few important things here! One, I updated today, adding two new fan art pieces and a few links. And this update page is new, obviously. The old one was taking up too much space, so I moved it here. Ah, and the index page with all the section links now has Temple of the Ancients music! Chapter 20 may appear by the end of this weekend. Secondly, I'm still in some trouble with my publisher here. I am just about totally out of space, so updating is really tricky... I pretty much can't add new backgrounds or any large images or new sections. I was working, as many of you know, to improve the page so Netscape and other browser users could see it better. Let me explain the problem: Some of you can't see the images because AOL automatically converts them to .art and compresses them to save storage space, which makes sense when they only give you 2MBs worth. Well, too bad they never thought that these compressed graphics don't work for anyone off of AOL! I do know how to fix this, though, which involves deleting all the compressed images and finding uncompressed replacements. It's a pain, yes, but it can be done in time. IF you have memory space. When I uncompressed a few, such as the backgrounds for the first two main sections (Do they work? =D), they more than tripled in memory space!! So, by the time I got to the fourth or fifth image, it had eaten up all my remaining memory. At that point, I said the hell with it and went to find a Geocities page, but once I got to it made so little sense to me that I gave up and came back here. There is hope, though! See, I just joined Hometown AOL as you may notice at the top of my entrance and in the site address, which is just a community of web pages that they're deciding to form for AOL users who have them. If I stay in this (and it's free =) until December 17th, I get 10 MBs of extra space for my pages! So, that's what I'm doing. I'm going to stick with what I do and just be careful about updating until then to preserve space. So, if all of you can deal with the image problem until I get my extra space, I will fix it all over my Christmas break and you'll have a perfect, error free page for the new year! Sound okay? I hope so, because it's all I'm able to do. Fear not, I will continue updating both fan art and my fan fics, just nothing image related before that time. Thanks! =)

September 4, 1998: I didn't expect to finish Chapter 19 for another week, but I got a night off, and now it's done and up! Enjoy =)

September 1, 1998: Woohoo!!! Finally, finally, FINALLY the music actually works! Thanks, Tony! =) Isn't it cool? Oh, and thanks to Jess for sending me some info on why Netscape can't see my pictures... I now know what is wrong and how to fix it! It's going to take time, as I have to upload all my images over again with different extensions, but it'll get done. I'm doing it little by little, so hang in there. Oh, and please hold off on mail like "Sit your ass down in that chair and write chapter 19!" for now, eh? I said I needed two weeks... it hasn't even been one yet! I'm back in school and working now, but I will get to it before long, I promise! I don't mind mail asking about my progress at all, as long as it's polite. =) Later: Ok, Netscape users... Does the entrance, the main page, and anything other than the photo gallery look better? I've tried to fix all those sections. Please let me know, someone! And it would be helpful if you could let me know exactly what doesn't work and where, so I can devote my attention to the problem areas. Thanks! =D

August 28, 1998: Look, a new editorial section on Sephiroth, pre-Nibelheim! =) Then, I changed some backgrounds at a few sections and added some dripping blood to all the fire, and also added maybe 3 new links.There are also two new Thoughts and Reflections to mull over, and I'm working on both Chapter 19 and a brand new section for the page! Oh, and sign my guest book! Please? It's lonely =). I also wanted to make a note... People using Netscape, please stop sending me e-mails telling me I should fix my page and that you can't see it very well. I know this... There's a note about it right at the top of the site. It's a problem my site has when viewed with that browser because of my using AOL, and something I can't fix due to my lack of understanding of what's going on, as well as my HTML illiteracy. I'm really sorry, but I can't help it. Just know that I have more sense than to have a white background with light-colored writing for my main page, and that my images are really there. You're just unable to see them. My background, as most of you know, is black with red and orange fire, so it is easy to read with pale text. I don't mean to ramble, but I got quite a few somewhat-rude notes in the past week telling me that my site was messed up and I ought to fix it. I've done the best I can here, which is a miracle given that I have no clue what I'm doing. =) And the music still doesn't work. If anyone knows what's wrong in my source code, I'll worship you if you can tell me!

August 24, 1998: Ack, I accidently reset the counter on my fan fic page. It was over 7,300 at the time, for the record, slightly higher than my main page oddly. Anyway, I got Chapter 18 up today!! I actually got a day off... I also did a few little changes, such as getting rid of that Top 100 thing yet again. The stupid thing crashed again at their main site, and all the guy does is send confusing e-mails... and also announced he isn't fixing it. The counter never even worked right for me, so I'm through with it. I have my own counter, and I don't really need to know I'm 'beating' anyone else's site. Hmm... I tried to fix the music again, added a couple links, and just did the general once-over! And, miracle of all, I'm off again Friday! Then I go back to school Monday =P. Bleh!

August 21, 1998: I won another award! Yay! And I tried yet another new music code on the entrance page. One of these days... Work also continues on Chapter 18, which I am hoping to finish Monday or Tuesday. Thanks for your patience, as I've been working every day the past two weeks.

August 20, 1998: I changed the music coding on the entrance page...Let's see if it works now! Also, I put a link to my first non-FFVII fan fic up under Irony of Fate, in case anyone happens to be interested. It's about Cable from Marvel Comics. Other than that, not much new, since I've been working every day. I'm hoping to finish Chapter 18 sometime this week or early next, because I wrote half of it yesterday!! If the wait is too long, yell at my boss =) Oh, and I just can't settle on a look for this page, so I changed the background again!

August 15, 1998: Help, help! Um, see that little box on my entrance page way at the bottom? Does it play One Winged Angel for anyone? It's supposed to, but it doesn't for me and gives me error messages if I click on it. Anyone having different results, or should I just delete it? Thanks! And one other, silly little thing! There's now a picture of my cat Boo at the bottom of "About Me." Go adore her! =D Last item: If anyone out there knows how the heck that Top 100 thing measures votes, please let me know!