#Tifa- Horizons

[i-lavabean]

Super rough sketch animation based on a combo move from FFVII Rebirth

[picksleydust]

Aloy in the OG Tifa fit. I was inspired by @i-lavabean drawing Kotallo in a Cloud outfit.

[stef-gallery]

[lightdragontifa]

Tifa Lockhart character in my animal crossing. Isn’t she cute?

[cillianwilder]

I want to do a blog post and rank the most awesome female characters in gaming. Let me know what you think!

[protemporescitor]

"But she ded tho" (a.k.a. the dumbest argument against Clerith) - A rant

To expand on my previous post, in which I posited the crazy, far-fetched theory that in a fantasy setting mayhap death is not the relationship brick wall that it would be in a more grounded, realistic one*, I just want to bring up a few points to further buttress this off-the-wall notion.

"Cloud can't be with Aerith. She's dead!"

We've all heard it a thousand times. It is the argument most commonly levelled against Clerith. It is also the worst (and laziest) one.

It's often delivered in a declamatory and glib fashion, as though it were some sort of obvious conversation ender. Q.E.D. End of debate. The ultimate gotcha. "Checkmate, Clerith fans!" the haters think to themselves, chortling and patting themselves on their backs for this profound insight. (Insert tasteless and juvenile comments about Aerith being "shish kebab-ed" by Sephiroth as desired.)

And all I can think is "That's it? That's your best argument? That's some weak tea, man."

Despite its myriad flaws, this idea continues to radiate throughout the fandom a good quarter century after the original title's release, as though it had never once been challenged. It is a feeble and untenable position, a house built on sand, and one that deserves to be thoroughly demolished. With Rebirth on the horizon, and all the shipping wars nonsense rising from the grave once more as a result, it is high time, if you'll forgive the expression, that we laid this cliché to rest once and for all.

(*Note: Even in a more "realistic" setting lacking any kind of fictional afterlife, this would still be a gross oversimplification of the story's themes of loss, regret, and yearning, as well as entirely ignoring the idea of love transcending death, but we'll set those concerns aside for the time being.)

Lastly, before we begin: This is not an anti-Zerith / CloTi screed. Those pairings both have an undeniable canonical basis. My aim here is simply to demonstrate that the notion that Cloud and Aerith are forever separated by death is rendered invalid by virtue of the type of setting that their story takes place in. (Something that, frankly, one would reasonably assume to be perfectly obvious. Alas, such is not the case. And so I find myself yet again pointing out the glaringly obvious.)

Now, without further ado, let's begin:

Part 1. Before (the Compilation) Crisis

In the beginning, there was the year 1997, and Squaresoft had just released their latest title. And lo, it was good. We spent days and weeks following our favorite polygon people around their embattled little globe. We fought, laughed, cried, and struggled up until the Meteor Crisis reached its crescendo, and the credits rolled. Gosh, what an ending! But what did it all mean? How did things REALLY turn out? Did we get a happy ending at all?

According to some, Cloud lived happily ever after with his childhood sweetheart, Tifa. According to others, he continued to roam the earth in search of his Promised Land to be reunited with his tragic lost love, Aerith. Yuffie swiped everyone's materia (again). Cid finally went to the moon. Red XIII opened a haberdashery in Costa del Sol, or something. No-one really knows for sure.

And so, the fandom began to spread to every corner of the internet in search of answers. Thus began the age of dissension. Opinions clashed across fanzines, blogs, and fanfic country alike. Wild fan theories abounded pertaining to special codes, methods, and blood rituals capable of bringing back our erstwhile flower girl. The fan-made media bubble surrounding the game turned into a lawless land of misinformation and vicious disagreement. None were spared.

A brief digression on why said rumours persisted for as long as they did (CAUTION: Massive spoilers for Chrono Trigger).

One side proposed a simple solution. A way to cut the proverbial Gordian Knot of our fandom. It was quite obvious, really. Just staring everyone in the face. The flower girl was dead, and that was that. Thus, there was only one possible conclusion to our narrative. Cloud's feelings on the matter were, of course, irrelevant. With Aerith out of the picture, the only logical choice left to him was to settle down with Tifa, and that was that. Never mind the themes of doomed, tragic love and the possibility, strongly hinted at throughout the game and outright confirmed during its ending, of existence after death.

Overall, direct evidence for said afterlife was scant, but not entirely absent from the story. As an example, at one point during her childhood, Aerith speaks to Elmyra, trying to comfort her, saying that the spirit of her husband wanted to come visit her, confirming that an afterlife presence did indeed exist. But for some, this simply wasn't evidence enough. And so the war raged on. Which brings us to…

Part 2. Advent Children: The smoking gun

Remember back when a certain portion of the fan base insisted that Gaia erased all the humans at the end of the story, on the flimsy basis that we don't see any during the game's brief post-credit scene? Well, that little theory was neatly undone by subsequent releases in the Compilation, showing regular ol' humans still roaming around Gaia in all their everyday human-ness. Hence, it is rarely brought up these days. Would that the pernicious notion of "but she ded tho" could follow in its footsteps, given that the same film roundly contradicts it in every way possible.

For starters, the film inexplicably bring two characters, Rufus and Tseng, hitherto assumed to be dead, back to life, probably in an effort by Square to shoehorn as many recognizable members of the cast into their animated feature as they could. But that's not all. Next we have three characters that everyone agreed were deader than doornails ALSO making appearances, first in flashbacks, and then directly influencing the world of the living. Zack speaks to and encourages Cloud during his struggle. Aerith reaches out to him (quite literally) from beyond the grave and assists him in defeating Bahamut. And of course Sephiroth pops back into existence just in time for his contractually-obligated boss fight near the end of the film. All three demonstrate quite clearly and definitively that death is not the impenetrable barrier to continuing interactions between the living and the dead in the world of Final Fantasy VII, as a certain segment of the fan base would have everyone believe it is.

To be blunt, I don't know what level of dense you'd have to be to keep up this so-called "argument" in light of this information. Advent Children reiterates what most of us already knew, that our story takes place in a fantasy setting* with a confirmed afterlife existence.

(*You'd think that the name of the series would clue people in.)

The notion that death represents, within the context of said setting, the ultimate end was already softly contradicted by the original game's narrative, and then (because that was apparently too subtle for some people) flat-out annihilated by the existence and events of Advent Children. It should have long since ended this nonsense. But somehow, it didn't. These revelations, obvious though they are, remain ignored for some reason. And so, the cycle of willful ignorance continues.

But we're not done yet. We now move on to more tangential, but still relevant arguments against this line of "reasoning".

Part 3. Stop Hitting Yourself: Why "but she ded tho" is insulting to everyone

And I do mean everyone. Let's examine this, shall we?

It's insulting to Cloud.

