#aerith looks adorable (as always) too!!!

[catboyidia]

… and i’m *not* supposed to think they’re girlfriends?! aerith literally fell for her! they are the girlfriends ever! (aerith’s little fall was the cutest thing i’ve ever seen though!!! i’m crying!!!)

[c0smoshit]

Heyyy!

Was wondering if I could request a Cloud x reader? Where basically reader is playing Mario Party w/ Tifa, Jessie, Aerith and he’s sitting and watching but after a few hours of it wants to just go snuggle and read some books in bed w/ reader, so that’s what he does?

Ty in advance and sending hugs!

This is so cute!!

Thanks for the req and hugs to u too🫶🫶

Touch-starved kid ミ★

⋆ ࣪. ℙ𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 ≫ Cloud Strife/Reader

⋆ ࣪. 𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 ≫ fluff, very much fluff, cuddly and touch-starved Cloud

⋆ ࣪. 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥 ≫ 1.300

"Noo!"

A loud whine emerged from Jessie's mouth, Peach had crashed against a green shell. Low chuckles could be heard from both Aerith and your mouth, she was always so competitive.

Silence fell once again in the room, concentrated faces matched with a bored one from a blonde, watching the TV.

You had been playing for almost two hours now, Aerith whining about how she had to beat you the next game. Tifa on the other hand, silently won half of the matches, earning some muttered out curses from the rest of you.

"You don't wanna play Cloud?"

A hushed groan left his lips, staring down at you from his seated position. You had offered him the space next to you, but Jessie was quick enough to steal it.

And you didn't mind, Jessie was actually a sweetheart with you. She often gave you advice of boys, how to read if they were into you or not.

And it weirdly worked with him.

The other brunnete's arm sneaked into your shoulder, bringing you down to the planet. You stared back at her face and then at the screen, your hands still holding the controller.

"Where are you going y/n?"

Red eyes stared confusedly at you as you got rid of the arm that trapped you into a warm embrace. You wanted to stay for a bit, playing with them was always so fun after stressful weeks.

However, your body noticed the lack of coldness in the corner of the room.

"I'll be back soon, I'm going... to the bathroom yeah"

A few more snickers lingered in the room before some quiet yelps and curses filled it once again.

Your socks touched the cold, winter floor, eyes searching around for a grumpy blonde. The hall was dimly-lighted, some cute flowers resting on top of a wooden table.

But that adorable little moment turned into a frenzy one as some arms wrapped themselves around your middle part. Your yell was muffled by a gloved hand, his chest being the first thing that made you realise who was holding you.

"Cloud!"

His hand then left your mouth, chin making contact with the crown of your hair. Your hands grabbed his forearms, letting out a breathy sigh.

"Don't scare me like that you idiot"

You could feel a little smirk burning into his face, arms tightening around your waist as he guided you through the house.

. . .

"What's got you so clingy hmm?"

"You"

His voice was muffled by your chest, head tilted to the right as he laid on top of you. His arms were both bellow your back, not caring if he got cramps thanks to it.

He looked so peaceful, a child who only lived fueled by your arms and warm body.

Your back rested on the fluffy pillows behind you, knees appart as his stomach rested on your lap. Your feet rested by his sides and your hands softly caressed his locks.

You looked outside the window, it was currently winter and you felt a scorching warmth enveloping your insides. You felt so cozy and calm on the warm mattress, but his body on top of you multiplied those feelings.

His touch was featherlike, always managing to boost your mood whenever you were mad at him.

You couldn't have a proper argument with him, no matter how hard you tried to distance yourself from him, yell at him. His hands were always soothing your back.

"Hold on, I'll be back"

But his arms trapped you further into the mattress, not letting you slip off his embrace so easily. His body weight was all resting on top of you like it would always do whenever he was feeling down or tired and you were there with him.

A few more silent whines left his mouth when you, struggling, got his arms finally off you and planted your feet back on the wooden floor.

You gave his saddened face a pleading smile before you dissapeared once again into the hall.

If you were a stranger and looked at him in the eye, you would've thought that boy was cold.

But in reality, he was just a touch-starved kid.

Your fingertips grazed a bookshelf, pupils trying to find a red book surrounded by colorful books Aerith liked to read. You enjoyed meeting up with her and talking about flowers, forgetting just for a few minutes what was happening in the planet.

She knew everything about them, her tone changing whenever she talked to you about tulips or roses.

She was the whiff of fresh air you needed in a polluted city.

Subconciously you smiled at those memories, you loved spending time with her and the girls. A relief from work and the tasks you had to do through the day, soothing hands that massaged your warm shoulders after an stressful journey.

You wouldn't know where you'd be right now without them.

You let out an audible sigh as your hands caressed the soft cover of your favourite book. You liked the smell of fresh books, reading them while you stayed up at night.

With your new friend, you walked your way back into the room, ready to cuddle for as long as he pleased.

However, when you opened the door again, he wasn't laying down on the bed, instead, he was waiting for you the way you were laying on the pillows earlier.

And before you could even mutter out a "Hi" his arms were all over you again, dragging you down to his chest. You took his seat now, your hair sprawled out on his chest and shoulders as your book ended up falling on your lap.

You giggled, happiness filling up his sore brain, he adored your little chuckles. Readjusting yourself on his lap, you two were now sat on the bed, his bigger legs enveloped your closed ones, side by side.

You couldn't even hide the big, pleasured grin that was now placed on your sweet lips.

Did a huge, cuddly dog swaped bodies with Cloud?

Well, you didn't mind if he actually did, you were more than happy to see this secret facade. Maybe if life would let you have more alone time with him you wouldn't need to seek out his warmth in cold, lonely afternoons.

You both were quiet, consumed by the endless words in front of you as he leant his nose further into your hair. He would never say it out loud, but you had him crazy for you just by your sweet scent.

The first thing that woke up his brain whenever you walked into a room, whenever you washed the dishes with him.

Then your calm tone would envelope his eardrums, it always soothed him down.

And finally your adorable eyes, eyelashes batting so cutely at him, blinking whenever you were confused.

You sinked deeper into the pleasant but icy night, the words now seemed to be blurred out. Your eyelids grew heavy and the grip you had on the book softened, a car passed by.

When your limbs appeared to weigh more, he took the book from your lap, smiling when your hands didn't take it away from him. You had fallen asleep on top of him, was his body that comfortable?

It sure was, although he didn't seem to in most people's eyes, he was really strong. The muscles he packed bellow his skin were the perfect pillow, his arms the best blanket.

Your personal warm tent.

Eventually his eyes closed themselves too, breathing slowing itself down as his head lolled into your own one. You both looked so cute right now, not noticing the door creaking and some small giggles following behind.

[sageteapost]

hello can i order cloud strife x femreader (established relationship) who has a scar that goes from one cheek to the other and is insecure about it?

during that part where cloud, tifa and aerith are in the train cemetery and they grab cloud's arms the reader arrives just in time and sees this and gets very insecure because she thinks they are prettier than her (english is not my first language, sorry T-T)

| Cloud With An Insecure Reader |

[ Cloud Strife x Fem! Reader ]

TW & CW + Tags: None. Cloud might be a bit OOC. Comfort/fluff. [Established relationship. Fem! Reader]

Summary: Some quick headcanons on Cloud having an S/O who has a scar insecurity.

[(A/N): Hey! Sorry for taking so long for this request. I frankly was having a tad bit of trouble writing it. I'm not super proud of these to be honest, but hey, better to try than not do it at all! Hope you enjoy and that it somewhat was what you were looking for.]

Let's get this straight; Cloud adores you. Scars or not. You're gorgeous, and nothing will change that in slightest.

He will not ask about it to respect your privacy, but he cannot deny but continue to be curious.

Again, you never have to tell him if it's too much to talk about. He understands, and is willing to let it stay that way.

However, if you do feel comfortable and tell him how you got it, he'd listen intently. He knows that sharing this can require a lot of courage and might be painful to talk about.

Even once he knows the full story behind it, he loves you just the same.

In private, he loves planting sweet kisses to your scarred cheeks.

Cloud may not always be the best at expressing his feelings with words, but he'll make sure of it to show it through his actions.

So when you're at the train cemetery and he immediately notices your demeanor change when Aerith and Tifa grabbed his arms, he comes up to you wanting to communicate with you about it.

Calmly asking about it and checking in with you to see if you're okay.

When you tell him that you had been feeling insecure when they grabbed his arms and how he probably thinks they're prettier than you.

At first, he's silent for a moment, processing your words. But that quickly changes. His usually stoic face melts away.

Reassures you that he has no feelings for Tifa and Aerith, and your scar doesn't change the way he sees you in the slightest.

It isn't easy for him to show his feelings, but Cloud loves you. And he finds every part of you absolutely breathtaking.

"..It's not often that I feel this way about just anyone, and I'm sorry if I'm not the best with words. But, do you realize what you do to me? You mean everything to me. And I mean that. It doesn't matter to me if you have scars or not, you are beautiful. Inside and out. Never forget that."

