#Sephiroth really trying not to stab Cloud back

[soulsfractured]

[SHARPENED] puppet cloud to seph 🤭

Horrors | Accepting

Sephiroth could feel the nausea building up as Cloud lunged at him. He saw the dullness in the blonde's eyes, the way he threw himself single mindely forward. His own blade came up to block it as he twisted away, with just enough speed to avoid being stabbed- it didn't quite stop him from getting cut, but he was more concerned with snapping Cloud out of his daze before anything else.

Shifting his footing he shoved back, pushing the blonde away from him. "That is enough." He said sharply. He could still feel the sting from when he'd been stabbed back in Nibelheim, and the blood starting to soak his clothes was only serving as a reminder to it. If only he didn't take Cloud lightly, this wouldn't be the case.

"I am not your enemy here, Cloud." He tried to reason, moving once more into a defensive position, sharp gaze focused on the opponent in front of him. "Listen to me." It wasn't going to be that simple- Jenova's influence was powerful, he'd barely been able to fight it off himself and even still had problems with it. But he didn't want to cause serious harm- that would just cause more problems.

[demialwrites]

Dating a chocobo jockey reader

w/ Reno, Sephiroth, Rufus, Rude, & Cloud

Reno

He may not have been interested in the details of chocobo racing before you started dating but he becomes your loudest fan during your races

He will get in several fights with spectators who bet against you while being especially obnoxious. He doesn't start the verbal part of the fights but he can't help escalating them with threats

You have to ask him to simmer down in the future. As much as you appreciate (and are amused by) his support, you can't get in trouble because of his behaviour

He gets really pouty sometimes because he could be spending more time with you or watching your races if it wasn't for his job

He also is unhappy when your free time doesn't match up with his

When you do meet up after a race, he likes the more exciting attractions at the Gold Saucer, with some drinking and greasy takeout after in the inn at Ghost Square (might as well take advantage of the activities available nearby while you have the time, right?)

After getting a few drinks deep, he will make cheesy jokes that you should ride him in bed

Sephiroth (pre-Nibelheim)

He has as little time as Reno but he will hang around in disguise in the back to catch your races

He initially uses a disguise all in black, on repeat, until you point out that it still draws stares because of his height and standoffish aura. He doesn't like hearing that but it lets you help him pick out clothes (like hoodies and hats in different colours), which he secretly treasures

He could get VIP seats to watch you but he doesn't like to use his Shinra connections like that. Plus, the company would have concrete proof of his whereabouts

His favourite activities at the Gold Saucer involve using his strength or reflexes but he is curious about your favourites, too. He has quite a few top high scores under a pseudonym in various games

He also joins you at the inn, mostly for the privacy it affords the both of you

He is amused by the Tonberry humidifier because of the stabbing knife

Give him a shed chocobo feather from one of your races and he will tuck it in his clothes to take on missions

Rufus

Be careful with this one because he will try to become your part-time manager

He doesn't understand if you refuse to let him buy you the best equipment. You already have the skills so why not let money help you the rest of the way, just like him? His opinion is the more wins the better

Either way, he confidently brags that you're the best and everyone takes him at his word whether it's true or not (he's not above lying)

He prefers to bet on you but likes winning more, even if he doesn't need the money. He can always spend the winnings on you, anyway

Unlike Sephiroth, he always uses the company to get private space for himself and the best room at the inn, if that's where you want to spend time

If you drink together at the inn, expect him to try and initiate sex

Rude

He waits for you after a race with a bouquet of flowers. If he has the time, he'll want to impress you with his skills at the games at the Gold Saucer

The only one of the Turks that asks you for a date on the Skywheel. It's a little awkward at first because he's a quiet person but it still brings you closer together

Is very protective of you if there's ever drama between you and the other jockeys. Sometimes there's highschool-like drama and he would want to intimidate the person causing you trouble

He absolutely backs off if you catch him doing it and get upset. That's not to say that you're unaware of his ability to do some serious damage

You know Reno almost as well as Rude sometimes. Partially because Reno is important to Rude but also because Reno talks way more. Rude would be happy if you two got along

Cloud

He is the one who best understands your job out of everyone, although you're slightly better than him because of the gap in experience

He may not cheer very loudly for you but he is quietly very invested in what happens during your races

Always down to talk shit with you about the other jockeys

Something tells you that he has been hanging around the Gold Saucer more often since you started dating because he has a growing collection of plush prizes. Sometimes, he gives you one he thinks you might like

He comes alive the most when he is invited to fight in the area. When you have a fight and a race scheduled on the same day, you both win because you feed off each other's energy without even speaking

In a perfect world, you would have wanted to settle down and start a chocobo ranch with him

[rottenpumpkin13]

Enough pain and suffering for us readers! 💔 Lets do something to make the boys suffer and us laugh!

AGSZC (and maybe Kunsel and Tseng too cause I wanna see that) get hooked up to these period cramp simulators. What happens? Are Aerith and Cissnei watching and laughing their asses off?

*Cissnei sets the pain level on one*

Sephiroth: Alright.

*Cissnei sets the pain level on two*

Sephiroth: Alright.

*Cissnei sets the pain level on three*

Sephiroth: Alright.

*Cissnei sets the pain level on four*

Sephiroth: Alright.

*Cissnei sets the pain level on five*

Sephiroth:

Cissnei: Are you doing okay?

Sephiroth: Yes, my mother is holding my hand.

Cissnei: ??? there's no one there.

Sephiroth: I began hallucinating at two.

-

Aerith: Can I turn it on now?

Zack: Go ahead! But I'm warning you, us SOLDIERs are trained to endure—AH AH IT HURTS. HELP.

*Zack faints*

Aerith:

Aerith: I didn't even turn it on.

-

*Angeal is enduring the machine hooked to his abdomen*

Cissnei: Are you handling it well?

Angeal: Yes, my pain tolerance is very high.

Cissnei: You're shaking.

Angeal: I'm excited.

Cissnei: You're sweating.

Angeal: It's humid.

Cissnei: You're only at a three.

Angeal:

Cissnei: Since you're taking it so well, maybe I can try cranking it up to four—

Angeal: NO.

-

*Cloud is comfortably enduring it at eight*

Aerith: Wow. You're doing really well!

Cloud: Huh? I thought you hadn't turned it on yet.

Aerith: !!!????

-

Cissnei: Tell me when to turn it on.

Tseng: You can go ahead. I've been stabbed in the stomach before, so feel free to set it on maximum. I know what to expect.

Cissnei: Really? Okay.

*Cissnei turns it on one*

Tseng: AH! YOU SEE? IT'S EXACTLY LIKE BEING STABBED.

-

*Genesis lost his voice, Sephiroth is communicating for him*

Aerith: How high does he want it?

Sephiroth: Genesis has a very high pain tolerance and is revered for it. You have no idea what this man can endure.

*Genesis starts furiously shaking his head*

Sephiroth: Shaking one's head is a gesture of confirmation back in banora.

Genesis: !!

Aerith: Okay!

Sephiroth: He wants it on ten.

Aerith: So brave!

*Genesis starts trying to get away*

Sephiroth: His body cannot contain the excitement.

