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rumandsprite · 7 months

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I've binged this beautiful mess for several days and, by god, does it deliver! !!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Let me try going chronologically:

Zack!Cloud is absolutely adorable and shows very good acting because you can hear the difference from Zack's dialogue from Cloud's reaction when learning it's Nibelheim where they are heading to.

Definitely see those SephirothxZack fics going on rise after unsettlingly sweet expressions on Sephiroth during Nibelheim. Also those subtle changes on his face in that iconic town in flames scene, just wow.

Rufus's parade was one of the highlights, but some new guy Glenn shenaningans were there like "hello, if you'd like to know more about this subplot please consider buying some spinoff mobile game you've never heard of", because even in the end all I got from this was - Glenn is a) some dude in Wutai working for a man we never saw and who might not even exist, b) has some bitter history with Rufus and c) also is a Sephiroth clone.

Speaking of Rufus, eng voice actor is on point. He is the english equivalent of japanese voice actor who unfortunately seems to have been affected by illness. I'm very sad about that. But good job, eng va and his casting director!

While I'm on this topic, Reno's orignal va loss also saddens me. New jp va is a bit too nasal for me, and there's no Quinton Flynn to soften the blow.

Morikawa Toshiyuki is perfect as always in his rendition of Sephiroth. His gentle speech to Jenova in Nibelheim reactor is just... You just have to hear it.

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Ahem. So, Rufus' offer in Junon really surprised me.

Moving on to Costa Del Sol, was nice to see the reason why Hojo appeared there of all places and, oh dear, they made him so creepy it's astounding. The way he so offhandedly and casually offered those girls to "birth a hero" is something else.

I'll skip Corel immediately to Golden Saucer. It's everything I wanted. It's everything I didn't know I wanted. The entrance introduction is Honey Bee all over again but even more cringe. There are no words for this level of cringe. I felt vindicated for the loss of that Honey Bee's bathtub scene in the Remake, that's how cringe it is. I'm sorry, I can't stop staring at Dio's chest.

Now, Cait Sith deserves its own paragraph. It's the best, the cutest, the coolest Cait Sith ever. This "Aeris-ha~n", awww. Animation and design is top-notch, from Cait's small dance to the ears to the moogle's belly jiggle. Reeve has to be some kind of animatronics genius. Also in eng version it has scottish accent. Know why? Because of this

Also, Ghost Hotel's front desk employee is hilarious. He seems to genuinely love his job, goddamn it.

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Poor Rude having to work with Elena, lol. Nice sea-salt ice cream, by the way.

Some sidequests are my type of morbid humour. Check out this:

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New Gi lore was interesting. Finally I learned how Black Materia was made. Also made interesting possible insight into Sephiroth, with being unable to join lifestream and all.

Vincent va is so good and in jp version I sometimes can hear Rufus's va past timbre. Also, that drip is sick.

Loveless scene was astounding. I'm talking about animation quality here. Dance moves look so smooth and natural, especially cloth mechanics, just look at Jessie's skirt! I have no idea how many hours they put into these.

New Nibelheim also makes more sense than in original. No more "wdym, nothing happened here". Also, Cloud remembered Zack but his mind makes up some things.

It's nice to see Cloud's gradual descent into madness, especially with Roche becoming that. (Why SC tattoo though. I know it's probably Sephiroth Cells, but I just can't unsee SephirothxCloud, lmao). Cloud chasing Aerith for black materia sent chills down my spine.

As did Sephiroth's hysterical laugh when his sword broke but Aerith still died. Yeah, sorry, dude. This is fixed.

Those AU scenes and some unchanging points are interesting to explore for fics though.

#ff7 rebirth #ff7 rebirth spoilers #long post

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alesieben · 2 years

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Director and General Index

Final Fantasy VII AU (takes into account Crisis Core and Advent Children, started before the remake dropped).

Summary: Vincent wakes up nearly thirty years after being locked up in a coffin by Hojo and Lucrecia to find that they’re both dead and Sephiroth, against all odds, is alive and well—or as well as a genetic experiment can be. After a bit of coercion and emotional blackmail from Rufus and Veld, Vincent decides to rejoin the Turks as Head of the Department. Things go rather well until Vincent starts getting hot flashes and, almost at the same time, Sephiroth approaches him with a desire to be friends.

Language: English

Chapters: 17/?

Rating: M

Main pairing: Vincent/Sephiroth

Other pairings: Vincent/Turks/Rufus, Genesis/Angeal, Cloud/Tifa, Zack/Aerith

Part 1 of Tangled Ties universe

AO3 / FanFiction.net

Latest update: June 3rd, 2023

Chapter 1: Reminiscence

Overwhelmed with the plans for security for the upcoming energy summit at Modeoheim, Vincent remembers how he got to where he is right now. Way out from left field, Sephiroth invites him for drinks and strange hot flashes begin to bother the otherwise cool Director of the Turks.

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Chapter 2: Dinner and a Shock

Sephiroth wants to be friends but Vincent doesn't think he can have those anymore. To make matters worse, Chaos finds out what the hot flashes are about. Hint: it's all Galian's fault.

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Chapter 3: Limit Break

Finding out the creatures you play grudging host to are in heat is never fun. Being forced to let a not-so-mad-scientist poke you with needles and request all kinds of samples from you is even less amusing. It can always get worse, though.

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Chapter 4: Cell-Deep Connections

The General finds out that his connection to the Director of the Turks runs deeper than anyone imagined . Dealing with this won't come easy to a man that can hardly understand his own emotions, let alone those of the man who's been avoiding him for the last four years. Luckily, Sephiroth has a sister that can talk to the Planet and a friend who knows Loveless backwards and forwards. That out to help… right?

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 5: All (Turks) For One

"Once a Turk, always a Turk is not just a cute motto--it's a pledge we live by."

When one spent their days and nights chasing after rebel factions, catching spies and turncoats, carrying out assassinations and generally being the shady shield of the most powerful corporation on the planet, while at the same time trying to avoid getting killed by loathsome executives in the aforementioned company, one tended to dance dangerously over the line between heartlessness and despair. Only someone in the same position would understand; only a fellow Turk would know what it felt like to crave the reassurance that your humanity had not disappeared along with that last bullet fire, that last detonation, the last lie filtered ot the right people.

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 6: Hojo's Horror Show

Refusing to let Gast use him or Sephiroth and his friends as guinea pigs, Vincent embarks on a journey to Nibelheim to look for answers in Hojo's hidden laboratory. The gruesome secrets he and his team find there are enough to make their blood boil, but they have little time to delve into the information they found. In their absence, a crisis has emerged inside Shinra, forcing them to rush back and leave their research behind for the time being.

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 7: Whack-A-Mole

Planning a rescue mission, dealing with fidgety executives and Soldiers, executing the aforementioned rescue mission, and dealing with its aftershocks--all within the span of eighteen hours. All to receive on more gut-wrenching call from Gast claiming to be as important as looking after an injured family member. Vincent can't help but wonder when will the storm centred around himself will end.

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 8: Fail-Safe

Hojo had a lot of fingers in a lot of pies, and he wasn't afraid to mix and match now and then. Not only that, but the man's ego drove him to record every little thing he did in one way or another. Thanks to this, Vincent as some answers as to why Hojo and Lucretia used him as Chaos and Galian's hots, as well as how his existence became tangled with those in the Jenova Project. Not only that, but he also finds out the role his father played in the whole thing. In the end, will the truth be too much for Vincent to bear?

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 9: Sun Showers

In the wake of the discovery of Fail-Safe, Genesis starts treatment for his cellular degradation and Gast is forced to do more tests on Sephiroth. Vincent has gone missing, leaving Tseng in charge. Nothing out of the ordinary, except Galian has taken over Vincent's body and is threatening to put an end to Jenova. Now it's up to Tseng and the Turks to deal with this crisis without Vincent's leadership.

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 10: Family

Needing comfort and support, Vincent decides to explain his recent behaviour to the Turks and Rufus. Dinner turns to something else and Vincent's adopted family gains a new member.

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 11: Back in Business

A day in the life of Vincent Valentine, Head of the Turks, after he returns to work following the Avalanche raid and the Fail-Safe debacle.

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 12: Machinations

In order for Vincent and Sephiroth to sit down and have lunch (Galian permitting, that is), many preparations must be made. Said preparations are the start of a series of schemes aimed at bringing the Director and the General closer. But will they work…?

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 13: (Un)Disclosed Desires

Sephiroth takes every chance he gets to spend more time with Vincent. When his feelings and desires finally get the better of him, he forces Vincent's hand and the gunman explains his complicated situation to the swordsman. How will Sephiroth react to the news?

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 14: Silent Jealousy

Genesis and the Turks are left trying to build bridges between Sephiroth and Vincent after the General's disastrous nighttime visit to the gunman. As their relationship becomes even more tense, complications arising from the enhancement session for the new Firsts threaten to shoot holes in their personal lives and at work.

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 15: Let It Sink In

Sephiroth returns to Midgar seeking answers after Jenova threw a fit in his head. After getting an explanation (and a scolding) from Genesis, he gets to witness just how much Vincent needs and relies on Chaos. This leads the General to reassess his behavior and sets him on a path to make amends with Vincent and the Turks.

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 16: All Apologies

After much deliberation and consultations, Sephiroth decides to leave his ruffled pride aside and start mending the many bridges he scorched along the way.

AO3 / FanFiction.net

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 17: Belated

Amidst the turmoil preceding the energy summit, Vincent receives a belated present from a rather surprising source. To top it all off, Sephiroth finally catches up to him to apologize. Without Chaos and Galian around, Vincent has to face not only the swordsman but some of his past on his own.

AO3 / FanFiction.net

#final fantasy vii #fanfiction #director and general #ffvii au #vincent valent #sephiroth #sephentine #writing #fanfic #lady sieben writing #lady sieben

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fallintosanity · 2 years

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not to make an already complicated/heartbreaking situation even MOAR complicated/heartbreaking, but like... imagine if Cloud and his new friends somehow got teleported forward (sideways?) in time back to Cloud's Future. who handles it the best? who handles it the worst? who gets adopted into avalanche? who (aside from sephiroth haha) is completely at odds with Cloud's Other Friends from day one? etc

(Sorry for the slow reply, I'm at a work conference this week! Although tbh this is much more fun to talk about than the conference stuff. XD )

Weirdly enough, I don't think this meeting would end up being that heartbreaking, or even dramatic? Aside from Cloud getting to reunite with his family, of course.

Putting Remake and all versions of Sephiroth aside for a sec (are we including Noctis in this? he's so far out of context in this scenario that I don't think he'd be all that exciting to explore, aside from the usual holy-shit reaction to the Armiger, so also putting Noctis aside), AVALANCHE and the Firsts simply don't have enough knowledge about each other, or enough in common, to make for a really interesting scene. Which feels kinda bad to say but, well...