[altocat]

i saw that you also said you love to talk about other characters, not just sephiroth, so i thought i'd ask: what are your favorite things/traits/moments etc of all of the playable characters we've had across the compilation of 7? i feel like i can talk about all the characters forever :)

Ooh yeah! This will be fun. Okay!

Cloud: Cloud is the most relatable character to me, and probably my favorite if we're being honest. I relate strongly to his identity issues, and I love when he tries to act tough while concealing a softer nature. My personal favorite scene with him is the flashback where he realizes that he was stronger than Sephiroth this whole time, throwing Sephiroth down the pit. It's a powerful moment, probably Cloud's single greatest moment in the entire series.

Tifa: Tifa is literal perfection. She looks like a tough tomboy and yet she's also one of the kindest people ever. She's maternal, loyal, supportive, and devoted to a fault. The team would be lost without her. She's the glue that holds everyone together. An absolute queen. My favorite moment with her is Under the Highwind, regardless of her relationship with Cloud being romantic or platonic.

Barret: Barret's got a heart of gold. He's always part of my main party when playing the OG. A great comrade and an even GREATER father. His relationship with Marlene is beautiful and so warm and wholesome. Barret also spits some iconic quotes over the course of the game, as well as some hard truths. My favorite scene with him, naturally, is his encounter with Dyne. The line "my hands are too stained to carry her anymore" gets me to cry no matter how many times I play.

Aerith: Aerith is the biggest hero of FFVII next to Cloud. She's the one who ultimately saves the day, and all through her sacrifice. I'm not even gonna talk about my favorite moment with her because...you guys already know the scene. It's the single most famous scene in gaming history. Aerith has a playful, occasionally chaotic edge to her personality that she hides behind a sweet smile. I absolutely adore that about her. She's so full of love and so full of selflessness, but she also loves to tease people. Also an absolute queen.

Red XIII: Nanaki is a cat btw. I have always seen him as a cat. That's my controversial opinion on him lmao. Also him howling for Seto makes me ugly cry every single time without fail. I appreciate that Nanaki seems occasionally stoic and serious, but then has kind of a childlike or immature fear or insecurity about something. There's that duality to him that ties to the other characters in a sense. Anyway, I love him. He is a very good boy.

Cid: Cid took a while to grow on me initially. He's pretty rough around the edges. But my favorite moment with him happens in the last third where he sorta becomes the de facto leader of the group with Cloud gone. And I like that he seems to have reconciled with Shera as well. Honestly, he's just kind of a badass and really cool at what he does. Also he gets to go to space. Good for him tbh.

Cait Sith: This one is hard because there's always a debate as to how much of a character Cait Sith actually IS. It's Reed puppeting a machine/doll basically. How much of Cait Sith has a mind of his own? Regardless, Cait Sith isn't my fave. He's a spy, after all. But he makes up for it in the end, even if he kinda fades into the background. Reed is honestly more of an interesting character overall. I can't name any specific favorite moments with Cait Sith specifically. But also he's a small Scottish cat. And that's rad.

Vincent: This edgy boi. Also not one of my faves, but he's grown a lot more on me over time. He wins for always having the coolest voice in the entire group. And I really like the scene where he reunites with Lucrecia. Vincent is kind of gruff and understated at times compared to the rest of the cast. But he has a gentle side as well, and one hell of a cool backstory. Also I love monsters and gothic imagery in general.

Yuffie: Yuffie is...my least favorite main character. I don't hate her. I've just never been a fan of the "spunky loudmouth child" trope. With that said, I'm sure the Remake trilogy will breathe new life into her and add some extra appeal for me. I like what I've seen so far. And Yuffie's bluntness and playfulness can be cute from time to time.

Zack: Counting him because of Crisis Core. He's probably my third favorite character. His death is the saddest scene in the entire compilation imo. He's a character who is wholly encompassed by love, who deals with a LOT of pain, and who proves to be better and worthier than most people put together. Like Aerith, he sacrifices everything. And also like Aerith, his legacy will live on forever.

[timelessxmemories]

❛⠀⠀🪽﹔aerith gainsborough ﹒shift intro

➽ " we need to make the most of the time we have — to live our lives the way we wanna live. every minute... every moment, matters "﹒⠀🕊

「 ✦ aerith , aeri , ria , rita — she / they ✦

☁️⠀ @satyrsystem ﹒ @spareeees ﹒ @the-wammys-house

﹒ ➽ more info under the cut !

﹒ 🌸 ; ⠀Hi there! I'm Aerith Gainsborough! Most, if not all of you know me by Kratos, previously C and/or Crow! This is a shift of mine I've had for years now! Longer then most if not all of my shifts, including my consistent Kratos shift! I've actually had this shift since I was 8 years old, I've just never noticed until recently! <- that seems to be a recurring theme on my end...

﹒ 🌸 ; ⠀This shift youre seeing now, is the most, if not always prominent! It usually makes me seem way more energetic, hyper, very happy-go-lucky, and super optimistic! Because what's life if you're not living it to the fullest, right?

﹒ 🌸 ; ⠀There is also a split of me within the system who too, is Aerith! She's also really sweet and very kind! If you see her around, say hi, okay?

﹒ 🌸 ; ⠀I go by she/they pronouns within this shift and my gender identity is incredibly fluid, so I'm absolutely genderfluid if you were curious!

﹒ 🌸 ;⠀ I really adore flowers, gardening, a good book and conversations! I consider myself to be a social butterfly and I'm always willing to help others out and I'm always willing to make new friends along the way! So don't be afraid to drop on by and say hello!

﹒ 🌸 ; ⠀My aesthetic switches fairly frequently, but most of the time, if not all the time, my main aesthetics are typically; kidcore, grunge, and very cutesy and soft aesthetics!

﹒ 🌸 ; ⠀This is by all means not a roleplay account, I am genuinely this character and I'd appreciate it very much if you respected this! I'm also many other characters, but I'm not going to be making an intro post for them because then we'd be here all day, and I'd much rather prefer to stick to one post for my most prominent and consistent shift!

﹒ 🌸 ; ⠀Most would describe my personality as fun-loving, energetic and playful! But I can also be pretty shy and rather introverted, despite me being a social butterfly! But don't let that stop you from saying hi! I promise! I'm really nice when you get to know me!

﹒ 🌸 ; ⠀Polyamorous and Pansexual throughout all my shifts, by the way! That doesn't change at all! I have many spouses and I love them all so very much, they genuinely don't understand how much they mean to me!!

﹒ ☁️ ; ⠀Source wise, I remember dating Tifa and Cloud! So all you claerith, cloti, and aerti shippers, it's canon. All three are canon. We are very happy!! I also remember meeting Vau after meeting Biggs, (kind of funny, because I am also Biggs) and after Biggs' death, if I remember correctly, I helped Vau out of the rut and depression he got stuck in. We hit it off and next thing you know, another partner has been added to the list! I don't know if he was also dating Tifa and Cloud, I don't think he was, I think it was just me! Either way, I love those three very much and if you have a problem with it, blehhhh!!!

﹒ ☁️ ; ⠀Me and Vau were the more "rambunctious" of the group, funnily enough! We always stuck together and agreed that wherever we went, chaos would follow!!!

﹒ ☁️ ;⠀ Vau did get sick a lot which also meant the group had to stop pretty frequently for however long, but that was okay! As long as Vau was okay and healthy then so were we! I'd take care of him as much as I possibly could with the help of the others! And he'd do the same!

﹒ ☁️ ; ⠀I remember when I went on stage and sang for the whole world to hear, he sat in the front row, bright eyed and bushy tailed! He looked so happy and proud that I couldn't help but feel like I did something right and I felt really happy that he was so happy!

﹒ ☁️ ;⠀ He couldn't really fight alongside the group so he was mostly just the healer and the provider whenever we needed something! He was also there to keep us company, and overall he was our best friend and he became apart of the family just as he was with Avalanche

﹒ 🌸 ; ⠀There are a lot more memories I have with Vau and company, but I know that if I keep going on and on, this introduction will never end! So that's all I'm going to write for now! Thank you for reading!!♡

[thesolemnhour]

A slightly modified version of inspirations for my most prolific and neurotic brainchild! Reasoning under the cut:

Alase Brinz-Widowknife from Lost Kingdoms and King of Chaos.

I've waxed poetic plenty on how much I adore Wesley's interpretation of Old Sarkoris in Lost Kingdoms, but his present-day Sarkorian characters are just as definitive to me. Alase is a young woman who practices the old art of Godcalling, where Sarkorian summoners call on the ancient protectors of their communities. One of the last Sarkorian Godcallers in the last Sarkorian village still standing. Alase feels a deep desire to do something with her abilities and dreams of taking back to city of Undarin, where Clan Widowknife used to reside. Alase also wonders whether her eidolon Tonbarse truly has a touch of the divine or is simply a loyal companion.