*Aerith turns it on ten*

Genesis: HELP

Sephiroth: It's a miracle.

[thevanillerose]

SLICE | YANDERE!SEPHIROTH x READER | FFVII

~ WRITING COMMISSIONS ~ ~ PATREON ~ ~ KO-FI ~

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not own anything except my own writing. All properties belong to their respective creators.

Author Note: It’s time. I have to write about HIM.

Honestly though, Remake/Rebirth really turned me on to what a hottie Sephiroth is. I finally get it…

CONTENT WARNING: Unhealthy Relationships / Violence / Non-con NSFW

“Poor little thing…”

The point of Sephiroth’s silver blade dug deeply into your shoulder, pinning you haplessly to the ground with no chance to escape. If you tried to jerk or move away, the weapon would only pull harshly through your flesh and rend it open into a bleeding, gaping wound.

If your arm got too messed up, then you’d really be helpless. Though as it stood, it was already looking very bad for you. Sephiroth totally had the upper hand, and then some.

Did he intend to kill you? Well…that was where things got a touch more complicated.

He’d already killed your friends. Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Yuffie, Red XIII, Aerith…everyone…all of them…

They lay strewn and deceased around you, seeping scarlet red blood in growing pools against the temple floor. Above you, the ultimate enemy loomed, the cold breeze running through his long silver locks, flowing gently from his back. His impossibly long sword had stabbed its way into you, his final victim, while you had been trying to crawl to escape.

“You fought so well. And yet, here you fail.” he spoke in a deep and taunting tone, his words purred out past his lips. His Mako-infused eyes were focused on your pained, tormented face. He twisted his blade to the side just to see you squirm and hear you scream.

“D-don’t kill me! PLEASE!”

That desperate, panicked begging was something he had been longing to hear from you. But what a fool you were. Did you think he actually would?

That he would actually kill you?

“...Do you believe that I will?” he asked, his tone taunting and teasing, turning his sword like an oversized key in a tender lock all the while, “Do you believe I would want to kill you?”

You were rendered speechless by both the pain, and his words. You didn’t understand.

“I…” was all you could manage, a little choking start to a sentence before he suddenly, with surprising fervor, yanked the blade back out of your shoulder. Fresh blood splattered and sprayed from the slice he’d made in your delicate skin, and you rolled over, clutching yourself desperately.

“More foolish than I thought…”

Sephiroth began pacing in a slow and menacing circle around where you lay curled up and trembling. He wiped your blood from his blade, but left a little to slide his fingertips against, raising his black-gloved hand up to his eyeline, holding it level, rubbing the red between his thumb and forefinger where it sat so darkly.

“You didn’t consider that perhaps, I was doing all of this in order to claim you? As my own?”

Maybe it was because the agonizing pain made quite the distraction, but his words didn’t make any sense to you. You were totally lost. What did he even mean? Claim you? In what way?? What the hell was he talking about?

“P-please let me go…” you whimpered against the floor, tears rolling from cheek to cheek and pooling with the blood that had run down in rivulets from your shoulder. Your tormentor tutted, coming to a stop where he was standing right in front of your fallen face.

“And deny myself what I’ve always wanted? Since I first saw you in Nibelheim? I hardly think so…”

The two of you definitely had history. It was in your youth when you had first appeared to one another, him once a renowned SOLDIER, you, the pretty local girl, someone who Cloud had actually fallen for, but who Sephiroth truly desired. 

It had taken quite some time to reach the stage where he might actually be able to finally have you. But every step had been worth it in his eyes. And now, all the distractions, all the objects which might stand in his way, were laying dead around you.

“...I…I don’t want to be yours…” you gasped, and felt a slight gust against your skin, before his hand came down sharply and snatched around your tender neck, yanking you up from the floor until you were dangling helplessly above the stone.

With a slight squeeze, he stopped you from talking. He didn’t want to hear you say things like that. Enough of it.

“Whose will you be then? Cloud’s?” Sephiroth gestured over to the body a few meters away, the fluffy quaff of blonde hair a giveaway, a dead one, who it was. You felt sick just looking, and tried to turn your head away, shut your eyes, something. Instead, he let your feet back down to the ground, but only so he could flip you around and position you with your back to his tall chest.

He pinned you tight against his body, slipping his hand up beneath your chin and using his hold to grip and keep your face turned straight forward, looking right at the boy who had once protected you with all he had, but ultimately failed in the end.

Sephiroth used his free hand to cup some strands away from your ear, brushing them back and leaning down to whisper into it in a low and menacing tone, his breath feeling sharp and cold against your skin, drawing up the tiniest little hairs in response.

“I don’t think that will be possible anymore…”

Your trembling hands reached up to clutch his wrists, wishing you had the strength to pull him away from you. If you were going to die here anyway, then at least, you wanted to die without his hands all over you.

He only laughed at your efforts, softly, mockingly, finding it cute that you were even trying. 

“M-my shoulder…” you moaned with pain from being pressed against him like this.

“I’ll treat it.” Sephiroth’s lips brushed chastely against your cheek, in something close to a kiss, “I’ll spare you. I’ll care for you…and you’ll never want for anything again. I’ll ensure it.”

Tears began to well and flow from your desperate eyes.

“You’ll kill me…if I refuse?”

The eerie silence that followed was all the answer you needed. 

Swallowing thickly and nervously, you shook your head with a gentle whimper. As much as it hurt, and as scared as you were to die, how could you surrender yourself to him while the carcasses of your friends, and the ruins of all they fought for, surrounded you? You’d never be able to forgive yourself.

In response, despite still smiling slightly and smugly, Sephiroth showed his anger. His hold on your shoulder tightened considerably, and you squeaked as the pressure drew forth a fresh flow of blood, running down the length of your arm. It felt like he was practically digging his fingers into the wound, the pain amped up to 1000% again.

“AAHH!!”

You shrieked and squirmed against him, as he refused to let you go, and only spoke in a warning tone:

“You misunderstand, [Y/N]. Killing you is an absolute last resort. If you refuse me…I have ways of making you concede…”

The way his hand moved down your side was, again, answer enough. His gloved touch traced gradually, slowly, agonizingly along your skin, gracing it bare through the tears and shreds in your outfit. It was both electrifying and terrifying, in equal parts. Choking out a sob, you practically curled into him as he slipped his hand closer to your most sensitive spot.

It was easy for him to push his hand down past your belt, and wrap it around your mound, one taunting finger at a time. A simple squeeze and you weakened.

I have no choice…

I’m sorry…

Because what he would do to you if you refused was worse…

Like my writing? I can write for you! Check out my WRITING COMMISSIONS!

[strelitzia-mystery1097]

My FF7R Part 3 theory

*spoilers for FF7, FF7 Rebirth, etc*

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

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

He underestimated Cloud.

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

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

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

And that's where he went wrong.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sephiroth has his claws deep in Cloud's brain.

But what is this all leading up to?

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

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

But...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...

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

[unknown-lifeform]

💕 with whoever your favorite ship with cloud is. Or whatever pairing you want to write tbh

💕 kissing somewhere other than lips

Cloud tried not to make noise as he got out of bed. The alarm on the bedside table said it was 03:46 in the morning. There was no reason for him to be awake at this time, and yet he was, and he didn't like it.