(cut for length because whoops)

When you think about it, the primary antagonist for most of the OG is the ShinRa Company, personified by President ShinRa, the Turks, Rufus, Scarlett, Heidegger, and Hojo. So the members of AVALANCHE don't have any real beef with, or even knowledge of, the TFA gang. Barret, Tifa, and OG-Yuffie hate ShinRa, but are indifferent to its SOLDIER Firsts (based on how they treat Cloud while they still think he used to be one). Nanaki and Cid got pulled into AVALANCHE by circumstance, not personal ideologies / goals. Vincent was asleep for the events of Crisis Core. Reeve might have known the Firsts in passing, but it's highly unlikely that he was told the truth about what happened to any of them in the OG timeline.

To them, meeting Angeal, Genesis, Kunsel, and Zack would be... vaguely awkward, I think? These are Cloud's new friends who aren't exactly replacements for his old friends, but aren't exactly not, either. Sure, they work for ShinRa, but so did Reeve. For the most part, they're just forgotten names from old war headlines.

As for the Firsts, meeting AVALANCHE is also not really a big thing, other than Genesis interrogating everyone about Cloud (these people Know Things! about his Cloud!), and the universal Oh No of realizing Yuffie is still, well, Yuffie. Zack is friendly and personable enough to try to handle introductions and Make New Friends, but if Yuffie remembers him from her version of the Wutai War, that could make things trickier. (Plus the added weirdness of Tifa knowing Zack from this timeline's Nibelheim Incident, although he wouldn't realize it and she wouldn't mention it.) Beyond that, though, the meeting would be an uncomfortable sort of sizing up of each other, then an inevitable mutual retreat once Genesis's Shenanigans(tm) annoy someone too much.

(I think Cloud would kind of... avoid introducing the two groups for this exact reason? XD He wouldn't try to actively stop them - he knows too well that that's the best way to activate Genesis Persistence Mode - but he wouldn't make an effort to bring them together, either. And would probably mysteriously vanish the second he realized it was going to happen.)

It definitely gets more complicated if Sephiroth is there. I say if because if he knew the meeting was coming, he'd try to avoid it as well. Between seeing Cloud's nightmares, the conversation they had in Chapter 7 of Providence, and experiencing the Calamity firsthand, Sephiroth is keenly aware of his, hm... significance to Cloud's friends, in magnitude if not in detail. (Although it's worth pointing out that Sephiroth doesn't know the Calamity killed Aeris, or even that Cloud & co knew her. Kunsel, Zack, and Genesis know, but haven't had the chance or the reason to tell him.) Also, depending on how much time passes between the TFA group landing in Cloud's timeline and when they meet AVALANCHE, Sephiroth would have seen the ruins of Midgar, and the hard lives of Edge's residents, up close - which would be yet another reminder of the hurt his alternate-timeline self caused. He isn't remotely capable of dealing with any of that, so he'd find somewhere isolated to hole up. (Yes, this is the same bad instinct that caused him to go insane in the OG.)

If he can't avoid the meeting, he'd still stay back and avoid interacting as much as possible, which is less about trying not to upset the AVALANCHE crew and more because he's so overwhelmed. On top of failing to deal with his own emotions about the situation, Sephiroth would be spending a lot of mental effort policing his own body/posture/expression/etc in the hope of looking as normal/human as possible. Even before seeing the Calamity, he realized Cloud gets less murderous the more human Sephiroth seems, and the Calamity's unnatural appearance and movement patterns only reinforced that. It's the only defense mechanism he has, the only way he can think of to demonstrate to both AVALANCHE and himself that he is not the Calamity.

On the AVALANCHE side, the reactions are a very mixed bag. Like I said earlier, most of them have no personal reason to hate Sephiroth/the Calamity during the OG, until he kills Aeris and summons Meteor. Even with Advent Children, the remnants aren't exactly him, and there's still nothing personal in AVALANCHE's conflicts with them. So for Barret, Nanaki, Cid, Reeve, and Yuffie, seeing TFA!Sephiroth would be weird and ominous, but also very obvious that this living, breathing, sane man isn't the undead alien Calamity they fought. After an initial "oh shit" moment, once they'd had time to see that, they'd be wary of him, but not hostile.

For Vincent, seeing this Sephiroth would be a painful shock. With his hair in a ponytail, Sephiroth generally looks more like Lucrecia than Hojo, and, well, that's a complicated issue for Vincent. After seeing Lucrecia's son in the form of the Calamity in his timeline, seeing a version who is sane and human and looks very much like his mother would be difficult for Vincent to deal with. He would most likely retreat to have an emotion in private.

Tifa, who met more-or-less-this-version of Sephiroth in Nibelheim, before the Incident, would struggle with how to respond. On the one hand, this is the Sephiroth she and everyone else knew before he went insane, who smiled and was polite and took a photo with a starstruck teenage girl. On the other hand, he almost killed her before he died and became the Calamity. Still, Tifa is an incredibly kind and sensitive person at heart, and she would notice before anyone else just how shaken and overwhelmed Sephiroth is. For all her own, justified fear, she would try to reach out to him - not only because she of all people knows that if someone had done that in Nibelheim, her village might not have burned; but also simply because it's the kind thing to do.

...whew! I think that's everyone? Or at least I hope so because this is long and I have to go catch a plane now. XD So yeah, not the most dramatic, but hopefully an interesting peek at their reactions anyway!

#Anonymous #sanity replies #sanity's final fantasy crossover fic #ffvii

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thornescratch · 2 years

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For the WIP ask game, first of all, I feel a lot better about my placeholder names now that I've seen yours, but honestly, yours rock. I want to read any of these fics even for fandoms I don't know because they all sound fascinating. That said, I'd LOVE to know more about any of the FF7 fics, maybe jailbait? Or who is body swapping? Whatever you can share! Thank you!

Yeah, my names are... suspect at best. (Of course, whenever I do have a title in place from the beginning, the story will inevitably change enough over the writing period that by the time it's finished, the title often doesn't fit anymore. Maddening.)

Someone else also asked for Bodyswapping and Jailbait, so I'll just split 'em up. The FF7 bodyswap was just a "I bet it would be funny if Cloud and Zack swapped actual bodies for a while pre-game. And then you could swap everyone around and make it worse." Later on, there was also some vague thematic thoughts on identity and shit, since that's, you know, a big part of FF7 in general. Also, I'm on record repeatedly saying how one of my favorite character dynamics is characters who are awful at being themselves (Cloud) interacting with characters who are awesome at being themselves (Zack), so that played a big role.

Also it was an excuse to annoy a sane pre-game Sephiroth, which is always a big plus. It ties into another story I forgot I even had until now, where Sephiroth and Tseng have lunch together once a month, where they bitch about whatever their subordinates have done now, and play poker with their misdemeanors. Whoever loses ends up having to take responsibility for whatever shit’s gone down/is left in the pot. The winner doesn’t have to attend the monthly board meeting, and buys lunch for the loser.

"Aww. Cheer up, kiddo." Zack attempted to sling his arm around Cloud's shoulder, and had to get up on his tiptoes to reach. "You're in my body! Enjoy it! You've got all my height and strength and stuff."

"And all those felonies," Cloud moaned.

"Hey, nobody saw me do most of those."

"Look, just, just…" Cloud took a deep breath. "Please don't break my body before I can get back into it."

"It's in excellent hands, little buddy," Zack said, though the words were undermined by the way he had to jump in order to slap Cloud on the shoulder. "Don't you worry about a thing. I'm sure once we get that materia back, we can just make this all go away. I mean, if we can get it back."

"Right," Sephiroth said. "No one panic." He took another long look at the both of them. "I will go get the materia. Is it still in Hojo's lab?"

"Not… in a manner of speaking," Zack said carefully. "You see, Reno was there too…"

"You were with Reno. You let Reno touch—" Sephiroth said, and then broke off abruptly because Cloud was visibly quaking and Zack was shamelessly hiding behind him again.

"I needed him there!" Zack said, only a little muffled from practically jamming his face into Cloud's ribs. "I was getting rid of the cactuars. You told me I couldn't release them into Rufus's office again, and there are a lot of them and I wasn't going to make Cloud carry all those boxes."

"The fact you are in Cloud's body and only the fact you are in Cloud's body is the sole thing keeping me from either killing you or letting you suffer," Sephiroth informed him. "Now. Tell me about the materia."

"You are a true gentleman, Seph," Zack said, and Sephiroth very nearly flinched. It was just too damn weird to hear Cloud's voice and Zack's diction. "But, um. There may be, um. A slight problem."

"…Yes?" Sephiroth prompted after a long wait provided no further explanation.

"We don't have the materia. Hey, swapping bodies is super surprising!" Zack said hastily, doing a little hop-step dance to keep out of Sephiroth's lunge range. "I didn't expect that to happen! Plus, we both dropped our boxes and there were cactuars everywhere, so it was really crazy for a while. Then Reno wanted to look at the materia, and he was hitting on me because I was, you know, Cloud, and I was trying to get it back from him without letting him get to third base with me, and Cloud was kinda keeled over in shock on the floor, and shit just happened, you know?"

"I really don't," Sephiroth said. "Where do you think the materia might be?"

"Oh, that's totally not the problem."

"You said you lost it."

"I didn't lose it, I know exactly where it is," Zack said.

"Then where is it?" Sephiroth said.

"Reno."

Sephiroth raised one eyebrow. "So, now you're saying Reno lost it."

"Oh, no, Reno still has it. We just can't get it back."

"I have very little doubt in my ability to take something from Reno," Sephiroth said.

This was actually shaping up to have a more optimistic outcome than he had initially projected. It was never a bad day when he could inflict some kind of bodily harm on the Turks.

"No, you're not getting it," Zack said. "We can't. I mean, we literally can't take the material from Reno."

"Why not?" Sephiroth asked, only a little distracted by imagining the expression on Tseng's face when Sephiroth would let him know he was twenty points up on him in the department race.

"Reno swallowed it," Zack said.

That got his attention. Sephiroth stared at him. "Swallowed it," he said.

"Yep."

Sephiroth gritted his teeth. "Why?" he managed to eventually make himself force out.

"Man, why does Reno do anything he does?" Zack asked philosophically and shrugged. "I dunno. I think he usually does it just to keep people from having things. Or he was hungry. Or drunk. Or bored."

"Drug mule history," Cloud offered.

"Yeah, that too," Zack said. "He even swallowed my keys once."

Sephiroth mentally counted to thirty in Wutainese. "It's still not an issue. I can get the materia." He dropped his hand to his sword hilt, and he saw both Zack's and Cloud's gazes narrow in on that.

"Whoa, you know, you really gotta stop going right to murder as your first solution for things," Zack said, stepping forward. "Like, pause a little. Seriously. You know, he'll pass it in a day or so. Through one end or another."

