Fansite History

"Better to die than get sent to Pulse. It's hell without the brimstone."

This is the part where I tell you all about the fansite! This is commonly thought of as the most useless, unvisited section of a fansite. However, everyone tends to have one. After all, fansite creators pour so much time and energy into their labor of love, they deserve a place to talk about the process.

Personally, I've always been the weird one who LOVES reading the site section. It gives me a chance to peek into the owner's head. It makes things a little more personal. So here you go, maybe someone out there like me might enjoy this. o_O

Creation

This website is owned by Ava and has its permanent (hopefully) home at one of her domains, Heartilly.Com. I started working on this website at the beginning of April 2010. The site made its opening debut on June 1st, 2010 (rounded to that date for my convienence). Multiple layouts were created before I gave up and settled on Version 1. There's still much more I have planned for it. I'd say that the website is only 60% complete.

The name, Roses Have Thorns, is a quote from a song by pop artist Lady Gaga. It has no special significance other than I wanted something with Roses, I got damn tired of brainstorming through several names (I made a list of 20+ names!), and I randomly heard the song on the radio at the height of my fatigue.

Reason Why

First of all, FF13 brought me back to the FF series after not playing it for seven years. I became interested with FFXIII upon hearing the return of sci-fi fantasy elements, something I had not seen in the previous couple Final Fantasy games. Then when I actually bought and played the game, I was infatuated with it. Beautiful, innovative, and addictive. Furthermore, Lightning quickly became my favorite. Aside from being just so cool, I found her amusing as well. She was so cold and aloof, and yet she carried the game. Not to mention, she was so straightedge that it was always fun, as an observer, when she did something that seemed to be out of her character.

Second, as I played further along, I gained this deeper affection for her because I simultaneously empathized with her major faults and admired her for her good points. It probably really clicked when my boyfriend said, "Hey, you two talk a like, but you don't make such definitive statements." Sometime after that, it hit me. She has my stubborn, melancholic, overcontrolling flaws - but I don't have the determination and drive that she does, I think. Maybe I do, but it seems like it's never enough. Either way, I get it. I understand what it's like feel powerless and desperate to be stronger. Just like her.

Lastly, I needed to make a new shrine that demonstrated what I was capable of. After taking a 4 year hiatus from web design, I looked at my old shrines, and I was repulsed. They were things I made half a decade ago. I knew I could do better and I needed to prove that to myself. So I threw myself into making Roses Have Thorns my new crowning jewel, because I needed a fansite I could be personally proud of. My obsession with FFXIII came along at just the right time.

Future Additions