He pushed the sheets off. After failing to fall asleep again for a while, he had decided he might as well go to the bathroom and have a snack. Maybe filling his stomach with chips would help knock him out faster. Or maybe not, but it would still involve chips.

In theory, Cloud should be able to get around in the dark easily. His eyesight was good enough, and obviously he was familiar with his own room. What he hadn't considered was his boots scattered around the floor. Because yesterday evening he and Sephiroth hadn't really stopped to put everything back in its proper place.

Cloud tripped. His hands shot out, trying to grab on to something. What instead happened was his shin slammed straight into the bedpost.

"Shit!" Cloud hissed.

"Cloud?"

He hadn't meant to wake Sephiroth up. But of course he had, Sephiroth was all too good at picking up noise.

"It's nothing," Cloud said, bending down to rub his shin. Fuck that hurt. He had gotten stabbed, experimented on, everything that could go bad in his life, but furniture corners defeated him every time.

Rustling on the bed as Sephiroth crawled towards him. "Is anything wrong?"

"No, just the bedframe trying to kill me."

Cloud sat down, and immediately after felt Sephiroth's body against his back. "Any injuries?"

"Just hit my shin."

"Mmm. Lay back down."

"I'm not feeling like sleeping."

"Lay down," Sephiroth insisted.

Well, fine. Guess that was two of them awake in bed now. Cloud laid down, although Sephiroth didn't. Given he was looking up at shining mako eyes, he guessed Sephiroth was sitting up.

One hand landed on his leg. "This shin?"

"That's my knee, actually."

Sephiroth pinched his thigh. "Smartass."

Fingers ran down along Cloud's leg. And then, green eyes lowered, and Cloud felt the brush of hair against his bare skin, and then lips pressing against the shin in question.

"Are you kissing the pain away?" Cloud asked, amused.

Sephiroth didn't reply. He kissed Cloud's leg again, and then his knee, and his thigh. Cloud wondered if Sephiroth had decided it was a perfect time to get frisky, but all he did was kiss Cloud's hip, and then moved up without considering any sensitive area.

"Sephiroth?" Cloud asked, feeling lips on his ribs.

Even if Cloud couldn't see his own chest in the dark, he knew Sephiroth had just kissed the scar marking the place where someone had once shoved a sword right through Cloud.

"Establishing only you are allowed to try and kill me?" Cloud asked, shifting. It always made him feel a bit weird, the attention given to his scar.

"Yes," Sephiroth said, nosing his sternum. "And since I've taken a break from that, no one else is."

"Just taken a break?"

"Keep leaving dirty dishes in the sink and I may make another attempt."

Sephiroth crawled up, and laid down next to Cloud, one arm around Cloud's waist. Cloud shifted, making himself comfortable against his chest.

"You ever think about how weird it is?" Cloud said. "That we ended up like this?"

"No."

"Because us going from you repeatedly ruining my life and me repeatedly killing you to us in bed together is just the most natural thing?"

"Yes."

Of course he said that. Honestly, it wasn't as if Cloud could argue in any way, the results were fairly obvious.

Sephiroth kissed the side of Cloud's head. "Go to sleep, Cloud."

"Can't."

Sephiroth snuggled closer. Cloud sighed. Guess he could close his eyes and see if the giant heating pad next to him could help.

[notimeliketoday]

Northern Crater Illusion (Tifa version)

I know people's been saying something about this part in like forever especially in the OG but I finally get the courage and spite to write my own take. That's what I get staying on twitter I guess.

(You best believe I will post this there but on concentrated amount - character limit is only the blue checkmark's friend on that island.)

Most specifically I want to have a closer look on how Sephiroth pulled his attack using this *truth* that he and Tifa share and how this translates to Tifa's own personal conflict with Sephiroth himself.

Yeah, got so tired in that Sephiroth hates Tifa because of her interference to his plans for Cloud and the only one who can fix him takes.

No, fam. That's what the Rebirth seem to imply to y'all but Sephiroth already hates Tifa in OG separate from Cloud. (Or does he?). Heck, him leaving his Masamune beside her father's corpse is a literal taunt daring her to go after him and use his weapon to inflict damage to his person. This is before Cloud made himself known by stabbing him due to his own grief by the way.

Even with all this, we see he doesn't really seem to care to remember the name of who killed him until Cloud had to point it out in Junon.

CLOUD had to point it out. His KILLER has to tell him his name just to make him remember.

Tifa though?

Getting talked to so intimately with faux kindness - the very same treatment he now shows Cloud in Rebirth, imagine that.

Now let's also remember that this is the OG and therefore any trappings of Rebirth's new plot doesn't exist here because this is the beginning of it all.

Anyway, I revisited this scene because of an itch urging me (it's the spite) and a thought suddenly occurred to me.

If we remove Cloud's side and trappings in that part of the illusion (basically all things Cloud) and look at this from Tifa's perspective as a standalone thing for her own character, it paints a very clear picture of Sephiroth attacking her.

People always miss this because Cloud once again overshadowed Tifa's own trauma and unresolved conflict with Sephiroth as the one more openly attacked in this scene.

Let's look at Sephiroth's lines:

The lie has been set. Obviously Tifa won't let this unanswered if she could help it. So this is her response:

With Sephiroth's response to this being the first images I posted above.

It's been made clear how extremely pressured Tifa was at this scene especially when Cloud reveals he hinges all his faith in her while suffering her own trauma again AND attacked by their enemy.

It wasn't just Cloud Sephiroth gaslighted in this scene.

That's what this part is trying to show us and regardless of who gets attacked here the outcome is the same: Cloud is just an illusion created by Jenova using memories of people, most especially Tifa.

Sephiroth doesn't hide his attacks to her at all and it astounds me how everyone who played this game back then believed only Cloud was dealt a great mental blow. (Most of y'all are kiddies I guess that also tracks.)

Tifa actually had it much worse!

She was so overwhelmed from it all she accidentally made the wrong move of answering Cloud in the negative:

When I said she's under tremendous pressure it isn't just because of reliving her trauma and carrying the burden of Cloud's mental state alongside her own increasingly damaged psych.

It is the fact that Cloud wasn't the only one relying on her affirmation - or lack thereof - to validate which one was speaking the "truth". Sephiroth was also using her to confirm his claims and he knew very well he's got the upper hand to the "truth" she has known, all the while gaslighting her that it IS the only truth. There's even a picture to prove it!

This is not the picture but this is also that picture.

Of course, Sephiroth made sure to include her into the story. She's not part of it simply because she was there but because according to his statement..... her memories are part of Jenova's knowledge used to make *Cloud* - the failed clone.

The Cloud who by Seph's own words is just a construct of Hojo after Nibelheim's burning. A clean slate born from collective memories thanks to Jenova.

The sheer implications behind these statements are our clue to the underlying conflict that exist between Tifa and Sephiroth outside of Cloud. That the hatred is not a one-sided thing, and just because it isn't readily understood why it exist doesn't mean it isn't present.

