#mideel

[vinnie2757]

Apparently, after 3 years, we're coming back to this fic. medical care and such warnings. The road to recovery is a long one, and it's lonely, sometimes, unless you have someone beside you.

‘You might have told Shera to fuck off, but you won’t do the same to me.’

‘She told you that?’

He seems chastened, almost, embarrassed at his language.

‘No, but I have the measure of you, Captain. You are a very easy man to read, even if you think you’re not. Now, come on, we need to get you back upright and cleaned up.’

‘It’s embarrassing,’ Cid admits, obligingly shuffling himself out of the way so that the doctor can right the gurney.

Daniel doesn’t ask for a moment what he means, because it could be either thing. The ease with which he puts the gurney upright, or the falling out of bed in the first place.

‘I shouldn’t be here,’ Cid continues, quiet, as if unsure whether to speak. ‘I should be up there still, in the plane. I can’t – I can’t do anything for myself any more. I’m – I’m stuck here. Hoping it’s my fucking brain stopping me. I don’t – I’ve never asked for help in my life.’

‘First time for everything, Captain. Now come on, let’s get you up.’

[heavensbled]

@uponthyhonor

Imagine that. He'd come by for a dip in the famous hot springs and who does he see? The first emotion to hit him is pure unadulterated joy and it livens him like an open wire. Blue eyes widen and his lips part as if he's going to call the man's name but- nothing comes out. He tries again and there's something stuck in his throat.

"W-ell look who it is..."

[caeca-iustitia]

Okay but...

Vincent having enough of Deepground's shit in DoC...

And they just... don't play by the rules...

They do what they want when they want to...

And they do it all whilst sassing literally everyone with their Irish accent in full swing...

[sunlitriddle]

On That Day, Five Years Ago

This is based on OG more than anything, using updated Remake visuals. But, since I haven't finished Rebirth, any spoilers are from the original game. I have no idea what shenanigans they have for the climax of part 2 and all of part 3.

I always loved Mideel and finding out the True Flashback of what actually happened in Nibel. This moment, where Cloud is Just a Guy filled with a righteous fury, he has the strength to wield the Buster Sword, avenge his hometown (including everyone who didn't think much of him) and kill* Sephiroth.

I wanted to contrast just how weak Cloud is, how average, how utterly human; and how heavy the Buster Sword is... and duty, and honor, and sacrifice, and all the other meanings it's accumulated through time. And somehow, he has the strength to wield it.

I also wanted to give a twisted, holy vibe to the Nibel Reactor, with bundled wires hung like a vaulted ceiling leading to the altar and the sarcophagus of a false god.

*death doesn't seem to inconvenience him much, let's be real.

[rottenpumpkin13]

I heard Angeal is into photography

what kind of photos does he take?

Photos On Angeal's Camera

• Zack mid-squat.

• A photo of a gorgeous sunset somewhere in Mideel, its second version with Genesis and Sephiroth posing in front of it. Their smiles are forced and unenthusiastic. Angeal clearly forced them to take the picture.

• A photo of Lazard working in his office but he's casually wearing a fake axe headband one of the SOLDIERs put on him.

• Zack and Sephiroth posing with their thumbs up in front of Genesis, who's sleeping on the floor of his office with an eye mask. They glued two eyes onto the mask while he's passed out.

• A photo of Sephiroth in full uniform and armor casually pushing a shopping cart at the store. He's in the bread aisle holding at a discount baguette.

• Genesis goofing off in a meeting, using the length of Sephiroth's hair as a mustache.

• Cloud giving Zack a piggyback ride, but they're falling so it's just a blur of motion in the picture.

• A photo of Genesis falling from an air vent, but it's just a red blur of motion.

• A photo Genesis took where Angeal is drawing cat ears on a poster of Sephiroth.

• Mirror selfie in the elevator of Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal after a grueling assignment. They're all covered in dirt and muddy water.

• A nice picture of Zack and Sephiroth with their arms around each other at the pool. Genesis is drowning in the background.

• A panorama of a grassy scenery that got ruined because it caught Sephiroth struggling with a melting ice cream cone.

• A cute picture of Cloud pointing at a Cloud in the sky.

• A nice selfie Zack took where he's smiling, but you can see Lazard yelling at Angeal and Genesis in the background.

• A photo set of Hojo tripping up the escalators, Sephiroth's favorite thing ever.

• Angeal takes tons of photos of the plants in his apartment. He's very proud of them.

