#Thoughts of Strife

[ofcircuitandsinew]

About Me! New and Improved!

I'm Eris, a weird 20 YO transfem writing mostly about speculative biology, and occasional ventures into body horror. I use It/They pronouns! We also have a Discord for shenanigans!

Extra Details!

Right now, I'm working on Of Circuit and Sinew, a project centered around a sophont that is indistinguishable from machinery, but still a biological species.

In my free time, I generally enjoy weird little games like Hylics, Rain World, and generally any weird indie projects with a cool art style.

#of-circuit-and-sinew (or #saaor-project for older posts) can be used to find my worldbuilding.

#inferior-construct. is mostly my ramblings on AI, or just my angry grumblings about ChatGPT

[rocketbirdie]

growing up didn't fix me, so...

[artofalassa]

Personal space

Based on @little-black-dress-zack-fair's post <3

[priceofreedom]

new Ever Crisis official art!

[mrcatlion]

I have been consuming Zack Lives AUs and would like to offer the headcannon: Zack keeps a habit of taking initiative for transporting Cloud to places even after Cloud wakes up. Usually grabbing and leading Cloud places, but sometimes ends up with Zack full on hoisting Cloud over his shoulder and starts walking.

[angel-sephiroth]

Good, Cloud. Very good. Fill your hollow heart...with rage.

[blaaaaask]

What does Sephiroth even do when he's not being a jump scare?

I'm asking the real questions here.

[ookikufurikabutte]

yay gay people

[theanonymousninja247]

Strife

Personal project for the most talented

@imagine-darksiders

(if y’all like to read the most wholesome and thought provoking stories PLEASE for the love of pizza, I HIGHLY recommend reading her stuff)

I hope I did him justice because I honestly believe that we would be the best of friends. Very much would like to give him a hug 🫂🧡

[ffa07aa]

um. accidentally created western ff7 au (with vampires. it's. a long story)

[demialwrites]

FF7 Sex-Related Mishaps

Tseng

Once was so quiet during the deed the other person assumed he didn't enjoy himself and ghosted him in embarrassment

VP Rufus Shinra

Is a biter. Once during a drunken one-night stand, he bit them way too hard, and had to stay home with a slap mark on his cheek or get scolded by dad

Reno

Once was so loud that it disturbed his neighbours and several of them complained. He just as loudly told them to their faces to fuck off

Elena

Same scenario as Reno, except she died of embarrassment behind her door after shutting it

Rude

Sometimes tries out adventurous positions that take advantage of his height. Once, they both fell and hit their heads

Cid

Once was so enthusiastic, he hit his forehead on the headboard, backed up holding his head, then fell on the floor

Tifa

While still learning how to say no, she tried out several things she didn't want to and refuses to speak about it to this day

Zack

Once told politely that he talks too much. This is because his dirty talk is so tame that it's a distraction

Pre-Nibelheim Sephiroth

Once pushed the other person's stamina too far and they passed out, making him panic

Cloud

Once left in the middle of night, leaving the other person assuming that he didn't enjoy himself and changed his mind about being into them

[ofcircuitandsinew]

Started Estrogen today after gods know how long. It's a good, warm feeling.

[daylighteclipsed]

Cloud and Tifa’s dialogue exchanges in Rebirth are banger after banger imo. But one of my absolute favorites is when they’re casually discussing food in the Bodybuilders in a Bind side quest.

I think it’s because it’s an unexpected but delightfully natural conversation? And it goes on for a while? This is a quest about working out, so you’d expect them to talk about workout routines or something. Instead, they end up talking about their food preferences after Tifa muses aloud what she should eat when they’re done. (She’s so real for thinking about food mid-workout btw.) She mentions steak, and Cloud makes a connection to Seventh Heaven’s menu. (This is news to us, as the audience; we never saw the menu in Remake.)