Sephiroth drives the knife further to twist the mental wounds even more. Tifa being the one to carry the most burden of all:

Now here's a pretty interesting thought: a girl who is just plain ordinary is important enough to have Jenova's effort in molding a clone after her own desires - her childhood friend. Sephiroth is basically admitting he's got one special clone just for her. (He even gave her one in Remake but that's a slightly different story).

Ignoring the fact that Cloud is not a construct it still makes you wonder: why use her for that lie? Why her in particular?

(We are using Tifa as our center focus for this so I'm going to exclude the "she's Cloud's childhood friend reasoning. This is not about him.)

Then it can be answered if you look at it as his own way of tormenting Tifa - using a clone imbued with her memories.

A mutual on twit said that maybe because she's the one who the group trusts the most, however more than half the party wasn't there yet when *Cloud* (who Sephiroth consistently claims is just his clone) appears in front of her on that bench.

AVALANCHE as it was at that point doesn't have anyone else with a connection to Cloud.

So it goes to show she is the target of said clone's manifestation.

That is, if we believe the lie Sephiroth weaved and take it as he said it at face value, which definitely is what his claim would be to Tifa who can't refute it, especially because apparently *Cloud* really did show signs of "clone behavior" when they first met but the tech limit back then doesn't show us how it should be like to its fullest extent.

(As someone points out here: https://www.google.com/amp/s/hartofhearts.tumblr.com/post/665525778591694848/the-implications-of-tifas-familiarity-with-marco/amp) My phone isn't cooperating 😭

How could she when his "truth" matches exactly everything she knew five years ago? How could she say he's wrong when Cloud's behavior was suspect when they met for the first time in years after Nibelheim (and for her part after he left for SOLDIER)?

She tried refuting but it's clear she has her own doubts about him as well, as she couldn't continuously defend Cloud from Sephiroth's persistent claim about his current identity.

By gaslighting Cloud he doesn't exist, he also gaslights Tifa into thinking her real childhood friend is gone and it's all just in her head now.

Sephiroth KNEW so well she wanted to see Cloud five years ago but didn't see him and use that to his own advantage. It's why this is so effective a gaslight to both.

As far as Tifa knew, the last time she saw Cloud was when he left to join Soldier. This Cloud's fate is unknown to her, maybe he died or maybe he forgot about her and all such insecurities Sephiroth could use with that solidify his claims that he was all " Aw, poor Tifa. Waiting for someone who never came. Here, Jenova's made you a clone with your memories of that boy to play with you."

That's what it looks like if we only see this scene through Tifa's eyes.

Again, taunting her in the same vein as when he first did leaving Masamune besides her father's body.

Why would he do so if Tifa didn't caught his attention in the first place?

Sephiroth is clearly playing around with her and toys with her emotions just as clearly as he attacked Cloud.

He just couldn't break her like he could him no matter how hard he tried because Tifa's mental fortitude is so strong.

[crimsonxe]

FF7 Rebirth spoilers below the cut:

I don't have a clue wtf just went on with Cloud deflecting Masamune but also not leading to Aerith's death but not. Its a such a bullshit thing that tries to have its cake and eat it too; but at least the other Aerith is still technically alive waiting to be woken up in one of the multiple worlds. And I guess "ghost Aerith" is technically still around too. Regardless to the "Aerith has to die" crowd: FUCK YOU. The reality is that she didn't actually need to die, there's not a damn thing that required that outside of edgelord incel shitbags that have a death kink. Which ironically fucking enough the ending of Rebirth even backs up cause there's even fucking LESS shown as to why she died. She sure as hell isn't going to be stopping Meteor nor would that require her dying; instead she does so because incel shitbags wanted it & the OG game did it. Interesting originality be fucked, instead stick to the same goddamn bad end route bullshit as the OG game. I'll stick around to see the trilogy finished, but I'm openly stating now that I'm 1/3rd checked the fuck out. Also just going to put this out there: don't even mention Cloti anywhere near me cause that's been thoroughly ruined and I don't look forward to whatever happens in part 3. And just ftr no I'm not a Clerith and actually ship Cloti in OG, but not in the R-trilogy where Aerti has shined far more via their closeness.

Hope it was worth it writers, you had the chance to actually do an interesting alternate route that rewards people that have been hoping for a "good end route" and who liked/loved Remake for its unique interesting new storyline. But instead chose to throw it away in such a bullshit manner to appeal/line up with the same shitheads that bashed Remake for daring to do its own thing; or to repeat the same goddamn story as before rather than forge a new path. And I can't stress enough how the way it was done is such a shitty ass manner. Either Cloud deflects Sephiroth's sword and Aerith lives or he fucking doesn't and she dies; either fate is changeable or its not; either there's a multiverse of unlimited potentials including Aerith living or there isn't; etc. Fuck 5% of Rebirth, the other 95% is great. Such a goddamn waste. If Nomura is the one responsible for Remake's "fuck Fate, let's make our own path" aspect, then plz let him be the main one heading up Part 3 to try to course correct back from the betrayal of the concept that Rebirth's last 5% did. Show the timeline where Cloud did indeed save Aerith and have that Aerith join the team; have them break Fate instead of treating it as some immutable thing cause fuck that; and no more bullshit like having someone block a strike then having the story backhand via shitty ass reality rewrites (a la Masamune stuck in the ground to the side from an unharmed Aerith that suddenly is reality warped to have blood on it and Aerith being hit with a phantom stabbing cause "Fate"). I'll easily take Remake's vision over Rebirth's last 5% (I have to stress this cause 95% of Rebirth is fantastic, its only the last 5% that is incel edgelord nihilistic garbage to justify killing off a character cause "that's what happened in OG".

And let me be clear on this: my anger isn't where it should be which at Sephiroth as the one that did the deed as the villain aka proper narrative writing. My anger instead is aimed at the bullshit method of how it was done, which isn't how a narrative should come across. All I see if the very blatantly check off box that was bent to reach. Remake was 95% good, 5% mindblowing and getting me heavily invested; Rebirth 95% great, 5% bullshit and throwing away an entire section of investment. I really am having to work to give a shit about the remaining characters, cause the writing's failing caused that level of collapse.

Since this is the rant post: While I give credit for mostly shying away from sexist incel tropes in regards to the femme characters; don't even think for a second I didn't notice the little things that are there still. Shiva having jiggle physics; and even Tifa being hit with them during particular side quests. Edit: So from what I've gathered the main case of Tifa having them is a matter of you're expected to have her swimsuit on at that point, instead of her regular one; so while still annoying cause jiggle physic shouldn't be there at all its at least not in defiance of her sports bra that'd be more egregious.

I'm fucking done.

The really infuriating part is that I'd STILL give Rebirth like an 8/10 or even 9/10; cause as I've repeatedly mentioned 95% is just THAT damn good.

[silver-wield]

😑

Why are there people judging tifa for being reserve? If I speak.. WE HAVE DIRE ISSUES HERE. Cloud is sick, Tifa is trying to be very careful with him. It's easier for the other girls to show their "moves" because ignorance is a bliss.

