iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

If you’re wondering where I’ll be for the foreseeable future, I’ll be working on my original novel 🥰 Once the third revision is done (maybe a few months?), I’ll start work on the next chapter of Chasing Shadows. See you then! 🌻

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Chasing Shadows: Chapter 8 has been posted 🥰 It took longer than expected, but we got there in the end! Enjoy 🌻 Link: archiveofourown.org/works/552673... #FF7 #FinalFantasy7 #Cloti #Zerith #Fanfiction

Chasing Shadows
Rand0mSmil3z

Chapter 8: Clearing the Air

Summary:

Previously...

There was a faint scuff as Tifa shifted her weight, before she broke the following silence with, “So? Are we ready to go?”

Was he?

Zack glanced over his shoulder—into the dark, where nothing waited but Shinra infantry, a welcoming inn, and a quiet, peaceful town that didn’t deserve what was happening to it. Then he turned back to the others, who were all, inexplicably, looking at him for guidance.

“I think we’ll have to be,” Zack finally said, and he pushed the doors open to let in the light.

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Just finished the final scene of the chapter, right before I start work 🥰 The chapter still needs a good edit, but it feels good to check that off my to-do list!

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

I finished the chapter, but I keep wanting to add more scenes to it 😂🫠 Just one more and then I’m calling it done 😤

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Writing before I start work. I pulled out the second monitor and the blur tool, so you know it’s SERIOUS serious 😤

Two monitors (one laptop and one true second monitor) are precariously balanced on the corner of a desk. Their screens have been blurred to prevent spoiling the chapter.

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Got 4k words written before we reached our stop—so not quite finished, but happy with the direction the chapter is going 🥰

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

I have a four hour train ride today, which means I have four hours to get the next chapter done 💪 we’ll see if that happens but I am determined 😤 #Fanfic #FinalFantasy7 #Cloti #Zerith

Laptop sitting on a train’s seat tray. The screen is showing chapter 8 of Chasing Shadows, a Final Fantasy 7 fic.

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Culture Crave 🍿 @culturecrave.co · 06/06/2026

First trailer for 'Final Fantasy VII Revelation' 🎮 Releasing on all platforms Spring 2027

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

LOL please ignore all of my open word tabs, they are all my distractions 😂 I have more dreams than time at the moment

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Is this…a writing update?!? 👀 I’ve finally started chapter 8 of Chasing Shadows, a #FinalFantasy7 #fanfic . Please forgive any typos — this is a very early snippet lol. You can also find it in the image alt text 🌻 #cloti #zerith

Chapter 8: The Chocobo Far

The wilderness outside of Kalm had a peacefulness to them, a rugged loneliness etched into the rolling meadows and jagged outcroppings, that was so different to the chaos unfolding in Kalm that it left Cloud breathless. While birdsong filtered from the trees, shouting echoed over the stone walls at their backs. The whir of helicopter blades smothered the gentle hush of wind.

“Hurry,” Zack said. The mako in his eyes burned hot as he looked over his shoulder, as if he was half-expecting Shinra infantryman to start descending the walls. His fingers twitched, his dominant hand rising for his Buster sword strapped to his back, before going for his backpack strap instead.

Aerith placed a hand on his shoulder. “Right behind you.”

They all began walking. Cloud shifted the weight of his own backpack as they picked their way down a thin game trail, then cut towards the forest, where they were less likely to be spotted by the helicopters. No one spoke. Zack lead the group, pausing occasionally to listen to his surroundings, while Red trailed last, his ears on a swivel, his flame-tip tail trashing the underbrush. Aerith took second in the line, while Cloud, Tifa, and Barret took third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.

Like this, minutes passed. Minutes stretched into an hour, and a single hour slipped into two. Finally Aerith called for a break, her face rosy from exertion.

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Prepping to write Chasing Shadows ch.8 by rereading the story so far 💛 I’ve missed this little universe CS in the sequel to Halcyon Days, a #FinalFantasy7 #fanfic . Links below 🌻 Halcyon Days: archiveofourown.org/works/246012... Chasing Shadows: archiveofourown.org/works/552673... #Cloti #Zerith

Chapter 1: The Road to Kalm

The road from Midgar to Kalm was a long one. It was lonesome, dirty, and wound drunkenly through the parched wasteland, its gravel baked by the sun and shimmering with restless heat. In the first few days after Midgar, Cloud had squinted towards the distant horizon, his throat parched and eyes gritty with sand, and had wondered if this lonely, rugged road would stretch on forever.