From the get-go, the dialogue communicates a lot without having to outright tell us everything. Tifa is the kind of person who thinks aloud without realizing it. She often plans meals/post-workout meals. She enjoys steak, and she put it on the Seventh Heaven menu, half of which — “the better half” — is (well, was) host to a number of meals she enjoys that Cloud also enjoys, as he laments not eating there more often. Tifa’s proud of her menu and cooking. And Cloud cares about the bar enough to remember the menu. While we’ve seen him express desire to rebuild Seventh Heaven before, this is the first time I really feel like he doesn’t want to rebuild it just to make Tifa happy. He cared about the place too. He misses it too.

The conversation continues with Tifa asking if Cloud’s a picky eater. Cloud replies that in the military, you eat what you’re fed. “SOLDIERs can’t be choosers.” Tifa mentions that she used to be a really picky eater. Cloud finds this surprising, and she emphasizes that she USED to be picky. “Can’t be choosers in the Slums, either.” Cloud, still curious, asks how Tifa feels about crab. She says that she’s not a fan, and he says that he’s not either.

Circumstances have made food more about survival. Cloud and Tifa are not in a position to choose, but they both still have preferences. I think this is interesting because this side quest comes right after Cloud’s side quest rendezvous with Aerith, where he sounds indifferent to what he eats. He expresses a little curiosity about how the clams/oysters/etc. from the shells they’re collecting might taste. Then Aerith says they could ask a local but she doesn’t think Cloud cares that much, and he just agrees. “I don’t. Food’s food.” And the conversation ends.

Cloud and Tifa talk about food almost this entire side quest lol. Clearly, food is not just food. Both characters have preferences, and they want to know each other’s preferences. There’s a sense of mutual interest and engagement, and a mutual ease of conversation flowing between them. (I think it’s fitting and a little humorous that Cloud brings up crab when they’re in a place like Costa del Sol. Crab is probably on every menu in town lmao He’s probably sick of seeing it.) Anyway, the most obvious takeaway from all this is that Cloud and Tifa have the same taste in food. But we’re not done yet.

From here, Tifa asks Cloud what the meals SOLDIERs eat taste like. Cloud replies that they’re healthy but not tasty, making a small disgusted “eugh” sound that earns a laugh from Tifa. Obviously, Cloud was never really in SOLDIER, but it’s safe to assume the average grunt also eats what they’re fed, and it doesn’t taste good. Cloud then begins to reminisce about their childhood. In hindsight, he realizes, they had it pretty good growing up. Tifa agrees. With fresh fruits and veggies, “and great chefs eager to use ‘em,” it’s hard to complain.

This isn’t the first time Cloud brings up their childhood in this side quest — he does very briefly at the start when he playfully asks Tifa what little Tifa would think of her adult self’s eagerness to kick some ass. But what’s so interesting is (if you play the game chronologically) I think this side quest is the first time Cloud brings up fond childhood memories without any prompting? He chooses to reflect on the past and steer his conversation with Tifa that way, to how they ate in Nibelheim, and it’s comfortable. It’s easy. A far cry from Tifa’s memory tests at the start of the game.

The past has been so tricky for Cloud and Tifa to navigate. It’s nice to see them reminisce about something so mundane and relatable like home-cooked meals. There’s some sadness in knowing neither of them can have that from their parents again… But there’s also the hope of rebuilding Seventh Heaven down the road. They — and their friends/found family — can always start a garden and enjoy homemade meals together someday, right? (Later in Gongaga, Barret mentions maybe starting a garden with Marlene. I think a shared/family garden when things settle down would be really sweet, but I digress.)

I think the dialogue in this side quest demonstrates the chemistry between Cloud and Tifa and quietly highlights their growing connection/reconnection. It flows so naturally (credit to the VAs for that as well). It really feels like two people hanging out and enjoying each other’s company, like they’re just going for a jog or grabbing a bite to eat or something instead of battling monsters. It paints a picture of what their casual/candid/low stakes dynamic is like, and it tells us more about them as individuals. It’s delightful. I love it.

[chessb0r3d]

i cracked the code.

[priceofreedom]

Cloud ✨

[mrcatlion]

Midgar core party vibe doodle when my pen pressure driver died