Sephioth considered that, and shook his head. "No, it'll be easier just to give Tseng an IOU for another Turk."

"Rufus will be pissed!"

"It's Reno. He'll thank me, and also possibly send me an exotic fruit basket."

Zack ran both hands through his hair and scowled, another mentally dissonant moment of Zack’s body language when viewed on Cloud. "Okay, it's not so much I morally mind if you murder Reno because God knows he probably has it coming, it's just, he's still my best connection for… things. Like, special things."

#meme #fanfiction #writing #FF7 #FFVII #Sephiroth #Cloud Strife #Zack

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secret-engima · 4 years

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Here's something that might come outta left field, what fics do you recommend in the FFXV fandom?

Oooooo okay hmmm. Lemme see what I have. I warn you now that most of these are either short, time-travel, or Prompto angst, but I’ll try to add a little summary to each so you can pick what interests you:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27588704 “Toward Daylight We Run” by SparkleMoose (here on Tumblr as @sparklecryptid) is a time-travel fixit involving Titus, who wakes up post being killed by Nyx with a case of confusion, anger, and le self-doubt, and a Glaive OC who died during the betrayal and who is very understandably angry at them. It’s gonna be a former-enemies-to-lovers thing eventually I think, and tho there’s only two chaps so far I recommend it (I recommend several of Moose’s actually, just watch the tags if you’re not into M-rated or have trigger warnings to look out for) This one does have trigger warning tags for suicidal thoughts and PTSD, so watch out for that.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27912505/chapters/68351254 “From Neath Dark Waters”, another one by SparkleMoose! This one is an FFXIV Warrior of Light reborn as a street rat in Insomnia and adopted by Clarus, again, just getting started, but very feelsy and I love it. Moose also has cool Galahdian worldbuilding stuff which is always fun.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23888788 “the Wound (A Place Where Light Enters)” Third one by SparkleMoose, featuring time-traveling Noctis and also a sort of time-traveling Warrior of Light named Azura who looks around, spots Noctis fighting someone and goes “welp time to go break someone’s face on behalf of a friend I guess” which is a great first impulse for a White Mage imho. These two are gonna be a ship and I love it.

(honestly just go poke through SparkleMoose’s stuff on Ao3 and here on Tumblr, there’s quite a few FFXV fics and there’s bound to be at least a few you like. :D Just remember to read the tags first)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26644129 “The Great Livestream Debacle” by Choke-a-bro. This is just humor/crack oneshot but it makes me laugh on days that need a pick me up. Basically, Noctis runs a tiny twitch channel playing really old RPGs without telling Ignis or Regis and ONE DAY a stray new viewer happens to realize, “huh, this guy looks like the prince” and it spiral wonderfully from there.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27468421 “A Present for a Father” by illusorygardens. This is actually a little gift oneshot thing inspired by one of my AUs here on Tumblr (Clouds and Moonlit Skies) where a bunch of FFVII characters are reborn as various OCs and canon characters in FFXV. Zack is Noctis, Cloud is Prompto, Aerith is Luna, Titus is Sephiroth, and Rufus and Yuffie are reborn as Imperial Royal Twins with the world’s most terrible dad aka Emperor Aldercapt. So naturally Noctis has to prank the Emperor of Niflheim on their behalf.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26667253/chapters/65038747 “Light in the Night Sky” by mokulule. If you’ve read my Deleantur and liked it, then absolutely 1000% give this a try. It’s inspired by Deleantur verse in the sense of “Noctis goes back to the time of Somnus and Ardyn” but it’s cheerfully wandering off in a very different direction and there is WORLDBUILDING and BACKSTORY and Ardyn and Aera being ADORABLE. Seriously it’s great. Again, it’s only got a few chaps on it, but I love it already and highly recommend.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27611195/chapters/67550303 “Holding Secrets Like a Crystal” by LadyHallen. An AU where Monica Elshett is a telepath and proceeds to unknowingly wreck canon in all the best ways. It’s a 5 chap short story and I love it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18114572/chapters/42823973 “First Lightning, Then Thunder” by Nervous Otaku. This is a RAVUS time-travel fixit, 87 chaps long (tho the chaps are short) and fully completed. Basically Ravus dies, the Astrals think “Free Real Estate” and proceed to dump him into the past in the body of a Coeurl. It’s angst and shenanigans and Ravus stubbornly refusing to admit that he is growing attached to these tiny child versions of people all while going through hell and high water to protect them from destiny. It’s a happy ending too!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21681499/chapters/51709084 “Victorious” by Kyirah. This one hasn’t updated in a while? But it’s got 14 stellar chapters of Noctis being gently plopped back into his child self with only vague memories of the future while the Lucii and the Astrals set about fixiting the world on his behalf. It also features adorable, slightly daemon-but-don’t-worry-he’s-fine Prompto and Dadcor. Also ghost Ardyn.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18116312/chapters/42828299 “cyan boys” by dreamtowns. 6 chap, slightly cracky time-travel, only instead of straight time-travel, Noctis and Prompto wake up in a parallel dimension where some stuff is ... different. Such as them being kids while Gladio and Ignis of that world are already adults. It’s just a nice, quirky, kinda angsty-in-places read and I really enjoyed it (despite the undertones of slash that crop up in some places but hey maybe that’s your cup of tea) but as always read the tags and decide for thineself.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15073931/chapters/34948019 “Nocturne” by nirejseki. The Taur AU that inspired Nox Taur, 11/10 do recommend (even though there are slash and femslash ships in there later on but HEY just because I skipped over those parts doesn’t mean this fic isn’t great). Features baby Noctis being adorable, some cool world-building, Regis being a Good Dad, DadCor, and just- a great fixit all around with some amazing AU take on the Astrals and the prophecy and all that stuff.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11648547/chapters/26204799 “Introductions” by doodly_squat. This is ... essentially a canon compliant look at Prompto first introducing himself to and getting to be friends with Noctis. Picks up that moment in the Brotherhood episode where he says hi on the first day of high school. It’s short, but it’s finished and it’s great, there’s some Prompto angst, and it has a sequel with even more Prompto angst! That is also finished!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10869282/chapters/24144864 “Running Behind” by Asidian. An MT!Prompto AU where Prompto is raised as an MT (which are cyborgs here rather than canon’s ... whole thing) and then runs away when he learns he’s going to be decommissioned. He’s found a year-ish later by the other Chocobros on their roadtrip and they, unaware he’s a runaway MT, take him along because he clearly needs help. There’s feels and bonding and brotherly feels and also angst and drama because MT!Prompto is terrified of many things. There’s also descriptions of the aftermath of torture, which I didn’t find too bad but as always check the tags and the rating against your own comfort level. It has a happy ending tho.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11725950/chapters/26417871 “Poor Wayfaring Stranger” by lithos_saeculum. The last fic I’m gonna rec for now and just- I CANNOT rec this one enough. I love it so much. 59 chap, ongoing MT!Prompto AU where Cor finds this teenage MT unit and takes him home. There’s DadCor and Prompto learning how to People and the Chocobros getting attached and major angst at various stages because of how Prompto is treated (he has MT modifications and some people looking at you Clarus need to take a chill pill about it). It’s told entirely from Prompto’s POV which is FASCINATING and the author does a stellar job of picking out stuff that Prompto just- wouldn’t know about or understand because he’s been raised in a lab all his life.

#SE asks #anon asks #ffxv #ffxv fics #fic recs #fic rec #always read the tags people #what is fine for me might not for you #but i do rec these

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tiifalockhart · 4 years

Text

As The World Caves In

Listen to: As the World Caves In by Matt Maltese (for the best experience)

Prompt: If Final Fantasy VII had a bad ending

Pairing: Cloud x Aerith

Warnings: mentions of death, injury, depression, end of the world, fighting, starving, paralysis, main character death, FFVII OG spoilers

Word Count: 1k

A/N: This is super angsty. Don’t read it unless you’re prepared for any of the above warnings. I highly recommend listening to “As the World Caves In” while reading, since this is what this fic is based off of. This is partially based off of the Rogue One ending, so spoiler warning there as well. I hope you enjoy reading, this is probably my best written work yet.

Ao3 || Masterlist

Sephiroth was undefeatable.

The team had fought for so long, for so many days, months, years, and in the end, it was for nothing. When Aerith was nearly fatally injured, that’s where their loss began. She could survive, at the cost of being heavily weakened and nearly paralyzed in her lower body. With quick use of leftover materia from Tifa, she survived barely.

Since then, the fight against Sephiroth was hard. Making it to the Northern Crater was nearly impossible. They managed to scrape by when facing Sephiroth for the final time, but it was pointless. They ran out of time.

Meteor began to fall into Midgar. They could only watch in horror as the Lifestream fought it off until it was inevitably defeated. Aerith didn’t have enough strength to use Holy, especially since Sephiroth still blocked it.

It was the end of the world. Meteor would destroy the world, and nothing would be left in this void.

Cloud couldn’t remember much of their final days. He remembered that he agreed to take care of Aerith until the end. They solemnly returned to the church in the slums, Aerith wished to speak to the planet one last time before the meteor impacted the Earth, and to set her grief aside. Cloud spent a lot of time thinking about where it all went wrong. Maybe if he did this, maybe if he did that... Maybe if he did something, things would be different. The guilt was beginning to build up as he continued to think about it. Not only did he fail himself, his friends, Zack... He failed the entire world. It made him sick.

He found it hard to look in mirrors or reflections, he couldn’t look Aerith in the eye anymore. Cloud was finding it hard to face the consequences of his failure. He remembered that there was almost nowhere he could look where he was reminded of his failure. The papers say it’s doomsday. He couldn’t face the truth, no matter how many times he was reminded. There had to be something they could do, right?

Aerith tried to reassure and comfort him, even if it was nearly impossible. She would say things like “We did everything we could,” or “It will be okay.” Cloud remembered that there was really nothing she could say that would make him feel better, though. Honestly, he partially blamed her, which he hated about himself. It wasn’t her fault, it was out of her control as well, but had she not gotten injured, or perhaps if she hadn’t survived, there was more they could have done more. His mind made him sick, these thoughts plagued his mind every day until the end.

He remembered since the beginning of the end, he had taken care of Aerith as much as he could. There was no point in working, no point in eating for himself, no point in doing anything than taking care of Aerith. He sacrificed every single thing for Aerith, so that she could live comfortably until the end. He didn’t know if it was because of love, or the built up guilt he’d been carrying since the Temple of Ancients.

He remembered their final day together. Aerith suggested that they wear something nice, since they won’t be able to again. Cloud’s stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought. They put their final suit on. They paint their fingernails. Aerith explained it as “going out in style.” When they stared in the mirror together, Cloud felt his heart sinking as he reached down to hold Aerith’s hand tightly.