• A photo of (drunk) Sephiroth licking up spilled milk off the counter that he keeps as blackmail.

• A photo of (sober) Genesis face-planted on the ground in glittery high heels he could not walk in. He also keeps it as blackmail.

• Several pictures of his completed recipes, oftentimes accompanied by a shot of Sephiroth, Genesis and Zack looking pissed because Angeal won't let them eat before he takes the photo.

• A random photo of Sephiroth sitting at Lazard's, drinking and iced coffee and wearing sunglasses.

• A photo set of (infantryman) Cloud kicking down a door that says "SOLDIER members only" and walking inside.

• A photo of Cissnei doing Zack's makeup.

• A photo of Sephiroth sitting on Zack's messy bed in his even messier room. Sephiroth is doing a thumbs up. Angeal took this one to shame Zack into cleaning his room.

• A photo of Angeal posing alongside one of the Guard Dogs. And then a follow-up of Sephiroth and Zack imitating the same photo with Zack as the dog.

• Genesis pretending to read intently. He's holding his book upside down.

• A photo of Sephiroth laying face down, spead-eagle in the middle of the road. The picture was Sephiroth's idea and he made Angeal title it "How I Feel Inside."

• Several photos of flower beds at Aerith's house. A photo of Zack and Aerith doing that cliche prom pose in front of the flowers.

• A candid photo taken during lunch in the cafeteria. Sephiroth and Genesis are laughing at something.

• Several candid photos of Angeal taken by either Zack or Genesis, who claim that Angeal takes pictures of everyone but himself. Some of these include:

• Angeal while he's cooking with one of those cliche "kiss the cook" aprons. • Several photos of Angeal with random SOLDIERs and cadets dangling off of him. It really showcases how everyone loves him as both a mentor and a co-worker. • Angeal watering the plants in his apartment. • Cute picture of Angeal using Zack as a barbell, Zack is laughing. • A photo of Angeal blowing out the candles on his birthday cake. There's frosting on his nose.

• A gust of wind causing Sephiroth's hair to thwack Genesis in the face.

• Cloud fell asleep in Zack's apartment, Zack promptly grabbed a chocobo plush, placed it near Cloud and called Angeal to come take a picture.

• A photo of Lazard in the lounge surrounded by SOLDIERs. Everyone's comfortable. Lazard is wearing a hoodie he stole from one of them and is eating a bag of chips while they all talk.

[holly-fixation]

I'm gonna be honest, Glenn and his team, they're cruel to Rosen.

Rosen's entire life has been training to be and actually being the Eye of Rhadore. His sole duty is protecting his people by warning them to get off the islands during a mana torrent (basically exactly what happens to Mideel in the original game). He spends his time alone. He only has a dog. He doesn't cause any trouble, he just wants to help his people.

Both the P0s and Rosen didn't know the full extent of Shinra's mission until Sephiroth arrived. Rosen didn't know they were going to exterminate his people, and he's the reason they made it to his people's island in the first place.

So Glenn and crew, feeling guilty as hell, defy orders and attempt to save Rosen before the entire archipelago sinks. They think they're doing the right thing by saving his life, but what does he have to live for anymore?

Everyone he knows and loves is gone. Everyone he willingly chose to protect is gone. By the very hands of the soldiers trying to save him before the end.

Sephiroth is completely right. Their kindness would've killed them that day. You cannot help somebody who does not want to be helped. Rosen has no place in their world.

In that moment, it doesn't matter if they could one day find a purpose for him because they stole his purpose from him.

And then they had the audacity to say "come with us"? Glenn, Matt, and Lucia were too buried in their guilt to realize the cruelty of what they were asking. Sephiroth was the only one to actually listen to the very person his team wanted to save, even if by doing so they would never forgive him.

[guardianot]

My take on shotgun (f) from Before Crisis

She’s described as having a bubbly personality coming from a well off family in Mideel. So I’d imagine that in childhood Shay and Freya were acquainted bc of their common interests but Shay—being more shy and distant—they weren’t really friends. So, when Shay’s family moved to Midgar she wasn’t really leaving anyone close to her behind. But when Shay joins the Turks, Freya recognizes her and they become good friends (extrovert adopting introvert style)

[esamastation]

Part thirty-five of Shizuroth, aka, the SOLDIER General's Self Saving Shizun.

Ao3 link.

Previous parts: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four

-

Well, Sephiroth seems to be in a better mood than yesterday. Maybe he was just coming down from his… whatever it was that happened in the training room. Angeal still isn't entirely sure. Though the Turks had debriefed him and even showed him a video, it didn't make that much sense. Especially with the blood vomiting. Which Angeal still isn't entirely over, either.