This meditation on what it means to be a Sarkorian one hundred years after the Worldwound opened was so foundational to Agria's character that I named her mother after Alase and decided to make her family another branch of Clan Widowknife.

Aerith Gainsborough, from Final Fantasy 7 (remake).

When I was still trying to nail down Agria's voice, my trick was to imagine all of her dialogue as though Aerith were saying them. Aerith has this delightful combination of sweetness and forcefulness. She's a very nice girl, and you're going to do what she asks! Possibly my favorite line in the game is when she and Cloud are halfway through a plan to sneak into a mobster's house, and she's telling him the last thing he needs to do. Cloud is like, "Hold on a minute," and she says, "No can-do, Cloud. This is our plan, and you'll learn to love it!" I'll take "Things Agria has said to Woljif," for $100, Alex.

Emma Woodhouse from Austen's Emma.

When Jane Austen set herself to writing Emma, she wanted to create "a heroine no one but me will much like." Emma is often selfish, unkind, and thoughtless, but she also cares deeply about the people around her and is willing to change her mind to accommodate them. Agria, likewise, can be a bit too attached to her own way of thinking to consider anyone else's, and it's Emma I look to most when I think about the ways that Woljif forces her to consider other perspectives.

Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

A little bit like Emma, it's Katara's best and worst traits that make her such an influence on Agria. Katara is equally as capable of being kind, curious, and passionate as she is of being controlling and emotional. She can carry grudges and be competitive. Agria is many of these things as well, and the combination of these traits is what always brings me back to her

Kitri, from Don Quixote.

Kitri, my love! From her very first entrance to the ballet, Kitri effortlessly commands the attention of those around her. After every movement, it's like she turns to the audience to say, "Ta-DA!" She is fiery and joyful and alive! She has enormous spirit and insists on having things her way. She's a bit of a brat (affectionate). She is who I look to when I want to represent Agria being a drama queen.

Evgenia Medvedeva, Russian figure skater and Olympic silver medalist.

There is a kind of insanity at the heart of athletes that I'm obsessed with. A sense that if you just push yourself hard enough, you will accomplish everything you want. Evgenia Medvedeva has so much of this, and I am convinced she is the most intense person who has every lived. "As soon as you take it easy," she explained in one documentary, "you get nowhere. You're the same as everyone else." Are you sure about that, two-time world champion, Evgenia Medvedeva?? But it's never enough. That's Agria!

Template:

[hellfiremaniac]

A Broken Bond -- Sefikura Soulmate AU

Going to preface this by saying that this was written as a joke because I had a random thought and shared it with some friends that encouraged it, so not everything in it will be accurate to the games. Also based this off of the FFVII Remake because I hadn’t played Crisis Core at the time that this was written.

Oh, and this is angst. No fluff to be found. Good luck!

-------------------------------------

"We'll meet again, Cloud. I'll keep coming back -- as long as you are who you are."

The words on his wrist stung terribly, waking him from his latest dream with a hiss of pain. His right hand gripped the words that he hated so much, the last words someone's soulmate would say to them before they died.

He used to wonder who his soulmate would be. Part of him hoped he'd never find out -- but that hope was destroyed when he killed his supposed soulmate with his own two hands.

It had to have been some cruel trick the universe was playing on him, deciding that the rest of his life wasn't a nightmare enough.

His hallucinations of the man had been growing stronger lately, as had his nightmares that featured him. He couldn't remember the last time he had a good night's rest, let alone managing to go a day without hearing the voice of the man he hated so much.

Try as he did, he could never escape his reality, the truth of his soulmate's identity; for his destined was Sephiroth, the one-winged angel that had destroyed his hometown.

Nobody else knew. Nobody had managed to figure it out, not even Tifa. The thought gave him a sense of relief, knowing that he didn't have to directly lie to his best friend. He had managed to form a fragile sense of comradery with the members of Avalanche, and with a local florist named Aerith, and he didn't want this secret destroying that.

---------------

Unfortunately for him, all good things in his life came to an end sooner or later. And this time it happened to come when he infiltrated the Shinra building to save Aerith.

He saw his soulmate in his nightmares. He saw him when he was awake, but the figure always faded quickly, and nobody else acknowledged those hallucinations.

So then, why were his friends able to see the man now?

Sephiroth, standing at the end of the metal pathway they were on. Smirking at him, like always.

His breath caught in his throat, his feet moving forward without him consciously making the decision to do so.

"Is it..." he hesitated, a burning sensation in his chest making the words difficult to say. "Is it really you?"

The man before him reacted with a simple smile and a slight, almost unnoticeable nod of his head.

The burning grew worse with the confirmation. He vaguely knew what it was, having heard stories when he was younger about the pain of a broken soulmate bond. Something in him knew the undeniable truth, and it wanted him to suffer for rejecting it.

Sephiroth picked up on this, reaching out a hand to him. "Don't deny me."

Cloud felt a scream bubble up in his throat, gripping his buster sword in both hands and lunging at the man he hated -- the man the universe said he was supposed to love -- with every ounce of disgust he felt for the man.

Sephiroth easily blocked the blow. Cloud was standing close enough that he could see the vibrant turquoise colour that the mako had turned all SOLDIERs eyes too, except this was deeper. Prettier, in a way. He wanted to hit himself for even thinking the word.

A gentle wind, an exhaled breath, hit his face, pushing his hair back slightly. It smelled like peppermint.

"Embrace me," the man before him whispered, the look of adoration on his face only feeding Cloud's anger.

He jumped back, moving in for another blow but failing as Sephiroth destroyed the path beneath his feet, watching with satisfaction as the younger SOLDIER fell into the darkness.

-----------------

When he came to, he couldn't help but feel like his heart had been torn from his chest -- the same feeling he experienced after he had killed Sephiroth.

But his soulmate was back. Against all odds he was somehow alive. And Cloud wanted nothing more than to put an end to him once more.

So then, why did the thought of harming him cause such an ache in his chest? Why did his hands hesitate to strike a blow before? Why did he feel so hollow?

He couldn't figure out an answer, sitting numbly until his limbs finally decided to co-operate. He couldn't be alone for too long -- he had to find the others.

Barret was as easy to locate as always, his battle cries leading Cloud right to him, though it was Red XIII that he had first located.

The rush of battles that followed passed by in a blur. His heart was aching terribly, a feeling that he thought he left behind long ago. He didn't even notice the concerned looks Aerith was giving him, nor had he noticed her gasp when she saw him near Sephiroth earlier.

For Aerith was an Ancient, and Ancients knew when soulmates were near each other. It was how she knew that Tifa was her own soulmate -- not that she had told the other girl yet. She was too worried about how the information would be received.

But for Cloud to be Sephiroth's soulmate? She never would've guessed it if she hadn't felt their connection light up the air around her in the other room. It was unfathomable, but it was also undeniable. She wondered if the others had noticed the loving looks their enemy was giving the mercenary, but it seemed that neither Tifa nor Barret had.

Red, however, was keeping a closer eye on the mercenary now, and Aerith felt that he knew. When she connected with Red, she gave him some of her knowledge. Evidently, that was enough for him to recognise the bond that they had witnessed before.

She felt guilty as she watched her silent friend keep moving, keep protecting them, knowing where their path was leading.

Knowing that she'd have to watch the pair be broken apart once more.

----------------

Cloud didn't like how Aerith kept looking at him. He could feel her eyes on the back of his head, but he tried to ignore it, along with the sense that she knew. She had no way of knowing. Unless being an Ancient somehow let her know.

He couldn't help but look back at her, being met by the sad gaze she had rested on him since they reunited after the confrontation with Sephiroth.

"What?" He knew his voice was blunt. He knew it was always like that. He figured he was too far gone for it to ever be normal again.

"Are you okay?" Her words struck him like a knife to the chest as his breath abandoned him. She knew.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do." Normally, this was endearing, the way that she wouldn't let him dodge her questions.

Now, he just found it infuriating.

"It's none of your business." He tried to keep walking, to catch up to the others, but she grabbed his arm.

"Cloud, it's okay to hurt. Broken bonds are painful, especially when they break twice."

He completely froze, unsure how to proceed now that she had acknowledged that she knew. Was the world spinning, or was he? It didn't take long before the headaches came, always accompanying the thoughts of his soulmate.

"I don't..." he didn't have the strength to keep denying it to her, as pathetic as that fact made him feel. Aerith reached out to clasp her other hand in his, helping to ground him when his mind tried to slip away, when he started seeing black feathers hit the ground.

"It's okay to be scared. I don't know what I'd do if I had to hurt Tifa, even if it was to save others."

Cloud's mouth opened as he processed that information. Yes, Aerith now knew his secret, but she had offered up a similar one in return. Tifa and Aerith are soulmates.

He wanted to be happy for them, to be happy that two of his closest friends were destined for each other. But he couldn't help the resentment that crept into his chest.

Why do they get a happy life together? Why was Cloud's soulmate bond doomed to fail from the moment he discovered it?