We creep up on extinction. That day had to have been the longest day Cloud had ever experienced. All the shops were closed, there were no restaurants opened, all of Midgar seemed to be mourning for their future. There was nothing to do but sit and wait. The feeling of sickness never left Cloud as he waited for the meteor to collide with the Earth.

Cloud remembered that Aerith guided him up on top of the roof of the church. Up there, they could clearly see the meteor closing in. I pull your arms right in. He embraced Aerith tightly. He wasn’t sure if it was because of fear, guilt or love anymore. All of his emotions blurred together, as well as his memories.

He watched his life like a movie before his eyes. Every single one of his memories, from living in Nibleheim to just a couple days ago played out for him. He remembered everyone in his life. Mom... Zack... Tifa... He thought about his teammates. Barret... Cid... Vincent... Yuffie... Nanaki... Reeve and Cait Sith... He wondered what they were doing now. What was Barret telling Marlene?

He even remembered his enemies. Rufus... Those Turks... Sephiroth... He should have been angry when he thought about Sephiroth, but he could no longer muster up the energy. Cloud missed his mom so much at that moment, but he was thankful she wouldn’t have to experience this.

While he was thinking, he could hear Aerith next to him. She was crying. He stared down at her. There was nothing he could say that would make this situation any better. She wept and shook under his arms. Aerith couldn’t face their fate anymore, her face was hidden in his neck.

Cloud couldn’t pull his gaze away from the meteor. All of his regrets and guilt began to creep up on him as he held Aerith, carefully rocking her back and forth.

And here it is...

Our final night alive.

And as the Earth runs to the ground, oh girl...

Cloud’s eyes widened at the sight of the impact. The desert that went out to the horizon was replaced by the meteor. The Earth shook violently from the impact, the plates above the slums beginning to crumble and fall onto the city below them. The ground in the desert surrounding the meteor rose high into the sky, creating quite the spectacle, until a blinding light replaced the fire and dust in the air.

Cloud remembered holding Aerith tightly, refusing to let go as he gripped onto her, shielding her eyes from the sight. He listened to the cries of the people in the slums, he felt Aerith’s tears on his chest and her shaky hands gripping onto his shirt, he could taste his own sweat and tears as he watched the destruction of his only home. He couldn’t move at all, he could only watch as the light began to engulf everything as it expanded.

He watched the ground dissolve as the light got closer to them, wincing from how bright it was. At the last moment, he shut his eyes tightly and braced for impact, gripping Aerith tighter for the last time.

And then, There was nothing. Everything was dark. Nothing was left behind in the end. A destroyed world, void of life, was all that was left.

The last thing Cloud would ever experience was holding Aerith in his arms until his dying breath.

As the world caves in...

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controlaltdelete-my-existence · 4 years

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You know, I feel like the FFVII fandom has sort of a bad habit of like... woobiefying? Baby-fying? Cloud. Like, okay.

Things Cloud is:

- An extremely strong person. The kind of inner strength he has is like... almost unfathomable. All the shit he went through, and he still pulled through at the end of the day, finding a family with his friends and accepting himself, flaws and all.

- Stubborn. Even after getting stabbed through with the Masamune by Sephiroth himself, Cloud, as a lowly grunt, threw the legendary General into a vat of Mako. No super strength, nothing. That boy was fueled purely by anger and determination.

- Guarded. His whole childhood, Cloud was an outcast. He was blamed for Tifa’s coma. Nobody else would play with him. His hero that he idolized destroyed almost everything he cared about. He was experimented on, his best friend was shot dead protecting him, Aerith was killed in front of his eyes, etc. This kid’s been very traumatized. It’s understandable why during the first third of the game, Cloud is pulling away from all attempts of friendship extended towards him. It’s only during the later parts of the game he calls the AVALANCHE crew his friends. He’s not going to be opening up to strangers anytime soon.

-Kind. Especially to the people he cares about.

- Competant. I can see arguments for making Cloud fairly incompetent during his Cadet days, but I’m talking about fics where Cadet Cloud is a bumbling idiot. I just... can’t see that happening.

- Done with Sephiroth’s shit. In spite of what the fanfics will say, post-OG, it would be On Sight.

- Quiet, but assertive. Especially post-canon. After all the trauma and bullshit Cloud’s been put through by forces outside his control, he’s not going to take anybody’s shit. Least of all Sephiroth’s or Rufus Shinra’s.

- Country dumb. He’s actually really intelligent but like, “Let’s Mosey”, “Crispy Critters”, etc. Also not very good with social situations.

-Physically Strong. That goes for the whole AVALANCHE cast as well. I mean, if you’re trying to be fairly realistic, it’s understandable why you might not want, say, Barret to have Catastrophe in your fic. But if the fic takes place post-canon, in the world of FF7, then AVALANCHE should technically be able to take on just about anything after the Ruby Weapon. Just like... don’t make them wimps. Stop making them wimps. Please.

-Pretty. Yes, Cloud is pretty. He is a Square Enix protagonist after all. Perhaps one of the prettiest. He can also beat the shit out of you.

Things Cloud Strife is not:

- Rude or unnecessarily mean (excepting the parts of the original game where he wasn’t entirely himself). This isn’t so much a problem with woobiefying him, just a characterization I sadly see a lot. Now I’m talking about those fics where like, Cloud is asshole and drives all his friends away. It’s not him. He wouldn’t suddenly be an ass to Tifa for no reason, or exclude her from his life.

-Uber Submissive. He’s got pride just like everybody else. Maybe even more than most people.

- Super emotional. We know that Cloud is the kind of person who hides his true feelings. It’s like a core character trait.

- An UwU baby. Does he admire Zack and Sephiroth as a Cadet? Absolutely. Does he also have bad life experiences with others and work for the military? Yes. He’s young and wide-eyed, but he’s no inexperienced child who needs to be coddled.

These are just things I tend to see in fics a lot. It’s not Cloud I’m reading about, it’s a stand-in. I suppose that’s what most fanfiction is about, though. Feel free to add the list, if you like. I just kind of wish we could all take a step back and look at the characters themselves.

I’m not sure if it’s just a me thing, because Cloud, and FF7 as a whole, are both so important to me, but I’m just tired of seeing Cloud mischaracterized and reduced to so little of what he eventually became in canon. Idk, am I overreacting? Anyway, please add your thoughts on the matter, I would be interested in hearing what other members of the community think.

#ff7 #ffvii #final fantasy 7 #final fantasy vii #cloud strife #rant?#rant #ff7 discourse?#ff7 discourse #he still bottoms tho 😳

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iaintyourbro · 4 years

Note

Is there a part of the game that you don’t really look forward to (like a part that you kinda dislike.. well.. if you have tho lol)? Or... a part where you’re like “Meh... they ain’t gonna expand on this scene/part”?

Hey there anon!

A part that I didn’t like in OG, but I think they’ll make super awesome in Remake is the snow stuff. Like trying to find the way through the snow maze. I think they really can make that crazy in Remake and even more intense. I found it somewhat tedious in OG for some reason.

Honestly, the game really gets good for me once they hit the Northern Crater. I can’t think of anything in the last 2/3 of the game that I’m not looking forward to. I always get super pumped after the NC scene and have a hard time putting it down.

For the earlier parts - so what we may see in Part 2:

I definitely hope they expand on Costa del Sol. It felt like nothing in OG, you can literally just pass through. So I am looking forward to them expanding on that.

The Gold Saucer date. It’s not that I’m not looking forward to it. It’s that I don’t want to have more LTD bullshit. Make it a mission or make it a date with Tifa and Aerith (shopping?) - but don’t have an affection points system in later parts. All it does is cause issues and people can twist the story easier with it.

I don’t like the first part of Junon, but love Rufus’ parade and the cargo ship stuff. I hope they expand a bit on Junon and clear up how a dolphin can swim in electrified water/throw adults up 30 feet in the air. I think lining up the dolphin is what pisses me off for this part... and Priscilla being obnoxious.

The scene they fixed in Remake that I despised was climbing the wall up to the Shinra building. I HATED HAVING TO TIME THE JUMP OFF FOR THAT SWINGING THING! And waiting for the propeller to stop working. And my husband got mad about the trains not being the proper size - they looked like toys. They fixed that, so I have a lot of faith they’ll fix some of the weirder things.

Fort Condor: I think this can go either way. It was optional in OG until you wanted to get the Huge Materia. If they expand on it, I hope it’s more of an optional battle arena instead of “toy soldiers”. I would love to see the condor in HD. I doubt they’ll expand much on it, though, unless they have other plans.

Huge Materia: They need to clarify why this isn’t just a pissing match between Shinra and Cloud and Co.... since the goal is the same. HOWEVER - I want to go to space and I definitely want to go to the underwater reactor and see how they do the submarine.

Expand on Gongaga - it’s random and seems to just be so you can go talk to Zack’s parents.

Random Thought: How are they gonna handle us going in to people’s private homes? Notice in Midgar, you can’t enter Johnny’s parent’s house, but in OG you could. In Nibelheim, Kalm, and the other small towns, will we be able to just waltz in?

Overall, though, I’m excited about all of it. Especially since they fixed a lot of things between OG and Remake Part 1 that I was thrilled about.

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mrstifastrife · 4 years

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Why I Shipped CloTi Based Off of Advent Children

Before I start, I figure that I should add some background to explain why I chose ACC in the first place and not any other installation. I don’t know if the “Keep Reading” will show up, but know that my reasons start after the 5th paragraph and the line break.

So I was born in 1999, 3 years after the release of the original Final Fantasy 7 game. I didn’t really grow up on video games. I had a PS2, a PSP, and a Nintendo, but I normally played the games that were popular for younger children at the time. My only source of Final Fantasy was through Advent Children due to exposure from my sister. Based solely off of that, I was under the impression that Final Fantasy was a series of movies following different story arcs. Final Fantasy 7 was the only one that really stuck out to me story-wise.

I should add that I am caught up on the story of Final Fantasy 7 by watching gameplays, of which include FF7 OG, Crisis Core, and Dirge of Cerberus. I have also finished playing the first installation of the Remake, with full intention of completing it throughout.

Let it be known that much like many others, I was a very impressionable child and most of what I loved back then still carries on to this day. CloTi, or as I see people calling their ship now “The Stargazers” (which I love), was probably one of the first, if not the first, ship that I had ever become obsessed with, as I’m sure many of you have as well with any of the FF7 ships (which I fully support despite not being an avid fan). Perhaps some of my statements may be biased, so if you do not agree with what has been said, that is okay. We are all entitled to our own opinions. Also, most of what I say has most likely not been proven, but it is a post about my personal opinion and experience with FF7: ACC.

Without further ado, here is why I shipped Cloud and Tifa together based off of Advent Children. Remember that these are my personal opinions and that this is my personal interpretation of the movie. There will be pictures as well because I will never get over it!

1.) Cloud and Tifa have their own little family together.