To suggest that he loses interest in Aerith the moment she sinks beneath the waters, or that he is obligated to move on simply because she is no longer among the living, with no mourning period, no time to work through his guilt and grief, is to portray him as shallow and uncaring, something that goes against virtually all the characterization that he's been given throughout the story. The line of thinking apparently goes "Well, she's gone. That sucks. She was cute, too. Better move on to the next available piece of meat."

Sounds pretty gross when you write the quiet part out loud, doesn't it?

It's insulting to Aerith.

"Didn't even toss the b@#h a Phoenix Down, just dumped'er in the water LAWL"

I'm sure you've all come across comments like that at some point, usually originating from some errant redditor or blogger. Thinking themselves fine fellows and enlightened, above-it-all gadflies, they provide us at length with this and other prime specimens of 14 year-old internet edgelord "humour" that carries about as much edge as a perfect sphere. Remarks like these serve little purpose beyond confirming my suspicion that our fandom is indeed plagued with illiterates who can't tell the difference between the terms "revive" and "resurrect", and insist on conflating game mechanics with storytelling. And you wonder why some people are confounded by words like "flammable" and "inflammable".

(All right, I'll put the salt down. For now.)

"The party's designated white mage dies, oh no, that's so sad, boo-hoo, life goes on," I hear you say.

But boiling Aerith's role down to one of merely that of a temporary party member who kicks the bucket halfway through the story, never to be heard from again, both cheapens her purpose within the larger narrative and denies the clear effect that she continues to exert, directly and indirectly, on it and the other characters after her passing.

Though Aerith may have departed the world of the living, the story makes it abundantly clear that her influence on it has not ended. There are hints here and there that she still tries to assist her friends from the afterlife. As an example, when the party rediscovers Cloud in Mideel after assuming that he might be lost for good, a villager sums it up best with the following remark: "That boy must have one hell of a guardian angel."

It's only mentioned as a vague hint in the original story, but it is clear that some beneficent force is acting on Cloud and Tifa's behalf, aiding them in their survival and uniting them in the Lifestream in order to help Cloud recover his memories. Later supplemental material confirms that to have been Aerith's doing. If that's not enough to convince you, though, the original game's ending leaves little room for ambiguity as to Aerith's continuing influence. When Holy sputters and fails, she coaxes the Lifestream itself to intervene, burning away the calamitous meteorite, helping her friends put an end to the planetary crisis long after her own demise. I suppose the lesson here for silver-haired godhead wannabe villains is this: Strike her down, and she shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

So the idea that Aerith's participation in the story immediately comes grinding to a halt upon her death is both puerile and easily demonstrated to be false. But even if that were the case, downplaying her lingering influence on Cloud and the other characters in this manner would still be ignoring the creators' intent. Whether one interprets Cloud and Aerith's relationship as romantic or merely platonic, it is clear that her death, the loss of one of his closest allies, is something that wounds him deeply, and scars him forever. Two years on, he still pines for her company and desires her forgiveness for his perceived failures. She clearly occupies a special place in his heart, and her memory and legacy live on within him, spurring him on as he wanders the planet, searching for some way to meet her again, defying the impossible. (Which, as we all know, isn't going to happen. This is, after all, Final Gritty Reality we're talking about here.)

Ah, but all of this is a moot point, you say? Even if he did wish to be with her, preferring the company of the last Cetra over that of his childhood friend… well, too bad. That's no longer an option. We can spout all of this verbiage about "soul pain" this and "star-crossed lovers" that, but at the end of the day, Aerith is still dead, and that's that. At least, that's what ardent CloTi fans will insist, no matter what. So, what is Tifa to Cloud, then, by their own logic?

Which brings us to perhaps our most salient, and most overlooked point, at least as far as CloTi shippers are concerned. If all that wasn't enough for you, you may want to consider that it's deeply insulting to Tifa, as well. Grievously so, in fact. Quite possibly more so than any other character in this whole equation. And the reason why should be plain as day if you stop to think about it for a fraction of a second.

Here's the thing… if you can't articulate why you think Cloud would prefer to be with Tifa in spite of Aerith being alive, then you are essentially declaring her the "winner" by default on no other merits than the fact that she's still sucking down air. Stating "but she ded bro" means relegating Tifa to the role of a consolation prize. I don't think I could ever hurl such a staggering insult towards her as her biggest fans keep doing, without even realizing they're doing it.

Ask yourselves, is that really what you want for your supposed favourite character? To frame her as being doomed to eternally play second fiddle to her fallen friend? Cloud's "plan B"? The "side piece"? Someone who only stands a chance if her rival in love is literally six feet under? I'm sure she'd be thrilled by the high regard in which her own fans seem to hold her. (Hey, you said it, not me. It's not my fault if you don't take the time to actually consider the ramifications of what rolls off your keyboard. But by all means, keep insulting your own favorite character just to put down a ship you don't like.)

In closing, if we unearth the subtext and reframe it to highlight what people are, in essence, saying, it's this: "It's a good thing that she-who-shall-not-be-named bit the dust, because otherwise our beloved Best Girl Tifa (tm) wouldn't stand a chance."

It's a simple enough question: Why do you think that Cloud and Tifa belong together? What, in your mind, makes them a good fit for each other?

"Well, the competish is dead." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Not exactly a ringing endorsement for your best girl, now is it?

Part 4. "Heads, I Win. Tails, You Lose": A brief word on hypocrisy

In fandom, it's often the loudest and most obnoxious voices who tend to drown out the more reasonable ones, those of fans who are just minding their own business and grooving on the thing that they like. Which, unfortunately, renders this next part a necessary component of the greater argument that I'm trying to make. Multishippers and sane, reasonable CloTi and Zerith fans may consider themselves exempted from the following harangue.

The rest of y'all, buckle up.

The too-oft repeated refrain of "but she ded tho" entails a twofold hypocrisy. The first part is:

Case of Tifa: Fan hypocrisy regarding death.

Strident anti-Clerith fans, with their usual level of maturity, will often bring up Aerith's demise in a gleeful, mocking tone that can best be summed up as "ding dong, the witch is dead!" And if the shoe were on the other foot? If their Best Girl Tifa (tm) were the one pushing up daisies instead of Miz Gainsborough? Would they be quite so cavalier in their attitudes?

Who wants to bet that these fans wouldn't be making this "argument" so loudly if it was their ship that was in question? Consider this scenario: Suppose that the remake trilogy does the unthinkable and has Tifa die in Aerith's place. What then? Would they accept that "but she ded tho" is, at best, a double-edged sword, one that applies equally to their own favourite ship were their fortunes to be reversed?

Something tells me that's not the case.

But if you think that's hypocritical, you ain't seen nothing yet. This first point pales in comparison to…

The Zerith Exemption: Fan hypocrisy regarding the afterlife.