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Hello everyone 👋 I hope you’ve been well! These few months have been very busy for me—work has been nonstop, I’ve been working hard on my original book, and my husband & I will be moving across states—but I’ve been daydreaming of Chasing Shadows recently, and should have time soon to continue 💛

California buckwheat—a small, white-and-pink flower that grows in tight bunches. Bees and butterflies love them!

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

LOL this was undoubtedly me. I swear the typos multiply whenever I open the word doc 😂 but thanks for the heads up! I’ll make the edit once I open my laptop.

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Thanks for your patience! Chasing Shadows: Chapter 7 has been published 🥳 Enjoy! Ao3 Link: archiveofourown.org/works/552673... Big thank you to @livlovelaugh7.bsky.social for the beta🌻

Screenshot of Chasing Shadow’s tags. Full copy/paste below:

Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning:
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Categories:
F/MM/M
Fandoms:
Compilation of Final Fantasy VIIFinal Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth (Video Games 2020-2024)
Relationships:
Tifa Lockhart/Cloud StrifeZack Fair/Aerith GainsboroughZack Fair & Cloud StrifeCissnei/Kunsel (Compilation of FFVII)
Characters:
Cloud StrifeTifa LockhartZack FairAerith GainsboroughBarret WallaceRed XIII | Nanaki (Compilation of FFVII)Cid HighwindYuffie KisaragiTseng (Compilation of FFVII)Elena (Compilation of FFVII)Reno (Compilation of FFVII)Rude (Compilation of FFVII)Vincent ValentineCissnei (Compilation of FFVII)Rufus ShinraKunsel (Compilation of FFVII)
Additional Tags:
Alternate Universe - Canon DivergenceAngst with a Happy EndingFluff and AngstIt Gets Worse Before It Gets BetterFound FamilyZack Fair LivesZack Fair & Cloud Strife FriendshipCloud Strife Needs a HugZack Fair Needs a HugEveryone Needs A HugEveryone Has IssuesEventual Happy EndingEventual RelationshipsOther Additional Tags to Be AddedOther Ships Not Mentioned in TagsWarning: Hojo (Compilation of FFVII)
Language:
English
Series:
Previous Work Part 2 of Reunion Cycle

Screenshot of Chasing Shadow’s title, author username, the first author’s note, and the chapter’s first paragraph. Copy/paste below:

Chasing Shadows
Rand0mSmil3z

Chapter 7: high noon helicopters

Notes:

Last time:

Aerith glanced up at him, her green eyes bright despite the shadowed room. “Are you okay?”

Zack considered for a moment. Then, without a word, he ducked his head to press his lips against Aerith’s temple. She giggled.

“You know what?” Zack finally murmured, smiling. “I think finally am.”
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text
Nobody lowered her binoculars with a frown. The robed figures she had been tracking across the eastern continent had finally arrived in Junon, although there were now considerably fewer individuals than had set out from Midgar. The mining system north of Fort Condor had been especially treacherous, and despite Nobody directly interfering to ensure their survival—in clear violation of Tseng’s orders, hence its omission from her report—several of the individuals had slipped off the numerous ledges and to their deaths.

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

I finished my edits, and @livlovelaugh7.bsky.social has gracefully offered to give it a final read before it’s published 🥰 Chapter will be posted tomorrow!

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

It went less smoothly than I hoped, but I managed to get through 80% today and I’ll finish the rest tomorrow!

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

I finished writing the chapter 🥳 Now it just needs a good edit, but I’m hoping that part will go smoothly 🤞 Still aiming to publish by tomorrow! #Fanfiction #FF7 #ChasingShadows

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

A brief update to say I’m aiming to publish by next weekend 💪 Also—like many of you, I am horrified at the state of my country, the US. If you are a fan of FF7, yet approve of government-approved violence and kidnappings, know that you completely missed the point of the story

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

she’s helping me write the next chapter

Raven, a black cat, loafs beside a laptop on a lavender-colored blanket. The laptop screen is poorly blurred and the words “One infantryman lifted her” can be made out.

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

I just finished the first rough draft of my second WIP, and I’m not touching the second draft until I publish the next Chasing Shadows chapter 😤

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V. K. Velasco @v-k-velasco.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Some writing goals I achieved in 2025: 🌳 finished the first draft of my WIP 🌳 started a second WIP while the first marinates 🌳 wrote nearly every day Writing goals I'm aiming for in 2026: 🌱 write the second draft of my OG WIP 🌱 continue my fun sci-fi story 🌱 have fun with it 🌱 relax!!!! #AmWriting

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

Back home from traveling, which means I can make some more progress on Chasing Shadows 🥰

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

Hoping you feel better soon too!!