When I first watched the movie with my sister, I actually thought Cloud and Tifa were a couple that was struggling to make amends, not only with each other, but with the past. While my perspective of this movie may not be accurate, this was what my mind interpreted back then.

Even if Tifa and Cloud weren’t married, even if Marlene and Denzel weren’t related to each other or the latter two biologically, they were still a family. They were all each other’s home. Did Cloud find solace in Aerith’s church while he suffered with geostigma? Yes, he did. She was a big part in his life, just as much as she was a big part in everyone else’s lives. Does that mean Cloud doesn’t value Tifa, Marlene, or Denzel? Absolutely not, and that will be explained in another point I will make.

Tifa and Cloud may not have been together in ACC, but you have to admit that their relationship was fairly close to domestic if they were living under the same roof providing for each other and two children. Even if they were just two friends, they essentially carried the responsibilities of a married couple.

Also, might I add that every couple runs through problems, so the idea that they couldn’t be together for having disputes is invalid. Not to bring up personal experience, but my boyfriend and I are in a very loving, supportive, and healthy relationship. Despite that, we still have arguments and moments of vulnerability.

BONUS:

(Peep the picture of the four of them + the flowers for Aerith and Zack I’m assuming!!)

2.) The little ways Cloud cares for Tifa and Tifa cares for Cloud.

A lot of people liked to believe that Cloud didn’t care about Tifa, or anyone else, in favor of Aerith because he stayed at her church while he had geostigma. I have to admit that my first time watching, I was under the impression that Aerith and Cloud were in a relationship before she passed away and that he was trying to move on from her with his new family. (Disclaimer: The first time I watched the movie, it was out of context and I had no idea it was a continuation of a game until after I researched it).

HOWEVER, upon watching it over and over (as it was my favorite movie back then), I started to see that he may have had feelings for Aerith or a special connection to her, like he did with Zack, that made it hard for him to move on because he personally felt responsible for their deaths. I will not dismiss that Cloud most likely had feelings for Aerith, but that does not mean he cannot move on with Tifa or be with Tifa otherwise. Same way that people like to argue that Aerith could move on from Zack with Cloud, right? Do we see how it can be contradictory to say that but not allow it for Cloud with Tifa?

Anyway, I digress.

If Cloud didn’t care for Tifa, or anyone else for that matter, why would he bother listening to voicemails? The excuse that he only does for delivery jobs seems a bit dismissive of Cloud’s character. Yes, he seems cold and distant, but he cares for people, even if he doesn’t say it out loud. You’re purposely ignoring his character development if you choose to use his aloofness for the sake of your ship.

Think about it this way: there’s a voicemail to Cloud from Barrett that’s basically updating Cloud on how he’s doing. Cloud wouldn’t have bothered to listen to it if he didn’t care. Which brings me to the point that he wouldn’t have listened to both of Tifa’s voicemails all the way through if it was just for the job either.

I know this post is meant to talk about how I ship Cloud and Tifa, but I have to add in the fact that Cloud does care for her despite what others may think. Just because he ran away and just because he doesn’t call her back, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care for her. Have you ever felt so guilty about something that you felt like you didn’t deserve anyone’s company? In Cloud’s case, he shut people out because he cared so much for them that he didn’t want them to get hurt by him or be burdened by his guilt or his geostigma.

ALSO, the CloTi church scene??? I’m talking about that in the next point, but that’s a major giveaway of Cloud’s feelings for Tifa and in this case, how much he cares for her.

As for Tifa, her way of caring for Cloud is more obvious because her personality is more transparent. I’m not saying Tifa is known for being completely forthright, but in comparison to Cloud, she is more direct. For example, the voicemails I mentioned earlier: she asks him how he’s doing and she tells him to be careful.

(Voicemail #1: “You got a call from Reno. He’s in Healen. Says he’s got work for you. Cloud, how have you been?”)

(Voicemail #2: “Reno called again. He says to hurry, and he sounded kind of strange...Be careful, okay?”)

She may be upset with him for running away from his problems but she’s not heartless and she still cares.

I want to add as well that she adds each line almost like she’s expecting a response. Yes, she sounds defeated in the beginning when she mumbles, “He’s not here anymore” BUT the way she leaves voicemails makes it seem hopeful that one day he will answer her phone call back. I know, I know, it’s a little heartbreaking, but it’s evident that she’s not going to give up on him even though he’s been running away from her and their family.

Also can we talk about her and Marlene in the church when she replies to Marlene’s “We can’t [go home]! Cloud’s not here yet!” with “I know, sweetie. I miss him too.” THIS MOMENT just screamed family to me. (I do have to admit though, I wish Denzel wasn’t left alone, but his story arc was well worth it.)

Last but not least, I know Tifa’s lecture ends in her getting upset with him (which I get into later), but at the very beginning, before Cloud tries to pass off the children to Reno and Rude, she’s very gentle and hopeful. She wants to fight with him but becomes doubtful that they’re a real family after a lack of response. HOWEVER, Cloud still admits to them being family after, although, it’s included with him admitting his shortcomings.

(Tifa: “We can help each other, I know we can. [No response from Cloud] I guess that only works for real families.” Cloud: “Tifa...I’m not fit to help anyone. Not my family, not my friends. Nobody.”)

If you’re upset with Tifa over how she responded to Cloud later on in this scene, you need to look at it deeper in context and take into account their conversation when they first wake up (the one I mentioned above), where she’s concerned for him and trying to help him.

I know there’s more scenes where they show that they care for each other, but please bear with me because this part was just their little moments and I’m getting to specific scenes where they express their feelings for each other in grander, more obvious gestures.

3.) THE CHURCH SCENE.

THIS SCENE IS SO IMPORTANT FOR CLOTI SHIPPERS. I really don’t think I have to explain its significance, but I’ll just dig a little deeper since I’m sure this is one of the biggest scenes for CloTi in ACC.

If you don’t think that he cares for Tifa, you missed the entire part of the movie where he sees her at the church and runs to her. I thought that was a really pivotal moment because it was ONE of the first times in the movie where he expresses any other emotion besides indifference. (I’m emphasizing “one of the first times” because 1.) his face changes when Rufus references Marlene and Denzel and 2.) right before Tifa fights Loz, he has a flashback of Zack and feels anguish/regret)

When I was younger, and of course now, this scene was so important to me. From the beginning of the movie (at least out of context when you watch just the movie like I did), you're given the impression that Cloud doesn’t care much for anyone on the surface of the planet with how indifferent he is. When he sees Tifa semi-conscious on the floor, however, he’s straight up terrified that he may have lost someone precious to him like he had countless times before. The look on his face says it all.

If Tifa wasn’t at all important to Cloud, he wouldn’t have had such an emotional reaction to seeing her unconscious. He’s quick to call her name, run to her, and pick her up. This is the woman he wanted to be a hero for and this is a woman he swore he would protect, but when it came time for it, he came late. Imagine the feelings he has swirling inside of him at this point.

I am by no means romanticizing the anguish that Cloud is feeling at the sight of Tifa hurt, I just think that this scene is very telling of their relationship at the current time. He took so long to get to her that he was almost too late. Unfortunately, I think that this scene made him feel like he was even more of a burden, which was why he was so willing to run away before going to the Forgotten City for Marlene and Denzel.

Also, we know now that the flowers shown in this scene are a symbol of reunion, as explained in the Remake. It’s unfortunate that the first time they are reunited in the movie, Tifa is injured and Cloud suffers a geostigma attack, but given their situation, this scene is just a perfect representation of the hurt they’re feeling at seeing each other.

(CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW THEY’RE FACING EACH OTHER BY THE WAY?)

4.) After Cloud gets a “lecture” from Tifa, he starts to understand the error of his ways and it becomes a stepping stone for him to confront his feelings.

Let me start off by saying that Cloud waited for Tifa to wake up, instead of leaving her while she was unconscious. Does that seem like something he would do if he didn’t care for her?

Tifa’s words mean more to him than one can comprehend. If you think that she too harsh during the scene where she’s telling him not to live in the past, you have to realize that when she was hurt immensely by Cloud leaving, so she shouldn’t be expected to act like nothing happened at all. I don’t know how long Cloud had been gone for (because the timing was not specified), but it was long enough to leave an impact not only on Tifa, but Denzel and Marlene. She’s not only speaking for herself, she’s speaking on behalf of the others in their family that were hurt by his actions. You can’t blame her for being upset either because Cloud was telling Reno and Rude to save Denzel and Marlene instead of stepping up himself.

I hope you realize that Aerith and Zack didn’t want Cloud to keep feeling guilty over their deaths. If they were able to, they would be having this same conversation with him (which they did, might I add!!! Aerith quoted “Dilly dally, shilly shally” herself!!!) Yes, he is allowed to grieve for as long as he wants. Feelings are complex when you lose people close to you, but does that mean he can abandon his family at a time when they need him too? I know he also left because he felt he would be a burden because of his geostigma, but the conversation I’m focusing on is “Which is it? A memory or us?”

With all my rambling, you’re probably wondering “Why is Tifa getting upset with Cloud one of the defining moments of CloTi for her?” Well, my answer is that this whole conversation is just so raw and real. I’ve always been a sucker for domestic and realistic couples, where either character isn’t afraid to be honest with their partner. (SEE: Jackie Burkhart and Steven Hyde, Amy Santiago and Jake Peralta, Crowley and Aziraphale, Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt, and SO many more) It cannot be said that Cloud wasn’t being honest with Tifa because she was the first one he admitted all of his thoughts to. He opened up to her first, which helped him later on to confront his inner demons. Notice how he was able to talk to Aerith after he talked to Tifa.

Before you decide that Tifa is insignificant to the plot of both OG and ACC, remember that she is the reason that Cloud retained all his memories through the Lifestream and for ACC, as I mentioned before, she was the reason he was able to be honest about his thoughts, which helped him slowly come to terms with Aerith and Zack’s deaths, along with the insecurities about himself. She’s making him admit it and put it out there, so that it isn’t stuck inside himself.

A lot of you may have seen this as another reason to hate Tifa, for putting Cloud in his place, but this made me love her even more. Instead of allowing him to continue moping, she reminded him that he can’t be stuck in the past. Cloud needed that wake-up call more than anything.

Imagine if his geostigma hadn’t been cured. His last moments would be of him wallowing in his guilt instead of living life to the fullest with the people that were trying to be there for him.

That’s why I thought this scene was so important for CloTi. It was eye-opening and real and it reminded Cloud that there was more to life than himself.

5.) The fight with Bahamut Sin where Cloud acknowledges Tifa’s “dilly dally shilly shally” shows that he really took her words to heart and actually used it to confront his inner demons.