And even if tifa says she's envious of that pink chick's assertiveness doesn't mean she's gonna copy her. I don't know, maybe she just imagines she's like that and imagines what she would say and do in her own way. A version of her own moves. Original tifa style but not copy nor influenced wtf.

If anybody for the shit says tifa got her line from that dead chick I will kill them. What aerith does is to disrespect boundaries and snug up to them without consent. Meanwhile tifa's version was not to push herself onto cloud but to respectfully imply invitation on her part.

People like to think it's risque because that's what they ended up doing. Why???? BECAUSE CLOUD DID THE RISQUE. They could have literally played checkers and hopscotch and redeemed their lost childhood days but no. THEY HAD SEX WITH CONSENT IN PURE CLOTI FASHION. And if anybody thinks this is cloud getting tips from that chick, HELL NO. THIS MAN IS ALREADY AS PERVERTED AS HE GOES FOR TIFA.

I swear to fcking god, they really want to place in that chick into their love story. She ain't part of that. She was just the annoying bg noise that made things annoying. Look, when she died, their love story actually flowed better. Who knew we didn't need help from a stranger we just met who didn't get to know us well but would like to project her woes onto us because she wasn't able to. Maybe ask first aerith? Huh?

GET REAL aerith and cloti stans who can't stand questionable characters/people. Welcome to the real world. Blame SE if you'd like idgaf go COPE. And pls these cloti stans, need to have better standards for fcks sake.

😡

They're just using their latest twist to say that Aerith is the reason for everything. Now, Tifa's too shy and reserved to make moves on Cloud, and that by sliming herself all over him she's teaching Tifa to be more assertive.

Uhhhh no.

All she's doing is showing that she's a back stabbing hypocritical two faced bitch and that Tifa can't trust women because they'll betray her the second they see Cloud and decide they wanna fuck him.

Tifa don't need teaching to be outgoing. She's a fucking bartender! She was a mountain guide in Nibelheim and stood up to everyone! She's not some reluctant lil flower who can't speak up. She's shy around Cloud because he's not right in the head. And they're on a mission to defeat Sephiroth. Tifa knows romance isn't the priority but she still tries to get close to Cloud in her own way. And unlike with Aerith, he never rebuffs her. They don't need Aerith's "help". They're just fine on their own.

[thecloudstan]

Wow that was a very long response indeed. But don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed reading it (even if I was admittedly a bit confused.)

I was also unsure of what Sephiroth we’re dealing with here, but what you said about AC Sephiroth and him trying to fix things makes sense. It would also explain why one version of him is seemingly sticking to the original plan (the one that stabbed Aerith) while the other is doing things that were never in the original (distracting Rufus so he can’t mobilize the military to attack the weapons.)

Now I’m wondering though if AC Sephiroth managed to somehow control the Alpha version though. Because as far as I remember, all the instances where Alpha Seph is present he doesn’t really say things all that relevant to the plot. He’s just kind of… there. When he attacked Aerith he stood in place for a while- which I thought was strange- then started laughing, then the whole boss battle happens and the Jenova thing comes out of nowhere. So either AC Seph turned the Alpha one into a clone, or got rid of him entirely. Because if he hadn’t he’d still be trying to do the same things he did in the original, all of which look now to be done by AC Seph. The more I think about it the more I realize it doesn’t make sense for there to be more than one, because they’d all be getting in each other’s way. I think AC Seph managed to somehow infiltrate this timeline, take control of Alpha Seph’s memory, and is now operating based on those. But the thing also is that there’s only one world- Sephiroth says that no other worlds existed before Cloud and co. Defeated the whispers- so this Sephiroth has to have traveled back in time, so does that just mean that it’s the same Sephiroth as it’s always been? And there isn’t actually another one? Maybe the whole time it’s been the Sephiroth with knowledge of the future who’s just been using the robed men as his vessels, even in remake, and only spoke directly to Cloud when he shows up on the highway at the end of part one, and since then it’s been him the entire time.

I’m sorry if this is hard to follow. Honestly the more I talk about the more things I come up with and you’re basically just seeing my brain vomit in real time.

But just as a side note: Sephiroth seems to be really busy this time around. Like this poor man’s running himself ragged trying to get himself a victory. He’s trying to keep Aerith from entering the life stream- which is even harder because now there are THREE different universes AT LEAST where she exists and she’s dead in one of them- while trying to keep Cloud stupid and puppet-like, while ALSO screwing with Rufus. Like I said though, his thing with Rufus seems the most personal. He doesn’t show such rage with Cloud or even Aerith, with whom you’d think he’d be the most angry since she’s pretty much why he lost the other time. But he’s trying to mess Rufus’ presidency up from day one by starting the war with Wutai and also keeps provoking him by calling him names- which is surprisingly childish, considering how much wisdom and maturity Sephiroth should have at this point- and doing all of that while wearing the face of his own dead father figure. If you didn’t know, by the way, Glenn is from first soldier/ever crisis and was basically Sephiroth’s father/older brother figure when he was a teenager before he defected from Shinra, which only makes the whole thing even more messed up.

Whew, that was tiring to type. Let me know what you think. Maybe we can figure this out.

I've always thought that the moment Sephiroth arrives in Remake, it's AC Seph because he just starts popping up everywhere way too early. But of course, the only time you actually physically interact with him is in the singularity, between things. Because he can't physically manifest or interact with the real world like the dumpy Reunion thrall Sephiroths can. Every instance you see Sephiroth in the original, he's just a thrall, and I think that's why he's often just babbling Jenova nonsense and either disappears or is easily defeated. This isn't the case in AC, because Kadaj isn't just some dopey, degraded thrall yet. He's intact, so that Sephiroth is much more "complete." He also states that he'll never be a memory, which I can't help but feel is the devs' basis for this entire fucking Remake series 😂

I did know Glenn's story on paper, but I didn't watch any of the interactions between them. I pretty much assumed that Glenn is meant to be the character responsible for showing young Sephiroth that you can't just go around being a heartless killing machine for Shinra. You should like...protect civilians and such. It clearly sticks, because I'll never not be haunted by Sephiroth's reaction when he loses that Security Officer in Mt. Nibel...

Also, is it not being heavily implied that Glenn is Cloud's father? The timelines line up, from what I've researched. And I can't help but feel that Glenn/Seph's comment to Rufus about the son fulfilling what the father began is not only in reference to Rufus...it would be an interesting misdirect if it proves true. But you're right, they really decided to dive more into Sephiroth's relationship with Rufus and Shinra, so to speak, which makes sense because wouldn't that be the most acute grudge of all?