You know what my favourite thing about this whole debacle is? When people inform me that because they are separated by death, Cloud and Aerith have no hope of ever being together again. They will then unironically pivot to shipping Zack and Aerith, two characters who are together in the MOTHERFUCKING AFTERLIFE.

It's wild. How do you even compress that much cognitive dissonance into one skull? We're talking about mind-melting, Olympic medal-worthy levels of mental gymnastics here.

Now, before someone accuses me of being morose, I'm not suggesting that Cloud hop off the nearest cliff just to be with his beloved (Aerith would not approve of him throwing his life away, for one), just that when he reaches the end of his natural life (which may not be too long, given the cells eating away at his body), he can finally be reunited with her in the afterlife.

Many ardent CloTi shippers see themselves as bound by law to uphold Zerith as a shield against the dreaded Clerith plague. But to proclaim, implicitly or explicitly, that the afterlife encompasses one but not the other is not an idea that can be taken seriously. It remains an utterly bizarre blind spot, one that beggars belief.

On a related note, there is the infamous misconception that is…

Part 5. The ZaCloud Fallacy

While this is not directly related to my main point, I nonetheless find myself compelled to address this issue. There is a long-standing confusion that bedevils our fandom, one that has its roots in the Shipping Wars (tm). I am, of course, referring to the ZaCloud Fallacy.

We owe this particular misapprehension to Crisis Core, a prequel/gaiden game that was released ten years after the original FFVII. Already, its existence can mess up the timeline, so to speak, as, strangely, people tend to treat it as a sequel rather than a prequel, and as though it were adding new and vital building blocks to the world of FFVII instead of merely distorting the original story while retreading it with a far less interesting cast of characters. It also retcons major elements of the original story that it shouldn't have (such as the events taking place in Nibelheim five years prior to the main narrative), lazily steals Clerith scenes only to rehash them with Zack and Aerith, and forces players to endure, at length, crimes against literature, courtesy of Genesis.

It's an odd prequel, to say the least, given how heavily it relies on the original story for context. Sequentially, it may take place before FFVII, but it can only be fully appreciated with the original in mind; it cannot be treated as a stand-alone story. The worst thing about Crisis Core existing is that playing it first can outright ruin people's perception of the original narrative by spoiling several major plot elements and even lessening them in the process. Crisis Core's writers are especially guilty of cheapening dramatic moments like Zack's last stand by transforming it from a quiet, tragic, harrowing scene about sacrifice to an utterly over-the-top and emotionally overwrought trainwreck. It all merely serves to add to the confusion, especially for gamers who started with this title instead of the original.

But if that were not enough, Crisis Core's reckless meddling with the story combined with the acrimonious and all-consuming nature of the shipping wars has resulted in one of the most nonsensical misconceptions in the entire fandom. During Crisis Core's ending, Zack implores Cloud to carry on his legacy, thus giving rise to the erroneous assumption that Cloud's behaviour in disc 1 is merely that of him "being Zack". Clerith-hating fans, in particular, pounced on this idea as a way to put a safe distance between him and Aerith, characterizing their interactions, whether platonic or romantic, as merely a case of Cloud utilizing Zack's memories and personality around her (Never mind that Zack and Cloud's personalities are as different as night and day).

It is a fundamental and willful misreading of the story, a gross oversimplification of a more complex and granular truth in service of a fan-originated meta-narrative, one that has been assembled in order to reach the conclusion that Cloud and Aerith's relationship is null and void, and that therefore the romance between him and Tifa remains unchallenged. (Never mind that the story is intended as more than just some playground tug-of-war romance). To maintain this lie is to do violence to the story by destroying Cloud's character arc and reducing him to a virtual non-entity until the very end of the game.

Having already been rebuked in regards to this pervasive delusion, certain fans have tried to hedge their bets by suggesting a second, more advanced version of this idea. ZaCloud Fallacy 2.0, if you will, which states that Cloud is only in Zack Mode (tm) when he's around Aerith. I don't even know what to say about that sort of nonsense. To paraphrase Charles Babbage, I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such an assertion.

I'd go into this in more detail, but YouTube creator LinkOnTheBrink has already covered this topic extensively in their superlative video essay "How Shipping Can Ruin a Narrative".

It may seem like I'm trashing Zack or Zerith here, but I'm really not. That was never my intent. So let me be clear about this: I like Zack. I just hate Crisis Core and what it's done to this fandom. If you prefer CloTi and Zerith to everything else, I don't much mind. Ultimately, this isn't about shipping wars nonsense, but protecting the narrative from such nonsense.

And that leads us to…

Part 6. I Against I: Where the fandom went wrong

We all know that the infamous FFVII Shipping Wars (tm) are as stupid as they are inescapable. Anyone who's spent any time at all within this fandom has inevitably run afoul of them and their detritus at some point, whether they've chosen to participate in them or abstain from the whole debacle. But there's a reason why this acrimonious dispute has raged on for as long as it has. Much like Blade Runner fans would argue until they were blue in the face about whether or not Deckard was a replicant, fans of this story have been squabbling about CloTi versus Clerith for ages for similar reasons. (Zerith got roped in as a "political wedge", I would argue, as much as a pairing in its own right.)

It's more than just a war over shipping, it's a war over canonization, over character motivation and psychology. Of how we ultimately interpret the story and its characters. Given the vagueness of the story's ending, one can't help but wonder and speculate as to how everyone ended up afterwards. (Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus may have offered some answers, but they still largely sidestep these questions in a noncommittal, to-be-continued manner.)

The problem is that, for many fans, it isn't possible to simply say "It's my preference" and be done with the matter. Unlike most rarepairs and bananas pairings like Cait x Jenova, CloTi and Clerith remain hotly contested because they go beyond mere shipping, or even aesthetic preference, or which characters one most identifies with; they lie at the core of how we perceive the story and its inhabitants. In that sense, I don't consider it to be an entirely frivolous debate, just an unsolvable one.

So, what's the answer?

There's this long-standing piece of received wisdom about JRPGs vs. WRPGs, where the latter involves more freedom at the expense of focused storytelling, and vice versa. This idea might hold true to some extent, but it is not some iron law that must be obeyed without question. For a game like FFVII, choices that radically affect the narrative structure would be considered an aberration and not the norm. And yet, it might represent the only way out of this quagmire that doesn't involve throwing half the fandom under the bus in the process.

For me, Mass Effect and similar titles (e.g., Quest for Glory) have already presented an obvious solution: Let the players choose. (There is already some precedent in the form of the Gold Saucer scene, although it ultimately doesn't change the outcome of the story all that much.) It may not be a perfect solution, but I'd argue that it's far better than leaving one side out in the cold. At least this way, everyone gets something.

"Ah, but this is not feasible," I hear you respond. "Not for an Eastern-style RPG, at least. Only one of these pairings can be correct, and one must, above all, respect the creator's vision."