I know that the two scenes mentioned above were probably the most notable CloTi scenes in ACC, but let me bring this one up. In terms of favorites, this by far surpasses any other scene in the movie. Not just because of the CloTi content but because it’s when the group comes back together to defeat Bahamut Sin (and yes, I’m including how Aerith was there to give Cloud a boost as well!!)

Why is it my favorite? Let me break it down for you.

So Cloud comes at the last second to rescue both Tifa and Denzel. As Tifa hops onto the back of Cloud’s bike, he responds, “Sorry that it took me so long.”

Why is this important? Because it’s in response to Tifa saying, “You’re late” when he found her at the church. He never got to say that to her with everything going on, but during one of the most important battles they had and after forgiving himself, he immediately references it without a second thought. This scene just shows that he’s starting to take every lesson thrown at him to heart. Not just Tifa’s, but Aerith’s, Vincent’s, Marlene’s, and even Reno and Rude. He’s starting to acknowledge his mistakes and take responsibility for them, and most importantly, he’s not running away anymore.

Cloud: “Marlene will be safe. I took her home.”

Again, another reference to the church scene. Whether it was intentional or not, his first words to Tifa were a reply to her when she calls for Marlene.

THEN, it ends unprompted with Cloud saying, “I feel lighter. Maybe I lost some weight. All that dilly-dallying.”

I feel like I don’t have to explain that one. Who’s the one who told him that in the first place? Of course, he would bring that up to Tifa because she was the one who said it and believed in him all along.

I know, I’m probably overreacting from this scene, but I think it’s just powerful to have heavy references to the church scene because there were so many unspoken words between them at the church scene. So many missed moments and unfulfilled promises that were lost after Cloud ran away. He may not have made up for it, but by acknowledging her pain, he’s actively trying now. Even though things aren’t perfect, progress is just as important.

I always thought the message of this movie was moving forward, and forgive me if I’m reading too much into this, but I always interpreted geostigma as trauma.

How is everyone able to move on from all the repercussions that came from fighting on the planet? How is EVERYONE able to move on healthily from Aerith’s death? How can Cloud cope with Zack’s death? What happened to Sephiroth, Loz, Kadaj, and Yazoo when they failed to move on from the bitter feelings they felt? How is anything going to be solved if you aren’t able to move on and forgive yourself?

I personally think that even in the OG FF7, I had the belief that Tifa and Cloud had strong feelings for each other (that surpassed Cloud’s feelings for Aerith), but that’s my opinion of course. Even so, if the argument is that Aerith was meant to be the love interest for Cloud in OG FF7, I don’t see why ACC couldn’t be him moving on with his family after everything that’s happened. I keep hearing that “Aerith is allowed to move on from Zack because he died and she needs someone too,” but does that mean Cloud is forced to live in perpetual guilt, sorrow, and longing for her? I personally think that’s a major reason why ACC was created: because Cloud has every right to move forward in his life without feeling guilty and that’s okay (and I’m not just speaking in a romantic sense either). It’s obviously not confirmed that Cloud and Tifa are together in ACC because Square likes to keep it ambiguous, but the numerous times I’ve watched it, I’ve always just been under the impression that they were.

However, romance aside, I really think this movie is a great addition to the FF7 compilation. It deals with acceptance, forgiveness, coping, and moving on.

Anyway, I don’t know if any of this post makes sense, but I wanted my first post to be an explanation on my CloTi stance, especially based on one source that I consistently go back to. Please hop in my ask box with your thoughts on ACC, CloTi, the Seventh Heaven family, etc.

Any hateful comments will be addressed with accordingly, and may be deleted.

I don’t remember if Tumblr is anything like Twitter, where the names show up despite not being tagged, but please let me know! I’ll censor names that don’t have to do with CloTi if it’s clogging up posts for other ships or people.

Let it be known that I am NOT an anti for any character in the FF7 compilation other than Hojo.

All love is welcome!

#cloti #cloud and tifa #advent children

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sapphire-weapon · 4 years

Text

HEY UH

I DID A THING

MASSIVE FF7R SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT BUT THIS IS WORTH LOOKING AT IF YOU’VE BEATEN THE GAME

please read.

so y’all remember that scene right before the rufus fight when cloud chases sephiroth up the ladder to the very top of the shinra building? and then it flashes and it’s not sephiroth at all, but rather a man in a black cloak with the number 2 tattoo? and there’s that weird close-up of his face as though it’s significant?

well i flipped it right-side up, messed with the brightness, and rebalanced the colors a bit and

is that motherfucking zack???

because if you look at zack in the remake...

he has those same wisps of hair over his forehead. i couldn’t get a shot of zack at the same angle as that man in the black cloak pic, so it’s hard to tell if his mouth is the right size/shape, but the nose looks correct from that up-angle shot, as do his eyebrows.

and no matter what i did to try to rebalance the colors, the eyes of the man in the black cloak always jumped out as being a glowing blue/green. it’s probably hard to tell from the way tumblr resized it, but that’s a thing.

i’m old enough to remember a time when the OG was all we had -- when none of the compilation existed or was even announced to be a thing. back in the day, there was a very prominent theory that the man in the pipe in sector 5 in the OG was zack. aeris says that he passed out “somewhere nearby” and someone must have dragged him here. (remember, zack died right outside of midgar.) he also had tattoo number 2. he’s also the only NPC that aeris asks cloud outright, “can’t you help him?”

if hojo started work on sephiroth clones shortly after the nibelheim incident, it would make sense that zack would be number 2. (assuming that sephiroth was number 1, as he was the original soldier created in the jenova project.)

of course, that theory was eventually debunked, BUT. new game, new remake, new canon, new rules.

this man in the black cloak is the only one who makes meaningful eye contact with cloud in the remake. the remake also goes out of its way to really try to show us his face.

zack was a true first class soldier and had jenova cells injected in him by hojo. it would make sense that he would eventually lose his mind, just as everyone else in his position had.

so if the remake is establishing that zack lived though the attack on their way to midgar, are they now turning him into a man in a black cloak? so, sephiroth gave cloud the chance to unmake or redo one thing in the ending. cloud chose to save zack. but now zack is a man in a black cloak, so in the end, it reaffirms sephiroth’s position that cloud can’t save anybody.

if this is true, then i REALLY like the take on the monkey paw concept here. you get what you want, but not the way you want it. it’s a curse, not a blessing. which also kind of ties into the remake itself as a whole and a concept. we got what we wanted -- a FF7 remake -- but not the way we wanted it. and considering how meta square got with this concept through the whispers, this makes perfect thematic sense.

if i’m right, and i hope to god i am, then the remake is actually fucking brilliant.

am open to input/discussion about this. please share your thoughts. i could be way off base, so feel free to tell me if you think so (and why). but man. man wouldn’t it be cool?

#final fantasy vii remake #final fantasy vii remake spoilers #zack fair

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pastelcheckereddreams · 4 years

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A thought. When Zack was alive. What if he was saved by Tsung but under the condition that he stays away from Midgar but they will watch over Aerith. Which is why they are friendly to her instead if antagonistic in the OG.

Oh now that’s an interesting idea. I’m a bit conflicted about Tseng’s depiction in the Remake tbh. That’s not to say I don’t love the subtleties in his character, because even though he gets little screen time, he has this cloying temperament with Aerith that stands so at odds with his cooler, more straight-forward attitude towards Rude and Reno, and his deference to Rufus.

I wouldn’t say the Turks are friendly in the Remake, even though Rude clearly has a sweet spot for Aerith, and Reno (although he’s a dick about it) is serious about his responsibility over her. I find Tseng a little nauseating in the scenes with Aerith and Marlene tbh, and I love how complex it makes his character despite how little we see of him.

That said, Tseng in Crisis Core... I can see him saving Zack, hands down. Tseng of the Remake lacks compassion, I think. Or at least, that is how he’s portrayed to us so far.

(And I have to wonder at the lack of character development carried over from CC when it comes to the Turks. Square is happy to namedrop Kunsel, give us poster easter eggs, and work G- and S-cells into conversation, but Tseng’s sudden coldness? Reno’s lack of recognition of the Buster sword? I mean, yes these can be easily explained away... but I’m salty about it.)

I would love to see Tseng save Zack in an alternate timeline, though. I wonder what the conflict of interest would do to Tseng in that situation.

Imagine: he orders Reno and Rude to save Zack, and they find him in the Wastes just outside Midgar, having defeated the unit sent after him and Cloud. Does Zack trust them? How much do the Turks know about Hojo’s little projects? Does Tseng care for Zack enough to hide him without question, or does Zack have to convince him? Or... does Tseng save him for Aerith, because he’s been carrying around 89 letters for four years now, and even Tseng’s heart bleeds?

Maybe Tseng gives him the benefit of the doubt, and has Reno and Rude tail him instead, giving Zack time to get Cloud to safety - to Aerith. Aerith begs Tseng to protect Zack. Tseng asks what she’ll do in return, and Aerith is about to offer herself up, but Zack panics. He doesn’t know Aerith is an Ancient, but if Shinra wants her, it can’t be for anything good.

He’s about ready to throw hands because he’s just got Cloud away from Shinra and now they want Aerith?? Hell no. But then Tseng looks at him and says, “Maybe there’s something else you can do for us. There’s a group we’ve been trying to find for a while, based somewhere in the Sector 7 slums.They call themselves AVALANCHE.”

I would read the shit out of that fanfic, please and thank you.

#ask #character analysis #for the theory blog #nikkiwrites #fic prompt #fic idea #fanfic prompt #fanfic idea #ff7 tseng #zack fair #aerith gainsborough #ff7 cc #ff7r #ff7 remake spoilers #ff7r spoilers #ff7 crisis core

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scatterpatter · 4 years

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Some expanded thoughts on FF7R under the cut [SPOILERS]

So! Overall I freaking LOVED the remake and I can’t wait to see the rest! Midgar feels so alive and expanded, you really feel attached to everyone, it’s... muah! Honestly a lot of the points I’m gonna make are more nitpicks than anything. I won’t make any commentary on the gameplay because I watched a let’s play instead of playing by myself(im broke and cant afford a PS4 and $60 game >_>)

So the designs are GORGEOUS... no, the entire GAME is gorgeous. Midgar looks so good and detailed, there’s so much great implementation of color theory! Cloud is sooooo good looking!!! Barret and Aerith and Sephiroth are all GORGEOUS! Reno Rude Tseng and Rufus.. AAAA!!! The only slight complain I have is that- okay so Tifa looks AWESOME, but I honestly wish she wasn’t so skinny. Like she’s a melee fighter, but her waist and arms are so thin! I wish they gave her a bit more tone and muscle, but, oh well. I honestly can’t stop staring at the character models they look SO good

Plot-wise, I really like most of the changes/additions they made! Especially with Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie. They’re wonderful and I love them and did I mention that I love them because they’re just so dorky!!! And good!!!