But Sephiroth seems, while still not quite himself, at least cheered up. He'd relaxed in increments during their walk into the woods, and the change of environment - or most likely, leaving the camp and its staring occupants behind - made him a little less closed off.

"This place is so alive," Sephiroth comments, peering up at the leaf canopy above then. "The air is so fresh."

"Mmhmm," Angeal smiles. "A welcome change from Midgar, huh?"

From the way he's looking around them, carefully taking in everything, Sephiroth can't remember much of anything about Wutai either - it's all new to him. Seeing his fascination kind of makes Angeal want to see his take on Mideel. Or, hell, Gongaga. Sephiroth would be very entertained by the local wildlife there, going by his reactions now.

"What is this thing?" Sephiroth asks, holding up what looks like a fistful of long grass. It wiggles in his hold, little legs kicking at the air.

"Razor Weed - I think the locals call it Leg-Cutting Grass," Angeal says, leaning in to watch the spiky beast wiggling in Sephiroth's grip. "They're pretty common and can deflate truck tires."

Sephiroth turns the little monster this way and that while it makes angry noises at him. "I bet. It's it a plant or an animal?"

"Uh. I don't actually know?" Angeal offers and gives him a look. "Someone back at the camp might. All I know is that they're annoying to fight."

Sephiroth hums, considering the weed, testing the blades sticking out of its head. He seems to struggle with something before sighing. "I can't kill it, it's too cute." He sounds almost disappointed. 

"... It's just a monster?" Angeal says, giving him a weird look. "I've seen men almost lose their legs, stepping into these things."

"Sounds like their own fault," Sephiroth says and crouches down to let the angry weed go. "Off you go, little buddy."

The Razor Weed answers by trying to attack him with its grass blades, all but lunging at him. Sephiroth just snorts and flicks it into the forest with his finger. "Cute," he concludes.

Angeal scratches at the back of his head. Though low-level mobs aren't really that big of a deal, still… "We're supposed to be, ah, weeding the monster population here, you know. That includes Razor Weeds."

"It's just a little grass thing," Sephiroth says. "It barely reaches your knee!"

"They're a menace and can cast spells," Angeal points out. "Your usual Infantry troopers can barely -"

"They cast spells?" Sephiroth asks, fascinated, and stands up, looking around interestedly. "I want to see that! Let's go find another."

Oh, boy. Running a hand through his hair, Angeal hurries after him. Well, it's… a novel experience, seeing Sephiroth of all people so excited about something. And of course it would be monsters. Usually Sephiroth is more interested in fighting monsters rather than just observing them, though, but it's still a definite improvement to his mood from yesterday. Even if it's because of weeds.

That changes when they get surrounded by about half a dozen of the little monsters.

"Still cute?" Angeal asks, fending two of them off with the flat of the Buster Sword's blade.

Apparently, yes, going by the glow in Sephiroth's eyes. "Don't kill them yet, I want to see some spells!" The man - the maniac - says, using still sheathed Masamune to push the monsters back.

"You know, as much as I appreciate your scientific curiosity, these things can actually do some damage in bigger groups, you know!" Angeal calls to him.

"Yeah, yeah," Sephiroth answers, flippantly. "So what do we need to do to make them cast spells?"

One of the Razor Weeds answers for him - by casting a Magic Hammer on Sephiroth. Which, Angeal is pretty sure, Sephiroth just lets it happen! Thankfully it's not a physical attack - Magic Hammer hits you in the MP - though, looking at Sephiroth's reaction…

"Oh, you little Qi-stealing bastard," Sephiroth says, and that's that for the Razor Weeds.

"... Uh," Angeal says, while the Razor Weeds fall over, mowed down like so much grass, and Sephiroth stands over them looking very hurt and disappointed. Angeal clears his throat, trying to bite back a smile. "So. What did we learn?"

Sephiroth rubs at his stomach, and gives him a flat look. "Yeah, haha, rub it in," he mutters and then, "Oh, hey, they left the remains behind!"

"... Most things do when you kill them, yes," Angeal agrees and looks at him interestedly. "So, you remember Mako monsters?"

Sephiroth is crouching again, examining the dead Razor Weeds. "Mm?" 

"Monsters that converge around Mako concentrations," Angeal explains, hoisting Buster Sword back to his back. "You… don't remember?"