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V. K. Velasco @v-k-velasco.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

in this household, every day is black cat day 🥰 #InternationalBlackCatDay #BlackCatDay #CatsOfBluesky

An adorable black cat curled up on a cushion. Her yellow eyes are facing the camera

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

A small preview of Chasing Shadows: chapter 7 Did I not promise last chapter that I’d try to be better at posting updates???? So this is me trying 😭 Thanks for being so patient—you all are the best🌻 #FF7 #FF7Fanfic #Cloti #Zerith #ChasingShadows #HalcyonDays

Preview of an untitled chapter. Apologies for any typos.

Nobody lowered her binoculars with a faint sigh. The robed figures she had been tracking across the eastern continent had finally arrived in Junon, though not without losses. The mining system between the grasslands and the Junon region had been especially treacherous. Even though she had tried to interfere directly, which was in clear violation of Tseng’s orders, several of them had slipped off the thin ledges and to their deaths. Despite being an ex-Turk, she still woke up with nightmares about it.
But the other robed figures hadn’t seem to care. They had only shuffled on, their booted feet hardly leaving the ground with their gait uneven and wobbling, and their moaning was nearly as constant. Without a doubt, this was the worst mission Tseng had ever sent her on.
Yet the moment the thought crossed Nobody’s mind, she knew that wasn’t true. The worst mission was Nibelheim, or perhaps the worst only occurred on the days that followed: tracking Zack through the wastes, forcing him a corner, telling him that he needed to listen to her or else. In the end she had helped him and Cloud, sure, but not before both men had nearly died out on the Midgar cliffs.

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V. K. Velasco @v-k-velasco.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

My sweet cat got spooked by her own reflection 😭 look at her puffy tail #BlackCat #CatsOfBluesky #Caturday

A black cat inspecting her own reflection in a sliding glass door. She has a puffy tail.

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V. K. Velasco @v-k-velasco.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Back in May I was possessed by a muse and ended up writing 150k words in about 4 months 😂 Good news is that my first draft is complete! Better news is that now I get to edit it, and make it sound like I knew what I was doing all along 🥰 #AmWriting #AmEditing #WIP

A line graph that depicts months May, June, July, August, and September along the x axis, while the y axis depicts numbers ascending by 20000 up to 140000. The line begins in May at around 100, and then steadily increases to 150556 on August 23, 2025.

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

For all updates: This account (Rand0mSmil3z) is for all things fanfiction related, while… …my other account (@v-k-velasco.bsky.social) is for my personal writing You may notice that I haven’t used both in ages 😂 rip

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

I’m so bad at keeping my social media alive it’s not even a joke 🫣 but I’ve read all of your lovely comments (all of them!!!) and will try to be better for you all 💪

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Chasing Shadows - Chapter 6 is available on Ao3! This is a shorter chapter that will wrap up The Longest Night arc ☺️ ➡️ archiveofourown.org/works/552673...

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

because of Ao3 going down, or the other horrors 🫠

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Chasing Shadows: Chapter 5 has just been posted! For now it’s only on Ao3; hope to get it on fanfiction.net soon. archiveofourown.org/works/552673... Please mind the tags. Enjoy! #ff7 #ff7fanfiction #cloti #zerith

archiveofourown.org

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The Cloti Zine Vol 2 💫 Complete @theclotizine.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

✨ ADDRESS CHANGES — LAST CALL 📦 Hi everyone! This is the last call to notify us of any address changes by March 23rd ☺️ After the deadline, we can't guarantee any further changes and recommend that you set forwarding of mail. Thank you so much for all the support! 💛

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V. K. Velasco @v-k-velasco.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

my writing buddy 🥰🐈‍⬛ #AmWriting #PetSky #CatSky #BlackCat

The most content black cat in the world sits on her human’s lap, her bright yellow eyes looking up to her human (not shown in the photo). The cat is cozy in her human’s light brown cashmere cardigan, and a hand rests on her side to make sure she doesn’t slip.

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

2000 words later 🤍 first preview is included below #Ao3 #ChasingShadows #FF7 #Cloti #Zerith

Chapter 5
The Longest Night Part 2

The Present Day

“Eventually, we went back to the inn,” Zack continued, “but when we got there, Sephiroth locked himself in his room.”
Everyone—Aerith, Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and Red—watched him with rapt attention. Or most of them did, anyway. Cloud’s gaze was downward, their faint maki glow illuminating his clenched hands. Tifa’s eyes, like usual, were on Cloud.
Zack turned away. Throughout his recounting, he had been pacing around the room, but now he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed tightly over his chest and his fingers drumming against his forearm. He hadn’t minded telling everyone the story of Nibelheim—at first, anyway. They deserved to know what they were getting into. Now, his every inhale tasted bitter with dread. This story didn’t have a happy ending, and he was one of the lucky ones. He hadn’t lost anyone except himself. Tifa and Cloud, on the other hand…

(additional text is included in the screenshot)

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

I’ve been distracted long enough!! Finally starting chapter five of Chasing Shadows 🌻 let’s see how far I can get today! #AmWriting #Fanfiction #FF7

A photo showing a word processor on a laptop, which is currently displaying Chapter 5: The Longest Night Part 2. Beside the laptop is an iced coffee that looks better than it tastes, and the background includes colorful floral bouquets.