Honestly, I like that Aerith is actually written to be likeable. I know that doesn’t seem like much but a lot of games fall into the trap of telling you that you’re supposed to like the female protag(looking at you, Breath of the Wild) or tell you that she’s a strong character, but they fail to show that, so the player feels like they’re just being told to get attached. Aerith, though, is actually really likeable in this game!!! She’s cute and down-to-earth, really dorky and even snarky, easily seeing past Cloud’s tough-guy act, and she can fight! It’s just so nice to see a game that shows a strong female protag instead of just telling you.

Legit everyone is horny for Cloud and I’m so here for it

Okay so like. I love Roche. I didn’t at first but he quickly grew on me. He’s so awfully chaotic and I just- I love him. I’m mad that he was just kinda forgotten, though. Like! He could’ve shown up at the ending chase!!!

THEY REALLY WROTE HOJO TO BE AS CREEPY AS POSSIBLE HUH. Like I’m not complaining because like he’s basically the reason why everything happened, but! Ahhhh he makes me squirm he’s a creep with a gross science fetish and I wanna stab himmmmm

Okay so. President Shinra is a little bit TOO stereotypically evil? Like having a gold statue of himself and not even caring about sabotaging one of his own reactors when one little console gets destroyed??? Like it’s almost comical how evil he’s written to be. Though, I do like the scene where he calls Barret out on his ideals, that was neat!

Nowww, Heidegger Scarlet Palmer and Reeve? MUAH. Heidegger and Scarlet are written so sadistically but like in such a likeable way, especially Heidegger. God I hate them both but you just love to hate them!!! Palmer is HILARIOUS- I love how he’s written to be the spoiled kid whose parents forced the other kids to include him so he’s just there even though he doesn’t do anything. And Reeve? Well...

SO REEVE IS MY FAVORITE ATM SINCE WE DON’T HAVE VINCENT YET, AND REEVE IS JUST... <3 <3 <3 Okay so first off, his design is perfect. He doesn’t really stand out in the same way that Heidegger Scarlet and Palmer do. He just has a normal build, normal suit, normal hair slicked back- he just looks like a normal employee, totally inconspicuous... which is very fitting considering how he ends up being undercover and needs to look inconspicuous ;)

Though Reeve shows clear signs of overworking himself and being emotionally abused by his coworkers which... sucks. I mean it’s good writing but I feel so awful for him- Like you know it’s bad when someone just has to hold up a hand to get you to shut up and sit down. I like that he tries to do good things but steps down when he’s told to, that he’s empathetic but cowardly. It does a great job at setting up his character arc in future chapters <3

Okay so one thing- I thought the build-up for the plate dropping was amazing, but honestly... the plate itself falling was slightly underwhelming, to be completely honest. Like- I just didn’t feel the impact that a plate falling would have! Mainly because, you don’t see a single death which is interesting. Like you see people running from falling debris, but legit not a single death is implied. Honestly? I thought the scene would have been far more impactful if they showed:

Seventh Heaven actually being destroyed

The people topside reacting to the ground beneath them collapsing and them falling to their deaths(They only tried to evacuate Sector 7 slums! Not the topside!!!)

More people actually being implied to have been crushed(No, Im not counting Wedge). Like in the original FF7 there’s a scene where someone’s watching tv and you see the plate falling from outside the window- and there’s a reporter just doing his normal shit before he suddenly looks up and things go to static- like- thats an intense scene and I wish the remake did more stuff like that!

They do great showing people REACTING to the plate falling which is why its so appalling to me that they dont show much of the actual devastation DURING plate fall

I LOVE that Cait Sith shows up at the plate falling! It shows that Reeve actually tried to warn people(something he asked to do and was denied earlier), even if he was too late. The only problem I have is that new players who dont know who Cait Sith is will be horribly confused as to who and why he’s there???

Also, when the crew goes back to Sector 7, you don’t really... feel the impact right away. Keep in mind, an entire section of city just fell onto another section of city WITH the supports holding it up, there should have been way more rubble. Yet, the area where Seventh Heaven is just... looks like it was hit with a major earthquake. There should be way more rubble, like mountains of it. It’s weird since the opening cinematic really captures the scope of how huge Midgar is, but the plate falling just doesn’t really show the scope of how much devastation there was to losing an entire plate.

The scope of it is done a bit better when climbing up Sector 7, but I still feel like the weight and scope of destruction isn’t lived up to its full potential.

Okay so- Wedge and Biggs. ... Yeah, it takes away from the impact of their deaths to have them not die. I mean, I can’t make a total opinion on this just yet, because the other parts haven’t come out yet, but... if FF7R is gonna keep them alive, they better have a good reason for it tbh.

They might have done a little bit too much foreshadowing with Cloud and Aerith? Like I like Cloud having memory issues, it’s kept pretty vague... but him going “Mother?” with Jenova is a little bit too spoiler-y. Like yeah you gotta tease his whole thing but like- don’t give it away this soon!!!

I also don’t mind Seph showing up as much as he does. Like, in the original, you don’t even hear about him until close to the end of the Midgar arc. Obvi since the remake ONLY covers the Midgar arc so far, I totally understand bringing him in sooner. Again, having the clones existing might be a little too spoilery for the big twists later on, but I can let it slide since it’s still treated as very “wtf” and I’m sure anyone new to the story hasn’t put it together yet.

Did I mention how much I love Seph he’s so creepy and his eyes are gorgeous and he’s so intimidating by just being there

And the Whispers... I honestly didn’t like them. I kept forgetting that they existed honestly. They just feel so... detached from the plot. I don’t mind adding new content/story, but the Whispers just... didn’t feel well-implemented. They also felt really campy towards the end. Like, the fact that they could un-stab Barret and shield Avalanche from car accidents while they were escaping? They were legit like “no you can’t die even if you tried because fate” and takes away any tension of the scene because... well, they know they cant die.

That being said, the ending was interesting. I uh. It was interesting! So they actually defeat fate itself in order to change... who knows what. The future, maybe even the past??? I’ve got many thoughts on this

If the future is changed, that can be exciting since people who know the original’s plot won’t know what’s gonna happen next so like- okay!

If the past was changed... y’all know I’m talking about Zack. Was fate changed so that he could live? Keep in mind, we see Whispers surrounding Midgar before they dissipate and Zack’s like “ohey did I get all of em?”, implying that fate would have forbade Zack from ever getting to Midgar. Having the team defeat fate means... Zack may have now reached Midgar.

Is alternate reality/timeline stuff going to happen now???

Cloud’s character revolves around Zack dying. What’ll happen to Cloud now???

I feel so bad for people new to the plot who don’t know who Zack is.

Nomura... you madman.

So with the ending... Nomura and Squenix is setting something up. They’re going for something huge. I uh. I fear, honestly! Because this could very likely get WAY too ambitious and WAY too confusing(Think Dream Drop Distance’s bullshit plot), and could totally fall on its face and end up being Squenix’s biggest flop of all time. But... if this succeeds and they actually pull off whatever they’re trying to pull... holy shit. I would be floored.

I honestly am a bit afraid that the plot will be too confusing for new players. Like- no one would know whats going on with Zack unless they knew the original plot, so like while this would be a great game for FF7 fans, I’m really worried that it won’t be a good game for people new to the series.

Cloud in a dress is the greatest thing and I’m so happy they kept that scene I love him so much the entire scene is so queer <3

But overall, despite some nitpicks, it was a SUPER SOLID game and I’m soooo hype to see where they go with it! I wanna see Cait and Yuffie and Cid and Vincent!!!!!!!!!

#ff7r #I RAMBLE A LOT #ff7r spoilers

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cloudstriffes · 4 years

Text

Final Fantasy VII Remake Review

I’ve officially finished the game and I have soooo many thoughts and theories and emotions, so imma jump right in about what I loved, what I wanted more of, what I disliked and what I want to see for part 2. This is gonna be long, but Spoilers below the cut! (also I am not including anything about ships in this)

What I enjoyed/loved:

Characters:

Like with FFXV, I think this games biggest strengths lie with it’s characters (unlike FFXV, I think the story has the potential to be strong too, but I’ll get to that later).

It goes without saying that for me this is the best characterization of Cloud Strife since the original game. I really love the character development we see with him just within part one (we see him go from lovable jerk to really caring about his companions and making the effort to listen to them and comfort them, even if it’s not easy for him and he struggles a lot). I really have a soft spot for characters like that and I think it’s done really well here.

Tifa Lockhart is BEST GIRL! I have so much love for this girl and she’s hands down my favorite to play as (I even made her the leader in the fights because I can don’t @ me). Tifa shows that you can have your cake and eat it too, in that she can be gentle, considerate, kind, and even shy at times, but she still takes names and kicks butt; she doesn’t have to sacrifice who she really is to be considered a bad*ss female character. I think her character is greatly expanded on here than in the original and we get to see just how everything affects her and not just Cloud (which is important since they have been through a lot of the same traumatizing events).

I always thought Barret Wallace was an interesting character, especially seeing his backstory in the original game (something I can’t wait for in the next installment). Here, it’s down 10x better and I love every second he’s on screen. I’m very excited to see how that Black and White morality view he has on the world will be broken down and really put a strain on how he view himself and the things he’s done. I also adore to the heavens his relationship with little Marlene. Also the way he starts to Dad towards Cloud 😭😭😭

Now on the the best character of the entire game. Mere words cannot express how much I adore Aerith Gainsborough. Her characterization is a god-send that I definitely wouldn’t have appreciated had I not looked into other FFVII properties and saw the disservice they do to her. Fortunately for us, in Remake, Aeirth is everything we originally loved about her and more. She’s got a mischievous and sassy side that I adore and just love how she plays off of Cloud. Their interactions were so sweet and genuine and got quite a few laughs out of me.

Other characters:

Um where to start. First of all, Avalanche. I can relate to Jessie on spiritual level because I too thirst for Cloud Strife. All said and done though, he characterization is great and she’s a lot of fun. Her backstory is good too and her relationship with the rest of Avalanche is very genuine. And I love Biggs and Wedge with all my heart. I overall think the expanded character development for these 3 is spot on and really makes their “deaths” hit hard.

Marlene Wallace is a precious baby and I can cry all day about how precious her scenes with Barret are😭😭😭😭

Red XIII is the best boy and he’s hilarious. I can’t wait to delve more into his backstory when we get to Cosmo Canyon.

The Side characters in Wall Market are some of the best in the game. They're all interesting and I really hope we see more of them.

I hate everyone at Shinra HQ but also Reeve is a good boy, but also screw Hojo x10, but also Scarlet can step on me, but also THE TURKS (where tf is Elena😭), but also SCREW HOJO, bust also that Kunsel/Crisis Core reference tho, but also Rufus Shinra CAN GET IT.

I said it before, but Sephiroth is actually very intimidating (not that he wasn’t in his other appearances, especially Advent Children) but hoo boy, the way we actually see how it terrifies Cloud really makes it stick for me. Sephiroth can get it too don’t @ me.