That thought wasn't entirely true. He had felt something for the man he used to admire long before he discovered their bond, but he had always written it off as some childish infatuation with his hero. He never thought that the older SOLDIER's smiles had a hidden meaning to them... not until his dying breaths, when he smiled that wretched smile that has been burnt into Cloud's mind ever since, and uttered the words that were permanently placed on his left wrist.

He felt a part of him die that day. The small part that had loved the hero he used to admire -- the part that had once hopelessly waited for a soulmate that he could confide in.

Sephiroth was nothing to him, he had told himself repeatedly since that day. The day his heart shriveled up and died alongside the man that destiny said he was meant to be with.

What a cruel twist of fate.

"You can talk to me about it, Cloud. I won't judge you for what destiny decided for you." She smiled at him in a way that would've convinced him in normal circumstances.

But this wasn't normal, and there was no way that he could even begin to unravel the threads of his soulmate bond to another person. Just the thought of it seemed wrong. He'd hidden it for so long that his head throbbed when he thought about how she knew now.

"Aerith? Cloud? You guys coming?" Tifa called back, smiling gently at them as she saw Aerith's enthusiastic nod. Cloud watched her run to catch up to others, trailing along behind her, and saw the pure joy on Tifa's face when Aerith grabbed her hand to walk with her.

He knew she didn't intend it in a malicious way, but the gesture felt like salt on the wound of his recent encounter with Sephiroth. He wished he could just shake it off, forget about it until they were away from Shinra, but he couldn't get the visual of his eyes out of his head.

He took his left wrist in his right hand, glaring down at the metal band that he knew covered the words. Part of him longed to see them. He scoffed, dropping his wrist and raising his head to keep looking ahead as his little group continued on their quest to find a way out of the Shinra building.

-------------------

Everything passed by quickly enough that he had almost forgotten about his recent encounter with the man he wished he would never see again.

That was, until Aerith looked directly at him during her speech on their destiny. "We have to take down Sephiroth. I know that we can do it if we work together." She offered him a small smile while he was internally torn apart.

It didn't hurt this much to kill him the first time. Why did it hurt so much now?

He couldn't focus on it, his vision blurring as his logical want to kill Sephiroth battled the pull of the soulmate bond. But he found himself nodding, putting his hand together with the others, and walking straight into Destiny's Crossroads.

It felt like he had been plunged into a tub of ice-cold water and then sent through an inferno of fire, but he soon found himself standing in a warped version of the normal world. It was like the road before them had been destroyed and sent flying through the sky, unlike anything he had ever seen before.

He was separated from the others, and fought his way back to them, feeling a sense of relief as he saw that they were all unharmed.

Together, they took down the Whisperer Harbinger, destroying the destiny that had been ordained for them. But they barely had a moment to celebrate before the sky turned into a swirling purple vortex, and Cloud's heart dropped to his stomach as he saw the silhoutte of Sephiroth through it all.

It hurt worse when his figure was properly revealed, and when he lunged at him in another attempt to kill him. He had fought many people in his life, more often recently, but no injury he had gotten during those fights compared to the raging fire that boiled his blood more with every clash of his sword against Masamune.

He was the one to place the final blow upon his soulmate's skin, but the pain he felt suddenly disappeared as the grey-haired man smirked at him. Then reality warped, and he fell through the sky and suddenly woke up on a blackened rock surrounded by nothing but space.

He tried to sit up, but his headaches flared once more. He gripped his head with his right hand, closing his eyes and hoping the pain would fade. It didn't, not until he felt a gentle grip on his wrist. His pain seemed to evaporate and he slowly opened his eyes, expecting to see Tifa or Aerith.

He jolted backwards as he instead saw Sephiroth, with another stupid look on his face -- a look as if Cloud was the only thing that mattered in the world. He smiled.

"Careful now. That which lies ahead does not yet exist." Cloud's head was swimming, a mixture of hatred and rage and a terrible feeling of content that he despised so much all mixing together and confusing him further. Sephiroth let go of his wrist, gesturing to the colourful explosions scattered throughout the darkness of space that surrounded them. "Our world will become part of it... one day. But I... will not end." He looked at Cloud, his bright eyes full of so much meaning. "Nor will I have you end."

Cloud looked around, not fully comprehending what he was seeing. "This is...?"

"The edge of creation," Sephiroth responded. He stood from his crouch, reaching his hand out to the still confused man. "Cloud, lend me your strength. Let us defy destiny... together." The words were spoken in almost a whisper, and Cloud almost reached out to him. He stopped his hand midway, anger flaring at the movement that he hadn't allowed.

"Never." He made himself utter, believing the word and yet doubting it at the same time.

Sephiroth just kept smiling, though it felt hollower than before. "Not yet." He looked around. "Seven seconds till the end. Enough time for you, perhaps. But what will you do with it? Let's see."

Sephiroth vanished in the blind of an eye. Cloud dropped onto his knees as his body felt like it was lit ablaze, trying desperately to fight it off. Then everything turned white, and his thoughts fizzled down to nothing.

-----------------

This time, he woke up in a familiar field that had a view of Midgar off in the distance, although he couldn't quite place why it was familiar to him. Barret, Tifa, Aerith, and Red were all waiting for him to wake up.

He stood with them, looking out at the city they had all called home for so long. Not him. He hadn't known a home for a long time.

"So, what now?" Tifa's question broke the silence that had fallen across the group, and Cloud grabbed hold of his left wrist once more.

"Sephiroth..." Aerith looked concerned as he muttered the name, but he quickly raised his head once more. "Long as he's still out there, I..."

Barret cut him off, his face scrunched up in confusion. "I thought you beat him."

"We can! We will." Aerith promised, smiling at Cloud to show her support.

"Count me in!" Tifa announced, grabbing hold of Aerith's hand once more. Barret and Red followed suit with similar declarations, and Cloud almost smiled before the rain began to fall on them. They set off towards a world away from Midgar, from Shinra.

Towards a world where they'd be hunting his soulmate down, ensuring that he stayed dead this time. He could almost hear his voice, echoing through his brain. It made him more determined than ever to put a stop to him.

"We'll meet again, Cloud." Like a promise whispered on the wind.

[demigod-of-the-agni]

FF7 REBIRTH SPOILERS ft. Some of my thoughts on the Golden Saucer Dates >:))))))

I will proclaim which one is my favourite

warning: i hate dates. therefore all my opinions on the following, and my final verdict, are correct. good day.

Alone

Cloud's lonely gold saucer outing, when he comes across Jessie's picture and he tells her, "Hey, still waiting for that pizza" with the most saddest eyes ever.... be still my weeping heart

Also I love how he acknowledges that the skywheel is a couple's thing, then proceeds to board it anyway 💀 it'd be nice to see the whole thing by yourself though (<- i am an introvert what more can i say)

Tifa

Tifa's little spiel about wanting to make friends always hits me like a tonne of bricks, everything she says is FUEL TO MY STUPID AUs... WOMAN <33333

When they Jessie's picture and Tifa talks about Jessie saved her.... oh... oh my heart. i cannot take this anymore

WHEN THE FIREWORKS GO OFF AND THE COLOURS OF THEIR EYES BRIGHTEN,,, AND THEN HUG JUMPSCARE,,,, AND THEN KISS !!!!!!!! oughhh,,,, it's so good,,,,,,, everything is so perfect about the scene they are just. everything

Aerith

NAHHH THE DISRESPECT MY MAN HAD BY SITTING OPPOSITE TO MY GIRL.... HOW RUDE. Aerith deserved to spin the carriage around until Cloud spits out all the mako in him

RAGH when the laser show had them crashing into each other and they just sit down defeated next to each other.... it was so funny,,,, task failed successfully

WHEN CLOUD REACHED OVER TO HOLD HIS HAND IN AERITH'S.... THAT MAKES THE ENDING HIT SO MUCH HARDER. NO ONE TOUCH ME EVER AGAIN

Yuffie

In my mind Yuffie seems like she's 12 (i know she's 16 or so do NOT come at me) so the date is really just Cloud babysitting her and honestly it went just as I expected: adorably :''3 Yuffie speaking for the both of them, so real of her

"I swear Cloud, it's like you're destined to be surrounded by smoking hot chicks" [strikes a pose] and Cloud laughing like yeah, you're a little silly Yuffie

GIRL WAS DOING JUMPING JACKS WHILE WAITING FOR CLOUD TO HAND OVER THE SKYWHEEL TICKETS AJSHSHSL

WHEN SHE STARTS TALKING ABOUT ZACK... AND THEN SHE CATCHES CLOUD LAUGHING AT HER LATER AND SHE SIH-SIH-HAH'S HIM.... AND HE PLAYS ALONG TOO.... be still my screaming heart,,, the boy is embodying Zack in more ways than one

Barret

"Well, well, I wake baby from his nap?" if this were said to me I would immediately leave and mess up Barret's bed. let's see who gets better sleep after that

Anyways I'm forever in love with how, between the two of them, money jokes are their form of love. like that gets to me you know

BARRET'S "IN-KWEH-DIBLE" WILL FOREVER BE SEARED INTO MY BRAIN BY THE WAY. HE SOUNDS SO DELIGHTED AT SAYING THAT. I'M CHERISH IT FOREVER

Red XIII

"I already have the tickets, but look at me... there's no way I'm getting in by myself" dude look at you HOW DID YOU GET THE TICKETS

Red and Cloud are just having a guy's night, it's just so lit, I love it so much they are just good bros and no I'm not tearing up :''3

The two shaking hands is also so incredibly touching to me... they are just little guys!!! and then the "They ARE soft!" from Cloud,,, perfect timing my guy !!!!