Yeah, look where that got us.

Part 7. As You Like It: Ship whatever you please (just stop this nonsense)

I realize that this little essay of mine has been digressive, rudimentary, rambling, extemporaneous, and scattershot. So let me try to reach some kind of meaningful conclusion here.

Much of this anti-Clerith rhetoric we've seen over the years seems to stem from a place of insecurity, whether it's murmuring "but she ded tho", claiming that Cloud was only ever Zack in disc 1, inventing a fictional sex scene underneath the Highwind from whole cloth, and so on… The thing is, there is no need for it. Clerith and CloTi both exist canonically. Even the game manual says as much, describing Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith's relationship as a love triangle. In other words, the love triangle is what's canon, and the rest is by and large up for interpretation. (Zerith also canonically exists, and we've known this since the OG.)

The true reason why this whole disagreement has gone on for eternity, I suspect, has less to do with any debate over canonicity alone than it does the sheer enmity and pettiness that it has continued to spark for so long. It has metastasized over the years, going from being a mere squabble over which pair is canon to an exercise in holding the other side in contempt. That endless cycle of disrespect and reprisals is undoubtedly where it all went wrong in the first place. (If I had a nickel for every time someone commented "but she ded tho" or "wHy iS zAcK bLoNd iN tHiS pIc?" when someone posts a piece of Clerith fan art, I'd have a pretty nice collection of coins by now.)

Obviously, we should all try to just click off when we encounter content that we dislike, but it's not always easy, especially when something we harbour a strong aversion to is so deeply enmeshed within something that we do enjoy. And so, our fight-or-flight instinct kicks in. Before you ask, yes, I'm as guilty of that as anyone else.

Still, I firmly believe that the occasional olive branch can go a long way. So let me simply say that I have the utmost respect for Tifa and Zack. They are worthy characters in their own right. So create and share all the CloTi/Zerith fan works your little hearts desire. Hire a fleet of skywriters to declare Zerith your favourite couple. Throw a giant CloTi parade through the middle of Times Square. We don't mind. Honestly.

As stated above, whether it's CloTi, Clerith, or Zerith, you can stop fretting over which one is canon; they all are. The other three permutations (Zakkura, Zifa, AerTi) don't get much in the way of canon acknowledgement, but they probably should at this point.

In the end, this is about saving the narrative from the shipping wars, as much as anything else. To say that you prefer CloTi or something else to Clerith is fine. To assert that Clerith doesn't exist in any form, however, is where I begin to take exception.

Ultimately, I say ship what you like. All I ask is that you retire this sort of narrative-wasting nonsense. It's time we threw it into the garbage can of gaming history where it belongs. As for questions of motives, character interpretation, canonization, and so forth… if we cannot reach an accord, then let us at least try for a more amicable disagreement.

As for my fellow Clerith supporters, the next time you see the withered old canard that is "but she ded tho" being bandied about in the wild, feel free to laugh and treat it with the derision and contempt that it so richly deserves.

[lightsaroundyourvanity]

Aerith and Tifa find themselves like this more and more these days: Sequestered away from the others, hand over hand and knee against knee. It’s a slipshadow of comfort that they fall into on the journey to Kalm, and keep going beyond, through the mountains, over the sea. Sharing secrets, open skies.

(The real kind, where the light never bounces off a metal horizon and sometimes they can spot the hectic streak of a shooting star. The kind Tifa grew up with. The kind Aerith never had.)

It’s a teetering precipice of something else when Aerith remembers the firm turn of Tifa’s hands on her hips as she showed Aerith how to hitch a ride on the wide unpaved road leading away from Midgar, nearly slotted against one another, Tifa’s breath a warm exhale on the bare nape of Aerith’s neck.

(In Midgar, they would fall into each other’s arms, finish each other’s sentences, say each other’s names. Could that mean something? Anything at all?)

Let’s discuss business, Aerith says to Tifa. Boys. What she leaves unsaid is, so we can spend more time together. What she leaves unsaid is, so I can crowd into this tiny space alone with you.

[firstknightvulion]

More Cloud and Tifa stuff.

Cloud is having a Sephiroth moment. Tifa runs into him, pressing herself against him to hold him back. The darkness recedes from his mind. He looks down and rests his free hand on her head.

Cloud: You saved me again.

Tifa: Together. *looking up into his eyes* We do this together.

Cloud: Together.

Tifa detached herself from Cloud, one hand lingering in his chest. They stare at the horizon.

And keep staring.

All the while Tifa’s hand on Cloud’s chest is anything but idle. Squeezing and groping vigorously.

Cloud: Uh, Tifa?

Tifa: *not looking at Cloud* Yes?

Cloud: You’re, uh, y-your hand is still on my chest.

Tifa: *still not looking at Cloud* I know.

Cloud: You can take it off anytime you want.

Tifa: *giving Cloud’s left pec a good squeeze* I can.

Cloud: Not that I mind. It’s just, umm, Sephiroth is still out there.

Tifa: *tenderly running her fingers over the center of his chest* And he will still be there after I’m done.

Suddenly, Sephiroth appears. He hovers in front of Cloud, smiling evilly.

Sephiroth: Come, Cloud. The reunion awai—*is grabbed by the throat by Tifa, making a sound like a squeak toy. He is pulled in front of her face, malice burning in her brown eyes*

Tifa: Do not ruin this for me.

Sephiroth nods quickly and disappears in a puff of black smoke. Tifa continues her groping for several minutes.

I am a firm believer that woman can be horny and a little bit deranged, same as men can be a bit pathetic.

I also wanted to abuse Sephiroth a bit.

[jadegretz]

Cammy's Fierce Pride by Jade Gretz

The crimson sun dipped towards the horizon, painting the cobblestone plaza of Acheron's Gate in hues of bruised flesh and simmering dread. Neon signs, warped by otherworldly glyphs, flickered promises of oblivion above taverns reeking of sulfur and brimstone. In this nexus of shadows, where reality frayed at the edges, stood Cammy White, her scarlet beret a defiant beacon against the encroaching twilight.

Whispers of an underground tournament, the Harbinger's Gauntlet, had lured her to this forsaken corner of the world. A chance to test her mettle against the galaxy's elite, they had promised, a crucible to forge legend anew. But the air, acrid with unseen things, hummed with a dissonance that prickled the Delta Red operative's instincts. This was no ordinary spectacle; it was a dance with madness, a waltz with the abyss.

As the obsidian moon bled onto the sky, the plaza pulsated with a spectral luminescence. From the swirling shadows coalesced the combatants – a grotesque menagerie of flesh and artifice. A cyclopean behemoth with skin like cracked granite rumbled a guttural challenge. A woman, her alabaster limbs woven from moonlight, flicked a razor-sharp bone dagger. Even the air writhed, taking the form of a sentient storm, its whispers promising oblivion in a thousand voices.

