When I was less than 10, my brother got Final Fantasy 7 for the computer. Every time he sat down to play it, I materialized next to him. Whether he liked it or not, my eyes were glued to the screen as Cloud took down the evil Shinra corporation, battled evil Sephiroth, and remembered flashes of his hidden past.
The day finally came when Roy finished the game. It was my turn. I gleefully learned how to control the game myself, and replayed the entire 50-hour game. Since then, I've bought and played FF8, FF9, FF10, FF10-2, FF12, and FF7: Crisis Core. Not to mention the fact that I've replayed most of the games at least once, with FF7 (my favorite, partly because of nostalgia, partly because of the "WHAT WHERE DID THAT REVEAL COME FROM!?" mind-blowing plot) clocking in at at least five replays.
A huge amount of my memory space is wound around these games. I remember Tifa telling Cloud that they didn't need to wake up yet, because the sun would keep rising regardless or something, and Roy and I giggled madly, determined to use that excuse to get out of school. Every time I hear "Walkin' On the Sun" I think of sitting at the computer with the radio on. I remember Roy coming home for break when he was in college and watching me play the newest Final Fantasy game. Mom came in to talk to us, and she got mad at me for not paying attention. Finally Roy snapped, "Mom, this is really important information, and she can't pause it!" I was so pleased.
I learned how to download music because I wanted the songs from the various FF games. I learned to play several of them on the piano. I found fanfiction because I couldn't handle the end of the games meaning the end of those characters. Two of the games made me cry.
I....really like these games, okay?
Fishbowl
Lindsay introduced me to this game. It's a mix of taboo and charades, and it is always hilarious! I love playing it at the Monahan's house with a big crowd of people shouting and laughing. I love playing it in Senegal, where I will always fondly remember Mallory miming giving birth on the floor of a guest house in Dakar, surrounded by missionary families watching in horror and confusion. She was trying to get them to guess "Bourne Identity."
Fruits Basket
My first anime love. During the one semester Carah lived with my Craig 3 sisters, she let me borrow them out of curiosity. After classes, I popped the first DVD in. Whitney walked by and laughed. Five minutes later she joined me on the couch. Then Josephine returned from lab and made fun of us. After hearing us laugh out loud several times, she perched on the couch arm. A few minutes later, she had slid onto a cushion.
The three of us spent the next two days devouring the rest of the series.
I love Fruits Basket because it is charmingly absurd. A family turns into animals from the zodiac when hugged by members of the opposite sex! So many jokes to be made. But instead of sticking to strict comedy, the show delves into the tragic side--What if your mother rejected you because you were a freak? What if you could never have physical contact with people for fear of transforming in front of them?
There are three episodes in particular that make me bawl like a baby. And then the rest have me cracking up. I love that a lot of Japanese television doesn't stick to one genre. All emotions are welcome!
Their love is epic. This scene makes me squee. I may have watched it multiple times with a roommate who would probably prefer to remain unnamed.
Also, Kyo is adorable if extremely volatile. And Tohru was sickeningly perfect at first, but I've come to really love her. I want to imitate her easygoing attitude and unconditional love for friends and family. She's pretty fantastic.
Fandom
Loving something is wonderful. I thoroughly enjoy being a nerd and getting obsessively excited about TV shows or movies or books. But the really great thing is finding other people who are just as passionate as I am. Sometimes that happens in real life. I call those people my kindred spirits.
But when real life won't provide what I need, the interwebs come to the rescue! It is nice to know that somewhere in the world, someone loves Doctor Who or LotR or Harry Potter as much as me. And often (okay, always) there are people who love it more! And they create fanvideos and fanart and fanfiction. I love it all! I spend many an hour enjoying creations inspired by favorite stories.
You can find the Doctor kissing the TARDIS (it's like biting, only there's a winner!), or...
The Broship of the Rings (oh man, look up all the pictures, they're brilliant) doing Christmas. With Legolas showing off. Or....
Immediately after Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows was released, fandom was creating art! This time making the BBC Sherlock characters take on the gag from the American movie.
That's not even getting into fanfiction or fanvideos. Because you can waste away your life watching or reading those. The interwebs and fandoms are so vast!
Fridays
Because for me, they are Saturdays. No work! I can sleep in! If I want to travel, I automatically have a three-day weekend of time!
My job is wonderful.
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