Cait, Vincent, and Cid

ALL THREE OF THEM STANDING OUTSIDE THE DOOR HAD ME CACKLING BECAUSE. THE IMPLICATIONS OF HOW ALL THREE OF THEM DECIDED TO RECRUIT CLOUD INTO THEIR GUY'S NIGHT??? well maybe not all three, Vincent being Vincent was probably coerced into it, and Cid just wanted to tag along. The culprit of this outing was-

Vincent falling asleep is incredibly in character and relatable. return this man to his coffin. two decades of sleeping is not enough.

Cait pulling his hairs out is fucking sending me, poor lad

AND NOW... THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR.... WHICH DATE WAS BEST???

Vincent, Cait and Cid. boys' night. it's an automatic win

jk but I loved Clerith's date the most... maybe it is because I follow tragedy and it follows me, but while the Clofi date is Canon, the Clerith date is so tender, and it really signals to me the could-have-been's. and i love the could-have-been's ykyk

okay bye

[dansantcaparet]

In 1997, it was obvious to me that Cloud loved Aerith more than Tifa.

Not until I went online all these years later did I discover (shockingly) that the American FFVII fanbase had been purposely misled by egotistical, pompous, self-righteous nerd boys (who now have egg on their face in-light of the Remake).

If you notice, Cloti’s have been working double-time since the Remake came out. Why is that?

Well, it’s because the Remake is confirming what we have always known since the OG: despite technically being a love triangle, SE wanted most gamers to play their first playthrough the Clerith way. Aerith automatically starts off with more love points than Tifa, and the Clerith date is the “normally occurring” date.

Clerith is the “normally occurring” couple.

So why did Cloti’s decide to launch a campaign to delegitimize Clerith? And how did they do it?

When FFVII first came out in 1997, many western gamers didn’t understand Aerith. She was (literally) foreign to them. Japanese animation was still very niche back then.

Though the Japanese adored Aerith’s spunky personality & pink dress (and saw her as the obvious romantic interest for Cloud), many men in the United States thought her hair was “ugly,” and that her personality was “annoying.” Far too “anime” for their taste. They preferred Tifa — the loyal, more American looking childhood friend — the “girl-next-door.” Plus, her big boobs didn’t hurt, either.

Of course, since FFVII inherently revolves around a love triangle, there is an OPTION to play it the Tifa way.

However, as a kid in 1997, I never saw Tifa as a threat. I saw her as the secondary, optional way to play the game. The girl you would pick on your second playthrough.

When you consider...

—Official Yoshitaka Amano artwork depicting Cloud x Aerith

—Beginning love point totals (you have to make counterintuitive choices to catch Tifa up to Aerith’s automatic 1st place position)

—The non-optional bodyguard agreement

—The “normally” occurring CxA Gold Saucer date

—Numerous flirtatious moments & obvious hints

—Tifa’s constant jealousy

—Promised Land scene non-optionally occurring *AFTER* the inherently variable Highwind scene

—Frequent CxA cameos

—Aerith being the first & last image we see in the entire game

…it is clear Tifa never held a candle to Aerith as the heroine, or as the primary love interest for Cloud.

To put it simply — Aerith was created first by SE. Tifa was created second. Aerith is the primary love interest. Tifa is the secondary love interest. Obvious common sense.

Unfortunately, fueled by their unyielding, irrational hatred of all things Aerith, they successfully sold the myth (for years) that Cloud x Tifa is the official canon couple of FFVII, thereby brainwashing the entire American fandom against Cloud x Aerith.

They reduced & twisted Cloud’s “undying” love for Aerith as “guilt.”

Saying that even though Cloud chooses to live in Aerith’s Church, has his heart broken every time he visits her grave, reconnects with her in Flower Fields (and cameos), and seeks to find her in the Promised Land, it is somehow all due to guilt over the death of a mere friend. Saying that anything romantic shown in the OG is all a result of Zack (ie: attempted delegitimization).

I guess the symbolism of Cloud’s continued love for Aerith, and all the nuances that entails, is too cultured & sophisticated for them to comprehend. Or maybe they are purposely not comprehending the obvious?

Thankfully, the Japanese understand what all of this means. So why don’t western fans?

The only logical conclusion is because of their deep, burning, irrational hatred of Aerith as a character. Always minimizing & downplaying her role as the first & true heroine & love interest to Cloud.

But now, with the Remake perfecting Aerith’s look & personality, and making it crystal clear that these are Cloud’s REAL feelings, and that Aerith wants to move FORWARD from Zack, you are now seeing a significant swing within the fandom towards Cloud x Aerith.

The myth has finally been exposed & debunked.

Due to this, Cloti’s are currently working double-time to try to convince us that their ship is a “slow-burn.”

Sadly, the other side has spent years using Crisis Core & Advent Children to their advantage by manipulating & brainwashing those new to the FFVII fanbase. Pretending as if Disc 1 of the OG never happened. Saying Crisis Core makes Zerith canon, and Advent Children makes Cloti canon. Simple & easy for the masses to understand, right?

So how, exactly, did they convince millions to believe their great myth?

1. Cloud & Aerith only liked each other because of Zack.

Response:

The relationship between Zack & Aerith in CC is officially described as a minor infatuation between two juveniles, much like Cloud’s childhood crush on Tifa.

In the OG, Aerith says her and Zack were NEVER serious, that their relationship is “in the past now,” and that he probably moved on to someone else because he’s a “real lady’s man.”

On the “normally occurring” CxA Gold Saucer date, Aerith confirms that although she initially liked Cloud because of Zack, she has grown to like Cloud for Cloud.

Within the lifestream, Aerith tells Zack that she prefers Cloud’s personality over his, and that she will only call Zack if she gets “really lonely.”

In the Remake, Aerith states she wants to move FORWARD with her life in regards to Zack.

In official sources, Aerith is stated as saying she loves Cloud MORE than Zack.

Cloud is stated to be Aerith’s “koibito” (“lover” in Japanese).

Yes — Cloud adopted some memories & mannerisms from Zack, but he never transformed 100% into Zack.

It is a myth that Cloud & Aerith’s love is null-and-void because of Zack.

CC is a retcon.

Don’t let them use Zack to erase Clerith.

2. Tifa wins by default due to being alive.

Response:

Tifa winning by default due to being alive is why the other side hopes to god Aerith doesn’t live in the Remake.

You may personally prefer Tifa, but in the OG, Cloud himself clearly prefers Aerith over Tifa, and the other side knows it (just look at the Shinra jail cell moment). When Tifa observes Cloud and Aerith falling in love, she flips out in a jealous rage.

Tifa only has a chance once Aerith is out of the picture. If Aerith lives, it is all but over for Tifa.

Even in death, Cloud has an “undying” love for Aerith that will never go away. Tifa knows this to be true and is stated to be jealous of Cloud’s continued feelings for Aerith.

In the AC credits, Tactics cameo, and the Dissidia cameo, it is clear Cloud still wants to meet and be with Aerith in the Promised Land. Denying the common sense symbolism of this is a sign of someone who has a deep-rooted bias against Aerith.

Furthermore, Cloud and Tifa are in an established “family of friends,” share zero romantic moments, have tons of continued jealousy, fighting, and sleep in separate rooms. Plus, Barret returns to living with them in DoC. Tifa is never upgraded to anything beyond “childhood friend.”

Cloud & Tifa only have the possibility of being a thing if Aerith is out of the picture. Aerith is #1. Tifa is #2. The other side better pray to god Aerith doesn’t live in the Remake.

[rumandsprite]

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.

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.

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:

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.