Cammy's senses, honed by years of Delta Red training, screamed of wrongness. These weren't mere fighters; they were echoes of nightmare, nightmares given flesh and fury by the malignant energies that seeped from the very stones of Acheron's Gate. Yet, fear was a luxury she couldn't afford. She was Cammy White, Queen Bee of Delta Red, and she wouldn't back down from a challenge, even one that reeked of cosmic pestilence.

The first clash was a symphony of the uncanny. The cyclopean brute swung a fist capable of crushing mountains, but Cammy, anticipating the blow with preternatural grace, danced past the impact, her Spiral Arrow finding its mark on the behemoth's obsidian eye. The creature roared, a sound that shattered eardrums and cracked cobblestones, but its rage only fueled Cammy's precision.

The alabaster …(see the rest of the story at deviantart.com/jadegretzAI). For more supergirl, chun li, batgirl, tifa, lara croft, wonder woman, rogue and much more, please visit my page at www.deviantart.com/jadegretzai - Thanks for your support :)

[i-lavabean]

Can't have Cloud-Kotallo without Tifa -Aloy!

(this was inspired by @picksleydust and her gorgeous take on TifAloy, go look at it!)

[burntotears]

I'm equal opportunity, so here is the poll for the ladies. Enjoy, video game nerds.

Honorable Mentions:

Aloy (Horizon: Zero Dawn) Bayonetta (Bayonetta) Megaera (Hades) Quiet (Metal Gear Solid) Tali'Zorah nar Rayya (Mass Effect) Triss Merigold (The Witcher)

[tofudevil]

Do you think I can request a Cloud x reader?

The reader is having one of their weird days sp they will do randoms things around cloud (ex: the reader hugs him and say they have hugged a cloud) because they know he loves them and they know he won't judge them.

Just want to see how our cloud will react to the madness of his s/o

Cloud With A Silly S/O

A/N: Sorry it took me a while to get this out, I've been busy with midterms. I was listening to Joe Hisaishi and it made me want to write such a soft fluffy piece, I know you probably wanted more of a gremlin reader but I couldn't help myself. I didn't really know what you wanted format wise so I did some headcanons and a short story. It's kinda long btw, sorry. Enjoy! <3

GN! Reader x Cloud Strife

Fandom: Final Fantasy 7

Warnings: Fluff, Reader sniffs Cloud

Cloud has had to deal with a lot of different personalities for two obvious reasons: working as a merc and all of his friends aren’t exactly the most normal of the bunch.

Out of all the personalities he has come across yours has always been his favorite. Such a strong contrast to his own demeanor and all around vibe. I guess the saying that opposites attract rings true in your relationship with the Chocobo haired boy.

He loves that you're a bit more goofy than he could ever be, he thinks it helps cancel out the serious nature of his.

Cloud would never judge you because to him the idea of falling in love was so far out of reach for a long time, but you changed his perspective so Cloud wouldn't dream of judging the person he fell so madly in love with.

So if you want to bark at him or call him pal for a whole day, he would look at you with a puzzled expression but he would never say anything bad about it to you. (He might even find it to be strangely cute).

He might say something a bit offhand in his usual Cloud way but he of course never means it this way, there is always undertones of love in every word he speaks to you.

You're like the sunrise peaking over the horizon, a fresh breath of air, hot chocolate on a winter night, you mean warmth to Cloud.

Cloud sees you as someone who will always be there at the end of the day when he's exhausted and sore all over,  he'll come home to you welcoming him with open arms.

It had been a very long day to say the least, no one seemed to be happy with the results the merc was coming up with, requesting more more until past sunset. It was well into the night before he got the chance to see the familiar light from the front porch of the small house you and him could afford. Parking his motorcycle by the sidewalk, he felt the need to rush inside and into your arms. Reaching the front door and pulling out his keys to unlock it but before he could the door swung open. "Cloud! I missed you." You ambushed him by jumping into his arms. Cloud not expecting it at all couldn't hold his and your weight resulting in you both tumbling to the floor. the clanking of his buster sword and thud from your bodies making contact with the ground was all that could be heard. "S/O, you need to be more careful." He said, grumpily helping you sit up, while looking you over for any scrapes or future bruising.

"You took so long to get home today, I was starting to get worried.", you had waited all night for him. It had been a while since either of you had time together so you found yourself missing him more than usual. "Well it's not my fault... Tifa made me run errands for her." he stated with a small pout on his face which made you giggle. "It's okay, at least you came home tonight! It felt like I might die if I had to wait one more second." You said as you dramatically fell into his arms. "Right I'm sure you would have." nimble fingers brushing back the hair that clung to your forehead, Cloud finally getting to relax after the long day of running around the slums. Being so close, you were able to smell him, the small remanence of laundry detergent that desperately clung to his clothes but was over powered by the smell of sweat and engine exhaust, despite this you could still slightly discern the shampoo and body wash he used the night before. Taking a big long sniff of his shirt to help lock the smell into your memory, the smell you grew to love, Cloud's smell. "You smell nice." you look up at him with a giddy smile, "I was sweating today, probably stink."

"I know." Cloud's mako green eyes widening slightly at your statement before he cleared his throat with a curt cough and adverted his eyes. "You're weird." you knew when he called you weird he really meant that he thought you were cute but he would sell his sword before he ever admitted to that (or would he?). A comfortable silence settled while you and him enjoyed each other's presence. Cloud could feel you becoming more and more limp by the second, he was going to suggest heading inside but you spoke before he could, "You know you're just like a real cloud, I could fall asleep here and never wake up." he could feel the big almost mischievous grin you were making through his shirt. "Haha very funny." Cloud said while rolling his eyes and exhaling a breathy sigh which suspiciously sounded more like a soft chuckle.

"What I'm being serious... I missed you Cloud." you whispered the last part just loud enough for him to hear while squeezing him a bit tighter. His heartbeat spiking at those soft words, he hoped you couldn't hear how loud it had gotten. Pushing you gently he got up and helped you to your feet, wanting to create some distance to slow his raging heart. "Come on lets head inside, we're letting bugs in."

"Okay!" Smiling and turning around to go through the open door but before you made it in Cloud reached out and grabbed your hand. "I- uh I missed you too today." turning your head to look at him you caught a glimpse of his flushed ears and neck before he covered your eyes with his hand. "ah I've been blinded." giggling you quickly went to remove his hand to get a good look at his face but he stopped you.

"Shh don't move."

A few silent seconds went by and then you felt it, a featherlike peck placed on your lips so softly you almost thought you imagined it if it wasn't for the look on his face when he removed his hand from your eyes. The rosy red that had painted itself across his features speaking volumes of what he felt towards you. Before you could say anything he walked past you and inside your home while using the hand that he had been holding to tug you around and through the door. Cloud closed it with a small thud before turning to you with a small slightly embarrassed smile plastered on his face "Wanna watch tv?"