[farfromdaylight]

finished replaying ff7 remake. the following is just more complaining.

the ending is so.......................... what. like, don't get me wrong, i get the point, i get what they're going for, but it's so absurd. final fantasy gets pretty fucking stupid a lot of the time, but seriously, what the fuck.

i think i would feel less strongly about remake being a mess if i hadn't played the original game, which makes sense; i have too much baggage and bias about it. it's just that some of the choices the game makes are so... why did you do it this way. like barret getting stabbed and then Magically Not. i get what they're going for, but i really don't care for it.

where remake shines is the characters, because they're all handled well. barret especially is a standout. i've said this before, but i was really worried remake would forget that barret is the deuteragonist for a lot of the game. thankfully, barret gets plenty of screentime, character work, and absolutely lives up to the original, if not building on it.

where i struggle with remake is that... a lot of things make no sense without context. cloud has headaches throughout the game and generally just Acts Weird As Fuck and you never find out what his deal is. sephiroth, likewise, is lackluster because we have no basis for understanding why he's the bad guy. for a game that seems marketed to a generation of new players, it relies so heavily on the original text that i struggle to recommend it to anyone who hasn't played the original.

i suppose one positive thing i have to say about remake is that it's wildly ambitious. it's a wild idea to take your most enduring, popular game and just... rewrite the story. it's something else.

anyway, i am never going to love remake, and that's okay. i still have the original, after all; i can always go back to it. i'm looking forward to the next game, but i've accepted that it's Its Own Thing and i'm trying to decouple it from the concept of a "remake." we'll see how it goes.

[crisiscutie]

To answer your question about Shadow of Shinra:

https://www.tumblr.com/crisiscutie/718008992654360576/i-hope-you-enjoy-my-shadow-of-shinra-story-i-did?source=share

I suppose I can say that at the point where Sephiroth and Darling met again,post-insanity. I guess we can say it was a mix of both OG FF7 and 7R? But the most part is OG FF7

Well I mean I did say that at the beginning of this AU when Darling became First,she met Roche,who did not exist in the original game until 7R was made

But still since it's believed that 7R started with Sephiroth turning back the timeline,we have to assume that Roche already existed in the OG script aka OG FF7. 7R is still one big fat mindfuck to me rn,so I can't say much about it.

But I can make it a branch,like how a universe can have different alternates of itself,like a tree with branches or a game with multiple routes, endings

In the 7R branch,after Sephiroth turned back time, Darling in this newly alternate reality, began to remember what happened in the OG AU aka the Shadow of Shinra AU (let's established that this AU is the core universe)

Darling would then probably try to change her fate by trying to escape Sephiroth, the big change she made is refusing the mission to eliminate Sephiroth, explaining how it is not plausible to go eliminate the man because it's unsure if he's still alive and it's an entirely futile move to go after him

After all, she's still their valuable piece on the game board,she made sure that they know it. Rufus took her side in this because:

1. He wanted her as his piece because he knows how capable she is

2. She's a major factor in order for him to take over the company. She's a seriously valuable weapon of Shinra and Rufus knew if she's on his side, his endeavours have more chances of success

He's actually also a member of her harem because well, let's say that it's hard not to love someone who can actually make you the king of the throne in an instant should she agrees to do it. Don't forget how much secrets she holds

Yes, her plan to escape Shinra is entirely foiled but she feels like the story should be changed and she didn't want to fall into Sephiroth's arms again,she knew Sephiroth was finding her,he was just delaying the inevitable. Until that fateful moment, Darling will have to figure something out to change the script

In this branch, Darling will most likely saw Cloud more often, because if she remembers of what happened in the previous timeline,which is where Cloud successfully defeated Sephiroth. Cloud is the one who decides the fate of this tale,the Protagonist

Let's say Cloud didn't really know who was this woman called Shadow and why she's helping him, giving him clues on his journey. Even though he already knew she was from Shinra,he can tell she wasn't an enemy, sometimes she felt a little familiar (If you don't remember in the OG AU,Cloud briefly saw her at Nibelheim,after Sephiroth destroyed it,he was losing consciousness due to having been stabbed by Sephiroth and she was there to cleanup the mess and cover up the entire tragedy) Cloud thinks she was beautiful and unknowingly dangerous

-🌹

This reminds me of your Irregularity AU you've came up with.

And no one truly knows that is exactly going on in 7R either, so don't worry about it in that respect. Nomura even tried to prevent Sephiroth from appearing in it, but apparently SE executives forced it.

Love how self aware your aware and 7R itself in that Cloud is the protagonist, heh.

[asoulofatlantis]

Aeris biggest trauma is losing her mother... I think Ilfana knew her time was running out and the reason she pushed herself so hard in her state was because she wanted a better, saver future for her daughter. She might have died earlier that way, but I guess she would have died either way, so she decided her daughters freedom and happiness was worth it.

I do feel sorry for Aerith but who's IDEA was it to let us run around listening to "My mom is sick!" so often that the scene loses its emotional meaning because of how annoying it is?

Poor child...

Okay. That enough. I canÄt take all that pain and suffering anymore!

And the worst part comes now! Our Cloud, in the state he is in right now, has to take care of this. URG! Or not? Everyone is coming out of their rooms now. So... what was that for? Pain?

That doesn't make it feel or sound better tho, Aerith. But I get it, you are in a position were making death sound not so bad is necessary...

Preparing Cloud for what is coming while he is so indifferent and doesn't seem to care much seems like such a waste of time and energy Aerith. Get the boy out of this state and THEN try again. Oh! That wasn't about the future, that was about Clouds words mimicking Sephiroth, saying that death is a homecoming. But... he is still indifferent about it.

Big words for someone who gets stabbed in an hour or two...

I really do not get the purpose of this shit at all. Aeriths speech doesn't hold any meaning as soon as you see her die the same way she always has and Cloud is not touched by it at all in his state and neither do I feel like it has been given us or the characters anything storywise or characterwise. It was a nice monolog, but for what?

Huch? Cloud Flashback? Is this his trial or... is Sephiroth messing with him again?

Okay it IS Clouds trial WHILE Sephiroth is messing with him...

I would't say Cloud didn't feel any sadness over the death of Jessie and Biggs... but it is true, that he did not shed any tears - but I am a very emotional person who easily cries when someone dies and I didn't cry either - BUT he didn't know them that long or that good to be fair tho. ALSO we did saw him cry when he "remembered" Aeriths death. So its not like he is incapable of feelings like that, like Sephiroth says. They are just very likely mostly buried under all the bullshit Sephiroth wispers in his ears and his Jenova Cells do to him. And his Trauma-Response after Zacks death.

Tifa is doing it again. Cloud needs someone to tell him that something is wrong with him but that of course they will find a way to help him. Instead she says "Its okay" but it is NOT OKAY!

Are these freaking Demon-Walls?!

Does no one in this freaking game know what it means to bleed to death? SE needs some medical training. Seriously.

Okay. Thats it. He finally freaking snapped. Its not like no one warned you idiots about this, but you decided to prefer to treat Cloud like a stupid child. Now you get what you deserve for it...

I guess... he felt bad about what he did? Or actually did it to protect them?

Did you see that scary grin just now? I highly doubt it! And its your fault that it came this far! You and the other idiots who decided to treat Cloud like he simply had dementia and so you have to play along to keep him stable. But his problem is far bigger and keeping him away from the truth only made it worse!

I could have sworn I saw a second puppet in Reeves office so... I can't feel sad here... sorry.

Glad that I didn't waste any tears on that one. I didn't expect him to be back that fast tho XD

I am glad to have him back tho. Just no so glad that I have to give him all the material back that I have already given the others, which once belonged to him ^^'

So that Materia was not the black Materia they were searching for, but the key to the actually black materia that can do awful things. And thanks to everyone being idiots, its now in Sephiroths hands. Wonderful! A round of applause for our team of idiots!