[icharchivist]

i completely relate to your feelings for the ff7 remake. its so crushing when you love something and then the remake/sequel/whatever carries its name but butchers the themes so thoroughly that you feel like they didnt understand what made the original so great to begin with. it just feels like a lazy cash grab. looking at every disney remake specifically. or i love this manga that has been going for 1000+ chapters and i wish it would end. i love it dearly its so nostalgic and it was like the first manga i ever read but the characters have become 2d caricatures of themselves and have lost their personality and it just kind of makes me sad. and i agree that a choice like killing aerith hurts because you love the character but it was meaningful and gave characters depth and raised the stakes and just not doing it in the remake because shes so beloved is missing the entire point. i just completely get it and while im not that attached to ff i completely get how youre feeling and why youre so annoyed. it looks great but whats the point if the story doesnt match? themes are so so important and your explanation of how ff7 is about the conflict between nature and industrialization and how aerith represents the planet itself sort of makes a lot of sense. its a really deep story with a lot of thought put into it and her death is so symbolic and important to the story itself. yes shes adorable and beloved but killing her feels like the only right move. its so integral. so yeah jail for square enix for disguising their fanfic sequel as a remake. jail for 1000 years.

aaah nonny thank you 😭💞

while i'm sad the feeling is all too well known it is reassuring at least to find people who relate to it, so thank you for sharing that thought.

the Disney remakes are also a huge pet peeve of mine in term of missing themes or fixing things that don't need to be fixed, but honestly i've given up caring about them at least, and the original always still stand very well on its own even now that it's just *shrugs* whatever yknow, if some people want to connect with the remakes so be it.

for the ff7 remake it irks me a little more since i know people tend to not like getting into older games in general. and with 7 having had many entries to the saga, the original game clashed in gameplay and designs, which threw a lot of people off from playing it.

And it's wild bc i can't exactly call the remake lazy, the amount of work is seen everywhere, but it does feel extremely cynical. Like idk the moment you bring a meta textual level criticizing the fans for wanting to keep the story like it was before, it ends up feeling personal rather than an actual thoughtful approach on the story.

As for like, super long sequels that ends up ruining the spirit of the original, gooood yeah. sometimes it's good when a series can properly end. Fans can do the "keeping the story alive" part just fine we don't need to milk it until the characters are no longer enjoyable...

I am also glad that my POV on Aerith's death and its thematical importance makes sense to you also 🥺 It's a death i feel strongly about because it's genuinely way better done than people give it credit for and i've seen too many takes missing the point that it's something i've been ruminating about for years. (i've read takes about how it's fridging women again for Cloud's manpain and it irks me a lot bc this is not what fridging is and while yeah Cloud suffers from it since yknow, he's the protagonist so we follow his own journey through pain - it's not about Cloud, not just about him anyway. There was also how in ff15 Lunafreya's death was compared to Aerith's by the lead developer and to me it really gives the perfect counter example on how meaningful Aerith's death was to ff7 if you compare it in details to Luna's.)

and of course Aerith is fantastic and i wish, on an emotional level, for her to be alive, but it's not the narratively satisfying ending imo, and any scenario where she doesn't die undo most of the story moving forward.

and honestly it's just. idk kinda sad, that they took back the original dev team from ff7 for this remake, and yet they went into this direction. I do remember that there were tons of interviews about doing right to the fans and honoring the characters the fans came to love so much (it was especially a Kitase's interview where he was especially talking about Sephiroth and Zack, two characters who shouldn't have appeared in the remake at the time, and that i found extremely noticeable bc i have an interview of Kitase in a magazine dating from 2015 where he mentions how much he was always pissed off by Zack's popularity and didn't understand why fans loved him so much.). And so it's like. is it really just fanservice for the sake of fanservice, wanting so much to please the fans you ignore the themes you put in the game? or were all of the themes genuinely accidental??? or the fact it was 25 years ago means it's too far away for them to be remembered as such??

Ad i do think it's even sadder considering how relevant the OG's themes are to our modern days in general.

So yeah, i'm sad the remake went in such a different direction, i feel a bit cheated, but especially i'm bewildered how much it betrays the original themes more than just being different yknow? like i said with the whole "the whole game was about coping with the denial that makes you rewrite your own life and be easily manipulable as a result, so why make the whole remake about "let's rewrite this timeline actually""

but HELP yeah that's definitely a fanfic alright *mumbles* and i've read better ones.

jail!!! jail for a thousand years!!!!!

thank you for your understanding nonny <3333

[holyguardian]

genuinely, really enjoy how "earthly" you make aerith. as in grounded and reality. like, she's very real and acts like a real person would in the types of situations she's in. i know we don't actively write at this moment, but i always find myself skimming your posts to see what aerith is up to. and its always a treat.

xo

Ohh 🥺👉👈 thankyou Oni, that really means a lot coming from you. I feel like we have been in each others orbit for years and we've been politely passing by into our respective brain rot of the season.

I adore Sol (to this day Ariadne is still attached) and I look forward to creating something unique with Aerith's blog too. I move like molasses but Bridget and Grace are definitely on my mind!!!

[holly-fixation]

Angelic Aid: Ch 7

Summary: The Prince of Jenova was training the Cetra. The Queen of Cetra was constructing walls along the perimeter of the city. No one knew what would happen to Aerith when left alone.

Inspired by this art by @tannarys on twitter and follow up art that is absolutely adorable

Please Enjoy!

Chapter 7: Counter Attack

War itself had always been unpredictable. No plan went accordingly. No success was guaranteed. Each side must think on their feet, to determine a new strategy or tactic that could withstand their enemy's forces. All anyone could do was prepare. Success, even for the simplest missions, was not guaranteed. From luck to detriment, an ever present factor of chaos decided the victor of each battle and ultimately the war itself. 

They should have been smarter. 

The Prince of Jenova spent his time since sunset training the Cetra warriors any last minute techniques he believed they could remember and use with only a day's training. The Queen of Cetra traveled the perimeter of the city, both confirming and aiding in the construction of walls with Earth materia. Each barrier required a special technique only the Cetra upper class had perfected, leaving the princess in the royal home alone. 

Aerith didn't mind, however. Whether or not she spent time with others, she always felt The Planet near her. She never felt alone, their voices filling the void of emptiness. Still, she made progress. Her healing spells were almost capable of reviving sections of her garden that did not seem like they would survive. Large injuries were still… difficult for her, but she certainly made progress and never gave up on her self taught lessons. She hoped to master the spell before the battle tomorrow. 

Aerith stood in the garden with an instruction book on the bench and healing materia in her hand. She kept a patch of very brown grass in a pot she watered once every five days. She wanted to revive it with her magic rather than her gardening skill. 

Magic was instant. Agriculture took time. She needed to be ready. 

The only natural light came from the open doorway to her home, the sun just below the horizon and the sky clinging to dark blue fading to black. It wasn't too late, and she wasn't too tired. It was hard, being alone for so long, but her constant failure to revive the not-yet-dead grass was harder.

She should have been paying attention to her surroundings. She should have locked every door and window the moment it got dark. She took a risk. But the Cetra were running out of time to be safe. 

Mog, with Cait Sith on top, jumped over the fence and into the garden. 

Aerith noticed them and closed her book. “Mr. Reeve? What are you doing here?”

“Looking for your mom and Sephiroth,” Cait Sith answered.

Her head tilted a bit, a small pause in her realization. “Mr. Reeve, why are you talking through your robots? Are you okay?”

“Reeve can't get to the controls right now, but he asked us to check up on you.” The machines kept moving closer. 

Something deep in Aerith turned dark, her eyes slightly widening as she began backing away, fumbling with the materia attached to her side. 

“Don't make this harder than it needs to be, Princess of Cetra.”

She couldn't run fast enough to avoid its launch. The massive hand of the white creature lassoed her arm, the mechanical lock clicking in place and sealing her fate. 

Aerith screamed and casted the biggest ice spells she could muster, frost growing from the base of the Mog across her arm. “Let go! Let me go!”

“It's time to teach your people a lesson.” Whoever was speaking through the machine wasn't Reeve. Whoever gave it new orders wanted the Cetra to suffer. “This is for Junon.”

She kept twisting and struggling and yelling for help, “Help! Help! Mama! SEPHIROTH!”

A single bang to the back of her head and everything went dark. 

…

It stung. Her head throbbed, but she tried to swallow her groan. When she woke, she heard muddled orders and commands, her eyes twitching and fluttering against the sounds before the lids finally opened. 

Walls of sky blue materia reached to the stars like mountains, and threads of the Lifestream strummed below with a perfect green glow. Dark floating islands shifted liquidly as the stairs led straight to her as well as the humans in dark clothing and the android she could no longer trust.

She knew exactly where they were. 

Her hands were tied behind her back, and her feet were bound by her ankles. She couldn't move far. She didn't have enough control over her materia to slowly freeze and possibly shatter the restraints. Even if she could, where would she run? They kept her at the center of the island, not a single obstacle in their way to aid her escape.

Someone grabbed her braid and twisted it painfully. Her vision finally cleared to see a man with straight black hair and a single dot in the center of his forehead. 

“Where is it?” His voice portrayed no emotion, but the tightening of his grip made her cry out.

“I don’t know!”

“You know. It’s somewhere hidden and protected with your lives, Cetra.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Where is it, Princess?”

She sobbed. “I don’t know! I really don’t know! Mama doesn’t want me to know!”

The dark haired man threw her down, and she hit the ground with a yelp. He turned to two of the other men surrounding her like a barrier. “Reno. Rude. Distract Sephiroth until we find it.”