"Uh. I remember that some things just sort of… disperse instead of leaving anything physical?" Sephiroth asks, sounding rather hopeful. "Is that a thing, or…?"

"It's a thing - Mako monsters. They're attracted to Mako, they are common around reactors and natural Mako pools - so people call them Mako monsters," Angeal explains. "The slums under Midgar are full of them. They're kind of like more physical ghosts, I think."

"... Huh," Sephiroth hums, and pokes at the dead Razor Weeds. "So monsters around here…?"

"Mostly physical," Angeal agrees. "I think there are some natural Mako springs around here, so there might be Mako monsters too… but I haven't seen any personally."

"Hmmm," Sephiroth hums and stands up. "That is fascinating."

"It sure is," Angeal laughs, because it really isn't, not to him, but Sephiroth has always been a bit weird. "Shall we continue? There's many more monsters to see."

"Yes, let's."

"... And get hit by," Angeal adds and looks at Sephiroth. "Actually, are you going to let all of them get a hit in? Because if you are, I'd like to know ahead of time, just in case I need to have a Remedy in hand."

"I'm not going to let myself get hit again," Sephiroth says, primly. "I wouldn't have, if I realised what it was going to do."

"... Okay. Good." Angeal nods. "There are better ways to figure out your opponents' skillsets, anyway. Or you can just let them do their thing but get out of the way before it hits."

"Right, of course, that's something you can do," Sephiroth says, sheepish, and clears his throat. "I knew that."

Angeal gets a Remedy out, just in case.

-

SY, thinking FF7: ... Oh right, turn based combat isn't actually a thing.

[felldownanotherrabbithole]

Discord chat was talking about maps and I charted out Zack's possible journey while carrying Cloud. (Banora is said to be in Mideel area from what I've read) Nobody tell me Zack isn't smart. He manage to outrun the military for a year while carrying a comatose cloud and crossing the ocean twice!

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

Ruby: During the great war Atlas had thirty centimeter guns which allowed them to destroy the Vacuo bunkers along the Mideel line. It was a group of forts Vacuo set up to stop Atlesian aggression. But after world war zero or the Valean Vacuo war which had Calvary charges and a heavy focus on artillery and the box formation they just weren't ready for the size of Atlas's guns which blew them out of the water. The great war revealed that fortified positions were weak to such guns. This led to trench warfare and-

Jaune: *listening to his girlfriend info dump and is honestly having a great time*

[vinnie2757]

WHERES MY MAN YOU'RE TAKING US TO MIDEEL POTENTIALLY BUT YOURE NOT TAKING US TO MY MAN DONT BE COWARDS SQUARE

[strelitzia-mystery1097]

My FF7R Part 3 theory

*spoilers for FF7, FF7 Rebirth, etc*

So... this theory is based off the 'Cloud snapped and thinks he saved Aerith' theory. TL;DR due to all the extra mind screwing Sephiroth has done this time around, Cloud couldn't take Aerith's death so he's convinced himself that she's totally fine and that he totally saved her!

Anyways, let me ask you this. What exactly caused Sephiroth to lose in FF7? He was extremely close to achieving his goal but he made a mistake that cost him greatly.

He underestimated Cloud.

Remember back then Sephiroth wasn't NEARLY as obsessed with Cloud as he is now. He didn't really think much of Cloud apart from a puppet. But Cloud to Sephiroth wasn't any different from black robed Sephiroth clones. Yeah Cloud killed him, but he was just a lowly Infantryman.

Cloud was a pawn on the board he exploited, not his foil and his obsession.

So in the OG, once Cloud had fulfilled his purpose and gave Sephiroth the Black Materia, it makes sense that Sephiroth left Cloud to drown the Lifestream when the WEAPONS woke up. Sephiroth just threw him away like a broken toy not worth thinking about.

And that's where he went wrong.

Cloud washing up in Mideel, Tifa helping him piece together his memories, Cloud regaining his true self, these things led to Cloud being strong enough to face and kill Sephiroth. Cloud had proven himself more than a puppet and Sephiroth lost because of this arrogance.

So that's why Sephiroth in Remake and Rebirth keeps hounding Cloud and making him have way more mental breaks than he did in OG.

That's why Sephiroth wants Tifa dead too because to a lesser extent he underestimated her too. He used Tifa to break Cloud in the Northern Crater by showing the accurate memories. But he didn't expect her to piece together Cloud's mind. Tifa can help Cloud be stable therefore it would better for Sephiroth if she died.