He is still out of his mind. Someone gonna free the boy from Sephiroths control or what?

And that was useful how? If you haven't noticed yet, letting go of the material does nothing to Cloud. Sephiroth is the problem.

Oh how great. Now Aerith has it, making her Clouds and Sephiroths target. Do you guys have any more bride ideas like that? Possible before Aeriths gets killed earlier than she should?

He pushed Tifa away, very unceremoniously. Which shouldn't surprise her, after he almost killed her before when he was in that state. But I guess she just had to overestimate her influence on him.

Clouds manic laughter while he chases Aerith is scary as heck!

Well I mean... at least he said please? ^^' I guess something inside of him is still not wanting to hurt her... just... not sure how big that part of him is and how much self-control it gives him.

The Shipper in me is crying in pain. No scene with Tifa could be as cruel then watching Cloud acting like this and putting Aerith in danger. Part of what makes their ship great is, that they always protect each other. She saves me, I save her, round and round it goes. Please, don't ruin this Cloud!

[dutchdread]

What makes you think Cloud revolves around Tifa? I ran into one of your asks posts with an anon saying that Cloud doesn't revolve around Tifa but you disagreed. But you never really made a good argument as to why you disagree so tell me, other than Cloud wanting some attention from Tifa when he was younger, how does his life revolve around her? How does his life revolve around her in CC, OG, OTWTAS, and AC when for most of his life, he dodges her?

"when for most of his life, he dodges her?"

Since when is dodging someone not the most obvious example of your life revolving around someone? Try robbing a bank, I guarantee you that you spending your life running away from the police and dodging them is a form of your life revolving around the police.

As for why Clouds life revolves around Tifa, first read my canonical breakdown of the story of FFVII:

Ok, so Clouds life revolving around Tifa, lets start, and while going over this, remember that these issues are not irrelevant backstory. These things are so important to Cloud that they cause him to create a fake persona, and later are what cause him to again discover who he truly is. I can't stress this enough, but:

EVERY SINGLE EVENT IN CLOUDS SUBCONCIOUS, IN THE SCENE THAT IS ALL ABOUT DISCOVERING WHO CLOUD REALLY IS, REVOLVES AROUND TIFA:

1: As a boy he wants Tifa to notice him, when she gets injured he blames himself to such an extent that he develops a fear of failure.

2: As a boy Tifa was important enough that Cloud would be unfriendly with all the other kids just because he wanted Tifa for himself.

3: Tifa so important that Cloud starts dreaming of being a soldier just to get her to notice him.

4: Tifa is so important that Cloud joins the army and is voluntarily experimented on, just in the hopes that Tifa would notice him.

5: When coming back to Nibleheim, Tifa is so important that Cloud is so ashamed of failing to become that noticeable person that he spends his time in his hometown trying to avoid her, and feeling sorry for himself.

6: Then when Tifa got stabbed she was so important that this gave Cloud enough strength to vengefully throw Sephiroth, the strongest Soldier, into the lifestream.

7: When Cloud thinks Tifa is dead, she's important enough that Cloud makes an entire fake persona that wouldn't fail her like the real Cloud does.

8: When Cloud returns to Midgar, Tifa is so important that he starts playing out this fake persona, and that he starts helping her with terrorist actions just because he had promised to protect her as a child.

9: During this time, Tifa is so important that he has flashbacks talking about how this was "just like when he failed her".

10: During this time, Tifa is so important that Sephiroth is constantly alluding to said failure by saying "you're too weak to save anyone", "you've failed again, I see, but through failure you will grow strong, isn't that what you want"?

11: During this time Tifa is so important that Cloud screams her name in panic anytime she seems to be in danger, and is constantly trying to protect her.

12: She's also so important that he starts trying to play nice with the members of avalanche simply because she asked him to.

13: She's also so important that he talks gently to her, when he does that for no one else.

14: She's also so important that he instantly starts making excuses as for why he doesn't need more money.

15: She's then also important enough for him to put on a dress, perform a dance act, and try to seduce Don Corneo in order to save her.

16: She's important enough that merely hugging her is a gigantic deal for him that "crosses the boundaries of friendship" and causes his mind to go 100 mph just trying to figure out the best move, and panic when he thinks he may have hurt her.

17: She's then important enough that he specifies that "her opinion is the only one that counts".

18: She is then important enough that when she loses her faith in him his mind breaks and he gives the black materia to Sephiroth. At which point he also singles out Tifa SPECIFICALLY as the person he's sorry to most. Again showing that she's in the forefront of his thoughts.

19: She is then important in his life in general when she spend endless days taking care of him while in a coma.

20: She's then important in that she jumps in his subconscious to help him piece his mind together, where we discover that Clouds entire life since he was like 6 has revolved around the "tender memories locked deep inside his heart" for Tifa lockhart, and that this has been his raison d'etre for everything that has happened so far in the game and his life.

21: She's then important enough that when Cloud tells everyone to find the thing that's most important for them he goes nowhere and spends his presumably last night on the planet making love to Tifa.

22: After that she's important enough that Cloud states that he thinks that while his life has been a series of failures so far that his life will be different from now on since he "now has her".

23: She's then important enough that she's described as his "most important person".

24: She's then important enough that they start living together, raising children together, running a business together, and generally "start a family together".

25: She's then important enough that he obtains such a peaceful life with her, that he starts feeling guilty about how happy he is.

26: She's then important enough that he becomes afraid of losing said happiness.

27: She's then important enough that it's her words that cause him to find the strength to try and find forgiveness.

28: She's then important enough that living with her is described as being Clouds promised land.

29: She's then important enough that Cloud describes them as a family in "the kids are alright"

30: She's then important enough that they're still together during the events of Dirge.

Any objective impartial observer would conclude that Tifa has consistently been portrayed as the most important person in Clouds life from his childhood all throughout what we see of his adult life, and it's not even close. The only person who ever gets close is perhaps his mother when he was young and even she seemingly takes a backseat when it comes to his memories. Fact is that the reason you don't think Tifa is that important, is because you have a misconception of Cloud, Clouds psyche, and the story of FFVII in general. Tifa matters, Tifa matters A LOT, which has been explicitly stated time after time after time. If you think she doesn't, you shouldn't be asking me to prove that she does, you should be asking yourself what it is that you're not understanding that causes you to think that the girl whose been stated by the developers to be the heroine of the story, to be Clouds most important person, "doesn't matter". Clearly you're wrong about something if you think Tifa doesn't matter. The idea that Tifa doesn't matter shouldn't be your conclusion, if it is that should just serve as proof that your starting premises were wrong.

[saanphoenix]

Like, it's something to be said that, though Kadaj--and later Yazoo and Loz--were created via Sephiroth's will, they Do Not know what they are or who created them. Not truly.

In the novel, which takes place before Advent Children, Kadaj is 1) the only Remnant, and 2) only has a strong desire to find Mother. His goal is what drives him 24/7 and he doesn't really give much thought into the finer points of his existence. He doesn't look into why he has fancy powers, a result of being a lifeform that is both real and not. He doesn't care. Because he doesn't NEED to care. He's just doing. He's following his programming.