“You got it, boss!”

“We'll keep him as far as possible.”

* * * 

The moon glowed high in the sky as the midnight hour claimed the city. Finally the clanging of blades throughout the training ground ceased. For the soldiers, it was time to rest and regain strength before the coming battle. For the warrior, it was time to silently strategize how to take down the human army without losing any Cetra lives, a lofty goal considering the unreliability of the Cetra with swordplay. Two short lessons alone would not save their people, but perhaps they could delay their attackers long enough for the warrior to appear. 

Sephiroth exhaled as he entered the supposedly royal home, still wondering why they didn't, at a minimum, have guards stationed outside. He was thankful for the silent entry as he grabbed a glass of water, but all too quickly did that relief become concern. 

It was quiet. Too quiet. Not even a turning page folding through the air. He swiftly scaled the stairs and checked the rooms, yet he found no one. Odd. Very odd, but not impossible. He slid back down and checked the streets, but again found nothing. Only when he scanned the garden did he find the abandoned instructional book on healing magic. Without thinking, his wing left his back and he launched into the air. 

Inhuman eyes scanned the city for the pink ball gown she always wore, any children playing, or any bright colors demanding his sight. His eyes eventually landed on the red dress of the people's ruler, and he dove from the clouds before landing behind their queen. The mages turned first, hands glowing inside circular rings of both offensive and defensive magic before they realized what had landed. 

“Prince Sephiroth?” Ifalna called immediately as she turned to the silver haired teenager in confusion and concern. Why would he ever approach her? What could he possibly need? “What's wrong? What happened?”

“Aerith is missing.”

Her planet green eyes widened. 

“Is there any possibility she decided to spend time in someone else’s home?”

“None at all. She swore she would practice her magic in the garden until bed.”

He handed her the book. “I found this on the bench in the garden. Would she leave this outside?” He questioned purely for confirmation of his thoughts. 

Ifalna’s tone hardened as she scanned the cover. “Never.” Her burning gaze returned to the angel. “Head to the sky and check all surrounding land. Sephiroth, if she left this continent-”

“Your Majesty!” 

Both of the royals turned at the call to the strange cat machine and the mog robot it rode for maneuverability. 

“Your Majesty, the princess has been kidnapped!”

The two mages at her side nearly jumped.

“Keep this quiet,” She held a hand to them as her command left her lips. “We don't want a mass panic. It'll be more difficult to find her.” Then she turned to the robot. “Reeve, where did you last see her?”

“She's already at the bone village!” The odd voice of the autonomous cat explained. “They're trying to take her to Midgar!”

“Show us exactly where you saw her last.”

“I can't! Mog needs to recharge!”

A barely perceptible pause ran through them. Ifalna glanced at Sephiroth, meeting his sharp eyes and clenching her fist at her side. They looked back at the robot. 

“They have a ship south of here! None of us are fast enough! Sephiroth, you have to go!”

A flash shined between them, and after three seconds passed, the robot collapsed into perfectly cut pieces. The desperate strands of electricity attempted to connect the broken wires as the traitorous machine fizzled out.

Reeve only referred to Sephiroth as 'prince'. They both knew that.

“Our battle plan is compromised and Aerith-”

“What would they want from her-? Ah-!” He suddenly grunted and held a single hand to his chest. 

Ifalna reached for her materia, but Sephiroth fell to a knee, still gripping his heart. Soft white orbs floated around him, threatening his very existence before disappearing along with his pain. 

He stood to his feet with wide eyes, fear shaking his voice, “The white materia.”

“They don't know she has it, or you’d be gone. We’ll send out a search party. Get in the air and find her, then tell us before doing anything rash.”

“Rash?” He incredulously parroted.

“As much as I trust your judgment, I need to know where my daughter is before you attack. I want to know what we're dealing with to get her back safely.”

He reluctantly nodded. “I understand. Gather your party to the north. The south is most likely a trap but I’ll check the shores nonetheless. I guarantee a 'rash' decision if your princess is truly on board.”

The queen nodded with determination. “Do what you need to do.”

* * *

The north always held a natural chill, the snow dusted mountains always a testament to that simple fact. Yet, at the crater, the Lifestream warmed the rocks like a wool blanket. The humans imprisoning the princess stood comfortably on watch, glaring at the top of the cliffs and mountains. 

The princess herself shivered in fear, terrified of moving a muscle. She knew from their targeting of Sephiroth that they were looking for the white materia. She prayed they wouldn't figure out it was in her hair, and the less attention on her and the less she spoke the lower the chance of revelation. Any time the human looked at her, she hid in her knees. What else was she supposed to do? She had no idea how long she was trapped. She only knew she couldn't stop crying for long. Her sobs nagged through the air, constantly making the guard twitch. 

Dawn finally began breaking, its faint glow outlining silhouettes of Cetra mages on the peaks.

“Tsung!” The blonde haired human summoned his attention, “They're coming.”

Tsung simply nodded and moved over to Aerith, grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet. “Stay quiet.”

Aerith nodded in obedience, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to take control of her breath.

“Eyes on the sky, Elena.”

“Yes, sir.”

Every order was simple, but each one burned Aerith’s heart. A small part of her believed Sephiroth would save her. She didn’t know what her mother would do if said queen found her first, but she knew Sephiroth was strong enough. But Aerith? She wasn’t strong or skilled enough to escape. Two well trained humans and one caught ally was all it took to dangle her as bait and waste the night.

Only four Cetra approached: the queen, two mages, and one knight. They marched carefully, not saying a word until all stood on the same island. 

“Take a single step forward, and your princess dies,” Tsung explained first.

Ifalna held up her hands slowly, and the two mages instantly turned to her in surprise. “What do you want?”

“The White Materia.”

She nodded slowly and looked through the wrapping of her dress, sorting through different orbs before arriving on her target one. She swiftly casted a stop spell before either of the humans could react, claiming them both and her daughter in frozen time with a knife to her neck.

They only had one second to act.

The knight’s armor shattered as a wing shot out, then the angel ended the lives of the two operatives. He broke Aerith out of Tsung’s grip before a single drop of blood could land on her dress.

Ifalna ran and embraced Aerith as she began moving again, and the princess cried into her shoulder. “It’s okay… It’s okay…” She repeated as she pet her daughter’s hair.

“I wanna go home…” The child cried. “I wanna go home…”

The two Cetra Royals found themselves wrapped in another’s embrace, one with black clothes that Aerith immediately shifted to. The black wing of Jenova’s warrior cloaked around them, but his inhuman eyes, thus his thoughts, were blocked by mercury bangs.

“You’re safe, Aerith,” His voice shook. “You’re safe…”

.

.

.

.

Thanks for reading!

Author's note: Do you ever come up with an idea you're not quite sure about so you push it off and all of a sudden it's been MONTHS? And then other ideas for other stories get in the way?? …Anyway, I promise I didn't abandon this fic, although I apologize for claiming to put this at the top of the to do list. It’s still going. I promise. Thanks for sticking around. And thanks for reading.

[fairlybeloved]

"Yo, he's always bitching about paperwork. Imagine how happy the superiors will be today when he gets back and it's alllll done! Like, how did he find the time~" That would, tragically, build up a precedent too~

His superiors MAY even give him MORE paperwork in the future because of how diligent he was with completing the others! He would RUE the day the Soldier boy's eyes fell upon the ethereal beauty of the lifestream girl.

Aerith was everything to him. She was goodness and light, with an outright mischievous nature that had him rolling all the time! The Turks might be assigned to keep a steady eye on her, but she certainly didn't often make it easy for them. Somehow able to find a way to live her life in the best way she could under the circumstances. There were restrictions placed upon her that would uproot the strongest of souls and yet---

She stood so boldly bright in the face of dark adversity, it was impossible not to admire her. To take strength from what she was able to achieve regardless.

He vaguely wondered if she would be embarrassed to know just how often he spoke about her to his friends and family. How could he help it? He adored her.

"Ahhh, putting me on the spot--- HUP!" He smoothly hopped up to a squatting position, rising to stand fully to his feet. "Now my hands will be all clumsy~" There were too many obstacles standing in the way~!

"Doesn't look like much at a glance, but the uniform is actually armor." He smirked. "Getting it BACK on is a struggle all on its own, guess we're just gonna have to hunker down here for a little while." There were belts friggen EVERYWHERE. In a hurry, they were far more annoying to detach. He got enough to pull his shirt up over his head and toss it in her direction, like he was some shining star and her his swooning admirer~

"I would say cut the shit out of it, but don't know how I would explain THAT one." He laughed. "Actually...." His eyes shifted, suddenly thoughtful. Would anyone BLAME him????

She chuckles and throws a wrist over her lips to silence the want to bust out laughing. How Zack's voice sharply echoed through the church likely caused their uninvited guest to slightly jolt. It was a sight she wished she could have viewed from up top. At the very least, she had intel delivered to her from the watchful petals that swayed in the wind, whispering softly against the cetra's ear of stories regarding his surprised gape.