But yeah Sephiroth is trying to break Cloud and make him be more of a puppet this time. For example, Sephiroth hijacks Cloud's 'inner Cloud' moments in Remake. Instead of being warned of the Reactor, Cloud sees a feather. Cloud talking to himself about scraping his knees falling down a great height gets interrupted by Sephiroth. And in Rebirth these 'inner Cloud' moments are not even there. The dream in Junon and us playing as kid inner Cloud as the body gives Sephiroth the Black Materia are absent.

Cloud in Rebirth starts to take some of Sephiroth's fighting stances and word for word sentences as well when he's supposed to be impersonating Zack.

(Also if you ask "Well why doesn't Sephiroth make Cloud stab himself so that Cloud can't stop him?" Remember that Sephiroth in AC goes out of his way to torment Cloud and give him Despair. If Cloud lost the fight you can bet he wouldn't of just killed Cloud. He would make Cloud watch him kill everything and everyone he cherishes because Sephiroth is petty like that. Sephiroth would make Cloud suffer forever if he could. That's why he saved Cloud's life in the swamp.)

And if you don't believe me that Sephiroth constantly harassing and messing with Cloud's head isn't making Cloud more mentally damaged, then replay/rewatch the differences in the OG and Rebirth post Temple of the Ancients. In the OG Cloud is self-aware and terrified that Sephiroth can control him and almost doesn't go after Aerith because he's scared of learning the truth of himself.

Rebirth Cloud does not do these things. He just... doesn't acknowledge what happened. When Yuffie asks how did Sephiroth get the Black Materia if he didn't beat up Cloud and he just goes "Uh..." and Yuffie rambles on and Cloud just ends up agreeing that Sephiroth totally beat the hell out of him. And when Tifa asked Cloud to let her know if he starts thinking weird thoughts and he asks her what she means. She gives the example of thinking she's not real and he apologises but- CLOUD YOU JUST WENT THROUGH A DEGRADING AND AWFUL EXPERIENCE OF SEPHIROTH MAKING YOU A PATHETIC PUPPET DESPERATE FOR THE BLACK MATERIA! HOW DO YOU NOT THINK 'Oh hey maybe that counts as weird thoughts'.

Which all results in Cloud blocking out that Aerith is dead because Cloud's now more insane.

Sephiroth has his claws deep in Cloud's brain.

But what is this all leading up to?

Here's where I go into pure theory and speculation.

At the Northern Crater, Sephiroth will not only show the truth of Nibelheim, but also Aerith's death and shatter Cloud's mind.

But...

Sephiroth isn't going to let Cloud be washed away and he isn't going to let Tifa fix his brain. He's going keep his puppet with him. Sephiroth will put up that barrier around the Crater to defend himself from the WEAPONS and Shin-ra, and make sure Cloud's on the other side of barrier this time.

So when the barrier and the party goes in to fight Sephiroth, they will be forced to fight Puppet Cloud.

I call this 'The Puppet Cloud Boss Fight Theory' btw.

But yeah they will be forced to fight their mind broken friend. (Bonus points if Cloud's theme plays as a boss fight remix. Also bonus bonus points if Cloud at one stage of the fight gets a bat wing on his left KH Style.)

The fight will end with Cloud being pushed into the Lifestream (by Tifa probably to mirror Clpud doing that in Rebirth) and then Cloud washes up in Mideel all make poisoned.

Maybe instead of that WEAPON attacking Mideel it's Sephiroth trying to stop history from repeating. OOO or maybe Sephiroth fights that WEAPON!

But either way Tifa and Cloud end up in the Lifestream.

Maybe one of the reasons Zack is here from another world or whatever is because the damage to Cloud's psyche is too much now for just Tifa to fix alone and Zack and Tifa go through a buddy road trip through Cloud's mind. Or maybe Zack will being having a boss fight with Sephiroth in the background to stop him from interfering.

...

And that's the theory! Maybe later I will figure out how the empty materia is involved or all the wacky worlds stuff. But that's my theory for now.

[somebodys-nightmare]

Call and Response in the Lifestream: Cloti Analysis

Tifa calling out for Cloud is one of the most important aspects of the Lifestream Scene and their relationship in FFVII. It is a direct reference to their promise and is symbolic of their bond. And it's already been deeply foreshadowed in FF7R.

Tifa has been trying to support Cloud throughout the game while struggling with her own traumas as they navigate the rocky path of both the journey & their pasts. Although Cloud is trapped in a false persona, Tifa is the only one who can reach him and bring out his true self.