[sapphire-weapon]

Do all women in RE serve the purpose Ada and Ashley did? And why do you think ppl refuse to see that that's what they're doing w Ada? I dont think any of them ever thought abt who the creators + intended audience are.

the sad reality is that almost every woman in every video game serves that purpose. there's a reason why the LTD in FF7 fandom is "should aeris or tifa end up with cloud?" and not "should cloud or zack end up with aeris?" women are commodified and sold to a playerbase that eats that shit up.

game devs have to really go out of their way to not sell their female characters on sex. ellie in the last of us is probably the best example that i can think of. i don't compliment TLOU for a lot of things, but they really put their whole heart into making ellie likeable on her own, completely divorced from any sexual element. but even then, TLOU isn't immune -- look at all of the discourse around abby and how much of that was about her looks. think about the discourse when the latest horizon game was being marketed and how guys couldn't stop talking about how aloy looked "too much like a man."

like... that's... the culture. that's the industry. that's video games.

people don't realize that that's what they're doing because this shit is so ubiquitous. female characters are automatically seen as ship fodder -- and this isn't even something that's exclusive to games. this is a problem in all media formats.

this is kind of how propaganda and marketing works. you don't realize that you're being profiled and categorized by the people making a product. aeons think they're being objective about their ship preferences, but they're not -- they're being targeted by a bunch of men in suits who want to sell them something. all of us are.

and this isn't even just exclusive to het ships.

capcom queerbaits the fuck out of chris redfield. they do it knowingly and on purpose. i've talked before about how there was a massive shift in the demographics of the fandom because of RE5, and that's a real thing. capcom saw there was money to be made from The Gays and they opened the floodgates.

shounen archetypes aside, do you really think that the guys at capcom were totally ignorant about how leon and krauser's relationship looked in remake? they did it on purpose. they signed off on it on purpose, knowing that it would amount to nothing as to not offend their more delicate dudebro fans, but also knowing that it would be appealing enough to other demographics they could rope in.

sex sells.

sex sells.

and we all buy it.

[crisiscutie]

C.C's thoughts on the FFVII Rebirth/Apex collab...

I used to play Apex a lot, but not so much anymore. This collab mindfucked me for a good hour or so when I first saw the trailer for it.

To explain to my non-Apex familiar followers: the legendary/iconic skins for the Apex collab are Crypto (Cloud/Zack), Horizon (Aerith) Wraith (Vincent/Tifa), Wattson, Newcastle, and Valkyrie.

I have a strong feeling that Valkyrie will likely get a Sephiroth/Young Sephiroth skin. Her hair and wing motif are huge points in that favor. And it would be really weird for Sephiroth to not get anything in a major video game collaboration. Though, personality-wise, Cid would be a better fit for her. Newcastle would also probably be Barret. As for Wattson, I'm thinking Yuffie because of the energetic and happy personalities but I wouldn't be surprised if they threw a curve ball and made her a Chocobo costume or Cait Sith...

The Aerith/Horizon skin is...bleh... I honestly think Loba and Lifeline would've been much better choices to represent Aerith. But Horizon is undoubtedly the more popular of the three. The most fitting collab for FF7 would've been Overwatch in my supremely biased opinion.

For my ideas of OW/FF7 collab skins, I think the following characters would work very well:

Aerith - Mercy

Sephiroth - Lifeweaver or Sigma

Vincent - Reaper.

Soldier 76 - Shinra Grunt

Tifa - Either Brigitte or Junker Queen

Cloud/Zack - Genji

Yuffie - 100 percent Kiriko (though I can kinda see Sombra working out for this too)

Cait Sith - Wrecking Ball or D.Va (Might be a bit similar to her black cat skin)

JENOVA - Widowmaker

And probably much more options... The character designs from FF7 would transfer over to Overwatch much more smoothly than Apex. And I would pay so fucking much for an Aerith/Mercy skin, honestly.

I'm really curious about how much EA paid for this exclusive collab. Apex is incredibly popular in Japan, which I believe played a major role in making this collab happen. My theory is that EA invested a significant amount of money for this, not only to capitalize on the hype surrounding Rebirth, but also to prevent its main competitor, Fortnite, from getting hold of the IP. In my opinion, even Fortnite would have been a better fit for a FF7 crossover than Apex. The character designs in Apex lack so much versatility, and the overall mood and settings of both franchises are so different that it feels quite jarring to see an official crossover between them. Additionally, some of the choices for the character skins bother me, like forcing elements of Tifa onto Wraith, who would've worked better as a Yuffie skin consider that she's literally a ninja too. It all just one big cash grab. These skins will be expensive, and they probably wouldn't be worth the price. I want to be hopeful, but I'm not.

[holly-fixation]

Three... Guards?

Summary: Tifa finds Cloud at the train station in Sector Seven. It’s the first time she’s seen him in seven years. But he’s not alone. Three silver haired boys protected him. Three silver haired boys that triggered memories of her hometown. Of steel through her chest. Of SOLDIER First Class.

Of Him.

Inspired by this prompt by @im-totally-not-an-alien .  

Please Enjoy!

…

Chapter 1: Punishment

This wasn’t part of the plan. This was one hundred thousand percent not part of the plan. They were supposed to use Mother’s cells and become Him. It was that simple. Basic. Elementary. And they almost had it. How did everything go wrong? Why was it so complicated? 

If that stupid president didn’t make that shot. If Mother's box stayed intact. If they took a different turn and avoided the decommissioned mako reactor. If they didn’t slip off the ledge. If that black sheep of a big brother didn't gain the upper hand. If he managed to save them from falling into the remaining Lifestream. If that brother was successful. 

If.

If.

If.

These scenarios wouldn’t help them now. They couldn’t waste time thinking about ‘possibilities’ when reality screamed in front of them. 

Big Brother needed help. After submersion in the Lifestream, the three of them found themselves spit out somewhere in the wasteland surrounding Midgar. The entire city stood proudly, Shinra Tower and the Sector Seven plate unified and composed and supported. Like the city itself was reborn along the horizon. Whatever it was, it would be a long walk back. And was it just them, or did everything seem… bigger? Even the few cliffs and rogue plants in the ruined land seemed larger than before. They turned to each other for explanation and…

…What?

What?! 

They looked like children, short and small! As old as the children they healed! What did the Lifestream do to them?! They understood some kind of retaliation was coming but why this. 

Great. The oldest was about to cry again, completely panicked and losing his very loose grip on his emotions. The middle was far too calm, but even that facade started to crack when he noticed none of them had any weapons. The youngest, in all honesty, was ready to strangle every living thing, but that would have to come later, when they eventually made their way into the city. Making it across this worthless plain would be a lot harder as pint sized packages with no vehicles, but they didn’t find any other options. Was the Planet trying to ‘walk’ them to death?