Kadaj, in the novel, reads as a being that is both alien and also a human child. Because he's out here reading minds, trying to appeal to people by pretending to be someone (dead) that they care(d) about, by healing them, to get information about Jenova...but when that doesn't work, he gets frustrated and resorts to extreme acts of violence. He mistakes unintentional misinformation from a faulty memory to be a legitimate attempt at lying to him--which he can't stand, if you remember Advent Children--and he "takes back his gift" of healing with a mere thought, instantly crippling a guy. And then he escalates from there. Goes to the guy's "girlfriend" (who unintentionally gave him his name btw) to get information from her...but she shoots him. Which only results in making him more mad. So he torches a whole town because he knows she's afraid of fire due to her past.

Kadaj is what happens when you give phenomenal cosmic power to a being that has existed for a handful of days and can handle its own emotions about as well as a child can.

Kadaj's idea of fun is making an ~8-foot vertical leap~ onto a helicopter that is trying to shoot him, stabbing through its window to intentionally halt his blade mere centimeters from Reno's nose, vanishing, and then reappearing behind them in the back seat to say, "Boo." Legit, he says, "Boo."

Not to mention that he gets jealous. In AC, he's jealous of Sephiroth, because he thinks Mother likes him more. (Kadaj still doesn't realize who created him.) In the novel, he gets jealous of the main character in regards to the "girlfriend", because he took from said girl's memories information about a boy she used to like--Kadaj--and has accidentally incorporated a bit of that into his identity.

That's another thing about Kadaj--he is extremely empathetic. I've said this before, but it bears repeating, he gets flooded with the MC's emotions from getting punched in the face. He can't handle his own emotions, getting a dose of someone else's is Blue Screen of Death. And then makes him mad again because MC had a mother and friends and people that cared about him and Kadaj...does not.

Or did not.

He comes back with two brothers, though, now doesn't he?

Anyway, Kadaj doesn't have all his facts. Like, ever. Even when he tells Cloud, "So what if I'm a puppet?" it's because he's still under the assumption that there's a mommy out there who just wants to be reunited with her son. ...And not that Sephiroth needs his real-but-not-real body and a handful of Jenova's cells to morph it into his own so that he can possess it and tell Cloud, "Haha, Geostigma was me all along, dipshit. Get fucked."

...So, when your creator gets his ass beat and then peaces out, leaving you to die (again) in the arms of your "brother" from the grievous wounds you now have...and then you wake up in some weird ass land where every fucking FF character is...including Sephiroth... Yeah, makes sense that Kadaj, in Opera Omnia, is like, "NOT TODAY, OR EVER AGAIN, SATAN!"

And also why Sephiroth is just like, "Oh, wow, you can exist here, too? ...Lol. *leaves*"

[up-sideand-down]

Au idea

For some reason Sephiroth has to get married ASP. But it has to be someone NOT working for Shinra and someone Sephiroth won't stab imidetly.

Enter Zack's friend, a fromer Infantryman Cloud Strife

1. Sephiroth's mental health had been declining for some time now and it had everything to do with his work. He's lost friends, he had no family, and almost no support system. ShinRa also will not hear of any "retirement package" that Sephiroth has definitely earned. Not unless he also accepts the "spousal package". It's definitely an attempt to keep Sephiroth in their clutches even after he is no longer working for them. Sephiroth just figures he'll be here until he does die. Zack Fair is a lot less fatalistic.

"You just need to get married," Zack said, "doesn't have to be for love."

Sephiroth can't stand the idea though. Can't stand the idea of sharing a life, even a fake life, with another person, someone who wouldn't understand.

"How about an arranged marriage," Zack said, "because I have an option." Sephiroth agreed to the meeting, nothing more.

2. Zack's arrangement was with one Cloud Strife. If anyone hated ShinRa as much as Sephiroth it was Cloud. Cloud had gotten discharged from ShinRa after most of his platoon was killed. Cloud survived based on luck. He refused to do anything afterwards. If his friends couldn't do it, neither would he. He managed and honorable discharged and planned to slink to the slums never to show his face again. Instead...he found his support system, got the help he needed and was starting his own mechanic business. Cloud was wary when Zack asked if he might agree to a "roommate situation" to help out another of his friends.

Cloud was not expecting fucking Sephiroth when he showed up at the café in Sector 8.

3. Their first meeting was...not ideal. Sephiroth agreed Cloud looked...attractive, but he was very brusque. They didn't really hit it off the way Zack was hoping. They actually seemed to be snapping at each other across the table. Zack was shocked as hell when they both agreed to think about getting married out of convenience.

Sephiroth texted first, saying he would marry Cloud if it got him out of ShinRa.

Cloud replied to the text with a worrying, "I have some conditions." Later Sephiroth agreed it was absolutely necessary, even the ones he broke.

1. Don't fall in love, 2. Stay out of Cloud's room, 3. Go to therapy, 4. Support Cloud's business, and 5. Find another job or hobby.

Sephiroth didn't agree to any of those conditions in spirit, but he did agree verbally and in writing. He needed to get out if it killed him.

4. Cloud and Sephiroth fake dated for two weeks then finished their whirlwind romance by getting married in a private ceremony. The dates were Cloud and Sephiroth moving and trying to find Sephiroth his hobby, job, and therapist. Sephiroth did it all and Cloud got married as soon as it was done. Sephiroth moved into Cloud apartments above his mechanic shop. Sephiroth also agreed to work part of the time in Cloud's shop for some "Extra pay". He was incredible at retail, took absolutely no shit from customers and scared the shit out of them if they tried to start shit. Zack was nervous when he came to visit a month later.

Sephirth answered the door in an apron, stating it was his turn for dinner and that Zack was welcome to stay for soup and bread. Cloud was tinkering with something at the table. They were chatting amicably now.

Zack even saw Sephiroth fully smile for the first time in years.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever done," Sephiroth said, "But thanks to Cloud I am getting better." Cloud blushed and smiled at that.

5. It took 6 months for ShinRa to finally find an in back to Sephiroth. They started spreading rumors that Cloud was an illegitimate son of President ShinRa. At first Cloud and Sephiroth laughed about it...then Sephiroth admitted Cloud did have some...resemblance. Cloud refused to take any sort of DNA test. ShinRa eventually dug through his Infantry info and got their own. Cloud was a ShinRa, at least according to them.

The president called Cloud in offering a place in the company , a huge paycheck and a lot of power. Cloud just had to sign his name and join the company.

"If I sign this...I'm in?" Cloud asked. ShinRa thought he had him, but Sephiroth knew better.

"Sign and print," he said.

"So if I don't sign nothing changes?" Cloud asked.

"Erm...well...yes," the President said, "But-" Then to his horror, Cloud tore up the contract.

"Thanks, but no thanks Dad," Cloud said, "I'd much rather fuck a cactaur. Sephrioth, babe, let's get back to the shop. We can grab Seventh Heaven for supper."

And that was that. Sephiroth was free, and absolutely in love with his husband.