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 26/12/2024

To make money off of it, unfortunately 🥲 It’s really scummy of them, but thankfully there are copyright laws that protect against this sort of thing. I’m so glad you enjoyed the story 💙💐

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

Wordstream supposedly took down my fic after many reports and emails, but as you can see, it still shows up on their website with a simple google search: Basically, they actually didn’t remove it—they just hid it from view. Really frustrating. Who else had their work stolen? #WordStream #booksky

Screenshot of a google search result showing Halcyon Days by Random Smiles on word-stream’s website.

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

It’s definitely a step in the right direction! And it looks like their app was taken off the App Store too, so that’s even more good news. I’ve emailed them directly & also submitted all the reports I could think of, so 🤞 hopefully the situation gets resolved soon

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Swann is really going through it rn 🥲 @swann.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Attention #AO3 #fanfic #writers A new thieving website is charging people to have AI voices read your stories. See this reddit post for more info: www.reddit.com/r/AO3/s/bfPd... URL is https: //word - stream . com/ (remove spaces) FANDOM IS FREE AND MUST STAY FREE. FANDOM BELONGS TO FANDOM. 🖕🖕

reddit.com

From the AO3 community on Reddit

Explore this post and more from the AO3 community

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Well, it finally happened--my *free* fanfic was scraped off of Ao3, placed on a shitty AI-generated app, and hidden behind a subscription paywall. Here's the website: word-stream.com Worse, I have no way to get my story taken down. This is so disheartening. Anyone have any suggestions? 😢 #booksky

A screenshot taken from https://word-stream.com, which depicts AI-generated cover art of the fan fiction "Halcyon Days" by RandomSmiles.

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The Cloti Zine Vol 2 💫 Complete @theclotizine.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

✨ PRODUCTION UPDATES 🌼 Production is going smoothly behind the scenes, and we're so excited to begin sharing some updates with you all. Thank you again for supporting Volume 2, please follow this thread for updates in the next few weeks! 💛

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Chasing Shadows: Chapter 4 has just been posted! 💐🥳🥰 It's a monster of a chapter--just over 15k words--and covers part one of the Nibelheim flashback 🔥 Enjoy! ➡️ Ao3: archiveofourown.org/works/552673... ➡️ FF: TBD #cloti #zerith #cloudstrife #tifalockhart #zackfair #sephiroth #ff7 #fanfic

Chasing Shadows
Rand0mSmil3z (Random Smiles)

Chapter 4: The Longest Night: Part 1

five years ago

It was raining.

The covered military vehicle rumbled down the road, lurching through the many potholes and spraying mud behind it. The sky outside the rain-streaked windows was the color of slate--heavy, moody, and impossibly dark, up until a bolt of lightning set the clouds ablaze.

Zack tottered up and down the truck's thin aisle, already accustomed to how the car rolled beneath him. A particularly bright bolt suddenly crashed across the sky, bleaching the truck's interior, and he let out a low whistle.

"It's really coming down, huh?"

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Beautiful 🥹💖💖💖💖

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

A short preview of Chasing Shadows: Ch. 4 🌻 Ch. 4 will be part 1/2 for the Nibelheim Flashback scene 💐 CS is the sequel to Halcyon Days; if you're new to the series, I'd start with HD first! ➡️ Ao3 Ch. 1: archiveofourown.org/works/552673... ➡️ FF: www.fanfiction.net/s/14347954/1... #cloti #zerith

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Rand0mSmil3z @rand0msmil3z.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Btw—I write more than fanfics ☺️ If you’d like to follow along on my quest to get traditionally published, feel free to give my fancy author account a follow!

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The Cloti Zine Vol 2 💫 Complete @theclotizine.bsky.social · 01/11/2024

💫 Tender Memories: The CloTi Zine Vol 2 🌼 NOV 1 - NOV 30 🌱 shop.theclotizine.com Join us in celebrating #CloTi's gentle & enduring love. Carefully put together by 45+ contributors, "Tender Memories" is a love letter to one of Final Fantasy's greatest romances. 💛 #クラティ

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