Well, no. They quickly stumbled across a body, skin a soft green and birds picking at the rotting flesh. It must’ve been dead for at least a day. The man had black hair, a SOLDIER uniform, dozens of dried bullet wounds that vultures took full advantage of, and a solid blade of the sword Big Brother fought with. The same one they found, and kicked to the ground, when pursuing him. The eldest grew curious. Approaching without hesitation, he broke the grip of the corpse and lifted the blade, though holding it to attention forced his body to shake in struggle. 

“Put it down,” The youngest spat. The older one dropped the sword immediately in surprise, the hunk of metal clattering and ringing as it fell. The birds scattered, flying nearby for the moment these children left. 

“Don’t scare me like that!” 

The youngest rolled his eyes and stayed silent, knowing that if he said a single word back, they'd all have to deal with his tears. They didn’t have time for that.

“Hey, Kadaj…?”

“What now?” The boy immediately turned to the other brother, annoyed and tired of all the weird stuff that kept happening today. A strong part increasingly frustrated at his failure to carry out Mother’s plan before suddenly appearing outside Midgar.

“Is that… Big Brother…?” 

Kadaj’s face soured with confusion and he moved to observe the being. But his breath hitched the moment blonde spikey hair came into view. At the silent response, the eldest followed, eyes wide and completely lost upon seeing the man.

It was. It was him, his body leaning against the rocks and his head low. Like them, he wasn’t the same either. He was younger and clearly weaker to start. His skin was dangerously dry, his lips peeling around rapid shallow breaths, his eyes sunken and darkened. The middle child moved his arm and lifted his head in analysis. 

“He seems dehydrated…” He stated simply, his voice naturally quiet and lulling as it had been before. “He might die out here…”

Kadaj stared at the unconscious body. All his questions about this punishment snapped into place, completing the puzzle with a single realization. Too much had already changed. They couldn’t risk any greater ‘butterfly effect’ without risking wherever Mother was. “Loz, pick him up. We’re taking him to Midgar.”

The eldest acted immediately. “I got it.”

“Do you think he knows where Mother is…?”

“No. But I think he’s our best chance at finding her. He always seems to be around- what are you doing?”

Loz managed to lift Big Brother’s arm over his shoulder, but the other half practically dragged through the dirt. 

Kadaj glanced at the middle sibling. “Yazoo.”

He nodded, already adjusting to help.

“No, I got it,” Loz grumbled, turning the body just out of reach.

“You do not got it. Everything’s a mess.” He countered with a snip in his voice, approaching the blade. “I’ll grab his sword. Let’s go.”

Yazoo aided as much as he could with his slightly shorter height than his brother, balancing the blonde between them. Kadaj picked up the hilt, dragging the tip on the ground, not wasting energy trying to lift it or prevent the horrid wear on the blade itself. They needed water, food, probably gil, and any weapons they could get their hands on, if they wanted a chance at saving Big Brother.

It was a long way to Midgar.

* * * 

The smell of garbage and rot under the plate always filled the air, smog skewing the natural light from the gaps within the structure. The dirt roads and barely functioning homes were just a part of life here. A roof was almost a luxury. Afterall, it wasn’t like they got any rain or snow here. Monsters within the dumps were usually problems, but communities set up watches and hunting sessions to protect the normal civilian life.Life was, to an extent, peaceful. 

Besides the resistance the black haired woman housed under her bar, a bar she currently needed to stock. 

Upper plate always had the best product anyway. This was routine by now. Every Monday and Thursday, she made her way to the train station, took it to Sector Zero, collected what she needed, and headed back. An ever mundane task compared to the actual looting of Shinra facilities her friends conducted at night, and housed spoils beneath her workplace. 

Today, this simple life flipped on its head. 

She dropped the empty box in her arms. There was no mistaking it. He changed. He grew, but he still kept his blonde hair spiky as a palm tree. He was taller, stronger by the shape of his muscles, clothed head to toe in SOLDIER fatigues, just as he promised all those years ago. His skin was pale, but he still had color in his face. His mako blue eyes were open but empty, lost, hollow. But it was still Cloud Strife in front of her, leaning against that platform.

But…who were the three boys with him? 

All of their hair shined with perfect mercury. They couldn’t be older than ten, shorter in stature, but stronger than they seemed at first glance. One had long hair, one only had it to his shoulders, but the last, and the bulkiest, had his cut short and pushed up. 

For a moment, she felt herself distracted from Cloud, when the smallest glared daggers directly into her eyes, mako blue inhuman needles staring straight into her soul.

He looked like Him. They all looked like Him.

They figured someone would come for Big Brother eventually, but he couldn’t be left alone. Nor would they let him be alone. Occasionally, he mumbled incomprehensibly, calling out to something or someone. They just ignored it. Yazoo acted caringly and offered bottled water directly to his chapped lips, but he always took too small a sip than he needed, if he drank any at all. Loz stayed close while surveying the people disembarking the trains, watching for someone to recognize their brother. Kadaj did the same with the crowd coming from the slums, which is how he alone found himself locked in a staring contest with one of their enemies. 

He tensed his hand, ready to whip out the pocket knife he found in the rubble and garbage. “What do you want?” 

The other two looked over immediately. 

His voice cut her like a knife, the anger, almost malice behind her catching her off guard. Dark. Cruel. Burning. “I- I…” Her heart suddenly pounded in her chest, reacting to her memories and leaking panic slowly into her mind. For now it was just anxiety, but she felt it growing. She needed to protect Cloud. She needed him before she let this show. “Is- Is that Cloud?”

They nodded, still skeptical, still defending. Loz approached as well, blocking part of her view but observing carefully. 

“H- How did you find him? Is he okay?”

“We found him unconscious in the planes beyond Midgar…” Yazoo explained, earning a soft glare from Kadaj. “It didn’t seem like he would make it, and well… we chose to bring him here…”

“I can help him,” She explained quickly as she took a step forward, but the two in front of her blocked her path. “I live nearby. I can take him from here and make him better.”

“You are not taking Big Brother!” Loz demanded, clenching his fists and standing at the ready. 

Big Brother? Bewilderment claimed her expression. Cloud didn’t have any siblings. That didn’t make any sense. “What are you talking about?”

“Ti…fa…?”

Her breath hitched, and all of them snapped their eyes to the stirring blonde. 

“T-Tifa…?” Cloud pushed himself to his feet too quickly, stumbling forward from the unbalanced blood rush. Yazoo grabbed his arm to stabilize him. Once on his feet, he didn't react to the boy at all. His blue eyes instantly glued to the black haired woman. 

The two guarding boys parted and let Tifa run to Cloud. 