Aerith nods to Zack's assumption, "Paperwork needs to get done, too!~"

Once the warmth of his palm settles against her cheek, Aerith leans into his loving touch, resting a little hand over his. "You have me, Zack. You have me." A tiny smile finds her lips when he pours out his reasons.

She was in the same instance. Perhaps not in the same war torn ways as he. Nowadays, Shinra had been trying to steal away the freedom her mother left for her in death, pulling all the means necessary to get her back into Hojo's custody.

She had no ounce of privacy. Somebody would always be watching, waiting, following, stalking, monitoring...

But with Zack? It felt as if all of that nonsense disappeared. They were truly alone—even when they weren't. It was the peace of mind he gave her. How he tried so hard to impress her, the laughter and joy he beckoned while showing various ways how much he valued and cared about her.

When he was around, the Turks never thought twice about jumping her. Aerith could just, be. Worry free. And with somebody she deeply cherished and loved.

As Zack requests her to dismount (while noting the struggles to dress down from soldier armor) Aerith does so without hesitation as a mischievous smirk finds her lips, "I don't. But show me~" she plops herself back down into the dried leaves and twigs she'd piled up in the weeks prior, leaning back on her elbows with the occasional giggle as she watches him.

[randoimago]

Can I get hcs with Sora (KH3 plz), Dimitri (FE), and Cloud (FF7) with a really peppy and bubbly S/O (Fem preferably but GN is ok!!) thx!

Having a Super Peppy and Bubbly S/O

FANDOM: Final Fantasy 7, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Kingdom Hearts

Character(s): Cloud Strife, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, Sora

Mentioned Character(s): Tifa, Aerith, Donald

Type of Request: Headcanons

Word Count: 286

Note(s): Sure thing! Also I got this before I closed requests for FF7, just letting others know!!

Final Fantasy 7

Cloud

Cloud acts like he is very annoyed by you being so bubbly all the time but he secretly loves it. 

Like he’ll grumble about you being so damn happy all the time because nothing makes you upset, but really that’s perfect. 

He’s just so relieved that he has someone in his life that is so positive and seeings the upside to things. He needs an optimist to his realist/pessimist.

He honestly needs more of this personality type in his life.

It’s very funny to others because it looks like polar opposites yet you two are in a relationship. He scoffs anytime Tifa or Aerith teases him about it.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Dimitri

Dimitri finds you super adorable.

He views you as a bright light in the darkness that he has. There’s so many times when he has self doubt about the relationship.

Like he constantly wonders if he should be with you because you deserve so much more than him.

You’re so sweet and kind and bubbly so you’re easily telling him otherwise. 

Honestly, you letting him know how much he is loved just keeps causing him to fall more and more in love with you.

Kingdom Hearts

Sora

He loves how happy and bubbly you are. 

You’re always just able to put him in a good mood and make him feel happy and bubbly too. It’s contagious!

Seriously, he’s always in a good mood when you’re around. He could have been arguing with Donald and immediately just be laughing with you.

Others might find it a bit annoying as you two are just the bubbly and happy couple. 

There’s lots of teasing from Kairi and Riku but Sora doesn’t care. He’s with you and he’s happy, that’s all that matters to him.

[final-fantasy-imagines]

Hello! New to your blog! Saw request are open! Yayyy! May I request a Cloud Strife drabble were reader is allergic to flowers and since Cloud hangs around Aerith they sneeze a lot and he gets confused as to why they tend to slightly avoid him since he kind of likes them- the reader does too.

Hey there! Welcome to my blog, I hope you'll have a great time here. <3 Thank you for your request, I really liked the idea and I hope I did it justice. Take care and stay safe!

Bless you, sneezy – Cloud Strife x gn!reader

“(Y/N)! It’s so good to see you again!”

Cloud looked up from his drink at Tifa’s cheerful greetings. She was smiling, just like she always did when a new customer entered her bar but this time, she seemed to be truly excited. And he could totally understand why.

Because he was excited, too, although he actually managed to fight back the smile that had started to form on his lips as soon as he heard you say, “Hi, Tifa!”

He always acted like that when he was around you – well, not always. In the beginning of your acquaintanceship, he had been quite approachable, at least for his usual standards, and had even initiated a conversation with you from time to time, unlike he did with others. He had valued your company, catching himself admiring you every so often.

But now… well, he wasn’t so sure if you actually shared the sympathy he felt for you.

Cloud turned his face away and pretended to focus on his drink when you approached the bar. You gave him a nod and greeted him with a brief “Oh, hi Cloud!” before returning your attention to Tifa who was already reaching out for a glass to pour you your favorite drink.

From the corner of his eye, Cloud could see the smile that flashed over your face as you thanked her before picking up your glass and looking around to find the perfect spot to sit. He pressed his lips together, watching you as you purposely overlooked the empty barstool right next to him to sit down at the other end of the bar counter, ensuring that there were two seats empty between the two of you.

He held back a sigh. “Hi, (Y/N),” he mumbled, his voice way too quiet for you to actually hear it but as it seemed, you weren’t interested in a conversation anyway.

And recently, it was always like that. You avoided him all the time, keeping your distance whenever you had to be in the same room, despite the fact that you had actually gotten along quite well in the beginning. He didn’t understand where things had gone wrong, and he had no idea what he should do to fix it. Not to mention that there was a nagging fear that everything he could try would make your relationship even worse.

He took a sip from his drink, one of Tifa’s new creations which he always got to try before she served it to other customers, while he continued to watch you, almost as if he could figure out what you were thinking just by staring at you.

You weren’t paying attention to him. Instead, you were focused on chitchatting with Tifa, telling her about your day while you stirred your drink with your straw. Then, all of a sudden, you scrunched up your nose, a few tears welling up in your eyes – and then, you quickly buried your face in your hands before letting out a heart-wrenching sneeze.

“Bless you,” Tifa said but another sneeze coming from you drowned her word out.

Cloud’s eyes widened when you sneezed a third time. Why did it sound so goddamn adorable? He wasn’t supposed to find everything about you cute! And still, he somehow did.

You sniffled and pulled a tissue out of your pocket to blow your nose. “Geez,” you mumbled, wiping the tears from your eyes. “Damn allergies.”

Cloud was still staring at you. And then, before he could stop himself, he asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m just… I have allergies. Some things just make me sneeze all the time. No need to worry.”

“Oh,” he replied slowly. You sniffled again. “Yeah. It’s usually not that bad but-“

Another sneeze cut you short, and you laughed; a quiet, awkward laugh. “Well – whenever you’re near it seems to get even worse.”

He wasn’t sure whether you were joking or not but it probably didn’t matter anyway. “What kind of allergies?” he pumped you in an almost desperate attempt to keep the conversation going, now that you were finally talking to him again.

“Flowers, mostly,” you replied and shrugged. “But there must be something else as well because – well, I guess, you don’t spend your time surrounded by flowers, so that can’t be the explanation why I apparently can’t,” you paused and pinched the bridge of your nose when you felt the familiar tingle building up again, “stop sneezing around you.”

Cloud frowned. Then, when he fully understood what you were trying to say, a surprised chuckle escaped his throat. Could it really be that simple?

“Actually, I do,” he said slowly. You raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“I do spend a lot of time around flowers,” he explained, shaking his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe that’s why you’ve been avoiding me. I thought – well, I thought it had something to do with me. That you started to dislike me or something.”

“You – what?” You looked at him, your eyes filled with utter confusion before you started to laugh. “Cloud, I’m not avoiding you! Or, maybe I do but that’s not because I don’t like you. It’s because you smell like flowers all the damn time and the constant sneezing is really annoying!”

“This is ridiculous.” Cloud shook his head once again, completely baffled by his own stupidity. The whole situation could have been so much easier if he had just asked you about the sudden change in your behavior instead of visiting Aerith over and over again, unknowingly making things worse with every hour he had spent with the flower girl to ask her for advice regarding you.

You rolled your eyes but there was also a soft smile tugging at the corners of your mouth when you stood up and sat down on the barstool next to him, ignoring the fact that your eyes started to water again. “You really thought I didn’t like you?” “Well, what was I supposed to think? Whenever we met, you either turned around and left immediately or you spent the entire time on the other side of the room!”

“Because you make me sneeze!”

The two of you laughed, earning an amused smile from Tifa while she polished a glass. Then, you reached out for his hand. “Cloud,” you said softly, “I’m sorry. I should have taken the time to explain my allergy to you instead of avoiding you.”

He looked at you, an almost tender expression in his blue eyes, and your breath hitched in your throat. “Nevermind. I understand it now.”

For a few seconds, you kept staring at each other, unwittingly leaning in until you were so close to him that you could smell the sweet scent of flowers again. And, as if by command, you had to turn away to sneeze, effectively spoiling the mood.

“Cloud, I really like you but please go and change your clothes, or else I will sneeze myself to death when I try to kiss your stupid face.”