Story/Other:

I know a lot of long-time and even recent fans won’t agree, but I thought the story was very, very good. Don’t get me wrong, it’s flawed, but would I have honestly been happy with a shot-for-shot high definition update with some expansion here and there? Yeah probably, but I know how that story goes.

I think doing a complete 180 to the story we know is a huge risk that I have hopes will pay off. I really love the idea that by changing fates of certain characters for the better (ie. Zack, Biggs, maybe Jessie and Wedge), Cloud and the others may have doomed themselves to an even worse fate with Sephiroth and I absolutely love that I don’t know where it’s going to go from here. I mean, I sure we’ll still get our fan favorites like Costa del Sol, the Gold Saucer, Yuffie, Vincent, Cid and ELENA, but we’re in for so many twist and turns and whatever the heck Zack being alive will do to the universe (or alternate universe? Idk I have theories).

My favorite areas in the game were the Sector 7 Slums, Aerith’s House, Wall Market, the Collapsed Expressway and Shinra HQ.

I think the voice acting is good, and for some character’s it’s great. The main cast (Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret, Red XII and Avalanche) is VERY GOOD and the major side characters are good too. I already know there is discourse about Sephiroth and Zack’s English VA’s so I’m not sharing my opinion right now on that.

Also the soundtrack is god-tier. I cannot stop listening to “Hollow” and hearing updated renditions of tracks from the original soundtrack somehow made me nostalgic for a game I only started playing last year. It’s top-notch imo.

What I didn’t like:

There’s nothing in the game I genuinely hated to the point where it ruined things for me.

I did enjoyed the second half of the sidequest for Sector 5 Slums (when you have Tifa and Barret back in your party), but the other sidequest were either annoying or hit and miss.

There’s also the issue with padding and certain areas seeming to go on forever. I really liked the Train Graveyard, for the first 20 minutes and after that it kinda dragged on too long for me (we had like two major boss fights in that one area😩) especially when the next major story part was the drop of the Sector 7 plate. I did love the little scene with Aerith waiting to be found; that was really good.

I also am confused about the back and forth about how much Aerith may know about her and the others’ fates. At times, it seems like she knows much more than she’s letting on and other times, she either really doesn’t know or she subconsciously is aware of something, but I guess it’s to be revealed.

Enough people have commented about the graphics and npcs in certain scenes (you know what I mean) so imma just say that at best it’s hilarious and at worse it’s very distracting.

What I want to see next and my overall rating for part 1:

As expressed before, I’m excited to see how much the story diverges and if the Arbiters of fate are really gone. I just feel like there’s more than Sephiroth pulling the strings here, but who knows. I also can’t wait for more references to Crisis Core (if ya’ll show me Kunsel I’ll cry) and I definitely hope we get more scenes of Zack and Cloud in the, I guess, alternate reality? Also playable Red XIII and If ya’ll think i’m thirsty for the characters in this game, just want until Vincent freakin’ Valentine shows up.

All and all, I think I can confidently rate part one with a solid 9/10. It’s flawed, but it’s going in such an unexpected direction I didn’t anticipate that I’m left hungry for more. The characters are stellar and the expansion of certain parts of the game is amazing. I cannot wait for part two guys. I hope you all found something to enjoy too. Now I’m in the process of replaying it along with some other games I need to finish. I’ll still be tagging spoilers for now (ffvii remake spoilers)

#ffvii remake spoilers #ffviir #final fantasy vii remake #final fantasy vii #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #sephiroth #barret wallace #aerith gainsborough #ffvii #games #final fantasy #*c.r post*

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theangelssecondwing · 4 years

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Chapter 16

The party ended fairly quickly after what happened. I clung to Sephiroth, my head lowered, and tried to block out the judgemental stares of the other guests. Just waiting for the evening to be over. Then I would have to explain to Sephiroth what the plan was and see what he had to say to that.

It was all going so fast. Before I knew it, I sat on the backseat of Rufus‘ private limousine, looking out into the darkness of the city through tinted windows.

„So what is that plan you‘ve been talking about?“, Sephiroth finally asked.

I bit my lip and looked over to Rufus, who kept his eyes on the road. He had chosen not to let his chauffeur drive us because he was on President Shinra‘s payroll and thus couldn‘t be trusted. „You‘re going to get married.“

„Wait, what?“ Sephiroth looked from me to Rufus and back again. „That‘s more than just a bit sudden.“

„I‘m sorry“, I sighed. „Rufus said it would be a good idea to get legally married. Just to cover our bases. So he‘s taking us to the courthouse.“ I bit my lip and met his gaze. „You don‘t have to… do this, if you don‘t want to.“

Sephiroth was quiet for a long moment before answering:„I want to. I just wish the circumstances were better.“

„Me too.“ I leaned my head on his shoulder and entwined my hand with his. „I mean I never wanted a big wedding. But something small and intimate with our friends there to celebrate with us...“

He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. „We‘ll have a proper wedding reception once all of this is over. Once Genesis is safe and we‘ve got Shinra off our backs. I promise.“ Then he paused. „...We don‘t even have rings.“

„You don‘t even have to see it as a wedding if you don‘t want to“, Rufus reminded us. „Though it will legally count as one.“

I bit my lip. Damn, I must have sounded really ungrateful to him. „I‘m so sorry, Rufus.“

„It‘s okay. I know that this whole situation is far from ideal.“ And finally, he stopped the car in front of the courthouse. „I‘ve made some calls during the party. The people inside have been informed. All you really need to do is to say ‚I do‘ and sign the paperwork.“

We got out of the car and Rufus walked ahead. I wanted to follow, but Sephiroth held me back. „Wait. There‘s something I need to tell you. Before we… ‚Say I Do and sign the paperwork‘, as Rufus put it.“ He looked slightly uncomfortable, his eyes darting around and focussing on anything but me. „I probably should have told you earlier. I don‘t know if it would have changed anything, but you deserve to know.“

„About what?“, I asked.

He sighed, taking my hands in his. „Do you remember how I told you that I had a few flings in my teens?“

„Yes, I remember.“

Sephiroth looked off to the side. „...Justine was one of those flings. That‘s why she is even more obsessed with me than the… average obsessed fan. I made it absolutely clear to her that it was just a single night. I told her that before sleeping with her, in no uncertain terms. And once we were done, she started talking about marriage. How amazing and special it was to her, and so on and so forth. And in what was admittedly not my best moment, I just got up and walked out on her while she was mid-sentence.“

I looked into his eyes. „Why are you telling me this now?“

„Because we are about to be legally bound to each other. And I don‘t want there to be any secrets between us. Especially if the secrets in question caused you to be aussaulted several times. And I hope it doesn‘t make you think any less of me.“

„Well. As you said. Not your best moment. But we all made mistakes when we were teenagers. And she is the one who tried to force a relationship despite you not being interested. You set the necessary boundaries, and she chose to try and ignore them.“

Sephiroth smiled and kissed me. „Come on. We don‘t want to be late to our own wedding.“

Rufus was already impatiently tapping his foot when we finally entered the courthouse. „What took you so long? Did you get cold feet?“

„No“, Sephiroth replied. „We just had to set the record straight on something.“ Rufus looked at us for a moment and then sighed. „Alright then.“

The officiant, a pleasant looking woman in her forties, approached us. „Ms. Hunter and Mr…. Uh… Sephiroth… your guests are already waiting. If you would please follow me...“

She brought us into a small room that was almost entirely filled by a big table. Two seats were decorated with candles, rose petals and a beautifully decorated pen to sign the paperwork with; so that‘s where we sat down. Zack, Angeal and Yui sat a few seats away from us, their smiles looking slightly strained. I noticed that there was an empty chair between Yui and Angeal, and before I could ask about it, the door to the room opened and Genesis stepped in as if he hadn‘t gone rogue and attacked the Shinra building just a month ago. He took the seat between Yui and Zack, his wing folded so it wasn‘t in the way, and crossed his arms. His hair was now entirely white, and his skin looked like cracked marble. Pale and brittle. But he was smiling, and so was Yui. „Sorry for being late. I had to make sure nobody saw me.“

Sephiroth chuckled. „It‘s good to have you here, Genesis.“

The officiant, who had stared at our last arriving guest with horror for a moment, delicately cleared her throat. „Well, as you all know, we are gathered here today to join Ms. Cora Hunter and Mr. Sephiroth, to allow them to become the family they wish to be, in the eyes of the law and the people. To be each other‘s safe haven, to be bound in both love and duty, to grow and enrich each other‘s lives. So I now ask you: Do you, Cora Hunter, take Sephiroth as your lawfully wedded husband?“

I tried to remind myself that this was just for safety and we weren‘t going to treat it like a marriage. But I choked up and whispered a barely audible:„I do.“

„Sephiroth, do you take Cora Hunter to be your lawfully wedded wife?“

He looked over to me, a small smile tugging at his lips. „I do.“

The officiant slid the necessary paperwork over to us. „Then please sign this with the surname you intend to use as a married couple.“ She smiled. „And you can of course feel free to kiss your bride.“

Sephiroth grabbed the pen provided and wrote „Sephiroth Hunter“ at the bottom of the sheet. Then he slid it over to me. I stared at his signature for a moment. Right, why hadn‘t I thought of this before? Sephiroth technically didn‘t have a surname, so he kind of had to take mine, now that we were…. Married.

I took a deep breath, signed with my full name and then slid the papers over to Rufus so he could sign as a witness. And once I had done so, Sephiroth cupped my cheek and guided me into a gentle kiss.

„I love you.“

„I love you too.“

The officiant cleared her throat once more. „I wish you all the best for your future together. Whatever it may look like.“

I took a deep, relieved breath once we got out of the courthouse. Then I turned to Genesis. „I‘m so glad you came, Genesis.“

„There is no way I would miss Sephiroth‘s wedding. Though I must say it pretty anticlimactic. I kind of imagined a wedding between a the great hero Sephiroth and a member of Midgar‘s upper crust to be a bit more… lavish. And involve a lot of planning.“

I sighed and looked at our gathered freinds. „I think we should give Genesis a bit of a summary of what happened these last few days.“

„We can do that on our way out of the city“, Rufus said and ushered all of us towards the car. „I‘ve already made all of the necessary preparations, and we can‘t risk going back and being caught by my father‘s goons. Pretty sure he already figured out what we were planning.“

„What about my dad?“, I asked again. „He‘s still in the Shinra building, right? What if they decide hold him hostage?“

„Your father is alright“, Rufus replied. „I already had someone pick him up and take him somewhere where my father won‘t find him that quickly. I promised to keep him safe, didn‘t I? Now you just have to repay me by keeping yourself safe. That‘s the whole point of all of this. Now get in the car.“

#The Angel's Second Wing #fanfiction #selfship fic

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