“Cloud, it’s really you!” She was so happy she almost jumped into his arms, but he was a bit wobbly on his feet, his mind still partially dull with weak vertigo from his time in the wasteland. 

His body nearly collapsed on her, and she found her arms wrapped around him in support rather than a hug. “S-Sorry…” His eyes blurred as he tried to lift himself back to his feet. 

Did he really just apologize for fainting?

“I’m glad you’re okay…”

Tifa squeezed him softly before adjusting him over her shoulder. “Don’t be sorry. Come on. We’re going to my place, okay? I’ll patch you up there…”

He gave a reluctant, embarrassed nod. But he lost consciousness immediately after, the moment Tifa took her first step away from the track.

Now, all three boys blocked her path in a single impenetrable wall. A shaky and unnerved sigh that left her breath. She didn’t like them. She didn’t like the feeling in her gut or the memories they brought. But, they did save Cloud, and they clearly protected him from anything they could. Maybe that ‘big brother’ statement was just a story they fabricated to stay with him, especially since they look nothing like him. Maybe, since they brought him all the way to Midgar, they wanted to confirm that he was okay. She hoped they’d leave after that. She prayed.

“You guys too. Come on.”

All three remnants surrounded her and Cloud, the smaller two in front and the largest behind. They still acted like guards. But at least the long haired one picked up the box she completely forgot about as they headed for the bar in the Sector Seven slums.

.

.

.

.

Thanks for reading!

Author's note: It's my first time writing the remnants! I've been wanting to for a while but I never knew how to apply their personalities to most situations. I also have a very nostalgic attachment to Advent Children (music, fight scenes, some of the voice acting) so I wanted to do this right, not just a joke and not where I need to fill in most of the world, at least to start. Thus: another adapted time travel AU. 

This won't be too many chapters (I think) but I hope it's a good time. Thanks for reading!

[one-winged-dreams]

Fireworks - Part 1

ship: we came alive somehow (adriel wrynn x vincent valentine) source: final fantasy vii (post-DoC) word count: 913

Edge celebrates the 4th anniversary of Meteorfall. Adriel and Vincent are content to celebrate in their own way.

tag list: @dearly-beeloved @camellias-and-coriander @rebel-wolf13 @sunstar-of-the-north @mahitoslittlebird @goldenworldsabound @edencantstopfallininlove @sosoftandsweet @dorothys-wife

The prior two years of recurring disaster had done little to discourage Midgar's previous residents, and less so regarding their coming together to celebrate the anniversary of Meteorfall. Though last year's impending disaster with Deepground and Omega had coincided within the same timeframe, moreso than the surfacing of the remnants of Sephiroth, it only seemed as though humanity had all the more reason to appreciate the lives they'd managed to cultivate.

Edge had gone all out for the occasion, and though the night was alive with revelry, two particular individuals were less inclined to join in on the celebration.

"Are you and Vincent coming down to the bar, tonight?"

Adriel's eyes remained closed as he remembered Tifa's invitation. Letting out a soft breath through his nose, he took comfort in knowing the dark of his bedroom was not the only thing that held him in its comforting embrace.

"Shelke said she'd come if you two did. C'mon, it'll be fun."

The sounds of music and voices drifted up even as far as his fourth-floor apartment, though he didn't mind. Even though participation wasn't for him, it was comforting to know that Edge felt it had something to celebrate.

"Sorry," he had eventually replied, "We've already got plans."

A benign boom echoed through the city, followed by several more until the symphonic pattern of fireworks made itself recognizable. His lashes fluttered open just enough to peek in the direction of his bedroom window.

"Fireworks, huh?" he murmured softly, the height of his unit and the size of his window perfectly displaying at least a good fraction of the pyrotechnics.

A tender touch ran over his hair before gently tucking it off to the side. "You didn't expect this?" Vincent's tone was equally soft, slumberous, almost.

Adriel hummed softly as he nuzzled his face into Vincent's chest, on which he lay atop, one of his hands slightly bunching up the dumb WRO shirt that Reeve had given him. He only ever wore it at home.

"I did. The traffic coming home was crazy, it only makes sense… For a festival THIS big." Despite the comment, he sounded perfectly at ease, lifting his head to look at Vincent and offer him a relaxed smile.

Vincent offered a 'hm,' reaching up to smooth back Adriel's hair. "Not regretting declining Tifa's offer, are you?"

Chuckling, Adriel shook his head. "Not at all. This is much more preferable."

Vincent just gave an agreeable hum as they watched the display through the window, simply offering themselves to the moment. After everything, every fight that had been fought, every instance where disaster loomed on the horizon, all of it was a distant memory when they were here, together. While the intent of the celebration was that of the survival of the planet, it would be a lie to say that, for some, it wasn't about the continuation of their way of life and the ones they shared it with.

Adriel felt fortunate that one such savior of the planet had chosen to share his own life here, with him. After everything Vincent had experienced, the fight against Shinra, the defeat of Omega… And it was here that he ultimately decided to be. He could only express how happy Vincent made him so much before it became needlessly excessive. Neither of them were the type to recquire much verbal reassurance, all that was necessary was one another's presence. And moments like these.

The thought had Adriel's eyes fluttering shut, his grip on Vincent's shirt tightening just an amount that would vent his peaking emotions. Vincent gave him a gentle squeeze in return, not requiring any sort of elaboration. And for a while, they continued to sit, drinking in the vivacious sounds of life, and love, and celebration.

"… They've been going on for a while," Vincent's amused commentary broke the silence, but in a natural manner that didn't jar either of them from the mood.

Adriel looked on for a second longer before facing Vincent again, smiling a drowsy, content smile. "The fireworks?"

Vincent was still looking past him, possibly puzzling, possibly making a simple observation. "Mh. They must have been putting this together since-" He found himself cut off by the sudden realization that Adriel had moved closer, their faces inches apart. The latter's eyes were half-lidded, though his smile was evidence of his intentions.

Vincent found himself incapable of not reciprocating - neither of them smiled often, but when one did, so too, did the other find themselves infected. Their smiles persisted, even as their faces drew ever closer together, even as they could feel each other's breath against their lips, and even still, as their lips came to meet. The noises of revelry dimmed, and even did the explosive booming of fireworks fade to a quiet white noise in the wake of one, simple kiss.

Though soft and tender, it lasted far longer than something casual and yet far shorter than they would have preferred, even still. They had barely pulled away from it before Vincent found his hand against the back of Adriel's neck. The smile persisted still, but the love in their eyes had increased 10-fold.

"How was that?" Vincent extended a playful quip, as his hand traveled off to the side through Adriel's dark curtains of hair until it cupped his cheek.

Adriel merely responded with a pleased hum as he nuzzled into the motion, his smile widening by the smallest of margins before lowering his eyebrows. "Fireworks~"