When they reach the Northern Crater & Sephiroth attempts to sever their bond by making Cloud & Tifa believe he is a hollow puppet/clone, he accomplishes this by blinding Cloud to Tifa's voice.

When Tifa falls unconscious after being knocked over on the Highwind's deck, she falls into a subconscious/Lifestream-like space where she laments being able to help Cloud and cries out for him. We see his "spirit" or consciousness walking away from her, unable to hear her.

It is at this moment, in Tifa's subconscious, that she recalls how she ran into Cloud and the mysteries of his past and identity begin to unfold.

This moment, which will be expanded by all of the new lore in 7R and ToTP, has already been brilliantly foreshadowed.

Once Tifa & the party locate Cloud in Mideel, she gives up everything to stay by Cloud's side & care for him, hoping he'll wake up. She is so dedicated that the nurse even worries for her health. The entire time, she talks to Cloud, pleading with him, hoping he can hear her.

When Tifa falls into the Lifestream with Cloud, we see her alone in the subconscious space, frightened and confused. She hears the cacophony of the collective consciousness of the Lifestream. Terrified, she calls out for Cloud.

Cloud then brings Tifa into his mind, where their subconscious' are connected. He trusts Tifa and Tifa ONLY with the truth of who he is and the depths of his secrets - since almost all of them pertain to her.

This has also been foreshadowed in FFVIIR - we see that Tifa is the only one who Cloud opens up about his deepest fears with, who he sheds his layers of protective shell around, and who he is completely vulnerable with.

Once Cloud accepts himself and Tifa and Cloud both learn the truths of their pasts, Cloud is healed spiritually, and they return to their friends.

Later, on the night before the final battle, Cloud and Tifa have a heart-to-heart about their feelings. Tifa brings up the way that she called out to Cloud, and Cloud confirms that he heard her voice and that he brought her into his mind - because he was keeping his promise.

The moment brings everything full circle for both characters in an emotional and romantic moment under the stars, on what might be the last night of their lives.

FFVIIR, Traces of Two Pasts, and 2000 Gil to Becoming a Hero have gone to extraordinary lengths to foreshadow this arc. It is going to be a truly fulfilling and emotionally rewarding experience both for these characters and fans alike.

[rottenpumpkin13]

What ethnicity do you think the SOLDIERS and Turks+Rufus would be IRL? I like to think Sephiroth and Genesis are French (this is assuming Crescent is Sephiroth’s last name because if that’s not a French sounding name I don’t know what is, and Genesis because he’s about as extra and expensive as French men are, though him being Spanish also fits.) Rude also strikes me as Spanish, Tseng as Chinese, and Rufus some flavor of Scandinavian… maybe Danish?

Sephiroth: I see him being half french/Italian because of Lucrecia too. And half Wutaian because of Hojo (half Japanese then?).

Genesis & Angeal: Gen already has the most Spanish name ever, and I do like to hc that the language spoken in that area of Mideel/Banora is similar to Spanish. So I'm in between Spanish and Greek for the Banora boys.

Zack: Brazilian/ Puerto Rican, I can't decide. I just know he's Latino.

Cloud: The way Nibelheim is placed on the map reminds me of Norway, so he's either Norwegian or German.

Tseng: Chinese, though in canon I think he's Wutaian.

Cissnei: Portuguese or Spanish.

Rude: Puerto Rican! Another Latino without a doubt.

Rufus: He has Wutaian blood because of his name, I just don't know how far back it goes.

Reno: I also see him as being half Wutaian since his natural hair color is dark, but I'm leaning more towards the mixed side.

[altocat]

Alto what if we find out a bunch of Sephiroth’s childhood memories were erased and he only remembers gaps i.e. Gast, Hojo lectures, and training? And what if they start flashing back to him? Imagine if they all flooded back in the library. But in first soldier he fights them off temporarily..

It would make for a good reverse-Cloud situation where memories make the problem worse instead of healing it (Mideel sequence)

It really wouldn't surprise me if it turned out that lots of Sephiroth's early childhood memories have been repressed due to trauma, with Episode 2 (and later Nibelheim) being the basis of him taking them on all at once. After all, during the Halloween event, his reaction to remembering his torture under Hojo was rather strange, vaguely describing it as an instance of discomfort but not actually commenting on the memories specifically. It was like he had an unexpected episode but wasn't sure why.

Episode 2 is going to be very interesting if the main theme is about Sephiroth confronting those memories and coming out stronger.